PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 9: Sean Manaea #59 of the New York Mets pitches in the second inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The post-trade-deadline Mets are fun to watch.
Sean Manaea pitched a gem, and the Mets offense scored early and often as New York defeated the Pirates 11-1 Sunday in Pittsburgh. The Mets are 5-1 since their deadline selloff, taking back-to-back road series against teams that still have playoff hopes in the Guardians and now the Pirates.
Registering his fourth consecutive quality start, Manaea finished with a season-high 11 strikeouts, zero walks and just three hits allowed. Those 11 strikeouts also matched Manaea’s best mark in a Mets uniform.
Manaea came out with some of his best stuff of the season, striking out five Pirates batters in the first two innings, matching a career best. His fastball velocity was consistently in the low to mid 90s as the veteran continues his midseason turnaround. Manaea was mowing down batter after batter, recording six consecutive strikeouts before giving up a solo home run to Jake Mangum in the third inning.
While Manaea looked like an ace, the Mets lineup got RBIs from six different players, plating at least one run in four of the first five innings. Bo Bichette reached base six times, Jared Young had three hits, Luis Robert Jr. and Francisco Alvarez each homered, as the Mets have put up 42 runs on their current road trip.
Pirates pitching wasn’t up to the task against the suddenly surging Mets. They gave up 15 hits, seven walks, and two hit-by-pitches as the Mets consistently had traffic on the bases.
New York jumped on Pirates starter Jared Jones in the first inning with some good at-bats and a bit of luck. AJ Ewing led the game off by drawing a walk on seven pitches to lead off the game before Francisco Lindor took a pitch off the foot. Bichette lined a ball 110.9 MPH up the middle to load the bases and set up Carson Benge. The rookie outfielder missed Saturday’s game with a bruised wrist, but quickly made an impact with a check-swing single to score Ewing. Robert Jr. scored Lindor on a sacrifice fly to put New York up 2-0 and give Manaea a little cushion before even taking the mound.
New York added on in the third inning with Robert Jr.’s two-run home run. Young followed that up with a two-out triple, his second triple of the road trip. Marcus Semien singled Young home, contributing to Jones’ bad day at the office.
Jones’ implosion got worse in the fourth inning, when the Mets put the game out of reach. Jones hit Alvarez with a pitch, then walked Ewing and Lindor. The Pirates replaced Jones with Evan Sisk, but it didn’t help much. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Bichette launched a double to left field to clear the bases. Young knocked Bichette home to put the Mets up 9-1.
Alvarez shook off the hit by pitch, which he took off his oft-injured hands, and eventually crushed his solo home run in the fifth inning for good measure. The solo shot gave the Mets double-digit runs for the 12th time this season. Bichette and Robert Jr. couldn’t help but pad their stats in the seventh inning. Bichette doubled to left field before Robert Jr. got his fourth RBI of the day on a two-out single.
Bichette finished 5-5 with two doubles while everyone in the Mets lineup reached base at least once except Brett Baty, who went 0-5 with three strikeouts.
With the dust settling on Manaea’s gem and the lineup’s relentless attack, Jack Weisenburger made his MLB debut out of the Mets bullpen in the eighth inning. The 28-year-old had just gotten the call earlier today before pitching two shutout innings to close out the laugher. Weisenburger and Manaea’s effort helped interim manager Andy Green preserve the bullpen heading into a three-game series in Atlanta.
The Braves series starts Monday at 7:15 PM EDT with Christian Scott taking the mound for New York, and Bryce Elder starting for Atlanta.
Big Mets winner: Bo Bichette, +13% WPA Big Mets loser: Brett Baty, -3% WPA Mets pitchers: +11% WPA Mets hitters: +39% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Luis Robert Jr. home run, +15% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jake Mangum home run, -4.7% WPA
Basketball: Brooklyn Nets Paul Pierce (34) standing in front of logo at center court during preseason game vs Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Brooklyn, NY 10/15/2013 CREDIT: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez (Photo by Guillermo Hernandez Martinez /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X157074 TK1 R1 F88 )
Now, with most roster spots — even two-ways — filled and families getting ready for long-delayed vacations, things naturally get less busy. Mobile devices are still turned on but there’s less to talk about, particularly with Brooklyn whose off-season was mostly about one big trade, for Julius Randall, one big draft pick, in Mikel Brown Jr. and one big summer league surprise, Egor Demin. Free agency, which is becoming less of a big deal around the league, saw the Nets add some pieces — Moe Wagner and Keon Ellis, extend couple of others — Day’Ron Sharpe and Josh Minott, and bid farewell to Jalen Wilson, Ziaire Williams and Tyson Etienne.
Might they be part of some end-of-summer trade, if not a player? Sure, but that’s not what’s expected.
So we’re left as we often are this time of year tracking what’s going on with the players under contract, and there’s been a little bit of news, most of it far away from Brooklyn.
The big gathering was in L.A. as the players’ union, the NBPA, opened a west coast training center in an old Clippers training facility. A number of Nets were on hand for the inauguration of the union’s second players facility, the other in midtown Manhattan not far from Rockefeller Plaza.
We counted MPJ, Tre Mann, Drake Powell and Danny Wolf. Porter Jr. looked healthy and solid and Drake Powell (in the red shorts) was making shots and being aggressive. We don’t know if there were others out of camera range or if we missed any in quickly perusing IG videos. Nor do we know why so many Nets, none of them with SoCal roots, were in L.A. for the opening. In the past, Nets players have gathered near L.A. for self-organized training and bonding sessions. Could that be happening this summer as well?
Meanwhile, Day’Ron Sharpe is back home after an event-filled couple of weeks that saw him get engaged (congratulations!) in Puerto Rico…
… then move on to China — Shanghai, Huangzhou and Hong Kong — with Nets legend Kenyon Martin and assistant coach Juwan Howard (a former teammate of Yao Ming) on a team-organized tour…
… as well as with team sponsors in China and events with the “Cheer Nets,” the Chinese version of the Brooklynettes dance team that promotes the Nets at events across the PRC. They also visited the Huangzhou headquarters of Alibaba, which is headed by Joe Tsai, and an Asian University Basketball League championship game, also in Huangzhou, where Sharpe offered commentary. The league which seeks to replicate the NCAA at universities across the Asia was co-founded and financed by Tsai. Everyone eats.
Meanwhile, someone caught the back seat of Moe Wagner on his more quotidian European vacation, featuring the family dog and a vintage New Jersey Nets cap…
As our Bryan Fonseca noted both in 2018 and we reiterated after he signed with the Nets, a Wagner-Brooklyn mash-up has been in the stars for a while…
Before 2018 Draft, Wagner and those in his inner circle seemed to have an affinity for Brooklyn. During Michigan’s Big 10 run that year, his family arrived at MSG wearing Brooklyn gear. He also said in an interview that he roots for Nets over Knicks. Home.
We’ve also heard Wagner has been living in Brooklyn for a while.
Look Back
Earlier this week, the Nets released a nearly 1o-minute video retrospect on the Nets Summer League team in Las Vegas, focused on Egor Demin’s bonding with the Nets three rookies — Mikel Brown Jr., Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau — whether on the court or out at a golf range.
There’s also some fun talk and video about Bilodeau’s family history with hockey, his father Brent’s career as a physical defender in the pro hockey circuits.
A couple of pieces of news about the Summer League we picked up recently. We know we’ve mentioned that Jefferson, the 6’9” senior point forward out of Iowa State, is seen as a steal by Brooklyn brass at No. 28. It’s an assessment that’s unchanged despite a lackluster performance in Las Vegas.
Jefferson couldn’t play, scrimmage or practice with Brooklyn at all until the Julius Randle-for-Nic Claxton deal was made official on July 9 so he got a pass. But don’t be surprised if you hear down the line, as we have of late, that that the Nets wanted the exchange of picks in that three team trade specifically so they could take JJ. The Nets had the No. 33 pick, at the top of the second round, before the trade … but believed Jefferson might not be there. So they attached the swap of the Nets No. 33 for the Timberwolves No. 28 in the deal. They believe that Jefferson fell in large part because he was a 22-year-old, four-year senior.
The other is more an interesting look at how the NBA at large can be at a disadvantage when offering Exhibit 10s to NCAA players with a year of eligibility left. The Nets recruited Duke Brennan, a solid 6’10” Villanova big man, to play for their Summer League squad. He didn’t play much in Sacramento or Las Vegas but was rumored to be a candidate for an Exhibit 10 deal with Brooklyn.
An Exhibit 10 contract can mean a training camp invite but it can also be a way for teams to populate their G League squads with prospects. A player signs an Exhibit 10, gets cut and immediately moves to the G League training center. Financially, a G League player on an Exhibit 1o can make about $135,000 a year max: the standard G League contract — a bit less than $50,000 — plus a bonus of up to $85,000 if they stick around the G for 60 days. (Our Connor Long reports that while some teams will try to negotiate that figure down, the Nets do not, providing the full bonus to all their Exhibit 10 deals.)
But Brennan has NCAA eligibility left and so, according to reports, at least five schools would like to add him — and pay him NIL money which could reach seven figures easily. At this point, it look like Brennan will return to school a richer man than if he joined the pros.
Meet and Greet
Last week, the 76ers moved their press conference introducing Jaylen Brown from the 76ers practice facility which is located across the Delaware from Camden, N.J. to the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center in West Philadelphia where dozens of children were ready to greet him. They formed a line to slap fives with the player who arguably will be their team’s best this season…
The Nets did it when they introduced their three rookies in early July at their Brooklyn Basketball Training Center also with a line of enthusiastic kids…
Nets did same thing in introducing their three draft picks last month, moving presser to Brooklyn Basketball Center from HSS Training Center. Picks were greeted by 85 kids at youth training facility across from Barclays. https://t.co/MYdy6fqK5Upic.twitter.com/VE8PhNMOPt
The rationales may be different — the 76ers training facility where pressers are usually held is divorced from either community — Camden or Philadelphia — while the Nets training facility is in a century-old industrial park on the Brooklyn waterfront but not far from Sunset Park and other Brooklyn neighborhoods. Traditionally, press conferences around the NBA are held without an audience, particularly kids.
Are we seeing a league trend to bring players closer to their younger fans? For the Nets of course, it’s their strategy: generational fandom — screw the proliferation of Knicks jerseys! Still, every team should be trying to break through what many see as the economic stratification of fandom brought on high prices for everything from tickets to concessions to team gear to streaming services to paywalls for sports pages. No one is hurt more by that stratification than youngsters.
The 76ers portrayed the decision to switch venues as Brown’s desire to get closer to the fans than he could have at a traditional press conference, particularly in Camden. The Nets would only say a presser in front of enthusiastic youngsters was more “festive.” It certainly wasn’t unscripted.
Several of the youngsters were already outfitted with the three rookies’ jerseys just days after the rooks were drafted. After YES Network and NBC Sports’ Noah Eagle asked his questions, the kids, sitting in a semi-circle, got their chance, all of it choreographed. The rooks and Sean Marks then adjourned to a back room where the media asked their questions in a more informal setting than usual. Nothing was lost.
So we’ve now seen it twice. Once more and we’ll declare it a trend.
NBA Schedule comes out this week
We don’t know the day, but the NBA schedule will finally be released. For Nets fans, who are not going to play on Christmas and their national games will probably be counted on one hand, maybe one finger, the big news will be when they open, against who and where; the home opener, and when they will be playing the NBA champion New York Knicks. Remain strong.
The Mets had everything working in Sunday's series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates and won the rubber game, 11-1.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- A day after getting shut out, New York’s offense broke out in a big way and returned to its recent form on this road trip with an 11-run and 15-hit performance.
Bo Bichette led the pack by going 5-for-5 (his second five-hit game of the season) with two doubles, a walk, three RBI and three runs scored. His bases clearing double was the big hit that blew the game wide open in a four-run fourth inning.
-- Before that, the Mets had already mounted a big lead thanks to two runs in the first and three more in the third where Luis Robert Jr., who entered the day as a career .406 hitter in 18 games against the Pirates, unloaded a two-run shot to put New York ahead, 4-0. The home run traveled 408 feet to right center field – a rare spot for a right-handed hitter at PNC Park.
Robert finished 2-for-5 with a game-high four RBI and a run scored. He drove in three of the Mets’ first four runs after lifting a sacrifice fly in the first inning and he knocked in the team’s final run with an RBI single in the sixth.
-- Jared Young also had a great day at the plate with a three-hit performance, including a triple (his second three-bagger of the road trip), that was aided by a defensive miscue. He also drove in a run and scored a run.
-- Carson Benge, back in the lineup after a day off on Saturday to recover from wrist soreness after crashing into the left field wall on Friday, seemed completely unaffected by the injury scare and stayed hot, getting things started for New York in the first with a bases loaded check-swing single through the massive hole on the left side of the infield.
The rookie went 2-for-5 and has had multiple hits in his last three games and at least one hit in every game he’s started on the road trip. He’s up to a .272 average on the season with a .744 OPS.
-- Francisco Alvarez got in the mix with a solo shot, his 13th of the year, in the fifth for his only hit of the game, although he walked and scored twice. Marcus Semien also drove in a run with a single and went 1-for-4 with a walk.
-- A.J. Ewing went hitless in six at-bats at the top of the lineup but scored two runs on two walks. Behind Ewing, Francisco Lindor also didn’t have a hit until he singled in the ninth, but like Ewing he scored twice.
In the first inning, Lindor was hit by a pitch on the foot and was briefly looked at by trainers before being good to go.
-- On the mound, Sean Manaea pitched like an ace. The left-hander went seven innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out a season-high 11 batters and walking none. At one point Manaea struck out six in a row before it was broken up by Jake Mangum’s solo home run, the only run the Pirates scored.
It was Manaea’s best start of the season and he looked like the 2024 version of himself. The veteran southpaw has looked a lot better lately and lowered his season ERA to 4.13 in 25 games (11 starts).
-- Jack Weisenburger made his MLB debut and pitched the final two innings where he struck out two and allowed one hit.
Game MVP: Sean Manaea
Manaea gets the nod for his dominant performance and because the Mets offense split the vote between them.
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 9: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox hangs his head after making a wide throw to second base on a pick off attempt during the ninth inning against the Athletics at Fenway Park on August 9, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox are playing a few men short, and it’s come at a difficult time. The 13-inning, marathon game on Thursday night required Brayan Bello to throw three innings, limiting his availability today. It also led to Greg Weissert being optioned to bring up Raymond Burgos to provide length, which he did for two days before being optioned for Seth Martinez. Martinez isn’t exactly a trusted arm at this point; bringing him in to a close game would only be done by necessity.
On Sunday (and Saturday), the lack of rotation depth caught up to the Red Sox. With no starter available, the Red Sox needed six pitchers to get 27 outs. It nearly worked, as the Red Sox led the game after eight innings. Unfortunately, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman are human, and both scuffled on Sunday. Whitlock nearly pitched a scoreless inning, but a bloop single and double just out of the reach of Jarren Duran tied the game. In the ninth inning with the game tied and two outs, Aroldis Chapman had Donovan Walton picked off, but Willson Contreras’ throw to second wound up in the outfield, and the inning continued. Max Muncy promptly doubled, and the Athletics had a lead. While the defense let Chapman down, he wasn’t particularly sharp. Whitlock and Chapman are each in the top five in appearances since the second half began, and pitch exclusively in high-pressure situations. Those two will continue to be effective, but the Red Sox need more length from the rotation to navigate a difficult stretch of the schedule.
Of course, the offense can bail out the bullpen on any given day. Today, that didn’t happen. They managed to score four runs on Sunday, but lacked any power and primarily moved station to station, taking extra bases with their speed. Small ball has shown up in big moments for the Red Sox, but it’s actually the home run ball that’s propelled the turnaround. Since the All-Star break, the Red Sox have 33 home runs, the third most in baseball over that span. Today, Wilyer Abreu hit a ball that looked like it had a chance, but was caught in right field for a sacrifice fly. Besides that, the contact was mostly weak, and Boston didn’t record a single extra-base hit. That meant the team couldn’t turn to Seth Martinez for a reprieve, and the high-leverage arms faltered on the same day, giving the A’s a 5-4 victory. It’s the first time the Red Sox have lost on back-to-back days since June 21st and 22nd, and the first series they’ve dropped since the end-of-June series against the Nationals.
Sonny Gray will go tomorrow against the Toronto Blue Jays. The next off day is still a week away, but Adley Rutschman could be returning to add some thump to the offense.
The Hockey News' Adam Proteau is currently in the process of ranking each NHL team from worst to best ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have officially been ranked as one of the NHL's worst teams right now, as Proteau gave them the No. 27 spot.
"Columbus needed a big 2026 off-season, and they didn’t get it. That’s why the Blue Jackets are in 27th place in TheHockeyNews.com’s off-season ranking," Proteau wrote.
"Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, there’s not enough progress developing this Columbus team into a legitimate Cup front-runner," Proteau added. "The Jackets are fortunate that the Metropolitan Division they play in is one of the NHL’s weaker divisions. But that doesn’t change the fact that their roster isn’t imposing. And this summer did little to convince us that’s likely to change anytime soon.
The Blue Jackets being ranked as one of the NHL's bottom teams ahead of the 2026-27 season comes after they had some notable departures this off-season.
The Blue Jackets did not re-sign former captain Boone Jenner, as he signed a four-year, $23 million contract with the Washington Capitals in free agency. This was after he posted 13 goals, 38 points, and 147 hits in 67 games last season for Columbus.
Jenner is not the only former key forward that the Blue Jackets lost this off-season, either. Mason Marchment signed a five-year, $33.75 million contract with the San Jose Sharks after being a great mid-season addition for Columbus. In 39 games with Columbus following being acquired from the Seattle Kraken, he posted 15 goals and 32 points.
The Blue Jackets did find a replacement for Marchment in Valeri Nichushkin, though, acquiring him from the Colorado Avalanche. In 72 games last season for Colorado, he posted 17 goals and 49 points. However, he also had 21 goals and 34 points in just 43 games for the Avalanche in 2024-25 and 53 points in 54 games for Colorado in 2023-24, so he could end up being a big pickup if he bounces back.
The Blue Jackets will now be hoping that Nichushkin can end up being a strong addition to their top six. Another way the Blue Jackets could exceed expectations is if their young players like Adam Fantilli, Denton Mateychuk, and bounce-back candidate Kent Johnson hit new levels for them. The Blue Jackets will also be hoping that Jet Greaves can continue to shine as their No. 1 goalie.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see how the Blue Jackets perform next season. If their young guns break out and and their core players have strong years, they could very well surprise many and be far better than this No. 27 ranking.
The list of pitchers he joins is impressive. Strider again in 2023 (130 innings), Randy Johnson in 2001 (130⅔ innings) and Gerrit Cole 133⅓ innings in 2019.
It is also a red flag.
Strider had Tommy John surgery in 2024. Cole had a reconstruction with an internal brace in March 2025 and lost a season. Johnson is the only one who did this and stayed healthy, and he was 37.
Misiorowski is 24, and the Brewers have the best record in baseball. Milwaukee has never won a World Series. Down the stretch, the Brewers have to balance that drive versus keeping their star healthy.
He went six innings against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, giving up three runs on four hits and a walk with nine strikeouts. He punched out No.200 in the third inning, and that was the exact moment he surpassed his work load for last season.
Misiorwski threw 129⅓ regular-season innings last year between Triple-A and the big leagues, plus 12 more in October. He matched that Sunday in the third inning. There are seven weeks left and he's at 133 innings.
The Brewers have already flinched. They scratched him July 12 in Pittsburgh with arm fatigue. He skipped the All-Star Game after making the team for the second straight year. He came back July 21 following a 12-day layoff, and they pulled him after four inning and 65 pitches.
Traditionally, the process is to add 20% to 30% to last year's total to protect a young arm. That would get Misiorowski 12 more starts of five innings. The Brewers have said they will tailor it to how Misiorowski feels and it pitching.
What makes this unique is what Misiorowski can do with the innings he does pitch. Against the Rockies last month, 66 of his 83 pitches hit 100 miles an hour. He touched 104.7 mph. He threw 33 fastballs at 103 or better, more than twice as many as anyone had ever thrown in a game since tracking began.
Over his last 15 starts, he has a 1.05 ERA with 144 strikeouts in 94.1 innings.
The Brewers have their best roster in franchise history and arguably the best pitcher in baseball right now. Every inning they let him go this regular season is one they may want in October.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 09: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on August 9, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Max Fried and Gerrit Cole combined to allow two runs through 13.1 innings in the opening contests. Should similar events unfold today, a sweep is tantalizingly close.”
So said the idiot who authored today’s game thread. And the monkey’s paw curled.
Similar events unfolded as Cam Schlittler delivered a masterful performance and the bullpen held Atlanta scoreless for the final two innings of regulation. Alas, you have to score runs to win baseball games. Today, like most days, New York strugged to do that. And it cost them in a 2-1 loss in 10.
“And I took that personally” were Michael Jordan’s infamous words from The Last Dance.
Judging by how Schlittler came out of the gate today, the fireballer was still umm … disgruntled, about his previous start. Touching 100 mph in the first inning with the fastball, Cam whiffed five of the first six Braves he faced. Entering today featuring his heat 90 percent of the time, through two frames Schlittler was also leaning on his curveball more than usual, with the hook accounting for 20 percent of his pitches.
Mike Yastrzemski led off the third with a double (no perfecto or no-no for Cam today). Showing he has more than just blow-away gas in his arsenal, Schlittler proceeded to pitch to contact to strand the grandson of the Red Sox legend. A pop out to first followed by a pair of fly balls. No harm, no foul.
The middle innings were more of the same from Cam, relying on his number one to hold down the Braves lineup. The Yaz double was the last time that Atlanta got to Schlittler for several innings. After surrendering the two-bagger, Cam retired 12 consecutive Braves, keeping them out of the run column and giving the beleaguered Yankee offense a chance to break through.
In the home sixth, the Yanks finally had a golden opportunity to get on the board. After an Austin Wells single, Trent Grisham ripped a double down the right field line to put runners on the corners with one out and the heart of the lineup looming.
Ben Rice then hammered a ball… directly at Ronald Acuña Jr. and his cannon of an arm. With Acuña coming in on the ball, sending Wells would have been an all-time bonehead decision. That left the job up to Heliot Ramos, who proceeded to strike out swinging. Just like that, the Yanks’ best chance to score to that point was extinguished.
Perhaps inevitably, New York’s failure to score immediately haunted them. Schlittler looked to catch a break on 3-1 pitch to Acuña, ultimately striking him out. Matt Olson, however, did not strike out. A rocket off his bat just cleared the fence in right field, putting Atlanta up 1-0. Schlittler recovered to escape without further damage.
His final line on the day: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 11 K. It was another brilliant outing as Schlittler and Dylan Cease trade haymakers in a heavyweight bout for the AL Cy Young Award. It was Cam’s 15th start this season allowing one or fewer runs, best in the big leagues.
With Brent Headrick and David Bednar each having pitched back-to-back games, Aaron Boone needed to turn elsewhere for innings. For the eighth, he chose Kervin Castro. Castro rewarded his skipper with a clean eighth, keeping the deficit at one as the offense was quickly running out of chances.
With the Yankees down to four outs, “The Big Sleep” came through with a big swing. Trent Grisham obliterated a solo home run, his 11th high-leverage long ball since the start of last season, to tie the game and get Schlittler off the hook for the loss.
With the game knotted at one, Paul Blackburn came on for the ninth and retired Atlanta in order, punctuated by a strikeout looking of Olson. Unfortunately, Raisel Iglesias carved through the heart of the Yankee lineup like a hot knife through butter, sending the Yankees and Braves to bonus cantos for the second time this weekend.
It didn’t take long for the Manfred Man to score. Michael Harris II, leading off against Blackburn in his second inning of work, singled up the middle and plated the second Braves run of the day. And that was all Atlanta needed. Jazz Chisholm Jr. started the bottom of the 10th at second. He finished the inning and the game standing there, with Spencer Jones popping up, George Lombard Jr. grounding out, and Ryan McMahon going down on strikes. Whatever. You’re not getting many games to extras scoring only one run, let alone winning them.
The loss drops the Yankees to 7-6 this season when they have the chance to lock down a sweep. The only solace is that the Red Sox actually lost a series to the A’s at Fenway, so the game-and-a-half edge for the top Wild Card spot remains untouched.
The Yanks’ next opponent, Seattle, is currently playing the AL East-leading Rays. Once that’s decided, both the M’s and Yanks are off on Monday before convening in the Bronx on Tuesday night. It’ll be Ryan Weathers vs. Bryan Woo with first pitch scheduled for 7:05pm ET.
Randy Vasquez ranks in the third percentile in both xBA and xERA. He allows a ton of quality contact and bleed hits, which will lead to plenty of traffic on the bases.
This is a great spot for the Houston Astros as a whole to string together hits and keep the train moving. That won't afford opportunities to pitch around Yordan Alvarez.
He ranks third in the majors in RBIs and is a 100th percentile hitter in xwOBA, xSLG, and xBA.
Play to +110.
Jeremy Pena Over 0.5 singles (-155)
Jeremy Pena picked up at least one single in 60% of his games this season, and this is a prime spot to add to that output.
Vasquez owns a poor 1.41 WHIP despite strong walk suppression numbers because of his inability to limit hits. That sets up well for Pena, who owns an impressive .312 batting average against right-handed pitching this season.
Pena has hit .300 or better against each of Vasquez's three most-used pitches vs. righties, giving him few options to attack and get Pena out.
I'd bet Pena up to -170.
Fernando Tatis Jr. Over 0.5 singles (-110)
Cristian Javier has given up hits in bulk, allowing 10.28 per nine innings. He has struggled against righties in particular, allowing a .305 average.
That's good news for Fernando Tatis Jr., who has singled in 55% of his games this season and 65% when isolating home dates.
While Tatis Jr. does have some barrel ability in his bat, he has struggled hitting for power against fastballs. His ISO sits at .073 facing four-seamers, and that is by far Javier's most-used pitch.
I like Tatis Jr. to pick up a single, and would bet this to -133.
How to watch Astros vs Padres and game info
Location
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date
Sunday, August 9, 2026
First pitch
8:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBC/Peacock
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 9: Max Muncy #3 of the Athletics splinters his bat on a ground out against the Boston Red Sox during fourth first inning at Fenway Park on August 9, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The A’s managed to string together a pair of wins! A day after snapping their nine-game losing streak the club made it two in a row as they won their road trip and series finale against the Boston Red Sox in a close 4-3 contest. They now sit at 47-71 and will stay out of the league cellar for another day.
The Athletics got out to a quick start in this one against a Red Sox club going with a bullpen game. A pair of hits started this game and the A’s were in early business. The club did well to cash in at least one run off an RBI groundout from Tyler Soderstrom, but it also felt like a minor wasted opportunity to give their starting pitcher some breathing room before taking to the mound.
It was right-hander J.T. Ginn on the bump today making his second start since getting activated off the injured list with a blister. He was looking good in this one, allowing just one run to score in the second to knot this game up at one apiece.
A couple innings later it was Soderstrom back up to bat and this time he hit a leadoff triple to start the fourth. He’d come in to score on the next pitch thanks to another RBI groundout, this one from rookie infielder Tommy White.
Boston would take the lead in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a throwing error from Ginn. He wasn’t charged with two runs on his final line but for all intents and purposes they were his responsibility. Ginn would pitch one more frame before departing this game, leaving down 3-2 and in line for a loss.
J.T. Ginn: 6 IP, 5 H 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 95 pitches
Not the most dominant start we’ve seen from Ginn but he didn’t have his best stuff on the mound. He did well to battle through and give the club six solid innings and giving the offense a chance to make up the difference.
With their backs up against the wall and the final frames approaching the bats needed to push across just one run. They’d manage to do just that in the top of the eighth when catcher Jonah Heim smacked an RBI double to bring home Jeff McNeil and tie this game at 3:
Just one inning later the A’s would retake the lead for the first time since the fourth. A single off the bat from Alika Williams and then a pinch-steal from Donovan Walton set up the go-ahead run for Max Muncy. Facing the left-handed flamethrower Aroldis Chapman, Muncy connected on an RBI double to make it 4-3 A’s:
Lefty Hogan Harris was called on in the ninth to seal the deal. He walked the tight rope as he put a the winning run on base, but he managed to nail down his 11th save and the team’s 47th win of the season.
The road trip is over and the Athletics are likely already on a plane back home. The squad didn’t enjoy the greatest road trip, one that saw them go 2-4 but they ended it on a high note. The squad now welcomes the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays to town for the first of three games tomorrow night. Lefty Jacob Lopez is scheduled to take the ball for the home team, his fourth since rejoining the rotation. The results have been good so far as he’s allowed just five runs in 21 1/3 innings. Tampa has deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta going for them.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 09: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves follows through on his seventh inning home run against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 09, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not the flashiest way to end the series, but a win, nonetheless.
The Atlanta Braves might have been struggling waking their bats up, but somehow avoided being swept by the New York Yankees with a 2-1 win in extras.
A homerun knocked in by Matt Olson was the first run of the game in the top of the seventh and put the Braves on the board to kick things off.
The Yankees wouldn’t accept a shut-out, however, and knocked a solo shot of their own—courtesy of Trent Grisham—during the bottom of the eighth to tie the Braves 1-1.
The problem with both teams during this series is the lack of offensive production to put themselves in a good spot early on. In this game specifically, there wasn’t any action from anyone until late in the game, which could’ve gone differently, considering that New York’s previous two wins in the series were low-scoring ones.
Grant Holmes came out and finished the job on his end (6.0 IP/ 3 H/ 0 ER/2 BB, 2 K), bringing his ERA to 3.47 and holding the Yankees off during his stint. It wasn’t until Didier Fuentes came in for Dylan Dodd that the Yankees would see some action with Grisham’s home run.
Michael Harris II singled to drive in Ha-Seong Kim (pinch runner for Olson on second base) for Atlanta’s second and final run in the top of the 10th inning, which sealed the deal offensively. Tyler Kinley shut down the Yankees’ offense in the bottom of the inning to get the save and end the trip on a high note.
Choosing to ignore discussing the Chris Sale ejection news that was broken before the start of Sunday’s game, the highlight is that pitching has, in general, been a solid showing on the Braves’ side. It has a lot to do with moments like these, where it can buy the offense time to get things together and see what’s working, while the defense can hold their opposers off for a while.
This, however, can’t be the case for long.
Now, the Braves are set to return to Truist, where they’ll face another New York team that hasn’t had a series of quiet bats as of late.
The Yankees fell to the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon.
Here are the key takeaways…
--This was a good old fashioned pitchers duel in the Bronx. Cam Schlittler, coming off a rare poor outing against St. Louis his last time out in which he walked five, was excellent. The right-hander overpowered the Braves, striking out seven over his first three innings alone.
Schlittler’s armor finally cracked in the top of the seventh, as Matt Olson tagged him for a solo home run, blasting one 110.7 mph off the bat to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
Still, it was a terrific day for Schlittler, who went 7.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits and striking out 11 without a walk. He lowered his season ERA to 2.21.
--Braves starter Grant Holmes was just as good. Holmes went 6.0 shutout innings and held the Yankees to just three hits. He only struck out two and walked two, but he induced eighth groundouts and kept the Yankees off-balance.
--The Yankees had a prime opportunity to get to Holmes in the bottom of the sixth, putting runners at second and third with just one out. But Ben Rice hit a hard line drive out to right, and Heliot Ramos went down swinging to end the inning.
-- Trent Grisham, who had been hitting just .157 in his last 30 games, delivered in a huge way in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs and nobody on, Grisham destroyed a solo homer off of Didier Fuentes, a no-doubt shot to right field to tie the game at 1-1.
-- Paul Blackburn kept the game tied with a scoreless top half of the ninth inning, including a strikeout. But he went back out there for the 10th, and Michael Harris II got to him right away with a leadoff single to score the free runner and give the Braves the lead. It was still a fairly good outing for Blackburn, who lowered his season ERA to 1.95.
-- The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 10th, ending a frustrating day for the offense. The Yankees had just four hits as a team and went hitless with runners in scoring position.
Game MVP
Holmes, who held the Yankees to three hits over his six shutout innings.
Why The Maple Leafs Promoted Patrick O’Sullivan To Director of NHL Development
Patrick O’Sullivan has been named Director of NHL Development by the Toronto Maple Leafs, the club announced Sunday.
The promotion elevates O’Sullivan from his previous position as a development coach, a role he has held with the organization since the 2023-24 season. Over those three years he has worked within a specialized player-development group that includes Nik Antropov, Kyle Clifford, Denver Manderson and Jake Muzzin, focusing on technical skill refinement, video analysis and individualized biomechanics across the roster.
A Toronto native, O’Sullivan arrived with a strong playing foundation. Selected 56th overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2003, he set franchise records with the Mississauga IceDogs, won OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year honours in 2002, scored the game-winning goal for Team USA at the 2004 World Juniors and captured AHL Rookie of the Year after a 47-goal, 93-point season with the Houston Aeros. He played 334 NHL games with the Kings, Oilers, Hurricanes, Wild and Coyotes before transitioning into broadcasting and later player development.
His most visible impact has come through sustained work with veteran centre John Tavares. The relationship stretches back more than two decades. As a teenager, Tavares cited O’Sullivan’s puck-handling, vision and shot mechanics as an early influence while watching him with the IceDogs. The two later connected through youth lacrosse and off-season training sessions. In Toronto, that foundation evolved into regular post-practice technical work. While now former Maple Leafs skating consultant Paul Matheson addresses linear power and edge control, O’Sullivan has focused on game-state micro-skills: lower-body leverage and blade-angle control for puck protection below the goal line, net-front redirection and tight-angle releases, and board retrievals under physical pressure.
Patrick O’Sullivan has been named Director of NHL Development.
O’Sullivan’s influence has extended across the roster. Max Domi has called him “probably the best development coach in the league,” crediting the combination of on-ice micro-reps and video breakdowns that improved his transitional playmaking and neutral-zone decision-making. Auston Matthews has used optional gameday skill sessions with O’Sullivan to maintain shooting mechanics and manage load during congested stretches.
John Tavares and Max Domi doing some skills work with Patrick O’Sullivan ahead the Leafs morning skate. pic.twitter.com/d17gW3Abgw
His approach is shaped by personal experience. In his 2015 memoir Breaking Away, O’Sullivan detailed the physical and psychological abuse he endured from his father, experiences that left lasting effects and a mistrust of rigid, hierarchical environments. That background has informed a coaching style built on clear communication, technical empathy and individualized support rather than punitive feedback.
The promotion arrives amid broader organizational change under general manager John Chayka. Elevating O’Sullivan recognizes three seasons of consistent, high-value work that has helped extend the productive windows of core veterans while supporting the technical growth of the rest of the roster. As Director of NHL Development, he will now take on expanded responsibility for how those programs scale across the NHL-level group.
For a franchise focused on both performance and sustainability, the move formalizes the contributions O’Sullivan has already made.
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Aug 8, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Zach McKinstry (39) heads to the dugout after scoring a run during the seventh inning on an RBI single by Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle, not shown, against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (57-60) vs. San Francisco Giants (49-68)
Time/Place: 4:05 p.m., Oracle Park SB Nation Site:McCovey Chronicles Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Troy Melton (7-1, 1.58 ERA) vs. RHP Logan Webb (7-7, 3.74 ERA)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 27: Andrew Alvarez #54 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays at Nationals Park on July 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The rollercoaster that has been the 2026 Washington Nationals is one that has been defined by the pitching staff. Consistency has been incredibly hard to come by, and the highest highs have been paralleled by lows that often sit among the league’s worst.
Finding any sort of reliable pitching has been a year-long struggle, and one that has only been made more difficult by the recent trade of left-hander Foster Griffin, who was far and away the anchor of the rotation. Cade Cavalli has maintained an upward trajectory, pitching to a 3.57 ERA across a career-high 128.2 innings, but the revolving door of arms after that has seen concerningly low stability.
The search for reliable starters has led to the coaching staff and front office exhausting every possible avenue within the system, and that venture may have struck gold in southpaw Andrew Alvarez. The 27-year-old came into 2026 with just 23.1 career innings (all in 2o25) and began the season with AAA Rochester. His promotion to the big-league club came in mid-April, where he was utilized as a bulk reliever through the end of May.
Alvarez earned regular time as a starter to kick off June, and he’s gone out there every 5th day and shown that he deserves to stay there long-term. Despite his successes, questions have remained about his ability to work deeper into games and not just be a 4/5-and-dive type of arm. After working into the 6th inning just one time before the calendar flipped to August, he’s kicked things to a new level, right when the Nats need him the most.
With a playoff run still possible but time slowly ticking down, Alvarez has dazzled through 2 starts this month, throwing 6.1 innings of 2-run ball against the Philadelphia Phillies and 5.1 innings of 1-run ball against the Cincinnati Reds. His ERA has dropped down to a 3.76 mark across a modest 69.1 innings, and he’s right there behind Cavalli in terms of confidence from the fanbase and coaching staff.
The former 12th round draft pick in 2021 has been an absolute revelation for a Washington team that is pushing for a postseason berth, something that most fans and analysts thought impossible just a few months ago. He’s attacking hitters instead of exclusively attempting to paint corners, he’s flashing some of the most efficient arsenals that the Nats have seen this year, and he hasn’t allowed a home run in his last 51.2 innings, a remarkable feat and one that currently ranks 8th all-time in Nationals’ history.
His changeup and slider have fabulously complemented his low-90s fastball and have looked deadly when he can locate the heater in the zone. He’s getting it done without relying on top-of-the-line velocity, a fantastic sign for his overall development and ability to carry this success moving forward.
Sitting 4.5 games back of the 3rd Wild Card spot as of the morning of August 9th, it’s going to take some big-time performances for the Nats to make an appearance in October. They’re going to have to place even more weight on Alvarez’s shoulder in the coming month and a half, and the southpaw has proven that he’s up for the challenge.
The impact of Nelson’s death has already been felt by players and coaches around the league, including Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Steph Curry and Tim Hardaway.
NBA players, including Steph Curry, and coaches, including Steve Kerr, reacted to Don Nelson’s death Sunday. New York Post
“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today. He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others did not,” Kerr said, from NBA insider Marc Stein’s report. “So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game. His impact on the Warriors is just as significant.”
Steve Kerr (above) said Nelson shaped some of the most memorable teams and moments in Warriors history. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Kerr said Nelson shaped some of the most memorable teams and moments in Warriors basketball history when he coached the team from 1988-1995 and during a second stint from 2006-2010.
During Nelson’s time coaching the Warriors, he led them to the playoffs six times and became the NBA’s all-time winningest coach in 2010. He eventually moved to second on that list in 2022, when Gregg Popovich surpassed his victory total. Nelson won 1,335 regular-season games, and Popovich tallied 1,390.
Steph Curry (above) said Nelson played a big role in brining Curry to Golden State. Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
Curry, who had a long-lasting relationship with Nelson, said Nelson was one of the biggest reasons he was drafted by the Warriors.
“The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court. He taught me a lot during our one season together [2009-2010], and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota,” Curry said. “We were so happy for him. He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game.”
Curry said Nelson is a true icon of basketball and said he will be dearly missed, sending his love and condolences to his family.
Hardaway played under Nelson twice in his career, when he was a member of the Warriors from 1989-1996 and with the Dallas Mavericks from 2001-2002.
Hardaway said Nelson meant so much to him “as a coach and as a person.”
“Nellie believed in me from the beginning and gave me the confidence and freedom to play my game. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity he gave me and the special years we shared with Run TMC,” Hardaway said of his on-court pairing with Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. “Nellie was ahead of his time, and there was nobody else like him. He had an incredible impact on my career and on the game of basketball. I’m going to miss him, and my thoughts and prayers are with Joy, Donnies, and the entire Nelson family.”
Yordan Alvarez Over 0.5 RBIs
Fernando Tatis Jr. Over 0.5 singles
