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The Giants and Guardians made an early season trade – now they play a late-season series with the trade pieces likely playing a prominent role for each of these disappointing teams.

The Giants are 51-73 with a -67 run differential, 20th in team wRC+ with 97, 26th in baserunning runs above average at -4.9, 18th in Defense at -20.9, 19th in starting pitcher ERA 4.37 (4.09 FIP), and 24th in bullpen ERA 4.38 (4.32 FIP).

The Guardians are 60-65 with a -32 run differential, 24th in team wRC+ with 94, ninth in baserunning runs above average at 5.2, eighth in Defense at -4.8, 10th in starting pitcher ERA at 3.77 (3.99 FIP), and 12th in bullpen ERA 3.97 (3.90 FIP).

The Giants are pretty bad at just about everything. If ever there is a time for the season to turn around, it should be now.

Matchups:
Tuesday, 6:40PM ET: Whisenhunt, LHP 6.11 ERA (5.40 FIP) vs. Griffin, LHP 3.25 ERA (4.23 FIP)
Wednesday, 6:40PM ET: TBD (Houser, RHP 4.28/4.67 FIP or Tugboat Wilkinson, LHP) vs. Messick, LHP 2.59 ERA (3.23 FIP)
Thursday, 1:10PM ET: Roupp, RHP 4.31 ERA (3.62 FIP) vs. Williams, RHP 3.74 ERA (3.59 FIP)

The Giants are led by Bryce Eldridge 117 wRC+, Rafael Devers 117 wRC+, Casey Schmitt 114 wRC+, Jung Hoo Lee 111 wRC+, and Victor Beritoco 109 wRC+.

The Guardians are led by Nathaniel Lowe 128 wRC+, Chase DeLauter 127 wRC+ (please, be back), Angel Genao 126 wRC+, Austin Hedges 105 wRC+, Steven Kwan 104 wRC+, Jose Ramirez 103 wRC+ and Travis Bazzana 102 wRC+.

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Who will win Marlins vs Phillies today: Marlins (+197)

The Fightin' Fish look pretty delectable this evening after coming off a 6-5 loss last night. They now draw veteran right-hander Zack Wheeler, who has looked off in his last three outings. Wheeler owns a 5.84 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, and a 10.34% walk rate during that stretch. With the Miami Marlins' lineup starting to heat up again, this could be an interesting matchup. 

The Marlins own a 119 wRC+, .339 wOBA, and .759 OPS in their last six games. The Philadelphia Phillies' offense has been great, but they don't boast as many hitters barreling the ball like the Marlins, which is why the latter is an intriguing pick at a near 2/1 price. 

Tyler Phillips seems likely to follow opener Cade Gibson for Miami. He's been struggling, but paying more than two dollars for a team to secure a win on a random Tuesday in August doesn't move any needles. 

COVERS INTEL:Owen Caissie sports a .274 ISO, 50% hard-hit rate, and a 19.4% barrel rate over his last 60 plate appearances against right-handed pitching.

Marlins vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+105)

With over half of the Marlins' lineup batting from the left side this evening, runs could be on the horizon. Wheeler has scuffling against left-handed hitters in his last three outings, posting a 6.75 ERA, 5.78 xERA, 6.05 xFIP, and 15.2% walk rate. Phillips has also been lagging on the road, where he owns a near 6.00 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP.

Both offenses are hitting extremely well right now, so I expect plenty of runs. After 11 runs were scored last night, we should see a similar offensive explosion this evening.

Marlins vs Phillies home run prediction: Griffin Conine (+474)

It's very hard to ignore a batter who's been producing this much hard contact over his last 10 games, and Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine has been destroying baseballs. He owns a .690 slugging percentage, .345 ISO, 15.8% ground-ball rate, 58% hard-hit rate, and 21.1% barrel rate during that stretch.

Wheeler has taken a step back against left-handed hitters. The last 60 he's faced are making 44% hard contact, and barreling the ball 11% of the time with just a 22% ground-ball rate. Wheeler is also allowing a 2.08 HR/9 during that span.

Conine enters today with the highest matchup rating in this game, according to Batters-Box, where he covers 60% of Wheeler's offerings.

At +474, we're getting a great price for a hitter absolutely killing the baseball. Play this down to +450.

Marlins vs Phillies weather

Marlins vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Marlins +197 | Phillies -219
• Run line: Marlins +1.5 (-112) | Phillies -1.5 (-103)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+105) | Under 8.5 (-116)

Marlins vs Phillies trend

The Miami Marlins have covered the run line in seven of their last nine games (+7.50 Units / 69% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Marlins vs. Phillies.

How to watch Marlins vs Phillies and game info

Marlins vs Phillies latest injuries

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Patrick Sandoval has been playing with fire baserunners all season since returning from Tommy John surgery this year, and it finally blew up on the Red Sox over the weekend. Now we’re hearing that an injury may be playing a role in his performance, even if it’s a small one. Sandoval apparently has been battling a blister on his left foot (the foot he uses to push off the rubber) for most of the year. (Jon Conahan, NESN)

If Sandoval does go on the IL — or if he’s just bumped from the rotation for underperformance — the Sox do have another experienced starter on the roster who could take his rotation spot in Brayan Bello. The problem is that Bello, for whatever reason, is thriving in his long relief role after struggling in the first inning all season long. “Does this mean Brayan can’t start anymore? That’s not the case,” Chad Tracy said. “It’s difficult to ignore how very, very effective he has been coming out of the bullpen in a bulk relief role and taking down innings. So I don’t think that we’ve closed the book on that by any means. It just feels like that’s the way to do it right now.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Bello is pitching so well in his long relief role that it’s hard not to think about what the narrative of his season would be if he was able to perform this way as a conventional starter. He has an ERA of 0.85 in over 50 relief innings, and if he were performing anywhere close to that while starting games, we’d be talking about him having a career year and thrusting himself into the Cy Young conversation. As it stands, Cam Schlittler of the Yankees seems to have that award locked up, though Sonny Gray is currently projected to finish fifth. (Jason Foster, MLB.com)

Sonny Gray is rightly heralded as one of the best offseason acquisitions any big league team has made this year. But, so far, the Red Sox trade deadline acquisitions aren’t faring nearly as well. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)

Bello isn’t the only Red Sox veteran who went missing from this team for most of the middle of the season, of course. Trevor Story has been out since mid-May recovering from sports hernia surgery, after struggling through the first weeks of the season. But he now hopes to return as early as Friday. It’s fair to ask whether he still should get the nod at shortstop given his poor performance before hitting the IL, but Chad Tracy says the goal is for him to be the everyday shortstop again. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

If he does make it back to the big leagues this week, Story won’t be the first one to make the trip East from Worcester. Reliever Wyatt Olds made the drive yesterday, after being called up to make his MLB debut in place of Raymond Burgos. But before he headed to Boston, he got pranked by the Woo Sox coaching staff. (Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald)

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We may be in the dog days of summer, but there is a full slate of baseball waiting for us, so it can't be all bad!

Today's MLB expert picks offer a trio of moneyline predictions, including the underdog Miami Marlins as an upset special over Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies.

It's part of our full set of MLB picks on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Josh Inglis: TOR ML	+122
Jon Metler: MIA ML	+203
Dustin Saracini: NYM/SD u8.5	+100
Joe Osborne: MIL ML	-150

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Blue Jays moneyline

Price: 45¢ (+122) at Polymarket

The Toronto Blue Jays finally had a day off yesterday after a stretch of 17 straight games. Over that stretch, Toronto posted the best team ERA in baseball and went 11-6 straight up against some of MLB's best teams.

THE BAT has the Jays as a 56-cent favorite, but they’re trading at just 45 cents, making this the best +EV play on the board today, according to the projection.

The Jays also have a rested bullpen, while the Tampa Bay Rays could be down two arms, including closer Bryan Baker, who threw 21 pitches yesterday and has pitched in two of the last three days. Their best lefty, Cam Booser, is also unavailable. 

Even with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the shelf, Toronto can still win this game on pitching alone.

Nick Martinez is coming off a 101-pitch complete game, his season high, which could affect his efficiency today. Jose Soriano has also looked good since coming over from the Halos.

Dustin Saracini has a full preview of the action with his Blue Jays vs. Rays predictions.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Sportsnet, Rays.TV

Jon Metler's expert pick: Marlins moneyline

Price: 33¢ (+203) at Polymarket

Fading the Philadelphia Phillies with Zack Wheeler on the mound is never an easy sell, but this matchup sets up well for the Miami Marlins.

Wheeler will make it difficult to string together big innings, so Miami needs to find creative ways to manufacture runs. That means working counts, driving up Wheeler's pitch count, forcing an early move to the bullpen, creating pressure on the basepaths, and using contact plays and hit-and-runs.

The good news is that none of this is outside Miami's offensive identity.

The Marlins don't need to rely on big swings or home runs to score. They can manufacture runs in a variety of ways, which is exactly the approach you want against a pitcher like Wheeler.

The Marlins are trading at 33 cents on Polymarket, but I price them closer to 37 cents, which gives us enough of an edge to hit the button.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Marlins.TV, NBC Sports Philadelphia

Dustin Saracini's expert pick: Padres vs. Mets Under 8.5

Price: 50¢ (+100) at Polymarket

We're running with a large sample size of success with Robbie Ray and the hot hand in Zac Thornton tonight.

This New York Mets lineup has 82 at-bats against Ray and owns just a .204 xBA while striking out 30% of the time.

What sold me here is their astronomical 37% whiff rate against the San Diego Padres' prized deadline acquisition — look for him to end New York's four-game winning streak, too.

Thornton has been dealing lately, allowing just three earned runs across his last 11 innings. While the Mets' No. 8 prospect pitches to contact, he's allowed a low 4.5% hard-contact rate this season, which will be enough to suppress the Padres' bats.

With two well-rested bullpens, I'm expecting this game to cruise Under the total. 

I'd play this to 55 cents at Polymarket.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Padres.TV, SNY

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Brewers moneyline

Price: 60¢ (-150) at Polymarket

The Milwaukee Brewers have a major pitching edge tonight as they return home following a seven-game road trip.

Kyle Harrison has been lights out in Milwaukee, posting a 1.38 ERA across 10 home starts. He’s backed by a bullpen in good form, ranking third in ERA over the last two weeks. 

Meanwhile, Bryce Miller has allowed nine earned runs across two August starts and hasn’t been the same pitcher on the road, where his ERA is more than double his mark at home.

The Seattle Mariners’ bullpen has also been a disgrace lately, posting an MLB-worst 7.17 ERA over the past two weeks. Milwaukee is one of MLB's top home teams, going 12-4 at American Family Field since the All-Star break.

For more on this game, Quinn Allen has a full slate of Mariners vs. Brewers predictions on tap.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Mariners.TV, Brewers.TV

More MLB best bets for today

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

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The Chicago Cubs (-170) are coming off a thrilling extra-innings victory, and they're in a good spot to grab another win tonight against the Chicago White Sox.

They have Kevin Gausman on the mound going up against a steady stream of relievers, making the home team an attractive buy with my White Sox vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Who will win White Sox vs Cubs today: Chicago Cubs (-170)

Kevin Gausman has pitched better than the results indicate over the past month.

He’s held opponents to a 31.1% hard-hit rate — third-lowest among today’s projected starters — and has a 0.68 HR/9, but hasn’t kept runs off the board in part due to an unsustainably high .364 BABIP and a low 61.8% strand rate.

He’s in a good spot to rebound against the Chicago White Sox. They’ve hit .233 against righties in August while striking out 27.4% of the time.

The Chicago Cubs should give him plenty of support against a bullpen sitting 22nd with a 4.70 xFIP this month.

Play to -180.

COVERS INTEL: The Cubs rank second in homers and third in HR/FB at home over the last month.

White Sox vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-126)

The White Sox have gotten five innings out of their starter just once over the past five games, putting a lot of strain on their relievers.

That’s far from ideal heading into a designated bullpen game where nine innings are needed from a group in poor form.

The Cubs rank third in wOBA and first in ISO in August, and are certainly capable of making life difficult on this bullpen.

While the White Sox haven’t hit for average, they do have power that should play well at Wrigley with winds blowing out.

Take to -135.

White Sox vs Cubs home run prediction: Munetaka Murakami (+245)

There are no secrets when facing Gausman. You’re going to see a ton of fastballs, and you’re going to see a ton of splitters.

Munetaka Murakami hasn’t faced many splitters this season, but he has absolutely destroyed the fastball against right-handed pitching.

He owns a ridiculous 27.5% barrel rate, 62.5% hard-hit rate, and .436 ISO. He is likely to sit on the fastball, and it only takes one good swing to do damage – especially with the predicted 15% home run boost with help from the wind at Wrigley.

Back to +230.

White Sox vs Cubs weather

The forecast calls for mid-70s temperatures with up to 10 mph winds blowing out. While there could be some rain, the bats will see a boost.

White Sox vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: White Sox +145 | Cubs -170
• Run line: White Sox +1.5 (-135) | Cubs -1.5 (+115)
• Over/Under: Over 9.0 (-105) | Under 9.5 (-115)

White Sox vs Cubs trend

The Cubs have won 33 of their last 50 games (+11.65 units, 18% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Cubs.

How to watch White Sox vs Cubs and game info

White Sox vs Cubs latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Welcome to Tuesday A’s fans!

The club can’t seem to get things right, even against a fellow bottom dweller like the Kansas City Royals. At 49-76 the team is tied with the Angels for the worst record in the sport. We need a win tonight or else we could be all alone at the bottom by the end of the day.

The A’s will be hoping that right-hander Jack Perkins can play stopper and help get the A’s their 50th win. That could be a tall task however, considering the massive struggles Perk has seen this year.

It’s easy to forget but the 26-year-old was considered one of the top pitching prospects in the system just last year. A former 5th round pick, the right-hander looked solid in a 12-game, four-start cup of coffee for his big league debut last year. There weren’t huge expectations for him this season, but there was an expectation he’d be able to hold himself.

That hasn’t really been the case. There have definitely been flashes of brilliance that make us see what he could become but consistency has eluded him in his brief time as a major leaguer. Perhaps some of that has to do with the fact that he began the year in the bullpen before being promoted to the starting rotation. Some pitchers make that transition look easy but those guys are the exception and not the rule. It’s much more common to see guys such as Perkins go through some struggles during their first extended look in the big leagues.

Struggles are putting it mildly for Perkins though. In the 11 starts since being slotted into the starting five the righty has an abysmal 8.17 ERA. Things aren’t exactly trending in the right direction either: he’s gotten shelled in his three August starts, allowing at least five runs in each appearance. That’s a streak that needs to stop tonight.

Many of Perkins’ underlying numbers don’t look as bad as that ERA does, but they’re still not great numbers overall. A lot of this can be chalked up to rookie growing pains. Some can be attributed to the mid-season role switch. Some blame on the ballpark. Some blame on the defense. There’s plenty of blame to go around for his tough season, but most of it has to be on the pitcher himself.

That’s not to say we should consider him a failed pitcher already. The thing we have to begin thinking about now though is what kind of role will he thrive best in? Is that going to be in the rotation, where he’s been among the worst in the sport this year? Or as a longman out of the bullpen who goes in short two, three inning bursts? The club will almost certainly add some starting pitching depth this offseason and push him down the depth chart, but the team would do well to pick a role for Perkins moving forward and sticking with it. What role should Perkins have on the next playoff contending A’s squad?

We don’t know who will be opposing Perkins tonight in Kansas City to stay tuned. First pitch is at 4:40. See you all then, and have a great Tuesday!

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Drop Road Trip Opener 9-5
• A’s Take Series Against Rangers, Win 5-2
• A’s place Soderstrom on 10-day IL with left hip impingement; Hernaiz recalled
• Late Blast Lifts Rangers Over Athletics
• Jeff McNeil Leads A’s to 8-3 Victory Over Rangers
• Why The New GM Needs To “Clean House”
• 111 games, zero errors: Wilson sets MLB record at shortstop
• A Seemingly Rock Bottomless Glass
• MLB Trade Grades: A’s Have Quiet Trade Deadline
• A’s Top Prospect Jamie Arnold Sets Career High in One of His Best Double-A Starts
• Fustercluck 2026: The Real Reasons For A Disappointing Season
• Signs Of Hope And Signs Of Hopeless
• Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko says feeling in his legs returning
• Cuban’s investment group purchases minority stake in Athletics
• Chan Ho Park joins A’s group; 1st Korean to buy stake in MLB club
• Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice

MLB News and Interest:

• D-backs star Marte placed on restricted list after not showing up at Fenway
• Yankees activate Carlos Rodon, place Max Fried on 15-day IL
• Cubs Place Edward Cabrera, Dansby Swanson On Injured List
• PCA 1st since 2010 with leadoff, walk-off home runs
• AL, NL Cy Young races seem all but decided as Schlittler, Miz dominate latest poll
• Two straight runners tested him at home. He fired 99 mph, 103 mph to nail them both!
• Mariners, Andy Ibáñez Agree To Minor League Deal
• Here are the current top prospects at each position
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Some major injury updates:

Prospect promotions:

Maybe a Wink in our future?

Haven’t seen that reported, any sources anyone?

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The Toronto Blue Jays will be well-rested going into Game 1 of their series with the Tampa Bay Rays after a day off, so I'm rocking with the road 'dogs as part of my Blue Jays vs. Rays predictions.

With Jose Soriano on the mound and a rested bullpen behind him, plus the Blue Jays owning strong numbers against Rays starter Nick Martinez, I'm seeing a slight edge we can take advantage of.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Tuesday, Aug. 18, and cash a same-game parlay, shall we?

Blue Jays vs Rays predictions

Blue Jays vs Rays best bet: Blue Jays moneyline (+115)

When I say this could be the best spot to bet the Toronto Blue Jays during this three-game set in Tampa, I come with support.

Nick Martinez goes for the Tampa Bay Rays, and on top of not being able to miss any bats this season (14% K rate, 17% whiff rate),the Blue Jays own a .310 xBA and .352 xwOBA against him while striking out at just a 10% clip.

On the other side is Jose Soriano, who's limiting the Rays to a .245 xBA, including shutting down their star Yandy Diaz over 14 at-bats (.212 xBA).

It helps that the Rays have a taxed bullpen, too, using a combined five arms last night after Shane McClanahan got the early hook.

Coming into this game losers of three of their last four after a tough series against the Baltimore Orioles, expect the Jays to come out swinging.

I'd play this to +105.

COVERS INTEL: It could be the George Springer show against Martinez. The veteran is 8-for-19 with two homers with a .401 xBA against the right-hander.

Blue Jays vs Rays same-game parlay (SGP)

The Jays are winners of six straight series, and the Rays' pitching has been getting absolutely pummeled, surrendering 26 runs across their last four games.

Martinez is a sinker-ball pitcher, throwing it 30% of the time. It's a pitch Ernie Clement owns a .368 average against, playing right into our hands. Look for the Jays, and Clement, to get to the Rays' right-hander early and take advantage of an extremely tired bullpen.

We're playing it safer in the same-game parlay and rocking with the Blue Jays on the run line, giving us multiple opportunities to cash today.

Blue Jays vs Rays SGP

• Blue Jays +1.5
• Blue Jays team total Over 3.5 runs
• Ernie Clement H/R/RBI

Blue Jays vs Rays home run pick: Ernie Clement (+1200)

Outside of Springer, Clement has the strongest numbers against Martinez, owning a .689 xSLG with a homer against the righty across seven at-bats. I'm staying off Springer for the most part today due to the sore shoulder he's playing through, which could suppress his power.

Clement came off the bench and played in Game 2 against the Yankees (going 2-for-2) and is in a prime spot to hit his first homer since Aug. 5 against a contact pitcher. Lock him in as a long-shot play.

Blue Jays vs Rays odds

• Moneyline: Toronto (+115) | Tampa Bay (-135)
• Run line: Toronto +1.5 (-190) | Tampa Bay -1.5 (+160)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-110) | Under 7.5 (-110)

Blue Jays vs Rays trend

The Over is 5-0 in Blue Jays' last five games as a road underdog. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Rays.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Rays and game info

Blue Jays vs Rays latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Rays weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox are playing a rare crosstown series that actually matters this week at Wrigley Field. The White Sox are MLB’s biggest surprise this season, entering the week in first place in the AL Central with a 5.5 game lead over three other teams. The Cubs are the NL’s top wildcard team at the moment, and are hoping to chase down the Milwaukee Brewers for the division title by the end of the regular season.

Tensions were high in the first game of the series, and not just on the field. The Cubs beat the White Sox, 7-5, thanks to a dramatic 10th inning walkoff homer from possible MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong. The two teams traded the lead back and forth all night, with the Sox striking first on a three-run blast by Randal Grichuk, the Cubs forging ahead on a throwing error by Miguel Vargas, and then the Sox coming back on an eighth inning pinch hit home run from Andrew Benintendi.

It felt like a playoff game in mid-August, but unfortunately some fans couldn’t control themselves. There was a large brawl in the middle of the Wrigley bleachers during the game between fans. These were adults involved, but their actions were childish. Watch the video of the fight below.

Here’s another angle as security guards stood by and watched a Cubs fan get beat by a Sox fan.

PCA commented on the fight after the game, saying “you have people in the stands competing, too.”

There’s no reason for any of this to be happening. It brings back memories of New York Knicks fans reportedly jumping San Antonio Spurs fans in the streets of Manhattan after Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals. It’s not that serious, guys.

When the Cubs and Sox played on the South Side earlier this season, Crow-Armstrong fired back with a vulgar response to a young woman in a Sox hat who was talking trash to him. Back in my day, the fighting between the Cubs and Sox happened on the field during the 2006 brawl after AJ Pierzynski trucked Michael Barrett at home plate.

The Cubs moved to 20 games over .500 with the win at 73-53. The Sox were the worst team in baseball history two years ago (41-121), but they now sit at 65-59 after Monday following thanks to a remarkable turnaround this season.

Cubs vs. White Sox is fun again, but some drunk, dumb fans threaten to ruin it for everyone else around them. These are adults, and they need to start acting like it.

This Week in the Minors is our weekly look at notable performances from all over the system, from big-name prospects and less-heralded guys alike. The mission is to answer this simple question: “Who had a good week?”

Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (56-61, 14.5 games back)

The Storm Chasers lost 3 of 4 to the Columbus Clippers, with two games being rained out. At the plate, Jack Pineda went 7 for 15, with 6 doubles and 6 runs driven in. Matthew Lugo went 6 for 16, with three doubles and a triple. Vinnie Pasquantino, who is on rehab assignment, went 3 for 16, with a double, striking out 3 times. Overall, through the 4-game set, it was a tough week at the dish for the Storm Chasers.

On the mound, Lucas Braun was really good again. He went 6 innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, striking out 7. I would like to see him get called up before the season is over and start a time or two. Luke Little threw a scoreless inning, striking out the side. Carlos Duran threw a scoreless inning this week as well. It’s a mixed bag on some of the pitchers the Royals recently acquired, but there are definitely some positives.

The Storm Chasers will be without Gavin Cross, who was placed on the Injured List last week. He was batting .333/.384/.621 with 11 home runs in his last 45 games. They return home this week, taking on the Rochester Red Wings, the series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (47-65, 25 games back)

The Naturals split their six-game series with the Springfield Cardinals. On the mound, Hunter Owen looked really good in his lone start of the week, going 7 innings, allowing 1 hit, no runs, walking three and striking out 12 batters. Owen is a 24-year-old left hander, the Royals drafted him in the 4th round out of Vanderbilt in 2023. It hasn’t been the best year in Double-A for Owen, but it was good to see him dominate this week. Frank Mozzicato had two scoreless relief outings, striking out 6 in 2.2 innings. His fastball velocity is up too, so maybe they found something? Grant Gambrell threw 5 innings of 1 run ball in his lone start of the week. Gambrell is a 28-year-old right hander, the Royals took him in the 3rd round in 2019 out of Oregon State. The Royals traded him away in 2021, but he made his way back to the organization in July this year.

At the plate, Carson Roccaforte went 8 for 26, with two doubles and three homers, bringing his season total up to 30 now. Luke Pelzer, who has really impressed me this year, went 6-for-24, with two doubles and a triple. Maikel Garcia, who is on a rehab assignment, went 4 for 10, with a double, 3 walks and 5 runs scored. Justin Johnson was 4-for-14, smacking 3 homers.

The Naturals stay on the road this week, taking on the San Antonio Missions. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Quad Cities River Bandits (58-51, 6.5 games back)

The River Bandits swept the five-game series against the Fort Wayne TinCaps, with a game being rained out. At the plate, Derlin Figueroa went 6-for-17, with two homers and a double. Figueroa is up to 25 homers on the season now. Zion Rose went 4-for-14, with a double and 4 runs driven in. Fellow new guy, Ben North, went 3-for-10, with two homers.

On the mound, Kendry Chourio made a start, after a couple weeks off. Chourio looked rusty, going 3 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 runs, striking out 2. David Shields had a really good start, going 6 innings, allowing 2 hits, no runs, walking 1 and striking out 6.

The River Bandits hit the road this week to take on the Dayton Dragons. The series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Columbia Fireflies (56-56, 10.5 games back)

The Fireflies lost 5 of 6 in their series against the Wilson Warbirds. On the mound, Michael Braswell III, who just recently got to Columbia from the ACL, went 3.1 innings, allowing 1 hit, walking 1 and striking out a pair. Braswell is a 23-year-old right hander out of LSU. Jesus Oliveira went 2 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 4 and striking out 3. Oliveria also just recently got to Columbia from the ACL, he’s a 21-year-old right hander from Venezuela. The Royals signed him when he was 18 years old. Jose Gutierrez went 6 innings, allowing 8 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), striking out 3 in his lone start of the week. Darwin Rodriguez threw 6 innings, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, walking 2 and striking out 5 in his lone start of the week.

At the plate, Yandel Ricardo posted a good week, going 6-for-17, with a double, 3 runs driven in and 4 stolen bases. Camden Johnson went 5-for-6, with a triple. Henry Ramos went 6-for-22, with two triples and a homer. Ramos is a 21-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic. The Royals signed him at age 17. On the season, Ramos is slashing .272/.345/.401 with 7 homers and 18 stolen bases.

The Fireflies return home this week to take on the Augusta GreenJackets, the series runs Tuesday through Sunday, with a doubleheader on Tuesday night.

Mark Gubicza serves as a color commentator for the L.A. Angels.   The 2x former All-Star Pitcher joins us exclusively at The Crawfish Boxes to preview the Astros next A.L. West series from Daikin Park.   

Q: I can recall some classic  battles that you had back in the days with Boggs & Mattingly. How would you approach an elite hitter like Yordan at the plate?  

A: I would never fall into a pattern against Alvarez. Each at bat I would pitch differently to him.

Q: Even as tough as this season has been for the Angels, how awesome was it to meet some of the members from KISS last week at the ballpark? 

A: Meeting Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley was an all timer. They were cooler than even I could’ve imagined. I’ve seen them in concert twice and it was a blast!

Q: When these clubs get together, I think of the tenure for Trout & Altuve with their respective teams.   Do you think Mike Trout finishes his career in an Angels uniform?   

A: I fully envision Mike Trout playing his whole Hall of Fame career with the Angels. There is something to be said for playing your whole career with one team.

Q: Any “new” faces on the horizon that L.A. could bring up for portions to close out this campaign from the minors? 

A: There have been lots of changes already but Christian Moore, Kyren Paris and maybe Raudi Rodriguez could be up and get some playing time.

Q: I’ve known you to be an optimist. What do you think happens next season?   Will there be baseball or some semblance of a work stoppage?

A: I went through a number of work stoppages in my playing days but I feel this CBA will get worked out before any games in 2027 are lost.

The Yankees enjoyed their Monday off, headed to Baltimore for a three-game set with the Orioles. Coming off of a disappointing series against the Jays, albeit with a strong finish, the Bombers have plenty of ground to make up in the East during the final months of the season, though they still hold the top wild card spot in the Junior Circuit.

Despite the Bombers taking the day off, there was plenty of other relevant action to take in on Monday.

Tampa Bay Rays (75-49) 7, Baltimore Orioles (61-64) 6

Tampa Bay staged a solid comeback against the O’s to wrap up their four-game series in the Trop. The O’s had taken the first three games, so the Rays made up an important half-game in the East with their win.

The Orioles opened up scoring with Coby Mayo’s 16th homer, a solo shot in the second. An inning later, however, the Rays answered back with the same from Yandy Díaz. Outside of the solo blasts, the first three innings were quiet for starters Shane McClanahan and Brandon Young. The following innings would be anything but.

In the top half of the fourth, Baltimore plated a pair on Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s single through the middle, which put them up 3-1. The Rays punched back immediately in the bottom half, as homers from Ryan Vilade and Jorge Mateo flipped the score and put them up 4-3.

The O’s would not be outdone, as the derby continued in the fifth, as homers from Pete Alonso and Encarnacion-Strand prompted another lead change and had the O’s up once again, 6-4. After holding that lead for a while, the action kicked in once again in the seventh.

With a pair of runners on base, Jonathan Aranda’s single into left field cut the Rays’ deficit to just one, and had them in prime position to take the lead once again. Two Batters later, Jonny DeLuca cashed in on the opportunity, chopping a grounder into left field that scored a pair, and rewarded Tampa Bay with the final lead change of the night.

The win on Monday was Tampa Bay’s 75th of 2026, and with the Yankees off, they netted a free half-game in the East, as they continue to sit on a fairly comfortable cushion.

Other Games

Boston Red Sox (67-58) 11, Arizona Diamondbacks (66-60) 1:

Unlike the Rays, the Red Sox cruised to a much easier win on Monday. Scoring in six different innings, with multiple runs in four of them, Boston posted 11 runs while keeping the D-Backs in check. Willson Contreras belted his 25th homer of the season as part of his two-hit night, while Wilyer Abreu and Mickey Gasper each tallied multiple RBIs. On the mound, Brayan Bello was the bulk guy, and did a nice job, allowing just one run across 4.2 innings of work. Like the Rays, the Sox made up a free game on the Yankees with their win.

Chicago Cubs (73-53) 7 Chicago White Sox (65-59) 5(10 innings):

The Cubs won a dramatic game on Monday in this iteration of the Crosstown Classic. The White Sox had control through much of this game, plating five runs, thanks to big days and a pair of homers from Randal Grichuk and Andrew Benintendi. The Cubs scored two early on with homers from Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki,, and eventually tied things up late in the game thanks to Nico Hoerner. Crow-Armstrong led things off for the Cubbies in the 10th, and promptly sent the north-siders home happy with a walk-off blast that also secured a 30-30 campaign for the young star.

Baseball talk? I thought this was a football website!

Don’t worry, I’ll tie it all together by the end.

As some of you may remember, I’m a Seattle Seahawks aficionado born, raised, and living in the great state of Wisconsin. Even if I’m not a Cheesehead like most of my fellow Wisconsinites, I am a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers. I’m guessing that a good number of you reading this follow the Seattle Mariners who just so happen to be opening a series against the Brewers. 

Now, I’m not an expert on the Mariners, but feel like I’ve gained enough knowledge through following the Seattle sports scene to be dangerous. The Brewers and Mariners actually have quite a bit in common – and no, I’m not talking about the Seattle Pilots relocating to Milwaukee to become the Brewers. We lost the Braves to Atlanta in 1965, so there’s some shared history there. The Brewers, like the Mariners, have never won a World Series, though they did appear in one, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982. The Brewers and San Diego Padres are the oldest MLB franchises to never win a World Series. Both the Brewers and Mariners made the Championship Series for their respective Leagues in 2025, each falling short. We feel your pain, Mariners fans. 

Yet, as the two teams prepare to square off in 2026, they couldn’t be in more different positions. The Mariners have been highly disappointing, even though the division has been within their reach for pretty much the entire season, with the Houston Astros currently leading the AL West at 63-62. Flip over to the National League with the Brewers coming off winning three of four games on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers to push their record to 77-48 – the best record in all of Major League Baseball. Mariners fans will be able to watch the Brewers play, seeing what makes them so successful. 

So, what is that, and how can the Seahawks learn from it?

It’s pretty simple, and is actually what the Seahawks leaned on in 2025 as they won the Super Bowl: identity and belief.

Outside of a little spurt of success in the mid to late 2000s, the Brewers have been a historically middling franchise. Former Brewers player and hometown boy Craig Counsell took over as manager in 2015, and things changed. From 2015-2023, Counsell won over 700 games, leading the Brewers to the playoffs five times with three NL Central division titles.

After 2023, Counsell bolted for the division rival Chicago Cubs on a huge (for a manager) contract. His bench coach, Pat Murphy, replaced him as the manager. At the time, I figured Murphy would just be a fall guy, and last a season or two like many of the former managers. 

Boy, I couldn’t have been more wrong!

All Murphy did was post two consecutive 90-win seasons, set the Brewers franchise record for wins in a season, take home two NL Central Division titles, and be named NL Manager of the Year for both 2024 and 2025. He’s on pace to potentially make that three in a row in 2026 by leaning hard into pitching, defense, and playing small ball. In a league where the home run is king, the Brewers consistently win by getting guys on base and moving them over whether that’s from swiping bags or sac bunts. The best word to describe their play is “pesky.” The Brewers spray the ball to the gaps, take the extra base, and work the count. They have fantastic starting pitching and a shutdown bullpen. Milwaukee prioritizes playing great defense, saving runs in that capacity. 

They also love playing for Murph. He’s an old-school type of manager, getting a little testy at times. However, he’s able to relate to the players and get them to fully buy into his vision. Contrast that with what I’ve gathered about the Mariners situation. They seem like a ship without a rudder, no clear direction or vision. The talent level on the Brewers roster isn’t leagues above the Mariners. In fact, you can argue that the Mariners actually have more talent in some areas. However, the Brewers believe in their leadership and are executing the vision of their manager to near-perfection.

THAT is what the Seahawks and Mike Macdonald can take from the Brewers and Mariners, a renewed conviction in their way of life. The Mariners and Brewers were both on the precipice of greatness in 2025, yet are traveling in opposite directions in 2026. Milwaukee’s continued focus on playing Pat Murphy’s style of ball has them in position to take another step forward this season, proving the importance of a strong culture and belief system. This is another example that Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks can look to in 2026 as they prepare to “run it forward.”