The Angels have been a franchise adrift in the 12 years since the Royals beat them in the 2014 ALDS, but they may finally be embarking on a true rebuild after firing general manager Perry Minasian and replacing him with John Mozeliak. The team was aggressive selling off pieces at the trade deadline, dealing outfielder Jo Adell, starting pitcher José Soriano, and relievers Ryan Zeferjahn, Brent Suter, and Kirby Yates. That leaves a roster with a few talented players, such as future Hall of Famer Mike Trout, but with plenty of unproven hitters and relievers.

The Royals and Angels are very evenly matched this year, with very similar records and run differentials. The Angles are riding a three-game win streak, but have dropped 13 of their last 20 overall.

Kansas City Royals (49-73) vs. Los Angeles Angels (48-74) at Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA

Royals: 4.12 runs scored/game (24th), 5.06 runs allowed/game (27th)

Angels: 4.10 runs scored/game (25th), 4.78 runs allowed/game (21st)

Who’s hot

• Rookie Wade Meckler is hitting .341/.408./455 in his last 14 games.
• Bobby Witt Jr. is hitting .343/.410/.429 since coming off the Injured List.

Who’s not

• Moisés Ballesteros is hitting .167/.231/.167 in the 10 games since he was acquired from the Cubs.
• Nick Loftin is hitting just 6-for-40 (.150) in his last 13 games.

Interesting splits:

• Mike Trout is hitting just .230/.371/.364 at home this year.
• Salvador Perez is a career .313/.357/.515 with five home runs in 34 games at Angel Stadium.

Seth Lugo has never lost to the Angels, going 2-0 in five games. Grayson Rodriguez has the second-worst ERA in baseball of any pitcher with at least 50 innings. Randy Dobnak has the eighth-biggest positive gap between ERA and FIP among any pitcher with 30+ innings. Reid Detmers has a 2.39 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break, but the Angels have lost all five games. Noah Cameron has allowed five runs in his last four starts for a 1.57 ERA. Opponents are hitting .383 against Ryan Johnson’s sinker this year.

Ben Joyce throws 101 mph, the second-fastest heater in baseball. Lefties are hitting .105/.244/.132 against Samy Natera Jr. The Angels have just 18 saves, the fewest in baseball.

The Angels finally appear to be rebuilding, but its a process that is just beginning and will likely take years to complete. In the meantime, the Royals have an opportunity to win some games against a team struggling as much as they are.

The St. Louis Cardinals enter the lair of the enemy Friday afternoon when they challenge the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Matthew Liberatore will get the start for the Cardinals while the Cubs will depend on RPH Clay Holmes. First pitch scheduled for 1:20pm central time and the game broadcast will be available through Apple TV.

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The weekend is here! Let's kick it off by cashing some nukes!

Here are my favorite MLB home run props and predictions from tonight's schedule, featuring Jac Caglianone and Yordan Alvarez.

Below, I'll explain why Alvarez is an appealing pick against the Mariners in Houston with my MLB picks on Friday, Aug. 14.

MLB home run props for today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Yordan Alvarez	+276
Jac Caglianone	+307

Home run prediction: Yordan Alvarez (+276)

Saying someone is "due" is so overused in this space, but Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has not hit a home run since July 28th. Yes, 17 days ago. The big fella has gone into a bit of a slump, but has still been generating quality contact. Over his last five games, he has a 50% hard-hit rate and 21.4% barrel rate.

Alvarez enters Friday with the number one matchup rating on Batters-Box, where he has left the yard nearly 37% of the time in 19 home games this season. Overall, through 41 elite ratings in 2026, he has homered in 26.83% of those games.

Seattle Mariners right-hander George Kirby has allowed 2.57 HR/9 to his last 60 left-handed hitters faced, while those hitters are elevating the baseball at nearly a 78% clip.

Again, is anyone ever due for anything? Nope, but this looks like a pretty good spot for Alvarez.

Playable to +250.

• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SCHN, SEAM

Home run prediction: Jac Caglianone (+307)

We are kicking off our Friday by backing the Italian Stallion from Kansas City, Mr. Jac Caglianone, who finds himself in a delectable spot against Los Angeles Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez.

The Kansas City Royals slugger enters today with an elite rating on Batters-Box's current-season dataset. He not only covers 100% of Rodriguez's pitch mix, but he has also left the yard on 30.43% of his 23 elite ratings this season.

Caglianone has been seeing the ball extremely well over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers, owning a .333 BA, .667 SLG and 1.034 OPS while producing a 58% hard-hit rate and 12% barrel rate. On top of that, over his last five games, he is generating nearly a 60% hard-hit rate and an 18% barrel rate.

With how poorly Rodriguez has been against left-handed hitters this season, the big fella is in a great spot to go deep tonight on the road. Take this down to +275 at the most.

• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ROYL, ABTV

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It’s hard to believe after losing their series in New York, but the Mariners actually gained half a game in the Wild Card standings after salvaging a win on Thursday. The division is still the clearest path to the playoffs for Seattle since there are only two teams to leap frog in the AL West instead of six in the Wild Card race. That makes this series against the Astros a huge make-or-break moment for the M’s. A series win would be a big step forward. A sweep would catapult the team back into the thick of the division race. No pressure.

The Astros have managed to scramble to the top of the thoroughly mediocre AL West standings by going 15-9 since the All-Star break, the fourth best record in the AL during the second half of the season. Combined with a solid month of June, they’ve more than made up for their dismal start to the season. The team’s underlying metrics don’t really support such a strong effort, even during this hot streak over the last few weeks. Perhaps sensing the precarious state of their roster, they only made one move at the trade deadline, trading Spencer Arrighetti to the Blue Jays for Daulton Varsho. It was a bit of a surprise to see them neglect their pitching staff, though they have gotten a bunch of pitchers back from injury recently.

With so many warts across the roster, it certainly seems like the Astros will only go so far as Yordan Alvarez can carry them. And to be honest, he might just drag the team into the playoffs by himself. He has a very good chance to win the first AL Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera did it in 2012 and possibly even an extremely rare MLB Triple Crown, leading all of baseball in batting average, home runs, and RBI. His supporting cast is filled with familiar names, though many of them are diminished from their peaks during Houston’s heyday. Jeremy Peña is the one guy who has significantly improved over the past few years, though a few minor injuries have limited him to just 74 games this season. Varsho was a very smart pickup since the team’s outfield has been a huge weakness all season long. Unfortunately, he’s collected just four hits in nine games as an Astro.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

From a previous series preview:

After struggling to make much of an impact with the Rockies to start his career, Peter Lambert signed a one-year deal with the Yakult Swallows of NPB last year. He didn’t exactly excel, but he showed enough promise outside the oppressive environment in Colorado to earn a minor league deal with the Astros this offseason. He’s been pressed into service thanks to all the injuries Houston has dealt with and he’s looked pretty solid across four starts this year. He developed a straight cutter in Japan and that pitch has been a solid addition to his repertoire. He’s also got an excellent changeup to round out his deep arsenal. 

Against all odds, Lambert has been one of the Astros’ most consistent starters this year. Back in May, he held the Mariners to three runs in seven innings while striking out six.

The Astros picked up Hayden Wesneski in the Kyle Tucker trade with the Cubs a few years ago. He promptly blew out his elbow just six starts into his time with the Astros and missed more than a year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. As a prospect in Chicago’s organization, his huge sweeper stood out as his best pitch but he struggled with a pretty mediocre fastball. Houston has asked him to emphasize his sinker and cutter at the expense of his four-seamer and that’s been a useful trade-off so far. He’s made three starts since returning from his elbow injury in late July and his command has been a little shaky so far.

Hunter Brown missed two months of the season with a shoulder injury and he hasn’t looked like his dominant self since returning in mid June. His command has regressed significantly and he’s developed a bit of a home run problem despite running the highest groundball rate of his career. His issues all stem from his rusty command. He’s having trouble locating his secondary pitches around the zone and he’s leaving too many of his fastballs in the middle of the zone instead of getting them up where the pitch is much more effective. The Astros have needed him to anchor their injury riddled rotation so he’s been forced to figure out his issues on the fly.

The Big Picture:

The Rangers lost their four-game series to the Angels this week, losing three straight to finish the series and drop out of the final Wild Card spot. They’re playing in Sacramento this weekend. The Tigers now hold that third Wild Card spot after beating the Guardians this week. Another divisional matchup is on deck for them this weekend against the White Sox.

The Nationals avoided a sweep with a dominant 7-0 victory over the Cubs on Thursday afternoon, finishing their six-game home stand with a 4-2 record. Cade Cavalli carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished with eight scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out 10.

Abimelec Ortiz provided the biggest swing with a three-run home run, his fourth of the season and third in four games. The win improved the Nats to 60-63, three games below .500 and five games out of a Wild Card spot.

Starting tonight against the Mets, the Nats’ next 17 games are against teams not in playoff position, with the only club above .500 in that stretch being the Marlins, sitting at 62-60. If the Nats are going to shock the baseball world and be a playoff club this season, their best opportunity to throw their name firmly back in the mix begins now.

Despite their record, the Mets recently completed a 6-3 road trip and have produced one of baseball’s best offenses since the beginning of August. The Mets lost their final two games in Atlanta, including a 6-3 defeat on Wednesday, but Luis Torrens, Luis Robert Jr., and Bo Bichette all homered in the series finale. The Nats currently lead the season series 4-3 over the Mets, with two series still to be played.

Game One – Friday 7:10 PM ET

WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-3, 3.76 ERA)
NYM: RHP Robert Stock (0-2, 10.13 ERA)

Alvarez looked sharp in his last start against the Reds, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over 5 ⅓ innings. He extended his home-run-free streak to 51 ⅔ innings and will look to keep it going tonight against a Mets lineup with some pop.

The 36-year-old Stock struggled badly in his last start against Pittsburgh, allowing eight runs on nine hits and five walks over three innings in a 9-0 loss. He had previously held Miami to one run across five innings in his first major-league appearance since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery, but his command disappeared as he became fatigued against the Pirates.

Game Two – Saturday 4:10 PM ET

WSH: TBD
NYM: LHP Sean Manaea (4-5, 4.13 ERA)

The Nationals have not yet announced a starter for Saturday afternoon. Trevor Williams or Brad Lord could be options based on the rotation schedule, but the Nats will likely wait until after Friday’s game before confirming their plans.

Manaea delivered his best start of the season Sunday against Pittsburgh, allowing one run over seven innings while striking out 11 in an 11-1 Mets victory. The veteran left-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in four consecutive starts and has recorded a 3.03 ERA with 32 strikeouts across 29 ⅔ innings since the All-Star break.

Game Three – Sunday 1:40 PM ET

WSH: RHP Jake Irvin (2-6, 5.79 ERA)
NYM: RHP Christian Scott (3-3, 3.45 ERA)

Irvin struggled in his last start against the Cubs, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks over 3 ⅓ innings. He needed 88 pitches to record 10 outs and took the loss in Chicago’s 8-6 victory. Irvin will look to provide more length in the series finale for the Nats.

Scott allowed four runs over four innings against the Braves on Monday, surrendering two home runs while striking out six, though the Mets still earned an 8-5 victory behind an early offensive outburst. The Nats will look to rough up Scott in a similar manner in the series finale.

With Carlos Rodón scheduled to make a second rehab start this week, one of the the biggest questions among Yankees prognosticators is whether Will Warren or Ryan Weathers should bounce to the bullpen once he returns. It’s a delightful rarity in the modern game to have a glut at starting pitcher. Still, as close as the Yankees seem to be to having too much starting pitching, the injury bug is always lurking. As the Yankees make their playoff push, it’s still within reason that they could need to call on support from Triple-A, as they did last year when Cam Schlittler emerged late as a vital force in their October rotation.

In the event that the team needs a replacement, let’s take a look at the reinforcements available to them down at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Elmer Rodríguez

Rodríguez has been the Yankees’ default spot starter all year, filling in four times across three stints in the big leagues. He’s been consistent, tossing between 4 and 4.2 innings and allowing between 1-3 runs each time out. His xERA of 5.77 implies he’s pitched into some good luck, though, as does his untenable 10:11 K:BB ratio, making him a dodgy choice to fill in for an extended period.

Rodríguez has been down at Triple-A for nearly two months since his last call-up and has pitched well, posting a 2.62 ERA with just one home run allowed in his last seven starts, though his 21 free passes in 34.1 innings demonstrate control is still an issue. The rookie is also stretched out to throw as many as 90 pitches, which could prove valuable in a pinch.

Brendan Beck

Like Rodríguez, Beck has been called up to provide some length this year, first in a bulk outing behind Paul Blackburn and then as a true starter. That second outing was a disaster in which the Stanford product allowed five runs (including three home runs) in 3.2 innings, looking overmatched against the Twins’ offense.

Beck has been much more effective down at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he’s posted a 1.33 ERA at 35:8 K:BB ratio over his last five starts. He’s stretched out as well, throwing a season-high 94 pitches his last time out. That should be enough to keep him in the mix should a need arise, though he hasn’t shown much upside as a long-term play.

Bullpen Day!

Everyone’s favorite — the placeholder approach. In the event only a single spot start is needed due to a doubleheader, a desire to give each starter an extra day of rest, or a short-term injury, the Yankees may choose to use one reliever as an opener and another as a bulk guy. Ryan Yarbrough — the only Yankee stretched out for a long relief role now that Blackburn is a back-end reliever — would be the obvious choice for the latter role.

Elmer Rodríguez and Brendan Beck are viable depth options with the potential to provide big league-caliber innings if needed. Neither is likely to contribute in a regular capacity this year. Should the rest of the group remain healthy upon Rodón’s return, the Yankees might consider sending Warren, whose performance has been uneven but who has had stretches of excellence over the past two seasons, down to Triple-A instead of bouncing him to the bullpen, keeping him stretched out as a rotation option down the stretch.

In the Tampa Bay Rays’ tradition of extracting unexpected value from overlooked arms, Bryan Baker stands tall as a textbook success story.

Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles on July 10, 2025 in exchange for a competitive balance draft pick (No. 37 overall), which the Rays would later re-acquire in the Shane Baz trade, the 6-foot-6 right-hander arrived as a solid but unspectacular middle-to-late reliever with limited closing experience. By mid-August 2026, he has become MLB’s leading closer with 34 saves, an All-Star, and the holder of a new franchise record for consecutive saves.

Baker’s path to Tampa Bay was circuitous. Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round out of the University of North Florida in 2016, he debuted with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021, spent several seasons with the Orioles after a waiver claim, and posted a 3.52 ERA in 42 appearances for Baltimore in 2025 before the trade. His initial stretch with the Rays was uneven (4.75 ERA in 30⅓ innings), but the organization did what it does best: lean into his strengths.

Under the Rays’ pitching development staff, Baker significantly increased usage of his changeup — like most Rays pitchers this year — making him essentially a two-pitch pitcher. Out of 729 pitches thrown, he’s tried the slider just 26 times all season.

The results have been dominant, with his sky high release point giving shades of Pete Fairbanks while his closely mirrored change up benefits from what FanGraphs called “a devastating tunneling effect.” As a result, through early August, he owns a 1.55 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 34 saves (leading MLB by three SV) in 46⅓ innings, with a 96th percentile chase rate.

On August 8, 2026, Baker converted his 23rd consecutive save opportunity against the Seattle Mariners (video above), surpassing Fernando Rodney’s franchise record set in 2012. After the game, mlb.com reported that the players demanded Baker slant his hat to the side in homage to Rodney (he declined), and Kevin Kelly declared him “Mr. Consistency” to the press. In the televised post game interview, the childhood Rays fan Baker said it was an honor to be counted alongside a player he grew up watching regularly, and shrugged off the accomplishment calling saves a “team stat.”

The Rays’ all-time saves list is led by Roberto Hernández (101), followed by Alex Colomé (95), Pete Fairbanks (90), and Fernando Rodney (85), while the franchise’s single-season leaders are Rodney (48 – 2012), Colomé (47 – 2017), and Rafael Soriano (45 – 2010). Baker’s current tally of 35 total saves and 34 in 2026 both rank ninth overall in franchise history for a career and single season, respectively.

Baker will reach eighth on the franchise leaderboard when he ties Esteban Yan’s 42, and then it could be a quick shot up the leaderboard for the single season record held by Fernando Rodney.

With 42 games left in the regular season, Baker is 15 saves shy of the all time record.

Looking back, Rodney’s 2012 season—48 saves, a 0.60 ERA, and Cy Young consideration—remains the gold standard for a Rays closer’s peak, while Fairbanks provided perhaps the most multi-year high-leverage reliability. Baker’s current trajectory puts him in conversation with both, and that’s not even accounting for what reputation the playoffs could bring, where the record for post season saves is a meager three (tied between Fairbanks and Diego Castillo, 2020 playoffs).

For now, he is the reliable ninth-inning presence for a competitive Rays club, the record-holder for consecutive saves, and an All-Star for his childhood club. That combination already secures him a meaningful chapter in Rays history. How long and how brightly that chapter continues will determine whether he joins the upper tier of the franchise’s all-time greats like Fairbanks or a one-season phenomenon like Soriano. Either way, the Rays’ latest pitching alchemy has produced something special.

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has absolutely owned Gerrit Cole in his career, so we're rocking with him as the centerpiece of our Blue Jays vs. Yankees predictions.

The Toronto Blue Jays enter tonight as +130 underdogs at BET99 and sit just two games back in the Wild Card race. Are they live dogs with the New York Yankees’ ace on the mound?

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 14, and cash a same-game parlay, shall we?

Yankees vs Blue Jays predictions

Yankees vs Blue Jays best bet: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases (+135)

If Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is trying to get right, facing New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole might be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Not only is Vladdy seeing the ball well right now (he's on a six-game hit streak), but the Toronto Blue Jays superstar owns a 1.043 OPS in this specific matchup and has six extra-base hits against Cole across 35 at-bats.

The historical numbers are there; now it's on Vladdy to execute the way we know he can. I'd price this closer to +120 tonight, so let's take this value and run with it.

Vladdy against Cole in his career 📈

⭐️ 12-for-35, 4 2B, 2 HR
⭐️ .323 xBA
⭐️ .590 xSLG
⭐️ 6-game hit streak overall

Is tonight the night he hits his first bomb at home? I'm starting to believe ... pic.twitter.com/FQ0AzvSxch

— Dustin (@DustinSaracini) August 14, 2026

COVERS INTEL: While the power numbers aren't there (Vladdy has yet to hit a home run at home), he's still making strong contact this season. Guerrero's .281 xBA is near elite, and his 13.5 K rate is the lowest of his decorated career. 

Yankees vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

We already know how great Vladdy's numbers are in this matchup, but coming off a shutout, the Blue Jays should be able to keep this close.

Overall, Toronto owns a .277 xBA and .423 xSLG against Cole across 160 plate appearances, a sample size we absolutely love to see.

We're going to see some balls in play here, too, as the Yankees ace is rocking a minuscule 17% K rate against this lineup. Let's cash one.

Yankees vs Blue Jays SGP

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
• Blue Jays +1.5
• Gerrit Cole Under 5.5 strikeouts

Yankees vs Blue Jays home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+575)

If you've been paying attention, you probably know where this was going.

Vladdy owns an elite .590 xSLG against Cole over the course of his career, and has already taken him deep twice.

It's the perfect storm for Toronto's boy to hit his first homer at the Rogers Centre.

Yankees vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: New York (-150) | Toronto (+130)
• Run line: New York -1.5 (+115)  | Toronto +1.5 (-135)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (+100) | Under 8 (-120)

Yankees vs Blue Jays trend

Toronto is 8-0 in its last eight games following a loss. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Yankees vs Blue Jays and game info

Yankees vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Yankees vs Blue Jays weather

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Toledo Mud Hens 5, Louisville Bats 3 (Gm1)(box)(F/7)

Sawyer Gipson-Long and Ricky Vanasco shut down the Bats offense long enough for their teammates to build a lead and hang on in this makeup game from yesterday’s postponement.

Gipson-Long walked five hitters over 3.2 innings but didn’t allow a hit or anyone to score. Vanasco cleaned up the fourth and the fifth innings, as the offense got to work after wasting a good opportunity in the second inning.

Bennett Lee led off the third with a double and moved to third on a Jace Jung ground out. Max Anderson scored him with a sacrifice fly.

In the fifth, Jung doubled with one out, and Josue Briceño drew a two-out walk. Brett Callahan smoked an RBI double 111 mph off the right field wall, and Briceño scored on an infield single from Justice Bigbie. That made it 3-0, and they weren’t done as Cal Stevenson walked and Max Burt came up with a two-run single and a 5-0 lead.

Luke Taggart got into trouble in the eighth and allowed a three-run shot that made things a little sketchy, but he handled the seventh to collect the save.

Stevenson: 2-3, 2B, BB, K

Callahan: 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, BB, K

Briceño: 1-3, R, BB, K

Jung: 1-3, R, 2B, BB

Gipson-Long: 3.2 IP, 0 R, H, 5 BB, 3 K

Louisville Bats 4, Toledo Mud Hens 3 (Gm2)(box)(F/8)

The Bats got their revenge in the nightcap as the two teams played a close one that ultimately went to Louisville in walkoff fashion.

Recent pickup RHP Andre Granillo, formerly of the Cardinals, whom the Tigers succesfully outrighted to Toledo at the end of July, got the start in this one and he struggled. Granillo gave up two homers in the first inning, one off a 94 mph fourseamer and the other off his curveball. Both pitches where right over the heart of the plate, and the second was a two-run shot. So the Hens were down 3-0 early in this one.

Granillo worked the second without issue and the bullpen took over from there, and really shut down the Bats the rest of regulation. Of course, the Hens weren’t exactly swinging it either. It’s been a weird series with rain and postponements already, and the pitchers weren’t exactly punching tickets left and right either. Neither team could find grass for much of the game.

Josue Briceño had another solid game, lining a sharp double in the first and later fighting through a nine-pitch at-bat to draw a walk.

The Hens answered back in the top of the third. Max Burt reached on a bunt to start the inning and catcher Seby Zavala cracked a two-run shot. Jace Jung immediately followed with a solo homer to right center field, and it was tie ballgame at 3-3.

Tyler Mattison and Jack Little each handled two innings of relief with little traffic, and Yilber Diaz fired a 1-2-3 fifth in between them. This headed to the 8th, which was extra innings for this one. The Hens failed to get the runner on second in, but the Bats did not, as Dariel Fregio walked the leadoff hitter and then wild pitched them 90 feet. They intentionally walked the bases loaded…and Fregio walked Michael Chavis to end it in anti-climactic fashion, though Bats fans would probably disagree.

Jung: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K

Briceño: 1-3, 2B, BB, K

Zavala: 2-2, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:15 p.m. ET start on Friday with the Hens holding a 2-1 lead in the series.

Erie SeaWolves 3, Hartford Yard Goats 1 (box)

A brilliant start from lefty Carlos Peña highlighted this victory.

Peña has a start every month like this where he’s in total command and just carves up an opposing lineup despite barely topping 90 mph. He scattered five hits with no walks over 5.2 innings in this one, striking out seven as his breaking ball and changeup were sharp.

In the top of the second inning, Robert Campos reached on an error and Stephenson smoked a double to center field to make it 1-0. Stephenson then snatched third base for his 53rd stolen base of the season, and scored on a passed ball.

The SeaWolves got two on in the fourth but couldn’t score. However, in the top of the sixth, E.J. Exposito doubled and Luke Shliger walked. Stephenson came through again with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead.

Yoniel Curet allowed a run in the seventh, but Tyler Owens survived some traffic in the eighth, and Zane Barnhart shut the door in the ninth to earn the save.

Stephenson: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B, K, SB

Shliger: 1-2, 2 BB, K

Pena (W, ): 5.2 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 0 BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next:

West Michigan Whitecaps 7, Lansing Lugnuts 5 (box)

Beau Ankeney continued his reign of terror since being promoted to High-A, racking up four hits and crushing a two-run walkoff homer in the ninth to break a tie game open.

Win Scott got the start, and he struggled, allowing three runs in three innings, though they were all unearned. Still, one error on a ground ball led to a run on a double, and Scott allowed a two-run shot before getting out of the third. Maddox Long took over and gave up two more runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

However, in the bottom of the fourth the Whitecaps offense started gaining ground. Stephen Hrustich singled with one out, and Andrew Sojka singled with two outs. Cristian Santana then hammered a three-run shot to center field to make it a 4-3 Lansing lead.

Jackson Strong led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot, and later in the inning, Samuel Gil doubled in Ricardo Hurtado to tie the game 5-5.

Logan Berrier and Jalen Evans did nice work to blank Lansing over the final three frames. In the bottom of the ninth, Hurtado singled with two outs. Ankeney got a juicy pitch to hit down and in with a 1-0 count, and he did not miss. That is his fifth homer in 13 games with the Whitecaps, and the 20th on the year for the Tigers 2025 14th rounder out of Loyola. There are a lot of swing and miss concerns with Ankeney, but good grief is he mashing in his first pro season.

Ankeney: 4-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR

Gil: 2-4, RBI, 2B

Santana: 1-3, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB

Hurtado: 2-5, 2 R, K

Scott: 3.0 IP, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start at LMCU Park on Friday with the Whitecaps up 2-1 in the series. They remain a half game back of the Great Lakes Loons for the East division lead in the second half standings.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 3, Bradenton Marauders 0 (b0x)

The Flying Tigers got a strong outing from Cale Wetwiska to take a 2-1 lead in the series on Thursday.

Wetwiska battled his control at times in this one, but he blanked the Marauders for five innings, scattering five singles and four walks, while punching out three. He averaged 95.6 mph with his riding fourseamer, and mainly used it and the slider to manage the Marauders. Pedro Garcia did a great job in relief, spinning four scoreless innings with just two hits and no walks allowed, while striking out four.

The Flying Tigers opened the scoring in the bottom of the second. Brady Ballinger drew a walk in his second pro game, and Ronald Ramirez singled to center field. A balk advanced both runners and Enderson Delgado singled to score them both.

In the bottom of the fifth, Zach MacDonald doubled, stole third, and the throw got away, allowing him to score. The Flying Tigers only managed three hits on the day, but it was enough as the pitching and defense were sharp.

Ramirez: 1-2, R, BB

MacDonald. 1-3, R, 2B, K, SB

Delgado: 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 K

Wetwiska (W, 2-0): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 4 BB, 3 K

Garcia (S.1) 4.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start scheduled for Friday night.