Over the years, there have been a total of six players to wear the number 55 for the San Jose Sharks. Despite that, none of them have been able to make a major difference for the organization, as many just spent part of a single season in the Bay Area.
Among those players, the one with the most interesting history is likely Derrick Pouliot. The eighth overall selection in the 2012 NHL Draft, Pouliot was, at one point, expected to be a major part of the Pittsburgh Penguins' long-term success. The Penguins tried to set him up to succeed as well, giving him constant opportunities after he turned professional. While he thrived at the American Hockey League level, he struggled to produce the offense he was known for at the NHL level.
After Pouliot was unable to earn an NHL role on a regular basis, the Pittsburgh Penguins gave up on him following the 2017-18 season and traded him to the Vancouver Canucks, who hoped they could get him back on track while they worked on their own project defensive prospect, Olli Juolevi.
Pouliot did step up a bit during his time in Vancouver, as he spent his entire two season stint with the Canucks in the NHL. However, that would be his final extended stint in the NHL to date. Following the 2018-19 season, Pouliot hit the free agent market for the first time in his career and signed with the St. Louis Blues. He'd only play a pair of games at the NHL level for the Blues and then was on the move once again.
After his time in St. Louis, Pouliot ended up in the Philadelphia Flyers organization, namely their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. After a short 25 game stint in Lehigh Valley, Pouliot joined the Vegas Golden Knights before being waived, and subsequently claimed by the Seattle Kraken.
After nine games with the NHL's newest franchise, Pouliot made his way to the Bay Area ahead of the 2022-23 season. Given the state of the Sharks at the time, he did find his way into eight games for the team in teal, but spend the majority of the season with the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL.
After a single season in the Sharks organization, Pouliot went looking for another opportunity once again. Since leaving, he's had stints with the Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and currently, the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite a number of opportunities at the AHL level, he hasn't appeared in an NHL game since the 2023-24 campaign, when he played five games for the Stars.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 06: Adrian Morejon#50 of the San Diego Padres reacts after delivering a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 06, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Houston Astros (59-57) at San Diego Padres (60-56), August 7, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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Young Mets outfielder Carson Benge was pulled from Friday's game against the Pirates for what the team is calling left wrist soreness.
Benge had gone 2-for-2 with two RBI in his first two at-bats, but in the bottom of the third, Ronny Simon lofted a flyball toward the corner in left field. Benge travelled a long way and slid feet first toward the corner, reaching up with his glove and making a catch. However, Benge seemingly jammed his wrist against the wall and was hunched over for a few seconds before tossing the ball back to the infield.
Benge completed the half-inning, but was pulled from left field for Cristian Pache in the fourth inning.
Mike Trout celebrated his 35th birthday on Friday, Aug. 7 with a home run for the Los Angeles Angels.
Trout's home run gave the Angels a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Miami Marlins pitcher Tyler Phillips.
It is the sixth home run Trout has hit on his birthday during his career. He is the first player in MLB history to hit a home run on his birthday in six different seasons (2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2026), according to the Angels.
Trout also ties Alex Rodriguez and Mark Reynolds for the most birthday home runs in MLB history.
The Colorado Avalanche have built their identity around speed for years. Now, the NHL Edge data puts just how fast they are into perspective.
According to NHL.com Senior Director, Fantasy Pete Jensen, the Avalanche were in a class of their own when it came to high-end skating speed during the 2025-26 season. Colorado led the NHL with 2,643 speed bursts of at least 20 mph during the regular season — nearly 1,000 more than any other team — while also producing the league's highest total of 22-plus mph speed bursts during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That kind of speed isn't simply something that looks good on the eye test. It is a defining element of how the Avalanche attack.
And perhaps the best way to understand Colorado's speed is to look at the three players who put it on display most often.
Nathan MacKinnon recorded 455 bursts of at least 20 mph last season, second-most in the NHL, while Martin Necas ranked sixth with 348. Necas was even more dominant in the 18-to-20 mph range, leading the entire league with 1,030 bursts.
MacKinnon also recorded the second-fastest maximum skating speed in the NHL during the regular season at 24.78 mph, trailing only Beck Malenstyn's 24.94 mph.
But the most impressive part of MacKinnon's season wasn't necessarily how fast he was skating. It was what he continued to produce once he got there.
MacKinnon is coming off his fourth consecutive 100-point season, joining an exclusive group that includes Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov and Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. Kucherov has also reached the 100-point mark in each of his last four seasons, while McDavid has done it six straight times.
McDavid, however, raised the bar again this season, capturing his sixth Art Ross Trophy after finishing with 138 points.
MacKinnon wasn't far behind.
The Avalanche superstar finished the regular season with 53 goals and 74 assists for 127 points in 80 games, good enough for third in the NHL. He also captured the first Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy of his career as the league's leading goal scorer.
For the first time in his career, MacKinnon also represented Canada at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, adding another significant chapter to what was already an exceptional season.
Necas, meanwhile, is just getting introduced to the 100-point club.
After being acquired by Colorado, Necas put together the best offensive season of his career, finishing with exactly 100 points — 38 goals and 62 assists — in 78 games. It was his first time reaching the century mark, and he didn't slow down once the postseason began.
Necas produced at a point-per-game pace in the playoffs for the first time in his career, showing that his regular-season breakout wasn't simply a product of playing alongside one of the league's most dangerous offensive teams.
His skating helps explain why.
Necas can hit another gear almost instantly, and his ability to generate speed without needing much room makes him particularly dangerous when Colorado gets moving through the neutral zone. His 1,030 speed bursts between 18 and 20 mph were the most in the NHL, a remarkable number that helps illustrate just how frequently he operates at a high-end pace.
Then there is Cale Makar.
For Makar, the 2025-26 regular season could reasonably be described as an off year — at least by the absurd standards he has established for himself.
He finished with 79 points in 75 games, including 27 goals and 59 assists. For virtually any other defenseman, that would be an outstanding season.
For Makar, it was a step back.
When healthy, Makar has generally operated around the 89-point mark over a full season, which is almost difficult to comprehend for a defenseman. His ability to create offense isn't limited to his passing or his vision, either. His skating allows him to turn what looks like a routine defensive possession into an offensive opportunity in a matter of seconds.
The NHL Edge numbers reinforce that.
Makar led all NHL players with a maximum skating speed of 23.92 mph during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs and finished second among defensemen in 20-plus mph speed bursts during the regular season with 223.
That combination of skating and skill is what makes Makar so difficult to defend. He doesn't need to wait for a play to develop. He can create one himself.
And if Colorado can get more from him on the power play next season, where the Avalanche struggled for stretches, the impact could extend well beyond the regular season.
Because that is ultimately what makes Colorado's speed so dangerous.
It isn't just that MacKinnon can fly. It isn't just that Necas can accelerate through a gap before a defender has time to close it. And it isn't just that Makar can join the rush with the speed of a forward.
It's that all three can do it at the same time.
When the Avalanche are at their best, there is very little time for an opponent to make a mistake. A missed assignment can become a MacKinnon breakaway. A loose puck can turn into a Necas rush. Makar can suddenly appear as the fourth attacker before the defense has even had a chance to reset.
That combination helped Colorado become the only team in the NHL with two 100-point scorers last season and one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league.
The Avalanche ultimately fell in the Western Conference Final, leaving plenty of questions about what needs to change before they can take the final step.
Speed isn't one of them.
The numbers now back up what opponents have experienced firsthand for years.
Colorado isn't merely one of the NHL's fastest teams.
At the request of the Harris County district attorney's office in Houston, a misdemeanor gun charge against Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden has been dismissed after he completed an alternative resolution program, reports the Associated Press.
Alternative programs are a fairly common way for people to avoid a criminal record for a minor offense. In this case, Harden likely did some community service in the Houston area, although the agreement did not detail exactly what he did, according to the AP.
Harden, an 11-time All-Star, had been arrested on June 13 for having a gun in the cupholder of his car. He had been driving a car as part of a multi-car group when one of the other drivers was pulled over, according to the Harris County police report. Harden had pulled up behind the police and the other vehicle, and while interacting with the police, one officer noticed Harden had a gun in the cupholder of his car, according to the report. Harden allegedly confirmed the gun was his, which led to his arrest and booking.
Harden played eight seasons — his peak seasons, statistically — in Houston and has close ties to the city. He spends much of his offseason there every year.
Harden, 36, technically still remains a free agent, but is expected to re-sign with the Cavaliers in the coming weeks. He opted out of the $42.3 million he was owed to give the Cavaliers more cap space to chase LeBron James (they struck out there) or make other moves. He is expected to re-sign in Cleveland for around $30 million a season (depending on what other moves the team makes) for multiple years. Harden was traded from the LA Clippers to Cleveland in the middle of this past season, and between the two teams he averaged 23.6 points and 8 assists per game while shooting 37.5% from 3-point range.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 06: An overall photo before the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees on May 6, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Unofficial 1990s Throwback Night at Yankee Stadium on Friday, as the Atlanta Braves are in town to face the Yankees for a three-game set.
These showdowns always bring to mind fond—for us anyway—memories of the 1996 and 1999 Fall Classics, when the Yankees came back from down 0-2 to win their first championship in 18 years and then when they polished off a similarly potent Braves team in a four-game sweep durig the final year of the 20th century (securing a repeat to follow the act of the legendary 1998 club). Of course, it’s been many years since those rumbles, and from 2001 onward, the Yankees and Braves have the same number of titles: one apiece, in 2009 and 2021 respectively.
Tonight has a special sort of buzz about it, as erstwhile Braves ace Max Fried—who won the World Series clincher in Houston during that special 2021—will face his old team for the first time. The personnel has changed a bit since Fried departed after 2024 (including now-retired skipper Brian Snitker), but Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, and plenty more are still around. Meanwhile, Atlanta will send out one of their Trade Deadline acquisitions, Tyler Mahle, who will make his Braves debut.
It’ll be a fun showdown … whenever they get to play it. The weather in the Bronx is crummy at the moment and even though first pitch is still an hour away, the Yankees have announced that the game will not begin at 7:05pm ET as expected. Whenever the Yanks and MLB offer updates, we’ll update our own article in turn. Stay dry and hang in there! The rain is supposed to subside, so we should get baseball tonight.
Please be advised we do not intend to start tonight’s game on time. Information will be provided as it is received.
On an episode of “The Big Podcast” hosted by Shaquille O’Neal, he questioned why former teammate Kobe Bryant isn’t included in the conversation.
Shaquille O’Neal questions why Kobe Bryant isn’t considered in GOAT debates. Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
“There’s only three people in the GOAT conversation. Listen, I’m arrogant, but I’m not dumb,” O’Neal said. “It’s Kobe, Bron and Mike, that’s it.”
O’Neal was originally asked why he isn’t considered in the GOAT conversation; he was then confronted about a bias of shooting guards who are in the conversation, to which O’Neal admitted that players have their sub-categories.
“For so long it was just Mike and Bron, and I’m like, ‘I understand, great picks, but what about the Kobester?’ ” O’Neal said.
Bryant won five NBA championships with the Lakers during his 20-year career. AP
Bryant is no doubt one of the NBA’s greatest players. He spent his 20-year career as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, leading them to five NBA championships. Bryant was a two-time Finals MVP and a regular-season MVP in 2008.
Bryant’s five NBA titles eclipse James, who has won four championships in his 23-year career, but do not surpass Jordan, who won six NBA titles and was crowned Finals MVP in all six series.
Bryant was known for his “Mamba Mentality,” which focused on his relentless effort to try to win games and perform well while dealing with adversity.
With so many iconic moments in his career, Bryant’s greatest performance came on Jan. 22, 2006, when he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the third-most points in a game by a player. Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 in 1962, and Bam Adebayo tallied 83 in 2026.
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Lonnie Walker IV, a seven-year NBA veteran who spent last season with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague, reportedly has agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million minimum contract with the Denver Nuggets to return to the NBA, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Walker is a 6'4" two guard, a position where the Nuggets need depth after losing Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency (plus Jalen Pickett is not back as well). It's unclear if this contract is fully guaranteed, but it's possible he steps into (or earns the chance in training camp to step into) the role Bruce Brown played with this team.
Walker was a double-digit scorer in four of his seven NBA seasons (four of the last five) and is a career 35.6% shooter from 3-point range. The former No. 18 pick averaged 15.2 points per game in EuroLeague play last season, shooting 35.1% from beyond the arc.
Denver still has a lot of work to do this offseason, most notably either re-signing or finding a sign-and-trade for wing player Peyton Watson. With that comes the fact that the Nuggets are currently already above the second apron of the luxury tax with 12 contracts on their roster — this is a team that needs to shed salary. They have looked for trades for Cameron Johnson or Christian Braun, but would have to add the sweetener of picks to either of them to get another team to take on those contracts at this point in the summer.
Where Walker fits into all that is just another piece of the puzzle.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 10: Kyle Leahy #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves at Busch Stadium on July 10, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals return home for a 3-game weekend series vs the Colorado Rockies starting Friday night. Kyle Leahy will start for the Cardinals while the Rockies will send Ryan Feltner to the mound. First pitch scheduled for 7:15pm central time at Busch Stadium and the TV broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 02: Head coach Taylor Jenkins of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on against the Milwaukee Bucks during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on February 02, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Bucks announced their coaching staff earlier on Friday. Under new head coach Taylor Jenkins, only Darvin Ham and head of player development Jack Herum will return to the Bucks for the 2026-27 season. The rest of Milwaukee’s new coaching personnel—including Summer League head coach Pat St. Andrews—are all new hires or returning to Milwaukee after previously leaving.
Darvin Ham is the most recognizable name among Jenkins’ assistant coaches. Ham served as the lead assistant coach for four seasons, including Milwaukee’s championship-winning season in 2021. He then spent a turmoil-filled two years in Los Angeles, where, despite posting a winning record across his two seasons in charge, he was fired after a first-round playoff exit. Ham was a candidate to fill the New Orleans Pelicans’ coaching vacancy in the summer, but he ultimately remained in his role as the Bucks’ assistant coach. Ham has worked with Jenkins before in Atlanta for five seasons and in Milwaukee for one.
Two of the Bucks’ assistant coaches, St. Andrews and Brad Jones, worked with Jenkins as assistant coaches in Memphis. Others have ties to Milwaukee; Vince Legarza returns to the Bucks after spending the 2024-25 season as an assistant with the Suns, and Schuyler Rimmer spent four seasons with the Bucks from 2018-22 as a video coordinator. Some of the Bucks’ new assistants have experience from around the league. Johnny Carpenter was an assistant for the Indiana Pacers last season but turned down the opportunity to coach the Pacers’ Summer League team to join Milwaukee.
T.J. Ford will also join Milwaukee’s coaching staff, his first coaching role in the NBA. The former eighth overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, Ford spent two seasons with Milwaukee as the team’s starting point guard and made 127 appearances, averaging 10 points. After retirement, Ford spent time coaching high school and AAU basketball, including his own Adidas-sponsored team, TJ Ford Elite.
Joe Boylan, the highly-touted coach who seemed set to join Jenkins’ coaching staff, won’t join the Bucks. Boylan shifted course in early July to join new coach Dusty May and the Dallas Mavericks,
Dave Joerger, a longtime assistant to Doc Rivers, will take on an assistant coaching job in Denver, while Greg Buckner joins the Orlando Magic.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 01: Jackson Holliday #7 of the Baltimore Orioles bats against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 01, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles are back for another one of those “man, they’ve got to find a way to take two out of three” series. This one pits the club against the Texas Rangers. The Rangers (57-58) currently sit one game ahead of the Orioles in the chase for the third wild card spot. You can read more about Texas in Paul Folkemer’s series preview.
Jackson Holliday will bat third and play second base tonight against right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. The Orioles will look for Holliday to step up with Adley Rutschman and Taylor Ward no longer with the organization. Craig Albernaz will give the former first-overall pick a chance to make an impact from a higher spot in the batting order this evening.
Gunnar Henderson will bat first and play shortstop. He’ll be joined in the infield by first baseman Pete Alonso and third baseman Coby Mayo. Tyler O’Neill will slot in as the designated hitter with Christian Encarnacion-Strand beginning the game on the bench. Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser and Leody Taveras will make up the outfield from left to right. Carlos Narváez will catch starter Shane Baz.
The Orioles have struggled to provide Baz run support this season, but it would behoove the bats to strike early in this one. Baltimore’s high leverage relievers should all be fresh after getting the day off in a 4-1 loss on Thursday.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 29: Tyler Tolbert #2 of the Kansas City Royals takes the field prior to the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Ritter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It feels like another lifetime ago, but there was a time, back at the beginning of 2024, when the Royals had a battle for the fifth rotation spot between Daniel “Danny Drips” Lynch IV and Alec Marsh. Marsh won the job out of Spring Training, but Lynch was demoted to Omaha to continue starting and be ready to fill into the rotation as necessary. When Marsh was injured toward the end of April, Lynch got the call.
Lynch’s first start that season was five shutout innings, pretty good! Then he had a two-inning relief appearance. Then he retook the starter’s mound for another five innings, but this time he allowed three runs (two earned). His next appearance was a start against the Mariners, which saw him allow 8 runs, all earned, in 4 innings. He got a bulk relief appearance next that saw him allow 6 runs in 6.2 innings. That was on June 12, 2024, and was the last time Danny Drips made a true effort at starting.* His next appearance was at the end of August, and he picked up a 3-inning save before sticking in the bullpen for the rest of the year.
*He had two “starts” as an Opener last year.
He struck out 24 over 20.2 innings without allowing a run and gave the Royals some hope he could be something of a left-handed Wade Davis. He spent the entire season in the bullpen last year, where he regularly put runners on before being bailed out by John Schreiber. He started off this season looking more like the reliever from ‘24, but has since backslid into the reliever from ‘25. Over his last 20 appearances, he has pitched 19.2 innings while striking out only 6 and walking 4. He’s also allowed 14 hits. The fact that he’s only given up 5 runs for a 2.29 ERA over that span speaks more to incredible luck than incredible talent.
Some will point to Seth Lugo’s success returning to the rotation after being relegated to the bullpen for years. Others will point to Danny Duffy’s. And while I’m not saying this can’t or even won’t work, I will say Lynch’s performance in the bullpen over the past two years has done very little to prove that it should. Still, the Royals are critically low on starting pitching, and giving Daniel Lynch IV another shot makes a heck of a lot more sense than giving Mitch Spence another.
The Cubs will debut the newly acquired Kevin Gausman against the Royals. Gausman is a right-hander who gets by on three pitches – a four-seamer, a slider, and a splitter. He throws that fastball more than half the time. You’d think that would make him easy to pigeonhole, but he’s pitched quite effectively for a very long time, regardless.
Lineups
I’m not entirely sure why the Royals have loaded their lineup as if they’re facing a lefty tonight if it’s going to be Gausman, but that’s what they’ve done. The Royals made another roster move ahead of today’s game:
Bummer pitched twice for the Royals and blew the game open for the other team both times, leading to his name being featured in the headlines of both game recaps. Maybe the headlines will be less entertaining, or maybe we’ll have to be more creative. Only one way to find out!
Friday's series opener between the Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates is in a rain delay in the top of the third inning.
Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski threw three pitches to A.J. Ewing to begin the frame before the umpiring crew made the call to roll the tarp onto the field.
New York is leading 1-0 after scoring in the first inning on Carson Benge's RBI single, which scored Ewing, who doubled to lead off the game and moved to third on a Bo Bichette infield single.
Mets starter Zac Thornton pitched two scoreless innings with a walk and a strikeout while dealing with the rain.
After a 36-minute delay, the game restarted and on the first pitch, Ewing lined a single off of Mlodzinski to lead off the third.
The tarp is being rolled out at the top of the third inning with no outs in Pittsburgh due to rain pic.twitter.com/dhR8vpZSoT
Munetaka Murakami and the White Sox have a big divisional clash ahead of them Friday night. | (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
After getting swept in a three-game series to the Boston Red-Handed Cheaters (seriously, does anyone believe they’ve gone 26-3 over their last 29 games legitimately?), the Chicago White Sox now find themselves in a dogfight in the AL Central. For most of the season, the race has been between the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago, and this series allows the South Siders a real chance to deal a devastating blow to Cleveland’s playoff hopes.
With every team in the division but the Kansas City Royals within four games of each other, every single game moving forward is absolutely crucial. While the White Sox are coming off a tough sweep, they aren’t the only ones struggling lately as Cleveland is also coming off of a sweep of their own, dropping three straight to the lowly New York Mets.
With the Minnesota Twins on the road against the best team in baseball in the Milwaukee Brewers, it’s not a stretch to believe this series will give the winning team a leg up on the rest of the division. With Chicago leading the season series over Cleveland four games to three with only six left to play, a series win would assure the White Sox a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker as long as they aren’t swept in the final series against the Guardians.
Somebody has to break their losing streak tonight, and the Guardians must feel pretty good about their chances with Parker Messick taking the mound. Although Messick has a record of just 1-3 over his last seven starts, he has posted an impressive 2.30 ERA during that time. Messick has been one of the best pitchers in baseball as of late and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in a start since June 29 against the Texas Rangers.
In two starts against the White Sox this season, Messick has pitched just shy of 13 innings, allowing just eight hits and three earned runs. He has a vast repertoire of pitches and excels in limiting hard contact. While Messick’s past success against the White Sox is certainly not the greatest sign for Chicago, it is important to note that both of those starts were against the South Siders sans Munetaka Murakami. Fans have seen how much his presence alone boosts this team, so it’s anyone’s guess how Messick will perform against a stronger Chicago offense.
While the White Sox also come into this series cold, they also have to feel pretty good about their chances moving forward but for different reasons. This series against the Guardians kicks off an interesting quirk in the schedule that sees the South Siders play 16 of their next 19 games in Chicago. With the White Sox holding a 34-21 record at home, the long stretch inside city limits is a dream scenario. In a tight divisional race, the rest of the month of August provides a great opportunity to solidify themselves at the very top.
On the mound for Chicago tonight is Noah Schultz, who quite frankly will be heavily outmatched by Messick. I know advanced metrics aren’t everything, but the only metric Schultz has better than the 50 percentile is fastball velocity, at 60. There aren’t many things he’s done well lately, either, as seen by his 1-5 record and 6.82 ERA over his past seven starts. The other issue is that he doesn’t go late into games, which will put some extra strain on what will already be a tired bullpen after last night’s extra innings affair.
While on paper it certainly seems that the White Sox are outmatched, fans certainly thought the same thing last Friday before the team batted around Tampa’s Cy Young candidate Nick Martinez on its way to a 6-1 victory.
Here are the starting lineups for the Chicago White Sox:
Here are the starting lineups for the Cleveland Guardians:
Game time is 6:40 p.m. CT, available in all the usual places.