Heading into his third season in the NHL, San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini's accomplishments on the ice have been noticed by EA Sports.
Celebrini, 20, is going to be tied for the fifth-highest rated player in this year's iteration of the EA Sports NHL series, NHL 27, while also being featured on the cover. When the game releases early next month, Celebrini will have a 95 overall rating, which ties him with players like Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, David Pastrnak, Aleksander Barkov, and others. Celebrini is tied for the fourth-highest rating for a center, behind Connor McDavid (99), Nathan MacKinnon (97), and Leon Draisaitl (96).
Celebrini wasn't the only member of the San Jose Sharks to have his rating released, as a total of nine Sharks have had their ratings revealed so far.
Will Smith is the second-highest rated Shark, with an 87 overall that puts him on par with players like Cutter Gauthier, Roope Hintz, Troy Terry, and numerous others. Darnell Nurse, Mason Marchment, Alexander Wennberg, Dmitry Orlov, and Jacob Trouba are all scheduled to start the game with an 85 overall.
Last but not least, veteran forward Tyler Toffoli and young goaltender Yaroslav Askarov will share a rating, as both are listed at 84 overall to start the year. Interestingly, Askarov is the only Shark so far without an "X-Factor ability" assigned to him.
The full list of Sharks rankings will be released when the game is available to the general public in September.
CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 18: A general view of Progressive Field as Khristian Curtis #64 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday, July 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Sean Finucane/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game road series against the Cleveland Guardians this afternoon.
Getting the start for the Giants today, and making his major league debut, will be left-hander Matt Wilkinson. Wilkinson has a 3.40 ERA for the season in the minors, with 96 strikeouts to 31 walks in 90 innings pitched over 20 starts.
He’ll be facing off against Guardians left-hander Parker Messick, who enters today’s game with a 2.59 ERA, 3.25 FIP, with 142 strikeouts to 40 walks in 142.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Guardians’ 3-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers last Thursday, in which he allowed two runs on three hits with six strikeouts and two walks in five and two thirds innings.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 18: Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers is congratulated by Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers after hitting a three run homer in the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at American Family Field on August 18, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are going to attempt to follow up yesterday’s 22-0 historic thrashing of the Seattle Mariners. While it’s unlikely the scoring output will be similar, the Brewers are continuing to get closer to full strength on the offensive side.
The Brewers announced that they had activated shortstop Cooper Pratt from the IL prior to tonight’s game after dealing with a hamstring strain. Pratt is back in tonight’s starting lineup. To make room on the roster, the Brewers optioned outfielder Brandon Lockridge to Triple-A Nashville.
Lockridge’s option is a mild surprise, given he plays a different position, but with Joey Ortiz dealing with a twisted ankle that he suffered in last night’s game that the team is monitoring, it makes sense for the Brewers to want to keep Jonathan Ornelas on the roster for a few more days rather than designating him for assignment. Lockridge has options, Ornelas does not. With limited infield depth options in the minors, it’s the smart play.
Also on the injury front, Pat Murphy told reporters pregame that centerfielder Garrett Mitchell is dealing with a sore foot and they are holding him out of the lineup as a precaution.
On the mound, the Brewers will have Dustin May making his third start with the club following his trade deadline arrival. This will be May’s first night game start with Milwaukee. May’s been exceptional so far, with a 2.08 ERA in his two starts, covering 13 IP.
On the other side, the Mariners will have one of their best with right-hander Logan Gilbert. Gilbert has a 3.28 ERA on the season with a 9-7 record and 152 Ks. He’s been a consistent and reliable starter for a number of years now, including a 6th place AL Cy Young finish in 2024, when he led the league in innings pitches and WHIP. Christian Yelich, who homered last night, has a good history against Gilbert, with a pair of home runs in nine at-bats.
The Brewers lineup will feature a familiar top group with Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, and Jake Bauers forming the top of the order. William Contreras, Christian Yelich, and Andrew Vaughn make up the middle of the order. Luis Lara gets the start in centerfield and bats seventh while Joey Ortiz and Cooper Pratt round out the bottom of the order. With Pratt’s return to his home at shortstop, Ortiz slides back over to third base.
The Mariners will make a few changes to their lineup after being shut out last night. Brendan Donovan, Randy Arozarena, and Dominic Canzone make up the top of the order. Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor, and Cole Young form the middle of the lineup. Cal Raleigh, Taylor Ward, and Brock Rodden will round out the bottom of Dan Wilson’s starting nine.
It’ll be a matchup of two pitchers who have had great seasons. It’ll be unlikely that there are 22 combined runs scored again, especially all from one team.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 12: Will Warren #29 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on August 12, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I probably didn’t need to tell you this, but the 2026 AL East is shaping up to be one of the most competitive divisions in the history of baseball, particularly with the weakness of the rest of the American League. Entering Wednesday night, the last-place Orioles are 61-65, which would be just two games behind the AL West-leading Astros. No division has ever had five teams with a winning record, coming closest in 1991 with the Angels in the AL West and the 2005 Nationals in the NL East, both finishing exactly .500.
It’d be one thing if this were an outlier, but it isn’t. This will almost certainly be the fifth consecutive season without a 90-loss team in the AL East, with the rebuilding 2021 Orioles being the last ones to fit that criterion. In the last seven full seasons, only one other division has had a single season like this (NL Central, 2024), while the AL East is doing it for a fifth consecutive year. It shows, now more than ever, that there are no pushovers in these divisional games, so winning a series here just feels bigger than it would otherwise.
Looking to secure a series victory for the Yankees will be Will Warren, who got a new lease on life in the starting rotation after Max Fried’s potentially precautionary IL stint corresponded with Carlos Rodón’s return last night. Making his 25th start, Warren has pitched to a 4.42 ERA (95 ERA+) and 4.20 FIP in 118 innings. His struggles over the better part of two months have eliminated his great start and dragged him back to where he was statistically last season. Fortunately for Will, he’ll be facing a team he’s fared well against in 2026, allowing three runs in 12 innings with 15 strikeouts.
Recent Yankees nemesis Chris Bassitt continues his age-37 season tonight for the O’s in his first season with Baltimore after three years in Toronto. He’s struggled in 13 appearances and 11 starts this season, pitching to a 5.11 ERA (81 ERA+) and 4.65 FIP across 61.2 innings. He never faced the Yankees in the first six years of his career, but has dominated them across nine starts since 2021, pitching to a 2.06 ERA in 56.1 innings, although the results slightly improved last year.
Bassitt no longer has the stuff to generate whiffs and strikeouts, but has stayed serviceable through managing hard contact and barrels while keeping the ball on the ground. He’s able to do that with his seven-pitch mix that keeps hitters off balance, although he’s refined it more this year. He essentially only uses four of them against righties, throwing his sinker half the time, while using the curveball as his main secondary along with more cutter and changeup usage.
The red-hot Trent Grisham will lead off once again, followed by the usual three of Ben Rice, Luis García Jr., and Heliot Ramos. A bold strategy of using three straight high-strikeout bats then ensues with Jazz Chisholm Jr., Spencer Jones, and Ryan McMahon before George Lombard Jr. and Austin Wells round out the lineup. I guess a guy who strictly manages contact won’t exploit them as much?
Jackson Holliday leads off again for Baltimore with Pete Alonso flanking him. Gunnar Henderson bumps up to third in the order, followed by a returning Samuel Basallo at first base, the lefty-killing Coby Mayo, and Dylan Beavers. A pair of fallen prospects follow with Leody Taveras and Colton Cowser before former Yankee Carlos Narvaez rounds it out at the bottom.
How to watch
Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards — Baltimore, MD
First pitch: 6:35 pm ET
TV broadcast: MASN, MLB Network (out-of-market only)
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), 98 Rock 97.9 FM, WBAL 1090 AM
Online stream: Amazon Prime Video, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 12: Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles hits a two-run home run in the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 12, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Probable pitchers: RHP Chris Bassitt (4-4, 5.11 ERA, 40 Ks) vs. RHP Will Warren (8-6, 4.42 ERA, 117 Ks)
It’s been a small emotional rollercoaster for Orioles fans the last week. The high of winning the first three games in Tampa over the weekend was met with the lows of 1) losing a very winnable series finale vs. the Rays, followed by 2) wasting another Shane Baz gem with minimal run support in yesterday’s 3-1 loss to the Yankees. Now, Birdland gets another high, as Samuel Basallo returns to the lineup in Game 2 vs. New York.
The powerhouse young backstop has been out of the lineup since July 19th after injuring his shoulder on a hard swing with the Astros. After the sell-off at the trade deadline, the team Basallo returns to is very different. The goal is not, as the O’s still sit tantalizingly close to a Wild Card spot at just a game behind the Twins and Rangers.
Basallo will start at 1B for the first time all season, as Pete Alonso continues to DH after picking up an injury in Tampa. Coming back at home should make for a stronger return for the 22-year-old, as the rookie slugger is hitting .264 with a .815 OPS at Camden Yards this season.
The rejuvenated lineup will look to provide plenty of support for righty Chris Bassitt, who make his first start in Baltimore since coming off the IL last week. Bassitt was sharp Friday night vs. the Rays, limiting Tampa to two runs and five hits over 5.1 innings. It will be his first time taking on the Yankees as an Oriole, but Bassitt has typically fared well against the team from the Bronx. In nine career starts against the Yankees, the 37-year-old has a 2.06 ERA while holding New York to a .209 average.
Opposing Bassitt is 27-year-old right-hander Will Warren. The third-year starter is coming off a rough outing against the Mariners, having allowed 5 runs and 3 homers in 4 innings in a 10-5 Yankees win. Warren has been better against the Orioles, guiding the Yankees to two wins against Baltimore. In his first start against the O’s at Yankee Stadium, Warren put up a line of 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB and 9 Ks. Eleven days later, he allowed 2 runs over 5.2 innings while striking out 6 Orioles at Camden Yards.
The Cincinnati Reds were shutout in yesterday’s 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals as their league-worst offense continues to be in a funk so deep even George Clinton is impressed. On Wednesday evening in Great American Ball Park, they’ll get to turn to ace Chase Burns with hopes that he can somehow hold the Cards to negative one runs allowed so they may actually have a chance to take home a win.
Veteran left-hander Matthew Liberatore will toe the rubber for St. Louis, and he’ll do so after having allowed 7 ER acrosss 10.1 IP in his two most recent starts. He sports a 5.07 ERA on the season and Cincinnati tagged him for 3 ER in 4.1 IP in a win back on June 6th, so maybe there’s some residual je ne sai quoi the team has going on with him on the mound.
Likely not, but if you’re actually reading this you’re probably inclined to hope for it anyway.
Cincinnati has stacked their lineup as best they can with righty swingers to take on the southpaw. Burns will chuck the game’s first pitch at 6:40 PM ET.
After the Mets were mowed down by Padres right-hander Michael King over the first three innings, Green, messing around, told the red-hot Benge that it was time to do something.
So with a man on and two outs, the youngster stepped to the plate and was sure to deliver.
After working the count full, Benge went with a 95 mph sinker on the outer-half of the zone, slicing it just inside the left-field foul pole for a go-ahead two-run homer.
The 23-year-old celebrated in the dugout, but was sure to let the skipper hear about it on his way out to right field in the top half of the inning, telling him, “I did something.”
“He has fun,” Green said postgame. “There’s something special about a kid that can handle what the world sees as a lot of pressure, and just can go out there and play the game and have fun, then the God-given talent shows up.”
That talent has been on display plenty of times of late for Benge.
The blast was his 15th of the year, which put him along with the legendary Darryl Strawberry as the only two rookies in franchise history to hit as many while also swiping 15+ bases in a season.
He’s also hitting .272, has driven in 51 runs, and has racked up a .752 OPS through 122 games.
“I feel good,” Benge said. “I feel in a good spot, feel like I’m on time on just about every pitch and seeing the ball really well up there, so I think that it’s a good place to be.”
The Cubs lost to the White Sox 3-0 on a gorgeous Wednesday afternoon, and the “gorgeous” part is about the only good thing I can say about the afternoon… with the offense disappearing, I am reduced to paraphrasing Jimmy Buffett lyrics for a headline.
And come on. José Urquidy? A guy the Sox picked up four weeks ago from the Pirates for a minor leaguer and who had entered this game with an 8.10 ERA and 2.200 WHIP in six games between the Pirates and Sox this year, with 20 hits allowed in 10 innings? THAT guy shuts the Cubs lineup down?
Where did that come from? Cubs hitters were utterly baffled in six innings thrown by Urquidy after Sean Newcomb — ex-Cub who had an ERA over 9 when he was a North Sider — shut them out for two innings.
So it really didn’t matter what Cubs pitching did, since the Cubs had only two hits, an infield single by Tyrone Taylor in the fourth and a double by Taylor leading off the sixth. The latter was just about the only chance the Cubs had to score. They were down only 1-0 at the time, runner in scoring position, nobody out.
As you can see, Braden Montgomery made a perfect throw and had Taylor by quite a bit. Still, it was ill-considered. You’re still in scoring position with Seiya Suzuki and Alex Bregman due up. Instead, now there’s nobody on base and two out.
Sigh.
Clay Holmes threw a decent 5.2 innings, allowing six hits and two walks and one run, getting 10 outs by ground ball. It just wasn’t quite good enough to win this game.
Ryan Rolison got touched up for two runs in the eighth that put the game completely out of reach, but really, it was out of reach at 1-0. The Cubs offense simply got shut down. It happens.
I do want to show you three nice defensive plays made by the Cubs.
I have a couple of notes for you from BCB’s JohnW53. First, a Cubs vs. Sox note:
This was the 12th time the Cubs have been shut out in their 158 regular-season games vs. the White Sox.
It was the sixth at Wrigley Field. The others were by 5-0 in 2009, 1-0 in 2011, 6-0 in 2012, 1-0 in 2012 and 4-0 on Aug. 7, 2021 — the last at home or on the road before today.
The Cubs finished with two hits in a 7-0 loss on the South Side on June 6, 2012, and with three in a 6-0 loss on the road on June 25, 2010, and the 1-0 loss at home on July 10, 2015.
The Cubs have blanked the Sox six times. The fewest hits they allowed were five, in a 1-0 win on June 13, 2010 — their only shutout at Wrigley.
And then there’s this, making this game unique in Cubs history:
This was the first of the Cubs’ 19,641 regular-season games since 1901 in which they had exactly two hits, both by the No. 9 hitter in their order.
It was the 1,298th game in which the No. 9 hitter made two hits.
It was the 230th in which the Cubs made exactly two hits, and the 134th of those in which they were shut out.
And hey, like I said, it was a beautiful summer day, which is worth noting in Chicago because we have had the rainiest summer I can remember in quite some time.
These kinds of games happen. As Kyle Hendricks used to say, “Flush this one and move on.”
The Cubs will move on to Seattle after an off day Thursday. At this writing neither the Cubs nor Mariners have listed a starting pitcher for Friday’s series opener, but I’d think the Cubs likely go with Matthew Boyd. As always, we await developments.
Game time Friday is 9:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
The Golden Knights are ready to gray-cefully move on.
One of the most recognizable looks in Vegas Golden Knights history is about to take a step into the past, with the franchise preparing to remove its traditional gray sweaters from the regular-season rotation and make room for a brand-new alternate look.
Vegas will still have its metallic gold home jerseys and white road uniforms, but the upcoming season will bring a third option to the lineup through the NHL’s new Hometown Remix initiative.
The program, developed in collaboration with Fanatics, is designed to give teams an opportunity to create uniforms that are more closely connected to their cities, their fans and the culture surrounding each franchise.
For the Golden Knights, that means a fresh sweater is coming — although the NHL and Fanatics are keeping the details under wraps for now. More information about the collection is expected to be revealed in the coming months.
The initiative also carries some significance for Fanatics. Hometown Remix is the company’s first uniform program since becoming the NHL’s official on-ice uniform outfitter in 2024 under a 10-year agreement with the league.
While Vegas’ new sweater will eventually take its place alongside the team’s gold and white jerseys, the old gray design won’t disappear completely.
Instead, the gray sweaters will be reclassified as throwbacks, giving the Golden Knights a chance to preserve one of the looks that helped define the franchise during its early years.
And considering how aggressively Vegas has embraced its identity since entering the NHL, the next chapter of the Golden Knights’ wardrobe could be just as bold as the franchise itself.
What do the fans think of the new jerseys? Your opinion is valuable to us. Let us know. The new season is about to begin! Training camp is nearly upon us.
The Philadelphia Flyers officially added another depth forward Wednesday, confirming some widely-reported news from the beginning of free agency.
Former first-round pick Nolan Foote, 25, joins the Flyers after spending the 2025-26 season in the Florida Panthers organization. The winger appeared in 12 NHL games with the banged-up Panthers last year, scoring one goal, while spending the majority of the season with the AHL Charlotte Checkers.
In 54 games with Charlotte, Foote recorded 14 goals, 18 assists, and 32 points, which is more or less in line with his previous campaigns in the offense department.
So, while Foote hasn't quite taken a step forward, he has an established floor, size, and a hard shot that he can and will put to use, even if the end result comes sparingly.
That floor is the primary appeal of the signing for the Flyers, who get a still-young player with NHL experience who can fill in for Denver Barkey and Alex Bump, as they are presumably going to graduate to the NHL level full-time in 2026-27.
The 6-foot-3 Foote was originally selected by Tampa Bay with the 27th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, but was later traded to the New Jersey Devils organization as the centerpiece of the Blake Coleman trade and spent five seasons there.
Foote's most productive NHL season was the 2021-22 season with the Devils, when he tallied three times in just seven games and added an assist.
The Denver, Colorado, native has not expanded on his game, however, as he has not grown into a reliable penalty-killer, something most fringe players need to do to take the next step in their pro careers.
Foote has the size, but he is not especially physical, nor is he fast, and that is why the Flyers have become his fourth stop since being drafted seven years ago.
For the 25-year-old Foote, it's a new opportunity to establish himself as a full-time NHL player.
He remains young enough to conceivably take a big but unexpected leap, but his immediate path to the Flyers' NHL lineup will depend on his performance in training camp and the preseason, as well as an injury opening up a place for him.
The Flyers have been surprisingly active in adding depth pieces this offseason, and Foote now joins that group in preparation for the rapidly approaching 2026-27 campaign.
Aug 18, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) waits for the next Washington Nationals batter during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Texas Rangers lineup for August 19, 2026 against the Washington Nationals: starting pitchers are Kumar Rocker for the Rangers and Cade Cavalli for the Nationals.
Texas plays the middle game of a three game set against Washington tonight. Skip Schumaker is going with his super-lefty-heavy batting order.
The lineup:
Pederson — 1B
Seager — SS
Langford — DH
Nimmo — RF
Duran — 3B
Carter — CF
Kelenic — LF
Diaz — C
Lopez — 2B
7:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -125 favorites.
José Urquidy: stopper of sweeps, saver of bullpens, silencer of Cubs. | (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Third time’s the charm, or so they say. After two nights of late-inning faceplants at Wrigley, the White Sox finally got the last laugh, blanking the Cubs, 3-0, and sneaking out of the North Side with a win.
And José Urquidy was exactly the hero an exhausted pitching staff needed.
Urquidy carved up the Cubs for six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out eight. More importantly, he gave a bullpen that had been running on fumes a much-needed breather. The White Sox did just about everything right in this one — pitching, defense and, eventually, the clutch knocks they needed to put the game away.
The offense, however, apparently needed a few innings to remember that pounding Clay Holmes’ pitches into the dirt wasn’t going to be the winning formula.
The top of the first was an early indication of how things were going to go against Holmes, as the Sox went down in order on just 11 pitches, with two of the three outs coming on grounders.
Andrew Benintendi tried a different approach in the second, grinding out a 10-pitch walk, but Braden Montgomery immediately followed with — you guessed it — a ground out. Colson Montgomery managed an infield single that Pedro Ramírez made a nice play to keep from reaching the outfield, but Chase Meidroth and Tristan Peters followed with two more grounders to kill the threat. It’s almost like someone wrote in the game thread that the Sox probably weren’t going to beat Holmes by pounding the ball into the dirt. Make him work, don’t chase and look for something to elevate.
Guess they didn’t read it.
Fortunately, the pitching staff had no trouble following the game plan.
Sean Newcomb handled the first two innings, allowing only a walk in each frame before handing things over to Urquidy.
The Sox offense remained stubbornly attached to the ground in the third, recording three more ground-ball outs. Sam Antonacci worked a one-out walk, and Miguel Vargas added a two-out single, but the clutch knock never arrived.
Urquidy made his first appearance in the third and immediately announced that the Cubs were going to have a long afternoon. Tyrone Taylor reached on an infield single, but Urquidy struck out the side in a 17-pitch inning.
Braden led off the fourth with a single, but Colson struck out, and Braden was caught napping to complete a strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play. Then Meidroth grounded out, because of course he did.
Urquidy, meanwhile, was cruising. He needed just 10 pitches to retire the Cubs in the fourth, striking out two. Then he punched out the side in the fifth. Absolutely nasty.
The Sox did manage another hit in the fifth when Jake Rogers singled out of the nine-hole for his first hit with the Good Guys. Antonacci followed by grounding into a force out while also burning a challenge on the play. After the last few days, the Sox might want to take another look at their ABS challenge policy. Munetaka Murakami then grounded out on a nice play by Alex Bregman, and the game remained scoreless.
Finally, in the sixth, the Sox figured out how to get the ball off the ground.
Vargas led off with a double, and Benintendi — who continues to have a knack for coming through when the Sox need him — ripped an RBI single to give the South Siders a 1-0 lead.
Braden followed with another grounder, which was enough to chase Holmes in favor of Caleb Thielbar. Braden didn’t stick around long, as Thielbar promptly picked him off.
Then came perhaps the defensive play of the afternoon.
Taylor opened the bottom of the sixth with a double, giving the Cubs their first real opportunity against Urquidy. Pete Crow-Armstrong lined out to Braden in right, and Taylor apparently did not read the scouting report about running on Montgomery’s arm. The rookie unleashed an absolute laser to Vargas at third to double him off and erase the runner.
The throw brought back flashes of Bo Jackson in 1993. Yeah, it was that pretty.
Suzuki grounded out on the next pitch, and just like that, Urquidy had escaped the inning on five pitches.
Meidroth singled to open the seventh, but Peters grounded into a force out. Rogers then gave one a ride 361 feet to left, only for the Wrigley wind to knock it down for the second out, and Antonacci struck out to end the inning.
The defense flashed the leather again in the bottom half. Bregman sent one all the way to the ivy in left, but Antonacci, at the top of his defensive game, made a highlight-reel play to take away a hit.
Urquidy needed just eight pitches to get through another scoreless frame.
The Sox finally gave themselves some breathing room in the eighth. Murakami grounded out before Vargas worked a walk, and pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk doubled to put runners at second and third. This time, Braden delivered. The rookie got a high fastball and ripped it down the first-base line, bringing home Vargas and Grichuk to extend the lead to 3-0.
Colson followed by smoking a ball right at Suzuki, and Meidroth struck out to end the inning, but the damage was done.
Urquidy came back out for the eighth and continued to dominate, retiring the Cubs in order on 12 pitches to finish off a brilliant afternoon: six innings, two hits, no walks and eight strikeouts.
The Sox threatened to add on in the ninth after Peters drew a four-pitch walk and Antonacci worked a seven-pitch one-out free pass. After a Mune ground out, the Cubs intentionally walked Vargas to load the bases, but Grichuk popped out to leave them loaded.
No worries. Three runs were plenty.
Grant Taylor came on for the save and struck out pinch-hitter Michael Conforto before getting PCA to pop out. Suzuki worked a two-out walk, but Taylor froze Bregman for strike three to finish off the shutout and finally — finally — send the White Sox home from Wrigley with something to celebrate.
No sweep for you, Cubs.
Now it’s back on the bus to the South Side, where the Sox will welcome Atlanta for Thursday’s makeup of the June 11 rainout. And frankly, the Braves owe us one after getting swept by the Twins. What are we doing, Atlanta? Come on. The Pirates, meanwhile, beat the Tigers, so we thank them for their service.
After the way the first two games at Wrigley ended, a 3-0 win, a rested bullpen and a little help from Pittsburgh isn’t a bad way to head home.
MVP José Urquidy: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K, W
MVP Runners-Up Braden Montgomery: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B, PO, CS Andrew Benintendi: 1-for-2, RBI, BB Randal Grichuk: 1-for-2, R, 2B Miguel Vargas: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2B Sean Newcomb: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB Grant Taylor: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K, S
The San Diego Padres came into a three-game series with the Mets as one of the hottest teams in baseball, firmly in the NL wild card race thanks to a 17-5 stretch.
With a 4-2 win in Wednesday’s matinee, the Mets proved they were hotter with a series win and 11 victories in 15 games since the MLB trade deadline.
"It feels gritty to me,” interim manager Andy Green said of his side’s play. “It feels like the kind of club that's just trying to scratch and claw, figure out a way to win a baseball game.”
In addition to the clawing, the series finale was marked by some fine cobbling together by the pitching staff as veteran Robert Stock combined with five men out of the bullpen to limit the visitors to just five hits and five walks and held them to 2-for-12 with RISP.
The bullpen, which saw several key departures just over a fortnight ago, received special commendation for allowing just a run in 4.2 innings with six strikeouts.
“Bullpen has been phenomenal,” Green said. “With this much turnover, to see guys step on the mound and handle tough situations again and again. [Jonathan] Pintaro getting the double-play ball, [Nate] Lavender coming in with an inherited runner again and getting out of it in nine pitches, which is more than he’s been throwing to get out of innings, which is crazy.
“And then [Daniel] Duarte’s been great, [Kodai] Senga closing it out. [Austin] Warren getting back into the mix, too; fell behind more than he wants to, but good stuff. I think the bullpen stands out.”
With 34 games to play, guys standing out and taking advantage of their opportunity is big ahead of another offseason of potentially big changes for the club.
“It hasn’t been the year that, maybe, we’ve all wanted,” first baseman Jared Young said after the game, “but in that you can find silver linings and players to really step up.”
Stepping up is something that Lavendar, Pintaro, and Duarte in the ‘pen have done, and the interim skipper said they are “squarely in the mix right now” for the organization moving forward.
“They’re incredibly well thought of,” Green said. “And there are some attributes to great relievers that all managers appreciate: they’re the same person in every set of circumstances… those guys have come into tough situations, and they find their way out of tough situations by doing what they do consistently.
“The moment hasn’t sped up the heartbeat at all. The human on the mound matters; they have to have good stuff, but [those guys] have shown the ability in those situations to be who they are.”
Green said that ability to keep your heartbeat from speeding up is “less common” than many think and leads to “tugging sliders or letting fastballs go up and away.”
And when you couple that attribute with their stuff, Green continued, that means the trio will continue to pitch meaningful innings this year and will have the club “continue to think about where it goes in the future.”
Lavender, 26, has been one to especially seize on his chance since making his big league debut earlier this month, as he stranded his seventh runner on Wednesday without allowing one to score and ran his scoreless streak to 6.1 innings with eight strikeouts.
While youth, with rookie Carson Benge powering a two-run home run to give the Mets a lead they wouldn't relinquish, has its way, the tone for the game was set by the 36-year-old starter giving the Mets 4.1 innings of one-run ball.
“To get four or five innings out of him, especially the day before an off day when you can go to your bullpen pretty quickly and feel confident about doing that, it’s great,” Green said. “He’s pitching meaningful innings for us; he’s doing a really good job.”
The journeyman Stock put it best into words what the next few weeks will mean for most of these Mets the rest of the way: "Every game is just me trying to prove that I can hang and I can stay. There's no one out there that wants it more than me, so I’m trying to put that into reality and results."
These games may not matter in the standings, but they mean a whole lot for their careers and for next season.
There seems to always be something for this year’s Red Sox team.
The latest something happened late in Wednesday’s loss to the Diamondbacks, after Willson Contreras opted to not properly run to first after grounding out in the bottom of the 10th inning. If there was booing inside Fenway Park, it wasn’t nearly as audible as the round of disapproval that Contreras received two weekends ago for the same action.
Yet Contreras did hear the boos on Wednesday, cupping his hand to his ear while retreating to the dugout in an attempt to request more boos from the home crowd.
Willson Contreras put his hand to his ear after some Red Sox fans seemingly booed him for jogging on a ground out pic.twitter.com/46fLjIFfLQ
It didn’t end there, though, as Contreras reportedly got into a verbal confrontation with a fan, who was sitting behind the dugout.
“Contreras turned to face the crowd and engaged in a long, animated argument with a fan behind the dugout,” according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “According to witnesses, other Red Sox players, including Jarren Duran, also were involved. Contreras jawed back and forth with the fan, then walked toward the clubhouse tunnel as the game ended. He returned to continue the conversation and pointed out the fan to security personnel.”
Though the Red Sox won the first two games against the visiting Diamondbacks, they lost a lead on Wednesday and ended the series on a doubly sour note.
When reporters spoke to Contreras in the clubhouse, the 34-year-old had cooled down, and he calmly explained the situation from his perspective.
“I’m not gonna get hurt running on a ground ball,” Contreras said after joking that the fan had been inviting him out to dinner. “And if you’re a real fan and you know baseball, there’s no case for me to hustle out the box. I’m not 100 percent, we never are, but I’m taking care of my leg. If I have to run, I’ll push it a little bit. If I don’t, my manager has my back. And I talked to him, and he gave me the permission to just do whatever it takes to take care of my legs, and that’s it. I just don’t care.”
Contreras admitted that after explaining his lack of hustle in his previous incident at Fenway Park, he thought the fans would understand his situation this time around.
“For sure, yes,” he said when asked if he was surprised to hear boos. “And if you’re a smart fan, you know what’s going on. I’m not gonna make excuses, because it’s not an excuse — it’s real. And I just want to play through it. I want to stay on the field as much as I can, especially at this time of the year where every game matters and it’s really important for me to stay in the game for my team, for my teammates. We’re all battling through something. We’re human, we’re not robots. I wish I was, to not feel any pain in my body. It’s just baseball, man. You got to keep your head up and keep going.”
Contreras said he had been feeling better but tweaked his leg when stretching for a ball on Tuesday night. Contreras said he informed interim manager Chad Tracy that he may not be able to go 100 percent as a result. (Tracy said he didn’t witness Contreras’ confrontation with the fan.)
“It’s more mental,” Contreras said of the challenges that arise this time of year. “It’s like you have to get the mindset where — let me explain it the best I can. You don’t think about pain or you don’t think about any part of the body that hurts, but you have to be cautious about it. So the right mindset right now is just to grind through it, keep grinding. I know we want results. I know we all want to do our best, but at this time of the year, you have to grind.”
And though Contreras has now been booed twice in less than two weeks at Fenway Park, he said his commitment to Boston remains unchanged.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That won’t change my mindset. I won’t change my mind about Boston or the fans,” he said. “I think I’m in the best place to play baseball. If I was 100 percent, they wouldn’t boo me, because I was gonna hustle down the line. But I was sharing my perspective about being a Red Sox, being in Boston. I get goosebumps every time that I think about Boston, and I’m in the right place. I’m in the right place.
TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Astros, who own a slim 1.0-game lead in the AL West, will try to even up their series tonight in the middle game of their three-game series vs. the Angels.
RHP Ethan Pecko will get the start for the Astros tonight in his Major League debut opposite RHP Walbert Ureña (8-8) and the Angels.
ABOUT PECKO: RHP Ethan Pecko, 23, has combined to post a 4.57 ERA (42ER/82.2IP) with 86 strikeouts in 20 games (18 starts) in the minors this season, including 17 games at Triple A.
The Astros sixth-round pick in 2023 out of Towson University (MD), Pecko has pitched in parts of four minor league seasons in the Astros system and currently ranks as the Astros No. 9 prospect per MLB.com.
THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 43-32 since May 22, which is the second-best record in the AL in that span.
On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
THAT’S OFFENSIVE: Among American League teams, the Astros rank first in slugging (.411), first in total bases (1746), second in home runs (169), third in OPS (.729), and third in runs scored (577).
In the Majors, the Astros rank third in homers, trailing only the Nationals (180) and Yankees (172).
VS. THE ANGELS: The Astros are 6-5 against the Angels this season and need just one win this week to win their sixth consecutive season series against the Angels.
The Astros 144-93 (.608) all- time record against the Angels is their best against any single opponent in franchise history.
TONIGHT’S RADIO BROADCASTS: The Astros English radio broadcast can be heard on SportsTalk 790 featuring Robert Ford and Brian Bogusevic… the Spanish radio broadcast will feature Francisco Romero and Alex Treviño on TUDN 102.9 FM.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Astros dropped a 3-1 game to the Angels last night in the series opener in Houston, TX.
The Astros scored their only run on a solo homer by RF Cam Smith (1×3) in the 7th, which was one of three hits the club got on the night.
RHP Cristian Javier (2ER/4IP) started forHouston and struck out five in the outing.
ASTROS ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have selected RHP Ethan Pecko (#70) to the Major League roster and have transferred IF/OF Brice Matthews to the 60-day IL.
After last night’s game, the Astros optioned RHP Miguel Ullola to Triple A Sugar Land.
THE CLOSER: LHP Josh Hader, now in his 10th Major League season, has made 499 career appearances, needing just one more to become the 12th active Major Leaguer to reach 500 career appearances.
Hader has been stellar since returning from injury in early June, going 4-1 with a 0.90 ERA (3ER/30IP), 41 strikeouts, a .126 opponent average (13×103) and a 0.77 WHIP, while also converting all 17 of his save opportunities in 31 appearances.
THROWING STRIKES: LHP Steven Okert has not allowed a walk in 22 consecutive appearances (since June 28), which spans 22.0 innings pitched.
Some notes on his streak:
Okert is closing in on the club record for consecutive walkless apps. in a single season, which is 24 straight, posted by RHP Pat Neshek from April 8-June 2, 2015.
Only RHP Garrett Whitlock (27g) has had a longer streak of consecutive walkless apps. in MLB in 2026.
per Elias, Okert’s streak of 22.0 consecutive innings without a walk is the fifth-longest by a reliver in a single season in franchise history, and the longest since RHP Wilton Lopez had a streak of 22.1 consecutive walkless innings from April 8-May 17, 2012.
MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez holds the lead in all AL Triple Crown categories, ranking first in average (.318), first in HR (36) and first in RBI (88).
Additionally, he leads MLB in OPS (1.044), OBP (.431), SLG (.613), and TB (276).
In the AL, he ranks first in XBH (61), second in hits (143) and in walks (86), and tied for second in runs (82).
YOR-GONE!: DH Yordan Alvarez has hit 36 home runs this season, which leads the AL.
He’s just one homer shy of matching his career high in homers (37 HR in 2022) and is 11 homers shy of matching the franchise record for a single season, set by 1B Jeff Bagwell in 2000 (47 HR).
AUGUST HEROES: RF Cam Smith is hitting .356 (16×45) with four homers, eight RBI and a 1.072 OPS in 14 games this month.
2B Jose Altuve is also having a strong month, hitting .347 (17×49) with a .421 OBP and an .890 OPS in 14 games in August.
DOWN ON THE FARM: Several of the Astros minor league clubs are having success this season: • Triple A Sugar Land: In second half action, the Space Cowboys are in first place in the PCL East Division with a 31-15 (.674) record.
• Class A Fayetteville: For the second half, the Woodpeckers are in first place in the South Atlantic League North Division with a 27-20 (.574) record.
• Rookie Level FCL Astros: The Astros won the Florida Complex League championship, finishing with a 42-11 (.792) record in the regular season.
• Rookie Level DSL Astros: The DSL Astros Orange team finished with a 33-20 record and have clinched a spot in the DSL playoffs, which begin tomorrow.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, August 19, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
