Young Mets slugger Mark Vientos began his rehab assignment Friday with Double-A Binghamton.
Vientos took three at-bats, starting as the team's DH, finishing 0-for-2 with a walk and two strikeouts.
It's the first time Vientos has seen the field since fracturing his right hand after being hit by a pitch back on July 9. In 73 games this season, Vientos is slashing .211/.256/.388 with an OPS of .644 to go along with 11 home runs and 35 RBI.
In that same game, Mets No. 1 prospect Jefferson Rojas had himself a day. The infielder went 2-for-5 with three RBI, two coming off his third home run in the Mets organization. The third RBI was on a single that gave the Rumble Ponies a 5-0 lead.
Rojas has played 14 games in Binghamton and is slashing .281/.328/.544 with an OPS of .872.
For Triple-A Syracuse, Jack Wenninger had his best start in quite some time. The right-hander threw five hitless innings, walking two batters and striking out six.
Wenninger, the organization's No. 11 prospect, has had a tough first season in Triple-A. Even with the hitless outing, his ERA sits at 4.17 with a 1.38 WHIP. However, Friday is the second of back-to-back solid outings for the once-touted prospect. In his last start, Wenninger struck out eight batters in five innings of two-run baseball.
On the offensive side, Syracuse received contributions from up and down the lineup. Nick Morabito went 1-for-5 with an RBI while Billy Amick came in to score in his four at-bats (0-for-4). Emilien Pitre went 1-for-4 with a walk while Ronny Mauricio drove in a run and finished 2-for-4.
Hayden Senger was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two walks and driving in a run.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 21: Joshua Báez #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals bats during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, August 21, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It felt like playoff baseball as the Cardinals and Phillies began a crucial 3-game series in Philadelphia. Hunter Dobbins took the mound for St. Louis while Jesus Luzardo started for the Phillies. It would be a classic back-and-forth affair, but Philadelphia would have the last laugh Friday night.
It’s been nearly a week since Joshua Baez made his historic Major League debut in Chicago and Friday night he reminded the world while he will be a force to be reckoned with. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Jordan Walker reached on a two-out error when Stotts made an errant throw which allowed Jordan to reach second. He’d be able to walk home from there as Joshua Baez jumped on the first pitch he saw and punished the 98 mph four-seam fastball 360 feet into the right field stands giving the Cardinals an early 2-0 lead.
I’m not the St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach, but here’s a pro tip: DO NOT WALK ANYONE. Hunter Dobbins did not follow this advice in the bottom of the 2nd inning as he handed out a leadoff walk to Stotts. He would score when the next batter Brandon Marsh doubled cutting the Cardinals lead in half at 2-1. That lead would vanish with the next batter as J.T. Realmuto also doubled tying the score at 2-2. It’s to Dobbins credit that he didn’t allow any more runs after the Phillies successfully moved Realmuto over on a sacrifice bunt, he got a ground out and a fly out to end the Phillies 2nd inning.
The Phillies would take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Luis Arráez hit a one-out double. He scored on the next play when Alec Bohm hit a single, but Dobbins would get out of the inning when Stott grounded into a double play that became a double play when Oli Marmol challenged the safe call at first and it was overturned.
If you tried to imagine a nightmare scenario for the St. Louis Cardinals after Andre Pallante was delegated to the injured list Friday, it’s what happened in the bottom of the 5th inning Friday night when Hunter Dobbins had to be taken out of the game for an undisclosed injury after he threw one pitch to Trea Turner. The TV crew would later reveal the Cardinals said it was “right forearm tightness”. Manager Oli Marmol brought in Caleb Ferguson to take over mid-game duties for the Cardinals. After Ferguson walked Trea Turner, he got Bryce Turner to roll over an 80 mph slurve into a rally-killing double play. After a flyout to deep right-center from Arraez, the Phillies 5th inning was done.
If you’re wondering “hey, where are all the Cardinals offensive highlights?”, I was wondering the same thing as I watched Jesus Luzardo set down a dozen Cardinals-in-a-row. Well, that streak was shattered in the top of the 6th inning when Ivan Herrera reached on an infield single and then Jordan Walker gave the Philly crowd PTSD of the Home Run Derby when he absolutely destroyed a 97-mph four-seam fastball and sent it sailing 392 feet into the loving hands of the Phillies fans for a 2-run homer giving the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.
It didn’t result in a run, but an 11-pitch at-bat by José Fermín in the top of the 6th inning helped drive the pitch count of Luzardo up to 111 and get him out of the game. You won’t see it on a scorecard, but lengthy at-bats like the one from Fermín helped the Cardinals get into the Phillies bullpen.
Caleb Ferguson did a respectable job in his emergency fill-in roll for the ailing Hunter Dobbins, but he got into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the 6th inning when he gave up a leadoff single to Alec Bohm. He then struck out Stott looking, but gave up a single to Marsh after that giving the Phillies runners at first and second with just one out. That inspired manager Oli Marmol to send for Gordon Graceffo in the bullpen. He entered the game to face J.T. Realmuto. His second pitch was laced into left field for a RBI double tying the game 4-4 and giving the Phillies a chance to take the lead with two runners in scoring position and just one out. Crawford made good on that opportunity as he lifted a deep sacrifice fly to center scoring Marsh and giving Philadelphia a 5-4 lead. That’s all the Phillies would get after Trea Turner flew out to end the inning.
The Cardinals mounted a threat in the top of the 7th inning when Pedro Pagés led off with a single into left field. Nathan Church was brought into the game to pinch-run for Pedro and stole a base to get into scoring position with no outs. JJ Wetherholt smartly took a strike when he saw Church get the huge jump off of first, but unwisely took a called third strike for the first out. Ivan Herrera unfortunately struck out on a sweeper from Phillies reliever Kerkering which would have been ball four. Kerkering generously threw a wild pitch to the backstop to move Church up to third anyway with Jordan Walker at the plate. All Jordan Walker could manage this time around was a gentle pop-out to Bohm in foul territory behind first to end the Cardinals 7th inning.
St. Louis would have another opportunity in the top of the 8th inning when Alec Burleson came off the bench to pinch-hit for Joshua Baez. He quickly singled into right field. Burleson then advanced to second on a passed ball from Kerkering. Alec would move over to third base with just one out when Blaze Jordan grounded out. José Fermín unfortunately popped out unable to bring Burleson in for the second out. Everson Pereira was next up and he was nailed on the hand by a pitch from Kerkering giving the Cardinals runners at first and third with Bryan Torres coming up. Phillies manager Don Mattingly pulled Kerkering out of the game and brought in Brooks Raley to face Torres. Bryan came through like a champ when he slapped an 80 mph sweeper into center for a RBI game-tying single to make it 5-5. Jimmy Crooks tried to replicate the Torres slapper into center, but hit his too hard and flied out to center to end the top half of the 8th.
It was up to Justin Bruihl to keep the game tied in the bottom of the 8th. He got Stott out for the first out on a ground out to second, but the next batter Bryan De La Cruz hit a single into the right field gap that would have been a double against just about any other right fielder not named Jordan Walker who rifled a throw into second base which made De La Cruz rethink going to second. That would be a small, but important moment as Bruihl got Realmuto to ground into a force out at second that almost became a double play for the second out. If Walker had not held De La Cruz to a single, this would have played out differently. JJ Wetherholt ended the inning with a Winn-like play at short as he slid to grab a ball hit into the hole and then threw the ball while still on the ground to second for an inning-ending force out.
The Phillies brought in their closer to shut down the Cardinals in the top of the 9th inning. Jhoan Duran struck out Wetherhol and Herrera, but he did not strike out Jordan Walker. Jordan shattered his bat as the big half of it followed the ground ball to Turner at short and Walker beat the throw to first for a two-out single. That brought up Alec Burleson in a key spot. Alec did not make good contact and his dribbler up the middle ended up in an all-too-convenient spot right over second base where it was grabbed for the force out.
The Cardinals chose Luis Gastelum to hold the Phillies at bay in the bottom of the 9th inning. He would be dueling with the top of the Phillies lineup starting with Kyle Schwarber who he struck out with a wicked full-count changeup. Trea Turner was next. He struck out Turner out on three off-speed pitches that made Trea look helpless. All he needed to do was get Bryce Harper out to send the game to extra innings. He was successful getting Harper out on a weak groundball to second. To extras, we go!
The Phillies brought in Alex McFarlane to face the Cardinals in the top of the 10th. The free runner for St. Louis was Alec Burleson and Blaze Jordan was the first man up. He didn’t advance Burleson with a weak pop-out to short center. José Fermín came through like a champ with a clutch single into left field which scored Burleson who looked like he was running with his pants on fire giving the Cardinals a 6-5 lead. Everson Pereira seemed determined to lay down a sacrifice bunt even with a 2-strike count, but ended up pulling back the last bunt attempt and grounded into an inning-ending double play.
It was up to Luis Gastelum to nail the Phillies down in the bottom of the 10th. Marmol brought in Masyn Winn to short for his defense. The Phillies had Bryce Harper as the free runner to start their 10th. Luis Arraez was first up for Philadelphia. He ripped a two-strike single into right as the Phillies held up Harper at third fearing Walker’s arm. Edmundo Sosa was brought in to pinch-run for Arraez as he represented the potential winning run. Gastelum would have to face Alec Bohm next. He unfortunately broke all of our collective Cardinals hearts as he blasted a ball to the wall in deep center just out of the reach of Fermín which scored Harper and Sosa giving the Phillies a game-winning triple with the final score ending up 7-6.
The St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies will tangle again Saturday night as it’s Quinn Mathews starting for the Cardinals in place of Andre Pallante who was sent to the injured list. The Phillies will send RHP Andrew Painter to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05pm central time with the game broadcast available via Cardinals.tv.
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 21: Pete Alonso #25 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Friday, August 21, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It is Friday night.
The Orioles snapped their losing streak at four games by beating the Rays, 5-3. Trevor Rogers pitched seven pretty good innings, Pete Alonso hit his 30th homer of the season (and it actually counted this time), and the Orioles, well, we’ll see where they go from here. They won tonight and that’s all they could do for tonight.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 11: Pitcher Nick Lodolo #40 of the Cincinnati Reds throws during a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park on July 11, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds are in the Sonoran Desert on Friday night to take on Eduardo Rodriguez and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Rodriguez is a lefty, and the Reds simply have no way to prepare a roster for such events, so they’ve got no fewer than six guys in the starting lineup who probably shouldn’t be in an MLB lineup against anyone under any circumstances. Keep in mind that none of Spencer Steer, Rece Hinds, Noelvi Marte, or Christian Encarnacion-Strand are around to chip in for this development.
Nick Lodolo is on the bump for the good guys looking to build on his solid most recent outing even if there was an obvious glitch in the matrix between he and Terry Francona on whether or not he was supposed to be pulled at 75 pitches (or not).
It’s a late start, with 9:40 PM ET the set time for the game’s first pitch.
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith was seen taking live batting practice on Friday, Aug. 21.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that the team is targeting Smith to be activated from the injured list during the first week of September.
Smith was dealing with an inflamed disc in his neck that’s kept him out of action since June 5.
“Today was a good day for Will taking at-bats,” Roberts said. “He’ll catch a couple bullpens today.”
Smith is not expected to join the team on the road for a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers.
“He’s going to play in the postseason,” Roberts said. “I think it’s helpful knowing that there’s no other alternative. He is going to prepare his mind and his body to get ready to go.”
The Dodgers have been playing without their two top catchers due to injuries.
Catcher Dalton Rushing was recently diagnosed with a partial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear in his right elbow. While there is hope he can avoid surgery, he is unlikely to catch for the remainder of the 2026 season.
Rushing could still return as a left-handed batting option off the bench for the team at the end of the season.
Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt both shared time in the Dodgers' starting lineup recently. Feduccia is expected to start for the Dodgers, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound, against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
Rafael Devers of the San Francisco Giants made his return to Fenway Park on Friday, Aug. 21.
The three-time All-Star played for the Boston Red Sox from 2017 to 2025 before he was traded to San Francisco.
Devers was seen smiling as he walked toward the plate for his first at-bat of the game. He was met with a mixed reaction from the crowd. Some boos were heard for Devers on the broadcast, but some fans were also seen standing up and clapping for the 2018 World Series champion.
In his third plate appearance, Devers hit a home run to center field to pull the Giants within one run of the Red Sox, 5-4, in the top of the fourth inning. It was his 26th home run of the season.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 11: Bubba Chandler #36 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning of game two of a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on July 11, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, August 21, 2026, 10:10 p.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates are heading out to the West Coast to start their nine-game road trip to close out the month of August. They start with the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game weekend set.
Bubba Chandler is taking the mound for the Pirates, and he is pitching some of his best stuff all year long. He has won all three of his previous starts in the month of August, including his last appearance on August 14 against the Boston Red Sox. He pitched five innings, giving up four hits and two earned runs in an 8-4 victory at PNC Park. Now, he’ll have to go up against the Dodgers, who hold a nine-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West standings.
The Dodgers are going with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who just celebrated his 28th birthday earlier this week. The third-year pro from Japan has already matched his win total from the previous season, which was an accomplishment. He made it happen in his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 14. He pitched six innings, gave up four hits, and allowed one earned run in a 3-1 victory at Dodger Stadium.
BURSA, TURKIYE JUNE 19: A veterinarian bottle-feeds an orphaned brown bear cub at the Ovakorusu Celal Acar Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Bursa's Karacabey district, Turkiye, on June 19, 2025. The cubs, named "Bulut" and "Yagmur," were found in rural areas of Karabuk and Bingol and are now being cared for at the facility. (Photo by Sergen Sezgin/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
What’s got 52 thumbs and a -46 run differential? The Seattle Mariners. But don’t worry, they’re only facing off against one of the best teams in baseball tonight. The Cubs come to town in dominant position for the NL’s first wild card spot. The Mariners are limping home after a road trip that felt more mortifying than the 4-5 record suggests.
The Mariners will pin their Friday night hopes on Emerson Hancock, who’s coming off one of his best starts since the early days of the season. He pitched seven innings in Houston on Saturday, striking out eight and allowing just two runs in the Mariners’ victory. He’ll face off against Mercer Island’s own Matthew Boyd. He’s in the middle of a comedown year after a career-best season in 2025. He never really left. I know he was only on the Mariners for a hot minute, but his ability to speak to how much breaking the drought meant to Seattle was a highlight of the 2022 post-clinch lockerroom coverage. The fact that he was tearfully talking to Angie Mentink while Ty France very seriously poured beer on Freddy Llanos is one of the images from that night that lives in my head rent-free.
Lineups
If you’re wondering why Cole Young is batting eighth, I believe it’s to give him all the time he can get to recover from a pre-game brawl between his face and a routine grounder.
Game Info
First pitch: 7:10 PDT TV: Mariners TV, simulcast on KING 5 Radio: Old Reliable
For the second time in the last two weeks, Dodgers president Stan Kasten went out of his way to try and calm the choppy waters surrounding his franchise on Friday.
“I wanted to make sure everyone understood one thing very clearly: The Dodgers are not being sold,” Kasten told reporters before Friday night’s game at Dodger Stadium, in a press availability that had been scheduled by the team earlier in the afternoon.
“They’re not gonna be sold. They’re not for sale. There’s no process that has been started to sell it, period,” Kasten continued. “We are planning only to win. That is what we are always doing. And we are still continuing to do that.”
Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten listens during a ceremony celebrating the Los Angeles Dodgers’ MLB World Series championships in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, on Thursday, July 23, 2026. The Dodgers were joined by numerous members of Congress as they celebrated back-to-back World Series championships. (2026 Getty Images) Getty Images
“I just wanted this to be clear, because this question keeps coming up,” Kasten said. “I understand the questions, I do. But as I said to you last time we met, the Lakers thing was what we lawyers call ‘sui generis.’ It was just one of those one-of-a-kind things that really has nothing to do with what’s happening with us.”
Kasten also went on to defend Walter’s track record as the Dodgers’ owner, and said his confidence in such declarations came from his conversations with Walter directly.
“This comes from Mark,” Kasten said. “He’s gung-ho about continuing to try to win.”
Los Angeles Dodgers owner and chairman Mark Walter walks on the field after the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Imagn Images) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Kasten first addressed reporters the day after the Lakers’ $12.5 billion sale last week, saying then that the transaction had no impact on the Dodgers ownership situation –– Walter’s Guggenheim Baseball Management group has owned the team since 2012 –– and was not expected to alter its operations or financial resources, either.
Kasten declined to address those reports specifically on Friday, other than to claim that some of the reporting surrounding Walter had been “mischaracterized” publicly.
He later added that while he’s not “contending anything about the investigation,” he did “know nothing involving the Dodgers is part” of it.
“I’m promising you, when it’s over, you’re going to realize [some things being reported] are being mischaracterized,” Kasten claimed. “You don’t have to trust me, but I’m telling you.”
Members of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, including Clayton Kershaw (from left), Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Miguel Rojas, Shohei Ohtani, Stan Kasten and Bobby Patton, await the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump during an event hosting the 2025 MLB World Series champions in the Rose Garden of the White House on Thursday, July 23, 2026, in Washington, DC. The Dodgers defeated the Blue Jays in seven games to win their second consecutive World Series title and ninth overall. (2026 Getty Images) Getty Images
Kasten then reiterated that Walter is not exploring a sale of the Dodgers, nor the other sports properties he has ownership in (a portfolio that includes the WNBA’s Sparks, TWG Motorsports and all of the Professional Women’s Hockey League).
“One thing we are all certain about: The sports portfolio is going to remain intact,” Kasten said. “It’s important to Mark. And I can’t tell you how important the Dodgers are. The Lakers thing, the Lakers were important to him too, but it was kind of an extraordinary opportunity, which he took.”
CAREFREE, AZ - JULY 1: Firefighters from the Lassen National Forest in California (in blue) and Mike Hallen, (in orange), Arizona representative of the National Register of Big Trees, walk down a hillside past the Saguaro cactus called the "Grand One," (third from right) in the Tonto National Forest on July 1, 2005 35 miles north of Phoenix, near Carefree, Arizona. The cactus, estimated to be more than 200 years old, measures a circumference of 7 feet, 10 inches (2.4 meters) and stands 46 feet high (14 meters). The cactus was burned in the Cave Creek Complex fire and may not survive. It was once the largest Saguaro in the world, two others have been found recently that have tied it's measurements. The fire has burned more than 214,000 acres of the Sonoran desert since June 21 and is being fought by approximately 1,700 firefighters. Hundreds of Saguaros were burned by the fire and it will not be known for months as to how many may die. Heavy spring rains created a growth of vegetation, some non-native grasses, (from Asia, Australia and Africa), like Red Brome introduced in the early 1900's that dried quickly during May and June creating fuel for quick burning fires. More than one million acres are burning in 23 fires across Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. (Photo by Jeff Topping/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
REDS
DIAMONDBACKS
Elly De La Cruz – SS
Ildemaro Vargas – 2B
Sal Stewart – 1B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Dane Myers – CF
Gabriel Moreno – C
Eugenio Suarez – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Matt McLain – 2B
Nolan Arenado – DH
JJ Bleday – RF
Tim Tawa – 1B
Jose Trevino – C
Jordan Lawlar – CF
Michael Toglia – LF
Jose Fernandez – 3B
Ke’Bryan Hayes – 3B
Ryan Waldschmidt – LF
Nick Lodolo – LHP
E. Rodriguez – LHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is now at 40.
Reinstated from the Restricted List and placed on the 10-Day Injured List: INF Ketel Marte (left knee inflammation)
Yeah, that happened on the off-day, following a lengthy discussion between Marte and management. The details of the discussion remain between them, and at this point, I kinda feel like I’ve gone through the Five Stages of Grief regarding the situation, and have finally reached acceptance. Me knowing or not knowing what went on in Boston and/or before and/or after, isn’t going to make the slightest difference. It’s the team – from Mike Hazen down through Torey Lovullo to his colleagues on the roster – who are the ones it impacts, and will have to come to terms with it (whatever that means). Me? I’m over it, and am literally drawing a line under the matter.
Probably be a fair bit of scoreboard watching going on tonight. We start play with the Phillies in the second wild-card spot, and two up on the Padres, with the D-backs a further game back. All three teams are at home this weekend, and are also playing teams below them in the standings. Philadelphia are playing against St. Louis, while San Diego host Minnesota. At time of writing, the Phillies are 5-4 up against the Cardinals so that’s a close one. Realistically, it feels like the Diamondbacks need to take at least two of three in this series to keep up. Hopefully it does not end up being another “trap” series like the one against the Rockies.
After a rough outing against San Diego, Eduardo Rodriguez has bounced back with quality starts against good opponents, in the form of the Dodgers and, last time up, the Braves. He held Atlanta to two runs over six innings, allowing five hits and walking none. Hopefully, this one will go a little bit better than the last time E-Rod saw the Reds. That was the infamous start in June where he couldn’t complete the third inning, but still ended up throwing 85 pitches while recording only eight outs. The D-backs did end up winning that one, but if they can do so without requiring 6.1 innings from the bullpen, that would be the preferred option!
PHOENIX, AZ - JULY 7: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 and Assistant Coach Vin Baker of the Milwaukee Bucks chats during practice and media availability as part of the 2021 NBA Finals on July 7, 2021 at Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Per Chris Haynes, former Bucks assistant Vin Baker is joining Erik Spoelstra’s staff in Miami, where he will reunite with Giannis. Baker spent eight seasons with the Bucks and had an extremely close relationship with the two-time MVP, so it makes sense that the Heat would want to bring in a familiar face.
This is especially true since—if ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne is to be believed—the Heat will not be handing out contracts to various Antetokounmpo family members like the Bucks did.
“There won’t be any more Antetokounmpo brothers in Miami,” Shelburne said. “That whole ‘we have Kostas and Thanasis on the team,’ I don’t think that’s going to continue, from what I understand.”
In any event, Baker and Antetokounmpo grew extremely close not just on the court, but off it. For example, Baker confided in Giannis about his journey overcoming alcohol addiction, which began with him taking a job at Starbucks after his playing career was over to reclaim a sense of routine and discipline.
“He (Antetokounmpo) was in awe that I had made it back from what I had gone through,” Baker told Basketball Network in April. “I didn’t even realise he knew the extent of it.”
As Deolu wrote about earlier this month, the Bucks’ coaching staff is now finalised.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 16: Gavin Sheets #30 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 16, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minnesota Twins (63-65) at San Diego Padres (68-60), August 21, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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Tonight’s Padres starter, Randy Vásquez, grew up playing “vitilla” in the Dominican Republic — a form of backyard/street baseball that uses water jug caps for balls and broomsticks for bats. (There’s a Wiki page about vitilla here.) Throwing those caps gave his hands/arms a instinct for spinning baseballs, and he’d build his arm strength with a homemade ball made of rags and black tape, which he’d throw against a wall over and over. It’s an inspiring, literal rags-to-riches story of perseverance.
Now lets hope the Twins pummel him, since he’s probably the weakest starter the Padres have. Vásquez throws a 94-ish fastball, a cutter, sinker, slider/sweeper, curve and change; amazingly, with all this gunk flying around, he doesn’t walk a ton of guys or give up a ton of homeruns. He’s kind of a “pitch to contact” guy in the mold of the 2000s Twins not named Johan or Brad, averaging a very low 5.76 K/9… so watch him mow down Twins hitters tonight, just because.
The history of long-lost Twin Cities entertainment venues fascinates me — read about Diamond Jim’s in Mendota Heights sometime, that place sounds like it was wild (live trapeze above the dining room!). Another, far less wild joint was the Criterion on University Avenue. Where the Trung Nam French Bakery is today. (I’ve heard it’s really good, just never made it there yet.) The Criterion seems to have been kind of the sparkly-teeth dream world of the Mad Men era, with a ScandiGerman twist added. Plus, um, parrots:
They also had live music, I’m not entirely sure what kind, but it did involve one Joan Smith from West St. Paul for awhile. Here’s one person’s memories of the restaurant and Joan Smith:
“I grew up at the Criterion during the ’50s and ’60s. Besides their fantastic popovers, they were famous for their Criterion salad. The Criterion was owned by the Sandler family and Mickey was the parking lot attendant who could converse with you in Yiddish. When you would walk in the restaurant their was a lobster tank by the entrance. As a kid, I would sometimes sit on Joan’s lap when she played the organ (when she wasn’t at the piano in the bar) and that is how I learned to play my Hammond B-3 organ. The Criterion was much more than just a Saint Paul supper club, it was an institution.” (From this site, dedicated to the history of live music in the Twin Cities.)
In 1957, a traveling businessman named Ray was in town to check on a local venture, and he wound up in the Criterion, and he was immediately smitten by Joan Smith. Alas, he was 26 years older, and both of them were married. But some connection must have formed, because Ray & Joan would eventually both divorce their spouses and marry in 1969.
What local venture was Ray checking on? The one that would run ads like this:
You see, Ray was Ray Kroc. The founder of McDonald’s. And Jim Zien, by then the owner of the Criterion, was trying to open that very McDonald’s in St. Louis Park (the local city officials were kinda hesitant). Scarily, Jim Zein’s daughter would later be kidnapped for ransom by a family friend. She fortunately escaped, but that goes to show you, never have family friends.
Anyways, Ray Kroc married Joan Smith. And, after he retired from McDonald’s in 1973, Ray Kroc bought the San Diego Padres. He’d always been a baseball fan (the Cubs, specifically, he grew up in Illinois), and had read that the Padres’ owner was looking to sell; a new owner might move the team. I guess Ray Kroc wanted to support teams staying in their communities.
(You can read about the Padres’ almost-move to Washington D.C. at SABR here. The story tangentially involves songwriter Burt Bacharach. Who may not know the way to San Diego, but he does to San Jose.)
Now Ray Kroc was nothing special as a baseball owner; in his ten years as owner, the team averaged 72 wins and finished above .500 once. During the Padres’ first home game with their new owner, the team was down 9-2 in the eighth inning. Kroc waltzed into the P.A. booth and demanded the mic. He said “ladies and gentlemen, I suffer with you. I have good news and bad news. The good news is that the Dodgers drew 31,000 for their opener and we’ve drawn 39,000 for ours. The bad news is that this is the most stupid baseball playing I’ve ever seen.” Although this had also been interrupted by Kroc yelling “get that streaker off the field, throw him in jail!”
(Players’ union rep Wille McCovey did not take kindly to the “stupid” comment, and nobody let Ray Kroc near the P.A. mic again.)
After Kroc died in 1984, the Padres made their first World Series appearance (losing 4-1 to the Tigers and the dominant Jack Morris). That was a heckuva team; Steve Garvey, Graig Nettles, Goose Gossage, Tony Gwynn, and a backup infielder named Tim Flannery who had a kinda of Punto-esque energy; the team organist would play Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkries” whenever Flannery came up to bat.
Following Kroc’s death, the Padres were inherited by his widow, Joan Smith (now Joan Kroc). She immediately moved them to her hometown of West St. Paul, where all the players died while cave spelunking. No, that’s not what happened. She owned the team for a few more years, and seemed to have a decent time at it:
Joan would eventually sell the Padres in 1990, at which point she was 71 and looking to focus on her charity work (she donated upwards of $2 billion). However, before selling the team, she met with the mayor of San Diego, Maureen O’Connor. Kroc intended to GIVE the team to San Diego. With a $100 million trust fund to help it through the transition. Needless to say, O’Connor was excited about the idea, and wanted to set up a non-profit corporation to own/operate the team.
And then MLB said “hell no, we’ll tell you who you can give a team to.”
The eight-member “owners’ screening committee” chaired by Peter O’Malley nixed the idea. O’Malley, but the way, owned the Dodgers (inherited from his dad Walter). Isn’t that a bit of a conflict of interest? Not wanting your division rival to spend 100% of revenue on salaries forever?
Besides, it’s crazy that MLB gets to pick/choose who gets to own a team and who doesn’t. If when I die, I want to give my strip club to the city of Saint Paul, the other strip club owners don’t get to band together and stop me. But, that’s what having an antitrust exemption means. MLB is a legalized monopoly. They have a kind of owner they prefer. As Craig Normandin points out, in 2008 the Padres were sold to a guy who bought the team with so much leveraged debt that he spent years repaying the debt by slashing payroll. That’s the sort of owner the league wants.
Could the city-owned Padres have worked? I don’t see why not. There’d always be temptation for the city to take team revenue and use it for the general fund, but a non-profit corporation set up in Joan Kroc’s lifetime (and she oversaw the set-ups of several) could have had pretty ironclad rules about where the money went.
It’s neat to imagine an alternate universe where the money from naming a stadium “Petco Park” (or “Target Field”) went into team salaries and not in owner’s pockets. Where “how important is it to maximize payroll” versus “how important is it to keep games affordable for fans” was actually a subject of serious discussion.
In any case, the organ-playing lady from West St. Paul ended up doing a lot of good with her husband’s money, and tried to do some good for the baseball fans of San Diego. And was hers a happy marriage? I dunno — I wouldn’t have wanted to be married to crotchety Ray Kroc. But she chose to be buried next to him in San Diego’s El Camino Memorial Park:
Kyle Tucker has spent his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers searching for answers. On Friday night at Dodger Stadium, loyal fans will try and give him one.
Not with boos. He’s already experienced plenty of those. Not with another debate about whether or not his $240 million contract is justified. But with a standing ovation.
On Thursday, a social media campaign among Dodgers fans called for Tucker to receive a prolonged ovation before his first at-bat against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s an unusual show of support for a player whose nightmare debut season in Los Angeles has gone from disappointing to downright awful.
Tucker is batting .232 with 11 home runs, 55 RBIs and seven stolen bases. His OPS has hovered below .700, his defense ranks among the worst of MLB’s regular right fielders, and until collecting three hits over this final two games at Coors Field this week, he had recently endured an 0-for-26 skid.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kyle Tucker singles off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland in the second inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Denver. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Tucker’s struggles are magnified at home. He’s heard boos from the crowd on several occasions. He’s dropped routine fly balls. On Monday night in Colorado, cameras captured a visibly emotional Tucker appearing to cry in the dugout after another hitless performance and another error in right field.
The frustration was no longer hiding inside his stats. It was written across his entire face.
Eventually, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided Tucker needed a break, benching him at home in hopes of clearing the static from a season in which seemingly everything has gone wrong.
“He’s probably never struggled like this in his life,” Roberts said earlier this week.
Yet Roberts has never stopped believing in his newest superstar.
Los Angeles Dodgers fans cheer during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That was evident Thursday night at the Harold & Carole Pump Foundation’s 26th Anniversary Celebrity Dinner at the Beverly Hilton, where Roberts told the California Post exclusively that he hopes Dodgers fans follow through with Friday’s planned ovation.
“I hope the fans show up and support Kyle because, at the end of the day, you want to play well,” Roberts said. “He’s working hard. He’s going through it right now. But for him to get the fans encouraging him, I think that could really trigger something and build some momentum.”
If the past is any indication of what the future could hold, there is a precedent for the fans’ plan.
Dodgers fans did something similar for Mookie Betts during his struggles last season. Last August, a sellout crowd at Dodger Stadium showered the superstar with a standing ovation before his first at-bat. Betts later spoke about how much the gesture meant to him, a reminder that even players with MVP awards and World Series rings can occasionally find motivation in 50,000 strangers telling them they still believe.
In the Dodgers’ clubhouse, Tucker’s teammates are sending him the same message.
Miguel Rojas has grown close to Tucker this season, getting to know the person beneath the uniform and the expectations attached to that massive contract.
“Kyle is a player who’s been through it in the past, and I’m completely positive that he’s a guy who’s one swing away from turning things around,” Rojas told the California Post.
If anyone understands how dramatically one swing can rewrite a season, it’s the Dodgers’ Game 7 World Series hero.
Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas reaches first base in an MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals on Monday, August 10, 2026. CHRIS TORRES/EPA/Shutterstock
“We all know that with one swing of the bat, with one big play, you can change the narrative of everything,” Rojas said. “The year is not over yet.”
Another player that might understand Tucker’s predicament better than anyone is Kiké Hernández. Hernández has endured forgettable regular seasons only to become a different animal beneath October lights, repeatedly authoring postseason moments that transformed months of struggles into footnotes.
“Nobody has doubted him,” Hernández told the California Post. “Everybody struggles at some point. Some struggles last longer than others, but for him, it’s just a matter of — it’s all about one at-bat.”
Hernández knows from experience that it’s only how you play in October that ultimately matters in Los Angeles.
Kike Hernandez #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on Monday, May 25, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
“It doesn’t matter what type of season you have,” Hernández said. “You have a great October and you help win a World Series, it’s a good season, in my opinion.”
That’s the hope that Tucker can hold on to now.
He cannot reclaim the first five months of his budding Dodgers career. He can’t erase the dropped fly balls, the boos or the 0-for-26 skid. But with the Dodgers chasing a historic third consecutive World Series championship, he still has time to change what everyone remembers.
So on Friday night, when Tucker’s name echoes through the speakers at Dodger Stadium, the same crowd that booed him last week will rise to its feet and applaud instead.
Maybe a standing ovation won’t fix a broken swing or a lack of confidence.
But one swing can still fix a season and that’s what the Dodgers are betting on.
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CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 16: Cleveland Guardians right fielder Chase DeLauter (24) pops up to shortstop during the first inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Guardians on August 16, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
