Knoxville Smokies pitcher Edward Cabrera (11) pitches against the Rocket City Trash Pandas during a Minor League Baseball game on Aug. 11, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
A rare day in the minors where it’s all day games today.
Jordan Wicks started this game and took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits over 3.2 innings. Three of the four runs came on a three-run home run by Carlos Pérez. Wicks struck out five and walked three.
Edward Cabrera threw two innings of relief in a rehab appearance. Cabrera gave up one run on two hits. He struck out one and walked no one.
Catcher Owen Ayers went 2 for 4 with an RBI double. He also scored once.
First baseman Kevin Alcántara went 2 for 4 with an RBI double and an RBI single for two total runs batted in.
Starter Kevin Valdez gave the Smokies five solid innings, allowing two runs on three hits. Both runs scored on solo home runs. Valdez struck out four and walked one.
Frankie Scalzo Jr. came on to pitch the eighth inning and got out of that unscathed, but then he stayed in the game in the bottom fo the ninth. Scalzo gave up a one-out single and the runner then stole second and went to third on a bad throw. The winning run then scored on a wild pitch.
The final line on Scalzo was one unearned run on two hits over 1.1 innings. He walked one and did not strike anyone out.
Left fielder Andy Garriola was 2 for 4. He had an RBI single in the first inning and scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.
Center fielder Kane Kepley went 1 for 4 and was hit by a pitch. He stole two bases and scored once.
South Bend Cubs
Traveling back from Iowa. South Bend has to win tomorrow and Friday in South Bend to continue their season.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals runs to the dugout during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 08, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This road trip has been absolutely miserable. Last night, the Nats made history with their 38th blown save. Now they will look to actually win a game. They are 0-5 on this west coast swing and will look to at least win one game in sunny California.
Blake Butera will be making some lineup alterations. Andres Chaparro will play third base in this one. Nasim Nunez is back at shortstop which pushes the struggling CJ Abrams to second base. Keibert Ruiz and Jacob Young are also back in the lineup. Jackson Kent will be on the mound.
With a lefty on the hill, the Padres will make some changes. Austin Hays, Samad Taylor and Jase Bowen will all be in the lineup. Fernando Tatis Jr. will go from the outfield to second base. Luis Campusano goes from DH to catcher. Veteran Walker Buehler will be on the mound.
The end of the season has been hard to watch and very discouraging. However, we still have about 15 of these bad boys left. It would be great if the Nats showed any life at all down the stretch. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 31: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves prepares to bat during the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Monday, August 31, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kathryn May/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The lineups are out for tonight’s contest as the Atlanta Braves are looking to knot up the series with the Tampa Bay Rays at one run apiece. Manager Walt Weiss has decided to go with a top-of-the-order look that we last saw when the Braves were in Philadelphia, which means that Drake Baldwin is getting the nod at DH and leading off.
This’ll be the 55th time that Baldwin has led off for the Braves this season and so far through 54 games, he’s hit .305/.390/.500 in the leadoff spot, good for a wOBA of .388 and 146 wRC+. Compare that to his overall slash line for the season of .276/.352/.446 with a wOBA of .350 and a wRC+ of 121, it’s clear that Baldwin is pretty comfortable hitting in the leadoff spot.
Meanwhile, he’s swapped positions in the lineup with Michael Harris II as he’s gone from leading off on Tuesday to batting cleanup on Wednesday. There’s a bit of shuffling in the bottom half of the order but the names are the same — Mike Yastrzemski goes from eighth to sixth, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley move down to seventh and eighth, respectively, and Sean Murphy will be the connector to the top half of the order in the ninth slot. None of these guys have an extensive amount of experience against Griffin Jax but I did mention in the preview that a handful of these guys did tag him for a few runs during a relief appearance in this ballpark for Jax back in 2025, so maybe they’ll continue that success here.
Here’s the nine (plus pitcher) for the Tampa Bay Rays this evening:
Aug 22, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Kade Anderson (13) throws against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Mariners play a rare mid-series day game to accommodate the opening of the 2026-27 NFL season happening across the street at Lumen Field later tonight. Radio folks, take note of the change.
Lineups:
Cole Young, who is batting .304 in September, gets the start at second base even with a lefty on the mound for Texas. Kade Anderson makes his fourth big-league start.
Michael Arroyo, who isn’t in the lineup despite Texas starting a lefty, was taking outfield reps with coach Eric Young Jr. pregame.
Emerson Hancock threw a bullpen today which he described as a typical mid-week bullpen as he continues to work back from his adductor strain. The strain affects his landing leg, which made putting force on it difficult when he first felt the strain. He describes it as a “day-to-day” thing and says he needs to see how he feels tomorrow. “We’re just trying to do everything we can to keep building this thing up, and hopefully get a chance to come back and pitch.”
Today’s game information:
Game time: 1:10 PT
TV: Mariners TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Ryon Healy
Radio: KTTH 770 AM with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 4: Starting pitcher Andre Pallante #53 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals wrap up their west coast swing with a matinee game Wednesday afternoon in San Francisco against the Giants. Andre Pallante gets the start for the Cardinals while it will be RHP Blade Tidwell starting for the Giants. First pitch scheduled for 2:45pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 3: Blade Tidwell #46 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 3, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants wrap up this three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals this afternoon from Oracle Park.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Blade Tidwell, who enters today’s game with a 4.43 ERA, 4.40 FIP, with 36 strikeouts to 18 walks in 42.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates last Thursday, in which he allowed two runs on tow hits with five strikeouts and five walks in five innings.
He’ll be facing off against Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante, who enters today’s game with a 3.51 ERA, 3.71 FIP, with 98 strikeouts to 45 walks in 141 innings pitched. His last start was in the Cardinals’ 7-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday, in which he allowed one run on two hits with one strikeout and four walks in five innings.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 08: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammates after beating the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on September 08, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated in the dugout after scoring a run during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park on September 08, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Washington Nationals (67-80) at San Diego Padres (77-68), September 9, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our thread
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 13: Trey Kaufman-Renn #14 of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on July 13, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Mike Kirschbaum/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Trey Kaufman-Renn accomplished just about everything a men’s college basketball player can do during his five seasons on the Purdue Boilermakers’ roster. Kaufman-Renn came off the bench as a redshirt freshman for the Boilermakers in the 2023 NCAA tournament when they became the second No. 1 seed to ever lose to a No. 16 seed in the first-round. The next year, he was a sophomore starter next to Zach Edey on a team that reached the national championship game before falling to UConn. Kaufman-Renn stepped into a starring role as the Boilermakers made a Sweet 16 run in 2025, and an Elite Eight run in 2026 after winning the Big Ten tournament championship.
Kaufman-Renn’s development into a powerful interior scorer was enough to make him the No. 59 overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2026 NBA Draft, which felt like an inspiring story for a player who grew so much during his time in college basketball. Now Kaufman-Renn is trying to get back to college, and he scored a major victory in court on Wednesday that suddenly makes that realistic.
Kaufman-Renn was granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA in the No. 6 Circuit Court by Judge Kyle P. Williams, allowing him to join a college basketball team while awaiting a preliminary injunction hearing. It sure feels like Kaufman-Renn could be headed back to Purdue — or another school — instead of going to training camp with the Timberwolves.
Why would Kaufman-Renn rather play in college than the NBA? The money is better at the university level right now. Kaufman-Renn likely would have commanded a top-tier NIL payment worth multiple millions if he had another year of eligibility left. The Timberwolves don’t even have an open two-way spot at the moment with Enrique Freeman, Zyon Pullin, and Rocco Zikarsky all on deals that would split time between the NBA and G League. It’s possible Zikarsky could land an official 15-man roster spot in camp, opening up a two-way deal for Kaufman-Renn. Otherwise, the former Purdue star would likely be on a G League contract to start the NBA season.
Kaufman-Renn redshirted his freshman year as he recovered from a knee injury. Then he played four seasons. He would be ineligible even under the incoming five-for-five system. It seems there’s a decent chance he can get back into college basketball, though. The Big Ten passed a rule that stops former NFL players from returning to college. It said nothing about former NBA players, and the fact that Kaufman-Renn still hasn’t signed an NBA contract could be another loophole. The SEC sued LSU for trying to bring former NFL players back to college.
Kaufman-Renn played in five games with the Timberwolves at Las Vegas Summer League after the draft. The Wolves aren’t the first team to lose a potential player back to college. The Chicago Bulls signed Donovan Atwell as a priority undrafted free agent, and he could have landed a two-way deal after a strong summer league. Instead, he’s fighting to get back to college to again play for Texas Tech with an Oct. 15 court date.
College basketball is becoming an absolute mess with so many players challenging the system this summer for an extra year of eligibility — and an extra year of an NIL payday. There are players all around the country going to court for an extra year of eligibility, and Kaufman-Renn is just the latest example. These players take away opportunities from incoming freshmen, and they will take starting spots away from younger players who have waited years for their chance at a bigger role.
It doesn’t feel fair that Kaufman-Renn might be able to return to college this year after being drafted into the NBA, and the same can be said for all the other players trying to cheat to the system in the same way. College sports are broken right now.
Athletics pitching prospect Jamie Arnold was struck in the face by a comebacker in Triple-A on Tuesday and suffered multiple facial fractures, but the club said he will not require surgery.
The 11th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, Arnold was making his second start for the Las Vegas Aviators since being promoted from Class AA and was hit by a ball off the bat of Sacramento's Bo Davidson in the top of the first inning.
Arnold came out of the game and the club said that the 22-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital in Las Vegas. A day after the scary incident, the club announced that Arnold had suffered intra-orbital and maxillary sinus fractures and that there was no timetable for the lefty's return.
Arnold is ranked as the Athletics' third-best prospect and 57th in baseball by MLB.com. He has a 3.50 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 25 starts across two levels in 2026, his first professional season.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 18: River Ryan #77 of the Los Angeles Dodgers participates in a bullpen session prior to a Spring Training game against the San Francisco Giants at Camelback Ranch on March 18, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’ve been waiting to get a look at right-hander River Ryan since the Tigers acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers as a key part of the Tarik Skubal trade. The 28-year-old has missed much of the season with a right hamstring strain that reoccured the first time he came off the injured list in the Dodgers’ system. On Wednesday, he debuted in the Tigers’ organization with two scoreless frames for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.
As you’d expect after a hamstring injury, the Tigers didn’t push him in this outing. And as you’d expect if you’ve seen Ryan pitch, he looked really good. He allowed just two weak hits and struck out two in his two innings of work.
Ryan averaged 97 mph with his fourseam fastball, mainly pairing that with his 91-92 mph slider. He mixed in his 94 mph cutter, using his sinker, curveball, and changeup minimally in the short outing. In short, his arm looks as good as ever. Ryan is the most talented arm in the organization, and will hopefully be able to take his spot in the 2027 rotation. The Tigers got a really good one here. It’s just a question of whether he can finally put the injury bug behind him.
You can watch the full outing below. Look for him to stretch out with at least one more start for the Mud Hens before finishing the season with the Tigers.
That’s it for River Ryan. Two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts and two bloop singles allowed.
23 pitches, 17 strikes 4 whiffs on 15 swings
Fastball topped out at 98.2 MPH, and he used all six of his pitches. Here’s the whole outing: pic.twitter.com/zB9vDh6Tv4
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 2: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on September 2, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts as the Dodgers host the Reds for a final time, going for a second straight home sweep and potentially extending their current win streak to seven games. It’s a curious time in Yamamoto’s regular-season campaign, as he could feasibly tie last season’s innings total with four fewer regular-season starts, although that would take him covering 7.2 innings against the Reds tonight. Evidently, it’s an unlikely accomplishment, although Yamamoto has done it five times before this season, so one could hardly call it a significant surprise.
Subtle differences make up Yamamoto’s current campaign in comparison with last year, ultimately reaching the same destination of outstanding quality and an identical 12-8 record up to this point. Yamamoto has sacrificed strikeouts—going from a 29.5% K% to a 25.4% K%—to also drastically cut back on walks, lowering his 8.6% BB% from a season ago to just 6.0% BB%, ultimately leading to more efficient outings, which is what allows him to cover more innings on fewer starts.
On the subject of strikeouts, though, we’ve seen an interesting development that’s worth keeping an eye on as Yamamoto and the Dodgers prepare for postseason ball. Last season’s World Series MVP has experienced an uptick in strikeouts, punching out eight or more batters in each of his last five starts. Before this sequence, Yamamoto had only struck out eight or more in five of his first 20 starts. And as Dodger pitchers have come to learn in the previous two games of this series, the Cincinnati Reds lineup—for as dangerous as it may seem when it’s rolling—also strikes out like no other, number one in baseball with a 25.4% K%.
Earlier in the week, Emmet Sheehan tied a career-high in strikeouts against the Reds with 10 punchouts, and you want to know who also has 10 as his career-high mark in punchouts stateside? Yamamoto, who last earned this mark in early July in a win against the Padres.
The Red Sox are close to getting their most impactful bat back into the lineup.
Willson Contreras, who went on the injured list on Aug. 31 with a hamstring strain, is scheduled to head to Maine for a rehab stint with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs this weekend.
Interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters prior to Wednesday night’s game at Fenway Park that Contreras will likely play one or two games to get back up to speed.
Chad Tracy said Willson Contreras will join AA Portland for a rehab game Friday (and maybe another Saturday).
Garrett Crochet will throw another bullpen session — not a live BP — over the weekend, Tracy said.
That could put Contreras in line to return for the finale of Boston’s brief six-game homestand, as they host the Royals on Sunday afternoon. Or it could set up Contreras to rejoin the Red Sox after an off day on Monday, with the team starting a three-game series in Texas on Tuesday night.
The Red Sox were scuffling when Contreras was placed on the IL, losing three out of four against the Yankees in New York after dropping a game in Miami prior to heading to the Bronx. Yet they managed just fine without Contreras over the weekend, sweeping the Orioles in a four-game set in Baltimore before returning home and winning the series opener against the Angels on Monday night.
The five-game winning streak was snapped on Tuesday, though, when Boston’s bats mustered just one run on four hits in a 6-1 loss to the Angels.
Among qualified players, Contreras is the Red Sox’ leader in OPS (.900), home runs (26) and RBIs (79). The 34-year-old Contreras hasn’t played in the minors since a six-game stint with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, when he was recovering from a broken forearm — the injury that accelerated his transition from catcher to first base.
EDMONTON, CANADA MAY 16: An Edmonton Oilers fan wearing a Connor McDavid jersey with the iconic number 97 stands in front of a giant replica of the Stanley Cup, just days before the team begins the semi-final round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, on May 16, 2025, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Oilers are still awaiting confirmation of their opponent in the Western Conference Final, with the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars still battling for the spot. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
We handed out reasons for losing to the Eastern Conference on Monday, and since no one shall be spared, it’s time for a look at the Western Conference! If no one in the East is gonna win, then someone from the West has to, right? Wrong!
17. Anaheim Ducks
NEW ACHIEVEMENT! Congratulations, Anaheim: you have paid far too much for a player who has much more to prove and has effectively blasted through the old equilibrium, inflating the market even faster!
Your prize?! A top-heavy (in money, not talent) lineup! You’d better hope Carlsson lives up to that deal or else you’ll drift back into obscurity faster than Louis Mendez barrelled toward that stack of cans back in the Mighty Ducks days. You may not be owned by Disney any longer, but that doesn’t mean your team isn’t a cartoon!
Calgary set the trend of trading away talented Americans, and since Jonathan Huberdeau has gone ghost, I don’t see any real talent or threat coming from Cowtown. It’s going to be another point-and-laugh sort of season, kind of like how Avalanche fans are pointing and laughing at you for ever thinking Cale Makar would force his way home. The Flames won’t win a Stanley Cup because they think they are too good for the Saddledome.
I can’t believe I didn’t see this earlier. You know Iggy is forever a Flames God, but it seems Calgary and the Avs be sharing a lot of talent between us
The Blackhawks keep trying to position themselves by adding talent around Connor Bedard, but keep forgetting that having a decent power play is a good idea. Sure, Bedard seems like he will be a franchise player, but beyond him I see very little scoring. You did, however, sign Bowen Byram, which is a step in the right direction. The problem isn’t that you aren’t walking toward success; it’s that you are walking, not running.
20.Colorado Avalanche
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Presidents’ Trophy, but can’t-beat-Dallas-or-Vegas: Colorado Avalanche. The Avs won’t win the Stanley Cup because, once again, Jared Bednar will play your generational talents far too much in meaningless regular-season games. We’ve been beaten over the head with a ‘youth movement,’ but that will only last until January meetings where management will decide that none of the guys who played six minutes a night did enough for them. Then they’ll trade one or two for an old fringe middle sixer who won a cup in the 2010’s.
1 is Makar, 2 is Jason Robertson, 3 is Celebrini and 4 is Leo Carlsson (only including Leo due to salary) pic.twitter.com/60LuUu4ro7
Dallas won’t win because, although they were smart to land a player like Mikko Rantanen, they were too foolish to consider how it would affect keeping Jason Robertson. They could have both, and they still won’t win a cup because this isn’t the 1990s, and reviews negate any chance they might have at cheating their way to another cup victory. They keep trotting Jamie Benn out there, who is collecting dust faster than the rafters at American Airlines Center.
22. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers won’t win a cup because they are the Oilers. Connor McDavid passed on breaking the bank so that management in Edmonton could build a team that would finally get over the hump. They responded by bringing in Tristan Jarry to solidify the net. Uh, what exactly was the thought process there? Edmonton’s best player gave them a free $20 to spend at the concessions, and they keep paying too much for day-old and overpriced hot dogs. They won’t return with a cup anytime soon. “OH BUT NOW THEY HAVE ANDERSEN,” okay, pal.
23. Los Angeles Kings
Okay, LA is intriguing in that (I don’t know if you heard this) they were ‘right there’ all series long against the Colorado Avalanche. It’s hard to remember that they got swept that series with how fortified that narrative became. If LA was right there against the Avalanche, I’m ‘right there’ as it pertains to being 7 feet tall. (I am 5 feet 7 inches tall, by the way). LA won’t hoist because this isn’t a league of almosts.
24. Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild were feeling great heading into their matchup with the Avalanche, until Nathan MacKinnon decided to show Quinn Hughes what happens when you stay on the tracks when the train is coming through. Speaking of Quinn Hughes, he wants to buddy up with his brothers in New Jersey, and Billy Guerin isn’t gonna stop him. Minny won’t win a cup because they don’t win cups.
The Colorad… oh wait… the Nashville Predators have entered the chat with new GM Chris MacFarland at the helm. The preds won’t hoist because the cup-or-bust mentality MacFarland weaponizes to move picks will prove detrimental to a team that isn’t even close to resembling a real competitor. Sure, CMac restocked the arsenal of 1st-rounders to deal, but it won’t be long till he uses them as a throw-in on a less-than-capable second-line center.
26. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks dealt MacKenzie Blackwood in hopes that Yaroslov Askarov would become the franchise netminder they needed going into the future. Well, it’s looking rough after his first year as a starter, and the last thing they want is to waste Macklin Celebrini’s youth by giving up four goals a night. You could go after Connor Hellebuyck, but that’s gonna take some doing! Celebrini won’t be celebrating and might not even make the playoffs yet again.
27. Seattle Kraken
The NHL’s expansion darling that got the playbook from Vegas but decided to throw it in the bin. Seattle’s call to fame is beating the Avalanche that one time and booing Cale Makar (yes, still) after his suspension from the previously mentioned playoff series. The Kraken won’t be securing any hardware because they have zero high-end scoring talent and are susceptible to magic.
28. St. Louis Blues
I was gonna say ‘oh, how the mighty have fallen,’ but I wouldn’t consider the one-off 2019 Binnington-led Blues all that mighty. Just like their goalie, this team is all bark and no bite. They pick the fight and then skate to the corner or wait until a piece of trash is available during the press scrum. I’m not even sure who the Blues will go with at left wing and/or what sort of depth they feel they have. Not a cup-winning combo.
29. Utah Mammoth
The Winter Classic will be the highlight of the Utah Mammoth season as it will be the only home game they have that won’t be set at the Zoolander Institute for Teams Who Can’t Hockey Good. I’m not even sure they can fit a banner in that stadium. Maybe above the sections of seats that are pitched like a double black diamond?
Vancouver won’t win a Stanley Cup. I need not expand.
31. Vegas Golden Knights
Money can buy a lot of things in Vegas, but it can’t buy youth. The Golden Knights are like that older gentleman at the nightclub that wears way too much cologne and gold jewelry. Yes, they have the trappings of wealth, but make sure their checking account has enough for another Red Bull. Behind those knockoff Ray-Bans lie the old, tired eyes of an aging core. Mitch Marner was a great playoff performer, but unfortunately it took him too long to escape Toronto.
32. Winnipeg Jets
This one will read very similarly to the reasons I listed for the Detroit Red Wings in part one. Your own starting goalie doesn’t think you are winning a Stanley Cup, so why should I?
#NHLJets captain Adam Lowry on avoiding the Connor Hellebuyck trade request being a distraction: "It's not something that we think is going to really impact the room”
“Until that situation is resolved, we're going to approach it… he's our teammate, our friend, and go from… pic.twitter.com/VAjX6cVjxI
Phillies manager Don Mattingly didn’t wait long to address the baserunning blunders that his team made in Tuesday night’s 6-5 loss to the Houston Astros. He spoke to the guilty parties one-on-one before everyone went home.
Mattingly’s conversations with Edmundo Sosa and Brandon Marsh were not punitive tongue-lashings. Both players knew where they went wrong.
“I think you just have to remind (them), make sure we’re thinking correctly,” Mattingly said before the Phillies got back to work Wednesday night. “Most of the time, you’re asking what they’re thinking in that situation.”
Marsh, who was doubled off second base with the Phillies down two runs in the seventh, explained himself after Tuesday night’s game.
Sosa, who did not run hard out of the box on a no-out double that could have been a triple in the bottom of the ninth, spoke with reporters Wednesday.
“When I hit the ball, I kind of surprised myself,” he said through Diego D’Aniello, the team’s Spanish-language interpreter. “I watched the ball travel and totally forgot to run the bases. I was focused on the ball. That caused me not to get to third base. It was a big mistake that might have cost us the game right there.”
In the moment, it looked like Sosa thought he’d hit a game-tying homer to right-center. A day later, he said he did not believe the ball was going to reach the seats. Instead, it hit high off the wall and ricocheted to center field.
“I know this stadium,” Sosa said. “I didn’t think it was gone. It was just a lack of focus on my end not to run and get to third base. A lack of focus in that moment.
“I respect the game. Not running at full speed there is something that won’t happen again. It’s all said and done. I look at that and say it’s not happening again.”
Mattingly believes the Phillies will tighten up their baserunning after Tuesday night’s issues.
“For sure,” he said. “The Phillies have actually rated out the last few years as a good baserunning team, one of the best in baseball. And this has been a good baserunning team. But you have to keep teaching and make sure everybody understands what we’re looking for in those situations, and hopefully you learn from it and those mistakes don’t happen again.”
According to Statcast, the Phils rank fourth in MLB with eight runs created from baserunning this season. They are also fourth in that metric over the last three seasons.
Overall, however, Mattingly does believe that baserunning in today’s game leaves a lot to be desired. He mentioned on Tuesday that he’s seen that fundamental slip over the last decade.
“I don’t think they play enough games young,” he said. “But that’s really no excuse. We should still be able to do it. I think there’s less emphasis on it overall. I’ve been saying it a lot the last five to seven years as I’ve noticed it.
“In general, there’s less situational-type stuff. A lot of things that happen on the field you learn from it happening in game situations. You play the scoreboard, the outs, the inning, the situation. If you’re not in those situations a lot …
“And usually, the best players don’t spend a whole lot of time in the minor leagues now. They’re kind of burning their way through the minors pretty quick. So, I’m not sure there’s as much situational stuff that goes on as in the past. That’s just my spitball theory.”
Mattingly pointed out that changes in the structure of batting practice may be affecting baserunning adversely.
For as long as there was baseball, teams hit on the field before games. When a player got in the cage, he laid down two bunts. He then hit behind a runner to move him up a base before getting him in from third. All the while, the previous hitter was on base, reading balls off the bat, getting jumps and reacting to situations. It wasn’t game speed, but it was good practice.
Now, many players take pregame batting practice in indoor cages where they can hit off high-velocity machines and curveball machines while getting real-time data feedback on their swings and reactions to pitches. There’s certainly merit in that. But there was also merit in the old way of doing things, as well. Mattingly believes that was seen on the basepaths.
File all this under the evolution of baseball. And always run through the first-base bag.
