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It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Come on in and cool off with us. The dress code is casual. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you how optimistic were you about Alex Bregman. You seemed pretty optimistic as 59 percent of you said you were “somewhat optimistic” and 29 percent said you were “very optimistic.”

Here’s the part where we listen to jazz and talk movies. Please enjoy responsibly.

Tonight we’re honored to feature an ensemble of legends in Copenhagen in 1971. Playing tonight are Sonny Stitt on sax, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Thelonious Monk on piano, Al McKibbon on bass, Kai Winding on trombone and Art Blakey on drums.

I don’t really have a movie to talk about tonight. I did watch When in Rome on TCM, the 1952 film that stars Van Johnson as a priest on a pilgrimage to Rome and Paul Douglas as the escaped convict/conman who impersonates him to escape the police dragnet. It’s one of those “religion” films of the 1950s that were fairly innocuous but also a way of differentiating the freedom-loving and religious NATO countries from Godless communism. The only thing to really recommend it is that Douglas is so charming as the escaped convict. Otherwise, it’s pretty predictable and unremarkable. But Douglas meant it wasn’t a waste of 78 minutes to watch it.

But with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey everywhere, I thought I’d ask you to name your favorite “Sword and Sandals” films. The term “sword-and-sandals” was originally used to describe the kinds of films made by the Italian film industry in the 1950s about Greco-Roman myths and history. Think the Hercules series of films that starred bodybuilders like Steve Reeves. But it later was used to describe any film set in the Roman Empire or Ancient Greece or Egypt. That includes all the religious films about the life of Christ or his followers.

So are you entertained by Gladiator? Do you shout “I am Spartacus” whenever you see Kirk Douglas on the screen? Does the chariot race in Ben-Hur thrill you? Do you thrill to the Spartans of 300? Did you love the Ray Harryhausen animation in Jason and the Argonauts or Clash of the Titans? (Man, I did when I was young. I still love it.) Or maybe you just laugh your head off at Monty Python and the Life of Brian.

It would be especially good if you’d recommend a lesser-known film for the rest of us to seek out.

Tonight is the last After Dark before the Trade Deadline. I was going to ask you about this proposed deal by Dan Szymborski of Fangraphs who had the Cubs sending outfielder Kane Kepley and right-handers Dominick Reid and Mason McGwire to the Marlins for Sandy Alcántara. But if you want proof that Al and I don’t coordinate, he published a piece that had a proposal on an Alcantara deal earlier today. And you’re probably all talked out on Sandy Alcántara.

So since we won’t meet again until after the Trade Deadline, I thought I’d just ask you who you think will be the newest starting pitcher for the Cubs on Monday. There’s no question the Cubs are going to try to get a starting pitcher by Monday. If they don’t, it would be a major bit of malpractice. Now it’s possible that the best deal the Cubs could swing would be someone like Michael Soroka last year which turned out to be a disaster but only because he got hurt. He’s actually pitched very well this year for the Diamondbacks.

Al has had several articles on possible starting pitching targets. The Feed polling software only allows six options and one has to be “none of the above,” so I’m going to have to pick five choices.

Which one of these five starters do you think is most likely to be a Cub on Monday?

Sandy Alcántara

Reid Detmers

Casey Mize

Freddy Peralta

Robbie Ray

I didn’t put Tarik Skubal in the mix because I don’t think the Cubs have the kind of trade capital the Tigers would want for him. I do think Mize will come cheaper. I didn’t put in Foster Griffin because the Nats are only two games out of the Wild Card and because I can only pick five choices.

Others I didn’t include because of the polling limitations are Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman and José Soriano. In Soriano’s case, I also didn’t include him because I don’t think the Angels are willing to trade him.

So who will be the next Cubs starter?

Before we go, I do want to mention that with the Trade Deadline on Monday, there may or may not be an After Dark on Monday. If the Trade Deadline is busy, there won’t be one. If it’s relatively quiet (as in, the Cubs got most of their business done on Saturday and Sunday), then there will be. But we’ll keep you updated as the Trade Deadline passes.

Thank you for stopping by tonight. Have a great rest of your week and weekend. Get home safely. Don’t forget any personal items. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next time for more BCB After Dark.

In what could be his last start as a St. Louis Cardinal prior to the trade deadline, Dustin May completely shut down the Chicago Cubs for 5 innings. What did the Cardinals do with the remaining 4 innings? Well, let’s tell that story. Spoiler Alert: the ending was amazing. but it would take more than 9 innings to play out.

For the first 5 innings of Wednesday night’s game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs, there was next to no offense to share and that’s because both Dustin May and Cubs starter Matthew Boyd were dealing. Not trying to take anything away from Boyd’s effort, but the Cardinals lack of offensive punch lately helped his cause some. Considering the fact that Dustin May is widely expected to be traded prior to next week’s deadline, it was no surprise that he was pulled from the game after 5 very strong innings. Dustin May’s likely final stat line as a St. Louis Cardinal was 5 complete innings allowing only 1 hit, no runs while striking out 3 and walking 2. That kind of effort will be very much in demand from contending teams. The only question is what kind of return the Cardinals will receive if he is dealt. We’ll find out soon enough.

Where was the Cardinals offense? Well, that’s a question the fanbase has been asking since the All-Star break. The question specifically for Wednesday night’s game was it almost arrived in the bottom of the 6th inning. “Almost” is such a big word. Jordan Walker started the inning with a leadoff single. Iván Herrera, who the Yankees have reportedly expressed interest in, moved him over with a ground out to the right side. Alec Burleson then proved he can hit lefties as he nudged a single into right field that wasn’t elusive enough to score Walker as he was held up at third. With runners at first and third with just one out, Masyn Winn struck out, but Jose Fermin was given a four-pitch walk to load the bases for Blaze Jordan. He sadly popped out weakly to the catcher to end the inning. In a way, the Cardinals 6th inning was a metaphor for their season. So much promise, but at the end of the day, nada.

As for the Cardinals bullpen handling the final 4 innings, Justin Bruihl kept the Cubs scoreless in the top of the 6th inning. For the top of the 7th inning, it was Ryne Stanek’s turn. He’s one of the many Cardinals who is rumored to be available at the trade deadline, too. He allowed some drama as he gave Michael Conforto a two-out walk and then moved him up to scoring position at second base with a wild pitch. Stanek then walked Ramirez to give the Cubs runners at first and second with two outs. He was able to blow a 99 mph four-seam fastball past Dansby Swanson to end the inning and keep the Cubs in zero runs land. George Soriano covered the 8th inning with just a walk to Suzuki being the wart.

The Cardinals pitching staff was truly in lockdown mode heading into the top of the 9th inning. Dustin May and the other 3 relievers had collectively only allowed 1 hit. Riley O’Brien’s mission was to keep that streak intact in the top of the 9th. Riley got Bregman out to start the 9th with a weak flyout to right. Cardinals killer Ian Happ struck out on one of Riley’s 81 mph wicked sweepers for the second out. O’Brien then had to deal with Michael Conforto who he plunked on the big toe with a two-strike sweeper gone rogue. Justin Dean was brought on as a pinch-runner for Conforto to give Chicago some speed on the bases. Dean moved into scoring position at second when Riley threw a wild pickoff attempt past Burleson at first. St. Louis chose to intentionally walk Ramirez to bring up Dansby Swanson who was 0-3 on the night. We all held our breath as Swanson’s weak flyout to right field was tracked down by Jordan Walker keeping the Cubs scoreless through 9 innings.

Could the St. Louis Cardinals finally beat the Chicago Cubs in walk-off fashion? It was up to the bottom half of the lineup to get it done. Masyn Winn struck out against Cubs reliever Thielbar to start the Cardinals bottom of the 9th inning. That brought up the Ferminator aka José Fermín. He will not be allowed to wear the Ferminator shirt tomorrow as he whiffed, too. Blaze Jordan was the Cardinals final hope to avoid extra innings. He ripped a 77 mph curveball into the left field corner for a double to give St. Louis a runner in scoring position which became Bryan Torres who was brought in to pinch-run for Blaze. It was then up to Nathan Church who immediately went down 2 strikes on sweepers from Thielbar and then popped out weakly to Dansby Swanson at short which sent the game into extras.

In the 10th inning, it was Luis Gastelum on the mound for the Cardinals. He got Nico Hoerner out on a line drive that was grabbed by JJ Wetherholt for the first out, but arch enemy Pete Crow-Armstrong crushed a 81 mph changeup 424 feet into the right field stands scoring free runner Dansby Swanson and giving the Cubs a soul-crushing 2-0 lead. But, wait for it, the Cardinals proved they still have a little magic left.

The Cardinals bottom of the 10th inning began with Nathan Church as the free runner at second with Lars Nootbaar leading off. He managed to beat out an infield single giving St. Louis runners at first and third with no outs and the potential winning run coming up. JJ Wetherholt, who had previously grounded out 4 times in a row, stepped to the plate as the potential winning run. He worked the count full and then drew a walk to load the bases with no one out and the mighty Home Run Derby king Jordan Walker walking to the plate. Jordan swung over a ball that rolled innocently to Bregman at third for the force out there, but no double play and Church scored to make it 2-1. That brought up Iván Herrera who put on his hero cape and ripped a game-winning walk-off double into the left-centerfield gap scoring Wetherholt and Walker giving St. Louis a borderline miraculous 3-2 extra innings victory. More of this, please!

It’s the final game of a 4-game series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs Thursday afternoon at Busch Stadium. Andre Pallante gets the ball for the Cardinals while the Cubs will start Javier Assad. First pitch scheduled for 1:15pm with the TV broadcast available through Cardinals.tv.

It was a nice calm win today for the Royals. They took the lead early, built on it, and closed it out 4-0 in a workman-like game type we have not had nearly enough of this season.

The Royals got the scoring started in the third when Tyler Tolbert hit a home run to left center.

I have never seen Tolbert drive a ball like that. It was a nice swing from a player who is known more for speed than power. The second run might actually be more fun though. The leadoff hitter in the 4th inning again sparked the team. This time it was Salvador Perez who hit his first triple since June 8th of 2022.

Of course, Salvy was a third with no outs in the 2nd inning and no one could get him home. This time, Nick Loftin hit a ball deep enough to center to get the sac fly and the 2-0 lead.

Kansas City continued to build a lead in the 5th starting the inning off with a single from Josh Rojas. He was out on a fielder’s choice from Tolbert’s bunt, but then Tolbert scored on an RBI double from Carter Jensen who hit the ball down the left field line and stuck it in the corner. Lane Thomas hit into the second fielder’s choice of the inning, but managed to move Carter to third with Jac Caglianone coming to the plate. Jac singled to end an 0-22 stretch and drive in the run giving the Royals a 4-0 lead. It was not a clean hit as the first baseman, Royce Lewis, got a glove on it, but it was hit hard and not an easy play as it kicked into foul territory.

Meanwhile, Randy Dobnak was teaching his old team a lesson. The sinkerballer kept Minnesota off balance all night getting through 7 innings with just 4 hits and 1 walk, none of which turned into runs. It was not that all the contact was bad, Dobnak gave up 10 hard-hit balls, but most of them were on the ground or just unable to get under it even when squared up. It was a very good night for a guy purchased from another organization just six weeks ago. It was a career high seven innings and it put the team in a good position to get the win.

Daniel Lynch took the torch from Randy and made easy work of the 8th and making the Royals win probability climb to 98.5%. The offense had an opportunity to add to the lead in the ninth before Carter Jensen fouled a ball off of Lane Thomas in the batters box, Tolbert got picked off of second after a nice leadoff double, and then Jensen fouled one off of himself. It ended up staying 4-0 and the game was turned over to Steven Cruz to hold onto the win.

Cruz got Josh Bell to pop it straight up behind the plate where Carter Jensen could catch. Then a hard-hit Royce Lewis liner to short. Finally, he got a comebacker to the mound for a one, two, three ninth and a Royal victory.

Tomorrow will decide who wins the series. The Royals have not lost a series since the All-Star break.

The Mariners have the chance to do something dumb tonight.

After a month of terrible baseball and losing three-of-four to the Rangers over the weekend, it wouldn’t have been weird for the Mariners to get swept by the Dodgers. But the Mariners played an exceptionally entertaining game last night to narrowly take one from the LADs. The last time they beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles was 2009, as our Jake Mailhot notes. They can take a series victory today, which would put them in a better spot ahead of the trade deadline and a crucial nine-game homestand.

On the mound is Emerson Hancock. This could very well be his last start in a Mariners uniform, as the team is anonymously reported to be interested in trading from their rotation. Cool.

Colt Emerson is back in the lineup, implying whatever kept him out of the game yesterday has run its course. The Mariners will face another left — this time Eric Lauer — meaning Rob Refsnyder and Weston Wilson precede Emerson in the order.

Lineups

Game Info:

First Pitch: 7:10 p.m.

TV: Mariners.TV — free for all tonight

Radio: Ol’ Reliable

Dodgers try to snap a two-game skid, while Mookie Betts hits sixth, his lowest lineup spot in 11 years.

Wednesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Mariners
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

The Mets only managed two hits tonight as they lost to the Braves 1-0 in the second game of today’s doubleheader. Christian Scott had a good outing, and his longest this year, but the Braves pitching behind Chris Sale stifled the Mets offense completely.

Scott came out throwing strikes immediately in the first inning. He gave up a single to Drake Baldwin on the first pitch of the game, a line drive that dropped into left field. However, Scott recovered nicely after that and retired the next three batters in order.

Then, for awhile, it was a matter of Scott and Sale showing off their skill. Scott excelled at attacking the strike zone, keeping his pitch count low by inducing contact in a way that the defense was able to handle. Sale struck out the first three hitters he saw and shut down the Mets completely until the bottom of the third inning. Carson Benge smacked a line drive into left field for a lead-off single, but when he tried to steal second base, accidental interference was called on Luis Torrens (the hitter), and Benge had to return to first. This was more frustrating when Francisco Lindor grounded into a force out at second to end the inning.

At the top of the fifth, Scott started to have trouble as Ozzie Albies lined a single into center field. Mauricio Dubón grounded into a force out right after and ended up at first himself. Despite striking out the next two batters, Scott needed 26 pitches to get through four batters in the fifth inning, a drastic difference from the first four innings. Despite a ten-pitch at-bat to Taylor, Sale worked relatively quickly in the bottom of the fifth, and the Mets hitters struck out in order.

Scott returned for the sixth inning, but his troubles continued. Jim Jarvis led off with a line drive double that followed the foul line down into right field. Baldwin broke his bat as he whacked a ground ball in the direction of right field. Lindor was able to intercept, but not in time to make a play. Baldwin had a single while Jarvis reached third base. Then, Matt Olson smacked an RBI single under Lindor’s glove to center field that allowed Jarvis to score. Baldwin moved to third. Albies walked to load the bases with two outs. Dubón flied out after that to end the inning, and Scott made it through six innings for the first time this year. The score stood at Braves 1, Mets 0.

At the bottom of the sixth, Eric Wagaman led off by lining a single into center field, only the second hit of the night for the Mets, and the only Mets hit in the sixth inning. A.J. Minter replaced Scott in the seventh inning, and with one out, hit Austin Riley on the arm with a pitch. Riley proceeded to steal second base successfully when Lindor could not get the ball from Torrens in his glove to tag him. Nevertheless, Minter struck out the next two batters to end the top of the inning. Didier Fuentes replaced Sale in the seventh inning, though it did not make much difference for the Mets. Tyrone Taylor overturned a third strike to a fourth ball and walked, but Fuentes struck out the rest of the side. The score remained 1-0.

Cionel Pérez came out for the eighth and worked a 1-2-3 inning, thanks in part to a beautiful diving catch by Benge. Dylan Lee replaced Fuentes for the bottom of the eighth, but the Mets offense still could not get on base. Daniel Duarte replaced Pérez for the ninth inning. With one out, Dubón dropped a line drive into left field for a single. Eli White then dribbled a hit down the third base line for another single. However, Duarte managed to get out of the inning unscathed by striking out Riley and getting Jarvis to fly out. Raisel Iglesias came out to try for the save for the Braves and retired the top of the Mets lineup in order to end the game with the Mets loss: Braves 1, Mets 0.

The Mets will face the Marlins tomorrow at 7:10 PM. Nolan McLean will face off against Eury Pérez in the start of a new series at home.

SB Nation GameThreads

Amazin’ Avenue
Battery Power

Box scores

MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added

Fangraphs

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Christian Scott, +16% WPA
Big Mets loser: Francisco Lindor, -18% WPA
Mets pitchers: +29% WPA
Mets hitters: -75% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Eric Wagaman’s single, +6.4% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Matt Olson’s RBI single, -13.9% WPA

The Texas Rangers have acquired catcher Logan O’Hoppe and relief pitcher Chase Silseth from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for infielder Angel Arredondo, the team announced today. To make room for the pair on the 40 man roster, the Rangers have moved Danny Jansen and Jose Corniell from the 15 day injured list to the 60 day injured list.

The Rangers were looking to improve both behind the plate and in the bullpen, which O’Hoppe and Silseth do. Silseth, 26, was originally an 11th round pick of the Angels in 2021. A righthander, Silseth has put up a 2.72 ERA, 3.42 FIP and 3.79 xERA this year in 39.2 innings over 47 appearances, with 22 walks against 48 Ks. He throws a fastball, a splitter, a sinker and a sweeper, and immediately is one of the hardest throwers in the bullpen, as he has averaged 96 mph on his fastball this year. He is making league minimum this year, and has four years of control after 2026.

O’Hoppe, 26, was a 23rd round pick of the Phillies in 2018 who was traded at the 2022 trade deadline to the Angels for Brandon Marsh. He had a nice 2024 season as the Angels’ regular catcher, slashing .244/.303/.409 and putting up a 2.7 bWAR. He has regressed since, however, posting a .213/.258/.371 slash line in 2025 and a .209/.271/.295 slash line in 256 plate appearances this year. O’Hoppe strikes out a lot and doesn’t walk much, but hits for power when he’s on. He is making $2.625 million this year, and has two years of team control remaining.

Per Evan Grant, O’Hoppe will be optioned to AAA for now. I figured that, with Jansen and Kyle Higashioka on the injured list and Elias Diaz and Austin Wynns currently sharing the catching duties, O’Hoppe would replace Wynn immediately. I guess, though, the Rangers are trying to preserve their catching depth for the interim by sending to AAA the one guy who they could option. Silseth will be in the bullpen when he reports, replacing Marco Gonzales, I would guess.

Silseth and O’Hoppe are decent pickups, but not needle movers. Still, given their potential functionality and lengthy team control, I’m surprised that the cost to acquire them is so low. Arredondo is a 19 year old infielder who was signed out of Mexico for a $300,000 bonus in January, 2024. He has mostly played third base for low-A Hickory this year, slashing .243/.371/.392. He doesn’t make the top 30 of a weak Rangers system in the Baseball America rankings. He’s not a non-prospect, but he’s someone who you’d expect to go at the deadline for a fringy rental middle reliever.

The Yankees’ catcher search could lead them them to a division rival.

According to the Post’s Jon Heyman on Wednesday, the Yankees are among the teams to check on the status of Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman as they look for help at backstop.

The Yankees tandem of Austin Wells and Ali Sanchez have drawn rave reviews from their own pitchers for their capabilities behind the plate, but their offense has been lacking.

Rutchsman, a switch-hitting three-time All-Star would fit multiple of the Bombers’ needs, as they also seek a righty bat, which are in short supply ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Rutschman, however, is also dealing with a wrist inflammation issue that placed him on the 10-day injured list on July 19 in the midst of a resurgent season, as he’s hitting 251 (.764 OPS) with eight home runs and 47 RBI in 67 games. A return date is not yet clear.

What is clear is that Rutschman will become a free agent after the 2027 season and a long term future with the Orioles is unlikely.

Baltimore seemingly will rely on rookie sensation Samuel Basallo at the catcher position in the years to come, signing him to an eight-year, $67 million deal.

Catching options are limited at this point, with Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers’ availability a question mark as general manager Jeremy Zol sees the team as more of a buyer at the deadline.

Jeffers has slashed .294/.328/.429 this season and has nine home runs in 47 games played.

The Rockies’ Hunter Goodman fits the bill offensively, but his defense — and obtainability — are not clear.

Another name to watch according to Heyman is Tyler Stephenson of the Reds for his offensive fire power. The backstop entered Wednesday hitting .248, with a .720 OPS and eight home runs in 81 games.

One catcher definitively off the board ahead of the deadline is Logan O’Hoppe, who was traded by the Angels to the Rangers along with reliever Chase Silseth on Wednesday night.

In case you were wondering, Casey Opitz was named the catching coach at the University of Northern Colorado today. Opitz is from Colorado and his brother Shane is the assistant head coach there.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were hauled away by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees), 4-3.

Jaxon Wiggins started this game and took the loss. Wiggins gave up three runs on five hits over 3.2 innings. On the positive side, Wiggins struck out five and walked just one. He did hit one batter.

Hobey Milner pitched the fifth inning in a rehab assignment. He faced three batters and all three of them grounded out.

Greg Jones started a rally in the ninth inning that came a run short with a one-out double. Jones went 2 for 3 with the double and a walk.

Ben Cowles doubled home Jones in the ninth. It was Cowles’ second double of the game. He was 2 for 4 with one run scored.

Catcher Ethan Hearn made it three consecutive doubles in the ninth with his first Triple-A hit, driving in Cowles. Hearn went 1 for 4.

Third baseman Owen Miller went 2 for 4.

Josh Fleming allowed one run on one hit over three innings, with that one hit being a home run. But he also made this behind-the-back play.

Great play by Cowles at short.

Cowles RBI double in the ninth.

Hearn’s first Triple-A hit.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies reeled in the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins), 4-3.

Dawon Netz handled the first four innings and gave up two runs on just two hits. He did struggle with control as he walked four and hit one batter. Netz struck out five.

Frankie Scalzo Jr. pitched the next two innings, didn’t allow a run and got the win because Netz didn’t go five. Scalzo surrendered just one hit. He struck out two and walked no one.

Marino Santy pitched the ninth and got the save. Santy did issue two walks, but no hits and no runs. Santy struck out two.

The Smokies scored all four of their runs in the first inning and hung on the rest of the way. Left fielder Carter Trice hit a two-run double. He was 1 for 4 and scored later in the inning on a single by second baseman Alex Madera.

Madera went 1 for 3.

Third baseman Jefferson Rojas was 2 for 4 with a double. He scored the first run of the game.

Here are the first-inning highlights.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs court-martialed the Lake County Captains (Guardians), 8-6.

Starter Jostin Florentino went 3.2 innings and gave up three runs on four hits. Two of those hits were solo home runs in the first and fourth innings. Florentino walked four and struck out two.

JP Wheat pitched the bottom of the sixth inning and gave up one run on one hit and two walks. But he got the win because the Cubs scored five runs in the top of the seventh. Wheat struck out one.

Ethan Flanagan tossed the final three innings for the save. He allowed two runs on three hits. Flanagan walked two, hit one and struck out five.

Center fielder Kane Kepley hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning. It was his sixth home run of the year. Kepley went 1 for 4 with two walks. One of those walks came with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, so he had three total RBI. Kepley scored twice.

DH Josiah Hartshorn hit a three-run triple in the seventh inning. He went 2 for 4 with the triple and two walks. Hartshorn drove in three runs and scored once.

Left fielder Kade Snell was 1 for 3 with a walk and was hit by a pitch twice. Snell also stole one base.

Kepley’s home run.

Hartshorn’s bases-loaded triple.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans kenneled the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays), 7-5.

Anhuar Garcia started and went four innings, surrendering two runs on three hits. Garcia struck out three and walked one.

Julio Valdez relieved Garcia in the fifth and got the win in his first game with the Pelicans. Valdez allowed just one run on one hit over three innings. Valdez walked two and struck out two.

Right fielder Eli Lovich hit a two-run home run in the third inning, his ninth on the season. Lovich went 2 for 3 with a walk and three total runs batted in.

In the seventh inning, left fielder Ethan Conrad cranked a two-run home run. It was his second home run with the Birds and third overall. Conrad went 2 for 4 with the home run. He drove home three and scored twice.

Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy was 3 for 4 with a double and three runs scored.

Shortstop Alexis Hernandez went 2 for 4 with an RBI double in the seventh inning. Hernandez also scored one run.

RBI single for Conrad.

Lovich hits a home run.

Alexis Hernandez’s RBI double.

Conrad homers to dead center.

Though this might not have been the most exciting game of the series, as the New York Mets made the first one. The Atlanta Braves have successfully avoided a sweep against their division rivals in a 1-0 win.

Once again, the hero of the day was Matt Olson, as he knocked in an RBI single in the top of the sixth to bring Jim Jarvis in for the first and only run of the night.

Chris Sale delivered as usual, pitching through six innings and only allowing two hits with nine strikeouts to add to his stat line. This also brought his ERA down to 2.08.

The problem throughout the series was the lack of strong starts. Atlanta caught their momentum later in all three games, which was too late to perform to the best of their abilities. A win is a win, but one can’t help but wonder if tonight’s was just an easy snag rather than one that was earned.

The game was nothing to write home about, but the Braves will be returning home to face the Washington Nationals, where they’ll look to clean up their offensive woes.

Until then, here’s an Olson RBI for your viewing pleasure.

In one dugout was the kind of first base torch-passing that will be referenced for decades, a seamless transition from an aging star to a younger version.

In the other dugout was the kind of first base torch-passing that sees the torch get fumbled to the ground and sets the whole place on fire.

With Matt Olson, who assumed the position of Freddie Freeman so naturally, watching and homering for Atlanta, Jorge Polanco again did not look much like Pete Alonso.

Because he is signed through next year, Polanco still has time to endear himself to his team and the team’s fans, but with each game and each at-bat right now he is making one of David Stearns’ key offseason decisions look a bit worse.

Polanco’s struggles continued Wednesday afternoon, when he went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and, perhaps most tellingly, opted for a sacrifice bunt rather than swinging away in what became a 3-2 Mets win over the Braves in the opening end of a doubleheader at Citi Field.

Since returning from nearly three months on the injured list with both wrist and ankle issues, Polanco entered the nightcap 4-for-41 (.098) with three singles and a double.

He had logged at least one strikeout in eight of his past nine games, a stretch in which he was punched out 13 times in 29 at-bats. He has not swung like Alonso.

Every one of those at-bats has come as the designated hitter, the 33-year-old unable to play the field because of his Achilles bursitis. He has not played defense like Alonso.

In his final at-bat, with the bases loaded in the seventh inning against former Met Danny Young, Polanco swung through a sweeper and heard loud boos — even following a frame in which his team took the lead — all the way to the dugout. The fans, too, are not treating him like Alonso.

Andy Green said Polanco is still searching for his timing after his 12th game back from the IL — and reminded reporters of the type of player Polanco has been in his career.

“He squared up [Tarik] Skubal for two home runs in the postseason last year,” the interim manager said of Polanco’s memorable Game 2 of the ALDS with the Mariners. “He is ridiculously good. And he hasn’t been able to find his timing or rhythm right-handed [or] left-handed.

“He’s obviously dealt with injuries all year, so he’s someone that we know we’re one swing away. We’d all like that swing to get here.”

That the Mets allowed Alonso to walk to Baltimore for five years and $155 million is defensible considering a projected downturn and defensive concerns. That they replaced him with an older infielder with a history of injuries and virtually no experience at first was more curious and, at least in Year 1, has backfired. Polanco has not been healthy or productive, and neither has their Plan B in Mark Vientos.

Polanco is a year removed from establishing himself as a postseason hero and homering 26 times with an .821 OPS. With better health, he has time to rebound.

But his confidence, too, might need to rebound, considering his greetings in Queens and considering his sixth-inning at-bat, when he followed a leadoff single from Jared Young with a sacrifice bunt, a move seldom seen in today’s game and rarely from a slugger capable of inflicting damage. Young did not come around to score.

After the game, Polanco was not made available for an interview because he had too much to do in the training room, a Mets official said.

“I know he’s grinding on it harder than anybody is, but we do have a ton of confidence that moment is coming,” Green said, “where unleash the floodgates and the Polanco who he’s always been will be there.”

Daniel Susac was on the injured list when Patrick Bailey’s trade to the Guardians became official on May 9th. The transaction effectively made the rookie the Giants primary catcher, a promotion earned on the merits of his offensive production as the back-up backstop, which shone especially bright compared to the dull bat work of Bailey. Of course, the .478 average and 1.152 OPS was a 24 plate-appearance mirage. Turns out, Susac was not the second-coming of Mike Piazza — even worse, he proved to be a whiter shade of Bailey’s pale. 

Going into Wednesday’s game against the Brewers, Susac’s .239 SLG (105 PA) since May 9th was the lowest among catchers in the Majors (min 100 PA). His 39 wRC+ was obviously well below league average, and well below Bailey’s below-average 86 wRC+. 

It’s not just the on-field results either. By most advanced metrics and expected statistics, Susac is getting out pretty much what he’s put in. His launch angle sweet spot % is excellent but it isn’t supported by a quick bat speed or exit velocity. With Susac, the Giants have ended up with a faded copy of their Gold Glover: Still solid behind the dish, but dubious when digging in next to it. 

A crude, but still revealing one, measurement of Susac’s deficiency in power lies in home run totals. Bailey has hit four as a member of the Cleveland Guardians. Eric Haase, since DFA’d by San Francisco, homered four times over 69 at-bats as a Giant, including a two-homer game against the Dodgers. The light-hitting Jesus Rodriguez hit his first in his second game of the season. 

As for Susac, he still hadn’t cleared the wall. He was the only catcher in the Majors since May 9th (min. 100 PA) without a homer… 

Maybe that fact didn’t live rent-free in his brain, or keep him up late at night. Maybe he wasn’t desperately swinging after that first long ball when he dug out the 1-1 change-up from Brewers’ starter Thomas Pannone. His swing looked unbothered. The pitch wasn’t a mistake in terms of location, but it appeared to be a mistake in that Susac was ready for it, meeting it out in front of the plate, getting some air under it, squaring it up. The way he hurried out of the box after contact made it look like he wasn’t sure. And how would he know what a home run felt like, or sounded like anyway? He had never hit one out in a Major League stadium before…until now. 

The Susac sock gave the Giants and Logan Webb a three-run cushion that would be briefly tested by the Brewers before San Francisco would score 13 runs across the late innings, including a 7-run outburst in the 6th.

Luis Arraez, in probably his last home game, logged his 24th career 4-hit game, accompanied with some fine flashes of leather at second base. Heliot Ramos also had four knocks, while he and Jung Hoo Lee collected three RBIs a piece.

Still, Susac is the MVP in this one. Give the kid the game ball, the beer-and-mustard shower, cuz he deserves it. The wait is over. After grinding through 131 plate appearances to log his first career homer, just two more passed before he launched his second. Who cares if it was off of position player Andrew Vaughn and a 60 MPH fastball? A homer is never a lay-up. In fact, there’s an argument to be made that generating enough power to clear a fence from a pitch that slow is more impressive. 

While the Susac family will look back on this day fondly, the 16-3 win won’t go down in any history books as a shining example of baseball aesthetics. It got sloppy at times, and dragged on at the pace of an Andrew Vaughn eephus. Home plate umpire Emil Jimenez lost track of the count at one point. In his first at-bat of the season, Osleveis Basabe, just called-up after Casey Schmitt’s injury, nearly dove, bat first, at a 49 MPH knuckle ball for strike three. Not particularly pretty, but not consequential either. Besides, you expect this level of shenanigans from our bottom-feeding Giants — but not the 67-win Brewers.

The Brew Crew probably couldn’t get in the showers fast enough after the final out was recorded. Their three errors in the field, along with various gifts of 90 feet handed out by Milwaukee arms, were major donations, helping to fund San Francisco’s offensive spending spree.

A dropped flyball by centerfielder Garrett Mitchell in the 2nd allowed Jung Hoo Lee to reach second before Susac’s three run homer. Their nightmarish 6th inning started when relievers Chad Patrick and Aaron Ashby loaded the bases for free with a HBP and two walks.

Up until that point, Milwaukee had the wind in their sails. 

Logan Webb, who has been struggling since the All-Star break to preserve the integrity of leads, couldn’t keep Milwaukee off the base paths or off the scoreboard immediately after Susac’s homer. The Brewers whittled a three run lead down to one with single scores in the 3rd and 4th innings. Webb hung on through those frames for dear life, facing seven batters with a runner, or runners, on base, and six batters who represented the tying run. Considering that level of pressure, Webb did well to manage it. Twice Milwaukee had runners at third with no outs — both ended up scoring, but on fielder’s choice ground balls. Bryce Eldridge in the 3rd and Webb in the 4th may have had plays on the runners dancing off third, but they traded a single run for  a guaranteed out. A bargain that paid off and kept the innings from getting out of hand. 

As the Brewers closed the gap, efforts to pad their slimming lead were stymied. The Giants had the leadoff man reach base in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings, and each time failed to push them around the bases. After Ramos singled, he was thrown out trying to steal second. Willy Adames didn’t leave first after being hit by a pitch in the 4th, and with runners at the corners threatening, Lee rolled sheepishly out to second to end the 5th. 

It wasn’t until they were relieved of the pressure to string together hits and link-up baserunners — thanks to the graciousness of Brewers pitching — that they were able to find a way to break through and score. Christian Koss’s single, notching him his first RBI of the year, broke the dam open. Hits from Arraez and Ramos would score three more runs, and another error, this time by catcher Gary Sanchez, gifted San Francisco a fifth. Lee’s 2-RBI double capped the rally at seven.

Five more singles in the 7th grew the run total to 13, and in the 8th, Milwaukee waved the white flag by sending Vaughn to the mound. 

Not that calling “uncle” was going to stop Susac from getting his licks in.  

In the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader, the Mets (46-63) couldn't complete the sweep against the Atlanta Braves (63-45), losing 1-0 on a clear night at Citi Field.

Center fielder A.J. Ewing, first baseman Jared Young, and second baseman Brett Baty - who all started in the first game of the day - were swapped out of the lineup in this one for Luis Robert Jr., Eric Wagaman, and Marcus Semien, respectively. Meanwhile, Francisco Alvarez moved from catcher in game one to designated hitter in game two, replacing Jorge Polanco, and Luis Torrens served as the backstop in Alvarez's place.

Here are the takeaways...

-- For the first time this season, Christian Scott completed six full innings. He allowed five hits and one walk, striking out seven Braves batters in the process. It got hairy in the sixth inning, when some singles through the infield added the first tally to the scoreboard for Atlanta (Matt Olson singled home Jim Jarvis), but Scott worked out of the jam, stranding the bases loaded and keeping the score 1-0. 

-- A.J. Minter relieved Scott with a clean frame to handle in the seventh, but plunked Austin Riley, who promptly stole second base to threaten from scoring position with one out. Minter battled back in a big way, notching back-to-back strikeouts to sit down Jarvis and Drake Baldwin. 

-- Braves starter Chris Sale was dominant, striking out nine Mets batters without issuing a single walk, allowing just two hits over six innings pitched.

-- With Cionel Perez pitching in the eighth inning, Mets right fielder Carson Benge robbed Ronald Acuna Jr. of a base hit with a spectacular diving catch. Perez took care of the rest, retiring the next two batters he faced.

-- Braves closer Raisel Iglesias retired the top of the New York batting order - Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette, and Robert Jr. - to earn the save, and the Mets lost 1-0.

Game MVP: Christian Scott

Scott lowered his season ERA to 2.99 thanks to his stellar performance on the hill, throwing 69 strikes across 98 pitches.

Highlights

Six strikeouts through five innings for Christian Scott 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RmKyotHHMc

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 30, 2026

A "splendiferous play" from Carson Benge as he lays out for the diving catch 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kd1GhuebRd

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 30, 2026

What's next

The Mets continue their home stand, kicking off another in-division series on Thursday against the Miami Marlins, with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m.

For the Mets, Nolan McLean (3.32 ERA, 1.11 WHIP in 119.1 IP) will toe the slab.

Fellow promising young pitcher Eury Perez (3.56 ERA, 1.11 WHIP in 98.2 IP) will take the mound for the Marlins.