A sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals may well be the last final final last death knell for the 2026 Cincinnati Reds season. The Nats found a way to beat even Chase Burns on Saturday in yet another game where the Reds offense failed to show up, and now the Reds are once again on the cusp of falling 5 games under the .500 mark and too far buried in the National League Wild Card standings to even make looking at them an enjoyable exercise in conjuring miracles.
Brady Singer gets the start for the Reds in Sunday’s series finale opposite Washington opener Brad Lord, who won’t be on the mound for long. First pitch is slated to be Lord-chucked at an early 12:15 PM ET, so I hope you got up and got your coffee in ya early this fine morning.
Here’s how both clubs will line up to begin this one:
Montreal Canadiens former first-overall pick at the 2022 draft, Juraj Slafkovsky, had a breakout season last year. For the first time in his young career, he broke the 70-point and 30-goal barriers. The big Slovak winger scored 30 goals and logged 43 assists for a total of 73 points, but beyond the points, he also finally realized what his identity needed to be on the ice.
Thanks to a couple of spells playing on a line with Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, Slafkovsky realized that he could be a play driver in his own right and that he wasn’t just a complementary piece for linemates Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki. The forward really started using his pace when chasing the puck and laying big hits in puck retrieval, and he learned to make his way to the busy areas in front of the net to create havoc. With his 6-foot-3 and 225-pound frame, he can be a real nuisance for the goaltender, obstructing his view and putting pressure on the defence, but also being ready to jump on any rebound. Once he sets up camp somewhere, he’s hard to displace, and that’s how he was able to beef up his points total.
The playoffs were a good reminder for the 22-year-old that intensity ramps up when teams are competing for the Stanley Cup, and he needs to be aware of that on the ice. He was rocked by a Max Crozier hit in Game 4 of the Canadiens’ first-round duel with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He needs to remember to keep his head up and not watch himself play, so to speak. His fight with Brandon Hagel also hurt the team; he was challenged by the Bolts winger and answered the bell, but ended up on the receiving end of a haymaker that sent him down to the ice. That’s not the kind of impact he should be having.
The main point of improvement has to be consistency, however. Once again, last season, he had a slow start and took some time to reach his cruising speed. Expect a big start from the power forward as he’ll be keen to bounce back from underwhelming playoffs.
As things stand and unless the Canadiens do manage to find some outside help before the start of the season, he should still be riding shotgun with Suzuki and Caufield. Look for him to play a bigger role now that he has seen what kind of impact he can have if he plays the game the right way and focuses on his strengths rather than trying to emulate what the likes of Caufield or Demidov can do. Look for new career highs in both points and goals for the big winger.
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! The Trade Deadline is in the rearview mirror, a top prospect has made his MLB debut, and the heavens opened up and brought a deluge to the Bronx. And while Yankees fans have certainly made their opinions about this week known — oh boy, they sure have — the players, coaches, broadcasters, and yes, even reporters have remained active on the feed. What have they been up to this week? Let’s find out!
Ave atque Vale
For those who opted not to take Latin in high school or college (shame, shame, shame), “ave atque vale” is the ending of Catullus poem 101, and translates as “hail and farewell.” While the line was originally composed as a funerary gift (the poem is addressed to the “mute ashes” of Catullus’s brother), it has taken on a life of its own, and has been used as the title of a now-lost British film from the 1930s, the name of a transfer-of-command military dinner, and several songs in multiple languages, all dealing with simultaneous greetings and farewells.
Thus, it is an appropriate title for the various “hellos” and “goodbyes” posted on social media at this year’s trade deadline.
Rather humorously, we learned from the Washington Nationals that Jack Cebert had DMed the Nationals back in middle school to suggest they trade for somebody (the original post was deleted, so, uh, we have no idea how good of a scout he is).
The trade deadline wasn’t the only way the Yankees added to their lineup. On August 4th, the Yankees promoted top prospect George Lombard Jr. to The Show — where he homered in his second big league at-bat…right around the same time his brother Jacob, making his professional debut, also hit a home run in his second minor-league at-bat. How awesome is that!
We have some big game belts this week, but perhaps none was as exciting as George Lombard Jr. receiving one in his MLB debut on Tuesday, thanks to a big home run that helped power the Bronx Bombers Pitchers to a 2-0 victory over the Cards.
Remembering Munson
Last Sunday marked the anniversary of the death of Yankees legend Thurman Munson. His former teammate Willie Randolph took some time to remember his captain on Instagram. Austin Wells wore some very 1970s throwback replica catcher’s gear in tribute to the late captain.
If you were in the Bronx on Friday night, you would have thought that Zeus and Thor had teamed up to destroy the city, as a thunderstorm ravaged the city and delayed the matchup between the Yankees and Braves until 9:00 pm ET (and somehow, the Yankees bats still showed up late, not arriving until midnight).
Oh you thought we were done with World Cup posts? Yeah, well, so was I. That is, until I was at Tuesday’s game, and who threw out the ceremonial first pitch but Ferran Torres — aka, the man who scored the game-winning goal for Spain last month.
The Houston Astros are short road underdogs against the San Diego Padres tonight, and I’m taking the plus-money price for two units.
Houston’s current hitting profile gives the Astros a better matchup against Randy Vasquez than the market is pricing.
Here are my Astros vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks for Aug. 9, with first pitch scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET at Petco Park.
Also make sure to check out our favorite Astros vs. Padres props, featuring another big game from Yordan Alvarez!
Who will win Astros vs Padres tonight: Astros moneyline (+105)
I'm backing the Houston Astros down to +100. It's a great price on the team in better form with the stronger matchup.
Randy Vasquez starts for the San Diego Padres with a profile that is all over the place. He is coming off his best outing of the season, six scoreless innings and two hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but his underlying metrics still tell on him.
His barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and ground-ball rate all sit in the Bottom 25% of the sport. Houston attacks exactly that, ranking 12th in barrel rate and 10th in hard-hit rate over the last two weeks.
While that's not eye-popping, it's enough to make me buy against a poor pitcher at this price.
COVERS INTEL: Vasquez is in the midst of a third straight season with at least one run of differential between his actual ERA and expected ERA, a strong signal that negative regression is inevitable with more volume.
Astros vs Padres Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-112)
I’m playing the Over because both starters bring run-prevention concerns into a matchup with enough recent offensive pressure.
Vasquez’s low-strikeout profile gives Houston a path to sustained traffic, while Cristian Javier has allowed a 6.59 ERA and 1.68 WHIP across 27 1/3 innings.
San Diego does not need to crush Javier to contribute here. Walks, elevated contact, and early bullpen exposure can get this game toward nine runs without requiring a full slugfest.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 43-40, +5.84 units
Over/Under bets: 46-37, +10.58 units
Astros vs Padres weather
Petco Park weather does not create a major betting adjustment.
Unless the wind shifts closer to first pitch, there is no weather edge strong enough to change the side or total.
Astros vs Padres odds
Moneyline: Houston +109 | San Diego -118
Run line: Houston +1.5 | San Diego -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Astros vs Padres trend
The Astros have hit the run line in 11 of their last 15 games (+9.15 Units / 48% ROI)
How to watch Astros vs Padres and game info
Location
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date
Sunday, August 9, 2026
First pitch
8:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Astros starting pitcher
Cristian Javier (1-2, 6.59 ERA)
Padres starting pitcher
Randy Vasquez (7-6, 4.19 ERA)
Astros vs Padres latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday. He was 86.
Nelson’s death was announced by the Golden State Warriors, one of the teams he coached. His family confirmed the death in a statement that did not how say where he died or provide a cause.
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” the statement said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”
Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time Coach of the Year and made the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons. He went to the conference finals three times with the Bucks and once with the Mavericks, never winning a title.
Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. He said the idea of shifting from the dominant big men of the 1970s to an offense focused on speed and the fast break came from his playing days under Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.
Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons in Boston and was on five Celtics championship teams under four different coaches. He became an assistant coach in Milwaukee after retiring as a player, then took over after coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into the 1976-77 season. Nelson coached the Bucks for 11 seasons starting in 1976 and won seven straight division titles.
In Nelson’s second season, Milwaukee overcame a 29-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Atlanta 117-115 in regulation.
“I coached the team as though I was still playing for the Celtics, while implementing a few of my own strategies,” Nelson wrote. “I knew I wanted to play unconventional basketball and use speed to my advantage.”
His fast-paced offenses were probably best on display with Golden State in the “Run TMC” era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them on the court at the same time.
Nelson spent 11 seasons over two stints with Golden State. The first one was punctuated by a rift with rookie star Chris Webber, who was traded away a month into his second season. Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995.
In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.
Nelson’s son, Donnie, joined his father as an assistant coach with the Mavericks in 1998, later became general manager and remained with the organization until 2021. Together they persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Don Nelson also developed Steve Nash into one of the NBA’s top point guards before Nash went on to win back-to-back MVPs with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006.
“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” current Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game.”
At Golden State, Nelson’s “We Believe” Warriors led by Baron Davis upset Nowitzki and the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs in one of the biggest shockers in NBA history. In his final season as a coach, Nelson mentored rookie Stephen Curry in 2009-10.
“One of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court,” Curry said in a statement released by the Warriors. “He taught me a lot during our one season together and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota. We were so happy for him. He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game.”
Davis added: “When I think of Nellie, I’ll always think of the ‘We Believe’ team and our incredible run in 2007. He understood what made us go and made us believe we could beat anybody, ultimately helping us make history as the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series. That time in my life and career was truly special, and Nellie was a huge part of making it possible.”
Nelson retired as the NBA’s career coaching wins leader with 1,335, just ahead of Lenny Wilkens’ 1,332. Nelson kept that top spot for nearly 12 years before close friend and now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him in March 2022.
Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2025 he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association. Miffed that the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade, Nelson wore a pair of Doncic’s signature Jordan Brand sneakers to the awards ceremony. He called the trade a “tremendous mistake.”
Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Nelson attended high school in Rock Island, Illinois, and averaged a double-double in college at Iowa. He spent his retirement years living on the Hawaiian island of Maui and owned several short-term rentals on the island.
Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history who won five championships as a player with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday. He was 86.
Nelson’s death was announced by the Golden State Warriors, one of the teams he coached. His family confirmed the death in a statement that did not how say where he died or provide a cause.
“On Sunday morning our beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great-grandfather Don Nelson peacefully went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family,” the statement said. “Throughout his last week, friends and family encircled him with love, sharing the blessing of his friendship and revisiting treasured memories.”
Nelson is one of two coaches in NBA history to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises — Milwaukee, Dallas and Golden State — also serving as general manager for all three franchises. He was a three-time Coach of the Year and made the playoffs 18 times in 31 seasons. He went to the conference finals three times with the Bucks and once with the Mavericks, never winning a title.
Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. He said the idea of shifting from the dominant big men of the 1970s to an offense focused on speed and the fast break came from his playing days under Celtics Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach.
Nelson played 11 of his 14 seasons in Boston and was on five Celtics championship teams under four different coaches. He became an assistant coach in Milwaukee after retiring as a player, then took over after coach Larry Costello resigned 18 games into the 1976-77 season. Nelson coached the Bucks for 11 seasons starting in 1976 and won seven straight division titles.
In Nelson’s second season, Milwaukee overcame a 29-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Atlanta 117-115 in regulation.
“I coached the team as though I was still playing for the Celtics, while implementing a few of my own strategies,” Nelson wrote. “I knew I wanted to play unconventional basketball and use speed to my advantage.”
His fast-paced offenses were probably best on display with Golden State in the “Run TMC” era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin. Nelson said he wanted them on the court at the same time.
Nelson spent 11 seasons over two stints with Golden State. The first one was punctuated by a rift with rookie star Chris Webber, who was traded away a month into his second season. Nelson, demoralized by the trade, missed nine games that season due to illness and resigned under pressure three months later in February 1995.
In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.
Nelson’s son, Donnie, joined his father as an assistant coach with the Mavericks in 1998, later became general manager and remained with the organization until 2021. Together they persuaded 20-year-old German star Dirk Nowitzki to pass up European basketball and join the Mavericks. Don Nelson also developed Steve Nash into one of the NBA’s top point guards before Nash went on to win back-to-back MVPs with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006.
“Don Nelson was a true innovator whose influence on the game of basketball is still felt today,” current Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He consistently challenged conventional thinking, experimented with different lineups and styles of play and saw possibilities in the game that others often did not. So much of what is now commonplace in the modern NBA can be traced back to the way Nellie approached the game.”
At Golden State, Nelson’s “We Believe” Warriors led by Baron Davis upset Nowitzki and the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs in one of the biggest shockers in NBA history. In his final season as a coach, Nelson mentored rookie Stephen Curry in 2009-10.
“One of the big reasons I was drafted by the Warriors was because of Don Nelson. The story is he never liked rookies, but from Day 1 he challenged me and gave me an opportunity to be my best self on the court,” Curry said in a statement released by the Warriors. “He taught me a lot during our one season together and I’ll never forget the night he became the winningest coach in NBA history in Minnesota. We were so happy for him. He had an immeasurable impact on the sport and will go down as one of the greatest minds in the history of the game.”
Davis added: “When I think of Nellie, I’ll always think of the ‘We Believe’ team and our incredible run in 2007. He understood what made us go and made us believe we could beat anybody, ultimately helping us make history as the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a seven-game series. That time in my life and career was truly special, and Nellie was a huge part of making it possible.”
Nelson retired as the NBA’s career coaching wins leader with 1,335, just ahead of Lenny Wilkens’ 1,332. Nelson kept that top spot for nearly 12 years before close friend and now-retired San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed him in March 2022.
Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2025 he received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Basketball Coaches Association. Miffed that the Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade, Nelson wore a pair of Doncic’s signature Jordan Brand sneakers to the awards ceremony. He called the trade a “tremendous mistake.”
Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Nelson attended high school in Rock Island, Illinois, and averaged a double-double in college at Iowa. He spent his retirement years living on the Hawaiian island of Maui and owned several short-term rentals on the island.
The Mets have optioned right-handed pitcher Xzavion Curry, who gave them three scoreless innings of relief last night Pittsburgh, to Triple-A Syracuse. And the team has called up fellow right-handed pitcher Jack Weisenburger to take his place on the active roster.
Curry joined the organization ahead of the 2026 season, and he’s gone back and forth between Syracuse and the big league club already this season. The 28-year-old has a 2.81 ERA and a 4.77 FIP in 16.0 innings with the Mets, while he has a 4.56 ERA and a 5.64 FIP in 51.1 innings in Triple-A.
As for Weisenburger, if he gets into a game, he’ll be making his major league debut. He’s also 28 years old, and he’s spent several years of his professional career in the Athletics’ minor league system. From there, he pitched in the Atlantic League and Mexican League before the Mets signed him. He’s thrown 52.1 innings in Syracuse this year and has a 7.22 ERA and a 5.37 FIP in that time.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 8: Brandon Pfaadt #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the first inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on August 8, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Team News
Pfaadt continues to dazzle (7 IP, 0 R) despite D-backs’ extras defeat His changeup was dominant, generating six whiffs on 16 swings, while his sinker maxed out at 95.5 mph.
“[Catcher James McCann] did a good job calling the game, keeping them in between the fastball and changeup,” Pfaadt said. “When all six pitches are working, I feel like we’re able to have separate game plans with our pitch mix.”
Diamondbacks had Dodgers cornered, but they slipped away to set up season-series rubber match
“Tough loss,” Nolan Arenado said. “We feel like we could have won that game and took care of business. But, like I said, we battled. It just didn’t go our way. … There’s no doubt that when we get chances to capitalize against a good team, we got to do it.”
Nolan Arenado recognized for winning Diamondbacks’ Heart and Hustle Award
“That’s voted on by his teammates, by his peers, which speaks volumes about why he’s been doing it for so long at such a hard level,” manager Torey Lovullo said pregame on Saturday. “Well-deserved honor. He does it right. He’s very intentional with his day. He’s very open about what he’s coming to do for this team and his teammates, and everybody picks up on that vibe.”
Home plate umpire Emil Jimenez didn't allow an instant challenge from Julio Rodriguez which led to the ejection of Mariners manager Dan Wilson
The next inning Jimenez didn't see an instant challenge from Rays' Jonathan Aranda but the third base umpire Doug Eddings confirmed it… pic.twitter.com/d1JbwOrriP
The Los Angeles Dodgers (-138) wrap up a six-game road trip with Sunday's series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Boys in Blue finally got back in the win column Saturday, breaking a seven-game skid.
I'm betting they get the job done again with my Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 9.
Who will win Dodgers vs Diamondbacks today: Dodgers moneyline (-142)
The Arizona Diamondbacks are getting credit for hitting left-handed pitching well (112 wRC+), and they forecast to start eight right-handed bats.
That strength is mitigated by Justin Wrobleski's reverse splits. He limits righties to .220/.262/.354 at the dish, and his four-seamer and slider combination should work against an Arizona lineup with poor results against both offerings.
Eduardo Rodriguez was tattooed for seven runs on 11 hits in his last outing. The Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup has a .986 OPS in 184 previous at-bats against the veteran, so Wrobleski should get a decent amount of run support.
Play L.A. to -150.
COVERS INTEL: Wrobleski throws either his four-seamer or slider 78% of the time. Arizona ranks 23rd in runs above average per 100 four-seamers seen and 20th against sliders.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-121)
Neither starter's ERA is supported by their underlying metrics. Wrobleski's xERA (4.51) is a full run higher than his actual ERA (3.31), and Rodriguez's is two runs higher (4.88 xERA, 2.71 actual ERA).
Both lineups hit southpaws well, and hitter-friendly Chase Field is a great venue for the regression monster to feast on those ERAs.
L.A.'s bullpen has been in shambles (5.23 FIP in the last 14 days), and Arizona's hasn't been much better (4.71 FIP). The runs could come in bunches at any time during this contest.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 29-30, -4.9 units
Over/Under bets: 37-23, +12.6 units
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks weather
The roof will be more than likely be closed at Chase Field, given forecasted triple-digit temperatures.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks odds
Moneyline: Los Angeles -138 | Arizona +133
Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+122) | Arizona +1.5 (-127)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-117) | Under 8.5 (+113)
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks trend
The Dodgers have won 12 of Justin Wrobleski's 18 starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks.
How to watch Dodgers vs Diamondbacks and game info
Location
Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Date
Sunday, August 9, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
SNLA,DBacks.TV
Dodgers starting pitcher
Justin Wrobleski (11-3, 3.31 ERA)
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Eduardo Rodriguez (10-4, 2.71 ERA)
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Led by the two favorites for the NL MVP, Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong, there are plenty of great bats in position to hit for power on Sunday, as my Aug. 9 home run props explain.
Let's take a closer look with my MLB picks and MLB player props.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Pete Crow-Armstrong
+230
Alex Burleson
+290
Shohei Ohtani
+275
💲Today's HR parlay
+4726
Home run pick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+230)
Pete Crow-Armstrong is hammering the baseball right now. He owns a .491 xSLG, 22.9% barrel rate, and 57.1% hard hit rate against right-handed pitching over the last 20 games.
He now finds himself playing in a very hitter-friendly ballpark with scorching hot conditions and high winds blowing out to boot.
The game conditions give a 33% boost to home runs today, which is extremely noteworthy for an elite player consistently hitting the ball hard.
Randy Dobnak has pitched well this season, but it only takes one mistake against PCA. Not to mention, the Kansas City Royals have an atrocious bullpen.
Play to +220.
Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MARQ, ROYL
Home run pick: Alec Burleson (+290)
Michael Lorenzen gives up a ton of power, particularly to left-handed bats. He ranks in the 19th percentile or worse in HR/9, xSLG, and average exit velocity.
He has crushed right-handed pitching this season, and consistently taken advantage of similar matchups.
Burleson has left the yard in 29.2% of his games against a right-handed starter ranking in the 30th percentile or lower in HR/9 vs. lefties. That implies +242 odds based on his success rate this season, making +290 an attractive buy.
I’d bet down to +270.
Time: 2:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: COLR, CARD
Home run pick: Shohei Ohtani (+275)
Shohei Ohtani has been as productive as anybody against lefties, hitting .405 with an .811 SLG and 17% barrel rate over the past month.
He has also excelled against the pitch mix of Eduardo Rodriguez. Isolating his five pitches, Ohtani owns a .457 ISO and .504 wOBA against lefties the last 25 games. Incredible numbers across the board.
Eduardo Rogriguez owns a career HR/FB rate of 11.4%, and has only ever dipped beneath 10% in a season once.
His 8% HR/FB is likely to regress down the stretch, and Ohtani is a great target to take advantage.
Bet to +250.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNLA, ARID
Today’s HR combo
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Trade Now +4726
Alec Burleson
Shohei Ohtani
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 4: Adley Rutschman #31 of the Boston Red Sox arrives to the home clubhouse before a game against the Chicago White Sox on August 4, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Adley Rutschman is playing baseball! Unfortunately he’s doing it in Worcester, not Boston. Still, it was nice to see him behind the plate for five innings, during which he went 1-2 for two walks and threw out a runner. It was also nice for him, given that he played in front of both his father and the family that hosted him during his season playing in the Cape league. “He was great to have. It was exciting, he was coming off being in the College World Series at Oregon State,” said his former host Bill Matta. “He’d play with my boys — they played wiffle ball, they’d go for ice cream. And then we’d watch him play.” (Matty Wasserman, Boston Globe)
Speaking of rehab, Marcelo Mayer hopes to finish his rehab soon and make his debut with the Giants. He doesn’t sound too upset about being shipped west. “It’s been, like, six months since I had a burger from In-N-Out, so had to go back,” he said. “That’s usually the first thing I do when I get home in the offseason. So I was able to get one two months early.” (Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic)
Rutschamn didn’t need to be worried about being booed by the fans in Worcester. But apparently Willson Contreras did need to worry about it at Fenway. In his first game after returning from an illness, Sox fans booed the team’s best player after he didn’t run out a grounder to lead off the eighth. Chad Tracy didn’t take isssue with his play, though. “I know how that looks,” he said. “But I’m also aware, more than others, that he’s a little beat up and told us before the game, ‘I don’t have everything today.’ So I’m fine. Especially with a guy that plays the game as hard as he does, and how hard he turns around first base all the time. I’m fine with him.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Contreras returned just in time to anchor the middle of the lineup on a day when Wilyer Abreu wasn’t able to, after he suffered some swelling as a result of hitting a foul ball off his leg on Friday. But he’s expected to be back in the lineup this afternoon. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Someone who won’t be back, though, is Raymond Burgos. Burgos had the unusual honor of pitching three innings in two consecutive games, as he saved the bullpen during yesterday’s loss. He’s been optioned back to Worcester, with Seth Martinez taking his spot. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Burgos played his part in the Red Sox historic streak. Just how historic was it? Here’s a look at the numbers. (Sarah Langs, MLB.com)
But despite the Red Sox playing better than just about any other team in the history of baseball over the past six weeks, they haven’t won over all the skeptics:
It is prudent by starting out with a big thank you to Al for filling in for me for the last week plus while I vacationed with my family. Midseason vacations are never optimal, but with one of my adult children and her significant other both deriving employment from Penn State University, summer was the only time to bring the whole family together for a trip.
Looking back, the last time I wrote was following the Cubs’ 7-3 win over the Cardinals. Does that feel like a very long time ago? I was out of the country, did I miss anything? I don’t have a lot of in-season vacation memories, but one of them involves Cole Hamels and a no-hitter. I still sometimes like to mentally pretend that the game happened in an alternate timeline that I’m not a part of.
I’m going to have some things to say about the trade deadline and this 17 straight game stretch that I had circled. Well, I and just about every other even remotely informed Cubs blogger or writer. Sometimes you may pick a certain landmark series or two for looking at a block of games, but this one was easy with them being 17 straight games. Coming into this game with the Royals, the Cubs were 11-4. By any objective measure, this has been a very successful string of games. This hiccup doesn’t make it any less impressive, though obviously after sweeping four games from the Dodgers and Blue Jays, you wanted to get greedy and run a winning streak out to seven. It wasn’t meant to be.
The start of the Clay Holmes era wasn’t a great success. David Peterson had that one terrible start and he’s been terrific as Cub, so let’s go ahead and not draw any conclusions, all right? There are still a ton of injured Cub pitchers rehabbing from various maladies. So the Cubs are no longer married to any one pitcher or group of pitchers. They have depth. Hopefully, Holmes had an off night and the pitching department will find a workable plan moving forward. If not, they can find another way to use him and give someone else a shot in that rotation spot.
Let’s hit a quick perspective check, did you miss me doing this? Four teams have a better record than the Cubs. I’m, of course, disappointed to see that didn’t change, even with a hot stretch of baseball. They are closing in on the Dodgers and Braves now, though that doesn’t have a lot of immediately apparent value. They’ve created a ton of space with the Phillies and Diamondbacks and are pretty comfortably the first Wild Card now. The Cubs appear to be the long shot in a two-horse race. The Cubs are on a better than 93-win pace and now, I feel there is a real chance to exceed that. This team, right now, is better than the one that set this pace. Though I will always concede that they were fortunate to win as many games as they did. All of the walk-offs and the lack of consistently good pitching might have suggested a few more losses.
I’m back, but I’m going to be a little bit brief here tonight. The standings will return in a day or two as I work backwards through the numbers. I will also have a longer form thought about the trade deadline. I was legitimately not tapped in to the BCB reaction, but I did see it on social media and in the national media. I’ll assume that, save for a little trepidation here or there about a prospect that moved, the feedback was wildly positive.
Three Positives:
I saw that we are trying to vote Ian Happ off the island as a fan base again. Pardon my overall lack of surprise that I return to him having a double and a homer, driving in a run and scoring one. Ian is one of the weirdest players ever. He is remarkably consistent year over year while having long stretches of unproductive offensive play. Never mind that he gets pretty hot between those stretches to maintain that productivity.
Michael Conforto got into the game, had one at bat and doubled. He’s been such an incredibly effective pinch hitter this year.
Carson Kelly had a two-run double.
Game 118, August 8: Royals 6, Cubs 3 (68-50)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Ian Happ (.088). 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI, R
Hero: Carson Kelly (.070). 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Sidekick: Michael Conforto (.043). 1-1, 2B
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Clay Holmes (-.211). 4 IP, 18 BF, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 ER, K (L 0-1)
Goat: Seiya Suzuki (-.149). 0-4
Kid: Dansby Swanson (-.119). 0-4
WPA Play of the Game: Jac Caglianone’s second homer of the game off Colin Rea, extending the lead back to two. (.147)
Cubs Play of the Game: Carson Kelly’s two-out, two-run double in the fourth inning, cut the lead to two. (.134)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 117 Winner: Kevin Gausman received 79 of 98 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
This spot will return in a day or two.
Up Next: The third and final game of this series, the 17th and final game of this stretch before an off day Monday. Matthew Boyd (7-1, 3.59) starts for the Cubs. Matthew is 5-0 with a 2.66 over his last seven starts, though he did allow four runs to the Dodgers in his last start.
31-year-old righty Randy Dobnak (2-0, 1.16) makes the start for the Royals. He’s made six appearances to date, four of them starts. He’s been in the rotation since the break, recording the two wins and allowing only two runs, both earned, over 21.1 innings as a starter.
Aug 8, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp (65) talks with San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello (23) before being pulled during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The infield of the 2014 World Series Champions haven’t thrown the ball around the horn in years, but the shadow they cast is a long one. Pablo spread-eagled in foul territory after squeezing Game 7’s final out. Posey wrapping Bumgarner up in his arms. The 4-6-3 double play, the Panik dive and glove flip, the Crawford turn and Belt stretch, is probably the most consequential defensive play in Giants history.
After Saturday’s Wall of Fame pre-game ceremony celebrating the feats of yore, the 2026 Giants honored the inductees by making everyone in attendance pine for those days. Days of winning? Days of championships? Sure, but also just days with familiarity and warmth, chemistry, and some resilience.
An 8-0 loss to the Tigers had none of those things. It was like the 2026 kids were handed a stack of plates and asked to set the table. They got as far as the threshold between the kitchen and dining room before they lost their concentration, got bored or tired or both, and the wobbles started. In Friday’s win, the team regained their balance, they managed the mistakes made and moved forward. On Saturday, the stack of plates teetered, quickly tottered, then crashed to the floor…and the kids just sat down amongst the shattered pieces, utterly bewildered.
Landen Roupp and Detroit starter Jackson Jobe traded zeroes through the first five innings. Unlike Friday’s game, baserunners were at a premium. Roupp walked two and allowed just two singles. One of them was a soft dribble that spun back into fair territory in the 2nd that compounded into a bases-loaded situation that Roupp nullified with two shallow flyball outs.
Jobe hadn’t thrown in a Major League game for 14 months and pitched like he was making up for lost time. He allowed just a walk and a single over 5 scoreless innings and needed just 71 pitches to do it. He announced his return with a strike out of Bryce Eldridge. He K’ed righty-mashed Rafael Devers twice and then got him to ground into a double play immediately after Willy Adames’s single (one of two hits the Giants would manage all game). The most convincing knock against Jobe was Drew Gilbert’s liner to center in the 2nd. Hard-hit, yes, but the hardest part for centerfield Max Clark was not the quality of contact, but battling the late-afternoon sun.
The game shifted out of the Giants favor when Landen Roupp took the mound in the 6th inning.
Time had passed since he had pitched this deep into a game. He couldn’t stick around through the 4th against the Brewers on July 28th. In his last start against the Padres, he got pulled in the 5th. Walks were a problem in both games, and they scuttled his outing here.
After getting ahead 1-2 on Gleyber Torres, Roup missed big on three of his next four pitches. Bad offerings especially with his curveball that saw his count leverage slip away. He walked Torres. He rifled through his sinker, change-up, curve and sinker again against Dillon Dingler — all came in uncompetitive and wild. Riley Greene, who had already struck out twice and looked completely lost against Roupp, helped him get some footing in the frame by flailing at three change-ups off the plate. The out was generous, not necessarily earned, and a more disciplined hitter in Colt Keith, who had already walked twice, exposed Roupp’s lack of command.
The right-hander disowned the baseball the moment the 3-0 sinker slid from his grasp. A ball all the way, and the pitch sealed the deal. His day was done. He had just generated a rally for the Tigers. Two of those passes were uncompetitive, efficiently handed out on four pitches.
Still, he seemed to huff and puff in visible consternation when Tony Vitello mounted the top step and strode out to the hill. A glare was thrown in the manager’s direction, and he shook his head as he aggressively scraped dirt from his studs. He even threw his hands up to his chest and motioned as if to tell Vitello to stay in the dugout. While nothing near the same scale as Devers’s infamous finger wag, the gesture’s meaning was clear. He wanted to stay in.
Admirable in some instances…myopic, prideful, grace-less in this one.
Words were forced through the webbing of his glove, but Roupp did eventually give up the ball. You walk the bases loaded, you forfeit any legitimate claim to the mound — I’m sure that truth sank in as he watched the rest of the game from the dugout railing. Hopefully more truths were reckoned with in those lonely and raw moments. Like many of his outings, Roupp was in control and in rhythm, and then suddenly, he wasn’t. The pitch count was in his favor when he started the 6th. He didn’t throw many stressful pitches leading up to it either. So what happened?
Roupp has now pitched one more start than in 2025 and passed his previous career high in innings pitched by 17. Maybe it’s the workload. More likely it’s the temperament. I can see how losing Torres when he had count advantage served as a penny on the tracks, just thinking about that 2-2 sinker that he yanked, letting it eat away at him — he couldn’t throw another one for a strike, and Lord knows, he tried.
This was Roupp’s fourth game in which he walked 5 or more batters. He’s now tied with Robbie Ray and Trey Yeasavage for most in the Majors. It’s also his ninth start in which the walk total has matched or exceeded the hits total on his final pitching line. The truth is that hasn’t always been a bad thing for him. He’s had success when strutting that fine line, balancing between how much to give and how much to take. Opposing hitters have such a hard time getting quality contact off him that he can sustain and manage inflated BB totals more than most.
After Keaton Winn immediately walked the next batter to plate the Tigers’ first run, he fanned both Max Clark and Javier Baez to end the inning and keep Roupp’s earned run total at one. It could’ve been a lot worse for the Giants’ starter. It also could’ve been better — that’s a pill Roupp seems to have swallowed a lot this year.
While Roupp’s ERA made out nicely, things did get a lot worse for the team as a whole. The one-run in the 6th broke the freshness seal on the pitching duel and it spoiled fast, devolving into a lopsided and poorly played blowout.
Recently called up right-hander, Trent Harris made his Major League debut — and it didn’t go well. He threw 14 pitches, faced four batters and three of them reached base. Dillon Dingler’s 2-run double chased Harris from the mound, and his replacement, Reiver Sanmartin didn’t fare much better. Both arms bore the brunt of three runs each as Detroit sent ten up to the plate in the inning.
The defense didn’t help much either. Eddys Leonard made a desperate and ill-advised heave home, allowing Kevin McGonigle to advance to second base, taking away the chance of a double-play on the subsequent ground ball off the bat of Torres. Drew Gilbert lost a line-drive in the sun…with the exact tool needed for success perched on his hat rather than over his eyes.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 08: Andrew Alvarez #54 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park on August 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
These last two wins have been key in stabilizing the Nats season, which looked to be going off the rails. Between selling at the deadline and that miserable road trip, the playoffs are highly unlikely, but the Nats have righted the ship. Surprisingly, their pitching staff has been a big reason for that.
The back end of the bullpen has been particularly impressive lately. We talked about that yesterday, but they looked good again today. Outside of the home run Max Kranick allowed, the bullpen was pretty close to perfect. It really seems like Blake Butera has a steady back of the pen for the first time all year.
A big reason for that is new addition Yovanny Cruz, who has electric stuff. Blake Butera couldn’t believe some of the pitches he threw, saying Cruz threw some “ridiculous” sliders. They were 93 MPH with vicious movement. He also said that Cruz will continue to get more comfortable with his splitter as well.
This Yovanny Cruz slider is the kind of weapon banned in the Geneva Convention pic.twitter.com/I1LwjYkQ0g
Last night, the splitter was very helpful for him. Cruz got back to back whiffs on that pitch to strike out Elly De La Cruz to get out of a jam. The strikes are not always there for Cruz, but the stuff is easy to see. Having your worst pitch be a 100 MPH fastball is pretty nuts.
It is not just Cruz who is helping out this pitching staff though. In the bullpen, guys like Beeter, Ribalta and Tom Cosgrove have also done a nice job. They are also getting some quality outings from Brad Lord and Trevor Williams. A massive weakness has now become much less of a problem. It is too soon to call it a strength, but if the Nats have a 3 or 4 run lead, I am not as worried anymore.
Cade Cavalli and Andrew Alvarez also delivered very solid starts these last two nights. Alvarez has been particularly impressive in his last two outings. For most of the season, he has had a habit of nibbling, but lately he has been attacking the zone with intent.
5 scoreless on 66 pitches for Andrew Alvarez, who is doing a nice job attacking the zone instead of nibbling tonight.
This has made his manager Blake Butera very happy. In the post game interview, both he and Alvarez mentioned how getting too deep into counts has been a problem in the past. Butera said that Alvarez continues to gain more belief in how good his stuff is. He added that “A lot of it when you get to the big leagues is believing you can pitch here and have success here”.
It seems like Alvarez is starting to gain that belief and realize that he does not have to nibble to get outs. He has some really good breaking stuff, which he showed off tonight. If Alvarez can continue to get deeper into games, his stock will really rise.
At the moment, the pitching staff seems to be in a good spot, outside of a couple guys. However, it seems like help should be on the way soon. Spencer Nusbaum put out an article where he said that prospects Luis Perales and Jackson Kent are likely to join the club sometime soon.
That was a rough road trip for the Nats.
Help could be on the way soon.
What to know about the progress and timelines of Luis Perales and Jackson Kent: https://t.co/upxksTO6l1
Those two would make the staff even more exciting. Kent projects to be a sturdy and dependable number 4 starter with a very good changeup. His stuff is not electric, but he has good command and deception while having average raw stuff.
Meanwhile, Perales is pretty much the opposite. He has a fastball that routinely hits triple digits, a nasty cutter and a splitter that falls off the table. However, his command and execution is a work in progress, though it has been improving lately.
Watching this pitching staff has been a chore for most of the season, but it is looking more exciting as we enter the stretch run. As we enter 2027, the pitching staff is in a much better place than it was entering 2026. That is without even mentioning the return of the Nats top 2 pitching prospects in Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana.
This time next year, we could be talking about the pitching staff as a borderline strength. A lot of it comes down to the work that Paul Toboni has done. It has taken longer and there have been plenty of misses, but it feels like we are finally finding a formula here.
There is plenty of time for things to go sideways and there are still some real weak links. However, the arrow is finally pointing up on the pitching side. Hopefully that continues down the stretch and the Nats can finish this season on a high note.
COVERS INTEL: Vasquez is in the midst of a third straight season with at 
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Alex Burleson 
Shohei Ohtani
