PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 22: Alex McFarlane #71 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in his Major League Baseball debut during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Chase Shugart blew another game for the Phillies on Saturday and it brought up a topic that I think the Phillies deserve some scorn over.
I know every team needs to have someone to soak up some innings here and there. Shugart has mostly been that guy this year with cameos by Seth Johnson, Kyle Backhus and others. However, with a bullpen that is performing this poorly, there has to be a reason an arm with the kind of stuff that Alex McFarlane possesses isn’t in the majors over a Shugart to have those kinds of innings. That way, when a game gets to extra innings like last night’s, where a runner is on second, at least McFarlane has the stuff to get outs on his own rather than depending on defenses to help him.
So I ask: why isn’t McFarlane in the majors over someone like Shugart?
MIAMI — Sandy Alcantara struck out eight in seven innings, becoming the Miami Marlins’ career leader in innings pitched, and Xavier Edwards had three RBIs in a 7-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.
Alcantara (13-6) broke the record in the third, working his 1,226th inning and passing Ricky Nolasco, who pitched 1,225 2/3 innings for the Marlins from 2006-13. He gave up three hits and walked one. Reliever Pete Fairbanks struck out all three batters in the ninth to end the game.
Edwards hit an RBI double as Miami took a 2-0 lead in the third, followed by Otto Lopez’s two-run single to double the Marlins’ lead. Jakob Marsee tripled to lead off the fifth, and Edwards singled to send him home.
Griffin Conine singled and Heriberto Hernández doubled in the fifth to make it 7-0.
Angels starter Walbert Ureña (7-8) pitched the first 2 1/3 innings. He allowed four hits and four earned runs. He walked three and struck out two. Brett Kerry pitched the final 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking one. He gave up six hits.
Up next
RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-4, 7.24 ERA) will start on the mound for the Angels in the series finale on Sunday. RHP Ryan Gusto (0-3, 4.80) will start for the Marlins.
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola was hit by a line drive and exited Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning due to a right knee contusion. X-rays were negative.
Jesús Sánchez hit a leadoff comebacker, estimated at 104.8-mph off the bat, that ricocheted off Nola’s left leg. Nola crouched to his knees behind the pitcher’s mound and tried to throw practice pitches before he left the game.
In the second inning, he became the 94th pitcher to reach 2,000 career strikeouts when he fanned Brandon Valenzuela. He gave up two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and walked two.
PHILADELPHIA — Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer moved into 10th place all-time in strikeouts, passing Hall of Famer Walter Johnson in the Blue Jays’ 7-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night.
The 42-year-old Scherzer, making his ninth start of the season, has 3,516 career strikeouts, one more than Johnson, and is second to Justin Verlander (3,554) in strikeouts among active pitchers.
Scherzer struck out Kyle Schwarber leading off the sixth to move past Johnson before giving up consecutive home runs to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper that tied the game at 2 and ended his night.
Scherzer cruised through five scoreless innings against Philadelphia, scattering just three hits, and had retired nine in a row before the consecutive drives by Turner and Harper. He allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 7.25.
Scherzer was selected in the first round (No. 11 overall) by Arizona in the 2006 draft. He has won three Cy Youngs, made eight All-Star teams and won two World Series titles.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 08: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers is congratulated by teammates following a three run home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field on August 08, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 5, Orioles 1
That was a fulfilling win.
Jacob deGrom mowing guys down. The bullpen keeping the opposition off the board. Corey Seager with a big home run.
What more could you want from a game?
Yes, deGrom gave up the first inning homer that seems to be such a bugaboo this season, but that was the only run given up in five innings.
And with nine Ks in the game, deGrom moved past Red Ruffing, Johan Santana and Kevin Appier to take the #95 spot on the all time strikeout list.
Once again, the Rangers didn’t have a ton of baserunners, but they made them count.
Half of the Rangers’ six hits on the game came in the second inning, when a couple of Orioles errors contributed to the Rangers taking a 2-1 lead.
Texas looked for most of the game like it might be needing to win its second straight 2-1 game, before Corey Seager provided the breathing room.
In the bottom of the eighth, former Ranger farmhand Grant Wolfram issued back-to-back two out, full count walks to Justin Foscue and Wyatt Langford, then fell behind 2-0 to Seager.
The third pitch of the at bat, Seager turned on, crushing a three run homer to make the game a little less tense.
The homer allowed Skip Schumaker to stay away from Jacob Latz, who was warming in anticipation of coming into the game in the ninth to protect a one run lead a day after picking up a two inning save. Cal Quantrill came in to finish things off instead.
That’s now four in a row for the Rangers, who are just a half-game back of Houston in the American League West, and who have a 1.5 game edge on the Guardians and Twins for the third Wild Card spot.
Jacob deGrom’s fastball topped out at 99.0 mph, averaging 97.5 mph. Peyton Gray hit 93.3 mph with his fastball. Chase Silseth touched 96.5 mph with his fastball. Cal Quantrill reached 94.0 mph with his fastball.
Corey Seager’s homer was 107.7 mph. Joc Pederson had a 104.5 mph groundout. Ezequiel Duran had a 101.2 mph GIDP. Brandon Nimmo had a 100.3 mph single.
Let’s finish the sweep on Sunday and break out Herbie.
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 07: Carson Benge (3) of the New York Mets makes a diving catch against the left field wall during the MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 07, 2026 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Robert Stock’s second start for the Mets this season didn’t go nearly as well as his first, as the Mets were soundly defeated 9-0 by the Pirates, ending their short-lived winning streak.
Before yesterday’s game, the Mets added Gabriel Arias, who the Mets acquired off waivers from the Guardians, to the active roster and optioned Eric Wagaman to Triple-A as the corresponding move.
The Mets got very good news on Carson Benge yesterday, who has a bone bruise on his wrist but nothing more after smashing it into the wall making an incredible catch in Friday night’s game. Andy Green said Benge is not going on the injured list as of right now and is considered day-to-day.
The group of prospects the Mets acquired at the trade deadline have strings of connections that date back to before their time in pro ball. Maybe this will help the Mets replicate some of that Nova Knicks magic, writes Laura Albanese of Newsday.
Around the National League East
The Phillies fell to the Blue Jays 7-5 in eleven innings. Of note in this game besides Nathan Lukes’ thrilling go-ahead homer in the eleventh: both starting pitchers reached milestones. With his strikeout of Brandon Valenzuela in the second inning, Aaron Nola became just the seventh active player to notch 2,000 strikeouts for his career. Unfortunately, Nola was struck on the knee with a 104.8 mph comebacker in the sixth inning, which forced his exit from the game, but luckily X-rays were negative. Ironically enough, Nola’s opposition last night was one of the other active pitchers with 2,000 or more strikeouts; Max Scherzer passed Walter Johnson for sole possession of 10th place on Major League Baseball’s all-time strikeout list when he struck out Kyle Schwarber in the sixth inning for the 3,516th punchout of his career.
The Marlins shut out the Angels 7-0 behind seven scoreless innings from Sandy Alcantara.
Gerrit Cole struck out nine in the Yankees’ 5-4 victory over the Braves on Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium.
Tommy John, the first to receive a revolutionary elbow surgery that now bears his name, shared an emotional message for fans on Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium, which he had to miss due to health issues.
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com recounted all of the festivities at yesterday’s star-studded event at Yankee Stadium, which included some father and son duos.
After retiring Ozzie Guillen’s No. 13, the White Sox notched victory number 60 on the season with a 6-3 victory over the Guardians—significant because it matches their win total from all of 2025.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 24: From left, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard during a press conference at the Green Meadows Recreation Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. George and Leonard were introduced to the media and fans as the newest members of the Clippers. (Photo by Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Daily Breeze via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
As the Toronto Raptors patiently await the fate of Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers, here’s what sports history suggests could be in store for all parties involved.
Joe Smith precedent
The closest comparison is Joe Smith, who played 16 years in the NBA between 1995 and 2011. Before the 2000 season, it was discovered that Smith and the Minnesota Timberwolves had committed salary circumvention. The Timberwolves promised the forward a lucrative long-term deal if he agreed to three one-year contracts of $3 million each.
The league’s punishment mostly affected the franchise, rather than Smith. While Smith’s one-year contracts were voided, he didn’t have to pay anything back. He also lost his Bird Rights, which only affected Minnesota. However, in addition to a fine, the Timberwolves ultimately lost their first-rounders for the next three years. Timberwolves Owner Glenn Taylor and General Manager Kevin McHale were asked to leave the team until the following summer.
While there’s an obvious discrepancy in the amount of money involved, how the NBA handled the Smith debacle suggests that Leonard won’t have to pay a single percentage of the salary earned during his time in Los Angeles. Additionally, the Clippers could likely end up losing draft picks while receiving a fine.
If Leonard’s contract is voided, Raptors fans should consider that as the nightmare scenario. Toronto wouldn’t have the financial space to offer Leonard anywhere near his market value, and it’s likely the 2019 Finals MVP would prefer a team with a clean slate.
The Devil is in the details
If the NBA looks outside of its sandbox for guidance, the NHL rejected a deal between the New Jersey Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk during the 2010 off-season. The league concluded that the Devils’ 17-year, $102-million contract illegally circumvented the salary cap because of its back-end structure, despite other organizations using similar strategies.
The Devils were fined $3-million and forfeited a first-round pick, and a third-round pick.
The NFL had a similar experience when the league office punished the Denver Broncos in 2004 for salary cap circumvention between 1996-98. The details of the findings include the Broncos organization and their players agreeing to deferred payments. Denver won back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1997 and 1998. The franchise was fined nearly $1-million and lost its third-round pick in the ensuing draft.
These examples further suggest that the Clippers could lose draft picks and receive financial penalties.
Suspensions
A majority of the suspensions in NBA history are due to physical altercations and incidents involving drugs or substances. Ron Artest’s involvement in Malice at the Palace (86 games), Latrell Sprewell’s altercation with Head Coach P.J. Carlesimo (68 games), and Gilbert Arenas’ locker room incident (50 games) are the three longest player suspensions. Meanwhile, former Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver (93 games) and Golden State Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens (65 games) served the longest suspensions for non-players.
If Leonard is suspended, it’s like that it ends up being anywhere from one to 30 games. Stephen Jackson (Malice at the Palace) and Miles Bridges (domestic violence) both received 30-game suspensions. While there isn’t precedent for salary circumvention, there have been rare suspensions for player conduct deemed detrimental to the team or league’s reputation. This includes two separate suspensions for Ja Morant with the Memphis Grizzlies (25 games, eight games), Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets (eight games), and Jimmy Butler with the Miami Heat (seven games).
The Montreal Canadiens should be open to bringing in a player on a professional tryout (PTO) agreement for training camp this year.
One remaining free agent who could make sense for the Canadiens to take a look at on a PTO is defenseman John Klingberg.
Klingberg is the top right-shot free agent defenseman left, and the Canadiens could use more depth on the right side of their blueline. If he impressed during his PTO and earned an affordable deal for the season, he could be a useful extra defenseman for the Habs to have when injuries occur during the season.
Klingberg showed this past season with the San Jose Sharks that he is still capable of producing decent offense from the point. In 56 games with the Pacific Division club, he posted 10 goals, 17 assists, and 27 points. With numbers like these, he could be worth taking a chance on with a PTO.
If Klingberg earned a contract for the season, he would also give the Canadiens another veteran who could help mentor their younger players. He has 700 games of NHL experience, after all, which is not a bad thing.
It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens sign Klingberg to a PTO ahead of training camp. If he is still not signed to a contract by then, it could be worth some consideration.
New York Yankees manager Ralph Houk in Yankee Stadium for an Opera News magazine portrait assignment, Bronx, New York, circa 1972. (Photo by Michael Gold/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees have had some decent success in replacing franchise cornerstones over the years. Back in the day, they had a run at catcher that, with some small gaps, went from Bill Dickey to Yogi Berra to Elston Howard to Thurman Munson. Their careers overlapped, but Mickey Mantle became the Yankees’ center fielder shortly after Joe DiMaggio’s career at the spot, a generation after Joe D. effectively succeeded Murderers’ Row center fielder Earle Combs. In recent years, Didi Gregorius did an extremely admirable job taking over at shortstop after Derek Jeter retired.
In terms of Yankee managers, Casey Stengel is arguably the best ever. He’s tied with Joe McCarthy with seven World Series titles, while Stengel has one more pennant and did all that in a shorter time frame. However, the Yankees did — somewhat controversially — dismiss Stengel following the 1960 World Series loss. While the man who followed Stengel didn’t match the number of World Series titles or anything, he did pretty well himself.
Ralph George Houk Born: August 9, 1919 (Lawrence, KS) Died: July 21, 2010 (Winter Haven, FL) Yankees Tenure: 1947-54 (player); 1955-60 (coach/Triple-A manager); 1961-63 and 1966-73 (manager); 1964-66 (general manager)
Born in Kansas in 1919, Ralph Houk grew up on a farm not far from Stull. He grew a love of baseball while watching his uncles play local semi-pro ball. He eventually started playing himself, and took to the catcher position, where he excelled with his sturdy frame at Lawrence High School in the shadow of the University of Kansas. He also excelled in football and indeed had offers to play in college both at Kansas and Oklahoma. However, Houk preferred baseball, and eventually inked a deal with the Yankees in 1939.
Houk got off to a decent start in his first couple minor-league seasons, but he left to serve in the army in World War II ahead of the 1942 campaign. While he wasn’t part of the initial D-Day Normandy landings, Houk did land on Omaha Beach shortly after and took part in the Battle of the Bulge. He received a number of commendations in his time in the military, including a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. Houk’s strong military background eventually led to him being referred to as “the Major.”
Well over four years after his previous professional games, Houk eventually returned to baseball in 1946. He did enough that season and in spring training in 1947 to make the Yankees, but he spent the next couple seasons going back and forth between the majors and Triple-A. During that stretch, he nearly gave up on the Yankees at one point, believing that he should be with the big league team and not in the minors, but was eventually persuaded to stick through it.
Houk eventually would play with the Yankees for good from 1950-54, but was very much a third-string catcher. This stretch was, after all, the height of Yogi Berra’s powers, when the beloved backstop won multiple MVPs.
Houk only ever played in 91 games over eight major league seasons, and almost half of them came in that first 1947 season. He won his first World Series ring that year (getting a pinch-hit infield single off Brooklyn’s Joe Hatten in his first of two career Fall Classic at-bats) and was part of the dynasty that won five championships in a row from 1949-53, though during that latter stretch, he never received even 10 plate appearances in a single season. However, Houk did become a clubhouse leader in the Bronx, with teammates often turning to him for advice on their game and more. That reputation led to the Yankees approaching him about becoming a minor-league manager.
In 1955, Houk hung up his cleats and was named skipper of the Triple-A Denver Bears. In Denver, Houk had three winning seasons, including winning the American Association pennant in 1957. That success led to the Yankees bringing in Houk to serve as first-base coach under Stengel. He did so for the next three seasons, securing his seventh ring for the 1958 champs.
Then in 1960, the Yankees lost a heartbreaking World Series to the Pirates, losing on Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run in Game 7 despite easily outscoring Pittsburgh in the Fall Classic. In the aftermath, the team announced that they were moving on from Stengel. Owner Dan Topping said that they were looking towards the future as Stengel was 70, and the move would’ve been made even if the Yankees had won. (Stengel famously said “I’ll never make the mistake of turning 70 again.”) There’s also a thought that the Yankees didn’t want to lose Houk, whose success in the minors and as a Yankees’ coach had made him a hot manager target for other teams. Whatever the true reasons, Houk was indeed the choice to take over as Yankees’ skipper.
In 1961, Houk was taking over a team that already had plenty of talent and had been a dominant force in baseball over previous years, but he did put a bit of his own spin on it. Whitey Ford had already been the team’s ace, but Stengel often liked to move him around and selectively use him in tougher matchups, lowering his start total. Houk, however, said he would be taking the ball every fourth day no matter what. As a result, Ford won 25 games with a 3.21 ERA in 283 innings, winning the Cy Young Award for the first and only time in his career.
Then of course, there were the M&M Boys. From the start of the 1961 season, Houk slotted Roger Maris third in the lineup and Mickey Mantle fourth and that helped result in one of the most memorable seasons of all time. The two famously challenged Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record of 60, going back and forth all summer. A hip issue ended up leading to Mantle missing some time and finishing with 54, but Maris broke the record with 61, holding the mark for over 30 years.
The Yankees repeated as champions in ‘62 in a seven-game classic over the Giants, with Houk standing by his starter who had been the goat two years prior, Ralph Terry. The righty pitched a 1-0 shutout in Game 7 and Houk had his ninth ring.
New York made it back to the Fall Classic in ‘63, but fell in a sweep to the Dodgers. After that season, Houk stepped into a front-office role and handed over the reins to Berra. While Yogi led the team back to the World Series, Houk and ownership weren’t enamored with him as manager and fired him after the team lost to the Cardinals in seven. In his place, Houk hired the Cardinals’ manager, Johnny Keane, who had clashed with his front office in St. Louis.
However, the stars of dynastic era of the team were starting to age out, and the Yankees didn’t have the reinforcements in store. Keane lasted just over a year before Houk dismissed him in May 1966 and took back over the job himself, eventually ceding GM responsibilities to Lee MacPhail. Houk’s second tenure as Yankee manager lasted eight seasons, but wasn’t remotely as successful as the first. He led them to a second-place finish in the AL East in 1970, but other than that the team hovered around .500 or worse. Houk did gradually help usher some stars of the future — such as Thurman Munson, Roy White, and Bobby Murcer — into the big leagues, but new owner George Steinbrenner decided to move on after the 1973 season. For his own part, Houk sounded relieved to not stick around long enough to really endure the worst of Steinbrenner’s meddling.
After leaving the Yankees, Houk managed the Tigers from 1974-78 and the Red Sox from 1981-84, but never led either to the postseason. However in both cases, he helped develop some of the teams’ future young stars. (Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, and others in Detroit; Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, and more in Boston.) He later held a front office role with the Twins, helping assemble the teams that would win the World Series in 1987 and ‘91.
In 1990, he retired to Florida, where he eventually passed away in July 2010, the same month as Steinbrenner and longtime PA announcer Bob Sheppard. The Yankees wore black armbands in tribute to Houk for the remainder of that season.
Ralph Houk absolutely had the good fortune of inheriting a dynasty when he took over as Yankees’ manager in 1961. However, fancy cars still need a driver who knows what they’re doing and Houk absolutely did so, earning his players’ trust and keeping the dynasty going.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 15: OG Anunoby accepts the Best Play award onstage during the 2026 ESPY Awards at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on July 15, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is a literary trope of the traveler escaping his identity simply by crossing a border. Kings become strangers, heroes become ordinary men, princes become paupers. For those burdened by an oversaturation of fame, especially a person with a more sensitive temperament, the escape must be tantalizing: why not abscond someplace where the role you inhabit at home disappears because the people around you don’t know or don’t care about it?
Bouncing seemed like a good idea to Ogugua “OG” Anunoby, Jr. He won an NBA championship in New York City, then booked it to someplace nobody would bother him.
In a recent piece for The Times of London, Anunoby discussed the strange contrast between his celebrity in New York after winning the championship and his relative anonymity in London, where he was born and lived for a few years.
Anunoby is becoming an increasingly visible bridge between the Knicks, British basketball, and the NBA’s broader European ambitions. He told The Times that he believes the UK has enough talent to become a significant basketball country if its infrastructure and development pathways improve.
Every summer he hosts a youth basketball camp in London (and another at Jefferson City High School in Missouri, where he played). This offseason he has put money and presence behind the renovation of a public court in Camden, partnering with local government and the NBPA. Commissioner Adam Silver, keen on expanding the NBA brand overseas, must drool to see OG carry the torch across the pond. Which is ironic, given that Anunoby seems averse to carrying torches, or megaphones.
One of the quietest men in the league, his personality has always contrasted with the theatricality of Madison Square Garden basketball. As could be expected, winning the NBA title has only sharpened that contrast.
Anunoby is no longer simply the high-level complementary player New York acquired from Toronto. His place in Knicks history changed permanently in June, when his Game Four tip-in became the defining play of a championship that ended a five-decade drought. Now he occupies the nebulous space between star and anti-star. While his is an icon in Manhattan, he can apparently walk into a Greggs in London without causing much hullabaloo.
It seems that celebrity is something a community agrees to see, or not. We’ve often seen how it can scramble a person’s eggs (see Britney, Kanye, Charlie Sheen, etc.). In May 2005, during the filming of the third season of Chappelle’s Show, Dave Chappelle abruptly quit and traveled to South Africa for a spiritual retreat, stepping away from a $50 million contract to escape overwhelming fame and growing discomfort over how his comedy was interpreted. One of the allures of Africa was anonymity.
Even I am not immune to the stress of fame. I type this in Bar Harbor, ME, where no one stops celebrities on the sidewalk for selfies and autographs, apparently. I’m a human being, you monsters.
As for the enigmatic Ogugua, he seems to have a healthy understanding of who he is, his place in the world, and how to navigate being an NBA star. Professional sports are increasingly built upon manufactured personalities. Players become brands; brands become content; content becomes an endless plea to look at me. Yet, Anunoby became famous while largely seeming uninterested in becoming famous. He is, above all, grounded. He also made a shot that ensured millions of people would remember him forever.
PHOENIX, AZ - AUGUST 08: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers warms up in the outfield prior to the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Saturday, August 8, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Sydni Griffin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Dodgers are back in the win column for the first time since July 30, as they took an extra-inning thriller against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday to end a seven-game skid.
Shohei Ohtani provided the deciding run, grounding an infield single to bring home Kyle Tucker to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead with two outs in the top of the 10th inning. Before he carried his team to victory, Ohtani managed to play catch on the Chase Field outfield, marking the first of many steps in his return to two-way duties.
Ohtani is insistent on taking his time with his throwing program, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com, and the Dodgers are confident that he can return before the end of the regular season.
“Any inning, any innings we get from him are bonuses, given he’s a two-way player,” manager Dave Roberts said earlier in the week. “So I think whether it’s one inning, two innings, three innings, I’m not too concerned about the timeline.”
When the Dodgers needed it most, Yoshinobu Yamamoto helped stop the bleeding on Saturday by firing 5 2/3 shutout innings in a no-decision. It was Yamamoto’s first scoreless appearance since July 4, and he now sports a remarkable 2.65 ERA on the season, placing him tied for fourth in the National League with Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez.
Yamamoto spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA following Saturday’s much needed win, noting how the whole team felt a sense of urgency in doing whatever it took to get things going right again.
“We dropped to seven, and I think everybody was feeling the same way. We really wanted to win, and I wanted to get the team off on the right foot.”
Roki Sasaki continued to show gradual improvements on the mound during Friday’s contest against Arizona, as although the right-hander allowed two runs, he went six full innings while striking out five and walking only one. Sasaki has been turning heads to begin the second half, as the right-hander has a 2-1 record with a 1.88 ERA in four second half starts, striking out 26 and walking just seven over 24 innings.
While Dave Roberts noted that his splitter wasn’t as lethal as it had been in prior outings, he commended Sasaki on continuing to mature at the big league level and consistently put his team in a spot to win, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.
“The split wasn’t as good as it has been, but he did a fine job,” Roberts said. “He really did, and it’s good to see him, even when his best pitch isn’t there, still go out there and finding ways to get through six innings and put us in a good spot to win.”
Carl Edwards Jr. took the loss, but that’s largely because his defense didn’t have his back. The first run was on Edwards. He gave up a double and single in the first, and a fielder’s choice made it 1-0. The other four were unearned.
Bennett Lee threw away a dropped third strike that would have been the third out of the third inning. (Triple-triple). A leadoff error by Cal Stevenson at first ruined the start of what should have been a 1-2-3 inning. Instead, it turned into a three-run homer. 5-0, Omaha.
Brant Hurter took over in the seventh. He gave up an RBI single, but Trei Cruz made it a two-run base knock after letting the ball go right by him in center field. Cruz had a chance to throw the lead runner out at home, but you have to glove the ball first to do that. It was a bad night for the defense.
Brant Hurter is making a rehab appearance in Toledo tonight and…Trei Cruz probably wants this one back. pic.twitter.com/Soglb1j6wN
Stevenson made up for his earlier mistake by hitting an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh. He came home a few batters later on a Wenceel Perez sac fly. That was all of the meaningful offense for Toledo, though.
It was a big home run day for Erie, with the SeaWolves sending the ball into the stands six times. Izaac Pacheco and E.J. Exposito each hit multiple long balls, going back-to-back in the first and fifth innings. Pacheco hit a third homer in the seventh for good measure.
Pacheco and Exposito were next, and neither were wallscrapers.
Max Alba had plenty of run support to work with after the first, but he gave up four runs over his 5.1 innings of work. A solo homer in the first got Altoona on the board, and a sac fly in the fourth made it 4-2. Alba gave up six hits and two walks overall, so it wasn’t a runaway win by any means.
Pacheco and Exposito did it again in the fifth, this time with a little less power, but both went to center field. Exposito leads the team with 20 homers, but Pacheco is closing in after this explosive night.
Izaac Pacheco smashes a 2-run homer to left center. It’s his 2nd of the game. pic.twitter.com/QcqoBHfiak
E.J. Exposito launches a solo homer to dead center for his 2nd home run of the game. Give him 20 on the year now. @ZachSurdenik on the call. pic.twitter.com/zrtcY0PNiU
Alba left the game in the sixth with one out and two on. Tyler Owens took over and immediately gave up a two-run, ground-rule double, with both runs going on Alba’s line. Owens wasn’t particularly sharp, walking a batter and giving up an RBI single later in the inning, keeping it a two-run game.
Josue Briceno created some separation in the bottom of the sixth with a sac fly, but Wandisson Charles gave that run right back to Altoona in the seventh.
Pacheco’s third home run of the night and 15th of the year came in the seventh. It served as the final blow of the game, but a six-homer night ending with a four-run differential feels a bit off. A win’s a win, though.
Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:35 p.m. ET start on Sunday. Erie leads the series, 3-2.
West Michigan Whitecaps 14, Fort Wayne TinCaps 6 (box)
Back-to-back days with 14 runs for West Michigan. Not too shabby. All of those runs came in the first four innings, with 10 coming in the third alone. You’d think this was another home run barrage, but the Whitecaps had zero homers and just two extra-base hits. Singles and walks, baby. That’s baseball at its purest.
Singles from Woody Hadeen and Roberto Campos got things going in the first. Fort Wayne starter Bryan Balzer tried to give West Michigan more runs in the opening frame, but the Whitecaps stranded the bases loaded.
Hadeen doubled in the second, moving Juan Hernandez to third. Bryce Rainer scored him on a sac fly right after.
Brady Smith’s first start in the Tigers farm went well, but a two-run homer in the second made it a tie ball game. Those were the only two runs he allowed, though. He gave up two hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings.
Then, the big inning came. Balzer gave up a leadoff single to Clayton Campbell and hit Luke Shliger. He loaded the bases with a walk to Jackson Strong, and another walk to Andrew Sojka gave West Michigan the lead back.
The TinCaps changed pitchers, but it didn’t help. Javie Chacon hit Cristian Santana for another free run, and then Hernandez and Hadeen hit back-to-back RBI singles. All of a sudden it was 7-2, in favor of the Whitecaps.
Woody Hadeen rips an RBI single past the shortstop to put the Whitecaps up 7-2. He has three hits in three innings today. pic.twitter.com/m2w411DrCX
Another single from Roberto Campos gave West Michigan its eighth run, and Campbell walked for the second time in the inning. Shliger hit a sac fly, and Strong reached on an error. Chacon hit Sojka, and Santana singled in Strong to cap off the 10-run frame.
Campell hit a sac fly in the fourth, and a wild pitch put West Michigan ahead by a dozen. Smith cruised and turned it over to the bullpen in the sixth.
Logan Berrier gave up three runs over his two innings of work, but that was only enough to cut Fort Wayne’s deficit to single digits. Juanmi Vasquez had trouble getting the third out in the eighth, so Jalen Evans had to come in and finish things out. Evans was sharp with three strikeouts.
Hadeen: 4-6, 2B (14), 3 R, RBI, BB, K
Rainer: 1-5, 2B (19), R, RBI, 3 K
Campos: 3-6, R, 2 RBI, 2 K
Smith (W, 1-1): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K, HR
Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Sunday. West Michigan leads the series, 4-1.
CANCELED: Lakeland Flying Tigers vs. Dunedin Blue Jays
Rained out. No makeup.
Unfortunately tonight’s game has been cancelled and will not be made up due to inclement weather in the area.
Tomorrow’s game will still be played as scheduled at noon.
— Lakeland Flying Tigers (@LkdFlyingTigers) August 9, 2026
Coming Up Next: It’s a noon ET start on Sunday. The series is tied, 2-2.
CENTENNIAL, CO - JUNE 11 : Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic, left, and team's president and governor Josh Kroenke are in the press conference at Family Sports Center in Centennial, Colorado on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post) | Denver Post via Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
The Avalanche have plenty of talent and experience on the blue line, but each defenseman has one area where he can take another step in 2026-27. [Sports Illustrated]
As part of the NHL’s 32 in 32 series, Colorado’s fantasy projections for the 2026-27 season. [NHL]
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 04: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on August 04, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves are once again in a position of avoiding a sweep. The New York Yankees pulled off two low-scoring wins and are looking to accomplish a third in this finale before the Braves return home to face the team just across the city.
Grant Holmes is currently boasting a 3.77 ERA and is coming off a successful outing against the Miami Marlins just five days ago. Reestablishing his starting campaign after a shaky first half of the season, Holmes has found his command and played up to what fans were expecting coming into the season.
It’s just been one game, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
The outing, however, was a sign that Holmes still has what it takes to keep his starting spot and put on a stellar performance. He will not only have to match that showing, but top it, as it’s uncertain what version of the Braves’ offense will show up after their recent losses. And they need all the defense they can muster to hold the Yankees’ offense.
As for New York, Cam Schlitter is set to take the start. Holding a 2.26 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and a five-pitch arsenal that’s touching high velocities, it’s no wonder Boston is keeping him in their conversations.
Though not coming off his best outing against St. Louis on August 3 with four earned runs in his three innings pitched, don’t get fooled, Schlittler is a beast on the mound. And it’ll take the dominant version of the Braves to stop him and avoid a sweep. They’ll have to strike early with Holmes on the defensive end to continue his strong stint.
One could only hope, but the Braves will have to execute if they want this hope to turn into action.
Luis De León’s second Norfolk start wasn’t as successful as his first. In four-plus innings, De León allowed six earned runs. In the second inning, he allowed three runs thanks to five straight singles. He started the fifth inning with a home run, a single, and a HBP. He exited after the HBP but both runners on base came in when Anthony Nunez gave up a grand slam.
The Tides rallied to tie the game in the eighth inning, but Nick Raquet gave up two runs in the bottom of the inning for the loss.
Enrique Bradfield had two hits and a bases-loaded walk from the top of the lineup and Creed Willems had two hits as well. Rece Hinds and Luis Vázquez had three hits apiece; two of Hinds’s were doubles. Those doubles were the only extra base hits of the game.
New top prospect Anthony Eyanson made his organizational debut and it went pretty well! The centerpiece of the Adley Rutschman trade allowed two run runs in five innings, both on solo home runs. He struck out nine batters, walked one, and allowed four hits total.
The Baysox had only four hits, but they made them count. Victor Figueroa homered in the second, then doubled in the fourth. He came in to score on Frederick Bencosme’s two-run double. Tavian Josenberger capped the scoring with a two-run home run in the sixth. Griff O’Ferrall walked ahead of Josenberger’s bomb.
High-A: Frederick Keys 3, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (PHI) 1
Another new prospect, Kyson Witherspoon, debuted today. Listed as the #7 prospect for the Orioles on MLB Pipeline, he allowed just one unearned run in 4.1 innings last night. That sounds great! But he also walked five guys. Ouch. He also gave up five hits, so there was a lot of traffic on the bases. He benefitted from a double play, a caught stealing (that he initiated), and a pick off.
The offense got on the board in the fourth inning with an RBI triple from Fernando Peguero. It was a two-hit, one walk day for Peguero. They added two more in the seventh when Leandro Arias doubled, moved to third on a single from Braylin Tavera, then scored on a wild pitch. Tavera later scored on a single Félix Amparo. Amparo had a three-hit game.
Another org debut! This time it was Harrison Kreiling, who came back in the Taylor Ward trade. He pitched a 1-2-3 first inning. In the second he walked two, then gave up a double and a single which resulted in two runs. He finished the inning and called it a day. The relief pitching was bad, with seven more runs allowed.
The offense was kept off the board until the seventh inning, despite having eight baserunners in the first six. DJ Layton hit two doubles, while Stiven Martinez had two hits and three RBI. Jordan Sanchez had a three-hit game.
