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Several Dodgers did reconnaissance at Citizens Bank Park last week, in preparation for this week’s series against the Phillies. But it was also for good reason, with three Dodgers starting the All-Star Game and Justin Wrobleski on the mound.

Once regular season play resumed on Friday, the Dodgers acquitted themselves well in a low-scoring weekend against the Yankees. The series was bookended by 2-1 contests, each team winning one. The Dodgers won the middle game, postponed by rain on Saturday and played Sunday morning instead. Even that game was low-scoring, aside from the Dodgers pulling away with a five-run eighth inning.

The result was two wins in three games, and the Dodgers finishing the week at 63-37, the best record in Major League Baseball 100 games into the season.

Batter of the week

Tommy Edman has been quite productive since returning from the injured list over a month ago. He was instrumental in The Bronx, with two hits and two RBI in Sunday’s first game, then a game-tying pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of the nightcap.

Honorable mention goes to Max Muncy, who played in his third All-Star Game and started at third base in Philadelphia, then homered off Gerrit Cole on Friday night at Yankee Stadium to give the Dodgers the win in the series opener.

Pitcher of the week

Two-time All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto rebounded from his first truly bad start of the season by going the distance on only 102 pitches on Sunday afternoon against the Yankees. He struck out seven, walked none, and hurled the Dodgers only complete game this season to date.

Yamamoto pitched the Dodgers’ first complete game at Yankee Stadium since Burt Hooton in Game 2 of the 1977 World Series (hat tip to Jay Jaffe for that nugget).

Week 17 results

2-1 record
11 runs scored (3.67 per game)
5 runs allowed (1.67 per game)
.809 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

63-37 record
517 runs scored (5.17 per game)
362 runs allowed (3.62 per game)
.658 pythagorean win percentage (66-34)

Miscellany

Happy birthday: Left-hander Justin Wrobleski made his first All-Star team, and got to pitch two innings for the National League on his 26th birthday, Tuesday in Philadelphia. Wrobleski allowed a solo home run to old friend Miguel Vargas but also struck out five. That matched a Dodgers record in an All-Star Game, along with Don Drysdale in 1959 and Fernando Valenzuela in 1986. Those two previous five-strikeout affairs came in three-inning stints.

Wrobleski is just the second Dodger to play in an All-Star Game on his birthday. Closer Jeff Shaw made his Dodgers debut in the midsummer classic in 1998 on the day he turned 32 years old.

First things first: Two weeks after his major league debut, catcher Eliezer Alfonzo singled to center field off Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough in the third inning on Sunday night at Yankee Stadium for his first major league hit at 26 years, 299 days old.

Backstop on top: Speaking of catchers, Will Smith hasn’t played since June 5, and he’s expected to be out until at least mid-August as he still deals with neck inflammation. Smith led the Dodgers in catching starts and innings behind the plate every season from 2020-25, and was leading the team this year too until the weekend in New York. Dalton Rushing now tops the team with 46 catching starts and 398 1/3 innings, with Smith at 44 starts and 393 innings.

Transactions

Friday: Utility man Kiké Hernández started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, 52 days after suffering an oblique strain. He’s expected back at some point during the Dodgers homestand that begins on July 28.

Friday: Pitcher Charlie Barnes, who was designated for assignment on July 11, cleared waivers, was sent outright to Triple-A but declared free agency. But he’s back with Oklahoma City on a minor league deal.

Sunday: Pitcher Kyle Hurt was called up as the 27th player for the second game of the doubleheader in New York.

Game results

• Friday: Dodgers 2, Yankees 1
• Sunday: Dodgers 8, Yankees 2
• Sunday: Yankees 2, Dodgers 1

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | no reviews for Weeks 14-15 | Week 16

Up next

The road trip continues, running the Juan Samuel gauntlet first in Philadelphia then back to New York to play the last-place, dumpster-fire Mets.

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Happy Monday, everyone!

A new week brings a ton of opportunities, and our MLB moneyline predictions are no exception. 

Let's dive into the full slate with my MLB picks on Monday, July 20!

MLB moneyline picks for July 20

Matchup	Pick
Twins vs Guardians	-113
Dodgers vs Phillies	+125
Pirates vs Yankees	+106
Rays vs Blue Jays	-150
Orioles vs Red Sox	-138
Padres vs Braves	+130
Mets vs Brewers	-199
Giants vs Royals	-111
White Sox vs Rangers	-160
Tigers vs Cubs	+106
Marlins vs Astros	-117
Nationals vs Rockies	-117
Athletics vs Diamondbacks	+144
Reds vs Mariners	+138
Cardinals vs Angels	+104

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of July 20.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for July 20

Twins vs Guardians: Twins (-113)

Twins win probability: 53%

We’re getting a ton of value with the Minnesota Twins in this matchup.

The Cleveland Guardians offense has been ice cold, and now they will send Tanner Bibee to the mound, who has posted a 4.58 ERA over his last three starts. This feels like a perfect spot to fade Cleveland and back Minnesota.

On the other side, the Twins hand the ball to Joe Ryan, who has been absolutely NAILS all season long. Their offense has been swinging it well too, posting a 110 wRC+, .327 wOBA, and .744 OPS over their last 12 games.

Give me the Twins.

Dodgers vs Phillies: Dodgers (+125)

Dodgers win probability: 44%

As lazy as this may sound, when's the next time you're going to get the Los Angeles Dodgers at +125? Seriously.

Emmet Sheehan has looked sharp over his last three outings, posting a 2.87 xERA and 0.95 WHIP. Meanwhile, Cristopher Sanchez has hit a bit of a rough patch in his last few starts.

Getting the Dodgers at plus money is a price I'm willing to take. Give me Los Angeles at +125.

Pirates vs Yankees: Pirates (+106)

Pirates win probability: 48%

The way the New York Yankees have played over the last month, I can't bring myself to back them today, tomorrow, or the next day. Until they prove they've turned things around, they'll remain an auto fade for me. And trust me, it pains me to say that because this is my team.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates offense has been on a tear over the last week, posting a 145 wRC+, .374 wOBA, .223 ISO, and an .860 OPS. At +106, give me the Buccos.

Rays vs Blue Jays: Blue Jays (-150)

Blue Jays win probability: 60%

Sure, the Toronto Blue Jays offense has been pretty cold over the last month, but the Tampa Bay Rays haven't been much better over the last few weeks. With Dylan Cease on the mound, I think he puts Toronto in a position where the offense only needs to do the bare minimum to come away with a win.

Orioles vs Red Sox: Red Sox (-138)

Red Sox win probability: 58%

I want to see them make it 14 straight.

I'm also a huge fan of lefty Payton Tolle, who's been outstanding for the Boston Red Sox this season. Baltimore Orioles starter Shane Baz has pitched well lately, but there's still one concern. He's allowing 46% hard contact, and that's a number that can catch up to you in a hurry.

I'll keep riding the hottest team in baseball. Give me the Red Sox to come out on top once again.

Padres vs Braves: Padres (+130)

Padres win probability: 44%

The San Diego Padres shouldn't be +130 underdogs when the Atlanta Braves have been just as bad over the last few weeks. On top of that, neither starter has inspired much confidence lately. JP Sears owns a 5.79 ERA over his last three starts, while Bryce Elder has been even worse with a 10.29 ERA.

I'll gladly take the plus money here. Give me the Padres as the underdog.

Mets vs Brewers: Brewers (-199)

Brewers win probability: 66%

Until we see Jacob Misiorowski take a step back, I don't know how you can bet against the Milwaukee Brewers. I don't care if it's Freddy Peralta's return to Milwaukee. He's posted a 5.58 ERA on the road, while the New York Mets have managed just a 90 wRC+ over their last six games.

Give me the Brewers on the run line at plus money for a better overall price tag.

Giants vs Royals: Royals (-111)

Royals win probability: 52%

Sure, both offenses have cooled off over their last few games, but there's one thing you can usually count on: the Kansas City Royals playing their best baseball at Kauffman Stadium. That's also where Michael Wacha has done his best work, posting a 3.21 ERA and 1.07 WHIP at home.

On the other side, Tyler Mahle has struggled mightily on the road with an 8.45 ERA. I'd much rather trust the team that consistently plays better at home.

White Sox vs Rangers: Rangers (-160)

Rangers win probability: 62%

I'm taking Jacob deGrom over Erick Fedde 10 times out of 10, especially with how well the Texas Rangers have been swinging the bats lately. This feels like a great spot for Texas to stay hot offensively while their ace takes care of business on the mound.

Tigers vs Cubs: Tigers (+106)

Tigers win probability: 48%

I'm never a fan of backing the Detroit Tigers because of their inconsistencies, but after putting up 10 runs the day before, it's tough to expect them to replicate that type of offensive explosion in back-to-back games.

Plus, when you throw out Jameson Taillon, who owns a 7.77 ERA, 6.92 xERA, and 1.64 WHIP over his last five starts, I don't have much confidence in him keeping things under control for the Chicago Cubs.

Marlins vs Astros: Astros (-117)

Astros win probability: 54%

The Miami Marlins have posted a 65 wRC+, .261 wOBA, .578 OPS, and .117 ISO over their last six games, and that makes it tough for me to back them in this spot.

Have the Houston Astros been playing great baseball lately? Not really. But they are back at home, and they still have Yordan Alvarez, who feels due to make an impact at any moment.

I'll side with Houston here.

Nationals vs Rockies: Nationals (-117)

Nationals win probability: 54%

Only having to pay 17 cents of juice for one of the most explosive offenses in baseball, in Coors Field? Yeah, I want the Washington Nationals.

The Colorado Rockies have gone cold since the break, while the Nationals have been scorching hot all month long. Give me Washington to keep the momentum rolling.

Athletics vs Diamondbacks: Athletics (+144)

Athletics win probability: 41%

Neither team has been particularly impressive over the last month or so, but I think getting the Athletics at +144 as an underdog provides great value.

This is an offense that feels primed to break out at any moment, and the Arizona Diamondbacks pitching staff has been atrocious all season long. I'll gladly take the plus money and back the dog here.

Reds vs Mariners: Reds (+138)

Reds win probability: 42%

The Seattle Mariners have been an ice cube offensively for over a month, while the Cincinnati Reds have been absolutely scorching hot.

If George Kirby's strikeout rate hadn't dipped so much over his last few outings, I may have leaned toward Seattle. But when you're not missing bats, it's tough to slow down a Reds lineup that's been putting pressure on opposing pitchers.

Give me Cincinnati here.

Cardinals vs Angels: Cardinals (+104)

Cardinals win probability: 49%

Yup, another dog.

Kyle Leahy has been lights out over his last five starts, posting a 1.42 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Meanwhile, Jose Soriano has been one of the biggest disappointments since April, struggling badly over his last five starts with a 6.38 ERA and 12.50 WHIP.

Both offenses have been cold, but in my opinion, the St. Louis Cardinals have the much better offensive unit. At this price, give me the dog.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Fourteen Years Ago Today

The Blue Jays and the Astrosmade a ten-player trade:

• We got J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon, and David Carpenter.

• The Astros got Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, Joe Musgrove, Carlos Perez, David Rollins, Asher Wojciechowski and Kevin Comer.

Happ played for us for 2.5 seasons. He was hurt quite a bit, including one injury when a line drive hit him in the head, and he ended up on the DL with a leg injury. In 2.5 seasons, he had a 19-20 record and a 4.35 ERA in 58 games, 50 starts. We traded him to theMariners for Michael Saunders. He wasn’t good for Seattle, then went to the Pirates, where he became an excellent pitcher. He went 7-2 with a 1.85 ERA in 21 games. After the season, we signed him as a free agent, and he was great for 2.5 seasons before being traded to the Yankees. He won 20 games in 2016. As a Yankee, he was 21-10 with a 4.13 ERA in 51 games. In 2021, he split time between the Twins and the Cardinals, and that ended his career. In total, he was 133-100, with 59 of those wins with the Jays, and a 4.13 ERA in 354 games, 328 starts.

Lyon finished 2012 with the Jays and had a 2.88 ERA in 30 relief appearances. He signed with the Mets after the season. 2013 was his last season in the majors. We took him mainly to even out the money.

Carpenter threw 2.2 innings for the Jays. He then had a couple of good seasons with the Braves. After that, he threw a handful of innings for the Yankees, Nationals, and Rangers in 2019 after three seasons out of the MLB. He pitched in 222 games with a 3.69 ERA over 6 seasons.

On the other side:

Cordero was a 37-year-old reliever at the time of the trade. He wasn’t good for us that season and was much worse for the Astros in 6 games. So that was the end for him.

Francisco played 27 games for us, hitting .240/.296/.380 in 54 P.A. He hit about the same for the Astros after the trade. Then he had a few at-bats with theRaysand Yankees over the next two seasons.

Musgrove pitched two seasons with the Astros, in 2016 and 2017, and was 11-12 with a 4.52 ERA in 49 games (25 starts). Then he was part of the trade that brought Gerrit Cole to Houston. He had three seasons with the Pirates. For the last three years, he’s been a Padre. In his career, he is 59-56 with a 3.74 ERA in 185 games, 159 starts. He’s become an excellent starter.

Carlos Perez never played with the Astros. He was traded to the Angels for Hank Conger after the 2014 season. He’s since played for the Braves, Rangers and A’s, hitting .232/.393/.384 for them this year.

The Mariners took David Rollins in the Rule 5 draft before the 2015 season. He pitched in 2015 and 2016, posting a 7.60 ERA over 34.1 innings.

Wojciechowski pitched 16 innings for the Astros in 2015, 62 innings for the Reds in 2017, 119.1 innings for the Orioles over the next two seasons, and 4 innings for the Yankees in 2021.

Overall, if you consider that Happ likely wouldn’t have signed with the Blue Jays before the 2016 season if he hadn’t been with the Jays before, we can call the trade a win.

Beyond that, we could have used the pitchers we traded off as depth when we had injury problems over those years, but we got the best player in the trade (though Musgrove would be nice to have now).

I remember not being thrilled with getting Happ; Alex Anthopoulos liked him, and he was right in the long run. It took a while, but Happ became an excellent starter, which is why the trade works as a win. Alex saw something in him.

When the Mets traded for Freddy Peralta before the 2026 season, they sold the move to fans as a solution for the pitching collapse that had plagued them last year. The team would finally have an ace to bring it all together. With Peralta’s ERA at 4.66, FIP at 4.39, and WHIP at 1.44, that hasn’t been the case.

When Peralta first arrived at spring training, players weren’t the only Mets newcomers. Having overhauled their coaching staff, the Mets also had a new pitching coach in Justin Willard, and he had a very clear goal in mind for the entire pitching staff: throw the first pitch in the strike zone. His style was also very different from what Peralta had worked with in Brewers pitching coach Chris Hook. Where Hook has been described by his pitchers as more hands off, only stepping in once he thought it was needed, Willard has been described—in the same article as above—as “very direct” and almost militaristic in his programs. Both coaches describe a mentality of strong communication to relate to their pitchers, but with different outcomes in mind. Hook’s goal is to help the pitcher get to their individual goal, whereas Willard is trying to understand the pitcher’s mindset and hear their concerns, but his stated goal for them does not seem to change as a result of these conversations.

To emphasize, neither style is wrong, but they are different, and making a shift to a new organizational mentality and goal-setting methodology can require quite a bit of adjustment. Peralta spent his entire career before this season with one organization and its pitching coach’s philosophy. Stepping into a new system, under a new coach, with a pre-defined goal is a big change for a player to absorb mid-career. In addition, some of the mechanical differences that have been discussed all season started on Opening Day. His arm angle lowered meaningfully, his release point changed, and his pitch mix shifted, although he continues to rely on his fastball most of the time. His first-pitch strike rate in 2026 has dropped from 2025.

While the Mets organization has cited mechanical flaws for Peralta’s troubles, Peralta himself has stated in interviews that he feels physically fine and that his stuff is also fine. Looking at the Statcast information for each start in 2025 and 2026 tells its own story. While his arm angle has been drifting slightly downwards since late June 2025, it had dropped from averaging 36.67 degrees in his last start of 2025 to 33.14 degrees by Opening Day of this year. As a result, his average release height had also dropped from his last game of 2025, at 5.34 feet, to 5.23 feet on Opening Day 2026. Jay Jaffe of FanGraphs noted on June 23 that it could have actually helped Peralta’s fastball deceive hitters more, even as he struggled with his breaking pitches.

Peralta’s pitch mix might be the reason for his overall velocity decrease, but his pitch combinations are not doing him any favors. While he has incorporated more changeups, reduced his slider usage, and slightly increased the number of sweepers, he still throws his fastball the majority of the time (around 53%). His tunneling has not been as good as it was in 2025. The fastball-slider combination continues to work well for him, but the curveball, slider, and sweeper are increasingly ending up in similar locations, in the lower-middle part of the zone, more visible earlier out of his hand. They do not fool hitters like they once did. Despite all the changes, he has not made as many first-pitch strikes as he did in 2025. In 2025, his first-pitch strike rate was 63.3%. In 2026 so far, it is 59.7%. League-wide across pitchers, the average is 61.2%. 

After an incredibly rough start on June 20, Peralta started making some changes that are definitively his own. He started putting his hands over his head before throwing, a position he stated that he found more comfortable. He started calling some of his own pitches, incorporating more sweepers and sliders, according to Will Sammon at the Athletic. Beyond these changes, his average arm angle has started to increase again, from 31.57 degrees on June 20, to 34.61 degrees on July 1, to 37.55 degrees on July 11. His release height is moving with it. His fastball velocity is back up, from an average around 93.8 prior to his start on June 25, to about 95.1 MPH since June 25, higher even than in 2025. 

The results have been mixed so far, although some of it may be bad luck combined with some inept Mets defense. His command has not bounced back and actually has gotten worse. He has demonstrated visible frustration in games lately. While he still struggles to go deep into games, it’s really no different than last year, still averaging around 5.1 innings per start. However, he is mechanically starting to look more like Freddy Peralta of previous years, at least by the numbers. The Mets are pleased by what they see. It does call into question whether his stuff needed that much alteration to begin with, given such little return.

As the trade deadline approaches, it seems almost guaranteed that Peralta will be traded, barring a better outcome from a qualifying offer. That makes sense, as it seems like this has not been a good fit, whatever the underlying reason. Perhaps he will benefit more from an approach like the Brewers had, or from simply pursuing a different goal than the one Willard set for him. With that in mind, a more useful question for his next club might be not what’s wrong with Freddy Peralta, but rather, how can they help him succeed.

Congratulations to Dalton Pence, who has been named the #10 prospect in the 2026 LSB Midseason Community Prospect Rankings, receiving a little under a quarter of the vote.

Our list so far:

1 — Sebastian Walcott

2 — Caden Scarborough

3 — Malcolm Moore

4 — A.J. Russell

5 — Yolfran Castillo

6 — Rafe Perich

7 — Dylan Dreiling

8 — Josh Owens

9 — Jose Corniell

10 — Dalton Pence

Moving on…

Because there has been a history of vote-spamming shenanigans in the rankings, I used Google Forms for the last several of community rankings, and it worked out well, so we will use it again. You will need to include your LSB user name when you vote. If you don’t have an LSB user name, you need to use some sort of identifier. While this won’t eliminate the possibility of vote spamming, it will make it harder.

So who is the #11 prospect in the Rangers system right now?

Cast your vote below…

Needing another arm for their beleaguered bullpen, the Phillies have recalled righthanded reliever Alex McFarlane to the majors.

McFarlane is on the older side for a rookie (25 years old) and has never pitched above the AA level (he was called up to the majors for one day in April but didn’t appear in a game), but there are reasons to be optimistic: He throws over 100 MPH and has performed well at Reading.

It seems like the Phillies will take advantage of the off day on Thursday to skip the problematic fifth starter spot the next time through their order. After that, if McFarlane looks better than the other relievers in the bullpen (not a high bar to clear), it’s possible that he may stick around.

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The New York Yankees are -120 favorites against the Pittsburgh Pirates in tonight's series opener.

My Pirates vs. Yankees predictions and MLB picks expect the road team to take advantage of Ryan Weathers and his struggles limiting power on Monday, July 20. 

Who will win Pirates vs Yankees today: Pirates (+100)

The Pittsburgh Pirates hammer baseballs. That’s what they’re built to do. 

They are tied for 10th in homers and slot third in hard-hit rate against lefties despite Esmerlyn Valdez being new to the scene. They were built in a lab to exploit Ryan Weathers, who sits in the 14th percentile in barrel rate and 29th in hard-hit rate. 

The New York Yankees have power but struggle with discipline, owning the fifth-highest K% vs. righties in July. Braxton Ashcraft’s 96th percentile chase rate should play well.

Pittsburgh shouldn’t be even money. Bet to -115.

COVERS INTEL: The Pirates have hit homers on 17.1% of their fly balls over the last month, ranking second in the majors.

Pirates vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 8 (+100)

Yankee Stadium is the third-most favorable park for home run hitters, and both of these teams possess the power to capitalize.

The Pirates rank second in OPS this month, and their power is unlikely to be hindered given the abundance of hard contact Weathers concedes.

While Ashcraft is more likely to hold up, he ranks in the 32nd percentile in hard-hit rate allowed. He’s not exactly immune to power, and the Yankees are tied for seventh in homers in July.

The long balls should help push this game Over. Bet to -115.

Pirates vs Yankees weather

Temperatures in the low 80s are expected. The warm weather should allow for balls to carry a little further in what is already a hitter-friendly ballpark.

Pirates vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Pittsburgh +100 | New York -120
• Run line: Pittsburgh -1.5 (+165) | New York +1.5 (-200)
• Over/Under: Over 8.0 (+100) | Under 8.0 (-120)

Pirates vs Yankees trend

Pittsburgh has hit the Game Total Over in 30 of the last 45 games (+14.95 units, 30% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Yankees.

How to watch Pirates vs Yankees and game info

Pirates vs Yankees latest injuries

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The Guardians dropped the series finale in pathetic fashion to the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-1. I would estimate they made at least six obvious baserunning errors.

Stephen Vogt took responsibilty for this, placing the blame on the coaching staff:

Gabriel Arias was asked about his TOOTBLAN. He mumbled and so, apparently, his translator decided to do the same, because I can’t quite make out what either said. Maybe you can?

Things are especially dire for Kyle Manzardo right now. Overall, he has an 86 wRC+… which is bad enough. He has had one good month if we look deeper into things; from Opening Day to May 1st, he put up a 46 wRC+, from May 2nd to June 14th, he put up a 162 wRC+, and from June 16th to today, he has put up a 43 wRC+. Is that 162 wRC+ still in there? Or, is he more of this unplayable hitter? Are back issues having a big effect on his swing and his power disappearing? These are all questions to which we will never hear an answer, but the team desparately needs better production.

When Jose Ramirez returns… perhaps today… I will be very curious to see whom he replaces on the roster. I am ready for a Gabriel Arias DFA, but I think a Daniel Schneemann demotion is more likely. When Angel Martinez (who hit two doubles in Columbus yesterday) returns, I’d like to see him replace Petey Halpin and continue to allow Kahlil Watson try to work things out. But, either way on that is fine. I’d also like to see the team consider how best to promote Angel Genao. Is that to get him some outfield reps in Columbus? Is that to move Travis Bazzana to a more DH-only role while having him start to work on left field (Kwan to center) or even first base and getting Genao up to play second? I cannot tell you. But, I think Genao is starting to knock the door down.

Joe Ryan comes to town tonight for the Twins as the two teams begin a crucial four-game series! So, that’s fun. I’m sure the team that couldn’t hit Khristian Curtis will be able to hit Ryan.

AROUND MLB:
White Sox won, Twins and Tigers lost, and Red Sox won their 13th in a row.

It is no secret that Craig Stammen has suffered through a rough first season as San Diego Padres manager. Yes, some of the obstacles associated with the job were expected. 

However, transitioning from the front office to the dugout without any minor or major league managerial experience has been an insurmountable leap. The hiring felt like a cost-saving move for the organization. The experiment with a novice field boss needs to end; the Padres have no other choice but to let Stammen go. 

More head-scratching decisions

Entering the first game of the second half against the Kansas City Royals, the Friars had 48 wins on the season, nine more than their opponents. 

But the Royals showed more passion after giving up three runs in the top of the 10th inning. In a nightmarish half-inning, the Royals went on to score four runs off Kyle Hart for an improbable victory. 

Why was your long man closing out the first game of the second half? The Padres were desperate to get back into the wild-card chase. In hindsight, the move made no sense. Stammen had set up relievers who were more familiar with closing out games if he did not want to use Mason Miller for two innings. Another wasted opportunity to gain ground on the leaderboard.

Padres lack energy and urgency

Baseball is an energy sport. Sometimes, a manager’s poor in-game decisions can sap all the energy from a team. No sense of urgency has plagued the Padres all season. Yes, you need talent to win, but if energy is missing in the clubhouse, then it will be tough to rally the team from a crushing defeat.

No question, team morale is low. Granted, the Friars exploded for 19 runs to salvage the final game of a weekend set against a team well below the .500 mark and sitting 13 games back in the AL Central. Stammen can be happy with Sunday’s results, but he cannot continue sabotaging his team’s momentum with baffling moves.

Stammen is a company man

Another troubling aspect is Stammen’s relationship with the media. He resorts to the “company line” when responding to questions. At times, Stammen robotically recites the front office’s talking points when discussing what took place in the game. Usually, he offers very little information for the fans to digest. 

Stammen rarely shares his feelings on what plagues the 2026 Padres. However, he needs to stop trying to convince the Friar Faithful that the lineup is not broken. Stammen’s coaching staff has failed to solve the puzzle of a stagnant offense, as the pieces lie everywhere. 

Currently, the Padres are ranked 29th in the majors, scoring 3.97 runs per game. The lineup has underperformed, but the talent gap is not that far from other major league clubs. 

Stammen cannot be blamed for all of the team’s struggles. He handled the implosion of the starting rotation as well as anyone could have expected. The lack of consistent pitching from the replacement starters has dragged the Friars into oblivion. 

A stagnant offense and inconsistent starting pitching have made for a long summer. Unfortunately, the Friars are riding out the remainder of the season to its miserable end. 

A managerial change is needed, just to put everyone in a better frame of mind.