Hampshire make U-turn over Scott Kuggeleijn signing after fan backlash as Warwickshire add to their troubles
Kent’s start is on the crunchy side of autumn. Compton (8) and Crawley (6) both gone. Kent 18-2.
Rain at The Oval too, where my daughter is looking after my nephews and a couple of their friends. If you see an auburn haired young woman looking harassed, placate her with a mini roll. Auqib Nabi is Surrey’s latest recruit.
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For years now, Harrison barnes has shown he more than a basketball player. Together with his wife Brittany, the Barnes have made many charitable donations. Since moving to San Antonio and joining the Spurs, they donated $250,000 to AlamoPROMISE, $50,000 to the San Antonio MLK Commission, and another $150,000 across ten nonprofit organizations. They were involved with court renovations in Austin, Texas and Saltillo, Mexico.
Now Barnes has invest $25M into a bank in Paton, Iowa, a small town of approximately 250 people. The bank is located just over 40 miles from where he grew up. He has previously served on bank boards and studied at the Iowa School of Banking. His interest in community banking blossomed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is not a vanity project,” Barnes said. “We want to be Iowa’s next great bank.”
Barnes’ ownership in Community State Bank is designed to preserve rather than overhaul it. Community State Bank’s name, staff and management will remain in place. The bank, celebrating its 70th anniversary, was acquired through Barnes Bancorp, Inc., a company he owns.
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After hosting the Pirates series at home, the Cardinals could have been a .500 team or even a winning team; however, the Cardinals lost that series and hover a win or two away from the 70 win plateau. Why am I watching that closely? Why, it’s the number of wins Vegas odds predicted the Cardinals would win. If you are a betting Cardinals fan, rejoice! You are sure to be seeing a payout there. I almost made that bet back in April, but alas, I’m not a betting man.
To start out the season, I was writing warped projections articles showing how it wouldn’t be that hard for the Cardinals to get to around .500 or even surpass that mark. Well they certainly have the ability to go over .500, they just can’t stay over by more than 9 games. They also cannot seem to sink too far below the .500 line, but they still have a month to lose. I think they will be fine, -ish. They surely would have, could have, had a stronger finish if stalwart players like Masyn Winn, JJ Wetherholt, Andre Pallante, and the up and coming Hunter Dobbins all could have stayed healthy. But here we are, entering the final month, under .500 and missing key players.
It sure looks like the Cardinals could end up as many as ten or more games below .500, or the team could simply continue to tread water, struggling with .500. Promotions to players like Winquest, Bernal, and Rincon feel more like auditions for next year at this point. So beyond looking forward to seeing how the young players close out the season and set themselves up for 2027, what else is there to do? I don’t know about you, but I feel like reminiscing about what has happened during the first 5 months of the season. Already feeling nostalgic? I guess!
But first, another look at the Rookie of the Year race, which is voted on by a (hopefully) diverse group of assessors that know what they are doing regarding player evaluations…
I won’t be able to fault you picking any of those 4 guys to win it right now. I of course would just defer to WAR and my own fandom here and vote JJ, but then again, if he misses ample playing time, he may get passed up or tied in WAR if something outlandish happens over the last month.
A Grade Cardinals
2B JJ Wetherholt had the right combination of defense and above average hitting this year to amass 4.4 fWAR in 130 games played. He arrived as such a valuable player by playing outlandish defense while sustaining an on-base percentage of .343 at leadoff, while occasionally wearing some pitchers down. He may not have many games left to add to his 17 HR total, but even 17 was more than we had imagined. Wetherholt gets an A for his rookie season, even if it’s already over. If you’re curious, Baseball Reference rates JJ even higher at 4.6 WAR. If JJ were to play a 150 game season, he would have no problem cracking 5 WAR.
Injury update: the earliest JJ can come back is Sept 9, and I think the Cardinals expect him to be back then.
RF Jordan Walker has so far inverted his -1.3 fWAR from last season into a +3.1 fWAR as it stands today. This is still the biggest surprise of the season. While Wetherholt doubled his projections, Walker threw the script on himself out the window. The new Walker has emerged, and this version won the Home Run Derby. He is still a liability in right field, but possesses a cannon for an arm to help offset that a little. When you’re chasing down 30 home runs and hitting better than most of the league, you get an A. When you better yourself by over 4.5 WAR from last year, you might deserve an A+, even. There is still work to be done, however, mostly on defense, but an A is enough. Good work Jordan Walker. Prediction: 3.5 WAR, 30 HR, 100 RBI, 20 SB.
1B Alec Burleson the story of Burly goes back to 2022-2023, where he was a below average hitter working his way up. Since then, Alec Burleson has taken his own form of hitting and made it better each season. He remains hacktastic and a little prone to lefties, but he has worked on his weakness. One of which was on-base percentage. Burly has bettered himself by upping his OBP every season. While his batting average seems to have maxed out, Burleson has raised his OBP markedly each season:
Walks may be boring, but they open the doors to more runs and even more power. Burleson has already tied his career-high HR total of 21 (2024) while walking a lot more often than that year. Going to have to give out another A. Burly now has 100 RBI, which is easily his career high. What can Burly do to continue his constant improvements? He can lower his strikeouts and keep improving vs left-handed pitching. Of course, if he can play defense even better next year which I believe he will, that’s just another way he can continue to become even more valuable.
B–
SS Masyn Winn daredevil shortstop with the difference maker arm, eliminating baserunners gets a B. The hitting is below average, but enough for a plus defender that is difficult to pin down, value-wise. Wetherholt and Winn turned so many double plays it made my head spin. Winn altered his batting style this year, upping his on base percentage but seeing everything else falter on offense. Prorated to 150 games, Winn is still a 3+ WAR player and a key part of the defense.
Update: Winn could return sooner than later
LF Joshua Baez I would give Baez a B but his wRC+ is still around Masyn Winn territory. He gets the B- for hitting home runs at a pace of about a home run per series, but mostly because he’s only played in 16 games and I don’t really know what to say about him just yet. The power has been enormous so far: .315 ISO! Far too early, but it’s been a fun debut for the youngster. The statcast numbers aren’t really out yet except for his sprint speed, which is 89th percentile, and his average exit velocity is among the best at 93.4!
Update: Baez now has 6 HR! and is above 100 wRC+.
C+
C/DH Ivan Herrera’s season has come down to him breaking a record by getting hit by pitches (not on purpose!) and well, should he even be a catcher. While he might be the team’s best blocker, he isn’t very good at catching overall. On a team crowded with catchers, it begs the question, should a guy who can’t throw runners out even bother catching? The complicating factor, other than Ivan may not be suited to playing any other position: he doesn’t hit well when he is the designated hitter. He turns into a pumpkin. Do you continue to let him catch, or try to trade him in the offseason? That’s the choice, in my opinion.
How do we grade Herrera against his past self? His power numbers are down but his on-base percentage is up. He takes more walks but isn’t striking out more. I think ultimately he is having a weird off year because of all the hit by pitches and never quite finding his rhythm. As a big Herrera fan, I wanted to give him a better grade, but he has just been an above average hitter that sets the tone at the top of the lineup, very similar to JJ at leadoff. The defensive metric numbers are very similar to Jordan Walker’s, so he will probably be dragged down in value by his defense going forward each year. Here’s hoping he can figure out to hit more as a DH or moving to another position that he is better at. He is fine as a backup catcher, but you want to get the bat into the lineup more often.
C
OF Bryan Torres looks to be a good bench player depth piece! If you started his .6 WAR 150 games, he would be about a 1.65 WAR guy. So I don’t see him stealing a starting spot. But I am definitely not disappointed with Torres. Batting league average with a few home runs while playing decent defense. That works.
C Pedro Pages I give Pedro a lot of crap off and on throughout the season, but ultimately in a way he is like the “lite” version of Masyn Winn. Good defense, bad offense. Pedro should hit better next year, but you cannot expect more than an 80 wRC+ from this guy. I like the plus defense. But the hitting can be bad, using this season as an example: 59 wRC+ is Victor Scott II territory. Unfortunately, Pedro cannot match that kind of elite defense. That said, Pages is perfectly fine as a backup catcher.
CF Everson Pereira’ his 109 wRC+, ISO north of .200, and pretty decent defense make me want to think of him as something more, but he just hasn’t played for the Cardinals enough to assign more than the default C grade, especially if he will be more of a bench guy. That said, I really like this random acquisition, and he’s been fun to watch (except when seeing his hand get smashed by a pitch!). Prorate his .5 fWAR to 2+ WAR. Maybe that’s our center fielder next year, or at least half the platoon! Perhaps a C+ is in order.
Update: now that Victor Scott II has been recalled, I would bet the Cardinals let Pereira heal up for a while.
CF Nathan Church has held his own despite a BABIP of .266. His 10 HR total has been nice. But! his .2 fWAR over 118 games is less than encouraging. Maybe a C-? He needs to improve on that defense (as does Pereira to some extent). Perhaps my biggest concern with Church is the batting average and especially the on-base percentage, but maybe next year will be better for the left-handed hitter.
3B Blaze Jordan while there have been some flashes of brilliance so far, the fact that his season has been tragically shortened by injury will force us to wait and see. The resulting left ankle sprain will have him missing several weeks of play. Blaze did not show a ton of power or on-base ability, but his defense was solid at the hot corner. Not a total disappointment, but definitely not much of a reinforcement either. Gorman was just that bad.
D
C Jimmy Crooks was a replacement level catcher with decent defensive abilities in 52 games played. You might be surprised he hit 5 home runs over that span of time, because his .179 BA due to a .232 BABIP and well, just not connecting with the ball most of the time made every plate appearance a difficult watch. 32.2% K rate.
F
Nelson Velazquez, Victor Scott II, Thomas Saggese, and Yohel Pozo did not make the cut, all had negative WAR, and ties were severed quickly. And yet, the worst negative fWAR “offenders” Nolan Gorman, Ramon Urias, and Cesar Prieto remain on the team. Granted, Saggese and Scott could theoretically be promoted, I just don’t see it happening. Nolan Gorman is still striking out over 32% of the time on the season. So, prorating his season out, Gorman would be one of the most painful ways to get 20 HR while playing mediocre defense at third base. That is not actually a good player when you aren’t doing much else but hitting home runs at a boring clip. While I don’t think Urias is as bad as his statline, he certainly has not been an asset. Many fans are wondering what the point of him being on the team is, other than being the veteran present. Prieto has been nearly legendarily bad in little playing time.
Some things about this season just do not compute, it’s been a weird year. It’s been fun, but the offense and bullpen are too inconsistent. There are about 3 players that are very good MLB producers, but two of them rely a lot on pulling off amazing defensive plays, with the other one being a first baseman.
What is the main flaw of the offense? They don’t strike out much, but they don’t like taking walks. I’m not sure how much this matters because of what the Brewers are doing, but they’re in the bottom 10 teams in HR total as an offense. With a .281 BABIP as an offense, I can tell you there is a pattern with certain players just not having a good BABIP, appearing unlucky at least to some extent. Wetherholt, Winn, etc.
Ok, so, I was wrong about Victor Scott II on Monday night! He’s back now! Guess that’s the main update for one day of a news gap. I think he will make the pitching staff a little more confident. The hitting can’t be much worse than a Church 80-ish wRC+. The catches will look easier out there... or Scott will be a good late-inning defensive replacement.
1996: The Year In Music
I am back to provide you with not the most popular opinions on music, but also, not the most obscure. Join me as I walk a line between total hipster underground albums you’ll never ever hear, and some albums that you are probably all too aware of! And everything in between, hopefully.
Dr. Octagon, paramedic fetus of the East
With priests, I’m from the Church of the Operating Room
With the strikes of force, scalpels since the Holocaust
I do indeed in greed, explore meet the patients
Back to brooms with the nurse with the voodoo curse
Holding up office lights, standing at huge heights
Back and forth, left wing swing to North
East and South with blood pouring down your mouth
I come prepared with the white suit and stethoscope
Listen to your heartbeat—delete, beep, beep, beep!
Your insurance is high, but my price is cheap
Look at the lamp (Let me show you showmthin’)
And with that, I’m going to leave with my 7 favorite albums of 1996. I will have more ‘96 next week, all my honorable mentions and heavy metal and whatnot. But these are my 7 can’t miss 1996 listening experiences.
It’s another late one in LA tonight, adn the night after. Then the quest continues to Denver and the Rockies later this week. Stay tuned!
If the Padres’ former owners are getting what they got and the Angels are being sold for their valuation, what do you think the Phillies would fetch if John Middleton decided to put them up on the market for sale?
$7 billion?
$8 billion?
On to the links.
Phillies news:
MLB news:
The Detroit Tigers took a spanking at the hands of the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, succumbing to a 10-run rally in the sixth inning en route to a 15-2 defeat. For the second night in a row, the Olde English D was left bruised and battered, having been outscored at Target Field so far, 26-3.
RIP run differential.
Getting the nod for the final game of the series for the Motor City Kitties is right-hander Drew Anderson, who will make his eighth start of the 2026 campaign. The 32-year-old has been perfectly serviceable since returning to the starting role, posting a solid 3.38 ERA but a concerning 5.55 FIP over four games stretching across 18 2/3 innings, allowing 17 hits (four home runs) and 10 walks while striking out 18, taking an L while his team lost three of those four outings.
Anderson has faced Minnesota twice this summer in relief, allowing a run on two hits and three walks while striking out six over 3 2/3 frames of work, picking up a hold in the process.
For the home team, fellow righty Dean Kremer will climb the hill for the American League Central battle. Since being traded to the Twins at the deadline, the 30-year-old has put up a 4.39 ERA and 4.06 FIP — numbers that are much improved over what he did with the Baltimore Orioles (6.50 ERA, 6.22 FIP) earlier this year — allowing 19 hits (three home runs) and 11 walks while striking out 23 and uncorking a wild pitch over his last 26 2/3 innings.
The Tigers absolutely slaughtered Kremer when they saw him with the O’s on July 28 right before the trade, scoring eight runs on eight hits (two home runs) and three walks against four strikeouts over four frames to hand him his fourth loss in a 14-0 blowout.
Take a look below at the matchup between the two hurlers in the series finale on Wednesday night.
Time (ET): 7:40 p.m.
Place: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 139: RHP Drew Anderson (4-5, 3.87 ERA) vs. RHP Dean Kremer (2-5, 5.60 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson | 45 | 86.0 | 26.0 | 9.5 | 47.6 | 4.18 | 0.5 |
| Kremer | 12 | 62.2 | 23.5 | 8.5 | 36.6 | 5.30 | 0.0 |
ANDERSON
KREMER
Free of charge for the discerning reader.
Happy birthday to Christian Bethancourt, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1965 – The Cubs beat St. Louis, 5-3, at Wrigley Field, as Ernie Banks hits his 400th home run, a three-run shot off Curt Simmons in the third. Simmons teed up the 400th home run of Willie Mays in 1963. Banks will end the season with 28 home runs and 106 RBI. Ron Santo and Billy Williams will also knock in over 100 runs, the only team with three such sluggers, but the Cubs will still finish in eighth place; and 1972 – Milt Pappas of the Cubs hurls a no-hit game in beating the Padres, 8-0. Pappas has a perfect game until pinch-hitter Larry Stahl walks with two outs in the 9th inning. Pappas and C Randy Hundley both say of the pitches to Stahl, “They were so close I don’t know how Stahl could take them, but they were balls.” Pappas later comments on the plate umpire: “he had a chance to become famous as the umpire in the twelfth perfect game in history, but he blew it.” Pappas retires former Cub Garry Jestadt to finish the game, and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
Today in Cubs history:
Cubs Birthdays:Christian Bethancourt*, Jason Hammel, Gordon Massa, Len Rice, Al Spalding HOF.
Today in history:
Today in music history:
*pictured.
BINGHAMTON 7, ROCHESTER 4 (BOX)
Jonathan Santucci was solid, throwing five-innings of two-run ball, both runs coming on a pair of solo homers in the fourth, but Mets had built up a solid lead by that point, scoring six runs in the game’s first three innings. The southpaw ended up getting his first Triple-A win and 40th rounder Brian Metoyer locked down his first Triple-A save. With their win against the division-leading Red Wings, the Syracuse Mets now find themselves 3.5 games back in the standings.
· CF D’Andre Smith: 1-5, K, 2 SB (6, 7)
· LF Jose Ramos: 0-4, 2 K
· SS Ronny Mauricio: 1-4, R, HR (17), RBI, K
· RF MJ Melendez: 1-4, R, 2B
· 1B Eric Wagaman: 1-4, R, HR (5), RBI, K
· DH Billy Amick: 1-2, R, HR (5), 2 RBI, BB
· 3B Nick Lorusso: 3-4, 2 R, SB (4), E (2)
· C Hayden Senger: 3-4, R, 2B, RBI
· 2B Zack Short: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, K
· LHP Jonathan Santucci: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (1-3)
· RHP Matt Seelinger: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
· RHP Ben Simon: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, H (3)
· RHP Brian Metoyer: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (1)
ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets recalled RHP Dylan Ross from Syracuse Mets.
ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets recalled LF Nick Morabito from Syracuse Mets.
ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets sent RHP Ryan Lambert on a rehab assignment to Brooklyn Cyclones.
ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets activated 1B Ryan Clifford from the Development List.
BINGHAMTON 4, NEW GAMPSHIRE 3 (BOX)
The Fisher Cats were in control of this ballgame for most of it, but Binghamton took the lead in the bottom of the seventh on held on to win it. The victory, combined with Reading’s loss to Hartford, leaves them 3.5 games behind in the division.
· DH Mitch Voit: 0-4, 2 K
· SS Marco Vargas: 2-4, K, SB (24), E (3)
· 2B Jefferson Rojas: 1-4, K
· 3B Jacob Reimer: 0-3, BB, K
· C Chris Suero: 0-2, R, 2 BB, 2 SB (35, 36), PB (16)
· LF Eli Serrano III: 0-3, R, BB
· CF John Bay: 1-4, R, 2B, RBI, SB
· 1B Corey Collins: 1-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K
· RF JT Benson: 0-2
· RHP Gary Gill Hill: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
· RHP Douglas Orellana: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
· RHP Carlos Guzman: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (5-1)
· RHP Brendan Girton: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, H (6)
· RHP Garrett Stratton: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, E (2), S (6)
GAME ONE
FREDERICK 3, BROOKLYN 2 / 10 (BOX)
This one was a continuation of a game that was suspended way back on July 5th. The game was tied 2-2, with the Cyclones just having tied things up on a Mitch Voit sac fly. When things returned, neither team was able to score within the next two innings, forcing the game into the tenth. Brooklyn wasn’t able to cash in on their ghost runner, but the Keys were in the bottom of the frame.
· SS Mitch Voit: 1-3, 2 RBI, K
· LF Trey Snyder: 0-1
· 3B Yonatan Henriquez: 2-4, 2B, BB, K
· RF JT Benson: 0-4, 2 K
· 2B Antonio Jimenez: 0-0, BB, CS (2)
· C-1B Ronald Hernandez: 0-5
· 1B Corey Collins: 1-4, 2 K
· C Chase Meggers: 0-0
· DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-3, BB, K
· 2B Jamari Baylor: 0-2, R, BB
· SS Elian Peña: 0-0, BB
· LF Trace Willhoite: 0-1, 2 BB
· RF John Spikerman: 0-1
· CF Sam Biller: 2-3, R, 2B
· CF Aiden Robbins: 0-1, K
· RHP Robert Stock: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, E (1)
· RHP Ryan Dollar: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, WP
· LHP Daviel Hurtado: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
· RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 WP, BLK
· RHP Hunter Hodges: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, L (0-3)
GAME TWO
FREDERICK 6, BROOKLYN 4 (BOX)
Both teams had a long layover waiting for this one to start on account of the rain, but when it did, the Cyclones got down to business quickly, with Elian Pena hitting a triple, Aiden Robbins driving him in with a single, and Robbins eventually getting driven in himself on a Yonatan Henriquez sac fly. Nick Carreno responded to their efforts by leading off the bottom of the inning walking three consecutive batters to load up the bases, allowing three runners to score and putting the Cyclones in an early hole. The Keys added a few insurance runs, and while the Cyclones were only able to get two of those runs back, solo homers off the bats of Robbins and Antonio Jimenez. With the two losses, the defending South Atlantic League champion Cyclones have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. On the bright side, Aiden Robbins- who I wasn’t much of a fan of on draft day because of concerns with his mechanics- is looking more and more legit.
· DH Sammy Stafura: 0-4, K
· SS Elian Peña: 1-3, R, 3B, K
· CF Aiden Robbins: 2-3, 2 R, HR (1), 2 RBI
· LF Trey Snyder: 2-3, SB (10)
· 3B Yonatan Henriquez: 0-2, RBI, K
· 1B Ronald Hernandez: 0-3, 2 K
· RF John Spikerman: 0-3
· C Chase Meggers: 1-3, 2 K
· 2B Antonio Jimenez: 1-3, R, HR (4), RBI
· RHP Nicolas Carreno: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, L (3-3)
· RHP Parker Carlson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
· REHAB ALERT RHP Ryan Lambert: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, WP
· RHP Elwis Mijares: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, BLK
· RHP Joe Scarborough: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HBP
ROSTER ALERT: OF Aiden Robbins assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.
ST. LUCIE 7, JUPITER 6 (BOX)
St. Lucie and Jupiter were evenly matched for the majority of this ballgame, with the Hammerheads coming back down three runs early to tie things up and with the Mets coming back down three runs late to tie things up again. The pivotal run of the game came in the eighth, with the score tied 6-6. Hammerheads reliever Kifraidy Encarnacion melted down, walking Kuhio Aloy, Yovanny Rodriguez, and Jack Toomey to load up the bases. Needing one out to get out of the jam, he walked Branny De Oleo to force in a run, the winning run.
· 2B Bruin Agbayani: 1-4, R, 2B, 3 K
· 2B Dylan Carey: 0-1
· C Ryan Tayman: 1-3, 2 R, HR (3), 3 RBI, BB, 2 K, 2 E (3, 4)
· SS Boston Baro: 0-4, K
· LF Kuhio Aloy: 0-2, R, 2 BB, 2 K
· DH Yovanny Rodriguez: 1-2, R, 2 BB, SB (2)
· 1B Julio Zayas: 0-4, 3 K
· 3B Jeremy Rodriguez: 0-4, K
· RF Jack Toomey: 1-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB, K
· CF Branny De Oleo: 1-2, R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K, SB (11)
· REHAB ALERT RHP Irving Cota: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
· RHP Roberto Pena: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, WP
· RHP Tyler McLoughlin: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, BS (2)
· RHP Dillon Stiltner: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
· RHP Candido Cuevas: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, HBP
· RHP Zack Mack: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, BLK, W (9-2)
· RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (6)
ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones sent RHP Irving Cota on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets.
ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets activated SS Bruin Agbayani.
ROSTER ALERT: RHP Dillon Stiltner assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.
ROSTER ALERT: RHP Roberto Pena assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.
ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets transferred LHP Luis Sotillo to the Development List.
ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets transferred RHP Jean Brito to the Development List.
NO GAME (SEASON OVER)
ROSTER ALERT: OF Heriberto Rincon assigned to FCL Mets from Brooklyn Cyclones.
Jonathan Santucci
Nicolas Carreno
Good morning Birdland,
Being a .500 team was cool while it lasted! The Orioles dipped right back to a losing record with their 4-2 loss on Tuesday night in Denver. Kyle Bradish labored, only getting through five mediocre innings. Luis De León debuted out of the bullpen and gave up a two-run homer, which proved to be the difference. And the Orioles offense was disappointing against a Rockies starter that entered the game with an ERA approaching seven.
Jackson Holliday had three of the teams seven hits, including his seventh home run of the season, which tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh, but he also made a bad error with the debutant De León on the mound. Tough to complain too much about him when the rest of the offense did so very little.
As a team, the Orioles created just three at-bats with a runner in scoring position. They went 0-for-3 in such situations. The only other run they scored came in the third inning, when Gunnar Henderson hit into a double play that saw the first baseman make the force out at first, and throw to second for the tag out. Pete Alonso smartly stopped and ran back towards first base, which bought just enough time for the run to score.
Despite the reputation of Coors Field as an offensive haven, the Orioles haven’t had much success in the first two games of this series. They have scored just four runs over 18 innings of baseball. The streakiness of this lineup cannot even be healed by the thin Colorado air.
Elsewhere, the Guardians beat the Blue Jays 6-1, the Mariners beat the Red Sox 9-6, the Twins beat the Tigers 15-2, the Rangers beat the Athletics 8-5, and the White Sox beat the Astros 5-1.
All of that leaves the Orioles 1.5 games back of the Guardians for the AL’s final wild card spot.
The Orioles and Rockies will wrap up their three-game series this afternoon. First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m. with Trevor Rogers (9-9, 4.38 ERA) on the mound to face old friend Tomoyuki Sugano (12-8, 5.23 ERA). Then the Birds fly home for a big four-game set with the Red Sox.
Links
Luis Robert Jr. joins the Orioles, a sign the owners ‘believe in this team’ | The Baltimore Banner
It just made too much sense for the Orioles to not try and get Robert for the stretch run. It’s going to be an expensive month, but don’t forget that the team dumped a bunch of salary at the trade deadline, so they have some wiggle room. Robert, a right-handed hitter that can play a decent center field, should see regular playing time against left-handed pitching.
Looking back at flurry of Orioles roster moves | Roch Kubatko
The decision to call up Heston Kjerstad instead of someone like Enrique Bradfield Jr. is an interesting one. Perhaps with Robert also coming in, the Orioles didn’t feel like they needed the speed or the glove of Bradfield. This feels like Kjerstad’s last chance to prove to this organization that he can be productive at the big league level.
Kjerstad became a dad. De León missed 10 calls. Now, both are in MLB with O’s | Orioles.com
August 31 is always going to be an important day for Kjerstad. Not only could it be a turning point in his career, but it’s when he became a dad for the first time. Pretty cool!
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
This day in O’s history
1960 – The Orioles beat the Yankees 5-0 thanks to a strong pitching performance from Milt Pappas. The O’s now trail the Bombers by mere percentage points in the standings, .003 to be exact.
2012 – Mark Reynolds hits two home runs and Randy Wolf gets the win on the mound with 3.1 solid innings of relief as the O’s beat the Yankees 8-3 and move to within two games of the AL East leaders.
Welcome to September, everyone, also known as the month when the New York Islanders and the NHL return. Not just the preseason, like in previous years, either.
The Islanders' season kicks off in 28 days, and with it, the Islanders will have some big decisions to make in the next four weeks.
The Islanders enter September with the biggest questions at training camp: the battle of the young, new crop of prospects led by Victor Eklund, looking to break through to the NHL, facing up against established veteran forwards.
Some, like Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall, are looking to reset their careers after the last two seasons were lost. For Duclair, that was injury-related in year one, then never received consistent opportunities under then-Head Coach Patrick Roy in year two.
Engvall failed to make the team out of training camp in 2024, but wound up having a decent depth season before suffering multiple injuries and then missing the entire 2025-26 season as a result.
The only addition to the Islanders' roster offensively between their last game of the season and the present date is Matias Macelli. The exits are headlined by Anders Lee, followed by Marc Gatcomb and Maxim Shabanov, all of whom played a lot of games throughout the season.
As a result, some fans have hoped for a potential PTO for some of the top remaining UFAs, including Eeli Tolvanen and Patrik Laine, to add even more competition up front.
However, the New York Rangers swooped in and landed Tolvanen Tuesday afternoon, signing the forward to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.
Tolvanen, 27, posted 12 goals and 36 points last season with the Seattle Kraken. In 2024-25, Tolvanen wired home 23 goals, a career high.
Tolvanen boasts strong defensive analytics and could be a solid third-liner at a discount for the Rangers. His issues include poor puck control and a lack of overall offensive play driving compared to some peers.
Given where the Islanders are at this point in time, it just doesn't make sense to give out a guaranteed contract right now, not when they're trying to save spots for Eklund and the rest of the youth to push for roster spots.
Hours later, the New Jersey Devils swung a massive trade with the Nashville Predators, acquiring 24-year-old forward Luke Evangelista in exchange for a conditional first-round pick and a second-round pick.
The condition on the first rounder is solely what year the pick is in, not a matter of whether it remains a first.
Evangelista notched 12 goals and a career-high 56 points in 81 games with Nashville. He's got sparkling analytics, with people raving about his two-way ability.
The young forward can fit anywhere in New Jersey's top nine, and given their inconsistent wing play over the last 24 months, he can make a difference.
The cost of acquisition was beyond prohibitive for the Islanders, especially considering the style of play.
The Islanders are in no position to trade two premium draft picks for a player who would not be adding goals. The Islanders' version of this bet was Maccelli, who scored 14 goals and 39 points in 71 games, all while posting pretty strong analytics on a dismal Toronto squad.
For the Islanders, the only forward competition they may add ahead of training camp will likely come via PTOs, which allow the team to retain the flexibility they've built in for the youth to push hard this fall.
County Championship side Hampshire backed out of playing New Zealand fast bowler Scott Kuggeleijn in their four-day Division One clash with Warwickshire on Wednesday due to fan backlash.
Warriors reportedly letting Steph Curry decide contract extension structure originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
What will Steph Curry’s forthcoming Warriors contract extension look like?
Pretty much whatever he wants it to.
It is no secret that the superstar and Golden State soon will come to terms on a lucrative contract extension before his 18th NBA season, but how will it be structured, with Curry turning 39 years old in March? ESPN’s Anthony Slater shared some insight into the Warriors’ discussions with Curry now that he is, as of Saturday, eligible to sign a maximum two-year, $136.7 million contract extension.
“They’re not like negotiating with Steph Curry right now,” Slater said on the latest episode of the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast. They are saying, ‘You can do this, you can do this, you can do this. If you want the one-year max, if you want the two-year max, if you want to wait, here’s your menu. Pick off your menu.”
General manager Mike Dunleavy has made it clear that he intends to sign Curry to an extension, but for how long? That is up to Curry.
Curry has made it known that he wants to finish his illustrious NBA career with Golden State, and in all likelihood he will.
“There’s no question I want to be here the rest of my career, and I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson on Monday.
“The deal and the contract stuff will happen at the right time, and we’re not letting it be a distraction from our preparation for the season, and the fact that the team we’re coming back with has a lot of familiarity.”
Will Curry play for one more season? Two? Three? That remains to be seen, but it is safe to assume the 12-time All-Star is not going anywhere for the forseeable future.
The Yankees are gearing up to welcome Aaron Judge back into the fold sometime soon, perhaps as soon as this current road trip is over. When he returns to the lineup, the team will at last have their Opening Day outfield of Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham all healthy again. However, while the team hasn’t had nearly as much of Judge as they’d like and Bellinger has also missed a decent chunk of time, they’ve gotten a good look at Grisham in 2026 and unfortunately the results haven’t been good.
Grisham’s offense has taken a significant hit compared to his breakout 2025, posting a 97 wRC+ that’s a full 30 points lower than last year’s mark while playing increasingly worse defense out in center field. His luck at the plate was rather unfortunate for the first month before a strong May and June brought him back in line, but after looking nonexistent in July it’s become more and more apparent that the decline he’s faced is closer to reality than the Yankees would like. The team didn’t have much choice but to continue running him out there as the outfield depth has been tested throughout the year, but now that they’re at full strength there’s one option they can make. The team can continue to run Grisham out there to close out the year, or they could lean on the power of one of their top prospects in Spencer Jones as he starts to figure things out at the major league level.
Jones’ first couple cups of coffee as a Yankee didn’t do much to inspire confidence that his swing could play in the majors yet, showcasing the massive holes that had been apparent down in the minors. He ran a strikeout rate north of 40 percent through June, but a major turnaround began when he was called back up at the end of July. He’s managed to pull back that strikeout rate a touch, still running a high 32 percent in August, and he’s provided a power boost to the lineup in the process. His defense is still awkward at best, but considering how Grisham looks covering balls out there nowadays I’d have a hard time saying Jones is worse.
It’s a tough choice for the Yankees to make, but their best lineup might just be with Jones penciled in rather than Grisham. There’s little else they can do to optimize their chances to win at this point — the infield has been brought up a level with George Lombard Jr. manning shortstop and Luis García Jr. at first base, Cody Bellinger has been one of the best left fielders in baseball and shouldn’t be messed with shifting him around, and Judge will play right field out of necessity but can’t give 100 percent on defense with his rib injury. They have the month of September to figure out which of the two outfielders can ride a hot streak into October, but the odds might favor Jones as he’s adapted his swing since his initial callup. Which one would you trust to start the lion’s share of games going forward? Let us know down below in the comments.
We’ve got a busy day ahead of us while we wait for the late night rubber match out on the West Coast. Peter gives a trio of Yankees the spotlight in his At-Bat of the Week, Andrew has the Rivalry Roundup featuring Freddy Peralta exacting some revenge on the Mets after a terrible first half with them, and Nick gives Monte Pearson his flowers on his birthday. Then in the afternoon we’ve got some division check-ins, with Sam, Jeremy, and John covering the NL East, Central, and West respectively.
New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels
Time: 9:38 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, ABTV
Venue: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA
The blog’s own Nik Land posed an important question on X that we’ll surely be talking about heavily throughout the next few weeks: what does the Celtics’ Opening Night starting 5 look like?
Does Payton Pritchard open on the bench? Is it Neemias Queta or Mitchell Robinson setting the tone in the frontcourt? Do one of Boston’s rising wings get an early crack at a starting role?
They’re all valid questions. But constants remain. Every lineup prediction will rightfully lock in Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Paul George, and every lineup can be looked at under the lens of “how does this group help Tatum run the show?”
It also posed a different question for me: what do the rotations look when JT’s not on the floor?
That is a big question.
Tatum was eased in a bit with 32.6 minutes per game in his regular season return last year, his lowest per game average since 2018-19. In six postseason games, his minutes jumped back up to 36, the regular season norm for his prior five seasons.
It’s a smaller-scale issue to figure out now than it seemed a year ago, when Boston had to endure a Tatum-less existence with Jaylen Brown running the show with a roster built on unproven commodities.
Those guys are unproven no longer. With established depth and a few new pieces, the Celtics are able to put together an impressive combination of bench lineups to steady the ship — or even win their minutes — when Tatum sits.
With the help of Basketball Index’s Lineup Analyzer which uses stabilized lineup data and helps us compare lineups of various sample sizes (as well as some opinionated liberties), let’s look at three lineup combinations that could provide well-rounded, two-way impact even as Boston gives a breather to its star catalyst.
Whether Payton Pritchard starts or not, the biggest expectation is that he’ll be a massive figure when Tatum’s off the floor.
From his days as a garbage time showman to his Sixth Man of the Year season, Pritchard has never shied away from an opportunity to run offense. He loves being the system’s linchpin, and in this case he certainly is, though he’s working within a 5-man combo that just seems like it can beat you in so many ways.
There’s the Pritchard-Robinson pick-and-roll, there’s the dribble-penetration kickout game to multiple marksmen, there’s PG-13 isolations. This feels close to the very best version of the Celtics when Tatum isn’t out there.
That 2-guard spot can go a few different ways outside of Ron Harper Jr. That could be Baylor Scheierman or Hugo Gonzalez surely, but RHJ was placed here because, along with his on and off-ball versatility next to Pritchard, his strength and 7 ‘1.25 wingspan gives this lineup a bit more help to defend on drives and paint touches.
Basketball Index’s predictive model certainly gives its flowers to the offensive upside of this lineup, though a 114.4 defensive rating would place them in the middle of the road (Golden State was 16th in the league in defensive rating with that same figure).
This lineup would enter me into a defensive nirvana.
Just imagine the possibilities, imagine the frustration of a player on the other end. Guys angrily slamming the ball into the floor after a moving screen, hands thrown futilely into the air after a bad pass, that wide-eyed look of an off-ball teammate watching as not one, not two, but three Celtics collapse the paint and collectively send the ball into the stands.
Yeah, there’s no Tatum, but there are three guys that are houndingly effective screen navigators, one of which is the best shot-blocking guard currently playing the game.
There would be questions about the offensive logistics of this lineup, but the way I’m looking at it is how this becomes an opportunity for George to take the reins as a temporary top option.
George scored a respectable 1.03 PPP in isolation last year on 52.6% eFG. He was 11th in the NBA in isolation frequency. As a pick-and-roll ballhandler, he scored an even better 1.18 PPP on 61% eFG. Even at 36, even with his injury history, Paul George can still score at a high level.
With the ball likely finding his hands in this lineup, George would have a quality roller, a reliable off-ball threat in White and two guys in Gonzalez and Walsh that are good off-the-catch shooters, but are even better at cutting into space and crashing the glass.
It’s the defensive possibilities that sell me on a lineup like this, but it would also present the opportunity to see some vintage PG-13 scoring.
Like me, the lineup analyzer adores the defensive potential of this lineup, but surprisingly it’s even higher on the offense. That 125.54 offensive rating is the highest of the three lineups presented here, and it definitely would imply a shooting return to form for White and an even better George-ran offense than advertised.
With three guys that can handle the ball and four that can effectively fire shots from deep, this feels like the kind of lineup that offers a ship-steadying hand in Mike Conley while also encouraging guys like Harper Jr. and Scheierman to take command as go-to creators.
The jury’s still out on what kind of role Conley will have in his 20th season. Chances are it’ll be slightly smaller than his career-low 18.4 minutes per game in Minnesota last year, but even as the 38-year-old guard’s career enters its swan song, I’m still fascinated by the things he offers even as his production has declined.
He’s a true table-setter, he hardly ever turns the ball over, and he’s one of the smartest pick-and-roll guards of his era. He just gets the ball to the right spots. There’s not a selfish bone in his body.
This lineup opens the door for RHJ to create off the dribble, something we saw significantly with the Maine Celtics before he took on more of a 3-and-D role in Boston. Scheierman looked more and more comfortable as a connector as his second season wore on, capitalizing on a bigger role thanks to his efforts defensively and on the glass.
It’s a lineup that’d rely on one big to clean up the glass, and it seems more offensive-minded than defensive, but I look at this as one of many opportunities to foster growth and confidence in Boston’s deep group of wings.
Guys like Conley, Hauser and Queta have pretty established identities, but there’s still a little more to discover about Harper Jr. and Scheierman’s ceilings and what they can do with more opportunity.
With multiple scoring threats, an elite offensive rebounder and some quality defensive pieces, the lineup analyzer seems to have a modest opinion on these five together.
What are the non-Tatum lineups that you want to see? Comment below and let us know.
The Pittsburgh Penguins unveiled the seasonlong promotional lineup during home games this season, featuring 22 unique theme nights for fans of all ages and interests.
The promotional schedule also includes two events celebrating significant moments in franchise history.
The Penguins will hold their second annual Hall of Fame Game on Nov. 14 against the Ottawa Senators. The team will induct its 2026 class into the Penguins Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony.
On Jan. 31, the Penguins will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 2017 Stanley Cup championship with another pregame ceremony. All fans in attendance will receive a commemorative championship ring.
Other theme nights throughout the season include:
The Penguins will also celebrate the New Year on Jan. 1 when they host the Minnesota Wild. A Zambelli indoor fireworks show will follow the game.
The team will continue its “Drawn to the Game” series, with 11 games highlighting Pittsburgh’s heritage, culture and community, featuring artist-designed wearable items.
The Penguins will also bring back the popular Dollar Dog Games for all four regular-season home games on Monday.
Other ticket packages include an expanded college series featuring co-branded athletic rugby shirts and a bobblehead honoring longtime Penguins anthem singer Jeff Jimerson.
From October through December, fans can also purchase Item of the Month ticket packages for select games. Items will include an Oktoberfest stein, the popular Zamboni gravy boat and an Iceburgh nutcracker.
To view the full promotional schedule, click here.
The Penguins kick off their 2026-27 regular-season home schedule on Oct. 3 against the Montreal Canadiens at PPG Paints Arena.
Gavin Williams absolutely dominated the Blue Jays last night.
Guardians hitters hit 3 home runs, all with a man on base.
Stephen Vogt pushed all the right buttons.
It was exactly what this team needed to stay ahead in the WC race, and also what they will need if they make it to the postseason. Also the Orioles lost. So CLE has a 1.5 game cushion over them and the Rangers, with the Jays 2.5 back.
Around baseball
• The Angels were sold. To the guy who did this. But because he also did these things, he will be a massive upgrade over Arte Moreno.
• Parker Messick and Chase DeLauter are wildly overperforming their preseason ZIPS, but not by as much as PCA.