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Tarik Skubal has won the last two AL Cy Young Awards while also capturing consecutive ERA titles and leading baseball in strikeouts over that span. But when the Royals open a four-game series in Detroit this week, they may be seeing Skubal in a Tigers uniform for the final time. With Detroit well back in the playoff race and the July 31 trade deadline approaching, speculation continues to build that one of baseball’s best pitchers could be on the move.

Kansas City Royals (43-60) vs. Detroit Tigers (48-54) at Comerica Park, Detroit, MI

Royals: 4.25 runs scored/game (21st in MLB), 5.18 runs allowed/game (28th)

Tigers: 4.25 runs scored/game (20th), 3.97 runs allowed/game (7th)

The Tigers have the ninth-best walk rate (9.3 percent), but the sixth-worst batting average (.235). Dillon Dingler is third among all catchers with 22 home runs. He has been on a tear since the start of June, hitting .325/.363/.624 with 11 home runs in his lats 40 games. Rookie Kevin McGonigle has a 14.4 percent walk rate, ninth-best in baseball. Riley Greene is hitting .310/.385/.524 against righties this year. He is also a .304/.337/.544 hitter in 50 career games against the Royals.

Spencer Torkelson has a 32.3 percent strikeout rate, seventh-highest among qualified hitters, and a 50.7 percent flyball rate. Kerry Carpenter is hitting 4-for-43 (.093) this month. Zach McKinstry is hitting .093/.235/.093 against lefties this year. Gleyber Torres is a career 3-for-26 (.115) hitter against Michael Wacha.

The Tigers have the fewest stolen bases in baseball, and they have the third-worst success rate (69 percent). The Tigers are fifth-worst in Outs Above Average at -19, with Tokelson and Carpenter rating very poorly.

Troy Melton has struck out nine batters in each of his last two starts and has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his nine starts. He throws a 96 mph fastball and opponents are hitting just .083 against his cutter. Six of the seven home runs he has given up were against lefties.

The Royals have actually fared well against Skubal in his career – he has a 4-9 record and a 4.06 ERA in 18 career games against them. He has allowed just four earned runs with 32 strikeouts in 23 innings over his last four starts. He has a reverse split with lefties hitting .286 against him, while righties are hitting just .194.

Casey Mize left his last start in the fourth inning with groin tightness, and after taking a comebacker off the wrist. He has a 2.50 ERA in seven home starts this year. He has a 4.97 ERA in 13 career starts against the Royals. Salvador Perez is 14-for-33 (.424) with four doubles and a home run in this career matchups.

Framber Valdez gave up six runs while recording just two outs in his last start against the Cubs. He has the fourth-highest groundball rate among starters at 51.9 percent. Opponents are hitting .307 against his sinker this year.

Kenley Jansen hasn’t given up a run in seven outings this month, although he has six walks in 6.1 innings. The active leader in career saves with 487 has four blown saves this year in 15 opportunities. Kyle Finnegan has had a huge drop in strikeout rate while seeing his walk rate spike up and he has the biggest gap between ERA and FIP of any reliever. Tyler Holton has a 2.11 ERA at home.

The Tigers have won four of six from the Royals this year, including a home sweep in Detroit in mid-April. The Tigers have been playing well lately, winning 13 of their last 18, but it is probably not enough to keep them from moving Skubal. With one of the deadline’s most coveted trade chips in Tarik Skubal, the Tigers could end up shaping the market over the next week.

The Cubs offense has been solid at times this year, sputtering at others. They currently rank fourth in MLB in runs with 520, six ahead of the division rival Brewers.

One of the reasons for all those runs is that the Cubs lead MLB in walks with 448, significantly ahead of the second-best Brewers (420). That’s 4.39 walks per game, and if they keep up that pace they will finish with 712 walks, which would demolish the franchise record. That’s 656 walks, which was set in the World Series title year of 2016. The previous record of 650 was set in 1975.

A bit about that 1975 team before I talk more about this year’s Cubs walks. The 1975 Cubs were a very good offensive team. They scored 712 runs, which in that lower-offense era was tied for third-best in the National League. That team got off to a 20-10 start and was still in first place in the NL East as late as June 6.

What happened? The pitching staff, which was atrociously bad. They allowed 827 runs, which was the most in the NL — by 88! The Braves, who lost 94 games, were second-worst. Rick Reuschel, who posted a 3.73 ERA in 38 games (37 starts), was the only starter with an ERA under 4.00. That sounds okay now, perhaps, but in that lower-offense era Reuschel’s ERA ranked 23rd among 39 qualified starters.

Darold Knowles, a World Series hero with the A’s in 1972, had been acquired and though he posted 15 saves, that came with a 5.81 ERA and seven blown saves. In an era when good relievers were called “firemen,” Knowles became known as “The Torch” because he’d come in and make bad situations worse.

Back to 2026: The Cubs walked 11 times in Tuesday’s win over the Tigers. That was the 46th time in 102 games this year that the team has had at least five walks. They’ve had 33 games with at least six and 17 with at least seven, and the 11 Tuesday matched the team’s season high (also June 19 in the 16-2 blowout of the Blue Jays). All of those walks have done a great job in helping score all the runs the Cubs have put on the board. Interestingly, they have done this with only two players in the top 10 in walks in the NL (Michael Busch is second with 65 and Ian Happ is 10th with 56). The Cubs’ team OBP of .338 is third in MLB, just one point behind the second-place Pirates.

Of course, one of the reasons for this increase in walks is Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has walked 52 times this year (including three times Tuesday) and might wind up with 75 or more, after drawing only 29 all of last year. His improved patience at the plate has made him a better hitter and likely helped the other guys in the lineup.

And if you’re curious, the MLB record for walks by a team in a season is 835, set by the Red Sox in 1949. That’s way out of reach for the Cubs, but the NL record might be catchable. That’s 732, set by the Dodgers in 1947.

Keep walking on, Cubs. It helps good things happen.

When Cade Cavalli entered the season as the Opening Day starter, expectations were high, but there was also plenty of uncertainty. Cavalli showed us a glimpse of his high potential down the stretch last year. However, he was still very unproven and had a lengthy injury history. For a guy in his first full MLB season, Cavalli has been remarkably consistent this year.

Cavalli has been a metronome in the Nats rotation. He has been overshadowed a bit by Foster Griffin, whose elite run prevention and great story have attracted eye balls. However, Cavalli has arguably been even more consistent than Griffin. He has allowed 3 or more earned runs just twice this season and does not have a month where his ERA is over 4, outside of his one start in March.

Cade Cavalli today:

6 IP | 4 H | 0 ER | 2 BB | 8 K

He's allowed 3 or fewer earned runs in 20 of his 22 starts this season! pic.twitter.com/n24CzV2XIc

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 22, 2026

For as great as Griffin has been, he did have a couple blowup starts in May, resulting in a 4.86 ERA that month. Meanwhile, Cavalli posted a 3.67 ERA in April, a 3.41 ERA in May, a 3.82 ERA in June and a 3.10 ERA so far in July. That is just a remarkable level of consistency for a guy in his first full big league season, who missed almost two years with injury not too long ago.

One critique you could throw at Cavalli, especially early in the season, is that he did not go deep enough into games. It is something he will need to work on to take the next step. Despite making two fewer starts, Griffin has still logged more innings than Cavalli. 

There are a couple reasons for this. One is that the Nats are still being a bit careful with Cavalli. His career high in innings before this year is 127.2 innings, which he did all the way back in 2022. Cavalli did pitch 122.2 innings last year as well. However, he is already at 110.2 innings this year.

Butera has said in the past they will not shut Cavalli down unless they see a noticeable drop in stuff. Despite that, it is clear they are monitoring his work load. There have been a few times this season, including yesterday where Cavalli could have gone one more inning, but they held him back.

Another reason he does not go super deep into games is that he can be inefficient at times. It is a bit like MacKenzie Gore where there are a lot of deep counts, though not to that level. As the season has gone on though, he is starting to give the Nats the length expected of a front line starter.

Yesterday, Cavalli completed at least six innings for the sixth time in his last seven starts. Granted, he could not even go three innings in that other start, but that was clearly an outlier. It was a very hot day and the whole Boston situation seemed to be weighing on Cavalli.

Cade Cavalli was sensational again today.

Massive game with a series on the line against an inferior team, days away from a buy/sell decision. He was dominant. Looked like an ace.

He’s gone 6+ innings in 6 of his last 7 starts. Pitching like a bonafide front-line starter. pic.twitter.com/kNwXequAGl

— Grant Paulsen (@GrantPaulsen) July 22, 2026

In the three starts since that short outing in DC, Cavalli has been back to his best. He did not have his sharpest stuff against the Yankees, but he still logged a quality start. In his last two though, Cavalli has been excellent. The fastball is living in the upper 90’s and his breaking balls have had a ton of bite. Going into Coors Field and getting out without allowing a run is impressive stuff. That is exactly what Cade did yesterday.

He had some traffic on the bases at times, but when he needed to make a big pitch, Cavalli came through again and again. The big righty was up to 99 MPH and was sitting at 97. Instead of slowing down, it feels like Cavalli has found another gear as the season has gone on, which is lovely to see.

Cade Cavalli today:

6 IP 4 H 0 R 2 BB 8 K
10 whiffs

He has a 2.43 ERA over his last 6 starts! pic.twitter.com/qrb5IUwxuV

— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) July 23, 2026

Cavalli has also implemented a new weapon recently with his cutter. He would show one maybe once an outing before July, but he has made it a core part of his arsenal lately. His 92-95 MPH cutter pairs nicely with his 4-seamer which already has natural cut. It is not a swing and miss pitch, but it generates weaker contact and just gives him another look.

Pitching these days is a cat and mouse game. As hitters adjust to your stuff, you have to adapt on the fly. You can do that by mixing up your usage or command. That is what Cavalli has been doing lately. It is resulting in more success, and notably more strikeouts.

For the season, Cavalli has a 26.6% K rate and a 7.1% walk rate. Those are very strong numbers, and only have been improving as the season goes along. Cavalli is almost 28, but he is still a young pitcher who is adapting to the big leagues. Right now, it really feels like he is settling in and finding his groove.

This season, Cavalli has been an ultra-consistent number 2 starter. However, I still think the best is yet to come for Cavalli, who is just oozing with arm talent. Few pitchers have his velocity and feel for spin. It is special stuff, and if he stays healthy, Cavalli has the chance to be an All-Star level talent for the Nats who can start playoff games.

1931
With the Red Sox crushing the White Sox in the bottom of the sixth inning at Fenway Park, 13-4, Boston right fielder Earl Webb lined into a triple play: White Sox third baseman Billy Sullivan made the snag and caught Rabbit Warstler off of third base for the second out, then tripled Jack Rothrock off of first base with a throw across the diamond to Pale Hose first-sacker Lu Blue.

Despite that highlight, the White Sox lost this game early, as starter Pat Caraway was tagged with 11 earned runs on 13 hits without getting through the fifth inning. The lefthander had to wear it for a terrible (31-57) White Sox team. Caraway himself would end up having one of the worst falls from stardom in White Sox history, as he took an unbelievable 4.4 WAR rookie season in 1930 and ended up at -2.2 WAR and an MLB-leading 24 losses in 1931.

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1951
Although he was just two years into pro ball and already 29 years old, the White Sox took notice of the outstanding season Jim Rivera was having for the Seattle Rainers of the Pacific Coast League (he would win the PCL batting title and MVP, slashing .352/.420/.553 with 20 homers and 33 steals) and signed him.

He would not debut with the White Sox until 1952, but would play in 10 seasons on the South Side, and more than 1,000 games, totaling 6.0 WAR.

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1968
Manager Al Lopez had an emergency appendectomy, and would miss 36 games. Les Moss took over while Lopez was sidelined.

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1986
GM Ken Harrelson sent Bobby Bonilla back to the Pirates for pitcher José DeLeón, in an oft-criticized deal that rarely presents the entire picture.

Bonilla was selected from Pittsburgh by the Sox in the major league draft in December 1985, and was likely a player the Pirates desperately wanted back. He showed flashes of brilliance in his half season on the South Side, but just 0.5 WAR in his half-season on the South Side. He would go on to have four brilliant seasons with the Pirates, putting up 17.9 WAR before cashing in on a famous/infamous free-agent contract with the New York Mets that pays him to this day.

DeLeón, for his part, was a productive starter on the South Side, putting up 3.7 WAR over a season and a third before GM Larry Himes flipped him to the St. Louis Cardinals in a brilliant deal netting center fielder Lance Johnson and pitcher Ricky Horton.

Johnson was a gem for the White Sox, netting the club 21.3 WAR over six-plus seasons roaming center field. Without the Bonilla trade, there is no One Dog.

Ironically, both players — Bonilla and Johnson — ended their careers with 30.2 WAR.

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2007
All-time great White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce was honored with a statue at Sox Park, becoming the sixth White Sox legend so honored. Beyond being a wonderful person and lifetime ambassador (both unofficially, and officially) for the team, he was an amazing pitcher, as good as anyone in baseball in the 1950s.

Pierce ranks first all-time in White Sox strikeouts (1,796), third in shutouts (35), fourth in wins (186) and innings (2,931), third in starts (391) and fifth in games pitched (456), tied for fifth in complete games (183), sixth in pitching WAR (49.2) and second among southpaws, 10th in adjusted ERA+ (123), 20th in hits per nine innings (8.116), tied for 25th in FIP (3.42) and 27th in ERA (3.19).

Pierce received embarrassingly scant support when up for the Hall of Fame in the early 1970s, but there is hope that a Veterans Committee will right that wrong in the coming years.

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2009
It had only happened 17 times before, and on this date, Mark Buehrle became the 18th pitcher to throw a perfect game, when he shut down Tampa, 5-0. 

It was only the second no-hitter thrown at the new Sox Park — both thrown by Buehrle.

The lefthander was helped in the top of the ninth inning when Dewayne Wise made the catch of his career, leaping above the wall in left-center to snare a ball hit by Gabe Kapler. On the way down Wise started to lose the ball, then snatched it out of the air with his other hand as he tumbled to the ground. Wise had been inserted for the ninth as a defensive replacement, so this play — among the best in White Sox and baseball history — was his first action in the game.

Buehrle completed the perfect game in two hours and three minutes — the exact same amount of time as his no-hitter in 2007. He became only the fourth pitcher to ever throw a perfect game and a no-hitter (April 18, 2007), joining Cy Young, Sandy Koufax and Randy Johnson. He also joined Charlie Robertson as White Sox who have pitched a perfect game. 

Afterward, Buehrle got a call from President Barack Obama, a huge White Sox fan.

Fourteen years later, South Side Sox writers Brett Ballantini and Malachi Hayes talked over their experiences at the perfect game on a podcast on our site.

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2016
It was certainly a strange and bizarre situation for the Sox. Chris Sale, arguably the best pitcher in the American League and one of the best in baseball, went on a pregame rampage and was scratched from his scheduled start against the Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field. Sale was upset that he had to wear a 1976 throwback jersey as part of a promotion for the game. 

Sale thought it was uncomfortable. With the heat index more than 100°, wearing a dark blue/black jersey probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, either. Sale decided to take matters into his own hands: During batting practice, he destroyed most of the game jerseys the team was supposed to wear by slashing them with a knife. He also said publicly the White Sox were more concerned with public relations and uniforms than winning games.

The White Sox, flirting at .500 at the time and just 3 1⁄2games out of second place in the AL Central, was forced to start Matt Albers, who went two innings, giving up one run. The bullpen game ended in a 4-3 triumph: Adam Eaton, down to his last strike on a full count, lined a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth to score Avisaíl García, who led off the inning with a single and stolen base.

Sale was suspended for five games for the incident, and was traded to Boston for a package headlined by Michael Kopech and Yoán Moncada after the season.

Late game thread because I forgot I was filling in for our beloved sandwiches. Apologies, everyone! Split the series Twins, split!

Lineups

Twins	Opponent
SP: Taj Bradley	SP: Gavin Williams
1. Brooks Lee, 3B	1. Steven Kwan, LF
2. Byron Buxton, CF	2. Jose Ramirez, 3B
3. Ryan Jeffers, C	3. Chase DeLauter, RF
4. Josh Bell, DH	4. Brayan Rocchio, SS
5. Kody Clemens, 2B	5. Travis Bazzana, 2B
6. Royce Lewis, 1B	6. Rhys Hoskins, DH
7. Austin Martin, LF	7. Kyle Manzardo, 1B
8. Luke Keaschall, RF	8. Patrick Bailey, C
9. Ryan Kreidler, SS	9. Petey Halpin, CF

The Milwaukee Brewers are set to wrap up their nine-game homestand coming out of the All-Star break this weekend, as they’ll host the Colorado Rockies for three games beginning Friday night.

The Brewers sit at 64-38 on the year, the second-best record in the league behind only the Dodgers, as they’ve built a seven-game lead over the Cubs and the rest of the pack in the NL Central. The Rockies, at 41-63, once again sit at the bottom of the NL West. They’ve lost four consecutive series against the Giants (x2), Dodgers, and Reds dating back to early July.

Milwaukee’s injured list includes pitchers DL Hall (late July/early August return), Kyle Harrison (early August), Joel Kuhnel (early August), Rob Zastryzny (late July), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). The position player injuries include outfielders Brandon Lockridge (late July/early August) and Sal Frelick (TBD), as well as infielder David Hamilton (expected to return this weekend).

Colorado is currently without pitchers Blas Castaño (TBD), Jeff Criswell (August), Jaden Hill (TBD), former Brewer Jose Quintana (August), McCade Brown (TBD), RJ Petit (out for season), Chase Dollander (out for season), and Pierson Ohl (out for season). Outfielder Brenton Doyle has been out since mid-May with oblique and groin injuries, but he’s close to a rehab assignment, while former Cub Kris Bryant may be nearing retirement as he hasn’t played in any games this year with chronic back issues.

Jake Bauers sets the pace for the Crew’s offense with 18 homers and 15 doubles this year, though he’s going through a bit of a cold stretch currently. Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, and Joey Ortiz(!!) are the other key contributors in recent weeks, with Andrew Vaughn, Gary Sánchez, Christian Yelich, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, Braden Shewmake, and Blake Perkins also in the mix. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .252/.336/.397 (.733 OPS ranks 10th), with 94 homers (last), 514 runs (fifth), and 100 steals (sixth).

Backstop Hunter Goodman and outfielder Mickey Moniak have been the best offensive players for Colorado, as Goodman leads the team with 31 homers and Moniak has added 16 homers and 11 doubles in just 67 games. Rookie TJ Rumfield is hitting .297/.381/.476 with 13 homers, and Jake McCarthy is batting over .300. Willi Castro, Kyle Karros, Braxton Fulford, Troy Johnston, Tyler Freeman, Cole Carrigg, Ezequiel Tovar, Edouard Julien, and Brett Sullivan round things out. As a team, the Rockies are hitting .255/.325/.420 (.745 OPS ranks fifth), with 118 homers (17th), 495 runs (tied for seventh), and 70 steals (tied for 14th).

Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill anchor Milwaukee’s bullpen, as they’ve combined for 22 saves. Uribe has a 2.38 ERA with 41 strikeouts over 41 2/3 innings, and Megill has a 3.00 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 39 innings, a major feat when you consider where he was two weeks into the season. Chad Patrick, Aaron Ashby, and Grant Anderson are also key parts of this Brewer bullpen, with Criag Yoho, Lance McCullers Jr., and Bryse Wilson rounding things out. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.44 team ERA (second), including a 3.36 starter ERA (first) and a 3.53 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 997 batters (second) over 913 2/3 innings.

Brennan Bernardino is one of the few bright spots for this Rockies bullpen, as he has a 2.74 ERA over 42 2/3 innings this year. Juan Mejia and Victor Vodnik are tied for the team lead with four saves each, though both have ERAs in the 5.00s. Former starter-turned-reliever Antonio Senzatela has been solid with 3.60 ERA, as has long-reliever/starter Gabriel Hughes (2.79 ERA over 19 1/3 IP) and former closer Jordan Romano (1.59 ERA over 5 2/3 IP) in limited appearances. The two other bulk relievers have struggled — Jimmy Herget has a 5.60 ERA over 27 1/3 IP, and Zach Agnos sports a 6.42 ERA over 61 2/3 IP. As a staff, the Rockies have a 5.50 team ERA (last), including a 6.00 starter ERA (last) and a 4.95 bullpen ERA (26th). They’ve struck out 735 batters (29th) over 914 1/3 innings.

Also of note: The Brewers are hosting an Alumni Legends Game after Friday’s game, which is why it has the odd 3:10 p.m. start time. The Legends Game will feature approximately 30 players for a three-inning exhibition set to begin 15 minutes after the conclusion of the Brewers-Rockies game. Players confirmed to be playing include Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo, Ben Sheets, Geoff Jenkins, and many more. To view the full list, click here.

Probable Pitchers

Friday, July 24 @ 3:10 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (5-3, 3.20 ERA, 3.08 FIP) vs. RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (9-4, 4.76 ERA, 5.39 FIP)

Drohan, 27, has quickly become a solid option in Milwaukee’s rotation, as he’s gone at least six innings in each of his last three outings. The left-hander has totaled 76 innings this year with a 3.20 ERA, 3.08 FIP, and 76 strikeouts. He went six frames against the Marlins in his last outing, picking up the win as he allowed three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out nine batters. Drohan picked up a win in his start against the Rockies in early June, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out four over 6 1/3 innings.

Sugano, 36, is in his second MLB season after starting 30 games for the Orioles last season. He’s had similar numbers in year No. 2 with the Rockies, with a 4.76 ERA, 5.39 FIP, and 51 strikeouts over 90 2/3 innings. He bounced back from a rough seven-run outing against the Twins to pitch 6 1/3 innings with three runs allowed in a win over the Reds in his last appearance, giving up six hits and no walks while striking out three. Sugano’s lone appearance against Milwaukee came as an Oriole last year, when he went six innings with two runs allowed on five hits and a walk, striking out three in a no-decision.

Saturday, July 25 @ 6:10 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (2-4, 4.91 ERA, 5.13 FIP) vs. RHP Ryan Feltner (3-4, 5.48 ERA, 5.68 FIP)

Gasser, 27, has had his ups and downs in his third MLB season, though he’s made more appearances this year (10) than in 2024 and 2025 combined (seven). Over his 10 starts, he’s 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA, 5.13 FIP, and 48 strikeouts across 51 1/3 innings. The lefty went five innings in a no-decision against the Marlins on Sunday, allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out five. This marks Gasser’s first career appearance against Colorado.

Feltner, 29, is in his sixth MLB season, and he’s been serviceable albeit not good for his entire career. He’s made 14 starts this year, with a 3-4 record, 5.48 ERA, 5.68 FIP, and 50 strikeouts over 65 2/3 innings. The right-hander has been hit hard against the Giants and Reds in his last two outings, totaling just 6 2/3 innings with 12 runs allowed on 13 hit and eight walks while striking out six. Feltner has made six career starts against the Brewers, and he’s been mostly successful with a 2.67 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 33 2/3 innings. That includes a solid six-inning showing back in June, when he allowed one run on one hit, two walks, and a hit batter while striking out four.

Sunday, July 26 @ 1:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (10-4, 1.57 ERA, 2.05 FIP) vs. LHP Kyle Freeland (2-9, 7.28 ERA, 4.90 FIP)

Misiorowski, 24, continues to mow down hitters even as the Brewers have tried to ease back his workload out of the All-Star break. He leads the majors in plenty of major categories, including ERA (1.57), FIP (2.05), WHIP (0.774), and strikeouts (173) across 115 innings. He went four innings against the Mets on Monday evening, allowing one unearned run on four hits and a walk, striking out six. Miz looked great against Colorado when he faced them back on June 6, allowing one unearned run on four hits and three walks, striking out eight over seven frames.

Freeland, 33, is in his 10th big-league season, all with the Rockies, and he’s been mostly bad since finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting back in 2018. This year has been his worst, though, as he’s totaled -0.8 bWAR with a 2-9 record, 7.28 ERA, 4.90 FIP, and 83 strikeouts over 94 innings. He leads the league with 76 earned runs, including at least four runs allowed in four of his last five outings. He went six innings against the Nationals his last time out, allowing four runs on seven hits and a pair of walks, striking out four. Freeland has made 11 career starts against Milwaukee, with a 3.55 ERA and 53 strikeouts over 63 1/3 innings. He went five frames against the Crew in June, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two.

How to Watch & Listen

Friday, July 24: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, July 25: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Sunday, July 26: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

These are a pair of teams with very different trajectories since meeting in the 2018 playoffs. The Brewers have the advantage in virtually every facet, and I expect that to play out on the field; give me the Crew to sweep.

Catching up on some roster news from this week, catcher Will Smith was moved to the 60-day injured list on Tuesday, which opened up a 40-man roster spot for Charlie Barnes. That’s right, Smith and Barnes are linked yet again.

Smith moving to the 60-day injured list means he can’t technically return until August 7, but that doesn’t materially affect the timeline for his return from neck inflammation. Manager Dave Roberts said last weekend that Smith will be out until at least mid-August at the earliest, with no definitive timeline on when he might return this season. Which brings in the valid question of whether the Dodgers try to acquire a catcher by the August 3 trade deadline to pair with Dalton Rushing should Smith not be able to return this season.

The last game Smith played for the Dodgers was June 5, with the three-time All-Star hitting .249/.338/.382 with eight home runs in 52 games and a 102 wRC+ this season. Rushing last weekend passed Smith in defensive innings and games started behind the plate this season, potentially paving the way for a Dodgers catcher besides Smith to lead in those categories for the first time since 2019.

Barnes was active for the last two games against the Phillies but did not pitch, replacing Landon Knack as the bulk arm in the bullpen after Knack pitched two innings on Monday in Philadelphia.

Barnes was claimed by the Dodgers off waivers from the Cubs on May 9, and the 30-year-old left-hander has pitched in three games for the Dodgers in his two previous stints in the majors this season. After a pair of scoreless innings in relief in May, Barnes soaked up seven innings in relief, giving up seven runs in a loss to the A’s on July 1 that was mostly about resetting the bullpen during a stretch of 13 game days in a row.

The Dodgers designated Barnes for assignment on July 11 to make room for activating Knack off the 60-day injured list. After clearing waivers and getting sent outright to the minors, Barnes opted for free agency, then re-signed on a minor league deal with the Dodgers on July 17.

In seven starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, Barnes has a 5.65 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 12 walks in 28 2/3 innings. He hasn’t pitched in a game since that July 1 game in West Sacramento.

Last week, I wondered how many wins the Giants would need to pick up in this second part of the season to wind up with a somewhat respectable record. You know, a record that True Believers “legs” to stand on when proselytizing about their favorite team. But what if the team loses 100+ games?

Some good responses in that comments thread of last week’s post, and the bigger issue is that this miserable team has lost a lot of public trust along with all the goodwill of Buster Posey taking over Baseball Operations. But there are still the prospect huggers out there who see the Jackson Flora draft and other exciting developments in the farm as reason to focus on the positives and ignore the negatives, even if those negatives are some of the most damning in the franchise’s history: losing triple digits for the second time ever and going five years without a winning season for the first time ever.

I guess no fandom is a monolith and I can’t convince people who’ve already ignored the bad baseball of the past decade (sorry, 2021 team!) that they should have serious doubts about the quality of the franchise. So, let’s just sequalize my week-old post, given the ugly sweep in Kansas City. Just how likely are 100+ losses now?

Through 102 games, the franchise’s sole 100-loss team (1985) was 40-62. Zack & Buster’s 2026 Giants are 42-60. With 60 games left, the Giants will need to go 21-39 to avoid 100 losses. The 1985 team went 22-38 over their final 60. So, yes, these Giants would have to play worse than the worst team in Giants history to match or exceed.

Obviously, they can do it.

The trade deadline seems likely to accelerate the losing. The bullpen and defense blowing games is annoying enough, but the coaching and decision trees managing the roster today will still be in place managing the post-deadline roster, and if you thought the bullpen, defense, and coaching is bad now, it’ll only get worse when the starting pitching doesn’t even give them a chance and the lineup features even less experience and Gold Glove-caliber defense.

Previously, I’d predicted 30 more wins, which would’ve gotten them to 71-91. After a 1-5 start to the second part of the season, they’d need to go 29-31 the rest of the way. I mean, who cares about my prediction, but the notion that they could go 29-31 is absurd. 21-39 even feels like a stretch, but let’s run through this with the taste of this 1-5 road trip fresh in our mouths:

vs. Angels (3 games) — a truly horrendous team, but the Giants are just 3-6 against them the past 3 seasons; and, this series will be before the trade deadline, meaning that the few good players on that roster likely to be traded will be showcased against the Giants. Prediction: 2-1 (although, the Giants just got owned by the Royals)
vs. the Brewers (3 games) — They’re really, really good. Prediction: 1-2 (I have to believe the Giants can scratch out a win at home)
at San Diego (4 games) — the final series before the trade deadline and despite the Padres’ struggles (they’re 2-4 out of the break and were owned by the Royals, too!) it’s likely that they won’t be sellers. They, like the Giants, are just drawing too well. They have a new ownership group coming in, too. They’re just 3 games back of a Wild Card spot as I write this. The Padres have lost just 1 season series to the Giants this decade (2021, natch). Prediction: split?
at Texas (3 games) — The Giants are bad on the road and haven’t won 4 in a row all season. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Detroit (3 games) — The Tigers handled the Giants pretty easily last year in a sweep in Detroit and while it’s true that the 2026 version has struggled a lot, it’s still the case that they’re much, much, much (much?) better than the Giants. Their lineup features three All-Stars: Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle, and Riley Greene, and an enviable rotation with Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Casey Mize, and even Jack Flaherty, Keider Montero, and now Troy Melton. They are 21-31 on the road this season, though. Hmm… Prediction: 1-2
vs. Houston (3 games) — A tricky team. Are they buyers or sellers? Are they a “fake” .500 team? Well, I’ll just let this decide: they’re 13-17 in interleague this season while having a -45 run differential overall. Still, they’re 11th in MLB in runs scored (4th in AL) and Giants pitching won’t get any better this year. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Colorado (3 games) — Gosh, I hope this isn’t a tough series. Prediction: 3-0 (is this where the first 4-game winning streak happens???)
at Cleveland (3 games) — Patrick Bailey revenge series? Who cares, the Guardians have great pitching and they are good for a second-half run. Prediction: 0-3
at Boston (3 games) — Their long win streak will be over by this point (probably), but even in their comedown, they’ll probably still be able to get up to bash the Giants to death (metaphorically) if for no other reason than to stick it to Rafael Devers for some reason — could easily see him having a great series but with Giants pitching unable to capitalize. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Cincinnati (3 games) — This team seems to be out of it. Prediction: 2-1
vs. Arizona (4 games) — The Giants are 1-8 against the Diamondbacks this season. I would expect this series to put the team out of its misery. Prediction: 1-3
at Atlanta (1 game) — I cannot fathom the Giants sweep. Prediction: 0-1
at Pittsburgh (3 games) — Will the Pirates fade down the stretch? That’s the big question. On the other hand, they’re second in MLB in runs scored (543 to Washington’s 567), so, I think they will get a big kick out of kicking the Giants’ collective ass. Prediction: 1-2
at Mets (3 games) — This team will probably remake itself at the deadline and I wonder if they will be one of those teams that improve after retooling on the fly. Anyway, unless the Mets reacquire Jeff McNeil or Pete Alonso, I’m a bit more confident about the Giants facing the Mets. Then again, it’s a road series, and the Mets will still have Juan Soto. Prediction 1-2
vs. St. Louis (3 games) — This series will be the final leg of a 3-city, 9-game road trip for the Cardinals where the first two series are at Dodger Stadium followed by Coors Field. So, I’ll be a little bullish. Prediction: 2-1
vs. San Diego (3 games) — Let’s just keep the good vibes going. Prediction: 2-1
at St. Louis (3 games) — Of course, the Cardinals will get their revenge. Prediction: 1-2
at Dodgers (3 games) — The Giants have played the Dodgers hard, but ending the season against them has, time and again, been disastrous. Prediction: 1-2
vs. Minnesota (3 games) — Will the Twins’ surprising season continue? They’ll have just come off a 4-game series against the Angels in Anaheim, but prior to that, they’ll have run a pretty remarkable gauntlet: 6 against the White Sox, 6 against the Tigers, 3 against the Guardians, and 3 against the Yankees. That 18-game stretch might be enough to short circuit their season and set them on a course to merely play out the string against the Giants. That’s the thinking I have to have in order to make this prediction: 2-1.
vs. Dodgers (3 games) — Since 2017, here is the Giants’ record versus the Dodgers in September: 11-27. For the sake of the rivalry, lets say Prediction: 1-2.

So… 26 wins? 68-94? And this is maybe still optimistic?

I just want to make it clear that I understand “It’s Baseball!” and anything can happen. Something could turn around this entire team and set them on a run that doesn’t look so bad. But we’ve been saying this for years and years. They haven’t given any reasonable person any inkling that “positive regression” or a long win streak is in the immediate future. This is a team in the midst of either an accidental reboot or a lost season that can’t really be explained or fixed. Sort of like 2021’s Wario — but this is the best case scenario going forward.

Maybe the team does need us to write them off to spark a turnaround… that would only get them into the 70-win range. That’s the thing. This is a bad Giants team with a ceiling of “not as bad as they looked for most of the season.” Like, if they wind up with, say, 74 wins, in a couple of years somebody would write, “an 88-loss season that felt like 128.” I don’t know what this era of Giants Baseball will wind up being known as, but it’ll be known for resetting franchise expectations.

Sure, they’ll end the year with the most wins in Baseball history still (around 11,670), but since 1972 (the season they traded Willie Mays), they’re pretty close to .500 (4,356-4,265), and 49% of the seasons (27 of 55) have been non-winning ones (the two .500 seasons are in this count). There have been just 49 non-winning seasons out of 144 in Giants history (34%) and 55% of them have come in the last 54 years. So, statistically, this is the franchise’s Losing Era. And despite the 3 championships, a 107-win season, the spectacle of Barry Bonds, and the beautiful ballpark, that is what it feels like.

Here’s the Twins lineup

Finale in Cleveland

📺 https://t.co/usGFyQCbUxpic.twitter.com/HVMt8zyLjY

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 23, 2026

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Guardians 7/23

S. Kwan LF
J. Ramírez 3B
C. DeLauter RF
B. Rocchio SS
T. Bazzana 2B
R. Hoskins DH
K. Manzardo 1B
P. Bailey C
P. Halpin CF

G. Williams SP

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) July 23, 2026

Let’s go, Guardians!