May 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50), Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17), and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) meet on the mound during the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Slowly but surely, the Dodgers are getting the band back together.
Ohtani could still build up to five-inning starts by October, Roberts said. If Ohtani keeps his standard once-per-week pitching schedule, he could get up to four or five (if he starts Sunday, with the regular season ending Sept. 27) starts in actual games before then.
“To then have the opportunity, the flexibility to insert Shohei to build up like he did last year, I think, is of huge benefit both ways,” Roberts said.
Eric Lauer figures into this week’s plan by being available out of the bullpen during the Tigers series, possibly following Glasnow on Tuesday. Then Lauer will likely follow Ohani on Sunday in Detroit. Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register has more.
Links
Will Smith last caught for he Dodgers on June 5, missing nearly four months with neck inflammation. But after ramping up baseball activities, including facing Ohtani in a simulated game on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, Smith will start a minor league rehab assignment with Oklahoma City on Tuesday, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
When Edwin Díaz returns from the injured list after neck inflammation, he won’t be in the closer role, and will have to work his way back into high-leverage roles. “I’m good with the decision because I know I haven’t done my job,” Díaz told Dylan Hernández of the California Post. “If I’d done my job, I’d be pitching in the ninth inning.”
Even analytical fans can be overcome with emotions. The last ten days have been brutal. If we remove the opener of the Mariners series, we saw the Astros got a combined 2-6 in the span of eight days. That was against a collection of teams where they probably were hoping for a 6-2 run. They blew late leads, the offense sputtered at times, and the starting pitching continued to struggle to get through the fifth inning. Even the normally reliable Yordan Alvarez seemed to hit a snag throughout much of the run.
I hate to boil things down to simple math, but this is usually where my brain goes. There are essentially six months in a baseball season. It’s obviously grossly simplified to assume four weeks in a month, but we could probably add one week in there to account for the extra days. That means there are 25 weeks in a season. The last homestand accounts for slightly more than a week’s worth of games. 162 divided by nine equals 18. 18 is a nice round number.
To put this in perspective for most Houston fans, 18 essentially corresponds to the number of weeks in an NFL season. So, imagine if the Texans’ offense failed to show up for a particular game. I know that’s not hard to imagine. Imagine if they had held a lead into the fourth quarter and squandered it. Imagine if their defense simply got torched on a particular Sunday. What would the conversation be like?
Obviously, the conversation would likely depend on when that particular loss occurred. If it occurred in a random regular season game in October it would likely be a cause for concern, but no one would be quitting on the season quite yet. If it were the opening week of the season there would be some doom and gloom, but most people would realize it was just one game in a long schedule. If it occurred in January then obviously the season would be over.
This is where we find ourselves as Astros fans. We have experienced one terrible week of baseball. They have had worse this season. It doesn’t seem like it but the first road trip was an unmitigated disaster. There have been stretches at home that have looked just as awful. So, the key to sound analysis is to take a step back and keep a level head about these things.
The question we should ask is whether there is anything from these nine games that we can extrapolate to the much larger whole. I think there are a few through lines we can look at and pencil them in as areas of concern moving forward. These are things the next general manager and manager need to consider when the 2027 season opens (yes, I am assuming they are both gone).
The lineup is too shallow
Let’s do the math. We know Yordan Alvarez is great. We know Jeremy Pena is an all-star level player. We know Christian Walker overall has had a nice bounce back season. Isaac Paredes is also approaching career highs in OPS. That’s it. This lineup has four average to above average hitters when compared to the league average (as defined by 100 OPS+). That simply ain’t going to get it done.
Certainly, others have shown flashes of brilliance. Jose Altuve is a Hall of Famer in waiting, so he will have stretches where he looks like one. Cam Smith is obviously a physically gifted player and he will have stretches where he looks like a future all-star. Yainer Diaz even had a stretch earlier where he looked like his former self. That is why this offense can look great at times. Yet, on a nightly basis you are counting on the same four guys to hit. What happens when one or more of them aren’t hitting?
Moreover, if you have four guys that are clearly head and shoulders above everyone else then shouldn’t those four guys be the top four in your lineup? There are too many games when random people like Daulton Varsho are batting cleanup. Again, this is simple math. Who are your best hitters? Where they can hit in the lineup to get more opportunities?
The rotation is too shallow
Everyone here remembers the Jake Odorizzi days. Most fans would not remember them fondly, but they likely are misremembering things. Odorizzi was famously very effective two times through the order. The third time through things all went to crap. When Dusty Baker finally realized what he had then Odorizzi became a lot more effective. The Astros have a couple of those guys in their current rotation. Cristian Javier looks like one of those guys. Kai-Wei Teng was one of those guys when he was a starter. You could say Hayden Wesneski looks like one of those guys too.
Tatsuya Imai is also one of those guys as a starter. When more than half of your potential rotation are guys that are only effective two times through the order you are going to tax your bullpen. In my last lab, I suggested leaning into that. Obviously, that is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. You can’t go through a 162 game schedule without that blowing up in your face. You could credibly claim that it did on the last homestand.
Javier’s overall effectiveness has actually surprised me. I thought he was cooked earlier in the season. However, you are setting yourself up for problems if most of your starters are not capable of going beyond five innings. Heck, just getting to the fifth lately has been a struggle. In terms of short-term fixes, the answer is only Mike Burrows and hoping Ethan Pecko can go deeper than he did last time out. Neither of those are appetizing solutions. Still, when you do nothing at the deadline, your options are going to be limited.
The future is unwritten
If we have learned anything as Astros fans it is never to write them off in any situation. They taught us that in 2005 and throughout the current dynastic run. They are going up against the New York teams this week and that seems like a recipe for disaster. Still, this is when they usually have played their best baseball in the past. We can hope for it again. 3-6 is a horrible nine game stretch at home, but it is essentially one game’s worth of action in NFL terms. We wouldn’t write the Texans off after one week and we shouldn’t do that with the Astros even if the last nine games really makes us want to.
Aug 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) walks off the field after Chicago White Sox center fielder Tristan Peters (29) hits a walk-off home run during the ninth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meet the Mets
If you didn’t enjoy the first walk-off loss of the weekend, I have very bad news for you.
ESPN’s latest projections have both Northern California NBA franchises staring up at the rest of the Western Conference — for very different reasons.
The outlet’s experts, in their preseason forecast, have the Warriors finishing the 2026-27 NBA regular season with a 35-47 record as the West’s No. 9 seed, securing a play-in tournament spot for a fourth straight year. The Kings fared much worse, projected dead last in the conference at 19-63 as a rebuild takes full shape in Sacramento.
The Warriors’ outlook hinges almost entirely on health. Golden State missed out on LeBron James this summer despite Draymond Green opting out of his own contract to help create the flexibility to pursue him, leaving the roster largely unchanged from a team that finished 37-45 and lost in the play-in tournament a year ago.
The one genuine bright spot has been rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The No. 11 overall pick was named 2026 Summer League MVP after averaging 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists across six games, capped by a 21-point, 10-rebound performance in the championship game win over the Memphis Grizzlies — making him the first player in franchise history to win the award.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported in July that Steve Kerr already has indicated Lendeborg could open the regular season in the Warriors’ starting lineup, a rare vote of confidence from a coach not typically known for rushing rookies into major roles. With Butler and Moody both out for the beginning of the season, Golden State might need exactly that kind of unexpected contribution to have any chance of exceeding a modest projection.
That youth movement, paired with persistent trade speculation surrounding Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, has left real uncertainty over what the Kings’ actual best roster even looks like on any given night — exactly the kind of instability that tends to produce the growing pains ESPN is projecting.
Both franchises are betting heavily on internal development this season, just on different timelines.
For the Warriors, that means hoping a rookie forward can offset injuries to two established veterans long enough for Steph Curry to make one more real push. For the Kings, it means accepting a difficult season now in exchange for a young core the front office believes can be built around for years to come.
Sep 17, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A young Toronto Blue Jays fan enjoys the seventh inning stretch on her fathers shoulders as the Jays defeat the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
The Jays have this Monday off (and next Monday). Having Monday off is a good thing. I’ve always liked holiday Mondays.
They have 30 games left (and fortunately enough, no 17-game streaks without a day off.
They are a game and a half back of the last Wild Card spot. And would have to jump two teams to get there. I don’t know how many they would need to win to get there. I figure 20-10 would do it pretty easily. 18-12? Likely. Maybe even 17-13. Much worse than that? I don’t know.
They have three against the Rangers and three against the Guardians. Winning those series would help.
I’m mostly hoping it is a fun ride.
Anyway, use the thread, as always, to discuss anything you’d like.
Maybe long movies. I saw The Odyssey and Spider-Man this week. I guess they want you to feel you got your money’s worth. I enjoyed both and made it through without needing the washroom. I’ve hit that fun age that if I drink anything within like 6 hours of going to bed, I’m up three times during the night.
Or a favourite moment of the season up to this point. I’ve enjoyed seeing the young guys come up—Bateman, McAdoo, Valenzuela, Cameron, even Tiedemann for his 1.2 innings.
Or talk about what you plan to do with the last month of summer. Me? I don’t know. I tell myself I’m going to pick up my guitars more, but, with baseball and this place, my sitting on the couch time is pretty much filled. So, it is tough to add more ‘sitting on the couch time’.
Anyway, use the thread to talk about almost anything.
And….we could really use another voice or two on the site. What would be nice is if we could find someone or someones who could do a morning post on weekdays to take some of the morning pressure off me. When you are out here in Calgary, well, a morning post is up around noon Eastern. There is always a point in the season when burnout starts to show. Anyway, if you think you would like to help out, let me know. My email is in my profile.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 23: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Bowman Field on August 23, 2026 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves are likely very glad Monday is finally here and an off-day can be used as a needed break and reset. Thankfully, the Braves were able to get a badly needed win in the 2026 Little League Classic on Sunday night. This allowed for Atlanta to avoid a sweep to the Brewers, and also have a positive note to end on after a wild last few days. After ending the road trip playing in four different cities in five days, Atlanta can now return home for another big series against the Dodgers.
Braves News
As the Braves switched up the lineup a bit, Michael Harris II proved to be huge from the leadoff spot, including the final run of the game coming via a home run that was clearly wanted from the Little League crowd.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 20: The crowd reacts after Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox scores off a double hit by Wilyer Abreu #52 (not pictured) in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on July 20, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Saturday night, the Red Sox were down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth against the Giants. The crowd had been anxious all game—understandably—but something shifted when Caleb Durbin led off the inning with a walk. The noise inside a 114-year-old stadium started to rise and crescendoed in a walk-off that encapsulates the luck and magic of the 2026 Boston Red Sox.
The walk-off itself wasn’t just something the crowd watched, though. It felt like something they willed into existence.
That’s what’s been happening at Fenway Park this summer. A building and a fanbase that has decided it’s part of this team.
Sellouts, near-sellouts, 37,000-plus on a regular Friday night in August. You can cite the attendance figures, but the number that actually matters is decibels. Jerseys are coming off—the tarps-off phenomenon sweeping the bleachers, people yanking their shirts over their heads and spinning them in the air like rally towels. People in apartments on Boylston Street are posting videos of themselves hearing the roar from inside their living rooms. That’s not a normal August at Fenway, or at least hasn’t been for quite some time.
I was at last Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks, and the crowd there had that same edge—that sense that nobody in the building was treating this as a casual summer night out. Even in a blowout, it’s beyond apparent how engaged and just purely fun the stands at Fenway are right now. Yankees Suckchants breaking out unprompted, everyone screaming their heads off at Mr. Brightside during a pitching change, every single person leaping to their feet the moment Sweet Caroline came on. It was infectious. The energy is different this year. You can feel it the moment you walk through the gates.
Friday night was the purest version of it. Rafael Devers walked out for his first at-bat back at his old ballpark and Fenway didn’t just boo—it rained boos on this man, 37,000 people making sure he knew exactly where he was and what this series meant. Whether you wanted boos or cheers, the crowd made its distain pretty well known, even to the chagrin of some other media pundits who were shocked there were so many jeers. Devers struck out. Later on, Willson Contreras hit one 450 feet over the Monster and the building became the loudest it’s been all year.
After a stretch of Red Sox baseball where the question was whether anyone was going to bother showing up—the pandemic years, the “rebuilding years” with Chaim Bloom, the quiet Septembers, the half-filled sections and the general sense of waiting for something to happen—this summer has felt like a reset, not just in the standings, but in the relationship between this team and this city. For the years of apathy that permeated from ownership and the front office on down to Red Sox Nation, there’s finally a well-earned feeling that everyone has bought in all at once.
The Red Sox are 25-11 since the All-Star Break, the best record in baseball over that stretch. They’re back over .500 at home for the first time since April 17th. They have strong footing in the Wild Card hunt. And Fenway has responded the way Fenway responds when it actually believes in something—which is with everything it has, every night, from the first pitch to the ninth inning comeback.
The crowd needs the team to keep giving them reasons. The team needs the crowd in September. Right now, both sides of that deal are holding up their end. And it has been one of the most raucous, engaged, alive stretches this ballpark has seen in a very long time.
Go outside and stand on Lansdowne Street some time. You’ll hear it.
Welcome to The Hockey News Vancouver Canucks site's 2026–27 player preview article series. This series will outline the expectations for every player projected to play for Vancouver during the 2026–27 season. Today's player is Canucks forward Ilya Safonov.
Safonov's 2025-2026 Season
After attending development camp, Safonov headed back to the KHL to play for Ak Bars Kazan. The 25-year-old had an impressive campaign, recording 33 points in 68 games. Safonov also competed in two games for Russia at the U25 level.
As for the playoffs, Safonov was once again impactful. He recorded nine points in 20 games and helped Ak Bars Kazan qualify for the Gagarin Cup. Unfortunately, Safonov and his teammates fell just short of a championship, as Ak Bars Kazan lost to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in six games.
Once his season was complete, Safonov signed with Vancouver. His deal was a one-year, two-way contract worth $950,000. At the end of the 2026-27 campaign, Safonov will be a restricted free agent.
Safonov's 2026-27 Predictions
Safonov will be a candidate for the Canucks' fourth line and extra forward slot. He has good size at 6'4", 205 pounds, and can play both center and on the wing. Overall, Safonov's defensive play and physicality could earn him a spot on the opening-night roster.
As for the entire season, Safonov may be shuttled between the NHL and the AHL. For example, he could spend two or three weeks practicing and serving as an extra forward for Vancouver before being sent down to the Abbotsford Canucks to get some game action. Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how Safonov's game translates both to the AHL and the NHL.
Ilya Safonov at Vancouver Canucks Development Camp (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)
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PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 23: Devin Booker #1 and Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns high five during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on November 23, 2025 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns will be one of the more interesting teams to watch this upcoming season for a multitude of reasons. They’re one of the few teams that largely stayed the same and leaned into continuity and development, although they did change 20% of their starting lineup by acquiring Miles Bridges and sending out Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen.
What makes Phoenix especially interesting is how wide the range of outcomes feels. And yes, you can say that about practically any team in the NBA, especially once you introduce health into the equation. But with the Suns, I genuinely believe there are several different ways this season can go, and we won’t really know what to expect until we see them on the floor.
In my opinion, they could win 50 games. They could also win 30. That’s a massive range, and part of the reason is that Phoenix doesn’t have the kind of top-tier player who can drag a team to 50 wins by himself. This is my entire “Devin Booker is not a superstar” argument personified.
Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic? Those are players who can elevate an average roster into a 50-win team simply by being present. I think we’re going to see some version of that with the Lakers this season. Booker is a star, and there’s nothing wrong with recognizing that. But there has to be a very specific ecosystem around him for both he and the team to reach their ceiling.
That’s exactly what the Suns are leaning into this season. Team. Not overinflated contracts. Not a handful of high-end players expected to drag everyone else along. A collective approach where the pieces have to fit together and function as intended. And those superstar players I mentioned are the exceptions, not the rule. Not every team has one, and not every team can.
So this isn’t about faulting Booker. It’s about recognizing who he is and the situation Phoenix has built around him. That’s also why health becomes so important. If one part of this roster breaks down, the rest of it could suffer. If one spoke bends, there’s a chance the entire wheel starts to wobble.
The Suns are deep, and I find that encouraging. But they’re also young and inexperienced in several important areas, and we still have to see whether they know how to win close games. That may be the biggest question of all. It’s something we watched them struggle with down the stretch last season: the ability to put teams away when the game tightened late.
There are a lot of different ways this season can go. I’m not shattering any expectations by saying that, but it’s worth recognizing. When you look around the NBA, you can usually get a pretty good idea of where most teams will finish, health notwithstanding. With Phoenix, that feels much harder.
And maybe that’s why the 38.5 win total hasn’t moved much. There is so much codependency within this roster, so much reliance on health and chemistry translating into competitiveness, that it could ultimately become either the reason this team succeeds or the reason it falls apart.
That’s what makes this Suns season so difficult to project and so interesting to watch. Their ceiling won’t be determined by one transcendent player. It will depend on whether Booker, Bridges, Green, Brooks, and the rest of the rotation can consistently amplify one another. If the ecosystem works, 38.5 could look conservative. If it doesn’t, the margin for error disappears quickly. Phoenix isn’t built around certainty. It’s built around connectivity.
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 08: Félix Bautista #74 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the game between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alyssa Howell/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
This will be super quick, because there was really little offense over Game One’s seven innings. The Tides got no-hit, alas, and only a walk to Rece Hinds with one out left in the game kept it from being a combined perfecto.
On a positive note, starter Michael Forret kept it scoreless through four innings, though he allowed two runs in the fifth on a homer, single, and a double. Cameron Weston and José Espada tossed clean innings after him.
One bad inning sunk the Tides in Game Two of the makeup doubleheader. Starter Trace Bright (1-9, 7.46 ERA) threw just 1.2 innings today and allowed five runs in the second inning alone—on two walks and four hits, including a three-run homer to cap things off. After him, Dietrich Enns pitched a good 2.1 innings, followed by talented prospect Luis de León, Codi Heuer and Yosver Zulueta. De León gave up a run on a walk and a double, and Zulueta on a walk and a pair of singles.
The Tides’ lone run came on a double by catcher Silas Ardoin and a single, plus a run-scoring groundout, by Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Jeremiah Jackson, respectively. Bradfield, Ardoin and Jud Fabian had the Tides’ lone hits on the day.
A weird result, as Richmond scored three in the first inning, then nothing until the three winning runs in the tenth inning. Those initial three, by the way, come off a rusty Félix Bautista, making his first appearance on a gametime mound since August ’25. Yes, The Mountain faced just five batters and walked three of them. But who cares? Great to see him, although also a fun thought to imagine the Double-A hitters learning they’d be facing him. Anyway, Tyson Neighbors relieved Bautista, but did him no favors, allowing another run-scoring walk and a sac fly.
The Baysox evened up the score with a snazzy double steal in the second, Colin Tuft taking second and Vance Honeycutt scoring the Baysox’s first run. Later on, Chesapeake got back-to-back homers by Wehiwa Aloy and Aron Estrada.
Regrettably, Brock Moore allowed three runs in the tenth inning, on a single and a couple of walks. The Baysox made it interesting in the bottom half with a two-out rally: Honeycutt walked and Thomas Sosa singled him home, along with ghost runner Dom Keegan. But they fell just short. Still, Honeycutt, Aloy and Estrada each had two hits today, and all three are OPS’ing over .800 currently. All aboard the hype train.
High-A: Frederick Keys 7, Wilmington Blue Rocks (WAS) 2
The lone winner on the day, the Keys racked up 17 strikeouts across five pitchers. That included opener Boston Bateman, who tossed three scoreless with six strikeouts (!!). The 6’8” lefty has a 3.63 ERA/1.39 WHIP with 107 strikeouts in 79.1 innings at High-A this season. Those K numbers will do! After him, Jack Crowder, Teddy Sharkey, Zac Lampton, and Cohen Achen combined for six innings of two-run ball, the two opponent runs scoring on a Wilmington home run off Lampton.
The Keys got big contributions from the middle of the order, especially in a five-run seventh inning. Enddy Azocar had three hits. Catcher Ethan Anderson doubled to put his team up 2-0. Leandro Arias and Jordan Sanchez each homered. And Braylin Tavera singled home a run.
Delmarva got out to a 2-0 lead, courtesy of a Stíven Martínez home run and a throwing error by the Crawdads, but gave up the lead on a three-run homer in the fifth, surrendered by reliever Francisco Morao. Morao also let in a fourth run on a balk. Tough day. The 20-year-old lefty, called up from the FCL in late July, has a 4.67 ERA in just under a month at Low-A Delmarva.
As for the offense, Martínez, DH’ing, had a nice 2-for-4 line including that homer. Jhomnardo Reyes reached base three times. Miguel Rodríguez (C/1B), Carlos Sánchez (C) and Félix Amparo (LF) had a hit apiece. Ty Head and Jaiden Lo Re went hitless in the game.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 22: Vinnie Pasquantino #9 of the Kansas City Royals congratulates Salvador Perez on his home run against the Detroit Tigers during the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“When you are giving up one run, you are going to have a pretty good chance to win,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “And two runs yesterday. That’s usually the name of the game. When your pitching is solid, you’ve got a better chance to win.”
Wacha allowed just one run in seven innings. He scattered three hits while registering six strikeouts against the Tigers’ potent lineup. It was his seventh victory and 17th quality start — most in the American League.
“Wacha’s the best, man,” Perez said. “Wacha’s been doing that all season long. And every time he is going to pitch, he’s going to give everything he has for us.”
Isbel was just one of the heroes in the Royals’ win on Saturday. After Isbel put them on the board, Salvador Perez clobbered his 17th home run in the fourth inning to pad the lead. Jac Caglianone doubled in the sixth, moved to third on Perez’s groundout and scored on a wild pitch for insurance. By his celebration, Perez seemed more fired up for moving the runner than his home run.
“As soon as they changed the pitcher, Vinnie [Pasquantino] and I talked, like, ‘I’m going to try to move him,’” Perez said. “Bring him in by moving the other way. He threw me a curveball that backed up and jammed me a little bit, but I still hit it to second base. Sometimes things happen. Don’t have the opportunity to bring him in, but the wild pitch scored that run. We’re doing the little things like that, and it’s good for the team.”
On Sunday, Salvy had his first stolen base in five years.
Salvador Perez channeled his inner Jarrod Dyson after recording his first stolen base since 2021! pic.twitter.com/ATBb9jJICm
“You get the final out,” Kimbrel said, “I think that’s one of the things that’s so enticing and fun about closing out games. It’s when you throw the last pitch and the last out is made, you can take a breath and everybody gets to go home happy.”
Royals 2026 first-round pick Zion Rose hits his first pro home run.
Rose has been a mixed bag thus far. He’s made an immediate impact with his speed, stealing eight bases in his first ten games with the River Bandits. The power, however, has been absent, however. Rose did hit his first home run with the Bandits as I’m typing this on Saturday afternoon, but still mid-game action, it isn’t included in the above stat line. Rose has walked at a healthy rate and limited strikeouts enough, but in all it’s been a middling debut for the sixth-overall selection in this year’s draft. That isn’t to say it’s time to sound the alarm bells. Jac Caglianone posted just a 98 wRC+ with a .388 SLG in his small-sample debut with Quad Cities in 2024.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 10: A general view as Hayden Wesneski #39 of the Houston Astros pitches during the game between the Houston Astros and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Monday, August 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
A new week of San Francisco Giants baseball begins today, so it’s time to take a look at what’s on deck for the week.
The Giants head back to Oracle Park for the week, welcoming the Cincinnati Reds to town tonight to begin a three-game series. After that, the Arizona Diamondbacks come to town for a four-game series over the weekend.
Personally, I don’t really have a preference between the two opponents. But the Reds are sitting in last place in the NL Central. They’re still doing better than the Giants, but they might be the less formidable opponents. So I’ll go ahead and pick them as the series I’m most interested in this week. Since we only have to see them twice a year instead of the nine billion times we see the Diamondbacks.
Which series are you most interested in this week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants begin their series against the Reds tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 21: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at American Family Field on August 21, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to week 22 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!
1. Milwaukee Brewers (81-50); 4-2 this week; 100.0% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)
The Brewers had another strong week with a pair of series victories over the Mariners and Braves, including a 22-0 romp of Seattle in Tuesday’s series opener. Milwaukee became the first team in the majors to guarantee at least a .500 season with their 81st win on Saturday afternoon.
Jake Bauers led the team with a pair of homers and a double this week, while William Contreras led the team with 10 hits this week. Luis Lara added nine hits, including his first career homer, and Garrett Mitchell had eight hits with a homer and two doubles. Joey Ortiz added six hits, including a homer and a double with five RBIs.
Logan Henderson, Kyle Harrison, and Jacob Misiorowski continue to shine atop Milwaukee’s rotation, as the three combined to allow just one run (by Henderson) across 17 innings in their appearances this week, striking out 18. DL Hall, Trevor Megill, Chad Patrick, and Bryse Wilson had scoreless weeks for the bullpen, totaling 13 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts.
Milwaukee gets another off day on Monday as they head to New York to face the Mets for three games beginning Tuesday night. They’ll then return home to host the Rangers for three games over the weekend.
2. Chicago Cubs (75-56); 3-3 this week; 97.8% chance to make postseason
The Cubs had a .500 week, taking two of three against the White Sox behind a pair of walk-off wins before dropping two of three to the Mariners over the weekend in Seattle.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had another big week with five homers and two doubles as part of nine hits, while Alex Bregman also had nine hits with three homers and eight RBIs. Nico Hoerner picked up eight hits, and Ian Happ and Michael Busch both homered twice.
David Peterson and Clay Holmes turned in the best starts of the week for the Cubs, as Peterson went 7 1/3 innings across a start and relief appearance, allowing two runs and striking out nine. Holmes went 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed despite picking up just one strikeout. Aaron Civale shined out of the bullpen with four strikeouts and no runs allowed across 5 1/3 relief innings.
Chicago now heads down to Phoenix to take on the Diamondbacks for three games before an off day on Thursday. They’ll then host the Reds for three games over the weekend.
3. St. Louis Cardinals (66-66); 3-5 this week; 2.2% chance to make postseason
The Cardinals had a long, disappointing week, as they took three of five against the Reds before being swept by the Phillies, including a tough 6-4 walk-off loss after leading 4-0 in the ninth on Sunday.
Jordan Walker continued to rake, with 12 hits, including three homers and two doubles, driving in eight. Five other players also homered, including rookie JJ Wetherholt, who added a double as part of a nine-hit week. Alec Burleson added 10 hits, driving in six and picking up a pair of doubles.
While the starting rotation as a whole didn’t have a great week, Kyle Leahy shined. He made a pair of starts, totaling nine innings with no runs allowed on five hits and two walks, striking out a team-high 10 batters. Peter Strzelecki was solid out of the bullpen with five innings of one-run ball, striking out five, and Gordon Graceffo went 2 2/3 scoreless innings over three appearances.
St. Louis gets Monday off before a homestand featuring matchups with the Orioles and Pirates begins on Tuesday.
4. Cincinnati Reds (62-69); 3-5 this week; 0.0% chance to make postseason
The Reds dropped three of five to the Cardinals at home this week before dropping two of three to the D-backs, and their once promising season is all but done at this point.
Matt McLain and Dane Myers both slugged a pair of homers, while Sal Stewart homered as part of an 11-hit week, driving in a team-high seven runs. Elly De La Cruz also had nine hits, and JJ Bleday added eight hits.
Chase Burns and Kent Emanuel had the best starts of the week for Cincy, as both pitchers went five innings with two runs allowed (Burns struck out eight and Emanuel struck out four). Tejay Antone, Julian Garcia, and Zach McCambley combined for 7 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing no runs and striking out four.
Cincinnati will continue the road trip with three games in San Francisco to begin this week. After an off day on Thursday, they’ll wrap up their trip with three games at Wrigley against the Cubs.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (63-69); 2-4 this week; 1.0% chance to make postseason
The Pirates took two of three at home against the Tigers to begin the week but were swept by the Dodgers in L.A. to finish with another sub-.500 week.
Oneil Cruz and Rafael Flores both slugged a pair of homers to lead Pittsburgh’s offense, while Brandon Lowe led the team with six hits, including a homer and double in what was an overall down week offensively for the Pirates.
Braxton Ashcraft turned in another strong start, totaling eight innings with one run allowed and four strikeouts to pick up the win. Lake Bachar went three total innings in a start and a relief appearance, allowing one run and striking out a pair. Khristian Curtis, Camilo Doval, Antwone Kelly, Mason Montgomery, Luke Weaver, and Kirby Yates combined for 15 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out 16.
Pittsburgh continues the road trip with three games in San Diego before an off day on Thursday. They’ll then wrap up the trip with a three-game set in St. Louis.
That’s as good a place as any to start paying the butcher’s bill. Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages is out for 4-to-5 weeks after surgery on a fractured hand after getting hit by a pitch. So that’s pretty close to the rest of the regular season.
Good news and bad news for the Brewers. The good news is that right-hander Brandon Woodruff does not need shoulder surgery. The bad news is that Woodruff is probably out for the season anyway. But at least he should be ready for Opening Day, whenever that is.
Tim Britton examines the hottest team in baseball since the Trade Deadline: The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the Mets’ Double-A team. (The Athletic sub. req.) The Rumble Ponies’ surge is led in part by former Cub Jefferson Rojas. Interestingly enough, Rojas said the Cubs told him that he was likely to be traded at the deadline, which I think is pretty classy of the Cubs.
