Can the Braves end this matchup on a high note and avoid a sweep before going into the All-Star break?
We’re set to find out in just a few hours. Tune in at 2:15 p.m. EDT for the first pitch at Busch Stadium.
Preview-NOTE: Ritchie is scratched and replaced by Danny Young
Houston Astros @ Texas Rangers
Sunday, July 12, 2026, 1:35 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
The Shed
RHP Cristian Javier vs. LHP MacKenzie Gore
Go Rangers!
One of the Lakers’ big weaknesses last year was their bench production.
During the regular season, LA’s reserves scored just 29.3 points per game, the second-worst mark in the NBA. Things didn’t get much better in the playoffs. The backups scored 21.6 points per game, which was bottom-four in the postseason.
It should be no surprise, then, that the Lakers moved quickly to bring in Collin Sexton, who was officially announced on Sunday, to bolster their bench this season.
Last season, Sexton averaged 15.4 points and shot 48.5% from the field and 40.1% from the 3-point line. He did that as a backup for both the Hornets and Bulls and the hope is that he can replicate that with the Lakers.
Sexton’s first-step burst is what separates him from the pack. He can drive on anyone and, thanks to his agility, he can contort his body near the basket to score in the paint even against the most physical defenders.
In a league that’s increasingly becoming about being able to catch and shoot, Sexton is a great balance of new and old-school.
Sexton had 183 catch-and-shoot attempts and converted on 43.7%. For context, these numbers would’ve made Sexton fourth-highest on the Lakers in catch-and-shoot attempts. His shooting percentage on these attempts would’ve been second-best on the roster for those who took at least 150 shots.
At the rim, he had a whopping 204 attempts and made 64.7% of his baskets. The only guard on the Lakers who took more attempts at the rim last year was Luka Dončić at 255. And on the bench, no backcourt player was able to get to the rim better than Sexton. Luke Kennard had just 59 shots at the rim, and Marcus Smart took 61.
He also took 232 field-goal attempts with zero dribbles, but he also attempted 194 shots on 3-6 dribbles and a whopping 150 with seven-plus dribbles.
Sexton was most efficient when he took 3-6 dribbles, making 50.5% of those shots.
His comfort with the ball makes him a great option to run the offense behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. And on the nights one of them is unavailable, he can be slotted in the starting lineup.
Sexton isn’t just a scorer. He can also distribute the ball well. Last year, he averaged 3.3 assists per game. If he replicates his scoring and assist numbers from last year, he’d be the best backup guard they’ve had since Dennis Schröder.
Right now, though, the Lakers just need him to replace Kennard, which is still a tall order.
Kennard was an elite 3-point shooter for the Lakers during the regular season. In the opening round against the Rockets, he had some great performances. He scored 27 points in the team’s Game 1 win and 23 points in Game 2’s victory. Without his play, an argument can be made that the Lakers wouldn’t have beaten the Rockets.
Sexton has demonstrated he can shoot near Kennard’s level. He’s a career 38.9% 3-point shooter and has three seasons where he converted over 40% from deep, including last season.
The Lakers weren’t looking for a like-for-like replacement for Kennard. Instead, they brought in a player in Sexton who can do just enough of the things that made Kennard a great addition to the team midseason while also providing other elements to the bench that, hopefully, see the team take a step forward.
This is an opportunity for Sexton to flourish. Now on a winning team with title aspirations, he can show what he can really do and produce at a higher level.
The Lakers are banking on it, and if he accomplishes that, the bench can become a strength rather than a weakness.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
The San Diego Padres haven’t had a win like this in quite some time. It’s been a while since the Friars have won in such thrilling fashion. The last time that happened was when San Diego came back against the Atlanta Braves after being down 5-0. The Padres got off to an early lead, scoring two in the first, before starter Walker Buehler struggled in the second inning. He surrendered four runs to the Toronto Blue Jays in the top of the frame.
The Friars immediately tied it in the bottom of the frame. They then hit the go-ahead run in the third to make it 6-4. The club knocked in one more run in the fourth to lengthen their lead before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tied it on a three-run shot against Bradgley Rodriguez. The Padres got their go-ahead run on a solo homer from Ty France. That one run was all they would need as Mason Miller blanked the Jays to slam the door shut.
Despite sporting a below-average 4.32 ERA, Gausman has looked good this season for the Jays. That higher mark has been due to some recent struggles. In his last seven starts, the righty’s surrendered 27 runs toward a 6.51 ERA. In his last three, Gausman has surrendered 11 runs.
The Padres have historically hit quite well versus Gausman. Chief among them is Fernando Tatis Jr., who has two homers and a career .400 batting average. Additionally, France and Manny Machado both have batting averages over .300 against the Toronto right-hander.
Márquez dominated the Arizona Diamondbacks in his first start since coming off the IL. The veteran right-hander pitched five shutout innings, walking just three batters. Since returning from his IL stint, the righty has given up just two runs across eight innings pitched.
Only one of Toronto’s batters (Daulton Varsho) has more than 10 career at-bats against Márquez. The Jays haven’t had much success against the veteran apart from George Springer (.444 batting average in nine at-bats). Márquez has had his knuckle curve working lately. He’ll look to keep that up against the Jays this afternoon.
The offense looked fantastic last night, showing real fight throughout the whole game. The club scored in each of the first four innings and had some great at-bats against Toronto. The club walked a ridiculous eleven times, showing plate discipline they haven’t had most of the year. They’ll need to keep that consistent in order to win the rubber match today.
Merrill has had a very productive turnaround lately, hitting .321 in his last seven games and .288 over the last 15. He went 2-for-3 with two walks in last night’s game against Toronto. Hopefully, the center fielder will be able to continue that production after the All-Star break.
Despite Buehler going just 2 innings, the San Diego bullpen was saved by the unlikeliest of heroes. Matt Waldron made his return from the IL yesterday and pitched three shutout innings. He dominated, striking out three and stranding two hits. Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller filled out the final four innings for San Diego, though Matsui struggled.
With the All-Star break beginning after the conclusion of today’s game, the bullpen will get some rest no matter how many arms the Friars need to turn to. Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio and Wandy Peralta will be the readily available options for San Diego.
Time/Place: 1:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:The Good Phight
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Tarik Skubal (5-4, 3.06 ERA) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (9-1, 2.28 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skubal | 12 | 70.2 | 30.4 | 3.6 | 46.2 | 3.13 | 1.7 |
| Wheeler | 14 | 87.0 | 29.4 | 6.0 | 46.0 | 3.12 | 2.4 |
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Go Rays!
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Here’s the Guardians’ lineup:
Here’s the Marlins’ lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
The Texas Rangers have placed righthanded pitcher Chris Martin on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled righthanded reliever Emiliano Teodo.
This is the third trip to the injured list this season for the 40 year old Martin, and its possible he will not be activated again. Martin, who planned to retire after 2025 but opted to return for one more season, has a 9.00 ERA in 14 innings over 16 appearances this season, and has battled a shoulder issue throughout. It would be great if rest and rehab can get him back to being a semblance of the pitcher he was previously, the reality is that he may simply be done.
To replace him the Rangers are turning to righthanded flame thrower Emiliano Teodo. Teodo can reach 100 mph on the radar gun, but has had a challenging relationship with the strike zone in his career. It was hoped that he would be able to step up in 2025 and be a meaningful part of the Rangers’ bullpen, but he instead had an awful year plagued by injury and ineffectiveness.
Teodo is up now less because he’s shown he’s ready and more because the Rangers need arms and their options are limited. He has a 3.76 ERA in 40.2 innings over 35 games, with 35 walks, 8 hit batters, and 10 wild pitches to go with 52 strikeouts. He’s allowed just 4 earned runs in 15.2 IP since the beginning of June, but has walked 16 batters in those 15.2 innings. He’s also struck out 16 batters in those 15.2 innings, but having a 1:1 K:BB ratio isn’t generally a good thing for a pitcher.
It was a back-to-back, strong-armed outfielders move from the White Sox in the seventh round, nabbing Clay Burdette from Xavier University with the No. 195 pick in the 2026 MLB draft.
Just three years ago, Burdette was regarded as one of the three best shortstops in Ohio, but blossomed as a right fielder after a transfer from Ohio State to Xavier. Ranked No. 248 on MLB’s board, the White Sox had fears that Burdette would be gone by their eighth-round pick and nabbed him despite his lower overall rank.
It’s not immediately apparent why Burdette was so slightly regarded in the MLB rankings. He boasts a strong arm for right field and the speed to see time in center. Burdette also has a proven combination of raw power and top-notch bat speed, with exit velocities among the best in Division I.
Playing in a more minor conference, as the Big East is regarded in baseball, Burdette doesn’t have a big track record of plate appearances against top-notch pitching. He also has some selectivity and swing-and-miss issues that could rear up, with 50 Ks in 2026 against just 23 walks.
For you Xavier fans, Burdette’s selection in the seventh round makes him the highest-drafted Musketeers position player ever.
On the surface, Burdette kills it with his scouting ratings, particularly for an seventh-rounder, with his running ability leading the way at 60. But a hit tool of 40 drags his overall evaluation down to 40. Seems like a chip Burdette needs to put on his shoulder.
Expect Burdette to hit the ground running and get some time in a Kannapolis later this summer, as a player who’s been overlooked of late trying to prove his mettle.
The 2026 White Sox draft storystream contains all of our draft content.
Longtime coach Frank Vogel agrees to join Steve Kerr's Warriors staff, per Shams originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors have finally added a former Laker.
Well, probably not the one that Golden State fans were hoping for, at least not yet. As the NBA world sits and waits for 21-time All-NBA selection LeBron James to decide where he will play next season, Steve Kerr and the Warriors reportedly added his former head coach to the staff.
Former Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns head coach Frank Vogel is set to join the Golden State staff as an associate head coach, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, citing sources.
While Vogel is as well-traveled as any coach in the NBA, he is best known as the head coach of the 2019-20 Lakers, who won the NBA Finals. However, even coaching the team to a title wasn’t enough to prevent his eventual firing two seasons later.
Across his 12 seasons as a head coach, Vogel has compiled a 480-422 record. He spent this past NBA season as an assistant for the Dallas Mavericks on Jason Kidd’s staff.
Although he brings another coach with experience, the big question surrounding this hiring is whether or not this helps or hurts the Warriors’ chances of landing James.
Gonzaga basketball suffered an unexpected loss from its starting lineup ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Starting point guard Mario Saint-Supéry officially signed with Valencia, a Spanish club in EuroLeague, on Saturday, July 11. The move leaves the Bulldogs without an established point guard next season, and they can't get an experienced replacement with the transfer portal closed.
The All-WCC freshman team honoree averaged 8.6 points with 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game last season on 41% shooting as a true freshman, starting 17 of Gonzaga's 35 games. He's reportedly signing a four-year deal with the club.
"Zag nation, thanks for everything," he wrote on Instagram.
It's the second tough break for the program this offseason, as fellow European guard Jack Kayil was drafted in the second round by the Houston Rockets and subsequently traded to the New York Knicks after initially committing to Gonzaga.
👑 El principito hará del @RoigArena su nuevo palacio 😎🧡
— Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) July 11, 2026
Cas 👉 @M_SaintSupery, talento nacional para Valencia Baskethttps://t.co/RelGjy0Esj
Val 👉 Mario Saint-Supéry, talent nacional per a Valencia Baskethttps://t.co/qVZnfFA2if
Eng 👉 Mario Saint-Supéry, a Spanish… pic.twitter.com/1fC4PUWTLZ
It's unclear why Saint-Supéry is leaving, although it's a return home for the former Liga ACB guard. He previously played for Málaga, a Liga ACB club like Valencia, his new team.
Gonzaga returns 6-foot-10 forward Braden Huff, who averaged 17.8 points with 5.6 rebounds per game this season, and replaced leading scorer Graham Ike with highly touted Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop. It'll have to rely on projected backups in its backcourt, though, which could change the dynamic for a team expected to be in the national conversation next season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gonzaga basketball loses starting point guard Mario Saint-Supery to EuroLeague club
For Portland, trading for Ja Morant was a high-upside play. The Trail Blazers land a former All-Star point guard at a minimal cost (Jerami Grant, Kris Murphy), and if it works out, it's a home run. If not, no big setback. Think of it like Portland owner Tom Dundon: They bought a distressed asset and are trying to turn it around.
For Ja Morant, it's a chance to change the narrative and prove he's still that All-Star player and a more mature one off the court. He was honest about that speaking to reporters at NBA Summer League (quotes via Ben Golliver of ESPN).
"What would I like cleared up? I think you know the answer to that. My image. [That] I'm a bad guy. I'm Ja. I've done what I've done in the past, but it's been addressed and handled already. I don't see why, years later, that's still the topic when nothing's happened since. If I was that guy, y'all wouldn't be talking to me now. I wouldn't be here...
"New home. New team. New organization. I get to show the fans in Portland a different Ja. It's like starting all over again. ... Over the years, I've grown a lot and learned a lot. My mindset changed. I go into things differently now. I feel more mature, and I'm ready to work."
Morant is going to get his chance, playing in a backcourt with trusted veterans in Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday. There is athleticism on the wing around him and a center in Donovan Clingan who sets a big screen. He's working under an offensively-minded coach in Micah Nori.
This is a great opportunity for Morant. What he does with it, what level of athleticism remains, and how much the craft of his game has grown are what we will find out next season. Can he seize the opportunity?
In Las Vegas, Morant was saying all the right things, he was hanging out with his new teammates on the sideline of Trail Blazers Summer League games. It's a promising start and there is reason for optimism in the Pacific Northwest. This is going to be an interesting season for the Trail Blazers.
The Mariners will play today to try to avoid going 0-6 on this road trip and being swept into the All-Star Break. Honestly? Things don’t feel great.
Lineups:
Dear Rays, you are in first place, I know things are tight around there with the stadium and all but surely you can make a gameday lineup graphic.
News:
Can you tell from the tone here Shannon is over it?
Today’s game information:
Game time: 10:40 PT
TV: Mariners TV
Radio: Old Reliable
Programming note: It’s also the MLB Draft and ALSO the Futures Game today, because MLB remain unable to market their product nor its future. You can find separate threads for those events on the site.
The Yankees’ fight back in the first two games of this series has been nothing short of admirable. They overturned late two-run deficits on both days, scoring three runs in the ninth in the opener and four in the eighth yesterday. The home runs are starting to fly again against a Nats bullpen that is seriously holding the rest of its team back. The Yankees are hoping to close out their first half in the best way possible: with a sweep.
Will Warren will have to be miles better than his last time out against the Rays, when he coughed up six runs on three home runs in four innings. The league is starting to figure out his fastball and he needs to find a way to vary his pitch mix more. I am surprised he has barely thrown the changeup and curveball given the above-average raw characteristics of each pitch — perhaps they can help him become less predictable. In 18 starts, Warren in 7-4 with a 4.15 ERA (101 ERA+), 3.96 FIP, and 94 strikeouts in 93.1 innings.
Cade Cavalli was the hot-head pitcher involved in the bases-clearing brawl with Willson Contreras and the Red Sox last week, making his first start after serving his five-game suspension for his inflammatory remarks. The former top pitching prospect for the Nationals, Cavalli missed all of the 2023 and 2024 seasons to Tommy John surgery. He has faced the Yankees once and it was by far the worst start of his major league career — eight runs on eight hits including four home runs in 2.1 innings at the end of last August. He’s a different pitcher this year with a four-seamer that averages 97 and tops out at 100 and a knuckle curve that’s gotten whiffs on almost 40-percent of swings. In 19 starts, Cavalli is 5-4 with a 3.88 ERA (110 ERA+), 3.35 FIP, and 105 strikeouts in 92.2 innings.
The Yankees make several changes to the lineups that have faced lefty openers in the last two games. Austin Wells celebrates his 27th birthday with a return to the lineup after homering in two of his last three appearances. Ryan McMahon’s bat is heating up and his glove at third is a welcome return following Amed Rosario’s mishaps. José Caballero replaces Anthony Vople at shortstop. Max Schuemann comes in to play right, moving Jasson Domínguez to DH to give Paul Goldschmidt a day off.
The Yankees haven’t shown they can handle superstar James Wood — 3-for-5 with a home run in each of the first two games — so it’s a matter of silencing the rest of the Nationals lineup. They also make a handful of changes from the starting nine yesterday. Abimelec Ortiz plays DH, moving Luis García Jr. to first and Curtis Mead to the bench. Keibert Ruiz starts over Drew Millas behind the plate while José Tena replaces Nasim Nuñez at second.
How to watch
Location: Nationals Park – Washington, DC
First pitch: 1:35 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, Nationals.TV
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | WJFK 106.7 The Fan (WSN)
Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)
For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
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Day two of the 2026 MLB Draft: The Texas Rangers will be selecting sixteen players today, in Rounds 5 through 20. We will be updating through the day as each selection is made.
As a reminder, if a team selects a player in the first ten rounds, but doesn’t sign the player, they lose the bonus pool money referable to that pick. Thus, the players in the first ten rounds are almost certainly going to sign, and players taken in the back half of the first round are often less-heralded players who will sign for less than the slot value, which allows teams to apply the savings elsewhere (such as, in the case of the Rangers, Brody Bumila, their third round pick who has indicated he’s been offered first round money).
Players taken after the tenth round are less likely to be signed, since a team doesn’t lose any of their bonus pool money if they don’t sign those players. A player taken after the tenth round can sign for up to $150,000 without it counting towards the bonus pool.
5th Round— Michael Anderson Jr., DH/RHP, Penn State.
Ranked #263 on the Baseball America top 500, Anderson is a 6’3”, 230 lb. righthanded hitting and throwing senior who spent two years playing for Rhode Island, then transferred to Arkansas, where he went 0 for 8 in four games. He transferred from Arkansas to Penn State for his senior season, slashing .358/.470/.742 in 232 plate appearances with 20 homers, 23 walks and 30 Ks. He has big power and bat speed, but there are concerns about his ability to make contact and his tendency to chase. Anderson is slow and while he’s played first base in the past, he was just a DH for Penn State this year.
Anderson was announced as a two way player, and pitched in 8 games (8.2 IP) as a freshman for Rhode Island, as well as appearing in two games for Penn State. He’s hit 97 mph on the mound, and when he was in the transfer portal there were some who thought he had more potential on the mound than as a hitter. He presumably will get a chance to work out of the bullpen as well as hitting.
6th Round — Aidan Brainard, RHP, University of Nevada
Brainard is a 6’3”, 210 lb. righthanded senior who played for Northeast Community College in Nebraska and then Regis University in Denver before spending his senior season at Nevada-Reno. Between his junior year at Regis and his senior year at Nevada he put up a 6.77 ERA in 115.2 IP, striking out 125, walking 71, and hitting 22. It would appear that control is something he needs to work on.
Here’s an article about Brainard from Nevada Sports Net. I also noticed he went to high school at Columbine High in Colorado, giving him something in common with Rangers first rounder Gio Rojas.
7th Round — Caden Aoki, RHP, University of Georgia
Aoki is a 6’0”, 185 lb. righthanded throwing pitcher for the University of Georgia. He just finished his fifth year of college ball, having appeared in four games for Notre Dame as a freshman, then been part of the USC starting rotation for three years before transferring to Georgia for his fifth season. In 9 starts and 11 relief appearances for the Bulldogs he logged 86 innings, striking out 110 and walking 27, though also allowing 14 homers.
Here’s a “three things to know” piece from the Athens Banner-Herald about Aoki, who turns 24 later this year. It would appear he has no eligibility remaining, which means he’s almost certainly signing for somewhere in the $10-25K range. He also has a sweet mustache:
8th Round — Kolby Branch, SS, University of Georgia
Branch is a 23 year old, 5’11”, 202 lb. righthanded hitting infielder born in Allen, Texas, who graduated from Lovejoy High School and spent his freshman year at Baylor before transferring to Georgia, where he just finished his senior year. I guess the Rangers are buying Bulldogs in bulk. Branch was #43 on the BA top 100 senior sign list. 5th round pick Anderson, as a point of reference, was #4.
As a senior he slashed .291/.394/.628 in 234 plate appearances, with a whopping 72 Ks and 40 walks. For his college career, he has a .296/.397/.555 slash line.
9th Round — Kaden Carpenter, OF, Utah Valley State
Carpenter is a 6’4”, 225 lb. left handed hitting and throwing outfielder from Provo, Utah, who spent his first three years as a starter for Utah before transferring to Utah Valley State for his senior season. He’s #48 on the BA list of the top senior signs. I’m a big fan of his song “Rainy Days and Mondays.”
Carpenter had his best season as a senior, slashing .338/.467/.706 with 17 homers, 44 walks and 58 Ks in 255 plate appearances. Of course, he also was playing in the WAC, rather than the Pac 12 and then Big 12. His career slash line in college was .308/.421/.554.
10th Round — Evan Morrison, SS, Grand Valley State
Morrison is a 5’11”, 200 lb. lefthanded hitting shortstop who turned 23 in April. He’s from Ontario and was at the University of Waterloo, then McPherson College in Kansas, and then, for the past two seasons, at Grand Valley State, part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which includes such powerhouses as Davenport, Wayne State, and Wisconsin-Parkside.
As a senior, Morrison slashed .410/.476/.590 with, according to B-R, 28 walks against 7 strikeouts in 288 plate appearances, and was 27 for 35 on stolen base attempts. He’s also pitched in the past. He did not make the B-R top 100 senior sign list, and is probably a guy getting a $10K signing bonus and who will be plugged in to play whatever position is needed wherever they need somebody.