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Continue reading...Rival report: Kings’ financial situation hamstringing moves
Keeping it moving here on the rival report here at GSOM, we’re working through the Pacific Divsion to give a shout out to the moribund Kings. Sacramento is still one of the first teams the Warriors have to solve every season. Before we start obsessing over whatever superteam the rest of the league built this summer, it’s worth looking one exit down I-80.
This is a math problem, and Sacramento has spent three years trying to solve it.
Here’s the full inventory of Sacramento’s 2026 free agency activity: they waived DeMar DeRozan and Isaiah Stevens, they let Russell Westbrook walk without a fight, and they signed Jonathan Mogbo and Adam Flagler to two-way deals. That’s it.
Meanwhile the rest of the West is trying to level up. Sacramento enters the season with the league’s tenth-highest payroll, five players making more than $20 million, and more than $80 million tied up in Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine alone. One veteran minimum contract pushes them into the tax.
Ian Goodwillie framed the whole non-approach as the smart play rather than the desperate one:
Basically, the Kings likely have to wait until Zach LaVine’s current contract finishes at the end of the 2026-2027 season. Then, nearly $50 million of cap space opens up, and Sacramento can start making moves on the open market. They’ll also have to hand out some extensions to existing players.
For now, Sacramento will have to work with what they have. The Kings have drafted well the last couple of years, made solid trades and signings that will help, and continue the rebuild from there. Once the big-money contracts are gone, they’ll have a strong foundation to make moves from.
The Kings’ inaction isn’t a front office standing still out of confusion. It’s a franchise that understands the math doesn’t work yet, and won’t for another year. Rather than take on bad money just to say they did something, Sacramento is banking on the summer of 2027 and everything happening now is just runway toward that moment.It’s hard to argue with that logic as crossing the first apron this year would’ve meant trade restrictions and buyout limitations on a team that’s nowhere near contending anyway. Why pay the penalty for a rebuild you haven’t finished rebuilding yet?
Ethan Minton took a different angle on this dilemma and quite frankly it’s the one that should actually worry Sacramento. His argument wasn’t really about the money. It was about whether anyone with options would ever pick Sacramento in the first place:
Sacramento has the 23rd-largest population among NBA cities. It doesn’t have the nightlife of Miami, the big-city feel of New York City or the ocean-view high-rises of San Francisco. For young, up-and-coming stars, Sacramento is not the most desirable location. Another reason free agents haven’t tended to pick Sacramento is the culture. The Kings have made the postseason once over the last twenty seasons. A string of poor decisions on draft night and questionable trades by the front office have forced the franchise into a perpetual state of losing.
That’s the split worth sitting with. One writer sees a temporary cap problem while the other sees a permanent market problem. Whether Sacramento is right or wrong won’t really be answered until 2027. The Warriors don’t have that luxury. Their championship window is happening now, which means every game against a team choosing tomorrow over today still counts exactly the same in the standings.
Islanders Offseason News: Arbitration book closed
The NHL’s arbitration hearing window is coming to an end, and alas we’ve been robbed of the theater that would be a…Alex Jefferies arbitration hearing.
The Isles this week officially announced a one-year, two-way deal with their lone arbitration filing, a player many do not think of and certainly not one whose record (zero NHL games, two-plus AHL seasons) you’d associate with arbitration theater.
His hearing was scheduled for July 31, the second-to-last day for hearings. In the end, all 15 players across the league who filed for arbitration reached contracts before they reached hearings, so…the system works, I guess?
Islanders News
- Don’t be misled by the headline, “Catching up with Casey Cizikas” does not mean he’s a retired alum yet. He discussed his summer activity and approaching 1,000 (regular season) games. [Isles]
- Maclin Celebrini’s massive $18.8M AAV on his five-year Sharks extension tells us what to expect with Matthew Schaefer’s extension. Thanks to Daniel Briere, the era of discounts for RFA-controlled players is over, at least for the stars. [Newsday | Post]
- Islanders games will be streamed on DAZN as part of that MSG/Yes/DAZN partnership. [Isles | Newsday]
- Matias Maccelli on
his favorite pasta sauce recipesigning with the Islanders. [Isles] - It’s now over 80,000 submissions for the 3rd-jersey deisgn. [Newsday]
- The Isles on Jefferies signing. [Isles]
The details:
Elsewhere
- In Minnesota, Quinn Hughes’ reps are expected to discuss his next contract, and how they’ll make room for his brothers. (That last part may be my own B.S.) [NHL]
- Ranking the league’s top-two center duos: The Isles are below average, especially if you consider Brayden Schenn their 2C. [Athletic]
- Zach Hyman praises his former-and-incoming coach Mike Babcock as the PR rehabilitation campaign continues. [Sportsnet]
Will Tigers trade Skubal? Latest MLB deadline intel, rumors we're hearing
While teams are finally starting to fully engage in trade talks, with a few still trying to decide whether they are legitimate buyers or should be realistic sellers, they realize that Monday is right around the corner.
And while the MLB trade deadline action has been painfully slow, there still is that large elephant sitting in the middle of the room:
The Detroit Tigers, as of late Thursday night, still had yet to officially inform teams that they are definitely trading Skubal, their two-time Cy Young winner.
It’s almost impossible to find an executive who believes the Tigers will hang onto Skubal, but they sure wish they would get the official word. Even if they can’t afford Skubal, suitors will pounce on starter Casey Mize and late-inning relievers Kenley Jansen and Kyle Finnegan.
“I keep waiting, but nothing yet," one GM said. “It’s getting late."
Here’s what GMs and executives are hearing as the Monday, 6 p.m. ET deadline lurks:
– They are convinced that the Tampa Bay Rays will be the most aggressive team at the deadline, knowing just how wide-open the American League is this year. Get into the dance, and you might be the last one at your party.
– The Boston Red Sox are giving up on the idea that Trevor Story will help them when he returns from the IL and are aggressively trying to acquire a shortstop. They are asking about everyone from Zach Neto of the Angels to C.J. Abrams of the Washington Nationals to Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins to Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros.
– The Mets are telling teams they are prepared to trade starter Clay Holmes quickly. He is not scheduled to make another start before Monday’s deadline. They also are trying to trade starter Freddy Peralta, and have no plans to sign him to an extension. They also have informed teams that shortstop Francisco Lindor is off limits for now.
– The Houston Astros and other teams keep asking about San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb.
And they keep being told he’s not going anywhere.
– The Philadelphia Phillies would prefer to acquire Angels OF Jo Adell, who has 10 homers against left-handed pitchers this year, but the Toronto Blue Jays’ package of reliever Jeff Hoffman and outfielder Daulton Varsho intrigues them.
– The Cincinnati Reds are now telling teams that starter Hunter Greene is no longer available.
– A.J. Preller, Padres president of baseball operations, is telling teams that they will have extra money to spend at the deadline with their new owners on the verge of being approved.
– The Chicago Cubs are aggressively shopping for a starter, and have talked to teams about everyone from the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal to the Mets’ Clay Holmes to the Giants’ Robbie Ray to the Mariners’ Emerson Hancock.
– Teams are salivating over the idea of acquiring Hancock, who’s easily the most prized young starter on the market. They believe that the Cubs could have the best shot at him if they include outfielder Seiya Suzuki and perhaps infielder Matt Shaw in a deal.
– The Giants plan to keep outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and trade Heliot Ramos. They also are telling teams they are willing to eat part of starter Robbie Ray’s $25 million contract in a trade.
– The Arizona Diamondbacks would love to find a first baseman, but have let teams know their biggest priority is relief pitching after removing Paul Sewald from the closer’s role this week.
– The Miami Marlins will listen on everyone, with the exception of ace Sandy Alcantara, who they plan to exercise his $21 million option next season.
– Teams are leery about trading for Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber after he lasted just two-thirds of an inning in his last start, walking six batters and pulled after 42 pitches.
– The Blue Jays are willing to trade George Springer, who’s in the final year of his contract, but there’s limited demand for right-handed hitting DHs.
– Teams are convinced that Mets closer Devin Williams would thrive in a small market, just as he did in Milwaukee, but he still has $30 million left in the final two years of his contract.
_The Minnesota Twins, who are hanging around the AL Central race, still are having nightmares about trading away reliever Louis Varland a year ago. Varland, their popular homegrown kid, has become an All-Star closer in Toronto.
If the Twins had kept him, they might be running away with the AL Central, but instead are desperately scrambling for bullpen help.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Tigers trade Skubal? Latest MLB deadline intel, rumors we're hearing
Rival report: Bridges changed the story of the Suns’ offseason
Let’s get back to the Warriors’ divisional rivals out in the big blue Pacific, continuing with the Suns. I previously broke down their draft day strategy and now we’re talking what happened after free agency. Phoenix is the team that ended the Warriors’ season last spring, in a play-in elimination game that still stings a little to write about. Before Golden State worries about the teams that got flashier over the summer, it’s worth checking on the one that already has a recent win over them.
The Suns had a quiet, disciplined offseason right up until they didn’t. GM Brian Gregory re-signed Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Mark Williams, added shooter Luke Kennard in free agency, and traded up in the first round to grab Arizona forward Koa Peat. Smart value contracts, a rotation kept mostly intact, a promising rookie added on the cheap. On paper, that’s a near-perfect summer for a team trying to build without a real cap advantage.
Then they traded an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, along with Royce O’Neale, for Miles Bridges.
That single move is doing all the heavy lifting in how this offseason gets remembered. Everything else Phoenix did was the responsible version of team-building. Bridges is the swing for the fences.
Ben Leibowitz of the Valley of the Sun posted this:
“But now, the Suns are moving forward with Bridges. The 28-year-old veteran has never made an All-Star team in his NBA career, but many Suns fans were (rightfully) more critical of Bridges’ off-court indiscretions. His history of domestic violence, chronicled by longtime NBA reporter David Aldridge, would make anyone with a conscience cringe.“
Despite his past, the Suns’ front office gave up a lot to acquire Bridges even entering a contract year. For most of the summer, Phoenix behaved like a team willing to win around the margins. If Bridges plays like the difference-maker the Suns believe he can be, nobody will remember the quiet work that came first. If he doesn’t, that unprotected 2033 pick becomes the only move anyone talks about. Either way, this is still the core of the roster that ended Golden State’s season in the play-in last spring. The Warriors won’t have to wait long to find out whether Phoenix’s biggest gamble made that team any better.
Out of curiosity, I wondered when was the last time the Phoenix Suns won a title. A quick Google search told me they had been to the NBA Finals three times and had never won it all. If I was a betting man, I’d wager the house that this ignominious streak shall absolutely continue in the next year. Still, the Warriors are gonna see this team alot this year during the regular season and will have to figure these guys out if they want to make headway in the West.
Yankees news: Adley Rutschman and Jo Adell could be targets
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: With the Trade Deadline fast approaching and no major moves as of yet, the question remains about what the Yankees will do this go around. It seems pretty obvious that the Yankees are looking for catching help, at least one additional arm in their bullpen, and possibly even an outfielder now that Cody Bellinger is also hurt. While they do have a dream scenario of depth in their rotation, don’t be surprised to see them trade from that depth to address some more pressing needs, similar to trading Jordan Montgomery a few years ago when they decided he wouldn’t make their playoff rotation.
Apparently, the Yankees have had conversations with various teams around the league asking about the likes of Jo Adell with the Angels or Lane Thomas from the Royals. They’ve also been connected to Hunter Goodman, Ryan Jeffers, and Tyler Stephenson on the catching front, though Jon Heyman says they’ve recently checked in on the Orioles’ Adley Rutschman (though that seems like the least likely possibility). Mason Miller remains their top bullpen target. Let’s see what gets done over the next few days.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: While Wednesday night’s game did not end the way one would’ve thought after handing Cam Schlittler a 4-0 lead in the first inning, Schlittler at least did his part to secure the win, striking out eight across 6.1 innings and only allowing a single run. While the win wasn’t there, he keeps padding his season numbers and making a legitimate case to be this year’s American League Cy Young recipient. Cy Schlittler? Cam Cylittler? What’re we thinking here?
NJ.com | Randy Miller: Ever the optimist and never the quitter, The Captain has spoken and expects the Yankees to be “all in” with the trade deadline approaching. While steering clear of mentioning any specifics, he knows the team needs help if they’re going to make a run in the playoffs and he’s hoping Brian Cashman and company make the necessary moves. Of course, he’s the captain of this team so he’s never going to be screaming for them to stand pat or sell, as Judge echoes similar sentiments every year around this time.
Rival report: Lakers bet big on Kessler and life after LeBron
Right after the draft and before free agency I wrote a series talking about what the Golden State Warriors divisional rivals had been cooking up. It’s time to take it to the next level and talk about what these foos did after that.
The Los Angeles Lakers are a team the Warriors have to worry about ever year in the Pacific Divsion, but this summer that team doesn’t have LeBron James anymore. Before Golden State gets lost in its own offseason business, it’s worth understanding what LA actually built to replace him.
The short version: they gutted the roster and reloaded around Luka Doncic. Rui Hachimura is gone, as are Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, and Jaxson Hayes. In their place, general manager Rob Pelinka landed center Walker Kessler, guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton, frontcourt additions Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney, wings Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle, and first-round rookie Cameron Carr.
Kessler is the move that defines the whole offseason, for better or worse. LA gave up two future first-round picks and two pick swaps to get him, then signed him to a four-year, $130 million deal. Everything else this summer was complementary. Kessler is the bet.
Magic Johnson believes this is exactly what a post-LeBron reset was supposed to look like. The Lakers legend has been posting his approval on X since the moves started landing, and his read is straightforward. Johnson wanted this roster to get younger, faster, and more athletic around Doncic, and he believes the front office delivered exactly that.
Defensively Kessler os a legitimate rim protector, Thybulle is a two-time All-Defensive presence on the perimeter, and Sexton and Grimes as players who bring real skill sets to the wing. however ESPN’s Zach Kram isn’t nearly as sold. His grade for the offseason landed at a C+, and the reasoning cuts right at the roster’s actual math.
The Lakers might have been the busiest team of the summer. But did all that activity make them better, or were they merely running in place?
“Of the top seven Lakers in playoff minutes this spring, the newly extended Austin Reaves is the only player still on the roster. He, Luka Doncic and Kessler form a strong three-man core. But the Lakers now have one of the NBA’s weakest forward groups, a glaring hole at backup center and almost no remaining draft assets to trade after giving up a haul for Kessler, who has never really played a meaningful NBA game.“
Soooo getting busier this summer isn’t the same as getting better eh? Hmmmm I feel like the whole offseason comes down to one question: does replacing LeBron with seven useful players actually leave you with a better basketball team?
LeBron’s production isn’t getting handed to one player. It’s getting spread across a franchise. Doncic can be the offensive engine. Is it arrogant to suppose that a team would lose a late stage LeBron James and then get immediately better? Has any team immediately got better after Bron left? Then again, Doncic might just be that dude and with Reaves alongside him, it might be enough to terrorize anybody on a given night.
Maybe this roster looks complete two years from now. The Warriors only care about the version showing up this season, while seven new rotation players are still learning how to play together and a post-LeBron identity is still under construction.
Kitchen magnate finds recipe for Wakefield joy in historic rugby league city
Matt Ellis has transformed the club by spending £10m and they are now contenders to win a first Super League title
Matt Ellis is too young to remember the glory days of the club he has supported all his life and is now the proud custodian of, but he is reminded often enough to concede it serves as his greatest motivation to bankroll one of Super League’s sleeping giants.
For supporters of a certain age, Wakefield Trinity represent one of rugby league’s great names. In the 1960s they were league champions twice and Challenge Cup winners three times – but it is 60 years since they last won a major trophy. For younger fans like Ellis, Wakefield have been associated with one thing: mediocrity.
Continue reading...Dodgers bludgeon Mariners 6-2 with measuring stick
Baseball reminds us of our capacity for change. Not just incremental shifts that drip from the faucet at a glacially accelerating pace until one day they’ve reshaped the surface beneath them. Rapid, sudden changes in a sport notorious for its meandering heart. In roughly the time a new human being requires to gestate and be born, the Mariners have gone from one pitch away from a World Series matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers to pitching wildly in rough waters, with no port in sight.
Tonight’s 6-2 loss wasn’t the most excruciating, and resulted from Bryan Woo leaving one pitch on the heart of the plate to Mookie Betts with runners on and two outs, and then a slider on the corner that Dalton Rushing managed to stay on and club for a three-run homer, saddling Woo with yet another rough road outing. I’m always going to stick up for a starter who goes deeper into a game and be firmer on one who is inefficient or incapable of working longer. I’ll tell you that tonight, Woo was not his sharpest, but struck out eight and was utilizing his whole repertoire of secondaries in a way I found impressive, including showcasing his brand new curveball more than ever before. In a stretch where every change seems to be for the worse, Woo has been remarkable in his consistency in process, even if the outcomes have been poor. The changes he’s endeavored are tweaks, efforts to continue improving on a roster that is careening for the rocks and cannot seem to find the balance to weigh anchor, much less turn the sails.
The winds blew in the M’s faces all afternoon and evening once more, with the exception of the top two hitters in the M’s lineup. Both Cole Young and Randy Arozarena put up stellar plate appearances against Roki Sasaki, who sat 98-101 with his fastball and broke off a revolting combination of splitters, sliders, and forkballs that make any frustrated, seated observer grateful they don’t have to get up and give it a try.
If this is the final year of Randyland in the Pacific Northwest, I will treasure a player who came in a difficult campaign and found ways to improve it, sparked a magical season a year ago, and found ways to continue improving instead of simply succumbing to a standard aging curve. And Young, whose battles early allowed Seattle to get Sasaki’s pitch count elevated and spurred his deterioration in the sixth inning and the M’s best scoring opportunity. Tripling to lead off the sixth and scoring on an Arozarena double, it’s how rallies start, and so many times this season if anything has been going well for the Mariners, these two have been the heart of it.
But measured against a superpower, these Mariners are not yet cohesive. The Dodgers winning today ensured them a one game lead on the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in baseball. If Seattle were in the NL West, they’d be 16.5 games back of the division, but by forces of tradition and fortune, they merely trail Texas by 2.5. They will need every bit of it to avoid turning 2026 into a cautionary tale that costs many more in the organization their jobs.
Harrison Bader’s first season with Giants over after late-night scooter crash
SAN DIEGO — A late-night scooter accident, the details of which remain hazy, will be the lasting memory of Harrison Bader’s otherwise forgettable first season in San Francisco.
Despite indicating otherwise just last week, manager Tony Vitello confirmed Thursday afternoon that the offseason free-agent addition had played his final game this season.
“I think that would have been a longshot to begin with,” Vitello said of Bader’s chances of returning this season after he crashed his scooter in the wee hours Sunday morning in one of San Francisco’s premier nightlight districts.
The 32-year-old center fielder had been limited to only 30 games in his first season since signing a two-year, $20 million contract with the Giants this past offseason. He was first sidelined by a hamstring strain but more recently has been dealing with plantar fasciitis.
Bader, who hasn’t appeared in a game since May 29, was scheduled to fly to Indianapolis to see a specialist for the persistent issue with his left foot. On Friday, Vitello said Bader was “frustrated” by “some setbacks” that had stalled his rehab efforts.
Before he could make it to the foot specialist, he suffered a different kind of setback. In an update Tuesday, the team said Bader had “further injured his same foot” in a “scooter accident on Saturday night/early Sunday morning.” By Thursday, more details had begun to emerge.
According to statements from the San Francisco Fire and Police departments, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Bader was transported to a local hospital around 2 a.m. Sunday morning with non-life-threatening injuries. The incident occurred in the Marina district, the authorities said.
A witness who spoke to SFist anonymously shed more light on the incident, telling the publication that it took place outside the famed Balboa Cafe, a popular drinking hole owned by Governor Gavin Newsom, and involved a San Francisco Fire Department vehicle.
Per SFist, Bader rode his scooter into the back of a fire truck, which then ran over the same foot that was already injured, “causing major injury.” Additionally, local TV affiliate KPIX cited multiple witnesses who said Bader was seen drinking at bars across the city proceeding the incident.
The Giants have not provided any more details besides their initial statement, which said that Bader’s scheduled meeting about his plantar fasciitis was “complicated” by the crash and that the “impact of the injury changed the nature of his evaluation.”
The team said Bader was set to undergo an MRI on Tuesday to reveal the full extent of the damage caused by the crash, but Vitello said Thursday those results weren’t available yet.
Despite the persistent setbacks that caused Bader to seek outside medical help, Vitello had said as recently as Friday that he expected the center fielder to return this season.
The manager’s tone had changed by the time a week had passed.
“I said that? I did?” Vitello said Thursday.
Vitello said he first received word that something had happened involving Bader on Sunday, a day before he was set to fly to Indianapolis, but “he didn’t provide a lot of details to me.”
Vitello didn’t get into specifics after the team released the news Tuesday and said he was more concerned with Bader’s well-being but seemed to have come to terms that his outlook had changed.
“Obviously he’s not better than he was prior to that,” Vitello said. “It’s gonna delay — there’s a chance it could delay whatever the recovery process is for him. But even prior to it, we’re looking at a pretty frustrating and long runway before he could get on the field again.
Bader was signed to upgrade the Giants’ outfield defense and lengthen their lineup with an experienced right-handed bat expected to be in there on a regular basis. That hasn’t played out, as Bader posted career-lows in batting average (.170) and OPS (.557) in 111 plate appearances, though five of his 18 hits went for home runs and two of those were grand slams.
There’s reason to believe the Giants are considering taking further disciplinary action. Some contracts include language prohibiting the use of motorized scooters, though they have become common modes of transportation in big-league clubhouses, including San Francisco’s.
While it’s not yet clear if alcohol was involved in this incident, Bader was allegedly inebriated when he crashed a scooter into a parked car when he was at the University of Florida, resulting in a 19-game suspension.
Regarding any potential discipline, Vitello said “it wouldn’t be up to me.” But, he added, “I don’t know the circumstances. Depending on what those are, I wouldn’t rule any of that out. … The front office is sorting through all that other stuff.”
The whole saga has done nothing to change Vitello’s views on a method of transport utilized on occasion by his predecessor, Bob Melvin, and many others to pass through the Giants’ clubhouse in recent years. He would warn his players at Tennessee of David Hamilton, the current Brewers outfielder, who tore his Achilles when his scooter hit a pothole.
Now, he’s got another cautionary tale in Bader.
“I’m just not a fan,” Vitello said. “I spend a lot of time in Nashville. Nashville’s become a fun place for a lot of people. If you’re on a scooter around those people, you are risking your life. So, not a fan.”
53-57: Chart
Dodginga motor vehicle successfully: Randy Arozarena, 0.07 WPA
Regina George in Act 3: Bryan Woo, -0.23 WPA
Game Thread Comment of the Day
Thank you for the theme music to the upcoming recap, OldPeculiar.
Roki Sasaki keeps impressing as Dodgers defeat Mariners 6-2
The Dodgers are now on a winning streak at home, as they defeated the Seattle Mariners 6-2 at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.
Roki Sasaki managed to avoid trouble after allowing a one-out baserunner by completing a scoreless first inning on 20 pitches. Bryan Woo was one strike away from completing a scoreless first inning on 21 pitches, but Mookie Betts delivered a two-strike, two-run double to give the Dodgers a third consecutive first inning lead over Seattle.
The Dodgers would struggle to get anything going against Woo over the next two innings, but a one-out walk to Kyle Tucker ignited a rally in the bottom of the fourth inning. Teoscar Hernández reached on an infield single, and Dalton Rushing added his biggest swing of the series with a three-run home run into the Seattle bullpen, giving the Dodgers their largest lead against the Mariners at five runs.
The Mariners were able to get to Sasaki in the top of the sixth inning, as Cole Young led off with a triple before Randy Arozarena drove him in on a double. After a four-pitch walk to Dominic Canzone, Julio Rodriguez lined out to Max Muncy on the first pitch he saw for a crucial first out. Josh Naylor singled to left field to load the bases and bring up the potential tying run in the form of Cal Raleigh.
Sasaki allowed a five-pitch walk to Raleigh to bring home Arozarena to cut his night after 5 1/3 innings. Although he allowed the two runs in the sixth inning, the 24-year-old right-hander has continued to show improvements on the mound, as his seven strikeouts against Seattle were the most he had in a home start since his 10-strikeout gem against the Angels on June 5. His season ERA now sits at 4.64, as he has allowed just three earned runs over his last three starts. Jack Dreyer managed to strike out pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder before getting a groundout of Weston Wilson to get out of the bases-loaded jam unscathed.
The Dodgers added some insurance against reliever Alex Hoppe in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Teoscar Hernández socked his first home run since July 3 against his old team to bring the lead back to four runs.
After two quick outs from Dreyer in the top of the seventh inning, Edgardo Henriquez let Seattle rattle with two consecutive baserunners. Henriquez won an eight pitch battle against Julio Rodríguez, getting him to ground out to leave both men on.
Tanner Scott almost let things slip away, as he allowed two walks in the top of the eighth inning, but he managed to get rookie Colt Emerson to fly out and maintain the Dodgers’ four-run lead. The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Edwin Díaz secured his second consecutive save since returning from the injured list.
Andy Pages had another multi-hit game against Seattle, as he finished 2-4 with a pair of singles and collecting multiple hits in consecutive games for the first time since July 10-11 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Freddie Freeman brought his hitting streak to nine games as he singled against Cole Wilcox in the bottom of the eighth inning. Freeman is now hitting .459 (17-37) over his last nine games.
Kiké Hernández returned to the starting lineup for the first time since May 26, finishing 0-3 and having his season average drop to .429.
Game particulars
- Home runs— Dalton Rushing (12), Teoscar Hernández (9)
- WP—Roki Sasaki (5-5): 5 1/3 IP, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
- LP—Bryan Woo (7-8): 5 IP, 5 hits, 5 earned runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Up next
The Dodgers cap off their homestand with a three-game weekend series against the Boston Red Sox beginning Friday (7:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Ranger Suarez goes for Boston, while the Dodgers have yet to announce Friday’s starter.
Late Collapse Costs A’s Chance at Series Split
The Athletics closed out this four-game series against the Boston Red Sox on a warm summer night in West Sacramento. It was déjà vu all over again for the A’s, as they carried a late lead only to watch another reliever blow the save in a 5-4 loss that prevented them from salvaging a series split.
A’s Strike First
The Athletics’ struggles with runners in scoring position showed up immediately. Facing Red Sox starter Sonny Gray, designated hitter Jacob Wilson lined a one-out double in the bottom of the first, only to be stranded at second as the next two hitters grounded out.
A’s right fielder Carlos Cortes drew a leadoff walk in the third inning. He advanced to second on a groundout and then moved to third on Red Sox’ shortstop Andruw Monasterio’s fielding error. Unlike last night, Wilson came through with a runner on third and fewer than two outs, lining an RBI single to center to put the A’s up 1-0.
The hosts had a chance to score more, but Gray escaped without further damage by getting left fielder Tyler Soderstrom to ground into an inning-ending double play. Through three innings, the A’s were 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, wasting opportunities to do more damage against Boston’s starter.
A’s Add On
Seeking to extend the A’s lead, catcher Jonah Heim led off the bottom of the fourth with his 11th double of the season. He scored the A’s second run on center fielder Lawrence Butler’s one-out RBI double to right. Jeff McNeil followed with a single, advancing Butler to third.
With two outs, shortstop Donovan Walton came through, grounding an RBI single to right that brought Butler home and extended the A’s lead to 3-0. Once again the A’s had a chance to add to their lead, but Gray got Wilson to pop out, stranding the bases loaded.
Red Sox Tie Things Up
A’s starter Mason Barnett got off to a good start, throwing four scoreless innings. However, he unraveled in the fifth inning.
The Red Sox scored their first run of the game on Monasterio’s RBI single against Barnett. The visitors were not done, tying the game at 3-3 on Rafaela’s two-run double down the left-field line that got past a diving White at third base. Barnett kept the game tied by retiring Wilyer Abreu to end the inning.
The A’s starter had been pitching well until that inning, which was likely due to it being his deepest outing in a major league game this season. He allowed three runs on four hits over five innings, striking out six in an outing that was going well until his fifth and final inning of work.
Blewett Does Not Blow it
Right-handed reliever Scott Blewett pitched the sixth inning, making his A’s debut in a tie game. His first appearance with the team did not start well, as two straight singles and a sacrifice bunt set Boston up to take the lead for the first time this evening. Blewett kept the game tied, as the Red Sox failed to take advantage of that golden opportunity.
Butler Comes Through Again
Butler led off the bottom of the sixth with his second double of the night off Gray. He tagged up and advanced to third on McNeil’s flyout before scoring the go-ahead run on Cortes’ sacrifice fly.
Blewett kept the A’s in the lead, throwing a second straight scoreless inning of relief. Unfortunately, the A’s bullpen could not keep things going.
Familiar Fate
Right-hander Luis Medina, whose daughter threw out the first pitch before the game, blew his fourth save of the season. Abreu and Willson Contreras hit back-t0-back home runs in the eighth inning to put the Red Sox ahead 5-4, turning the game on its head.
The A’s continued to hurt themselves by swinging at first pitches. The latest example came in the bottom of the eighth inning, when White grounded into a first-pitch double play, instantly erasing speedster Henry Bolte from the bases.
Up one, the Red Sox brought in closer Aroldis Chapman for the save opportunity. With one out, pinch-hitter Alika Williams just missed a game-tying home run, settling for a double off the wall. Chapman recovered, striking out pinch-hitter Colby Thomas and Nick Kurtz to save Boston’s 5-4 victory, wrapping up their seventh straight series victory and sending the Athletics to their tenth straight series loss.
Series Wrap-up
This four-game series perfectly encapsulated the A’s 2026 season. The “Green and Gold” had a chance to complete the sweep, but their leaky bullpen and inability to deliver with runners in scoring position cost them three games of the series, dropping the team’s home record to an awful 24-31.
With the trade deadline looming on Monday, something has to change. There is too much dead weight on this roster, from Thomas to the inconsistent bullpen to manager Mark Kotsay, who has yet to lead the Athletics to a winning season since replacing Bob Melvin in 2022.
The A’s will continue this homestand this weekend with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Friday’s pitching matchup features left-hander Jeffrey Springs against right-hander Casey Mize. The A’s will look to return the favor after the Tigers swept all three games between the teams in Detroit before the All-Star break.
BREAKING: Twins acquire AJ Minter from Mets
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Twins have acquired left-handed reliever AJ Minter from the New York Mets. The Twins are sending prospects Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani in return.
Minter, 32, has spent plenty of time on the injured list the past few seasons, but has been relatively healthy of late, posting a 2.35 ERA/4.02 FIP in 23 innings so far this year. His strikeout rate is lower than ideal at just 21.7% but he’s also walked only two batters all season, leading to an elite 2.2% walk rate. He uses his cutter and fastball almost exclusively, but will mix in an occasional changeup against righties and sinker against lefties just to keep hitters off balance. Minter is owed around $3.5M for the rest of 2026 and will be a free agent after the season.
Minter will essentially step into the role vacated by Anthony Banda’s season ending injury: a high leverage lefty who will be occasionally asked for more. Minter is still a clear tier below Yoendrys Gomez and Andrew Morris, but gives them another solid, if unspectacular, relief option at the end of games. While that may seem underwhelming, it’s important to remember that the Twins have been forced to turn to waiver wire pickup Jack Anderson in high leverage spots multiple times in the past week.
Between Minter, the acquisition of Tommy Nance a few weeks ago, and major strides forward from Travis Adams and Kody Funderburk in July, the Twins finally have the makings of a real, Major League-caliber bullpen. I would still expect them to be active on the pitching market to shore things up. That could mean another reliever, but I still think a starter is necessary for this team to make a real run at the postseason. Especially if, as expected, Connor Prielipp will have to pitch out of the bullpen over the final few weeks of the season since he flew past his career high in innings a few weeks ago.
Amick and Agbayani are the prospects heading to New York. Amick is ranked as the Twins’ 21st prospect by MLB Pipeline while Agbayani is 29th. Neither are ranked in the post-draft top 50 prospects from FanGraphs, with their prospect group having serious questions about both players’ ability to make contact. Our own Aidan O’Brien has Amick at 29 and Agbayani at 32 in his July Top Prospects ranking.
Amick, 23, was the Twins’ second round pick back in 2024. Amick was a prolific college hitter but concerns about his swing path and lack of hit tool have proven to be correct. At AA Wichita, he has hit .217/.338/.482 with 23 home runs and a rough 28.5% strikeout rate. Without other tools to make up for it (like say, Emmanuel Rodriguez) it’s tough to see a scenario where Amick makes enough contact to be a valuable contributor. But he was drafted highly for a reason and the Mets clearly saw things they liked.
Agbayani, 19, was drafted in the 6th round in 2025. Son of former Big Leaguer Benny Agbayani, the Twins took a swing on him last year thanks to his advanced hit tool and approach at the plate. Unfortunately, injuries have kept him to just 15 total games since being drafted. Agbayani is a bigger name than some Complex League-level wildcard prospects that get tossed into trades, but he should probably be viewed equivalently at this point in his career.
Welcome to the team, AJ!
Mets trade A.J. Minter to Twins for pair of prospects
The Mets have traded left-handed reliever A.J. Minter to the Twins for a pair of prospects: infielder Billy Amick and fellow infielder Bruin Agbayani. The latter is the son of Mets cult hero Benny Agbayani.
Signed to a two-year, $22 million deal ahead of the 2025 season, Minter suffered a lat injury early in his first season with the Mets that cost him the remainder of the year. But he made it back to the major league mound this year, and in total, he threw 34.0 innings in his time with the Mets with a 2.12 ERA and a 3.35 FIP.
As for the return, Amick has hit .217/.338/.482 with 23 home runs in his age-23 season in Double-A this year. He was drafted by the Twins in the second round in 2024, and he’s logged significant innings at first and third base.
Agbayani has spent his age-19 season this year in Single-A, and he’s hit .268/.412/.342 in 51 plate appearances. He’s logged innings at second base, third base, and shortstop.