Including today, there are (Vladimir Guerrero’s) #27 days of play remaining.

The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29.

WE START WITH THE MONTH THAT PASSED

August sorted some things out in the National League and just seemed to make things worse in the miserable American League.

NL TEAMS IN AUGUST

The Dodgers had the worst record of any contending NL team in August. It was the Dodgers’ first losing month since July 2025.

AL TEAMS IN AUGUST

No AL Central team played over .500.

ONE RUN GAMES IN AUGUST

NL TEAMS

The Dodgers played more one-run games than any other team in baseball.

AL TEAMS

The top three teams in this category are all from the AL East.

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August 30 was my birthday. I’m officially very old (or perhaps elderly). The good news is that, unlike two of my heroes, Ted Williams and Tug McGraw, both of whom were also born on August 30th, I’m still alive. The better news is that until the end of the season, I’m offering a special deal on Billy-Ball in which you get a terrific discount. Three months of this fabulous column for 57% less than you usually would have to pay. It makes a great gift because you will look more generous than you actually are. Give to someone you work with, give it to a family member, give it to a spouse, give it to a friend, give it to an enemy, or simply give it to yourself. C’mon, you deserve it. Who deserves Billy-Ball more than you? Give it some thought, then impulsively press the button above or below.

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THE RACE FOR THE TOP IN THE NL

The Dodgers are back ahead of the Braves as the number 2 seed because the best in the NL can’t beat the Giants. The Giants beat the Braves last night, 7-3.

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Including today, there are (Rod Carew’s) #29 days of play remaining.

The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29.

A SUNDAY BASEBALL MELANGE

My Sunday baseball melange bears no resemblance to a Jell-O mold, one of the more disgusting innovations which became especially prominent in mid-century American entertaining. I’m sure our current king enjoys them.

SAL STEWART

Sal Stewart has set the record for the most RBI by a Reds rookie in their 145-year history.

Sal Stewart is the 14th rookie in MLB history with 30+ homers and 100+ RBI in a season. Nine of the 10 previous players to do it since the Rookie of the Year award began in 1947 won it. The reason all 10 didn’t win it is that in 1950 (before I was born), Walt Dropo won it, and Al Rosen, who did it that same season, didn’t. There was no tie.

Player HR RBI Season Age Team Lg G

1. Sal Stewart 30 104 2026 22 CIN NL 136

2. Pete Alonso 53 120 2019 24 NYM NL 161

3. Aaron Judge 52 114 2017 25 NYY AL 155

4. José Abreu 36 107 2014 27 CHW AL 145

5. Albert Pujols 37 130 2001 21 STL NL 161

6. Mike Piazza 35 112 1993 24 LAD NL 149

7. Mark McGwire 49 118 1987 23 OAK AL 151

8. José Canseco 33 117 1986 21 OAK AL 157

9. Ron Kittle 35 100 1983 25 CHW AL 145

10. Walt Dropo 34 144 1950 27 BOS AL 136

11. Al Rosen 37 116 1950 26 CLE AL 155

IT’S MY BIRTHDAY SPECIAL OFFER

August 30 is my birthday. I’m officially very old (or perhaps elderly). The good news is that, unlike two of my heroes, Ted Williams and Tug McGraw, both of whom were also born on August 30th, I’m still alive. The better news is that until the end of the season, I’m offering a special deal on Billy-Ball in which you get a terrific discount. Three months of this fabulous column for 57% less than you usually would have to pay. It makes a great gift because you will look more generous than you actually are. Give to someone you work with, give it to a family member, give it to a spouse, give it to a friend, give it to an enemy, or simply give it to yourself. C’mon, you deserve it. Who deserves Billy-Ball more than you? Give it some thought, then impulsively press the button above or below.

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CAM SCHLITTLER

Cam Schlittler didn’t have the best control Friday night against the Red Sox, but he still held the Red Sox scoreless through 5.2 IP. He struck out 8, including his 200th K of the season.

The always informative Katie Sharp shared that this was Cam’s 20th start with 1 ER or fewer this season. That’s tied with Whitey Ford (1964) for the second most in a season in Yankees history. The only pitcher with more is Ron Guidry (21 in 1978).

Schlittler is go-oo-od.

MLB 2026 ERA Leaders, min. 75 IP

• 1.67 Paul Blackburn

• 1.73 Jacob Misiorowski

• 1.79 Shohei Ohtani

• 1.86 Troy Melton

• 2.06 Chris Sale

• 2.09 Cam Schlittler

Keep this in mind because there is an excellent chance the Yankees and Red Sox will meet in the best-of-three AL Wild Card series that begins on September 19 (good job, Billy-Ball, reminding people when the postseason begins, said my inner voice).

Schlittler has made four career starts against the Red Sox. He’s 2-1 (the Yankees are 3-1 in those starts) and has thrown 24.1 IP. He has allowed two (that would be 2) earned runs, giving him an ERA of 0.74. He has a 0.99 WHIP, a .174 BAA, and a .560 OPSA. He has struck out 27 and walked nine.

This is good:

The Yankees have two 1-0 wins this season. Schlittler was the starting pitcher in each. Paul Goldschmidt hit the game-winning homer in each. Take that, Max Muncy and Max Muncy.

THE YANKEES VS. THE RED SOX

Big game in the Bronx today as the Yankees host the Red Sox to determine who wins the season series, which is currently tied at 6-6. This game could determine who reaches the ALDS, the ALCS, and perhaps even the World Series.

Here’s what I mean (as if it is necessary to explain it to my smart readers): Right now,

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IT’S MY BIRTHDAY SPECIAL OFFER

August 30 is my birthday. I’m officially very old. The good news is that, unlike two of my heroes, Ted Williams and Tug McGraw, both of whom were also born on August 30th, I’m still alive. The better news is that until the end of the season, I’m offering a special deal on Billy-Ball in which you get a terrific discount. Three months of this fabulous column for 57% less than you usually would have to pay. It makes a great gift because you will look more generous than you actually are. Give to someone you work with, give it to a family member, give it to a spouse, give it to a friend, give it to an enemy, or simply give it to yourself. C’mon, you deserve it. Who deserves Billy-Ball more than you? Give it some thought, then impulsively press the button above or below.

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THE DODGERS/BRAVES SERIES WAS PLAYOFF BASEBALL IN AUGUST

Three terrific games, all decided by one run.

The Braves won the first game, 4-3, scoring ultimately the winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning. Despite being 90 feet from tying the game in the 9th inning, the Dodgers left Shohei Ohtani stranded at third last night after a leadoff triple and lost by a run.

Tyler Glasnow had been away from the Dodgers for about 100 days and looked shaky at the start, allowing three 1st-inning runs, but by the time he completed five innings, that’s all he permitted. Once again, a Dodger starter showed the maturity that it takes to make in-game adjustments. And that is a hallmark of a pitching staff filled with aces and near-aces. Veteran pitchers’ ability to make in-game adjustments and then give you length is one of the distinct advantages the Dodgers have. You may not always see at first glance when you look at the box score, but when you take a peek under the hood, it’s right there waiting for you.

I know I’m stating the obvious, but it is starting to materialize for the Dodgers staff: five to seven innings for the starters and minimizing the risk of going to the bullpen. For the bullpen, that means fewer pitchers are needed, since there are fewer innings to fill. The fewer relievers you use, the fewer risks that you take that a reliever is having an off night.

Glasnow allowed hits to four of the first five batters in the Braves lineup. He allowed two more and didn’t walk anyone the rest of the way. He struck out seven. After the 1st, Glasnow retired 14 of his final 16 while twice stranding a runner at second. Dave Roberts extended his pitch count to 89 to let him get through the 5th. Tuesday night, the Dodgers used four relievers, but Tanner Scott allowed what turned out to be the eventual winning run in the bottom of the 8th.

Wednesday night, the Braves won, 6-5. This series is an ideal illustration of why you don’t want to have to play in the Wild Card series, which is fraught with peril. If this were a best-of-three postseason series, which is what the Wild Card series is, the Dodgers would have already been eliminated by losses in the first two games.

Next, at this time of the regular season, not only can injuries happen, but when they happen, they have postseason ramifications. Roki Sasaki is on the IL because of what sounds like a pretty ugly blister and a skin-tearing issue. While this is not an arm injury per se, in many ways it has the same ramifications, as he was immediately forced onto the Injured List. While he can still throw and keep his arm in shape, he will not be able to exert himself the same way, and blister issues tend to reappear. If Sasaki is to be relied on out of the Dodgers’ postseason bullpen. You don’t want appearances curtailed because of a blister.

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This game went back-and-forth. Matt Olson hit a home run in the 1^st inning off Roki Sasaki. The Dodgers scored three against Atlanta’s starter, AJ Smith-Shawver (5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K), including a 2-run HR by Tommy Edman in the 2^nd inning. The Braves added three more runs in the 4^th off Roki (3.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K). Sean Murphy hit a solo HR in the 6^th off Eric Lauer, who relieved Edgardo Henriquez (0.2 IP), who relieved Sasaki.

Lauer went 2.0, allowing two hits and the one run that came with Murphy’s homer. Lauer intended to adjust to his new role coming out of the bullpen but will instead take Sasaki’s spot in the rotation.

Evan Phillips pitched a scoreless 7^th after the Dodgers scored two in the top of the 7^th to tie the game 5-5. Braves reliever Didier Fuentes pitched a scoreless 8th, and Brock Stewart pitched a scoreless bottom of the inning despite having too much action on the bases.

The Braves’ Victor Mederos retired the Dodgers 1-2-3 in the 9^th. Then, Tanner Scott came in for Los Angeles for the bottom of the 9^th.

He got Michael Harris II to ground out and Ozzie Albies to strike out. But then Lane Thomas hit a two-out double, and Scott intentionally walked Austin Riley. Pinch-hitter Ha-Seong Kim, who was 5-76 on the season and 0-30, hit a walkoff single to give Atlanta a second win over the Dodgers.

The Braves were 3-3 stealing bases in this game, and none were even close. Keep that base-stealing defense in mind when the postseason begins, particularly against the Brewers.

Kyle Tucker and Alek Thomas each went 0-5, and Teoscar Hernandez went 1-3. The outfield went 2-13. Tucker is now hitting .228, a new season low.

Then came the third game last night.

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No matter how you got to watch or listen to the game, last night’s instant classic was worth it. But if you arrived one pitch late in the bottom of the 1st, you missed all the scoring.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Chris Sale put on a master class on what happens when aces face off. Yamamoto was outstanding in a hard-luck loss: he allowed only one run in 6.1 innings, striking out eight, walking one, and allowing just four hits. But one of the hits came on the first pitch he threw; Braves rookie catcher Drake Baldwin took Yamamoto’s first pitch of the game, a slider, and drove it into the right-field Chop House for a leadoff homer. It was his 22^nd homer of the season and his fourth leadoff homer. Baldwin is the first catcher in MLB history to hit a leadoff HR in a 1-0 win.

In his last seven starts, Yoshi has now allowed only 10 total runs. He leads the majors in average innings per start at 6.59, and again, by throwing another Quality Start, he worked deep enough to preserve the bullpen.

Yoshi pitched a great game, but one unlucky pitch was one too many against a brilliant Chris Sale. Since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the Braves pitchers have now thrown 32 complete-game shutouts against them.

Chris Sale’s was the 7th 1-0 game and the first by a Brave since Tom Glavine’s in 2000. Actually, Glavine had thrown the two previous 1-0 shutouts of the Dodgers: in 2000, when he was 34, and in 1989, when he was 23.

And if you think that Chris Sale, the brilliant 37-year-old lefty, last night was the oldest to accomplish this feat, guess again. In 1963, while pitching for the Milwaukee Braves, a pretty good lefty by the name of Warren Spahn threw a three-hit, 1-0 shutout of the Boys in Blue, and he was a couple of months past his 42^nd birthday. Spahnie also blanked the Dodgers, 4-0, in 1961 when he was a mere kid of 41.

Last night, Chris Sale had 11 strikeouts, the most ever for a Braves pitcher in a 1-0 blanking of the Dodgers, even going back to the Brooklyn days. It was the second-most in any shutout of the Dodgers by a Braves starter; John Smoltz struck out 12 Dodgers in a 2-0 win in 1993.

But of the 27 pitchers, aged 37 and older, who have ever blanked the Dodgers, no matter what the final score, while we can’t know for certain, it’s pretty safe to assume that no one reached the velocity on pitches like Sale did last night.

• Sale threw a 100.1 mph fastball to Shohei Ohtani in the 3^rd inning, his first triple-digit pitch since July 2018 and his hardest pitch in roughly eight years. Shohei fouled it off.

• In the 5^th inning, Sale threw a 99.6 mph pitch that Ohtani swung through it for a strikeout; Sale’s second-fastest pitch since 2018.

• Then in the 9^th inning, facing Alex Call, Sale’s 109^th and final pitch of the night was 99 mph; a called strike three to end the game.

Sale recorded 80 strikes among his 109 pitches. He threw only 60 pitches through five innings and 81 through seven. And that helped him retain the strength to throw at extra velocity deep into the game.

For Sale, it was his first shutout since 2019 and his first complete game since 2019. He allowed five hits and no walks. Sale threw his fourth double-digit strikeout game this season and the 95^th of his career, which ranks seventh in major league history. Sale is now the all-time leader in baseball history in strikeout-to-walk ratio with a 5.35 Ks for every BB issued.

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For the Dodgers, it was the third time they have been blanked this season. They are now 26-21 in one-run games. And they were swept for the fourth time this season, and the third time this month.

All four of the sweeps came at the hands of potential postseason rivals.

They are still in second place in the NL, and even though their lead has been shrunk to just one game over Atlanta, based on who the Dodgers must face in the remaining month of the season, there should not be major concern.

UP NEXT FOR THE DODGERS, BREWERS, AND BRAVES

• The Dodgers are in Detroit for three. Then home against the Cards, Nats, and Reds.

• The Braves greet the Rockies for three. Up next are the Nats and Giants.

• The Brewers are home for three against Texas. Then on to Wrigley for four and Cincy for three.

• The Dodgers have 28 games remaining against teams that have a .470 winning pct. The easiest remaining schedule of any NL team.

• The Brewers have 28 games remaining against teams that have a .511 winning pct.

• The Braves have 28 games remaining against teams that have a .510 winning pct.

HAVING SAID ALL THAT

The concern remains: does the Dodgers’ performance against the Braves foreshadow what could happen in the postseason? These were like postseason games in that they were all decided by just one run. The Dodgers are 6-7 in one-run games this month and 26-21 on the season.

Wild Card Series: best of three, with every game at the higher seed’s park

Division Series: best-of-five series in a 2-2-1 home-field format.

First, the Atlanta series is an ideal illustration of why you don’t want to have to play in the Wild Card series, which is fraught with peril. If this were a best-of-three postseason series, which is what the Wild Card series is, after the first two games, the Dodgers would have already been eliminated.

Next, the Atlanta series is an ideal illustration of what could happen in the Division Series. Three straight losses, and you are gone.

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Of larger concern is the Dodgers’ recent play against teams that are .500 and better.

• The Dodgers are now 33-36 against teams with winning records.

• The Brewers are now 37-21 against teams with winning records.

• The Braves are now 37-23 against teams with winning records.

• The Cubs are now 29-23 against teams with winning records.

• The Phillies are now 26-30 against teams with winning records.

• The Padres are now 27-33 against teams with winning records.

• The D-backs are now 26-34 against teams with winning records.

Their last winning series against a team headed for the postseason was when they won two of three against the Phillies in Philly on July 20, 21, and 22.

With the Cardinals under .500, the Dodgers’ next 12 games against the Tigers, Cards, Nationals, and Reds are all against sub-.500 teams. They won’t have that luxury in the postseason.

NL POSTSEASON CONTENDERS IN ONE-RUN GAMES

SEE YOU SUNDAY

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There are Eddie Murray’s #33 days of play remaining.

The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29.

DID YOU KNOW?

THE MLB TOP 10

• Of the top 10 teams, right now only Arizona is not in a playoff slot.

• Of the top 10 teams in the majors, only Atlanta, Boston, and Arizona won last night.

• The AL Central-leading White Sox (69-63) have the 11^th-best record in baseball.

• The AL West-leading Astros have the 14^th-best record in baseball. They are an even .500 at 66-66.

• No MLB club has won a full, completed division title with a below .500 record. The closest was the 2005 San Diego Padres, who won the NL West at 82–80. They are the only full-season

IN THE NL MVP RACE

Yesterday, Shohei Ohtani went 1-5 with a triple, his fourth of the season. He struck out once. Pete Crow-Armstrong went 0-3 with a walk.

WAR

ACCORDING TO BASEBALL-REFERENCE

Pete Crow-Armstrong: 7.8 - Shohei Ohtani: 6.9

ACCORDING TO FANGRAPHS

Pete Crow-Armstrong: 8.6 - Shohei Ohtani: 7.0

TRISTAN

Do you even know who Tristan Peters is?

Tristan Peters is a rookie playing for the Chicago White Sox. This season, he’s had 6 RBI in a game, reached base 5 times in a game (H/BB/HBP), had 4 straight games with a home run, hit for the cycle, hit a grand slam, and had a walkoff HR. According to OptaSTATS, only two others in MLB history have done all of that in one season: Jimmie Foxx (1933) & Joe DiMaggio (1937).

Now you know who Tristan Peters is, so when he comes up in the postseason, you will know to pay attention.

A SPECIAL OFFER

To celebrate Ted Williams, Tug McGraw, and Billy-Ball’s birthdays on August 30, I am gifting readers a special 3-month subscription rate.

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THE RED SOX

The Red Sox are now a season-high 14 games above .500. They were 14 games under .500 back on June 25th.

I wonder if this regular season success continues into the postseason, when savvy sportswriters will start comparing the Sox to the Knicks. When it comes to star power, neither team has the glamour of most of the other teams, but the gestalt in which the organized whole, pattern, or configuration that is perceived as more than the sum of the individual parts seems to be true in both cases. The Red Sox may not be filled with individual stars, but they are an excellent team.

SPEAKING OF THE STARS

The Dodgers have a galaxy. Last night, Tyler Glasnow returned to the rotation and was very impressive. After allowing hits to four of the first five batters in the Braves lineup, Glasnow allowed two more and didn’t walk anyone in the final four innings he pitched. He struck out seven. After the 1st, Glasnow retired 14 of his final 16 while twice stranding a runner at second.

For the Dodgers, it’s been a season in which Justin Wrobleski and Eric Lauer have played starring or at least co-starring roles in their rotation. Now the understudies are seated, and the all-ace staff emerges:

• Tuesday - Tyler Glasnow vs Braves

• Wednesday - Roki Sasaki vs Braves

• Thursday - Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs Braves

• Friday - Tarik Skubal vs Tigers

• Saturday - Blake Snell vs Tigers

• Sunday - Tyler Glasnow vs Tigers

And there is even more for them to look forward to, as Will Smith homered in his first rehab game last night, and there is an excellent chance that Sunday's start will be filled by Shohei Ohtani. But I bore you with all this because this morning I read this story in The Athletic, which you know by now is my favorite publication, that was so absurd, I thought I should rebut a few of the points. The headline read, The Dodgers have a huge week ahead — and it could change the NL playoff race. The content is about the importance of the team finishing in one of the top two slots in the league race because “securing a bye feels paramount for a club that employs the oldest group of position players in the sport,” and “A playoff bye would provide a few days of rest for the Dodgers to set up their star-studded pitching staff however they’d like.”

First, you saw their rotation; this is not something they have to worry about if they can’t start Skubal, Snell, or Yamamoto in an opening game of a series. Next, they come into the series against the Braves holding a four-game lead. Even if they get swept, they will head to Detroit still in the second slot and not a Wild Card participant. Next, and most importantly, they are heading to Detroit! And not only do they have the post-trade-deadline Tigers to face, but the Dodgers also have 30 games remaining against teams that have a .476 winning pct. That is the easiest remaining schedule of any NL team. The Brewers have 30 games remaining against teams that have a .508 winning pct. The Braves have 30 games remaining against teams that have a .515 winning pct. The Dodgers still have seven games remaining against the Reds, six against the Giants, and three against the Nationals and Marlins. A huge week?!? I really don’t think so.

RAFFY

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Rafael Devers became the third Giant to hit at least 48 homers in his first 222 games with the organization. The others were Barry Bonds and Willie Mays. Also, the other night he hit his 16th at Oracle Park this season, the most by a Giant since Barry Bonds in 2007.

Devers is not the reason why the Giants are so terrible.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DON ORSILLO and company

The fine folks at AwfulAnnouncing.com asked their readers to evaluate every local TV broadcast crew for all 30 MLB teams, assign each a grade from A to F, and share comments. The results, based on more than 85,000 individual votes from more than 9,300 respondents, are at this link. I found them incredibly insightful and amazingly on target in their ratings, especially once again choosing Don Orsillo as the best.

Yesterday was one of those awful Red Sox anniversary dates. Don Orsillo, the Awful Announcing fan-favorite winner for the second straight season, formerly worked for the Boston Red Sox from 2001 to 2015. He was given the boot on August 25, 2015, and I don’t think I have ever, or will ever, forgive them. The San Diego Padres quickly snatched up Orsillo to be Dick Enberg’s successor, and he and his on-air partners remain the best broadcast team to listen to.

Fortunately, the Sox have gotten smarter.

My friend Tom Caron’s contract has been extended.

AROLDIS

Aroldis Chapman just became the fourth pitcher in MLB history with 10 seasons of 30 saves. The others are Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera (15), Trevor Hoffman (14) and Lee Smith (10). Chapman has 397 saves; only eight relievers have 400+ career saves.

ROYALTY

The Royals have baseball’s longest winning streak. The AL Central’s last-place team (59-74) won their ninth straight game last night. They are the first AL team since the 1910 White Sox to win that many consecutive games after entering said streak at least 24 games under .500.

You want to know how awful this team is? Even after winning 9 straight they are still eight games out of a Wild Card position, and the only reason they are even that close is that the Guardians (67-66) are the third WC team, and they are a game over .500.

From now on, whenever I mention the Guardians, I’m going to remind you how important it is to support Sherrod Brown’s efforts to return to the U.S. Senate representing Ohio. Here’s the link to support Sherrod’s campaign.

OH, CARROLL

The average major league team has 18 triples this season. 15 teams have 17 or fewer. In 133 Diamondbacks games this season, Corbin Carroll by himself has 16 triples, the same number he had last season through 133 games.

In 617 career games, he has 59 triples. Carl Yastrzemski had 59 triples in his career, and it took him 3308 games to get them. Mike Schmidt (2404 games) and Joe Torre (2209) also had 59 triples in their careers.

GOODBYE, DOLLY

Last night, the Empire State Building went pink at exactly 9:25 pm for Dolly Parton. Because the time was 9 to 5.

BE SAFE, BE HEALTHY

Dolly Parton was one of the greats. Just a terrific human being, filled with love, smarts, and generosity. And that doesn’t even mention her talent. We should all try to be more like Dolly and never be like Donald.

Five weeks of regular season play remain.

The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29.

A MANAGER OF THE YEAR THOUGHT

Is it possible that both the AL and NL Manager of the Year awards will go to interim managers?

Think about it. When Alex Cora was fired, his Boston Red Sox were 10-17 with a .370 winning pct. Since Chad Tracy took over, the Sawx are 60-42, a .588 winning pct., and on their way to the postseason as the number 2 seed. In the National League, the Phillies were 9-19, a .321 winning pct., when Rob Thomson was canned. Since then, under Don Mattingly, the Phils are 63-39, a .618 winning pct. and seemingly on their way to the postseason either as a Wild Card team and/or possibly as the NL East division champ.

Neither Tracy nor Donny Baseball are locked up for next season. And while there is no guarantee that they will win, White Sox manager Will Venable is sure to get many votes; it’s impossible to ignore these two interims. While I don’t think he will get many or any votes, Mets interim manager Andy Green deserves a little love as well. He’s gone 25-24 (.510) since succeeding Carlos Mendoza, who went 34-47 (.420).

MOY votes are counted at the end of the season and before the postseason. In the interim, about 32 games remain.

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ROUND NUMBERS IN 2026

• The Braves were the first team in MLB to reach 20 wins this season, achieving the milestone on April 26, 2026

• The Braves were the first team in MLB to reach 30 wins this season, achieving the milestone on May 13, 2026

• The Braves were the first team in MLB to reach 40 wins this season. They hit the mark on May 30, 2026.

• The Dodgers were the first team in MLB to reach 50 wins this season. They hit the milestone on June 22, 2026

• The Dodgers were the first team in MLB to reach 60 wins this season, achieving the milestone on July 6, 2026, in the Dodgers’ only extra-inning game this season.

• The Brewers were the first team in MLB to reach 70 wins this season, achieving the milestone on August 4, 2026.

• The Brewers were the first team in MLB to reach 80 wins this season, achieving the milestone on August 21, 2026. They did it in 129 games this season after doing it in 128 games last season.

The Brewers won their 81st game of the season yesterday. If they lose their remaining 32 games, they will finish at .500, a record which may be enough to win the AL West this year.

THE NL WILD CARD RACE

All eyes need to be on Philadelphia because they are on the verge in the NL. The Phillies have won 8 straight and are just two games behind the Cubs for the top Wild Card spot. The Phillies are also just 3.0 games behind the Braves in the NL East. While the Phils would still be a Wild Card player, they would have home-field advantage in the three-game Wild Card series if they can catch the Braves. This leaves a significant race for the final spot between the Padres, Arizona, and the Cardinals, and the Marlins, each basically a .500 team but not ready to give up.

Coming up next, the Sunday Funnies and the Billy-Ball Wordle and some great stats and fun music.

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Including today (Bartolo Colon’s) 40 days of play remain.

The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29.

WHO IS THE NL MVP?

There are numerous races going on this season across the majors, including the one for NL MVP, where Shohei Ohtani's preeminence is being challenged by Pete Crow-Armstrong. Last night, both players put on a show.

In Colorado, Ohtani proved again why he loves hitting at Coors Field. The DH went 4-5 including two homers, numbers 28 and 29. He now has 78 RBI from the leadoff position. This was the 25th regular-season multihomer game of his career, his ninth with the Dodgers, his second of 2026, and his first ever against the Rox. His second homer went 452 feet and was the 26th career homer of 450 feet or more (including postseason) since the start of the 2021 season, seven more than anyone else over that span. To be honest (not that I ever lie to you), I could give an expletive over homer length. I just don’t think it matters. A homer is a homer, and you don’t get anything extra if it’s 450 feet or 350 feet. You might feel differently, so I included that factoid. But Bucky Dent’s three-run homer in the 1978 AL East tiebreaker is generally estimated at about 330 feet into the netting above Fenway’s Green Monster, and it was all the Yankees needed that day.

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Ohtani now has 11 four-hit games in his career, five with the Dodgers and his first since September 2024. His last three have come against the Rockies. In his career, Ohtani has hit .378 against Colorado (68-180), with 19 homers and a 1.226 OPS. At Coors, in 25 games (22 starts), Ohtani has hit .398 with 9 homers and a 1.244 OPS. He has hit safely in 21 straight games at Coors Field, hitting .413.

As part of the new agreement with the players, in order for the other owners to express their anger at the Dodgers, it should be stated that Ohtani must play next season with Colorado, resulting in the fans being suitably distracted as Ohtani strives to break the record for the most home runs in a season…and do it before the All-Star break.

Now, do not get distracted by Ohtani's historical numbers when judging his credentials for the 2026 MVP award. You shouldn't automatically check the box for him, even though he's won the award the last three seasons and four of the last five. We know he is one of, if not the greatest player living or dead (although even Kyle Tucker at Dodger Stadium is having a better season than any dead player is this season, although it is close). He earns the accolades because he is a great hitter and a great pitcher. However, this season, a year in which he sought the NL Cy Young Award, Ohtani’s pitching has been halted by an inflamed knee since July 3. But he may be back soon.

Ohtani will throw his third bullpen session today, after receiving an Orthovisc injection in his left knee at the All-Star break. I used to get those (I write while rubbing my knee replacement) and found them to be very effective (for a while). Ohtani last threw Friday in a 34-pitch session; yesterday he threw long toss from about 120 feet.

I think to add another MVP Award, Ohtani needs the extra oomph from pitching, because PCA is having a season of his own.

Pete Crow-Armstrong had a memorable night last night as the Cubs defeated the White Sox, 7-5 in 10 innings. More about that in a moment, but first let’s have a brief foray into some Chicago baseball postseason history.

DOWN CHICAGO VS. CHICAGO POSTSEASON RABBIT HOLE

In 2008, the Cubs won the NL Central but were quickly disposed of after losing the NLDS to the Dodgers. That same season, the White Sox won the AL Central but lost the ALDS to the Rays.

In the 2020 season, under MLB’s expanded, COVID-shortened postseason format, both teams qualified once again. The Cubs won the NL Central but quickly lost the Wild Card Series to the Marlins. The White Sox were a Wild Card qualifier, and they too lost the Wild Card Series; in their case, to the Athletics.

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Including today, 6 weeks of play remain.

The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29.

TW3 - 8/9-8/15

MAGIC NUMBERS

It is not too early to let you know that:

The magic number for the Rays to clinch the AL East is 34. The magic number for the White Sox to clinch the AL Central is 36. The magic number for the Astros to clinch the AL West is 37.

The magic number for the Braves to clinch the NL East is 37. The magic number for the Brewers to clinch the AL Central is 35. The magic number for the Dodgers to clinch the NL West is 31.

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OH, IF THE WILD CARD RACES WERE ONLY AS SIMPLE AS THE DIVISION RACES

AL

NL

THIS IS WHAT USED TO BE CALLED A PENNANT RACE

These are the three top teams in the National League. Arguably, when including the Rays, these are three of the top four teams in baseball. They are separated by 2.5 games.

Positioning in the league race determines home-field advantage in the postseason, but most importantly, the teams that finish first or second in the regular season standings receive a bye in the first round of the postseason.

Plain and simply stated: the division champ with the third-best record of the three division champions is a Wild Card team. The team that finishes third must play the best-of-three Wild Card Series, where anything can happen.

Yesterday, the Brewers beat the Dodgers, 4-2, to increase their lead in the NL to 2.0 games and two in the loss column. The Dodgers stayed in second place in the NL standings because the Braves dropped their second straight to the Diamondbacks, 10-3. The Braves are in third place in the NL standings, one-half game behind the Dodgers, but tied in the loss column.

All eyes should be on the Brewers/Dodgers four-game set that ends today. To recap; Thursday night, Edwin Diaz imploded allowing 3 9th inning runs enabling Milwaukee to comeback and defeat LA, 5-4. Over the last two nights, we saw the aces for each team step up and pitch to win: Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jacob Misiorowski. Neither had their best stuff; both were dominant. Friday night, Yoshi pitched 6.0 innings, allowing one run on 4 hits. He walked 2 and struck out 9. The Dodgers won 3-1, with Edwin Diaz loading the bases in the 9th and being saved by a sterling play at second base by Tommy Edman. Yesterday afternoon into evening (as we watched the shadows creep across the field), the Miz pitched 6.0 innings, allowing one run on 5 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 6.

• Miz is now 12-5 on the season with a 1.75 ERA and a .151 BAA. He has struck out an MLB-leading 210 in 139.0 IP. He has a 0.748 WHIP. He has a .151 BAA.

• Yoshi is now 12-7 on the season with a 2.60 ERA and a .186 BAA. He has struck out 136 in 145.1 IP. He has a 0.894 WHIP. He has a .186 BAA.

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There were two keys to the Brewers’ 4-1 victory yesterday.

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I like cooking. I don’t love cooking. I like cookbooks. I don’t love cookbooks. But I love Mark Bittman’s cookbooks. Okay, to be honest, I love Mark Bittman. He is one of my oldest friends (as in I’ve known him for a long time, although he is older than me and I’m older than infield dirt) and definitely one of my dearest.

But even if I didn’t know him personally, I would love him because he is funny, acerbic, and is great at what he does. And what he does is write about food. Not just recipes, which are great, but its role in our world, its impact on society, and what we need to do to eat healthily.

He is a longtime food writer and former New York Times food and opinion columnist, author of more than 30 books, a six-time James Beard Award winner, and a baseball fan.

I looked up generational cookbooks, and my question was: if you wanted cookbooks to leave as an inheritance, what would you suggest? Here were the top three answers:

1. The Joy of Cooking

2. How to Cook Everything

3. Mastering the Art of French Cooking

The Joy of Cooking — Irma S. Rombauer et al. - The classic American kitchen reference: broad, practical, and useful for beginners through experienced home cooks

How to Cook Everything — Mark Bittman - The modern American “teach yourself to cook” book—flexible, comprehensive, and unfussy

Mastering the Art of French Cooking — Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle & Simone Beck - A landmark for technique-driven French cooking and a book that made serious home cooking feel attainable

Bitt is in very good company.

And now I’m in his company. Well, at least in his newsletter, The Bittman Project.

The Billy-Ball All-Food Team

Plus, Jean-Georges Vongerichten is this week’s guest on Food with Mark Bittman.

Bill Chuck and Mark Bittman

Aug 13, 2026

Mark’s commentary in italics.

My old friend, Mark, suggested I write a column for his fabulous newsletter, and of course, I Bitt. Mark and I have been friends for over 60 years (Mark: closer to 70, sadly), or “seasons” as I call it in my line of work (I’m a baseball writer). So, in anticipation of your question about what he was like as a kid, I can tell you that he has changed in only one discernible way. Then and now, the acerbic wit, the love of good music (Beatles, Motown, and the like), and a total disdain for stupidity (our shared attribute) remain the same. The one difference? As a kid, he never showed any particular interest in food. He seemed to eat all the same crap the rest of us ate (Mark: this is 100% true). He never really cared what the rest of us ate, either, as long as our mutual munchies were sated. I’m most grateful that he has remained funny, crotchety (Mark: 100% false), and selective about his friends as he has grown into the brilliant humanitarian who cares about the planet and its inhabitants.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten is this week’s guest on Food with Mark Bittman. Listen here!

In any case, enough about Bitt. On to my passion, baseball. I tried to come up with a baseball column that would interest a foodie audience, and I thought you might enjoy an all-food team. Players at each position whose names are shared with food. If you don’t like it, blame it on Mark. If you do like it, you can subscribe to my Substack, Billy-Ball (Mark: probably the best baseball Substack you can find). I have tried to mix in enough quality players to create a balanced diet. So, as the baker was fond of saying, “Batter up!” (Mark: if you don’t like this kind of humor, you should stop now).

First baseman – Jim Lemon

For 12 MLB seasons, this citrus delight played first in Cleveland, Washington, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Chicago. After he finished his playing and managing career, he entered the restaurant business and became a co-owner of a grocery store (Mark: If this is true, it’s pretty funny. There was a guy named Bob Lemon, too…a pitcher for the Indians. But Bill obviously prefers Jim).

Second baseman – Cookie Rojas

Let’s get right into a dessert or snack with this five-time all-star. A cookie is good any time and any place, which is why it is appropriate that this Cookie is one of the few who played every position in his career, including pitcher. Before reaching the majors, his last minor league team was the Havana Sugar Kings. Sweet.

Third baseman – Pie Traynor (Mark: This is the kind of thing you read about when you were a kid. He played in the 20s!)

“As American as baseball and apple pie” is one of the country’s most iconic idioms, says the Merriam-Webster dictionary. While this Hall of Famer’s real first name was “Harold,” he was only known as “Pie” after acquiring his unusual nickname from his love of pies as a kid in Somerville, Massachusetts. He and his young friends would gather at a friend’s dad’s grocery store after games. When asked what he wanted to eat, Traynor always asked for a slice of pie. His friends called him “Pie Face,” ultimately shortened to Pie.

Shortstop – Bobby Wine

I could have chosen Ben McDonald or Dansby Swanson here, but I opted for Bobby Wine because you need something to drink on this team. Bobby was a “good field, no-hit” shortstop with a strong arm and a weak batting average. “Wino,” as he was called by teammates, almost always batted eighth. In 1967, shortstop Bobby Wine teamed with our second baseman, Cookie Rojas, to make, as the reporters called it, “The Plays of Wine and Rojas” (Mark: This is fantastic, no?), a takeoff of the popular 1962 film The Days of Wine and Roses, starring Jack Lemmon, a participant in my all- food/actor cast.

Outfielder – Jim Rice (Mark: I lived in Boston (Somerville, specifically, generally considered the worst town in America, at least by me) then, too, and loved those Sawx. Sadly by the time they won, all the good guys had left.)

When I lived in Boston, I was lucky enough to call this Hall of Famer a buddy. Jim played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox, was named the AL MVP in 1978, and made the All-Star team eight times. Members of the Boston press had a difficult relationship with Jim, who unfairly presented him as a surly and unfriendly player. I never found him that way. I just think sometimes he went against the grain.

Outfielder – Darryl Strawberry

Strawberries are one of my favorite summer fruits. When Daryl Strawberry was in his prime and healthy, he was one of my favorite ballplayers. He was named to eight All-Star teams and was on four World Series championship teams. Straw had several off-the-field problems, but when he was on the field, he was delicious to watch.

Outfielder – Mike Trout

Until he was beset with one injury after another (Mark: Really a shame because he could have been an all-time great), Mike Trout was a generational player. He was the Rookie of the Year, and an 11-time AL All-Star (twice named the All-Star Game MVP), three-time American League MVP, and nine-time AL Silver Slugger Award Winner, awarded to the best hitter at his position. When he retires, he will head to the Hall of Fame. Along the way, he might want to celebrate with Bitt’s Pan-Fried Almond Trout, featured in his classic cookbook Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking, a streamlined, nutty take on traditional trout almondine. It replaces sliced almonds with a fine almond flour crust and pan-fries the fish to golden perfection (Mark: flattering!).

Catcher – Welington Castillo

Welington Castillo’s nickname is “Beef,” (Mark: So creative, those ball players.) which I’m sure comes as a surprise to none of you. Even I, who hasn’t had any meat in almost 50 years, am aware of Beef Wellington. However, if you are looking for a condiment on this team, you could go for a catcher named Pickles Dillhoefer, who played from 1917 to 1921, appropriately behind the plate.

Designated Hitters – Tim Salmon, Coco Crisp, or Chili Davis

Trust me, these were all good ballplayers who could round out your menu of players.

Tim was a Rookie of the Year and played in the majors for 14 seasons.

Crisp’s full name is Covelli Loyce Crisp; he was first nicknamed “Coco” by his sister in his youth. Interestingly, and unrelated, to my knowledge, Covelli Enterprises operates nearly 300 Panera Bread bakery-cafes spanning eight states.

The Jamaican-born Davis was given the name Charles at birth and the nickname of Chili when he was 12. “My dad gave me a haircut…and it wasn’t a very good one. When I went out of the house, my friends got on my case and said it looked like someone put a chili bowl over my head and cut around it.”

Starting Pitchers – Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Noodles Hahn, Pretzels Getzien, Spud Chandler, Art Herring (Mark: Not that any of us has heard of any of these guys except Hunter, but it’s a pretty hilarious list.)

Catfish Hunter is a Hall of Fame pitcher who became so well known by his nickname that his real first name, Jim, became his nickname.

Noodles was a star pitcher at the turn of the 20th century. Hanes claimed he had no idea as to how he got the nickname, but numerous friends spoke of his mother’s homemade noodle soup that Hahn would bring to his father at work.

Spurgeon Ferdinand Chandler was Spud’s full name. He preferred to be called Spud rather than Spurge, a decision that I fully back.

I don’t believe that Mr. Herring requires an explanation as to his inclusion on this team.

Relief Pitchers – Goose Gossage and Dan Quisenberry

Hall of Fame closer Rich “Goose” Gossage was a relief pitcher who once went a whole season allowing only four earned runs (in 32 games). While Goose became famous pitching for the Yankees, he also pitched for the Padres, owned by the Kroc family, who were the owners of McDonald’s. After Ray died, his wife, Joan, took over ownership and banned beer in the Padres clubhouse. Goose, famously ornery and blunt, said in response, “She is poisoning the world with her hamburgers, and we can’t even get a lousy beer.”

In the 1980s, Quiz was the top reliever in the game. Now, I don’t think there actually is a quisenberry, but if there were, I’m sure I would like it because I really liked Dan. Quisenberry was once asked what he liked most about baseball, and he replied, “There’s no homework.” (Mark: He was 47 at the time) How can you not love a guy like that?

Manager – Dusty Baker

That’s an obvious choice.

General Manager – Billy Beane

Another obvious choice. In the movie “Moneyball,” Beane was played by Brad Pitt (who does not have the nickname “Barbecue”).

Announcers – Gary Cohen and David Cone

That’s a scoop.

And that’s my team.

There always seems to be a connection between baseball and food. As the song goes, “Buy me some peanuts and Crackerjacks.” And there are Dodger Dogs sold at the ballpark in Los Angeles and Fenway Franks eaten in Boston. There are minor league teams such as the Modesto Nuts and the Montgomery Biscuits. These days, fans are delighted by the Savannah Bananas, but I’ll save some of that silliness for another column, if I’m invited back.

I leave you with the words of Humphrey Bogart (not to be confused with Xander Bogaerts of the San Diego Padres), who said, “A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz.” (Mark: Also roast beef at the ballgame beats a hot dog at the Ritz.)

Bill Chuck (lovingly known as Billy-Ball) can be found at ​billchuck.substack.com. ​

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The season ends on Sunday, September 27.

Including today, there are Howie Kendrick’s #47 days of play remaining.

The postseason begins on Tuesday, September 29.

1. Let’s start with a question: Which MLB franchise/team has never lost 100 games in a season? The answer will be below’s today’s music.

2. In last night’s win over Milwaukee, Mason Miller earned his 30^th save of the season; his career high had been 28 with the A’s, then of Oakland, in 2024. He has an ERA of 0.89 this year, having allowed 5 earned runs in 50.1 IP. He has struck out 92 and is having one of the greatest reliever seasons of all time.

3. Did you know Riley O’Brien has 29 saves for the Cardinals? Did you even know that he exists other than as a character in an Irish folktale or as the Boston Celtics mascot? O’Brien was an All-Star replacement this season and was the guy who hit Junior Caminero with a pitch on his hand.

4. The White Sox have had 825 chances to ground into a double play; they’ve only grounded into 52. That 6.3% rate is the lowest in baseball. But you can’t generalize based on that stat. The Padres have a rate of 11.7, making them the team most likely to hit into two. The White Sox are 61-56 (.521) on the season. The Padres are 63-57 (.525) on the season.

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Including today, there are Mookie Betts #50 days of play remaining

HELL FROZE OVER

Yesterday, the Red Sox lost.

The Athletics won.

The A’s have just 2 wins in their last 14 games. Both wins are against the Red Sox.

The Red Sox have just 2 losses in their last 13 games. Both losses are against the A’s.

ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS KEY RACE?

The most important race in baseball right now is going on in the National League as the Brewers, Braves, and Dodgers battle for the top two slots.

Positioning in the league race is not a pride showcase for the teams involved. In every case, it determines home-field advantage in the postseason, but most importantly, the teams that finish first or second in the regular season standings receive a bye in the first round of the postseason.

The team that finishes third must play the best-of-three Wild Card Series, where anything can happen.

NL RACE

Only the top two division champs get a bye.

The Cubs (68-50) could finish with a better record than either the Dodgers or the Braves, ending with the second-best record in the NL, but if they don’t beat out the Brewers, it really doesn’t matter, as a Wild Card team cannot get a bye in the opening round. Additionally, in both the 2026 Division Series and League Championship Series, home-field advantage goes to the higher postseason seed—not necessarily the team with the better regular-season record.

HERE’S HOW THE PLAYOFFS WORK – 2026 SEASON

For 2026, the Wild Card round is scheduled to begin September 29, and the World Series is slated to start October 23.

The 2026 MLB playoffs use a 12-team format: six clubs from the American League and six from the National League. In each league, the field consists of the three division winners plus three Wild Card teams.

SEEDING

Seed Team

1 Division winner with the best record

2 Division winner with the second-best record

3 Division winner with the third-best record

4 Best-record Wild Card team

5 Second Wild Card

6 Third Wild Card

• Division winners always receive Seeds 1–3, even if a Wild Card team has a better record.

• Seeds 1 and 2 receive a bye directly to the Division Series.

BRACKET AND ROUNDS

• Wild Card Series: No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5; best of three, with every game at the higher seed’s park (3 and 4).

• Division Series: No. 1 plays the winner of 4 vs. 5; No. 2 plays the winner of 3 vs. 6. These are best-of-five series in a 2-2-1 home-field format.

• League Championship Series: The two surviving clubs in each league play a best-of-seven, 2-3-2 series.

• World Series: The AL and NL champions play a best-of-seven, 2-3-2 series. Home field goes to the club with the better regular-season record, regardless of seed.

Ties and postseason rules

• There are no Game 163 tiebreakers. Regular-season ties are settled mathematically, beginning with head-to-head record.

• There is no Manfred Man. The regular-season automatic runner on second base does not apply in postseason extra innings.

• Managers start each postseason game with two replay challenges, rather than the one they get in the regular season.

TW3 - THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS

YESTERDAY, MAX SCHERZER PASSED WALTER JOHNSON IN STRIKEOUTS

• Max Scherzer now has the 10th most strikeouts all-time with 3516.

• Walter Johnson now has the 11th most strikeouts all-time with 3509.

I truly find that to be an outstanding feat.

• Did you know that Walter Johnson struck out Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth 26 times each?

• Did you know that Max Scherzer struck out Mike Moustakas and Brandon Nimmo 14 times each?

Doesn’t feel the same.

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There are CC Sabathia #52 days of play remaining

THE RED SOX KEEP WINNING

I admit it, I know nothing about baseball. I thought I did. You thought I did. But it turns out that I don’t. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how the Red Sox have turned their season around to this degree.

On June 24, the Sox were 32-46, comfortably mired in fifth place in the AL East. They had been outscored by 7 runs by their opponents. They trailed the first-place Yankees (48-31) by 15.5 games. The Yanks had outscored their opponents by 113 runs.

Since then, Boston is 30-6, the best record in baseball. They have outscored their opponents by 81 runs. They are in third place. They trail the second-place Yankees, who have gone 17-20 over this stretch and been outscored by 30 runs, by one game. They are tied in the loss column.

In the AL East, the Yankees are 64-51 and are 4.5 games behind Tampa, which is 68-46. The Red Sox are 62-51 and are 5.5 games behind Tampa.

In the AL Wild Card hunt, the Yankees are tops and lead the Guardians and Rangers, who are both 57-58. The Red Sox are the number two seed, a game behind New York, and are 6.0 games ahead of Cleveland and Texas, who are tied for the third seed. Lurking behind them are the Orioles, who are 56-58, tied in the loss column with Cleveland and Texas and just a half-game behind them. The Twins and Mariners are both 56-59. They are one game behind Cleveland and Texas. Wait, I’m not done with under .500 teams still very much in the hunt. The Tigers are 55-59, a half game behind the Twins and Mariners and 1.5 games behind Cleveland and Texas. Even the defending AL champion Blue Jays are still alive. They are 54-61, three games behind the Guardians and Rangers in the loss column. And in case you’ve gotten lost in all this, the Guardians and Rangers are tied for a Wild Card spot right now.

Those are the facts. How the Red Sox turned their season around, turned the American League around, turned baseball around is beyond me. I clearly know nothing about baseball. Go ask someone smart. Ask someone who has graduated from Yale and majored in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. Go ask Craig Breslow, the “smartest man in baseball.”

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THE DODGERS HAVE LOST SIX IN A ROW

The Dodgers have lost 6 in a row for the first time since they lost 7 last July. You don’t need to worry; they are safely ensconced in first place in the NL West. Their 8.0 game lead over Arizona is the second-largest divisional lead in baseball. The Braves lead the Phillies in the NL East by 8.5 games. Their magic number to clinch the division is 40.

They have the third-best record in baseball, 2.5 games and three in the loss column behind the Brewers, who are 71-43.

However, and this is a big however, they are now a half game behind the Braves, who have won seven in a row and at 69-45 are tied in the loss column with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers have the third-best record in baseball, the third-best record in the NL, and when it comes to first-round postseason byes, two is company, three is a crowd. If you finish third in the league standings, you play the second-seeded Wild Card team in an opening round. That means increasing your chances of elimination and using more pitchers.

So even though the Dodgers seem inevitable for the postseason, positioning matters, and the Dodgers’ losing games matter. While the Dodgers have gone 4-8 in their last 12 games, the Braves have gone 9-3 (the Padres have as well), and picked up five games on Los Angeles. That’s a lot in less than two weeks.

To be honest, the Dodgers’ losing streak really doesn’t matter. And while I’m sure they don’t like losing, quite frankly, they just want to get through the remaining 47 regular season games injury-free.

Tuesday night was an important night for this team and not just because it was the debut of their newly acquired ace, Tarik Skubal, who did what the Dodgers expected from him. He threw a 6.0 IP Quality Start, allowing 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and a Dansby Swanson homer. He threw 85 pitches, 51 for strikes. He had retired eight Cubs in a row before a one-out walk to Seiya Suzuki. Bregman then doubled over the head of Kyle Tucker, who looked like he misplayed the ball. With two down, Bregman scored the deciding run of the game on a Baltimore chop. It was a bad-luck run scored against Skubal.

More importantly that night, Blake Snell went 3.2 IP for Oklahoma City and wasn’t sharp in his fourth rehab start. He threw 73 pitches (41 strikes), struck out three, walked four, and allowed three runs on five hits, including two homers.

Additionally, another key member of their staff, righty Tyler Glasnow, who has been on the IL since May, completed two scoreless innings with Single-A Ontario. He threw just 16 pitches (12 strikes) and threw another simulated inning in the bullpen to get closer to the planned pitch count of 30. Glasnow struck out one and allowed one hit. He should have three rehab starts remaining to reach the Dodgers’ preferred five innings and 75 pitches. His next start is likely to take place on Sunday. The game against Ontario featured rehabbing Padres Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta on the other side.

The Dodgers’ goal is to have a healthy postseason rotation of: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 2025 World Series MVP; Tarik Skubal, the two-time Cy Young Award winner; Blake Snell, the two-time Cy Young Award winner; and Shohei Ohtani or Tyler Glasnow, Justin Wrobleski, or Eric Lauer.

While everyone else may have been scrambling at the trade deadline for bullpen help, the Dodgers have whoever is not their fourth starter, plus Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Edgardo Henriquez, and closer Edwin Diaz. Other choices include Evan Phillips, Brock Stewart, or Kyle Hurt. Teams can only carry 12 pitchers, but the Dodgers get a 13th due to Ohtani’s dual status.

But it is not just the key injuries to pitchers (and that includes Ohtani’s troublesome knee) the Dodgers are following.

Since June 6, the Dodgers are 28-23 (.549). They are hitting .262, which is also what they are hitting on the season, which leads the NL. They are scoring about five runs a game, very close to their season average. However, through June 5, their team ERA was 3.03, the best in the NL, allowing 2.97 runs per game. Since June 6, their team ERA has been 4.64, 12th in the NL, allowing 4.84 runs per game.

This time, I can tell you what has happened. June 5 was the last game that catcher Will Smith played due to an inflamed disc in his neck. The Dodgers are 30-18 when Smith catches. They have a .204 BAA when he is behind the plate. Manager Dave Roberts estimates Smith needs three to four more weeks of ramping up and a rehab assignment before returning, targeting a late August return.

Dalton Rushing had been Smith’s backup this season. The Dodgers are 36-23 when Rushing catches. They have a .222 BAA when he is behind the plate. Rushing has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right throwing elbow. His chances of catching again this season are considered very unlikely.

To manage the catching shortage, the Dodgers acquired catchers Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia at the deadline. Both have had prior stints with the Dodgers, so there is familiarity with the team and some of the pitchers, but the dropoff between these two and Smith and Rushing is significant. I only know that because I went to the Billy-Ball bullpen and checked with Jason Starrett, who is my personal Mason Miller, coming up the critical saves. Take a look:

What was terrifying for the Dodgers was that yesterday Freddie Freeman left the game in the 5th inning after fouling a pitch off the knob of his bat, which made contact with his hand/wrist. Post-game X-rays confirmed no fractures or structural damage, and he is expected to play tomorrow against Arizona.

LEADING BATTERS SINCE THE ALL-STAR BREAK

THE BRAVES HAVE WON SEVEN IN A ROW

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The Braves picked up their season-high seventh straight win last night at Truist Park, beating the Marlins. The Braves have won five out of six series since the All-Star Game. I’m a little less excited about this streak since the Braves’ victims have been the Mets, Nationals, and Marlins, but you gotta beat the teams you gotta beat, and the Braves have done that.

Since the end of June, which was a miserable month for them going 9-14, the Braves have the best record in the NL.

TEAMS THAT HAVE PLAYED .600+ BASEBALL SINCE JULY 1

THE CUBS ARE REALLY GOOD

I don’t bet. I don’t really root for a team. I just love finding good stories for Billy-Ball. But I have seen a number of very good teams recently, and I'm most impressed with the Cubs.

Yesterday, the Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the Dodgers.

THE CUBS HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE DEADLINE

At the All-Star break, the Cubs’ rotation consisted of Colin Rea, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and David Peterson. They added a pair of two-time All-Star right-handers, Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman, and lefty Braxton Garrett. They also have Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown on the injured list. Using the Dodgers as a model, the Cubs hope to use some of their surplus starters in relief roles in the postseason. They also added outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the Mets.

The Cubs are the No. 1-seeded Wild Card team. At 66-49, they trail the Brewers (71-43) by 5.5 games in the NL Central. Their outstanding play isn't recent. Over the last 63 games, the Cubs are 37-26, just like the Dodgers. Only the Brewers have a better record in the NL (39-23).

Over the 115 games the Cubs have played, they are tied for the MLB lead with the Dodgers in OBP at .339. They lead the majors with 494 walks. Last season, through 115 games, they had 386 walks. I attribute the improvement in part to the addition of Alex Bregman. No, he doesn’t have a hundred walks on his own, but he does work with the young players on the Cubs.

Shortly after signing, he requested reports on his new teammates from the Cubs’ front office and met with player‑development staff to understand organizational philosophy and where he could help. Jed Hoyer noted that Bregman “does it in the right way” rather than overstepping coaches.

Bregman seems to have been a difference-maker for Pete Crow-Armstrong, who is having an MVP season. Cubs manager Craig Counsell has credited Bregman’s conversations with PCA as part of why Crow-Armstrong’s plate discipline against left-handed pitching. PCA is hitting .302 against lefties this season, with a .419 OBP and a .937 OPS. Last season at this time (through 115 games), Crow-Armstrong was hitting .193 against lefties, with a .222 OBP and a .636 OPS.

PCA keeps bringing up Bregman in his newfound approach regarding thinking through first‑pitch breaking balls, game situations, and when not to chase even when something “looks good.”

In the just-completed three-game sweep of the Dodgers, we got to see PCA vs. Shohei Ohtani go head-to-head in their NL MVP battle. Here’s how they did:

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FYI

Yesterday, the Braves first baseman Matt Olson played in his 896th consecutive game, breaking a tie with Stan Musial for the eighth-longest run on MLB’s career list. His next target is Joe Sewell, who played 1103 games in a row.

According to our friends at Elias Sports, the Red Sox have now won nine consecutive series, their longest streak in 114 years, dating back to Aug. 4-Sept. 15, 1912.

According to my friend Jayson Stark, the Red Sox's first 30 wins took 73 games; their last 30 wins took 35 games.

According to the great Sarah Langs, Jefry Yan threw 5 pitches at 100.0+ mph, topping out at 101.1 mph. He’s the first Mets pitcher to throw a 100+ mph pitch this season.

According to the brilliant Katie Sharp, Yankees homers on a 0-2 count this season consist of Ben Rice (June 21 vs CIN) and George Lombard Jr. (Aug 4 vs STL).

According to @NumbersMLB, the Mariners RHP Seranthony Domínguez and the White Sox RHP Luis Castillo have the rare distinction of taking the jersey number of the player for whom they were traded AND having it be the same jersey number

AND THEN THERE’S THIS

Good luck to one of the greats in the booth.

SEINFELD INSTEAD OF GREEN DAY

Rather than showing you Green Day singing, this is way more fun.

Did you know that Clayton Kershaw wore #54 as a rookie?

WELL, WHAT DID YOU THINK?

There were 48 trades in the final 28 hours before the deadline.

How’d your team do?

I paid attention to everyone, jumping from the MLB Network to the ESPN Baseball Tonight coverage. Both were pretty good. Although I thi…

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There is a Joe DiMaggio hitting streak 56 days of play remaining.

The trade deadline is tomorrow, 6:00 PM ET/3:00 PM PT.

TW3 - THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS

SKUBAL IS A DODGER

Are you surprised?

I don’t want to spend a huge amount of time discussing this because there is a plethora of information already out there, but there are a few key points to this deal that I find are the most interesting.

Skubal is indeed a two- to three-month rental. This means two things: first, there was a limit any team that sought to acquire him would give the Tigers in return. The Tigers got three very good prospects, and this was an equitable deal. Second, the next couple of months give the Dodgers a leg up on wooing Skubal for a longer-term contract. He will see their organization, coaching support, great facilities, and commitment to winning.

The return to Detroit was a great example of how the Dodgers organization works: by making smart trades and drafting well.

• Outfielder Zyhir Hope was acquired in a trade from the Cubs for first baseman Michael Busch and pitcher Yency Almonte when the Dodgers were trying to clear space from their 40-man roster.

• Right-hander River Ryan came in a trade from San Diego for Matt Beatty.

• Right-hander Brady Smith was the Dodgers’ third-round pick in 2023.

Three highly regarded prospects, who had they been in other organizations, may have been at the top of their prospect charts, but the Dodgers are so deep in prospects that there is a likelihood that these three players never would have played for Los Angeles.

The other part of this deal is the money that the Dodgers can afford to pay Skubal for the remainder of this season. The Dodgers will pay Skubal about $9.5 million, the remainder of a $32 million salary.

That seems like cheap money to me after hearing that the White Sox, in acquiring Luis Castillo (5.06 ERA and has allowed 7 homers in his past 17 innings) from the Mariners, are fully absorbing Castillo’s contract, which includes the $7.4 million remaining on his 2026 contract, more than $24 million next season, and potentially $25 million in 2028 if his contract vests. And while some of that money is offset by the money owed to Seranthony Domínguez’s own contract $3.2 million remaining in 2026 salary, $10 million in 2027, and a $2 million buyout of a 2028 mutual option) over the remainder of the two-year deal he signed with the White Sox in January, we are talking about the ineffective Castillo versus Skubal.

A QUICK LOOK AT SKUBAL

The left-handed pitcher from Hayward, California, Tarik Skubal is 7-5 this season with a 2.79 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 96.2 IP. He is 61-42 with a 3.04 ERA over seven seasons, all with Detroit. In two postseasons, Skubal is 2-1 with a 2.04 ERA in six starts. Drafted by the Tigers in the ninth round of the 2018 draft, Skubal made his debut in 2020.

In 2024, he was named an All-Star to go with the season’s AL Cy Young award and pitching Triple Crown. In 2025, Skubal repeated as the AL Cy Young winner to go with another All-Star nod. And he had a 2.21 ERA.

The Dodgers are just the 12th team to have a pair of previous multi-time Cy Young winners on the same team, with Skubal joining two-time recipient Blake Snell.

PUTTING THE HORSE BEFORE THE CART

Teams need only four starters in the playoffs. With Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Eric Lauer, Emmet Sheehan, and Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers have a plethora (as in 8) of starting pitching choices.

You can immediately lop off Lauer and Sheehan and put Sasaki in the bullpen, and the Dodgers have five premier starters for October. The acquisition of Skubal takes all the pressure off the Dodgers needing (as opposed to wanting) Ohtani to return to their rotation.

Come the postseason, with all these starters sitting in the bullpen, along with the top of their relief corps, there will be no need for starters to face the opposition for a third time in any game if Dave Roberts chooses.

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There is just a long weekend until the trade deadline. August 3, 6:00 PM ET.

THE MATCH-UP OF THE WEEKEND

The Red Sox are at Dodger Stadium this weekend, and I think this three-game set has the potential to be better than most of the early postseason games.

• The Dodgers are 13-10 (.565) in July.

• The Red Sox are 20-4 (.833) in July; best record in MLB.

• The Dodgers are 7-6 at home in July.

• The Red Sox are 12-1 on the road in July; best record in MLB.

• The Dodgers are 13-9 at home in June and July.

• The Red Sox are 16-8 on the road in June and July; best record in AL.

• The Dodgers in the first half were 52-29 (.642)

• The Red Sox in the first half were 35-46 (.432)

SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE

THE DODGERS HAVE WON FOUR STRAIGHT SERIES

• Yankees – 2-1 - Away

• Phillies – 2-1 - Away

• Mets – 2-1 - Away

• Mariners – 2-1 - Home

THE RED SOX HAVE WON SEVEN STRAIGHT SERIES

• Angels – 3-0 – Away

• White Sox – 3-0 - Away

• Mets – 3-0 - Away

• Rays – 4-0 - Home

• Orioles – 2-1 Home

• Blue Jays – 4-0 - Home

• Athletics – 3-1 Away

RED SOX RECORD THROUGH 108 GAMES – 2023-2026

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There are 6 days until the trade deadline. August 3, 6:00 PM ET.

THIS TRADE DEADLINE UPDATE IS EXCLUSIVELY FOR SUBSCRIBERS

This was written early this morning.

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The trade deadline ends at 6:00 PM Eastern, a week from tomorrow.

TW3

For many teams, including today, there are seven days/nights of games left to determine the direction of the season. At no other point in the regular season is such a small sample more critical. This last week and this coming week will determine which teams:

Buy.

Sell.

Buy and sell.

Stand pat.

That Was The Week That Was 7/18-7/25

You might have been surprised to see Arizona on the top of the leaderboard. The D-backs’ 10-3 (.769) record since July 9 is the NL’s best and second in MLB, behind the Red Sox (11-2, .846). Arizona is led by Gabriel Moreno, who has reached base safely in 22 straight games, MLB’s longest active streak, and 41 straight starts since June 2 (C: 32, DH: 9). Since June 2, he is hitting .356 with a .940 OPS with 8 doubles, 4 homers, 20 RBI and 26 walks. Since May 15, Moreno’s .347 AVG leads the majors, ahead of Luis Arraez of the Giants (for now), who is hitting .342.

THE DEALS WILL HAVE STARTED

Last evening, after Dylan Cease threw a masterful one-hitter against the Red Sox at Fenway, Boston dealt left-hander Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead.

Early is currently on the 15-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation and is expected to head out on a rehab assignment shortly. The 24-year-old Early has a 3.24 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 122 strikeouts in 21 career starts spanning 111 innings.

Mead is hitting .256 with 17 homers and has an .856 OPS. He primarily plays third but has also played second and first. Mead will be Boston’s second baseman once he joins the team.

HED TO BED TO ….?

The American League remains uniquely unimpressive this season, but the Bronx Bombers may decide that the best way to get to the World Series this season is by pitching their way to it. There are no indications if/and/or when Aaron Judge will return. Giancarlo Stanton has been out since April. But you know who’s back? Max Fried. He joins Gerrit Cole, who continues to pitch his way back to health. And they both join the current AL Cy Young Award leader, Cam Schlittler, to create the best top three starting pitchers of any team in baseball, although the Dodgers’ threesome of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki (replacing Shohei Ohtani in the top three) arguably could be the best.

The Yankees’ team ERA is 3.33, the best in the majors. They are followed by the Brewers (3.44), the Dodgers (3.53), the Red Sox (3.59), and the Tigers (3.60). I think the Yankees will want to get even better on the mound, particularly since I think Cody Bellinger will hit the IL with a hamstring issue.

Right now, coming out of their bullpen to close down the games, setting up, they have Paul Blackburn, who hasn’t allowed a run in his last five appearances. Brent Headrick, who hasn’t allowed a run in his last six appearances. And their closer, David Bednar, who hasn’t allowed a run in his last 20 appearances. Headrick leads the majors with 44 scoreless appearances this season. I think the Yankees will offer Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones, a pitcher like Ryan Weathers, and a prospect for Mason Miller, the Padres closer and the preeminent closer in baseball. And then, they will say bring it on.

WHAT THE “H?”

My job is to read as many and as varied baseball columns, blogs, and stories, and listen to and watch as many podcasts, videos, and ball games as I can so that you don’t have to, and if I find anything really interesting, I share it with you. Sooooo, I was reading an article by Zach Crizer in The Bandwagon, and he shared something so minutely interesting, I definitely had to waste your time with it.

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There are 10 days until the trade deadline.

DO YOU REMEMBER HOW CLOSE…?

Remember how close Isiah Kiner-Falefa came to scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 7 of last year’s World Series? Had he taken a respectable secondary lead, instead of being out by a step, he would have been safe by a step, and then the Dodgers would not have humiliated themselves at the White House yesterday, and perhaps the Blue Jays would not be one of the four worst teams in the American League this season.

But, using an expression that I detest, it is what it is.

The Blue Jays are 12.5 games out of first place and in last place. They have scored 405 runs this season, the fewest in the majors. Scoring 3.93 runs per game makes them the only team in baseball not averaging four runs a game. They have a .680 OPS, the lowest in baseball.

Their superstar first baseman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., entered the season with a lifetime .866 OPS, .288 BA, and averaging a home run every 20.24 AB. This season, he has an OPS of .692. He’s batting .259. He has homered once every 60.50 AB. Last season, through 103 games played, Vladdy had hit 9 home homers. This season, Toronto fans are awaiting Guerrero’s first Canadian homer of the season.

Their catcher, Alejandro Kirk, hit .282 with 15 homers and 76 RBI. This season, in limited play due to injuries, he’s hitting .219, with 3 home runs and 12 RBI.

Last season, through 103 games, they made 52 errors and allowed 30 unearned runs. This season, through 103 games, they have made 68 errors and allowed 45 unearned runs.

On the trade display shelf for others to bid on are Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Myles Straw, Jeff Hoffman, and maybe even Louis Varland, who is 21 for 21 in save chances this season.

If I were shopping this trade deadline, I would check out the Canadian superstore.

THE PADRES

For those of you following the Padres’ fate, as I suggested in a previous column, things are getting really ugly in beautiful San Diego. With their loss last night, the Friars are three games under .500 for the first time since they were 2-5 on April 3. They are four games back in the Wild Card race. While it is always fun watching A.J. Preller the buyer, I plan to be fascinated watching as a seller.

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TRACKING THE BOSOX

The Red Sox have won 15 of 16. Here’s where they have been as they go for the postseason according to Fangraphs.

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THE TOP THREE

The Dodgers are 65-38. The Brewers are 64-38. The Braves are 60-42.

According to OptaStats, this is the first time since 1993 that the first 3 teams in the majors to reach 60 wins were all from the NL.

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THIS HAPPENED…

On Wednesday…

• The Baltimore Orioles released Jhonkensy Noel.

• The Milwaukee Brewers released Peter Strzelecki.

While this is unfortunate for each of them, my spell-check breathes a sigh of relief.

A NEW MEMBER OF THE CLUB

In 2019, Marcus Semien was playing for Oakland (boys and girls, they are a city that used to have major league baseball) and hit 33 homers, his career high to that point. Marcus topped that in 2021, playing for the Blue Jays when he hit 45 homers.

This season, playing for the Mets, he has hit only 10 homers. But his 10th, which was against Milwaukee on July 22, was significant, not because he now has 268 in his 14-year career, but because he has now homered against all 30 teams. He is the 93rd player in this hit-them-all club and the fourth inductee of 2026, joining Willy Adames, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Alex Bregman.

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FROM YAHOO SPORTS

I liked this note…

On Tuesday, the Gwinnett Stripers (Braves Triple-A) had a lineup that had combined to hit 1038 major league home runs. And superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., one of two former MVPs in the lineup, wasn’t even close to the leader. Carlos Santana (335 career HR), 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen (333) and Rowdy Tellez (123) are all on minor league deals, while Acuña (193) and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (52) are on rehab assignments. Utility player Luke Williams (2) was also in the mix.

Another reason to support MiLB.

FRAMED

If the Dodgers don’t three-peat this season, beyond blaming their visit to see King-Midas-in-Reverse, you might look at their health behind the plate. The Dodgers’ preseason (that’s the regular season for every other team) is not the problem. They will make the postseason without any difficulty. They already have a magic number of 49, and we’re not even in August. But they must have Will Smith back behind the plate; Dalton Rushing is only an okay substitute.

Smith, the Dodgers’ starting catcher, last appeared in a game on June 5. Smith was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 11 with some thought that it would be a minimum-length stint. But now it appears that the stiff neck that Smith had from a poor night’s sleep is actually an inflamed disc in his neck. He received an injection a couple of weeks after first suffering from the pain, but it did not provide the needed relief. The Dodgers don’t see him returning any earlier than mid-August and remain hopeful that he will be back before the end of the season.

It is not the offensive numbers that concern me. Rushing is actually hitting better than Smith this season.

But the difference for the pitchers when Smith is behind the dish compared to Rushing seems to be considerable.

Smith has started 48 games, and his pitchers have a .203 BAA, a .608 OPSA, and have allowed 42 homers and 138 runs. Rushing has started 52 games, and his pitchers have a .226 BAA, a .675 OPSA, and have allowed 54 homers and 190 runs.

With Smith, the Dodgers’ staff has walked 110 batters and has a .268 OBPA. With Rushing, the Dodgers’ staff has walked 158 batters and has a .303 OBPA. Looking under the hood, some of that must be attributed to the two catchers’ differences in framing. Even with the ABS this year, catcher framing remains an important part of the game because of the limited number of challenges that can be issued. I am most intrigued by a stat known as SLAA, which stands for Strikes Looking Above Average. It seems to me that the better a catcher does with that figure, the fewer pitches and the fewer walks a pitcher throws. Smith’s SLAA is 5.62, and Rushing’s is -36.23, which puts him 74th of 76 catchers in the bigs. His FrmRAA (Catcher Framing Runs Above Average) is -4.54, also 74th. Rushing has been behind the plate for 18 passed balls and wild pitches; Smith has 10.

The Dodgers need Smith back to prepare their staff for the postseason and most definitely need him back for the third half of the season.

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OH, CARROLL

Corbin Carroll (587 games played) tripled the other day and now has 55 triples in his career, tying him with Starling Marte (1576 G) and Mike Trout (1732 G) for the most among active players. Many players have had 55 triples in their careers, including Jackie Robinson, Willie Stargell, Paul Blair, and Freddie Patek. Patek stood 5’5” and weighed 148, and Willie Stargell was 6’2” and weighed in at 188. Mike Trout weighs in at 235. I love baseball.

DO YOU KNOW WHY THESE GUYS ARE ON THIS LIST?

The legendary Bob Ryan asked me a question this morning; that’s why.

He wrote and told me that one of his favorite baseball oddities is a catcher leading off. Drake Baldwin does it in Atlanta. Who else does it?

The list above is the catchers who led off in games this season.

LET’S GET THIS INTO THE VERNACULAR

An argument can be made that we can replace the phrase, “I’m having a brain cramp,” or “Excuse me, I’m having a senior moment,” with “I’m having a Realmuto.”

Even J.T. Realmuto himself acknowledged that his game-ending gaffe was a “lapse in judgment” and told reporters there was “no reason for me to go back [to] second.”

ON THIS DATE IN 1983

The “Pine Tar Game” took place at Yankee Stadium, George Brett hits an apparent two-run home run off Rich Gossage to give the Kansas City Royals a 5-4 lead with two outs in the 9th inning, only to have the homer taken away when Yankees manager Billy Martin, at the urging of coach Don Zimmer, points out that the pine tar on Brett’s bat handle exceeds the 17 inches allowed in the rules. As a result, Brett is called out for illegally batting the ball, giving New York a 4-3 victory.

Brett calmly objected, as we can see in this ABC News report with Peter Jennings from August 18th.

A couple of footnotes. George Steinbrenner hired the infamous attorney and political fixer Roy Cohn to represent the Yankees in the legal proceedings. Cohn was known for representing the reckless, demagogic, and defamatory Senator Joseph McCarthy, the racist felon Donald Trump, and mafia bosses including John Gotti.

The other note of note is that when the game resumed, Martin decided to play his rookie first baseman/outfielder, the lefty Don Mattingly at second base, and his All-Star left-handed pitcher Ron Guidry in center field.

ON THIS DATE IN 1964

The debut single by British rock band The Zombies, written by organist Rod Argent. It reached No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1964, and reached No. 1 on the Cashbox chart (No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100) in the United States at the beginning of December 1964. In Canada, it reached No. 2. Rolling Stone magazine ranked "She's Not There" No. 297 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

SEE YOU SUNDAY

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There are 13 days until the trade deadline.

Here’s your Nine to Know:

1. WELL, THIS IS PRETTY INTERESTING, DON’T YOU THINK?

There are 10 teams in the NL West and Central: the Dodgers, the Brewers, the Cubs, the Cardinals, the Marlins, the Pirates, and the Diamondbacks are all over .500. The remaining three teams are the Padres, the Reds, and the Rockies. Of those 10 teams, only the Brewers won (and that’s because they were playing the Mets). The Phillies beat the Dodgers, the Braves beat the Padres, and the Nationals beat the Rockies. Those were the four NL teams to win yesterday.

2. FISH

The Marlins have lost seven straight. They haven’t won since they finished off a six-game winning streak on July 9. They are a team to pay a lot of attention to over these next two weeks; they have many pitchers that other teams covet, and the Fish could be big players as a result at the trade deadline. Currently, the Marlins are 52-49, 7.0 games behind the Braves, BUT they are tied with the Pirates and the Cardinals for the final wild card slot. Fangraphs gives them a 21.1% chance of making the postseason, but on July 9, they were listed at 51.5%. Think of Sandy Alcantara pitching for your favorite team this postseason (and now clean up your drool).

3. HOAX!

I was talking with the fabulous Jen and Hannah (my child and their spouse) last night about the podcast, Hoax! co-hosted by their friend, Noble Blood’s Dana Schwartz and pop culture writer Lizzie Logan. The every-other-week podcast brings you stories of pranks and grifts throughout history so big and bold they make us question why we believe what we believe in the first place. It has nothing to do with Donald J. Trump, the master of lies and deceptions, who should be referred to as our Hoaxer in Chief. But it does look at great hoaxes throughout history. Creating a hoax seems like so much work, and with so much truth to tell that is already hard to believe, it seems damn near impossible to create a story that is believable but untrue.

One episode that I know you would like is the one that aired on March 26 of this year, entitled April Fool’s Day: Google, Spaghetti Trees and Sidd Finch. Now I won’t recount the Sidd Finch Sports Illustrated here for you; most of you are quite familiar with it, and those of you who are not can listen to the podcast. Very briefly, Sidd Finch was an unbelievable Mets pitching prospect who was too good to be believed, but was believed by tens of thousands of people.

This brings me to Shohei Ohtani. Let’s pretend it’s 1976, and someone describes to you a Japanese ballplayer who could hit 50 home runs, steal 50 bases, and pitch well enough to be considered for the Cy Young Award. He’s not a one-off; season after season, he does remarkable things in the regular and postseason. You would immediately cry “Hoax!” Or, if you were my late father-in-law, Jack Effenson, you would just say, “Horseshit.” Both responses would be appropriate, and obviously, as we know, both responses would be incorrect. Shohei is the real deal.

Shohei, who throws right and bats left, had set off this season with the intent of winning the Cy Young Award, and for a while, he appeared on the path to success. But now, due to inflammation in his left knee, his landing leg when he pitches, this isn’t going to happen (most likely). But what if, as he recovers from this setback, he unveils a secret? What would your reaction be if you heard that in a bullpen session, he took to the mound as a left-handed pitcher and he was just as good as he was as a righty? Would you believe it? I know I would. I can see him landing on his right leg, the injured left one flying in the air, as the usual stoic Ohtani, smiling as he busts a 99-mph fastball on the inside of the plate. All I would do then is wait for him to come to the plate as a righty and show off his switch-hitting skills as well.

T/O/H to a listener (like myself) of “The Dodgers Post,” the California Post’s Dodgers podcast hosted by California Post reporters Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris, for the inspiration of this tale.

4. RAVEY

I hate this news. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports today that Karl Ravech, one of ESPN’s most prominent on-air voices for more than three decades, was laid off as part of the network’s latest round of cuts.

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Unfortunately, the Billy-Ball Wordle in today’s full post did not update.

Fortunately, I have a replacement.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

THE BILLY-BALL WORDLE

You’re invited to play a WORDLE created by BILLYBALL.

The clue is: “ALWAYS BASEBALL”

https://www.nytimes.com/games/create/wordle/PpLqdA2IG0xi94US1SNAg9s_Z-NF1xVsGKNbMkcS0wJ1sbg90jpo5BOIdgZ73_ytBv4gDKlwApCsMw==

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The next day without any baseball on the schedule is Monday, September 28.

There are 15 days until the trade deadline.

THERE IS A DAY/NIGHTER IN THE BRONX TODAY

Due to yesterday's inclement weather, there is a twin bill today between the Dodgers and the host Yankees.

I feel bad for the folks at NBC/Peacock because the pitchers scheduled for this evening’s game they are broadcasting are pitching this afternoon instead. And, it is a great match-up. In fact, there is a chance that we are seeing the two 2026 Cy Young Award winners facing each other.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (9-6, 2.85 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 106 SO) vs. Cam Schlittler (9-5, 2.05 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 137 strikeouts). Yoshi on the season has a .192 BAA and a .564 OPSA. Cam leads the AL in ERA and is second with a .200 BAA and is third in strikeouts (137).

Prop bet of the day: Will there be more runs scored against these two pitchers or more goals scored in the World Cup final?

SPEAKING OF POTENTIAL CYA WINNERS…

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that Shohei Ohtani will not make his start on Wednesday in Philadelphia. Roberts added they are “airing on the side of caution,” wanting to give Ohtani more time to heal his knee. The Dodgers do not have a date for Ohtani's next pitching start.

We are told that Shohei entered this season with the goal of winning a Cy Young Award. That is not going to happen now, unless he is beyond spectacular when he does return to the mound. He simply will not have enough innings pitched. To qualify for an ERA title, a pitcher must pitch at least 1 inning for every scheduled game their team plays. Ohtani has thrown 85.2 innings this season and needs to reach 162. He averages 6.0 innings per start and about one start a week. With 10 weeks left in the season, he needs about 13 starts of six innings each to reach the qualifying number, and time does not appear to be on his side.

Ohtani will be the DH for game 1 of the DH today, and Roberts will decide postgame for game 2.

QUICK TRIVIA QUESTION: Name the four players who have hit 20+ homers in each 162-game season since 2018.

FANGRAPHS PROJECTIONS

According to Fangraphs, the Dodgers are the overwhelming favorites to win the World Series with a 26.9% chance of three-peating. The Yankees are second at 12.0%. The Brewers are third at 8.7%.

THE RED HOTS

I know you are curious; the red-hot Red Sox (they haven’t lost since July 1) are now given a 3.0% chance of winning the Series and a 53.6% chance of making the postseason. Look at their season to date:

Speaking of (former) Red Sox greats…

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