Boston’s latest run kept rolling last night with a 9-4 win over the Dodgers, capping a July that looked almost unreal. The Red Sox went 21-4 for the month, and that .840 winning percentage stands as the best month in the franchise’s 126-year history. Today, Los Angeles will hand the ball to ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in an effort to slow things down, while Boston counters with Payton Tolle.
With the trade deadline set for Monday at 5pm CT, clubs are already treating some scheduled starts like they might be the last ones. The Blue Jays still have Kevin Gausman lined up to pitch today, and the Angels still have Jose Soriano penciled in, but neither outing feels locked in.
Freddy Peralta and Casey Mize were scratched from their planned starts on Friday, a sign that teams are willing to protect pitchers who could be moved before the deadline. Gausman is heading toward free agency, and he told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi yesterday that there haven’t been extension talks between him and Toronto.
Soriano is under team control through 2028, which makes a deal less straightforward, but the Angels’ willingness to listen on him and other controllable players leaves the door open.
Detroit’s deadline picture is moving in a different direction. The Tigers didn’t miss a beat after scratching Mize, rolling past the Athletics 13-1 on Friday behind a four-pitcher bullpen game that held Oakland to one run on three hits.
The biggest headline belonged to Max Clark, who made a loud big league debut and matched the A’s hit total by himself. He finished 3-for-4 with a walk, doubled twice, and picked up his first career RBI in his first game in the majors.
Detroit sits at 52-58 and is 3.5 games out of the final AL wild card spot, but the expectation is that the club will mostly sell before Monday. That puts impending free agents like Mize and superstar Tarik Skubal in the center of the rumor mill, with pitching-needy teams surely circling.
Houston, meanwhile, has turned its season on its head. The Astros dropped to 20-37 after a 4-1 loss to the Twins on May 20, but since then they’ve gone 36-18, climbed back over .500, and taken control of the AL West after an 11-2 win over the Rangers yesterday.
They’re riding a four-game winning streak and have won nine of their last 10, which puts them in strong position to add at the deadline. The Astros are known to be hunting outfield help, with a left-handed hitting outfielder - or even two - seen as the ideal fit to balance a lineup that leans heavily right-handed.
But first they have to stay in front of Texas, which can jump right back into first place with a win today. Jacob deGrom will start for the Rangers, while Ronel Blanco will make his third start of the season for Houston as he continues his return from Tommy John rehab.
In Other News...
Astros Finally Filled A Need But Fans Will Debate The Cost
The Astros made a late push to address their outfield mix by landing Daulton Varsho from the Blue Jays shortly before the trade deadline, a move that gives Houston a needed upgrade as it tries to position itself for the stretch run. Varsho brings immediate help and should slide in as a short-term addition, giving the club another option in a spot that had been needing attention.
The price, though, is the part that will keep the conversation going around Houston. The deal is still working its way through medical review, and the return sent to Toronto was significant enough to make this feel like more than a routine deadline add. For a team that has spent years balancing win-now moves against future value, this one lands squarely in the middle of the familiar Astros debate. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Lose Key Behind The Scenes Voice At A Tough Time
Amid a season that already has demanded plenty of patience, the Astros have lost another important voice from their dugout support staff. Dan Hennigan, the clubs Director of Hitting and Offensive Coordinator, is out after taking an assistant coaching job at Wake Forest, with manager Joe Espada saying Sunday was Hennigans final day on the job.
Houston will keep its current hitting structure intact, with Victor Rodriguez and Anthony Iapoce remaining in their roles as hitting coach and assistant hitting coach. Chuckie Caufield will absorb some of Hennigans duties around the major league team, leaving the Astros to adjust on the fly while trying to keep their offensive work steady through the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Interest In Logan Webb Just Ran Into One Huge Problem
With the trade deadline drawing closer, Logan Webb has surfaced as a name worth watching for clubs looking to add pitching, and the Astros are among the teams said to be interested. Houston has been linked to the San Francisco right-hander along with Atlanta, a reminder that frontline starters tend to draw attention quickly when the market starts to thin out and contenders start checking on every available arm.
The problem for Houston is that San Francisco does not appear inclined to entertain much discussion. Webb is viewed internally as too important to move because of his contract and his place in the Giants' plans, which makes any pursuit a steep climb from the start. Webb has also made clear he wants to stay with the Giants, so even with outside interest building, this feels like one of those deadline whispers where the asking price may never even be the real issue. [Read more 🡒]