Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today's games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Thanks for being here. As we've seen since the inception of the World Baseball Classic, baseball is a global sport, and international competition is at an all-time high. But perhaps even more important than how the game is being played at the elite level is how it's being grown at the grass roots. From Bhutan to the Czech Republic and France to Brazil, the seeds of the game are being planted around the world thanks to people like Kemp Gouldin, a former baseball operations intern with the San Francisco Giants who was inspired by a "Field of Dreams"-like voice in his head to "Bring baseball to Egypt." And that's exactly what he did. Through his Because Baseball organization and the support of Major League Baseball's Play Ball initiative, Gouldin is working with volunteers that include former big leaguers to bring baseball camps to schools and orphanages in Egypt. Below is an excerpt from Michael Clair's wonderful feature on how one man's inspiration to grow the game abroad has blossomed into reality: After Gouldin first started sharing his idea with friends and family, with many of them wondering if he actually was crazy – "I think you'd probably be a bad friend not to at least ask some questions. But some of my closest mentors and others said, 'That's just so crazy, it might work,'" – he then had to figure out how to actually, well, make it work. He made calls to Major League Baseball, who were inspired by his vision and agreed to support his efforts as part of its Play Ball initiative. Gouldin contacted sporting manufacturers like Franklin, who agreed to provide equipment and balls, the very building blocks of baseball. Gouldin's next move was to connect with schools in Egypt and make his pitch. "This is a gift from the baseball world to you, from MLB all the way down to the sporting manufacturers," Gouldin told them. "They want to share this game that's meant so much to us with you." With schools on board, it was time for Gouldin to get on a plane and see if that voice turned out to be accurate. Read the full article here. -- Ed Eagle |
- Red Sox @ A's (Right now! On MLB.TV): The Red Sox would love to secure a fourth straight win heading into this weekend's huge set at Fenway with the Yankees, whom they trail by just a percentage point in the AL Wild Card standings. Today, the Sox turn to their No. 2 prospect, Payton Tolle, who's seeking his first win in his third career start. As a lefty, he may be Boston's best weapon against the astounding Nick Kurtz, whose OPS vs. southpaws (.611) is nearly half of what it is vs. righties (1.191).
- Astros @ Blue Jays (7:07 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): Toronto rallied for perhaps its gutsiest win of the year in yesterday's opener, and the stakes are just as high tonight. The Blue Jays, a half-game ahead of the Tigers for the AL's top seed, have much riding on every game at this point, and the Astros are no different. Houston's lead atop the AL West is down to a game over the Mariners, while the Rangers (1 1/2 behind Seattle) have won four of five.
- Cubs @ Braves (7:15 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): This year hasn't been an ideal follow-up to a Cy Young campaign for Chris Sale, who missed 2 1/2 months with a fractured rib cage. In two starts since returning, though, the lefty has looked just as dominant as he was last year, dropping his ERA to 2.38, the same as it was at the end of last season. Tonight, he faces a Cubs team without Kyle Tucker, who was just starting to heat up (1.289 OPS in his last 11 games) before landing on the IL yesterday.
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Turns out Shohei Ohtani isn't the only one keeping the "Pitchers Who Rake" tradition alive. The term became a relic of the past when the National League adopted the designated hitter full time in 2022, but on Tuesday night, the Twins' Ryan Fitzgerald gave us a rare pitcher home run -- well, sort of. Fitzgerald, a 31-year-old rookie who has appeared in 15 games as a big leaguer, is typically a position player. However, he was brought in to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning with the Twins trailing 12-0 on Tuesday.
After tossing a scoreless inning, Fitzgerald came up to bat with one on in the top of the ninth inning and hit a towering blast down the right-field line for a two-run homer to break up the shutout. It was the first non-Ohtani dinger by the pitcher of record since Isiah Kiner-Falefa (another position player) did it for the Yankees in 2023. Other than Ohtani, the last true pitcher to homer was the Giants' Logan Webb on Oct. 3, 2021.
-- Thomas Harrigan |
AN APPRECIATION FOR RIZZO |
Anthony Rizzo will always hold a special place in Cubs fans' hearts for one specific play. Sure, the three-time All-Star launched 242 homers with the club, good for sixth on the franchise's all-time list behind a quintet of absolute legends in Ernie Banks, Sammy Sosa, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Ryne Sandberg. He also collected four Gold Gloves, a Platinum Glove and a Silver Slugger over his 10 seasons with the North Siders. But what Cubs fans will remember most about Anthony Rizzo (beyond his winning smile) is the ball hitting the back of his mitt for the final out of the 2016 World Series. That putout ended the franchise's 108-year championship drought, cementing Rizzo as a Cubs icon and launching one of the biggest public celebrations in the history of the world. And now, there will be more Cubs memories ahead for the slugging lefty, whose own battle against cancer and his support of children and families impacted by the disease contributed to his winning the Branch Rickey Award and the Roberto Clemente Award during his time in Chicago. Earlier today, Rizzo announced he's retiring from baseball as a Cub and joining the club as a team ambassador. In honor of his career and his return to the franchise, the club plans to celebrate Rizzo this weekend when he attends Saturday's game vs. the Rays at Wrigley Field. The fêting of Rizzo is sure to add to the aura of the Friendly Confines in the middle of a postseason push, and the vibes will only intensify once the crowd hears the cowbell drop. -- Ismail Soyugenc |
Sometimes it takes just one spark to ignite a team and rocket it right into the playoffs. For the Giants, that spark might just be rookie Drew Gilbert. Since coming to San Francisco from the Mets in the three-for-one Trade Deadline deal that sent pitcher Tyler Rogers to New York, the 24-year-old outfielder has been a revelation -- both on the field and in the dugout. Though Gilbert struggled offensively during the first two weeks after his MLB debut on Aug. 8, in his past 11 games, Gilbert is batting .353 with a 1.101 OPS and 10 RBIs, helping fuel the Giants through a stretch in which they've won 13 of 16 to sit just two games back of the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot entering play Wednesday. But Gilbert's offensive production is just half the story. His other contribution has been in vibes, as he's brought what our Maria Guardado described as a "unique jolt of energy." Cameras have certainly shown Gilbert in the dugout being, well, unique. Whether it's celebrating big moments with the electricity of a lightning bolt, his running "gag" with teammate Matt Chapman or chewing on Robbie Ray's hoodie sleeve like a dog, Gilbert's brand of individualism has helped create a spark in the dugout. "He's an energetic guy. I feel like we needed something like that," shortstop Willy Adames said. "He brought that energy, and the boys are embracing it." -- Jason Foster |
Great food options are a big part of the Bronx tale, so head out to Yankee Stadium for a wide variety of tasty offerings in 2025. One of them comes from a new partnership with the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, which opened its first location in 2021 and has now set up shop in Sections 108, 205, 213 and 321. There are three options available, and honestly we couldn't possibly choose:
• Buffalo Chicken Dumpling: Served with buttermilk ranch • Kung Pao Chicken Dumpling: Served with spicy dumpling aioli • Wagyu Beef Dumpling: Served with spicy dumpling aioli |
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