TONIGHT'S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (62-60) will open a huge nine-game homestand tonight as they welcome in their division rival, the Seattle Mariners (57-65), for a three-game weekend series at Daikin Park.
RHP Peter Lambert (8-6, 3.09 ERA), the Astros most consistent starter this season, will start the series opener for Houston opposite Astros nemesis RHP George Kirby (8-9, 3.68 ERA) and the Mariners.
HALL OF FAME WEEKEND: The Astros are celebrating Hall of Fame Weekend beginning tonight at Daikin Park. Astros legends Alan Ashby and the late Phil Garner will be inducted into the Astros Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony tomorrow, scheduled for 5:35 p.m. Ashby and members of the Garner family will be available to the media in the press conference room at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.
THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 42-29 since May 22, which is the second-best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
THE LAMBO: Today's Astros starter RHP Peter Lambert leads the club in wins (8), starts (20), innings (113.2) and strikeouts (111)…among AL pitchers with at least 110 IP, Lambert ranks seventh in opponent average (.208) and 10th in ERA. A minor league signing by Houston this offseason, Lambert pitched last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the NPB, posting a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP) with 111 strikeouts in 23 starts.

#weekend #Mariners #daikin

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 18: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles runs to first base during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on July 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) Getty
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 17: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles runs after hitting a double during the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on July 17, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) Getty
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles grounds out to the shortstop during the eighth inning of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) Getty
The Boston Red Sox are slated to begin a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Monday.
Ahead of the series, the Boston Red Sox revealed major Adley Rutschman news to reporters.

#adley

TONIGHT'S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (60-58) continue their six-game road trip with the third game of three-game series against the San Diego Padres (61-57) at Petco Park.
RHP Cristian Javier (1-2, 6.59 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros for sixth start of the season tonight, opposite RHP Randy Vásquez (7-6, 4.19 ERA) and the Padres.
THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 40-27 since May 22, which is the second-best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
THAT'S OFFENSIVE: The Astros lead the AL in SLG (.417), and OPS (.739), while ranking second in home runs (160), OBP (.322) and hits (981). In the Majors, the Astros rank third in homers, trailing only the Nationals (170) and Yankees (166).
EL REPTIL: Tonight's Astros starter RHP Cristian Javier is making his sixth start of the season and his third since returning from the IL in early July. He has split time between being a starter and reliever since his return, making four relief appearances and two starts. Since returning from the IL, he's recorded a 3.50 ERA (7ER/18IP) with 19 strikeouts, a .257 opponent batting average and a 1.33 WHIP. In his last start on Monday against the Blue Jays at Daikin Park, he allowed three runs on seven hits and no walks with two strikeouts in six innings, marking his first quality start of the season (last, Sept. 17, 2025 vs. TEX).

#season #park #javier

The Houston Astros and San Diego Padres close out their weekend series at Petco Park on Sunday, August 9, in a primetime matchup featuring two clubs fighting for postseason positioning.
Apr 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) slides safely at home plate against San Diego Padres catcher Martin Maldonado (15) in the fifth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Channel: Peacock / NBC

#sunday #august

A day after the Houston Astros did not add pitching at the trade deadline, one of the starters they are counting on to contribute down the stretch helped them even a series.
In his second outing back from Tommy John surgery, right-hander Hayden Wesneski worked a quality start that gave the Astros' offense time to stir in a 7-2 win over the Blue Jays at Daikin Park. Houston, which had a six-game winning streak snapped Monday, has won 12 of 14 and sits at 59-56.
More impact from the bottom half of its lineup, a trend on this homestand, buoyed it Tuesday. Jose Altuve struck three hits, scoring twice and driving in two runs from the sixth spot. Taylor Trammell's three-run home run off Toronto reliever Chad Dallas capped a four-run fifth.
That backed an encouraging start by Wesneski, who allowed two runs across six innings. Turning from the asking prices for pitching Monday leaves the Astros relying on two starters - Wesneski and Ronel Blanco - who recently returned from elbow surgeries.
General manager Dana Brown described their returns Monday as "in itself like a trade acquisition," a platitude that may resemble one less if both perform. Houston has won each of Wesneski's starts, an auspicious beginning to that plan.

#wesneski #starters #start #three

HOUSTON — Daulton Varsho was taking swings in the visitors' batting cage at Daikin Park early Monday before the start of a series against the Houston Astros when he was called into Toronto manager John Schneider's office.
It was then that Varsho learned he was on a new team and he'd have an incredibly short trip to join that squad.
The first-place Astros acquired the center fielder from the Blue Jays for starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti just before the trade deadline. A couple of hours later, Varsho finished his pregame preparations by taking swings in the home batting cage.
"It was definitely weird going from that cage to this cage," Varsho said, shaking his head.
The AL West leaders wasted no time putting Varsho in the lineup. Houston manager Joe Espada had him batting cleanup against his former team Monday night.

#cage #Monday #swings

TONIGHT'S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (58-55), winners of six straight, will open a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays (52-60 tonight at Daikin Park.
RHP Cristian Javier (1-1, 7.17 ERA) will get the start for the Astros opposite the RHP Shane Bieber (2-2, 5.74 ERA) and the Blue Jays.
ABOUT JAVIER: RHP Cristian Javier is making his fifth start of the season and his second since returning from the IL in early July. He's primarily pitched out of the bullpen since his return, making four relief appearances and a spot start. Javier earned tonight's start thanks to his last outing on July 27 at LAA, when he tossed 5.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in relief.
WINNING WAYS: The Astros have won six straight games, which is their longest winning streak since they won eight straight from Aug. 6-14, 2024. The Astros have also won 11 of their last 12 games. The Astros are now three games over .500, their first time at that mark since being 6-3 following their ninth game of the season on April 4.
THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 38-24 since May 22, which ties as the best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.

#games #blue

The Los Angeles Dodgers don't seem to be taking any chances with their catchers, bringing back to the squad a catcher for the second time in a day just before the trade deadline hit at 3 p.m. PT Monday.
The Dodgers are reacquiring Hunter Feduccia from the Tampa Bay Rays, reports Jorge Castillo of ESPN.
Jul 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Rays catcher Hunter Feduccia (9) chases a foul ball against the Houston Astros in the second inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
The Dodgers, who are also getting right-handed pitcher Jacob Kmatz, are sending outfielder Jack Suwinski and international bonus pool money, Castillo added.
Coincidentally, Feduccia was a Dodger just a year ago, when he was dealt to the Rays at the deadline for pitchers Paul Gervase and Adam Serwinowski and another catcher, Ben Rortvedt.

#feduccia

With the MLB trade deadline quickly approaching, contenders around the league are evaluating where they need to improve before making a postseason push. While some clubs are searching for another bat or bullpen help, starting pitching remains the biggest priority for many teams hoping to play deep into October.
Whether it's because of injuries, inconsistent performances, or simply the desire to add another frontline arm, these eight teams stand out as organizations that should be actively pursuing starting pitching before the deadline.
MORE: One player every MLB team will trade at the 2026 trade deadline
Jul 3, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez (28) meets on the mound with teammates against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
The Tampa Bay Rays have been one of baseball's best teams this season, but another quality starter would make an already dangerous club even more formidable. A deeper rotation could prove invaluable during a playoff run.

#teams #houston #tampa #pitching

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (49-54) will go for a sweep of the Miami Marlins (52-50) tonight in the finale of their three-game series at Daikin Park in Houston, TX.
RHP Peter Lambert (8-5, 3.03 ERA), who’s posted a 1.02 ERA (2ER/17.2IP) in his three starts this month, will get the start for the Astros tonight opposite RHP Sandy Alcantara (10-5, 3.89 ERA) and the Marlins.
RIDING THE LAMBO: Tonight’s Astros starter RHP Peter Lambert leads the Astros in wins and among AL pitchers he ranks second in opponent average (.197) and sixth in ERA (3.03) (min. 90IP). Lambert pitched last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the NPB, posting a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP) with 111 strikeouts in 23 starts.
MOVING UP THE LIST: Manager Joe Espada has 224 managerial wins as the Astros skipper, which ties him with Terry Collins (224 wins) for 10th all-time in managerial wins in club history. The two immediately trail Hal Lanier (254 wins) for ninth on that all-time list.
GET ‘EM EARLY: The Astros rank first in the AL and second in the Majors in 1st-inning runs (68). Overall, the Astros rank 11th in the Majors in runs (468), two spots ahead of the Marlins (455), who rank 13th.

#marlins

Rays 3B Junior Caminero keeps slugging, earns second straight AL All-Star Game start originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero provided his own MLB fireworks on July 4.
Two batters into Saturday's game at Daikin Park, the 22-year-old AL All-Star Game starter connected on a 437-foot solo blast, continuing his historic offensive streak.
Caminero became the first under-24 player in league history to compile at least 11 homers and 22 RBI during any 11-game stretch.
Named the AL Player of the Month Friday, Caminero slashed .481/.548/1.347 over the final seven June outings. His power streak continued four games into July, slamming three homers.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 05: Dalton Rushing #68 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on during the second inning of the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on May 05, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Dodgers have asked young catcher Dalton Rushing to take on one of the toughest jobs in baseball: working with a pitching staff expected to carry the team deep into the playoffs while perennial All-Star backstop Will Smith recovers from a significant injury.
And that job is made all the more difficult when catching for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who holds himself and his teammates to very high standards.
That challenge came into sharp focus last week, when a visibly frustrated Ohtani reacted to Rushing's pitch selection during a game in Minnesota. The exchange quickly spread across social media, prompting widespread discussion about Rushing’s development and the pressures of handling one of baseball's biggest stars.
FORBES | By Peter Chawaga
Dodgers’ Dave Roberts Circles Mookie Betts Retirement Date

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (42-45) will play the middle game of their three-game series against the visiting Minnesota Twins (41-45) tonight at Daikin Park.
RHP Mike Burrows (3-8, 5.48 ERA) will make his team-leading 16th start of the season tonight opposite the Twins and their ace RHP Joe Ryan (5-4, 3.18 ERA).
ABOUT BURROWS: RHP Mike Burrows is coming off a strong start his last time out on June 24 at TOR, in which he worked 6.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits and one walk.
Burrows has been a durable starter in his first season in Houston, as he leads the Astros in starts (15) and innings (85.1).
He joined the club from the Pirates this offseason as part of a three-team, six-player trade in which the Astros sent OF Jacob Melton and minor leaguer RHP Anderson Brito to the Rays, while the Rays sent IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery to the Pirates.

Sometimes even broadcasters get called up from Triple-A. Sugar Land ******* e Cowboys play-by-play man Garrett Greene manned the call with Steve Sparks from Daikin Park last night. He will have the call the entire series vs. the Minnesota Twins.
We caught up with Garrett this morning and recapped last night's call, with an eye also on tonight's matchup with the Twins.
Q: You'll be calling all three games of the Twins series. Is the preparation different at the major league level for a broadcast?
A: It's a lot of the same. Over the years, I've gotten to see how Robert and Steve prepare for games and how other big-league announcers prepare. It's the same style of preparation. I like to have angles and storylines on players and different information.
Q: How much of a different vibe does the lineup have when Pena is out?

TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (36-42), who have won three of their last four series, will play the rubber game of their three-game set with the Cleveland Guardians (41-36) today in a Father’s Day matinee at Daikin Park.
RHP Kai-Wei Teng (3-6, 4.31 ERA), who tossed 2.2 scoreless innings against the Guardians back in April, will get the start for the Astros today opposite RHP Slade Cecconi (3-5, 4.60 ERA) and the Guardians.
MY WAY OR THE KAI-WEI: RHP Kai-Wei Teng has split his season between the bullpen (13g) and rotation (8 starts), posting a 4.31 ERA (26ER/54.1IP) and a .232 opponent average with 58 strikeouts in 54.1 innings pitched.
Teng is new to the Astros, as he was acquired from the Giants this offseason in exchange for minor leaguer C Jancel Villarroel.
A native of Taiwan, Teng is the second Taiwanese-born player to appear with the Astros in their history, joining RHP Chia Jen-Lo, who made 19 relief appearances with the Astros in 2013.

HOUSTON – A few hours before their series opener, the Detroit Tigers learned right-hander Troy Melton would be scratched from his scheduled start with back tightness.
The injury forced a bullpen-only pitching plan.
It wasn't perfect, but six relievers worked together for a 9-3 win over the Houston Astros on Monday, June 15, in the first of three games in the series at Daikin Park. After Melton's injury, second baseman Gleyber Torres exited the game with an undisclosed injury after a violent swing in the second inning.
Colt Keith provided big swings of a different kind, with three home runs.
SHAWN WINDSOR: Justin Verlander's 2nd turn with Tigers can't come fast enough for him

HOUSTON – Gleyber Torres is injured again.
The Detroit Tigers' second baseman exited in the second inning Monday, June 15, against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park after swinging at (and missing) a first-pitch 92.4 mph fastball from right-hander Kai-Wei Teng.
Torres left the game with manager A.J. Hinch and ******* istant athletic trainer Kelly Rhoades.
The specifics of the injury are unknown.
WHAT WE KNOW: Tigers scratch Troy Melton from Monday's start with injury

It wasn’t a great series for the Houston Astros against the Pittsburgh Pirates at home this week as they lost two out of the three in eventual blowout fashion. The gap in the American League West division race has gotten bigger even as the team has gotten healthier.
However, it wasn’t a complete waste, as the Astros ended up with their wildest win of the season in an 11-9 thriller on Wednesday night at Daikin Park. Houston seemed completely dead in the water throughout this game, having gone down 8-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Astros were 0-32 so far in the 2026 season having trailed through seven innings. That somehow changed against all odds as the Astros stormed back on offense and **** ed the game right out of the Pirates’ hands. Here’s how the magical Astros comeback happened.
This was supposed to be a special pitching duel between two of the best pitchers in baseball at the moment: Spencer Arrighetti and Paul Skenes. Most believed this would be a low-scoring game, but lo and behold, baseball strikes again. 20 total runs, 26 total hits combined between both teams. Neither starter could get to five innings and they were not even the story of the game.
It was a comeback out of nowhere for the Astros. Down 8-3 with two outs in the seventh, Isaac Paredes blasted a two-run homer to the Crawford Boxes that cut the deficit down to three. However, the Pirates added another run in the eighth.

This story initially appeared on PittsburghBaseballNow.com.
The Pittsburgh Pirates looked poised to cruise to their fifth straight win, but the bullpen collapsed in grand fashion in the eighth inning, resulting in an unimaginable 11-9 loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Wednesday night.
Bottom 3rd, 2-0 HOU: With two on and one out, Yordan Alvarez ripped a base hit to right field to give the Astros (28-35) the lead against Paul Skenes. Later in the inning, Houston had runners on the corners with two outs, and third baseman Nick Gonzales couldn’t make a play on a hard grounder. It was scored an RBI single for Isaac Paredes.
Top 4th, 4-2 PIT: With the bases loaded and two outs, Henry Davis launched a grand slam to left field off Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti to give the Pirates (33-29) the lead. The blast hit the train tracks above the left field stands traveled 396 feet.
Bottom 5th, 4-3 PIT: Skenes labored threw the fifth inning and Cam Smith delivered a two-out RBI single on the right-hander’s 3-2 pitch, his career-high 109th offering of the game.

This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.com.
The Pittsburgh Pirates belted three home runs to power past the Houston Astros, 10-6, at Daikin Park on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.
Oneil Cruz’s home run gave Pittsburgh the lead and sparked a stretch of eight unanswered runs prior to the Astros striking in the ninth with the game out of reach.
Endy Rodríguez finished 2 for 4 with a home run, a double, three RBI, two runs a walk and a stolen base.
This is the first time the Pirates have won a game started by Bubba Chandler since April 17 against the Tampa Bay Rays. For Chandler, his second win of the season snapped a five-game losing streak.

Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet
Pitching Matchup: Bubba Chandler (1-6, 4.85 ERA) vs. Mike Burrows (3-6, 5.40 ERA)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Houston Astros looking to grab a win.
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