The A's are in free-fall. ...

New England has just one regulation home loss. ...

It's Beck vs. Pickett in the Hall of Fame Game. ...

It's a crossroads bout for both men. ..

Here. We. Go!

As of today, we have MLS and NWSL picks, which is fantastic. Tonight's North Carolina at Denver NWSL game is on CBS Sports Network and it's the first-ever meeting between the franchises. Denver is unbeaten in three straight at home (two draws) and keeper Abby Smith has the fourth-most goals prevented (6.1) in the league (min. 5 games). North Carolina is 1-3 in its past four and we need star and leading scorer Ashley Sanchez (10 goals) to NOT find the net. NC is unbeaten in eight games when she does score but has a single win in eight when not. Thank goodness for the folks in CBS Sports research or it would have taken me hours to find even this little info.

Cards-Yanks might get rained out so will add this one. Bullpen game for Detroit, and kudos to the Tigers for basically flipping the bird to the front office with those trades and having won four in a row. But at some point, reality will hit. The front office gave up. Seattle's bullpen is fully ready behind my dawg Bryan Woo, who is just utterly different at home (6-0, 2.20 ERA). He's what I imagine the Willy Wonka softball team is when leaving the Chocolate Factory. I mean all the batters are 4-foot tall. But inside the factory? Generous strike zone, river of chocolate and "Oompa loompa doompety doo."

I was done today if Houston won to go with cashes in Arlington and Denver -- and frankly I loved the Astros this afternoon. But they blew a 3-0 lead and lost in extras and that hurt. Weird week, really. The Cards might have the slightly better pitcher here in Andre Pallante over Will Warren, but with HR Derby champ Jordan Walker out again for the Cards I just don't like their lineup at all: Bryan Torres? Jimmy Crooks? César Prieto? Also the end of a trip. And the Cardinals appear to be fading overall. Warren has been better at home and few STL batters have seen him.

Winds are blowing in a bit at Coors Field and it's not crazy hot in Denver. A crucial hitter on each side is sitting: Yandy Diaz for the Rays and Hunter Goodman for the Rox (and Willi Castro too for them). Two pretty good starting pitchers in Nick Martinez (2.77 ERA overall) and Tomo Sugano (3.77 home ERA). I accidentally hit full-game total of 11.5 first but F5 is the one I'm playing.

Terrible spot for the lame-duck Giants at the end of a trip and having sold off pieces earlier this week. A total "going through the motions" type game it seems like ahead of a day off and the longest homestand of the second half next. Simply a game the playoff-hopeful Rangers must win against struggling Giants lefty Carson Whisenhunt (2-2, 6.63 ERA). Texas snapped a six-game skid with Tuesday's victory and has a chance for a nice little run here looking at the schedule. Feels like a fork in the road game, honestly, and I expect Skip Schumaker to manage it that way by emptying the bullpen (basically a bullpen game) because the Rangers are off Thursday as well.

Houston catches a break Wednesday in avoiding Toronto ace Dylan Cease even though it was his turn and instead getting Jameson Taillon. Gotta take advantage of that gift in the matinee. Taillon gave up a homer about every other inning, it seemed, until the Cubs DFA'd him. With Thursday off, the Stros can empty the bullpen if need be behind Hunter Brown (3-1, 3.42 ERA).

San Diego isn't great vs. lefties in ranking 27th in the majors in OPS and didn't solve that at the trade deadline. It faces a good southpaw in Arizona's Eduardo Rodriguez (10-3, 2.48 ERA). The Padres haven't seen him in 2026. They go with utterly average Randy Vasquez (6-6, 4.45 ERA). The Snakes' lineup is a bit longer tonight with the trade addition of lefty-hitting Lars Nootbaar as he's in the starting lineup. Nootbaar hits righties very well, so hopefully he makes a big impression right away vs. Vasquez. Corbin Carroll has great splits off him.

Expected Atlanta to swing bigger ahead of the deadline but the Braves were fairly quiet. Perhaps the biggest piece acquired, outfielder Lane Thomas from the Royals, makes his debut tonight. But they didn't get a top starting pitcher that was badly needed. Atlanta has won five straight. The Marlins traded away No. 1 catcher Liam Hicks (.282, 14 HR, 62 RBI) to Tampa Bay. Tonight's starting pitcher in Ryan Gusto has a 6.23 road ERA in 17.1 innings.

Thought Cleveland quietly got much better at the deadline in improving a weak offense with Jo Adell and Nate Lowe. Nothing fancy, but two pretty good hitters who both should be available Tuesday. Starting pitcher Joey Cantillo is a solid 4-2 with a 3.81 ERA and .231 OBA at home this year. The Mets as expected sold big at the deadline, and their bullpen is especially weaker. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor, who had really been hitting well since the start of July, also was shipped out. Doubt the team has much of a pulse the rest of the way under an interim skipper.

The Phils are the anchor to my Newsletter Parlay of the Day but just on the money line there, which is too high to post here. But good news in that regard as All-Star James Wood is indeed out for the Nats. So I'll go ahead and throw a half-unit down on this even though Jesus Luzardo hasn't been nearly as good at home (better lately). But with all the recent trades and injuries, that Washington lineup is so much weaker. And Zack Littell (7-8, 4.94 ERA) is the primary pitcher tonight. Luis Arraez is making his Philly debut and thus it's arguably the Phillies' best lineup of 2026.