The Daily Diamond Buzz Show

All seven games are still to come today, with nothing underway and no finals on the board yet. My first stop is Atlanta, where Yoshinobu Yamamoto faces Chris Sale in the best pitching matchup of the day. The Braves won yesterday’s meeting, and now the Dodgers hand the baseball to Yamamoto with a chance to respond against one of the nastiest left-handers around. In the Bronx, Houston sends Hayden Wesneski against Gerrit Cole. The Yankees won yesterday, and Cole gives New York the kind of power arm that can take over the entire night when his fastball and command are working together. I’m also watching Milwaukee at the Mets. Jacob Misiorowski brings the electricity against Sean Manaea after the Brewers took yesterday’s game. That contrast should be fun: premium velocity and raw force on one side, a veteran left-hander trying to disrupt timing on the other. Those are the three matchups with my attention tonight.

Did You Know? On May 2, 1917, Cincinnati’s Fred Toney and Chicago’s Hippo Vaughn each held the opposing team hitless through nine innings before the Reds scored in the tenth; Toney completed a 10-inning no-hitter, while Vaughn took a 1-0 loss.

Dean's Take: Why MLB should keep the postseason field at twelve teams

Everything Baseball. Every Day. Every Era. — Baseball Nation Network

All fifteen games are still ahead of us today, and I’m starting in Atlanta. The Dodgers send Roki Sasaki against AJ Smith-Shawver after yesterday’s result: Los Angeles Dodgers 3, Atlanta Braves 4. That gives this matchup a little extra juice, because the Dodgers are trying to answer immediately. Out west, Philadelphia has Jesús Luzardo facing Bryan Woo in Seattle. The Mariners took yesterday’s game, Philadelphia Phillies 1, Seattle Mariners 4, and today’s pitching matchup has the ingredients for another low-scoring night. I’m also watching Houston at Yankee Stadium. The Astros won a wild one yesterday, Houston Astros 9, New York Yankees 7. Peter Lambert gets the ball for Houston today, while New York’s starter remains to be determined. Those are three very different games: star power in Atlanta, a sharp pitching matchup in Seattle, and some uncertainty in the Bronx. That’s plenty to keep me locked in tonight.

Did You Know? On April 23, 1964, Houston Colt .45s pitcher Ken Johnson became the only pitcher in Major League history to lose a complete nine-inning no-hitter, falling 1-0 to the Cincinnati Reds.

Dean's Take: Why MLB should make the Division Series a best-of-seven

Everything Baseball. Every Day. Every Era. — Baseball Nation Network

Nothing is underway yet, and we don’t have any finals today, so the entire Tuesday board is still in front of us. My first stop is Toronto, where Seth Lugo goes for Kansas City against Max Scherzer and the Blue Jays. That’s a fascinating contrast between Lugo’s craft and Scherzer’s power and intensity. Out west, Paul Skenes gets Michael King as Pittsburgh visits San Diego. Those are two pitchers capable of controlling a game from the opening pitch, and I’ll always make time for a matchup with Skenes on the mound. Then there’s a heavyweight National League meeting in Atlanta. Tyler Glasnow starts for the Dodgers against Bryce Elder and the Braves. Glasnow brings the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that can dominate any lineup, but Atlanta is never a comfortable assignment. There are fifteen games scheduled, but those three pitching matchups are the ones jumping off the board for me.

Did You Know? On July 10, 1932, Cleveland shortstop Johnny Burnett went 9-for-11 in an 18-inning loss to the Philadelphia Athletics, setting the Major League record for hits in one game.

Dean's Take: Why MLB should restore a heavier divisional schedule

Everything Baseball. Every Day. Every Era. — Baseball Nation Network

In the American League East, the Rays are 77-53 and in first place. The Yankees are 74-56, 3.0 games back, while the Red Sox are 71-59, 6.0 games back. New York has a healthy wild card cushion at +9.5, and Boston is at +6.5, so both clubs have some protection. But the division is still within reach. The Rays have the lead, not permission to coast. Over the next couple of weeks, every short losing streak could reopen the door, especially with Boston riding a W3 streak.

The American League Central is much tighter. The White Sox lead at 68-62. The Guardians are 65-66, 3.5 games back, and they’ve won four straight. The Twins are 63-68, 5.5 games back, with a 2.0 wild card deficit. Chicago has control, but Cleveland is applying real pressure. This is one of the races that matters most because the wild card offers less comfort here. The next couple of weeks are about consistency. Somebody has to turn a good stretch into separation.

Then there’s the American League West, where the Astros and Rangers are both 65-66 and both listed with no games-back deficit. That’s as clean a race as you’ll find. The Mariners are 62-69, 3.0 games back in the division and 3.0 in the wild card race. Houston has lost two straight, Texas has won one, and Seattle remains close enough to make every night uncomfortable. This race could swing on one strong week.

Did You Know? So circle the American League West, the American League Central, and Braves-Phillies. Those are the races where the pressure is immediate, and where two weeks can change the entire October map.

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Everything Baseball. Every Day. Every Era. — Baseball Nation Network

Welcome in, everybody, to The Daily Diamond Buzz Show. It’s Sunday, August twenty-third, twenty twenty-six. Today, I’m circling a heavyweight response in the Bronx, a fascinating left-handed matchup in Seattle, and another test in Philadelphia. Then I’ll celebrate John Smoltz’s remarkable two-career résumé and tell you why the automatic runner has to disappear.

Did You Know? John Smoltz gave Atlanta something almost no pitcher has ever given one franchise: greatness in completely different jobs. He arrived as a power starter, became part of that legendary Braves rotation, won a World Series championship in 1995, and later captured the National League Cy Young Award. Then his career took a remarkable turn. After major arm trouble, Smoltz reinvented himself as an elite closer before eventually moving back into the rotation. He finished 213 and 155 with a 3.33 ERA, three thousand eighty-four strikeouts, 16 shutouts, and 154 saves. That combination made him the first pitcher in major league history to reach both 200 wins and 150 saves. Think about the flexibility, toughness, and competitive nerve required to do that. Smoltz could dominate for seven innings or own the final three outs. The Baseball Writers’ Association elected him to the Hall of Fame in 2015, a fitting finish for one of baseball’s most versatile great arms.

Everything Baseball. Every Day. Every Era. — Baseball Nation Network

Nothing is final and nothing is underway yet, so all ten games remain ahead of us today. The matchup I’m circling is Philadelphia at Seattle, where Zack Wheeler faces Logan Gilbert. That’s a heavyweight pitching draw in a ballpark where every run can feel precious. I’m also watching the Cubs visit Arizona. Kevin Gausman gets Merrill Kelly, two experienced right-handers who know how to navigate a lineup and control the rhythm of a game. And down in Miami, Boston sends Ranger Suarez against Sandy Alcantara. That pairing offers a fascinating contrast, with Suarez bringing the left-handed look and Alcantara working from the right side. If you want one more arm to track, Framber Valdez starts for Detroit against Drew Rasmussen and Tampa Bay. No scoreboard drama to report just yet, but the pitching menu is loaded, and the late game in Seattle has the look of a terrific closing act.

Did You Know? On June 24, 1962, Yankees reserve outfielder Jack Reed hit a two-run home run in the 22nd inning to beat the Detroit Tigers, 9-7; it was the only home run of his Major League career.

Dean's Take: Why Major League Baseball should reseed the postseason bracket after the wild-card round

Everything Baseball. Every Day. Every Era. — Baseball Nation Network