2026 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #20

On the mound, Chicago starter Trevor Rogers was masterful, striking out 10 batters and allowing only three hits over 7.2 scoreless innings. Aroldis Chapman survived a leadoff single in the ninth to shut the door and secure the victory.

Final Score: Chicago 2 – Tijuana 0

Win: Trevor Rogers 10-1 (2.10)
Loss: Cristopher Sanchez 12-3 (2.62)
Save: Aroldis Chapman #23

Chicago struggled to find a rhythm against Tijuana starter Jake Latz, who dominated across six innings, allowing just one unearned run while striking out eight. Riley Greene provided a bright spot for the Mobsters with a solo shot in the seventh, but Kade Strowd shut the door in the ninth to secure the dominant divisional victory.

Final Score: Tijuana 7 – Chicago 2

Win: Jake Latz 8-4 (2.52)
Loss: Hunter Brown 11-7 (2.28)

Chicago roared back in the sixth when Willy Adames launched a game-tying two-run home run off Richard Olson. The decisive blow came in the seventh inning when Luis Arraez crushed a solo shot off Caleb Thielbar to give Chicago the lead. Jhoan Duran earned the win in relief, and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door in the ninth by inducing a game-ending double play.

Final Score: Chicago 3 – Tijuana 2

Win: Jhoan Duran 5-4 (2.56)
Loss: Caleb Thielbar 3-6 (2.43)
Save: Aroldis Chapman #24

The game remained locked in a scoreless draw until the top of the seventh frame. Julio Rodríguez broke the tie, lacing a clutch two-out double into the corner that drove home both Luis Arraez and Yandy Díaz. Tijuana’s offense had no answer for Gilbert, who struck out Corbin Carroll to end the game and secure the shutout.

Final Score: Chicago 2 – Tijuana 0

Win: Logan Gilbert 7-5 (3.21)
Loss: Kade Strowd 4-1 (1.14)

The game remained locked in a scoreless stalemate until the top of the fourth inning. After Alex Bregman drew a walk, Julio Rodríguez delivered a clutch, two-out RBI double down the right-field line to drive him home and break the ice. Chicago added a crucial insurance run in the eighth when Bregman knocked an RBI single to shallow right, scoring Javier Báez.

Tijuana’s night went from bad to worse in the ninth inning. During a flyball to right field, second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa and right fielder Corbin Carroll collided in a nasty outfield wreck. Both key players were forced to exit the game with matching five-day injuries. Luzardo capitalized on the depleted lineup, striking out Isaac Paredes to seal the shutout and hand Framber Valdez a tough-luck loss.

Final Score: Chicago 2 – Tijuana 0

Win: Jesus Luzardo 12-5 (3.30)
Loss: Framber Valdez 6-8 (3.18)

Tijuana’s offense awoke in the bottom of the sixth frame. Following a double by Junior Caminero, Isaac Paredes blasted a dramatic two-run home run to tie the game. Moments later, Ke’Bryan Hayes lined a clutch RBI single into left-center field, driving home Agustin Ramirez for the decisive run.

Tijuana starter Cristopher Sanchez earned his 13th win with seven solid innings, striking out seven. Justin Lawrence then threw 1.2 scoreless innings in relief, striking out Riley Greene to end the game and secure his 10th save.

Final Score: Tijuana 3 – Chicago 2

Win: Cristopher Sanchez 13-3 (2.62)
Loss: Trevor Rogers 10-2 (2.24)
Save: Justin Lawrence #10

Tijuana didn’t bow out quietly, showing explosive life early behind a 7-2 blast driven by Austin Wells and a late-series 3-2 comeback sparked by an Isaac Paredes home run. However, injuries ultimately plagued the Bottle Rockets; they lost Trea Turner early on, followed by a devastating, ninth-inning outfield collision that sidelined both Corbin Carroll and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, allowing Chicago to stretch their divisional lead.

He starts off walking Triolo, who then steals 2b. After Pages fails to bunt him over on the 1st 2 pitches, he grounds out, moving him to 3rd. Rojas then singles one up the middle just past the diving Ozzie Albies; Triolo scores, Columbus back up, 2-1. And itchy Uribe comes in for the save in the 9th to relieve Sousa, but then he gives up a single, and we turn to Shelby Miller, who is impressive, fanning both Ramirez and Pasquantino to end the game!
TEM 1-2-1 LP Santana (3-3)
COL 2-4-0 WP Sousa (4-6) S Miller (3)

Bottom of the 8th, Suarez opens the inning with a single from Jake McCarthy. Jared Triolo follows and booms one over the left field wall (3) for a game-tying 2-run homer (and dashes Verlander’s hopes – needless to say, just like Schmidt in the previous game, he’s “upset” Caleb Ferguson is then summoned, and he gets the Explorers out in the 8th – so after 8, the game is tied 2-2! Meanwhile, Bernardino and Okert pitched scoreless 7th and 8th innings for Columbus.

9th inning – Abner Uribe comes in and fans 2 and gets 3 Tempers batters in order. Dennis Santana is then brought in for the bottom half, and Dansby Swanson leads off with a single, but he’s cut down stealing 2nd when Torrens fans on the hit and run. But Torrens then makes up for it with a walk-off homer (4) that just clears the fence and the glove of Wilyer Abreu. Columbus comes back for the 3-2 win.
TEM 2-4-0 LP Santana (3-4) Two straight losses in relief!
COL 3-9-0 WP Uribe (6-1)
Tempe has managed just 6 hits in the 1st two games; eruption has to be coming!

Bottom of the 7th, Patrick still hurling and Frazier (also acquired from Tempe) singles and Beck doubles him home, 3-1 Columbus. After the 6th, the Explorers went to their bullpen with Miller in the 7th and for 1 out in the 8th before Cal Raleigh homers (37), making it 3-2 Tempe. Bernardino in, and he gets the final 2 outs in the 8th and the 1st out in the 9th. Then Abner Uribe comes in and gets the last 2 outs in the game to preserve the 3-2 Explorers victory. 2 of the 3 runs were UNEARNED!
TEM 2-6-2 LP Patrick (7-4)
COL 3-5-1 WP Peterson (10-7) S Uribe (22)

Tampa counters with its retooled post-trade lineup — J. Wood and M. Muncy anchoring the middle, N. Schanuel and L. Robert settling into everyday roles, and S. Baz on the mound looking to build off a solid recent stretch. A good early test for the new-look Expos roster.Prairie Falcons Win, 9-3

Overview

A rough series-opener for Tampa. The Falcons jumped out early with a 3-run 1st, and a five-run 6th inning put the game away. The Expos managed just 3 hits all night and couldn’t sustain any offensive rhythm against Yamamoto.

Pitching

Y. Yamamoto was excellent for the Falcons — 6.0 innings, 1 run allowed on 2 hits, 6 strikeouts, earning the win and dropping his ERA to 2.53. R. Johnson closed with 3.0 solid innings for the save.

For Tampa, S. Baz took the loss — 5.2 innings, 5 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, including 3 home runs allowed. His ERA actually improves slightly to 4.78 thanks to the low earned-run total, but the long ball was an issue. S. Barlow had a disastrous 1/3 of an inning — 3 hits, 4 runs, 2 home runs — ballooning his ERA to 5.58. C. Morton came on and settled things down with 3.0 scoreless innings in mop-up duty.

Offense — Prairie Falcons

B. Baty was the story of the game — 2-for-5 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI. T. Casas and D. Dingler both went deep as well, each driving in 2 runs. J. Soto added a solo shot of his own. Five home runs total for the Falcons — a complete power display that buried Tampa early.

Offense — Tampa Bay Expos

Very quiet night at the plate. B. Bichette provided the only real spark — a solo home run (1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI). M. Muncy added a 2-RBI home run (1-for-3). Outside of those two swings, the Expos managed just 1 more hit and were shut down the rest of the way — 3 hits as a team is about as quiet as it gets.

Key Takeaways

Baz gave up 3 solo homers but limited the damage relative to hits allowed Barlow’s outing was a serious red flag — 2 HR allowed in 1/3 of an  inning Bichette and Muncy provided the only offense — need more support around them
Falcons’ power bats (5 team HR) were simply too much on this night

Overview

A rough series-opener for Tampa. The Falcons jumped out early with a 3-run 1st, and a five-run 6th inning put the game away. The Expos managed just 3 hits all night and couldn’t sustain any offensive rhythm against Yamamoto.

Pitching

Y. Yamamoto was excellent for the Falcons — 6.0 innings, 1 run allowed on 2 hits, 6 strikeouts, earning the win and dropping his ERA to 2.53. R. Johnson closed with 3.0 solid innings for the save.

For Tampa, S. Baz took the loss — 5.2 innings, 5 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, including 3 home runs allowed. His ERA actually improves slightly to 4.78 thanks to the low earned-run total, but the long ball was an issue. S. Barlow had a disastrous 1/3 of an inning — 3 hits, 4 runs, 2 home runs — ballooning his ERA to 5.58. C. Morton came on and settled things down with 3.0 scoreless innings in mop-up duty.

Offense — Prairie Falcons

B. Baty was the story of the game — 2-for-5 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI. T. Casas and D. Dingler both went deep as well, each driving in 2 runs. J. Soto added a solo shot of his own. Five home runs total for the Falcons — a complete power display that buried Tampa early.

Offense — Tampa Bay Expos

Very quiet night at the plate. B. Bichette provided the only real spark — a solo home run (1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI). M. Muncy added a 2-RBI home run (1-for-3). Outside of those two swings, the Expos managed just 1 more hit and were shut down the rest of the way — 3 hits as a team is about as quiet as it gets.

Key Takeaways

Baz gave up 3 solo homers but limited the damage relative to hits allowed
Barlow’s outing was a serious red flag — 2 HR allowed in 1/3 of an inning
Bichette and Muncy provided the only offense — need more support around them
Falcons’ power bats (5 team HR) were simply too much on this night

Overview

The Falcons take Game 2 and go up 2-0 in the series. Tampa actually out-hit Prairie Falcons 8-to-8 and had traffic on the bases all night, but couldn’t convert — stranding 9 runners in a game that was much closer than the final score suggests. A 2-run 9th sealed it for the Falcons.

Pitching

R. Pepiot went 7.2 innings for the Falcons, allowing 3 earned runs on 7 hits with 5 strikeouts (ERA now 3.79). M. Fluharty picked up the win with a third of an inning. P. Fairbanks — recently traded away by Tampa — earned the hold, tossing a scoreless third of an inning and lowering his ERA to a sharp 1.22 in his new home. D. Williams closed it out for his 16th save.

For Tampa, S. Arrighetti started and worked 6.0 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 6 hits including 2 home runs (ERA 5.11). H. Harris was excellent in relief — 2.0 scoreless innings, ERA down to 2.49. R. Montero took the loss, surrendering 2 runs in just 2/3 of an inning (ERA rises to 4.67). J. Alvarado tossed a scoreless third of an inning, ERA now 3.68.

Offense — Prairie Falcons

B. Baty continued his hot series — 2-for-4 with a home run and RBI. T. Story added 2 hits including 2 doubles. M. Trout chipped in a solo home run. J. Young drove in 2 runs. Balanced production across the lineup did just enough.

Offense — Tampa Bay Expos

A much better offensive showing for the Expos, even in a loss. B. Bichette went 2-for-4, continuing to hit at a .318 clip. L. Robert delivered his first real signature moment as an Expo — a solo home run and RBI (1-for-4). K. Tucker, M. Muncy, N. Schanuel, J. Berti, and C. Vazquez all had hits, with Tucker, Muncy, and Schanuel each driving in a run. The issue was timing — 9 men left on base tells the story of a night full of missed opportunities.

Key Takeaways

Fairbanks looking sharp in his new uniform — 1.22 ERA is eye-opening
Robert’s HR is an encouraging sign after a rough start with Tampa
Montero’s struggles continue — 3rd shaky outing in recent memory
Tampa is 0-2 and facing a series sweep if Game 3 doesn’t turn around

Overview

A tough one to swallow — Tampa was outclassed from the jump as G. Crochet was nearly untouchable across 8 innings, and the Falcons offense piled up 14 hits. The Expos actually matched them in hits (8) but couldn’t find the timely knock, stranding 7 runners in a game that got away early.

Pitching

G. Crochet was dominant for the Falcons — 8.0 innings, 1 run allowed on 8 hits, 7 strikeouts, zero walks. His ERA drops to a sparkling 2.32. R. Johnson closed with a clean 9th.

For Tampa, B. Francis took the loss — 5.0 innings, 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits. His ERA balloons to 9.64, a genuinely rough stretch. J. Alvarado had a shaky outing out of the pen — 1 run… actually 4 runs allowed in just 1 inning, pushing his ERA up to 5.17, a concerning sign for the closer role. C. Morton was again the bright spot in relief — 3.0 scoreless innings, ERA trending down to 9.35.

Offense — Prairie Falcons

Balanced and relentless. J. Soto went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI. M. Trout added 2 hits and 2 RBI. T. Casas doubled and drove one in. D. Dingler chipped in 2 RBI as well. Four different innings saw Falcons runs cross the plate — death by a thousand cuts.

Offense — Tampa Bay Expos

B. Bichette kept rolling — 2-for-4, now hitting .320 on the season. J. Berti also had a 2-hit game. L. Robert, D. Smith, C. Vazquez, and N. Schanuel all contributed hits, with Tucker driving in the lone run. Eight hits with only 1 run to show for it — the Expos left too many runners on base to make this competitive.

Key Takeaways

Crochet’s gem was the best pitching performance of the series by either team
Alvarado’s rough outing is worth monitoring — 2nd shaky appearance in as many games
Francis continues to struggle mightily — ERA now approaching double digits

Overview

Finally, a much-needed win for the Expos. S. Gray was outstanding on the mound, and the offense scratched across just enough runs to back him up. H. Harris slammed the door with 1.2 scoreless innings for the save. The series now stands 1-3.

Pitching

S. Gray was excellent — 7.1 innings, 1 earned run on 3 hits, an incredible 14 strikeouts. His ERA drops to 4.41. H. Harris followed with 1.2 scoreless innings to close it out, dropping his ERA further to 2.40 — he’s been lights-out lately.

For the Falcons, E. Cabrera took the loss — 6.1 innings, 3 earned runs on 8 hits (ERA 3.40). The bullpen kept it close after that, but the damage was already done against a Falcons offense held to just 3 hits.

Offense — Prairie Falcons

A very quiet night. T. Story drove in their only run. O. Cabrera doubled. L. Garcia stole a base. Gray’s 14 strikeouts kept Prairie Falcons off balance most of the night.

Offense — Tampa Bay Expos

D. Smith had a big night — 3-for-4, raising his average to .298. N. Schanuel went 2-for-3 with an RBI. J. Altuve scored twice with a walk. L. Robert added a hit and a stolen base. J. Wood and B. Bichette each drove in a run. A complete team effort, even without a home run in the box score.

Key Takeaways

Gray’s 14 K’s is a season-best type performance — the ace stepping up when it mattered
Harris continues to look like the most reliable arm in the pen right now
D. Smith quietly climbing to .298 — he’s been Tampa’s most consistent bat of late
Series now 1-3, two more needed just to even it — Game 5 looms big

A back-and-forth slugfest that Tampa came out on top of. The Expos jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, weathered a Falcons rally that brought it to 7-7, and pushed across the go-ahead run late to escape with the win. 14 hits and 8 runs for Tampa — the offense finally broke out in a big way.

Pitching

N. Crismatt started for Tampa — 5.1 innings, 3 earned runs (ERA now down to 3.40). S. Barlow and R. Montero each logged holds, though Montero’s ERA ticked up to 4.88 after allowing 2 runs. H. Harris blew the save — his first hiccup in a while — allowing a run in the 8th (ERA up to 2.54, still strong overall). C. Morton came on in the 9th and picked up the win with a scoreless inning, lowering his ERA to 9.00 as he continues to trend in the right direction.

For the Falcons, starter B. Elder had a nightmare outing — 2.2 innings, 7 earned runs on 8 hits (ERA 5.67). Their bullpen settled things down after that, but the early hole was too deep. P. Fairbanks — Tampa’s former closer — took the loss in relief, though his ERA in Falcons colors remains excellent at 1.46.

Offense — Prairie Falcons

Three home runs for the Falcons in the comeback bid: M. Trout (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI), L. Garcia (HR, 2 RBI), and B. Baty (2-for-3, HR, RBI). Not enough to overcome the early deficit.

Offense — Tampa Bay Expos

A complete team effort. M. Muncy had his best game in weeks — 3-for-4 with an RBI double, climbing to .213. J. Berti went a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI. N. Schanuel drove in 3 runs on a double and a sac fly. B. Bichette continued his tear — 2-for-5, now at .321. C. Vazquez added a 2-RBI double. Just about everyone in the lineup contributed.

Key Takeaways

Muncy and Berti both had big bounce-back games — signs of the offense clicking
Fairbanks getting knocked around (relatively) is a small silver lining for Tampa fans
Morton continues to quietly improve — 2 wins now and trending the right direction
Series now 2-3 — Tampa has real momentum heading into the finale

Overview

A wild finale that Tampa came out on top of, completing a stunning turnaround from an 0-3 series deficit. Both offenses were rolling all night, but Tampa’s bullpen — led by a bounce-back outing from Alvarado — held on down the stretch.

Pitching

S. Baz struggled again — 5.1 innings, 5 earned runs on 11 hits (ERA 4.93). S. Barlow blew another save opportunity, allowing a run in 2/3 of an inning (ERA up to 5.61). But J. Alvarado was the story — 2.0 scoreless innings to pick up the win, a much-needed bounce-back after two rough outings (ERA down to 4.58). S. Arrighetti closed it out with a save.

For the Falcons, L. McCullers had a tough start (3.1 IP, 4 ER, ERA 7.00). D. Williams took the loss. P. Fairbanks was excellent again in relief — scoreless, ERA down to 1.43 — a strong series for him against his former team.

Offense — Prairie Falcons

J. Soto hit a 2-run homer. D. Dingler went 3-for-5. M. Trout added 3 hits and an RBI. The Falcons finished with 13 hits but left 9 runners on base.

Offense — Tampa Bay Expos

J. Altuve was the offensive star — 2-for-5 with a triple and 4 RBI. B. Bichette kept his incredible series going — 3-for-4, now hitting .325. C. Vazquez added a home run. N. Schanuel reached base 4 times (2-for-2, 2 BB). L. Robert drove in 2 runs and stole a base.

Key Takeaways

Alvarado’s bounce-back win is a big confidence boost after a shaky stretch
Bichette closes the series at .325 — an outstanding stretch of hitting
Altuve’s 4-RBI game was exactly the kind of offense Tampa needed
Tampa completes a 3-game sweep of their own to close the series — series ends 3-3

The Comeback: Falling behind 0-3 could easily have turned into a sweep. Instead, Tampa’s offense woke up and the bullpen found its footing at exactly the right time.

B. Bichette’s Series: The unquestioned highlight of the six games — Bichette hit safely in every game, climbing from .311 to .325 by series’ end. He was Tampa’s most consistent presence in the lineup from start to finish.

Fairbanks’ Revenge Tour: The traded-away closer made his presence felt against his old team all series, posting a sub-1.50 ERA across multiple relief appearances for Prairie Falcons. A tough reminder of what was given up in the trade, even with the series split.

Bullpen Turbulence, Then Stability: J. Alvarado had a rocky middle stretch (two shaky outings pushed his ERA to 5.17) before rebounding with the Game 6 win. C. Morton and S. Arrighetti — both new additions mid-series — each factored into decisions late, giving the pen some fresh, useful arms.

Rotation Concerns Remain: S. Baz and B. Francis continue to be the weak links in the rotation, both posting high ERAs across their series starts. This is the clearest area to address going forward.

Series MVP: B. Bichette — hit .325 across the series, Tampa’s most reliable bat every single game. Series Best Pitcher (Tampa): J. Alvarado — bounced back from a rough stretch to close out the series win. Biggest Storyline: The 0-3 to 3-3 comeback — a real statement about this team’s resilience

Alamo gets 2 solo homers from Devers. Sacramento takes advantage of some errors and walks. Lindor has 2 hits and a walk for the Capitals. Berrios wins his 7th.

Cronenworth returns to the Defenders starting lineup, but gets injured again. Devers has a 3-run homer. Castillo wins his 5th game. Imanaga gives up 5 runs for the Capitals.

Sale gets hit hard and gives up 6. Lux, Mervis, and Moore hit homers for the Defenders. Pivetta wins his 10th in a battle of excellent starters.

Devers hits 2 homers and has 5 RBI. Lindor hits a homer for the Capitals. Joe Ryan wins his 12th.

Cade Gibson has a 4-2 lead, but gives up 5 in the 9th. Andujar has 3 RBI for the Capitals.

Grant Holmes has a strong 5 innings. Then, Kralick pitches a hitless 4 innings for the Defenders for the save. Lux and Schneeman hit homers for Alamo. Imanaga whiffs 11 for Sacramento.