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.

Baseball and music have pretty much always been attached at the hip. From national anthems to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” to all manner of customized walk-up songs, it’s impossible to visit a big league park and not be engulfed by a cornucopia of music.

There’s also an obvious mutual-admiration society between music stars and ballplayers. Legendary Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder famously has the annual Vedder Cup between the Padres and Mariners named in his honor. On the other side of the ledger, there are so many MLB players who have tried their hand at music stardom that we put together a Top 10 list from 2021, and that doesn’t even include Jose Iglesias’ smash hit “OMG,” which served as the Mets’ theme song last summer.  

The latest big leaguer to dive head-first into those musical waters is Nationals reliever Jose A. Ferrer. But rather than sing or strum the guitar like those before him, the southpaw is learning to play the saxophone, and his practice sessions can be heard emanating from bullpens across the big leagues.

As Jessica Camerato reported in her latest Nationals Beat newsletter, Ferrer bought his sax last month without even trying anything else, as it plays a fundamental part in the music he’s enjoyed since his childhood while growing up in the Dominican Republic.

“I am going to focus,” Ferrer said. “I’m going to take it seriously.”

As anyone who has ever learned a new instrument – or is the parent of a child who is – knows all too well, there are plenty of growing pains, especially early on. Still, Ferrer has been overwhelmed by the support he’s received from teammates, opponents and fans.

“Every day he seems to be getting a little better,” said manager Dave Martinez, who has been quite supportive of his reliever’s new hobby. “He’s not quite Kenny G yet, but he’ll get there.”

– Ed Eagle

• Mets @ Dodgers (4:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV, MLB Network): The Mets have won four of six games against the defending champions to claim the season series along with the postseason tiebreaker, and holding down Shohei Ohtani has certainly helped. The three-time MVP is slashing .208/.286/.458 vs. the Mets compared to .301/.399/.671 against the rest of the league. The Dodgers have been struggling in general, going 8-10 since May 16, with their starting rotation posting a 4.58 ERA over that span.

• Cubs @ Nationals (6:45 p.m. ET, MLB.TV): Chicago has won 15 of 20, notching the best record in the Majors since May 12. But the Cubs, who boast MLB’s highest scoring offense, were blanked last night for just the third time this season. The Nats, meanwhile, are looking to win their third consecutive series, with Jake Irvin aiming to win four straight starts for the first time in his career.

• Guardians @ Yankees (7:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV, MLB Network): Coming off his worst outing of the season, Yankees ace Max Fried must be champing at the bit to get back on the hill. José Ramírez, who went 0-for-2 with a walk the last time he faced Fried back in 2019, is on a heater. The 13-year veteran has a .390/.446/.644 slash line during a 30-game on-base streak.

One of the toughest gigs on the planet -- besides trying to write a daily pun -- is to select a roster of All-Stars.

Every year, fans are tasked with voting for the starters in each league, and the pitchers and reserves for both squads are determined via Player Ballot choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office.

There are easy choices like Aaron Judge, who's the clear front-runner for the AL MVP. Hop over to the other side of town, and Francisco Lindor’s been putting up All-Star numbers -- even though he hasn’t made the squad since 2019, back in his Cleveland days.

Inevitably, some All-Star-level players get left off the list. But it's not always a bad thing, especially if you're one of these 12 players who earned a bigger prize at the end of the season: MVP. 

With the help of our 30 beat reporters, we asked them to pick one player from their team who is deserving of a trip to Atlanta next month. (There are pitchers on the list, but that's OK, we believe they deserve some love even if you can't vote for them.)

Now that you’re up to speed, go vote -- five times a day -- in Phase 1 of the 2025 PRO SPIRIT MLB All-Star Ballot.

From a batter's perspective, an intentional walk is kind of like a little gift. It would be gauche not to accept it -- there's just an unwritten rule that you take your base and let the next hitter try to do what you weren't given a chance to. University of Texas softball superstar Reese Atwood, however, has no time for unwritten rules.

With her Longhorns trailing Texas Tech by a run late in the opener of the Women's College World Series last night, Atwood was in the process of receiving a free pass when NiJaree Canady's 3-0 pitch veered into the strike zone. Atwood did what few players (excluding Miguel Cabrera) would do: She swung. And sparked a crazy comeback.

Atwood isn't part of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (yet) -- she's chasing a national championship at the moment -- but those who are will ride the momentum of what's been a thrilling college tournament when the newly formed four-team league makes its historic debut on Saturday.

There's a home run of a deal over at the MLB Online Shop: 25% off when using the promo code HOMER (exclusions may apply). Have to hurry though: The offer expires tonight at 11:59 ET. Score official MLB gear >>

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