Wow. It took an extra inning for it to be decided but the A's came out on top thanks to some late-game heroics from an unexpected hero. The Athletics took the first game of the series against the Mariners, walking them off en route to a 6-5 victory. Seattle's playoff hopes are on life support.
Springs solid again
The A's had veteran southpaw Jeffrey Springs on the ***** p tonight. It's no secret he's in the final month donning the Green & Gold but there's no reason his tenure has to end on a low note.
Springs had literally just seen these guys, pitching against them within the past week. That start was in Seattle though and he's been much better on the road. How would he do against them in the hitters ballpark that is the Athletics' current home?
Seattle struck first tonight, going small-ball to bring in a run in the first against Springs to give the M's a quick lead. They'd go small-ball again in the second for their second run, pushing across that baserunner off a groundout. That was all the damage Seattle could muster tonight against the lefty though as he would toss three more innings without allowing another run.

#athletics #small #ball

With 2.5 weeks remaining in the regular season, those in the fantasy baseball playoffs should be focused on adding players with favorable schedules in the coming days. The list this week includes hitters to stream this weekend (Henry Bolte, Jeff McNeil, Colt Keith) as well as those who should be added by Monday (Ty France, Mickey Moniak, Cole Carrigg).
The same can be said on the pitching side, as those who need a weekend streamer can skip to the bottom of this article.
Ty France, 1B, Padres, 31%: France has been one of baseball's best hitters in the second half, batting .324 with a .937 OPS. Unfortunately, he remains on waivers in many leagues, as managers opt to chase an influx of exciting rookies rather than adding a boring veteran. But that should change over the weekend, as France and his teammates will open next week with four games at Coors Field against a Rockies pitching staff that ranks last in baseball with a 5.50 ERA. Managers in deeper formats could also consider Jake Cronenworth (6%), who has hit second in the lineup of late, or catcher Luis Campusano (1%), who is working as a DH often enough to keep him in the regular lineup.
Mickey Moniak, OF, Rockies, 26%: Moniak has some similarities to France, as a boring veteran who is having his productive season overshadowed by a constant stream of youngsters on the waiver wire. The 28-year-old has been terrific at home (.957 OPS) and against right-handers (.835 OPS) this season, which makes him a potential league-winner next week when the Rockies play seven games at their hitter-friendly home park, including five versus right-handed starters. Those who cannot add Moniak can consider his teammate, Cole Carrigg (15%).
Henry Bolte, OF, Athletics, 30%: Bolte is the fastest runner in baseball and has a bit of pop, which has made him the Athletics regular leadoff hitter and one of baseball's most explosive players. He is batting .320 since the beginning of August, and during September he has already accumulated four homers and five steals. Like many Athletics hitters, Bolte has fared best at his offense-inducing home park, which is where he will play this weekend. It helps that the series will come against the Mariners, who surprising rank 28th in baseball with a 5.39 ERA since the All-Star break.

#moniak #Rockies #athletics #week

Rangers news: Jacob deGrom hits historic low point after bullpen meltdown vs. Mariners appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jacob deGrom had misfortune strike him once again in the Texas Rangers' clash against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday evening.
DeGrom is going through the 13th season of his career in the majors, his fourth with the Rangers. He typically shines as one of the best pitchers in the league, ****** isting Texas in their race for a playoff spot.
DeGrom was having a strong performance on the mound, serving in six innings. He struck out 12 batters while conceding a single hit but left the game due to injury. This ended up being costly for Texas as Seattle rallied back to secure the win, making history in the modern era, via OptaStats.
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#degrom #Mariners #clutchpoints

Rangers news: Jacob deGrom's strong start ends with concerning injury update appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Texas Rangers star pitcher Jacob deGrom pitched well on Thursday against the Seattle Mariners. However, he was removed after throwing 92 pitches through six innings, a decision that Rangers manager Skip Schumaker later said was due to an injury concern, via Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.
"Skip Schumaker said that Jacob deGrom was dealing with groin tightness through much of his start today. That's what the mound visit was about in the sixth and that's also why he didn't come back out for the seventh," Landry reported.
deGrom was indeed terrific while on the mound despite battling groin tightness throughout the outing. The veteran right-hander struck out 12 Mariners through six innings while allowing no runs and only one hit. Disaster struck following deGrom's departure from the contest, as Jakob Junis allowed four runs. The Rangers were defeated 4-3, a loss that dealt a blow to a team that is competing for a postseason spot.
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#landry

So often pitchers' duels don't really stand up to the hype, but today's matchup between two former Stetson Hatters – the Mariners' Logan Gilbert and the Rangers' Jacob deGrom – delivered on all that promise and then some. The two pitchers combined for 23 strikeouts, and deGrom carried a perfect game through five innings. In true pitching duel style, it looked like the pitcher who blinked first would come out on the short end, but despite Logan Gilbert making a couple of mistakes, his offense was able to pick him up and deliver him the win. Bragging rights are fun; wins are better. (Gilbert also gets the honor of leading MLB in whiffs today: 24 to deGrom's 20, despite having one fewer strikeout than deGrom.)
This all being said, it was a slog for the Mariners early on. The best at-bat the first time through the order for the Mariners went to – surprise, surprise – Cal Raleigh, who battled deGrom for nine pitches before striking out on deGrom's fastest fastball of the day, a 99.6 mph heater (my campaign for decimal points on the ribbon board in the stadium, which read 100, continues unabated). But the Mariners did fight deGrom, getting themselves into good counts and forcing him into the zone; he finished the second inning at 37 pitches, compared to Gilbert's 24.
But it only took two pitches to offset that work in the third. Nicky Lopez was able to take 96 up and in from Gilbert and find a hole on the infield, and one batter later, with two outs, Joc Pederson jumped a first-pitch slider for a two-run homer. It wasn't a terrible pitch from Gilbert, away from Pederson but probably still too much on the plate; Gilbert had struck Pederson out on the slider in his first at-bat. The slider was particularly nasty today, with an eye-popping 75% whiff rate. He led with the pitch, throwing it 40 times, 12 times to start off an at-bat, which feels like a different sequence than he's used. Gilbert credits Cal for coming up with a good game plan, especially after he felt like he fell into some predictable patterns in his last time out against the A's.
"Like with Joc, we got him with the slider early, so he probably thought we were going to it next time," explained Gilbert. "But then also other guys, we went heavy spin, like with Duran, and then next time went three or four straight fastballs. So I think we did a good job there. They're trying to look at how we're probably scouting them, and then next time through, maybe pitch them different. I think Cal did a good job there."
But deGrom was just as tough on the other side. After striking out eight times in the first three innings, the Mariners hitters decided to try a different strategy the second time through the order. That also didn't work, as they let deGrom cruise through the fourth on nine pitches, keeping his perfect game intact.

#degrom #like #pitch

Mariners rumors: Seattle starter may be traded after disappointing campaign appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Logan Gilbert has surfaced as a potential Seattle Mariners trade candidate this offseason as a disappointing 2026 campaign nears its end, barring a remarkable late-season playoff push.
Gilbert is approaching his final year of arbitration and remains scheduled to reach free agency after the 2027 season. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand included Gilbert among 11 intriguing offseason trade candidates Thursday, pointing to his contract situation, the Mariners' pitching depth, and the absence of a long-term extension as reasons the club may consider moving him.
"Could this be the offseason that the Mariners finally trade one of their starting pitchers? George Kirby might also be a candidate, but Gilbert is now only one year away from free agency and doesn't appear to be heading toward an extension with Seattle. Gilbert's 3.71 ERA in 28 starts is his highest since 2023, but he remains a rock in the rotation, ranking seventh in the AL with 165 innings pitched. Gilbert earned $10.9 million this season and will surely earn a raise in his fourth and final year of arbitration, making him a logical option if the Mariners want to trade from their pitching depth, which includes Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan – two of MLB Pipeline's Top 10 overall prospects."
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#Seattle #offseason

We'll keep track of every time a Dodgers player is optioned to the minor leagues during the 2026 season.
Details on these transactions can also be found on our 40-man roster tracker, but here we will chronicle every specific time a player gets sent down, relative to the limits set by MLB.
Major League rule 7(d) states that a player cannot be optioned to the minors more than five times during a single season. If a player who has been optioned five times is called back to the majors, they cannot be sent back down to the minors without being placed on waivers first.
For purposes of this rule, only options after opening day count. So anyone sent down during spring training won't have that count against the limit of five.
In 2025, as one example, reliever Will Klein was optioned to the minors five times during the regular season, first with the Seattle Mariners and then with the Dodgers.

#five #times

There is a solid list of two-start options for a second straight week, as there are three pitchers who can be started in most leagues and a couple others who will make sense for managers who have some room to risk their ratios.
On the hitting side, managers will struggle to find streamers during the next four days, as most teams play three games and there is a lack of obvious matchup advantages. The Pirates and Phillies may be the best source of help.
Jacob Lopez, Athletics, 42% (vs. TOR, vs. SEA): Lopez limits quality contact as well as any player in baseball, which has enabled him to log a 2.36 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in the second half. He has worked at his hitter-friendly home park in five of nine starts over that stretch, allowing no more than two runs in each of those outings. Lopez is a great bet to stay hot this week, when he faces the Blue Jays and Mariners, who rank 27th and 30th respectively in runs scored.
Andrew Painter, Phillies, 33% (vs. HOU, @ ATL): We may have finally found a sustainable version of Painter. The former top prospect with a reworked **** nal has logged a 3.12 ERA and 0.89 WHIP across his past seven starts and has tallied at least six strikeouts in five of those outings. The right-hander can provide a double-digit whiff total for those who are starting the fantasy playoffs, and his matchups are only slightly harder than average, as the Astros and Braves rank 10th and 12th respectively in OPS versus righties.
Hayden Wesneski, Astros, 33% (@ PHI, @ TB): Wesneski has fared well in seven starts since returning from May 2025 Tommy John surgery (3.18 ERA, 3.32 FIP, 1.06 WHIP), and he has looked especially good while allowing one run over 17 innings in his past three starts. The right-hander is set to face two above-average offenses next week (Phillies, Rays), which slots him behind Lopez among the recommended options. But at this time of year, managers may opt to go with someone who has been pitching well over someone who has questionable skills and favorable matchups.

#whip #starts

The Boston Red Sox made a late-season roster move Sunday, calling up utility player Nate Eaton rather than top prospect Kristian Campbell.
Interim manager Chad Tracy explained the decision, noting that Eaton is simply the better option in the outfield right now. Eaton has appeared in 14 games with Boston this season, posting a .125 batting average with one home run, five RBIs and two stolen bases across 32 at-bats.
MORE: Red Sox manager provides Ceddanne Rafaela update after loss to Mariners
His value is not in his bat but in his glove, as he has shown the ability to play third base, center field, right field, shortstop, left field, designated hitter and second base at the big-league level.
Campbell, 24, remains at Triple-A Worcester, where the Red Sox want him getting consistent at-bats rather than sitting on a bench in a limited role.

#season

The Athletics played spoiler with a 7-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners in a nearly three-and-a-half-hour series opener. The A's pitching staff overcame eight walks with 18 strikeouts, while the offense scored early and late in the team's 55th victory of the season.
The A's took the lead immediately against Mariners starter Kade Anderson. The second batter of the game, left fielder Zack Gelof, hit his 16th home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center field, putting the A's up 1-0 before the Mariners came to bat.
The Mariners answered right back. A's starter Jack Perkins walked Seattle's leadoff hitter Randy Arozarena, who proceeded to score on Julio Rodríguez's RBI single. The next batter, Cal Raleigh, hit an RBI single, putting the Mariners up 2-1. With two outs, Lazaro Montes hit an RBI single, bringing home the Mariners' third run of the first inning.
Seattle sent all nine batters to the plate in the first inning, forcing Perkins to throw 40 pitches to complete one frame. The inning could have been worse had A's catcher Brian Serven not made a smart play to record the third out at home after a wild pitch.
Seeking a response of their own, the A's first three batters reached in the bottom of the second, setting up a bases-loaded no-out opportunity.

#first

September 1-2 Mariners: Julio Rodríguez, +0.14 WPA
September 3 Mariners: Kade Anderson, -0.27 WPA

#september #julio #rodr #kade

PORT HURON — Here are the high school football results from Thursday, Sept. 3, in the Blue Water Area.
Algonac (2-0) entertains Madison Heights Madison at 7 p.m. on Sept. 11.
Luke Muscat ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns to lead Marine City (2-0). Jaben Holden added 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Jacob Loper totaled nine tackles (four solo) and one sack.
The Mariners travel to Clinton Township Clintondale at 7 p.m. on Sept. 11.
RAIDERS ROLL: Almont blanks Armada, extends BWAC winning streak to 25

#yards #port

3 reasons why Mariners are likely to fire Dan Wilson after 2026 season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There are plenty of teams that have been major disappointments during the 2026 MLB season. The New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Cincinnati Reds are just a few. The Seattle Mariners might be the biggest disappointment.
While the Mets and Blue Jays stand out as huge disappointments, the Mariners have a real case as the biggest disappointment this year. In a wide-open American League and a weak AL West, the Mariners have failed to capitalize on a great opportunity.
With the 2026 season almost over, and the Mariners looking likely to miss the postseason, Dan Wilson's job is very much on the line. Andy McCullough of The Athletic revealed three reasons why Wilson will be fired by the end of the year.
"The Mariners do not play a particularly crisp brand of baseball," McCullough writes. "Nearly a quarter of their at-bats end in strikeouts. They rank 27th in FanGraphs' metric measuring base-running value and 30th in defensive value."

#Mariners #sporting #likely

How to Watch Red Sox vs. Orioles Tonight: Channel, Live Stream & Start Time for Thursday MLB Game originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Red Sox will look to get back on the winning track when they face the Orioles on Thursday night.
Boston lost three of its four games against the Yankees at the end of August, then fell to the Mariners in two out of the three matchups at Fenway Park earlier this week. Seattle rolled to an 8-3 win on Wednesday, scoring four runs in both the third and sixth innings.
The Red Sox will send left-hander Jake Bennett to the mound for the first game of the AL East series. Brandon Young is expected to start for the Orioles.
Here is everything you need to know about Red Sox vs. Orioles, including TV and streaming options for the game.

#game #thursday #nesn #here

Red Sox Receive Encouraging Ceddanne Rafaela Update After Early Exit originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox did not have many reasons to feel good after Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners, but the initial news on Ceddanne Rafaela appears encouraging. Rafaela was removed after the sixth inning because of quad tightness. Interim manager Chad Tracy indicated the move was precautionary, especially with the Red Sox trailing 8-1 at the time.
"Ceddanne Rafaela exited today with quad tightness," The Boston Globe's Tim Healey reported after speaking with Tracy. "He tried to keep playing, but in a blowout, the Red Sox decided it wasn't worth it."
Rafaela finished 1-for-3 before Eli White replaced him in center field. The fact that Rafaela attempted to remain in the game suggests Boston is not immediately anticipating an extended absence. He should still be considered day to day entering Thursday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles.
Boston has already been forced to navigate several physical issues during a critical portion of its schedule. Willson Contreras recently landed on the injured list with a hamstring injury. Adley Rutschman has been dealing with a hyperextended right elbow, while Garrett Crochet is still working toward a return from his lat and shoulder issue.

#ceddanne #tracy #tightness #receive

The Boston Red Sox lost Wednesday's series finale against the Seattle Mariners at home by a final score of 8-3. Even with the series loss, Boston remains in position to earn a spot in the American League wild card race for the second consecutive season.
The priority moving forward will be not only securing their spot but also getting as close to full strength as possible before October arrives. That means keeping all their core players healthy, including center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela.
MORE: Red Sox forced to replace Willson Contreras after Yankees series
Rafaela departed Wednesday's game in the top of the seventh inning with backup outfielder Eli White entering in his place in center field. After the game, interim manager Chad Tracy provided the reasoning behind his exit.
Tracy revealed that Rafaela is dealing with quad tightness and with the game out of reach he decided the smart move was to not push it and remove him from the contes, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

#series #spot #Seattle

Red Sox Place Enormous Pressure On Patrick Sandoval In Series Finale originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox do not need Patrick Sandoval to be perfect Wednesday afternoon. They desperately need him to prevent the game from being decided before the middle innings.
Boston will send Sandoval to the mound for its series finale against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park after rookie Jedixson Paez allowed eight earned runs in Tuesday's 9-6 loss.
The defeat required the bullpen to cover 5 1/3 innings. It also dropped the Red Sox to 75-64, four games behind the New York Yankees for the top American League wild-card position.
Sandoval enters the start with a 1-3 record, 4.20 ERA, 48 strikeouts and a 1.71 WHIP.

#sandoval #patrick #nesn #enormous

Ten major-league teams scored fewer runs than the Houston Astros in the month of August. Two are the teams just behind them in the American League West, helping explain how the Astros ended the month with a two-game division lead.
September began with a reminder that their standing remains tenuous. The Chicago White Sox handed them a 5-1 loss Tuesday, in which their lineup struck three hits and their starter turned in another short performance, paring their advantage atop the division.
With the Rangers and Mariners both winning Tuesday, the Astros ended the night with a one-game lead over Texas and a five-game edge on Seattle. Five more games remain against the White Sox and Arizona before a trying 13-day stretch gives way to a breather.
Their offense looked listless Tuesday. Chicago starter Sean Burke allowed one hit while working into the sixth inning at Daikin Park. Isaac Paredes' eighth-inning home run on a fly ball into the Crawford Boxes delivered the offense's only damage.
Jordan Hicks, the right-hander who surrendered it, walked his next two batters, gift-wrapping a possible rally. It fizzled as Christian Walker swung through a 99.9 mph fastball to end the inning. Houston hitters drew six walks but struck out 12 times. Taylor Trammell had two of the team's three hits.

#game #houston #Chicago #white

Mantua, Cuba, is a small fishing village on the northwestern coast of the island; legend says it was founded by shipwrecked Italian sailors in the early 1600s. Los Arroyos, the neighborhood where Randy Arozarena grew up, is a tiny tip of the island, about as close to Cancún as it is to the capital Havana, where Lazaro Montes was born. Maybe their respective hometowns account for their personality differences: Randy is quieter, more removed, shying away from media appearances, while Laz is as big and boisterous as the bustling capital city itself, eager to try out his English with whoever wants to talk. Making his big-league debut tonight, "Big Laz" had an appropriately splashy welcome to the big leagues that will guarantee his megawatt smile will light up highlight reels tonight both in Seattle and beyond, accounting for two of the Mariners' nine runs tonight. But Randy Arozarena also continued doing what he's done all season, leading the team offensively and providing an early separating blow that helped the Mariners outlast the Red Sox in a grueling 9-6 win at Fenway.
The Mariners got on the board right away when Dominic Canzone absolutely obliterated this hanging changeup from Red Sox starter Jedixson Paez:
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Unfortunately, the Red Sox took that run right back with a blast of their own, a four-seamer from Bryan Woo that didn't quite get top rail enough that Mickey Gasper hammered for a matching blow.
But the Mariners offense picked up their starter in the top of the second, pouncing on Paez for five runs of both the small and large ball variety. Josh Naylor got things going with a leadoff double, followed by a line-drive single from Cole Young – not super hard hit, but any contact in the air is good from young Cole, who's been really struggling lately with pounding the ball into the ground. That brought up Lazaro Montes for his very first big-league at-bat in an RBI situation. Facing a flagging pitcher on a bullpen day, Montes took a studied, disciplined at-bat, getting ahead 2-0, whiffing at a changeup on the plate, and then declining to chase two more changeups to earn his way on base. J.P. Crawford put the Mariners ahead on a sacrifice fly, and then Brock Rodden checked in with an infield hit of his own, hustling down the line to allow Cole Young to score. That also turned the lineup over for Randy Arozarena, who continued his audition to Get Real Paid by the Red Sox next season by crushing a sinker middle-middle that would have wound up on Lansdowne Street if not for an inconveniently located billboard.

#Mariners #randy #paez

You wouldn't know it from these last 36 hours, but the Mariners actually rank dead last in all of baseball in runs scored this season. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, bad MLB hitting can still erupt against bad MLB pitching, and that's what happened in Boston's 9-6 loss to Seattle.
Without showing their lines, here's the list of pitchers who took the mound for the Red Sox:
Jedixson Paez
Wyatt Olds
Alec Gamboa

#without #alec

Red Sox Rally Comes Too Late After Rookie Starter's Nightmare Outing originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox nearly found another miracle against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night. This time, the hole was simply too deep. Boston scored four runs in the ninth inning and brought the tying run to the plate, but its comeback attempt ended with a 9-6 loss at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox collected 11 hits and received home runs from Mickey Gasper and Jahmai Jones. However, rookie starter Jedixson Paez allowed eight runs over 3 2/3 innings, leaving Boston to spend nearly the entire night chasing Seattle.
The loss dropped the Red Sox to 75-64 and evened the three-game series at one victory apiece.
Dominic Canzone opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning. Gasper immediately answered with a 404-foot solo shot in the bottom half, continuing his impressive production since returning from Triple-A Worcester.

#Seattle #gasper

Mariners 9, Red Sox 6
This game: Randy Arozarena, .12 WPA
All the other games we've watched this season: Carlos Vargas and Julio Rodríguez, -.02 WPA each
Game thread comment of the day:
Speaking of game threads: we have an app now! (Search "SB Nation" on your app platform of choice) And I think it makes it so much easier to participate in game threads! If you downloaded it and used it please leave some feedback in the comments here that I can pass along to my bosses.

#randy #arozarena #vargas #julio

Red Sox Place Valuable Reliever On Injured List, Recall Rookie Right-Hander originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox bullpen took another hit Tuesday, and the timing could hardly be worse.
Boston placed right-handed reliever Tyron Guerrero on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. The club recalled right-hander Wyatt Olds from Triple-A Worcester to fill Guerrero's spot on the active roster.
The Red Sox announced the moves before Tuesday night's game against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park.
Guerrero has been one of Boston's most dependable relievers this season. The 35-year-old owns a 3.26 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 36 strikeouts over 38 2/3 innings. He has appeared in 38 games, posting a 1-2 record.

#boston #injured #list

Trevor Story's Blunt Message After Dramatic Red Sox Return Silences Rehab Concerns originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Trevor Story did not need much time to remind the Boston Red Sox what they had been missing. Playing in just his second Major League game since undergoing sports hernia surgery in May, Story delivered two critical hits and drove in three runs during Boston's thrilling 9-8 victory over the Seattle Mariners in 10 innings Monday night at Fenway Park.
His biggest swing came with the bases loaded, two outs and the score tied in the bottom of the 10th. Story worked the count full before driving a sinker from Cooper Criswell off the wall in left-center field, allowing Eli White to score the winning run. Story tossed his bat aside, removed his helmet and disappeared into a celebration with teammates near second base.
For a player who spent more than three months watching the Red Sox from a distance, the moment carried additional significance.
"It means a lot," Story said. "We've been watching from afar for a while, just supporting the boys and just thinking about the times that we can get back on the field and contribute."

#trevor #nesn #second #message

Following a 9-8, 10-inning win for Boston in the opener last night, the Mariners (64-74) and the Red Sox (75-63) continue their three-game series tonight at Fenway.
Seattle appeared poised to steal the opener after battling back and generating offense throughout the night. The Mariners totaled 11 hits receiving contributions up and down the lineup. The Sox got one more hit and ultimately, one more run. They forced extra innings with two runs in the eighth on a Trevor Story double and one in the ninth on a sac fly from Ceddanne Rafaela before Story again picked up a big hit in the tenth, a single to center, driving in Eli White to win it for the Red Sox. Aroldis Chapman picked up the win. Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh went yard for the Mariners, but it was not enough.
Seattle closed the month of August with five straight losses and now sit six games behind the Astros in the AL West and 5.5 games behind the Guardians for the final Wild Card spot. The Red Sox snapped a brief two-game losing streak with the win to pull within three games of the Yankees and the top Wild Card spot in the American League.
Seattle looks to snap the skid with right-hander Bryan Woo (9-9, 4.36 ERA) on the ******* p. Woo's most recent outing came August 26 against Philadelphia, and it was one of his rougher starts of the year. The Phillies tagged him for six earned runs on five hits over four innings, including a pair of home runs. He struck out five but was unable to work deep into the game as Seattle lost 6-0. The righthander fared far better in his previous two starts. He allowed two runs in six innings at Houston on August 16 and threw five scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium on August 11. The Red Sox have yet to announce their starter for tonight. It was Sonny Gray's (16-4, 2.79 ERA) turn to take the ball but Boston earlier announced they planned to give him an extra day of rest.
Lets dive further into today's game and find a sweat or two.

#games #boston #story

The Houston Astros got key hits from Nelson Velázquez and Cam Smith to start strong on a tough stretch of games that could decide their fate in the American League West.
The Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3 Monday night at Daikin Park in the first of 13 straight games against potential playoff teams with National League wild-card contenders Arizona Diamondbacks coming to town after the White Sox (72-65), who lead the AL Central, followed by a road trip to play likely NL wild-card team Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays, who have the best record in the American League.
The win pushed the Astros' record against opponents who are .500 or better to a Major League-best 26-14 (.650). They maintained their two-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West and increased the lead over the Seattle Mariners, the defending division champions, to six games. Houston also climbed within 2 ½ games of the White Sox for the second seed in the postseason, which comes with a bye past the wild-card round.
The Astros (70-68) trailed 2-1 with two outs and **** ody on in the bottom of the fourth inning. After Smith sparked something with a triple, Velázquez delivered his first hit since the Astros claimed him off waivers three weeks ago, a two-run homer that banged off the barrier just below the train tracks in left field.
Smith helped add to the lead in the following inning. After singles by Christian Vázquez, Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes loaded the bases, Christian Walker brought home a run with a walk to make it 4-2 Astros. The White Sox opted to pull starter Anthony Kay after he struck out Daulton Varsho so righty Trevor Richards could face Smith. It didn't work. Smith ripped a 2-2 changeup down the left-field line for a two-run double and a 6-2 lead.

#astros #games

Payton Tolle is one of the best stories of the 2026 season. A thoughtful prospect writer brought him to my attention early last year, knowing my affinity for a good four-seamer, a thick 'stache and a mien that would be equally at home on a small fishing boat off the coast of Bangor in 1890 as he is on a pitching mound. Tolle wears his emotions openly across his face and through his body; the joy, the devastation, the playfulness. To be pitching at the level that he is requires skill and effort, but part of Tolle's charm is the authenticity woven within all that baseball work. Maybe this won't resonate to anyone else, but there are a lot of guys who present as baseball players first and humans as a secondary classification. Tolle is distinctly a human playing baseball, and it's one of the highest compliments I can pay (see also: Gutierrez, Franklin or Wilhelmsen, Tom, among others).
It came as little surprise, then, when Tolle cited the Turnpike Troubadors as one of his favorite musical acts. There's the Oklahoma connection, of course, with both hailing from the Sooner State, but that same authenticity runs through every song Turnpike performs. And that's courtesy of Evan Felker, the band's lead singer and one of the finest songwriters of the generation.
No one here needs to read any more about the Seattle Mariners today. Honestly, we're all probably good for the rest of the year on consumption of Mariners content, but regardless of their record this is still a community, and community means continuing showing up for one another. In gratitude for you all, I offer a selection of some of my favorite Turnpike Troubadors lyrics and songs. I hope that in the ragged place baseball usually occupies, maybe they'll prompt that thrum of recognition in your chest that only good art can inspire.
"Come back from the dark somehow
Finally living in the here and now
No sign of a thundercloud following you
Don't take it personal, the world don't turn around you
Hold on to the moment like it's heaven passing through" – Heaven Passing Through
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#good #troubadors

BOSTON (AP) — Trevor Story drove in the winning run with a bases-loaded single in the 10th inning after Seattle walked the two batters before him intentionally, lifting the Boston Red Sox to a 9-8 comeback victory over the Mariners on Monday night.
Jarren Duran hit a two-run homer and Mickey Gasper a solo shot for the Red Sox, who were coming off a rough weekend when they dropped three of four to the Yankees.
Randy Arozarena had four hits, including a homer over the Green Monster, drove in four runs and scored three times for the Mariners, who have lost five straight. Cal Raleigh also got his 20th homer of the season.
Aroldis Chapman (3-4) worked a scoreless 10th.
Nick Sogard sacrificed, then the Mariners walked the next two batters, before Story lined a 3-2 pitch from Cooper Criswell (2-2) into the left-center gap.

#four #boston

Tonight's game at Fenway Park was capital-B Baseball. Yesterday the Red Sox lost 16-1 to the Yankees in ways that were humiliating in line wit what losing to the Yankees naturally implies, especially around Labor Day. Just over a day later, they won as good a regular season game as you'll ever seen. It was a 9-8 extra innings walk-off after several comebacks against the Mariners generally but specifically Randy Arozarena, who had a Randy Arozarena Game, and overtook all of Boston's leads but the last one. The last one came on a Trevor Story single in the bottom of the 10th to end it. Before that, they played the hits: Mickey Gasper went deep again, because of course. Jarren Duran did too, because why not? Payton Tolle hugged a dude!
And yet all these feats were repeatedly and rudely refuted by the M's, not just Randy but Cal Raleigh, whose sleeves are too short and seemed to have put it out of reach at 8-5 in the 7th:
But no. The Sox would and could not be denied. Story didn't just have the hit to end it, he had the critical slap in the 8th to bring it within a run. After Aroldis did his thing in the top of the ninth (scare the ******* out of us while being objectively impressive but [redacted]) Roman Anthony came out and hit a leadoff triple and scored on a sac to left to tie it. Once the Sox dispatched the top of the 10th and came back up, they moved the fake runner to 3d and the M's walked 'em loaded and went to a 3-1 count before this happened:
"Nine-eight in 10." That's great stuff, Obie. I can't lie.

#went

First Pitch (CT): 6:40 PM
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App
Know Yo' Foe: Bless You Boys
The Twins' postseason hopes aren't dead yet, but a disastrous 8-17 August has put them firmly as a long shot. They are only four games out of a playoff spot, but teams like the Guardians, Blue Jays, and Orioles are trending in the right direction while the Twins and Mariners fade out of the picture.
At this point, the Twins need to pivot to 2027 evaluation mode and if a few bonus wins come, all the better. Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper should be in the lineup nearly every day from here on out, Gabriel Gonzalez should see every possible PA against lefties, and Emmanuel Rodriguez and Alan Roden likely need to start taking playing time away from Trevor Larnach and Josh Bell when rosters expand tomorrow.
Part of the issue recent Twins teams have run into is simply not knowing whether certain young players are truly ready to take on a bigger role, and they can't afford that heading into 2027 on a team in need of upgrades in both the lineup and pitching staff.
Speaking of pitching, after 2027, Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, Dean Kremer, and Bailey Ober are all free agents. Connor Prielipp and Zebby Matthews have shown flashes of brilliance this season, while Mick Abel and Kendry Rojas will be back from injury with nothing left to prove in AAA, to say nothing of pitching prospects like Riley Quick, Ryan Gallagher, and Adrian Bohorquez who will likely be ready at different points next season. Jeremy Zoll and Co. will need to sort through who of that group is worth keeping, who should be traded, who could thrive in the bullpen, and who (looking at you, Ober) maybe shouldn't be tendered a contract at all.

#twins #ober