CLEVELAND — A pivotal ALCS Game 5 that looked on paper like a premium pitchers' duel dissolved into something much different on Sunday, as the Tampa Bay Rays took down the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 at Progressive Field to move within one win of a World Series berth. While the final score suggests a closely contested ballgame, the tale of the two starting pitchers tells otherwise.
When the AL Cy Young Award is announced next month, it's a safe bet that Yankees ace Cam Schlittler will take home the honor. Toronto's Dylan Cease appears to be the likeliest runner-up. Beyond that, both Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen and Guardians rookie lefty Parker Messick have a strong case to be the third finalist, based on their fantastic regular seasons. Rasmussen ranked third in fWAR (5.0) and fourth in ERA (2.67) behind Schlittler and Cease; Messick ranked fourth in fWAR (4.9) and third in ERA (2.56).
These were the starting pitchers for Game 5 on Sunday. Rasmussen had tossed six innings of two-run ball in Game 1 — but in a Rays loss. Messick covered five innings and allowed three runs in Game 2 — but in a Guardians loss. With the series tied at two games apiece, Sunday's contest gave each frontline arm the tantalizing chance to push his club closer to the American League pennant.
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For neutral observers hoping for maximum October drama, the blueprint for a best-case clash could be found in July, when Rasmussen and Messick traded blows in a 1-0 Rays victory at Tropicana Field. In that one, Messick allowed the lone run across 7 ⅔ innings while Rasmussen yielded just one hit across seven shutout frames. If a similar game were on tap Sunday — this time with supremely elevated stakes — that would mean a timely hit or two would be required to seize a narrow victory. But such visions of a repeat nailbiter enforced by these elite starters were quashed in a hurry.

#messick #rays #Guardians

The Diamondbacks selected the contract of first baseman Pavin Smith from Triple-A Reno, bringing back the longtime lefty bat a couple of months after his struggles in the majors led to him being designated for ****** ignment.
To make room, the Diamondbacks optioned catcher Adrian Del Castillo.
Smith went a miserable 11 for 78 (.141) with one homer in 28 games before the Diamondbacks moved on from him in July. Smith cleared waivers and was outrighted to Reno, where he hit .287/.423/.504 in 39 games. He was even better in recent weeks, going 15 for 47 (.319) with four homers and a 1.109 OPS over his past 13 games.
"It's an opportunity for Pavin to go and show what he can do against some right-handed pitching," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "He's been performing in Triple-A. We're just curious to see what it looks like this time around. I know the last time around it did not go well at all, but he's going to get a start here and there and it's an opportunity for him to show us where he's at and what he's picked up since he was sent back down."
Lovullo added: "The Triple-A staff felt very strongly he could come back up here and help contribute."

#triple #Opportunity

Rafael Devers' recent tear, especially when the San Francisco Giants slugger is driving ****** out to right at Oracle Park, makes it impossible not to think of Barry Bonds.
The at-bats share that don't-go-to-concessions-yet vibe. Opposing pitchers are handling Devers as carefully as they can - All-Star closer Mason Miller walked him in the ninth inning Friday - and there's a general buzz when Devers is up with men on base. Saturday, he lasered a low 1-1 sweeper from Michael King out in the first, a two-run shot in the Giants' 7-6 loss to the Padres.
San Francisco again demonstrated some mettle with a late push after Devers' grand slam the previous night cut the deficit to two and the Giants mounted a two-out rally against Miller that came up just short. Saturday, power was the key: rookie catcher Drew Cavanaugh went deep to right in the eighth, the first of his career, 50 games in. Two batters later, Drew Gilbert crushed a two-run shot to cut the deficit to one before lefty Adrian Morejon entered and struck out Devers and Bryce Eldridge.
Earlier in the day, Shay Whitcomb also went deep for San Francisco, which recorded all its runs via homers.
With 13 games remaining, Devers has 37 homers, one shy of his career high. He has a realistic shot at 40, something no Giants hitter has done since Bonds belted 45 in 2004. Devers has 98 RBIs, too, so 100 is well within reach. The last San Francisco player with 100 RBIs was Buster Posey, the man who traded for Devers last year; Posey recorded 103 RBIs in 2012.

#francisco #rbis #shot #drew

The Braves are rotating their lineup a bit to mitigate the Phillies' ability to play the matchup game. Instead of Harris batting cleanup behind Olson, Albies bats cleanup between the two as a deterrent against lefty relievers. Additionally, Mauricio Dubon replaces Mike Yastrzemski in left field.
Home cookin’ pic.twitter.com/esdWHepFee
Meanwhile, the Phillies shuffle their outfielders, facing the righty Mahle instead of the lefty Sale.
Saturday night in Atlanta#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/G0Bj5r02hy
Game Time: Saturday, September 12, 7:15 p.m. ET

#Braves

NEW YORK - Ben Rice's 3-for-4 night and key ABS challenge (reversing what would've been an inning-ending strikeout) set up Cody Bellinger's big three-run homer Friday.
But there was a lot more going on with Yankees' offense in that 6-4 win against the Mets.
With a deeper lineup since Aaron Judge's return, "it feels like there's a lot of places we can hurt you,'' said manager Aaron Boone, after a 13-hit attack that included another big night for Luis Garcia Jr.
Seamlessly fitting in to his new environment since last month's trade from Washington, Garcia's three hits raised his Yankee batting average to .314, with an .866 OPS in 33 games.
Naturally, there are some alterations to Saturday's Yankees lineup, against a lefty in Zac Thornton (3-5, 3.53), on a day game after a night game.

#since #york #cody

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

A fresh start, perhaps?
Lineups:
Kirby takes the mound tonight, hoping to be steadier than the uneven Jeffrey Springs. JP is back to leading off, and Birthday Boy Weston Wilson hits ninth. Taylor Ward is the DH tonight against the lefty Springs, and not to complain, but Arroyo would have been more fun.
Back in West Sacramento for three against the A’s. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/FcBpryS2RQ
your friday night plans ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/edUqfja3yE

#kirby

The Nats have been a chore to watch the last month and a half. We really saw that on display during an 0-6 west coast trip. Many of the games were close, but the Nats consistently found ways to lose. That is just what they have been doing lately. Hopefully that can change at home against the Angels.
With a lefty on the mound, Daylen Lile is actually out of the lineup. The outfield will be Dylan Crews, Jacob Young and James Wood. Andres Chaparro will get the DH duties, with Yohandy Morales at first base. With Nasim Nunez on the bereavement list, CJ Abrams will be at shortstop. Harry Ford will do the catching in this one. Nats ace Cade Cavalli will look to snap the losing streak.
home

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, catcher Jose Trevino was once again pitcher Jose Trevino as the Cincinnati Reds wrapped up a 14-1 drubbing at the hands of the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds managed just 6 hits in total on the night, their lone run coming off the bat of superstar Elly De La Cruz as he launched a moonshot off Yoshinobu Yamamoto to log a home run in his fifth consecutive game.
The loss sunk the Reds to the third worst run differential in the sport behind only the hilarious Colorado Rockies and homeless Athletics. Not exactly where you want to find yourself when you're supposedly on the upswing of one of Nick Krall's infamous rebuilds.
Now, the Reds head into Milwaukee to face the mighty Brewers, off whom they managed to take two of three in Great American Ball Park just last weekend. Safe to say, I expect there to be some revenge on the minds of those beermakers.
Lefty Andrew Abbott looks to turn the tide on his wayward season with the start in Friday's series opener at American Family Field that I still choose to call Miller Park. Dustin May takes the mound for the Beers, meaning this may well be Cincinnati's best chance to sock some dingers and actually take home a win in the series.
First pitch is set for 7:40 PM ET. Here's how the Reds will line up to start:

#park #take

As Justin Steele and the Chicago Cubs looked at how much time was left in the season and how much further the lefty had to go in his rehab, they came to the realization that starting was no longer an option for this season. If Steele was going to help the Cubs in the big leagues this season, it was going to have to come out of the bullpen.
"We just didn't have enough time to get built up to start," Steele said in an interview with the Des Moines Register on Sept. 10.
The Chicago Cubs ace allowed two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in two innings out of the bullpen against Toledo in a rehabilitation ****** ignment outing with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs at Principal Park on Sept. 10.
"I feel good," Steele said afterward. "Not giving up too hard of contact. I'd like my velo to be a little bit better but it's part of the process."
The process has been a long one for Steele, an All-Star for the Cubs in 2023. The southpaw, who hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2025, underwent Tommy John surgery and was originally slated to return to the mound sometime at the midway point of 2026.

#steele #season #going #leagues

After a couple of close losses, the Nats are now looking to avoid a sweep. Earlier this year, the Nationals were excellent at avoiding sweeps but that has not been the case lately. Hopefully the boys can change that in this late night showdown.
With a lefty on the mound, there are a few changes to the lineup. Andres Chaparro, Harry Ford, Nasim Nunez and Jacob Young all check in. Dylan Crews also goes from the 9 hole all the way up to the 2 spot in this contest. Andrew Alvarez is on the ****** p hoping to get more run support than he usually does.
The main attraction Shohei Ohtani is still out of the Dodgers lineup. However, the Nats will still have to deal with Freeman, Smith and Betts in the middle of the Dodgers order. With a lefty on the mound, Max Muncy is all the way down in the 8 hole. Justin Wrobleski is on the hill for the Dodgers.
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#hole

BALTIMORE (AP) — Aroldis Chapman notched his 400th career save, Eli White hit a three-run homer following an error by Gunnar Henderson and the Boston Red Sox capped a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles with a 3-1 victory Sunday.
Chapman gave up a one-out single in the ninth before striking out Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to become the ninth player in major league history to record 400 saves. The 38-year-old Chapman earned his first save in 2011 with Cincinnati went on to have 10 seasons with 30 or more, including 33 this season.
Over his lengthy career, Chapman has totaled 24 saves against Baltimore. The lefty got one Friday night that started Boston on its sweep of the sinking Orioles.
Coming off two straight shutout losses, the Orioles used successive two-out doubles by Mayo and Encarnacion-Strand to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
In the second, with two outs and a runner on, Henderson failed to make a backhand stab of a grounder to shortstop. White followed with a drive off Kyle Bradish (7-13) that cleared the left-field wall.

#baltimore #mayo #encarnacion #Career

CLEVELAND – Better late than never.
Lefty Brant Hurter, a vital piece of the Tigers' bullpen the last two seasons, was activated off the injured list Sept. 6.
"We've finally got nine relievers," manager AJ Hinch said. "We haven't had that in a while."
It was a pretty nice birthday present for Hurter, who turned 28 Sunday. He has been out since May 23 with lumbar spine inflammation. He's been healthy for several weeks but his rehab ***** ignment was extended to eight outings with Triple-A Toledo because of performance issues.
He struggled to get his velocity back over 90 mph on his sinker. But he seemed back to form in his last two outings.

#back #lefty

Zac Thornton entered today's game with a 2.93 ERA in 11 starts. It's been quite the surprising season for the rookie lefty, who has managed those impressive topline numbers despite boasting less than flashy stuff and underlying peripherals. Alas, those topline numbers look a little bit worse after today's game, as Thornton underwent his worst start as a major leaguer, and the Mets were not able to work themselves out of the hole he put them in, resulting in a 9-5 loss to the Giants.
San Francisco struck within minutes of the game's start, as Rafael Devers socked Thornton's fourth pitch of the afternoon over the right field wall for a one-out solo homer. The Mets answered back in the bottom of the second when A.J. Ewing—who has been struggling mightily in the second-half—socked a two-out, two-run homer off Giants starter Anthony Molina. That gave the Amazins a 2-1 lead, but unfortunately they would not hold it for long. Thornton surrendered a lead-off single in the third inning, followed by a two-run blast to Christian Koss to put the Giants back in front.
Thornton went on to retire his next eight batters, right up until Koss—who entered today's game with just one homer this season—came to the plate again in the top of the fifth, and he hit his second home run of the afternoon. Not to be outdone, Devers came up two batters later following a single and socked his second home run of the day. Thornton surrendered one hit—a double from Bryce Eldridge, the fourth straight two-out hit of the inning—before finally retiring the Giants, but it was now a 6-2 ballgame.
Meanwhile, the Mets's bats did little against Molina after Ewing's homer (that hit in fact remained the only one surrendered by the Giants through six innings). Both teams went to their bullpens in the sixth inning—albeit with Molina's final line looking a lot better than Thornton's ugly one (5 innings, 7 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, 6 runs). Chris Devenski was the first reliever up for the Mets, and he did his job by tossing two scoreless innings. The bats finally got something going in the bottom of the seventh, when two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Francisco Alvarez struck out swinging for the second out, but the Mets then finally got another run on the board when Brett Baty walked to bring in a run and make it 6-3. Alas, the potential tying run was stranded, as Francisco Lindor grounded out to first to end the threat.
And the Giants quickly acted to make sure the Mets would not continue to claw their way back into the game. Jefry Yan took the mound in the top of the eighth and issued a one-out walk to Eldridge, followed by a two-run homer from Osleivis Basabe. That made it 8-3, but San Francisco still wasn't quite done. Justin Hagenman pitched the ninth, and just like every non-Devenski Mets pitcher of the day, he surrendered a homer—this one a one-out solo shot for Grant McCray. That made it six dingers for the Giants, in case you weren't keeping count.

#METS #h

Cubs reportedly showed interest in Red Sox starter before Nationals trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Cubs did a pretty good job of acquiring starting pitching help at the trade deadline.
Right-hander Kevin Gausman was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays, and Clay Holmes from the New York Mets.
Before those moves, the Cubs added lefty David Peterson in a deal with the Mets.
This better positions Chicago's rotation before the postseason. However, those weren't the only three pitchers they targeted.

#Cubs #trade #source

The Los Angeles Dodgers are bringing back Blake Treinen from the injured list after battling shoulder fatigue that kept him out for a month.
In a corresponding move, the Dodgers are moving Will Klein to the 60-Day Injured List and putting lefty Eric Lauer on the IL with left elbow inflammation.
Treinen has been diligently nursing himself back to health after taking time off to stop throwing and then ramping up slowly, including rehab appearances in the minors and live batting practice.
Now, gets the chance to return in time for a possible postseason impression after a decent run during the regular season thus far.
Jun 2, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

#back

PHOENIX (AP) — Bryce Harper reached base five times, Jesús Luzardo threw 6 2/3 quality innings and the Philadelphia Phillies won their sixth straight game by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 on Tuesday night.
The surging Phillies have won 15 of their last 17 and are now just three games behind the Atlanta Braves for the NL East lead.
Harper had four singles, including one on a surprise bunt in the first inning. The nine-time All-Star also walked, scored a run and drove in another, starting September with a terrific performance after slashing .333/.496/.573 in August.
Luzardo (13-5) gave up one run on six hits and a walk while striking out six. The hard-throwing lefty has a 1.32 ERA over his lasts six starts — joining Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sanchez for arguably baseball's best starting rotation.
The Phillies never trailed, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Trea Turner hit an RBI double off the center-field wall in the first while Alec Bohm's run-scoring single made it 3-1 in the fifth.

#first #harper #phoenix

PEORIA, AZ: Lazaro Montes of the Seattle Mariners runs the bases during a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on Feb. 24, 2026. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)
The Seattle Mariners are about to place their flagging chance at a playoff spot on the bat of 21-year-old Lazaro Montes. The slugger is being called up after hitting 38 home runs in the minors in 2026, including 10 in August.
The Mariners need him to continue the power display in September in a Seattle uniform. The 6-foot-5 Cuban is expected to join the team for the start of a three-game series in Boston on Tuesday.
Whether the left-hander plays immediately at Fenway Park, which traditionally favors right-handed hitters, is for manager Dan Wilson to decide. Boston is scheduled to start left-hander Peyton Tolle in the opener, ace right-hander Sonny Gray on Wednesday and lefty Pablo Sandoval on Thursday.
Montes has struggled against left-handed pitchers in 2026, batting just .201 with six homers. He has raked right-handers for 32 homers and a .274 average.

#montes #Seattle #Mariners #hander

Longtime baseball reporter Francys Romero reported Sunday evening that Cuban OF Lazaro Montes will be called up to the Seattle Mariners, with Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reporting that the move is expected ahead of Tuesday's game in Boston, coinciding with the expansion of rosters to 28 for September call-ups. Montes is in transit to Boston but is not necessarily expected to be activated for Monday's series opener at the Red Sox.
Montes has been one of the most powerful sluggers in the minor leagues since arriving in pro ball after training in the Dominican Republic as a teenager. Progressing through the same program that produced Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, the comparisons for the ****** anic lefty have been common. They're not quite accurate, however. Montes is a huge kid, a 21 year old listed at 6'5, 210 whose frame is as massive as his smile. Like Alvarez, while he moves well for his size, his gait and foot speed are never going to reflect as plus defensively, though Montes has good baseline athleticism that helps him make many 50/50 plays despite middling range. Moreover, his arm is absolutely massive, a profile similar to an early-career Nelson Cruz. Not just that, but Montes is a high-effort player in all phases, occasionally stunning opponents with his pace and hustle.
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But that's not the main thing Lazaro Montes is all about. The reason he's been a top-100 prospect and one of the most anticipated hitting prospects in years for Seattle is gargantuan power that's seen him club 21 homers in 2024 across 542 PA at a teenager, then 32 a season ago between High-A and Double-A, and now 38 big flies in 537 PA across Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma. At every level, Montes has been a variation of highly consistent, slugging massively, walking prominently, and whiffing most of the time he's not doing one of those two options.
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#lazaro #boston #alvarez #expected

Well, they lost the first one. But they're back to try it again! The San Francisco Giants are hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second game of a doubleheader, and are hoping to split the four-game series.
It's an exciting pitching situation for the Giants, as right-hander Yunior Marte takes the mound for his MLB debut. Marte — not to be confused with the reliever of the same name, who pitched for San Francisco in 2022 — is a young prospect whom the Giants acquired a year ago in the Mike Yastrzemski trade. He is, shockingly, following in Jonah **** 's footsteps as the second player the Giants have called up directly from AA this year … after going nearly a decade without making such a move.
Marte, who turned 23 earlier this month, has a strong fastball/slider combo, with a splitter as well. He's fastball reliant, and sits mid-90s, while occasionally touching high-90s. He does a good job limiting walks, despite a slightly herky-jerky motion that isn't always conducive to consistent strike-throwing. In 13 starts with AA Richmond this year, Marte posted a 3.92 ERA and a 3.97 FIP, with 72 strikeouts and 22 walks in 64.1 innings. He started the year with High-A Eugene, where he had a 3.74 ERA and a 4.11 FIP in nine games, with 41 strikeouts and 19 walks in 43.1 innings. He was not on the 40-man roster (though he would have been a Rule 5 decision this winter), so the Giants made a spot for him by moving Casey Schmitt to the 60-Day IL. The Giants made **** e on the active roster by optioning lefty Seth Lonsway, who made his MLB debut in the first game of the doubleheader.
For Arizona, it's lefty Mitch Bratt, who is also a 23-year old lefty. Bratt, who was a fifth-round pick in 2021, has made nine appearances in his debut season, and is 1-2 with a 4.54 ERA, a 5.28 FIP, and 28 strikeouts against 25 walks in 39.2 innings. After a pair of great starts to open the month, Bratt has given up three runs in three innings in each of his last two games.
Enjoy the baseball, everyone!

#walks #made #game #strikeouts

NEW YORK - Shut down by rookie lefty starter Jake Bennett and three Red Sox's relievers in a 6-0 opening Boston win Saturday, the Yankees must - in manager Aaron Boone's words - "turn the page in a hurry.''
In the nightcap of a day-night doubleheader, the Yankees have activated veteran lefty Max Fried (elbow bone bruise) off the injured list.
Fried hasn't pitched an MLB game since Aug. 13, and he's likely limited to about 65 pitches against the Red Sox, who will open with Alec Gamboa - one of five lefties in the Boston bullpen.
To make room for Fried on the active roster, the Yanks designated righty reliever Justin Topa for ******* ignment. Topa tossed a scoreless relief inning in Saturday's opener.
Also on Saturday, the Yankees signed lefty-hitting outfielder Jarred Kelenic and ******* igned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

#yankees #fried #boston

For those who stayed up well into Saturday morning to watch the opener of this Orioles-Athletics series, well, I wouldn't exactly say you witnessed an instant classic. There was a whole lot of silly baseball going on. Baserunning blunders. Defensive butchery. Inexplicable managerial decisions. The Orioles couldn't score more than two runs in regulation against the league's worst pitching staff, and let a late lead slip away.
But in the end, Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand saved the Orioles' bacon with back-to-back RBI singles in the top of the 10th, and Alex Hoppe hung on in the bottom half for his first career save, bringing a happy ending to an often bewildering game. To quote Camden Chat commenter Knightley: "This game was so stupid, but at least we won."
If you were expecting the Orioles to storm into Sacramento and easily put away the third-worst team in baseball, well, you don't know the Orioles. Every game seems to be a struggle for the Birds, no matter the quality of the opponent. You might think that the O's, after scoring 26 runs in three games in St. Louis, could at least keep up their offensive momentum against an awful Athletics pitching staff, whose 5.75 ERA entering the game was the worst in the American League. Again, you'd be wrong.
In the first nine innings against these supposedly atrocious A's pitchers, the Orioles scored two (2) runs. That's it. Both came in a weird top of the second inning against Athletics starter Jacob Lopez. The lefty's first pitch drilled Coby Mayo in the shoulder, and later he walked Leody Taveras on four pitches. With two down, Dylan Beavers — starting against a lefty for only the fifth time this year — delivered a clutch hit, roping an RBI single to right to plate Mayo with the game's first run.
Then things went haywire. Carlos Narváez tapped a 43-mph dribbler down the first base line. It should have been a simple task for Lopez to simply pick the ball up and tag out Narváez on his way to first, but somehow the A's hurler let the ball pop out of his glove, then collided with Narváez in the baseline, leading to visits from both team's trainers (both players stayed in). Taveras scored on the error, extending the O's lead to 2-0.

#athletics #coby

NEW YORK - Cam Schlittler likes the big stage, and don't the Red Sox know it.
Eleven months ago, Schlittler entered pinstriped lore by blanking Boston over eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts, advancing the Yankees to the AL Division Series in a wild card elimination game.
On Friday night, Schlittler (11-6, 2.16 ERA) gets the ball to open an important, four-game series at Yankee Stadium against the rival Red Sox, the team he grew up rooting for in Walpole, Mass.
He'll be opposed by Patrick Sandoval (1-2, 4.54), as the Yankees are due to face a spate of lefties after a long run against right-handed starters.
It'll be interesting to see how Yanks manager Aaron Boone plays it this weekend, with a hot-hitting lefty in Luis Garcia Jr., and with lefty-hitting second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. lately picking up steam.

#schlittler #series #game #lefty

The Detroit Tigers are set for their most-anticipated series of the regular season.
The Tigers (62-71) are facing the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers (80-54) on Friday, Aug. 28, at Comerica Park in Detroit (6:40 p.m. ET, DSN). This is the first game of a star-studded, three-game weekend series that should bring a packed house each day to the park.
First up for the Tigers is former lefty ace Tarik Skubal (8-7, 2.91 ERA), who is starting for the Dodgers on Friday night. The Tigers traded Skubal to the Dodgers on Aug. 1 in exchange for three prospects, with Skubal now set to pitch his first game at Comerica Park as a visitor.
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The Tigers, meanwhile, will tab swingman Drew Anderson (4-5, 4.09 ERA) for his seventh start of the season. Anderson last pitched on Aug. 22 in a 3-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals, allowing three earned runs over five innings.

#first #three #detroit

The Detroit Tigers are set for their most-anticipated series of the regular season.
The Tigers (62-71) are facing the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers (80-54) on Friday, Aug. 28, at Comerica Park in Detroit (6:40 p.m. ET, DSN). This is the first game of a star-studded, three-game weekend series that should bring a packed house each day to the park.
First up for the Tigers is former lefty ace Tarik Skubal (8-7, 2.91 ERA), who is starting for the Dodgers on Friday night. The Tigers traded Skubal to the Dodgers on Aug. 1 in exchange for three prospects, with Skubal now set to pitch his first game at Comerica Park as a visitor.
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#tigers #park

GREENSBORO, N.C. — After a blowout win on Wednesday night, Hub City could not follow up against Greensboro on Thursday. The Grasshoppers (75-48, 34-23) attacked the Spartanburgers (56-67, 22-35) early en route to an 11-4 win.
Greensboro turned to lefty Reinold Navarro on the mound against Hub City's Jormy Nivar, making his High-A debut. Both starters faced the minimum in the first before finding trouble in the second.
Maxton Martin reached to kick off the frame on a dropped third strike. Quincy Scott immediately capitalized with a two-run homer the opposite way. Navarro worked around two walks later in the inning to limit the damage to two. The Grasshoppers immediately tied the game again on back-to-back home runs from Jared Jones and Tony Blanco Jr. to lead off the bottom of the second. Blanco was batting out of order when he slugged the second home run, but it came without appeal from the Spartanburgers. Jhonny Severino then struck out, a spot later than **** igned.
After a scoreless top of the third, Greensboro took its first lead. A single and hit batter started the inning. After two outs from Nivar (L, 0-1), Jones walked to load the bases. Severino came to the plate in the correct order and lined in two runs with a single to center field. Blanco followed suit with an RBI single to make it 5-2 Grasshoppers. Anthony Susac relieved Nivar and provided the final out of the third.
Hub City forced Greensboro to its 'pen with the bases full and one out in the fourth. Cesar Aquino entered and rolled a fielder's choice off the bat of Evan Morrison to bring in a run. Gleider Figuereo added another tally with an RBI single to make it 5-4.

#grasshoppers #single #second #spartanburgers

The Mets recorded just three hits in an 8-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night.
-- Sean Manaea didn't have it against the Brewers' bats, allowing four runs through the first two innings and six overall on the night over 5.2 IP. It's his first start less than six innings since July 18 and the first time he's allowed six earned runs since April 29.
Jackson Chourio had his number all night long, singling on the first pitch of the game and scoring in a two-run first inning. Then in the second inning, a poor throw to first base with two outs extended the inning for Chourio to go deep and make it 4-0.
Manaea settled down for scoreless third and fourth innings, but Chourio singled to lead off the fifth and eventually came around to score on a groundout. He let up another lead off hit in the sixth as Joey Ortiz tripled off the wall in center, and then Cooper Pratt drove him in on a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 6-2. The lefty's night ended after allowing a double, having thrown 95 pitches.
-- Meanwhile, Jacob Misiorowski retired the first seven Mets he faced (three strikeouts) before walking Christopher Morel with one away in the third inning. The muddy mound began to cause the young star to slip a bit, as manager Pat Murphy came out to tell the umpires it's becoming an issue. The righty slipped again on a fastball to Francisco Alvarez, but got the inning-ending double play.

#innings #three

I have a confession to make. This whole season, I have been waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop for Eduardo Rodriguez. I had a difficult time believing the same pitcher who had posted consecutive seasons with ERAs north of five could somehow transform himself into a legitimate Cy Young candidate. There were some legitimate reasons for that doubt too between his whiff percentage, strikeout rate, and chase rate all leave something to be desired – to say nothing of expected stats that paint an even worse picture. But at some point, you have to throw out all the other pieces of evidence and recognize that however he's doing it, Rodriguez is putting together one of the best pitching seasons in franchise history. And at a time in the season where every win is crucial, he delivered once more with an absolute gem against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. In seven innings of scoreless work, Rodriguez racked up nine strikeouts and allowed just five baserunners all game, inducing a whopping 18 swings and misses along the way.
It was a fairly dominant performance for the veteran lefty, but it wasn't all smooth sailing. In the visiting half of the sixth, Pete Crow-Armstrong, who was mostly contained in the series, stroked a leadoff double down the line and then moved over to third on Seiya Suzuki's groundout. After a shallow flyout from Alex Bregman wasn't deep enough for PCA to score, he decided to take matters into his own hands and bluffed a straight steal of home by sprinting halfway down the third base line. That move unsettled Rodriguez enough for him to shuffle off the pitching rubber before delivering to James McCann behind the plate. The entire Cubs dugout clamored for a balk call, but after a quick umpire consultation, it was declared not a balk – much to PCA's chagrin as he charged directly at the third base umpire and had to be held back by his coaches. After a few replays of the incident, I do think (as does Bob Brenly) that it probably was a balk. E-Rod clearly takes his left foot off the rubber before coming home with the ball, which would be very deceiving to a baserunner and which has always been the intent behind the balk rule. The play also highlighted the fact that every play should be reviewable as other angles show enough that the Cubs at least had an argument and when the margin is so thin, the call should be correct. It's worth watching the whole sequence for yourself to see where you fall on the decision:
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For what it's worth, Chicago starter Matthew Boyd nearly matched Rodriguez zero for zero as the veteran journeyman allowed the same number of baserunners (five) in six innings of work and continued the excellent starting pitching the Cubs had in the series. His only mistake was a hanging changeup that Jordan Lawlar just lifted over the right field fence for the only run allowed by a Cubs starting pitcher. The D-Backs added an insurance run in the eighth when consecutive leadoff singles from McCann and La

NEW YORK (AP) — Brice Turang hit a three-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the New York Mets 8-1 on Wednesday night, overcoming an injury to starter Dustin May after one pitch.
May left in the first inning with a bruised right scapula when a 106 mph line drive off the bat of leadoff hitter A.J. Ewing ricocheted off his right shoulder blade. The right-hander was replaced by lefty Robert Gasser (4-5), who earned the win by tossing 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball.
May became the first major league starter to exit after one pitch since Pablo López with the Miami Marlins on July 2, 2021.
David Hamilton, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell and Christian Yelich had RBI singles for the major league-leading Brewers (82-50), who clinched their sixth straight winning season and ninth in the last 10 years. Milwaukee finished over .500 just 15 times in the franchise's first 48 seasons.
The homer for Turang was his first since July 31. He is hitting just .188 with 10 RBIs this month.

#right #milwaukee #brewers #pitch

For the second day in a row, the San Francisco Giants have placed a starting pitched on the Injured List with a potentially devastating injury. On Tuesday, it was lefty Carson Whisenhunt, who left Monday's start with elbow discomfort and is now headed for Tommy John surgery. And on Wednesday, it was righty Adrian Houser, who left Tuesday's game with elbow discomfort and will now hope for better news than his teammate.
The Giants officially placed Houser on the 15-Day Injured List with a right forearm strain. Taking his place on the roster is right-handed reliever Braxton Roxby, who had his contract purchased from AAA Sacramento. To make ******* e on the 40-man roster for Roxby, the Giants moved Whisenhunt to the 60-Day IL.
The hope is that Houser, who is under contract for next year, has avoided a catastrophic injury. He sounded fairly optimistic after the game, which is a good sign. We'll have to wait and see.
As for Roxby, this will be his chance to make his MLB debut. The 27-year old was an undrafted free agent following the truncated 2020 draft, and came to the Giants in the Taylor Rogers trade before the 2025 season. He has just a 4.11 ERA and a 4.92 FIP with Sacramento this season, but has been pitching very well over the last month or two.
He's a four-pitch pitcher, who this year has relied fairly heavily on a slider, sinker, and cutter, with his four-seam fastball — which averages 94.6 mph — being used quite a bit less frequently than that trio. The fastball and slider have really stymied AAA hitters this year, while the cutter has been hit fairly hard and the sinker has been demolished. It will be interesting to see what pitch mix the Giants have him throw.

#Giants #list #whisenhunt