12 days ago
Potential Yankees-David Bednar reunion's importance draws honest opinions appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Yankees have several important decisions to make this offseason, but what they do with David Bednar is a major one. After bringing stability to the ninth inning, the closer has made a strong case for another season in the Bronx.
Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the 2025 trade deadline, Bednar had to navigate early velocity concerns and criticism following blown saves before becoming a central figure in New York's bullpen.
Bednar converted 35 of 39 save opportunities in 2026, finishing with a 2.47 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 69.1 innings. He also delivered in the postseason, allowing no runs in three innings. His work helped settle a role that has often been a question mark for New York.
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#york #bronx
The New York Yankees have several important decisions to make this offseason, but what they do with David Bednar is a major one. After bringing stability to the ninth inning, the closer has made a strong case for another season in the Bronx.
Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the 2025 trade deadline, Bednar had to navigate early velocity concerns and criticism following blown saves before becoming a central figure in New York's bullpen.
Bednar converted 35 of 39 save opportunities in 2026, finishing with a 2.47 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 69.1 innings. He also delivered in the postseason, allowing no runs in three innings. His work helped settle a role that has often been a question mark for New York.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)
#york #bronx
1 month ago
Hollywood superstar Ben Affleck ended up using MLB legends Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan as examples of how athletes shouldn't act on camera.
All the best sports athletes have to face the camera at some point. They do it regularly for press conferences and media appearances, but those don't involve acting. For those at the very top, though, advertisements and endorsement deals mean they do have to act a little.
Some, like NBA superstar LeBron James or the NFL's Patrick Mahomes can do it well. Others have struggled with it at times. Often, they work with the biggest Hollywood superstars on such projects. Ben Affleck is among those, and he recently used two MLB stars as examples of what not to do.
Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan are two of the greatest pitchers ever. Clemens built a 24-year career with 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and a record seven Cy Young Awards. Ryan pitched for 27 seasons, winning 324 games and setting MLB records with 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters.
They were undoubtedly great at what they did. However, they weren't so good on camera, and that's exactly what Affleck pointed out.
#affleck #clemens #examples #athletes
All the best sports athletes have to face the camera at some point. They do it regularly for press conferences and media appearances, but those don't involve acting. For those at the very top, though, advertisements and endorsement deals mean they do have to act a little.
Some, like NBA superstar LeBron James or the NFL's Patrick Mahomes can do it well. Others have struggled with it at times. Often, they work with the biggest Hollywood superstars on such projects. Ben Affleck is among those, and he recently used two MLB stars as examples of what not to do.
Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan are two of the greatest pitchers ever. Clemens built a 24-year career with 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and a record seven Cy Young Awards. Ryan pitched for 27 seasons, winning 324 games and setting MLB records with 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters.
They were undoubtedly great at what they did. However, they weren't so good on camera, and that's exactly what Affleck pointed out.
#affleck #clemens #examples #athletes
2 months ago
After an epic 11-inning win Friday night against the Phillies, the Braves were hoping to finish them off in the division race. They got a bit of a boost from the Phillies scratching Jesus Luzardo with long-running shoulder soreness.
Tyler Mahle cruised through the first two hitters before Bryce Harper hit a monster homer and took a comical amount of time rounding the bases, clearly hitting back at the controversy from Zach Wheeler's comments about Ronald Acuna's home run celebrations last week. The Phillies had to be feeling good with a 1-0 lead for a couple innings there, until the Braves essentially ended the game with 8 runs in the fourth inning. Ronald Acuna kicked things off with a towering homer (and a normal home run trot).
La Bestia mode activated 🔥#LocalFordDealer | ronaldacunajr24 pic.twitter.com/blKPAhoG0w
The Braves then got a walk, single, single, single, error, wild pitch, walk, double, and single to score another 7 runs. Drake Baldwin provided the double before things got all the way back around to Acuna for the last single, bringing home the last run of the inning.
Mahle continued to cruise after that Harper homer, finishing 7.0 innings of 1-run ball with no walks, even though he only had 7 whiffs and 3 strikeouts. The Braves added another run on in the sixth with a Ronald ABS strikeout-turned-walk, an error on an Olson ground ball, and an Ozzie sac fly. The Phillies got one back with a solo homer from Crawford in the eighth against Brent Suter. The Braves got another 3 runs against the position-player pitcher for Philly in the eighth, as Kiersey singled, Albies doubled, and Harris hit a homer off the right field foul pole. Suter finished off the Phillies in the ninth, as the Braves only needed to throw Mahle and Suter on the night. The Phillies' bullpen is in rough shape on the other side, after the 11-inning game Friday and the blowout bullpen game they suffered today.
#Phillies #home
Tyler Mahle cruised through the first two hitters before Bryce Harper hit a monster homer and took a comical amount of time rounding the bases, clearly hitting back at the controversy from Zach Wheeler's comments about Ronald Acuna's home run celebrations last week. The Phillies had to be feeling good with a 1-0 lead for a couple innings there, until the Braves essentially ended the game with 8 runs in the fourth inning. Ronald Acuna kicked things off with a towering homer (and a normal home run trot).
La Bestia mode activated 🔥#LocalFordDealer | ronaldacunajr24 pic.twitter.com/blKPAhoG0w
The Braves then got a walk, single, single, single, error, wild pitch, walk, double, and single to score another 7 runs. Drake Baldwin provided the double before things got all the way back around to Acuna for the last single, bringing home the last run of the inning.
Mahle continued to cruise after that Harper homer, finishing 7.0 innings of 1-run ball with no walks, even though he only had 7 whiffs and 3 strikeouts. The Braves added another run on in the sixth with a Ronald ABS strikeout-turned-walk, an error on an Olson ground ball, and an Ozzie sac fly. The Phillies got one back with a solo homer from Crawford in the eighth against Brent Suter. The Braves got another 3 runs against the position-player pitcher for Philly in the eighth, as Kiersey singled, Albies doubled, and Harris hit a homer off the right field foul pole. Suter finished off the Phillies in the ninth, as the Braves only needed to throw Mahle and Suter on the night. The Phillies' bullpen is in rough shape on the other side, after the 11-inning game Friday and the blowout bullpen game they suffered today.
#Phillies #home
2 months ago
New York Yankees are set to manage Aaron Judge's workload carefully, with Aaron Boone making a key decision involving the star ahead of the team's next two games.
Judge has endured a difficult season by his usual standards, batting .250 with 17 home runs, 38 RBIs and an .896 OPS in 62 games. Since returning from the injured list, he is 3-for-10 with one run, one walk and five strikeouts across three games, without a home run or RBI.
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
MLB.com reporter Bryan Hoch revealed that Judge could sit out one of the Yankees' upcoming games, with Boone considering Sunday as a potential day off before Monday's contest against the Minnesota Twins.
"Aaron Judge is DHing today. Sunday 'potentially could be' an off-day for Judge, Aaron Boone said. If not, then look for Judge to sit Monday at Minnesota."
#boone #yankees #sunday #york
Judge has endured a difficult season by his usual standards, batting .250 with 17 home runs, 38 RBIs and an .896 OPS in 62 games. Since returning from the injured list, he is 3-for-10 with one run, one walk and five strikeouts across three games, without a home run or RBI.
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
MLB.com reporter Bryan Hoch revealed that Judge could sit out one of the Yankees' upcoming games, with Boone considering Sunday as a potential day off before Monday's contest against the Minnesota Twins.
"Aaron Judge is DHing today. Sunday 'potentially could be' an off-day for Judge, Aaron Boone said. If not, then look for Judge to sit Monday at Minnesota."
#boone #yankees #sunday #york
2 months ago
The Dodgers on Friday called up phenom Josue De Paula, their top prospect, and placed Shohei Ohtani on the 15-day injured list. Those were the expected moves, and took care of the active-roster component. But to make room on the 40-man roster for De Paula, the Dodgers transferred left-hander Eric Lauer to the 60-day injured list.
Lauer had been on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation since September 2, one day after allowing seven runs in three innings in his worst start since joining the Dodgers. Moving him to the 60-day injured list means Lauer won't be eligible to pitch in the postseason. His 2026 campaign has concluded.
The 31-year-old left-hander was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays on May 17 after Lauer was designated for **** ignment by Toronto, with the Jays paying all but $600,000 of his remaining $3.1 million salary the rest of the way. The Dodgers won each of Lauer's first nine appearances with the team, a stretch in which he did not allow more than three runs in any outing.
Lauer had two blow-up starts — six runs in four innings on August 5 at Wrigley Field, September 1 at home vs. Cardinals — but mostly did everything that was asked of him, lasting at least six innings in seven of his 13 outings, including 11 starts. In all, Lauer had a 4.50 ERA and 4.48 xERA in 72 innings with the Dodgers. Combining his numbers with the Blue Jays, Lauer on the season had a 5.23 ERA and 5.03 xERA in 22 games, including 18 starts, with 72 strikeouts and 35 walks in 108 1/3 innings, with 26 home runs allowed.
Ohtani was officially placed on the injured list with right biceps inflammation, which is what manager Dave Roberts mentioned Ohtani aggravated on a swing in Monday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, the only one of an eight-game stretch in which Ohtani played.
#lauer #ohtani
Lauer had been on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation since September 2, one day after allowing seven runs in three innings in his worst start since joining the Dodgers. Moving him to the 60-day injured list means Lauer won't be eligible to pitch in the postseason. His 2026 campaign has concluded.
The 31-year-old left-hander was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays on May 17 after Lauer was designated for **** ignment by Toronto, with the Jays paying all but $600,000 of his remaining $3.1 million salary the rest of the way. The Dodgers won each of Lauer's first nine appearances with the team, a stretch in which he did not allow more than three runs in any outing.
Lauer had two blow-up starts — six runs in four innings on August 5 at Wrigley Field, September 1 at home vs. Cardinals — but mostly did everything that was asked of him, lasting at least six innings in seven of his 13 outings, including 11 starts. In all, Lauer had a 4.50 ERA and 4.48 xERA in 72 innings with the Dodgers. Combining his numbers with the Blue Jays, Lauer on the season had a 5.23 ERA and 5.03 xERA in 22 games, including 18 starts, with 72 strikeouts and 35 walks in 108 1/3 innings, with 26 home runs allowed.
Ohtani was officially placed on the injured list with right biceps inflammation, which is what manager Dave Roberts mentioned Ohtani aggravated on a swing in Monday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, the only one of an eight-game stretch in which Ohtani played.
#lauer #ohtani
2 months ago
By the end of the third inning, Friday's game against the Padres didn't seem to promise much of a contest. The tally: 7-1 in favor of the visiting San Diegans after a barrage of extra basehits and two-out knocks. A
nthony Molina, who looked somewhat sharp in the 1st with two strikeouts with his four-seam, ran out of ideas in the 2nd and 3rd. He pressed hard on that fastball and the Padres bats welcomed it. Jackson Merrill bounced an outside fastball over the wall for a ground-rule double to start the 2nd. Molina retired the next two hitters he faced but couldn't find a way out of the frame cleanly. Dustin Harris deflected another elevated fastball to score Merrill. Freddy Fermin punched another 340 feet, easily scoring Harris from first.
Molina tried to adapt, shifting off his primary weapon his second time through the San Diego order, but nothing worked. Jake Cronenworth set the tone in the 3rd with a feisty 8-pitch scuffle that ended with a 107 MPH single off a change-up. Luis Campusano plated him by punishing a hanging slider. That double would be the first of four RBI extra base knocks in the inning. Seven Padres reached, five scored in all. Molina became less as a road-block and more as a facilitator, the operator of a fast food drive-thru, the In-N-Out at Tejon Ranch, taking each hitter's order, efficiently moving the high-volume of customers from window to window before sending them on their way with exactly what they asked for.
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As Molina's fortunes plummeted, San Diego starter, Robbie Ray, making his first start against the Giants since his trade, steadied himself after a prolonged 1st inning.
#molina #fastball #merrill #knocks
nthony Molina, who looked somewhat sharp in the 1st with two strikeouts with his four-seam, ran out of ideas in the 2nd and 3rd. He pressed hard on that fastball and the Padres bats welcomed it. Jackson Merrill bounced an outside fastball over the wall for a ground-rule double to start the 2nd. Molina retired the next two hitters he faced but couldn't find a way out of the frame cleanly. Dustin Harris deflected another elevated fastball to score Merrill. Freddy Fermin punched another 340 feet, easily scoring Harris from first.
Molina tried to adapt, shifting off his primary weapon his second time through the San Diego order, but nothing worked. Jake Cronenworth set the tone in the 3rd with a feisty 8-pitch scuffle that ended with a 107 MPH single off a change-up. Luis Campusano plated him by punishing a hanging slider. That double would be the first of four RBI extra base knocks in the inning. Seven Padres reached, five scored in all. Molina became less as a road-block and more as a facilitator, the operator of a fast food drive-thru, the In-N-Out at Tejon Ranch, taking each hitter's order, efficiently moving the high-volume of customers from window to window before sending them on their way with exactly what they asked for.
View Link
As Molina's fortunes plummeted, San Diego starter, Robbie Ray, making his first start against the Giants since his trade, steadied himself after a prolonged 1st inning.
#molina #fastball #merrill #knocks
2 months ago
This may come as somewhat of a shock, but the White Sox lost again Friday night. I know, who could've seen it coming that the team that has looked like a dumpster fire since late August would once again do everything possible to lose a game.
I don't even know how to feel, but I do know I feel numb. Just another game where the White Sox gave false hope, had plenty of opportunities to grab the win, and instead tripped over their own feet and got caught with their pants around their ankles.
It's usually a great sign to get a homer on the first pitch of the game, which Chase Meidroth did later than usual thanks to a 70-minute "rain delay" to start the game. That was followed by a Randal Grichuk double, six total bases on three pitches that got fans hopeful that the team wouldn't completely choke. Unfortunately, the starting burst was followed by a weak ground out and two awful at-bats that ended in strikeouts.
Say I'm a pessimist or "not a real fan," I don't care; anybody that's been following this team lately with a pulse knew what kind of game we were in store for. It was at that time I started checking the score of the Cleveland Guardians, game knowing what was bound to happen. Like a fool who believed in the White Sox, I also believed that maybe the Guardians wouldn't pull a win out of their hat late.
As we kept our eyes on the Cleveland score, the White Sox immediately gave back a run in the first. They never like holding a lead for long, and what are the White Sox if not predictable?
#white #don 't
I don't even know how to feel, but I do know I feel numb. Just another game where the White Sox gave false hope, had plenty of opportunities to grab the win, and instead tripped over their own feet and got caught with their pants around their ankles.
It's usually a great sign to get a homer on the first pitch of the game, which Chase Meidroth did later than usual thanks to a 70-minute "rain delay" to start the game. That was followed by a Randal Grichuk double, six total bases on three pitches that got fans hopeful that the team wouldn't completely choke. Unfortunately, the starting burst was followed by a weak ground out and two awful at-bats that ended in strikeouts.
Say I'm a pessimist or "not a real fan," I don't care; anybody that's been following this team lately with a pulse knew what kind of game we were in store for. It was at that time I started checking the score of the Cleveland Guardians, game knowing what was bound to happen. Like a fool who believed in the White Sox, I also believed that maybe the Guardians wouldn't pull a win out of their hat late.
As we kept our eyes on the Cleveland score, the White Sox immediately gave back a run in the first. They never like holding a lead for long, and what are the White Sox if not predictable?
#white #don 't
2 months ago
The Braves had 'em all the way. Yep, had 'em all the way. At least, that's what we'll tell ourselves whenever a scintilla of a memory of this game pops into our brains, right? It took 12 innings, a brief blip from Chris Sale, and run-scoring scrambles in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh, another huuuuge hit from Ha-Seong Kim, and finally, a walkoff rope off the bat of Drake Baldwin, but the Braves ultimately prevailed in the opener of the final series against their division rivals.
How do you recap this game? It felt like living a few different lifetimes. I guess we'll just go sequentially, but this is a game that warrants watching the highlights.
After a 45-minute weather-related delay, things got started and Sale pretty much picked up where he left off. The top of the Philadelphia order went down on a flyout and two nasty strikeouts. Aaron Nola retired the first two Braves he faced, but then Matt Olson broke a two-week homerless slide with a slice the other way that juuust managed not to go foul and instead became his 38th longball of the year. A homer from the recently homer-shy Braves offense seemed to be an auspicious sign, but things quickly took a turn for the worse.
After the first two outs of the eighth, Edmundo Sosa caught a Sale slider and yanked it for a single. Sale then issued a rare walk to Bryan De La Cruz of all people, and then hit J.T. Realmuto with the next pitch, loading the bases.
***Derek Hill complaints interlude***
#things
How do you recap this game? It felt like living a few different lifetimes. I guess we'll just go sequentially, but this is a game that warrants watching the highlights.
After a 45-minute weather-related delay, things got started and Sale pretty much picked up where he left off. The top of the Philadelphia order went down on a flyout and two nasty strikeouts. Aaron Nola retired the first two Braves he faced, but then Matt Olson broke a two-week homerless slide with a slice the other way that juuust managed not to go foul and instead became his 38th longball of the year. A homer from the recently homer-shy Braves offense seemed to be an auspicious sign, but things quickly took a turn for the worse.
After the first two outs of the eighth, Edmundo Sosa caught a Sale slider and yanked it for a single. Sale then issued a rare walk to Bryan De La Cruz of all people, and then hit J.T. Realmuto with the next pitch, loading the bases.
***Derek Hill complaints interlude***
#things
2 months ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer in the second inning off rookie Nolan McLean, and the New York Yankees beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Friday night.
Ben Rice also homered as the Yankees won for the 17th time in 24 games and moved a season-high 23 games over .500 on a night the team remembered the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Rookie Spencer Jones added an RBI single in the first inning and Ryan McMahon hit an RBI single in the eighth as the Yankees remained three games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved 5 1/2 ahead of Boston for the first American League wild card.
Carlos Rodón (6-3) allowed two runs and three hits in a season-high 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander notched two of his eight strikeouts on slugger Juan Soto, who heard boos from Yankee fans before each at-bat.
Bellinger homered after catching the ceremonial first pitch from Brielle Saracini, whose father Victor Saracini was the pilot on United Airlines Flight 175, which was flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
#yankees
Ben Rice also homered as the Yankees won for the 17th time in 24 games and moved a season-high 23 games over .500 on a night the team remembered the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Rookie Spencer Jones added an RBI single in the first inning and Ryan McMahon hit an RBI single in the eighth as the Yankees remained three games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved 5 1/2 ahead of Boston for the first American League wild card.
Carlos Rodón (6-3) allowed two runs and three hits in a season-high 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander notched two of his eight strikeouts on slugger Juan Soto, who heard boos from Yankee fans before each at-bat.
Bellinger homered after catching the ceremonial first pitch from Brielle Saracini, whose father Victor Saracini was the pilot on United Airlines Flight 175, which was flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
#yankees
2 months ago
For the eighth time in nine seasons, the Milwaukee Brewers are going to the playoffs.
One of the game's most consistent powers ***** ured its spot in the postseason by flattening the Cincinnati Reds 20-0 Friday, Sept. 11 at Milwaukee's American Family Field. It's highly likely this won't be the final celebration before the Brewers finish the regular season: They hold a 10-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central, with a magic number of three to clinch the division.
Milwaukee blitzed Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott for nine hits and eight runs in the first two innings Friday, scoring six times in the bottom of the second to build an 8-0 lead. Brice Turang hit a three-run homer and Jake Bauers a two-run shot, providing more than enough support for starting pitcher Dustin May.
Then, it got absurd. The Brewers rocked reliever Luis Mey for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth, extending the lead to 17-0. Milwaukee registered eight hits in the fifth, two by Garrett Mitchell, including a grand slam.
Per usual, Milwaukee's proven greater than the sum of its parts. The club has a bona fide ace and budding superstar in right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, what with his 104-mph fastball and major league-leading 236 strikeouts. The club has a reliable No. 2 starter in fellow second-year man Logan Henderson, but its rotation faces question marks after that.
#Friday #league #three
One of the game's most consistent powers ***** ured its spot in the postseason by flattening the Cincinnati Reds 20-0 Friday, Sept. 11 at Milwaukee's American Family Field. It's highly likely this won't be the final celebration before the Brewers finish the regular season: They hold a 10-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central, with a magic number of three to clinch the division.
Milwaukee blitzed Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott for nine hits and eight runs in the first two innings Friday, scoring six times in the bottom of the second to build an 8-0 lead. Brice Turang hit a three-run homer and Jake Bauers a two-run shot, providing more than enough support for starting pitcher Dustin May.
Then, it got absurd. The Brewers rocked reliever Luis Mey for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth, extending the lead to 17-0. Milwaukee registered eight hits in the fifth, two by Garrett Mitchell, including a grand slam.
Per usual, Milwaukee's proven greater than the sum of its parts. The club has a bona fide ace and budding superstar in right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, what with his 104-mph fastball and major league-leading 236 strikeouts. The club has a reliable No. 2 starter in fellow second-year man Logan Henderson, but its rotation faces question marks after that.
#Friday #league #three
2 months ago
It was a day of remembrance, but a night Nolan McLean might want to forget.
McLean's curveball spins at a higher rate than any other in baseball, but Friday night at Yankee Stadium, Cody Bellinger spun one over the short porch in right field into the stands. The three-run homer sank the Mets in a 6-4 loss to the Yankees.
It was the first time in more than a month McLean failed to go more than five innings, and only the second time in his last 14 outings. McLean was charged with five earned runs on a career-worst 10 hits over five innings in his ninth loss of the season (11-9). An NL Rookie of the Year candidate, McLean has looked like a seasoned veteran at times this season. But even the most dominant rookie starting pitchers have outings like the one McLean had against the Yankees.
Rookies slump, sputter and get knocked down, then figure out how to get up again.
No one knows this better than Bellinger, the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year. While his hitless stretches were few and far between with the Dodgers in 2017, there were bad strikeouts and bad games. Individually, they did little to put a dent in his candidacy. The overall body of work was too impressive. The same goes for McLean, who has carried a sub-3.00 ERA for most of the season and has quietly put up some of the best starting pitching numbers in the National League since June.
#five
McLean's curveball spins at a higher rate than any other in baseball, but Friday night at Yankee Stadium, Cody Bellinger spun one over the short porch in right field into the stands. The three-run homer sank the Mets in a 6-4 loss to the Yankees.
It was the first time in more than a month McLean failed to go more than five innings, and only the second time in his last 14 outings. McLean was charged with five earned runs on a career-worst 10 hits over five innings in his ninth loss of the season (11-9). An NL Rookie of the Year candidate, McLean has looked like a seasoned veteran at times this season. But even the most dominant rookie starting pitchers have outings like the one McLean had against the Yankees.
Rookies slump, sputter and get knocked down, then figure out how to get up again.
No one knows this better than Bellinger, the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year. While his hitless stretches were few and far between with the Dodgers in 2017, there were bad strikeouts and bad games. Individually, they did little to put a dent in his candidacy. The overall body of work was too impressive. The same goes for McLean, who has carried a sub-3.00 ERA for most of the season and has quietly put up some of the best starting pitching numbers in the National League since June.
#five
2 months ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer in the second inning off rookie Nolan McLean, and the New York Yankees beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Friday night.
Ben Rice also homered as the Yankees (85-62) won for the 17th time in 24 games and moved a season-high 23 games over .500 on a night the team remembered the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Rookie Spencer Jones added an RBI single in the first inning and Ryan McMahon hit an RBI single in the eighth as the Yankees remained three games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved 5 1/2 ahead of Boston for the first American League wild card.
Carlos Rodón (6-3) allowed two runs and three hits in a season-high 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander notched two of his eight strikeouts on slugger Juan Soto, who heard boos from Yankee fans before each at-bat.
Bellinger homered after catching the ceremonial first pitch from Brielle Saracini, whose father Victor Saracini was the pilot on United Airlines Flight 175, which was flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
#first #saracini
Ben Rice also homered as the Yankees (85-62) won for the 17th time in 24 games and moved a season-high 23 games over .500 on a night the team remembered the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Rookie Spencer Jones added an RBI single in the first inning and Ryan McMahon hit an RBI single in the eighth as the Yankees remained three games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved 5 1/2 ahead of Boston for the first American League wild card.
Carlos Rodón (6-3) allowed two runs and three hits in a season-high 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander notched two of his eight strikeouts on slugger Juan Soto, who heard boos from Yankee fans before each at-bat.
Bellinger homered after catching the ceremonial first pitch from Brielle Saracini, whose father Victor Saracini was the pilot on United Airlines Flight 175, which was flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
#first #saracini
2 months ago
American League triple-crown contender Yordan Alvarez is out of the Houston Astros' lineup for Friday due to a sore right ankle.
Alvarez twisted his ankle while running the bases in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He went 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts against Phillies starter Zack Wheeler.
But Alvarez reached base in the eighth inning on an intentional walk from José Alvarado. He advanced to third base on a Jose Altuve double, but stumbled over the bag and was checked out by trainers.
Alvarez stayed in the game, but did not have to run on a Daulton Varsho pop-up. As the designated hitter, he didn't have to take the field in the bottom of the inning.
Astros manager Joe Espada said no imaging was necessary for Alvarez's ankle, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. He did some hitting earlier in the day and could be available to pinch-hit.
#ankle #Phillies #inning
Alvarez twisted his ankle while running the bases in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He went 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts against Phillies starter Zack Wheeler.
But Alvarez reached base in the eighth inning on an intentional walk from José Alvarado. He advanced to third base on a Jose Altuve double, but stumbled over the bag and was checked out by trainers.
Alvarez stayed in the game, but did not have to run on a Daulton Varsho pop-up. As the designated hitter, he didn't have to take the field in the bottom of the inning.
Astros manager Joe Espada said no imaging was necessary for Alvarez's ankle, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. He did some hitting earlier in the day and could be available to pinch-hit.
#ankle #Phillies #inning
2 months ago
Lily Reynolds enjoyed a tremendous first full season pitching on the varsity level as a sophomore for Colonie in 2026.
Before her final two high schools seasons, Reynolds has already provided longtime University at Albany softball coach Chris Cannata her verbal commitment to pitch for the Great Danes of the America East Conference.
"I just realized that I wanted to stay home and be around my family. That was really the big deciding factor for me - not necessarily the D-I label," Reynolds said of her decision.
"She called me (Wednesday) and I told her this is the best news ever," said Colonie coach Kelly Colvin, who played at Shenendehowa and UAlbany. "Lily has put in so much hard work with us at Colonie and with the (Capital District) Fusion. It is really cool to see it pay off for her. We're all very excited."
During her sophomore season, Reynolds compiled a 7-2 record with a 1.61 earned run average and 115 strikeouts over 91 1/3 innings for the Wolf Pack. She was named to the Times Union all-star team as a first-team selection.
#colonie #coach
Before her final two high schools seasons, Reynolds has already provided longtime University at Albany softball coach Chris Cannata her verbal commitment to pitch for the Great Danes of the America East Conference.
"I just realized that I wanted to stay home and be around my family. That was really the big deciding factor for me - not necessarily the D-I label," Reynolds said of her decision.
"She called me (Wednesday) and I told her this is the best news ever," said Colonie coach Kelly Colvin, who played at Shenendehowa and UAlbany. "Lily has put in so much hard work with us at Colonie and with the (Capital District) Fusion. It is really cool to see it pay off for her. We're all very excited."
During her sophomore season, Reynolds compiled a 7-2 record with a 1.61 earned run average and 115 strikeouts over 91 1/3 innings for the Wolf Pack. She was named to the Times Union all-star team as a first-team selection.
#colonie #coach
2 months ago
The Mets are making a change in their bullpen ahead of their series in the Bronx, recalling Jack Weisenburger and sending Chris Devenski back to Triple-A Syracuse.
Weisenburger appeared in three games for the Mets in August, tossing four and a third innings, allowing one run on three hits, walking two and striking out four. In 18 games for Syracuse (13 starts), Weisenburger has a 6.68 ERA over 62 innings pitched, with 53 strikeouts to 34 walks and eight home runs allowed.
Devenski split time between the Mets and Pirates organizations this season, and in six appearances for the Mets was more or less fine until his last appearance against the Marlins, where he was responsible for five of the runs in the Mets' wild 15-14 dub on Wednesday. The 35 year old veteran has a 13.50 ERA for the Mets this season, and an 11.74 ERA across both clubs in the majors.
With a little more than a week left in the Triple-A season and Syracuse two and a half games out of a playoff spot, Devenski will have plenty of opportunity for some innings before, potentially, rejoining the Mets if the need arises.
The second half of the Subway Series with the Yankees starts tonight at 7:05pm on PIX11 with Nolan McLean facing off against Carlos Rodón.
#weisenburger #games #innings #season
Weisenburger appeared in three games for the Mets in August, tossing four and a third innings, allowing one run on three hits, walking two and striking out four. In 18 games for Syracuse (13 starts), Weisenburger has a 6.68 ERA over 62 innings pitched, with 53 strikeouts to 34 walks and eight home runs allowed.
Devenski split time between the Mets and Pirates organizations this season, and in six appearances for the Mets was more or less fine until his last appearance against the Marlins, where he was responsible for five of the runs in the Mets' wild 15-14 dub on Wednesday. The 35 year old veteran has a 13.50 ERA for the Mets this season, and an 11.74 ERA across both clubs in the majors.
With a little more than a week left in the Triple-A season and Syracuse two and a half games out of a playoff spot, Devenski will have plenty of opportunity for some innings before, potentially, rejoining the Mets if the need arises.
The second half of the Subway Series with the Yankees starts tonight at 7:05pm on PIX11 with Nolan McLean facing off against Carlos Rodón.
#weisenburger #games #innings #season
2 months ago
I figured I wasn't going to post anything more until the Game Thread, but everyone is reporting that the Jays are calling up 30-year-old outfielder Rudy Martin. They picked up Martin off waivers from the Royals, back in July.
He was drafted by the Royals in the 25th round of the 2014 draft and he's played basically everywhere since, except for the major leagues, but that ends now (hopefully, I hope he gets into some games). I admire guys who keep playing, keep the dream alive.
This year, playing for three different minor league teams, he's hit .274/.394/421 with 11 home runs, 55 walks, 83 strikeouts and 45 steals in 369 at bats. He's played all three outfield spots in his career.
He's a left-handed batter.
And he's not on the 40-man roster, so there are a couple of moves that will have to be made.
#Royals #year #playing #game
He was drafted by the Royals in the 25th round of the 2014 draft and he's played basically everywhere since, except for the major leagues, but that ends now (hopefully, I hope he gets into some games). I admire guys who keep playing, keep the dream alive.
This year, playing for three different minor league teams, he's hit .274/.394/421 with 11 home runs, 55 walks, 83 strikeouts and 45 steals in 369 at bats. He's played all three outfield spots in his career.
He's a left-handed batter.
And he's not on the 40-man roster, so there are a couple of moves that will have to be made.
#Royals #year #playing #game
2 months ago
Yankees news: Jasson Dominguez gets demoted to Triple-A after dreadful game appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Aaron Judge may be back in action for the New York Yankees, but they are bringing him along slowly to preserve his health heading into the most important stretch of the season. To that end, Judge received a day off on Thursday in their series finale against the Colorado Rockies, with Jasson Dominguez taking his spot not just at right field, but at the three-spot in the lineup.
However, Dominguez did not impress during his opportunity on Thursday. In fact, he did the opposite. Not only did he go 0-4 from the plate (with one walk) with two strikeouts on the night, he also made an error in the top of the eighth, failing to field a base hit cleanly which allowed the Rockies to score a run.
This did not matter in the grand scheme of things, as the Yankees ended up winning comfortably in the end anyway, 10-3. Nonetheless, it was clear that Dominguez still has a lot of learning to do, and New York, following the end of their series against the Rockies, decided to demote the 23-year-old to Triple-A, as per Yankees PR account on X.
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#Rockies #jasson #series
Aaron Judge may be back in action for the New York Yankees, but they are bringing him along slowly to preserve his health heading into the most important stretch of the season. To that end, Judge received a day off on Thursday in their series finale against the Colorado Rockies, with Jasson Dominguez taking his spot not just at right field, but at the three-spot in the lineup.
However, Dominguez did not impress during his opportunity on Thursday. In fact, he did the opposite. Not only did he go 0-4 from the plate (with one walk) with two strikeouts on the night, he also made an error in the top of the eighth, failing to field a base hit cleanly which allowed the Rockies to score a run.
This did not matter in the grand scheme of things, as the Yankees ended up winning comfortably in the end anyway, 10-3. Nonetheless, it was clear that Dominguez still has a lot of learning to do, and New York, following the end of their series against the Rockies, decided to demote the 23-year-old to Triple-A, as per Yankees PR account on X.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)
#Rockies #jasson #series
2 months ago
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
"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
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2 months ago
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
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
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2 months ago
This article originally appeared in PGHBaseballNOW.com.
The Pirates starting rotation has taken a major hit as Braxton Ashcraft has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right arm discomfort. The move is retroactive to Sep. 7.
Ashcraft has emerged as the team's top starting pitcher this season, his first full year in the big leagues. The 26-year-old is 14-6 with a 3.65 ERA in 28 starts. In 165.1 innings, he's allowed 67 earned runs on 145 hits with 35 walks and 173 strikeouts.
The right-hander ranks fourth in the National League in wins, fifth in WHIP (1.09), seventh in innings, ninth in strikeouts and 12th in ERA.
Click here to read more from PGHBaseballNOW.com.
#ashcraft
The Pirates starting rotation has taken a major hit as Braxton Ashcraft has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right arm discomfort. The move is retroactive to Sep. 7.
Ashcraft has emerged as the team's top starting pitcher this season, his first full year in the big leagues. The 26-year-old is 14-6 with a 3.65 ERA in 28 starts. In 165.1 innings, he's allowed 67 earned runs on 145 hits with 35 walks and 173 strikeouts.
The right-hander ranks fourth in the National League in wins, fifth in WHIP (1.09), seventh in innings, ninth in strikeouts and 12th in ERA.
Click here to read more from PGHBaseballNOW.com.
#ashcraft
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2 months ago
Shohei Ohtani's return to the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup Monday, Sept. 7 wasn't exactly a return to form just yet for the back-to-back National League MVP.
Back in his usual spot atop the batting order, Ohtani went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk in a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Results aside, however, manager Dave Roberts was pleased with how Ohtani's swing looked compared to five days ago.
But as far as when Ohtani might return to the mound for the defending World Series champions, that news was rather bleak. Ohtani told reporters postgame that he doesn't expect to pitch again this season.
"Most likely no," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton when asked if he's still working towards getting back on the mound. "I'm gonna be focusing on hitting moving forward."
Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3 due to lingering injuries in his left knee and right bicep.
#national
Back in his usual spot atop the batting order, Ohtani went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk in a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Results aside, however, manager Dave Roberts was pleased with how Ohtani's swing looked compared to five days ago.
But as far as when Ohtani might return to the mound for the defending World Series champions, that news was rather bleak. Ohtani told reporters postgame that he doesn't expect to pitch again this season.
"Most likely no," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton when asked if he's still working towards getting back on the mound. "I'm gonna be focusing on hitting moving forward."
Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3 due to lingering injuries in his left knee and right bicep.
#national
2 months ago
At this point in the season, the San Francisco Giants languishing near the bottom of the NL West and less than three weeks remaining during the season, Logan Webb could have opted to skip a start after some checkered outings.
He's consistently at or near the lead for MLB innings pitched, so a slightly early end to the season wouldn't be amiss for the team's workhorse. Instead, Webb came out with honed mechanics Monday and snapped back into his usual form in a game the Giants won 5-4 in 11 innings, with Shay Whitcomb's little bouncer to short sending in placed runner Nate Furman from third.
The ninth unraveled enough to cost Webb a win, though, with the Cardinals reaching on two infield singles to kick things off against Dylan Smith, working in his second inning. St. Louis then took the lead in the 10th when Leo Bernal's bloop to right off Jason Foley scored placed runner Alex Burleson.
But Bryce Eldridge was a busy man Monday night, and tied the game with a single in the bottom of the 10th inning. Foley held the Cardinals scoreless in the 11th with an ******* ist to Eldridge for a great scoop to end the game.
Webb gave up just three hits one run, on Burleson's two-out homer in the sixth, in what became Webb's final inning. His eight strikeouts matched his season high, and he got 19 swinging strikes, six of them with his sweeper. His pace was brisk working with veteran backup catcher Andrew Knizner. He's also more than comfortable at his longtime home; he has a 3.26 ERA at Oracle Park this season, against 5.29 on the road.
#season #eldridge
He's consistently at or near the lead for MLB innings pitched, so a slightly early end to the season wouldn't be amiss for the team's workhorse. Instead, Webb came out with honed mechanics Monday and snapped back into his usual form in a game the Giants won 5-4 in 11 innings, with Shay Whitcomb's little bouncer to short sending in placed runner Nate Furman from third.
The ninth unraveled enough to cost Webb a win, though, with the Cardinals reaching on two infield singles to kick things off against Dylan Smith, working in his second inning. St. Louis then took the lead in the 10th when Leo Bernal's bloop to right off Jason Foley scored placed runner Alex Burleson.
But Bryce Eldridge was a busy man Monday night, and tied the game with a single in the bottom of the 10th inning. Foley held the Cardinals scoreless in the 11th with an ******* ist to Eldridge for a great scoop to end the game.
Webb gave up just three hits one run, on Burleson's two-out homer in the sixth, in what became Webb's final inning. His eight strikeouts matched his season high, and he got 19 swinging strikes, six of them with his sweeper. His pace was brisk working with veteran backup catcher Andrew Knizner. He's also more than comfortable at his longtime home; he has a 3.26 ERA at Oracle Park this season, against 5.29 on the road.
#season #eldridge
2 months ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Teoscar Hernández hit a three-run homer, Emmet Sheehan tied a career high with 10 strikeouts in his first major league outing since Aug. 2 and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 on Monday night.
Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a walk in his return to the lineup after a four-day break to heal multiple lingering injuries.
The NL West leaders won their fifth in a row despite being outhit 7-3. They cooled off the Reds, who were coming off series wins over the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and NL Central-leading Milwaukee.
It was the first of seven games over the next 11 days between the teams.
Sheehan (5-8) allowed one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He was recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he'd been sent due to his struggles on the mound.
#angeles #reds #first
Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a walk in his return to the lineup after a four-day break to heal multiple lingering injuries.
The NL West leaders won their fifth in a row despite being outhit 7-3. They cooled off the Reds, who were coming off series wins over the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and NL Central-leading Milwaukee.
It was the first of seven games over the next 11 days between the teams.
Sheehan (5-8) allowed one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He was recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he'd been sent due to his struggles on the mound.
#angeles #reds #first
2 months ago
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
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
2 months ago
On a stormy Sunday night in September, the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals, winning the finale 7-5.
Both Justin Wrobleski and Nationals southpaw Andrew Alvarez kept the ice frozen until the bottom of the third inning, as a Max Muncy double and Tommy Edman infield single allowed Mookie Betts to bring home Muncy on a groundout to give the Dodgers their third consecutive early lead.
After three scoreless innings without six strikeouts, the Nationals struck back in the top of the fourth with a lead-off home run from CJ Abrams— his third in seven at-bats against Wrobleski— evening the score at one. Brady House immediately followed with a single, and a double from Daylen Lile put two men on, still with no outs. Teoscar Hernández was unable to track down a fly ball to left from Harry Ford, plating both baserunners and giving Washington a two-run lead. Jacob Young carried the frenzy with a single to center to plate four, ending the night for Wrobleski.
The second half of the regular season has not been kind to Wrobleski, as he has a 7.55 ERA across 31 innings over seven appearances (six starts). His three complete innings on Sunday were the fewest in any start this season.
Brock Stewart managed to clean up the mess made by Wrobleski, and Blake Treinen made his first appearance since June 19, working a scoreless fifth inning to keep the deficit at three runs. The Dodgers responded with a rally against Alvarez in the bottom half, as a Tommy Edman double plated Max Muncy to cut the deficit in half. Brad Lord came in relief and got Mookie Betts to ground out for the first out, but the Dodgers sprayed three consecutive singles to knot the game even at 4.
#wrobleski
Both Justin Wrobleski and Nationals southpaw Andrew Alvarez kept the ice frozen until the bottom of the third inning, as a Max Muncy double and Tommy Edman infield single allowed Mookie Betts to bring home Muncy on a groundout to give the Dodgers their third consecutive early lead.
After three scoreless innings without six strikeouts, the Nationals struck back in the top of the fourth with a lead-off home run from CJ Abrams— his third in seven at-bats against Wrobleski— evening the score at one. Brady House immediately followed with a single, and a double from Daylen Lile put two men on, still with no outs. Teoscar Hernández was unable to track down a fly ball to left from Harry Ford, plating both baserunners and giving Washington a two-run lead. Jacob Young carried the frenzy with a single to center to plate four, ending the night for Wrobleski.
The second half of the regular season has not been kind to Wrobleski, as he has a 7.55 ERA across 31 innings over seven appearances (six starts). His three complete innings on Sunday were the fewest in any start this season.
Brock Stewart managed to clean up the mess made by Wrobleski, and Blake Treinen made his first appearance since June 19, working a scoreless fifth inning to keep the deficit at three runs. The Dodgers responded with a rally against Alvarez in the bottom half, as a Tommy Edman double plated Max Muncy to cut the deficit in half. Brad Lord came in relief and got Mookie Betts to ground out for the first out, but the Dodgers sprayed three consecutive singles to knot the game even at 4.
#wrobleski
2 months ago
Destinee Herrera's recruiting journey lasted less than a week.
Four days after NCAA Division 1 programs were officially allowed to contact the Oxnard High junior, Herrera committed to the UCLA softball program during an official visit to Westwood Sept. 5.
"It was wonderful," Herrera said. "I couldn't say no. It's my dream school. The girls were so sweet."
UCLA's interest was obvious even before Herrera was named CIF-Southern Section Division 4 Player of the Year after pitching the Yellowjackets to the Division 4 **** le in May.
A member of The Star's All-County softball first team, she was 14-4 with a 0.96 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 139 innings as a sophomore.
#oxnard
Four days after NCAA Division 1 programs were officially allowed to contact the Oxnard High junior, Herrera committed to the UCLA softball program during an official visit to Westwood Sept. 5.
"It was wonderful," Herrera said. "I couldn't say no. It's my dream school. The girls were so sweet."
UCLA's interest was obvious even before Herrera was named CIF-Southern Section Division 4 Player of the Year after pitching the Yellowjackets to the Division 4 **** le in May.
A member of The Star's All-County softball first team, she was 14-4 with a 0.96 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 139 innings as a sophomore.
#oxnard
2 months ago
After a couple of crazy games — one loss and one win — the Rockies will look to take their final game against the St. Louis Cardinals in this afternoon's rubber match. If they win, they will tie the season series 3-3.
The Rockies have played 19 rubber matches so far this season and are 6-13, the second-worst rubber match winning percentage (.316) behind the Boston Red Sox (5-14, .263). Seven of their rubber match losses have come by two or fewer runs, and they are 3-5 in home rubber matches (3-8 on the road). Wednesday's rubber match against the Orioles marked the first time the Rockies have won three-straight rubber matches since winning five-straight May 7-June 25, 2023.
Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.18 ERA) will take the mound for the Rockies. Gordon was on a roll in his last outing before being stymied by a one-hour and 38-minute rain delay. Gordon managed to toss five innings before the delay, only allowing three hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts. But he only threw 60 pitches, so hopefully that means he'll be fresh this afternoon. He has faced the Cardinals twice (one start) and is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 9.1 innings.
Gordon will face Colorado Mesa product, and Boulder native, Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.13 ERA). Leahy is in his fourth MLB season, but first where all of his appearances have been starts. He made 98 appearances from 2023-2025, but only one start — the Cardinals' final game against the Chicago Cubs last September where he pitched three perfect innings with a strikeout. In his last outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Leahy pitched three innings and allowed one run (a solo homer) on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He has faced the Rockies six times in his career, and started against them this year on August 7th in St. Louis. He is 2-0 against them with a 4.05 ERA in 13.1 innings.
First Pitch: 1:10pm MT
#leahy
The Rockies have played 19 rubber matches so far this season and are 6-13, the second-worst rubber match winning percentage (.316) behind the Boston Red Sox (5-14, .263). Seven of their rubber match losses have come by two or fewer runs, and they are 3-5 in home rubber matches (3-8 on the road). Wednesday's rubber match against the Orioles marked the first time the Rockies have won three-straight rubber matches since winning five-straight May 7-June 25, 2023.
Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.18 ERA) will take the mound for the Rockies. Gordon was on a roll in his last outing before being stymied by a one-hour and 38-minute rain delay. Gordon managed to toss five innings before the delay, only allowing three hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts. But he only threw 60 pitches, so hopefully that means he'll be fresh this afternoon. He has faced the Cardinals twice (one start) and is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 9.1 innings.
Gordon will face Colorado Mesa product, and Boulder native, Kyle Leahy (10-4, 3.13 ERA). Leahy is in his fourth MLB season, but first where all of his appearances have been starts. He made 98 appearances from 2023-2025, but only one start — the Cardinals' final game against the Chicago Cubs last September where he pitched three perfect innings with a strikeout. In his last outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Leahy pitched three innings and allowed one run (a solo homer) on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He has faced the Rockies six times in his career, and started against them this year on August 7th in St. Louis. He is 2-0 against them with a 4.05 ERA in 13.1 innings.
First Pitch: 1:10pm MT
#leahy
2 months ago
NEW YORK — The Mets are hoping to preserve Christian Scott in the long term and additional rest might just help him down the stretch.
On Sunday afternoon, Scott will make his first start in nine days as he takes the mound for the Mets against the Giants at 1:40 p.m. at Citi Field.
The Mets are exercising caution with Scott, who missed all of last season on the heels of Tommy John surgery in September 2024. Scott has thrown 94⅔ innings across 20 starts for the Mets, notching a 4-4 record with a 3.80 ERA and 113 strikeouts. The right-hander also threw 13⅔ innings in the minor leagues and missed two weeks in June with a right hip impingement.
Sunday will be the first test to prove how additional rest can suit Scott.
The Giants with have left-handed rookie Cesar Perdomo on the mound for Sunday's game. Perdomo made his major league debut on Sept. 1 against the Pirates, allowing one earned run at three hits and one walk with four strikeouts in four innings. He was 7-2 with a 5.10 ERA in nine games for Triple-A Sacramento before being called up.
#additional #first
On Sunday afternoon, Scott will make his first start in nine days as he takes the mound for the Mets against the Giants at 1:40 p.m. at Citi Field.
The Mets are exercising caution with Scott, who missed all of last season on the heels of Tommy John surgery in September 2024. Scott has thrown 94⅔ innings across 20 starts for the Mets, notching a 4-4 record with a 3.80 ERA and 113 strikeouts. The right-hander also threw 13⅔ innings in the minor leagues and missed two weeks in June with a right hip impingement.
Sunday will be the first test to prove how additional rest can suit Scott.
The Giants with have left-handed rookie Cesar Perdomo on the mound for Sunday's game. Perdomo made his major league debut on Sept. 1 against the Pirates, allowing one earned run at three hits and one walk with four strikeouts in four innings. He was 7-2 with a 5.10 ERA in nine games for Triple-A Sacramento before being called up.
#additional #first
2 months ago
The Guardians looked rough today in a 6-0 loss to the Tigers. Parker Messick did give up three runs in 6 innings but he also set a career high with 12 strikeouts. He was fantastic tonight. Matt Festa was bad but it wouldn't have mattered considering we couldn't score a single run.
The Guardians lineup managed just three hits and one walk. It is simply impossible to win a game with that type of offensive output. On the bright side, Austin Peterson made his MLB debut and struckout three batters in two scoreless innings of relief. It may have been garbage time but it was still very fun to watch and it's a moment he will never forget.
The Guardians will look to take 3/4 tomorrow. It will be Gavin Williams vs Jackson Jobe at 1:40 pm ET. This is a crucial game for the Guardians.
#innings #messick
The Guardians lineup managed just three hits and one walk. It is simply impossible to win a game with that type of offensive output. On the bright side, Austin Peterson made his MLB debut and struckout three batters in two scoreless innings of relief. It may have been garbage time but it was still very fun to watch and it's a moment he will never forget.
The Guardians will look to take 3/4 tomorrow. It will be Gavin Williams vs Jackson Jobe at 1:40 pm ET. This is a crucial game for the Guardians.
#innings #messick
2 months ago
The Pittsburgh Pirates had a terrible month in August. Their odds of making the playoffs on July 22 were about 50/50, coming in at 47.2%. A month later, on August 22, their playoff odds had fallen to just 2%. However, the Pirates are making one last push to put themselves back into playoff contention. At the time of this writing, they've won five of their last six series and have put themselves 4 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot. It's still a long shot, but the Pirates' playoff hopes are not completely dead, even if they are on life support. If they want to keep them alive and make a late-season push for the last Wild Card spot, they need a few players to lock in.
Jared Jones was one of the many Pirates players who went into a massive slump in August. Going into the month, he owned a quality 3.81 ERA, 3.43 FIP, and 1.02 WHIP over his first 11 starts and 52 innings coming off the injured list. In that time, he struck out 27.9% of batters, with just a 7.2% walk rate. Opposing hitters also batted below the Mendoza Line against him at .197.
Aug 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (17) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Then, in five starts during August, Jones allowed 17 earned runs over just 20 2/3 innings of work. His K% fell to 24%, and his walk rate rose to 11.5%. Sure, a .383 batting average on ***** in play didn't do him any favors, but opponents owned a 91.3 MPH exit velocity, 9.2% barrel rate, and 2.18 HR/9 ratio against him.
If his first start of September says anything, Jones is starting to lock back in again. He pitched six scoreless frames against the Los Angeles Angels. He allowed just three hits, with nine strikeouts, and just one walk allowed. While it was against a team with a combined OPS of .677, it is a step in the right direction for Jones. Returning to his July form, where he had a 2.00 ERA, 33.7% K%, and 6.1% BB%, would give the Pirates' rotation a much-needed boost of energy, giving them just enough to be playoff-ready.
#month #first
Jared Jones was one of the many Pirates players who went into a massive slump in August. Going into the month, he owned a quality 3.81 ERA, 3.43 FIP, and 1.02 WHIP over his first 11 starts and 52 innings coming off the injured list. In that time, he struck out 27.9% of batters, with just a 7.2% walk rate. Opposing hitters also batted below the Mendoza Line against him at .197.
Aug 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (17) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Then, in five starts during August, Jones allowed 17 earned runs over just 20 2/3 innings of work. His K% fell to 24%, and his walk rate rose to 11.5%. Sure, a .383 batting average on ***** in play didn't do him any favors, but opponents owned a 91.3 MPH exit velocity, 9.2% barrel rate, and 2.18 HR/9 ratio against him.
If his first start of September says anything, Jones is starting to lock back in again. He pitched six scoreless frames against the Los Angeles Angels. He allowed just three hits, with nine strikeouts, and just one walk allowed. While it was against a team with a combined OPS of .677, it is a step in the right direction for Jones. Returning to his July form, where he had a 2.00 ERA, 33.7% K%, and 6.1% BB%, would give the Pirates' rotation a much-needed boost of energy, giving them just enough to be playoff-ready.
#month #first
