Dual grand slam doubles champion named after tennis suspension
Alex de Minaur leads Australia team to face Poland in tie in Brisbane
Max Purcell, the grand slam doubles champion left shattered when having to serve a ban for an anti-doping breach, is back in the Australian tennis fold, selected as part of Lleyton Hewitt’s Davis Cup team to face Poland.
The 28-year-old Purcell, who received widespread sympathy throughout tennis from those who felt the 18-month ban was unfair and smacked of double standards, could play his first Davis Cup rubber for two years next week.
"I've had over 50 extraordinary years playing, coaching and analyzing the world's greatest game, hockey. It's now time to hang up my skates and focus on my health, my family, including my supportive wife Cindy, and whatever comes next," Melrose said in a statement at the time.
"I'm beyond grateful for my hockey career, and to have called ESPN home for almost 30 years. Thanks for the incredible memories and I'll now be cheering for you from the stands."
Melrose, a defenseman, played in the NHL and World Hockey Association and went into coaching after his retirement.
After stints in the Western Hockey League and American Hockey League, he began coaching the Los Angeles Kings in 1992 and took the Wayne Gretzky-led team to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season. The Kings lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games in that series.
He coached the Kings for another two seasons and was fired in the third season. He also briefly coached the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008-09.
Between the coaching stints, he was a popular ESPN studio analyst noted for his observations and his trademark mullet.
"Barry was my best friend at ESPN," John Buccigross posted on X. "A big brother figure of rock solid values. I am shook to my core. Barry gave his life to hockey and some of his ESPN family, like me, learned of his shocking death today while at a hockey rink in Las Vegas preparing for the upcoming season. Chilling and fitting--the rink was Barry's home. A more beloved ESPN institution there has not been. We love you, Barry. Forever."
Soon after the surprising sale of the Lakers to the Joshua Kushner/Bob Iger group was announced, hiring reportedly paused in both the Lakers' front office and business side. Under Mark Walter, the Lakers began reorganizing and growing their basketball operations, adding analytics staff and much-needed personnel on the scouting side. The Lakers had already hired Rohan Ramadas away from the Pelicans as an assistant general manager focused on analytics.
Now comes the report that the Lakers are going to hire Eric Amsler, who has spent 22 years in the Miami Heat organization, to become an assistant general manager focused more on scouting, a story first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Both Ramadas and Amsler will report to Rob Pelinka, who remains the head of Lakers basketball operations.
Why this is good news for Lakers fans — beyond Amsler being highly qualified for the job — is that it signals that the much-needed fleshing out of the front office and scouting departments will continue. Under the Buss family, the Lakers might have had the smallest scouting operation in the league and were considered a small front office. That started to change under Walter and apparently will continue.
One other thing that will not delay the sale of the Lakers is the Buss family infighting, which is heading to court, league sources have told NBC Sports. Five of the six Buss siblings voted to exercise a tag-along clause and sell their remaining 17.8% of the franchise to the Kushner/Iger group. Jeanie Buss, who has served as team governor under Walter's ownership and wants to continue in that role, opposes the sale. That will be settled in court, but whether or not the Buss family portion is ultimately part of the sale, the rest of it will go through (if ultimately approved by the Board of Governors, as expected).
VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 22: Alex Formenton #59 of the Ottawa Senators skates during the pre-game warmup prior to NHL action against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on April 22, 2021 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
Getty Images
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Alex Formenton is the third player acquitted in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case to receive an NHL contract since the trial ended in July 2025, joining with the Edmonton Oilers.
Formenton signed with Edmonton for the league-minimum $850,000 for this season. The 26-year-old joins fellow forward Dillon Dube with St. Louis and goaltender Carter Hart in Vegas after they signed their respective deals in July and October.
Formenton has not played in the NHL since 2022 with Ottawa. He spent three of the past four seasons playing in Switzerland and the other not in hockey at all.
Michael McLeod is under contract in the KHL. Cal Foote signed this summer with a team in Sweden, which then terminated the deal after fans raised objections.
The NHL a year ago reinstated all five players, allowing them to play beginning Dec. 1. That came after a judge in London, Ontario, found them not guilty of sexual assault and McLeod additionally of a separate count of being a party to the offense, in connection with an event there in 2018 celebrating Canada’s gold medal-winning world junior team.
The 2026-27 NHL season for the Detroit Red Wings is right around the corner, as Training Camp is set to open on Thursday, Sept. 17, in Detroit.
Prior to that, the Red Wings will also take part in the 2026 Prospects Tournament along with the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Pittsburgh Penguins
We'll be doing up a Red Wings edition mailbag piece - be sure to submit your questions below, and they'll be answered prior to the start of Training Camp next Thursday.
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 27: Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees and Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees celebrate after the New York Yankees defeat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 at Rate Field on July 27, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is reportedly joining the 10-day injured list with a sprained right thumb. Another injury to add to the Yankees’ extensive list this season.
MLB Insider Bryan Hoch reported the news on Wednesday, revealing that Chisholm is unable to participate in baseball activities for 7-10 days. Manager Aaron Boone indicated within the last hour that they just heard the news, so a replacement might not be available to join the team tonight. All told, not what you want to hear in the heart of September baseball and just days away from the Subway Series, but on the other hand, a new space in the roster could be the perfect shuffle the Pinstripes need to finally gain a consistent momentum.
The Yankees have several options to call up and add depth to the roster. Fans probably have mixed feelings on this subject, but placing Chisholm on the IL also opens the possibility of Anthony Volpe’s return to the majors. Reports confirmed that Boone would be “comfortable” with putting the New Jersey native at 2B. Max Schuemann and Oswaldo Cabrera are both already on the 40-man roster as well and could be options if the Yankees want someone in more of a bench role.
Following through with Volpe could be the spark needed for this offense to propel into the postseason. He’s been especially hot of late with a .440 average and a .533 OBP for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in September. He’ll be a huge asset in the Bronx if he can maintain or bolster his numbers, but it would make sense to be cautiously optimistic at this point.
Chisholm will likely rejoin the lineup once he’s reinstated from the IL, which could be just in time for arguably one of the most crucial series against the Rays. The Yankees took the first game in the Rockies series and currently remain four games behind Tampa Bay in a tight race for the AL East crown.
Update
When Jazz Chisholm is placed on the IL, Anthony Volpe will be recalled from AAA. Volpe will join the team tomorrow. Chisholm is still active and will be available to pinch run tonight.
YES Network’s Jack Curry just reported that Volpe will indeed get the call from Triple-A and join the Yankees on Thursday. As noted, Chisholm will remain active tonight in case a pinch-running situation arises.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 28: A general view in the third inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies at Truist Park on August 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s get after it, y’all! The Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays are in the middle portion of their three game series and the onus is on the Braves to make sure that they don’t end up dropping the series right away. Reynaldo López has returned to the mound and hopefully we’ll see him put in a creditable performance while the Braves figure out a way to break through against Griffin Jax. Let’s see what happens, folks!
Davis Martin looks to sink the Pirates and steady the Sox rotation. | (Patrick Gorski/IMAGN IMAGES)
A bit of housekeeping before tonight’s game: The White Sox placed righthander Tyler Davis on the Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List and recalled lefthander Chris Murphy from Triple-A Charlotte.
Prior to tonight’s game vs. Pittsburgh, the Chicago White Sox have placed right-handed pitcher Tyler Davis on the Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List and recalled left-hander Chris Murphy from Class AAA Charlotte.
After getting shellacked, 9-3, last night, the South Siders could use a convincing win tonight. Davis Martin gets the ball for Chicago as it attempts to protect a two-game lead in the AL Central — and a three-game advantage in the loss column.
Martin is 9-6 with a 4.13 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 25 starts. The righthander was solid in his first appearance after returning from a brief injured-list stint caused by a blister. He tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out three.
That was an encouraging response after a brutal August in which Martin posted a 14.63 ERA and 2.25 WHIP over three starts. The Sox badly need the Martin of old — specifically, the April and May version who went 7-1 and appeared headed toward an All-Star selection and perhaps even Cy Young consideration.
The Baseball Savant numbers show exactly what Martin needs to do to rediscover that form. The veteran needs to lean on his changeup and sinker and be careful with his breaking stuff. The changeup should be featured particularly against lefties such as Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds.
Martin has also generated chases at a healthy rate, ranking in the 70th percentile, so expanding the zone with the changeup once he gets ahead should be an important part of the plan. The danger comes when he leaves pitches in hittable locations. Martin ranks in only the 15th percentile in average exit velocity and the 10th percentile in hard-hit rate. His expected batting average is in the 11th percentile, and his expected ERA is in the 25th. In other words, when hitters make contact against him, it is often loud contact.
His slider has been particularly vulnerable, ranking in the 11th percentile in run value, while his overall breaking-ball run value sits in the 18th. The curveball has been closer to average, but this is not a night for Martin to rely heavily on breaking pitches in the heart of the plate. He should establish the sinker, use the changeup as his primary putaway offering and make Pittsburgh prove it can resist chasing.
Starting pitching remains one of Chicago’s most significant weaknesses. White Sox starters have a 4.69 ERA, which ranks 26th in baseball, and a 1.34 WHIP, good for only 24th. If this team is going to finish the job and clinch the division, the rotation needs to step it up.
On the flip side, the arm barn owns a 3.65 ERA, sixth-best in baseball. Can you imagine what the White Sox record might look like if the starters had merely been average?
Of course, the offense also needs to get itself together.
Over the past 15 days, the Sox are slashing .220/.318/.379 with a .697 OPS. They have shown patience and a reasonable amount of power, but they have struggled to collect enough hits to sustain rallies. The 98-point difference between their batting average and on-base percentage suggests they are drawing walks, while their .159 isolated power is respectable.
Their .266 BABIP also helps explain the low average. Some of that could be poor batted-ball luck, although weak contact and inconsistent at-bats are likely part of the problem. Either way, the offense has become too dependent on walks and extra-base hits rather than consistently stringing together productive plate appearances.
Tristan Peters and Miguel Vargas have been the brightest spots. Peters is slashing .333/.381/.564 with a .945 OPS over the past 15 days. At the other end is Munetaka Murakami, whose extension price tag keeps slipping lower and lower. He is hitting a paltry .114/.278/.205 with a .483 OPS during that span.
Lake Bachar will serve as the opener for a Pittsburgh bullpen game. The righthander, now in his third major league season, is 1-3 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. This will be his fifth turn as an opener since the Pirates acquired him from Miami at the deadline. In his first four, he allowed only two runs on four hits over 9 2/3 innings. That is pretty darn good.
Bachar’s Savant profile suggests the Sox should arrive with a patient but aggressive-in-the-zone approach. He ranks in the 80th percentile in whiff rate and the 69th percentile in strikeout rate, so this is not a pitcher against whom they should expand the zone or attempt to protect against everything.
However, Bachar ranks in only the 26th percentile in chase rate and the 29th percentile in walk rate. He has not been especially effective at persuading hitters to offer at pitches outside the zone, and his control can create opportunities. The Sox should force him to throw strikes and avoid helping him manufacture quick outs.
Bachar’s curveball is his featured weapon, ranking in the 96th percentile in run value. His four-seamer has also been effective, landing in the 77th percentile, while his overall breaking-ball run value ranks in the 84th. The Sox should not go hunting for the curveball, especially with two strikes. Instead, they should look for a fastball in a specific area early in the count and avoid getting caught between the heater and the breaking ball.
His expected statistics are strong: 72nd percentile in expected ERA, 92nd in expected batting average and 71st in expected slugging. Bachar has also limited hard contact, ranking in the 79th percentile in hard-hit rate. Waiting around indefinitely will not necessarily work, but controlled aggression could. If he puts a hittable four-seamer in the zone, the Sox need to be ready to attack it.
Pittsburgh has been playing good baseball lately. The Pirates are 7-3 over their last 10 games and have won four consecutive series since being swept by the Dodgers. They are slashing .259/.343/.370 with a .713 OPS and .326 BABIP, with Brandon Lowe, Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds all hitting better than .300 over the past seven days.
Martin’s mission is straightforward. He should keep the ball away from the middle of the plate, feature the changeup and sinker and avoid hanging sliders. For the offense, it is about laying off Bachar’s curveball outside the zone, making him throw strikes and attacking the right fastball when it arrives.
Now would be a lovely time for both sides of that plan to come together.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on CHSN and can be heard on ESPN 1000.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: Jackson Ferris #93 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers a pitch against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Stadium on February 22, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Oklahoma City Comets outlasted the Sugar Land Space Cowboys 8-6 on Wednesday, going two games up on Sugar Land in the second half of Pacific Coast League standings, with 10 games left to play. Jackson Ferris continued his strong recent run by pitching the final six innings in relief, with seven strikeouts.
More importantly, for my interests, Ferris was credited with a SIX-INNING SAVE.
The game was very wild early. Gavin Stone started, his first game in two weeks, starting a new rehab assignment while on the 60-day injured list. He needed 32 pitches to record only two outs, both by strikeouts, with two walks and two hits, one of the hits a three-run home run.
Chris Campos relieved Stone and stranded the runner to end the first inning, then allowed a solo home run of his own in the second inning. In all, Campos struck out three with the one run allowed in 1 1/3 innings.
Oklahoma City tied things with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, then took the lead in the bottom of the second inning with three more runs, and never relinquished it. Campos was the pitcher of record when the Comets grabbed the lead, putting him in position to earn the win.
Official baseball rules govern both Major League Baseball and minor league affiliates, and Rule 9.17(c) covers this sort of situation, and grants the official scorer discretion when the starter doesn’t last five innings:
The Official Scorer shall not credit as the winning pitcher a relief pitcher who is ineffective in a brief appearance, when at least one succeeding relief pitcher pitches effectively in helping his team maintain its lead. In such a case, the Official Scorer shall credit as the winning pitcher the succeeding relief pitcher who was most effective, in the judgment of the Official Scorer.
Oklahoma City play-by-play broadcaster Alex Freedman passed along the official scorer at the ballpark said he could not in good conscience say the outing by Campos was both ineffective and brief.
After rehabbers Edwin Díaz and Kris Bubic got three outs in the third inning, it was Ferris the rest of the way. He allowed only a run on two hits in his six innings, with seven strikeouts and only two walks for his first professional save.
He might not have started, but Jackson Ferris certainly finished the job 🫡
That’s five straightstellar outingsby Ferris, with a minuscule 1.27 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 10 walks in 28 1/3 innings, rescuing a season by the 22-year-old that featured a 7.15 ERA with 71 strikeouts and 43 walks through his first 18 outings and 73 innings. He had a strikeout-minus-walk rate of 8.1 percent through August 8, improved to 22.3 percent over the last five Ferris outings.
In that 2002 game, Texas starter Aaron Myette was ejected after only one batter, and Todd Van Poppel followed with two scoreless innings, and by then the Rangers led 4-0, so Van Poppel got the win. It was nearly a combined no-hitter, but Jerry Hairston Jr. tripled to open the ninth inning off the rookie Benoit, and scored Baltimore’s only run.
“I really didn’t think about it. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, whatever,” Benoit said of the near no-hitter, per Associated Press.
KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 18: Daniel Lynch IV #41 of the Kansas City Royals follows through on a pitch in the second inning of an MLB game between the Athletics and Kansas City Royals on Aug 18, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Royals have won just 2 of their last 9 games since the hot stretch ended. Last series they were able to salvage game three to avoid the sweep and will attempt to do so again. tonight. On paper it looks like a very lopsided pitching matchup with Daniel Lynch IV facing Zac Gallen, but at this point Gallen has not been very good for a couple of years. So far in 2026 he has posted a 6.34 ERA across 19 starts with a shocking 5.6K/9. I do not know what happened to Zac. I do know that both lineups are probably licking their chops in a series where both have struggled to score runs until the very end of the game.
Jac Caglianone is not headed to the injured list, but he also still is not in the lineup today. Nothing really shocking about the starters today.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 09: Elias Díaz #35 of the Texas Rangers reacts after striking out in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on September 09, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Kevin Ng/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored two runs but the Seattle Mariners scored three runs.
So the Rangers weren’t especially lucky today. Maybe you could say you make your own luck when you do things like go 11-15 against the Angels and A’s, but the Rangers are trying to right their wrongs and sneak into the playoffs so they’d gladly take any favors that they can get and none arrived this afternoon.
The Mariners were lucky to land baseball’s top pitching prospect Kade Anderson after moving up to No. 3 with just 0.7% odds in the 2025 MLB Draft. They were lucky Anderson was available at No. 3 when two braindead orgs above them opted for slot bonus shenanigans rather than taking the LSU College World Series-winning ace.
That windfall became bad news for the Rangers and today they got their first look of many more to come against Anderson in the fourth start of his young MLB career. As it would turn out, it would be the best outing for Anderson thus far.
Despite pinning ten runs on Seattle less than 24 hours ago, the Rangers were held to just two solo home runs — only one of which came off Anderson, who allowed one run in six innings — and couldn’t make use of an early 1-0 lead with the rookie starter on the mound. Despite some traffic in most innings today, the Rangers went 0-for-5 with RISP and left seven on base.
Meanwhile, Texas starter Cody Bradford allowed two, two-out RBI hits in two separate innings with the first coming after Cal Raleigh drew a walk and only advanced into scoring position on a foul out to the backstop wall which allowed Raleigh to tag up and scamper to second base. Taylor Ward followed with the two-out single that tied the game, a parachute blooper over the head of Justin Foscue.
A few of innings later, in a 1-1 game, Bradford got two quick outs and then a ground ball to a waiting Corey Seager for what appeared to be a sure inning-ender only for it to hit off the second base bag and go for a single to ignite a surprising rally. Ward followed the fortuitous hit with a walk and then Cole Young doubled them both in on a ball to right field that Brandon Nimmo couldn’t reach.
Two runs scored to put Seattle up 3-1 and the scored remained there until the top of the eighth when Seager smacked a solo home run to pull the Rangers to within a run. Unfortunately, a third run never came despite a couple of shots at it in the top of the ninth that ended in strikeouts.
Another opportunity to return to .500 wasted and there’s not terribly many chances left for opportunities to matter.
Player of the Game: Burger hit a second inning solo home run for his 26th dong of the year which broke a tie with Joc Pederson for the current team leader in long balls.
Up Next: The Rangers and Mariners close out this series with a rubber match featuring RHP Jacob deGrom for Texas against RHP Logan Gilbert for Seattle.
The Thursday afternoon finale first pitch from T-Mobile Park is scheduled for 3:10 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
Baseball: New York Yankees Will Warren (29) in action, pitching vs Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Bronx NY 8/30/2026CREDIT: Erick W. Rasco (Photo by Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X164944 TK1)
Time’s winding down on the 2026 regular season for the Yankees, and their long-stated goal of avoiding the dogfight of the Wild Card Round that hamstrung their hopes in 2025 is getting less and less likely. They’re just simply running out of time to make up their deficit to the Tampa Bay Rays, and even though they technically control their destiny with the four-game set later this month, they don’t want to have to sweep that to have a shot.
Looking to build on some great recent outings is Will Warren, who will be making his 27th start and first since his brilliant seven-inning gem against the Red Sox that secured the season series back in late August. He has since appeared in a relief role, tossing 2.1 shutout innings in San Diego against the Padres, but will return to a starting role for the rest of the regular season. He enters with a 4.16 ERA (101 ERA+) and 4.17 FIP in 136.1 innings.
On the other side is Tomoyuki Sugano, a familiar face from his time in Baltimore. The 36-year-old was forced to ink a deal with the Rockies after a lack of interest following his rookie year, but has honestly not done as badly as some expected, given how Coors Field makes low-stuff pitchers extremely hittable. Through 25 starts, he has a 5.19 ERA (95 ERA+) and 5.31 FIP in 131.2 innings. Despite being on the worst team in the National League, he has a winning record at 12-8.
Interestingly enough, he’s been worse away from Coors this year (5.46 ERA, .883 OPS allowed), especially in the slugging department. He’s once again struggled mightily with keeping the ball off batters’ barrels, among other things. In fact, his only positive attribute on Baseball Savant is an elite walk rate. The rest are bottom of the barrel. Sugano tossed five shutout innings against the Yankees last April, but then proceeded to allow 11 runs across 11 innings in the next three starts.
Ben Rice will once again lead off for the Yanks, followed by Cody Bellinger and a “rehabbing” Aaron Judge. Luis García Jr. cleans up at first, followed by Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. Ryan McMahon, Austin Wells, and José Caballero round things out, with the latter replacing the injured Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Jake McCarthy once again leads off for the Rox, followed by Cole Carrigg and former Yankee prospect T.J. Rumfield. Hunter Goodman will clean up after his homer in the ninth last night, with former No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak and legacy big leaguer Kyle Karros behind him. We’ll see Brett Sullivan behind the plate, former Oriole Connor Norby batting eighth, and Zac Veen wrapping things up.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium — The Bronx, NY
First pitch: 7:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, Rockies.TV
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM (COL)
Sep 9, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) reacts to hitting a double against the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Richard Dizon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sep 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson (43) delivers the ball during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It has been quite a series. After two late comeback victories in a row, the Milwaukee Brewers are looking for a sweep tonight of their rivals, the Chicago Cubs. Last night’s victory assured the Brewers of the season series and thus any tiebreaker, though their now-nine-game lead with only 16 games remaining means that tiebreaker should not matter. Still, Milwaukee is battling with the Dodgers and Braves for the top two seeds in the National League, so there’s still plenty to keep playing for.
On the bump for the Brewers tonight will be the guy who has developed into the Robin to Jacob Misiorowski’s Batman, Logan Henderson. Henderson has been nothing short of fantastic: he’s allowed fewer than three runs in 13 of his 15 starts this season, and more than three in zero of them. Henderson has also been a reliable source of innings lately: he’s completed seven innings in three of his last four outings after never having done it in any of his first 16 career starts. Overall, Henderson has pitched to a 2.48 ERA and an eye-popping 0.792 WHIP. He’s striking out 10 batters per nine innings while walking just 1.5 per nine; if he had enough innings to qualify, Henderson would lead major-league starters in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 6.64.
On the other side will be one of Chicago’s trade dealine pickups, Kevin Gausman. Gausman has pitched to nearly identical ERAs before and after the trade: when traded, he had a 4.38 ERA with Toronto, and he’s got a 4.37 ERA in six starts with the Cubs. Regardless of which you look at, FIP suggests he’s had bad luck—Gausman had a 3.50 FIP with Toronto and it’s at 3.83 with the Cubs. Gausman was fantastic against the Brewers last week, though: on Thursday, he went seven innings, allowed only one run on five hits and a walk, and struck out nine, his highest total since April 1st.
After his big night last night, Jackson Chourio is back atop the Brewers’ lineup. Joining him in the outfield tonight are Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick, while Andrew Vaughn, Brice Turang, Cooper Pratt, and Joey Ortiz make up the infield. William Conteras is catching, and Christian Yelich bats fifth as the designated hitter.
First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network. How about a sweep?
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Leo Bernal #13 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds the bases after he hit a three-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning at Oracle Park on September 09, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Game Summary
Leo Bernal broke a 1-1 tie with a 3-run HR. Andre Pallante spotted the Giants an early run, but was solid through five innings. The offense tacked on single tallies for a 6-1 lead, but no lead is safe with this bullpen. The Giants explode for six runs in the bottom of the eighth, aided by walks and HBP.
Pre-game notes
Greetings from the west coast. It is a warm day today.
Pallante goes for the Cardinals. Tidwell for the Giants.
Walker gets today off. He will end up with close to three days, which I suspect he could use.
That means Baez in RF, Torres in LF, Sags at 2B, Gorman at 3b.
The first innings
The Cardinals, as is their norm, start quietly. A double and an RBI single get the Giants out front in the bottom of the first. The Cardinals answer quickly in the top of the 2nd, with a Baez double and a Gorman single knotting the game back up. In the third, the Cardinals exploded quickly with a single, a walk and the Bernal 3-run HR breaking the tie. Pallante kept the ball on the ground in the early going, handcuffing the Gigantes. Cardinals up 4-1. Interesting, the rally was fueled by Herrera getting picked off, but the pitcher, running right at Herrera managed to interfere with Ivan, resulting in the runner being placed on second.
The middle innings
The game moved along quickly through the fourth. In the fifth, a similar script played out with a Torres single, a Herrera HBP (shocking!) and a Burly walk loaded the bases for Bernal. Time to have a day! Bittersweet, Bernal GIDP results in the Cardinals extending their lead to 5-1. AP kept things in order through the end of his start at five innings. Well done.
In the sixth, Saggese walks and Church bunt singles and the Giants throw it around resulting in runners on second and third. Fermin with a SacFly to tack on another run. These runs are needed with this bullpen. Bruihl Cardinals up 6-1.
The decisive and bitter end
The Cardinals went quietly in the seventh. Gastelum pitched a clean bottom of the seventh, looking sharp. In the fateful eighth, Winquest started off allowing a single, but earned a K. He then got the second out on a harmless fly out and things looked good. What followed? The seeds for any explosion inning. An HBP. A walk. An RBI single. Winquest out, Soriano in and things turned worse. Single, double, double results in four more run, handing the Giants a six-run explosion and a 7-6 lead. A ground out, six batters late, ends the inning.
In the ninth, a single is followed by a Walker GIDP (man, did he finish the trip poorly!) and a Herrera ground out closes out a very tough loss.
Post-Game Notes
Be sure and check out “Tonight on the Farm – Wednesday 9.8” over at The Feed.
The Cardinals end a grueling 9 game western swing with a 4-5 record, pretty much ending any hopes of a wild card run.
They will return home and on Friday begin the long-awaited series against the White Sox.
