SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 21: Emmanuel Rodriguez #21 of the Minnesota Twins points to the sky after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Oracle Park on September 21, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, after making fun of the makeup of the Giants’ current roster in my game thread, it’s only fitting that the Twins blew this one. That’s baseball for you.
Zebby Matthews was on the mound for the Twins and was less sharp after a silencing the Yankees his last time out. It was a rough first two innings especially. Zebby was able to get to two strikes on most hitters he faced, but struggled to put away batters from there, as we’ve seen him do in some of his bad starts in the past. He threw 35 pitches and allowed two runs on three singles in the first, and then 28 and two more runs in the second. However, Matthews was pretty strong after that, allowing just a single run in the final three frames on a solo homer while striking out five Giants. A nice rebound from the young starter after a rough beginning.
The offense was a different story. The hitters looked like a group that is just out of gas, barely putting up a fight against a bunch of AAA pitchers. To be fair, the lineup the Twins are running out currently is a bunch of young players who have never played this far into a season before (Jenkins, Rodriguez, Keaschall, Lee, Roden, Sabato) along with Kody Clemens, who is essentially in his first season as a regular, and Ryan Jeffers who broke his hamate bone a few months ago and then has caught nearly ever game since returning. They truly might just be out of gas.
The Twins managed only four hits and five baserunners all night. They never had an inning with multiple hits. The only runs came on solo homers. The first was a classic Brooks Lee wall-scraper, but the second was an incredibly impressive bomb to right-center off the bat of Emma Rodriguez, an impressive feat in San Francisco’s cavernous ballpark.
The swing, approach, and raw power displayed by Rodriguez there are exactly why the Twins have hung onto the Dominican outfielder as long as they have, despite his checkered injury history. There are very few players that have the strength to hit that home run at all, let alone one who has the power and speed that Rodriguez also features. Maybe he’ll flame out like some other talented Minnesota top prospects, but swings like that make me hesitant to use Emma as a trade chip this offseason.
Unfortunately, the home runs were really the only bright spot for the Twins tonight. Taylor Rogers had a scoreless outing in what could be his final season, while Travis Adams continued to flash just enough stuff to make the Twins comfortable with him as the final bullpen option for 2027. But here on out is all about getting the kids reps and keeping everyone healthy heading into the offseason. If we look at it that way, mission accomplished, I suppose.
STUDS
Emmanuel Rodriguez: mega bomb
Brooks Lee: mini bomb
Final three innings Zebby: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 K
DUDS
The lineup: 4-31, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K
First two innings Zebby: 2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 K
Tomorrow is Taj Bradley’s final start of the season as he looks to put the finishing touches on what has been a strong first full season in Minnesota. Five more to go until a long winter, let’s enjoy them!
WINNIPEG, CANADA - MARCH 26: Gabriel Vilardi #13 of the Winnipeg Jets skates during second period action against the Colorado Avalanche at Canada Life Centre on March 26, 2026 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets met at Canada Life Center in Downtown Winnipeg for a preseason matchup. Winnipeg held on to a 3-1 win, but against an Avalanche squad that sent just 8 opening-night-roster-level players.
Things got off to a slow start, as this one definitely played out like a preseason game, with both squads not sending a full onslaught of talent onto the ice. Eventually, Gabriel Vilardi opened the scoring, with an assist from Isak Rosen and Vladislav Namestnikov.
Zachary L’Heureux couldn’t play the puck effectively along the boards; it got caught behind the net, and once Christian Wolanin got it in the corner, two Jets converged on him. Isak Rosen won the puck, found Vilardi in the slot, and he fired it home.
Winnipeg’s next mark came off the stick of Cole Perfetti, who did well to wait patiently at the back door as the Jets went low to high, found a streaking Mark Scheifele, and got it over to Perfetti for an easy goal. That made it 2-0 Jets after two periods of play.
Dylan Demelo’s point blast gave Winnipeg a commanding 3-0 lead in the third period, and Brett Kulak and Fabian Lysell finally helped Georgii Merkulov earn Colorado’s lone goal of the evening, bringing us to our final score of 3-1 Jets.
I was happy to see that Fabian Lysell had an apple on Colorado’s lone tally. His arrival in Colorado has some interesting dynamics, but his skill is clear. I noticed at camp that Bednar was pretty active in communicating with Lysell, and if that can foster some maturity in Fabian, he could end up panning out.
Netminder Ilya Nabokov’s stat line wasn’t great, letting in two goals on just five shots. The group in front of him did well to limit the opportunities, but he couldn’t have done much on Perfetti’s goal. I’d imagine he’ll keep getting ice time throughout the preseason so management can get a feel for his current capabilities in the North American game.
Only four of the players that were featured tonight for the Avalanche played in preseason game number one. It’s pretty common for the big guns not to travel for a road preseason game, so I’d expect more NHL usuals to be featured on Friday when the Jets come to Ball Arena.
Upcoming
The Avalanche will get back to Colorado and, as mentioned, welcome the Winnipeg Jets to Ball Arena on Friday at 6:30 p.m. MT.
Let us know what you thought of this contest in the comments!
A gut punching series loss at the hands of the Miami Marlins not only had the Diamondbacks lose more ground in the NL Wild Card race to the 3 teams ahead of them, it also seemed to take all the hopium that remained in our systems and replace it with either copium or just straight up despair as the D’Backs would go from 2 losing series against 2 sub .500 teams to welcoming the New York Yankees into town for the final home series of the 2026 season.
The Yankees may have already secured their spot in October before their trip to the desert but with a chance at the AL East title still a possibility, along with having Gerrit Cole and the probable AL Cy Young winner in Cam Schlittler taking the bump, this would be no cake walk of a series and the Diamondbacks would need to at least win this series if they want any sliver of hope going into their final 6 games in Colorado and San Diego. With the 25th anniversary of the 2001 World Series winning team being celebrated this series, maybe they would be able to have some of that magic rub off onto this 2026 ballclub and use it as the fuel they need to propel them towards postseason baseball.
Ed-Rough-do Start-Riguez
Eduardo Rodriguez has undoubtedly been the best starter in the Diamondbacks rotation for all of 2026 as he leads the starters in wins (15), ERA (2.89), IP (183.2) and K’s (140), but the issue that has been rearing its head all season for Rodriguez has been his struggles out of the gate and we got more of the same in Friday night’s series opener with the Yankees putting up a 5 spot before the Diamondbacks even had the chance to swing the lumber.
The three of us looked at ERod’s numbers from the 1st inning of his starts compared to the rest of the game and it was as night and day as it could get with his first inning ERA this season sitting at 7.84, a WHIP of 1.77 and an opposing slash of .302/.389/579. From the 2nd inning and beyond he evolves into a completely different pitcher with his 1.89 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and opposing hitter slashing just .222/.279/.326. This isn’t even necessarily just an issue he’s had in 2026 either as his career ERA in the 1st inning (4.51) compared to the rest of his innings (3.92) shows that he’s always had struggles early in games for most of his career.
Cravin for Pavin?
With the demoralizing 9-2 loss on Friday night the Diamondbacks and all snakes fans in attendance would hope that the vibes would be turned around as Saturday would be the big 25th anniversary celebration of the greatest world series of all time (yes I’m biased) with so many legends from that squad like Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez, Tony Womack, Miguel Batista, Damien Miller and more in the building for the festivities.
Both the Yankees and Diamondbacks had clutch pitching and hitting at times throughout this game as the score was knotted at 3 a piece going into the bottom of the 9th inning with the Snakes in desperate need of a win to keep their playoff hopes from lowering even further, and that’s when the infamous Pavin Smith stepped in the box as a pinch hitter with a runner on 1st and 1 out. The baseball gods must like reruns because they decided that a Diamondbacks walk-off of the Yankees on the night of the 2001 WS celebration would be the most fitting outcome, and Pavin delivered just that with a 2-R home run into the sea of Yankee fans in right field.
All 3 of us have been very vocal in our frustrations with Smith’s struggles in his career here in the desert and the front office seeming to refuse to move on from a player that has accumulated 0.1 bWAR in his time as a major leaguer, and we all still feel that he should not be on this roster at the beginning of the 2027 season (if we have one that is) in any capacity, but we did admit that it was nice to see Pavin summon his inner Luis Gonzalez and send the fans into a frenzy with a walk-off over the Yankees.
Unc-enado Still Got It
The fireworks might have been after the game on Friday night, but Sunday’s final home game of the 2026 regular season had plenty of leftovers as it felt like baseballs were flying out left and right. Most of them came for the Yankees off of Corbin Burnes in the 4th inning, but the biggest one was in the Diamondbacks favor with Nolan Arenado hitting a go ahead (and potential season saving) grand slam in the 5th inning, his 3rd in 2026 and the 9th of his career.
The fellas and I discussed how nice of a surprise this offensive resurgence has been from Arenado as he is putting up some of the best numbers at the dish we have seen since his MVP caliber season as a Cardinal in 2022 while also pondering the likelihood that Nolan can get to 30 home runs on the season (27 currently) with 3 of the final 6 games being played in his old stomping grounds of Coors Field where Arenado has 139 dingers in his career in the mile high city.
Colorado Cookin
Setting off for the final road trip of the regular season the Snakes will be heading to Coors Field to take on the Colorado Rockies as they continue to battle for their lives in an attempt to make miracles happen and sneak into the playoffs.
The last few weeks have seen us and other fans throw the term “must-win games” around a bunch but these 3 in Colorado are all truly must win games if the Diamondbacks want to have any real chance at making the final series in San Diego mean anything as a Diamondbacks loss+Padres win, 2 D’Backs losses or 2 Padres wins would put the final nail in the coffin of the Diamondbacks playoff hopes.
Gabe, Brandon and I all felt disgusted that we would have to actually root for the Los Angeles Dodgers to win baseball games (just typing that out makes me want to puke) but that is the reality we are in as a Dodgers sweep of the Padres with the Diamondbacks sweeping the Rockies would set us up for what could most likely feel like its own wild card series against the Padres in San Diego to decide who gets in and who goes to Cancun.
The Major League Baseball season is down to its final days with plenty of uncertainty and playoff spots still to be clinched.
In the AL West, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros have been exchanging first place in recent days and it's the Rangers who hold a one-game leading entering play on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The Cleveland Guardians have overtaken the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, but the Sox are still likely to earn a wild card spot.
The Chicago Cubs, San DIego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies basically have the NL's three wild card spots locked up, but only one game separating the three teams in the seeding.
The regular season ends on Sunday, Sept. 27, with the best-of-three wild card series beginning two days later.
Here's the latest standings and updates on the MLB playoff race:
MLB playoff bracket 2026
#-division champion; *clinched at least a wild card spot
In this week’s Injury Report, the Dodgers are getting a number of key players back this week as they prepare for another deep playoff run in their quest to three-peat. Alex Bregman hopes to return sometime in the postseason after suffering multiple facial fractures in a terrible, freak accident on the on-deck circle. And Dylan Cease has likely made his last start after experiencing shoulder fatigue. That and more in the final week’s injury report.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps)
Andy Pages (hand)
Blake Snell (groin)
Roki Sasaki (blister)
Ohtani has been out of action for the last two weeks, sidelined with lingering knee and biceps injuries. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Sunday that the 32-year-old star should be expected to return from the injured list and join the Dodgers lineup on Wednesday. Ohtani should be in the lineup for the remaining games to get some needed at-bats before the postseason. The team also gets Pages back this week, activating him from the injured list ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Padres. He’s been out for a month with a left hand fracture. The two additions this week are obviously a significant boost for a Dodgers team looking to three-peat. Their returns likely shift rookie Josue De Paula to a reserve or utility role.
On the pitching side, Snell left his start last Wednesday against the Reds with left groin tightness. He stated the issue was not serious and plans on making one more start before the postseason. That start isn’t going to come when his spot in the rotation comes up on Tuesday, but the plan is for him to pitch over the weekend, according to Roberts.
Bregman was struck by a foul ball while on the on-deck circle on Sunday against the Reds and was sent to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with multiple facial fractures. The freak accident is an unfortunate development this late in the season as the Cubs prepare to enter the playoffs. The team is hoping to get their 32-year-old star third baseman back at some point in the postseason, and it is a relief that the injury didn’t result in anything more serious. Meanwhile, Sasaki was activated on Monday after missing some time with a blister issue and will pitch as a one-inning reliever, auditioning for a spot in the Dodgers bullpen in the postseason.
Dylan Cease (shoulder)
Cease has likely made his final start of the season. The 30-year-old right-hander underwent an MRI on his right shoulder over the weekend after experiencing some fatigue. The imaging revealed some shoulder inflammation, but no structural damage that would require surgery, and nothing that would bring into question his availability for next season. With the Blue Jays 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, it doesn’t make much sense for Cease to push for one more start over the final weekend. If his season is indeed over, he’ll end the year with a strong 2.40 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts over 169 innings.
Andrés Muñoz (knee)
Muñoz left Sunday’s game against the Rockies with a knee injury after giving up a home run and a walk. He was set to undergo an MRI on his right knee, the results of which are still unknown. The 27-year-old right-hander had a tough, disappointing season, posting a 4.24 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts over 57 1/3 innings while converting 28 of 38 save chances. If he’s unable to pitch over the final week, it could be Seranthony Domíguez closing out the remaining games.
Bryce Eldridge (concussion)
More Giants injuries that seemingly come out of nowhere. Eldridge was scratched from Friday’s lineup against the Dodgers due to a head laceration after bumping his head on a low-hanging ceiling at the team hotel. He still “felt woozy” throughout the weekend and entered the concussion protocol before the team ultimately placed him on the 7-day concussion injured list. The move is retroactive to Friday, so there’s a chance he could return for the final weekend series, though that’s probably unlikely. The 21-year-old slugger flashed immense potential this season, hitting .269/.364/.461 with 17 homers and 57 RBI across 448 plate appearances.
Colt Keith (thumb)
Keith’s season is over after the team placed him on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb sprain. It’s an issue that the 25-year-old infielder has been playing through over the last several weeks. He ends the season hitting a modest .258/.322/.406 with 10 homers, 51 runs scored, 36 RBI, and six steals across 423 plate appearances.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 19: Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets is doused with water following the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Saturday, September 19, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Mooney/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.
MONDAY
A.J. Ewing hit his 10th home run of the season, giving the Mets 11 players with 10+ homers and setting a new record for most 10-homer players in a season in franchise history (the 2017 team previously held the record with 10 10-homer players). They are now tied for the fifth-most 10-homer players on a team in baseball history, behind the 2019 Yankees (14), 2019 Blue Jays (13), 2018 Yankees (12), and 2023 Twins (12).
TUESDAY
Pete Alonso became the 20th player to record their 300th homer against a team for which they previously played, and the third to do so against a team for which they played 1,000 or more games (along with Willie Horton against the Tigers and Torii Hunter against the Twins). (source: Sarah Langs on X, per Elias Sports Bureau)
Alonso became the second player to hit their 300th homer at Citi Field, as Curtis Granderson reached the milestone with a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning on June 14, 2017, against the Cubs.
The homer marked Alonso’s first game-tying or go-ahead home run while trailing in the ninth inning or later since Game 3 of the 2024 Wild Card Series.
Alonso was actually the second former Met to hit a game-tying or go-ahead home run at Citi Field while trailing in the ninth inningor later. It may not have received the same fanfare as the Polar Bear’s blast, but Adeiny Hecchavarría accomplished the feat with the Braves off Paul Sewald on September 29, 2019 — exactly one day after Alonso set a new MLB rookie record with his 53rd home run of the season. Hechavarría’s homer set up Dom Smith’s memorable walk-off homer on the final pitch of the regular season.
Alonso’s homer snapped Kodai Senga’s streak of seven consecutive saves successfully converted, the fourth-most by a Met to begin their career behind Tug McGraw (15), Anthony Young (12), and Hisanori Takahashi (8).
A.J. Ewing’s second-inning single marked the 100th hit of his career. Ewing and Carson Benge are just the third pair of Mets rookies to record 100 hits in the same season, joining Steve Henderson and Lee Mazzilli in 1977 and Jason Phillips and Ty Wigginton in 2003.
Since 2015, there have been four extra-inning inside-the-park homers in MLB. Three of those four have been hit by an opposing player at Citi Field: Blake Swihart of the Red Sox on August 28, 2015, Daylen Lile of the Nationals on September 20, 2025, and now Coby Mayo of the Orioles on September 15, 2026. The only other extra-inning inside-the-park homer in that span was hit by another Oriole, Austin Hays, on August 11, 2020, at Citizens Bank Park.
Mayo’s inside-the-park homer was a wind-prevented traditional homer, marking the first time a wind-prevented traditional homer has resulted in an inside-the-parker since…Daylen Lile’s on September 20, 2025, at Citi Field. (source: Sarah Langs on X, per Weather Applied Metrics)
The Mets played their 18th extra-inning game of the season, marking the fourth-most in the majors behind the Angels (20), Cubs (19) and Cardinals (19). It’s the most extra-inning games the Mets have played in a season since 2018 (18).
WEDNESDAY
With his 24th stolen base of the season, A.J. Ewing tied Mookie Wilson’s 1981 record for the most stolen bases by a rookie in franchise history.
By allowing homers to Pete Alonso, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Jeremiah Jackson, the Mets allowedhomers to the same three players in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history.
The Orioles hit three homers at 106+ mph against the Mets for the second day in a row. Prior to this series, the Mets hadn’t allowed three such homers in a game since April 4, 2023, during a 9-0 loss in Milwaukee.
Chris Bassitt completed six innings at Citi Field for the 16th time since 2022. He is tied with David Peterson for the most six-inning outings at Citi Field during that span, despite the fact that Bassitt played just one season as a Met.
Alonso hit his 125th homer at Citi Field. No other player has more than 80 (Francisco Lindor). It was also Alonso’s 58th homer of a Statcast-projected 410+ feet at Citi Field. No other player has more than 23 (Michael Conforto).
The Mets have now lost five games in a row against the Orioles, and nine of their last 12.
THURSDAY
Nolan McLean has a 0.71 ERA over his first four career starts against the Phillies. That’s tied with Chuck Taylor for the fourth-lowest ERA in a pitcher’s first four starts against the Phillies since the mound was lowered in 1969 (min. 20 IP), behind Rick Honeycutt (0.38), Bob Sykes (0.42), and Hiroki Kuroda (0.68).
McLean recorded his 19th quality start this season, tied with Sonny Gray and Chris Sale for sixth-most in the majors behind Sandy Alcantara (21), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (21), Cristopher Sánchez (21), Cam Schlittler (20), and Michael Wacha (20). McLean is one of only two pitchers since 2015 to reach 19 quality starts in their rookie season, joining Shota Imanaga (19 in 2024). McLean also recorded his 20th start of six or more innings pitched this season, the second-most by a Met in a season since 2020, trailing only Wednesday’s opposing starter: Chris Bassitt (23 in 2022).
McLean recorded his 25th game with at least five strikeouts this season, the most by a Mets pitcher since Jacob deGrom (29) and Noah Syndergaard (27) in 2019.
Aaron Nola made his 33rd career start against the Mets, tied for 25th all-time against the franchise and tied with Randy Wolf and Tim Hudson for second-most since 2000, behind fellow longtime Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels (34). It was his 16th start as a visiting player at Citi Field, moving him into second place behind Gio Gonzalez (18) for most opposing starts in the ballpark’s history.
Nola recorded his seventh scoreless start against the Mets, tying him for the sixth-most all-time behind Rick Reuschel (11), Greg Maddux (10), Juan Marichal (9), Claude Osteen (9), and Jim Bunning (8).
The Mets suffered their 15thshutout loss of the season, tied with the Angels, Guardians, and Pirates for the second-most in MLB behind the Reds (17).
FRIDAY
Juan Soto reached base three times for the 324th time in his career, tying Mike Trout for the fourth-most such games by a player before turning 28 years old. Soto trails only Jimmie Foxx (348), Mickey Mantle (344), and Mel Ott (341).
Soto ripped two extra-base hits with an exit velocity of 108 mph or higher in the same game. In the statcast era (since 2015), a Mets left-handed hitter has accomplished that feat only 12 times: Robinson Cano, Lucas Duda, and Daniel Vogelbach each did it once, Brandon Nimmo did it twice, Michael Conforto did it three times, and Juan Soto has now done it four times in just two seasons.
Zac Thornton recorded his eighth quality start through 14 career games, marking the third-most by a Mets left-handed pitcher behind Steven Matz (10) and Sid Fernandez (9).
SATURDAY
Carson Benge’s eighth-inning single marked his 156th hit of the season, passing Pete Alonso to set the franchise’s new rookie hits record.
Benge recorded his 12th three-hit game of the season, marking another record for a Mets rookie, while notching three hits and a homer against the Phillies. The Mets outfielder with the most such games against the Phillies? Carlos Beltrán (7 times), who had his number retired in a pregame ceremony on Saturday.
The Mets scored 10 or more runs for the 18th time this season, tied with 1997 for the third-most such games in a season in franchise history. The 2000 (24) and 1999 (20) teams are the only ones in franchise history with more double-digit scoring performances.
SUNDAY
Francisco Alvarez’s second-inning single was his 23rd batted ball at 108 mph or higher this season, tied with Juan Soto for the most on the team.
The Mets scored two or fewer runs through nine innings for the 62nd time this season. That’s the most such games for the Mets in a season since 2013 (63), and their second-most in the Wild Card Era (since 1995).
The Mets finished the season with a losing record (3-4) against the Phillies at Citi Field for the first time since 2019, when they went 4-5.
The Mets finished the season with a 36-45 record at Citi Field, their worst in a full season since 2013, when they went 33-48.
Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
Here is a list of every player to record 99+ homers and 99+ stolen bases with multiple franchises:
Barry Bonds (Pirates and Giants) Alex Rodriguez (Mariners and Yankees) Carlos Beltrán (Royals and Mets) Francisco Lindor (Guardians and Mets)
Beltrán’s 70.0 career bWAR ranks second all-time among players born in Puerto Rico, trailing only that of Roberto Clemente (95.0). Beltrán won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2013, and Francisco Lindor (who ranks fifth on the leaderboard with 57.2 bWAR) was named the Mets’ 2026 nominee last Monday.
Bonus Stat: There are 32 entries in this edition of Monday Stat Party — one for each year of Mets baseball that Howie Rose has called from the broadcast booth.
BALTIMORE – The season has turned into a slog for the Baltimore Orioles, playoff elimination imminent, roster deficiencies obvious, a second consecutive losing season loading.
Pete Alonso seems impervious to it all.
When his ballclub seems to find only failure and brick walls, Alonso finds joy. Take this 21st night of September, when the Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays gathered in front of 12,057 fans who waited out a 47-minute Monday night rain delay to watch a pair of dead teams walking.
Yet this wasn’t just any day, but rather the first birthday for Alonso and wife Haley’s son. They adorned their kitchen with a massive “Happy Birthday Theodore” banner and various stuffed animals and presents befitting a young king.
And then Alonso punched into work and passed out gifts to his teammates, creating a night his firstborn will someday remember fondly.
Alonso turned a nondescript date in a dead-end season into something special, as he often does, blasting home runs Nos. 39 and 40 into the Baltimore night, the latter a two-run shot off former teammate Tyler Rogers as he almost singlehandedly erased a three-run deficit and provided a 4-3 victory.
Functionally, the victory might only push elimination back a day or so for the 76-81 Orioles. In a grander sense, it exemplified exactly how Alonso has become That Dude in the first season of a five-year, $155 million contract.
And it was the icing on the cake of an emotional, transformative year for the Polar Bear: Becoming a father, leaving the New York Mets, tasked with carrying a franchise that had never passed out a free agent contract that large, oh, and go ahead and crank out 40 homers and 100 RBIs in almost metronomic fashion.
Consider that task crossed off the list: Alonso leads the American League with 108 RBIs, likely killed Yordan Alvarez’s hopes of a Triple Crown (he has driven in 98) and now has his fourth 40-100 campaign in seven full seasons.
Have a year, Pete.
“I think the hardest thing was navigating parenthood,” says Alonso of his transformative 366 days. “And it’s like how do we get this down – being husband, being dad, being ready to my maximum capabilities by first pitch? As the season’s gone on, I feel like I’m getting more and more in tune with being a parent and being an athlete.
“Really thankful for my teammates sticking with me. Really thankful for my wife.”
Entering Monday, the Orioles had not scored in 19 innings, their playoff hopes exterminated by a pair of Milwaukee Brewers shutouts, and starter Shane Baz promptly walked the leadoff batter on a pitch clock violation and gave up three runs to the Blue Jays in the top of the first.
Alonso simply shrugged his massive shoulders, came to the plate to the thunderous drums intro of Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing and blasted a Trey Yesavage pitch 363 feet to his new favorite place on earth, the short right field porch at Camden Yards. It was home run No. 39, an impressive feat yet window dressing in the larger view.
Another nondescript loss was just four outs away when Alonso strode to the plate, two outs in the eighth, a leadoff walk rotting on first. In his second at-bat, Alonso switched up his walk-up song, to Earth, Wind & Fire’s September, this being 9/21 and all.
Oh, and also Theo’s first birthday. Coincidence?
“Yeah, that was for him,” Alonso said, proudly.
“That’s his birthday song.”
And then Alonso went bye-bye, baby, this time going 400 feet to left field off the sidearming Rogers. What remained of the crowd roared. And young Theo will hear about it long after he’s grown.
“Sick. It’s 100% special,” says Alonso of this night. “He’s not going to understand it for a couple years. But hopefully, I can kind of look back and bookmark this and keep it for the archives and hopefully he appreciates it someday.”
It will be hard to outdo Birthday No. 1. Then again, it might have been harder for Alonso to top home run No. 300, which came upon his return to New York and resulted in Mets fans saluting him in his old home ballpark.
“He exceeded my expectations just off the field, what he brings,” says rookie manager Craig Albernaz. “I didn’t really know-him know him, but being around him every single day, that’s been the most impressive thing.
“His baseball card, his accolades, the track record is there. Hitting 40 home runs and more than 100 RBIs in this league is really impressive. And the consistency (with which) he does it isn’t by accident.”
The next day might bring another numbing loss for a club that hasn’t been so much as two games over .500 since April 13. Or perhaps the Orioles’ first baseman, their new franchise player, will find a little more sunlight in a dark season and keep them alive a little longer.
“I know where we’re at with the standings,” Alonso acknowledged. “But I couldn’t be more proud to be an Oriole and this organization, this city, to be a part of it.
“I’m really excited not just for the remaining few games of the season but what we have coming down the pipe.”
The Chicago Blackhawks used a lot of what will be their regular-season lineup against the Minnesota Wild on Monday night at the United Center. The Wild, for the second straight game, dressed a group of mostly AHL players.
15 seconds into the game, the Wild scored a goal to make it 1-0. Bobby Brink redirected a shot past Spencer Knight to put the Blackhawks behind. It was a goal that can be blamed on a defensive zone turnover, but those things are going to happen early in the preseason.
Eventually, the Blackhawks took a too many men on the ice penalty, which they had served by Nick Lardis. When Lardis exited the box following a good penalty kill, he stripped the puck from a Wild defender and earned himself a breakaway.
Early in the sequence, Lardis was tripped. It is unclear whether the ref was going to call a normal tripping penalty or a penalty shot, but it is a moot point because Lardis sniped home the tying goal.
During the off-season, it was known that Lardis worked on skating and strength. That was on display with the takeaway and the speed to find himself in alone. It isn't crazy to think that he can flirt with 30 goals if he stays healthy.
In the second period, the Blackhawks gave themselves a 2-1 lead thanks to a goal scored by Bowen Byram. This is his first preseason game in a Chicago sweater, and he made a great first impression with his go-ahead goal.
On the play, Sam Rinzel and Ryan Greene made a nice play to circle the puck around the offensive zone before finding Byram with a lane to the net.
With a 2-1 lead in the third period, the Blackhawks had a chance to close out their first win of the exhibition season. Results don't truly matter when the games don't count, but the NHL lineup came in expecting to beat the AHL version of the Wild.
Just 24 seconds into the third, Byram scored his second of the game to put the Blackhawks up 3-1. He was trying to make a backdoor pass to Roman Kantserov, but it deflected into the net off a Minnesota Wild defender.
Although Kantserov didn't get the goal, he did collect an assist on the play. He moved the puck to Alex Vlasic, who found Byram before it ended up being a goal.
At that point, it looked like the Blackhawks were going to walk out of the United Center with a preseason victory. But the Wild youngsters had other ideas.
Maxim Shabanov and Bobby Brink (his second of the game) added goals to tie the game tied back up at 3. It is too early to read into certain things, but the Blackhawks did have a problem with third-period leads in 2025-26.
60 minutes wasn't enough. After going to overtime back in St. Paul on Saturday, the two teams did it again in Chicago on Monday.
In overtime, the Blackhawks had the puck off the draw and never gave it up before Bowen Byram fired it home for the hat trick 29 seconds into the extra frame. The Blackhawks, with the hat trick goal by Byram, won their first game of the preseason.
It wasn't pretty, and most exhibition games aren't, but there was a lot for head coach Jeff Blashill to like. For one, Bowen Byram is an offensive defenseman who gives the Blackhawks an element they haven't had in a while. They also have forwards and complementary defensemen who will help Byram take full advantage of his skills.
First impressions are everything. He isn't going to have a hat trick, or even have a point, in every game, but he showed how much more dynamic he can make the team overall.
The Chicago Blackhawks are past their two preseason games against the Minnesota Wild. Now, they have a home and home with the St. Louis Blues to close out the preseason. The next game will be on Thursday, when they pay a visit to St. Louis for preseason game 3.
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The blowout was Skubal’s first Rams game since being traded to the Dodgers at the deadline. However, the two-time Cy Young winner wasn’t the only Dodger in attendance for the MNF showdown as Mookie Betts shared a suite with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, who is currently on Injured Reserve.
The Dodgers are in the midst of a close National League race, trailing the first-place Brewers by two games. The back-to-back World Series champions clinched the division last week on the road.
Now, LA is looking to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Skubal is set to play a key role for the Dodgers in October. The left-hander is sporting a 2.95 ERA since his arrival to LA.
The Dodgers plan to once again lean on their starting rotation to spearhead another World Series run.
Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell, left, and pitcher Tarik Skubal, center, chat in the dugout in the sixth inning of an MLB game. CHRIS TORRES/EPA/ShutterstockLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell looks on from the dugout during a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds. AP Photo/Tanner Pearson
BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 9: Malachi Smith #18 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on April 9, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After spending the tail end of the 2025-26 season with the Brooklyn Nets, shooting guard Malachi Smith now finds himself in the country of Canada with the Toronto Raptors.
The 26-year-old had his non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 training camp contract altered into a two-way deal, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. Smith will split his time between the big club and their G League affiliate, the Raptors 905.
The Toronto Raptors are converting Malachi Smith to a two-way contract, league sources told @hoopshype. Smith averaged 8.3 points on 48.5% shooting from the field and 43.5% shooting from 3-point range, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 15 games for the Brooklyn Nets last season. pic.twitter.com/AeRZCLX3yh
Across 15 games with Brooklyn, four of which were starts, the 6-4 Smith averaged 8.3 points on a shooting split of 48.5 percent from the field/43.5 percent on three-pointers/100.0 percent at the free-throw line, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per contest. He was waived back on July 10 after the organization exercised his minimum salary team option on June 30, in order to make salary cap space.
Toronto’s training camp will begin on Sept. 29.
Joining Smith on a two-way deal is forward/center Graham Ike with the Golden State Warriors. As of right now, 12 Gonzaga alums will be in the NBA at the start of the 2026-27 season.
Forward/center Drew Timme, who was on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers this past season, wasn’t picked for the open roster spot before the 2026 NBA Playoffs. He’s still searching for his next professional destination as Los Angeles has all three of their two-way spots filled.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
In a tightly contested pre-season where prospects are typically at the forefront, a longtime Pittsburgh Penguins' veteran drove the bus for the team in game one.
Forward Bryan Rust notched a goal and two assists as the Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 4-1, in their first pre-season game of 2026. The win gives them six consecutive victories in the pre-season, which, according to Penguins' historian Bob Grove, is tied for the third-longest streak in franchise history.
Rust was joined on the scoresheet by Connor Dewar, Avery Hayes, and Elmer Soderblom, who secured the win at the end with an empty-net goal from just above the goal line. Jake Richard scored the lone goal for the Sabres, which came on a power play late in the second period.
All in all, it was a complete effort to start what is a short pre-season as well as a condensed one. The Penguins play the Detroit Red Wings at home Tuesday before going on the road to face the Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres on Thursday and Friday.
"The coaches are making sure we know that, when you blink, camp's going to be over," Hayes said. "You don't want to regret anything, you kind of want to attack every day with the mindset that you don't know what's coming tomorrow. So, you just gotta attack every day with 100 percent."
Midway through the first period, Andrei Kuzmenko - playing on a line with Ben Kindel and Rust until Kindel didn't come out for the second period - fed a puck to Rust, who attacked the offensive zone with purpose. He stickhandled his way through several Sabres and left one on a platter for Dewar, who ripped it home from the slot to give the Penguins the 1-0 lead.
The score remained 1-0 until midway through the second period, when Buffalo took a pair of penalties to give the Penguins a brief five-on-three. Just 18 seconds into the five-on-three, a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play from Kris Letang to Hendrix Lapierre to Rust, waiting in the low slot area, made it 2-0.
After the late goal by Richard, the Penguins were in the offensive zone with time waning in the middle frame. With less than five seconds to go, Hayes forced a turnover by Sabres' defenseman Dennis Gilbert behind the net and looped to just above the goal line, where he sniped a top-shelf shot over the right shoulder of goaltender Alex Lyon to restore the two-goal lead, which the Penguins were able to protect the rest of the way.
"It's just an extra effort play with almost no time left in the period," Rust said. "Those things can be momentum-killers if you're the one it happens against, or it can be a momentum-builder. And, I think for us, that was huge.
"Obviously, it's a pre-season game, but you can see that he just outworked everybody on the ice, and then he sniped. The more he does that, the more he's going to impact this team in just the most positive way."
Here are a few notes and observations from game one of the pre-season:
- Rust was the best player in this game, and it wasn't particularly close. Throughout the entirety of camp so far, he's arguably been the most noticeable player, which says a lot about the 34-year-old veteran.
It's been said many times that he possesses a lot of Crosby-like qualities. His effort in training camp as if he's still a kid trying to make the team is one of them, and it sets a great example for the younger guys, like Hayes, trying to make this team.
'Leadership' can be an overstated quality, but that's not the case with Rust. He is a true leader for this locker room in every sense of the word.
- As mentioned before, Kindel did not return for the second period after sustaining a lower-body injury. Head coach Dan Muse could not provide an update on Kindel after the game, as he is still being evaluated.
Obviously, this would be a huge loss for the Penguins if he misses any chunk of time. He looked shot out of a cannon in that first period, and it would be yet another blow to their center depth with Blake Lizotte already out week-to-week.
- That said, this is exactly why having so much forward depth is a net positive for the Penguins. And the guy who took Kindel's place on that line, Tristan Broz, got a chance to show out for the final two periods between Kuzmenko and Rust.
And he was really, really, solid out there. He looks comfortable in all three zones, he's a smart player who almost always makes clean reads, and he's got a rocket of a shot, too. He looked right at home on that first power play unit.
"He was good," Rust said. "You can tell he's a really good hockey player. Thinks the game at a high level, makes really good plays out there. I think the more he gets comfortable, the better he's going to be."
If Lizotte is not ready to go for the season-opener, I think Broz has a nice path to fill that role. And, if Kindel is out, you can pretty much pencil him in for an NHL roster spot to begin the season along with Filip Hallander, who also had a nice showing Monday.
- To go back to Hayes for a second, I predicted that this guy would crack the opening night roster because his play in these games would force the organization's hand at keeping him up.
I'll stand by that. Hayes just has that extra gear, and he's a type of feisty and relentless yet skilled bottom-six player that the Penguins have lacked for a good spell.
- This was a good performance by both Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist, who split the game. Murashov stopped all 12 shots he faced, while Blomqvist stopped 10 of 11 and didn't really have much of a chance on the goal, as he appeared to be screened a bit.
The battle between these two through four days has been a legitimate one. Both looked comfortable, poised, and ready to go.
- Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke were relatively quiet as a pairing in this one. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Both - especially Pickering - look substantially better defensively than they did at this time last year. Pickering made all the right decisions Monday, his gap control was excellent, and he was counted upon on the penalty kill and in defensive situations, handling it like a champ.
As for Brunicke, there was a small but telling third-period play with around 12 minutes left. He went to pinch down the right wall on a puck, but glanced over his shoulder to make sure he was covered before fully committing. It sounds like something so simple, but that's not something he was doing last year. In fact, his decision-making as far as joining the rush and jumping into the play was pretty much perfect on Monday.
Both look NHL-ready. Even if they start the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), it won't be long before they're full-time NHLers.
- Of note, Ryan Graves led all Penguins' skaters in ice time Monday with 22:33. This wasn't a bad performance by Graves, even if he didn't stand out.
But second in ice time? That would be Chase Pietila, who played an excellent game. I feel like there aren't too many people who are talking about this guy, but he is so smart on the blue line, very risk-averse, and solid as a rock defensively.
He's someone to watch in WBS this season. He's not flashy, but he does all the right things.
Those two will be interesting to watch in this one, as they will be surrounded by NHL regulars. If I was a betting person, I'd wager that Calvert centers the Rucks, but we shall see.
Of note, a forward and a defenseman have to be scratched. Hopefully, one of the twins isn't the odd guy out.
Bregman was standing in the on-deck circle preparing for his at-bat when his teammate Michael Busch checked his swing and fouled off a pitch from the Cincinnati Reds’ Luis Mey. The ball struck Bregman in the face, and he immediately jogged toward the Cubs’ dugout with his hand covering the left side of his face. He was taken to hospital for X-rays and CT scans.
ESPN reports that the 32-year-old will not require surgery and hopes to return for the postseason.
“He got hit in the left cheekbone essentially, under the eye,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after the game. “He was bleeding from his nose a little. There’s some swelling. It’s a terrible, terrible accident. We hope he’s OK.”
Bregman posted a photo of himself on Instagram. His eye was swollen and there was blood on his cheek. “Thanks for all the messages yall. I’ll be back,” Bregman said.
Bregman is batting .262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs after signing a $175m, five-year free-agent deal in January.
“It just happens so fast,” Busch said. “[Mey] is throwing the ball hard and it comes off hard. Any time it enters the head area, it’s always a scary thing. We try to focus on the game, but it’s tough. Hopefully he’s OK, first and foremost.”
The Senators opened their abbreviated preseason schedule with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Monday night’s Kraft Hockeyville game in Trois-Rivières, Que.
Cole Caufield scored twice for Montreal, tying the game midway through the third period before delivering the dagger in overtime.
The crowd inside Colisée Vidéotron was firmly behind the Canadiens, but the Senators briefly took the wind out of their sails in the early moments.
Senators sign autographs on the morning of Kraft Hockeyville and their game against Montreal on Monday.
Newcomer William Eklund wasted no time endearing himself to Sens Nation, scoring just 89 seconds into his first preseason appearance with the Sens. Eklund fed the puck to Dylan Cozens, who sprinted behind the net and then slipped a gorgeous feed back to Eklund, who finished the play to give the Senators an early 1-0 lead.
But Montreal completely controlled the rest of the period, responding three minutes later when defenseman Jayden Struble beat Samuel Ersson with a low short-side shot to tie the game.
The score remained deadlocked until late in the second period, when Cozens went from setup man to scorer. His first of the preseason restored the Sens' lead and capped a two-point night for the Workhorse.
The Senators carried that 2-1 advantage into the third period, until Caufield went to work. His tying goal was a harmless-looking shot along the ice, but it somehow eluded Sens goalie Samuel Ersson, who may have been anticipating a cross-crease pass instead.
Caufield's game-winning goal came on a hard, low wrist shot under the stick of Ridly Greig and past Ersson.
Both teams dressed fairly strong NHL lineups, but the game was filled with glitchy moments, which is standard for a preseason opener. That was particularly evident on special teams.
Montreal finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while Ottawa went 0-for-4.
The Habs controlled much of the play on the night, outshooting the Sens 36-20. Ersson went the distance in his first appearance and turned aside 33 shots, and Travis Green told reporters after the game that he was the Sens' best player on the night.
The Senators will be back in action Wednesday night with a pair of split-squad games against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Most of the Sens' top players are expected to remain at home to face Toronto at Canadian Tire Centre, while the rest of the group will visit the Maple Leafs. Both games begin at 7 p.m.
The Sens will then get another go at the Habs when the teams close out their preseason schedules Saturday night. That will also be a split-squad arrangement, with games taking place simultaneously in Ottawa and Montreal at 7 p.m.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest THN Ottawa headlines below:
Hockey is officially back for the Detroit Red Wings, who wrapped up Training Camp this week, and opened the abbreviated preseason schedule with a Monday evening matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With a lineup consisting largely of young players competing for roster spots, the Red Wings fell 1-0 to the Blue Jackets in a shootout at Nationwide Arena.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Nate Danielson, and John Leonard were all denied by Blue Jackets goaltender Pheonix Copley in the shootout following a scoreless overtime.
The only puck that entered the net in the entire contest was courtesy of Columbus forward Conor Garland, who beat Michal Postava with a blocker-side shot.
Goaltender Daniil Tarasov, whom the Red Wings signed to a one-year contract earlier in the summer, played the first 40 minutes of the night and turned aside all 15 shots he faced; he was replaced as planned for the third period by Postava.
Meanwhile, Jet Greaves stopped all 16 Detroit shots for Columbus before giving way in the third to Copley.
Notably, Postava channeled his inner Dominik Hasek late in the third period when he raced well beyond the slot to corral the puck, colliding with Blue Jackets forward Josh Eernisse and sending him flying head over heels in a near carbon copy of a December 2007 play involving the Hall of Fame goaltender and Minnesota Wild forward Marian Gaborik.
The Red Wings registered 11 shots in the first period but managed just five in the second and two in the third; they didn't record a shot during the five-minute overtime.
While Detroit went scoreless in three power-play opportunities, they killed off all five Columbus chances with the man-advantage.
Among the Red Wings regulars who saw action were J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Keegan Kolesar; Rasmussen led all Red Wings players with five shots.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and John Leonard had two shots each. Meanwhile, Dominik Shine and Kienan Draper each picked up five-minute fighting majors.
Detroit will be right back in action Tuesday night when it visits the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena; their first home preseason game will be Thursday against the divisional rival Buffalo Sabres.
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To start off, things were looking good for the Philadelphia Flyers in their preseason opener against the Washington Capitals, but they quickly ran out of steam and fell flat on their faces. It was all downhill from there in a thoroughly unimpressive 5-2 loss.
Veteran newcomer Jack Studnicka got the Flyers off to about as good a start as they could have asked for, cashing in from close range on the power play just 2:35 into the contest to put Philadelphia up 1-0. Rookies Jett Luchanko and Cole Knuble, who have been impressive as of late, collected the assists.
Aliaksei Protas answered for Washington on a 5-on-3 power play after the Flyers got themselves in penalty trouble, and big-money youngster Ryan Leonard gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead on a laser through traffic to end the period.
David Jiricek had some trouble boxing out the much bigger and stronger Protas in front of Joseph Woll on the goal, but Flyers forward Riley Thompson also had a bad angle and allowed Leonard to walk around in the slot to pick his shot to begin with.
Early in the second period, Knuble pulled the Flyers even by cleaning up a long-range Oliver Bonk shot, but the Flyers just never truly built or maintained any momentum after that.
Bonk got caught on a bad pinch that sent Dylan Strome in alone on Woll for a score, and Jonny Brodzinski buried the Capitals' final two goals of the night past Carson Bjarnason, who relieved Woll for the final 20 minutes.
Overall, it was just a bad night for the Flyers, and one that certainly resembled a group that has been going hard and competing throughout training camp.
Flyers notes and an injury
Denver Barkey was injured in Monday's game against Washington and did not return. (Photo: James Guillory, Imagn Images)
The Flyers had a chance to seize momentum after Capitals forward Andrew Cristall was given a five-minute major penalty for cross checking and a game misconduct for bopping Hunter McDonald in the mouth after a hard hit on Leonard, but the Flyers failed to score.
Forward Denver Barkey, who opened the game as the Flyers' top center, left the game early in the second period and did not return, and players like Alex Bump and Porter Martone were total nonfactors.
Offensively, Knuble, Luchanko, Jiricek, Bonk, and Studnicka were the only players who made things happen more than a handful of times. Luchanko and Studnicka were each particularly impressive with their assertiveness at both ends of the ice.
Both Bonk and Jiricek had their shaky moments defensively, but it is paramount we keep in mind that these are 21- and 22-year-old defensemen who need time and trust as they continue to develop.
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet did not have an update on Barkey after the game, and the Flyers will be right back to it on Tuesday night when they face the Boston Bruins at TD Garden at 7 p.m.
Expect that game roster to consist primarily of players who did not play in Monday night's game against the Capitals.
