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As the calendar turns to September, every Major League Baseball team deals with fatigue. Pitchers are pushing past their workload caps, arms are heavy, and the grueling 162-game slate takes its toll. But in Colorado, the September decline is hitting differently.

There isn’t just one simple thing to point the finger at for the team’s struggles over the last few weeks. Hitting has cratered in the clutch, and the defense hasn’t been up to standard. One of the constant question marks for the Rockies has been the approach to pitching this season. It’s still a mystery to understand exactly what they are trying to build on the mound, but the performance has been inconsistent at best throughout the season.

Rockies’ pitching has run into a proverbial brick wall of late and has been a significant factor as to why 100 losses have become an unescapable reality. Over the past few weeks, the pitching staff hasn’t just shown signs of fatigue—the bottom has completely fallen out. What was already a thin, heavily-taxed unit has cratered down the stretch, turning late-season games into painful endurance tests for the bullpen and starting rotation alike.

The Rockies, unsurprisingly, have the highest team ERA in the league this season at 5.59, just ahead of the Athletics, who play in a Triple-A ballpark and spent a horrid week in Las Vegas early in the season. The team has a 6.13 ERA from the starting pitchers, worst in baseball, while the bullpen has been solid for most of the season, albeit with an inflated 4.97 ERA, which is the fourth-highest in the league.

As the season winds down, let’s take a look at where things stand and why the Rockies are struggling so badly on the mound.

The starters

Let’s start with the starting rotation.

The rotation has been a struggle for the Rockies all season between injuries and lackluster performances. After a promising start to the year with a 4.60 ERA in April, the Rockies haven’t posted a rotation ERA under five since, including four months with an ERA over six.

September has been brutal, to the tune of a 6.47 ERA, which is the third-highest in baseball. There isn’t anything new as to why the rotation is struggling. They have allowed the sixth-most runs (43) on the third-most hits (71) while ranking 18th in strikeouts (51). They have also thrown the 10th-fewest innings (57.0).

Pitches fill up the strike zone, but the Rockies are generally in the middle of the pack when it comes to contact rates. It’s often death by a thousand cuts as the team deals with an abundance of traffic, foul balls, and elevated pitch counts.

The first time through the order, the Rockies’ rotation has a 5.56 ERA in September. Digging down further, the Rockies have a 3.75 ERA in the first inning that inflates to a 10.50 ERA in the second inning and a 9.00 ERA in the third. Despite an excellent ERA in the fourth, the team struggles in the fifth inning as well.

Rockies starter constantly laboring through four or five innings while digging a hole the team has a hard time getting out of isn’t a recipe for success. Two solid innings mean nothing when the surrounding ones are so catastrophic. Opposing teams are slashing .305/.355/.502 against the rotation in September and have faced just 256 total batters, one of the lower totals across the league. That would be a positive number by itself it wasn’t coupled with the other stats.

Aside from Mason Adams, the Rockies rotation hasn’t had much to celebrate this month and has to be one of the major points of focus in the offseason, heading into 2027.

The bullpen

Throughout the season, the bullpen has been one of the strong points for the Rockies. Tasked with taking on a heavy workload because of the failings of the rotation, they have thrown 609 total innings, the sixth-most in baseball.

They haven’t been without their bumps in the road; May and June were rough as the bullpen had an ERA over six those two months, but they have otherwise been solid overall.

Well, until September happened.

September has been the worst month for the bullpen by far.

Holding a 7.66 ERA, the Rockies’ arm barn trails only a historically bad Washington Nationals bullpen this month. They have thrown just 47 innings this month, good for 17th in the league, while allowing the most runs (42).

The inability to prevent runs has been most detrimental for the Rockies as a whole. It seems at time that the starting pitchers and offense at least keep the game close, or even work with a lead, only to see the bullpen immediately give things away.

In Detroit, Adams had a strong start through five innings, leaving the game with a 1-1 tie. The Rockies bullpen proceeded to give up four runs in the sixth inning and the team went on to lose 6-2. On Monday, the Rockies battled back and forth with the San Diego Padres, but ultimately fell 8-7 after the bullpen gave up runs in the seventh and eighth to put the game just out of reach 8-7.

A major issue for the pen has been the surge in walks as the Rockies have issued 30, third-most in baseball. Meanwhile, they have 41 strikeouts and opponents are .278/.378/.492 with eight home runs and 12 doubles. The abundance of traffic given up by the bullpen has led to devastating mistakes that have put too many games out of reach. The bleeding hasn’t been stopped, or they simply open up the wound.

Perhaps fatigue could be the reason for the bullpen’s struggles. Perhaps it could be overexposure. Perhaps it could be a lack of talent. Or perhaps, it’s all of the above. Either way, the way the bullpen has fallen flat in the final month of the season has been a major disappointment after everything they had accomplished this season.

Going forward

I hope that the new pitching minds at 20th and Blake have learned some valuable lessons this season about pitching in Colorado. It’s definitely frustrating to see everything collapse at once down the final stretch, but good teams have to be able to compete for all 162 games. There is plenty of talent and potential along with promising developments, but the Rockies have to find a way to win in the margins of pitching and take the next step forward to being a competent and competitive team.

September has proven the team still has a long way to go in that department.

On the Farm

Triple-A: Salt Lake Bees 7, Albuquerque Isotopes 5 (F/10)

The Albuquerque Isotopes took an early 4-1 lead in the second inning, but ended up falling 7-5 in extra-innings of the opener of their final series of the year. Edouard Julien hit a two-run double in the bottom of the second inning, followed by a two-run home run by Chad Stevens to take the lead. However, the offense couldn’t add on until Charlie Condon contributed an RBI single in the seventh inning. Unfortunately, due to costly errors, Parker Mushinski ended up giving up four runs on the top of the eighth to tie the game 5-5. Evan Shawver eventually took over the 10th inning, giving up a double and a triple to put the Bees up by two. The Isotopes threatened in the bottom half of the inning, but couldn’t score any more runs.

Double-A:Reading Fightin Phils 21, Hartford Yard Goats 4

It was a forgettable night for the Hartford Yard Goats as they kicked off their playoff series with a devastating 21-4 loss. Connor Staine made the start and threw a scoreless first inning, and the Yard Goats then took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second. Unfortunately, things went downhill after that; Staine gave up six runs on six hits without recording an out in the second inning.

He was replaced by Bryson Hammer, who recorded two outs but gave up another six runs on three hits with three walks. Fisher Jameson then tossed 2.1 innings, but allowed another four runs on six hits. After a few scoreless outings from other relievers, Nathan Blasick was tagged for another five runs, three earned, in the seventh inning. The pitching staff gave up 16 hits while walking 12 and striking out six. Oddly enough, they only gave up one home run.

Offensively, Cole Messina led the way with two hits, but Braylen Wimmer’s double was the only extra-base hit. The Yard Goats drew seven walks against 10 strikeouts, but went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Rockies Reacts Survey: How many walks will TJ Rumfield take by the end of 2026?

Affected by Altitude Episode 225: The Proverbial Wall | Rocky Mountain Rooftop

This week, Evan Lang and I discuss the struggles of the Rockies’ offense and defense over the last week. We then talk about the excellent play of Adael Amador since his call-up.

Here are the 2026 Arizona Fall League rosters | MLB.com

The Rockies will be represented by eight players and two staff members on the Salt River Rafters squad in the Arizona Fall League.

The prospects behind Double-A Hartford’s playoff run | MLB.com

Thomas Harding gives a rundown of the prospects that helped propel the Yard Goats to the playoffs.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

the St Louis Cardinals are 20th in total pitching productivity by fWAR. Right around where the Diamondbacks are at. Overall, the Cardinals pitching staff has a .299 BABIP against. So they’re not just hapless and unlucky. They might be hapless though. I’m looking at you, bullpen.

Yes, the Cardinals bullpen has been among the worst in 2026. Surprise, surprise. They are 26th in MLB with .3 fWAR. The worst bullpen of the bullpens that are not negative WAR. Of which, there are only 4 teams that have dumpster fire bullpens. The Cardinals is looking like a dumpster dive, by WAR at least.

You can’t really mince words, the bullpen has been that bad this year. FIP and xFIP like the bullpen best, but as far as ERA and xERA go, it’s kind of unacceptable. While you cannot really blame the poor performance on overusage completely, the bullpen has been used quite a bit this season.

567.2 IP at the time of this writing means the 12th most used bullpen. Not bad, but they needed to be good this year if that’s the responsibility level. Maybe they didn’t need the most lights out bullpen *which only can be attempted to be predicted by the richest teams* but the team needed a good ‘pen at least.

They did not get a good bullpen. Nope. Not really.

What are the main weaknesses of this bullpen? They don’t leave men on base. The bullpen has the 3rd worst LOB% in MLB. So if our starters leave guys on, or other relievers, they have a much better chance of scoring than almost every other team. Why is that? The Cardinals bullpen is at 4.22 BB/9 on the season. The bullpen is 5th worst by xERA, and 7th worst in MLB by ERA. I don’t like these types of bullpen situations. The sabermetric stats aren’t much better. The bullpen just walks too many batters and isn’t too adept at getting out of it, or at limiting damage.

Five relievers make up the core of the 2026 bullpen. We have leaned on these arms the most and you have seen them pitch many times by now. Between these five arms, 328.2 innings were pitched.

• Gordon Graceffo 73 IP 2.71 ERA / 4.02 FIP | 6.53/4.07 K/BB ratio (1.6)
• Justin Bruihl 72.2 IP 3.59 ERA / 3.96 FIP | 6.44/3.34 K/BB ratio (1.92)
• George Soriano 64 IP 4.36 ERA / 4.90 FIP | 8.86/4.78 K/BB ratio (1.85)
• Riley O’Brien 60 IP 4.20 ERA / 3.82 FIP | 9/4.05 K/BB ratio (2.22)
• Ryne Stanek 59 IP 4.27 ERA / 4.56 FIP | 9.46/4.42 K/BB ratio (2.14)

At the end of the day, our best reliever was indeed Riley O’Brien. Ryne Stanek wasn’t completely awful. Justin Bruihl walked fewer batters than our other guys and was perhaps our most underrated reliever. Graceffo shouldered most of the load despite being a fringe candidate for the team, starting the season at AAA.

In case you were wondering, Graceffo and Bruihl are among the top 15 most used relievers in MLB in 2026. Thank you for your service, gentlemen.

Questionable usage totals: Soriano and Stanek have combined for -.5 fWAR. Surely we could’ve done better, somehow.

Something to ponder: Quinn Mathews has already surpassed Hunter Dobbins, Gordon Graceffo, and Riley O’Brien in WAR value! That is a positive takeaway on the season. Those three were all .4 fWAR guys in different ways arrive at the same total. What is Quinn doing well? Limiting the walks with a K percentage north of 20% in over 30 IP.

Ugly xFIPs: Mautz, Bruihl, Svanson, Graceffo, Soriano, Mathews… all prime candidates for future home run victims, maybe. I could see it, except perhaps Bruihl and Mathews being able to get away with giving up only a few home runs. I hope! Probably too early to quote Mathews xFIP, but it’s perhaps something to mention while we praise his success. To be fair.

Probably better than his statline: Luis Gastelum has a high BABIP against at .307, which considering his stuff seems a little high, especially when bringing in his 3.22 xFIP. He will be fine.

Unsung bullpen heroes? Ryan Fernandez and JoJo Romero were pretty good this season. Hjerpe and Winquest seem fine. Svanson, as bad as he seemed, was replacement level, not one of the negative WAR players. Hunter Dobbins was the bridge between the bullpen and the rotation. Best wishes on a full recovery and return.

Perhaps what stands out the most about the 2026 bullpen is that there is no lynchpin reliever. No one is locking down the bullpen with 1+ WAR performance or anything even close to that. The 2025 bullpen was quite good and effective with over 5 WAR. Kyle Leahy, Matt Svanson, and Phil Maton were are very good last season. In 2024 we had 2.3 fWAR Helsley. 2023 had Helsley and Romero over 1 fWAR. The 2026 bullpen doesn’t really have an anchor outside of Riley O’Brien’s save total.

MLB teams giving playing time to below league average hitters

Another subject to talk about is how many players in this new era are below average hitters getting ample playing time. The Blue Jays have several hitters in their lineup that are below league average. The Yankees are fielding some below average hitters too, getting lots of playing time. Zach McKinstry, third baseman of the Tigers, makes Masyn Winn look like a good hitter. The Angels have a few guys that can’t hit for league average playing every day. Cam Smith of the Astros has played 140 games at 89 wRC+ with mediocre defense. Full time Rangers outfielder Evan Carter bats at 78 wRC+ providing more value on defense than on offense.

The Braves Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley are below league average hitters playing full time on a winning team. The Phillies play a few below league average hitters every day and are going to the playoffs. Ildemaro Vargas is a full time player for the Diamondbacks and is barely above replacement level. I have plenty more examples of this.

Is it just me, or does it seem pretty normal for MLB teams to be fielding below average hitters full time? There are just not enough good hitters to go around I guess. This should assuage some of the concerns about our lineup.

1996 Heavy Metal Edition

I have 1997 (non-metal) almost ready for next week, but I cannot skip over my passion for heavy metal. It began with a box of Columbia House CDs, Metal Maniacs magazine, Headbangers Ball, and plenty of friends into heavy metal when I was growing up. The box of CDs and my friends were my intro, Headbangers Ball brought it to the mainstream, and Metal Maniacs was my connection to the underground despite living in the country at the time.

I only picked 10 albums for 1995, but heavy metal had a resurgence in the underground in ‘96 which I would like to write about. So, if you love heavy metal, you might want to check this list out! Jump into my time machine set for 1996.

• Acid Bath – ‘Paegan Terrorism Tactics’ eclectically heavy alterna-metal with that New Orleans sludge sound, genre hopping similar to Mr. Bungle/Faith No More (but more metal focused), and both soulful clean vocals and heavy metal screams to bring words and a human voice to the story. Cover art provided by 90s phenom Dr Jack Kevorkian. You might like this one even if you don’t like metal. It’s heavy stuff though. Those riffs… (New Orleans)
• Fu Manchu – ‘In Search Of’ speaking of riffs, this album has them in bulk. And that tone! Completely fuzzed out. Think Black Sabbath channeled through the spirit of skate punk mixed with a dash of southern California desert magic. (southwest)
• eyehategod – ‘Dopesick’ more Sabbath (and let’s be honest, melvins) worship but through the lens of post-hardcore punk and drenched in the heat of the deep south and poverty. More ultra heavy music from New Orleans circa 1996! I linked to the remastered version because I couldn’t find the whole album on youtube. Anyways, don’t listen to this it is filled with disturbing feedback, tar-black riffs, and suffocating insanity. (NOLA)
• Today is the Day – ‘self-titled’ perhaps the closest thing to Today Is The Day making an industrial album, as they introduced keyboards for a couple albums. This is nothing peculiar for the band, as they were more of an Amphetamine Reptile noise rock band before this, and more of a heavy metal band after. In reality this is probably more of a sludge album with a keyboard. It’s heavy af. And disturbing as hell. (Nashville)
• Neurosis – ‘Through Silver In Blood’ speaking of heavy, this might be the heaviest album on the whole damn list for 1996! What an absolutely stacked year for heavy music. Neurosis used to bring a guy with a film projector to their shows, who would play grainy films of unexplainable atrocities through an old projector. Mixed with the bands ultra-dark heaviness and propensity to start jamming out tribal drum style when they were done playing guitar for a while… you just had to be there, but this album does a really good job of capturing the insane vibe. Very very disturbing. (Oakland)
• Immolation – ‘Here In After’ there is no way to describe this band other than they are most definitely death metal, maybe with some black metal overtones, I guess? They’ve always dialed in their own version of extreme metal, very atonal, very wrong, yet totally controlled chaos. More uneasy listening from another legendary band still going strong today. (NY)
• Red Harvest – ‘Hybreed’ and now we arrive at our industrial metal segment for a couple albums. This band Red Harvest was a cool find! I had no idea this existed, but it’s quite excellent! If you like Ministry, you’ll like this! This album is not quite as extreme as the others, but it’s interesting…. besides industrial metal, you’ll hear some elements of goth rock, nu-metal, soundtrack, and grunge. (Norway)
• Godflesh – ‘Songs of Love and Hate’ maybe the most underrated Godflesh album? If post-hardcore punk, industrial, hiphop, and heavy metal gave birth to an album, this is the blueprint. Sure, Godflesh’s prior album ‘Pure’ had a lot of hip-hop beats, but not to this level. (UK)
• Type O Negative – ‘October Rust’ industrial goth metal mavens released fan favorite October Rust in 1996, their discography is so stacked you cannot really go wrong but a lot of people really love this one. Think of a band fronted by what a vampire would sound like and get ready for Halloween. Dark material, but with a lot of wry humor thrown in to make it all the more fun. (NYC)
• Adremalech – ‘Psychostasia’: you won’t find an underground extreme metal album produced better than this. The mix is perfect, the vocals aren’t as distracting as those of most other death metal bands, and the music is highly advanced both melodically and technically. If you haven’t heard of these guys, they come very highly recommended. I found out about Adramelech years ago through VEB’r Heavy Metal, ironically enough. (Finland)
• Iniquity – ‘Serenadium’ more ultra-heavy sounds of ‘96! Another perfectly mixed death metal album. Not too sterile, but clear enough to hear all the instruments really well. If you are a fan of Gorguts, you need to check these guys out! A new classic for my collection, a hidden gem I had never heard before. (Denmark)
• Sacramentory Abolishment – ‘River of Corticone’ enormous avant-garde death metal riffs, creative and unique drumming, and a singer that sounds like a cross between Donald Duck and Gollum, giving it a cartoony black metal layer. Is that even possible? I have just discovered this album and am extremely impressed, even though it’s really weird even by my standards. What is that name, even? (Canada)
• Angelcorpse – ‘Hammer of Gods’ ludicrously fast, diabolically put together, for once it sounds like the drummer trying to catch up to the guitarist! Phenomenal guitar solos. How have I never heard this before now. Thank you metal gods. This is an all-time classic aggressive underground metal album. \m/ (KC)
• Pan-thy-monium – ‘Khaooohs & Kon-Fus-Ion’ speaking of really weird heavy metal that is actually mixed well, Pan-thy-monium more than qualifies! Apparently, I have been missing out over the years on all these top notch avant garde metal releases hiding in 1996. I could only buy a few CDs here and there back then! Words cannot describe what this band sounds like, but it’s utterly unhinged genius, I can say that. And it riffs. (Sweden)
• The Chasm – ‘From the Lost Years’ classic blackened death metal from Mexico, one of their best albums among a stacked discography… they have always been one of my favorite death metal bands. (Mexico City)
• Cryptopsy – ‘None So Vile’ no list of heavy metal from 1996 would be complete without None So Vile. Wicked brutal technical death metal. My favorite release of theirs. The vocals are just omfg lol. Insane. (Quebec)
• One Eyed God Prophecy – ‘self titled’ perhaps the most obscure, underground sounding album on the list, it is also a pretty good example of a heavy metal/hardcore punk crossover band, bringing in some doom and black metal influence too. Something struck me about the wall of sound guitars, guy screaming like from out of a car trunk, and overall raw vibe of the recording, and the songs are pretty good too. (Quebec)
• Monstrosity – ‘Millennium’ and I leave you with perhaps the most crazy, polished, technically accomplished heavy metal album on the list, represented by crystal clear production and a perfect mix from 1996. Technical death metal at its best. That album cover is something else though! I sure did find a lot of interesting, really good heavy metal albums this week. And realized how good 1996 was among heavy albums I’ve owned for decades.

Tune in next week when I finally get to writing about 1997! I will be talking about albums by bands like Amon Tobin, Squarepusher, Autechre, Company Flow, Cornelius, Portishead, godspeed you black emperor, and KARP!

That’s a bad loss. You can pick any of the multitude of reasons why it’s a bad loss, but it remains.

That’s a bad loss.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• The big news from the day prior was Jesus Luzardo heading to the injured list. That’s a big monkeywrench in their plans.
• Aidan Miller will be playing alongside other Phillies prospects in the Arizona Fall League. Good, he needs it.
• How should you be rooting for other teams in these final two weeks of the season? The way the Phillies have played, maybe it won’t matter.

MLB news:

• Joc Pederson has a broken hand, yet he’s trying to stay on the roster and help the Rangers pull off a miracle.
• The Mets have been baseball’s biggest disappointment this year, but they can turn things around this offseason.
• Carlos Correa will not be joining the Astros on their march to October baseball, missing everything with a nagging ankle injury.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/39-30)

SYRACUSE 9, LEHIGH VALLEY 1 (BOX)

The newly promoted Jefferson Rojas immediately introduced himself to the International League, singling in his first at-bat and going yard in his second. He was one of four Mets players to have multi-hit games, along with Ronny Mauricio, Ryan Clifford, and Vidal Brujan, the latter of whom had a three-hit evening. It was a group effort on the pitching side of things, but everyone who got into this game put up zeroes except for Dylan Ross, who allowed a run in his inning of work.

With the win, Syracuse gained a game on the Rochester Red Wings, who lost 9-8 to the Buffalo Bisons, and are 1.5 games back. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders won their game against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 6-5 and are a single game behind first place.

·  CF D’Andre Smith: 1-3, 3 R, HR (5), 2 RBI, BB, HBP

·  SS Jefferson Rojas: 2-5, 2 R, HR (1), 2 RBI, 3 K

·  3B Ronny Mauricio: 2-5, R, 2B, RBI

·  RF MJ Melendez: 0-2, 3 BB, K

·  DH Vidal Bruján: 3-4, 2B, 4 RBI, BB, SB (16)

·  2B Émilien Pitre: 0-5, K

·  1B Billy Amick: 0-3, BB, K

·  LF Ryan Clifford: 2-4, 2 R, 2B

·  C Hayden Senger: 1-4, R, K

·  RHP Saul Garcia: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HBP

·  REHAB ALERT LHP Cionel Pérez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Ben Simon: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, W (4-4)

·  RHP Garrett Stratton: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Dan Hammer: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HBP

ROSTER ALERT: SS Jefferson Rojas assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets optioned SS Christian Cairo to Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets transferred RHP Chris Devenski to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets transferred 3B Nick Lorusso to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets sent LHP Cionel Pérez on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/34-34)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/32-34)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/25-39)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

Rookie: FCL Mets (24-33)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Jefferson Rojas

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Dylan Ross

Ok, so you clinched a postseason berth. Now what?

The Yankees will be in October for the ninth time in the last 10 years, punching their ticket on Monday night in Minnesota. There’s still a very outside shot the team wins the AL East — FanGraphs gives them a 12 percent chance at time of writing — but the smart money is on hosting the Wild Card series in the Bronx, likely against the Red Sox. The defining story of the Yankees in 2026 has been how the team has managed so many players, especially key ones, on the IL while staying competitive, and with several of those players possibly returning, the postseason roster begins to fill up quickly.

We start with the pitching side, where despite what some on the internet may say, Gerrit Cole will be on the postseason roster. The Yankees are not leaving their $36 million man out in the cold despite his last two starts. Indeed, I’m sure priority #1 in Matt Blake’s workshop right now is figuring out how to stop Cole from allowing so many home runs. Depending on the actual seeding and whether the Yankees can run down the Rays atop the division, the team will shuffle its rotation ahead of the season’s final series with Baltimore, and I imagine they’ll set Cam Schlittler up to start Game 1, Max Fried Game 2, and Cole for a potential final contest.

We then think of the bullpen, where I think the Yankees have an understated advantage. Sometimes, you need a guy to wear one, like Bradley Hanner last Saturday facing the Mets. In the postseason, that doesn’t really happen; you can deploy your high-leverage guys early and often, and yank ‘em at the first sign of trouble. The Yankees also have three MLB-caliber starters potentially available to pitch in relief, with Clarke Schmidt expected to be activated this week, Will Warren not necessarily needed in the rotation, and Ryan Weathers likely to be added to the team off the IL before the season ends.

Weathers is the biggest wild card, no pun intended, here as Schmidt has 11 games to get himself used to a relief role, something he’s done in the past. Weathers has come out of the bullpen too, but with less tuneup time, he may end up being the odd man out. I imagine Hanner and John Schreiber will be the current active players dropped for the postseason, opening up those two slots, but it’s just two slots.

The position player side sees a similar challenge, with it left up to debate whether either Trent Grisham or Giancarlo Stanton returns this year. If I were to bet I’d say Trent does and Big G does not, which stings given Stanton’s history of strong postseason play. We know the Yankees like Grish, and like having him in center, but even if he’s back to 100 percent, I think he has to occupy a fourth outfielder role in the playoffs. Since August 1, Spencer Jones has a 122 wRC+ to Grisham’s 102, and while Jones’ defense hasn’t been great, Grisham has looked like he’s lost a step himself in center this year, and the power upside of Jones in a short series has to get priority.

Then the last question is Jazz Chisholm Jr., currently on the IL with a thumb sprain. Anthony Volpe and George Lombard Jr. have provided a very good vibe in the middle of the infield over the last week or so, but both have been weaker hitters than Jazz in that same Aug 1-present period — albeit Volpe has had just 18 plate appearances in that span. I think Jazz gets the nod over Volpe if the Yankees believe he’s game-ready, and the club has stayed devoted to Amed Rosario, leaving Volpe out in the cold.

We still have a week and a half before the season ends, which is just enough time for someone else to get hurt and an injury timeline to be updated. The key is the Yankees are in the dance, and they get to drop some of the weaker elements of the team while they’re in it.

Good morning Birdland,

Despite their playoff odds fading by the day, these Orioles are still putting up a fight and (occasionally) doing some pretty neat things on the field. Last night’s extra-inning win over the Mets could end up being the most memorable of the entire season.

Pete Alonso, the long-time Met that had a much-publicized departure from the club last winter, has been having a dream homecoming this week. The Citi Field faithful have thrown all of their support behind Alonso, sometimes even booing their own team while giving the first baseman regular standing ovations. Those cheers got particularly loud in the top of the ninth inning, when Alonso hit his 300th career home run to tie the game.

Alonso was pumped, throwing his bat in triumph back towards the Orioles bench. And the Queens crowd was appreciative too. They kept on cheering until Alonso stepped back up from the away team dugout for a curtain call.

That reaction is rare. Usually, a crowd wouldn’t be too happy to see their team blow a ninth-inning lead, and they certainly wouldn’t be praising the guy that hit it. Of course, Alonso in New York is a unique case. That didn’t stop some Mets players from noting the oddity. The reality is that as disappointing as the Orioles have been, the Mets have been even worse. They don’t even have a mathematical chance of making the playoffs, and Alonso has had himself a great season in Baltimore. The Mets fan base has acted exactly as you should expect given the situation.

The winning home run came later on, when Coby Mayo smacked an inside-the-park, three-run homer that was made possible when Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing made a valiant effort, but fumbled the catch away on the warning track. Neither of his outfield mates was there to help him, giving Mayo plenty of time to circle the bases despite not hustling right out of the box. Mayo now has 24 home runs and a 112 OPS+ on the season. Pretty good!

The O’s did not gain any ground in the AL wild card standings. Both the Guardians and Rangers won, so they remain three games back with 10 games to play. They will wrap up this series in New York at 7:10 p.m. Chris Bassitt (7-5, 4.88 ERA) is facing Robert Stock (1-3, 5.93 ERA).

Links

Baz exits after taking comebacker off elbow, but hopes to avoid IL | Orioles.com
Shane Baz got hit on the right elbow with a 105-mph line drive off in the fifth inning. It clearly did not feel great, and Baz’s one warm-up pitch he took to test out the elbow flew over his catcher’s head. So, we were fearing bad news here. But it sounds like things are relatively OK. X-rays were negative, and Baz himself thinks he should be able to make his next scheduled start, which could be his last of the season.

Orioles announce 2026 Arizona Fall League prospects | Camden Chat
In case you missed it, some pretty big names will be taking part in Arizona Fall League games next month. That makes them worth keeping tabs on.

David Rubenstein says he is making moves to redevelop the area around Oriole Park at Camden Yards | The Baltimore Banner
Nothing surprising here. There have been discussions about redeveloping that area for a long time now. Rubenstein seems to have selected a company to support him in this effort, and there will certainly be more news to come. Anything final is likely years away.

This, that and the other | Roch Kubatko
The rotation is getting thin as the end of the season nears. We know Kyle Bradish is done for the year. Baz is dealing with the elbow. The team has not announced starters for the Brewers series yet. It seems likely that at least one of Cade Povich or Trey Gibson comes to Baltimore for those games.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Paul Shuey turns 56 today. The righty returned to the big leagues in 2007 to pitch for the Orioles after spending the two prior years out of affiliated ball. He had previously spent a decade in the majors from 1994 through ‘03.
• Mark Parent is 65 years old. He had two stints in Baltimore that spanned three seasons in total. From 1992 to ‘93, the catcher appeared in 57 games for the O’s, and then he played in 18 more games during the ‘96 season.
• Mickey Tettleton turns 66. He was the Orioles primary catcher and occasional DH from 1988 through ‘90. His 1989 season was his best, when he posted a 150 wRC+, made the all-star team, and won a Silver Slugger award.
• Tim Raines Sr. is 67 today. The Hall of Famer spent 23 seasons in the majors, most of that with the Expos and White Sox. But his four-game stint with the Orioles in 2001 was noteworthy because it allowed him to play in the same lineup as his son, Tim Jr..

This day in O’s history

1985 – The Orioles hit six home run runs to trounce the Tigers, 14-7. Cal Ripken Jr., Eddie Murray, and Fred Lynn hit three straight long balls in the eighth inning alone.

1997 – Jimmy Key finally gets back in the win column at Camden Yards. He had been on an 0-7 run across his previous nine starts. Baltimore beats Cleveland 7-2 to split the double-header.

2012 – The Orioles clinch a winning record for the first time since 1997, beating the Athletics 9-5. Matt Wieters homers twice off of future Orioles pitcher Dan Straily.

2014 – The O’s beat the Blue Jays 8-2 to become champions of the AL East for the first time since 1997.

The Detroit Tigers have been on a roll of late, notching their sixth straight win on Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 10-1 triumph at the Rogers Center. If this keeps up, perhaps AJ Hinch and Co. might just sneak into the playoffs — but do not get your hopes too high just yet.

In the final game of the series for the Motor City Kitties, right-hander Keider Montero will make his 25th start of the season looking to keep the streak alive. However, the 26-year-old has failed to get past the four-frame mark in his last two starts and got shelled in one, surrendering six runs over four innings to the Guardians in Cleveland, resulting in a 7-6 loss on Sept. 4 in the first game of a doubleheader.

Montero bounced back the next game against the Minnesota Twins in Detroit, allowing just a pair of runs — both on solo homers — over four innings in what turned out to be a 7-2 victory for the Olde English D.

Sound the old friend alert! Fellow righty Max Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays in what should be the final season of his illustrious Hall of Fame career. The heterochromatic former Tiger had his best game of the season three starts ago against the Seattle Mariners at home, tossing seven frames of one-hit, shutout ball along with 10 strikeouts for his second win of the season.

The 42-year-old’s brown eye took back over in his last two appearances, resulting in a 7.59 ERA and 5.45 FIP across 10 2/3 innings on 12 hits (two home runs) and a pair of walks while striking out five, hitting a batter and getting called for a balk.

Take a look at how the two pitchers match up as Detroit goes for its second-straight sweep and seventh-straight win.

Detroit Tigers (72-79) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (75-77)

Time (ET): 3:07 p.m.
Place: Rogers Center, Toronto, Ontario
SB Nation Site:Bluebird Banter
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 152: RHP Keider Montero (9-8, 3.55 ERA) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (2-8, 6.38 ERA)

MONTERO

SCHERZER

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Vito Valentinetti, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1992 – The Cubs blow out the Phils, 14-9, to give Greg Maddux his 18th win. Led by Andre Dawson‘s four hits, the first four hitters collect 11 hits and 11 RBI for the Cubs. Dave Hollins homers for the Phils, while Dawson, Ryne Sandberg and Rick Wilkins go deep for Chicago. Mark Grace makes an error, ending his streak of 102 errorless games at 1B; his streak began after two errors on May 18th vs. the Dodgers, and 2014 – The Cubs’ Jake Arrieta* throws a one-hitter in shutting out the Reds, 7-0. Brandon Phillips‘ two-out double in the eighth is the only blemish as Arrieta strikes out 13, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1904 – The Giants sweep two from Brooklyn as Christy Mathewson wins the opener, 2-1, allowing just four hits. Two of the hits, a triple and homer, are by rookie Emil Batch. Joe McGinnity wins the nightcap, 5-3.
• 1922 – Pennant fever rages in St. Louis, as the Yankees come to town with a half-game lead. Bob Shawkey outpitches Urban Shocker, 2-1, as George Sisler ties Ty Cobb‘s 1911 record by hitting in his 40th straight game. 
• 1951 – At Yankee Stadium, Joe DiMaggio‘s long triple off Bob Feller scores two runs in the 5th and Allie Reynolds holds on for a 5-1 New York win.
• 1960 – At the age of 39, Warren Spahn pitches a no-hitter, beating the Phillies, 4-0. The crafty lefty sets an all-time Braves record with 15 strikeouts.
• 1966 – The Mets (5) and Giants (3) tie a major-league record by using eight pinch hitters in the ninth inning as the Mets win, 5-4. Willie McCovey hits a 500-foot home run, judged the longest ever at Candlestick Park.
• 1975 – Rennie Stennett ties a major league mark established in 1892 going 7 for 7 in a nine-inning game. The Pirates’ second baseman gets two hits in one inning twice (in the 1st and 5th innings), helping make the game the most one-sided shutout since 1900, as the Bucs crush the Cubs at Wrigley Field, 22-0.
• 1993 – At the age of 41, the Twins’ Dave Winfield becomes the 19th major leaguer to collect 3000 hits as he singles to left off A’s ace Dennis Eckersley in a 5-1 home victory over Oakland.
• 1996 – A 5th-inning triple off Royals pitcher Jose Rosado gives the Twins’ Paul Molitor 3000 hits. He will become the first major leaguer to accomplish this milestone in a season in which he collects 200 hits. It is the first time a three-bagger is a career 3000th hit.
• 1996 – Backed by two three-run homers from Tim Raines, celebrating his 37th birthday, Jimmy Key stops the Blue Jays, 10-0. Raines’ second home run, a 457-foot blast to center field, is the longest hit by a Yankee this year.
• 2007 – Jim Thome hits his 500th home run, a two-run walk-off shot off Dustin Moseley that gives the White Sox a 9-7 victory over the Angels. 
• 2025 – Cal Raleigh keeps on setting records. By hitting two more homers in a 12-5 win by Seattle over Kansas City, he has now hit 56 this season, setting a new all-time mark for a switch-hitter (Mickey Mantle was the previous record holder with 54) and ties the Mariners record for most in a season (Ken Griffey Jr. had hit 56 twice).

Today in Cubs history:

• 1909 – President Taft attends a Cubs–Giants game in Chicago and players are introduced to him before the game. Giants ace Christy Mathewson then outdeals Chicago ace Three Finger Brown, 2-1, with each allowing seven hits. Taft downs popcorn and lemonade during the match, according to the Chicago Tribune.
• 1912 – The Cubs riddle Christy Mathewson for ten hits to beat the Giants, 4-3. Jimmy Archer‘s solo homer is the game winner.
• 1923 – The Cubs lose, 10-6, to the Giants in Chicago, despite the hitting of Hack Miller who collects three doubles and a triple. A riot occurs in the eighth inning when umpire Charlie Moran makes an out call at second base on Sparky Adams, Moran is pelted by hundreds of pop bottles. Judge Landis, in attendance at the game, shakes his cane at the angry mob, and play is held up for 15 minutes. John McGraw and the umpires need a police escort at the conclusion.
• 1935 – In the opener of a critical four-game series in Chicago, the Giants lose, 8-3, to Lon Warneke. The Cubs have now won 12 straight.
• 1971 – At New York, lefty Juan Pizarro of the Cubs shuts out the Mets and Tom Seaver, 1-0. Pizarro does it all, clubbing a solo homer to win his own game. It’s Pizarro’s second shutout in a row and Seaver’s first loss after seven straight wins. Tom’s last loss was August 1st, also to Pizarro.
• 1972 – In an 18-5 victory over the Mets, Cub infielder Glenn Beckert goes 0 for 6 and sets a record by leaving 12 men on base.
• 1997 – At Wrigley Field, Kevin Tapani pitches a one-hitter for his first National League shutout and Sammy Sosa breaks a scoreless tie with a two-run, 6th-inning homer as Chicago beats Cincinnati, 5-0.
• 1998 – Sammy Sosa‘s grand slam in the 8th inning, his 63rd home run of the year, leads the Cubs to a 6-3 win over San Diego. He now has 154 RBIs for the season.
• 2000 – Cub outfielder Sammy Sosa joins Mark McGwire (1997-1999) as the only major leaguer to hit 50 home runs three consecutive seasons.

Cubs Birthdays:Mark Parent, Mel Hall, Mike Garman, Gary Ross, Héctor Torres, Vito Valentinetti*, George McConnell, Gus McGinnis. Also notable, Tim Raines HOF. Robin Yount HOF.

Today in history:

• 1620 – The Mayflower departs Plymouth, England, with 102 Pilgrims and about 30 crew for the New World.
• 1830 – Oliver Wendell Holmes writes poem “Old Ironsides” as tribute to the 18th-century USS Constitution.
• 1893 – Cherokee Strip, Oklahoma, opens white settlement homesteaders.
• 1908 – Carriage maker William C. Durant founds General Motors in Flint, Michigan.
• 1920 – The “Wall Street bombing” occurs at 12:01 when a horse-drawn wagon explodes on Wall Street, New York, killing 38 and injuring 143.
• 1960 – Amos Alonzo Stagg retires as a football coach at 98 years old after a 70-year career that included his final coaching role as the kicking coach at Stockton Junior College.
• 1965 – British singer Davie Jones changes his stage name to “David Bowie” to avoid confusion with the Monkee of similar name.
• 1977 – Sire Records releases “Talking Heads: 77,” the debut studio album by the American rock band Talking Heads, featuring the single “Psycho Killer”.
• 1978 – American rockers the Grateful Dead perform last of three-night stand at the Giza Sound and Light Theater beside the Sphinx at the foot of the Great Pyramid in Egypt.
• 2023 – A massive rockslide in Greenland creates a tsunami wave in the Dickson Fjord that shakes the earth for nine days

*pictured.

I honestly expected this meter to be worse, but the Mets concentrated most of their poor pitching performance into a couple of games—particularly the series finale against the Marlins, which they ended up winning by the skin of their teeth anyway. The past couple of weeks have also seen some shuffling of personnel—notably the return of Jonah Tong to the big leagues and Robert Stock shifting to the bullpen.

Player	Last week	This week
Chris Devenski, RHP
Daniel Duarte, RHP
Justin Hagenman, RHP
Nate Lavender, LHP
Sean Manaea, LHP
Nolan McLean, RHP
Tobias Myers, RHP	—
Dedniel Núñez, RHP
Jonathan Pintaro, RHP
Dylan Ross, RHP	—
Christian Scott, RHP
Kodai Senga, RHP
Robert Stock, RHP
Zac Thonton, LHP
Jonah Tong, RHP	—
Austin Warren, RHP
Jack Weisenburger, RHP
Jefry Yan, LHP

Nolan McLean’s run of dominance unfortunately came to an end at the hands of the Bronx Bombers on Friday night, who lived up to their namesake by taking him deep twice. McLean was shaky right from the jump in that outing, loading the bases in the first inning with nobody out and managing to escape with just one run on the board. But he didn’t get so lucky in the second when Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer to put the Yankees back in front, ultimately for good. All told, McLean gave up five runs on ten hits in five innings of work and took the loss to drop his record to 11-9. Jack Weisenburger, freshly recalled from Triple-A, soaked up the final three innings of that game in relief of Mclean and allowed one insurance run over the three frames. He struck out two, walked none, and gave up three hits. McLean avoids a bad grade though because he delivered a quality start in his first outing of the month against the Giants in which he earned the win. In that outing, he gave up just two runs on six hits in six innings of work, striking out seven batters and walking four and throwing a career-high 105 pitches.

Jefry Yan appeared twice in that Giants series—once in relief of McLean in the series opener and again the following day. Yan was scored upon in all three of his September appearances. He was unable to navigate his way through a clean seventh in relief of McLean, but luckily the Mets held on to win despite some shaky bullpen work. The next day he gave up a two-run homer in the eighth inning to put the game further out of reach. In Tampa Bay he did the same, yielding an insurance run in the eighth on three hits. Yan was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse after the Giants series.

The roster carousel has been moving when it comes to the pitching staff this month. When rosters expanded, the Mets briefly recalled Dylan Ross from Triple-A. Ross pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning in the 6-2 loss to the Rays and was immediately sent back down in favor of Justin Hagenman, who had spent all season on the injured list recovering from a fractured rib he suffered in spring training. Hagenman took the spot start in the series finale against Tampa to give Christian Scott an extra day of rest. Hagenman pitched well, giving up just one run on two hits in three innings of work. He pitched again in last Saturday’s loss to the Giants and gave up a solo homer, but the game was already well out of reach at that point. Chris Devenski also appeared in both games Hagenman pitched in and nearly spoiled Hagenman’s strong start by getting tagged with three runs in just 2/3 of an inning in relief, but luckily the Mets had their hitting shoes on and Andy Green gave Devenski the hook before the game could get away. Devenski was better last Saturday, pitching two scoreless innings of relief. He followed that up with a scoreless seventh inning in the series opener in Miami, but then was the primary culprit in the first of two times the Marlins clawed their way back from a massive deficit in the absolutely insane series finale. All told, Devenski was charged with five runs in just 1/3 of an inning in that game, after which he was designated for assignment and then outrighted to Triple-A.

Christian Scott clearly benefitted from the extra day of rest because he has been the most consistent performer in the rotation of late. In the series finale against the Giants, which ended in a comeback victory for the Mets, he gave up two runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. Impressively, he struck out seven batters and walked none in that outing. He followed that up with arguably an even more impressive performance against the Yankees, but unfortunately the Mets were blanked by Cam Schlittler and Scott took the loss despite delivering a quality start. Scott gave up just two runs on three hits in six innings of work, striking out seven batters and walking two. Both runs he gave up came on a pair of solo homers to Ben Rice and Austin Wells.

Nate Lavender pitched in relief of Scott in both of his starts and did his job in both of those outings. He was called upon in Scott’s start against the Giants to pitch to Rafael Devers with the bases loaded and got a huge strikeout to keep the Giants off the board and helping to set things up for the comeback that was to come. Lavender pitched a scoreless seventh inning in relief of Scott on Sunday, but unfortunately the Mets did not have a comeback in them on that day. The aberration on Lavender’s otherwise spotless record is—you guessed it—the 15-14 game in Miami in which he participated in the collective bullpen nuclear meltdown. He was charged with three runs in just 1/3 of an inning in that game, blowing up what would have been a good grade otherwise because he also pitched a scoreless seventh inning and earned a hold in Tuesday’s win in Miami and earned a hold in the series opener in Tampa as well.

Sean Manaea started that game on Tuesday in Miami and earned the win despite a somewhat mediocre final line of four runs on five hits in five innings of work. He struck out four and walked none in the outing. But the Mets had their hitting shoes on against the Marlins and were able to out-hit the bad pitching all series long. The same cannot be said for Manaea’s other September outing, which took place in Tampa. He was roughed up for five runs on eleven hits in 5 2/3 innings of work and took the loss.

Kodai Senga earned the save in Miami on Tuesday despite a shaky outing. Luckily, Senga had some breathing room to work with and navigated his way through the inning with the lead still intact. That was Senga’s only earned run allowed across four outings covered by this meter in which he’s been a perfect 3-for-3 in save opportunities. One of his other saves came in relief of Scott in the series finale against the Giants in which he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth complete with a strikeout to successfully protect a two-run lead after the Mets put up a four spot in the bottom of the eighth. The other came in the series opener against the Rays. Senga also appeared in a non-save situation in the series opener against the Giants to cap off that victory in relief of McLean.

Robert Stock also came out of the bullpen for the first time this season in that game, coming to Austin Warren’s rescue after Warren gave up a three-run homer to Rafael Devers in the eighth that put the game in jeopardy. Stock recorded a key final out of the inning to bridge the gap to Senga. Stock started the series opener against the Rays on the last day of August and had his best outing yet. He pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no walks and earned the victory in that game. He then started again in last Wednesday’s infamous victory, pitching the first four innings of that game before things got really silly. He was charged with three runs on five hits in four innings of work, striking out four batters and walking two. Warren bounced back from his poor outing against the Giants with two good ones in Miami, including a scoreless fifth in relief of Stock on Wednesday that I suppose one could describe as the calm before the storm. Warren pitched a scoreless ninth inning complete with two strikeouts in the series opener in Miami as well and a scoreless ninth inning in Sunday’s loss.

The series opener in Miami was Jonah Tong’s 2026 debut and he pitched better than his final line indicates. Luckily the Mets were able to give him enough run support to earn the win, thanks in part to some poor defense by the Marlins. Tong struck out the side in the bottom of the first inning and had one tough inning in the second in which the Marlins dropped a four spot on him. But he was able to recover and bounce back to make his way through five innings and make himself the pitcher of record. He struck out seven batters in total and walked only one. It was surely a debut to build upon and yesterday’s outing against the Orioles will be covered in the next meter.

The bullpen was spotless in relief of Tong, including Dedniel Núñez, who has had a solid couple of weeks. Núñez worked around a couple of hits to pitch a scoreless sixth inning in relief of Tong in the series opener in Miami. He followed that up with a scoreless eighth inning the following day in relief of Manaea as part of a solid all around bullpen effort that day. Núñez also appeared twice in the Rays series—once in the opener and once in the finale. In the series opener, he earned a hold with a 1-2-3 seventh inning complete with a strikeout. He then earned the win in the series finale for calming things down and recording the final out of the fourth inning after Devenski failed to get through the inning. He went on to pitch a scoreless fifth as well.

Jonathan Pintaro pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to cap off the rubber game victory against the Rays. Pintaro followed that up with a fantastic outing against the Giants in that closely-contested series finale in which he delievered two hitless innings of work in relief of Christian Scott, striking out a batter in the process. Like Lavender and Núñez, Pintaro earned a hold in relief of Manaea with a scoreless sixth inning in the second game of the Marlins series, but like much of the rest of the bullpen, his record was besmirched by Wednesday’s disaster. He was charged with two runs on three hits in that game.

An unlikely hero earned the save to finally put the series finale against the Marlins to a merciful end: Tobias Myers, called up before the series finale at Citi Field against the Giants when Yan was optioned. With the Mets’ lead somehow once again cut to just a skinny run, Myers came in the game to replace Lavender with the tying run on first base. He allowed a single to Javier Sanoja and suddenly the tying run was in scoring position, but he bounced back to strike out Owen Caissie and get Graham Pauley to pop out to miraculously end the game with the Mets hanging on to win. Myers has been great since his return to the big leagues after nearly two months in the minors. Myers earned the win in the series finale against the Giants in his very first outing back with a scoreless eighth inning, after which the Mets put up four runs to take the lead. Myers also pitched the final two innings of Saturday’s raucous slugfest victory against the Yankees.

Those two scoreless innings from Myers came in relief of Zac Thornton, who earned the win with seven brilliant innings against the Mets’ crosstown rivals. Thornton was amped on Saturday, throwing six pitches at 95+ mph and needing only 81 pitches to get through those seven innings, over which he struck out four batters and walked one. He worked his way out of a jam in the seventh by inducing an inning-ending double play, after which he pumped his fist and yelled in triumph as he walked off the mound—deservedly so. That was a performance worthy of a high grade, but unfortunately Thornton’s other September outing thus far was a clunker. The Giants took him deep four times and he took the loss, charged with six runs in five innings of work, over which he struck out six batters and walked one.

If Daniel Duarte’s only shaky outing was in the wild series finale against the Marlins, I may have been lenient, but he nearly spoiled Robert Stock’s strong start against the Rays in the series opener in Tampa. He gave up two runs in the eighth to bring the Rays within a run before Chris Devenski got the final out of the inning to keep the Mets in front. His next two outings were positive; he pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in the series finale victory in Tampa and then a scoreless eighth inning in Tong’s debut in the series opener in Miami. But he caught whatever disease the rest of the bullpen was infected with on Wednesday. He came in the game in the sixth with one out and Devenski struggling and walked the first man he faced to force in a run and then allowed a game-tying single—those runs all charged to Devenski. Hilariously, Duarte was tagged with the blown save in that game, but then also earned the win because the Mets took another big lead in the seventh which they managed to just barely protect. Duarte came back out for the bottom of the seventh and allowed a solo homer that added an earned run to his ledger.

Five years into the expanded, three-wild card Major League Baseball format, it’s a bit of a fallacy that any team can simply get hot and steal off with a championship.

After all, three of the four World Series titles in this era were won by division champions, and the lone wild card – the 2023 Texas Rangers – tied for the American League West title. The cream typically rises in October – and the advantages available to a division champion are real.

In this year of rampant mediocrity, though, there are some live dogs lurking below the topline across the divisions. Here’s a look at six non-division winners with the best shot to cause havoc in October – and perhaps make off with the flag-covered trophy:

6. Chicago Cubs

Good luck finding a piece of promo art for the upcoming playoffs that doesn’t have Pete Crow-Armstrong’s face plastered prominently across it. For good reason: The presumed NL MVP is an absolute wonder, closing in on a 10-WAR season and a 40-40 campaign, albeit under the looser, modern stolen base guidelines.

Yet unlike another Chicago icon and MVP, PCA won’t be able to take over these playoffs like Michael Jordan once did.

That’s not to say the man has to go it alone. Chicago’s lineup is plenty potent, and Alex Bregman’s second half resurgence (15 homers, a 1.063 OPS in 46 games since July 27) is just the latest proof he’s a truly clutch player and a legitimate difference maker.

Yet it’s the pitching that will give cause for concern. Cubs pitchers rank 26TH in the majors in strikeouts per nine innings (7.81), which means many more balls in play, inviting the postseason randomness goblins to the party. Their front four of Kevin Gausman, Shota Imanaga, Clay Holmes and Matthew Boyd are all serviceable, yet in a postseason setting, it’s hard to imagine any of them getting more than 15 outs. That will be the red zone for a club that has a potentially potent back end of the bullpen thanks to Ryans Rolison and Zeferjahn and the return of Daniel Palencia.

Still, they’ll make for great theater – particularly watching PCA aim to stay disciplined as opposing pitchers are loathe to give him anything to hit.