Worldwide Sports News

Worcester: W, 9-1 (BOX SCORE)

With a depleted pitching staff, the WooSox needed an extremely effective outing out of Gage Ziehl and they got it, as Ziehl pitched into the seventh allowing just one run on four hits and didn’t walk anyone. He got those twenty outs with just 73 pitches, and Noah Song and Sam McWilliams kept Buffalo (Blue Jays AAA) off the board. The WooSox were in a pretty close game even with that outstanding Ziehl start until they scored three each in the seventh and ninth innings and turned this one into a laugher.

The bottom four slots of the lineup went 0-for-14, but it didn’t matter because the top four each had multiple hits. Romy Gonzalez hit a home run and Mikey Romero went 4-for-4 with a double. At this point, four years after the infielder went in the first round and a couple short days after some returning players on this year’s Red Sox roster shared a lineup card with Romero, it seems easier to point out reasons why Romero wouldn’t fit organizationally in 2027 and beyond than reasons why he would, but he may at least play a part in a good return in the offseason (or after the lockout) if the front office feels the same way. With Romero being just 22 years of age until January 12, it’s possible other front offices – like the one employing the man who drafted him – may feel the same. Still, there’s something to be said for a resilient infielder who hits to contact and is as good as he is running the bases. Whether that something to be said is ever spoken with a promotion remains to be seen.

Portland: L, 6-4 (BOX SCORE)

Noah Rogers did what most would describe as “shoving” as he also pitched over five innings and struck out seven, though he did give up three runs. Cooper Adams allowed that same amount over the last eight outs, though, and that sixth inning where the guard changed was where the BaySox (Orioles AA) scored five of their six runs. Ultimately, strikeouts did the Sea Dogs in, as they saw strike three 15 times on the night.

Greenville: W, 13-11 (BOX SCORE)

Greenville has now given up eleven runs in each of their last three games and has won two of those games. This includes the opener of the final series of 2026 against the Hot Rods (Rays High-A.) Brady Tygart may have let up seven runs, but he also struck out ten and stayed in the game long enough for a four-run top of the ninth.

This game was bookended by great home runs; Jake Schaffner made this a 5-1 game in the second inning with his first professional home run (he’s not much of a power guy and is more known for contact, so this is a big deal) and Yophery Rodriguez completed a 3-for-4 day with a three-run shot in the top of the ninth. Nazzan Zanetello hit his second home run of the week just for good measure.

Salem: L, 7-8 (F/10) (BOX SCORE)

The day of the Howlers’ trek from Hill City (Guardians A, and “the Hill City” in question is Lynchburg, Virginia, not, to my dismay, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, a truly hilly city deserving of the moniker) ended with the RidgeYaks walking them off and turning a coin flip game into a win in two at-bats. Andrews Opata scored from second on a single, doing what he does best, as he also stole his 54th base of the season earlier on in the contest. Adonys Guzman, the walk-off hero, continues to see the ball very well lately. And, most importantly, the whole team saw the ball well with men on, going 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

Brandon Williamson returns to the mound for the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday to start the series finale against the San Diego Padres. In doing so, he’ll make his first appearance in the big leagues since all the way back on April 29th as a shoulder issue shelved him for the bulk of the 2026 season.

That, of course, is after he missed all of the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery. That is on top of him making only 3 appearances during the 2024 season, as injury after injury has set him back at just about every turn.

How he finishes this season will go a long, long way towards the Cincinnati Reds being able to plan for their 2027 starting rotation. To be quite honest, they pretty desperately need Williamson to be a dependable, available option, and it sure seems like he’s going to get the chance to show that’s what he can be down the stretch.

First pitch is slated for an early 12:40 PM ET start. Here’s how both clubs will line up for first pitch:

Lázaro Montes’ debut last night got the lion’s share of the attention, but we would be remiss if we did not dedicate some time to another Mariners debut on Tuesday evening: Journeyman lefty Hoby Milner.

In the bottom of the ninth with a five-run lead, Dan Wilson turned to his newest toy in the bullpen. The M’s had signed Milner to a minor league deal on August 31, shortly after the Cubs released him, and brought him up with the expanded rosters on September 1.

Roman Anthony, a lefty, at the plate. Hoby serves up his first pitch as a Mariner: an 85 MPH sinker, hold the sink. Anthony lines it to center for a single.

Jahmai Jones replaces lefty Mickey Gasper, takes a sweeping 77 MPH pitch well outside and scoops an 86 MPH sinker, tasteful sink, way over the Green Monster.

He’s thrown three pitches, given up two runs and cannot be pulled because he has to face a third hitter. He blinks grimly at Eli White and digs in. 78 MPH sweeper a country mile wide. 77 MPH down the pipe; White politely stands still. 79 MPH outside and low this time. At Bat identifies it as a changeup, and I’ll let you do with that what you will. 80 MPH change outside middle; White’s politeness gone, he shoots to kill. Hoby survives, but Wilson steps onto the field. Andrés Muñoz arrives and cleans up the mess with four pitches. No dance for Hoby tonight. It is an inauspicious start for a pitcher who was in talks with Seattle during the off-season. The comments rain down, but you sillies, you waste your words.

You think you can hurt Hoby?

Hoby has been saddled with a David Hasellhoff-inspired name all this life.

Hoby grew up with the fragility of baseball dreams woven into his childhood. His father, Brian, made his big league debut at age 18, played two games and never returned to the majors.

Hoby was a multiway player throughout college until he took a fastball to the eye.

Hoby named his cat Darth Kittypuss because he wanted to make a play on Darth Sidious.

Hoby has raced through the streets in a stranger’s car as his organ failed.

Hoby is on his seventh team in nine seasons, zigzagging across the country and toiling intermittently in the minors for years.

Hoby survived Anaheim in 2020.

Hoby’s overhead pictures depict a shadow that looks closer to kokopelli than a human man pitching.

Hoby has never known a velocity beginning with 9.

You cannot hurt Hoby. Only Hoby can hurt Hoby. And he knows it could always be worse. He’s a perfect Mariner.

Left-handed pitching prospect Ben Jacobs was the Detroit Tigers third round pick in the 2025 amateur draft out of Arizona State University. We liked the pick at the time for his fastball shape, strike throwing, and his developing bag of secondary pitches, but there was also a bet placed on his physical projection. With refined mechanics and plenty of good muscle added in his first year of pro ball, Jacobs has already laid all concerns to rest. The draft of Cameron Flukey in the first round of the 2026 draft gives him some competition in terms of top pitching prospect in the system, but Jacobs is certainly high on the list, with a chance to break into national top 100 rankings in 2027.

In our preseason scouting report, we talked about Jacobs’ crossfire delivery, and suggested the Tigers would try to get him moving more directly down the mound to home plate, rather than the closed stride and rotation required to get back on target that was prominent in his college work. Jacobs was basically pitching out of the stretch, so it certainly wasn’t an elaborate move to the plate, but the big crossfire move was squandering energy and forcing him to compensate a lot to locate back on target, especially to his glove side.

As Jacobs told David Laurila of FanGraphs recently, he’s made short work of that requirement. By adding a rock step back toward third base with his lead leg to get him moving into his delivery rather than driving to the plate from a full stop, they improved his rhythm and repeatability and cleaned up his stride direction at the same time. That more direct move has given him more extension to the plate as well, though it only got him to a roughly average level. The delivery adjustments, along with putting on a reported 10 pounds of lean muscle since draft day, have him throwing a consistent 94 mph velocity now, with a little extra in the tank.

The changes to Jacobs’ delivery haven’t just gotten him throwing harder. Because he’s getting further down the mound with his lead leg, he’s throwing from a lower point, giving him a flatter angle to the top of the zone. With around 19 inches of induced vertical break on his heater, those two elements are helping him miss a ton of bats with fastballs along the top of the zone. His command took time to come around after making these changes, and his walk rate was a little high, but he powered right through Low-A Lakeland after just 16 2/3 innings of work in the spring.

Things were tougher in West Michigan. Jacobs was piling up a lot of strikeouts, but the walks spiked against more advanced hitters, and his were hit harder. His first 10 starts for the Whitecaps were a real mixed bag, but in late July and August everything started to come together for him. He started spotting his slider and splitter a little better, and still has a solid curveball to mix in as well. With the improved velocity, shape, and angle to the plate, Jacobs just needed to locate more consistently, and once he did, hitters have done very little against him.

Over his last five starts, covering 26 innings of work, Jacobs has only allowed two earned runs. He’s currently on a streak of three consecutive scoreless outings, and he’s punched out 33 hitters in that span. In his August 12th start against the Lansing Lugnuts, Jacobs did walk five batters in 4.2 innings of work, but he also didn’t allow a hit in that start and struck out seven on the night. In the other four outings on this five start run, he’s walked one batter three times, and two batters once. There’s still work to do in the consistency department, but no one is hitting him right now. He’s surrendered just 10 hits in those 26 innings. His 33.6 percent strikeout rate in the Midwest League is excellent, and this is his first year of pro ball. Jacobs just turned 22 years old back in June.

The improvements in his fastball and better command of it more recently is a big factor in this run, but the splitter is playing a major role as well, drawing a huge whiff rate just short of 50 percent. It doesn’t fall off the table like a classic splitter. Instead it has funky, late tailing action away from right-handers. That’s gotten it mis-identified as a changeup fairly regularly, but Jacobs set the record straight in the Laurila interview.

At this point the fourseamer and splitter are both flashing plus. A little more consistent velo and more importantly, better command of those two pitches will take him a long way. His slider and curveball are solid breaking pitches, and he’s showing some good signs of spotting them for strikes and breaking off slightly sharper versions to get hitters chasing. More often, at least until recently, his command of both has been a little hit or miss.

If hia trendline continues in terms of commanding the whole package and building himself up, Jacobs looks like a future quality mid-rotation starter. If he falls a little short or doesn’t quite prove durable enough to be a full-time starter, he’s still got a nice future as a versatile lefty relief option. It’s been a very successful year for him, and at this point it’s comfortable to put a 45 grade on him, and real optimists may go higher. Jacobs will make one more start this week for a Whitecaps team fighting for its playoff life, which will get him over 90 innings on the year. He should be clear to stretch out to 120-130 innings next season starting at Double-A Erie.

If Jacobs can take the step up to Double-A Erie and throw something like 115-130 innings in 2027, lingering questions about durability, which follow every young pitcher through the A-ball levels, will dissipate. We can hope for a little sharper slider with more work, but at this point the four-pitch mix is already good enough if his command improves a little more. He’s on his way though, and has executed complicated sequences more and more over the past month. Instead of falling back on his fourseamer too much, he’s working backwards more with curveballs and sliders to start at-bats, and then expanding the zone up with his fastball and away from right-handers with the splitter once they’re behind in the count. Jacobs is a much more polished and dangerous pitcher than he was when the season began, and the Tigers have to be pretty thrilled with his progress in year one.

At this point only Cameron Flukey really stands out above Jacobs in the Tigers’ pecking order, and Flukey himself is just getting started. If things continue to go well there’s an outside chance Jacobs could reach Detroit next summer, but for now we’ll keep to a 2028 timetable.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rangers fans and fans across the country.

Good morning, folks, and welcome to the latest edition of Lone Star Ball Reacts.

We all want the Texas Rangers to advance to the World Series from the American League. However, odds are that won’t happen…not because the Rangers are inherently incapable of making the World Series, but because the natural of Major League Baseball, and their playoff structure in particular, is that for every team the odds are they won’t advance to the World Series. Given a choice between a particular team and the field, you’re always going to take the field.

So our question today is, if the Rangers aren’t the team to advance to the World Series from the American League this year, who do you want to see make it and face off against the National League champions?

Cast your vote below…

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Happy Wednesday! We have baseball going on all day! 

Here are my MLB moneyline predictions for today's slate include backing a lot of pricey favorites, which include the New York Yankees.

Before we dive in, be sure to check out all of our MLB picks on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

MLB moneyline picks for September 2

For help understanding Polymarket probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Matchup	Pick
Padres vs Reds	58%
Braves vs Nationals	41%
A's vs Rangers	60%
Orioles vs Rockies	60%
Phillies vs Diamondbacks	52%
Mariners vs Red Sox	44%
Mets vs Rays	62%
Giants vs Pirates	58%
Blue Jays vs Guardians	46%
Tigers vs Twins	52%
Marlins vs Royals	51%
Brewers vs Cubs	41%
White Sox vs Astros	56%
Yankees vs Angels	60%
Cardinals vs Dodgers	31%

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 9-2.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for September 2

Padres vs Reds: San Diego Padres 

Padres win probability: 58%

Reds southpaw Brandon Williamson makes his return since April 29. Prior to his injury, he sported a 6.11 ERA and 1.64 WHIP and was a hard fade every time he was listed as the starting pitcher for this writer.

On the other side, Casey Mize takes the mound this afternoon for the Friars and has been very solid over his last three starts, posting a 3.71 xERA and 1.17 WHIP.

The Cincinnati Reds' bats have come alive as of late, but with Williamson making his first start since the season's infancy, take the road favorites here.

Braves vs Nationals: Washington Nationals 

Nationals win probability: 41%

Statistically, the Braves are back in untrustworthy territory, sporting a sub-100 wRC+, .133 ISO and generating just a 6.2% barrel rate over their last six games. Over their last 21 games, they have been even more lifeless.

This afternoon, Grant Holmes is on the mound, carrying a 5.52 ERA and 1.50 WHIP while allowing a hard-hit rate over 51% in his last three starts.

This should be a great spot for a Nationals lineup that has been crushing the baseball over the last two weeks. Plus, Brad Lord is on the mound, and he has been extremely serviceable for the Nationals as of late.

Take the dog.

A's vs Rangers: Texas Rangers

Rangers win probability: 60%

Despite Athletics left-hander Jacob Lopez being lights-out over his last five starts, the Athletics' bats have gone cold. Meanwhile, the Rangers are on a heater offensively, consistently making hard contact while sporting a 124 wRC+, .350 wOBA and .795 OPS.

Cody Bradford has struggled in some of his recent starts, but he has held it down at home.

Orioles vs Rockies: Baltimore Orioles

Orioles win probability: 60%

Death. Taxes. Fade Tomoyuki Sugano.

Let's keep this short and sweet. You have other games to take a look at.

Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano enters Wednesday with a 12.75 ERA and 2.42 WHIP, while allowing a hard-hit rate above 45%. He has been a punching bag on the mound.

Take the birds.

Phillies vs Diamondbacks: Philadelphia Phillies 

Phillies win probability: 52%

Speaking of punching bags, Diamondbacks starter Jose Cabrera has posted a 6.75 ERA, 5.54 xERA and 1.58 WHIP over his last three starts. On the other side, Andrew Painter has been turning things around, posting a terrific expected ERA across his last five starts.

The Phillies as a whole are in the better spot today, with hotter bats and the better arm on the mound. Solid price for the Phillies today.

Mariners vs Red Sox: Seattle Mariners 

Mariners win probability: 44%

If they want to prove me wrong, fine. I will back them.

The Seattle Mariners have looked outstanding at the dish in Boston, racking up 17 runs over the first two games of the series. Now they draw Patrick Sandoval, who owns a 6.00 ERA, 5.28 xERA and 1.73 WHIP over his last three starts.

The southpaw does force a lot of strikeouts, and the Mariners do strike out a ton, but their bats are simply too hot to fade.

Mets vs Rays: Tampa Bay Rays 

Rays win probability: 62%

Real simple, the Mets own a 62 wRC+, .253 wOBA and .563 OPS over their last six games, while Rays right-hander Griffin Jax has a 1.55 xERA and 0.96 WHIP, giving up little to no hard contact or barrels over his last three starts.

Plus, Justin Hagenman is making his season debut, the hot Rays lineup should feast on his offerings.

Rays or nothing.

Giants vs Pirates: Pittsburgh Pirates 

Pirates win probability: 58%

After both teams scored two touchdowns last night, it is only right to assume we may have a dud on our hands this evening. However, the hometown team should get the job done once again with Bubba Chandler on the mound, who has looked great over his last few starts.

On the other side, Landen Roupp takes the bump with a 5.58 xERA and 1.44 WHIP over his last three starts. The Giants' bats have been heating up over the last few games, but with how poorly Roupp has pitched, the Pirates are my lean.

Blue Jays vs Guardians: Cleveland Guardians 

Guardians win probability: 46%

Let's chase the value. We are fading Dylan Cease and the ice-cold Blue Jays bats.

Over their last six games, the Guardians have posted a 115 wRC+, .336 wOBA and .764 OPS. This evening, Joey Cantillo takes the bump, owning a 2.78 ERA over his last five starts. He draws a Blue Jays lineup that has not been generating much hard contact or barrels for weeks.

Take the dog.

Tigers vs Twins: Minnesota Twins 

Twins win probability: 52%

28 wRC+, .210 wOBA, .448 OPS, .066 ISO.

Those are the numbers the Detroit Tigers have put up over their last six games.

Who cares how bad Dean Kremer has been over his last few outings? The Tigers are sleepwalking.

Twins or nothing.

Marlins vs Royals: Kansas City Royals

Royals win probability: 51%

Despite the Royals coming back down to earth after the heater they were on last week, they are still performing at a higher level than the Marlins. Miami has identical numbers over their last six and 12 games.

Right-hander Eury Pérez has been great, but Noah Cameron has been far better over his last five starts.

Back the home team.

Brewers vs Cubs: Chicago Cubs

Cubs win probability: 41%

“Bu-but Jacob Misiorowski is on the mound tonight.”

Okay?

The Cubs' bats have looked incredible over the last week, as they own an astounding 175 wRC+, .425 wOBA, .990 OPS and .311 ISO.

Cubs southpaw David Peterson does not give a lot of confidence, but with how well the Cubs are seeing the ball, they are worth a sprinkle.

White Sox vs Astros: Houston Astros 

Astros win probability: 56%

Fade Davis Martin.

The White Sox right-hander has not been able to stop a cold over his last five games, posting a sub-10.00 ERA and 1.63 WHIP while allowing a hard-hit rate above 46%.

Astros right-hander Hayden Wesneski has been far more trustworthy, sporting a 3.67 ERA, 3.05 xERA and 1.11 WHIP over his last five.

Houston's lineup has gone cold, but Martin's weak arm should wake them up.

Yankees vs Angels: New York Yankees 

Yankees win probability: 60%

Little juicy for a moneyline price, but with Cam Schlittler on the bump and how well the Yankees have been hitting the ball as of late, they are worth paying the juice.

Plus, the Angels have a 71 wRC+, .271 wOBA, .575 OPS and .063 ISO over their last six games. Right-hander Reid Detmers has been very solid as of late, but trusting this lifeless lineup does not sound fun.

Cardinals vs Dodgers: St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals win probability: 31%

View this from a pure betting perspective, especially with how lifeless the Dodgers' lineup has been as of late.

Why would we pay that much juice for any team to win a regular-season game?

Plus, the Cardinals' bats have been pretty solid over the last week, making a ton of hard contact, far more than the Dodgers.

Ride with the dog.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

LOS ANGELES — John Shoemaker is in his sixth straight year managing the Dodgers’ Class-A affiliate and his first year in Ontario after the previous five campaigns with Rancho Cucamonga. He’ll be at Dodger Stadium on Friday night as part of the annual celebration of longtime employees in the organization.

This is Shoemaker’s 50th year with the Dodgers, first as a player from 1977-80 as he was selected in both the MLB Draft and NBA Draft, then as a coach every season since 1981. He was named the Dodgers captain of player development in 2015, and accordingly wears a C on the front of his jersey to this day.

There aren’t many things Shoemaker hasn’t done within the game of baseball, but come October he can check off another box. He will manage the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League.

The AFL is the annual showcase of prospects throughout the game, with six Arizona teams comprised of prospects from five MLB teams each. Glendale, which plays its games at Camelback Ranch, the home of the Dodgers and White Sox, will consist of prospects of those two teams plus the Braves, Marlins, and Pirates.

Among the notes for Shoemaker in MLB’s press release is that he’s had 20 separate winning seasons as a minor league manager and his 1,984-1,864 lifetime record has him third among active minor league managers.

Before the Arizona Fall League begins on Monday, October 5, and runs through November 11, Shoemaker will be busy in the California League playoffs beginning on September 8, as Ontario won the second half in the South Division.

San Diego Padres (73-66) at Cincinnati Reds (66-73), September 2, 2026, 3:40 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Great American Ball Park – Cincinnati, Ohio

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
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Texas Rangers lineup for September 2, 2026 against the Sacramento A’s: starting pitchers are Cody Bradford for the Rangers and Jacob Lopez for the A’s.

The Rangers have a matinee game today, and are looking to finish off a sweep of the A’s, extend their winning streak to four games, and get back to .500 before the Rays come to town tomorrow for a four game series. It is the last game I will be attending this season. My dad will also be there, and is very disappointed that Cody Bradford is starting, because one of his favorite things to do at the games is marvel at the upper-90s readings on the speed gun on the scoreboard. He lamented last night, “Bradford barely hits 90, doesn’t he?” Such it is for a crafty lefty pitcher.

The lineup:

Duran — CF

Seager — SS

Langford — LF

Nimmo — RF

Burger — 1B

Foscue — 2B

Diaz — DH

Freeman — 3B

Jansen — C

1:35 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -165 favorites.

As they entered Game 2 of the 1939 World Series, the Reds had cause for optimism. Despite facing a juggernaut Yankees squad going for their fourth straight title, and despite dropping a heartbreaking Game 1 as Bill Dickey walked them off in the bottom of the ninth, Cincinnati were turning to their not-so-secret weapon. After spending his first four and a half years in the league with Philadelphia as a back-end starter, Bucky Walters came out of nowhere in ‘39 to become the sixth pitcher to take home an MVP. The 30-year-old led the league in everything from wins (27), complete games (31), and innings (319) to bWAR (8.2) and ERA+ (170).

The Yankees would turn to a man who posted a subpar 97 ERA+ in 20 starts that year and who had never received an MVP vote in a solid but unspectacular regular season career. But this was not the regular season. The Yankees’ starter that day had something Walters did not — an enviable track record in the World Series. On that day, Monte Pearson would cement his legacy as one of the greatest World Series performers in baseball history.

Montgomery Marcellus Pearson
Born: September 2, 1908 (Oakland, CA)
Died: January 27, 1978 (Fresno, CA)
Yankees Tenure: 1936-40

Pearson grew up in Fresno, CA, where he played high school baseball before embarking on a career in independent ball. He performed well enough to draw the attention of Cleveland, who signed him away from the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League for the 1932 season. He impressed the club’s big-league manager, longtime Yankees shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh, with his “dazzling fastball” and debuted with Cleveland that year.

After a rough go of it in ‘32, Pearson broke out the following season, posting a 2.33 ERA in 135 innings while earning a spot in Cleveland’s rotation. His manager that year was the legendary Walter Johnson, who trumpeted Pearson’s 30-win potential. Johnson also played a pivotal role in the right-hander’s future success as a big-game pitcher. “He put this sort of a spirit in me — when you go out to the mound, say to yourself you are just as good as the fellow facing you and that you can get him out of there,” Pearson said of his mentor.

Pearson’s performance deteriorated over the next two years, culminating in his trade to New York before the ‘36 season. His first regular season in pinstripes was his best, as he won 19 games and added a strong season at the plate (recording a .253 batting average and 20 RBI) for good measure, earning the first All-Star berth of his career. Come October, in what would become a trend, Pearson had a hill to climb in his first World Series start, facing Giants star Carl Hubbell. Fresh off his second MVP, the future Hall of Famer had held the Yankees to a single run in a complete game victory in Game 1. In Game 4, Pearson outdueled him, limiting the Giants to two runs in a complete game victory of his own while holding future Hall of Famers Mel Ott and Bill Terry out of the hit column and adding a pair of knocks of his own for good measure.

Over the next four seasons in pinstripes, Pearson remained a useful starter but never became a star, missing time to injury and going through stretches of inconsistency. On August 27, 1938, he became the third Yankee to throw a no-hitter, a feat surely made sweeter because it came against Cleveland, his former team.

And each October, he stepped up his game in dramatic fashion, winning his sole starts in the ‘37 and ‘38 Fall Classics while allowing a single earned run in each.

But it was in 1939 that he would turn in the greatest performance of his postseason career. At the age of 31 and dealing with what he called a tired arm, it was unclear if he’d even be able to start. Instead, he outdueled Walters in an all-timer, taking a no-hitter into the eighth in a shutout victory to help the Yankees to a commanding two-game series lead. “I just kept bearing down on one batter just as hard as I did on the other,” Pearson said of his performance. “My only object was to get those Reds out as fast as I could.”

Pearson would spend one more year in New York, earning his second All-Star berth but missing almost the whole second half with a shoulder injury. The Yankees shipped him off to the Reds after the season but his shoulder was never the same. After posting a 5.14 ERA in seven appearances, he called it quits.

After his playing career, Pearson embarked on a career in public service, first as a firefighter in Fresno and then as Chief Sanitarian in nearby Madera County. His promising second act imploded in 1962, when he was convicted of accepting bribes to permit the installation of septic tanks that were not up to code. The infraction cost Pearson his marriage and eight months in jail, forever tainting his legacy. He continued to live in Fresno until his death in 1978 at the age of 69.

But nothing could tarnish his legacy as an October hero. Among starters with at least 35 playoff innings, only two — Sandy Koufax and Christy Mathewson — boast ERAs better than Pearson’s 1.01. He squared up against the best pitchers and lineups of his era and proved himself up to the challenge, winning each of his four World Series outings and recording all but one out across those starts. While not as well remembered, he was as integral to those championships as his Hall of Fame teammates. Join us in remembering one of the premier big-game pitchers in Yankees history, Monte Pearson.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Yesterday’s game was not all that much fun.

I missed that there was a trade yesterday. The Jays sent Sebastian Rodriguez 20-year-old, right-handed pitcher to the Dodgers for José Rodríguez, a right-handed pitcher, who is 25.

José Rodríguez pitched in Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. In 25 games, 3 starts, with a 3.38 ERA. In 29.1 innings he allowed 23 hits, 1 home run, 18 walks and 36 strikeouts. I’m sure you noticed the number of walks, but he does get strikeouts. The Jays wanted him because he’s closer to the majors. As we’ve seen, they have used any nearly major league ready arm they have. The Dodgers were going to be calling him up and he is eligible for the Rule Five draft.

Sebatian has pitched 9 innings of pro-ball, in the Dominican Summer League, so he’d a long way from the major leagues.

Yesterday’s game wasn’t great, but seeing Spence Miles hit 100 mph with his fastball was interesting. He’s averaged 96.0 mph this season.

He’d been an amazing Rule 5 pick up.

We complain about challenges that our catchers get wrong, but Alejandro Kirk has been right 49 times and wrong 32, 15th in baseball among the 44 catchers with 50 challenges Brandon Valenzuela, on the other hand, has been right 22 times and wrong 30 times the lowest percentage in baseball among catchers with more than 50 challenges. I’d be curious to see the numbers if we could just look at first inning challenges. It feels like we get more of those wrong, but it is likely because first inning challenges irritate me, whether they are right or wrong, so when one is wrong it plays into that mindset.

I like to think there are no ‘must win’ games until we get down to either playoffs or the game that will eliminate us from the playoffs, but tonight’s game seems close to a must win game. We have Dylan Cease going. We pretty much need to win his starts.

No pressure Dylan.

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The red-hot Philadelphia Phillies head into today's series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks as a 52% moneyline favorite, with first pitch scheduled for 3:40 p.m. ET at Chase Field. 

With Andrew Painter dealing — and Philadelphia in the midst of a six-game winning streak — my Phillies vs. Diamondbacks predictions are targeting the visitors to complete the sweep in Phoenix. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Wednesday, Sept. 2. 

Who will win Phillies vs Diamondbacks today: Phillies (52%)

For help understanding Polymarket probabilities, see our odds calculator.

After a rough start to his 2025 debut campaign, Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter has found a groove.

The rookie right-hander owns a 1.63 FIP over his last two starts, pairing a 56.7% ground-ball rate with zero home-run damage. His month-long profile is strong, too, with a 3.05 xERA.

That matters against an Arizona Diamondbacks lineup that has struggled, posting an 80 wRC+ over its previous seven games. Arizona is turning to Taylor Clarke as an opener, likely for only one or two innings, and its bullpen owns a 4.98 xERA over the last week.

With Painter in form and Philadelphia carrying a 103 wRC+ recently, the Phillies have the edge.

Play to 58%.

COVERS INTEL: Painter has shown real HR suppression lately, allowing 0.66 HR/9 in his last five starts, compared to his season average of 1.56. 

Phillies vs Diamondbacks Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (53%)

With the total sitting as high as 9.5, the Under presents value.

The Diamondbacks’ bullpen hasn't been elite, but it isn't giving up many home runs, and Philadelphia isn't exactly exploding offensively despite its recent win streak.

The Phillies’ relief corps is also dialed in behind Painter, posting a 2.98 FIP over the last week while surrendering just 0.52 HR/9. I expect another strong outing from Painter, and his relievers are in the type of form needed to keep Arizona’s out-of-sync lineup in check.

Do not expect a high-scoring finale.

Play this pick to 57%.

Phillies vs Diamondbacks home run prediction: Bryce Harper (15%)

Bryce Harper is not carrying a perfect home run profile, but the form is hard to ignore. The Phillies slugger is hitting .458 over his last six games with one homer, a .535 xSLG, and three straight multi-hit performances.

The hard-hit numbers do not jump off the page, but Harper has put nearly 50% of his recent contact in the air, giving him a path to power if he squares one up.

Arizona’s bullpen has also allowed a 40% fly-ball rate over the last two weeks while giving up 1.12 HR/9.

Play this pick up to 17%.

Phillies vs Diamondbacks weather

Weather at Chase Field looks extremely hot and dry, with clear skies and temperatures rising from 98 degrees to 101 during the game window. Winds sit around 6–9 mph, and rain chances are basically nonexistent at 0–2%. Due to the extreme temperatures, though, the dome is scheduled to be closed.

Phillies vs Diamondbacks odds

• Moneyline: Phillies 52% | Diamondbacks 49%
• Run line: Phillies -1.5 (40%) | Diamondbacks +1.5 (60%)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (51%) | Under 9.5 (53%)

Phillies vs Diamondbacks trend

The Philadelphia Phillies have hit the Moneyline in 15 of their last 17 games (+12.75 Units / 46% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Diamondbacks.

How to watch Phillies vs Diamondbacks and game info

Phillies vs Diamondbacks latest injuries

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All-day baseball means full-slate coverage on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Five MLB expert picks follow below, with two of our finest baseball minds eyeing opposite sides of tonight's Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners game.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Probability
Josh Inglis: ATL/WSH u9.5	53%
Jon Metler: SEA ML	45%
Neil Parker: BOS ML	56%
Joe Osborne: KC ML	51%
Dustin Saracini: DET ML	48%

Probabilities courtesy of Polymarket. For help understanding Polymarket probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Braves at Nationals Under 9.5

Price: 53¢ at Polymarket

This abbreviated two-game set saw 14 runs in yesterday's opener, but today's matchup doesn't deserve to have the same total.

The wind is blowing in, there is a slight chance of rain, and the Washington Nationals have the worst schedule spot of the week. The Nats will wrap up today's game and head to Los Angeles to open a series against the Dodgers on Friday. The Atlanta Braves also have a massive weekend series on deck against the Phillies, making this a perfect getaway game.

Grant Holmes has mostly seen closing totals of 8, 8.5, and 9, making 9.5 a long number for a pitcher with a sub-4.00 ERA who has recorded scoreless outings in three of his last five starts.

Brad Lord isn't even as bad as he looks for this Under. He's been great since the All-Star break and will likely pitch only three innings, allowing a bridge reliever to get to Washington's high-leverage arms, all of whom are available.

This should close at 9. I love an afternoon getaway game.

• Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
• How to watch: BravesVsn, Nationals.TV

Jon Metler's expert pick: Mariners moneyline

Price: 45¢ at Polymarket

The venue is a major factor in how I handicap this matchup. If the game were being played at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, I'd view it much differently than I do at Fenway Park.

Left-hander Patrick Sandoval gets the ball for the Boston Red Sox, and he relies heavily on his changeup to generate outs and induce ground balls. That approach could be problematic against the Seattle Mariners' right-handed bats, including Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, and Taylor Ward, who excel at driving pitches from left-handed pitchers with backspin into the gaps.

Sandoval's reliance on his off-speed stuff puts him in a difficult spot against this lineup, particularly at Fenway Park. Some of the fly balls that might die in Seattle's marine layer could turn into extra-base hits off the Green Monster in Boston.

The Mariners are trading at 45% on Polymarket, but I make them closer to 50%, which is why I'm backing Seattle.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Mariners.TV, NESN

Neil Parker's expert pick: Red Sox moneyline

Price: 56¢ at Polymarket

The Mariners rank 29th in xwOBA with just 3.6 runs per game over the past 30 days, and starter Bryce Miller’s underlying numbers skyrocket away from pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park.

His home 2.52 xERA and 3.67 xFIP jump to 3.80 and 4.04 marks, respectively, and Miller has also surrendered a .346 wOBA and .239 ISO on the highway.

With the Red Sox ranking second in wOBA, fourth in ISO, and seventh in xwOBA while averaging 5.4 runs per game over the past 30 days, I’m happy to run counter to my colleague Jon Metler and back Boston to 57.4% this afternoon.

For more, check out Neil Parker's complete Mariners vs. Red Sox predictions.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Mariners.TV, NESN

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Royals moneyline

Price: 51¢ at Polymarket

Noah Cameron has been dominant in the second half, posting a 1.29 ERA across his last seven starts, with four scoreless outings.

He'll face a Miami Marlins lineup that's been awful vs. left-handed pitching, ranking 26th in OPS over the past month.

Eury Perez has shown cracks on the road and draws a Kansas City Royals offense that’s been one of baseball’s hottest both at home and against right-handed pitching.

Kansas City is also red-hot at home, where its won seven of its last eight. Add Miami’s inefficient bullpen and a fair price, and there’s plenty of ammo to pull the trigger on the Royals.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: Marlins.TV, Royals.TV

Dustin Saracini's expert pick: Tigers moneyline

Price: 48¢ at Polymarket

The Detroit Tigers need to bounce back after surrendering 26 runs across their first two against the Minnesota Twins, and they may get it with Dean Kremer on the mound for the home team.

Kremer has allowed a homer in three straight starts, and the Tigers have his number, owning a .303 xBA and .510 xSLG across 98 plate appearances.

Now that's a sample size we can get behind.

On the other side, Drew Anderson has been serviceable, owning a career-best 3.91 xERA and 34.1% chase rate. The Tigers are a live 'dog tonight trading at 48 cents, and I'd play them up to 52 at Polymarket.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• How to watch: DSN, Twins.TV

More MLB best bets for today

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The Milwaukee Brewers have star Jacob Misiorowski toeing the rubber vs. the Chicago Cubs ahead of the third tilt in their four-game series on Wednesday, Sept. 2, and are sizable road favorites.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET, and my top Brewers vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks are calling for another masterclass from Misiorowski paving the way for a Milwaukee win tonight.

Who will win Brewers vs Cubs today: Brewers moneyline (60.6%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski is the rightful betting favorite in the National League Cy Young odds. In addition to his sterling stat line, he’s also beaten the Chicago Cubs twice this season while holding them to a minuscule .202 wOBA and .422 OPS.

We’re landing a fair number because the Cubbies are an admirable opponent and pace the majors in wOBA while ranking second in xwOBA over the past 14 days.

Still, I don’t have confidence in Chicago lefty David Peterson.

His 2.35 ERA across his past eight starts is miles below his underlying 4.39 xERA and 3.73 xFIP. His unsustainable .266 BABIP and 86.5% strand rate during the run also reinforce the screaming statistical correction ahead.

This Brewers moneyline is in play to 62.3%.

COVERS INTEL: Misiorowski paces qualified starters in xERA, xFIP, and strikeout percentage while holding opposing hitters to the lowest barrel percentage.

Brewers vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (53.7%)

Even with the highlighted concerns for Peterson, he’s still allowed two runs or fewer in seven of the eight starts during the noted stretch, and the Brewers rank a middling 15th in wOBA against lefties for the campaign. 

Additionally, the Brewers have an elite bullpen behind Misiorowski, with Milwaukee relievers ranking third in xERA and fifth in xFIP in the second half. 

As a result, I don't anticipate either team scoring enough to push this total Over the number.

Brewers vs Cubs home run prediction: Jackson Chourio (20%)

Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio sports a .194 ISO against lefties and is rolling along a six-game hitting streak, with three homers, a .481 wOBA, and .370 ISO. With perfect hitting conditions at Wrigley Field tonight, Chourio is trading at a fair price to tee off at the Friendly Confines this evening.

Brewers vs Cubs weather

A 90-degree heat wave and wind blowing out at 10 mph will provide favorable hitting conditions at Wrigley Field tonight. 

Brewers vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Brewers 60.8% | Cubs 42.6%
• Run line: Brewers -1.5 (50%) | Cubs +1.5 (54.5%)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (54.2%) | Under 8 (54.2%)

Brewers vs Cubs trend

The Milwaukee Brewers have won 12 of their last 18 games (+5.25 Units / 21% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Cubs.

How to watch Brewers vs Cubs and game info

Brewers vs Cubs latest injuries

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