LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 01: Leo Bernal #13 and Michael McGreevy #36 of the St. Louis Cardinals leave the field after the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals wrap up their west coast swing with a 3-game series vs the San Francisco Giants starting Monday night. Michael McGreevy is the starter for the Cardinals while the San Francisco Giants will give the ball to RHP Logan Webb. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via NBC/Peacock.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will play against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday after missing four games because of soreness in his right biceps and left knee. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
When Dodgers manager Dave Roberts went over the weekend plan with Shohei Ohtani, he circled Monday as a potential date for him to return to the lineup after four days off to address lingering aches and pains, including a recurring biceps problem.
On Sunday, that plan was finalized. And Ohtani did indeed grace the top of the Dodgers’ lineup Monday as they opened a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds.
Roberts will, however, keep a close eye on Ohtani.
“I don’t want to say it’s day to day, but I am very curious to see how he comes out of tonight to then make the decision for tomorrow and ensuing days,” Roberts said. “We’ve put a pin in throwing and just having him focus on the hitting, the running, keeping his legs good and doing whatever it takes to help us win.”
By “put a pin in” it, Roberts meant that the Dodgers didn’t have a timetable for when Ohtani might throw again, making it likely that he won’t pitch again this year. But the Dodgers aren’t ready to fully rule it out.
Roberts said he hoped tabling throwing, at least for now, could help Ohtani’s offensive production.
“That’s one part of the thought, to sort of take the pitching off of his plate and really try to let him lock in on being a hitter and get on track,” Roberts said. “Because the last couple of weeks he just hasn’t been himself in the box.”
Ohtani wasn’t available before the game to give his own explanation about his recent slump, and he hasn’t addressed reporters in three weeks, despite repeated requests. He tallied only two hits in the six games before Roberts sat him.
“A lot of it was overall body break, which was needed,” Roberts said. “I think that what happens is, when a player gets taxed physically, the mentally is affected as well.
“I think we got to a point where it all sort of came to a head, where I do think these last four days, giving his body a reset, giving his mind a reset — anything can happen [Monday] as far as performance, but I’m hoping that he’s just in a better state body and mind tonight.”
How will Roberts be able to tell if that’s the case?
“Just the swing, the barrel accuracy, how his mechanics look,” Roberts said. “Hopefully we don’t see that wincing we saw [last Wednesday]. And just quality of at-bat in the end.”
New York Mets' A.J. Ewing (9) holds up his arms after hitting a double to score Juan Soto and Carson Benge during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in Miami.
MIAMI — A.J. Ewing’s late-summer siesta at the plate might finally be behind him.
A day after collecting only his second multihit game over the past month, the rookie went a step further with a 3-for-5 performance that included three RBIs in the Mets’ 9-4 victory over the Marlins on Monday.
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Did Ewing change his approach following an August in which he produced a .463 OPS?
“A little bit,” Ewing said. “I would just say that I am not chasing results and kind of sticking to an approach and a plan and just being pitch to pitch.”
Ewing’s two-run double in the fifth inning extended the Mets lead to 7-4 and was among the big hits of the 16 the Mets collected. Ewing also delivered an RBI single later in the game.
“The at-bats are outstanding,” interim manager Andy Green said. “He’s hitting the ball all over the field. He’s hitting with authority.”
Ewing’s only blemish on this day was getting picked off first base in the third inning.
“He got a little far off the base,” Green said. “But he can apply so much pressure with his speed, so getting him back on the bases really causes our offense to churn.”
New York Mets’ A.J. Ewing (9) holds up his arms after hitting a double to score Juan Soto and Carson Benge during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, in Miami. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Robert Stock will start Wednesday’s series finale, according to Green. The right-hander pitched in relief Friday — facing two batters — after his best career start four days earlier, when he pitched 5 ¹/₃ scoreless innings against the Rays.
Reed Garrett, who is rehabbing from internal brace elbow surgery, will throw from a mound Tuesday in front of team officials. The right-hander has spent most of this season rehabbing in Port St. Lucie.
Jared Young was on the bench for a second straight game after fouling a ball off his foot Saturday. Brett Baty started at first base.
Justin Hagenman was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to create roster space for Jonah Tong.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 26: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning at Oracle Park on August 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s time for a new series, and it’s time for holiday baseball, as the San Francisco Giants host the St. Louis Cardinals.
Logan Webb is scheduled to take the mound for the Giants, with the three-time All-Star right-hander making his 26th start of the season. Webb is 8-8 on the year, with a 4.21 ERA, a 3.44 FIP, and 119 strikeouts to 38 walks in 149.2 innings. Webb is looking to bounce back after his last outing, when he gave up nine runs in two innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
For the Cardinals, it’s righty Michael McGreevy, who makes his 28th start. The 26-year old is 6-9 on the year, with a 3.97 ERA, a 4.31 FIP, and 102 strikeouts to 40 walks in 147.1 innings. McGreevy gave up four runs in five innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last start.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo threw the first complete game of his career Monday, Sept. 7, a two-hit, 12-strikeout shutout that beat the Atlanta Braves1-0 and pushed his record to 14-5 with a 2.87 ERA.
Five months ago, his ERA sat at 5.50.
Since then, he has won the National League Pitcher of the Month for August, going 3-0, with a 1.31 ERA, 46 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings. Over his last 22 starts, his ERA is 2.39.
He's not the only team member pitching well at the right time.
Cristopher Sanchez is 16-14 with a 2.52 ERA and the major's best pitching WAR, running second in the Cy Young race behind Milwaukee's Jacob Misiorowski. Earlier this year he put together a 50 2/3-inning scoreless streak, the longest by a left-hander in major league history.
Zack Wheeler had a miserable August, a 6.26 ERA that had people writing him off, and has answered it with back-to-back starts of six innings with one run apiece. Aaron Nola's season line still looks rough at 4.76, but that number isn't the whole story. Since late June, Nola has a 3.43 ERA over his last 11 starts, including going seven innings and holding the Braves to a run in his last start.
After a rough start, Philadelphia's rotation is leading the majors in strikeouts.
The Phillies are 99% likely to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, according to postseason odds models. They were four games back of the Braves after beating them Monday and hold the first NL wild card spot. So, they are not only pitching well for that push for the division, but are going to have good decisions to make for October.
The playoff rotation of Luzardo, Wheeler and Sanchez is as formidable as any in the majors.
Game 1 is a real argument for interim Phillies manager Don Mattingly. Luzardo has a 1.76 ERA on the road this season and a 4.52 at home. Sanchez is the mirror image, a 1.68 at Citizens Bank Park and a 3.68 on the road. Whoever the Phillies face and wherever that series opens will likely be the deciding factor.
Wheeler slots in behind them. He posted a 2.16 ERA through his first 16 starts, then a 7.12 over his next seven. The staff traced it to his glove. He was holding it two inches lower than usual in his windup. He has had two strong starts since the fix.
Nola and Painter will be fighting for a potential fourth spot. Whichever one it is, the more likely job in October is relief, giving the Phillies another arm to go with Orion Kerkering, Jose Alvarado and Jhoan Duran.
Monday was a flash of what the Phillies pitching is capable of doing. Luzardo scattered two hits, walked one and struck out a dozen Braves hitters. It was the first 1-0 complete game shutout by a Phillies pitcher since Roy Halladay did it against Houston on Sept. 14, 2011. That was a masterpiece that clinched the Phillies' playoff spot that year.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts on the floor during the first quarter of a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Monday, March 10, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Luka Dončić’s and Austin Reaves’ friendship has blossomed over the past few seasons, as the two are now quite close. And this closeness was shown in a hilarious way when Dončić was asked to describe Reaves with one word in a recent interview.
“Annoying,” Dončić said while staring dead at the camera, per the Lakers’ X account.
Luka Doncic calling his Los Angeles Lakers teammate Austin Reaves “annoying” in an interview. (X/@Lakers).
Dončić is just joking around, of course. At least, joking in the way that two friends who love to jab and tease each other constantly do.
Of course, this chemistry doesn’t guarantee that the Lakers will win games when the upcoming season starts. But if the team struggles, it doesn’t look like a fractured locker room will be the root cause.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers hold hands during a timeout in the second half of a game against the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena on March 12, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
When Joe Sakic tells Avalanche fans not to worry, history suggests they should probably listen.
Sakic delivered that message again Monday while discussing head coach Jared Bednar on Altitude Sports Radio. With Bednar entering the final year of his three-year contract, questions about his future in Colorado are beginning to surface.
Sakic, however, doesn't appear concerned.
“No, we’re continuing. We’re gonna talk about it and see if we can get to an agreement here. ... We’ll try and get to an extension, and hopefully we can work something out, but there’s no urgency either.”
It’s a similar message to the one Sakic gave regarding Cale Makar earlier this summer. While there was plenty of speculation about whether the Avalanche would be able to reach a long-term agreement with their star defenseman, Sakic remained confident.
That confidence proved justified when Makar signed an eight-year, $163.2 million extension, keeping him in Colorado through the 2034-35 season.
Now, the focus shifts to Bednar.
Bednar has been behind Colorado's bench since 2016 and has accomplished just about everything possible during his tenure. He has won championships at the ECHL, AHL and NHL levels, including the 2022 Stanley Cup with the Avalanche. He is also the winningest coach in franchise history.
With that résumé, it makes sense that Colorado would want to keep him around.
Still, Sakic made it clear Monday that there is no rush to get a deal done.
The Avalanche will continue negotiating with Bednar and see if the two sides can reach an agreement. For now, though, both Sakic and Bednar appear comfortable letting the process play out.
And if Sakic's track record is any indication, Avalanche fans may want to take him at his word once again.
Bednar has taken plenty of heat over the past couple of seasons because of the team's playoff shortcomings, but the bottom line is that the organization wanted him back. Perhaps even more importantly, the players gave him their vote of confidence.
Now, we'll see if next season brings that magic spark back.
Kevin Pietersen has joined England’s white-ball coaching team as a “specialist mentor” in the build-up to next year’s World Cup, 12 years on from the controversial end to his international career.
He last played Sept. 2, when he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts against the St. Louis Cardinals and looked, for a few innings, like a hitter who could not catch up with the ball.
He returns as a designated hitter. Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 because of inflammation in his left knee, and manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend that a mound return this season is unlikely. Nobody has closed the door, but he has not started throwing.
The knee issue dates to June. The right biceps flared up after that Sept. 2 game against the Cardinals. He is also dealing with a sore neck. Ohtani, 32, did nothing for two days, then hit in an indoor cage Saturday, and his hitting coaches and the training staff all gave him the go-ahead.
Ohtani was cold before he sat. He has not hit a home run since Aug. 18. He had two hits in his last 23 at-bats with 11 strikeouts.
Overall, Ohtani is hitting .279 with a .381 on-base percentage, 30 home runs, 80 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a .906 OPS in 499 at-bats.
On the mound, Ohtani went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP and 95 strikouts in 95 2/3 innings over 14 starts.
The Dodgers went into Monday night's game 86-57 and 10 games up on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. Milwaukee, at 89-56, has the better record in the NL, but the top two finishers get a bye, which would give Ohtani more time to rest.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 07: Gleyber Torres #25 of the Detroit Tigers turns a double play around Josh Bell #56 of the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning at Comerica Park on September 07, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a labor of a game on Labor Day. The Twins were resilient and had plenty of chances to score, but more bad luck with RISP, four double plays, and poor defensive execution led to another Twins loss. The same script as most of the second half.
The Twins once again struck first in the game. Luke Keaschall was hit by a pitch and Brooks Lee stroked a strong single to center. Keaschall and Lee then double stole to put two in scoring position for the heart of the lineup. Kody Clemens struck out and Ryan Jeffers hit into a fielders choice, scoring one and keeping runners at the corners with only one out, but Josh Bell hit into a double play to end the inning.
Joe Ryan made his grand return and was reasonably effective. After only one short rehab appearance, the Twins limited his workload to 65 pitches with rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp scheduled to follow. Ryan had a long first two innings, throwing 43 pitches and allowing three runs, but it genuinely could have been much worse.
Ryan K’d Colt Keith on three pitches to start the inning, but left a heater down the heart of the plate to AL ROY favorite Kevin McGonigle, giving Detroit their first run. In the second, he gave up a leadoff triple and struck out Spencer Torkelson, and then had perhaps the worst 4 pitch sequence of his life. Ryan walked rookie Max Clark after a long battle, then hit light-hitting rookie John Peck on the very next pitch to load the bases. On the next pitch he hit Keith to plate the go-ahead run, and then McGonigle reached on a soft grounder to first, but Royce Lewis’ throw home took Jeffers off the plate and allowed the Tigers to score another. Ryan buckled in and got the next two Tigers to end the threat, but the damage was done.
Ryan locked in from there, retiring the next six straight Tigers batters, including three strikeouts, to end his day at four innings and 66 pitches. It was a decent return for the Twins’ ace. His velocity looked strong and other than the McGongile homer (the only hard hit ball he allowed), he pitched reasonably well for someone effectively making his second rehab appearance. Some better defense behind him and he likely puts the Twins in a great position to win.
Connor Prielipp took over from there and was also pretty strong the rest of the way. He gave up a two-run shot to All-Star Riley Greene, but gave the Twins four strong and efficient innings and continues to show good stuff despite being 40 innings over his 2025 career high and flying past the combined 58 innings he threw from 2020-2024. The numbers won’t dazzle you, but he’s done more than enough to warrant a 2027 rotation look and stave off the bullpen concerns some evaluators thought he was destined for.
Back on the offensive side, the Twins did an excellent job getting back in the game after falling behind. Trevor Larnach, who has been hearing the call of the void, shrunk the gap to 1 with a laser wall-scraper in the fourth. Then, they finally managed to string some hits together with two outs in the sixth, trailing 5-2 at this point. Larnach got things started again with a single and Kaelen Culpepper scorched a single to left on the next pitch. Walker Jenkins then had his best at-bat as a Twin so far, working a full count before scorching a double into the right-center gap to plate two. If it wasn’t for Tigers centerfielder Max Clark’s speed, Jenkins might have had an inside-the-park home run in cavernous C0merica Park, but Clark made a nifty play, sliding to cut off the ball in the gap before it could get past him.
Twins legend Tyler Kinley came in to try to finish the game, but walked Keaschall and Lee to juice the bases for Clemens, who watched a fastball down the middle of the plate to end the threat with the Twins trailing 5-4. They had chances in every inning that followed, but hit into double plays in each of the final three frames to stop any momentum they had built.
Minnesota had one final chance to pull out a win in the ninth, but once again couldn’t come up with the final hit they needed. A leadoff walk to Clemens put the tying run on. Jeffers then hit a fly ball about 400 feet out to dead center that stayed in the park and Josh Bell bounced into a double play to end the game.
They “only” left 10 men on base this game, which doesn’t seem that bad, but that’s because double plays don’t count for that number. They had at least one runner reach base in every inning and two runners in five of them, yet only managed three total runs in those innings with multiple baserunners. Little things like that are what has the Twins well outside the playoff field with three weeks to go.
STUDS
Bottom of the lineup (Larnach/Kreidler, Culpepper, Jenkins): 5-10, HR, 2B, BB, 3 RBI
Luke Keaschall: 1-2, 2 BB, stole third base
DUDS
Rest of the lineup: 2-20, 3 BB, 3 GIDP, 0-6 with RISP
We’re back tomorrow for the stellar pitching matchup of Dean Kremer vs Drew Anderson, which we’ve all been waiting for. Here’s hoping Emmanuel Rodriguez and Alan Roden are with the team, too!
Baseball, perhaps more so than every other ball sport save golf, might be the one in which more happens to decide the outcome of a play, game, or season not on the field of play but in that one square foot of real estate nobody can see: What's going on inside the players’ minds?
During a 19-game stretch in August during his rookie year, Mets outfielder A.J. Ewing had just eight hits in 73 at-bats (.110) and saw his average (.269) and OPS (.743) fall by .033 and 0.089, respectively.
“He’s been really good,” Green said after the win. “The at-bats are outstanding; he’s hitting the ball all over the field, he’s hitting it with authority.”
Ewing said it comes down to feeling “really comfortable in the box right now” as he tries to stay true to his game. Does that mean there was a change of approach after the August slump?
“A little bit,” Ewing said. “I would say it’s not chasing results and just kinda sticking to an approach and a plan and just being pitch-to-pitch.”
And chasing results and letting the mental side of his game slip away is something Ewing indicated was happening during the bad run at the plate
“I’d say it’s impossible not to be up there and have those thoughts in your head,” Ewing said. “But staying away from that as much as you can is definitely the mental challenge of this game.”
For the season, Ewing has five games with three or more hits over his first 102 appearances and has his slash line back up to .247/.319/.365 for a .684 OPS.
With Ewing getting back on base, Green added that he is once again bringing an extra dimension to the Mets' offense with his speed.
“He can apply so much pressure with his speed,” the interim skipper said. “So getting him back on the bases really causes our offense to churn.”
Of course, the 22-year-old rookie will still have more to learn. “I just wasn’t expecting [it],” he said about getting picked off first in the third inning on Monday.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 18: Luke Kennard #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 18, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Shooting is one of those things that, when you have it, you probably don’t appreciate it nearly as much as when you don’t. After all, the entire point of basketball is to put the ball in the hoop. So when shots are falling, your natural inclination is to think, “Yeah, that’s what’s supposed to happen. When the shooting disappears, it becomes a glaring weakness, and suddenly you start reminiscing about when you had it.
That is going to be one of the more interesting storylines for the Suns this season, especially from beyond the arc. Phoenix shipped out two high-level three-point shooters in Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, who combined for 371 made threes last season. That accounted for 31% of the team’s total makes from deep. That is a substantial amount of shooting going out the door and wearing Hornets’ teal.
It also becomes one of the primary concerns when you look at the projected starting lineup. Combine the career three-point numbers of Jalen Green, Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams, and you get 4,296-of-12,387 from deep. That’s 34.7%. The NBA average last season was 36.0%. So on paper, the projected starting five enters the season with a very real shooting weakness.
What is the combined career three-point percentage of a potential Suns starting five of Jalen Green, Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams?
That is one of the reasons Luke Kennard’s acquisition is not only important, but necessary for this team. It also feels like he may be someone the fan base, and perhaps the league at large, is underestimating when it comes to his potential impact in Phoenix.
As we’ve worked our way through our annual SunsRank exercise, Kennard has consistently been ranked lower by the community. He was pushed into the Wild Card tier and ultimately ranked as the 11th-best Sun, falling behind both Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming. The writing team has him eighth. Perhaps the optimistic ranking by the Bright Side writers leans more heavily on what Kennard has already proven throughout his career, along with what this team will need from him and how prominently he could be used.
We know he is going to be asked to knock down shots, but Kennard has never really been defined as a high-volume three-point shooter. He is a career 44.2% shooter from deep, yet he has averaged only 4.3 attempts per game across nine seasons. For context, Grayson Allen, Collin Gillespie, Jalen Green, Royce O’Neale, Dillon Brooks, Devin Booker, and Jordan Goodwin all attempted more threes per game last season than Kennard has averaged for his career.
There are exceptions, though. His career high came in 2019–20 with Detroit, when he attempted 6.5 threes per game. Then, in 2021–22 with the Clippers, he averaged 6.0 attempts while leading the league at 44.9% from beyond the arc. That is something worth remembering.
Kennard attempted only 3.1 threes per game last season, the second-lowest mark of his career. That doesn’t mean he lacks the ability to handle more volume. His history suggests that when the attempts increase, the efficiency can remain elite. Kennard has led the league in three-point percentage three times in his career, and two seasons ago with Memphis, he averaged 6.1 attempts per game.
Expectations in Phoenix should be even higher. He may need to surpass his career high of 6.5 attempts per game and find himself living in the 7+ attempts per game range. If there’s anything we learned from Jordan Ott’s system last season, it’s that there is a good chance that happens. The Suns averaged 40.8 three-point attempts per game last season, fifth most in the NBA. In total, 45.3% of their shots came from beyond the arc, which ranked seventh.
So while Phoenix acquired Miles Bridges to help attack the rim, the Kennard acquisition represents a continuation of a philosophy that already exists. The key is finding balance. The Suns can’t be a team that ranks seventh in three-point attempt rate while also ranking 29th in field goals made inside 5 feet. If they want to be successful, they have to find a better balance between generating shots at the rim and creating quality looks from deep.
Kennard is going to be an important part of that. He has proven throughout his career that he can knock down threes at an elite rate, and Phoenix will need both him and Collin Gillespie to provide that shooting off the bench. Jordan Ott can weave them in and out of different combinations throughout the game, especially when they’re playing alongside lineups that lack reliable three-point threats.
Luke Kennard may not start, and he may not be one of the first names you think of when evaluating this roster. But shooting has a way of making itself incredibly valuable when you don’t have enough of it. Phoenix lost 371 made threes this offseason, and somebody has to replace that production. Kennard has spent his career proving he can make them. Now the Suns need him to prove he can make a hell of a lot more of them.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 6: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 6, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Braves defeated the Phillies 5-4. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Four down, three to go. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies have now played four of the seven games they’ve got scheduled against each other here in September and so far, the Braves can at least rest easy knowing that they held serve in the division. Sure, it would’ve been great to see the Braves win the series or even sweep it but being realistic, a road split was a decent result and as we always say, “you always take a four-game split on the road.”
So, how did Atlanta go about earning the split in order to make sure that their four-game lead in the division remained at four games once they left town? Let’s not waste any more time and hop right into it, shall we?
Chris Sale just keeps on making it happen, doesn’t he? While this wasn’t on the same level as that epic complete game shutout that he pulled off against the Dodgers not too long ago, the fact that he was able to pitch six strong innings while holding Philadelphia to just two runs and leaving the game with a lead was absolutely huge. The only Phillies hitter who really had any sort of idea as to how to really get to Sale on the night was Alec Bohm, whose RBI double in the second and his dinger in the fourth served as the only blemishes on Sale’s record for the night. Outside of that, Sale gave the Braves exactly what they needed on this particular night.
While this was going on, Atlanta’s lineup essentially rode a three-run inning in the second nearly all the way to the house. Like manna from heaven, the Braves managed to get a real rally going off of Cristopher Sánchez and it peaked with a three-hitter run where Austin Riley bounced one into right field (where Bryce Harper continued to show why it’s probably not a great idea to have him back in the outfield) for an RBI single, Ha-Seong Kim continued his return to relevancy with a productive out that plated Mauricio Dubón from third base and then Ronald Acuña Jr. fired off his first salvo of the weekend with an RBI single to make it 3-0 Braves.
Atlanta had a 3-2 lead heading into the eighth before a big fly gave Atlanta the breathing room they needed in order to make it a relatively comfortable finish. Mike Yastrzemki came through with a pinch-hit, one-out walk against Orion Kerkering and then Mauricio Dubón popped one into the seats in left field for a two-run shot that put the Braves out ahead by three. Didier Fuentes and Raisel Iglesias held down the fort in their relief innings and Atlant was halfway towards the split they needed.
Unfortunately, it was Philadelphia’s turn to go up 3-0 early on in the contest. The Braves wasted a bases-loaded opportunity against Zack Wheeler in the first inning and as it turns out, that was the golden opportunity for the Braves against Wheeler as he ended up cruising through six innings with only one run given up. Meanwhile, Martín Pérez got tagged for four runs in just 3.2 innings as he struggled to find the strike zone for most of his outing.
Four walks for Pérez in the first basically led to two runs being scored by the Phillies and then a productive out from Kyle Schwarber cashed in a leadoff triple in the second from Derek Hill. Schwarber then proceeded to add Philadelphia’s fourth run in his usual way in the fourth inning — via dinger. That’d be the first of three dingers on the weekend for Schwarber, who currently has five homers against the Braves so far this season. Good grief. For what it’s worth, he’s also got six dingers agains the Mets so basically he’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser up there in Philadelphia.
Anyways, Atlanta’s offense couldn’t hack it against José Alvarado and Jhoan Duran on this particular night, though Ronald Acuña Jr. did homer off of Wheeler in the third and Austin Riley smacked one out against Jonathan Bowlan in the seventh outside of those big flies (and Acuña continuing to be a thorn in Philadelphia’s side), there wasn’t much to cheer about from an Atlanta perspective as the Braves were unable to keep up with the Phillies on the offensive side of things.
This one was certainly looking bleak late! Once again, the Phillies rushed out to an early lead and it eventually turned into a late lead after both Derek Hill and Kyle Schwarber launched bombs at Dylan Dodd’s expense to make it a 4-1 ballgame. The Braves had six outs in order to make sure that they didn’t drop two in a row to Philadelphia and fortunately, they had one of their stars ready to do some more damage.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was already responsible for the lone run batted in for Atlanta up until that point (via a sacrifice fly) and he had an opportunity in the eighth inning to at least add two more RBI to his tally with both Drake Baldwin and Mike Yastrzemski in scoring position. He ended up adding three in one swing, as he turned on a 101-mph heater from Alex McFarlane and drove it into the seats in left-center for a game-changing three-run dinger (his 1,000th career hit, to boot) that brought both the Braves and the local boo-birds in Philadelphia back to life.
Jhoan Duran got the ball for the ninth inning in an effort to restore order. He did not do so, as Ozzie Albies led off the ninth with a double and then Austin Riley picked a fantastic time to hit his second triple of the season over the head of Derek Hill in center field. The three-bagger put the Braves in front, which gave Raisel Iglesias a chance to make another save. A leadoff single made things scary considering Iglesias’s track record with men on base and then a productive out and a passed ball brought Stott al the way to third. For the second time in as many weeks, Iglesias ended up stranding the tying run at third base and just like that, the Braves had stolen one and guaranteed themselves the crucial road split.
Well, as you can tell by the scoreline, there wasn’t much to write home about as far as the offense goes. It was always going to be tough sledding for the Braves on this particular day with Jesús Luzardo going and it ended up being the toughest sledding of all, as Luzardo ended up going the distance and pitching a complete game shutout. Atlanta only managed two hits on the day and three baserunners total, as Matt Olson and Michael Harris II got on with base knocks and then Ronald Acuña Jr. got on with a walk. That’s all she wrote as far as the offense went for the Braves and it was a very, very good thing that they had the split going into this game because this would’ve been a very depressing note to end a four-game series loss on!
Anyways, you’ve got to give credit to Grant Holmes for delivering a strong performance while he was out there. Holmes went six innings and only gave up three hits and two walks while striking out six. When he left the game, it was still a scoreless tie. Instead, Didier Fuentes ended up being the “goat” in this one as he left a 2-2, 2-out pitch against Kyle Schwarber right down the middle. Schwarber is only thinking about one result and looking for one pitch in one location in that situation — he got what he wanted and that ended up being the difference!
So there you have it! Atlanta went into Philadelphia with a four-game lead in the NL East standings and they’ll be leaving town with the same lead in hand. Considering the circumstances, that’s a job well done for the Braves to be able to go into hostile territory with the stakes as high as they were and ultimately hold serve. It’s also huge for the Braves to have gone ahead and clinched the season series over Philadelphia as well — they now hold the tiebreaker over both the team that they’re pursuing for the second seed in the National League and the team that they’re trying to hold off for the divisional title. It’s been a productive couple of weeks for the Braves!
Perhaps the most encouraging development over the past couple of weeks is that Ronald Acuña Jr. is going back on a heater. Heading into the series finale and dating back to August 24, Acuña had been hitting .419/.458/.698 over 11 games and 48 plate appearances, good for a wOBA of .488 and a wRC+ of 213 during that short sample size. It’s exactly what you want to see from a player of Acuña’s caliber as the team gets closer and closer to the Postseason and hopefully this’ll be the start of a special run for Acuña as the playoffs beckon.
Meanwhile, Matt Olson has been mired in a serious funk in that same span, as he’s only been hitting .149/.216/.255 over the past couple of weeks with a wOBA of .205 and a wRC+ of 24. It’s hard to begrudge Olson considering just how well he’s been playing all season but it sure would be nice for him to figure it out at the plate as the season winds down. We’re slowly but surely starting to finally see what this lineup was meant to look like when it was constructed and hopefully this team will finally start hitting on all cylinders at the plate as a unit once October rolls around.
Predictably, the pitching was solid. Chris Sale kept up his fantastic level of performance with a strong outing on Friday, Tyler Mahle pitched another six solid innings on Sunday and then Grant Holmes’ six shutout innings on Monday shouldn’t be forgotten, either. Martín Pérez had the only slip-up as far as starting pitching was concerned and even still, the bullpen picked up the slack and kept the Braves in that particular game. In fact, outside of stumbles from Dylan Dodd on Sunday and Didier Fuentes on Monday (and again, tough to begrudge him considering that he came up huge on Friday), the bullpen put in some really good work against Philadelphia’s lineup in their own cramped ballpark.
Overall, I will absolutely take the Braves grabbing a split of this four-game series. Weirdly enough, the result may also suit the Phillies as well considering their remaining schedule. They’ll be facing the Astros for the next three days while the Braves face the Rays and then after this weekend’s series, Philadelphia will be taking on the Nationals for two and the Mets for four to complete their road trip before returning home to face the Brewers and the Rays. On paper, that seems imposing but both of those teams may have clinched their divisions and their Postseason seeds so they might be letting off the gas a bit in that final week.
Meanwhile, Atlanta has to take on the Rays next, then they travel to Wrigley to face a mercurial-but-tough Cubs team, then they’ll be facing that same Astros team that’s fighting to hold on to the AL West crown before ending the season with three at home against the Reds and three at home against the Marlins. Depending on the circumstances, both teams will have choppy seas to navigate heading into October.
The good news is that the Braves still have the four-game lead intact. That’s not to say that it’s a green light to let off the gas but it’s still good that the Braves remain in the driver’s seat. A strong homestand against the Rays and Phillies is still a must for Atlanta and with the way that they’ve performed at home lately, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that they can get it done and make sure that this lead holds up heading into mid-September. For now, Atlanta has avoided slipping up at the first hurdle and hopefully they’ll continue to clear the hurdles that are ahead of them.
Sep 7, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) slaps hands with Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (14) after scoring during the tenth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
There have been some interesting games on Labor Day over the years. We begin in 2002, with the infamous 19-1 blowout against the Dodgers at Bank One Ballpark, which ended in Mark Grace working the ninth inning. At the other end of the pleasantness spectrum, and also against Los Angeles, we have J.D. Martinez blasting four home-runs against them on Labor Day 2017, in Dodger Stadium. Between those, we had Internet famous (and sadly missed) Arizona resident Grumpy Cat, who along with her owner threw out the first pitch, on this holiday in 2015, paving the way for a 6-1 Diamondbacks victory.
This one likely deserves to be filed alongside them. Despite being a bullpen game for Arizona, it was a taut pitcher’s duel, with both sides failing to score. The Royals left the bases loaded in one inning. The D-backs wasted a situation with men on the corners and no outs. But neither side could score in regulation. So it went to extras, where the D-backs proved to be kryptonite for Craig Kimbrel once again. They scored five runs, and looked to be laughing their way to victory. But Gerardo Carrillo had another nightmare, allowing four runs to score while recording one out. Dennis Santana came in with the tying run on second, but got the last two outs for the save.
If my searching is correct, it’s the first time in National League recorded history (per Baseball Reference) where a game was scoreless through the regulation nine innings, but ended with both teams scoring 4+ runs. It has happened twice in the AL, most recently in April 2015, when Houston beat Oakland, also 5-4. Though the record number of runs scored in a scoreless regulation game is 12. The White Sox and Mariners were scoreless through nine in June 2013. After four more sets of zeroes, Chicago scored five in the top half of the fourteenth – only for Seattle to do the same in the bottom half! The White Sox finally prevailed 7-5 in sixteen innings.
Anyway. A long, long time ago, Derek Law started for the Diamondbacks. It’s not actually his first experience of the role, having been the opener for three games during his time in Cincinnati, three years ago. He filled the same role in Toronto back in 2019. I’d forgotten the concept of the opener had been around that long, but it was started by the Rays the previous season. Today, he worked a pair of scoreless innings, assisted by a nifty unassisted double-play by Ildemaro Vargas. Though really, it was more a case of buzzard luck for the hitter. No change of that kind of thing happening twice in the same game, right? Right?
That was, by and large, the most interesting thing that happened in the first eight innings. Santana was followed by Jose Cabrera, who added three scoreless inning. That did get a little wobbly in the fifth, when he put men on the corner with one out. But in a demonstration of why attempting to bunt isn’t necessarily a good idea, the KC hitter popped it up, for Vargas to catch on the slide. The Royals then loaded the bases, before Bobby Witt Jr. hammered one with an exit velocity of 101.4 mph, sending it 375 feet, but fortunately into the waiting glove of Tim Tawa. Scoreless through five, it was then turned over to the more traditional bullpen.
Taylor Clarke worked the sixth and seventh, giving the team two innings for only the second time this year. The pair of scoreless frames reduced his ERA to 2.45. And, remember – he was tagged for four runs in less than an inning on Opening Day against the Dodgers. Since then, his ERA over 63 appearances and 65.2 innings has been 1.92. Brandyn Garcia struck out two batters in the eighth, and Justin Martinez worked around a walk in the ninth. He also threw a pitch at 103.4 mph, the second fastest ever thrown by a Diamondbacks (he had one at 103.6 mph last month).
The top of the ninth had seen Arizona have their best chance to score. Ketel Marte extended his hitting streak to six games with a lead-off single. A perfectly executed hit-and-run by him and Gabriel Moreno, saw our catcher lace one through Gaby Lane (TM, Berthiaume Productions, Inc.) to put men on the corner with one out. Nolan Arenado then came up, and on an 0-2 count, lined a 99 mph fastball, with an exit velocity of 101.4 mph… Right into the diving glove of the Royals’ third baseman, who was then able to lunge for the bag and double off Marte. He wasn’t exactly far off the bag: it was just the same buzzard luck, which had benefited the team earlier.
It felt like a momentum swing, but Kansas City couldn’t score, and so it was hello to old friend Craig Kimbrel in the 10th. Corbin Carroll was the man on second, having struck out woefully on three pitches to end the ninth. Ildemaro Vargas looked to bunt, and did so perfectly past a lunging Kimbrel, to put men on the corners with no outs. Lars Nootbaar pinch-hit and drove in the game’s first run with a deep sacrifice fly. But Kimbrel and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day continued. Arizona scored four more times with two outs, on RBI by Ryan Waldschmidt, Geraldo Perdomo (+1 on an error) and Gabriel Moreno.
To be fair, Kimbrel had actually been good against us since taking two losses in the 2023 NLCS while pitching for the Phillies. Five scoreless appearances, but that streak died hard today. 5-0 up in the middle of the tenth, with a Win Probability of 97.9% = game over, right? No. Enter Carrillo, whose last outing was also a stinker. Today was worse still. Four-pitch walk, RBI double, HBP, K, three-run double. His ERA has jumped from 1.06 to 4.15 in 0.1 IP. Should Dennis Santana have been up earlier? Well, given the results, I’d say he was up just in time. A fly-ball got the second out, but moved the tying run to third, before the most perfectly placed strike three (above) ended a dramatic inning.
This one seriously reminded me of some of the games in the 2007 campaign. There were a couple against San Diego where we blew a 5-1 lead in the ninth, only to win 9-5; or where Arizona were eight runs up at the stretch, only to squeak out an 8-7 victory. But the win’s the thing: it was the D-backs’ fourth in five games, all of them coming by a margin of one run. We now get to relax, enjoy the rest of the day’s games and engage in a little light scoreboard watching, while we prepare for the long awaited return of Corbin Burnes tomorrow…
Click for details at Fangraphs The Dignity of Labor: Dennis Santana, +29% Labor relations: Perdomo, +27%; Moreno, +21%; Cabrera, +18%; Clarke, +17%; Martinez, +14%; Vargas, +13%; Garcia, +11%; Law, +10%
Labor pains: Nolan Arenado, -34% Labor dispute: Carrillo, -27%; Gurriel, -15%; Lawlar, -12%
To be fair, Arenado doesn’t deserve the blame, considering his double-play ball has an xBA of .530. Gurriel did not look good, in his first game back. Those Reno numbers look painfully real, and he may not see much playing time the rest of the way. 267, increasingly-stressed comments – feels like most of them came after the eighth inning! A number turned Sedona Red, but I’m giving it to chwalter, for one which slipped through the net at the time, but in hindsight proved entirely prophetic.
Tomorrow, the same two teams, albeit at a more civilized hour, with a first pitch scheduled for 4:40 pm, Arizona time. As noted above, it will be the long-awaited return of Corbin Burnes, who last pitched for the D-backs on June 1st 2025…
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani smiles in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
It will be the start of what the Dodgers hope is a healthier finish to the season for the 32-year-old slugger, who didn’t report any pain during batting cage sessions the previous two days and was nearly used off the bench in Sunday night’s win over the Nationals.
“A lot of it was overall body break, which was needed,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think that what happens is when a player gets taxed physically, the mentally is affected as well. I think we got to a point where it all sort of came to a head, where I do think these last four days, giving his body a reset, giving his mind a reset … I’m hoping that he’s just in a better state.”
While it’s doubtful that Ohtani will get back to 100% health before the end of the year, the Dodgers weren’t convinced an IL stint would have made much of a difference — and are confident that Ohtani’s health should at least trend upward as he returns to play less than a month before the start of the playoffs.
One dynamic that should help: Ohtani is no longer expected to return as a pitcher this season. Roberts said the team has “put a pin” in the right-hander’s pitching progression for now, making it unlikely that Ohtani (who has not pitched in a game since early July due to his injury problems) will even build up for 1-2 innings in time for the postseason.
“Yes, he loves pitching, loves being a two-way player,” Roberts said. “But right now, it just doesn’t make any sense.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki, left, and pitcher Shohei Ohtani watch the game against the Washington Nationals from the dugout during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Instead, the main priority for the Dodgers will be getting Ohtani’s bat back on track, after he went 6-for-46 in his final 12 games before last week’s absence.
“That’s one part of the thought, to sort of take the pitching off of his plate and really try to let him lock in on being a hitter and get on track,” Roberts said. “Because the last couple of weeks he just hasn’t been himself in the box.”
Monday will present the first test, with the team hopeful that — after four days of rest — it will get a resurgent version of the four-time MVP and a late-season rebound after an injury-plagued second half.
“I am very curious to see how he comes out of tonight,” Roberts said, “to then make the decision for tomorrow and ensuing days.”
