Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Welcome to September. For some teams, it’s just playing out the string of a long, disappointing season, while for others, it’s a month where every single game represents an opportunity, whether fighting for seeding, a division, or a spot in the dance at all.

After a disappointing drubbing to end August in Anaheim, the Yankees play their second straight coffee game against the lowly Angels, who might be playing with a pep in their step after learning of the merciful end of the reign of owner Arte Moreno. Personally, not great timing for that, but for a franchise who’s suffered so much with a legend who deserves so much better, good for them.

Gerrit Cole will look to get things back on track for the pitching staff, making his 18th start of the season. The former Cy Young winner will enjoy a sort of homecoming tonight, being from Newport Beach and attending UCLA, not too far from Angel Stadium. He’s been terrific coming off Tommy John surgery, pitching to a 3.19 ERA (132 ERA+) and 3.37 FIP in 98.2 innings, but surely has a sour taste in his mouth after his brilliant start last week against Houston went south in a hurry in the sixth.

On the other side is a former top prospect looking to get on track in his new bearings. Former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez will make his 16th start of the season, looking to build on consecutive strong outings. He’s been pretty rough this year after missing 2025 with injury, pitching to a 6.03 ERA (68 ERA+) and 4.68 FIP in 71.2 innings, but has allowed just one earned run in 12.2 innings across his last two starts. He dominated the Yankees in his first two career starts against them, not allowing a run in 12 total innings, but was knocked around the last time he saw them in July 2024.

G-Rod doesn’t have much going for him peripherally. He throws hard and gets good extension, but everything else is mediocre at best. He gives up a ton of hard contact in the air, struggles to get whiffs, chases, or strikeouts, and has a poor walk rate. His fastball, while sitting a firm 96, stays in the zone way too long and gets hammered, so he’ll need to lean more on his changeup against lefties and slider against righties to stay upright.

As the Yankees continue to wait patiently for the return of Aaron Judge, they’ll continue to trot out an army of lefties, eight to be exact, against a guy who allows a .912 OPS against them. It’s the first time since 1979 this has happened. Ben Rice will lead off again, followed by Cody Bellinger, Luis García Jr., and Spencer Jones. Ryan McMahon returns from the IL and bats seventh, with the lone righty being José Caballero at shortstop, batting eighth.

Zach Neto leads off for the Halos, followed by the future Hall of Famer Mike Trout and left fielder Wade Meckler. Vaughn Grissom bats cleanup after an outstanding game last night, followed by Moises Ballesteros, Christian Moore, and Josh Lowe. Former Yankee Oswald Peraza will bat eighth at third base, with Tyler Heineman rounding it out.

How to watch

Location: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA

First pitch: 9:38 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, ABTV

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), KLAA 830, KWKW 1330 (LAA)

Online stream: MLB.tv (out-of-market only), Gotham Sports App

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Cole on the mound. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/YG3VwvFKed

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 1, 2026

Rep the Halo 😇

📺: @WatchABTV
📻: @AngelsRadioKLAA | AM830 App & KWKW 1330 [Spanish] #RepTheHalo x @FBMSupplypic.twitter.com/4dFGjSiswZ

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) September 2, 2026

The Mets got stung by a familiar face as Freddy Peralta dealt six innings of one-run ball in a 6-2 loss to the Rays on Tuesday night in Tampa.

New York (62-77) had some chances but went 0-for-5 with RISP, left six men on base, struck out 11 times, and after getting three hits in the first inning, didn't manage one the rest of the night. Tampa (83-55) won its 47th home game of the season, tied for second most in baseball.

Here are the takeaways... 

- Francisco Lindor got the game started off with a bang, driving Peralta’s 3-2 hanging breaking pitch 367 feet to right for a home run, his 15th of the year. After Bo Bichette and Carson Benge singled, the Mets had the chance for a big inning with one down. But Jared Young went down swinging and Brett Baty flied out to left to spurn the Mets’ first RBI chance.

Peralta then put his former team to the sword. After allowing two men aboard, he set down 17 of the next 18 batters with six strikeouts, allowing only a hit-by-pitch, to get him through six innings on just 74 pitches (53 strikes), leaving the game with a 5-1 lead. 

- Tampa went to lefty Garrett Cleavinger out of the bullpen to start the seventh, and he walked three of the first four Mets batters he faced. With righty Tyler Wells the new pitcher, interim manager AndyGreen countered with Mark Vientos off the bench, but he popped out to the catcher in foul territory.

Lindor, who jumped on a pitch but yanked it foul and was down 1-2, worked a full-count walk for his second RBI. Juan Soto, who was hitless in his first three times up, couldn't make Tampa pay as he hit a high pop-up just past the mound to leave 'em loaded.

The Mets went 0-for-26 with four walks and a HBP after Benge's single in the first. 

- Sean Manaea entered with a lead but couldn't hold it as he allowed a leadoff double to Yandy Diaz and a one-out RBI single. After a double-play to end the first and a five-pitch second inning, the lefty gave up a second run as the Rays manufactured it with a single, sacrifice bunt, walk, and a single to right. But the lefty limited the Rays to just one run, getting around a bases-loaded, two-out situation after an error.

Trouble was brewing for Manaea in the fourth as the Rays had two men on after back-to-back one-out singles (both coming on soft contact), but a couple of flyouts ended the threat.

The sixth inning has been a rough one for Manaea of late, and Tuesday night proved no different: a single, an RBI double down the third-base line, a productive out, and a sac fly to left, followed by a walloped solo homer to left by Diaz (396 feet, 104.7 mph off the bat), and a triple rocketed (105.4 mph) to the right-center gap ending the starter’s night.

His final line: 5.2 innings, five runs on 11 hits and a walk with two strikeouts on 86 pitches (59 strikes).

- Francisco Alvarez went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts and a warning-track flyout. 

- A.J. Ewing was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.

- Nick Morabito, just called up ahead of the game as the rosters expanded, entered the game looking for his first big-league hit and instead got plunked for the second time in 13 times up with the Mets this year. He went 0-for-2 before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.

- Lindor, who committed his 10th error of the year in the third, went 1-for-3 with a walk and two batted in.

- Bichette went 1-for-4 with a strikeout. 

- Benge went 1-for-4 with a strikeout. 

- Young finished 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.

- Baty was hitless in two trips with a strikeout before being lifted for pinch-hitter Marcus Semien, who walked and grounded out in his two times to bat. 

- After AustinWarren put out the fire in the sixth, Dylan Ross needed 11 pitches for a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh in his first MLB appearance. (Ross, who could be headed back to the minors after the game, became the answer to a fun trivia question as he joined Wilmer Flores and John Pacella as the only three Mets to make their big league debuts on their birthday.) 

Jefry Yan struck out the first batter he faced before he got smacked for a single and a double. After another strikeout, Yan got stung with bad luck as a hard liner hit him, 

and his flip to Alvarez at the plate couldn't beat the runner to give the game its final score.

Highlights

LEADOFF LINDOR! 💥 pic.twitter.com/ajSx4cbSiR

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 1, 2026

Francisco Lindor draws the Mets' fourth walk of the 7th inning pic.twitter.com/suXcGclH9a

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 2, 2026

Happy birthday Dylan Ross!

He pitches a perfect 7th inning in his MLB debut pic.twitter.com/3yNBgdo51v

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 2, 2026

What's next

The series concludes with another 6:40 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday. 

The Mets are handing the ball to Justin Hagenman, who will be added to the roster Wednesday, for his first start of the season. Griffin Jax (3.63 ERA, 1.211 WHIP in 91.2 innings) climbs the hill for Tampa.

Roster moves

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ active roster is now at 28 and the 40-man roster is at 40.

• Reinstated from the 10-day injured list: OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (strained right adductor)
• Reinstated from the 60-day injured list: LHP Blake Walston (recovery from left ulnar collateral ligament surgery)
• Transferred to the 60-day injured list: RHP Ryan Thompson (strained lower back)

Rosters expand today, though it’s far from the free-for-all it used to be, when every member of the 40-man roster was eligible to become part of the active players. And frequently were. Mind you, I don’t mind monstrosities like this late-season game in September 2019, where the two sides combined to use a total of twenty-four different pitchers. Kevin Ginkel and Taylor Clarke both played in that one, as did Ildemaro Vargas. Anyway, as expected Gurriel is back, after what can only be described as a thoroughly underwhelming rehab stint. He went 3-for-28 for Reno, with three walks and no extra-base hits. I expect playing time to be very limited down the stretch.

The other move is the return of someone whom you probably had all buy forgotten was with the organization. Because before his rehab assignment, the last time Walston pitched for any D-backs team was close to two years ago, finishing out the 2024 season and his rookie campaign in the bullpen. He had Tommy John surgery the following March, and the road of rehab has been longer and bumpier than usual. He does give Torey Lovullo another left-handed option. His six outings in Triple-A covered a total of 7.2 innings and as many as 39 pitches, so Walston could perhaps provide a bit of length as well.

To make room, the team moved Reddit’s least-favorite Diamondback, Ryan Thompson, to the 60-day IL. That likely marks the end of Thompson’s time with Arizona. While he could still technically be eligible to come off the IL during the post-season, that would require a) the team to get that far, and b) the D-backs to want to move someone straight off the IL and onto the playoff roster, since there will be no minor-league rehab opportunities. Thompson spent four years with Arizona, his 174 appearances ranking 23rd on the franchise all-time list. He was a key part of the 2023 bullpen, making nine post-season appearances with a 2.31 ERA, including winning game 7 of the NLCS.

This’ll be the first Gameday Thread with the SB Nation app available, so I’m interested to see how it works! Download it here.

• Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sb-nation/id6789240983
• Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sbnation.app

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The Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals continue their series on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound for Los Angeles.

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Yamamoto has allowed 10 total runs over his last seven starts. The Dodgers have scored three or fewer runs in five of his last six home starts, with the Dodgers just 3-3 in those games despite a 3.43 ERA from Yamamoto, who, who has lasted at least six innings in each of his last seven starts at Dodger Stadium.

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The Cardinals will employ a bullpen game in the middle game of the series.

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Wednesday game info

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• Teams: Dodgers vs. Cardinals
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• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
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• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
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• TV: SportsNet LA
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• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
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LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers did not call up an outfielder among their September call ups despite their current group being among the least productive in the sport. They did however activate two catchers, one who isn’t expected to catch, and infielder Alex Freeland.

Freeland plays second base on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals, and will likely do so against right-handed pitchers for the time being. That moves Tommy Edman to center field, with Alek Thomas getting optioned to Triple-A in Tuesday’s roster moves. Edman likely won’t be playing any left field, as talk of potentially platooning Teoscar Hernández has been tabled, at least for the time being.

“We didn’t bring up an outfielder. That’s part of the bet on Teo, that he can right the ship. That’s kind of where we’re at,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. “But obviously we can pivot if it makes sense.”

Hernández and Kyle Tucker have struggled mightily this season, both below average on offense and just above replacement level when factoring in defense. Dodgers right fielders rank 20th among 30 MLB teams in FanGraphs WAR (0.7), and 17th in wRC+ (95), and in left field are 22nd in WAR (1.2) and 15th in wRC+ (98).

Hernández is hitting .273/.354/.455 with a 123 wRC+ against southpaws this season and just .239/.295/.373 with an 85 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers. He also started 33 postseason games with the Dodgers the last two years, hitting a combined .254/.327/.454 with eight home runs, a team-leading 25 RBI and a 117 wRC+. The Dodgers are betting on the 33-year-old Hernández to find something closer to his recent norms.

“I do tend to give guys more leash, given what they’ve done, and looking at how they can handle a big moment in the postseason, that’s important,” Roberts said. “Every day is a test, and you’ve got to keep evaluating. I expect as the calendar has turned, the intensity to ramp up even more.”

Catching plans

Will Smith starts Tuesday and will start Thursday as well against St. Louis as they ease him back in. Hunter Feduccia will catch on Wednesday. Dalton Rushing has been working on a throwing program in rehabbing his partially torn UCL, though it remains unlikely that he catches again this season.

“I’m not quite there on being totally bullish on him getting back. I think it would be just great if we can get him there, and I like where his head is at,” Roberts said. “He’s working hard to get there, but the controlled rehab is different than a snap throw and throwing a guy out at second base.”

What the Dodgers want out of Rushing in September is a left-handed bat off the bench. Roberts called any time Rushing will pinch-hit a “three-person move,” as Rushing will pinch-hit and then be replaced on the field by another player. It’s not a role Rushing is used to, as he has two singles in 14 at-bats plus three walks as a pinch-hitter in his two seasons in the majors. He only pinch-hit once in his four minor league seasons, getting hit by a pitch in a pinch for Double-A Tulsa in 2023.

“He hasn’t done this much at all, but I also think he’s a threat. He can hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Roberts said. “Hit the ball out of the ballpark, it’s a simple swing, and he can take a walk. I think there’s something to that threat.”

Ben Rortvedt was designated for assignment by the Dodgers to facilitate Smith’s return. General manager Brandon Gomes delivered the news to Rortvedt on Monday.

“Ben’s a great teammate, he’s a major league player,” Roberts said. “And I’ll always be grateful because he helped us win a championship last year. Great guy.”

By gum, they’ve done it. The Orioles are a .500 team again. Now why don’t we see how much farther this ride can take us?

The O’s got back to the even-water mark last night in the most thrilling way possible, on Colton Cowser’s unbelievable, gravity-defying, home run robbery that turned a certain walkoff loss into one of the most amazing wins of the season. If you were asleep when the scene played out past midnight on the East Coast, I’m sure you’ve seen the highlight by now. But you can never watch it too many times, so enjoy:

If the Orioles go on to make the postseason, that catch might become one of the most iconic in O’s history. It still might, even if the Orioles don’t make it. The Birds enter tonight just a half game behind Cleveland for the third wild card spot. If the Orioles win and the Guardians lose to the Blue Jays, the Birds will be alone in a postseason spot.

The cynical part of me thinks that tonight has all the ingredients of a huge Orioles letdown. Their vibes are sky high after last night’s thrilling finish, and they’re facing a starter (Gabriel Hughes) who is 0-6 with a 6.61 ERA and a Rockies team that has suffered a franchise-worst 10 straight home losses. On paper it’s a game the Orioles should easily win, which always seems to be exactly when they lose. It feels like a reverse jinx.

But maybe the Orioles really are finding their groove, and they’ll find a way to grind out a victory tonight just as they did in last night’s opener and in all three games in Sacramento. With September call-up season upon us, they’ve just added some reinforcements to the roster. Luis Robert Jr., whom they claimed on waivers yesterday, has been activated, with Christian Franklin going on the IL. And Heston Kjerstad, who’s been hitting well at Triple-A Norfolk for months now, is finally getting his first call-up of the season. Also joining the club is lefty prospect Luis De León, who was just converted to relief. He gives the O’s another southpaw bullpen option.

For tonight, neither Robert nor Kjerstad is in the starting lineup. Neither is Coby Mayo. Pete Alonso, after returning to first base last night, is back to DHing, with Samuel Basallo spelling him at first. That means Carlos Narváez, who is 4-for-51 as an Oriole, is the catcher. Maybe facing the struggling Hughes will finally get his bat going for a night, but I’m not holding my breath.

Reaching .500 was one milestone. Now can the Orioles climb their way over? We’ll find out tonight.

Orioles lineup:

2B Jackson Holliday
DH Pete Alonso
SS Gunnar Henderson
3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand
LF Dylan Beavers
1B Samuel Basallo
RF Leodys Taveras
CF Colton Cowser
C Carlos Narváez

RHP Kyle Bradish

Rockies lineup:

CF Jake McCarthy
RF Mickey Moniak
DH Hunter Goodman
1B TJ Rumfield
SS Cole Carrigg
3B Connor Norby
C Brett Sullivan
2B Adael Amador
LF Zac Veen

RHP Gabriel Hughes

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

The start of September#RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/DKD7qpcX7C

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 1, 2026

For the Diamondbacks:

September Baseball pic.twitter.com/9YD1RtoTIs

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 1, 2026

Let’s talk about it.

After the Colorado Rockies gut-wrenching, bottom-of-the-ninth loss to the Baltimore Orioles, tonight the home team will look to even the score.

The Rockies will also try to break a 10-game losing streak at Coors Field, the longest home losing streak in franchise history.

Starting for the Orioles is Kyle Bradish. This will be his 27th start for the Orioles in 2026.

The righty has a 4.03 ERA in 143.0 IP. He’s struck out 133, walked 62, and given up 16 home runs. Bradish has a 1.41 WHIP. 

Taking the mound for the Rockies in his 11th start of the season will be RHP Gabriel Hughes in search of his first MLB win.

Currently, he has an ERA of 6.61 in 47.2 IP. He’s struck out 38 while giving up 19 walks and five home runs with a 1.45 WHIP.

Also of note, MLB rosters expanded today, and the Rockies made the following moves:

The Rockies announced today the following transactions:

– Recalled INF Adael Amador from Triple-A Albuquerque.
– Recalled RHP Blas Castaño from Triple-A Albuquerque.

The Rockies have 39 players on the 40-man roster.

— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) September 1, 2026

And now to the details.

First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)

Orioles SB Nation Site: Camden Chat

Lineups:

For the visiting Orioles:

And the home Rockies:

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

Go get ‘em, xxxxxxxx

Detroit Tigers (63-74) vs. Minnesota Twins (66-72)

Time/Place: 7:40 p.m., Target Field
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Troy Melton (7-3, 1.86 ERA) vs. LHP Connor Prielipp (3-7, 5.55 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Melton	16	97.0	20.9	7.3	44.0	3.73	1.7
Prielipp	19	99.0	24.7	9.1	43.3	3.98	1.3

138/162

⚾️ 7:40 PM ET
📺 @WatchDSN
📻 @971theticketxyt
🏟️ Target Field pic.twitter.com/kH54l13vxl

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 1, 2026

Let's keep rollin'

📺 https://t.co/UHffFx7FCspic.twitter.com/YWRdFMF3hb

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 1, 2026

TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (70-68), who have won four of their last five games, will play the second game of their four-game series with the Chicago White Sox (72-65) tonight at Daikin Park.

RHP Ronel Blanco (0-1, 7.71 ERA) was recalled from Triple A Sugar Land today to make tonight’s start for the Astros opposite RHP Sean Burke (7-6, 3.32 ERA) and the White Sox.

SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: Since starting the season with a 20-31 record after 51 games, the Astros are 50-37 (.575) in their last 87 games (since May 22). That is the second-best record in the AL in that span, behind only the Red Sox (53-36).

MEASURING UP: Last night, the Astros began a streak of playing four straight teams with winning records (CWS, ARI, PHI, TB). The Astros are an American League-best 27-19 (.587) vs. teams currently at .500 or above. Some clubs that they have winning records against include BOS (5-1), CHC (3-0), CWS (3-1), CLE (4-2), MIA (3-0), and TB (2-1).

VS. THE WHITE SOX: The Astros are 3-1 against the White Sox on the season, which includes winning two of three in Chicago from July 24-26. The Astros are 23-14 vs. CWS over the past six seasons (2021-26), posting winning records in each of those years. Houston is 56-47 all-time vs. the White Sox.

BAGGY IN THE BOOTH:Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell will be on the Space City Home Network telecast for the first three games of this series, alongside play-by-play man Todd Kalas and sideline reporter Julia Morales. Geoff Blum will return to the telecast for Thursday’s day game.

ROAD WARRIORS: On Sunday, the Astros completed a 4-2 road trip to New York, where they went 2-1 against both the Yankees and Mets. Since posting a 1-9 record on the first road trip of the 2026 season, they have gone 35-24 (.593) on the road since April 14, which is the second-best record in the Majors in that span. More recently, they are 19-12 (.613) on their last five road trips combined.

TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have recalled RHP Ronel Blanco and OF Jake Meyers from Triple A Sugar Land. Blanco will start tonight’s game for the Astros.

ON THE OFFENSIVE: Among AL teams, the Astros rank first in total bases (1,902), first in slugging (.410), second in HR (183), third in runs scored (630), and fifth in OPS (.726).

TRIPLE THREAT: DH Yordan Alvarez, who is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award, currently owns at least a share of the lead in all three Triple Crown categories. He enters tonight leading the AL in batting avg. (.317) and RBI (94), while ranking tied for first in HR (37).

Rare Feat: Since Carl Yastrzemski won the AL Triple Crown in 1967, there has been just one Triple Crown winner in the Majors, Miguel Cabrera in 2012 (AL).

MATCHING HIS BEST: DH Yordan Alvarez has matched his career high by smacking 37 home runs on the season, reaching his total from 2022. His career-high in RBI is 104, set in 2021 (currently has an AL-best 94 RBI).

THE HIT MAN: Jose Altuve enters tonight’s game needing just six hits to reach 2,500 for his career. Among active players, Altuve ranks second in hits, trailing only 1B Freddie Freeman (2,584).

BLANCO’S BACK!: Tonight’s Astros starter RHP Ronel Blanco missed the first few months of the year while recovering from right elbow surgery, returned to the Majors in July, and spent the last two weeks down at Triple A. Blanco was a mainstay in the Astros rotation prior to his injury, making 45 starts from 2023-25, going 18-11 with a 3.36 ERA (94ER/251.2IP) and a .200 opponent average.

THE CLOSER: LHP Josh Hader has worked 18 consecutive scoreless appearances, spanning 19.0 innings. This is the longest streak by an Astros hurler this season and the second-longest active streak in the Majors. Opponents are just 5×62 (.081) vs. Hader during the streak. Hader is also 21-for-21 in save opportunities in 2026. Hader in August: 1-0, 13 G, 0.00 ERA, 14.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 15 SO.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2019 – RHP Justin Verlander tosses the 13th no-hitter in Astros history, blanking the Blue Jays by a score of 2-0 in Toronto. He fans 14 Blue Jays on the afternoon, issuing just one walk. Tied 0-0 entering the 9th, the no-hitter was only possible thanks to a two-out solo homer by 3B Abraham Toro. This marked Verlander’s third career no-no.

Game Info

Game Date/Time:  Tuesday, September 1, 7:10 p.m. CT

Location:  Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

.@hellokitty Night is back at @DaikinPark 🎀

⚾️: 7:10 PM
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 & 740 AM | Spanish: 102.9 HD2#ChaseTheFight x @reliantenergypic.twitter.com/aHDw1xsOdA

— Houston Astros (@astros) September 1, 2026

Tuesday lineup! pic.twitter.com/Ao4DZ70GLB

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 1, 2026

Today, the Kansas City Royals and Miami Marlins are playing baseball on the surface of the sun. It is triple digits and humid here at Kauffman Stadium today. Even in the shaded dugout, I was wilting as I stood listening to the Matt Quatraro and JJ Picollo press conferences.

There are a couple of interesting pieces of news. Quatraro revealed that Carlos Estevez, who has been out since April with a shoulder injury, will have surgery soon. That wasn’t so surprising.

The other interesting piece of news is Kansas City’s September roster expansion. The Royals are calling up Nolan Hoffman for the first time, recalling Euston McGee, and selecting the contract of Drew Waters. What is interesting is who was not called up: Gavin Cross, Carson Roccaforte, or Brett Squires, all of whom were hitting very well in Omaha as of late.

But I asked JJ about this, and if the looming lockout impacted who they decided to call up. He said it didn’t, and that they didn’t want their outfield to be too left-handed heavy. To be fair, they do have John Rave, Kyle Isbel, and Jac Caglianone as their de facto starting outfield, with Isaac Collins a significantly better from the left side, too.

I suppose we may see them later, but who knows.

Marlins 9/1 lineup

📍Kansas City

📺: https://t.co/CoO4Nlpkc8
👂: @MarlinsRadio, @radiomambi710, @1043wqam
⏰: 7:40 PM ET#FightinFishpic.twitter.com/krjidulpmM

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 1, 2026

Royals 9/1 lineup

Opening the homestand! pic.twitter.com/L9xTp58XtL

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) September 1, 2026

After falling flat in Monday night’s series opener, the White Sox will aim to improve their situational hitting in an effort to provide run support for their ace Sean Burke. With yesterday’s loss, the Good Guys still hold a three-game lead in the AL Central, but Chicago needs to take care of business in Houston this week to secure the head-to-head tiebreaker in case it comes to that for playoff seeding and a first-round bye.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the White Sox announced three roster moves. The moves were anticipated after Monday’s announcement that the South Siders acquired Tommy Pham in a minor league trade. As expected, Pham’s contract was selected from Triple-A Charlotte, and right-handed pitcher Tanner McDougal will also return to the big leagues. In a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster, lefthander Tyler Gilbert was designated for assignment.

The last time Burke faced the Astros, he took the loss despite striking out 10 over six innings and allowing just three runs, two earned, on four hits. Ideally, tonight Burke isn’t left without run support, and after the last few games, the South Siders are well overdue to tally a bunch of runs on the board. In their last three games, the Sox have gone 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position (.130 average) and left 26 on base, and on top of that, they hold the second-highest strikeout rate with RISP in MLB at 28.2% over the last two weeks. In that same time frame, however, the South Siders also have the fifth-highest walk rate, meaning they are getting runners on base but essentially choking after that — not that we need the numbers to tell us what we are seeing with our own eyes.

Despite his 7-6 record on the season, Burke has maintained a strong 3.32 ERA and 1.154 WHIP across 149 innings while striking out 161, tied with Parker Messick for the eighth-most in the American League. He’ll have a fairly standard lineup behind him as the Astros will have a right-handed pitcher on the mound with Ronel Blanco making his fifth start of the season. The lineup is nearly identical to last night’s, except Braden Montgomery will be off today, so Randal Grichuk is slotting into right field in his place and batting sixth, and Drew Romo will take over behind the plate.

Chicago White Sox Lineup

Blanco was dealing with injuries earlier this season, but has otherwise struggled through five games for the Astros, accumulating a 7.71 ERA and 1.457 WHIP across 23 1/3 innings. In those five outings, Blanco surrendered 20 runs on 22 hits, including seven home runs, leaving him with an elevated 2.70 home runs per nine innings (HR/9). For reference, the league-average HR/9 is usually between 1.10 and 1.20, so it could be a great night for Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas or Colson Montgomery to mash his 30th home run of the season … or maybe all three if we’re lucky!

In the series opener, it felt like the bottom of the order for the Astros was causing the most trouble while Yordan Alvarez (thankfully) wasn’t as explosive as he tends to be. That could change tonight, however, as Alvarez tends to mash righties, posting a 1.116 OPS and 28 homers in 439 PAs against them this season. After beating up on the South Siders Monday, Nelson Velázquez will take the night off, and José Altuve will rejoin the lineup for Houston, batting fourth.

Houston Astros Lineup

It’s Hello Kitty Night out in Houston, and the first pitch will be tossed at 7:10 p.m. CT at Daikin Park. Tune in to the usual locations for tonight’s broadcast: CHSN on TV and ESPN Chicago AM 1000 on the radio. I’ll see you later tonight with the recap, hopefully writing up someone’s 30th home run.

Athletics @ Texas Rangers

Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

The Shed

LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. LHP Brady Basso

Go Rangers!

Today marks the start of the final month of the 2026 regular-season. The Athletics went 8-20 in August, ending the month tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the worst record in the American League. To make matters worse, the team’s pitching staff surrendered 174 runs—the most in Major League Baseball over that stretch.

After concluding their recent homestand with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles—three games in which the A’s had a chance to win— the Green and Gold dropped their fourth straight game in yesterday’s road-trip opener against the Texas Rangers. Vintage Jacob DeGrom held the A’s to one hit over seven innings as Texas controlled the game from the first pitch.

Roster Moves

As a result, the A’s need to win tonight to avoid the possibility of suffering another series sweep in tomorrow’s finale. Before the game, the team received some roster reinforcements as teams are allowed to carry 28 players in September.

We have made the following roster moves. pic.twitter.com/HiTG4xsmX9

— Athletics (@Athletics) September 1, 2026

It is good to see Denzel Clarke back in the majors following an extended injury absence that deprived him of the opportunity to improve offensively through everyday at-bats. Clarke is the better defender, but his replacement Henry Bolte, has proven to be more durable and the better hitter. It is up to Clarke to make the most of the playing time he receives over the final few weeks of the season.

The same applies to Yunior Tur, who needs to make the most of his third big-league opportunity this season. His 32.79 ERA cannot possibly go up any higher. As for Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, hopefully he returns next season with a cup in place to protect his private parts.

Game Preview

Right-hander J.T. Ginn, who has thrown a career-high number of innings this season, was initially scheduled to start for the A’s. However, the team is giving him a few extra days of rest between starts to manage his workload.

In his place, the team will go with a bullpen game, starting with Brady Basso. The 28-year-old left hander enters his 21st appearance and fourth opener start with a 0-1 record, a 4.50 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 28 innings pitched. Basso pitched twice against the Orioles, rebounding with a scoreless inning Sunday after taking the loss Friday night when he allowed Baltimore to score two runs in the top of the 10th inning.

The left-hander will likely pitch the first one or two innings before giving way to the rest of the team’s bullpen. Can the A’s league-worst bullpen somehow keep the team in the game, or will manager Mark Kotsay’s decision to use a bullpen game fail miserably?

Here’s how the A’s lineup looks for this evening’s matchup:

welcome back denz 🤩 pic.twitter.com/gQDgdVxOu9

— Athletics (@Athletics) September 1, 2026

Denzel Clarke immediately returns to center field, with Henry Bolte serving as the designated hitter to give his legs a rest. The Athletics need catcher Jonah Heim to contribute offensively and serve as a steady presence behind the plate, especially when it comes to keeping the pitching staff under control.

A better defensive setup would be to move Bolte to left field, with Zack Gelof at third base and Max Muncy on the bench. However, the A’s seem intent on continuing to give starts to Muncy and first baseman Tommy White, two hackers at the plate and liabilities in the field.

The A’s offense will face Rangers left-hander MacKenzie Gore. The 27-year-old enters his 29th start of the season with a 7-10 record, a 4.40 ERA and 165 strikeouts over 149 1/3 innings. In his last outing against the Chicago White Sox, Gore took the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Gore is plenty familiar with A’s hitters, as tonight will be his fourth start against the Green and Gold this season. He went 1-1 in his first three starts, allowing no more than three runs each time. With the Rangers pushing to overtake the Houston Astros for the division title, they will look to Gore to deliver a second straight quality start against the struggling, injury-depleted Athletics.

And Texas’ starting lineup:

The final month has arrived. #AllForTX

🎟️ https://t.co/K5mbqMk9Vepic.twitter.com/rkRFNlkOhc

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 1, 2026

Time to snap this losing streak and restore some positive vibes. Let’s go, A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics -Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast