NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 25: Will Warren #29 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday, September 25, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It wasn’t exactly a meaningful game, but the Yankees projected a much better image in the nightcap against the Baltimore Orioles and won it 6-3 after losing the first game in ugly fashion. New York’s pitchers certainly brought the strikeout stuff for this one, as Ryan Yarbrough, Will Warren, Brent Headrick, John Schreiber, and Alexander Cornielle combined to punch out 17 — tied for a team sign high among standard nine-inning efforts with a gem led by Cam Schlittler’s 13 on June 19th against the Reds.
The Yankees’ record is now 93-68 with one regular season game left. If the weather holds off (no guarantees there), they have a shot at matching last year’s 94-68 record, which is frankly not bad because their best player, Aaron Judge, only suited up for 66 games.
This game actually started as a pitchers’ duel, with Orioles’ starter Brandon Young and Yarbrough trading zeroes for the first 2.1 innings. The lefty departed after 49 pitches, but did not allow a run despite surrendering four hits and a walk, fanning five.
The Yankees brought in Warren with one out and a runner on first, which represented a nice training scenario ahead of his expected bullpen role in the Wild Card Series.
As it turned out, Warren was amazing, even though he allowed a double in that same inning that could have produced a run for Baltimore, and covered 3.2 scoreless frames while conceding a mere three hits and racking up seven strikeouts. He will finish the regular season with a nice 3.92 ERA and just over a strikeout per inning.
The Yankees finally got to Young in the bottom of the fifth. After two outs, Austin Wells walked and crossed home thanks to Ryan McMahon’s RBI double.
Young pitched a very solid game, completing five frames in which he conceded a single run on two hits and three walks. He whiffed six and finished the game and the season with a 3.56 ERA.
The Bombers extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth against the O’s bullpen. Spencer Jones singled in Heliot Ramos, aided by a fielding error by right fielder Rece Hinds. Later in the inning, Anthony Volpe (playing shortstop with George Lombard Jr. getting a rare rest) hit an automatic double that plated Luis García Jr. and Jones to make it a 4-0 ballgame.
Headrick replaced Warren in the seventh and surrendered the Orioles’ first run. With the bases loaded and one out, Leody Taveras hit a sac fly to bring in Pete Alonso. Ramos and García would hit consecutive RBI singles in the bottom of the inning, though, and the Yankees were up 6-1.
Cornielle entered for his MLB debut, and was promptly greeted by a Dylan Beavers homer to right, making it a 6-2 ballgame. The rookie got into some trouble after the long ball, putting two men on base before getting the first out. He then surrendered a very long RBI double to Taveras that just missed the stands, as the O’s trimmed the Yankees lead to three runs.
Cornielle then shook it off and struck out the next two hitters to end the ballgame on a high note. Ben Rice went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored, and McMahon went 2-for-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI. Volpe plated two, and Wells walked twice and scored once.
The Yankees are supposed to wrap up their season on Sunday against the Orioles, starting at 3:20pm ET. Elmer Rodríguez has been announced as New York’s starter. However, the nor’easter that forced this doubleheader in the first place has led to some bad forecasts for Sunday, so it’s very possible that Game 162 gets nixed. We’ll find out soon enough! Stay dry out there.
New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) dives back to first base against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park in Washington, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.
WASHINGTON — Carson Benge’s ascent has been one of the compelling reasons to watch the Mets for much of this season’s second half.
Friday night, the 23-year-old outfielder homered in the fifth inning of the Mets’ 7-6 loss to the Nationals. The blast was his 20th and made him the first rookie in franchise history to join the 20-20 club — homers and stolen bases in a season.
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Benge may not win NL Rookie of the Year honors, with Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart regarded as the clear frontrunner, but that doesn’t diminish a season in which he’s emerged as a significant piece in the team’s future.
Last week, he established a franchise rookie record for hits, eclipsing the mark Pete Alonso set in 2019.
Benge has 162 hits.
“Anything that can be in the history book and done for the first time is something special,” Benge said. “I hold that close to my heart.”
New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) dives back to first base against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park in Washington, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Last place is all theirs.
The Mets needed a sweep this weekend to avoid the final indignity of their season, a last-place finish in the National League East. But that possibility disappeared with Friday’s loss.
“If it matters to a Mets fan, it matters to me,” Green said before the game when asked about potentially avoiding last place. “But deep down, if I think about it, there’s playoffs and there’s not playoffs, and there’s nothing we’re going to do to get to that spot.
“As we watch other teams celebrate inclusion in playoffs, that should leave a bitter taste in all of our mouths to get back there, and that’s all I’m really concerned with.”
Ronny Mauricio is scheduled to start Saturday in what could be his farewell to the Mets.
Once a highly regarded prospect, the 25-year-old infielder has largely seen his major league opportunities dissipate because of injuries. He will be a non-tender candidate this winter in his first season of arbitration eligibility.
In 18 games for the Mets this season he owns a .454 OPS.
“He’s definitely missed a lot of time,” Green said, noting the ACL tear that cost Mauricio the 2024 season. “He’s come back. The athleticism returned. I don’t see any residual effect of that. So, from my vantage point, people come back from injuries all the time. Does it make life harder? Sure. It makes things tougher.
New York Mets’ Ronny Mauricio (0) is hit by a pitch during the eighth inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“Does he have every opportunity out in front of him to still turn in a good career? Sure. He does. I think the path forward for him is you know impact the baseball consistently, and if you can minimize the chase.”
Mauricio spent six weeks on the IL this season with a thumb fracture. Following his rehab he spent most of the season at Triple-A Syracuse.
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Saturday’s first pitch has been moved to 12:35 p.m. due to the threat of inclement weather.
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 25: Tomoyuki Sugano #11 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Friday, September 25, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Lawrence Brown/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Rockies opened their final series of the 2026 season Friday night with a 6-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Munetaka Murakami (村上 宗隆) homered twice and drove in three runs, while Sean Burke held Colorado to one run over 5.1 innings as Chicago improved to 83-77. The Rockies fell to 57-103 with the loss.
Burke earned the win to improve to 11-7, while Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) fell to 12-12 after allowing four runs over 6.2 innings.
Colorado stayed within reach for most of the night. TJ Rumfield homered, Hunter Goodman came within a few feet of his 40th home run and Sugano settled in after a difficult opening.
The Rockies just never found enough offense to make the White Sox pay.
Sugano settles after a rough start
Sugano’s night started with traffic.
Sam Antonacci opened the first with a soft liner just over Ezequiel Tovar, who had shifted toward the middle. Kyle Teel followed with a first-pitch bunt back toward the mound, but Sugano charged and fired to second, where Tovar stretched while keeping contact with the bag to get the lead runner.
The inning still got messy.
A pitch in the dirt got away from Goodman, who recovered but threw the ball into the outfield as Teel advanced. The play was scored as a wild pitch and a throwing error on Goodman, putting Teel at third.
Miguel Vargas followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give Chicago the lead.
Then Murakami got Sugano for the first time.
Sugano worked him to a 2-2 count before leaving an 86 mph slider down in the zone. Murakami sent it high and deep to right field, and the crowd reacted almost immediately.
The ball left the bat at 103.3 mph, traveled 386 feet and gave Murakami his 34th home run of the season.
The White Sox led 2-0.
It continued a season-long problem for Colorado, which entered the night having allowed more first-inning runs than any other team in baseball.
Sugano struck out Andrew Benintendi to end the inning and worked a clean second before Chicago added another run in the third.
Braden Montgomery and Antonacci opened the inning with singles, but Goodman threw out Antonacci trying to steal second. Teel then lifted a sacrifice fly to center to make it 3-1.
From there, Sugano completely changed the shape of his outing.
He retired the White Sox in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and eventually set down 10 consecutive hitters.
That stretch also put Sugano on the mound for a piece of baseball history.
Colson Montgomery entered the night tied with former Rockie Mark Reynolds for the most strikeouts in a single season. Montgomery worked the count full in the fifth before Sugano threw a 93.3 mph four-seam fastball right down the middle.
He simply turned and walked back to the dugout, newly infamous with his 224th strikeout of the season and the single-season record.
Sugano finished the sixth by getting Vargas to chase an 87.9 mph splitter well below the zone, completing another 1-2-3 inning.
The splitter was his most-used pitch overall at 22%, and it was also his best bat-missing offering. Sugano generated six whiffs on nine swings with it.
He mixed all seven pitches in his arsenal: splitter, sinker, curveball, four-seam fastball, cutter, slider and sweeper.
The cutter also played well, producing four whiffs on nine swings.
Sugano’s four-seamer averaged 93.1 mph, while the sinker sat at 92.8 mph. Overall, he generated 14 whiffs on 46 swings.
Sugano returned for the seventh and missed with a sweeper before coming back with a 92.9 mph sinker.
The ball left at 109.4 mph and traveled 412 feet to left-center for his second homer of the night and No. 35 on the season.
Sugano struck out Benintendi and got Tristan Peters to pop out before Randal Grichuk lined a single to left, ending his night.
His final line was 6.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 5 K and 2 HR on 90 pitches, 57 strikes.
It was probably Sugano’s final start as a Rockie, and his chase for win No. 13 instead ended with loss No. 12.
Still, the outing did not get away from him in the way several recent starts had.
The White Sox scored early, Sugano settled in and Murakami simply beat him twice.
Burke keeps the Rockies uncomfortable
Sean Burke looked sharp immediately.
His arm action was quick, his pitches looked crisp and Colorado hitters never seemed particularly comfortable.
Jake McCarthy and Adael Amador struck out to begin the game before Goodman flew out to end a 1-2-3 first inning.
That continued throughout Burke’s outing.
Rockies hitters were frequently late on fastballs, taking emergency swings just to stay alive or getting underneath pitches and putting them harmlessly in the air.
TJ Rumfield was the exception.
Rumfield led off the second with one of Colorado’s best at-bats of the night.
Burke got him to 2-2, but Rumfield fouled off five consecutive pitches — three four-seamers, a knuckle curve and a sinker.
Burke finally went to an 86.7 mph slider on pitch No. 10.
The ball left at 101.4 mph and just cleared the wall for his 16th home run of the season.
That cut Chicago’s lead to 2-1.
Rumfield added an infield single in the fourth when a one-hopper deflected off Burke and landed behind the mound.
Otherwise, Burke was in control.
He threw his four-seam fastball 42% of the time, averaging 93.9 mph and topping out at 95.5.
Burke mixed in a knuckle curve, cutter, slider, sinker and occasional changeup. The knuckle curve produced three whiffs on seven swings, while the slider generated four on nine.
Overall, Burke produced 15 whiffs on 52 swings.
The numbers matched what the Rockies looked like at the plate. They were rarely comfortable.
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 25: Toronto Blue Jays Infielder Kazuma Okamoto (7) hits an rbi double during the seventh inning of the MLB regular season game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Toronto Blue Jays on September 25, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For most of the night, this looked like a typically frustrating 2026 Blue Jays loss. The starting pitching wasn’t very good, the bullpen did enough to keep them in range, and while the offence produce traffic on the bases it failed to turn that into runs.
Luckily, things flipped late. The offence woke up and chained together a crooked inning, and Tyler Rogers and Luis Varland were nails as they have been all year to bring it home.
The offence had plenty of base runners tonight, but as has so often been the case this season they struggled with runners on. Charles McAdoo lead the game off with a hard double to right. Alejandro Kirk then doubled himself, pushing the Jays in front 1-0. Two outs later, Kazuma Okamoto hit the third double of the inning to cash Kirk. In the second, a Davis Schneider hit by pitch and a Myles Straw fly ball single put two on with one out, and made it five men on in the first turn of the order for Toronto. MaDoo’s second hit of the game, a line single, loaded the bases, but Kirk grounded into a double play to prevent them from capitalizing. Walks by Okamoto and Schneider and a Nathan Lukes double loaded the bases again in the third, but again none of the runners scored. They only stranded one runner in the fourth, a Straw infield single, and went in order in the fifth.
Jose Soriano didn’t have a great night. He set the Reds down in order in the first. Things looked a little shakier in the next inning, as he hung a breaking ball to Eugenio Suarez that bounced off the facing of the second deck and then gave up a pair of singles to put the tying run on third, but a double play got him out of it. In the third, though, the first two batters reached on an opposite field single and a bunt. This time, Elly De La Cruz hit a soft liner down the left field line that dropped just fair for a double, scoring both runners. De La Cruz stole third, giving him a 30-30 season, and came home to score on a broken bat single by Sal Stewart. One batter later, Suarez lined a single to centre that moved Stewart to third. Hector Rodriguez tapped a ball back to the mound. Soriano opted to attempt the double play instead of holding Stewart at third. He got Suarez at second, but the throw over to first was too late, allowing Stewart to cross. All that left the Jays in a 5-2 hole
Brendan Cellucci took over for the fourth. He gave up one hit in a scoreless inning. In the fifth he was better, retiring the Reds in order with a pair of strikeouts.
Chad Dallas got the sixth. He gave up a pair of fairly weak singles, one a grounder that Charles McAdoo couldn’t field cleanly and one a soft liner, but avoided damage.
Nathan Lukes was hit by Nick Lodolo’s first pitch of the sixth inning. It was also his last of the night, with Luis Mey coming on in relief. The Jays managed some solid contact but no hits.
Dallas returned to start the seventh, walking De La Cruz and striking Stewart out. He then gave way to Mason Fluharty, who retired the next two Reds. The Jays would finally get back on the board in their half. Andres Gimenez, hitting for McAdoo, walked. Kirk did the same. A Mey sinker sawed Guerrero off, shattering his bat. The ball hopped in front of the plate, bounced off one of the fragments of the barrel in mid air on its way back to the mound, and ricocheted into right field. That plated Gimenez, cutting Cincinnati’s lead to two. George Springer followed with a grounder to short that Oswaldo Cabrera misplayed, loading the bases. with none out and forcing Mey from the game. Pierce Johnson fared no better, though. Kazuma Okamoto lined his first pitch off the wall in left centre, his second double of the night, tying the game at five. Lukes slashed a grounder the other way into left, scoring Springer to put the Jays in front. They failed to build on the one run margin. Brett Bateman flew out for Schneider. Clement hit a one hopper to short, Okamoto unwisely tried to go home and was thrown out easily. Finally, Josh Smith, who’d come on to pinch hit for Straw in the previous inning, struck out swinging.
Tyler Rogers came on to protect the newly acquired lead. He worked a clean inning around a ground ball single. The Jays also went quietly in the eighth, managing just a walk off Graham Ashcraft. In the ninth, Louis Varland locked down the save without drama.
Jays of the Day: Okamoto (0.38), Lukes (0.15), Rogers (0.12), Varland (0.16)
Less so: Soriano (-0.38)
Two more to go. We’re firmly in “playing out the string” territory here, but there’s one last bit of drama to keep an eye on this weekend. Justin Verlander will start for the Tigers tomorrow, the last appearance of his first ballot Hall of Fame career. It’s hard to tell how much he’ll pitch, but probably not a lot given that he hasn’t even appeared in a minor league game since early June. Right now, Verlander sits 8th on the all time strikeout list with 3,554. Max Scherzer, the Jays’ most logical starter for Sunday’s game, sits just four back at 3,550. No starter has been announced for the season finale yet, but Trey Yesavage is already tabbed for tomorrow and CY Van Eyk is on the same short rest Scherzer is, so there’s no better candidate. If Scherzer goes, barring a miracle performance from Verlander the day before, he’ll have a real chance at edging out his former teammate right at the finish line of their respective careers.
Between then and now, Yesavage (5-5, 3.67) will continue his comeback from the torn meniscus that cost hinm most of this month, taking on Rhett Lowder (6-12, 6.01).
The Yankees (93-68) scored first and the bullpen held on to take Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader, 6-3, over the Baltimore Orioles (79-82).
Here are the takeaways...
-- Ryan Yarbrough served as the opener for the Yanks, striking out five Orioles over 2.1 scoreless innings of work. He allowed four singles overall and then passed the baton to Will Warren, who'll be a key bullpen piece in the postseason, in the third inning.
-- Warren let up a double in the third, but struck out two batters to keep it a scoreless game. He continued to pitch well in his long relief outing, allowing only three hits (no walks) over 3.2 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.
-- The Yankees' bats managed just one hit through four innings against Brandon Young, but found a way to get across in the fifth. Austin Wells worked a two-out walk and Ryan McMahon came through with an RBI double to the right-center field gap to go up 1-0.
-- After Heliot Ramos and Luis García Jr. walked against reliever Josh Walker in the sixth inning, Spencer Jones added an insurance run with an RBI single to go up 2-0. Anthony Volpe kept it going with a two-out ground-rule double to the right-field corner, making it a 4-0 game.
The offense stayed hot in the seventh inning as McMahon (single) and Ben Rice (double) gave them runners on second and third base with no outs. Ramos and García drove both runs in with back-to-back singles, extending the lead to 6-1.
-- Brent Headrick ran into some trouble in the top of the seventh inning, loading the bases with one out. Luckily, he only let up a sacrifice fly that cut the lead to 4-1.
-- Alexander Cornielle made his MLB debut in the ninth, but let up a homer to Dylan Beavers on his second pitch as the O's trailed 6-2. He walked Pete Alonso, let up a single to Coby Mayo, and then gave up a one-out RBI double to Leody Taveras. Cornielle settled down and struck out two straight Orioles to seal the deal.
Game MVP: The Yankees' bullpen
Yarbrough, Warren, Headrick, and John Schreiber struck out 15 Orioles, allowing just one run on eight hits and three walks combined.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 25: Garrett Mitchell #5 of the Milwaukee Brewers scores on a double by Brice Turang in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field on September 25, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the Cardinals and Brewers kicked off the final regular season series of the season, I couldn’t help but think back to 2011 when the Cardinals ruined the season for a highly-competitive Milwaukee team that season and went on to win the World Series. How times have changed. Friday night, it was the Brewers who were the 100 win team while the Cardinals are just waiting for vacation time after Sunday. Michael McGreevy kept the Cardinals in the game, but would the offense break through against Brewers starter Robert Gasser? Even bigger question is what would the Cardinals bullpen do.
The Brew Crew were the first to strike Friday night as they jumped on McGreevy in the bottom of the 1st inning when Mitchell led off with a single and then scored when the next batter Turang doubled into the left-centerfield gap making it 1-0 Milwaukee. I feared that the wheels might come off of Michael’s start, but he was able to reel in the Brewers and didn’t allow them another run until the 5th. More on that later.
The Cardinals briefly pulled even in the top of the 4th inning when Ivan Herrera ripped a 93 mph Gasser sinker over the left-centerfield wall for a total distance of 393 feet tying the game at 1-1.
The Brewers would regain the lead in the bottom of the 4th inning after McGreevy walked Christian Yelich to start the inning. He would advance to third when Ortiz singled to right and then scored when Frelick grounded into a fielder’s choice. 2-1 Brewers.
How many times has the 5th inning come back to bite Cardinals starters this season? You can add Friday night’s game to that list. It wasn’t an implosion (the bullpen would provide that later), but McGreevy would not make it out of the bottom of the 5th when Turang led off with a double. William Contreras then flied out to right moving Turang over to third. He scored when Jake Bauers singled to center upping the Milwaukee advantage to 3-1. It would continue to get messy after Yelich reached on an infield hit. Two batters later, Lara walked to load the bases and that would end McGreevy’s night as Oli Marmol brought in Brycen Mautz. Jackson Chourio pinch-hit for Frelick and Mautz promptly walked him gifting the Brewers another run making it 4-1. It could have been much worse as Brycen got behind in the count against Hamilton 3-1, but came back to strike him out and end the inning with minimal damage.
After Brycen Mautz shut down the Brewers in the bottom of the 6th in order, the Cardinals would come storming back in the top of the 7th inning when Jordan Walker led off with a monster 411 foot home run over the centerfield wall reducing the Brewers lead to just 4-2.
After Leo Bernal singled to center following Walker’s home run, they would eliminate the Milwaukee lead completely when Alec Burleson would be brought off of the bench to pinch-hit for Jose Fermin. He slammed a 414 foot Burly bomb high off the right field foul pole tying the game at 4-4.
The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen would need to keep the team in the game and Luis Gastelum did his job in the bottom of the 7th inning with only one walk to Ortiz as he didn’t allow any threat of a rally. The bottom of the 8th inning would be a different story. Gastelum gave up a leadoff hit to Chourio to start and he would be taken out of the game for Justin Bruihl. Bruihl’s first act would be to nail Hamilton with a pitch. Mitchell would reach first when his sacrifice bunt would be muffed by Justin loading the bases for Milwaukee. Turang then crushed the Cardinals with a 2-RBI single to left making it 6-4 Milwaukee. The worst was yet to come. Cade Winquest was brought into the game to try and keep the Brewers within 2 and he was not successful and that’s a massive understatement. Mitchell would be caught leaning off second base, but in the rundown Winquest heaved the ball over third base allowing both runners to advance to second and third. William Contreras followed that misplay with a single to left scoring another making it 7-4 Brewers. Bauers then flied out to left for a sacrifice fly giving Milwaukee another run upping the lead to 8-4 Brewers. Winquest would eventually get out of the inning, but the damage had been done.
Barring a miracle, you could sense the game was all but over with Trevor Megill coming in to close out the game for the Brewers. Leo Bernal led off the Cardinals 9th with a solid single up the middle. MLB RBI leader Alec Burleson was next, but all he could manage was a fly-out to right for the first out. Thomas Saggese flew out to center for the second out. Masyn Winn was the Cardinals final hope in what was really a hopeless game. He whiffed on 3 pitches and that was the game.
Final score – Brewers 8, Cardinals 4
The St. Louis Cardinals will invade American Family Field again Saturday night for game 2 and hope for better results against the Milwaukee Brewers. Quinn Mathews will put on the pearls for his final start of the season Saturday night for St. Louis while it will be former Cardinals starter Dustin May taking the mound for the Brewers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10pm central time Saturday night and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
Pete Alonso still has a bone to pick with David Stearns.
Ahead of one of the Orioles’ doubleheader games against the Yankees on Friday, Alonso was reportedly seen donning a shirt which included an explicit statement he made to Stearns while still on the Mets, according to Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner.
The shirt, produced by sports apparel brand BreakingT, mainly celebrates Alonso’s 300th career home run, but includes the quote: “When my career is being evaluated for the Hall of Fame years from now, you’ll still be fiddling with your f–king formulas.”
Pete Alonso was also seen wearing the shirt at Camden Yards earlier this month. BreakingT/X
Alonso was also seen wearing the shirt at Camden Yards earlier this month, photos from BreakingT’s social media show.
He said the quote — which was first reported by The Post’s Jon Heyman back in May — to Stearns during heated negotiations following the 2024 season.
The five-time All-Star was coming off a down season in 2024, posting a slash line of .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs, the lowest of Alonso’s career in a full season, and the Mets were looking to pay him roughly $40 million for two years.
Stearns and Mets owner Steve Cohen responded to Alonso’s comment by suggesting they would try and work out a deal, per Heyman.
David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the Mets, speaks at a press conference when the New York Mets played the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 4, 2026, at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y. Robert Sabo for NY Post
On the same day as wearing the controversial shirt, Alonso belted two home runs during the Orioles’ 10-2 win over the Yankees, including a 471-foot blast in the seventh inning — tied for the second-longest of his eight-year career.
Despite a slow start, Alonso has enjoyed a relatively successful first year in Baltimore, putting up a slash line of .267/.363/.522 and currently is the American League leader in home runs (43).
Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (25) hits a two-run home run during the third inning of game one of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. on Sept. 25, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Alonso made his return to Citi Field earlier this month, where he was met with enormous cheers when he hit his 300th carrer home run off ex-teammate Kodai Senga to tie the game in the ninth inning — prompting a curtain call from the Mets crowd.
“I am beyond thankful for all the support and it was really fun to play,” Alonso said following the Orioles’ series against the Mets. “I feel like New York will always be a place where it feels like homecoming – it doesn’t matter whether it’s here or at Yankee Stadium.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 26: Jose Barrero #54 of the Baltimore Orioles looks on from first base during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees in game two of their doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on September 26, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After beating the Yankees in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader by a 10-2 score, the Orioles came out for the nightcap with a lineup that featured Jeremiah Jackson as the cleanup hitter, Rece Hinds as the right fielder, and included Yohel Pozo and José Barrero at the bottom of the order. As you already know, it did not go very well. The Orioles lost the game, 6-3.
The players who were given the assignment of playing the game were trying to win. I believe this is true every day and has been true every day of this disappointing Orioles season. Yet it is hard to escape the conclusion that the people who make the decisions on who plays where and when were not all that interested in whether or not they won the second game. This may end up being the last game of the season, with the possibility of the same rain that led to the Friday doubleheader washing out the meaningless Sunday contest.
The particulars almost don’t matter. It was another one of those dumb games. Not only dumb but dumb in a way that was brought about in part by guys who don’t even belong on any major league roster anywhere, even a bad team’s roster. It feels bad to pile on them sometimes. It’s not their fault that Mike Elias screwed things up to the point that they were needed.
It wasn’t all bad. Brandon Young put a nice bow on his season by holding the Yankees to one run over five innings. If you want to pick nits, sure, he walked too many guys with three free passes, but he only gave up two hits and he struck out six batters. He finishes the year with a 3.56 ERA. Coby Mayo had two hits. So did Christian Franklin. Pete Alonso was on base twice and scored a run on a sacrifice fly. He’s good, you guys.
Also, Pozo stole a base when he took off running on an 0-2 count to Dylan Beavers where he probably figured Beavers was about to strike out, and Pozo was super excited about it. That was fun. It was the first stolen base of Pozo’s MLB career. Beavers hit a garbage time home run in the ninth inning, his second homer of the day after a grand slam that blew open the first game.
Then, there was everything else. It’s not like the Orioles lacked for chances. They kept getting guys on base. They just weren’t bringing them home. The team left 13 men on base, went 1-13 with runners in scoring position, and struck out 17 times. Hinds had multiple bad plays in the field that led to an inning continuing and runs scoring. He also went 0-5 with five strikeouts. Josh Walker had a rough outing, not helped by Hinds. Anthony Nunez had a rough outing that had nothing to do with Hinds.
The Orioles have lost a lot of games like this over the course of this season. Perhaps either due to rain or due to playing better, this will be the last one that we have to watch.
To be fair to the guys, they ended up with the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning after Leody Taveras got an RBI double. They were battling to the end. The batter who came up next after that? It was Hinds. There was not a pinch hitter for Hinds with one out in the ninth inning when he was the tying run. He struck out for a fifth time. The players who played were trying. The people who put them on the field were perhaps less motivated to win than I would prefer.
The team is now 79-82. They are guaranteed a losing season. They are not guaranteed to finish in last place in the AL East. That depends on whether the Blue Jays win their final two games on Saturday and Sunday. They sit at 78-82 right now.
Shane Baz and Elmer Rodríguez are the scheduled starting pitchers for the 3:20 game on Sunday that may or may not happen. If this game is it, you could not write a better coda for the 2026 Orioles season.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 14: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets set to throw a pitch in the first inning during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 14, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers (97-62) open a three-game series against the Giants (65-94) Friday night in San Francisco, wrapping up the regular season.
Tarik Skubal (11-7, 2.85 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) makes his last regular season start for the Dodgers before he gears up for the postseason.
Yunior Marté (0-1, 4.66 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) starts for the Giants.
TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 25: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds steals his 30th base of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on September 25, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds have their own Tungsten Arm O’Doyle.
For those who didn’t let their brains rot on Twitter during the long, lonely COVID days, the fictionally dominant O’Doyle was a shooting star in 2021 as future Hall of Famers Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout languished on a Los Angeles Angels roster that was a full three levels beneath them.
every time I see an Angels highlight it's like "Mike Trout hit three homes runs and raised his average to .528 while Shohei Ohtani did something that hasn't been done since 'Tungsten Arm' O'Doyle of the 1921 Akron Groomsmen, as the Tigers defeated the Angels 8-3"
— ℳatt (matttomic.bsky.social) (@matttomic) May 18, 2021
Anyway, the Cincinnati Reds watched superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz swat the 30th homer of his season last night against the Atlanta Braves and then – with just a trio of games remaining – manage to swipe his 30th bag of the season tonight in Toronto. In the process he became the first Cincinnati Reds player to log 30 homers, 30 steals, and 30 doubles in a single season in 30 years since Hall of Famer Barry Larkin is the only other player in franchise history to have done so (back in 1996).
It also marks the first 30-30 (homer-steal) season the Reds have had since Brandon Phillips pulled that off back in 2007. Elly, BP, Larkin, and Eric Davis are the only players in the history of the Reds to go 30-30.
That was all well and wonderful as the Reds surged to a 5-2 lead over a Blue Jays club that was officially eliminated from postseason play earlier in the week. Except for the fact that Cincinnati’s bullpen blew that and the Reds lost 6-5.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 25: Brett Callahan #34 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates scoring a run in the second inning with John Peck #18 and Eduardo Valencia #32 while playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park on September 25, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let out that breath you’re holding; the Tigers won their first game of the weekend over the Pirates 8-7.
The Tigers had a lot to win for going into this weekend. They might not be fighting for a place in the postseason, but with fans coming around to celebrate the final weekend of Justin Verlander’s career, the team definitely wanted to put on a good show. Jackson Jobe got the nod for the Tigers as a starter, up against Bubba Chandler for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was nice to see that Justin Verlander, in his big farewell speech, took a moment to shout out former teammate and Pirates’ manager Don Kelly. Kind of a cool full-circle moment.
In the top of the first, the Pirates went 1-2-3. The Tigers also went down in order in the home half.
Oneil Cruz got a leadoff walk to open the second inning. With one out, Cruz stole second, his 30th steal of the season. Ryan O’Hearn then singled, bringing Cruz home for the first run of the game. After the second out, Spencer Horwitz doubled, bringing in another run. Jobe finally got the third out of the inning, but the Tigers were now in a two-run deficit. Eduardo Valencia got a leadoff walk in the home half, then with two outs, Brett Callahan singled, bumping Valencia to third. A Spencer Torkelson triple (his first of the season!) brought two runs in and clearly made Tork’s day.
Brandon Lowe got a one-out walk in the third, but two outs followed, leaving him stranded. In the bottom of the inning with two outs, Kevin McGonigle got a walk, then Valencia singled, pushing McGonigle over to third. Riley Greene walked, then a Dillon Dingler single brought two more runs in to put the Tigers in the lead. Callahan walked, then Torkelson struck out, but the third strike got away as a wild pitch and two more runs scored. That was it for Bubba, who was replaced by Evan Sisk, who came on and got the final out of the inning.
Tigers just scored 2 runs on a dropped third strike.
The last time a team scored multiple runs on a dropped third strike was April 30, 2021 (Phillies)
In the top of the fourth, the Pirates went 1-2-3. Max Clark got a leadoff single in the home half, but Hao-Yu Lee bunted into a force out that eliminated Clark at second. Lee then stole second. Valencia and Greene then got back-to-back walks to load the bases. Despite being in a great position to score more runs, the Pirates actually managed to get out of the inning without any additional runs scoring.
In the fifth, Jake Mangum got a one-out single. Once again, though, the Pirates weren’t able to convert the baserunner. Wilber Dotel was the new pitcher in the bottom of the inning. Torkelson got a one-out double, perhaps hoping to sneak in a cycle this game? Why not? Two outs followed, though, leaving Tork stranded.
With one out in the top of the sixth, Jobe’s day was done. His final line was 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K on 86 pitches. A really solid outing from him, showing some flashes of what to expect from him going forward as he hones his skills even further. Drew Sommers replaced him, and with two outs gave up a walk to Nick Gonzales before getting the final out of the inning. With two outs in the home half, Valencia walked, the seventh (!!) of the game. Greene then singled to put runners on the corners. Dingler reached on a fielder’s choice and thanks to a fielding error, one more run scored. They’d have to settle for just the one, but it gave them a 7-2 lead.
Andrew Sears was the new pitcher for the seventh. He got the Pirates out in order. Spencer Torkelson got a solo home run to start the home half. Officially only one single away from the cycle. John Peck then singled. A wild pitch allowed Peck to advance to second. The Tigers went down in order after that, though, failing to extend their lead.
Konnor Griffin was hit by a pitch to start the eighth, but a double play off the bat of Lowe quickly eliminated the baserunner. Bryan Reynolds walked, followed by back-to-back singles from Cruz and Gonzales, scoring another run for them. An O’Hearn single brought in a fourth run for Pittsburgh. Rafael Flores Jr. then homered, and suddenly it was a one-run game. Tyler Holton replaced Sears and got the final out of the inning. Brandon Eisert was the next Pirates pitcher and Valencia got a leadoff double against him. Unfortunately, the Tigers weren’t able to bring in any additional runs, or give Torkelson a chance to get the single he needed for the cycle.
Kenley Jansen came in for the ninth, hoping to keep the Tigers from extras. He did just that, getting the side out in order and collecting win 498.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: Jonathan Pintaro #91 of the New York Mets is pulled in the third inning by Manager Andy Green #70 after giving up two runs on two wild pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets fell to the Nationals by a score of 7-6 to open up the final series of the season. The Mets went with a bullpen game and most of the damage came in a disastrous third inning. It’s hard to say who was at fault but it certainly wasn’t a good look for Francisco Alvarez who was behind the plate for three wild pitches in the third. Two of them allowed a run to score and they came on back-to-back pitches with Jonathan Pintaro on the mound.
It was an ugly game for Alvarez all around. First he grounded out into a double play with the bases loaded in the first. He was 2-for-32 with the bases loaded in his career according to Gary Cohen. Next, in the second inning he attempted to throw behind a runner at second base and instead threw it into centerfield. Then came the nightmarish third inning. He did drive in the Mets’ sixth run with a sacrifice fly but overall it was a pretty poor performance by the catcher.
After the nightmarish third inning the Mets used the long ball to attempt to get back in it. Juan Soto just missed a home run that was knocked down by the wind but both Bo Bichette and Carson Benge managed to leave the yard to pull the Mets to within one. It was a milestone home run for Benge who became the first rookie in Mets’ history to join the 20/20 club.
Both the Mets and Nationals would add on another run, but the third inning was the turning point in the game. In the grand scheme of things this game means very little in a lost season but it would have been nice to pass the Nationals and get out of the cellar which is now impossible. Only two more games and then this season will mercifully come to a close.
Big winner: Carson Benge, +28% WPA Big loser: Francisco Alvarez, -30% WPA Total pitcher WPA: -40% WPA Total batter WPA: -10% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Carson Benge single in eighth, +14.7% WPA Teh sux0rest play: CJ Abrams’s RBI single in first, -16.4% WPA
PHILADELPHIA — Trea Turner flailed at a four-seam fastball well out of the strike zone and slammed his bat in anger after another strikeout.
Remember that time Phillies fans rallied in 2023 to give Turner a standing ovation and he used that moment to spark his season?
That wasn’t the case Friday night in Philadelphia.
Turner dropped his helmet in the third inning and was soundly booed by a restless crowd, as was Brandon Marsh after a similar ugly whiff in the fourth, and as were the Phillies after another punchless game at the plate cost them in a 2-0 loss to the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays.
Freddy Peralta and four relievers combined to throw four-hit ball in the shutout.
The plastic tarp that circles the top of the clubhouse lockers in anticipation of a champagne celebration remained rolled up as tight as the Phillies seem to be of late. A playoff berth that seemed a lock just days ago will come down to the final two games.
The Phillies entered the game leading Arizona by two games for the final NL wild-card spot with three to play. The Phillies would have clinched their fifth straight playoff berth with a win against the Rays and an Arizona loss to San Diego.
The Phillies instead dropped their third straight game and delayed a potential clincher at least until Saturday, when they will throw a bullpen game at the Rays. Should the race come down to Sunday, the Phillies will be forced to throw ace Zack Wheeler, which would burn him for potential Game 1 or 2 starts in the NL Wild Card Series.
If they get there.
Call it Dread October.
The Phillies high-priced sluggers usually wait until the playoffs start until their bats freeze up. They got a jump on it down the September stretch.
The gut punch came in the sixth when Turner and Bryce Harper led off with consecutive singles. Alec Bohm meekly grounded out but advanced the runners. Bryson Stott lined out to second base and pinch hitter Bryan De La Cruz lined out to shortstop against reliever Cam Booser.
Oh, and 35-year-old catcher J.T. Realmuto is in an 0 for 32 funk that’s dipped his average to .206.
The Phillies were shut out for the 12th game this season and have scored two runs over the last 27 innings.
All that has helped the Phillies spiral to 13 losses in the last 21 games.
It gets worse. NL batting leader and starting second baseman Luis Arraez is out indefinitely with a severely sprained left ankle. All-Star lefty Jesús Luzardo has yet to throw a simulated game as he tries to come back from a three-week absence with shoulder inflammation.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly insisted ahead of the game his team wasn’t wilting from the pressure.
“These guys have been through it,” Mattingly said. “I feel OK. If we’ve got to tell guys at this point that it’s urgent that we win games, then we’re in trouble. The urgency, everybody knows. It’s pretty much right in your face. We’ve just got to go out and play good baseball.”
The Phillies — who had the fourth-highest opening day payroll at $282 million — are drumming up talk around the city of joining the short list of the most egregious collapses in franchise history.
Take your pick.
More modern? The 2023 Phillies were up 2-0 and 3-2 headed home for Games 6 and 7 in the NL Championship Series only to blow the series to Arizona.
Prefer a classic story? Consider 1964, when the Phillies lost 10 straight games to blow a 6 1/2-game lead and the NL pennant with 12 games left. They wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 1976.
Just win one more game this season, and the situation won’t be that dire.
Just watch the Phillies play this week and it’s getting harder to find when that next W might come.
Sep 12, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter Michael Arroyo (96) hits a two-RBI single against Athletics pitcher Yunior Tur (not pictured) during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After some sloppy defense and less-than-ideal pitching (what else is new, amirite?) sunk the Mariners last night, they’ll have another chance to deal the Angels their 99th loss of the season. Please, baseball gods. We are asking for so little at this point.
Lineups:
If you groaned upon seeing Weston Wilson and Leo Rivas round out the M’s lineup, I can’t say I blame you, but on a happier note, Michael Arroyo will make his first career big league appearance in left field – and batting fifth to boot! Randy Arozarena will get a rare DH day, just the fifth time he has not played the field all season, while J.P. Crawford and Cal Raleigh both get the night off against Reid Detmers. Don’t be surprised to see some pinch-hitting in the later innings should Seattle make Detmers work a bit, though, and we all could use some more Lázaro Montes in the last couple days of the year.
As for the Angels, they’re rolling out a nearly identical lineup to last night’s, with the exception of Denzer Guzman hitting the bench as Vaughn Grissom moves across the diamond while Moises Ballesteros covers first base. Behind the plate is one Travis d’Arnaud, and if you’re surprised he’s still playing Major League Baseball, well, join the club.
News:
Andrés Muñoz’s season will end a few days before everyone else’s, as Seattle’s closer was placed on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation. Muñoz exited Sunday’s win against the Rockies with the injury and underwent an MRI that same day. Troy Taylor has been recalled to take his roster spot.
The Mets and Nationals went blow-for-blow, but New York could not overcome its early deficit as they fell 7-6 on Friday night in Washington, D.C.
The loss guarantees the Mets (73-87) will finish last in the NL East in a full season for the first time since 2003.
Here are the takeaways...
-The Mets offense got started quickly, with Mark Vientos driving home Juan Soto, who hit a one-out single, on a double. It's the first first-inning run Andrew Alvarez has allowed this season (17 starts). But it could have been more. After Carson Benge walked to load the bases, Francisco Alvarez was up in the count 3-1 before he grounded into an inning-ending double play.
New York would get more runs in the third inning, though, as a Bo Bichette RBI single and a Vientos sac fly put the Mets in front 3-2.
-Jefrey Yan got the start and had a tough time in the first. Yan allowed two baserunners on but was one out away from getting out of the inning when CJ Abrams hit a bomb to right-center field. It looked destined to be a home run, but the wind must have pushed it back in as it hit off the wall, scoring two, but keeping Abrams -- who was admiring his shot -- to a single.
Yan tossed 37 pitches (21 strikes), allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out one batter.
-Jonathan Pintaro was the next arm out of the Mets 'pen and had a messy third inning. He allowed two runs to score on three wild pitches in the frame, including back-to-back, to give the Nationals the 4-3 lead. Cionel Perez was next and also threw a wild pitch, the fourth of the inning before the Mets recorded an out. A Daylen Lile sac fly pushed across Washington's third run of the inning. A Keibert Ruiz RBI single later, and the Mets finally got out of the third, allowing four runs and four wild pitches.
The Mets had to use five pitchers to get through Friday's game. Justin Hagenman was the long man out of the 'pen and the most effective of the pitchers used in the series opener. However, the home run he allowed to Dylan Crews proved to be the difference in the game.
Here's how the pitchers did:
Yan: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Pintaro: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB
Perez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB
Hagenman: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Nate Lavender: 1.0 IP, 1 K
-While the wind affected plenty of fly balls to the outfield, it couldn't knock down Bichette and Carson Benge's bombs in the fourth to pull the Mets to within one run. For Benge, it was his 20th homer of the season, and he became the first Mets rookie to have 20 bombs and 20 stolen bases. An Alvarez sac fly in the eighth gave the Mets their sixth run of the game, but that's all they would muster after A.J. Ewing struck out on a check swing that was called a swing by the third base umpire, leaving a runner on base. The rookie yelled at the umpire and was ejected, the first Mets player to be ejected this season.
Game MVP: Nationals bullpen
The much-maligned 'pen allowed just one run in 4.1 innings of work.
