Category: Baseball

The Texas Rangers scored seven runs while the Boston Red Sox scored three runs.

With Cleveland and Toronto winning earlier in the day, the Rangers needed a victory to keep pace in the Wild Card chase — though now Chicago is the new potential target after losing their hold of the lead in the American League Central.

Texas turned to big offseason addition MacKenzie Gore to try to make that happen in what felt like his 100th start of the season. How is it that it’s a Gore start every other dang night somehow? Anyway, something was off with Gore and he walked the leadoff batter before allowing a two-out, two-run home run for a real deflating top of the first.

Later on in the second inning, Gore was checked on from the mound by the trainers as he appeared to have grabbed his side following a pitch. Gore stayed in the game and despite even worse control than usual, and lower velo, the left-hander was able to grit his teeth and wade through four innings having allowed just the two run home run, though with an inherited run also placed on his ledger (more on that in a moment).

The Rangers, meanwhile, scored a run in the bottom of the first inning but they did so in a frustrating manner where they turned two doubles sandwiching a single into just one run and the tying and/or go ahead runs stranded in scoring position.

However, with Gore hanging in there, the Rangers finally tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when lefty killer Justin Foscue collected a two-out RBI single. That tie lasted only a few batters as Gore walked the leadoff man in the top of the fifth and gave up an infield single that allowed the runner to advance to third with nobody out.

Gore was lifted for Jakob Junis and a strikeout of former Ranger Isiah Kiner-Falefa, with the go-ahead run at third base, the former steady setup man literally dropped the ball while set on the rubber for a balk that allowed the Red Sox to reclaim their lead.

Junis wiggled out of danger with Boston up by a run but it felt like the damage was already done after Texas had spend much of the game trying to scratch and claw their way back even and a long night ahead for the bullpen. However, Josh Jung doubled to lead off the bottom of the fifth — one of three hits tonight for the straw that stirs the drink — and came around to score when Wyatt Langford perfectly placed a blooper to center field with two outs.

Tied once more, the Rangers turned to Nathan Eovaldi in relief and the veteran was as advertised as a stalwart in critical situations. Big Game Nate went the rest of the way to save the bullpen from more wear and tear and while he was carving up Boston, the Rangers were rallying.

In a 3-3 game in the bottom of the seventh, the Rangers put together a game-winning inning highlighted by a Brandon Nimmo double to bring in the go-ahead run and a pivotal two-out, two-run single by Ezequiel Duran to make it a 6-3 game and give Texas their third two-out run scoring hit of the night.

The Rangers would get a fourth two-out RBI hit in the bottom of the eighth when Corey Seager singled in Alejandro Osuna to make it 7-3 and give Eovaldi plenty to work with for a swift and tidy ninth inning.

So here’s more some good news to go along with this victory: The Houston Astros were beaten at home by the last place KC Royals tonight. They are 76-76. If you look up there at the headline of this post, you’ll see that the Rangers are also 76-76. That means the Rangers are tied with Houston for the lead in the AL West.

The Rangers will have to finish with a better record than Houston due to having lost the season series tiebreaker, but it’s pretty much 0-0 with ten games to go between the two Texas squads.

Player of the Game: Nathan Eovaldi should get a statue at The Shed some day. Tonight he pitched four innings of one hit relief and kept the Red Sox off the board while the Rangers rallied back to win.

Up Next: The Rangers will have an opportunity to sweep the Red Sox with a pitcher to be named LHP Cody Bradford for Texas facing off against RHP Sonny Gray for Boston.

The Thursday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and you can catch it on the Rangers Sports Network.

Box Score

One night after the Brewers clinched their fourth straight NL Central title, they were back in action. And while one might think the team would let up a bit a day after taking care of business and holding their first big celebration of the season, one would be wrong. On Wednesday night, the Brewers did exactly what they’ve been doing all season: never giving up. It would’ve been easy for the team to roll over when Logan Henderson faltered and the bullpen surrendered a lead, but that’s not in this group’s DNA. When all was said and done, the Brewers eked out another close victory as they continue their march to the league’s best record.

Pittsburgh starter Jared Jones, who is not short of firepower, came out of the gate throwing gas and getting whiffs as he struck out Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, and Jake Bauers in order. Henderson faced the minimum in the first despite a leadoff single by Konnor Griffin, who was caught trying to steal second for the last out of the inning.

After Jones got William Contreras and Christian Yelich to start the second, the Brewers put together a very Brewers-y rally. Joey Ortiz, Luis Lara, Andrew Vaughn, and Cooper Pratt strung together four consecutive singles, the latter two of which scored the game’s first two runs, and Milwaukee was out to an early lead.

FOUR straight two-out hits for the lead pic.twitter.com/KT77lmrd0l

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 16, 2026

The Pirates tried to answer with a two-out rally of their own in the bottom of the inning, when Ryan O’Hearn and Ronny Simon singled and doubled after Henderson struck out the first two batters of the inning. But O’Hearn was held at third, and Jacob Gonzalez popped out harmlessly to end the inning.

That was most of the action until the bottom of the fourth, when Henderson’s first blemish came on one of those scary Oneil Cruz home runs, the kind that go 113 mph and look flat on their way out. Milwaukee had an immediate answer, though: in the top of the fifth, Pratt led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a Brice Turang double which made it 3-1.

Brice Turang is having himself a September pic.twitter.com/Rl5KOD65zU

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 17, 2026

Pittsburgh, though, got to Henderson a bit in the bottom of the fifth. Again with two outs, Griffin doubled and the next batter, Brandon Lowe, popped a two-run homer that tied it — it was almost a shock, given how well Henderson has been pitching. For just the third time all season, Henderson had allowed three runs.

The bullpens got involved in the sixth. Yohan Ramírez had no trouble in the top of the inning, but JoJo Romero, in for the bottom of the inning, gave up a solo homer to Rafael Flores Jr., which gave the Pirates their first lead of the night.

But here’s where the Brewers decided they wouldn’t let it get away from them. In the top of the seventh, Turang walked, Chourio singled, and Bauers walked to load the bases with nobody out. A fielder’s choice from Contreras gave the Pirates the first out, but the captain came through: with the infield pulled in, Yelich got a single past third baseman Jared Triolo and down the left-field line for a single. Two runs scored, and Milwaukee was back on top, 5-4.

The Captain comes in clutch ‼️@ChristianYelichpic.twitter.com/SdIIRHnU6Z

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 17, 2026

The Brewer bullpen bent but did not break after that. Senzatela gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh, and with one out, his replacement, Shane Drohan, gave up another. But Drohan got perpetual Brewer nemesis Bryan Reynolds to ground into a 4-3 double play which ended the inning. Milwaukee’s double play defense showed up again in the eighth: after Cruz hit a leadoff single, Drohan was replaced by Uribe, who erased him with a double play from Flores Jr. that killed Pittsburgh’s momentum.

Despite some hard contact, the Brewers didn’t add on in the eighth or ninth, and they turned their 5-4 lead over to Trevor Megill. He closed the door, as he has done so many times this season: strikeout, strikeout, groundout. Brewers win.

It wasn’t exactly a standout day for the Brewer offense—Pratt, with his two singles, was the only Brewer with multiple hits. But it was a balanced attack, as every Brewer starter had a hit, and that 10-hit barrage (with some timely hitting in there) was enough to get the Brewers over the line. That was good news for Henderson, who wasn’t quite at his typical excellent best, but who led the team to victory anyway.

The Brewers have already clinched almost everything they can clinch, but why not get greedy? They’ll go for a sweep tomorrow with Kyle Harrison back on the bump (that’ll be interesting) at 11:35 am central time.

The Atlanta Braves took on the Chicago Cubs today in hopes of clinching a playoff spot. It would have required them to win and then get some help with hoping either the Diamondbacks or the Padres lost.

JR Ritchie was called up to pitch the game to give some extra rest to the rotation and try to prove his recent performance in AAA where he had twenty-four strikeouts to only three walks in his past two starts was legitimate enough to keep him in the rotation for the rest of the season.

The start did not go as hoped. So much so that it almost begs to wonder if Ritchie may be dealing with the yips.

The game did look promising at first for the Braves. After the first two hitters were retired, Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies had back-to-back singles. However, Michael Harris was not able to get the job done on line out to Ian Happ in LF.

Ritchie struggled from the get go. He walked Crow-Armstrong. He was able to get Suzuki to ground into a double play but then again surrendered a walk. Bregman then doubled to score a run but was then thrown out in a pickle between second and third.

In the second the Braves got a single out of Riley, but that was the only offense that Shota Imanaga and crew allowed. Ian Happ then led off the bottom of the second with a double off of Ritchie, but fortunately he was able to settle down and induced ground out and pick up two strikeouts.

The Braves were up to the top of the order in the again in the third, but they were sat down in order. It is hard to win games that way. In the bottom of the third, Ritchie picked up another strikeout and only gave up one hit. The bad news is that the hit was a HR to MVP front runner Crow-Armstrong to put the Braves down by two.

Imanaga really settled in for the Cubs and retired the side again in the fourth to make it eight straight. Ritchie continued his trend on the night. Not giving up many hits, but when he did, they were big ones. Alex Bregman led off the bottom of the fourth with a HR to put the Cubs up by three, and that was the only offense of the inning.

Imanaga continued to dominate the Braves by retiring the side yet for the third straight inning, to include two more strikeouts. The fifth inning was the worst for Ritchie. After a pop up he gave up a single and then Crow-Armstrong hit a triple to plate a run. Ritchie then hit Suzuki to put runners on the corners. Ritchie then got another strikeout thanks to a successful challenge by Sean Murphy, but then Alex Bregman had a triple of his own to plate two and put the Cubs up six. This led to Ritchie’s replacement Dylan Dodd coming in to finish out the inning. Ritchie’s final numbers were six ER on seven hits, on two walks and five strikeouts. It should also be of note that six of those hits were extra base hits.

The Braves finally broke the seal in the sixth when Ronald Acuña doubled, and was moved over to third and then scored on two consecutive groundouts. This pulled the Braves within five. Albies then struck out to end the top half of the sixth. Owen Murphy then came in to pitch the sixth. He gave up a walk, but that was the only base runner. He picked up one strikeout in the inning.

The Braves were able to score one more run when Mauricio Dubón hit his third triple of the season and then scored on a groundout, but that was the only offense for the Braves in the seventh. Murphy stayed in the game to pitch the seventh and instantly gave up a HR to PCA which was his second of the game and forty-fourth on the year. Murphy settled down to retired the rest of the hitters to include a strikeout of Suzuki.

Acuña had a single in the eighth, but it was the only offense for the Braves. Weiss decided to leave Owen Murphy in the pitch the eighth to basically let him eat innings in a lost game. He gave up a double right away to Tyrone Taylor. He got Hoerner to fly out, but then started to give away bases like they were free. Conforto singled to score a run, followed by Pedro Ramírez having a single of his own. Carson Kelly then also singled to load the bases. Finally Weiss took Murphy out of his misery and brought in Brent Suter to face the red hot Crow-Armstrong with the bases loaded. Suter was able to buckle down and get PCA to strikeout on a slider outside of the zone and then got Suzuki to groundout to finally end the eighth.

The Braves may not have had much offense, but one fun thing that happened is Ozzie Albies led off the ninth with one of the longest at-bats of his career. He saw thirteen pitches, to include fouling off seven straight pitches and ultimately walked on a fastball way out of the zone. This seemed to lead to Ryan Rolison losing some control. Harris worked a 3-1 count and then singled. The Cubs wisely then made a pitching change to bring in Ryan Zeferjahn. Dubón was not deterred and hit a double, his second extra base hit of the night, scoring a run to bring the game within five. This brought up Austin Riley who struck out. Sean Murphy was able to plate a run, but it was a groundout. Yazstrzemski came in to pinch hit, but grounded out to end the game. Braves lose 4-8.

The bad news is the Braves lost. The good news is that they are not depending on Ritchie. He was more of a fill in. Dubón and Acuña had a nice night with the bat as well, but four runs is hard to win with against a high octane offense with one of their best rotation arms on the mound.

The Braves now move on to face the Houston Astros as their pursuit of a division crown continues.

In a September full of roller coasters, between scoreboard watching and the contest at One Trop Drive, one could compare it to Busch Gardens’ SheiKra.

Entering today, the New York Yankees trailed Tampa Bay by 3.5 games in the AL East, and played the Minnesota Twins at 12:40 PM EST.

After a ninth inning game-tying Anthony Volpe double and four extra-inning lead changes, the Twins held off the Yankees in the 13th inning by the final score of 5-4 on a Victor Caratini single.

Victor Caratini gives the @Twins the win with a WALK-OFF hit! pic.twitter.com/1Yvmqh6ulP

— MLB (@MLB) September 16, 2026

By 5 PM, the Rays knew they could take advantage and gain a full game in the standings, and, boy, did they deliver.

Coming into tonight’s contest, Tampa Bay ranked 24th in MLB against left-handed pitching with a .684 team OPS.

By the end of the second inning, facing A’s lefty Brady Basso, the Rays had four doubles resulting in four runs. 4-0 Rays.

Doubling down 😝 pic.twitter.com/GjHI5lvx17

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 16, 2026

After the second inning, Nick Martinez ran into a little turbulence, allowing hoers to Tommy White and henry Bolte for the A’s to cut the lead in half.

Those would be the only runs Martinez would allow, as he went five innings, striking out three on only 72 pitches.

With Ian Seymour (79), Griffin Jax (67), and now Nick Martinez (72) throwing less than 80 pitches and allowing two runs or less, it appears that the Rays may be trying to get them more rest as the team prepares for the postseason.

Shea Langeliers would plate another for the A’s to bring it to 4-3, but the law firm of Kevin Kelly, Cam Booser, and Cole Sulser shut the door, with Kelly and Booser earning holds and Sulser earning a save, respectively.

The Flappy Boys win their fifth straight as well as earning another series win, and play again tomorrow at 1:10 PM EST from Tropicana Field. Drew Rasmussen toes the slab opposite old friend of the program Jeffrey Springs.

After hitting a game-tying home run on Tuesday night, Pete Alonso’s 1st-inning homer on Wednesday kick-started a long-ball barrage that propelled the Orioles to a 7-1 win over the Mets.

It took eight plate appearances against his former team for Alonso to finally hit his 300th career home run Tuesday in Queens. It only took one plate appearance Wednesday for Alonso to launch number 301. After fouling off back-to-back 2-2 pitches from Mets starter Xzavion Curry, Alonso destroyed a hanging curveball to put the Orioles up 1-0 in the 1st.

301 🐻‍❄️ pic.twitter.com/Jsv35rSuze

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 16, 2026

And just as the Polar Bear’s homer Tuesday propelled the O’s to an extra-inning victory, his long ball Wednesday set the tone for another Baltimore victory.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand started off the 2nd inning by reaching on a double after a pop-up down the left-field line dropped between a trio of befuddled Mets. After Samuel Basallo hit a groundout to the right side to send CES to third, it looked like the O’s might manufacture a run. Instead, Curry left a slider over the plate to Jeremiah Jackson, who blasted a homer to left for the second game in a row.

JJ homers in his second straight game 💥 pic.twitter.com/IMocKrZwgB

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 16, 2026

The homers would continue to fly in the 3rd inning. After Alonso and Gunnar Henderson picked up two quick outs to begin the inning, Coby Mayo worked a five-pitch walk to extend the frame. Curry then fell behind CES 2-0 and tried to beat the Orioles’ 3B with a 90mph fastball at the top of the zone.

Encarnacion-Strand was all over the fastball, though, hitting the ball so hard over the left field fence that Mets’ LF Juan Soto didn’t even bother to move. One pitch later, Samuel Basallo pounced on a splitter left in the heart of the plate, sending a moonshot over the CF fence for back-to-back solo shots.

CES AND SAM GO BACK-TO-BACK 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eLw1nEQ2VC

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 17, 2026

The early offensive onslaught made life easy for Orioles starter Chris Bassitt. The 38-year-old former Met largely breezed through 6.2 innings. He started his evening with two quick outs against Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, with Alonso making a diving stop to steal a single from Soto. Bo Bichette would reach on a high chopper down the third-base line and moved to second after an errant throw by CES. The runner didn’t faze Bassitt, who got Carson Benge to fly out to left to end the 1st.

Bassitt would repeat that feat in the 2nd. After two quick outs from Jared Young and Marcus Semien, A.J. Ewing slapped a single to left to extend the inning. After Ewing stole second, Bassitt again stranded a runner in scoring position as Brett Baty struck out looking on a high curveball.

The veteran right-hander breezed through the 3rd inning, opening the frame with back-to-back strikeouts of Luis Torrens and Lindor. Soto then finished Bassitt’s first 1-2-3 inning with a flyout to right.

The only blemish on Bassitt’s outing came in the 4th inning. The Orioles’ righty started the inning by getting Bichette to ground out and Benge to fly out. He’d then get ahead 1-2 on Young, only to lose him to a six-pitch walk. A Bassitt balk gave the Mets their third runner in scoring position. He then left a 2-1 sinker at the top of the zone to Semien, who served it into left field to push across the Mets’ only run.

From there, Bassitt went into cruise control. He pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the 5th, punctuating the frame with a strikeout of Lindor. He mowed through the heart of the Mets order in the 6th on 10 pitches, clinching his fifth quality start of the season.

After his starter only needing 77 pitches to get through six innings, Craig Albernaz sent Bassitt back out there for the 7th. For the first time all game, the leadoff hitter reached against the vet, as Young lined a single to center. Bassitt would set down the next two hitters, but a two-out single from Brett Baty finally chased him from the game. After fellow former Met Anthony Nunez came in and struck out Luis Torrens, Bassitt’s line closed at 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB and 6 Ks.

The O’s would get an unnecessary insurance run in the 9th, finally pushing across a run without the ball leaving the park. CES led off the final frame with double sprayed down the right field line for his third extra-base hit of the evening. Basallo then picked up his second hit of the night, sending a 109mph laser to right field for an RBI single. After the brief rally in the top of the inning, Yennier Cano entered in the bottom of the 9th and worked around a two-out single to clinch the Orioles’ sweep of the Mets.

---

The win puts the Orioles 2.5 GB of the AL’s third wild card spot heading into this weekends series against baseball’s best team, the Brewers. Afte the Guardians beat the White Sox earlier on Wednesday, the O’s are now chasing Chicago for that final playoff berth. Chicago starts a four-game set against the Tigers tomorrow, and a loss in the series opener would put the O’s only 2 GB heading into Friday.

Facing a bullpen game against the Washington Nationals should have resulted in a lot of offense for the Phillies. But despite drawing 13 walks, the Phillies’ offense couldn’t seem to get going, and could only manage to score three runs. Fortunately, those three runs were plenty because Zack Wheeler was dominating, and led the Phillies to a 3-0 win.

The Phillies had a chance to establish a sizeable lead in the first. Facing reliever Jared Simpson, with one out, three straight batters walked, and Alec Bohm brought one of them home with an RBI single. Luis Arraez walked to force another run home, which prompted the exit of Simpson. Riley “The Great” Cornelio entered and retired J.T. Realmuto and Brandon Marsh to end the threat.

I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but the Nationals’ pitchers spent the majority of the game not throwing strikes, and the Phillies not making them pay for it. Yes, they walked 13 times overall, but it probably could have been even more than that as the Phillies’ batters bailed them out by repeatedly swinging at balls out of the zone.

The offense might have been frustrating, but Zack Wheeler was not. Whatever issues he was dealing with a few weeks ago seem to be behind him as he was in complete control on Wednesday. In his seven innings, he gave up just four hits, and two of those were infield singles.

Wheelsssssssss pic.twitter.com/YjyX5Kmefv

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 17, 2026

The Phillies gave him a little more breathing room in the seventh when Bryce Harper singled and Arraez hit a double to make it 3-0.

Into the gap and Arraez plates another! pic.twitter.com/6JHOiDWJS8

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 17, 2026

Unfortunately, a double play kept them from scoring any more in that inning, and another double play in the ninth, killed a bases loaded, one out threat.

It ended up not mattering. Jose Alvarado came in after Wheeler, and while it’s too much to hope that he’d pitch a clean inning, he was able to work around the one walk he issued to deliver a scoreless frame.

Jhoan Duran was asked to preserve the shutout, and he did so with little difficulty, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

At this point in the season, every win is important, and this win allowed the Phillies to creep closer to securing a playoff spot. They’ll attempt to creep a little closer on Thursday when they travel to New York to begin a four-game series against the Mets.

The Mets' spot starter let up four homers and the offense mustered seven hits in their 7-1 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday night.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Pete Alonso, receiving a standing ovation for the third night in a row, took Xzavion Curry deep in the first inning to give the O's an early 1-0 lead. It wouldn't be the last homer Curry would allow, as former Mets prospect Jeremiah Jackson launched a two-run shot in the second. 

In the third, Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a two-run shot and then Samuel Basallo followed up with a solo shot. 

-- Robert Stock was originally scheduled to start, but was placed on the IL. Curry was called up to start and was not effective. He allowed six runs on six hits and one walk across three innings. However, the relievers behind Curry did their job, especially Jefrey Yan. The southpaw was recalled Wednesday when the Mets placed Daniel Duarte on the IL and he pitched three perfect innings. Jack Weisenburger pitched two scoreless innings before giving up a run in his third and final inning of work.

-- Chris Bassitt was on the mound for the Orioles and the former Met had one of his best starts of the season. The right-hander went 6.2 innings -- tying a season-high -- allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out six. 

-- Marcus Semien had the only RBI for the Mets, an RBI single in the fourth that scored Jared Young. Francisco Lindor went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts but remains at 299 home runs for his career. A.J. Ewing went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. He was the only Met to have a multi-hit game.

Game MVP: Chris Bassitt

Bassitt gave Baltimore just what they needed. After the O's had to use seven relievers in Tuesday's win, Bassitt gave Baltimore length and effectiveness.

Highlights

 

An RBI single for Marcus Semien pushes across the first run of the game for the Mets pic.twitter.com/TneDJ2yW36

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 17, 2026

Jefry Yan strikes out the side in the 6th pic.twitter.com/2hwEjdUk5r

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 17, 2026

Jack Weisenberger picks off Colton Cowser on the third disengagement! pic.twitter.com/628EjmmIHR

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 17, 2026

What's next

The Mets start a four-game series with the Phillies on Thursday. First pitch is set for 7: 15 p.m.

Nolan McLean (11-9, 3.24 ERA) will take the mound against Aaron Nola (6-10, 4.69 ERA). 

The Dodgers needed one win to clinch their 13th NL West title since 2013. Instead, they were forced to go with an impromptu bullpen game, and the Cincinnati Reds slugged their way to a 6-2 victory on Wednesday.

The Dodgers created havoc on the base paths in the first inning, as a single and two walks helped load the bases against left-hander Andrew Abbot, but Miguel Rojas flew out to center field to keep the game scoreless.

In his first start at Great American Ball Park since tossing a no-hitter with the San Francisco Giants in 2024, Blake Snell allowed a two-out single to Sal Stewart, only to pick him off trying to advance to second base in a scoreless first inning. That inning was all that Snell could go on Wednesday, as he ended up leaving early due to left groin tightness, leaving the bullpen to do the heavy lifting. Blake Treinen worked around a leadoff baserunner in a scoreless second inning in replacement of Snell.

After Mookie Betts connected for his second single against Abbot in the third inning, Will Smith brought home the game’s first run with an RBI double off the base of the right-center field wall.

Seth Halvorsen was the next man up out of the bullpen, but he was unable to keep the Dodgers in front as he allowed a two-out, two-run home run to Elly De La Cruz to give the Reds their first lead of the series. It was the fifth home run for De La Cruz against the Dodgers this season, and he has driven in all three runs for the Reds against Los Angeles this week.

Both Tommy Edman and Betts worked a walk against Abbott to begin the top of the fifth inning, but the Reds southpaw got two straight outs before being pulled after tossing 98 pitches over 4 2/3 innings. Julian Garcia needed just one pitch to get a weak fly ball out from Teoscar Hernández to escape further trouble.

Bobby Miller made his first big league appearance since tossing three innings against the Washington Nationals on September 6, tossing 2 1/3 innings on 47 pitches while allowing a run via a solo home run from Dane Myers to give the Reds a two-run lead.

The Dodgers proceeded to load the bases again in the top of the sixth against Garcia, and Edman cut the deficit to one run by bringing home Kyle Tucker on a groundout to first. Tejay Antone came in to face Mookie Betts with two on and two outs, and a leaping catch by De La Cruz at short helped the Reds get out of the jam with their lead intact.

Miller allowed a single to Stewart before plunking Tyler Stephenson to put the first two hitters on base to begin the top of the sixth inning. He managed to get one out before being pulled for Alex Vesia, and the Reds capitalized with a bloop RBI single from Juan Brito to give the Reds a two-run lead once again.

The Reds put runners at the corners against Jack Dreyer with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Sal Stewart connected for his third single of the game, driving home Matt McLain from third base to make it a three-run lead for Cincinnati. A walk to Eugenio Suárez loaded the bases, and pinch-hitter T.J. Friedl knocked home De La Cruz to make it a four-run lead, but a strong throw from Tommy Edman gunned down Stewart at home for the third out.

Left-hander Kris Bubic made his Dodgers debut on Wednesday, pitching a scoreless eighth inning while allowing just one hit and picking up his first two strikeouts with his new team.

Game particulars

• Home runs— Elly De La Cruz (28), Dane Myers (7)
• WP—Julian Garcia (3-3): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
• LP—Seth Halvorsen (1-2): 1 IP, 2 hits, 2 earned runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers wrap things up in Cincinnati on Thursday (9:40 a.m. PT) before they head back home for their final homestand of the regular season. Brady Singer goes for the Reds while the Dodgers have yet to announce their starter.

The Athletics faced the Tampa Bay Rays, looking to even the series and force a rubber match Thursday afternoon. The Rays staved off the A’s comeback attempt, prevailing 4-3 in another tightly contested affair between these two small-market clubs.

Rays Strike First

A’s left-hander Brady Basso struggled this evening. After recording the first two outs of the bottom of the first inning, he allowed three consecutive doubles, giving the Rays a 2-0 lead. Tampa Bay scored two more runs in the second inning to double its advantage. Meanwhile, Rays starter Nick Martinez was sharp early, retiring the first six hitters he faced.

Athletics Start Comeback Attempt

In the bottom of the third, the visitors began their comeback against Martinez. Playing in his hometown, first baseman Tommy White led off the inning with his third career home run, a solo shot that just cleared the left-field fence.

all aboard tommy the tank engine 🚂 pic.twitter.com/wMXusUGgBq

— Athletics (@Athletics) September 16, 2026

With two outs, fellow rookie Henry Bolte hit his 11th home run of the season, a solo shot to center field that cut the deficit to 4-2.

ANOTHA ONE pic.twitter.com/xYgMERYYpy

— Athletics (@Athletics) September 16, 2026

After allowing the first two batters of the bottom of the third to reach safely, Basso retired the next two hitters. Right-hander Seth Johnson replaced him and struck out Jorge Mateo to strand the two inherited runners. Johnson kept the score unchanged, striking out four Rays over 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings of relief.

A’s Inch Closer

For a second straight night, the Rays removed their starter after five innings, likely as a precaution with the playoffs around the corner. Martinez could have pitched deeper into the game, having throwing just 72 pitches over five innings while allowing two runs. Right-hander Kevin Kelly took over in the sixth.

The first batter he faced, Athletics second baseman Jeff McNeil, doubled to left. McNeil promptly scored the A’s third run on designated hitter Shea Langeliers’ RBI single to center. Kelly rebounded to strike out the next three hitters, preserving his team’s one-run lead.

Langeliers makes it a one-run game 💪 pic.twitter.com/UjLRdWmISl

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) September 17, 2026

Athletics left-hander Drew Rom pitched the bottom of the sixth, making his first relief appearance since his re-call from Triple-A Las Vegas. He recorded two outs after allowing a leadoff double before making way for right-hander Scott Blewett, who secured the final out of the scoreless inning.

White turned in his best game in a while, accumulating three-hits. He opened the seventh inning with his second single of the game, but Kelly quickly shut down the potential game-tying rally. Athletics left fielder Carlos Cortes has yet to make the most of his everyday playing time, while it is difficult to expect much offensive production from third-string catcher Brian Serven.

Rays’ Bullpen Seals the Deal

After the A’s failed to score in the top of the eighth against Rays left-hander Cam Booser, Blewett and left-hander Hogan Harris combined to keep it a one-run game heading into the ninth inning.

According to Martin Gallegos, A’s beat reporter for MLB.com, Harris became the fourth A’s reliever since 2012 with at least 70 games pitched and 15 saves in one season. Can you name the other three players?

Right-hander Cole Sulser, not All-Star closer Bryan Baker, entered for the save opportunity. Leading off the ninth, A’s third baseman Zack Gelof just missed a game-tying home run, hitting a 407 foot fly out to center field. Sulser retired the side in order, securing his third save of the season and another series victory for the American-League best Rays.

Takeaways and Preview for Tomorrow’s Game

Back-to-back one-run losses sting for the A’s, especially after recording several close wins during their last homestand. Even though their run of series victories came to an end, tonight was another encouraging competitive display against a really good team. The Athletics’ bullpen did not allow a run, Bolte’s strong second half continued and White performed well in front of family and friends.

The Athletics will try to avoid a season sweep against the Rays Thursday afternoon. Left-hander Jeffrey Springs is expected to take the mound against his former team. The Rays will counter with right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who has formed a formidable duo with Martinez at the front of their rotation this season.

The Mariners take the field again Wednesday, looking to avoid being swept by the worst team in the American League only a day after clinching their first losing season since 2019.

In the offseason prior to the 2019 season, the Mariners went back to the drawing board and kicked off the rebuild that ultimately led to their first playoff appearances since 2001. Yusei Kikuchi, a left-hander out of NPB, signed with the Mariners as one of the first moves of this rebuild, and would become the team’s lone All-Star in 2021 before leaving in free agency.

Somewhat fittingly, Kikuchi gets the nod for the Angels on Wednesday. He’ll be countered by George Kirby, who was the Mariners’ first-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. Go figure.

Lineups

With the Mariners facing a lefty, Taylor Ward will make his first start of the series against his former team. Weston Wilson will also round out the lineup at third base.

Game Information

First Pitch: 6:38 p.m. PDT

TV:Mariners.TV

Radio: Ol’ Reliable

New level? No problem. 

Jefferson Rojas has settled right in following his promotion to Triple-A, putting together his second straight strong showing on Wednesday night. 

The Mets’ top prospect wasted no time getting the team on the board, singling on the second pitch he saw in the bottom of the first, before coming around to score on a Ronny Mauricio double.  

Rojas did some damage of his own just two innings later, jumping all over a first-pitch slider, lifting it 398 feet to deep right for his second homer in as many games. 

The two-run blast was his 26th on the minor league season.

He singled again on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the fifth but was stranded, then reached a fourth time with an eight-pitch walk leading off the seventh. 

Rojas finished his day 3-for-3 with the homer, two singles, two runs scored, and two RBI. 

The 21-year-old has now reached six times over his first nine at-bats through two games with Syracuse. 

He's hitting a strong .276 with 26 homers, 27 doubles, 20 stolen bases, 90 RBI, and a .838 OPS on the season. 

Rojas has done nothing but continue to add to his impressive resume as he looks to work his way into the big-league mix heading into his first spring training with the organization. 

Also with Syracuse, Ryan Clifford lifted his second homer since returning from the Development List. 

Recently named organizational Pitcher of the Year, Jonathan Santucci had a bit of an up-and-down start, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and three walks across 5.1 innings of work. 

With six more Ks, Santucci is up to 163, which is top among minor leaguers for the season. 

Roster moves

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

• Reinstated from the 60-day injured list: RHP Ryne Nelson (strained right elbow; retro to June 16)v
• Designated for assignment: RHP Derek Law

So, that’s now… Seven starters on the active roster for the D-backs? Kinda. Given the lack of length in his rehab outings, it looks like Nelson will instead be joining Zac Gallen in working out of the bullpen the rest of the way, which will be interesting. Nelson had made 15 appearances this year, purely as a starter, but does have experience out of the bullpen, in particular last year, when he came on in relief ten times. Small(ish) sample size, but he has actually been significantly better in that role. He has a 2.82 ERA across 44.2 IP, compared to 4.43 over his 93 starts. His starts this year were higher still, at 4.97.

I am a little surprised to see the team make room for Nelson by dumping Derek Law. In some ways, it is a case of, “easy come, easy go.” He’d not pitched in the majors since 2024 due to injury, and began the year on the Injured List. After a couple of rehab outings and another IL stint, he joined the Reno Aces in August, and was then quickly promoted to the major-league roster, making his first appearance there on August 29. He allowed a run in his first outing, but since then has tossed 7.2 scoreless frames across six outings, decent numbers. But with no minor-league options remaining and a free agent at season end, I guess the math didn’t add up.

I’m going to be taking my own advice this evening and stepping outside to touch grass. Well, not literally. It’s still summer in Arizona, so you really don’t want to step outside, and the grass died several months ago. But I’m going to put the phone away for the evening and fully commit to other pastimes! I’ll check back in around 9:30 pm, in the hopes of seeing a series win, in advance of tomorrow’s off-day.

With less than two weeks remaining in the 2026 Major League Baseball season, the San Diego Padres have firm control of the third and final National League Wild Card postseason position. 

The magic number is nine, and with a little luck, they can clinch a playoff berth against division foe, the Arizona Diamondbacks, at Petco Park next weekend. Any combination of Friars wins and Diamondbacks losses totaling nine allows the Brown & Gold to pop some champagne and celebrate.

2026 regular season has been a grind

That’s all well and good; the path to the postseason has been a grind. The season has been a Jekyll and Hyde campaign: the bats went silent early on, and so did the team’s ability to win games.

The Friar Faithful criticized the club for failing to take advantage of lesser teams on the schedule. It seemed like the Padres were playing down to their opponents. 

Once the lineup found consistency at the plate and the starting rotation came together to produce quality starts, the wins have come in bunches. All of it has helped to maintain a 2.5-game lead over the D-Backs in the Wild Card standings.

Wild Card standings wide open

The two teams will meet in the final regular-season series at Petco Park on Sept. 25-27. No need to analyze the series, as the Friars can make it meaningless by continuing to win. The magic number dwindles; the D-Backs will lose ground to make up the deficit, as games are removed from the schedule. 

At worst, Arizona wants to be trailing by three games heading to San Diego.

The Padres will likely open on the road against the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card round. However, the club is narrowing the gap on the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs in the standings. 

Both teams are struggling to play .500 baseball, keeping the Friars in the hunt to gain ground in the Wild Card race. Because San Diego lost the season series to the Phillies and Cubs, they don’t hold the tiebreaker and must finish ahead of both teams in the standings to advance.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, the Padres must first clinch a postseason berth.

Brian Wolfe, a standout pitcher at Servite who played three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, has died at age 45, his wife shared Tuesday on Facebook.

“I’m am sorry to write this but after a really really difficult and torturous battle Brian Wolfe passed away early this morning,” Rachell Wolfe wrote.

No other details have been provided.

Wolfe was one of Orange County’s most dominant high school pitchers during the late 1990s. After going 8-0 with an ERA of 0.27 as a sophomore in 1997, he was the Friars’ ace the next two seasons.

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Honored both years as a member of The Times’ All-Orange County team, Wolfe went 11-2 with a 1.37 ERA and a county-best 139 strikeouts as a junior and was 12-0 with a 1.30 ERA and nearly 100 strikeouts as a senior.

After committing to Cal State Fullerton in the fall of 1998, Wolfe opted to sign with the Minnesota Twins organization after being drafted in the sixth round (179th overall) the following summer. He spent the next several years working his way up through the minor leagues with the Twins, Milwaukee Brewers and Blue Jays before making his major league debut with Toronto as a relief pitcher in 2007.

Wolfe appeared in 72 games over three seasons with the Blue Jays, compiling a 5-5 record and a 3.81 ERA in 82.2 innings pitched. He became a free agent after the 2009 season and spent the next nine years playing in Japan with Nippon Professional Baseball, playing for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (including the 2013 season as teammates with Shohei Ohtani), Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (winning the Japan League title in 2014 and 2015) and Saitama Seibu Lions.

Former MLB outfielder Brandon Barnes posted a tribute to Wolfe on Wednesday, calling his fellow Orange County native “one of my best friends and a mentor.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.