GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 21: Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Tibbs III (98) reacts running the bases after hitting a home run against the Chicago White Sox in a Spring Breakout Game on March 21, 2026, at Camelback Ranch at Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Oklahoma City Comets allowed seven runs in the sixth inning, breaking a tie in stunning fashion in a road loss to the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres).
Player of the day
Oklahoma City was first on the board with five runs in the third inning, including a three-run home run by James Tibbs III, who was designated to hit and did just that on Saturday.
Tibbs this season was already the first player in the Pacific Coast League with at least 100 runs, 100 RBI, and 100 walks since Greg Brock, Dodgers first base prospect for Albuquerque in 1982. This home run on Saturday was Tibbs’ 30th of the season, second-most in the PCL.
Ryan Fitzgerald, playing third base on Saturday, had three hits and drove in his 101st run of the season. His 171 hits are the most by an Oklahoma City player in the team’s Bricktown rra (since 1998).
Shortstop Noah Miller started the scoring with a two-run home run in the third inning, his second start in a row with a home run.
Transactions
Mike Sirota, yet another Dodgers minor league outfielder ranked among the top 100 prospects in baseball, started the season in High-A Great Lakes, was promoted to Tulsa in May and put up a stunning .450 on-base percentage in Double-A. With the Drillers season over he was promoted to Oklahoma City on Friday and played in his first Triple-A game on Saturday, and batted third, playing right field.
Sirota on Saturday doubled after he walked three times, giving him 100 on the season between the three levels. After the second walk, in the fifth inning, Sirota scored his 100th run of the season. He has played 107 games.
Sirota is the seventh Dodgers minor leaguer to score 100 runs this season, along with Zach Ehrhard (118 runs with Oklahoma City), Tibbs (109), Eduardo Quintero (108 runs for Great Lakes and Tulsa), Josue De Paula (106 runs with Tulsa, not counting his six runs so far with the Dodgers), Midwest League MVP Charles Davalan (103), and Mairo Martinus (103 with Ontario and Great Lakes).
Tibbs (108) and Sirota (100) are the only Dodgers minor leaguers with triple-digit walks this season.
Sep 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) is called safe as San Francisco Giants catcher Andrew Knizner (19) missed the tag in the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It’s official. In the historic rivalry between the Giants and the Dodgers (or Bridegrooms, or Superbas, or Dodgers, or Robins, or back to the Dodgers again), spanning a continent, two cities, nearly 140 years, the Dodgers are back ahead: 1,293 wins to the Giants’ 1,292.
After building a sizable lead during the New York era, the Giants have seen their lead dwindle over the decades in California. This most recent era has obviously been lopsided towards LA, and it’s possible, after ending the 2025 season in a dead-lock (1287 – 1287), that 2026 could be the first season since 1895 to end with the Dodgers leading in overall head-to-head wins.
So, if we’re leaning into the dramatics of this clash, was Saturday’s 10-4 loss the 21st century hinge-point? The moment in which the balance shifts, with our Giants stuck on history’s down-slope, increasingly left in the dust, huffing and puffing after a vanishing point on the horizon that is the Dodger machine?
For LA fans, this interpretation is not only attractive, it just makes sense. This era of 13 division titles, back-to-back championships, a roster stuffed with future Hall of Famers certainly feels like a pinnacle, the culmination of a century-long project. How could you not believe that history has a direction? And if that truly is the case for us Giants fans, it’s somewhat laughable that after all these years, our beloved club’s final fingernails, desperately holding onto rivalry relevance, was made, quite unsuccessfully, by a 24-year old scrap reliever, Philip Abner.
Yup, the man who’s name you learned on Friday when he was shelled for four home runs in the 8th inning of Friday’s loss was somewhat surprisingly called on to take the mound again in another fraught scenario. And just as he did in Friday’s loss, a ballgame became a bust when Abner was introduced to it.
With two outs in the bottom of the 5th, the Giants and Dodgers were knotted at four runs a piece. The San Francisco offense had done their part against Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
Victor Bericoto, in his return from the IL, reached base three times against the lefty. His 2-run homer — a no-doubter to dead center — lifted the Giants back into the game in the 3rd. He led off the 5th with an opposite field double and knotted the game back up at four runs apiece on Jung Hoo Lee’s double.
San Francisco had kept pace with a Dodgers offense, led by a 4-for-4 night by Mookie Betts, into the 5th. LA had scored in each one of their frames against starter Yunior Marte, but that pattern looked primed to end after Max Muncy grounded into a double play. The young right-hander had the bases-empty and two outs in the 5th, but couldn’t find a way to get the third. Teoscar Hernandez kept the inning going with an opposite field single. Marte walked Kyle Tucker next, and with his pitch count nearing triple-digits, Tony Vitello decided to go to his bullpen.
There was certainly an argument for pulling Marte at that point. Command of the zone was clearly waning. Bagging that third out and closing out a frame had been a challenge all evening. When more grit and a finer touch on his pitches was needed, Marte acquiesced to his opponents.
With two outs and Betts on third, Marte served up a 2-strike fastball right over the heart of the plate for Muncy to rip for an RBI double. Another fastball was served up to Betts with two outs and two runners on in the 2nd. He again allowed number-9 hitter Alex Freeland reach base with two outs in the 4th before hanging a slider to Betts, who doubled the runner home from first.
Marte’s night was certainly done, but it was a bit surprising that Vitello went to Abner to help close out the inning. Abner was really the only southpaw available, and Vitello wanted the left-on-left advantage against Josue De Paula, so much so that he played deaf to the echoes of those home runs still bouncing around Chavez Ravine.
The first pitch Abner — a spiked curveball — allowed both runners to advance. Down early in the count, he couldn’t get De Paula to chase after elevated fastballs. Five pitches into his outing, the bases were loaded. Five more pitches, and the tie was broken. Behind in the count, Tommy Edman got another fastball and dropped it into shallow left for a two-run single. A pitch later Miguel Rojas punched in one more run and would’ve brought in another if not for Turner Hill’s perfect assist throw to the plate.
LA went 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position (compared to SF’s 2-for-12), logging six two-out RBIs. The three runs scored on Abner’s watch (two attributed to Marte, and one unearned for the lefty for some ticky-tack reason) proved to be the burst of energy needed for the Dodgers to edge out in front and never look back.
The question is, now with the head-to-head rivalry record in their favor, will they ever look back?
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 23: Rowdy Tellez #11 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on June 23, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the next to last day of the minor league season the Atlanta Braves brought Davis Polo up to Triple-A to make his debut for the Stripers. After getting injured during the 2024 season, forcing him to miss the 2025 season, Polo opened the season and spent the majority of 2026 there – but his rapid rise over the last month has now seen the 21-year-old reach the level directly below the big leagues as he has hit every level of full season ball this year.
Patrick Clohisy, CF: 0-3, BB, R, SB, .345/.427/.493
Davis Polo, SP: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA
Davis Polo didn’t just make his Triple-A debut on Saturday night, he shut out a solid Indianapolis lineup through six innings of work. Polo allowed just four hits and a pair of walks as he struck out three and whiffed 11. In total he needed just 84 pitches to get through six, with 50 of them coming as strikes. Polo didn’t rack up the strikeouts the way we’ve been accustomed to seeing this year, as he was pitching to contact more than his normal rate (9.5 K/9 or above at each of his other three stops this year) – however he was missing bats at a solid rate in his toughest test yet with three Indians having big league experience. Polo got five whiffs on 11 swings with his changeup, three whiffs on five swings on his cutter, two on five swings with the slider, and one on 12 swings with his fastball. Only the sinker failed to record a whiff, despite drawing 10 swings on the night. Polo looked quite comfortable with the new challenge, and was throwing harder in his final two innings of work than he did at the beginning of the night – which could be partly due to the game getting a late start due to weather.
Once Polo finished for the night, Rolddy Munoz pitched a scoreless seventh inning. The recently promoted Luis Vargas came in to start the eighth, but didn’t have his command and allowed the lone run on a pair of walks in just a third of an inning. Bailey Falter got the final two outs in the eighth and the first out in the ninth, before giving way to Blake Burkhalter to pick up the save by recording the final two outs. Combined the four pitchers allowed the one run on five hits and four walks with nine strikeouts and 19 whiffs.
The Stripers didn’t have much offense in this one, managing two runs on four hits and three walks. In fact this game was still scoreless in the bottom of the sixth when Rowdy Tellez came up to the plate with a pair of runners on and hit a ground rule double that accounted for all of the Stripers scoring as Luke Williams and Patrick Clohisy came around to score. Williams and Brett Wisely joined Tellez in picking up a double, while the final hit came as a David McCabe single. McCabe also walked in the win, as did Clohisy and Chuckie Robinson.
KANSAS CITY, MO - JULY 26: Emmanuel Clase #48 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Hello everyone and happy Sunday!
The Mariners dropped another stinker in a 5-3 loss to the Rockies yesterday as the team failed to take advantage of a solid outing from Bryce Miller. The M’s will look to secure the series win today with first pitch coming at 12:10pm PT.
In the latest episode of the Meet at the Mitt podcast, the crew began to look back on the 2026 season as a whole and tried to figure out how the team may approach this offseason. (Spotify link; Apple link)
Around the league…
Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge was placed in concussion protocol after he bumped his head on a low archway at the team hotel in Los Angeles.
Despite recent speculation, Hall of Famer Carlos Beltrán says he has no interest in taking the Mets’ managerial job next year.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 19: David Morgan #66 of the San Diego Padres celebrates at the end of the tenth inning during the game against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park on September 19, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ethan Salas will get the headlines and rightfully so after the 20-year-old recorded his first-career walk-off hit to lead the San Diego Padres to a 7-6 win in 10 innings over the Miami Marlins at Petco Park on Saturday night. Jake Cronenworth started the inning on second base as the free runner and Salas got his chance to be the hero after Cronenworth advanced to third base on a wild pitch and Sung-Mun Song struck out for the first out of the inning. Salas was called on to pinch-hit and delivered the game-winning RBI-single on an 0-2 fastball down in the zone. He was able to ground the ball past the Miami reliever and through a drawn in infield to push the Padres ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild Card race.
Before Salas got the opportunity to win the game, David Morgan, who was credited with the win, saved the game. The right-hander was called on to pitch the top of the 10th inning after Mason Miller allowed a game-tying home run to pinch hitter Griffin Conine in the top of the ninth inning. Miller got past the home run and completed his outing, but it appeared like a wasted opportunity for one of the best closers in baseball.
Morgan took the ball in the top of the 10th inning with the go-ahead run on second base. He struck out the first two Marlins he faced before an intentional walk put Miami runners at first and second base. Morgan then faced Heriberto Hernandez and got him to line-out to Jackson Merrill in center field after two borderline pinpoint pitches that just missed the plate to end the inning. Miami was unable to advance the runner, let alone, get him home to take the lead.
It was another dismal start for Casey Mize in a Padres uniform. The deadline addition lasted just three innings and allowed five runs on five hits with five walks and two strikeouts. The game turned into an unexpected bullpen game where six different pitchers were needed to cover the final innings. Miller was the only San Diego reliever to allow a run and that was off the solo home run by Conine.
San Diego will look to complete the sweep of Miami today when the teams meet at 1:10 p.m.
Padres News:
The Padres have been on a run during the second half of the season, and that success has been sparked by the improved play and production of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 15: Martín Pérez #33 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on September 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Griffin Quinn) | Getty Images
After the offense brought out some power to secure a series win Saturday and the Phillies struggling a bit, the Braves have a chance to secure the division title with a win or a Phillies’ loss on Sunday. Martin Perez will take the mound for Atlanta, with Hunter Brown his counterpart for Houston.
Perez continues to be a functional innings-eater this season, with a spectacular (and lucky) ERA of 3.07. At this point his job is pretty much done for the season, though he will likely make one more start after this one. The goal at this point is to prevent the Braves from nuking their bullpen heading into the playoffs. It seems extraordinarily unlikely that Perez would be called upon to make a start in the playoffs, though not impossible, given the massive questions around the Braves’ rotation behind Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle. For Martin, give the team 5-6 innings today and if you win it’s a bonus.
Hunter Brown is a tough customer on the other side, as a strong 2/3 starter for years now. He’s got strong strikeout and ground ball rates, but his walked have jumped this season up to 4.55 batters per 9 innings, lowering his overall effectiveness. Brown makes it work off the back of his fastball, featuring mid/upper 90s velocity, high-end extension, and a high release point that gives his four-seamer and sinker exceptional rise. Those two pitches consist of 60% of his mix with the knuckle curveball as his preferred secondary and a slider and changeup mixed in. Brown has really good stuff and the Braves will likely have to beat him by being patient. If they let Brown get some easy outs and keep his pitch-count low, it could be a long night for Atlanta.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, September 20, 2:10 p.m. ET
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 19: Evan Carter #32 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammate Wyatt Langford #36 after the Texas Rangers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Field on Saturday, September 19, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Courtney Kramer/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Rangers 6, Blue Jays 2
Ladies and gentlemen, the Texas Rangers are in sole possession of first place in the American League West, a full game up on the Houston Astros.
Let’s take a moment to enjoy this.
* deep breath * ah, the smell of that first place air!
And the Rangers won this game in spite of starter Cal Quantrill leaving with lat tightness after retiring just four batters.
Quantrill, I will note, clearly wasn’t right from the outset, with his velocity down a couple of ticks in the first inning. He threw just one pitch in the second, a fastball that was just 87.8 mph — a full six mph off his 93.8 mph season average — and that was enough for Skip Schumaker to go get him.
We felt the bullpen was in great shape after Trevor Williams threw four innings to finish out Friday’s game. Turned out, it needed to be.
Jordan Montgomery — remember him? I forget sometimes that he’s in the bullpen for the Rangers.
Montgomery, who threw an inning just two days prior, gave the Rangers 51 pitches and 3.2 innings, with the only baserunner he allowed being a walk in the fourth.
Since Quantrill retired all four batters he faced, the Rangers took a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
A sixth inning handled by Nathan Eovaldi, of all people.
The booth speculated that Saturday would have been Eovaldi’s throw day if he were going to start on Tuesday, so with the uncertainty surrounding Quantrill, they held off on having Eovaldi throw, in case they basically needed him to do his “throw day” as a relief appearance.
22 pitches later, Eovaldi handled the sixth inning, allowing the first two Jays hits of the game as well as the first Toronto run, but finishing the inning with the Rangers still ahead, 3-1.
After the Rangers answered with three runs, Robert Garcia came in to handle the seventh, allowed a solo homer to pinch hitter Davis Schneider and an infield single to Kaz Okamoto, but a double play and a 3U meant no more runs scored.
Chase Silseth and Jacob Latz pitched the eighth and ninth with no runs coming across, and Latz only needed 9 pitches, meaning he should be available for Sunday if needed.
It was a weird one for the bats. They only had five hits in the game, and were just 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Not the sort of output that would have you thinking six runs.
Josh Jung had a first inning opposite-field solo homer for the second time in three games to put the Rangers up early.
Texas was then the beneficiary of some clownball in the second, scoring two runs on zero hits.
Wyatt Langford led off with a walk, then Nicky Lopez, with one out, was hit by a pitch. Danny Jansen grounded to short for what looked like an inning-ending 6-4-3, but the throw to second was bad, allowing Langford to score and Lopez to get to third. Lopez then scored on an 0-2 wild pitch to Evan Carter.
The three runs in the sixth, in response to the first Jays run of the game in the top of the inning, also was assisted by the Blue Jays. A Josh Jung hit by pitch, a Brandon Nimmo single and a Wyatt Langford double brought a run in and put runners on second and third with no one out. After Jake Burger struck out, the Jays intentionally walked Nicky Lopez.
Yes, you read that right…Nicky Lopez was intentionally walked to load the bases.
Nicky Lopez.
It was the first time in Nicky Lopez’s career that he was issued an intentional walk.
I really don’t like issuing an intentional walk to load the bases, because it means there’s no margin for error for the pitcher.
Which was promptly demonstrated, as our old friend from the 2023 World Series, Paul Sewald, hit Danny Jansen with the very next pitch he threw, forcing in a run.
Evan Carter followed with a shallow sac fly to center, which featured Langford having to leap over Alejandro Kirk, who was in front of the plate, unsuccessfully trying to catch the throw home from Brett Bateman. Langford didn’t tag the plate, but was alert enough to go and touch home before Sewald, backing up the play, could tag him.
Meanwhile, 260 miles away, the Astros lost to the Atlanta Braves, putting the Rangers’ playoff fate in the Rangers’ hands.
Seven games to go, and the Rangers are still in it. Exciting, isn’t it?
Paul Quantrill hit 93.2 mph with his fastball, averaging 91.7 mph. Jordan Montgomery’s fastball hit 91.9 mph. Nathan Eovaldi touched 94.1 mph with his fastball. Robert Garcia’s fastball topped out at 93.7 mph. Chase Silseth hit 97. 0 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz’s fastball reached 96.8 mph.
Jake Burger had a 105.4 mph fly out. Corey Seager had a 104.0 mph groundout and a 103.4 mph single. Wyatt Langford had a 102.8 mph double. Josh Jung had a 100.2 mph home run.
Let’s finish off the sweep today. The Rangers haven’t swept a team since…they swept Toronto in Toronto at the end of June? Really? Its been that long?
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: (R-L) Cole Carrigg #16 and Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies sit in the dugout after their 11-7 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just one week from today, the 2026 Colorado Rockies season will draw to a close. Despite the looming lockout and what promises to be an acrimonious labor dispute, it’s an end that some Rockies fans are no doubt ready for.
Saturday night’s victory over the Seattle Mariners in honor of Todd Helton brought back some of the joy from earlier in the season. However, it’s hard to ignore just how bad the Rockies have been over the last month and change as they limp to the finish line.
Since mid-August, the Rockies are just 9-34 with just two series wins and a series tie. During that stretch, it seems like every flaw on the team has been laid bare. From poor pitching and defense to bad baserunning mistakes and a total lack of clutch hitting—the Rockies were 4-for-20 with RISP in Friday’s loss—the 2026 Rockies of September look a lot more like the 2025 squad instead of the one that gave us hope earlier this season.
It’s clear the Rockies have hit a wall. Just 5-12 in September, the Rockies need to win six of their remaining seven contests to avoid the 100 loss mark for the fourth consecutive season. That’s a tall order.
However, the Rockies will finish at least 10 games better than last season regardless of what happens over the next week. The 2026 Rockies are better than the historically awful team in 2025. Progress is full of small steps up the foot of the mountain, and we have been here for the climb.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (18) is greeted by St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) after hitting a 3-run home run in the sixth inning between the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, May 23, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The finishing touches are being put on to the St. Louis Cardinals season and despite another season missing the playoffs, the overall year has to be seen as a success. With the season being a fact-finding mission for the roster, there are very few remaining questions on the big league squad while the minor league teams cap their seasons with championship runs.
With the experts setting preseason win totals around 68.5 coming into the year, fans were anticipating one of the most painfully long years in recent St. Louis memory. However, the Cardinals steamrolled past that total and while recency bias has really showed how bad things could have been all season, the 2026 season found a way to capture my attention for the entirety of a lost year. As things now stand, there is more clarity and a feeling of optimism that has not surrounded Busch Stadium for a handful of years.
The Cardinals know their needs for 2027 and beyond
As we look back on yet another losing season, the feelings around the club were different. From JJ Wetherholt debuting, Tarps Off, Burly and Walker doing there thing and plenty of other things in between, this team kept me interested far longer than I anticipated. I was honored to be a guest on Meet Me at Musial with friend of the site Daniel Shoptaw (C70) and we agreed that the team got answers nearly everywhere on the diamond, even if some of those answers were not the ones they wanted. I wanted to take the time to ignore these past two weeks and talk about what went right during another rollercoaster season.
1. The lineup foundation
Pretty much from game one, we can look back and see that the Cardinals have some major answers at big spots in the lineup. JJ Wetherholt has spent all but five plate appearances sitting in the leadoff spot, and while the next three spots changed until finally setting on a setup, Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, and Jordan Walker can be written with ink into the 2-4 spots next season. On Musial, of these three I mentioned that Herrera’s long-term future is the most in question, but that is not a bridge they need to cross this offseason. I believe he is the starting DH on Opening Day next year and should even get the full season to prove his downturn was due to being run down behind the plate.
Between Burleson and Walker, I do not think it is out of pocket to say I have more confidence in Burly’s career year being a platform season to further greatness than Walker’s. The lefty put together a spectacular season from start to finish and did not have a month with an OPS below .729 while staying totally healthy and playing a very nice first base. Burly’s career-best season is near what I said at the beginning of the year that he is going to be that guy you forget about putting together a handful of 30 homer, 100 RBI seasons at the wrong time for Cardinals baseball.
For Walker, he has been able to sustain his newfound success for an entire season and seemed to always correct his plate discipline right before things went off the rails again. Even as he was breaking out, there was skepticism to how much we should believe in him as a 20% league-average player. Walker is going to end the season was the Cardinals’ team leader in homers, stolen bases, and slugging percentage while finishing right behind Burly in average, RBIs, and overall OPS. The strikeout “fix” is for real and we are just going to have to live with him going down on strikes 25% of the time and looking terrible doing it at times. Being just 24, Walker had the breakout season that could eventually leapfrog him past Burleson as the contract situation gets messier for the middle of the order hitters.
The rest of the order had some glimpses of future, but I am 100% in on Leo Bernal settling in near the top half and while less bullish on the long-term future of Joshua Baez, he will provide enough offensive protection for the first four hitters. Masyn Winn needs a fully healthy season to prove his consistency, but there is no need to rush him out of the lineup. If all goes to plan, Winn could be a highly effective eight or nine hitter but has been asked to do more than that in his career thus far. Nathan Church is the starting center fielder until he is pressed out of the role and that might not come in 2027. Third base is anyone’s to take and Thomas Saggese is doing his best to be at the top of the pecking order when Spring Training arrives.
Overall, the offense was not the problem in 2026 and while expecting the entire group to remain healthy and mirror their success from this year are high expectations, little needs to be done in the lineup heading into next year.
2. Team Health
For better or worse, the Cardinals had a stellar bill of health with the arms on their major league roster yet again. This year, thankfully, the health spread to guys like Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante rather than Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas and the current group took full advantage of a full season. The end of the season for Leahy has been a disappointing taper off in order to get him ready for 175+ innings next year, and Pallante used the extended leash to put up a career-best season and a short IL stay.
Michael McGreevy has done exactly what is expected from him from a stuff perspective and the trio seems to be an easy lock into the 2027 rotation. The top and bottom slots in those five are up for debate and will probably not get an answer any time soon, but we did find out who is not that solution. Matthew Liberatore got another full season as a starter, so the team is not allowed to point to Libby needing a healthy season to prove his value. It may be possible that he is penciled into the rotation on a matter of seniority, but Quinn Mathews and Cooper Hjerpe will be pushing him from day one.
Because of the overall pitching health, the Cardinals know what they have with may of their guys. While it was disappointing to see Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins go down with injuries alongside Ixan Henderson, there is enough talent stocked at the top of the minors that stayed healthy and can figure into their remaining plans. That spot may end up being the bullpen that Chaim Bloom was unwilling to supplement, so if any of the high-octane prospects miss out of the starting rotation, they can still figure into the big league club and help to update one of the worst reliever corps in the entire league.
To no surprise, the guys who played everyday got a little more nicked up than the starters, but none of them were long-term, career-altering stays on the IL. Masyn Winn does need to find a way to keep himself healthy for 140+ games so he and JJ Weterholt can truly be the middle infield duo of the future. Wetherholt had his own mismanaged wrist injury as a rookie, but that was attributed to playing more baseball than he has in his life so no need to look too far into that yet. The overall health was still there, which allowed us to see that Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II are not the future at third and center.
Whether it is through prescribed methods from Chris Conroy and Co. or just luck, the Cardinals bill of health has been solid at the big league level. The injuries to the pitching staff had mounted up among the prospect group, which led me to wonder if the newfound focus on stuff and velocity is the culprit since the major league group is still led by more traditional pitch-to-contact arms.
3. Prospect Debuts
There were definitely more positives beyond these three, so feel free to share yours in the comments to keep the conversation going. Honorable mentions for me before finishing the list were The Trade Deadline and Upper Minors Success
In a way to combine those two ideas, I decided to go with the debuts of the Cardinals well-regarded prospects as my final choice for the list. What Bloom was able to do at the deadline set the team up for guys to get their chances in the bigs, but what we saw from these prospects is also a major shout to the player development staff.
Joshua Baez obviously had one of the great debuts in major league history, but his overall progression to get here was also impressive. He will probably be the starting left fielder and five-hole hitter on the 2027 Cardinals and he will get as much run as possible there. The Cardinals had to be a little cautious with his usage this year, which saw him platoon a tad before going down with an oblique injury, but those restrictions will not be in place next season. The power is there, but how much the swing-and-miss interrupts his potential will be the biggest story for him next year.
JJ Wetherholt and Leo Bernal have been comfortable and consistent in their debut seasons and there is no reason to see them outside of their spots next year. Wetherholt was the best defensive second baseman in the game while showing as a perfect lead off hitter for the boppers behind him. He should see a great second year jump after what was a successful rookie year. In Bernal’s case, he may be playing his way into a top-five favorite for 2027 Rookie of the Year. The switch-hitter has not been overmatched at the plate and while he has a few errors already, he won two minor league awards for his catching so I have faith he will be okay back there. His progression makes the catching situation one to monitor again. Jimmy Crooks and Pedro Pages will likely be dangled on the market, while Rainiel Rodriguez will probably add a glove or two to his practice bag.
On the pitching side, Quinn Mathews and Cooper Hjerpe have both shown high-quality major league stuff. They have also shown the issues they will have to iron out going into their first full seasons in the bigs. Both can be seen as rotation candidates to slot in among the right-handers, but they will have plenty to compete with in the spring. Mathews has been trusted to work deeper into games as the year progressed while Hjerpe is coming back from injury, so the former may have the inside track on a spot. What happens with Liberatore will also give some look into the future, because Hjerpe has long been projected to settle in as a reliever with some starting potential.
Even as the Cardinals close out another season under .500, the 2026 season was a step forward from the previous two seasons. The vibes are different in the clubhouse and the front office has the foundation for which to build the next contender. The team’s overall success this year allows Bloom to allocate resources to a couple spots, rather than having to seek answers at a handful of positions. Outside of CBA negotiations, the 2026 offseason would be one of the most interesting for me to see if Bloom opens the pocketbook or gets aggressive on the trade market.
Sep 18, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Tim Mayza (37) pitches in the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In yesterday’s game against the Mets, the soft underbelly (or maybe, the softer underbelly) of the bullpen was exposed. Brooks Raley, Chase Shugart and Orion Kerkering were given spots in the game where they were asked to at least keep the game within reach, yet instead, they pushed it over the edge into a winless oblivion.
So now what?
What is the plan supposed to be for the bullpen and how the team is supposed to use it? Obviously they are going to have to keep trying things, if only because there are only seven games left on the regular season schedule and someone is going to have to pitch the innings necessary to finish games.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 19: Richie Palacios #1 of the Tampa Bays Rays is mobbed by teammates after hitting a walk-off single during the ninth inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox on September 19, 2026 at at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees’ odds of winning the AL East are down to 2.8 percent per FanGraphs after getting walked off by the Diamondbacks last night. I know mathematically that makes sense, but the chances mentally feel even more extreme. I’ve been having “fun” (or whatever) comping the odds to certain pitchers from history getting a hit. We are the dregs. Remember mid-2000s Mets pitcher Aaron Heilman? I personally remember him most for giving up the homer to Yadier Molina late in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, just before Adam Wainwright famously caught Carlos Beltrán looking to win the pennant.
Anyway, Heilman was a horrendous hitter. He singled once in his rookie year, and then never got another hit. He ended his career 1-for-47, so an .021 average. So the Yankees just need magic only a little bit more sufficient than that RBI single by Heilman off Sidney Ponson on August 12, 2003! Hell yeah.
It’s not happening, but we press on because it’s good to check up on what everyone else is doing anyway. Here’s what was going on Saturday.
Tampa Bay Rays (94-60) 2, Boston Red Sox (84-71) 1
The Yankees gained a full game on the Rays on Friday for the first time in over a week, as Boston snapped their six-game winning streak. There was no such fortune to be found yesterday though; Tampa Bay made sure of that well before first pitch in Arizona, and it only got worse from there. By the end of the night, the Rays once again had a five-game lead over the Yanks; Tampa Bay’s magic number (combination of Rays wins or Yankees losses) to clinch the AL East is four.
This one was a pitchers’ duel to the bitter end. Brayan Bello had easily his best outing of a turbulent season (and probably the best of his career), firing eight shutout frames at the Trop and fanning 11 Rays, tying a personal best from July 9, 2024. As he only went 5.1 in that one and faced merely the soon-to-depart-Oakland A’s rather than the division-leading Rays.
The only true blemish on Bello’s record came when Jonathan Aranda cracked an opposite-field homer to make it a 1-1 game in the fourth. Tampa Bay had a chance to make it 2-1 against Bello in the seventh when Liam Hicks and Chandler Simpson led off with singles. Bello then induced a grounder from Victor Mesa Jr. to move up the runners, and then another off the bat of Richie Palacios to Trevor Story, who nailed pinch-runner Jonny DeLuca at home. Palacios swiped second, but Bello fanned Cedric Mullins to end the inning. The Rays went down in order in the eighth to end Bello’s brilliant night.
Unfortunately for Bello, a win wasn’t in the cards because Boston put up next to nothing against Freddy Peralta and the Rays’ pitching staff. Doubles by Caleb Durbin and Roman Anthony gave the Red Sox their one run in the second, but they were stymied from there. They had chances!
Second inning after Anthony’s two-out double: Mickey Gasper lineout to center
Fourth inning with runners on first and second, one out: Story strikeout, Durbin popout
Fifth inning with runner on second, one out: Anthony groundout, Gasper strikeout
Sixth inning with runners on first and second, two out: Durbin fly out to left
Eighth inning after Adley Rutschman’s one-out double: Wilyer Abreu strikeout, Nick Sogard lineout
Even against lockdown Rays closer Bryan Baker, Boston had one last shot to take a late lead. After Story grounded out, Durbin lined a double down the left field line to put himself in scoring position for Jarren Duran. Durbin darted from second, however, and got thrown out stealing third. Duran promptly followed with a triple over DeLuca’s head in center. Isiah Kiner-Falefa bounced one to Junior Caminero at third to end the threat.
Granted a chance to walk it off, Tampa Bay didn’t waste it. Rather than blasting a homer to finish the game as he had twice earlier this homestand, Caminero began the ninth against Garrett Whitlock with a single to left. (A catwalk curtailed Durbin’s effort to catch a popup earlier in the AB.) DeLuca popped up, but Chandler Simpson grounded one through the six-hole for another hit. The runners moved up when catcher Connor Wong let a Whitlock sinker up bounce off his glove for a passed ball. Palacios ended the night with flare to center that fell in, securing the win for Tampa Bay. At least the Wild Card Series is also almost certainly going to be at Yankee Stadium now, I suppose.
Cleveland Guardians (80-75) 12, The Athletics (61-94) 6
Two crooked numbers effectively decided Saturday’s affair with the A’s in a hurry. Tanner Bibee kind of stunk and would allow six runs in a dozen hits while failing to make through five, but it hardly mattered. Cleveland erased a 2-0 deficit in the first on a three-run shot from rookie Chase DeLauter and two-run homer by Angel Martinez. The A’s got one back in the third, only to see another five-spot from the Guardians on poor Jacob Lopez as David Fry, Austin Hedges, and Brayan Rocchio all delivered RBI doubles. Martinez later added a homer and an RBI single in a career-best four-hit day.
Chicago White Sox (79-76) 3, Detroit Tigers (73-82) 1
Cleveland’s win meant that Chicago was stuck at a game back in the AL Central in the best-case, but they did at least help push one of their Wild Card foes out of the picture with a win. Honestly, this was probably kind of a dud of a game for anyone who isn’t a White Sox fan, the lone highlights being Sean Burke’s six scoreless frames and Miguel Vargas’ sixth-inning solo shot to make it 3-1, Chicago (the other runs scored on an RBI single by Munetaka Murakami and a fifth-inning sac fly). Spencer Torkelson had a chance to tie the game with a homer following Hao-Yu Lee’s two-out single in the ninth, but he flew out to center to end it.
Yeah, it’s time to stick a fork in the O’s. It was all but certain for awhile now, but Chicago’s win combined with Baltimore’s second-straight loss to Milwaukee means that the Orioles are four back with a week to play, plus multiple teams in front of them. Trevor Rogers was the hard-luck loser here while Baltimore got blanked on four hits and Rece Hinds lost a fly ball from Joey Ortiz in the sun, allowing him to triple and score on Gary Sánchez’s RBI grounder. Woof.
Texas Rangers (78-77) 6, Toronto Blue Jays (76-79) 1
The O’s aren’t the only bird that are all but shot down, either. Trade Deadline acquisition José Soriano coughed up an early homer to Josh Jung, beginning a five-inning, six-run outing that pushed Toronto three games out in the Wild Card and the Rangers into a one-game AL West lead over Houston. The only downside for Texas was that second-half surprise Cal Quantrill—who has a 1.75 ERA since re-entering the rotation in late July—left in the second with lat tightness, so old friend Jordan Montgomery picked up the slack in long relief, retiring 11 of the 12 hitters he faced with no hits allowed.
Atlanta Braves (91-64) 6, Houston Astros (77-78) 3
Houston and Texas have been wrestling all week over the prestigious “Who can win this horri-awful division with a .500-ish record” crown. Sunday it went to Texas with the Astros falling out of their tie for first place (remember that they own the tiebreaker). Isaac Paredes had put Houston ahead with a solo homer and an RBI knock in the third, but the Astros’ bullpen set that lead on fire. The big blow came off the bat of Ronald Acuña Jr., who belted a grand slam off Bryan Abreu in the seventh after AJ Blubaugh made a right mess of things.
The victory reduced the Cubs’ magic number to clinch a postseason spot to 2. If the Cubs win Sunday and the Yankees defeat the Diamondbacks, the Cubs will be in. Thus it would appear very, very likely that the Cubs will be playing a Wild Card series. The question remains: Where? The Padres passed the Phillies into the second wild card spot when they won Saturday and the Phillies lost. The Cubs’ magic number to clinch home field against Philadelphia is 6, and against San Diego it’s 7. So, thanks to the tiebreaker that they have over both teams, the Cubs actually now control their own destiny — win out, and the Padres and Phillies cannot catch them for home field. (That’s not likely, of course, but it’s mathematically possible.)
First things first, let’s look back at Saturday’s win.
The game went scoreless into the second inning, which is when the Cubs took a 1-0 lead. Nico Hoerner led off with a double and Michael Busch was hit by a pitch. A force play put Nico on third, where he scored on this sac fly by Matt Shaw [VIDEO].
I cannot emphasize enough how good a pickup Taylor was. Not only can he play solid defense at all three outfield positions, but he absolutely crushes left-handed pitching, something Ian Happ is decidedly not doing this year. That makes Happ and Taylor a pretty good platoon arrangement.
The Reds tied the game up in the bottom of the fifth thanks to some sketchy Cubs defense — and that’s not a phrase we’ve used much this year, when the team defense has been at elite level.
First, Shaw overthrew his cutoff man. Then Swanson made an ill-advised throw in the general direction of third base, which got away, allowing Suárez to score and putting JJ Bleday on second. That clip is from the Reds broadcast. On Marquee, JD said that he thought Suárez hesitated going around second, though I didn’t see that. In any case, there should have been runners on first and third with one out. Instead, a run is in and there’s a runner on second.
After a strikeout, Boyd faced Ke’Bryan Hayes, who is having a miserable season. Hayes came into the game batting .144 with a .433 OPS and since returning from a groin strain Sept. 7, was 1-for-19 with eight strikeouts. Never mind all that! Hayes singled, scoring Bleday to tie the game.
After that, Boyd was removed in favor of Daniel Palencia, who threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. This was the first time since April 19, 2025 — 81 appearances ago — that Palencia had thrown two full innings in a game, and he looked really good in this outing. His velocity was up, touching 100 a few times, and he had his devastating slider working. If he can continue this, that is an enormous boost to a bullpen that could really use that. Palencia’s six outs were recorded on just 20 pitches.
The Cubs extended their lead in the top of the eighth. With one out, Happ batted for Taylor and walked. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on this single by Nico [VIDEO].
That was an aggressive send, especially since you can see Happ hesitate before the single gets through. But the throw to the plate was cut off and the Cubs led 4-2.
Aaron Civale, who’s been really good in relief for the Cubs, recorded the first two outs easily in the eighth, then gave up a single to Dane Myers and a walk to Elly De La Cruz.
Craig Counsell summoned Ryan Zeferjahn to pitch to Sal Stewart. Zeferjahn wild-pitched the runners up a base, then ran the count full on Stewart before striking him out on this nasty sweeper [VIDEO].
Hopefully, that was a confidence-builder for Zeferjahn, who’s got the repertoire to succeed if he can just throw more strikes.
A note about the pair of Cubs homers from BCB’s JohnW53:
This was the second of the Cubs’ last three games in which they hit multiple home runs. They had done so in only two of their previous 14 games, beginning Sept. 1, the day after they smacked a team-record nine homers against the Brewers.
Zeferjahn was sent out for the bottom of the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single, then retired the next two Reds. But Counsell, correctly, was not going to let him face the left-handed Bleday, so Ryan Rolison entered to finish things up.
I cannot remember the last time the Cubs bullpen put together a line like this: Four innings, two hits, one walk, no runs, five strikeouts. That’s the kind of work this team is going to need if they are going to succeed in October, so it’s great to see it happen. Perhaps this pen can still come together and help the team win games.
We covered the postseason permutations above. The Cubs are 5-3 since they were swept by the Brewers in Milwaukee and if they can go 5-2 over the last seven games of the regular season, their chances of that top wild-card spot are pretty good, I’d think.
They can begin that by winning Sunday’s series finale against the Reds. The starters will be David Peterson for the Cubs and Rhett Lowder for Cincinnati. Game time is 12:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network. The BCB game preview will post at 11 a.m. CT.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 19: The New York Mets officially retired Carlos Beltran’s No. 15 jersey and inducted him into the Mets Hall of Fame before their game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on September 19, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets soundly defeated the Phillies 10-3, feasting on Philadelphia’s beleaguered bullpen in a memorable day at Citi Field that began with Carlos Beltrán’s number retirement ceremony and ended with Howie Rose signing off the Mets radio broadcast for the last time. It contained another piece of history too: Carson Benge recorded three hits—including a home run—to break Pete Alonso’s record for most hits by a Mets rookie in a season.
Greg Prince of Faith and Fear in Flushingreflected on Carlos Beltrán’s place in Mets history and his place among other Mets who have had their numbers retired. Benge’s twelve three-hit games are also a Mets rookie record.
When asked about the Mets’ managerial job, Carlos Beltrán was noncommittal, stressing that he enjoys his current role in the front office. But he left the possibility open that he would interview for the position.
“We’re going to add certain voices to the front office that are going to be helpful,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said during an in-game interview yesterday—not necessarily meaning a general manager.
The Mets activated Cionel Pérez from the injured list and optioned Cameron Weston ahead of yesterday’s game, in which Pérez appeared.
Christian Scott and Andrew Painter were high school teammates. Yesterday, they faced off against each other in the major leagues.
After the game, Howie Rose signed off for possibly the last time. Gary, Keith, and Ron paid tribute to the Mets’ iconic radio announcer as well.
Around the National League East
After the Mets tagged Orion Kerkering for four runs in his outing yesterday, the Phillies optioned him to Triple-A as their bullpen woes continue.
Ethan Salas came through with a pinch-hit, walk-off hit to lift the Padres over the Marlins 7-6 in ten innings.
The Nationals played an extra-inning game as well, overcoming four errors and two blown leads by the bullpen to defeat the Cardinals 8-5 in eleven innings.
Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a go-ahead grand slam in the Braves’ 6-3 win over the Astros.
White Sox general manager Chris Getz recently said, “As a whole, we felt like we’ve been playing with house money. What an opportunity for these guys to go out and compete [in meaningful late-season games].”
Yes, that’s the wrong color Sox, but I’ve been thinking this exact same thing as a Red Sox fan. After the way the 2026 season kicked off, I can hardly believe we’re here, primed to clinch the second Wild Card. The months of April through June almost feel like a bad dream I once had, but no, they really happened: the team played bad baseball right out of the gate, Alex Cora was fired, Chad Tracy took over as an interim manager, and players who were seen as massively important to the Red Sox chances—Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, Trevor Story, and more—were quickly lost to long-term injuries.
Fans were calling this one of the worst Sox teams they had ever seen. I was one of them. I had written off the Red Sox completely by the time my birthday rolled around in mid-April. I publicly wrote how painful it was for me to recap my assigned games. It looked like it was going to be a loooong season.
Now, with a shrinking magic number, they can comfortably count on the second Wild Card spot. Given what the team has been through, to be here feels incredible. This is gravy, as they say. It feels like we—I’m collectively speaking of the fans, the players, the interim coaches—are playing with nothing to lose.
The early-season chaos elevated Chad Tracy and his interim staff unexpectedly from posts across the minor league system. If things had gone according to plan, they wouldn’t have even been in the majors. There was clearly pressure, of course, with all eyes on them. But there was no immediate turnaround. The team was still bad, almost all the way through June. There’s a kind of freedom in that. Screw it, right, because what else can you say? Well, the team rose up from the ashes of poor play and IL casualties. Big contributions from unexpected heroes like Caleb Durbin, Jake Bennett, Anthony Seigler, Andruw Monasterio, Tsung-Che Cheng, Nick Sogard, and Mickey Gasper helped make this summer magical. This is the embodiment of house money, like Getz said.
House Money Vs. Real Money
The paradox here is that it may feel like house money for the fans, the players, and the interim coaching staff. Meanwhile, success is absolutely a high-stakes corporate mandate for John Henry and FSG.
The truth is, John Henry paid the toll, in real money. The 2026 season was not some accidental, low-budget miracle. FSG spent historic amounts of money and other currency (prospects!) to construct the core of this team.
For the front office, this season’s success isn’t house money—it’s an expected return on investment. From the luxury tax perspective, the Red Sox should be here. Henry has paid handsomely for them to be here. He didn’t authorize roughly a quarter-billion dollars in new commitments over the last year for nothing.
So if we’re talking house money, well, it’s John Henry’s house. He bought the house—built the whole casino, in fact—and financed the chips we’re all playing with. But the irony remains: the team living inside Henry’s casino played most of the summer with the kind of scrappy abandon that comes from having snuck in through a back entrance.
They’re a different team now, of course, since players like Story and Anthony have returned from the IL, and there may be more additions too, with Crochet and Tanner Houck possibly assuming roles as relievers. Those returns have changed the roster, and so has Tracy’s strategy of resting players and reserving energy for the playoffs.
But let’s see where this house money can take us. It’s still burning a hole in my pocket and I know I’m not the only one.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 19: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits an RBI double scoring Alex Freeland #76, to take a 4-3 lead, during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on September 19, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
2026 looked to be a lost season for Mookie Betts, as an oblique injury cost him a month’s worth of time. At the All-Star break, the Dodgers shortstop was limping to the tune of a .235/.293/.416 slashline with 11 home runs and 31 RBI over 60 games.
Since the second half of the regular season began, Betts has turned into his 2023 MVP-runner-up self, as he’s slashing .290/.364/.452 with 11 home runs and 36 RBI over his last 56 games. Betts has been on a tear his last three games, as he’s hitting .833 with five extra-base hits and five RBI, highlighted by a four-hit, three-double game on Saturday in the Dodgers’ 10-4 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Betts has hit all around the lineup, going from as high as leadoff to as low as the six hole, but Betts has been certifying himself as a force at the top of the lineup during this final homestand. Betts spoke with David Vassegh of SportsNet LA about his torrid stretch at the plate hitting at the top spot following Saturday’s win, noting that the return of Shohei Ohtani will directly impact where he hits everyday.
“It’s fun. Like you said, I’ve done it for so long, but that man Shohei— he deserves what he gets. We all know where he needs to hit in the lineup.”
Saturday was a rough outing for left-hander Tarik Skubal as he allowed four earned runs while striking out a season-low three hitters over five innings.
Despite the atypical night for Skubal, his offense was able to generate six runs after his final pitch, giving him his fourth win as a Dodger. When speaking with Vassegh following the game, Skubal gave all the credit to the offense and bullpen for carrying the team the rest of the way.
“Obviously, I wasn’t very good today. The offense, defense and bullpen picked me up big time, and that’s what good teams do— they pick each other up, and win series and win baseball games. Hats off to them.”
Mirjam Swanson at the Los Angeles Times writes about Tyler Glasnow and the ability to trust himself as the playoffs loom near. Glasnow was solid on Friday against San Francisco, allowing just two runs while striking out 10 hitters.
“Today was a step in the right direction,” said Glasnow, the formerHart High star, before leaving the clubhouse in flip-flops. “I’d rather kind of feel it, work through some stuff, and have a good one right before playoffs.
“I think I’m in a good spot right now.”
Jack Harris of the California Post has a positive update regarding Shohei Ohtani, as the two-way superstar did base running drills and used the Trajekt Ark pitching machine in the cage. Hitting coach Aaron Bates notes that Ohtani has been really good with the machine, and the next test will be how he performs in live batting practice.
“In the cage, in a controlled setting, he’s been really good. It’s 100% intensity,” Bates said. “Once he gets out to the field, if he does a live BP or something like that, and the intensity ramps up, it’ll be a good test to see what happens. But in the cage, in the controlled setting, he’s been really good.”
