BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 11: Roman Anthony #19 of Boston Red Sox exits the field during the top of the ninth inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on September 11, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Edward Monigan IV/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Garett Crochet wants to pitch in the postseason without making a single rehab appearance. That’s audacious enough, but how about playing in the postseason, without having ever played in the big leagues at all? That could be the situation Braiden Ward finds himself in. If you need to refresh your memory, Ward was the little speedster who was running wild all over Grapefruit League diamonds this spring. He hasn’t gotten a chance to show whether he can do that in the Majors yet, but Chad Tracy isn’t ruling it out. “Every time he gets on, he’s not afraid,” Tracy said. “That’s the thing. If he gets on base, he’s looking to go. That’s a unique trait. There’s a lot of guys who can run and steal bases and then there’s other guys who are, every single time they get on, almost regardless of the timing.” (Conor Ryan, Boston.com)
But a lack of speed on the base paths isn’t really the Red Sox problem right now as they muddle through a middling September. Strikeouts are. “The Red Sox are swinging and missing too much and not walking enough. This month, they have the eighth-most strikeouts and seventh-fewest walks. That doesn’t play in the postseason. Making contact does.” (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
After he initially returned to the big leagues with a bang, Roman Anthony is one of the Sox hitters who’s struggling to make contact right now. But he doesn’t sound worried. “I’m right where I want to be,” said Anthony. “I came back with enough time to get a good number of plate appearances, and to fail like I am right now and to succeed like I did in the beginning, and then kind of meet in the middle and continue to grind out every single day and get ready for what we want to be a long postseason run. [The playoffs are] what you play for after such a long year … At the end of the day, those few weeks are the only thing that really matters.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Unfortunately, the other big power threat in the Sox lineup is also struggling to get back up to speed. Willson Contreras homered last night, but he’s still dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. “I ran pretty good there on the ground ball to shortstop, but I need to manage my leg better,” he said. “I know it’s feeling good and it’s feeling alright, but on a hard-hit ball like that, I know I’m going to be out. I was just trying to put pressure on him, see if he made a bad throw or whatever. Next time, I’ll manage better.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
With Anthony and Contreras struggling in different ways, it’s important to remember that this team’s success has been built on depth, not individual star power. “Whether it was an expanded version of the trade that brought Caleb Durbin from Milwaukee to include Monasterio and Seigler, or waiver claims of Cheng and Gasper, or a minor league deal for Guerrero, the season has been a case study in the notion that perceived little moves can have a huge impact.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Fortunately, the Sox have some depth in the good guy department, too. After the departure of Liam Hendriks, who had been nominated for the Clemente Award seven times throughout his career for his charitable efforts, Garrett Whitlock has stepped in and picked up the baton. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
Sep 17, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson (14) hits a two rbi single against the Oakland Athletics in the fourth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
On Thursday afternoon, the Rays were looking to complete a series sweep against the A’s before going into a weekend series against the Red Sox. To get the job done, they had Drew Rasmussen on the mound, up against Jeffrey Springs for the A’s. Old friend alert!
The A’s went 1-2-3 in the top of the first, though they gave up an ABS challenge pretty early in the game when the final called strike of the inning was confirmed. The Rays also went 1-2-3 for the inning.
Zack Gelof singled to start the second, but Donovan Walton grounded into a double play to eliminate the baserunner. Rasmussen got another ground ball out to end the inning. In the home half, Liam Hicks got a leadoff single, but three outs followed to end the inning.
In the third, Denzel Clarke got a two-out single, then successfully stole second. Henry Bolte walked. We got a good old-fashioned double steal as Clarke and Bolte both stole a base, but despite both getting into scoring position, the A’s weren’t able to capitalize on the baserunners. The Rays went three-up, three-down in the home half.
Lawrence Butler singled to start the fourth, but three outs followed to leave him stranded. In the home half, things opened up for the Rays in a big way. Jonathan Aranda got things started with a leadoff double. Junior Caminero walked. Liam Hicks then walked. Jonny DeLuca grounded into a force out that ended with Aranda out at home, but the bases safely loaded. Chandler Simpson singled, driving in two runs.
Ryan Vilade was hit by a pitch. Richie Palacios then doubled, but thanks to a fielding error by Heim, three runs scored and Palacios ended up on third.
Taylor Walls then singled, bringing in another run. That was all she wrote for Springs, sorry old friend, but not sorry. He was replaced by Geoff Hartlieb who got the next two outs in a row, but the Rays were suddenly up 6-0.
Ras had to be breathing a little easier going into the fifth inning. Clarke managed a two-out walk, then Bolte singled, but the A’s couldn’t manage to bring either of them home. The Rays went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
Rasmussen was done after five innings with a final line of 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K on 76 pitches. Personally, I probably would have let him go another inning, but perhaps Cash has insights we don’t. Casey Legumina replaced him and immediately gave up a solo home run to Butler. Three outs followed, but the A’s had made their way onto the scoreboard. Joe Rock came out of the A’s pen in the home half and gave up a leadoff single to Simpson. Simpson stole second, and Vilade walked. Cedric Mullins replaced Vilade as a pinch-runner, then both Simpson and Mullins stole a base to put two runners in scoring position. Palacios walked to load the bases. Between a Rock and a hard place, the A’s went back to their bullpen for Chris Roycroft. Walls was walked, bringing in a run. With one out, Aranda walked to bring in another run. Two outs followed as the A’s finally got themselves out of their mess, but the Rays were now up 8-1.
Brody Hopkins was the new Rays’ pitcher for the seventh. Alika Williams got a leadoff walk. A wild pitch allowed Williams to advance to second. Hopkins got things back under control, though, and got the next three outs in order. Yunior Tur came in for the home half and got the Rays out in order.
Steven Matz came on for the eighth. With two outs, Gelof reached on a fielding error from Caminero, but it didn’t end up hurting the Rays as they got the final out in the next at-bat. In the bottom of the inning Palacios got a leadoff walk. Walls grounded into a force out to eliminate Palacios but keep a runner on. Aranda then reached on a fielding error to load the bases. Hicks then singled to score two more runs. Jake Fraley then walked. Drew Rom came in from the A’s bullpen to get the final out of the inning. The Rays now led 10-1.
Alex Cook took over for the Rays in the ninth and got the final three outs of the game to wrap up the Rays’ win and the series sweep.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 13: Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) bats during the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Nationals on September 13, 2026 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We’ve learned a lot about the current St. Louis Cardinals roster this season including some great things and others not so much. The last view of this team at home this season begins Friday night when the Cardinals welcome the Washington Nationals to town.
Pitching Matchups
Friday night – Kyle Leahy (RHP 10-4, 3.33 ERA, 128 SO) vs Cade Cavalli (RHP 12-5, 3.12 ERA, 194 SO)
Saturday night – Michael McGreevy (RHP 7-9, 3.83 ERA, 112 SO) vs Andrew Alvarez (LHP 2-6, 3.35 ERA, 99 SO)
Cade Cavalli has 3 no decisions in his last 3 starts. His last appearance was September 11 against the LA Angels where he threw 6 innings allowing 3 hits with 2 earned runs while striking out 9 and walking just 2. Andrew Alvarez also has no decisions in his last 3 starts. His most recent was September 12 against the LA Angels where he threw 7 innings of 1-hit ball allowing no earned runs while striking out 8 and walking 4. Jake Irvin has 1 loss and no wins in his last 3 starts. His most recent was on September 13 against the LA Angels tossing 5 innings while allowing 3 earned runs with only 2 hits striking out 6 and walking 4.
Washington Nationals Players to Watch
CJ Abrams – Abrams is tied for the home run lead for the Nationals with 30 home runs so far this season with 96 RBI’s and a .264 batting average and 29 stolen bases.
James Wood – Wood also has 30 homers this season with 75 RBI’s and an average of .266 and 21 steals.
Luis Garcia – Garcia has 23 home runs with 76 RBI’s and an average of .283.
Daylen Lile – Lile has 21 home runs with 85 RBI’s and an average of .252.
Curtis Mead – Mead has 15 home runs, 48 RBI’s and an average of .254.
The Washington Nationals have already been eliminated from playoff contention with a record of 71-81 as they sit in 4th place in the NL East. The Cardinals are on the cusp of playoff elimination as the team is 8 games out of the last Wild Card slot with just 9 games left to play.
There are a few new injury twists that the St. Louis Cardinals are dealing with. Joshua Baez left Wednesday’s game against the Giants with tightness in his side according to a report from Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch.
Joshua Baez left game with tightness in his left side. #stlcards
JJ Wetherholt returned to the lineup Wednesday playing a limited number of innings against the Giants, but it’s expected that he’ll be in the lineup again this weekend against the Nationals.
I’m in the process of collecting my own thoughts like many on our staff are likely doing as this season winds down. I will say that I have thoroughly enjoyed following this team much more than the previous few seasons. I really want to see this current version of the St. Louis Cardinals finish out the 2026 campaign strong. Winning or sweeping the Washington Nationals this weekend would be a good start.
Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is having an historic season. Through Wednesday, 153 games, he is batting .282 /.375/.581 with 115 runs scored, 44 home runs and 37 stolen bases. The slugging percentage and .956 OPS lead the National League.
However, based on this Bluesky post, PCA might have done even better:
Okay, that’s something of what might be called a “freak show stat,” because as Mike Petriello points out, baseball is a very different sport than it was during DiMaggio’s time, which is now between 75 and 90 years ago. That’s a really long time and we should expect sports to evolve over time.
There’s one truth not stated in that post, though, and that’s the reason PCA has faced so many different pitchers. That’s from 10 days ago, and the Cubs haven’t played any teams in those 10 days that they hadn’t faced earlier this yer, so that number isn’t likely to have increased much. The only team they’ll face going forward that they haven’t seen is the Red Sox, who they’ll play for the final three games of the 2026 regular season.
The truth is this: The balanced schedule.
Before the balanced schedule took effect in 2023, MLB teams played a schedule mostly in their own league. They’d play their “rival” twice, then three games each against one division in the other league. It amounted to 20 interleague games, and playing 20 of the other 29 teams.
Now, with the balanced schedule, every team plays all 29 other teams and there are 48 interleague contests per team. What that means, of course, is that teams are playing nine clubs that they didn’t used to see, and fewer games against divisional opponents, down from 19 to 13.
This, obviously, means that players would see many more different pitchers. In 2022, 523 different men pitched for MLB teams. Now, this includes position players pitching, though that was done far less even that recently — only 30 different position players that year, compared to the ridiculous number of 11o this year. We can’t really take an “average” per team because some of these pitchers pitched for multiple teams.
You ready for this? There have been 856 different players throwing at least one pitch for an MLB team this year. Even if you take out the position players for both years, that’s still a 48 percent increase.
And that’s my point here. Hitters are just seeing far more pitchers now than they did with the unbalanced schedule. Combine that with the fact that even over just four years, the number of pitchers who can throw 98 miles per hour has also increased, and I think that likely results in a drop in batting average and offense.
Now, the Cubs have bucked that trend, a bit, by having what could be an historically great offensive season. Good on them, but if MLB went back to the unbalanced schedule, I think that would help boost offensive production. The unbalanced schedule is a good idea for a number of reasons; this is just one more, and I think that MLB and the MLB Players Association should consider reverting to the unbalanced schedule for the next CBA. It would be good for the sport, in my view.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 17: Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics is relieved by manager Mark Kotsay #7 of the Athletics in the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on September 17, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While the first two games of this three-game series saw the A’s barely lose, there was no doubt who the better team was today in the last game of the set. The Athletics got smacked in the finale on Thursday afternoon, losing to the play0ff-bound Rays 10-1 to wrap up their time in Florida. Just one more road series of the season left!
Springs solid early, falters late
Making what is likely one of the final starts of his A’s tenure, veteran Jeffrey Springs got the call for the finale against his former team. It’s been an overall rough season for him but he seemed to be sprinting through the finish line here at the end. The game started out well enough for the lefty as he allowed just one hit the first time through the Rays’ lineup.
Things hit the wall in the fourth however for the southpaw. If you want to look up the exact details of what happened then be my guest but it was ugly. When the inning had ended the Rays had put up a six-spot, chasing Springs from the game after he managed just one out in the frame.
Another dud from Springs and his season ERA now stands at 6.18 through 28 starts. Today was probably he second-to-last start in an Athletics uniform, with his final start scheduled for next week at home against the Angels. He’ll certainly be glad to not call Sutter Health Park home next year.
A’s offense struggles against an ace
On the other side of things, the Athletics’ offense was going up against Tampa’s co-ace in Drew Rasmussen. The right-hander has had a fantastic season up to this point and today was no different. The Athletics managed just four hits and a pair of walks against the right-hander as he looked dominant from the jump. The A’s had a chance to push across a run against him in the third when a double-steal put runners at second and third, but with two outs they needed a base hit and Jeff McNeil couldn’t deliver. That was their best chance against Rasmussen but just couldn’t cash in. That’s why he’ll be starting a playoff game for Tampa Bay soon enough.
The A’s would not be shutout in this one though. Rasmussen was done after five full innings, making way for the bullpen for the final four frames. Right fielder Lawrence Butler greeted the first arm out of the ‘pen with a leadoff blast to start the sixth, putting the A’s on the board:
No shutout today! That was Butler’s 17th of the year and 20 home runs is definitely within reach. That should be a personal goal for him in the final week-plus we have here in the 2026 season. He started the year slow but he’s sure ending it on a high note.
The final frames
That was just about it though. The A’s would work one more walk from Alika Williams but the Rays would continue to add on, first two more in the sixth before another pair in the eighth for good measure to make it double-digits for them on the day. Funnily enough Tampa only collected seven hits this afternoon, but they also worked nine (!) walks. Can’t win like that.
Not a good day at all in Tampa. The A’s couldn’t escape Florida with at least one win and now head to their final road destination of the year with a 61-92 record. With just nine games to go the A’s should be able to avoid a 100-loss season, but the sooner we get that 63rd win the better. Hopefully it comes this weekend.
The A’s now head to Cleveland for what will be their final road series of the season. The Guardians are holding onto the AL Central lead by a thread so it’s an excellent time for the A’s to play spoiler. The A’s have yet to announce their starter for tomorrow but it could be right-hander Mason Barnett, who could get one or two more looks here in the final stretch. Cleveland does know who they’re going with as right-hander Daniel Espino gets the nod as an opener. We’ll have to wait and see how Cleveland follows him up.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 17: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after hitting Brandon Lowe #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates (not pictured) with a pitch in the second inning during the game at PNC Park on September 17, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It seems safe to say that Brewers left-hander Kyle Harrison will not be on the postseason roster.
Harrison, who recorded the first five outs of today’s game against the Pirates working around just a first-inning double, then gave up three hits, two walks, and hit two batters with two outs in the second, allowing five runs (four earned) by the time he exited.
Harrison entered his August 31 start against the Cubs with a 2.79 ERA over 103 1/3 innings this season, but he now sits with a 4.25 ERA over 112 1/3 innings, allowing 24 runs (21 earned) over his last nine innings across four appearances. The velocity is still there, but the shape is not, and it’s all but a certainty with less than two weeks until the postseason that Harrison will not be on the roster this postseason.
That’s the bad news.
The good news?
Milwaukee’s bullpen (mostly) picked him up to get the finish line.
While the Brewers ultimately lost 7-4, the bullpen worked the last 6 1/3 innings, allowing just a two-run homer in the eighth, and right-hander Garrett Stallings once again turned in a great relief appearance.
The Brewers struck first in this one, as Gary Sánchez, Sal Frelick, and David Hamilton hit a trio of singles in the top of the second to plate a run, putting the Crew up 1-0.
After striking out Brandon Lowe and inducing a groundout from Nick Gonzales to begin the second, things quickly went awry for Harrison.
He walked Ronny Simon, allowed an infield single to Jared Triolo, and a catcher’s interference by Bo Naylor (which officially counts as an E2) loaded the bases. It only got worse from there, as the rookie Konnor Griffin hit a two-run double and Oneil Cruz followed with a two-run single to make it 4-1 Pittsburgh.
Harrison then hit Bryan Reynolds with a pitch, loaded the bases again with a walk of Rafael Flores Jr., and hit Lowe to make it 5-1 before Pat Murphy was forced to pull him.
Chad Patrick entered and struck out Gonzales, but the damage was done.
Neither team had much of a threat after that until the sixth inning, when the Brewers got one back with a Joey Ortiz walk, Frelick single, and a Naylor forceout on what should have been a double play ball — Griffin threw the ball into the first-base dugout, allowing Ortiz to score and cut the lead to 5-2.
The Brewers continued to chip away in the eighth inning against Luke Weaver, as Garrett Mitchell doubled and scored after advancing on a pair of flyouts by Ortiz and Frelick. Naylor then followed with a solo home run that barely made it over the 21-foot wall in right field, as a young Brewer fan appeared to possibly reach over to (unsuccessfully) grab the ball. The homer call stood after review, and suddenly it was 5-4.
After Cooper Pratt kept the pressure on with a single up the middle, Pirates manager Don Kelly opted to go to his closer Mason Montgomery, who walked Brice Turang but got out of the inning with a strikeout of Luis Lara.
Aaron Ashby took over for Stallings — who pitched three scoreless innings from the fourth through the seventh, allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out six — in the eighth looking to preserve the one-run deficit. He wasn’t able to do it, though, as he allowed a single and a homer to Henry Davis, extending Pittsburgh’s lead to 7-4.
Andrew Vaughn drew a one-out walk in the ninth, but he was left stranded there and the Brewers were unable to complete the sweep in Pittsburgh.
It was a very rough day for Harrison (1 2/3 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 2 K) and home plate umpire James Hoye (nine overturned calls on 11 challenges), but a good day for Patrick (1 1/3 IP, 1 BB, 2 K), JoJo Romero (1 IP, 1 K), and Stallings, who has yet to allow a run over 14 major league innings this season.
Offensively, the Brewers finished the day with nine hits and six walks, but they didn’t do quite enough to make up for Pittsburgh’s five-run second inning. Frelick was the only player with two hits, while Naylor, Turang, and Ortiz each reached twice with a hit and a walk.
The Brewers will look to shake this one off as they continue their road trip in Baltimore this weekend. Dustin May gets the ball in Friday’s series opener, while the Orioles have yet to announce a starter (though it’s expected to be Cade Povich). First pitch in that one is at 6:05 p.m. See you then.
The Dodgers' Kyle Tucker hits a home run during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. (Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
Sheets of plastic were already in place in the Great American Ball Park visiting clubhouse Thursday afternoon, attached to the ceiling with binder clips and folded up above the lockers, ready to be unfurled after the game for the Dodgers’ celebration.
It took an extra day for the Dodgers to let them down. But with their 8-2 win Thursday, they clinched the NL West division for the 13th time in 14 years. It was never much of a contest. The Dodgers widened their lead in the division to 9 1/2 games — before the conclusion of the Padres’ game against the Rockies.
“What’s funny is Los Angeles has always been looked at, as far as sports, a Laker town,” manager Dave Roberts said this week. “I don’t know, I think we might have market share now in Los Angeles.”
They are guaranteed, at the very least, home-field advantage in a wild-card series. The next week and a half, they’ll be playing for a first-round bye, straight into the National League Division Series.
On Thursday, however — as the offense surged from top to bottom and the bullpen-day pitching staff, headlined by Justin Wrobleski’s three perfect innings and Landon Knack’s four scoreless innings, quieted the Reds offense — was a chance for the Dodgers to celebrate what they’d done so far in the season.
It’s a big deal,” Roberts said. “It’s not easy. I think a lot of people think it’s easy, it’s a rite of passage. It’s not easy to win a division when everyone is gunning for you, to keep everyone motivated to play over the course of 162.
“It’s something we’re all really proud of but that’s not the end goal. Like I mentioned [Monday] night when we clinched the postseason berth, you have to celebrate those moments and then turn the page and look forward. But it’s exciting.”
As wide of a lead as the Dodgers have in the division race, their season hasn’t been smooth sailing.
At the beginning of the year, the rotation bore the brunt of the injury bug, with left-hander Blake Snell and right-hander Tyler Glasnow missing months of the season.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers’s two big deadline acquisitions didn’t make nearly the impact they were expected to.
Right fielder Kyle Tucker — who continued his recent hot streak with a single, two doubles and a home run on Thursday — is still on pace for the worst full season of his career. And reliever Edwin Díaz not only has spent most of the season on the IL but lost the closer spot with poor performance when he was healthy. He’s scheduled to be activated off the IL (neck inflammation) Friday.
So, the Dodgers made a splash at the trade deadline, acquiring two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. He’s fit right in, making a now Shohei Ohtani-less projected postseason rotation still the most daunting the sport has seen in decades.
What was supposed to be Ohtani’s first full season of two-way duties since joining the Dodgers turned into a second-half injury-management debacle. The Dodgers still hope he’ll be back from the 15-day IL (right biceps and left knee injuries) before the end of the regular season.
He’s set to progress to hitting off coach-thrown batting practice this week, Roberts said.
“Overall, body feels normalish,” Roberts said. “... There’s no pain. He’s doing everything he needs to do. I still don’t know when time to (return to) play is, but everything that I hear is really positive.”
Injuries have hit the position-player group hard down the stretch, with center fielder Andy Pages (fractured left hand) — likely to return during the Dodgers’ upcoming homestand — and catcher Dalton Rushing (right elbow) also on the IL, and first baseman Freddie Freeman (right knee tendinitis) and infielder Miguel Rojas (right shoulder soreness) playing through ailments.
The rotation also isn’t out of the woods. Snell left his start Wednesday with what the team called left groin tightness, and it remains to be seen if he’ll make another regular-season start. Right-hander Roki Sasaki is working back from a blister on his middle finger and is penciled in to return from the IL next week against the Padres.
Despite all of that, the Dodgers have already won 93 games — matching their 2025 season total — with nine games to go.
“I don’t think we’ve been able yet in the season to be the whole group healthy and performing the way we know we can perform,” left fielder Teoscar Hernández said when the Dodgers clinched a postseason berth Monday. “But at the same time, it’s baseball. Things like that are going to happen, so just have to support each other the way we’ve been doing this year, the past year, in the hard moments, and just keep going.”
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 17: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a home run during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 17, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fittingly, in a game in which the Dodgers secured the NL West crown, they did so in the dominant manner in which they’ve won this division—this season and in many other campaigns—beating the Reds 8-2 in the final game of this road trip.
There are plenty of games in the regular season in which you can pinpoint a couple of pitches—mistakes that were hit and others that weren’t—to argue a game could’ve gone the other way. Well, this was not one of those times, as Brady Singer could not buy a strikeout against the Dodgers, throwing less than half of his pitches inside the zone, which led to plenty of walks. And the walks were the least of his problems, as whenever Singer threw anything in the zone, it was getting hit and hit hard.
Before Elly De La Cruz could even enter the batter’s box for the first time, the Reds already trailed the Dodgers by a pair. In the top of the first, Kyle Tucker took advantage of a Freddie Freeman walk and hit a two-run bomb, crushing a low sinker right in the middle of the zone.
Because the Dodgers stranded a couple of runners who got on base in the first after that Tucker homer, the right fielder would already come back to hit again in the next frame. Tucker made it a 4-0 game with an RBI double following a Freddie Freeman RBI sac fly.
Seemingly trying to push through Singer’s struggles, the Reds kept him in there, and even in a scoreless third, the signs of trouble were evident—multiple hitters reached base, and a Josue De Paula lineout over 100 MPH was doing the heavy lifting for that only zero Singer put up on the board. It felt inevitable that in the following frame, it’d turn sideways quickly. The first six hitters to come to the plate in the fourth all reached safely, including Tucker with his third hit in as many at-bats. Josue De Paula’s RBI single made it 7-0, and Singer finally got the hook, by that point already nearing 100 pitches on the day.
As the Reds starter was running on fumes in a feeble attempt to contain the Dodgers’ offense, Justin Wrobleski was cutting it loose, as only a pitcher who knew he was in for a shorter outing would do. Sitting at 96 mph+ on his fastball and sinker—a tick and a half over his season average on the former—Wrobleski faced nine hitters and retired them all, dominating through three before handing it off to the Dodgers’ bullpen to maintain a seven-run lead. Blake Treinen contributed one inning that had the Reds’ only run—a Sal Stewart long ball—before Landon Knack came in to complete four scoreless frames, enjoying the momentum of a commanding lead to keep the Reds from making this a close contest. The final inning was left to Seth Halvorsen, who went from taking the loss yesterday to finishing the NL West-clinching game, allowing just one run—quite the turnaround for the former Colorado Rockie.
With a single, a double, and a homer after four, Tucker had multiple chances to become the first Dodger to hit for the cycle since Cody Bellinger did it back in 2017 as a rookie. He even crushed one into the gap in left center, but the Reds’ defense played it cleanly, forcing him to not even be able to try a bold move by going to third—already looking gassed from all the running around the bases he had to do.
In the ninth inning of a 7-1 game, the Reds did what they should know better than to do against the Dodgers—they let a left-hander pitch to Miguel Rojas. The Dodgers’ veteran infielder didn’t forgive this offense by tacking on a run with a solo shot, his fourth of the year, all against southpaws.
The Dodgers rush back home because the Giants await, with a three-game set starting on Friday night (7:10 p.m. PT) in an exclusive broadcast on Apple TV. Tyler Glasnow starts, hoping to shake off a couple of rusty starts against the Twins and Marlins, while César Perdomo makes only his fourth appearance in the big leagues.
Kyle Tucker, their $60 million-a-year-man who was rarely heard from the first five months of the season, homered for the fourth time in his past eight games and drove in three runs as the Dodgers thumped the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 Thursday, Sept. 17 at Great American Ballpark to clinch the division title with nine games remaining.
The Dodgers (93-60) hold a four-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the race for the No. 2 seed in the NL and a first-round bye. Atlanta holds the head-to-head tiebreaker so Los Angeles must finish a game clear of the Braves to avoid playing in the wild-card series.
The likeliest scenario is the Dodgers playing host to the winner of an Atlanta-San Diego best-of-three in the NL Division Series. They most certainly won't have Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher, in this postseason and they may not have Ohtani the hitter near the height of his powers, or even at all.
Yet they will carry the deadliest 1-2 pitching combo - 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal - into the postseason tournament.
And they'll also have, it seems, a sentient Tucker.
The 29-year-old right fielder who signed a four-year, $240 million deal was batting just .221 with a .671 OPS on Sept. 8. Thursday, he went 4-for-5 with three extra-base hits, capping an eight-game stretch in which he went 12-for-29 (.414) with four homers and a 1.566 OPS.
The @Dodgers are NL West champions for a 5th straight season!
His outfield mate, Teoscar Hernández, has been similarly potent, boosting his season OPS by 68 points thanks to a .385/.492/.712 line over his previous 15 games. They need the lineup length right now with Ohtani resting due to right biceps and left knee injuries.
Should the four-time MVP return, and lefty starter Blake Snell's groin scare is truly just that, the Dodgers should be well-stocked for October.
For now, their preliminary accomplishments are well in hand. This is the Dodgers' fifth consecutive division title and the lone runner-up finish in this 14-year run came in 2021, when their 106 victories were one fewer than the San Francisco Giants' 107. They probably won't get to 100 wins this year. But they certainly were good enough - and hope that holds true in October, too.
CINCINNATI, OH - JUNE 20: Casey Janssen #44 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 20, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Toronto defeated Cincinnati 14-9. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Casey Janssen turns 45 today. He has always been one of my favourites, and a favourite among readers of this site. Long before I joined, the site even interviewed him back in 2008.
Janssen was selected in the fourth round of the 2003 draft out of the University of California, during the J.P. Ricciardi era. That year, the Jays picked David Purcey in the first round, with Zach Jackson, Curtis Thigpen, and Adam Lind all chosen ahead of Casey.
Janssen made his Blue Jays debut at the end of April 2006, stepping in after A.J. Burnett landed on the DL due to complications from his 2003 Tommy John surgery. Casey started off strong, going 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA in six May starts, but struggled as the season progressed, ultimately finishing 6-10 with a 5.07 ERA.
In 2007, a string of pitching injuries shifted Janssen to the bullpen, where he became the setup man for closer Jeremy Accardo. He finished the year with 24 holds, 6 saves, and a 2.35 ERA in 70 appearances. While he only struck out 39 batters in 72.2 innings, he excelled at keeping the ball on the ground and consistently got the job done.
Casey missed all of 2008 and the early part of 2009 due to a torn labrum. The Jays tried him as a starter upon his return, but after five rough outings and a 6.23 ERA, he transitioned back to the bullpen for good, where he remained a key contributor for the next five seasons.
Between 2010 and 2014, Casey appeared in 279 games, recording a 2.99 ERA and 83 saves. He served as the team’s closer from 2012 to 2014 and currently ranks fifth on the franchise’s all-time saves list and fifth in games pitched by a Blue Jays pitcher.
You might recall that he battled a bout of food poisoning over the All-Star break, which likely contributed to a difficult second half. After a solid start to the season, he posted a 5.70 ERA following the break.
Following the 2014 season, Janssen signed with the Nationals, but struggled in 2015, leading the team to decline his option for 2016. He was briefly with the Padres and Red Sox organizations, but never made it back to the majors. In 2017, he continued his career in the Mexican League.
I’m not exactly sure why Janssen became such a favourite here, but he was undeniably effective. I always enjoyed his distinctive follow-through, especially the pronounced bend in his lead leg that brought him so low to the ground. It also helped that he seemed like a genuinely good guy.
Marcus Semien turns 36 today.
In 2021, Marcus played all 162 games for the Blue Jays, slashing .265/.334/.538 with 45 home runs and 15 steals. He earned both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards for second base and finished third in MVP voting.
The Jays finished that season 91-71, which was only good enough for fourth place in the AL East.
Afterward, Semien signed a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Rangers. Before this season, the Rangers traded him to the Mets. He’s not having a great season there.
Over his 14-year career, Marcus has hit .251/.319/.429 with 267 home runs and a 49.9 bWAR.
Happy Birthday, Marcus.
On this day in 2019 (seven years ago), Cavan Biggio hit for the cycle—just the third Blue Jay to do so, joining Jeff Frye and Kelly Gruber.
His game unfolded like this:
– Strikeout in the first
– Two-run homer in the third
– Single in the sixth
– Double in the eighth
– Two-run triple in the ninth, part of a four-run inning that secured the win
He also stole two bases, scored three runs, and drove in four.
The game took place in Baltimore. I noted in the recap that the announced attendance was 9,280, but estimated that about 9,000 were disguised as empty seats. The Jays won 8-5.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 15: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game at Target Field on September 15, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It wouldn’t have been a proper Yankees-Twins series in Minnesota without a game that devolved into extra-innings madness. The Yankees failed to cash in multiple bases loaded opportunities and so missed a chance to sweep, falling farther behind the Rays in the standings. Nonetheless, the Bombers took care of business in the first two games of the series, and it is from the middle game that we pull our candidate for Sequence of the Week.
We join Max Fried with two outs in the bottom of the fifth on Tuesday at Target Field. The Yankees have a 3-1 lead courtesy of a Cody Bellinger two-run homer and George Lombard Jr. RBI single. However, the Twins are threatening to cut the lead to one with Emmanuel Rodriguez on second with a two-out double. That brings the number nine hitter Austin Martin to the plate, a batter Fried absolutely wants to retire to avoid the lineup turning over with a runner in scoring position.
After going almost all fastballs the first time he faced Martin, Fried looks to steal a called first-pitch strike with a backdoor sweeper.
After seeing mostly hard stuff that moved away from him, you can understand why Martin would give up on this pitch early given how far from the strike zone it is initially aimed. Fried sweeps in a dandy on the outer half for called strike one.
Establishing that backdoor breaking ball for a called strike forces Martin to respect any pitches that start away, even those that look like balls out of the hand. This opens up a host of possibilities for Fried, including the changeup low and away for chase.
This is a pretty well-executed changeup out of the zone down and outside. It looks like it is aimed at that corner of the zone before fading away from the hitter. You can see Martin was initially tempted to chase the pitch — a product of that first pitch backdoor sweeper — before holding up for an impressively disciplined take.
With Martin taking against that last pitch away, Fried and Ali Sánchez feel that there is an opening for another backdoor sweeper.
Another decently executed pitch, just a little too low to nip the bottom of the zone for a second called strike. It is worth noting that Martin showed some willingness to offer before backing off, so that outside pitch is still open for chase opportunities.
Not wanting to fall any further behind in the count, Fried throws his first fastball of the encounter. However, unlike the four-seamers and sinkers he threw Martin in the first AB, this cutter breaks toward the hitter instead of away. Therefore, if the hitter succeeds in reading fastball spin out of the hand, a backdoor cutter that starts off the plate away should freeze Martin.
That is precisely what happens, Fried pinpointing this cutter with precision on the corner up and away. Martin leaves the bat on his shoulder, only to watch the pitch cut across the black of the plate for called strike two.
Now that he has established his fastball in the zone and has the count leverage in his favor, Fried has an opening to climb the ladder with the cutter hoping for a chase and whiff under a pitch elevated above the zone.
Even though this offering misses the top of the zone by about a foot, it’s not a complete waste pitch. Fried has reset the hitter’s eye level for the fastball up, which should open the door for a breaking ball down and in.
That is just what Fried’s thought process is with the count full. He doesn’t need to give in with a fastball with first base open, knowing that it will be very hard for Martin to lay off a breaking ball that looks like a strike out of the hand.
Now this is what you call a back-foot sweeper. The pitch looks like a strike for much of its journey toward home until the lateral sweep really seems to accelerate in the final 15 feet. It’s just where you want to land a pitch like this, close enough to the strike zone to extract the chase but close enough to the batter that he is not able to pull in his hands in time to make contact.
Asked after the start what positives he would take away, Fried cited breaking ball command and an economical pitch count to go seven strong on just 88 pitches, the first point certainly highlighted by this sequence.
The Yankees desperately needed this start from Fried, not only to boost their chances of winning this particular game but also as a sign of continued build-up from the recurrence of his left elbow bone bruise. Fried labored in the start before this one, needing 80 pitches to complete 3.1 innings. Seeing him back to his best when it comes to pitch efficiency and damage limitation has to be encouraging as they formulate their postseason rotation plans.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: Tanner Gordon #29 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The offense fell flat for the Colorado Rockies as Mason Adams struggled on the mound, leading to a 9-3 victory for the San Diego Padres. The Rockies will now look to settle for a series split in their final match-up against the Padres in 2026.
Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.55 ERA) takes the ball for the Rockies, still trying to figure out a role with the Rockies. Since rejoining the rotation on August 21, Gordon has had two brilliant starts surrounded by three not-so-great starts. In his last two outings, he has allowed nine runs on 18 hits in 8.2 innings of work. Specifically, he allowed four runs on 10 hits in four innings against the Detroit Tigers. A familiar issue is that Gordon may throw a lot of strikes, but he gives up a lot of contact and that gets him into trouble. He doesn’t walk many and can get a modest number of strikeouts, but if he isn’t inducing the kind of contact that leads to groundball outs, things can get away from him in a hurry.
This will be Gordon’s first appearance against the Padres this season. He has made three previous starts in his career, going 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA. He made two starts in 2025, allowing seven runs on eight hits over 9.2 innings of work. He had 14 strikeouts against two walks, but was stung by four home runs. The Padres have a knack for hitting the ball hard, especially at Coors Field, so that will be something that Gordon has to be mindful of.
Michael King (11-9, 3.03 ERA) makes the start for the Padres. It’s been business as usual for King since his transition into a full-time starter when joining the Padres in 2024. In 175 innings of work, he has 148 strikeouts against 66 walks while opponents are hitting just .215 against him. King has been an effective workhorse all season, working at least six innings in all but nine of his 30 starts. He’s been on a hot streak lately, allowing just three runs over his last four starts, all of which came in seven innings. King’s command can get shaky at times, but he combats that with a strong strikeout ability and by getting weak contact.
He last faced the Rockies on July 28, allowing four runs on six hits over six innings. In five career appearances against Colorado, King has a 5.54 ERA over 26 innings of work. He has given up five home runs while striking out 30 against eight walks. A free-swinging Rockies offense will need to make him work and find a way to square up the ball like they did Tuesday night.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 14: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres celebrates his solo home run with Jackson Merrill #3 in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 14, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (83-69) at Colorado Rockies (56-96), September 17, 2026, 12:10 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our thread
The Cubs took two of three from the National League East division-leading Braves at Wrigley Field, winning the series. Once again, likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong led the Cubs offense with two home runs and a triple, but as has often been the case this season he’s had company with another teammate having a big game. On Wednesday night that backup act was Alex Bregman who put on an offensive show of his own [VIDEO].
In addition to hitting his 26th bomb of the year, Bregman added a triple and a double on the night. It was just another great night at the ballpark for the 32-year-old third baseman who has a 5 fWAR season in his first year with the Cubs, the first such year for him since 2022. Bregman has really turned a corner since the All Star Break, as you can see from his splits below:
Half
G
PA
HR
R
RBI
SB
BB%
K%
ISO
BABIP
AVG
OBP
SLG
wOBA
xwOBA
wRC+
First Half
94
431
9
45
41
2
11.4%
15.3%
.119
.267
.241
.336
.359
.312
.310
97
Second Half
56
250
17
43
47
1
9.6%
13.6%
.318
.294
.305
.384
.623
.427
.340
174
It’s been a pretty big turnaround since mid-July for Bregman and it’s mostly apparent on the power front. You can see that in both the Isolated Slugging (ISO) above but also just in the home run tally with Bregman almost doubling his home run total from the first half in 180 fewer plate appearances. But what really puts these numbers in perspective is the league context. Below you can see the top 15 players in MLB by fWAR since the All Star Break (is it any wonder the Cubs lead the league offensively with three guys in the top 15?):
Name
Team
G
PA
HR
R
RBI
SB
BB%
K%
ISO
BABIP
AVG
OBP
SLG
wOBA
xwOBA
wRC+
WAR
Pete Crow-Armstrong
CHC
57
269
23
52
52
13
11.52%
26.02%
.389
.280
.269
.357
.658
.419
.400
169
4.4
Alex Bregman
CHC
56
250
17
43
47
1
9.60%
13.60%
.318
.294
.305
.384
.623
.427
.340
174
3.4
Elly De La Cruz
CIN
57
253
13
44
30
12
12.25%
25.69%
.258
.375
.303
.387
.561
.406
.402
156
3.2
Fernando Tatis Jr.
SDP
55
248
18
45
43
12
10.48%
14.11%
.311
.287
.301
.379
.612
.416
.432
169
3.1
Jackson Merrill
SDP
56
236
15
36
45
7
4.66%
21.19%
.279
.344
.315
.349
.594
.398
.422
157
2.9
Gabriel Moreno
ARI
53
239
9
31
43
2
10.46%
14.23%
.227
.331
.314
.385
.541
.396
.360
151
2.7
Steven Kwan
CLE
54
245
2
40
14
4
13.06%
9.39%
.081
.385
.351
.437
.431
.389
.348
153
2.5
Alejandro Kirk
TOR
46
188
8
15
32
1
11.17%
11.70%
.164
.328
.321
.394
.485
.377
.340
145
2.3
Pete Alonso
BAL
56
246
16
32
37
3
10.98%
22.76%
.259
.326
.292
.386
.552
.401
.424
163
2.2
Ty France
SDP
53
227
9
29
33
0
9.69%
19.38%
.205
.367
.323
.396
.528
.398
.344
157
2.1
Seiya Suzuki
CHC
55
254
9
45
33
2
16.54%
22.05%
.214
.317
.262
.390
.476
.380
.352
143
2.1
Rafael Devers
SFG
52
226
18
39
46
0
13.72%
22.12%
.337
.278
.275
.376
.611
.413
.367
165
2.1
Ezequiel Duran
TEX
56
232
7
28
32
4
8.19%
24.14%
.174
.336
.271
.341
.444
.343
.303
122
2.0
Randy Arozarena
SEA
56
251
14
44
30
4
10.36%
21.12%
.237
.289
.265
.367
.502
.377
.334
151
1.9
Carter Jensen
KCR
52
221
11
32
25
1
14.48%
26.24%
.280
.263
.226
.344
.505
.366
.355
134
1.9
Qualified hitters, select stats
Bregman hasn’t just been good in the second half, he’s been the best hitter in baseball by some metrics. The above chart is sorted by fWAR but if it were resorted by wRC+, a stat that measures hitters run production off a league and park normed baseline of 100, Bregman would rank first, followed by a virtual tie between Fernando Tatis, Jr. and PCA. Bregman is also pacing the field in wOBA, a fancy on-base percentage that gives hitters more credit for extra base hits.
Bregman hasn’t just turned it on in the second half, he’s returned to vintage Bregman. In fact, by the end of 2026 a glance at his slash line will show 2026 as his best season by fWAR since 2022. His process in scrutinizing his at bats and making adjustments is obvious to anyone watching him study the tape in the dugout after an at bat, but if you’re more of a chart type you can also see the adjustment below:
You can see how Bregman’s wOBA and ground ball rate are inversely correlated pretty clearly in this chart. As Bregman has hit the ball in the air more, he’s gotten better production. The results speak for themselves [VIDEO].
It’s a good sign that the Cubs offense has kept rolling as they past the mid-point of September. With nine games left to play, they’ll need Bregman, PCA and Seiya Suzuki to keep setting a torrid pace offensively as they try to out hit their pitching woes down the stretch and into the Wild Card round.
Now, a heavily upvoted shitpost from the Diamondbacks subreddit, and a Tweet by one of the most toxic members of fandom may not seem worth bothering about. And they probably are not. But it does reflect a general feeling that September is the cruelest month for Arizona fans. It is true that this is the fourth consecutive season where the team could be seen as imploding. There was the “backing into the post-season” meme from 2023, missing out by a narrow margin in 2024 and 2025, and while the story of this year has yet to be completed, at the time of writing the team is on the outside of the NL playoff picture. Never mind that their record would be winning two of the three divisions in the AL…
So, first stop. Is there any truth to the perception?
The reality
TL;DR No.
The team’s performance in September over the past few years is not particularly better or worse than their performance the rest of the year. Indeed, the last time the D-backs had any kind of losing record in September was in 2022. Here’s their performance by each calendar month since the beginning of the 2023 season:
Mar/Apr: .517
May: .495
June: .551
July: .495
Aug: .554
Sep/Oct: .511
The overall win percentage in that time is .521. Based on that, over the 3.5 seasons and 92 September games, you would expect their record in the month to be 48-44. It is actually… 47-45. If that’s the “choking” demanded for the narrative, it’s an underwhelming one. Now, I also hear, “The meltdown is when they need to win the last few games to make the wildcard they lose.” So let’s take a look at each recent season specifically, and see what actually happened.
2023. Well, the above doesn’t exactly support the idea of a meltdown, does it? On September 13, Arizona had just a 30.7% chance of making the post-season. But they were about to go on an 8-2 run which included sweeps against both the Cubs and Giants. The former was particularly huge. They came in to Chase Field on September 15, with a 2.5 game lead over the D-backs, and left three days later, behind Arizona and broken. Including that series, Chicago went 5-10 the rest of the way, and their odds cratered from 58% to zero in five days. Now that’s what I call a genuine September meltdown. Losing the last four games, as the D-backs did? Irrelevant, as the subsequent playoffs proved.
2024. This is the season where I would say there is the best case for a meltdown, and it’s likely where the myth began. Though September as a whole was hardly a disaster, Arizona going 13-13. That, however, perhaps felt like a meltdown after the Diamondbacks went a stellar 35-17 in July and August. With seven games to go, the D-backs were three clear of the Braves. However, they’d lost the tie-breaker. Arizona went 2-5, while the Braves went 5-2, and the rest is history. But four of those games were against the Padres and Brewers, who were ahead of us in the standings. It included a loss by the odd run in nineteen in Milwaukee. A win there and the meltdown myth never gets started. That’s the margin we’re talking about here. Maybe we should be blaming the team which started 4-7 that year, not the one which finished 6-5.
2025. For there to be a “meltdown” in September, I’d say there has to be a significant chance of success there to begin with. But the highest chance of the D-backs making the post-season that month was only 12.3%. The last day it was even twenty percent – still an outside shot – was back on July 19. Sure, as in 2023, they finished the year on a losing streak: five games this time. But also as there, that ignores the good run the Diamondbacks went on immediately before that, winning seven of nine. They’d have needed to go 4-1 thereafter to reach the playoffs, for an overall 11-3 record over the last couple of weeks. Not doing so, going “only” 7-7, is hardly a meltdown.
Why the difference?
What I think is interesting is why some people choose to think the D-backs collapse, when the facts really don’t particularly support that as a narrative. I think part of it is actually a back-handed compliment, in that this is the first time, literally in a generation, where the D-backs have been consistently competitive for several years in a row. Put it this way: nobody cares very much right now about September meltdowns over at Purple Row, despite the Rockies playing 42 points worse after August 31. Below, you’ll see the team’s winning percentage through 136 games, which is there or thereabouts around the end of August (save for 2020, when I used the number through 35 games).
The 2023-26 run is the first time the Diamondbacks has been above .450 (the line highlighted above), through that point in the season, for five consecutive seasons since 2003. It’s the first time in over twenty years where Arizona have had four seasons in a row with meaningful baseball in the second half of this month. We’re not used to having September baseball that matters. Or, at least, it seems to. The reality, of course, is that wins and losses count exactly the same. If you’re looking for a reason why we “backed into the playoffs” in 2023, the 8-16 record of the D-backs in July is a far bigger explanation than anything in September.
Maybe fans remember failure better than success? Just ask Byung-Hyun Kim. Or this season, where we’ve had perpetual complaints about D-backs’ LOBsters. They actually score a higher percentage of baserunners than 23 of the 30 MLB teams. Or demands the Diamondbacks do a better job with a man on third and less than two outs, when only three teams bring those runners home at a higher rate than Arizona. I’m not sure if it’s a result of baseball being a game where a 30% success rate at hitting is considered elite, and 70% of baserunners will be stranded. It goes against studies which have shown team victories tend to be better remembered.
Yet here we are, some recalling meltdowns that barely happened. Of course, some people simply have a narrative to push, e.g. “Torey sucks!“ and will make up whatever history they want to support it.
Conclusions
“My job is to get us to the playoffs. What happens after that is f___ luck.” — Billy Beane
The reason he said that is because baseball has the biggest element of random chance in any of the major sports. The difference in the spot where ball meets bat, between a game-ending fly-ball and a game-winning home-run, is so small as to be beyond the bounds of human skill. Sure, some are better at it than others. But even Mark McGwire hit a home-run fewer than every ten at-bats. A baseball game is a series of chaotic and inherently unpredictable events. Over a season of 162 games, less so. But the smaller you shrink that, the greater the odds of something unexpected.
If we presume a 26-game month, there’s a better than even chance that a .500 team will lose at least four games in a row. It’s about a one-in-three chance for a five-game losing streak, so having one is basically meaningless in terms of “proving” anything. The problem is that, when a season comes down to the last few games, you’re basically in “playoffs before the playoffs”. Take 2025, where the D-backs would have needed to win four of the last five games to make it in. At that point, to quote Beane, what happens is “f___ luck”. It’s really not up to Torey very much. And you can expand the principle backwards.
The Diamondbacks are, let’s be honest, not going to compete for the division title any time soon. The Dodgers simply have too many competitive advantages. From having the reigning MVP on their books for $2 million this year, to that Godzilla-sized television contract, alone worth more than all of the D-backs’ revenue streams combined. While the scales of balance have the Dodgers’ thumb pressing down on one side, all we can hope for is to compete for a wild-card spot. And four years in a row, Torey Lovullo has got us there, successfully negotiating the shoals of injury and MarteGate to have the team playing meaningful baseball into late September.
Maybe it’s just me, but realistically, it’s hard to demand anything more.
