Category: MLB

Welcome to week 24 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!

1. Milwaukee Brewers (88-56); 3-4 this week; 100.0% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)

For the first time in a long time, the rest of the NL Central gained ground on the Brewers this week, as Milwaukee was the only sub-.500 team in the division. It wasn’t a terrible week for the Crew, though, as they split four games with the Cubs in Chicago before dropping two of three to the Reds in Cincinnati.

Seven players had a homer each this week, with Jackson Chourio leading the squad with nine hits, including two doubles and a homer. William Contreras added seven hits, including four doubles and a homer, while Cooper Pratt led the team with nine RBIs as part of a seven-hit week, including a homer and a bases-clearing triple.

Logan Henderson had the team’s only quality start, though he took the loss, allowing two runs over seven innings and striking out seven. For the bullpen, Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe continue to impress, as the duo combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. Chad Patrick added 3 1/3 scoreless innings across a pair of appearances, striking out one.

Milwaukee will face the same opponents this week, though this time they’ll do so at home, hosting the Cubs and Reds for back-to-back three-game sets with an off day on Thursday in between.

2. Chicago Cubs (81-63); 4-3 this week; 99.7% chance to make postseason

The Cubs, as mentioned above, split a four-game set with the Brewers before winning two of three against the Marlins in Miami over the weekend.

Alex Bregman continues to crush after a slow start to the season, as he led Chicago with nine hits, including four homers and a double, driving in eight. Nico Hoerner added nine hits, including a homer, and Michael Conforto and Pete Crow-Armstrong each slugged a pair of homers, giving PCA 40 for the season as he’s well on his way to winning NL MVP.

Kevin Gausman and Shota Imanaga led the rotation, as Gausman went seven innings and allowed one run, striking out nine, while Imanaga went six innings, allowing one run and striking out four. Aaron Civale was a bright spot for the bullpen, working a three-inning save with no runs allowed and three strikeouts.

Chicago now heads to Milwaukee to face the Brewers for three games before returning home to host the Pirates for three games over the weekend.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (72-72); 4-2 this week; 2.1% chance to make postseason

St. Louis took two of three from both the Dodgers and Rockies to begin their West Coast trip this week.

Thomas Saggese had a huge week offensively for the Redbirds, picking up 10 hits, including three homers and three doubles, driving in eight. Joshua Báez and Iván Herrera both slugged a pair of homers, with Báez picking up nine hits and Herrera adding 11 hits.

Quinn Mathews and Andre Pallante both turned in solid starts for St. Louis, as each went five innings with one run allowed. Mathews struck out four and Pallante struck out one. Ryan Fernandez, Gordon Graceffo, and Cooper Hjerpe led the bullpen, totaling 9 2/3 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts.

The Cards will wrap up the road trip with three games against the Giants in San Francisco. After an off day on Thursday, they’ll host the White Sox for three games over the weekend.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates (71-73); 4-2 this week; 1.6% chance to make postseason

Pittsburgh hosted a pair of West Coast teams in the Giants and Angels this week, taking two of three from both.

Henry Davis, Brandon Lowe, and Bryan Reynolds all homered to lead the offense, as Reynolds and Lowe also tied for the team lead with eight hits. Nick Gonzales and Oneil Cruz added six hits each, as Cruz also led the squad with six RBIs and three steals.

Jared Jones led the rotation with six scoreless frames, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out nine for the victory. Mason Montgomery led what was a strong bullpen this week, as he totaled four scoreless frames over four appearances, picking up three saves. Carmen Mlodzinski, Brandon Eisert, Wilber Dotel, Lake Bachar, and Gregory Soto also had scoreless weeks, totaling 11 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts.

Pittsburgh now heads to Chicago for the next week, as they’ll take on the White Sox and Cubs for three games apiece through the weekend.

5. Cincinnati Reds (69-74); 4-2 this week; 0.0% chance to make postseason

The Reds continued what has become a nice stretch, as they’ve now won each of their last three series against a trio of playoff teams in the Cubs, Padres, and Brewers.

Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain each slugged two homers this week, and De La Cruz led the offense with 10 hits, driving in six. Five other players added a homer apiece, including Héctor Rodríguez, who had a nine-hit week. Dane Myers and Sal Stewart didn’t homer, but they both put together solid weeks with eight hits and seven hits, respectively.

Andrew Abbott worked four innings in a rain-delay shortened outing, allowing two runs (one earned) and striking out five, while Nick Lodolo worked six quality frames, allowing two runs and striking out five. Emilio Pagán went 3-for-3 in save opportunities, and Tejay Antone, Brock Burke, and Julian Garcia combined for 10 2/3 scoreless bullpen innings, striking out 19, including 10 by Antone over just four frames.

Cincinnati will look to keep it up with a tough schedule ahead. This week, they’ll visit the Dodgers in Los Angeles before a visit to Milwaukee for three games after an off day on Thursday.

Worcester, Game 1: L, 8-7 (BOX SCORE)

Gage Ziehl put Buffalo (Blue Jays AAA) on the board with a home run, but that was the only run he allowed in his five innings. The bullpen (Angel Bastardo and Tyler Samaniego) were not as lucky, as they got taken for a seven-run ride in the seventh. This was enough to erase the lead Worcester had amassed throughout the game through some three-hit games from Franklin Arias, Kristian Campbell and Romy Gonzalez, the last of whom is tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A following a demotion. Even with the team stranding ten, those hits kept them in good position to win Sunday until the lead slipped away.

Portland: W, 9-7 (BOX SCORE)

Henry Godbout’s latest home run is just the newest indication that you can’t judge performance after a promotion too soon. He continued to swing a hot bat against the BaySox (Orioles AA) as he hit his fifteenth home run of the season but his eighth in just a month. The homer was part of a 3-for-5 afternoon for the 2025 Competitive Balance round pick as he adjusts to his third playing level of 2026. Sunday as a whole was something of a home run derby for the Sea Dogs, as Tyler McDonough, Will Turner, and Max Ferguson all chipped balls over the wall before the fifth inning was even over. Meanwhile, the pitching staff, which allowed two home runs of their own up, came together to strike out thirteen BaySox batters as they cruised to a win in the penultimate Sunday game of their season.

Greenville: L, 4-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Drive didn’t get yet another walk off in Bowling Green (Rays High-A). The Hot Rods put up all 4 runs of offense very late, the Drive were actually having kept them off the board through 7. Leighton Finley, who was rewarded for an effective first full season in professional baseball with a start in High-A to finish off the season, pitched brilliantly though his afternoon was a little short. But he put the team in a great position to win, striking out 7 out and allowing just 1 hit. Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull reached the final game of their first season in the pros and there’s a lot to look forward to as they continue to move through the farm.

Salem: L, 10-7 (BOX SCORE)

Salem’s final game of 2026 was a loss that was closer than it appeared it might be at the beginning, as Lynchburg (Guardians A) took them for fourteen hits and eight walks. But Andrews Opata, who had 58 stolen bases on the season, kept it interesting early with his 11th home run. Some 2026 draft picks also got some hits in this game; Willis McGinnis and Colton Coates, to name a couple. Catcher Kleyvar Salazar also added in three hits of his own, but this game was an uphill battle even with the multitude of offense because the Howlers put seven on the RidgeYaks within the first four innings. It wasn’t always pretty for the lowest level of the system in 2026. I think the most comforting thing I can say is that at least draft picks from the most recent draft were productive within days of suiting up for the first time.

When it matters most, its is always best when your stars show up. And in this huge series against the Phillies, that is exactly what Ronald Acuna Jr. has done. He delivered the game tying home run as the Braves came from behind late to get a big 5-4 victory. Tyler Mahle once again showed he can be trusted in a playoff-type setting, as he kept the Braves close early. And it was awesome to see Austin Riley get the game winning hit. Overall, despite their ups and downs, the Braves once again proved they can get the job done against the best teams.

Braves News

While he does not come across as one most of the time, Acuna Jr. certainly seems to enjoy playing the villain against the Phillies.

Connor Essenburg impressed once again over the weekend.

J.R. Ritchie was highly impressive with 15 ks in his start on Sunday, a first in the minors since 2024.

MLB News

The Padres used some early power in historic fashion to get a Sunday win. \

As Shohei Ohtani continues to manage some injury concerns, there is a good chance he will not pitch again in 2026.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/34-28)

SYRACUSE 4, ROCHESTER 3 (BOX)

Rochester scored a pair of runs in the first and another run in the eighth to give them three runs. Syracuse scored a run in the fourth and then a pair in the eighth to give them three runs as well. In the top of the ninth, with the score tied at 3-3, Chase McDermott had a gritty outing, getting his first two batters out before finally recording the inning’s third out after working around a catcher’s interference runner and a walk. In the bottom of the inning, MJ Melendez got on base representing the winning run and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Jose Ramos walked, Big Billy Amick came up to the plate, and what would you expect your team’s big bopper to do? Lay down a sacrifice bunt? Exactly. The move caused so much confusion that pitcher Eddy Yean threw wide to first, missing first baseman Liover Peguero’s glove and allowing Melendez to scamper home for the win. With the victory, Syracuse finds themselves 2.5 games behind the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and the Red Wings, who are now tied for first place in the International League. The Indianapolis Indians are 1.5 games back, while the Worcester Red Sox and St. Paul Twins are 2.0 back. The Mets will be playing those same Twins this upcoming week.

·  CF D’Andre Smith: 2-4, R, 2B, HR (4), 2 RBI, K

·  2B Émilien Pitre: 0-3, K, HBP

·  SS Ronny Mauricio: 0-3, HBP

·  DH MJ Melendez: 2-4, R, K, CS (6)

·  RF Jose Ramos: 0-3, BB, 2 K

·  1B Billy Amick: 0-2, R, BB, K

·  LF Ryan Clifford: 0-2, BB

·  3B Nick Lorusso: 0-3

·  C Kevin Parada: 1-3, 2B, RBI

·  PR Vidal Bruján: 0-0, R

·  C Hayden Senger: 0-0, E (3)

·  RHP Gary Gill Hill: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, E (1)

·  RHP Cameron Weston: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

·  RHP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Chayce McDermott: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, W (2-0)

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Gary Gill Hill assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets activated 3B Billy Amick from the temporarily inactive list.

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets optioned LHP Jefry Yan to Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets recalled RHP Tobias Myers from Syracuse Mets.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/33-30)

NEW HAMPSHIRE 7, BINGHAMTON 6 (BOX)

New Hampshire took the initial lead in this one, but Binghamton tied things up and then took the lead themselves in the bottom of the fourth on a two-RBI single off the bat of Jacob Reimer. Both teams settled down for a bit, but in the seventh, Binghamton exploded for four runs, powered by a Marco Vargas RBI single and a three-run Jefferson Rojas shot. Up 6-1 going into the ninth, Carlos Guzman had an epic meltdown, allowing six consecutive batters to reach base and three runs to score. His replacement, Gabriel Rodriguez, got the next two outs with the bases juiced before allowing a bases-clearing double that gave the Fisher Cats a 7-6 lead. The Rumble Ponies did not go down meekly, getting the tying run to third and putting the winning run on with only one out, but Jacob Reimer grounded into an extremely inopportune double play and that was that. With the loss, combined with Reading’s win over Hartford, Binghamton fell to 3.5 games back. The Fightin’ Phils will be taking on the Erie SeaWolves this upcoming week, while Binghamton will have an easier time, taking on the Portland Sea Dogs.

·  2B Mitch Voit: 1-5, K, SB (7)

·  SS Marco Vargas: 1-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 K

·  DH Jefferson Rojas: 4-5, 2 R, 2B, HR (9), 3 RBI, K

·  3B Jacob Reimer: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, CS (4)

·  C Chris Suero: 0-3, BB, K

·  RF Eli Serrano III: 0-3, BB, 2 K

·  LF Corey Collins: 1-4, R, K

·  CF JT Benson: 1-4, R, 2 K

·  1B Jamari Baylor: 1-4, 3B, 2 K

·  RHP Gabe Davis: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, WP

·  RHP Bryce Conley: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Brendan Girton: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Carlos Guzman: 0.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, L (6-2)

·  LHP Gabriel Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, BS (2)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/32-34)

FREDERICK 6, BROOKLYN 5 (BOX)

Calvin Ziegler opened the game, and while the right-hander has been better of late, he has had multiple games this season where he allowed multiple runs in an inning or less of work. In the 2026 Brooklyn Cyclones season finale, Ziegler was money, throwing a perfect inning of work, striking out one. That was the high-water mark of this contest, as the Cyclones completely imploded in the second. Luis Rodriguez, recorded only a single out- a sac bunt, none the less- and his replacement, Rafi Vazquez, gave up four hits, allowing four more runs to score, three of which were charged to Rodriquez and one himself. Improbably, the Cyclones offense fought back and made this a competitive ballgame, scoring two runs in the third and two in the fourth and one in the fifth to make it a 6-5 contest, but they were unable to get over that hump. With the loss, Brooklyn ends their second half below .500 and ended up with a losing record in both halves for the first time since the South Atlantic League moved to a split-season format in 2022.

·  SS Elian Peña: 1-5, R, 2B, K

·  CF Aidan Smith: 3-5, R, 2 RBI, K, SB (25)

·  1B-3B Cole Mathis: 0-3, BB, SB (1)

·  LF Trey Snyder: 1-4, RBI, K

·  RF Yonatan Henriquez: 2-4, K, CS (10)

·  DH Ronald Hernandez: 0-2, R, 2 BB

·  2B Colin Houck: 2-2, 2 R, 2B, BB, HBP

·  3B Antonio Jimenez: 0-3, K

·  1B Chase Meggers: 0-1, K

·  C Alejandro Urias: 1-3, 2 RBI, BB, K. PB (1)

·  RHP Calvin Ziegler: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  LHP Luis R. Rodriguez: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, HBP, L (0-3)

·  RHP Rafi Vazquez: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

·  RHP Ernesto Mercedes: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Juan Arnaud: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, WP

·  RHP Elwis Mijares: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Parker Carlson: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/25-39)

ST. LUCIE 11, JUPITER 10 / 12 (BOX)

This game technically began on Saturday, as Saturday’s game between the St. Lucie Mets and Jupiter Hammerheads was suspended in the first inning due to inclement weather with the score tied 1-1 thanks to a Jake Ogden homer for the Mets and a Luis Arana steal of home plate for the Hammerheads. Rather than play a doubleheader between two sub-.500 teams, a full nine-inning game was played and the second contest completely cancelled. As soon as the game resumed, Ryan Tayman hit a homer to give the Mets the lead, but it wouldn’t last long as Irving Cota gave the run right back in the top of the second. St. Lucie scratched out a run to take the lead back, and then scored another, and then another. Going into the top of the ninth, St. Lucie had a comfortable 6-2 lead, but the bullpen had other ideas. The Hammerheads plated five in the inning to take the lead. Down to their last out, the Mets fought back, with Tayman and Yovanny Rodriguez drawing back-to-back walks. Pinch runner Vladi Gomez stole third, and then was driven home by a Kuhio Aloy single to tie things up at seven apiece and into extra innings things went. Both teams scored in the tenth, neither scored in the eleventh, and in the twelfth, things looked grim when the Hammerheads scored two, but Dylan Carey ended the game in storybook fashion, blasting a two-run homer to win it for the Mets and end the 2026 season, one that was largely a bad one for St. Lucie, on a positive note.

·  SS Bruin Agbayani: 0-4, 2 RBI, BB

·  SS Jeremy Rodriguez: 0-1, K

·  CF Jake Ogden: 1-5, R, HR (1), 2 RBI, BB, K, SB (4)

·  REHAB ALERT 2B Boston Baro: 0-0

·  PH-2B Yunior Amparo: 0-6, 5 K

·  C Ryan Tayman: 1-3, R, HR (5), RBI, 2 BB, K, E (5)

·  PR Vladi Gomez: 0-0, R, SB (12)

·  C Julio Zayas: 0-0, BB

·  DH Yovanny Rodriguez: 0-5, BB, 2 K

·  LF Kuhio Aloy: 2-5, 3 R, RBI, BB, 3 K

·  1B Reed Stallman: 1-5, 2 R, 2 K, HBP

·  RF Branny De Oleo: 0-0

·  RF Jack Toomey: 1-4, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K

·  3B Dylan Carey: 1-4, R, HR (2), 3 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB (3)

·  RHP Alex Petrovic: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Irving Cota: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  PRH Luke McNeillie: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, H (1)

·  RHP Landon Koenig: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, H (1)

·  RHP Gavin Guidry: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  LHP Zach Crotchfelt: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Candido Cuevas: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Jonathan Jimenez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, WP

·  RHP Christian Rodriguez: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, HBP

·  RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Brett Banks: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, W (1-1)

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets transferred RHP Peyton Prescott to the Development List.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Landon Koenig assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Gavin Guidry assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

Rookie: FCL Mets (24-33)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Billy Amick/Dylan Carey

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Luis Rodriguez/Carlos Guzman

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Mark Prior, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1998 – Mariners’ OF Ken Griffey, Jr. has four hits, including two homers, and reaches the 50-home run level. He’s the third player to do so in successive seasons. Seattle defeats the Orioles, 11 – 1, as Griffey knocks in six runs, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1905 – The Beaneaters and Giants trade shutouts, with Boston beating Joe McGinnity in the opener, 1-0, and Christy Mathewson returning the favor, 3-0, in the nightcap. 
• 1907 – In Boston, Walter Johnson tops the Red Sox, 1-0, for the first of his 38 career 1-0 wins. On the 12th, he will shut out the Highlanders  1-0.
• 1908 – The Pirates sweep an A.M.-P.M. doubleheader against the Cardinals. Honus Wagner is 5 for 5 in the morning game, and 1 for 2 in the afternoon.
• 1911: – 24-year-old Grover Alexander, winning a rookie-record 28 games, pitches the Phils to a 1-0 win over Boston’s 44-year-old Cy Young. 
• 1925 – In an A.M.-P.M. doubleheader, the Senators win the morning contest with the A’s, as Walter Johnson tops Lefty Grove, 2-1, and goes 3 for 4, the second consecutive game he’s collected three hits.
• 1979 – The Red Sox’s Carl Yastrzemski collects three hits to pass Ted Williams on the all-time total bases list.
• 1998 – Houston’s Randy Johnson strikes out 14 Reds in a 1-0 win. It is the 17th time this season he’s struck out ten or more and the 100th time in his career. 
• 2010 – Trevor Hoffman becomes the first pitcher to reach the 600 save plateau, preserving Milwaukee’s 4 – 2 win over St. Louis.

Today in Cubs history:

• 1911 – The Cubs’ Frank Schulte hits his 21st home run and brings in RBI No. 121 as the Cubs sweep the Reds, 3-0 and 4-2. He will lead the National League in both home runs and RBI. He is the first player to have more than 20 doubles, triples, and home runs in one season.
• 1918 – On one day’s rest, Hippo Vaughn gives up only seven hits, but Carl Mays wins a 2-1 duel. Wally Schang has two hits for Boston. Game 3 of the World Series ends with the Cubs’ Charlie Pick caught in a rundown between third base and home while trying to score on a passed ball.
• 1935 – Bill Lee shuts out the Phils, 4-0, for his 16th win of the season, as the Cubs move into second place ahead of the Giants. Augie Galan continues his hitting for the Cubs, driving in two runs.

Cubs Birthdays:Wade Davis, Mark Prior*, Wade Rowdon, Reggie Otero, Bill McAfee, Curt Davis.

Today in history:

• 1876 – Frank James and his gang are involved in a disastrous raid in Northfield, Minnesota, resulting in the death or capture of multiple gang members (Cole, Bob, and Jim Younger are arrested).
• 1892 – James Corbett knocks out 4 to 1 favorite and defending champion John L. Sullivan in 21 rounds at the Olympic Club, New Orleans, for the world heavyweight boxing title; Sullivan’s only defeat and his last fight.
• 1968 – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham make their live debut as Led Zeppelin (billed as The New Yardbirds) before about 1,200 students at Egegård School’s Teen Club in Gladsaxe, Denmark.
• 1979 – Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) launches; the first show is SportsCenter.
• 1988 – Elektra Records releases “…And Justice for All,” the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica.
• 1996 – Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas and dies 6 days later.
• 2018 – Rappers Cardi B and Nicki Minaj come to physical blows at a New York fashion event.
• 2025 – Pope Leo XIV canonizes English-Italian teenager Carlo Acutis after his death at 15 years old, making Acutis the first millennial saint.

*pictured.

Happy Monday, Camden Chatters. If you’re off work for the long weekend, remember those in the Labor Movement who fought for your right to work reasonable hours, among other things.

As for the Orioles, I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say they played themselves into irrelevance over the weekend. Having been mopped by the Red Sox in the four-game series, the Orioles find themselves four games out of the final Wild Card spot with just 18 games remaining. It’s over.

They were simply wretched over the weekend. After blowing a winnable game on Thursday, the team went into hibernation for the rest of the series. They were shut out Friday and Saturday, then eked out a single run yesterday in a 3-1 loss. You can get the full details of yesterday’s loss in John Beers’s recap.

One thing that stood out to me over the weekend was the bizarre decision-making process by Craig Albernaz and/or Mike Elias. Firstly, Samuel Basallo. The Orioles signed Basallo to a big contract extension, essentially naming him the catcher of the future. They traded away Adley Rutschman, presumably in part because they already had Basallo. And yet, Basallo started just one game this series because the Red Sox used three lefty starting pitchers.

Is Basallo a platoon bat? The Orioles seem to be telling us he is. Why would they give a platoon bat the contract they gave him? And even if you prefer to use Basallo as a platoon bat, it really only works if you have another bat who can fill in nearly as well. But they do not have that. They have Carlos Narváez, who as an Oriole his batting .083/.191/.100. Are you saying Basallo can’t do that?

Back in June, there was some hubbub around Basallo’s inability or unwillingness to play while injured. Albernaz did not look good when that happened. I’m not saying Albernaz doesn’t like Basallo; I know nothing about their relationship. But I know what it looks like to an outsider, and it looks like Albernaz doesn’t think Basallo is good enough to be an everyday catcher. And it looks like Albernaz makes decisions that harm the team.

I am not a doom-and-gloom guy when it comes to baseball managers. In fact, I tend to think they matter less than some people think. Historically, if a manager makes a move I don’t understand, especially with the lineup, I assume they have more information than me. But I have a hard time feeling that way about Albernaz. It seems obvious that he is in over his head not only with his managing choices, but also with his interactions with the press. It’s a bad scene.

The Orioles begin a three-game home series tonight with the Guardians. Last week, this series seemed huge. This week, not so much. The Orioles could sweep the series and would still be a game out of the final Wild Card spot. And I’m sure the Blue Jays and the Rangers would be happy to see the Orioles take down Cleveland. Those two teams are at the front of the pack to nab that final playoff spot.

Now that the season is basically over, I want to see some changes. Well, I wanted to see some changes earlier, but it’s clear the Orioles have no regard for what I want. No offense to Reece Hinds, but get Enrique Bradfield Jr. up here. And for heaven’s sake, get Basallo in the lineup almost every day.

Links

Luis Robert Jr., new Orioles outfielder, hits injured list with hamstring discomfort – The Baltimore Banner
Not that this matters anymore, but Robert could be out for the rest of the season. What was your favorite part of the Luis Robert Jr. era?

Who was at the Orioles’ game last night? The answer is Jeopardy’s Ken Jennings – Baltimore Baseball
This is a few days old, but I think we could use a little lightheartedness. I also think Milwaukee’s stadium is a dark horse, Ken Jennings. Did you know that Camden Chat was once a clue on Jeopardy! If you’ve never seen it before, here’s the clip.

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have five Orioles birthday buddies, although I’ll be honest and say that I have only heard of one of them. David Nehwan is 53 years old today. Newhan had an eight-season Major League career that included three years with the Orioles. From 2004-06, the utility player appeared in 230 games for Baltimore. The best year of his career came in 2004, when he hit .311/.361/.453 in 95 games.

Also born on this day in history are former Orioles Willie Morales (54), Wade Rowdon (66), Orlando Sánchez (70), and Tommy Matchick (b. 1943, d. 2022).

On this day in 1996, the Orioles shut out the Tigers 6-0. Mike Mussina pitched a complete game with six hit, one walk, and 11 strikeouts. Bobby Bonilla hit his 25th home run. It was the team’s first shutout of the season in game 141.

In 2012, the Cubs claimed pitcher Jason Berken off waivers from the Orioles, ending his three-plus seasons run with the team. Without meaning any disrespect, Berken remains the worst Oriole to ever get a t-shirt day.

In 2018, the Orioles lost their 100th game of the year, giving them an unbelievable record of 41-100. They lost 14-2 to the Rays as Dylan Bundy gave up six runs in four innings before being pulled in favor of some of the worst relief pitchers you’ve ever seen.

And one year ago today, the Orioles lost to the Dodgers 5-2. Starter Tomoyuki Sugano allowed four runs in three innings. The Orioles’ runs scored on back-to-back doubles from Emmanuel Rivera and Alex Jackson.

What was with those pitch calls by Garrett Stubbs to Ronald Acuna in the eighth inning? Seven straight fastballs in that situation? Really? That was the scouting report they chose to use? Seems a little sketchy to be doing that one.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Dave Dombrowski tries to do all that he does in the name of getting John Middleton a title. Even draining the farm system.
• Always love when articles like this are written on the day the subject of it gets blown up, but is Jhoan Duran having the best season for a Phillies reliever ever?

MLB news:

• Shane McLanahan is going to the injured list with the always ominous forearm tightness. Tampa Bay holds its breath.
• In what is looking like a lost season, the Mariners are promoting their top hitting prospect in Michael Arroyo.
• The Rockies might have a new majority owner as the Penners, owners of the Denver Broncos, may get an additional 35% of the team. Wonder if that has to do with a potential salary cap.

Things are looking rough for the Detroit Tigers as the season winds down after dropping three of four to the Cleveland Guardians this past weekend, making it six losses over the last eight games. To make matters worse, all three defeats at Progressive Field came in walk-off fashion as the team continues to struggle in monumental fashion.

The Motor City Kitties return home to host the Minnesota Twins — against whom their seven-game road trip began last week — for a three-game weekday series starting on Monday with Troy Melton taking the mound in the opener. The 25-year-old has been struggling of late after a tremendous three-month stretch, having posted a 4.84 ERA and 5.02 FIP over his last four starts, which resulted in three personal losses and four total for his team.

Melton has faced Minnesota twice this summer — including his most recent outing — having put up a bloated 7.84 ERA and a brutal 10.05 FIP over 10 1/3 innings. His FIP is heavily inflated by the six home runs he surrendered over those two games, and his pair of hit-by-pitches did not help matters much either.

As of Sunday night, the Twins’ starter for Monday’s Labor Day matchup has not been announced.

Detroit Tigers (65-78) vs. Minnesota Twins (68-75)

Time (ET): 3:10 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 144: RHP Troy Melton (7-4, 2.20 ERA) vs. TBD

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Melton	17	102.1	20.6	7.1	42.9	3.95	1.6
TBD	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

MELTON

Last Week’s Results:

• Monday: Cubs 17, Brewers 3
• Tuesday: Brewers 9, Cubs 4
• Wednesday: Brewers 9, Cubs 5
• Thursday: Cubs 2, Brewers 1
• Friday: Brewers 10, Reds 7
• Saturday: Reds 5, Brewers 3
• Sunday: Reds 12, Brewers 8

Division Standings:

• Brewers 88-56
• Cubs 81-63 (7 GB)
• Cardinals 72-72 (16 GB)
• Pirates 71-73 (17 GB)
• Reds 69-74 (18.5 GB)

Last Week:

• Brewers 3-4
• Cubs 4-3
• Cardinals 4-2
• Pirates 4-2
• Reds 4-2

Top Pitching Performance of the Week

Logan Henderson, who went seven innings while allowing two runs on three hits during Thursday’s loss to the Cubs. The rookie right-hander has been incredible all season; he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his fifteen starts. Recently, he’s been especially dialed in, going seven innings in three of his last four starts while averaging just 1.2 runs allowed. Henderson now has a 2.48 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP through fifteen starts this season.

While Henderson’s performance would have been deserving in a normal week, this might have been the worst week of the season for Brewers starters, so it wins basically by default. Robert Gasser, who gave up three runs (two earned) in 4 1/3 innings, had what was probably the second-best start of the week; the other contender was Dustin May, who gave up five hits and two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Reds. Jacob Misiorowski (5 ER in 4 IP) got lit up by the Cubs, Shane Drohan (6 ER in 4 IP) got lit up by the Reds, and Kyle Harrison (13 ER in 7 1/3 IP) got lit up by both.

Rough week for the Brewers pitching staff, for sure. With that in mind, Miz, Harrison, and Drohan have all been good way more often than they’ve been bad this year. The Brewers have also had just two off days since July 31st, which is pretty insane, and this week’s games were all on the road against tough divisional opponents. Even with the uncharacteristically shaky pitching, they managed to win three games this week thanks to the offense.

Top Hitting Performance of the Week

We’ve seen this Brewers offense tough out some cold stretches of late, but the bats came alive this week. Milwaukee scored eight or more runs in four games this week, although they did score three or fewer in the other three.

Every Brewer to get at least 20 plate appearances recorded at least a .730 OPS, but Cooper Pratt had the best week of them all. The rookie shortstop went 7-for-22 with a whopping 9 RBIs, punctuating his week by clearing the bases with a triple, then scampering home on a wild pitch, in Friday’s 10-7 win over the Reds. Pratt has certainly risen to the occasion since earning his spot in the big league lineup; he’s now hitting .271 with a .716 OPS in 177 at-bats.

Honorable mentions go to Andrew Vaughn, who hit .400 with a double and home run in 15 at-bats, and William Contreras, who went 7-for-25 with four doubles and a homer.

Cooper Pratt delivers a 3-run triple! pic.twitter.com/IMIlVkOiRn

— MLB (@MLB) September 5, 2026

Injury Notes & Roster Moves

• RHP Abner Uribe was activated from the IL last Monday, August 31st, after missing a few weeks with a right forearm flexor strain. He made three appearances, throwing 2 1/3 innings without allowing a baserunner.
• In a corresponding move, RHP Bryse Wilson was placed on the 15-day IL with a lower back strain.
• LHP JoJo Romero, acquired along with May from the Cardinals prior to the trade deadline, was also activated from the IL and made his debut as a Brewer. Romero, who hadn’t pitched since undergoing an emergency appendectomy in mid-July, made four appearances, allowing four runs (two earned) over 3 1/3 innings.
• Romero and catcher Bo Naylor were the two players added to the active roster as rosters expanded on September 1st. Naylor started at catcher yesterday against the Reds, going 1-for-4 with an RBI single.
• RHP Joel Kuhnel was designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Giants.
• Finally, manager Pat Murphy’s comments following today’s game hinted at a potential shakeup in the starting rotation…

Pat Murphy suggested that the Brewers are going to give a hard look to moving Kyle Harrison to a relief role in the immediate future.

“Maybe he won't start, maybe he'll end up being in the middle of the game or something like that,” Murphy said of the rest of 2026.

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) September 6, 2026

On Deck:

• Monday: vs. Cubs (1:10 p.m.)
• Tuesday: vs. Cubs (6:40 p.m.)
• Wednesday: vs. Cubs (6:40 p.m.)
• Thursday: Off
• Friday: vs. Reds (6:45 p.m.)
• Saturday: vs. Reds (6:10 p.m.)
• Sunday: vs. Reds (1:10 p.m.)

The dog days are never really over, regardless of what the song says. Yet, as Major League Baseball’s season staggers into the final three weeks, at least this battle of attrition will soon integrate magic numbers, tragic numbers and do-or-die games into the mix.

Alas, this week’s slate of crucial matchups is light on teams fighting for the same prize. Still, once again, more series than not are relevant.

Five of them stand out from the pack, for various reasons. With that, here’s five crucial series to keep an eye on this week:

MLB POWER RANKINGS: Guardians trying to walk-off their way to playoffs

RED SOX: Interim manager navigated 'fire drill' to turn Boston into contender

Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee Brewers

When: Monday-Wednesday, American Family Field

Key matchup: Wednesday – Cubs RH Kevin Gausman vs. Brewers RH Logan Henderson

Outlook: These guys again, huh? Well, this really, truly is the final series between the two, and the Cubs need a sweep to win the season series. Milwaukee managed a split at Wrigley Field last week, its Central lead still a healthy seven games. Yet, with the playoff field still aligned to match these two up in the NLDS for a second consecutive year, it’s worth a peek to see which arms look most viable as late September approaches. Gausman beat Henderson in a 2-1 duel last week and struck out nine. How will Brewers hitters adjust to his splitter, which accounted for most of his punchouts last week?

Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies

When: Tuesday-Thursday, Citizens Bank Park

Key matchup: Wednesday – Astros RH Hunter Brown vs. Phillies LH Cristopher Sánchez

Outlook: This is just a stopover for the Phillies in their crucial stretch of seven games against Atlanta, the final three coming next weekend at Truist Field. This rematch of the 2022 World Series has fairly wide-ranging ramifications for a September interleague clash, with the 73-71 Astros aiming to fend off the Texas Rangers in the AL West. The Brown- Sánchez clash is great eye candy, but the Phillies also hope rookie Andrew Painter can build on a three-start showing in which he’s given up just four earned runs in 20 innings (1.80 ERA). Philly fans might remember Yordan Alvarez for his mammoth home run in Game 6 of the 2022 Series. Now, he's bidding for the AL Triple Crown, leading in average and RBIs and tied with Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero for the home run lead.

Tampa Bay Rays at Atlanta Braves

When: Tuesday-Thursday, Truist Field

Key matchup: Thursday – Braves LH Chris Sale vs. Rays RH Nick Martinez

Outlook: An I-75 World Series, anybody? OK, so that won’t sell too many travel packages, unless you’ve got grandparents to visit in The Villages on the way. Still, this is a ball aficionado’s kind of matchup, spiced up by Ronald Acuña Jr. getting his swagger back. We’re not sure when Sale will throw this series, but the Braves’ practice of giving him an extra day or two of rest figures to push him against Martinez, whose 3.04 ERA ranks sixth in the AL, just behind teammate Drew Rasmussen. While we’re on that subject, Martinez and Rasmussen are a combined 28-9. Wins? Yep, wins. Once again, a ball aficionado’s series.

Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays

When: Friday-Sunday, Rogers Centre

Key matchup: Sunday – Orioles LH Trevor Rogers vs. Blue Jays RH Dylan Cease

Outlook: We’re pretty much done including the Orioles in these little exercises, given the four Ls they just took at home courtesy of the Red Sox. Yet, Baltimore still has six games left with Toronto and three earlier this week against Cleveland and those guys are 1-2 for the final wild card, so yeah, you never know. The Blue Jays briefly ducked over .500 – 72-71! – for the first time since they were, uh, 4-3 back in April. Naturally, the Royals dropped them back to even. The Blue Jays are 17-9 when Cease starts. Baltimore remains winless in September.

Texas Rangers at Arizona Diamondbacks

When: Friday-Sunday, Chase Field

Key matchup: Friday – Rangers RH Jacob deGrom vs. Diamondbacks RH Brandon Pfaadt

Outlook: Guess this is the week for fairly recent and mildly forgettable World Series rematches involving teams from Texas, eh? Since July 31, the Rangers have spent all but two days within one-half to three games of the first-place Astros. Be nice to take matters into their own hands, eh? Sorry! The season series is done. And the remainder of the season is just like this series – all pretty good, but not great, but also not terrible teams like the Mariners, Twins, Blue Jays and Mets. Arizona, at least, will get one more crack at its wild card rivals, the Padres. Of course, that must wait until the final series of the season. So let’s party like it’s 2023 this weekend.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Five MLB series to watch this week as September picks up urgency

BALTIMORE – After a nearly flawless long weekend of baseball at Camden Yards, the Boston Red Sox flew out of Baltimore and back home Sunday, Sept. 6, their spot in the MLB playoffs virtually assured, their World Series hopes very real.

And as their interim manager buckled into his seat, he felt far more secure than the first time he flew into Charm City this year.

More than four months ago, Chad Tracy’s professional odyssey took a shocking turn when, in the fourth inning of the 28th game of his fifth year managing Class AAA Worcester (Massachusetts), he was summoned by club president Craig Breslow.

The message: You’re going to be the new manager of the Boston Red Sox.

The circumstances: Suboptimal. The Red Sox were 17-27 when Breslow opted to eject Alex Cora, their World Series-winning manager, from the manager’s chair eight years into his tenure during a series at Camden Yards.

In his place: A minor-league lifer whose stomach turned on that April 25 flight from Worcester to Baltimore, his to-do list – Calm the youngsters, reassure the veterans, salvage the season  – longer than a CVS receipt.

Tracy admits those early hours in Baltimore amounted to a “fire drill.” And the many players he’d sent from Worcester to Boston along with skeptical veterans who knew him only from spring training and brief rehab assignments were watching closely.

And quietly blown away.

“He did a great job,” says lefty starter Payton Tolle, “of being transparent, being honest. Of saying, ‘Hey, I’m going through this with you guys. This sucks, but we’re going to find our way around it and through it together.’

“He’s done a great job of reminding guys of that. He makes sure you know he’s in the foxhole with us. To me, he was the same guy he was in Worcester. His calming presence.

“I’m sure there was a little bit of nerves – there’s got to be nerves going through that – but you wouldn’t have noticed.”

Not that Tracy was an immediate salve. The Red sox went 19-26 in their first 45 games with him, seemingly cementing their spot in the American League East cellar. Yet, what happened since justified Breslow’s bold venture and Tracy’s young charges’ belief in him.

A 15-game winning streak highlighted a 21-4 July. The club is 47-19 since June 25 – a scorching .712 winning percentage. And now they’re 69-48 under Tracy.

Sunday, they completed a four-game sweep of the Orioles with a 3-1 victory, capping a series of deftly-managed, well-pitched games. They have a six-game lead for the No. 2 wild card spot in the American League with 18 games to play.

They are almost certain to square off against the rival Yankees in the wild-card round, most likely in New York. And guiding them will be a manager who might find the playoffs in the Bronx a smoother ride than the trial-by-fire that made him a big league skipper.

“Everything’s slowed down,” Tracy tells USA TODAY Sports, reflecting on his 105-day journey since getting tapped to run the Red Sox. “Getting up to speed with an entirely new coaching staff. Up to speed preparing for a big league game instead of a minor league game. Getting to know the guys and watching games and getting comfortable with having visual cues for when a guy starts to fatigue.

“So many things that, when you now fast-forward four and a half months, you feel like you have a good handle on all of them.”

The one thing Tracy does not have? The interim tag removed from his job title. Playoff baseball has a way of overturning narratives well-crafted from April to September.

Yet ,“interim” can adorn many managers like a scarlet letter. Tracy, 41, is not one of them.

“A wild situation to get thrown into,” says veteran All-Star closer Garrett Whitlock. “But he doesn’t ride the rollercoaster. Smooth and steady. The spring trainings I’ve had with him, he’s someone you want to talk to, someone you want to be around just because of how good a guy he is.

“I’d never been on his roster, but I still had a great relationship with him going into this. Just because of how easy a person he is to get along with.”

Which is perhaps the biggest prerequisite to survive in Boston.

A 'bittersweet moment'

Mickey Gasper was on the field for the WooSox on April 25 when he glanced into the dugout during the fifth inning. Something was missing.

“I was playing first base and I was just like, ‘Why isn’t Tracy in the dugout?’” remembers Gasper. “And I noticed Collin Hetzler, our hitting coach, he’s not here, either.

“And then after the game, they had a meeting with us.”

Breslow had called. Tracy and Hetzler were bound for Baltimore, where Breslow had fired Cora and five members of the coaching staff. Tracy was getting the promotion of a lifetime, one his charges in Worcester dreamed about for themselves.

“It was a bittersweet moment being there. We loved having Trace there,” says Gasper. “I certainly did; he’s one of the best managers I’ve ever played for. Always there for us, always ready to work.

“Always wanting to get us better, wanting us to succeed.”

Yet, several reunions were soon in the offing.

In Boston, Tracy was surrounded by several former Worcester pupils, most notably outfielders Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu and pitchers like Tolle. By summer, three members of the Worcester lineup on that fateful April afternoon would rejoin Tracy in Boston.

None made quite a splash as Gasper, 30, who’s hit eight homers in 17 games since an Aug. 17 recall and had a 1.671 OPS in August. Gasper is in his ninth season of pro ball and, entering this season, had just 58 major league games under his belt.

When he bade Tracy farewell when the manager left Worcester in April, it resonated.

“I thought he’d earned it, you know?” says Gasper, a 27th-round pick of the Yankees in 2018. “That’s a guy that’s paid his dues in the game of baseball, played the game, managed the game for quite some time, been in the game his whole life.

“A guy that paid his dues and earned his way to his spot. I was ecstatic for him getting this opportunity.”

Yet much of the heavy lifting was ahead.

Veteran outreach

Oh, Tracy wasn’t exactly a major league newbie: His dad, Jim, spent 11 years managing the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies. Yet, Chad’s playing career hit a ceiling at Class AAA, getting that far with the Texas Rangers, Rockies and Kansas City Royals.

He’d bring pedigree but not playing bona fides to Boston’s clubhouse. Which he knew might be a challenge in a room largely bifurcated between the kids and a group of veterans led by shortstop Trevor Story.

The veteran crew was buttressed by off-season acquisitions of first baseman Willson Contreras and ace Sonny Gray from St. Louis, but the group was misfiring when Tracy joined them.

“It was important to get to know Willson," says Tracy of Contreras, who's having an All-Star season but currently on the injured list. “It was important to get to know Sonny. I knew Trevor, had managed him on rehab assignments, but it was important understanding what those guys are all about.

“They’re what helps your locker room go. That was important.”

Gray, now 17-4 with a 2.69 ERA, says he appreciates that Tracy does not overmanage. Eventually, the Red Sox found themselves, and their scorching July and August have set the stage for bigger things.

“I think it says that we have good players and it just took us a little while to gel and find our rhythm,” says Gray. “But I think if you find it, hopefully you can maintain it.”

A feel for the room

Or at least regain it. Their sweep at Baltimore came after losing four of five against the Seattle Mariners and the Yankees. The weekend came with a bonus: Tracy summoned Worcester hitting coach and Red Sox legend Rich Gedman to Baltimore for the weekend.

Gedman, the catcher for their 1986 AL pennant-winning team who’s been in the organization since 1979, coached almost all the current Red Sox hitters in Worcester and remains beloved. When the team convened a hitter’s meeting during their final game against Seattle at Fenway Park, Gedman walked into the room.

His former pupils roared in delight, and responded even louder when Tracy said, “And he’s coming with us to Baltimore.”

It was a symbolic nod to a longtime friend of the franchise. Perhaps more significantly, it was a sign the man running the dugout knows his players and recognizes that respect is earned in the game’s endless meritocracy.

“You want to recognize people,” says Tracy, “who mean what he means to the organization.”

Soon, Tracy may find out just what he means to the Red Sox.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From 'fire drill' to firm hand, Chad Tracy has Red Sox's respect as playoffs near

If the Yankees fall just short in their quest to rally in the AL East, they may just look back at this series in San Diego as where they missed their opportunity. They had the lead in extras on Friday, having managed to damage Mason Miller, but lost in devastating fashion. They rebounded strongly on Saturday, and had a chance to win the series with Gerrit Cole on the mound, but lost by one run, Cole giving up four solo home runs. Fortunately, the Rays lost to the Rangers to keep the division deficit at five, but two one-run losses this weekend could prove extremely costly.

The Bombers travel back to New York today, where maybe, just maybe, they’ll welcome Aaron Judge back to the lineup. It’ll be a quiet day on the site today, and in the morning, Kevin will recap Sunday’s AL action, while John puts out this week’s SB Nation Reacts poll. Later, Madison puts out the call for this week’s mailbag, and Nick highlights the great Suzyn Waldman on the occasion of her 81st birthday.

Today’s Matchup:

Offday

Questions/Prompts:

1. The Yankees host the Rays for a four-game set in the Bronx in the final week of the season and the second-to-last series of the year. How many games would they have to be behind the Rays for you to feel like they still have a shot at the division? How many games back would they have to be for you to feel confident about their chances?

2. Which teams do you think will secure first-round byes in the National League?

Perhaps the final playoff spot in the American League won't come from some sub-.500 team backing into it. Perhaps someone will seize the moment just like the Cleveland Guardians did – three times, in fact – this weekend.

The Guardians capped a roller-coaster week in startling fashion, winning three of four games from the Detroit Tigers – all their wins coming in walk-off fashion. All coming when they didn't lead for a single second all game – save for the decisive hit and the Gatorade baths and sunflower-seed showers. Daniel Scheeneman capped the trio of unlikely wins with a 10th-inning RBI single Sunday, Sept. 6, a dagger of a weekend for the Tigers but a potentially transformative one for the Guardians.

"We're in the hunt. The weather's starting to turn. It's starting to feel like fall is coming. It’s starting to feel like we're chasing playoff baseball," closer Cade Smith told reporters Sunday after striking out five in two innings, helping the Guardians regain sole possession of the third wild card spot. They remain 2½ games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. And they maintained the No. 12 spot in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.

A look at our updated MLB rankings:

1. Milwaukee Brewers (-)

• Matt Harrison's fastball is getting pummeled. Not what you want just weeks from October.

2. Atlanta Braves (+2)

• Remember Ronald Acuna Jr.? The Phillies wish they could forget.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)

• Window almost shut on Shohei Ohtani pitching again this season.

4. Tampa Bay Rays (-2)

• Yankees still lurking, just four games out.

5. New York Yankees (-)

• Will Aaron Judge be back this week? Seems like.

6. Chicago Cubs (-)

• In one sense, you can put Pete Crow-Armstrong's name in the same sentence as Mr. Cub.

7. Philadelphia Phillies (-)

• At long last, top prospect Aidan Miller makes his 2026 debut.

8. Boston Red Sox (-)

• Aroldis Chapman the ninth reliever to earn 400 saves.

9. San Diego Padres (+1)

• After going homerless until May 30, Fernando Tatis Jr. tops 20 home runs again.

10. Chicago White Sox (-1)

• Opponents are 5-for-52 against rookie lefty Hagen Smith.

11. Arizona Diamondbacks (-)

• Torey Lovullo says they "dodged a bullet" after Geraldo Perdomo struck in head by batted ball.

12. Cleveland Guardians (-)

• Miz-cuse me? Gavin Williams takes over major league strikeout lead with 227.

13. Houston Astros (-)

• One day after Junior Caminero seizes AL HR lead, Yordan Alvarez goes deep, regains Triple Crown standing.

14. Miami Marlins (+1)

• Kyle Stowers on track to become first Marlin with consecutive .800 OPS seasons since Giancarlo Stanton.

15. Toronto Blue Jays (-1)

• Pretty good week: They won the season series with Cleveland, which may loom large.

16. St. Louis Cardinals (-)

• Oliver Marmol on the right side of history earning ejection to defend Hancel Rincón.

17. Texas Rangers (+1)

• Jake Burger establishes career high with 82 RBIs.

18. Pittsburgh Pirates (+1)

• Paul Skenes isn't back-back, but 5⅓ shutout innings is encouraging, anyway.

19. Cincinnati Reds (+2)

• Eugenio Suárez earns U.S. citizenship, then homers, of course.

20. Baltimore Orioles (-3)

Spend $5 million on Luis Robert Jr. claim - then lose him to hamstring injury after three games.

21. Minnesota Twins (-1)

• Joe Ryan set to return Monday, but playoff hopes likely cooked.

22. Washington Nationals (+1)

• Just one blown save from tying all-time record.

23. Detroit Tigers (-1)

• 19-46 in games decided by two or fewer runs.

24. Seattle Mariners (-)

• Schedule very favorable – but not when you, too, are 20-33 the past two months.

25. New York Mets (-)

• A.J. Ewing ends drought of 209 plate appearances between home runs.

26. Kansas City Royals (-)

• Thirteen wins in 19 games. What does it mean? Who knows?

27. San Francisco Giants (-)

• Rafael Devers: 35 home runs, .855 OPS, impervious to foolishness.

28. Athletics (+2)

• Jamie Arnold reaches Class AAA, dominates, gets on Yolo County radar for 2027.

29. Colorado Rockies (-1)

• Hunter Goodman earns universal acclaim for throwing Doug Eddings under the bus.

30. Los Angeles Angels (-1)

• Stan Kroenke sees No. 30 power ranking, thinks, "This is a perfect buy-low situation."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB power rankings: Guardians trying to walk-off their way to playoffs

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Yankees captain Aaron Judge will take a huge step towards a return to play on Monday, as he is scheduled to face live pitching for the first time since suffering his stress fracture. There’s still no word on who will be throwing to Judge, though. To this point, he has faced the Trajekt machine and also took on-field batting practice on Friday. The plan is for the three-time AL MVP to return after a couple of live BP sessions, so we might see him back in the lineup this week.

CBS Sports: After hurting his right hamstring on Friday, the Yankees announced on Saturday that outfielder Trent Grisham had been placed on the injured list. Sunday brought even worse news, as the team deemed the ailment a ‘moderate’ Grade 2 strain, which makes it highly unlikely that the player will return before the end of the regular season. The 29-year-old had already spent some time on the IL in June with the same ailment, so it’s definitely a worrisome development.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips David Bednar’s splitter is, to put it lightly, a nasty pitch. It has held hitters to a .156 wOBA and has a 36.9 percent whiff rate. As it turns out, he learned the pitch early in his career from Japanese pitching legend Hideo Nomo, who was working with the San Diego Padres, Bednar’s team in 2017, as an instructor.

“I don’t want to say it clicked right away, but it was something I had good feel for and good confidence for early on,” said Bednar. “Obviously, that pitch helped me get to the big leagues, and it’s also helped me stay.”

The current Yankees closer said he wasn’t too familiar with Nomo’s career back then, but after watching some videos, he became enamored with the pitch and wanted to throw it. “After I learned [the splitter] from him, I went and watched the highlights, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, I want that one!’” Bednar recalled.

At some point on Sunday night, Shohei Ohtani strapped on his elbow guard, slipped on his batting gloves and grabbed his bat.

He was going to pinch-hit, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

If either of the first two hitters in the eighth inning had reached base, Ohtani would have replaced Alex Call. The game was the fourth in a row that Ohtani didn’t start because of problems with his knee, biceps and neck.

But Alex Freeland popped out, Max Muncy flied out to left field, and Roberts elected to keep right-handed Call in the game to face Nationals lefty Will Dion with the Dodgers down by a run.

“To be quite honest, versus lefty right there, I just felt Call had a good chance to get on base,” Roberts said. “And nothing against Shohei, but he hadn’t played in four days and lefty’s on the mound, so I figured we’ll just try to keep the line moving and get Tommy (Edman) up there.”

Not making the substitution won the Dodgers the game.

Call singled.

Edman followed with a walk.

And with two batters on, Mookie Betts crushed a down-the-middle fastball over the left-field wall to send the Dodgers on their way to a 7-5 victory.

With Ohtani able to prepare himself to pinch-hit, Roberts said, “My expectation is he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow.”

Asked if he would consider batting Edman leadoff instead of Ohtani, Roberts said he wouldn’t. The plan, Roberts said, is for Ohtani to continue batting first.