Category: MLB

The Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-1 on Saturday afternoon in the Bronx.

Here are some takeaways...

- It didn't take long for Aaron Judge to continue building on his AL MVP candidacy. The slugger gave the Yanks an early advantage with a two-out solo shot to left-center in the bottom of the first, now giving him 10 in September and a total of 53 on the season. 

Judge would deliver again a few innings later, smacking a two-run bases-loaded single to make it a 5-0 ballgame. A few pitches before that, Aaron Boone was ejected by home plate umpire Ramon De Jesus for a league-leading seventh time for arguing balls and strikes.

The captain finished the day 2-for-4 while driving in three of New York's six runs. 

- Two of New York's other runs also came via early blasts off of Baltimore lefty Tomyoki Sugano. After homering two different times in Friday night's game, Giancarlo Stanton lifted a solo shot leading off the bottom of the second, giving him 453 for his career (the 40th-most all-time).

Stanton reached base two more times on the day with a walk and a 102.5 mph infield single. The big slugger is heating up just in time for the playoffs -- hitting .333 with four home runs, 12 RBI, and a 1.392 OPS over his last seven games. 

- A few batters later, Ryan McMahon followed that up with his 20th homer of the season, fourth as a Yankee. 

- Cam Schlittler took advantage of the early lead and closed his spectacular rookie campaign on a high note. The young right-hander issued a two-out walk in the first, but then retired the next eight batters he faced before allowing a one-out double to Gunnar Henderson in the top of the fourth.

Schlittler got a lineout and strikeout to strand Henderson there. He hit two batters in the fifth to put another man in scoring position, but he was able to get Jackson Holiday to ground out to second to again escape without any damage on his line.

The youngster picked up two more strikeouts as he worked around a two-out single in the top of the sixth, then he put together a 1-2-3 seventh to end his day with just two hits (single, double) and a walk allowed while striking out nine batters across seven scoreless innings. 

Schlittler ends his campaign with a 2.96 ERA, the second-lowest by a Yankees rookie since 1981.

- Paul Blackburn entered and immediately broke up the shutout, allowing a leadoff solo homer to Coby Mayo. The right-hander rebounded to retire the next six hitters in order, securing the Yanks the series victory in their final set of the regular season. 

That earned run was the first one Blackburn has allowed in six appearances this month. 

- Jazz Chisholm left the game in the bottom of the fifth after being hit by a pitch on the left forearm. 

Game MVP: Cam Schlittler

The young right-hander certainly made a strong case for a playoff start, ending his rookie campaign on a high note.

Highlights

53rd homer of the year for Aaron Judge gets the Yankees on the board first! 😤 pic.twitter.com/c3HrvVg3Se

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 27, 2025

Do you get déjà vu?

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit home runs AGAIN.

Back-to-back games 💪 pic.twitter.com/hF2RaNnfpP

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 27, 2025

Ryan McMahon launches a solo shot to make it 3-0 Yanks! pic.twitter.com/xe1jepkqzi

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 27, 2025

2-RBI single for Aaron Judge extends the lead! pic.twitter.com/SS2kmD0efB

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 27, 2025

What's next

Luis Gil (4-1, 3.29 ERA) takes the mound against Kyle Bradish (1-1, 2.25 ERA) as the Yankees and Orioles close the regular season on Sunday at 3:10 p.m. in the Bronx. 

The Yankees are preparing for a postseason run, so they can't afford potential injuries to starters in the final games of the regular season.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited Saturday's tilt with the Orioles after southpaw Grant Wolfram hit the Yankees second baseman in the left forearm with a 97-mph sinker in the fifth inning.

Chisholm dropped his bat, held his arm and immediately went into the dugout to be tended to. After a few moments, Jose Caballero came out to replace Chisholm on the bases and for the rest of the game.

The Yankees infielder finished the day going 0-for-2. 

An initial X-ray revealed there was no damage to Chisholm's forearm, and a later CT scan also came back negative.

“Early signs good," manager Aaron Boone said after the game. "X-rays are negative, going to get more tests just to be sure. We’re hopeful." 

Being hit by a pitch wasn't the only incident for Chisholm in this game. Back in the fourth inning, Tyler O'Neill hit a liner to Cody Bellinger in left field. The Yankees outfielder turned and fired to second base to try and double up Gunnar Henderson, who strayed a bit too far from second base, but overthrew Chisholm. Jazz lept for the ball and landed on a sliding Henderson. 

Both players came away unscathed. 

The Yankees have clinched a playoff spot and are tied for the AL East lead. If they can't capture the division from the Blue Jays, the Yankees will finish the regular season on Sunday and then host Game 1 of their Wild Card round on Tuesday.

This story is still developing...

Jazz Chisholm Jr. went straight to the dugout after being hit on the left forearm by a pitch.

He was replaced by pinch-runner Jose Caballero. pic.twitter.com/vzJEZLxkL0

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 27, 2025

It’s been a long journey for Mets prospect Dylan Ross. 

Ross was selected as a 13th-round pick out of the University of Georgia in the 2022 Draft, but he was forced to miss the entire 2023 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery and a revision procedure. 

He made his way back to the mound in 2024, but threw just one inning. 

The 2025 campaign has presented a huge bounce-back opportunity for Ross, though, and he’s emerged as one of the top relief arms in the system. 

After cruising his way through three different levels of the minors, he was officially recalled and has joined the Mets ahead of Saturday afternoon’s contest with the Miami Marlins. 

“I’m just taking it day-by-day,” Ross said. “Through rehab with two surgeries, you kind of just have to adapt that mentality -- the rehab and the group we had down in the minors really helped me establish that mindset.”

Ross pitched to a 2.17 ERA with 80 strikeouts across 49 outings on the season.

Now he’s tasked with helping the Mets, who are still fighting for a playoff spot with just two games left. 

Teams usually look for a bit of a soft landing spot for youngsters to come in and make their big-league debut, but with the club desperate for wins, Carlos Mendoza doesn’t expect that opportunity to present itself. 

The 24-year-old isn’t nervous about being thrown right into the fire, though. 

“I guess all the moments are the same,” he said. “Just have to take it as another day, another outing. I’ve always tried to have the mindset of whether you’re up 14 runs or a tie ballgame in extras just attack the zone and attack everybody I can -- I don’t care who you are, I’m going to come after you and attack you.”

The Mets and Brett Baty were hoping for a different outcome, but the team decided to place the young infielder on the IL on Saturday, ending his season.

Baty injured himself on a swing-and-miss in the first inning. He would finish the at-bat and took the field, making an across-the-body throw to first base on a slow grounder to end the inning. That swing and the play in the infield were enough for Baty to speak with the coaches and training staff in the dugout between innings, and he was pulled for Ronny Mauricio to start the second. 

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Baty came to the stadium Saturday and he was tested and even got into the cages to swing a bat. Unfortunately,  Baty still felt his oblique while swinging and the team decided to shut him down.

“We’re looking at a guy who established himself in the everyday lineup, third base, second base. What he was able to provide for us, offensively, defensively," Mendoza said of Baty's impact on the team this season. "It's a big blow, but we've got other guys that are going to get an opportunity and they're going to have to step up."

Mendoza confirmed that Baty will undergo an MRI to see the severity of the injury, which would determine his availability if the Mets make the postseason.

The Mets enter Saturday's game needing a win and some help from the Milwaukee Brewers. A loss and a Reds win will eliminate the Mets from postseason contention. With two games to go, they need to win one more game than Cincinnati to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Baty was asked after Saturday's announcement how it felt not being able to play and help the team in their race for the postseason.

"It hurts a lot," he said. "But I'm going to root on my teammates and we're going to try to go to the postseason today and tomorrow."The Mets recalled Jared Young to take Baty's spot on the team for the final two games.

The 25-year-old infielder has had a breakout season with the Mets. He's slashing .254/.313/.435 with an OPS of .748 with 18 home runs and 50 RBI. All of those are career-highs for the infielder. Baty has also excelled at his natural position at third base and at second, giving him more versatility for Mendoza to use.

Brett Baty went down the tunnel after grimacing following a swing and a throw from third base in the first inning pic.twitter.com/2oB0Qdsh5f

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 26, 2025

I hear they are soon releasing the movie "Groundhog Day II" in which Bill Murray portrays a Dodgers relief pitcher named “Tanner Treinen.” Every day he comes into a game in the seventh inning after the starter has pitched six innings of brilliant shutout ball and every day he gives up a combination of a bunch of walks with a couple timely hits to lose the game while his manager sits silently in the dugout with a blank look on his face. Don’t miss it!

Alan Abajian
Alta Loma

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If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, then Dave Roberts is clearly certifiable. His continued reliance on Blake Treinen in late-inning pressure situations is truly head-scratching.

George Pisano
Rancho Palos Verdes

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And just like that Roki Sasaki could become the Dodgers' post season MVP.

Fred Wallin
Westlake Village

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Talking to reporters about his bullpen, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "Our starters can't go nine every night." Fact is, the Dodgers starters haven't gone nine innings any night. To date, they have ZERO complete games in 2025.

Rhys Thomas
Valley Glen

Down memory lane

Great article on Bill Russell by Kevin Baxter. When I watched Dodgers games in the 1970s, my favorite infielder was Steve Garvey, but thanks to Kevin Baxter's very informative article, I am now a Bill Russell fan too. Well done!

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

Stop there ...

Got very excited when I read Lakers GM Rob Pelinka declare, “We’d love if LeBron James retired …” then I noticed the last two words “with Lakers.”

Greg Nersesyan
North Hollywood

Not quite over

Yogi Berra got it right when he said "It ain't over till it's over." This was certainly true on two accounts in the Rams-Eagles game. First, thinking the Rams had it won when they went ahead 26-7 and secondly when the announcers proclaimed Joshua Karty the MVP of the game!

Mark Kaiserman
Santa Monica

Here we go again

Well, Bruin nation is once again suffering through a lost season. AD Martin Jarmond’s continued participation in a selection committee should be canceled and he should be escorted out the Westwood Avenue gates. Enough!

Felipe Hernandez
Glendale

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UCLA's Martin Jarmond is more clever than I gave him credit. As is well known, the primary job of the athletic director is to pick the football coach (see Bill Plaschke column Sept 14). Jarmond, who will be paid $1.5 million per year for the next five years, has recruited five individuals who will help him do it for free. And, when it goes south he can blame them!

Jon Udell
Santa Monica

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As UCLA embarks on its coaching search, some advice to the powers that be. Avoid a legacy hire at all costs. I can give you three good reasons: Karl Dorrell, Rick Neuheisel and DeShaun Foster!

Jack Wolf
Westwood

Gutty buddies?

Now that Tim Skipper is the interim UCLA football coach, perhaps his players should change their nickname from “the gutty little Bruins” to “the little buddies.”

Don Geller
Irvine

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The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Email: sports@latimes.com

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Justin Verlander still optimistic about 300-win milestone after turbulent season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Justin Verlander is 555 starts into his MLB career, but he has been reminded over and over again this season that the learning never stops. Verlander spent much of his summer working on mechanical adjustments to try and be more deceptive, and the endless tinkering with his slider led to a breakthrough that pushed him to new heights down the stretch. 

But in the ninth inning of his final game of the season, it was a different tweak that needed to be made. With career win No. 266 on the line, Verlander watched nervously as the Colorado Rockies put the tying run on third against closer Ryan Walker. He pulled out all the stops.

“I found a different place to sit in the locker room than I had all season,” he said, smiling. “I had a different brand of beer. I just was doing whatever I could.”

Spencer Bivens entered and got a strikeout before loading the bases. When he induced a popup down the left field line, Matt Chapman chased it down and went into the netting to end the game and clinch a 4-3 win for Verlander and the Giants. This one got him into a tie for 37th on MLB’s all-time wins list, but the Giants and Verlander would have expected a lot more if you told them in the spring that he would make 29 starts. 

When he signed a one-year contract, Verlander made no secret of the fact that he hoped this season could give him a strong shot at pursuing 300 wins. He likely will be the last pitcher to ever have a real chance at it, although that effort has taken a big hit this year. 

The win on Saturday got him to 4-11, and while he was inconsistent early, a lot of this was out of his hands. Verlander finished second in the majors with seven starts in which he left with the lead and didn’t get a win. It didn’t help that he received three or fewer runs of support in 23 of his 29 starts. 

This is the first time in his lengthy career, which reached 20 years of service time recently, that Verlander made more than 20 starts and didn’t reach double-digit wins. He admitted Saturday that his odds of reaching 300 are much lower than they were in March. He currently sits at 266. 

Verlander will turn 43 next spring, but he said he doesn’t think 300 is now “out of the question.” Still, he said, “it’s more difficult, for sure.” 

“If you make 29 starts, you’d like to win 10, 15 games,” he said. “It wasn’t in the cards this year, but maybe this year wasn’t meant to be for wins. Maybe this year was meant to be kind of for health and refinding myself and getting used to taking the ball every five or six days and just kind of going out there and being able to log some innings. Maybe that’ll carry me where I need to go. I don’t know.”

The big question now is whether the pursuit will continue in orange and black. Verlander said that while this year was a struggle at times on the field, he loved being with this group of players and in the Giants’ clubhouse. He was a willing leader, and the Giants believe his impact will be felt for years to come. But he hasn’t given much thought to what’s next. 

Between the chaos of a big league season and the fact that he and his wife, Kate Upton, had their second child this summer, there hasn’t been much time. 

“I’ve been scratching and clawing and just trying to find anything to be successful and pitch well for the San Francisco Giants,” he said. 

If Verlander wants to come back, he still would fit well. The Giants have Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp locked into their rotation for next year, but they need multiple options behind them to bridge the gap to any younger starters who prove ready at some point. They were reminded this season of how easy it is to run out of pitching. 

Before Verlander’s final start, manager Bob Melvin said he’s hopeful a reunion is coming, but he noted that there will be a lot more interest from others this time around. Last year, Verlander was coming off a season wrecked by a nerve issue. This year, he posted a 1.96 ERA in his final seven starts. 

Melvin wondered if Verlander has pitched well enough to get multi-year offers, even as the oldest player in the big leagues. But that might not be something Verlander wants, anyway. He said at this point of his career, he probably prefers to go year to year. 

Whether it’s in orange and black or some other color, Verlander proved in the second half that he can still get big league hitters out. That was a big question in the first half, but Verlander will head into the offseason healthy, coming off a strong month, and hopeful that the chase for 300 can gain some steam in 2026. 

Perhaps, he said, this up and down 2025 season will end up helping in an odd way.

“I’ve always said that I look back at some of the toughest moments of my career — core surgery, Tommy John — and when I look back at those now, I look back at them really fondly,” he said. “I learned so much through those processes to allow me to sustain the success that I did after those instances took place and met people that have helped me along the way. I hope and look back at this first half as the same type of thing. 

“Maybe a few years from now you get that 300th win and it’s like, ‘Man, that first half that I really grinded through in San Francisco really taught me a lot and allowed me to get where I wanted to.’ You’ve got to have that mindset.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

What we learned as Justin Verlander finishes season on high note in Giants win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants didn’t do much to help Justin Verlander’s pursuit of 300 wins, but in what might be his final start in orange and black, they at least found a way to reward another strong performance. It wasn’t easy, though. 

Verlander’s six innings were backed by a Casey Schmitt homer as the Giants held on to beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 to get to 80-81 on the season. The victory was Verlander’s 266th in the big leagues, which moved him into a tie for 37th all-time. He finished 4-11 on the season.

Verlander’s year was defined in part by a lack of run support and help from the bullpen. He entered his final start with just one win across his 11 quality starts this season and only 2.34 runs of support in those games. On Saturday, he gave the Giants another quality start. They gave him four runs to work with, but that was enough.  

Ryan Walker had already blown three of Verlander’s potential wins this year, but he was given an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Rafael Devers that got past a diving Brenton Doyle in center field. That disappeared right away on a homer by Jordan Beck.

After a double and a walk, Spencer Bivens took over for Walker. Bivens struck out Warming Bernabel but then plunked Ryan Ritter to load the bases. He clinched his second save when Matt Chapman chased down a pop-up and caught it against the netting down the left field line. 

Finishing Strong

Over his final seven starts, Verlander had a 1.96 ERA. Somehow, it was the 42-year-old who looked most ready for a postseason run when the season was on the line, although given that he’s a future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise. 

Verlander gave up two runs over six innings Saturday, both on solo homers. He finished the season with a 3.85 ERA and 3.85 FIP in 29 starts, which is incredible given his age, but also leads to one of the great disappointments of this season. The Giants got All-Star seasons out of Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, as well as a strong bounceback from their offseason addition (Verlander) to the rotation, but they still could not reach the postseason.

There are a lot of guys in the clubhouse who are hopeful that Verlander wants to return, but he should have more options than he did last offseason, when he was coming off an injury-marred campaign. Manager Bob Melvin said before the game that he thinks Verlander did enough to get a multi-year deal, and given that his wife just had a baby, that kind of security might appeal to the right-hander. 

The Giants figure to be involved regardless. Verlander was all they could have hoped for, on and off the field. 

Finishing Strong, Part II

Schmitt homered twice in the final game of his rookie season and had a solid final weekend as a sophomore. In Game 161 this time around, he launched a three-run homer to dead center to give Verlander a lead. 

The homer was Schmitt’s 12th of the season and bumped his wRC+ to 99, which is just about league-average. It was an odd season for Schmitt, who found himself as a man without a home in April. He picked up some first base on the fly and then became the starting second baseman after Tyler Fitzgerald struggled — while also sliding over to third when Matt Chapman twice went on the IL. 

Schmitt will go into this offseason knowing that second base is his position, and he plans to tailor his workouts for his new spot, dropping some of the weight he put on last winter.

Making His Case

The bullpen has been on fumes this month, and with Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval, Randy Rodriguez and Erik Miller all gone or injured, Melvin has had to mix and match when handling a lead. Tristan Beck took advantage of the opening over the final week.  Beck threw 2 2/3 shutout innings in a loss on Monday, and that earned him a save opportunity on Wednesday, which he handled.

On Saturday, he was the setup man, and he breezed through the eighth with two liners to short and a pop-up to first. It’s been an inconsistent third big league season for Beck, but he has pitched well over the final days, and that will be remembered as the front office puts together a bullpen depth chart heading into the offseason.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

• Livingston are winless in their past 21 meetings with Rangers in all competitions (D2 L19) since a 1-0 league victory in September 2018. The Lions have scored just four goals in these last 21 clashes.
• Rangers have won nine of their past 10 away games at Livingston in all competitions (D1), including their latest six in a row.
• Livingston have lost three of their past four league games (D1), conceding 2+ goals in each of those defeats – including a 2-1 loss to Hearts in their last home match in the Scottish Premiership.
• Rangers are winless in six league games (D5 L1), the joint-longest run in their entire history (level with six other runs of six, most recently in December 2005). The Ibrox side have also failed to win any of their opening five matches of a league campaign for only the second time, after 1978-79 (first six).
• Rangers have the lowest xG per shot rate of any side in the Scottish Premiership so far this season (0.08), with their 66 shots resulting in an xG total of 5.6.

The New York Rangers are heading into the 2025-26 season with the hope of turning things back around. They certainly have the potential to be a postseason club if their top players step up.

Yet, when looking at the Rangers' roster, they have an interesting under-the-radar player to keep a very close eye on this season: Taylor Raddysh.

The Rangers signed Raddysh to a two-year, $3 million deal back in July in a move to improve their forward depth. While this move was among the smaller NHL signings of the summer, the potential for Raddysh to be a good addition to the Rangers' roster is certainly there.

Raddysh has shown during his career that he has the potential to provide decent secondary offensive production when playing at his best. During this past season with the Washington Capitals, he recorded 27 points in 80 games. Yet, he also showed that he can put the puck in the net during the 2022-23 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, as he scored a career-high 20 goals and recorded 37 points in 78 games.

If Raddysh can produce that kind of offense this season, it would be big for a Rangers club that could use more secondary scoring. It will be interesting to see if he can do just that for the Rangers in 2025-26 and be a nice surprise for them. 

The Mets continue a three-game series against the Marlins at IoanDepot Park on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

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Mets Notes

• Juan Soto is just two stolen bases away from putting together his first career 40/40 season
• Francisco Lindor has been swinging a hot bat down the stretch, homering four times in the last five games
• Clay Holmes has a 4.15 ERA in September, but he's posted back-to-back scoreless appearances
• Holmes allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk the last time he faced the Marlins

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For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Friday, in case you missed it...

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• The Mets allowed the Marlins to score six times in the bottom of the fifth, and they never came back in a 6-2 loss on Friday night in Miami
• New York's miscues and wasted opportunities continue to cost them as their playoff chances dwindle
• The Mets are now tied with the Reds for the third NL Wild Card spot, but Cincy holds the tiebreaker
• The Marlins' goal over these final two games of the regular season: "Knock them out"
• Brandon Sproat delivered four strong innings, but things went sour on him in the bottom of the fifth
• To add insult to injury, the Mets could be without Brett Baty for the remainder of the season
• Clay Holmes is set to take the bump on Saturday, but the rest of the rotation remains day-by-day
• The bullpen will also receive a nice boost Saturday, as hard-throwing prospect Dylan Ross is expected to be called up from Syracuse
• WATCH: Baty discusses his injury, Sproat and Pete Alonso breakdown the loss
• WATCH: Carlos Mendoza shares his thoughts on the Mets' sloppy play in the loss

With two games remaining in the regular season, the Mets are looking to secure the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League.

The Reds hold the tiebreaker over the Mets due to winning the season series.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of play on Sept. 27...

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Reds: 82-78, tied with Mets for third Wild Card

Next up: @ Brewers, Saturday at 7:15 p.m. (Andrew Abbott vs. Robert Gasser)

Latest result: 3-1 win over Brewers on Friday

Remaining schedule: 2 @ MIL

Odds to make playoffs: 55.4 percent

Mets: 82-78, tied with Reds for third Wild Card, Reds hold the tiebreaker

Next up: @ Marlins, Saturday at 4:10 p.m. on SNY (Clay Holmes vs. Eury Perez)

Latest result: 6-2 loss to Marlins on Friday

Remaining schedule: 2 @ MIA

Odds to make playoffs: 44.6 percent

** Arizona was eliminated on Friday with their 7-4 loss to the Padres 

We asked for your views on Russell Martin's claims that Rangers are full of confidence and can still win the league.

Here's what some of you said:

Iain: So this is a confident team? God help us when their confidence goes. What is this guy on? What is it he seeing that the rest of us are missing? Never seen a team so disjointed and afraid in my life. What do they do at training? Laughing stock. Win the league? I think just now I would settle for a league win. Although it could be possible as last time Rangers won league there were no fans, it's going that way just now.

Bob: Martin is delusional. Anyone watching Thursday's game saw a team low on confidence and without a plan. Without Jack Butland it could have been 6-0. I think we might have a chance in the Championship next year.

Dougie: When you look at the players over the last few years who have come to Rangers, Aaron Ramsay, Amad Diallo, Max Aarons, Nasser Djiga, Joe Rothwell, they are all Premier League players, plus the long list of internationals from across numerous countries and leagues. What I want to know is what makes these players so bad up here? Is it Scottish football? Adapting to different style of play and pace or is there something inherently wrong at Rangers that turns quality/good players to dross? While on this subject I am wondering if Nicolas Raskin is really good or does he just stand out in this really, really abysmal Rangers team.

Jim: There is no confidence in this team, Martin is wearing rose tinted glasses. The only place we are getting is bottom of our league and hopeless in Europe. A lot of the existing players just don't seem to want to be there and play football. If they are scared, they should not even be in the squad. I would tell them no wages until you start to play for the team. They are dull and boring and I just wasted a lot of my money on a season ticket, it's time for Rangers to get rid of the dross we have in the team already.

Colin: Please just go Russell. He's living in a dream if he thinks he can still win the league. The team looks like mid-table at the best and is currently second bottom.

Alexander: This apology of a manager is seriously deluded. He has no idea how to manage a club of this size. His methods are not working, his style is slow, ponderous, boring and negative. He doesn't know how to motivate the team, players out of position and others that don't have the ability to play this style. He's lost the fan base already and there's no recovery from that. He should resign, failing that he should be sacked immediately.

David: I'm sorry but I really don't see where he's finding evidence for the comments he makes about the current situation. He's clearly out his depth from the evidence so far. The team look clueless and their body language is deafening as soon as they concede a goal! There is only one ultimate option and that's the immediate sacking of Martin, the worst manager in our history!

One of the hottest races in MLB this season is not between teams fighting for a playoff spot but between Aaron Judge and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh for the AL MVP award.

Both players have had masterful seasons, but the Yankees' win over the Orioles on Friday showed why Judge could win his second consecutive MVP award. The slugger went 1-for-3 with a walk, but his go-ahead two-run shot led to the Yankees' 8-4 win over the Orioles on Friday night. It was a pivotal moment for New York, which is trying to catch the Blue Jays for the AL East crown, after starter Will Warren gave up the team's early lead, Judge gave the lead right back.

Judge's night puts his batting average at an AL-high .330, and he is en route to winning his first batting title. Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked after Friday's win if the feat would surprise him. But in the midst of answering, the longtime skipper made a proclamation about the AL MVP race.

"Nothing Aaron Judge does surprises me; to me, he's the clear-cut MVP," Boone said. "Batting title, feel like he's been on base seven times a day the last week. Whether they don't pitch to him, pitch to him, hitting it out of the ballpark. Made a really good play in right field to open the game, you see his athleticism out there. I don't put anything past 99. He's playing like an all-time great."

While Judge's overall season numbers are extraordinary, he's doing it down the stretch as the team gets ready for a postseason run. He's hitting .374/.543/.802 (34-for-91) with 33 runs, three doubles, 12 home runs (eight in his last 15 games), 18 RBI, 33 walks (seven intentional) and four stolen bases over his last 28 games. 

Overall, Judge has reached base safely in 134 of his 150 games this year, while batting .330/.458/.687 with 135 runs, 30 doubles, two triples, 52 home runs, 111 RBI, 124 walks (36 intentional, a new AL record) and 12 stolen bases.

In comparison, Raleigh has set records for what a catcher can accomplish as a hitter. His 60 home runs are a record for catchers and switch-hitters and are threatening Judge's AL home run record (62). He's also leading a Mariners pitching staff that is one of the best in the league, while captaining the AL West champs.

All while playing good defense and staying available for his team. 

Perhaps, the race will come down to the final two games as the Yankees and Mariners fight for seeding and positioning, and Raleigh and Judge look to pad their stats before the writers make their decision.

The MVP award will be announced sometime in October.

 

"Nothing Aaron Judge does surprises me, to me he's the clear-cut MVP"

- Aaron Boone pic.twitter.com/HPcWrJMJgM

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) September 27, 2025

It's getting late early for the Mets.

After Friday's 6-2 loss to the Marlins and the Reds' 3-1 win over the Brewers, the Mets are no longer in control of their own destiny for the final NL Wild Card spot. But the team could have given itself a better shot if they didn't implode in the fifth inning of Friday's loss.

Leading 2-0 in the fifth, the Marlins began to get to young starter Brandon Sproat. While the pesky Marlins hit into some luck, dumping balls just inside the foul line and tying the game, the Mets' pitching and defense did not do themselves any favors and let the inning get out of hand. Pete Alonso, after making a nifty stab at a grounder to him, looked back the runner at third for the first out. Jakob Marsee followed by essentially doing the same thing on the drawn-in Alonso, but the first baseman could not pick the ball cleanly, allowing the go-ahead run to score. 

Now, with Gregory Soto in for Sproat and a runner at first with two outs, the southpaw did not account for Agustin Ramirez, who promptly stole second without a throw. Inexplicably, Ramirez stole third, but not because Soto didn't check, but Ronny Mauricio -- a defensive replacement for the injured Brett Baty -- did not cover the bag. Instead of getting out of the inning down just one, Ramirez would score on an Xavier Edwards single, then Connor Norby hit the two-run blast to cap off the six-run inning.

"We continue to make those mistakes and it’s costing us games," Mendoza said after the loss. When he was asked why they haven't been cleaned up, considering they are in September, the second-year skipper didn't have an answer.

"That’s a good question," he said. "It’s on me, it’s on all of us. We continue to make the same mistakes and it’s costing us games." 

Mendoza called the steal of third base an "inning-changer," while Alonso wished he had fielded the liner to him cleanly to try and get the runner out at home. 

"If I fielded it cleanly, I would have thrown it home, but I’m happy to get an out there," Alonso said of his misplay. "If you don’t get an out, things could have gone way worse. I wish I could have got the out at home."

But the fifth inning wasn't the only reason the Mets fell to the Marlins. After scoring two first-inning runs off of Sandy Alcantara, the Mets could get nothing on the Marlins' starter or the bullpen. But they had their opportunities.

New York finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base. The biggest opportunity they had was in the second, when Francisco Lindor hit a liner with two runners on that looked destined for a double over the head of Troy Johnston, but the Marlins' first baseman snatched it out of the air and stepped on first base to complete the inning-ending double play.

"When you’re facing elite pitching there, whenever you get chances, you have to be able to punch," Mendoza said of the lack of offense. "We had good at-bats in those first four innings, we had our opportunities."

"Sandy’s an ace. And he did what aces do and bunker down and made adjustments," Alonso said. "It’s unfortunate because he did bunker down and we gave up six runs. As a squad, we just have to stay hungry and do whatever we can and lock in. We did a good job early, but we have to find a way to get Sandy out of the game." 

With two games remaining, the Mets will need some help. They are tied for the final spot with the Reds, but Cincinnati holds the tiebreaker. The Mets will need to win one more game than the Reds over these final two games to make it back to the postseason.

"We put ourselves in this position," Mendoza said. "Here we are, we got to come back tomorrow and the next day. We have to win the next two and see what happens. We did it to ourselves." 

Alonso said the team is playing with a "high sense of urgency," and while it's unfortunate they lost on Friday, he knows they have to put it in the past and think about winning on Saturday. When asked if the reality of potentially missing the postseason has sunk in yet, the Mets' slugger dismissed the notion.

"Good thing it’s not over yet," he said. "We’ll figure that out later on. Hopefully, we can win tomorrow and not face that reality. For now, we just got to do what we can to win tomorrow."

The Mets will look to Clay Holmes to keep the Marlins down and their season alive when they play on Saturday afternoon.