Category: MLB

After their first day off in September on Thursday, the Brewers will continue their stretch of NL Central foes as they’ll host the Reds for three games in Milwaukee, the second time they’ll see Cincinnati in the last two weeks, as the Reds took two of three in Cincy last weekend. The Brewers are coming off of a sweep of the Cubs to balloon their NL Central lead to 10 games over the rest of the pack, sitting at 91-56 with 15 games left. The Reds, who sit in last place, are 69-77 after being swept by the Dodgers to begin the week.

Since the last time these teams met, the Reds have activated right-hander Graham Ashcraft and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes from the IL, with left-hander Sam Moll designated for assignment and utility man Edwin Arroyo optioned to Triple-A Louisville in the corresponding moves. The Brewers have only lost Grant Anderson, who was placed on the 15-day IL with biceps tendinitis. He was replaced on the active roster by Brandon Sproat, though Sproat was demoted once again on Thursday, with the corresponding move expected to be a recall of right-hander Garrett Stallings to shore up the bullpen. Jake Bauers is also continuing to deal with a variety of lower-body injuries, and the Brewers have opted to focus on managing the injuries rather than putting him on the IL.

Just to remind you of what these two teams bring to the table offensively and on the mound, here’s a quick rundown of both squads.

Milwaukee is hitting .257/.339/.400 (.739 OPS ranks fourth), with 137 homers (last), 742 runs scored (third), and 143 steals (fourth). The Reds are hitting .230/.308/.398 (.706 OPS ranks 23rd), with 196 homers (fourth), 611 runs scored (25th), and 102 steals (11th).

On the mound, Milwaukee ranks second in the majors with a 3.56 team ERA, including a 3.63 starter ERA (fifth) and a 3.46 bullpen ERA (fifth). They’ve struck out 1,406 batters (second) over 1,312 2/3 innings. Cincinnati ranks 27th with a 4.73 team ERA, including a 4.78 starter ERA (27th) and a 4.68 bullpen ERA (25th). They’ve struck out 1,186 batters (20th) over 1,293 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Friday, September 11 @ 6:45 p.m.: RHP Dustin May (6-9, 4.69 ERA, 3.51 FIP) vs. LHP Andrew Abbott (6-10, 4.43 ERA, 4.78 FIP)

May had two really solid starts to begin his Milwaukee tenure, but since that time, he went two innings and allowed seven runs against the Mariners, recorded just one out and exited after being struck by a liner against the Mets, and has had two so-so starts against the Rangers and Reds. Overall, he’s made six starts totaling 23 1/3 innings for the Crew, with a 6.17 ERA, 5.20 FIP, and 21 strikeouts. As mentioned above, his last outing came against these Reds, as he went 3 2/3 innings before a rain delay forced an early exit. He allowed two runs on five hits and no walks, striking out five on 56 pitches. Both of May’s starts against the Reds have come this season, as he’s totaled 9 2/3 innings with three runs allowed and 13 strikeouts.

Abbott has had a rough fourth season in 2026, as he has a career-worst 4.43 ERA and 4.78 FIP over 29 starts, which matches his current career-high from a year ago. He went four innings against Milwaukee last weekend, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits (one homer) and no walks, striking out five in Cincinnati’s eventual 5-3 win. Abbott is 3-4 with a 3.62 ERA and 52 strikeouts over 54 2/3 innings across 10 career starts against Milwaukee.

Saturday, September 12 @ 6:10 p.m.: TBD vs. RHP Brady Singer (6-13, 5.03 ERA, 5.16 FIP)

The Brewers haven’t announced a starter for either Saturday or Sunday, but these spots would fall to Shane Drohan and Kyle Harrison unless the rotation changes. Based on recent comments by Pat Murphy, it seems possible that Harrison will have a very short leash with a long reliever behind him. I’d bet that we will see both Drohan and Harrison in some shape or form on Saturday and/or Sunday. With that in mind, here’s a quick rundown on each.

Drohan is 7-5 with a 4.09 ERA, 3.61 FIP, and 115 strikeouts over 114 1/3 innings in his rookie season. He got hit hard by the Reds last weekend, allowing six runs on five hits (two homers) and two walks while striking out five over four frames, but his offense bailed him out to eventually win 10-7. Drohan has made three starts against the Reds this season, with worse results in each successive outing. Overall, he’s totaled 14 innings with eight runs allowed (5.14 ERA) and 17 strikeouts.

Harrison is 10-4 with a 3.66 ERA, 4.03 FIP, and 134 strikeouts over 110 2/3 innings this season, though he’s been roughed up by the Cubs and Reds in his last two outings, giving up 15 runs (13 earned) over just 7 1/3 innings, allowing 19 hits (six homers) and six walks to seven strikeouts. In four career starts against Cincinnati, Harrison is 0-1 with a 6.27 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings.

Singer hasn’t had a great season, but he remains in the rotation despite his 6-13 record, 5.03 ERA, and 5.16 FIP over 28 starts. He picked up the win against Milwaukee last weekend, though it wasn’t pretty — he went five innings, allowing six runs on four hits (one homer) and six walks, striking out three in Cincinnati’s eventual 12-8 victory. Singer is 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 30 2/3 innings in six career starts against Milwaukee.

Sunday, September 13 @ 1:10 p.m.: TBD vs. RHP Chase Burns (15-3, 2.73 ERA, 3.09 FIP)

See above for rundown on Milwaukee’s potential starters for Sunday.

Burns, 23, is a former No. 2 overall pick and the lone probable starter to not have pitched in last weekend’s series. He’s turned in a great sophomore season, with a 15-3 record, 2.73 ERA, 3.09 FIP, and 176 strikeouts over 148 1/3 innings, though he’s on a very strict innings limit as we near the end of the season. He worked three scoreless innings on just 44 pitches against the Dodgers his last time out, allowing no hits and a walk while striking out five, though the Reds would ultimately lose 6-3. Burns has a 2.35 ERA and eight strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings against Milwaukee for his career, including six innings of two-run ball in a victory back in early July.

How to Watch & Listen

Friday, September 11: Exclusively televised on Apple TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, September 12: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Sunday, September 13: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

The Brewers are rolling, and there’s a solid chance they can lock up a postseason spot this weekend, while the Reds have struggled after taking two of three over Milwaukee last weekend. Give me the Crew to win two of three.

Coming into this game, a lot of eyes were on one particular player. Earlier today, the Yankees officially placed Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a thumb sprain. In his place, they recalled Anthony Volpe, who has been playing second a lot since he was sent back down to the minors in place of George Lombard Jr.

In the weeks since then, Volpe has hit pretty well, but it was Triple-A, and Yankees’ fans had seen a lot of him putting up .600 OPSes over the years. However with Chisholm’s injury, Volpe was the call to get some reps at second base. At least through one game, there’s reason to have hope that whatever he was working on in the minors has helped.

In his big league return, Volpe went 3-for-4 with five RBI, including a seventh inning grand slam that basically put the game away for the Yankees. Obviously, drawing any hard conclusions about one game against a 100-loss team is premature, but it was still good to see. Besides Volpe, the Yankees got a couple solid contributions on offense as they swept the Rockies with a 10-3 win.

After a good top of the first from Max Fried, the Yankees’ offense struck early. Ben Rice led off the game for New York with a single, eventually moving to third thanks to a wild pitch and a ground out. With two outs, Luis García Jr. was the Yankees’ last hope for the inning, and he delivered. His deep shot to center field hit off the very top of the wall for a two-run homer, the 30th of his very nice season.

The Rockies did answer right back, with a two-out homer of their own. After Fried got the first two Colorado hitters, Kyle Karros took an offering out to left field for a solo shot.

However, the Yankees proceeded to get that run back and more in the second. Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells started the inning with a single and a walk respectively, bringing Volpe to the plate. After working an eight-pitch at-bat, Volpe punched through a single to score McMahon and move Wells to third. A couple batters later, Wells tagged up and scored on a Cody Bellinger fly out.

The home run from Karros ended up being the only run that Fried allowed, but he didn’t have the most efficient day. After a seven-pitch at-bat that ended in a strikeout in the fourth, Fried was already sitting at 80 pitches, only 48 of which were strikes. With Fried still only a couple starts back from an injured list stint, the Yankees went to the bullpen. In his 3.1 innings, Fried allowed one run on one hit and two walks, striking out seven. Those numbers are fine other than the length, he just struggled putting batters away at times.

Following Fried, the bullpen held things down for a while, but the Rockies eventually threatened again. After getting the first two out of the seventh, Ryan Yarbrough issued a walk to Ezequiel Tovar, leading to Aaron Boone going to Brent Headrick. On the very first pitch Headrick threw, Jake McCarthy hit one to right center that nether Spencer Jones or Jasson Domínguez could track down, with it landing in between them. Tovar scored with McCarthy racing all the way to third with a triple. The tying run was suddenly at the plate, but Headrick did get out of the inning after that.

However much like the previous time Colorado scored, the Yankees’ offense answered and extended the lead. Bellinger and Domínguez started the inning with a double and walk respectively, before both moving up with stolen bases. Jones then came through with an RBI single, scoring both runners, and moving to second on the throw. A couple batters after that, McMahon and Wells drew walks to bring the order back around to Volpe. Once again, he came up with the big hit, getting a grand slam to just clear the porch in right. After the years of hubbub around Volpe and his play, he did get a deserved curtain call in this game.

In the top of the eighth, with Luis Gil on the mound, the Rockies picked up one run thanks in part to a Domínguez misplay in right field. Gil stayed on for the ninth and managed to load the bases with nobody out, causing Boone to get David Bednar up in the bullpen. Gil got the next three outs without allowing a run, preventing any further madness.

Having swept the set with Colorado, the Yankees will now welcome the Mets to the Bronx. Tomorrow’s 9/11 anniversary game is set to begin at 7:05 p.m. ET. Carlos Rodón and Nolan McLean are expected to be the starting pitchers.

Box score

In the final game of their three-game home series against the Colorado Rockies (55-91), the Yankees (84-62) completed the sweep with a 10-3 victory.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Luis Garcia Jr. opened the scoring for the Yankees with a two-run home run in the first inning off of right-handed Rockies starter Ryan Feltner, his second straight game with a round-tripper. Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros responded in the bottom half of the frame with a solo homer, taking advantage of the righty-lefty matchup against New York southpaw Max Fried.

-- In the second inning, Anthony Volpe made a triumphant return to Yankee Stadium, stroking an RBI single into left field in his first at-bat since he was promoted to play second base in place of the injured Jazz Chisholm Jr. Volpe's at-bat lasted nine pitches, and he stole third base later in the inning. Cody Bellinger brought home another run with a sacrifice fly, pushing the lead to 4-1.

-- Ryan McMahon made an errant throw with two outs in the bottom of the third, which put runners on the corners for Colorado catcher Hunter Goodman. Fried escaped the jam by getting the slugger to softly ground out.

-- Fried had a strange outing. He only allowed one earned run on one hit (the aforementioned Karros solo shot), but he also only managed to complete 3.1 innings across 80 pitches. The lefty struck out seven and walked two. Manager Aaron Boone was clearly keeping Fried on a pitch count given his recent return from injury, and pulled him for right-handed reliever Michael Fulmer. Fulmer retired the next two Rockies batters he faced with a strikeout and a groundout.

-- Fulmer was relieved by John Schreiber in the fifth inning, who allowed a two-out single but still worked a scoreless inning. In the bottom of the frame, Rockies right fielder Jordan Beck robbed Bellinger of a potential home run with a leaping effort to keep the ball from going over the wall, but Beck couldn't keep the ball in his glove, holding Bellinger to a double. Feltner was able to strand him at second base and keep the score at 4-1.

-- Despite allowing a two-out double to Cole Carrigg, Ryan Yarbrough protected the Yankees lead in the sixth without allowing a run. He nearly replicated the feat the following inning, but after issuing a two-out walk to Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, he was swapped out for fellow lefty Brent Headrick. Headrick surrendered an RBI triple to the first batter he faced, Jake McCarthy, and walked Connor Norby to put the potential tying run on base. Thankfully, he got Goodman to harmlessly pop out to end the threat with the score now 4-2 in favor of New York.

-- With men on second and third with one out in the seventh, Spencer Jones roped a single to center field, which scored both baserunners. Later on in the inning, the bases were juiced with two outs for Volpe. He fought off a sinker the opposite way, muscling it into the right-field seats for a grand slam that put the game out of reach at 10-2.

-- Luis Gil was given the ball to handle the final six outs in his new bullpen role. He allowed a run in the eighth and allowed three straight singles in the ninth before recording an out. Remarkably, Gil retired the next three batters in order, with two flyouts not deep enough to score Tovar from third and a strikeout, to put the finishing touches on the 10-3 win.

Game MVP: Anthony Volpe

With Aaron Judge out of the lineup tonight as the Yankees continue to be cautious with his health, it was the returning infielder who did the most at the dish to pick up the slack. Volpe played second base and recorded three hits on the night, tallying a career-high five RBI. The crowd was fully on his side all night, most vocally when Volpe took his curtain call following his grand slam. He looks primed to make the most of what could be his last chance to nail down an everyday role in the Yankees lineup.

Highlights

Luis Garcia Jr. gets the Yankees started! pic.twitter.com/EpzakjadS0

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 10, 2026

Welcome back, Anthony Volpe! pic.twitter.com/sfJD2QGA1R

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 10, 2026

Spencer Jones drives in two! pic.twitter.com/hpZU70V1Kj

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 11, 2026

ANTHONY VOLPE PUTS AN EXCLAMATION POINT ON HIS RETURN WITH A GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/Dk67cQVALE

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 11, 2026

What's next

On Friday, Sep. 11, the 25th anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks, the Yankees will play host to the Mets in the opener of their three-game series. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

Carlos Rodón (3.09 ERA, 1.17 WHIP in 64.0 IP) is set to take the mound for the Yankees.

The Mets will send out NL ROY candidate Nolan McLean (3.06 ERA, 1.14 WHIP in 161.2 IP).

Jazz Chisholm Jr. may want to familiarize himself with Wally Pipp. 

His injury has opened the door for Anthony Volpe at second base. If Thursday night was an indication, the back-from-the-minors Volpe doesn’t plan on relinquishing the job. 

In his first game back in The Bronx, Volpe put on an offensive show: three hits, including a grand slam to the opposite field, as the Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Rockies with a 10-3 victory to move within three games of the AL East-leading Rays. 

After Volpe’s seventh-inning slam, the crowd of 40,706 chanted “Volpe, Volpe, Volpe” until he came out for a curtain call. 

“A little bit of a blackout,” said Volpe, whose five RBIs are a career high. “I didn’t know what was happening.” 

Later, he added: “That’s why it’s a special place, for sure. I wouldn’t trade anything for it.” 

Suddenly, everyone’s favorite whipping boy is a fan favorite. 

Chisholm was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier in the day after suffering a sprained right thumb in Tuesday’s win over Colorado. He was wearing a protective brace on it, and will be shut down for at least a week. 

Before the game, manager Aaron Boone declined to say if Volpe would be the everyday second baseman, pointing out that he could use José Caballero there as well in Chisholm’s absence. But, obviously, Volpe is going to stay in the lineup if he hits like this. 

“You root for games like that, especially with how hard he’s been working and everything he’s been doing down in Triple A,” starting pitcher Max Fried said. 

Volpe was demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 4, replaced by top prospect George Lombard Jr. as the team’s starting shortstop. He produced in the minors. 

Volpe was named the International League Player of the Week from Sept. 1-6 after going 11-for-21 (.524) with three homers, eight runs scored and five stolen bases. Over his past 17 games at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Volpe was batting .333 with eight home runs and a 1.218 OPS. Teammate Jasson Domínguez recently joked that he “became Barry Bonds, all the time, every day.” 

“I don’t know if physically as much as just mentally [there was a change], having the mindset I wanted to get a lot out of it,” Volpe said before the game. “You have a game every night, try out different stuff. Seeing what works and you feel like it’s gonna translate in case an opportunity like this comes. So there was just a lot of trial and error.” 

Boone noted that it can sometimes be difficult for a player to handle a demotion the right way, especially if that player starts well following being sent down like Volpe did, but isn’t immediately recalled. Volpe felt he had no other choice being surrounded by positive people who work hard, such as teammate Oswaldo Cabrera and manager Shelley Duncan. 

“I wasn’t alone when I went there,” he said. “Cabrera, I feel like I got so close to him. To see his positivity and how he just enjoys playing and having fun, if you don’t do that when you’re down there, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb.” 

During pregame introductions, Volpe received cheers. In his first at-bat, he singled in a run. He added another hit in the sixth and then came up with the bases loaded an inning later. He smashed a 1-1 Jimmy Herget sinker over the wall in right field at 104 mph to put the game away. The curtain call followed. 

“I wanted to be back up here, I wanted to be helping and contributing, but when you’re down there, there’s obviously no guarantees,” he said. “You work really hard for yourself and for the player that you feel like can help the organization. 

“I never thought I was going to be back here in this moment. But I wanted to be ready and prepared in case something happens.” 

The Pittsburgh Pirates have lost one of their best players as they cling to hope of making a late charge to reach the MLB postseason.

The team announced Thursday that All-Star starter Braxton Ashcraft is headed to the 15-day injured list with right arm discomfort, retroactive to Sept. 7. Manager Don Kelly told reporters that his season is finished ahead of the series finale against the White Sox in Chicago, though he added that there's no indication of any structural issues.

Ashcraft is 14-6 with a 3.65 ERA and 173 strikeouts this season. He was selected to his first All-Star game in July alongside reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. He's been particularly solid since Aug. 1, allowing no more than three runs in any of his seven starts and allowing no more than one in four of those outings.

Required reading: The Pirates have gotten hot, and just might save GM Ben Cherington's job

His performance has been a key building block of a late-season surge that's lifted the Pirates back to the .500 mark at 73-73 and on the fringes of wild card contention. The club has not had a winning season since 2018 and hasn't been to the playoffs since 2015 but has won seven of its past eight series to stay in the mix following a midseason swoon.

The Pirates enter action Thursday five games back of the San Diego Padres for the final wild card spot. Fangraphs pegs their odds of making up that deficit to reach the postseason at 1.3%.

Pitcher Antwone Kelly was promoted to the active roster in the corresponding roster move. He's allowed five runs in 8.1 innings of big-league action in 2026. He has a 4.93 ERA across 23 appearances - 17 of them starts - with Class AAA Indianapolis in the minors this season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pirates lose All-Star Braxton Ashcraft, major piece of late-season surge

The closest they will get to October baseball is scheduled over the next three days in The Bronx, and the timing probably couldn’t be better for the Mets. 

Just like for a playoff series, the Mets have their rotation aligned with their top guns set to face the Yankees. They also have collective confidence after winning three straight series (including a sweep in Miami this week) to escape the National League East basement, a domain they had owned for most of the season. 

That the Yankees are playing for something — with the American League East title still a possibility — adds to a weekend that will begin with the raw emotion of commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11. 

“The energy, the vibes, how loud it should be, it should feel somewhat like October,” Francisco Lindor said. “It probably will get a little cooler too, which usually when it gets a little cooler, you kind of feel like you’re in October.” 

The Mets won two of three games against the Yankees at Citi Field in May, but plenty has changed since then. Manager Carlos Mendoza was fired June 23 — Andy Green replaced him on an interim basis — and the Mets went into full sell mode at the trade deadline, retooling their farm system at the expense of veteran pitching. Yet, the Mets are 21-12 since the trade deadline. 

Their highest upside starter remains in the fold. Nolan McLean will lead the trio of young starters (Zac Thornton and Christian Scott also are scheduled to pitch this weekend) into Yankee Stadium. 

They will face a lineup that again includes Aaron Judge following his return from the injured list this week. 

“He’s super dynamic, a great player,” McLean said. “It will be a fun test for me, seeing how my stuff stacks up against one of the best hitters in the world.” 

Juan Soto, who was targeted by fans in his return to the Stadium last season after a one-year hitch with the club, was asked by The Post if he expects it will be different for him this time. 

“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think it’s going to be the same. I am not expecting less than that from Yankees fans. They are really passionate.” 

Does Soto, who left the Yankees for a record $765 million contract with the Mets, feel as if he’s hated in The Bronx? 

“Who knows?” Soto said. “But they know I gave my best to them. Some of them appreciate it, some of them don’t. You can’t control that.” 

Lindor, who has played previously on 9/11 in a Subway Series, understands the emotion of the day. 

“The vibes, it’s almost like everybody comes together before the game, it doesn’t matter whether it’s Yankees or Mets, and it feels really good,” Lindor said. “And then once the game starts, it becomes Yankees vs. Mets, which is really cool. I’m looking forward to it. It’s a special day for a lot of people, and hopefully we can put a smile on people’s faces with a great showing and remember the ones that fought for everybody. They are the ones that lost their lives that day. It’s a truly special day.” 

McLean grew up watching Subway Series games but said he hasn’t given much thought to the environment he will be entering Friday. 

“I try not to look too much at that stuff because when you get out there, it really doesn’t matter that much,” McLean said. “It’s just you and the batter you are facing every time, so I am not too worried about it. I am sure it will be a fun [event] to be a part of, especially on the day that it is happening — not just like a Yankees-Mets thing, but a city thing as well.” 

When the schedule makers came up with this year’s second installment of the Subway Series, they no doubt had Friday’s commemoration of the 9/11 attacks in mind but also a matchup of two New York teams expected to be at least in the hunt for the postseason. Instead, the Mets’ playoff chances were pretty much done in by a 12-game losing streak in April. 

However, they have played better of late and could impact the Yankees’ path to October. The Yankees, though, got a much-needed boost from the return of Aaron Judge this week. 

Here’s a look at how the teams match up heading into Friday’s series opener in The Bronx. 

At the plate

Getting on base 

The Mets are a much different team since they were sellers at the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and they’ve defied expectations by improving in a handful of areas, including this one. In addition to Bo Bichette looking more like himself, the Mets have gotten contributions from Carson Benge and Brett Baty, as well as unlikely sources such as Jared Young and Luis Torrens. Now, they have a healthy Juan Soto — although Baty is dealing with a potential knee injury. The continued struggles of Francisco Lindor, A.J. Ewing and Francisco Alvarez have limited the offense. Meanwhile, the Yankees have been inconsistent in virtually every aspect of their offense since Judge went down with a fractured rib at the end of May. He’s just come off the injured list, but the Yankees hope his presence will help the likes of Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger and that deadline acquisitions Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos find their groove at the plate, since the team had the worst on-base percentage in the majors without its captain. Losing Jazz Chisholm Jr. to a sprained thumb hurts because the second baseman was hitting well over the last two weeks after slumping for much of the season. 

Edge: Yankees 

Power 

Somehow, since the trade deadline the Mets entered Wednesday with the second-highest slugging percentage in the majors. Perhaps the slugging of Baty, Bichette and Soto will continue in The Bronx and Lindor, who’s shown some pop lately, will benefit from the short porch in right. With Austin Wells, Ryan McMahon and George Lombard Jr. dragging down the bottom of the order, the Yankees need Judge — as well as Bellinger and Rice — to get back into form quickly. Fortunately, Spencer Jones has shown he’s ready to contribute in the middle of the lineup. 

Edge: Yankees 

In the field 

Infield 

The Yankees hoped the addition of the smooth-fielding Lombard would improve their defense up the middle, but the rookie shortstop is dealing with growing pains on both sides of the ball as he adjusts to the majors. Without Chisholm at second, the Yankees will have to go with José Caballero or Anthony Volpe, who had played some second base with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but remains inexperienced at the spot. García and McMahon have been adequate at the corners, and Wells has handled the pitching staff well. Across town, Young has been serviceable at first, as has Bichette at third, but Semien and Lindor clearly have taken steps back at second and short, respectively, and Torrens remains far superior to Alvarez behind the plate. 

Edge: Even 

Outfield 

How much time is Judge going to spend in right field? If it was up to him, he’d be there every inning of every game, but the Yankees insist they’ll be cautious. That means Ramos or Jasson Domínguez could see action there. No thanks. Jones has looked solid in center, with Bellinger an expert in left. Soto and the Mets are still being cautious with him in left after his return from a calf strain, plus left field at the Stadium is spacious. Nick Morabito should see time there, with Ewing (with his speed) and Benge (with his arm) already having proved themselves defensively. 

Edge: Mets 

On the bases 

Caballero has been dangerous on the basepaths, though he as been unable to get on base consistently. Coupled with Chisholm’s absence, it doesn’t do them much good. Ewing and Benge can wreak havoc on the bases, and Morabito is a known speedster but already has been caught stealing twice. 

Edge: Mets 

Bench 

Losing Chisholm hurts their depth, too. Ramos is best utilized when facing left-handed pitching, while last year’s lefty-killer Amed Rosario has been bad all year, and Caballero’s effectiveness has slipped. Ali Sánchez hasn’t done much as Wells’ backup. Baty has been valuable at various positions, although his bat is his best weapon, while Mark Vientos has potential for pop, as does Christopher Morel. 

Edge: Yankees 

On the mound

Rotation 

Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole and Cam Schlittler are slated to start for the Yankees. Rodón has been effective but unable to pitch deep into games since returning from an inflamed elbow, and Cole has been uncharacteristically shaky. At least Schlittler has been in Cy Young form. The Mets will counter with three promising rookies: Nolan McLean, lefty Zac Thornton and Christian Scott. 

Edge: Yankees 

Bullpen 

The Yankees figure to have plenty of moving parts in their pen as they approach the playoffs. For now, they’ve gotten strong pitching from lefty Brett Headrick, ex-Met Paul Blackburn, and closer David Bednar. Michael Fulmer, another former Met, also is in the pen alongside newcomer John Schreiber. Mets interim manager Andy Green has been forced to get creative after the pen was dismantled at the deadline. Nate Lavender, Daniel Duarte and Dedniel Núñez have been solid, as has Kodai Senga in his new role finishing games. 

Edge: Yankees 

Manager 

The Mets have a new manager in the dugout since the team’s last meeting, and Green has the team playing better, while Aaron Boone has the Yankees in line for another playoff berth. 

Edge: Yankees 

Intangibles 

The Mets have shown some spunk following the sell-off, but the Yankees — who were without Judge for three-plus months and still held on to a playoff spot — clearly have been energized by the return of the best hitter in the game. As long as he stays healthy, that won’t change. 

Edge: Yankees 

So often pitchers’ duels don’t really stand up to the hype, but today’s matchup between two former Stetson Hatters – the Mariners’ Logan Gilbert and the Rangers’ Jacob deGrom – delivered on all that promise and then some. The two pitchers combined for 23 strikeouts, and deGrom carried a perfect game through five innings. In true pitching duel style, it looked like the pitcher who blinked first would come out on the short end, but despite Logan Gilbert making a couple of mistakes, his offense was able to pick him up and deliver him the win. Bragging rights are fun; wins are better. (Gilbert also gets the honor of leading MLB in whiffs today: 24 to deGrom’s 20, despite having one fewer strikeout than deGrom.)

This all being said, it was a slog for the Mariners early on. The best at-bat the first time through the order for the Mariners went to – surprise, surprise – Cal Raleigh, who battled deGrom for nine pitches before striking out on deGrom’s fastest fastball of the day, a 99.6 mph heater (my campaign for decimal points on the ribbon board in the stadium, which read 100, continues unabated). But the Mariners did fight deGrom, getting themselves into good counts and forcing him into the zone; he finished the second inning at 37 pitches, compared to Gilbert’s 24.

But it only took two pitches to offset that work in the third. Nicky Lopez was able to take 96 up and in from Gilbert and find a hole on the infield, and one batter later, with two outs, Joc Pederson jumped a first-pitch slider for a two-run homer. It wasn’t a terrible pitch from Gilbert, away from Pederson but probably still too much on the plate; Gilbert had struck Pederson out on the slider in his first at-bat. The slider was particularly nasty today, with an eye-popping 75% whiff rate. He led with the pitch, throwing it 40 times, 12 times to start off an at-bat, which feels like a different sequence than he’s used. Gilbert credits Cal for coming up with a good game plan, especially after he felt like he fell into some predictable patterns in his last time out against the A’s.

“Like with Joc, we got him with the slider early, so he probably thought we were going to it next time,” explained Gilbert. “But then also other guys, we went heavy spin, like with Duran, and then next time went three or four straight fastballs. So I think we did a good job there. They’re trying to look at how we’re probably scouting them, and then next time through, maybe pitch them different. I think Cal did a good job there.”

But deGrom was just as tough on the other side. After striking out eight times in the first three innings, the Mariners hitters decided to try a different strategy the second time through the order. That also didn’t work, as they let deGrom cruise through the fourth on nine pitches, keeping his perfect game intact.

Unfortunately, in a game that was all about which pitcher would blink first, Gilbert blinked both first and second. He made a mistake to start the fifth, hitting Evan Carter with a slider; Carter went on to steal second and then take third on an erroneous throw by Cal Raleigh, essentially making that hit by pitch a leadoff triple. Gilbert seemed to lose focus after that, walking Jake Burger after striking him out earlier, and then the Rangers were able to small-ball in a run on a bunt from Nicky Lopez that turned into a base hit when Gilbert couldn’t field the weak dribbler cleanly. Nine-hole hitter Danny Jansen then bunted the runners into scoring position, but that strategy backfired as Pederson hit into a fielder’s choice on a soft grounder to Naylor, erasing the runner trying to come home, and then the Rangers tried to get overly aggressive on a wild pitch from Gilbert that bounced hard off the brick backstop and directly to Cal Raleigh, where he was able to tag out Lopez trying to come home.

Finally in the sixth inning Cole Young, Perfect Boy, broke up the perfect game; in an 0-2 count he cracked a ball that glanced off deGrom’s glove for an infield single and then scampered to second on a wild pitch. Young spoke yesterday after his big double about how he feels like in September he’s been trying to simplify things and just focus on putting the ball in play, and he did do that here. Thank you for saving me from having to write up deGrom’s perfecto, Cole, you have never been more My Favorite than you are right now.

“Obviously, I knew the perfect game was going, so I just wanted to put the ball in play,” said Young postgame. “I kind of got lucky there with it hitting off his glove and then bouncing in a dead zone, so I was able to get that hit. But just trying to get on the fastball and put it in play, honestly.”

The Rangers threatened again in the seventh, with Gilbert still out there; Langford led off with a walk and the Rangers made productive outs to get him to third, which brought up Lopez with two outs. With Logan pushing into the upper 90s in his pitch count, he spiked a splitter, and Langford broke for home aggressively. Cal was able to recover the ball, though, and made a nice toss to his long-term batterymate; Gilbert smacked down the tag on Langford to save a run and earn perpetual bragging rights among the starters. This is unironically one of my favorite clips of the year; I could watch it all day. (What is Logan saying there? I think it’s “it’s in my glove” but I can’t tell.)

With deGrom finally out of the game in the seventh, the Mariners made their move. Jakob Junis started off the inning by hitting Randy, never a smart move; he then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Dominic Canzone then briefly got to hold the title of WPA leader for the day, knocking in Arozarena with a solid ground ball single and ensuring the Mariners wouldn’t get shut out. Cal Raleigh followed that up with a single, extending his on-base streak to 12 games.

With Julio up to bat, Junis tried to sneak a first-pitch sinker past him. It’s been a struggle at the plate lately for Julio, but this sinker arrived right in Julio’s – to use a Ryon Healy-approved term – honey hole.

“I thought that ball was going to go through the back net in the bullpen,” said manager Dan Wilson postgame. “There was no way the ballpark could contain it because it was just hit so hard…As we’ve said before, this game rewards you when you do things right, and he’s been putting in the work and got a big payoff today for that.”

Julio was actually out for early work yesterday – something he doesn’t always do – working on his swing with his longtime organizational scout and friend (and home run derby pitcher) Franmy Pena.

“I just feel like I’m focusing on getting back to my roots,” said Julio about reconnecting with his old friend. “[Franmy] was someone who signed me to the Mariners. He helped me develop back then when I was a kid, and I just feel like I needed a little refresher on things and just getting back to who I am and the things I do well.”

Gabe Speier posted a clean eighth in relief of Gilbert to keep the Mariners’ lead alive, setting up Andrés Muñoz for the save. Muñoz retired his first two hitters on groundouts but then walked the righty Langford, setting up a battle with Evan Carter. But Muñoz couldn’t reign in his command despite being able to use his changeup against the lefty, walking Carter and bringing up the power threat Burger. In a 2-2 count, Muñoz spotted a fastball at 101.2 on the outer edge that Burger was forced to swing at, grounding it right to the steadiest hand on the Mariners’ infield, Cole Young, who both stepped on second to beat out Carter and completed the throw through to first to easily beat out the slow-footed Burger, essentially getting the third and fourth outs of the inning to secure the Mariners win and the series win.

“There’s just so many different layers to that play,” said Young. “I wanted to make sure it didn’t hit the base and get past me, so making sure of that first, and then after I caught it I’m like, okay, I’ve got a chance at second, let’s just go there. But I knew it was going to be a bang-bang play so I started running and he’s approaching second and I’m like, oh, this could be close, I don’t know if I got him, so I threw it to first to make sure. I knew we got him at first, so I wasn’t worried, but it was definitely a really weird play.”

(Postgame when the media was thanking Young for his time, Muñoz piped up from his neighboring locker: “yes, thank you, Cole.”)

The math continues to not math in the Mariners’ favor, with the Astros winning today as well, but what’s done is done; bragging rights might not get you to the postseason but they are a nice comfort, and for all the times his offense hasn’t helped him out, it’s nice for Gilbert to get that big shiny W.

Clippers 1, Bats 6

The Clippers only scored one run, but they still managed 8 hits and 4 walks. George Valera went 2-3 with a HR and Kahlil Watson went 2-5 with two doubles. Kody Huff also went 1-3 with a walk.

Logan Allen had his first start back in AAA and it did not go very well. He allowed five runs in 4.0 innings pitched with two strikeouts and a walk. His AAA ERA is now up to 4.65.

RubberDucks 5, Curve 9

Welbyn Francisca went 1-3 with a walk and his first AA RBI. Jaison Chourio went 2-5 with an RBI single. Jake Fox continued his bounceback season going 2-3 with a walk and an RBI. He is now hitting .349 with a .964 OPS on the season. Luke Hill also went 1-3 with a walk.

The good news is that the RubberDucks bullpen combined for 7 scoreless innings of relief with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. The bad news is starter Sean Matson gave up 9 runs on 8 hits and two walks in the first innings. His ERA is now up to 7.23 on the season.

With a sweep on the line, the White Sox need to lock in, with both pitching and the lack of hits over the last two games against the pesky Pirates. While the South Siders are still atop the American League Central, Cleveland is hanging around, and another loss tonight could be detrimental.

Hagen Smith, who has been great in a relief role, will open for Erick Fedde tonight. Jake Rogers will be behind the plate, with Andrew Benintendi as DH and at cleanup. The rest of the lineup is what we’re used to, with Sam Antonacci leading off. After last night’s bench-clearing kerfuffle caused by Antonacci’s elbow, and the White Sox on the verge of being swept, it should be a tense night in Chicago.

Jared Jones (3-6) will be on the mound for the Bucs. Jones is coming off one of his best games of the season, fanning nine in six frames against the Los Angeles Angels.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CT. You can watch on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000.

As the Cardinals limp home from a rough road trip, I would prefer to focus on the enshrinement of Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols in the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame this weekend. However, there are still games to be played and 3 of them over the weekend will be against the Chicago White Sox who will hopefully give St. Louis a glimpse at what might be their not-so-distant future.

Pitching Matchups

(NOTE: As of this writing, the Chicago White Sox have not officially announced their starters, but these pitchers are projected based on recent rotation)

Friday night, September 11 – Matthew Liberatore (LHP 5-14, 5.57 ERA, 144 SO) vs Erick Fedde (RHP, 8-8, 4.00 ERA)

Saturday night, September 12 – Kyle Leahy (RHP 10-4, 3.41 ERA, 124 SO) vs Anthony Kay (LHP, 9-8, 4.47 ERA)

Sunday afternoon, September 13 – Michael McGreevy (RHP 6-9, 3.92 ERA, 106 SO) vs Sean Burke (RHP, 8-7, 3.58 ERA)

Former Cardinal Erick Fedde has won 2 of his last 3 starts including September 4 when he threw 5 innings against the Minnesota Twins allowing just 3 hits and no earned runs. Anthony Kay has lost 2 of his last 3 starts including the most recent on September 5 against the Twins where he threw 4 1/3 innings allowing 6 hits and 5 earned runs. Sean Burke is 1-1 over his last three starts as he took the loss in his most recent start on September 8 against the Pirates allowing 8 hits and 7 earned runs.

Who are the Chicago White Sox players to watch?

Colson Montgomery: Leads the team with 31 home runs, 83 RBI’s with an average of .209

Munetaka Murakami: Also a home run threat with 30 home runs, 62 RBI’s and an average of .208

Miguel Vargas: Vargas also has 30 home runs plus 79 RBI’s and an average of .250

Andrew Benintendi: Has 14 home runs, 70 RBI’s and an average of .244

Randal Grichuk: Former Cardinal has 12 home runs, 34 RBI’s and an average of .286

The Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals look like two organizations going in completely different directions on paper, but an optimistic person would also point to the quick turnaround of the White Sox as a possible near-future glimpse of what the Cardinals could be. This season, though, these teams are in different worlds. The Chicago White Sox sit atop the American League Central with a record of 75-69. The Cardinals record isn’t all that different as they’re 72-75 but they’re near the cellar of the National League Central only a couple games above the lowly Reds and they’re 6.5 games out of the final Wild Card which might as well be 20.

Let’s be realistic and stop concerning ourselves with Wild Card hopes. The St. Louis Cardinals expect to get JJ Wetherholt back in the lineup this weekend vs the White Sox. Perhaps he’ll catch fire offensively to give himself a better chance at winning some Rookie of the Year votes. The real highlight of the weekend will be the enshrinement of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Bill Sherdel in the Cardinals Hall of Fame. That ceremony will begin at 5pm Saturday, September 12 and everyone with a game ticket can enter the stadium early to witness it. Let’s hope the young Cardinals on the current and future rosters will soak in that moment and see what they can aspire to.

Add this one to the long list of blockbuster baseball trades that nearly happened.

Before this year’s trade deadline, Jacob deGrom nearly became a Brave.

Instead, the ex-Met declined to waive his no-trade clause, citing his desire to remain in Texas.

The Post’s Jon Heyman reported the potential deal at the time, but the return Atlanta discussed is only now coming to light.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand revealed Thursday that Spencer Strider was discussed as part of a possible “contract swap” for deGrom.

The deal would have amounted to a stunning exchange of two of baseball’s most accomplished right-handers who also bring plenty of baggage. 

DeGrom, who is owed $37 million in 2027 and has a $20 million club option for 2028, has been solid for the Rangers this season, posting a 3.80 ERA across 149 ⅓ innings.

But he turned 38 in June, and injuries have limited him throughout his career, although deGrom has remained relatively healthy over the past two seasons, making at least 25 starts in consecutive years for the first time since he won back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2018-19. 

Strider, meanwhile, would have represented a much younger arm for Texas, although the hard-throwing right-hander has dealt with significant injuries of his own in recent years.

The 27-year-old has made just 33 big league starts since the beginning of the 2024 season thanks to a string of injuries, including elbow surgery in 2024, a hamstring strain last year and oblique and elbow issues this season.

Strider, who struggled on the mound this season with a 5.31 ERA across eight outings, is owed $22 million over the next two seasons with a club option for 2029. 

When it comes to Shohei Ohtani‘s injury management, it’s tempting to dwell on the what-ifs.

What if the Dodgers forced him to give up pitching duties in July, when he needed a lubricant injection to alleviate irritation in his left knee?

It was clear by then that Ohtani was playing through multiple injuries. A right biceps problem popped up for the second time on July 3 — the last time he pitched in a game. The Dodgers said his knee inflammation was only aggravated by pitching and the biceps tightness was tied to hitting. And yet, they were confident that the MLB All-Star break would give Ohtani enough time to bounce back.

If the Dodgers had been more proactive, instead of starting and stopping Ohtani’s throwing program until his injuries forced a shutdown, would he be in the lineup Friday against the Miami Marlins instead of the 15-day injured list?

Maybe.

Or maybe one or both injuries were far enough along by then that they would have affected him down the stretch regardless. Maybe seeing if he could return to the mound was worth the risk.

Maybe not.

Read more:'Right thing to do.' Dodgers put Shohei Ohtani on injured list after rout of Reds

“Anyone can do that, and say, ‘What could you have done better or different?’” manager Dave Roberts said earlier this week when asked if he had any regrets about Ohtani’s injury management. “That’s something going forward we’re going to look at, absolutely. But, it’s certainly not a blame-game thing. It’s learning from what happened and getting better.”

Parsing through the alternative outcomes from decisions made months ago could take time. But the fallout from this past week is clearer.

What if instead of resting Ohtani four days, and bringing him back Monday, the Dodgers had put him on the IL right away?

“I think if we look right now, here today, I would love to go back and put him on the IL,” Roberts said. “But at that moment in time, we all felt that giving him four days was sufficient. He was agreeable. Getting him out there on Monday with the hope that he would be able to play [again Wednesday]. But where we’re at right now, sure.”

Two weeks without Ohtani is hard to swallow. As a two-way player, he’s eligible for the 15-day IL instead of the 10-day for position players.

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The Dodgers tried to avoid it. But when he returned to the lineup Monday, he “didn’t feel great” on a swing, Roberts revealed.

So now the Dodgers can only backdate Ohtani’s IL stint to Tuesday, rather than Sept. 3. At minimum, Ohtani will be out until the final five games of the regular season.

“The most important thing is him being as healthy as possible, not compromising his swing, and kind of bet on that,” Roberts said.

He acknowledged that Ohtani wouldn’t be back to “100%” even with the two weeks off.

But plenty of players push through injuries in the playoffs. October becomes a test of pain tolerance before addressing ailments in the offseason.

“I want to make sure that when I look back [on] this season,” Ohtani said Monday through interpreter Will Ireton, “that I used this as an experience, a learning experience and make sure that I use that as something to improve upon for next season.”

So, does that mean Ohtani feels like he could be more up-front with the team about his physical well-being, regardless of whether he thinks he can play through aches and pains?

“It’s hard to say now with the season still going on,” Ohtani said. “It’s something that I’m going to reflect back on during the offseason. I’m just making sure that I’m focusing on the now and finishing strong.”

The Dodgers, for the first time navigating what was expected to be a full season of two-way play from Ohtani, leaned on his expertise while managing his workload. In retrospect, they might have put too much stock in his self-evaluations.

Baseball has a long tradition of players downplaying injuries, out of a desire to play and a belief in their own perseverance.

“What can I learn?” Roberts said this week. “I think that sometimes, potentially trying to get ahead of managing his workload — it always feels good to run him out there offensively as a DH. Always feels good when you pencil him in as a starter — for me, it’s just really trying to be mindful of the long season.

“And I guess it’s under the thing of, ‘you don’t know until you know,’ and it’s important to learn from experiences. And I think it’s good for all of us to kind of appreciate that he’s not supernatural, as much as we think he might be at times.”

Roberts said he didn’t learn until Tuesday night, after giving Ohtani a day off for the fifth time in six games, that a swing on Monday had bothered him.

So, Ohtani didn’t return to the lineup Wednesday as planned. And the team arranged for No. 1 prospect Josue De Paula to meet the team in Miami, called up straight from double-A for his MLB debut on Friday.

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“It was more just really huddling up and saying, ‘Hey, how are you going to feel on Friday? How are you going to feel on Saturday, talking to the doctors and training staff?’” Roberts said. “There was not much certainty that he’d be in a much better place. With that, just taking it off the table seemed like the best course of action.”

De Paula wasn’t otherwise guaranteed to debut this season, although the Dodgers would have needed to eventually put him on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

The Dodgers see him as a major-league ready hitter, but he still has work to do on the defensive side for the team to feel comfortable playing him in the outfield regularly. An early taste of the big leagues, even with his playing time expected to come mostly in the DH spot, could be beneficial for the 21-year-old’s development.

For Ohtani, the ramp from the IL to postseason play will be short. But his recent offensive struggles emphasized the importance of having a healthier version of him in the lineup come October.

If anyone can make it work, it’s Ohtani. He may not be supernatural, but he also isn’t just any player. And if he performs in the postseason, that will drown out any lingering what-ifs.

Times staff writer Kevin Baxter contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Seattle Mariners scored four runs.

deGrom was dang near perfect. Joc Pederson tied Jake Burger for the team lead in dingers with a two-run shot off a tough Logan Gilbert. The Rangers manufactured a run via Skip Schumaker’s daily prescribed small ball.

Yeah, sure, they were thrown out at home thrice trying to extend their lead, but things were going to script for Texas as they attempted to escape Seattle with a series victory and to stay relevant in the terrible American League playoff race.

And then, after deGrom’s day ended after six innings and 92 pitches, Jakob Junis was called upon for the seventh inning and promptly retired zero of the four hitters he faced and turned a 3-0 lead into a 4-3 deficit that the Rangers couldn’t overcome as they combined to score five runs over two losses after scoring ten runs in the opener.

There’s still over two weeks of the baseball season to go so the Rangers could still recover from this and the many other foibles from this season, but they’re making it incredibly hard on themselves and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see the path while it also hasn’t been all that compelling to have been on the journey.

Player of the Game: Jacob deGrom was as good as we’ve seen him as he was squeezing his glove around a shot back to the mound away from completing six perfect innings with zero walks and 12 Ks. Alas, he chose to stay a Texas Ranger so he remains a Texas Ranger and all that entails.

Up Next: The Rangers head south for a trip to Arizona where they will take on the Diamondbacks. Neither team has announced a starter for the opener.

The Friday evening first pitch from Chase Field is scheduled for 8:40 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.