Category: MLB

After ending their win streak on Tuesday night, the San Diego Padres got back in the win column quickly. They stomped the Colorado Rockies with a 9-3 victory. Different from their previous wins, their damage didn’t all come in one big inning. Instead, the Friars scored two in the first, one in the second and fourth, four in the fifth and one in the sixth inning.

It was an all-around performance from the offense, backed by a solid performance from starter Robbie Ray and a resurgent effort from the bullpen. San Diego will go for the series win in Game 4 this afternoon. With their win tonight, and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ loss, they now are in full control of their playoff destiny. The Friars are 3.5 games ahead of the Dbacks and just behind the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs.

Taking the mound

Tanner Gordon (COL) v. Michael King (SD)

Gordon has pitched decently for the Rockies this season. He’s made 22 appearances (10 starts) with a 5.55 ERA. In his last two starts (8.2 IP), he surrendered nine earned runs. The Padres have tagged Colorado’s starters for 20 runs through the first three games of the series. It seems unlikely that stops in Game 4 against a pitcher of Gordon’s caliber.

That being said, the Padres’ lineup hasn’t faced Gordon much. Only two batters (Jake Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin) have more than five at-bats against him. In that time, the two have combined to go 4-for-13. The hottest hitter has been Manny Machado, who owns a career .400 batting average and 2.171 OPS against the right-hander.

Every time King steps on the mound, it feels almost guaranteed that he’ll pitch a gem. Even when he doesn’t perform up to par with his insanely high standards, King still manages to get outs. He’s dangerously close to a sub-3.00 ERA this season (3.03 ERA through 175 innings).

The problem is that this is Coors Field, the land where anything happens. The Padres have seen many a game that seemed winnable dwindle before their eyes in Colorado. Hopefully, King will be able to beat the altitude and make his pitches work despite the harsh conditions.

Batter up!

The offense surged back in Game 3 against Colorado. The Padres scored nine runs, with three due to rookie catcher Ethan Salas having a two-homer performance. He clubbed his first home run, a solo shot, in the second inning before swatting another in the fifth.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Dustin Harris, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, DH
6. Luis Campusano, C
7. Xander Bogaerts, SS
8. Samad Taylor, CF
9. Jake Cronenworth, 2B

Tatis had a DH day yesterday for the first time in a while. It’s possible that Merrill is the next to receive one. He hasn’t had any kind of rest in quite some time and could DH. That would put either Harris or Taylor in center. It’s also possible the Padres wait to do so until they go back to Petco Park (a stadium with a much smaller center field).

Relief corps

Ray pitched a solid six innings, surrendering three runs on two walks and three hits. Ray rebounded in this start after struggling in his last two starts. David Morgan and Yuki Matsui covered the final three frames. Apart from one hit, Morgan was perfect. Matsui struggled to find the zone after recording two outs, but eventually he closed the door on the Rox.

That leaves the Friars with a wealth of arms for the series finale. San Diego will have Griffin Canning, Kyle Hart, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta, Bradgley Rodriguez and Randy Vásquez available. That leaves the Padres with options should King stumble early.

The Cincinnati Reds will line up against yet another left-handed starter on Thursday as Justin Wrobleski gets the start for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series finale between the two clubs.

Brady Singer starts for the Reds and will chuck the game’s first pitch at an early 12:40 PM ET.

Here’s how both clubs will line up to start:

After a de facto bullpen game because of Blake Snell’s early exit, the Dodgers require length from Justin Wrobleski in an early start against the Reds.

Thursday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Reds
• Ballpark: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati
• Start time: 9:40 a.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Five biggest issues plaguing Red Sox with postseason looming originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox are still sitting comfortably in the second Wild Card spot, but there are several issues they must resolve before they start thinking about playoff baseball.

Boston is a mediocre 11-11 over its last 22 games. While that’s been good enough to sustain its playoff position, its play hasn’t exactly inspired optimism for a deep postseason run.

Most of the Red Sox’ problems can be linked to their underperforming lineup. Key hitters like Roman Anthony, Willson Contreras, Adley Rutschman and Wilyer Abreu have been concerningly inconsistent.

A deeper dive into the numbers suggests the struggling Sox will have their work cut out for them in their presumed Wild Card Series rematch at Yankee Stadium. Here are the club’s five biggest areas of concern with 10 games remaining:

Roman Anthony is ice-cold

The Red Sox need Roman Anthony to be one of their best offensive players to have any chance of a deep postseason run. If the former No. 1 prospect continues to play the way he has for most of September, that will be problematic.

Anthony is hitting just .149 (7-for-47) with one home run and a .428 OPS over his last 11 games. He has struck out 18 times in 51 plate appearances.

The 22-year-old’s struggles beg the question: should he still be the leadoff hitter in the postseason? Interim manager Chad Tracy will have no choice but to reevaluate Anthony’s spot in the lineup if his woes continue. The problem with that is there aren’t any exciting alternatives. The leadoff spot has been a glaring issue all season long, regardless of who has been thrust into the role.

Struggling against high velocity

The Red Sox offense has been inconsistent no matter who’s on the mound, but it has mostly struggled against pitchers with high velo. Here’s how some of Boston’s regulars have fared this season against pitches greater than or equal to 97 mph:

• Wilyer Abreu: .170 BA, .623 OPS (237 pitches)
• Jarren Duran: .065 BA, .300 OPS (203 pitches)
• Willson Contreras: .170 BA, .512 OPS (166 pitches)
• Ceddanne Rafaela: .205 BA, .449 OPS (157 pitches)
• Roman Anthony: .091 BA, .440 OPS (58 pitches)
• Adley Rutschman: .077 BA, .451 OPS (57 pitches)

The Red Sox’ top performer against high velocity (97 mph and above) has been Caleb Durbin (.364 BA, .912 OPS, 161 pitches).

Being so vulnerable against high velocity will especially be a problem for Boston in its expected Wild Card Series matchup against the New York Yankees. Cy Young frontrunner and likely Game 1 starter Cam Schlittler averages 98 mph with his four-seam fastball, which he uses 44.5 percent of the time. Gerrit Cole averages 96.9 mph with his four-seam, using it 49.3 percent of the time.

Leaving runners stranded

Boston has been below average all season at capitalizing on runners in scoring position. It currently ranks 17th in batting average (.250) and 21st in OPS (.731) with RISP. They’re hitting just .212 in such situations through 14 games so far in September.

The Yankees’ elite pitching staff probably won’t provide the Red Sox with many scoring opportunities in their short series, so it’s imperative that they come through when given the chance. Lately, Boston hasn’t had anyone in its lineup to feel confident about when they step to the plate with runners on.

Role players regressing

As great as guys like Willson Contreras, Caleb Durbin, and Wilyer Abreu were throughout the Red Sox’ incredible midseason turnaround, it was the role players who powered their surge. Mickey Gasper, Jahmai Jones, Nick Sogard, Anthony Seigler, and Andruw Monasterio were instrumental in resurrecting Boston’s season.

Gasper has cooled off, though no one expected him to sustain his Barry Bonds-like run. Jahmai Jones is 4 for his last 22 (.182) with nine strikeouts, suddenly making him a playoff roster cut candidate. Sogard is still hitting, but his .758 OPS so far in September suggests regression to the mean. Seigler is hurt. Monasterio posted a .578 OPS in August and is 0-for-11 so far in September, putting him on the playoff roster bubble.

That group deserves immense credit for getting the Red Sox here, but it cannot be counted on to propel the club through the postseason.

Erik Miller experiencing command issues

Boston’s bullpen is arguably its biggest strength heading into the postseason. The back end with Garrett Whitlock, Tyron Guerrero, and Aroldis Chapman is elite.

We would’ve included trade deadline addition Erik Miller in that group last month, when he allowed only one earned run with 20 strikeouts and just three walks across his first 11 appearances with the Red Sox. His performance so far this month, however, has been alarming.

Miller, acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the Marcelo Mayer trade, has allowed four earned runs with six walks and six strikeouts through five appearances (4.1 IP) in September. His command struggles were a question mark upon his joining the club, and it appears that issue has reemerged with less than two weeks until the playoffs.

After Wednesday’s poor outing against the Texas Rangers (2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB), Miller attributed his recent struggles to his mechanics. The Red Sox will hope that whatever the problem is, it’s a quick fix, because Miller will be counted on to be their most reliable left-handed reliever not named Aroldis Chapman.

CINCINNATI –– Even after watching Roki Sasaki complete the final checkmark in his recovery from a blister on Wednesday afternoon, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts couldn’t say for sure how the team would use the 24-year-old phenom pitcher.

All year, it seemed clear that Sasaki was destined to wind up back in the Dodgers bullpen, reprising the late-inning leverage role he unexpectedly ascended to as a rookie last October.

Though he had turned a corner as a starter during the second half of this campaign, posting a 2.31 ERA in his first six outings after the All-Star break, he had still long looked like a superfluous piece of the Dodgers’ rotation, an excess arm stuck behind the four veteran superstars the club had penciled in to lead this fall’s World Series push.

However, Roberts remained non-committal about Sasaki’s plan on Wednesday, after the right-hander completed a four-inning, 48-pitch session of live batting practice in Cincinnati, in what was hoped to be his final step before returning from the injured list.

On the one hand, the skipper noted, the Dodgers could shift Sasaki to the bullpen now, give him time to re-acclimate to relief duties, and let him focus on just short-burst stints.

But on the other, “one can argue it’s best to [let him] take down a couple starts and keep him built up,” Roberts countered. “Because if something does happen, then he is built up.”

Hours later, the something Roberts was worried about might have suddenly happened –– with Blake Snell’s groin injury having direct repercussions on Sasaki’s potential task.

In Wednesday night’s game, Snell left his start after just one inning because of left groin tightness. While he’s hopeful he avoided any serious injury, he has had bouts of groin issues in the past that have sidelined him for up to a month at a time.

If that were to be the case again now, Sasaki would be first in line to replace Snell in the Dodgers’ postseason rotation.

Mix in the uncertainty surrounding fellow starter Tyler Glasnow faced following his four-inning outing last weekend in Miami –– after which he conspicuously returned immediately to Los Angeles to limit extra travel on the rest of this road trip –– and Sasaki now seems like a valuable starting-pitching insurance policy the Dodgers might still need to utilize in the playoffs.

That’s why, by the end of Wednesday’s game, Roberts was able to at least be definitive about the team’s plan for Sasaki when he comes off the injured list, confirming he is likely to make a start sometime next week, perhaps during a visit from the San Diego Padres.

In a best-case scenario, that will be Sasaki’s last time starting a game this year, with an otherwise healthy rotation allowing the Dodgers to shift him to an equally banged-up bullpen.

But for now, the team can’t be certain of anything.

Which means, when it comes to Sasaki, all options remain on the table.

With the 2026 campaign in the books, let's open up the mailbag to discuss some of the Mets' top prospects...

Do you think Mitch Voit will have a similar opportunity to Carson Benge this upcoming spring to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster? – @metcov

Voit won the Mets Player Development Player of the Year after a breakout 2026 season. The 2025 first-round pick entered the season as the No. 10-ranked prospect in the Mets system. 

In his first offseason after being drafted, the Mets and Voit remade his swing from college to allow him to more consistently impact the ball. The adjustment that he was working with could have led to a slow start to his pro career with High-A Brooklyn, hitting .219 with a .697 OPS in his first two months as a professional.

His season took off from there and went to even another level upon reaching Double-A Binghamton. The 21-year-old slashed .347/.430/.517 with 12 doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI in 29 Double-A games. He rose to No. 5 on SNY’s top 30 prospect list midseason and may end up a little higher when the system is re-ranked in the offseason.

Looking ahead to 2027, Marcus Semien is the incumbent at second base. Voit is a natural second baseman who has begun to play some shortstop this season to add defensive versatility. Right now, No. 13 prospect Émilien Pitre and No. 1 prospect Jefferson Rojas (more on him in a minute) have already made it to Triple-A and have also played second base. They could be ahead of Voit on the organizational depth chart heading into 2027.

Having competition for who takes a stranglehold on second base is nothing but a good thing. I would anticipate that when/if there is a spring training, all three of the names above will be in big league camp competing for a spot, assuming they are all still with the organization. 

Voit told the media after accepting the Player of the Year award that his focus is on going to instructs in Port St. Lucie this fall and setting up a plan with the staff of how he can impact the big-league team in 2027.

I don’t think I would look at Voit as someone being on the Benge-like timeline of being the strongest candidate to start 2027 at second base. With that said, I believe he will get the opportunity to make an impact on the 2027 Mets, but it might be more on an A.J. Ewing type of timeline rather than Benge.

Given the power surge, do you see Jefferson Rojas as an important piece of the Mets going forward? Or is he the most valuable trade chip in the organization that can bring back a real difference maker? – @BrianLowe02

The Mets' No. 1 prospect Rojas has done nothing but hit since joining the organization in the Clay Holmes/Tyrone Taylor trade, including hitting his second home run in his second game with Triple-A Syracuse. The power has looked real. Rojas is up to 200 pounds, and his 90th percentile exit velocity of 104.2 mph shows there is above-average power in his bat.

There are multiple factors to consider with this question. Heading into the winter, the free agent class on paper is weak in comparison to past years. There is some thought in league circles that this could lead to an increase in the number of trades that occur in whatever type of offseason it ends up being with the pending lockout. 

It is also possible that given the uncertainty surrounding what the sport’s financial system will look like, prospects could be even more valuable. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was not shy after the trade deadline in saying that some of the prospects in the system could impact the Mets roster, and some could end up being used in trades.

While Rojas has played second base and shortstop, the near consensus from scouts I talk to is that Rojas fits best at third base. The Mets currently have Bo Bichette as their third baseman, though he possesses an opt-out each of the next two offseasons. If Bichette opts in and is with the Mets in 2027, pending health, Rojas' pathway to a near-term opportunity at third base is blocked. If Bichette were to opt out, that runway to opportunity at third base would be wide open.

If the Mets are going to consider a significant trade, given his season and proximity to the big leagues, Rojas is going to be a prospect teams around the sport are asking about.

If the Mets believe Rojas can profile as a second baseman, then he could be competing with Semien, Pitre, and Voit for a job on the Opening Day roster. 

I hate to ride the fence, but Rojas is a valuable piece, however you slice it. He could be the long-term option at either third or second base depending on how the roster shakes out, or he could be a part of a package to make a significant trade this winter, perhaps for a starting pitcher?

After playing two series in two weeks against a lowly Reds team, the Dodgers have two of their final three series of 2026 against a bad San Francisco Giants squad, the first of which starts Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Tyler Glasnow starts the series opener for the Dodgers, with left-hander Cesar Perdomo pitching for San Francisco.

Friday is the 17th and final exclusive national television broadcast of the regular season for the Dodgers. Wayne Randazzo will call play-by-play for Apple TV, the fourth time the Dodgers are on the streaming service this season. Dontrelle Willis will be the analyst, calling his eighth consecutive Dodgers game.

Friday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Giants
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:15 p.m.
• TV: Apple TV
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, September 17, 2026, 12:35 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are hoping to avoid a sweep in the series finale hosting the NL Central rival Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park.

The Brewers are giving the start to Kyle Harrison, who is making his 24th start of the season. In his first season in Milwaukee, he is achieving career bests for the Brewers.

Harrison is 10-4 with a 3.98 ERA. In his last start on September 6 against the Cincinnati Reds, he pitched 3.2 innings, giving up nine hits and four earned runs in a 12-8 loss. Harrison is looking for his first win in just over a month. The last time he pulled out a victory was on August 18 at home against the Seattle Mariners, when he went five innings and gave up two hits in a 22-0 blowout victory.

The Pirates are countering with rookie right-hander Wilbur Poeltl, who is making just his second career start. In his first start on September 11 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, he pitched two innings, giving up four hits and three earned runs in a 12-2 loss. Poeltl has primarily come out of the bullpen this season, and he has not pitched more than four innings in a game this season. This means the bullpen should get plenty of action today as the series comes to a close.

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Kyle Harrison (10-4, 3.98 ERA) vs. Wilber Dotel (1-5, 4.84 ERA)

BD community, this is your game thread against the Milwaukee Brewers. Chime off in the comments section below.

Allen Gettel was born a ways south of the Bronx, down in Norfolk, Virginia. Growing up on the family farm, few could have predicted the journey his life would take. From pitching in Yankee Stadium to acting on the big screen, Gettel became his own type of renaissance man.

Allen Jones Gettel
Born: September 17, 1917 (Norfolk, Virginia)
Died: April 8, 2005 (Norfolk, Virginia)
Yankees Tenure: 1945-46

Gettel graduated from Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach in 1936. The Yankees signed the young right-handed pitcher to a contract upon graduation after scout Gene McCann found the big 6-foot-3 hurler while scouting local high school games. This kicked off a nine-year stint in the Yankees farm system.

The first three years of his time in the Yankees system were spent in the lower levels of the minor leagues. Gettel’s debut campaign came with the Norfolk Tars, in the city where he was born. The following season in 1937, he split his time between the Butler Yankees and the Bassett Furnituremakers (another Virginia team). Then, in 1938, he had a standout performance for the Snow Hill Billies in the Class D Coastal Plain League, and that performance earned him a ticket to the Augusta Tigers for the 1939 season.

From 1940 through 1943, Gettel found himself in Double-A, playing for both the Newark Bears and Kansas City Blues. Following the 1943 campaign, the Yankees traded Gettel, Ed Levy, and $10,000 cash to the Philadelphia Phillies for Nick Etten. However, Gettel declared he would spend the 1943 season on the farm to ensure he could not be drafted into military service, and on the same note, Levy was classified as 1-A by the Selective Service System, meaning he was immediately eligible to be drafted into the military. The Phillies were essentially giving away a player for no one at that point and got the trade vetoed. The Yankees and Phillies later agreed to new players in the trade, and Etten became a Yankee (a very nice wartime one at that).

After the trade fell through, the Yankees assigned Gettel back to Norfolk. Back home, he could play baseball while maintaining his farm work. This is where Gettel spent the next two seasons, and he dominated. Gettel posted an incredible 1.38 ERA while going 11-11. Then, in 1944, he went 17-7 with a 1.81 ERA.

Prior to the 1945 season, the Yankees were depleted due to the war draft; the previous year had already been challenging as their streak of three consecutive pennants was snapped by the St. Louis Browns of all teams. Gettel was protected due to his farmer status, and after his performance the two years prior, the Yankees finally gave the 27-year-old a chance to play in the majors. Gettel made his debut on April 20th against the Washington Senators. Coming on in relief, he pitched four innings and allowed just one hit while striking out four to pick up a retroactive save.

Gettel went on to have a decent rookie year, tallying 154 innings with a 9-8 record and a 3.92 ERA for the Bombers. He followed that up in 1946 by going 6-7 with a 2.97 ERA in 103 innings. However, following the season and facing a roster crunch as the rest of the boys returned home from war, the Yankees decided to trade Gettel, and this time the trade went through.

On December 6, 1946, Gettel, Hal Peck, and Gene Bearden were traded to Cleveland for Ray Mack and Sherm Lollar. Gettel anchored Cleveland’s starting rotation in 1947, earning 11 wins to go along with a 3.20 ERA. In early June of the 1948 season, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox and thus could not celebrate with his old teammates when Cleveland won the World Series that fall, their most recent title as a franchise. Gettel stayed in Chicago for a year and some change before he was purchased by the Washington Senators. Gettel finished the 1949 season in Washington.

From 1950 through 1959, Gettel bounced around, playing mostly for the Oakland Oaks in the Pacific Coast League — though he did play in the majors in 1951 for the New York Giants and in 1955 for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Gettel officially retired from professional baseball in 1959 with 38 career major league victories and 196 minor league wins. Years later in 2001, Gettel and others admitted that the 1951 New York Giants used a system to steal signs from opposing catchers, including on Bobby Thomson’s famous “Shot Heard ’Round the World.” The cheating scheme had a spotter with a telescope buzzing down the catchers finger count to the bullpen who then had various ways to signal to hitters what was coming.

During his time on the Oaks, Gettel used his farm talents to land some roles in movies and television. A skilled horse rider, he appeared in Westerns such as The Tin Star. The acting roles earned Gettel his nickname “Two Guns.” Gettel embraced the nickname and even dressed like a cowboy and rode a horse in from the bullpen when the Oaks would allow.

Gettel continued farming throughout his long life. He passed away at age-87 in 2005 in where else, but Norfolk. Happy birthday to one of Hampton Roads’ great underrated sons!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Thursday is a planned bullpen game for the Dodgers, but it directly follows an unplanned bullpen game after Blake Snell left Wednesday’s start after only one inning with left groin tightness. To that end, the Dodgers called up Landon Knack to fill innings ahead of the series and road trip finale against the Cincinnati Reds, and optioned Bobby Miller after throwing 47 pitches in 2 1/3 innings on Wednesday.

Knack is up for a third stint with the Dodgers this season. The right-hander has pitched in a total of three games with five runs allowed in 7 2/3 innings with six strikeouts, two walks, and four home runs allowed. His last outing in the majors was an eight-out save on August 12 against the Kansas City Royals.

Since getting optioned to Triple-A on August 13, Knack had a 1.56 ERA with 14 strikeouts and seven walks in 17 1/3 innings over four appearances. His last outing was five scoreless innings with four strikeouts last Thursday against Sugar Land.

Left-hander Justin Wrobleski will start on Thursday for the Dodgers. He pitched two scoreless innings in relief on Saturday in Miami, throwing 25 pitches.

Miller allowed two runs on three hits and got seven outs in Wednesday’s loss to the Reds, with one strikeout. After spending over five months on the injured list to start the season with shoulder and back problems, Miller was activated off the 60-day injured list on September 5. Miller allowed a run in three relief innings on September 6 to earn the win, then was optioned the next day.

He returned this week on Monday when Edgardo Henríquez was placed on the injured list with low back discomfort.

Miller spending five total days in the majors this month means his total time optioned to the minors fewer than the 20 days required to exhaust an option year. In other words, after using option years in 2024 and 2025 but not 2026, Miller will have one option year remaining in 2027.

Good morning, folks…

The Texas Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox by a score of 7-3 last night.

Evan Grant’s game story talks about Nathan Eovaldi stepping up with a huge outing out of the pen.

Shawn McFarland writes that Eovaldi being asked to pitch multiple innings in relief added to the game’s October vibe.

MLB Pipeline lists one breakout prospect for each team, with the Rangers’ breakout prospect being an A-ball outfielder who burst onto the scene in 2026.

Jacob Latz is having a very unique season for the Rangers.

In non-Rangers news, Blake Snell left his start for the Dodgers yesterday after just one inning due to a groin issue, and Aaron Judge departed prematurely from the Yankees’ game against the Twins yesterday due to leg tightness.

Ken Rosenthal writes about some managerial situations that are potentially up in the air when the season ends, including sixty percent of the American League West.

You need not dig too deeply through the annals of Major League Baseball history to discover a time when the Cincinnati Reds sported one of the finest collections of starting pitching in the land. In fact, you need only turn back the clock to last year to find the Reds, with 15.6 collective fWAR, ranking as the 2nd best starting pitching unit in the sport.

Oh, how times change!

Despite Chase Burns emerging as a legitimate ace prior to having his innings curtailed, Cincinnati’s starters sit with a meager 8.0 fWAR combined so far this season. That ranks 22nd overall, and given the rate at which they’ve been getting shelled lately there’s reason to believe that number could even shrink before season’s end.

(Where have you gone, Hunter Greene’s elbow? Reds nation turns their lonely eyes to you.)

As Cincinnati slumps its way towards game 162, it’s worth pointing out the meteoric fall of two starters in particular.

As of the morning of September 17th, there have been 52 big league pitchers to log 150 innings so far this season, and not a single one has a higher FIP (5.40) than Brady Singer, who’ll start this afternoon in the series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s the guy that the front office hinted might get a $23 million qualifying offer at season’s end after they didn’t deal him away at the trade deadline.

Meanwhile, you need not look far down that bad-news leaderboard to find a fellow Reds starter, as Andrew Abbott (4.90) ranks 3rd worst. So, Cincinnati has had a bit of durability from these arms – as I mentioned, fewer than two starters per club have reached 150 IP so far this season, on average – but the ones the Reds have had clear that mark rank as the guys who more likely than not shouldn’t be pitching that much after all.

It’s almost like they lost their pitching coach mysteriously in the middle of the season and couldn’t remember how to throw anymore.

With just over two weeks remaining in the 2026 season, it’s unlikely that either of these two finds a new gear, a new pitch, a new approach that rights their respective ships enough for it to matter in the larger sample. That’s work that will be reserved for the long, cold offseason when Cincinnati once again gets to lick its wounds while other clubs play meaningful postseason ball. Whether or not it’ll be a long enough winter for them to fix all the problems remains to be seen.

After a come-from-behind win on Wednesday night, the Brewers are looking for a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday afternoon, as the team is now just three wins away from setting a new franchise record and five wins away from a 100-win season.

Left-hander Kyle Harrison gets the ball for the Crew, and while his season stats still look solid — 3.98 ERA, 4.03 FIP, and 134 strikeouts over 110 2/3 innings — he’s really struggled in his last few outings. Spanning 7 1/3 innings over two starts and a relief appearance, Harrison has allowed a whopping 19 runs (17 earned) on 23 hits (including six homers) and six walks while striking out seven. That’s raised his ERA and FIP from 2.79 and 3.30, respectively. He’ll look to get back on the right track against a team he’s had plenty of success against — across 17 career innings against the Pirates, he’s allowed no runs and struck out 29. That includes a pair of wins this season, as he’s totaled 11 innings with 22 strikeouts against them.

Opposite Harrison is right-hander Wilber Dotel. Dotel, 23, has made 19 appearances this season, and this will be just his second start. Across 35 1/3 innings here in his rookie year, he’s 1-5 with a 4.84 ERA, 2.98 FIP, and 36 strikeouts. He pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning against the Brewers in Tuesday night’s loss, allowing a hit and striking out one. His only other start came on Friday against the Cubs, when he went two innings and allowed three runs before Khristian Curtis (3 IP, 6 ER) and Antwone Kelly (3 IP, 3 ER) finished things out in a 12-2 loss.

In roster news, the Brewers have designated left-handed reliever Rob Zastryzny for assignment. Zastryzny, 34, made 35 appearances for the Brewers between 2024 and 2025, pitching to a 2.12 ERA, 4.09 FIP, and 25 strikeouts across 29 2/3 innings. He hasn’t appeared in any major league games this year as he’s dealt with multiple injuries and setbacks. He was sent on his latest rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville last week, but the Brewers activated and DFA’d him today. The move doesn’t open a 40-man spot, as Zastryzny was on the 60-day IL.

Brice Turang sits in the leadoff spot today, followed by Luis Lara and Jackson Chourio. Andrew Vaughn bats cleanup, with Gary Sánchez in the five-hole. Joey Ortiz, Sal Frelick, Bo Naylor, and David Hamilton round things out, as regular starters Jake Bauers, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Cooper Pratt, and Christian Yelich all get the day off.

First pitch is set for an early 11:35 a.m. CT and will be on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

Worcester: W, 8-5 (BOX SCORE)

We need to come up with a cool nickname for Allan Castro. Clutchstro? The Bull Runner? Because, he’s running those Bulls (Rays AAA) out of town the last couple of nights. After capturing the walk-off knock Tuesday, he was right back at it again on Wednesday with two home runs including a 7th-inning shot that turned the game on its head. The WooSox went into that seventh inning down 5-3 and never looked back after taking the lead. Castro’s home runs were aided by Tsung-Tse Cheng. Franklin Arias and Braiden Ward really extending those innings in front of him; Ward had a three-hit night, Cheng had two, and Arias had two RBIs of his own.

Defensively, things weren’t pristine, as Blake Wehunt allowed four runs in his five innings of work and left the game in the loss column, but it was also far from a terrible start. The bullpen shoved. Seth Martinez struck the side out, Sam McWilliams again slammed the door to get his second save in just over a week, and overall this all led Durham to go 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. McWilliams is an interesting case for a “get him up to eat some innings” once the playoff spot is captured and the team is secure in their slot. A 2014 Phillies draft pick, the 6’7” 230 righty touches the high 90’s with his fastball, but, due to the 31-year-old imploding at the wrong times, he hasn’t touched an MLB roster. This includes being selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Royals in 2018 and promptly having an ERA of 15 in 7 appearances in Spring Training. Still, if you want a low-leverage, innings eater, mop-up guy for late September, look no further than McWilliams, who now hasn’t allowed a run since last month.

Another eyebrow-raiser is Romy’s OPS growing closer to that hallowed 1.000 mark in Triple-A and the possiblity of him being a guy that can help should one of these platoon guys need some rest. Gonzalez is hitting .462 in September. That’s good, right? It’s also good that the team has several “break glass in case of emergency” guys that are not a considerable step down from guys currently on the roster… or at least not guys the fanbase would collectively be quivering in fear to see on a line-up card. At least, not any more than usual…