MESA, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 01: Luke Sinnard #97 of the Glendale Desert Dogs throws a pitch during an Arizona Fall League game against the Mesa Solar Sox at Sloan Park on November 1, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Saturday saw two strong outings by the starting pitchers in the Atlanta Braves organization. Both Cedric De Grandpre and Luke Sinnard threw excellent outings, though both came up short as the offense wasn’t able to support either. Combined Sinnard and Cedric struck out 15 in nine and a third innings of work.
Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 4.03 ERA
Luis Vargas, RP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 4.15 ERA
A pitchers duel took place on Saturday night in the form of a 2-0 game. Cedric De Grandpre pitched five exceptional innings, with just two mistakes coming via a pair of solo homers. In total he allowed those two runs on four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts and 13 whiffs. After a scoreless inning from Ricky Vanasco, Luis Vargas went two scoreless innings to finish the game off. In total Gwinnett pitchers allowed two runs on four hits and four walks with 10 strikeouts.
The pitchers duel went both ways as the Stripers were shut out and held to four hits and one walk. David McCabe, who singled and doubled, had half of the hits for the team, while Luke Williams and Chuckie Robinson had the other two Stripers singles. The lone walk came by Jordan Groshans. Jim Jarvis and Lizandro Espinoza were both hitless on the day.
Luke Sinnard, SP: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 7 K, 4.15 ERA
Luke Sinnard had a very strong outing on Saturday, going four and a third and allowing four runs on eight hits and no walks. He did strike out seven and whiff 15 as well. He had seven strikeouts on just 35 pitches through three scoreless innings before allowing two runs apiece in the fourth and then again in the fifth before recording just one out there. In total he threw 59 pitches and had those 15 whiffs. Ian Mejia went the next two and two thirds scoreless, followed by two more from Owen Hackman, before Isaac Gallegos allowed the final Montgomery run in his one third of an inning.
The Columbus offense didn’t manage much in this game, though a two-run homer by Carson Taylor helped to get this game into extra innings. Still the team managed just six hits, half by the bottom of the order with Luke Waddell picking up a pair of singles. Eric Hartman and John Gil each went one for five with a run batted in, while Alex Lodise also went one for five and stole a base.
Make no mistake, the Cubs have won a lot of games this season with their patient approach at the plate. The willingness to move the line and not try to do too much has served them well so many times. But this is the first game this year where I can remember that their patience literally won them the game. No disrespect to Pedro Ramirez or anyone who pitched in this game. We’re going to talk about all of them before we are done here. But the decisive stretch of the game went hit by pitch, walk, walk (game tied), hit by pitch (Cubs lead). As was pointed out in my initial look at this series, the Pirate bullpen got better at the trade deadline and they’ve been pretty good when they are able to deploy their leverage pitchers in leverage situations. Gregory Soto was the only reliever they used in this one and he lost some amount of command and control. The Cubs benefitted and got the win.
This was a close one, so we ought to take a peek at the WPA from it. After the top of the fifth, the Cubs were up to 81.9 percent to win this game. By the end of the top of the sixth, that was down to just 38.6 percent. The Cubs bottomed at 24.7 percent to win after the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Rolison’s scoreless eighth got them back about 5 percent. Pedro Ramirez’ double jumped them all of the way back to 47.1 percent. But when Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out for the second out, it was all of the way down to 25.6 percent again. Unsurprisingly, the Shaw bases loaded walk (.278) was the Play of the Game. The Nico Hoerner hit by pitch for the go ahead run was worth slightly less (.248). Those two reaches turned a loss into a probable win.
As is nearly always the case in a low-scoring, one-run win, just about every contribution was vital to the win. So for today at least, I’m ditching three positives. I’m going with a series of hat tips instead. I’m going chronological and not in any order of importance. Michael Busch for a first-inning homer. I hadn’t realized it was the first ever run Paul Skenes gave up at Wrigley Field until they said it on the broadcast. I know they had beaten him a few times in Pittsburgh, the two wins in games Colin Rea has started against him the last two years front and center in my head. That had to put the Cubs squarely in the right head space.
Pedro Ramirez led off the third with a solo homer of his own. He also had the double leading off the eighth that led to the decisive rally. Pedro had a huge impact on this game and I imagine him having a good shot to win the Player of the Game vote.
While those two were giving the Cubs the lead, Clay Holmes was terrific. He ended up one out short of a quality start. Nico Hoerner appeared to possibly get caught thinking about trying to turn a very difficult double play and that let the inning get away. Even if you leave the sequencing as is, Holmes leaves 2-2 after six otherwise. Of course, maybe they work Ryan O’Hearn differently if it is one on and one out rather than two on with no outs.
Jacob Webb came into a bases-loaded situation to get out of the sixth, then worked a scoreless seventh. Let me say it this way, you hate your circle of trust, but also Jacob Webb is pretty darn close to the circle, using what you’ve got.
Both Seiya Suzuki and Matt Shaw taking huge walks in pinch-hit plate appearance in the eighth. Seiya’s loaded the bases and Shaw’s tied the game. It’s hard to be patient, I’m sure with the game on line. But they both had quality plate appearances and it turned the game in favor of the Cubs. Nico Hoerner had the decisive hit by pitch and I was a little surprised the Pirates didn’t at least argue that he made no attempt to move. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that called unless the ump calls it right away. But I didn’t think Nico even flinched on it.
Ryan Rolison bridged the eighth and the ninth innings, retiring five of the six batters he faced. He’s pretty securely your first lefty out of the pen. Rolison and Webb have saved the Cub season. As bad as the bullpen has been, without those two, this may have gotten really ugly. We’d all rather have the Brewers or Padres bullpen to call on to close one out, but at this point you can only play the hand you were dealt. To that end, Ryan Zeferjahn faced one batter to finish this and he ended it with a strikeout looking. Just the kind of arm you hope to have out of your pen. Zeferjahn was one of two deadline additions that will probably be best assessed in the future and not in this postseason. Though obviously, he could make a huge impact this postseason and start firmly on the right foot.
For most trade deadline acquisitions or if you are a team like the Dodgers, at the end of the day you are evaluated based on how far you go into the postseason. Kyle Tucker had a rough season for the Dodgers. If he’s a key part of a championship run, none of that matters. Zeferjahn had a rough start as a Cub. If he closes out a win that lets the Cubs advance a round in the postseason, that’s going to be what mattered in the end.
Kudos to this team. After the last loss in Milwaukee, I talked about this. This team is resilient. This team doesn’t believe they’ll just get demolished by the Brewers. They know the Brewers are damn good. But they’ll believe with a break or two they would have won the season series and that they could definitely win a playoff series. It won’t be easy, but I trust this team to not play at a disadvantage against anyone. They’ve beaten all of the best teams. Swept a series from the Dodgers. Beat the Padres. Crushed the Phillies. This team may not win, but it won’t back down.
Game 149, September 12: Cubs 4, Pirates 3 (83-66)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Matt Shaw (.269). 0-0, BB, RBI
Hero: Pedro Ramirez (.251). 2-3, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Sidekick: Nico Hoerner (.205) 1-3, HBP, RBI
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Clay Holmes (-.179). 5.2 IP, 27 BF, 5 H, 4 BB, 3 R (2 ER), 6 K
Goat: Michael Conforto (-.159). 0-4
Kid: Tyrone Taylor (-.144). 0-3
WPA Play of the Game: Ryan O’Hearn’s three-run homer with one out in the sixth gave the Pirates a one run lead. (.340)
Cubs Play of the Game: Matt Shaw’s walk with the bases loaded that tied the game. (.278)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 148 Winner: Shōta Imanaga received 24 of 57 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Alex Bregman +27
Pete Crow-Armstrong +24.5
Michael Conforto +17
Carson Kelly +16.5
Ben Brown +13.5
Jameson Taillon -13
Seiya Suzuki -15
Nico Hoerner -15
Dansby Swanson -17
Caleb Thielbar -18.5
Scoreboard Watching: Padres win (2.5 back of Cubs). Diamondbacks and Phillies both played late.
Up Next: The third and final game of the series. With Saturday’s win, the Cubs secured the season series with the Pirates for the 12th(!!!) consecutive season. The Pirates have had some struggles, but certainly not 12 years of struggles. These two wins push them below .500 on the season. Matthew Boyd (8-4, 4.03) gets the start for the Cubs. Boyd is just 2-3 with a 4.98 over his last seven. He’s lost two of his last three starts, allowing seven earned runs over 18.1 innings. None of them have been terrible, but just not as sharp. He beat the Pirates in July in Pittsburgh, allowing a run on seven hits and three walks over seven innings.
Righty Bubba Chandler (7-9, 4.25) starts for the Pirates. Chandler is heading in the right direction. He’s 4-1 with a 3.38 over his last seven. And he won his last start, allowing four hits, no walks and two runs against the White Sox in Chicago. He struck out eight. He’s made two starts but recorded no decisions against the Cubs. He’s allowed seven runs in only 10.1 innings of work. So the Cubs have hit him well.
I always love to check back with Fangraphs. The Pirates starter was scratched on Friday. That made the Cubs about a 56-44 favorite in that one. They’ve also revised this Sunday game up to 54-46. So they do now like the Cubs to finish this sweep, even before the win over Skenes is rolled into the equation. The model still loves the Cubs against the Braves, basically 55 percent or better for all three games. Obviously, the Braves front loaded their top starters to facing the Phillies this weekend in an effort to push towards a division title. The Fangraphs modeling has the Cubs back at 90 wins. Again, before today’s win is in there (it would have been 89, but this win over Skenes flipped one upside down).
After these last couple of days, Fangraphs now sees the Cubs with a better chance to reach the playoffs than the Phillies, but still see the Phillies as more likely to win the World Series. They basically have the Phillies at 7 percent to win it all, the Braves 6 and the Cubs 5. I have no problem with the modelling that suggests that. Fangraphs frames the best chances to win as Dodgers (27), Brewers (13), Yankees (10) and Rays (9.5). You can always find a nitpick, but none of that seems too crazy.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Michael Arroyo #96 of the Seattle Mariners holds the trident as he celebrates his first career MLB home run during the top of the seventh inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on September 12, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners spanked, smacked, and otherwise stunted on the A’s on their way to an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy 19-1 win, the largest margin of victory in franchise history! Obviously it would be completely unreasonable to expect the guys to score 19 runs again today, but it would be cool. Jacob Lopez will try to prevent that against Bryce Miller at 1:05 PST.
Happy first Sunday of football season everybody! If you need me, don’t. I will have my butt parked firmly in my chair right at 10:00 am eagerly awaiting Scott Hanson announcing the start of RedZone while a pork shoulder braises.
In Mariners news…
It takes a village to score 19 runs, but impossible to lose in the shuffle was Michael Arroyo who started yesterday with no hits and no homeruns, and will enter tomorrow with three hits and a homerun already secured.
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has never been especially good against the Mets, and yesterday was no exception. What was exceptional about Cole’s start yesterday was how it started. Cole, apparently a real stickler for the nuance of scheduling, decided to stand behind the mound and wait for the clock to tick over to 1:38 pm before stepping on the mound to throw the first pitch.
Gerrit Cole refused to start the game before the official start time, and then allowed a lead off home run pic.twitter.com/4C9wMZtBn3
The A’s have been pretty devastated by injuries in the second half of this season, so joy of joys for them that they got All-Star Shea Langeliers back from the IL ahead of schedule! And his reward for his rehab efforts was getting to play in last night’s game. Baseball can be really cruel sometimes.
A note to all the kids at home reading this, if you catch your spike on the mound maybe just hold onto the baseball. Otherwise, you run the risk of looking as silly as Joey Cantillo here.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 12: Starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks is removed during the seventh inning of the MLB game against the Texas Rangers at Chase Field on September 12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 08: Bernie Williams looks on during the New York Yankees Old Timers' Day before the game against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on August 8, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Once upon a time, back in the old Yankee Stadium, fans were permitted to go down to the field level behind and near the dugout during batting practice even if they did not have tickets for seats in that section, much like you can do these days along the foul lines in right and left field. Back in 2002, a pair of young fans, no more than six years old, did just that. As excited young children do, they called to the players, and while very few reacted, as their voices were drowned out in the din of the pregame stadium noise, one outfielder noticed them. When he knew that these two kids were looking in his direction, he gave a sly wave, his hand half-hidden by the bat in his hand as he waited to take his turn in the cage.
Of course, waving to two six-year-olds during batting practice isn’t exactly something that a professional baseball needs to hide. But by pretending that it was, this outfielder made those fans feel seen, giving them a much more unique memory than a simple wave normally would be — one that can be remembered just as vividly almost a quarter of a century later. That outfielder? Today’s birthday boy, Bernie Williams.
Bernabé “Bernie” Williams Figueroa Jr. Born: September 13, 1968 (San Juan, Puerto Rico) Yankees Tenure: 1991-2006
The son of a merchant marine and a college professor, Bernie Williams excelled in all sorts of athletic and non-athletic pursuits throughout his childhood, becoming an accomplished sprinter (winning four gold and one silver medal at the 1984 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships), classical guitarist, and pre-medical student at the University of Puerto Rico. But it was baseball that was his first love, and so, when the Yankees signed him as an international amateur free agent, he put his other interests on hold to pursue baseball full-time.
Over the next few years, Williams established himself as one of the game’s premier prospects. It was not a smooth journey by any stretch of the imagination — he struggled so much in Triple-A in 1989 that he was dropped down a level, for example — but in the end, by the time he made his Major League debut on July 7th, 1991, he had been named Baseball America’s second overall prospect. He spent the next two seasons shuttled between the Bronx and Triple-A Columbus, before ultimately starting the 1993 season as the Yankees’ center fielder and leadoff hitter.
Because his former top prospect had not yet broken out as a veritable star by the end of ‘93, George Steinbrenner encouraged his front office to trade Williams that winter, with a rumored deal for Larry Walker possibly on the table. In the end, though, Bernie remained in the Bronx, and, obviously, everything worked out perfectly: from 1995 to 2002, Williams became one of the league’s top players, slashing .321/.406/.531 (a 142 OPS+) and averaging 5.2 rWAR per year while earning five All-Star nods, four Gold Gloves, and one batting title across that span. This performance earned him a seven-year, $85 million contract, as the team nearly signed Albert Belle to replace Bernie but ultimately fought off strong pushes by the Boston Red Sox and the brand-new Arizona Diamondbacks to keep their superstar center fielder in New York.
More important than any regular-season and monetary accolades, however, was that fact Bernie he came up big in October again, and again, and again, helping the Yankees to three straight World Series titles and four in five years, plus another two appearances in the three seasons following the threepeat. Twice, he hit walk-off home runs in ALCS play, first off Randy Myers to down the Orioles in the “Jeffrey Maier Game” in 1996 …
His 118 wRC+ ranks 341st among the 1,335 players with at least 30 career postseason plate appearances, and his 22 playoff home runs remains the Yankees franchise record (and is bested only by Manny Ramirez, Jose Altuve, Kyle Schwarber, and George Springer).
After his seven-year peak came to an end following the 2002 season, Williams played for four more years. In an era before modern defensive metrics, Bernie remained the Yankees’ center fielder through the 2005 campaign, long after he was an asset with the glove in center field; as our very own Esteban Rivera wrote in his profile of Williams as the 13th greatest player in Yankee history, this “was the difference between remembering him as a Hall of Famer, and Hall of Very Gooder.” After the 2006 season, the team opted not to give him a guaranteed contract; rather than compete for a job, Williams declined the invitation to spring training, and that would be the end of his playing career — even if he did not officially retire until April 24, 2015.
Following his baseball career, Williams turned full-time to music. He had released a studio album while still a player, back in 2003, but it wasn’t until his second album, Moving Forward, released in 2009 that he established himself as a true musician, and not simply as a former athlete moonlighting as a musician.
Throughout his career, he has collaborated with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, earned a Grammy nomination, went on tour, wrote a book about his baseball and music career, received a bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and, earlier this year, played at Carnegie Hall. Not a bad second career.
Happy birthday, Bernie! Here’s to many more.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 12: William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts toward the crowd after hitting a three-run home run in the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field on September 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The State of Wisconsin sports will be going for a rare weekend sweep, and it’ll begin with the Brewers taking on the Reds. With the Brewers soundly taking care of games one and two, and the Badger football team winning their first of the season, the Brewers and Packers will be up next to finish the weekend strong.
Most importantly, the Crew eyes their longest winning streak of the 2026 season, as they currently sit at five games in a row. They’ll have to face the Reds ace, however, Chase Burns. He’ll be facing this Brewers offense for just the third time in his career and the second time this season. His last time against the Brewers was back on July 2, when he allowed two runs on four hits and two walks. The month of August wasn’t kind to him, but he’s off to a great start in September after three scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Looking on the Brewers’ side, Robert Gasser will be making his third start of the month. Gasser has been struggling with his command over the last month and a half, as he has 15 walks in seven starts, but it feels that he’s beginning to round the corner and at the right time, too. After allowing two runs in 4.1 innings at Wrigley Field, he walked through the Cubs lineup the first time through in his last outing before being unable to finish at-bats, which led to his quick departure during the fifth inning of the game.
With the Brewers having clinched the playoffs a couple of nights ago, other magic numbers are still in play and on the horizon. The magic number to win the National League Central is still three games, so at very least, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow for that to happen, assuming the Brewers win today and the Cubs lose their next two. Of all the possibilities, a first-round bye is crucial for a deep postseason run, and to get it, they’re sitting at nine games back, and 11 for the No. 1 seed. Finally, to reach 100 wins in the season, they’ll need to win seven out of their next 13 games.
Today’s game will be at 1:10 p.m., and you’ll be able to watch the game on Brewers.TV and listen on WTMJ 620.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - JULY 22: Patrick Copen #24 of the Tulsa Drillers pitches during the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. (Photo by Braeden Botts/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Saturday in the Dodgers minor leagues saw Oklahoma City get even closer to a postseason berth, and Tulsa power their way to another win in a record-setting evening in Springdale, Arkansas.
Player of the day
Patrick Copen’s final start of the regular season was very good, with six scoreless innings and six strikeouts for Double-A Tulsa, allowing only two singles and two walks.
Copen had a rough go of things this season in a return trip to Tulsa, finishing with a 5.90 ERA in his 116 innings, but things could have been much worse. Through July 22, Copen had a 7.45 ERA with 12 home runs in 73 2/3 innings and a 9.5-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate, but in his final eight appearances put up a 3.19 ERA and only two home runs allowed in 42 1/3 innings with a 19.5-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets kept rolling, winning their 14th straight game, making three runs in the third inning stand up on Saturday to beat the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros) yet again.
Zach Ehrhard singled home a run in the third inning and would later double, then he scored on a two-run home run by Alek Thomas, his fourth home run in seven games since getting sent back to Triple-A.
Christian Romero struck out seven and didn’t allow a run until two scored off him in the fifth, his final inning. Kyle Hurt, Ronan Kopp, and Jerming Rosario each struck out multiple people in relief, combining for seven strikeouts in their 3 1/3 innings, followed by Garrett McDaniels getting the final two outs to close out the win.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers got home runs by Elijah Hainline and Joe Vetrano to back Copen and beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals). Tulsa has 197 home runs on the season to lead the Texas League and surpass the 2022 team for the most in Drillers history. Hainline’s homer was the record-setter.
Hainline reached base three times, and Copen left with an 8-0 lead. Northwest Arkansas scored two runs in the eighth and ninth innings to make the final score closer.
The 88-49 Drillers have the most wins in a Tulsa baseball season since 95 wins by the Oilers, a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate, in 1968.
That 2022 Tulsa team was led in home runs by Ryan Ward (28) and a 21-year-old Andy Pages (26), plus excellent pass-throughs by James Outman (16 homers in 68 games) and Michael Busch (11 homers in 31 games).
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at Oracle Park on September 12, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Much like the day before, the San Diego Padres jumped out to a lead against the San Francisco Giants and needed their back-end bullpen arms to lock down the 7-6 win at Oracle Park on Saturday.
Michael King took the mound for San Diego and was hurt by the home run over the first two innings but settled in over the next five to earn the win. Rafael Devers gave San Francisco the lead with a two-run home run to right field, which was his second homer in as many days to give the Giants a 2-0 lead. After the Padres responded with two runs in the top of the second, Shay Whitcomb connected on a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the inning to put San Francisco up 3-2.
Jackson Merrill stayed hot and hit his 25th home run of the season when he connected on a one-out solo home run in the top of the third inning, which tied the game at 3-3. San Diego took its first lead of the game in the top of the fourth inning when Samad Taylor and Fernando Tatis Jr. reached on back-to-back singles. Dustin Harries, who was batting second for the Padres, hit a sacrifice fly which allowed Taylor to tag up and score from third to make the score, 4-3.
San Diego scored a run in the fifth and an emphatic run in the sixth when Tatis hit a 421-foot leadoff home run to left field which pushed the Padres’ lead to 6-3. San Diego tacked on a run on a San Francisco error in the top of the seventh inning to give the Padres a comfortable four-run lead at 7-3 after their half of the seventh.
Bradgley Rodriguez replaced King on the mound to start bottom of the eighth inning and had a disappointing outing. The rookie right-hander was tagged for a leadoff home run, a single and a two-run home run, which allowed the Giants to get back in the game at 7-6. Adrian Morejon was called on to stop the San Francisco scoring after Rodriguez was unable to record an out while allowing three runs. Morejon recorded back-to-back strikeouts and got a groundout to end the eighth.
Mason Miller came on for the bottom of the ninth and had a much better outing than he did in Game 1. He needed just 17 pitches to retire the final three batters to get the win and earn his 36th save.
King was solid outside of the first two innings. He pitched seven innings, allowed three runs on five hits and struck out four without allowing a walk. King had four innings where he faced the minimum number of batters and two of his five hits allowed came in the seventh inning, his final inning of work.
The Padres will go for the road sweep of the Giants and look to extend their winning streak to six games when they meet today at 4:20 p.m.
Padres News:
The majority of respondents to this week’s Gaslamp Ball Reacts Survey believe if the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks keep running neck and neck in the final weeks of the season, their series at Petco Park will determine which team advances to the postseason.
Aug 26, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Nathan Church (27) celebrates after hitting a two run double against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As Leo Bernal continues to impress and grab a 2027 starting gig, the St. Louis Cardinals are seeing Nathan Church attempt to do the same. While center field did not have the same depth as catcher, Church is looking to take hold of the spot and give the Cardinals some clarity at a position of need.
St. Louis centerfielders entered the season ranked as the second-worst among the position since 2023 with a 74 wRC+ and much of their 3.5 total fWAR during that time being attributed to defense. The Cardinals attempted to solve the problem a few different ways, with three players seeing 100 or more games in center over that span. Of those three, Lars Nootbaar was the only one to be an above-average offensive player, with Victor Scott II and Michael Siani coming in each 35% below league average or worse with the bat.
Nathan Church is looking to give the Cardinals clarity in center field
Going into 2026, the Cardinals hoped that Victor Scott II’s offseason swing work would unleash his offensive potential and gave him the everyday job. The speedster continued to see much of the same issues with the bat and was demoted to Memphis in June after putting up a 55 wRC+ in over 60 games. During that time, Church was mixing in all around the outfield and used an impressive April to begin pushing Scott for innings in center field.
With Jordan Walker’s breakout in right and the attempt for Nootbaar to regain his value in left, Church as given the everyday job once Scott was sent to the minors. A miserable July caused a conversation about the team’s future in center field, but the tune has changed since the calendar flipped to August. Quickly going back to the three-year span from earlier, the Cardinals center fielders ranked dead last with a .613 OPS, so excuse any extensive praise of Church when comparing to the previous group.
In 37 games since August 1, Church has hit .292 and put up a .736 OPS to measure out to 6% above-league average. Even better than the contact, the rookie has trimmed his strikeout rate to just 10% in 127 plate appearances. In 128 at-bats from June to July, Church struck out 28 times compared to just 13 punchouts in 117 at-bats since. The power has not been there recently, but the lefty has 10 homers and 10 stolen bases on the campaign.
Church will likely need a platoon partner, but his defense is solid enough that he can stick in the lineup if he performs at his current wRC+.As mentioned, working in Church’s advantage is that the Cardinals do not have much to really push him for the major league starting gig. Scott has not started a game since being recalled and Chase Davis finally got some time in Memphis but continues to struggle with consistency. We brought up Josiah Ragsdale on the Thursday episode of Cardinals on My Time since he has laid waste to Double-A pitching, but expect Memphis to be his next step.
Assuming the Cardinals continue to use 2027 as a stepping stone season, expecting Chaim Bloom to put any significant financial investment into the outfield would be a pipe dream. What he could do, though, is go the Ramon Urias route and sign a veteran platoon partner to Church who understand their role and would even allow for Church to grab a few at-bats against lefties as well. If Urias had stayed healthy, I pictured him as the Dustin May of the offense and he would have been flipped for a reliever and that could be what happens in 2027 in center.
The Cardinals want to put a stop to the revolving door in center and while Church may be the answer for next year, he may just become a place holder for the next guy to step in.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 30: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves walks to the mound in the first inning during the game against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on July 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A similar hand of fate that has inexplicably granted Battery Power’s Ivan near-exclusivity on Martín Pérez starts has linked me with Grant Holmes and Andrew Painter, who will face off for the third time this season (and the second time with the opportunity for the Braves to sweep the Phillies).
As the season draws to a close, it’s almost sad to see them go with the 9-3 season series record Atlanta currently holds (with a big emphasis on almost). I’m sure the Phils have been itching to book it to Hartsfield-Jackson since Friday night’s game ended, and the feeling only intensified after yesterday’s double-digit blowout.
No premature declarations here, but it would be pretty sweet to finish the job and add one more game to the Braves lead atop the NL East.
Grant Holmes (9-5, 3.46 ERA) and Andrew Painter (3-9, 5.71 ERA) will get the ball for their teams today as the Braves look to sweep and the Phillies look to salvage.
Their first matchup was on Sunday Night Baseball back on April 19. Holmes was pulled an out shy of qualifying for the win, going 4.2 innings with four hits and two earned runs via a two-run homer to Kyle Schwarber in the first inning. He walked one and struck out four. Painter gave up three earned runs to the Braves in his four innings of work and was given the loss as the Braves completed the sweep in Citizens Bank Park.
Six days later, Holmes got the win with a six-inning performance where he gave up three runs on seven hits. Painter also went a little deeper with 5.2 innings pitched, but was tagged for nine hits and five earned runs, including a homer by Ronald Acuña Jr. Most notably, this was the stretch where Michael Harris II was 1) the hottest player in baseball following the birth of his son Tripp 2) dealing with a pesky quad injury. He pinch-hit, gave the Braves the lead, and left, giving Andrew Painter his second L in a week and extending the Phillies’ losing streak to ten games.
The walk down memory lane is nice, but what’s different about this matchup now that it’s September?
The enigma that is Grant Holmes is riding a bit of a scoreless streak. He was the unexpected other half of a pitching duel in Philadelphia versus Jesús Luzardo last weekend, tossing six scoreless and only surrendering three hits and two walks while striking out six batters. It was scarier than the final line suggests, but he did his part in that 1-0 Braves loss. Rain shortened his outing in DC on September 2, but he was dealing and no-hitting the Nats through three.
Luis Arraez and Brandon Marsh are tied for the team lead in at-bats against Holmes with eleven and each has recorded a double off him. They’re followed closely by Kyle Schwarber, Bryson Stott, and Trea Turner with 10 ABs – Stott is the only one of the trio that doesn’t have a homer. Harper also has a homer and a 1.433 OPS against Holmes. Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs has also been successful in a small sample, going 2-for-3 with a 1.333 OPS.
Painter was optioned to Triple-A after struggling to the tune of a 13.11 ERA in the month of June. He’s been better since being recalled on July 31, but has had ups and downs. His shortest outing since being recalled was four innings on August 5, but he’ll pretty reliably go five or more. The hot-and-cold is exemplified in his two starts in September: he spun seven scoreless and only allowed two hits against Arizona, but got hit hard by Houston six days later: ten hits and five earned runs in five innings.
The Phillies are going to need Painter to give them some length given the heavy bullpen usage over the first two games of the series.
As mentioned earlier, one of Ronald’s two hits againsts Painter in six ABs is a homer. Harris II is a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run of his own. Ozzie Albies is 2-for-4 with a walk as the only other one with an OPS north of 1.000 at 1.100. But the only Braves regulars that have faced Painter and not yet recorded a hit are Drake Baldwin and Austin Riley.
After a fun and relatively stress-free game last night, let’s hope the Braves saved some runs for this afternoon’s finale. First pitch is at 1:35 pm ET.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, September 13, 1:35 p.m. ET
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 09: Luke Williams #30 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting a walk-off two run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on June 9, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Braves 2-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is 1993, when the Phillies knocked the Braves down in six games, including hammering Greg Maddux around for six runs in the series finale. There is the NLDS’s in 2022 and 23, the height of which being when Bryce Harper stared Orlando Arcia down after a home run.
There are several moments to choose from but if you had to pick something that isn’t super noteworthy or wouldn’t get covered on a National TV broadcast, what would it be?
The Braves-Phillies rivalry is one of the best things going on in baseball right now. The Phillies have knocked the Braves around over their last two postseason matchups but the Braves have mostly dominated the division outside of 2024 and 25 but also have the more recent World Series title. It’s a rivalry without true bragging rights, which feels a little rare in today’s sporting landscape.
Anyway, my personal favorite weird moment is when Luke Williams hit a walk off home run against Will Smith, taking a hanging slider into the left field seats for the Phillies to take a game in June (on a very nice date). It was Williams’ first career home run, he did not do much with the Phillies the rest of the 2021 season, and Williams would go on to play 82 games with the Braves over the last four seasons.
Let us know what your answer is, especially if it’s older, because this Question of the Day is being written by a 23-year-old. If you remember something from before 2010, now is the time to share it.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 12: Relief pitcher Jacob Latz #67 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with Elias Díaz #35 after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 in the MLB game at Chase Field on September 12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 6, D-Backs 2
Well whaddya know…the Rangers won a game!
On the road, even!
The losing streak is over. Time to celebrate.
Adding to the warm and fuzzy vibes of the win is the return of Josh Jung to the starting lineup and Nathan Eovaldi to the mound, after each was activated from the injured list before the game.
Of course, because we must maintain equilibrium, Joc Pederson left the game after being hit in the wrist with a pitch, and Nicky Lopez was pulled due to a hamstring issue.
Pederson is the bigger potential loss there, though the x-rays indicated no fracture, which is a relief.
Lopez starting, meanwhile, meant Ezequiel Duran was in center field and Evan Carter was on the bench despite a righthander pitching for Arizona, presumably out of a desire to try to get more offense going.
When you’re sitting in favor of Nicky Lopez because Nicky Lopez is perceived as the better offensive options, that’s not great.
Kumar Rocker was solid in his four innings of work, though when he walked the first two batters in the fifth after the Rangers had just had a big inning to take a 6-1 lead, Skip Schumaker went with the quick hook, going to Robert Garcia with lefties due up.
Garcia retired all three batters and stranded the runners, allowing Eovaldi to come in for a clean inning in his return to action.
Eovaldi was fine, giving up a run in his first inning of work but ultimately going 2.2 innings, with Jacob Latz handling the final four outs.
You wouldn’t normally ask your closer to get four outs in a four run game, but, well… * waves in general direction of the rest of the bullpen *.
All the Rangers runs came in the fifth, when they sent ten men to the plate. A Wyatt Langford homer started things off, before the Rangers strung together some singles, a double, a hit by pitch, and an exciting Lopez sac bunt for a big inning.
Josh Jung had both a run and an RBI in the inning, part of a 2 for 4 night, which had to feel nice for him after missing so much time.
Honestly, it feels nice for me, too. A productive Josh Jung is a very good thing for this team.
Kumar Rocker hit 96.5 with his sinker, averaging 94.4 mph, and 97.3 with his fastball, averaging 95.1 mph. Robert Garcia’s fastball touched 95.5 mph. Nathan Eovaldi maxed out at 95.9 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz reached 98.1 mph with his fastball.
Corey Seager had a 108.4 mph double. Elias Diaz had a 106.0 mph single and a 100.2 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 105.5 mph single. Wyatt Langford had a 105.5 mph home run and a 102.7 mph double. Evan Carter had a 104.4 mph single. Josh Jung had a 102.6 mph single and a 102.3 mph single. Brandon Nimmo had a 100.1 mph double.
The last game of the penultimate road series for the Rangers on Sunday. A win would be good.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 12: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates a single in the bottom of the first inning against the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field on September 12, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The good feelings from the series opening win over the Mets were erased in a flash. The crosstown rivals stomped the Yankees in the Bronx, 12-2, as Gerrit Cole gave up another three home runs. It was a bad day for their ace to not have it with the Rays and Red Sox both winning to gain ground over and toward the Yankees, respectively.
Tampa Bay Rays (89-59) 3, Houston Astros (75-74) 2
The Rays’ second-year starter Ian Seymour logged one of the best starts of his young career, holding Houston to two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings. The converted reliever struck out ten, which is already his third outing of double-digit strikeouts in just his 14th start. He induced 19 whiffs on the game including five on the four-seamer despite the pitch averaging just 91 mph.
The first of those runs was to the second batter of the game, Isaac Paredes launching a solo shot to open the scoring early. The second didn’t come until the sixth inning, Yainer Diaz driving in Jose Altuve with an RBI single after the latter reached on a one-out double. At the time, that was the game-tying run, the Rays having scored two in the fifth on a two-run single by Richie Palacios after Victor Mesa Jr. and Chandler Simpson opened the frame with a pair of singles and advanced on a sac bunt.
The game winner came in the seventh, Liam Hicks leading off with a double and Mesa drawing a walk. A force out advanced Hicks to third where he’d score on a pinch-hit sac fly by Nick Madrigal. A Jonny DeLuca single kept the inning alive and put runners on the corners where they’d be stranded by Jorge Mateo. Walks by Jonathan Aranda, Ryan Vilade, and Mesa loaded the bases in the eighth, but Simpson could not bring home an insurance run that ended up going unneeded. With the win and Yankees loss, the Rays restore their four-game lead atop the AL East.
Other Games
Boston Red Sox (81-68) 5, Kansas City Royals (66-83) 1
Ranger Suarez provided one of his vintage starts for the Red Sox, holding the Royals to a run on four hits and no walks with eight strikeouts across seven sterling innings, lowering his ERA to 3.33 in 26 starts in his debut season with Boston. The lone damage came in the sixth, Carter Jensen getting the Royals on the board with a one-out solo homer.
As it happens, that homer tied the game, the Red Sox mustering just a run in the first five innings on an Adley Rutschman RBI single after Roman Anthony led off the frame with a single. The Red Sox turned it on from there, starting with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, Mickey Gasper and Rutschman reaching on a pair of two-out singles before Wilyer Abreu drove both home with a two-run double. Caleb Durbin tacked on another with an RBI single after Nick Sogard led off the seventh with a double and Sogard added a final run with an RBI double to drive home Trevor Story after his own double in the eighth. With the win and Yankees loss, the Red Sox climb back within 4.5 games of second.
Chicago White Sox (76-72) 6, St. Louis Cardinals (73-76) 5
This was a topsy-turvy, back and forth affair with multiple lead changes. It wasn’t the most cleanly pitched contest by either side, both teams opting for bullpen games and combining to use 13 pitchers overall. The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead scoring three in the second off White Sox trade deadline acquisition Luis Castillo on a two-run double by Masyn Winn and a sac fly from José Fermín.
The two sides then traded runs in the third, Colson Montgomery’s walk with the bases loaded getting cancelled out by an RBI double from Nathan Church in the bottom half. Chicago then rallied to score three in the fifth to knot the scores at four apiece, Munetaka Murakami drawing a bases loaded walk, Randal Grichuk grounding into a run scoring double play, and Tristan Peters adding an RBI single.
By this point both teams had loaded the bases twice in the span of two innings without fully cashing in, a trend which would continue into the final innings. Indeed, St. Louis grabbed a late one-run lead on a Leo Bernal homer to lead off the eighth, the Cardinals then loading the bases before Jordan Hicks entered in relief to strand them loaded. This proved the turning point in the game, Grichuk winning it in the top of the tenth with a two-run blast.
The Twins did all of their scoring in the third, pushing across four in the frame. Emmanuel Rodriguez got things started with a booming solo shot, followed by three straight singles from Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee, and Kody Clemens. Royce Lewis added an RBI single and back-to-back hit-by-pitches first loaded the bases and then forced in the fourth run. It was enough to fend off the Guardians, Travis Bazzana opening the scoring with an RBI single in the second and Steven Kwan drawing Cleveland within one with an RBI single following Brayan Rocchio’s RBI groundout in the fifth. It was a costly loss for Cleveland paired with Chicago’s late win, dropping them back a game-and-a-half out of first.
Toronto Blue Jays (74-75) 7, Baltimore Orioles (72-77) 3
Kyle Bradish has been getting crushed dating back to the five runs he gave up to the Yankees at the end of August, giving up another five runs on eight hits in just three innings against Toronto. Alejandro Kirk had the big day at the plate going 2-for-4 with a homer and three driven in. Brett Bateman also homered and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added an RBI double while George Springer and Andrés Giménez both contributed multi-hit days. Pete Alonso provided the only real pop for the Orioles with a two-run homer in the seventh.
This game can really be boiled down to one inning, the Rangers scoring six in the fifth off Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt. Wyatt Langford led off with a homer, Jake Burger singled and advanced on a sac bunt, Elias Díaz singled, Joc Pederson got hit by a pitch, Josh Jung singled, Brandon Nimmo doubled, and Ezequiel Duran singled as part of the ten hits Pfaadt gave up on his start. A Pavin Smith RBI single and Corbin Carroll sac fly constituted all the scoring for the Diamondbacks.
Sep 12, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) celebrates with second baseman Marcus Semien (10) after defeating the New York Yankees 12-2 at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meet the Mets
The Mets outslugged the Yankees in a 12-2 win in Yankee Stadium. Francisco Lindor got it started with a leadoff home run and then later delivered the exclamation point with a grand slam. Young Zac Thornton was impressive on the mound pitching seven solid innings and the Mets walked away with a good bounce back victory in the Subway Series.
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole had no explanation for his latest poor performance against the Mets.
Astros DH Yordan Álvarez and and Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson are two very different type of players, but are currently battling it out for the AL batting title.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 18: The Boston Red Sox grounds crew pulls out the rain tarp prior to a game between the Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on July 18, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
UPDATE AGAIN: We have a start time: 4:55 PM.
UPDATE: Well, with less than 30 minutes before first pitch, the Sox have finally acknowledged meteorological science and announced an indefinite delay.
It’s going to be a waiting game today at Fenway Park as the Red Sox and Royals try to complete their final game against each other this season. Here’s what we can say with confidence:
It’s going to rain steadily throughout the morning and into much of the afternoon.
The rain should let up and stop late in the afternoon and into the early evening hours, creating a window to get the game in.
With just 13 games left in the season, MLB is going to want to get this in today, even if it means waiting a little while.
As a result, the Red Sox already announced yesterday evening that the scheduled start time has been pushed back 90 minutes from 1:35 to 3:05pm
The #RedSox have moved the start time of the game tomorrow, Sunday, September 13, against the Royals at Fenway from 1:35 p.m. to 3:05 p.m. pic.twitter.com/UDEVIMVSjH
However, that’s probably not far enough, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see additional delays.
Here’s a simulated radar from the HRRR model for 3:00pm today.
Things will likely be headed in the right direction by mid afternoon, but the back edge of the precipitation will probably take a couple more hours to fully clear Boston. Here’s a simulated map for around 5:00pm:
This is probably closer to the time they can pull the tarp off and get things ready for play, and once they do, conditions should remain playable through the evening.
So again, it’s going to be a waiting game. The Red Sox and Royals want to get this game in today, and conditions will improve late. However, until that time, we’re all just going to be watching the radar and waiting for things to clear.
