Clayton Kershaw is an 11-time All-Star. Photograph: Godofredo A Vásquez/AP
Clayton Kershaw, one of the greatest pitchers of his generation, will retire at the end of the season.
The 37-year-old is nearing the end of his 18th MLB season, all of which he has spent with the Dodgers.
Kershaw’s final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium will be on Friday, although he is likely to appear in Los Angeles again during the upcoming playoffs.
“On behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton on a fabulous career and thank him for the many moments he gave to Dodger fans and baseball fans everywhere, as well as for his profound charitable endeavors,” Dodgers owner Mark Walter said in a statement on Thursday. “His is a truly legendary career, one that we know will lead to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame.”
As Walter suggested, Kershaw is a lock for the hall of fame. He is a three-time Cy Young winner and was named National League MVP in 2014. He is also an 11-time All-Star – he made the cut again this season – and won the World Series with the Dodgers in 2020. He has an ERA of 2.54 across his career and maintained a respectable 3.53 ERA in 20 starts this season, even as his fastball started to slow.
If there was a knock on Kershaw’s career, it was a lack of postseason success. The Dodger owns a 13-13 record with a 4.49 ERA in the postseason, a stark contrast from his 2.54 career ERA in the regular season, to go with a 222-96 record. The 2020 World Series win calmed those criticisms somewhat, though (Kershaw did not pitch in the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series championship due to injury).
The Dodgers have a six-man rotation heading into this coming postseason – although they have not clinched their spot yet, it would require a spectacular meltdown for them to miss out – which may mean Kershaw does not start.
“I feel that there’s a place for him on our postseason roster,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told ESPN this week. “I don’t know what role, but I think that the bottom line is, I trust him. And so, for me, the postseason is about players you trust.”
Kershaw always looked destined for an excellent career and was highly touted coming out of high school. The Dodgers picked him No 7 overall in the 2006 draft, a selection they have never regretted.
Those were the words of Alex Cora following Thursday afternoon’s 5-3 loss to the We’re-Not-From-Sacramento-What-Are-You-Talking-About Athletics at Fenway Park, though they weren’t delivered for the reason you might think.
You might think that the walls are closing in, chests are getting tight and hearts are pounding inside the Boston clubhouse. But Cora? He’ll tell you he and everyone else in uniform remains cool as a cucumber.
“The days are the same,” Cora said nonchalantly on Thursday. “Nothing changes. The preparation is the same, and we just keep rolling.”
That’s the message.
Here’s the reality.
That loss, combined with a Guardians win, shrunk Boston’s lead over Cleveland to just 1.5 games for the final AL wild-card spot. It also delivered a series loss to the sub-.500 A’s, the second straight series loss at home for the Red Sox after dropping two out of three to the Yankees over the weekend.
With only nine games remaining and the red-hot Guardians making a charge, one might expect a bit of worry to be creeping into the Red Sox’ clubhouse. Cora — as you know by now — simply says that is not the case.
“I mean, we control our own destiny,” the manager said matter-of-factly. “So, go to Tampa and win a series. That’s the way I see it.”
Thursday’s loss dropped the Red Sox to 7-8 in the month of September, an inconvenient time for bad baseball to creep back into their systems after going 34-18 in July and August. The Guardians, meanwhile, are 13-4 in September, completing a sweep in Detroit on Thursday before heading to Minnesota, where they’ll face the 66-86 Twins (losers of 12 of their last 16) in a four-game set.
The Red Sox may still “control their own destiny,” but that status likely won’t last through the weekend if they drop another series to an opponent that is, on paper, inferior.
“Yeah. I mean, we never want that, but obviously we’ve got to turn the page,” Cora said. “We’ve got two (series) on the road — we go to Tampa and Toronto — we’ve gotta play better baseball. That’s it. I think offensively, there were some signs today, but we’re not there. We’re not there offensively. We’ve just gotta make sure we understand who we are as an offense, try to keep the line moving.”
Despite seven hits and a pair of homers, the Red Sox’ offense didn’t really do enough damage against J.T. Ginn, who allowed a pair of runs over his six innings. Boston managed to get just two baserunners aboard against the bullpen over the final three innings, and with Brayan Bello allowing three runs in the first inning en route to an ineffective four-inning outing, it was another one of those days at Fenway Park for the home team.
Cora’s statement of it not being a good day for the team was not about the big picture, though. Cora made that comment in reference to shortstop Trevor Story’s pair of throwing errors, each of which came with two outs — one in the third inning, one in the seventh — and allowed a run to cross the plate.
Story, along with Alex Bregman, represents the vocal veteran leadership core of the team. And while he tried to follow his manager’s lead by expressing confidence in the team, he ended up making a statement that borders on delusion.
“We haven’t been playing our best brand of baseball. It’s as simple as that,” Story, who hit a solo homer in the eighth inning Thursday, said. “We have the mindset that we’re gonna be playing for a month after this, so we’re not just trying to limp in. I think that’s a trap in itself. So we can keep looking ahead and keep trying to chase down that division.”
The division Story referenced is a chase that died with a 3-5 stretch against Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Arizona. The AL East-leading Blue Jays entered Thursday night six games clear of the Red Sox, likely not having to even worry too much about the Yankees, who sat 3.5 games back in second place.
The Red Sox, quite clearly, will not be making a run at the division, contrary to whatever assertion Story might have tried to make.
Still, the 32-year-old did present a simple approach for his teammates to follow.
“We can control what happens. We play good baseball, we get in. It’s as simple as that,” he said. “We know what we’ve done. We know what we can do. We’ve played some of the best baseball I feel like all season long over a good stretch of time, and I think that’s where we get our confidence from, is we know how good we can be.
“We’ve proven that, but also it’s time to do it when the time is right. And that’s now.”
For Cora, the resilience shown by the 2021 team to sweep the Nationals on the final weekend of the regular season (after a 1-5 stretch prior to that series) to reclaim a postseason spot provides evidence that there’s no reason to worry at this moment in time.
“For me, I take it the same day I took it in ’21,” Cora said. “Take it one day at a time. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. It’s part of the season. It’s 162 for a reason.”
One could point out that the ’21 team was filled with veterans and World Series champions — Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, Kyle Schwarber, Nate Eovaldi, Eduardo Rodriguez and Chris Sale among them — while also having fifth-year third baseman Rafael Devers ascending to All-Star status that season.
This team, outside of Bregman and closer Aroldis Chapman, doesn’t quite have the same pedigree. And losses like Thursday’s — and Tuesday’s, and Friday’s … and last Wednesday’s — provide a glimpse of a team that struggles to score runs in the season’s most critical stretch.
With the goal of “winning the series” in Tampa for the weekend, even that may not be enough. If the Red Sox win two of three over the Rays while the Guardians take three of four in Minnesota, they’ll still lose ground on the Guardians entering the final week.
FanGraphs gave the Red Sox a 98.2 percent chance of making the playoffs on Sept. 2. The current number of 82.6 percent still paints a pretty picture, but momentum is clearly moving in the direction that could lead to the dirty word of collapse resurfacing in the greater Boston for the final week of the season.
Maybe.
With a magic number of eight, the Red Sox can still make life fairlyeasy for themselves with a 6-3 record over the final 10 days of the season. That would, of course, require the Guardians to lose just twice in their final 10 games to punch Boston’s tickets to the Wild Card Series.
The question is … can they actually do it? Has anything this month provided reason for belief that as the pressure mounts, the Red Sox will produce, and pitch, and win?
From inside the clubhouse, the manager is putting forth a message of calm confidence. From the outside, doubt continues to mount.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, in the dugout before a game in July, announced his retirement on Thursday effective the end of the season. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
On Friday night, Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to take the mound at Dodger Stadium for the 246th time in his illustrious career.
On Thursday afternoon, he made a long-awaited announcement that could make it his last trip atop the bump.
After 18 seasons, three Cy Young Awards, one MVP and two World Series titles, the 37-year-old Kershaw announced he will retire from Major League Baseball after this season.
After 222 wins, more than 2,800 innings, over 3,000 strikeouts, and a career 2.54 ERA, his countdown to Cooperstown will begin this winter.
Kershaw’s retirement had been a long time coming. Over each of the past four offseasons, he contemplated whether or not to walk away from the game. An 11-time All-Star and five-time ERA champion, he long ago ensured his spot as a future Hall of Fame pitcher. As the enduring face of the Dodgers franchise over the last two decades, his stature in club lore had been cemented.
Yet, he continued to want to play.
Despite an elbow injury at the end of the 2021 season, a shoulder surgery after the 2023 campaign, and foot and knee procedures this past offseason, Kershaw continued to come back and play for the Dodgers — never ready to give up another title chase.
This year, however, he authored the kind of renaissance season that once felt beyond him. He is 10-2 in 20 starts with a 3.53 ERA. He has been an integral member of a first-place Dodgers team. And though one more title hunt remains ahead, with the Dodgers trying to defend last year’s World Series, he decided his time in baseball was finally up.
This season served as a closing chapter on a storybook career.
Originally drafted seventh overall by the Dodgers out of Highland Park High School in Texas in 2006, Kershaw has spent his whole career in the organization, going from top prospect to young sensation to Cy Young winner to pitcher of his generation.
He made his MLB debut in 2008, and broke out as a star the following year. By 2011, he had earned his first All-Star selection, his first ERA title and his first Cy Young Award. The accolades would keep coming after that — with Kershaw leading the majors in ERA each season from 2011-2014, winning two more Cy Youngs in 2013 and 2014, and becoming only only the 22nd pitcher to ever win MVP honors with his 21-3, 1.77-ERA season in that historic 2014 campaign.
The back half of Kershaw’s career was plagued by injuries, starting with a bad back that sidelined him for part of 2016.
Still, he earned another ERA in 2017, while helping the Dodgers win their first pennant in 29 years. He had a resurgent performance in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, going 6-2 in the regular season with a 2.16 ERA before finally experiencing a World Series title.
Up to that point, the postseason was the only area were Kershaw struggled. In 32 playoff outings from 2008-2019, he was 9-11 with a 4.43 ERA — numbers that included painful collapses against the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros and Washington Nationals along the way.
But in 2020, Kershaw vanquished such demons, making five starts and going 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA in the Dodgers’ first victorious World Series run since 1998. The title, Kershaw has said since, meant more than even he could have ever imagined.
And once he won it once, he craved to do it again.
That’s why, even as his body has continued to break down in recent years, Kershaw kept coming back every spring. He believed, when healthy, he could still contribute to a World Series roster. And despite numerous free-agent flirtations with his hometown Texas Rangers, he always saw the Dodgers as the best way to get there.
It made last year’s World Series run a sentimental one for the iconic left-hander. Kershaw was a limited participant, making only seven starts in the regular season before missing the playoffs with his foot and knee problems. But he relished in the celebration, especially the title-winning parade that the 2020 team had been denied by the pandemic.
"I love you guys, thank you!” Kershaw shouted to the crowd at Chavez Ravine that day.
“Dodger for life!"
On Thursday, Kershaw made that distinction official.
It's possible that 22-year-old Mets rookie Jonah Tong was pitching for his spot on the roster on Thursday against the Padres at Citi Field, one start after failing to make it out of the first inning.
He allowed a scratch unearned run in the third inning, but was literally untouchable after that. Tong retired the last seven batters he faced, striking out four batters in a row at one point.
Tong's biggest weapon on Thursday -- as will be the case most of the time -- was his four-seam fastball.
The fastball was sitting around 93-94 mph at the start of Tong's outing, but he reached back for more as the game went on, regularly hitting 95 mph and topping out at 96 as he induced plenty of swings and misses up in the zone.
That ability to use the fastball to miss bats -- while mixing in his changeup, curve, and slider -- is what made Tong such a monster this season as he tore through the minors while striking out an eye-popping 179 batters in 113.2 innings.
If Tong is able to unleash that version of himself this season in the majors, or simply come close to it, he has to be in consideration to be one of the Mets' starting pitchers should they reach the three-game Wild Card Series. Or to at the very least be included on the staff in some way.
With Kodai Senga still working on things in the minors and David Peterson pitching to a 5.23 ERA in the second half, it appears highly likely that the only locked in option right now to start a potential playoff game is Nolan McLean, who has been dominant over his first six big league starts.
While not having the sample size McLean does, fellow rookie Brandon Sproat has been sharp over his first two big league starts, allowing just three runs in 12.0 innings -- including 6.0 shutout frames his last time out.
New York Mets starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (40) pitches in the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Citi Field. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
So it can be argued that Sproat -- as of now -- also has a strong case to be penciled in to start in a possible Wild Card Series.
Another option could be the piggybacking duo of Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea.
What about Tong?
If he has a strong outing his next time out in what will be his final start of the regular season, the Mets will have a big, layered decision to make.
The easy part of decision would be whether to carry Tong on the playoff roster (again, should they make it). That would have to be yes.
The hard one would be how to deploy him.
Using all rookies in the Wild Card Series rotation would be unprecedented. And as tantalizing as that might be, it's hard to see the Mets doing it.
That means the possible move could be Tong in the rotation and Sproat in the bullpen or Sproat in the rotation and Tong in the bullpen.
In that scenario, no matter which way they go, the Mets will have an electric trio of arms ready to help them take on the Dodgers. Again ... should they get there.
The Mets beat the Padres, 6-1, on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field...
Here are the takeaways...
- Pete Alonsoopened the scoring in the first inning, rocketing a solo homer 445 feet to left-center that landed just to the left of the center field black that surrounds the Home Run Apple. It was Alonso's fourth consecutive game with a homer, setting a career-high.
- After San Diego got a scratch unearned run against Jonah Tong in top of the third inning to tie things, 1-1, the Mets answered back in a big way in the bottom half.
Following back-to-back singles by Cedric Mullins and Francisco Lindor, Juan Sotodrove Mullins in with a ground out to second to give New York a 2-1 lead -- it was Soto's 100th RBI of the season. With Brandon Nimmo up, the Padres removed starter Randy Vasquez in favor of left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, but Nimmo greeted him by blasting a three-run homer to right-center to make it 5-1, Mets.
It was Nimmo's 24th home run of the year, tying his career-high, which he set in 2023.
- Tong's start began inauspiciously, as he allowed a one-out single to Luis Arraez before Manny Machado rocketed a ball over Nimmo's head in left field. But the Mets gunned down Machado at second base and Tong struck out Jackson Merrill to strand Arraez at third base.
Tong settled in after the first. He allowed the aforementioned unearned run in the third inning, but was otherwise largely dominant. He twirled perfect innings in the fourth and fifth, striking out four consecutive batters at one point.
After starting the game sitting mainly 93-94 mph with his fastball, Tong dialed it up a bit in the middle innings while topping out at 96 mph. And the heater had plenty of life up in the zone, leading to a bunch of swings and misses.
Overall, Tong allowed one run (unearned) on four hits while walking none and striking out eight. He threw 82 pitches, with 59 going for strikes.
In the process, he became the first Mets pitcher aged 22 or younger to strike out eight or more batters since Noah Syndergaard in 2015.
- Tyler Rogers tossed a perfect sixth inning in relief of Tong, with Brooks Raley twirling a spotless seventh. Gregory Soto worked around two hits (that both caromed off him) in a scoreless eighth.
- Edwin Diaz retired the side in order in the ninth.
Game MVP: Jonah Tong
It was a monster outing for Tong after he struggled his last time out.
Mets pitcher Kodai Senga is set to make another start in Triple-A on Thursday as he reworks his mechanics in an effort to get back to the big leagues.
While it remains unclear when Senga will return to the majors, or in what role, manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that the right-hander may not be part of the team's postseason pitching staff, if they make it.
"I wouldn't say definitely," Mendoza said. "I think we'll have the conversations and we'll take the best 13 guys that we feel are going to give us the best chance to win baseball games in October. In the meantime, we got ten more and we'll continue to treat it that way.
"But Senga, I think the biggest thing is for him to go out there today and have a good performance, and then we have decisions there."
In his first start with Syracuse on Sept. 12, Senga allowed one run on three hits over 6.0 innings (74 pitches) with eight strikeouts and no walks. His stuff looked good, including getting 11 whiffs on 11 swings with his forkball over 17 pitches.
"I like the fact that there was no walks last time when he pitched in Triple-A," Mendoza said. "Getting ahead, using all of his pitches. He got swing and misses with the split. I think it starts with him throwing strike one and then staying on the attack."
President of baseball operations David Stearnssaid Tuesday that Senga needs to show he can "consistently get major league hitters out," emphasizing that "results always matter."
Senga had struggled mightily before consenting to a minor league stint, owning a 6.56 ERA over 35.2 innings across eight starts from July 21 to Aug. 31. During that stretch, he allowed 39 hits, including eight homers, and 22 walks.
New York has 10 games left to play in the regular season, including Thursday's matchup against the Padres, and remain in possession of the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League. Senga could potentially help the Mets out of the bullpen if they make the playoffs, but he'll need to keep proving he belongs while in the minors.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner and former National League MVP Clayton Kershaw will retire at the end of the 2025 season, the Dodgers announced Thursday.
Kershaw is schedule to make his final Dodger Stadium regular season start on Friday against the rival San Francisco Giants.
Kershaw spent the entirety of his 18-season career with the Dodgers, a rare feat in professional sports. He was the 2014 National League MVP and an 11-time All-Star.
The 37-year-old left-hander notched his 3,000th strikeout in July. In August, as the Dodgers’ starting rotation finally got healthy, Kershaw elevated his performance to another level, going 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA that month.
Kershaw is a two-time World Series Champion, winning titles in both 2020 and 2024, and will likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Kershaw’s rise to Dodgers stardom began when he was drafted No. 7 overall by the team in 2006. He went on to a career record of 222-96 with 15 shutouts, ranking first in both categories among active big leaguers. His 2.54 career ERA is the lowest in the Live Ball Era, dating to 1920.
He is tied with Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most years in as a Dodgers in franchise history.
Kershaw’s 222 wins currently rank second in Dodgers franchise history, just 11 behind Don Sutton’s 233.
Kershaw also contributed to the Los Angeles community off the field through community projects and philanthropy. In 2012, he won the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award.
“On behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton on a fabulous career and thank him for the many moments he gave to Dodger fans and baseball fans everywhere, as well as for all of his profound charitable endeavors,” said Mark Walter, Owner and Chairman, Los Angeles Dodgers. “His is a truly legendary career, one that we know will lead to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame.”
Three-time Cy Young Award winner and former National League MVP Clayton Kershaw will retire at the end of the 2025 season, the Dodgers announced Thursday.
Kershaw is schedule to make his final Dodger Stadium regular season start on Friday against the rival San Francisco Giants.
Kershaw spent the entirety of his 18-season career with the Dodgers, a rare feat in professional sports. He was the 2014 National League MVP and an 11-time All-Star.
The 37-year-old left-hander notched his 3,000th strikeout in July. In August, as the Dodgers’ starting rotation finally got healthy, Kershaw elevated his performance to another level, going 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA that month.
Kershaw is a two-time World Series Champion, winning titles in both 2020 and 2024, and will likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Kershaw’s rise to Dodgers stardom began when he was drafted No. 7 overall by the team in 2006. He went on to a career record of 222-96 with 15 shutouts, ranking first in both categories among active big leaguers. His 2.54 career ERA is the lowest in the Live Ball Era, dating to 1920.
He is tied with Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most years in as a Dodgers in franchise history.
Kershaw’s 222 wins currently rank second in Dodgers franchise history, just 11 behind Don Sutton’s 233.
Kershaw also contributed to the Los Angeles community off the field through community projects and philanthropy. In 2012, he won the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award.
“On behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton on a fabulous career and thank him for the many moments he gave to Dodger fans and baseball fans everywhere, as well as for all of his profound charitable endeavors,” said Mark Walter, Owner and Chairman, Los Angeles Dodgers. “His is a truly legendary career, one that we know will lead to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame.”
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Juan Soto hit his career-high-tying 41st home run on Wednesday and is now tied with Todd Hundley (1996) and Carlos Beltrán (2006) for the third-most by a Met in a single season, trailing only Pete Alonso (53 HRs in 2019, 46 HRs in 2023)
Jonah Tong looks to bounce back after a rough outing against the Texas Rangers on Sept. 12, allowing six runs over 0.2 IP
Brett Baty (3-for-4 with a double Wednesday) has a .347/.407/.541 slashline with five home runs, four doubles, 11 RBI and 17 runs over his last 31 games dating back to August 12
PADRES
METS
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Francisco Lindor, SS
Luis Arraez, 2B
Juan Soto, RF
Manny Machado, 3B
Pete Alonso, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Brandon Nimmo, LF
Ramon Laureano, LF
Mark Vientos, DH
Gavin Sheets, DH
Jeff McNeil, 2B
Ryan O'Hearn, 1B
Brett Baty, 3B
Jake Cronenworth, SS
Luis Torrens, C
Freddy Fermin, C
Cedric Mullins, CF
What channel is SNY?
Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.
How can I stream the game?
The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.
Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.
Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”
To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.
For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
The Mets announced a series of roster moves ahead of Thursday's series finale against the San Diego Padres, highlighted by reliever Reed Garrett landing back on the IL.
Garrett, who was just activated off the IL on September 7 after dealing with right elbow inflammation, has again been placed on the 15-day IL with a right elbow sprain, which ends his regular season.
According to manager Carlos Mendoza, Garrett is experiencing the same issues as when he went on the IL earlier this month, saying he "continues to have a hard time recovering after every time he pitched."
Garrett warmed up to come into Wednesday's game against San Diego, but he shut it down after experiencing discomfort.
Garrett will undergo further imaging before the team determines the next step, but Tommy John surgery has not been ruled out.
"It's hard to say now. We've got to wait until we've got the imaging there," Mendoza said. "But it's concerning. It's concerning for the second time in less than a month that a guy is going down with elbow issues.
The right-hander pitched to a 3.90 ERA in 58 games this season, but he was extremely streaky. After not allowing an earned run in April and continuing to pitch well in May, Garrett posted a 7.36 ERA in June and an 8.00 ERA in August.
The rest of Thursday's roster moves include:
-- RHP Wander Suero has been selected to the Major League roster.
-- LHP Sean Manaea has been placed on the Paternity List.
-- RHP Huascar Brazoban has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
-- RHP Chris Devenski has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
-- RHP Dom Hamel has been designated for assignment.
By designating Hamel, who pitched a scoreless inning in his major league debut on Wednesday, for assignment and adding Suero, Brazoban, and Devenski, the Mets give themselves a crop of fresh arms heading into Thursday's finale against the Padres and the ensuing weekend series against the Washington Nationals.
NEW YORK — With the bases loaded, the last man any opposing pitcher wants to see at the plate is Manny Machado.
The seven-time All-Star once again showed why Wednesday night.
Machado launched a tiebreaking grand slam off David Peterson in the fifth inning that sent the San Diego Padres to a 7-4 victory over the New York Mets in a pivotal matchup between postseason contenders.
“The one thing about Manny that I appreciate is just his calmness,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “Just not making the moment bigger than it is. You know, a lot of guys, hey, bases loaded — and try to do too much. Manny just knows who’s in charge at that point, and it’s the hitter. He just knows, I’m gonna stick a good at-bat. He put a nice, sweet stroke on it.”
Machado gave the Padres a 6-2 lead with his second grand slam this season and the 14th of his career — most among active players.
It was the first allowed by Peterson in 130 major league games.
“I was just trying to drive in one,” Machado said. “In that opportunity, it’s just trying to get one. Not try to do too much. You know, keep it simple. I think sometimes you can get into a habit of, you want to bring ’em in, you want to be the hero. But ultimately it’s just about just trying to get one run across.”
The win kept the Padres two games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West with 10 to play. They lead the Mets by five games for the second of three National League wild cards.
New York remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Arizona for the final NL playoff berth. Cincinnati and San Francisco are both two games back.
“Felt like a playoff game,” Shildt said.
The score was tied 2-all when San Diego loaded the bases with one out in the fifth.
After falling behind 0-2 in the count, Jake Cronenworth was hit by a 2-2 sinker from Peterson on the eighth pitch of his plate appearance. Cronenworth advanced on Elias Díaz’s sacrifice bunt, and Fernando Tatis Jr. fought back from a 1-2 count to draw a seven-pitch walk.
Three-time batting champion Luis Arraez dropped down a bunt single to bring up Machado. He drove a full-count curveball over the left-center fence for his 26th homer this season and third in the last four games.
“We talk about this a lot: We love the homers. You know, small things lead to big things,” Shildt said. “A lot of good, quality at-bats. Luis’ bunt knock to get Manny up there, and Manny put a swing on for a big number.
“A lot of good situational at-bats. Just a really well-played game in all phases — honestly both sides of the ball, both clubs. But yeah, it was a really well-played baseball game on our part.”
Machado’s grand slam provided enough cushion that a baserunning gaffe in the sixth didn’t cost San Diego.
Díaz slowed up while approaching home plate and failed to score from second base on a single before Arraez was tagged out to end the inning. Arraez made an ill-advised attempt to stretch the hit into a double with Machado on deck.
“I just thought it was a base hit, so I’m going to score easily. That’s why I slowed down at the end. I never thought he was going to try to get a double,” said Díaz, who took full responsibility. “You have to finish it — 100 percent.”
When he realized he didn’t cross the plate in time, Díaz sheepishly put his hands on his head.
“We were glad it didn’t turn out to be a pivotal run,” Shildt said. “Kind of just took it for granted a little bit. But it’s a good opportunity to continue to remind ourselves that until you touch home plate you haven’t scored, before the play’s over.”
With 10 games remaining in the regular season, the Mets are looking to hold off a handful of teams for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of play on Sept. 18...
Mets: 78-74, 1.5 games up on Diamondbacks for third Wild Card
Next up: vs. Padres, Thursday at 1:10 p.m. on SNY (Jonah Tong vs. Randy Vasquez) Latest result: 7-4 loss to Padres on Wednesday Remaining schedule: 1 vs. SD, 3 vs. WSH, 3 @ CHC, 3 @ MIA Odds to make playoffs: 82.3 percent *Mets hold tiebreaker over Giants by virtue of winning the season series, while Reds hold tiebreaker over Mets. The tiebreaker between the Mets and Diamondbacks is TBD, and will likely be based on intradivision record since the two clubs split the season series
Diamondbacks: 77-76, 1.5 games back of Mets
Next up: vs. Phillies, Friday at 9:40 p.m. (Ryne Nelson vs. Taijuan Walker) Latest result: 5-1 loss to Giants on Wednesday Remaining schedule: 3 vs. PHI, 3 vs. LAD, 3 @ SD Odds to make playoffs: 6.7 percent
Reds: 76-76, 2.0 games back of Mets
Next up: vs. Cubs, Thursday at 7:15 p.m. (Hunter Greene vs. TBD) Latest result: 6-2 win over Cardinals on Wednesday Remaining schedule: 4 vs. CHC, 3 vs. PIT, 3 @ MIL Odds to make playoffs: 6.6 percent
Giants: 76-76, 2.0 games back of Mets
Next up: @ Dodgers, Thursday at 10:10 p.m.(Logan Webb vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto) Latest result: 5-1 win over Diamondbacks on Wednesday Remaining schedule: 4 @ LAD, 3 vs. STL, 3 vs. COL Odds to make playoffs: 4.4 percent
Giants starter Justin Verlander has turned things around in his age-42 MLB season, and he has no intention of slowing down any time soon.
After another dominant outing Wednesday, in which he spun seven scoreless innings in the Giants’ 5-1, extra-innings win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Verlander was asked if he plans to keep going in 2026.
“Next year? I mean, I’d like to, yeah,” Verlander told reporters at Chase Field. “I would hope that somebody would offer me a contract now, showing that I can turn it around and still pitch at a high level.”
After a rough start to his first season with the Giants, Verlander now has a 2.17 ERA in his last 11 starts.
Verlander, who turns 43 in February, will be an unrestricted free agent entering the 2026 campaign after signing a one-year deal with the Giants.
Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey even admitted Verlander exceeded his expectations when he brought the veteran pitcher to San Francisco this past offseason. And Posey’s open to the idea of keeping him around.
“Yeah, definitely,” Posey said Thursday morning on KNBR’s “Murph & Markus.” “It’s something we’ll have to discuss, but for a multitude of reasons, he’s been a great teammate. He’s helped some of our younger guys learn how to prepare and then he just sets an example by going out and performing and continuing to show up.
“So that’s definitely something we’ll be open to.”
Verlander’s 3-10 record certainly doesn’t paint the whole picture, as either the Giants’ bullpen or lack of run support has let him down.
The Giants (76-76) still are chasing the New York Mets for the final NL wild card spot, tied with the Cincinnati Reds (76-76) and one-half game behind the Diamondbacks (77-76).
San Francisco can thank Verlander for helping keep the team afloat, and his presence on and off the mound hopes to continue to inspire a postseason push.
In this week's Closer Report, we run down the last week in saves around the league and examine every team's closer situation as we come down to the final week of baseball.
Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings
Tier 1
Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Chapman gave up a run in a non-save situation against the Yankees on Saturday, then bounced back with a clean inning, striking out one batter for a save on Sunday. The 37-year-old left-hander has recorded 30 saves with a 1.23 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, and an 82/14 K/BB ratio across 58 1/3 innings. And Muñoz struck out two batters in each of his two clean innings of work this week, picking up his 35th save of the season against the Angels on Friday. Matt Brash stepped in on Saturday with Muñoz unavailable and converted his fourth save.
Tier 2
Jhoan Duran - Philadelphia Phillies Edwin Díaz - New York Mets Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres
Duran was busy on the mound this week with four appearances. He picked up saves against the Mets and Royals before blowing a one-run lead against the Dodgers on Monday. He recovered with a clean inning on Tuesday for his third save of the week and 31st of the season. He's already converted 15 since joining the Phillies at the trade deadline.
Díaz blew the save and took the loss against the Rangers on Saturday, giving up a run on three hits. He made two other scoreless appearances in non-save situations in the last week. The 31-year-old right-hander has converted just three saves since the start of August. He remains at 26 with an excellent 1.88 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and an 85/21 K/BB ratio across 57 1/3 innings. Meanwhile, Suarez locked down three saves to give him an NL-leading 39 on the season.
Tier 3
David Bednar - New York Yankees Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Angels Carlos Estévez - Kansas City Royals Abner Uribe - Milwaukee Brewers Emilio Pagán - Cincinnati Reds Cade Smith - Cleveland Guardians Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves Ryan Walker - San Francisco Giants Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers Bryan Abreu - Houston Astros Jeff Hoffman - Toronto Blue Jays Will Vest - Detroit Tigers Dennis Santana - Pittsburgh Pirates
Bednar is up to 25 saves, eight with the Yankees, after converting three this week. The 30-year-old right-hander has had a tremendous bounce-back season after posting a 5.77 ERA in 2024, recording a 2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 79/16 K/BB ratio across 57 2/3 innings.
In Tampa Bay, Fairbanks reached a new career-high with his 26th save against the Cubs on Saturday. He then tossed a clean inning in a non-save situation against the Blue Jays on Monday before converting his 27th save on Wednesday. The 31-year-old right-hander has a club option for 2026, and it's hard to imagine the team not exercising that option after Fairbanks has managed to bounce back and stay healthy all season with a career-high 57 1/3 innings.
Jensen remains at 27 saves after making just one appearance in a non-save situation this week. In Kansas City, Estévez was pulled from his appearance on Sunday against the Phillies with mild back tightness. After a couple of days off, he pitched the ninth against the Mariners on Wednesday, giving up one run while holding on for his 40th save.
Uribe came away with a win this week in extra innings against the Cardinals on Saturday. Trevor Megill appeared set to return from the injured list this week, but felt renewed soreness following a live batting practice session. Uribe stands to continue operating as the team's closer in Megill's absence.
Pagán went without a save this week, logging a scoreless inning in a non-save situation against the Cardinals on Monday. Top rookie Chase Burns was activated from the injured list this week and will pitch out of the bullpen for the remainder of the regular season.
Smith converted three saves in four days for the Guardians, then blew a save with one run allowed against the Tigers on Tuesday before falling in line for a win. He's struck out multiple batters in each of his last eight outings. The 26-year-old right-hander is up to 15 saves with a 3.10 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 100/19 K/BB ratio across 69 2/3 innings.
Iglesias lowers his second-half ERA to 2.08 after logging two more scoreless appearances this week, including a save against the Nationals on Tuesday. The 35-year-old right-hander has allowed one run over his last 22 outings. He's certainly showing he has plenty left in the tank as he enters free agency this winter.
Walker tossed a scoreless inning in a non-save situation against the Dodgers on Friday, then took the loss in the ninth inning against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday before working around a pair of baserunners in a scoreless inning on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Scott gave up three runs in a loss against the Giants on Friday. He bounced back with two clean appearances in non-save situations against the Giants and Phillies.
Abreu hasn't been quite as sharp since stepping in to fill the closer role in Josh Hader's absence. He stranded two hits and a walk for a save against the Rangers on Monday, then picked up a four-out save Tuesday as he worked around three hits and a walk.
Hoffman struck out two in a scoreless inning in a non-save situation against the Rays on Monday, then recorded the final two outs on Tuesday for his 31st save of the season to go with a 4.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and an 83/23 K/BB ratio across 64 innings.
Vest tossed two scoreless innings against the Marlins on Saturday before picking up a save Sunday in Miami. In his third outing in four days, he surrendered four runs, three earned, to take the loss against the Guardians on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Santana made one appearance in a non-save situation against the Nationals on Saturday.
Tier 4
Shawn Armstrong - Texas Rangers Jose Ferrer - Washington Nationals Keegan Akin - Baltimore Orioles Andrew Kittredge/Brad Keller - Chicago Cubs JoJo Romero/Riley O'Brien - St. Louis Cardinals Calvin Faucher/Ronny Henriquez/Tyler Phillips - Miami Marlins
Armstrong made two scoreless appearances against the Mets, picking up his ninth save on Saturday in New York. The 35-year-old right-hander has had an excellent season, posting a 2.39 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and a 70/19 K/BB ratio across 67 2/3 innings. Ferrer also locked down his ninth save of the season against the Pirates on Friday. And Akin had a big week with three saves for the Orioles. Armstrong, Ferrer, and Akin are still widely available in most fantasy leagues for teams looking to supplement some last-minute saves as we reach the end of the season.
Both Kittredge and Keller picked up two saves apiece as they work in a committee to fill the closer role left by Daniel Palencia. Palencia could begin a rehab assignment this weekend as he works his way back from a shoulder injury. And it was O'Brien's week in St. Louis as he converted a pair of saves for the Cardinals.
Tier 5
Justin Topa/Kody Funderburk - Minnesota Twins Sean Newcomb - Athletics Andrew Saalfrank/Jake Woodford - Arizona Diamondbacks Jordan Leasure/Mike Vasil - Chicago White Sox Victor Vodnik - Colorado Rockies
