TONIGHT’S GAME: With just eight games remaining on their schedule, the first-place Houston Astros will welcome in the Atlanta Braves for their final home series of the 2026 regular season.
RHP Hayden Wesneski (5-2, 3.70 ERA) will make his penultimate start of the season for the Astros tonight opposite RHP Grant Holmes (9-5, 3.49 ERA) and the Braves.
THE POSTSEASON CHASE: The Astros and Rangers are locked in a tight race down the stretch for the AL West with the two teams entering play today deadlocked at 77-77. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with a season series victory (9-4 record).
AL WEST NEXT GAME
1. Houston: 77-77 vs. ATL (90-64)
2. Texas: 77-77 vs. TOR (76-78)
3. Seattle: 72-82 5.0 GB at COL (56-98)
GOIN’ DEEP
The Astros have hit 206 homers as a team this year and have hit 200-plus homers in a single season for the 10th time in franchise history (last, 222 HR in 2023)…the Astros rank second in the AL in home runs this season behind only the Yankees (209).
THE FIREMAN
LHP Josh Hader has converted 26 consecutive save opportunities to open his season, which is the Astros club record…should Hader finish the season without a blown save, he would become the seventh pitcher in MLB history to post 26-plus saves without a blown save and the first to do so since RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV).
Roster Moves
The Houston Astros have reinstated OF/IF Brice Mathews from the injured list and have designated OF Jorge Barrosa for assignment.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 19, 6:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: SCHN, SCHN2 (Spanish), Peacock (subject to blackout)
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish), ESPN Radio (subject to blackout)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Robert Gasser #54 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 19, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Robert Gasser and Trevor Rogers matched each other blow for blow in a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel, but the Brewers won on an RBI groundout from Gary Sánchez in the second inning. With today’s win — the first 1-0 win of the season for the Brewers — they have tied their franchise record with 97 wins and have seven games remaining to break it.
With one out in the top of the second, Joey Ortiz hit what should have been a can of corn for Orioles right fielder Rece Hinds, but Hinds lost the ball in the sun and couldn’t make the catch. The ball rolled all the way to the wall, and Ortiz, hauling it around the bases, dove safely into third with what broadcaster Brian Anderson called a “sun-triple.” The next batter, Sánchez, hit a chopper to third that scored Ortiz without a throw, giving the Brewers a quick 1-0 lead.
A misplay here by Orioles right fielder Rece Hinds results in a triple for the Brewers' Joey Ortiz in the 2nd inning: pic.twitter.com/o8N8yDmNUc
That would be all the run support the Brewers would need, as starter Robert Gasser was dealing. Since being pulled in the middle of an at-bat in late August, he’s been great, but today was probably his best performance of the season. Gasser allowed just two hits through six innings, a leadoff single in the first and a double off the bat of Gunnar Henderson in the second. He didn’t rack up strikeouts, but he kept Baltimore’s hitters off balance and off base all afternoon.
Gasser finally got into trouble in the sixth after walking Leody Tavares and hitting Pete Alonso, then walking Coby Mayo to load the bases with only one out. With cleanup hitter Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who hit the sacrifice fly that sent yesterday’s game to extra innings, coming to the plate, it looked like the Orioles would at least tie the game. Gasser had other plans, getting Encarnacion-Strand to roll over a cutter for an inning-ending double play.
Gasser came back out for the seventh inning, almost certainly because the Brewers’ bullpen has been overworked. Kyle Harrison and Dustin May, the Brewers’ previous two starters, combined for just four innings, forcing the bullpen to cover a lot of ground over the last two days. Gasser was beginning to look tired, but Murphy left him in to face the dangerous Gunnar Henderson, who popped out for the first out.
Up next for Baltimore was Hinds (.476 OPS entering today), who worked a seven-pitch at-bat that he punctuated by smoking a double into left field. Conventional wisdom would say this was the time to pull Gasser, but Murphy again showed faith in his starting pitcher, and his faith was rewarded. Gasser got both Christian Franklin and Samuel Basallo to pop up, stranding Hinds at second and keeping the Brewers’ lead intact.
Gasser’s final line: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K. Gutsy performance from the left-hander, who stepped up just when the Brewers needed it.
Robert Gasser goes 7 shutout innings against the Baltimore Orioles.
In his last 5 outings (including his emergency relief appearance in New York) he hasn’t allowed more than 2 ER in a game. pic.twitter.com/x8vXhrbfHp
While Gasser was blanking the Orioles, Baltimore starter Trevor Rogers matched him pitch-for-pitch. Rogers went eight innings, allowed just three hits himself, and struck out nine. Other than the Ortiz triple, the Brewers couldn’t really get anything going on offense, but it ultimately wouldn’t matter. Abner Uribe worked around a leadoff single in the eighth to keep Baltimore scoreless, and Aaron Ashby pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to give the Brewers the series victory.
With today’s 97th win, this Brewers team has tied the franchise record for wins in a season, which they set last year. They’ll need to go 3-4 over their final seven games to finish with 100 wins for the first time in franchise history. Jacob Misiorowski will go in tomorrow’s season finale opposite Brandon Young (9-4, 3.65 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:20 p.m. on Peacock’s Sunday Night Baseball.
PHOENIX — Without any guarantees of it happening, Aaron Judge is holding out hope of returning from a calf strain in time for the playoffs.
“I’d like to be back by the postseason; that’s definitely the plan,” Judge said Saturday afternoon. “We’re going to do everything we can to get back as soon as we can.”
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That was a slightly less definitive statement than what Judge consistently said during the summer when he was trying to come back from a right rib stress fracture, which he did after three-plus months on Sept. 8.
But now the clock is ticking even louder, with Saturday marking 10 days away from Game 1 of the American League wild card series.
“Definitely frustrated,” said Judge, who played seven games after missing 84 on the IL with the rib injury. “Dealt with strains before and kind of played through them, but this was in a different spot where it made it a little bit more difficult.”
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge stands in the dugout during the fifth inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona. Getty Images
Judge did not reveal what grade the strain was, but said it involved his Soleus muscle, which he indicated was more important to running and hitting compared to the gastrocnemius muscle.
“The focus is still the same, to be ready to go for October,” Judge said.
In the meantime, the Yankees are banking on their summer without Judge paying off now that he is back on the IL.
“Lean on each other,” Cody Bellinger said. “The game itself is hard; if you add too much pressure on yourself, the game becomes even harder. So we really just have to play for each other, lean on each other, pass the baton, do your job and control what you can control.”
The Yankees did that on Friday night, racing out of the gates to score five runs in the first inning of a 9-2 win against the Diamondbacks, just hours after the team announced Judge was going on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain.
But they also got off well at the beginning of June after Judge landed on the IL with a right rib stress fracture before their lineup became a black hole for an extended stretch during the summer. They had finally started to break out of it shortly before Judge got back on Sept. 8, but after having him back for seven games, they now find themselves in the same spot again, less than two weeks away from the start of the playoffs.
“We’ve played most of the year this way, and I feel like in a lot of cases, especially some of our key guys over the last few weeks have started to, especially offensively, get it going like we know they’re capable of,” manager Aaron Boone said.
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) rounds the bases on his three-run home run during the eighth inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field, Monday, September 14, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
During the 84-game span that Judge missed this summer, the Yankees ranked 26th in runs per game (4.06), 29th in batting average (.227), 27th in OPS (.681), and 29th in WRC+ (90).
But over the tail end of that stretch, and into Judge’s return, the Yankees started to hit more like they are capable of. That included the trade deadline addition of Luis García Jr., the emergence of rookie outfielder Spencer Jones, and Bellinger getting back on track after returning from his own hamstring injury in August.
Perhaps most importantly, it has coincided with the reemergence of Ben Rice. The lefty slugger was a game wrecker for the first two months of the season before Judge went down, then cooled off a bit during the summer (albeit with some good stretches along the way) before catching fire again over the last few weeks. Entering Saturday, over his last 22 games, Rice had hit .353 with a 1.037 OPS and five home runs, including his 39th of the season Friday night.
“Special year,” Gerrit Cole said. “Has made some really good adjustments from previous years, going into this year, and I think he’s really started to heat back up here the last few weeks after having to make some adjustments in the middle of the season. Not only is he really proficient with the bat, but he’s a smart player and a hard worker, which is leading him to have a really outstanding season for us.”
The Yankees need that to continue for however long Judge is out (and even if and when he returns) for them to play deep into October, though Rice isn’t looking at it as having to do any more — which got some hitters in trouble during the three-time AL MVP’s first absence.
“I would think that everyone just goes out there and stays within themselves, tries to put together quality at-bat after quality at-bat,” he said. “Pitching is always going to be doing their thing, like they have for us all year. So from an offensive standpoint, just do what we did [Friday]: go out and have a team at-bat, trust the guy behind you and keep the line moving.”
To Rice’s point, the Yankees have leaned on the strength of their pitching staff all season, but that was especially the case during Judge’s three months on the IL this summer, when they were able to scratch out enough wins in low-scoring games, with their pitchers keeping them in it almost every night.
“We have a lot of confidence in here,” Cole said. “For the most part of the summer, we’ve been tested really, really hard and we responded, by and large, really, really well. We have a lot of perfectionists in here. We’re always striving to be perfect and trying to be the best. But the reality is we’ve had a lot of obstacles we’ve had to overcome and, by and large, we’ve played really well.”
HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 18: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with Matt Olson #28 after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Friday, September 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kairi Mano/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
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“I’d like to be back by the postseason, so we’ll see," Judge said. “That’s definitely the plan. I got really no answers for you on any timeline or anything like that.’’
Judge, who missed three months with a fractured rib, is eligible to come off the injured list for the regular-season finale on Sept. 27. He injured his calf in his first at-bat Wednesday playing against the Minnesota Twins. The injury is in the soleus muscle of the calf, which makes it difficult to participate in any baseball activities, he said, except throwing to keep his arm in shape.
“Definitely frustrated,’’ Judge, the three-time MVP, said. “I’ve dealt with strains before, and kind of played through them, but this was kind of in a different spot where it made it a little bit more difficult. But definitely frustrated because, you know, the ultimate goal was to try to come back to get a couple of games before the postseason, so it changes it a little bit.’’
While Judge opted to resume playing with the Yankees instead of having a traditional minor-league rehab stint after such a lengthy absence, he isn’t second-guessing his decision, nor for coming out of Wednesday’s game when he first felt his calf strain.
“You know, you feel things every single year,’’ Judge said. “I usually deal with calf stuff all year long, and it usually gets to you, and usually don’t miss any games. So that was kind of the same thing I was feeling.
“I was feeling it. I was working my way back, and then something kind of grabs you at a strange time. So if this would have happened in the rehab game, I would have been probably a little bit more pissed than I was now.
“So, it is what it is.’’
The Yankees, who are in the No. 1 wild-card spot, are expected to host the Boston Red Sox in a best-of-three series beginning Sept. 29 in the wild-card round at Yankee Stadium. The winner would play the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 13: Jose Quintana #62 of the Colorado Rockies gets a new ball after giving up a walk in the second inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 13, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, the Colorado Rockies announced the following roster moves:
Reinstated LHP José Quintana from the 60-day IL.
Optioned RHP Gabriel Hughes to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Designated INF Vimael Machín for assignment.
The Rockies announced today the following transactions: – Reinstated LHP Jose Quintana from the 60-day IL. – Optioned RHP Gabriel Hughes to Triple-A Albuquerque. – Designated INF Vimael Machín for assignment.
Quintana will make his 10th start of the season tonight against the…
Quintana had been on the Injured List since May 24 when he left a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was subsequently diagnosed with a left elbow strain.
Prior to his injury, Quintana logged 41.0 innings across nine starts, posting a 5.27 ERA. He will make his 10th start of the season tonight against the Seattle Mariners.
As a corresponding move, rookie RHP Gabriel Hughes (No. 7 PuRP) was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. The former 10th-overall pick has had an up-and-down season, also throwing 41.0 IP for the Rockies across 14 appearances (13 starts) and earning a 6.33 ERA.
Finally, infielder Vimael Machín was designated for assignment. Although he had seen some success with the Isotopes — slashing .288/.367/.438 — Machín had difficulty adjusting to MLB pitching during the three games he played for the Rockies.
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 07: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron (65) throws a warm up pitch before a MLB game on September 07, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s the penultimate road game for the Royals on the final weekend of 2026 baseball for the good guys, and they’re still looking for their first series victory in September. If they don’t win today, they’ll have to wait for next week’s homestand against the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians, who are in a dogfight for the AL Central crown, so the odds don’t feel great for figuring it out then.
The bad news for the Royals is that they’ll be facing Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler. The rookie righthander debuted last year for the Pirates but didn’t pitch enough innings or spend enough time on the roster to lose his eligibility. He’s unlikely to win the award while in the same league as Nolan McLean, J.J. Wetherholt, and Carson Benge, but he’s having a more-than-solid campaign all the same.
He ostensibly features a six-pitch mix, but he throws his four-seam fastball nearly half the time. You’ll notice from the graphic above that, generally speaking, he doesn’t get an inordinate amount of chase, and he gets below-average whiffs. But his fastball does get chase and at least gets average whiffs. He also has positive xwOBACons across the board. You’ll also note a lot of orange in the velocity, extension, tjStuff+, and Grade columns, indicating that all of his pitches are nasty and they’re on you fast. It’s not going to be a fun day at the plate for the Royals.
The good news for the Royals is that Noah Cameron is pitching for probably the second-to-last time this year. One of the saddest parts about the end of the 2026 MLB season will be going more than five days without watching him put on a clinic as a pitcher after taking over pitch-calling duties for himself. Fingers crossed we get to really enjoy that today and one final time for this season next week.
Lineups
Jac Caglianone is back in the lineup tonight after getting last night off for seeming disciplinary reasons. Carter Jensen will get a shot to extend his Royals’ records for lead off home runs and rookie home runs. The Royals will bat three lefties in a row from 3-4-5, so I guess that means Matt Quatraro is cured of the curse many seem to believe he is under to create lineups that flip handedness regardless of any other factors?
Sep 3, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Cal Quantrill (44) throws during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Miguel Vargas lets it loose as he celebrates his 33rd homer of the season, giving the White Sox some much-needed breathing room. | (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
Sean Burke gave the White Sox a chance to win Saturday afternoon. His offense didn’t give him much support, but it gave him just enough.
The righthander came out firing, mowing through the first with a fly out and back-to-back punchouts. The knuckle curve had bite, and he breezed through the first three innings on just 28 pitches.
The Sox gave him a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Miguel Vargas drew a two-out walk and promptly swiped second with Munetaka Murakami at the plate. With the stolen base, Vargas became the first player in franchise history to record at least 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 100 runs scored. Congratulations to Miggy!
The stolen bag also proved pivotal when Mune dunked a blooper into left field, allowing Vargas to race home. Small ball, but it counts.
It wasn’t exactly a fireworks show, but lately, you take the runs wherever you can find them.
Jackson Jobe was every bit as stingy on the other side. The righty pounded the strike zone, fanned the side in the fourth and made the Sox look lost — except for Colson Montgomery, who at least forced a nine-pitch battle before whiffing — four innings in, still just one lonely hit for Chicago.
Burke encountered his first real bit of trouble in the fourth when Hao-Yu Lee and Riley Greene singled to put runners on first and second with two outs. He escaped with help from Vargas, who made a fantastic play at third on Dillon Dingler’s grounder to end it. Vargas has endured his share of defensive struggles at the hot corner this season, recording -2 Defensive Runs Saved, but that was a gem.
A 28-pitch fifth ended Burke’s efficiency. After plunking Ben Malgeri and allowing a single to Brett Callahan, he walked John Peck to pack the sacks. The breaking pitches that danced early began missing, and Kevin McGonigle lifted a sacrifice fly to left to knot things up. Burke limited the damage by striking out Lee and stranding a pair to end the frame.
The White Sox immediately gave him the lead back. Braden Montgomery ripped a one-out ground-rule double and advanced to third on Brenton Doyle’s single. Sam Antonacci followed with a deep sac fly to left, putting Chicago back in front, 2-1.
Would more runs be nice? Sure. But at this point, you take what you can get and say thank you.
Burke returned for the sixth because, frankly, manager Will Venable didn’t have much choice. The bullpen is taxed, and asking it to nurse a one-run lead for four innings didn’t sound particularly appealing.
That move nearly blew up in his face.
A single and back-to-back two-out walks suddenly loaded the bases for Callahan. Burke spun a 79 mph knuckle curve that Callahan swung at, but the ball squirted away from Teel and Greene slid home with what appeared to be the tying run.
Chicago challenged the call, arguing that the pitch clipped Callahan, making it a dead ball and killing the play. The challenge was successful, sending Greene back to third and keeping the Good Guys in front. Burke finished it himself, snapping off a gorgeous 80 mph curve for the punchout. He roared off the mound, and honestly, who could blame him? The righthander gutted it out, worked through the mess and became the first Sox starter to complete six innings since Aug. 21. Final line: one run, five hits, three walks, five Ks and a quality start.
Miggy gave the South Siders some cushion in the bottom half, blasting the first pitch he saw for a solo home run. The 102 mph rocket was his 33rd homer of the season and extended Chicago’s lead to 3-1. The dinger also kept the White Sox on pace to reach 200 home runs for the first time since 2012
Noah Schultz and Grant Taylor combined to handle the rest. Schultz struck out five over 1 2/3 innings, and Taylor recorded the final four outs, and that’s your ballgame.
Detroit outhit Chicago, 8-4, but went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11. Meanwhile, the White Sox went 2-for-2 with RISP.
Clutch hitting. Who knew?
Burke picked up win No. 10, the first Sox starter to hit double digits since 2022, while Schultz earned his first hold and Taylor got his 10th save.
It wasn’t the prettiest victory, but style points stopped mattering a long time ago. With their postseason hopes hanging in the balance, the White Sox needed a win, and they found a way to get one.
The Guardians are still a half-game up and get the A’s tonight.
Time to scoreboard watch, friends.
MVP Sean Burke: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K, HBP, W
Runners-Up Miguel Vargas: 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, HR, SB Munetaka Murakami: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K Sam Antonacci: 0-for-3, RBI, SAC Braden Montgomery: 1-for-3, R, 2B Noah Schultz: 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K, HBP, H Grant Taylor: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, S
Cold Cat Kyle Teel: 0-for-4, 2 K
Runners-Up Andrew Benintendi: 0-for-3, 3 K Colson Montgomery: 0-for-3, 3 K
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 11: Adam Macko #71 of the Texas Rangers delivers a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 11, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have placed Michel Otanez on the 15 day injured list with a viral illness, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled lefthanded pitcher Adam Macko.
Otanez was called up yesterday in place of the optioned Robbie Ahlstrom, and hopefully he didn’t give anyone in the clubhouse his virus the one day he was here. Ahlstrom could have been recalled, since he would be replacing a player who is going on the injured list, but apparently the Rangers have seen enough of Ahlstrom in the bigs for now.
Macko was acquired from the Jays for Josh Smith and Josh Stephan at the trade deadline. He has only seven appearances covering 6.2 innings for the Rangers since the trade, and allowed four runs in his previous two major league appearances, the last one of which was eight days ago.
Maybe the Rangers just wanted Macko to get to see his old teammates, and he’ll be sent back down for someone else on Monday.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 13: Bubba Chandler #36 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on September 13, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Isaac Wasserman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kansas City Royals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, September 19, 2026, 6:40 p.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates in the middle match of a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals this weekend inside PNC Park.
The Royals are starting Noah Cameron, who is in his second MLB season with the Royals. The left-hander is 9-8 this season with a 3.4 ERA. He is coming off a no-decision in his most recent appearance on September 13 against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Cameron went six innings, giving up four hits and one earned run, but the Kansas City offense could not generate enough. They tied the game 1-1 in the seventh inning, but Boston scored four runs late to escape with a 5-1 win.
The Pirates are handing the ball to Bubba Chandler, who is hoping to continue the winning streak he built in Chicago last week. Chandler has won his last two starts against the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs, but he’s hoping he can match that energy at home against the Royals. In his last start against the Cubs on September 13, he went 5.1 innings, giving up five hits and three runs in a 4-3 victory.
The season is winding down, so Chandler has to make it count to warrant consideration for next year’s rotation.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 01: BJ Murray Jr. #83 of the Chicago Cubs hits a single, his first MLB hit, against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field on September 01, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Iowa activated right-hander Tyler Santana from the Development list and placed right-hander Grant Kipp on it.
Strong start for Andrew Wentz, who got the win after going five innings and giving up just one run on three hits. He walked two and struck out four.
Gavin Hollowell pitched 1.1 innings in a rehab appearance. Hollowell faced five batters and struck out four of them. He walked the other one.
Jaxon Wiggins relieved Hollowell with one on and one out in the ninth. He threw one pitch and got a game-ending double play.
The I-Cubs scored four runs in the first inning and never trailed afterwards. Left fielder Chas McCormick hit a two-run double in the first and later in the inning scored on a ground out. McCormick went 3 for 5 with the double.
DH BJ Murray hit a two-run single in the fourth inning. Murray went 2 for 5 and also scored on McCormick’s double in the first inning.
Shortstop Owen Miller was 2 for 5 and also scored on McCormick’s double.
First baseman Owen Ayers was 1 for 3 with two walks.
McCormick’s double went high off the center field wall.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 18: Miguel Vargas #20 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Rate Field on September 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jackson Jobe threw a fairly good game on Saturday, matching his career high strikeouts. Unfortunately, the White Sox capitalized on their opportunities, while the Tigers had traffic all game long but couldn’t cash in their chances. They dropped the third of four on the south side by a 3-1 margin, and will look to split the series on Sunday.
Saturday’s matchup featured RHP Sean Burke against RHP Jackson Jobe. The game was originally a night game, but fears of rain this evening prompted them to move the game up to a 2:10 p.m. ET start.
Burke struck out Hao-Yu Lee and Colt Keith in a 1-2-3 top of the first. Jobe locked up Kyle Teel with a sinker that dropped just into the top of the zone for the second out in the bottom of the first. However, he walked Miguel Vargas, who promptly stole second pretty easily. Facing the dangerous Munetaka Murakami, Jobe got weak contact with a breaking ball, but the slugger blooped one in just in front of Brett Callahan in left, and Vargas scored to make it 1-0. A perfect back foot slider whiffed Andrew Benintendi to end the inning.
A sharp one-out single from Dillon Dingler in the top of the second gave the Tigers an opportunity to develop. That came to an abrupt end instead when Max Clark grounded one up the middle and into a double play ball to end the frame.
Jobe blew away Colson Montgomery with high heat and then whiffed Chase Meidroth with a good changeup. Braden Montgomery grounded out to end the second inning. Still 1-0 White Sox.
Burke was still cruising in the top of the third. Ben Malgeri struck out and Callahan and John Peck both made routine outs on the balls in play. Jobe was spotting his stuff pretty well, and he got the first two outs of the bottom half quickly, but Kyle Teel pulled a pretty routine grounder to first and Keith booted it. Fortunately, that only extended the inning for one pitch as Vargas flew out just short of the warning track in left. On to the fourth inning.
Kevin McGonigle was up first in the top of the fourth, and in a 1-1 count, Burke drew a pitch clock violation call. Will Venable wanted some clarification on that one, delaying the at-bat for a minute, but it stuck. McGonigle grounded out to Vargas at third, making that a moot point. Hao-Yu Lee, fresh off his monster four-hit performance on Friday night, lined a first pitch slider into center field for a single. Keith flew out to left, but Riley Greene pulled a single into right. Lee was caught dancing off first and hesitated a moment on the ball in play, so he only got to second base. Dingler ripped a ground ball to the pull side, but Vargas made a nice forehand pick on the one-hopper and retired him to end the threat.
Jobe whiffed Benintendi and Murakami with good back foot sliders to start the bottom half. The breaking stuff is really coming along, and he threw some good changeups as well early on. Montgomery battled through a nine-pitch at-bat but Jobe got him on a curveball fouled tipped into the glove for his seventh strikeout. This is looking very promising folks. A surprising lack of whiffs has dogged Jobe’s early major league work, but he’s racking them up now with a really nasty six-pitch mix.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Burke clipped Malgeri in the wrist on a 3-2 pitch. Callahan ripped a sharp single to center field, and the Tigers were in business with one out. Teel missed a 2-2 challenge on a high fastball, making it 3-2, and Burke walked him to load the bases. That brought McGonigle to the dish in a key spot.
Burke was nibbling a bit and fell behind 2-1, but McGonigle got a mashable heater and fouled it off. Another curveball missed to drive the count full and there was nowhere to put him. McGonigle lifted a 3-2 pitch to left for a sacrifice fly to score Malgeri and tie the game 1-1. Burke’s pitch count had been in excellent shape, but was now suddenly spiraling, and he had to face Hao-Yu Lee with runners on first and second. Burke fell behind, but Lee fouled off a pair of high fastballs and a good curveball got the whiff to turn the Tigers away. But, the ballgame was now tied up 1-1.
So we had ourselves a tie game, and Jobe started the bottom of the fifth at 66 pitches. Meidroth flew out, but Montgomery fouled off some tough pitches. He eventually got himself a sinker and banged it off the left field wall for a double. Brenton Doyle flicked a single to left off the end of the bat, and it was first and third with one out. Sam Antonacci flew out to left, but deep enough to get Montgomery home as Callahan threw in to second to hold Doyle at first. 2-1 White Sox. Teel flew out to Clark in center to end the inning on Jobe’s 80th pitch.
Riley Greene singled with one out in the top of the sixth. Dingler flew out, and Burke fell behind Clark 3-0. The right-hander spotted a fastball at the top of the zone to make it 3-1, and a good cutter got a whiff to push the count full. Another cutter missed away to walk him. Teel wasted the White Sox last challenge on a pitch that wasn’t very close, and so Malgeri dug in with two on and two out. The Sox had lefty Noah Schultz just starting to warm up while Burke fell behind again 3-0. Malgeri took a fastball to make it 3-1, and fouled the next one back, but Burke missed again, walking him to load the bases.
Venable and company were late to get the bullpen cooking, and so Burke stayed in to face Callahan. A 2-1 breaking ball drew a big whiff, but bounced away from Teel and Greene read it perfectly and scored from third. The White Sox challenged the play, and we saw that the ball had nicked Callahan’s back foot, and so the run didn’t count and it was 2-2 to Callahan. He fouled off another big curveball out of the zone, and the Tigers rookie took the next one and it dropped into the top of the zone to strand the bases loaded. Callahan’s aggressiveness got him there, as both curveballs he fouled off were balls inside.
Jobe had a long break in that inning, and the first pitch he threw was a slider to Vargas that got punished to left field for a solo shot. 3-1 White Sox.
Jacob Waguespack and Tyler Holton got up and warming in the Tigers’ pen as Jobe’s 86th pitch got a ground out from Murakami. He whiffed Benintendi again on a good slider for his eighth punch out and got Montgomery with a changeup to wrap up the inning.
6.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB, 9 K isn’t the greatest line of all-time, but all through the minor leagues and the beginning of his major league career, Jobe was still feeling for the optimal shapes for his breaking stuff. The whiffs were always a little light considering his velocity and spin rates. They’ve made excellent progress in both shape and command, and now Jobe looks more likely to reach his frontline starter ceiling than not. His 16 whiffs in this one tied his career high.
Schultz took over in the top of the seventh, facing Peck, who struck out. The big lefty was pumping high 90’s heat with a nasty sweeper-cutter combo away from lefties. McGonigle was unphased, lining a single to right field. That was 256 times reaching base for McGonigle, one of the all-time best marks for a rookie.
Hao-Yu Lee bit on a cutter and struck out, and AJ Hinch turned to Spencer Torkelson hitting for Keith and taking over at first. Schultz tied him up with a good cutter and then spun in another one for strike three to end that at-bat, and we were on to the bottom of the seventh.
Waguespack took over from Jobe, and quickly hit Chase Meidroth. He bounced right back to coax a double play ball from Montgomery, and locked up Doyle with a high curveball for a pretty snappy inning. The strikeouts aren’t really there for Waguespack, and he has been hit hard at times, but outing for outing, he continues to give the Tigers quality innings.
Schultz missed 2-2 to Riley Greene to start the eighth, but it was a strike and the White Sox couldn’t challenge. The next pitch was a heater that sailed inside and clipped the Tigers’ outfielder to put the leadoff man on. Schultz punched out Dingler on three pitches. Max Clark wanded a 2-2 breaking ball and dumped a single into right field to amplify the threat, while closer Grant Taylor was warming in the Sox bullpen. Schultz jammed Malgeri with a cutter first pitch, and he popped out on the infield. Eduardo Valencia entered to pinch-hit for Callahan, and this felt like the whole ballgame right here as Venable countered with Taylor to get a right-on-right matchup. He did the job, jamming Valencia and getting a bouncer to first. The Tigers had now left 10 men on base in this one.
Waguespack tied up Antonacci with a changeup for a ground out to first, starting the bottom of the eighth. Zach McKinstry took over for Valenica, playing right field. Another good changeup whiffed Kyle Teel as the veteran right-hander continued to make his case for a return engagement with the Tigers in 2027. They avoided Vargas entirely, walking him on four straight, but now faced Murakami, who whiffed on another good changeup to strike out and send this to the ninth.
Peck was up first against the White Sox’s closer, and grounded out to shortstop. McGonigle grounded out as well, and that left it up to Lee. He fought off some triple digit heat from Taylor and then grounded a curveball for a single to keep the game alive for Torkelson. Taylor fell behind 2-0, but dropped in a curve and then got a whiff with the slider to even the count. Another slider was lifted out to Doyle in left center field, and that was that.
The White Sox creep back a half game behind the Cleveland Guardians, who play later tonight. The Tigers? Well, let’s just enjoy the final week of baseball. The story of the series so far has been trouble driving runners in, as the Tigers have 32 hits to the White Sox 16. They just haven’t made enough of them count.
Ichiro did not take it easy in what was supposed to be a fun exhibition against the Japanese top high school girl’s baseball team earlier this week. Apparently girl’s hardball is rapidly becoming more popular in the land of the rising sun, and I approve. Anyway, we needed some levity after this one.
Highlight package of a 52-year old Ichiro striking out Japan’s top high school girl baseball players wild. He legit does not give AF. Uses every pitch in his arsenal. https://t.co/InhFmQfTLWpic.twitter.com/NOe9DPCqpV
When the Los Angeles Dodgers were in Cincinnati on the second leg of their most recent road trip, manager Dave Roberts approached Josue De Paula.
"Just wait until we get back to LA," he recalled Roberts telling him. "It's different."
Sure enough, the raucous 48,000 fans -- a light crowd by Dodger Stadium standards -- packed inside Chavez Ravine for his home debut on Friday, Sept. 18 surpassed whatever the rookie's expectations were. Everything, from the environment to the deafening cheers that only seemed to grow louder as the Dodgers slugged their way to an 8-2 win over the hated rival San Francisco Giants, to the air itself, felt different.
"It's like a movie, man," De Paula told USA TODAY Sports.
De Paula, 21, has played his role perfectly through his first week in the big leagues.
The No. 6 prospect in baseball carries himself with a confidence that's rarely seen in someone as young as him. He's played in only eight games since being called up straight from Double-A Tulsa after Shohei Ohtani was placed on the injured list, or "just thrown into it" as he put it, but De Paula has relied on the skillset that got him here. He controls the strike zone, seeing the ball extremely well and is selective with what pitches he swings at, rarely chasing. That part of his game has transitioned seamlessly.
When De Paula does see a pitch he likes, his calm demeanor at the plate helps him stay centered and keeps him from jumping out ahead of the ball.
"I feel the adrenaline, but I feel like I just know how to pinpoint it and focus it," he said. "I'm so locked in, but I know how to calm myself down."
And when he does make contact, it's loud. So is De Paula.
That was seen in the bottom of the sixth inning on Friday. De Paula walked up to "Ima Boss" by Meek Mill (his third different walk-up song of the night by the way, this one was chosen by his mom). The triumphant horns on the 2011 anthem produced by Jahlil Beats had barely subsided over the loudspeakers when De Paula slapped a first-pitch slider from Giants reliever Jason Foley 107 mph into the gap in the right field for an RBI double that scored the go-ahead run from first.
Once he got to second base standing up, De Paula threw his hands in the air and hit the Dodgers' on-base celebration, swiveling his hips around before putting his own twist on it: pounding his chest and flexing toward his teammates in the dugout.
"He loves playing the game," Mookie Betts said. "He's full of life. When he gets on the field, it's like a quiet focus, but when he's off the field he likes joking ... and whatnot. He's a good kid."
"We got some swag in Brooklyn. We got some swag in the Dominican Republic. I just feel like I got a chip on my shoulder," De Paula said. "And it just comes out naturally."
That came out again in the bottom of the eighth when Giants reliever Philip Abner threw a first-pitch fastball up that was called a strike by umpire Louie Krupa. De Paula immediately tapped his helmet to challenge, and ABS showed the ball had missed the top of the zone 0.1 inches. The Dodger Stadium crowd got fired up as they watched the replay unfold on the jumbotron and the call was overturned to ball one, and De Paula nodded his head toward his teammates before working a two-out walk on four pitches.
Betts homered in the very next at-bat to break open a five-run lead. Will Smith then followed that up with the Dodgers' fourth long ball of the inning.
"Love De Paula," Roberts said. "I just love his at-bats. It's one of those things that we knew that coming up to the big leagues, he wasn't going to get overwhelmed, and it just helps when you control the strike zone. He takes his walks, when the ball is in the hitting zone, he can slug you, but he also knows how to get a base hit. It's been very professional."
De Paula finished his Dodger Stadium debut 2-for-3 with two runs, and RBI and a walk to bring his OPS up to .924. It's been a very small sample size, and baseball has a way of humbling even the most skilled hitters. It is, after all, a game of failure. But what he has been able to do in his first "trial run", filling in for the back-to-back National League MVP no less, might be indicative of something larger.
At the very least, he's played himself into the postseason roster conversation.
"To have (Roberts) believe in me so much," De Paula said. "I always have confidence in myself but to have someone like that believe in you, it just puts another oomph on your shoulder. It feels amazing."
For now, De Paula's just working. The weakest area of his game is his defense, and while the vast majority of this first stint in the majors will be as a designated hitter, he's using the opportunity get better. De Paula's taking advice from Roberts and the entire coaching staff. He's asking his teammates questions. He's shagging fly balls every day.
"I'm gonna shut a lot of people up with my defense very soon," he said. "It's gonna take some time."
That opportunity likely won't come for a while; Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker are both getting hot and settling into their rhythms in the corner outfield spots in the final two weeks of the regular season. If De Paula does make the postseason roster after Ohtani comes back, it would probably be as a lefty bat off the bench.
Whatever happens over the next two weeks before October, De Paula's focused on the now, enjoying every moment he can. He got the ball back from his first Dodger Stadium hit – a leadoff single to right field in the fifth inning – and he knows exactly where to put it.
"I'm gonna give it to my parents," De Paula said. "I might give it to them right now."
Prior to his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame and number retirement ceremony on Saturday, Carlos Beltrán spoke with reporters about his legendary career, time in New York, and future working for the team...
Decision to go into HOF as a Met
Earlier in the summer, Beltrán became the third player to enter the Hall of Fame with a Mets cap on his plaque. He opted to represent New York over the six other teams he played for during his 20-year career, having spent the most time (seven seasons) with the Mets.
When asked about that decision and what his time with the team meant to him, the nine-time All-Star called it his "best years" playing baseball.
"I would say it was my best years in baseball," Beltrán said. "Even though at times it felt difficult and it felt different. Meaning my relationship [with the fans], and sometimes how things went down. I don't know the message that was sent out about me as a person or about me as a player. It's hard to connect with a fanbase when the message out there is always negative.
"But being honest and having the experience to play for the Mets, I felt like playing in this organization, I kept saying this in my speech for the Hall of Fame, I grew the most as a person, as a leader. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for the relationships I was able to build in the clubhouse with the players... Keeping those relationships has really been incredible and amazing for us."
Learning how to play in New York
After six-plus seasons with the Kansas City Royals and a half season with the Houston Astros, Beltrán signed a seven-year, $119 million contract with the Mets ahead of the 2005 season. He discussed why he chose the Mets that offseason and how it took some time to adjust to playing in a big market.
"Being a free agent, I was really looking closely what Omar Minaya at the time was doing for the Mets organization," Beltrán said. "He was trying to put a consistent team for the city. I think adding Pedro Martinez was a huge sign. Pedro choosing to come to New York, no doubt that him being one of the best pitchers in the game, you start considering the Mets as a team, probably I could be a good fit in for the organization. When they were able to visit me in Puerto Rico... I told my wife this could be a possibility and a legitimate one. And it happened.
"Coming from a small market team and all of a sudden being in New York, there were things I needed to learn that I didn't have those tools in Kansas City. Dealing with the media, dealing with the responsibilities, dealing with the expectations, dealing with the ups-and-downs of baseball in a city like New York is the real deal. I'm grateful. I'm grateful that when I look at my career, out of 20 years, I played 10 in New York. I think I did OK."
Beltrán was then asked if there was any lessons he learned to adapting to playing in New York, saying it helped make him a better person on and off the field. He added that he feels it's important to help new players become adjusted to playing in the city because of all that comes with it.
"I think my skin got thicker playing in this city, which is good," Beltrán said. "I'm grateful for everything, my friend. When you look back, there are moments that need to happen in life for you to grow. That's life. Because of the moments that I experienced here, I'm better, I'm better in every aspect. I want to use the experience to continue to share it with the next generation, share it with all of the people that might be feeling the same shoes I felt when I first came here."
Now, with the team expecting to have interim manager Andy Green return to the front office, Beltrán could potentially have another chance to manage his former club. Of course, Beltrán was originally hired as manager on Nov. 1, 2019, but later mutually agreed to leave the position in January 2020 before ever managing a game due to his involvement in the Astros sign-stealing scandal.
When asked about the possibility of becoming the next manager, Beltrán, who is currently a special assistant to David Stearns, said he is enjoying his current role and helping around the organization.
"Right now I love what I'm doing," Beltrán said. "I believe that the opportunity the Mets are giving me to be part of the organization and be able to comment on the things I experienced as a baseball player to hopefully continue to add value to the decisions they are making and bring perspective on how I see things from a baseball standpoint.
"... With that being said, I love what I do. Being a manager in Major League Baseball is a huge commitment. And I'm not saying I'm not willing to take that commitment. But right now, at the position where I am in life, I love to be a dad, I love to be a husband, I love to be involved with the Carlos Beltran Academy in Puerto Rico. And being a manager, you would not be able to do that full-time.
"With that being said, I will let the Mets go through the process. I think David understands that, probably, there's going to be a search. I hope with that being said that with whatever step forward we do, I know it's going to be for the benefit of the organization. Being honest, I think Andy has done a good job. He has done an incredible job for the Mets since he joined the team."
Beltrán was asked directly if he will try to interview, but again said he's comfortable with his current role, while leaving the door slightly open to managing in the future.
"Right now, I don't have an answer for that honestly speaking," Beltrán said. "I think today I'm more worried about the speech and what to say out there. I always say, in my heart, if I stay relevant in the game and hopefully I continue to be around baseball teams, I could think about that later on. Right now, I'm happy what I'm doing with the Mets and having this job where I get to connect with the baseball players, connect with the coaches... I try to learn as much as I can from that."
