Category: Baseball

Before he was a star for the Yankees, Charlie Keller was a small-town boy on a Maryland farm. In a truly poetic life journey, that is exactly the life that he would return to after playing 13 years in the major leagues, with a gap year in there to serve as a merchant marine.

Charles Ernest Keller
Born: September 12, 1916 (Middletown, MD)
Died: May 23, 1990 (Frederick, MD)
Yankees Tenure: 1939-1943, 1945-1949, 1952

Keller came of age working on the family farm and eventually became a standout athlete at Middletown High School, just a bit outside Frederick, Maryland. While at Middletown, Keller was a state champion in track while playing baseball, basketball, and soccer. With the book smarts to match his athletic ability, Keller went to the University of Maryland on scholarship. While in undergrad, Keller played both basketball and baseball at the varsity level, gradually turning into one of the greatest Terps to ever grace the diamond.

Baseball became the sport that the right-hand-throwing and lefty-swinging Keller would come to dominate. After an impressive showing both in school and during a semi-professional league, Yankees scout Gene McCann signed Keller to a contract just before the start of the 1937 season.

At 20 years old, Keller’s professional journey officially began as a member of the Newark Bears. Upon reporting to spring training, the Yankees informed Keller they planned to play him in right field, a new position. The Yankees also spent the 1937 season trying to get the stout lefty to focus on pulling the baseball. In his first taste of pro ball, Keller slashed .353/.431/.541 with 13 home runs, 14 triples, and 34 doubles. Keller ditched the pull approach ahead of the 1938 season and went on to win the batting title with a .353 average while also leading the league in runs and hits. For his efforts, he was named both the International League Rookie of the Year and Minor League Player of the Year of 1938.

Skipper Joe McCarthy and the Yankees gave Keller his first taste of pro ball in 1939. After missing the start of the season due to injury, the rookie, who was now primarily playing left field, finally made his debut at the end of April. The rookie struggled to find playing time over the first few months of the summer, but starting in August, the kid caught fire and would force his way into the lineup through the end of the regular season and into the Fall Classic.

New York swept the Cincinnati Reds in the 1939 World Series as Keller had a team-high .438 average, to go along with three home runs and six RBIs. The rookie’s triple in the ninth inning of Game 1 (as seen below) led to a walk-off hit by Bill Dickey and set the tone for the series. In the Game 4 clincher, he came around to score in the 10th inning on a chaotic play started by a Joe DiMaggio hit. An E9 enabled Keller to come home, and as he did so, he collided with Reds catcher Ernie Lombardi. The dazed Lombardi was slow to come to his senses and by the time he’d done so, DiMaggio had scored himself. The sweep was completed shortly afterward.

The 1940 season was the start of a legendary run for Keller. He was an All-Star in 1940, leading the league in base on balls while batting .286 with 21 home runs. The Yankees would miss the playoffs that season after finishing 88-66 and third in the American League.

Keller had one of, if not his best, seasons in 1941. He hit .298 and posted career highs in home runs with 33 big flies and 122 RBIs. Keller finished fifth in the MVP vote and was an All-Star for the second time. The Yankees found themselves back in the World Series and Keller impressed again, batting .389 while driving in five runs and scoring another five himself. In the most memorable highlight from that series, Yankees batter Tommy Henrich and Brooklyn catcher Mickey Owen both missed a wicked pitch from Hugh Casey, and what would have been a strikeout for the end of a series-tying Dodgers win in Game 4 instead continued with Henrich on first. DiMaggio singled and Keller became the one to really twist the screws with a two-run double that put the Yankees ahead, 5-4.

Both the Yankees and Keller had a bit of a disappointing year, for their standards, in 1942. Keller posted a .292/.417/.513 slash line behind 26 home runs and a career-high 14 stolen bases. The Yankees made the World Series but lost to the Cardinals 4-1; Keller was held to four hits in five games, though two were homers.

The 1943 campaign saw Keller get his third All-Star selection as he led the league in base on balls again and OPS with a .922 and OPS+ of 168. The Yankees again found themselves facing the red bird of St. Louis in the World Series. This time, the Yankees prevailed in five games, giving Keller his third ring in five seasons.

Then, in January of 1944, everything changed for Keller as he was commissioned into the U.S. Maritime Service. Keller would serve in the Pacific for the next 20 months. In August of 1945, Keller returned to the Yankees for the final stretch of the season. Despite still having his sea legs under him, Keller hit .301 with 10 home runs in 44 games as the Yankees finished third in the league.

The 1946 Yankees also finished in third place and missed the playoffs, but Keller returned to his pre-war form and was again an All-Star. On the season, Keller launched 30 home runs, driving in 101, and drawing 113 base on balls to give him his fifth career season to exceed 100+ walks.

Keller was still in top form for the first third of the 1947 season. Entering June, he was leading the league in several offensive categories and would earn his fifth All-Star selection in just a few weeks. Little did anyone know, but a small tweak of his back while taking a swing forever changed his career. Keller ended up having surgery to remove a slipped disk in July. Keller missed the rest of the season and had to watch from the dugout as his teammates took down the Dodgers in seven games to win the 1947 World Series.

The legendary swing from King Kong Keller was never the same. Despite trying to work his way back into form, Keller struggled in 1948 and 1949. Over those two campaigns, he slashed .262/.378/.405 with only 9 home runs in 143 games. The man once a lock for 600 at-bats and 100 walks was no more. In another bittersweet moment, Keller watched his teammates win the 1949 World Series.

As a Yankee, Keller finished his career with a slash line of .286/.410/.518 with an OPS of .928 and a WAR of 42.3 in 1066 games. His .410 career OBP ranks him top 5 all-time in Yankees franchise history. Keller also averaged roughly three walks for every two strikeouts, which is crazy for a slugger like him.

The Tigers signed Keller after the Yankees released him in 1949. Keller spent the 1950 and 1951 seasons mostly appearing as a pinch-hitter for the Tigers. In limited action over those two years, Keller hit .283 with five home runs. The Yankees brought Keller home for the 1952 season. However, after only one at-bat in 1952, the Yankees released Keller and his playing career was over.

After his playing days ended, Keller returned to Maryland and started Yankeeland Farm. He remained on the farm for the remainder of his days except for when the Yankees asked him to don the pinstripes again as a coach during the 1957 season. Keller stuck with the team under Casey Stengel through the end of the 1959 season. While he served as the team’s first base coach, the team lost the 1957 World Series but get revenge and win the 1958 World Series in a rematch with the Milwaukee Braves. That ring gave Keller his sixth as a Yankee.

Though it was cut short, Keller’s peak was one remarkable run. Three modern players who can help put his career into perspective, according to Baseball Reference’s Similar Batters, are Juan Soto, Josh Hamilton, and Cody Bellinger. Another comparison is Bryce Harper as the athletic, converted catcher, super-slugging lefty. In an organization with some of the greatest of all time, Keller might truly be the greatest what-if in pinstripe history.

Happy birthday, Charlie!

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

Robbie Ray made his return to Oracle Park for the first time since being traded from the San Francisco Giants to the San Diego Padres at the Trade Deadline. He nearly squandered a 7-1 lead, but did just enough to limit the Giants and lead the Padres to a 7-5 win on Friday.

Ray had his typical outing where he issued hits and walks, but as has been the case since arriving in San Diego, he was unable to limit the damage. He allowed a first inning run but San Diego responded with two runs in the top of the second and five runs in the top of the third to give him a 7-1 lead. Ray worked through the bottom of the third and the bottom of the fourth without much issue, but found big trouble in the bottom of the fifth.

The right-gander allowed a leadoff double to Andrew Knizner and then issued back-to-back walks to Christian Koss and Jonah Cox. Rafael Devers came to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out and golfed on 0-1 knuckle curve over the right field wall to get the Giants back in the game with a grand slam to make the score 7-5. Ray bounced back to get the next three batters and completed his outing with five runs allowed on four hits through five innings. He issued four walks and had five strikeouts.

It was another disappointing outing for Ray in a Padres uniform. It followed his last outing against the New York Yankees where he lasted just 2.1 innings and allowed five runs on five hits. He also issued four walks in that game. Ray has now made seven starts for San Diego and has a record of 2-2 with a 5.35 ERA. He has allowed 29 hits but has alarmingly allowed 24 walks in 33.2 innings pitched. Ray also has accumulated 25 strikeouts over that time. Those are not the numbers San Diego or the Friar Faithful were hoping to see from the deadline acquisition, but the offense gave him just enough room to survive his return to his former home field.

Jackson Merrill was a big part of the Padres offense once again. He finished 3-for-5 at the plate with a double and two runs scored. Dustin Harris had his best offensive night as a Padre. He finished 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk, two runs scored and two RBI. Freddy Fermin also chipped in with a two-hit game with two RBI.

San Diego will look to win the series and keep their playoff position when they play the second game of the series against San Francisco today at 1:05 p.m.

Padres News:

• San Diego had a big week with a bigger home stand that allowed them to climb back into playoff position.

• The El Paso Chihuahuas and San Antonio Missions both suffered losses.

• Mason McCoy returned to the big league roster with Ty France landing on the Paternity List.

Baseball News:

• The Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays each clinched playoff berths with wins on Friday.

• The Atlanta Braves rallied to get a win in extra-innings.

• The Arizona Diamondbacks got a blowout win over the Texas Rangers.

• Kyle Tucker led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-2 win over the Miami Marlins.

• The AL Central playoff race got tighter with the Chicago White Sox dropping their fourth game in a row.

The Detroit Tigers won their second game in a row for the first time since early August with a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Comerica Park on Friday night. Riley Greene’s 3-for-4 performance fueled the good guys on offense and dodged danger on several occasions for a quality start while earning his 10th win of the 2026 campaign.

On Saturday afternoon, left-hander Andrew Sears will try to make it three in a row while clinching the team’s second straight series win. The 24-year-old put up a fine performance last time out, tossing 5 1/3 frames of one-run ball against the Guardians in Cleveland on four hits and two walks while striking out four and hitting a batter for a no-decision in an eventual 4-3 loss in extras.

For the Rockies, right-hander Tanner Gordon will make his 10th start of the 2026 campaign, having bounced back and forth between a starting and relieving role this summer. Over the 28-year-old’s last four appearances — all starts — he has posted a 3.63 ERA and a 3.96 FIP, but gave up five runs in two of those games and just one run in the other two.

Gordon allowed 18 hits (two home runs) and three walks while striking out 10 across 17 1/3 innings over that stretch, plus a balk. Will the Tigers see the good or bad version of the former sixth-round pick? Find out on Saturday afternoon.

Detroit Tigers (68-79) vs. Colorado Rockies (55-92)

Time (ET): 1:10 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:Purple Row
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 148: LHP Andrew Sears (0-1, 4.38 ERA) vs. RHP Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.40 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Sears	3	12.1	15.7	5.9	25.6	3.83	0.2
Gordon	21	93.1	18.7	4.2	34.6	4.45	0.7

SEARS

GORDON

Once the Red Sox lost the final game of the four game set at Yankee Stadium in late August, the team found themselves in a strange state of affairs. Four games behind the Yankees (five if you include the tiebreaker), they pivoted to getting healthy for October. The team is without six significant players who should be available for the postseason: Willson Contreras, Ceddanne Rafaela, Curtis Mead, Tyron Guerrero, Justin Slaten, and Garrett Crochet.

In the meantime, all of September feels like a second Spring Training. Losing two of three against the Mariners and Angels, and the first game against the Royals, all of which are at home, feels a bit anticlimactic after witnessing separate win streaks of fifteen and nine games in the months of July and August. And yet there is no concern of losing out on a playoff spot as Boston is seven games clear of Toronto (the first team out of the playoffs), and five games ahead of Cleveland for the second Wild Card spot. At the end of the day, we are somehow still 17 days away from the next relevant baseball game for the Boston Red Sox.

So, how concerned are you about these performances at home over the past two weeks? Is it a case of prioritizing health, or are you seeing any bad habits from the hideous first half of the season starting to creep in? Discuss in the comments, and be good to each other.

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 5, Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) 3

The Tides used a late comeback to win this one, tying the game in the eighth on a Bryan Ramos RBI single and then scoring two in the top of the ninth on a Creed Willems sac fly and Payton Eeles single. Nearly every Tides hitter contributed to the victory, led by Enrique Bradfield Jr. atop the order, who had two hits, stole a base, and scored two runs. Jud Fabian homered for the third time in the last two days. The Tides’ lineup was facing Cardinals prospect Jurrangelo Cjintje, who was drafted as a switch-pitcher but now appears to be exclusively right-handed.

Cade Povich turned in a quality start for the Tides — six innings, three runs — and the bullpen followed with three scoreless frames. The 27-year-old righty Jake Dykhoff was summoned all the way from High-A Frederick to Norfolk, and he responded by throwing two scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut. Left-hander Andrew Magno worked around two walks in the ninth to notch his 10th save.

Box score

Double-A: Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) 1, Chesapeake Baysox 0

As usual, a Baysox starting pitcher turned in a stellar performance. Right-hander JT Quinn twirled five scoreless innings in his final start of the year, allowing six baserunners and striking out three. He finished the season with a 1.96 ERA in five starts for the Baysox after a 3.75 mark in 20 starts at High-A.

Unfortunately, Quinn’s effort went criminally unsupported by the Baysox offense, which managed only four hits (all singles) against three Richmond pitchers. Wehiwa Aloy had one of them. Vance Honeycutt went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Left-hander Jacob Bresnahan, the Giants’ #9 prospect, worked seven shutout frames. The game’s only run came on a solo homer by Gavin Kilen, the Giants’ #6 prospect, off Baysox reliever Brandon Downer in the sixth.

Box score

High-A: Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pirates) 7, Frederick Keys 5

Sadly, the Keys’ playoff run has come to an end. After winning Game 1 of the best-of-three North Division Series, Frederick dropped the last two, including a heartbreaker in this win-or-go-home finale. The Keys carried a 5-4 lead into the top of the seventh before Greensboro rallied for three runs against relievers Twine Palmer and Braeden Sloan. The Frederick offense couldn’t respond in the final three frames, and the Keys’ magical season is over.

Jaiden Lo Re contributed a pair of hits in the game, and Andrés Nolaya powered a pinch-hit homer. Ty Head went 0-for-2 but drove in a run on a squeeze bunt. Enddy Azocar took an 0-for-4. Starter Christian Rodriguez gave up four runs (two earned) in 3.1 innings, giving up two home runs to Pirates #5 prospect Wyatt Sanford.

Box score

Saturday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: at Memphis, 7:05 PM. Starter: Trey Gibson (3-6, 4.04)
• Chesapeake: at Richmond, 7:05 PM. Starter: Patrick Reilly (0-2, 3.97)

In these next few weeks, as the season winds down and playoff teams are put into their proper place in the bracket, a lot of words will be spoken about home field advantage. Our own John Stolnis will be talking about this in a little bit and you have probably already seen some things pop up regarding the Phillies and holding the advantage once their playoff season begins.

The question is: do you really even care about it?

Does home field advantage really matter to you as much as it may matter to others? The players probably prefer to have it, but the Phillies haven’t exactly set the world on fire when playing in Citizens Bank Park of late in October. There are probably a bunch of reasons for this, so maybe having the ability to bat last in a game isn’t truly that big a deal.

Maybe it is, I don’t know, but what do you think about it?

If you missed last game, where were you? Let’s fast forward to the bottom of the eleventh in a tie game with two outs, with Ozzie Albies on second base and Ha-Seong Kim at the plate.

Kim has come alive in September to help push the Braves over the line. Let’s look at this again. First of all, this is a pretty standard 106.3 MPH off the bat for a .670 xBA in left field. Pretty standard for most people not named Kim, however. Second of all, Ozzie’s helmet didn’t come off. That feels like a party foul, but I’ll allow it.

But have a look at this. Hang it in the Louvre already.

So much going on here. You have Kim with the smooth finish. You have tense moments in the crowd.

Yeah, I don’t know what’s going on here.

We have neutrals making scouting reports and taking it all in.

Kim? Hit the ball?

How good does that feel? After the last six months? My. Word.

Then you have the winning hit to bring Kim home.

This is your standard 101.2 MPH off the bat and .490 xBA for a double. Only not so standard for a week period for Drake Baldwin, I guess. He went from August 30th to September 6th without a pulled fly ball or line drive. They’re starting to come back now, even after reaching across the plate to reach this one.

Bullpen is waving them home before this double lands.

All right, the batting helmet is off five steps after hitting second base. This is just good technique. 11/10 no notes.

And the hair is flying. This is what you want to see.

Get down lol jk.

Come at me with that bubble gum.

Wait, where’s Kim?

There we go.

Y’all, we’re almost home. This feels like the Braves are right there and able to put this to bed by the middle of September. Almost there. And Ha-Seong Kim is just getting started.

Walt Weiss on Ha-Seong Kim: “All the stuff he’s been through, then you fast forward into later in the season and he has two of the biggest hits of our season. You love when guys persevere and the game rewards them for it.”

— Gabe Burns (@GabeBurnsAJC) September 12, 2026

The Palestinian flag-waving idiot who sprinted onto the field at Yankee Stadium during the 9/11 25th Anniversary game after posting an unhinged rant about the terrorist attack is a self-described “revisionist-Marxist,” according to his OnlyFans page.

Kelly Marcucci, of Long Island, is facing misdemeanor charges for interference with a professional sporting event and trespassing, according to the NYPD.

Marcucci, 38, allegedly jumped from the stands onto the baseball field, cops said.

He charged the field in the seventh inning of the Yankees-Mets Subway Series game in The Bronx on Friday at exactly 9:11 p.m. — before quickly getting tackled in centerfield by security, video showed.

Fans immediately broke out into chants of “USA!” when the man was brought down onto the grass.

Just hours before the stunt, around 4:30 p.m., Marcucci posted an unhinged, rambling rant on Facebook.

He went off on a nonsensical tirade about capitalism, Zionism, Saudi Arabia and 9/11, mentioning a string of high-profile people including President Trump and Joe Rogan.

Marcucci also posted a brief video of himself at the baseball game before he allegedly stormed the field, showing off his personalized “K. Marcucci” jersey from the stands. 

The front of the shirt reads “No Kings,” a widespread anti-Trump sentiment. 

Marcucci is a self-described journalist and “spiritual tactician” who graduated from Stony Brook University, according to his social media accounts.  

His Instagram is flooded with bonkers conspiracy theories, posts about sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and reposts of videos of political commentators such as Candace Owens. 

In one absurd post, Marcucci appeared to spiritually analyze Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani ahead of the 2025 mayoral election. 

“It’s not just about left vs right. It’s not just about two candidates. It’s about what kind of energy is being installed over New York City,” he wrote in his bizarre caption. 

His Instagram account also links to an inactive OnlyFans profile, where Marcucci claimed to have made the page “as a joke.” 

“Politically, I identify as a revisionist-Marxist, and the core values of this expression are very important to me,” the bio reads.

Marcucci and representatives for the Mets and Yankees did not immediately return requests for comment.

The Yankees went on to beat the Mets 6-4 during Friday night’s Subway Series matchup. 

Married couple Brielle Saracini and Sean McGuire, who both lost their fathers on 9/11, threw the ceremonial first pitches. 

The jersey-wearing pair met at a camp for children whose parents were killed in the attacks. 

Saracini shares a special bond with Yankees legend Derek Jeter, who was also at the game. After her father, Victor Saracini, a pilot of one of the hijacked flights, was killed, she wrote a letter to Jeter. 

Jeter invited the then-10-year-old to the stadium to meet the team and feel a sense of normalcy amid the devastation.

“When we invited her to the stadium, you really don’t know what to say,” Jeter said during a news conference.

“So I don’t even know if I said ‘I’m sorry’ or anything like that. I just tried to make her day feel special…and you just try to make her feel as comfortable as you possibly can.”

The Yankees kicked off the Subway Series with a win, scoring six on the Mets and managing to hold on despite the anomaly that was Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick both struggling on the same night. David Bednar came in for the five-out save and got the job done, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the eighth before getting a game-ending double-play out of Juan Soto in the ninth. While they were handling business in the Bronx, they were also scoreboard watching with several key games going on simultaneously — so let’s see what the result of those out of town scores were.

Tampa Bay Rays (88-59) 3, Houston Astros (75-73) 1

The Rays looked like they could’ve slipped up and lost this game ceding some ground to New York, but they came around to walk it off instead. Houston had their chances against Drew Rasmussen, scattering eight hits against the Rays’ ace, but the only run they managed to score came in the fourth inning when Isaac Paredes doubled with one out and Daulton Varsho singled to put runners on the corners. Yainer Diaz hit a ball hard to second base, and while Ritchie Palacios made a fantastic play on the ball flipping it to the shortstop quickly enough for the force out keeping the potential double play alive, Diaz managed to beat the throw letting the run count. However, several other innings were cut short by double plays that did get converted, and the Rays tied the game back up in the fifth when Victor Mesa Jr. launched a home run to lead off the inning.

Things stayed quiet until the bottom of the ninth, when the Rays got the winning run aboard on an Aranda double before Junior Caminero stepped up to the plate. Bryan Abreu chose to start him off with a fastball up in the zone and Caminero made him pay, ripping a walk-off two-run shot to left.

The win not only kept the Rays three games ahead of the Yankees in the standings, but it clinched a playoff spot for Tampa Bay — the first team to secure a spot in the 2026 Postseason. The Brewers would join them a little later in the night with a blowout win on their part, but the Rays are, for now, the only American League team holding a ticket to the dance.

Other Games

Boston Red Sox (80-68) 2, Kansas City Royals (66-82) 3: The Yankees did gain some ground on Friday, as the Red Sox fell behind early to Kansas City and couldn’t dig themselves out of the hole. Carter Jensen led off the game against Sonny Gray with a double and later scored on a Salvador Perez single to left, and then the Royals added to their lead in the third as Isaac Collins and Jensen hit back-to-back doubles followed by a Vinnie Pasquantino RBI single. Mickey Gasper got Boston on the scoreboard in the fifth with a solo shot, and after Adley Rutschman walked Wilyer Abreu doubled him in to cut the lead to 3-2. The Sox struck out from there though, and Boston would get just one hit the rest of the way stranding a Trevor Story double in the eighth.

Chicago White Sox (75-72) 3, St. Louis Cardinals (73-75) 7: The White Sox are squandering their advantage in the Central, losing their fourth straight game. The Cardinals scored a run in each of the first three innings, but they delivered the knockout punch in the fifth as Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, Joshua Báez, and Leo Bernal chained consecutive hits to drive in three runs. The Cardinal bullpen dealt with some traffic on the basepaths but managed to limit Chicago to just one run in the final 4.2 innings. Chase Meidroth showed up for the Southsiders, launching two home runs to briefly keep them within arm’s reach of St. Louis.

AL Wild Card Rock Fight

Cleveland Guardians (75-73) 5, Minnesota Twins (69-78) 2: Chicago’s faltering opens the door for Cleveland, who moved to within a half-game of first place after taking this one against the Twins. The game was tied at two in the ninth when a wild pitch and a two-run double from Brayan Rocchio put them up three in a heartbeat. Cade Smith entered looking for the save and got the job done quickly with a double-play ball to erase a one-out single from Trevor Larnach.

Toronto Blue Jays (73-75) 4, Baltimore Orioles (72-76) 7: The O’s jumped out to a 6-0 lead in this game, scoring five in the second inning with two-run hits from Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers leading the procession. Toronto had a rally in them in the ninth, scoring two runs on a Brett Bateman homer before George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit singles to bring the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately for Toronto this all came with two outs, and when Baltimore went back to their ‘pen summoning Rico Garcia to pitch he managed to get Alejandro Kirk to ground out to end it.

Texas Rangers (72-76) 1, Arizona Diamondbacks (79-69) 9: Two innings were all Arizona needed to put up a nine-spot on Texas in a rematch of the 2023 World Series. A trio of doubles in the fifth led to four runs scoring for the Diamondbacks, followed by Corbin Carroll and Nolan Arenado launching back-to-back homers in the sixth to drive the dagger home. Justin Martinez had the highlight of the night for the pitching staff, tossing an immaculate inning in the top of the sixth shutting the door on any potential response from Texas after Arizona took the lead.

The Mets and Yankees continue the Bronx-half of the Subway Series on Saturday at 1:35 p.m. on SNY.

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Mets Notes

• A.J. Ewing is hitting .316 with a .355 OBP and .829 OPS over his last 15 games
• Zac Thornton has pitched to a 3.53 ERA and 1.19 WHIP during his rookie campaign
• Thornton is looking to rebound after allowing six earned runs against the Giants his last time out
• Gerrit Cole has a 3.41 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 19 starts since returning from the IL

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Today's Lineups

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Somehow, some way, the Guardians find themselves a half game out of first in the AL Central.

The Guardians won 5-2 over the Twins last night as covered here by Jakhob. Today they will do a bullpen game with Daniel Espino opening and Joey Cantillo and Slade Cecconi pitching at some point. The Twins will open with Connor Prielipp and use Bailey Ober as their length guy. Then, tomorrow is Tanner Bibee vs. Joe Ryan who will be on a pitch limit. The Guardians would actually have to sweep this series to take the season series from the Twins. How is this team still in position to win a division and even get a first round bye, again??

They need to go get someone from Triple-A to take at-bats from Jo Adell vs. RHP. It’s not working but I also understand he’s currently the best option Vogt has on the roster.

The Guardians also have a two-game lead for the third AL Wildcard. What a pathetic American League this year.

Around MLB:

The White Sox, Astros, Rangers and Blue Jays lost, and the Orioles won.

A.J. Ewing has had to battle through ups and downs during his first big league season, like any rookie would.

The young slugger recently endured a dreadful two-month slump at the plate that saw him uncharacteristically expanding the zone, leading to an uptick in strikeouts. 

As he’s done throughout this terrific campaign, though, Ewing appears to have found his way out the other side.   

He has been spectacular for the Mets thus far during the final month of the season, and that continued in Friday night’s Subway Series opener in the Bronx. 

Like everyone else in orange in blue, the lefty was set down pretty easily by Carlos Rodon, but he was able to break through later in the ballgame against the Yankee bullpen. 

Ewing delivered a big two-out RBI single against former Met Paul Blackburn, keeping a rally going and cutting into the deficit in the top of the seventh. 

He then led off the ninth by jumping all over a first pitch fastball from star closer David Bednar, crushing it high over the bleacher creatures into the second-deck in right.  

The Mets still ended up dropping the opener, 5-3, but it’s been encouraging to see the 22-year-old rounding back into form down the stretch in the regular season. 

Ewing’s blast was his second during his five-game hitting streak, and he’s also added nine RBI during that span. 

Looking further, he’s hitting .316 with a .355 OBP and .829 OPS over his last 15 games.

“I’m just trying to win pitches right now,” Ewing said. “Not trying to do anything more that the plan I have -- that’s the mental side of baseball, it’s difficult to not try to chase results, but just trying to stick to the plan pitch-by-pitch.”

One aspect of the upcoming labor battle this offseason, after the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, is Major League Baseballs desire to expand from 30 to 32 teams.

MLB’s last expansion was in 1998, and Jeff Passan at ESPN in his outline of potential new cities notes that commissioner Rob Manfred wants the league to decide on one west coast and one east coast team by January 2029.

In a subsequent video, Passan says Salt Lake City has the most compelling case for adding an expansion team.

It will be at least three decades before MLB adds more teams, the longest stretch without expansion since the first 60 years of the American League (1901-60) saw eight teams in each league for a total of 16 teams. Since then:

• 1961: 16 to 18 teams (Angels, new Senators added)
• 1962: 18 to 20 (Mets, Colt .45s)
• 1969: 20 to 24 (Expos, Padres, Royals, Seattle Pilots)
• 1977: 24 to 26: (Blue Jays, Mariners)
• 1993: 26 to 28 (Marlins, Rockies)
• 1998: 28 to 30 (Diamondbacks, Rays)

Matt Brown expertly covers the business of college sports at his Extra Points newsletter, and analyzed how the potential MLB expansion cities might affect revenue for some college programs.

Links

Sam Miller at his Pebble Hunting newsletter isn’t a fan of the trend of more position players pitching:

It’s a bit surprising to me that baseball, which has so many unwritten rules about what players should and shouldn’t do when the game is out of hand, has settled on such a bizarre, asymmetrical surrender when it comes to position players pitching. The pitcher throws the single worst pitch he can. The batter then takes a massive overswing.

Bill Shaikin at the Los Angeles Times argues that Major League Baseball, the Players Association, and LA28 should figure out a way to come to an agreement on making MLB players available to play in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles:

The league says play ball, but not without the authority to punish players that do not wish to play.

The union says play ball, but not unless the league eases up on mandatory participation, and unless LA28, the international baseball federation and the International Olympic Committee provides major league players with flexibility in areas such as accommodations, tickets and marketing rights.

Good morning, baseball fans!

Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball comes to an end this weekend, so it’s time to make our picks for Player of the Week!

This week, as with many other weeks, my pick is going to be Rafael Devers! Over the last week (my week is including last Friday through this Thursday) had eight hits, four runs, three home runs and nine RBI, leading the team on offense once again.

I’m going to give an honorable mention to Bryce Eldridge as well, who has a six-game hitting streak going as of the time this is being written, and who knocked in seven RBI in that time as well.

Who is your pick for Player of the Week?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants continue this series against the San Diego Padres this afternoon at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Today’s Reflections

I wish I just saw the 8-6 final score from Wednesday game. That meant that my comment from Tuesday of that the Cubs could hang with the Brewers was accurate.

Um, nah. That’s a case of spinning something positive out of nothing ending up kicking your tail.

Kevin Gausman is the next Jekyll and Hyde performer for the Cubs. What do they really have with him?

The best offense and defense in baseball was held to three hits over eight innings and committed two uncharacteristic errors.

Digging for a plus …. the bullpen allowed a hit and an unearned run over four innings. At the time, it was just clean-up work, low leverage.

That was all that could be rung out of Wednesday’s loss. Thursday’s day off may help. We’ll see.

Complimentary Starting Pitcher Solo Home Run*

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Wednesday Night’s Game Stories:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Kevin Gausman allows three homers, but a lot goes wrong for Cubs as Brewers sweep cements Central control. “Gausman, the Cubs’ headlining acquisition at the trade deadline, has gone back and forth between great outings and rough ones. Wednesday was one of the latter, though he wasn’t the only thing that went wrong for a Cubs team swept out of Milwaukee.”

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Sun-Times): 3 takeaways as Chicago Cubs get swept, including their tenuous playoff positioning — and the bullpen’s woes. “Gausman said, “It comes back to execution. I can’t throw lazy (splitters) in the zone.”“

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Assorted Playoff Stories:

• Brandon Glick (Cubbies Crib): What’s the actual panic level for Cubs fans with postseason fast approaching? “Can this team hang with the National League’s best?”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Quantifying Hope: Cubs’ Odds Still Holding Steady at 96.6% Despite Skid. “Losing four straight may have caused the sky to fall, but the same can’t be said for the Cubs’ postseason odds.”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): How Should the Cubs Rotation Be Managed Down the Stretch of 2026? “In 2026, the Cubs’ starters have been a major storyline.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs’ magic number after Brewers sweep paints terrifying NL Wild Card picture. “Things are getting tight.”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): How Badly Did the Cubs Hurt Their Playoff Odds These Last Few Weeks? “Yikes. That’s a bona fide collapse.”
• Mike Petriello (MLB.com): The Cubs are the best-hitting, best-fielding team in baseball. There’s just one little problem … “Will the bats and gloves be enough to overcome the arms in October?”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): After Brewers sweep, Cubs fighting for playoff spot as wild-card standings tighten, series losses keep coming. “The Cubs have gone from NL Central contenders to wild-card leaders to fighting for their postseason lives amid a stretch of series losses. With 15 games left, it’s not about tuning up for the playoffs but ensuring they get there.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): With division race all but over, Cubs need to get right before they lose playoff spot. “At least the Chicago Cubs didn’t need to worry about another bullpen catastrophe.”

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Assorted Pitching Woes:

• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs need bullpen answers and all options have to be considered. “Everywhere Counsell looks in his bullpen, there are questions.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Swanson Nearing Return, Steele Making Another Rehab Appearance, Palencia Not Missing Bats. “As much as I’d like to go on about Pete Crow-Armstrong having just the 16th season of 10+ fWAR in the last half-century, I feel like we’ve already chewed most of the meat off that bone.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Cubs brought Kevin Gausman in to anchor the rotation but he’s only pulled them down. “A clunker in his latest start has only turned up the pressure on Kevin Gausman and the Chicago Cubs, as their marquee trade deadline add continues to struggle.”
• Dan Fappiano (Yardbarker): Kevin Gausman reaping benefits of ’emotional’ Chicago Cubs trade. “It didn’t take long for the right-hander to find his footing in Chicago. One series with the Cubs, and Gausman realized the opportunity that was in front of him.”
• Chris Pownall (DaWindyCity): Cubs are watching their worst trade deadline decision come back to haunt them. “The Chicago Cubs made several significant additions at the trade deadline, but failing to land a proven closer is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Amid bullpen panic, Cubs ‘still have all the faith’ in Jacob Webb, others to recover in time for playoffs. “The Cubs’ bullpen is in a rut at the wrong time, but the team still believes it’s possible for Webb and other struggling relievers to recover from a late-season stumble in time for the playoffs.”
• Anthony Mason (MLBTradeRumors): Phil Maton To Undergo Knee Surgery. “The team hasn’t provided many more specifics but it’s fair to assume this will end his season.”

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Assorted Stories:

• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs have a clear plan for Dansby Swanson’s return. “Cubs manager Craig Counsell provided a surprising level of detail about Swanson’s program during Friday’s pregame media briefing at Wrigley Field.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Cubs promote top prospect Josiah Hartshorn, raising possibility of 2027 MLB debut. “Hello, Double-A.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Owen Ayers Keeps Racking Up the Huge Caught Stealing Numbers. “Less discussed in his breakout, though, is the fact that this is a guy who really only became a full-time, dedicated catcher a few years ago.”
• Daniel Curran (Just Baseball): How Pete Crow-Armstrong Put It All Together. “It took a mixture of improvements to get to this version of PCA, but the final product is a star center fielder staring down an MVP season.”
• Max Ralph (MLB.com): Could Cubs’ best-in-show defense become 1st ever to sweep outfield Gold Gloves? “Each of their starting outfielders — Ian Happ in left field, PCA in center and Seiya Suzuki in right — at least has an argument to be golden this season.”
• Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): Matt Shaw’s Best Opportunity With Cubs Will Likely Come In October. “Matt Shaw hasn’t played a huge role for the Cubs this season. But October could present the perfect opportunity for him to become a difference-maker.”
• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Why Cubs could trade Matt Shaw despite potential starting OF role in 2027. “The Cubs could deal their young, versatile future starter for one reason.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Monster Season Has Crossed Another Threshold. “Today is an arbitrary cut-off with two and a half more weeks left in the season, and 10.0 is an arbitrary cut-off for a counting statistic.”
• Yirsandy Rodriguez (North Side Baseball): Michael Conforto Is A Flawed Hitter, and the Cubs Couldn’t Care Less. “Michael Conforto has regained the impact he once had against fastballs, but off-speed pitches continue to expose a weakness that could prove a problem for the Cubs.”

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Food For Thought:

Samuel Gene Maghett (February 14, 1937 – December 1, 1969), known as Magic Sam, was an American Chicago blues musician. He was born in Grenada County, Mississippi, and learned to play the blues from listening to records by Muddy Waters and Little Walter. After moving to Chicago at the age of 19, he was signed by Cobra Records and became well known as a bluesman. He was known for his distinctive tremolo guitar playing.

Maghett moved to Chicago in 1956, where his guitar playing earned him bookings at blues clubs on the West Side. He recorded singles for Cobra Records from 1957 to 1959, including “All Your Love” and “Easy Baby”. They did not reach the record charts but had a profound influence, far beyond Chicago’s guitarists and singers. Together with recordings by Otis Rush and Buddy Guy (also Cobra artists), the West Side Sound was a manifesto for a new kind of blues. Around this time Magic Sam worked briefly with Homesick James Williamson. Magic Sam gained a following before being drafted into the U.S. Army. He served six months in prison for desertion and received a dishonorable discharge.

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