ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 16: Anthony Molina #45 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on September 16, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game home series against the Minnesota Twins tonight.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Anthony Molina, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.91 ERA, 2.88 FIP, with 23 strikeouts to five walks in 23 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals last Wednesday, in which he allowed just two hits and a walk with six strikeouts in five and two thirds innings.
He’ll be facing off against Twins right-hander Taj Bradley, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.81 ERA, 3.86 FIP, with 199 strikeouts to 73 walks in 172.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Twins’ 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels last Thursday, in which he allowed three runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and a walk in seven innings.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Jared Jones #17 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on September 22, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tuesday night started as an old school pitcher’s duel as the Cardinals Andre Pallante and the Pirates Jared Jones were throwing a lot of balls that were missing bats. Ultimately, it would be the Pittsburgh and St. Louis bullpens that would decide the winner. The lack of Cardinals offense combined with an epic start by Pirates pitcher Jared Jones would all but seal the deal.
The first real scoring opportunity wouldn’t come until the bottom of the 4th inning when Pittsburgh would load the bases in a somewhat unusual way. With one out, Bryan Reynolds would reach on catcher’s interference. After Oneil Cruz grounded out on a dribbler in front of home plate (thanks to a successful St. Louis challenge), Pallante walked Flores Jr. giving the Pirates runners at first and second. Ryan O’Hearn then hit a hard grounder to Thomas Saggese at third base who seemed to stop the ball with his body, but was then unable to tag out Reynolds who was running to third and also couldn’t manage to get a throw off to first base. Fortunately for the Cardinals, Simon grounded out with the bases loaded to end the Pittsburgh scoring threat.
While Andre Pallante was shutting the Pirates down while pitching out of the occasional jam, Jared Jones of the Pirates was perfect through the first 5 innings. The Cardinals had no hits or baserunners going into the top of the 6th inning. The first Cardinals hit and baserunner was Nathan Church who managed to barely slap a ball out of the reach of the Pirates third baseman Gonzales that Church turned into a one-out double. Unfortunately, St. Louis could not turn that into a run as Masyn Winn lined out to first and JJ Wetherholt struck out.
The Pirates would break the scoreless tie in the bottom of the 6th inning when Oneil Cruz drew a one-out walk. He advanced to second on a groundout by Flores Jr and then scored when Ryan O’Hearn singled to left making it 1-0 Pittsburgh. That would end Andre Pallante’s night as he gave the Cardinals a strong 6 full innings allowing just 3 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 2 and walking 2.
After the Cardinals went down 1-2-3 in the top of the 7th inning, Justin Bruihl started the bottom of the 7th inning, but didn’t finish it. He walked Horwitz to start the inning which almost always leads to trouble. One out later, Konnor Griffin singled to left-center for his second hit of the game giving the Pirates runners at first and second with one out. Horwitz advanced to third as Lowe flied out to center for the second out. Manager Oli Marmol decided to bring in Cade Winquest to face Bryan Reynolds. After Winquest jumped out to an 0-2 count on Reynolds, he bounced the third pitch in the dirt which scored Horwitz for the second Pittsburgh run making it 2-0 Pirates after 7 innings.
Jared Jones of the Pirates pitched an amazing game. Pittsburgh pulled him after he completed 7 innings allowing just one hit, no runs and striking out 9 while walking no one. He was replaced by former Cardinal Luke Weaver. Other than giving up a walk to Thomas Saggese, he had no real problems shutting the Cardinals down in the top of the 8th inning.
Cade Winquest stayed in the game to start the bottom of the 8th inning. He gave up a leadoff double to Bryan Reynolds to start the inning as Pittsburgh looked poised to add to their lead. However, Winquest got Cruz to flyout to center and then struck out Flores Jr. for the second out. Cade then struck out O’Hearn to end the Pirates threat.
The Cardinals would have to hope that their bats would awaken in the top of the 9th as Masyn Winn was leading it off. The Pirates brought in Gregory Soto to close out St. Louis. Instead, he issued a 4-pitch walk to Winn bringing up Pennsylvania native JJ Wetherholt as the potential tying run. JJ worked the count full, but ended up striking out watching a 98 mph sinker go over the middle of the plate for the first out. Iván Herrera was next for St. Louis and he also worked the count full before he struck out swinging for the second out. Herrera struck out 4 times Tuesday night. That left the game in the hands of Alec Burleson who flew out on the first pitch he saw for the final out of the game.
Final score – Pirates 2, Cardinals 0
The St. Louis Cardinals will do battle with the Bucs again at PNC Park Wednesday night. Matthew Liberatore is the scheduled starter for the Cardinals Wednesday night while the Pirates have yet to announce their starter. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres hits a solo home run against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at Petco Park on September 20, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (87-69) at Los Angeles Dodgers (96-60), September 22, 2026, 7:10 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 15: Brock Rodden #90 of the Seattle Mariners picks off Taylor Trammell #26 of the Houston Astros as he attempts to steal third base during the seventh inning at Daikin Park on August 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With a tragic number of two and still six games to go, all that’s probably left for the Mariners in 2026 is to play spoiler for others. Though the Mariners will be staring elimination in the face Tuesday night (and every subsequent night they can manage to survive), they could still potentially do some damage to the Houston Astros’ playoff hopes in the first of a final pair of games in 2026 between the two teams. The Astros currently trail the Rangers by a game atop the AL West, but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker if they manage to make up that deficit in the final week.
Lineups
Lázaro Montes and Brock Rodden will continue to receive some valuable major league reps as they round out the Mariners lineup.
Game Information
First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. PDT
TV:Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith, Ryan Rowland-Smith and field analyst Angie Mentink
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs (beginning his final homestand!) and Gary Hill Jr.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: Yainer Diaz #21 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Daikin Park on September 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (77-79) will begin their final road trip of the regular season with the first game of two-game series against the Seattle Mariners (73-83) at T-Mobile Park.
RHP Cristian Javier (2-6, 5.31 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite RHP Logan Gilbert (12-10, 3.69 ERA).
EL REPTIL: RHP Cristian Javier is making his 12th start and 17th appearance of the season tonight. In his last three starts, he’s recorded a 2.20 ERA (4ER/16.1IP) with 15 strikeouts, a 0.98 WHIP and a .161 opponent batting average. Has also had success against the Mariners in his career, posting a 2.87 ERA (12ER/37.2IP) with 37 strikeouts, a 1.09 WHIP and a .165 opponent batting average.
THE POSTSEASON CHASE: The Astros and Rangers are locked in a tight race down the stretch for the AL West with the two teams separated by just one game with six left to play. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with a season series victory (9-4 record).
VS. THE M’S: This is the final series between the Astros and Mariners this season, with the two clubs last seeing each other from Aug. 14-16 at Daikin Park. The Astros have gone 2-9 vs. Seattle this season. The Astros also own an overall regular season record of 134-106 against the Mariners, including a 64-48 record at T-Mobile Park.
ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the first game of a six-game road trip for the Astros. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 37-28 (.569) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the AL in that span.
SUNDAY RECAP: The Astros were defeated the Braves, 4-2 at Daikin Park on Sunday afternoon. RHP Hunter Brown allowed three hits and two walks with a season-high tying 10 strikeouts in five scoreless innings. DH Jose Altuve (2×4, HR, RBI) and C Yainer Diaz (2×4, HR, RBI) provided the offense for the Astros with both of them recording a solo home run.
GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros have hit 209 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 (217).
TWO-OUT MAGIC: The Astros lead the American League in two-out runs with 307 on the season, trailing only the Cubs (329) in the Majors. 3B Isaac Paredes has led this effort, as he is tied for the Major League lead with 44 two-out RBI, with CHC CF Pete Crow-Armstrong.
FOR THREE!: 2B Jose Altuve went 3×4 on Saturday night for his 226th career three-hit game, which is the Astros franchise record. He surpassed Hall of Famer 2B Craig Biggio (225 three-hit games).
THE CASE FOR THE MVP: DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez leads the American League in OPS (1.027), slugging percentage (.597), OBP (.430), batting average (.313), total bases (324), walks (105), IBB (32) and extra-base hits (73). He also ranks second in home runs (40), second in RBI (99), third in hits (170), tied for fourth in runs (98), and tied for fourth in doubles (32).
ROSTER MOVES:OF Jorge Barrosa has been outrighted to Triple A Sugar Land. He was designated for assignment on Saturday. Also RHP Mike Burrows was returned from his rehab assignment yesterday.
THE FIREMAN: LHP Josh Hader has converted 26 consecutive save chances to open his season, which is the Astros 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. The last Major Leaguer to do so was RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV).
RACKING UP K’S: RHP Bryan Abreu has posted 527 career strikeouts, which ranks fourth among relievers in Astros history. He’s closing in on third-place RHP Dave Smith (529), needing only two strikeouts to match the Astros reliever from the 1980s. LHP Billy Wagner (694) and RHP Brad Lidge (557) sit atop that all-time list.
MOVIN’ ON UP: On Sunday, C Yainer Diaz went 2×4 with a solo home run. Marked his 57th career home run as a catcher, surpassing C Martin Maldonado for the third-most home runs as a catcher in Astros franchise history.
STRONG SEPTEMBERS: 3B Isaac Paredes has a .950 OPS this month to go along with a team-leading 17 RBI, which ranks tied for second in the AL. C Yainer Diaz is also having a strong September, as he’s hitting .357 (20×56) with three homers, seven RBI and a .961 OPS in 17 games (14 starts) this month.
TUVE VS. THE MARINERS: 2B Jose Altuve has hit .312 (255×818) with 49 doubles, 21 homers, 99 RBI and an .827 OPS in 201 career games against the Mariners. He already ranks third all-time in hits vs. SEA, trailing only Cal Ripken Jr. (261) and Michael Young (259).
STARTING STRONG: In the Astros 18 games in September, their starters have combined for a 2.90 ERA (28ER/87IP), which is the third-lowest ERA in the American League for the month behind only the Yankees (2.64 ERA) and Rays (2.81 ERA) rotations.
POSTSEASON CREDENTIALS: All media who wish to cover potential Astros postseason home games in the Wild Card Series and ALDS must apply for credentials on MLB’s credentialing system. The events are now open with a deadline set for Sunday, Sept. 27. ALCS and World Series credential applications are also live online.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!: The Astros would like to wish IF Carlos Correa and IF Jeremy Peña a Happy Birthday today.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY:2019 – The Astros clinch their third straight AL West division title on a Sunday afternoon with a 13-5 victory over the Angels at Minute Maid Park. CF George Springer (3×5, 4RBI) led the way, as he smashed his way to just the 14th three-homer game in club history. RHP Justin Verlander picked up his 20th victory of the year by tossing 5.0 innings, allowing just two runs.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, September 22, 8:40 p.m. CT
Location: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
TV: SCHN
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Alex Bregman won’t be going on the injured list after sustaining multiple facial fractures from a foul tip during Sunday’s game against the Reds.
And the Cubs third baseman hasn’t been ruled out of returning for the regular season.
Chicago manager Craig Counsell updated reporters on Bregman’s status on Tuesday, noting that the three-time All-Star does have significant swelling around his left eye and face that will need to improve, but that his vision was in a good place, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Third baseman Alex Bregman runs off the field after getting hit by a foul ball in the fourth inning of the Cubs’ blowout win over the Reds on Sept. 20, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“But all things considered, he’s in a good place,” Counsell said. “So we’re going to just have to progress over the next couple days and see where that takes us.
“I mean, he’s completely himself. He can’t sit still. He’s all over the room. Those are really good signs.”
For Bregman to return, he will need to run the bases, field ground balls, and take batting practice, all of which could take place over the next few days.
A bloodied Alex Bregman walks off the field after getting hit by a foul ball in the fourth inning of the Cubs’ blowout win over the Reds on Sept. 20, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That would allow him to potentially return to the lineup by this weekend when the Cubs finish the regular season in Boston.
“His pain is in a pretty good place right now,” Counsell added. “He says, ‘I feel really good,’ and you can’t fake that. His mood is good, so his pain is in a good place. … I think Alex is going to be fine, I really do.
“He’s going to do everything in his power, and as long as symptoms don’t increase or happen as he increases activity, I think you’re going to see him play.”
Alex Bregman is seen in a photo posted to his Instagram Story. Alex Bregman/Instagram
Bregman was standing in front of the on-deck circle on Sunday when Michael Busch fouled a ball off that struck the Cubs player in the fourth inning in a wild sequence of events.
The infielder was taken to a local hospital in Cincinnati, but returned to Chicago the same day.
Bregman has been an important piece of the Cubs lineup this season, hitting .292 and posting an on-base percentage of .378 along with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs in the second half.
Acuna's night ended in the bottom of the third inning after he fouled a ball off his leg. He was in obvious pain as he was tended to by a trainer. He walked off the field under his own power.
The Braves said that X-rays came back negative and Acuna is considered day-to-day.
Ronald Acuña Jr. has left the game tonight after fouling a ball off his left leg pic.twitter.com/qGYJGX8xTr
Here is a look at the foul ball that hit Acuna between the shin guard and his left knee. He was in some pain, but got off the field under his own power pic.twitter.com/UofEhDBXpi
Acuna has been plagued by injuries since his 2023 MVP campaign, appearing in 49 games in 2024, 95 in 2025 and 104 this year. Despite the 28-year-old 5-time All-Star's hampered availability, the Braves managed to capture the NL East championship.
They will keep their fingers crossed and all eyes will be on Acuna's status as the Braves prepare for a likely wild card series.
The Giants accidentally posted a nude player on social media.
In what was supposed to be a celebration video for rookie Bo Davidson, a nude Giants player was captured in the five-second clip. Blink once and you miss the mishap, but watchful viewers were quick to notice the camera’s purview of the Giants’ clubhouse.
A nude player was captured on video in a Giants social media post. X/@Orange_BlackPod
The clip has since been removed from social media but not before fans took screen recordings of the Instagram Story.
Davidson, the Giants’ No. 8 prospect, made his major league debut Monday against the Twins. In San Francisco’s 5-2 victory, the rookie recorded a hit in his first at-bat.
Davidson also made history as he became the first Giants player to steal a base, get a hit and score a run in a debut since 1931.
The performance earned Davidson several social media posts from the team account and rightfully so on such a phenomenal night. But the mishap came as a social media team member followed Davidson into the clubhouse, where the nude player was seen standing facing the double doors as they opened.
It’s not clear who the nude Giants player was, but thankfully Davidson’s arm and glove covered the nether regions. Of course, the clubhouse is a space for players to shower and change so nudity isn’t uncommon.
But the camera capturing the nudity was obviously a mistake.
Bo Davidson made history in his Giants debut against the Twins. Getty ImagesBo Davidson #94 of the San Francisco Giants reacts after he hit a single in his first at-bat during his Major League debut against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Oracle Park. Getty Images
Apr 30, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins mascot T.C. Bear engages the crowd before the game between the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
First Pitch: 8:45 PM CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App
If Taj Bradley gets a strikeout tonight he’ll reach the 200 strikeout milestone for the season. The last Twins pitcher to do so was Pablo Lopez in 2023 with 234 strikeouts.
I just hope everyone has a good time and doesn’t suffer any career altering injuries.
Giants lineup
Drew Gilbert – CF Jonah Cox – 2B Victor Bericoto – 1B Turner Hill – LF Bo Davidson – DH Shay Whitcomb – 3B Scott Bandura – RF Drew Cavanaugh – C Christian Koss – SS
Anthony Molina – RHP
Twins lineup
Luke Keaschall – RF Brooks Lee – 3B Kody Clemens – 2B Josh Bell – DH Walker Jenkins – CF Emmanuel Rodriguez – LF Royce Lewis – 1B Victor Caratini – C Ryan Kreidler – SS
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 19: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves runs the bases after hitting a Grand Slam during the seventh inning of the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on September 19, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welp, this was just about the absolute last thing that anybody wanted to see with the Postseason on the horizon. With two outs in the third inning and a full-count, Ronald Acuña Jr. fouled one off of his lower leg on one of the spots that wasn’t protected by padding. He was in obvious pain and the trainer attended to him while manager Walt Weiss went out to check on him as well. After a bit of a lengthy examination, Acuña limped off of the field and Brewer Hicklen came on to finish the at-bat.
Here is a look at the foul ball that hit Acuna between the shin guard and his left knee. He was in some pain, but got off the field under his own power pic.twitter.com/UofEhDBXpi
Needless to say, losing Acuña for the Postseason would be a huge development and not in a good way, either. It would also stink for Acuña since he’s been doing so well in recent weeks and I’d imagine that on a personal level, he’d love to contribute to any type of deep Postseason run that the Braves could make.
For now, here’s hoping that this is just a substitution being made with a precautionary eye towards the Postseason and not anything serious. We’ll see what happens, though.
UPDATE [8:33 p.m. ET]: The Braves have possted on social media that the X-rays on Acuña’s lower leg were negative and that he’s currently listed as being day-to-day. That’s a big sigh of relief.
OF Ronald Acuña Jr. left tonight’s game due to a left shin contusion. X-rays were negative and he is day-to-day.
UPDATE [8:42 p.m. ET]: Lindsay Crosby of Braves Today astutely noted that while the X-rays may be negative, a potential bone bruise wouldn’t show up on an MRI and you’d have to imagine that Acuña might end up needing one at some point. We’ll likely have more information in the postgame press conference and media availability, so stay tuned for more updates.
Not to be a pessimist, but we're not out of the woods yet.
A bone bruise won't show up on an X-ray, only an MRI. He'll likely get one after the game and that read, combined with how he feels in the morning, will likely determine when he gets back into the lineup https://t.co/DcWjoYs8yq
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 04: Brady Basso #66 of the Athletics pitches during the game between the Athletics and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Friday, September 4, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Athletics’ spoiler magic ran out last week, as the team dropped all six games of its final road trip against the first-place Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays. Tonight, the A’s open the last week of the season with the first of two matchups against the Los Angeles Angels, with both teams trying to avoid finishing at the bottom of the American League West standings.
Additionally, with a looming offseason lockout leaving the fate of the 2027 season up in the air, this week may mark the end of the Athletics’ time in Sacramento, which served as a placeholder while their new stadium in Las Vegas gets built. All the more reason for the A’s to try to close out 2026 with a winning homestand.
Rookie infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer has recovered from a ruptured testicle to rejoin the Athletics for the remainder of the season. He spent the past few days on a rehab assignment with the franchise’s Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators, who begin their quest for the Pacific Coast League championship today.
To make room for him, fellow infielder Max Muncy lands on the injured list with left knee chondromalacia, also known as runner’s knee. Additionally, J.T. Ginn, who was shut down for the season a couple of weeks ago, moves to the 60-day injured list.
Game Preview
Back to the game, left-hander Brady Basso will get the A’s final homestand underway. The 28-year-old enters his 25th appearance and seventh opener assignment of the season with a 1-3 record, a 4.50 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 40 innings.
Tonight will be Basso’s third consecutive outing as his team’s opener. Two starts ago, he pitched four scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. However, the southpaw struggled in his most recent outing against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing four runs on seven hits over 2 2/3 innings.
The A’s will hope Basso pitches as well as he did in his last home game. Yesterday’s off day means the team’s league-worst bullpen is well-rested should Basso’s second career appearance and first start against the Angels only last a couple innings.
At the very least, this lineup should ensure the A’s will be defensively sound, with no players being asked to play out of position. Kuroda-Grauer, who will hopefully remember his cup this time, immediately finds himself in the starting nine at second base. His MLB career was off to a hot start before he suffered the unfortunate injury. Will JKG pick up where he left off, or will he be rusty after spending weeks on the sidelines?
Further down the lineup, center fielder Denzel Clarke receives a rare start to showcase his athleticism on the baseball field. Everyone knows how good a fielder Clarke is, but the jury is still out on whether he will hit enough to warrant a full-time spot on a major league roster. If the A’s want to win, they will need offensive production from Clarke, shortstop Alika Williams and five-hole hitter Tommy White.
The A’s offense will face Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is finishing up an injury-plagued campaign. The 35-year-old enters his 13th start of the season with a 1-6 record, a 5.02 ERA, a 1.55 WHIP and 58 strikeouts over 57 1/3 innings.
Tuesday night will be Kikuchi’s first start against the Athletics this season. He has gone 3-5 with a 4.20 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 14 appearances vs. the A’s in his career. Last year, the veteran went 1-2 in three games against the Green and Gold.
The Angels’ lineup quality drops dramatically after Zach Neto and Mike Trout at the top of the order. First baseman Vaughn Grissom has had a solid season, while catcher Moisés Ballesteros was one of the well-known prospects the team acquired during its trade-deadline selloff.
Time to start this final homestand strong and avoid another last-place finish in the division. Let’s go, A’s!
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 04: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on July 04, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers and Padres continue their series on Wednesday night, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound for his final start of an excellent regular season.
Yamamoto has lasted seven innings in each of his three September starts and leads the majors this season averaging 6.63 innings per start. He’s 2-1 against the Padres this season, with only three runs allowed in 20 innings, with 22 strikeouts against six walks.
Left-hander Robbie Ray starts for the Padres. The trade-deadline acquisition has struggled since moving south from San Francisco to San Diego in August, with a 5.22 ERA and 5.86 xERA in eight starts, with nearly as many walks (26) as strikeouts (31) in his 39 2/3 innings.
Los Angeles Dodgers, from left, Tarik Skull, Blake Snell and Dalton Rushing sit in the dugout against the San Francisco Giants Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA PostBlake Snell of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. Getty Images
Three times in the previous five years, Snell has suffered groin injuries. Each time he missed at least 3-4 weeks — a timeline that would now have put his postseason availability in doubt.
However, Snell was optimistic from the start that this episode was not as severe as his past bouts with groin problems. He resumed catch play over the weekend and said his groin felt like an “8 out of 10.”
Snell took another step forward on Tuesday, throwing a bullpen session before the start of the Dodgers’ three-game series against the Padres. Roberts said Snell is expected to throw one more bullpen later this week before getting a final green light to make Saturday’s start.
The Dodgers considered shutting down Snell for the rest of the regular season to give him a couple extra weeks of rest before the start of the playoffs. AP Photo/Tanner Pearson
The Dodgers considered shutting down Snell for the rest of the regular season to give him a couple extra weeks of rest before the start of the playoffs.
But that plan would have risked too long of a layoff for the 33-year-old left-hander. And the progress he has made in recent days was enough for the Dodgers to feel confident giving him one more start to prepare for October.
Barring any other unforeseen setbacks, the Dodgers should have their Big 4 starters — Snell, Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow — all available to feature in their playoff rotation.
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DENVER , CO - JULY 20: An RTD shuttle drives on the 16th Street Mall in Denver, Colorado on Monday, July 20, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) | Denver Post via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
ROCKIES
Ildemaro Vargas – 2B
Jake McCarthy – CF
Ketel Marte – DH
Connor Norby – 2B
Gabriel Moreno – C
TJ Rumfield – 1B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Hunter Goodman – C
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Cole Carrigg – SS
Jordan Lawlar – CF
Kyle Karros – 3B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Mickey Moniak – DH
Tim Tawa – LF
Troy Johnston – RF
Jose Fernandez – 1B
Zac Veen – LF
Michael Soroka – RHP
Kyle Freeland – LHP
We’re now into the final week of the season, and we are still playing somewhat meaningful baseball. Admittedly, Baseball Reference gives us just a 3.2% of making the post-season. That seems about right, because we need help elsewhere: either from the Brewers, who are visiting the Phillies (and down 3-1 in the fifth), or the Dodgers, who are being visited by the Padres. Yeah. It does not do my soul good having to cheer for either Milwaukee or Los Angeles, but that is the situation in which we find ourselves. Though if Arizona doesn’t do its part, it won’t matter for much longer into the week.
Here’s how our playoff odds compare to each season at this point (156 games in) in the Mike Hazen era. I’m going off Baseball Reference, because it’s a hell of a lot easier to see the numbers there!
2026: 3.1%
2025: 15.8%
2024: 55.8%
2023: 80.2%
2022: <0.1%
2021: <0.1%
2020: <0.1%
2019: <0.1%
2018: <0.1%
2017: >99.9%
I’m not quite sure why Baseball Reference is reluctant to commit to a cold, hard zero or one hundred percent. Perhaps they’re holding out hope that MLB might find the Dodgers in breach of financial regulations, pull a Glasgow Rangers on them, and send the franchise to start again in A-ball. Which would open up a playoff spot for the Diamondbacks, yay! But if you don’t think that Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo have done a much better job of figuring things out of late, the above chart should kinda put things into perspective. Admittedly, the recent trend is down, but the final week this year is still better than any one in the dark days of 2018-2022.
This will be Michael Soroka’s fourth start of the year against the Rockies, and he has done well. While only 1-0 with a pair of no-decisions, he has allowed only three runs over sixteen innings against them. The one start at Coors was also his one win, pitching 5.2 innings of two-run ball. Meanwhile, Arizona lit up Kyle Freeland in May at Chase Field, torching him for seven earned runs and chasing him in the fourth inning. Here’s to more of that tonight from our hitters, though the usual concerns about any lead at Coors will naturally apply.
Zack Wheeler walked out to the mound at Citizens Bank Park Tuesday night needing three strikeouts to reach 2,000. It took him 12 pitches. Garrett Mitchell went down first. Then Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang were rung up as Wheeler reached the milestone against the Milwaukee Brewers.
But, Wheeler kept going.
William Contreras, Jake Bauers and Christian Yelich struck out in the second. Luis Lara struck out to lead off the third inning. Wheeler struck out seven straight Brewers to start the game, something no Phillies pitcher had done to start a game. Cooper Pratt finally ended it by grounding out to third.
Wheeler, 36, is the 96th pitcher in major league history to reach 2,000 strikeouts and only nine got there faster.
It came almost a year after a surgeon in St. Louis removed his top rib to address the circulation problem in his arm.
The trouble started after a start in Washington on Aug. 15, 2025. Wheeler felt some heaviness in his right shoulder. By the next morning doctors had found a blood clot near it. The diagnosis was venous thoracic outlet syndrome, meaning a vein was getting pinched between his collarbone and rib cage. The fix was taking out the first rib and some of the muscle around it. He missed the rest of the season and the playoffs.
He came back April 25 against Atlanta, capped at 90 pitches. He hasn't looked back. Wheeler entered Tuesday 13-5 with a 2.99 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 150½ innings. In his previous four starts he had allowed three runs in 26 innings.
Aaron Nola still owns the Phillies' mark for strikeouts in a row at any point in a game. He struck out 10 straight Mets in June 2021, matching Tom Seaver's major league record from 1970. The modern record for starting a game that way is nine, set by Miami's Pablo Lopez against Atlanta in 2021.
Wheeler finished with 11 strikeouts Tuesday night in 5⅔ innings.
