DETROIT, MI - MAY 12: Tanner Houck #89 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Comerica Park on May 12, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Wednesday, folks. Last night, Tanner Houck completed his first rehab assignment since undergoing Tommy John Surgery in August 2025. He threw 20 pitches, 8 for strikes, and allowed a run in 0.2 innings. Regardless of the results, getting back on the mound for the first time in two years is a step in the right direction. Assuming he recovers well, he’ll throw in another game later this week, ramping up to closer to 40 pitches. If all goes well, Houck could be in the mix for the playoff pitching staff.
Do you trust him, though? His best season was back in 2024, and there was little track record before that. At the same time, one of his biggest issues is getting through lineups multiple times. In a bullpen role, that becomes irrelevant. Lefties are another question, but pitching as a reliever allows Chad Tracy to pick his spots to deploy the righty. Despite these “solutions” to his weaknesses, will the rust be too tough to shake off? Strike-throwing and the lack of a third pitch are also questions.
I’m personally skeptical, but what do you think? Is his major league experience enough to displace Wyatt Olds or Greg Weissert on the staff, or should Houck be left on the shelf until 2027? USe this space to talk about what you want and be good to one another.
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The Detroit Tigers are 55% favorites for this afternoon's AL Central showdown with the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.
With Keider Montero in good form, my Twins vs. Tigers predictions back Detroit to take the rubber match. Read more in my MLB picks for Wednesday, Sep. 9.
Who will win Twins vs Tigers today: Tigers moneyline (55%)
For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.
The Detroit Tigers should feel confident today as they send Keider Montero to the mound. The right-hander owns a 2.91 xERA over his last four appearances with strong command and just 0.87 HR/9 allowed.
Montero is coming off a bit of a rough start, but that was more of an exception than the norm. The 26-year-old also tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the Minnesota Twins earlier this season, and this lineup is sitting right around league average offensively at the moment.
As for Zebby Matthews, he was tagged for four earned runs and three home runs last week against the White Sox. Matthews also owns an ugly 5.59 FIP on the road this season.
While the Tigers aren’t in their best form at the plate, Matthews’ struggles give them the cleaner edge.
Play this pick up to 58%.
COVERS INTEL: The majority of Zebby Matthews' long ball issues have been on the road, where he's surrendered 2.40 HR/9. At home, he's allowed just 0.95 HR/9.
Twins vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (47%)
I’m leaning Under 8.5. Neither offense is in great shape, and Montero’s recent profile gives Detroit a stable starting point.
Matthews is the obvious concern given his home run vulnerability, but the Tigers lineup isn't exactly firing on all cylinders, either. The Twins’ bullpen has also held its own lately with a 3.94 FIP over the last week.
Detroit’s relief corps is more vulnerable, but neither bullpen is allowing many homers, and neither lineup is going yard often as of late. I'm expecting another controlled offensive game at Comerica Park.
Play this pick up to 53%.
Twins vs Tigers home run prediction: Riley Greene (19%)
Riley Greene is an intriguing value pick today. The slugger has cracked three home runs in his last six games, and facing Matthews creates a real opportunity to continue that power surge.
Matthews has allowed a 52.5% fly-ball rate over his last two starts, while Greene’s fly-ball rate over the last week sits at that same mark. Minnesota’s bullpen has also allowed a 44.4% fly-ball rate recently, giving Greene another path to damage if Matthews exits early.
Greene’s .500 ISO during this hot span only adds fuel to the pick, while his 46.3% hard-hit rate and 26.1% barrel rate are hard to ignore.
Play this pick up to 25%.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 66-76, -19.06 units
Over/Under bets: 78-60, +6.51 units
Twins vs Tigers weather
Weather could be a factor at Comerica Park, with overcast skies, humidity near 78%, and rain chances sitting around 47%-59% early in the game before easing later in the afternoon. Temperatures hover around 78-80°F with winds near 12 mph, so there's some delay risk but no extreme scoring boost.
Twins vs Tigers odds
Moneyline: Twins 46% | Tigers 55%
Run line: Twins +1.5 (64%) | Tigers -1.5 (37%)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (52%) | Under 8.5 (47%)
Twins vs Tigers trend
The Tigers have cashed the Under in 30 of their last 50 home games for +9.25 units and a 17% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Tigers.
How to watch Twins vs Tigers and game info
Location
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Date
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
First pitch
1:10 p.m. ET
TV
Twins.TV, DSN
Twins starting pitcher
Zebby Matthews (9-9, 4.69 ERA)
Tigers starting pitcher
Keider Montero (9-8, 3.52 ERA)
Twins vs Tigers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 08: Cal Quantrill #44 of the Texas Rangers reacts with Danny Jansen #9 against the Seattle Mariners during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park on September 08, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 10, Mariners 5
So that was pretty fun.
Going on the road, entering the Mariners’ house, and putting up a 10 spot? That is baseball pleasure.
Cal Quantrill gets credit for a Quality Start, giving him five such QSs in a row. I don’t get it , either.
All three runs he allowed came on a two out, three run fourth inning home run by Lazaro Montes, a very large DH who the Mariners added to their active roster when rosters expanded. Quantrill served up a 2-1 Paul Lynde fastball that Montes…
I am searching my vocabulary to find a word that adequately describes what Montes did to that baseball.
It had a 116.1 mph exit velocity, and went, per Statcast, 474 feet. It was one of the farthest balls hit in the majors this year.
Montes, in his minor league career, has been a Three True Outcomes guy, someone who walks a lot, hits a lot of homers, and strikes out a ton. He struck out his first time up against Quantrill, and struck out again in the ninth inning against Adam Macko.
That homer by Montes cut the Rangers’ lead to 4-3, and made for some nervousness, briefly, in Rangers fans households.
The Mariners executed an anti-shutdown inning in the top of the fifth, however, allowing five runs, two of them coming on a Wyatt Langford homer and three on a two out, three run Danny Jansen homer that swung any momentum the M’s thought they were getting from the Montes homer back the other way.
That seemed to take the wind out of the Mariners’ sails, as they went meekly the next three innings, only challenging again when Adam Macko entered the game in the eighth.
Macko allowed a run in the eighth and another in the ninth, with things getting a bit worrisome when the M’s loaded the bases with one out (that out coming on the Montes strikeout by Macko, supra) courtesy of a pair of singles and a Cody Freeman error. Fortunately for everyone’s peace of mind, Macko got Randy Arozarena on a sacrifice fly for the second out before striking out Dominic Canzone to end the game, making all the Rangers and Rangers fans happy.
In between Quantrill and Macko, Robert Garcia made his triumphant return, needing just eight pitches to retire the side in the seventh, striking out pinch hitter Michael Arroyo on three pitches for the third out, a little exclamation point, of sorts, on Garcia’s outing.
The Rangers got on M’s starter Bryce Miller early, with Corey Seager homering to start the scoring off in the first, and Nicky Lopez blooping an opposite field single to bring home Wyatt Langford in the second.
Lopez was making his first start since August 19, something Dave Raymond and Mike Bascik were very excited about. He rewarded their enthusiasm by reaching base all four times he batted, going 3 for 3 with a hit by pitch, before being lifted for Freeman.
Miller was lifted in the top of the fourth, with the Rangers up 2-0, the bases loaded, two outs, and Joc Pederson due up. Lefthander Jose Ferrer was summoned from the pen to face Pederson.
Skip Schumaker, who has not been shy about pinch hitting early in games, sent Justin Foscue up to hit for Pederson.
Pinch hitting for your lefty-swinging DH in the fourth inning of a game opens you up for criticism if it doesn’t work.
On the other hand, in a bases loaded, two out situation and with the opportunity to break the game open, you can see why Schumaker would be willing to pull the trigger and send up Foscue, rather than having Pederson deal with a lefty.
Foscue came through with a two run single, and thus the Rangers had a 4-0 lead rather than a 2-0 lead when Montes hit his homer in the bottom of the inning, and probably it didn’t matter in the long run, what with the Rangers scoring a bunch of runs in the top of the fifth, but it certainly didn’t hurt that the Montes bomb didn’t give the Mariners the lead. Vibes, momentum, whathaveyou.
Sadly, the Guardians and Astros also both won on the road, so the Rangers are still a game and a half back of Cleveland in the Wild Card race and two games back of Houston.
Still, better to tread water than lose ground.
Cal Quantrill hit 95.3 mph with his fastball, averaging 94.1 mph, and 96.2 with his sinker, averaging 94.3 mph. Robert Garcia touched 94.6 mph with his fastball. Adam Macko’s fastball reached 95.7 mph.
Wyatt Langford had a 107.3 mph home run. Corey Seager had a 106.9 mph home run. Evan Carter had a 104.2 mph single and a 100.9 mph groundout.
The Rangers need to keep this going to stay in the race. Let’s do that.
Happy birthday to Jerry Mumphrey, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1918 – In Game 4 of the World Series, Babe Ruth bats in two runs on a triple in the fourth and pitches seven scoreless innings before the Cubs tie it in the eighth, ending Ruth’s World Series record of 29.2 scoreless innings. Phil Douglas relieves Lefty Tyler for Chicago in the last of the eighth and throws away the game, first by a wild pitch, then with an error. Ruth is the winning pitcher, but Carl Mays relieves with two on and no out in the ninth; and 1938 – Lou Gehrig plays his 2,100th consecutive game and has four hits to bring his average over .300, and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1916 – In Washington, Boston’sBabe Ruth tops the Senators and Walter Johnson, 2-1. Ruth gives up four hits while Johnson allows eight. It is the Babe’s fourth win this season versus Johnson.
1932 – The Tigers beat the Yankees, 14-13, in a 14-inning game in which Lou Gehrig hits a grand slam and drives in eight runs. He has reached this RBI feat twice before.
1951 – Sal Maglie wins his 20th game to give the Giants a 2-1 win over the Dodgers’Ralph Branca. Monte Irvin‘s two-run homer in the fourth gives New York all its scoring, The Dodgers score in the eighth on a double by Duke Snider and a triple by Jackie Robinson. But 3B Bobby Thomson snags a ground ball, tags Robby, and throws to first for a double play.
1953 – Mickey Mantle‘s two-run home run off Chicago’sBilly Pierce caps a seven-run fifth inning, as New York wins, 9-3, at Yankee Stadium. Returning to CF after the fifth, Mantle is photographed blowing a huge bubble with a wad of gum. Manager Stengel will publicly rebuke the Mick, who will apologize for the indiscretion. However, Mantle does get an endorsement fee from the Bowman Gum company.
1987 – Striking out 12 of the final 13 hitters and a total of 16, Nolan Ryan beats the Giants, 4-2. The “Ryan Express” whiffs Mike Aldrete to end the seventh inning notching his 4,500th career strikeout.
1992 – Milwaukee OF Robin Yount gets the 3,000th hit of his career in his team’s 5-4 loss to the Indians. He also becomes only the second player in history to record 200 home runs, 200 stolen bases and 100 triples, duplicating Willie Mays‘ feat.
2007 – Todd Helton hits his 35th double of the season, this one against Joe Thatcher, in a 4-2 Rockies win. It makes him the first major leaguer ever to hit 35 or more doubles 10 years in a row; even the legendary Tris Speaker had only had nine such consecutive seasons.
1969 – With a 3-2 win, Tom Seaver hands Chicago its sixth straight loss, giving the Mets a sweep of two games. New York now trails the Cubs by half a game.
1975 – The Cubs’Bill Madlock suffers an “incomplete fracture” of his right thumb when hit by a Bruce Kison pitch in a 6-5 win over the Pirates. He will be out for two weeks but will return and win his first batting title, finishing at .354.
1989 – The Cubs’Luis Salazar singles in the tying run in 8th, then doubles in the winner in the 10th to give Chicago a 3-2 win over St. Louis. The Cubs now lead the Cards by one and a half games.
1999 – In the Cubs’ 5-3 loss to the Reds, Sammy Sosa hits his 59th homer. Sosa has more homers than the Cubs have wins: 56. They’ve lost 31 of their last 39 games.
1839 – English scientist and astronomer John Herschel takes the first glass plate photograph.
1841 – Tom Hyer beats George McChester in 101 rounds (two hours and 55 minutes) at Caldwell’s Landing, NY, to become the first American heavyweight boxing champion.
1909 – Jack Johnson retains his heavyweight boxing title when he fights Al Kaufman to a no decision in 10 rounds at Coffroth’s Arena in San Francisco, California.
1919 – The hydrofoil designed by Alexander Graham Bell, his wife Mabel Bell, and F.W. Casey Baldwin sets a new water speed record of 114 km/h on Bras d’Or, Nova Scotia
1971 – Apple Records releases John Lennon‘s second solo studio album, “Imagine,” in the US; it tops the charts in the US, UK, Australia, and three other countries.
2019 – Poet John Milton‘s own copy of Shakespeare‘s First Folio of 1623 survives with his annotations, according to scholar Jason Scott-Warren, in a Philadelphia library and could be the world’s most important modern literary discovery.
Feb 18, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets outfielder Jose Ramos (86) gets a ride to field 1 during spring training workouts at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Syracuse controlled the first half of the game, plating a run on the second batter of the game and added on a few insurance runs in the middle innings. Xzavion Curry was solid early on, but in the fifth he looked like he was running out of gas and allowed a run. His replacement, the newly promoted and much talked-about Garrett Stratton allowed a pair of runs to score in the sixth, and suddenly it was a one-run ballgame. Jack Weisenburger threw a clean seventh, but had trouble in the eighth and allowed the Saints to tie the game up at four apiece. The Syracuse bats did not let that stand, as Vidal Bruján walked and was driven in by Jose Ramos in the top of the ninth to retake the lead. Weisenburger remained out there for the ninth, recorded two outs, and then gave way to Matt Turner, who shut the door, giving Syracuse a much-needed win. With the win, Syracuse picked up a half-game on the Rochester Red Wings and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, both of whom were idle on Tuesday, and are 2.5 games out of first place and 1.5 behind Scranton.
Binghamton kicked off their final series of the 2026 season with a very costly loss against the Portland SeaDogs. Portland got on the board first, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first off of Noah Hall, but the offense bailed Hall out by scoring four runs of their own to take the lead. Hall allowed another two runs, but the offense chipped away, tying the game in the fourth and then taking a one-run lead in the fifth. In the bottom of the seventh, Felipe De La Cruz allowed the SeaDogs to tie the game up at six apiece, and in the bottom of the eighth, Cristofer Gomez gave up a two-run homer to give Portland the lead. Despite the loss, the first-place Reading Fightin’ Phils lost their game against the Erie SeaWolves, so the Rumble Ponies remain 3.5 games back.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 08: Nathaniel Lowe #46 of the Cleveland Guardians takes the throw at first base to force out Blaze Alexander #23 of the Baltimore Orioles on a bunt attempt in the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 08, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
Things aren’t looking good for the Orioles. They got back to losing on Tuesday night, a 9-5 defeat to the Cleveland Guardians. That’s the main team they are chasing in the American League standings, so it hurt twice as bad as a normal loss. Their record is now 70-76 with 16 games left on the schedule. In order to make the playoffs they probably need to win at least 12 of the those remaining games. That is…unlikely.
On top of that, there are some injury concerns coming out of last night’s loss. Gunnar Henderson exited early after fouling a ball off his leg, and Blaze Alexander was removed with back spasms. Losing either one for any portion of this final stretch won’t be helpful, even considering Henderson’s less-than-ideal form for much of this season. The only (increasingly narrow) path to a postseason berth includes the shortstop playing like the MVP candidate he was supposed to be.
Realistically, this team’s shot at the playoffs died last week during their six-game losing streak. Everything from that point on was just playing out the string.
That allowed many in the fan base to work through all the five stages of grief for a baseball season that began with lofty expectations and eventually spiraled into a repeated display of mediocrity. I got to the acceptance stage over the weekend.
That shouldn’t mean these final 16 games are without value. The Orioles should still be trying to make themselves better for the future. Maybe that means giving Heston Kjerstad an extended run in the team to see what he’s got left in the tank, or letting a young pitcher like Trey Gibson come up and make a start or two to gain some experience. It should definitely mean getting Félix Bautista back on major league mound a time or two before the season ends.
Those sorts of changes would at least make the Orioles interesting to watch in these final weeks. With playoff aspirations gone, that’s really all I’m after.
Walker defying odds to become Orioles’ high-leverage lefty | Rock Kubatko This Orioles bullpen is an interesting blend of speeds and approaches that often makes them tough to matchup against. Josh Walker is one of the arms that has come out of nowhere to be surprisingly effective. Can he repeat it in 2027?
Evaluating Craig Albernaz’s rocky first season | The Baltimore Banner Baseball Show This is the age old question around what exactly a manager does anyway. The job that Albernaz does would seem a lot better if some of his marquee players simply had better seasons. I do have some qualms about the lineups he sends out there some days, as well as his bullpen decisions. Are those 100% his call though? It’s never clear.
Pat Valaika turns 34 today. He was a utility option for the Orioles from 2020-21 during the depths of their recent rebuild.
Rhyne Hughes is 43 years old. The first baseman appeared in 14 big league games in his career, all of which took place with the Orioles in 2010.
Edwin Jackson turns 43. Over his 17 seasons in the majors, this right-handed pitcher played for 15 different clubs. That included a three-game stint in Baltimore during the 2017 season.
Kurt Ainsworth is 48 years old. He came to the Orioles from the Giants as part of the Sidney Ponson trade at the 2003 deadline.
Todd Zeile turns 61. Acquired ahead of the playoff push in 1996, Zeile spent one month with the O’s that season and then signed elsewhere in the offseason.
The late Jim Corsi (b. 1961, d. 2022) was born on this day. He pitched in 13 games for the 1999 Orioles, his final big league season.
This day in O’s history
1979 – The Orioles win a seventh game in a row, beating the Red Sox 16-4. Rick Dempsey leads the way with a grand slam as part of a six-run sixth inning,
2009 – Brian Roberts hits his 50th double of the season, becoming the fourth major leaguer to reach that mark three times in his career. The other three to achieve it are Tris Speaker, Paul Waner, and Stan Musial.
Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 7-2 vs. Hartford Yard Goats
CF Jace Avina 3-5, RBI, CS — really nice diving catch SS Core Jackson 1-5, K DH Roderick Arias 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K RF DJ Gladney 1-4, 2 K 3B Coby Morales 1-4, K C Manny Palencia 0-3, BB, K 1B Josh Moylan 2-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, K — 28th homer of the minor league season, combined between levels LF Cole Gabrielson 3-4, 2 2B, RBI, SB 2B Connor McGinnis 0-3, 3 K, HBP — no-contact-except-literal-contact day
Geoff Gilbert 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K — Double-A debut for 2022 draft pick Michael Arias 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (win) Matt Keating 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, WP Brady Kirtner 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K Hueston Morrill 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
JOSH MOYLAN HOME RUN NUMBER 28🚨
The @Yankees minor league leader in homers has his 15th at the Double-A level!
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 2-0 vs. Clearwater Threshers — Florida State League Division Series Game 1, Tampa leads best-of-three, 1-0
SS Dax Kilby 0-3, BB CF Yostin Pena 2-3, BB, RBI, SB — singled in Escudero for the second run in the third RF Wilberson De Pena 0-4, 2 K, GIDP LF Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II 1-3, 2B, RBI, HBP — doubled off the right-field wall for Tampa’s run in the first (yes, that is in fact Nestor Cortes pitching for Clearwater; he’s rehabbing with the Phillies) 3B Anthony Potestio 0-2, 2 BB 1B Tyce Armstrong 1-3, BB, K C Luis Puello 0-4, 2 K, GIDP DH Luke Pettitte 0-3, 2 K 2B Luis Escudero 1-1, 2B, 2 BB, 2 SB — perfect day at bat and scored one of the two runs
J.T. Etheridge 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K, HBP (win) Antonio Gomez 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K — topped out at 98.8-99.3 mph Jose Ledesma 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K Matthew Tippie 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (save)
🎙️Paul Contreras bangs a Double off the wall, scores Yostin!
The Detroit Tigers dropped the second game of their three-game home series against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night, falling 3-2 in yet another disappointing outcome for the Olde English D. Drew Anderson gave up all three runs to take the loss while Kevin McGonigle continued his run for Rookie of the Year by providing all of his team’s offense.
Taking the mound in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon is right-hander Keider Montero, who will make his 24th start of the season. The 26-year-old’s last outing, which came against the Guardians in Cleveland, was the worst of his 2026 campaign, allowing six runs on eight hits (one home run) and one walk while striking out four over four frames for a no-decision in a 7-6 loss.
Montero faced Minnesota once before this summer back on June 11, when he tossed 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball on four hits and a walk, along with four strikeouts and a wild pitch. He earned his third win of the year in an 11-0 final that day.
For the Twins, fellow righty Zebby Matthews will climb the hill looking to bounce back from a rough outing of his own in his previous appearance. In the 26-year-old’s three previous starts prior to that, he posted an impressive 1.29 ERA and 2.62 FIP over 21 innings for a trio of wins; last time out against White Sox in Chicago, he was tagged for four runs on four hits (three home runs) and a walk while striking out four to earn his ninth loss of the year.
The Tigers did Matthews even dirtier in their previous meeting — also on June 11 — scoring seven runs on nine hits (three home runs) and a walk while striking out four times over six frames to hand the former eighth-round pick his fourth loss of the season. Hopefully, Detroit can replicate that effort once again.
Take a look below at how the two look on paper ahead of yet another pitching rematch between the two teams.
Detroit Tigers (66-79) vs. Minnesota Twins (69-76)
Time (ET): 1:10 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 146: RHP Keider Montero (9-8, 3.52 ERA) vs. RHP Zebby Matthews (9-9, 4.69 ERA)
Sep 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Luis Arraez (4) fields a fly ball against the Houston Astros in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The fundamentals of this team are going to sink them in at least one key spot. There were at least three last night that cost them – the Brandon Marsh double play, whatever it was the Alec Bohm did running the bases and Edmundo Sosa watching the ball out of the box – that cost them runs.
The last two weeks I have been writing in the hopes that the Cardinals make me look bad and go on a red hot streak, suddenly putting themselves in the middle of the wild card chase… but they keep sort of treading water, magnetically attracted to .500 baseball. They cannot sink, but they can only float around the surface. It is perhaps the ceiling of this team, or close to it. Save us, lifeboat! I’m sure things could have gone a little better, but events ended up more promising than expected.
What happened to the Cardinals hot start? I think it relates a lot to the outfield.
Going into May, the Cardinals were 18-13! Jordan Walker was at 148 wRC+. It was a crazy time to be alive. Crazy good! Walker’s May ended up maintaining his line at 150 wRC+. He was carrying the offense to some extent. When you have a hitter like that, it can be more difficult to lose. Eventually, the first major injury of the season happened. But it was not to Jordan Walker.
May 22nd, 2026
Nathan Church left the team injured with a left shoulder strain that tore down our two center fielder run prevent outfield that would mostly make up for Walker’s defense in right field. Nathan Church would not return until June 9th! In my opinion, this was the best outfield setup we could muster this year, because if you hit it to the center or left side of the outfield, you probably ended up in someone’s glove instead of on base. (Of course, Baez and Church should be better, but I don’t know that it is just yet). So, I see this as a major turning point of the season.
We would eventually lose a lot more run prevention in center field, though…
June 8th, 2026
Victor Scott II was demoted due to the return of Lars Nootbaar on June 5th, and because Nathan Church was activated from the Injured List the next day. That’s too many outfielders with your bench full of utility players.
Victor Scott’s demotion was far from surprising, because he was batting at .534 OPS. That’s really, really bad. However, I do believe that our pitching staff from top to bottom, relied on Victor Scott II’s defense. Perhaps especially the bullpen. I know his defensive metrics weren’t quite as flashy this year, but he still mattered a lot as far as run suppression, numbers be damned.
Lars Nootbaar ended up playing 48 games for the Cardinals in 2026, batting at a .687 OPS clip. Nootbaar isn’t as bad in the outfield this year, but his defense is still lackluster. His defense, combined with Church’s less valuable than Scott’s center field defense, wasn’t the answer, because neither were hitting that well. I can see where you might disagree with this narrative, but hear me out…
The Cardinals were 28-21 when Nathan Church went down injured, leaving Victor Scott II with left fielders like Torres, Fermin, Saggese. Not as bad of fielders as Nootbaar, potentially, but not the best options. When Nootbaar was promoted and Scott sent down to AAA, the Cardinals were 35-28. It felt like the team could build upon some success at this point, with the familiar Nootbaar’s return, but the Cardinals have floundered ever since. The production out of center and left field has been a sticking point for the team this season.
And the outfield in general has been centered around Jordan Walker’s hitting, in effect. His defense has been passable, but still a liability despite the amazing throwing arm. The Cardinals would go 9-10 for the rest of June, with Scott’s exit and Nootbaar’s return.
July of 2026, a Helluva (not good) Month
During the month of July, the Cardinals went 10-18 and played 28 games within a possible 27 days, since only 27 days of July were available for regular season baseball. The mighty All-Star Break forced a 4 game detour for the team, while the schedule expected of them a game every damn day, plus one double header. With the summer ramping up, the Cardinals played a ton of baseball, got a long break, then played a ton more baseball. The JJ Wetherholt extension and multiple Cardinal All Star appearances, coupled with Jordan Walker’s Home Run Derby championship, all proved to be distractions rather than the big-time happy moments that they were. Or, the team simply ran out of gas despite the exhibition break. It was not a good month for the win-loss columns.
You might think Jordan Walker’s offense fell off that horrible month, but his floor was in June where he was just a league average hitter. Walker’s July wasn’t scorching hot, but it was well above average. During August, Jordan went on a tear again, this time more of a pure hitter than a power hitter: 136 wRC+. Unfortunately in September, he seems to be hitting the ball more into the ground again and chasing after breaking pitches outside the zone. He’s back to league average so far in September. He will need to turn that around to not leave us remembering a slumping Walker as a recency bias. I think he might put something together down the stretch.
Whatever ruined the hot start for the Cardinals, it was probably bound to happen. No team ever has a perfect, storybook season. Many good teams battle injuries, and who knows what else behind the scenes. Unpredictability reigns supreme. But at least the Cardinals outdid the worst expectations.
What do you think, did losing the double center fielder tandem in LF/CF Church and Scott, create a ripple that could not be righted? Does our pitching staff need rather staunch defense in left and center, with Walker in right and with our particular blend of pitchers? I think it really does. But I’ll never know. I think it needs Winn and Wetherholt in the middle infield even more, but when you add another two elite defenders in the outfield, that really helps. Of course, avoiding injuries always helps too, but it wasn’t until more recently that a wave of injuries happened. It’s just funny that one injury to a young player appeared to create a ripple effect down the timeline of the season. Or are we just following Jordan Walker’s lead on offense?
More On 1996 Music
I’m not a moron! I’m just providing you more on a year of music that I wrote about already last week. All the time I could muster was towards my absolute favorite A+ albums of 1996, including albums by bands The Swirlies, Meat Beat Manifesto, Ministry, Squarepusher, Unwound, and Dr Octagon. All total classics to me.
This week I am going more into my research into 1996, showcasing some albums that I wasn’t expecting to put on the list, plus some classics from my 90s collection that have been with me a while (but were not in my top 6). And of course, my Heavy Metal list for 1996 will have to be postponed! Running out of fumes at the finish line again.
Polvo – ‘Exploded Drawing’ absolutely epic sounding double album, and one of my favorite album covers. Polvo continue their crusade of melding alternative tunings with math rock and indie on the weird side of things. The magic within the two guitarists creates this weird, mystical sound that is again, not easy to describe… might I recommend the songs “Bridesmaid Blues”, “Snowstorm In Iowa”, and “The Purple Bear”? Can I get a “Taste of Your Mind” hear?
Bowery Electric – ‘Beat’ if you lived through the 90s, checking out new music all the time, you know the terms shoegaze and triphop. They were two of the primary new genres of the 90s. There were other new genres too, because the 1990s were about innovations if nothing else… but Bowery Electric walked the line between those two super hip music genres. This may be their most minimalist album, but don’t let that turn you off, it’s really quite good ear candy.
Failure – ‘Fantastic Planet’ Failure’s magnum opus according to the critics, this is where the band starts to command their own production and become next level on that front. I consider the album prior to be just as good, but Fantastic Planet was the album that really put Failure on the map. And they continue to release music today. Great freakin’ alt rock band, not easy to describe their sound as it straddles several genres.
Rage Against The Machine – ‘Evil Empire’ this album was out for my community college years and it was a good party soundtrack for the times. My friends and I used to call it Rage’s “black sabbath” album. It really rocks, and stands out just as much as their debut. They would never quite match the ferocity of their first two again, but what a high it was. I don’t really agree with much of the internet thinking of them as a bit of a joke, they really meant what they were writing about in the 90’s. And it freakin rocked!
Stereolab – ‘Emperor Tomato Ketchup’ this was the album that made me a fan of the ‘Lab. I don’t know if anyone calls them that, but I do it affectionately. I love this band! French and fantasticly fun. Some were calling them electronic music around this time, because it was getting popular, but they’re so much more.
DJ Krush and Toshinori Kondo – ‘Ki Oku’ triphop DJ beats mixed with trumpeter extraordinaire Toshinori Kondo = a winning combination and an all-time downtempo classic listening experience. Sit down, chill the eff out, and hit play for a while.
Drunken Fish Records Space Rock Comp – ‘Harmony of the Spheres’ stumbled upon this and I love it! The first 3 bands on it, Bardo Pond, Flying Saucer Attack, and Jessamine, are all top notch. Psychedelic rock in the 90s got to be pretty underground outside of the big names, so it’s nice to hear some of this movement.
TOOL – ‘Aenima’ there was a time where I would have said this was my favorite album of 1996! I still love it as Tool’s best album. And I think the best songs on it are the sleeper cuts like H. and Jimmy. Perhaps even better than the music: the liner notes introduced me to Bill Hicks, Timothy Leary, and Aleister Crowley. And they did always have cool stop motion videos as a big part of the appeal.
Ween – ‘12 Golden Country Greats’ I bet you thought I wouldn’t put any country music on the list! Here Ween take a sidestep and make a really well-done classic country album with a humorous bent. You’ll either love it or hate it! I find it entertaining and another dimension to a many-headed band.
Orbital – ‘Insides’ this is one of those electronic music albums that was actually well ahead of its time, but is finally starting to sound a bit dated. Still, it’s worth a listen as a peak into what was very high tech at the time and full of innovative, fun sounds. I must admit I do not listen to Orbital much anymore, but they were a huge influence on me musically, at the time.
Lycia – ‘Cold’ a goth album for the winter, gotta have that. And it’s a new find! exciting. If you like your music dark, forboding, but eerily beautiful and full of chorused out guitars, this is for you.
Juggaknots – ‘Clear Blue Skies’ outside of Dr Octagon and DJ Krush, this is my favorite hiphop album of 1996, and a really good find! I know what I like…
De La Soul – ‘Stakes Is High’ and my other favorite hiphop album of 1996 goes to De La Soul. Somehow I had never heard of this album before, but it’s really good!
Fiona Apple – ‘Tidal’ is it possible an entire streaming service is named after this album? I kid! But I like Fiona Apple too much to leave Tidal off the list. You probably know this alternative rock classic with nods towards triphop, singer songwriter, pop, jazz and other genres. That voice!
I have to punt 1996 heavy metal to next week since I value sleep even more than ever. The Cardinals play at 2:45 PM CST in San Francisco today. You can watch on Cardinals.TV. Thursday is an off day, and then the Cardinals throw some Cardinals related festivities this weekend while hosting the first place White Sox (who are 6 games over .500). According to Fangraphs, our fate is all but sealed. There is only a .2% chance of a wild card at this point.
Thinking back about that moment in time, Todd Zeile doesn't talk about the at-bats, the Mike Piazza home run or even the nervousness from that Sept. 21, 2001 game. The first Major League Baseball contest played in New York City after the Sept. 11 terror attacks has been boiled down to those video clips over the years.
But, Zeile, who started at first base that night for the New York Mets, remembers the hugs.
The Mets' first game back at Shea after the attacks was a huge moment for a city that had not had any normalcy in the 10 days since two airliners hit the World Trade Center and sent them crumbling to the ground. Piazza's home run that gave the Mets a 3-2 win that night became the signature image for the nation and history, but for the players on the field it was the emotions.
For Zeile, it was an impromptu moment long before then. Nobody planned it, but after the moment of silence and the national anthem, the players all walked to the middle of the field. The Braves and Mets players met and hugged before the game began.
"It was completely improved, organic hugs in the middle of the field, with guys that were our arch nemesis. It became less about the competition of that game and more about sportsmanship and camaraderie of guys from all over seeing the same thing. The beauty of the moment," Zeile said.
That moment, or really the emotions of all the moments, days, weeks, months and even years after the shock of the attacks is what has Zeile looking back now 25 years later as an executive producer on MLB Network's "When America Took the Field," debuting Thursday, Sept. 10 at 10 p.m. ET.
Zeile took about a decade off after retiring in 2004 to build his production company. He spent two seasons as co-executive producer on FX's "Anger Management" with Charlie Sheen. He got back into baseball as a guest analyst for SNY's Mets coverage.
Now was the time for him to combine both his baseball and film experience to make sure those moments are preserved as well as the Piazza home run and George W. Bush first pitch at the 2001 World Series.
"This, not just the documentary, just us being alive and going through this period, is the closest thing to the history being made in real time," he said. "people are going to read about it and know about it, and I am like 'Oh yeah, I was there for that. I saw that. I felt that.'"
That's why every anniversary he and his Mets teammates, who were at Ground Zero and New York City firehouses in the days after, keep telling their stories. So people don't forget.
Zeile wants to make sure his children and the next generations learn about what happened in the aftermath and the small part baseball played in the recovery.
That brought him back to New York, so he returned to the firehouses he visited in the aftermath of the attacks. He met the young firefighters who were the kids of the firefighters who were at Ground Zero. He saw their pride of carrying on that tradition and keeping the memories alive. That sparked his motivation about getting this on film while those who lived through it are still here to tell the stories for these kids.
Andrew Brenner directed the documentary and he had to figure out how to tell the story of one of the most infamous events in recent history with a fresh lens.
What Zeile and Brennen wanted from the film wasn't another retelling of the 10 days everybody knows about: Shea Stadium as a staging area for rescue workers and the Piazza home run. The pieces he was interested in were the ones that "had been at least lost or never told."
He wanted to make sure the story was about the months and years after, the "continued involvement and the continued passion that baseball as a whole has had for the (9/11) community." That's the community he lived through it with in 2001 and the families that are still connected to it now. That thread is what made the collaboration with MLB feel so different to him.
Zeile admits he was not sure baseball should have been played so soon after the attacks. Nobody was. What changed his mind is the trip the players took to Ground Zero.
"I recognized that the fire department and police department needed a little bit of a break from what they were doing, and baseball gave them that reprieve," he said. "It gave up more confidence to not feel like we were intruding or doing something that could be deemed inappropriate."
And after, as the Mets hit the road, something unusual happened.
"There certainly was a sense of pride, because we were representing New York and wherever we went guys (from other teams) would ask us 'What's it like there?' Or say 'I like that you are wearing the (NYPD and FDNY) hats' or 'How's the city?'" Zeile said. "It gave us an identity that was a little bit different, maybe a responsibility, in our interactions with other teams."
Those moments and the community that came out of the tragedy is what Zeile hopes people remember from this film.
They found three families with connections to baseball that were affected by the tragedy, they told the story of Joe Maddon, who was on the West Coast, but who lost a dear friend on one of the planes, and they found the story of the Secret Service agent who dressed up as an umpire and went on the field for George W. Bush's emotional first pitch of Game 3 of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium.
Brenner, who was 22 and in Hoboken on that day, remembers driving out of town and listening to the news on the radio. He said that he and Zeile used those memories and emotions, but also wanted to zoom out from just those moments in New York that have been so well documented.
One moment from making the film that has stayed with Brennen more than any other was of a boy who was nine at the time of the attacks. He is one of the families woven through the documentary and he told the film crew that he can no longer separate what he actually remembers about that day from what he's simply been told happened.
"When he said that, it really struck me that putting together a film like this gives people like that a chance to learn," Brennen said. "It's so personal, so raw, they share these gut-wrenching emotions with us. But at certain times, they don't really know exactly what happened.
"It's a great way for people to learn some new stories and never forget."
They were rained out in Iowa on Tuesday, postponing the long-awaited Tigers debut of River Ryan. The game doesn’t matter in the International League standings, and won’t be made up, so we should see Ryan start Wednesday’s game at 1:10 p.m. ET.
With a postseason spot secured already, this series doesn’t mean a whole lot, but it’s one last road trip to help prepare for the Eastern League postseason. They won the League title in 2023 and 2024 under Gabe Alvarez, before getting bounced in the postseason under Andrew Graham last year. Now Tony Cappuccilli will take his turn. There were no signs of Ben Jacobs or Bryce Rainer joining the roster. They did get Chris Meyers and Luke Taggart added to the roster from Toledo to pitch in.
Max Alba got the start, and he managed to pitch to contact for five innings of one-run ball.
Meyers drew a leadoff walk in the top of the third. Luke Shliger stayed red hot with a two-run shot to right field. The left-handed hitting catcher has been on fire since getting promoted to Erie, and now has four homers in 15 games with the SeaWolves with pretty decent strikeout to walk numbers to boot. He was released by the Giants back in July and looks like a quality pickup for the Tigers though he’ll turn 25 this month. Shliger is decidedly on the small side for a catcher at 5’7” but he looks reasonably good behind the plate, and the Tigers are good at coaching catcher defense. Of course, that’s one of the few things the Giants do well too.
Luke Shliger just keeps hitting for Erie. This 2-run homer puts them up 2-0, and he’s now batting .412 with 4HR and 16 RBIs in 14+ games with the SeaWolves. pic.twitter.com/1TiDGt237b
Seth Stephenson followed Shliger with a single, and after Peyton Graham took a called strike three, Woody Hadeen singled Stephenson to third and then stole second. Zyhir Hope did the job, lifting a sac fly to score Stephenson, and Thayron Liranzo singled in Hadeen, though the catcher was cut down trying to take second on the play.
Alba allowed his run on a solo shot in the bottom of the third, and so it was 4-1 at that point. Meyers came through with a solo shot in the top of the fourth to make it 5-1.
Chris Meyers launches a 113-MPH solo homer to right in his first game back with Erie. pic.twitter.com/hgh6NrHcgw
Tanner Kohlhepp handled the sixth, and Shliger came back for more, leading off the seventh with a solo shot to left field for a 6-1 lead.
Luke Shliger goes deep again, this time to the opposite field. He’s 3-for-3 with two homers tonight to raise his average to .434 with Erie. pic.twitter.com/zqVZvL7TYx
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 26: Manager Don Kelly #12 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on before the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on August 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Pirates fans and fans across the country.
This week’s question asked you about Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly. All that we know about Kelly’s deal was that he was extended. The Pirates did not release for how long. If they want out, there’s a real chance he has no guaranteed money left on his deal.
So while the Pirates have been better of late, and at 72-73, are fast approaching the Mendoza Line again, but I think we all wanted and hoped and expected playoffs this season, and the Bucs need a miracle for that.
The question is, do you expect Don Kelly back next season or are the Pirates moving on?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 08: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees takes the field for batting practice before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium on September 08, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Max Ralph: One of the joys of this season has been getting more access to Joey Votto’s analysis as one of the savvier players in recent MLB history. I’d encourage you to look up some of his other breakdowns of players today, but we’re going to focus on his thoughts on the newly-returned Aaron Judge. Votto raves about Judge being the greatest hitter of all time (his 176 career wRC+ IS third best in the game’s history), in particular because of his ability to still find pull-side power in a Stadium built more for lefties.
CBS Sports | Roto Staff: Jazz Chisholm Jr. had to leave late in Tuesday’s win over the Rockies, after seeming to overextend something in his hand on a stolen base attempt in the ninth inning. Jazz tried to play through it in the bottom half but was eventually yanked. If it’s a burgeoning thumb problem, expect at least a day off for the second baseman on Wednesday.
Baseball Prospectus | Daniel R. Epstein ($): Once again, the Yankees have made one of the sport’s best bullpens seemingly out of wholecloth. David Bednar was always the big name in the ninth inning, but the other higher-leverage arms, like Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick, were certainly not top of our minds at the beginning of the season, nor where they considered much by PECOTA, the proprietary projection systems BP uses that the Yankees have a habit of outpacing.
ESPN | Jeff Passan: Baseball’s in a bad place, where overblown player salaries have teams struggling to make money and proving the need for a salary cap. Of course baseball’s also in a great place where two new owners can make up brand new teams and make a bunch of money!
Kidding aside, Passan walks us through six possible expansion franchises, including trendy spots like Nashville and returning a team to Montreal. The big viable city, in Jeff’s eyes? Salt Lake City, Utah.
COVERS INTEL: The majority of Zebby Matthews' long ball issues have been on the road, where he's 
