SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Samad Taylor #0, Jackson Merrill #3 and Dustin Harris #29 of the San Diego Padres look on during the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park on September 18, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres continued their winning ways on Friday night, taking their series opener versus the Miami Marlins with another commanding performance from the offense. San Diego scored eight runs, hanging a six-run frame in the bottom of the fifth. It’s the third consecutive game where the Friars have scored eight-plus runs.
More than that, San Diego took advantage of a day where the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies all lost. That moves San Diego into a three-way tie with the Cubs and Phils for the top NL Wild Card spot. After their loss to the New York Yankees on Friday night, Arizona is now five games back in the Wild Card standings.
Taking the mound
Eury Pérez (MIA) v. Casey Mize (SD)
Pérez has struggled on Miami since his bid for a perfect game came up short earlier this season. The righty has pitched to a 5.19 ERA in his last seven starts. Pérez has also surrendered 14 runs in his last three starts. That seems likely to continue with the Friars’ offense playing white-hot baseball lately.
That said, Pérez has shown an ability to command his pitches well. The problem lately has been minimizing hard contact. Pérez has allowed 23 hits in his last three games. That started to turn for the better in his most recent start versus the Los Angeles Dodgers (4 H, 5.0 IP), but he may still struggle against San Diego.
Despite his tough track record with the Padres, Mize has pitched quite well in his last few starts. The righty is coming off a five-inning gem in Colorado, having surrendered just two runs to the Rockies. He did so allowing eight hits and two walks, but worked through the base traffic.
Mize has given up five runs in his last two starts (10.2 IP). However, he gave up just one run in his start against the Washington Nationals before departing. The other two runs came when Randy Vásquez entered the game in the sixth and allowed the inherited runners to score on a double. Since then, Mize has looked electric and should pitch well against Miami’s middling lineup.
Batter up!
The offense has been white-hot lately for San Diego. The Friars continued that in their series opener last night, going 12-for-35 with four walks. The Padres collected just eight hits, but they made them count. Ty France slugged a three-run homer in the crucial fifth inning and Jackson Merrill continued his torrid stretch with a long ball in the eighth.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Dustin Harris, LF
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Luis Campusano, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Freddy Fermin, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Bogaerts has had a particularly hot few days at the plate. The veteran shortstop has gone a blistering 5-for-9 in his last two games. If Bogaerts can continue that surge in the box, it would mark a turn for the better in what has been a tough year for the Padres’ long-term shortstop.
Relief corps
With the Friars taking a five-run lead in the fifth inning, starter Nick Pivetta departed ahead of the sixth in place of Wandy Peralta. David Morgan, Adrian Morejon and Griffin Canning finished out the final 2 2/3 frames following Peralta. Apart from Morejon, the remainder of the relievers used were all lower-leverage.
That affords the Padres plenty of options for the remainder of the series. They’ll have an off day on Monday that will serve as the final reset before the Friars face the Dodgers next week. For Game 2, San Diego will have Kyle Hart, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Morejon, Bradgley Rodriguez and Vásquez available out of the ‘pen.
Sep 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (31) points after he hits a two run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the eighth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (73-81) vs. Chicago White Sox (78-75)
Time/Place: 2:10 p.m., Rate Field SB Nation Site:South Side Sox Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Jackson Jobe (2-2, 3.89 ERA) vs. RHP Sean Burke (9-7, 3.47 ERA)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 02: Daylen Lile #4 of the Washington Nationals bats against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on September 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The recent news of the Nats extending breakout starter Cade Cavalli to a 4-year, $47 million extension is nothing but great news for Washington fans, and now many have their sights set on who the next extension candidate could be.
James Wood and CJ Abrams remain the far-and-away most deserving players, but getting either star to sign a long-term deal looks to be an uphill battle. Not saying that it won’t be completed, but it might be in the front office’s best interest to get creative with extending other players while waiting on a change of heart from their superstars.
LHP Andrew Alvarez (FA in 2032)
In terms of urgency, the Nationals don’t need much to get anything done with Alvarez any time soon. With that being said, what he’s done in 2026 to help stabilize the rotation has been nothing short of lifesaving.
It’s far from unheard of for teams to lock down consistent arms even with plenty of control left, and the upcoming CBA negotiations leave many discussions open as to how pre-arbitration players’ contracts will be handled moving forward.
If Washington believes that what Alvarez has shown this season isn’t a fluke, it might not be the worst idea to show a vote of confidence in the 27-year-old and buy out his arbitration years. A move like that would solidify his place in the 2027 starting rotation and beyond, as well as getting ahead of his market if he continues to perform as he has.
OF Daylen Lile (FA in 2032)
Lile looks like the definition of a player on the rise. His play this season has already been enough to pencil him down as a starting option for the future, and his ceiling could be that of an incredibly valuable everyday player. The defense has been his calling card, which is already enough to make him an asset in the outfield, but it’s been the development of his bat that has elevated him into extension conversations.
The home run power has really come along in 2026, mashing 21 long balls so far and teetering on the 90 RBI mark. Lile is a player that President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni could evaluate similarly to Red Sox rising star center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, who was extended during Toboni’s time in Boston for 8 years and $50 million.
If Lile can take another step forward with his offensive approach, there should be no reason that Washington shouldn’t keep him in town for the foreseeable future, and he’s already shown enough to be considered for an extension going into this offseason.
SS Eli Willits (#1 Prospect via MLB Pipeline)
Willits’ rise through the Nats’ system has been simply meteoric. At just 18 years old, he’s already looking like a player who could make an impact at the MLB level within the next 2 seasons, if it even takes that long for him to break into the bigs.
The organization might choose to keep him in the minors for a longer period of time to work out any kinks in his development, but he might simply break the door down and force their hand sooner rather than later. If his trajectory continues, he could be in line for a massive payday years down the line, and one that could price him out of the city.
The Seattle Mariners navigated their own version of this situation by giving top prospect Colt Emerson an 8‑year, $95 million extension. That deal could become the framework for a future deal for Willits, and would prevent the Nats from finding themselves behind the curve with another one of their young talents.
RHP Jarlin Susana (#3 Prospect via MLB Pipeline)
What was looking like it could be a massive season for the flamethrowing righty was severely damaged by an injury that limited his time on the mound. Still, Susana’s timeline as both a contributor at the MLB level and an extension candidate could be accelerated in the near future.
Extending prospects, sometimes even before they see a single MLB inning, has quickly become the new wave across analytics-based front offices. Depending on how Susana’s development (and health) looks throughout the offseason and into 2027 Spring Training, the organization may deem it advantageous to give him a long-term extension.
This is another area where Toboni has experience, being a part of the Red Sox brass when they completed deals with top prospects Roman Anthony (8-year, $130 million) and Kristian Campbell (8-year, $60 million).
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 07: Grant Holmes #66 of the Atlanta Braves takes the sign from the catcher during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, September 7, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Denis Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With last night’s win, your Atlanta Braves earned their 90th dub of the season and punched their ticket for the postseason. They were the fifth team to clinch a playoff berth, following the Rays, Brewers, Dodgers, and Yankees.
The job is not finished, however. The magic number is currently at three. Mets/Phillies starts at 4:10 pm ET. If the former feels like helping out a little, it would certainly be welcome.
To trim it down further, the Braves are looking for a series win tonight behind Grant Holmes.
Holmes (9-5, 3.49 ERA) continues to be an enigma. He looked intriguing in his rain-shortened start against the Nats on September 2, spun six innings of three-hit ball against the Phillies at their place on September 7, and was yanked after four innings after five hits and two earned runs when the Phillies were at Truist on September 13. Good defense kept things from being scarier with the amount of trouble he had finding the zone. What will today’s Grant Holmes Experience have in store for us?
Houston will send right-hander Hayden Wesneski (5-2, 3.70 ERA) to the mound to keep their chances to win the AL West alive. He’s been a stabilizer for the Astros rotation since his return from Tommy John in late July.
Wesneski started September with an absolute gem of an outing where he one-hit the White Sox for seven innings. The Phillies tagged him for three runs on five hits in six innings the following week, and his latest outing was his shortest of the season: 61 pitches, three innings, six hits, seven runs (only three earned) against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Wesneski has a signature sweeper that he supplements with a four-seamer, sinker, cutter, and changeup to throw a lot of strikes. He hasn’t thrown more than 91 pitches yet in his nine games this season and has been getting extra rest between starts.
The Braves should be prepared for Wesneski to attack them in the zone. Here’s hoping yesterday’s two-run homer barrage is the start of the offense getting on the right track at the right time.
First pitch for Game 2 is at 7:10 pm ET.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 19, 7:10 p.m. ET
Sean Burke has had plenty of time to think after his last home start ended in the second inning. | (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Eight games remain in the regular season, and suddenly the White Sox are fighting for their postseason lives.
The South Siders enter Saturday’s contest against the Tigers in second place in the AL Central and clinging to the third and final Wild Card spot. They lead the Texas Rangers by one game and the Toronto Blue Jays by two. Thankfully, Chicago holds the tiebreaker over both clubs, having won the season series against Texas, 4-2, and Toronto, 5-1.
Those advantages matter, but only if the White Sox start winning games again.
The pitching staff will try to redeem itself after completely blowing Friday night’s game. The Good Guys put six runs on the board in the first inning and carried an 8-2 advantage into the fifth. That should have been more than enough to push them across the finish line. Instead, the staff surrendered nine unanswered runs in an 11-8 collapse that ranks among the season’s most gut-wrenching losses.
Chicago began the night tied with Cleveland for first place in the division, but holding the tie-breaker. Of course, the Guardians beat the A’s, leaving the White Sox looking up from behind once again.
Can they flush that disaster and rebound this afternoon? Hopefully, Sean Burke can steady an increasingly unstable ship.
The righthander was solid in his last outing against Cleveland on Sept. 14, tossing five innings and allowing one unearned run on four hits. He walked two and struck out four while throwing 94 pitches.
The Baseball Savant numbers offer a fairly clear blueprint for Burke: Stick with what works. His fastball run value ranks in the 94th percentile, while his four-seamer and cutter sit in the 93rd and 89th percentiles, respectively. Those have been his two most effective weapons, and he will need to lean on them against a Detroit offense that is beginning to heat up.
Burke’s breaking pitches are a much different story. His overall breaking-ball run value ranks in the 18th percentile, with his slider in the 28th and his curveball all the way down in the 14th. His sinker hasn’t been especially effective, either, ranking in the 33rd percentile.
In other words, this probably isn’t the afternoon to get cute. Burke needs to establish the four-seamer, work the cutter off it and avoid falling behind in counts where he is forced to bring a lesser secondary pitch into the heart of the zone. His strikeout rate ranks in the 73rd percentile, but his walk rate is below average. Free passes against this lineup could quickly turn into trouble.
Spencer Torkelson is swinging a particularly hot bat, and the Tigers as a whole have posted a team .814 OPS over the last seven days, sixth best in baseball. After Friday’s bullpen meltdown, the Sox desperately need Burke to provide both length and stability.
Jackson Jobe gets the ball for the Motor City Kitties. The righty was Detroit’s first-round pick, No. 3 overall, in the 2021 draft. He has yet to pitch a full season in the big leagues and is coming off Tommy John surgery in 2025.
Jobe returned on Aug. 8 and owns a 2-2 record, a 3.89 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP over seven starts and 34 2/3 innings. He won his last outing against the Rockies after allowing one run on three hits over 6 1/3 frames, walking one and striking out eight.
Jobe brings premium velocity, ranking in the 93rd percentile, but velocity does not necessarily equal dominance. His four-seamer has been one of his least effective offerings, while his changeup has also produced poor results. His sinker has been considerably better and helps explain his 77th-percentile ground-ball rate.
That gives the White Sox hitters a plan of attack. They need to avoid chasing Jobe’s secondary pitches outside the zone, force him to bring the ball over the plate and look to elevate something they can drive. His chase rate is strong, but his whiff rate is not, suggesting hitters can make contact if they refuse to help him.
The Sox should also avoid pounding his sinker into the ground all afternoon. Jobe has allowed plenty of damaging contact when hitters lift the ball, with his hard-hit rate ranking in the 73rd percentile and his launch-angle sweet-spot rate in the 94th. If Chicago can hunt the four-seamer or a changeup left over the plate, there should be opportunities to do damage.
Brenton Doyle is back in the lineup this afternoon. He has found his offensive groove recently and is one of Chicago’s hottest hitters, slashing .353/.353/.529 with a .882 OPS over the last seven days. Chase Meidroth, Miguel Vargas and Sam Antonacci also continue to swing the bat well.
On the flip side, Colson Montgomery, Munetaka Murakami and Kyle Teel remain stuck in the mud. The White Sox have managed only a .663 team OPS over the past seven days. That will not be good enough during a stretch in which every game carries postseason consequences.
Eight games remain. The division lead is gone, the Wild Card cushion is shrinking and the Rangers and Blue Jays are close enough to make things uncomfortable.
Time to see whether the White Sox can pick themselves up off the mat.
First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on CHSN and can be heard on ESPN 1000.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 17: Michel Otanez #63 of the Texas Rangers poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers purchased the contract of righthanded pitcher Michel Otanez prior to Friday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. To make room for Otanez on the active roster, the Rangers optioned lefthanded pitcher Robbie Ahlstrom to AAA Round Rock. To make room for Otanez on the 40 man roster, the Rangers transferred pitcher Cole Winn from the 15 day injured list to the 60 day injured list.
The Rangers’ starters have not been going deep into games of late, and with the usage of the bullpen in the Boston series, the Rangers opted to get a fresh arm up. I had thought that Ahlstrom, who has struggled of late and pitched on Thursday, would be sent down in favor of Winston Santos, who would give the Rangers a multi-inning guy for length in case of a blowout.
Instead, Texas opted for Otanez, who had been claimed on waivers by the Rangers this winter, but who was designated for assignment in June, cleared waivers, and was outrighted. The 29 year old has an unimpressive 4.42 in 55 innings over 50 appearances for Round Rock this season, with 74 Ks against 42 walks, but since a 5 run outing in Tacoma in late June, Otanez has a 1.33 ERA in 27 innings, with 35 Ks and 13 walks. It may be he’s turned a corner.
Entering Saturday’s action, the Cubs, Phillies and Padres are all tied for the three National League wild card spots at 85-69. The Diamondbacks are 80-74 and on the verge of elimination, five games behind; their elimination number with the Cubs is 3. (It’s more complicated for Arizona with the Phillies and Padres, but for now let’s skip that.)
This is where it’s really fortunate that the Cubs have the tiebreaker over both those teams. If all three teams wound up tied at the end of the regular season, the Cubs would get the first wild card spot. In that scenario they’d host the Phillies, because Philadelphia swept their season series 6-0 over San Diego. Here are all the various tiebreaker rules.
Today, The Athletic posted an article noting the odds and percentages for various postseason scenarios and so I thought it’d be useful for us to take a look at them.
First, here are the percentage odds for the possible postseason matchups for the first two rounds:
As you can see, the wild card round is still kind of muddled. The most likely matchup for the Cubs is still with the Phillies, but it’s possible they could face the Padres — or even the Braves, if the Cubs get dumped into the last wild card spot, the No. 6 seed.
The Brewers are very likely to be the No. 1 National League seed. They currently lead the Dodgers by two games and hold the tiebreaker.
Now, here are the Cubs’ percentages of making the postseason and where they would wind up, based on each possible W/L record:
The best-case scenario here would be for the Cubs to go at least 6-2 in the eight remaining games. That would give them an 89 percent or better chance of being the top wild card team and hosting the wild card series. Even at 5-3, they would be more likely than not to be the host team, depending on what the other teams involved do over the same span.
The worst-case scenarios are going 2-6 or worse, which could dump them into the No. 6 position. And an 0-8 run (which would actually be 0-9, since the Cubs lost Friday) would give them a small chance (10 percent) of missing the postseason completely.
I don’t think that “worst case” is going to happen. I still think the Cubs will take the last two games in Cincinnati and then they’ve got the Marlins at home. Miami is 31-45 on the road this year and so the Cubs ought to take at least two of three from them at Wrigley Field. Then the Cubs travel to Boston, where the Red Sox are likely going to be locked in to the second wild card spot in the American League before that series begins. So the Cubs should win at least one, maybe two, at Fenway Park.
That would leave the Cubs at either 5-3 or 6-2 in the eight remaining games, giving them good odds of being the host team for a Wild Card series at Wrigley Field.
Fingers crossed. As always, we await developments.
Mar 18, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Braiden Ward (92) looks on against the New York Yankees in the sixth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I’ve gushed a lot about Allan Castro’s propensity to put bat to ball in the last few weeks, but it was on full display Friday night as the WooSox walloped the Bulls (Rays AAA) 16-1. Almost half of those runs driven in were off the bat of Castro as the 23-year-old switch-hitting outfielder had a home run and his two doubles, bringing his slugging percentage this month to .709. He also helped Braiden Ward’s numbers shine.
There is some buzz that, with the team’s biggest baserunning threat in Eli White going to the injury list and in all likelihood ending his season with a torn ligament via the steel of the Angels’ wall, a guy who has stolen 61 bases in the minors might get some time up in the Majors during a point in the season where he must perform. But, all the 27-year-old return for Brennan Bernardino did Friday was go 5-for-5, score each of the five times he reached base, steal two more bases and hit his 6th home run of the season. It’s quite possible Ward’s use on the team may be tested in the coming week, and even though any possible exchange with Nate Eaton (or maybe Andruw Monasterio) would be mostly a call based on Ward’s speed, it helps that Ward has been hitting well, too.
On a night when the WooSox had six batters haul extra-base hits and Castro drive in seven, they also benefitted from Michael Sansone having probably his best start of the season. The 26-year-old out of Cheshire, Connecticut made it through six innings and gave up just one hit, a triple, and a sacrifice fly directly after that three-bagger scored Sansone’s only baserunner allowed all night. At that point, though, the WooSox were up 12-0 and so the lead shrinking to eleven likely wasn’t a huge concern. If the season wasn’t about to end he almost certainly would have had the green light to tread even deeper into the game with a monumental lead. It was a great way for a guy who struggled in both Double-A and Triple-A to finish the season. Wins like this surely raise the morale for some players who have been up and down in multiple different ways in 2026.
SAN DIEGO, CA - JUNE 22: Robert Suarez #75 of the Atlanta Braves reacts to the camera during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Monday, June 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Fresh off of confirming their spot in this season’s Postseason, the Atlanta Braves got some more good news to put out there for the morning after. Reliever Robert Suarez is finally set to go on rehab assignment, as he’ll more-than-likely be making an appearance for the Gwinnett Stripers in their series finale on Sunday. Walt Weiss informed the media of this following Friday’s win and the Stripers confirmed it with a press release this morning.
Robert Suarez expected to pitch Sunday for Gwinnett, Walt Weiss says today
Suarez has not pitched for the Braves since making an appearance against the Milwaukee Brewers back on June 19 and that ended up being one of many scoreless innings that the right-handed set-up man has tossed this season. He’s currently sitting on an ERA of 0.56 (13 ERA-) and a FIP of 2.44 (59 FIP-) across 32 strong innings. Needless to say, if the Braves can get Suarez back integrated with their bullpen as quickly as possible (and they really have no choice since Sunday is Gwinnett’s final regular season game) then that would be a huge boost to a bullpen that has already spent most of this season finding ways to get the job done on a regular basis.
Either way, this is pretty good news for the Braves and hopefully things go as smooth as possible so that Suarez will be able to help contribute from the bullpen in time for a Postseason run. We’ll see what happens.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: George Springer #4 of the Toronto Blue Jays looks on during batting practice prior to the start of the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on September 07, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today marks George Springer’s 37th birthday.
Springer is approaching the end of his six-year, $150 million contract.
He continues to climb the Blue Jays’ all-time leaderboards:
22nd in bWAR for position players.
23rd in OPS.
25th in games played.
13th in runs scored.
11th in home runs (tied with Josh Donaldson).
15th in walks.
14th in steals.
And he’s likely first in huge smiles.
Happy birthday, George!
Danny Valencia celebrates his 42nd birthday today.
Valencia spent parts of two seasons with the Jays during his nine-year MLB career. The team acquired him near the 2014 deadline by trading Liam Hendriks and Erik Kratz to the Royals. Down the stretch, he hit .240/.273/.364 for the Jays, primarily at third base.
He started the 2015 season hitting .296/.331/.506 with 7 home runs in 58 games, but the Jays put him on waivers, and the A’s claimed him. That decision came after the team chose to have Ben Revere play every day. Revere went on to hit .319/.354/.381 down the stretch, helping the Jays make the playoffs.
Valencia played through the 2016 season with the A’s before moving on to the Mariners and Orioles. Over nine seasons, he hit .268/.317/.426 with 96 home runs in 864 games.
Happy birthday, Danny!
Robinzon Diaz celebrates his 43rd birthday today.
Diaz was one of several ‘catchers of the future’ who ultimately didn’t fill that role.
But we remember him because we traded him to the Pirates for Jose Bautista, one of the best trades in team history. Jose played ten seasons for the Jays and hit 288 home runs (and six in the playoffs, including the ‘bat flip home run’).
Diaz played 43 games with the Pirates, hitting .289/.315/.363 with 1 home run.
Happy birthday, Robinson!
Randy Myers turns 64 today.
Myers was a big free agent signing in 1998. A few years ago, I wrote:
The Jays signed lefty reliever Randy Myers to a 3-year, $18 million contract—a curious move (a polite way of calling it a mistake). In 1997, the Jays went 76-86, finishing 5th in the AL East, 22 games behind the Orioles. A high-priced reliever wasn’t the piece to lift us over the top.
Randy struggled, posting a 4.46 ERA in 41 games, with 28 saves and 5 blown saves.
This is where the story gets interesting. The Jays suddenly realized they were paying a ton of money for a reliever who wasn’t going to get them to the playoffs, who was 35 years old and who we would be paying for two more seasons. So Gord Ash put him on waivers. His going on waivers wasn’t surprising. Back then, most players ended up on waivers in August.
The Padres claimed him. They didn’t want him, but they didn’t want the Braves to get him. So they figured if they claimed him, the Blue Jays would pull him back and stop him from reaching the Braves.
But Ash fooled them. He let the Padres have him and saved the team roughly $14 million over the next two seasons and two months.
Myers struggled over the final two months of the 1998 season, recording a 6.28 ERA (with no saves) in 21 games. He never pitched in the majors again, and the Padres paid his salary for the next two years.
Randy played 14 years in the MLB, had 347 saves and a 3.19 ERA in 728 games.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 18: Josiah Gray #40 of the Washington Nationals delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium on September 18, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday was a fantastic day for the Washington Nationals. We got so many fun moments and milestones. The good vibes were flowing and the team was playing some good baseball. I wanted to break down all the good things that happened yesterday and discuss what they mean moving forward.
There were a lot of great things that happened yesterday but the Cade Cavalli extension was the most important. The Nats have had a tough time locking up home grown talent, but they got it done with Cavalli. He signed a 4-year $47 million deal with a club option that could take it to 5-years for $70 million. We got to see our wealthy ace right away and he did not disappoint.
Cavalli tossed 5 shutout innings with 7 strikeouts and no walks. The 7 strikeouts were significant because it got him up to 200 on the season. It was the first 200 strikeout season for a Nationals pitcher since 2019. MacKenzie Gore was a strikeout artist in DC, but he only got up to 185. From start to finish, Cavalli is proving he can be an ace in this league.
Good day to be Cade Cavalli.
Got an extension this afternoon. Reached 200 strikeouts on the season in a scoreless start tonight. pic.twitter.com/h7stZ7qWnG
If the game was closer, Cavalli would have gone deeper into the game. However, with the Nats blowing out the Cardinals, it was a perfect time to manage Cavalli’s workload. He threw 73 low stress pitches and got his 13th win of the season. In his first full big league campaign, Cavalli has a 3.02 ERA with 200 strikeouts in 169.2 innings. He will get a chance to drop that ERA under 3 in his last start of the season.
However, this day was not just about Cade Cavalli. Josiah Gray made his inspirational return to the mound last night. Honestly, Gray can look to Cavalli as a light at the end of the tunnel. Both had very bumpy recoveries from Tommy John Surgery. Cavalli has come all the way back and is better than ever. Hopefully Gray can do the same as he is further removed from his injury troubles.
With the game being 9-1, it was a perfect time to get Gray back on the mound. The right-hander made his first appearance since April of 2024 in the 9th inning. He actually looked sharper than expected. In his rehab outings, Gray’s fastball was in the low-90’s. Last night, he was sitting at 94 and attacking the zone. He threw a scoreless inning and closed out the game.
Josiah Gray — who missed almost three full seasons recovering from injuries — returned to the mound tonight. Faced 4 batters and retired 3. pic.twitter.com/D8qsF6qitz
It was easy to see just how happy Gray was to be back on the mound. After he finished the game, Gray emotionally pointed towards the heavens. So much about this team has changed since the last time Josiah Gray took the mound. He has had plenty of setbacks, but he never gave up.
For now, Gray will be in the bullpen. Who knows what is next for the right hander, but I am really rooting for him. It would be great to see him have an impact on this team moving forward. If he can live in the mid-90’s with his sharp breaking balls, he might be able to carve out a role.
Personal goals were not the only thing the Nats accomplished yesterday though. The Nats 9-1 win gave them 72 wins on the season. That is the club’s high water mark since winning the World Series in 2019. They reached 71 in 2023 and 2024, but that was where the Rizzo rebuild peaked. In Paul Toboni’s first season, the Nats have already surpassed that now.
The Nationals have won the most games in a season since 2019 at 72. With one more win, they can avoid a 90 loss season
Heading into the season, the Nats were expected to win a similar number of games to 2025, where they went 66-96. Some even projected them to be even worse than that due to losing players like MacKenzie Gore, Josh Bell and Jose A. Ferrer. However, the offense has been elite and has made this team much more competitive than expected.
They were above .500 for large chunks of the season. Despite losing steam in August and early September, this group has taken big steps. The Nats only need one more win to avoid a 90 loss season, which I think is a significant milestone. With three more wins, they can get to 75 on the season as well. Obviously we will be looking for bigger goals than that moving forward, but you have to crawl before you walk.
One final individual milestone came in the first inning of this contest. CJ Abrams swiped his 30th base of the season. With 30 homers and 30 steals, Abrams has become the second Nat in franchise history to have a 30/30 season joining Alfonso Soriano, who went 40/40.
CJ Abrams is the 3rd player in Nationals/Expos franchise history to have a 30-HR/30-SB season, joining Alfonso Soriano (2006) and Vladimir Guerrero (2001 & 2002)! pic.twitter.com/RiJ0ieUFsb
Abrams had a rough six week stretch, but he has looked better the past week or so. It really feels like Abrams goes as the team goes. When the vibes are good, Abrams is rolling. However, he can fall into funks when the team around him is crumbling. His season may not have finished as we hoped, but Abrams overall production has still taken a massive step forward.
You can make an argument that this was the best single day for the Nats since 2019. We got a contract extension, several personal milestones, a long awaited return and a big win to reach a new high water mark for the decade. As we enter 2027, I hope to see plenty more days like this in Nats land.
(Original Caption) Turley Does it Again. Boston: New York Yankees' Bob Turley mops up in the dressing room after pitching a two-hit shutout in the game with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. It was Turley's second victory over the Red Sox this year, and his fifth win with no defeats. He struck out 13, which gave him 46 strikeouts thus far, the American League top spot. New York won, 6-0.
In the mid-’50s, Major League Baseball introduced a couple of new awards to honor exemplary performance. The Cy Young Award recognized the best pitcher in baseball (later expanded as separate awards for each league). The World Series MVP recognized the player who had the biggest impact on each year’s Fall Classic. Since that time, six players have taken home both in the same season, demonstrating a historic level of dominance as they carried their team to a title. Among them are Hall of Famers like Whitey Ford, Randy Johnson, and Sandy Koufax as well as franchise icons Orel Hershiser and Bret Saberhagen. The sixth? Bob Turley.
Robert Lee Turley Born: September 19, 1930 (Troy, IL) Died: March 30, 2013 (Atlanta, GA) Yankees Tenure: 1955-62
Turley grew up in Illinois. A baseball prodigy from an early age, he was banned from pitching in his youth league at the age of 12. Young Bob drew the attention of the Yankees after attending a tryout camp with his uncle, Ralph. The club was reportedly impressed enough to sign “R. Turley” but offered a contract to the wrong one. While Ralph briefly joined the Yankees organization, his nephew signed with the St. Louis Browns on the night of his high school graduation.
Turley immediately displayed the double-edged sword of his dominant stuff, allowing 71 free passes in 97 innings as a 17-year-old but going 9-3 nonetheless. Over four minor-league seasons, he’d post a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 411:481 in 817 innings, a harbinger of what would come in his big-league career.
Turley got the call in 1951, 10 days after his 21st birthday, starting just one game before season’s end. After that brief cup of coffee, he’d spend nearly two years serving in the Army. Returning in August of ‘53, he made 10 strong appearances for a Browns team on its last legs. When the team moved to Baltimore the following year, Turley was squarely entrenched in their rotation, pitching the home opener for the first MLB game in Baltimore since 1902.
The ‘54 season would prove to be a breakout campaign for Turley. He earned an All-Star berth while leading all of baseball in strikeouts and walks, a feat also accomplished by Hall of Fame fireballers like Bob Feller and Nolan Ryan. His 14 wins were tops on a Baltimore team that lost 100 games (Don Larsen went 3-21 for them that year).
While Turley was going places, it was clear the Orioles were not. And so, before the ‘55 season, they made a historic, 17-player swap with the Yankees, sending Turley alongside Larsen and a cadre of others to the Bronx. “I’d have crawled to New York,” Turley said later of his feelings after the trade, which flipped him from the 100-loss O’s to a Yankees team that had won 103 games the year prior.
The 24-year-old didn’t skip a beat after swapping laundry, earning another All-Star berth while winning 17 games and punching out a career-high 210. Come October, though, he stumbled. In his only World Series start, Turley recorded only four outs, allowing a Roy Campanella home run in the first and walking in a run in the second before getting the hook. It would not be Turley’s last chance to contribute in a Fall Classic.
The ‘56 season was a setback for Turley, who saw his ERA balloon over 5.00. “You had to baby him a little bit,” Yogi Berra said of Turley’s struggles. “You know, he’d get a little wild. You had to go out there and say, ‘C’mon, Bob, you’re better than that.’” The two-time All-Star was bounced from the rotation in September and worked out of the bullpen to start the World Series. But in Game 6, the day after Larsen’s perfecto, manager Casey Stengel handed the ball to his embattled star.
Turley would later call it the best game he ever pitched. Like his former Orioles teammate the day prior, he held a Dodgers lineup stacked with five Hall of Famers off the board through nine innings, recording 11 strikeouts including three at Campanella’s expense. “Man!” said the Dodgers catcher. “When you see me take three swings at three fastballs and not even foul tip one, the fellow throwing ‘em must have something. Maybe he was using a little gun to fire that ball up there.” Unfortunately for the Yankees, Brooklyn’s Clem Labine was just as tough, blanking the Yankees through 10 frames. In the bottom of the 10th, the Dodgers walked off Turley to force a Game 7. Still, after a lost season, the 26-year-old had proven he could perform under the brightest of lights.
Turley regained his mojo in ‘57, posting a 2.71 ERA in 176.1 innings and earning a complete-game victory in Game 6 of the World Series. But it was the following year that would be his pièce de résistance. Turley once again led the AL in walks but, more importantly, he led in wins (21) and complete games (19) too, edging out Milwaukee’s dual aces Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette for the Cy Young Award. He nearly took home MVP honors as well, ending up narrowly bested by Boston’s Jackie Jensen.
Facing Burdette in Game 2 of the World Series, the magical season seemed to implode on Turley. He’d face just five batters, four of whom reached base, before Stengel got the hook. Turley took the loss and wouldn’t pitch again until Game 5, by which point the Braves were up three games to one. On the brink of elimination, the Cy Young Award winner returned to form with a complete-game shutout. Most impressively, he held Hank Aaron out of the hit column, striking him out twice.
The next day, he entered in the 10th with two outs and the tying run on third, retiring Frank Torre to force a Game 7. Larsen drew the start that day but, after he put on two runners in the third, Stengel pulled out his trump card, turning to Turley. He’d allow just one run in 6.2 innings of relief as the Yankees clinched an unlikely World Series comeback. Turley was feted with the fourth-ever World Series MVP, coming just a few votes shy in the regular-season MVP race of being one of two players (alongside Sandy Koufax) to win the Cy Young, MVP, and World Series MVP in one season.
At the age of 28, Bob Turley had just put the finishing touches on one of the greatest pitching seasons in MLB history. He’d never reach those heights again, making no additional All-Star teams and receiving no more Cy Young or MVP votes. He’d have one more hurrah in the Fall Classic in ‘60. After taking home the victory in Game 2, he drew the start in the decisive Game 7 but got only three outs while allowing three runs in what would forever go down as the Bill Mazeroski Game.
Turley spent two more uneven seasons in pinstripes before splitting the ‘63 campaign between the Angels and Red Sox. He then worked as a pitching coach before entering the business world, where he made a fortune in insurance and real estate and staked a second legacy as one of the most financially successful former players in baseball history. He remained a fixture around the Yankees, regularly appearing at Old-Timers’ Day celebrations.
Bob Turley did not sustain his career long enough to end up in the Hall of Fame. At his peak, though, he was that caliber of talent, a fireballing force of nature who played a critical role on five pennant-winning squads and posted a season in 1958 that ranks among the greatest of all-time.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 04: Ryan Weiss #51 of the Houston Astros pitches in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Daikin Park on May 04, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (73-74) won 4-0 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land got on the board in the second inning scoring 4 runs on a Cole RBI single, a run on a fielder’s choice, an Austin RBI double and a Matthews sac fly. Weiss started for Sugar Land and was dominant tossing 8.1 scoreless innings while striking out 7 batters. Santos came on in the 9th and retired the final 2 batters as Sugar Land won 4-0.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: Henry Bolte #33 of the Athletics catches a ball hit by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning at Sutter Health Park on September 08, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What the A’s hoped would be a contending year turned into squarely a “development” year, even though the AL West is currently paced, with 8 games left, by two teams who sit at 77-77. Did the wheat and chaff separate itself for the A’s to properly assess their 2027 options? Quite a bit, actually…
Wheat: Henry Bolte
Bolte came out like a lightning bolte, then suffered through a horrendous July (.164/.243/.224, 27 wRC+), then rebounded big time. In aggregate, Bolte is looking more and more each day like “the real deal,” especially when you consider that his latest exploits are his finest.
While Bolte still has areas in need of refining, such as his reads on pop flies and a K rate still too high at 28.5%, two key patterns have emerged recently.
One is that Bolte’s patience doesn’t just result in too many called third strikes — it also allows him to maintain a high OBP as a lead off hitter by working the count and drawing his fair share of walks. Bolte’s 8.3% BB rate is boosted by his knack for drawing the other kind of freebie: he leads the team far and away with 14 HBP. All this has helped keep Bolte’s OBP robust at .358, impressive for a 23 year old rookie.
Wednesday’s game also featured an important milestone when Bolte took Nick Martinez deep for his 11th HR of the season. At the end of the day Bolte’s slugging percentage sat above .400 for the first time. No one doubts that Bolte has raw power, but the slugging has been slow to come due to a scarcity of balls lifted beyond the infield. That is shifting and with the slugging percentage creeping ever higher.
A stat that has been worth watching throughout is Bolte’s line drive %, which has been steadily well below average since his call up, generally checking in around 12%-15% where league average is around 20%. Progress is also being seen here as the A’s CFer has his LD% now up to 16.9% overall thanks to a solid 22.8% in August, 18.2% so far in September.
And for all the gnashing of teeth each time he gets a slow read on a pop fly and Bledays it into a single, in fact Bolte is putting up excellent defensive numbers in CF thanks to his excellent range from left-center to right-center and on balls over his head. He is at +4 DRS/+3 OAA in CF, more than good enough to warrant every day playing time.
Zack Gelof and Lawrence Butler have taught us not to fall in love too quickly with a terrific partial season and not to give up too fast on a fallen star, and the jury is still out on who Bolte will prove to be long term. But right now he’s looking like an essential core piece with exciting upside, just 110 games into his MLB career.
Chaff: Tommy White
Early in his rookie season White had not one but two 4-hit games, and in Tampa Bay he HRed as part of a 3-hit night. Enjoy the occasional successes because if there’s one thing White has established in his maiden voyage is that he’s bad at everything.
Even with those pleasant 3 games, White’s season slash line stands at .253/.269/.335, good (bad) for a 58 wRC+, result of a terrible hacktastic approach of swinging early and often and getting himself out as often as the opposing pitcher plays a role.
Give White “credit” for consistency. His wRC+s month by month, beginning with his July call up, have been 62, 56, 56. His BB rate, discovered by scientists using a powerful microscope, is 2.3%, and due to swinging at scores of pitches he can’t do anything productive with, “Tommy Tanks”‘s ISO sits at a woeful .082 with among the lowest exit velocity in the league.
Defensively, White is at -3 OAA at 3B in just 173 innings. Over at 1B he’s not much better, with -2 OAA in 196 innings.
None of this is a product of White being rushed due to injuries on the infield necessitating his call up. White is doing exactly what he has been doing throughout his time in the minors and it is playing out just as you would expect.
White was drafted just before the Red Sox selected SP Peyton Tolle. Oops.
Honorable Mention:
Despite the unfortunate HR served up to Jose Ramirez last night on a flat changeup, I like Seth Johnson as a potential plus reliever going forward. He’s no sure thing, as his career 7.34 ERA reflects, but he has a plus fastball and curve with a developing changeup and has shown several flashed of genuine dominance. He’s someone I think the A’s should give a longer look to in 2027.
Alika Williams can’t actually hit, even though he has put up respectable numbers and yet he is an excellent utility infielder to have on the roster. His offensive shortcomings come partly from being too vulnerable to RHP (he doesn’t recognize spin well, helping to produce his .220/.259/.358, 61 wrC+ line), but against LHP he is at .304/.347/.489, 126 wRC+ and might be league average against LHP going forward.
More to the point Alika is a slick fielding SS and 2Bman who provides legitimate value defensively on the infield. He even reminds me just a tad of Mark Ellis in the way he seems to get such a good ‘jump’ on ground balls, seemingly moving in the right direction as the ball is hit. I feel like Williams is what the A’s hoped Nick Allen would be.
Dishonorable Mention:
Chris Roycroft, like Johnson, has a big time arm but I’m not sold on his stuff/control/command playing any better than Joel Kuhnel’s. Kuhnel has had flashes of brilliance with 3 different teams this season including the A’s, but ultimately just isn’t very good. I see Roycroft following the same path — he’s still worth a look in a lost season but I’m not holding my breath.
Carlos Cortes’ April was super fun and it’s odd how mediocre players can have incredible months out of nowhere. But enough about John Mabry. Cortes has come crashing back to earth and with Soderstrom-Bolte-Butler set in the OF with Denzel Clarke profiling as an ideal 4th OFer, Devin Taylor knocking on the door and Drew Burress not far behind, I don’t see a place for Cortes on the future A’s.
For one thing Cortes is unplayably bad in the outfield, a truth that becomes more exposed the more he is put out there. In just 731 innings (the equivalent of half a season), Cortes is at -8 DRS/-8 OAA and to the eyeballs those numbers feel generous.
At the plate, the Cortes who worked the count for 12-14 pitch at bats, sprayed liners to all fields, and could turn on an inside pitch to wallop it 400 feet? That guy hasn’t been around for a loooong time. Cortes hit .106/.160/.170 in June, and is batting all of .207/.258/.314, 50 wRC+ since the All-Star break.
Certainly he’s better than that, but he has to hit a ton to offer any value because his defense is so bad. And don’t get excited about him pinch hitting, because as a pinch hitter he has been especially terrible, going 2 for 22 with 8 K.
Any wheat/chaff additions to suggest? And do you buy, or refute, these assessments? Food for banter until the A’s battle the Guardians again at 3:10pm PDT…
Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani looks on after a game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Friday. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers doing this with Ohtani on the 15-day injured list is the most promising aspect of their recent offensive resurgence.
Because they will likely have to do something like this to give themselves a chance to complete their three-peat.
Manager Dave Roberts reported Ohtani was “in a good spot” as a result of “a really productive last three to four to five days,” but the reality is that the Dodgers have no credibility on this subject whatsoever.
Knowing Ohtani, he will be in the Dodgers’ lineup when the playoffs start, but his presence will be more a reflection of his willpower than of his health. The Dodgers can’t count on him to produce, at least not with any consistency.
Which is why it was important that Mookie Betts homered twice on Friday night.
Or that Max Muncy, Kyle Tucker and Will Smith also went deep.
Or that Ohtani’s replacement at designated hitter, 21-year-old rookie Josue De Paula, scored the run that tied the game in the fifth inning and doubled in the go-ahead run in the sixth.
“It’s a high-floor talent level,” Roberts said. “I just like the way we’re taking better team at-bats and making up for not having Shohei in there.”
The Dodgers have scored an average of 5.71 runs per game this month, an improvement from their average of 4.89 through Aug. 31.
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“We just gotta keep playing good ball and want to keep going through the end of the season,” Betts said. “We don’t want any letups. We don’t want to try and turn anything on once the postseason starts. We just want to play good ball, and we want that to be our identity.”
Betts has played a major role in that, batting .333 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs over his last 25 games.
He isn’t the only player on a hot streak.
Tucker is batting .438 with five homers and 11 RBIs in his last nine games. Teoscar Hernandez is hitting .362 with three homers, three doubles and a triple this month.
De Paula has shown advanced plate discipline, as he’s registered an on-base percentage of .448 in his first eight major league games. He’s walked eight times in 29 plate appearances and struck out only twice.
“Nothing too different, to be honest,” De Paula said when asked to compare the major leagues to Double- A.
He continued, “I always felt like I was a good hitter. I know these pitchers know how to execute a little bit better and stuff, but I know I’m up for the challenge.”
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Josue de Paula (95) celebrates after scoring on a two-run home run by shortstop Mookie Betts during the eighth inning of a game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Roberts has insisted that when Ohtani returns, he will be slotted right back into the leadoff spot, but Betts could give the manager something to think about.
Twice in the last week, Roberts batted Betts at the top of the lineup, and Betts was a combined 5-for-8 in those games.
Of hitting first, Betts said, “It’s fun and kind of feels home. But there’s a guy named Shohei that needs to be up there to get us going.”
Roberts also made no effort to downplay Ohtani’s importance.
“Obviously, we’re a better team with him,” Roberts said. “But it is nice to see that there hasn’t been a drop-off with him not in the lineup.”
The Dodgers can’t expect Ohtani to shoulder as much of the offensive burden as he did last year in the playoffs, when he was responsible for eight of their 24 home runs.
When the team wasn’t hitting in July or August, that would have sounded like a death sentence. Now, a more balanced offense sounds like a possibility — or at least more possible than it was earlier in the season.
