Category: Baseball

The regular season is coming to a close, and there’s just two series left in the regular season for the Yankees to play — the Rays and the Orioles are coming into town for four and three games, respectively. There’s still technically something to play for as the Yankees are, for the moment, alive in the AL East race, but they’d need to effectively run the table and still get some help from the Phillies against Tampa to win the division. They’ll play for it as long as it’s available, but at some point it’s fair to assume that the Rays will be popping champagne sooner or later.

With that being said, the Yankees will be playing in the postseason one way or another, and they’ve got plenty to fine tune before they face their first opponent. So what should we keep our eyes on as they play out these final seven games, and what will the team be looking out for?

New York has their rotation lined up for this Rays series, with all of their potential playoff starters getting a game: Carlos Rodon and Max Fried will handle the doubleheader, Gerrit Cole is being tasked with Wednesday’s game, and Cam Schlittler will toe the slab in the series finale. With Will Warren probably starting the opening game of the Baltimore series, that leaves only two more games to cover before the postseason rotation needs to be lined up for next Tuesday. That means that this will be Cole and Schlittler’s final tune up before the regular season ends, and likely Fried’s as well considering he’d have too quick a turnaround for Game 2 of the Wild Card Round where he’s expected to slot in. For Cole this is the chance to make sure he’s got the gopher ball under control and instill confidence that the home runs won’t be flying out of the park in a potential elimination game, while for Schlittler this is the final act of a Cy Young campaign and he’ll be looking to end it on a high note. In Fried’s case, he threw 88 pitches in his previous outing which was the most he’s tossed since his most recent IL stint, and this last go around gives him the chance to push it beyond 90 pitches assuming he can get in a rhythm.

Turning our attention over to the lineup, this is make or break time for some of the bats looking to be penciled in for Game 1. The Yankees’ likely opponent in the Wild Card Round is Boston, and their lefty-heavy rotation is going to stress-test their lineup. The team’s best hitter since the Deadline has been their big get in Luis Garcia Jr., but he’s a platoon bat that hasn’t seen the field much against lefties. Aaron Boone could use this final week to look for the right spots where Garcia could pinch-hit in the games where he doesn’t start, because it’ll be hard to go a full nine innings without him having some kind of impact on the game if the Yankees want to go far.

As for the bullpen, the question is simple: who can be trusted outside of the big three? Paul Blackburn, Brent Headrick, and David Bednar are going to get the call when the chips are down in a critical inning, but there will undoubtedly be some frames that need to get handled by someone other than them or the starter. The team’s anticipated cavalry hasn’t panned out the way they hoped, with Ryan Weathers not expected back before the postseason putting him in a Nestor Cortes-esque state of limbo and Clarke Schmidt had a bit of a scare with his biceps prompting the team to not use him in their most recent series with Arizona. Luis Gil finally got some looks in non-mop up duty and handled them well, but does he have the inside track to being used in the postseason over someone like John Schreiber who has pitched well in pinstripes up until his most recent outing? Both will be under the microscope in this final week.

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While we’ve got a super busy day with the doubleheader on deck, we’ve still got some things prepared to start your morning off. Jake handles the Rivalry Roundup with most of the league resting up letting the O’s and Jays take center stage, and then Michael delivers the weekly minor league recap covering the finale of the MiLB season. Matt celebrates Urban Shocker’s birthday with a look back on his time with the Murderers’ Row Yankees, Andres debates the idea of letting the rotation stay rolling with Gerrit Cole getting the Game 1 start for the Wild Card, and Peter gives George Lombard Jr. the spotlight for the latest At-Bat of the Week.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST / 7:05 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, Rays.TV (Game 1) / YES Network, Rays.TV, TBS (out of market, only) (Game 2)

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

It is a point Pat Murphy rarely fails to make as he guides the Milwaukee Brewers toward another run at the World Series: Winning a Major League Baseball game is very hard.

Murphy, the Brewers’ two-time National League Manager of the Year, is no Captain Obvious. He is simply breaking down the notion of competition into bite-size moments, be it a spring training conversation, or a teachable moment after a loss, or tossing a young player into situations they might initially find untenable.

Doing the hard things. And sometimes, the end result is making things look very easy.

Externally, the Brewers are a machine, taking a club-record 98 victories into the final six games of the season. For the second consecutive postseason, they’re poised to seize the NL’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in an attempt to reach the World Series for the first time since 1982.

Easy.

Yet if you stick around Milwaukee long enough, you know the path to teamwide bliss is anything but.

"I’m super grateful they traded for me. Super grateful to be here these last three years," Jake Bauers, the Brewers’ first baseman who’s hit a career-best 26 home runs, tells USA TODAY Sports. "At the same time, I think playing here can be a little bit uncomfortable, compared to some places.

"There’s a lot of things that the staff, starting with Murph, and also the players in the clubhouse – we don’t let slide. That’s a big key to our success.

"At the same time, it can be uncomfortable at times if you’re not willing to face the man in the mirror."

When the Brewers stare into the mirror nowadays, the best team in baseball stares back. They hold a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the game’s best record and given the rampant mediocrity in the game this season, the two clubs appear on a collision course for a rematch in the NL championship series.

With a lockout looming, that matchup would once again be a metaphor for Massive Market Behemoth vs. Lower Revenue Pluckiness, a tired if apt comparison.

Perhaps the better matchup is the Brewers vs. Themselves, a group that’s won four consecutive NL Central titles, will play postseason baseball for the eighth time in nine seasons yet must overcome the notion they don’t have the staying power to outlast October.

"Cool and all," closer Trevor Megill said after saving the club’s record 98th victory, "but not trying to be regular season warriors."

Doing so might require them to be just a little less imperfect than their opponents.

1-2 punch enough?

Can you win a World Series title with just two starting pitchers?

The Brewers might have little choice but to find out. Presumed NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski will start every Game 1 he is lined up for, and fellow 24-year-old Logan Henderson – born one month earlier than Misiorowski in 2002 – is a potentially dominant No. 2.

Yet the second-half regression of lefty Kyle Harrison and recent struggles of trade deadline acquisition Dustin May puts the Brewers in a bit of a corner. They’re aiming to rebuild Harrison’s fastball and for now are spoon-feeding him in relief bursts; he’d do well to claim a swingman spot for the postseason.

May is more vexing. The man who flirted with a perfect game earlier this season hasn’t completed five innings in three of his past four starts. After diligent off day work with pitching coach Chris Hook, he’ll start Tuesday, Sept. 22 against Philadelphia on three days’ rest.

For now, May seems to be teetering between short-burst or bulk-man duties and fully snagging a starting role for the postseason.

"He’s shown flashes of brilliance. I firmly believe he’s going to do well," says Murphy.

The manager calls May "humble" and his stuff – a four-seam fastball and power sinker that both run up to 97 mph – is tantalizing.

"I feel really good in this moment," May said after failing to get out of the third inning of his last start at Baltimore. "I don’t have anything else to blame other than execution."

Fortunately, there’s the Miz.

He’s thrown nearly 1,100 pitches of at least 100 mph this season, according to MLB.com, a record in the pitch-tracking era. For old heads who scoff at velocity guns and ghoulishly predict a breakdown, Misiorowski has been utterly precise, too, leading the major leagues in both ERA (1.86) and WHIP (0.80).

He’ll likely claim the strikeout title as well, sure to cross the 250 mark in his final start.

And then, the postseason, where Misiorowski still has fond memories of his three- and four-inning relief stints in a stirring five-game defeat of the Chicago Cubs in the NL division series.

Misiorowski gave up just four hits and one run in Game 2 and Game 5 victories.

"It was all that and more. Hard to describe in words," Misiorowski tells USA TODAY Sports. "Just thinking about it, it was a blast. It was everything I thought postseason would be, all wrapped up in one series."

Now, he will enter the postseason squarely as The Guy.

It’s a slightly different spot than the rookie curiosity he was a year ago. At the same time, the man has thrown 169 ⅓ innings and is still hitting 102 mph on the radar gun in late September.

Playoff ace? Game 1 starter, no questions asked? Bring it.

"I’m excited. But still, I have a job to do," says Misiorowski. "The role might have changed a little bit, but still gotta do my thing.

"There’s still pressure with it. But it’s just understanding my role and doing it well and helping my team win."

Been here before

That’s in the water in Milwaukee, where Murphy can use almost all the roster on a given night, be it platoon shifts with Bauers and Andrew Vaughn at first base or young Luis Lara and Sal Frelick in right field. Some nights, almost every reliever in the bullpen might be summoned.

"Everyone knows their roles," says Frelick. "Everyone’s ready when their name’s called."

Not that these are simply working-class, lunch pail platoon guys and role players. The Miz, obviously, is a superstar. Garrett Mitchell, finally healthy after four seasons of injury, has few peers in center field and posts a 117 adjusted OPS.

And then there is left fielder Jackson Chourio, who just joined Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr., as the only players to begin their career with three 20-homer, 20-steal seasons.

"An absolute talent. Quickest hands I’ve ever seen," says Frelick. "Just a pleasure to watch, especially when he catches fire like that.

"It shouldn’t be slept on that a guy like that’s been doing that. He’s one of the best players in the league and I don’t think he gets the recognition he deserves."

Chourio, All-Star second baseman Brice Turang – whose 6.9 WAR leads the club – and catcher William Contreras form an interesting cohort. All are supreme talents between 22 and 28, all playing in either their third, fourth or sixth postseasons.

Young, peak performers – yet playoff-tested.

"I know we have an incredible group here, a special group," says Chourio through a club translator. "In certain aspects, it helps going three years now. Last year, you view as a learning experience, more than anything.

"Just looking forward to giving our all and going further."

No, it won’t be easy. Yet if the theory that the more times you simply get in the playoffs greatly enhances your odds of winning proves true?

Well, one of these years the Brewers are going to find out the hard part is already over.

"We understand the atmosphere. We understand what it takes to be there and win a game," says Misiorowski. "There’s a lot that we can take into it."

Or, as Bauers puts it, "You start holding yourself to a higher standard. And on top of that, there’s just certain things you don’t know.

"And you don’t know what you don’t know until it happens, right?"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers know how to get to October. Do they have enough to finally conquer it?

Dodgers rookie Josue De Paula sat down with third base and outfield coach Dino Ebel in the visiting coach’s room at Great American Ball Park. Ebel pulled up defensive metrics on three different outfielders.

One was Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, the National League MVP favorite and MLB’s defensive fWAR leader. Another was Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages, who has evolved into an elite center fielder during his time with the organization. And the third was De Paula.

“There’s a lot of colors in the game, and when you have red, it’s not good, and when you have green, it’s good,” Ebel said in a recent conversation with The Times. “And he saw a lot of green from the other two players, and he saw some green and some red on his side. So it kind of hit home with him.”

The reports broke down his first step, going right and left, arm strength, and so on.

Read more:Dodger Stadium has a botanic garden tour. Meet the man entrusted with making it a draw

“Just comparing [Pages’] journey, too, with mine — and that it’s possible,” De Paula said of what he took from the conversation. “I have all the tools under my belt to be able to do so. It’s more about just being focused throughout the whole thing, and having that drive to want to do it.

“And when I saw it, it was also a motivation for me. It was like, all right, let’s go now.”

It was De Paula’s bat that earned him a call-up when Shohei Ohtani landed on the injured list. And it’s his bat that’s now making his case for a postseason roster spot. (“This is more of a trial run,” manager Dave Roberts said last week.)

For De Paula to stick in the majors, however, his development on the defensive side is going to be key. As he has risen through the system, his outfield play has lagged behind his offensive influence. But the Dodgers have already seen growth this year.

“Our goal is to become, one day, a Gold Glover,” Ebel said. “And I think he’s young enough to do it, and his mindset is right, he’s got a chance to do that.”

Dodgers special assistant Jason Heyward started poring over video of the team’s top prospects — a group chalk full of outfielders, led by De Paula — as soon as he began working for the Dodgers’ front office at the beginning of May.

“He handles constructive criticism, for me, with some of the best of them that I’ve been around,” Heyward said.

Heyward, a five-time Gold Glove outfielder, first met De Paula in spring training in 2024, when the prospect jumped in on outfield drills with the major leaguers. In Heyward’s new role, he’s made multiple trips to Tulsa, Okla., to work with De Paula and the rest of the group there.

Read more:Is it still a rivalry? Dodgers complete sweep of woeful Giants

Heyward emphasized building a consistent and productive routine.

“He makes it so easy to have something to make relatable to this because I’ve seen his work in the cage, I’ve seen his attention to detail,” Heyward said. “He takes on challenges, but it’s not a, ‘Let me hurry up and get to this challenge, let me rush through this.’ He’s like, ‘No, I’m going to go about this how I want to go about it, I’m not going to be rushed, I’m going to lock in, and I’m going to give this like all my focus.’”

That process on the offensive side was something Heyward encouraged De Paula to tap into in all parts of his game, including defense. But De Paula said Heyward also acknowledged that the nature of playing in the outfield can make that more difficult.

“Hitting, you are always unfocused on the next pitch, your mind is always going,” De Paula said. “But you could go three days without getting a fly ball. So it’s kind of easy for your mind to drift and stuff like that. But it’s just more about tips of engagement and that intensity of focus.”

Heyward was a fitting person to deliver the message. Once a heralded prospect for the Braves, he put together a 16-year MLB career that included a second-place rookie of the year finish, an All-Star nod, and a stellar reputation for defense and veteran leadership.

“It’s a blessing to have somebody like that in your corner, especially rooting for you, to be able to see your talent, like what you’re capable of,” De Paula said. “He’s been through it, so he knows, man. So it’s awesome to have somebody like that as your mentor.”

Coincidentally, De Paula would go on to launch a three-run home run as his first major-league hit, a feat he shares with Heyward — although Heyward did it in his first at-bat.

“It’s a very commendable job that all of our staff have done at every level,” Heyward said. “... I’d be doing a big injustice without giving everyone their flowers on this because it’s definitely been a group effort. … For someone like him who became a part of the organization at 16 years old, he’s a Dodger through and through.”

Over the past week and a half, the major-league coaching staff, which also had De Paula in major-league spring training camp the last two years, has taken over. And already, they’ve seen the benefit of the routine he’s developed this year.

“All the reports that we’ve gotten from our minor-league staff are right on cue,” Ebel said. “He’s been working, he’s bringing it right here to the major leagues. And it’s a pleasure for me, with some energy, coming out early every day — hasn’t missed. We’re working on game situations, ground balls, left, right, right at him, fly balls, shags during BP. So we’re on the right track.”

Dodgers two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell joined them one day in Miami, catching De Paula’s throws in early work. Though the new teammates wanted to keep the specifics of their conversations between them, Snell’s advice and encouragement made an impression — “It’s like putting fuel in a rocket,” De Paula said.

“He’s just really, really talented, lots to learn,” Snell said. “And excited for him in his journey and what it could turn into.”

In the next city, Cincinnati, Roberts spent an afternoon in left field with him while he was shagging fly balls during batting practice.

“I wanted to be up close to watch him get off on the baseball, watch his reads, his angles to balls and make sure he’s shagging the right way,” Roberts said. “Had some instruction for him; he was great.”

Read more:Dodgers' September surge continues: L.A. racks up 15 hits in win over Giants

Roberts, too, has challenged De Paula to make defense a strength, one that will keep him in games, rather than lifted for a defensive replacement. And De Paula has met it with bright eyes and motivation.

“The trust on the defense is going to come,” De Paula said. “I have to prove it over time. And with the work that I’m doing on the field, I know I’m going to gain it.”

A gold glove is a goal of his too.

“That’s one thing about me, when my mind is set on something, I feel like it’s no going back,” De Paula said. “So, I’ve gotten a lot of hate on my defense, and I just love to prove people wrong. So I’m like, hey, all right, there’s a weakness there, but I’m gonna shut you up. Just give me some time. I’ve got you.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The slog is almost over, yet there’s still a fair amount of business to take care of during the final week of Major League Baseball’s 2026 season.

All three wild-card berths in the National League are technically still up for grabs, while the American League has two division titles and a wild card to give out. The slightly less pressing matter of playoff seeding also needs settling, though several teams are virtually locked into position.

With that, a look at four series that will impact this final week:

MLB POWER RANKINGS: Remember the Rangers? Texas has playoff bid in reach

Cleveland Guardians at Boston Red Sox

When: Tuesday-Thursday, Fenway Park

Key matchup: Tuesday – Guardians LH Parker Messick vs. Red Sox LH Payton Tolle

Outlook: The Chicago White Sox will certainly be interested to see just how motivated the Red Sox (who clinched a playoff berth Sunday) are to take down the Guardians. Cleveland enters the week holding a one-game lead over Chicago in the AL Central. Most notably, Red Sox aces Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez are lined up for all three games – but how deep will they go in their final starts ahead of their highly expected AL wild-card assignment against the Yankees?

Regardless, Tuesday’s game is a fantastic matchup of rookie left-handers, both likely to finish high on AL Rookie of the Year balloting but likely behind Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle.

Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees

When: Tuesday-Thursday, Yankee Stadium

Key matchup: Tuesday – Rays RH Nick Martinez vs. Yankees LH Carlos Rodón

Outlook: Well, this four-game series got downgraded in a hurry, from "showdown for AL East title" to "possible ALDS preview" to "Will the Yankees be upright come playoff time?"

The Diamondbacks’ series win over the weekend in the desert was hardly the worst news for the Bombers, who learned Aaron Judge could miss at least part of the postseason. Now they will get an up-close look at a seemingly unstoppable Rays squad that’s 17-6 and likely to celebrate their East title on the Yankees' turf. After that, it's simply fine-tuning while taking the week off before the ALDS.

The Yankees have a 5 ½-game lead over Boston for home-field advantage in the wild-card series, so they're all but locked in. Yet the Yankees need to show some signs of life and get some good news – on Judge, and center fielder Trent Grisham, who’s aiming to return from a hamstring injury. Tuesday’s doubleheader will line up the Rays’ top starters – Martinez and Drew Rasmussen – against lefties Rodón and Max Fried.

Milwaukee Brewers at Philadelphia Phillies

When: Tuesday-Thursday, Citizens Bank Park

Key matchup: Wednesday – Brewers RH Logan Henderson vs. Phillies RH Aaron Nola

Outlook: A carbon copy of Yankees-Rays: A small-market team simply tuning its engine before a first-round bye faces a bigger-market behemoth crashing out at the worst time. Make no mistake, the Phillies’ plight is much worse than the Yankees’. Their bullpen is a mess, with Orion Kerkering demoted to the minors and Jonathan Bowlan’s groin barking, All-Star lefty Jesus Luzardo will be fortunate to come back as a short reliever for the playoffs and the lineup ranks 26th in the majors in September OPS, at .671.

The Brewers? Basically sunning themselves before the NLDS, with a franchise-record 98 wins in hand and the No. 1 seed in the NL soon to follow. That said, they’ll want to see Dustin May provide quality length in his Tuesday assignment opposite Zack Wheeler and emerge as a solid No. 3 playoff starter. And Henderson-Nola is a fantastic matchup – perhaps one we’ll see in the NLDS, should the Phillies get their heads together.

Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres

When: Friday-Sunday, Petco Park

Key matchup: Sunday – Diamondbacks RH Michael Soroka vs. Padres RH Michael King

Outlook: This is it. This is the big one.

OK, not really, but in a lackluster final week short on head-to-head showdowns, Arizona possibly fighting for its life against the team it’s been chasing all year is as good as it gets. Shoot, the D-backs could be eliminated by then, but winning two of three against the Yankees breathed new life into their flagging playoff hopes.

They cannot screw things up on their three-day diversion to Coors Field before heading to San Diego.

The Padres? Simply the game’s most devastating offense in the second half, second only to the Cubs in slugging and OPS and tied with the Brewers in batting average. The Padres and Cubs (87-69) and Phillies (86-70) enter the final week almost assured of a playoff spot yet could land in any of three slots: Hosting a wild card series, on the road at the division-winning Braves or out of the money altogether.

That can only happen if Arizona – four games behind the Phillies and five behind the Cubs and Padres – virtually wins out this final week. If nothing else, they can keep it interesting into the weekend.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoffs loom: 4 series that could shape the final field during final week

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe has been arguably the best player for the franchise this season. He leads the team in home runs with 33 and he leads the team with RBIs with 93. However, the bad news is that Lowe is a free agent in the offseason.

There could be some good news, as there is apparently mutual interest between the team and Lowe to sign a new deal. According to Lowe the team has not approached him yet about signing an extension but it is normal for teams to table those types of conversations until the season is over. 

Lowe told Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette the Pirates have not approached him about an extension, though he added: “I think this team’s got a very bright future and a lot of good players, and there’s a lot of good baseball that’s going to be played in this park for a long time. [If] they want to talk, I’m all ears.” Post Gazette

In the event a multiyear agreement does not materialize before free agency begins in November, the Pirates will likely give Lowe a $23.1MM qualifying offer. If the Pirates do present Lowe with a QO and he signs for upward of $50MM elsewhere, they will receive a pick after the first round of the 2027 draft in return. 

Lowe was acquired in a three-team trade involving the Astros last December. In a swap that also delivered left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery and outfielderJake Mangum to Pittsburgh, the team shipped righty Mike Burrows to Houston.

One of the most important things that the Pirates need to take care of in the offseason is Lowe. He has been so good this year defensively and of course offensively. The power and leadership that he has brought to this young team has been apparent and that’s a guy that needs to resign. 

I understand the asking price could be a lot but a team that never likes to spend money should especially for a player that is producing and showing interest in returning.  

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch, Adam Berry: The long and winding season is coming to a close, and the Yankees find themselves six games back of the Rays with just seven games remaining. The good news is that four of those remaining games will be against those Rays in the Bronx starting from Tuesday, giving the Yankees a very small chance to keep their division hopes alive. How small? Per FanGraphs, the Yankees have just a one percent chance of finishing first in the AL East. Given the way things have gone as of late, even that figure seems a tad optimistic, but as a wise man once said, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.

Hoch and Berry outline the key details of this crucial homestand for the Yankees. Of note is the starting pitching matchups; Tampa Bay will send out their two best starters in the opening doubleheader — Nick Martinez for Game 1 and Drew Rasmussen for Game 2 — but they’re slated to rely on Ian Seymour and Freddy Peralta for Wednesday and Thursday, which is a step down in quality. Meanwhile, the Yankees will counter with Carlos Rodón and Max Fried for the doubleheader, then Gerrit Cole for Game 3 and Cam Schlittler for Game 4. If the Yankees can come away with two wins on Tuesday — a big if, admittedly — a four-game sweep might not be out of their reach.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillps: Of course, in all likelihood, the Yankees will have to settle for a Wild Card matchup with the Red Sox for the second season in a row. Phillips takes a shot on predicting the Yankees’ 26-man roster for the WCS. The most impactful decision looks to be who to start in center field, with Trent Grisham progressing in his recovery from a hamstring strain, while Spencer Jones continues to hold his own in the big leagues. Personally, I’d rather see Jones out there, but we’ll have to see.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: ($) There’s one Yankee in particular who is licking their chops at the opportunity to stick it to the Rays in the upcoming homestand, and that’s José Caballero. Having been traded from those Rays to the Yankees at last year’s deadline, the feisty infielder has used that to fuel his competitive fire, saying, “For me, it’s just, ‘All right, I’m going to show you that I was good enough to stay in this game. I was good enough to make you pay for it.’ That’s all.” While Caballero hasn’t recaptured the magic that saw him post a 133 wRC+ over last season’s stretch run, he nonetheless has been a valuable role player in 2026, accumulating 1.5 WAR over 131 games so far. Here’s hoping he backs up the talk and stings those Rays.

In a thoroughly depressing 2026 season for the San Francisco Giants, there was some hope about the future of the outfield Monday night. Drew Gilbert went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Bo Davidson got a hit and stole a base in his big-league debut. And Jonah Cox continues to show he’s a plus defender at both second base as well as center field as the Giants won, 5-2.

Of course, the main theme of the 2026 season is that the Giants and their fans cannot have nice things. Blade Tidwell got his first win of the season Tuesday in St. Louis, then had to leave Monday’s game in the 4th inning due to ominous “elbow discomfort” one batter after allowing a Brooks Lee home run that just barely made it out of the park in right.

Brooks Lee smashes a solo HR to right!

This is number 24 on the year for Lee 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4dNk2oKIxS

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 22, 2026

Tristan Beck (welcome back!) relieved Tidwell and retired all eight batters he faced for a much-deserved first win of the season. He even got his ERA below 6! Trent Harris got his second save with a perfect ninth inning, moving him into a tie for fifth among Giants closers this season. When the entire team has 30 saves for the season, you take them where you can get hem.

The Giants raced out to an early lead thanks to Gilbert and Davidson. Gilbert legged out an infield hit and Davidson followed up by lining a single to right on the 9th pitch of his first major league at-bat.

On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Bo Davidson ropes his first MLB hit 🤩 pic.twitter.com/HYr4Oll008

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 22, 2026

Davidson went on to steal second base, then scored on Brett Harris’ two-run single. Fun fact! It was Harris’ first two RBIs of the season, coming in his 9th game with the Giants and 13th overall. To his credit, he has not concussed himself on a doorway this season, though there’s still a week to go.

Brett Harris drives in a pair 👏 pic.twitter.com/G4DP50RzKI

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 22, 2026

In the second, it was another infield single, this time by Osleivis Basabe, that started a rally. Christian Koss broke out of an 0-for-10 streak with a double, then Gilbert lined the ball over a drawn-in Twins infield to drive in both of his teammates.

Chilly Goo Bear doubles the lead 🫡 pic.twitter.com/WI37a1exdQ

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 22, 2026

Gilbert continued to torment Twins starter Zebby Matthews in the 5th, leading off the inning with his 11th home run. He’s been much better in the second half of the season, slashing .238/.339/.427 since the All-Star break and hitting unusually well (265/.365/.530) when he leads off an inning.

Come for Gilbert's homer, stay for Kruk's call 😅 pic.twitter.com/72uQMZRVTC

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 22, 2026

Later in the game, Duane Kuiper texted Mike Krukow that his call of Gilbert’s dinger was the “Worst home run call I’ve ever heard” and Krukow admitted the call was so stressful he may have wet his pants a little.

Marcelo Mayer, acquired in the Erik Miller trade, also made his Giants debut. It wasn’t great, as he earned himself a Golden Sombrero by striking out all four times he came to the plate, the first three coming on 3-2 pitches.

Old friend Taylor Rogers pitched 1.1 scoreless innings in relief and became the first Minnesota pitcher to retire Gilbert. Sadly, his twin brother Tyler may have ended the Toronto Blue Jays’ slim hopes of a playoff berth by giving up a game-winning two-home run homer to Pete Alonso on the same night.

Five more games. Please, no more injuries.

The champagne is on ice as Phillies get set to open final homestand originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Champagne showers are in the forecast as the Phillies open their final week of the regular season Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

The six-game homestand features visits from the top team in the National League (the Milwaukee Brewers) and the top team in the American League (the Tampa Bay Rays).

The Phillies will enter Tuesday night’s game against the Brewers with a magic number of 3 to clinch their fifth straight trip to the postseason. That means Garrett Stubbs could be doing the backstroke in the Phillies’ clubhouse as early as Wednesday night.

The Phils control the third and final NL wild-card spot with a four-game advantage over the Arizona Diamondbacks, currently the last team out. Any combination of three Phillies wins or three Arizona losses would put the Phils in the postseason.  

While Baseball-Reference.com gives the Phillies a 98 percent chance of making the postseason, it’s still unclear where they will play a first-round Wild Card Series next week.

With six games remaining, the Phils are a game behind the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, who are tied for the top NL wild-card spot. The Phils still have a chance to claim the first wild-card spot, which would make them the NL’s No. 4 overall seed and keep them at home for the best-of-three first-round series.

Finishing as the second (No. 5 seed) or third (No. 6) seed would put the Phils on the road for the first round. Based on the standings today, the Phillies, as the No. 6 seed, would travel to No. 3 seed Atlanta for the first round. Atlanta clinched the NL East on Sunday. The Braves went 9-4 against the Phillies this season.

If the Phils finish as the No. 5 seed, they would open on the road against the No. 4 seed. Based on tiebreakers, that team would currently be the Cubs, who won their season series with the Padres.

If, by chance, the Phillies, Cubs and Padres all finish with the same record, the Cubs would claim the No. 4 seed with the Phillies as the No. 5 seed over the Padres, based on season-series tiebreakers.

On Sunday, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the team would prioritize making the postseason ahead of striving for the home-field advantage in the first round. So, if the Phillies lock up a postseason berth before the weekend, Zack Wheeler would not pitch Sunday’s regular season finale. He instead would be in place to start Game 1 of the playoffs. Cristopher Sanchez could also be a candidate to start that game, provided the Phillies sew up a postseason berth before his turn comes up again on Saturday.

Wheeler (13-5, 2.99) pitches Tuesday night against Milwaukee’s Dustin May. Aaron Nola (7-10, 4.49) will start Wednesday night.

Here’s a look at what the final week of the season looks like for the teams the Phillies are battling.

CUBS – They are 87-69, tied with San Diego for the top wild-card spot, with six games to play, three at home against Miami and three at Boston.

PADRES – They are 87-69, tied with the Cubs for the top wild-card spot, with six to play, three at the Dodgers followed by three at home against Arizona.

DIAMONDBACKS – They are 82-74, four games behind the Phillies, the current No. 6 seed. They finish with three at Colorado and three at San Diego.

Well, after making fun of the makeup of the Giants’ current roster in my game thread, it’s only fitting that the Twins blew this one. That’s baseball for you.

Zebby Matthews was on the mound for the Twins and was less sharp after a silencing the Yankees his last time out. It was a rough first two innings especially. Zebby was able to get to two strikes on most hitters he faced, but struggled to put away batters from there, as we’ve seen him do in some of his bad starts in the past. He threw 35 pitches and allowed two runs on three singles in the first, and then 28 and two more runs in the second. However, Matthews was pretty strong after that, allowing just a single run in the final three frames on a solo homer while striking out five Giants. A nice rebound from the young starter after a rough beginning.

The offense was a different story. The hitters looked like a group that is just out of gas, barely putting up a fight against a bunch of AAA pitchers. To be fair, the lineup the Twins are running out currently is a bunch of young players who have never played this far into a season before (Jenkins, Rodriguez, Keaschall, Lee, Roden, Sabato) along with Kody Clemens, who is essentially in his first season as a regular, and Ryan Jeffers who broke his hamate bone a few months ago and then has caught nearly ever game since returning. They truly might just be out of gas.

The Twins managed only four hits and five baserunners all night. They never had an inning with multiple hits. The only runs came on solo homers. The first was a classic Brooks Lee wall-scraper, but the second was an incredibly impressive bomb to right-center off the bat of Emma Rodriguez, an impressive feat in San Francisco’s cavernous ballpark.

The swing, approach, and raw power displayed by Rodriguez there are exactly why the Twins have hung onto the Dominican outfielder as long as they have, despite his checkered injury history. There are very few players that have the strength to hit that home run at all, let alone one who has the power and speed that Rodriguez also features. Maybe he’ll flame out like some other talented Minnesota top prospects, but swings like that make me hesitant to use Emma as a trade chip this offseason.

Unfortunately, the home runs were really the only bright spot for the Twins tonight. Taylor Rogers had a scoreless outing in what could be his final season, while Travis Adams continued to flash just enough stuff to make the Twins comfortable with him as the final bullpen option for 2027. But here on out is all about getting the kids reps and keeping everyone healthy heading into the offseason. If we look at it that way, mission accomplished, I suppose.

STUDS

• Emmanuel Rodriguez: mega bomb
• Brooks Lee: mini bomb
• Final three innings Zebby: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 K

DUDS

• The lineup: 4-31, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K
• First two innings Zebby: 2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 K

Tomorrow is Taj Bradley’s final start of the season as he looks to put the finishing touches on what has been a strong first full season in Minnesota. Five more to go until a long winter, let’s enjoy them!

A gut punching series loss at the hands of the Miami Marlins not only had the Diamondbacks lose more ground in the NL Wild Card race to the 3 teams ahead of them, it also seemed to take all the hopium that remained in our systems and replace it with either copium or just straight up despair as the D’Backs would go from 2 losing series against 2 sub .500 teams to welcoming the New York Yankees into town for the final home series of the 2026 season.

The Yankees may have already secured their spot in October before their trip to the desert but with a chance at the AL East title still a possibility, along with having Gerrit Cole and the probable AL Cy Young winner in Cam Schlittler taking the bump, this would be no cake walk of a series and the Diamondbacks would need to at least win this series if they want any sliver of hope going into their final 6 games in Colorado and San Diego. With the 25th anniversary of the 2001 World Series winning team being celebrated this series, maybe they would be able to have some of that magic rub off onto this 2026 ballclub and use it as the fuel they need to propel them towards postseason baseball.

Ed-Rough-do Start-Riguez

Eduardo Rodriguez has undoubtedly been the best starter in the Diamondbacks rotation for all of 2026 as he leads the starters in wins (15), ERA (2.89), IP (183.2) and K’s (140), but the issue that has been rearing its head all season for Rodriguez has been his struggles out of the gate and we got more of the same in Friday night’s series opener with the Yankees putting up a 5 spot before the Diamondbacks even had the chance to swing the lumber.

The three of us looked at ERod’s numbers from the 1st inning of his starts compared to the rest of the game and it was as night and day as it could get with his first inning ERA this season sitting at 7.84, a WHIP of 1.77 and an opposing slash of .302/.389/579. From the 2nd inning and beyond he evolves into a completely different pitcher with his 1.89 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and opposing hitter slashing just .222/.279/.326. This isn’t even necessarily just an issue he’s had in 2026 either as his career ERA in the 1st inning (4.51) compared to the rest of his innings (3.92) shows that he’s always had struggles early in games for most of his career.

Cravin for Pavin?

With the demoralizing 9-2 loss on Friday night the Diamondbacks and all snakes fans in attendance would hope that the vibes would be turned around as Saturday would be the big 25th anniversary celebration of the greatest world series of all time (yes I’m biased) with so many legends from that squad like Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez, Tony Womack, Miguel Batista, Damien Miller and more in the building for the festivities.

Both the Yankees and Diamondbacks had clutch pitching and hitting at times throughout this game as the score was knotted at 3 a piece going into the bottom of the 9th inning with the Snakes in desperate need of a win to keep their playoff hopes from lowering even further, and that’s when the infamous Pavin Smith stepped in the box as a pinch hitter with a runner on 1st and 1 out. The baseball gods must like reruns because they decided that a Diamondbacks walk-off of the Yankees on the night of the 2001 WS celebration would be the most fitting outcome, and Pavin delivered just that with a 2-R home run into the sea of Yankee fans in right field.

All 3 of us have been very vocal in our frustrations with Smith’s struggles in his career here in the desert and the front office seeming to refuse to move on from a player that has accumulated 0.1 bWAR in his time as a major leaguer, and we all still feel that he should not be on this roster at the beginning of the 2027 season (if we have one that is) in any capacity, but we did admit that it was nice to see Pavin summon his inner Luis Gonzalez and send the fans into a frenzy with a walk-off over the Yankees.

Unc-enado Still Got It

The fireworks might have been after the game on Friday night, but Sunday’s final home game of the 2026 regular season had plenty of leftovers as it felt like baseballs were flying out left and right. Most of them came for the Yankees off of Corbin Burnes in the 4th inning, but the biggest one was in the Diamondbacks favor with Nolan Arenado hitting a go ahead (and potential season saving) grand slam in the 5th inning, his 3rd in 2026 and the 9th of his career.

The fellas and I discussed how nice of a surprise this offensive resurgence has been from Arenado as he is putting up some of the best numbers at the dish we have seen since his MVP caliber season as a Cardinal in 2022 while also pondering the likelihood that Nolan can get to 30 home runs on the season (27 currently) with 3 of the final 6 games being played in his old stomping grounds of Coors Field where Arenado has 139 dingers in his career in the mile high city.

Colorado Cookin

Setting off for the final road trip of the regular season the Snakes will be heading to Coors Field to take on the Colorado Rockies as they continue to battle for their lives in an attempt to make miracles happen and sneak into the playoffs. 

The last few weeks have seen us and other fans throw the term “must-win games” around a bunch but these 3 in Colorado are all truly must win games if the Diamondbacks want to have any real chance at making the final series in San Diego mean anything as a Diamondbacks loss+Padres win, 2 D’Backs losses or 2 Padres wins would put the final nail in the coffin of the Diamondbacks playoff hopes.

Gabe, Brandon and I all felt disgusted that we would have to actually root for the Los Angeles Dodgers to win baseball games (just typing that out makes me want to puke) but that is the reality we are in as a Dodgers sweep of the Padres with the Diamondbacks sweeping the Rockies would set us up for what could most likely feel like its own wild card series against the Padres in San Diego to decide who gets in and who goes to Cancun.

The Major League Baseball season is down to its final days with plenty of uncertainty and playoff spots still to be clinched.

In the AL West, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros have been exchanging first place in recent days and it's the Rangers who hold a one-game leading entering play on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The Cleveland Guardians have overtaken the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, but the Sox are still likely to earn a wild card spot.

The Chicago Cubs, San DIego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies basically have the NL's three wild card spots locked up, but only one game separating the three teams in the seeding.

The regular season ends on Sunday, Sept. 27, with the best-of-three wild card series beginning two days later.

Here's the latest standings and updates on the MLB playoff race:

MLB playoff bracket 2026

#-division champion; *clinched at least a wild card spot

American League

• Byes:Tampa Bay Rays* (1), Cleveland Guardians (2)
• Wild card series:
  • White Sox (6) at Rangers (3) – Winner vs. Guardians
  • Red Sox (5) at Yankees* (4) – Winner vs. Rays

National League

• Byes:Milwaukee Brewers# (1), Los Angeles Dodgers# (2)
• Wild card series:
  • Phillies (6) at Braves* (3) – Winner vs. Dodgers
  • Padres (5) at Cubs (4) – Winner vs. Brewers

AL wild card standings

Top three teams qualify

1. *New York Yankees (89-66) +9.5 games
2. Boston Red Sox (84-72) +4 games
3. Chicago White Sox (80-76)
4. Houston Astros (77-79) – 2 GB
5. Toronto Blue Jays (77-80) – 3.5 GB
6. Baltimore Orioles (76-81) – 4.5 GB

NL wild card standings

Top three teams qualify

1. Chicago Cubs (87-69)+1 game
2. San Diego Padres (87-69)+1 game
3. Philadelphia Phillies (86-70)
4. Arizona Diamondbacks (82-74) – 4 GB

AL East

1. *Tampa Bay Rays (95-60)
2. *New York Yankees (89-66) – 5 GB

AL Central

1. Cleveland Guardians (81-75)
2. Chicago White Sox (80-76) – 1 GB

AL West

1. Texas Rangers (78-79)
2. Houston Astros (77-79) – 1 GB
3. Seattle Mariners (73-83) –56 GB

NL East

1. Atlanta Braves (91-64) – winners of NL East

NL Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers (97-58) − winners of NL Central

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (95-60) – winners of NL West

*clinched at least a wild card spot

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoff picture: Wild card standings, AL and NL postseason bracket

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.

MONDAY

A.J. Ewing hit his 10th home run of the season, giving the Mets 11 players with 10+ homers and setting a new record for most 10-homer players in a season in franchise history (the 2017 team previously held the record with 10 10-homer players). They are now tied for the fifth-most 10-homer players on a team in baseball history, behind the 2019 Yankees (14), 2019 Blue Jays (13), 2018 Yankees (12), and 2023 Twins (12).

TUESDAY

Pete Alonso became the 20th player to record their 300th homer against a team for which they previously played, and the third to do so against a team for which they played 1,000 or more games (along with Willie Horton against the Tigers and Torii Hunter against the Twins). (source: Sarah Langs on X, per Elias Sports Bureau)

Alonso became the second player to hit their 300th homer at Citi Field, as Curtis Granderson reached the milestone with a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning on June 14, 2017, against the Cubs.

The homer marked Alonso’s first game-tying or go-ahead home run while trailing in the ninth inning or later since Game 3 of the 2024 Wild Card Series.

Alonso was actually the second former Met to hit a game-tying or go-ahead home run at Citi Field while trailing in the ninth inningor later. It may not have received the same fanfare as the Polar Bear’s blast, but Adeiny Hecchavarría accomplished the feat with the Braves off Paul Sewald on September 29, 2019 — exactly one day after Alonso set a new MLB rookie record with his 53rd home run of the season. Hechavarría’s homer set up Dom Smith’s memorable walk-off homer on the final pitch of the regular season.

Alonso’s homer snapped Kodai Senga’s streak of seven consecutive saves successfully converted, the fourth-most by a Met to begin their career behind Tug McGraw (15), Anthony Young (12), and Hisanori Takahashi (8).

A.J. Ewing’s second-inning single marked the 100th hit of his career. Ewing and Carson Benge are just the third pair of Mets rookies to record 100 hits in the same season, joining Steve Henderson and Lee Mazzilli in 1977 and Jason Phillips and Ty Wigginton in 2003.

Since 2015, there have been four extra-inning inside-the-park homers in MLB. Three of those four have been hit by an opposing player at Citi Field: Blake Swihart of the Red Sox on August 28, 2015, Daylen Lile of the Nationals on September 20, 2025, and now Coby Mayo of the Orioles on September 15, 2026. The only other extra-inning inside-the-park homer in that span was hit by another Oriole, Austin Hays, on August 11, 2020, at Citizens Bank Park.

Mayo’s inside-the-park homer was a wind-prevented traditional homer, marking the first time a wind-prevented traditional homer has resulted in an inside-the-parker since…Daylen Lile’s on September 20, 2025, at Citi Field. (source: Sarah Langs on X, per Weather Applied Metrics)

The Mets played their 18th extra-inning game of the season, marking the fourth-most in the majors behind the Angels (20), Cubs (19) and Cardinals (19). It’s the most extra-inning games the Mets have played in a season since 2018 (18).

WEDNESDAY

With his 24th stolen base of the season, A.J. Ewing tied Mookie Wilson’s 1981 record for the most stolen bases by a rookie in franchise history.

By allowing homers to Pete Alonso, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Jeremiah Jackson, the Mets allowedhomers to the same three players in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history.

The Orioles hit three homers at 106+ mph against the Mets for the second day in a row. Prior to this series, the Mets hadn’t allowed three such homers in a game since April 4, 2023, during a 9-0 loss in Milwaukee.

Chris Bassitt completed six innings at Citi Field for the 16th time since 2022. He is tied with David Peterson for the most six-inning outings at Citi Field during that span, despite the fact that Bassitt played just one season as a Met.

Alonso hit his 125th homer at Citi Field. No other player has more than 80 (Francisco Lindor). It was also Alonso’s 58th homer of a Statcast-projected 410+ feet at Citi Field. No other player has more than 23 (Michael Conforto).

The Mets have now lost five games in a row against the Orioles, and nine of their last 12.

THURSDAY

Nolan McLean has a 0.71 ERA over his first four career starts against the Phillies. That’s tied with Chuck Taylor for the fourth-lowest ERA in a pitcher’s first four starts against the Phillies since the mound was lowered in 1969 (min. 20 IP), behind Rick Honeycutt (0.38), Bob Sykes (0.42), and Hiroki Kuroda (0.68).

McLean recorded his 19th quality start this season, tied with Sonny Gray and Chris Sale for sixth-most in the majors behind Sandy Alcantara (21), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (21), Cristopher Sánchez (21), Cam Schlittler (20), and Michael Wacha (20). McLean is one of only two pitchers since 2015 to reach 19 quality starts in their rookie season, joining Shota Imanaga (19 in 2024). McLean also recorded his 20th start of six or more innings pitched this season, the second-most by a Met in a season since 2020, trailing only Wednesday’s opposing starter: Chris Bassitt (23 in 2022).

McLean recorded his 25th game with at least five strikeouts this season, the most by a Mets pitcher since Jacob deGrom (29) and Noah Syndergaard (27) in 2019.

Aaron Nola made his 33rd career start against the Mets, tied for 25th all-time against the franchise and tied with Randy Wolf and Tim Hudson for second-most since 2000, behind fellow longtime Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels (34). It was his 16th start as a visiting player at Citi Field, moving him into second place behind Gio Gonzalez (18) for most opposing starts in the ballpark’s history.

Nola recorded his seventh scoreless start against the Mets, tying him for the sixth-most all-time behind Rick Reuschel (11), Greg Maddux (10), Juan Marichal (9), Claude Osteen (9), and Jim Bunning (8).

The Mets suffered their 15thshutout loss of the season, tied with the Angels, Guardians, and Pirates for the second-most in MLB behind the Reds (17).

FRIDAY

Juan Soto reached base three times for the 324th time in his career, tying Mike Trout for the fourth-most such games by a player before turning 28 years old. Soto trails only Jimmie Foxx (348), Mickey Mantle (344), and Mel Ott (341).

Soto ripped two extra-base hits with an exit velocity of 108 mph or higher in the same game. In the statcast era (since 2015), a Mets left-handed hitter has accomplished that feat only 12 times: Robinson Cano, Lucas Duda, and Daniel Vogelbach each did it once, Brandon Nimmo did it twice, Michael Conforto did it three times, and Juan Soto has now done it four times in just two seasons.

Zac Thornton recorded his eighth quality start through 14 career games, marking the third-most by a Mets left-handed pitcher behind Steven Matz (10) and Sid Fernandez (9).

SATURDAY

Carson Benge’s eighth-inning single marked his 156th hit of the season, passing Pete Alonso to set the franchise’s new rookie hits record.

Benge recorded his 12th three-hit game of the season, marking another record for a Mets rookie, while notching three hits and a homer against the Phillies. The Mets outfielder with the most such games against the Phillies? Carlos Beltrán (7 times), who had his number retired in a pregame ceremony on Saturday.

The Mets scored 10 or more runs for the 18th time this season, tied with 1997 for the third-most such games in a season in franchise history. The 2000 (24) and 1999 (20) teams are the only ones in franchise history with more double-digit scoring performances.

SUNDAY

Francisco Alvarez’s second-inning single was his 23rd batted ball at 108 mph or higher this season, tied with Juan Soto for the most on the team.

The Mets scored two or fewer runs through nine innings for the 62nd time this season. That’s the most such games for the Mets in a season since 2013 (63), and their second-most in the Wild Card Era (since 1995).

The Mets finished the season with a losing record (3-4) against the Phillies at Citi Field for the first time since 2019, when they went 4-5.

The Mets finished the season with a 36-45 record at Citi Field, their worst in a full season since 2013, when they went 33-48.

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:

Here is a list of every player to record 99+ homers and 99+ stolen bases with multiple franchises:

Barry Bonds (Pirates and Giants)
Alex Rodriguez (Mariners and Yankees)
Carlos Beltrán (Royals and Mets)
Francisco Lindor (Guardians and Mets)

Beltrán’s 70.0 career bWAR ranks second all-time among players born in Puerto Rico, trailing only that of Roberto Clemente (95.0). Beltrán won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2013, and Francisco Lindor (who ranks fifth on the leaderboard with 57.2 bWAR) was named the Mets’ 2026 nominee last Monday.

Bonus Stat: There are 32 entries in this edition of Monday Stat Party — one for each year of Mets baseball that Howie Rose has called from the broadcast booth.

BALTIMORE – The season has turned into a slog for the Baltimore Orioles, playoff elimination imminent, roster deficiencies obvious, a second consecutive losing season loading.

Pete Alonso seems impervious to it all.

When his ballclub seems to find only failure and brick walls, Alonso finds joy. Take this 21st night of September, when the Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays gathered in front of 12,057 fans who waited out a 47-minute Monday night rain delay to watch a pair of dead teams walking.

Yet this wasn’t just any day, but rather the first birthday for Alonso and wife Haley’s son. They adorned their kitchen with a massive “Happy Birthday Theodore” banner and various stuffed animals and presents befitting a young king.

And then Alonso punched into work and passed out gifts to his teammates, creating a night his firstborn will someday remember fondly.

Alonso turned a nondescript date in a dead-end season into something special, as he often does, blasting home runs Nos. 39 and 40 into the Baltimore night, the latter a two-run shot off former teammate Tyler Rogers as he almost singlehandedly erased a three-run deficit and provided a 4-3 victory.

Functionally, the victory might only push elimination back a day or so for the 76-81 Orioles. In a grander sense, it exemplified exactly how Alonso has become That Dude in the first season of a five-year, $155 million contract.

And it was the icing on the cake of an emotional, transformative year for the Polar Bear: Becoming a father, leaving the New York Mets, tasked with carrying a franchise that had never passed out a free agent contract that large, oh, and go ahead and crank out 40 homers and 100 RBIs in almost metronomic fashion.

Consider that task crossed off the list: Alonso leads the American League with 108 RBIs, likely killed Yordan Alvarez’s hopes of a Triple Crown (he has driven in 98) and now has his fourth 40-100 campaign in seven full seasons.

Have a year, Pete.

“I think the hardest thing was navigating parenthood,” says Alonso of his transformative 366 days. “And it’s like how do we get this down – being husband, being dad, being ready to my maximum capabilities by first pitch? As the season’s gone on, I feel like I’m getting more and more in tune with being a parent and being an athlete.

“Really thankful for my teammates sticking with me. Really thankful for my wife.”

The feeling’s plenty mutual.

Pete Alonso’s 40th homer of the year gives the @Orioles the lead! 💥 pic.twitter.com/vpWmFhLgJO

— MLB (@MLB) September 22, 2026

Entering Monday, the Orioles had not scored in 19 innings, their playoff hopes exterminated by a pair of Milwaukee Brewers shutouts, and starter Shane Baz promptly walked the leadoff batter on a pitch clock violation and gave up three runs to the Blue Jays in the top of the first.

Alonso simply shrugged his massive shoulders, came to the plate to the thunderous drums intro of Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing and blasted a Trey Yesavage pitch 363 feet to his new favorite place on earth, the short right field porch at Camden Yards. It was home run No. 39, an impressive feat yet window dressing in the larger view.

Another nondescript loss was just four outs away when Alonso strode to the plate, two outs in the eighth, a leadoff walk rotting on first. In his second at-bat, Alonso switched up his walk-up song, to Earth, Wind & Fire’s September, this being 9/21 and all.

Oh, and also Theo’s first birthday. Coincidence?

“Yeah, that was for him,” Alonso said, proudly.

“That’s his birthday song.”

And then Alonso went bye-bye, baby, this time going 400 feet to left field off the sidearming Rogers. What remained of the crowd roared. And young Theo will hear about it long after he’s grown.  

“Sick. It’s 100% special,” says Alonso of this night. “He’s not going to understand it for a couple years. But hopefully, I can kind of look back and bookmark this and keep it for the archives and hopefully he appreciates it someday.”

It will be hard to outdo Birthday No. 1. Then again, it might have been harder for Alonso to top home run No. 300, which came upon his return to New York and resulted in Mets fans saluting him in his old home ballpark.

Yet the gifts just keep coming.

More: MLB manager knows he's done if team misses playoffs | Nightengale's Notebook

“He exceeded my expectations just off the field, what he brings,” says rookie manager Craig Albernaz. “I didn’t really know-him know him, but being around him every single day, that’s been the most impressive thing.

“His baseball card, his accolades, the track record is there. Hitting 40 home runs and more than 100 RBIs in this league is really impressive. And the consistency (with which) he does it isn’t by accident.”

The next day might bring another numbing loss for a club that hasn’t been so much as two games over .500 since April 13. Or perhaps the Orioles’ first baseman, their new franchise player, will find a little more sunlight in a dark season and keep them alive a little longer.

“I know where we’re at with the standings,” Alonso acknowledged. “But I couldn’t be more proud to be an Oriole and this organization, this city, to be a part of it.

“I’m really excited not just for the remaining few games of the season but what we have coming down the pipe.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB slugger clubs two HRs for son's first birthday – icing the cake on special year