PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 15: Ronny Simon #63 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action during the game against the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park on August 15, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Bucs made a move before Sunday’s game with the Los Angeles Angels, recalling switch-hitting outfielder Ronny Simon and optioning infielder Nick Yorke to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Simon has only played in 9 games at the big-league level this season, but he’s hitting .290 over just 34 plate attempts. He did not get to play in the Angles series.
Simon was tearing up the International League, however, leading the league with a .344 average and also second overall with 33 doubles. Simon also hit 7 homers, knocked in 72 RBIs and stole a whopping 35 bases. He was also second on the league with a .426 on-base percentage. Suffice it to say, the 26-year-old Simon earned the call up.
Yorke has played 40 games with the Pirates this season, hitting just .212 with 1 homer and 12 RBIs. He had just 3 hits in his last 10 games played for the Bucs. The 24-year-old Yorke is in his third season with the Pirates. He hit .232 last season and then .216 before that.
As for the Pirates, they are coming off of a series win against the Angels and have battled back to within two games of .500 at 71-73. They are certainly playing a bit better of late, yet still stand 5.5 games back of the Wild Card. Playoffs are not an impossibility. Only unlikely.
The Bucs are back in action tonight after taking off Labor Day, when they will return to action for the thre-game series with the Chicago White Sox. The Sox are currently leading their division, so this will be no easy series for the Bucs, but if they can keep it rolling, they can at least finish strong regardless of their playoff status.
Less than three weeks remain in Major League Baseball's regular season, with the final wild card spots up for grabs in both the American and National Leagues.
There's still jockeying for the byes to the Division Series, with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers within a game for NL's No. 2 seed behind the Milwaukee Brewers. The Dodgers didn't earn the bye last year, but breezed through the wild card series en route to a second consecutive championship.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 06: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on before the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 06, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Yesterday afternoon, the Yankees received a massive boost in their chances at winning the American League East, as superstar right fielder Aaron Judge took live batting practice on the field for the first time since suffering a stress fracture in his rib that has left him on the shelf since May 31st. Speaking to reporters, manager Aaron Boone refused to say exactly which day No. 99 will return to the lineup, saying only that Judge’s rehab is in the “endgame.” As it turned out, though, the Yankees saw enough, and late last night, announced that the Captain will in fact return to the lineup tonight, activating him from the 60-day injured list. And while it’s unlikely that we’ll see Judge fully built up, with some reports that the team may start him playing only six to seven innings in the field before pulling him, his return represents the biggest wrench thrown into the American League East race in the month of September, and looks to give the team an edge as they try to chase down the division-leading Rays.
NJ.com | Adam Zagoria: Speaking of large, right-handed power hitters currently on the shelf: when Giancarlo Stanton suffered a third calf sprain back on August 22nd, everybody in baseball basically said, “Well, that’s it for Stanton’s season, and probably his Yankees career, too.” Not so fast, apparently. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Aaron Boone revealed that Stanton has been hitting in the cage, saying that “we’ll see” if he can return to the lineup this season. Of course, it still seems like a reach, especially since there really isn’t a role for him as Ben Rice, Luis García Jr., and Paul Goldschmidt have first base/designated hitter locked up, but we all know what a healthy Stanton can do, especially against lefties.
NBC Sports: In a small bit of housekeeping, the Yankees optioned Elmer Rodríguez to Triple-A Scranton following Sunday night’s loss, officially ending their brief stretch as a de facto six-man rotation. The corresponding move, it turned out, would be Judge’s return.
Newsweek | Jon Paul Hoornstra: Former Yankees right-handed pitcher and two-time World Series champion Rollie Sheldon passed away on August 31st at the age of 89. He spent five seasons in the Majors, pitching for the Kansas City Athletics and his childhood team, the Boston Red Sox, after his stint in the Bronx. We offer condolences to his family.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Shay Whitcomb #13 of the San Francisco Giants is lifted off the ground by Christian Koss #50 after he hit a single that scored the winning run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 11th inning at Oracle Park on September 07, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A bunt and an infield single boosted the San Francisco Giants’ win probability to 100% Monday night in a 5-4, 11-inning win over the St. Louis Cardinals that turned Oracle Paek into Shay Stadium.
Shay Whitcomb hit a chopper to shortstop against a drawn-in infield to score ghost runner Nate Furman as the Giants worked late on Labor Day. Sure. it was not the most impressive walk-off hit we’ve ever seen, but after the Cardinals scored the tying run on two infield singles in the 9th and a go-ahead run on a shallow pop fly with the Giants’ infield in in the 10th, the boys in black and orange will take it.
Logan Webb will be complaining to his shop steward about unfair working conditions after striking out eight and giving up just three hits in 6 innings, but leaving with another no-decision. He threw only one truly bad pitch, a hanging slider that Alec Burleson crushed into McCovey Cove, a no-doubt, 431-shoot blast where kayakers instinctively knew to avoid the white-hot baseball until it cooled down.
He could credit his two-run cushion to a doubles party from Eldridge and Rafael Devers. Devers hit his 35th double, just missing his 36th homer, to knock in Turner Hill in the first inning, then hit his league-leading 36th double ahead of Eldridge’s 21st double of the season in the bottom of the 5th.
Eldridge knocked in another run on a sacrifice fly in the 3rd inning, then plated ghost runner Turner Hill (two runs) to tie the game in the 10th. The Cardinals walked Devers ahead of Eldridge twice on Monday, and the rookie responded with an RBI each time.
It could have been over in the 10th. With Devers on second and Eldridge on first with no one out, Tony Vitello played for the sac fly. He ordered Jonah Cox (slashing .287/.326/.494) to bunt the runners over, which he did, which led to an intentional walk to Jung Hoo Lee. Drew Gilbert just needed to hit a medium-depth fly ball to win the game. Instead, he hit a ball that went about nine inches for a C-1B double play.
Still, the gambit worked in the 11th inning, with Vitello also rearranging his defense. Cox, who moved to second base when Gilbert pinch-hit for Osleivis Basabe in the 9th, went back to center field, with Furman taking over at second. The pop-up falling in wasn’t really Cox’s fault, and the 9th-inning infield hits happened with him in the outfield, but the move still paid off.
Furman was the runner in place of Gilbert, Drew Cavanaugh’s sac bunt got him to third, and Whitcomb finished things off with his second hit of the game, bringing his on-base streak to five games.
Jason Foley got his third win of the season by getting through the 11th inning unscathed, getting a weak groundout to the catcher with a runner on third just like his opposite number. Then, with runners on second and third after a walk and a stolen base, Foley got Jose Fermin to ground out on the eighth pitch of his at-bat.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol made the box score interesting by pinch-running for catcher Ivan Herrera in the 8th, only to see the substitute got station-to-station and end up stranded at third. He replaced the pinch-runner with Pedro Pages, then pinch-hit Fermin for Pages in the 10th, where he tied the game with a sac fly.
Fermin stayed in the game to play second base, while designated hitter Leo Bernal, of the magical pop-up, caught the final two innings. That meant St. Louis lost its DH, and three Cardinals relievers appeared in the box score in the first batting position for St. Louis, though none actually swung the bat — Cesar Prieto had a pinch-walk in the 11th.
Hill got hosed by an umpire review for the second time in three days, when a throw to first clearly pulled Burleson off the bag but Hill was still called out.
It looked just as obvious as the hit-by-pitch that was ruled a foul ball from Saturday’s game, one that got Vitello ejected. The only conclusion we can draw is that Hill clearly slept with a replay official’s wife.
Tony Vitello was ejected for arguing after the replay review ruled Turner Hill wasn't hit by a pitch and instead fouled the ball off 🤨 pic.twitter.com/4cOMweANg5
The Giants have no won 8 of their last 15 games and are two games clear of the Elk Grove Athletics for 27th place in the major leagues. Perhaps more important is that the team has reached 60 wins, meaning they only need three move to avoid a 100-loss season.
They need five more wins to finish better than the 2017 Giants, who went 64-98 in a season where Madison Bumgarner finished with more home runs than the team’s primary left fielder despite missing three months because of a dirt bike crash. “Worst Giants team in a decade” sounds so much better than “Worst Giants team in 41 years,” after all.
Sep 7, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays infielder Andres Gimenez (0) looks on while kneeling after a walk-off infield RBI single hit by Athletics infielder Jeff McNeil (not pictured) during the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Blue Jays 5 A’s 6
I wanted to title this ‘Bad Pitching, Defense and Hitting Leads to a Loss’ but that’s too many words.
A bad moment on defense, in the first inning, turned out to be very costly. Dylan Cease was having a rough time in the first. A walk to Henry Bolte, who followed that with a steal. Then a ground rule double to score the first run of the game. A single gave the A’s runners on the corners, with two out. Carlos Cortes went to steal second, Alejandro Kirk threw to second, and the runner on third came home. Ernie Clement threw back home in plenty of time to get the runner, but the runner stopped and turned around. Kirk chased him, and the runner seemed to be giving up, but Kirk threw to Kazuma Okamoto, and it wasn’t a good throw, went off Okamoto’s glove and the runner scored. 2-0 after half an inning. Just a bad play. Just chasing him back to third would have been fine.
Kirk homered in the bottom of the inning, making up for the mistake.
But the A’s got two more in the third. Bolte again walked and stole season (maybe next year, Cease could come up with a way to hold runners?). After a popup, Bolte stole third. Next batter, Zack Gelof hit a ground ball to third, Okamoto came home but the throw was too late. Then Gelof steal second and third and a single scored him. 4-1 A’s.
A’s got one more in the fifth, a Bolte home run. 5-1 and it looked really bad.
It wasn’t Cease’s night, 5 innings, 5 runs, 4 earned, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts. Cutting down that run at the plate would have make it look better (and maybe he wouldn’t have had the same troubles in the third).
But the Jays got three runs in the seventh. Okamoto started the inning with a massive home run (making up for his share of the mistake in the first), 109.8 mph, 423 feet. Nathan Lukes and Clement each singled. Giménez doubled, bringing in one more. And Josh Smith, pinch hitting, hit a sac fly. 5-4, A’s.
With Giménez on second, the A’s pitcher Luis Medina ‘disengaged’ twice, meaning if he did again (and didn’t get the out) Giménez would be given third.
But, Andrés took off for third, before Medina came home and Medina threw to third for an easy out. Bad play by Giménez, since he was already in scoring position with just one out.
In the eighth, with two out, Kirk singled and Okamoto walked, but Lukes (against a lefty) ground out. We didn’t have right-handed bats on the bench (well, Brandon Valenzuela, a switch-hitter, but they weren’t going to pinch hit with him).
Down by a run in the top of the ninth, Giménez hit a game tying home run. We couldn’t get another run.
The comeback was rather amazing, considering our offense looked terrible for the first six innings.
Tie game going into the bottom of the inning and Louis Varland in to pitch. Spoiler….he wasn’t sharp (neither was plate umpire Chad Fairchild, though it really didn’t help that we wasted our challenges early).
Louis gave up a single to Max Muncy and a walk to Donovan Walton. Alika Williams put down a very good bunt, but Vlad made an amazing play, throwing to third getting the lead runner. No other first baseman make that play. A line out got us to two outs. Then a walk to Bolte loaded the bases.
Then Jeff McNeil hit an extremely soft ground ball (51.9 mph) that Giménez made a great attempt on, but his throw to first was just a bit late. They talk about it being a game of inches, and it was tonight.
The good news? The Guardians also lost, so we are still just 1 game back of the last Wild Card spot.
Bad news, we could be holding that spot, right now, with some better defense/pitching.
Jay of the Day: Giménez (0.36 WPA, though the bad base running would bring that down a bit) and Okamoto (0.12) had the number too, but I’m not giving him it, because not catching Kirk’s throw and though it wasn’t terrible, a slightly better throw home in the third inning would have saved what turned out to be a very important run).
Other Award: Varland (-0.35, he’s been so good, and he was hurt by a plate umpire with an interesting view of the zone, tomorrows umpire scorecard will be something to look at, but we needed him to be better today), Cease (-0.23, also could have been helped by some defense, two of the runs against him weren’t his fault), Springer (-0.18, for an 0 for 5, 2 k. He had a rough day), Smith (-0.12, kind of unfair, as he drove in a run as pinch hitter), and Clement (-0.09, 1 for 4).
We had 9 hits, they had 6. But then they had 5 steals, a home run and grouped their hits.
Tomorrow, well they have to shake this one off, and win tomorrow. It is slightly earlier, 9:40 start Eastern start time. José Soriano (11-7, 3.52) vs. Jack Perkins (3-10, 6.50)
Back in his usual spot atop the batting order, Ohtani went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk in a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Results aside, however, manager Dave Roberts was pleased with how Ohtani's swing looked compared to five days ago.
But as far as when Ohtani might return to the mound for the defending World Series champions, that news was rather bleak. Ohtani told reporters postgame that he doesn't expect to pitch again this season.
"Most likely no," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton when asked if he's still working towards getting back on the mound. "I'm gonna be focusing on hitting moving forward."
Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3 due to lingering injuries in his left knee and right bicep.
His progression was initially put on pause when his scheduled bullpen session on July 25 was postponed, and it didn't pick back up again until Aug. 8. From there, he ramped up throughout the month of August and faced live hitters on Aug. 22, but he was shut down again after a short bullpen session one week later.
Ohtani has not thrown since, and a prolonged slump at the plate prompted manager Dave Roberts to rest the Japanese phenom for four games over the weekend.
And in what might be a move to lighten Ohtani's workload with October less than a month away and with the Dodgers boasting a mostly healthy rotation, Roberts mentioned they've "put a pin on throwing."
"It's not dead, but we're not throwing," Roberts said. "We have no timetable for when he's gonna pick up a baseball."
The Dodgers skipper stopped short of outright saying Ohtani won't pitch again in 2026, but given where we are in the calendar, that in itself is a strong indication of where things are headed.
Sep 7, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics infielder Jeff McNeil (22) celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off infield RBI single against Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Louis Varland (not pictured) during the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Athletics faced the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series on Labor Day at Sutter Health Park. The Green and Gold got out to an early lead before allowing the Blue Jays to claw back late, only for the A’s to win 6-5 in walk-off fashion.
Early Offense
After A’s starter Jacob Lopez tossed a scoreless first inning, the A’s generated their first scoring chance against Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease in the bottom of that inning. Athletics center fielder Henry Bolte drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third with one out. Zack Gelof knocked Bolte in with an RBI ground-rule double, putting the hosts ahead 1-0.
The Blue Jays immediately answered back. Catcher Alejandro Kirk led off the second inning with his ninth home run of the season, a solo shot just over the right field wall. If he had taken a better route, A’s right fielder Lawrence Butler would have had a chance to rob the home run.
Lopez followed that by allowing two straight baserunners before retiring the next three hitters to preserve his team’s 2-1 lead.
A’s Run Wild Against Cease
The A’s took advantage of Cease’s weakness, as he has allowed more stolen bases than any other pitcher. Leading off the bottom of the third inning, Bolte walked and stole second for the second time in two at-bats. With one out, the speedster stole third base, his third steal of the game.
Gelof grounded to third, and it looked like Bolte was out at home, but he slid safely past Kirk’s tag attempt to tally the A’s third run of the game. Gelof then swiped second and third, putting himself in scoring position just as Bolte had done. With two outs, Carlos Cortes lined an RBI single, bringing home Gelof to give the Athletics a 4-1 lead.
After showing off the speed earlier in the game, Bolte displayed his power in his third at-bat against Cease. Leading off the bottom of the fifth inning, the A’s center fielder hit his ninth home run of the season, a solo shot down the right-field line that extended his team’s lead to 5-1.
Lopez kept the momentum on the A’s side by pitching three straight scoreless innings, preventing the visitors from mounting an immediate response. The lanky left-hander outdueled Cease, needing just 78 pitches to complete six innings of one-run ball.
Lopez remained in the game an inning too long, as he failed to record an out in the seventh inning. Toronto third baseman Kazuma Okamoto hit his 29th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. Two straight singles brought the tying run to the plate. Andrés Giménez’s RBI double made it a a 5-3 game and ended Lopez’s outing. The left-hander only recorded one strikeout, yet did a good job of pitching to contact, inducing six groundouts and nine flyouts.
A’s Bullpen Blows Save
Right-hander Luis Medina replaced him, entering with runners on second and third and no outs. The first batter he faced, pinch-hitter Josh Smith, hit a sacrifice fly to make it a one-run game. Medina escaped the jam with the Athletics still ahead. Giménez helped him out by getting caught stealing for the second out.
Medina got the first two outs of the eighth inning before letting the next two Blue Jays reach base via a single and a walk. With the tying run on second, left-hander Hogan Harris replaced Medina and escaped the jam by getting Nathan Lukes to ground out.
Harris failed to secure the four-out save. With one out in the top of the ninth inning, Giménez tied the game with his ninth home run of the season, the Blue Jays third home run of the night.
A’s Win!
Facing Blue Jays closer Louis Varland, Max Muncy led off the bottom of the ninth with an infield single and advanced to second when Varland walked Donovan Walton. The most significant at-bat of the inning came when Bolte drew his third walk of the game. He reached base in all five of his plate appearances. If the Blue Jays had any ABS challenges remaining, that inning may have gone differently, as there were numerous close pitches that the home-plate umpire called balls.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Jeff McNeil hustled down the line for a walk-off infield single, sparing Harris’ blushes and delivering the A’s first walk-off victory since June 19.
The Athletics will look to continue playing spoiler and win a second consecutive series tomorrow. Right-hander Jack Perkins will start for the A’s, while Toronto will counter with its prized trade deadline acquisition, right-hander Jose Soriano.
In this week’s Injury Report, Aaron Judge is set to return to the Yankees lineup on Tuesday following a three-month absence, just as the team loses Trent Grisham to a hamstring strain. And Corbin Burnes will make his season debut with the Diamondbacks as he returns from a 15-month recovery from Tommy John surgery. All that and more as we review all of the most relevant injury news around baseball.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Aaron Judge (rib)
Trent Grisham (hamstring)
Judge is finally returning to the Yankees lineup after a three-month absence with a rib fracture. The team has activated the 34-year-old slugger from the 60-day injured list ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Rockies in New York. He ran the bases and took batting practice Friday, bypassing a rehab assignment to return straight to the majors. Judge returns in time to make a major impact for fantasy teams over the final three weeks. His return comes just as Grisham was shelved on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. A strain of that severity likely means the end of the regular season for the 29-year-old outfielder. Grisham’s injury likely keeps Spencer Jones in the lineup with Judge’s return. Jones has filled in at center field the last two games.
We got an update on a couple of Blue Jays on Monday. Yesavage threw a 34-pitch bullpen session on Monday in Florida and is scheduled to face hitters in a simulated game on Thursday. He’ll likely need at least one or two rehab starts before he’s an option for the Blue Jays’ rotation. Yesavage underwent left knee meniscus surgery in early August. Meanwhile, Santander is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday. He’s been out all season after offseason labrum surgery to address a shoulder issue that limited him to 54 games in 2025.
Jac Caglianone (elbow)
Caglianone made an early departure from Saturday’s game against the Blue Jays with left elbow soreness. He was held out on Sunday, with Royals’ manager Matt Quatraro telling reporters that he was dealing with a Grade 1 flexor strain. Caglianone missed a second straight game on Monday. A stint on the injured list can’t be ruled out if he isn’t ready to return in the next day or two. The 23-year-old slugger has enjoyed a breakout season, hitting .283/.331/.494 with 23 homers, 66 runs scored, and 70 RBI across 510 plate appearances.
Corbin Burnes (elbow)
Burnes is another player making a late debut with a look ahead to 2027. The 31-year-old right-hander will be activated to make his season debut on Tuesday against the Royals in Kansas City. Burnes made his last start on June 1, 2025. He’s been out since recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was up to 53 pitches in his last rehab appearance and reportedly hit 93 mph. Burnes can’t be counted on to make an impact for fantasy purposes, but could be a speculative pickup in deeper leagues.
Reynaldo López (knee)
López will return from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday to start against the Rays in Atlanta. He’s been out since July 26 with left knee inflammation. He was initially expected to return after a minimum stay, but was instead out for six weeks. López was sharp in his last rehab outing, striking out six over five shutout innings with Triple-A Gwinnett. The 32-year-old right-hander has had a solid season with the Braves, posting a 3.64 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts over 71 2/3 innings. His return will move Bryce Elder to the bullpen, as Elder has been dealing with a knee issue of his own.
Ryan O’Hearn (quad)
Out since early August with a quad strain, O’Hearn is nearing his return as he begins a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday. Before his injury, the 33-year-old slugger has mixed in at right field, first base, and designated hitter as he slashed an excellent .270/.334/.454 with 17 homers and 69 RBI across 398 plate appearances. If available, he makes for a solid power and RBI source for the final stretch.
Brendan Donovan (head)
Concussions could be incredibly tricky. More than two weeks since he was placed on the 7-day concussion injured list, Donovan is still experiencing symptoms when he takes the field for drills. He told MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer on Monday, “I get on the field, and I feel like I’m going to throw up.” “And then I take ground balls, and I have to take every other one because I’m going to throw up. So that’s kind of been the process to this point.” There’s no telling when he’ll be ready to return, but it doesn’t seem like he’s ready to give it a go any time soon.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shay Whitcomb chopped a single with one out in the 11th inning for his first career game-ending RBI, and the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Monday night.
Drew Cavanaugh’s sacrifice bunt against George Soriano (6-4) advanced automatic runner Nate Furman and put him in position to score the deciding run.
Jason Foley (3-1) pitched two innings for the win.
Bryce Eldridge tied the game at 4 on a single in the bottom of the 10th after St. Louis went ahead in the top of the inning when Leo Bernal’s fly ball dropped in front of diving center fielder Jung Hoo Lee for a base hit.
Pinch-hitter José Fermín hit a tying sacrifice fly in the ninth for St. Louis against Giants closer Dylan Smith, who allowed a leadoff single to Joshua Báez and another base hit to Thomas Saggese before a one-out walk by Bryan Torres loaded the bases for Fermín.
Logan Webb struck out eight and shut down St. Louis over six superb innings to bounce back from surrendering a career-high nine runs his last time out at Pittsburgh, but had nothing to show for it as his winless stretch reached four starts since he beat Colorado on Aug. 15.
Rafael Devers hit an RBI double in the first for San Francisco, making him the first Giants player with 35 home runs and 35 doubles in a season since Jeff Kent in 2002.
Alec Burleson splashed a solo home run into McCovey Cove beyond the right-field arcade in the sixth for the lone run and third hit off Webb, becoming the third Cardinals player to reach the bay. It was the 183rd overall in Oracle Park history, and 72nd by an opposing player — Matt Carpenter and Larry Walker had the other two for St. Louis — while home run king Barry Bonds hit 35.
Eldridge added a sacrifice fly in the third as the Giants went ahead 2-0. Devers doubled again with two outs in the fifth and Eldridge followed with a run-scoring double to run his on-base streak to 16 games.
Nathan Church’s seventh-inning double for St. Louis made it a one-run game.
Up Next
LHP Quinn Mathews (1-2, 4.38 ERA) pitches the middle game Tuesday night opposite Giants RHP Landen Roupp (8-13, 4.17).
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 7: Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on September 7, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Based on tonight’s game alone, you could’ve fooled someone into believing Emmet Sheehan was the starting pitcher in this outing, putting up an All-Star season, as he led the way for a 6-3 win in his return to the bigs. With a scarcity of hits, particularly on the home side, the Dodgers saved their only home run for the most impactful of moments as Teoscar Hernández crushed a three-run bomb in the sixth, responsible for half their runs.
The Reds came into this game with a plan to keep Chase Burns on a tight leash, protecting their prized pitching asset down the stretch in a season without a postseason chase. The game tested the Reds’ resolve, with Burns smoking through the Dodgers’ lineup in three near-perfect innings—the only Dodger to get on base was Max Muncy via walk. Striking out half of the 10 batters he faced, Burns was still removed from the game after just three frames, paving the way for Brandon Williamson to operate against a lefty-heavy lineup.
Williamson picked up right where Burns left off, and a bit of luck and the right timing helped the Dodgers get on the board for the first time and, doing so, take the lead. Trailing 1-0 through the first half of this game after Elly De La Cruz’s first-inning bomb, the Dodgers had one on and two outs in the fifth, following strikeouts from Kyle Tucker and Hunter Feduccia. Alex Call was down 0-2 in the count, ready to make it three Ks when he was plunked by Williamson, who would induce a high-bouncing grounder by Miguel Rojas—that grounder rushed an errant throw from the Reds’ third baseman, allowing both runners to score.
As quickly as the Dodgers took that lead, they nearly surrendered it, with the Reds circling in the top of the sixth. Emmet Sheehan faced runners at the corners with one out and the Reds’ top two hitters up. He struck out De La Cruz, chasing well outside the zone, to reach a double-digit punchout total—tying a career high—before walking Sal Stewart to load the bases and seal his exit. With a lefty coming up, Dave Roberts made the call to the bullpen, bringing in Alex Vesia, who promptly struck out J.J. Bleday. No pitcher ever wants to hand off a free pass, but as far as they go, the one to Stewart wasn’t too bad from Sheehan, not giving up against the league leader in RBI.
Baseball has a term for a scoreless frame right after getting on the board: your traditional shutdown inning, the case for the Dodgers in the top of the sixth. It should also have a term for pouncing on that opportunity and scoring big in the next chance, something like an opportunistic inning, exactly what the Dodgers had in the bottom of the sixth. Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman worked walks off Williamson, and then the lefty-mashing skill set of Teoscar Hernández took over, putting one in the home bullpen over the left field wall to up the lead to 5-1.
This power display from Hernández was the perfect summary of a heavy three-true-outcome game, one in which both teams combined for an absurd 20 strikeouts in the first six innings alone. Emmet Sheehan (10), Chase Burns (5), Brandon Williamson (4)—basically anyone was able to induce swing-and-miss stuff consistently. Furthermore, when Eugenio Suárez took Seth Halvorsen deep for the Reds’ second solo shot to make it 5-2 in the seventh, half of the game’s six hits were home runs. What put the Dodgers in front was superior defense and an easier ability to draw walks.
The Reds don’t get to lament their lack of opportunities in this one. Pitching in the eighth, Jack Dreyer faced two on and no one out, defending a three-run lead with the heart of the Reds’ order up. Operating like someone leading by three, Dreyer punched out Stewart and allowed an RBI groundout to pinch-hitter Dane Myers, replacing Bleday, whom Terry Francona wouldn’t allow to have another lefty-lefty duel late in this game. Whatever impact that run might have had was neutralized when Will Smith pinch-hit with the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame and secured a sac fly. Any time the Reds threatened to gather some momentum, the Dodgers quickly reaffirmed their dominance in this game.
Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 3 in his first game back with a couple of strikeouts and a walk. The good news is that the lineup didn’t need him to win their fifth straight. Unlike Dreyer in the eighth, Evan Phillips had a clean ninth, securing his first save of the season.
Game particulars
Home runs— Teoscar Hernández (13), Eugenio Suárez (22), Elly De La Cruz (24),
It’s the Dodgers’ turn to deploy one of their aces on Tuesday (6:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) as Tarik Skubal takes the ball, coming off his first start allowing double-digit hits in over two seasons—not that it particularly damaged his final line, allowing just two runs—with Nick Lodolo on the other side for the Reds.
“It was certainly good to get him back out there,” manager Dave Roberts said. “But there was certainly nothing to write home about.”
Shohei Ohtani returned to the lineup. Getty Images
Indeed, while the Dodgers rode another big night from Teoscar Hernández (two hits, including a three-run home run, plus a walk) to a 6-3 defeat of the Cincinnati Reds, Ohtani went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts while drawing only a seventh-inning walk –– inspiring little confidence that, even if he’s able to take the field right now, his swing is close to being where he and the team would like it to be.
Back in his customary leadoff spot, Ohtani began the night with relatively loud contact, lifting a deep fly ball to left field that died just shy of the warning track.
But after that, the 32-year-old looked largely unchanged from his recent offensive struggles.
He swung through a changeup and slider from young Reds ace Chase Burnes in the third inning, going down on the latter while chasing a pitch in the dirt.
He went down swinging again during his highest-leverage at-bat in the fifth, leaving a runner stranded at third after fanning on a sweeper and changeup from left-handed reliever Brandon Williamson.
“I should have enough experience to be able to address any kinks or injuries or anything like that with the swing,” Ohtani said through an interpreter afterward. “I’m going to use this as an opportunity to add on to the experience that I’ve had previously and be able to address it regardless [of my injuries].”
Ohtani did show better plate discipline in the seventh, fouling off two pitches in the zone while taking four misses from Williamson for a walk.
And to Roberts, the most important part of the game was that Ohtani was simply able to play.
“I think the main thing is that there was nothing alarming from the at-bats,” he said. “To take four days off, to come out of it feeling good, I think that’s a win in itself.”
When asked how far away Ohtani’s swing looks from its ideal state, Roberts even tried to strike an optimistic tone, writing off Monday as more of a timing issue after Ohtani’s recent break.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani looks on in the dugout during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
An inning before that, a two-run throwing error by Reds’ third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes had also given the Dodgers a lead.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández has seeds thrown at him after hitting a three-run home run during the sixth inning. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Still, come October, the Dodgers know they will require more from Ohtani at the plate.
That’s what has made this last week so tricky, as they tried to balance his tenuous health with the need to give him a chance to rectify his swing –– all while also finally pulling the plug on his progression as a pitcher.
“I’m confident that my overall performance should be better moving forward,” Ohtani insisted. “I think the thing that I was more focused on was making sure that the pitching wouldn’t cause the worse scenario, which was for me to not be able to play at all.”
For now, that potential outcome has indeed been avoided.
But Monday was a reminder that, even if Ohtani is feeling good enough to return to the field, there’s still much work left to go before he looks right at the plate.
“Physically, he looked good, he came out of it feeling strong, feeling healthy,” Roberts said. “Just to get a day under his belt, four at-bats, and him to come out of it not going backwards was important, and we accomplished that.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Alec Burleson #41 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park on September 07, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If the St. Louis Cardinals are going to make a playoff push, it has to start in San Francisco. That’s why Monday’s game against the Giants was so vital. It didn’t start well for Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy as the Giants grabbed an early lead. Cardinals bats would eventually claw their way all the way back by the 9th inning, but it wasn’t quite enough to secure a crucial victory.
There are few batters in baseball more on a tear than Rafael Devers of the Giants. After Turner Hill walked to leadoff the bottom of the 1st inning, Devers turned on an 84 mph Michael McGreevy curve and drove it off the huge wall in right for a RBI double and a 1-0 San Francisco lead.
The Giants added to their lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Christian Koss reached on an infield single that glanced off of McGreevy’s glove and then advanced to second after Michael flipped the ball over Burleson at first. Koss advanced to third on a groundout by Hill and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Bryce Eldredge to double the San Francisco lead to 2-0.
Rafael Devers would kickstart a two-out rally in the bottom of the 5th inning when he smoked another double. Bryce Eldredge followed that with a double that scored Devers giving the Giants a 3-0 lead.
The St. Louis Cardinals didn’t get their first hit off of Giants starter Logan Webb until the top of the 3rd inning. They didn’t get their first run of the game until the top of the 6th inning, but it was a dramatic one. Alec Burleson gave a 92 mph sinker a bath as he launched it 431 feet into the bay cutting into the San Francisco lead making it 3-1.
The Cardinals shrunk the Giants lead even more in the top of the 7th inning after Nolan Gorman drew a walk. Three batters later, Nathan Church ripped a RBI double into the right field corner scoring Gorman leaving the Giants with just a one-run lead at 3-2.
Michael McGreevy went deep into the game even starting the bottom of the 7th inning. He gave the Cardinals 6 2/3 innings allowing 2 earned runs, while striking out 4 and walking 2. Justin Bruihl came in to get the final out of the bottom of the 7th which resulted in a hilarious sequence where Hill grounded out to second on a play where Alec Burleson had to drag his foot across the base as the throw pulled him off. The national announcing team (not including one of our all-time favorite people Albert Pujols) all but gave the Giants the overturn even before the manager’s challenge, but they were foiled when the out call on the field was upheld.
The Cardinals would strive to turn that failed challenge into momentum in the top of the 8th inning when Ivan Herrera led off with a single. Manager Oli Marmol sent Victor Scott II in to pinch-run for Herrera. Alec Burleson lifted a deep flyball to center that VSII somehow decided to not tag up on staying at first for the first out. That would turn into a pivotal decision after Jordan Walker singled giving the Cardinals runners at first and second with just one out. Leo Bernal grounded into a fielder’s choice that the Giants couldn’t turn into a double play. Nolan Gorman then flew out to very deep center to end the inning. Hard not to imagine what might have happened if Victor had tagged on the initial flyball and advanced to second. Oh, well. Baseball is not a sport for perfectionists.
Justin Bruihl handled the Giants in the bottom of the 8th inning also which kept the Cardinals within striking distance going into the 9th inning. Joshua Baez had the first shot for St. Louis. He reached on an infield single to give the Cardinals the tying run on base. Thomas Saggese was next up for St. Louis. He hit a laser single up the middle that glanced off of the second baseman’s glove giving the Cardinals runners at first and second with no one out. Nathan Church tried to bunt them over, but instead popped it up to the third baseman. St. Louis was fortunate that it didn’t turn into a double play. Bryan Torres worked Giants reliever Dylan Smith into a full count, fouled off several pitches and eventually drew a walk to load the bases. Brilliant. Pinch-hitter José Fermín was sent up with an opportunity to turn the game around. He lifted a fly ball to left field which was deep enough to score Baez from third tying the game at 3-3. The Giants went to their bullpen bringing in Sanmartin to face Alec Burleson who was already for one baseball getting a bath earlier in the game. Unfortunately, he struck out sending the game into the bottom of the 9th inning tied.
The bottom of the 9th inning would be handled by Ryne Stanek. Lee led off the bottom of the 9th with a chopper that just bounced over the head of Nolan Gorman at third to give the Giants the potential winning run on base. Drew Gilbert was next up for San Francisco. He popped out to Saggese at short for the first out. Drew Cavanaugh struck out on high heat from Stanek for the second out. The Giants weren’t done though as Whitcomb ripped a single into left moving the potential winning run up to second base. Christian Koss was the next Giant up as he worked Stanek into a full count fouling off a couple of high fastballs before drawing a walk to load the bases. Turner Hill would either win the game or the game would go to extras. For all of us that love the Cardinals, it was that second option as Hill hit a harmless flyball to Jordan Walker in right to end the Giants 9th.
The St. Louis Cardinals 10th would begin with Alec Burleson as the “free” runner at second base and Jordan Walker at the plate. He did his job and moved Burleson to third with a ground ball up the middle that the Giants nearly flubbed when the throw to first nearly pulled Eldredge off the base. Leo Bernal was next for St. Louis and he lifted a bloop single to center that dropped in between three Giants players scoring Burleson and giving the Cardinals their first lead of the game at 4-3. That’s all they would get after Nolan Gorman and Joshua Baez popped out to end the top of the 10th.
Could Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien hold the Giants scoreless in the bottom of the 10th? He chose to not walk Rafael Devers at least initially. Once the count reached 2-1, the intentional walk was engaged. That brought up Bryce Eldredge. He promptly smacked a single into center driving in “free” runner Hill and tying the game 4-4. Cox laid down the perfect sacrifice bunt giving the Giants the potential winning run at third base with just one out. Jung Hoo Lee was intentionally walked to load the bases giving the Cardinals a force out at any base. In a borderline miraculous play, Leo Bernal grabbed a ball dribbled by Gilbert in front of home plate, stepping on home plate simultaneously and then throwing out Gilbert at first for an inning-ending double play.
The Cardinals top of the 11th would begin with Joshua Baez as the “free” runner at 2nd and Thomas Saggese at the plate. He lifted a flyball to center deep enough to move Baez over to third with one out. Nathan Church was next and all he could manage was a dribbler in front of the plate that did not score Baez for the second out. Cesar Prieto was then sent up to bat for the pitcher since they gave up their DH earlier in the game in a different pinch-hit situation. He drew a four-pitch walk out of Giants reliever Foley. That brought up José Fermín in a make-or-break situation for St. Louis. He quickly went down two strikes before working the count to 2-2 while fouling off pitches. He eventually shattered his bat on a groundball to short for the final out of the Cardinals 11th without scoring a run.
George Soriano would have to find a way to keep the Giants from scoring in the bottom of the 11th inning with a free runner starting the inning at second. Drew Cavanaugh was the first batter up and he laid down an ideal sacrifice bunt moving free runner Furman to third. Shay Whitcomb was the next Giant with a chance to end the game. He sadly did with a high chopper over the drawn-in infield giving the Giants a painful 5-4 victory.
The St. Louis Cardinals return to Oracle Park Tuesday night for game 2 against the San Francisco Giants. Quinn Mathews gets the start for the Cardinals while Landen Roupp gets the ball for the Giants. First pitch is scheduled for 8:45pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani was back in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup as designated hitter on Monday night after a four-day break to deal with lingering left knee, right biceps and neck soreness.
He was in his usual leadoff spot for the series opener against the Cincinnati Reds.
“Hopefully, we don’t see that wincing we saw a handful of nights ago,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game, referring to Ohtani appearing physically compromised at the plate before his break.
“I don’t want to say it’s day-to-day, but I am very curious to see how he comes out of tonight to then make the decision for tomorrow and ensuing days,” Roberts said.
The NL West-leading Dodgers won all four games during Ohtani’s absence, including a sweep of the Washington Nationals.
Even with Ohtani’s return as a hitter, it appears increasingly unlikely that the two-way superstar will pitch again this season. He hasn’t pitched in a game since July 3 and he hasn’t thrown since a bullpen session at Detroit on Aug. 28.
“We’ve put a pin in throwing,” Roberts said, “and just having him focus on the hitting, the running, keeping his legs good and doing whatever it takes to help us win.”
Asked to define “put a pin in throwing,” Roberts said “it’s not dead but we have no timetable for when he’s going to pick up a baseball.”
Why not just say Ohtani won’t pitch again?
“I’m choosing not to say it’s dead,” Roberts said.
Ohtani’s thoughts remain private since he hasn’t spoken to the media since Aug. 17.
Roberts described Ohtani as “happy” to be back in the lineup while being “completely fine” about tabling any pitching plans for now.
By taking pitching off Ohtani’s plate, the Dodgers hope the four-time MVP will lock in on hitting and get back on track after not appearing to be himself at the plate.
Ohtani is hitting .279 with 30 homers and 80 RBIs this season. Since the All-Star break, however, he’s batting .250 with eight homers and 22 RBIs in 41 games.
“Yes, he loves pitching, loves being a two-way player,” Roberts said, “but right now it just doesn’t make any sense. It’s more of what’s best for the team, number one, and 1A, what’s best for him.”
Utility player Tommy Edman took Ohtani’s place as the leadoff hitter for four games. He went 7 for 17 with a .412 average, one home run, four RBIs and five runs scored. He was scheduled to start at second and bat third on Monday.
Asked why he doesn’t move Ohtani out of the leadoff spot, Roberts replied, “I think he’s our best hitter. I think the best player should have the most latitude. Is it forever? I don’t know. Is it until the end of the season? I don’t know yet.”
NEW YORK (AP) — After missing more than three months, Aaron Judge is ready to return to the New York Yankees.
The three-time MVP was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Monday night, an off day for the Yankees. They open a three-game series at home Tuesday night against the Colorado Rockies.
Judge hasn’t played since May 31 because of a broken right rib, but the slugger traveled with the Yankees on their recent trip to the West Coast. He took batting practice on the field multiple times last weekend in San Diego and ran the bases as he worked toward his return.
The outfielder will rejoin New York’s active roster without going on a minor league rehab assignment first. Throughout his absence, Judge said he wouldn’t need a stint in the minors to get ready.
“If I tell them I’m ready to go play, I think we’re ready to go play,” Judge said on Aug. 27. “I’m not a pitcher. I’m a position player. I can get my reps down here in the cage. I’m in every game. I’m sitting there in the dugout watching every game, feeling the environment, feeling the energy, so I don’t think there’s going to be much of a difference.”
With 19 games remaining in the regular season, the Yankees (81-62) trail first-place Tampa Bay by four games in the AL East. They are two games ahead of rival Boston (80-65) for the top American League wild card and hold a potential tiebreaker between the teams after winning the season series.
The higher seed plays at home throughout every best-of-three Wild Card Series.
New York was 36-23 after Judge last played on May 31 and went 45-39 in the 84 games he missed since.
The offense, however, was obviously affected. The Yankees batted .243 with 86 homers in 59 games through May 31 but hit only .227 with 107 homers in 84 games while Judge was out.
Their batting average during that stretch ranked 29th among the 30 major league teams, ahead of only Seattle (.225).
New York had a .770 OPS through May 31, but it was .681 in his absence.
Judge is hitting .248 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs. He was initially injured attempting to avoid second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a diving catch in Houston on April 26 and batted .263 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in 31 games before being sidelined.
The 35-year-old captain’s only homer in the final 18 games before he went on the injured list was a game-ending, two-run shot to beat Tampa Bay 2-0 on May 24 that snapped an 11-game drought without an RBI, the longest of his career.
Judge won a batting title last season when he hit a career-high .331 with 53 homers and 114 RBIs in 152 games. He missed 10 games from July 26 to Aug. 4 with a flexor strain in his right elbow that he sustained on a throw to home plate July 22 in Toronto. He underwent a plasma-rich platelet injection and did not require offseason surgery.
Judge skipped a rehab assignment in 2023 when he missed 42 games with a fractured right big toe after crashing into the right-field fence at Dodger Stadium. In 2019, he appeared in five minor league games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when he missed two months with a strained left oblique.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Judge, right-hander Chase Hampton was designated for assignment Monday night.
New York optioned right-hander Elmer Rodríguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Sunday’s loss in San Diego.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 06: Aaron Judge #99 and Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees talk before the game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 06, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Tuesday, the Rockies start a three-game series against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. Even if it’s not at Coors Field, playing the Yankees is always a big deal.
New York (81-62) is currently in line for the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the AL, and the Rockies (55-88) are eight wins shy of avoiding a fourth straight 100-loss season.
For Rockies fans, there’s the interesting factor of Colorado facing ex-Rockie Ryan McMahon, who was activated from the IL on Sept. 1 after suffering a left thumb sprain on Aug. 21. For Yankees and home run fans, Aaron Judge is on the mend from a broken rib he suffered in May, and he’ll be back in the lineup on Tuesday.
The Yankees activated Aaron Judge from the injured list. He'll make his return tomorrow against the Rockies.
So what are you hoping to see over the next three games at Yankee Stadium?
I am hoping for three things: one win, a good Gabriel Hughes performance and a healthy Kyle Karros back in the lineup.
Considering the Rockies are 14-17 overall against the Yankees, which is honestly better than what I thought, I think one win is doable. All-time in New York, the Rockies are 4-10.
I think Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) gives the Rockies the best chance at a W, but at the same time, perhaps a big stage like Yankee Stadium can bring out the best in Hughes and he can finally earn his elusive first MLB win.
It will be nice to have Karros back, putting up quality at-bats and recording hits.
For a bonus, I wouldn’t mind seeing a hit by McMahon, as long as he doesn’t score or drive in a run.
What do you want to see? What would success look like to you in New York?
James Schiano
