The grim news: Bregman looks like hell, a nasty shiner that's rendered his left eye practically shut after Michael Busch's foul ball on a check swing took one hop and clocked Bregman standing nearby.
The good news: He's returned to Chicago, his eye appears intact and he seems insistent that he'll return to play.
The Cubs are off Monday and have a magic number of one to clinch a National League wild card berth. They'd begin a best-of-three National League wild-card series Tuesday, Sept. 29, very likely against one of the Padres, Phillies or Braves.
Bregman has been one of their best hitters since late July, with 16 homers and a 1.052 OPS in 51 games since July 27.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 7: A detail view of hats in the Minnesota Twins dugout against the Cleveland Guardians during the second inning of the game at Target Field on July 7, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Twins’ owner called season ticketholders in the offseason basically begging for them to stick around. Their fans had become so disillusioned with their team losing that the negativity had started to get to Tom Pohlad. And early in the season, he had a public incident with a fan wearing a SELL THE TEAM hat. Are billionaires sensitive? Between this and Arte Moreno selling the Angels because he got big emotions from fans demanding he sell the team, too, it’s enough to make you wonder where the Giants would be if they had fewer owners.
But the Twins, who had finished 70-92 this season, started off the year in surprisingly great fashion, to the point that by the end of July, they were 56-55 and just 3 games out of the AL Central lead.
They’ve gone 17-28 since.
So, it’s another failed season for the Twins. Giants fans can relate. Well, not really. The Twins have had five winning seasons and four playoff appearances in the past decade. The Giants have had 1 and 1. As of this writing, the two teams are 12th and 13th in wins over the last 10 years… but with a significant split.
Minnesota: 763-749
San Francisco: 735-777
In this 45-game that spiraled them out of the playoffs, the pitching has been mediocre but the offense has fallen to below league average (99 wRC+). They’ve lost Byron Buxton to injury once again. Taj Bradley has emerged to mitigate the pre-season loss of Pablo Lopez, but Joe Ryan’s prime seems to have been betrayed by their small window of contention. Their defense has been atrocious: -38.4 Defensive Runs Above Average, 25th in MLB. Don’t get too smug, though. The Giant are 23rd (-34.5). They’re the team the Giants could become if all the prospect excitement fails to pan out and the front office’s grand design busts.
On the other hand, the Giants have sort of gone through this already. Their last rebuild was supposed to usher in a window of contention. It did, but for, like, two seasons (2020 & 2021), and during that time, the San Diego Padres (and, to a lesser extent, the Arizona Diamondbacks) zoomed past them. The Twins were supposed to be NL Central contenders, challenging the Dodgers of that division (the Guardians), only to have the Tigers and now the White Sox (!) zoom past them.
Anyway, the Twins have been bad on the road this year (33-45) while the Giants have been okay (36-39); however, they’ve lost 7 of 9 overall. The roster is a shambles. Bryce Eldridge is in the concussion protocol. It’s all very gloomy here in the final week of the season. Then again, that’s been the status quo for six months.
Series Overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (64-92) vs. Minnesota Twins (73-83) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Monday & Tuesday at 6:45pm PT, Wednesday at 12:45pm PT National broadcasts: None
Projected starters Monday: Blade Tidwell (RHP 1-2, 4.56 ERA) vs. Zebby Matthews (RHP 9-10, 4.74 ERA) Tuesday: Anthony Molina (RHP 3-1, 4.18 ERA) vs. Taj Bradley (RHP 11-6, 3.81 ERA) Wednesday: Cesar Perdomo (LHP 0-1, 3.72 ERA) vs. TBD
Prediction time
Roger Clemens’ son, Kody, has 26 home runs on the season. He’s hit 14 of those on the road. With an outside shot at getting to 30 home runs, I’ll predict that this 30-year old will whack at least one homer in the series. Meanwhile, Jung Hoo Lee is 6 extra base hits away from matching last year’s season total (51). He hit 31 doubles last and has hit 31 this year, too. I predict he’ll pickup a few in this series giving faint hope that he can match last year’s total by having a nice final series when the Giants host the Dodgers.
Tampa, FL: New York Yankees' Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner speak during a press conference regarding changes to the Yankees facial hair policy during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 21, 2025. (Photo by Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
Multiple reports confirm that the Yankees are finalizing a $2.6 billion deal with private equity firm Apollo Global Management to sell up to a 16-percent stake in the franchise. The firm will have the Yankees’ largest ownership percentage, only behind the Steinbrenner family, once the deal goes through.
The deal involves both a debt and private equity investment, and incoming funding is expected to refinance existing obligations and fund future expansion projects. This move would mark Apollo’s largest capital injection into the US sports market to date, according to the New York Post. The news of the firm’s interest in acquiring a stake in the Yankees dates back to July and more specifics were revealed last month.
It also allows the Yankees’ value to surpass that of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who’ve recently dominated the market when it comes to giving out larger contracts. The club most notably signed MLB star Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal and, more recently, signed Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million contract that included a $64 million signing bonus with $30 million deferred.
The additional ownership stake can result in a variety of outcomes, but it could eventually work out well for the Yankees as they look to add more talent in the coming years. Details of the deal have yet to be confirmed, but it comes at a time when private equity is gaining more of a spotlight in the sports world, with firms engaging in hefty investments in a variety of teams and leagues in hopes of bolstering profits.
The Yankees aren’t a stranger to the private equity game that continues to raise concerns throughout the sports world. Yankees president Randy Levine joined the executive board of AC Milan nearly five months after the New York franchise engaged in a minority stake in the club and RedBird Capital Partners acquired a $1.3 billion controlling interest.
Notably, Major League Baseball regulations have a 15-percent cap in place for private equity ownership per fund, so it’s unclear how the logistics of this will all work considering the report of a 16-percent stake for Apollo. With this deal expected to come through, I’d anticipate more firms will soon follow with investments in Major League clubs that will continue to raise more questions.
On this day 51 years ago, Deron Johnson’s disappointing White Sox career ended. | Chicago White Sox
1901 The White Sox won the first major-league American League pennant despite losing to the Philadelphia A’s, 10-4. The Sox would end up winning the pennant by five games over the Boston Americans, with a record of 83-53. Interestingly, this loss was the start of a five-game losing streak that took the White Sox nearly to the end of the season — a streak that included a sweep at Boston (too late, Americans).
Unfortunately, the World Series didn’t start until 1903, so an AL pennant was the best that the Sox could do.
However, the White Sox did play a postgame series, against the “AL All-Stars” in what was dubbed the “All-American Series,” splitting the four-game set. In a telling statistic for an upstart team and league in its first season in the majors, the White Sox nearly doubled the attendance of the established Orphans (Cubs), 354,350-205,071.
The White Sox had a very balanced lineup, led by outfielders Billy Hoy and Fielder Jones, and scored the most runs in the league. The team relied primarily on speed, as Frank Isbell, Sam Mertes and Jonesfinished 1–2–3 in the AL in stolen bases, swiping 136 among them. The pitching staff was anchored by player-manager Clark Griffith, who went 24–7 with a 2.67 ERA.
1917 The White Sox clinched their third pennant, beating the Red Sox, 2-1 in 10 innings behind Red Faber.Shano Collins singled after Ray Schalk led off the top of the 10th with a double, providing the eventual game-winner. The final outs came when pinch-hitter Babe Ruth rapped into a double play in the bottom of the 10th.
The White Sox would outdistance Boston by eight games in 1917, with a mark of 100-54, and then defeat the New York Giants four games to two in the World Series.
The 100 wins in a season have never been equaled in team history — and that includes, of course, 162-game seasons beginning in 1961. The Sox offense led the league in runs scored that season while the pitching staff, led by Eddie Cicotte, had a season ERA of 2.16
1955 Frank “Trader” Lane, one of the best GMs in team history, resigned. During his seven-season tenure, Lane made 241 trades involving 353 players. He was one of the architects of the club that would win the 1959 American League pennant. Among the players Lane acquired for the Sox were Minnie Miñoso, Nellie Fox, Dick Donovan, Jim Rivera, Billy Pierce, Chico Carrasquel and Sherm Lollar.
1960 For just the second time among White Sox players, and eighth overall, there was a home run hit over the Comiskey Park roof. In a 7-2 victory over the Kansas City A’s, Minnie Miñoso clobbered a two-out, two-run homer to left that opened scoring.
Just seven White Sox homers and 21 total went over the roof in the 72 years of Comiskey Park history before home plate was moved forward, before the 1983 season.
1970 For the first time in 69seasons, the White Sox finally had a 30-home run man. Bill Melton got an upper-deck shot off of Kansas City’s Aurelio Monteagudo (who was Melton’s teammate on the Sox the year before) to set the record for the most White Sox home runs in a season.
That same day, Luis Aparicio got his final hit in a Sox uniform.He had 1,576 of them for the White Sox. Just 672 fans were on hand to see the doubleheader at Comiskey Park, as the White Sox were in the process of setting their all-time losses mark.
1975 The White Sox traded Deron Johnson to the Red Sox in a post-deadline waiver deal, in exchange for a player to be named later. The slugger had a poor season in Chicago after being signed as a free agent for 1975, but found an extra gear in his few games for Boston, hitting a key homer down the stretch while going 3-for-4 in his Bosox debut on September 22 and 6-for-10 in his three games overall.
The White Sox acquired afterthought prospect Chuck Erickson on November 7 to complete the deal, a catcher who would play just 18 games in Triple-A in 1976 before ending his playing career.
1998 Jim Abbott’s amazing comeback with the White Sox continued, as he threw six innings of a 7-1 win over Minnesota to improve to 4-0.
It was Abbott’s second stint on the South Side, the first coming in 1995, where he compiled 2.6 rWAR in 17 starts before being dealt at the trade deadline to the Angels. After re-signing with the Angels and suffering an awful 1996 (2-18, 7.48 ERA), Abbott was flushed out of the majors and took a year off.
In 1998, the White Sox gave the southpaw another shot, and he swallowed his pride and made 18 starts across all four minors levels, from Low-A up to Triple-A. He was called up to the majors during roster expansion, making his season debut with the White Sox on September 5. He won all five of his starts for Chicago, racking up a 4.55 ERA and 4.31 FIP.
He signed with Milwaukee in the offseason and would play one more year in the majors, before retiring with a career 19.6 WAR and 87 wins.
2015 Jeff Samardzija was acquired from the A’s with the hope that the Chicago native (who grew up a White Sox fan) could be the difference in getting the team to the postseason. His campaign, though, was something to forget; he struggled all year, particularly in the first inning of games, and after the trade deadline.
On this day, however, he pitched the finest game in his career; in the opener of a doubleheader against the Tigers, he tossed a one-hitter in a 2-0 shutout. The only hit he allowed was a bloop single off the bat of Victor Martinez in the fifth inning. Samardzija struck out six and only faced one hitter over the minimum. Erik Johnson won the nightcap, completing a White Sox sweep.
2024 A 6-2 loss at San Diego gave the White Sox 119 losses, tying them with the 2003 Detroit Tigers with an AL most-ever 119 defeats. Chris Flexen, quite naturally, took the defeat to fall to 2-15 (although he would win one more, in a matter of days).
The White Sox remained a season-high 53 1/2 games out of first place.
MARCH 1985: Infielder Cecil Fielder #23 of the Toronto Blue Jays plays first base during a game. Fielder played for the Blue Jays from 1985-88. (Photo by Bernstein Associates/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have a few birthdays today.
Cecil Fielder turns 63rd today.
Is Prince sending him a card? I’ve read that they aren’t exactly close, and there are some troubles because of Cecil’s treatment of Prince’s mother. Cecil was a similar player to Prince, both big slugger types. Prince was the better player, but Cecil wasn’t bad himself.
The Jays acquired Cecil in a trade with the Royals for Leon Roberts, but unfortunately for Cecil, he came up around the same time as Fred McGriff, and Fred was the better player. The Jays also had many DH types, so Cecil got in a few games in 85 and 86 and then was the platoon DH in 87 and 88.
He had his best year with the Jays in 1987, batting .269/.345/.560 in 175 at-bats over 82 games. He hit 14 home runs that season. Then in 1988, in about the same number of at-bats, he hit .230/.289/.431 with 9 homers. Seeing that he wasn’t going to get playing time with the Jays, Cecil signed with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan and played there for a year before signing as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers.
He had his best seasons with the Tigers, hitting 284 home runs over the next seven seasons. 1990, his first season with the Tigers, he hit 51 home runs and came in second in the MVP vote. He also came in second the following season when he hit 44 homers.
Next, he went to the Yankees from Detroit, then the Angels and Cleveland for his last season at 34. Saying he was a big man doesn’t do him justice. He was pretty round, more or less the same build as Prince.
He was never a high-average hitter, topping out at .277 in 1990. His career average was .255, but when he did hit, he hit the ball a mile. He finished with 319 homers in his career. He would take a walk when offered one and had a decent on-base numbers, but his job was to drive in runs, and he did that well. He had five seasons of over 100 RBIs and, from 1990 to 1993, drove in 132, 133, 124, and 117.
For the Jays, well, he came up at the wrong time. He wasn’t the player Fred McGriff was, and his size and lack of conditioning didn’t endear him to the team. But the Tigers could overlook that and got a heck of a player for seven years.
It is Danny Cox’s 67th birthday today.
Danny came into the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals, playing for them for the first six years of his career. He had a couple of terrific seasons as a starting pitcher for them, going 18-9 with a 2.88 ERA in 1985 and then 12-13 with a 2.90 ERA in 1986, but he threw 461 innings between the two seasons. Unsurprisingly, that number of innings led to elbow troubles later. As a result, he ended up missing the entire 1989 and 1990 seasons. He returned to the majors in 1991 with the Phillies but wasn’t the same pitcher he had been before his arm troubles.
The Jays signed him as a free agent and made him a reliever in 1993. In our second World Series season, Danny was an essential part of our bullpen, going 7-6 with a 3.12 ERA in 44 games. He pitched 5 shutout innings in our ALCS win over the White Sox. He did have a rough outing in Game 6 of the World Series against the Phillies, being part of a 5-run Phillies 7th inning that put the Phillies up 6-5. But that just set things up for Joe Carter to hit the biggest home run in Jays’ history, so we can forgive him.
Danny’s arm troubles reappeared the next two seasons, and he wasn’t as good. So 1995 was his last season in the majors. He has worked as a minor league manager and pitching coach after his retirement.
Happy Birthday, Danny.
Brian Tallet turns 49 today.
This one makes me feel old.
Tallet played in the majors for nine seasons. Well, parts of nine. Three or four of them were full seasons in the majors. Six of the nine seasons were with the Jays.
As a Blue Jay, he pitched in 215 games, with 31 starts. He had a 4.75 ERA.
We traded for Tallet in January 2006 from Cleveland for Bubbie Buzachero (an ‘80s baseball name, but unfortunately, he never made the majors; I’d love to hear Buck say his name).
In 2006 we used him as a lefty out of the bullpen. Manager John Gibbons didn’t use him as just a LOOGY. He pitched 2 innings or more in 10 games and more than an inning in 16 games. He was quite valuable, appearing in 44 games with a 3.81 ERA, including 3 wins and 4 holds. Gibby used him mostly in losing efforts.
He had much the same role in 2007, putting up a 3.47 ERA in 48 games. Again, pitching multiple innings was often used, mainly when we were behind. In 2008, he had a 2.88 ERA in 51 games.
He was the third or fourth lefty in our pen. We had B.J. Ryan, Scott Downs, and Jesse Carlson (a favourite of mine), so he rarely got into high-leverage spots.
In 2009 he started the season in the bullpen, but he was in the rotation by the end of April. We tried many guys in the rotation that year. Roy Halladay and Ricky Romero headed the rotation. Beyond those two, we had several pitchers with ERAs over 5 who made multiple starts. Tallet made 25 starts and 12 relief appearances. As a starter, he had a 5.41 ERA with a 7-8 record.
He was back in the pen the following year, pitching in 34 games, with 5 starts and a 5.32 ERA.
Brian became a free agent after the 2010 season and signed with the Cardinals. He played there for half a season and then came back to us in a multi-player trade. The big-name player coming to Toronto was Colby Rasmus, while those heading to St. Louis included Octavio Dotel, Edwin Jackson, Corey Patterson, and Marc Rzepczynski. The Cardinals were on their way to the playoffs and needed bullpen help. The Jays were on their way to a fourth-place finish and wanted a player with offensive upside. Tallet and another pitcher, P.J. Walters, were throw-ins to fill out our pitching staff.
The Jays released Tallet in September. He’d go to the Padres and Pirates but didn’t pitch in the majors again.
We think of him as an innings eater, but he was pretty good for his first three seasons with the team. We had a stacked bullpen, and he couldn’t work his way into a high leverage spot.
Happy Birthday, Brian.
Jeremy Jeffress turns 39 today.
Jeffress has played 11 seasons in the MLB. He’s had some good years (27 saves for the Brewers in 2016, and he had a 1.29 ERA in 73 appearances for the Brewers in 2018, and some less good seasons, where his excellent ‘stuff’ couldn’t overcome his inability to find the strike zone.
He was a Blue Jay for a short time. We picked him up before the 2013 season and DFAed him a few days into the 2014 season (the team DFAed him for Chad Jenkins, which, looking at their careers, was a huge mistake). He cleared waivers but chose free agency and did well for himself. The Jays gave up on him too quickly, but then I’m impressed by guys who can throw 100 mph.
He pitched in 13 games, with a 3.29 ERA, 13.2 innings, 16 hits, 8 walks, and 16 strikeouts.
Career Jeffress has a 3.08 ERA in 414 games. In 424.1 innings, he’s allowed 377 hits, 163 walks, and 370 strikeouts.
Before this season, he signed with the Nationals but was released before the season started.
We interviewed Jeremy back here, and we talked to his agent Joshua Kusnickhere. His agent has been a friend to the site.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 19: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Saturday, September 19, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Mooney/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
A 3-3 week that felt like they lost every game is not exactly how I thought it would go. Playing the Mets in New York always felt daunting, especially if they knew they could damage the Phillies’ playoff hopes in any way they could, but splitting two games in Washington just can’t happen this time of year.
Three up
Alec Bohm – It’s striking how well Bohm has been doing with runners in scoring position since the All-Star break. Since July 14, Bohm has come to the plate 73 times with runners in scoring position. He has posted a 185 wRC+ in those situations, driving in 35 runs, which is tops among all players with at least 25 plate appearances with runners in scoring position. This week was another week where he seemed to continue piling up the RBI opportunities and delivering. This bodes well for the playoffs.
Luis Arraez – Listen, Arraez has been a disappointment since his trade from the Giants. There was an initial injection of energy when he arrived, which happened to coincide with the offense taking a new approach at the plate of patience, something he is not known for. The defense has not been this massive butcher show it was expected to be with all of the switching around of positions, but generally, he has not been that good. Yet he had a good week this week, hitting .300/.407/.450, bringing in five from the cleanup position. He’ll move on to yet another team once the season is over, but this week was at least one example of why the team brought him in in the first place.
Jose Urquidy – This will likely be the last time Urquidy’s name is mentioned on these here pages. There will be an end of season report card of course, but as far as game action is concerned, there won’t be much more to tell. However, signed off the street and thrown into the bullpen game fire, Urquidy gave the Phillies exactly what was needed on Friday night against the Mets: bulk innings where he was effective and kept the team in the game. The offense’ recent allergy to scoring more than three runs did not help him, but it was at least nice that he kept it close.
Three down
Orion Kerkering – Listen, I know in these past couple of days, I’ve been rough on Kerkering. He has deserved it. There is no real reason for Kerkering to remain with the organization beyond the 2026 season. His demotion, in a time when they need really any reliever that possesses a pulse to throw critical innings, to a team in Lehigh Valley that actually won’t suit up again this year should tell you all you need to know about what the organization thinks of him. The merciful thing to do would probably have been to move on from him once the 2025 playoffs were concluded, but the Phillies possessed an “I can fix her!” mentality when it came to his career. The stuff he has warranted such action, so the plan to have him remain was sound, at least on paper. There was even a decent argument to be made that he should have been dealt at this past trade deadline. However, at this point, even the stuff isn’t really that great and his headspace is clearly not where one would want it to be. He just needs to be somewhere else.
J.T. Realmuto – It’s a good thing he’s beloved by the pitching staff because his offense is doo-doo. Zero for eighteen this week, but hey! Three walks! This is getting to the point where he’ll be the highest paid backup catcher in the league in 2028, if he isn’t released before that.
Kyle Schwarber – Hey, uh, Kyle? Anytime you want to start hitting the ball would be nice. I know the strikeout record is about to be placed in your personal trophy case any day, but some offensive production would be helpful. Walks are cool, of course, but you know what is cooler? Home runs. They’re cool. You should try hitting those again.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 02: DJ Herz #74 of the Washington Nationals reacts after pitching against the New York Mets during the sixth inning at Nationals Park on July 2, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Entering the 2025 season, the pitcher I was most excited about was DJ Herz. He was coming off a rookie season where he flashed immense upside and looked like a key cog in the Nats rotation. One of the first articles I wrote for this site was about how high DJ Herz’s ceiling was.
However, things have not gone according to plan since then. After showing diminished stuff in Spring Training, it turned out that Herz needed Tommy John Surgery. He missed all of the 2025 season and was on the sidelines to start 2026. Following three rehab starts in June, Herz had to hit the shelf again due to a flexor strain. After building back up, Herz is back and will make his return to the big leagues tonight against the Tigers.
DJ Herz will start for the Nationals tomorrow, per the team, making his return to the majors after spending nearly two full seasons on the IL. Super promising in 2024, had 10.8 K/9 as a rookie.
This is a start that I am really looking forward to. Despite posting a 4.16 ERA in 88.2 innings as a rookie, his underlying numbers were much more promising. Herz posted a 3.71 FIP, a 3.85 xFIP and 3.30 xERA. The lefty was also a strikeout machine back in 2024.
Herz’s bread and butter is his fastball/changeup combination. As a prospect, he was known for his changeup but his fastball really stood out in the big leagues. It does not have crazy velocity, but the pitch generated a 30.5% whiff rate due to shape and deception. Against righties, Herz paired the heater with a nasty changeup. When he faces lefties, he relies more on his slider.
Command was a major question mark for Herz in the minors, but his 9.4% walk rate in the big leagues was much better than expected. There were starts where he battled command issues, but there were also nights where he was pinpoint. When Herz was locating, he tore through lineups. His 13 strikeout performance against the Marlins was insanely dominant.
After major surgery and a set-back, we will see if Herz has the same sort of crispness. Even if he does not, it would not be a reason to panic. The real test for Herz will come next year. This is just a good way to get his feet wet.
When Herz was on rehab, his stuff was not quite as loud as it was in 2024. In AAA, his fastball has been sitting around 92 instead of the 93-94 range we saw in the past. Early in his rehab assignment, he would be around 90-91 early in games before finding some extra velocity later in his outings.
DJ Herz is rehabbing in Rochester right now. Velo was down around 90 MPH for the first couple batters but he has been in the 92-93 MPH range since which is good to see. Averaged 93.5 in 2024 and was sitting around 93 by the end of the second inning
However, he has been trending in the right direction. Herz averaged 92.7 MPH in his last rehab start where he threw 65 pitches. It looks like he is starting to find his best stuff. That is part of the reason he is getting this opportunity down the stretch.
Hopefully this outing can be a springboard for Herz as we enter 2027. I will also be intrigued to see how deep into the game he will go. As stated, he threw 65 pitches in his last rehab start. With that in mind, I would imagine he will go about 70-75 pitches.
Regardless, it will be amazing to see the southpaw back on the mound. Ever since the Nats acquired him in the Jeimer Candelario trade, Herz has been a pitcher who has really intrigued me. Between his unique fastball, his nasty changeup and his deception, I have always thought there was something there.
Now we will get to see him back on a big league mound for the first time in two years. Just as it was for Josiah Gray, this was a culmination of a long process and an exciting day.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 03: Zach Cole #16 of the Houston Astros scores on a wild pitch in the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Daikin Park on June 03, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The final day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (74-75) lost 3-1 (BOX SCORE)
Hendrickson started for Sugar Land and went 3 innings allowing 2 runs. He was relieved by Alexander who went 5 innings allowing 1 run. The offense got on the board in the 7th on a Delgado RBI double. The offense was unable to score again as Sugar Land dropped the season finale 3-1.
Oklahoma City's Zach Ehrhard drives in a run during a minor league baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Albuquerque Isotopes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Oklahoma City Comets closed out their regular season with a 2-1 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres).
Center fielder Alek Thomas had two of Oklahoma City’s eight hits, and his triple drove in the winning run in the eighth inning, allowing the Comets to finish at 89-50, the best record in the Pacific Coast League.
Outfielder Zach Ehrhard hit his 30th double of the season and walked. He scored both runs for Oklahoma City on Sunday, padding his PCL-leading total to 120 runs scored on the season. Ehrhard finished his season hitting .291/.400/.472 with 20 home runs, 28 steals, and 94 walks.
Erhard’s 120 runs scored are the most by a Dodgers minor leaguer since Albuquerque Dukes outfielder Lemmie Miller scored 122 runs in 1983.
League leaders
James Tibbs III led the PCL in walks (108), extra-base hits (65, tied with Rockies prospect Zac Veen), and total bases (278), and was second in home runs (30), RBI (107), and runs scored (109).
Ryan Fitzgerald led the PCL in hits (172), including one on Sunday, and doubles (35), and was third in RBI (102). Ehrhard (155) and Tibbs (150) were second and third in hits.
Cole Irvin, who pitched Saturday, led the PCL in ERA (3.33) and wins (12), and his 137 2/3 innings ranked second, two outs shy of the league leader.
Keeping options open
Hyeseong Kim was hitless in four at-bats on Sunday, and finished his regular season hitting just .262/.330/.345 in Triple-A. That was good for only a 79 wRC+ before his 0-for-4 Sunday, after hitting just .259/.323/.328 with an 83 wRC+ in 43 games with the Dodgers this season.
Still, the Dodgers aren’t yet ruling out Kim as a potential speedster off the bench, with the ability to play both middle infield spots well in addition to time in center field and even at third base in Triple-A this season.
“My expectation is he will be here in the off week, and potentially be in the conversation for the postseason because he has the ability to run, play defense, and steal a base,” manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. “I don’t think his offense has been consistent. For us, the at-bat quality that Alex Freeland has been giving us has been very good, he gets on base. For Hyeseong, just trying to find something consistent and to perform consistently. To be quite honest, he just hasn’t been as consistent as he can be, but if he can get more consistent with the bat, he can be a big piece.”
Transactions
Emmet Sheehan was called up to the Dodgers, as was reliever Kyle Hurt. Right-hander Seth Halvorsen was optioned to Oklahoma City.
Game 1, Tuesday: Oklahoma City at Las Vegas Game 2, Wednesday: Oklahoma City at Las Vegas Game 3*, Thursday: Oklahoma City at Las Vegas *if necessary
If the Comets win the PCL title, they would advance to play in the Triple-A championship next Saturday, September 26 on MLB Network, playing the International League champion, a battle between Rochester and Memphis.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 20: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks runs the bases after hitting a grand slam off relief pitcher Brent Headrick #47 of the New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Chase Field on September 20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Recaps
[AZ Central] Diamondbacks live to fight another day with comeback win over Yankees – With a 2-0 count against Yankees lefty Brent Headrick, Arenado was a smidge in front of a fastball and pulled it barely foul, the ball sailing just a few feet to the left of the foul pole. He didn’t miss on the very next pitch, launching into the left field seats to give the Diamondbacks a 6-4 lead. “It was pretty cool, obviously, a big moment,” Arenado said. “It just felt good to come through. I feel like I haven’t come through a whole lot with runners in scoring position the way I would like to this year. It felt good to give us the lead and help us kind of take a deep breath a little bit.” In the eighth, he made a barehand grab of a Lombard roller and unleashed a perfect throw to first. “He gripped the baseball as he was picking it up,” Lovullo said. “He picked it up with two fingers. I said, ‘Did I just see what I thought I saw?’ He said, ‘Yes, I grip to throw on those types of plays.’
[Dbacks.com] Arenado’s 2nd-chance slam breathes life into D-backs’ postseason hopes – “The fact that we’ve won a lot of baseball games here over the past 10 years and put ourselves in a good position year after year after year to get to the big dance, I’m proud of that,” said Lovullo. “But that’s never the final destination. “If you’re looking at a full body of work, this state should be proud of what these players do and what they accomplish every single day. I know it’s not the 2001 team. We want to get there. I want to give that team company. I want this community, this state to talk about two baseball teams – that 2001 team and then the current team that’s won a world championship. It just takes a lot of work, and we’re going to figure this out.”
[SI] Corbin Burnes Blown off Mound in Disastrous 3rd Inning vs Yankees – Burnes has now allowed nine runs in 10.1 innings, for a 7.84 ERA, giving up five homers in the process. His velocity on the cutter, already down to a career low 92.7 coming into Sunday’s game, bottomed out at 90.9. The movement profile on his signature pitch is a shadow of it’s former self as well. Simply put, the cutter doesn’t cut right now. A right-handers cutter, by definition should break glove side. Fully 34% of his cutters thrown heading into today were actually moving to the arm side, not glove side. In Sunday’s outing, 19 of 39, 48% of cutters broke armside. During his peak years that number was about 2-3%, but had crept up to 11-16% in recent years prior to 2026.
[Burn City Sports] The Diamondbacks’ Wild Card hopes come down to these final six games – With six games left on their schedule, the D-Backs are four games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the final National League wild-card spot and five games behind the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, who are tied for the top wild-card positions. That leaves the club with one simple task: Win as many of its remaining six games as possible and hope the teams ahead of it give it enough of an opening. The first part is obvious, as Arizona now heads to Colorado to take on the Rockies for three games. Then, the Snakes will head to San Diego for their final three games of the regular season — and possibly the most important ones yet if they’re not eliminated by that time.The second part is harder.
[Sporting News] Nolan Arenado refusing to land on IL for Diamondbacks was a good thing – Arenado has been a solid contributor for the Diamondbacks overall this season, and it would make sense for Arizona to protect the veteran third baseman if he wasn’t 100%. But Arenado didn’t want to hit the injured list, refusing a potential placement on the IL. That refusal has been a major boost for Arizona. Since the start of September, roughly around when the Diamondbacks would’ve asked Arenado to hit the IL, he’s been one of the best hitters in MLB. In 16 games and 56 at-bats, Arenado has 18 hits, seven runs scored, two doubles, five home runs, nine RBIs, seven walks, a .321 batting average, and a 1.031 OPS. [Update: now six HR, 13 RBI and a slash of .317/.397/.650 for an OPS of 1.047]
[MLB.com] Red Sox clinch postseason spot that once seemed improbable – Five months ago, it was easy to wonder if chief baseball officer Craig Breslow made the right decision when he dismissed long-time manager Cora and dismissed or reassigned six coaches after just 27 games on a stunning Saturday night in Baltimore. There were no regrets or second guesses by Sunday… The road back to contention started with a four-game sweep of the Yankees at Fenway from June 25-28. It continued on July 3, when the Sox began what would become a winning streak of 15 games, tying the franchise record set by the 1946 pennant winners of Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky. And even after that streak was snapped, the Sox shortly thereafter ripped off another nine-game winning streak, giving them the best 30-game stretch (27-3) in team history.
[AP] Atlanta Braves clinch 7th NL East title in 9 years – “I told these guys winning the division is really tough,” [manager Walt] Weiss said. “I know it’s the first step, but it takes six months to do it. It takes everybody, and we used everybody. Virtually everyone that got an opportunity stepped up and helped us win games this year. Special group in that way. Very close group.” Atlanta has won 24 division titles, tying the Dodgers for the most since the inception of the divisional format in 1969. Atlanta has won the NL East 19 times in 32 seasons.” Just felt like they responded well to certain messages,” Weiss said. “I thought the way they competed was high-level stuff. I felt like the makeup of this team was really good. Coming off a tough year, I think a lot of it was getting them to believe that they were still really good.”
Hungry (2026)
Rating: C
Dir: James Nunn
Star: Madison Davenport, Joaquim de Almeida, Tracey Bonner, Michel Curiel
I get why the makers gave this the title they did – obviously a veiled reference to the game, ‘Hungry Hungry Hippos’. Yet I can’t help feeling they missed an opportunity. I mean, Hippocalypse Now was right there… The storyline is basic. A bunch of tourists go on a cruise, piloted by Rodrigo, looking for alligators. Only, something larger, nastier and more rotund shows up to overturn their boat and leave them stuck up trees, hoping for rescue. Fortunately, the hippo responsible is not the rare tree-climbing variety. Help, in the form of former big-game hunter Walker, is slow to arrive. This allows plenty of time for the stranded tourists to bicker with each other, reveal secrets, carry out poorly-considered actions, and fall out of the trees like so many over-ripe mangoes.
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 31: Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles congratulates Colton Cowser #17 after Cowser hit a three-run home run in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 31, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After sweeping the Mets early last week, the Orioles returned to Baltimore with a clear goal: win their series against the MLB-best Brewers and keep themselves in the playoff race. Instead, Milwaukee won a back-and-forth, extra-inning affair in Game 1 and proceeded to shut out the Orioles over the next 18 innings to sweep Baltimore and put the O’s on the brink of elimination in the Wild Card race.
The math has become very simple for Baltimore. Any combination of two White Sox wins, two Orioles losses or a White Sox win and an Orioles loss eliminates the O’s from postseason contention. This means that Baltimore needs to go 6-0 or 5-1 the rest of the way, while Chicago goes 1-5 or 0-6. The Orioles also need the Astros to lose at least 4 of their last 6 or the Rangers to lose at least five of their last 6.
The O’s open their last home series today against Toronto before closing out the regular season with a three game set in the Bronx. Given that Baltimore is 2-8 against the Yankees, sweeping the Blue Jays (and hoping Chicago loses their series in Kansas City) is the only “realistic” way to keep the Orioles’ postseason hopes alive just a little longer.
The first of three must-win games vs. Toronto starts with a matchup of the unluckiest pitcher in baseball vs. Toronto’s rookie phenom. Baz has largely been successful in his first season with the Orioles, leading all of Baltimore’s starters with 173 innings while placing second with a 3.61 FIP and 152 Ks. However, his complete lack of run support (3.35 runs/game—third-worst in baseball) has doomed Baz to an MLB-leading 15 losses.
The 27-year-old right-hander has faced Toronto once before this season, in a game that epitomized his lack of luck throughout 2026. Back in June, Baz pitched 5.2 innings in Toronto, allowing 1 earned run and 4 unearned runs in a 6-4 Orioles loss. That game turned on a Gunnar Henderson E6 in the 6th inning, with the error sparking a rally that turned a 4-1 Orioles lead into a 5-4 deficit.
Baz has been strong over his last five starts in Camden Yards, posting a 3.85 ERA while averaging 6+ IP per start. Ironically, the better that Baz has pitched, the worse the Orioles’ record at Camden Yards. In the four starts where Baz allowed 3 ER or fewer, the Orioles went 0-4. Last time out against the Guardians, he allowed 5 ER over 5.2 innings in a 9-5 Orioles win.
The boom-or-bust Baltimore bats will need to solve rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage. The 23-year-old will be making his first start since August 4th after landing on the IL with a knee injury. Yesavage faced Baltimore in back-to-back starts at the end of May/beginning of June. The outing in Baltimore went the rookie’s way, as he tossed 5 innings while allowing 2 hits, 1 ER and striking out seven. His start six days later in Toronto was not as good, with a final line of 5.2, 5 H, 6 ER, 5 Ks and this majestic home run from Coby Mayo.
Game 2: Tuesday, September 22nd, 6:35pm ET
Probable pitchers: RHP Chris Bassitt (8-5, 4.64 ERA, 72 Ks) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (3-8, 6.07 ERA, 54 Ks)
Where to watch: MASN/MASN+
By virtue of the fact that the White Sox and Guardians do not play on Monday, Tuesday is the earliest day the Orioles could be officially eliminated from playoff contention. Birdland will cling to that hope for a miracle as they watch former Blue Jay Chris Bassitt face future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer.
The Orioles’ 37-year-old right-hander has played his best baseball of the season since coming off the IL in the middle of August. Over his last seven outings, Bassitt has a 3.76 ERA and has held opponents to a .269 average. His best start was his last start against another former team, as Bassitt pitched 6.2 innings of one-run ball against the Mets in a 7-1 Orioles win. Two starts ago, the 12-year vet faced the Blue Jays in Toronto, guiding the O’s to a victory with a solid line of 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB and 5 Ks.
Scherzer may be headed to Cooperstown one day, but his potential final season has been largely forgettable. The Orioles tagged him for six runs over five innings in Toronto 10 days ago, including a leadoff home run from Dylan Beavers. The Orioles have struggled all season to get production from their outfielders, but we could see that trend reverse against Scherzer, as Beavers and Colton Cowser have combined to 5-for-11 with three long balls against the eight-time All-Star.
Game 3: Wednesday, September 23rd, 6:35pm ET
Probable pitchers: TBD vs. TBD
Where to watch: MASN/MASN+
Neither the Blue Jays nor Orioles have announced a starter for the series finale and their decision could largely depend on whether either team is still alive for postseason contention. If the White Sox win their first game in Kansas City and the Blue Jays win at least one of the first two games, the Orioles would come in eliminated from postseason contention. If the Orioles win Game 1 & 2 and the White Sox win their opener vs. the Royals, the Blue Jays would be eliminated from postseason contention.
This used to be Kyle Bradish’s spot in the rotation before he landed on the IL with a sports hernia. Last time through, the Orioles recalled Cade Povich and he delivered 3.2 innings while allowing 3 runs while taking a no decision vs. Milwaukee. Despite Povich’s career ERA of 6.91 vs. Toronto, I’d expect the Orioles to try to bring him back up on Wednesday if they still have a shot at the playoffs, which would require putting someone on the IL. Other options could be a spot start from Albert Suárez or Trey Gibson, with each becoming more likely if the O’s are already eliminated.
This would normally be Dylan Cease’s spot in the Toronto rotation. If the Blue Jays still have a sliver of hope about making the postseason, Cease will surely get the ball. In his only start against Baltimore this year, the 2026 All-Star was his usaully sharp self, limiting the Orioles to 1 run across 5 innings while striking out nine.
At one point it looked like Cease might be in contention for the AL Cy Young award, which could have influenced Toronto’s decision to start him in the series finale. However, with the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler seen as a virtual lock to take home the award, expect the Blue Jays to turn to a spot starter if they are eliminated.
Injury news was on the top of everyone’s mind Sunday afternoon in Chicago. If you are both a Cubs and Bears fan, you were probably more concerned about the injury news than this game. Hopefully, both injured Chicago sports stars avoided any of the worst potential outcomes of rough looking injuries. I once had a facial injury from a struck ball. Mine had a whole different trajectory, but I can absolutely attest to how much the cut above my eye bled. While I physically felt fine (needing 12 stitches along the eyebrow line), I bled more than I could possibly have imagined. So I wasn’t surprised at all with Alex Bregman going straight to the locker room on that. The injury looks bad, but if the orbital bone is intact, I would assume he should be fine in a few days. With the playoffs all but clinched and Pedro Ramirez’s stated best position being third, I could imagine giving Alex Bregman the first two games of the Marlins series off. Obviously, you want to get him back on the proverbial horse, but the thing that matters most is him being ready to go a week from Tuesday.
Between the lines, the news was better. Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Cub offense jumped on the Reds early and David Peterson and three relievers made sure they didn’t need all of that in a runaway win. I had said that a lopsided one would be nice heading into the last week and I’m glad that came to be. On both sides of the ball, what I said in the preview happened. Peterson locked in early (he’s either been very good or very bad) and the Cubs made former first round pick Rhett Lowder work hard and forced him to throw strikes. That was the perfect recipe on Sunday afternoon for the 87th win of the season. They needed it too, as all of the other NL Wild Card hopefuls won Sunday. The Diamondbacks did what they needed to in order to stay alive, but the clock is running out on them and they face elimination early in the week.
PCA was the big story of the day. He extended his Cub lefty homer record in a season to 45. It’s also the most homers by an under 25 player in Cub history. Taking numbers away from Billy Williams and Ernie Banks suggests a spectacular early career path. He also stole a base and needs just two steals in the last week to reach the hallowed ground of 40/40. He pulled into a tie with Kyle Schwarber for the most homers in baseball. I’d hope it was over weeks ago, but PCA should be creeping towards unanimous MVP. You are being pretty stubborn at this point to vote for anyone else. I remember saying he had to get well past Shohei Ohtani in order to win the award and he’s definitely done that. His five-tool play should net that MVP, no questions asked. I know the RBI stat has fallen out of favor, but he’s four off of the major league lead there. He already leads in runs scored. It’s getting to where he is first or just outside of first in every offensive statistic while also being one of the best defensive players in the league and arguably the best.
One of the things about PCA is that he isn’t per se streaky. He was 0-for-10 across the first two games of this series. But he had a big game last Wednesday against the Braves and then another Sunday. With two terrible days in between. One of the key skills of star players is the ability to not get into prolonged slumps and to be able to get very hot, very quickly. He has been such an incredible joy to watch this season.
A hat tip to the rest of the Cub offense. They had 13 hits in total and drew four walks. They slugged three homers off of Reds reliever Carson Spiers who had a terrible day on the mound. Kudos to the Reds for throwing an actual pitcher in the ninth inning while eight runs down.
An off day now ahead of the final six games of the season.
Three Positives:
It’s gotta be Pete. Homer, double, single, stolen base, three runs, two runs driven in. Simply the Best this season.
David Peterson. Blessed with a lead before he ever took the mound and then a five run lead after three, he attacked and struck out seven while allowing three hits and a walk. I saw an incredible statistic on the broadcast. He’s actually getting a few less ground balls than he did in New York. But, the opponent’s batting average on ground balls is around 100 points lower as a Cub. Cub defense is incredible and it is a nice pairing. Don’t be surprised if some guys who allow a lot of grounders try to find a way to Chicago.
Pedro Ramirez had three hits in the game, drove in two runs and scored another. He could be very important for a few days and it isn’t hard to imagine him taking a key plate appearance or two in the postseason. Quite a debut for him.
Game 156, September 20: Cubs 9, Reds 1 (87-69)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
Hero: David Peterson (.145). 6 IP, 22 BF, 3 H, BB, R, 7 K (W 6-2)
Sidekick: Alex Bregman (.118). 1-1, BB, RBI, R
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Seiya Suzuki (-.048). 1-5, HR, RBI, R
Goat: Miguel Amaya (-.033). 0-4
Kid: Michael Conforto (-.022). 1-5, HR, RBI, R
Notes: Since there seem to always be questions about hitters with a homer and negative WPA, Michael Conforto’s was worth .044 (but his earlier strikeout with the bases loaded was -.043) and Seiya’s homer was .002.
WPA Play of the Game: Pedro Ramirez batted with the bases loaded and two outs with the Cubs up three in the third. He singled, driving in a run. (.088)
Reds Play of the Game: With runners at second and third and two outs in the first inning, the Cubs up one, Rhett Lowder got Nico Hoerner to ground out. (.052).
Note: 10 of 79 plays in this game registered as .000.
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 155 Winner: Daniel Palencia received 60 of 47 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Alex Bregman +26
Pete Crow-Armstrong +25.5
Carson Kelly +17.5
Shōta Imanaga +15
Ben Brown +13.5
Jameson Taillon -13
Nico Hoerner -16
Dansby Swanson -17
Caleb Thielbar -17.5
Seiya Suzuki -20
Scoreboard Watching: As noted in the open, all four remaining Wild Card hopefuls won. With each team having six games remaining, the Cubs and Padres are tied (Cubs have the tiebreaker), the Phillies one back and the Diamondbacks three back of Philadelphia. Further, all four teams are off on Monday (as much of the NL is). The Phillies are technically in the worst spot of the three teams currently in the wild card spots, but also have all six games at home. The Diamondbacks finish with a six-game road trip, though it starts in Colorado where the Rockies will again lose 100 games and finish with the worst record in the league. The Phillies host the Brewers, who have won eight of 10 and haven’t let up yet. It should be an interesting final week.
Up Next: That off day Monday and then the Cubs will start having one eye on the playoffs the following week. Their margin is so slim, that they don’t really have any choice other than to make sure their three starters of choice are lined up to throw the three games. Of course, there is immense value in the top Wild Card, so they’ll still fight to the finish for that. But among the six likely playoff teams, there’s no real easy out. The Phillies might be the worst of the six right now today, but some would have had them in the top three a week or so ago.
The Cubs took two out of three from the Marlins (76-80) just over two weeks ago. The Marlins are putting up a fight down the stretch, but also coming up short a lot. Offensively, they are eighth in OPS, though only 23rd in homers. They are second in steals. On the Pitching side, they are 19th in strikeouts, ninth in opponent average and 14th in WHIP. So they are above average offensively and slightly above average pitching. The core of a competitive team exists.
Shōta Imanaga (11-10, 3.80) will start the opener. He’s won his last three starts. allowing four runs over 18 innings, throwing exactly six innings in each. One of those wins was against the Marlins in Miami. The deal is the same as it always is. Keep the ball in the park and he’s incredibly effective because he doesn’t really walk anyone and doesn’t allow a ton of hits. He struck out eight in his last one and the Cubs actually visited the mound during a stretch where he was rolling. I think they are watching very carefully to make sure he’s not tipping pitches and I suspect that’s been a problem of his.
30-year-old Janson Junk (6-9, 4.50) starts for the Marlins. The right hander has just 60 big league appearances and 46 starts at the age of 30. The vast majority of that work is the last two years for the Marlins, a rebuilding team. He’s been a bit worse this year. He was the opposing pitcher and got the loss in that game against Imanaga a few weeks ago. The Cubs didn’t do much with him, though: One run on three hits and a walk. Maybe the second time will be the charm. The Mets were the most recent team to see him for a second time. They put up eight runs in three innings against him. But, just before that he saw the Nationals twice in the span of eight days and the results were almost identical. His 75 pitches against the Cubs last time were the most pitches he’d made in a game since August 17. So expect about four or five innings.
The Marlin bullpen has the lowest opponent batting average allowed. So you want to get to the starter. The weakness of their pen is that they have the 12th most walks allowed. They’ve allowed close to 50 more walks than the Cub bullpen (in only nine more innings).
If the Cub offense does what it does, work consistent plate appearances, start to finish, and Imanaga keeps the ball in the park, I think the Cubs can put together a little streak here.
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Robert Suarez #75 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
(75-75) Indianapolis Indians 9, (76-73) Gwinnett Stripers 6
Patrick Clohisy, RF: 1-for-5, SB, .340/.420/.483
David McCabe, 1B: 4-for-4, R, RBI, .319/.362/.505
Jordan Groshans, DH: 1-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, .226/.305/.491
A furious late rally was undone with three runs in the ninth as the Stripers drop the season finale to the Indianapolis Indians 9-6.
The Stripers ended the season with the bullpen game after the promotions of JR Ritchie, and Owen Murphy, and turned to the recently signed Michael Grove (1.1IP 2H 2ER 1BB 2K) got the start and worked an effective first inning, working around a walk and stolen base to put up a 0. He came out in the second and gave back-to-back singles before being replaced by the rehabbing Joe Jiménez who allowed both inherited runs to score as well as another run in the inning. Jiménez struggled with his overall stuff with a non-sharp slider, and low velocity on his four-seam (92-93) but that is to be expected, of course, as he hasn’t pitched in games since 2024. So while the results weren’t great, it was still fantastic to see him out there on the mound. He was replaced by Robert Suarez who came out guns blazing – sitting 96-97 with his four-seam fastball. He allowed a double on a changeup left up high but got the final batter of the inning out on the very next pitch. Ricky Vanasco (1IP 1H 1R 0ER 1BB 1K) replaced Suarez who allowed one run to score on a sacrifice fly. Elieser Hernández (2IP 3H 2ER 0BB 0K) and gave up a solo home run in his first inning, and a lead off triple that would come around to score in his second inning of work. Following Elieser the Stripers turned to Tyler Uberstine (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 1K) the following inning and needed just 13 pitches to get out of the inning as he pounded the zone. Uberstine would be replaced by Danny Young (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K) was even more efficient – needing just 9 total pitches in a scoreless inning of work. Unfortunately for the Stripers after Danny Young they turned to James Karinchak (1IP 3H 3ER 2BB 1K) who picked up the loss, surrendering three earned runs in the top of the 9th inning.
Offensively the Stripers got off to a hot start with Patrick Clohisy reaching on error, stealing second, and coming in to score from a Jim Jarvis single. After that, it was really tough sledding. They grounded into a pair of double plays, got picked off of second, and overall looked very lack luster. Everything then changed again in the sixth inning – and it all came with two outs. David McCabe got it started with a single, and was then driven in by Jordan Groshans.
Brett Wisely would follow up the Groshans double with a double of his own, scoring another run and putting the Stripers down three runs at the time. After a Lizandro Espinoza walk, and subsequent double steal, Maverick Handley drove two in with a single of his own making it a one run game. The following inning the Stripers would tie it with a David McCabe single that scored Luke Williams. Unfortunately they would ultimately fall, dropping the season finale, and ultimately ending the minor league season for the Atlanta Braves.
With all of that said – I wanted to thank each and every one of you for all of the time you spent reading and engaging with our community. It was an incredible season with tons of highlights and it looks like it’s only going to get better next year. The minor league content doesn’t end here though – we do have another year end season review, finale updated top 30, as well as Arizona Fall League coverage.
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 1: Easton McGee #51 of the Kansas City Royals rubs down a ball as he pitches in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 Kansas City Royals have a lot of good things going for them. Bobby Witt Jr. is great. Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone are two of the most exciting young talents in the league. Only injuries could dim Maikel Garcia’s budding stardom. Noah Cameron is the best Royals starting pitcher the Royals have developed in a decade and a half. Michael Massey and Nick Loftin made big steps forward.
But the Royals are going to lose at least 90 games this season because that core can’t compensate for the rest of the team being bad. Yes, the Royals need to have some difficult conversations that I don’t really have faith they’ll approach with an open mind—namely, that the team is better when Salvador Perez doesn’t play, and that Vinnie Pasquantino is not part of the core anymore. However, we can all agree on one thing, which is that the bullpen is terrible and it needs an overhaul.
And when I say it needs an overhaul, it needs a total, complete overhaul. Kansas City needs to be buying in bulk in the offseason.
If you haven’t been paying attention because the NFL has started, you’re not the only one, but suffice to say that the Royals have been on a skid, losing 14 of their last 19 games. While it hasn’t all been because of the bullpen, the bullpen has borne the brunt of the responsibility.
Yesterday, it was Nate Pearson giving up a single on a four-seam fastball up in the zone and not quite getting a slider low enough, a pitch which was tagged for a two-run home run.
On Saturday, it was Steven Cruz tossing a middle-middle cutter to a guy with a career .233 isolated slugging percentage.
On Friday, it was Pearson leaving a four-seam fastball up in the zone after also being responsible for the other two batters on base and a previous run in the inning:
The previous Sunday, it was Craig Kimbrel walking two and then Connor Thomas not quite getting a sweeper down enough in the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox.
One day earlier, it was Anthony Gose throwing a middle-middle fastball to guy with a career .206 ISO.
And the triumvirate of bullpen awfulness happened on Tuesday, September 8. In the eighth inning, Thomas gave up consecutive singles to kick off the inning and then allowed a sacrifice fly on a mediocre cutter…
Just in the last two weeks, that’s eight times the bullpen gave up a go-ahead run or go-ahead runs in the sixth inning or later. The Royals lost all six of those games. And in none of those cases was the bullpen trying to clean up a mess of the starting pitching’s making—it was all them.
I can only imagine what it feels like to be a Royals hitter or starting pitcher with the bullpen the way that it is. The amount of pressure that puts on the rest of the team must be intense. Yes, Jac Caglianone said that punching something in the dugout and cutting his hand was because he was frustrated at his own performance. While that might be true, I can’t help but wonder how much better of a headspace he and the other hitters would be in if they didn’t have to try and play hero ball every game. Since August 29th, the Royals have won a game where they scored fewer than five runs once.
And the biggest problem here is that there is no one person responsible. Five different guys—Pearson, Kruz, Kimbrel, Thomas, and Gose—were involved in the above examples. As a unit, 23 different guys have thrown at least five innings for the bullpen; 14 of them have been tagged with at least one loss, 10 have an ERA of 5.00 or higher, nine have had at least one blown save, and only one has struck out a quarter or more batters faced.
You could look at the Royals and say, “Man, if it’s just the bullpen, that’s fixable!” Unfortunately, the issue is that the Royals probably need to go out and find 10-15 new bullpen arms next year if they want to find a few that aren’t bad.
Seriously; look at the list of pitchers the Royals have used in the bullpen this year and tell me who can be relied on moving forward. Do you want Alex Lange and his sky high career walk rate back? Trust a 32-year-old Lucas Erceg after posting a K-BB% of 1.4% next year? Any interest in Mason Black (career 5.53 ERA) or Connor Seaboldt (career 7.36 ERA)? Think a 39-year-old Craig Kimbrel can hold down a big league job?
There are, genuinely, only two guys who you can mark down as probably being able to contribute semi-competent innings next year. Daniel Lynch IV is one, and one of the only genuinely good bullpen arms on the team. Steven Cruz is another, though not in a closer role.
Outside of that, you cannot convince me that any one of those other 21 guys would be a net benefit to Kansas City if they pitched a single inning for the team in 2027 (non-injured division). So here’s hoping Costco has a sale on arms, because the Royals need to be shopping the aisles hard.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - SEPTEMBER 20: Members of the Boston Red Sox celebrate in the clubhouse after the Red Sox clinch a Wild Card spot after the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Sunday, September 20, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Red Sox have clinched a postseason spot. It was… anticlimactic.
The Sox allowed 4 runs before recording a single out yesterday and never made it a competitive game against the Rays, only securing their playoff berth via the Braves defeat of the Astros. They are just 9-8 over the month of September and have dropped each of the last 2 series. The team’s OPS+ of 84 is the lowest monthly mark they’ve posted all season — yes, even worse than the dreadful April (albeit just barely).
After a remarkable roller coaster of a season, we find ourselves in a weird spot. In terms of on-field results, nothing of consequence has really happened this month. The most important things that are happening relative to the Red Sox right now are happening in the trainer’s room. Will Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela recover in time for the playoffs? Can Roman Anthony find his rhythm after a lengthy injury stint? What can Garrett Crochet and Tanner Houck do, if anything, to salvage two otherwise lost seasons?
But the sting of Champagne last night was real. Playoff baseball is coming. And the truth of the matter is that if the Sox give us a memorable October, we won’t care how September felt.
Use this space to talk about whatever you want and, as always, be good to one another.
