PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 16: Brandon Lowe #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates rounds the bases on his two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on September 16, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe has been arguably the best player for the franchise this season. He leads the team in home runs with 33 and he leads the team with RBIs with 93. However, the bad news is that Lowe is a free agent in the offseason.
There could be some good news, as there is apparently mutual interest between the team and Lowe to sign a new deal. According to Lowe the team has not approached him yet about signing an extension but it is normal for teams to table those types of conversations until the season is over.
Lowe told Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette the Pirates have not approached him about an extension, though he added: “I think this team’s got a very bright future and a lot of good players, and there’s a lot of good baseball that’s going to be played in this park for a long time. [If] they want to talk, I’m all ears.” Post Gazette
In the event a multiyear agreement does not materialize before free agency begins in November, the Pirates will likely give Lowe a $23.1MM qualifying offer. If the Pirates do present Lowe with a QO and he signs for upward of $50MM elsewhere, they will receive a pick after the first round of the 2027 draft in return.
Lowe was acquired in a three-team trade involving the Astros last December. In a swap that also delivered left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery and outfielderJake Mangum to Pittsburgh, the team shipped righty Mike Burrows to Houston.
One of the most important things that the Pirates need to take care of in the offseason is Lowe. He has been so good this year defensively and of course offensively. The power and leadership that he has brought to this young team has been apparent and that’s a guy that needs to resign.
I understand the asking price could be a lot but a team that never likes to spend money should especially for a player that is producing and showing interest in returning.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 20: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch, Adam Berry: The long and winding season is coming to a close, and the Yankees find themselves six games back of the Rays with just seven games remaining. The good news is that four of those remaining games will be against those Rays in the Bronx starting from Tuesday, giving the Yankees a very small chance to keep their division hopes alive. How small? Per FanGraphs, the Yankees have just a one percent chance of finishing first in the AL East. Given the way things have gone as of late, even that figure seems a tad optimistic, but as a wise man once said, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.
Hoch and Berry outline the key details of this crucial homestand for the Yankees. Of note is the starting pitching matchups; Tampa Bay will send out their two best starters in the opening doubleheader — Nick Martinez for Game 1 and Drew Rasmussen for Game 2 — but they’re slated to rely on Ian Seymour and Freddy Peralta for Wednesday and Thursday, which is a step down in quality. Meanwhile, the Yankees will counter with Carlos Rodón and Max Fried for the doubleheader, then Gerrit Cole for Game 3 and Cam Schlittler for Game 4. If the Yankees can come away with two wins on Tuesday — a big if, admittedly — a four-game sweep might not be out of their reach.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillps: Of course, in all likelihood, the Yankees will have to settle for a Wild Card matchup with the Red Sox for the second season in a row. Phillips takes a shot on predicting the Yankees’ 26-man roster for the WCS. The most impactful decision looks to be who to start in center field, with Trent Grisham progressing in his recovery from a hamstring strain, while Spencer Jones continues to hold his own in the big leagues. Personally, I’d rather see Jones out there, but we’ll have to see.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: ($) There’s one Yankee in particular who is licking their chops at the opportunity to stick it to the Rays in the upcoming homestand, and that’s José Caballero. Having been traded from those Rays to the Yankees at last year’s deadline, the feisty infielder has used that to fuel his competitive fire, saying, “For me, it’s just, ‘All right, I’m going to show you that I was good enough to stay in this game. I was good enough to make you pay for it.’ That’s all.” While Caballero hasn’t recaptured the magic that saw him post a 133 wRC+ over last season’s stretch run, he nonetheless has been a valuable role player in 2026, accumulating 1.5 WAR over 131 games so far. Here’s hoping he backs up the talk and stings those Rays.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 21: Bo Davidson #94 of the San Francisco Giants is congratulated by Drew Gilbert #0 after he scored during his Major League debut against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Oracle Park on September 21, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In a thoroughly depressing 2026 season for the San Francisco Giants, there was some hope about the future of the outfield Monday night. Drew Gilbert went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Bo Davidson got a hit and stole a base in his big-league debut. And Jonah Cox continues to show he’s a plus defender at both second base as well as center field as the Giants won, 5-2.
Of course, the main theme of the 2026 season is that the Giants and their fans cannot have nice things. Blade Tidwell got his first win of the season Tuesday in St. Louis, then had to leave Monday’s game in the 4th inning due to ominous “elbow discomfort” one batter after allowing a Brooks Lee home run that just barely made it out of the park in right.
Tristan Beck (welcome back!) relieved Tidwell and retired all eight batters he faced for a much-deserved first win of the season. He even got his ERA below 6! Trent Harris got his second save with a perfect ninth inning, moving him into a tie for fifth among Giants closers this season. When the entire team has 30 saves for the season, you take them where you can get hem.
The Giants raced out to an early lead thanks to Gilbert and Davidson. Gilbert legged out an infield hit and Davidson followed up by lining a single to right on the 9th pitch of his first major league at-bat.
Davidson went on to steal second base, then scored on Brett Harris’ two-run single. Fun fact! It was Harris’ first two RBIs of the season, coming in his 9th game with the Giants and 13th overall. To his credit, he has not concussed himself on a doorway this season, though there’s still a week to go.
In the second, it was another infield single, this time by Osleivis Basabe, that started a rally. Christian Koss broke out of an 0-for-10 streak with a double, then Gilbert lined the ball over a drawn-in Twins infield to drive in both of his teammates.
Gilbert continued to torment Twins starter Zebby Matthews in the 5th, leading off the inning with his 11th home run. He’s been much better in the second half of the season, slashing .238/.339/.427 since the All-Star break and hitting unusually well (265/.365/.530) when he leads off an inning.
Later in the game, Duane Kuiper texted Mike Krukow that his call of Gilbert’s dinger was the “Worst home run call I’ve ever heard” and Krukow admitted the call was so stressful he may have wet his pants a little.
Marcelo Mayer, acquired in the Erik Miller trade, also made his Giants debut. It wasn’t great, as he earned himself a Golden Sombrero by striking out all four times he came to the plate, the first three coming on 3-2 pitches.
Old friend Taylor Rogers pitched 1.1 scoreless innings in relief and became the first Minnesota pitcher to retire Gilbert. Sadly, his twin brother Tyler may have ended the Toronto Blue Jays’ slim hopes of a playoff berth by giving up a game-winning two-home run homer to Pete Alonso on the same night.
Champagne showers are in the forecast as the Phillies open their final week of the regular season Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.
The six-game homestand features visits from the top team in the National League (the Milwaukee Brewers) and the top team in the American League (the Tampa Bay Rays).
The Phillies will enter Tuesday night’s game against the Brewers with a magic number of 3 to clinch their fifth straight trip to the postseason. That means Garrett Stubbs could be doing the backstroke in the Phillies’ clubhouse as early as Wednesday night.
The Phils control the third and final NL wild-card spot with a four-game advantage over the Arizona Diamondbacks, currently the last team out. Any combination of three Phillies wins or three Arizona losses would put the Phils in the postseason.
While Baseball-Reference.com gives the Phillies a 98 percent chance of making the postseason, it’s still unclear where they will play a first-round Wild Card Series next week.
With six games remaining, the Phils are a game behind the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, who are tied for the top NL wild-card spot. The Phils still have a chance to claim the first wild-card spot, which would make them the NL’s No. 4 overall seed and keep them at home for the best-of-three first-round series.
Finishing as the second (No. 5 seed) or third (No. 6) seed would put the Phils on the road for the first round. Based on the standings today, the Phillies, as the No. 6 seed, would travel to No. 3 seed Atlanta for the first round. Atlanta clinched the NL East on Sunday. The Braves went 9-4 against the Phillies this season.
If the Phils finish as the No. 5 seed, they would open on the road against the No. 4 seed. Based on tiebreakers, that team would currently be the Cubs, who won their season series with the Padres.
If, by chance, the Phillies, Cubs and Padres all finish with the same record, the Cubs would claim the No. 4 seed with the Phillies as the No. 5 seed over the Padres, based on season-series tiebreakers.
On Sunday, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said the team would prioritize making the postseason ahead of striving for the home-field advantage in the first round. So, if the Phillies lock up a postseason berth before the weekend, Zack Wheeler would not pitch Sunday’s regular season finale. He instead would be in place to start Game 1 of the playoffs. Cristopher Sanchez could also be a candidate to start that game, provided the Phillies sew up a postseason berth before his turn comes up again on Saturday.
Wheeler (13-5, 2.99) pitches Tuesday night against Milwaukee’s Dustin May. Aaron Nola (7-10, 4.49) will start Wednesday night.
Here’s a look at what the final week of the season looks like for the teams the Phillies are battling.
CUBS – They are 87-69, tied with San Diego for the top wild-card spot, with six games to play, three at home against Miami and three at Boston.
PADRES – They are 87-69, tied with the Cubs for the top wild-card spot, with six to play, three at the Dodgers followed by three at home against Arizona.
DIAMONDBACKS – They are 82-74, four games behind the Phillies, the current No. 6 seed. They finish with three at Colorado and three at San Diego.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 21: Emmanuel Rodriguez #21 of the Minnesota Twins points to the sky after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Oracle Park on September 21, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, after making fun of the makeup of the Giants’ current roster in my game thread, it’s only fitting that the Twins blew this one. That’s baseball for you.
Zebby Matthews was on the mound for the Twins and was less sharp after a silencing the Yankees his last time out. It was a rough first two innings especially. Zebby was able to get to two strikes on most hitters he faced, but struggled to put away batters from there, as we’ve seen him do in some of his bad starts in the past. He threw 35 pitches and allowed two runs on three singles in the first, and then 28 and two more runs in the second. However, Matthews was pretty strong after that, allowing just a single run in the final three frames on a solo homer while striking out five Giants. A nice rebound from the young starter after a rough beginning.
The offense was a different story. The hitters looked like a group that is just out of gas, barely putting up a fight against a bunch of AAA pitchers. To be fair, the lineup the Twins are running out currently is a bunch of young players who have never played this far into a season before (Jenkins, Rodriguez, Keaschall, Lee, Roden, Sabato) along with Kody Clemens, who is essentially in his first season as a regular, and Ryan Jeffers who broke his hamate bone a few months ago and then has caught nearly ever game since returning. They truly might just be out of gas.
The Twins managed only four hits and five baserunners all night. They never had an inning with multiple hits. The only runs came on solo homers. The first was a classic Brooks Lee wall-scraper, but the second was an incredibly impressive bomb to right-center off the bat of Emma Rodriguez, an impressive feat in San Francisco’s cavernous ballpark.
The swing, approach, and raw power displayed by Rodriguez there are exactly why the Twins have hung onto the Dominican outfielder as long as they have, despite his checkered injury history. There are very few players that have the strength to hit that home run at all, let alone one who has the power and speed that Rodriguez also features. Maybe he’ll flame out like some other talented Minnesota top prospects, but swings like that make me hesitant to use Emma as a trade chip this offseason.
Unfortunately, the home runs were really the only bright spot for the Twins tonight. Taylor Rogers had a scoreless outing in what could be his final season, while Travis Adams continued to flash just enough stuff to make the Twins comfortable with him as the final bullpen option for 2027. But here on out is all about getting the kids reps and keeping everyone healthy heading into the offseason. If we look at it that way, mission accomplished, I suppose.
STUDS
Emmanuel Rodriguez: mega bomb
Brooks Lee: mini bomb
Final three innings Zebby: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 K
DUDS
The lineup: 4-31, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K
First two innings Zebby: 2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 K
Tomorrow is Taj Bradley’s final start of the season as he looks to put the finishing touches on what has been a strong first full season in Minnesota. Five more to go until a long winter, let’s enjoy them!
A gut punching series loss at the hands of the Miami Marlins not only had the Diamondbacks lose more ground in the NL Wild Card race to the 3 teams ahead of them, it also seemed to take all the hopium that remained in our systems and replace it with either copium or just straight up despair as the D’Backs would go from 2 losing series against 2 sub .500 teams to welcoming the New York Yankees into town for the final home series of the 2026 season.
The Yankees may have already secured their spot in October before their trip to the desert but with a chance at the AL East title still a possibility, along with having Gerrit Cole and the probable AL Cy Young winner in Cam Schlittler taking the bump, this would be no cake walk of a series and the Diamondbacks would need to at least win this series if they want any sliver of hope going into their final 6 games in Colorado and San Diego. With the 25th anniversary of the 2001 World Series winning team being celebrated this series, maybe they would be able to have some of that magic rub off onto this 2026 ballclub and use it as the fuel they need to propel them towards postseason baseball.
Ed-Rough-do Start-Riguez
Eduardo Rodriguez has undoubtedly been the best starter in the Diamondbacks rotation for all of 2026 as he leads the starters in wins (15), ERA (2.89), IP (183.2) and K’s (140), but the issue that has been rearing its head all season for Rodriguez has been his struggles out of the gate and we got more of the same in Friday night’s series opener with the Yankees putting up a 5 spot before the Diamondbacks even had the chance to swing the lumber.
The three of us looked at ERod’s numbers from the 1st inning of his starts compared to the rest of the game and it was as night and day as it could get with his first inning ERA this season sitting at 7.84, a WHIP of 1.77 and an opposing slash of .302/.389/579. From the 2nd inning and beyond he evolves into a completely different pitcher with his 1.89 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and opposing hitter slashing just .222/.279/.326. This isn’t even necessarily just an issue he’s had in 2026 either as his career ERA in the 1st inning (4.51) compared to the rest of his innings (3.92) shows that he’s always had struggles early in games for most of his career.
Cravin for Pavin?
With the demoralizing 9-2 loss on Friday night the Diamondbacks and all snakes fans in attendance would hope that the vibes would be turned around as Saturday would be the big 25th anniversary celebration of the greatest world series of all time (yes I’m biased) with so many legends from that squad like Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez, Tony Womack, Miguel Batista, Damien Miller and more in the building for the festivities.
Both the Yankees and Diamondbacks had clutch pitching and hitting at times throughout this game as the score was knotted at 3 a piece going into the bottom of the 9th inning with the Snakes in desperate need of a win to keep their playoff hopes from lowering even further, and that’s when the infamous Pavin Smith stepped in the box as a pinch hitter with a runner on 1st and 1 out. The baseball gods must like reruns because they decided that a Diamondbacks walk-off of the Yankees on the night of the 2001 WS celebration would be the most fitting outcome, and Pavin delivered just that with a 2-R home run into the sea of Yankee fans in right field.
All 3 of us have been very vocal in our frustrations with Smith’s struggles in his career here in the desert and the front office seeming to refuse to move on from a player that has accumulated 0.1 bWAR in his time as a major leaguer, and we all still feel that he should not be on this roster at the beginning of the 2027 season (if we have one that is) in any capacity, but we did admit that it was nice to see Pavin summon his inner Luis Gonzalez and send the fans into a frenzy with a walk-off over the Yankees.
Unc-enado Still Got It
The fireworks might have been after the game on Friday night, but Sunday’s final home game of the 2026 regular season had plenty of leftovers as it felt like baseballs were flying out left and right. Most of them came for the Yankees off of Corbin Burnes in the 4th inning, but the biggest one was in the Diamondbacks favor with Nolan Arenado hitting a go ahead (and potential season saving) grand slam in the 5th inning, his 3rd in 2026 and the 9th of his career.
The fellas and I discussed how nice of a surprise this offensive resurgence has been from Arenado as he is putting up some of the best numbers at the dish we have seen since his MVP caliber season as a Cardinal in 2022 while also pondering the likelihood that Nolan can get to 30 home runs on the season (27 currently) with 3 of the final 6 games being played in his old stomping grounds of Coors Field where Arenado has 139 dingers in his career in the mile high city.
Colorado Cookin
Setting off for the final road trip of the regular season the Snakes will be heading to Coors Field to take on the Colorado Rockies as they continue to battle for their lives in an attempt to make miracles happen and sneak into the playoffs.
The last few weeks have seen us and other fans throw the term “must-win games” around a bunch but these 3 in Colorado are all truly must win games if the Diamondbacks want to have any real chance at making the final series in San Diego mean anything as a Diamondbacks loss+Padres win, 2 D’Backs losses or 2 Padres wins would put the final nail in the coffin of the Diamondbacks playoff hopes.
Gabe, Brandon and I all felt disgusted that we would have to actually root for the Los Angeles Dodgers to win baseball games (just typing that out makes me want to puke) but that is the reality we are in as a Dodgers sweep of the Padres with the Diamondbacks sweeping the Rockies would set us up for what could most likely feel like its own wild card series against the Padres in San Diego to decide who gets in and who goes to Cancun.
The Major League Baseball season is down to its final days with plenty of uncertainty and playoff spots still to be clinched.
In the AL West, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros have been exchanging first place in recent days and it's the Rangers who hold a one-game leading entering play on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The Cleveland Guardians have overtaken the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, but the Sox are still likely to earn a wild card spot.
The Chicago Cubs, San DIego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies basically have the NL's three wild card spots locked up, but only one game separating the three teams in the seeding.
The regular season ends on Sunday, Sept. 27, with the best-of-three wild card series beginning two days later.
Here's the latest standings and updates on the MLB playoff race:
MLB playoff bracket 2026
#-division champion; *clinched at least a wild card spot
In this week’s Injury Report, the Dodgers are getting a number of key players back this week as they prepare for another deep playoff run in their quest to three-peat. Alex Bregman hopes to return sometime in the postseason after suffering multiple facial fractures in a terrible, freak accident on the on-deck circle. And Dylan Cease has likely made his last start after experiencing shoulder fatigue. That and more in the final week’s injury report.
⚾️ 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.
Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps)
Andy Pages (hand)
Blake Snell (groin)
Roki Sasaki (blister)
Ohtani has been out of action for the last two weeks, sidelined with lingering knee and biceps injuries. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Sunday that the 32-year-old star should be expected to return from the injured list and join the Dodgers lineup on Wednesday. Ohtani should be in the lineup for the remaining games to get some needed at-bats before the postseason. The team also gets Pages back this week, activating him from the injured list ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Padres. He’s been out for a month with a left hand fracture. The two additions this week are obviously a significant boost for a Dodgers team looking to three-peat. Their returns likely shift rookie Josue De Paula to a reserve or utility role.
On the pitching side, Snell left his start last Wednesday against the Reds with left groin tightness. He stated the issue was not serious and plans on making one more start before the postseason. That start isn’t going to come when his spot in the rotation comes up on Tuesday, but the plan is for him to pitch over the weekend, according to Roberts.
Bregman was struck by a foul ball while on the on-deck circle on Sunday against the Reds and was sent to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with multiple facial fractures. The freak accident is an unfortunate development this late in the season as the Cubs prepare to enter the playoffs. The team is hoping to get their 32-year-old star third baseman back at some point in the postseason, and it is a relief that the injury didn’t result in anything more serious. Meanwhile, Sasaki was activated on Monday after missing some time with a blister issue and will pitch as a one-inning reliever, auditioning for a spot in the Dodgers bullpen in the postseason.
Dylan Cease (shoulder)
Cease has likely made his final start of the season. The 30-year-old right-hander underwent an MRI on his right shoulder over the weekend after experiencing some fatigue. The imaging revealed some shoulder inflammation, but no structural damage that would require surgery, and nothing that would bring into question his availability for next season. With the Blue Jays 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, it doesn’t make much sense for Cease to push for one more start over the final weekend. If his season is indeed over, he’ll end the year with a strong 2.40 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts over 169 innings.
Andrés Muñoz (knee)
Muñoz left Sunday’s game against the Rockies with a knee injury after giving up a home run and a walk. He was set to undergo an MRI on his right knee, the results of which are still unknown. The 27-year-old right-hander had a tough, disappointing season, posting a 4.24 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts over 57 1/3 innings while converting 28 of 38 save chances. If he’s unable to pitch over the final week, it could be Seranthony Domíguez closing out the remaining games.
Bryce Eldridge (concussion)
More Giants injuries that seemingly come out of nowhere. Eldridge was scratched from Friday’s lineup against the Dodgers due to a head laceration after bumping his head on a low-hanging ceiling at the team hotel. He still “felt woozy” throughout the weekend and entered the concussion protocol before the team ultimately placed him on the 7-day concussion injured list. The move is retroactive to Friday, so there’s a chance he could return for the final weekend series, though that’s probably unlikely. The 21-year-old slugger flashed immense potential this season, hitting .269/.364/.461 with 17 homers and 57 RBI across 448 plate appearances.
Colt Keith (thumb)
Keith’s season is over after the team placed him on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb sprain. It’s an issue that the 25-year-old infielder has been playing through over the last several weeks. He ends the season hitting a modest .258/.322/.406 with 10 homers, 51 runs scored, 36 RBI, and six steals across 423 plate appearances.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 19: Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets is doused with water following 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
Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.
MONDAY
A.J. Ewing hit his 10th home run of the season, giving the Mets 11 players with 10+ homers and setting a new record for most 10-homer players in a season in franchise history (the 2017 team previously held the record with 10 10-homer players). They are now tied for the fifth-most 10-homer players on a team in baseball history, behind the 2019 Yankees (14), 2019 Blue Jays (13), 2018 Yankees (12), and 2023 Twins (12).
TUESDAY
Pete Alonso became the 20th player to record their 300th homer against a team for which they previously played, and the third to do so against a team for which they played 1,000 or more games (along with Willie Horton against the Tigers and Torii Hunter against the Twins). (source: Sarah Langs on X, per Elias Sports Bureau)
Alonso became the second player to hit their 300th homer at Citi Field, as Curtis Granderson reached the milestone with a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning on June 14, 2017, against the Cubs.
The homer marked Alonso’s first game-tying or go-ahead home run while trailing in the ninth inning or later since Game 3 of the 2024 Wild Card Series.
Alonso was actually the second former Met to hit a game-tying or go-ahead home run at Citi Field while trailing in the ninth inningor later. It may not have received the same fanfare as the Polar Bear’s blast, but Adeiny Hecchavarría accomplished the feat with the Braves off Paul Sewald on September 29, 2019 — exactly one day after Alonso set a new MLB rookie record with his 53rd home run of the season. Hechavarría’s homer set up Dom Smith’s memorable walk-off homer on the final pitch of the regular season.
Alonso’s homer snapped Kodai Senga’s streak of seven consecutive saves successfully converted, the fourth-most by a Met to begin their career behind Tug McGraw (15), Anthony Young (12), and Hisanori Takahashi (8).
A.J. Ewing’s second-inning single marked the 100th hit of his career. Ewing and Carson Benge are just the third pair of Mets rookies to record 100 hits in the same season, joining Steve Henderson and Lee Mazzilli in 1977 and Jason Phillips and Ty Wigginton in 2003.
Since 2015, there have been four extra-inning inside-the-park homers in MLB. Three of those four have been hit by an opposing player at Citi Field: Blake Swihart of the Red Sox on August 28, 2015, Daylen Lile of the Nationals on September 20, 2025, and now Coby Mayo of the Orioles on September 15, 2026. The only other extra-inning inside-the-park homer in that span was hit by another Oriole, Austin Hays, on August 11, 2020, at Citizens Bank Park.
Mayo’s inside-the-park homer was a wind-prevented traditional homer, marking the first time a wind-prevented traditional homer has resulted in an inside-the-parker since…Daylen Lile’s on September 20, 2025, at Citi Field. (source: Sarah Langs on X, per Weather Applied Metrics)
The Mets played their 18th extra-inning game of the season, marking the fourth-most in the majors behind the Angels (20), Cubs (19) and Cardinals (19). It’s the most extra-inning games the Mets have played in a season since 2018 (18).
WEDNESDAY
With his 24th stolen base of the season, A.J. Ewing tied Mookie Wilson’s 1981 record for the most stolen bases by a rookie in franchise history.
By allowing homers to Pete Alonso, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Jeremiah Jackson, the Mets allowedhomers to the same three players in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history.
The Orioles hit three homers at 106+ mph against the Mets for the second day in a row. Prior to this series, the Mets hadn’t allowed three such homers in a game since April 4, 2023, during a 9-0 loss in Milwaukee.
Chris Bassitt completed six innings at Citi Field for the 16th time since 2022. He is tied with David Peterson for the most six-inning outings at Citi Field during that span, despite the fact that Bassitt played just one season as a Met.
Alonso hit his 125th homer at Citi Field. No other player has more than 80 (Francisco Lindor). It was also Alonso’s 58th homer of a Statcast-projected 410+ feet at Citi Field. No other player has more than 23 (Michael Conforto).
The Mets have now lost five games in a row against the Orioles, and nine of their last 12.
THURSDAY
Nolan McLean has a 0.71 ERA over his first four career starts against the Phillies. That’s tied with Chuck Taylor for the fourth-lowest ERA in a pitcher’s first four starts against the Phillies since the mound was lowered in 1969 (min. 20 IP), behind Rick Honeycutt (0.38), Bob Sykes (0.42), and Hiroki Kuroda (0.68).
McLean recorded his 19th quality start this season, tied with Sonny Gray and Chris Sale for sixth-most in the majors behind Sandy Alcantara (21), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (21), Cristopher Sánchez (21), Cam Schlittler (20), and Michael Wacha (20). McLean is one of only two pitchers since 2015 to reach 19 quality starts in their rookie season, joining Shota Imanaga (19 in 2024). McLean also recorded his 20th start of six or more innings pitched this season, the second-most by a Met in a season since 2020, trailing only Wednesday’s opposing starter: Chris Bassitt (23 in 2022).
McLean recorded his 25th game with at least five strikeouts this season, the most by a Mets pitcher since Jacob deGrom (29) and Noah Syndergaard (27) in 2019.
Aaron Nola made his 33rd career start against the Mets, tied for 25th all-time against the franchise and tied with Randy Wolf and Tim Hudson for second-most since 2000, behind fellow longtime Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels (34). It was his 16th start as a visiting player at Citi Field, moving him into second place behind Gio Gonzalez (18) for most opposing starts in the ballpark’s history.
Nola recorded his seventh scoreless start against the Mets, tying him for the sixth-most all-time behind Rick Reuschel (11), Greg Maddux (10), Juan Marichal (9), Claude Osteen (9), and Jim Bunning (8).
The Mets suffered their 15thshutout loss of the season, tied with the Angels, Guardians, and Pirates for the second-most in MLB behind the Reds (17).
FRIDAY
Juan Soto reached base three times for the 324th time in his career, tying Mike Trout for the fourth-most such games by a player before turning 28 years old. Soto trails only Jimmie Foxx (348), Mickey Mantle (344), and Mel Ott (341).
Soto ripped two extra-base hits with an exit velocity of 108 mph or higher in the same game. In the statcast era (since 2015), a Mets left-handed hitter has accomplished that feat only 12 times: Robinson Cano, Lucas Duda, and Daniel Vogelbach each did it once, Brandon Nimmo did it twice, Michael Conforto did it three times, and Juan Soto has now done it four times in just two seasons.
Zac Thornton recorded his eighth quality start through 14 career games, marking the third-most by a Mets left-handed pitcher behind Steven Matz (10) and Sid Fernandez (9).
SATURDAY
Carson Benge’s eighth-inning single marked his 156th hit of the season, passing Pete Alonso to set the franchise’s new rookie hits record.
Benge recorded his 12th three-hit game of the season, marking another record for a Mets rookie, while notching three hits and a homer against the Phillies. The Mets outfielder with the most such games against the Phillies? Carlos Beltrán (7 times), who had his number retired in a pregame ceremony on Saturday.
The Mets scored 10 or more runs for the 18th time this season, tied with 1997 for the third-most such games in a season in franchise history. The 2000 (24) and 1999 (20) teams are the only ones in franchise history with more double-digit scoring performances.
SUNDAY
Francisco Alvarez’s second-inning single was his 23rd batted ball at 108 mph or higher this season, tied with Juan Soto for the most on the team.
The Mets scored two or fewer runs through nine innings for the 62nd time this season. That’s the most such games for the Mets in a season since 2013 (63), and their second-most in the Wild Card Era (since 1995).
The Mets finished the season with a losing record (3-4) against the Phillies at Citi Field for the first time since 2019, when they went 4-5.
The Mets finished the season with a 36-45 record at Citi Field, their worst in a full season since 2013, when they went 33-48.
Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
Here is a list of every player to record 99+ homers and 99+ stolen bases with multiple franchises:
Barry Bonds (Pirates and Giants) Alex Rodriguez (Mariners and Yankees) Carlos Beltrán (Royals and Mets) Francisco Lindor (Guardians and Mets)
Beltrán’s 70.0 career bWAR ranks second all-time among players born in Puerto Rico, trailing only that of Roberto Clemente (95.0). Beltrán won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2013, and Francisco Lindor (who ranks fifth on the leaderboard with 57.2 bWAR) was named the Mets’ 2026 nominee last Monday.
Bonus Stat: There are 32 entries in this edition of Monday Stat Party — one for each year of Mets baseball that Howie Rose has called from the broadcast booth.
BALTIMORE – The season has turned into a slog for the Baltimore Orioles, playoff elimination imminent, roster deficiencies obvious, a second consecutive losing season loading.
Pete Alonso seems impervious to it all.
When his ballclub seems to find only failure and brick walls, Alonso finds joy. Take this 21st night of September, when the Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays gathered in front of 12,057 fans who waited out a 47-minute Monday night rain delay to watch a pair of dead teams walking.
Yet this wasn’t just any day, but rather the first birthday for Alonso and wife Haley’s son. They adorned their kitchen with a massive “Happy Birthday Theodore” banner and various stuffed animals and presents befitting a young king.
And then Alonso punched into work and passed out gifts to his teammates, creating a night his firstborn will someday remember fondly.
Alonso turned a nondescript date in a dead-end season into something special, as he often does, blasting home runs Nos. 39 and 40 into the Baltimore night, the latter a two-run shot off former teammate Tyler Rogers as he almost singlehandedly erased a three-run deficit and provided a 4-3 victory.
Functionally, the victory might only push elimination back a day or so for the 76-81 Orioles. In a grander sense, it exemplified exactly how Alonso has become That Dude in the first season of a five-year, $155 million contract.
And it was the icing on the cake of an emotional, transformative year for the Polar Bear: Becoming a father, leaving the New York Mets, tasked with carrying a franchise that had never passed out a free agent contract that large, oh, and go ahead and crank out 40 homers and 100 RBIs in almost metronomic fashion.
Consider that task crossed off the list: Alonso leads the American League with 108 RBIs, likely killed Yordan Alvarez’s hopes of a Triple Crown (he has driven in 98) and now has his fourth 40-100 campaign in seven full seasons.
Have a year, Pete.
“I think the hardest thing was navigating parenthood,” says Alonso of his transformative 366 days. “And it’s like how do we get this down – being husband, being dad, being ready to my maximum capabilities by first pitch? As the season’s gone on, I feel like I’m getting more and more in tune with being a parent and being an athlete.
“Really thankful for my teammates sticking with me. Really thankful for my wife.”
Entering Monday, the Orioles had not scored in 19 innings, their playoff hopes exterminated by a pair of Milwaukee Brewers shutouts, and starter Shane Baz promptly walked the leadoff batter on a pitch clock violation and gave up three runs to the Blue Jays in the top of the first.
Alonso simply shrugged his massive shoulders, came to the plate to the thunderous drums intro of Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing and blasted a Trey Yesavage pitch 363 feet to his new favorite place on earth, the short right field porch at Camden Yards. It was home run No. 39, an impressive feat yet window dressing in the larger view.
Another nondescript loss was just four outs away when Alonso strode to the plate, two outs in the eighth, a leadoff walk rotting on first. In his second at-bat, Alonso switched up his walk-up song, to Earth, Wind & Fire’s September, this being 9/21 and all.
Oh, and also Theo’s first birthday. Coincidence?
“Yeah, that was for him,” Alonso said, proudly.
“That’s his birthday song.”
And then Alonso went bye-bye, baby, this time going 400 feet to left field off the sidearming Rogers. What remained of the crowd roared. And young Theo will hear about it long after he’s grown.
“Sick. It’s 100% special,” says Alonso of this night. “He’s not going to understand it for a couple years. But hopefully, I can kind of look back and bookmark this and keep it for the archives and hopefully he appreciates it someday.”
It will be hard to outdo Birthday No. 1. Then again, it might have been harder for Alonso to top home run No. 300, which came upon his return to New York and resulted in Mets fans saluting him in his old home ballpark.
“He exceeded my expectations just off the field, what he brings,” says rookie manager Craig Albernaz. “I didn’t really know-him know him, but being around him every single day, that’s been the most impressive thing.
“His baseball card, his accolades, the track record is there. Hitting 40 home runs and more than 100 RBIs in this league is really impressive. And the consistency (with which) he does it isn’t by accident.”
The next day might bring another numbing loss for a club that hasn’t been so much as two games over .500 since April 13. Or perhaps the Orioles’ first baseman, their new franchise player, will find a little more sunlight in a dark season and keep them alive a little longer.
“I know where we’re at with the standings,” Alonso acknowledged. “But I couldn’t be more proud to be an Oriole and this organization, this city, to be a part of it.
“I’m really excited not just for the remaining few games of the season but what we have coming down the pipe.”
The blowout was Skubal’s first Rams game since being traded to the Dodgers at the deadline. However, the two-time Cy Young winner wasn’t the only Dodger in attendance for the MNF showdown as Mookie Betts shared a suite with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, who is currently on Injured Reserve.
The Dodgers are in the midst of a close National League race, trailing the first-place Brewers by two games. The back-to-back World Series champions clinched the division last week on the road.
Now, LA is looking to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Skubal is set to play a key role for the Dodgers in October. The left-hander is sporting a 2.95 ERA since his arrival to LA.
The Dodgers plan to once again lean on their starting rotation to spearhead another World Series run.
Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell, left, and pitcher Tarik Skubal, center, chat in the dugout in the sixth inning of an MLB game. CHRIS TORRES/EPA/ShutterstockLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell looks on from the dugout during a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds. AP Photo/Tanner Pearson
Bregman was standing in the on-deck circle preparing for his at-bat when his teammate Michael Busch checked his swing and fouled off a pitch from the Cincinnati Reds’ Luis Mey. The ball struck Bregman in the face, and he immediately jogged toward the Cubs’ dugout with his hand covering the left side of his face. He was taken to hospital for X-rays and CT scans.
ESPN reports that the 32-year-old will not require surgery and hopes to return for the postseason.
“He got hit in the left cheekbone essentially, under the eye,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after the game. “He was bleeding from his nose a little. There’s some swelling. It’s a terrible, terrible accident. We hope he’s OK.”
Bregman posted a photo of himself on Instagram. His eye was swollen and there was blood on his cheek. “Thanks for all the messages yall. I’ll be back,” Bregman said.
Bregman is batting .262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs after signing a $175m, five-year free-agent deal in January.
“It just happens so fast,” Busch said. “[Mey] is throwing the ball hard and it comes off hard. Any time it enters the head area, it’s always a scary thing. We try to focus on the game, but it’s tough. Hopefully he’s OK, first and foremost.”
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 21: George Springer #4 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts during an at bat in the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 21, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Blue Jays 3 Orioles 4
Sometimes you make the right moves and yet they don’t work out.
Bottom of the eighth Mason Fluharty pitching. He gave up a leadoff walk. Then got a pop out and a fly out. With Pete Alonso up, John brought in Tyler Rogers. I liked the call. But….Alonso hit his third pitch a mile (well 400 feet) and that was the ball game. It was Alonso’s second home run of the day. And fifth in his last six games.
We scored three in the first and the batters went on strike after that.
In the first, Brett Bateman and Alejandro Kirk each walked to start the game. Nathan Lukes singled one home. George Springer singled in Kirk. And Sean Keys hit a sac fly for out third (and last) run.
We got two on with no outs in the third but Keys flied out and Kazuma Okamoto ground into a double play. Other than that, there were a bunch of three up three down innings.
Other than the bullpen blowing the game, it was much like the most of the season. We couldn’t score. Just 6 hits in all, all singles. Springer had two of the singles.
Added to the fun was an awkward catch by Bateman in the second inning, where his left knee hit the ground hard. He came out of the game, limping. They say nothing structural, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he is done for the season.
Trey Yesavage started (or opened) and gave up Alonso’s first home run, but that was his only hit allowed, and he had three strikeouts.
Brendan Cellucci got the next four out, three of them strikeouts.
Chad Dallas got eight outs, giving up an Gunnar Henderson home run.
José Rodríguez got three outs.
And then Fluharty and Rogers. The Rogers’ pitch? Missed the spot, it was mean to be on (of just off) the inside edge and instead it was pretty much center cut. These things happen. Maybe score more than three runs and this wouldn’t matter. That’s pretty much baseball, there will be that pitch that isn’t where it was supposed to be and, if you are lucky, you will hit it well. I always laugh when baseball people say ‘he only made one mistake’. No, pitchers make mistakes all the time, and most of the time, it still isn’t a home run. But the time that they hit the mistake, it can go a long way.
Jays of the Day: Dallas (0.13 WPA), Springer (0.12) and Rodríguez (0.11)
Other Award: Rogers (-0.62, hardly fair really), Okamoto (-0.13), Keys (-0.11) and Smith (-0.10).
Anyway, it has been a ride. I’ve said that I’ve lived through a lot of Jays seasons when we didn’t have meaningful baseball in September. This year, we made it this far with meaningful baseball, which makes it better than most years.
Tomorrow we have Max Scherzer (3-8, 6.07) vs. Chris Bassitt (8-5, 4.64). A 6:30 Eastern start time (barring rain).
The Dodgers have lost this gamble once before. But that won’t stop them from placing the same wager again.
Rather than take every precaution to ensure Shohei Ohtani doesn’t worsen the injuries to his right arm and left knee, the Dodgers will prioritize giving him at-bats to get him ready for the playoffs.
Ohtani is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list Wednesday, and manager Dave Roberts said the plan is for him to play in every one of the five games that remain in the regular season.
“He’ll need those live at-bats,” Roberts said.
Shohei Ohtani is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list Wednesday. Getty Images
Ohtani was experiencing discomfort in his arm and knee. The Dodgers downplayed the severity of his injuries, with general manager Brandon Gomes claiming the physical problems weren’t responsible for his hitting slump and shouldn’t require him to be placed on the IL.
So much for that.
Roberts described Ohtani as being “pain-free” Sunday, but acknowledged he was still experiencing “discomfort you can play through.” Certain levels of discomfort can be tolerated — until they can’t be, of course. That’s been the story of Ohtani’s season.
When Ohtani started feeling pain in his knee, he insisted he could pitch through it. Until he couldn’t.
When he started to be affected in the batter’s box by the throbbing in his arm and knee, he claimed he could play it. Until he couldn’t.
Roberts said Ohtani’s condition has improved over the last two weeks. But Roberts also didn’t claim Ohtani was completely healthy.
“Is he 100%?” Roberts said. “Probably not.”
In other words, what bothered Ohtani when he landed on the IL still bothers him, just not as much.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani’s condition has improved over the last two weeks. Getty Images
This is a problem.
What happened earlier this month showed that if Ohtani plays too many games with these particular injuries, he will reach a point where he won’t even be able to take the field.
Why not give Ohtani every other game off? Will playing five more regular-season games instead of three make that much of a difference? Because the question isn’t whether Ohtani can make it through the next five games. The question is how much closer these games will push him to the point of no return.
The objective should be to make sure Ohtani is available in some capacity throughout the entire postseason, not only at the start of it. If he has to be gradually work his way into form over the playoffs, so be it.
Ohtani would almost certainly reject such cautious thinking. He doesn’t like half-measures. Ohtani takes big swings without much regard to the consequences.
Before he went on the IL, Ohtani offered a realistic assessment of his health, saying he didn’t expect to be at 100% between now and the end of the season. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
So, if he’s going to use the final week of the regular season to prepare for the playoffs, he’ll probably do so with visions of being an impact player. He doesn’t want a Kirk Gibson moment; he wants to be Mr. October.
Before he went on the IL, Ohtani offered a realistic assessment of his health, saying he didn’t expect to be at 100% between now and the end of the season. But he said he believed he could overcome his physical problems by making adjustments to his swing.
“With some creativity, I think I can make up for what’s not right,” Ohtani said in Japanese. “Another way to say it is that it’s an opportunity to create new ways to compete.”
At the time, that meant learning how to hit with one arm and one leg.
The Dodgers let him, and Ohtani ended up on the IL.
Once again, it sounds as if Ohtani is determined to squeeze in as many at-bats as possible, and once again, it sounds as if the Dodgers will let him try.
This approach has significant upside — and downside, too.
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 21: Pete Alonso #25 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates a home run during the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 21, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After failing to score in their previous two games, the Orioles hardly looked like a team capable of overcoming an early three-run deficit. That’s why they play the games.
Shane Baz allowed three runs in the top of the first, but Baltimore held Toronto off the scoreboard for the final eight frames. Pete Alonso launched his 39th and 40th home runs of the season, and the O’s completed the comeback with a 4-3 win at Camden Yards.
Toronto kickstarted their early rally by taking advantage of a silly mistake. Baz ran the count full to leadoff hitter Brett Bateman before holding the ball for too long. The home plate umpire called Baz for a pitch timer violation, and Bateman trotted to first base. Alejandro Kirk followed by working the count full and eventually walking the old fashioned way.
Nathan Lukes delivered Toronto’s first hit of the day with a single to left field, and the Jays scored their first run three batters into the game. George Springer followed with another run-scoring single, and Sean Keys plated the third run of the game with a sacrifice fly. Baz allowed another single to Kazuma Okamoto, but the former Ray rebounded by retiring Josh Smith and Andrés Giménez.
The Orioles could have let this one spiral, but Baz settled in after the crooked number in the first. He delivered a clean second and used an inning-ending double play to erase a walk and single in the third. He retired the side in order in the fourth, faced the minimum in the fifth, and went three-up, three down in the sixth.
Baz returned to the mound and recorded a pair of outs in the seventh before giving way to Yennier Cano. He exited the game with 6.2 innings, 5 hits, three walks, and three earned runs allowed. Baz kept the Birds in the game with the quality start, but the team continued to struggle in the run support department.
Pete Alonso certainly did his part. The power-hitting first baseman stole some momentum back with his 39th home run in the bottom of the first. Alonso smoked a ball 101 MPH that cleared the scoreboard in right field. The blast marked Alonso’s MLB-best 17th opposite-field home run and continued to build his RBI lead in the American League.
The Orioles did not record their second hit until Gunnar Henderson lined a ball 105 MPH to deep center field. The ball smacked off the wall, and Henderson raced all the way to third with only one out. Unfortunately, Coby Mayo struck out and Christian Encarnacion-Strand flew out to leave Henderson at third.
Baltimore waited to record its third hit until Henderson returned to the plate with two outs in the sixth. The shortstop delivered another screaming line drive, but this one cleared the fence. The solo shot marked Henderson’s 24th homer and trimmed Toronto’s lead to one.
Encarnacion-Strand led off the seventh with a single to left, but Carlos Narváez failed to bunt him over. Samuel Basallo started the game behind the plate, but Narváez entered after Basallo took multiple foul balls off his body. Narváez popped his bunt up to the pitcher, and Rece Hinds grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Baltimore completed the comeback in the eighth with a free pass and another big fly from their team MVP. Christian Franklin pinch hit for Colton Cowser and worked a leadoff walk. Jeremiah Jackson and Dylan Beavers failed to move the potential tying run into scoring position, but Alonso proved he was in scoring position all along.
The Jays summoned submarine pitcher Tyler Rogers in hopes of avoiding the long ball, but Rogers left a ball belt high to Alonso. The slugger hooked the ball and sent it toward Mr. Splash to give Baltimore a 4-3 lead.
Yennier Cano had already returned to post a zero in the eighth, and Baltimore went with Rico Garcia in a save situation. Garcia struck out Keys and Okamoto before retiring Smith to end the game.
The win pushed Baltimore to 76-81 and dropped Toronto to 77-80. Chicago holds the final wild card spot at 80-76.
Baz rebounded, and Gunnar smoked a couple balls, but go ahead and write Pete Alonso’s name in the comments for the Most Birdland Player of the Game.
