Category: Baseball

Sometimes, it’s just good to take all the drama out of the picture as soon as you possibly can. That’s exactly what the Braves did this weekend in Houston, as they made another good memory for themselves at the building formerly known as Minute Maid Park. It started with a nice, bubbly glass of champagne on Friday night following a Postseason-clinching win and it finished with a full-on champagne shower on Sunday evening as this team clinched their seventh division title in nine seasons.

It’s impressive when you consider that this was in the home ballpark of an Astros squad that is still fighting for their lives in the AL West. Atlanta may have thrown a major wrench in Houston’s pursuit of yet another Postseason berth but at this point, it’s a problem for the Astros and not for the Braves. Instead, the Braves get a chance to enjoy a hard-fought divisional title and now it’s time to look at how they sealed the deal.

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Friday, September 18

Braves 6, Astros 2

This was a bad day to be a baseball heading towards the bat of an Atlanta Braves hitter or a seat in the Crawford Boxes, because three big boppers in particular did some serious damage to both during this contest. Three big swings from Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson ended up making all of the difference in the world as Atlanta got one step closer to clinching the division and officially punched their ticket to the Postseason.

The big star on the mound on this night for Atlanta was none other than Tyler Mahle, who once again went out and tossed another strong ho-hum six innings where the Astros were only able to muster up three hits and a run against Mahle. It really can’t be said enough about how effective Mahle has been since arriving in Atlanta — he has already produced nearly a full point more fWAR as a member of the Braves (1.4) over just eight starts and 49.1 innings pitched than he did in 94.2 innings with the Giants (0.8). The turnaround has been stark and he deserves a ton of credit, just like pitching coach Jeremy Hefner deserves it for helping to unlock whatever Mahle was capable of and Alex Anthopoulos deserves it for having the vision in the first place.

Anyways, Money Mike’s two-run dinger in the fourth inning essentially set the Braves on their way as they never trailed in this game. The Astros got close with an Issac Paredes RBI single in the fourth and then another one from Paredes in the eighth that made it a two-run game but on this night, you weren’t going to beat the Braves with singles. Acuña’s two-run homer in the seventh gave Atlanta some breathing room and then Matt Olson’s 40th bomb of the season brought us to the eventual final score. Atlanta’s Postseason ticket was booked and thanks to the Phillies losing to the Mets, the divisional title was within sight.

Saturday, September 19

Braves 6, Astros 3

Issac Paredes seemed pretty set on dragging the Astros to victory in this one, as he picked up where he left off on Friday night by cracking a solo homer that gave Houston the early lead. He also singled home Jeremy Peña in the third inning to make it a 2-0 lead for Houston. Combine that with Hayden Wesneski keeping Atlanta’s lineup mostly quiet for the 5.1 innings that he was out there, it sure seemed like this was shaping up to be a hard-luck night for the Braves.

However, Wesneski eventually slipped up in that sixth inning as the Braves pushed a run past him and eventually ran him from the game. AJ Blubaugh got the ball in the seventh and he left the game in the same inning and passed the baton to Bryan Abreu to clean up a bases-loaded mess that the Braves created. Atlanta had two outs to play with once Abreu entered the game. Drake Baldwin struck out but Ronald Acuña Jr. did anything but. Abreu tried to sneak a 97-mph heater past Acuña near the heart of the plate and to the delight of a lot of Braves fans in Houston, Acuña didn’t miss it at all.

Mike Yastrzemski added on a solo shot of his own in the eighth inning and just like that, the game had turned significantly and the Braves were suddenly in complete and total control of this contest. Issac Paredes once again attempted to get the Astros back in it after he made it on base with a walk and then proceeded to score in the bottom of the eighth inning but outside of that, the Astros weren’t able to muster up much more offense and Atlanta had slugged their way to a series win.

Sunday, September 20

Braves 4, Astros 2

Thanks to the Phillies getting bopped by the Mets on Saturday night, the magic number was down to just one by the time Sunday rolled around. The bad news is that the Mets didn’t do the Braves another solid by picking up a third-straight win over the Phillies. The good news is that it didn’t matter at all since the Braves took care of business in order to clinch the division right then and there in Houston.

Once again, we all had to wait a bit for the Braves to get something going as they went into the sixth inning down 1-0 after Jose Altuve made some noise with a solo shot in the fourth inning. Once the Braves did get going, however, it was time for another crooked number to go on the scoreboard. Hunter Brown was fantastic for Houston through five innings but once Bryan King entered the game, the Braves jumped all over him. A broken-bat bloop single from Ozzie Albies with two men in scoring position tied the game up at one and then Mike Yastrzemski blew it open with a three-run blast out to the seats in right field to make it 4-1 Braves. Once again, things changed once the bullpen got involved for both teams.

Yainer Diaz cracked a solo shot for the Astros in the eighth inning to cut the lead down to two runs but it was still not enough for Houston to keep up with the Braves, who seemed to be laser-focused on ending the NL East race at their first opportunity. Dylan Dodd was called upon for the ninth inning and he struck out the side in order to finish off the sweep and to start off a champagne party for the Braves in Houston.

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Talk about taking care of business! The Braves did exactly what they needed to do and did so against an Astros squad that is currently fighting for their lives in the AL West, themselves. While the Astros still aren’t exactly the most imposing ballclub out there this season, this was still an impressive task on Atlanta’s part to be able to go into Houston and do what they needed to do to finish off the NL East race once and for all.

The good news is that the Braves now have a week to essentially just tune-up for the Postseason without having to fight tooth-and-nail to clinch the division. Technically, the Braves could still catch the Dodgers for the second seed and get a bye but that would require Los Angeles to fall on their face in the last week of the season while the Braves catch fire in serious fashion to end their season. It’s possible but at the same time, I think it’s time to get ready for the Braves to be dealing with however the NL Wild Card race shakes out.

With that being said, it’s hard to not feel confident in any given Wild Card Series — even if none of the options are particularly appealing. Still, it’s extremely important that the Braves have guaranteed that the volatile three-game series will be at home and they should be able to get their rotation set up for that series since they now have a week to get ready for it. As long as there are no injuries between now and then, the Braves are going to be set-up pretty well for the Wild Card Series. It’s still going to be tough but they’ll have the home field advantage and the ability to prepare instead of simply rolling into the Postseason, so it’s definitely different from their dramatic entrance into the Wild Card Series back in 2024.

The team is certainly in an encouraging spot right now. The offense has been hitting for power, with Ronald Acuña Jr. peaking at the right time, Michael Harris II continuing to be consistent, Matt Olson starting to get things back on track and guys like Mike Yastrzemski coming up big as well. The pitching has also been consistent and it’ll definitely be encouraging to see this bullpen (hopefully) get Robert Suarez back at some point before the Postseason so that this relief corps can look even more imposing heading into October. This is a team that looks like they might be peaking at the right time, which would be a nice change of pace from their most recent Postseason appearances.

So yeah, it’s a time to celebrate and get excited if you’re a Braves fan. Winning the division is never the main goal but it’s certainly a lovely goal to achieve. Atlanta’s work really hard for this all season and now they get to reap the benefits of that hard work while we await even more celebrations and titles going forward. We’ll see what happens!

Repeating the trend of these series’ first two games, the Dodgers didn’t take the lead until the second half of the game—this time keeping their scoring to nearly the minimum needed to overcome the Giants, sweeping their rivals with a 3-1 victory that relied heavily on Emmet Sheehan’s work as the bulk man, following Jack Dreyer.

Without putting the ball in play, the Giants placed a man on third in the opening inning, manufacturing a run partially thanks to Dreyer’s loose grip on the running game. Leadoff hitter Jonah Cox earned a walk as Dreyer struggled to locate his heater, moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt, and aggressively stole third—hardly a surprise for a rookie with 13 stolen bases in just 140 plate appearances. Cox was driven in by a Jonah Bericoto single, a run that would loom large given the effectiveness of both Sheehan and Giants starter Matt Wilkinson.

Deceptive with his low-90s fastball that gets terrific results, Giants starter Matt Wilkinson didn’t encounter many problems holding the Dodgers scoreless through five innings of work. Only twice did Wilkinson need to strand one-out doubles, but on both occasions with minimal stress. That success was at least partially owed to a lefty-heavy lineup—three of the four outs Wilkinson recorded with a runner in scoring position came against a left-handed hitter, but then again, one of the doubles came from Josue De Paula, so we mustn’t read too much into it.

As soon as Wilkinson got the hook, though, the Dodgers would tie the game in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a solo shot from Tommy Edman off Carson Seymour. Traditionally a better power hitter from the right side, Edman was looking in the whole way and crushed one all the way out to the Giants’ bullpen.

Tommy Tanks ties it! pic.twitter.com/7VBv2nGodT

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 20, 2026

The only reason why the Dodgers were able to tie the score with just one swing was the fact that Sheehan matched Wilkinson pitch for pitch and then some. Overall, few players have improved their case for a significant postseason role over the past couple of weeks with the Dodgers quite like Sheehan, a new pitcher since his return following a one-month stint in Triple-A. Pitching as brilliantly as he did in two September starts, Sheehan completely shut down the Giants’ lineup through 5.1 innings, enjoying great success with a curveball that induced six whiffs on 12 swings, leading him to strike out nine batters.

Proving Wilkinson and his difficult-to-pick-up fastball were the problem, the Dodgers’ offense scored again in the seventh—they took the lead thanks to a Kiké Hernández RBI single after De Paula and Max Muncy set the table despite an unfavorable matchup against the southpaw.

Mookie Betts nearly put this game to bed, but what would’ve been a two-out, three-run bomb died at the wall, leaving the score at 2-1. The Dodgers would still find a way to provide a little cushion to Tanner Scott in the ninth inning, adding one more run in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a Max Muncy two-out RBI single.

Game particulars

• Home run— Tommy Edman (7)
• WP—Kris Bubic (4-2): 0.2 IP, 1 strikeout
• LP— Sam Hentges (1-7): 0.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 run
• SV Tanner Scott (23): 1 IP, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Up next

It’s a rare off day at home for the Dodgers before the San Diego Padres come into town on Tuesday hoping to clinch their playoff berth. Although neither team has announced their starters, based on the current schedule, the first game of that series would pit Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Robbie Ray against each other. It’s a standard 7:10 p.m. (PT).

In the final game and rubber match of their three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (82-74), the Yankees (89-66) coughed up an early lead to lose 8-4.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Will Warren got the nod to start the game, and delivered a solid outing... until the fifth inning. Up to that point, Warren had allowed one earned run - an RBI single in the first inning by Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo - and struck out four batters through four full innings. The Yankees entered the fifth inning leading 4-1 (thanks to home runs from Heliot Ramos, George Lombard Jr., and Spencer Jones), but after Warren surrendered two hits and a walk to load the bases with just one man out, he was pulled in favor of left-handed reliever Brent Headrick. 

-- Headrick struck out Perdomo to record the second out, but he couldn't close the door on the frame, issuing a free pass to Corbin Carroll to bring in one run before surrendering a grand slam to Nolan Arenado which gave Arizona a 6-4 lead. 

-- Of those five earned runs surrendered in the fifth, three were attributed to Warren, and two to Headrick.

-- New York's right-handed reliever John Schreiber allowed two more runs in the seventh inning, surrendering a triple to Perdomo and a single to Carroll which brought the shortstop home. For Arizona, former Yankee Jonathan Loáisiga recorded the final six outs, facing the minimum six batters without allowing a run to wrap up the 8-4 loss.

Game MVP: Nolan Arenado

Arenado's grand slam flipped the game on its head, and the massive momentum-shifting blast gave the Snakes a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Highlights

Heliot Ramos ties the game with a solo homer! pic.twitter.com/s3PupxztJi

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 20, 2026

A 424-foot blast for George Lombard Jr.! 💪 pic.twitter.com/6IvhW2ksBu

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 20, 2026

SPENCER JONES AND GEORGE LOMBARD JR. GO BACK TO BACK! pic.twitter.com/CGvlyOJawF

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 20, 2026

What's next

The Yankees travel back home on Monday and will kick off a pivotal three game series against the AL East divisional leading Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday at 1:05 p.m.

Of course, now 6.0 games back of Tampa Bay for first place in the AL East with just seven regular season games remaining, the Yankees need a miracle to win the division.

Carlos Rodón (2.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP in 76.1 IP) is set to take the mound for the Yankees.

The Rays will send out Nick Martinez (2.94 ERA, 1.07 WHIP in 171.1 IP).

The Orioles have reached the point where they need to be absolutely perfect from this point out, and even that likely won’t be enough to sneak them into the playoffs. For a more modest goal of simply finishing at .500 or better, the team can still lose one more time. On paper, it looks like that loss is coming today.

NL Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski is on the mound for the Brewers today. He is very good! The 24-year-old leads the league with a 1.89 ERA and 243 strikeouts. His second half (2.44 ERA) has not been as good as his first half (1.62 ERA), and he began this month with a tough start against the Cubs (four innings, five runs, four walks, five strikeouts), but this is still a guy that you would expect to dominate this Orioles lineup.

Last night’s effort at the plate was lacking. The O’s struggled against the trio of Robert Gasser, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby, three pitchers that are very much NOT Misiorowski. It is possible that the Orioles could work some counts against the Brewers starter, drive his pitch count up, and then be able to face the bullpen for the final three or four innings, though they have had limited success against them this series anyway.

Brandon Young will look to eclipse the 150-inning threshold for the 2026 season in this game. He enters the day at 145.2 innings on the year, so a modest start will get the job done. It has been a tremendous season for the 28-year-old righty, though he has slowed down in September (5.87 ERA). Without him, these Orioles end up in a far worse position than they are.

Pitching Matchup

RHP Brandon Young (9-4, 3.65 ERA)

RHP Jacob Misiorowski (15-5, 1.89 ERA)

The weather cooperated just enough on Sunday in Flushing, Queens, allowing legendary radio voice Howie Rose to call one last Mets game.

Rose gave a heartfelt goodbye on Saturday night at the end of New York's win over the Philadelphia Phillies with rain in the forecast, unsure if he'd get another chance on Sunday. 

Luckily, Mother Nature was on his side to give a true, final call.

"I thought I spent all of the sentiment, tears, and emotion yesterday in anticipation of not getting this chance today so I'm not going to reprise everything from yesterday," Rose said. "And it's probably just as well because I'm supposed to be reasonably articulate, you know when you're a broadcaster you're supposed to be able to find the right words to say, but I don't think I can find the right words to express just how much all of you mean to me.

"You know, we've known each other a long, long time, and whether we've met personally or not it feels as though we're on a first-name basis with each other, right? We've been together in the car, at the beach, enjoying a backyard barbeque, maybe even under the covers if you tried to hide your radio or smart phone from mom and dad during those West Coast games. 

"But most importantly, we shared some time bonding over the exploits of the team we love, the New York Mets. And so as I said yesterday in closing, thank you, and I love you all."

@Mets Hall of Fame Radio Voice Howie Rose says his Final Goodbye! pic.twitter.com/T4ZNZCA15j

— Mets Radio 880 (@metsradio880) September 20, 2026

Rose's retirement ceremony was scheduled to take place during the pregame on Sunday, but due to the weather and uncertainty if the team was going to play, that celebration was postponed to Opening Weekend 2027.

Although, the Hall-of-Famer did get to speak with media before the game and thanked everyone who was part of his career. Rose said he'll miss the "challenge" of radio broadcasts, but is looking forward to the next season's ceremony.

"I'm going to miss everything about it, because this is really all I know how to do." Rose said. "Radio is the most intimate medium. You have to call, to craft, to describe. To me, that's the greatest challenge in sports broadcasting, painting that picture."

He added: "There are so many emotions involved, running around inside me right now. There's a certain melancholy about reaching the end of a career, but God-willing, we'll all reconvene here next year, and it'll be a party!"

Despite the team falling 7-2 on Sunday, and Rose unable to use his signature "put it in the books" call, the players came out of the dugout and tipped their caps to Rose. Gary Cohen called it a "fitting tribute for a legend who has called his last major league game."

In honor of Howie Rose calling his last game, the Mets collectively tipped their hats towards the radio booth 🥹

"Fitting tribute for a legend" - Gary Cohen pic.twitter.com/HXwscTl04e

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 20, 2026

It’s the final day of the minor league season!

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs got drenched by the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 14-3.

Kohl Franklin started and had trouble finding the plate, as 24 of his 47 pitches went for balls. Franklin took the loss after giving up four runs on two hits and four walks over two innings. Franklin struck out one.

The good news was that Riley Martin relieved Franklin for the third inning and was sharp in his first official pitching appearance since April. Martin retired the side in order, striking out two.

Tyler Santana gave up five runs in two innings, Luis Peralta allowed one run in one and Doug Nikhazy was tagged for four runs in two innings to close out the rout.

Second baseman Ben Cowles got the I-Cubs on the board with a two-run home run in the fourth inning. It was Cowles’ ninth home run this season. Cowles went 1 for 4.

Right fielder Jordan Nwogu doubled in the eighth inning and then scored Iowa’s third and final run on an RBI single by shortstop Jackson Cluff.

Nwogu went 2 for 3 with a double and the walk. He also stole a base.

Cluff was 1 for 3 and was hit by a pitch. He scored on Cowles’ home run.

Left fielder BJ Murray was 2 for 3 with two walks.

Cowles’ home run.

Ben Cowles with a two-run shot to get us on the board! pic.twitter.com/rIQSmSVJvB

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) September 20, 2026

Cluff’s RBI single.

Jackson Cluff singles home a run! pic.twitter.com/XuPxNg9B43

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) September 20, 2026

The loss snaps Iowa’s five-game win streak.

The Iowa Cubs finished the second half with a record of 33-40. Their overall record was 63-82.

And that’s it for the 2026 minor league season. Thanks to everyone who has read and commented over the course of the year. I’ll be back in a few weeks with some updates on the Arizona Fall League. Also, let’s hope I’m not the only person doing game recaps when next April rolls around.

See you in the spring!

With Cleveland and the Athletics starting in a rain delay, it made for some late afternoon baseball. Gavin Williams took the mound for the Guardians and was on his usual stuff, despite the delay. At the end of the seventh inning, Gavin had only thrown 89 pitches and struck out nine, giving him sole possession of most strikeouts in all of MLB. Jacob Misiorowski, who holds second place, is due to start later today and will reclaim first place barring catastrophe. Gavin ended his night having gone 7.0 innings of scoreless ball. He allowed three hits and a walk and struck out nine. In the top of the sixth, Gavin Williams had a pick off at first for the final out of the inning.

The sole run came in the bottom of the fourth. José led the inning off with a double on a grounder to right. With one out and José on third, Jo Adell hit a swinging bunt that gave José plenty of room to score. There was a bit of a disagreement with the A’s coach, who argued that Adell interfered with the throw to first. The home plate ump and crew chief wanted none of it, ejected the manager, and the game played on.

In the top of the sixth Angel Genao made a great running throw record the first out of the inning.

Hunter Gaddis came in for the top of the eighth. Gaddis struggled with the wind a bit and put two runners on, both in scoring position. With two outs and two on, Vogt went to Cade Smith for the final out. Smith made quick work with a three pitch strike out. Smith closed out the game and looked to be in his full form. He made two quick outs to start the inning, but couldn’t get the final out. A single up the middle was just to hard for José Ramírez to get off to get the runner out at first. It didn’t matter. Cade Smith earned his 39th save of the year, striking out the batter for the final out of the game.

The pitchers were perfect, Vogt pulled the right strings at the right time, and the hitters out hit their opponents. Sure, the weather may have robbed Lowe from an extra base hit or a home run, but this was a game they should have won and they did. Steven Kwan went 3-for-4, José went 2-for-4, and DeLauter went 1-for-3 with a walk. The White Sox are 1.5 games back and also started in a delay today. The current magic number is six to take the division title home and one week of baseball left to do it. Meaningful baseball in September is always a grand time, here’s hoping to lots of champaign in the team’s near future.

The 2026 Colorado Rockies have struggled, among other things, to win rubber matches. They are 6-14 when trying to win a series this year, but 3-1 in their last four, which suggested improvement and possibility.

Today’s match against the Seattle Mariners, however, left the Rockies 6-15 in rubber matches as the visiting team managed a 2-1 win, despite a late-game threat from the Rockies. Outfielder Dominic Calzone scored both of the Mariners runs.

With the loss, the Rockies fall to 57-99 while the Mariners are 73-83 with their playoff hopes living to see another day.

The offense went (mostly) cold on a warm fall day

The Rockies offense struggled to figure out Mariners starter Kade Anderson, and it did not find its footing in a low-scoring game until the ninth inning. by then it was too late.

Although it seems impossible given the Rockies recent history, neither team scored in the first inning.

The Mariners remained hitless after the top of the second while the Rockies tallied two hits, one from Cole Carrigg followed by another from Adael Amador. However, the Rockies were unable capitalize after a terrific play from Mariners third baseman Brock Rodden that ended the inning.

After that, though, Mariners starter Kade Anderson settled in and struck out the side in the third.

In the fourth inning, the Mariners got on the board when Tomoyuki Sugano walked Randy Arozarena and allowed an RBI single to Dominic Calzone that scored Arozarena.

Fun fact: With his 106th run, Arozarena now leads the American League.

Sugano followed that by walking Cal Raleigh, but a Julio Rodríguez grounder fed into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Still, the Mariners had a 1-0 lead.

As for the Rockies, they did not have an answer for Kade Anderson, who retired 10 consecutive batters. After his four-seamer, Anderson relied on his changeup and curveball, downplaying his slider to downplay the effects of elevation on the pitch.

Ryan Feltner entered the game in the sixth, taking over for Sugano. Given his last two outings that found him in a piggyback role, the question was whether he could repeat those performances with an eye toward a permanent move to the bullpen.

JB Crawford hit a single and was brought home by Calzone, who was responsible for both of the Mariners runs as they extended to their lead to 2-0.

In the Rockies half of the sixth inning, Jake McCarthy notched a triple, his 13, and also extended his on-base streak to 22 games.

With two more triples, McCarthy will tie Dexter Fowler’s record for most triples by a Rockie.

However, Norby and Hunter Goodman followed McCarthy’s triple with two Ks, and the score remained 2-0 Seattle.

In the seventh inning, Julio Rodríguez hit a lead-off single; however, Feltner kept him from scoring.

Kade Anderson left after the seventh inning and a terrific outing. He finished the day with 7.0 IP, allowing no runs on three hits. He did not issue a walk, struck out seven, and had 14 whiffs on 84 pitches.

“He pitched well. That was impressive,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game.

In the eighth inning, Schaeffer sent in Troy Johnston to bat for Jordan Beck and face Seranthony Domínguez. Johnston hit a single, but the Rockies were unable to capitalize, and the score remained 2-0 Mariners.

Jimmy Herget pitched the ninth. Although it looked like he had perhaps given up a home run Cal Raleigh, the ball went foul. Despite some traffic on the base paths (that included a Josh Naylor caught-stealing), Herget did not allow a run.

For the ninth inning, Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz entered the game.

After Norby flew out, Hunter Goodman launched his 39th homer of the season.

Suddenly, the Rockies were down by just one run.

Rumfield stepped the plate and, echoing the certainty of death and taxes, took a walk.

However, Muñox left with an apparently leg injury. Eduard Bazardo entered the game in his place with Zac Veen coming in to run for Rumfield.

Carrigg struck out, and the Rockies were down to their final out.

As Amador stood at the plate, Veen swiped second. Then, Rockies second baseman walked, and it was catcher Brett Sullivan’s turn.

He struck out to end the threat, and the Mariners won the game and the series.

Their final line was one run (earned) on five hits. They walked twice and struck out 10 times. The Rockies were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and they left six runners on base.

In addition, the Rockies now have 25 one-run losses.

“They bring it every day. Today, obviously not enough,” Schaeffer said.

Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) had another solid outing

It was another day at the office for Sugano.

He was outstanding through the first three innings when he did not allow a walk and struck out four on 35 pitches. The Mariners finally had their first baserunner in the fourth when Randy Arozarena walked and only managed one run on his watch.

As for final numbers, Sugano logged 5.0 IP including one run (earned) on one hit. He walked two and struck out five on 72 pitches.

“I thought it was a nice bounce-back game for Sugano,” Schaeffer said. “He was efficient.”

After the game, Sugano commented that he felt like he pitched well. He said he wanted to go longer and that he was a surprised to leave so early in the game.

“Minimum, I thought I could have gone seven,” he said.

The bullpen kept the Rockies in the game

It was another solid outing from an exhausted Rockies bullpen.

Although Ryan Feltner was less sparkling that he’d been in his two previous outings out of the bullpen, he kept the Rockies in the game. His final line was 3.0 IP with one run (earned) on two hits. He walked one and struck out one on 61 pitches.

”It’s something different for him. It’s a different feel,“ Schaeffer said of Feltner coming in from the bullpen, noting that he’s learning a new job.

The ninth inning went to Jimmy Herget, whose final line was 1.0 IP, one hit, no runs, and no strikeouts.

Up next

The Rockies have an off day before welcoming the Arizona Diamondbacks to Coors Field on Tuesday.

First pitch is at 6:40 with Kyle Freeland in what may be his last Coors Field start as a Rockie. He will face a yet-to-be-named pitcher.

And that’s it for me in terms of 2026 game coverage. Thanks, everyone, for following along!

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Longtime San Francisco Giants play-by-play announcer Duane Kuiper announced on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with cancer.

San Francisco’s mayor, Daniel Lurie, showed his support for Kuiper with an X post on Sunday afternoon that read, “San Francisco is with you, Kuip. Wishing you strength as you take on treatment. We’re all rooting for you.”

The reaction from Lurie was a direct re-tweet from Kuiper that read:

“I was recently diagnosed with throat cancer and began treatment last week with my doctors at Stanford Medicine. This cancer is unrelated to the one I experienced five years ago, and I’m optimistic that it will be successfully treated,” Kuiper wrote in a statement.

“I’ll miss the broadcasts tomorrow and Wednesday as I continue treatment, but I’m looking forward to returning Tuesday and this weekend to celebrate my partner, Mike Krukow, and his remarkable career as he calls his final game before retirement.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the care I’m receiving and for the tremendous support from my family, the Giants organization, my broadcast partners and so many others,” the statement added.

Kuiper has been in the Giants’ broadcast booth since 1986 (aside from one year working for the Colorado Rockies) and spent four seasons playing for San Francisco. He has become a Bay Area icon and one of the most beloved members of the organization.

Lurie speaks for all of San Francisco with this heartfelt sentiment about Kuiper.

The Milwaukee Brewers are going for a series sweep in Baltimore tonight, as ace Jacob Misiorowski will toe the rubber for Sunday Night Baseball, Milwaukee’s first Sunday night game since the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, one month ago.

The Brewers, at 97-58 on the season, have also officially tied their franchise record for wins in a season at 97. With one week to go in the regular season, they’ll have seven chances to set a new record, and they’re also just three wins away from the first 100-win season in franchise history.

The aforementioned Misiorowski is looking for his 16th win of the season tonight in what is likely his penultimate start of 2026. The NL Cy Young frontrunner, Miz is 15-5 with a 1.89 ERA, 2.19 FIP, and 243 strikeouts across 166 1/3 innings, totaling 5.9 bWAR. In his last outing against the Pirates, he went five scoreless innings, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out seven. This marks his first career appearance against Baltimore.

Opposite Miz is right-hander Brandon Young. Young, 28, is also in his second major league season. He’s made 26 starts this season, with a 9-4 record, 3.65 ERA, 4.57 FIP, and 118 strikeouts over 145 2/3 innings. He went five frames against the Mets in his last outing, allowing one run on five hits and five walks, striking out six. This marks his first career appearance against Milwaukee.

After a travel-day-esque lineup in Saturday’s 1-0 win, the Brewers are rolling with most of their regulars tonight. Jackson Chourio is in his usual leadoff spot, followed by Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Jake Bauers. Joey Ortiz moves into the No. 5 spot, followed by Christian Yelich, Cooper Pratt, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick.

Tonight’s game is televised exclusively on Peacock and the NBC Sports Network, with the radio broadcast available, as always, on the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is slated for 6:20 p.m.

Been waiting all day for Sunday Night

📺: Peacock
📻: WTMJ#ThisIsMyCrew x @NicoletLawpic.twitter.com/2xBCacMhjO

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 20, 2026

Sunday night starters.

📺 @peacock & NBCSN
📻 98 Rock 97.9 FM & WBAL 1090 AM pic.twitter.com/RG8l5eyv14

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 20, 2026

Kade Anderson had his best-ever performance, and the Mariners extended their suffering another day.

The Mariners beat the Rockies 2-1 on Sunday in an uneventful game that was neither short nor long, exciting nor boring, meaningful nor insignificant. It was a baseball game between two bad teams, with just enough happening to be better than the offseason ahead. With the win, the Mariners take the series and avoid elimination entering the final week.

Anderson was the selling point for this one. He was fantastic for the first time in the majors. On the one hand, it came against the league’s worst offense. On the other, it came at the league’s launching pad in Denver. However you prefer to qualify it, Anderson was excellent in a Big League start that counts for real. He threw seven scoreless innings, allowed just three runs hits, and walked none while striking out seven. Most importantly, he got tons of chase out of the zone and picked up a career-high 14 whiffs: 

It was good to see. Anderson struggle in his first five starts in the majors, with a 5.33 ERA and 4.44 FIP. He hadn’t shown an ability to throw strikes or miss bats or prevent hard contact or keep the ball on the ground. That’s not abnormal for a rookie, especially one who threw all of 93 innings in the minors and none above Double-A. But a strong outing Sunday — and hopefully one more against the Angels next week — is a nice confidence booster entering the offseason.

On the other side, the Mariners were getting perfecto’d through three innings, and I was getting a bit nervous that I’d need to put some effort into this recap. Thankfully, they figured out Tomoyuki Sugano in the fourth. Randy Arozarena drew an eight pitch walk, and Dominic Canzone singled up the middle to bring a hustling Arozarena around to score the game’s first run. It looked like the Mariners might have a big inning in the works after Cal Raleigh walked, but Julio grounded into a double play to end the threat. The Mariners got a second run in the sixth inning, this time off Ryan Feltner. J.P Crawford singled to lead off, and Canzone doubled him home.

That was it for offense in this one. I’m not really exaggerating. I have listed three of the four hits and two of the three walks the Mariners collected in this one. Lazaro Montes walked in the seventh and Julio picked up an infield single in the ninth, if you want me to be thorough.

I was done with the recap, then Andrés Muñoz gave up a home run to Hunter Goodman in the bottom of the ninth to make it 2-1. After a walk, Dan Wilson came out with the trainer in tow. Muñoz left with an injury, and Eduard Bazardo took over. Bazardo struck out a batter, walked a batter to put the winning run on base, and struck out another batter to end the game.

The Mariners are still technically alive. The Rangers and Astros also lost on Sunday, so their “tragic number” remains at two. That puts the dagger in the hands of the Astros in Seattle next week.

Alex Bregman walked off the field Sunday, Sept. 20 with a towel pressed to his face and blood running down his cheek. The Chicago Cubs third baseman was hit in the face by a foul ball as he waited in the on-deck circle in the top of the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball park.

Bregman was taken to a local hospital for further testing after the scare in Cincinnati. After the 9-1 win, Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters the ball hit Bregman in the cheekbone, which is swollen, and left a cut on his face. Bregman was evaluated for broken bones.

It happed with two outs and the Cubs leading 5-0. Michael Busch checked his swing on a 1-2 pitch from Reds right-hander Luis Mey, and the ball ricocheted toward Bregman. He dropped to the ground immediately, clutching his face, then got up and walked to the clubhouse under his own power. There was no official diagnosis.

Alex Bregman was hit in the face by a foul ball off the bat of Michael Busch while on deck in the 4th inning. Matt Shaw came in to PH.

We wish Alex a speedy recovery 🙏 pic.twitter.com/4uqCRQvHwE

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 20, 2026

Bregman heating up

Before the injury, Bregman had done damage to the Reds. He drove in a run with a first-inning single, then walked and scored in the Cubs' four-run third inning.

The 32-year-old is hitting .260 with 26 home runs, 88 RBIs and an .801 OPS this season. He signed a five-year, $175 million contract with Chicago last winter. The three-time All-Star won two World Series with the Astros.

On the board early courtesy, of Alex Bregman! pic.twitter.com/oSIvSWvve8

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 20, 2026

What's next for Bregman and the Cubs

The timing is the problem for Bregman and the Cubs. Chicago is on the verge of clinching a playoff berth, needing just one win or an Arizona Diamondbacks loss to lock in wild card spot. If Bregman needs time away, the Cubs have Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez to fill in at third base. Neither has Bregman's experience in a playoff race.

Any fracture would change the outlook considerably. Facial fractures around the cheek bone or eye socket can sideline a player for weeks, and a hitter usually has to be cleared before he can face live pitching again.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cubs' Alex Bregman hospitalized after getting hit in face with foul ball

Mariners 2, Rockies 1

Italian food: Kade Anderson, +0.51 WPA, Dominic Canzone
Italian food discourse: The rest of the lineup, -0.48 WPA

Game Thread Comment of the Day

Jays 7 Rangers 2

Bullpen days seem dependent on how the ‘bulk guy’ does. Someone has to do more than a inning, they aren’t going to run 9 guys out there, doing an inning each. Long men tend to (how to put it politely?) not be the best arms. If they were good, they would be starters.

Today we got two guys that went more than an inning:

• Spencer Miles ‘opened’ and went three innings without giving up a run, with four strikeouts. They seem to have given up on the idea of managing his innings, and we won’t know if that is a bad idea until later, but he’s been terrific.
• Spencer Arrighetti threw 2.1 innings. He did give up a couple of runs (on a Jake Burger home run, Brett Bateman almost pulled it back into the park) but those things are going to happen. It was Burger’s 27th home run, so he’s hit them off a lot of pitchers.

After that it was short guys:

• Mason Fluharty gave up a hit and a walk, while just getting one out in the sixth.
• Paul Sewald got the last out of the sixth.
• José Rodríguez, pitching in his second MLB game, threw the seventh. He gave up a single and had a strikeout.
• Tyler Rogers got the eighth give up just a single in the eighth.
• Louis Varland pitched the ninth, even with the big lead. Course he hasn’t pitched in a few days, might as well use him.

---

Offensively, we got everyone involved. We scored:

• One in the first: Brett Bateman started the game with a walk. Vladimir Guerrero singled him to third. Nathan Lukes brought him home on a sac fly.
• One in the third: Lukes had a one out single. An out later, Sean Keys doubled him home.
• One in the fifth: Bateman again started the inning with a walk. Myles Straw singled. Keys walked to load the bases.
• Four in the seventh: Bateman started this one with a double. Straw walked. Lukes singled in one (Lukes was asked to bunt, failed twice and then singles. Bunts are stupid). Charles McAdoo doubled in two more. Andrés Giménez singled in the seventh run (108.4 mph line drive).

The team had 11 hits. 10 different Jays hit, with Lukes being the only one with two hits.

It wasn’t all good news. Vlad came out of the game with back tightness (after getting a single).

And before the game, we were told that Dylan Cease is being shut down with a tired arm. They are saying it is possible that he could start at the end of the season, if he recovers quickly, but it seems unlikely that the last couple of games will mean anything.

Jays of the Day: Miles (0.16 WPA), Keys (0.14), Bateman (0.13) and Sewald (0.09).

Other Award: Arrighetti (-0.09) and Clement (-0.08).

Tomorrow the Jays start their last road series of the season vs the Orioles. Six games left. They still vaguely have a chance, but just seeing some good ball before the long cold lonely winter (as George Harrison said).

The Texas Rangers scored two runs but the Toronto Blue Jays scored seven runs.

After winning several games where it appeared as though the Rangers weren’t exactly the favorites, today The Shed dwellers had the opportunity to sweep Toronto with their remaining best pitcher Jacob deGrom on the mound versus a bullpen game for the Blue Jays.

This felt like one that the Rangers should have taken to further grab hold of their season with just a week remaining. The magnetic pull of .500 baseball is simply too strong for this squad, however. deGrom was nowhere close to his best, unfortunately. deGrom believes in his club but doesn’t deGrom’s groin or hip or leg or whatever believe in him?

This Rangers team in particular seems to be quite momentum dependent, which means an early lead feels like a requirement for them to have a good day. Maybe Chris Young put together a big group of sulkers, I don’t know. deGrom has been pretty poor at helping them facilitate that this season as he’s been prone to allowing first inning runs.

Indeed, it was 1-0 Blue Jays after the first inning today as deGrom walked the leadoff man who eventually scored the game’s first run on a sac fly. It became 2-0 Jays in the top of the third when deGrom allowed a two-out RBI double to some fella 20 games into his career sporting a .196 batting average.

After the Rangers showed a little life and tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, deGrom came back out and walked the leadoff hitter again and after a couple singles, including one that put Toronto ahead, Skip Schumaker had seen enough which meant another long day for the bullpen.

deGrom finished what is likely his penultimate start of the regular season going 4 1/3 innings on 82 pitches while allowing three runs on five hits with four walks and just two strikeouts. While that’s not good enough for a guy you were hoping could stabilize the staff after cobbling together innings all week, it’s clear that deGrom is also among those who are hobbled. It’s all cobble and hobble right now instead of full speed ahead for the sudden AL West leaders.

Though the Rangers got a couple of big double plays to wiggle out of danger to keep the game close over the next few innings, and even saw a couple of rallies die without tying the score, eventually the dam broke for a bullpen that will be especially glad to see a day off scheduled for tomorrow.

Though still just a 3-2 game into the seventh inning, two of the more trusted arms for Texas — Tyler Alexander and Chase Silseth — combined to allow four Blue Jays runs in the top of the frame and that was that. It’s worth noting also that even if deGrom had been better and put together are lengthier, more deGrom-expected outing, the Rangers also only scored two runs and those two runs came on one swing of the bat.

There was plenty of failure to go around.

Anyhow, here’s the good news: The Astros were swept by the Atlanta Braves so the Rangers retain their lead in the American League West by a single game. Still, it feels like they missed a big chance at adding to that lead and making their route to the playoffs a little more feasible with a dud in today’s finale.

Then again, it was either padding to their scant lead or being .500 again so we knew where this was headed.

Player of the Game: Jake Burger hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning that had tied the game before Toronto broke down deGrom and the Texas bullpen and sank the Rangers’ shot at sweeping an AL East squad for a second time on this homestand.

Up Next: The Rangers will take their final scheduled rest day of the 2026 season before beginning their final home series of the regular season on Tuesday night against the National League’s New York Mets.