Category: Baseball

The Yankees limp home from a disappointing finish to their West Coast trip, losing a series to the Padres as the offense went quiet for long spells across the three games. Luckily, they will have a certain Aaron Judge available to play when they return home to the Bronx, the captain returning for the first time in over three months from a broken rib. Before we look ahead to his return, let’s award one last At-Bat of the Week of the 2026 season’s Judge-less era to Austin Wells for his heroics to win the series against the Angels.

We join Wells with two outs in the top of the tenth, the score knotted at one apiece. He didn’t even start the game, but entered in the eighth as a pinch-hitter and successfully adjusted his sights with a single. He now bats in the highest leverage spot of the game. The bases are loaded thanks to a José Caballero single and Jazz Chisholm Jr. walk, but a Luis García Jr. infield fly puts them one out away from squandering this golden opportunity.

The hard-throwing reliever Luke Murphy starts this encounter off with a perfect back door cutter for a called strike.

This is just an unfair pitch to start the AB, beginning as a ball outside before cutting back toward the plate and painting the outside edge of the zone. Wells is likely geared up for the upper-90s four-seamer that runs away from a left-handed batter, so it’s easy to give up on a pitch that looks like a ball away out of the pitcher’s hand.

Next, Murphy tries to locate a four-seamer up and under Wells’ hands.

Luckily for Wells, Murphy overthrows this pitch as he reaches back for 98 mph and yanks it below the zone for an automatic take, ball one.

Having displayed far better command to the top of the zone with the cutter, Murphy now targets the same location he failed to hit with the previous four-seamer.

Once again, Murphy is inch-perfect to his target, nailing the corner up and in with this 91 mph cutter. There’s not a left-handed batter in the league who is doing damage with this pitch — Wells is just lucky that the foul pop up leaves the field of play to give him another shot.

I’m a little surprised that after two immaculately executed cutters and one poorly executed four-seamers, Murphy once again switches to the four-seamer.

This time he is able to execute to his spot on the corner up and away. Wells gets off a good swing, slashing it foul the other way to stay alive.

Now that he’s got the feel for his four-seamer, Murphy tries to climb the ladder a rung higher than the one he just threw.

He achieves just that, but at 95 mph Wells has a fraction more time to again fight it off foul. While these are two more than decent pitches, the one thing you could say is that by pitching Wells up and away instead of up and in, it gives Wells the chance to extend his arms and hit it foul — a chance he gladly accepts to extend the AB.

Murphy goes for the trifecta with his third straight four-seamer to that same spot up and away.

This heater is a little lower and catches a little more plate than the previous two, and that’s all Wells needs to pull it through the hole between the first and second baseman for the go-ahead two-run single.

Here’s the full AB:

Wells was one of the worst qualified hitters in baseball through the first few months of the season, but amid the rumors of the Yankees shopping for a catcher as the Trade Deadline approached he turned his season around. The deadline came and went without backstop reinforcements. and the faith they placed in Wells appears well-founded as he’s got a .781 OPS and 119 wRC+ over the last two months.

This AB encapsulates a lot of the subtle changes that have catalyzed this rediscovery of form at the plate. Wells doesn’t look overmatched by the velocity or height of any of these pitches when for much of the first half of the season it looked like he’d never catch up to a fastball above 95 mph nor one located belt-high and up. It might be cliché and oversimplified but Wells just looks more “hitter-ish” at the plate — there’s no flinch in his takes whereas he looked like he wanted to chase everything in May and June. There’s conviction in his swing decisions but also flexibility in his approach — I love the way he stays behind those two foul balls immediately preceding the single, going with an opposite-field approach as the location of the pitch dictates rather that blindly trying to pull everything. Finally and most importantly, Wells recognized his barrel was underneath those two foul balls, so he made the mid-AB adjustment that allowed him to raise his swing path to the elevated heater. It’s these kind of mechanical adjustments both month-to-month and pitch-to-pitch that make me confident that this productive version of Wells is here to stay.

The Dodgers flipped their rotation order slightly for the last two games of the homestand, with Tarik Skubal pitching Tuesday on four days rest, followed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday before the Thursday off day.

“I know Mark [Prior, pitching coach] talked it out with both guys, but I don’t know exactly what the details are,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters Monday at Dodger Stadium.

The obvious reason seems like it’s simply acknowledging that this the order the Dodgers would prefer to use in October, with Skubal in Game 1 and Yamamoto in Game 2. In a best-of-7 series, the Game 1 starter is lined up for Game 5 on four days rest. The Dodgers have yet to start their Japanese ace on fewer than five days rest at any point in his three seasons with the team, though his World Series heroics in relief on zero days rest last year is duly noted.

There’s also lining things up for October, while playing the remaining 18 games on the schedule.

Roberts on Monday also said the Dodgers will need to fill a few starts down the stretch. Emmet Sheehan after his fantastic effort on Monday will get another start on Sunday in Miami. Roki Sasaki is close to being activated off the injured list too, but it’s just a matter of when to slot him back in.

If the Dodgers get the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, they get a bye into the National League Division Series, which earns them five days off before a Saturday, October 3 start to their postseason. But if they are the No. 3 seed, they’ll have to play the wild card round, which starts on Tuesday, September 29.

The Dodgers enter Tuesday a game and a half behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the No. 1 see, and two games up on the Atlanta Braves for the No. 2 seed. They do not have the tiebreaker with either team, so will need to beat them outright.

With Sheehan going Sunday in Miami, the Dodgers could start Skubal next Monday, September 14 on five days rest, then twice on four days rest (September 19, 24) to keep him available for Game 1 of a wild card series on September 29. But that feels aggressive. They could also slot Sasaki in next Monday and start Skubal and Yamamoto in order once a week three more times, keeping them available for either a wild card series or with time for a tuneup in between the final week of the regular season and October 3-4 in the Division Series.

This week is pretty set, but there is flexibility in the final two weeks to pretty much do whatever they want. Keep in mind that Justin Wrobleski could fill in with a bulk effort, Bobby Miller could do the same during the final week after his 15 days on optional assignment are up, and that the Dodgers will probably want to have Sasaki pitch in relief at some point before October given that that will be his role in the postseason.

Here’s what a rest-of-the-season rotation could look like for the Dodgers, with all the caveats above.

Tuesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Reds
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Alek Thomas was the odd man out in the Dodgers outfield last week, when he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on September 1, then was designated for assignment on Saturday to make room for Bobby Miller’s return to the 40-man roster.

Now both are back with Oklahoma City, as Miller was optioned to Triple-A on Monday and Thomas on Tuesday was sent outright to the Comets after clearing waivers.

Acquired by trade after the Arizona Diamondbacks designated him for assignment in May, Thomas was called up to the Dodgers on August 22 to fill in after Andy Pages broke his left hand. Thomas started in center field in five of the seven games for which he was active, and had an RBI hit in each of his first three games, totaling four hits in 19 at-bats with a double and a walk, hitting .211/.250/.263 in limited duty.

The 26-year-old Thomas homered three times in his first two games back with the Comets and on the season is hitting .294/.359/.517 with a 119 wRC+ and 10 home runs in 58 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season.

The Nats made several moves at the deadline that I have talked about quite a bit. However, there is one deal that did not get a lot of press but it has been aging well for the Nats. Just before the deadline, the Nats made a seemingly minor move with the O’s. They sent outfielder Christian Franklin to Baltimore in exchange for reliever Joe Glassey.

Franklin was the bigger name of the two and has already made his MLB debut in Baltimore. However, I think the Nats will get the upper hand in this exchange. Since joining the Nats organization, Glassey has been slicing through hitters like butter. He dominated in AA, which earned him a late season promotion to Rochester.

Glassey played five years of college baseball and was an undrafted free agent out of Illinois. That means Glassey is an older prospect having turned 25 in July. While Glassey put up very impressive numbers in the lower minors, the age stuck out like a sore thumb. Before joining the Nats, Glassey only made 2 appearances in AA.

However, he has proven that his dominance can translate to the upper levels. In 10 outings at Harrisburg, Glassey did not allow a single run in 11 innings while striking out 12 batters. More impressively, he only gave up 1 hit and 1 walk. He was just mowing guys down and he forced his way to AAA.

Throughout his professional career, Glassey’s strikeout to walk numbers have been extraordinary. In 27 innings last year, Glassey struck out 37 and walked just 2 hitters. This year it has been more of the same with 70 strikeouts to 9 walks in 44.1 innings. 

So how does Glassey produce these jaw dropping results? Well, his biggest weapon is his changeup/splitter that is absolutely filthy. The pitch gets so much movement and he kills spin on it so effectively. His changeup averages below 1,000 RPM, which is an outlier number. That stat is why I think the pitch is actually more of a splitter.

Once he gets to the big leagues, I think he will be throwing that pitch even more than he already does. It looks like a true plus-plus pitch that will help him carve out a big league role. To go with that changeup, Glassey has a solid fastball. It sits around 94-95 MPH with solid ride and run. He commands the pitch very well which helps make up for its average traits. Finally, Glassey will mix in a slider to keep hitters honest.

This arsenal reminds me of Tommy Kahnle who carved out a long big league career with his nasty changeup. In his prime, Kahnle had more velocity than Glassey does, but I think Glassey’s command is better.

He has only made two appearances so far in Rochester, but at the moment it looks like more of the same. Glassey has not allowed a run in his two outings and has struck out 5 hitters in the process. Even at the highest level of the minors, nobody has figured out that changeup yet.

Heading into next season, I think we will see Glassey at some point. Honestly, he might break camp with the team if he has a good spring. With how dominant he has been, Glassey will get chances to prove himself.

It was an on the margins move, but this deal is aging well for Paul Toboni so far. Some of his less than stellar trades have been talked about lately, but this one looks good. Franklin was not someone the Nats needed given their outfield depth.

 Meanwhile, Glassey has a chance to be a long term piece of a Nats bullpen that desperately needs help. The lack of a plus fastball might limit his ceiling, but Joe Glassey has a very clear path to being a 7th inning guy for a long time.

You never know what the baseball gods have in store. It can literally be hit or miss. The Cincinnati faithful packed Riverfront Stadium to witness Pete Rose’s magical night as he surpassed Ty Cobb’s record. Who could possibly forget the 22-minute victory lap that Cal Ripken Jr took around Camden? For every one of those, there’s the flip side. Tony Gwynn’s 3000th hit came in front of scattered patrons inside a decrepit Olympic Stadium in Montreal.     

Jose Altuve sits at the doorstep of 2,500 hits, needing only 1 hit to join that exclusive club. The first single came against Tyler Clippard of the Nationals on July 20th, 2011. 5,529 days later here we are. Inevitably the boos will come reigning down tonight in South Philly, the same fan base that booed Santa Claus, and they will be relentless. Of course, there’s also the little matter of the 2022 World Series the Astros took in 6 games over the Phillies to add insult to injury. That’s the backdrop for #27 to author another hallmark moment in his amazing career.     

Former teammate Bud Norris fondly remembers their first meeting:

“When I first learned he was our top prospect in 2011, I walked down to minor league camp and waited until he came through the cage. I heard the ball coming off his bat and was immediately impressed. It was three days later and he’s in a big-league spring training game and he went 3-3 with a pair of doubles. All doubters stopped talking that day.”

When asked what truly sets Jose apart from others, Bud didn’t hesitate:

“He never gives up on AB’s. He will take his swings. He can barrel any pitch in any location, and he knows how to backspin balls for lift and then also line drive powers them out to all fields.”

In a nutshell, the 5’6” maestro has set the standard for the Astros franchise. Norris concurs.        

“Altuve changed the game. He’s the embodiment of what makes the game so great. Size doesn’t show up on a trackman. He’s just a special guy and a great talent.”

Get ready to witness history.

Chase Burns got the start for the Cincinnati Reds against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night in southern California, and he did not allow a hit.

Their ace. The starter. Did not allow a hit. Front-page news almost every time you see those components combined, right?

For 44 brilliant pitches, Burns tore through the Dodgers lineup once, and swooshed right by superstar Shohei Ohtani twice. That, though, was it – Cincinnati began to deploy their plan to keep him healthy for 2027 while still building innings and endurance by starting every fifth day through the end of the season, and lefty Brandon Williamson took over to throw 86 innings beginning with the Bottom of the 4th.

This appears to be the plan. It’s not going to be easing him back to 70 pitches, then 60, then 50 and 40 and so on. Rather, he’s going to go out and face a lineup for a turn and hopefully do so as efficiently and effectively as possible, likely for at least three more turns through the rotation as there are 18 games remaining in this 2026 season.

Doing so will keep him from adding to the 15 wins he’s accrued already this year, if that’s the kind of thing you’re still into despite all the dissection of the stat over the last 35 years. It might also keep his velocity up around 99 mph, as he knows he’s not going to need to pace himself so much while letting it rip.

With 148.1 IP under his belt, another trio of 3.0 IP outings would push him to 157.1 for the year. That would be nearly a 50 IP jump over the 109.1 IP he logged across all levels during the 2025 season, a significant but not outlandish progression. Beyond that, it would – in theory – build him up to the point where going a full season with zero throttling in 2027 would be firmly on the table, something that sounds increasingly juicy with Hunter Greene sidelined and the rest of the Reds rotation options looking anything but rock-solid dependable over the course of this particular season.

It obviously reduces the Reds chances of winning more games than they lose this season, something that’s already going to be nearly impossible for all the reasons mentioned in the above sentence. They’re also 69-75 with a brutal schedule remaining, but maybe this will help them sink down the depth chart of win leaders across the league and, therefore, give them a better chance at a top draft pick next summer.

Most importantly, it’s them being proactive about keeping their resident ace in the best position to succeed next year when the Reds, presumably, will try to make more of an effort to win games than they have so far in 2026.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country.

Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is having a spectacular season. This, you already know.

He’s the likely National League MVP and is close to setting a record for home runs for any Cubs left-handed hitter, starting today just one behind Billy Williams’ 42 in 1970.

He’s also possibly on track for a 40/40 season, which would be the first-ever for a Cubs player and just the seventh ever by anyone. PCA stole two bases against the Brewers Monday and has 35. There are 17 games remaining in the 2026 regular season.

So that’s week’s SB Nation Reacts survey question: How many steals will PCA have for the 2026 regular season? Cast your vote and I’ll post the final results here later this week.

September is the ultimate encapsulation of the baseball season winding down. The major league team is entering its final sprint, but before they get to the postseason, things eventually end in the minors as well. This week, the two A-ball affiliates ended their regular seasons, with one preparing to begin a playoff run on Tuesday.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 36-26 (73-63), 1 GB in the International League East after a 5-2 week against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies)

Run differential: +57 (+60)

Coming up: Away @ Rochester Red Wings (Nationals)

It was a big week for the RailRiders, who won five of the last six games against Lehigh Valley after dropping a suspended game to open the week. It pulled them into a tie for first in the International League with Rochester, which will make their upcoming six-game series (note: Scranton lost Game 1 on Labor Day in a rare Monday game) likely pivotal to who goes to the playoffs.

It was a great week for the bats, who got contributions from up and down the lineup. Kenedy Corona had a multi-homer game, Yanquiel Fernandez blasted three homers, J.C. Escarra, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Max Schuemann all hit over .350 this week, and even the struggling Jasson Domínguez got going before his emergency promotion. The real story here remains the power revival of Anthony Volpe, who’s been playing three positions and is now slashing .295/.393/.667 with 10 home runs in 27 games since being sent down. That’s how you send a message.

Elmer Rodríguez spent the week out west with the big league club, so the focus this week was on the rest of the gang. We got great six-inning starts by both Adam Kloffenstein and Alexander Cornielle, but on the prospect front, Brendan Beck allowed one run in six innings with seven strikeouts as he continued to stay ready, while Kyle Carr couldn’t get out of the third as he continues to build up. It was good to finally see something positive from Xavier Rivas, who allowed just two earned runs in five innings after a dreadful first month at the level.

Eric Reyzelman continued his better pitching of late, as he and Zach Messinger combined to toss 7.2 shutout innings in what was ultimately an iffy week for the bullpen. The main attraction was the rehabbing Clarke Schmidt, who looked healthy in his four innings of work this week as he continues to build his way back.

Players of Note:

Jasson Domínguez: .283/.361/.420, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 14 SB, 107 wRC+
Anthony Volpe: .271/.354/.576, 11 HR, 26 RBI, 21 XBH, 135 wRC+ (165 PA)
Oswaldo Cabrera: .291/.348/.441, 17 HR, 59 RBI, 31 XBH, 105 wRC+
Brendan Beck: 9-2, 2.86 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 1.04 WHIP, 20.4 K-BB% (125.2 IP)
Elmer Rodríguez: 8-3, 2.59 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 13.1 K-BB% (97.1 IP)

Double-A Somerset Patriots

Record: 33-30 (70-62), 3.5 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 3-3 week against the Erie SeaWolves (Tigers)

Run differential: +1 (+37)

Coming up: Home vs. Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies)

Somerset is officially on the ropes after failing to make a statement against Erie. They’ll likely need to sweep Hartford this upcoming week and get help from that SeaWolves team that just beat them to get a playoff spot.

Jace Avina had big moments this week, including a slump-busting homer on Tuesday, but has overall had a rough go of it since July. Omar Alfonzo hit the ball well in his two starts, as did Cole Gabrielson, Roderick Arias, Jackson Castillo, and Core Jackson, with the latter going 8-for-25 with his first Double-A homer as he continues to acclimate to his new level.

It was an up-and-down week for the rotation. Cade Smith drew double duty and had two iffy outings, allowing eight runs in 9.2 innings. Chase Hampton continued to struggle mightily at the level, being chased in the third inning before being DFA’d on Monday. Both Bryce Cunningham and Rory Fox had good weeks to salvage things for a rough rotation, with the former notching a seven-inning complete game for his first Double-A win and the latter tossing a quality start with six two-run innings.

The bullpen was really awful this week, with the only guy putting up zeroes being converted starter Trent Sellers. I’m not sure if there’s big-league potential for the almost 27-year-old, but he’s salvaged a bad start to the season by pitching to a 2.48 ERA in 29 innings with 41 strikeouts since mid-June.

Players of Note:

Jace Avina: .249/.345/.462, 20 HR, 65 RBI, 50 XBH, 24.0 K%, 117 wRC+
DJ Gladney: .265/.326/.496, 23 HR, 85 RBI, 49 XBH, 116 wRC+
Coby Morales: .282/.372/.483, 21 HR, 81 RBI, 21 SB, 130 wRC+
Cade Smith: 7-8, 5.10 ERA, 5.51 FIP, 1.44 WHIP, 12.2 K-BB% (120 IP)
Ben Hess: 3-4, 4.45 ERA, 4.69 FIP, 1.45 WHIP, 13.7 K-BB% (56.2 IP, injured)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades

Record: 35-31 (65-65), 7.5 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 1-5 week against the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals)

Run differential: +35 (+4)

The season is over down in Hudson Valley, whose nine-game winning streak in mid-August was not nearly enough to make up for a rough start to the second half. It didn’t help how bad the last two weeks have been, particularly with three shutout losses this week to Wilmington and a brutal, season-ending walk-off loss to end it on Sunday.

Two players hit major milestones this week, as Kyle West notched a 20/20 season late in the week, while Jackson Lovich finished with 24 homers and 41 stolen bases, narrowly missing being the first 25/40 Yankee since Ruben Rivera in 1994. There’s some very promising bats here, especially at the catching position with a pair of 2025 undrafted free agents in Eric Genther and David McCann. Next year, Hudson Valley will likely be home to many 2026 draftees, as some of the guys previously mentioned are tested up in Somerset.

This was a pitching staff that stayed relatively intact all season long. Only a late-season promotion for Cunningham changed things after the early-season call-ups to Allen Facundo and the now-traded Henry Lalane. I thought it was a great season for Luis Serna, who broke the Renegades’ single-season strikeout record as he shattered his previous career high in innings to put him back on the map. I wonder if Allen Facundo, who’s command continues to hold him back, will be put in the bullpen next season to fast-track his electric stuff.

Players of Note:

Eric Genther: .274/.407/.440, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 31 XBH, 128 wRC+
David McCann (FCL/A/A+): .268/.354/.544, 17 HR, 56 RBI, 27 XBH, 124 wRC+
Jackson Lovich (A/A+): .287/.361/.512, 24 HR, 89 RBI, 41 SB, 28.6 K%, 123 wRC+
Luis Serna: 6-6, 4.32 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 20.0 K-BB% (118.2 IP)
Allen Facundo: 6-3, 4.44 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 1.47 WHIP, 11.6 K-BB% (99.1 IP)

Single-A Tampa Tarpons

Record: 43-20 (75-48), 9 GA in the Florida State League West after a 4-2 week against the Dunedin Blue Jays (Blue Jays)

Run differential: +114 (+137)

Coming up: FSL Division Series vs. Clearwater Threshers (Phillies)

The regular season has come to an end, and no team is hotter than the Tampa Tarpons, who haven’t lost a series since mid-June. After winning their ninth series in the last 11 (with two splits), they solidified the best record in the Florida State League. They’ll look to secure the West Division title against Clearwater this week.

For the first time in a while, it wasn’t complete domination for the offense. Anthony Potestio continued to be the best 2026 draftee thus far, as the 11th-round pick is slashing .333/.513/.684 with five homers in his first 80 pro plate appearances. Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II, Diego Castellanos, and Luis Escudero all had strong weeks as well, with Dax Kilby continuing to draw walks at a very mature rate.

In the final full week of the rotation, things went well, even if injuries continued to ravage them. Tyler Boudreau suffered a nasty forearm injury on a comebacker mid-week, while Sabier Marte quietly went on the injured list late in the week. Aside from Wyatt Parliament’s struggles with the long ball, everyone else showed out. Edinzo Marquez tossed five shutout frames, Anthony Mena looked good in 3.2 innings of a bullpen game, J.T. Etheridge stacked another good outing, and Justin West tossed five two-run innings of ball.

In the bullpen, there was nothing overtly noteworthy as Antonio Gomez tossed another scoreless outing and guys like Josh Tiedemann and Rafael Arias pitched well, but the story was the first debut of a 2026 pitcher, as Jason Krieger was recalled from the complex to toss 1.1 innings on Sunday due to the injuries. The Yankees rarely have a pitcher make an appearance in their draft year.

Players of Note:

Luis Escudero: .281/.460/.540, 10 HR, 28 RBI, 17 SB, 160 wRC+
Yostin Pena (DSL/A): .354/.431/.608, 14 HR, 80 RBI, 37 SB, 147 wRC+
Dax Kilby: .261/.448/.435, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 12 SB, 143 wRC+ (154 PA)
Tyler Boudreau: 7-3, 3.41 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 1.06 WHIP, 17.3 K-BB% (103 IP)
Justin West: 10-4, 4.06 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 1.23 WHIP, 18.5 K-BB% (113 IP)

FCL Yankees

Record: 29-29, 7.5 GB in the FCL North

Run differential: +2

Missed playoffs. Season over.

DSL Yankees & Bombers

DSL Yankees:
Record: 33-21, 2 GB in DSL East. Eliminated in DSL Cup Pool Play
Run differential: +141

DSL Bombers:
Record: 25-29, 11 GB in DSL Southeast. Missed playoffs
Run differential: +8

Season over.

Players of Note:

Isaias Castillo: .294/.408/.629, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 35 XBH, 28 SB, 132 wRC+
Juan Torres: .385/.470/.644, 8 HR, 65 RBI, 36 XBH, 26 SB, 159 wRC+
David Carrera: .333/.502/.594, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 23 XBH, 160 wRC+
Fredy Penuelas: 52 IP, 1.56 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 18.4 K-BB%
Cesar Acosta: 51.2 IP, 3.31 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.01 WHIP, 24.1 K-BB%

Prospect(?) of the Week: Anthony Volpe

Weekly Stats: 11-for-21, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 3 BB, 4 K, 5 SB (2 CS)
Season Stats (AAA): .271/.354/.576, 11 HR, 26 RBI, 21 XBH, 20 SB, 135 wRC+ (165 PA)

The Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 on Monday which seems like a totally normal score, though perhaps with a little more offense than the Dodgers put forth during their July-August malaise. They’ve now scored at least six runs in three straight games, a streak they’ve now achieved twice within their last eight contests.

But it’s how the Dodgers scored on Monday that was notable. They only had three hits.

The big blow was a three-run home run by Teoscar Hernández, which blew the game open and continued a tremendous run by the veteran slugger who is healthy again and able to use his old swing to great effect.

Hernández, who also singled and scored in the fifth inning, had two of the Dodgers’ three hits on Monday. During his eight-game hit streak, Hernández is 13 for 29 with two home runs and three doubles, hitting .448/.543/.759 with 11 RBI, including driving in runs in each of the last five games.

The Dodgers in their franchise history have scored six or more runs on no more than three hits only once before. On May 7, 2022, the Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 in the second game of a doubleheader at Wrigley Field. Mookie Betts did the heavy lifting that day, with a three-run double and two-run home run, accounting for two of the Dodgers’ three hits.

Four years ago in Chicago, the Dodgers walked nine times to complement their three hits. On Monday against the Reds, the Dodgers walked six times and were hit by a pitch. An error accounted for two of the Dodgers’ six runs on Monday.

Scoring at least six runs on no more than three hits has happened only 29 times in modern major league history. The Dodgers have their last two such games. Before that, the most recent was April 22, 2021, when the Seattle Mariners scored seven runs in a 10-inning win at Fenway Park.

The most runs scored on no more than three hits is eight, by the Oakland A’s on April 12, 1994 against the Toronto Blue Jays. The fewest hits in scoring six runs is one, by the Chicago White Sox on August 28, 1909 against the Washington Senators. The Sox took advantage of 11 walks by the wonderfully-named Dolly Gray in that one.

The last two nights at Dodger Stadium have featured rarities. On Sunday, there was actual rain (though nothing that interrupted the game). On Monday, it was scoring six runs on only three hits. Let’s see what Tuesday brings.

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Full slate Tuesday!

My MLB moneyline predictions for today's slate include backing a lot of pricey favorites, which include the Baltimore Orioles.

Before we dive in, be sure to check out all our MLB picks for Tuesday, Sept. 8.

MLB moneyline picks for September 8

For help understanding Polymarket probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Matchup	Pick
Guardians vs Orioles	52%
Astros vs Phillies	44%
Twins vs Tigers	56%
Mets vs Marlins	54%
Angels vs Red Sox	44%
Rockies vs Yankees	25%
Rays vs Braves	49%
Diamondbacks vs Royals	48%
Cubs vs Brewers	66%
Pirates vs White Sox	57%
Rangers vs Mariners	44%
Blue Jays vs A's	62%
Nationals vs Padres	63%
Cardinals vs Giants	50%
Reds vs Dodgers	74%

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of September 8.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for September 8

Guardians vs Orioles: Orioles 

Orioles win probability: 52%

Orioles right-hander Brandon Young has been holding it down in his last few outings, posting a 2.79 ERA while limiting hard-hit and barreled balls. On the other side, Tanner Bibee has been solid, but he has been walking guys at a very high rate, which the Orioles could exploit, as they have been drawing a lot of walks over their last 12 games.

Neither offense has shown much life as of late, so we will be leaning with the better arm.

Astros vs Phillies: Astros 

Astros win probability: 44%

Both arms in this matchup have been great over their last five outings, while neither offense has posted a wRC+ above 90 in quite some time.

Why pay the juice in this spot? Take the dog.

Twins vs Tigers: Tigers 

Tigers win probability: 56%

Pay the juice! It is the Tigers or nothing here.

Sure, the Tigers’ bats have cooled down as of late, but Dean Kremer has been brutal in his most recent outings, posting a 7.43 ERA and 1.80 WHIP while allowing a 47%+ hard-hit rate and 14% barrel rate over his last three starts.

Batters-Box has Kremer owning the worst pitcher rating on the day in its current season dataset.

Full fade on Kremer.

Mets vs Marlins: Marlins 

Marlins win probability: 54%

Simple fade on Sean Manaea, who has progressively gotten worse with each start. Over his last five outings, he owns a 5.87 ERA while allowing a barrel rate above 15%. Over his last three, those numbers jump to a 7.79 ERA and nearly an 18% barrel rate. The Marlins’ bats should be able to get after the veteran early and often.

Angels vs Red Sox: Angels 

Angels win probability: 44%

Back the dog here. It is going to be sweaty with how poorly the Angels’ bats have been, but Patrick Sandoval has been horrible in his last five starts, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.80 WHIP while allowing a 10%+ barrel rate to opposing hitters.

Meanwhile, Reid Detmers has been nails, allowing little to no hard contact over his last five outings while owning a 0.82 ERA.

Get filthy. Back the Halos.

Rockies vs Yankees: Rockies 

Rockies win probability: 25%

Will the Yankees likely win this ballgame with Cam Schlittler on the bump and the juice that getting Aaron Judge back will bring? Likely, yes.

However, at that price? No.

The Rockies have posted a 114 wRC+, .353 wOBA, and .808 OPS over the last week. Maybe these bats can come alive against the potential AL Cy Young winner.

Rays vs Braves: Rays 

Rays win probability: 49%

Small sample size, but Braves starter AJ Smith-Shawver has been pretty bad since returning. He owns a 7.13 ERA and 1.75 WHIP while facing one of the most consistent lineups in baseball.

Sure, Freddy Peralta is on the bump for Tampa Bay, but he has been very solid in his last three starts, posting a 2.84 ERA and just a 0.68 WHIP.

Take the dog.

Diamondbacks vs Royals: Royals

Royals win probability: 48%

We have no idea what to expect from Corbin Burnes this evening, as he is making his 2026 debut after being out for more than a year due to injury.

However, one thing we do know is Michael Wacha has been holding it down, sporting a 1.71 ERA and 0.76 WHIP over his last three starts. On top of that, the Royals’ bats have been hot for more than three weeks now, while Arizona is frozen at the dish.

Cubs vs Brewers: Brewers

Brewers win probability: 66%

Do we want to trust Jacob Misiorowski or David Peterson this evening? Such a tough debate, right? We’re debating whether to take a guy with a 6.14 ERA over his last three starts or a guy with a 3.94 ERA.

If you haven’t picked up on the sarcasm yet, it is the Brewers or nothing. I refuse to get in front of the Misiorowski freight train.

Pirates vs White Sox: White Sox

White Sox win probability: 57%

The South Siders should be able to tee off on Bubba Chandler early and often, as he is mainly throwing fastballs, and this White Sox team foams at the mouth for four-seam fastballs. Especially Munetaka Murakami, who needs a guy like this to snap out of his cold streak.

Sean Burke has been great, and if he can limit the walks, he should be able to keep his team in this.

Rangers vs Mariners: Rangers  

Rangers win probability: 44%

Neither starter in this matchup has been putting up great numbers over their last few outings, but one offense has been producing more than the other. Sure, Seattle has been heating up, but the Rangers have been much hotter.

Texas owns a 122 wRC+, .346 wOBA, and .791 OPS over its last 12 games.

Take the dog.

Blue Jays vs A's: Blue Jays

Blue Jays win probability: 62%

The Blue Jays have to keep their heads down if they want a chance at the postseason. These are games they have to win.

Their bats have been pretty hot as of late, which is good news for Toronto, as Jack Perkins owns a 7.04 ERA at home.

Toronto will also need Jose Soriano to be nails this evening.

Stay hungry, Toronto.

Nationals vs Padres: Padres 

Padres win probability: 63%

Unless this is a brand-new Matt Waldron, I want no part of backing him to hold anything down this evening. The Nationals right-hander owns a 5.63 ERA and 2.00 WHIP over his last five starts.

Casey Mize has not been much better for San Diego, but we know he is nails at home, with a 2.98 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

Plus, the Padres’ bullpen is light-years better than Washington’s.

Give me the favorite.

Cardinals vs Giants: Giants 

Giants win probability: 50%

The hometown team is talking to me after the Giants walked it off last night against the Cardinals.

Tonight, they send out Landen Roupp, who has been pretty solid over his last few starts, limiting hard-hit balls.

On the other side, St. Louis has Quinn Mathews on the mound, who owns a 5.17 ERA and 1.60 WHIP over his last three starts.

If the Giants can get after Mathews early and force him to go to the bullpen, which owns a 4.41 xERA on the season, they should be able to open this game up early.

Reds vs Dodgers: Dodgers

Dodgers win probability: 74%

Nick Lodolo has an 8.10 ERA, 8.04 xERA, and 2.02 WHIP while allowing a 53%+ hard-hit rate and nearly a 15% barrel rate over his last three starts. This Dodgers lineup should be able to feast on Lodolo’s offerings this evening.

Tarik Skubal should be able to cool off the red-hot Reds bats. Take the home favorite.

“But bu- you said not to pay this much juice.”

Lodolo has been far worse than Rockies starter Gabriel Hughes. That is the difference.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country.

With 17 games left to play in the 2026 season, the Orioles “tragic number” is 13. That is, the combination of Orioles losses and Guardians wins that will clinch that the O’s don’t make the playoffs. They have stacked the odds substantially against themselves making it after getting mopped in the four-game Red Sox series this past weekend.

Still, they are not mathematically eliminated yet, and even if you don’t believe that they’re going to make it, there’s the question of how much of a collapse they might have between now and season’s end. That’s the aim in this week’s poll question, asking how far behind the eventual AL Wild Card 3 team you think that the Orioles will finish. It could still be the Guardians, Blue Jays, Rangers, or even – if they go on a miraculous run – the O’s themselves.

Vote in the poll below:

Notorious pessimist though I am, I did make sure that “they make the playoffs” is still one of the choices, so all of those who just can’t stop believing can register their optimism. Of course, more likely, they won’t make it, and I’m interested in seeing how far you think the team will fall between now and season’s end.

Right now, the Orioles are three games back of the Guardians. They have a chance to take games with their remaining two head-to-head games, and there are also six games coming against the Blue Jays. I don’t think the Orioles will do anything positive with these opportunities, but they are there.

Maybe you think the Orioles will play just well enough to miss out by a game or two. Maybe you think they’ll tread water right around here, not in the race exactly but not mathematically eliminated until the final handful of games. Or maybe you think they’re going to continue the swan dive that their games against the Rockies and Red Sox suggested was on the way.

By now you’ve probably all seen the quote circulating online: “I mean, not [to be all] me, me, me, me, but I’ve done crazy things before. I’m not Joe Schmoe. I’ve done impressive things. I think that that would be a big ask for some people, but I don’t think it’s a crazy ask for me.” That’s Garrett Crochet speaking about the fact that he is now aiming to return and pitch in the postseason, even though he won’t make a single appearance between now and the end of the regular season. It would potentially be a legendary moment for Crochet if he can pull it off, but he’s not there yet, as he didn’t get get his fastball above 90 MPH when he threw a bullpen on Friday. He’ll throw another bullpen today and hopes to face live hitters in a simulated game setting soon, as he has run out of time to make a rehab appearance in the minors. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Crochet isn’t the only arm hoping to work his way back into the bullpen. While Crochet will merely throw a bullpen today, Tanner Houck will make a 20-pitch appearance for AA Portland, with hopes of bumping that number up to 45 on Friday. He’s itching to go. “It’s been a fun team to watch from afar,” said Houck. “The energy the players bring every night, the excitement level they bring to the city, I want to do nothing but help them in this postseason push and have a deep playoff run.” (Ian Browne, MLB.com)

If he is able to return and look like his old self, the Red Sox bullpen will be downright nasty in October. And hopefully the starting rotation will be right there with them, because it’s the starters who have been the key to this mini winning streak. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

In addition to working on his velocity and command, Crochet will need to practice the team’s new post-game victory ritual, the celebration circle. “While there were the usual get-togethers by the outfielders and infielders, just outside the Red Sox dugout, a group of five players gathered to form a circle, put their arms around each other and do a little dance. Nick Sogard. Andruw Monasterio. Connor Wong. Nate Eaton. And the creator of the brief celebration, Jahmai Jones. For just a few seconds, they were all in their own little world.” (Rob Bradford, WEEI)

While we’ll hopefully get to see more celebration circles in October at the ends of games, we unfortunately won’t get what would’ve been a special pregame ceremony: that being one-time interim manager Joe Morgan being honored at Fenway before current interim manager Chad Tracy’s team takes the field. That’s because Morgan passed away at the age of 95 over the weekend. “Joe’s life is a story about never giving up. It’s a story about perseverance. It’s a story about hustle. And, yes, it’s a story about being in the right place at the right time.” (Steve Buckley, The Athletic)