PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 05: Martín Pérez #33 of the Atlanta Braves takes the sign from the catcher during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, September 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Denis Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After winning the battle of the aces on Friday to kick off this huge division rival series, the Braves had a Martin Perez vs Zack Wheeler matchup to contend with tonight.
Things started inauspiciously for Atlanta, as two singles and a walk from their first three batters of the game turned into zero runs in the first, followed immediately by four walks and a single allowed by Perez in the bottom of the inning to put the Braves in a 3-0 hole going into the second inning. Ronald pulled one back for the Braves in the third with a monster solo homer on a sweeper that wasn’t in an awful location from Wheeler. That was also Ronald’s 500th career RBI, which he picked up in style.
Perez allowed a solo homer to Schwarber, giving back the run in the fourth and allowed two more singles but Ray Kerr stranded those two Phillies to maintain the 4-1 deficit. That’s only 3.2 innings and 4 largely deserved runs allowed for Perez in a pretty rough outing for the veteran. Kerr stabilized the game and a big solo homer from Austin brought another run back in the seventh, making it a 4-2 game.
Kerr ended his outing with a big 3.1 scoreless innings with only the one strikeout but no walks and 5 whiffs on 35 pitches. Brent Suter worked a scoreless eighth, despite a single and a walk, giving the offense once last chance to overcome a two run deficit in the ninth. They went down in order to Jhoan Duran, handing the Phillies a 4-2 win to even the series.
While the offense didn’t do enough to win this game, despite some bad sequencing luck to only get 2 runs from 2 mammoth homers, Perez’ command meltdown gave the Phillies a lead that they would never relinquish.
We’ll be back tomorrow at 1:10 PM ET for game 3 of this 4-game wrap-around series.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 13: Bobby Miller #28 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks on the field during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch on February 13, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers swapped relievers in the bullpen on Saturday, activating Bobby Miller from the 60-day injured list with Kyle Hurt getting optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The timing of the move helps provide a lesson in timing and roster planning with just over three weeks remaining in the regular season.
The immediate need is available arms to cover Sunday and Monday’s games. Sunday was an open spot in the rotation already on the nine-game homestand, and Monday opened up after Eric Lauer was placed on the injured list after his start last Tuesday. Justin Wrobleski, who pitched two innings on Tuesday, will be available for bulk innings on Sunday against the Nationals. Miller will be potentially available Sunday as well up to around 50 pitches if needed if he doesn’t pitch on Saturday, manager Dave Roberts said Saturday.
Miller began the season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, and also dealt with a back injury this season. During his rehab assignment for Triple-A Oklahoma City, Miller put up a 3.86 ERA in seven games, with 17 strikeouts and four walks in 14 innings. His last two outings were exactly one inning, but his first five games with the Comets were between two and three innings, and ranged from 44-50 pitches.
“I feel like my stuff has played up a little bit better [in relief], but being in attack mode just all the time is really a mindset out there,” Miller said Saturday. “Try to get ahead of every single hitter, not get in a ton of 3-2 counts, just try to get the hitter out as best you can.”
Whether Miller is even an upgrade over Hurt is at least debatable, as at least one Dodgers reliever was surprised to see Hurt in street clothes with a travel bag packed walking out of the clubhouse on Saturday. But Miller is more likely than Hurt to provide length, and the fresh arm express isn’t always fair.
Miller started his rehab assignment on August 5, which meant Thursday was his 30th day on rehab, the longest allowed for pitchers while on the injured list. Barring a setback or another injury, that’s the point at which the team must activate the pitcher off the IL, whether adding him to the active roster or option him.
Ben Casparius was in a similar situation last week, but hadn’t pitched since August 19, and was shut down with arm fatigue. Same for Gavin Stone, who’s 30th day on rehab was on Friday, but he hasn’t pitched since August 25 and is dealing with a biceps issue per Jack Harris of the California Post. So they remain on the 60-day injured list and will likely remain there the rest of the season.
Miller though was healthy, and joined the team on taxi squad on Friday until they determined when he would actually get called up. While the Dodgers could have activated him from the injured list and optioned him to remain with Oklahoma City, the baseball calendar comes into play here. The final day of the regular season is September 27, and had the Dodgers optioned Miller now and he remained in the minors, he’d have burned up his third and final option season, having used options in 2024 and 2025. But by calling him up now, if Miller can stick around until at least Wednesday, there won’t be the 20 days remaining in the season for him to exhaust an option year, whether he gets sent down past then or not.
That would keep Miller as a more functional depth piece on the roster going into 2027 if the Dodgers so choose.
Odd man out
Because Miller was on the 60-day injured list, the Dodgers needed a corresponding move to make room for him back on the 40-man roster. The axe fell on center fielder Alek Thomas, who was designated for assignment on Saturday, just four days after he was optioned as the Dodgers have turned to mostly Tommy Edman and some Kiké Hernández in center field for the next few weeks as they wait for Andy Pages to return from a broken hand.
Sure, this hurts the Dodgers center field depth in the short term, but most of their decision on Thomas was already made on Tuesday when he was sent to the minors. Thomas has already been on optional assignment well over 20 days this year so he will be out of options going into 2027. He was not long for the 40-man roster because of that lack of flexibility, and this just gets a head start on that, though Thomas could also clear waivers and potentially remain in the organization.
The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to weigh their options when it comes to Shohei Ohtani's status.Ohtani was not in the starting lineup as a designated hitter for a third straight game as the Dodgers took on the Washington Nationals on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is “hopeful” that Ohtani won’t need a stint on the injury list, but the team continues to take a "day-to-day" approach with him.
Ohtani had been a constant fixture in the lineup, not having missed a game since July 30 before this latest absence.
Ohtani had some discomfort in his biceps and neck during the Dodgers' 8-6 home loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 2. He went 0-for-4, but did walk and score a run.
Ohtani was working toward his first pitching start since July 3, when knee inflammation and biceps discomfort kept him off the mound. Ohtani had a short bullpen session on Aug. 28, but it wasn’t enough to earn the green light to take the mound for a game.He was working through his pitching progression, making an attempt to come back before things came to a halt following a short bullpen session.
Is there a reason Dodgers won't put Shohei Ohtani on IL?
While only the staff knows for certain, the Dodgers' hesitation to put Ohtani on the injury list could be because of an MLB rule. Ohtani is considered a two-way player, and because of that status, he would be placed on the 15-day injured list instead of the 10-day list.
If he were placed on the IL shortly after missing his third game, the placement can be backdated up to three days, meaning he only has to spend 12 days on the list from the day he is placed. If he is placed Sept. 5, he could return by Sept. 18, but every day the Dodgers delay the decision only pushes back the number of days he can spend on the roster during the regular season before ramping up ahead of the postseason.
The Dodgers will have 20 games left in the regular season, finishing out the schedule with six of the last nine games coming against the San Francisco Giants. A three-game home stand with the San Diego Padres will be sandwiched in between.
Has Shohei Ohtani ever been on the IL before?
Ohtani has only been on the injured list three times during his MLB career. He had a 24-day stint in 2018 while he was with the Los Angeles Angels due to a Grade 2 UCL Sprain in his right elbow.
Ohtani did not pitch the rest of the season but continued as a hitter.
He then started the following season on the 10-day IL to continue to heal from Tommy John surgery.
He also suffered a right oblique strain and a torn UCL that put an end to his final season with the Angels back in September 2023. He was placed on the 10-day injured list after already being shut down as a pitcher and missing 11 consecutive games.
You know, based on the number of baserunners the Cubs had in this game — 13 hits and six walks, not to mention a hit batsman — they should have scored many, many more than six runs. RISPy business, again — 4-for-18 (!) with runners in scoring position, 11 men left on base, and more baserunning hijinks I’ll describe below.
Early on, the Cubs were doing real good work at keeping guys off the bases. Except not the other team’s runners… instead, their own.
In the first, Michael Busch got himself called out on strikes on something you almost never see — a batter timer violation. This was apparently called, per the boxscore, because he called timeout for a second time in the at-bat.
It’s a baseball axiom that you try not to make the first out of an inning at third base, given that if you’re on second with nobody out, you’re already in scoring position.
It’s also a baseball axiom that you shouldn’t make the third out of an inning at third base, but the Cubs did that in that inning as well. Hoerner had taken second on the play on Happ at third, but one out later he tried to steal third and was thrown out.
So by that time the Cubs had three hits and nothing to show for it. More on that baserunning from BCB’s JohnW53:
The Cubs’ two runners out at third in the second inning were just their 28th and 29th outs on bases all season. Their 27 to start the day tied them with the Cardinals for third fewest. The Rangers had 26; the Mariners, 23. The Marlins had the most by far, 62 to the runner-up Nationals’ 56. The combined average of the 29 other teams was 40, nearly half again more than the Cubs’ 27.
After Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out, Seiya Suzuki walked. One out later, Alex Bregman was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Happ then singled in a pair [VIDEO].
The Cubs made it 4-0 in the top of the fourth. With two out, Miguel Amaya doubled and PCA singled him in [VIDEO].
Javier Assad had held the Marlins scoreless for three innings, but had run up a high pitch count with a lot of walks. In the bottom of the fourth, another walk came back to bite Assad, as that plus a double and a couple of force plays scored a pair of Marlins to make it 4-2.
Assad gave up a leadoff single in the fifth, then retired the next two Marlins. At 88 pitches, he was removed to have lefty Caleb Thielbar face Griffin Conine. I mean, that’s statistically the right thing to do, but… Thielbar served up a two-run homer to Conine on his fourth pitch to make it a one-run game.
More on Assad’s day from John:
This was the Cubs’ 19,646th regular-season game since the Modern Era began in 1901.
t was the first in which their starting pitcher finished with an exact line of 4.2 innings pitched, three runs allowed, three hits and five walks.
Six previous starters had gone 4.2, 3 R and 3 H but no more than four walks: Bob Buhl in 1963 (0 walks), Juan Cruz in 2002 (4), Angel Guzman in 2006 (2), Carlos Zambrano in 2009 (4), Adbert Alzolay in 2021 (1) and Edward Cabrera on May 15 (3).
The Cubs pushed the lead back to two runs in the top of the sixth. Conforto led off with a single and Amaya sacrificed him to second. The sac bunt is not something Craig Counsell likes much. It was just the eighth all year for the Cubs, fewest in MLB. But they were trying to stay out of a possible double-play situation, the right thing to do, and Amaya executed.
Thielbar was much better in the sixth, retiring the Marlins in order, including a pair of strikeouts.
Kyle Stowers homered off Trent Thornton in the seventh to cut the lead to one again. Ryan Rolison had to clean up that inning after Thornton hit two Marlins hitters with two out, which he did with a ground out. In the bottom of the eighth with a Miami runner on second and one out, Ryan Zeferjahn was called on, and got the next two hitters via ground out. The Cubs got their first two hitters on base in the ninth via walks, but could not score any insurance runs.
That left it to Zeferjahn to nail things down, as Jacob Webb is still apparently unavailable after the injury he suffered against the Brewers on Wednesday. Stowers was the first Marlins hitter and Zeferjahn got him on a ground ball, then he struck out Heriberto Hernandez.
Then Zeferjahn appeared to have struck out Conine on a 100 mile per hour fastball to end the game. That was overturned via ABS challenge, a very close pitch. How close? This close! [VIDEO]
As noted in the headline, Zeferjahn becomes the 14th Cubs pitcher to record a save this year. The other 13: Webb (9 saves), Thornton (3), Thielbar (3), Daniel Palencia (3), Rolison (2), Assad (2), Aaron Civale (2), Jordan Wicks (2), Colin Rea (1), Hoby Milner (1), Ben Brown (1), Gavin Hollowell (1) and Corbin Martin (1). The team total of 32 ranks 22nd in MLB (and the Cubs also have 24 blown saves).
Zeferjahn did good work in this game, just when the Cubs really needed someone to step up. Perhaps he’ll become a useful reliver after all.
And a couple more game notes from John:
This may be a little hard to believe, given the late-inning drama, but the Cubs never trailed in the game.
In each of their three straight wins, they have scored first and never fallen behind. They had only one streak of at least three such wins this season: four in a row, April 28-May 2. The won at San Diego, 8-3 and 5-4, and at home vs. the Diamondbacks, 6-5 and 2-0. But in both at San Diego they took an early lead, were tied, then pulled away. They have scored first and held the lead in each of the last three wins.
…..
This was the Cubs’ 11,500th win in the regular season since 1876, first year of the National League. Only two teams had won more going today: the Giants, 11,680, and Dodgers, 11,609. The Cardinals were fourth, with 11,434. The Cubs’ 11,000th was a 9-3 victory at Detroit on Aug. 24, 2020. Since then, they are 499-485.
Thus the Cubs will go for the series sweep Sunday afternoon in Miami. Clay Holmes will start for the Cubs and Tyler Phillips goes for the Marlins. Game time Sunday is 12:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
New York Mets pitcher Nate Lavender throws to the Houston Astros in the sixth inning at Citi Field in Queens, New York, Friday, August 28, 2026.
No one at the major league level has seen more of Nate Lavender’s fastball than Luis Torrens, whose job catching the new Mets reliever has gone from challenging to almost comical.
In the first days of Lavender’s major league life, the ball jumped on Torrens a bit faster than he expected. Now from his crouch, he is watching opposing hitter after opposing hitter go through the same adjustment process.
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“I feel like the hitters know the numbers, the metrics, but actually when they’re going to face him, you see weird takes against the fastball,” Torrens said this weekend before the Mets’ 9-5 loss to the Giants on Saturday at Citi Field.
Hitters will seek out the four-seamer and then get the exact pitch they were looking for. And yet they don’t swing because it is already upon them.
“They go like, ‘Oh f–k, that’s the fastball,’” Torrens said with a smile.
With a funky delivery that sneaks up on seemingly every hitter he has seen, Lavender has emerged as not just a nice piece but among the most dominant relievers in the sport since his call-up.
Entering Saturday’s 9-5 loss to the Giants at Citi Field, Lavender had been the third-most valuable reliever in baseball — according to FanGraphs’ version of WAR — since debuting Aug. 4, a touch behind Houston’s Josh Hader and Pittsburgh’s Mason Montgomery.
Nate Lavender delivers a pitch in the sixth inning of the Mets’ loss to the Astros on Aug. 28, 2026 at Citi Field. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
His numbers have been otherworldly, carrying a 0.00 ERA this season, the 12 consecutive scoreless innings to begin his career the second-longest such streak in team history. The lefty had faced 44 batters and allowed just eight to reach (five hits, three walks) while striking out 14.
No, Lavender has not come out of nowhere: He was a rising prospect with the Mets before injuries (notably 2024 internal brace surgery) struck, went to the Rays as a Rule 5 project and was returned in December because injuries (notably 2025 bone spur surgery) struck again.
But his fastball continues to seem to come out of nowhere, a weapon that has barely been touched and apparently barely been seen — all while averaging a touch over 92 mph, one of the slower four-seamers in the majors.
“But it plays like 97 [mph],” Torrens said. “It’s a heavy, heavy 92.”
The heaviness is a product of deception and extension, neither of which was necessarily a goal, Lavender said, but happy accidents that have helped him since he was a child whose father just wanted him to stay healthy.
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The pride of Hudson, Ill., had to develop a good fastball as a kid because, well, Dad said so: He didn’t want his son throwing breaking balls and risking injury. If Lavender wanted to throw a different pitch, “Throw a changeup” was the advice.
“I’m sure there’s remnants [in my delivery] of that kid in there that just picked up a ball,” Lavender said, “and that’s just the way I naturally throw it.”
He fought one of those natural instincts as a freshman at the University of Illinois, where a pitching coach worked with him to shorten his arm path to protect against injury. Previously, he would reach back so his arm would lag behind the rest of his body, and then lift it at a bit under a 90-degree angle before releasing. It was a long whip-around, and the shorter arm path would help keep him healthy (a hope whose irony Lavender acknowledged).
A side benefit: With such a short path, there is very little time for hitters to pick up the ball.
Nate Lavender walks off the mound in the eighth inning of the Mets’ win over the Padrees on Aug. 17, 2026 at Citi Field. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
And so as a professional, Lavender’s left hand goes from glove to behind him to delivery in remarkable speed. His body hides the ball, then his right, gloved arm serves as another blocker before his head is the final shield, the ball whipping out from behind his cap and then bearing down on the batter, a fastball that averages just 92.7 mph but holds hitters to 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts entering play.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve necessarily always tried to hide the ball well,” the 26-year-old said, “I think it’s just been a byproduct of my natural delivery and then just trying to keep the body in good positions.”
Adding to hitters’ discomfort is Lavender’s 6-foot-2, long stature. His right, lead foot gets far down the mound, which makes for an elite amount of extension. By the time the ball leaves his left hand, he is an average of 7.1 feet closer to the plate, among the best in the majors.
Lavender is aware that his extension is a strength, but it’s not one that he said he has cultivated.
“I think it’s just part of my natural stroke to the plate,” he said.
Both the natural and the learned arm path have teamed to turn a 2021 14th-round selection who leads with a fastball that hasn’t touched 95 mph into one of the best relievers in the game for the past month and a surefire, real piece for the 2027 Mets.
They have left opposing hitters muttering at a 92.7 mph four-seamer.
“I’m thankful that that deception’s in there,” Lavender said, “and I can use it to my advantage.”
Shohei Ohtani is not the Dodgers’ only pressing injury concern.
Shortly before first pitch on Saturday, the team scratched Max Muncy and Dalton Rushing (who was set to serve as designated hitter in Ohtani’s absence) from its starting lineup for that night’s game against the Nationals.
The good news: The team announced that Muncy was only “sick,” averting a more serious issue with its veteran third baseman.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy walks into the dugout during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
Rushing had been playing through the issue since the start of this week, returning to the active roster for hitting-only duties –– as a pinch-hitter and as an option at DH.
But now, his status is in doubt again, with the Dodgers awaiting MRI results to know whether he will need to return to the injured list.
Rushing originally hurt his elbow a month ago, getting diagnosed with his slightly torn UCL after feeling pain while warming up for an Aug. 2 game.
His scratch Saturday, however, came after he was seen playing catch in the outfield pregame.
“He was doing some early throwing today, and it just kind of flared up,” Roberts said. “I think we’ll kind of put a pin in throwing for now … I still believe that hitting is on the table. We’ll just see how it feels tomorrow.”
If Rushing is forced onto the injured list, they Dodgers will almost certainly call-up another left-handed bat to replace him. Highly-touted prospect James Tibbs III figures to be one potential option, after getting consideration for a promotion when rosters expanded at the start of the month. However, outfielder Ryan Ward and infielder Hyeseong Kim present alternatives who are already on the 40-man roster.
“Possibly,” Roberts said when asked if an IL stint was likely for Rushing. “I think depending on how the scan comes back.”
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing (68) rounds third base to score a run against the San Diego Padres in the fifth inning of a baseball game on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
Muncy, on the other hand, is dealing with a much less concerning issue that came out of the blue.
The slugger has been struggling lately, mired in a 1-for-22 slump over his last eight games. On the season, though, he has been one of the Dodgers’ most consistent hitters, batting .245 with 26 home runs, 68 RBIs and a .826 OPS.
Roberts said they would also evalaute how he is recovering on Sunday before deciding if he can return to the lineup.
Thornton allowed four home runs in the game, two apiece from star slugger Rafael Devers and righty shortstop Christian Koss. The six earned runs he allowed today was a season-worst mark for the rookie southpaw, although he did also strike out six batters.
"Obviously, the home runs there, it's not what he's looking for," said Green. "The wind was blowing them out; they took advantage of that at the plate and we didn't."
"There were some middle-of-the-plate pitches that got hit... Six strikeouts show some encouraging trends, but still more barrels than he'd like today," he continued.
Thornton, still just 24 years old, showed maturity beyond his years, taking accountability for the mistake pitches but refusing to change the "pound the zone" approach which has brought him success this season.
"My cutter shape was fine, I just didn't have the location for it," Thornton admitted. "But I'll continue to throw strikes... it's baseball, this can happen to a lot of people."
Green agreed with Thornton's assessment of his cutter, the pitch he uses most frequently (30.6% of the time).
"I don't think that he got that cutter inside enough to speed [the Giants batters] up," Green stated.
On the other end of the rookie performance spectrum today, Ewing went 1-for-2 at the plate with a 407-foot homer in his first at-bat of the game. He also drew two walks.
"I love the two walks as much as the home run," Green said of Ewing after the game. "He deserves credit... I think that's indicative of him being in a good spot and trusting who he is."
Among qualified hitters, Ewing's strikeout rate (26.4%, in the 16th percentile) and walk rate (9.0%, in the 46th percentile) are both below league average, and improving in those areas could be key to further fulfilling his potential.
"It felt good to feel that contact again," Ewing said of his round-tripper, his first since July 8th.
"It's all about sticking to a plan and an approach, that's how good things happen," the 22-year-old rookie concluded.
The lefty, who has been one of the real curiosities of the second half while pitching far better than his pedigree, became victim to a laser show from Giants batters in a 9-5 loss in front of 30,046 at Citi Field.
Thornton’s 12th major league start was his worst, serving up four home runs in five innings — after letting up a total of seven in his initial 61 ⅓ innings — from Giants hitters who clearly looked to pounce early in the count.
Rafael Devers and Christian Koss needed to see just seven pitches from Thornton to launch four home runs, the unlikely pair of bash brothers (Koss, the No. 9 hitter, entering with four career home runs) teaming to knock out Thornton after he was charged with six runs on seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
The book is out on Thornton: He throws strikes, having walked more than two batters in just one of his starts.
He can see opposing hitters are adjusting.
“You see a lot of teams game-plan for that and try to get on my stuff early in counts,” said Thornton, who does not envision such contact leading to home runs this often in the future. “I’m going to continue to do what I do: Throw strikes in the zone. You get beat every once in a while.”
Each Thornton start serves as an audition for next season. It is possible he enters this offseason as a depth option whom the Mets pencil in to the Triple-A Syracuse rotation next April.
Zac Thornton looks on after giving up a home run to Rafael Devers (foreground) in the first inning of the Mets’ 9-5 loss to the Giants at Citi Field on Sept. 5, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
It is possible Thornton — who had not allowed more than four earned runs in a start until Saturday — pitches his way, in September and in camp, to a No. 5 job likely behind Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Sean Manaea and a winter addition.
A 2023 fifth-round pick who pitched serviceably but not superbly with Syracuse, Thornton does not have the velocity to put away many batters.
He has to mix, think and locate to be successful, which he largely has during an impressive major league run in which he owns a 3.53 ERA.
Zac Thornton waits on the mound after giving up a two-run home run to Christian Koss (50) during the third inning of the Mets’ loss to the Giants. Robert Sabo for NY Post
But Devers and Koss were guessing early and guessing correctly, launching homers off four different pitches.
Devers, the second batter of the game, pulled a third-pitch cutter to right for the first run; Koss turned on a second-pitch fastball that was about shoulder-high — far out of the zone — and swatted it to left for a two-run shot in the third inning; Koss added another in the fifth, keeping a first-pitch sweeper just fair and tucking it inside the left field foul pole; before Devers, two batters later, got a first-pitch slider on the outside edge and went with it for an opposite-field shot.
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“Not what he wanted. Not the outing that I think he was solving for,” interim manager Andy Green said. “… The kind of outing that I know will leave a sour taste in his mouth because he’s a competitor and then he wants to get back after guys and miss barrels and hit handles more frequently.”
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 14: Matthew Liberatore #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field on August 14, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will try to achieve the baseball equivalent of a Rocky Mountain High Saturday night as they do battle with the Colorado Rockies in game 2 of the weekend series. Matthew Liberatore gets the start for the Cardinals while the Rockies give the baseball to RPH Mason Adams. First pitch is set for 7:10pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 30: Colorado Rockies pitcher Mason Adams (38) delivers a pitch during the MLB game between the Colorado Rockies and the Atlanta Braves on August 30, 2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After dropping the series opener to the St. Louis Cardinals (71-71), the Colorado Rockies (54-87) look for some magic on Harry Potter night at Coors Field.
The Rockies seemed to have yesterday’s game in hand, surging to a 6-4 lead after a strong sixth inning and carrying that into the top of the ninth. A three-run dinger swung the game late and proved to be the Rockies downfall as they lost by one.
Rookie Mason Adams is still searching for his first decision despite two productive starts. So far, he’s been able to maintain a 3.00 ERA and is giving up an average of four hits a game. A four-seam fastball and sinker are his two primary pitches, but he’s also seen success mixing in a curveball with a 51% whiff rate. After playing in two low-scoring games, he’ll try for the hat trick with the hope of more run support this time around.
Matthew Liberatore takes the mound for the Cards. This year, Liberatore is 5-13 over 27 starts with a 5.41 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP, and 141 strikeouts. He’s struggled in the back half of the season, going 0-7 with a 6.37 ERA since the All-Star break in July. His last outing was a 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he gave up four earned runs on six hits.
Liberatore took on the Rockies just a month ago, with Colorado coming out on top 8-6 as Liberatore surrendered five runs on nine hits, including a home run. Despite the stretch of losses, he’s continued to rack up strikeouts, tossing nine in that game against the Bucs, and seven and nine more in the two games before that.
The home crowd saw these teams combine for 13 runs and 19 hits last night. Through his first two starts, Adams has been effective and avoided that level of fireworks (knocking on the wood nearest me). The Rockies’ bats will hope to stay alive and take advantage of the best pitching matchup they’ll see, at least on paper, this weekend.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates his first inning solo home run in the dugout against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 05, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Zac Thornton entered today’s game with a 2.93 ERA in 11 starts. It’s been quite the surprising season for the rookie lefty, who has managed those impressive topline numbers despite boasting less than flashy stuff and underlying peripherals. Alas, those topline numbers look a little bit worse after today’s game, as Thornton underwent his worst start as a major leaguer, and the Mets were not able to work themselves out of the hole he put them in, resulting in a 9-5 loss to the Giants.
San Francisco struck within minutes of the game’s start, as Rafael Devers socked Thornton’s fourth pitch of the afternoon over the right field wall for a one-out solo homer. The Mets answered back in the bottom of the second when A.J. Ewing—who has been struggling mightily in the second-half—socked a two-out, two-run homer off Giants starter Anthony Molina. That gave the Amazins a 2-1 lead, but unfortunately they would not hold it for long. Thornton surrendered a lead-off single in the third inning, followed by a two-run blast to Christian Koss to put the Giants back in front.
Thornton went on to retire his next eight batters, right up until Koss—who entered today’s game with just one homer this season—came to the plate again in the top of the fifth, and he hit his second home run of the afternoon. Not to be outdone, Devers came up two batters later following a single and socked his second home run of the day. Thornton surrendered one hit—a double from Bryce Eldridge, the fourth straight two-out hit of the inning—before finally retiring the Giants, but it was now a 6-2 ballgame.
Meanwhile, the Mets’s bats did little against Molina after Ewing’s homer (that hit in fact remained the only one surrendered by the Giants through six innings). Both teams went to their bullpens in the sixth inning—albeit with Molina’s final line looking a lot better than Thornton’s ugly one (5 innings, 7 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, 6 runs). Chris Devenski was the first reliever up for the Mets, and he did his job by tossing two scoreless innings. The bats finally got something going in the bottom of the seventh, when two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Francisco Alvarez struck out swinging for the second out, but the Mets then finally got another run on the board when Brett Baty walked to bring in a run and make it 6-3. Alas, the potential tying run was stranded, as Francisco Lindor grounded out to first to end the threat.
And the Giants quickly acted to make sure the Mets would not continue to claw their way back into the game. Jefry Yan took the mound in the top of the eighth and issued a one-out walk to Eldridge, followed by a two-run homer from Osleivis Basabe. That made it 8-3, but San Francisco still wasn’t quite done. Justin Hagenman pitched the ninth, and just like every non-Devenski Mets pitcher of the day, he surrendered a homer—this one a one-out solo shot for Grant McCray. That made it six dingers for the Giants, in case you weren’t keeping count.
The Mets did get some meaningless runs in the ninth. Jared Young and Ewing got on via a single and walk, respectively, and with two outs Baty struck an opposite field shot that bounced off the top of the left field wall—inches away from being a home run. It ended up just being a two-run double—not that it would have made much of a difference either way. Lindor subsequently flew out to end the game.
The Mets will now go for the series win tomorrow, with Christian Scott taking the mound.
Big Mets winner: A.J. Ewing, +26% WPA Big Mets loser: Zac Thornton, -39% WPA Mets pitchers: -42% WPA Mets hitters: -8% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: A.J. Ewing two-run homer in the second, +21.8% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Christian Koss two-run homer in the third, -19% WPA
The Mets lost Saturday's game to the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field by a score of 9-5.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- After a string of strong starts by Zac Thornton, the rookie left-hander had his first clunker after giving up six earned runs on seven hits in five innings. Four of the seven hits he allowed were home runs – the first Met pitcher to give up four long balls in an outing since Jose Quintana in 2024.
The first homer Thornton allowed came in the first inning when Rafael Devers took him deep as the second batter of the game to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Thornton struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
In the third inning, No. 9 hitter Christian Koss, a much less likely candidate, hit a two-run shot off Thornton that put San Francisco ahead, 3-2. Once again, the lefty retired the side in order from there to limit the damage. Thornton even struck out the side in the fourth and struck out seven on the day.
However, things unraveled for the youngster when he went back out in the fifth. After retiring the first two, Koss ambushed Thornton on the first pitch and hit a solo shot for his second home run of the game and just his third of the season (sixth of his career).
A single by Jonah Cox brought up the red-hot Devers who entered the game with four home runs over his last five games, including a home run on Friday night, and the lefty slugger took Thornton deep for a second time, this one a two-run smash that extended the Giants’ lead to 6-2.
Thornton finished the inning and then his day was done. He threw 82 pitches (59 strikes) and saw his ERA climb more than half a run from 2.93 to 3.53.
-- The Giants went on to hit two more home runs against New York’s bullpen. Osleivis Basabe hit a two-run homer against Jefry Yan in the eighth and Grant McCray hit a solo home run off Justin Hagenman in the ninth for a total of six on the day, returning the favor after the Mets hit five on Friday.
-- Offensively, New York got on the board in the second inning on A.J. Ewing’s two-run home which gave the team a brief 2-1 lead. That was the Mets’ only hit for much of the game until the seventh inning where they loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Francisco Alvarez struck out for the second out and after Brett Baty walked to force in a run, Francisco Lindor grounded out to first base to end the threat.
New York finished with five hits, two off the bat of Jared Young.
Game MVP: Christian Koss
We'll give the nod here to Koss over Devers simply because his performance was much more unlikely.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 29: Carlos Rodon #55 of the New York Yankees pitches during game one of a doubleheader in the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on August 29, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Friday night was a tough pill for the Yankees to swallow, losing to the Padres in extra innings after managing to take the lead against arguably the game’s most dominant reliever. With the Rays marching onward atop the AL East, knotting up this series is crucial, and the team will need to quickly move on from that hard loss yesterday. They face yet another left-handed pitcher in Robbie Ray, and counter with a southpaw of their own in a national-broadcast faceoff from San Diego.
Because it’s me, and the Baseball Gods (or just my editors) have it out for me personally, I am once again doomed to cover a Carlos Rodón start. I must once again attempt to reconcile his actual performance on the field, which has been quite good as long as he’s been healthy in 2026, with how unpleasant I find watching him pitch. He’d be on pace for a three-win season if he didn’t have those two IL stints, with a 3.20 ERA and 3.74 FIP that both go just fine with being the No. 4 pitcher in a rotation this deep.
Rodón has gone just 12.2 innings in his three starts since that most recent IL trip, as the team seems committed to making sure recovery is permanent, at least for 2026. In those three outings though, he’s been dynamite from an ERA basis with a 2.84, even if the walks have been a problem. Command is often the last thing to return after injury, and getting the ball in the strike zone will need to be a priority for Carlos today.
Ray, meanwhile, has had a weird year split between the Giants and Padres. He’s suppressed runs well, with a Pi ERA, but he’s put up the second-lowest strikeout rate in a full season of his career as well as a walk rate a point and a half above his career baseline. There’s a bit of a Robbie Ray bubble, and the Yankees could turn around some of their LHP misfortune this year by popping it.
Paul Goldschmidt returns to the top of the lineup and starts at first base today, while Ben Rice moves down to cleanup after his big night on Friday. So-called lefty specialist Amed Rosario will be at second base, but the Yankees have clearly seen the writing on the wall with righty-hitting Ali Sánchez, and will start Austin Wells behind the plate. The hometown(-ish) kid Spencer Jones is back in center as well, with Trent Grisham going on the IL and Jasson Domínguez taking Grisham’s roster spot.
It’s a Yankee game on a weekend, so there’s gotta be one national broadcast in the mix. Tonight’s contest is on FOX.
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 03: Yandy Diaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with first base coach Corey Dickerson after hitting a single in the third inning during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Thursday, September 3, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kelcee Skoug/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Jul 7, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, United States; A general view of Kauffman Stadium during the Kansas City Royals workouts. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Game Two with the Royals. Another blowout would be a good thing. Blowout in favour of the Jays, of course.
Tiedemann is back, Taillon is on the DL.
And the team is admitting that Patrick Corbin and Cody Ponce won’t be back this season.
They need someone to start next Wednesday in Taillon’s spot against the A’s. If you want the job, send in a tape of your latest start to the Jays’ front office.
Lineups. I would like to see Keys in the lineup sometime soon.
