Category: Baseball

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Kurt Miller, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1945 – Cleveland ace Bob Feller returns from the Navy and attracts a home crowd of 46,477, who watch him strike out 12 and yield only four hits in a 4-2 win over Detroit’s Hal Newhouser. He will get nine starts during the remainder of the year, and his five wins will include a one-hitter and two four-hitters. With the war now over, fans are clamoring for entertainment and it is clear Feller is still baseball’s number one ticket seller, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1916 – Babe Ruth fires his seventh shutout of the year, stopping Detroit on three hits as Boston wins, 3-0.
• 1940 – In the Tigers’ 12-1 victory at Fenway Park, Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams pitches the last two innings against Detroit, allowing one run on three hits, in what will be the only pitching appearance of his career.
• 1945 – Cleveland ace Bob Feller returns from the Navy and attracts a home crowd of 46,477, who watch him strike out 12 and yield only four hits in a 4-2 win over Detroit’s Hal Newhouser. He will get nine starts during the remainder of the year, and his five wins will include a one-hitter and two four-hitters. With the war now over, fans are clamoring for entertainment and it is clear Feller is still baseball’s number one ticket seller
• 1965 – In the first inning against Pittsburgh, the Giants’ Willie Mays scoops up a double from Donn Clendenon at the base of the 406-foot sign, whirls and fires with the ball reaching catcher Tom Haller on one bounce. Haller then tags out the astonished Willie Stargell. What is described as the greatest throw ever made in ancient Forbes Field is a costly one as Mays hurt himself and leaves the game in the sixth with a pulled groin muscle.
• 1967 – While pushing a car, Philadelphia’s Richie Allen suffers a severe injury when he pushes his hand through the headlight. It will sideline him for the remainder of the season. The Phils will go 14-21 without him.
• 1975 – Lou Brock steals the 800th base of his career as the Cardinals beat the visiting Braves 6-2. Carl Morton is on the mound and Biff Pocoroba behind the plate when Lou swipes second base.
• 1980 – Nolan Ryan holds the Cubs to two hits in nine innings to give the Astros their tenth straight victory, 2-1, winning over Bill Caudill.
• 1982 – Royals catcher John Wathan steals his 31st base, breaking Ray Schalk‘s 1916 record for stolen bases by a catcher. The backstop will wind up with 36 for the season.
• 1996 – Atlanta defeats Chicago, 6-5, led by 1B Fred McGriff, who strokes five hits, including a double and two homers, and drives in four runs.
• 1999 – Mariner Ken Griffey, Jr. becomes only the seventh player to hit 40 homers in four consecutive seasons.
• 2012 – Matt Harrison has a no-hitter until Trevor Plouffe singles with two outs in the seventh, but it’s Adrian Beltre who ends up with a feat, hitting for the cycle for the second time of his career in the Rangers’ 8-0 demolition of the Twins.

Today in Cubs history:

• 1903 – The Cubs split with the Giants at the Polo Grounds, beating Joe McGinnity, 7-3, in the opener. Iron Joe is not helped by eight Giant errors, including five by SS Charlie Babb. The nightcap is called after Chicago’s at-bats in the seventh with the score 8-1. Christy Mathewson picks up the victory for New York over Jock Menefee.
• 1904 – In Chicago, Christy Mathewson blanks the Cubs on three hits and the Giants defeat Buttons Briggs, 3-0. The second game is called after 10 innings with the score 2-2. Chicago fans show their feelings towards the Giants by tossing bottles onto the field. RF George Browne is hit on the leg and is almost hit in the head while chasing a fly ball. John McGraw tells ump Bob Emslie that he will not allow his team to continue play until all the broken glass is cleared, and by the time that occurs it is too dark to continue play.
• 1905 – In Philadelphia, the Cubs defeat the Phillies in 20 innings, 2-1, with Ed Reulbach going the distance for Chicago.
• 1911 – The Cubs lose to Brooklyn, 6-5, in 10 innings to lose sole possession of first place. Doc Scanlan bests Mordecai Brown.
• 1914 – At Chicago, the Cubs trounce the Braves, 9 5, putting Boston back in second place.
• 1930 – New York’s Fred Lindstrom has his 24-game hitting streak stopped as the Giants lose to the Cubs, 3-2. The game is tied 2-all in the bottom of the ninth, when the Cubs load the bases with two out. With the count 0 and 2, Danny Taylor the runner on third, races safely home as surprised Giant reliever Joe Heving watches and then completes his deliberate windup with a wide pitch.
• 1947 – The Giants break the National League record for homers in a season, held by the Cubs, with their 172nd in a 4-0 shutout by Larry Jansen. Chicago’s Hank Borowy takes the loss. The Cubs take the nightcap, 8-3, led by Eddie Waitkus‘ inside-the-park grand slam. This is the third such slam this season and that won’t be matched till 1990.

Cubs Birthdays:Kurt Miller*, Dean Wilkins, Butch Benton, Frank Secory, Beryl Richmond, Jimmy Cooney, Art Williams, Frank Quinn, Lou Hardie. Also notable: Cal Ripken Jr. HOF. Harry Hooper HOF.

Today in history:

• 79 – Believed until 2018 to be the date of the massive eruption of Mt. Vesuvius which buried the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae, killing untold thousands, latest evidence suggests the eruption occurred after 17 October.
• 1853 – First potato chips are prepared by chef George Crum at Moon’s Lake House near Saratoga Springs, New York.
• 1891 – Thomas Edison patents the motion picture camera.
• 1912 -Ticker-tape parade held in NYC for Jim Thorpe and victorious US Olympians.
• 1919 – Frank King’s daily comic strip “Gasoline Alley” is distributed nationwide by the Chicago Tribune Syndicate, appearing in The New York Daily News among other newspapers.
• 1979 – Rock band “The Cars” plays a concert at Wollman Rink in NYC’s Central Park.
• 2004 – Future 8-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica finishes 5th in his 200 m heat in 21.05 seconds, failing to qualify for the second round at the Athens Olympics.
• 2011–  Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple Inc. and is succeeded by Tim Cook due to his illness

*pictured.

The Detroit Tigers have been struggling of late, having now lost five in a row and seven of their last eight after the Kansas City Royals completed a sweep at Kaufmann Stadium on Sunday afternoon with an 11-7 victory. There really is not much to say at this point as the team’s playoff hopes appear to be evaporating right before our eyes.

Things do not get easier this week, as the Motor City Kitties return home to host the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game series starting on Monday. The Tigers swept the Rays in St. Petersburg to open up June to break out of their May funk, and maybe — just maybe — Detroit can find its groove again against their Sunshine State foes just like then.

Left-hander Framber Valdez, who has had two straight rough outings after posting a pair of quality starts to open up August, will get the start in the series opener after being pushed back a day. Over the 32-year-old’s last 11 1/3 innings, he has put up a 6.35 ERA and 5.47 FIP, allowing 11 hits (one home run) and nine walks while striking out eight, hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch.

For the Rays, right-hander Drew Rasmussen will take the hill on Monday night looking to improve on one of his worst outings of the season in his last appearance. Against the Toronto Blue Jays, the 31-year-old gave up five runs on seven hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out five over five frames to take the loss in a 7-6 final.

This will be the first time either pitcher has faced the other team this season. Here is a look at how they match up for the series opener in the D.

Detroit Tigers (61-69) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (77-53)

Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:DRaysBay
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 131: LHP Framber Valdez (8-8, 4.35 ERA) vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen (13-5, 3.01 ERA)

VALDEZ

RASMUSSEN

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/26-24)

Atypical for the International League, which has averaged 5.16 runs per game this season, we had ourselves a pitching duel between Raymond Burgos and Xzavion Curry, with both starters putting up goose eggs during their time on the mound. Both bullpens were also on point, with Syracuse just narrowly edging out the Woo-Sox thanks to a D’Andre Smith two-run homer in the seventh.

·  CF Nick Morabito: 2-4, SB (41)

·  2B Émilien Pitre: 1-3, BB, K, SB (1), E (1)

·  1B Billy Amick: 0-4, 3 K

·  3B Ronny Mauricio: 0-3, BB, E (11)

·  DH Nick Lorusso: 1-3, BB

·  RF Jose Ramos: 0-4, R, K

·  LF D’Andre Smith: 1-2, R, HR (2), 2 RBI, BB

·  C Shawn Ross: 0-2, BB, K

·  SS Zack Short: 1-3, 2B

·  RHP Xzavion Curry: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HBP

·  RHP Jack Weisenburger: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (2-5)

·  RHP Zach Franklin: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, H (5)

·  RHP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP, S (5)

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets activated RHP Jack Weisenburger.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/27-24)

BINGHAMTON 7, ALTOONA 3 (BOX)

Another win for Binghamton, their third in a row, their eighth in their last ten, and their eighteenth in twenty-one games in the month of August. The lead changed hands a few times early on, but Binghamton took the lead for good in the fourth on a three-run Corey Collins homer. In total, the Rumble Ponies hammered out 10 hits, with Mitch Voit, John Bay, and Collins all having multi-hit games. The blisteringly hot Rumble Ponies find themselves 2.5 games back in the Eastern League Northeast behind the Reading Fightin’ Phils, and wouldn’t you know it? They are playing those very same Reading Fightin’ Phils next week in a series that will have important playoff implications.

·  REHAB ALERT 1B Mark Vientos: 0-3, K

·  1B Jamari Baylor: 1-1, R, SB (2)

·  2B Mitch Voit: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, K

·  DH Marco Vargas: 1-3, BB

·  SS Jefferson Rojas: 1-4, R, HR (4), 2 RBI, K

·  3B Jacob Reimer: 0-3, BB, K, E (6)

·  C Chris Suero: 1-4, R, 2B, K, 3 PB (12, 13, 14)

·  CF John Bay: 2-3, R, BB, K, CS (2)

·  LF Corey Collins: 2-3, 2 R, HR (6), 3 RBI, BB, K

·  RF JT Benson: 0-4, 2 K

·  REHAB ALERT RHP Justin Hagenman: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HBP

·  RHP Gabe Davis: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, WP, BLK, W (1-0)

·  RHP Douglas Orellana: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets sent RHP Justin Hagenman on a rehab assignment to Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/28-25)

BROOKLYN 12, ASHVILLE 1 (BOX)

Daviel Hurtado logged another solid outing, allowing an unearned run over 5.2 innings, scattering 4 hits, walking two, and striking out 5. With this one in the books, the Cuban left-hander has lowered his ERA to 2.14, second in the South Atlantic League only to Jacob Kisting and his 1.67 ERA in 86.0 innings thrown with the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Yonatan Henriquez’ scorchingly hot week wrapped up with a nice bow, smacking his ninth homer of the season and his fourth this week, to put Brooklyn on the board and give them a lead they would not relinquish. The Cyclones supplementing Henriquez’ one run with eleven more, winning the game in a laughter and taking the series against the Tourists.

·  DH Sammy Stafura: 3-6

·  SS Elian Peña: 0-4, 2 BB, K, E (1)

·  RF John Smith III: 1-6, R, 3 K

·  LF Yonatan Henriquez: 2-5, 2 R, HR (9), RBI, BB, K

·  CF John Spikerman: 1-4, 3 R, 2B, 2 BB, K, SB (23)

·  2B Colin Houck: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB (7), E (18)

·  3B Antonio Jimenez: 0-4, BB, 2 K, CS (3)

·  C Chase Meggers: 2-3, 3 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, E (5)

·  1B Eddinson Paulino: 1-3, 2 R, HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 BB

·  LHP Daviel Hurtado: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, WP, W (5-2)

·  RHP Elwis Mijares: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, H (2)

·  RHP Calvin Ziegler: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HBP, H (2)

·  LHP Luis R. Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/18-35)

LAKELAND 12, ST. LUCIE 2 (BOX)

Another loss for St. Lucie, and this one was a rough one at that. Things actually started out fine, with Jose Lopez throwing 5 innings of one-run ball, but the game started going south for St. Lucie in the sixth. Lopez loaded up the bases before being removed from the game, and things didn’t get much better when the bullpen became a factor. All together, six runs scored in the sixth, and then an additional four in the eighth, and one more in the ninth for good measure. The narrow 2-1 lead that St. Lucie had coming into that doomed sixth inning was nowhere near enough, and the offense got shut down for the rest of the ballgame once the Flying Tigers took control of things. Thank God they won their Saturday evening contest, because if they hadn’t, St. Lucie would have a nine-game losing streak going right now; as it is, being 2-8 in their last ten isn’t much better, but at least it’s not a nine-game losing streak.

·  3B Jeremy Rodriguez: 1-4, 2B, BB, E (8)

·  CF Bohan Adderley: 2-4, RBI, K, HBP

·  RF Aiden Robbins: 1-5, K, E (1)

·  DH Ryan Tayman: 0-5, 3 K

·  C Yovanny Rodriguez: 0-4, 2 K, 2 PB (1, 2)

·  1B Julio Zayas: 1-3, 2B, BB, K

·  2B Vladi Gomez: 0-4, 3 K

·  SS Jake Ogden: 2-4, R, 2B, K, E (1)

·  LF Wyatt Vincent: 2-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB

·  RHP Jose Lopez: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, L (1-3)

·  RHP Caden Wooster: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, BS (1)

·  RHP Tyler McLoughlin: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP

·  RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HBP

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Jean Brito assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

Rookie: FCL Mets (24-33)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

D’Andre Smith

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Caden Wooster

Rays RHP prospect Ty Johnson was working as a starter for most of the season until he was placed on the Development list in mid-July. When he returned, Johnson was pitching out of the bullpen in anticipation of a big-league call-up later this season. Not only has his stuff ticked up when he transitioned to a relief role, but the command has been sharper too. Now, Johnson looks as ready as ever to contribute in the majors.

***

Johnson throws from a low three-quarter slot with fringy extension. His short, pushy arm action from a relatively low release height adds a layer of deception to his two pitches: a fastball and a breaking ball. The fastball gets above-average carry from his slot, and the breaking ball has a tight, cut-slider shape that tunnels well off the fastball. Since his move to the bullpen, Johnson has seen approximately a 2mph increase on the velocity of his shapes. His fastball now sits around 94mph (and he can reach back for 96-97 when needed) while his breaking ball sits around 86mph. The breaking ball plays more platoon neutral like a cutter than a traditional slider, helping him counter southpaws.

While the pure velocity on his fastball is unlikely to blow hitters away, Johnson creates a uniquely flat vertical approach angle (VAA) on it that helps him miss bats. In the month of August so far, he’s running a 50% whiff rate on the heater compared to just 28% heading into the month. Johnson has also seen a big jump in whiff rate on his breaking ball this month as it’s now over 55%. Of course, these rates likely aren’t sustainable across a full season, but that kind of swing-and-miss is something the Rays bullpen could use. At the major league level, the bullpen currently has the 6th lowest whiff rate during the second half. Some of this is skewed by their use of openers, but it’s still abnormally low for a Rays bullpen this late in the season.

Cleavinger, Baker, and Booser lead the way in whiff rate for Rays relievers so far this season, but even they all sit in the 25-26% range. Johnson and his 35% whiff rate this season would give Cash a relief weapon to help the team get out of a jam when even a ball in play could result in a run, in other words, he could certainly be pitching in high leverage pretty quickly.

The biggest barrier to him pitching meaningful innings in the majors is finding him space on the 40-man roster and in the current bullpen. Sulser, Jax, and Mesa Jr. all should be back from their respective IL stints relatively soon and should not be transferred to the 60-day IL. Ben Williamson, however, could be moved to the 60-day IL to create a 40-man spot for Johnson given the uncertainty of his hamstring.

The next step is finding a spot for him in the bullpen. This could be easier to do when rosters expand in September and they can simply add another chair in the bullpen. If the Rays wanted to get Johnson up sooner than that, they would likely need to DFA or option a current reliever. With Rodriguez back and Sulser and Jax due to return soon, it could be tricky to find a spot for everyone on the pitching staff and a tough decision might need to be made.

Regardless of how the Rays get Johnson into the Major League bullpen, I do expect it to happen before the postseason begins. His ability to miss bats and pitch to both sides of the plate makes him a valuable weapon to unleash on opposing lineups in September and October.

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Orioles lost because they couldn’t score any runs for Shane Baz.

It’s becoming a running joke, although not a very funny one. When Baz is on the mound, absolutely everything seems to go wrong for the Orioles, and through very little fault of the hurler himself. Defensive lapses rear their ugly heads — like yesterday, when Jackson Holliday turned a potential inning-ending groundout into a single to spark a three-run Rays rally — and, most maddeningly, the O’s offense simply vanishes.

After yesterday’s 3-1 loss, in which the Orioles were held scoreless for the six innings that Baz was on the mound, the O’s have scored a grand total of 15 runs for Baz in his last 12 starts. Read that again! Fifteen runs in 12 starts. Brutal. Four of those came in one game in Minnesota, in which Baz coughed up a 4-1 lead, but in nearly every other case the Orioles’ bats never gave him a chance to win. The O’s have lost 11 of Baz’s last 12 starts even though he has a 4.02 ERA and seven quality starts in that span.

What did Shane ever do to his Orioles teammates to make them scorn him so? Does he chew with his mouth open? Does he talk on speakerphone in public? Does he do that thing where he’s going through a door and there’s somebody right behind him but he doesn’t hold it open and it just slams in their face? There’s got to be some explanation here.

In any case, the Orioles have completed their grueling 10-game stretch against the Rays and Yankees by going 5-5. Ten days ago, if you told me that the O’s would break even over that span, I’d have taken it. And I still will, even if the Birds’ method of getting there — dominating the Rays and getting swept by the Yankees — was a bit unexpected. But there’s no denying that the postseason math is getting harder. The Orioles now find themselves two games behind both the Rangers and Guardians, who are currently tied for the third wild card spot. The O’s are also a half game behind the Blue Jays, tied with the Twins, and just a game ahead of the Mariners and 1.5 up on the Tigers.

The Orioles’ schedule gets a lot easier for the next week and a half…in theory, at least. Tomorrow they begin a three-game series in St. Louis against the .500 Cardinals, who just got swept by the Phillies and are slipping out of the NL postseason race. Then the Orioles’ next six are against the two worst teams in baseball, the Athletics and Rockies. On paper, it’s a great opportunity for the Orioles to string together a bunch of wins and leapfrog a bunch of teams in the wild card race.

But who are we kidding? We’ve seen enough of the 2026 Orioles to know that they rarely seem to win the games they’re “supposed” to win, and that they continually squander every opportunity to build some positive momentum for more than a few days. Would anyone be surprised if the O’s end up with a worse record in this upcoming nine-game stretch than they had during this Rays/Yanks gauntlet? Inconsistency just seems to be the name of the game for this year’s Orioles club.

Links

Offense breaks again for Baz in Orioles’ 3-1 loss (updated) – School of Roch

The Orioles’ streak of drawing at least one walk in 121 straight games was snapped yesterday. The last time they didn’t walk was in their ninth game of the season, when Leody Taveras had a 1.171 OPS and Samuel Basallo .466. So yeah, it’s been a while.

Have the Orioles added effective fill-in players? | MAILBAG- BaltimoreBaseball.com

I would say no. Even the Orioles’ regular players aren’t that effective.

Bautista (shoulder) begins rehab assignment, pitches in 1st game in 13 months – MLB.com

If you were hoping to see a picture of The Mountain in his SpongeBob SquarePants Baysox jersey, you won’t be disappointed. As for his performance, well, let’s just say Félix looked rusty.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Only one Oriole was born on this day, but he was the greatest of them all: happy 66th birthday to Cal Ripken Jr.! The two-time AL MVP, 19-time All-Star, eight-time Silver Slugger, two-time Gold Glover, 1982 AL Rookie of the Year, 1983 World Series champ, and first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee also had a consecutive games streak that you might have heard about. Cal is now living his best life as a minority owner of the Orioles, frequently attending games at Camden Yards in seats right behind home plate. Enjoy your day, Cal!

Historically, Ripken actually wasn’t a very good hitter on his birthday. He batted .233 (17-for-73) in his career on Aug. 24, with one home run, four doubles, and eight RBIs.

Cal’s only birthday home run came in a crazy game in 1983 that’s best known as the Tippy Martinez Game. The O’s trailed the Blue Jays in the bottom of the ninth before rallying for two runs to send the game to extras, but their bench maneuverings forced them to use infielder Lenn Sakata as their emergency catcher for the first and only time of his career.

The Jays reclaimed the lead in the top of the 10th before Martinez entered the game with a runner at first. Blue Jays baserunners, trying to get big leads off first against the inexperienced Sakata, were left flat-footed by the southpaw reliever. Martinez picked off Barry Bonnell, then walked Dave Collins and picked him off, and then allowed a single to Willie Upshaw and picked him off, too. Martinez was the first pitcher in MLB history to pick off three baserunners in one inning. The O’s immediately tied the game in the bottom of the 10th — on the aforementioned Cal Ripken home run — and won it on a walkoff three-run blast by (who else?) Lenn Sakata.

And on this day in 2012, Chris Davis crushed three home runs to lead the Orioles to a 6-4 win, again over the Blue Jays. Davis powered a pair of solo blasts off Toronto starter Carlos Villanueva and a two-run shot against reliever Steve Delabar, backing a quality start from Zack Britton.

Random Orioles game of the day

On Aug. 24, 2004, the O’s dropped a 6-2 game in Oakland, the Orioles’ ninth straight loss in a streak that eventually reached 12. Starter Sidney Ponson coughed up home runs to Jermaine Dye and Eric Chavez as the Orioles found themselves in a 4-0 first-inning deficit from which they never recovered. The Birds’ offense had four doubles in the game but only one other hit, and went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The defeat further buried the Orioles, who had been within one game of .500 before the losing streak began.

All of a sudden, the Philadelphia Phillies can't lose. And a prize that didn't seem realistic — the National League East lead - is very much in play.

They have not lost since stumbling out of that cornfield in Iowa, nine consecutive wins that have them soaring up USA TODAY Sports' power rankings, moving up to No. 7 this week.

Their latest caper came when they staged a six-run rally — four runs scoring with two outs — to stun the St. Louis Cardinals on Kyle Schwarber's monstrous walk-off home run Sunday, Aug. 23. The win kept them within three games of Atlanta in the East, this in a season where they once were 10 1/2 games off the pace.

A look at our updated rankings:

The logjam is showing no signs of easing. With that, welcome to another week of ostensibly crucial Major League Baseball showdowns.

At some point, these results will matter but right now, it’s hard to call anything do-or-die when there are 20 teams within four games of a playoff spot.

We’re trying, though. And the coming week will bring a handful of intriguing matchups and potential playoff previews. Here’s a look at five of them:

The dog days of summer are about to give way to a heated stretch run in Major League Baseball.

The Atlanta Braves saw their lead in the NL East whittled down to three games by the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies, potentially setting the stage for a competitive division race we didn't think we'd have down the stretch.

On the wave of their current nine-game winning streak, the Phils dramatically improved their playoff position over the past week, gaining serious ground on the Braves and moving into the NL's second wild-card spot with five weeks remaining in the regular season.

Elsewhere, the division leaders remain the same as last week, but the jockeying for the final wild cards remains hot and heavy, especially in the AL.

Here's where things stand in the American and National League playoff races as the new week gets underway:

The Yankees finally bid farewell to the Toronto Blue Jays for 2026 (barring something crazy going on in October), winning on Sunday to take the current series as well as the season series overall 7-6. The team is entering a bit of a hot streak after treading water through the start of the summer, winning six of their last seven games with an offense that looks a lot less comatose. They’ll get the day off today before running into another pair of rivals in the Astros and Red Sox over the course of this week, and their performance there could either set themselves up to secure the first Wild Card slot or put it in peril. At the very least, they’re peaking at the right time for a stretch like this.

While the team may be resting up, we’ve got you covered with things to read during your day. Kevin’s got a double-feature, first going over the Rivalry Roundup where the Rays and Red Sox both kept pace with the Yankees’ win on Sunday before wishing a happy birthday to one of the most beloved former members of the modern Yanks in Brett Gardner. Peter delivers the latest installment of his series examining how the Yankees’ pitching staff has revolutionized the splitter by looking at Carlos Rodón’s resurgent usage of the pitch. Finally, I’ll be back to open up the mailbag for more of your questions later in the day.

Today’s Matchup:

Off-day

Questions/Prompts:

1. How much of a threat do you view Houston as they arrive tomorrow, tied for first-place in their division but with a losing record?

2. Is Spencer Jones playing his way into a spot in the lineup by the end of the year even if Aaron Judge returns?

The Pittsburgh Pirates may have found a diamond in the rough with Murf Gray, who very well could be the third baseman of the future for the Buccos.

Gray was drafted 73rd overall just a year ago out of Fresno State and has quickly shot up through the Minor League ranks. In his first season of professional baseball, the 22-year-old third baseman has been outstanding at the plate. On the season Gray has a slash line of .302/.403/.966 with 28 home runs; oh, and by the way, he’s already made it to Double-A Altoona!

While he’s not an elite defender at the hot corner, Gray has only committed seven errors to this point in the year. Longterm might not be at third, although it is where he’s played exclusively in college and in the Minor Leagues. His arm strength is a plus at the position, but his height, weight and lack of quickness might make him a better first baseman down the line.

Gray’s true strength is his bat. In low and High-A, he was able to chase against lower level pitching, but has since adjusted his approach at the plate since his promotion to Altoona.

“(Pirates hitting coaches) said, ‘How can we clean up your swing and be efficient for 130 games? With that came the power,” Gray said. “You become more patient. You take more walks. You get more pitches you can hit. You start realizing where your power zones are, so when you get that pitch, you don’t miss.”

With The Curve, Gray is still adjusting to higher level pitching talent.

“Low-A guys had really good stuff,” Gray said. “In High-A, they can maybe control their stuff a little more. Once you get to Double-A, it’s like everyone is here for a reason. They can control every pitch they have, and they’re looking to get you out on their best stuff. You have to know what you can hit so that you can stay away from their best stuff.”

On August 20th Gray had his fifth Double-A home run after going 2-4 with three RBIs against Binghamton. His production has plateaued slightly after some struggles at the plate with The Curve, but Gray is still projected to make his major league debut some time in 2027.

Murf Gray is the Pirates’ fourth highest rated prospect and is the 94th highest rated prospect in baseball.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Over the past five games, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has started to look like his older self, displaying what Aaron Boone likes to refer to as “Jazz-ball.” While his 50/50 season goals are likely not happening with 32 games left in the season, the second baseman now says he only has one goal: to win the World Series. If he continues to play like he did on Sunday, that would be a huge boost to a team that’s stayed afloat with a stale offense without their leader, Aaron Judge.

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: One of the best things about Giancarlo Stanton has always been his accountability. He never gives up and is always working hard whether he’s on the field or trying to work his way back. Unfortunately, accountability is not as great as availability, and he simply cannot be relied upon to be available. The midseason acquisition of Luis García Jr. signaled that the Yankees have had similar thoughts on being able to rely on Big G, and now with just a year left on his contract after this one (team option for 2028), this could be the beginning of the end of Stanton’s storied career.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: The Yankees, fortunately, received “really good news” on Ryan Weathers’ injury. They say there’s a good chance he’ll pitch again this season, even if they don’t have an exact plan in place for him just yet. There are questions that need to be answered around what his role will be, but they likely won’t be answered until they absolutely need to be. If he’s back like they expect him to be, they’ll determine whether he’ll return to the rotation or pitch out of the bullpen, and the health of the rest of the rotation will also help answering those questions when the time is right.

CHICAGO — Jared Young began the day on the bench but ended up producing the biggest Mets hit Sunday.

Unfortunately for the team, Young’s ninth-inning RBI single against Grant Taylor that tied the game became a footnote when Tristan Peters smacked a walk-off homer against Kodai Senga in the bottom of the frame.

It was just the latest big hit for Young, who has an .871 OPS in August and has provided stability at a position (first base) that was a black hole for the Mets during most of the season’s first half.

“He’s always been a good hitter,” interim manager Andy Green said following the 2-1 loss to the White Sox. “This is the first time he’s gotten any runway in the big leagues, and he’s been really good. Those are the type of at-bats you have been getting. That’s a legit closer that has really good stuff and another big swing from him.”

The Mets needed more, but Francisco Alvarez and A.J. Ewing each struck out to leave the go-ahead run in scoring position. Alvarez struck out in both of his plate appearances to continue a recent slide. Overall, he’s struck out 29 times in his past 58 at-bats.

Young was on the bench at the start as Green deployed Eric Wagaman, a right-handed bat, at first base. But Wagaman was removed after only one plate appearance.

Bo Bichette went 0-for-4 and snapped his on-base streak at 12 games. During that streak, he posted a .462 on-base percentage with eight extra-base hits.

The Mets will face a second straight first-place opponent, with the NL Central-leading Brewers headed to Citi Field for three games beginning Tuesday. After the Brewers, it’s three games against an Astros team that currently leads the AL West. The Mets will play the AL East-leading Rays for three games beginning next Monday.

The Mets are 17-16 in interleague play this season, with plenty still ahead — games remaining against the Astros, Rays, Yankees, Orioles and Rangers.

The loss of Ryan Weathers, at least as a starter, puts a bit more pressure on each Yankees rotation member.

Including Carlos Rodón, whose on-the-fly buildup is going well if not perfectly.

Rodón was “good enough,” in his words, for four innings of an 8-3 win over the Blue Jays in The Bronx on Sunday, when he stretched out to 76 pitches.

Of that total, just 42 were strikes and he walked a pair. Against a Toronto lineup that is known for its contact abilities, Rodón recorded just four swings and misses and struck out two.

But he allowed only a pair of runs (one earned) while letting up just two hits and came away happy with his stuff and his arm as he returns from an IL stint for elbow inflammation.

“It’s good,” Rodón said of his stuff, his fastball matching his season average of 94.4 mph and inducing a few whiffs with his slider. “Obviously there’s some things I want to refine and obviously be in the [strike] zone a little more, crisper with strikes and just attacking and getting ahead.

“So there’s some things I can work on.”

If next-level command is his goal, he should have a month-plus to hone it.

Sunday, he was burned by a third-inning walk to No. 8 hitter Charles McAdoo, who raced around the bases on a Myles Straw double and then scored on a Brett Bateman sacrifice fly.

And he was burned by a potential double play that George Lombard Jr. could not convert. The young shortstop appeared to glance toward second base before gloving a hard grounder from Ernie Clement, and the ball bounded out of his glove. Instead of a potential frame-ending double play, the Blue Jays had the bases loaded with one out. Daz Cameron’s sacrifice fly scored a run.

“I think he’s in a really good place,” manager Aaron Boone said of Rodón. “I think his stuff physically is where it needs to be and hopefully he just continues to get a little bit sharper as he does build up here.”

As the Yankees moved Weathers (flexor strain) to the injured list, they called up Brendan Beck, who had been scratched from his start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

Yet Beck is not officially set to join the rotation. The Yankees are listing Will Warren as Tuesday’s starter and TBA on Wednesday before Gerrit Cole on Thursday.

Top prospect Elmer Rodríguez owns a 1.38 ERA in his past five starts.

“We’ll see how the next several days play out,” Boone said of his Wednesday starter. “Obviously Elmer down there could factor in. Brendan Beck’s up here today.”

Clarke Schmidt, building up from Tommy John surgery and past a forearm issue, is expected to throw a live batting practice Tuesday.

If that goes well, Schmidt would begin a rehab assignment that would end with his joining the Yankees bullpen.

Cody Bellinger went 1-for-4 with a run scored in his return.

“Felt really good,” Bellinger said after a four-week absence with a hamstring strain. “Honestly felt 100 percent.”

The Dodgers unleashed their three best pitchers on the Pirates over the weekend: Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitching the series opener, Tarik Skubal the middle game and Blake Snell the series finale on Sunday.

The results were predictable: win, win, win.

“Definitely excited about it,” Snell said.

Snell pointed out that Tyler Glasnow is set to come back from a back injury on Tuesday in the series opener in Atlanta, as well as how Shohei Ohtani is closing in on his return to the mound.

“It’s going to be a lot of good competition within the starting rotation,” Snell said. “I’m really excited about it.”

Admonishing himself for chasing strikeouts, Snell was displeased with his performance.

“I just gotta be better,” he said.

He still pitched six shutout innings in the Dodgers’ 4-0 victory.

He didn’t like that he walked three batters and hit another. Or that his inefficiency kept him from pitching into the later innings.

“Honestly,” he said, “it’s lazy.”

In the three games Snell has pitched since returning from a minor procedure to remove loose bodies from his elbow, he has allowed only two runs in 18 innings.

Snell’s solid-but-unspectacular effort was backed by a similar-quality performance by the offense.

The Dodgers collected only six hits but worked four walks and turned that into four runs. Their first run scored on a double play by Mookie Betts. The other runs were driven in by No. 8 and 9 hitters Alek Thomas and Hunter Feduccia and a groundout by Max Muncy.

“I liked the way we manufactured runs,” manager Dave Roberts said. 

Roberts applauded Shohei Ohtani for setting the tone with an 11-pitch walk to start the game. Facing Pirates opener Lake Bachar, Ohtani fell behind in the count, 0-2, then fouled off the next four pitches.

“I love going 0-2 to 4-2, spoiling the pitches and working the count,” Roberts said.

Ohtani stole second base and reached third on a single by Freddie Freeman. Betts’ double-play ball got him home.

A win is a win, but when you’re the Atlanta Braves looking to break out of a scoring slump, you can’t help but look forward to a bit more.

Regardless, in a game filled with questionable calls and moments of minimum effort, the Braves managed to take a 4-2 win against the Milwaukee Brewers to close out their trip to Wisconsin.

The Braves put themselves on the board first with an RBI double from Mauricio Dubón, bringing Ozzie Albies home in the top of the second inning.

The Brewers answered back in the third with a run of their own off an RBI single, tying the contest at 1-1.

After adding another run in the fourth, it was a costly fielding error in the top of the sixth that helped the Braves pull away with a 3-1 lead. And that run ended up being much needed, because the Brewers went on to score in the bottom of the eighth, cutting into Atlanta’s lead just when it looked like the Braves might be all out of runs for the night.

But a homer from the leadoff man, Michael Harris II, sparked the Braves’ offense once again in the top of the ninth, giving Atlanta one final pull-away from its opponent and ending the night on a positive note. It was also his career-best 21st home run.

Tyler Mahle had a decent outing in his fourth appearance with Atlanta, finishing with 5.0 innings pitched, six hits allowed, one earned run, two walks and four strikeouts. His ERA dropped to 4.41.

Mahle has shown that he can be a considerably solid starter, but more importantly, a consistent one. Adding that to what the team has in Chris Sale, at least there’s a bright side to the Braves’ constant rotation scrutiny. While there are still plenty of questions surrounding the rotation, Mahle’s recent outings have given Atlanta something it needs: another starter it can rely on to give the team a chance.

Will it be enough to take on the Dodgers at Truist Park?

First, a much-needed break before the return home. But until then, let’s enjoy the win.