In an unexpected twist, however, the Dodgers announced that starting pitcher Eric Lauer was going on the injured list in a corresponding move, leaving a Dodgers rotation once blessed with ample depth suddenly short on arms for the stretch run of the season.
Lauer’s IL stint came a day after he was knocked around for seven runs in three innings during a 13-8 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
According to the team, the veteran left-hander is dealing with elbow inflammation, making him the third Dodgers starter to land on the IL in recent weeks.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Eric Lauer pitches during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Last month, Justin Wrobleski went down with forearm inflammation. And though he made a quick return to rejoin the club on Tuesday, he has been shifted to the bullpen for the rest of the season as he works to rectify his recent problems with giving up long balls.
Last week, Roki Sasaki was sidelined with a blister on his right middle finger. And while he could be ready to return as soon as next weekend’s trip to Miami, the Dodgers are still deciding whether he will also shift to the bullpen –– where, like Wrobleski, he is most likely to have a role in the playoffs.
Those losses had left the Dodgers operating with only a five-man rotation, rather than the six-man group they’ve used all season. Because of that, they were already planning to call up a pitcher –– likely Emmet Sheehan, who was demoted to triple-A a month ago amid season-long problems with his mechanics –– to make a spot start this weekend.
Now, they will need to find a more permanent replacement to complement their current starting core of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, especially as they battle for a top-two National League playoff seed over the rest of the regular season.
In the meantime, Treinen’s return will at least give the club’s bullpen another experienced option; albeit, one who has struggled to find much consistency over two injury-plagued campaigns the past two years.
Blake Treinen of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after striking out Anthony Rizzo of the New York Yankees with two runners on to end the eighth inning of Game 5 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. Jason Szenes / New York Post
Treinen has been out since mid-June with elbow inflammation, marking the second straight season he has dealt with issues in his elbow or forearm.
Prior to getting hurt, he had a 3.52 ERA in 29 appearances this year. That represented an improvement from the career-worst 5.40 ERA he suffered in 2025, but was still far off the elite form he has displayed for much of his Dodgers career.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Treinen’s return from the 60-day IL, the Dodgers had to make another roster maneuver, transferring injured reliever Will Klein onto the 60-day as he continues to recover from his own elbow problem.
That move will rule Klein out for the rest of the regular season (he originally went on the IL on Aug. 1). He will still be eligible for the team’s postseason roster, but his availability remains uncertain and dependent upon his health.
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BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 02: Bryce Miller #50 of the Seattle Mariners leaves the field during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Sullivan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s not much, but it’s a start, for Bryce Miller and the Mariners.
The Mariners took a series in Boston on Wednesday with a solid 8-3 win. Bryce Miller got the start for the first time since his no-good, very-bad week, and did all that was asked of him, handing the ball to the bullpen with a lead. The Mariners offense did something we haven’t seen much in 2026, stringing together 12 hits and five walks and applying constant pressure to Red Sox pitchers, who simply couldn’t handle it. The Mariners somehow, someway salvaged their road trip, and return home with a shiny 2-0 record in September.
It was Miller’s first start since being demoted to the bullpen last week. He never actually appeared in a game as a reliever because Emerson Hancock got hurt shortly after the decision, which allowed Miller to slot back into the rotation after nine days of rest. If anybody on the team needed a break, it was probably Miller, whose last two starts ended 22-0 and 19-2.
I was interested to see how the Mariners would manage Miller after acknowledging he wasn’t holding up as a true starter. We kind of got the answer: Dan Wilson pulled Miller at just 65 pitches in the middle of the fifth inning while holding a 4-1 lead. The start looked more like his abbreviated outings from May, albeit without the bullpen-saving piglet on his shoulders.
But Miller didn’t exactly recapture the dominance from his former piggyback role. He was in trouble from the jump, putting runners on with back-to-back singles in the first. It looked like the Red Sox would score on a third single, but Randy Arozarena came up firing and just caught Mickey Gasper at the plate (with a nice tag from Jhonny Pereda):
Miller set down the side in order in the second inning, and easily worked around a single in the third. The fourth wasn’t so simple. Wilyer Abreu doubled off the Monster to lead off the inning. Miller got an out, then walked a batter, then got an out, then gave up a dinky ground rule double to score a run. This was kind of a make-or-break moment, and Miller completely broke Connor Wong’s brain with a sweeper way out of the zone for a swinging strike three.
Miller returned for the fifth inning to face the top of the order a third time. Roman Anthony singled to lead off. Gasper hit a little flare that nearly landed for hit, if not for Arozarena’s second Gasper-thwarting gem of the day — a diving-ish effort that left him breathless for a few beats.
Miller got the second out in the fifth inning with a grounder, then Wilson came out to get him. The decision made some sense. Miller has really struggled in the middle innings and later. For whatever reason, whether that be health or stuff or God, he entered Wednesday with a 10.57 ERA and 7.07 FIP on the third pass through the lineup in 2026. It’s been an issue dating back to last year, and really calls into question his long-term status as a starter. That’s why he was such a great candidate for the piggyback setup. With Abreu already two-for-two against Miller, and José Ferrer presenting a favorable platoon matchup out of the bullpen, Wilson decided to call it before things could sour. Miller finished at 4 2/3 innings, seven hits, one run, one walk, three strikeouts, and five whiffs. That’s not great, but it’s nice to see him get through a game without making any national headlines.
Of course, we also saw why it’s not ideal to pull a starter early. Wilson turned to Ferrer to face Abreu, and Ferrer immediately gave up a double to put runners on second and third. Ferrer eventually escaped, but Wilson still found himself with four innings to cover with one of the worst bullpens in the majors. He turned to Michael Rucker, arguably one of his best options (I know, I know), to try and hold an 8-1 lead. Rucker cruised through the sixth inning, but gave up a pair of runs in the seventh on a solo homer and back-to-back doubles.
This looked like the makings of a classic “no lead is safe at Fenway” kind of game, but Seranthony Dominguez pitched a clean eighth, and Cooper Criswell pitched a clean ninth to seal a relatively comfortable 8-3 win. The game was managed better than it was pitched, but ultimately everyone did their job.
The lineup did their job, too. Patrick Sandoval got the start for the Red Sox, as the sort of crafty lefty that seems to give the Mariners fits. They put up a four spot and chased him midway through the fifth inning, then put up a four-spot against his replacement Brayan Bello (who’s having a season not dissimilar to Miller’s).
The Mariners didn’t homer in this one. In fact, their only extra base hit was a double from Dominic Canzone. Instead, they strung together 11 singles and five walks and always seemed to have someone on base. It’s the type of performance that doesn’t summarize well in text, because it was just single after single after single. The hardest single was a 107 mph line drive from Julio in the third that scored a run to make it 2-0. The softest single came on the next batter, a 68 mph flare from Josh Naylor that scored two more runs (thanks in part to a throwing error from Jarren Duran).
The Mariners now return to Seattle after a 2-4 road trip. I wrote after Sunday’s brutal — and I mean brutal — loss to Old Man Scherzer that I wasn’t sure if Wilson would make it back home as manager. That seemed about right following another hard-feelings, extra-innings loss on Monday, which punctuated one of the worst months in team history.
But the Mariners have pulled off commanding, back-to-back wins to steal a series in Boston. They’re now 2-0 in September, and face the easiest strength of schedule in the majors the rest of the way. It’s going to take something close to perfection to win the division, or even finish above .500. Nevertheless, everything remains in front of them. The 2026 Mariners aren’t dead yet.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jonah Tong appears set for his next chance with the Mets.
The rookie is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse next week and pitch for the Mets during their series in Miami, according to an organizational source.
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Tong, 23, has dominated in his past four starts for Syracuse, pitching to a 0.84 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks over 21 ¹/₃ innings in that stretch. Tong carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his Aug. 29 start. He finished with one hit and two walks allowed over seven innings.
Interim manager Andy Green, before the Mets beat the Rays 10-4 on Wednesday, indicated that if Tong joins the team it will likely be as part of an extended rotation.
“We have been paying attention to Jonah’s outings and we think positively about what he’s done,” Green said.
Nolan McLean, Zac Thornton and Christian Scott are aligned to face the Giants the next three games, beginning Friday at Citi Field.
Justin Hagenman was added to the rotation Wednesday, allowing extra rest for Scott.
Jonah Tong is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse next week and pitch for the Mets during their series in Miami. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Tong, the organization’s second-rated pitching prospect by MLB Pipeline, was briefly with the Mets earlier this season, pitching to a 3.60 ERA in three appearances in a bulk relief role.
Tong debuted for the Mets last season, pitching to a 7.71 ERA in five starts.
“When Jonah is in the strike zone and he’s on the attack and he’s letting his best stuff play, he usually has a lot of success,” Green said.
Devin Williams has begun playing catch — his first throwing since he was placed on the injured list Aug. 8 with a shoulder strain.
Green said he didn’t have a timetable for a rehab schedule for Williams, whose closer’s spot has been filled by Kodai Senga.
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Green indicated it’s possible Juan Soto will return to playing left field when the Mets return home this weekend. Soto on Wednesday started his fourth game as the DH since returning from the injured list and went 2-for-5 with a solo home run.
Dylan Ross was optioned to Syracuse — clearing roster space for Hagenman — a day after pitching a scoreless inning in relief in his major league debut.
Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt completed his second rehab start on Wednesday, as he makes his way back to the big league club.
While it was an overall success, Schmidt pitched into trouble in the first inning. After getting the first two outs, Lehigh Valley picked up back-to-back hits, the second being a double, to score the game's first run. Schmidt bounced back by getting Alex Binelas to fly out and strand a runner on second.
But that's all Schmidt would allow. In his second inning of work, Schmidt struck out two in a 1-2-3 frame to end his night.
Schmidt tossed 23 pitches (20 strikes), allowing one run on two hits and no walks across his two innings of work while striking out three batters.
Wednesday was an improvement on Schmidt's first rehab start. Pitching with Double-A Somerset on Aug. 29, Schmidt tossed just 20 pitches, allowing two runs on two hits in 0.2 innings while striking out two.
It's unclear if this will be Schmidt's final rehab start as the right-hander makes his way back from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old said he felt good after his first rehab start and expects to be stretched out enough to pitch out of the bullpen when he's activated.
"Today was a lot sharper, I felt like," Schmidt said after the game. "Obviously in the first inning I gave up a couple of hits on the sinker. There’s different things I’m working on. The sinker I’m continuing to work on. The cutter was sharp and a lot of swing-and-miss on the four-seam."
Schmidt said Wednesday that he's just trying to get the rust off after 400-plus days on the shelf, and execute his pitches, but is also mindful of the transition to the bullpen and is trying to make those adjustments in these rehab starts.
“There’s a lot of different factors when you’re relieving," Schmidt said. "You go straight from the bullpen to jog in, lot less throws in the bullpen. Not as long of a sit-down period. Just getting used to those adjustments, just trying to make the transition as easy as possible."
With the injury to Fernando Cruz, the Yankees are looking to piece together a bullpen of former starters, which includes Schmidt and Luis Gil, who was activated this week.
🎙️ #Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt discusses his rehab outing with SWB after more than 400 days since he’s been on the mound.
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 28: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) prior to the game between the Detroit Tigers versus the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday August 28, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Dodgers finish off their home series against the St. Louis Cardinals with Tarik Skubal on the mound on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.
Skubal in his first month with the Dodgers had a 3.00 ERA in five starts and 30 innings, with 37 strikeouts (a 30.6-percent strikeout rate) against only seven walks, and two home runs allowed. This will also be Skubal’s first Dodgers start with Will Smith behind the plate, but not his first time pitching to Smith. On March 7 at Daikin Park in Houston, Skubal allowed a solo home run in three innings and struck out five against Great Britain.
Left-hander Quinn Mathews is expected to be on the mound for the Cardinals, making his fifth major league start. Expect Tommy Edman to be back at second base after a few games in center field to begin the series.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 02: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a three-run homer to become the fastest player in major league history to reach 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 9-0 on Wednesday.
Sean Murphy homered for the third time in five games, a three-run shot in the sixth inning that broke a scoreless tie in a game that was interrupted by a 1-hour, 25-minute rain delay in the fourth.
Acuña followed with a drive to left-center in the seventh, his 14th of the season, to make it 6-0. He needed 904 games to reach the 200/200 club. Alfonso Soriano set the previous record at 929 games in August of 2006 while playing for the Nationals against the Braves.
Acuña stole the 225th base of his career and 20th of the season, swiping second after his leadoff single in the sixth against Riley Cornelio (2-2), who struck out the next two batters. After Michael Harris II was walked intentionally, Murphy took Cornelio deep to left.
Acuña led off the fourth with a single off Nationals starter Brad Lord. A walk and an error loaded the bases before it started raining. When play resumed, Cornelio came in and retired Murphy and Mike Yastrzemski to escape the jam.
Grant Holmes needed only 26 pitches to retire the first nine Nationals before the delay. Dylan Dodd worked a scoreless inning and Elieser Hernández (2-0) pitched the next three, allowing two hits, including James Wood’s two-out single in the sixth for Washington’s first hit.
Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz left in the fourth inning after taking a foul ball off his mask.
Up next
The Braves will start LHP Chris Sale (13-9, 2.06) on Friday at Philadelphia opposite Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (16-4, 2.52) in the opener of a four-game series. The Nationals begin a series at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 22: David Peterson #19 of the Chicago Cubs pitches during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on August 22, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 01: John Peck #18 of the Detroit Tigers leads off first base during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Andrew Ritter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Detroit Tigers (63-75) vs. Minnesota Twins (67-72)
Time/Place: 7:40 p.m., Target Field SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Drew Anderson (4-5, 3.87 ERA) vs. RHP Dean Kremer (2-5, 5.60 ERA)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 27: Hayden Wesneski #39 of the Houston Astros in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 27, 2026 in New York City. The Astros defeated the Yankees 5-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (70-69), who hold a slim 1.0-game lead in the AL West, will play the third game of their four-game series with the Chicago White Sox (73-65) tonight at Daikin Park.
RHP Hayden Wesneski (4-1, 3.86 ERA), who’s won his last two starts, will get the start for the Astros tonight opposite RHP Davis Martin (9-6, 4.32 ERA) and the White Sox.
SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: Since starting the season with a 20-31 record after 51 games, the Astros are 50-38 (.568) in their last 88 games (since May 22). That is the second-best record in the AL in that span, behind the Red Sox (53-36).
MEASURING UP: The Astros are within a streak of playing four straight teams with winning records (CWS, ARI, PHI, TB). The Astros are a Major League best 26-15 (.634) vs. teams currently at .500 or above. Some clubs that the Astros have winning records against include BOS (5-1), CHC (3-0), CWS (3-2), CLE (4-2), MIA (3-0), and TB (2-1).
VS. THE WHITE SOX: The Astros are 3-2 against the White Sox on the season, which includes winning two of three in Chicago from July 24-26. The Astros are 23-15 vs. CWS over the past six seasons (2021-26), posting winning records in each of those years. Houston is 56-48 all-time vs. the White Sox.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros are 36-33 on the road and 34-36 at home. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, they have gone 35-24 (.593) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the Majors in that span. More recently, they are 19-12 (.613) on their last five road trips.
BAGGY IN THE BOOTH: Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell will be on the Space City Home Network telecast tonight, alongside play-by-play man Todd Kalas and sideline reporter Julia Morales. Geoff Blum will return to the telecast for tomorrow’s day game.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have returned RHP Mike Burrows from his rehab assignment. He will remain on the 15-day Injured List.
ON THE OFFENSIVE: Among AL teams, the Astros rank second in home runs (184), second in total bases (1,909), third in runs scored (631), third in slugging (.409), and fifth in OPS (.724).
TRIPLE THREAT: DH Yordan Alvarez, who is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award, currently owns at least a share of the lead in all three Triple Crown categories. He enters tonight leading the AL in batting avg. (.316) and RBI (94), while ranking tied for first in HR (37).
Rare Feat: Since Carl Yastrzemski won the AL Triple Crown in 1967, there has been just one Triple Crown winner in the Majors, Miguel Cabrera in 2012 (AL).
MATCHING HIS BEST: DH Yordan Alvarez has matched his career high by smacking 37 home runs on the season, reaching his total from 2022.. His career-high in RBI is 104, set in 2021 (currently has an AL-best 94 RBI).
WALK OF FAME: DH Yordan Alvarez has been issued 29 intentional walks on the year, which is a franchise record, besting the 27 intentional walks for 1B Jeff Bagwell in 1997. Alvarez leads the Majors in intentional walks, topping second-place DH Shohei Ohtani (16) by a whopping 11 IBB. Lastly, the AL record for intentional walks in a season is in play for Alvarez, a record that’s currently held by RF Aaron Judge (36 IBB in 2025).
THE HIT MAN: Jose Altuve enters tonight’s game needing just six hits to reach 2,500 for his career. Among active players, Altuve ranks second in hits, trailing only 1B Freddie Freeman (2,584).
BIG WES: Tonight will be the seventh Major League start of the season for RHP Hayden Wesneski, who rejoined the Astros rotation on July 29 after missing 14 months while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Since his return, he’s been one of the Astros best starters, leading the club in wins and ranking second in innings (32.2), while pitching through the 5th inning in five of his six starts.
THE CLOSER: LHP Josh Hader has worked 18 consecutive scoreless appearances, spanning 19.0 innings. This is the longest streak by an Astros hurler this season and the second-longest active streak in the Majors. Opponents are just 5×62 (.081) vs. Hader during the streak. Hader is also 21-for-21 in save opportunities in 2026. Hader in August: 1-0, 13 G, 0.00 ERA, 14.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 15 SO.
PLAYERS OF THE MONTH: IF/OF Logan Hughes and RHP Alex Santos II have been named the Astros minor league Player and Pitcher of the Month for August. Hughes, 21, batted .343 (24×70) with 12 extra-base hits, 25 RBI, eight stolen bases and a 1.073 OPS, while hitting safely in all 18 August games. Santos, 24, went 1-0 with 24 strikeouts and a 0.68 ERA (1ER/13.1IP) in August between Double A Corpus Christi (six appearances) and Triple A Sugar Land (four appearances).
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY:2017 – The Astros sweep both games of an emotional doubleheader against the Mets in the club’s first games in Houston following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. In Game 1, the Astros score seven times over the first 2.0 frames en route to a 12-8 win. A four-run 4th in Game 2 gives the Astros a 4-1 win. Newly-acquired ace RHP Justin Verlander joins the team in the dugout during Game 1.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, September 2, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 2: Brett Sullivan #26 of the Colorado Rockies is doused with water while being interviewed by Ryan Spilborghs after Sullivan's two-run, walk-off single to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 in 11 innings at Coors Field on September 2, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A team that wants to stay in the postseason race can’t lose a game like this one. The Orioles faced a Rockies starting pitcher, in Coors Field, with an ERA over 5. They had their own starting pitcher, Trevor Rogers, set a career high with 11 strikeouts over an excellent start that took him into the seventh inning. They had the lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning. They scored two runs in the top of the eleventh inning. All of these things were true and they still lost the game, and with it the series, in Colorado.
The only thing that had to happen, when it came down to the end, was for reliever Grant Wolfram, the sixth Orioles reliever used in the game, to get three outs before he gave up two runs. This is not a difficult ask, even for a Wolfram-level pitcher and even when, in extra innings, the Manfred Man starts out on second base to begin each inning. It’s an even easier ask to have Wolfram get the third out when the tying run is merely on first base and two men are already retired.
Wolfram could not do it. He could not get the third out. He could not get the third out even when he got bailed out by the extreme good fortune of having a fly ball hit by Colorado’s Rookie of the Year candidate first baseman, TJ Rumfield, bounce up into the seats for an automatic double, stopping the man on first from scoring. He could not get the third out even when the next batter after this was Brett Sullivan, the stereotypical poor-hitting backup catcher for the Rockies.
Even after getting two strikes, Wolfram could not finish off Sullivan even when he threw strike three, because the umpire missed the pitch and the Orioles had their challenge wasted by Jackson Holliday in the top half of the eleventh inning. Any of these things could have gone differently, would have gone differently for a better team. Sullivan hit a walkoff single, scoring two runs; new Oriole Luis Robert Jr.’s throw in from left field went way wide of home plate as he tried to stop the game-winning run from scoring. A better throw might have at least made it interesting. Robert did not make a good throw.
The result of all of this, of the Orioles scoring a total of nine runs across 29 innings played at Coors Field, of the Orioles going seven straight innings without scoring a run in this game, of all of the other stupid things that happened in this game and on Tuesday night, is that the Orioles are back down to two games below .500, potentially staring down a 2.5 game deficit with 22 games to play, nearly all of which will be against contending teams.
They needed a series win. They needed batters to stop wasting challenges. They needed to score more than three runs off of Tomoyuki Sugano. They needed Mike Elias to not trade away Tyler Wells at the trade deadline. They needed Andrew Kittredge to be up to the task of closing. They needed to not leave ten men on base. They have needed a lot of things that they didn’t get this year. It’s just who they are.
It all could have gone differently. The Orioles had a 3-0 lead at one point in the game! They built this lead up in the third inning, when Blaze Alexander led off with a single. This was one of three hits by Alexander in the game. It’s good to have him back. With one out, Jackson Holliday singled, and Pete Alonso scored Alexander with another single. These guys both ended up scoring as Robert delivered an RBI double in his second at-bat with the team.
The Orioles didn’t score again after this until the eleventh inning. They didn’t manage to get multiple runners on base again until the seventh. This series was such a poor and frustrating output at – and I can’t stress this enough – Coors Field, the stadium that is legendary for its being a hitter-friendly environment, against the Rockies, a team that is legendary for not being able to have good pitchers. It’s bad!
Colorado pulled one of the runs back in the bottom of the third inning. Rogers gave up a leadoff single before getting two strikeouts. Outfielder Jake McCarthy tripled to easily score the runner, Adael Amador. In the course of this play, the throw coming in from the outfield went to third base and bounced past Coby Mayo. McCarthy tried to help himself to a Little League home run. Rogers, backing up the play, threw a strike in to Samuel Basallo, who tagged out McCarthy for the third out. The home plate umpire initially blew this play, though replay review thankfully corrected the error promptly.
The fourth inning saw the Rockies get another two-out run when Rogers couldn’t finish off Cole Carrigg with Hunter Goodman standing on second base. The score held at 3-2 until the ninth inning. That’s when Kittredge got involved.
Perhaps Yennier Cano, who got the last out of the eighth inning, should have pitched to more than one batter. I’m sympathetic to why this was not done, since Cano has fallen down in the ninth in recent weeks. Still, Kittredge. He got two outs without any problems. Carrigg doubled on the first pitch he saw, then Kittredge worked a 1-2 count on pinch hitter Zac Veen. A hanging slider later and the game was tied. Kittredge got the hook. Josh Walker had to finish the ninth, which only ended when Basallo used an ABS challenge to get the inning-ending strikeout.
Nobody scored in the tenth inning. One reason why the Orioles did not score is that Holliday, who was the Manfred Man for that inning, inexplicably chose to run from second base to third base on a ground ball hit to the shortstop. That’s not a difficult baserunning rule. Don’t advance from second base on a ground ball to the left side! But Holliday was thrown out, Henderson wasted a challenge while striking out, and Robert grounded out. The Rockies didn’t score in the tenth either, so the agony continued.
In better pitching circumstances, Basallo and Alexander would have been the heroes of the game for their eleventh inning RBI hits. We did not witness those better circumstances.
The Orioles fly back to Baltimore to start a four-game set with the Red Sox on Thursday night. The O’s have yet to list a starter. Boston is expected to send lefty Jake Bennett to the mound. The 7:15 game will air only on Fox.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 2: Catcher Jhonny Pereda #5 of the Seattle Mariners tags out Mickey Gasper #30 of the Boston Red Sox at the plate during the first inning at Fenway Park on September 2, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox have gotten everything they could’ve wanted in the returns of Roman Anthony and Trevor Story, who have not stopped hitting in the first four games back in action. That goes for the offense as a whole in the series with 17 runs across, though a clearly-gassed pitching staff struggled again in an 8-3 loss.
Not time for panic yet, they had some cushion for the second AL Wild Card spot to begin with, but the Red Sox do need some wins stacked in September soon, even as they give valuable veterans a breather this month.
Here’s three takeaways from Wednesday afternoon’s loss.
LEFT FIELD DEFENSIVE = DECISIVE
Randy Arozarena threw out Mickey Gasper when he never should have been sent home in the first inning.
Two throws by each left fielder made a rather profound impact on the outcome in this one.
SANDOVAL SHAKY Patrick Sandoval looked excellent in The Bronx on Friday with just one earned run allowed with seven strikeouts against the Yankees. He had a different story Wednesday as his velocity ticked down and he fell into deep counts consistently.
The lefty surrendered four runs in four innings in an ill-timed short outing for Boston, giving way to a similar fate to Brayan Bello and the bullpen.
WORRIED ABOUT ADLEY?
The Red Sox played the entire series without Adley Rutschman, who continues to deal with an elbow issue as Chad Tracy discussed on WEEI this week. The talented catcher has hit just .170 in 15 games since joining Boston at the trade deadline. To go deep in October, the ballclub has to find a way to get Rutschman by and contribute alongside other talented hitters in the middle of the order.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 2: Brett Sullivan #26 of the Colorado Rockies is doused with water while being interviewed by Ryan Spilborghs after Sullivan's two-run, walk-off single to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 in 11 innings at Coors Field on September 2, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the first time since June 22, the Colorado Rockies delivered a walk-off win as they defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 in extra innings.
After quality pitching from both starters, the Rockies ended up rallying multiple times down to their last strike to secure the victory and win the series.
Top-notch Tomo
After struggling through his last three starts, Tomoyuki Sugano got back on track with what he’s done for the majority of the 2026 season. He delivered his eighth quality start of the season, allowing just three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk over six innings.
After navigating the first two innings, the Orioles got after Sugano in the third inning. Blaze Alexander led off the inning with a single, and Colton Cowser then struck out. Jackson Holliday then delivered a single followed by an RBI single from Pete Alonso to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Later, with two outs, newly acquired Luis Robert Jr. hit a sharp line drive to right field to score two runs and make it 3-0 Orioles. Unlike his recent starts, Sugano didn’t let things get out of hand.
He responded with three more scoreless innings, allowing just three base runners.
What helped Sugano was that his secondary pitches were working well.
The curveball had a 27% whiff rate while his splitter had a 22% whiff rate. The fastball was also spotted well and had a 25% whiff rate and a 62% strike rate. He threw 90 pitches, with 61 going for strikes. An important factor was that he threw a first-pitch strike 73% of the time, allowing him to work ahead of hitters. He also induced eight groundouts against five flyouts.
“I thought Tomo was awesome,” said manager Warren Schaeffer. “I thought his stuff played up today, velo was really good, the stuff was sharp. When they adjusted to him, he adjusted right back.”
Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
While Sugano was working his way through the Orioles lineup, Trevor Rogers was carving up the Rockies for Baltimore.
Through 6.2 innings, Rogers allowed just two runs on six hits while recording a career-high 11 strikeouts in the game. He also didn’t walk a single batter.
What made Rogers so effective was that he pounded the zone. Of the 94 pitches he threw, 71 were strikes. He only induced three groundouts and had two flyouts. He relied heavily on his fastball, throwing it 54% of the time and generating a 29% whiff rate. In total, he had 15 swing-and-misses as the Rockies just couldn’t figure him out.
The Rockies’ first run came in the third inning when Adael Amador singled to lead off the inning and came in to score on a two-out triple by Jake McCarthy. The Rockies had a chance at a second run on the play as the throw into third base got away and McCarthy headed for home. He was initially called safe on the slide, but after a review challenge, the call was overturned to end the inning.
The following inning, Hunter Goodman hit a one-out double and came in to score on a two-out infield single for Cole Carrigg, which snapped an 0-for-17 stretch for him. Unfortunately, Rogers retired nine of the next 10 batters and left with a 3-2 lead.
Once the starters left the game, hits became a premium neither team could afford.
For the Rockies, Juan Mejia, Jimmy Herget, and Jaden Hill combined to allow just one hit over three innings with one strikeout and two walks.
On the opposite side, the Orioles duo of Rico Garcia and Yennier Cano limited the Rockies to just one hit over 1.1 IP with no walks and one strikeout.
However, the Rockies finally broke through in the ninth.
Facing Andrew Kittredge, there was a brief moment where it looked like Goodman tied up the game with a lead-off home run, but the ball hooked foul. Goodman ended up striking out, followed by a lineout from TJ Rumfield.
Down to their final out, Carrigg then narrowly missed a home run himself as the ball hit off the yellow foam at the top of the fence, settling for a double. The Rockies turned to Zac Veen off the bench, and he sent a ball into the gap for an RBI double to tie the game 3-3.
The Orioles turned to reliever Josh Walker and they immediately put Amador on with an intentional walk before striking out pinch-hitter Troy Johnston and sending the game into extras.
Heading into extra-innings, the Rockies caught an immediate break in the top of the 10th inning with new reliever Nick Frasson on the mound.
Alonso bounced a ball on the infield to the shortstop Carrigg. Holliday was the runner on second and had taken off on contact. Carrigg fired the ball to third base, and the Rockies were able to retire him while Alonso reached. Gunnar Henderson then struck out, and Robert grounded out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 10th, Walker then retired Mickey Moniak by getting him to pop up a ball that was caught near the Orioles dugout by Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Alex Hoppe then entered the game and intentionally walked McCarthy to then strike out Connor Norby. Unfortunately, Goodman grounded out to send the game to the 11th.
Colorado turned to Blas Castaño in the top of the 11th, and he immediately surrendered the go-ahead run courtesy of a single by Samuel Basallo. Two batters later, Dylan Beavers singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Alexander then drove in another run to make it 5-3 with a single to center field. Castaño retired the next two batters, including a strikeout of Holliday.
The Rockies got a run back in the bottom half of the inning when Rumfield lined a ball to left field to score Norby and make it 5-4 against new reliever Grant Wolfram.
Carrigg struck out swinging for the first out of the inning, which brought Veen to the plate in a crucial situation again. Unfortunately, Veen also struck out, this time looking, bringing the Rockies to their final hope, Amador, with two outs. Amador blasted a ball into the gap that one-hopped the fence for an automatic double, preventing Rumfield from scoring the tying run.
Brett Sullivan, who had entered the game in the top of the 11th behind the plate, found himself in a situation with the winning run at second base. On a 3-2 pitch, he singled into shallow left field where Robert had no chance to throw out the speedy Amador, winning the game 6-5.
Baltimore ended the game with 10 hits and struck out just seven times with three walks while going 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position. The Rockies tallied 12 hits while striking out 17 times against just two walks. They went 4-for-11 with RISP as well, but did so in the clutch. Carrigg ended up with three hits while Amador, Rumfield, and McCarthy each had two.
Up next
The Rockies are off Thursday before welcoming the St. Louis Cardinals for a weekend series. Ryan Feltner (5-9, 5.84 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rockies while the Cardinals have not yet announced a starter.
Davis Martin returns blister-free and ready to give Houston trouble. | (John Jones/IMAGN IMAGES)
The first two contests in Houston have produced a split, with the Astros taking Monday’s opener and the White Sox bouncing back for a 5-1 victory on Tuesday. Now, with two games left in the series, both clubs have an opportunity to gain ground in a race that carries major implications for American League playoff seeding and a potential first-round bye.
Before tonight’s game, the White Sox returned Davis Martin from his injury rehab assignment, reinstated him from the 15-day injured list and optioned Tanner McDougal to Triple-A Charlotte. Martin goes directly back into the rotation and makes his first major league start since Aug. 13.
Prior to tonight’s game at Houston, the Chicago White Sox returned right-handed pitcher Davis Martin from his injury rehabilitation assignment at Class AAA Charlotte, reinstated him from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander Tanner McDougal to Class AAA Charlotte.
The 29-year-old righthander is 9-6 with a 4.32 ERA and 1.33 WHIP this season. Martin was outstanding during April and May but has struggled considerably since, culminating in three particularly ugly starts in August. He was placed on the injured list Aug. 14 with a blister on his right middle finger.
Martin made one rehab start for the Knights on Aug. 27 and could hardly have been better, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing only one hit and one walk with five strikeouts. Let’s hope that version of Martin followed the team to Houston.
The Baseball Savant numbers illustrate why Martin’s season has been such a mixed bag. His overall pitching run value sits in the 46th percentile, but his expected statistics are much less encouraging. He ranks in the 24th percentile in expected ERA, 11th in expected batting average and 28th in expected slugging percentage. He also sits in just the eighth percentile in hard-hit rate and the 16th in average exit velocity, meaning hitters have made plenty of loud contact against him.
The good news is that Martin has a couple of pitches capable of keeping Houston’s bats under control. His offspeed run value ranks in the 86th percentile, driven by a changeup that also sits in the 86th percentile. His sinker has been another strong offering, ranking in the 77th percentile in run value.
Martin will need both pitches working, particularly against the left-handed bats scattered throughout Houston’s lineup. The Astros have Yordan Alvarez, Daulton Varsho, Taylor Trammell and LaMonte Wade Jr. batting from the left side, giving Martin plenty of opportunities to use the changeup to keep hitters off balance. The sinker can help him generate weak contact and keep the ball on the ground.
The slider is another story. Its run value ranks in only the eighth percentile, while Martin’s breaking-ball run value is in the 13th. If he leaves sliders over the plate, a Houston lineup featuring Alvarez, Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve can make him pay quickly. Martin does a respectable job of inducing chase and limiting walks, but he does not miss a ton of bats. His success will depend on staying ahead, leaning on the changeup and sinker and avoiding the poorly located breaking pitches that have led to so much hard contact.
Alvarez enters tonight in a rare cold spell, slashing .158/.346/.316 over the past seven days. Of course, that does not make him any less capable of changing the game with one swing, especially if Martin gives him something hittable. Nick Allen has been Houston’s hottest batter during that span, producing a .455/.500/.545 line and 1.045 OPS, but thankfully he is not in tonight’s starting lineup.
Hayden Wesneski will make his seventh start of the season for Houston. The righthander has spent much of the past two years on the injured list and underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2025. He joined the Astros as part of the Kyle Tucker trade with the Cubs in December 2024.
Through six starts, Wesneski owns a 3.86 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. The veteran earned the win in his most recent outing against the Yankees, surrendering one run on three hits and two walks while striking out six.
Wesneski’s Savant profile offers the White Sox a fairly obvious plan of attack: Do not help him. His chase rate ranks near the very top of baseball, but his strikeout rate is much closer to the bottom half of the league. His arsenal is built around getting hitters to expand the zone, with his sweeper and changeup grading as his best secondary pitches.
Chicago’s hitters need to recognize those pitches early and force Wesneski to come over the plate. His average exit velocity and hard-hit rate both rank in the bottom third of the league, suggesting hitters can do damage when they make contact against pitches in the zone. His fastball velocity is also below average, so the Good Guys should be ready to attack hittable four-seamers rather than chasing sweepers off the plate or changeups below the zone.
That sounds simple enough, but Chicago’s offense has not exactly been firing on all cylinders. Colson Montgomery and Andrew Benintendi have been the best South Side hitters over the past seven days, while Chase Meidroth and Miguel Vargas have also been seeing the ball reasonably well. Those are the only four players in tonight’s lineup hitting better than .200 during that span. Everyone else has been firmly aboard the struggle bus.
Sam Antonacci gets the start in the leadoff spot, followed by Munetaka Murakami and Vargas. Benintendi bats cleanup as the designated hitter, while Braden Montgomery returns to the lineup in right field. Colson and Meidroth follow, with Tristan Peters and Drew Romo rounding out the order.
With so many hitters searching for their timing, patience could be the key tonight. If the Sox can resist Wesneski’s chase pitches and make him work in the strike zone, there should be opportunities to generate hard contact. If they spend the evening fishing for sweepers and changeups, it could be a very long night for the offense and the fans.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 02: Bryce Miller #50 of the Seattle Mariners warms up in the bullpen prior to the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Sullivan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Mariners 8, Red Sox 3
September Mariners: Bryce Miller, +0.15 WPA August Mariners: Nobody could possibly be that bad on the September Mariners
Batting cleanup Wednesday afternoon in Colorado, Robert ripped a booming two-run double to right-center field in the top of the third inning off Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano — just moments after Pete Alonso kicked off the scoring with an RBI single.
Baltimore Orioles’ Luis Robert Jr. follows the flight of his two-run double off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano in the third inning of a baseball game on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, in Denver. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Robert’s extra-base hit — which scored Alonso from second base — gave Baltimore an early 3-0 lead at Coors Field.
Robert went 1-for-5 with two RBIs in his Baltimore debut, including scoring the go-ahead run as a ghost runner in the top of the 11th inning on a Samuel Basallo RBI single.
However, the Orioles fell to the Rockies in the bottom half of the frame on a bloop two-run single to left field that fell in front of Robert, with him failing to throw out the winning run at home, in a crushing 6-5 loss.
The loss put the Orioles two games back of the third American League Wild Card spot.
Ex-Met Pete Alonso kicked off the scoring Wednesday with an RBI single. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
The waiver claim of the 29-year-old Robert allowed the Mets to shed $5 million — between the money left on his contract and a buyout — and gave the surging Orioles a potent bat for the final month of the regular season.
Acquired from the White Sox in the offseason, Robert got off to a strong start with the Mets before a back injury sidelined him for three months.
Even with a torrid stretch in August, Robert managed just a .223/.303/.399 slash line with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs in 58 games.
Robert Jr. reacts while running the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday, August 22, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I think he closed out the chapter really well,” interim manager Andy Green said Monday at Tropicana Field.
“Certainly, the chapters that preceded the last one were frustrating from an availability perspective.”
