Today’s Reflections

Oh, man, I was really wanting this article to be a celebration of PCA, the MVP(?) and a win of the series and start another streak of series wins.

But, Shota. Craig Counsell said, “We need Shota. We need Shota. We need him to have good starts.” That’s good to say, but there needs to be a replacement ready to go for the playoffs — and maybe before to make sure they even make the playoffs. The comfortable Wild Card lead is no longer comfortable, especially with the Brewers the focus over the next 10 games.

Counsell is not wrong — Imanaga has not had a bad season. He’s had a season full of CSPSHRs*, but now they are turning into two- and three-run home runs. “Needing him to have good starts” would be a drastic improvement from recent results, and a lot to hope for.

Yeah, that took a bit of the air out of the PCA bubble, but he can handle all the self-promotion with that magic bat of his. There’s been 40-40 talk for a few weeks now, and it was natural to assume that getting the homers are the hardest part. After Sunday, he’s two homers away. You can’t tell him to walk or turn every hit (inside the park) into a single just to steal eight more bases, especially with the playoffs are on the line. But I’m sure there will be opportunities for him to stack a couple of SBs here and there, so we’ll see.

You know all of PCA’s stats for each game, but for posterity, in the two games, PCA went 6-for-11 with six runs scored, five home runs and eight RBI. The Cubs need to keep him in bubble wrap between games.

For the other hitters this weekend — most of the action was on Saturday (obviously) but these two had a good pair of games. Alex Bregman went 4-for-9 with a run scored, two doubles, a home run and three RBI. Nico Hoerner quietly went 3-for-8 with two RBI.

Saturday saw Carson Kelly go off — 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a home run and 4 RBI. Tyrone Taylor keeps impressing, going 4-for-5 with a double and three runs scored. Seiya Suzuki went 3-for-5 with a walk, three runs scored, a home run and two RBI. And Pedro Ramirez went 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored.

Sunday had Ian Happ adding a 2-for-3 day with a walk and two runs scored.

It’s a good thing that the Cubs scored so many runs Saturday. Kevin Gausman allowed five runs over five innings, with five hits and two walks, but two of those hits were home runs. He did strike out seven. Hope it was just a little blip.

In the two games, the bullpen was (cautiously) good after the meltdown Friday. Over eight IP, the bullpen allowed one run (on Trent Thornton’s HR allowed), four total hits, three walks and six strikeouts.

Complimentary Starting Pitcher Solo Home Run*

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Sunday’s Game Stories:

• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs stand behind Shota Imanaga after he allows three homers in loss to Reds. “At least Imanaga lasted longer than the two innings he pitched in his last start a week before in Seattle, going five innings.”

• Jesse Rogers (ESPN): Pete Crow-Armstrong adds 2 more HRs, but Cubs fall to Reds. “Chicago dropped its third consecutive series.”

Saturday’s Game Stories:

• Andy Martinez (Chicago Tribune {$}): Pete Crow-Armstrong hits career-high 3 HRs to fuel Chicago Cubs’ 17-5 rout: ‘It’s a lot of fun to watch’. ““If anything, the most intimidating part of today was doing my pregame routine in front of Sammy Sosa and Billy Williams,” Crow-Armstrong said.“

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Bregman, PCA power 17-run outburst in Cubs’ huge win. “Meanwhile, Bregman has been playing at an exceptionally-high level for the past month as well.”

• Sean Holland (Cubs Insider): Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (8/29/26): Cubs 17, Reds 5 – MVPete Homers Three Times in Rout. “A massive offensive explosion was the deciding factor on Saturday.”

• Sean Sears (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Rout Reds: 17 Runs, 3 HRs for Crow-Armstrong, Legends Fill Wrigley. “PCA gave the 150th Cubs anniversary team a show this Saturday afternoon!

Combo PCA-Mania — Sammy Sosa’s Magic Prediction — Cubs and MLB History — OH! and MVP Race:

• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): The anatomy of Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong’s potential MVP season. “While working with assistant hitting coach John Mallee at Citi Field, Crow-Armstrong walked out of the cage and essentially said, “I found something that I’m going to be able to repeat for a long time.” He has.“
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Even Cubs legends are in awe of Pete Crow-Armstrong’s MVP campaign. “Jake Arrieta said, “For his third at-bat, his fourth at-bat, his fifth at-bat, we were glued to the actual gameplay live. I didn’t want to just watch it on TV. I wanted to see it happen live. We’re all standing there and you’re kind of shaking your head.”“
• Tom Ruminski (The Score): Cubs’ PCA: Sammy Sosa ‘told me I was gonna hit 3’ homers. “Cubs star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said a Chicago baseball legend predicted his historic three-homer performance Saturday.”
• Andrew Gitto (Sporting News): How Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 3-homer day, Shohei Ohtani injury could help Cubs star pull ahead in NL MVP race. “The Dodgers announce that Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound is now postponed. He had been scheduled to start Sunday.”
• Matthew Sullivan (Sporting News): Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong makes MLB HR history not seen in 32 years. “Whenever someone can be compared to Ken Griffey Jr., it’s typically a great thing.”
• Gavin Groe (The Big Lead): Pete Crow-Armstrong pulls off what no Cubs player has done in 125 years. ““Pete Crow-Armstrong is the youngest Cub since 1901 to have a 3HR game,” wrote Cubs sideline reporter Taylor McGregor on X.“

• Cole Blair (Bleacher Nation): Pete Crow-Armstrong … and Other Cubs Bullets. “It was one of those ‘where were you when’ type games.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: Pete Crow-Armstrong crashes Chicago Cubs’ 150th anniversary party with historic day at Wrigley Field. “Fast forward 150 years, and a self-possessed player named Pete Crow-Armstrong homered three times to power the Cubs to a 17-5 win over the Reds before a packed house at Wrigley Field and a who’s who of all-time franchise greats.”
• Dayn Perry (CBS Sports): Pete Crow-Armstrong adds to his NL MVP case with three-homer showcase in Cubs win over Reds. “Crow-Armstrong is in the midst of a historic output in the month of August.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong makes NL MVP case with 3-homer day. ““Sometimes you feel it in your bones that you got a day like today in you,” Crow-Armstrong said. “And I did today.”“
• Brian Sandalow (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong hits three home runs to bolster MVP case. “Crow-Armstrong has 36 home runs and entered Saturday leading the sport in wins above replacement per FanGraphs and Baseball Reference.”

Assorted Pitching Stories:

• Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): Why Greg Maddux, known for elite command, says he threw a wild first pitch at Wrigley Field. “Greg Maddux was known for two things in his Hall of Fame pitching career: immaculate command of the strike zone and a love of practical jokes.”
• Anthony Kerr (DaWindyCity): Javier Assad has no business being in Iowa amidst Cubs fight for the playoffs. “Chicago’s questionable roster decision has left them with a serious pitching problem.”
• Charlie Wright (MLBTradeRumors): Cubs Release Hoby Milner. “Milner passed through waivers unclaimed and is free to sign with another team.”
• Michael Gaither (Yardbarker): Why Cubs should promote Jaxon Wiggins before the postseason. “The Chicago Cubs don’t need Jaxon Wiggins to become a major-league starter overnight. They need another weapon for their struggling bullpen.“
• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs’ key relievers might be regressing to mean at worst time. “After David Peterson at least gave the Cubs a chance to win, Trent Thornton all but removed it, allowing five runs in the sixth inning of a 10-8 loss to the Reds.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs may have uphill battle to keep Clay Holmes after latest MLB insider intel. “Maybe the Cubs won’t act like the Cubs for once.”

Assorted Batting Stories:

• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): The Chicago Cubs have something rare: A bench full of players capable of starting. “As the Cubs inch closer to a healthy roster, Craig Counsell has a chance to lead one of the deepest, most versatile groups of position players he’s had the luxury to manage.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$})): Sammy Sosa basking in rebuilt relationship with Cubs. “Of his relationship with the team he defined for 13 seasons, Sosa said he and the Cubs have put their old differences to the side.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Cubs Utility Prospect BJ Murray Reportedly Getting the Call to the Big Leagues. “The defensive versatility will help his big league bench profile, as will his ability to switch-hit.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs get another scare from top prospect carrying injury concern since being drafted. “Because, of course he has.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Release Former Top Draft Pick Ed Howard. “Howard’s professional career was forever altered by a devastating hip injury.”

Assorted Stories:

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: Interrupting the Chicago Cubs’ ceremonies for a National League wild-card race update. “We interrupt this regularly scheduled celebration of the Chicago Cubs’ past to remind you there’s an extremely tight wild-card race developing in the National League.”
• Jordan Bastian and Adam McCalvy (MLB.com): Cubs’ divisional fate rests on the results of their next 10 days. “With seven games between the Cubs and Brewers over the next 10 days, this is Chicago’s chance to try to swing the momentum in this year’s division race before it is too late.”
• Jori Parys (CBS Sports): Jon Lester, Jody Davis both proud to be Cubs Hall of Famers. “Former pitcher Jon Lester, catcher Jody Davis, and broadcaster Vince Lloyd were all inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame over the weekend.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs’ 2026 success looks even better when remembering the Frank Schwindel era. “Frank Schwindel has forced me to confront realities.”
• Andrew Carter (Chicago Tribune {$}): One Wrigleyville corner hangs on to its roots and ballhawks as Chicago Cubs mark 150th anniversary. “The corner, though, remains the corner. Lawn chairs. Lifers. Good banter, some of which is even suitable for children.”

Food For Thought:

Altered Five Blues Band (originally known as Altered Five) is an American five-piece blues band. Formed in 2002 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, they have released six albums since 2008. Altered Five smokes, smolders and burns like a swig of good whiskey. The hip Milwaukee quintet is known for its strong brew of tough, original blues and hard-hitting live shows. Blues Blast raves that barrel-chested front man Jeff Taylor possesses a “smooth, warm-toned voice as monumental and undeniable as Howlin’ Wolf with the finish and flourish of B.B. King.” Downbeat declares stealth guitarist Jeff Schroedl “reaches the high bar of mixed invention and fluidity.” Fueled by a rhythm section laying down the deepest grooves this side of the MGs, the award-winning group has remained at the forefront of contemporary blues for more than two decades, performing in 13 countries around the world. 

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

MJ Melendez

Week: 6 G, 24 AB, .333/.360/.792, 8 H, 5 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 1 BB, 8 K, 0/0 SB (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 58 G, 206 AB, .243/.330/.578, 50 H, 14 2B, 2 3B, 17 HR, 27 BB, 64 K, 5/10 SB, .264 BABIP / 56 G, 120 AB, .192/.315/.350, 23 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 17 BB, 50 K, 0/1 SB, .284 BABIP (MLB)

It’s too bad that the roster construction of the Mets works out that MJ Melendez is left high-and-dry. He wasn’t good in the limited at-bats he got earlier this season, but he wasn’t particularly bad, either. Likewise, his performance isn’t so exceptionally good in Triple-A that David Stearns needs to figure out how to get Melendez back to the majors, but he’s having a nice little run. The veteran outfielder seems like a generally cool dude and apologized to fans for not being good enough when he was sent back down to Syracuse, which makes the fact that he hasn’t really found his footing more annoying.

If nothing else, I wouldn’t be against bringing Melendez back as minor league depth next season.

Jonah Tong

Week: 1 G (1 GS), 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K (Triple-A)

2026 Season: 23 G (23 GS), 107.0 IP, 88 H, 64 R, 54 ER (4.54 ERA), 59 BB, 126 K, .261 BABIP (Triple-A) / 3 G (0 GS), 10.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER (3.60 ERA), 7 BB, 7 K, .219 BABIP (MLB)

In Game One of a double-header against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Jonah Tong set batter after batter after batter down at the plate, and before we knew it, it was the seventh inning and Tong had yet to allow a hit. I’m not a fan of treating the two the same, but 7 innings is a regulation game in minor league double-headers, just like 9 innings is regulation under normal circumstances, and Tong was three outs away from throwing a no-hitter. The first batter he faced, right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr., flew out to left field. The second batter he faced, third baseman Otto Kemp, struck out on three straight fastballs down-and-away. With one out to go, centerfielder Kameron Misner laced a cutter down and in into right field for a hit. With the no-hit bid over, Tong struck out the next batter, Carter Kieboom, on four pitches and had to settle for a one-hit shutout.

It was obviously a great game for Tong, and overall, August has been a strong month for him. Coming into August, batters were hitting .238/.349/.447 against Tong, but in August, they hit .170/.271/.436 against him. A big reason for that was his fastball and cutter both being more effective than they have been all season, especially his cutter; batters hit .125/.239/.325 against his fastball and .158/.238/.158 against his cutter in August as opposed to .213/.353/.386 and .300/.386/.540 entering the month.

I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but since none of the underlying metrics for either pitch, such as velocity or spin rate or movement, are appreciably different, I think the recent success is more a case of a .148 BABIP than Tong finally compensating for his velocity/IVB dip stemming from his arm angle change or his change from a traditional slider grip to a traditional cutter grip, but it would be great if I was wrong.

With September here, the right-hander having a strong month or two, and the Mets not exactly having a fifth starter, it is all but guaranteed that Tong gets called back up the Queens and appears in a few games. I’m not sure how well he will perform- honestly, I do have a bit of trepidation, since International League hitters have hit him hard- but here’s hoping he performs well enough to avoid the Mets analyzing the small sample of his MLB performance and switching him to sidearm while having him scrap his changeup for a gyroball.

Players of the Week 2026

Week One/Two (March 27-April 5): Hayden Senger/Cam Tilly

Week Three (April 7-April 12): A.J. Ewing/Christian Scott

Week Four (April 14-April 18): Randy Guzman/Jose Chirinos

Week Five (April 21-April 26): A.J. Ewing/Channing Austin

Week Six (April 30-May 3): A.J. Ewing/Jonah Tong

Week Seven (May 5-May 10): Ryan Clifford/Jonathan Santucci

Week Eight: (May 12-May 17): Jacob Reimer/Zach Thornton

Week Nine: (May 19-May 24): Ryan Clifford/Channing Austin

Week Ten: (May 26-May 31): Ryan Clifford/Jose Chirinos

Week Eleven: (June 2-June 7): Vincent Perozo/Frank Camarillo

Week Twelve: (June 9-June 14): JT Benson/Nicolas Carreno

Week Thirteen (June 16-June 21): Nick Morabito/Jonathan Santucci

Week Fourteen (June 23-June 28): JT Benson/Daviel Hurtado

Week Fifteen: (June 30-July 5): MJ Melendez/Daviel Hurtado

Week Sixteen: (July 7-July 12): Daiverson Gutierrez/Jonathan Santucci

Week Seventeen (July 13-July 19): MJ Melendez/Noah Hall

Week Eighteen: (July 21-July 26): Ronny Mauricio/Conner Ware

Week Nineteen: (July 28-August 2): Mitch Voit/Jonah Tong

Week Twenty (August 3-August 9): Mitch Voit/Noah Hall

Week Twenty-One (August 11-August 16): Elian Peña/Jose Chirinos

Week Twenty-Two (August 18-August 23): Yonatan Henriquez/Xzavion Curry

The Detroit Tigers dropped the series opener against the Minnesota Twins, 11-1, at Target Field on Monday night in a game that everyone wants to quickly forget. Jackson Jobe managed to escape trouble through the early innings, but it finally caught up with him in the fifth, when a three-run dinger opened the gates for the eventual rout.

Taking the mound in Game 2 for the Olde English D is right-hander Troy Melton, who has given up as many earned runs over his last two outings as he had in his 10 starts prior. After a stretch of absolute excellence, the 25-year-old has posted a 4.26 ERA and 4.98 FIP over 12 2/3 innings, allowing 14 hits (two home runs) and three walks while striking out seven and hitting a batter.

Melton’s only appearance this summer against the Twins back on June 9 in Detroit was his worst game of the season, surrendering eight hits — four of them solo homers, representing all of the runs he gave up — but no walks while striking out five over five frames. He still managed to earn his third win as the Tigers ultimately prevailed, 10-4.

For Minnesota, left-hander Connor Prielipp will toe the rubber for the 20th time of his rookie campaign. The 25-year-old has had a brutal August, putting up an ugly 7.76 ERA but a less-offensive 4.73 FIP over five games stretching across 26 2/3 innings, allowing 31 hits (five home runs) and 13 walks while striking out 30 batters. He earned a pair of losses while his team was defeated in all five starts.

Here is a look at how the two match up for Tuesday night’s American League Central battle.

Detroit Tigers (63-74) vs. Minnesota Twins (66-72)

Time (ET): 7:40 p.m.
Place: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 138: RHP Troy Melton (7-3, 1.86 ERA) vs. LHP Connor Prielipp (3-7, 5.55 ERA)

MELTON

PRIELIPP

The dog days of August are over and the final month of the MLB regular season has arrived. Leading the Wild Card race, the Yankees are in good shape to return to the playoffs for the ninth time in the last decade (and 27th time in 32 years dating back to 1995), but they have a tall task ahead if they want to run down the surprising Rays for the division title and a first-round bye. Otherwise, a likely Wild Card Series rematch with the Red Sox awaits, with the winner behind the eight-ball in terms of pitching before they square off with Tampa Bay in the ALDS — the same scenario that the Yankees got burned by in 2025 with Toronto.

But let’s ponder the AL East for a second and be hopeful. FanGraphs gives the Yankees a 16.9-percent chance of winning the division. That’s not great, but 2025 AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh is hitting .171, so consider the odds about the same as Raleigh getting a hit in a given at-bat this year. Unlikely, but not impossible! Here’s how Yankees’ September lines up:

• September 1-2: @ Angels
• September 4-6: @ Padres
• September 8-10: vs. Rockies
• September 11-13: vs. Mets
• September 14-16: @ Twins
• September 18-20: @ Diamondbacks
• September 22-24: vs. Rays (doubleheader on 9/23)
• September 25-27: vs. Orioles

That’s 24 games. If they win, say, two-thirds to take 16, then they’ll need the Rays to only win 11 of their 25 to fully make up the deficit (unless they can sweep that four-game set against Tampa Bay to get the tiebreaker, which I’m not counting on). It’s a tall task, and while I have skepticism about the Rays, in my gut, I don’t think they’re a team that will have a losing month. I actually am optimistic enough on the Bombers that they can get a 16-win month against that batch. My concern is that—like their 18-win September 2025—it might not be enough.

But despite that missed opportunity last night, I can hope! Remember when the 2017 Dodgers were on an absurd win pace and then utterly bombed in September? And this Rays team is no 2017 Dodgers. What do you think?

Today on the site, Dani will discuss the new SB Nation app that just came out to help make your experience on the site (and others around SBN) much smoother! We’ll also have Michael’s weekly minor league report, Madison on the Rivalry Roundup, Kento on the birthday of a forgotten Yankee who starred at Dartmouth long before Ben Rice, Peter’s monthly GM poll, and Jonathan and Matt on our monthly check-ins on the AL Central and AL West, respectively.

As a programming note, there’s no minor-league recap today because none of the Yankees’ affiliates were in action.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels

Time: 9:38 p.m. EST

TV: YES, ABTV

Venue: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA

MLB.com | Ian Browne: Sunday’s blowout win over the Red Sox came with some minor controversies, but one of them was generated by a broadcast booth. Red Sox radio play-by-play commentator Will Flemming became irate with Jazz Chisholm Jr. stealing a pair of bases in the eighth inning with the Yankees up 7-1 at the time, calling first for Boston’s pitcher to drill Austin Wells (who was at the plate at the time) before turning his temper to Jazz as he walked over to home plate after Wells hit a home run and saying that the pitcher should start a fight with the Yankee second baseman. The Rivalry can certainly cause a flare of emotions from time to time, even if nowhere close to as often as the 2000s teams did, but Flemming truly crossed a line when he called Chisholm a “bush league player” for stealing those bases and adding that he “didn’t play the game the right way,” invoking the type of commentary that less than stellar folks tend to direct at Chisholm over a decision to swipe some bags in a game that was still very much up for grabs.

Aaron Boone, when asked about the incident on Monday, added that he was the one who told Chisholm to go for the steals since the Sox weren’t holding him at first and he wanted to rule out needing David Bednar in that game, even yelling at the Sox’ dugout that he would let Chisholm loose if they didn’t care to hold him. Boone also added that Flemming reached out to apologize about the incident, though he didn’t give that apology to Jazz. Chisholm, to his credit, took it in stride saying he didn’t care about an apology as he didn’t know who Flemming was until he was told about it Monday morning, and he’d forget about him soon after.

NY Daily News | Gary Phillips: The Yankees are keeping a watchful eye on Shoki Oda, an 18-year-old Japanese pitching prospect turning lots of heads as he weighs a decision to declare for the Nippon Professional Baseball draft or become an international free agent. The NPB draft is on October 22nd, effectively serving as Oda’s deadline, but if he chooses to go stateside teams wouldn’t be able to sign him until January 15, 2027. That pushes him into the 2027 signing class as opposed to the 2026 period, the latter of which the Yankees still have a rare pile of money to spend after previous agreements they made under international scouting director Donny Rowland fell through after he was let go by the organization. The Yankees are one of many teams highly interested in Oda, but they’re also showing a renewed effort in making connections with the Japanese market — an area they’ve been largely absent from since signing Masahiro Tanaka way back in 2014.

NJ.com | Bob Klapisch: Heliot Ramos didn’t get off to the most impressive start in his Yankees tenure, hitting 2-for-32 in his first 13 games in pinstripes. He’s turned it on of late though, encapsulated by his three-run homer on Sunday to break open the scoring in what became a rout, and having Ramos contributing goes a long way towards making the Yankee lineup a more balanced threat. Ramos was the right-handed addition to the offense at the deadline, and being able to slot him in around Aaron Judge once the captain returns will go a long way to building the deepest threat they have for October.

NY Post | Greg Joyce: In case you missed it, the Yankees continued their roulette spinning in the relief market by picking up John Schreiber off of waivers from Kansas City. Schreiber has been a solid enough reliever this year, owning a 3.65 ERA in 55 games, but his numbers come with a very obvious split: right-handed hitters have a .414 OPS against him while lefties have crushed him for a 1.024 OPS. He’ll get a chance to pick up innings against righty-dominant stretches of opposing lineups and carve out a niche for himself with the potential to earn a postseason roster spot if he succeeds, but the biggest impact he could carry is simply lightening the load a little bit from the Yankees’ top three arms in David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, and Brent Headrick.

Record: 73-66. Pace: 85-77. Change on 2025: +5.

The Diamondbacks won the series against the Phillies on the East coast, but all three games there were decided by one run. Tonight’s game at Chase Field was just as close, neither side exactly taking advantage of their scoring opportunities. Arizona and Philadelphia combined to go 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position. But it was the “1” which proved the difference maker, Bryce Harper’s RBI double off the outfield wall turning out to be enough. It gave D-backs’ pitcher Brandon Pfaadt his first loss since April 11th, ending his streak of unbeaten starts at ten, though it was definitely a tough loss.

Of course, the major storyline tonight was the return of Ketel Marte to the Diamondbacks’ line-up. It came after ten days on the Injured List for a knee issue, and a few more on the Restricted List after he failed to show up at Fenway Park for a game. How would he be greeted by the fans at Chase? Listening at home, it seemed a genuinely mixed greeting, but reporting from the ballpark, Jack said, “Many more booing than cheering, booers were louder, and booed again as he grounded out.” However, the reception for his subsequent at-bats seemed to be kinder. Maybe it’s like family: you can’t stay angry at them forever. You still have to live with them, after all.

In the end, Marte went 1-for-3 with a walk (we’ll cycle back to that later). Hopefully, this entire situation is something the team can now put behind them for now, and just concentrate on the battle for a wild-card spot. Regardless of what does (or does not) happen in the off-season, the month of September is something which deserves absolute focus and commitment from everyone on the roster the rest of the way. Hopefully, it shouldn’t be too hard for everyone to pull in the same direction over the remaining games. Except in the absence of a relapse, I’m inclined to draw a line under everything for the balance of this season. So, moving on…

After a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the first, the Phillies took the lead with one out in the second. It came on an absolute monster shot by Bryson Stott off Pfaadt, estimated at 464 feet. That’s the second-longest hit at Chase Field this year, trailing only a ringworm-powered one which went one foot longer. It was also the third-longest allowed by Pfaadt at Chase, the record belonging to a 472 footer by Oneil Cruz. In case you’re wondering, in the Statcast era, the record is a Franchy Cordero blast in 2018 off Matt Koch, tracked at 489 feet. Of course, like the blast tonight, it still only counted as one, the Stott shot giving Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.

They were then able to double their tally in the third, though things could have been a lot worse. A single and a walk started the inning, then Harper’s double with one out put two in scoring position. Luis Arraez did Luis Arraez things, putting the ball in play. However, it was firmly hit to Ildemaro Vargas, who came home for Gabriel Moreno to apply the tag at home for the second out. Pfaadt was able to escape further damage, and got through six innings on 87 pitches, allowing five hits, with one walk and just the one strikeout. While he did take the L and there were only five swinging strikes, it was a better performance than his outings against the Red Sox or Cubs.

After the second Phillies tally, the D-backs were able to get on the board in the bottom of the third. Though they had already stranded their first runner in scoring position in the second inning, after a Lars Nootbaar walk and Nolan Arenado legging out an infield hit (no, really!). Tim Tawa and Ildemaro Vargas came up empty, but definitely weren’t the last Arizona hitters to do so. But in the third, a two-out double just fair down the left-field line by Moreno, and an aggressive send by third-base coach J.R. House, got Geraldo Perdomo all the way from first across home-plate, narrowing the deficit to 2-1.

While the visitors would not be able to score over the remaining six innings, neither could the home team. Arizona’s best chance perhaps came in the sixth, where Moreno singled and Marte walked, to put two on with nobody out. But Nootbaar, Arenado and Tawa couldn’t move the runners. The most egregious mistake might have come in the seventh, where Vargas’s lead-off hit was erased on an ill-advised attempt to start running for second while the pitcher still had the ball. There were two more Arizona men on base with one out in the eighth, but Arenado and Tawa were, again, unable to do anything.

The last chance came in the ninth against (as Sneeks pointed out in the GDT) former D-backs prospect Jhoan Duran, now the Phillies’ closer. He was part of the haul sent by Arizona to Minnesota in 2018 for Eduardo Escobar, and after becoming the Twins closer, was traded to Philadelphia in 2025. Tonight, the D-backs almost got to him. Ryan Waldschmidt and Corbin Carroll each got infield hits (Carroll avoiding an 0-for-5 night), to put the tying run in scoring position with two outs. Moreno came up, with Marte lurking in the on-deck circle, ready to speed-run the Redemption Arc storyline. But Gaby grounded out, and another one-run game went the Phillies’ way.

Click for details at Fangraphs
Redemption, of a kind: Ketel Marte, +10%
Damnation: Tim Tawa, -26%
Perdition: Arenado, -18%; Vargas, -18%; Perdomo, -12%

Interesting to see Ketel Marte leading the Win Probability on his return tonight. Of note, after the game:

Comment of the night to AzDesertLovr (one of these days, I will both spell and capitalize that correctly first time – but today is not that day!) for coming oh-so close to a correct prediction about Ketel Marte’s performance on his return.

With the Padres winning, Arizona drops out of a wild-card position by one-half of a game. We will see what tomorrow brings, in the second game of the series. It’s another 6:40 pm pitch, with Eduardo Rodriguez taking the mound for the Diamondbacks.