Category: Sports News

Prior to his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame and number retirement ceremony on Saturday, Carlos Beltrán spoke with reporters about his legendary career, time in New York, and future working for the team...

Decision to go into HOF as a Met

Earlier in the summer, Beltrán became the third player to enter the Hall of Fame with a Mets cap on his plaque. He opted to represent New York over the six other teams he played for during his 20-year career, having spent the most time (seven seasons) with the Mets.

When asked about that decision and what his time with the team meant to him, the nine-time All-Star called it his "best years" playing baseball.

"I would say it was my best years in baseball," Beltrán said. "Even though at times it felt difficult and it felt different. Meaning my relationship [with the fans], and sometimes how things went down. I don't know the message that was sent out about me as a person or about me as a player. It's hard to connect with a fanbase when the message out there is always negative. 

"But being honest and having the experience to play for the Mets, I felt like playing in this organization, I kept saying this in my speech for the Hall of Fame, I grew the most as a person, as a leader. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for the relationships I was able to build in the clubhouse with the players... Keeping those relationships has really been incredible and amazing for us."

Learning how to play in New York

After six-plus seasons with the Kansas City Royals and a half season with the Houston Astros, Beltrán signed a seven-year, $119 million contract with the Mets ahead of the 2005 season. He discussed why he chose the Mets that offseason and how it took some time to adjust to playing in a big market.

"Being a free agent, I was really looking closely what Omar Minaya at the time was doing for the Mets organization," Beltrán said. "He was trying to put a consistent team for the city. I think adding Pedro Martinez was a huge sign. Pedro choosing to come to New York, no doubt that him being one of the best pitchers in the game, you start considering the Mets as a team, probably I could be a good fit in for the organization. When they were able to visit me in Puerto Rico... I told my wife this could be a possibility and a legitimate one. And it happened.

"Coming from a small market team and all of a sudden being in New York, there were things I needed to learn that I didn't have those tools in Kansas City. Dealing with the media, dealing with the responsibilities, dealing with the expectations, dealing with the ups-and-downs of baseball in a city like New York is the real deal. I'm grateful. I'm grateful that when I look at my career, out of 20 years, I played 10 in New York. I think I did OK."

Beltrán was then asked if there was any lessons he learned to adapting to playing in New York, saying it helped make him a better person on and off the field. He added that he feels it's important to help new players become adjusted to playing in the city because of all that comes with it.

"I think my skin got thicker playing in this city, which is good," Beltrán said. "I'm grateful for everything, my friend. When you look back, there are moments that need to happen in life for you to grow. That's life. Because of the moments that I experienced here, I'm better, I'm better in every aspect. I want to use the experience to continue to share it with the next generation, share it with all of the people that might be feeling the same shoes I felt when I first came here."

On potentially interviewing for manager position

When the Mets fired Carlos Mendoza on June 26, Beltrán's name immediately popped up as a replacement. Although he declined the opportunity and said it wasn't the right move at the time out of respect to Mendoza.

Now, with the team expecting to have interim manager Andy Green return to the front office, Beltrán could potentially have another chance to manage his former club. Of course, Beltrán was originally hired as manager on Nov. 1, 2019, but later mutually agreed to leave the position in January 2020 before ever managing a game due to his involvement in the Astros sign-stealing scandal.

When asked about the possibility of becoming the next manager, Beltrán, who is currently a special assistant to David Stearns, said he is enjoying his current role and helping around the organization.

"Right now I love what I'm doing," Beltrán said. "I believe that the opportunity the Mets are giving me to be part of the organization and be able to comment on the things I experienced as a baseball player to hopefully continue to add value to the decisions they are making and bring perspective on how I see things from a baseball standpoint.

"... With that being said, I love what I do. Being a manager in Major League Baseball is a huge commitment. And I'm not saying I'm not willing to take that commitment. But right now, at the position where I am in life, I love to be a dad, I love to be a husband, I love to be involved with the Carlos Beltran Academy in Puerto Rico. And being a manager, you would not be able to do that full-time. 

"With that being said, I will let the Mets go through the process. I think David understands that, probably, there's going to be a search. I hope with that being said that with whatever step forward we do, I know it's going to be for the benefit of the organization. Being honest, I think Andy has done a good job. He has done an incredible job for the Mets since he joined the team."

Beltrán was asked directly if he will try to interview, but again said he's comfortable with his current role, while leaving the door slightly open to managing in the future.

"Right now, I don't have an answer for that honestly speaking," Beltrán said. "I think today I'm more worried about the speech and what to say out there. I always say, in my heart, if I stay relevant in the game and hopefully I continue to be around baseball teams, I could think about that later on. Right now, I'm happy what I'm doing with the Mets and having this job where I get to connect with the baseball players, connect with the coaches... I try to learn as much as I can from that."

The pitch-rigging allegations against Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase are getting specific.

In court documents filed Friday, federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York listed 18 pitches thrown by Clase over 17 games between 2023 and 2025 as part of their gambling case against the three-time All-Star, Cleveland teammate Luis Ortiz and two others.

They were charged last November with wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy for a scheme alleging they shared information about the location and velocity of pitches in advance with bettors.

Clase and the others have pleaded not guilty to all counts, and jury selection for the trial is slated to begin in November.

The prosecution’s list of pitches in question thrown by Clase included one against Starling Marte of the Mets in May 2023 and another during the 2024 American League playoffs against Detroit’s Matt Vierling.

“The government will only seek to prove that for one or more of approximately 18 of Clase’s pitches, and for two of Ortiz’s pitches, the defendants provided advance inside information about their pitches to others who bet on them,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella wrote.

The filing did not specify the pitches allegedly thrown by Ortiz, but two of his outings last year were flagged by sportsbooks for irregular betting activity on specific pitches.

Both Clase and Ortiz have been on leave since June 2025. 

There’s a chance of storms in the Cincinnati area this evening (forecast link below). Here’s the area radar for you to keep handy.

Saturday notes…

• LEADS, BLOWN CATEGORY: The Cubs let a 4-3 lead slip away last night. They have blown 67 leads this season, in 56 different games. They are 24-32 in those games and have lost three straight and 12 of 13 starting on Aug. 21. Before blowing their lead, the Cubs had erased two deficits, raising their season total to 70, in 62 different games. They have lost the last two, five of six and seven of nine starting Aug. 21. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• POWER OUTAGE: On Aug. 31, the Cubs set a team record by hitting nine homers against the Brewers. They have hit a total of 16 in their 16 games since then. Last night’s was the ninth game with one. They hit two twice and three once. They hit none in four games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• HAPP’S HOMER DIDN’T HELP: Ian Happ’s third-inning drive was the only homer by either team last night. The Cubs are 37-11 when they have hit more homers than they have allowed and 23-10 when they have not allowed a homer. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Kerry Wood throws seven shutout innings, striking out nine, and Rondell White homers and drives in four to lead the Cubs to an 11-0 win over the Reds. It happened 25 years ago today, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2001.

Cubs lineup:

Saturday night ball.

Watch the game live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/rQmIqRWlYs

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 19, 2026

Reds lineup:

Game 2 in the 2.0s

Powered by @PNCBankpic.twitter.com/nrR4HxQyxL

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 19, 2026

Matthew Boyd, LHP vs. Nick Lodolo, LHP

Matthew Boyd’s ERA is a victim of the Cubs bullpen.

In each of his last three starts, relievers allowed two inherited runners left by Boyd to score. So his pitching has been better than the numbers show, in my view.

Boyd’s only start against the Reds this year was July 12 in Cincinnati. He allowed four runs in 6.1 innings, two of which were on the traditional Eugenio Suárez homer off Cubs pitching. Keep Eugenio in the ballpark and good things should follow.

Nick Lodolo was the Reds’ first-round pick (seventh overall) out of TCU in 2019, and was a Top 100 prospect two years in a row.

Injuries and ineffectiveness have hurt him and he’s having the worst year of his career.

For him, that’s bad. For Cubs hitters, maybe it’s good. He did hold the Cubs to two runs in five innings July 11 in Cincinnati, then missed a few weeks with a blister issue. (Sound familiar?) Since his return last month he has a 6.09 ERA and 1.529 WHIP in seven starts, with 10 (!) home runs allowed in 34 innings.

Warm up those bats, Cubs hitters.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Great American Ball Park.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter. If you do go there to interact with Reds fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor understands how momentous Saturday at Citi Field is.

The organization is honoring Carlos Beltrán by inducting him into the Mets Hall of Fame and retiring his No. 15. Beltrán is a player who not only represented the franchise as one of its best players, but as a fellow Puerto Rican, the honor hits close to home for Lindor.

"It’s very inspiring. Someone that was close to me and to every Puerto Rican. Anybody that’s Puerto Rican that makes it big, us Puerto Ricans feel like we made it as well," Lindor said in the clubhouse prior to Saturday's game. "To be on the biggest stages, playoffs, All-Star games and to see him come back to the island is very special. We always talk about guys like that, like the Beltráns, [Roberto] Alomar,[Carlos] Delgado, [Ivan]Rodriguez. Guys that set the path for a guy like me today."

Lindor looked up to Beltrán because he was also a switch-hitter from the island, who played hard and "had swag," but he wouldn't get a chance to build a relationship with one of his idols until 2016.  

Lindor, playing with Cleveland at the time, just wrapped up a series with the Beltrán's Yankees right before the All-Star break. The young shortstop was heading to San Diego for his first All-Star Game and shared a plane with the outfielder and a few other Yankees who also made the Midsummer Classic. That's when he had an opportunity to speak with the future Hall of Famer.

"Anybody that's from Puerto Rico and makes it big, us Puerto Ricans feel like we made it, as well."

Francisco Lindor says it was "very inspiring" to see Carlos Beltrán's success in Major League Baseball: pic.twitter.com/5QX8pUuM4n

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 19, 2026

"He’s a mentor. Someone you can have a conversation with him, tell him the stuff I’m going through because he probably already went through it. He’s helped me for sure," Lindor said of Beltrán. "I look up to him growing up and to have an opportunity to share the field with him. To have moments to talk to him. It’s something I don’t take for granted."

That relationship came in handy when Lindor was traded to the Mets in 2021. It was an adjustment period for Lindor, who struggled on and off the field. Going from a small market to New York City was tough for Lindor, but he had Beltrán to help him.

Beltran got Lindor in touch with a realtor and helped him with the off-the-field transition, but also offered a shoulder when the on-the-field production wasn't there.

"When I first got traded here, I called him and I talked to him," Lindor said. "I didn’t play well. I sucked in the beginning and having him there to comfort me and say, ‘Hey, this stuff is going to happen. It’s ok. You’re going to go through stuff like this, but you’re going to come out on the other side. Stay true to yourself and play the game the right way.'

"Stuff like that early on was huge for me today."

Five years later, and Lindor has become an important part of the team on the field and as a locker room leader.

"I love Francisco. I admire him. I love the way he plays. I always watch the switch-hitters in the game," Beltrán said prior to his number retirement ceremony. "He will be in this position at some point in life. I’m grateful for the friendship that we have...We have a good relationship. We talk about baseball, we talk about hitting, life, family, we talk about kids, we talk about everything.

"The relationship I was able to build with him is a friendship more than anything else." 

Could that relationship-building help Beltrán get a managerial job with the Mets or elsewhere? Lindor was asked and the shortstop is convinced the Hall of Famer will succeed in that realm if that's his desire.

"If he wants it. I believe he’ll succeed whenever he becomes a manager," Lindor said. "If the organization feels that’s the right fit for us…. If he decides to pursue, and if they feel he’s the best fit, he’ll succeed at it.

"To be a manager is not about respect, it’s about knowing the game, making the right moves at the right time and connecting with players. And I think he can do all those."

"I love Francisco. I admire him. I love the way he plays. Being a switch-hitter, I'm always watching the switch-hitters in the game. He will be in this position at some point in life."

- Carlos Beltrán on Francisco Lindor pic.twitter.com/gwQGCW2KP5

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 19, 2026

There’s still work to do after last night’s tasteful champagne toast to celebrate a return to the postseason. Walt Weiss, no stranger to tinkering with a lineup formula, has maybe found what he likes most to face RHPs. He will run with the exact same lineup from last night’s 6-2 win versus the Astros, where three two-run homers to the Crawford Boxes in left field secured the series opener.

Designated hitter Drake Baldwin leads off, followed by Ronald Acuña Jr. playing right field and aiming for home run number 20 on the season. Hitting third again, Matt Olson’s 3-for-5 evening with a home run yesterday was a sight for sore eyes. His lefty bestie Michael Harris II (with his own 3-for-5 night with a homer night) will hit cleanup and patrol center field. Houston’s beloved Mauricio Dubón will play shortstop and hit fifth. Ozzie Albies is penciled in to hit sixth and play second base. Left fielder Mike Yastrzemski, third baseman Austin Riley, and catcher Sean Murphy round out the bottom of Atlanta’s order.

The lineup for Houston has the same 1-4 as last night: shortstop Jeremy Pena, DH Yordan Alvarez, third baseman Isaac Paredes, and second baseman Jose Altuve. Catcher Yainer Diaz gets the start today in place of Christian Vázquez and will hit fifth and catch for starter Hayden Wesneski. Center fielder Daulton Varsho drops a spot to sixth, followed by first baseman Christian Walker. Cam Smith gets the start today in right field, and left fielder LaMonte Wade Jr. will once again bat ninth.

The Braves are looking to score early and often / avoid seeing Josh Hader in order to secure a series win at Daikin Park tonight. First pitch is at 7:10 pm ET.

Tyler Glasnow on Friday night struck out 10 Giants in his six innings, his most in a start this season. Aside from securing Los Angeles-area folks a free Jumbo Jack with a purchase of a large drink for the 130th time this season and the 27th time in the last 28 days, Friday affirmed the Dodgers’ unique spot in double-digit strikeout games this season.

The Dodgers now have a dozen individual 10-strikeout games this season. That’s not the most, it’s tied for fourth-most with the Toronto Blue Jays, behind the Milwaukee Brewers (16), Cleveland Guardians (15), and Philadelphia Phillies (14).

But what makes the Dodgers unique this season is that eight different pitchers have achieved double-digit strikeouts in a game:

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (May 31, July 4, September 9)
2. Emmet Sheehan (April 24, September 7)
3. Blake Snell (August 11, August 29)
4. Shohei Ohtani (April 15)
5. Roki Sasaki (June 5)
6. Justin Wrobleski (June 30)
7. Tarik Skubal (August 22)
8. Tyler Glasnow (September 18)

The next-closest team is the Minnesota Twins, with five different pitchers striking out at least 10 in a game this season. The Houston Astros, Brewers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners have four pitchers each.

The Dodgers have eight different pitchers, which is at least one measure of their depth.

Eight pitchers with 10 strikeouts is the most the Dodgers have ever had in a season, two more than in 2022.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Giants
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 6:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Look, it’s not like the reasonable among us expected to win every game against the Brewers, current owners of the MLB’s best record. But last night was frankly a bummer. The Orioles had loads of baserunners and yet—that old saw—couldn’t drive them in. The Baltimore Sun reports today that GM Mike Elias and manager Craig Albernaz expect to be back to with the team next season. Fine, but I hope the approach to hitting with runners on base gets a major overhaul—it needs to.

Baltimore belatedly announced that today’s starter (stopper) would be Trevor Rogers (10-10, 4.22, 143 SO in 157.2 IP). The lefty last pitched on Sept. 13, six days ago, a blah outing against the Blue Jays where he allowed four runs in six innings in a loss. But before that, he had two strong starts against Cleveland and Colorado. Rogers’ pre-All Star Break ERA is 4.48; post it’s 3.88.

In pitching news from the back end of the bullpen, the Orioles just reinstated closer Félix Bautista, who hasn’t appeared in a game in over a year. It’s too late in the season to make much of a difference, but man, it’ll be good to see The Mountain trotting out to the mound in late innings instead of guys like Alex Hoppe or Andrew Kittredge. The O’s skipper hasn’t committed to using Bautista as a closer yet, so perhaps expect in him a bridge role.

Starting for the Brewers today is Robert Gasser, initially one of four arms the Brewers acquired in 2022 via the trade for closer Josh Hader. Now in his third season with Milwaukee, it’s a little soon to assess Gasser’s value, as he missed long stretches due to Tommy John surgery. This season, he started out with Milwaukee’s Triple-A team and since joining the team in late May, has been pretty much average, with a 4.30 ERA in 18 starts.

As our own Mark pointed out in the series preview, Gasser’s Statcast peripherals fail to inspire confidence. Gasser has a five-pitch mix, but his sweeper, his most-thrown pitch, has a -6 run value, his worst of any. His fastball is also below-average, per Statcast. He doesn’t throw the ball hard, he doesn’t get a lot of whiffs, and he doesn’t get batters to chase outside of the strike zone very often.

Gasser is left-handed, so the Orioles have stuffed their lineup with righties… not that you will necessarily love all the names. Jeremiah Jackson makes a rare appearance in the leadoff spot, and the bottom four hitters include three righties in Rece Hinds, Christian Franklin, and Leody Taveras (switch-hitter). Well. At least Alonso and Mayo, in the second and third spots, are hot right now.

Orioles lineup

1. Jeremiah Jackson 2B
2. Pete Alonso 1B
3. Coby Mayo DH
4. Christian Encarnacion-Strand 3B
5. Gunnar Henderson SS
6. Rece Hinds RF
7. Christian Franklin LF
8. Samuel Basallo C
9. Leody Taveras CF

Brewers lineup

1. Jackson Chourio 2B
2. Garrett Mitchell CF
3. William Contreras DH
4. Andrew Vaughn 1B
5. Joey Ortiz 3B
6. Gary Sánchez C
7. Cooper Pratt SS
8. Luis Lara RF
9. David Hamilton 2B

After scraping out a victory in last night’s series opener against the Orioles, the Brewers are one game closer to securing the best record in baseball — and the top seed heading into the playoffs.

On the mound to try to secure another series win for Milwaukee is lefty Robert Gasser, who has become the Brewers’ third-most-reliable starter behind Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson. Gasser is a former top prospect who, almost immediately after reaching the majors in 2024, tore his UCL. This season is his first full season back from that injury, and he’s been pretty good, all things considered. Gasser has a 4.30 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP through 19 appearances (18 starts), although he’s pitched better than those numbers suggest for stretches.

Pitching for the Orioles is Trevor (not Taylor, nor Tyler) Rogers. For the most part, Rogers has been for Baltimore what Gasser is to the Brewers: a dependable, if not spectacular, lefty who will at least keep his team in the game. He comes into today’s game with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 28 starts.

Although it’s Saturday, Brewers manager Pat Murphy is rolling out a lineup that would fit right in on a Sunday. Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, and Christian Yelich will all get the day off after yesterday’s extra-inning thriller.

Jackson Chourio, the Brewers’ hottest hitter right now, leads off, followed by Garrett Mitchell and William Contreras, who will serve as the designated hitter today. The middle of the order consists of Andrew Vaughn, Joey Ortiz, and catcher Gary Sánchez. Rounding out the lineup are Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, and David Hamilton, who will play second base in Turang’s absence.

As usual, today’s game will be broadcast on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 3:05 p.m.

155/162

📺: https://t.co/vfk4xUdTIA
📻: WTMJ #ThisIsMyCrew x @NicoletLawpic.twitter.com/eXe5tca6d6

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 19, 2026

Saturday afternoon baseball on deck.

📺 @masnOrioles & MASN+
📻 98 Rock 97.9 FM & WBAL 1090 AM pic.twitter.com/w7N9xbhYiD

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 19, 2026

Texas Rangers infielder Sebastian Walcott is being promoted from AA Frisco to AAA Round Rock today, per Scott Lucas. With Frisco’s season having ended with yesterday’s loss in Game Three of the Texas League Division Series, Walcott is now joining Round Rock for the final two days of the AAA season.

Walcott likely would have been at Round Rock long before now had he not had to undergo internal brace surgery this spring. Walcott returned to action for the Frisco Roughriders in mid-July, slashing .322/.398/.586 for the Roughriders in 171 plate appearances over 37 games, all but one of which were at DH. Walcott will be DHing for the Express tonight.

The 20 year old shortstop is a consensus top 25 prospect in the game, and could be in contention for a major league job next spring, most likely either at third base or right field. And its possible that he could be looking at major league playing time even before that, as with Joc Pederson sidelined, the Rangers don’t have a real DH against either lefties or righties right now. Depending on how the team feels about the readiness of his bat and the risk of him missing development time during a potential extended lockout this winter — if Walcott isn’t added to the 40 man roster, he would continue to get to work with organization’s coaches and staff during any work stoppage — Walcott could be an option for the major league roster for the final week of the regular season.

Is today the day? The magic number is 2. As Bob outlined, there are multiple paths to clinching, but they all require the Sox to win today and it’s the mysterious Brayan Bello climbing the bump.

First pitch is at 4:10 PM, catch it on NESN.

Texas Rangers lineup for September 19, 2026 against the Toronto Blue Jays: starting pitchers are Cal Quantrill for the Rangers and Jose Soriano for the Jays.

Cal Quantrill will try to keep his magical 2026 run going against the Jays. Corey Seager gets the DH slot, with Joc Pederson apparently still not ready to hit.

The lineup:

Duran — SS

Seager — DH

Jung — 3B

Nimmo — RF

Langford — LF

Burger — 1B

Lopez — 2B

Jansen — C

Carter — CF

6:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -117 favorites.

With eight games remaining in the regular season, the San Diego Padres are up five games on the Arizona Diamondbacks for the last Wild Card spot in the National League. They play five of their last eight games at home, where their record is nine wins better than on the road.

By winning 10 of their last 11 and having 12 wins out of 15 games in September, their odds for making the postseason have crept up to 96.0% (per Fangraphs). They are also tied with both the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs for the fourth and fifth playoff positions.

Baseball is crazy and unpredictable, but there are probably few Padres fans who saw this team bouncing back from the awful offensive performance we saw in the early months of the season to accomplish what we are seeing now.

The Dynamic Duo

A major reason for that change of fortune is the performance of two of the best players on the team who weren’t playing like they were capable of until after the All-Star break.

Both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill had subpar starts to their year. And that start lasted until mid-July and the All-Star break.

Pre-break, Tatis was hitting a healthy .277 but notoriously lacked power, with his first home run not coming until May 30. He had a total of five from then to the break. Post-break, Tatis has hit .300 with a .989 OPS while clobbering 18 home runs. He has stolen 35 bases out of 48 attempts for the season and has more steals than in any other season of his career. With two more home runs, Tatis will be a member of the 25 homers and 25 steals club for the fourth time in his seven-year career.

Merrill had a much worse start to the season than Tatis. He appeared to be searching for his groove while chasing outside the zone at a high rate. His 98 strikeouts in 360 at-bats were the most on the team by a wide margin. He still strikes out more than any other Padre, but his 21% rate post-break is down from 27%. 

More importantly, he is hitting the ball in the zone more, and his post-break .314 batting average beats his pre-break .219 average. Merrill has a .943 OPS after July 17 compared to a .628 OPS before the break. With his 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 30 attempts, Merrill has already become a member of the 25/25 club for the first time in his three-year career. 

Few teams have two five-tool players, much less having them both playing at their peak at the same time. The success of Tatis and Merrill in the second half of the season goes a long way toward explaining the surge the Padres have had since July 17. 

The core performs

The Padres’ core of Tatis, Merrill, Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts are all contributing to their winning over the past couple of months. Although Machado is still only hitting .220 for the season, his post-break numbers show improved performance. Machado is hitting .248 with a .739 OPS in the second half. They are the worst numbers of his career, but he still has 28 home runs and 84 RBI. Machado still leads the team in homers but was passed by Merrill in RBI during the past series in Colorado, 85 to 84. Machado’s defense has been elite this season with 10 OAA (Outs Above Average), the 95th percentile of all third basemen.

Bogaerts has hit well below his career norm or his previous career low. With a .226 average and .661 OPS, Bogaerts has done one thing well this year offensively. He is still getting on base at a normal rate. His .325 OBP is close to his career average OBP of .348. Bogaerts was a single short of the first cycle of his career in the final game versus Colorado. His tendency to finish strong is also playing out this season. For September, Bogaerts is hitting .302 with an .856 OPS, his best month of the season so far.

Bogaerts’ defense remains above average, and he is a steadying influence in the middle of the infield. His 3 OAA is in the 85th percentile for shortstops.

Bogaerts’ lack of production is less noticeable because of Ty France’s outstanding performance. The first baseman is having the best season of his career both offensively and defensively. It’s no stretch to say he deserves a Gold Glove for the second straight season. His .299 average and .879 OPS are better than any other season of his career outside of the shortened 2020 COVID season.

France has 21 home runs for the first time in his eight seasons with his second-most RBI. He has achieved all that without the benefit of playing in as many games. If France finishes by playing every day the rest of the regular season, he will have 133 games played, the least of any full season of his career.

Ethan Salas has a day

After being called up to the Padres on September 1, catcher and top prospect Ethan Salas went 1-for-16 in his first seven games with a triple as his first MLB hit. In those games, he caught both Michael King’s and Nick Pivetta’s starts. They both commented in their post-game interviews on his game prep along with his pitch receiving.

Salas started Sept. 16, catching Robbie Ray for the first time, and it was the best start of his time with the Padres.  Salas improved Ray’s chances of a successful game with a dramatic ABS challenge that turned a walk to load the bases into a strikeout.

The real excitement for Salas occurred in his first at-bat in the second inning, when he sent a fastball 426 feet over the center field wall for his first major league home run. He followed that in the fifth inning with a blast over the right field wall for the second home run of his career. His three RBI and eight total bases contributed to the Padres’ 9-3 win and made history as the youngest catcher ever to homer twice in a game.

He also joined Machado as the only Padres to have homered twice in a game in their 20-year-old season. That list includes active players Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. Miguel Cabrera, Jose Reyes, Andruw Jones, and Ken Griffey Jr. complete the list of players to have achieved that feat.

Rest for the weary

Besides putting themselves in a solid playoff position with the series against the Rockies, the Friars also succeeded in scoring enough runs to allow their tired high-leverage relievers to have three days off in a row. 

Mason Miller, Adrián Morejón, and Bradgley Rodriguez have worked extensively and were especially taxed in the San Francisco series, right before going to Colorado.

Giving them those rest days sets the bullpen up for the final eight games of the season.

Bradgley Rodriguez, 22, has not pitched this much in his professional career. It shows in that we have seen his velocity drop in his last two appearances.

Morejón has been used so extensively that he has 82.0 innings pitched with eight games remaining in the regular schedule. That is by far the most he has thrown in his career, with many of those appearances consisting of more than one inning, and he has appeared in 72 games. No other regular reliever comes close; Wandy Peralta is second at 73.1 innings. Morejon has a 2.85 ERA with 101 strikeouts. 

His willingness to pitch no matter the circumstance is remarkable in light of his free agency this offseason. Morejon was quoted in Kevin Acee’s Padres Daily newsletter on Sept. 13. 

“I’m ready every day. Doesn’t matter the situation. In the fifth (inning) every time, doesn’t matter the score. I’m moving around.” 

Mason Miller is in his fourth MLB season. He has never pitched more than 65 innings over the course of a year. In 61 games and 37 saves, Miller has pitched 64.1 innings and leads the team with a 1.12 ERA.

Rotation shuffle?

The starting rotation, as it stands now, would have Robbie Ray start the first game against the Dodgers next Tuesday. The off day on Monday would allow the team to switch Ray and King, the new order making King available the last game against the Diamondbacks, if needed. If a playoff berth is clinched before then, King could be saved for the first game of the playoffs. The Los Angeles Dodgers would see King-Ray-Pivetta, with Arizona seeing Mize-Buehler-King if those games remain important to the outcome.

The new No. 2 hitter

Outfielder Dustin Harris appears to have assumed the No. 2 spot in the batting order on the days that he starts. With no clear player stepping up to fill the role, Harris has come on strong of late. Since being called up to the Padres after being signed on Aug. 7, Harris has hit second as well as fifth through ninth in the order. Overall, he is hitting .314 with a .776 OPS while contributing two doubles, two triples, and 13 RBI. Hitting second, Harris has a .373/.406/.475 line, albeit in a small sample size of 20 games.

Roster changes and injury updates

France was away from the team for three days during the Giants series for the birth of his twin girls. Infielder Mason McCoy was called up to cover for his absence but never entered a game.

RHP Jason Adam began a rehab assignment with El Paso on Sept. 13. He was roughed up in his second appearance, allowing five runs on four hits and a walk. He could join the team next week.

Miguel Andujar is also on a rehab assignment with El Paso and is likely to rejoin the Padres this weekend against the Miami Marlins.

Gavin Sheets and Lucas Giolito are both in Arizona playing in the instructional league.

Joe Musgrove continues to try to recover from the setbacks occurring over the course of this season. His inability to bounce back after pitching has put a stop to his rehab progression. There has been no reported timeline for his next rehab step.

Mets lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Carson Benge – RF
5. A.J. Ewing – CF
6. Marcus Semien – 2B
7. Brett Baty – 1B
8. Francisco Alvarez – C
9. Ronny Mauricio – DH

SP: Christian Scott – RHP

Phillies lineup

1. Kyle Schwarber – DH
2. Trea Turner – SS
3. Bryce Harper – RF
4. Luis Arraez – 2B
5. Alec Bohm – 1B
6. Bryson Stott – 3B
7. Brandon Marsh – LF
8. J.T. Realmuto – C
9. Justin Crawford – CF

SP: Andrew Painter – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 4:10 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2