Padres fans have already shown what they are willing to endure for a coveted giveaway. Joe Musgrove’s wizard makeover could test that restraint again.
San Diego will celebrate Harry Potter Day during Monday’s Labor Day game against the Nationals, with a limited-edition “School of Pitchcraft and Wizardry” Musgrove bobblehead anchoring the promotion.
The collectible is available only through a designated Theme Game package, not with a standard ticket.
San Diego Padres Joe Musgrove watches game play during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Petco Park in San Diego, California. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
One Musgrove bobblehead presale was marked sold for $50 before the promotion. Other Harry Potter-themed MLB collectibles have commanded more. Aaron Judge versions from the Yankees’ 2026 event were marked sold for $75 and $99.99, while a Drake Baldwin-Braves edition was offered for $99.99 with at least one sold.
Listings do not guarantee future value, but the market suggests Musgrove may quickly graduate from souvenir to resale inventory.
The Padres already know how feverish demand can become.
Their April puffer-vest giveaway, advertised for the first 40,000 fans, descended into pushing and fights after popular sizes reportedly ran out. Viral videos showed employees struggling to control the surge, while delays caused some fans to miss the beginning of the game. The Padres subsequently apologized.
Daniel Radcliffe stars as Harry Potter in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” on Friday, July 1, 2011. Courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures
Harry Potter Day uses a package-ticket system, which should make the supply easier to manage. Fans can still expect costumes, house scarves and a ballpark atmosphere designed to resemble a different kind of school.
There is also a small Southern California coincidence. A 290-foot superyacht reportedly owned by “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling recently docked at Marina del Rey with its name concealed. Rowling has not confirmed that she is in California, and there is no known connection between the vessel and the Padres’ event.
The real attraction remains in San Diego, where fans do not need an owl, wand or sorting ceremony to obtain Musgrove’s bobblehead.
They need the correct ticket package — and, considering the Padres’ recent giveaway history, an early arrival would not hurt.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 7: Adley Rutschman #31 of the Boston Red Sox points skyward after his two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Fenway Park on September 7, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here’s how cursed the Angels remain, no matter the owners (for now): Brayan Bello started today’s game and went 5 innings with 7Ks and without allowing a run. The last time he did anything comparable to that at home this year was all the way back on May 22nd, when he shut out the Twins over 5 with 5 Ks, back when the Sox were just the worst. Now they’re good, and they proved it in the 2nd inning against Grayson Rodriguez, with a warmup solo shot from Jarren Duran:
Followed by the main event, a three-run stealth bullet from Adley:
It was an act borne of frustration, a release of emotion more than 12 months in the making, the moment in Mackay where Marnus Labuschagne signalled enough was enough.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Keibert Ruiz #20 of the Washington Nationals celebrates his run with James Wood #29, from a Dylan Crews #3 double to take a 3-2 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on September 05, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats suffered from familiar problems this weekend against the Dodgers, with the bullpen up to their usual tricks. However, they have a chance to bounce back and be spoilers against the Padres. The Friars are deep in the wild card hunt, but the Nats have a chance to put a dent in their playoff dreams.
Blake Butera is shaking up his lineup today. CJ Abrams is back at shortstop due to Nasim Nunez’s offensive struggles. That moves Jorbit Vivas to second base. The outfield consists of Dylan Crews, Jacob Young and James Wood with Daylen Lile at DH. Abi Ortiz will be at first base and Keibert Ruiz is behind the plate. Jake Irvin will be on the bump.
Some Padres mainstays such as Tatis, Machado, Merrill and Bogaerts are in the lineup. However, we will see a new face with 20 year old Ethan Salas starting behind the plate. Despite all these big names, Ty France has probably been the Padres best hitter this season. Nick Pivetta will be making his first big league start since April 12th.
Playing the Padres is always exciting given the history between these two teams. Seeing James Wood and CJ Abrams spoil their playoff dreams would be awfully exciting. However, they will need some help from the bullpen. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
With it now being September, NHL training camps are right around the corner.
Due to this, teams around the NHL have started signing players to professional tryouts (PTOs). The Montreal Canadiens have yet to invite any free agents to their training camp on a PTO, but there is still time for them to change that if they wish to.
When looking at the remaining UFAs, one player who could make sense for the Canadiens to sign to a PTO is Michael Bunting.
Bunting would be a very interesting player for the Canadiens to have at their training camp. With the Canadiens arguably needing more depth on the wing, there would be no harm in giving a PTO to a veteran winger like Bunting.
Bunting spent last season with the Nashville Predators and then Dallas Stars, where he recorded 14 goals and 33 points in 74 games. This was after he had 19 goals and 38 points in 76 games during the 2024-25 and 19 goals and 55 points in 81 games back in 2023-24. With numbers like these, he would not be a bad player for Montreal to have at their training camp on a PTO.
If Bunting did well during a PTO and earned a contract for the season from Montreal, he would give them another forward to consider for their bottom six. Due to this, the Canadiens should not be afraid to take a gamble on Bunting with a PTO. Let's see if they do just that.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 07: Jonah Tong of the New York Mets delivers during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on September 07, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jonah Tong earned the win in his first big league start of 2026, as the Mets bested the Marlins 9-4 in this series opener at loanDepot Park by taking advantage of some shoddy defensive work by Miami.
The Mets handed Tong a lead to work with right away, assisted heavily by the Marlins’ defense. With one out, Juan Soto lined a single up the middle that narrowly missed hitting Eury Pérez, which would have been potentially catastrophic given how hard the ball was struck. Bo Bichette then hit a grounder to second and rather than getting the sure out at first, Javier Sanoja tried to get the lead runner Soto at second, but he threw wildly and the ball went sailing into left field and all the way into foul territory, allowing Soto to score all the way from second base for the game’s first run and Bichette to reach second. Pérez then walked Carson Benge, but got Marcus Semien to fly out to right for the second out. Benge then stole second base and the Marlins made their second costly errant throw of the inning when catcher Joe Mack sailed the throw into center field, allowing Bichette to score. Benge advanced to third on the error, but Pérez managed to limit the damage to just the two runs by getting A.J. Ewing to ground out to end the inning.
Jonah Tong responded by striking out the side in the bottom of the first to send the offense right back out there and they scored for Tong again. In fact, the Mets scored in each of five of the first six innings of the game. With one out, Brett Baty scorched a double to the gap in left-center. Nick Morabito then laced a single up the middle to score Baty and extend the Mets’ lead to 3-0. The Mets would load the bases on walks to Soto and Bichette, but Pérez once again managed to limit the damage.
Tong’s only tough inning came in the bottom of the second. Things started promisingly enough when he struck out Otto López—not an easy man to strike out—for his fourth straight K. But then things unraveled for Tong rather quickly. He gave up a single to Jakob Marsee for the Marlins’ first hit and Sanoja made up for his earlier defensive miscue with a triple to plate Miami’s first run. Tong then walked Owen Caissie and Grant Pauley socked a three-run homer to put the Marlins in front. Tong stopped the bleeding there, retiring the next two batters—the latter via another strikeout—but he had coughed up the early lead the Mets had given him.
However, the Marlins’ lead was short-lived, as the Mets tied the game in the third and took the lead in the fourth, after which they didn’t look back. Marcus Semien led off the third inning with a double and then the Mets benefited from another lapse in the field by the Marlins when A.J. Ewing hit a grounder between first and second on which Griffin Conine made a nice diving stop, but Eury Pérez failed to get over to cover first base, allowing Ewing to reach safely. Ewing eventually gave the out back by getting picked off and not staying in the rundown long enough to score Semien, who had advanced to third on the play. However, now without a runner on first, the Marlins brought their infield in and Francisco Alvarez hit a sharp grounder past the drawn in infield for a game-tying single. Tong only needed six pitches to retire the Marlins in the bottom of the third and the Mets put up a crooked number in his favor in the fourth—again with some help from the Marlins’ defense. Francisco Lindor led things off by blooping a single in front of a diving Caissie. Soto then hit a screamer right at López, but the 111 mph rope ate him up and deflected off of him into center field, advancing Lindor to third. Bo Bichette then laced an opposite field single to drive in Lindor and retake the lead 5-4. It looked like Pérez was poised to avoid a big inning again, as he bounced back to get Carson Benge to ground into a fielder’s choice at second and Semien to pop out in foul territory. But then A.J. Ewing, who continues to break out of his slump, blooped a double just fair down the left field line to score both runners and extend the Mets’ lead to 7-4.
Tong delivered another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth as he settled into the game and Cade Gibson came in the game in relief of Pérez for the Marlins and provided a rare scoreless frame for Miami. All told, Pérez gave up an unsightly seven runs on ten hits in just four innings. Only five of those runs were earned, but one could certainly argue that an even greater proportion were due to defensive plays that weren’t called errors, but should have been made. Meanwhile, Tong worked around a one-out hit by pitch in the fifth to become the pitcher of record and got handshakes in the dugout for a start the final line of which looked a lot worse than it actually was. In reality, the outing amounted to one bad inning that Tong managed to battle through and still keep his team in the game, striking out seven batters while walking only one.
The Mets piled on in the sixth against Josh Ekness. With one out, Carson Benge singled to right. Marcus Semien then laced a double down the left field line to drive him in and Ewing followed with a single to score Semien and make it a 9-4 game in the Mets’ favor. Ekness threw a wild pitch to advance Ewing to second and walked Francisco Alvarez before retiring Baty and Morabito to end the inning. The Marlins threatened in the bottom of the sixth against Dedniel Núñez when López and Jakob Marsee reached via back-to-back infield singles, but Marcus Semien made an excellent play on a grounder by Sanoja to turn a 4-4-3 double play. Núñez then struck out Caissie to escape the inning unscathed.
Chris Devenski was tasked with the bottom of the seventh for the Mets and worked around a hit by pitch and wild pitch with a couple of strikeouts to keep the Marlins off the board. Meanwhile, Bradley Blalock worked two scoreless innings for the Marlins in relief. Daniel Duarte pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning for the Mets in his first outing in five days. The Mets loaded the bases in the top of the ninth with nobody out against Blalock in his third inning of relief on a walk and two choppers by Morabito and Lindor that both went for infield hits, but then Soto hit a sharp grounder to Sanoja and this time the drawn in infield was to the Marlins’ benefit, as Sanoja whipped an excellent throw home for the first out and Soto was thrown out at first for the double play. Sanoja followed that great play with another web gem when Bo Bichette followed with a grounder up the middle on which Sanoja made a leaping throw to get Bichette by a stride at first.
Austin Warren was able to bounce back from his rough outing against the Giants to pitch a scoreless ninth inning to cap off four scoreless innings of relief for the Mets’ bullpen to seal the victory. He issued a leadoff walk to Javier Sanoja, but struck out the next two batters Caissie and Pauley looking and then picked Sanoja off first base to end the game.
Big Mets winner: Bo Bichette, +26% WPA Big Mets loser: Jonah Tong, -15% WPA Mets pitchers: -8% WPA Mets hitters: +58% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: A.J. Ewing’s RBI double in the fifth, +18.2% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Grant Pauley’s go-ahead three-run homer off Jonah Tong in the second, -22.5% WPA
The Mets racked up 16 hits to take the first game of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins, 9-4, on Monday afternoon.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- New York took advantage of some poor defense by Miami in the first inning, scoring two unearned runs. Juan Soto was able to score from first base on Bo Bichette's grounder to second, as Javier Sanoja sailed the throw into no-man's land in left field. Bichette later scored easily from third base to make it 2-0 on another throwing error, this time by catcher Joe Mack trying to get Carson Benge stealing second base.
-- Brett Baty ripped a double to center field with one out in the second inning, giving him four straight games with an extra-base hit. He then came around to score on Nick Morabito's single to extend the lead to 3-0.
-- Jonah Tong, making his first start of the season, allowed four runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk over 5.0 IP (87 pitches).
Tong struck out the side in the first inning, becoming just the third Met to do it this year (joining Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean). Although, the second inning was the complete opposite. He struck out his fourth straight to open the frame, but then let up a single, RBI-triple, walk, and three-run HR to Graham Pauley as the Marlins took a 4-3 lead.
The 23-year-old rebounded with a 1-2-3 third inning, followed by four-batter fourth and fifth innings to be in place for the win.
--The Mets fought back in the third inning as Marcus Semien won an ABS challenge to extend his at-bat and doubled, then A.J. Ewing reached first on an infield single to give them runners on the corners. Ewing made a rookie mistake and was caught in rundown trying to steal second, although Semien stayed at third base. Francisco Alvarez then came through and drove him in to tie it up at 4-4.
The top three of the order recorded three straight singles in the fourth, as Bichette earned the RBI and put New York back up, 5-4. Ewing made up for his mistake earlier, slicing a two-out, two-run double down the left field line to push the lead to 7-4.
-- After Benge singled with one out in the sixth, Semien drove him in with an RBI-double. Ewing added on again with an RBI-single, extending the lead to 9-4.
-- New York's bullpen carried the baton after Tong's day was done: Dedniel Núñez, Chris Devenski, Daniel Duarte, and Austin Warren combined to throw four scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two hits (both against Núñez). Warren capped it off with an impressive pick off to Baty at first to end the game.
Game MVP: A.J. Ewing
The rookie recorded his first three-hit game since Aug. 7, going 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI.
Highlights
Bad fundies by the Marlins and Juan Soto comes all the way around to score from first on the throwing error! pic.twitter.com/evRWDggEom
Detroit Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg said he will not be pursuing the Detroit Red Wings' open general manager position.
Greenberg, who had been reportedly linked to the opening for weeks, is voluntarily removing his name from the pool of candidates, according to a statement on Monday, Sept. 7.
"This was his decision," a release from the Tigers said. "He has communicated it to them directly. He has tremendous respect and admiration for the organization and was honored to be considered for the opportunity, but he is committed to the Tigers and what this group is building."
Greenberg was an interesting name as a possibility, given his previous work in hockey (Chicago Blackhawks associate GM in 2022-23) and his connection to Detroit as a high-ranking executive in the Tigers' front office. But now we know Greenberg will not be the choice.
Greenberg grew up in Pittsburgh, where he acquired a taste for hockey as the NHL's Penguins peaked during his childhood. His father, Chuck Greenberg, was a sports industry attorney who was instrumental in the deal that kept the Penguins in Pittsburgh under the ownership of franchise legend Mario Lemieux in 1999, as Jeff was in his teens.
"I was born [in 1985] the year after the Penguins drafted Mario Lemieux, so I was part of that wave in Pittsburgh that came up with Lemieux and those really good Penguins teams in the early 90s," Jeff Greenberg told the Free Press in 2024. "I was pretty spoiled. They won two [Stanley] Cups. I fell in love with the game, and I fell in love with baseball at the same time."
Greenberg stayed involved with both sports growing up, with hockey having a slight edge.
"I fell in love with both sports and started playing hockey and baseball when I was 5," he said in 2024. "I wasn't great at either, but I was probably a little better on the hockey side. I went to Penn and played on the club team there. I obviously had a really unique opportunity to jump into hockey on the professional side after 16-17 years of working in baseball. It was an incredible experience. I learned a ton and really enjoyed working with the Blackhawks."
Greenberg joined the Tigers in 2023, a year after they hired Scott Harris as president of baseball operations; Greenberg and Harris worked together in the Chicago Cubs' front office.
"I put a lot of work into figuring out how I could help Scott and the Tigers," Greenberg told the Free Press in 2024. "I really enjoyed those conversations in that process. I was really focused on what I was doing on the hockey side. I very easily could have seen myself staying, just given some of the things we were doing there. I was really proud of the foundational stuff we were able to build at the Blackhawks. I really enjoyed working with [general manager] Kyle Davidson and the group with the Blackhawks. We were going through a rebuilding process there, and that wasn't easy, but we did some pretty exciting things in the time I was there."
The Blackhawks were in a deep rebuild during Greenberg's time in Chicago, finishing next to last in the NHL in the 2022-23 season and winning the draft lottery to select generational star Connor Bedard.
Free Press sports writer Evan Petzold contributed to this story.
Mookie Betts completed a three-game sweep of the Nationals on Sunday by crushing a two-out, three-run homer in the eighth inning, turning a 5-4 deficit into a 7-5 victory. Will Dion retired the first two batters before Alex Call singled and Tommy Edman walked, bringing Betts to the plate.
It was an improbable repeat of the previous night.
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts hits a home run during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, September 7, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Trailing 4-2 in the seventh Saturday, Los Angeles received a one-out walk from Alex Freeland and a two-out single from Kiké Hernández. Edman then drove Clayton Beeter’s 2-1 slider into the right field seats for the decisive blow in a 6-5 win.
According to OptaSTATS, the Dodgers became the first MLB team to hit a two-out, game-winning homer worth at least three runs while trailing in the seventh inning or later in consecutive games.
That resilience offers another reason to believe Los Angeles can complete its World Series three-peat. The Dodgers have won four straight after losing six of eight, and the streak has come with Shohei Ohtani missing four games because of left knee and right biceps discomfort.
There is an obvious qualifier.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Tommy Edman, left, has seeds thrown at him by Teoscar Hernández after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
The rallies came against the lowly Nationals, who fell to 67-78 with their fourth consecutive loss. Washington sits only one game above the Mets in the NL East cellar, and the Dodgers finished their season series against the Nationals 6-0.
Beating Washington does not erase the offensive problems that threatened the Dodgers’ hold on a first-round bye. They entered Sunday only one game ahead of Atlanta for the National League’s second seed after producing a bottom-10 OPS over the previous 30 days.
October will offer less forgiving opponents. Still, the Dodgers did not need ideal circumstances, a healthy Ohtani or more than one remaining out to reverse either game.
Washington offered limited resistance, but Betts and Edman supplied something the reigning champions can carry into the postseason: evidence that Los Angeles is never entirely out of a game.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 06: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres celebrates with Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 after hitting a home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Petco Park on September 06, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Washington Nationals (67-78) at San Diego Padres (75-68), September 7, 2026, 2:10 p.m. PST
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WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 27: Troy Johnston #20 of the Colorado Rockies bats during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Thursday, August 27, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In 143 games this season, the Colorado Rockies have 146 pinch-hit at-bats. While the PH lineup changes have only happened in 92 games, meaning there are often multiple pinch hitters per game, the approach marks a massive change in Colorado.
Over the last five seasons, the Rockies have trended upward on MLB leaderboards for pinch-hit at-bats. Since 2022, here’s where Colorado has ranked:
2022 — 30
2023 — 16
20204 — T-28
2025 — 14
2026 — 5
The difference is drastic to move from last in MLB to fifth.
Obviously, this coincides with Warren Schaeffer taking over as manager. Being put in charge after 40 games in 2025, Schaeffer immediately increased how often the Rockies used a pinch hitter. In his first season, in 122 games, plus the 40 from Bud Black, the Rockies did very well in the pinch-hitting department. As a team, they slashed .260/.325/.442 with 27 hits, five homers, and 16 RBIs.
This season, the Rockies have already pinch hit in eight more games and had 42 more at-bats than they did in 2025, but they aren’t quite seeing the same production at .233/.285/.308. Those numbers are well below Colorado’s team batting line of .254/.324/.417.
Season
G
AB
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
BB
SO
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
2026
92
146
34
8
0
1
15
8
53
.233
.285
.308
.593
2025
84
104
27
2
1
5
16
9
33
.260
.325
.442
.767
2024
54
61
13
3
1
5
15
5
18
.213
.269
.541
.810
2023
75
98
24
6
0
1
24
6
36
.245
.280
.337
.617
2022
34
29
8
2
0
1
10
60
10
.276
.389
.448
.837
At the same time, the 34 hits are tied for the second-most in MLB, while ranking No. 5 in at-bats.
Across baseball, whether it’s the pressure or not being in the groove of the game or the fact that pinch hitters are usually bench players, pinch hitters don’t have as good of numbers as everyday players. The median batting average is .209. The Rockies batting average is in the top half at No. 11, the OBP and slugging are both in the lower half at No. 19.
Schaeffer has used 19 different pinch hitters this season, so the sample size is pretty small per player.
Troy Johnston is the most often-used pinch hitter and he’s gone 5-for-15 with two doubles, three RBI, two walks and seven strikeouts. The best pich hitter overall is the Rockies best hitter in TJ Rumfield, who’s gone 4-for-8 with a double and two RBI. No surprise there — whatever the situation is, Rumfield rakes.
Player
G
AB
H
2B
HR
RBI
BB
SO
AVG
OBP
SLG
Troy Johnston
18
15
5
2
0
3
2
7
.333
.444
.467
Braxton Fulford
14
14
2
1
0
3
0
8
.143
.143
.214
Edouard Julien*
15
13
2
0
0
0
1
6
.154
.267
.154
Mickey Moniak
13
12
2
0
0
0
1
3
.167
.231
.167
Jordan Beck
13
11
3
1
0
0
2
4
.273
.385
.364
Tyler Freeman
10
10
2
1
0
1
0
1
.200
.200
.300
Willi Castro
8
8
1
0
0
0
0
4
.125
.125
.125
Kyle Karros
8
8
3
1
1
1
0
1
.375
.375
.875
TJ Rumfield
8
8
4
1
0
2
0
0
.500
.500
.625
Zac Veen
9
8
3
1
0
2
0
4
.375
.444
.500
Hunter Goodman
8
7
1
0
0
1
0
4
.143
.143
.143
Brett Sullivan
7
7
1
0
0
0
0
1
.143
.143
.143
Cole Carrigg
6
6
1
0
0
0
0
4
.167
.167
.167
Brenton Doyle*
6
6
2
0
0
0
0
0
.333
.333
.333
* No longer on team
In the Rockies 10-8 loss on Sunday, Hunter Goodman, Connor Norby, and Zac Veen all pinch hit and did fairly well. In the ninth inning, Goodman was hit by a pitch, and Veen singled. Both came around to score when Jake McCarthy hit a single. Norby went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, but the pinch hitters did their job in the final frame.
Perhaps the best pinch-hit performance came on June 11 when rookie Sterlin Thompon connected for a PH single to help the Rockies walk-off the Cubs 3-2.
The Rockies have an impressive history when it comes to pinch hitters. John Vander Wal set the MLB record at the time when he recorded 28 pinch hits in 1995 for the Rockies. Pat Valakia became a fan favorite in 2017 when he posted 12 extra base hits and drove in 16 runs as a PH. In 2019, Raimel Tapia hit not one, but two pinch hit grand slams. For Vander Wal and Valakia, they were important pieces of playoff teams.
While the Rockies numbers may not jump off the board, they are decent. Perhaps more importantly, Colorado is establishing itself as a team that plays to analytics to favor the matchup and the moment by using pinch hitters. As they slowly improve as a team, perhaps they can find their next Vander Wal or Valakia. Maybe that guy is already in the Rockies organization.
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Merrill looks ice-cold on the surface, but his underlying metrics suggest he is ready to explode. He owns a .750 xSLG while generating a near-70% hard-hit rate and a near-20% barrel rate over his last 10 games.
Against the last 60 left-handed hitters he has faced, Irvin is allowing nearly 60% hard hit and a 53.8% elevation rate, while those hitters have posted a .324 xBA and .475 xSLG
I’m taking a shot on Merrill tonight.
Time: 5:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SDPA, NATS
Home run prediction: Kody Clemens (17%)
That is right, we are backing The Rocket's son to leave the yard this afternoon. Minnesota Twins second baseman Kody Clemens finds himself in a boom spot against Detroit Tigers right-hander Troy Melton, who has struggled in his last three starts. Melton has a 5.71 xERA, allowing a 44%+ hard-hit rate and nearly 12% barrel rate during that stretch.
Over his last 10 games, Clemens has a .515 SLG, .710 xSLG and .273 ISO, while producing a 53.6% hard-hit rate and 14.3% barrel rate. The 30-year-old enters with an elite rating on Batters-Box, covering 95.8% of Melton's pitches.
This season, Clemens has homered in 30% of his 30 elite-rating games. With a sample that big, those are trends you can trust.
Devers enters with one of the highest matchup ratings on Batters-Box this evening, covering more than 87% of McGreevy’s pitch mix. The last 30 left-handed hitters McGreevy has faced are generating a 13% barrel rate and 30.4% ground-ball rate while owning a .282 xBA and .473 SLG.
The 29-year-old has been making a ton of hard contact as of late. He has also maintained a .923 SLG and .538 ISO while producing a near-70% hard-hit rate and 27% barrel rate over his last 10 games.
With all that being said, this is easily one of my favorite long-ball looks this evening. Take it down to 24%.
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC/Peacock
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 121-414, +25.7 units
Best home run combo for Sept. 7
Jackson Merrill
Trade Now 118.00x
Rafael Devers
Kody Clemens
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Sep 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo (44) reacts after the final out in the ninth inning of win against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Luzardo pitched a two-hit, complete game shutout. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jesús Luzardo put the Phillies on his back, as he tossed a two-hit, complete game shutout in a 1-0 win to split this four-game series with the Braves. It’s the first time Luzardo has ever even recorded an out in the ninth inning in his career, let alone throwing a complete game. He dazzled the Atlanta hitters with 12 strikeouts and allowed only two singles, a hit batter, and one walk in the way of baserunners. His sweeper was particularly devastating, as he collected 12 whiffs on 41 pitches. Meanwhile, Kyle Schwarber launched his 43rd home run of the season in the eighth to provide all the offense the Phillies and Luzardo needed on the day.
Masterful
Luzardo was in control right from the start of the game, as he didn’t allow a baserunner until hitting Austin Riley in the foot with a sweeper in the third inning. That baserunner was quickly erased though, as Luzardo struck out Ha-Seong Kim and got Ronald Acuña Jr. to fly out on one pitch. Atlanta got their first hit of the day in the fourth, when Matt Olson punched a two-out single up the middle. But once again, Luzardo promptly ended any sense of a scoring threat, as he struck out Lane Thomas on three pitches for his sixth punchout.
That strikeout started a string of ten straight hitters retired by Luzardo, with the next baserunner coming on a leadoff single in the eighth from Michael Harris II that just hopped over the glove of Luis Arraez at second base. Arraez quickly made up for not getting to that ball though, as he turned a crisp double play three pitches later on a Mauricio Dúbon ground ball. Luzardo punctuated the inning with another strikeout, his 11th of the day.
While Luzardo was dealing, the Phillies offense was stymied by Braves starter Grant Holmes. They loaded the bases in the first on a Schwarber single and walks from Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm, but Bryson Stott lined out to center to end the threat with no runs scored. That would be the only scoring threat for Philadelphia until the fifth, when Brandon Marsh led off with a single to break up a string of ten straight retired. But a strikeout from J.T. Realmuto and a double play from Justin Crawford assured that the game remained scoreless.
Trea Turner ripped a double down the line in the sixth with one out, giving the Phillies their third hit of the day and first runner in scoring position since the first inning. But he too would not score, as Ozzie Albies made a nice play on a Harper groundout to the right side to prevent a base hit before Arraez lined out to end the inning.
Schwarber stepped to the plate with two outs in a scoreless game and the Phillies bullpen, which has struggled mightily this series, warming in preparation to enter. Braves manager Walt Weiss elected not to remove right-handed reliever Didier Fuentes for a left-hander, as Fuentes had already five Phillies in a row. Schwarber made him pay for that decision, as he smashed a center-cut fastball into the second deck for his third home run in three days and the only run scored in the game.
Despite the bullpen already being warm, Don Mattingly elected to send Luzardo back out for the ninth at 92 pitches. The crowd roared as Luzardo took the mound and retired Kim for the first out. Acuña was next, and he worked a six pitch walk to give Atlanta a gasp of air. But as was the theme all day, Luzardo allowed no more, as he struck out Drake Baldwin for his 12th and final K of the game before getting Albies to fly out softly for the final out.
Jesús Luzardo had never pitched into the 9th inning before today …
The Houston Astros come to town for a three-game series, sending Hayden Wesneski (4-1, 3.18) to the mound against Andrew Painter (3-8, 5.55) for the Phillies. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40.
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