Sep 1, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Royce Lewis (23) celebrates hitting a home run against the Detroit Tigers in the sixth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Twins went with an opener tonight, Andrew Morris got the first inning with Connor Prielipp taking over from there. It worked out well, as you can see from the score in the title, as the Tigers only managed one run in the first, with Prielipp shutting them out in his five innings tonight.
Kody Clemens wasted no time tying the game up with his 24th homer of the year, a solo shot to right in the bottom of the first inning.
Tigers’ starter Troy Melton held the Twins in check until the fifth inning. A walk and a double put two in scoring position for Walker Jenkins. He grounded into the drawn-in infield, Trevor Larnach got into a run-down going home, and the catcher threw it into left field allowing 2 to score on the error. Luke Keaschall put the Twins up 4-1 with an RBI double, capping off a 3 run inning.
Then the Twins scored 10 in the 6th, starting with an out. It went something like this unreadable sentence:
Josh Bell single, Larnach hit by pitch, Royce Lewis three run homer, Kaelen Culpepper double, Walker Jenkins walk, Keaschall single, Brooks Lee sac-fly-RBI, Kody Clemens walk, Ryan Jeffers three run homer, Josh Bell walk, Trevor Larnach single, Royce Lewis single, Kaelen Culpepper 2 run single, and finally Jenkins grounded out to end the inning. That monster inning put the Twins up 14-1, which is a pretty comfortable place to be in a baseball game, I feel.
Both teams got a run in the 8th, giving us our 15-2 final score. Our September call ups, Garrett Acton and Ben Ross got in the game late. The Tigers did not put a position player on the mound for the 2nd straight game, unfortunately. Overall, bark at the park night proved that every Twins game should feature dogs in the crowd. They’ll go for a sweep tomorrow night with Dean Kremer on the mound against Drew Anderson.
Studs: The whole lineup could go here as they all contributed but here’s six of them, plus Prielipp. The Twins accrued 27 total bases compared to the Tigers’ 10.
Angels star Mike Trout, center, and his teammates were thrilled to learn Stan Kroenke, the billionaire Rams owner, agreed to buy the Angels. (Joe Scarnici / Getty Images)
Mike Trout was practically beaming. He dropped the phrase “fresh start” four times in an interview that barely lasted five minutes.
The burden of the Angels’ failures has been disproportionately his to bear. He has insisted that his path to Cooperstown would run through Anaheim and only Anaheim. He has played 16 seasons for an owner that blessed him with half a billion dollars, treated his family like royalty and stranded him in position to conclude a star-spangled career without ever winning a postseason game.
“What a track record,” Trout said. “Wherever he buys, he wins.”
Rams owner Stan Kroenke has agreed to purchase a majority stake of the Angels on Tuesday. The deal is pending regulatory review and MLB approval. (Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)
The Rams. The Colorado Avalanche. The Denver Nuggets. Arsenal.
So what if the Angels have baseball’s longest playoff drought? They now have baseball’s richest owner, with a net worth valued by Forbes at $24 billion.
Kroenke bought a controlling share of the Angels at a valuation of $4 billion, a record for a major league team, with current owner Arte Moreno retaining a small stake, a source with knowledge of the deal not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Times. The sale includes the team-owned television and radio outlets, ABTV and AM 830. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions and MLB approval.
In 2009, ESPN put Moreno on the cover of its magazine, proclaiming the Angels delivered the best value of the then-122 teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball. In this decade, the experience had been so devalued by 12 consecutive losing seasons that resale tickets for Tuesday’s game against the mighty New York Yankees were available for $5, amid a season of fans regularly chanting “Sell the Team!”
“He’s aware of the chants,” Angels president Molly Jolly said. “He knows about them. At the end of the day, this is about having the right next owner more than it is about anything else.”
Jolly wouldn’t say whether Kroenke or Moreno initiated the negotiations. She did say the sale was not conducted through a formal bidding process, but proceeded through face-to-face discussions between Kroenke and Moreno.
“He has a traditional sense about him,” Jolly said. “To be able to sit down with another gentleman and have a conversation and talk about baseball and the franchise, that resonates for how he thinks and looks at things, rather than it being a complex conversation.
“I think that’s what was the ‘Why now?’ It was the right person having the right conversation with him.”
As far as she knew, Jolly said, the conversations had not started when she assumed the team presidency in April, but the possibility of a sale had “always stayed out there” after Moreno invited bids in 2022 and then decided not to sell.
In July, after joining the Angels as interim general manager, John Mozeliak said he had spoken with Moreno for hours and the topic of whether the owner might sell the team “never came up.” On Tuesday, Mozeliak acknowledged that, when he started his position, Moreno “had mentioned that this was a possibility.”
Fans at Angel Stadium hold up signs during a game against the Yankees Tuesday marking Stan Kroenke's agreement to purchase the Angels from Arte Moreno. (Mark J. Terrill / Ap Photo/mark J. Terrill)
The sale is not expected to be finalized until early next year. Kroenke has not done the usual due diligence that would precede a sale — meeting with team management and touring the stadium — and has not introduced himself to officials from the city of Anaheim. The city owns the stadium and surrounding parking lots, a 150-acre site that city officials would love to see Kroenke develop.
In the meantime, it’s business as usual for the Angels. Mozeliak, who ran the St. Louis Cardinals when the Rams played in St. Louis, said he never has met Kroenke. He did recall speaking with Kevin Demoff, who oversees all of Kroenke’s teams.
Mozeliak has no idea whether Kroenke might invite him to stay, but for now the plan of rebuilding the team and reorganizing the front office remains on course, in the interest of serving fans weary and frustrated after 12 consecutive losing seasons.
“We’ve been preaching change all along,” Mozeliak said. “Now they’re going to see even more.”
And, he noted, the Padres and Angels had sold at successive record prices for MLB teams, despite the prospect of a lockout and owners’ hopes for a new collective bargaining agreement with a salary cap intended in part to raise franchise values.
“A lot of people thought teams wouldn’t sell until there was a new CBA,” Mozeliak said. “Clearly, that prediction was wrong.”
In the clubhouse, no one was talking about that. Neto was talking about the call Trout made to “some of the Rams guys” for a scouting report on Kroenke.
“I reached out to one Rams player,” Trout said, smiling. “He exaggerates a little bit.”
Still, given the national attention given last winter to the air conditioning not working properly in an Angel Stadium weight room, Neto said the evaluation from the Rams’ locker room was glowing.
“The most important thing they said is, he just wants what’s important for us,” Neto said. “That’s to make the clubhouse better, in the sense of whatever we need, we get, whether that’s amenity-wise, speakers, whatever it is, he’ll make sure we get those.”
Trout was so enthusiastic that, when a reporter asked if he was excited about what the new vision might be, he answered before the reporter could finish asking the question.
“No doubt,” Trout said. “Obviously, when you’re frustrated the last — I don’t know how many years it’s been, but to hear the news like this, I’m super excited to have this change.”
For his part, Neto sounded ready to pitch Tarik Skubal on pitching for the Angels — or, at least, pitching Kroenke on the possibility of recruiting him in free agency.
“Who doesn’t want to be in Southern California?” Neto said. “The weather is beautiful here. We have the best fans, in my opinion. We have a beautiful stadium.
“Who wouldn’t want to be here and play in this organization, in this market? It would be a no-brainer.”
Trout said the ownership change “was needed” and said there was “a good vibe around the clubhouse,” but both he and Neto expressed appreciation for Moreno.
“Arte was very supportive of us, whatever the outside noise was,” Neto said.
“I’ve seen a lot of hate, a lot of love, a lot more hate. But, as a player who has played under him, it was a lot of love. He treated us well, and that’s all you can ask for as a player.”
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Angel Cepeda #15 of the Chicago Cubs at bat during the ninth inning of a Spring Training game against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on February 23, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Iowa catcher Ethan Hearn and infielder Hayden Cantrelle were both activated off the Development List.
Right-hander Dominick Reid was promoted from Low-A Myrtle Beach to High-A South Bend.
Outfieder Michael Gupton joins South Bend from the ACL Cubs.
South Bend right-hander Ethan Bell and outfielder Geuri Lubo both went on the Development List.
Shortstop Juan Tomas joins Myrtle Beach from Mesa.
It’s the final week of the season for Myrtle Beach and South Bend, although South Bend has playoffs to look forward to.
Kohl Franklin started this game and allowed three runs on five hits over 4.2 innings. He walked three and struck out two.
Edward Cabrera threw an inning of relief in a rehab assignment. He allowed a solo home run to the first batter he faced, but then got a ground out and two strikeouts to end the inning.
Luis Peralta could not find the plate and took the loss. Peralta allowed three runs on no hits and five walks over one-third of an inning. He did not strike anyone out.
First baseman Owen Miller doubled twice in a 3 for 5 effort. Miller drove in two and scored twice.
Right fielder Jordan Nwogu was 3 for 5 with an RBI double.
Starter Jostin Florentino gave up three runs on six hits over 3.1 innings. Two of those hits were solo home runs. Florentino walked one and struck out four. Florentino also hit one batter.
Nate Williams took over for Florentino, pitched 1.2 innings without allowing a run, and got the win. Williams gave up two hits. He struck out two and walked no one.
Yoendris Gonzalez tossed the final 2.1 innings and got the save. He allowed no runs on one hit. Gonzalez struck out four and walked two.
Shortstop Angel Cepeda homered twice tonight. The first one was a two-run double in the fifth and the second one was a solo home run in the seventh. Cepeda was 3 for 4 with four RBI and three runs scored. Cepeda now as 11 home runs with South Bend and 12 overall.
First baseman Josiah Hartshorn hit a solo home run earlier in the seventh inning. It was Hartshorn’s 18th South Bend home run and 23rd overall. Hartshorn went 2 for 3 with a walk. He scored twice. Hartshorn has now raised his South Bend batting average above .300, with it now sitting a .302.
DH Kade Snell was 2 for 4 with an RBI triple. He also stole a base and scored twice.
A two-run double for Jose Escobar, who was 1 for 4.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 31: Walker Jenkins #11 of the Minnesota Twins reacts to his first career home run against the Detroit Tigers as he runs the bases during the eighth inning at Target Field on August 31, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Twins bullied the Tigers again on Wednesday, putting up a score of 15-2 in this one and outdoing the beatdown they issued on Monday. Troy Melton struggled, the defense was atrocious, and while it was ugly with Melton in the game, it was farce once Kyle Finnegan took over, and by the time he departed this one was long over with.
The Tigers started off reasonably well. Kevin McGonigle and Gleyber Torres singled off of Andrew Morris to begin the game. Dillon Dingler flew out to Walker Jenkins in center field, getting McGonigle to third. Riley Greene’s return to the lineup saw him ground out for an RBI and a 1-0 lead, but that was all the Tigers would get as Hao-Yu Lee lined out.
Troy Melton took the bump in the bottom half looking to get off to a good start. He got the first two outs, then missed away with three fastballs to fall behind Kody Clemens. The right-hander came back with a fastball up and in the zone, and Clemens crushed it to right field for a solo shot, his 24th on the year. Ryan Jeffers followed by tripling past Javier Báez in right, but Melton wrapped up a long first inning by striking out Josh Bell.
Lefty Conner Prielipp took over from his opener, Morris, and Spencer Torkelson started the second inning with a ground rule double to left. Max Clark squared up to bunt and Prielipp’s heater was wild and right at his head. Fortunately, Clark ducked in time and the fastball just clipped the top of his helmet. So, two on, no outs, and the Tigers were in business. Báez quickly closed up shop with a routine grounder to short for a 6-4-3 double play. John Peck dug in for the first at-bat of his major league career, and also grounded out to shortstop.
This is how it’s going.
Melton put together a quicker second frame as Trevor Larnach flew out to right and Royce Lewis popped out. Kaelen Culpepper, the Twins young shortstop, grounded out to Peck, playing shortstop for the Tigers with McGonigle in the DH slot, and we were on to the third still in a 1-1 tie.
McGonigle tapped one back to Prielipp to start the third. Torres bit on a slider and struck out, but Dingler lined a single to left to keep the inning alive. Greene dug in and Prielipp stayed with his 90 mph slider down and away and punched out Greene as well.
Jenkins bounced a tricky one off the mound to start the bottom of the third, but Peck got to it and threw him out. Keaschall worked a little longer at-bat but flew out routinely to Báez. A changeup and a split got him ahead of Brooks Lee, and Melton eventually whiffed him with a good curveball to end the inning. Melton was at 49 pitches.
Prielipp punched out Lee with a changeup away to open the fourth. Torkelson saw the changeup better but lined out to left field, and so it was up to Clark. The speedy center fielder didn’t back down. After getting ahead in the count, he squared to bunt again and put down a really good one with the infield off guard. Prielipp collected it but his throw wasn’t in time as Clark roared down the line for a single. It didn’t do anything for the Tigers as Báez quickly grounded out to shortstop for what felt like the 100th time in the past few weeks.
Clemens and Jeffers flew out to Clark to start Melton’s bottom half of the inning. Josh Bell popped one in foul territory down the right field line but Torres couldn’t handle it, giving Bell a dangerous second chance. Melton missed with a sharp curve and then a cutter down and in, but Bell wasn’t impressed and the count was even. Bell took a changeup for a full count but finally a good slider got the whiff. Melton had retired 10 straight, but some wasted pitches in pitcher’s counts, and a few mistakes from his teammates, had driven his pitch count up to 64 pitches despite allowing just two hits and no walks with three strikeouts.
Peck led off the fifth with a little chopper back to Prielipp, who couldn’t handle it. Peck reached but they gave the error to the pitcher, so it wasn’t Peck’s first hit. McGonigle lifted a fly ball to left center field, but not deep enough for Peck to advance. Gleyber Torres put together a lengthy at-bat and drew a walk. So there were two on for Dingler, with Greene in the on deck circle. Dingler immediately swung at a first pitch slider and broke his bat. Culpepper fired to second but Dingler beat out the turn to first. So it was first and third with two outs for Greene, who flew out to left.
Just as quickly as the Tigers opportunity fizzled out again, the Twins developed one of their own. Melton walked Larnach and then Royce Lewis pulled one over Riley Greene off the left field wall to put runners at second and third with no outs. Melton got ahead of Culpepper, and the shortstop pulled one to Peck, playing in on the grass, and everyone had to hold up as he threw out Culpepper. That brought up a talented rookie in Jenkins. The center fielder yanked a pitch just foul to start the at-bat and that was scary. He eventually worked a full count and then slapped one to Peck. The Tigers shortstop fired home to Dingler in time and got Larnach in a run down. Dingler chased the runner back to third and then his nighmarish August carried into September as he threw high over Lee’s head. Both runners scored, and then a first pitch slider right down the middle was smoked by Keaschall to left for an RBI double to score Jenkins for a 4-1 lead. Brooks Lee flew out to center for the second out, and Melton punched out Clemens on a curveball to end the inning.
Prielipp cruised through another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth. Melton got the first out in the bottom half, but as his pitch count topped 90 pitches, Bell pulled a sharp grounder past a slow moving Torres for a single. Melton yanked a slider into Larnach’s toe to put him on base on Melton’s 95th pitch. Royce Lewis saw the slider first pitch, and again it was right down the middle. He absolutely crushed the cookie to dead center for a three run shot and it was 7-1 Twins.
That ended Melton’s night with five earned runs in, bumping his ERA up to 2.20 on the year. His teammates let him down quite a bit, but he also didn’t command anything consistently and probably deserved what he got in the end.
Kyle Finnegan took over and immediately gave up a double to Culpepper, and then walked Jenkins. Keaschall pulled a hard grounder up the middle, and Torres playing almost behind second base, still couldn’t get to it as the single skipped under his glove, scoring Culpepper to make it 8-1. Brooks Lee lifted a sacrifice fly to score Jenkins, and it was 9-1. We were still in the sixth inning and the game was totally out of hand. Would a position player pitch? Would the Tigers simply recruit a fan, assuming they couldn’t do any worse? Does anyone give a damn about this team at this point, including themselves?
The answer to all these questions was no. Finnegan hung a 1-1 slider to Jeffers, and he hammered it to left for another three-run homer. 12-1 Twins.
Beau Brieske is back with roster expansion and he took over to try and get this fiasco over with. He did help matters by walking Bell and then giving up a single to Larnach. Gabriel Gonzlaez pinch-ran for him. Lewis pulled a slow grounder up the middle between Torres and Peck. Torres fielded it but couldn’t get him at first. So, bases loaded and still, as there had been for 15 minutes, two outs. Culpepper pulled a two-run single to left. 14-1 Twins, and I really hope you’re not reading your way through this debacle. Jenkins finally grounded out to end the inning.
The Tigers went in order in the top of the seventh as both teams subbed in their younger players. Likewise, AJ Hinch moved Javier Báez to second base, yanking Torres, and inserted Ben Malgeri into right field. Brett Callahan hit for McGonigle, taking over the DH spot.
Mercifully, Brieske tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, striking out Ben Ross in his major league debut.
Right-hander Garrett Acton took over from Prielipp in the top of the eighth. Malgeri greeted him with a single through the right side for the Tigers sixth hit in this one. Dingler grounded one softly to Culpepper, who took the force of Malgeri at second. Riley Greene swung at three straight sliders in the dirt to strike out. Hao-Yu Lee doesn’t give up, and after nearly getting drilled in the head, he got a hanger on the inner third and snoked a double up the left center field gap to plate Dingler from first. 14-2 Twins.
In a 3-2 count, Acton sailed a fastball inside and drilled Torkelson in the arm, but Max Clark struck out to send it to the bottom half.
Jacob Waguespack took over in the bottom of the eighth. Alex Jackson reached on a broken bat single that Báez had to run a long way to collect. A wild pitch moved Jackson to second and Waguespack walked Bell, struck out Gonzalez, and then walked Royce Lewis to load the bases. Culpepper grounded into a force of Lewis at second as Jackson scored. 15-2 Twins.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Brett Callahan singled on a 109.6 mph rocket off the right field wall, but Malgeri flew out to end it.
Just a pathetic effort the past two days, coming on the heels of a brutal last three weeks. At least Hao-Yu Lee put up a fight, and Brett Callahan scalded a couple of balls. Otherwise there wasn’t much fight in evidence, and Dillon Dingler looks wholly and completely lost in all phases of the game. Troy Melton? Eh he’ll be fine.
The Tigers will try to play major league caliber baseball again at 7:40 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Stay tuned for all the excitement.
The Warriors are facing a legal fight just weeks before training camp, with two former employees accusing the organization of discrimination, retaliation and fostering a hostile workplace.
Former associate general counsel Lisa Shelley, who is also professionally known as Lisa Meyer, and former vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion Jennifer Vasquez filed the lawsuit Aug. 25 in San Francisco County Superior Court.
The complaint alleges a workplace “marked by discrimination, hostility and retaliation” and includes claims involving gender, race and age discrimination, as well as defamation.
Golden State Warriors championship banners hang above the seating and basketball court at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, August 26, 2019. The Warriors will play the Brooklyn Nets at home Thursday night, March 12, 2020, in the first NBA game without fans since the outbreak of the coronavirus. AP
The Warriors strongly denied the allegations.
“The lawsuit filed by two former employees contains allegations that are false, misleading, and unsupported by credible evidence,” the organization said in a statement. Golden State added that many of the complaints had previously been investigated and “found to be without merit.”
Shelley worked for the Warriors beginning in 2021 and eventually held responsibilities spanning legal affairs and risk management. According to the lawsuit, she raised concerns about workplace practices and the handling of a 2025 employee-engagement survey that workers allegedly had been told would be anonymous.
After the survey produced poor marks for several departments, the lawsuit claims an executive attempted to determine who had submitted critical responses.
Shelley was fired in December 2025 as the Warriors told her their legal department was being “reimagined,” according to the complaint.
Golden State Valkyries and Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob sits court side during the second quarter of a game against the Toronto Tempo on Sunday, August 2, 2026, at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
She also alleges Golden State later damaged her prospects of landing a job with the Clippers by providing “false and damaging” information when contacted as a reference. Shelley claims she received a conditional offer from Los Angeles in June before it was withdrawn.
Vasquez, who joined Golden State in 2022, alleges she encountered a “climate of isolation and intimidation” shortly after arriving and was twice told by executives she needed to “play the game” to succeed.
Her allegations also include age-related comments and what the complaint describes as disparate treatment involving employees’ bodies, clothing and appearance, particularly women.
Fans walk outside of Chase Center before a preseason NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019, in San Francisco. Officials banned large gatherings and events in San Francisco, including Golden State Warriors games, to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus. AP
Vasquez says she joined Shelley in recommending an investigation into how criticism from the employee survey was handled. Less than two weeks after Shelley’s dismissal, Vasquez was informed that Golden State was eliminating its DEI function and her position along with it, according to the lawsuit. She was formally terminated in January.
The suit takes particular aim at Warriors executive Erin Dangerfield, who had served as senior vice president of people and culture. Golden State announced Dangerfield’s promotion to chief people officer two days after the lawsuit was filed.
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An overall view of the arena is seen during the 74th NBA All-Star Game as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NBAE via Getty Images
The legal battle arrives during an already consequential period for a franchise trying to determine what comes next around Stephen Curry. The 38-year-old superstar has repeatedly expressed his desire to finish his career with Golden State, even as speculation about his Warriors future has intensified.
Golden State is also attempting to rebound from a difficult season in which Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending torn ACL and injuries repeatedly stripped the aging roster of its biggest names.
Now, before the Warriors can turn their full attention toward another season, they have a far more serious dispute unfolding away from the court.
The lawsuit seeks damages for lost wages and emotional distress, along with an injunction intended to prevent future workplace discrimination. It does not specify a dollar amount.
Golden State said it intends to “vigorously defend” itself against what it called “baseless claims.”
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 01: Randy Dobnak #62 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Kauffman Stadium on September 01, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Baseball has a way of humbling you, regressing your performance to the mean wherever the mean may be and however you may be skirting it. The Baseball Gods are equally jealous and impish. In other words, the other shoe always drops. Though Randy Dobnak’s peripherals and underlying stats have flashed danger throughout his Kansas City tenure, his luck ran out and his magic evaporated—on Harry Potter night at the ballpark, no less—during a 6-3 loss to the Miami Marlins.
Entering tonight, Dobnak had a 1.92 ERA but a 4.55 expected ERA. He wasn’t striking guys out, and he wasn’t allowing any home runs. Unfortunately, Dobnak gave up a pair of looong home runs. The first one was to third baseman Graham Pauley in the second inning, a two-run shot:
Dobnak wobbled through the next few innings before giving up another big ol blast to designated hitter Kyle Stowers, his 17th of the year.
Throughout all this, the Royals offense was…sleepy? Sleepy is the best way to put it, yes. Kansas City mustered all of four (4) baserunners in the first seven innings, looking like they wanted to go home from the September heat as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Dobnak gave up three consecutive hits in the seventh inning, all of which came around to score. Dobnak didn’t record an out, and was charged six earned runs.
The eighth inning, though, was an absolute hoot. First, that’s when the Royals finally scored. Josh Rojas singled and Isaac Collins walked. Carter Jensen doubled, and Bobby Witt Jr. followed it up with a near-home run that nevertheless resulted in an RBI and getting Jensen to third base.
It was there where the wheels came off. Marlins pitcher Victor Vodnik stepped awkwardly off of the mound, and was called for a balk. Jensen trotted home, and Royals had briefly scored their third run of the inning.
But I said “briefly” because the umpires convened together and reversed the balk, something that I don’t ever think I’ve seen. Manager Matt Quatraro was absolutely furious. Totally, completely furious. Q got tossed by and yet nevertheless continued to stalk second base umpire Chris Guccione around the field, unleashing his anger.
Royals Manager Matt Quatraro gets tossed after umpires reverse a run scoring balk taking away a run from the Royals. 🎥RoyalsTV pic.twitter.com/TLrWh5c41t
The umpires’ word is final, however. Quatraro got a hearty ovation from the crowd, but eventually trudged back to the dugout. The Royals would eventually get that third run back on a solo home run from Nick Loftin, but losing 6-3 is only barely better than losing 6-2.
Kansas City has now lost two in a row, thereby firmly demolishing whatever thin, thin possibility they had at magicking their way into the playoffs. At least Q getting tossed was neat.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 01: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the second inning during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Mariners 9, Red Sox 6
This game: Randy Arozarena, .12 WPA
All the other games we’ve watched this season: Carlos Vargas and Julio Rodríguez, -.02 WPA each
Game thread comment of the day:
Speaking of game threads: we have an app now! (Search “SB Nation” on your app platform of choice) And I think it makes it so much easier to participate in game threads! If you downloaded it and used it please leave some feedback in the comments here that I can pass along to my bosses.
The New Jersey Devils acquired winger Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, Sept. 1 for a conditional 2028 first-round pick and a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
Evangelista, 24, is coming off a career-best season with 44 assists and 56 points as the 2020 second-round pick played a top-six role in Nashville. He ranked fourth on the Predators in points and was second in assists.
The traded first-round pick belongs to the Colorado Avalanche. It would become a 2009 first-round pick if either a) Colorado’s 2027 first-round pick is not transferred to Toronto; or b) Colorado’s 2028 first-round pick falls within the top 10.
Here are trade grades for the Luke Evangelista deal:
Luke Evangelista trade details
The Devils get winger Luke Evangelista and the Predators get a conditional first-round pick and a second rounder in the 2028 draft.
The Devils finished 27th in scoring last season and Evangelista's 56 points would have placed him fourth on the team. He had more points than any New Jersey right wing last season and he has a good upside. Coupled with the signing of free-agent 33-goal scorer Anthony Mantha, new general manager Sunny Mehta has added scoring from the wing in a bid to get back to the playoffs. Evangelista is in the second year of a two-year, $6 million contract and will be a restricted free agent after the season.
The move was surprising considering Evangelista is young and had a 24-point jump in points last season. But new Predators GM Chris MacFarland was busy adding forwards in the offseason, including Mavrik Bourque, Ross Colton and Jack Drury. He said trading Evangelista wasn't an easy decision, but the Predators now have seven picks in the first two rounds over the next two drafts and the room to give one of the promising wingers in the organization a chance to compete for an NHL job.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 12: Eric Lauer #33 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Dodger Stadium on August 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Will Smith slots into the fifth spot in the lineup in his first game back as the Dodgers welcome the Cardinals into town.
Sep 1, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) hits a two RBI single against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It’s September and it feels like we’ve been waiting a lifetime for this 2026 Braves team to put everything together. Glimpses of dominant pitching and barrages of offensive power have rarely coincided for long stretches.
After a frustrating loss to the Giants to finish out August, the Braves similarly squandered opportunities and fell to the Washington Nationals tonight by a final score of 9-5. The struggles on the road noted in our “three stats to keep in mind” article continue and two Nationals, making their MLB debuts, had a memorable night at the Braves’ expense.
It was a tough night all around, and it began with Jake Irvin getting three swinging strikeouts to start the game. AJ Smith-Shawver labored in his four innings of work. He pitched a scoreless frame in the home half of the first, but not without dramatics. CJ Abrams led off with an infield single and immediately stole second. Dylan Crews struck out before Brady House walked. The hot-hitting Daylen Lile grounded into a force out and stole a base of his own. Rookie Yohandy Morales, in his first MLB plate appearance, struck out swinging to end the threat.
Given the lead after an Ozzie Albies two-out solo shot in the second, Smith-Shawver gave it right back and then some. Ha-Seong Kim made a stellar play to get the first out before things went off the rails.
Harry Ford worked a one-out walk. A ball hit by Jorbit Vivas glanced off Matt Olson’s glove and trickled all the way into right field for a double to put runners at the corners. Jacob Young struck out swinging for out number two. Abrams’ RBI single gave the Nats the lead. Crews walked before a mound visit to get Smith-Shawver to settle in, only for Brady House to double home two more runs immediately after. Lile struck out looking, but it was 4-1 after two innings.
But even with offensive sparks Brewer Hicklen and Ha-Seong Kim (yes, you’re reading that correctly – they were 1-for-3 with a walk and 3-for-3, respectively), the Braves couldn’t take advantage of a short night for Jake Irvin and dig themselves out of the hole created early. The aforementioned eight- and nine-hole hitters had two situations in both the third and fifth where they both reached with no outs. In the third, Drake Baldwin doubled home a run to cut the deficit to 4-2. But the runners, on second and third with no outs, would be stranded after the next three went down in order. Baldwin giveth but he also taketh, because in the fifth inning with yet another two runners on with no outs situation, Jared Simpson (also making his MLB debut) got him to ground into a double play.
The Braves gave Chicago’s Braden Montgomery a storybook MLB debut back in April, and they were kind enough to do that for Yohandy Morales tonight, who homered for his first MLB hit in the bottom of the third to make it 5-2 Nats.
AJSS finished his four innings with six hits, five earned runs, three walks, five strikeouts, and one homer, putting his ERA above a 7. Victor Mederos pitched around a leadoff walk and two-out single in the bottom of the fifth, but otherwise kept the game there, being the only Braves reliever tonight to pitch a scoreless frame.
The Braves had a debut of their own — Blake Burkhalter got the ball to pitch the bottom of the sixth. The 25 year old righty was understandably nervous. He gave up a single to Young, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. Abrams walked. Young got to third on a Crews lineout before coming home on a House sac fly to make it 6-2. A foul tip into Baldwin’s glove secured Burkhalter’s first MLB strikeout, which came against reigning NL Player of the Week Daylen Lile.
Brent Suter got the seventh for Atlanta and Morales hit a leadoff double. Pinch-hitter Andrés Chaparro and Harry Ford were retired, but the latter’s groundout advanced Morales to third. He came home to score on Suter’s pickoff error. Young’s single plated another to make it 8-2 Nationals.
Irvin’s exit after four innings came with a flicker of hope we could come back against the notoriously-awful Nats bullpen. Alas, Jared Simpson no-hit the Braves in his three innings of relief in his debut.
A patented late Braves-rally-that-ultimately-falls-short came in the eighth inning where Ha-Seong Kim hit his third single of the night (!) to lead off the inning. Two force outs by Baldwin and Acuña Jr., Ronald getting to third on defensive indifference, and a wild pitch by new reliever Clayton Beeter allowed Ronald to score to make it 8-3. Matt Olson followed with a ground-rule double to center and got to trot home on Michael Harris II’s homer to left center to make it 8-5.
Mop-up man Suter stayed in for the eighth and got two outs before issuing a walk to Lile, giving up a single to Morales, and then another single to Chaparro to make it 9-5.
The Braves didn’t have that Marlin in them and Ozzie, Austin Riley, and Hicklen went down in order against Orlando Ribalta to end this nightmarish contest.
ABS challenges stayed unused in key situations. The top and heart of the order looked helpless at the plate for the majority of the game. Balls kept finding their way past our infielders to the tune of .478 BABIP (thanks, Ivan!). And thus, the Braves continue their frustrating trend of playing down to inferior opponents.
I’ll cling to the delusion of a Kim redemption tour as a silver lining. The Braves will finish this two-game set tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 pm ET.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 04: Ivan Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates his solo home run with Alec Burleson #41, to take a 2-1 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 04, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals begin a long west coast swing as they’ll take on the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday night. The Cardinals are starting Michael McGreevy while the Dodgers are expected to start LHP Eric Lauer. First pitch scheduled for 9:10pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 01: Gavin Williams #32 of the Cleveland Guardians throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field on September 01, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Quincy referred to today’s start for Gavin Williams as “season defining.” If this game is defining the rest of the season, we’ll be looking at another playoff berth for Cleveland.
The Toronto Blue Jays rolled into Cleveland with an opener for Game 1 of the three game series. Gavin Williams, coming off of his worst start of the season, came back tonight to throw one of the best starts of the season. In the fifth inning, Gavin gave up a single and a walk. A throwing error by the catcher and a wild pitch by Gavin allowed the only run, unearned, to score under Gavin’s watch. Otherwise, the Big Rig was lights out. Gavin threw a career high 13 strikeouts to the Blue Jays and only gave up two hits and a walk in his 7.0 innings of work.
Hunter Gaddis pitched the eighth, striking out one, and Matt Festa closed it out having only given up one hit.
The Cleveland Guardians scored six runs on eight hits and every run was scored via the home run ball. In the bottom of the fifth, down one, Angel Martínez drew a walk. With one out, after committing an error that gave the Blue Jays the lead, Patrick Bailey sent a fly ball to center for a two run homer.
In the bottom of the seventh, Angel Martínez got on base to lead things off again. With a single to right, Angel reached first base. Angel Genao came on as a pinch-hitter for Travis Bazzana. On his first pitch of the game, Genao launched a fly ball to the left field home run porch for another two-run home run.
Angel Martínez, after scoring twice on home runs, decided to hit one of his own in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Jo Adell singled to right and was lifted for pinch-runner Petey Halpin. Angel Martínez came on, with two outs, and hit a curveball in a high arc out to right center for the third, and final, two-run homer of the night.
Something to note, Angel Martínez fouled a ball off the top of his foot in the second inning. It took him a bit to get back into it. He, obviously, finished the game and made an great catch the following inning.
Game 2 of the series is another 6:40 PM EDT start tomorrow. Dylan Cease and Joey Cantillo will be facing off as the starting pitchers.
With 31 days remaining until the Detroit Red Wings open the 2026-27 season, we take a look at the top player to have worn jersey No. 31.
The Top No. 31 In Red Wings History: Curtis Joseph
There are few better examples of time spent with the Detroit Red Wings that should have had a much happier ending than the tenure of goaltender Curtis Joseph from 2002 to 2004.
Joseph, already regarded as one of the NHL's best goalies by the summer of 2002, quickly signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Red Wings after the (first) retirement of Dominik Hasek just weeks after Detroit’s Stanley Cup victory.
Believing Detroit gave him a better chance to win another Stanley Cup than the Toronto Maple Leafs, whom he had just helped reach the Eastern Conference Final, Joseph arrived in Hockeytown with plenty of fanfare.
It took Detroit fans some time to warm up to him, however, as Joseph struggled with consistency during his first few weeks with the Red Wings. He eventually found his footing and helped Detroit secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference heading into the 2003 playoffs.
However, Joseph would be unfairly blamed for Detroit's shocking first round sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who were bolstered by Herculean performance by goaltender J.S. Giguere (who would eventually win the Conn Smythe Trophy).
In those four games, Joseph posted a 2.08 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. But his teammates simply couldn't solve Giguere, while Joseph took the heat.
Just weeks later, Joseph was blindsided when Hasek announced he planned to return to the Red Wings, leaving GM Ken Holland with an extremely difficult situation to sort out.
Even though the 2003-04 season was the last before the NHL introduced a salary cap, Detroit had no intention of carrying two goaltenders with a combined salary of nearly $20 million. Holland chose Hasek, perhaps out of worry that the rival Colorado Avalanche would target him in the wake of Patrick Roy's retirement.
After several failed attempts to trade Joseph, the veteran was sent to the minors. However, he continued to make occasional starts for Detroit as Hasek battled recurring groin problems.
By early 2004, Joseph was back atop the Red Wings’ depth chart after Hasek announced he would miss the rest of the season because of the injury. In a matter of months, Joseph had gone from an apparent cast-off back to Detroit’s starting goaltender.
He would suffer an injury of his own, leading to Manny Legace starting down the stretch for Detroit and earning the starting position for the first four games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before being pulled in Game 4 against the Nashville Predators.
Joseph reclaimed his spot in Detroit’s crease and surrendered just one goal over the next two games, helping the Red Wings advance to the second round. But once again, Detroit’s playoff run was cut short by the red-hot performance of the opposition goaltender - this time, Miikka Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames.
With the series tied 2-2, the Flames eliminated Detroit by winning Games 5 and 6, both by 1-0 scores, with the latter decided in overtime. Joseph was sensational in both games, giving the Red Wings every chance to stay alive. He finished the playoffs with a sparkling 1.39 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.
The third year of Joseph's contract with Detroit was wiped out by the 2004-05 NHL lockout, and he eventually signed with the Arizona Coyotes. He'd play two seasons in Arizona before a brieft stint with the Flames in 2008, followed by one last season in Toronto in 2008-09 before calling it a career.
Despite being ranked eighth all time in NHL goalie victories with 454, Joseph has yet to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
During his time in Detroit, he went 50-29-9 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage with seven shutouts.
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The Devils traded a conditional first-round pick and a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft to the Nashville Predators to acquire forward Luke Evangelista on Tuesday night, the team announced.
Evangelista had a career-high 56 points (12 goals, 44 assists) in 81 games last season in his fourth year with the Predators who drafted him in the second-round (42nd overall) in 2020. In 253 career games, the 6-foot, 183-pounder has 142 points on 45 goals and 97 assists with a plus-6 rating.
The 24-year-old will be owed $3 million this season for the final year of his contract.
As for the details of what New Jersey is sending Nashville, the conditional draft pick belongs to the Colorado Avalanche. If the Avalanche do not transfer their 2027 pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs or the choice in 2028 is in the top 10, the Predators' pick will be in 2029.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Nick Morabito didn’t have to look far Tuesday to comprehend the possibilities.
In one corner outfield spot would stand Carson Benge, with A.J. Ewing beside him as the starting center fielder. Both rookies have established themselves with the Mets this season and have become woven into the team’s future.
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It’s plenty of inspiration for Morabito, another rookie outfielder with aspirations of never returning to the minor leagues.
“It’s super cool and comforting,” said Morabito, who gave the Mets a completely rookie outfield in their 6-2 loss to the Rays. “I played with those guys in the minor leagues and I’m tight with them. To see their success … I am hoping just to bring more of it here.”
The 23-year-old Morabito, who went 0-for-1 and was hit by a pitch before being pinch hit for by Mark Vientos in the seventh inning, was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on the first day of expanded September rosters. In a stint with the Mets earlier this season, he appeared in five games and went hitless in 11 at-bats.
He brings much the same skill set as Benge and Ewing: an athletic player who will contribute defensively and with baserunning, beyond whatever production arises from his bat.
“I feel like I play a similar game to them,” Morabito said. “They’re just very exciting players.”
Over 114 games this season for Syracuse, he has posted a .254/.355/.388 slash line with 13 homers and 42 stolen bases. A second-round pick in the 2022 draft, he is rated as the Mets’ No. 13 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
“I think he understands who he is pretty well right now,” interim manager Andy Green said. “It’s speed, it’s defense, it’s get on base. It’s play the outfield as aggressively as those other two young guys we have got out there.
Nick Morabito, who was called up again to the majors, is hit by a pitch in the first inning of the Mets’ 6-2 loss to the Rays on Sept. 1, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Getty Images
“I just want him to play baseball like he has his whole life. I don’t want him to make any more of it. The beauty of the last time is he got the first-time jitters out of the way. Now I would like to get the first [hit] out of the way for him.”
Luis Robert Jr.’s departure — the veteran outfielder was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Monday, saving the Mets about $5 million — has created an opportunity for Morabito, a right-handed bat, especially with Juan Soto relegated to DH in his return from a second calf strain this season.
It was the organizational outfield depth that in part prompted the Mets to trade Brandon Nimmo last offseason, creating chances for the rookies.
Benge has seized the opportunity to the hilt in emerging as a National Rookie of the Year and Gold Glove candidate.
Ewing slumped offensively in August and entered play Tuesday with a .663 OPS overall but has brought consistent defense to center field.
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How does Morabito see himself as a player?
“I feel like throughout my pro career I have been able to get on base, steal bases, play good defense and the power has been coming a little bit,” Morabito said. “Ultimately, I just want to cross the plate and put runs on the board and that is my goal.”
Morabito, who struck out in nine of his 11 at-bats to begin his major league career, said his May stint with the club was a “learning point” in his development.
“He knows what he is coming back to,” Green said. “You never want to overevaluate somebody’s first taste of the big leagues. There’s been a lot of guys that have been All-Stars and Hall of Famers that started horribly at the very beginning. There’s been a lot like myself that get a home run in the first at-bat and then go downhill from there.”
