Fulham need a win, Tottenham show some spirit and Jack Grealish offers Everton much-needed energy
With 25 minutes to go against Manchester United, the Everton supporters had something to roar about as Jack Grealish made his return after rejoining on loan. The attacking midfielder remains universally popular thanks to his desire to entertain, getting the hosts back on their feet by creating dangerous situations within seconds of his arrival. Everton were limited in the final third for long periods as Thierno Barry sat on the periphery. If David Moyes is to keep his side pushing for a top-half finish, he will need Grealish to be a creative focal point. Will Unwin
At some point on Sunday night, Shohei Ohtani strapped on his elbow guard, slipped on his batting gloves and grabbed his bat.
He was going to pinch-hit, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
If either of the first two hitters in the eighth inning had reached base, Ohtani would have replaced Alex Call. The game was the fourth in a row that Ohtani didn’t start because of problems with his knee, biceps and neck.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready to bat in the dugout during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, September 6, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
But Alex Freeland popped out, Max Muncy flied out to left field, and Roberts elected to keep right-handed Call in the game to face Nationals lefty Will Dion with the Dodgers down by a run.
“To be quite honest, versus lefty right there, I just felt Call had a good chance to get on base,” Roberts said. “And nothing against Shohei, but he hadn’t played in four days and lefty’s on the mound, so I figured we’ll just try to keep the line moving and get Tommy (Edman) up there.”
Not making the substitution won the Dodgers the game.
Call singled.
Edman followed with a walk.
And with two batters on, Mookie Betts crushed a down-the-middle fastball over the left-field wall to send the Dodgers on their way to a 7-5 victory.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready to bat in the dugout during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, September 6, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
Asked if he would consider batting Edman leadoff instead of Ohtani, Roberts said he wouldn’t. The plan, Roberts said, is for Ohtani to continue batting first.
Flyhalf sustains injury in weekend’s draw with Argentina
Expected to miss Springboks Test and Bledisloe Cup series
The Wallabies are bracing to be without first-choice playmaker Carter Gordon for the Bledisloe Cup and a clash with world champions South Africa in the latest injury blow for the flyhalf.
Gordon fell to the ground in agony after attacking the line late in the weekend’s 28-28 draw with Argentina in Mendoza.
Sep 6, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) hits a home run during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
On a stormy Sunday night in September, the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals, winning the finale 7-5.
Both Justin Wrobleski and Nationals southpaw Andrew Alvarez kept the ice frozen until the bottom of the third inning, as a Max Muncy double and Tommy Edman infield single allowed Mookie Betts to bring home Muncy on a groundout to give the Dodgers their third consecutive early lead.
After three scoreless innings without six strikeouts, the Nationals struck back in the top of the fourth with a lead-off home run from CJ Abrams— his third in seven at-bats against Wrobleski— evening the score at one. Brady House immediately followed with a single, and a double from Daylen Lile put two men on, still with no outs. Teoscar Hernández was unable to track down a fly ball to left from Harry Ford, plating both baserunners and giving Washington a two-run lead. Jacob Young carried the frenzy with a single to center to plate four, ending the night for Wrobleski.
The second half of the regular season has not been kind to Wrobleski, as he has a 7.55 ERA across 31 innings over seven appearances (six starts). His three complete innings on Sunday were the fewest in any start this season.
Brock Stewart managed to clean up the mess made by Wrobleski, and Blake Treinen made his first appearance since June 19, working a scoreless fifth inning to keep the deficit at three runs. The Dodgers responded with a rally against Alvarez in the bottom half, as a Tommy Edman double plated Max Muncy to cut the deficit in half. Brad Lord came in relief and got Mookie Betts to ground out for the first out, but the Dodgers sprayed three consecutive singles to knot the game even at 4.
Bobby Miller made his season debut, making his first big league appearance since May 24 last year, but he struggled to keep the game tied after plunking Dylan Crews with two outs and the bases loaded, finishing with 27 pitches in the top of the sixth inning while letting Washington take a one run lead. The Dodgers managed to put two on with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, but Betts just missed hitting one out to left field to get Washington out of trouble.
Miller worked a spotless seventh inning on 17 pitches, but after Will Smith worked a lead-off walk to start the bottom half against Will Dion, but the left-hander struck out the side in order to keep the Dodgers at bay.
Miller then worked a perfect eighth inning— thanks in part to a Kyle Tucker home run robbery to keep the score at a one-run Dodger deficit— eventually finishing the night with three innings of work allowing just one run.
After Dion recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, a single from Alex Call ignited a two-run rally, leading to a Mookie Betts three-run home run to give the Dodgers their first lead since the third inning and their second consecutive game with a go-ahead three-run shot.
Although Edgardo Henriquez allowed a lead-off walk to James Wood, he secured his second save of the season to bring the winning streak to four games. The Dodgers complete their season series against Washington with a perfect 6-0 record.
With their win on Sunday, the Dodgers are now a full game ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the second seed in the National League and are 1 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the top seed.
Game particulars
Home runs— CJ Abrams (30); Mookie Betts (18)
WP— Bobby Miller (1-0): 3 IP, 1 hit, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
LP— Will Dion (1-2): 2 IP, 2 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts
The Dodgers continue their homestand with a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds beginning Monday (6:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Chase Burns goes for the Reds while the Dodgers have yet to announce their starter.
Dropping a series in the middle of a playoff push is never a fun time, but after the Dbacks did so while only putting up 1 run and seeing possibly the weakest stretch of offense we’ve gotten out of the snakes in 2026 had fans hoping that going on a roadtrip would be the juice this team needed to get back on track in the batter’s box. Thankfully the Diamondbacks would go from facing one of the hottest teams in baseball in the Philadelphia Phillies to a matchup against the Houston Astros, who are a division leading squad but doing so in a very weak division. The boys in Sedona red have historically struggled in Daikin (formerly Minute Maid Park) as they haven’t won a series in Houston since 2012, when the Astros were still a part of the NL Central, but they would look to their 2 best starters to do their part in securing a series victory in the Lone Star State.
Offense Main-Stays Dead
Friday night’s series opener was sadly more of the same that we’ve seen from this Diamondbacks offense as they would still struggle in every run scoring opportunity that was presented to them (1 for their last 27 dating back to Saturday’s second game of the doubleheader), with their lone run being thanks to a Gabriel Moreno solo homerun.
It wasn’t all bad thankfully as Merrill Kelly continued to show signs of improvement going 6 innings without allowing a single walk (his first start without a walk in over 3 months) in a losing effort. Brandon, Gabe and I all agreed that while the mainstay has been up and down for most of the 2026 season with alternating months of good and bad, seeing him post a 2.89 ERA over his last 3 starts has us hoping that we’ll get the best of Merrill for the final stretch and potentially into October.
KETEL YEAH!
Looking to bounce back from the 3-1 loss on Friday night, the DIamondbacks would look to Big Game Brandon to continue his impressive stretch and limit the Astros offense enough to give the offense some kind of chance to breakthrough and he did just that, going into the 7th and allowing just 3 earned runs and racking up 13 whiffs. The offense would finally wake up as they finally realized that they are indeed allowed to get hits with runners in scoring position, going 4 for 10 with one of them being a Lars Nootbar RBI double in the 7th and a Gabriel Moreno go ahead single in extras. Extras might not have been a possibility without second baseman Ketel Marte as he would come up with his biggest hit since returning from the IL with a game tying blast in the 8th on a pitch that was well below the zone.
The three of us all agreed that Ketel’s homerun in that situation was not only a game changer but a vibe changing shot as it seemed like that was the kind of boost that the lineup needed for the last week or so and they were able to finally get that big hit when they needed it most.
Ace-uardo Dub-riguez
Sunday’s rubber match would be another game where the snakes would rely on their pitching to do a lot of the heavy lifting as they were only able to muster up 3 runs, but thankfully those 3 would be all they needed as they had the Ace-uardo Dub-riguez on the bump. Rodriguez’s day got off to a rough start with a Yordan Alvarez solo shot in the first, but that would be all that the Astros would score off of him as he would settle in to go 6 strong innings and get 19 whiffs, 9 of which came on his disgusting changeup.
The gameplan for teams this year when facing Rodriguez seems to be jumping him early and often, but if they don’t get to him early then good luck the rest of the way as Eduardo through innings 2-8 has an ERA of 1.88. Brandon suggests that the struggles early on could simply be Rodriguez adjusting from his pregame warmups in the bullpen to the actual mound, and the 6.11 ERA for Eduardo in the 1st inning this year could definitely back that idea up.
While AceRod definitely deserves a lot of love for him continuing his winning ways, Gabe also wanted to make sure the bullpen would get their share of the credit as they would end this series going a combined 8.2 IP with 5 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks and 14 strikeouts, saying that for the first time in the Mike Hazen era he feels confident in any of the arms that are called upon for late game and high leverage situations.
“And We’ll Never Be Royals”
The fellas and I wrapped up the pod looking ahead at the next series on the roadtrip as the Diamondbacks would visit Kauffman Stadium and take on Bobby Witt Jr. the Kansas City Royals. While the Royals haven’t had the year they or their fans expected, their pitching has been very solid as of late as Gabe mentions both Michael Wacha and Noah Cameron, 2 of the probable starters for the Royals in this upcoming series, have both been pitching very well over their last 7 and each have an ERA below 3 in that time. While on the topic of pitching, multiple reports suggest that Diamondbacks would be activating starter Corbin Burnes for his 2026 debut and his first outing since he had to undergo the Tommy John surgery that ended his 2025 season shorter than most hoped.
While Gabe had his eyes focused on the Royals starters, Brandon kept his focus on Royals superstar and face of the franchise in Bobby Witt Jr, as he is far and away the most dangerous bat in the Royals lineup. Whatever the Diamondbacks pitching staff has done to quiet the bats of guys like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Yordan Alvarez they would need to keep that same mojo going into this series and let anyone not wearing #7 do their damage against the Snakes.
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge works out before a baseball game against the San Diego Padres on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in San Diego.
SAN DIEGO — The Yankees are off Monday, but their most important player will not be.
Aaron Judge is expected to face live pitching Monday at Yankee Stadium, essentially the last box for him to check — other than building up his stamina — before he returns from a right rib stress fracture, likely at some point this week.
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As of Sunday, the Yankees were still figuring out who would actually be throwing to Judge, but it will be his first time facing a live arm as he hopes to skip a rehab assignment in favor of returning sooner after spending three-plus months on the injured list.
But Aaron Boone would not say if Tuesday was unrealistic for Judge’s return.
“I don’t know,” Boone said. “We’ll see.”
Before Sunday’s game, Judge ran the bases again and did defensive work in right field.
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge works out before a baseball game against the San Diego Padres on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in San Diego. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Jasson Domínguez, who will likely be headed right back to Triple-A as soon as Judge is activated, started in right field Sunday and made a brutal fielding error, though it did not end up costing the Yankees.
Dustin Harris led off with a single to right that took a few bounces to get to Domínguez before he simply whiffed on it, as the ball rolled all the way to the wall and Harris took two extra bases.
“Obviously a play you’ve got to make. Didn’t make it,” Boone said. “Fortunately we were able to get out of that inning, but just didn’t make the play.”
Gerrit Cole was able to strand Harris at third, picking up Domínguez, who went 1-for-4.
Asked if he had a conversation with Domínguez about the play in the dugout, Boone said no.
“Errors happen. You’ve got to catch the ball, obviously,” Boone said. “I don’t know what the conversation would be other than, ‘Let’s go.’”
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It will not be Clarke Schmidt pitching to Judge, as the right-hander made his third rehab appearance Sunday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He tossed two scoreless innings with a walk and a strikeout while throwing on three days of rest.
Boone said Schmidt would need “at least a couple more” rehab outings before he could join the Yankees bullpen.
Ryan Weathers (left forearm flexor strain) began his throwing program Saturday following a two-week shutdown. … Giancarlo Stanton (calf strain) has been hitting, with the Yankees not yet ready to rule him out for the rest of the year, though it remains unlikely. … Former Yankee Michael King used Judge’s walk-up song — Pop Smoke’s “Hello” — as his own warmup music Sunday, seemingly a tribute to the slugger on the verge of his return. … After having him in the bullpen this weekend but not using him, the Yankees optioned Elmer Rodriguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Umpires had to intervene as a brutal onslaught from wonderkid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in Indian domestic cricket prompted a heated on-field interaction with a rival captain.
Training camp is fast-approaching for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and that means positional battles are, too.
And, no, these won't be the positional battles of training camps past for the Penguins. This time around, the organization has prospects who are legitimately on the verge of full-time NHL minutes, and they also have a collection of players who, even if they were on an NHL roster last season, are not guaranteed a spot this season.
The forward front will certainly be the most interesting for the Penguins, as they have 15 forwards currently listed on their roster per Puckpedia, and that's not even accounting for prospects who are sure to push and make legitimate cases for roster spots. After covering the battles on both wings, we shift our focus to the middle of the ice.
In these battle tiers, there are a few more guarantees than at the other positions. The Penguins do have legitimate center depth, and there are four players who are locks to be on the roster. Even if that's the case, though, that doesn't mean that other centers have no shot.
So, how will the positional battle at center come together? Here are the guarantees, the maybes, and the long shots.
Guarantees
Sidney Crosby
There is no explanation required for this one. Onto the next.
Ben Kindel
Kindel took the organization by storm last season when he broke camp as an 18-year-old, impressed with his advanced two-way ability at such a young age, and ended up staying the entire season as the team's default third-line center.
There is zero question that Kindel will be on this team. The thing to wonder is where he'll ultimately be positioned in the lineup, especially with the sheer number of centers the Penguins now employ. Now, it's only up for Kindel, who recorded 17 goals and 35 points in 77 games last season and figures to be a top-six center in due time.
Like he did last season, he will play an important role for the Penguins in their push for the playoffs now and for the long-term future.
Tommy Novak
It was a bit surprising when the Penguins announced over the summer that they had extended Novak for three more years beyond 2026-27, but they clearly like him enough to keep him around. Novak found some chemistry centering Egor Chinakhov and Evgeni Malkin on the second line last season, and that's where he will likely begin this season.
His versatility is a nice asset for the Penguins. If Kindel pushes for the top-six, Novak can easily slide down to center the third line or shift to the wing. In any case, he was brought back for a reason, and he will be on this team to start the season.
Blake Lizotte
Lizotte, 28, is a valuable player to the Penguins, and that was on full display for the Penguins last season. They rewarded him with a three-year contract extension with a $2.25 average annual value midseason.
Lizotte may not amount to anything more than a fourth-line center with the Penguins - even if he showed some tiny flashes as a third-line center two seasons ago - but he is one of the best in the NHL for the role he is in. The Penguins are a better team with him in the lineup, and they have one of the better fourth lines in the league with him on it.
The "maybes" for this particular positional battle are a bit tough because there are, pretty much, four guarantees for NHL roster spots at center, which doesn't leave room for much else.
Lapierre was acquired from the Washington Capitals this summer for a pair of picks, and because Dubas spent assets to acquire him, it's hard to imagine he might not make the team. But given the crowded pool at forward, his roster spot is certainly no guarantee, and he will have to earn a spot over others. He hasn't quite hit his offensive potential at the highest level yet, as the former first-round pick (22nd overall in 2020) had just four goals and 16 points in 74 games.
The risk in Lapierre not making the roster is waivers, as he's someone who would likely be scooped up by another team. His job may be a bit more secure than others in this tier, but if the others outplay him in camp, it could make things interesting.
Tristan Broz
One year ago, Broz, 23, put together an outstanding training camp for the Penguins. HIs camp was impressive to the point that many were convinced he was going to crack the NHL roster.
Instead, that spot went to Ben Kindel, who wasn't AHL-eligible and only had the WHL to go back to. Kindel ended up staying the season, Broz was injured at unfortunate times last season when the Penguins could have used him for center depth, and he was still the best two-way forward for the WBS Penguins in the AHL last season with 16 goals and 39 points in 47 games.
He did end up playing in one NHL game last season, but it can be argued that Broz was the one player who was, to a degree, robbed of a roster spot out of camp largely due to his waivers exemption. Even if he doesn't make the team out of camp, Broz will see NHL ice next season.
But he's one to keep an eye on. With as strong a camp as he had last season - and, perhaps, stronger - he may just force the Penguins' hand.
Filip Hallander
Don't forget about Hallander, either.
The 26-year-old Swedish center registered a goal and four points in 14 NHL games last season before a blood clot kept him out for the rest of it. Hallander has made progress in his recovery, and assuming he is ready to go for training camp, he will be vying for a spot on the roster.
Hallander is a smart, effective 200-foot player, and he showed some flashes of maturity and utility in that short sample last season. He may not quite have the intrigue that Broz has, but he has the capacity to be an effective middle-six forward, whether that's at center or on the wing.
The Penguins would more likely keep Hallander as a 13th or 14th forward than they would the younger Broz, so he might actually have a shot at securing one of those spots, even if he's not a lineup regular to begin with.
Given the volume of moves made by Dubas this summer, it's easy to forget about Gustafsson, who was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets on Jun. 29 in exchange for defenseman Jack St. Ivany.
He may be a longshot in terms of making the NHL roster out of camp. But that doesn't mean he won't get his shot at some point.
Gustafsson has limited offensive NHL upside, as he has just six goals and 20 points in 149 NHL games. However, he is a solid defensive center, and if the Penguins see an injury in their bottom-six or need help on the penalty kill, Gustafsson is a good option to have.
He is a longshot to make the roster but not necessarily a longshot to see NHL minutes next season.
Atley Calvert
We said Calvert would be included on this list, and here he is.
Look, the same logic from the right wing argument can be applied here: There are players ahead of Calvert on the depth chart that he'll have to discernibly outplay in order to make a case for himself, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.
The undrafted 22-year-old forward had 16 goals and 38 points in 70 AHL games last season and signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Penguins this summer. He has been an important player for WBS, and the Penguins are hoping he can eventually translate some of that to the NHL level.
For now, he is a longshot. But look for him to be a riser throughout the season.
Slammin’ Sammy led the Sox to another key victory. | Getty Images
Call it a winning streak!
Not for the White Sox. Taking two of three from an AL Central rival in what wound up being emphatic 10-1 fashion is always satisfying, but it wasn’t two in a row. No, folks, I’m celebrating me and my absolute heater of 10 wins in 11 recap tries. Put me in every day, Brett!
The box score does betray the tension that underlined the majority of this one. Hosting their first Sunday Night Baseball broadcast as a first place team since 2008, the tone of the game was lively early, though the bulk of the early action was a straightforward redux of the frustrating offensive play the Sox have produced since the All-Star break. They rank near the bottom of the league with a .240 batting average with RISP since then, and it feels like that average should be a lot lower, because getting runners in from the basepaths without the longball has been like pulling teeth lately.
The theme continued with verve for what I’d call the majority of the game — though ultimately, and fortunately, not the entirety of it. Sam Antonacci led off the first and fifth innings with a double, sandwiching back-to-back free bases from the non-brothers Montgomery to open the second frame and preceding Tristan Peters’ own leadoff double an inning later. They even queued up a rally in the third inning, when Miguel Vargas and Andrew Benintendi reached base before Colson Montgomery’s second punchout of the game ended the threat. Colson finished with a golden sombrero, bringing him to 197 on the season. When he presumably reaches the ignominious 200-K milestone, he’ll make the White Sox the only team to have three separate players break the 200 strikeout threshold in a season. Yoán Moncada did it most recently, and I don’t think I need to type the name of the one who did it first.
If you’ve been following the team as of late, it won’t be surprising that almost none of those White Sox rallies resulted in any runs, as Twins starter Bailey Ober labored through 4 1/3 innings with highly-diminished stuff. Still, when the Minnesota pen got the call, only one Sox run had been stuck on the board, as Antonacci did make his way around in the fifth, after Murakami shot a single through the right side:
Remarkably, and I should say unfortunately, it’s the first time since August 9 that Murakami has knocked in a run with a hit that didn’t leave the yard. That day was also the last time until this evening that he had driven in runs on back-to-back days. Ideally, a September recharge will be in the books when the team needs it the most.
On the White Sox pitching side, a motley crew of bullpen arms strung together a masterpiece, seemingly without the use of a premeditated bulk man. Bryan Hudson opened with aplomb, his sixth scoreless outing in eight first-inning tries. But the star of the effort was once again rookie Hagen Smith, who delivered three brilliant innings that bought the offense just enough time for the BABIP gods to begin taking mercy.
After the Peters double in the sixth and subsequent Chase Meidroth walk, Kyle Teel’s fielder’s choice in the infield made it, effectively, a whopping 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position before the two-thirds point of the action. Perhaps Smith’s electricity on the hill gave the offense the jolt they needed. Smith is now up to nine scoreless outings out of his first 10 tries in the majors. With the way he filled up the strike zone and made hitters look silly, ultimately going nine-up nine-down with four outs via punchie, you would truly have no feel for the roiling roller coaster that Smith’s prospectdom took us on for a two-year run.
The jolt finally exploded into a lightning blast after that Teel sixth-inning chopper. Antonacci solidified his charge at Smith for player of the game honors with his third double, tripling the South Siders lead to 3-0.
Some things in baseball remain simple. Tonight, much of it came down to the fact that Twins relievers just couldn’t throw any strikes. Seven walks in 2 2/3 innings from any combination of pitchers isn’t going to cut it, and it eventually led to an additional run in the seventh. A five-run cascade in the eighth put the game away, courtesy of Randal Grichuk’s 12th blast of his comeback summer, Peters’ second double of the game (and 30th of the season) and a comeback blast of his own for Kyle Teel (whose 406 foot blast to dead center was probably the best batted ball we’ve seen from him all season).
Peters is now four extra-base hits shy of 50 on the year, which would make him the 11th Sox rookie to ever reach that plateau, most recently Eloy Jiménez in 2019. It also seems likely that Peters will finish with handily the least home runs of that group (the modern group at least, with all due respect to Willie Kamm’s stellar 1923 effort).
The platoon of Benintendi and Grichuk, who went 2-for-2 with that aforementioned homer after pinch-hitting for the former in the fifth inning, continues to be comically effective. Through roughly a full-season’s worth of 566 at-bats, they’ve reverse-osmosised into a .261 batting average with 68 extra-base hits and 106 driven in.
The Twins did manage to dent the scoreboard on Grant Taylor for a second straight outing, as Brooks Lee became the sixth hitter to go ding-dong-johnson on the Sox relief ace. Taylor looked sharp as ever otherwise, striking out three over what I was happy to find was another two-inning outing. If you want to be a little dishonest and include the 8 2/3 Spring Training innings Taylor posted, he’s now on the precipice of 85 innings in total on the season. Somewhere in the realm of 82-85 regular season innings seems like a reasonable late guesstimate, and if you can pencil in a few more postseason reps, we find ourselves right on the edge of the 100-inning goal that Brian Bannister set out for the LSU product at the season’s outset.
Taylor’s three punchouts tonight also brought him to 97 on the season, putting him on the edge of being the fifth pure reliever in team history to break the century mark. It was most recently accomplished by Liam Hendriks and Michael Kopech in 2021, following Keith Foulke’s legendary (in the SSS slack) 1999 campaign and Terry Forster’s 1972.
The Sox finish their season series against the Twins with an 8-5 record, a repeat of 2025. With Cleveland’s voodoo magic having struck yet again in Detroit this afternoon, that’ll only be good enough to keep pace at 2 ½ games ahead in the Central. But the magic number is 17, and continues steadily dropping.
The squad gets to enjoy a breather at home tomorrow, getting a rest day before the Pirates come to town. Sean Burke is lined up to take the ball on Tuesday opposite flamethrowing rookie Bubba Chandler, and while Wednesday’s Bucco of the day has yet to be announced, it seems like the Sox will be fortunate enough to miss Paul Skenes this time around. One can never be sad about this, even accounting for his recent troubles. First pitch on Tuesday is at 7:10 p.m. CT, and we’ll see you there!
New York Mets first baseman Mark Vientos (27) misses a foul ball on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Citi Field in Queens, NY.
The emergence of Jared Young “is real,” David Stearns contended Friday, which further suggests the Mets will plan to retain the reliable first base/DH type who plays enough defense and is capable against righty pitching.
Bringing the lefty-hitting Young back in the same role (while presumably giving the switch-hitting Jorge Polanco another shot) would create an opening for a righty-hitting complement who can crush lefty pitching and hold his own at first base — a job Mark Vientos has not run with this season.
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Among the data the Mets hope to collect during a lost September is whether Vientos can be counted on, particularly defensively, next season. Vientos’ latest round of auditions did not start well.
Naturally a third baseman whose lack of mobility moved him off the spot, Vientos received another look at first Sunday and committed another error in what became a 4-2 win over the Giants at Citi Field.
During the fifth inning, Christian Koss cueballed a grounder that Vientos said had “weird spin.”
“It started like on the foul line and ended up to the right of me, so it was just a weird one,” said Vientos, who was unable to knock it down and allowed Koss to reach second and lead runner Drew Cavanaugh to make it to third.
“It was a tough play,” interim manager Andy Green added before also referencing the spin. “… It’s a play he expects to make and we expect him to make.”
The play did not end up costing a run, with Christian Scott and Nate Lavender striking their way out of trouble, but it will be one more play that works against Vientos in roster discussions this winter.
Among 40 players who had logged at least 100 innings at first base entering play, Vientos ranked 39th in Outs Above Average.
New York Mets first baseman Mark Vientos (27) misses a foul ball on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Stretching back to before the hand fracture that cost Vientos almost eight weeks, he has committed six errors in his past 13 games at first base. He spent much of Sunday morning working on picks and footwork around the base with several coaches, including bench coach Kai Correa, but if he is making progress, it is not tangible.
“I think as the year goes on, I’m feeling more and more comfortable with the position,” Vientos said.
The Mets were happy to put up with Vientos’ defense in 2024 — at third base, primarily — because his bat forced its way into daily lineups. But what once looked like a breakout, 27-homer, .837-OPS season is looking more like an aberration.
Last year and this year, he has struggled against righty pitching. He remains a force against southpaws — against whom he owns an .899 OPS with eight home runs in 104 plate appearances this year — and in today’s game, there are not many righties who consistently crush lefties, which helps Vientos’ cause.
But it is still difficult to squeeze that one tool onto a roster if he cannot offer much on defense or hit righty pitching, especially because he cannot be optioned to the minors.
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It is possible Vientos, who is set to reach arbitration for the first time this offseason, is playing for his Mets future, but that is not how he thinks of these September games.
“I’m just here playing games, enjoying the time with my teammates and having fun,” Vientos said.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 06: Daniel Schneemann #10 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off RBI single during the tenth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field on September 06, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Guardians defeated the Tigers 3-2. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sorry for the late recap, but the Guardians won yet another walk-off game from the Tigers, besting them 3-2 in the 10th inning.
Shoutouts to Steven Kwan and Travis Bazzana who had two hits a-piece, to Brayan Rocchio who found a way to hit a game-tying home run into a stiff breeze,
Shoutouts to Gavin Williams, who had a bad first inning but shut the Tigers out for the next five innings, striking out 11, and to the electric bullpen of Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and CADE SMITH WHO WAS AS DOMINANT AS I HAVE EVER SEEN HIM STRIKING OUT FIVE OF SIX BATTERS.
This was a great series. They need, now, to find a way to win a series in Baltimore starting tomorrow and then in Minnesota following that. The Blue Jays lost so the Guardians, again, lead in the wildcard and the White Sox won, so they are still 2.5 back for the division.
A good day for our Guardians who have one more homestand this season… UNLESS October has something different to say.
CHICAGO (AP) — Randal Grichuk and Kyle Teel homered in a five-run eighth inning, Chicago’s bullpen combined on a four-hitter and the White Sox rolled past the Minnesota Twins 10-1 on Sunday.
Sam Antonacci added three doubles and two RBIs for the White Sox, who maintained their 2 1/2-game lead in the AL Central over Cleveland.
Brooks Lee homered and singled for the Twins, who have lost three of four.
Chicago used Bryan Hudson as an opener and he and four fellow relievers — Jordan Hicks, Hagen Smith, Grant Taylor and Tyler Davis — combined for 15 strikeouts and a walk. Smith (3-1) pitched three hitless innings before Taylor allowed Lee’s leadoff homer in the seventh.
Twins starter Bailey Ober (7-5) worked 4 1/3 innings and left after yielding Munetaka Murakami’s RBI single that gave Chicago a lead it never lost. The right-hander allowed four hits, struck out six and walked three. He’s gone eight starts since his last victory.
Antonacci extended the lead with a two-run double in the sixth and Grichuk tacked on an RBI double. Miguel Vargas drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh and the White Sox turned the game into rout in the eighth, when Grichuk led off with his 12th homer, Tristan Peters smacked an RBI double and Teel added a three-run drive.
Up next
The Twins had not announced a starter for Monday afternoon’s series opener at Detroit. RHP Troy Melton (7-4, 2.20 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the Tigers.
The White Sox get Labor Day off, then begin a three-game series Tuesday night against visiting Pittsburgh when Sean Burke (8-6, 3.20 ERA) faces fellow right-hander Bubba Chandler (6-9, 4.30).
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 6: Ty Johnson #55 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning at Globe Life Field on September 6, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. Johnson is playing in his major league debut. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Globe Life Field has been a house of horrors for the Rays in recent years, so walking away from this four-game road set with a split should be seen as a blessing. The Rays are still four games up on the Yankees in the race for the AL East, and could clinch a postseason berth by the middle of next week. So why do I leave this series with such a bitter taste in my mouth?
The pitching staff took some hits this weekend, with IL stints for Shane McClanahan, Garrett Cleavinger, and Manuel Rodriguez announced. Bryan Baker left Friday’s game, although it was said he was dealing with an illness, but did not pitch for the rest of the weekend. To deal with these injuries, the Rays pitching depth will be put to the test for the remainder of the regular season, and potentially into October.
Well, when the Rays took a 4-0 lead when they batted around in the second, it seemed they might be cruising into a series victory. They got contributions from hitters at the bottom of the lineup like Victor Mesa Jr. and Nick Fortes, with Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda also coming through with timely hits to build their lead.
The lead would evaporate in the fourth when the Rangers tied it at five.
On Sunday, we saw a mixed bag from a parade of arms. Ian Seymour got the start and didn’t have his normal strikeout stuff, and didn’t record an out in the fourth before being pulled.
Steven Matz gave up two runs in his lone inning of work.
We did see pitching prospect Ty Johnson’s MLB debut. He was ranked 14th in the Rays system by Fangraphs, and has pitched as a starter and reliever for AAA Durham this season. He went one inning, allowing no runs on a walk and two strikeouts. There’s a clearing for him to lock down a role on the staff this month.
All in all, this result isn’t the most disappointing. You scored six runs on the road, saw a couple of rough outings from relievers you won’t rely on much in high leverage, and got to see Johnson take the mound for the first time. It’s a good time for an off day, where the team will be getting ready for their three-game series in Atlanta against the Braves.
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 30: Catcher Brett Sullivan #26 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on June 30, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last week, Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs wrote about the increasing popularity of position players pitching.
With (Andrew) Monasterio’s appearance, every team has now used a position player to pitch in a nine-inning game at least once this season; the Yankees have also only used one, while the Rockies have used a major league-leading nine, and the A’s and Diamondbacks eight apiece.
The Athletics Carlos Cortez has thrown the most (8), but given that the utility player had some experience as a closer in high school, the move makes some sense.
That is not the case for the players with the second-most innings — Colorado Rockies backup catcher Brett Sullivan with seven appearances on the mound this season. In 7.2 IP, Sullivan has a respectable 4.70 ERA.
Troy Johnston has also taken the mound twice this season. In 2.0 IP, he has a sparkling 0.00 ERA.
For Johnston, his brief experience as a two-way player stands as a season highlight.
“One of the one of my favorite things was that I did get to pitch a little bit, and it was so much fun because I throw like this air cutter that just kind of goes across the plate, and I don’t throw it very hard,” Johnston said. (Sullivan also throws an “air cutter.”)
Today in USA Today, Bob Nightengale noted that the trend is receiving MLB’s attention. As he notes,“ Major League Baseball, proposing that teams be permitted to have 14 pitchers on their 26-man rosters instead of 13 in the next collective bargaining agreement, will also discuss modifying the rule on when position players can be used as pitchers in the game.”
How does Nightengale feel about this trend?
“In what once was a bit of comic relief in blowouts has become a disgusting display that’s more suited for the Savannah Bananas than actual major league games,” he writes.
So tonight, we turn it over to the Purple Row Night Owls?
Should MLB adjust the rules regarding position players pitching?