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Yoshinobu Yamamoto looks to make it seven wins in a row.

WEDNESDAY GAME INFO

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Reds
• Stadium: Dodger Stadium
• Time: 7:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)

A big third inning propelled the Orioles to a convincing 9-5 win over the visiting Guardians on Wednesday night at Camden Yards.

For the second consecutive start, Shane Baz gave up a home run to the second batter of the night. Last time, it was a solo shot from Boston’s Mickey Gasper. Tonight, it was a two-run bomb off the bat of Cleveland’s Chase DeLauter.

Given how many of Baz’s appearances have gone this season, it seemed likely that those two early runs would be enough for the visiting Guardians to win with ease. Coming into this game, Baz had been provided with the least run support of any qualifying starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Thankfully, for one inning at least, that trend reversed.

Eight of the Orioles nine runs came in the bottom of the third inning. They collected eight hits, walked twice, got hit by a pitch, and benefited from one Guardians error to string together the onslaught.

Leody Taveras and Carlos Narváez led off with back-to-back singles. After a throwing error from pitcher Foster Griffin on a pickoff attempt, Dylan Beavers doubled both of the runners home on a flare that came off the bat at 53.4 mph and landed in the perfect spot beyond the shifted infield and away from any outfielders in the area.

A single for Pete Alonso followed by a Coby Mayo walk loaded the bases before Christian Encarnacion-Strand was hit by a pitch to score Beavers to make a 3-2 game. Jackson Holliday then drove in Alonso on a single into left field for the fourth run of the inning. Rece Hinds nearly left the yard, but had to settle for an RBI sac fly onto the left field warning track to increase the lead to 5-2. From there it was a trio of run-scoring singles from Jeremiah Jackson, Leody Taveras, and Beavers to put a cap on the outburst.

All eight of those runs were charged to Cleveland starter Foster Griffin, who entered the day with impressive season totals. Griffin also faced the Orioles earlier this year as a member of the Washington Nationals. On that June day he tossed seven innings and allowed just one unearned run on three hits, two walks, and nine strikeouts. The outcome was quite different tonight, so kudos to the Orioles for making some improvements in that matchup.

At the same time Baz was cruising on the mound for the O’s. From the second inning through the fifth inning, he kept traffic to a minimum, allowing one hit, a walk, and a hit by pitch, but none of them came in the same inning. It felt like the Orioles might be able to coast to the series win.

Of course, that wasn’t too be. Baz returned to the mound for the sixth inning, and even retired the first two batters he faced. And then he started to fade. First, he hit Travis Bazzana to put a runner on base. Then, Nathaniel Lowe made him pay with a 407-foot homer that sailed onto the right field flag court to draw the Guardians within four runs.

The scoring didn’t stop there, and Baz remained in the game. Angel Genao singled, and then came into score on a Patrick Bailey double that bounced off the base of the right field wall. That was the end of the line for Baz. He was lifted for Josh Walker, who then recorded the third out of the inning without further damage.

Baz didn’t have his best stuff in this game. His velocity was down a tick, and there wasn’t a ton of swing-and-miss in the Cleveland bats. He was also a bit wild, hitting two batters in addition to his one walk. His 5.2 innings tonight pushed him to 169 frames on the season. That’s already more than the 166.1 innings he tossed in all of 2025, so maybe he is showing some fatigue. But the baseball gods owed him a positive outcome tonight. He wasn’t great, but his offense finally provided some support.

The Orioles bullpen was quite solid in this one. Walker stayed on the seventh inning after recording the final out of the sixth and kept the Guardians off the board. Yennier Cano was called on the eighth, and he had issues, allowing two base runners and getting just one out. But manager Craig Albernaz didn’t allow a meltdown to transpire. He turned to Rico Garcia, who was probably the team’s best hurler of the day. He tossed 1.2 shutout innings and struck out three for his seventh save of the season.

Almost all of the Orioles offensive productive was reserved for that third inning, but they did score one more in the sixth inning. Coby Mayo, facing the right-handed Franco Aleman, went deep for the 22nd time this season. His home run went down as unearned because moments earlier he hit a weak foul pop up that José Ramírez just straight up dropped.

This was a nice win for the O’s. They scored nine runs without Gunnar Henderson, Blaze Alexander, or Samuel Basallo, and largely without extra base hits. Eight of their 10 hits were singles, and the Mayo homer, while nice, was largely inconsequential. Baz was not particularly good, but his bullpen and lineup supported him, which was a nice change of pace for him.

The Blue Jays and Rangers also lost tonight, so the Orioles gained ground on everyone they needed to in the AL wild card race. Their path to a postseason place remains slim, but it does exist.

The O’s are off on Thursday before beginning another big series on Friday, this time in Toronto. Chris Bassitt (6-5, 4.96 ERA) will start the opener against his former club. First pitch is set for 7:07 from Rogers Centre.

Most Birdland Player, Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Here are a few players for your consideration for MBP in tonight’s win:

• Dylan Beavers (2-for-5, three RBI)
• Josh Walker (cleaned up for Baz in the sixth inning)
• Rico Garcia (1.2 scoreless innings, got out of Cano’s jam)
• Shane Baz (finally got some run support)
• Coby Mayo (homer off a righty, made the error hurt)

It’s only fitting that history was made a mere stone’s throw away from Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Roughly 24,000 players have played Major League Baseball since the N.L. debuted in 1876. Jose Altuve is just the 103rd member to reach the 2,500-hit milestone thanks to a double in the top of third inning. Little did he realize that “his moment” would serve as a catalyst for a continued offensive explosion for the night in front of 39,642. Phillies 11 Astros 7.  

Throughout the third, the Astros and Phillies would combine to score 8 runs, each posting 4 spots in their respective frames. Isaac Paredes worked some two out magic launching a 2-run blast, his 19th of the year, which brought home Yordan Alvarez. Moments earlier, Alvarez drove in Cam Smith on a double to deep right center. Altuve’s historic double preceded a Yainer Diaz singlethat drove him in, making it 4-0.   

The Phillies would respond. J.T. Realmuto reached on a leadoff single. Bryan De La Cruz, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Luis Arraez joined him with base knocks of their own, and just like that, things were tied up 4-4.

The Astros would regain the lead in the fourth. Cam Smith brought in Daulton Varsho with a 2-run shot to center. For Cam, it was his second straight night with a home run. Sadly. that was where the fun would end for Houston.     

Trea Turner sent one to the seats getting one of those runs back in the fifth. Then in the sixth, the wheels officially came off.    

Hunter Brown, who was making his 17th start of the year, went five innings. He’d allow 4 runs on 7 hits while striking out 7. Enter Bryan King. Four batters faced, zero retired and to boot a fielding error from Christian Walker. AJ Blubaugh attempted to clean up the mess, but to no avail. Inheriting a bases loaded nightmare, things only went bad to worse. Blubaugh’s stuff was missing the corners at an alarming rate. Bryan De La Cruz drew a bases loaded walk which gave Philly the lead, and they’d never relinquish it. At one point, AJ threw a sequence of six straight balls. Kyle Schwarber added the defining exclamation point, clearing the bases with a monster grand slam. It was Schwarber’s 44th blast of the season. Philadelphia would score 6 in the 6th, making it 11-6.    

In the seventh, Isaac Paredes drove in Houston’s 7th run of the night with an RBI single, scoring Jeremy Pena who doubled. Pena now has 30 doubles.      

Tatsuya Imai started the bottom half of the seventh issuing back-to-back walks but settled down. Once again in the 8th, Imai allowed multiple base runners to reach but got out unscathed.

Odds & Ends:

The Astros and Phillies would combine for 24 hits on the night.     

Kyle Schwarber has now hit 10 career grand slams. Ryan Howard holds their team record with 15.

Cristian Javier will get the start in Thursday’s rubber match. First pitch is set for 12:05 CDT. He’ll be opposed by Zack Wheeler, who has 12 wins.   

The Red Sox haven’t been super sharp in September, though they haven’t exactly needed to be. There shouldn’t be a ton of panic after the Angels took two of three in Boston with the 6-4 loss for the Red Sox in the rubber match. 

The magic number will fall. The team will be whole soon. So don’t freak out about a series loss to a lowly Los Angeles team. 

Here’s three takeaways from Wednesday night’s loss  

HOME RUNS HURT 

Jake Bennett struggled with one tough inning where the home run ball. Los Angeles scored five runs off the lefty in the third inning from a three-run blast from Zach Neto, who also had four hits Tuesday night, and a two-run shot for Jose Siri. 

The Angels added another run in the fourth inning and didn’t look back behind another solid start from Ryan Johnson, though the Red Sox did snap his six-start streak of allowing two runs or fewer as he surrendered three earned runs. 

RELAX, JUST GET THE LINEUP HEALTHY
Boston showed some solid fight late with four runs coming as the game went on. Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu impressed as they both slugged homers over 400 feet. 

While the group had ups and downs in the series, Willson Contreras could rejoin the team this weekend after a Friday rehab assignment with Double-A Portland. Ceddanne Rafaela appears on the right track after a retroactive injured list designation as well.

As we’ve discussed all September, just get the lineup healthy for the postseason. They will. 

MAGIC NUMBER WATCH

The loss would have kept the magic number for the Red Sox at 10 to clinch an American League playoff spot. 

Instead, Boston got some help from an American League East rival as the Blue Jays lost 2-0 to the Athletics already Wednesday. That Toronto defeat dropped Boston’s magic number to nine with 15 games remaining.

The Yankees smashed three home runs, including a George Lombard Jr. grand slam, to defeat the Rockies 6-1 on Wednesday night. 

Lombard's blast was the first grand slam of the young shortstop's career and the youngest Yankee since Mickey Mantle in 1952 to hit a grand slam. It was also the first hit by a Yankee this season. 

The Yankees (83-62) remain 4.0 games behind the Rays, who defeated the Braves earlier in the evening, for first place in the AL East.  The magic number to clinch a playoff spot is five. 

Here are the takeaways...

-Luis Garcia Jr. continued his hot hitting with a solo shot in the second to give the Yankees an early 1-0 lead, but the Yankees broke the game open in the third inning when Lombard launched his grand slam over the right field wall. 

The third Yankees home run was a Cody Bellinger solo shot in the eighth. 

-Will Warren cruised through the first two innings, but the right-hander started to lose the zone, allowing a leadoff double and a walk to put him in trouble in the third. Warren struck out the next two batters (one on a failed bunt) and then Ryan McMahon made an impressive running grab in foul territory to get the Yankees out of the frame.

Colorado would get to Warren in the fifth, as Connor Norby slammed a homer to get the Rockies on the ball. Warren then allowed two runners on with one out, but got Cole Carrigg to ground into an inning-ending double play. Warren, who pitched in relief on Friday, got through six innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out eight batters. 

-In relief of Warren, three Yankees relievers pitched three scoreless innings to wrap up the game.

• John Schreiber: 1.0 IP, 1 K
• Paul Blackburn: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
• Michael Fulmer: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K

-Aaron Judge got his first hits since coming off the IL, going 2-for-4 -- both singles. Judge is now 2-for-7 with three strikeouts in his two games back. 

Game MVP: George Lombard Jr.

The shortstop's grand slam was the difference.

Highlights

Luis Garcia Jr. launches one! pic.twitter.com/yuua8CyevT

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 9, 2026

Aaron Judge with his first hit since returning off the IL pic.twitter.com/J4eBalfmMb

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 10, 2026

GEORGE LOMBARD JR.’S FIRST CAREER GRAND SLAM!

It’s also the Yankees’ first slam of 2026! pic.twitter.com/tmIYnrbWsn

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 10, 2026

Cody Bellinger’s turn to go yard! pic.twitter.com/fPHlK5NEK5

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 10, 2026

What's next

The Yankees and Rockies wrap up their three-game set on Thursday evening. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

Max Fried (4-4, 2.73 ERA) will take the mound against Ryan Feltner (5-9, 5.91 ERA). 

Aaron Judge is in The Bronx this week and not Somerset, which means there are some concessions he is going to have to make, no matter how much he hates them.

A day after the Yankees captain made it clear he was “not happy” to be pulled after six innings Tuesday night, in his first game in 100 days because of a right rib stress fracture without going on a rehab assignment, Judge got another inch Wednesday, playing eight innings in right field while going 2-for-4 before being pinch run for in a 6-1 win over the Rockies.

“I feel like both nights, it’s all real valuable for him,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Just continuing to see pitches, see different pitches, have at-bats. I feel like his swing decisions have been pretty good so far. The more we do it, the more comfortable he’ll get. Good to see him throw a couple knocks out there though.”

Even with the encouraging results Wednesday, Judge could be out of the lineup altogether for Thursday’s series finale against the Rockies — almost certainly guaranteeing he would play in Friday’s Subway Series opener against the Mets on the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 — as the Yankees try to build him up smartly coming off a three-month layoff.

Though Judge expressed his frustration Tuesday night — which Boone said the right fielder shared with him both during that game and the day before — it was not expected to alter the Yankees’ plan in doing what they think is best to keep him healthy down the stretch., even though they are up against the clock to chase down the Rays for the division.

“I like the fact that he wants to be in there because he’s feeling good,” Boone said.

In the meantime, Judge’s teammates have been impressed by how he has looked in his first days off the IL after the long layoff and only facing live pitching once (Monday against Yankees minor leaguers).

“It’s not easy,” Cody Bellinger said. “But that’s obviously a guy that really understands what he wants to do and how he needs to get ready. … It’s been pretty tremendous.”

Boone described the situation as “fluid,” as the Yankees try to get a read on how Judge is looking, feeling and recovering from his first games in three-plus months. The manager, who has a strong relationship with Judge, said he thinks his player “probably on some level” understands why the Yankees are easing him back in carefully.

“But that’s him, he likes to play and obviously, he’s one of those guys that has the ability to play through a lot — not that he’s playing through anything right now,” Boone said.

“But obviously the biggest thing is the buildup and not having played, so just want to be mindful and smart about that.”

The Cincinnati Reds are back in action against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night in southern California. This time, they’re up against one of the best pitchers in the world in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, off whom Elly De La Cruz will attempt to extend his dinger streak.

Rhett Lowder starts for the Reds, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 PM ET. Carlos Jorge is in the leadoff spot for the first time in his young career as manager Terry Francona continues to try to find a non-Elly or Sal spark to the top of the lineup.

Here’s how both clubs will line up to start:

Chicago White Sox vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, September 9, 2026, 7:40 p.m. ET

Location: Rate Field – Chicago, Illinois

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh / MLB.TV

Pitching Matchup: Lake Bachar (1-3, 3.61 ERA) vs. Davis Martin (9-6, 4.13 ERA)

The Pirates are back on the South Side of Chicago for game two of their series against the White Sox. The Buccos had an offensive explosion in their previous game, outlasting the White Sox 9-3. That offensive onslaught started with a five-run first inning and the Pirates did not let up after that.

The Pirates have topped their win total from last year and although it’s a hard climb, they are still very much alive in the race for the postseason. Another win against a division leader could be huge for their momentum as the regular season comes to a close.

Hug your loved ones, get outdoors, pet your dog and as always let’s go Bucs!

The Dodgers departed Wednesday for their final multi-city trip of the regular season with their magic number to clinch a fifth straight division title at six, meaning their first champagne shower of the year could come as early as Sunday in Miami.

But the team is limping toward that celebration, with Freddie Freeman, the team’s leading hitter, joining Shohei Ohtani, the team’s top slugger, on the sidelines for Wednesday’s 14-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on a hot and sticky night at Dodger Stadium.

After the victory, manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani will be placed on the injured list and will not travel with the team to Miami as he recovers from an array of ailments, with right arm discomfort the most pressing issue.

The Dodgers soldiered on without Freeman and Ohtani, with the 14 runs scored matching the most in a game since June 27 and the margin of victory matching their largest of the season. And it made a winner of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who scattered three hits over seven innings while matching a career high with 10 strikeouts in notching a career-best 13th victory. He left to a standing ovation from the fans behind the third-base dugout.

The win also extended the team’s winning streak to a season-long seven games and left the Dodgers a season-best 32 games over .500. But with four key players already on the injured list, manager Dave Roberts is running out of time to get his team healthy for the playoffs, where they’ll be facing teams a lot better than the last-place Reds.

“It’s just how to get guys back, but give them enough time to prepare for the postseason,” Roberts said. “Does that mean more off days for those guys? Probably.”

Freeman, who also leads the team in games played and at-bats, was held out of the final game of the homestand with pain in his right knee. Roberts said Freeman, who is hitting .136 in September, has been hobbled by the knee for a while but hopes his first baseman can return to the lineup Friday.

“It’s a possibility,” Roberts said. “It’s also a possibility that we give him three days off to then get him ready, optimally, for the September run.”

Read more:Shaikin: An October bye-bye? Dodgers need bye to save Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani’s situation is more troubling. The Dodgers’ two-way star, who has been battling lingering injuries to his left knee, right biceps, neck and left hip, played Monday for just the third time in nine days and took a swing that “didn’t feel great,” Roberts said.

Neither Ohtani nor Freeman spoke to reporters before Wednesday’s game.

Roberts said he’s had second thoughts about not putting Ohtani on the IL last week and now faces the likelihood the Dodgers will enter the postseason with their most important player diminished.

“The balancing part, No. 1, is getting him back to as healthy as he can be,” Roberts said. “Is he going to be 100% by the end of this season? No.

“If we look right now, here today, I would love to go back and put him on the IL,” he said. “But at that moment in time we all felt that giving him four days was sufficient.”

The team’s injured list already includes center fielder Andy Pages, backup catcher Dalton Rushing, closer Edwin Díaz and right-hander Roki Sasaki.

The Dodgers didn’t appear to miss any of them Wednesday, opening the scoring in the second after Teoscar Hernández blooped a single to center and raced to third on Kyle Tucker’s single into the right-field corner. Hunter Feduccia then reached on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases for Alex Freeland, whose double-play grounder scored Hernández.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani out of the Dodgers lineup, available to pinch-hit

Will Smith doubled with one out in the third, then rode home on Mookie Betts’ 19th homer of the season to make it 3-0.

Elly De La Cruz answered in the fourth for the Reds, hitting a towering homer to center, giving him five straight games with a home run. But the Dodgers got that back, and more, in their half of the inning, scoring six times on five hits, two walks and two wild pitches to blow the game open. The big hit was a two-run double from Kiké Hernández, just his fourth game with an RBI this season.

Max Muncy had a two-run homer in the sixth, his 27th of the season — but his first this month — and Kiké Hernández added another in the seventh, giving him a season-high four RBIs on the night. Tucker closed the scoring with a solo homer in the eighth.

Betts finished with three hits and three runs scored, while Tucker had three hits and scored twice. Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández — who has a 10-game hitting streak — had two hits each. Tommy Edman was the only starter without a hit or run scored.

Now the Dodgers head back out on the road, where Roberts is hopeful no one else comes up lame.

“Freddie is just managing the day-to-day. I do think that we’ll manage Shohei the right way and he’ll be ready for the postseason,” he said.

“If he’s out there, he’s certainly a presence. There’s still enough time to, if he needs days, to do that while still finding time to get at-bats to prepare for the postseason.”

That time, however, is running out.

Josue De Paula to debut

The Dodgers plan to call up top prospect Josue De Paula on Friday, a person without authorization to speak publicly said. He will take Ohtani’s spot on the active roster. The Dodgers will still need to create a space for him on the 40-man roster.

De Paula, 21, has spent the season with double-A Tulsa, hitting .302/.400/.539 in 583 plate appearances, with 36 doubles, 26 home runs and 31 stolen bases.

Times staff writer Maddie Lee contributed to this report.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It’s not been the easiest start to a career for Kade Anderson, who came into today’s game with a loss and two no decisions on the season, and most recently off a four-run outing against the Athletics he called “unacceptable” and not “holding up to the standard” expected by both himself and his teammates. Much has been made of Anderson not facing hitters three times through the order, something that wasn’t really an issue as he was mowing hitters down in Double-A but has called into question his future as a big-league starter. Today, Anderson calmly navigated through a Rangers lineup that hung double-digit runs on Mariners pitching last night, working through the sixth inning for the first time as a big-leaguer – and something he did just four times at Double-A – and earning his first MLB win.

“This is just the beginning of – and also this is the standard that I set myself to,” said Anderson postgame. “I think pitching is just setting a standard every time you go out there and learning from each individual outing, picking up some things you want to take back [to the next outing] and keep learning with it.”

Anderson worked around some traffic in the first inning, giving up a couple of two-out base hits but getting a soft flyout from Wyatt Langford, first-pitch swinging, to end the threat. Those two base hits each came in two-strike counts, one on a fastball that was too nicely located for a 1-2 count and one on a changeup that stayed high to Brandon Nimmo, highlighting the need for Anderson to develop an out pitch that works at this level. He was able to use the curveball to that effect on a nice swinging strikeout of Corey Seager in the first. Check out the sick movement on this curveball:

The only mark on Anderson was he did allow some hard contact – seven balls hit over 100 mph exit velocity, although he did get the Rangers to pound that hard contact into the ground half the time. Jake Burger in particular hit Anderson hard, with a lineout in the fourth that was the hardest-hit ball of the game at 109 mph; he got to Anderson in the second with a leadoff solo homer, taking advantage of a 2-1 count (which probably should have been 1-2 if Cal had challenged the first pitch of the at-bat). But Anderson didn’t let it shake him and battled back to get his next three outs to cap the damage there.

What Anderson did particularly well in this game was make in-game adjustments; after Burger got to him in the first, despite the hard-hit ball in the fourth, there was no chance of that ball going out as Anderson executed a changeup that Burger got under. He then capped his day by striking Burger out on the changeup to end the sixth, getting him swinging over it this time.

“Cal came out and said something,” said Anderson. “I’m not gonna tell you what he said, but it meant a lot. And he holds me to that standard as well. That’s why he’s so good. Him holding me to that standard really has helped me continue to adjust to this. What he said just kind of clicked, and that’s the standard I hold myself to now.”

“To me he looked like he was almost getting stronger as the game went on,” said manager Dan Wilson postgame, apparently not privy to what Cal said, either, “which is always a good sign. His confidence continued to grow there throughout the game.” Wilson pointed to Anderson’s secondaries, in particular, as buoying him along, noting that he was able to get the slider down more as the game progressed.

“I would say that the in-game adjustment today, it just felt different for whatever reason,” said Anderson. “It kind of felt like I was back out there pitching again. And it shouldn’t have taken me this long to get there. But once again, that’s the standard.”

The Mariners were able to tie up the game against Rangers starter Cody Bradford in the bottom of the second. Cal Raleigh became the Mariners’ first baserunner in the second inning, extending his on-base streak to 11 games, thanks to a savvy challenge on a called strike three that turned a punchout into a walk. However, the Mariners were quickly in a position of needing a clutch two-out knock after Julio Rodríguez punched out on three pitches, and Josh Naylor popped out after burning a challenge on an obvious strike. Enter the much-maligned Taylor Ward, making a start with a lefty on the mound today for Texas, who came up with said clutch hit:

This makes me, personally, very happy. Another happy-making thing: Cal Raleigh is in scoring position there because he took it aggressively on Naylor’s popout, which forced the catcher to dive at the wall for the ball. Heads-up baserunning for Cal and a gold star for him.

Anderson again had to navigate around some traffic in the third, leaving a curveball on the plate for Seager, who singled, and then following that up with a walk to Justin Foscue, unable to get a big-league hitter to expand away the same way he might have gotten a minor-leaguer to do. But he got a weak ground ball from Nimmo, first-pitch swinging on a slider, and then went full count with Langford before striking him out swinging on a slider.

Anderson then hung a clean fourth inning, his first of the day, and the Mariners rewarded him with some two-out offense in the bottom of the inning: Josh Naylor reached on what should have been an inning-ending groundout to Seager that instead took a funny hop, and then Taylor Ward made that mistake count by working a walk, increasing my happiness meter all the way into the double digits. Cole Young then continued what’s been a hot September for him, demolishing this offensively bad fastball from Bradford for a two-run double that missed being a homer by about one Cole Young.

After a dismal August, Young has roared back in the early days of September. He’s increased his wRC+ from 53 all the way to 132.

“I feel like sometimes in August, you just get caught up and try to do too much or try to come through in a situation, and put pressure on that,” said Young, who is in his second (2nd) big-league August. “But I feel like going into this month, I’m just trying to trust my routine, trust the process, and just try to hit the ball hard somewhere, and if it gets caught, it gets caught. But just trusting my abilities and putting the ball in play.”

“I’m always just trying to simplify things, and I feel like it’s easy to get caught up in certain results and all of that stuff. So it’s just big for me to stay simple and hit the ball hard somewhere and not really worry about what the outcome is, moreso the process behind it and just trusting that.”

Then it was time for Anderson to face his běte noire: the third time through the order. Before that even started, though, he gave up a leadoff single in the fifth to nine-hole hitter Cody Freeman, but then was able to execute a well-located four-seamer to leadoff man Ezequiel Duran for a weak flyout, and wound up facing the minimum after getting Seager to ground into a 4-3 double play on a changeup. He couldn’t post a clean inning in the sixth, either, giving up a one-out first-pitch single to Nimmo on a four-seamer that wound up in the middle of the plate, but came back to strike out Langford for the second time on the day – and making him burn Texas’s lone remaining challenge in doing so – on a nasty slider and then striking out Burger on the aforementioned changeup to close up a strong day of work for the youngster.

Anderson was pumping 95s in his final inning, with his slider pushing up to 90, making me think he was deliberately emptying the tank, perhaps having been told his day was done. But according to Anderson, this wasn’t the case.

“It was more of a mentality, like, attacking guys. It felt like when I made that adjustment, my velo shot up, I was throwing things more aggressively in the zone. It felt like at some points I was trying to over-locate like throwing something by a dude, and I think that was the biggest game changer.”

“That’s another adjustment I’ve had throughout my starts: stop thinking it’s the last inning. It’s more, it’s just another inning. I think that’s gotten me over the hump to where I’m not trying to empty the tank necessarily, just treat it like another inning and stop trying to think like the finish line is near.”

While I was hoping to see Kade get a chance to face the bottom of the order and make a full turn through all three times, Dan Wilson opted to lift his young starter while he had the lead and end his day on a positive note. Unfortunately, this gave the Mariners bullpen three innings to cover, starting with Seranthony Dominguez. Dominguez led off with a walk to pinch-hitter Joc Pederson on five pitches, four of which were not competitive misses, but got Elias Díaz whiffing after 98. The Rangers continued to empty their bench of lefties with Anderson out of the game, pinch-hitting Evan Carter, who flew out to left. That turned the lineup over for Duran, who grounded out softly on a splitter to quell the threat.

The Mariners had a chance to expand their lead in the bottom of the seventh, with pinch-hitter Laz Montes coming up with a two-out parachute hustle double followed by a J.P. Crawford walk, but Randy Arozarena grounded out to end the threat, giving Gabe Speier the same slender lead Dominguez and Anderson had been gifted. Speier immediately gave up one of those runs on a first-pitch middle-middle sinker to Seager, who yanked it just far enough over the wall in left for an opposite-field homer. So it goes. Speier was able to recover and get his next three outs, but the already-narrow-lead was even narrower.

The offense couldn’t add on in the bottom of the inning – despite an unfortunately rare-feeling Julio single – giving Andrés Muñoz, he of the Funko Pop giveaway today, the thinnest of margins. I’m so sick of coming up with adjective for “little,” Mariners offense. Muñoz wobbled out of the gate, walking leadoff hitter Burger on five pitches and prompting a mound visit. After that, though, Muñoz buckled down. Joc Pederson grounded out weakly on a changeup, but it was as good as a bunt, moving pinch-runner Cam Cauley into second. The Rangers went again to their bench for pinch-hitter Nicky Lopez, who was helpless against Muñoz, flailing after 101.2 and then two changeups, each at 94 (aka, as fast as starter Kade Anderson’s fastball). Evan Carter was the Rangers’ last hope, but he went the same way as Lopez: on three pitches, fouling off 101, then the changeup at 94, and then swinging after an absolutely diabolical changeup at 95. I don’t know why this pitch works and frankly, I don’t think it’s my place to.

It stinks to be looking for silver linings in a season that had such hope and promise, but if you’re collecting little glimmers of hope to store away like seeds for the long coming winter, this game had plenty to offer: Cole Young emerging from his August torpor; Lazaro Montes coming up with a pinch-hit hustle double; Andrés Muñoz with a new weapon that can get him out of spirals and also obliterate batters’ souls; and Kade Anderson looking like the pitcher he was in the minors. That’s a lot to dream on, going forward.

Shohei Ohtani is not the only Dodgers star suddenly battling an injury.

First baseman Freddie Freeman is dealing with a right knee issue, manager Dave Roberts said, which was severe enough to keep him out of the team’s lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the Reds.

That marked the second time this homestand that Freeman was out of the Dodgers’ lineup and came on the heels of a rare start for the veteran slugger as designated hitter on Tuesday.

Roberts said there was no specific incident that led to Freeman’s knee problem, and that an injured list stint was not under consideration for the 36-year-old.

However, Roberts believes that Freeman’s injury contributed to his recent 1-for-18 slump at the plate, one that has dropped his season batting average under .300 for the first time since late July.

“Freddie does a really good job of hitting against his front side [in his swing],” Roberts said. “So when you can’t do that with your front side, your right knee, then you’re compromised. And I see there’s a lot more swing and miss the last few days; that’s just not who he is.”

Roberts didn’t set a date for when Freeman would return to the Dodgers’ lineup, wanting to exercise caution with the 10-time All-Star’s workload over the stretch run of the regular season.

The manager left open the possibility of Freeman returning to action for the team’s next game on Friday, when it begins a weeklong road trip starting in Miami. 

But, “it’s also a possibility that we give him three days off to then get back,” Roberts said, “getting him ready optimally for the September run.”

For now, it’s just one more injury-related headache for the two-time defending champions to deal with.

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