I’m going to get something off my chest. Any level of baseball where the player gets paid a salary is “professional.” (Name, Image and Likeness money in college doesn’t count.) The Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League are professional leagues. There’s some guy on Twitter that keeps saying a player’s first hit in Myrtle Beach is their “first professional hit!” when they have dozens of professional hits in lower leagues.

I’m not correcting that guy because I don’t post on that site anymore unless I’m asked a direct question. But that guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were capsized by the Columbus Clippers (Guardians), 6-2.

Justin Steele made his first official appearance in over a year on a rehab start. Steele did well in the first inning but struggled in the second, giving up three runs, but his defense was partly to blame. The final line on Steele was three runs, one earned, on four hits over 1.2 innings. Steele struck out two and walked no one. He threw 36 pitches and 26 were strikes. His fastball averaged only 90.3 miles per hour.

Center fielder Chas McCormick was 2 for 4 with a double, a stolen base and one run scored.

DH Owen Ayers went 2 for 4 with a double.

Hearn did not get an RBI on this double, but it scored a run.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were spotted by the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 5-1.

Brody McCullough turned in a great start, giving the Smokies five scoreless innings and striking out ten. He allowed just two hits and did not walk anyone.

Marino Santy pitched the seventh inning, gave up three runs and got the loss. Santy allowed just one hit in his one inning, but it was a three-run home run. Santy walked one, hit one and struck out one.

Center fielder Kane Kepley tripled to lead off the bottom of the first inning and scored on an single by right fielder Alex Ramirez. Kepley went 2 for 4 and Ramirez was 1 for 4.

The Smokies had just four hits tonight.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs popped the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 4-3.

Brayden Spears started and threw four scoreless innings. He allowed three hits, waled one and struck out five.

Braylon Myers picked up after that, allowed one run on three hit over the next 3.2 innings, and got the win. He struck out five and walked two.

JP Wheat gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but South Bend had a three-run lead so he got the save. Wheat’s line was two runs on one hit and three walks over 1.1 innings. Wheat also had two wild pitches. But Wheat also struck out three, including the final two batters of the game with the tying run on second.

Catcher Justin Stransky hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning, his sixth on the season. Stransky was 1 for 4.

Third baseman Matt Hallbach was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Hallbach scored on Stransky’s blast.

Right fielder Michael Gupton got his first professional hit (really!) and it was a triple. He was 1 for 3 with a walk, a steal and a run scored.

Stransky’s three-run blast.

Michael Gupton’s first pro hit was a triple.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans turned off the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 6-2.

Hayden Frank started and took the win after giving up two runs on five hits over five innings. One of those hits was a two-run home run in the fifth inning. Frank walked four and struck out four.

The bullpen did not give up a hit or a walk the rest of the way. Ashton Pocol was responsible for the first three innings of that and Jordan Henriquez pitched the ninth in a non-save situation.

Left fielder Caden Sorrell smashed a three-run home run in the third inning, his fourth as a professional. (And yes, that’s true.) Sorrell went 3 for 5 with five overall RBI.

DH Juan Thomas got his first two hits in Low-A, going 2 for 4 with a double. He scored on Sorrell’s home run.

Sorrell’s home run.

Two-run single for Sorrell.

Full highlights.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Nick Morabito got the first one out of the way and decided not to stop there.

The rookie waited until his 13th major league at-bat — hardly an eternity, but long enough for a player who debuted with the Mets over three months ago — to finally collect his initial hit. Two innings later Wednesday, he had a multihit game.

Morabito’s seventh-inning double that cleared the previously loaded bases highlighted the Mets’ 10-4 romp over the Rays in the series rubber game at Tropicana Field.

How much had the hitless streak weighed on Morabito?

“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t at all,” he said. “It was, so I am glad I got it out of the way.”

Morabito capped his night with a single in the ninth after his diving catch in left field ended the eighth. He began the night on the bench before entering the game as a pinch runner in the sixth.

“Coming off the bench, too — something he hasn’t done a lot in his career,” interim manager Andy Green said. “You don’t do that a ton in the minor leagues, so watching him get a huge hit, driving in three runs, make a diving play and then get another hit for good measure — it’s a special day he won’t forget.”

A going-nowhere team in search of a late-season morale boost has this: a series victory over a first-place opponent.

After failing to attain that baseline of success in their previous three series, all against division leaders, the Mets finally delivered. This one consisted of a strong bullpen performance and an offensive attack that included at least one hit from every starter except Luis Torrens.

The Rays (83-56) began the night with a 4 ½-game lead on the Yankees for the American League East lead, so the Mets provided neighborly assistance for their interborough rival by winning the series. Of course, the Mets will look to undo it when they play at Yankee Stadium next weekend.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

Justin Hagenman, in his season debut, gave the Mets three innings and allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk. The right-hander, who spent most of this season rehabbing a rib fracture, was on a low pitch count after only three minor league rehab appearances.

Jared Young’s two-run single in the first inning accounted for the game’s initial scoring. Young, who began the day with an .824 OPS since July 5, had his first career three RBI game last Saturday against the Astros.

Marcus Semien delivered an RBI double behind Young that extended the Mets lead to 3-0 against Griffin Jax.

Brett Baty knocked out Jax in the third inning with a bases-loaded double for three runs. Bo Bichette and A.J. Ewing each had singles in the inning, sandwiched around a walk to Semien.

Jonathan Aranda’s RBI single in the bottom of the inning gave the Rays their run against Hagenman and sliced the Rays deficit to 6-1.

Chris Devenski allowed three earned runs on four hits in the fourth inning. Cedric Mullins delivered an RBI single before Richie Palacios smacked a two-run homer. Devenski was removed after getting only two outs.

In the seventh, Morabito hit a line drive just over third base to clear the bases and extend the Mets lead to 9-4.

“I just have to stay committed to my plan,” Morabito said of his mindset after falling behind 0-2 in the count, “which is to be on time for the heater to see everything else. As long as I do that, I feel I am in a good spot.”

Juan Soto homered in the eighth. The blast was his second since rejoining the team Saturday and 23rd this season.

Purple Row is a fan blog. It’s also a fan blog privileged enough to have access to cover games in person from time to time. Usually when this happens, we talk as a staff about which players the person going to the game should talk to, and what they should ask. This process works, but it’s also limited to the interests of a few people.

Another characteristic about Purple Row is that it’s a community of readers who are every bit as knowledgeable about the Rockies as the staff. So why not turn to the Purple Row hive mind for ideas?

Renee Dechert will be covering the Rockies’ weekend series in Denver. So, who should she talk to? What should she ask? And what’s the story you ultimately want to read? What are you curious about?

Leave your question, questions, or story ideas in the comments. We’ll comb through all of them and pick 3-5 of the most compelling questions and will certainly take note of ideas with a lot of reader recommendations (turn your favorites purple!). Renee will do her best to get the questions to the right people and we’ll write about them over the next few weeks.

Here are some general parameters to think about before you offer your pitch:

• Think about questions that will get interesting answers — while I, too, would really like to know about playing time distribution, asking Warren Schaeffer “Why do you play Jordan Beck so much?” isn’t going to return anything interesting.
• Think about ideas that can be accomplished with one or two interviews that last 3-5 minutes at most — so something about one player’s mechanics, but not the Rockies philosophical and practical approach to mechanical adjustments.
• Ideas don’t have to be about the latest news (see: the story about Jordan Romano’s closer entrance)
• Ideas don’t necessarily have to be about baseball (see: the story about Kyle Karros’ and Cole Carrigg’s friendship)
• Remember the source of information: Difficult questions are welcome, but questions that amount to “Why are you a disappointment?” won’t get very far.

And there’s one other caveat: Sometimes, we can’t talk to players we hope to ask questions of, such as starting pitchers on the day they start. (Baseball players are very busy people who keep to a fairly rigid routine and schedule!) Still, well done our best to find out.

So turn to your friends, your family, your neighbors, and your fellow Rockies fans and brainstorm anything you’ve always wanted to know about your favorite team. Be thoughtful, be creative, and most importantly: Have fun!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The Dodgers will try to not fall behind 7-0 in this one.

Wednesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Cardinals
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

It’s game 2 in Los Angeles as the Cardinals take on the billionaires Dodgers Wednesday night. LA will start Yoshinobu Yamamoto while the St. Louis starter is Brycen Mautz. First pitch is scheduled for 9:10pm central time with the game broadcast available via Cardinals.tv.

1. Bryan Torres (L) LF
2. Iván Herrera (R) C
3. Alec Burleson (L) 1B
4. Jordan Walker (R) RF
5. Leo Bernal (S) DH
6. Nolan Gorman (L) 3B
7. José Fermín (R) 2B
8. Nathan Church (L) CF
9. Thomas Saggese (R) SS

LOS ANGELES — One day after allowing seven runs in three innings in his worst start with the Dodgers, Eric Lauer was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation. That opened an active roster spot for Blake Treinen to be activated from the 60-day injured list.

Treinen pitched in seven games on a minor league rehab assignment over two and a half weeks, with one appearance with Class-A Ontario and six games in Triple-A Oklahoma City, after missing two and a half months with right elbow inflammation. He totaled 6 1/3 scoreless inning, with two singles, two walks, and two hit batters with eight strikeouts, culminating with a four-out appearance on Sunday.

“He had a good up-and-down the other day. For us it’s more of he’s here. We’ll see when we activate him,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. “I assume we will activate him very soon.”

Because Treinen was on the 60-day injured list, the Dodgers needed to make room on the 40-man roster as well. Will Klein was moved to the 60-day injured list with right elbow discomfort. Klein last pitched on July 31 and was placed on the IL on August 1. This means his regular season has concluded, as Klein isn’t eligible to return until September 30, which is in the middle of the wild card round.

For now on the active roster the Dodgers have four starting pitchers active in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. The Dodgers were already planning to insert a sixth starter this weekend against the Washington Nationals. That will almost certainly be Emmet Sheehan, who has allowed only one run over his last 17 1/3 innings with 24 strikeouts in Triple-A.

If Sheehan slots in Sunday, the Dodgers would still need to fill innings on Monday against the Cincinnati Reds in what would have been Lauer’s next turn in the rotation. They have Justin Wrobleski on the active roster as well and he’s been pitching in relief. Even if he’s not fully stretched out, Wrobleski could conceivably pitch bulk innings of a bullpen game if needed, especially with 14 active pitchers on the roster.

I asked about Gavin Stone as a potential option for the Dodgers, as the right-hander has pitched very well in his rehab assignment to date, with 18 strikeouts against only one walk with two runs allowed in 11 2/3 innings in his four starts. But it sounds like the Dodgers are being cautious with Stone, who has not otherwise pitched since right shoulder surgery in October 2024.

“Gavin’s been good. I think right now — this is not talking to guys in player development — but just getting him to stay upright and stay healthy is a win for 2026,” Roberts said Wednesday. “Is there a chance he could impact us at some point in time in September? Possibly. I just don’t know that answer.”

Stone has not pitched since August 26, when he struck out five in four scoreless innings, and he’s not listed among the starting pitchers this week for Oklahoma City.

The Mets entered Wednesday night’s game with a hope to win an away series against the Rays. They had Justin Hagenman making his return to the major league roster after missing months on the 60-day injured list with a fractured rib. They would be facing Griffin Jax, also making his return from the injured list.

The Mets got off to a blazing start. They had runners on first and second with two outs, and Jared Young hit a single to right field that scored Bo Bichette as the game’s first run. Liam Hicks missed the throw at the plate and the ball bounced away, allowing Carson Benge to score and Young to make it to second. Marcus Semien then hit a double to drive in Young as the Mets third run. A.J. Ewing grounded out to end the inning, but the Mets had taken a nice, roomy early lead.

After a quiet inning and a half, the Mets ignited again in the top of the third. Bichette led off with a single, then stole second after two consecutive outs. Semien walked and Ewing got an infield single to load the bases. Brett Baty hit a monster double off the wall in left field, missing a grand slam by a few feet but driving in three runs to double the Mets lead. He also drove Rays starter Griffin Jax from the game in less than three full innings, with Steven Matz coming in to get the final out and stop the bleeding for the Rays.

The Rays began trying to comeback in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, they got a walk and a single to put two runners on, and Jonathan Aranda hit an RBI single to drive in Taylor Walls as the Rays first run. Hagenman got the final out to end the inning, which was also the end of his night. He went three innings, giving up a run on two hits and a walk while collecting a pair of strikeouts.

Chris Devenski came in for the bottom of the fourth, and he had a rough go of it. A Chandler Simpson single was bookended by the first and second outs of the inning, and a pickoff attempt was unsuccessful after Simpson was deemed to not have run out of the basepath on his way back to first, and a balk was called on Devenski to allow Simpson to advance anyway. Cedric Mullins then hit a single that drove in Simpson as the Rays second run, and Benge committed a throwing error that allowed Mullins to reach second. Richie Palacios then hit a two run home run to bring the Rays within two runs. A Taylor Walls double was the end of the line for Devenski, who ended his night with three runs allowed in 0.2 innings. Dedniel Núñez came in and got the final out of the inning to allow the Mets to escape the nightmarish fourth.

Núñez ended up going 1.1 hitless innings with a strikeout, helping the Mets reach the seventh inning, where the offense exploded once again. Bichette led off with a double, and Benge followed that up with a single to move Bichette to third. Young hit into fielder’s choice with Bichette being thrown out at the plate, driving Rays reliever Cam Booser from the game in favor of Manuel Rodríguez. Semien was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Ewing struck out in what looked to be the makings of a missed opportunity for the Mets offense. But Nick Morabito, brought in to be the defensive replacement in left field, came up to the plate for the first time in the game. He ended up getting his first major league hit, a double to drive in three runs and put the Mets ahead by five runs. Rodríguez struck out Torrens to end the inning but the Mets had opened up another wide lead with little time left for the Rays to mount another comeback.

The Mets had one last run in them, coming in the top of the eighth courtesy of a Juan Soto solo home run. And the Mets bullpen, thanks to Nate Lavender, Daniel Duarte, and Jonathan Pintaro, held the Rays scoreless for the final frames. They get a day off tomorrow before returning to New York to face the San Francisco Giants in a series that starts Friday night.

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Box scores

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Nick Morabito, +14% WPA
Big Mets loser: Chris Devenski, -20% WPA
Mets pitchers: +10% WPA
Mets hitters: +40% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Jared Young’s two-run single in the first inning, +18.1% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Richie Palacios’ fourth inning two-run home run, -13.4% WPA

Shohei Ohtani is expected to have an impact on the postseason as the Los Angeles Dodgers continue their quest for a World Series three-peat.

What opportunities Ohtani might have to make an impact remain uncertain.

Ohtani appeared to be trending in the right direction with his pitching progression, but that was put to a halt on Aug. 29. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that the team's two-way star would not be making a return as it was anticipated. The pitcher had thrown a 20-pitch bullpen just the day before.

In a Sept. 2 conversation with reporters, Roberts said the team is still considering shutting down Ohtani, but the Dodgers aren't ready to make that decision.

“I know he is in lockstep with (Mark Prior), the pitching guys, the training staff, but I think for me he has to throw a bullpen, then we will see the next progression,” Roberts said.

Ohtani is expected to remain available as a designated hitter, but hasn't taken the mound as a pitcher in a game since July 3 due to knee inflammation and biceps discomfort.

Ohtani did not pitch during his first season with the Dodgers, after needing a full year to recover from right elbow surgery.

Roberts was also asked about the possibility of Ohtani playing in the outfield, but the manager declared that’s "not on the table.”

The Mets (63-77) took the rubber match of their three-game road series against the Tampa Bay Rays (83-56), 10-4, the final score.

Here are the takeaways...

-- The Amazins wasted no time taking an early lead over Rays right-handed starter Griffin Jax. Juan Soto reached base on a single up the middle, but was retired on a fielder's choice by Bo Bichette. Carson Benge walked to put runners on first and second with two outs, and Jared Young capitalized with an RBI single. Tampa catcher Liam Hicks couldn't hold onto the ball when applying the late tag on Bichette, and the ball skittered away. The error allowed Benge to score and Young to move up to second base on the play. Marcus Semien added to the damage with a double down the left field line to bring Young across home plate, and the Mets were up 3-0.

-- The Mets engineered another two-out rally in the third inning. They loaded the bases after A.J. Ewing hustled out an infield single, and Brett Baty capitalized with a big opposite-field swing which ricocheted off the very top of the wall in left-center field, clearing the bases and knocking Jax out of the game. 

-- 29-year-old righty Justin Hagenman was called on to make the start for the Mets on Wednesday, marking his first MLB appearance of the season. He threw 46 pitches, allowed two hits, walked one batter, and allowed one earned run while striking out two over three full innings. 

-- Right-handed reliever Chris Devenski came in for Hagenman, and had a nightmare outing. After recording two outs in the fourth inning, Devenski unraveled, allowing three earned runs on three hits, including a two-run homer off the bat of Richie Palacios. Taylor Walls extended the inning with a double to force Mets interim skipper Andy Green to call on Dedniel Núñez to strand the runner in scoring position and hold the Mets' 6-4 lead.

-- Bichette led off the seventh inning with a double off the foot of the wall in right-center field. With the bases loaded and nobody out, rookie left fielder Nick Morabito stepped into the box for his first turn at the plate. He cleared the bases with a looping line drive into the left-field corner, his first career hit.

-- The Mets wouldn't relinquish their lead, and closed out the final three frames of the ballgame without surrendering a run thanks to strong relief pitching from Nate Lavender, Daniel Duarte, and Jonathan Pintaro. Along the way, Soto mashed a solo shot, his 23rd round-tripper on the season, to extend New York's lead to 10-4.

Game MVP: Whoever was batting eighth!

Baty began the game as the eighth batter in the Mets' order, and his three-run double padded the team's early cushion. Mark Vientos pinch-hit for Baty to face left-handed reliever Cam Booser and stroked a single. Morabito pinch-ran for Vientos and, in his first time at the plate, faced right-handed reliever Manuel Rodriguez, and he replicated Baty's earlier feat with yet another two-out three-run double, a moment he'll cherish for a lifetime. Morabito kept his momentum rolling in the ninth inning with a line drive single. 

Collectively, the eighth man in the Mets lineup batted 4-for-5 with six RBI on the night. 

Highlights

Jared Young opens the scoring for the Mets!

Carson Benge comes home with the second run as the ball gets away at the plate! pic.twitter.com/KmbXC2KW7v

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 2, 2026

Marcus Semien doubles home the third Mets run of the first inning 💪 pic.twitter.com/PHwmSTul5d

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 2, 2026

Brett Baty runs down the fly ball and runs into the netting along the left field line 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qxxTNXr3kJ

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 2, 2026

BRETT BATY CLEARS THE BASES!

6-0 METS! pic.twitter.com/Vd6dBkEAs6

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 2, 2026

Brett Baty makes the leaping catch in front of the left field wall! pic.twitter.com/t6o3jvdVDY

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2026

NICK MORABITO'S FIRST BIG LEAGUE HIT IS A THREE-RUN DOUBLE! pic.twitter.com/w8yoL21Zat

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2026

23 FOR 22.

Juan Soto's 23rd home run of the season! 💣 pic.twitter.com/m240rN6yYG

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2026

NICK MORABITO LAYS OUT FOR THE CATCH! pic.twitter.com/mhx6jodtfv

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 3, 2026

What's next

The Mets travel to San Francisco to take on the Giants in a three-game series, with first pitch for Friday's game set for 7:10 p.m. EST.

New York will send out Nolan McLean (3.06 ERA, 1.12 WHIP in 155.2 IP).

The Giants have not yet announced their starter.

The Yankees rebounded from their ugly loss in the opener to level the series against the Angels with a 7-3 victory. Spencer Jones and Jazz Chisholm Jr. continued to power the offense, their bats heating up at just the right time. New York has just the man they want on the mound to go for the series win as Cam Schlittler looks to stick another pin in his AL Cy Young case.

Schlittler is coming off one of his most important starts of the year. It was a bit of a weird one — he allowed just two hits in 5.2 scoreless innings while also becoming the fourth-youngest Yankee to record 200 strikeouts in a season, but also tied a career high with five walks. Nonetheless, it spearheaded a big win over the Red Sox to keep the rivals at arm’s length in the division. Keep an eye out for Schlittler to keep upping the usage of his curveball, an offering that he has turned into a true unicorn pitch in baseball. In 28 starts, Schlittler is 12-6 with a 2.09 ERA (202 ERA+), 2.63 FIP, and 201 strikeouts in 163.2 innings pitched.

Reid Detmers was widely expected to be traded at the deadline alongside since dealt rotation mate José Soriano, but he ended up staying put. He has yo-yoed between the rotation and bullpen the last three seasons but really nailed down a starting role this year. He’s got one of the best sliders in baseball from a run value standpoint, the pitch inducing a 35.3-percent whiff rate and 38-percent strikeout rate. The southpaw faced the Yankees on April 14th, holding them to a run on four hits while striking out nine in seven innings. In 27 starts, Detmers is 4-8 with a 3.54 ERA (116 ERA+), 3.20 FIP, and 174 strikeouts in 155 innings.

Both Jones and Jazz are sporting a wRC+ of at least 150 over the last month or so, the pair a big part of the offense’s turnaround in August. Otherwise, the Yankees make four changes to last night’s lineup with the lefty on the mound. Paul Goldschmidt plays first and leads off giving Luis García Jr. the night off. Heliot Ramos comes in to play right sliding Jones to center and Trent Grisham to the bench. Amed Rosario replaces Ryan McMahon at third and Ali Sánchez subs in for Austin Wells behind the plate.

The Angels meanwhile make just one change to their lineup, Travis D’Arnaud getting the start at catcher over Tyler Heineman. Zach Neto and Wade Meckler have had big series for the Angels so far. They form the top of the batting order sandwiched around the ever-dangerous Mike Trout which, if silenced, makes the job a whole lot easier for Schlittler.

How to watch

Location: Angel Stadium – Anaheim, CA

First pitch: 9:38 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, ABTV

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | KLAA 830, KWKW 1330 (LAA)

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

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