New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole reacts on the mound during the fifth inning of a game against the Mets on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Yankee Stadium.
Heroes, zeros and the inside pitch from the Mets’ 12-2 win over the Yankees on Saturday afternoon in the Subway Series in The Bronx:
Hero
Zac Thornton couldn’t have scripted a better Subway Series debut. Coming off the worst outing of his brief big league career, the left-hander tossed seven innings of two-run ball. He limited the Yankees to five hits and struck out four.
New York Mets pitcher Zac Thornton reacts after ending the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Bill Kostroun for NY Post
Zero
Gerrit Cole allowed a home run to the first batter he faced, Francisco Lindor, and his day didn’t get any better. He gave up nine hits, three of which were homers, and five earned runs across 4 ¹/₃ shaky innings.
Cole has been touched up for seven home runs in his past two outings as his ERA has risen to 3.67.
New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole reacts on the mound during the fifth inning of a game against the Mets on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Yankee Stadium. Bill Kostroun for NY Post
Unsung hero
Lindor set the tone for the afternoon and then provided an exclamation point. The Mets shortstop homered off Cole leading off the game and drilled a grand slam off Bradley Hanner in the eighth to put a bow on the blowout.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor hits a grand slam home run during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Key stat
10.93 — Cole’s ERA in his past three starts against the Mets. He’s taken the loss in all three games.
Quote
“I think it’s something that we’ve gotta figure out for sure, and it’s one of those times in the season where you have to start making adjustments. Sometimes adjustments are hard, but that’s the demand of the game, right?”
Francisco Lindor should lobby for the Mets to play the Yankees on Sept. 12 every season.
After blasting three homers on that date in the Subway Series at Citi Field in 2021, the Mets shortstop had an afternoon for himself Saturday, homering twice — including a grand slam — in the Mets’ 12-2 romp over the Yankees in The Bronx.
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Lindor’s five-RBI performance led an offensive attack that also included homers from Luis Torrens, Carson Benge, Juan Soto and Jared Young.
The six homers were a season high for the Mets.
“It’s been an uphill fight this year,” Lindor said, referring to injuries within the lineup — including a calf strain that sidelined him for two months. “It just sucks that we haven’t played as much together. But when we do play together and we are all in the same lineup, this is what we should have been doing since the beginning.”
Lindor, with seven homers in his past 12 games, continued a hot stretch. The grand slam was the eighth of his career and sixth in a Mets uniform.
His previous regular-season grand slam was delivered Aug. 24, 2024, in San Diego.
Francisco Lindor rounds the bases after belting a grand slam in the eighth inning of the Mets’ 12-2 blowout win over the Yankees at the Stadium. Bill Kostroun for NY Post
The party started with Lindor’s homer against Gerrit Cole leading off the game. The Mets scored five runs against Cole over 4 ¹/₃ innings.
“He’s one of the best pitchers in the game,” Lindor said. “We have a crazy amount of respect for him, but he made a couple of mistakes.”
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor hits a grand slam home run during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees. Robert Sabo for NY Post
In the eighth, the Mets loaded the bases with two outs following Torrens’ RBI double. Lindor hit a towering fly to right field against Bradley Hanner that kept carrying over the fence.
The Mets are 22-13 since the Aug. 3 trade deadline, but their earlier struggles have ensured a second straight season without the playoffs.
Lindor was asked what the Mets can accomplish over these final two weeks.
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“Build on our relationships and try different things to be as strong as we can,” he said. “Guys would be lying if they said they don’t want to have good years. Everybody wants to have a good year, whatever their good year means for them. You are trying to give what you have got and learn each other.”
Zac Thornton walked off the mound yelling, his left fist pumping, after throwing his most significant pitch of the afternoon.
The left-hander, allowed to remain in Saturday’s game with two runners on base in the seventh and the Mets ahead by four runs, got Anthony Volpe to hit a grounder for an inning-ending double play.
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The celebration began for the Mets rookie, aware that his superb day’s work was complete and he had fulfilled his vow to interim manager Andy Green.
“Andy had come out and just asked where I was at,” Thornton said after the Mets’ 12-2 victory over the Yankees. “I said, ‘I wanted this guy,’ and I was going to get the double play for him.”
In all, he allowed two earned runs on five hits and one walk, striking out four over seven innings, needing only 81 pitches.
“It was pretty impressive for him to call [the double play] right there and get it,” Green said. “I don’t know that I am going to believe him every single time he says it, but it was a great way for him to end a really good start.”
New York Mets pitcher Zac Thornton (49) reacts after ending the 7th inning of the Yankees and Mets game on Sept. 12, 2026, at Yankee Stadium. Bill Kostroun for NY Post
Green noted an uptick in Thornton’s velocity throughout the game, with a four-seam fastball that peaked at 96 mph. He’s averaged 92.1 mph with that pitch this season.
“It gives him so much more margin when he can live at those numbers,” Green said. “It speeds guys up even more, makes earlier decisions on cutters, open hips faster, gives him the outer half access when he needs it or wants it, so in every regard [velocity] just makes it easier.”
It was a return to form for Thornton, who surrendered six earned runs (including four homers) in a loss to the Giants last weekend. With his latest strong performance, his ERA dropped to 3.44.
Thornton retired the first nine batters he faced before Paul Goldschmidt doubled leading off the fourth.
New York Mets interim manager Andy Green (70) speaks with the umpire during the first inning of a game against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 12, 2026. Bill Kostroun for NY Post
Francisco Lindor’s defense the previous inning provided a boost: The shortstop ranged into the hole and unleashed a strong throw to nail George Lombard Jr. at first base to begin the inning.
Bellinger homered against Thornton in the sixth for the second Yankees run. In the seventh, he allowed a single to Spencer Jones and walked Lombard before getting Volpe to hit into the inning-ending double play.
Thornton was asked about the adrenaline of pitching in the Subway Series.
“I love pitching in front of New York fans, whether it’s Yankees fans or Mets fans,” Thornton said. “I think it’s some of the best fans in the world, so I would continue pitching here.”
Julius Randle meets with the media after visiting The Brooklyn Basketball Training Center for their Back to School Clinic on Saturday, September 12, 2026, in Brooklyn, NY.
Julius Randle wasn’t kidding when he told rookie Mikel Brown Jr. that the Nets plan to “shock the world” this season.
“Exactly that,” Randle said Saturday when asked what he meant.
The optics — including an over/under of 24.5 wins on BetMGM, a 20-62 record last season, an influx of first-rounders from the last two years trying to mesh on the fly, and an organization trying to take its rebuild to the next stage — suggest otherwise.
But Randle, in his return to New York City after five seasons with the Knicks and two away in Minnesota with the Timberwolves, has a vision to make those an afterthought. He will, of course, be at the center of that, along with Michael Porter Jr., the type of player Randle said he loves playing with.
If Randle can replicate his numbers from the last time he was a primary scorer with the Knicks in 2023-24 (24.0 points per game), he could position himself to become just the second player — joining Michael Ray Richardson — to earn an All-Star Game nod with both the Nets and Knicks.
“Whatever your expectations are, whatever expectations that are put upon us, we’re gonna exceed them and we’re gonna do things at a very high level,” Randle said Saturday at the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center while hosting a back-to-school basketball clinic for 80 kids. “We’re gonna build, come in with the right habits every single day, and we’re gonna do exactly that.”
Julius Randle meets with the media after visiting The Brooklyn Basketball Training Center for their Back to School Clinic on Sept. 12, 2026, in Brooklyn. J.C. Rice for NY Post
Randle, 31 years old and carrying a contract with a player option at the end of the year, said he hasn’t thought too much about the rare spot he’s in — with the chance to carve out a legacy with two NBA teams in one city. He doesn’t spend time thinking about possible trades and rumors, either.
When the Nets acquired him ahead of the draft in June, Randle’s exit in Minnesota gave the Timberwolves some needed cap space and his arrival gave Brooklyn another needed focal point of the offense. But as with anything in a rebuild, stints might not last long.
This also marked a return to the city where Randle thrived for half a decade with the Knicks. There he was Saturday, cycling around the basketball courts, going through drills with the kids at his camp. There he was, posing for pictures and walking around in his clinic T-shirt.
“It’s definitely a place that just feels like home,” Randle said, “and I’m happy to be back here.”
When the season starts, Randle and Porter will be tasked with sparking the Nets offense, and Randle — who has already spoken with Porter a lot — said they can “really complement each other.” Porter, who averaged 9.3 3-pointers per game last season and hit 36.3 percent of them, can move away from the ball and serve as a catch-and-shoot wing.
Randle, who averaged 21.1 points per game last year while playing alongside Anthony Edwards in Minnesota, has thrived when creating off the dribble and with his passing.
Julius Randle shoots over Jalen Brunson during the first quarter of the Timberwolves’ blowout win over the Knicks on Nov. 5, 2025 at Madison Square Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I told him that like players like him, I love playing with because of how well he can space the floor,” Randle said of Porter. “He loves big shots, big moments, and, like, they always seem to know exactly like where to be. He does it at an extremely high level, so I’m excited.”
For now, Randle was focused on his camp Saturday, on the present, on his return to the New York City community, on the new place he just moved into Monday and the school year that began Tuesday for his kids.
“That’ll definitely wake you up a little bit,” Randle said.
But later this month, the roots of Randle’s Nets vision will start to take shape in training camp. Offseason chatter will fade. And then the real tests — the ones that’ll gauge the ultimate success of his homecoming and his ability to carve out a legacy with two teams in the same city — will come into focus.
“It was like, actually, kinda refreshing because it was like I lived here for five years but it felt like a fresh start,” Randle said. “And I was kinda like a newbie again.”
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 12: Christian Moore #4 of the Los Angeles Angels is tagged out by pitcher Andrew Alvarez #54 of the Washington Nationals after getting caught in a rundown between first and second bases in the second inning at Nationals Park on September 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Nationals bullpen blowing games is nothing new and we saw that today. However, the offense bailing out the bullpen and fighting back in the late innings was something different. That fight late in the game helped the Nats get their second walk off win of the season and win the series against the Angels,
As we have discussed, CJ Abrams has really been struggling lately. However, this series has seen a much more lively version of Abrams. While the Angels are not a good team, you cannot solely attribute this improvement to just seeing bad pitching. Walbert Urena was averaging over 99 MPH, but Abrams was still able to get the Nats on the board with an RBI double in the 1st.
These last couple of weeks are very important for the Nats shortstop/second baseman. His OPS is still a ways off what it was a couple months ago. However, if he can stabilize these last couple of weeks, he can end the season on a positive note. There are still plenty of milestones for CJ to reach. He is one stolen base away from a 30-30 season and 4 RBI’s away from 100.
His 29th stolen base was perhaps his most important of the season. In the bottom of the 10th inning, the Nats had runners on first and second with 1 out. Abrams noticed that the pitcher was not paying enough attention to him and took off. He swiped third base without a throw. That stolen base ended up winning the Nats the game.
After Abrams stole third, Harry Ford hit a ground ball to the shortstop that Zach Neto booted due to the pressure of trying to get Abrams out at home. The Nats won the ball game and Harry Ford gave the Nats their second walk-off of the season. However, you have to give Abrams a lot of credit for this walkoff.
Honestly, the Nats never should have been in this position. Through 7 innings, it looked like the Nationals were cruising to an easy win. Andrew Alvarez had one of the finest starts of his career and deserved to get a win. He went 7 scoreless innings with 8 strikeouts and only 1 hit.
With a 4-0 lead entering the 8th, this should have been a drama free contest. However, the Nats bullpen had other ideas. Brad Lord’s struggles in later innings continued in a 3 run 8th inning that included a 2-run homer.
When Will Dion entered to try to close out the game, Nats fans knew what was coming. They got what they expected, with the short lefty blowing the Nats 39th save of the season. Denzer Guzman was the hero for the Halos, ripping a double down the line to tie the game. Moises Ballesteros ended up giving the Angels the lead with a sac fly.
Denzer Guzman ties the game in the 9th with an RBI double!
The Nats were down by one entering the bottom of the 9th. So many times this season, the Nats have rolled over in these situations. However, that did not happen this afternoon. Against Angels flamethrowing closer Ben Joyce, the Nats battled.
It started with a Jose Tena walk. After James Wood struck out, Tena stole a base and advanced to third on an error. That put the game on Andres Chaparro’s shoulders and the big man delivered with a base hit. The Nats were able to extend this contest into extra innings.
In the 10th, Jack Sinclair was able to come up with a crucial scoreless frame. That gave the Nats a chance to walk this game off, and they took advantage. They used their speed and some timely contact skills to end this game and get the series win. It was a thriller and the good guys came out on top!
May 6, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Pittsburgh Pirates have lost the first two games of their final three-game series against the Cubs this season and are back below .500.
Pittsburgh sits 74-75 with 13 games remaining and continues to watch their fleeting playoff hopes become a distinct reality.
The Pirates had won eight of their last 10 games including four in a row that concluded with a sweep of the Chicago White Sox. It was the team’s first road series of the year.
As the San Diego Padres and Arizona Padres continue to win and the Pirates at least 5.5 games back, questions remain whether Don Kelly will be back as Pirates manager.
Kelly’s decision to pull Paul Skenes after seven innings with only 82 pitches in a must-win game was costly. Gregory Soto entered and gave up the lead, allowing two runs and the Pirates losing a deflating game to their division rival.
It all but eliminates the Pirates from the wild card race. This would be the 11th year in a row the team misses the postseason.
Decisions with the bullpen, pulling starters early, and lineups have frustrated Pirates fans throughout the season, especially because their year was supposed to be different.
We asked fans if they think the Pirates will retain Kelly at the end of the season.
77% of fans think Don Kelly will be back as Pirates manager for the 2027 season, per our SB Nation MLB Reacts poll.
Kelly took over for Derek Shelton as Pirates manager in May of 2025 and was named the full-time leader after the season. The Pirates extended Kelly’s deal, but the length and terms of the deal were not released.
It’s unclear how long Kelly is under contract and if that would play a factor in if he would be retained. Kelly has been in the Pirates dugout since 2020.
The Pirates are underdogs against the Cubs on Sunday, and the spread is set at +1.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook as the Bucs look to avoid being swept. The over/under run total is set at 6.5, and the moneyline is +122 at Wrigley.
Kelly’s Pirates return to Pittsburgh for the final homestand of the year for nine games against the Brewers, Royals, and Cardinals beginning on Monday and concluding on Thursday, September 24 at PNC Park.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 19: A general view of Chase Field at sunset on May 19, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Arizona Diamondbacks/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
RANGERS
DIAMONDBACKS
Joc Pederson – DH
Lars Nootbaar – LF
Corey Seager – SS
Ketel Marte – 2B
Josh Jung – 3B
Gabriel Moreno – C
Brandon Nimmo – RF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Ezequiel Duran – CF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Wyatt Langford – LF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Jake Burger – 1B
Tim Tawa – 1B
Nicky Lopez – 2B
Pavin Smith – DH
Elias Diaz – C
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Kumar Rocker – RHP
Brandon Pfaadt – RHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ active roster is at 28 and the 40-man roster is at 40.
Selected from Triple-A Reno: INF/OF Pavin Smith
Optioned to Triple-A Reno following last night’s game: C Adrian Del Castillo
Recalled to Roster and placed on the 60-day Injured List: INF Tyler Locklear (fractured right thumb)
He’s back! I’m one hundred percent certain the reactions to this move will be calm, logical and not involve an enraged mob, with torches, marching on Chase Field to demand the head of Mike Hazen. Right? For, a little over two months after being designated for assignment, clearing waivers and being returned to Reno, Smith is back on the active roster. To be fair, he has posted a .927 OPS over 39 games for the Aces since. If it were anyone else, Twitter would likely be demanding his call-up. Jose Fernandez’s OPS over the same time? .767. That does include 10 major-league games, but his OPS there was actually .785, meaning his Reno OPS is lower. But I do wonder if Hazen is simply trolling. 🙂
Early action hasn’t gone the Diamondbacks way. The Cubs came from behind in the eighth inning to beat the Pirates, while the Padres edged the Giants 7-6. Our only hope for gaining ground is therefore for the Phillies to lose again in Atlanta, a game which starts around fifteen minutes before this is scheduled to post. Of course, the D-backs taking care of their own business is the most important thing. We still have our destiny in our own hands, in that if Arizona win all of their remaining games, they would make the post-season. That would be… nice. But a 15-game winning streak is not something I would rely on!
Last night’s offensive outburst sure was very pleasant. I trust we will all remember chasing MacKenzie Gore after four innings, and him being charged with four earned runs, the next time we hear whining about “Why are we making this scrub look like a Cy Young winner?” I suspect “not” though. Today’s starter, Kumar Rocker is another pitcher who has not been brilliant. Though the old mantra remains. Any major-league starting pitcher can potentially throw a no-hitter on any day, against any opponent. Maybe Pavin Smith will work his magic, though since we are 6-16 when he starts…
On a day when the Yankees were out of it mostly from the start in a 12-2 blowout loss to the Mets, Bellinger represented a positive.
He struck the big blow in the series-opening victory with a three-run shot off Mets ace Nolan McLean on Friday night, and he added a solo shot Saturday off Zac Thornton.
Bellinger hadn’t hit for much power of late. Before his homer Wednesday against the Rockies, he last went deep Aug. 25. Suddenly, he’s getting used to trotting around the bases.
Just as significantly, Bellinger has found his overall stroke. In September, he is hitting .368/.359/.605 with a .964 OPS, which represents his second-best mark in a month this season next to his scorching-hot May.
New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger rounds the bases on his solo home run during the sixth inning against the New York Mets on Sept. 12, 2026, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Bellinger’s homer was one of only seven hits they could muster. Thornton quieted them over seven impressive innings of two-run ball.
“Thornton did a really nice job with his fastball — fastball/slider/cutter combo. He obviously got a lead there and the strike throwing was really good. I thought he had a good presence with his four-seam [fastball] at the top of the zone,” manager Aaron Boone said.
New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) is greeted by his teammates in the dugout after scoring on a solo home run during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Sept. 12, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“He controlled the inside part of the plate well to our right-handed hitters, so there were a couple of swings that felt like we got off decent swings, but he was in there enough to [get it] just off the handle enough to turn them into fly balls and not extra-base hits.”
Before Saturday, the Yankees lineup had come alive. During a four-game winning streak that was snapped by the Mets, they averaged 6.75 runs per game.
Some of that can be attributed to the return of Aaron Judge on Tuesday. His mere presence can change so much. But Bellinger starting to hit has obviously been significant as well, along with trade deadline acquisition Luis García Jr. and Ben Rice hitting, too.
It has been a disjointed year for the 31-year-old outfielder. He was productive early, struggled through June and July, and missed a month with a hamstring strain.
Overall, Bellinger’s numbers — 15 home runs, 67 RBIs and a .785 OPS — are solid. Most importantly, as October nears, he is trending in the right direction.
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers during a 4-2 loss to the Miami Marlins on Saturday. (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
The way right-handed starter Tyler Glasnow has pitched this year when healthy made him an obvious choice for the Dodgers’ postseason rotation. But during the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to the Marlins on Saturday, with the team on the cusp of clinching a playoff berth, he didn’t look like that version of himself.
“I just think it was bad timing and trying to get on time,” Glasnow said. “It was just hard to find today. Just every pitch was kind of off.”
The Dodgers could have claimed a spot Saturday with a win and losses by the Diamondbacks and Padres. The Dodgers’ loss ended an eight-game winning streak.
The Dodgers (90-58) got off to a good start Saturday, as shortstop Mookie Betts and third baseman Max Muncy hit back-to-back solo home runs in the first inning. But Glasnow quickly gave up that lead.
He showed signs of command problems in the first inning. With two outs, Glasnow hung a curveball to Griffin Conine, who drove it to center field. Dodgers center fielder Tommy Edman tracked it back to the warning track, but a step or two in front of the wall, he failed to secure it, and Conine trotted to second base.
Glasnow hit the next batter, Otto Lopez, on the hand and then walked Jakob Marsee to load the bases. But he escaped the jam by getting Javier Sanoja to line out to left field.
The next inning, Glasnow wasn’t so fortunate.
Glasnow issued a leadoff walk before Graham Pauley hit a fastball for a two-run homer. The Marlins (73-76) tacked on another run after three straight singles.
Glasnow settled in for the third and fourth innings, retiring six straight.
“I think it was just trying to move a little quicker and get my glove a little higher,” Glasnow said. “I was just ripping off everything. I kind of put a band-aid on it. Felt pretty good then it started to feel a little weird again.”
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow, left, talks with catcher Hunter Feduccia in the fifth inning Saturday against the Marlins. (Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
His pitch count was already high. So when he walked the first two batters of the fifth, manager Dave Roberts pulled him. Glasnow threw 91 pitches.
“He just couldn’t get his rhythm,” Roberts said. “You could see he was fighting himself all game, and I know he didn’t feel great coming into the game as far as kind of overall body, but I don’t know what specifically.”
Glasnow said his back, which sidelined him for three and a half months earlier this season, “feels good.”
“Just figuring things out,” he said.
Reliever Jack Dreyer hit the first batter he faced. Another run scored when a high toss by Betts to Alex Freeland pulled the second baseman off the bag. But Dreyer eventually got out of the inning with a double play started by Betts.
Though the bullpen held the Marlins scoreless the rest of the way, the Dodgers’ offense fell quiet until the ninth, when rookie Josue De Paula drew a walk, advanced to second on defensive indifference, and then scored on a single by Hunter Feduccia. Will Smith lined out to third to end the game.
Over the past week, the Dodgers have taken advantage of a soft September schedule as they compete for playoff seeding.
Although Shohei Ohtani is on the injured list and Freddie Freeman is managing a sore right knee, the rest of the Dodgers’ lineup, aside from Saturday’s low-scoring effort, seems to be clicking at the right time.
“It’s baseball,” Muncy said. “You go through stretches that are good, you go through stretches that are bad. And this has been a good last week or so offensively for us, and it’s been a good last week overall.”
Teoscar Hernández went on a tear during the last homestand. Right fielder Kyle Tucker fixed his bat path and was rewarded with a three-hit, five-RBI performance Friday that included a grand slam. Now add in Betts and Muncy’s home runs.
But they still have work to do to clinch a playoff berth.
Freeman returns to lineup
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman returned to the lineup Saturday after two games off to rest his sore right knee.
“He’s in a much better spot today,” Roberts said. “I think it’s one of those things where we’ve got to manage it.”
So, Roberts plans to pick spots in the coming weeks to give him days off.
“We’ve just got to make sure he’s at optimal health when we finish the season,” Roberts said. “So I think that he might not love it, but giving him a day off here or there might be beneficial.”
Freeman went hitless in four at-bats, with three groundouts and a line out to second.
“He didn’t seem like he was laboring like he was at home, which is a good thing,” Roberts said. “Now you’re talking about, how does the swing feel? I don’t think it feels great right now. So it was good to get him back in there, but I know he’s disappointed he couldn’t throw out a couple knocks.”
Rotation schedule
The Dodgers are set to start right-hander Emmett Sheehan on Sunday.
That means Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell are lined up to start the first three games of the Cincinnati series, which starts Monday. There’s an opportunity for right-hander Roki Sasaki (right middle finger blister) to return from the IL to start Thursday in Cincinnati, but the Dodgers are still monitoring his progress.
The NBA suspended Clippers owner Steve Ballmer for one year from all league and team activities. AP
Clippers beat writer Joey Linn believes the team has an insecurity problem surrounding the Lakers. On SiriusXM NBA Radio, Linn discussed why the manner in which the organization operates isn’t typical of a professional sports franchise.
“This is an organization, that whether they want to admit it or not, have operated as if they are trying to get out of the Lakers’ shadow. And look no further than right after they acquired Kawhi Leonard and they ran this L.A. Our Way campaign across the city of Los Angeles basically trying to establish themselves as their own team in LA.
“But it’s a lot deeper than that. Some of the things that go on, some of the tactics that are used to control the narrative on the Clippers’ side of things, at least in the way they’re carried out, aren’t exactly typical of what you would see from a professional sports organization.
“And that’s just where it does seem like an insecurity problem.”
“Whether they want to admit it or not.”
Why did the Clippers feel the need to go through the Kawhi Leonard saga?@joeylinn_ tells @BGeltzNBA & @SamMitchellNBA it’s because they were trying to separate themselves from the Lakers.
Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers in action against the Sacramento Kings at Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Getty ImagesKawhi Leonard (right) and Steve Ballmer (left) alongside Paul George. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
The Clippers have tarnished their reputation over the ongoing Kawhi Leonard saga. Leonard was fined $700,000 due to his involvement in violating the NBA’s salary cap rules. One could argue the franchise’s desire to be seen as the premier basketball team in LA propelled the downward spiral into the NBA’s investigation.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 12: Tyler Glasnow #31 and Hunter Feduccia #46 of the Los Angeles Dodgers talk on the mound in the fifth inning of the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on September 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First-inning runs alone won’t get you over the line most of the time. Stopping at a pair of early solo shots—at least until the ninth inning—the Dodgers’ offense left a lot to be desired in a 4-3 loss to the Marlins, as Tyler Glasnow went through plenty of issues in his shortest regular start of the season (4+ IP). The hard-throwing right-hander walked four and seldom looked in rhythm.
Beginning with a bang, the Dodgers made a statement against Tyler Phillips in the first, taking a 2-0 lead with back-to-back long balls from Mookie Betts and Max Muncy—the one from Betts had special value, given it represented the 10,000th home run in Los Angeles Dodgers history. The problem is that this so-called statement was left at that, with the offense failing to record another hit in Phillips’ three-plus innings of work, pitching with a short leash.
By the time Phillips was removed from the game in the fourth, the Marlins had already taken the lead courtesy of a three-run second against Glasnow. Josue De Paula came back from down in the count to earn a walk against Phillips in the fourth, enough for the Marlins to make the call to the bullpen and bring in left-hander Cade Gibson to retire Hunter Feduccia.
The Dodgers trailed at this early point because Tyler Glasnow seemed to be swimming against the tide for the better part of this one, meshing small periods of dominance with worrisome rallies. After squeezing his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, Glasnow coughed up three runs in the second. The damage started with a two-run shot from Graham Pauley and later on with three straight singles, the last one an RBI knock from Otto Lopez.
It then looked like Glasnow would figure things out with clean innings in the third and fourth, including striking out the side in the latter, but that calmness was short-lived. Walking the first two batters of the fifth, Glasnow was removed, recording just 12 outs and leaving quite a mess for Jack Dreyer, who did himself no favors by loading the bases with an 0-2 HBP. In what felt like a pivotal inning for the Dodgers to remain in this game, they caught all the breaks—an errant throw from Mookie Betts on a routine grounder was snagged by Alex Freeland, preventing multiple runners from scoring, and in the following at-bat, Kyle Tucker flashed the leather with a smooth sliding grab to keep everyone at their stations. With one out, Dreyer induced a timely double play as Agustin Ramírez absolutely smoked a groundball right at Betts. And just like that, the score was at a still manageable 4-2 deficit.
In the regular season, the habit is often to criticize bad challenges rather than the lack of them, but in this matchup against the Marlins, the Dodgers might have had an example of the latter. Tucker was up with a runner at second and only one out in the top of the sixth. With a 2-1 count against righty Tyler Zuber, he was thrown a curve that was clearly both outside and low—despite being visibly frustrated with the call, Tucker opted not to challenge as the Dodgers only had one remaining. While the instinct is reasonable with plenty of time left, the call was egregious enough that it warranted an exception. Tucker would be retired on the following pitch, and the Dodgers would ultimately strand that runner.
Repeating the events of the fifth, once again a left-handed arm out of the Dodgers bullpen performed his best Houdini act to keep the score at 4-2 in the seventh. With the bases loaded and just one out, Wrobleski struck out Esteury Ruíz and then induced a pop-up behind the plate.
With two outs in the ninth, Josue De Paula worked an easy walk as Pete Fairbanks momentarily lost his command and came around to score when Hunter Fedducia rewarded Dave Roberts’ faith in him with an RBI knock—driving in De Paula, who had stolen second on defensive indifference. Will Smith pinch-hit with the tying run on base and made good contact on a line drive, but it was hit right at the third baseman, securing the final out of this one. One run in five-plus frames against the Marlins bullpen was certainly a disappointing outcome for the Dodgers’ offense.
Saturday particulars
Home runs: Mookie Betts (20), Max Muncy (28), Graham Pauley (4)
The Dodgers play their final game in Miami this season, starting at 10:40 a.m. (PT) before heading off to Cincinnati for the second half of this road trip. While the Dodgers haven’t officially announced a starter, all signs point toward Emmet Sheehan pitching in some capacity, either as the regular starter or a bulk man out of the bullpen: perhaps with a longer leash after Dave Roberts went to Justin Wrobleski out of the bullpen in this Saturday matchup. Miami will counter with their most dazzling pitcher, hard-throwing Eury Pérez.
Sep 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Josh Smith (9) reacts after being hit by a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Orioles 3 Jays 7
That was a much better game.
The Jays went up 2-zip in the first. Brett Bateman started the game with a walk, and scored on Vladimir Guerrero’s double off the wall. Then Alejandro Kirk singled Vlad home.
And we got three more in the third. Bateman started this inning with a home run. George Springer singled and, an out later, Kirk homered. 5-0 and we could coast.
We got one in the sixth: Josh Smith was hit by pitch and Andrés Giménez doubled him home. We should have scored more that inning, but on a single Giménez rounded third, and, after Orioles third baseman faked a throw to first, tossed to SS Christian Encarnacion-Strand (covering third) and Giménez was tagged out. Not good baserunning, but that seems to be a theme lately.
And one more in the seventh. Vlad was hit by a pitch. I got a laugh out of Dan saying that it didn’t hurt, cause it was a slider, only 80 mph. I can’t throw 80 mph, and yet, I don’t think you’d want me hitting you with a baseball. An out later, Lukes hit a full-count pitch through the hole opened by the Orioles SS moving to second because Vlad was running on the pitch. Vlad got to third. Kazuma Okomoto walked to load the bases. And pinch hitter Ernie Clement hit a sac fly. That made it 7-3
We maybe should have scored more, but seven was plenty.
We used seven pitchers in a bullpen day:
Spencer Miles started. He had a tough first inning, loading the bases on two walks and a single, but didn’t give up a run. He was, putting it mildly, much better in the second inning, getting three strikeouts. Five of his six outs were strikeouts. He left at 44 pitches.
Joe Mantiply pitched a clean second.
Spencer Arrighetti (I wonder how many times the Jays have had two Spencer’s pitching in a game?) got the ‘bulk role’, tho at 2.2 innings, it wasn’t really bulky. He allowed two hits, one earned run, two walks and two strikeouts. The unearned run came because Okamoto bobbled a softly hit grounder to him and then threw high over Vlad at first (into the stands). A rare two error play. Arrighetti gave up a two-out walk in the sixth and was pulled for
Mason Fluharty. He gave up a double (that didn’t score the runner) and got a line out to Bateman (thanks Brett. I wasn’t thrilled they took Arrighetti out that early, but we won, so ok. Fluharty came in to face a lefty, but, of course the O’s pinch hit, so he ended up facing two RHB. Fluharty gave up a singled and got a strikeout in the seventh, brining in
Paul Sewald. Paul quickly gave up a home runs making it 6-3, but he got out of the inning.
Tyler Rogers got two ground outs and a strikeout in the eighth.
Louis Varland, in a non-save spot, came in for the ninth. He made it tough on himself by making a throwing error on a ground ball hit back at him. Pitchers can (most of the time) hit a pretty small target, throwing to the plate, but can’t hit the broad side of a barn throwing anywhere else. But he got out of the inning.
Brett Bateman, as well as the home run, made a terrific catch on a deep fly ball to the gap. And Nathan Lukes had a 9-3 put out at the plate on a single to right. Beautiful throw.
We had 11 hits and 5 walks. Also two homers and two doubles. Springer, Kirk and Giménez. Martin had the only 0 for (0 for 2, walk).
Jays of the Day: Kirk (0.15 WPA), Bateman (0.10, plus a great catch in center), and Miles (0.10). I’ll give an honorary mention for a 0.08 day and some good glove work. His biggest problem (on defense was not being 15 feet tall to catch the over throws.
No on gets the Other Award. Rudy Martin had the low mark at -0.06, getting just a walk in his first MLB game.
The Twins just beat the Guardians, Jays are just one game back again.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 04: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres scores on a single by Manny Machado #13 against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning at Chase Field on August 04, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country.
With a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks dropping the final game of their series against the Kansas City Royals, the San Diego Padres moved into the third and final National League Wild Card spot with a half-game lead over their NL West rival. The MLB schedule makers might have the ability to see the future because after 146 games, it appears the final series of the season between the Padres and Diamondbacks will decide which team heads to the postseason.
There is still time for either team to put some distance between themselves and the other. Which means there is also time for one team to fade out of contention. As much as the Friar Faithful would like to see Arizona do the later, it does not look like the Diamondbacks will oblige. However, there have been recent developments with the franchise from the desert that could change things.
Longtime Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte was a no-show for part of their road series with the Boston Red Sox. There were different scenarios and possibilities of what happened or why it happened that were reported, but the final line from the Diamondbacks was that Marte was dealing with a knee injury. That injury prevented him from playing on the field but not at the casino according to photos that made their way to social media. To Arizona’s credit, the team navigated the difficult circumstances and did not let it torpedo the season prior to Marte returning to the lineup.
More recently, the Diamondbacks have learned Corbin Carroll is having problems with his lower back, which is an injury he has dealt with in previous seasons. Carroll was scratched from a game and missed another but has already returned to the lineup, avoiding a potential IL stint that would have negatively impacted the Arizona postseason hopes. On a positive note for the Diamondbacks, Corbin Burnes returned to the rotation.
The Padres have had gotten positive returns as well as Nick Pivetta returned from injury against the Nationals and pitched five scoreless innings in his return. Similar performances from Pivetta during the final weeks of the season could go a long way in securing a playoff berth for San Diego. At the same time, the Padres desperately need Casey Mize or Robbie Ray to become the pitchers they were before they were acquired. Mize has had mixed results in San Diego and Ray has been the better of the two, but after back-to-back outings where he was touched up for multiple runs there is some concern about their effectiveness.
The Padres have a half-game lead and as stated that could expand over the final handful of games, but most baseball pundits and the Frair Faithful believe the final series against the Diamondbacks will be the deciding factor for the team that advances in the postseason.
If that is the case, it would be a heartbreaking for San Diego fans to watch Arizona celebrate on the field at Petco Park. If the Padres needed any more motivation to continue their current winning streak, that might be it.
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And now, they will have some work to do on Sunday if they want to punch their playoff ticket at loanDepot Park before heading off to Cincinnati.
That was the result of the team’s 4-3 loss to the Marlins on Saturday, in a defeat that snapped their season-long eight-game win streak and kept their magic number to clinch the NL West at four.
Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins in the first inning of a game at loanDepot park on Saturday, September 12, 2026, in Miami, Florida. Getty Images
After a week of largely flawless play, Saturday served as a reality check for the two-time defending World Series champions.
It also at least temporarily delayed some of their postseason-clinching scenarios, after they entered the day with a route to securing a playoff berth as long as they won and got help elsewhere.
Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his home run with teammate Max Muncy on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida. Getty Images
Instead, the Dodgers blew the early two-run lead they took on back-to-back home runs from Mookie Betts and Max Muncy in the first inning. More concerningly, they watched Tyler Glasnow struggle for a second straight start.
Coming off a six-inning, four-run outing against the Nationals last week, Glasnow gave up three runs in the second (the first two on a Graham Pauley homer, the third on three straight singles with two outs in the inning), then was chased after back-to-back walks to begin the fifth.
“He just couldn’t get his rhythm,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You could see he was fighting himself all game.”
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow hands the ball to manager Dave Roberts as he is relieved during the fifth inning of a baseball game on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Miami. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Indeed, Glasnow’s four-plus innings marked his shortest appearance of the season — excluding a May 6 start in Houston when he left early with back spasms that would sideline him for the next 3 ½ months.
The four runs he allowed were also statistically significant, giving him consecutive outings with at least four runs against for only the second time in his Dodgers career.
“I think sometimes you’re timed up and you feel good, then other times you have to make adjustments and figure out how to get guys out that day,” Glasnow said. “I’m kind of in that phase right now.”
The Dodgers didn’t help their case in other areas of Saturday’s loss, either.
The Marlins scored their fourth run on a throwing error by Betts with the bases loaded later in the fifth.
The offense, meanwhile, didn’t have another hit after its first-inning blasts until the top of the seventh and didn’t score another run until a two-out RBI single in the ninth from Hunter Feduccia. Instead, they finished the day with just those four knocks –– despite getting Freddie Freeman back in the lineup following a knee injury (he went 0-for-4 in his first game since Tuesday).
“They did a good job of mixing it up on us, they executed some pitches,” Muncy said. “And we didn’t do a good job ourselves of creating a whole lot of opportunities. It’s baseball. It happens.”
Thus, the team will have to wait at least two more days before it can claim another division title, while a 14th consecutive MLB playoff berth will be on hold until Sunday at a minimum.
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