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September started out roughly with two losses in a row to the St. Louis Cardinals, one a blowout and another a blown lead. Things could have gone very badly in the first week of the month, but the Dodgers won their final four games of the week, including a sweep of the Washington Nationals for a winning week.

Three of the wins were thanks to late turnarounds, as the Dodgers trailed in the ninth inning on Thursday but beat St. Louis, then overcame deficits in the seventh and eighth innings against Washington on Saturday and Sunday.

All four wins came without Shohei Ohtani, who got his first extended rest since joining the Dodgers, battling a few injuries. Ohtani is expected back in the lineup on Monday.

Batter of the week

Mookie Betts hit a three-run home run to turn around Sunday night’s game in the eighth inning, but his imprints were all over the week, with two home runs, three doubles, 11 RBI, and a tidy 1.168 OPS.

Honorable mention goes to Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández, who each had OPSs over 1.000 and each had game-winning hits during the streak.

Pitcher of the week

Blake Snell continued his solid run since returning from the injured list, tossing six more scoreless innings on Friday to beat the Washington Nationals. Snell struck out seven and since getting activated on August 11 has 38 strikeouts in 29 innings and only three runs allowed in his five starts.

Week 24 results

4-2 record
35 runs scored (5.83 per game)
36 runs allowed (6.00 per game)
.487 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

86-57 record
705 runs scored (4.93 per game)
553 runs allowed (3.87 per game)
.609 pythagorean win percentage (87-56)

Miscellany

Unique score!: The Dodgers opened the month with a drubbing at the hands of the Cardinals on Tuesday, which ended in a 13-8 score that seemed unfamiliar. That instinct was correct, as September 1 marked the first time the Los Angeles Dodgers ever had a game end 13-8, win or lose. The previous 13-8 game in franchise history came 70 years ago, when Brooklyn beat the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the 1956 World Series.

CT3 returns: Before Wednesday night’s game against the Cardinals, Chris Taylor received his 2025 championship ring from his former teammates. Taylor coaxed his two-year-old son Theo to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to him, and did so adorably so. Taylor, who retired in May, played 10 of his 12 major league seasons with the Dodgers.

“It’s pretty much what I identify my career as. Over 90 percent of my career was in Dodger blue. This is the place I call home. I’m always proud to be a Dodger” Taylor said. “This night means a lot that they would even do this for me. I’m extremely humbled.”

Transactions

Tuesday: On the first day of September, Will Smith and Dalton Rushing were activated off the injured list, as was Justin Wrobleski, and Alex Freeland was called up from Oklahoma City. The net additions of one position player and one pitcher also included Ben Rortvedt getting designated for assignment and Alek Thomas optioned to Triple-A.

Wednesday: Blake Treinen returned after two and a half months on the injured list, left-hander Eric Lauer was placed on the IL after his worst start as a Dodger, and Will Klein was moved to the 60-day IL, ending his regular season.

Thursday: Rortvedt cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A.

Saturday: Bobby Miller was activated off the 60-day injured list to provide length in the bullpen, Kyle Hurt was optioned, and Thomas was designated for assignment.

Sunday: After going through throwing drills on Saturday, Rushing landed back on the IL with elbow discomfort. Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo was called back up from Oklahoma City.

Game results

• Tuesday: Cardinals 13, Dodgers 8
• Wednesday: Cardinals 8, Dodgers 6 (10 innings)
• Thursday: Dodgers 3, Cardinals 2
• Friday: Dodgers 5, Nationals 3
• Saturday: Dodgers 6, Nationals 5
• Sunday: Dodgers 7, Nationals 5

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | no reviews for Weeks 14-15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Week 22 | Week 23

Up next

The Dodgers run the Chris Hammond gauntlet, finishing up the homestand with a series against the Reds followed by a trip to South Beach to face the Marlins.

MILWAUKEE — First, a site note: The “3 up, 3 down” feature that normally runs on Mondays will appear this week on Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday.

Monday notes…

• ROAD WARRIORS: The Cubs are 40-32 on the road this season, on pace to finish 45-36. They wound up 42-39 last year. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• IN SUNSHINE: The Cubs are only 32-31 in day games, including 10-15 on the road. A year ago, they were 43-32 overall and 14-12 on the road. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• NOT STRIKING OUT: Cubs batters have had a total no more than nine strikeouts in 10 consecutive games, their longest streak of the season without double-digit whiffs, surpassing nine games, April 26-May 5. They had streaks of 11, 12, 15 and 16 games last season; two in 2023, of 10 and 15 games; and one in 2018, of 12, for a total of just seven longer than the current one during the past 10 seasons. Their 50 games with at least 10 strikeouts are 14 more than they had all of last season. They had 54 in 2024, 56 in 2023, 70 in 2022 and 80 in 2021. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Greg Maddux makes his first MLB start and it’s a success. He throws a complete game, allows 11 hits and three runs, and adds two hits as a batter as the Cubs crush the Reds 11-3 in Cincinnati. Leon Durham, Ryne Sandberg and Chico Walker all homer for the Cubs. It happened 40 years ago today, Sunday, Sept. 7, 1986.

Cubs lineup:

Brewers lineup:

Matthew Boyd, LHP vs. Robert Gasser, RHP

This is the first of three pitching rematches from last week’s series at Wrigley Field.

These pitchers matched up last Tuesday. The Cubs scored three runs off Robert Gasser in 4.1 innings, and led the game going into the fifth, but the offense shut down after that. Matthew Boyd shows three runs on his record from this game in 5.1 innings, but two of those runs scored after he left the game, and the bullpen then put this one out of reach.

Hoping for better this afternoon.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball. If you do go there to interact with Brewers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

The Colorado Rockies announced a couple of roster moves today.

Kyle Karros had been on the seven-day concussion injured list for a second time following a collision in the field on August 11th. The Rockies had originally reinstated Karros on August 21st, but after just two games with the club he was placed back on the injured list due to “symptoms similar to his concussion.” according to manager Warren Schaeffer.

In his first stint on the injured list Karros did not see any rehab appearances in the minor leagues but did spend four games with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats the second time around. In those four games he collected six hits including a home run and also stole a base. He will look to keep that level of production as he returns to the big league club for whom he has so far batted .263/.360/.419 over 114 games this season.

To make room on the active roster Ryan Ritter was optioned back down to Triple-A Albuquerque where he has spent the majority of the 2026 season while battling injuries of his own. Ritter has hit well for the Isotopes this year with a .325/.424/.459 slash line in 52 games but has failed to see that translate in limited action for the Major League club.

Ritter only saw action in ten games for the Rockies since being recalled on August 23rd, and only had plate appearances in six of those games. In a very limited sample at the big league level, Ritter is batting only .158/.200/.158 so far this season. He will look to continue to perform in Albuquerque in hopes of another opportunity to return to the Rockies.

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

In January of 1999, on the heels of a historic 114-win regular season and a second World Series title in three years, the Yankees were on top of the baseball world. After a wilderness period that included a multi-year ban from baseball, the team’s owner, George Steinbrenner, was surely feeling vindicated.

But there was still an elephant in the room. Yogi Berra, who won 10 championships and three MVPs during his 18 years in the Bronx, had been in a self-imposed exile since 1985, when Steinbrenner relieved him of his managerial duties a couple of weeks into the season. Worse still for the proud Berra, the Boss didn’t deliver the news in person, deputizing GM Clyde King to do his dirty work. Berra swore he’d never return to Yankee Stadium as long as Steinbrenner was at the helm.

After a decade-plus cold war, there was only one person with the relationships, tenacity, and feel for the Yankee mystique to bring the two warring titans to the table.

Suzyn Waldman
Born: September 7, 1946 (Newton, MA)
Yankees Tenure: 1987-present (as broadcaster)

Suzyn Waldman grew up in Newton, MA, idolizing Ted Williams and developing what would become a lifelong love of baseball. After getting a degree in economics from Simmons University — a school she chose in part for its proximity to Fenway Park — Waldman embarked on a musical theater career. She reached the pinnacle of that field, co-starring in Man of La Mancha on Broadway. When that show hit the road in 1979, she joined the touring company, using it as an opportunity to see ballparks around the country.

When the show came through Minnesota, Waldman was offered a private tour by a couple of Twins employees who’d seen her perform. Her hometown Red Sox were in town, and she struck up a conversation with their famously reserved star, Jim Rice. Overhearing their chat, broadcaster Wes Parker told Waldman, “if you can get that man to talk to you that way, you should think about doing this for a living.”

She took the feedback to heart, taking journalism classes as she continued her acting career. In 1986, Waldman sung the national anthem before Game 7 of the ALCS at Fenway Park.

A year later, she was hired by the nascent WFAN radio station in New York. On July 1, 1987, the station went live, with Waldman’s voice the first on its airwaves. She covered the Yankees and Knicks as well as St. John’s basketball. Throughout her ascent in sports media, she was often the first woman each step of the way. With that came unfair and, at time, frightening backlash. “I remember thinking: Why would someone actually want to kill me because I’m talking about the New York Yankees?” Waldman said, recalling the first death threats she received in 1989. “The Stadium got letters, and the station got them, that was in Queens, so I had two precincts that were watching me…I was terrified. I’m still scared. I still get a little nervous when I go through crowds ’cause I don’t know who’s in there. That doesn’t go away, by the way.”

A huge first came on July 24, 1995, when Waldman became the first woman announcer on a nationally televised baseball game. The Baseball Network was carrying a Monday night game between Rangers and Yankees and tapped Waldman to join former ballplayers Bobby Murcer and Steve Busby on the call. “I wasn’t scared until the red light went on,” Waldman said a few days later. “I thought I was ready. But when that red light went on, my whole body started to shake. I thought I could perform through that. I was surprised I got that nervous.” Ever the perfectionist, after making history, she returned to her hotel room to cry, picking apart her performance. “Now I’d like to do the whole thing over and do it right,” she said of her debut.

She would get that chance. Waldman began a regular stint calling Yankees games on TV for WPIX in 1996. But before she could start her life-changing, historic gig, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Waldman didn’t let it get in the way of her dream job. “I had my whole treatment centered around my going to spring training — I fired my first oncologist because, ‘Well sweetheart maybe one day you can go to lunch,’” Waldman relayed. “I said, ‘No, no, no, no, no, I’m going to spring training, so you better do something so I don’t die.’ And I found an oncologist and she made my protocol to go with what I wanted to do, ’cause she believed that your life, and living your life, is a big part of cancer treatment. I was having chemo through that whole ’96 season. I missed the day I had chemo and the day after.” The Yankees’ championship that season, their first in nearly 20 years, was particularly special for their newest play-by-play woman. “When they won,” she said, “it was like I won, too.”

A couple of years later, she would broker the détente between Berra and her good friend Steinbrenner, arranging for the Boss to visit Berra’s museum in New Jersey and make amends. She then hosted a live show on WFAN with the two to which Berra’s close friend Joe Garagiola and Waldman’s childhood idol, Ted Williams, phoned in, helping publicly cement their rapprochement. That night, she called Steinbrenner to debrief. “I called George back at the hotel and I said, ‘What did you think, George?’” Waldman said. “And he said, ‘Well it was a great night for the New York Yankees.’ Then he paused, and this was so George. He said, ‘And it wasn’t too fucking bad for you Waldman either, was it?’”

After her time with WPIX, Waldman transitioned to the YES Network upon its launch, where she did some play-by-play as well as studio work and clubhouse reporting. When Charlie Steiner left the Yankees’ radio booth after the ‘04 season, Waldman left YES to begin the partnership which would come to define her career. Steinbrenner was at first trepidatious about hiring a woman to broadcast full-time. “What do you think of this? A woman?” he asked John Sterling, the team’s longtime play-by-play man. “I think a woman is wonderful, as long as it’s this woman. Go ahead and hire her,” Sterling replied. Sterling and Waldman would spend the next 20 years together, developing a playful chemistry and unabashed enthusiasm for the game that came to define car rides, barbeques, and beach days for Yankees fans throughout the city.

One of Waldman’s most divisive moments in the booth came in 2007, when Roger Clemens announced live at Yankee Stadium that he’d be unretiring at the age of 44 to return to the Yankees. Waldman, who’d known the fireballer since he was a Red Sox in the ‘80s, later admitted to getting emotional in the moment as she relayed the surprising news.

Waldman was similarly criticized for crying after the Yankees were eliminated in the 2007 ALDS, with longtime manager Joe Torre’s departure from the club a fait accompli. “That’s what I felt. I am who I am. I’m emotional,” said Waldman. “A lot of people like it, a lot of people don’t. I didn’t do it in a game, and I recovered.” Of the criticism she received throughout her career, Waldman offered an insight which hinted at the way she was treated differently due to her gender. “Nobody ever criticized my work, ever,” she said simply. “They just criticized me.”

As Waldman’s career progressed, though, she continued to be feted for her excellence and her trailblazing. She was recognized in the Women in Baseball Room at the National Hall of Fame. When she showed pictures of the exhibit to Steinbrenner, “He got really teary-eyed, and he said, ‘I’m really proud of you,’” said Waldman. Her benefactor was not around to see her induction into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2020 in recognition not only of her excellence but her “professionalism and resolve while staring down countless obstacles as a pioneering woman in her field.” She has also been honored by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation with their Gracies Lifetime Achievement Award and entered the New York State Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame alongside Sterling.

Waldman has become a Yankees institution, a reality best demonstrated by her courting of Gerrit Cole. While Cole was still an Astro, Waldman did some light lobbying, telling the ace that he’d “make a great Yankee.” Cole, aware of her musical theater background, replied, “If I do, you have to sing the national anthem on Opening Day.” When the Yankees signed Cole before the 2020 season, he held Waldman to her promise, as she sung the anthem before the home opener, a moment made more poignant in a stadium left empty during the COVID pandemic.

After Sterling’s retirement during the 2024 season, Waldman has remained a constant in the booth, calling games first with Justin Shackil and now with Dave Sims, a longtime friend with whom she has developed a quick rapport. As she reaches a milestone birthday today, please join us in celebrating the extraordinary career of the Broadway performer with a Massachusetts accent who’s become an indelible voice of the Yankees.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

The Wild Card Race.

The Royals are 9 games back from winning an AL Wild Card.   Although the Royals were a hot team in August, in September they have 4 losses and 1 win. 

The Diamondbacks have realistic chances of winning a NL Wild Card.  As of Monday morning, they were the third Wild Card, half a game ahead of the Padres. They need to win this series, and a sweep would be really nice.

In the Background. The Diamondbacks are better baserunners (which includes stealing and extra bases taken) than the Royals. This season through 30 August, the Diamondbacks had more Baserunning Runs (+12 vs negative 6).

The Obvious.  The return of Corbin Burnes will boost the Diamondbacks chances of a Wild Card.  He is expected to return and pitch in the second game of this series.  Another boost will be the return of Soroka.  He might return in the third game of this series. 

The Subtle.  Several Diamondbacks batters seem to be in a slump.  When they break out, it will be a game-changer in a positive way.

The Difference that Matters.  Winning games is the difference that matters.

Royals Players to Watch.

Former Diamondback, Josh Rojas. From 2019 to 2023, he was a utility player for the Diamondbacks, playing both infield and outfield. Currently, he plays most games at third base for the Royals. His OPS+ is 82.

Jac Caglianone.  He plays right field.  He is 23 years old, in his second MLB season.  His breakout in batting is impressive.  In June and August, his OPS was 1.036 (106 PAs) and 1.113 (98 PAs).  In September (thru 4 September) he had 3 RBIs in 17 PAs.

Pitching Matchups.

Anticipated Diamondbacks Pitchers:

Relief pitcher Derek Law will start the first game of the series against the Giants.  This season, he pitched 4.2 innings, with 3 strikeouts, and allowing only one earned run.

Corbin Burnes is expected to return from the injured list and start the second game of the series.

Soroka might return from the injured list and start the third game of the series. Or Gallen might return from the injured list and start the third game of the series.

Because the Royals batters are weak against left-handed pitchers (.708 OPS), expect to see left-handed Diamondbacks relievers Blake Walston and Brandyn Garcia.

Announced Royals Starters:

Noah Cameron is expected to start the first game of the series.  He is left-handed, which will be an advantage to Diamondbacks batters (whose OPS is about 100 points higher against lefties).  His 101 ERA+ reflects he is an average pitcher. He has 6 pitch types.  His best is a curve (.203 wOBA) and his worst is a cutter (.356 wOBA).

Michael Wacha is expected to start the second game of the series.  He is right-handed.  His 123 ERA+ reflects he is an above average pitcher.

Daniel Lynch IV is expected to start the third game of the series.  He is left-handed.  He started the season as a short reliever.  He switched from relieving to starting on 7 August.  He has started 7 games.  In his latest start, he allowed 5 earned runs in 5 innings pitched.  Nevertheless, his ERA+ is 118.

Game start times follow:

Monday, 11:10 AM MST.

Tuesday, 4:40 PM MST.

Wednesday, 4:40 PM MST.

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.

MONDAY

Robert Stock became the fourth pitcher in MLB history to go seven or more calendar years between wins, with each win coming under the same manager. Stock’s previous win came on April 5, 2019, as a member of Andy Green’s Padres. (source: Sarah Langs on X)

TUESDAY

Francisco Lindor reached 15 home runs for the 10th time in his career. At the time on Tuesday, Lindor had become the second primary shortstop to reach 15+ homers in 10+ seasons, joining Cal Ripken Jr. (13 seasons of 15+ homers). But on Sunday, Corey Seager joined Ripken and Lindor on that list by hitting his 15th home run of the year, giving him 10 seasons of 15+ homers as well.

Lindor has recorded 15+ homers in 10 of the last 11 seasons, having done so every year except during the shortened 2020 campaign. Currently, he is one of only seven players with 15+ home runs in 10+ seasons since 2016, joining: Eugenio Suárez, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Seager.

Sean Manaea allowed 11 hits, marking his most as a Met and tying a career high set on July 27, 2016, at Globe Life Park in Arlington, and matched on September 12, 2017, at Fenway Park.

WEDNESDAY

Dedniel Núñez became the 23rd different Mets pitcher to earn a win this season, marking a new franchise record. The previous mark was set two years ago in 2024, when the Mets had 22 different pitchers earn a win. Remarkably, only four pitchers earned a win for the Mets in both 2024 and 2026: Sean Manaea, David Peterson, Brooks Raley, and fittingly, Núñez.

For just the 10th time this season, Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Bo Bichette each recorded a hit in the same game.

Soto’s 111.8-mph home run was the Mets’ second-hardest-hit long ball of the season, behind Luis Robert Jr.’s 112.2-mph solo shot in Milwaukee on July 21.

FRIDAY

With Carson Benge’s 20th stolen base of the season, Benge and A.J. Ewing became the fifth pair of rookie teammates to steal 20+ bases in the Wild Card era (since 1995), joining: Carlos Beltrán and Carlos Febles (1999 Royals), Dairon Blanco and Maikel Garcia (2023 Royals), Brenton Doyle and Nolan Jones (2023 Rockies), and Chandler Simpson and Jake Mangum (2025 Rays). They are the first New York teammates to pull off the feat since a pair of Brooklyn Dodgers (Bill Davidson and Jake Daubert) and New York Giants (Josh Devore and Fred Snodgrass) did it in 1910.

Nolan McLean’s punchout of Christian Koss on his final pitch of the night marked his 179th strikeout of the season, moving him past Jerry Koosman and into third place on the Mets’ all-time rookie strikeout leaderboard. He now trails only Dwight Gooden (276) and Kodai Senga (202).

McLean recorded his 18th quality start this season, tied with Chris Sale for fifth-most in the Majors behind Sandy Alcantara (21), Cristopher Sánchez (2o), Michael Wacha (19), and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (19). McLean is one of only three pitchers since 2015 to reach 18 quality starts in their rookie season, joining Michael Soroka (18 in 2019) and Shota Imanaga (19 in 2024). McLean also recorded his 19th start of six or more innings pitched this season, tied for the second-most by a Met in a season since 2020, trailing only Chris Bassitt (23 in 2022).

Over his last 12 starts, McLean has posted a 1.87 ERA. McLean is the eighth Met since 2000 to record a 12-game single-season span with an ERA below 1.90 while averaging six or more innings per outing, joining: Mike Hampton, Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, and Max Scherzer.

Francisco Alvarez recorded his seventh multi-homer gameas a catcher, tied with Gary Carter for second-most before turning 25 years old. Only Jonny Bench (8) had more such games. (source: Sarah Langs on X)

Alvarez became the first home or visiting player to hit multiple home runs with an exit velocity of 107 mph or higher in a game at Citi Field since Pete Alonso’s franchise-record-setting night against the Braves on August 12, 2025.

Rafael Devers became the 35th player to record three extra-base hits and five RBI in a game against the Mets. Fittingly, the first ever to do it was another Giant, as Willie McCovey clubbed three homers and drove in five at Candlestick Park on September 22, 1963.

The Mets hit five home runs against the Giants, marking their most in a game in franchise history against San Francisco. The Mets had hit four home runs against the Giants seven times, most recently on July 20, 2019, at Oracle Park (Dom Smith, Jeff McNeil, Todd Frazier, and Pete Alonso).

The Mets scored 10+ runs for the 15th time this season, tied with 2006, 2007, and 2022 for the fifth-most such games in a season in franchise history. The only seasons in franchise history with more double-digit scoring games were 2000 (24), 1999 (20), 1997 (18), and 1990 (17).

The Mets scored 10+ runs on fewer than 10 hits for the second time this season, after having done so on May 31 against the Marlins at Citi Field. It’s only the third season in franchise history where they’ve had multiple games of scoring double-digit runs on fewer than double-digit hits, joining 1976 (2 such games) and 1987 (3 such games).

The Mets recorded 13 batted balls at 100 mph or higher, tied for their most in a game this season (matching their total set on July 27 against the Braves at Citi Field).

SATURDAY

Rafael Devers became the 14th player with five extra-base hits over two consecutive games against the Mets, and the second this season after Bryce Harper did it on June 20-21 at Citizens Bank Park (a stretch which included his first career cycle). The only other Giant to do it was Hunter Pence from August 3-4, 2014, at Citi Field.

With two home runs off Zac Thornton, Christian Koss became just the third No. 9 hitter with multiple homers in a game off the same Mets pitcher, joining the Phillies’ Larry Christenson (September 5, 1976, off Mickey Lolich) and the Braves’ Derek Lilliquist (May 1, 1990, off Ron Darling). Koss is just the ninth No. 9 hitter with a multi-homer game against the Mets, but the second this season after Dansby Swanson went deep twice at Wrigley Field on June 24. It’s the first time in Mets history they’ve yielded multiple multi-homer games to No. 9 batters in the same season. (credit: SNY broadcast)

Devers and Koss each hit a pair of homers, marking the 17th time in franchise history that the Mets allowed multiplehome runs to multiple players in the same game, and the first since July 14, 2024, when Ezequiel Tovar went deep twice and Michael Toglia went deep thrice for the Rockies at Citi Field. The Giants had done it against the Mets once before, when Orlando Cepeda and Ed Bailey each homered twice at the Polo Grounds on May 4, 1963. Only once have three teammates recorded muli-homer games together against the Mets — on September 8, 1998, when the Phillies’ Kevin Sefcik, Rico Brogna, and Bobby Estalella did it at Veterans Stadium.

SUNDAY

Carson Benge’s seventh-inning double marked his 143rd hit of the season, moving him past Jay Payton and into fourth place on the Mets’ rookie hits leaderboard behind Pete Alonso (155 in 2019), Ty Wigginton (146 in 2003), and Ron Hunt (145 in 1963).

Nate Lavender recorded a 13th straight scoreless appearance to begin his career, marking the second-most for a Mets pitcher behind Joe Smith (17 in 2007).

Christian Scott notched his 159th strikeout in his 30th career game, tying Nolan Ryan and Zack Wheeler for the eighth-most strikeouts by a Mets pitcher through their first 30 games, behind: Dwight Gooden (267), Matt Harvey (227), Noah Syndergaard (215), Kodai Senga (211), Nolan McLean (205), Jacob deGrom (187), and Steven Matz (169).

Bo Bichette hit his first three-run home run since Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, when he gave the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning with an iconic shot off Shohei Ohtani.

The Mets won while only scoring runs in the eighth inning for the first time since April 14, 2024, against the Royals at Citi Field. The Mets won after scoring four or more runs in the eighth inning despite being held scoreless over the first seven innings for the first time since their fateful Game 161 in Atlanta on September 30, 2024.

The Mets earned their fifth win over the Giants this season, tied for their most against the Giants in a single season since they went 7-2 against San Francisco in 1999.

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:

Since 1910, only six National League teams are known to have hit multiple walk-off grand slams in a season:

1962 Braves (Henry Aaron, Tommie Aaron)
1963 Mets (Tim Harkness, Jim Hickman)
1980 Cubs (Barry Foote, Cliff Johnson)
1983 Phillies (Bo Díaz, Ozzie Virgil)
*2001 Braves (Javy López, Brian Jordan)
2018 Cubs (Jason Heyward, David Bote)

*Both of the 2001 Braves’ walk-off grand slams came against the Mets, making them one of only three teams since 1910 to hit two walk-off grand slams against the same team in the same season along with the 1998 Red Sox, who pulled off the feat facing Seattle, and the 1963 Mets, who themselves pulled it off against the Cubs.

A 4-3 week has left the Guardians exactly where they need to be heading into the final weeks of the season. Being just 2.5 games back of the division-leading Chicago White Sox and holding the final Wild Card spot gives them the opportunity to charge into first place.

Williams Tops K Leaderboard

Thanks to another stellar performance where he collected 11 strikeouts over six innings, Gavin Williams has found himself back at the top of the strikeout leaderboard. With 228 strikeouts so far this season, he leads Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski by one and Toronto’s Dylan Cease by seven. While he’s not even in the top 25 when it comes to ERA, he’s found himself near the top of the innings pitched and average against leaderboards. He’s certainly making a case for himself in the 2026 Cy Young discussion.

Weekend of Walkoffs

In all three of the Guardians’ wins against the Detroit Tigers this weekend, they kept the excitement (or stress) going until the very last minute. Game one of Friday’s doubleheader saw the Guards and Tigers tied 6-6 until the bottom of the ninth when Brayan Rocchio hit a walkoff home run to secure the win. Game two was more of the same, seeing the score tied 3-3 heading into the final inning. That was until Travis Bazzana came to the plate with Rocchio on third. Bazzana hit a single into center field, bringing Rocchio home. In Sunday’s finale, the game was once again tied in the ninth, but this time there was no resolution after the Guards came up to bat. It took the ghost runner in the bottom of the tenth to score the winning run thanks to a single by Daniel Schneeman. While we’re all very thankful these games ended in wins, I think we could all benefit from a few less stressful games.

Genao Still Hot

Rookie Angel Genao is still finding success at the plate without really experiencing much of a slump. After 28 games, he’s hitting .245/.302/.347 with two home runs and a stolen base. He’s been shuffled around the infield, spending 12 games at second base, 11 at third base, and four at shortstop. He’s sure to be a key contributor to the Guardians’ postseason efforts if they can secure their spot in the coming weeks.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (71-66) won 3-1 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Cole solo home run. Hendrickson started for Sugar Land and pitched well allowing 1 run over 5.2 innings while striking out 8. In the bottom of the 6th, Ferreras broke the tie with a solo home run to right center field. Price added some insurance in the 8th inning with a solo home run. The pen was great tossing 3.1 scoreless as they closed out the 3-1 win.

Note: Ferreras is hitting .320 in Triple-A.

• Zach Cole, CF: 2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB
• Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 2-for-3, R, HR, RBI
• Collin Price, 1B: 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Zach Dezenzo, LF: 2-for-3
• Lucas Spence, RF: 1-for-2, BB

• Josh Hendrickson, RHP: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
• Christian Roa, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (SAVE)

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (59-73) lost 8-2 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the third inning on a Call 2 run home run. Hicks got the start and pitched well allowing 2 runs over 6.2 innings while striking out 7. The game stayed tied until the 8th where the bullpen allowed 6 runs as the Cardinals took the lead. The Hooks offense was unable to respond as they fell 8-2.

Note: Call has 21 home runs this season.

• Marcus Brown, 3B: 1-for-3, R
• Chase Call, LF: 1-for-2, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB

• James Hicks, RHP: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
• Ramsey David, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (43-87) lost 6-4 (BOX SCORE)

Howard started for Asheville and went 5 innings allowing 2 runs while striking out 8 batters. The offense got on the board in the 4th on a Gomez RBI double. They got another run in the 5th on a Neyens RBI single. Cruz struggled in relief as he allowed 4 runs over 4 innings. The offense got one back in the 7th on a Moss RBI single and another in the 8th on a Vasquez RBI single but that was it as Asheville fell 6-4.

Note: Neyens finished with a .807 OPS in High-A.

• Kyle Walker, 2B: 2-for-5, R, 2B
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 2-for-5, RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 3-for-5, R, 2B, RBI
• Kenni Gomez, CF: 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI
• Yosweld Vasquez, C: 1-for-4, RBI

• Dylan Howard, RHP: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
• Anthony Cruz, RHP: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (71-58) CANCELLED

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: OFF

CC: OFF

AV: SEASON OVER

FV: SEASON OVER

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

For the Braves:

Let’s talk about it.

The Dodgers have momentum.

Doesn’t matter if the last three victories in their four-game winning streak came against the Nationals.

Momentum is momentum, and momentum in September can be especially valuable, as it can lead to momentum into October.

“Obviously, if you can end it in September playing good ball, then I think it gives you confidence going into the postseason,” shortstop Mookie Betts said.

The Dodgers, who on Monday open a three-game series against the Reds at Dodger Stadium, understand they have to finish the regular season playing better than they did when they posted a 13-14 record last month.

“I think a couple of years ago we finished September not that great, and then it kind of carried into the playoffs,” Betts said.

Betts could have been referencing the 2022 season.

The Dodgers dropped three of their last four regular-season games that year and went on to be eliminated by the Padres in a National League Division Series.

Last year, they recovered from a dreadful July and mediocre August to post a 15-10 record in the final month of the regular season. They won nine of their last 11 games, including each of their last five, and went on to win the World Series.

The year before that, they also posted a losing record in July, only in that season, their comeback started a month earlier. They ran over their opposition in August, maintained their form through September — and guess what? — they won the World Series.

“I think a lot of September is the depth,” manager Dave Roberts said. 

Rosters expand to 28 players on Sept. 1 of every season, and the Dodgers use that to give their players breaks. 

Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup for four consecutive days so that he could recover from an assortment of injuries. Max Muncy didn’t play on Saturday because he was sick. Betts is scheduled to take a day off on Monday.

“We’ve kind of done that over the years, and that’s a sign of having a lot of good players,” Roberts said. “But, yeah, it’s important to go into October playing well.”

The early signs are promising.

The starting pitching is coming together, the recent comebacks of Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow giving the Dodgers four Cy Young Award-caliber pitchers in their projected postseason rotation. Ohtani is expected to return to the lineup on Monday after missing the last four games.

The Dodgers averaged just 3.9 runs scored per game in August. They averaged 5.8 runs in their first six games of September, which included two losses to the Cardinals.

Over their three-game sweep of the Nationals, they scored a total of 18 runs. An offense that previously had difficulties hitting with men on base was 9-for-28 (.321) with runners in scoring position and drove in 11 runs with two outs.

“We’ve just taken good at-bats and continued to get runners on base,” Roberts said. “I just like the at-bat quality. It just seems like every night is someone different.”

Their 7-5 victory over the Nationals on Sunday was an example.

Trailing 4-1 through four innings, the Dodgers collected five hits in the fifth to score three runs and level the score at 4. Of the five hits in the inning, only one was an extra-base hit, a one-out double by Tommy Edman that drove in Muncy for the first run of the frame.

The Dodgers let the Nationals move in front of them again but by only one run. 

“I thought we were going to break through, I really did,” Roberts said. 

He was right. With two outs in the eighth inning, Alex Call singled and Edman walked. With the two of them on base, Betts stepped into the batter’s box.

The first pitch thrown to Betts by Nationals left-hander Will Dion was up and in.

“I was wishing he would get hit by the pitch,” Roberts said.

Betts sent the next pitch into the left field pavilion for a three-run home run.

Roberts said Freddie Freeman joked with him, “That’s why he avoids the pitch — so he can hit a home run.”

Betts has a .246 average this season, but he’s batting .305 with five homers, seven doubles and 22 RBIs over his last 24 games. His resurgence is overlapping with that of Teoscar Hernández, who is batting .423 with a home run over his last eight games.

The Dodgers have something to play for this month, as they started the week a game ahead of the Braves in the race for the No. 2 seed in the National League, which entitles a team to a first-round bye in the postseason. 

Then again, the Dodgers went into the playoffs last year as the No. 3 seed, which required them to play in the wild-card round. They learned something important from the experience: Where they finished in the standings didn’t matter as much as how they played down the stretch.

The Cincinnati Reds woke Monday with the knowledge that it’s at least possible to take down the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game series. I am not sure the same could have been said when they woke up on Friday, even if they’d firmly believed it all along.

Despite dropping Friday’s series opener 10-7 in a way that’s become so maddening, they rebounded in kind. Friday saw the Reds jump to an early lead only for the grind of the Brewers at-bats to chase starter Rhett Lowder amid a flurry of line drives and singles as Milwaukee turned the scoreboard upside down one professional at-bat at a time.

Still, Cincinnati pocketed that during Saturday’s game, and took home a hard-earned 5-3 victory that featured the best of their bullpen finally getting the best of Milwaukee’s. Then, on Sunday, the Reds themselves churned out 12 runs on 14 hits – just one of them a homer – as they found ways to work counts deep and pick up key hits with men in scoring position.

Sunday saw them overcome the demons that cost them in the series opener, too. They did jump to an early lead, and they did see Milwaukee scratch and claw their way back and into a lead of their own. Undeterred, the Reds plowed right ahead, as Elly De La Cruz had yet another big day to lead them through to a 12-8 win that maybe, just maybe, can propel them through the gauntlet that remains this season.

And that’s the point here, I think. This stretch of Milwaukee/Dodgers/Milwaukee/Dodgers/Cubs/Braves is as difficult as it gets. It’s a veritable playoff slate for a 2026 Reds club that will not be playing in actual playoff games. But if the Reds brass and ownership is truly committed to keeping this entire band together for another year in 2027 – should there be a season – coming up large in September against this caliber of team is what the team needs for its psyche to clear through a run of a more important ilk this time in a calendar year.

Hopefully, this weekend serves as a wake-up call to the players on Cincinnati’s roster that yes, they can play and win against the big clubs. They can hang, they can take punches, and they can punch right back. That’s what the good teams do, anyway – they never feel like they’re buried and out of reach, something that’s been felt in Reds games all too often over the last few years as their overall offense slumped to league-worst marks. This weekend, at least, that era of Reds baseball took a backseat.

Let’s just hope it was for good.

This season, Nasim Nunez has had the chance to prove he can be an everyday player. While he showed some promise at times in the summer, he has failed in that mission. For most of this season, his flaws have been brutally exposed as he has been overplayed. Nunez has skills, but this is not something that works in a full-time role.

It is tough to overstate just how bad Nasim Nunez has been offensively. On the season, his OPS is .534, which is over 50 points worse than the second worst qualified hitter. You can be an all-world baserunner and defender, but there are offensive thresholds you have to hit to be on an MLB field every day. Nunez is simply not hitting those.

When you look at his Baseball Savant page, it is very easy to identify the problems here. Nunez just is not strong enough to consistently make hard contact. His xwOBA, xSLG and barrel rate are all in the first percentile. There are actually ways to work around this, but Nunez either can’t or won’t do that.

Chandler Simpson has the same issues as Nunez, but he is hitting .308 this season. That is because he has gone all in on making contact and weaponizing his speed. Simpson only strikes out 8.2% of the time while Nunez strikes out over 20% of the time. Being like Chandler Simpson is the only way for Nunez to have offensive success. However, I just don’t think he has the bat to ball skills to do that.

The result of this is pretty disastrous. This season, Nunez has an insanely low 52 wRC+. That means he is about half as good as even an average hitter. It is rare to see a wRC+ that low for a guy with over 450 plate appearances because usually those sorts of bats don’t get this much rope.

People would counter that Nunez makes up for this on the bases and in the field. However, fWAR does not think so. Even while grading out as an elite baserunner and very good fielder, Nunez still has -0.2 fWAR. With his profile, you have to be an impressively bad hitter to compile negative WAR. That is exactly what he is doing though.

It feels like the new regime has really bought into Nunez’s skillset. He is getting way more opportunities than he did with the old regime. They even moved CJ Abrams off of shortstop to get Nunez looks over there. Seaver King has been knocking on the door for a while, but Paul Toboni has decided to stick with Nunez.

With a slash line of .211/.289/.245, that faith is not being rewarded. Lately, Nunez has been as close to an automatic out as you get in the modern game. He is hitting .116 with a .302 OPS. Even old NL pitchers would be disappointed by those numbers. In his last 15 games, it has gotten even worse with an .095 average and .235 OPS. These numbers are just comically low.

With the offense having a tougher time post-deadline, you just cannot have this player in the lineup with any regularity. Whenever he comes up in a big spot, you are just conceding an out to the other team. That is what happened last night, with Nunez looking helpless at the dish.

Nasim Nunez has a unique skillset, so I understand giving him some run in a rebuilding year. However, entering next season with Nunez as an Opening Day starter would be unacceptable. He has proven to be incapable at the plate and not starter quality.

You can keep him around as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. However, if he is a starter on the 2027 infield, the offseason would be a failure. Nunez has gotten his chance and has very clearly shown he cannot be an everyday player.