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MLB’s 162-game schedule provides enough quirks and cool things to keep anyone entertained. In the minors? Multiple that by four when you consider each level of the full-season affiliates. For every infield popup lost in the sun, there is a diving catch in the outfield gap. But Monday, typically a day off in the minors, something magical happened. The Nashville Sounds, playing a makeup game and traveling to play the Durham Bulls on the Sounds manager’s birthday, watched as history unfolded during a Labor Day matinee. That came courtesy of 32-year-old left-hander Thomas Pannone, who threw a perfect game in a 3-0 Sounds victory over the Bulls. He needed just 94 pitches (61 strikes) to complete the first perfect game by a single pitcher in the minors since 2017. Pannone nearly lost the perfecto on the 27th and final batter of the game when he went to a 3-0 count, but two pitches later, he got a game-ending groundout.
Today’s Headlines
Scoreless For 9, 9 Runs Score In 10th As D’backs prevail
This is the time of year where strange things that impact seasons truly come to light. How else do you explain what happened between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals during a Labor Day matinee? Following nine scoreless innings, the D’backs scored five in the top of the 10th while the Royals retaliated with four in the bottom half, resulting in Arizona’s 5-4 triumph. The win kept the D’backs a half-game ahead of the San Diego Padres, who beat the Washington Nationals 3-2, in the battle for the third and final NL wild-card spot. The D’backs did it with a bullpen game as they await the return today of 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the rotation. It took seven pitchers to navigate the 10 innings, the first nine with no runs, then needing two in the final frame. The Royals relied on left-hander Noah Cameron, who went six innings and struck out seven. But eventually there had to be runs scored. The D’backs broke the 0-0 tie on Lars Nootbaar’s sacrifice fly, then got a two-run single from Geraldo Perdomo and RBI singles from Gabriel Moreno and Nolan Arenado. But the Royals didn’t roll over. Carter Jensen’s RBI double made it 5-1, then Salvador Perez delivered a one-out, bases-loaded double to make it 5-4. But no further scoring would happen as Michael Massey flew out and Nick Loftin struck out.
This Diamondbacks/Royals game is the third game in at least the divisional era (1969) to be scoreless thru nine innings and end with each team having scored at least four runs, joining:4/24/15 HOU 5, OAK 4 (11 innings)6/5/13 CHW 7, SEA 5 (16)
— Sarah Langs (@slangsonsports.bsky.social) 2026-09-07T21:17:41.859Z
Judge Rejoins Yankees For Stretch Drive
With a productive batting practice session on the team’s day off, New York Yankees superstar right fielder Aaron Judge passed his final test. Today, he will be back in the Yankees’ lineup. Judge, who has been out since June 2 with a stress fracture in his right rib, was activated from the 60-day injured list. Right-hander Elmer Rodríguez had already been optioned to Triple-A, while right-hander Chase Hampton was designated for assignment to create a spot on the 60-man roster. The three-time AL MVP has not swung in any game, MLB or otherwise, since May 31, so the Yankees are likely to bring back Judge by not playing full games at first. Judge returns with three weeks left in the regular season. While a spot in the postseason isn’t in doubt, the second-place Yankees do trail the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays by four games. The Yankees lead the AL wild-card race, two games ahead of the Boston Red Sox and nine games of the Cleveland Guardians, who currently hold the third and final wild-card spot.
Schwarbomb Rewards Luzardo With Shutout Of Atlanta
Sometimes, all you need is a Schwarbomb — it also helps when you get nine shutout innings from one of your pitchers. Left-hander Jesús Luzardo allowed a mere two hits while striking out 12 and Kyle Schwarber hit his MLB-leading 43 homer in the bottom of the eighth in a 1-0 Phillies victory over Atlanta. The win gave the Phillies a split of the four-game wraparound series, leaving them where they began the holiday weekend: four games behind first-place Atlanta in the AL East. The Phillies did swap spots with the Chicago Cubs in the NL wild-card race, taking over the top spot with the Cubs’ 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Phillies travel to Atlanta this weekend for the final three games between the teams. For Luzardo, it was his first complete game of his career, which started in 2018. His 12 K’s also gave up 221 for the season, surpassing his previous career high of 216 set in 2025. For as much as this win is on the back of Luzardo, Schwarber’s dramatic blast off right-hander Didier Fuentes that reached the second deck in right field provided the difference on the scoreboard.
This is the fifth time in his career that Kyle Schwarber homered in a game that ended 1-0 That ties Ted Williams for the most such homers all-time h/t @EliasSports
— Sarah Langs (@slangsonsports.bsky.social) 2026-09-07T19:29:30.314Z
Chourio’s Chopper Offsets PCA’s 41st In Brewers’ Triumph
Sure, Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a home run for the second straight day, giving the Cubs’ star center fielder 41 for the season. But also for the second straight day, the Cubs lost. This time, it was against the Brewers, who have MLB’s best record and scored three runs in the bottom of the eight for a 4-3 victory in the opening of a three-game series. The Brewers now lead the second-place Cubs by eight games in the NL Central, with Monday’s win also giving the three-time defending division champions the season series and the tiebreaker that goes along with it, all but putting a stake in the heart of the Cubs’ title hopes. Jackson Chourio bounced a go-ahead two-run single and Christian Yelich added a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning that put the Brewers on top. Then the Brewers made two very nice defensive plays in the outfield in the ninth to help wrap this one up.
Pete Crow-Armstrong clubs home run No. 41!
LUIS LARA, WHAT A GRAB! 😮
The @brewersbot.bsky.social outfield is showing out 🙌Jackson Chourio makes a great sliding catch to end the game!
Pivetta Returns To Padres With 5 Shutout Inning
When the San Diego Padres went out and acquired Robbie Ray and Casey Mize at the trade deadline, it was with the expectation that Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta might only return to give a little bit of a contribution to a postseason push. Musgrove looked to be on track to return before suffering a setback following his last rehab outing. Pivetta had walked off the mound during a rehab assignment Aug. 4 when he thought he reinjured his right elbow. But he didn’t. And after just two more rehab outings, Pivetta was activated Monday from the 60-day injured list. All he did was throw five shutout innings in a 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals. Pivetta helped the Padres keep pace with the D’backs, who have a half-game edge on the battle for the final NL wild-card berth. It wasn’t perfect from Pivetta, but it was good enough. The Padres’ Opening Day starter struck out two and didn’t walk anyone while giving up two hits. Jackson Merrill had three hits and drove in two runs. Merrill also had a terrific catch as he crashed into the center-field wall in the top of the first.
Ohtani Back, Confirms He Will Only Hit
The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed back their superstar slugger and leadoff hitter, two-way player Shohei Ohtani, who wasn’t in the starting lineup for the previous four games due to an ailing left knee and right biceps. His presence in the lineup, even though he went 0-for-3, was enough. Teoscar Hernández hit a three-run homer and right-handed starter Emmet Sheehan matched his career high with 10 strikeouts in his first start in just over a month in the Dodgers’ 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds, their fifth victory in a row. While Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had given a strong hint that Ohtani would not pitch again this season, Ohtani confirmed that after the game: “Most likely, no. I’m going to be focusing on hitting moving forward.”
By The Numbers
5 Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello, making his first start since a June 4 demotion, struck out seven over five shutout innings in a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
3 Athletics center fielder Henry Bolte homered and stole three bases in a 6-5 walk-off win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He is the first A’s player to have gone deep and swiped at least three bases since the legendary Rickey Henderson homered and had four steals on Oct. 5, 1991.
3 Detroit Tigers slugger Riley Greene hit a homer for the third consecutive game in a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Watch Out For The Tree
One good thing about playing in a minor-league park is fans who attend A’s games can run across the grass to snag a foul ball.
Using Your Head — And Feet
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés only had a split-second to react — and it temporarily kept his team alive with this play in the 10th inning. The San Francisco Giants won 5-4 in 11.
Bases loadedOne outTie gameBottom of the 10thThe @Cardinals escape with some quick thinking! 😮
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ The Padres activated right-hander Nick Pivetta (right elbow flexor) from the 60-day injured list to make a start Monday against the Nationals. Pivetta was the Padres’ Opening Day starter.
⚾ The Twins activated right-hander Joe Ryan (strained left glute), who started vs. the Tigers, from the 15-day IL.
⚾ Home plate umpire and crew chief Chris Guccione left the Guardians-Orioles game after being hit in the facemask by a foul tip in the top of the second inning.
Articles You Should Read
For Phillies, ghosts of October are showing up early — Tyler Kepner, The Athletic
When Duran needs reminder of his value, his Red Sox teammates are there — Alex Speier, Boston Globe
Hill, Cox provide slim silver lining in moribound Giants season — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle
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