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MLB News & Moments: Chris Sale makes Cy Young Case

Luis Campusano has the game of his life.

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 2 Hours Ago

Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.

Despite the dark cloud that hovers around baseball regarding an imminent lockout, MLB continues to preserve business as usual, as evidenced by yesterday’s announcement of the upcoming Spring Training calendar. If it all goes right, teams are expected to start at Florida and Arizona on February 19, setting up shop to prepare for the regular season. Of course, any kind of negotiations delay will lead to a different date, while the potential of a reduced regular season is definitely real. Meanwhile, let’s try to enjoy 2026 as much as we can, and hope that cooler heads will prevail during the cold winter.

Today’s Headlines

 

Sale Fire

The Chris Sale–Cristopher Sánchez duel may not have lived up to the hype, especially as both lefties struggled a bit with their command in the early going. Sanchez walked three and allowed a three-spot in the second, with Atlanta tagging him for a couple of doubles. Meanwhile, Sale was tagged for four extra-base hits, including a solo homer from Alec Bohm. However, the end result was at least consistent with a battle of capital-a Aces, as both southpaws eventually found their footing and each completed six innings. Sale’s extra run of support was enough to give him his 14th win of the season, while Mauricio Dubón would later add a two-run homer for insurance purposes in this 5-2 win. Sale and Sanchez may still be far from Jacob Misiorowski in the NL Cy Young race, but Sale’s key win may start swaying the voters towards larger consideration. The win was also essential for Atlanta, as they opened a five-game lead over the Phils in the NL East.

The Campusano Game

Catcher Luis Campusano has been the definition of a reliable backup ever since making his MLB debut back in 2020. He has only played for the Padres, but mostly as a Plan B and with an emphasis on his offense. Injuries have forced him into an extended role in 2026, as Campusano has been the team’s main option at catcher since early July, as the veteran has responded well in this role. With this opportunity, he went ahead and had the best game of his life. In a tight battle between Max Fried and Walker Buehler, each starter allowed only one run and the game was tied since the third, while the bullpens were able to keep it that way and send it to extras. By that point, Campusano had already gunned down two would-be stealers, and after Mason Miller allowed the free runner to score, the catcher also nailed Spencer Jones trying to rob third. This play would be pivotal, as it allowed the Padres to keep the deficit at one and give Campusano a chance to shine at the plate. With a ghost runner of his own, the Friar destroyed the first pitch he saw from Paul Blackburn, turning a likely loss into an improbable win for the Padres. San Diego is now a half game ahead of Arizona for the last NL wild card berth.

Double the Fall

The Tigers and Guardians have rekindled a fierce rivalry in the AL Central over the past couple of seasons, with two playoff series that went to a winner-take-all game and memorable chases in the regular part of the schedule. This year, the Tigers have faded while Cleveland is still fighting for any chance to make the postseason, but a double-header looked like the prime opportunity for Detroit to at least play spoiler. They played the part expertly in the two games, taking early leads that looked safe until they weren’t. In Game 1, the Tigers led 6-1 after three frames, only to implode in the fourth as Brayan Rocchio hit a grand slam that knotted things up at six. Nobody would score after that, as the game seemed primed for extras, only for Rocchio to play hero again by sending the first pitch of the ninth into the bleachers, with a walk-off homer that was demoralizing for the Tigers. This was the sixth walk-off homer allowed by Detroit in 2026, the most of any team.

For Game 2, the script was similar, as the Tigers opened a 3-0 lead that held until the bottom of the sixth, when Cleveland finally got on the board. The 3-1 score held until a clutch two-run blast from Travis Bazzana tied it in the eighth. This time, extra innings did occur, but Detroit failed to score their ghost runner and trusted veteran Kenley Jansen to go two innings and play for the 11th. Jansen almost escaped the jam, getting an out at third and being a strike away from extending the game. Instead, Bazzana made his best Rocchio impression by also being the hero to tie and walk it off, albeit with a single that scored the Manfred Man. This was the 11th walk-off loss of the season for the Tigers, meaning that more than one quarter of their road losses have come in this brutal fashion.

Back in Style

Unless something miraculous happens, the Pirates are simply playing for pride and respect to end the season, and at least showing some promise for next season and beyond. Friday’s 1-0 win over the Angels showed a rare display of pitching while the offense could not get things going, except for an exclamation point provided by Konnor Griffin. The rookie was playing for the first time since July 5, as a nagging injury kept him out of action for more than two months. The presumptive face of the franchise made an immediate impact, reaching base in a forceout and then scoring from first on a Jake Mangum double. His journey from first to home was electric, with Kriffin using all of his speed and stamina to barely avoid the tag at the plate. It would be the only run of the contest, as starter Jared Jones struck out nine over six scoreless, while the bullpen held the 1-0 lead intact until the end. Pittsburgh stands 4.5 games back of the final wild card with three teams ahead of them and have a six-game roadtrip against both Chicago teams starting next week.

The Long and Winding Road (to .500)

The last stretch of the season will feature nothing but critical games for the Blue Jays, as they aim to defend their AL title in a season where almost everything has gone wrong. Last night, they completed a major step in that direction, reaching .500 for the first time since June 22, when they were 39-39. In doing so, they found some sweet revenge against a Royals team that had dismantled them at home just last week, returning the favor with a statement 9-2 win at Kauffman Stadium. Forced into a bullpen game, the Jays started quickly with a four-run first inning and never looked back, as a combination of five pitchers limited the Royals to six hits and two walks. Toronto’s 13-hit effort included only three doubles and a late solo homer, but by going 6-for-13 in scoring chances, the Blue Jays made the most of their opportunities, which is not something often said for the franchise in 2026. While Cleveland’s double-header sweep kept Toronto one game back of the Guardians, they hold the tiebreaker and face what looks like a friendlier schedule in their final 20 games.

 

By The Numbers

 

6 Brayan Rocchio had quite the game to start the Friday doubleheader against Detroit, blasting a grand slam in the fourth and then walking it off with a solo homer in the ninth. He became the sixth player in MLB history to hit a grand slam and later a walk-off homer in the same game, with the last to do it coming in 1991, when Jack Clark played for the Red Sox.

5.5  The average division lead across baseball is 5.5, as a good week for division leaders has practically erased any drama for the NL. The AL still has something to say in the Central and West, but the inconsistency across the board suggests that nothing much will change over the final three weeks.

68 With two doubles and a homer in a loss to the Mets, Rafael Devers reached 68 extra-base hits for the season, which is good for third in MLB. This also means that he has reached numbers not seen in San Francisco since Barry Bonds in 2002.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

MVPCA

With a comfortable 6-1 win over the Marlins, the Chicago Cubs became the seventh team in MLB to reach 80 wins, as they are all but guaranteed a playoff spot as a wild card. Shota Imanaga went six innings and allowed only one run, while Craig Counsell got creative with his bullpen and left Aaron Civale in for a rare three-inning save. However, as it is wont to happen with these Cubs, the biggest story was Pete Crow-Armstrong, who continues to cement his case as the inevitable NL MVP. PCA contributed on offense, going 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, and two runs, but that was child’s play compared to his defensive highlight reel. As Chicago opened a 4-0 lead in the top of the sixth, the bottom part of the frame featured a sharp fly ball to center field by Heriberto Hernández that looked certain to go for extra bases. Instead, PCA timed his route and jump like only he can, catching the ball at a truly improbable angle. It was not a home run robbery by a couple of feet, but this was still a true web gem to add to his 2026 album of masterful catches. With Shohei Ohtani reeling, the award looks like a wrap.

Just a Bit Outside

The Red Sox and Orioles gave us one of the most tense and dramatic games on Friday’s slate, as Boston’s 1-0 win put a major dent on Baltimore’s dwindling playoff hopes. Ranger Suarez was at his efficiency best, needing only 91 pitches to cruise through seven scoreless innings with only three strikeouts, barely besting the efforts of Shane Baz, who unfairly took his 15th loss of the season after allowing a first-inning blast from Mickey Gasper. The division matchup included a late-inning skirmish, as a hard slide at second led to a bases-clearing incident. However, things would be much more light-hearted later on, as evidenced by this nice exchange between Aroldis Chapman and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. With the lefty just one out away from securing his 32nd save of the season, he went down 2-0 in the count with a ball that was a couple feet away from the strike zone, prompting a nice laugh from both competitors. Probably distracted by this bizarre pitch, ECS decided to swing away on the next one, squaring up the ball but right at the shortstop, with a 98 miles per hour liner that turned into the final out.

Coors Carrigg

The Rockies and Cardinals played a classic Coors Field game, with both teams combining for eight extra-base hits, 19 total knocks, and 13 runs, with St. Louis ultimately prevailing 7-6 thanks to a furious rally in the ninth. In the middle of all that, Cole Carrigg made it a mission to be as entertaining as possible for the home crowd. It started in the bottom of the second, as the shortstop/center fielder led off the inning with his fourth triple of the season. He would be stranded by his teammates, so he went ahead and took matters in his own hands in the sixth, hitting an inside-the-park homer as the ball ricocheted off the center field wall on a perfect angle. Carrigg’s speed was at full display, and so were the magic dimensions of Coors Field, as a second Rockies player has joined the inside-the-park club in 2026.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ Shohei Ohtani was once again absent from the Dodgers’ lineup, marking the first time in 2026 with back-to-back games missed. Manager Dave Roberts described the ailments as concerns with Ohtani’s biceps, neck, and knee, although a trip to the IL is still not announced. LA will continue to try to give its superstar time to heal, but there appears to be enough concern for his status as the playoffs approach. 

⚾ Tampa Bay had a rough day on the injury front, starting with starter Shane McLanahan joining the 15-day IL with left forearm tightness. The injury is not expected to be significant, with the lefty probably making an appearance before the playoffs. However, his injury history suggests that it is still something to monitor. Also, closer Bryan Baker was removed from last night’s game in Texas after walking two batters without getting an out. His sudden removal was attributed to an illness rather than an injury, so he should be considered day-to-day for now.

⚾ The Diamondbacks announced that Corbin Burnes is set to rejoin the team and make his season debut on Tuesday. Burnes, signed as a major free agent for the franchise, has not pitched since June of last season, as he required Tommy John surgery and then had other injury setbacks that pushed back his rehab. Manager Torey Lovullo hinted that he will be available for 60 pitches, as even a diminished Burnes could be valuable for an Arizona team still fighting for a playoff spot.

 

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Meet the September Spoilers — Theo DeRosa, MLB.com

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Pablo Figueroa

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Pablo Figueroa is a Baseball Writer here at Pitcher List, with experience as a writer since 2013. He lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico - proud home of Los Rieleros. When he´s not thinking about baseball , he's a husband, owns two dogs, watches random episodes of The Sopranos , plays padel, and works on his day job to pay the bills.

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