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MLB News & Moments: Mason Miller is Human After All

Oneil Cruz and Bartolo Colon = improbable homers at Petco Park

Pablo Figueroa
MLB Morning News 5 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.

With 33 days left in the regular-season baseball calendar, every single slate is bound to have dramatic effects on each team’s playoff chances. The key number entering today is 66, which would make Emperor Palpatine proud. Five teams will start Wednesday with either 66 wins or 66 losses, providing a clear glimpse of the crowded middle class around the majors. More than two-thirds of MLB hovers within four games of a playoff spot, with plenty to play for. Purists may argue that it benefits mediocrity, but there is no denying that daily games with high stakes are a nice trade-off.

Today’s Headlines

 

Atlanta Statement

Following a long stay on the IL, Tyler Glasnow returned to the mound for the Dodgers to open a series of power NL franchises. The jitters were evident from the get-go for Glasnow, who allowed four of the first five batters to reach as Atlanta opened a 3-0 lead that looked ominous. The righty settled down after that, retiring the next nine hitters and closing his day with a decent line of three runs and six hits allowed over five frames, which was impressive considering the circumstances. Meanwhile, LA’s offense picked up their pitcher, tying the score at three as the game remained that way when the bullpens got to work. Atlanta finally broke through in the eighth, as a clutch RBI single from Ozzie Albies reclaimed the lead with two outs. The drama would continue until the ninth, as Shohei Ohtani led off the frame with a triple against closer Raisel Iglesias. Extra innings looked inevitable, but Iglesias refused to allow that run, striking out Atlanta icon Freddie Freeman and then getting Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman to close out the 4-3 victory. If this was a sneak peek for the playoffs, October should be quite fun.

By The Sword

In a week that included the firing of their GM, the Houston Astros began Tuesday with their owner announcing that manager Joe Espada would remain in his position for the rest of the season. That is not exactly a ringing endorsement, but it appeared to propel the players to one of their most impressive showings of the season, as the Astros prevailed in a slugfest against the Yankees. There was at least one run scored in ten of the 18 offensive innings of the contest, as both teams combined for 24 hits, including five homers, two doubles, and two triples. Cody Bellinger and Luis García Jr., Jr. hit massive homers for New York, but they were matched by Yainer Diaz’s third multi-homer game of his career. Jeremy Peña also went deep for Houston, but the key knock came via an improbable three-bagger from Yordan Alvarez, who only recorded one RBI, but it turned into the game-winner. With the 9-7 victory, the Astros climbed back to .500 atop the AL West.

Paul is Alive

At this point, it looks like the Pirates’ playoff drought will continue, as a cruel twist of fate has rendered their pitching staff mediocre just as their offense has excelled. In the center of all that, Paul Skenes has struggled mightily, at least compared to the standards he had set for himself in his young career. For a night, though, the reigning NL Cy Young reminded everyone just how good he can be. Skenes needed only 87 pitches to get through six scoreless frames in San Diego, allowing only three hits versus four strikeouts. This was the first scoreless outing for Skenes since May 12, which reads like a misprint. He could not earn the win, though, as Michael King matched him frame for frame, exiting the game after seven scoreless. The contest remained tied at zero heading into the ninth, as the Friars summoned their all-world closer Mason Miller, who would usually guarantee a zero of his own. Instead, Oneil Cruz tagged him for his first homer allowed in more than a year, providing a dramatic 1-0 win for the Buccos. It may be too little, too late for Pittsburgh, but if Skenes manages to get his groove back, it could provide the fanbase with plenty of calmness.

New Moon on Tuesday (?)

Jarren Duran has been a divisive figure, to say the least, for the Boston Red Sox. Often involved in off-the-field drama and with an inconsistent performance on the diamond, many in Boston have wondered if his future with the franchise is warranted. At the same time, the flashes of talent he shows make him almost impossible to keep on the bench. This became evident again in a tight affair against the Marlins, as Payton Tolle could not capitalize on a strong start that included four hitless innings, which led to the game going to extras tied at two. After both teams scored their ghost runner in the tenth, Boston loaded the bases in the 11th, setting up the stage for Duran. One of the keys to Boston’s mid-season resurgence has been the production of the bottom of their order, and Duran, batting seventh, came through again. On a 1-0 count, Duran launched just the second grand slam of his career, securing another series win for Boston with this 7-3 victory. With a decisive series against the Yankees looming this weekend, it is clear that Boston is again firing on all cylinders.

Cloud Nine

As the final weeks of each season come into focus, there are always a handful of teams that love to play spoiler. With not much else left to play for, the Royals have somehow turned into the Grim Reaper for playoff hopefuls in the AL. Kansas City all but erased Detroit’s playoff odds over a weekend sweep, and now started a series in Toronto by defeating the Blue Jays with a 5-3 score. Despite not recording an extra-base hit and going a mere 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position, the Royals rode their small-ball ways and effective pitching to extend their win streak to nine games. Starter Seth Lugo earned his sixth win of 2026 by going five innings and allowing only one run, while the bullpen squashed several potential rallies to keep Toronto at bay. Of course, it is unlikely that the Royals will keep playing like this, but the rest of their schedule includes nothing but teams fighting for wild card spots, including five more games against Toronto, six against Cleveland, and a nine-game road trip that includes Houston, Boston, and Pittsburgh. At the end of a disappointing season, there is at least a silver lining for Kansas City.

 

By The Numbers

 

4 After opening last night’s game with a homer, Cal Raleigh reached four straight at-bats with a long ball. This tied the Mariners’ franchise record, set famously by Mike Cameron on May 2, 2002, when he became the only the 13th player in history with a four-homer game.

28 As rookie Nate Furman got the first hit of his career, the Giants recorded their 28th different player with at least one hit in 2026. That total leads the majors and it should expand as San Francisco continues to call up players from their minor-league system. The Giants also had their 10th different pitcher with a save recorded (Carson Seymour, this time), which set a franchise record for a single season.

2 The number of MLB players with the name Maxwell Muncy, born on August 25, and drafted by the Athletics. Regardless of how many times you hear this fact, it remains unbelievable.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Flawless, Pristine, Unimpeachable

In an era of unprecedented filthy pitches and inefficient pitchers, Taj Bradley is a prime example of both things. His untapped potential remains the stuff of legends, as he can be at times one of the best pitchers on the planet, followed by inexplicable bouts of frustration. His final line of last night’s loss against the A’s represents Bradley in a nutshell: seven hits and four runs allowed over 6.1 innings, albeit with 11 strikeouts. In the fifth inning, he casually threw the first immaculate inning in Twins franchise history, with nine straight strikes that made the Athletics look like little leaguers. The Twins could not reward his effort with a win, as the offense only mustered two runs against Gage Jump and fell 4-2. The immaculate frame now leaves the Texas Rangers as the only MLB franchise that has not recorded one, although they have been on the receiving end of five.

Cousin Jefry

Internet sensation Jefry Yan has made a name for himself around his incredibly athletic celebrations. This is noteworthy because Yan has not even been all that impressive on the mound. Last night, he added to his list of memorable moments, albeit not for something he actually achieved. In a tight game against the Brewers, Yan came in after Will Warren blew the save and allowed Milwaukee to tie the contest at two. Late-inning games decided by the bullpens tend to go Milwaukee’s way, and that looked to continue as David Hamilton roped a line drive off Yan that looked certain to score a run. Instead, Francisco Lindor made a spectacular play to snag that line drive and preserve the tie. Yan celebrated in style, giving the Mets something to cheer for in a season full of sadness. Lindor’s web gem would prove essential, as the game went to extras and New York prevailed 3-2 on a rare throwing error by the Brewers.

Be Like Mike

Mike Trout was so good for so long that every time he does something good nowadays, people tend to refer to it as “vintage Mike Trout.” This is kind of bittersweet, as Trout is definitely a great ballplayer, albeit one that continues to toil away in the darkness of LA’s bad team. Facing the Guardians, Trout made a spectacular barrel roll diving catch in center field, at the time recording an important out to preserve an early 5-0 lead for the Angels. The future Hall of Famer also added two hits and was robbed of a potential homer by his rival center fielder, but this was all for naught as the Halos found a way to blow the lead and eventually fell 8-6 in extras. Shoutout to fellow veteran standout José Ramírez, who snapped out of his recent funk and delivered a 5-RBI game, including the winning double in the tenth.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾The Cardinals have placed shortstop Masyn Winn on the 15-day IL due to a left thumb fracture. Winn had initially tried to play through the injury, but it became too painful while swinging the bat. He has remained steady on defense, but his offensive numbers have declined in 2026, as St. Louis remains on the fringes of contention. In his place, the team has recalled infielder Nolan Gorman.

⚾ Toronto placed starting pitcher Shane Bieber on the 15-day IL due to right teres major inflammation. The injury comes at an unfortunate time for Bieber and the Jays, who are about to enter a key stretch of the season in their quest to return to the playoffs. Bieber’s timetable is uncertain, while also creating a significant rotation problem for Toronto, as they have several pitchers on the IL. The team is likely to rely on bullpen games unless someone steps up to reclaim the fifth starter spot. 

⚾ The Marlins have placed closer Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day IL with right median nerve irritation. Fairbanks has battled nerve issues throughout his career, as he needed IL stints for them as early as 2024. His first season in Miami has been uneven, but he had been much better lately, helping the Marlins hang around the wild card chase. In his absence, there is no clear successor for the closer role, but Miami has plenty of solid late-game options to at least have a reliable closer-by-committee approach. 

 

Articles You Should Read

 

A Rough Year for Hall of Fame Hopefuls— Jay Jaffe, Fangraphs

When Dolly Parton Visited Yankee Stadium — Scott Chiusano, 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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