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This may sound like a list of possible nouns for a game of Mad Libs, but it’s actually a summary of what to expect this Sunday morning: MLB debuts, walk-off wins, no-hit bids, cycles, rookie showcases, 12-pitch at-bats. There’s a home run robbery, one in the majors, another in the minors, a catch that turned into a home run, and a pinch-hit game-tying homer. Yeah. Wild Saturday, to say the least.
Today’s Headlines
Some MFer Named Randy
What should’ve been Kade Anderson Day in Seattle became Randy Arozarena Day. Down 4-2 entering the bottom of the ninth against the Chicago Cubs, the Mariners looked sunk. Buoyancy began with Leo Rivas, whose RBI single cut the deficit to one. Arozarena then became Chicago’s iceberg. The outfielder saw two pitches before he smacked a low slider. The ball traveled and traveled like some sailor in search of home. It found shelter in the stands to cement the 5-4 walk-off win. Arozarena’s final line is 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. Sounds like Randy Day.
Leave it to Beaver(s)
After eight, the Tampa Bay Rays had it in the bank. After 10, they had nothing left except a 4-3 loss thanks to the Baltimore Orioles. They can blame Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers for that. Basallo hit a pinch-hit, game-tying two-run bomb to put flashing sirens in Tampa’s rearview. Beavers put them away. Facing the beast that is Bryan Baker in the 10th, the 25-year-old golfed a below-the-zone changeup off the right-field wall. The ghost runner could’ve used a cane to get home. Orioles win on the walk-off and are now one game back in the AL Wild Card race.
P.S. Shoutout to Andrew Kittredge for a clean 10th.
Wilyer’s Walk-Off
The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The San Francisco Giants thought they’d experience the first. Instead, they felt the second, losing 3-2 in walk-off fashion to the Boston Red Sox. Doubt crept in early in the ninth. Boston opened the frame with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Pinch-hitter Eli White drove in a run with an RBI single. Nick Sogard tied the game one batter later with an RBI double. Another walk, this an intentional walk, loaded the bases for Wilyer Abreu. Abreu hit a rope to first. San Francisco’s Bryce Eldridge threw home, but an awkward toss caused the Giants catcher to slip off the plate. Boston scored and flipped the feelings on San Francisco.
Cease Eats the Yankees
The New York Yankees‘ biggest enemy in a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays? Toronto ace Dylan Cease. The right-hander railroaded the Yanks all afternoon long, striking out eight and pitching six and two-thirds innings of a no-hitter. Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. ended the bid with a seventh-inning single. Cease might’ve gone deeper, and perhaps done better, if not for himself. The hurler walked five batters, his most in a start since June 27. Control might be the only thing keeping Cease back. He’s walked three or more batters in five of his last six starts. That said, his 2.37 ERA is second-best in the American League.
The Blue Jays’ offense matched their ace’s efforts. George Springer had not a Springer dinger, but a Springer RBI single in the first. Charles McAdoo tagged another in the fourth to put Toronto up 2-0. From there, it was Nathan Lukes‘ show. The pinch-hitting outfielder had his own RBI single and a home run.
Phillies Pulverize Cards For 8th Straight
Merriam-Webster defines a “beatdown” as “to strike repeatedly.” The website includes many such examples. Exempt from it, though just as applicable, is the Philadelphia Phillies‘ 12-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. After three, it was 7-0. From there, the torrent only continued. Philly’s pitching was just as impressive as its offense. Andrew Painter had the best start of his young career. The rookie struck out eight and allowed just one run over seven innings. Philly’s now won eight straight and is suddenly just 2.5 back of Atlanta for first place in the NL East. What’s the definition of a “looming threat?”
Bleday Day
Take a bow, JJ Bleday. The Reds outfielder completed the fourth cycle of this MLB season, Cincy’s first since June 23, 2023, and its eighth cycle in franchise history. Bleday, like fireworks, started loud, quieted, and then returned with an emphatic explosion. Bleday checked off the double and the triple first. The single came third, coming in the fourth inning. Bleday had all the time in the world from there. He waited until the sixth for his home run, a wall-scraper of sorts. In one game, Bleday raised his batting average from .217 to .224. Reds win 11-5.
Bauers’ Bomb Boosts the Brew Crew
Milwaukee and Atlanta are two of the best teams in the National League. Yet their showdown has been lopsided thus far, with Milwaukee winning 4-1 to take the series. The margins mattered most. Milwaukee utilityman Jake Bauers exemplified this best. The 30-year-old would not relent to Atlanta’s Martín Pérez. One foul ball begot another and another. Seven straight went into the stands. So didn’t the eighth. It just stayed fair. This ball shot out 413 feet to center field for the go-ahead and game-winning home run. We’ll see if Milwaukee can cement itself as Atlanta’s better with a potential series sweep tomorrow.
By The Numbers
⚾38. Kyle Schwarber hit his 38th homer last night and is now two ahead of Yordan Alvarez for the MLB lead.
⚾21. New York’s Bo Bichette and Carson Benge made Luis Castillo throw a combined 21 pitches. Bichette’s 10-pitch at-bat culminated in a homer. Benge’s 11-pitch at-bat ended in a single. Castillo would throw 42 pitches in the inning. His 42nd was his last of the night.
⚾ 11. After a shaky start, Tarik Skubal found his footing. LA’s newest ace struck out 11, his most yet as a Dodger, and pitched seven strong innings. His ERA in the blue and white is now 3.38.
⚾ 9. Don’t look now, but the Miami Marlins are one of the best home teams in baseball. They’ve won nine of their last 11 and are 40-25 at home.
⚾ 7. The Kansas City Royals are streaking. The team has won seven straight, elevating them from the fourth-worst record in baseball to the fifth-worst. Progress. In the win, Craig Kimbrel recorded his first save since July of 2024.
⚾ 5.2. Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ryan Johnson took a no-hit bid into the sixth, losing it at five-and-two-thirds innings to Texas’ Cody Freeman.
⚾ 5. The Yankees’ winning streak ends at five due to yesterday’s loss to the Blue Jays.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Kade’s Call
Yeah, no, sorry. These videos never miss.
The moment Kade got the call 👏 #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/YUsXogXqZR
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 22, 2026
Kade’s First K
Let’s keep the Kade Anderson train going.
K'd Anderson 🔥
Kade Anderson records his first career strikeout! pic.twitter.com/HGuwjavlsD
— MLB (@MLB) August 22, 2026
Randy Robbery
Heck, let’s keep the Mariners train going. Here’s more of what made it Randy Day.
RANDY AROZARENA TAKES A HOME RUN AWAY! pic.twitter.com/QPQrRyJZkC
— MLB (@MLB) August 22, 2026
Turner Takes One Back
Earlier, we stated the definition of a beatdown. Here is the definition of a home run robbery – my word, Will Turner.
HE CLIMBED THE WALL!
Red Sox prospect Will Turner looked like Spider-Man on this home run robbery 🕸️ pic.twitter.com/iZ8y4yUZqE
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) August 22, 2026
Chicago’s Second Doink
Tristan Peters‘ highlight is more of Benge’s lowlight. Thankfully, the Mets outfielder had his own solo shot later on for redemption.
Carson Benge has one pop out of his glove and over the fence for a Tristan Peters home run 😳 pic.twitter.com/PoYRD2QNDu
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) August 23, 2026
Lara’s Labors
That’s one loud out.
Luis Lara hustles to rob Matt Olson of an extra-base hit 😤 pic.twitter.com/tpRlXxdQ42
— MLB (@MLB) August 22, 2026
Basallo Bomb
It’s the stuff of backyard fantasy.
Samuel Basallo ties the game for the @Orioles with a pinch-hit 2-run blast! pic.twitter.com/eabhYqozI8
— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2026
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ As if almost getting no-hit wasn’t bad enough, the Yankees will be sans Giancarlo Stanton for maybe the rest of the season. The slugger fell during a running exercise and sustained a moderate strain in his left calf. Bear in mind that Stanton has missed almost the entire year with a right calf injury. It’s a seemingly never-ending saga for Stanton, who’s played 764 of a possible 1,323 games as a Yankee.
⚾ Ryan Weathers is another Yankee to battle injury. The starter exited Saturday early with what the Yankees are calling forearm discomfort in his throwing arm. Imaging has already occurred, but the results are not yet known. It’s bad timing for a Yankees team already without Max Fried.
⚾ On the other injury-related end of the Blue Jays-Yankees, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returned from the seven-day concussion-related injured list. Davis Schneider was the odd man out, being optioned to Triple-A.
⚾ Kade Anderson is here! The top prospect was officially promoted to the majors on Sunday. Sadly, it came at the expense of southpaw Jhonathan Díaz, who was DFA’d. Anderson is every bit of his pedigree. In 18 AA starts, he touted a 1.06 ERA and a 10-1 record. Sticking in Seattle, Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan was hit in the head by a baseball in the batting cages. He did not play Saturday night and is currently being evaluated.
⚾ Reports of doom for Milwaukee’s Brandon Woodruff appear greatly exaggerated. The right-hander did not undergo season-ending shoulder surgery despite previous assertions and is now starting a five-week throwing progression. If Woodruff doesn’t suffer any setbacks, he could return before the season ends.
⚾ The birdhouse has lost a tenant. The St. Louis Cardinals placed right-hander Hunter Dobbins on the 15-day IL due to tightness in his throwing forearm. The injury explains Dobbins’ early exit yesterday, departing after just three innings. Quinn Mathews will rejoin the Redbirds in the meantime.
⚾ It’s a two-fer in Anaheim. The Angels placed first baseman Nolan Schanuel and outfielder Wade Meckler on the IL. Schanuel lands on the 10-day IL with a right intercostal strain, while Meckler goes on the seven-day concussion-related IL. Top prospect Christian Moore returns to the majors with outfielder Gustavo Campero joining him.
⚾ Matt Waldron lives! The Washington Nationals claimed the knuckleballer off waivers from the Blue Jays. To add him, the Nats moved Connelly Early from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL.
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