Stay updated on everything baseball with our morning MLB News & Moments articles. We’ve got you covered to keep you in the know.
College football is back. With it are some of the most inconsequential games of all time. Seriously. Tennessee played Furman. Virginia Tech played the VMI Keydets. The Keydets! This is the sport the country wants to turn its Saturdays to in September? This?! For stakes, real stakes, seek out your national pastime, America. Right now it’s brimming with them.
Today’s Headlines
Philly Keeps Pace
The NL East is down to two cities: Atlanta and Philadelphia. Last night, the crown looked comfortable atop Philly’s head. Philly was led by its usual royalty: Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler. Schwarber, for his part, chipped in two RBI. His first, an RBI groundout, put Philly ahead 3-0 early. His second RBI came via the long ball, his 41st of the season. As for the latter, Wheeler was benevolent to his ball club: six innings pitched, one run, two walks, and three hits allowed, while striking out nine. All that said, Atlanta holds a four-game lead with 20 games to go. If nothing else, Philly’s coming at the king.
East vs. West
The best of the rest played out west. Too much rhyming? Let’s simplify. The then-second-place San Diego Padres hosted the second-place New York Yankees last night. Despite the hospitality, the Yankees housed the Padres 5-1. What started with a second-inning single from New York first baseman Ben Rice snowballed into a four-run frame. Padres starter Robbie Ray was something of a welcome mat, taking much of the beating and blame. Yankees starter Carlos Rodón, on the other hand, pitched like he owned Petco Park. The southpaw struck out seven in five innings of work. New York is now three-and-a-half games up in the top wild card spot. San Diego, well, more on them momentarily.
Arizona Finds Air
Hold on. The then-second-place Padres? What happened? The Arizona Diamondbacks rose from the dead to beat the Houston Astros 4-3. That’s what happened. Down early, Arizona ate away at the deficit: One run in the seventh, another in the eighth, until they were knotted at three apiece. Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno later played the part of Lazarus, scoring the ghost runner and bringing Arizona all the way back. Houston would then go down one-two-three in the bottom of the 10th. Arizona is now second in the NL West and third in the NL wild card. Sorry, San Diego.
Boston Beats on Baltimore
Entering this weekend, the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles were two different servings. Boston, reeling from back-to-back series losses, was a paltry serving. Baltimore, winners in six of its last nine, seemed a handful. Yet so far, Boston’s whisked Baltimore’s behind, winning most recently 5-0 on Saturday. The recipe featured one shared ingredient with Friday’s win: Pitching. Sonny Gray kept Baltimore’s bats cool. The sous-turned-maitre-d allowed just three hits and three walks en route to seven shutout innings. Offensively, the Sox received some spice from their least likely line cooks. Eli White, Connor Wong, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa delivered all five of the club’s runs.
Boston further secured its second wild card spot with the win. Baltimore, on the other hand, is now last in the AL East and three games back of that final playoff spot.
Aranda Ends Texas’ Threat
The good news for Baltimore is they’re not losing too much ground. The Texas Rangers, one of three teams ahead of them, were trounced by the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3. Trounced might be a bit strong. Try overcome. Texas kept it close the whole way through. Down through eight, the club rallied to send it to extras. But that’s where Tampa refound its footing. A well-meaning intentional walk put men on the corners with one out for Tampa’s Jonathan Aranda. Aranda had no care for Texas’ wants. The first baseman slugged a 409-foot bomb. It was too high a hill to climb. Texas is only two games back thanks to Baltimore.
No Shohei, No Problem
The sans Shohei Ohtani Dodgers found a new do-it-all man in their 6-5 win against the Washington Nationals: Tommy Edman. Edman completed the first leg of his Atlas-like challenge in the outfield. Trailing 3-2, Edman made a sensational catch to rob Washington’s Daylen Lile of extra bases. Edman’s second circuit came at the dish. Still down, now 4-2, Edman socked a 389-foot go-ahead home run to give LA the lead. After last night, Edman can say he’s walked a mile in Ohtani’s shoes.
By The Numbers
⚾ 200. The Chicago Cubs are the first team to 200 home runs this season. They’ll have to stave off the Yankees and the Nationals if they want to crown.
⚾ 155. The Toronto Blue Jays‘ 5-1 win last night put them over .500 for the first time since April 3, AKA in 155 days.
⚾ 30. He Murkame, saw, and conquered. With a homer last night, Munetaka Murakami is the first Japanese-born player to hit 30 home runs in his rookie season. Murakami is also just the fourth rookie in White Sox history to reach the milestone.
⚾ 12. Parker Messick was lethal. The 25-year-old struck out a career-high 12 batters yesterday. He’s down to a 2.53 ERA through 28 starts. Cleveland’s done it again.
⚾ 9. Washed? Pfft. San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers hit two homers yesterday, his ninth in his last 13 games. Devers is now up to 35 this season. His OPS these last 15 days? 1.373.
⚾4. One is the loneliest number. Four, however, is Riley Greene’s lucky number. The Tigers outfielder notched four hits and four RBI against the Guardians.
Best Moments From Yesterday
SchwarBOMB
Kyle Schwarber hadn’t hit a home run since August 26. Then last night happened.
Make that 41 Schwarbombs in 2026 🔔 pic.twitter.com/PjLYjEcNYU
— MLB (@MLB) September 5, 2026
Air Edman
Here’s video proof of Edman’s Ohtani-like night.
Tommy Edman, oh my goodness 🤯 pic.twitter.com/opbjOnCrkW
— MLB (@MLB) September 6, 2026
Luck of the Irish
This is the face of a man who thought it more likely he’d fight Mecha Godzilla than catch a home run ball.
This fan couldn't even believe his own catch 😳 pic.twitter.com/KRDrN06MDC
— MLB (@MLB) September 6, 2026
De La Deep
Elly De La Cruz homered last season on his bobblehead night. Guess what he did again.
Elly De La Cruz goes deep on his bobblehead night! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/7LF5OJMKOL
— MLB (@MLB) September 5, 2026
All 185 LBs
Entering yesterday, Christian Koss had one home run in fifty games. Now, he has three in 51.
Christian Koss launches his second homer of the game! pic.twitter.com/IH9wvDwXrY
— MLB (@MLB) September 5, 2026
Es-Stad-Ic
Welcome back to Baltimore, Heston Kjerstad.
Heston Kjerstad's 1st hit for the Orioles this season is a 2-out single in the bottom of the 4th vs. Red Sox.
Kjerstad's 1st MLB hit since June 4, 2025. pic.twitter.com/MSeM35iRXB
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) September 6, 2026
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ God dangit, Los Angeles Dodgers starter Bobby Miller is back. LA activated the starter from the 60-day IL. Miller will make his season debut tomorrow after battling a shoulder injury all of this season. LA also optioned pitcher Kyle Hurt and DFA’d outfielder Alek Thomas.
⚾ The Tampa Bay Rays got stung. The team placed lefty Garrett Cleavinger on the IL, selected pitcher Ty Johnson, and DFA’d infielder Oliver Dunn. Dunn’s dismissal paves the way for Johnson, who replaces Cleavinger. Got it?
⚾ The Toronto Blue Jays can’t escape the bug. The team placed starter Jameson Taillon on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation. Not good news, in other words. Former top prospect Ricky Tiedemann replaces Taillon on the active roster.
⚾ It’s a simple swap for the New York Yankees: Center fielder Trent Grisham is out with a right hamstring strain. Outfielder Jasson Domínguez, meanwhile, is up from Triple-A.
⚾ The Colorado Rockies are mixing up their infield. Willi Castro lands on the 10-day IL due to left heel inflammation. Infielder Vimael Machín replaces Castro on the roster.
⚾ The Athletics officially placed starter J.T. Ginn on the 15-day IL with right elbow impingement. Ginn hasn’t pitched since August 26. Pitcher Jack Perkins will take Ginn’s place in the rotation. Assuming this is it for Ginn this season, he finishes with a 3.71 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, both career-bests.
Articles You Should Read
8 impact players who could return down the stretch — Brent Maguire, MLB.com
Rockies All-Star denies complaint led to cap flap between umpire, rookie — Thomas Harding, MLB.com
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