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MLB News & Moments You Should Know: 9/15/2024

Phillies erase 4-0 deficit to beat Mets; magic number is 7.

Steve Drumwright
MLB Morning News 9/15/2024

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

There was a lot of discourse surrounding Bronny James and the NBA Draft this summer. Where would he be picked? Would the Los Angeles Lakers take him in order to play with his dad, LeBron James? The younger James probably would have been better served returning to college for his sophomore season, but with time ticking on his dad’s career, Bronny jumped into the draft. Bronny was taken by the Lakers with the 55th pick (there were 58 selections). But there will be a moment this coming season where Bronny and LeBron will be on the court together and likely create a memory for a lifetime. Why am I talking about the NBA in an MLB article? Because of a post the baseball Hall of Fame put out Saturday morning. It had to do with Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr. and their back-to-back homers 34 years ago for the Seattle Mariners against the California Angels. It was a history-making moment with a father and son not only homering in the same game, but going back-to-back, with dad going deep first and Junior following.

 

Today’s Headlines

 

Stevenson, Harper Rally Phillies Past Mets

 

Role players stepping up in big situations is what makes sports so fascinating. Cal Stevenson is just the latest example. Stevenson roped a go-ahead two-run double on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the seventh inning as the Philadelphia Phillies moved closer to an NL East title with a 6-4 triumph over the New York Mets. Bryce Harper, who hadn’t homered since Aug. 9, also had a big hand in the Phillies’ comeback from a 4-0 deficit, hitting a pair of homers, while Stevenson added a homer-robbing catch in the top of the eighth off a drive by J.D. Martinez. The Phillies’ magic number for clinching the NL East is down to seven. The Phillies lead the second-place Mets by eight games. The Mets fell into a tie for the third and final NL wild card as Atlanta, behind another gem from left-hander Chris Sale, rolled past the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-1. Atlanta has won the last six NL East titles.

 

Padres Stifle Giants, Creep Up On Dodgers

 

The San Diego Padres are almost assured of a spot in the postseason. They are the No. 1 NL wild-card team and four teams are battling for three spots. But could the NL West be in play for the Padres? If so, it is a daunting gantlet. Donovan Solano had four of the Padres’ 17 hits and right-hander Jose Musgrove struck out eight in six innings as San Diego blanked the San Francisco Giants 8-0. Fernando Tatis Jr. added three hits as the Padres shut out the Giants for the second straight game. The win, combined with the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ 15-8 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, increased the Padres’ lead over the D’backs to 1½ games in the NL wild-card standings. Arizona is one game ahead of the Mets and Atlanta. The Padres also pulled within 3½ games of the first-place Dodgers in the West. After the series finale vs. the Giants today, the Padres have nine games against playoff contenders (Houston Astros, Dodgers, D’backs) and three against the lowly Chicago White Sox. Luis Arraez went 2-for-6 and scored twice, more importantly not striking out and extending his streak to 135 plate appearances without a strikeout.

 

Cole’s Chess Move Backfires, Costs Yankees

 

Could a fourth-inning intentional walk affect a pennant race? Yes. That is the position ace Gerrit Cole put the New York Yankees in when he — not manager Aaron Boone from the dugout — waved four fingers at Boston Red Sox star Rafael Devers with one out in the top of the fourth inning and the Bombers up 1-0. It was the first regular-season intentional walk issued by Cole as a Yankee and first since 2017 (Cole also had one in the 2020 postseason). The move backfired as Devers’ free pass triggered a three-run rally. Devers showed why he is feared in the fifth when he had a two-run single as part of a four-run inning. The Red Sox won 7-1. Combined with the Baltimore Orioles‘ 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees’ lead in the AL East over the O’s was reduced to two games with 13 remaining for both teams.

 

Glasnow ‘Highly Unlikely’ To Return in 2024

 

Tyler Glasnow was well on the way to at least partially shedding his oft-injured label this season with the Dodgers, with the right-hander reaching a career-high in innings pitched (134) and starts (22). He was the bright spot in a Dodgers starting rotation that was decimated by injuries. But then the wheels fell off. Glasnow went on the 15-day injured list with right elbow tendinitis. He was in the process of a comeback Friday when he was warming up for a sim game, but halted after about 20 pitches with more elbow pain. Then Saturday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was “highly unlikely” Glasnow would return this season after testing revealed a sprained elbow. Glasnow had Tommy John surgery in 2022. The rotation could get a postseason boost from three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw, who is sidelined with a bone spur in his left big toe. Roberts said Kershaw could return in October.

 

Mariners Magic Lives In Walk-off Win

 

There is no doubt that this season has been a disappointment for the Seattle Mariners. It got so bad that they had to fire their manager to try and kindle a spark. While it has been more of a flicker, the Mariners still have just enough time to create a dramatic ending. That is because Randy Arozarena singled home Victor Robles from third base with one out in the bottom of the ninth to give the Mariners a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Texas Rangers. The Mariners are tied with the Detroit Tigers, 2½ games behind the Minnesota Twins for the third AL wild-card berth. The Twins fell for the second straight day to the Cincinnati Reds, this time 11-1. The Mariners are 4½ games behind the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West. The Astros topped the Los Angeles Angels 5-3.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

Early Momentum

 

The final score will say otherwise, but sometimes a momentum-changing play happens in the early stages of a game. Chalk up this catch by Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick as one of those. The Brewers scored one in the top of the first when Corbin Carroll led off the bottom of the inning for the Arizona Diamondbacks. On the second pitch from right-hander Tobias Myers, Carroll sent a drive to deep right field. Frelick raced back to the wall and snared it as he went full force into the fence. It robbed Carroll of a homer and the Brewers rode that momentum to race out to a 13-0 lead in a 15-8 win. That lowered the Brewers’ magic number for clinching the NL Central title to three. The second-place Chicago Cubs lost to the Colorado Rockies 7-6 on Brenton Doyle’s RBI single scored Aaron Schunk from third base with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Rockies forced extras with two runs in the bottom of the ninth and scored in each of the final five innings.

 

Like Brother, Like Brother

 

Shortstop-outfielder Luisangel Acuña, the brother of Atlanta superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., was called up by the New York Mets to make his MLB debut. Acuña is the Mets’ No. 14 prospect, per Baseball America, who got the start at short due to Francisco Lindor’s lower-back tightness (his first missed game of the season). It didn’t take long for Acuña to notch his first MLB hit — and it had a familiar look.

 

Can J-Ram Get 40-40?

 

We all know that the first 50-50 season is within reach for Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. But did you know that José Ramírez of the Cleveland Guardians is within striking distance of a 40-40 season? Ramirez crushed his 35th homer of the season during the eighth inning of the Guardians’ 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. He already has 39 steals. The Guardians remained three games ahead of the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central. The Royals topped the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1.

 

Benintendi Saves White Sox

 

The White Sox, in cold pursuit of the MLB record for losses in a season, blew a 6-3 lead in the top of the ninth inning against the Oakland A’s. But thanks to Andrew Benintendi, the White Sox avoided their 116th loss of the season when he roped a 1-2 pitch for a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth inning and a 7-6 walk-off win. The 1962 Mets went 40-120 to set the MLB record in the modern era, while the 1899 Cleveland Spiders went 20-134.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (right foot plantar fasciitis) was activated from the 10-day injured list.

⚾ Kansas City Royals right-handed starter Chris Stratton (strained right flexor tendon) was placed on the 15-day IL.

⚾ Mets right-handed starter Paul Blackburn has a spinal fluid leak and his return to the team is unknown. Blackburn is already on the 15-day IL.

⚾ Diamondbacks right-handed starter Ryne Nelson (right shoulder inflammation) went on the 15-day IL.

⚾ Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (Tommy John surgery) will be activated from the 60-day IL to make the start Monday against the D’backs.

 

Articles You Should Read

 

Released in 2022, Myers now leads Brewers’ rotation — Theo DeRosa, MLB.com

Even Hawk Harrelson can’t watch the woeful White Sox — Sam Blum, The Athletic

‘No limit’ for Mets rookie Acuna — Anthony DiComo, MLB.com

 

Fantasy Baseball Coverage

 

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Steve Drumwright

Steve Drumwright is a lifelong baseball fan who retired as a player before he had the chance to be cut from the freshman team in high school. He recovered to become a sportswriter and have a successful journalism career at newspapers in Wisconsin and California. Follow him on Twitter and Threads @DrummerWrites.

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