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MLB marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month by honoring the late Roberto Clemente. The league announced the nominees for the Roberto Clemente Award (see below), with all players in action Monday wearing a No. 21 patch on the left chest. Several players, including Clemente Award nominees, changing their uniform number to 21 for the day.
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Today’s Headlines
Phillies Clinch East, Edge Dodgers
A day after securing a playoff berth and unable to celebrate, the Philadelphia Phillies wrapped up their second NL East title in a row and put forth a proper postgame party. J.T. Realmuto hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning as the Phillies slipped past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 to clinch the East. The Phillies — the second team to punch their postseason ticket and first to win their division — are vying for one of the top two seeds in the NL playoffs, trailing the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers by 1½ games for the best record after becoming the second team to win 90 games this season. They are also 5½ games ahead of the NL West-leading Dodgers.
After Realmuto put the Phillies ahead, the Dodgers made Philadelphia sweat it out in the bottom of the 10th. With automatic runner Mookie Betts on second and one out against Phillies reliever David Robertson, Freddie Freeman was intentionally walked, and Alex Call drew a walk to load the bases. But Miguel Rojas popped out, and Max Muncy grounded out to end the game. Andy Pages forced extra innings when he homered off Phillies closer Jhoan Duran on an 0-2 pitch with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Bryce Harper had put the Phillies ahead with a solo homer in the top of the eighth. Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber hit his NL-leading 53rd homer, pulling within one of the MLB lead by Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners.
Cole Homers Again As Astros Nip Rangers; Alvarez Hurt
Late September and the postseason create opportunities for unknown players to step into the spotlight. Consider rookie Zach Cole Jr. ready for his closeup. Entering the game after Yordan Alvarez was injured, Cole hit a monster go-ahead two-run homer in his first game at Daikin Park as the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 6-3 to open a huge three-game series. The victory pulled the second-place Astros within a half-game of the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners, who have won nine straight. The third-place Rangers, who had won seven of eight before losing their last two, are 3½ games behind the Mariners and tied with the Cleveland Guardians, three behind the Astros, who hold the third and final AL wild card.
Alvarez sprained his left ankle while scoring in the first inning. Alvarez will have an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. After Josh Jung hit a two-run homer as part of a three-run top of the fifth, the Astros retook the lead in the bottom half. An error and two grounders set up Cole’s two-run shot with two outs on a 1-2 pitch. It was Cole’s second homer after hitting the first pitch he saw in the majors for a homer on Friday. Jeremy Peña doubled home a run in the seventh, and Cole added another insurance run with an RBI single.
Perdomo, D’backs Making Wild-Card Push
The Arizona Diamondbacks were left for dead in the desert. But no one made sure to put a stake in their heart. Geraldo Perdomo went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and reached base in all five plate appearances as the D’backs won for the fourth time in five games, beating the San Francisco Giants 8-1. The D’backs, who sold at the trade deadline after being riddled with injuries, pulled within 1½ games of the New York Mets for the third and final NL wild-card spot with their 12th win in 18 games. The Giants were leapfrogged by the D’backs and are tied with the Cincinnati Reds, two games behind the Mets.
Zac Gallen struck out six and allowed two hits over six innings for the D’backs. Perdomo had a double and a triple from his leadoff spot, and Ildemaro Vargas triggered a six-run sixth inning with a tiebreaking two-run single. D’backs star Corbin Carroll doubled to begin the big sixth to become just the 10th player in MLB history to have 30 doubles, 15 triples and 30 homers in a season.
Yesavage Sizzles, Jays Win In 11
Difference-makers in September and October come in all forms. Usually, a late-season call-up has a big role for some team. That could be Trey Yesavage of the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-handed starter, the Jays’ No. 2 prospect by Baseball America, struck out nine in his MLB debut, and George Springer singled home the tiebreaking run in the 11th inning in Toronto’s 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Jays reduced their magic number for clinching a playoff spot to four while extending their AL East lead over the second-place New York Yankees to five games.
The 22-year-old Yesavage, who started out the season in Class A, allowed one run on three hits and two walks while setting a club record for strikeouts in an MLB debut. At three minor-league stops, he struck out 160 in 98 innings.
More Playoff Implications
⚾ Simeon Woods Richardson struck out a career-best 11 over six innings as the Twins blanked the Yankees 7-0 for the first time since 2008. Austin Martin drove in four runs for the Twins, who pushed the Yankees five games behind the AL East-leading Blue Jays and only one game up on the Boston Red Sox, whom the Yankees are battling for a better AL wild-card seed.
⚾ Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong hit home runs in support of Jameson Taillon’s six shutout innings as the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0. The second-place Cubs pulled within five games of the NL Central-leading Brewers and hold the No. 1 NL wild card, four games ahead of the San Diego Padres.
⚾ Will Benson hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth, and Tyler Stephenson hit a bases-clearing double as part of a four-run ninth inning as the Cincinnati Reds topped the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6. The Reds pulled within two games of the Mets for the third and final NL wild-card spot.
Clemente Nominees Announced
MLB unveiled each club’s nominees for the Roberto Clemente Award. The award honors those who have shown exemplary behavior on and off the field, including charity work. The winner will be announced at the World Series.
By The Numbers
⚾ Matt Olson homered in his third straight game as part of a 4-for-5, four-RBI performance in Atlanta’s 11-3 win over the Washington Nationals. Olson has seven homers in his last 18 games after hitting just one in a 34-game stretch (July 21-Aug. 26).
⚾ Right-hander Kyle Bradish allowed one run over five innings in the Baltimore Orioles‘ 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Bradish, in his fourth start since recovering from Tommy John surgery, has allowed two or fewer runs in 11 straight starts, dating back to Aug. 13, 2023.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Double Play
With the help of a hat, two fans behind home plate teamed up to catch a foul ball during the Yankees-Twins game at Target Field.
They both caught it 😂
Whopper Of A Matchup
In the eighth inning, Jake Burger of the Rangers stepped in to face Astros left-handed reliever Bryan King, which led to this on the scorebug. Carl’s Jr., er, Carl Edwards Jr. came on in relief for the Rangers in the bottom of the eighth.
Well it finally happened
— Levi Weaver, but for baseball (@threetwoeephus.bsky.social) 2025-09-16T02:21:23.357Z
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette flew to Dallas to get a second opinion on his strained posterior cruciate ligament.
Articles You Should Read
Why the Giants are calling up top prospect Eldridge now — John Shea, San Francisco Standard
Amid the collapse of their pitching, Mets barely hanging on — Jay Jaffe, FanGraphs
How Skenes’ cerebral approach is helping him elevate even further — Jordan Shusterman, Yahoo Sports
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
