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MLB News & Moments You Should Know: 9/22/2024

Tigers pull within half-game of Twins; Guardians win Central.

Steve Drumwright
MLB Morning News 9/22/2024

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

With the season ending a week from today, there isn’t a whole lot of drama as to who will make the postseason. All six division titles have either been clinched or will be shortly. One of the NL Wild Card spots is virtually decided, with three teams battling for the final two. Similarly in the AL, one team is about to sew up a Wild Card berth, while four teams go after the other two spots. Will some team collapse in the final eight days?

 

Today’s Headlines

 

Tigers Continue Playoff Push

The unexpected run by the Detroit Tigers is shaping up to be the biggest story of the 2024 playoff chase. The Tigers, who were well below .500 just a few days following the trade deadline in which the front office traded away a couple of key players, moved within a half-game of the third and final AL Wild Card spot with a 6-4 victory in 10 innings over the Baltimore Orioles. Riley Greene singled home the go-ahead run and Zach McKinstry added a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th, shortly after the Tigers coughed up a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. Gunnar Henderson doubled home a pair of runs for the Orioles to force extra innings. The Tigers have won 10 of their last 13 games, including five of their last six, and earned their 81st win of the season Saturday. Detroit has been able to pull within striking distance of the postseason due to the Minnesota Twins dropping nine of their last 14. The Twins’ game against the Boston Red Sox was postponed, setting up a big doubleheader today.

Guardians Wrap Up AL Central

It doesn’t matter how you do it, only that you do it. The Cleveland Guardians entered Saturday with a magic number of one to clinch the AL Central title. However, the Guardians fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5. It didn’t matter, though, as the second-place Kansas City Royals had already lost to the San Francisco Giants 9-0, giving the AL Central to the Guardians for the second time in three seasons. It has been a remarkable season for the Guardians, who clinched a playoff spot Thursday under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. A year after ranking 27th in runs while compiling a 76-86 record, the Guardians are 15th this season, giving a standout pitching staff enough support.

 

Alvarez Powers Mets Past Phillies 

Going through his first pennant chase, Francisco Alvarez is certainly stepping into the spotlight. The young catcher drove in three runs, including a two-run double that snapped a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning of the New York Mets‘ 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Alvarez also homered for the Mets, who remain two games ahead of Atlanta for the third and final NL Wild Card berth and stayed one game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the No. 2 spot. The Mets are six games behind the Phillies, who missed a chance to clinch the NL East. The D’backs won their fourth straight with a 5-0 win over the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers. The San Diego Padres, who lead the NL Wild Card field, toppled the Chicago White Sox 6-2 to stay two games up on the D’backs and pull within three games behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost 6-3 to the Colorado Rockies.

Judge Hits 54th

Lost in the hoopla of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani reaching 50-50 and not stopping there was the fact that Ohtani was creeping up on New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge’s MLB-leading home run total. Judge isn’t just going to give up the homer lead as he showed by smashing his 54th of the season during a 10-0 win over the Oakland A’s. Ohtani’s surge has him at 52. Combined with the Orioles’ loss, the Yankees moved closer to clinching the AL East title. The Yankees lead the Orioles by five games with seven to play, with a magic number of three.

Julio Keeps Mariners In Hunt

It didn’t take long for Julio Rodríguez to make his impact felt in Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez, batting leadoff, drilled the first pitch from Dane Dunning for an opposite-field homer. That was the start of a 4-for-6, four-RBI night for J-Rod, who powered the Seattle Mariners to an 8-4 win over the Rangers. The Mariners pulled within 1.5 games of the Twins and stayed a game behind the Tigers in the chase for the final AL Wild Card spot.

Nationals Demote Abrams

With just a week left in the MLB season and the Triple-A Rochester schedule ending today, the Washington Nationals demoted All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to the minors. One report had Abrams at a casino in the Chicago area until 8 a.m. Friday with a day game at Wrigley Field starting at 1:20 p.m., but general manager Mike Rizzo would not confirm details of the move, only calling it an “internal issue.” Abrams, 23, has been struggling mightily in the second half, posting a .203 batting average and .586 OPS since the All-Star break. After having an .831 OPS with 15 homers and 15 steals before the break, Abrams has just five homers while still swiping 16 bases. Abrams had picked up his performance recently with a .328/.366/.934 slash line over the last two weeks.

 

Best Moments From Yesterday

 

A Moment He’ll Never Remember

Orioles left fielder Colton Cowser crashed into the netting chasing down a foul ball. Then he saw a little guy sleeping in his dad’s arms.

De La Cruz, Phenomenal

Elly De La Cruz is in his second MLB season and first full year in the majors. He is 22 years old. This three-run homer in the fourth inning vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates put the switch-hitting Cincinnati Reds shortstop in uncharted territory.

Bat Flip For A Strikeout?

Pitching Ninja has you covered on this performance by Chicago Cubs slugger Cody Bellinger.

 

Injuries and Other Moves

 

⚾ Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (back tightness) is not expected back in the lineup until Tuesday, following Monday’s day off. He had a facet joint injection Friday to speed healing and missed his sixth straight game Saturday.

⚾ Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (strained left calf) pitched one inning in his one and only rehab appearance. If Senga is deemed ready, he would possibly return to the active roster in an opener role Friday against the Brewers.

⚾ Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (left shoulder inflammation) went on the 10-day IL.

⚾ Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer (hamstring soreness) was scratched from his start and placed on the 15-day IL.

⚾ Astros right-handed reliever Tayler Scott (thoracic spine strain), who emerged as a key member of Houston’s bullpen this season, was placed on the 15-day injured list.

⚾ St. Louis Cardinals right-handed starter Sonny Gray (right flexor tendinitis) went on the 15-day IL.

⚾ The Orioles called up outfielder Daniel Johnson and optioned infielder Coby Mayo to Triple-A.

 

Articles You Should Read

 

Was Friday the final start for Verlander at Minute Maid Park? — Chandler Rome, The Athletic

12 draft picks who could reach MLB in 2025 — Geoff Pontes, Baseball America

Could Modesto be losing its minor-league team? — Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle

 

Fantasy Baseball Coverage

 

Starting Pitcher Roundup

Hitter Performances

Reliever Ranks

Starting Pitcher Streamers

 

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 Bluesky and Threads @DrummerWrites.

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