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It has been rather amazing that we entered Monday with exactly zero no-hitters in MLB this season. There were two extremely close calls, with Gavin Williams of the Cleveland Guardians and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers coming up one out shy. On Monday, there were two more no-hit bids, one that went into the eighth inning and another into the ninth before getting broken up. It has to happen sometime in the next three weeks, right? The last season without a no-hitter was 2005 (yes, there were two in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season!).
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Today’s Headlines
Nola Takes Charge For Phillies, Shuts Down Mets
On the same day the Philadelphia Phillies put the left side of their infield on the injured list, they turned to stalwart having a rough season to set the tone in a key NL East series against the New York Mets. Right-handed starter Aaron Nola, as he has so many times in the past, delivered a big performance. Nola allowed just three hits in six shutout innings as the Phillies topped the Mets 1-0 to begin the last series between the two teams in the regular season. The Phillies now lead the Mets by eight games in the NL East with three games left in the series, all but wrapping up their second straight division title. The Mets hold the third and final NL wild-card spot, three games ahead of the San Francisco Giants (11-5 winners over the Arizona Diamondbacks) and four up on the Cincinnati Reds (4-3 losers to the San Diego Padres). Nick Castellanos singled in Max Kepler in the bottom of the second inning for the game’s only run. Nola, who entered the game with a 6.78 ERA in 13 starts this season, walked two and struck out seven. Jhoan Duran escaped a jam in the top of the ninth. After allowing runners to reach second and third with one out, Duran struck out Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez to secure the win. It was a big boost after shortstop Trea Turner, the NL’s leading hitter, and third baseman Alec Bohm were put on the 10-day injured list. Turner strained his hamstring in Sunday’s game, while Bohm has left shoulder inflammation.
Dodgers Lose No-Hitter In 9th, Edge Rockies
Well, at least this one went better than Saturday. For the second time in three games, the Los Angeles Dodgers took a no-hitter into the ninth inning. Unlike Saturday, when that effort fell one out shy and the Dodgers coughed up a three-run lead in a devastating loss, Los Angeles hung on for the victory. Ryan Ritter hit the first pitch of the ninth inning from Tanner Scott for a double to left to break up a combined no-hit bid as the D0dgers beat the Rockies 3-1. Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow was scintillating for seven innings, striking out 11 and walking two without allowing a hit over his 105 pitches. Right-handed reliever Blake Treinen pitched a hitless eighth before turning it over to the embattled Scott. The Dodgers, who had no-hitter going yet trailed 1-0 going into the fifth, tied the game on Freddie Freeman’s RBI single in the bottom of the fifth and took the lead on Mookie Betts‘ two-run double in the sixth. The win kept the Dodgers’ lead in the NL West at one game over the second-place San Diego Padres, who walked off the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 in 10 innings.
Cecconi’s No-No Bid Vaults Guardians Over Royals
It hasn’t been the year the Cleveland Guardians were expecting, but there is still time to make it memorable for all the right reasons. Right-hander Slade Cecconi took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning to carry the Guardians to a 10-2 win over the Kansas City Royals. While both teams are currently on the outside of the playoff picture, their fourth straight win moved the Guardians a half-game ahead of the Royals in the AL wild-card chase. The Guardians are 2½ games behind the Seattle Mariners, who hold the third and final wild-card spot, and one game behind the Texas Rangers. Michael Massey broke up Cecconi’s no-hit bid with a single to center leading off the eighth inning. The Guardians hit seven doubles, including two each by CJ Kayfus and Brayan Rocchio, with three other players driving in two runs.
Naylor Delivers As Mariners Gain On Astros
The Mariners didn’t acquire Josh Naylor to necessarily hit home runs like he did in the past two games, but those are certainly nice. He was expected to come through with big hits. Naylor hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning as the Mariners beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2. That pulled the Mariners within two games of the AL West-leading Houston Astros and kept their grip on the third and final AL wild-card spot. The Mariners have a 1½-game lead over the Texas Rangers, 2½ over the Guardians and three over the Royals. Naylor came up with the Mariners down 2-1 and the bases loaded with no outs when he smoked a double to right-center that scored Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh, but saw Julio Rodríguez thrown out at the plate. Naylor came in on Jorge Polanco’s sac fly to finish the four-run outburst. The Mariners’ bullpen took over for Bryan Woo following his nine-strikeout performance, with Matt Brash, Eduard Bazardo and Andres Munoz facing one over the minimum over the final three innings.
Rookie’s Slam Fuels Rangers Over Brewers
The Texas Rangers might not want their injured players to return down the stretch. That is because rookie center fielder Michael Helman hit a grand slam and drove in all five runs and converted reliever Jacob Latz shut down MLB’s best team for 5⅔ innings as the Texas Rangers continued their playoff push with a 5-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. The third-place Rangers pulled with 3½ games of the idle Astros and 1½ games of the Mariners. The Brewers, meanwhile, remained 7½ games ahead of the second-place Chicago Cubs, who lost 4-1 to Atlanta, in the NL Central and had their magic number for clinching a playoff spot stay at three. Latz made just his seventh MLB start and sixth of the season in 79 career appearances. The left-hander allowed three hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Helman broke open a scoreless game when he hit his fourth homer of his rookie season and first grand slam in the fifth inning. He then added a ringing RBI double in the seventh.
By The Numbers
⚾ Ronald Acuña Jr. broke a career-worst 0-for-25 slump with an RBI single in Atlanta’s 4-1 win over the Cubs. The win was the 800th of his career for Atlanta manager Brian Snitker.
⚾ Josh Bell became the second Washington Nationals player to homer from both sides of the plate in a 15-7 win over the Miami Marlins. Battin right-handed, Bell hit a two-run shot in the sixth inning, then he flipped to the left side to crank out another two-run blast in the seventh inning.
Best Moments From Yesterday
A Baseball Treasure
Here is the way to properly conduct yourself in the bleachers.
Birthday Bash
Are you the type of person who gets yourself something special for your birthday? Well, Victor Mesa Jr. decided to hit his first career homer in the Marlins’ loss to the Nationals.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was activated off the 10-day IL following his strained right oblique.
⚾ Atlanta catcher Sean Murphy will not return this season after he went on the 10-day injured list with a torn labrum in his left hip, which will require surgery.
⚾ Padres right-hander Michael King will be activated from the 15-day IL and start today’s game vs. the Reds. King has been out since Aug. 14 with inflammation in his left knee.
⚾ Cubs right-handed closer Daniel Palencia went on the 15-day IL with a strained right shoulder. His return this season or the playoffs is unknown. Also, right-hander Jameson Taillon will come off the 15-day IL to start Wednesday against Atlanta.
⚾ Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias left the game vs. the Royals with right wrist inflammation. The move was termed precautionary.
⚾ Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe went on the seven-day concussion list. O’Hoppe was hit in the head Sunday during a backswing by the A’s Jacob Wilson.
⚾ Stu Sternberg, who sold the Tampa Bay Rays in a deal expected to be finalized in the next month, will retain a 10% share of the team at the outset of the $1.7 billion deal with a group led by Patrick Zalupski. Sternberg’s group will eventually leave the partnership.
Articles You Should Read
Believe it or not, A’s Kurtz is having one of the best rookie seasons ever — Mike Petriello, MLB.com
60 years later, Koufax’s perfecto is still the greatest game ever pitched — Jim Alexander, Orange County Register
Back in Bronx, Tigers’ Torres itching for fall surge — Chris McCosky, Detroit News
This team post minors’ best record since 1997 — Brendan Samson, MLB.com
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
