Otherworldly Ohtani creates 50-50 club in a 6-for-6 game for the ages
MIAMI -- Inside a clubhouse loaded with potential future Hall of Famers and some of the best players in the sport, Shohei Ohtani's greatness still sticks out. In a game that has been around for centuries, there has never been a player like Ohtani. On Thursday afternoon, Ohtani’s legend continued
Best game ever? Ohtani pulls it off while reaching 50-50
The problem with Shohei Ohtani’s methodical march to 50-50 was the inevitability of it all. We all knew he’d christen the club eventually, and quite likely with ample cushion before the conclusion of the regular season. The man who had made the extraordinary look routine in both pitching and hitting
Guards gush about 'leader of men' Vogt after thrilling walk-off clincher
CLEVELAND -- It was March 28, Opening Day, when Austin Hedges, Shane Bieber and Tyler Beede huddled up to determine that manager Stephen Vogt should be awarded the Guardians’ WWE Championship belt for his first managerial win. This was the start of a tradition for the year: After every victory,
Dodgers toast Ohtani's historic day, 12th straight playoff berth
MIAMI -- After spending over $1 billion in contracts this offseason, the Dodgers came into the 2024 season with World Series aspirations. On Thursday afternoon, they took the first step towards accomplishing their ultimate goal.
Mets blast 4 HRs, plate 10 for franchise record 3rd straight game
NEW YORK -- It was Thursday night thunder at Citi Field. In what could be a postseason matchup in late October, the Mets’ bats erupted for four home runs and pounded the Phillies, 10-6. It marked the first time in Mets history that they scored 10 or more runs in
Twins' advantage gone, now tied with Tigers for final Wild Card spot
CLEVELAND -- The Twins can no longer repeat as American League Central champions, though that had long already seemed a foregone conclusion. More significantly, the fight for their playoff lives has fully caught up to them, as the race for the final Wild Card spot is now tied. A second
How the Tigers got creative to get back in the race
For the last 50 games, the Tigers haven't featured a traditionally functional starting rotation. That's in large part because they’ve barely had a rotation at all. In the span of two weeks in July, Detroit lost starters Kenta Maeda (demoted to the bullpen on July 11), Reese Olson (injured on
Surging Mets & Tigers, title-hungry Harper and more fascinations
There’s always something fascinating going on in the world of baseball—and there’s always something new. Every Friday morning throughout the season, heading into the weekend, inspired by Zack Lowe’s terrific “10 Things I Like” NBA column for ESPN, we present the Five Fascinations, five fun things going on in the
The hitter who refused to strike out, Witt's 30-30 season among stats of the week
Here’s our weekly look at 10 mind-blowing notes from the last week in baseball (Sept. 13-19). JULIOOOO: On Friday, Julio Rodríguez became one of two players in MLB history with at least 75 homers and 75 stolen bases in the first three seasons of his career, along with Bobby Witt
Postseason Watch: Bracket, tiebreakers and more
The 2024 postseason is approaching. As you keep an eye on the standings, here is everything you need to know about how the playoff field is shaping up, as well as info about potential tiebreakers and clinch scenarios for each contender.
Soto to get precautionary X-rays after 'scary' spectacular catch
SEATTLE -- It is no stretch to say that the Yankees’ postseason dreams hung in the balance as Juan Soto took a few extra beats on the dirt warning track Thursday afternoon, having slid hard into the right-field wall while making a dazzling seventh-inning catch. Almost every member of the
Dramatic walk-off tater delivers sweet, sweet relief to Birdland
BALTIMORE -- Once Anthony Santander's walk-off two-run homer had just barely cleared the right-center-field wall -- a heroic ninth-inning blast that lifted the Orioles to a crucial 5-3 win over the Giants on Thursday afternoon -- the emotion poured out from everywhere at Camden Yards. From the fans roaring. From
Pfaadt shows postseason potential with 12-K gem
MILWAUKEE -- The last time Brandon Pfaadt toed the rubber at American Family Field was when he started Game 1 of the 2023 National League Wild Card Series, and the right-hander would go on to play a big role for the D-backs in their run to the World Series. If
Gilbert channels inner-'Walter' to lift Mariners to key win
SEATTLE -- Logan Gilbert was in full “Walter” mode on Thursday afternoon, evoking his uber competitive alter ego early and often in a game that the Mariners badly needed to win, and against a Yankees club that has had his number for most of his career. Riding three runs of
Kikuchi doing it all for Astros: 'The energy, you feel it'
HOUSTON -- No matter what becomes of the three young players the Astros shipped to Toronto prior to the Trade Deadline to acquire veteran left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, the club can say the deal -- initially met with criticism by fans and media -- has served its purpose and then some.
Decreased velo no problem for Sale as bats tee off for 6 HRs
CINCINNATI -- Chris Sale may have already locked down the National League Cy Young Award. But the rejuvenated ace still has plenty to prove next week, when he attempts to pitch the Braves into the postseason. Sale’s biggest starts of the season awaited him after he benefited from six home
Walker's troubles continue as Phils' clinch postponed again
NEW YORK – The Phillies wanted to believe they could maneuver Taijuan Walker through the Mets’ lineup a couple times on Thursday night at Citi Field. Instead, he reminded everybody how far he has fallen since last season and how much of a problem the team’s No. 5 starter has
Postseason FAQ: What's next for Guardians?
CLEVELAND – On the eve of Opening Day, the Guardians owned a 33.4 percent chance of making the postseason, according to FanGraphs, as some other teams across the Majors sat in the 90s. It was mostly based on the fact that the team was returning a large chunk of the
Postseason FAQ: What's next for Dodgers?
MIAMI -- From the moment the Dodgers arrived at Camelback Ranch in February, their goals for the 2024 season were pretty simple. First, they needed to make the postseason, which they accomplished on Thursday with a 20-4 drubbing of the Marlins at loanDepot park. Next, the Dodgers will try to
Adames takes first off-day of '24 as Crew aims to walk a tightrope
MILWAUKEE -- When the newly crowned National League Central division champion Brewers reported to work on Thursday, there were two indications of what had happened the night before. One was the overpowering smell of stale champagne in the room. The other was the lineup card.
Sox in midst of tough offensive stretch ahead of big Twins set
ST. PETERSBURG -- For the Red Sox, an offensive free-fall that started roughly a month ago hit its nadir on Thursday night at Tropicana Field, perhaps taking some of the luster away from this weekend’s three-game series at Fenway Park against the Twins. In a 2-0 defeat to the Rays
Injuries: Soto, Lindor, Hays, Astros, Kershaw
Stay up-to-date with all the latest news on injured players across Major League Baseball.
With clinch season upon us, here's what Padres are playing for
This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. SAN DIEGO -- It's clinch season, and the Padres are getting close. San Diego started the week by winning two of three games in
Here are the 2024 High-A All-Stars and award winners
As Double-A and Triple-A affiliates navigate playoffs and the final week of the regular season respectively, award season in the lower levels rolls on, and its next stop is High-A. Every year, managers from across the Minors vote on All-Stars for their given league, as well as the Most Valuable
These pitchers didn't realize Pujols, Fowler were ready to go deep
One big key to the legendary career that will almost surely land Albert Pujols in the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2028? Preparation. “If I didn’t do my homework at the time, I probably wouldn’t have the success,” Pujols told former Phillies standouts Ryan Howard and