From here on out, every game matters. It’s time to watch every scoreboard carefully, as a single win could make or break a team’s season. This recap covers in-game and off-field action from September 14-20.
AL West Hot: Mike Trout hits 400th career home run Trout hasn’t had a noteworthy season, but he looked more Trout-esque against the Rockies. Trout pummeled a 485-foot home run at Coors Field, which was the 10th-longest home run ever in Denver and second-longest of his career. Even if this year
hasn’t been good to him, Trout can at least say that he holds the record for most dingers hit by a player in an Angels uniform.
Not: Rangers are in a free-fall
Texas is close to kissing the playoffs goodbye. After losing six straight, the Rangers have fallen five games out of the third wild-card spot. Getting swept in Houston pushed them even further back than they already were. With few games left, Texas should aim to finish the season with a winning record and hope the Astros and Guardians magically lose out.
AL Central
Hot: Royals demolish Blue Jays with 20 runs
Kansas City plowed through first-place Toronto in a stunning 20-1 beating. The Royals knocked Max Scherzer out of the game just two outs in by putting up seven runs, which included home runs from Salvador Pérez and Michael Massey. Kansas City only capitalized on the bullpen game for the remaining eight innings, as everyone in the lineup (including their three pinch-hitters) recorded a hit and either a run or RBI. It was the first time since 2004 the Royals scored 20 runs, and the first time in franchise history they put up 27 hits.
Not: Tigers stutter at the finish line
Unlike last year, Detroit is crumbling at the end of the season. The Tigers have dropped their last two series, which included being swept by the Guardians, and have lost their last eight of 10 games. While the pitching has held up, the lineup’s .170/.259/.290 slash line didn’t do them any favors. Detroit still has time to be overthrown in the division, so something needs to change fast.
AL East
Hot: Trevor Rogers dominates Yankees
Rogers extended his strong season in Baltimore’s 4-2 win over New York. His one-hit, zero-run, seven-punch-out start was dazzling and marked his 13th quality start of the season. Rogers has a 9-2 record and a 1.35 ERA since returning from the 15-day IL that knocked him out of half the season. While this year has been discouraging for Orioles fans, at least Rogers helped them deal a couple of last punches to their division rivals.
Not: Max Scherzer collapses against Royals
Scherzer is not having a good September. After allowing seven runs in less than one inning in Toronto’s 20-1 loss to the Royals, Scherzer’s ERA jumped to 11.70 for September. At age 41, the veteran starter hasn’t thrown a shutout this season, and his flashes of brilliance have been fleeting. Perhaps his glory days truly are over.
NL West
Hot: Mickey Moniak has a grand week
Moniak is one of the only players having a good season in Colorado. Despite the team’s struggles, Moniak slashed .500/.500 /1.300 with six runs, 11 RBIs, and five home runs. Although playing for the worst team in the league is never fun, Moniak is making the most of it by posting a career-high .528 slugging percentage, 24 home runs, and 68 RBIs this season.
Not: San Diego’s rotation gets rocked
The Padres starters are lucky the damage they’ve done hasn’t had worse consequences. San Diego’s rotation went 1-3 with an 8.42 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. They allowed 24 runs in six starts, with a third of them coming from their series against the Mets. Michael King was oddly ineffective at Citi Field, allowing 10 hits and eight runs in just three innings. The Padres starters can’t relax yet, with the playoff picture far from settled.
NL Central
Hot: Reds are determined to upset
Cincinnati can’t be counted out of the postseason. Their series win against the Cardinals and three straight wins over the Cubs at home, where they’ve outscored Chicago 14-7, demonstrates how determined Terry Francona and Cincinnati is about proving everyone wrong. As the Mets continue to defy everyone’s lofty expectations, a narrow door opens for the Reds to sneak into the postseason for the first time since 2020.
Not: Pittsburgh embraces its face
The Pirates were officially knocked out of the playoffs after losing 4-0 to the Cubs on September 15, but they’ve been playing like they fell out of contention way before that: They’ve lost 12 of their last 13 games, and their sputtering lineup is the main culprit. Pittsburgh’s .188/.293/.267 slash line and -9.0 hitting WAR is steering the team towards losing the entire second half of the month.
NL East
Hot: Chris Sale looks better than ever
You wouldn’t know Sale fractured his ribs earlier this season with the way he’s been pitching. He has a 1.83 ERA and 27 strikeouts in just under 20 innings pitched in September. In his latest start, Sale kept the Nationals to three hits while striking out nine in eight frames to help the Braves win, 5-0. While he hasn’t had the season he hoped for, at least Sale will finish strong.
Not: As the Mets slip, so does David Peterson
In a decisive game that could determine the NL Wild Card standings, Peterson didn’t do the Mets any favors. Peterson allowed six runs from six hits, including a home run, through five innings, earning the loss in New York’s 7-4 loss to the Padres. While the Mets are barely hanging onto the final wild card spot, Peterson hasn’t made it easy in September. He has given up 13 runs in three starts.
