In the Desert
[mlb.com] After HBP, Alexander’s swollen elbow to undergo more tests
A fluoroscopy, a medical imaging technique that uses X-rays to produce continuous, real-time images of internal structures, was taken at Target Field. It did not show any broken bones, but the elbow was very swollen postgame.
[mlb.com] Unlikely heroes keep D-backs alive in Wild Card chase
James McCann was the offensive hero, hitting a homer and driving in four runs. The veteran catcher was playing for the Braves’ Triple-A team in June when Arizona starting catcher Gabriel Moreno suffered an injury.
Also: left-hander Andrew Saalfrank, one of the team’s most reliable
options in the bullpen, has been held out of the last two games. Lovullo said he was “nursing some tenderness in his left arm.”
[si.com] James McCann and Nabil Crismatt Star in Diamondbacks Win
Crismatt was magnificent once again, albeit in a truncated five-inning outing. He gave up three base hits, didn’t walk a batter, hit one and struck out four. He induced 12 whiffs, nine with the changeup. It was another soft contact clinic as well, as there were only three hard hit balls over 95 MPH among the 16 balls put in play.
[si.com] James McCann Had Powerful Message After Massive D-backs Win
“This is the best part of the year. When you show up to spring training, you talk about this time of year. You want to have an opportunity come the middle of September to make a push for the playoffs,” McCann said.
“And that’s what we’re in right now. And every single guy in there truly believes. And we’re all going to be pulling in the same direction. Like I said, this is what you train all offseason for, all spring training. And this is what you grind for six months of the season for.”
[DBacks Under Review] Gabriel Moreno Pushing for All-Star Honors with 2025 Breakout at the Plate
If Moreno can stay healthy, he’s looking at 90-100 starts behind the plate and another 30-40 as a DH. With the type of offense, he should be on a short list of players to start for the National League behind the plate in the All-Star Game. His primary competition will be the Dodgers’ Will Smith, the Brewers’ William Contreras, and the Braves’ Drake Baldwin.
[Arizona Republic] Diamondbacks take series from Twins
Alexander made teammates laugh when he told them his “horoscope” came back negative. He had meant “fluoroscope.” Said Lovullo: “Did he really say that? I love Blaze Alexander.”
Around The MLB
[Yahoo Sports – The Guardian] Mariners’ Cal Raleigh ties Mickey Mantle’s record with 54th home run of season
Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 54th home run of the season, tying Mickey Mantle’s record for a switch hitter set in 1961, as the Seattle Mariners took sole possession of first place in the American League West with an 11-2 victory against the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon.
[Yahoo Sports – NBC Sports] What we learned as Giants go down without a fight in series finale vs. Dodgers
The Giants took advantage of the off day on Thursday to slide Webb and Ray up a day and have them both face the Dodgers. That could pay off ultimately, as it will allow Webb to pitch Game 162 on short rest if the Giants need a win that day, but it certainly didn’t help in this series.
A day after Webb left with the bases loaded and no outs in the fifth, Ray was knocked out after allowing the first three Dodgers to reach in the fifth. Combined, the co-aces gave up 11 runs and pitched just eight innings in the two games. Ray was charged with five earned on Sunday and walked four, and it could have been worse early on. He walked three in the second inning and loaded the bases for Shohei Ohtani, but he blew a fastball past him to temporarily get back on track.
[Yahoo Sports – NBC Sports] Kurtz hits 493-foot grand slam, longest MLB homer this season
Kurtz’s 493-foot drive was the longest by an A’s player since Statcast tracking began in 2015. It surpassed Mike Trout’s 484-foot homer April 19 with the Angels for the longest in the majors this year. It was the 31st homer for Kurtz, a rookie slugger who hit four in one game earlier this season.
[ESPN] Ohtani’s lawyers claim misuse, move to dismiss real estate lawsuit
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, moved to dismiss a lawsuit filed last month accusing them of causing a Hawaii real estate investor and broker to be fired from a $240 million luxury housing development on the Big Island’s Hapuna Coast.
Ohtani and Balelo were sued Aug. 8 in Hawaii Circuit Court for the First Circuit by developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto, West Point Investment Corp. and Hapuna Estates Property Owners, who accused them of “abuse of power” that allegedly resulted in tortious interference and unjust enrichment.
[ESPN] MLB 2025: Breaking down Mets’ losing skid, second-half woes
The Mets, featuring a $340 million payroll, the second highest in the game, have been among the worst teams in baseball since mid-June. On June 12, the Mets beat the Washington Nationals to improve to 45-24. They had the best record in the majors, led the Phillies by 5.5 games in the NL East and, according to FanGraphs, had a 75% chance of winning the division and a 96% chance of making the playoffs.
Since then, however, only the Colorado Rockies and the Minnesota Twins have had worse records, while the Nationals have matched the Mets at 32-49.
What happened? Let’s look at three main components of their game — the rotation, the bullpen and the offense — to see what has gone wrong.
[CBS Sports] Should the Cubs retire Anthony Rizzo’s No. 44? Making the case for and against as the 2016 champion retires
Given Rizzo’s stature in relation to the 2016 Cubs, though, there’s a chance he might eventually get his number retired, even without a plaque in Cooperstown. His No. 44 hasn’t been issued to another player since he was traded in 2021, but isn’t officially in the rafters. Let’s make the cases for and against the Cubs retiring No. 44.
As The World Turns
[Europe] Schedule announced for the Blind EuroBaseball Championship 2025
Five national teams – Czechia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and the Netherlands – will take the field in Nettuno from October 3 to 5, 2025 for the Blind EuroBaseball 2025, the continental showcase of Blind Baseball.
Whole schedule you can find here.
[Europe] European Baseball Championship 2025 Group C – Moves from Senago to Novara
The 2025 European Championship Group C will no longer take place in Senago, Italy, as originally planned. After months of close monitoring of the new Senago field, WBSC Europe has decided that the venue is not ready to safely host a tournament of this level.
[Japan] USA shut out Japan to win WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup
World No. 3 USA defeated No. 1 Japan, 2-0, in the World Championship Final and claimed the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025 presented by RAXUS in front of a full house – 16,693 fans – at Cellular Stadium in Okinawa, Japan.
USA have now won the trophy 11 times and tied Cuba as the two most successful countries in the age group tournament. It is also USA’s 28th medal out of 32editions of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.
Pitching and defence were the strengths of the 2025 USA U-18 National Team. “I do believe we have the best pitching and defence in the world. The whole draft class this year is insane. We have one of the best classes that has come through the United States in a long time.”
