Good
morning.
- You almost certainly know this already, but Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto came within one out of the season’s first no-hitter when the Orioles’ Jackson Holliday broke up the no-no with a home run. Then the Dodgers bullpen blew the game. As far as anyone can tell, that’s never happened before. Ian Quillen reports.
- Gabe Lacques has more on Yamamoto’s great start and the Dodger bullpen’s collape.
- Ian Quillen also explains why Dodgers right fielder Andy Pages could not have stolen Holliday’s home run.
- The last ten times pitchers lost a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth, plus some notable examples from history.
- On the 30th anniversary of the event, Tim Kurkjian remembers Cal Ripken’s record-breaking consecutive games streak.
- Brittany Ghiroli recounts the story of how Ripken’s streak nearly ended after a benches-clearing brawl a two years previously and the trainer that kept him on the field. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Gabe Lacques wants the baseball powers-to-be that there is probably no one left like Ripken to save baseball like after the last work stoppage.
- Sad news as Davey Johnson, the manager of the World Series champion 1986 Mets and other teams, as well as a member of the 1970 Orioles World Series winner, has died at 82. Johnson actually finished his playing career with the Cubs in 1978.
- Phillies star Bryce Harper honored Johnson, who was his first manager with the Nationals. Harper gives Johnson a lot of credit for his development as a player. Justin Morris reports.
- Will Leitch has the 12 League Championship Series matchups that he’d most like to see.
- R.J. Anderson ranks the ten most important players for the final month of the year.
- Eno Sarris ranks the starting pitching rotations for the twelve current playoff teams. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Andrew Tredinnick explains why the Mets sent Kenta Maeda down to the minors.
- Davy Andrews notes that most of the playoff teams have bullpen issues.
- Thomas Harrington has the ten free-agent and trade acquisitions from this past winter that are leading their teams to the playoffs.
- Matt Synder looks at George Springer’s career renaissance with the Blue Jays this year.
- Tyler Kepner thinks the Yankees could be a dangerous team in October. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- But Michael Baumann tries to figure out what broke Yankees reliever Devin Williams.
- The Athletic staff have the biggest concern for each playoff contender. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Brent Maguire looks at all the teams on the outside of the playoffs and what challenges they face going from the outside to the inside of the playoff chase.
- Each team’s best stretch drive in history. I’m sorry, but while the Cubs’ 2015 stretch drive was good (19-9 in September), it can’t compare to the 21-game winning streak the Cubs had in September of 1935. Or even the 21-5 September the 1938 Cubs had that featured in the Homer in the Gloamin’. But I guess if it wasn’t on television, it didn’t happen.
- Jeff Passan has some early rumors about free agency this winter.
- Kiley McDaniel ranks every team’s “core” that is still under team control in 2027.
- Fred Zinkie thinks the White Sox have a bright future.
- Phillies shortstop Trea Turner left Sunday’s game with a hamstring strain. He’ll have an MRI today.
- Angels prospect Rio Foster was critically injured in a car accident on Friday. Rhett Bollinger has the news.
- Mark Bowman wonders if the Braves have their shortstop of the future in Ha-Seong Kim. Of course, Kim would have to pick up his player option for 2026.
- MLB ruled that Astros outfielder Taylor Trammell’s bat was illegal, but declined to punish him because it didn’t give him a competitive advantage. (The Athletic free reg. req.) Basically, Trammell’s bat was painted illegally.
- Ken Rosenthal tells the story of the friendship that developed between the Royals’ Salvador Perez and the Red Sox’s Aroldis Chapman after Perez hit Chapman in the face with a line drive in 2014. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- J.R. Moehringer argues that baseball’s relationship with gambling has ruined its integrity. (Gift article)
- Bob Nightengale reports on what the summer has been like for the five fired managers and how they want to return to the dugout.
- Jake Mintz notes that drinking in America has been down in recent years and how drinking is way down among MLB players after years of the stereotype of the “hard-drinking” ballplayer. Mintz gives three reasons why players don’t drink much anymore.
- And finally, Bradley Woodrum tries to make the case that promotion and relegation would be better for baseball than expansion. (Free Baseball Prospectus reg. req.) What Woodrum does that differs from most such arguments—including one I made several years ago—is that he at least tries to make the case to the owners how it would benefit them as well. I don’t think it’s a convincing argument, but at least he tries.
