The Toronto Blue Jays came through with the division title on the line. Entering the final week of the season, they had to play two division rivals in the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays while a third division rival, the New York Yankees, were hot on their heels in the standings. The Blue Jays went 4-2 in their six game home stand, with four straight victories to end the year.
The Phillies did not send their best lineup out there on Wednesday night. They needed just one win or one Dodgers loss to wrap up a playoff bye, and there were five games left in the season. It was going to happen; they did not really seem to be in a rush. Similarly, the top seed in the NL is almost certainly out of reach.
Woodford joined the Snakes on a major league contract in the beginning of July. He'd been pitching in Triple-A with the Cubs when he triggered an out clause in that minor league deal. He took the ball 22 times and logged 36 1/3 innings of 6.44 ERA ball. It was his third consecutive season allowing more than six earned runs per nine innings. Woodford nevertheless found himself in a handful of high-leverage situations in an Arizona bullpen that was hit hard by injuries.
The Mets are moving left-hander Sean Manaea to the bullpen, according to a report from Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic. Manaea told reporters before today's game against the Rangers that he's set to be available out of the bullpen during the game, and that if he's not used in tonight's game he's likely to be used in relief of starter Clay Holmes for Tuesday's series opener against the Padres.
The Astros have placed right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. on the 15-day injured list due to right hand soreness, per Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle. It's unclear how severe this hand injury is. McCullers is going to Houston for further evaluation. Left-hander Colton Gordon has been recalled in the corresponding active roster move. Chandler Rome of The Athletic first noted that McCullers wasn't listed on the club's lineup card but Gordon was.
Since that 2022 season, however, and since he's come to San Diego, Cease's production has been far from what almost won him the most valuable pitching award in baseball back then, with an ERA of 4.02 and a 21-22 record since making the move to the Padres. Despite his mediocrity over the past couple of seasons, Cease could still be a hot commodity come offseason free agency.
Between the offseason and today, the Sox have signed or claimed nine relievers. Below are the stats for each: Everyone except Vasil and Castro (who was shut down for the season with a patellar tendon tear in June) has been optioned to the minors at least once this season. Vasil's and Altavilla's stats are the only anomaly from this putrid list, and Altavilla has been in Triple-A for the majority of his tenure with the organization.
You come up here and you get in the atmosphere of the game, you get in the atmosphere of the clubhouse, the mindset of competition, plan and direction of a championship, and things like that. Timing is different in that environment than it is in any other environment. So I feel pretty good with it all. I feel healthy.
He was a 15th round draft pick in 2012 and after six years in the minor leagues, he made his debut with Toronto on June 26, 2018 and in one of the better debuts in Blue Jays history, he went six innings, struck out three and allowed just two earned runs on six hits. Borucki started 17 games in total for the Blue Jays in that 2018 season, finishing with a 1.5 bWAR and looked like he might turn into a decent fourth or fifth starter.
"Trying to get back up to speed too quick," began Choban, "and on top of that the lack of body awareness, and the lack of having any idea where the ball was going, played into the frustrations and heartache of going through the whole process (solving the yips). "I got through that initial stage of the confusion of not really having a clue what was going on," Choban shared. "It turned into-okay-talk to the sports psychologist (the author of this piece). We figured out why it could be happening and ways to work through it."
The game was moving quickly to start, with both sides getting on base but ultimately not crossing home. In the bottom of the third with two outs, Steven Kwan hit a clean double, his 100th career double, to left to put him in scoring position. He didn't have to hustle to cross home, Daniel Schneemann hit a home run 408 feet to right center to put the Guards up by 2 in one swing.
CHICAGO (AP) - It was just like old times for Carlos Rodón. Only in a different uniform. Rodón pitched six effective innings for the New York Yankees against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. The left-hander allowed one run and seven hits. It was Rodón's first start at Rate Field since he departed Chicago in free agency after the 2021 season.
Los Angeles initially signed Brogdon to a minor league contract over the offseason. He had an ERA approaching 13.00 in Triple-A when the Angels nevertheless called him up in early May. Brogdon held an MLB bullpen spot for the next three months. He allowed 5.30 earned runs per nine over 37 1/3 innings. His strikeout, walk and home run rates were each on the wrong side of league average.
The Rockies have released veteran lefty Austin Gomber, per a team announcement. (Thomas Harding of MLB.com reported the move just minutes prior to its announcement.) He was reportedly placed on outright waivers earlier this week. Given that he's now being released, it's clear he wasn't claimed. Colorado will give his 40-man spot to lefty reliever Lucas Gilbreath, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Albuquerque.
