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Jeremy Peña started the game by striking out against Tampa Bay starter Ian Seymour and faced a tough night at the plate as the Astros fell 3-2 to the Rays. Peña walked to begin the eighth inning against Ty Johnson and later came around to score, but the Houston offense was largely bottled up by Seymour and the Rays' pitching staff as they dropped the second game of the weekend series.
Ian Seymour delivered a stellar start for the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, striking out 10 over six innings against the Astros in a 3-2 victory. The southpaw allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while throwing 58 of 79 pitches for strikes. Seymour now holds a 4.27 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 150:34 K:BB over 122.1 innings this season as he prepares for his next scheduled outing against the Boston Red Sox.
Kyle Leahy was tapped to start Saturday night's game for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Chicago White Sox at Busch Stadium. Tasked with pitching the opening innings of a bullpen day, Leahy took the mound following the team's Hall of Fame induction ceremony celebrating legends Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Bill Sherdel, working efficiently before being limited to three innings on a 38-pitch count.
Albert Pujols was honored on Saturday during a St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame ceremony at Busch Stadium, where he was officially immortalized alongside franchise greats Yadier Molina and Bill Sherdel. The special pregame event celebrated Pujols' historic contributions to the organization prior to St. Louis taking the field against the Chicago White Sox.
Franchise icon Yadier Molina was formally inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame during a pregame ceremony on Saturday at Busch Stadium. Molina was immortalized alongside fellow team legends Albert Pujols and Bill Sherdel prior to the Cardinals' evening matchup against the Chicago White Sox, celebrating his legendary career and lasting legacy with the organization.
Philadelphia Phillies reliever Grant Holman endured a disastrous season debut on Saturday, entering in the fourth inning of a 12-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Called upon after starter Jesus Luzardo was scratched with shoulder stiffness, Holman surrendered a string of hits, walks, an error, and a wild pitch during a seven-run Braves explosion. Holman was claimed off waivers from the Athletics in May after pitching well in Triple-A.
Atlanta Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle pitched seven dominant innings of one-run ball in a 12-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, earning his sixth win. Mahle allowed six hits and no walks while striking out six. The performance solidifies his case for a playoff rotation spot behind Chris Sale. Mahle has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts, bringing his season ERA to 3.91 with 127 strikeouts over 138 innings.
Mookie Betts launched a first-inning solo home run in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Miami, marking his 20th home run of the season and his ninth career 20-homer campaign. The shot was also the 10,000th home run in LA Dodgers franchise history since moving from Brooklyn in 1958. Betts went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base, extending a hot September where he is batting .333 with seven extra-base hits and 14 RBI.
Bryan Baker recorded four outs on Saturday to earn his MLB-leading 40th save in Tampa Bay's victory over Houston. The All-Star closer tossed 1.1 scoreless innings, yielding one hit with zero walks and one strikeout. Dominant since July with only three earned runs allowed in that stretch, Baker now sports a 1.54 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 62:21 K:BB over 58.1 innings while converting 40 of 43 save chances this season.
Tyler Glasnow (4-1) endured his shortest start of the season Saturday, taking his first loss in a 4-3 defeat to the Marlins. Glasnow struggled with control, throwing just 52 of 91 pitches for strikes over four-plus innings, issuing four walks, allowing five hits, and giving up four runs (including a two-run homer) while striking out seven. Since returning from the IL on Aug. 25, he has a 4.91 ERA across 22 innings despite 28 strikeouts.
Manuel Rodriguez remains part of the organizational depth picture monitored during late-season roster movements across Minnesota and Milwaukee depth charts. His mention comes in connection with Minnesota's September 12 roster adjustments, where top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul and Ben Ross was optioned in a corresponding transaction to reshape the outfield depth.
Top prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez made an unforgettable MLB debut Saturday, launching a 420-foot solo home run in his first career plate appearance during Minnesota's 4-3 victory over Cleveland. Starting in center field, the 23-year-old went 1-for-4 with a run, an RBI, and an outfield assist. Recalled from Triple-A St. Paul (.262/.414/.500, 11 HRs), Rodriguez could see regular action with Byron Buxton facing season-ending hip surgery.
Daniel Espino served as the opener for the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins, delivering two effective scoreless innings. However, the Guardians' bullpen strategy wavered after his departure when they opted for relief pitcher Elian Aleman instead of scheduled bulk pitcher Joey Cantillo, contributing to an early breakdown in what ultimately became a 4-3 loss for Cleveland.
Joey Cantillo posted an impressive relief performance Saturday, throwing four scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and eight strikeouts against the Minnesota Twins. Originally scheduled to follow opener Daniel Espino, Cantillo was surprisingly passed over in the third inning in favor of Elian Aleman before entering later. Despite Cantillo's dominant outing, Cleveland suffered a 4-3 defeat to Minnesota.
Bobby Witt went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in the Kansas City Royals' 5-1 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday. Witt singled and stole second in the first inning to become just the fourth player in MLB to reach 40 stolen bases this season. This marks the second time in the 26-year-old shortstop's career that he has achieved 40 steals, following his career-best 49 in 2023. On the season, Witt is slashing .280/.359/.450 with 18 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 84 runs scored.
New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt delivered a dominant performance in what could be his final rehab start on Saturday with Double-A Somerset. Pitching out of the bullpen, Schmidt recorded four outs, striking out three of the four batters he faced over 1.1 scoreless innings on 21 pitches (12 strikes). Manager Aaron Boone noted that Schmidt could be activated for the upcoming road trip to reinforce the team's struggling bullpen.
Pete Alonso provided a bright spot in Baltimore's 7-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday, going 1-for-3 with two walks and a two-run home run off Paul Sewald. The seventh-inning blast marked Alonso's 35th home run of the season, reaching that threshold for the sixth time in his career. The slugging first baseman is now one RBI away from his fifth 100-RBI campaign and sits just one homer shy of 300 for his career. Over his last 25 games, he is hitting .269 with eight HRs.
Philadelphia Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo received encouraging news as an MRI revealed no structural damage or serious issues in his left shoulder. Luzardo was scratched from his scheduled Saturday start due to shoulder stiffness and inflammation following a 12-strikeout, nine-inning complete game against the Braves on Monday. He will take anti-inflammatory medication and refrain from throwing for a few days before resuming baseball activities.
Aaron Judge was back in the lineup Saturday for a second straight game after sitting out Thursday, going hitless in four at-bats as the Yankees fell 12-2 to the Mets. Playing as the designated hitter, Judge is 3-for-14 with six strikeouts since returning from a three-month absence due to a fractured right rib. Manager Aaron Boone noted Judge could potentially receive an off day soon as the team carefully manages his return and timing.
Gerrit Cole suffered a rough outing against the Mets on Saturday, allowing five earned runs on nine hits—including three home runs—over 4.1 innings in a 12-2 loss. Cole has now surrendered seven home runs across his last two starts and fell to 8-9 on the season. Though his arm is healthy following Tommy John surgery, Cole and the Yankees noted he needs adjustments. He passed Al Downing for 11th on the team's all-time strikeout list with 1,029.
