Samwise MLB Newsletter
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Tucker Grand Slam Leads Dodgers Past Marlins 6-1 as De Paula Makes Debut
Kyle Tucker filled the Shohei Ohtani void with authority Thursday night, delivering a sac fly in the third inning and a seventh-inning grand slam — his 14th homer of the year — to lead the Dodgers past Miami 6-1. Tucker’s five RBIs carried Los Angeles as Blake Snell turned in a strong outing. Top prospect Josue De Paula, called up from Double-A to take Ohtani’s roster spot, started at DH in his major league debut for the Dodgers. The 21-year-old skipped Triple-A entirely after hitting .302 with 26 homers and 31 stolen bases this season. Miami’s Agustin Ramirez doubled in the Marlins’ lone run.
Imanaga Wins 10th, Bregman Homers as Cubs Rout Pirates 12-2
Shota Imanaga improved to 10-10 and is a perfect 4-0 lifetime with a 0.61 ERA against Pittsburgh, as the Cubs routed the Pirates 12-2 Thursday at Wrigley. Alex Bregman went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer — his 25th of the season and 18th in just 53 games since a mid-July breakout — while Carson Kelly added a two-run double in the second inning. Bryan Reynolds homered for the Pirates and Oneil Cruz contributed an RBI single, but the Cubs offense was simply too much. Chicago improved to 82-66 and remain firmly in the NL Wild Card picture.
Bellinger Three-Run Blast Lifts Yankees Over Mets 6-4 in Subway Series Opener
Cody Bellinger broke a scoreless tie with a three-run homer in the second inning, and Ben Rice added a solo shot — his major league-leading 37th of the year — as the Yankees took Game 1 of the Subway Series 6-4 over the Mets on Thursday. Bellinger connected off Mets rookie Nolan McLean’s curveball for his 14th homer. Carlos Rodón pitched for New York. A.J. Ewing hit a solo shot in the ninth for the Mets, who saw Juan Soto ground into a game-ending double play. New York (85-62) trails Tampa Bay by three games in the AL East heading into the final three weeks.
Turang and Bauers Homer as Division-Champion Brewers Punish Reds 9-0
Milwaukee punished Cincinnati 9-0 Thursday in a display of why the Brewers have run away with the NL Central — a division title they have already clinched. Brice Turang hammered a three-run homer — his 18th of the season — and Jake Bauers added a two-run blast in a second-inning outburst that put the game away early. Andrew Vaughn doubled in a run, William Contreras had a sac fly, and Dustin May breezed on the mound. Milwaukee (92-56), the first team to clinch a division title this season, continued its dominance in what has been an exceptional campaign for the franchise.
Beavers Homers, Drives in 3 as Orioles Beat Blue Jays 7-2 Behind Bassitt
Dylan Beavers turned in the most complete performance of his young career Thursday, leading off with a homer — his seventh — and adding a two-run single in the second inning to account for three of Baltimore’s RBIs in a 7-2 win over Toronto. Chris Bassitt pitched effectively for the Orioles opposite Max Scherzer, who started for the Blue Jays. Coby Mayo supplied a seventh-inning solo homer — his 23rd of the year — and Colton Cowser doubled home two more. Baltimore improved to 72-76 behind a lineup generating unexpected power as the season enters its final weeks.
Hill Bases-Clearing Double Fuels Phillies Past Braves 3-1 in NL Showdown
Philadelphia scored three runs in the second inning on Derek Hill’s bases-clearing double to beat Atlanta 3-1 Thursday, a meaningful result as both teams navigate tight NL playoff positioning. Matt Olson opened the scoring with his 38th homer in the first inning for the Braves. The Phillies erased that deficit quickly, with Hill doing the heavy lifting to put Philadelphia ahead. Atlanta (87-61) leads Philadelphia (82-66) by five games in the NL East, with both teams holding postseason spots — but the Wild Card race behind them remains competitive as three weeks remain in the regular season.
Ohtani Not Likely to Pitch Again in 2026 as Dodgers Call Up Top Prospect De Paula
The Dodgers placed Shohei Ohtani on the 15-day injured list Thursday, with manager Dave Roberts indicating Ohtani is not likely to pitch again in 2026. After sitting out several games last week, Ohtani returned Monday but left the lineup again due to right biceps discomfort — the primary concern alongside existing knee issues. The IL stint is backdated to Monday. Roberts remained cautiously optimistic about Ohtani returning to the DH role for a few late-season games before the postseason. Los Angeles called up 21-year-old Josue De Paula, the team’s top-ranked prospect, who hit .302 with 26 home runs at Double-A this year.
Sources: MLB Trade Rumors
Playoff Picture: Brewers and Rays Clinched, Dodgers Closing In, AL East Chase Tightening
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, the playoff picture is taking shape. The Brewers (92-56) and Rays (88-59) have clinched division titles, while the Dodgers (90-57) hold the NL West lead and are closing in on a clinch. In the NL, the Cubs (82-66) and Phillies (82-66) hold Wild Card spots behind Atlanta (87-61). The AL East race remains the most compelling: Tampa Bay leads New York by three games with roughly 15 to play. In the NL Central, Milwaukee’s dominance — they lead second-place Chicago by 10 games — has been the story of the season.
Sources: MLB.com Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL East | |||
| x-Tampa Bay | 88 | 59 | — |
| NY Yankees | 85 | 62 | 3.0 |
| Boston | 80 | 68 | 8.5 |
| Toronto | 73 | 75 | 15.5 |
| Baltimore | 72 | 76 | 16.5 |
| AL Central | |||
| Chicago (AL) | 75 | 71 | — |
| Cleveland | 75 | 73 | 1.0 |
| Minnesota | 69 | 78 | 6.5 |
| Detroit | 68 | 79 | 7.5 |
| Kansas City | 66 | 82 | 10.0 |
| AL West | |||
| Houston | 75 | 73 | — |
| Texas | 72 | 75 | 2.5 |
| Seattle | 69 | 78 | 5.5 |
| Athletics | 59 | 88 | 15.5 |
| LA Angels | 56 | 91 | 18.5 |
National League
| Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL East | |||
| Atlanta | 87 | 61 | — |
| Philadelphia | 82 | 66 | 5.0 |
| Miami | 72 | 76 | 15.0 |
| NY Mets | 68 | 79 | 18.5 |
| Washington | 68 | 81 | 19.5 |
| NL Central | |||
| x-Milwaukee | 92 | 56 | — |
| Chicago (NL) | 82 | 66 | 10.0 |
| Pittsburgh | 74 | 74 | 18.0 |
| St. Louis | 72 | 75 | 19.5 |
| Cincinnati | 69 | 78 | 22.5 |
| NL West | |||
| LA Dodgers | 90 | 57 | — |
| San Diego | 78 | 68 | 11.5 |
| Arizona | 78 | 69 | 12.0 |
| San Francisco | 62 | 85 | 28.0 |
| Colorado | 55 | 92 | 35.0 |
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