MLB Player News

Pomeranz gets the nod to open Saturday night’s series-deciding matchup in Milwaukee. The 36-year-old lefty has yet to allow a run in five innings this postseason and will face the top of the Brewers lineup to kick off an all-hands-on-deck scramble for the Cubs as they try to come all the way back to win the best-of-five series after dropping the first two contests.

Soto drew a walk in the third inning, then singled and scored a run in the sixth. With a runner on in the seventh, he tripled to center field to extend the Mets’ lead before scoring his second run on a sacrifice fly. The 27-year-old star outfielder is hitting .299/.399/.567 with 17 homers, 38 runs scored, 39 RBI, and six steals across 272 plate appearances.

Harper drove in the Phillies’ only two runs of the game with a two-run homer off Christian Scott in the third inning. He later singled to lead off the sixth but was picked off at second trying to stretch it into a double. It was Harper’s fourth homer in eight games and his 19th of the season while hitting .278/.379/.536 with 55 runs scored, 50 RBI, and five steals across 346 plate appearances.

Scott pitched well in his first start back from the injured list after missing the last two weeks with a hip injury. The only blemish was a two-run homer by Bryce Harper in the third inning. Scott would pitch into the fifth, leaving with one out at 82 pitches. It was the sixth time in ten starts that Scott failed to complete five innings. The 27-year-old right-hander will take a 3.20 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 53/21 K/BB ratio across 45 innings into a start against the Braves in Atlanta on Friday.

Rangel entered the game in the second inning following four outs from opener Tim Mayza. He held the Mets scoreless over four innings before things unraveled in the sixth. New York would string together three straight hits and a walk to bring home two runs. Rangel would depart with two runners on base, both scoring later in the frame. The 28-year-old right-hander had pitched well in his previous two outings as a bulk reliever. He’ll take a 4.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 13/2 K/BB ratio across 12 innings into another likely bulk appearance against the Pirates in Philadelphia on Thursday.

Kai-Wei Teng will likely be sent down to make room. It’ll be the 24-year-old Ullola’s first stint in the majors. He opened this year going 1-4 with a 6.21 ERA in 10 starts for Triple-A Sugar Land, but he was shifted to the pen at the end of last month and since has a 2.70 ERA and a 16/6 K/BB in 10 innings. He might only be up until Cristian Javier rejoins the rotation next weekend.

Suárez was hitless into the ninth before stepping to the plate down by one run with two runners on and two outs in the top of the ninth. Down to the team’s last strike, he delivered an opposite-field homer off Gregory Soto to put the Reds ahead by two runs with his eighth home run of the season. The 34-year-old third baseman is hitting .210/.276/.379 with 18 runs and 29 RBI across 214 plate appearances.

Stewart put the Reds on the board early, taking Jared Jones deep for a solo homer in the first inning. He then drove in a second run with a base hit in the third before reaching on an error in the fifth. The 22-year-old slugger is up to 15 homers while slashing .252/.341/.454 with 43 runs scored, 57 RBI, and 11 steals across 352 plate appearances.

Lowe put the Pirates on the board with a three-run blast off Chase Burns in the second inning. He later drove in a fourth run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The home run was Lowe’s 20th of the season for his fourth straight 20-homer campaign. The 31-year-old second baseman is having an excellent season with the Pirates, hitting .246/.320/.515 with the 20 homers, 51 runs scored, and 56 RBI across 341 plate appearances.

Petty got the call to close out the game against the Pirates after the team took a two-run lead in the top of the ninth. He worked around one walk, keeping the Pirates off the board to secure the win and lock down his first save of the season. It’s been a full-on committee in Cincinnati while Emilio Pagán has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. Pagán, currently on a rehab assignment, could be returning soon to take back the closer role.

Soto took the mound in the ninth inning with a one-run lead and allowed the first two runners to reach before inducing a double play on a grounder. He then issued a walk to put runners on the corners with two outs before serving up a three-run homer to Eugenio Suárez to blow the lead and fall in line for a loss. It hasn’t been the best stretch for the 31-year-old left-hander, giving up nine runs over his last seven outings, raising his ERA to 3.93 across 34 1/3 innings.