MLB Player News

Murphy received 27 of 30 first-place votes, with Terry Francona and Rob Thomson collecting the remaining three to finish second and third, respectively. The Brewers’ skipper earns the honor for the second straight year after guiding Milwaukee to an impressive 97-win campaign. He’s gone 190-134 (.586) during his two seasons at the helm. He’s just the third manager to take home the honor in back-to-back seasons since 1983, joining Bobby Cox and Kevin Cash.

Lowe’s home run was his 33rd of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Royals reliever Steven Cruz to put the Pirates up 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Lowe has four home runs in his last five games. He’s hitting .262 with an .826 OPS and 93 RBI this year.

Montgomery entered with a one-run lead in the ninth inning. After walking the lead-off man and the runner moving into scoring position on a stolen base, he retired the next three hitters consecutively. Montgomery extended his scoreless streak to 22 2/3 innings. He has a 2.63 ERA this year. Montgomery has been a stabilizing force at the back of the Pirates’ bullpen after they spent the first half of the season searching for a closer.

Kerkering had nothing today after a poor outing Friday, yet Don Mattingly hung him out to try, letting him throw 36 pitches and give up four runs in the eighth against the Mets. He’s now allowed 12 runs and eight walks over seven innings in his last seven appearances. It really doesn’t seem like the Phillies pen is going to have much in the tank in October, in part because Mattingly’s ineptitude.

Cruz came in with a one-run lead in the eighth inning. Even if he pitched well, he wasn’t likely to come back out for the ninth and get the save. Instead, he gave up a go-ahead two-run home run to Brandon Lowe. Cruz remains in the save mix in Kansas City, though he appears to be slightly behind Nate Pearson in the pecking order based on recent usage.

Cameron gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out six. He’s completed six innings in three consecutive starts and four of his last five starts. Cameron has a 3.92 ERA. He’s lined up to face the Guardians at home next weekend. Cameron allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings in his only start against Cleveland this year.

Chandler gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out six. He had won his last two starts, but failed to even complete five innings against the Royals Saturday. Chandler has a 4.34 ERA overall, but a 3.63 ERA in 11 starts since the All-Star break. He’s lined up to face the Tigers on the road next weekend.

Busch was hit by a pitch in the second inning, then got on base with a single in the fourth before getting his revenge with a solo homer off Nick Lodolo in the sixth. The 28-year-old first baseman is hitting .239/.350/.397 with 20 homers and 77 RBI across 680 plate appearances. It’s his third straight 20-homer campaign, but a steep drop-off from his 34-homer season in 2025.

It was a collective effort to close this one out. Ryan Zeferjahn had recorded the final out in the eighth and returned in the ninth with a three-run lead. He gave up a leadoff hit, but retired the next two batters before Rolison entered for the final out to earn the save.

Boyd worked through four scoreless innings, then gave up a pair of runs on a walk, two hits, and an error in the fifth. Boyd would end his day after five innings at 71 pitches. He struck out four batters. The 35-year-old left-hander will take a 4.06 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a 93/37 K/BB ratio across 119 2/3 innings into a start against the Red Sox in Boston on Friday.

Lodolo worked around a walk in the first inning, then gave up a run on a double, a hit-by-pitch, and a sacrifice fly in the second. After two more scoreless innings, the Cubs brought a second run home on two hits in the fifth before Michael Busch took Lodolo deep for a solo homer in the sixth. Lodolo would return for a scoreless seventh, going seven innings in back-to-back starts. He struck out just one batter while generating eight groundouts. The 28-year-old left-hander will take a 5.04 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and an 80/44 K/BB ratio across 103 2/3 innings into a start against the Blue Jays in Toronto on Friday.