Hope in Beantown

[OmahaBaseball]

Tigers Blank Red Sox 10–0 Behind Mize’s Masterpiece

Detroit, MI — Casey Mize pitched the game of his season, tossing a three-hit shutout as the Detroit Tigers routed the Boston Red Sox 10–0 on Saturday night at Comerica Park. Mize (10–11) dominated from start to finish, walking only two and striking out seven over nine innings. The right-hander baffled Boston hitters with pinpoint command, earning a Game Score of 86, his best of the year.

Riley Greene led the Tigers’ 15-hit attack, going 3-for-3 with a home run, double, three runs scored, and three RBI. Gio Urshela doubled three times and drove in three, while Spencer Torkelson added two hits and a pair of RBI.

Red Sox starter Jack Flaherty (13–9) struggled early, giving up five runs on seven hits in just 2⅔ innings; Game Score 23. Boston’s bullpen of Uwasawa, Cleavinger, Gose, and Rodriguez didn’t fare much better, allowing five more runs as Detroit kept pouring it on. The Red Sox managed only singles from Marcelo Mayer, Masataka Yoshida, and Triston Casas, failing to push a runner past second base.

With the win, Detroit improved to 64–73, while Boston slipped to 76–60. Greene earned Player of the Game honors as the Tigers delighted the 20,565 fans at Comerica Park.

Player of the Game: Riley Greene

AL East Standings: 2nd Place, 2 Games Behind

[OmahaBaseball]

Horton Named NL Rookie of the Month

Chicago Cubs rookie pitcher Cade Horton was rewarded with the National League Rookie of the Month award. In earning the honor, Horton posted a 4-1 record with a 2.62 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings of play. As the currently 13th ranked MLB prospect, Horton has great things in store for him.

[OmahaBaseball]

Caminero Captures AL Award

Tampa Bay Rays rookie sensation Junior Caminero continues to put together a terrific season after another outstanding month at the plate. In picking up the American League Rookie of the Month award, Caminero crushed the ball to the tune of a .337 batting average (33 for 98) with 11 Doubles, 2 Triples, 6 Homeruns, 18 Runs, 31 RBIs, 3 Walks, and 1 Stolen Base for a slashline of .337/.356/.673 that generated 1.3 WAR.

[OmahaBaseball]

Williams Earns NL Honors

Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams was announced today as the National League Pitcher of the Month. In picking up the award, Williams posted a 2-0 record with 12 saves and a 1.62 ERA in 15 appearances that generated 0.7 WAR.

[OmahaBaseball]

Stroman Dominates - Named AL's Best

What an incredible month of pitching by Marcus Stroman. The New York Yankees starter was named the American League's Pitcher of the Month after posting a 5-0 record with a 1.10 ERA, 30 strikeouts, and 2 shutouts in 41 innings of work that led to 1.2 WAR

[OmahaBaseball]

McMahon Mashes Way to Award

Colorado Rockies slugger Ryan McMahon was dialed in at the plate this month, so much so that he was awarded with National League Batter of the Month honors. In picking up the award, McMahon went 32 for 101 with 7 Doubles, 2 Triples, 9 Homeruns, 19 Runs, 22 RBI, 17 Walks, and 2 Stolen Bases. This was good for a slashline of .317/.412/.693 that created 1.6 WAR.

[OmahaBaseball]

Judge American League Batter of the Month

For the 2nd consecutive month, New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge picked up Batter of the Month honors for the American League. On the month, Judge smashed the ball for a .337 batting average (31 for 92) with a Double, a Triple, 8 Homeruns, 27 Runs, 23 RBI, and 12 Walks for a slashline of .337/.411/.630 that was good for 1.4 WAR.

[OmahaBaseball]

Vargas Named DSL Most Valuable Player

It was announced today that Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Joendry Vargas is the Dominican Rookie League's MVP after earning 37 of a possible 49 1st-place votes. On the season, Vargas smashed the ball to the tune of a .390 batting average (87 for 223) with 17 Doubles, 5 Triples, 11 Homeruns, 53 Runs, 44 RBI, 45 Walks, and 11 Stolen Bases for a slashline of .390/.511/.659 for 4.1 WAR in 280 Plate Appearances.

[OmahaBaseball]

August Recap

Coming off a July that saw the team go 12-12, an August record of 17-11 (overall 76-60; 559%) has many a Boston fan excited for the renewed possibility of playoff baseball. The team continues to get solid front-line pitching, and the bats have stayed largely active (lead the American League with a .255 team batting average).

As for individual performance, Kutter Crawford (3-0, 3.89 ERA. 1.0 WAR), Tanner Houck (3-0, 3.89 ERA, 1.2 WAR), and Logan Gilbert (3-1, 2.88 ERA, 0.6 WAR) provided quality starts to keep the team in the game, while Liam Hendriks recorded 10 saves but did experience his share of struggles (0-1, 5.65 ERA). At the plate, Kyle Teel (1.4 WAR), Marcelo Mayer (.324/.378/.480, 0.9 WAR), and Ceddanne Rafaela (0.8 WAR) made solid contributions.

[OmahaBaseball]

Red Sox Crush Tigers 10–5 Behind Devers’ Early Blast and Houck’s Command

Detroit, MI — The Boston Red Sox opened September in style, combining early offense and solid pitching to take down the Detroit Tigers 10–5 on Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park. Third baseman Rafael Devers wasted no time putting Boston on the board, hammering a two-run homer in the first inning — his 32nd of the season — off Tigers starter Reese Olson. The blast set the tone for a Boston offense that pounded out eight hits, drew 10 walks, and kept pressure on Detroit’s staff all afternoon.

Starting pitcher Tanner Houck (15–8) delivered another strong outing, holding the Tigers to one run over 7 1/3 innings while striking out eleven. Houck’s command and ground-ball efficiency kept Detroit off balance throughout, earning him a Game Score of 70. Boston’s lineup backed him up in waves. Masataka Yoshida doubled in the first, Marcelo Mayer added a key RBI single in the sixth, and Tyler O’Neill blew the game open in the eighth with a two-run homer, his 27th of the year. O’Neill finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and a stolen base. Vaughn Grissom also chipped in with a timely run-scoring hit.

For Detroit, Olson (10-11) battled through traffic but struggled with command, allowing four earned runs and walking six over 5 2/3 innings for a Game Score of 42. Reliever Keider Montero absorbed most of the damage in the eighth, surrendering Boston’s five-run explosion that turned a manageable deficit into a rout. The Tigers showed late life in the ninth with a pair of home runs — a solo shot by Jake Rogers (his 17th) and a two-run blast by Riley Greene (his 28th). Greene finished 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI, while Parker Meadows added a solo homer earlier in the game.

The win pushes Boston to 77–60, keeping pace in the American League Wild Card race. Detroit, meanwhile, drops to 64–74 as its rotation continues to search for stability down the stretch.

Player of the Game: Tanner Houck (Season: #11)

AL East Standings: 2nd Place, 2 Games Behind

[OmahaBaseball]

De La Cruz Nabs Player of the Week Honors

Miami Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz put together a fine week at the plate that saw him go 14 for 30 with 2 Doubles, 2 Triples, 3 Homeruns, 5 Runs, 6 RBI, and a Walk for a slashline of .467/.484/.967 which generated 0.9 WAR. This is the first career Player of the Week award that De La Cruz[/I] has won.

[OmahaBaseball]

Alvarez is Named AL's Best

What a week it was for Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez. In picking up his 2nd American League Player of the Week honor of the season, Alvarez smashed the ball to the tune of a .393 batting average (11 for 28) with a Double, 3 Homeruns, 7 Runs, 5 RBI, and 3 Walks for a slashline of .393/.469/.750 that created 0.7 WAR.

[OmahaBaseball]

Power Rankings - Week 23

The Power Rankings list has a new leader, as the Milwaukee Brewers (113.9 points) have the top spot. It is not by much though, as the New York Yankees (109.9 points) and Philadelphia Phillies (108.3 points) are within striking distance. The Boston Red Sox (106.2 points) remain in the 5th spot. The Washington Nationals (67.2 points) occupy the final spot.

Previous week's rankings: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...&postcount=408.3

[OmahaBaseball]

Mayer’s 12th-inning home run lifts Boston to hard-fought victory at Citi Field

NYC, NY — The Boston Red Sox edged out the New York Mets 4–3 in a marathon 12-inning contest Monday night at Citi Field, thanks to a clutch solo home run from rookie shortstop Marcelo Mayer that broke the deadlock.

After both teams traded early opportunities without much success, the Mets took a 2–0 lead midway through the game, capitalizing on timely hitting against Boston starter Logan Gilbert. The Red Sox, however, stormed back in the eighth inning. Reese McGuire sparked the rally with a run-scoring play on a wild pitch before Jarren Duran lined a two-run single to right, giving Boston a 3–2 advantage.

New York refused to go quietly, tying the game in the bottom of the eighth inning that would push the game into extras. The bullpens on both sides traded scoreless frames until the top of the 12th, when Mayer launched a solo shot to left field off Mets reliever Luis Severino, putting Boston ahead for good.

Nick Pivetta (3–3) earned the win after tossing a scoreless 1 1/3 innings, while Severino (0–1) took the loss. Gilbert delivered a strong start for Boston, keeping the Red Sox in the game through eight innings; Game Score 62.

Mayer finished with two hits, including the game-winning homer, while Duran’s eighth-inning single proved pivotal to the comeback. For New York, Francisco Alvarez had a pair of hits in the losing effort.

With the victory, Boston improved to 78–60 on the season, strengthening its push for an American League Wild Card spot. The Mets, meanwhile, dropped to 63–75, continuing a frustrating stretch in extra-inning games.

Player of the Game: Logan Gilbert (Season: #3)

AL East Standings: 2nd Place, 1 Game Behind

[OmahaBaseball]

Imanaga Throws No-Hitter as Cubs Beat Pirates 2–0

Chicago, IL (AP) — Shota Imanaga threw a no-hitter, striking out nine and walking none, as the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2–0 on Saturday at Wrigley Field.

The 31-year-old left-hander mixed pitches effectively and kept the Pirates off balance all afternoon, with two (2) hit batsmen being the only blemish on an otherwise perfect day; Game Score 96. Imanaga improved to 12–13 with a 4.02 ERA in 29 starts this season.

Chicago scored both runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, which was more than enough to secure the victory. It was the Cubs’ first no-hitter since 2021, and was a special treat to the 30,971 fans in attendance.

[OmahaBaseball]

Mets walk off Red Sox in 13th on Mauricio’s homer

NYC, NY — To the delight of the 23,834 fans in attendance, Ronny Mauricio belted a walk-off home run in the 13th inning to lift the New York Mets past the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Tuesday night at Citi Field. Mauricio, who entered as a pinch hitter in the ninth, sent a solo shot over the left-field wall off Ryne Stanek (1-2) with two outs to end a game that lasted 4 hours, 15 minutes.

Sean Manaea turned in a strong outing for the Mets, allowing one run and three hits over eight innings while striking out six; Game Score 77. He left with a 3-1 lead before Boston rallied for three runs in the ninth on back-to-back homers by Masataka Yoshida and Ceddanne Rafaela against Brooks Raley, who blew his fifth save.

Michael Tonkin (6-3) earned the win after two scoreless innings of relief. Trey Thompson homered and drove in two runs for New York, while Mark Vientos added a two-run single. Vaughn Grissom, Yoshida and Rafaela each had RBI for Boston, which fell to 78-61. The Mets (64-75) totaled 13 hits, led by three from Drew Gilbert and two apiece from Francisco Lindor and Thompson.

Player of the Game: Sean Manaea

AL East Standings: 2nd Place, 2 Games Behind

[OmahaBaseball]

Olson Crushes for the Hat Trick

Atlanta, GA — The old superstition that “bad news comes in threes” certainly rang true for the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night. Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson launched three home runs and drove in seven runs to lead the Braves to a commanding 16–6 victory over the Rockies at Truist Park. Olson finished the night 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a sacrifice fly.

After striking out in the first inning, Olson unloaded a two-run homer off starter Chase Dollander in the second, followed by a solo shot off Rony Garcia in the fourth. He capped off his power surge with a three-run blast off Juan Mejia in the fifth before adding a sacrifice fly in the sixth. The performance continued a strong season for Olson, who is now batting .233 with 35 home runs, 101 RBIs, and 76 runs scored.

The Braves’ offense erupted for 16 runs overall, overwhelming a Colorado pitching staff that struggled to find answers. For the Rockies, it was another tough outing in a season full of growing pains.

[OmahaBaseball]

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Player of the Game: Mark Vientos

AL East Standings: 2nd Place, 3 Games Behind

[OmahaBaseball]

White Sox Eliminated from Playoff Contention

It’s back to the drawing board for the Chicago White Sox. The club’s efforts to build a championship contender fell short this year, as the team was officially eliminated from playoff contention today.

For a franchise rich in history but often starved for postseason success, the drought continues. The White Sox have made the playoffs just 11 times in their 123-year existence and have now missed the postseason for the third consecutive season.

In the past 16 seasons, Chicago has reached the playoffs only twice — a sobering statistic for a fan base still longing for the glory of years past. The organization, which has captured three World Series titles in its history, faces tough questions about its direction and long-term plan.

With another playoff miss now official, attention turns to the offseason. The White Sox will look to regroup, retool, and rediscover the formula that can bring postseason baseball back to the South Side.