Christian Koss was flying up the line when the Cardinals shortstop let it rip, uncorking a 99.8 mph throw to finish the play and end the game. It was the second-fastest infield assist in the Statcast era, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
Elsewhere on Monday, Corbin Carroll delivered the kind of swing that can change a pennant race in a heartbeat. The Diamondbacks were down to their final two outs and staring at another step back in the chase for the last NL Wild Card spot when Carroll stepped in with a man on second and Arizona trailing by one in the bottom of the ninth.
Jack Ralston’s 2-1 splitter caught too much of the plate, and Carroll sent it over the right-field fence for a walk-off homer. The win left Arizona two and a half games behind the Padres.
Carroll’s September line still sits at .184, but the power has been there: five extra-base hits, including two homers.
In Chicago, the White Sox turned a tight pitchers’ duel into a blowout and took the opener from the Guardians in a matchup between teams separated by just a half-game atop the AL Central. Sean Newcomb and Sean Burke helped hold Cleveland scoreless through five, matching Gavin Williams pitch for pitch.
Then Tristan Peters dragged Williams into a marathon at-bat that lasted 18 pitches, fouling off 12 before drawing a walk. By then, Williams was at 113 pitches and out of the game.
Chicago pounced, putting up six runs in the inning. Toronto also lost, and Cleveland stayed one game ahead in the Wild Card race.
The Dodgers and Yankees also locked up postseason spots Monday, though they did it in very different ways. Los Angeles got there behind Tarik Skubal, who dominated the Reds with seven shutout innings and nine strikeouts.
Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernandez both went deep in the win. New York needed a late rally to finish off the Twins.
Trailing 2-1 in the eighth, the Yankees strung together five hits to move in front, and Aaron Judge put the exclamation point on it with a three-run homer, his first since coming off the injured list.
In Other News...
White Sox Make A Risky Pitching Call With Cleveland Closing In
With Cleveland closing in, the White Sox are leaning into a matchup-driven pitching plan for Game 2 of the series, using left-hander Chris Murphy as the opener before handing the bulk of the innings to right-hander Davis Martin. Murphy was just recalled from Triple-A, and the move adds another layer of intrigue for a club trying to protect a slim edge in the American League Central.
Martin has been one of the steadier arms in the rotation, working 26 starts with a 9-7 record and a 4.05 ERA, so Chicago is trusting him to carry the heavier load after Murphy handles the early frame. It is the kind of aggressive call that can look smart if the pitching line holds, and risky if the Guardians force the White Sox to keep reaching deeper into the bullpen. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Just Created A New Drew Thorpe Decision
The White Sox reshaped their pitching picture by recalling left-hander Noah Schultz from Triple-A Charlotte and designating right-hander Jos Urquidy for assignment. Schultz is expected to get the ball in an upcoming game, giving Chicago another look at a young arm while also clearing the kind of roster space that often hints at a larger move down the line.
Drew Thorpe is the name now hovering over that opening. He is finishing a rehab assignment, and the White Sox soon have to decide whether to bring him back to the major league roster or option him to Triple-A. With one roster move already made, the next step is lined up, and it could tell a lot about where Chicago thinks Thorpe fits in the short term. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Face A Bigger September Test Than Just Cleveland
The White Sox are trying to keep their grip on first place in the AL Central as they head into a crucial late-season series against Cleveland, a stretch that should say plenty about how real this run has become. Chicago also added pitcher Luis Castillo in a trade, hoping he would help steady the staff down the stretch, but his early work has not matched the level the club expected when it brought him in.
Mike Shirleys resignation as amateur scouting director adds another layer to the month, because the White Sox are now weighing whether to restructure that part of the front office. So while the immediate focus stays on the Guardians and the division race, the bigger September question is how much the organization wants to change behind the scenes even as it tries to finish in front. [Read more 🡒]