Friday’s Brewers-Braves matchup delivered the kind of ace duel that lives up to the billing. Jacob Misiorowski and Chris Sale both gave their teams a chance, but Milwaukee came away with a 2-1 win after scoring both of its runs in the third inning.
William Contreras drove in one with a single, and Andrew Vaughn followed with an RBI groundout. Sale took the loss after allowing two runs on eight hits over six innings, while Misiorowski kept Atlanta quiet with four hits and two walks allowed and six strikeouts across six shutout innings.
The young right-hander also picked up his 13th win of the season.
The tight races in the East are starting to tilt a little, thanks to a pair of slumps from the division leaders. The Braves and Rays are both 2-6 over their last eight games, and the teams chasing them are taking advantage.
Philadelphia is rolling, winning seven straight after Friday’s 7-6 victory over the Cardinals. Alec Bohm delivered the biggest swing of the night with a two-run, walkoff triple in the 10th inning, and that win pulled the Phillies to within four games of Atlanta in the NL East.
In the AL East, the Yankees have strung together five straight wins and are now three games behind Tampa Bay.
Jake Rogers has already found a moment to remember in a White Sox uniform. His path to Chicago has been anything but ordinary - he spent his entire MLB career with the Tigers until less than a month ago, then two trades and a waiver claim sent him bouncing to four different big league teams in 29 days.
The White Sox claimed him off waivers from the Red Sox on August 14, and on Friday he rewarded them in a big way. Rogers launched a two-run walkoff homer to beat the Mets 6-4, capping a comeback from a 4-0 deficit through the first five innings and pushing Chicago’s lead in the AL Central to 4.5 games over the Twins and Guardians.
Texas also had to grind one out in extra innings, and this one came down to a costly mistake. The Rangers edged the Angels 2-1 in 10 innings when Denzer Guzman’s throwing error ended the game.
Neither side scored before extras, then Wyatt Langford tied things with an RBI double and Ezequiel Duran followed with the infield single that set up the decisive play. The win moved Texas into the final AL wild card spot, and the Rangers are now only a game behind the Astros in the AL West.
In Other News...
Phillies Fans Just Got More Proof Their Broadcast Booth Is Special
Another piece of evidence that the Phillies broadcast booth is one of the sports better draws arrived this week, with Awful Announcing ranking the clubs announcing crew sixth in Major League Baseball after surveying nearly 10,000 fans. The list reflects what Phillies viewers and listeners have long felt across both TV and radio: this is a booth with real personality, strong chemistry and a knack for making a long season feel a little more entertaining.
Tom McCarthy and Scott Franzke anchor the play-by-play side, while John Kruk, Ruben Amaro Jr., Ben Davis and Cole Hamels give the booth a mix of perspective and style that keeps it in a league of its own. Fan appeal matters in a market that lives and dies with its baseball coverage, and this ranking is a reminder that the Phillies have built something that resonates well beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies May Have Found A Needed Answer For Their Overworked Staff
The Phillies added a familiar name to their pitching mix this week, signing former All-Star Nestor Cortes Jr. in a move aimed at easing the burden on an overworked staff. Cortes is still working back from offseason surgery, so his first stop will be with the Low-A Clearwater Threshers as he builds toward major league readiness.
For Philadelphia, the appeal is obvious even before the team sorts out his exact role. The club has not said whether Cortes will return as a starter or slide into a swingman assignment, but either path would give the Phillies another layer of depth at a time when every healthy arm matters. If he progresses as hoped, he could become the kind of useful midseason answer that keeps the rotation from wearing down. [Read more 🡒]
Don Mattinglys Trea Turner Read Should Grab Phillies Fans Attention
Don Mattingly had a sharp read on Trea Turners hitting approach after the Phillies rolled past the Cardinals 12-3, and it came at a time when Turners season has carried a little more scrutiny than usual. In his 12th major league season and fourth in Philadelphia, Turner has seen his batting average dip, but he still turned in a solid showing in the win, giving the club another reminder of how dangerous he can look when hes on time at the plate.
For the Phillies, sitting at 72-58 and holding second place in the NL East, Turners bat remains one of the lineups biggest swing factors as the stretch run tightens. Mattinglys comments should stand out to fans because they speak to more than one game - they touch on the larger question of whether Turner can keep settling in and deliver the kind of production Philadelphia needs once the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]