What’s Happening in Baseball Today

The First Pitch: September 11, 2024

After being told by general manager Chris Getz to “make the best” of what’s left in an historically lousy year, the White Sox do not. They lose for the 113th time this year, 5-0 against the Guardians at Chicago, extending two unwanted streaks: Their 14th straight home loss, and their 20th consecutive series loss. At 33-113, the Sox are now 80 games—eighty—below the .500 mark. 

In the other dugout, the Guardians enjoy watching their record improve to 83-62, tying the Yankees for the AL’s best. Starting pitcher Ben Lively does leave at the end of the second inning after being stung by a comebacker to the leg—potentially crippling an already battered Guardians rotation—but six relievers follow up to finish a five-hit shutout. 

The Yankees drop into that first-seed tie with Cleveland with a completely ineffective 5-0 loss at New York to the Royals. In defeat, the Yankees have no extra-base hits, no walks and 14 strikeouts—a combination of numbers they’ve never suffered in a game. Seth Lugo throws seven scoreless to improve to 16-8 with a 2.94 ERA. 

Even more neutralized on the night are the Colorado Rockies, who are shut down by the Tigers and pitcher Keider Montero, 11-0, at Detroit. Montero throws the Tigers’ first complete-game shutout since 2021, allowing just three singles—all baserunners eventually erased on double plays. Montero thus faces the minimum 27 batters on just 96 pitches. (See more below.) 

The Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber sets a major league record with his 14th leadoff homer of the year, passing Alfonso Soriano’s mark from 2003, in the team’s wild 9-4 home win over Tampa Bay. Rays reliever Edwin Uceta, immediately after allowing Trea Turner’s second homer and Bryce Harper’s third double in the eighth, looks to take out his anger with a fastball to the ribs of Nick Castellanos—who doesn’t like it one bit.  

Castellanos, after the game to reporters: “(Uceta) was pissed off that he got hit around and his ERA shot through the roof…(Hitting someone) is like my two-year old throwing a fit because I took his dessert before he’s finished.”

Four days after tying Nate Colbert’s all-time Padres home run career record, Manny Machado stands alone in the #1 spot with 164, belting a two-run shot in the sixth to help lift San Diego to a 7-3 win at Seattle. Yu Darvish gets his first win since May 19, in his second start since returning from a three-month absence due to various issues involving his groin, elbow and a reported personal matter regarding his family.

Congrats, Your Box Score Line Was the Best (Hitters Edition)

5-2-3-4—Trea Turner, Philadelphia
Is this the beginning of another power surge for the 31-year-old speedster? Turner blasted two homers in the Phillies’ 9-4 win over Tampa Bay, suggesting that the guy whose home run output runs hot (nine homers in 13 games back in early July) and cold (one dinger over his first 35 games) may be ready to heat up once more. Overall, he has 18 homers in 104 games this season.

Congrats, Your Box Score Line Was the Best (Pitchers Edition)

9-3-0-0-0-5—Keider Montero, Detroit
Keider who? You mean that Keider, the rookie who entered last night’s game against the Rockies with a 4-6 record and 5.47 ERA and proceeded to throw the majors’ 16th complete-game shutout of the year? The 24-year-old Venezuelan not only clamped down on the Rockies, but threw a “Maddux” in the process—meaning he went the distance while throwing less than 100 pitches, 96 in this case.

It Was Whatever-Something Years Ago Today

1923: After throwing a no-hitter against the Philadelphia A’s, the Red Sox’ Howard Ehmke nearly throws another in his next start four days later against the Yankees at New York. The Yankees’ only hit is controversial; the very first batter, Whitey Witt, reaches first on a tricky hop misfielded by third baseman Howard Shanks.

You Say It’s Your Birthday

Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips is 30; three-time All-Star third baseman Mike Moustakas is 36; three-time league leader in steals Jacoby Ellsbury is 41; outfielder of 352 home runs Ellis Burks is 60; 16-year catcher Don Slaught is 66. Born on this date is 1970s pitcher Dave Roberts (1944), 129-game winner Frank Kitson (1869) and 189i0s outfielder of .303 career batting average Steve Brodie (1868).

Shameless Link of the Day

Take a look at our list of the five greatest pitchers in New York Mets history.

This Great Game in Print

Baseball Cards at the Edge of War is the new book from author Todd Marcum that focuses on baseball’s legendary 1941 season and the “three bubble gum titans” that took on one another in an attempt to rule the burgeoning baseball card market. Marcum provides an introductory orientation with content from our 1941 Yearly Reader page, which is why you’ll find the names of TGG creators Eric Gouldsberry and Ed Attanasio on the book’s cover as co-authors. The core of the book that follows is devoted to the players and their baseball cards who graced the 1941 season. Baseball Cards at the Edge of War is now available on Amazon.

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