The Month That Was in Baseball: September 2024

Sunday, September 1

With essentially a full month to play in the regular season, the White Sox set a franchise record for losses as they drop a 2-0 loss at Chicago to the New York Mets. The Sox can only muster two hits on the night, both off of Mets starter Sean Manaea, who throws seven shutout innings. The Mets’ three-game sweep of Chicago is the 20th of at least three games suffered by the White Sox; their record is at 31-107 with a .225 winning percentage—lower than any other MLB team in a full season during the game’s modern (post-1900) era.

The St. Louis Cardinals win their second straight game at New York against the Yankees, 14-7, after having not won at Yankee Stadium (old or new) in 60 years, since the 1964 World Series between the two teams. Leading the way is second-year outfielder Jordan Walker, cranking out five hits (four singles and a home run) after entering the game batting .143 in 77 at-bats for the Cardinals; he looked to be the next big thing for the Cardinals at the start of the 2023 season, but has since regressed and spent most of the 2024 campaign in the minors.

Darren Baker, the son of retired manager Dusty Baker best remembered for being swooped out of harm’s way by San Francisco’s J.T. Snow while trying to retrieve a bat in the 2002 World Series, has grown up. Now 25, the younger Baker debuts for the Washington Nationals, connecting on the first pitch he sees for a pinch-hit single late in a 14-1 home loss to the Chicago Cubs. Baker spent four years in the minors, batting .285 with no homers and 38 steals for Triple-A Rochester this season.

Another debutante has a memorable first day out in Anaheim, as 20-year-old Caden Dana allows two runs on two hits and a walk through six innings to pick up the win in the Los Angeles Angels’ 3-2 victory against Seattle. Dana is the youngest pitcher in Angels history to win in his debut, besting the old mark set by Frank Tanana in 1973.

Monday, September 2

On his 29th birthday, Milwaukee basher Willy Adames ties two records with a three-run homer in the Brewers’ 9-3 win over the visiting Cardinals. It’s the fifth straight game he’s gone deep, matching the club record co-owned by Jeromy Burnitz in 1997 and Eric Thames in 2017; it’s also his 13th three-run homer on the year, tying Ken Griffey Jr.’s all-time mark from 1996. The three RBIs give him a NL-leading 99 on the year, eclipsing a career mark of 98 he set in 2022.

It’s another loss for the White Sox—their 108th of the year—with added historical notoriety added in a 13-3 trampling by the Orioles at Baltimore. The losing pitcher is Chris Flexen, who suffers his MLB-worst 14th loss of the year against just two wins; it’s also his 20th straight start in which the White Sox haven’t won, setting an all-time record for such futility.

Over his last two seasons split between the White Sox, Seattle and Colorado, Flexen is 4-22 with an even 6.00 ERA.

Tuesday, September 3

For the second time within a month, Kyle Schwarber blasts three home runs for Philadelphia—with the first being his 13th leading off the game to set a Phillies record, and his last a three-run blast in the top of the ninth to bring the ballclub from behind to defeat the Blue Jays at Toronto, 10-9. Schwarber adds a double and a single for his first career five-hit game, driving in six runs.

Schwarber also homered three times at Los Angeles against the Dodgers on August 7; this is the third hat trick by a Phillies player this season, with Bryce Harper going three-deep on April 2. No previous Phillies team had seen more than one three-homer effort, let alone two, during a season.

The Angels’ Ben Joyce throws the latest fastest pitch on the year, and this one is a record-setter—bringing 105.5-MPH heat against the Dodgers’ Tommy Edman for the fastest strike ever thrown since velocities began to be officially recorded; the supersonic delivery ends the ninth of game that will carry into the 10th, with the Dodgers piling up four runs against two different relievers and leaving with a 6-2 victory.

There have been two faster pitches recorded, both by Aroldis Chapman—105.8 in 2010 and 105.7 in 2016—but neither of them was strikes. 

This is the first regular season game at Angel Stadium for Shohei Ohtani since signing with the crosstown Dodgers; he has a triple and walk in five plate appearances before a crowd of 44,731.

Wednesday, September 4

Shota Imanaga and two relievers group up for the first no-hitter thrown by the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field since 1972 in a 12-0 thrashing of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first seven innings are delivered from Imanaga, who allows five baserunners—two via walk (both in the second inning) and three on Chicago errors. He’s removed after 95 pitches, unaware that he’s in the midst of a possible no-no according to Cubs manager Craig Counsell; from there, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge each throw 1-2-3 innings to wrap up the fourth no-hitter thrown in the majors this season, and the first using multiple pitchers.

The 4,147 games between no-hitters thrown by the Cubs at Wrigley consisted of the second longest such streak by an MLB team at one ballpark. At the top of the list are the Pirates, who never threw a no-no in 4,773 games at Forbes Field during its active existence from 1909-70.

For a while out at San Francisco, it appears that there may be a second combo-no on the night as Arizona’s Zac Gallen survives his own second-inning wildness—walking three straight Giants batters—and has six no-hit innings in the book before his removal at an even 100 pitches. But Kevin Ginkel, the first pitcher to relieve Gallen, gives up a hit to his first batter (Tyler Fitzgerald) and home run to the second (by LaMonte Wade Jr.) to ruin both the potential no-no and shutout. The Diamondbacks still survive by a 6-4 count, remaining a half-game behind San Diego (6-5 comeback winners over Detroit) for the #1 NL wild card spot.

After the game, the Giants announce that they are extending third baseman Matt Chapman (who sits out the loss to Arizona) for six years and $151 million. The defensively excellent 31-year old is having one of his better seasons at the plate, batting .247 but with 22 homers, 69 RBIs, 90 runs and 13 steals.

The White Sox end their latest long losing skid, displaying a rare burst of dominance in an 8-1 victory at Baltimore after being outscored in the two previous contests by the Orioles, 22-3. It ends a 12-game losing streak that was the team’s third longest of the season; Chicago had tolerated three other skids of 12 or more losses over their previous 123 years combined.

A day after setting the Phillies’ record for leadoff homers in a season, Kyle Schwarber goes deep again to open the action at Toronto, tying Alfonso Soriano’s all-time MLB season mark of 13 leadoff dingers in a 4-2 win over the Blue Jays. Cristopher Sanchez throws seven solid innings to keep Toronto at bay, as the Phillies move to within a half-game of the Dodgers (10-1 losers at Anaheim) for the majors’ best record and home field advantage for the entire postseason.

The offensively-challenged Seattle Mariners notch a season-high 16 runs as they devastate the A’s at Oakland, 16-3, keeping their faint postseason hopes alive. Of note for the A’s is a leadoff first-inning double by rookie Lawrence Butler, the ninth straight game in which he’s collected at least one extra-base hit; that sets a franchise mark previously held by four players, most recently Ben Grieve in 2000.

Thursday, September 5

The Padres are up 3-0 on Detroit in the top of the ninth, and closer Robert Suarez is a strike away from wrapping it up­—but Parker Meadows has other ideas. On a full-count pitch with the bases loaded, Meadows goes the opposite way, barely clearing the left-field wall at Petco Park and putting the Tigers ahead to stay, 4-3. The startling win not only puts the Tigers a game over .500, but keeps them closer to the AL wild card race, as they’re five games back of the final spot currently held by Kansas City.

Only one other major leaguer has previously hit a game-winning slam with his team down by three runs with two outs in the ninth: Ted Williams, in 1955…against the Tigers.

While the Tigers are, at the very least, trying to avoid an eighth straight losing season, the Los Angeles Angels fail in their effort to avoid a ninth straight. At Arlington, the Rangers’ Adolis Garcia whacks a three-run homer in the first inning—and that’s all Texas will need to defeat the Angels, 3-1. The loss clinches yet another sub-.500 record for the Angels, which is the longest active streak among all MLB teams and an ongoing franchise record. Their only salvation at this point: To try and stay out of the AL West cellar for the first time during the long drought, as they’re 2.5 games behind fourth-place Oakland.

Friday, September 6

Aaron Judge may have lost some of his recent fire, but his Yankees continue to cover for him. New York relies on a two-run-single from Austin Wells and six innings of one-hit shutout ball from Luis Gil (returning from a two-week stay on the shelf) in a 3-0 win over the Cubs. Judge does add an RBI double, but remains homerless over his last 10 games—his longest such drought of the year—as he’s now fallen behind pace to reset his AL season home run mark from two years ago. The Yankees remain a half-game behind Baltimore (which defeats the visiting Rays, 2-0) in the AL East race.

The Padres maintain their hold on the #1 NL wild card seed with an easy 5-1 victory over the checked-out Giants, as Manny Machado drills a pair of home runs to tie him with original Padre Nate Colbert for tops in franchise history with 163.

The NL West title also remains in play for the Padres as they close to within four games of the Dodgers, who drop a 3-1 decision to the visiting Guardians, holding their 4.5-game lead in the AL Central over Kansas City. Shohei Ohtani provides Los Angeles with its only run on his 45th home run, while Freddie Freeman joins four other active players with his 1,000th career walk.

The defeat to Cleveland isn’t the only loss on the day for the Dodgers. Their rotation takes yet another hit as Gavin Stone, the only Los Angeles starter to not miss a turn since Opening Day, is admitted to the injured list with shoulder inflammation. One of 17 pitchers to start a game for the Dodgers, Stone is 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA over 140.1 innings; he’ll miss the rest of the season.

Rich Hill’s fifth stay with the Red Sox was about as short as some of his previous four. The 44-year-old veteran pitcher is released by Boston after making four appearances, allowing two runs on a hit and three walks with five strikeouts over 3.2 innings, all as a reliever. Hill had been unemployed until August 17, when the Red Sox brought him on.

Saturday, September 7

There’s still three weeks to go in the regular season and a lot can happen, but as of today the Atlanta Braves are not a playoff team. That’s because the New York Mets win their ninth straight game and move into second place in the NL East—but more importantly, knock the Braves out of the #3 NL wild card slot. The Mets’ longest streak since 2018 comes courtesy of Jose Quintana, who throws 6.2 shutout innings for his 100th career win, 4-0 over the visiting Cincinnati Reds. Quintana is the fifth pitcher this season to surpass 100 lifetime victories.

The Braves, meanwhile, drop a 9-5 decision at home to the Blue Jays to fall a game back of the Mets. Spencer Schwellenbach is the first Braves starter in 25 games to concede more than three runs, charged for six (three unearned) over five innings. Much of the damage off Schwellenbach is done by Toronto first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who drills two homers and a double off the Atlanta pitcher over the first five innings.

The Yankees make it two straight shutout wins at Chicago over the Cubs, 2-0, and in the process clinch their 32nd consecutive winning season with their 82nd victory. The only streak longer in MLB history also belongs to the Yankees, who finished above .500 every season from 1926-64. Clark Schmidt, making his first appearance since late May, and Nestor Cortes Jr. group of to allow four hits and two walks while keeping the Cubs scoreless.

Sunday, September 8

In the Diamondbacks’ 12-6 crushing of the Astros at Houston, Pavin Smith helps send Justin Verlander to the showers early with a three-run homer in the second—followed an inning later by a grand slam, the third of his career. Smith will add a third round-tripper, a solo shot in the fifth to round out an eight-RBI night. It’s the second time this year that an Arizona player has hit three homers in a game, with Eugenio Suarez achieving the feat on July 30. Only in one other year have the DBacks enjoyed two hat tricks, in 2004 courtesy of Steve Finley and Luis Gonzalez.

The Royals finish off a critical three-game sweep of divisional/wild card rival Minnesota, defeating the Twins 2-0 behind seven shutout innings from Michael Wacha—who becomes the sixth MLB pitcher this season to record his 100th career victory. The Twins had come into the series a half-game up on the Royals for second place in the AL Central (and the #2 AL wild card seed), but now they’re 2.5 games back—with a number of teams (Boston, Detroit, Seattle) lurking not far behind in hopes of knocking them entirely out of the postseason slotting. With that in mind, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli closes the door on the clubhouse for a postgame chew-out of his players, later telling reporters: “That was an unprofessional series of baseball we played, and that’s my only comment.”

The postgame chewing out will not help; the Twins will lose 13 of their remaining 19 games and miss the playoffs.

The White Sox break up a 2-2 tie in the ninth with a five-run rally to earn a rare win, 7-2 at Boston. Though starting Chicago pitcher Chris Flexen (two runs allowed over six innings) doesn’t pick up the win, it does break the team’s MLB-record 20-game losing streak when he starts.

Monday, September 9

Ed Kranepool, a late-season member of the expansion 1962 Mets who managed to stick with the team all the way through its 18th season in 1979, has passed away at the age of 79 after suffering cardiac arrest. Debuting for the Mets at the age of 17 during the final weeks of their inaugural—and laughably infamous—120-loss season, the big first baseman never quite fulfilled the visions of stardom the team foresaw in him, but what he lacked in quality he more than made up in dependability, leading to his long tenure with a ballclub that exceeded its share of highs, lows and tumult during his stay. Kranepool managed to make one All-Star team, in 1965 as one of those “we gotta pick somebody” selections on a team that lost 112 games, but he never had that one dream season or magical individual moment, providing background without solely shining in the spotlight. Yet the accumulation of his time in New York is underscored by the fact that he remains, 45 years after his final appearance, the all-time franchise leader in games played (1,853), third in hits (David Wright unseated him from the #1 spot in 2012), fourth in doubles and fifth in RBIs.

Alas, Kranepool is the fourth member of the 1969 world champion Mets to pass this year, after Bud Harrelson, Jerry Grote and Jim McAndrew.

Pittsburgh rookie Paul Skenes collects his 10th win (against just two losses) and strikes out nine to total 151 on the year—surpassing Cy Blanton from 1935 to set a Pirates rookie mark in a 3-2 home win over the Miami Marlins. Skenes allows just a run on six hits through six innings, lowering his season ERA to 2.10.

For the record, Blanton needed 254.1 innings to rack up his 142 rookie K’s for the Bucs.

The Red Sox pummel the visiting Orioles, 12-3, knocking Baltimore behind the Yankees (10-4 home winners against the Royals) in the AL East race, while keeping their outside wild card hopes alive. Powering the Sox are Rob Refsnyder and Tyler O’Neill, who become the second pair of Boston hitters in franchise history to hit back-to-back homers twice in the same game. Adding his own bit of history in a losing cause for Baltimore is Anthony Santander, who drills his 40th homer on the year to become the eighth switch-hitter in major league history to reach the milestone.

Tuesday, September 10

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.

The Yankees drop into that first-seed tie with Cleveland with a completely ineffective 5-0 home loss 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 rookie 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.

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.

Wednesday, September 11

The late-season greatness of Toronto pitcher Bowden Francis is again on display, as the second-year reliever-turned-ace takes a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the visiting Mets—and it’s then, with a 1-0 lead, he gives up a leadoff homer to Francisco Lindor, tying the game. Immediately removed with 111 pitches spent, Francis bows to a pair of Blue Jays relievers (Chad Green and Genesis Cabrera) who combine to get three outs—but also give up five runs on three hits and four walks, as the Mets chalk up a total of six runs and take a 6-2 victory.

Francis is the fourth pitcher to lose two no-hit bids in the ninth in one season. The other three are Ed Walsh (1906), Dave Stieb (who famously lost his two with an out to go in each, in 1988) and Nolan Ryan (1989). 

According to STATS, the Mets are the first team ever to score six or more runs in the ninth after being shut out with no hits through the first eight innings. It’s also the fifth time they’ve won a game despite being no-hit through eight innings—the most such victories by any MLB team since they began play in 1962.

At Los Angeles, Shohei Ohtani rips his 47th home run as part of a Herculean first inning in which the Dodgers tie a franchise record with four round-trippers; he’ll later steal his 48th base as he edges closer to an unprecedented 50-50 campaign. The Dodgers will hold off a feisty Cubs team to the finish, surviving a 10-8 victory to avoid a three-game sweep.

Extra-inning fate widens the race at the top of the AL East. At Boston, the Orioles take a 3-2 lead in the 10th, but the Red Sox rebut with the gift runner, a Jackson Holliday error and a three-run bomb from Tyler O’Neill that results in a 5-3 win.

Moments later in New York, the Yankees, after themselves falling behind 3-2 in the 10th, push their gift runner across to re-knot against the Royals—then win it in the 11th when Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., playing in with one out and the gift runner (Jon Berti) at third, makes a dive on a Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounder and throws wildly past home to give the Yankees a 4-3 win, opening up a 1.5-game lead over the Orioles.

The Diamondbacks continue to be a second-half offensive Goliath, tying a franchise mark with 13 extra base hits in a 14-4 demolition of the Rangers in a 2023 World Series rematch at Phoenix. The long hits are broken down into seven doubles, a triple (Corbin Carroll’s 13th to tie for the MLB lead) and five home runs—including two from Eugenio Suarez, giving him seven in 10 games this month.

Thursday, September 12

It’s hardly surprising given the liberalization of rules encouraging more stolen bases, but the Nationals become the first team since the 2007 Mets to swipe 200 bases in a year when CJ Abrams poaches third base in the first inning against the visiting Marlins. Washington will pilfer two more bags without getting caught on the day, but they’ll still lose, 6-3—dropping their record to 65-81 and ensuring their fifth straight year without a winning record since taking the 2019 World Series.

It takes three years and a circuitous route that includes multiple first-round selections, bad health suspicions and Tommy John surgery, but former top collegiate pitcher Kumar Rocker finally makes his major league debut—striking out seven batters while allowing a run over four innings for the Rangers in a 5-4 win at Seattle. Drafted in 2021 by the Mets—who later balked when they developed cold feet at his medical record—and then the Rangers a year later, Rocker pitched in 10 games at the minor league level this season before being called up, authoring a 1.96 ERA with 55 strikeouts over 36.2 innings.

It’s 20-20 at age 20 for Jackson Chourio. In Milwaukee’s 3-0 win at San Francisco, Chourio’s two-run homer in the eighth is his 20th of the year; along with 20 steals, he’s the first player to reach 20-20 in a season while still 20 years of age.

Minor league catcher Derek Bender, playing for Minnesota’s Class-A affiliate in Fort Myers, Florida, is released by the organization after it’s revealed that he tipped off hitters of the opposing Lakeland Flying Tigers on what types of pitches were being thrown. The Flying Tigers scored four runs in the second inning thanks to Bender’s tipping, on their way to a 6-0 victory and eliminating Fort Myers from playoff contention.

Why did Bender do this? According to teammates, he did so because he wanted the season to be over.

Friday, September 13

Aaron Judge ends a career-long home run drought, nailing a seventh-inning grand slam to put the Yankees ahead to stay in a 5-4 victory over the visiting Red Sox. It’s Judge’s 52nd homer of the year, but his first in 16 games—the longest dry spell since joining the majors late in 2016.

The Tigers are one out away from a combo no-no against the visiting Orioles, but Gunnar Henderson ends the bid by lacing an opposite-field liner just past the outstretched glove of Detroit first baseman Spencer Torkelson—down the line and into the corner, sending Henderson to third with a triple representing the tying run in a 1-0 game. But Tyler Houlton next strikes out Anthony Santander to preserve the Detroit win, moving them closer toward the AL postseason conversation—they’re 2.5 games back of Minnesota for the third wild card spot—while the Orioles (five losses in their last six games) drop to three back of the Yankees in the AL East.

Detroit had held the Orioles hitless for 8.2 innings, going the opener route (as they’ve been often doing this season) with Beau Brieske pitching the first 1.1 innings, followed by Brant Hurter (5.2), Brenan Hanifee (1.0) and then Holton.

For the first time in nearly a year and a half, Jacob deGrom takes the mound for the Rangers as he makes his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery. At Seattle, the 36-year-old right-hander throws 3.2 shutout innings, allowing four hits and no walks with four strikeouts before being removed on 61 pitches. Well after deGrom’s departure, the Mariners will plate five runs over the seventh and eighth innings to overcome the Rangers, 5-4, staying 4.5 games back of Houston in the AL West.

In Miami’s 4-1 loss at Washington, Michael Peterson—claimed off waivers from the Dodgers earlier in the week—pitches a scoreless eighth out of the bullpen to become the Marlins’ 70th player of the year—breaking the all-time MLB record of 69 held by the 2021 Cubs. The loss drops the Marlins’ record to 55-93; they’ll have to win eight of their remaining 14 games to avoid a 100-loss season a year after making the postseason as a wild card.

Saturday, September 14

Wins by the White Sox have become so infrequent, every victory they do manage seems to end at least one major losing streak of some kind. In their walk-off, 7-6 triumph over the visiting A’s, they snap a franchise-record skid of 16 straight home losses, which tied for the fourth longest in MLB history—and yet it all still nearly goes awry in the ninth when the Sox blow a 6-3 lead and nearly fall behind before the A’s strand runners on second and third at inning’s end. Andrew Benintendi quickly puts the Sox over the top with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth.

The Royals guarantee their first winning season since taking the 2015 World Series, notching their 82nd win at Pittsburgh, 5-1. Bobby Witt Jr. collects his 43rd double, 31st home run and 100th RBI of the year while raising his MLB-best batting average to .333.

In the top of the fourth at New York with a 1-0 lead against the archrival Red Sox, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole decides—rather startingly—to give an intentional walk to star Boston hitter Rafael Devers with one out and the bases empty. It all falls apart from there for Cole; the Red Sox will plate three runs (including Devers) in the frame, followed the next inning with four more tallies, all they’ll need in a 7-1 win. Wildness is at the core of Cole’s problems; in those two fateful innings, he’ll walk two (not including Devers’ IBB) and hit two other batters.

So, you’re a $36 million-a-year star ace, possibly bound for the Hall of Fame, and you’re chickening out on an opposing batter giving you fits in the past? Granted, Cole probably understands that Devers has never been an easy out for him—coming into the game, Devers was 14-for-41 with eight homers against Cole. There have certainly been cases of other pitching greats who found their Kryptonite in batters they could never solve one-on-one, but hardly ever did they give in without at least offering several competitive pitches. Cole is a terrific pitcher who’s getting well paid; he needs to prove that against every batter he faces.

The Reds thrash the struggling Twins at Minnesota, 11-1, clinching National League supremacy in interleague play for a second straight year with its 346th win out of a possible 690. It’s only the eighth time in 27 years of interleague play that the NL has secured a winning record against American League competition.

The Giants tie a franchise record by suffering their third straight shutout loss, 8-0 at home to the Padres. Joe Musgrove blanks the Giants for six innings, while Luis Arraez (.320) continues his quest for a third straight batting title (with his third different team) with two hits while extending his streak of consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout to 135—the longest such run since Juan Pierre (147 PAs) in 2004.

Though blanked in three straight games, the Giants are still 12 innings short of the longest scoreless drought in team history. That would belong to the 1916 New York Giants, who went 39 straight innings without a run—ironically, just two weeks before they embarked on all-time-record 27-game unbeaten streak (with one tie).

The rolling Mets are slowed down at Philadelphia, abandoning an early 4-0 lead and losing 6-4 to the Phillies—dropping them back into a second-place tie in the NL East with the Braves, who crush the Dodgers, 10-1. Of note for the Mets in the debut of shortstop Luisangel Acuna, the younger brother of injured reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr.; batting ninth, the 22-year old knocks out two singles in four at-bats.

Sunday, September 15

Another win, more skids snapped for the White Sox. In defeating the A’s at Chicago, 4-3, the Sox win back-to-back games for the first time since June 28-29—and also break a streak of 20 straight series losses by taking two of three games against Oakland. The loss for Oakland is also the end of a 22-game hit streak for rookie Lawrence Butler, who goes 0-for-3 with a walk. The run is tied for the fourth longest since the A’s moved to Oakland in 1968.

The Padres sweep the Giants at San Francisco with a 4-3, 10-inning win, but the moment everyone will remember is the game-tying home run in the ninth by the Giants’ Heliot Ramos. His opposite-field bomb clears Oracle Park’s tall right-field wall, the concourse behind it and the walkway outside of the ballpark, into McCovey Cove—making Ramos the first right-handed batter in the venue’s 25-year history to reach the bay waters on the fly.

The Dodgers break loose from a 2-2 tie in the ninth and explode for seven runs—the last four coming on consecutive home runs from Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman and Max Muncy—to defeat the Braves at Atlanta, 9-2. It’s the third time this year that the Dodgers have gone back-to-back-to-back; only the 1982 Brewers had previously done that within one season.

Five of the Dodgers’ seven runs in the ninth are charged to Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias—who hadn’t given up an earned run in his previous 30 appearances, 35.1 innings and three months dating back to June 16.

Monday, September 16

In the Padres’ 3-1 home win over Houston, NL batting leader Luis Arraez strikes out for the first time in 141 plate appearances—the longest such streak in 20 years. It’s only the 27th time that Arraez has whiffed all season—and just the third time since the All-Star Break, over two months ago.

The Dodgers shut down the Braves at Atlanta, 9-0—accumulating just four hits in the process, one of them a three-run homer from former Brave Freddie Freeman to cap a six-run seventh. The Braves help out with eight walks and a hit batsman; only six other times has an MLB team scored nine-plus runs on four or fewer hits, with the last such occurrence taking place three years ago…in a game also won by the Dodgers over the Braves at Atlanta.

Tuesday, September 17

For the second time in his young and productive career, the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. clinches a 30-30 season with his 30th stolen base, to go along with 32 home runs—but it’s not enough for Kansas City, who waste a fine start from Cole Ragans (seven innings, one run allowed on four hits, nine K’s) and 10 men left on base in a 3-1, 10-inning defeat to the visiting Tigers. The result tightens the width between the three AL Central teams (Royals, Tigers and Twins, who triumph 4-1 at first-place Cleveland) for essentially the final two AL wild card spots with only three games of separation between them.

No one else in the 56-year history of the Royals has gone 30-30 even once, and no MLB shortstop has previously done it twice. Adding 10 triples, Witt is the first to go 30-30-10 in two seasons; the others do it just once were Ken Williams (1922), Willie Mays (1957) and Jimmy Rollins (2007).

The Yankees pound away at the Mariners in Seattle, 11-2, behind a very good day for Juan Soto, who reaches base four times on two walks, a double and a home run that’s both his 40th of 2024 and 200th of his career. Hitting 40 for the first time since debuting seven years ago, Soto joins Aaron Judge (who drives home four runs on a single and double) as the first pair of Yankee teammates with at least 40 homers each in a season since Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961; before that, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig both hit 40 in 1927, 1930 and 1931. The Yankees up their lead in the AL East to four games over the Orioles, who are tanked at home by the Giants, 10-0.

Shohei Ohtani gets closer to achieving an unprecedented 50-50 season with his 48th home run, but otherwise strikes out three times as the Dodgers are outgunned by the Marlins in Miami, 11-9. Jesus Sanchez knocks out five hits including two doubles for the Fish in victory; he’s the first Marlin since 2018 with a five-hit game not named Luis Arraez—who did it three times within a 14-day period last year.

Wednesday, September 18

Milwaukee is the first team this season to clinch a divisional title—let alone a postseason spot—when the second-place Chicago Cubs lose a home matinee against Oakland, 5-3. But in terms of playoff seeding, the Brewers still have business to take care of—and that they do against the visiting Phillies, as Jake Bauer strokes a walk-off RBI single in the ninth to take a 2-1 victory. The win keeps the Brewers within two games of the Dodgers (8-4 winners at Miami) for the NL’s #2 seed, while they move within three of the #1 spot currently occupied by the Phillies. Moving past either one of these teams at season’s end is important, as it would give Milwaukee a first-round bye.

The divisional crown is the fifth captured by the Brewers in 14 years; they had previously finished first only twice, in back-to-back seasons (1981-82). 

There must be special satisfaction for Brewers fans in watching the Cubs—who poached away long-time Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell during this past winter—lose the game that clinches the NL Central for the Brewers. 

For the Phillies, it’s the first time all year that they lost a game despite their starting pitcher working seven or more innings. They had been 34-0 in such contests.

Later out in Seattle, the Yankees become the second team to qualify for the postseason, defeating the Mariners in 10 innings, 2-1. New York still needs to win the AL East, but that’s looking more and more likely as it extends its lead to five games over the second-place Orioles, who lose again at home to San Francisco, 5-3.

Tampa Bay’s Ryan Pepiot throws the majors’ second immaculate inning of the season—and the fourth in Rays history—striking out the side on nine pitches and nine strikes in the fifth as part of a career record-setting 12-K performance against the visiting Red Sox. But a win is not in the cards for Pepiot and the Rays, who fall 2-1 on Jarren Duran’s tie-breaking RBI single in the eighth.

The Tigers finish a three-game sweep of the Royals in Kansas City, moving to within a half-game of current AL #3 wild card holder Minnesota (who drop a 5-4, 10-inning decision at Cleveland) and two behind the Royals for the #2 wild card slot. Tarik Skubal strikes out seven while allowing a run over five innings for his 17th win of the year against just four losses; his 2.48 ERA remains MLB’s second best, behind Atlanta’s Chris Sale (2.35).

It’s the first time all season that the Royals have been sweep in a series at home.

The Padres strengthen their hold on the NL’s #1 wild card spot—and remain a not-so-distant threat to the first-place Dodgers in the NL West—with a 4-0 home win over Houston. Dylan Cease allows two hits over 8.1 innings to improve to 14-11 on the year, while Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Donovan Solano hit consecutive home runs in the eighth inning; it’s the first time since 1997 that the Padres have gone deep in back-to-back-to-back plate appearances.

The Orioles have seen enough of Craig Kimbrel, designating the veteran closer for assignment after an extended stretch of poor pitching. The 36-year old with 440 career saves was the team’s closer through late July, but deteriorating results led to a demotion to middle-inning duty; he’s only gotten worse since, posting an 11.50 ERA over 18 innings. The final straw came in Monday’s 10-0 loss to the Giants, when Kimbrel allowed six runs in the ninth on three hits, two walks and a wild pitch and walked off to boos from the Camden Yards crowd of 24,000.

Thursday, September 19

To those who’ve been recently arguing that there are more deserving NL MVP candidates than Shohei Ohtani, we have five words: Stop it. Just. Stop. It. The first-year Dodger has a day for the ages, initially making headlines by becoming the first major leaguer ever to belt 50 homers and steal 50 bases in one season. But then he continues on; at the end of the Dodgers’ 20-7 thrashing of the Marlins at Miami, Ohtani finishes 6-for-6 with three home runs, two doubles, a single, two stolen bases and a Dodgers-record 10 RBIs. His 50th homer, securing the historic 50-50 combo, also sets a franchise season mark, passing Shawn Green’s 49 from 2001. Additionally, Ohtani is the first player with five extra-base hits and two steals in a game, his 17 total bases are tied for the second most in team history—behind Green’s MLB-record 19 in a 2002 game—and his 10 RBIs are the most by any player, for any team, batting in a leadoff role. Ohtani’s monster day helps the Dodgers clinch a postseason spot for the 12th consecutive year, a streak bettered only by the 14 straight racked up by the Braves from 1991-2005 (not including the strike-shuttered 1994 campaign) and the 13 straight by the 1995-2007 Yankees.

From Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis to numerous social media pundits, Ohtani’s performance is considered the greatest in MLB history. But is it? It’s certainly debatable, once you consider the massive days previously put out by the aforementioned Green or Mark Whiten’s four homer, 12-RBI demolition in 1993. True, none of those guys stole bases in their big efforts, but none of them also didn’t hit one of their four home runs off a position player, as Ohtani does with his third of the night—a three-run, 440-foot moonshot against Marlins second baseman Vidal Brujan.

The Guardians also guarantee themselves a reservation at the playoffs in a familiar way—coming from behind and securing a walk-off victory, 3-2 in 10 innings over the visiting Twins. Andres Gimenez’s rope down the right-field line brings home gift runner Jose Ramirez to complete the Guardians’ MLB-high 42nd victory while trailing at some point. It’s Cleveland’s fifth AL Central title in nine seasons, adding bounce-back credence for the team under the direction of rookie manager Stephen Vogt a year after a subpar 76-86 finish.

Cleveland’s win knocks the Twins into a tie with the Tigers for both third place in the AL Central and the league’s #3 wild card seed.

The Mets reach double digits in runs for the third consecutive game—a franchise first—with a 10-6 home win over the first-place Phillies. Four home runs, all hit off Philadelphia starter Taijuan Walker before his departure in the fourth inning, gives the Mets an early offensive bump.

The Braves, trying to fight their way back into the wild-card jet stream, slam the Reds at Cincinnati, 15-3, behind an MLB-record four three-run homers; they hit six round-trippers in all, including two each from Michael Harris II and Matt Olson. On the mound, Chris Sale goes the minimum five innings to pick up a career-high 18th win; he’s slated to make two more starts for Atlanta with a chance to win 20.

Friday, September 20

A day after going 6-4-6-10 in the box score at Miami, the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani adds to his record-setting season with his 52nd home run and 52nd steal, adding two singles in Los Angeles’ 6-4 home win over the Rockies. It’s the 14th time this year that Ohtani has homered and stolen a base in the same game, breaking Rickey Henderson’s MLB record from 1986.

The Phillies are officially headed to the postseason for the third straight year after upending the Mets at New York by a 12-2 count. Alec Bohm leads the charge offensively for Philadelphia with four hits including his 15th home run, along with four RBIs.

The Braves fail to close the gap with the Mets for the third NL wild card spot, bowing 4-3 at Miami. The loss leaves Atlanta two back of the Mets with eight to play, and also eliminates any chance that the Braves can capture a seventh straight NL East title.

It’s a mixed day of record-setting moments for Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz in the Reds’ 8-3 home win over the Pirates. The second-year shortstop steals his 100th career base, making him only the third player (along with Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman) since 1900 to reach triple digits within his first two seasons; he also strikes out twice to total 206 on the year, breaking Drew Stubbs’ franchise record from 2011.

Juan Soto, held out of the starting lineup after a rough collision with the wall at Seattle the previous night, comes off the bench in the 10th and delivers a run-scoring double for the Yankees, part of a three-run rally that ultimately gives New York a 4-2 win at Oakland to maintain their four-game lead over Baltimore in the AL East. Gerrit Cole allows a run on two hits over nine innings for the Yankees, but does not get a decision.

The game is the beginning of the A’s final homestand in Oakland and draws a crowd of 23,426—a good chunk of them rooting for the Yankees.

Saturday, September 21

Max Scherzer is scratched, Julio Rodriguez has another big day, and the Rangers clinch a losing record a year after winning the World Series in an 8-4 loss at Arlington to the Mariners. Rodriguez sets the tone for the day with a leadoff home run in the first inning, later adding three singles and three RBIs; he’s 7-for-11 with eight RBIs over his last two games. The Rangers, eliminated from the postseason the day before—thus ensuring a record 23rd straight season in which a World Series titlist will not repeat—are the 18th defending champ to finish with a losing record, and the first since the 2013 Red Sox, who finished last in the AL East with a 71-91 record the following season.

It bears mentioning that Scherzer, who’s fought injuries all year, started nine games this season while being paid eight-figure salaries from three different teams—the Rangers ($12.5 million), Nationals ($15 million in deferred money) and Mets ($30.8 million). He becomes a free agent after the season; at age 40, one wonders if he’s thrown his final major league pitch.

The Phillies fail to clinch the NL East—dropping a 6-3 decision to the second-place Mets in New York—while out in Los Angeles, the Dodgers suffer a 6-3 defeat to Colorado despite Shohei Ohtani’s 53rd stolen base as he makes an improbable stab at 60-60. It’s the 63rd loss for both Philadelphia and Los Angeles—guaranteeing that the 2024 MLB season will be the first in 10 years without a 100-win team.

Two days after clinching a postseason spot, the Guardians capture their fifth AL Central title in nine years despite a 6-5 loss at St. Louis; it’s a 9-0 loss by second-place Kansas City to the visiting Giants that puts Cleveland over the top. The magic number for the Guardians to clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs is three—but they also fall one game back of the Yankees (10-0 winners at Oakland) for the AL’s #1 postseason seed.

Washington shortstop and leadoff spark CJ Abrams is demoted by the Nationals to their spring training complex in Florida for the rest of the season, after the club learns that he spent the entire night—and early morning hours—at a Chicago-area casino, returning just hours before the Nationals’ scheduled Friday afternoon game against the Cubs. The move was the “right thing to do,” says Nationals manager Dave Martinez, adding, “For me, it’s about taking care of the person first, not the player, and I’m going to do everything I can to help him.”

Sunday, September 22

The Chicago White Sox take one step closer to unprecedented infamy, breaking the AL record for losses in a season—and tying the 1962 Mets for the most by any major league team in baseball’s post-1900 modern era—with their 120th defeat at San Diego. The 4-2 loss is decided in the eighth inning when the Padres, trailing 2-1, break out for three runs capped by Fernando Tatis Jr.’s towering home run.

Though he doesn’t get credit for the win as he left before the Padres’ late-inning comeback, San Diego starter Yu Darvish becomes the first Japanese-born major leaguer with 2,000 career strikeouts, reaching the milestone in the third inning. On the day, the 38-year-old Darvish strikes out nine over 6.1 innings, allowing both Chicago runs.

The Dodgers, who next host the Padres with a three-game lead over San Diego, make sure that their lead stays at three, as Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts start the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back solo homers—enough to walk-off a 6-5 victory over the Rockies. Ohtani’s homer is his 53rd; he also steals two more bases to give him 55 on the year.

The race for the final two AL wild card spots is now officially a free-for-all between three AL Central ballclubs as the regular season enters its final week. The Tigers, who little over a month ago were below .500 and merely an afterthought, defeat the Orioles at Baltimore, 4-3, to not only pass the Twins for the league’s third wild card spot, but to tie the Royals for the second. (The Orioles remain ‘safely’ four games up on the Royals and Tigers for the #1 wild card with six contests remaining.) For Detroit, the win clinches their first winning season in eight years.

The Twins’ collapse comes courtesy of a rain-created doubleheader in Boston, with the Red Sox easily taking both games, 8-1 and 9-3. Triston Casas homers in each of his first three at-bats in the early game—the first hat trick of homers by a Boston player in over two seasons—and drives home seven runs. In the nightcap, Casas goes hitless with two walks.

Kansas City falls into a tie with the Tigers after being shut out at home for the second straight day by the Giants, 2-0, as Blake Snell (six innings, two hits allowed, nine K’s) continues to impress for San Francisco. Seth Lugo lasts seven innings for the Royals—conceding both Giants runs—and becomes the first MLB pitcher to surpass 200 on the year, but that’s ice-cold comfort for a team that’s lost seven straight games—the last six of those at home.

Since August 10, the Tigers are 27-11; the Royals are 19-21; the Twins are 16-24.

The September fall of the Royals and Twins not only have given the Tigers life, but also the Mariners. Yet Seattle loses out on an opportunity to close within a game of the #3 wild card spot, blowing a 5-0 lead at Arlington and losing to the Rangers, 6-5, on Marcus Semien’s game-winning single in the ninth. In defeat, Mariners hitters are twice hit by pitches, increasing their season total to an MLB record-breaking 113. Five different Seattle players have been plunked at least 10 times on the year, led by Luke Raley’s 18.

The 2022 Mets held the old record for HBPs with 112.

The Cincinnati Reds aren’t waiting for the end of the season to make a change, dismissing manager David Bell as the team has disappointed with a 76-81 record. Injuries have had plenty to do with it, but the Reds seem convinced that a better direction is needed. Bell has piloted the team since 2019 with mixed results, including three winning records and the franchise’s second-ever 100-loss campaign in 2022.

Monday, September 23

After earlier clinching a postseason berth for the third season—the previous two times as a wild card—the Phillies nab their first divisional title in 13 years, defeating the Cubs 6-2 before 42,000 ecstatic fans at Philadelphia. J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber each hit home runs in the early innings as the Phillies build a 6-0 lead; Aaron Nola improves to 13-8 with six agreeable innings.

Schwarber’s solo homer gives him 100 RBIs to go along with over 100 runs and 100 walks for the second straight year; the only other two Phillies to accomplish those set of numbers in consecutive campaigns are Mike Schmidt and Bobby Abreu.

On the eve of the final home series in Oakland A’s history, owner John Fisher releases a statement of thanks to Bay Area fans—many of whom will not be willing to return the love. Acknowledging that there is “great disappointment, even bitterness” among Oakland rooters, Fisher attempts to justify the team’s move to Las Vegas via Sacramento, where the A’s will spend at least the next three seasons. “We proposed and pursued five different locations in the Bay Area,” Fisher writes. “And despite mutual and ongoing efforts to get a deal done for the Howard Terminal project, we came up short.”

The comeback from A’s fans regarding that last statement is surely going to be, “If the efforts on a new ballpark were ‘mutual,’ then why leave?” Fisher notes that the team was “faced with a binding MLB agreement to find a new home by 2024.” Gut check: If efforts were indeed “mutual,” and the waterfront ballpark at Howard Terminal continued to progress—which it was doing—MLB certainly would have given the A’s a grace period to help get it done. That is, if the A’s and MLB were still truly interested in staying in Oakland. They weren’t. Nevertheless, Fisher writes toward the end of his statement: “I am genuinely sorry.” Yep, right.

Tuesday, September 24

The Padres secure a spot in the playoffs—and close to within two games of the Dodgers in the NL West—with a 4-2 victory at Los Angeles ended on a triple play with the dangerous Shohei Ohtani on deck. The Dodgers already have one run in with runners at first and second and nobody out when Miguel Rojas hits a grounder to San Diego third baseman Manny Machado, who rumbles to third, starting an around-the-horn triple killing—the eighth in Padres history, their first since 2010, and their first to end a game.

The Astros clinch their eight straight postseason spot—and their seventh straight AL West title in a full season—with a 4-3 victory at Houston over the Seattle Mariners. Featuring for the Astros is veteran outfielder Jason Heyward, released a month ago by the Dodgers and only getting the start because of a day-to-day injury to Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez; Heyward makes a difficult (and painful) catch against the left-field manual scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning, recovering enough to mash a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame—accounting for the tying and (eventual) winning runs.

The Tigers and Royals remain in a tie for the #2 wild card spot, but create more separation from the next two contenders in the Mariners and Twins. At Detroit, likely AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal throws seven shutout innings for his 18th win of the year as the Tigers eke out a 2-1 home win over Tampa Bay; later in Washington, the Royals will survive a scoreless battle through nine, notching a 10th-inning tally on a throwing error to take a 1-0 victory over the Nationals. The winning run breaks a streak of 27 consecutive scoreless innings for the Royals.

The Twins, who suffer a 4-1 defeat to the visiting Marlins, are two games back of the Tigers and Royals, while the Mariners are 2.5 back.

Despite the 56th home run of the year for Aaron Judge, the Orioles triumph 5-3 at New York against the Yankees to clinch their second straight postseason spot, while maintaining their microscopic chances of taking the AL East. Three home runs for Baltimore includes the 44th by Anthony Santander; among American League switch hitters, only Mickey Mantle has belted more round-trippers in a season.

For one night, the White Sox remain tied with the 1962 Mets for the most losses in a modern-era season. Chicago keeps their loss count at 120 by rallying for three runs in the bottom of the eighth, just enough to defeat the Angels, 3-2; it’s the first time all year that the White Sox have won a game when trailing after seven innings.

Many in the announced crowd of 17,606, hoping to see their team clinch infamy, boo when the Sox finish off the Angels in the ninth.

Wednesday, September 25

The 2024 regular season will not end as scheduled this coming Sunday, as the two final games of a critical series between NL East rivals Atlanta and New York have been postponed by expected heavy rain from Tropical Stone Helene. The two games will be made up as a doubleheader on Monday—that is, if either the Braves and Mets, or both, are still alive and searching for a wild card berth.

The four teams vying for the final two AL wild card spots all win; the Royals shut out the Nationals at Washington, 3-0, the Tigers take a 7-1 home victory over Tampa Bay, the Twins upend the visiting Marlins, 8-3, and the Mariners coast at Houston, 8-1. Detroit and Kansas City each remain two games ahead of Minnesota, and 2.5 ahead of Seattle.

The Twins’ victory over Miami is the 100th loss of the season for the Marlins; it’s the fourth time in franchise history that the Fish have finished with triple-digit losses, having previously done it in the 1998, 2013 and 2019 seasons.

Cleveland closes to within a half-game of the Yankees (9-7 losers against Baltimore) for the AL’s top postseason seed, defeating the visiting Reds 5-2 on Jose Ramirez’s three-run, tie-breaking homer in the eighth inning. Putting the period on the victory is Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, who the Reds load the bases against in the ninth without scoring. It’s the 47th save of the year for Clase, setting an all-time franchise season record previously held by Jose Mesa in 1995.

Thursday, September 26

The A’s play their final game at the Oakland Coliseum, their home for the past 57 years, defeating the Rangers 3-2 before a sellout crowd of 46,889—by far the largest for a team playing its last home game before relocating to another city. More fans could have been admitted, but the A’s leave Mount Davis—the outfield monstrosity built for the NFL’s Raiders for their return to Oakland, before they left yet again for Las Vegas—tarped and unused. All three of Oakland’s runs are scored within the first five innings, and although the Rangers pare the lead down to one, they rarely threaten in the late innings. Supersonic Oakland closer Mason Miller retires the final four Rangers for his 28th save to lead all MLB rookies; his final pitch, a 103.8-MPH fastball grounded for the final out, is likely the fastest ever thrown by an A’s pitcher at the Coliseum.

The lively crowd, largely behaving, gives off a New Year’s Eve-type of vibe. Pregame festivities include former A’s pitcher Barry Zito singing the National Anthem, and ceremonial first pitches thrown by 1980s Oakland legends Rickey Henderson and Dave Stewart; drumming up support in the crowd is longtime cheerleader Krazy George, who arguably invented the wave during his time employed by the A’s in the early 1980s.

The A’s play their final regular season series on the road at Anaheim against the Angels; they’ll play at least the next three seasons in Sacramento—80 miles away from Oakland—while a new ballpark in Las Vegas is hashed out and constructed.

The last two divisional titles are locked up with the Dodgers and Yankees both clinching thanks to their MVP candidates. In New York, the Yankees capture their third AL East title in the past six years as they stomp second-place Baltimore, 10-1. Aaron Judge, who recently endured a career-long 16-game drought without a home run, ties a personal best by homering in his fifth straight game; he now has 58 on the year.  With Giancarlo Stanton also going deep, it’s the 14th time this year that both Judge and Stanton have smacked homers in the same game—tying the Yankee record set back in 1961 by Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.

Later out at Los Angeles, the Dodgers take their 11th NL West crown in 12 years and unplug the potential for a last-week charge by second-place San Diego, pulling away with a 7-2 victory over the Padres. Shohei Ohtani has a double and two singles, becoming the first major leaguer since 2001 to rack up 400 total bases in a season.

Speaking of Ohtani, the ball he hit to make him baseball’s first 50-50 player is ready to be auctioned off by Chris Belanski, the man who gained possession of it behind the left-field fence at Miami’s loanDepot park—but Max Matus, an 18-year old who claimed to initially have the ball only to have it ‘stolen’ from Belanski, is suing to stop the auction in hopes of convincing a judge somewhere that the ball should be his.

Video of the home run and ensuing scrum for the historic (and valuable) ball—with the opening bid reportedly set at $500,000—shows Belanski and Matus fighting for control of the ball before the former emerges with it. Matus appears to reach out toward Belanski as if asking for the ball, but Belanski mistakes Matus’ body language and high-fives him instead.

Late rallies propel the three AL Central teams vying for the last two AL wild card spots, resulting in victories for the Royals and Tigers, but not the Twins—reducing their odds of reaching the postseason to microscopic levels.

The Tigers, down 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth, small-ball their way to two runs and hang on for a 4-3 victory against the visiting Rays; it’s their 30th win over their last 41 games. Meanwhile, the Royals break a 4-4 tie at Washington with three runs in the ninth, the first two coming in on Adam Frazier’s pinch-hit single. The 7-4 victory keeps Kansas City tied with Detroit for the #2 wild card seed.

Alas for the Twins, their comeback bid against the visiting Marlins can only carry them so far as extra innings. Fighting back from a 4-0 deficit, Minnesota forces action beyond the ninth but stay knotted into a 13th inning, almost always leaving the winning run on third—before succumbing to the Marlins, 8-6, in the year’s longest game by time (four hours and 16 minutes). The Twins’ only hope of reaching the playoffs is to sweep the Orioles in the season’s final series, while either the Tigers (three at home against the White Sox) or Royals (three at Atlanta) lose three straight; the Twins hold the tiebreaker against both teams with 7-6 records in head-to-head play.

The White Sox avoid making bad history—while the opposing Angels fail to avoid making their own. Chicago scores all seven of its runs in the fifth inning, while Chris Flexen and two relievers combine for a six-hit shutout on the visiting Angels, who set a franchise record with their 96th loss. The 7-0 triumph is the White Sox’ third straight, keeping them tied with the 1962 Mets for the most losses in a season since 1900. The win ensures that the Sox will finish with a higher winning percentage than the 1916 Philadelphia A’s, who ended that season with a .235 figure on a 36-117 record; the Sox also avoid tying the 1939 St. Louis Browns and 2019 Tigers for the most home losses (59) in a season.

Flexen gets credit for the win, snapping a streak of 23 straight starts without one.

Friday, September 27

The Tigers complete an improbable late-season run into the postseason at the expense of the White Sox—who set a modern MLB record with their 121st loss of the season, 4-1 at Detroit before an energetic crowd of 44,435 at Comerica Park. For the Tigers, the win clinches an AL wild card spot; it will be their first playoff appearance in 10 years. Chicago pitcher Garrett Crochet, who’s looked sharp all year but has been managed on severely limited pitch counts, keeps the Tigers scoreless over four innings with six strikeouts; no MLB pitcher has struck out more batters (209) over fewer innings (146) over an entire season. After Crochet’s departure (with just 62 pitches), the White Sox’ bullpen immediately flubs it up—allowing all four Tigers runs over the next three innings.

Along with Detroit, the Royals nab the last AL wild card spot, backing into the playoff picture as they’re shut down by Max Fried (8.2 innings) and the Braves, 3-0, at Atlanta. Kansas City secures its playoff reservation by virtue of the sinking Twins, who lose at home to Baltimore, 7-2; it’s Minnesota’s 25th defeat over their last 37 games.

No team has made the postseason with more losses the year before than Kansas City, which suffered 106 defeats in 2023.

The Braves’ win moves them into equal standing not just with the Mets (8-4 losers at Milwaukee) but also Arizona, which is defeated at Phoenix by the Padres, 5-3. All three teams are vying for the two final NL wild card slots.

A day after the longest game of the season by time (a four-hour, 16-minute marathon played between the Marlins and Twins over 13 innings), the Reds and Cubs hook up at Chicago for the year’s fastest game, completed in a crisp one hour and 46 minutes as the home team takes a 1-0 victory. Miguel Amaya brings home the game’s only run on a fifth-inning sac fly, as winds gusting in from the outfield keep any fly ball from leaving the yard. Jameson Taillon pitches seven shutout innings to finish his year with a 12-8 record and 3.27 ERA.

It’s the fastest game seen in the ‘pitch clock era,’ and the fastest since Armando Galarraga’s should-have-been perfect game in 2010, which clocked in at an hour and 44 minutes.

It seems that a day doesn’t go by without Shohei Ohtani setting another record or passing another milestone. At Denver against the Rockies, Ohtani steals his 57th base—breaking the season record for Japanese-born players previously held by Ichiro Suzuki in his rookie 2001 campaign for Seattle. Ohtani also belts his 54th homer, doubles and strokes two singles for the Dodgers in their 11-4 rout over Colorado.

The Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar becomes the first player in franchise history to whiff 200 times in a season; he’s racked up that many strikeouts while walking only 23 times. The player with the next fewest number of passes in a 200-K season is Teoscar Hernandez from last year, with 38.

Second-year Miami infielder Xavier Edwards sets a franchise game record with three triples, knocking in four runs in the Marlins’ 15-5 beating of the Blue Jays in Toronto. He’s the first major leaguer since Yasiel Puig in 2014 to collect a trio of three-baggers in one game.

The Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley wraps up a 6-3 victory at San Francisco for his 49th save, setting a St. Louis season record. The victory ensures a winning record for the Redbirds (82-78) a year after a rare last-place finish.

Saturday, September 28

With the AL wild card drama past tense and the league’s playoff palette set, the focus is now on the three-team race for the NL’s last two available wild card spots.

Thrust into the driver’s seat are the Atlanta Braves, who just a few short days ago were on the outside looking in. But with a dramatic 2-1 home victory over Kansas City on Travis d’Arnaud’s tie-breaking, walk-off solo homer, the Braves are now a game ahead of the Mets—who are again knocked down at Milwaukee, 6-0—for the #2 wild card spot.

The Diamondbacks, who for much of September appeared to be a somewhat comfortable position for a wild card reservation, enter the regular season’s final scheduled day tied with the Mets for the #3 wild card. This, after their 5-0 loss to the visiting Padres, who break a scoreless deadlock in the ninth and erupt for five runs—three of them on back-to-back home runs from Kyle Higashioka and Brandon Lockridge (his first MLB bomb) off reliever A.J. Puk, the first two homers he’s given up since being acquired by the Diamondbacks from Miami in July.

While the paint is still drying (or yet to be applied) on the lower seeds, the Yankees and Dodgers establish home field advantage in each of their leagues—both after their nearest challengers lose during the day.

The Yankees secure the AL’s top seed when Cleveland bows at home to Houston, 4-3. New York had earlier lost at home to Pittsburgh, 8-4, with Aaron Judge striking out in all five of his plate appearances; it’s the fourth time in his career he’s gone 0-for-5 with 5 K’s. For the Pirates, top rookie Paul Skenes caps a very possible NL Rookie of the Year campaign with two shutout innings and three strikeouts, finishing the year with a 1.96 ERA over 133 innings; the last rookie starting pitcher to author a lower ERA in more innings was Montreal’s Steve Rogers in 1973.

Out in Colorado, the Dodgers claim not just the #1 NL seed but home field for the entire postseason including the World Series—should they get there—as they bludgeon the Rockies at Colorado, 13-2. It’s the 100th loss of the season for the Rockies, who absorb triple-digit loss totals for a second straight year after never having lost 100 in any of their first 30 seasons.

Sunday, September 29

For 28 MLB teams, the regular season ends. But for two other teams—the Braves and Mets—a make-up Monday doubleheader awaits to find out who will be the final two NL playoff participants.

The Braves can clinch on Sunday by just beating Kansas City at Atlanta, but the first three Royals reach base and score on Michael Massey’s home run off of Braves starter Charlie Morton; from there, the Royals hold on to take a 4-2 victory.

The Mets can clinch as well, but they need more than just a win at Milwaukee; they also need the Diamondbacks to lose at home to San Diego. They get halfway there; New York beats the Brewers, 5-0, on Francisco Lindor’s 32nd home run and two stolen bases. But Arizona does not cooperate, staying alive with an 11-2 rout of the Padres.

Here’s the scenario for the final doubleheader: If the Mets and Braves split, they’re both in as wild cards. If one of them gets swept, they’re out—with the idle Diamondbacks, awaiting their playoff fate, slide in once again as the #6 seed.

Despite getting shellacked by the Diamondbacks, the Padres’ Luis Arraez nabs a double in three at-bats to win his third straight batting title—each for a different team, something no player has previously achieved. Arraez’s lone hit on the day, giving him a season-ending .314 batting average, is also his 200th of the year, the second time he reaches that milestone after notching 203 for Miami last year.

Nineteenth-Century star Dan Brouthers won batting titles for four different teams, but not in succession.

Shohei Othani hopes for another big day to take the batting title and be the NL’s first Triple Crown winner since Joe Medwick in 1937, but he manages one single in four trips in the Dodgers’ 2-1 win at Colorado to place second with a .310 average. The likely NL MVP does steal his 59th base, to go with 54 home runs, 130 RBIs and 134 runs scored on the year.

The Rockies’ loss to Los Angeles is the final game for the retiring Charlie Blackmon, who’s played all 14 of his major league seasons for Colorado. The 38-year-old outfielder, a four-time All-Star, singles in what will be his last at-bat in the fourth, as he’s lifted for a pinch runner. Blackmon wraps his career second in Rockies history in games played, runs, hits, doubles and steals; he lists first with 68 triples—a figure that was the most by any active major leaguer.

Meanwhile, Bobby Witt Jr. coasts to the AL batting crown with a .332 average; he’s the third member of the Royals (after Willie Wilson and three-time winner George Brett) to rank first.

There’s the possibility of a second 40-40 player this season after Ohtani, but Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez is denied the opportunity as persistent rains cancel the season finale between the Guardians and the visiting Astros. Ramirez finishes the year with 39 home runs and 41 steals.

The White Sox finish their historically abysmal season claiming that they’re better than the 1962 Mets. How is that, when they lost more games (121 to the Mets’ 120)? Because they win for the 41st time, 9-5 at Detroit, giving them a .253 winning percentage—just ahead of the Mets’ .250 on a 40-120 mark. Eight wins in their last 14 games plays a big role in helping the Sox realize their fleeting bid of good news.

The White Sox’ 507 runs are the fewest scored by a major league team since 1972—the year before the AL instituted the designated hitter.

The Athletics play their final game representing the City of Oakland, as a late comeback falls short in a 6-4 loss at Seattle. Darell Hernaiz gets the last hit for Oakland, a two-run double in the ninth; Max Schuemann is the last batter, striking out to end the game. When the A’s play their next game, also in Seattle on March 27, 2025, they’ll be known as the Sacramento Athletics.

Monday, September 30

Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hit leader banned from the game after betting on MLB games including those featuring his own team, passes away at the age of 83 at his Las Vegas home from natural causes. There are so many memorable feats connected to one of the greatest players currently not in Cooperstown. The 4,256 career hits. Seventeen All-Star appearances. Three batting titles, including a .335 average in 1968’s “Year of the Pitcher.” The 1963 NL Rookie of the Year. The 1973 NL MVP. A 44-game hit streak in 1978, the longest in modern NL history. Three World Series rings. His status as the majors’ last player-manager to date. And so on and so on.

Rose’s competitive nature was second to none in baseball. He earned the nickname Charlie Hustle in jest, with Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford chuckling over the then-rookie sprinting to first base on a walk during a Spring Training game and thus pegging him with the name. In the 1971 All-Star Game before his home fans in Cincinnati, Rose famously bowled over Ray Fosse—who was never the same. And though he lacked above-average speed, Rose was always determined to get that extra 90 feet, and stole 198 career bases.

Fatally, Rose broke baseball’s cardinal rule: Never, ever gamble on a baseball game—especially one involving your own team. There’s no evidence that Rose ever bet on his team to lose, but as he actively placed bets while managing the Reds, it was easily understood that running a ballclub prioritizing his own interests ahead of those of the team was corruptible with money on the line. When caught with evidence in 1989, Rose engaged in a year-long battle to avoid being banned from the game, a battle he would lose. To his dying day, Rose remained officially on the outside looking in, and the Hall of Fame refused to place him on any ballot.

On the eve of the 2024 postseason, MLB and commissioner Rob Manfred face an awkward situation of how to honor a baseball great whom they banished for his sins.

Rose’s passing drowns out the postmortem on, quite possibly, the regular season’s best game of the year. In Atlanta, the Braves and Mets square off in a make-up doubleheader (delayed a week earlier by Tropical Storm Helene) with the NL’s two remaining wild card berths at stake; one win for each team in the double-dip would get both in the playoffs—but if either one is swept, they’re out and the idle Arizona Diamondbacks would be in.

Behind a stellar start from Atlanta’s Spencer Schwellenbach, the Braves take a 3-0 lead into the eighth inning of the first game—but after a leadoff double from Tyrone Taylor, the 24-year-old rookie, closing in on 100 pitches, is removed. Perhaps he should have stayed in; three ensuing Atlanta relievers combine to concede six runs, the last two on Brandon Nimmo’s no-doubt-about-it homer to right field, bolting the Mets to a sudden 6-3 lead. The Braves counter in the bottom of the eighth, with the help of Mets closer Edwin Diaz—who suffers a brain fart and forgets to cover first on Jarred Kelenic’s deep grounder snagged by Pete Alonso. What should be the third out turns into a four-run, two-out rally, with Ozzie Albies’ bases-clearing double giving the Braves the lead back at 7-6. A familiar hero emerges for the Mets in the ninth, as MVP runner-up candidate Francisco Lindor—Shohei Ohtani will win the award—launches a towering two-run homer to put New York back in front, 8-7; the Braves have no response in the bottom of the ninth, and the Mets take the first game and a NL playoff spot.

Mission accomplished but exhausted, the Mets rest a number of their starters for the second game, giving the Braves—whose season is still on the line—a potentially big advantage. But trouble crops up; scheduled Atlanta starter and likely NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale says he’s suffering from back spasms and can’t pitch. Thrust onto the stage at the 11th hour is rookie Grant Holmes, who responds with four shutout innings before bowing to the bullpen. As with the first game, the Braves take a 3-0 lead into the eighth—but this time, they repel any New York uprising, holding the Mets to three hits overall in taking the second game and claiming the sixth and final NL wild card. Arizona, the defending NL champ, becomes the odd man out.

Tired of continuous middling results, the Giants dismiss president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and replace him with popular former catcher Buster Posey. Outside of an outlier 2021 campaign in which the Giants surged to a franchise-record 107 victories (but a first-round playoff exit to the archrival Dodgers), the Giants repeatedly skipped gears under Zaidi, even as the team made significant moves before the 2024 season with the addition of Blake Snell, Matt Chapman and Jorge Soler. Though Posey lacks front-office experience, he has been praised for his intelligence and manner of articulating the situation while being an active member of the Giants’ ownership group since 2022. His high esteem with the team’s fan base makes his move a popular one in the Bay Area—for now.

Meanwhile in St. Louis, long-time Cardinals exec John Mozeliak will phase himself out during the 2025 season, working with current adviser Chaim Bloom—who will take over his role in 2026. Bloom is noted for top front-office roles over the last 15 years with Tampa Bay and Boston.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, Shohei Ohtani led all major leaguers in jersey sales during the 2024 season, claiming the top spot for the second straight year in rankings compiled by the players’ union. The top five rounds out with the Phillies’ Bryce Harper, the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts and the Mets’ Francisco Lindor.

Under the safe assumption that Ohtani makes next year’s All-Star Game, you’ll see him wearing his Dodgers uniform during the event. Answering to extreme criticism, MLB will end the practice of designing special All-Star uniforms—some of them hideous—and allow participants to wear the outfits of their teams for the first time since 2019. It’s a win for social media pundits who continually showed team photos of past All-Star teams and the vibrant mix of team jerseys represented within them.