Wednesday brought us a full slate of 15 MLB games, including games with postseason implications in the Bronx, St. Louis, and Los Angeles. Here is everything you need to know about Wednesday's MLB action.
Select games can be streamed regionally via fuboTV (Try for free). For more on what channel each game is on, click here.
Who wins every MLB game? And what underdogs can give you a huge victory tonight? Visit SportsLine now to see the exact score of every MLB game, plus get full player stat projections, all from the model that simulates every game 10,000 times.
Baseball scores for Wednesday, September 18
- FINAL - Cardinals 5, Nationals 1 (box score)
- FINAL - Mets 7, Rockies 4 (box score)
- FINAL - Athletics 1, Royals 0 in 11 innings (box score)
- FINAL - Diamondbacks 5, Marlins 4 (box score)
- FINAL - Angels 3, Yankees 2 (box score)
- FINAL - Mariners 4, Pirates 1 (box score)
- FINAL - Blue Jays 11, Orioles 10 (box score)
- FINAL - Giants 11, Red Sox 3 (box score)
- FINAL - Indians 2, Tigers 1 in 10 innings (box score)
- FINAL - Phillies 4, Braves 1 (box score)
- FINAL - White Sox 3, Twins 1 (box score)
- FINAL - Padres 2, Brewers 1 (box score)
- FINAL - Reds 3, Cubs 2 in 10 innings (box score)
- FINAL - Rays 8, Dodgers 7 in 11 innings (box score)
- FINAL - Astros 3, Rangers 2 (box score)
Cole joins 300-strikeout club, Astros clinch postseason spot
The Astros are going back to the postseason. I mean, we've known that for weeks, but now it's official. Houston clinched a playoff spot with Wednesday's win over the Rangers. They have not yet clinched the AL West title, however. They've only ensured they can finish no worse than the second wild-card team.
Wednesday's star was AL Cy Young candidate (favorite?) Gerrit Cole, who struck out 10 in eight innings and reached 300 strikeouts for the season (302, to be precise). He was marvelous.
Cole is the first Astros pitcher with 300 strikeouts since Mike Scott struck out 306 batters in 1986. Scott won the Cy Young and threw 275 1/3 innings that year. Cole has thrown 200 1/3 innings this year. He's the first AL righty with 300 strikeouts since Pedro Martinez with the 1999 Red Sox (313).
It should be noted Justin Verlander is sitting on 283 strikeouts at the moment. He and Cole can become the first set of teammates with 300 strikeouts since Randy Johnson (334) and Curt Schilling (316) with the 2002 D-Backs.
In addition to clinching a postseason berth Wednesday, the Astros also became the first team to win 100 games this year. They are only the fifth team in history to win 100 games in three straight years.
Bochy gets 2,000th win
Welcome to the 2,000 wins club, Bruce Bochy. The Giants skipper and future Hall of Famer picked up his 2,000th win Wednesday night at Fenway Park. He is the 11th manager in the 2,000-win club. The all-time managerial wins leaderboard:
- Connie Mack: 3,731 wins
- John McGraw: 2,763
- Tony La Russa: 2,728
- Bobby Cox: 2,504
- Joe Torre: 2,326
- Sparky Anderson: 2,194
- Bucky Harris: 2,158
- Joe McCarthy: 2,125
- Walter Alston: 2,040
- Leo Durocher: 2,008
- Bruce Bochy: 2,000
The top 10 managers on that list are all in the Hall of Fame. Bochy will join them one day even though he will retire with a losing record (currently 2,000-2,022). Bochy, Mack, and Harris are the only members of the 2,000-win club with a career losing record.
Bochy, 64, is in his 13th season with the Giants (1,049 wins) after 12 with the Padres (951 wins). He is retiring at season's end.
Cards take series against Nats
Wednesday's series finale between the Cardinals and the Nationals saw right-hander Adam Wainwright face off against three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. Wainwright continued his September dominance and led the Cards to a crucial series win, taking two of three from Washington. Over Wainwright's last five starts, the Cardinals are 5-0 and Wainwright has a 0.88 ERA. At 38-years-old, Wainwright is the oldest Cardinals pitcher since 1927 to go six-plus innings with one earned run or fewer in four straight starts. Here's his final line from Wednesday:
While Scherzer didn't have his best outing, he still picked up an impressive accolade:
Today marks Max Scherzer's 26th start of 2019.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 18, 2019
It's also his 10th game of 10 or more Ks.
(And the 92nd such game of his career. No active @MLB player has more.)#Scherzday // #STAYINTHEFIGHT pic.twitter.com/dUdVbd0wLr
With Tommy Edman's solo home run off Scherzer in the third inning -- his 10th on the season -- the Cardinals now have 10 different players with 10+ home runs this season. It's a franchise-first.
For the first time in franchise history, we have 10 different players with 10+ HRs in a season! 💣 pic.twitter.com/ckvT7jXY8J
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 18, 2019
On the defensive side of things, Cardinals Dexter Fowler robbed Asdrubal Cabrera of a three-run home run in right field in the eighth inning. The catch was simply remarkable, as Fowler made it look easy:
The Cards are rolling at just the right time. They've won 27 games since Aug. 9, the most in the league. Entering Wednesday evening, St. Louis (85-67) stands atop the NL Central with a 2 1/2-game lead over the Cubs. The Nationals (83-68) have a one-game lead for the top NL wild card spot. The Cardinals will travel to Chicago for a three-game series against the Cubs, beginning Thursday. It's a must-watch series. Meanwhile, the Nationals have a three-game road series against Miami, beginning Friday.
Mets make 9th inning comeback vs. Rockies
The Mets are clinging to their postseason lives -- they came into Wednesday four games behind the second wild-card spot with 11 games to play -- and they mounted a huge comeback win in their series finale with the Rockies. New York scored four runs in the ninth inning to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 7-4 win.
The go-ahead run scored on a bases loaded walk. Pete Alonso, who slugged 49th home run of the season earlier in the game, drew the go-ahead free pass. It was his fourth bases loaded walk of the season, tied with George Springer and Max Muncy for the most in baseball.
Noah Syndergaard started Wednesday's game and was paired with Rene Rivera, his preferred catcher -- Syndergaard has made it no secret he'd rather throw to Rivera or Tomas Nido than Wilson Ramos -- and was tagged for four runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
At this point the Mets need to win their remaining 10 games and get some help to have a shot at making the postseason. Unlikely? Absolutely. Possible? Sure, why not.
Suarez hits 48th home run
Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez continued his molten hot streak with another home run Wednesday. It was his 48th of the season -- only Mets rookie Pete Alonso has more -- and 28th since the All-Star break. No one in baseball has more in the second half. Here is Suarez's latest blast:
Suarez made history with that home run. First of all, he now holds the single-season home run record for a Venezuelan-born player. His 47 homers had been tied with Andrew Galarraga. Galarraga hit 47 homers with the 1996 Rockies.
Secondly, Suarez's 48 home runs tie the National League record for homers by a third baseman. Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt (1980 Phillies) and future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre (2004 Dodgers) also had 48-homer seasons. The Reds as a team have received 52 homers from their third basemen this year, tying the 2007 Yankees for the most in history.
Lamet strikes out 14 Brewers
The return for Tommy John surgery is going well for Padres righty Dinelson Lamet. The 27-year-old went into Wednesday's start with a 4.06 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 62 innings this season. He's made 12 starts. Then, Wednesday night, Lamet fanned 14 Brewers in six innings at Miller Park. He was outstanding.
Lamet is the first Padres pitcher to strike out 14 batters in a game since Jake Peavy back in 2007. He's only the sixth Padres pitcher to do it overall, joining Peavy (three times), Sterling Hitchcock, Andy Benes, Fred Norman, and Clay Kirby (once each).
San Diego has already been eliminated from postseason contention, but at least now they're seeing some promising signs for the 2020 team in these final weeks. Veteran righty Garrett Richards returned from Tommy John surgery earlier this week, and Lamet is missing a ton of bats with his slider. That's encouraging.
Carl & Mike Yastrzemski throw out first pitch
Wednesday night at Fenway Park, Red Sox legend and Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski threw out the ceremonial first pitch to his grandson, Giants rookie outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. Check it out:
That is pretty, pretty cool. Mike swatted a home run to dead center field Tuesday night, in his first career game at his grandfather's old stomping grounds.
Highlight of the Day: Rockies turn absurd double play
Colorado's disaster bullpen allowed four runs in the ninth inning Wednesday to turn a one-run lead into a three-run loss, but at least they looked slick doing it. They turned a nifty 6-4-3 double play when the ball caromed off shortstop Trevor Story and directly to second baseman Garrett Hampson. Ryan McMahon went up the ladder to make the catch and record the out. Check it out:
Meant to do that. pic.twitter.com/RWRnYuKnYu
— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2019
The Rockies have collapsed spectacularly these last few weeks -- they are now 22-47 in their last 69 games -- but Coors Field makes for some exciting high-scoring games and the team can play sweet defense. That's something.
Quick hits
- Here's the latest on the MLB home run race.
- The Red Sox shut down David Price. He has a wrist issue and will require surgery. Price had started twice since Aug. 1.
- The Yankees activated Giancarlo Stanton from the 60-day injured list on Wednesday. He's batted fifth and started in left field.
- Athletics setup man Blake Treinen is done for the season. He's dealt with a stress reaction in his back for some time.
- Dellin Betances, who suffered a partial torn Achilles on Tuesday, was moved to the 60-day injured list on Wednesday.
- The Blue Jays placed left-hander Tim Mayza on the 60-day injured list with a left UCL tear. He will need Tommy John surgery.
