The Weekly Rundown: 9/8/24 - 9/14/24
Tempers flare in Philadelphia, Rafael Devers is Gerrit Cole's daddy, and more.
Good morning and happy Sunday!
We’ve got tight division/wild card races with only two weeks left in the MLB regular season. The Yankees lead the Orioles by two games, the Guardians have a three-game lead over the Royals, and the Dodgers have a 3.5-game lead over the Padres. The Tigers and Mariners are 2.5 games back of the third American League Wild Card spot. The Mets and Braves are tied for the third National League Wild Card spot.
We should have a better idea of the postseason field by the time next Sunday’s rundown is released. For now, let’s catch you up on the last week in baseball.
Tempers flare in Philly
The Phillies and Rays went at it on Wednesday after Tampa right-hander Edwin Uceta drilled Philadelphia slugger Nick Castellanos with a pitch in the eighth inning, causing both benches and bullpens to empty.
Watch the dust-up below:
The previous day, Uceta allowed a home run, two doubles and a single in the eighth inning, resulting in a Phillies rout. Castellanos said he stepped into the batter’s box with an “overwhelming sense he was about to get drilled.” Sure enough, Uceta lost his cool.
“Yeah, I just told him that it was bullshit.” Castellanos said after the game. “I mean, you’re throwing a baseball over 90 mph. You’re frustrated and you’re going to throw at somebody? You know? That’s like my 2-year-old throwing a fit because I take away his dessert before he’s finished.”
Phillies slugger Bryce Harper was behind Uceta on second base. He was visibly heated but didn’t want to cheap-shot the Rays pitcher.
“I don’t want to be a loser and come up behind him,” Harper said. “If he’s going to turn around, then all right, let’s go. But he never turned around, so I didn’t want to … I’ll say loser. I didn’t want to be a loser. There’s another word I want to use, but I won’t. But I didn’t want to be a loser and come up behind him. That wouldn’t have been right.”
Uceta was served a three-game suspension. Rays manager Kevin Cash was fined and suspended for one game.
James Paxton plans to retire
Veteran left-hander James Paxton, currently on the injured list with a calf strain, announced his plan to retire after the 2024 season.
"I'm hoping we can squeak into the postseason and I get an opportunity to pitch again," the Red Sox pitcher told WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast. "But I think after this season, I'm gonna be retiring and moving on to the next chapter.
"I think that I can still do it," he added. "I can still go out there and compete and help a team win. But I just think with where my family's at and what they need right now, they need me home. I feel the duty and responsibility to be at home with my family and I'm looking forward to being home with my family and spending more time with them too."
Paxton, 35, has been plagued by injuries since 2020. He underwent two Tommy John surgeries — once in 2020 while with the Yankees and again in 2021 after one start with Seattle. He missed the entire 2022 season and was signed by the Red Sox ahead of the 2023 campaign.
That year, Paxton returned from Tommy John rehab and made 19 starts for Boston before suffering a season-ending knee injury in September. He joined the Dodgers in the offseason and returned to the Red Sox via trade ahead of the 2024 deadline. During the third start of his second Boston stint, Paxton exited due to a strained right calf and was ruled out for the rest of the regular season.
If Paxton officially calls it a career, he'll finish with a 73-41 record and a 3.77 ERA over 11 seasons.
Rafael Devers is Gerrit Cole’s daddy
On Tuesday, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole finally acknowledged that Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers is his kryptonite. A reporter asked him which Latin hitter he has the most trouble with, and he didn’t even get to finish his question before Cole said Devers’ name.
The trend continues Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Cole plunked Devers, perhaps intentionally, in the first inning. In the fourth, he intentionally walked Devers with the bases empty and one out. Devers stole second base and sparked a rally that ultimately resulted in Cole and the Yankees’ demise.
“Clearly, that was a mistake,” Cole said. “I think that I bought into the plan going into it, but afterward, it was the wrong move.”
Devers didn’t expect Cole to give in.
“He caught me by surprise,” Devers said through an interpreter. “I didn’t expect that from a future Hall of Famer. I feel like he panicked a little bit.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora took issue with Cole drilling Devers in the first inning.
“He doesn’t want to face him; that’s the bottom line,” Cora said. “He told us with the intentional walk that the first at-bat, he hit him [intentionally]. We’ll leave it at that.”
Cole denied intentionally plunking Devers, but his actions may have been in response to Devers pimping his homer off him back in July. Cole stared him down as he rounded the bases.
The Red Sox went on to win Saturday’s game, 7-1.
Dominant on the Bump
Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins
7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 1 BB vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Jack Flaherty, Los Angeles Dodgers
7.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 0 BB vs. Cleveland Guardians
Michael Wacha, Kansas City Royals
7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 1 BB vs. Minnesota Twins
Joey Cantillo, Cleveland Guardians
7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 10 K, 0 BB vs. Chicago White Sox
Nick Martinez, Cincinnati Reds
7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 1 BB vs. Atlanta Braves
Tylor Megill, New York Mets
6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 9 K, 2 BB vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Keider Montero, Detroit Tigers
9.0 IP (CG), 3 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 0 BB vs. Colorado Rockies
Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals
7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 10 K, 0 BB vs. New York Yankees
Bowden Francis, Toronto Blue Jays
8.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB vs. New York Mets
Bailey Falter, Pittsburgh Pirates
7.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 3 BB vs. Miami Marlins
Jose Quintana, New York Mets
7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles
7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 7 K, 1 BB vs. Detroit Tigers
Big Bombs
D’backs first baseman/outfielder Pavin Smith hit three homers, including a grand slam, against the Astros.
Francisco Lindor hit a game-tying solo homer to end Bowden Francis’ no-hitter in the ninth.
Rob Refsnyder and Tyler O’Neill went back-to-back twice in the same game vs. the Orioles.
Tommy Edman, Will Smith, and Max Muncy went back-to-back-to-back for the Dodgers vs. the Cubs.
Tyler O’Neill hit a walk-off three-run homer against the Orioles.
Elly De La Cruz crushed the first grand slam of his career.
Aaron Judge hit a grand slam for his 52nd homer of the season.
Brewers shortstop Willy Adames belted two homers vs. the Diamondbacks, including a grand slam.
Andrew Benintendi hit a walk-off homer to propel the White Sox over the A’s.
Web Gem of the Week
Cubs rookie outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong robbed a homer to end the game vs. the Dodgers.
Welcome to the Show
Red Sox pitching prospects Richard Fitts and Luis Guerrero made their big-league debuts vs. the White Sox last Sunday. Fitts got the start, allowing two runs (zero earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out two in 5.1 innings. Guerrero tossed a perfect 0.2 IP.
Pirates prospect Billy Cook went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI in his MLB debut vs. the Nationals last Sunday.
Former Vanderbilt star Kumar Rocker made his big-league debut for the Rangers on Thursday vs. the Mariners. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed just one run on three hits and two walks while striking out seven in four innings.
Mets top shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuna, the younger brother of Braves star Ronald Acuna, went 2-for-4 in his MLB debut Saturday vs. the Phillies.
Notable Injuries
The Pirates placed catcher Henry Davis on the 10-day IL with inflammation in his left hand.
The Rays placed left-hander Jeffrey Springs on the 15-day IL due to elbow fatigue.
The Reds placed left-hander Sam Moll on the 15-day IL with a left shoulder impingement.
The Angels placed third baseman Anthony Rendon on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain.
The Mariners placed right-hander Luis Castillo on the 15-day IL with a left hamstring strain.
The Braves placed right-hander Reynaldo Lopez on the 15-day IL due to inflammation in his right shoulder.
The Astros placed outfielder Chas McCormick on the 10-day IL with a fractured right hand.
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager is out for the rest of the season due to a sports hernia.
The Guardians placed right-hander Alex Cobb on the 15-day IL due to blisters on his pitching hand.
The Royals placed right-hander Chris Stratton on the 15-day IL due to a right forearm flexor strain.
The Diamondbacks placed right-hander Ryne Nelson on the 15-day IL due to shoulder inflammation.
Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow has been shut down indefinitely due to a sprained elbow.
Rapid Fire
The Red Sox designated first baseman Bobby Dalbec for assignment.
The Rockies DFA’d left-hander Ty Blach.
The Guardians released right-hander Scott Barlow.