Other than 2018 and 2021, the games in September this season are going to be important. Yes, last year LA had just a 3-game lead when the Padres came to LA the last week of the season. That team had a different vibe to it. You just knew they were not going to have a letdown against the Padres. They have struggled so much the last couple of months that it is hard for the fans to think anything is a lock, even a playoff spot.
It is doubtful that they can catch the Brewers for the best record in the league as Milwaukee has 82 wins and the Dodgers 75. What they would love to do is catch the Phillies who have only one more win than they do, that would keep the Dodgers from having to play in a wild card series, which are only 3 games. The Reds, who the Dodgers are playing now are 2.5 games behind the Mets for the final wild card spot. The Cubs, who are the top wild card team have actually got more wins than the Dodgers.
LA right now needs to play the best baseball they have played since they started the season 8-0. Can they do it? Of course they can. They are getting some offensive help back as Kike was activated last night and will play the next couple of days. Max is expected back next week on the road trip to Pittsburgh and Baltimore. All signs are that Kim will soon follow. Kennedy is already gone, DFAd yesterday. As for Edman, it was noted the other day that LA does not want to push him back too soon. They want him as close as possible to 100%, probably so he can play CF.
Scott and Yates made their return yesterday, and Kopech is expected back shortly. The pitching staff is getting healthy. Now they just need a little more consistency. Less base on balls and more first pitch strikes. Sheehan did a great job of that last night.
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS
Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis) 8 – OKC Comets 6
The Memphis Redbirds broke a tie with two runs in the ninth inning to send the Oklahoma City Comets to an 8-6 defeat in a back-and-forth interleague game Wednesday night.
The Redbirds scored runs in the first and second innings, including a solo home run by César Prieto, to take a 2-0 lead. The Comets cut into the deficit with a RBI double by Esteury Ruiz in the third inning before taking the lead on a three-run home run by Kody Hoese for a 4-2 edge in the fourth inning.
The Redbirds responded with three runs in their next at-bat to go back in front, 5-4. In the fifth inning, a RBI single by Noah Miller tied the score, 5-5, before Chuckie Robinson’s RBI single pushed the Comets in front, 6-5. Memphis knotted the score at 6-6 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning before a two-run single by Blaze Jordan in the ninth inning gave the Redbirds the lead.
Kody Hoese connected on a three-run home run in the fourth inning for his sixth home run of the season. He has hit safely in eight straight games, going 10-for-31 (.323) with 14 RBI, and he has 12 RBI over his last five games with an at-bat.
Ruiz hit a RBI double and has now reached base safely in 26 consecutive games for the longest on-base streak of the season by a Comets player and the team’s longest since Andre Lipcius reached base in 28 straight games Aug. 4-Sept. 7, 2024…Over his 17 games since returning to OKC from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ruiz is 25-for-68 (.368) with 11 extra-base hits, 14 RBI, 21 runs, 18 walks and 13 stolen bases.
Michael Kopech continued his Major League Rehab Assignment, allowing one run on one hit over 1.0 inning, facing four batters and throwing 14 pitches (10 strikes) and was charged with a blown save. The run was from a single, SB, SB, sac fly.
CJ Alexander and Noah Miller each finished with multi-hit games for the Comets. Alexander went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run and leads the PCL with 34 hits this month…Miller went 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored and has hit safely in four straight games, going 5-for-12.
Austin Gauthier singled, walked and scored a run and has hit safely in each of his last six games, going 11-for-21 with six walks and seven RBI.
After such a fantastic start to his reliever role, Bobby Miller has had back to back poor games. In this one, Bobby completed 1.2 IP allowing 2 runs (in the 9th) on 1 hit and 3 BB. Miller got the loss.
Paul Gervase threw a scoreless inning for AAA OKC to lower his ERA to 2.45. Gervase was 89-91 on his cutter, which was the pitch he's listed as having thrown the most, 94-95 on his fastball, and threw his slider the 2nd most. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/DIkBfjIE5i
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) August 28, 2025
Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston) 6 – Tulsa Drillers 1
The Tulsa Drillers were unable to carry the momentum from a walk-off win on Tuesday night into Wednesday’s meeting with Corpus Christi. The Drillers fell behind early and were limited to just one run in a 6-1 loss to the Hooks.
With the defeat, the Drillers fell two games behind first-place Springfield in the Texas League’s North Division second-half standings. More importantly, their lead on second place, which likely comes with a playoff berth, was trimmed to two games.
After winning Tuesday’s series opener against the Hooks thanks to a two-run homer in the tenth inning from Griffin Lockwood-Powell, Wednesday’s game began positively with starting pitcher Patrick Copen retiring the first five Corpus Christi batters in order.
But, the third and final out in the top of the second would not come easily as a pair of two-out singles put runners at the corners. From there, the Hooks executed a double steal with Luis Baez jogging home for the game’s first run.
Copen ran into more trouble in the top of the fourth. With runners again at first and third, Jeron Williams stole second base, and when catcher Yeiner Fernandez’s throw was wild, Trevor Austin came home from third to make it 2-0.
Two more singles and two more stolen bases in the fourth upped the lead to three runs before Copen’s fourth walk ended his stint. Jorge Benitez was brought on from the bullpen, and he got a pop out before a run-scoring single from Lucas Spence capped the three-run inning and increased the lead for the Hooks to 4-0.
They added two more runs in the eighth inning.
The Drillers lone run came in the bottom of the ninth inning when John Rhodes singled home Fernandez, who had also singled.
Corpus Christi stole nine bases in the game. It is the third time this season that a team has matched the record nine stolen bases against the Drillers.
Griffin Lockwood-Powell singled in the fourth inning for the Drillers to extend his hitting streak to seven consecutive games.
Copen was charged with four runs in three-plus innings. He allowed five hits while striking out four but was hampered by four walks. The defeat dropped Copen’s Double-A record to 1-4.
It was a tough night for Tulsa pitchers. The five hurlers in the game combined for nine walks, three wild pitches, two balks and one hit batter.
Drillers leadoff batter Zach Ehrhard finished 2-4, recording his eighth multi-hit game in just 20 games with the Drillers. He has hit safely in 14 of those 20 games.
Prior to the start of Wednesday’s game, the Drillers announced that outfielder Damon Keith had been placed on the Injured List, retroactive to August 26. Keith has not played since August 15.
Great Lakes Loons 6 – West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit) 2
The Great Lakes Loons tallied three in the first, and pitching was strong throughout in a 6-2 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps.
Jake Gelof drove in three runs and now has 26 RBI in August. 26 is the most RBI by a Loon in August, all-time. Tonight, he hammered a two-run home run 424 feet with a 113 mph exit velocity in the first inning.
GELOF STAYS HOT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/X6MUumwCv1
— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) August 27, 2025
Josue De Paula had a two-hit night, earning his first hit since returning from the injured list on August 16th with a double. Zyhir Hope plated him with an RBI single to start the scoring.
Josue DePaula had 2 hits for Great Lakes, including his 13th double of 2025. DePaula raised his average to .249, OPS of .787.
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) August 28, 2025
DePaula has a K% of 20%, but then a BB% of 18, and a WRC+ of 131. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/aH1j1tmZ30
Loons’ starter Logan Tabeling went 5.1 innings, striking out seven. The right-hander stranded five runners, inducing runners on the corners in the first inning.
West Michigan was limited to two runs and five hits. Brett Callahan had a two-run single in the sixth. Evan Shaw, after inheriting two runners, struck out the next two. He punched out two in the seventh, extending his scoreless inning streak to 11.2.
Reynaldo Yean and Christian Ruebeck combined for the final six outs. Yean worked around two walks. Ruebeck struck out back-to-back batters to close the contest.
The Loons scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth. Samuel Munoz provided an RBI single in the fourth. Logan Wagner led off the fifth with his second triple of 2025. Gelof first-pitch swinging brought him home with an RBI double. An Elijah Hainline groundout produced the sixth run.
With a Lake County win earlier today, Great Lakes stays 1.5 games back with 10 remaining.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 3 – Lake Elsinore Storm (San Diego) 2
Marlon Nieves started and completed 5.0 innings. He allowed 1 run in the 1st inning. He gave up a leadoff double, balked him to 3rd, and he scored on a fielders choice ground out.
Jholbran Herder pitched a scoreless 6th inning. Dilan Figueredo followed Herder and pitched a scoreless 7th inning. Figueredo came back out for the 8th. He allowed back to back singles, putting runners on the corners. The Storm runners pulled off a double steal with the lead runner scoring the Storm’s 2nd run.
Down 2-0 in the 9th, Angel Diaz and Niko Perez drew leadoff walks. Charles Davalan singled to score Diaz and move Perez to 3rd. Oswaldo Osorio walked to load the bases. Emil Morales followed hitting into a DP with Perez scoring.
Davis Chastain, the 2025 14th round draft pick relieved Figueredo and pitched a scoreless a scoreless 9th with 2 K.
In the 10th, with Chase Harlan staring on 2nd, with 1 out, Mairo Martinus singled Harlan to 3rd. Jose Meza grounded into a force out with Harlan scoring, giving the Quakes their 1st lead of the night.
In the bottom of the 10th with a runner at 2nd. Chastain struck out the first two batters and was relieved by Connor Godwin who got the final out. Chastain recorded his first professional win, with Godwin recording his 4th save.
Chase Harlan was the lone Quakes hitter with a multi-hit game with 3. Meza had the loan XBH with his 15th double off Lake Elsinore SP, Kash Mayfield. Mayfield is now San Diego’s #4 prospect. He pitched 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 BB, and registering 9K.
Born June 14th, 1948, in Los Angeles California. AKA The Bear
4 game winning streak. Nice. Keep it going over the weekend.
2 games up now on Padres and 0.5 games on Philly for 2nd seed.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pretty much
Still waiting on Kopech, Muncy, Edman & Vesia (and maybe Kim)
The gang’s getting back together
Kim will be added September 1 (or 2). That has already been reported, I think by Doc.
Conforto with a 3 game hitter streak including 2 doubles and a home run. I think he’s playing with our minds.
No-doubter
4 hits this series, plus that catch in game 1. Good for him! (and good for the team)
Reds struck out 19 times last night. De La Cruz had 4 of them. Lux and Hayes 3 each. The only Red to not strike out was Freidl. LA struck out 9 times. 28 empty at bats in a game. 7 of those between Teo, Pages and Freeland. It is a wonder the fielders did not just fall asleep for the Dodgers. 8 chances out of 27 outs. I really hate strikeouts.
Wow, good for Jake Gelof! He was a high pick, so hopefully he’s figured things out.
Luis Robert Jr. to the IL with a strained hammy. Fedde signed by the Brewers who placed Megill on the IL.
Robert Jr peaked at 25. That’s not uncommon.
The Reds are a good team, not a great team obviously, but until recently still in the Wild Card race. This was a very good series for the Dodgers. And yes, the gang is getting back together. Avoid injury the next two months and this squad has a good chance to finish the season with a win.
Just my own opinion, but I don’t think the Comets should have sent Miller back out for a second inning of work. He got through the first one on just 10 pitches. He did not even look like the same pitcher in the second inning of work. And like he usually does, he got frustrated when he could not land his pitches in the strike zone. Manager should have pulled him after the second walk in that inning.
Miller might just be a one inning pitcher. He did pitch well in the 8th. Not so well in the 9th, and still almost got out of it. 2 out, 2 run single.
Also, just my opinion, Freeland gets sent down when the last position player who is on the IL is activated.
Freeland has showed he is a major league 3B and 2B. He has a quick bat at times, but it gets long too often. His bat to the ball on his 2 HRs were short and barreled up. It is when these guys go into their launch angle max exit velo pull power mode that they have troubles. They are not nearly experienced enough to get out of those “slumps”. I like Freeland’s chances to stick next year.
Freeland has certainly contributed. He is going to have to figure out how to put the bat on the ball in situational hitting. He looks like an mlb player though. When Kim and Edman are available I hope they have worked on their bunting. The Reds do have a lot of talent. Ohtani is rather unhittable when he has command. The pitching overall is trending in the right direction both starters and relievers. The offense is moving forward. The Reds have some quality starters. When u have Hunter Green, lodolo, and I think it’s Abbott the lefty they throw some very good pitching in there. To me, Teo is a guy who needs to get going. When we get hopefully the good Muncy back and Edman we need Teo to look like last years version.
Cincinnati also has one of the very best young arms currently on the IL in Chase Burns. Rhett Lowder is also MLB ready and has pitched well at MLB level. Graham Ashcraft is also a nice back of the rotation type, but has injury issues.
Teo has not been the same since his injury. I like Freeland, but I also think he was brought up simply because they had four players on the IL. He has tools, and I think he will have a definite role next year. But I am always leery of rookies in the post season. They have no choice with Rushing though; he is going to have to play some of those games. Got a clutch single last night, so that helps his experience level.
I agree Bear. Freeland brings a lot to the table but right now, his bat isn’t one of them. I really like the kid but he’s a year away.
With all the days off in playoff series, I’d bet Will Smith plays every day, unless injured.
He did do that. But he also did not hit very well in any of the series. His combined BA was .142. He did hit a homer in each series, but 8-56 doesn’t look good on one’s resume. He has played much better in post-season series where he split time with Barnes.
As he did last postseason.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Four in a row! As members of the IL return the team is starting to look like what we expected at the start of the season . Plus, a couple of rookies, Rushing and Freeland.
Ohtani had a high pitch count after the first two innings and I thought there is no way he will make it through five. But, to his credit, he was able to extend his pitch count to 87 pitches and complete five innings. Hopefully, he can build from there.
And then there is Edgardo Henriquez. This 23 year old has been and was impressive. The previous night he came in and the Reds jumped all over his fastball. The first two batters were aboard with hits. He recovered with an athletic DP on a bunt attempt. Last night he came in and instead of relying on his 100+ MPH fastball he used a very effective slider? / curveball?. So, just from one game to another he and the staff acknowledge that in todays game even a 100+ MPH cannot overwhelm MLB hitters. Quickly he’s learning to become a “pitcher” instead of a “thrower”. Huge upside for the BP and the Dodgers.
Michael Conforto…..quit the teasing and become more consistent. One decent game out of every five still isn’t going to cut cut playoff time.
Carry on.
“Hopefully, he can build from there”
Hopefully he can throw more strikes. He worked too hard to complete 5.
Henriquez. Maybe he could control his pitches better if now and then he would throw 99 instead of 103. Call it a change up and put it on the edges nn
Conforto has a nice swing. Along with that, he has a nice swing.
He does have such a pretty swing.
How come we don’t hear from you Scott when things are going well. Even you have to be happy with how our starting pitching is progressing.
I’m still here Cassidy. I’ve just been busy with work stuff. Yes I am very satisfied with how well the rotation has shaked out. With Glas and Snell back, they’ve been preforming well. Even the bullpen has been much better lately. I’m glad Buddy Kennedy is gone, hope Muncy is back soon. Are they close to putting it all together and fiinally having everyone (or most everyone) healthy at the same time? Very easy schedule the rest of the way.
Good series here, I hope they can keep it up.
Some thoughts on last night:
*Well played game with terrific pitching. Even by the Reds. I think Lodolo is pretty tough and he finally got touched up in the 4th. His stuff looks nasty to me, reminiscent of the Big Unit or Mad Bum.
*Shohei only giving up the dinger to Marte with 9 K’s in 5, was impressive. That breaking ball is wicked.
*Henriquez continues to look like a closer in waiting, to me. I hope that’s with us.
*Was it a dream or did I actually Conforto get 2 knocks, one a homer?
*Nice production, 5 runs on only 7 hit.
*Thanks again to the Mariners and Bryan Woo, for beating the Puds again.
*what was the beef with Miggy and the catcher’s interference? Geez, he was guilty – Twice. Nomar described it perfectly. His right foot out of the box, behind the plate was definitely interference and the bat hitting the catcher’s thigh was icing on the cake. Nomar is my favorite analyst.
*Enjoy the day off.
Joe Posnanski had an interesting take today on pitching:
” Right, we haven’t talked about this — the Baseball Writers Association voted this month to create a new “Relief Pitcher of the Year” award starting in 2026. As of right now, it doesn’t have a name, but I’m all in favor of calling it the “Rollie.” I just think there should be an award called the Rollie.
I voted for the Rollie, so I’m obviously in favor of it … but I can’t help but wonder what the future of pitching awards (and the future of pitching) even looks like.
This might not seem to have anything to do with pitching, but remember how a few days ago, I wrote about how there’s a real chance that there will not be even one .300 hitter in the National League this year? Those chances are growing — right now, Freddie Freeman is the only player in the National League batting .300, and he’s just at .302. There are only six other National Leaguers hitting .290.
Well, as you might expect, I heard from our pal Tom Tango, who has been railing against batting average for years. He wanted me to fully appreciate that he does not care.
But here’s what he does care about: There’s a pretty good chance that there will not be a single pitcher who throws 200 innings this year. Not one! That has never happened before, and as Tango says, “That is much more impactful than the non-300 hits-per-AB average (which if it were called that would never have been given a ‘title’ name).”
But his point is exactly right. Take a look at your innings-pitched leaders: (BELOW)
Maybe one of these guys will JUST get over 200 innings, maybe they won’t — the story is the same either way: Starting pitchers just don’t mean what they did even a few years ago. Sure, we can give out a Cy Young to starting pitchers and a Rollie to relief pitchers, but the difference between them narrows every single year.
I suspect some bright young manager (or bright old one) in the next few years might turn the whole thing on its head, start the closer to get a scoreless first inning, use a couple middle relievers to get through the second and third, and then put Tarik Skubal or Garrett Crochet or Blake Snell or some other ace into the game in the third or fourth and let him try to finish the game out (if he can). Once you know starting pitchers are only going five or six or MAYBE seven innings, what advantage is there in starting them?
Name Innings Pitched On-pace innings
Logan Webb 166⅔ 202
Garrett Crochet 166⅓ 201
Framber Valdez 164⅓ 200
Tarik Skubal 166 199
Bryan Woo 164⅔ 199
Me – I think this is possible that matching up relief pitchers to spots in the line-up and not by inning, was a strength of the Dodger’s run last year.
I also wonder how this affects the market value of starting pitchers.
Anyway, something to chew on.
“I also wonder how this affects the market value of starting pitchers.”
A few years ago, I wrote that when they started using “openers” and the term “a quality start” if a pitcher got through six innings this would be the beginning of the end of highly paid starters. In one draft the Dodgers signed a bunch of college pitchers with the thought of turning them all into relievers and who be fast tracked to the majors. At the time I believed that after Kershaw’s big contract was finished they would use these guys along with other scrap heap pitchers and not pay for a premium starter again. I don’t think any of them ever pitched for the Dodgers. On to plan B.
Well, as it turned out less was expected from a starter, but many were still getting paid $30+MM a year. The Dodgers finally joined that group last season by paying Glasnow a huge salary although he had never pitched more than 120 innings in a season. Last year he did throw 134 innings before going down with injuries and was not available for the playoffs. This season they added Blake Snell for a mere $182MM for five years. The often injured pitcher lasted all of 9 innings before going on the IL . He just recently joined the rotation and has had five starts.
To me it seems silly to pay injury prone starters huge salaries for 5-6 innings of work. And when they do actually pitch a whole 5-6 innings the Dodgers treat them like gladiators.
But, it’s not my money!
Yeah Ted, It might take awhile for the logistics to be worked out and a buy-in from the 3,4 and 5 starters in a rotation. There is likely still big dollars for the best starters. The Paul Skenes types who seem capable of going 7 strong in a conventional way.
But if back end of the rotation guys can get sold on this type format, it may be for less money but extend their usefulness.
I have no idea how organizational brass will view that kind of staff usage, but from experience, I never say never.
But if you could get 6 or 7 strong back end innings consistently from the mid rotation guys, that’s 180 + innings possibly. That’s better than 140. At least for a bullpen.
Would those innings be less stress? I doubt it. And maybe it’s a pipe dream and guys with high velocity and spin will eventually break down.
But it’s food for thought as everyone is seeking ways to keep staffs healthier.
I will still stand by me thinking that throwing more and pitching less with improved overall fitness is a way to build arm strength as the season progresses, but that idea is going nowhere fast.
Carlos Santana released by the Guardians. Montas undergoes UCL surgery.
For any of you who are interested in my recent health issues, I met with my Doctor today and got some good news. Not Great News but Good News.
Yes I do have bladder cancer, which I knew was the case. That’s not great but it is very treatable. My initial surgery got most, if not all, of the cancer.
I now have a stage called “high T-1”. That means that the cancer invaded my bladder but did not invade outside the bladder and other organs. That is very good news.
So, I will start what are called BCG treatments soon and they will last 6 weeks. I will be able to travel to Arizona on Nov 2nd and continue the treatments there if needed.
The BCG bacteria are directly placed into the bladder. This activates the immune system to target and destroy any cancer cells within the bladder.
After this treatment they will monitor progress with tests. If needed after the initial 6 weeks, I may have periodic treatments as needed for 1 to 5 years.
That is about the best I could have hoped for.
See STB, you can’t get rid of this old SOB, so easy!
I’m very happy with this news. I was prepared mentally for worse.
I want to thank all of you including Jeff, Bear, Scott, Tedraymond, STB, Dionysus and others who expressed their concerns and kept me in their prayers.
I may have lost or step or 2 but I’m still on the roster. Amen
Great news Phil. I am happy they got most of it. I lost a very good friend to cancer back in 2016. But his was inoperable. Don’t worry about losing a step or two, I have lost more than that!
Thanks Bear
The roster absolutely wouldn’t be the same without you, Phil. Really happy to hear your news.
Thanks STB.
Phil, that is great news. I am sure you will fight this will all the vim and vigor you have. I will continue to have you in my daily prayer intentions.
thank you so much Jeff.
Kyle Schwarber had 4 homers and 9 RBI against the Braves tonight.
He and Conforto, both in contract years, are having a real battle to see who will wind up with the biggest contract this winter. With tonight’s performance, I’m thinking Schwarber now has a slight edge.