Tuesday, September 22

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Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s edition is brought to you by David Adler.

This is it. The final push for the playoffs begins now.

There are not one … not two … not three … but NINE series starting today that have implications for the postseason picture.

These are some of the big ones to watch: 

Guardians at Red Sox 

Tonight’s opener: 6:45 p.m. ET, MLB.TV 

The Guardians have a one-game lead over the White Sox in the AL Central as they push for their third straight division title. To hold onto that lead, they have to start by getting through the Red Sox, another playoff team. The White Sox are facing the last-place Royals as they look to at least hold onto the last AL Wild Card spot, if not come back to win the division. 

Rays at Yankees 

Today’s doubleheader: Game 1 — Yankees 2, Rays 0 | Game 2 at 7:05 p.m. ET, TBS / MLB.TV 

The Rays are on the verge of clinching the AL East. They need just one win in this four-game series at Yankee Stadium. That would send the Yankees into the Wild Card Series — likely at home against the Red Sox — but the Yanks and Rays could meet again as soon as the ALDS.

Padres at Dodgers 

Tonight’s opener: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV 

The Padres can clinch an NL Wild Card spotas soon as today with a win and a D-backs loss. They’d also like to outwin the Cubs and Phillies down the stretch, because they’d come out on the losing end of any Wild Card seeding tiebreakers. The Dodgers, meanwhile, would love to lock up a first-round bye in the playoffs this week, if not the No. 1 seed.

Brewers at Phillies

Tonight’s opener: 6:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV 

The Brewers-Phillies series is a similar situation to Padres-Dodgers. The Brewers are playing for a bye and home-field advantage in the NLDS, and they’d clinch that with one more win (or a Braves loss). The Phillies can’t clinch a playoff berth yet, but they’re closing in on a Wild Card spot with a four-game lead over the D-backs with six to play. 

Mets at Rangers 

Tonight’s opener: 8:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV 

The Rangers have won six of their last eight games to take a one-game lead over the Astros in the AL West into the final week. But the Astros hold the tiebreaker over them, and the White Sox are several games ahead in the Wild Card standings, so the pressure is on Texas. Houston starts a series against the division-rival Mariners tonight.

See all nine series that could impact the playoff race here >> 

 

JUDGE LIKELY OUT FOR WILD CARD SERIES

Big news out of New York today: The Yankees will likely be without Aaron Judge for the Wild Card Series. 

Judge’s moderate right calf strain is expected to keep the reigning MVP out for the first round of the playoffs. The Yankees are currently in line for a rematch of last year’s American League Wild Card Series against the rival Red Sox. 

“We’re planning on him not being a part of that,” manager Aaron Boone said today. “But we’re also at a time of the year where … obviously we’d push it a little bit if that was in play. But that’s a week away. I’m not expecting it, but I’m not ruling it out, either.”

Judge has been on the injured list since Saturday. He got a platelet-poor plasma (PPP) injection in his right calf during yesterday’s off-day and will have limited activities for the next several days.

The Yankees’ captain has played just 66 games this season, missing most of the summer with a fractured right rib. Judge has 18 home runs in those 66 games.

Yankees reporter Bryan Hoch has more on Judge’s situation >> 

ALONSO COULD MAKE RBI HISTORY

RBIs have been an official MLB stat since 1920. And yet, in all that time, not a single player has ever won an RBI title in both leagues. 

After 106 years, that looks like it’s finally about to change. 

Pete Alonso is poised to become the first player ever to lead the National League in RBIs in a season, and also lead the American League in RBIs in a season. 

With less than a week to go in his first season with the Orioles, Alonso has 108 RBIs — nine ahead of Yordan Alvarez for the AL lead. Barring a truly monster week from Alvarez, Alonso will finish in first place.

And the Polar Bear previously led the NL (and MLB) with 131 RBIs for the Mets in 2022.

It seems impossible that no one has won both an AL and NL RBI title before, but it’s true. Forty-one players have won multiple RBIs titles in their careers — but not one of those players split them RBI titles between different leagues. So Alonso is set to make RBI history.  

IT’S JUST ‘MANAGER’ NOW

Chad Tracy and Andy Green are interim no more. 

The two skippers today went from “interim manager” to just plain “manager” — Tracy with the Red Sox and Green with the Mets. 

Two days after the Red Sox clinched a playoff spot, they officially named Tracy the 49th manager in Red Sox history, rewarding the skipper who led them on their improbable run to the postseason.

When Tracy took over for Alex Cora on April 26, the Sox were 10-17. Under Tracy, they’ve gone 74-55, the fifth-best record in baseball over that time.

Hours later, the Mets did the same for Green, who replaced Carlos Mendoza on June 26.The Mets are 37-38 under Green but 31-28 in the second half.

Green, who was the Mets’ senior vice president of player development before taking over as skipper midseason, was originally expected to return to the front office at the end of the season. Instead, he’ll stay on as full-time manager going forward. 

A TRIBUTE FROM KRUK TO KUIP

Manny Randhawa has the story on a touching moment in the Giants broadcast booth last night. 

Mike Krukow, who’s retiring at the end of this season, paid homage to his longtime partner, Duane Kuiper, who was recently diagnosed with throat cancer and has been undergoing treatment:

As the Giants’ telecast was returning for the bottom of the fifth, Krukow was set to bring the viewing audience back and turn things over to Hall of Fame play-by-play announcer Jon Miller. But before he could, Giants center fielder Drew Gilbert sent the first pitch he saw from Minnesota starter Zebby Matthews over the high wall in right field for a home run.

Caught off guard, Krukow did what came naturally.

“And there’s a bolt, right field!” Krukow exclaimed. “And iiiiiit’s outta here!”

“It … is … outta here!” is Kuiper’s signature home run call. And in his absence on this night — with Krukow, the Giants and their fans thinking of him as he undergoes cancer treatment — Krukow delivered an impromptu tribute to his friend and broadcast partner.

Read more here >> 

 

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