Phillies bullpen torched; Padres hot for playoffs
elbow surgery. The 31-year-old had a 3.86 ERA in seven relief appearances this year.
Milwaukee Brewers
Bench coach Pat Murphy, who had a heart attack during a summer camp workout Aug. 1, has returned to the team. He rejoined the Brewers last weekend for their series against the Kansas City Royals.
“The part you take for granted sometimes until you don’t have it anymore is the connection, being together,” Murphy said. “That’s what it’s all about. That’s why I do it.”
Murphy was set to accompany the Brewers on their road trip to Cincinnati and St. Louis that concludes the regular season.
❚ The Brewers placed the players and other personnel at their alternate training site in Appleton, Wisconsin, in quarantine after two players and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. However, there were no disruptions of the schedule for the major league club.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The late-season return of RHP Mitch Keller has provided a bright spot during a dismal season.
Keller pitched six no-hit innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 19, though the Pirates ended up losing the game. It was his second start since missing nearly seven weeks because of a strained muscle in his left side.
“Hopefully we with that,” Keller really good.”
Keller is 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA in four starts. Last season, the 24year-old made 11 starts for the Pirates and was 1-5 with a 7.13 ERA.
RHP Jameson Taillon has progressed to throwing live batting practice as he recovers from Tommy John elbow surgery. He is expected to be ready to participate in all activities when keep said. rolling “I feel spring training opens. Taillon was the Pirates’ opening-day starter last season.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals lost one of their key starting pitchers in the middle of the pennant race.
RHP Dakota Hudson left his Sept. 17 start after two innings because of tightness in his elbow. He was ruled out for the season the next day, though an MRI revealed no structural damage. Hudson went 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA in eight starts.
“I just felt a little tightness in what I pretty much guess is a unique area for having something like that,” Hudson said. “So we decided to shut it down.”
Manager Mike Shildt was suspended for one game by Major League Baseball for his role in a benches-clearing incident against the Brewers on Sept. 15 at Milwaukee. The teams meet again for a season-ending fivegame series starting Sept. 24.
NL WEST Arizona Diamondbacks
RF Kole Calhoun spent his first eight seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before signing a free agent deal with the Diamondbacks during the offseason. In his first game against the Angels on Sept. 15, Calhoun launched two home runs in his first two at-bats.
He drilled another homer the following night and hit three more in the first two games of the weekend series against the Astros at Houston. That put him among the National League leaders with 15.
❚ RHP Stefan Crichton took advantage of his opportunity to be the closer, recording saves in four consecutive outings. In his second save against the Angels, he retired Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Albert Pujols in order. Crichton hadn’t yielded a hit in five straight appearances through Sept. 18.
Colorado Rockies
Two years after the Rockies gave RHP Wade Davis a threeyear, $52 million free agent deal, they designated him for assignment Sept. 19.
A shoulder injury forced Davis to the injured list Aug. 2. He was activated Sept. 12 but allowed four earned runs in twothirds of an inning in the Sept. 18 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, his final appearance with Colorado. He had a 20.77 ERA and two saves in five games.
The Rockies awarded Davis the lucrative contract before the 2018 season after he led the National league with 43 saves. But Davis was 1-6 with 15 saves in 18 opportunities and had an 8.65 ERA in 50 appearances in 2019.
❚ 3B Nolan Arenado (left shoulder) went on the injured list for only the second time in his eight-year career. He is hitting .253, his lowest batting average since his rookie season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
C Will Smith has been one of the majors’ hottest hitters since recovering from a neck problem and coming off the injured list Aug. 23. In his last 17 games through Sept. 20, Smith was batting .356 with seven doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI.
But the most high-profile hitter in the Dodgers lineup is RF Mookie Betts, an MVP candidate in the National League. He had reached base in 19 straight games coming into the week.
Betts had five home runs and 15 RBI in his first 16 games this month, and his 16 home runs were tied for the major league lead. He also ranked among the NL leaders with 39 RBI.
❚ LHP Clayton Kershaw lowered his ERA to 2.15 after holding the Colorado Rockies to one run in seven innings Sept. 19. He is 24-8 against Colorado and 11-5 at Coors Field. RHP Walker Buehler was on track to make one regular-season start before the playoffs.
San Diego Padres
The Padres broke one of the longest futility streaks in pro sports Sept. 20 when they clinched their first playoff trip since 2006. Now they have much higher goals.
“Everybody knows what we can do on this team,” SS Fernando Tatis Jr. said. “I know we ain’t settling just for this step. We’re going for way more.”
One concern is the health of RHP Mike Clevinger, scratched from his Sept. 19 start against the Seattle Mariners because of bicep soreness. Manager Jayce Tingler said the club was being cautious, and it wasn’t known if Clevinger would make another regular-season start.
RHP Luis Patino, the club’s No. 3 prospect, replaced Clevinger and made his major league debut as a starter, allowing one run in 1 2⁄ innings.
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❚ OF Tommy Pham (broken hand) was activated after missing a month, and 1B Eric Hosmer (broken index finger) also returned from the injured list after being out for two weeks.
San Francisco Giants
OF Mike Yastrzemski left the Sept. 17 game against the Seattle Mariners because of a mildly strained right calf. The Giants hoped he could avoid the injured list, which would sideline him for the rest of the regular season.
Another key hitter, LF Alex Dickerson, also was out of the lineup last weekend because of paternity leave before returning Sept. 21. Dickerson was 20for-47 (.426) with five home runs, five doubles and 13 RBI since Aug. 29 before going 0for-3 against the Oakland Athletics on Sept. 18.
OF Darin Ruf took over in left field and raised his batting average to .303 with two hits, including a homer, Sept. 20.
❚ To make room on the roster when Dickerson returned, 1B Justin Smoak was designated for assignment Sept. 21 after going hitless in six at-bats with the Giants.