Sports Al Dente

Corey Seager hit two home runs and drove in four runs, leading the Texas Rangers to a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.

Seager’s nine home runs in August tie him for the major league lead with Miami’s Jake Burger. He also hit two home runs on August 2 against Boston.

The Rangers finished with five hits in the game.

Texas right-hander José Ureña (4-8) pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Dane Dunning. Ureña struck out three batters and walked two.

Kirby Yates pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his 22nd save after his first blown save of the season on Sunday.

The defending World Series champions, who are 11 games behind in the AL West and 12½ games back in the wild-card race, have won two games in a row for the first time since sweeping a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox in July.

“These are two big games for us, and we can hopefully keep building off it,” Seager said.

Thirteen of Seager’s team-high 28 home runs have come on the first pitch, which is the most in the majors.

Pittsburgh has lost 12 of their last 14 games. Jared Triolo hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning for the Pirates.

Seager hit a solo home run in the first inning against Luis Ortiz (5-4) and then connected on a three-run homer in the third inning. Both of Seager’s home runs were to right field; the first one went about 20 rows deep, and the second barely cleared the wall.

“We made two, flat, middle-middle breaking balls to him,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said about Seager. “I mean, you cannot do that. And then Ureña came in the game, and he shut us down.”

Triolo, who played for Lake Travis High near Austin and the University of Houston, hit his second home run of August, a 1-1 slider just inside the left-field foul pole, among three hits in 21 at-bats.

Ortiz allowed five hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking one.

Dunning made his second consecutive start since returning to the rotation due to injuries to several Rangers pitchers. He was charged with three runs and five hits.

Jackson Merrill hit a three-run double, Michael King pitched six strong innings, and the San Diego Padres defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-3 on Monday night in a matchup of playoff contenders.

San Diego (71-55) bounced back well after losing two out of three games in Colorado over the weekend. The Padres have now won 21 of their last 26 games since July 20.

Minnesota (70-55) had won five of their last seven games before this series. The Twins didn’t hit a home run on Monday, ending their streak of eight straight games with a homer since August 11.

King (11-6) struggled in his first two innings, giving up two runs and using 45 pitches. However, he improved as the game went on, allowing just four hits and striking out six batters.

Jason Adam and Tanner Scott each pitched a scoreless inning for San Diego before Robert Suarez closed the game for his 28th save.

Edouard Julien walked and scored on Christian Vázquez’s two-out single. Suarez then retired Jose Miranda on a groundout to shortstop.

Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews (1-1) pitched five innings, allowing four hits in his second major league start. He was charged with five runs, two of which were earned.

The game was tied at 2 in the third inning when Jurickson Profar reached base on an error by Matthews, who dropped a throw from second baseman Julien.

With two outs and the bases loaded after two walks, Merrill doubled into the alley in left-center.

Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Matt Wallner doubled in Trevor Larnach from first base.

San Diego responded with two runs in the bottom of the first. Jake Cronenworth had a run-scoring groundout, and Xander Bogaerts singled to drive in Profar.

Matt Chapman hit his 20th home run, Kyle Harrison pitched six strong innings, and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Monday night.

Harrison (7-5) gave up just one run and five hits, while striking out five and walking two. The Giants have now held their opponents to three runs or fewer in five straight games.

San Francisco (64-63) moved within 3 1/2 games of the Atlanta Braves for the final NL wild-card spot.

The White Sox (30-96) suffered their 29th loss in their last 32 games.

Luis Robert Jr. gave Chicago the lead with an RBI single in the fifth inning, breaking the team’s 21-inning scoreless streak.

The Giants responded with four runs in the fifth inning, all coming on five consecutive hits off White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon.

Curt Casali’s single tied the game, Tyler Fitzgerald hit an RBI double, and LaMonte Wade Jr. followed with an infield single for another run. Heliot Ramos added a fourth run with a sacrifice fly.

Chapman’s home run to left field in the sixth inning completed the Giants’ scoring.

Cannon (2-7) gave up five runs and eight hits, with four strikeouts and one walk in six innings. This ended his streak of four consecutive starts where he allowed three runs or fewer.

Miguel Vargas hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, and Gavin Sheets added an RBI single to cut the Giants’ lead to 5-3.

Chicago had runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth inning, but Jordan Hicks got Korey Lee to fly out to center field for his first save of the season.

JJ Bleday hit a two-run home run, Joe Boyle pitched six strong innings, and the Oakland A’s defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-0 on Monday night.

Bleday hit his 16th home run in the first inning, and Lawrence Butler added a sacrifice fly in the fifth to provide all of the runs.

Boyle (3-5) kept the Rays to just two hits and three walks while striking out six batters. Grant Holman, Tyler Ferguson, and Mason Miller followed with hitless innings and combined for five more strikeouts, with Miller earning his 19th save.

The A’s took an early lead in the first inning, which they maintained throughout the game. Butler led off the inning with a single, and after Brent Rooker struck out, Bleday hit a fastball into the right-field bleachers.

Zack Gelof had two of the A’s six hits, with a single in the second inning and a double in the fifth. He scored on Butler’s sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.

Tampa Bay had runners on base in all but three innings but couldn’t capitalize. The Rays were hitless until the fifth inning when Yandy Diaz singled with two outs but was left stranded. Díaz has reached base in 31 straight road games.

Boyle threw 104 pitches, and his six strikeouts matched his career high.

Rays starter Taj Bradley (6-8) allowed three runs and five hits with three walks and two strikeouts in six innings.

Gavin Stone struck out a career-high 10 batters over seven innings, while Gavin Lux and Max Muncy hit home runs in the seventh inning, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.

The Dodgers have now won seven games in a row and have beaten the Mariners eight times in a row at home since 2015.

Stone (11-5), a 25-year-old right-handed pitcher, had eight strikeouts in the first four innings. He allowed singles to Julio Rodriguez and former Dodger Justin Turner, who was back at Dodger Stadium for the first time since leaving the team after the 2022 season.

Evan Phillips closed the game in the ninth inning to earn his 16th save.

Lux hit a home run off Bryan Woo (5-2) with one out in the seventh inning. Woo, a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher, left the game one batter later after hitting Will Smith.

Muncy then hit a two-run homer off former Dodger Yimi Garcia for his first home run since May 7. Muncy had just returned from the injured list on Monday after being out since May 17 with an oblique strain.

Woo gave up two runs and two hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out five batters and walked two.

The Dodgers had only one hit, an opposite-field single by Shohei Ohtani, in the first inning before their big rally in the seventh. With two outs, they loaded the bases with Tommy Edman’s first single as a Dodger, followed by back-to-back walks to Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Freddie Freeman lined out to second base to end the inning.

Freeman played with a hairline fracture on his right middle finger. He made a smart play by catching a line drive from Josh Rojas and stepping on first base to double off Turner and end the fifth inning.

Freeman also made a great play in the sixth inning, leaping to catch a line drive from Cal Raleigh to end the inning.

Shohei Ohtani is on the verge of making Major League Baseball history by becoming the sixth player to join the prestigious 40-40 club, which consists of hitting 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases in a single season. As of now, Ohtani has hit 39 home runs and stolen 37 bases, putting him just within reach of this rare achievement.

With the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning a nine-game home stand this week, Ohtani is likely to hit his 40th home run and potentially reach 40 steals soon.

Only five players have previously achieved the 40-40 milestone, starting with Jose Canseco in 1988, followed by Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, and most recently, Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023.

Acuña managed to steal 60 bases last season, a number Ohtani may not reach, but he still has the chance to join this exclusive group, adding another remarkable accomplishment to his already impressive career.

What makes Ohtani’s pursuit even more significant is the possibility of him achieving this feat faster than any of his predecessors. Previous 40-40 club members reached their milestones late in September, but Ohtani could potentially join the club in August, making his season even more extraordinary. This would further highlight his unique talents and solidify his place in baseball history.

However, Ohtani faces some challenges in the upcoming week as the Dodgers are set to play against strong pitching teams like the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, and Baltimore Orioles.

These teams have some of the best ERAs in the league and have allowed relatively few home runs, which could make it tougher for Ohtani to reach his goals. Despite this, Ohtani’s prowess at the plate and on the bases makes him a strong contender to achieve the 40-40 milestone.

Barring any injuries, it seems inevitable that Ohtani will reach the 40-40 mark before the end of the season.

His remarkable performance this year, where he leads the National League in several key categories, including home runs, runs scored, slugging percentage, and OPS, positions him as a favorite to win his third MVP award in four seasons, further cementing his legacy as one of the most versatile and talented players in MLB history.

The Atlanta Braves have suffered another significant setback as third baseman Austin Riley is set to miss the remainder of the regular season after breaking his right hand. Riley was injured when he was hit by a 97 mph fastball from Los Angeles Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz in the first inning of Sunday’s game.

An MRI confirmed the fracture, and Riley is expected to be out for six to eight weeks, potentially missing the playoffs as well if the Braves qualify.

This injury adds to a growing list of challenges for the Braves, who are already struggling with a series of injuries to key players. They entered a crucial three-game series against the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies with just a two-game lead over the New York Mets for the final wild-card spot.

The Braves have won six consecutive division titles, but their streak is in jeopardy due to their injury-plagued roster, leaving the wild card as their most viable path to the postseason.

In addition to Riley, the Braves have already lost NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. and ace pitcher Spencer Strider to season-ending injuries. Other important players, such as Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, and Sean Murphy, have also missed significant time. Riley’s injury is his second of the season, following a two-week absence in May due to a strained muscle near his rib cage.

His absence creates a significant gap in the Braves lineup, and with the trade deadline past, their options to replace him are limited.

The Braves are now faced with the difficult task of finding a replacement for Riley. Luke Williams, who stepped in at third base after Riley’s injury, has struggled this season and is not seen as a full-time solution.

Another potential option is Whit Merrifield, who could be moved from second base to third, allowing the team to bring in top prospect Nacho Alvarez. However, Alvarez has also struggled in the majors, which led to his return to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Despite these challenges, the Braves received some positive news with the return of right-hander Reynaldo López, who was recalled from his rehab assignment to start the series opener against the Phillies.

López, who was an All-Star this season, had been on the injured list since late July with forearm inflammation. To make room for López, the Braves optioned reliever Jimmy Herget to Triple-A.