Historic Chases · 2026-09-08

The Dodgers have won 6 straight, and are 8-2 in their last 10.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) is on a 40/40 pace — 41 HR and 36 SB, projecting to 45/40. Only six players have ever done it: Canseco, Bonds, A-Rod, Soriano, Acuña, and Ohtani. Neither half carries it alone; the season has to finish on both.

Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) struck out nine over six and a third innings, allowing one earned. His four-seam averaged 100.7 mph, level with the 100.6 he had averaged over his first 23 starts — the hardest four-seam among the 136 starters tracked this season. Four of the 7,102 full-schedule qualified starter seasons the AL and NL have played since 1920 have finished a full schedule above it: Gerrit Cole's 13.82 in 2019, Spencer Strider's 13.55 in 2023, Randy Johnson's 13.41 in 2001 and Pedro Martinez's 13.20 in 1999. Above them on a short schedule: Shane Bieber's 14.20, over the 77.1 innings of 2020 and Jacob deGrom's 13.76, over the 68.0 innings of 2020. It is a board position and not a record: the rate carries about 0.86 of sampling error over 161.1 innings, and no partial-season history exists to say how often a rate this high in August survives to October. He has 236 strikeouts.

Seasons on a historic footing: Jacob Misiorowski (MIL), 13.17 strikeouts per nine innings, 5th among the 9,603 qualified seasons on file, behind four seasons, led by Gerrit Cole's 13.82 in 2019; Dylan Cease (TOR), 12.66 strikeouts per nine innings, 7th.

Lines of the night: Luis Campusano's tiebreaking single in the 8th put the Padres ahead for good in a 5-4 win over the Nationals ▶︎ watch; Trea Turner (PHI) homered for the first time since August 8, ending a 24-game drought — his 18th of the season; Three starts of note: Reid Detmers (LAA) allowed one hit over 6.0 scoreless innings (9 K) ▶︎ watch; Landen Roupp allowed two hits over 6.0 scoreless innings (2 K) ▶︎ watch; Michael Wacha went 6.0 scoreless ▶︎ watch. Cam Schlittler (NYY) struck out 10 over 7.0 IP ▶︎ watch.

Also last night: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) stole his 36th base — with 41 home runs banked, he is four steals from a 40/40 season; Elly De La Cruz (CIN) homered for the 25th time — five homers and five steals from a 30/30 season.

What changed from last season: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC) — walk rate up from 4.7% to 11.8% (29 in 620 plate appearances in 2025, 75 in 638 this season); Jackson Merrill (SD) — stolen bases up from 1 in 115 games in 2025 to 25 in 142 this season; Nolan Arenado (AZ) — strikeout rate up from 12.2% to 22.7% (49 in 401 at-bats in 2025, 108 in 475 this season); Taylor Ward (SEA) — home-run rate down from 6.2% to 1.4% (36 in 579 at-bats in 2025, 7 in 486 this season). 4 of 808 rate comparisons across 156 qualified hitters and pitchers, corrected for having looked that many times.

History movers: Yordan Alvarez (HOU) — Triple Crown (AL).

Milestones reached last night: Chandler Simpson (TB) reached 40 SB.