Sports
A 22-run clobberfest! Plus: 7 AL teams still alive
The Windup Newsletter 
The Brewers and Mariners did some extreme run-differential skewing last night. Plus: The latest on Ketel Marte, a big night for Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Blue Jays are the latest team I have to UN-declare as “cooked.” I’m Levi Weaver — welcome to The Windup!
Brewers wallop Mariners 22-0
It’s no surprise the Brewers are good. They have the best record in the sport (78-48) and (well, now) also the best run differential in the sport, at +158, thanks to a 22-0 blowout of the Mariners.
In retrospect, the most unbelievable thing about last night’s game was the 1-0 score in the middle of the fifth inning. Because a half-inning later, it was 6-0. Then 11-0, 13-0 … by the time catcher Gary Sánchez pitched a scoreless ninth inning, it was 22-0.
It tied the MLB record (since 1900) for largest margin of victory in a shutout. Only Cleveland (2004 @ NYY) and Pittsburgh (1975 @ CHC) matched it. Notably, both of those games were won by the visiting team, meaning the Brewers are the first to do it while only batting eight times.
I checked, and they’re also the only team that was gifted at least one run (probably eventually two) when an outfielder (Julio Rodríguez, in this case) forgot how many outs there were and threw a ball into the stands.
It was just that kind of night for the Mariners. They’re now 59-67 — 3-8 in their last 11 games. But because the Mariners play in the AL (more specifically, the AL West), they’re still not really out of contention just yet.
Speaking of which …
Playoff Picture: Blue Jays refuse to die
Take a look at these very silly AL wild-card standings, particularly the GB (Games Behind) column!
Starting with Texas and working our way down, you’re looking at seven teams that share these traits:
- They have losing records.
- I have said, publicly or privately, that they’re cooked.
- They are, actually, not cooked.
That’s on me. How could anything be cooked in this tepid mudhole?
Today, let’s take a look at the Blue Jays, since they’re the only one of those Texas-through-Seattle teams with a winning record in their last 10 games. On July 28, they were 10 games under .500 and 5 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot. They “threaded the needle” at the deadline, trading veterans on expiring contracts while loading up for the near future.
Was that future nearer than expected?
Beginning July 29, the Blue Jays are 13-6 (this count starts before their win over the Nationals that day), and their last 15 games have come against the Astros, Cubs, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees and Rays — all playoff teams.
The surge has been fueled largely by their pitching and defense. As Mitch Bannon tells us today, Toronto entered Tuesday’s game with a league-best 2.87 ERA and AL-best +8 OAA (Outs Above Average) in August.
Hopefully last night’s 10-5 win over the Rays means the bats are joining the party. Before that, only Andrés Giménez (.756) and Alejandro Kirk (.970) — had an OPS over .700 this month (min. 25 PA).
They’ve been lingering around that last AL wild-card spot for a few days now. Given the quality of the competition, I suspect they’ll get a day or two in the (… what’s the third-place equivalent of a catbird seat?) but I’m not making any other predictions about how this is gonna play out.
Middle Relief: Latest on Ketel Marte
Last night was day two of Ketel Marte’s disappearance from the team. Today, we have less an “update” and more a “what we know right now” from Stephen Nesbitt and Johnny Flores Jr. Here’s an excerpt.
Marte’s absence from the Diamondbacks grew only more mysterious as it dragged into day two.
A day after the Diamondbacks placed Marte on the restricted list for failing to show up to Arizona’s series opener at Fenway Park, manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday he thinks Marte returned to Phoenix to get imaging on his left knee. Lovullo also said he has not heard from Marte, and he’s unsure whether anyone in the organization is currently in contact with him.
“I’m still hoping he’s OK,” Lovullo said. “Looking forward to having a connection with him at some point as soon as possible. Overall, I feel like if you don’t show up to work, something is on your mind (and) something’s not right, and we’ve got to get it right.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Marte’s locker in the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park remained intact. His stuff arrived at the ballpark. He didn’t.
Left to publicly explain Marte’s unexcused absence, Lovullo had few concrete answers. He said he didn’t know whether the knee injury had anything to do with Marte not showing up Monday. He said he didn’t know why Marte hadn’t gotten imaging in Boston instead of Phoenix. He said he didn’t know whether to expect Marte back in the lineup for the stretch run.
“I hope so,” Lovullo said. “We need him. He’s a good player. One of the best players in the National League, as far as I’m concerned.”
Marte, 32, is a three-time All-Star with two top-five finishes in NL MVP voting. He’s not having a typically superb season at bat, yet he still has 21 homers and a 107 OPS+. He is in the second season of a seven-year, $116.5 million contract signed in April 2025. Of that $116.5 million, $41 million is deferred, and the payouts do not begin until 10 years after the money is earned.
Marte tweaked his left knee and exited Friday’s game in Atlanta, then sat Saturday before playing Sunday. On Monday, he was supposed to serve as designated hitter. It doesn’t seem the position change rankled Marte; Lovullo said that conversation would have happened after Marte got to the park.
The Diamondbacks entered play Tuesday with a 66-60 record, one game out of a wild-card spot in a tightly packed NL playoff picture.
For the rest, click here.
Look At This: Fernando’s big night
Remember April 30? Fernando Tatis Jr. was in the 99th percentile for hard-hit baseballs, but still hadn’t hit even one home run. It was perplexing!
He did get that first home run, but not until May 30.
Well, he has course-corrected. Last night, he hit homers Nos. 14 and 15. If he had been hitting them in April and May as he has since June 1, he’d be somewhere around 25 (his season total from 2023 and 2025).
In the meantime, his defense has not slumped. That was on display last night too, as he robbed Francisco Lindor of a grand slam with this catch to end the second inning.
That’s a phenomenal catch, and the pose made every highlight reel. But what makes the GIF, for me, is the cap flip at the end. Launched off his head, completely out of frame, then dropping out of the sky, as if to taunt the ball: “I land wherever I want.”
The Padres beat the Mets 5-2. That catch was the difference in the game, and San Diego gained a game on Arizona; they now hold a two-game lead for the third NL wild-card position.
Handshakes and High Fives
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani both homered again last night. It was Ohtani’s 30th, and Crow-Armstrong’s 31st. Jon Greenberg takes another look at PCA’s MVP case, and Rustin Dodd says the outfielder’s “mind-wandering” is maybe not a bad thing!
Meanwhile, after a lengthy rain delay, the Cubs walked off the White Sox for the second night in a row.
Great news for the Yankees: Aaron Judge has been cleared to “start his hitting progression” this week. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton is “toward the end of his running program,” and Cody Bellinger will start a rehab assignment Thursday.
Other injury reports: Joe Ryan (Twins) threw a successful bullpen. In Pittsburgh, Oneil Cruz came off the IL and homered in his first game since June 7. And Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz is back on the IL, this time with neck inflammation.
Chandler Rome doesn’t think Tatsuya Imai is returning to the Astros rotation from the bullpen any time soon.
The Phillies might need someone to snub Zack Wheeler for another All-Star Game soon.
Who’s your pick for NL Rookie of the Year? C. Trent Rosecrans compares JJ Wetherholt and Sal Stewart, two of the favorites.
Trey Mancini, who authored two inspiring comebacks to the big leagues, has announced his retirement at age 34.
The situation with Dodgers owner Mark Walter gets curiouser and curiouser.
It doesn’t seem great that ratings are down for Netflix’s baseball broadcasts. The last time MLB played at the Field of Dreams, 3.10 million people watched it. This year: 1.66 million.
That’s still more people than will watch me play there … which … I am doing soon! I’m taking the next two weeks off to go play some sandlot baseball games in, among other places, the Field of Dreams (I’m pretty psyched, to be honest). I’ll be back on Sept. 2, but you’re in good hands with our MLB crew filling in.
Most-clicked in our last Windup: Sam Blum’s investigation into how Macombs Dam Park — a public space with a baseball field where the original Yankee Stadium once stood — has fallen into disrepair.
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