MLB Daily Edition for August 31, 2026 Featuring Games from Yesterday August 30, 2026
Player of the Day
Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
Henderson went 4-for-4 with two home runs, a triple, five RBI and three runs as Baltimore beat the Athletics 8-5 to complete a sweep. His solo homer started the Orioles’ scoring, his three-run shot helped erase a 5-1 deficit, and his eighth-inning triple supplied an insurance run. Baltimore finished the day one game out of the final AL Wild Card position. Game report.
Top Stories
- Henderson powers Baltimore: A perfect four-hit afternoon and five RBI lead the edition.
- Scherzer climbs the list: Ten strikeouts pushed Max Scherzer past Gaylord Perry into ninth place all-time.
- Yankees settle the rivalry: New York’s 16-1 win clinched the season series against Boston.
- Tampa Bay escapes: Jonny DeLuca tied it in the ninth; Jorge Mateo won it in the 11th.
- Matthews nearly finishes: Zebby Matthews worked 8 1/3 innings in Minnesota’s 5-1 victory.
- Cleveland answers: José Ramírez drove in four in an 11-1 rout of Kansas City.
Last Night’s Scoreboard
Marlins 6, Nationals 2 — Miami scored all six runs in the ninth.
Yankees 16, Red Sox 1 — Austin Wells homered twice during a nine-run eighth.
Braves 3, Rockies 2 (10 innings) — Matt Olson singled home the winning run.
Blue Jays 7, Mariners 0 — Max Scherzer struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings.
Guardians 11, Royals 1 — José Ramírez homered and drove in four.
Dodgers 6, Tigers 1 — Tyler Glasnow allowed two hits over seven innings.
Rays 5, Padres 4 (11 innings) — Jorge Mateo’s walk-off single completed another comeback.
Twins 5, White Sox 1 — Zebby Matthews pitched into the ninth.
Rangers 7, Brewers 4 — Ezequiel Durán homered, doubled and drove in three.
Pirates 5, Cardinals 4 — Esmerlyn Valdez and Jared Triolo homered.
Astros 6, Mets 3 — LaMonte Wade Jr. delivered a go-ahead pinch-hit homer.
Orioles 8, Athletics 5 — Gunnar Henderson’s two homers powered a sweep.
Phillies 5, Angels 2 — Edmundo Sosa’s seventh-inning homer broke the tie.
Reds 7, Cubs 5 — Cincinnati hit four homers in the series finale.
Scores: ABC News scoreboard. Game notes: Field Level Media roundup.
Game of the Day
Rays 5, Padres 4 — 11 innings. Down to their final out in the ninth, the Rays tied the game on Jonny DeLuca’s two-run homer against Mason Miller. Samad Taylor initially caught the ball, but his collision with the wall knocked it over the fence. Tampa Bay eventually won on Jorge Mateo’s bases-loaded single in the 11th, completing a sweep. Game report.
Big Bats
- Gunnar Henderson, Orioles: 4-for-4, two homers, a triple and five RBI.
- Austin Wells, Yankees: Two two-run homers in the eighth inning.
- José Ramírez, Guardians: A home run and four RBI.
- Chase DeLauter, Guardians: Four hits in four at-bats and three runs.
- Ezequiel Durán, Rangers: A homer, a double and three RBI.
- Héctor Rodríguez, Reds: A three-run home run.
- Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers: A two-run homer and two runs scored.
Additional reporting: Cleveland recap, Yankees recap, Texas recap.
Dealing
- Max Scherzer, Blue Jays: Seven scoreless innings, one hit, one walk and 10 strikeouts.
- Zebby Matthews, Twins: 8 1/3 innings, one run, five hits and five strikeouts.
- Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers: Seven innings, one run, two hits and six strikeouts.
- Tyler Mahle, Braves: 6 2/3 innings, one run, nine strikeouts and no walks.
- Will Warren, Yankees: Seven-plus innings, one run and seven strikeouts.
- Zack Wheeler, Phillies: Six innings, one run and six strikeouts.
Pitching reports: Scherzer, Matthews, Glasnow, daily pitching lines.
Who’s Hot
- Braves: Seven consecutive wins.
- Phillies: Thirteen victories in 15 games.
- Rays: Four consecutive wins and 14 series sweeps.
- Orioles: A three-game sweep in Sacramento.
- Zebby Matthews: Victories in five consecutive starts.
Who’s Not
- Angels: Seven consecutive losses.
- Tigers: Nine losses in 11 games.
- Padres: Swept by Tampa Bay; five losses in six games.
- Mariners: One hit and 15 strikeouts in Sunday’s shutout.
- Red Sox: Outscored 25-3 in the final two games against New York.
Trend reporting: Sunday roundup, San Diego series review.
Team Trends
- Yankees: Won seven of 13 meetings with Boston, securing the head-to-head tiebreaker.
- Rangers: Ended a four-game losing streak.
- Brewers: Their four-game winning streak ended, but they won the series.
- Twins: Stopped their own four-game skid and Chicago’s four-game winning streak.
- Dodgers: Took two of three in Detroit.
Standings Watch
Entering Monday, Milwaukee (85-52) leads the Cubs (77-60) by eight games ahead of their four-game series. New York is four games ahead of Boston for the top AL Wild Card spot. Baltimore is one game behind Cleveland for the final AL berth, with Toronto 1 1/2 back. San Diego sits half a game outside the final NL Wild Card position. NL Central preview; AL Wild Card update.
Injury & Transactions Report
- JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals: Placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with right-wrist tendinitis; César Prieto was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Roster report.
- Elly De La Cruz, Reds: Exited Sunday’s game in the seventh inning with left-quadriceps tightness. Injury update.
Today’s Games
- Giants at Braves — 6:05 p.m. ET — Anthony Molina vs. Bryce Elder (June 18 makeup)
- Padres at Reds — 6:40 p.m. ET — Michael King vs. Brady Singer
- Mets at Rays — 6:40 p.m. ET — Robert Stock vs. Ian Seymour
- Mariners at Red Sox — 6:45 p.m. ET — George Kirby vs. Payton Tolle
- Marlins at Nationals — 6:45 p.m. ET — Ryan Gusto vs. Will Dion
- Tigers at Twins — 7:40 p.m. ET — Jackson Jobe vs. Taj Bradley
- Brewers at Cubs — 7:40 p.m. ET — Kyle Harrison vs. Clay Holmes
- Athletics at Rangers — 8:05 p.m. ET — Gage Jump vs. Jacob deGrom
- White Sox at Astros — 8:10 p.m. ET — Anthony Kay vs. Peter Lambert
- Orioles at Rockies — 8:40 p.m. ET — Cade Povich vs. Tanner Gordon
- Yankees at Angels — 9:38 p.m. ET — Elmer Rodríguez vs. Walbert Ureña
- Phillies at Diamondbacks — 9:40 p.m. ET — Aaron Nola vs. Brandon Pfaadt
All times Eastern. August 31 listings are presented as a preview; probable pitchers are subject to change.
Schedule: MLB’s August 31 slate. Pitching listings: MLB probable pitchers, Seattle preview, Miami–Washington preview, Milwaukee–Chicago preview, Baltimore–Colorado preview.
Today’s Matchups to Watch
- Brewers at Cubs: A direct opportunity for Chicago to cut into Milwaukee’s eight-game division lead.
- Phillies at Diamondbacks: A matchup with implications for the NL Wild Card race.
- Mariners at Red Sox: Both clubs need a reset after one-sided Sunday defeats.
- Athletics at Rangers: Jacob deGrom takes the ball as Texas returns home.
- Orioles at Rockies: Henderson and Baltimore look to carry their sweep into Denver.
- Giants at Braves: Atlanta aims for an eighth straight victory in the makeup game.
Stat of the Day
3,535 career strikeouts: Max Scherzer moved past Gaylord Perry into ninth place on MLB’s all-time list during his 10-strikeout performance. Milestone report.
Quick Hitters
- Henderson accounted for five of Baltimore’s eight RBI.
- Wells hit both of his homers in one inning.
- Gary Sánchez reached 200 career home runs.
- Mahle struck out nine without issuing a walk.
- Ethan Pecko earned his first major league win.
- Josh Hader converted his 21st save in 21 chances.
- Miami’s six-run ninth required only two hits.
- Sunday’s 14 games produced 132 runs.
Yesterday at a Glance
- Games completed: 14 of 14
- Total runs: 132
- Highest-scoring game: Yankees 16, Red Sox 1 — 17 combined runs
- Extra-inning games: Two
- One-run games: Three
- Shutouts: One
- Largest margin: Yankees 16, Red Sox 1 — 15 runs
- Best power performance: Gunnar Henderson — two homers and five RBI
- Best overall performance: Gunnar Henderson — four hits, three runs and five RBI
- Best pitching performance: Max Scherzer — seven scoreless innings, one hit and 10 strikeouts
Daily totals calculated from the final scoreboard. Performance selections are DatabaseBall editorial choices.