Los Angeles Dodgers ace Trevor Bauer warned San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. about allegedly peeking at signs as the MLB rivalry intensifies.
Tatis continued his red-hot form with another pair of home runs on Saturday, but the Padres still lost 5-4 to World Series champions the Dodgers.
A day after homering twice off star pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Tatis homered twice off Bauer – becoming the sixth player with a multi-homer game off a former Cy Young winner twice in one season and the first to do so in back-to-back games, per Stats Perform.
But a day later, a moment in Tatis' at-bat in the sixth inning caught the attention of the Dodgers after the 2020 Silver Slugger appeared to peek at catcher Will Smith's sign before the pitch.
As the National League (NL) West rivalry dominates MLB, 2020 American League (AL) Cy Young Award winner Bauer said in a video published via his YouTube channel: "That's the type of stuff that would get you hit in other games.
"Now, I'm mild mannered about it. Flip the bat, do all that stuff, fine. If you're going to look at the signs, not OK, and if you do it again, the team that you're playing probably isn't going to take too kindly, and there might have to be some on-field stuff.
"That is disrespecting your opponent, look at their signs, stuff like that. Whereas the bat flips and celebrating with your team-mates is fine, in my opinion."
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also addressed the incident prior to Sunday's clash against the Padres, telling reporters: "When you talk about peaking, that's just not the way you play baseball.
"If that is the case, which I don't know, that'll be noted."
When asked whether he meant adjusting how catchers give signs, Roberts replied: "No, that's not what I'm talking about."
MLB: Reds halt Mets' nine-game win streak
Santiago Espinal snapped a tie game with a two-run double in the ninth inning as the Cincinnati Reds ended the New York Mets' nine-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory on Sunday.
The Mets' first loss since Aug. 28 dropped them into a tie with Atlanta for the National League's final wild card spot after the Braves earned a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
Espinal's one-out double off Phil Maton in the top of the ninth drove in Spencer Steer and Ty France after both reached base to begin the inning with the score tied 1-1. Steer was hit by a pitch from Maton and France got on via an infield single.
The key hit also ended a streak of 80 consecutive innings in which the Mets had not trailed, the longest stretch in the majors this season.
New York starter Luis Severino did not factor in the decision despite allowing just one run and striking out eight over 6 2/3 innings.
Severino had held the Reds scoreless until the seventh, when Noelvi Marte drove in Jake Fraley with a two-out single to forge a 1-1 tie.
The Mets scored their lone run in the sixth on Starling Marte's two-out single that plated Pete Alonso, who reached on a walk and advanced to second on Jose Iglesias' infield single.
Julian Aguiar started for Cincinnati and tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings while surrendering just two hits and two walks.
Smith leads Diamondbacks' rout of Astros with three homers, eight RBIs
Pavin Smith homered in his first three at-bats while driving in a career-high eight runs to power the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 12-6 win over the Houston Astros that prevented the reigning NL champions from being swept in the three-game series.
Smith opened the scoring with a three-run homer off Justin Verlander in the second inning, then delivered a grand slam off the three-time Cy Young Award winner during a five-run third that put Arizona up 8-0.
The outfielder/first baseman capped his huge night with a solo homer in the fifth.
Eugenio Suarez also homered while going 4 for 5 and driving in two runs to help the Diamondbacks halt a three-game losing streak. Jake McCarthy added two hits, including a run-scoring single.
Verlander (3-6) lasted just three innings while being tagged for eight runs and eight hits. The future Hall of Famer has now lost four straight starts since returning from a neck injury and has a 9.68 ERA during that stretch.
Arizona starter Ryne Nelson worked 4 2/3 innings and allowed five runs. Kevin Ginkel relieved the right-hander in the fifth and struck out the lone batter he faced to receive the win.
Alex Bregman had a two-run homer for Houston, which had its lead atop the American League West reduced to 4 1/2 games over second-place Seattle after the Mariners defeated the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
Yainer Diaz and Chas McCormick each had three hits for the Astros, with Diaz driving in a pair of runs.
Royals sweep Twins in crucial three-game series
The Kansas City Royals extended their lead over the Minnesota Twins in the AL wild card race with a 2-0 victory that completed a three-game series sweep.
Michael Wacha (12-7) allowed four hits over seven innings as the Royals increased their lead on the AL Central-rival Twins to 2 1/2 games in the standings. Minnesota still currently holds the third and final wild card spot by a 3 1/2-game margin over the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners.
Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg finished off the shutout, with Erceg earning his 11th save with a scoreless ninth.
The Royals scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, which MJ Melendez began by drawing a walk off Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson. Freddy Fermin and Maikel Garcia followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases with none out.
Garrett Hampson's sacrifice fly brought in Melendez for the game's first run, and Fermin later scored when Salvador Perez legged out an infield single.
Woods Richardson (5-4) was charged with both runs and gave up three hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Minnesota scored just two runs in the three-game series and has now dropped 10 of its last 14 contests.
MLB: Quintana earns 100th victory as Mets extend winning streak
Jose Quintana pitched into the seventh inning for his 100th career victory and J.D. Martinez capped a four-run seventh with a two-run double as the New York Mets won their ninth straight game, 4-0 over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Quintana allowed five hits over 6 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts. He became the 19th active pitcher with 100 wins.
Adam Ottavino, Danny Young and Edwin Díaz completed the six-hitter for New York's seventh shutout this season - all since July 11.
A slumping Harrison Bader homered to spark the big sixth for the Mets, who have won nine straight games for the first time since April 2018. New York hasn’t trailed in its last 72 innings since Aug. 30 - the longest streak in the majors this season.
Bader was mired in skids of 0 for 15 and 2 for 43 before connecting off Sam Moll in the sixth. It was Bader's 11th home run of the year, and first to the opposite field.
Pete Alonso hit a one-out RBI single before Martinez’s double capped the outburst.
Francisco Lindor’s career-high 16-game hitting streak ended as he went 0 for 3, but his sixth-inning walk pushed his on-base streak to 35 games, the longest active run in the majors and the longest single-season streak in Mets history.
Royals rally past Twins
Bobby Witt Jr. highlighted a four-run eighth inning with a tiebreaking single, and the Kansas City Royals defeated Minnesota 4-2 to open a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins for the second AL wild card.
Held to one hit over seven innings by Bailey Ober, the Royals rallied against Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax, winning their third straight following a season-high, seven-game losing streak.
Kansas City is second behind Cleveland in the AL Central and Minnesota is third after losing four of five.
Duran entered with a 2-0 lead and gave up a one-out single to Freddy Fermin, then hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch. Kyle Isbel hit an RBI single and Jax relieved, trying for a five-out save.
Tommy Pham hit a slow four-hopper to Brooks Lee and reached on an infield hit as the shortstop barehanded the ball and bounced his throw past first. Pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who had been on second, scored on the error.
Witt looped a single into short center as Isbel scored for a 3-2 lead. MJ Melendez drove in Pham with a two-out single off Jax, who blew a save for the fifth time in 13 chances.
Yankees shut out Cubs again
Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes combined on a four-hitter, and the New York Yankees clinched their 32nd straight winning season by blanking the Chicago Cubs 2-0.
Schmidt pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in his first big league game since May 26 and Cortes closed it out in his first relief appearance since 2021.
Coupled with Baltimore's 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay, New York moved back into first in the AL East. The Yankees lead the Orioles by a half-game.
New York posted its second straight shutout to secure its first series win since it took two of three against Colorado from Aug. 23-25. The 32 straight seasons with a winning record is the second-longest such period in major league history, trailing a run of 39 consecutive seasons for the Yankees from 1926-64.
Chicago has lost four of five on a crucial homestand as it tries to rally in the race for the third NL wild card. It beat Pittsburgh 12-0 on Wednesday, but has managed a total of three other runs in its last five games, getting shut out three times.
MLB: Quintana earns 100th victory as Mets extend winning streak to 9
Jose Quintana pitched into the seventh inning for his 100th career victory and J.D. Martinez capped a four-run seventh with a two-run double as the New York Mets won their ninth straight game, 4-0 over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Quintana allowed five hits over 6 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts. He became the 19th active pitcher with 100 wins.
Adam Ottavino, Danny Young and Edwin Díaz completed the six-hitter for New York's seventh shutout this season - all since July 11.
A slumping Harrison Bader homered to spark the big sixth for the Mets, who have won nine straight games for the first time since April 2018. New York hasn’t trailed in its last 72 innings since Aug. 30 - the longest streak in the majors this season.
Bader was mired in skids of 0 for 15 and 2 for 43 before connecting off Sam Moll in the sixth. It was Bader's 11th home run of the year, and first to the opposite field.
Pete Alonso hit a one-out RBI single before Martinez’s double capped the outburst.
Francisco Lindor’s career-high 16-game hitting streak ended as he went 0 for 3, but his sixth-inning walk pushed his on-base streak to 35 games, the longest active run in the majors and the longest single-season streak in Mets history.
Royals rally past Twins
Bobby Witt Jr. highlighted a four-run eighth inning with a tiebreaking single, and the Kansas City Royals defeated Minnesota 4-2 to open a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins for the second AL wild card.
Held to one hit over seven innings by Bailey Ober, the Royals rallied against Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax, winning their third straight following a season-high, seven-game losing streak.
Kansas City is second behind Cleveland in the AL Central and Minnesota is third after losing four of five.
Duran entered with a 2-0 lead and gave up a one-out single to Freddy Fermin, then hit Robbie Grossman with a pitch. Kyle Isbel hit an RBI single and Jax relieved, trying for a five-out save.
Tommy Pham hit a slow four-hopper to Brooks Lee and reached on an infield hit as the shortstop barehanded the ball and bounced his throw past first. Pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who had been on second, scored on the error.
Witt looped a single into short center as Isbel scored for a 3-2 lead. MJ Melendez drove in Pham with a two-out single off Jax, who blew a save for the fifth time in 13 chances.
Yankees shut out Cubs again
Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes combined on a four-hitter, and the New York Yankees clinched their 32nd straight winning season by blanking the Chicago Cubs 2-0.
Schmidt pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in his first big league game since May 26 and Cortes closed it out in his first relief appearance since 2021.
Coupled with Baltimore's 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay, New York moved back into first in the AL East. The Yankees lead the Orioles by a half-game.
New York posted its second straight shutout to secure its first series win since it took two of three against Colorado from Aug. 23-25. The 32 straight seasons with a winning record is the second-longest such period in major league history, trailing a run of 39 consecutive seasons for the Yankees from 1926-64.
Chicago has lost four of five on a crucial homestand as it tries to rally in the race for the third NL wild card. It beat Pittsburgh 12-0 on Wednesday, but has managed a total of three other runs in its last five games, getting shut out three times.
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