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The National League MVP race is over. Premature to say with a whole month left to go? Probably. Could an asteroid eviscerate everyone in the NL except Osleivis Basabe and hand him the hardware? Technically. But barring catastrophe, this is Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a>\u2019s award to lose. You know why. You saw what he did yesterday. And if you didn\u2019t, look at the headline. Proof of his assured victory can be found here: PCA leads the NL with 9.1 fWAR<\/a>. Second? Miami\u2019s Otto Lopez<\/a> with 4.7. Check and mate. Now, onto some context.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Today\u2019s Headlines<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A Game. A Man. A Home Run\u2026 Or Three<\/p>\n Some players feel like myths. Chicago Cubs<\/a> outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a> is fast becoming one of them. Especially due to his heroics in a 17-5 sacking of the Cincinnati Reds<\/a>. The presumptive NL MVP went 4-for-6 yesterday while belting three home runs. Yes, three, a first in his career! The first came right off the jump. Second pitch Crow-Armstrong sees he likes. Why shouldn\u2019t he? It\u2019s right down the middle. Crow-Armstrong airs it 435 feet to start the tale. His second shot came, well, in the second. This pitch, a curveball, was cranked 375 feet to right. His third, his 35th of the season, was a no-doubter to left. And yet this game might be a footnote in the fable that is PCA\u2019s 2026 season.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n No Roars for the Red Sox, Yawns for the Yankees<\/p>\n The Rivalry \u2014 The Boston Red Sox<\/a> versus the New York Yankees<\/a>, for the uninitiated \u2014 is usually exciting. Yesterday? Yeah, not so much. Game one went from an early bore to a late blowout. Boston was the recipient of the turnaround, winning 6-0. Starter Jake Bennett<\/a> pitched a gem. striking out seven over six shutout innings. Game two was simply a snoozer, with New York taking the affair 9-2. Boston took an early lead thanks to a solo shot from Nick Sogard<\/a>. From there, the Bronx Bombers owned the nightcap. Ben Rice<\/a> tied the game, and three sacrifice outs put New York ahead and then kept them there. Several runs late put it out of reach. We\u2019ll see if tomorrow\u2019s series finale offers better fare.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Bigger than any win for the Yankees is the return of Max Fried<\/a>. Fried made his first start in two weeks following a bone bruise in his pitching elbow. Overall, Fried looked fine. The lefty allowed three hits, a walk, and a run in three-and-two-thirds innings of work while striking out four. If nothing else, it\u2019s a first step.<\/p>\n Eat Your Heart Out, John Glenn<\/p>\n Have you ever heard of \u201cthe right stuff?\u201d Author Tom Wolfe popularized the phrase in his book called, well, guess. Regardless, the phrase means someone has certain God-given or self-attained attributes that make them a cut above the rest. Astronauts, pilots, armed servicemen and women, have it: The right stuff. So does Detroit Tigers<\/a> shortstop and AL Rookie of the Year favorite Kevin McGonigle<\/a>. The rookie proved it again with a walk-off RBI single to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> 2-1. The 22-year-old now has a .796 OPS and 4.6 fWAR. The latter is sixth-best<\/a> in baseball. Yeah, he\u2019s got it.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Washington\u2019s First Walk-Off. No, Really.\u00a0<\/p>\n Entering yesterday, the Washington Nationals<\/a> hadn\u2019t won a single game on a walk-off. That all changed in their 5-4 win against the Miami Marlins<\/a>. Outfielder Dylan Crews<\/a> broke the streak. With the bases loaded and two outs, Crews got the better of pitcher Michael Petersen<\/a>. The hitter hammered Petersen\u2019s second pitch past an outstretched Xavier Edwards<\/a>. In return, Crews got a Gatorade bath and became an answer to an obscure trivia question that will sometime be asked in the 2030s to unknowing co-eds.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Royals Keep Rallying<\/p>\n This is not important news. This will not change the complexion\u00a0of the season? But in the words of Jimmy Johnson, \u201cHow about them Cow\u2013 Royals?\u201d The Kansas City Royals<\/a> are red hot. Scalding, even. They\u2019ve won 12 of their last 13 following an 8-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians<\/a> last night. Josh Rojas<\/a> held the blazing tongs. The journeyman infielder collected four RBIs as a pinch-hitter. Yes, you read that right. Rojas first hit a two-run RBI single and then later a two-run homer. Does anybody else smell a late-stage berserker?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n By The Numbers<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be 1974. Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a> is the first Cubs player since George Mitterwald in 1974 with at least four hits, three homers, and six RBIs at Wrigley. Shout-out to George, the pride and joy of California\u2019s Mount Eden High School.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be 100. I see London, I see France, I see Ty France<\/a> hit the 100th home run of his career. Yeah. Doesn\u2019t have quite the same ring, does it?\u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be 37. Yordan Alvarez<\/a> stands alone again in the AL. With a homer yesterday, he\u2019s supplanted Junior Caminero<\/a> for sole possession of the AL home run lead. Snoogans.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be 30. Reds rookie Sal Stewart<\/a> hit his 30th home run of the season. He and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson are the only rookies in Reds history to do such a feat.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be 20. Jackson Chourio<\/a> missed the first five weeks of the season. Even still, he\u2019s logged 20 homers. Chourio\u2019s done so thrice in his career, making him the 17th player in MLB history to have at least three seasons with 20+ home runs by his age-22 season<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be 10. Despite the Dodgers\u2019 loss, Blake Snell<\/a> gave fans some silver lining. The two-time Cy Young winner struck out 10 yesterday and had 31 punchouts in four starts this month. He\u2019s rounding into form just in time.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be 7. Merrill Kelly<\/a> had himself an afternoon. The veteran worked seven scoreless innings yesterday and struck out seven against the San Francisco Giants<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Best Moments From Yesterday<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n From One Cub to Another<\/p>\n We can officially consider the baton passed.<\/p>\n Pete Crow-Armstrong on his 3-homer day: “Sammy did say I was gonna hit 3 today. Sammy Sosa told me I was gonna hit 3 and I hit 3. Put that on the record.” \ud83d\udca3\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n Consider this officially on the record \u2705 pic.twitter.com\/y2srQInvOV<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Lars and the Real Grand Slam<\/p>\n Even a mannequin would appreciate a bomb like this.<\/p>\n Lars Nootbaar sends a GRAND SLAM into McCovey Cove \ud83d\ude24 pic.twitter.com\/svgFkCiZNQ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 MLB (@MLB) August 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n A Rocket to Randy<\/p>\n Randy Arozarena<\/a> now knows what it\u2019s like to catch a comet.<\/p>\n Randy Arozarena was relieved after this one \ud83d\ude05<\/p>\n He snags a line drive that came off the bat at 116.3 MPH \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8 pic.twitter.com\/06UHIAAsrI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 MLB (@MLB) August 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Little (E)Wing<\/p>\n A.J. Ewing<\/a> was running \u2019round with a circus mind to make this catch. Fly on.<\/p>\n OH WOW!<\/p>\n A.J. EWING, WHAT A CATCH! pic.twitter.com\/7Hl1EieeLA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Oh, Canada<\/p>\n The Toronto Blue Jays<\/a> officially inducted 11 icons to Toronto\u2019s new Hall of Excellence. Hall of Excellence? Not Fame? Is that a Canadian thing?<\/p>\n Come along for the tour \ud83d\ude0c #BlueJays50<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/7Mnbn9RnHF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Maddux Back on the Mound<\/p>\n Retirement looks good on Greg. Let\u2019s leave it at that.<\/p>\n Hall of Famer Greg Maddux gets us started \u26be\ufe0f<\/p>\n \u2728 | @motorolaus<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Mq2mb0JP03<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Congrats to Kent<\/p>\n Here\u2019s one more celebration for the old-timers.<\/p>\n Hall of Famer Jeff Kent has his No. 21 jersey officially retired by the @SFGiants<\/a> \ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/1ee5Z9nY5g<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 MLB (@MLB) August 30, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Burleson\u2019s Baby Reveal<\/p>\n Forget colored cakes. Forget fireworks. Get an MLB player for your gender reveal. In today\u2019s high-priced economy, it\u2019s shockingly affordable.<\/p>\n Yo \u2014 it\u2019s a girl! That\u2019s Alec Burleson wearing a pink wristband as part of a gender reveal for a couple who works for the #stlcards<\/a>. Megan and Austin Helfin just found out as Burleson takes his first inning at-bat.#cardinals<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/HB2M0as2y1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Derrick Goold (@dgoold) August 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Injuries and Other Moves<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be Here\u2019s Juanny! Mets outfielder Juan Soto<\/a> bashed rehab\u2019s brains in and was activated<\/a> off the IL yesterday, sans a rehab assignment. Soto rejoins the Mets after a calf injury sidelined him for a little under three weeks. This all comes at the expense of first baseman Eric Wagaman<\/a>, whom the Mets optioned<\/a> to Triple-A.<\/p>\n \u26be Shohei Ohtani<\/a> will not start today as previously scheduled. Nor will he start later this week. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the superstar didn\u2019t feel 100% after a 20-pitch bullpen session on Friday<\/a>. In other words, Ohtani\u2019s return to the mound is up in the air once again.\u00a0Tyler Glasnow<\/a>\u00a0will get the nod today.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be Here\u2019s a shocker: The Mets placed outfielder Luis Robert Jr.<\/a>\u00a0on outright waivers<\/a> in the middle of Saturday\u2019s game, just as Robert took an at-bat. Calling it a head-scratcher doesn\u2019t quite do it justice. While Robert is a shadow of his former self, some sun is seeping in. Over his last 15 games, he\u2019s hitting .279 with a 1.024 OPS. That said, whoever, if anyone, claims Robert, is on the hook for a $20 million option next season.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be The Boston Red Sox<\/a> get to shove it to the New York Yankees<\/a> once more. The team activated<\/a> reliever and former Yankee Garrett Whitlock<\/a> just ahead of their doubleheader in the Bronx. Whitlock missed the last three weeks with elbow inflammation. Wyatt Olds<\/a> returns to Triple-A for Whitlock, while Raymond Burgos<\/a> joined Boston\u2019s bullpen for the twin bill.<\/p>\n \u26be San Diego Padres<\/a> infielder Luis Rengifo<\/a> left Saturday\u2019s game aboard a cart. The official diagnosis is a sprained knee, which doesn\u2019t look good, according to manager Craig Stammen<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be The St. Louis Cardinals<\/a> DFA\u2019d<\/a> lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson<\/a> on Sunday. It\u2019s somewhat an odd move. The Redbirds acquired Ferguson from the Reds at the trade deadline and are cutting bait after just nine games. In fairness, Ferguson pitched to an 8.64 ERA in those games with eight walks in eight-and-a-third innings. St. Louis replaces Ferguson with another lefty, Brycen Mautz<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u26be The Royals, perhaps following the Mets model, put reliever John Schreiber<\/a> on waivers. The veteran has a 3.65 ERA in 55 appearances. He could be a nice late add for some contender.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u26be San Francisco had the transaction wire running like a trolley car. Here\u2019s the nuts and bolts: Matt \u201cTugboat\u201d Wilkinson <\/a>is back from Triple-A, and left-hander Seth Lonsway<\/a> is coming up with him<\/a>. Meanwhile, the Giants optioned<\/a> Spencer Bivens<\/a> to make it all work.<\/p>\n \u26be Jarred Kelenic<\/a> is finally getting his chance in New York, just with the Yankees. The Yankees signed<\/a> the former top prospect to a minor league contract. The Yankees also DFA\u2019d reliever Justin Topa<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u26be Speaking of second chances, the Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> selected<\/a> veteran reliever Derek Law<\/a>\u2019s contract from Triple-A. Lefty Mitch Bratt<\/a> comes up from Reno with Law for the doubleheader against the Giants, while reliever Kohl Drake<\/a> was optioned to Reno.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Articles You Should Read<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n How a pitching machine is revolutionizing baseball \u2014 Anthony Castrovince, MLB.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Fantasy Baseball Coverage<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Starting Pitcher Roundup<\/a><\/p>\n Hitter Performances<\/a><\/p>\n