Sometimes a team has your number. The Colorado Rockies certainly understand that when they face the Atlanta Braves.

Colorado has lost all six games between the teams this season, eight straight overall and 12 of the past 13. The Rockies get one more chance to break through when they host Atlanta on Wednesday night to wrap up a three-game series.

Colorado will send lefty Kyle Freeland (5-13, 5.00 ERA) to the mound while the Braves will counter with Darius Vines, who will make his major league debut.

Freeland has had a forgettable season but has taken the ball when it is his turn. Wednesday night will be his 26th start of the season, and he could be the only pitcher who began the season in the rotation left at this point.

Austin Gomber left Monday’s game with back tightness, and while it isn’t considered serious, it’s possible he skips his next start.

Freeland has faced Atlanta seven times in his career, all starts, and is 1-3 with a 5.80 ERA. The Braves, who have the best record in baseball, beat him on June 15 in their home ballpark when he allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Losing to the Braves has become familiar for the Rockies. Atlanta has taken the first two games of this series by a combined score of 17-5 but managed just three runs on 15 hits in Tuesday’s 3-1 win.

Colorado played the Braves tough Tuesday after getting routed on Monday night.

“It doesn’t surprise me. This team has great resiliency, they’re a bunch of young guys with some older guys sprinkled in,” Rockies manager Bud Black said after Tuesday’s loss. “These guys turn the page on a good win or a tough loss. Every day is a test, every day they’re out to prove something. Never have a worry there, the coaching staff and I, about them coming to play.”

Vines didn’t pitch this season until the end of June due to shoulder inflammation and has gone 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA in nine starts over three levels of the minors since getting activated.

He was recalled Monday to provide bullpen depth, but manager Brian Snitker opted to let him debut at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

And the 25-year-old will have a tough act to follow.

Veteran Charlie Morton, who earned his 14th win of the season on Tuesday night, turned in an outing to remember. According to MLB.com, he became just the fourth pitcher age 39 or older to allow no more that one run and three hits in at least six innings at Coors Field in Denver.

The others? Hall of Fame members Randy Johnson (2007), Greg Maddux (2007 and ‘08) and Tom Glavine (2008).

“They’re legends,” Morton said. “I’m just the guy who has figured things out over the last six or seven years.”

–Field Level Media

The Kansas City Royals will turn to left-hander Angel Zerpa on Wednesday in their effort to avert a three-game series sweep against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Royals dropped a 5-0 decision in the series opener on Monday and a 6-3 setback on Tuesday.

Zerpa (1-2, 7.27 ERA) is getting the starting nod in place of Brady Singer, who will miss Wednesday’s scheduled start against Pittsburgh due to arm fatigue. Singer, the Royals’ most consistent starter, leads the club in wins (eight), innings pitched (143 1/3) and strikeouts (125).

“The plan right now is to skip this start,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said prior to Monday’s loss. “He won’t go on the IL. Hopefully we can line him up and let him pitch next time around.”

With a slight — but noticeable — drop in velocity during recent starts, Singer was sent for an MRI Sunday.

“We got good news,” Picollo said. “We had imaging done and it all came back very positive. There’s a little bit of a collective sigh of relief.”

The Royals have considered limiting Singer’s workload with the team 52 games below .500 and officially eliminated from postseason contention.

“That’s something in-game that (Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro) is going to have to decide,” Picollo said. “How taxing are those innings? If it’s a heavy workload for four or five (innings), that’s not the game you want to run him 105 pitches. We’re aware of where we are in the standings and we’re going to do what is right for Brady. We’re not going to put him in situations that are going to adversely affect his career.”

Should Singer miss only Wednesday’s start, he likely would return to the rotation Tuesday when Kansas City hosts the Chicago White Sox.

Zerpa, 23, will make his eighth appearance and third start of the season on Wednesday and first in his career versus the Pirates. He went three innings, allowing five runs on five hits with four strikeouts, in his most recent start on Aug. 22 against the Oakland Athletics.

Pittsburgh right-hander Andre Jackson (0-1, 4.91 ERA) will get the start on Wednesday. He has yet to face Kansas City in his career.

Jackson, 27, threw a career-high six innings against the Chicago Cubs in his most recent outing on Thursday. He allowed two runs on six hits in a no-decision.

In a career spanning 15 seasons and more than 2,000 games, Andrew McCutchen needs one home run to reach 300.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” McCutchen told MLB.com after connecting for No. 299 against Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 22. “We’ll talk about it whenever it happens.”

When it does happen, McCutchen would become the 12th active major leaguer to reach the mark and 158th in major league history, although Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper (299 homers) may get there ahead of him.

With an RBI single in the seventh inning Monday, McCutchen snapped an 0-for-12 slide. The run-scoring single gave him 765 RBIs for his Pirates’ career, two behind Hall of Fame shortstop Arky Vaughan for eighth place all-time in Pirates history.

“I’ve been dealing with a bum elbow all year,” McCutchen said. “I’ve been competing every single day. I’ve been grinding every day, man. I haven’t felt that great, like myself, for most of the season. But, I’m just gonna try and show up and compete. If I can swing the bat, I’m gonna swing. I just take life as it comes and try to do my best.”

–Field Level Media

When the Tampa Bay Rays and the host Miami Marlins end their brief two-game series on Wednesday, one of the big stories will be the injury status of Jorge Soler.

The outfielder, who leads Miami in homers (35) and RBIs (71), was hurt during a swing in Tuesday’s 11-2 loss to Tampa Bay.

Soler, who foul-tipped the pitch, immediately dropped his bat and walked away from the plate.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker quickly made the decision to remove Soler from the game. By the ninth inning, the Marlins announced Soler’s injury as tightness in his right hip.

“He felt something on the swing,” Schumaker said. “The score was 8-2 at the time. He wanted to stay in the game. But I didn’t want to push it and maybe lose him for a couple of weeks.

“Hopefully, he looks better (on Wednesday).”

The Marlins on Wednesday will start left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who hasn’t pitched since Aug. 22 as the team is trying to rest him whenever possible.

Luzardo (9-8, 3.77 ERA), in his fifth MLB season, already has set career highs for wins, games (26) and innings pitched (143 1/3).

As for skipping a start and getting extra rest, Luzardo has pitched with at least six days of rest 14 times, going 3-5 with a 4.31 ERA. That’s almost identical to his career ERA of 4.30.

Luzardo, though, has never beaten the Rays, going 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA.

Offensively, with Soler possibly out, the Marlins will look to get some power from center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm hit his 13th homer of the season on Tuesday. Despite missing 63 games due to injuries so far this season, Chisholm also has 17 steals in 20 tries.

The Rays will try to slow down Chisholm with starting pitcher Zach Eflin, a right-hander.

Eflin (13-8, 3.55) leads the Rays in wins, starts (25) and innings pitched (144 1/3). His 13 wins are a career high, and that figure also is tied for the lead in the American League.

For his career against the Marlins, Eflin is 5-8 with a 5.24 ERA in 17 games, including 16 starts. In nine career games in Miami, including eight starts, Eflin is 1-5 with a 6.43 ERA.

Eflin, who has been bothered by knee issues in the past, has been healthy this year, and he does a good job of suppressing hard contact. He’s not overpowering, but his secondary pitches are solid.

The Rays, with 81 wins, are one victory away from their sixth straight winning season and sit in the top wild-card position in the AL. Indeed, they are closing in on their fifth straight postseason berth.

Most of the Rays’ roster is underrated, and that’s especially true for middle reliever Robert Stephenson, a 30-year-old who is on his third team since 2022.

Stephenson’s career ERA is 4.75. This year, however, his ERA is down to 3.59 after tossing one scoreless inning on Tuesday.

The key to his improvement has been an 88 to 90 mph slider that has vertical movement. Just two months ago, his slider was consistently clocked at 83 to 85 mph.

“It’s as wipeout of a pitch as we’ve seen,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “I’m amazed.”

–Field Level Media

The New York Yankees have two chances to do something they haven’t been able to accomplish in over a month — win a series.

They have taken the first two contests of a four-game series in Detroit. The last time they won a series was July 21-23, when they swept a three-game home series against the Kansas City Royals.

Right-hander Gerrit Cole (11-4, 2.95 ERA), Wednesday’s starter, is coming off one of his most powerful outings this season. Cole held the Tampa Bay Rays to two runs (one earned) and three hits in 7 2/3 innings on Friday. He tied his season high with 11 strikeouts after giving up six runs in four innings to the Boston Red Sox in his previous start.

Despite the Yankees’ disappointing season, Cole is in the running for the American League Cy Young Award.

“It would be unbelievable,” Cole said after his start against the Rays. “So many people put hard work into it. It would be a blessing to represent the organization with that award and to represent the hard work that’s gone on behind the scenes, from the catchers and pitching staff to the coaching staff and everybody that’s an advocate for me and pours into me.”

Cole finished second in the AL Cy Young balloting in 2019 and 2021, and he’s been a top five finalist for a Cy Young Award three other occasions. Cole turns 33 next month.

“You’re always trying to get better,” he said. “Father Time catches up to us somehow, but we can always adjust and figure out what we need to do to stay at that top level.”

Cole traditionally has dominated the Tigers, posting a 7-1 record with a 1.94 ERA in 11 career starts.

The Tigers likely will use an “opener” on Wednesday. Matt Manning, who tweaked his back in his last start, was the originally scheduled starter but he’ll instead get the nod for the series finale on Thursday.

Detroit will be calling up left-hander Joey Wentz from Triple-A Toledo to eat up some innings on Wednesday. Wentz (2-10, 6.62) most recently pitched in the majors on Aug. 18, when he tossed five scoreless innings against the Cleveland Guardians.

“Extra day here doesn’t really impact a ton,” manager A.J. Hinch said of pushing back Manning’s start. “We’ll give other guys some opportunities.”

Wentz has never faced the Yankees.

The Tigers will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak. They have scored two or fewer runs in three of those games.

They didn’t score on Tuesday until Parker Meadows’ two-run single with two out in the ninth inning.

“We certainly have to do more if we expect to win the game,” Hinch said.

Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres has homered in both games of the series thus far. He reached base four times in Tuesday’s 4-2 win.

The Yankees got a scare when Torres was hit in the hand by a pitch, but he shook it off and stayed in the contest.

“We were worried initially but I think he’s fine,” manager Aaron Boone said.

New York will go forward without infielder Josh Donaldson, who was on the injured list with a calf strain. The Yankees released Donaldson prior to Tuesday’s game as they evaluate younger players the rest of the way.

–Field Level Media

The San Francisco Giants have an opportunity to put three games between themselves and one of their chief competitors for a National League wild-card spot when they go for a home sweep of the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday afternoon.

The Giants have dominated the first two games of the series on the mound. Rookie Kyle Harrison put on a dazzling performance in his home debut during a 4-1 win on Monday, before Alex Cobb was even better on Tuesday, coming within one out of a no-hitter in a 6-1 triumph.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler noted after the Tuesday game that Cobb wanted to complete his outing — and did so with a career-high 131 pitches — even after losing his place in history.

“He takes a lot of pride saving pitches and outs and innings for the bullpen, so I think this is going to be especially special for him,” Kapler said. “It’s not lost on anybody around here, and certainly not lost on the bullpen.

“Whether it was a no-hitter or a complete game, the outcome was going to be the same for the bullpen, getting a night off. That means a lot for all of us.”

Having passed Arizona for the third and final NL wild card-spot on Tuesday, the Giants will take the field for the series finale against Cincinnati a half-game up on the Diamondbacks and two games ahead of the Reds. Cincinnati has lost five of its past six games, all of which have been against Arizona and San Francisco.

In the series finale, the Giants will look for a fourth straight win as they send Logan Webb (9-10, 3.51 ERA) to the mound to duel the Reds’ Hunter Greene (2-6, 5.06) in a matchup of right-handers.

Webb did not get a start at Cincinnati on July 17, limiting the Reds to two runs and four hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. He allowed home runs to Matt McLain and Jonathan India, a pair of infielders who are now on the injured list.

Webb, 26, is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Reds.

Greene has never faced the Giants. The 24-year-old is winless in two starts since returning from a right hip injury, bombed for a total of 14 runs (13 earned) in just 6 2/3 innings by the Toronto Blue Jays and the Diamondbacks.

After a tense series in Arizona in which the Reds put up eight runs in consecutive games on Friday and Saturday, the club has seen its bats go silenced. Cincinnati has managed a total of 11 hits in 4-2, 4-1 and 6-1 losses the past three days, the latter two in San Francisco.

Reds manager David Bell is hopeful exhaustion isn’t setting in on a young club that played its best baseball of the season in June (18-9) before sliding some in July (15-11) and now struggling in August (9-17).

“Fatigue is a factor for everyone at this point in the year,” Bell said. “We’re tracking everything. We’ve got to take everything into consideration. We also don’t want to take anything away from players, having the experience of playing when you’re fatigued, having the experience of playing important games when you don’t feel great all the time.”

–Field Level Media

Plenty has gone right for the Seattle Mariners over the past two months, as they rallied from a double-digit division deficit to move into first place in the American League West.

On Tuesday, their luck ran out.

The short-handed Mariners lost 3-1 to the cellar-dwelling Oakland Athletics to drop into a three-way tie for first place with the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros.

The A’s and Mariners will wrap up their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon in Seattle.

Mariners All-Stars George Kirby (flu-like symptoms) and Julio Rodriguez (left foot soreness) were scratched from the starting lineup on Tuesday. Seattle first baseman Ty France left in the third inning due to a left wrist contusion after getting hit on an errant pickoff attempt by Luke Weaver, and shortstop J.P. Crawford stayed in the game after sliding awkwardly into second base in the third.

“Stuff happens,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We play so many games. We’ve been on such a hot streak where everything kind of has gone our way, so it’s gonna be a little bump in the road, a little adversity.”

Servais said Rodriguez and France are both considered day-to-day. The Mariners plan to see how Kirby is feeling Wednesday morning, though it’s likely rookie right-hander Bryce Miller, who has dominated the A’s twice this season, will make his scheduled start in the afternoon game.

Seth Brown and Shea Langeliers homered for the A’s on Tuesday, and six Oakland pitchers combined on a four-hitter.

“We’re definitely in the seat of spoiler, and we want to ruin as many dreams as possible,” said A’s closer Trevor May, who struck out the side in the ninth while escaping a jam.

Brown homered for the first time since Aug. 13, while Langeliers went deep for the fifth time in his past eight games.

“We all know Shea has the ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark, and it was a long stretch for him trying to figure out and make adjustments,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “I think his swing looks great right now.”

Kotsay was equally pleased with his relievers, who combined for five scoreless innings.

“The bullpen came in and did an unbelievable job,” Kotsay said. “That’s a game this year that we’ve seen — our offense scoring early and not adding on, and us not being able to hold the lead. And so tonight was a great sign of the progress we’ve made.”

A’s right-hander Zach Neal (1-0, 6.88 ERA) is scheduled to start on Wednesday against Miller (8-4, 3.90).

Neal made his first start since 2016 on Friday in Chicago, and he beat the White Sox 12-4. He allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits over five innings. Neal is 0-2 with a 7.04 ERA in four career appearances (two starts) against the Mariners, though he hasn’t faced them since 2017.

Miller didn’t get a decision against the visiting Kansas City Royals on Friday after allowing three runs on six hits in four innings.

Miller made his major league debut on May 2 at Oakland, and he yielded one run on two hits in six innings, with no walks and 10 strikeouts in a no-decision during a 2-1 Seattle win. He defeated the A’s 6-1 on May 24 in Seattle when he pitched six scoreless innings and allowed two hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

–Field Level Media

After entering a six-game homestand with high expectations, the best the Toronto Blue Jays can do is to get a split when they face the Washington Nationals on Wednesday afternoon.

Toronto had hoped to gain momentum for a run at an American League wild-card spot in the six games against teams with below .500 records.

Instead, they are 2-3 on the homestand after a 5-4 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday. The teams have split the first two games of the three-game series.

The Blue Jays dropped two of three to the Cleveland Guardians to open the homestand.

The Nationals, meanwhile, assured themselves of a successful nine-game road trip by winning their fifth game win with one left.

Toronto dropped to 3 1/2 games out of the final AL wild-card spot.

Right-hander Chris Bassitt (12-7, 4.00 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Wednesday. His only two career outings against Washington came last season as a member of the New York Mets, when he went 2-0 and tossed a combined 13 scoreless innings.

Washington is scheduled to start left-hander Patrick Corbin (9-11, 4.70 ERA). He is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two career starts against Toronto, both outings occurring in 2016.

Toronto added shortstop Bo Bichette (strained right quadriceps) to the injured list on Tuesday, a day after third baseman Matt Chapman (finger) landed on the IL.

Bichette opened the month on the IL with a knee injury. He left the Sunday game due to quad tightness.

“He’s frustrated,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “At the same time, he understands that he doesn’t want to do anything that’s going to put him out for the season. He took it as well as he could is the best way to say it. He wants to be out there every day, especially at this time of year.”

Ernie Clement, recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, started at shortstop the past two days.

Toronto selected the contract of infielder Mason McCoy on Tuesday. He was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for reliever Trent Thornton in a July 26 trade. McCoy, who has no major league experience, hit .226 with 12 homers and 64 RBIs in 108 Triple-A games this year.

“He’s a really, really good defender and great baserunner,” Schneider said. “He’s kind of another blue-collar dude who’s been working his entire career to get here. I’m excited to have him.”

Davis Schneider continued his hot hitting since his promotion from Buffalo with a solo homer and an RBI double Tuesday. In his first 13 major league games, he is batting 19-for-45 (.422) with four doubles, six homers and 14 RBIs for the Blue Jays.

Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a first-inning single. He is 13-for-43 (.302) over that stretch.

The Nationals got a three-run homer from catcher Keibert Ruiz and a two-run shot from Carter Kieboom.

It was a special night for Washington center fielder Jacob Young, who bunted for his first major league hit, had his first stolen base and threw out Alejandro Kirk at home for his first assist after catching a fly ball in the eighth.

“There’s no one else on base, so you can kind of let it fly,” Young said. “You want to give Keibert a chance, and Keibert made a heck of a play.”

In making the catch, Young nearly ran into left fielder Alex Call but called him off in time.

“We had that conversation the first day that he got here,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “‘You’re the center fielder. You control the outfield. You call it. You take everything.'”

–Field Level Media