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Shohei Ohtani is first pitcher with leadoff home run

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani had himself quite the first inning against the Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

His three strikeouts in the top half were impressive. His leadoff home run in the bottom half was historic.

And then, for good measure, he homered again in the fourth.

In providing his own early run support in the potential clincher, Ohtani became the first pitcher in MLB history to hit a leadoff home run — in either the regular season or the postseason. It was also the first home run by any Dodgers pitcher in postseason history.

The last postseason homer by a pitcher came when the Brewers and Dodgers faced off in the 2018 NLCS, with Brandon Woodruff taking Clayton Kershaw deep in Game 1.

Despite all the firsts, Ohtani’s solo shot off Brewers starter Jose Quintana still had a bit of a familiar feel to it. That’s because it was exactly one year ago to the day that Ohtani hit a leadoff home run … off Quintana (then with the Mets) … in Game 4 of the NLCS. Per Elias, Ohtani is the fourth player to homer off the same pitcher on the same calendar day in multiple postseasons, joining Justin Turner (off Max Scherzer, Oct. 7, 2016 and 2019), Manny Ramirez (off Cole Hamels, Oct. 15, 2008 and 2009) and Dusty Baker (off Steve Carlton, Oct. 8, 1977 and 1983).

Ohtani entered Friday just 3-for-29 (.103) since the start of the NLDS. He had not homered since his two-homer game in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series on Sept. 30.

Ohtani put an end to that drought with his third career postseason leadoff home run (which traveled a Statcast-projected 446 feet). That’s tied with Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins for the second most in MLB history, trailing only Kyle Schwarber (five).

Ohtani’s second blast traveled even farther, coming in at 469 feet and clearing the roof of the Right Field Pavilion. It made him the first pitcher in history with a multihomer postseason game.

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Braves sign veteran Charlie Morton, a day after the right-handed pitcher was released by Tigers

ATLANTA (AP) The Atlanta Braves signed veteran pitcher Charlie Morton to a major league contract on Monday, a day after the right-hander was designated for assignment and released by Detroit.

Braves manager Brian Snitker did not say if the 41-year-old Morton will pitch for the Braves in the final week of the season. Snitker said Morton will be in Atlanta on Tuesday.

“I donâ€t know what (the plan is) until we get him here and talk through everything,†Snitker said. “We donâ€t really have a plan. We got him back. I donâ€t know what that plan would be. I talked to him Saturday afternoon before batting practice (in Detroit). It wasnâ€t even on the radar.â€

This would be Mortonâ€s third career stint with the Braves. He was drafted by Atlanta in the third round (95th overall) of the 2002 draft. Morton made his MLB debut with Atlanta in 2008 and from 2009 to 2020 pitched for the Pirates, Phillies, Astros and Rays, respectively, before returning to Atlanta for the 2021-24 seasons.

Morton signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Orioles in January and was traded to the Tigers before Julyâ€s trade deadline.

Morton won a World Series title with the Astros in 2017 and the Braves in 2021.

Morton last pitched for Detroit on Friday, allowing six earned runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and two walks in a 10-1 loss to Atlanta.

This season, Morton is 9-11 with a 5.89 ERA in 32 games, including 26 starts. Morton has a career regular-season win-loss record of 147-134 over 415 games (406 starts) and 2,266 innings. His 2,195 career strikeouts rank sixth among active MLB pitchers.

In a corresponding move, Atlanta optioned right-handed pitcher Jhancarlos Lara to Triple-A Gwinnett and designated right-hander Carson Ragsdale for assignment.

—

AP MLB:

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Fantasy Baseball 2-Start Pitcher Rankings: Kyle Bradish a ‘w…

This is a terrific week for two-start pitchers in fantasy baseball, as the slow movement on the waiver wire has led to plenty of gems who should be rostered in far more leagues. There are also plenty of hitters to consider, with no less than 10 players referenced at the bottom of this article. With two weeks remaining in the season, this is a prime time to cut roster mainstays in favor of streamers.

Two-Start Pitchers (listed in order of preference)

Kyle Bradish, Orioles, 41% (@CWS, vs. NYY): Bradish is easily the most accomplished hurler on the two-start list this week. After all, he logged a 2.81 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 2023-24 and has logged a 2.65 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in three starts since returning from Tommy John surgery. If it wasnâ€t for such a late return date, the right-hander would be rostered in virtually every league. Heâ€s a waiver-wire gift for a two-start week, regardless of the matchups.

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Emmet Sheehan, Dodgers, 39% (vs. PHI, vs. SF): Sheehan has become one of the Dodgers’ best starters and has a 3.32 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 59.2 innings. He has enjoyed his best starts in recent weeks, allowing three runs across 18.2 innings while logging a 25:4 K:BB ratio across his past three starts. Even with a challenging start against the Phillies, Sheehan still belongs in the active lineup in every league.

Michael Wacha, Royals, 44% (vs. SEA, vs. TOR): Although Wacha gets dinged by fantasy analysts for his lack of strikeouts (6.6 K/9 rate), he may be the most reliable pitcher on the waiver wire. After all, he is on the verge of recording an ERA below 3.50 and a WHIP below 1.20 for the fourth straight season. Wacha faces a pair of winning teams this week, but should benefit from making both starts at his pitcher-friendly home park, where he has logged a 2.92 ERA this season.

Connelly Early, Red Sox, 9% (vs. ATH, @TB): Early is coming off one of the most memorable debuts in recent memory, when he struck out 11 Athletics across five scoreless innings last week. And he truly earned his promotion to the majors, logging a 2.60 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in the Minors this year. The lefty has challenging matchups this week, as he will face solid lineups at hitter-friendly parks. But his upside is too great to ignore, especially while the rest of the league is still getting to know him.

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Jack Leiter, Rangers, 47% (@HOU, vs. MIA): Leiter has been effective this summer, producing a 3.09 ERA and 79 strikeouts across 67 innings during his past 13 starts. He is still a bit wild at times, which has resulted in a 1.31 WHIP across the same stretch. Leiter has favorable matchups this week and can be started by anyone who isnâ€t too concerned with their WHIP.

Jeffrey Springs, Athletics, 35% (@BOS, @PIT): After enjoying an excellent stretch for part of the summer, Springs has logged a 5.02 ERA in 10 second-half starts. His overall numbers this season are still respectable (4.28 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 10 wins), and his matchup this week against the low-scoring Pirates makes him an excellent option in 12-team leagues. Those in 10-team formats can likely grab one of the names that precede Springs on this list.

Jason Alexander, Astros, 19% (vs. TEX, vs. SEA): Alexander enjoyed his best of 10 starts this season when he allowed just four baserunners across seven scoreless innings in Toronto last time out. He has been one of the most surprising starters in baseball since the beginning of August, as he has logged a 2.20 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across seven starts. His success across that stretch has been aided by a .227 BABIP, but he also deserves credit for a 35:9 K:BB ratio. Although he will face two motivated teams this week, Alexander has pitched well enough of late to crack the lineup in 12-team leagues.

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Trey Yesavage, Blue Jays, 5% (@TB, @KC): Yesavage will make his major league debut on Monday and would rank higher on this list if his second start was set in stone. Manager John Schneider was non-committal when asked about his plans for Yesavage, and there is a good chance that the youngster moves to the bullpen later in the week. Still, after racking up 160 strikeouts in 98 minor league innings this year, the 22-year-old has incredible upside.

Jameson Taillon, Cubs, 28% (@PIT, @CIN): Taillon has been solid in three starts since returning from nearly two months on the injured list, allowing four runs over 15.1 innings but recording just nine strikeouts. Heâ€s a low-upside option with a decent floor this week, especially since he has a good chance for a quality start and a win when he faces the last-place Pirates.

One-Start Streamers

In order, here are the best streamers for the week, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets.

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  • Luis Morales @PIT (Saturday, 45%)

  • Parker Messick @MIN (Saturday, 35%)

  • Bubba Chandler vs. ATH (Saturday, 29%)

  • Shane Smith vs. BAL (Tuesday, 23%)

  • Luis Severino @PIT (Friday, 31%)

  • Tyler Wells @CWS (Tuesday, 21%)

  • Brandon Sproat vs. WSH (Saturday, 23%)

  • Jonah Tong vs. WSH (Friday, 30%)

  • Cade Cavalli @NYM (Saturday, 20%)

  • Patrick Corbin vs. MIA (Friday, 14%)

  • Charlie Morton vs. ATL (Friday, 29%)

  • Payton Tolle @TB (Saturday, 15%)

  • Cade Povich @CWS (Wednesday, 5%)

Hitters with favorable matchups this week

In my waiver wire article last Friday, I mentioned Kyle Manzardo, Otto Lopez, Josh Lowe, Austin Hays and Ryan McMahon as hitters who are poised to perform well this week. Although I still favor those players, rather than repeating myself, Iâ€ll add a few more names to consider.

Daulton Varsho, OF, Blue Jays, 19%: Varsho has posted a .942 OPS since the All-Star break, making him a big reason that the Blue Jays rank first in runs scored over that stretch. Managers who need power numbers should add him for a seven-game week that includes four contests at homer-happy George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

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Daylen Lile, OF, Nationals, 38%: The Nats will play seven games this week, with four coming against a Braves team that is struggling to find pitching depth down the stretch, and three contests against a floundering Mets club. Lile has become the teamâ€s cleanup hitter and has logged a 1.248 OPS in September. Josh Bell (13%) is also a fine option from the Nats.

Heriberto Hernández, OF, Marlins, 1%: A young outfielder with a bit of pop, Hernandez has received regular playing time down the stretch. With the Marlins in Colorado to open the week, he is a good option for those who play in deeper formats.

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