Around the MLB: Aug. 31

The wild card races are coming down to the wire and teams are giving it their all to solidify a spot for the postseason. There has been a lot of news around the league so let’s dive into the latest headlines of the week.

Angels make shocking roster moves

The Los Angeles Angels made headlines Tuesday night as they put pitchers Lucas Giolito, Matt Moore, Reynaldo Lopez and Dominic Leone on waivers. In addition, outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk were also waived. As of Thursday, Giolito, Moore and Lopez were all claimed by the Cleveland Guardians, Hunter Renfroe was claimed by the Cincinnati Reds and Leone was picked up by the Seattle Mariners. Grichuk was the only Angel to not be claimed.

Donaldson and Bader waived

The New York Yankees also decided to make moves of their own by waiving third baseman Josh Donaldson and outfielder Harrison Bader. The Cincinnati Reds also took Bader during their waiver wire activities while Donaldson has been connected to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Phillies set franchise single-month home run record

An offensive explosion was seen all August long in Philadelphia as the Phillies belabored baseballs left, right and center. The team finished the month with 59 home runs which ended up being the most the franchise has ever recorded in a single calendar month since 2019. One of those long balls included Bryce Harper’s 300th career home run, and Trea Turner has excelled since his standing ovation, batting over .300 while slashing nine home runs with 26 RBIs.

Mariners set franchise record for most wins in a month

With their win over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, the Seattle Mariners set a franchise record for most wins in a single month with 21. Their strong pitching staff and hot bats have stormed the team to first place in the AL West with a 76-57 record overtaking the Texas Rangers, who have been at the top of the division for nearly the entire year.

Braves hit the most home runs in their history

The Atlanta Braves and their electric offense continue to dominate opponent after opponent. Orlando Arcia’s two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday marked the 250th of the season for the Braves, the most the team has hit in a single season ever. With 30 games left on the schedule for the 87-45 Braves, the record is only going to grow.

Corbin Carroll completes a rare feat

During Sunday afternoon’s game against the Reds, Corbin Carroll became the fourth rookie in MLB history to hit 20 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season. This accomplishment has Carroll join the company of Mike Trout, Mitchell Page and Tommie Agee. The Arizona Diamondbacks have fallen back down to earth after their successful first half, but as Carroll makes his case for NL Rookie of the Year, Arizona continues to stay in the case for a wild card spot.

Anthony Desher is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.