A look at what's happening around the majors today:
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OLD FRIENDS
Max Scherzer faces a familiar NL East foe when his Dodgers go for a three-game sweep of the Mets in prime time. It’ll be Scherzer’s third start with LA since being acquired from the Nationals, and he should be plenty comfortable at Citi Field. The right-hander is 12-5 with a 2.70 ERA in his career against the Mets, although he’s yet to face them this season despite spending most of the year in the same division with Washington.
Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 6.75) is set for his fourth start for New York after missing most of the season with a hamstring injury.
STILL AT 499
Miguel Cabrera is finding ways to help the Tigers while he chases career homer No. 500. He’ll take another crack at the mark in the finale of a series against Cleveland a day after sparking a late rally with a leadoff walk in a 6-4 win. His free pass got Detroit going in a two-run eighth inning, and he also singled and was hit by a pitch.
Prior to the walk, he ripped a 3-2 pitch just foul down the right-field line.
“I was in the on-deck circle, and I thought that was it,” Jeimer Candelario said. “The fans have been so excited this weekend I thought they might run on the field when it went out.”
FORGET ABOUT IT
The Reds give the ball to starter Sonny Gray (4-6, 4.40) against the Phillies hoping to put Saturday's sloppy defeat behind them. The NL wild-card contenders were no-hit by Matt Moore — with a 6.07 ERA — and the bullpen until Tyler Stephenson homered leading off the eighth, and a lackadaisical defensive play by the infield allowed Bryce Harper to sprint for a Little League homer in Philadelphia's 6-1 win.
Aaron Nola (7-6, 4.35) is set to pitch for the Phillies.
DRIVE FOR FIVE
Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies has homered in four straight games heading into a series finale against struggling Washington. Albies has five home runs in the last six games and is coming off a three-hit night that included a triple Saturday.
Atlanta has won nine of 11 and is tied with Philadelphia atop the NL East. Drew Smyly (8-3, 4.41 ERA) pitches for the Braves, looking to win his seventh consecutive decision.
ROUGH STRETCH
Baltimore tries to stop a 10-game slide when it sends rookie left-hander Keegan Akin (0-6, 8.23 ERA) to the mound for the finale of a three-game series at Boston. The last-place Orioles lost 16-2 to Chris Sale and the Red Sox on Saturday, surrendering five homers. They are just 1-11 in August, outscored 105-41. Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6, 5.24 ERA) starts for Boston.
SET BACK
The Yankees are sending right-hander Luis Severino for an MRI to help determine if the two-time All-Star can still help with their postseason push. Severino missed most of 2019 and all of 2020 and 2021 with various injuries, and he was scratched from his most recent rehab start Friday as he tries to work back from Tommy John surgery in February 2020.
He'll get an MRI on Monday on his sore right shoulder, and manager Aaron Boone said Saturday the Yankees “hope to have a clear picture” on the 27-year-old after the exam. Severino was likely one or two rehab starts away from rejoining New York.
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