FT Leadoff

Look up the word “clutch” in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of Jackson Merrill.

The Padres rookie sensation connected for THREE game-tying homers in the eighth inning or later last week, including this past Friday and Saturday.

Merill also surpassed Ken Griffey Jr. over the weekend for the fifth-most homers by a rookie center fielder (17) at age 21 or younger.

Over in the American League, Jackson Holliday continues to turn heads since being recalled from Triple-A.

Holliday’s fifth homer on Saturday made him the youngest player to hit four-plus homers in a six-game span since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2019.

Of those five homers, four have traveled over 400 feet.

Watch - O’s writer Matt Weyrich joined us on Friday to discuss Jackson Holliday’s resurgence.

The only two 70-win teams in baseball right now are neck-and-neck.

Baltimore and New York find themselves with identical records (70-49) atop the AL East. These division foes will meet for one more series this season in late September.

With the Rangers seemingly out of it, it’s pretty much a two-team race over in the AL West.

The Astros and Mariners are tied atop the division following weekends in which both teams pulled off sweeps.

Similarly, the Mariners and Astros will meet deep into September for one more series this season.

• View - Dodgers walk-off Pirates to complete sweep, move 3.5 games up in NL West.

• View - Padres, Diamondbacks maintain 4-game lead in Wild Card race, both 8-2 over last 10.

• View - Cubs sweep White Sox, move 3 GB of Wild Card spot.

• View - Red Sox fall 3 GB in Wild Card race after getting swept.

• View - Juan Soto becomes youngest player to homer off all 30 teams.

• View - Mets fall victim to sweep, move 0.5 GB of Wild Card spot.

• View - Twins, Guardians split series, 3.5 games separate top spot in AL Central.

• View - Justin Verlander goes three innings in first rehab start.

• View - FT’s own Jason Kipnis appears with Savannah Bananas.

Watch - Mookie Betts joins his former coach, Ruben Amaro Jr., on The Phillies Show to reminisce about his days in Boston, the atmosphere playing in Philadelphia and more.

Watch - Hammer Territory’s Scott Coleman and Brad Rowland react to an unbelievable meltdown by the Braves in Colorado on Sunday.

Watch - The FT Crew reacts to Pedro Grifol’s firing during a historically bad season.

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