Tigers manager Jim Leyland has spent most of the summer struggling to find new superlatives to describe Miguel Cabrera. It’s not that he doesn’t appreciate what he has been watching; it’s that he has seen so much of it.

September is evaluation time, and there are players on the Cubs’ roster now, like Donnie Murphy, who are hoping to impress the front office to give them a chance next year. There are also youngsters, like Zac Rosscup, who may not get many innings but will benefit from the experience of being in the Major Leagues. And there is Kevin Gregg, who doesn’t consider September to be any different than May, June, July or any other month.

Vinnie Pestano did not pitch in either of the two games that took place since he rejoined the Indians on Tuesday. Anyone with any interest in the team — from players and executives to fans and reporters — must be at least a little bit interested in how the Tribe’s former setup man is throwing these days.

Home runs are great fun, unforgettable in some cases. But they don’t always mean as much as you might think.

Through all the slumps and struggles, Marlins manager Mike Redmond has been a voice of reason. But when it comes to preparing his team for the rigors of getting through the month of September in the big leagues, even Redmond is at a loss for words.

In a landscape littered with local broadcasts that often lean too provincial, too one-sided or too outdated, SportsNet New York seems to have stumbled upon the magic formula with Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling.

The playoffs begin this week throughout the Minor Leagues, and the pressure situations inherent in postseason play at any level should benefit prospects as they make their way to the big leagues.

Roy Halladay should have four more starts before the end of the regular season, which is good news in terms of his evaluation.
The bad news is the Phillies’ front office must determine if it wants to resign him based upon those starts.

After surprise runs to the postseason in 2012, the Orioles and A’s are back in the thick of things and turning heads again this year. So now the question everyone wants answered is how do they keep doing this?

Every lineup, every day, as they are made public by the clubs.

The Mariners aren’t taking any risks with Felix Hernandez and have decided to push back the ace right-hander’s next start from Sunday to Wednesday. That will give Hernandez eight days’ rest since he left his Labor Day start with a lower back cramp.

If we need a daily dose of pennant-race drama, we can be sure to get it by watching the Oakland A’s play the Texas Rangers. That was the takeaway from Wednesday’s action around the Major Leagues as the Pulse of the Postseason continued to echo.

Less than a week after David Ortiz was in an 0-for-23 slump, he’s gotten hot again.

Yan Gomes broke a tie in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s series finale against Baltimore, driving in the go-ahead run with a double to left in a 6-4 victory over the Orioles that gave the Tribe a series win.

The Pirates’ and Brewers’ dugouts and bullpens briefly emptied in the fifth inning of their Wednesday night game, after pitcher Wily Peralta’s first pitch following a home run by Andrew McCutchen smacked into Justin Morneau’s right hand.

Looking to gain ground in their playoff pursuit, the Yankees will send Ivan Nova to the hill opposite the Red Sox’s Jake Peavy as the American League East rivals open up a four-game series Thursday night in the Bronx.

Matt Carpenter’s sixth-inning double on Wednesday night in Cincinnati was his 46th of the season, moving him into a four-way tie for the most doubles in franchise history by a player who primarily plays second base. Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby set the record in 1922.