UCLA Professional Athletes

The Best and Worst of UCLA's MLB Week

No school had a wider range of outcomes in the majors this week than UCLA. While Garrett Mitchell was making a case as the most dangerous hitter in the NL Central stretch run, Gerrit Cole was making history — and not the kind anyone wants.

Mitchell Puts the Brewers in Playoff Mode

Mitchell didn't just have a good week. He had a statement week for a Milwaukee team that clinched its postseason berth this week.

On Friday, he went 3-for-the-night with a homer and four RBI as the Brewers demolished the Reds 20-0 — a blowout that also featured Mitchell hitting the club's first grand slam of the season. Two days later on Saturday, he went 4-for-4 with another homer, four more RBI, and two runs scored in a 13-9 win over Cincinnati, lifting his average to .269. Over the week, the former first-round pick collected multiple hits in multiple games and contributed to a dramatic walk-off win over the Cubs mid-week.

Mitchell's grand slam in the 20-0 rout was the exclamation point on a night that doubled as Milwaukee's official playoff-clinching moment. For a UCLA fan base that has watched him fight through injury setbacks, this stretch is the kind of payoff worth savoring.

Cole's Nightmare Stretch Continues

While Mitchell was driving in runs in bunches, Gerrit Cole was surrendering home runs by the batch.

The week opened on Sunday, Sept. 6, with Cole taking the loss against the Padres — but he at least logged 7.0 innings. The damage, however, was notable from the jump: Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth, and Manny Machado hit three consecutive solo shots to lead off the game, a piece of ignominy that made MLB history. The Yankees lost 4-3.

Then came Saturday against the Mets. Cole allowed nine hits and five earned runs in just 4.1 innings as New York was routed 12-2. Three more home runs surrendered. The cumulative two-start total: seven home runs allowed, a number that drew pointed reactions from manager Aaron Boone and from Cole himself, who offered an honest self-assessment after the game. With Cole owed $72 million beyond this season, the Yankees have no clean exit from this arrangement — only the hope that their ace rediscovers his form before the postseason.

Around the Rest of the Bruins

Elsewhere, Kyle Karros had a solid week for a struggling Colorado club, going deep Thursday against the Yankees and collecting hits across multiple games to sit at .258. Matt McLain remains mired in a difficult season in Cincinnati, batting .188 for the week with limited offensive contributions, though Reds manager Terry Francona publicly defended his confidence in the second baseman after Saturday's win. Jack Ralston continued logging reliable relief innings for Miami, appearing in three games and striking out multiple batters across the stretch.

The week crystallized a tale of two Bruins: one writing himself into Milwaukee's October story, the other searching for answers with the calendar running out.

Gerrit Cole on the Doorstep of History

The Yankees ace is one win away from a milestone, and he's been doing it the hard way.

Gerrit Cole entered September with his sights set on a piece of obscure but legitimate history — a win against the Pittsburgh Pirates, his former club, would push him to a threshold that would make the achievement all the more pointed given the opponent. The FanSided report notes the scenario carries a layer of irony: Cole would be embarrassing the organization that drafted him in the process.

His path there has been workmanlike. On Wednesday, September 2, Cole started against the Angels — sporting a 7-7 record and 3.19 ERA entering the contest — and delivered 5.1 innings with five strikeouts, allowing three earned runs in a 6-3 Yankees win. It wasn't vintage Cole, but it was a winning effort. His ERA ticked up slightly to 3.29, and the victory kept his chase alive heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

The Angels series also featured a subplot for Cole: pitching in the market where he grew up, with the franchise having just been sold to Stan Kroenke for a record $4 billion. Whatever sentimental weight came with that backdrop, Cole did his job.

Matt McLain Finds His Swing at the Right Time

Cincinnati's second baseman has been one of the quietly productive stories in the NL this week.

Matt McLain homered in back-to-back games against the Brewers — going deep on both Friday, September 4 (one hit, one HR, two RBI, one run) and Saturday, September 5 (one hit, one HR, one RBI, one run) — turning what had been a quiet week at the plate into a legitimate hot stretch. He'd spent most of the period hovering around the Mendoza line, going hitless in Tuesday and Wednesday's games against the Padres, but the power surge against Milwaukee is exactly the kind of production the Reds need from their middle infield down the stretch.

McLain's batting average climbed to .190 on the week — still a work in progress — but two home runs in two days suggests the underlying contact is improving. Worth watching as Cincinnati closes out the season.

Mitchell Holding Steady in Milwaukee

Garrett Mitchell has been a reliable presence atop the Brewers lineup all week, collecting hits in five of six games during the period and logging multiple runs scored. The UCLA outfielder enters the weekend hitting .259, consistent with his season-long output, as Milwaukee continues to hold the best record in baseball and an 8.0-game lead in the NL Central.

Mitchell's week against the Cubs and Rangers featured multi-game hit streaks and solid on-base work, including a walk in the Brewers' Sunday win over Texas. He's not putting up flashy numbers, but he's doing exactly what a contending team needs from its center fielder in September.

Around the Rest of the Bruins

Elsewhere in the UCLA alumni pool, Griffin Canning delivered 2.2 innings of relief for the Padres on Saturday against New York with three strikeouts (ERA: 5.87), while Marlins reliever Jack Ralston had a rough Friday outing — allowing three earned runs in just a third of an inning — after a cleaner one-inning appearance on Wednesday. Tyler Heineman has been in and out of the Angels lineup all week, batting .178 with a hit in Wednesday's loss to the Yankees.

The Main Event: McLain and the Reds Run Wild

Matt McLain had a front-row seat to history on Sunday — and contributed to it.

The UCLA second baseman went 1-for-3 with a walk, a homer, two RBIs, and a run scored as the Cincinnati Reds dismantled the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-5. His 13th home run of the season was part of an offensive eruption that also featured JJ Bleday becoming just the eighth player in Reds franchise history to hit for the cycle — one of baseball's rarest individual accomplishments. Elly De La Cruz piled on with four hits, including a long ball of his own. It was the kind of game that goes in a franchise scrapbook, and McLain was a meaningful part of the story.

The performance offered a bright moment for McLain, who has battled to keep his average afloat this month. He entered the week hitting .198 and closed it at .189 after a quieter stretch against the Cubs. Still, the power output is real: 13 home runs is a legitimate number for a middle infielder, and that Sunday showing against Arizona was a reminder of the upside he carries.

Cole Holds His Own Against Houston

Across the league, Gerrit Cole continued to anchor the Yankees rotation. The Westwood product made his scheduled start against the Astros on Thursday, logging six innings and striking out five while allowing three earned runs. His ERA settled at 3.19 on the season with a 7-6 record — a quietly solid campaign for a staff ace. The Yankees entered the game at 75-57, comfortably in the thick of the AL East race.

Mitchell Stays Active in Milwaukee

Garrett Mitchell has been one of the steadier Bruin names in the box scores this week. The Brewers outfielder appeared in games against the Braves, Mets (twice), and Rangers, picking up hits on Tuesday and Wednesday — including a two-hit, one-RBI outing against the Mets on August 26. He's carrying a .259 average through the stretch, doing the work of a competent everyday contributor even if the headlines haven't found him.

Around the Roster

Ryan Kreidler provided one of the week's other notable individual moments, going deep for the Twins in a 9-2 win over the Athletics on Tuesday — adding two runs and an RBI to his line. The outfielder is hitting .225 on the year, and that home run gives him something to build on.

Kyle Karros, meanwhile, landed back on the injured list after the Rockies recalled Ryan Ritter. The UCLA third baseman had been hitting .263 but won't be available for the stretch run until he heals up.

On the pitching side, Griffin Canning made two appearances for the Padres — both brief, both reflecting the elevated ERA that has defined a difficult season. Jake Bird was used out of the Nationals bullpen on back-to-back days Monday and Tuesday, tossing a clean inning each time with a strikeout in each outing. Jack Ralston worked two frames for Miami on Sunday and returned to log 1.1 innings on Saturday.

The week belonged to McLain and the Reds. Cycling teammates and 13th home runs tend to make for good newsletter fodder.