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This weekend’s series in Baltimore will be the final interleague series of the year for Milwaukee. With just three three-game series left this season, the Brewers need to go 5-4 to win 100 games for the first time in franchise history. They also need to win at least two more games than the Dodgers to secure the top seed heading into the playoffs.

On the hill tonight for Milwaukee is trade deadline acquisition Dustin May, whose brief tenure with the Crew has been a veritable roller coaster. He’s failed to finish the fifth inning three times and was pulled from a fourth start after just one batter thanks to a comebacker. His other three starts have all been quality starts, a couple of which have been dominant — including his last outing, when he tossed six innings of shutout ball against the Reds.

Pitching for the Orioles is lefty Cade Povich, a third-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2021. He has a 4.05 ERA through seven appearances (six starts) this season, although his ERA is north of five across 45 career appearances. Povich has never pitched against the Brewers, although the only two Brewers he’s ever faced — Andrew Vaughn and Bo Naylor — have both gotten hits off him.

No surprises in today’s lineup; Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Vaughn make up the top of the order. Vaughn will start at first base, with Christian Yelich hitting fifth as the designated hitter. Joey Ortiz, Garrett Mitchell, Luis Lara, and Cooper Pratt round out the order. Jake Bauers gets his second straight day off in today’s series opener.

Finally, one bit of roster news: Garrett Stallings, who did an admirable job in relief yesterday, was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville in favor of lefty Colton Gordon. We might see Gordon in relief tonight, but with the Crew still yet to announce a starter for Sunday’s series finale, it’s also possible he’ll pitch then.

As usual, tonight’s opener will be broadcast on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.

The Dodgers and Giants continue their first of two weekend series in a row on Saturday night in Los Angeles, with Tarik Skubal making his final regular season start at Dodger Stadium this season.

It’s the second time in three starts Skubal is pitching on four days rest, something he did five times this season with the Detroit Tigers before getting traded to Los Angeles.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Giants
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 6:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

There’s arguably no San Diego Padre who needed a breakout more than Xander Bogaerts. The veteran shortstop has massively underwhelmed since being signed to a long-term contract ahead of the 2023 season. In his last 15 games, Bogaerts owns a .302/.403/.453 slash line. That production has been buoyed by his last seven games, where his slash line improves to .357/.419/.643 with a 1.062 OPS.

The Padres’ offense has surged after scoring just three runs in Game 2. They scored nine in the series finale to take the four-game set versus the Colorado Rockies. That has moved the Friars to a four-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the final NL Wild Card spot. They’ll now return to Petco Park for their penultimate homestand versus the Miami Marlins.

Taking the mound

Tyler Phillips (MIA) v. Nick Pivetta (SD)

Phillips has looked quite good since being converted to a starter this season. He was highly effective out of the bullpen in 2025 (2.78 ERA), and owns a 3.55 ERA between both relief and starting appearances. Phillips has been solid, though not particularly great over his last few starts. He’s surrendered five runs in his last 8 2/3 innings.

With most of his short career being spent in the bullpen, Phillips hasn’t faced the Padres much. Of those who have faced him (nine at-bats), none have reached base. The Friars will seek to turn that around in their series opener versus Miami tonight.

It’s impossible to overstate just how good Pivetta has been since returning from the IL. In two starts since returning, the right-hander owns a 2.00 ERA through nine innings pitched. That’s dropped his ERA this season to a solid 3.60 mark.

How Pivetta continues to pitch down the stretch could very well determine the Friars’ postseason rotation. The club has a wealth of arms to choose from in a playoff rotation. Pivetta seems likely to make the roster, but that could change in the coming weeks if his arm proves volatile.

Batter up!

The Padres’ lineup, apart from a minor blip on Tuesday, has been mashing lately. They’ve scored an average of 6.6 runs per game in their last 10 games and a ridiculous 7.0 runs per game in their last seven. If San Diego’s offense continues to rake, they’ll have no problem ending Miami’s dwindling postseason hopes.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Dustin Harris, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Austin Hays, DH
8. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
9. Freddy Fermin, C

Bogaerts falling just short of hitting for the cycle overshadowed some other fantastic performances in the Padres’ series finale. Harris and France continued their hot streaks, going a combined 6-for-9 with five RBI. Every player in San Diego’s starting lineup recorded a hit except for Machado (and he still recorded an RBI).

Relief corps

Michael King continues to dazzle on the mound. The starter went six innings, surrendering two runs to the Rockies in the hitter-friendly Coors Field. Only Yuki Matsui and Griffin Canning were used to record the final nine outs. That gives the Padres options for their series against Miami.

Kyle Hart, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta, Bradgley Rodriguez and Randy Vásquez will be available out of the ‘pen for San Diego. If Pivetta stumbles early, Vásquez will likely be called upon to cover some of the middle innings.

Kansas City Royals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, September 18, 2026, 6:40 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are starting off a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals this weekend inside PNC Park

The Royals will hand the ball off to 31-year-old right-hander Randy Dobnak, who is in his first season with the Royals after spending the first part of his career with the Minnesota Twins. Dobnak is making his 12th start of the season and is coming off a loss in his last start on September 12 against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. He pitched well, going 5.2 innings and giving up 4 hits and 3 earned runs in a 5-1 loss.

On the flip side, the Pirates are giving Paul Skenes the start for the 31st time this season. Skenes has had an up-and-down year, but he had a strong showing in his last appearance against the Chicago Cubs on September 12. He went 7 innings, giving up 4 hits and 2 runs at Wrigley Field, but was not part of the decision. He left the game with a 3-2 lead, but the bullpen couldn’t help him out, as Gregory Soto surrendered a pair of runs in the 8th inning to give the Cubs a 4-3 victory.

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Randy Dobnak (3-4, 2.73 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (10-11, 3.78 ERA)

BD community, this is your game thread against the Kansas City Royals. Chime off in the comments section below.

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

For the Mets:

Let’s talk about it.

Yankees star right fielder Aaron Judge will be placed on the 10-day IL with a right calf strain. 

This could mean Judge will miss the remainder of the regular season, which concludes on Sunday, Sep. 27 against the Baltimore Orioles. 

Judge could be activated for that final game, but will miss at least seven of the team's remaining eight games, beginning with Friday night's road series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Judge was removed from Wednesday's extra-inning loss to the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning due to calf tightness.

New York's captain, of course, had just returned following a three-month absence due to a rib injury. 

He'll now go back on the shelf, with a corresponding move yet to be officially announced.

The Yankees have a number of Triple-A options, including OF Jasson Dominguez, but Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports that the player called up to the bigs will be super-utility man Max Schuemann.

Entering play Friday, the Yankees (88-64) are still 5.0 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL East division lead, but occupy the top Wild Card slot, 5.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox.

The MLB playoffs are set to begin on Tuesday, Sep. 29, with the Wild Card round.

The Dodgers on Friday activated Edwin Díaz off the injured list, with a week and a half remaining in the regular season to see if his slim chance of pitching his way onto the postseason roster comes to fruition.

Díaz, who signed a three-year contract with the Dodgers in December, struggled to open the season before undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow in April, which cost him three and a half months.

In 16 appearances with the Dodgers this season, Díaz has allowed runs in nine of them, with an 11.85 ERA, 6.37 xERA, 19 strikeouts and 10 walks in 13 2/3 innings. In nine games after returning from elbow surgery, Díaz had a 19.6-percent strikeout rate, down from 30.3 percent in seven games before surgery, and well below his 39.9-percent career strikeout rate through 2025.

The latest malady for Díaz was neck inflammation, sidelined since August 18. His rehab assignment with Oklahoma City didn’t go well at all, throwing more balls than strikes in three of his five appearances, with six runs allowed in 4 1/3 innings, seven walks, and four strikeouts. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Thursday in Cincinnati that Díaz will need to throw more strikes, and quality ones at that, in order to be considered to pitch in October.

“Like anything, it should be a meritocracy. You have to earn the right of opportunities, and you’ve also got to perform. Eddie understands that,” Roberts said, as shown on SportsNet LA. “Where we’re at now, we need guys to buy in, perform and go from there. That’s what he’s about.”

Landon Knack was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, after fulfilling his role with aplomb on Thursday. Called up for a day, Knack tossed four scoreless innings in relief and earned the win in the Dodgers’ division clincher in Cincinnati.

In Knack’s three stints in the majors this year, he pitched in four of the eight games for which he was active, with a 3.86 ERA and 4.09 xERA in build relief, with eight strikeouts and two walks in his 11 2/3 innings, plus one save of 2 2/3 innings, the Dodgers’ longest save of the season.

Chase Burns makes his final home start of the year on Friday night in Great American Ball Park as the Cincinnati Reds open a weekend series against their NL Central rivals from Chicago.

While the Reds have made it mathematically certain that they a) can’t make the playoffs and b) can’t win more games in the 2026 season than they’ll lose, the Cubs roll into GABP at 85-68 and atop the National League Wild Card standings (alongside the Philadelphia Phillies). They do sit just a lone game above the surging San Diego Padres in that race, however, and have not even clinched a postseason bid given tha tthe pesky Arizona Diamondbacks remain just 4 games back at 80-73.

So, the Reds do have the ability to play potential spoiler this weekend if they can just find the time.

Burns will throw the game’s first pitch at 6:40 PM ET, and he’ll share the mound to start with Chicago starter Clay Holmes. Brandon Williamson typically piggybacks Burns now that the latter is on a pitch count, but with Williamson needed earlier this week in mop-up duty manager Terry Francona will need to alter his plans slightly.

Here’s how the Reds will line up to start:

This is an important weekend of games for the Atlanta Braves, who can clinch a playoff spot with a win (or Diamondbacks loss) on Friday night. A win would also trim the magic number to clinch the National League East to four (or even three) pending what the Phillies do at Citi Field on Friday night. Following a frustrating series loss in Chicago to the Cubs, the Braves will turn to deadline acquisition Tyler Mahle to right the ship.

In the series opener, manager Walt Weiss is sending out his usual cast of characters to face Astros righty Peter Lambert. Drake Baldwin is leading off and playing DH, Sean Murphy is catching and batting ninth, and Mauricio Dubon, who the Braves acquired from the Astros last November, is batting fifth behind Baldwin, Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Michael Harris.

Lambert has been on quite the run for Houston, allowing three runs or fewer in all but one start since the beginning of July.

Here’s the full lineup for Friday night:

As for the Astros, AL MVP frontrunner Yordan Alvarez is in his customary No. 2 spot in the order. Jeremy Peña leads off, the dangerous Isaac Paredes hits third, and buzzer boy himself Jose Altuve bats cleanup.

First pitch tonight is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.

Today’s roster move: Here

Friday notes…

• ROAD WARRIORS: Two wins this weekend will give the Cubs 42 for the season on the road, matching their total of last year, when they finished 42-39. They are 40-35 this year. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• MORE ON ROAD GAMES: This year vs. last year: First games of road trips: 7-5, 4-8. First games of series on road: 12-12, 9-17. First games on road after winning last game of previous series: 8-4, 4-10. Night games on the road: 30-19, 28-27. Road games on Friday: 7-5, 4-9 (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• RUN WATCH: The Cubs’ 817 runs scored are their most through 153 games in 91 years. They scored 846 in 1935, which is their third most since 1901, behind 965 in 1930 and 973 in 1929. The Cubs played 156 games in 1929 and 1930, finishing with 982 and a team-record 998 runs, respectively. They tallied 855 in 161 games in 2008 and 847 in 154 games in 1935. At their current rate of 5.34 per game, the Cubs will finish this year with 865, third most by 10 over 2008. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• WALK WATCH: The Cubs have 643 walks through 153 games. With nine games remaining, they need 14 more walks to break the franchise record of 656, which was set in 2016.

Cubs lineup:

Reds lineup:

Clay Holmes, RHP vs. Chase Burns, RHP

With one exception — a meltdown against the Marlins — Clay Holmes has been outstanding for the Cubs. He very well could be the Game 1 starter in a Wild Card series.

First things first, Holmes has not faced the Reds since July 19, 2025 in Citi Field, where they scored five runs (four earned) off him in 5.1 innings. Hopefully tonight will be better.

Current Reds are a small sample size 4-for-25 against him with five strikeouts.

Chase Burns is not only the Reds’ best starter, he’s been one of the best in the league this year, currently with a 2.80 ERA, 1.150 WHIP and 4.9 bWAR.

He held the Cubs to three runs (two earned) in 5.2 innings Aug. 30 at Wrigley Field. Pete Crow-Armstrong homered off him.

Burns has been held to three innings in each of his last two starts and the expectation tonight is that he’ll do the same, no more than about 50-55 pitches.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Great American Ball Park.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. It’s also on MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Reds market territories).

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Reds site Red Reporter. If you do go there to interact with Reds fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

The Mets have placed Jared Young on the seven-day concussion IL and have called up Ronny Mauricio to take his place on the roster. Unsurprisingly, Young’s 2026 season is over following a scary collision in which he took Nolan McLean’s knee at full force to the head while both players tried to field a ground out in Thursday’s loss.

Andy Green confirmed the news on Young but expressed optimism at his prognosis, saying Young is doing “as good as expected or could be hoped for.” The really great news is that Young has full motion of his arms and legs and is able to walk, according to Green, which seems to indicate that he has avoided a worst-case scenario. Green added that they got the “right kind of results” from the tests that they ran on Young, and that his sense of humor remains in tact, though he appears to be suffering from some short-term memory loss and bad headaches. The team will run more tests to “understand all that he is dealing with” and Green noted that there is optimism “from a recovery standpoint and a getting back on the field at some point standpoint”. He expressed relief at the prognosis.

Young enjoyed a really terrific campaign for the Mets and lamented the fact that he would not be able to finish strong to Green. The first baseman posted career-best numbers across the board, hitting nine home runs, driving in 39, and scoring 46 runs while slashing .266/.330/.429 with a 111 wRC+ with 1.7 bWAR in 103 games. The 31-year-old has positioned himself to be in the conversation for first base heading into the 2027 campaign, and hopefully for Young, the injury recovery will not derail that journey, as he finally seemed to find a good situation that allowed him to thrive and gave him space to contribute.

Mauricio will get the final week-and-a-half of the season to showcase his talents and try to fight for a spot on next year’s team. Mauricio has struggled at the major league level, posting -0.5 bWAR in just 17 games played. He’s hitting .180/.180/.26o with one home run in 50 plate appearances.