ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 27: Los Angeles pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) pitches during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves on August 27th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In a game that could have a massive shift in momentum in either direction for both teams, the Atlanta Braves bring future HOFer Chris Sale to the mound amidst one of the best seasons of his career against Yoshinobu Yamamoto during the best season of his young career.
The last time these two pitchers faced off the Braves beat the Dodgers 1-0 when Chris Sale pitched a complete game shutout on August twenty-seventh. A repeat of that exact result is slim, but if Sale could pitch a long game today, it would be welcomed among the bullpen that has already had back-to-back games where they carried the load.
Drake Baldwin was the offensive hero the last time the Braves faced Yamamoto with a solo shot that was the only run of the game.
First pitch is at 6:00 pm EDT. Follow along in the comments.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres catches a fly ball hit by Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This wasn’t how the San Diego Padres drew this up. After two soul-crushing losses to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Friars will now head back to Petco Park with no room for error. They’ll either pull off the ultimate Cinderella story, or it’ll be another in the long line of failed attempts to bring San Diego a championship.
This one stung a little extra. After Ty France was denied a go-ahead home run by a roof, the Padres failed to secure the win in Game 2 when Mason Miller was tasked with recording a six-out save. He had only done it once in his career before. He did not make it twice. Miller got five outs before loading the bases and serving up a two-run single to Jackson Chourio for a walk-off Brewers’ victory.
Taking the mound
Dustin May (MIL) v. Nick Pivetta (SD)
May has spent the majority of this season dealing with immense command issues. In 145 2/3 innings, the right-hander has issued 50 walks and posted a 1.32 WHIP and 4.70 ERA. He was even worse after being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to Milwaukee, posting 5.65 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
However, May has dominated San Diego this season. In three starts (22.0 IP) versus the Padres, the veteran starter has surrendered just three earned runs. One of those starts was a complete-game shutout that saw May take a perfect game into the seventh inning. If that’s the version of May the Friars get tonight, it’ll be hard to stave off the inevitable.
Pivetta will be tasked with gifting the Padres a stay of execution. There’s not many starters better equipped to do that. Since returning from the IL, Pivetta has been brilliant. He’s posted a 1.64 ERA in five starts (including his start in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series).
His one flaw has been an inability to work deep into games. Since his return, Pivetta has not pitched more than five innings. He only pitched 3 1/3 in his last playoff start. Thankfully, the bullpen got a rest day on Monday after a tiring weekend in Milwaukee. That should give Pivetta some wiggle room if he struggles.
Batter up!
It’s hard to find anything good about this lineup right now. After looking otherworldly in the Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs, they’ve scored a total of five runs in the first two games versus Milwaukee. San Diego’s left 20 runners on base and gone an abysmal 3-for-18 with RISP. That needs to change on a dime if the Padres want to force Game 4.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Samad Taylor, LF
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Luis Campusano, DH
Ethan Salas, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
France has been the only solid contributor that has consistently proven his value at the plate this series. The slugging first baseman has gone 3-for-7 with two RBI. It would have probably been more had the Milwaukee roof not taken away a would-be go-ahead home run in Game 1. But the Padres have hit, they just need to string those hits together.
Relief corps
It’s worth wondering what made Stammen go to Miller for six outs. He hadn’t used David Morgan yet in the series and could easily have tasked him with at least two outs in the eighth before turning to the closer. Bradgley Rodriguez had finished out the seventh and could have at least started the eighth. What’s done is done, but it’s hard to understand why.
It’s all hands on deck as San Diego tries to stave off elimination in the NLDS. The Padres have every arm available after their rest day on Monday. Jason Adam, Yuki Matsui, Miller, Adrian Morejon, Morgan and Rodriguez will work out of the ‘pen, but Joe Musgrove could also see time if San Diego gets a big lead.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 05: A general view of signage during NLDS Workouts at Petco Park on October 05, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today baseball returns its attention to the National League as the Los Angeles Dodgers travel to Atlanta with the series split at one game each. As for the San Diego Padres, it’s win or call it a season as the Milwaukee Brewers have taken a 2-0 lead in the series.
It should be a good day for baseball.
And now to the details.
Los Angeles Dodgers (1-1) @ Atlanta Braves (1-1) — 4:00 PM MDT
Pitching Matchup: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.53 ERA) vs LHP Chris Sale (2.16 ERA)
Australia all-rounder fails to overcome abdominal strain
Maddinson or Cooper Connolly to fill No 5 spot in Durban opener
Andrew McDonald insists Nic Maddinson’s Test squad call-up should be no shock, with the left-hander edging closer to replacing the injured Cameron Green in Durban.
Green has been officially ruled out of Australia’s side for the opening Test against South Africa, after failing to overcome the abdominal strain suffered in last week’s final ODI.
Through the first three games of the Winnipeg Jets' season, 18-year-old rookie Viggo Björck has had a mixed start to his NHL career. Heavily doubted when he entered his first NHL action, the youngster has seen both highs and lows so far.
Over three games, Björck has yet to record a point. He has four shots on net, a minus-one rating and a questionable minor penalty in Winnipeg's 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. He has won just under 26 percent of his faceoffs and is averaging roughly 14 minutes of ice time a night, with his season high coming in the opener, when he played just shy of 16 minutes.
Under the hood, however, the numbers are more encouraging. Björck has 29 speed bursts between 18 and 20 miles per hour, which ranks in the 91st percentile in the league and shows his skating is well above average.
The Swedish import has also been getting himself into scoring position, with three of his four shots on goal coming in high-danger situations, a mark that ranks in the 88th percentile of the NHL. That suggests his first career goal should come sooner rather than later.
His hardest shot of the season so far clocked in at 77.01 miles per hour, which lands just above league average in the 55th percentile, another sign that his tools are on display early.
While fans hoped Björck would immediately seize a top-six role, his early numbers sit closer to league average than above it, and he may settle into more of a middle-six role for now.
Still, indicators like his high-danger chances point toward a breakout game coming soon, and it could arrive as early as Wednesday night in a massive matchup against the Colorado Avalanche.
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The team announced on Tuesday, Oct. 6, that an MRI confirmed Hukporti suffered a torn right Achilles tendon less than five minutes into the 76ers' exhibition game against the New York Knicks a day earlier. The 7-footer is scheduled to undergo surgery, and ESPN reported the injury is expected to be season-ending for Hukporti.
Ariel Hukporti injury: How it impacts LeBron James, 76ers
The loss of Hukporti is a blow to the Sixers' depth at center, a position that is likely to draw scrutiny given Joel Embiid's injury history and the urgency to win a championship with LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and this star-studded Philadelphia roster.
Embiid hasn't appeared in more than 40 games since the 2022-23 season and his projected back-up, Adem Bona, is also dealing with a foot injury and has yet to participate in team workouts this preseason. Tacko Fall, the 7-foot-5 center who Philadelphia signed to an Exhibit 10 contract, is also sidelined and will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days, according to the team.
Hukporti, 24, signed a one-year, $3.4-million contract to join the 76ers after winning an NBA championship with the Knicks. He played sparingly in New York, but the Sixers viewed him as a developmental piece who could compete for frontcourt minutes, particularly during games in which Embiid doesn't play.
The Sixers are eligible to apply for and get awarded a $1.7 million disabled player exception (half of Hukporti's 2026-27 salary), according to ESPN. Philadelphia opens its regular season against the Knicks on Oct. 20.
Ariel Hukporti stats
Hukporti appeared in 54 regular-season games for the Knicks during the 2025-26 season. He averaged 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds while averaging less than 10 minutes per game.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 27: Walt Weiss #22 and Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate after the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on August 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The venue has changed and the intensity has gone up another notch as well, as the Atlanta Braves suddenly find themselves back at home and with home field advantage against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s a massive opportunity for the Braves — even though the task remains difficult against the two-time defending World Series Champions and the hero of the 2025 World Series, himself, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Either way, the Braves are here for a reason and they’ve also got a big lever to pull in the form of a Chris Sale start in front of the hometown fans as well, so it’s definitely a situation where you feel like both teams have a really good shot at coming out of this ballpark with the crucial 2-1 advantage.
“It’s going to be good TV. Two of the best in the game,” stated manager Walt Weiss when he was asked about the marquee matchup of Sale vs. Yamamoto. “I think that was a match-up this year, right? The 1-0 game. Probably more of the same, I would imagine. But two really good ones.”
When Weiss was asked about the grand pitching lan for this series, he continued to reiterate that he’s been taking things one game at a time. “I think it depends on some different certain circumstances, the state of your bullpen — obviously the focus is on winning that game that day,” explained Weiss as he discussed the extreme surface level details of his plan. “But it can change depending on your circumstances. Like in Game 1, we didn’t have a full bullpen. So going into that game, we knew we couldn’t chase from behind. Just couldn’t do it, because it would have left us shorthanded the next day if we had the lead. So we do what we did in Game 1 and Game 2 we had a full rack, and it allowed us to do the bullpen game.”
“It just depends on where you’re at at that particular point time,” continued Weiss. “You’ve got to be careful looking too far in front of the future because it’s a task at hand always. Obviously that happens a lot during the regular season. That’s part of the daily [routine] in the regular season. But in postseason most of the time you’re focused on that game. But every once in a while, because of the circumstances, you may have to think a little bit differently.”
It’s certainly been a different strategy for Walt Weiss to employ during this series but it’s one that has paid off to the point where the Braves now find themselves tied in the series with two games coming up in Cobb County. Although Rowdy Tellez will be starting this game from the bench, there’s always the chance that he could play a big role in any given game as a pinch-hittter and as such, his thoughts on what lies ahead are as valuable as anybody’s.
When Tellez was asked about Sale and his preparation, he was very complimentary of the future Hall-of-Famer. “I think his ability to flip the switch. He’s pretty calm, mild mannered throughout the day. You hear a song come on and it’s, like, all right, it’s time to go,” explained Tellez as he talked about Sale getting prepared for any given game. “But to be that consistent for that long and be the same guy day in and day out, I think that’s pretty special. Once he gets on the mound, he’s going to give you everything you’ve got. And that gets the guys going, too, knowing that whatever he’s going to do we’re going to try to match his energy and bring whatever we can.”
Tellez doesn’t just have faith in his starter for Game 3, either. He’s feeling pretty good about Sale, Game 4 starter Tyler Mahle and the bullpen’s chances in general as well and expressed as such now that the series has switched venues. “Those are our 1-2. Anytime you can get to the 1-2 and have a chance to win both games it’s going to be huge,” stated Tellez. “Our bullpen has been electric. Obviously Ray [Kerr] went from stocking shelves to punching out Ohtani. So I think our bullpen has been lights out, and I think that’s huge for us going down the stretch and we’re able to save our arms.”
Again, it really can’t be stated enough just how massive of an opportunity this is for the Braves. Sure, it’s going to be tough against a Dodgers lineup that can go off at any given moment but the same could be said of the Braves and some of the hitters that they have to offer. It’ll certainly be a tough one but knowing how Sale usually rises to the occasion and how this team has always seemed to come up big in big-time situations, this seems like a golden opportunity for the Braves to do something special.
“I don’t think anybody’s believed [in the Braves] all the way through, outside this building,” exclaimed Weiss when he was asked about the team’s chances going forward. “As soon as we would slip, they’d just say, aha, I told you so. And then here we come again. That’s been the way the season’s gone.”
Hopefully Atlanta will take advantage of the opportunity and come up huge. We’ll see what happens!
The Mets have made three changes to their coaching staff, the club announced Tuesday.
Director of major league hitting Jeff Albert, quality assurance coach Danny Barnes, and batting practice pitcher Kevin Mahoney will not return to the big league staff roster for the 2027 season. However, the team announced that all three coaches may return to the organization in different roles, but are free to speak with other clubs.
Albert joined the Mets organization in 2022 as director of hitting development. He was promoted to the majors in October 2025.
Barnes, a former Toronto Blue Jays reliever, has served in several roles with the team over the last five seasons, including running major league spring training.
Mahoney, who played and coached in the Yankees organization for 12 years, has been with the Mets' staff for two years.
According to SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes, the Mets are expected to retain the rest of the coaching staff, including hitting coach Troy Snitker, bench coach Kai Correa, and pitching coach Justin Willard, all of whom joined the staff ahead of the 2026 season.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates the game-winning two-run single against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have a pair of NLDS games on tap today.
In the early game, the Braves host the Dodgers with the series tied at 1 game apiece. 5:00 p.m. Central start time on FS1.
In the late game, the Padres, having lost two heartbreakers in Milwaukee, try to stave off elimination. 8:30 p.m. Central start time on FS1.
Oct 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; A general view of the MLB 2026 Postseason logo before game three of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs between Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Dodgers at Braves
Series tied, 1-1
First pitch: 6:00 PM EDT TV: FS1/FOX ONE Probable pitchers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP (LAD); Chris Sale, LHP (ATL)
Brewers at Padres
Brewers lead, 2-0
First pitch: 9:30 PM EDT TV: FS1/FOX ONE Probable pitchers: Dustin May, RHP (MIL); Nick Pivetta, RHP (SDP)
Los Angeles, CA - October 3, 2026: MLB postseason signage before game one of NLDS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
We’re back in the National League today after spending yesterday watching the two AL matchups. The White Sox are one win away from the ALCS one year after losing 100 games. The Rays handled business themselves, beating their division-rivals and league-wide hated Yankees and now find themselves on the cusp of the next round as well. Both series take a beat today so we’ll have to wait and find out what happens next until tomorrow.
As for today, we got a one quality matchup on the mound with a couple aces going in Atlanta. Runs may be scarce in that contest. Meanwhile back in California it’s a couple mid-rotation pieces so all the runs are coming tonight.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves (6:00 PM EDT)
The Dodgers won the first game of the series before dropping the second game on Sunday night. The reigning champions feel more vulnerable than they have over the past couple of years and that happens to older teams. Still, their the reigning champions so there’s no way you can count them out. Especially when the series is tied. If I’m Atlanta though, you did what you needed to do by stealing a win in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers are turning to Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto (14-9, 2.53 ERA) for the first time this October. The right-hander was nearly untouchable in the postseason last year and LA is hoping for more of the same this go around. If he continues to be that dominant today then the Dodgers could be one win away from the NLCS by the end of the day.
Atlanta meanwhile has their ace up their sleeve as lefty Chris Sale (14-9, 2.16 ERA) gets the call for the must-win Game 3. In most other years Sale would be on his way to a Cy Young Award with those kind of stats, but unfortunately for him the Brewers have someone who is just a little better. Still, if you’re Atlanta you have to feel good about your chances with your ace on the hill. If they can score a couple runs off Yamamoto they could take tonight’s contest and set themselves up for a clinching scenario in front of the home crowd tomorrow.
Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres (9:30 PM EDT)
This series has been fantastic. The Brewers came away with the win in Game 1 thanks to some controversy involving a roof, and then followed that up with a walk-off win against arguably the best closer in the sport. That’s put the #1 seed just one win away from the NLCS and a rematch with the Dodgers for a trip to the World Series. And at this point it’s starting to feel as though they’re the only ones standing between the Dodgers and a third straight championhip.
They’ll have mid-season trade acquisition Dustin May (7-9, 4.70 ERA) on the bump for them tonight. May was solid during the first half with the Cardinals before his trade to Milwaukee to reinforce the middle of their rotation. While he took the ball every turn, his stats with Milwaukee have fallen off. He’s been used in shorter bursts with the Brewers so it wouldn’t be shocking to see a quick hook for the right-hander if he’s struggling early.
The Padres meanwhile will ask Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86 ERA) to help them stay alive in these playoffs. The 33-year-old missed the majority of the year with an elbow strain that many thought would require season-ending surgery. He’s successfully avoided that and provided the Friars with a boost in their rotation. Now they’ll be asking the world of him as they face the prospect of seeing their season end if they can’t pull out the win tonight in front of their home town crowd. No pressure.
Here’s Milwaukee’s starting nine with a chance to punch their ticket to the next round:
So how do you guys think today goes? Do the Brewers finish the sweep and punch their ticket to the NLCS? Can the Dodgers bounce back and take Game 3? Some exciting baseball tonight!
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 05: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout out before game two of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on October 05, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees have found themselves in an all-too-familiar situation once again and will fight for survival as they return to the Bronx to face the Rays in an elimination game.
Who’s to blame? Well, let’s look at the facts. The Yankees’ pitching rotation isn’t first on the list, with both Gerrit Cole and Cam Schlittler allowing two or fewer earned runs, but the offense appears to be on life support. Ben Rice is one of the few saving graces for this team, but the infield’s inability to execute has put the whole squad in a distressing situation.
Starting Ryan McMahon at third backfired for the Yankees almost immediately in the first inning, when the third baseman fumbled a routine ground ball that allowed Yandy Díaz to reach safely instead of throwing him out at first. It would be astounding to see him start again on Wednesday night over José Caballero or Anthony Volpe.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. also made an egregious error worth noting in Game 2, completely misfiring his throw to Luis García Jr., which gave Tampa Bay their first run of the evening. His response to the error was even more shocking following the game, when the second baseman admitted that he’d still make the throw despite having his back turned to properly execute it. Chisholm Jr. remains hitless in this series and has yet to make an impact on either side of the ball.
Gerrit Cole battled through a solid five innings in the first game of the series, striking out five batters and giving up only one run. Jonathan Aranda’s long ball was the only scoring on either side, and I’d say that the Yankees’ offense was far more at fault for the 1-0 loss in Game 1.
Cam Schlittler got through 4.1 innings, striking out two and allowing two earned runs in 76 pitches during Game 2, and held back the Rays’ offense long enough for the Yankees’ infield to throw away any hopes of evening the series for their return to the Bronx.
The offense is lifeless in the ALDS
Despite coming off two electric wins scoring a combined 18 runs in the Wild Card Series, the Yankees’ offense was no match for Rays’ ace Drew Rasmussen, who completely dominated the Yankees with 10 strikeouts and a no-hitter through 7.2 innings in Game 1.
Spencer Jones, Trent Grisham, and Cody Bellinger all struck out twice in the first meeting of the ALDS, and the Yankees’ only hit of the night came from Austin Wells with a double in the eighth inning. He unfortunately made the poor decision to ignore coach Luis Rojas’ stop sign and go for the triple, and was tagged out at third by Rays’ third baseman Junior Caminero following an elite play from shortstop Taylor Walls.
Taking a deeper dive into the Pinstripes’ offense, Ben Rice has been one of the only players in the lineup who’s shown up in this series, with a game-tying home run in the fourth of Game 2 and another late home run that cut the deficit. Bellinger was one of two other Yankees who got a hit on Monday night with a single following Rice’s first homer, and gave fans a sliver of hope that this offense might come alive. He also crushed one deep into center, which would’ve been a grand slam in 12 of the 30 ballparks, but it flew into the glove of Jonny DeLuca to send the game into the bottom of the fifth.
Wells got the only other hit of the night, redemption from his erroneous decision-making that was one of the reasons preventing the Yankees from making any headway in Game 1.
It’s clear that the depleted Yankees’ offense and egregious errors cost them their shot at evening the series. This is not an unfamiliar situation, as they’ve started several series on the road down 2-0 in the last five years. The last team in franchise history to erase the 2-0 deficit in a Division Series was the 2017 Yankees, who defeated the Guardians in five and later fell short in the ALCS to the Astros in seven.
Aaron Boone, after sending out an unchanged lineup for most of the postseason so far, must take the heat for failing to lead this team down a different path this time. They’ve been down this grueling road before, but there is little change from each postseason run that ends in the same demoralizing fate year after year. The Yankees ended the 2025 season, notably including a healthy Aaron Judge on the roster, with a four-game ALDS loss and were outscored by the Blue Jays in a combined total of 37-16.
Right now, it’s obvious that this team is completely depleted of offensive momentum, and it’s about time to shuffle the order as the Yankees go into survival mode.
Down 2-0 in the series with a looming return to the Bronx, the Yankees have their work cut out for them to continue this postseason run.
