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The final series of the regular season is here, but it’s going to look a little wacky. A nor’easter coming through over the weekend has prompted MLB to reschedule Saturday’s game pre-emptively into a single-admission doubleheader today. There’s nothing to play for on either side as the Yankees are going to the postseason as the No. 4 seed and the Orioles are couch-bound in a few days, but these game will still serve as a final tune-up for the team as they line their rotation up for the Wild Card Round. Also, on a sillier note, if the Yankees manage to sweep this series they’ll end 2026 with more regular season wins than they got in 2024 or 2025 without Aaron Judge playing for most of the year, which I find kind of incredible. Go get those wins boys! Just please, no more last-minute injuries.
We’ve got a lighter schedule to get through before the doubleheader takes up most of the day, but we’ll start it off with Matt giving us a series preview on the starters we expect to see from the Orioles (the Yankees haven’t announced any of their starters as of last night). Peter has the Rivalry Roundup covering the Guardians and White Sox securing their postseason tickets, John celebrates the life and accomplishments of Phil Rizzuto on his birthday, and I’ll be back to answer your questions in our last mailbag before the postseason.
New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles
Time: 4:05 p.m. EST (Game 1), 7:05 p.m. EST/30 minutes after Game 1 ends (Game 2)
TV: YES Network, MASN (both games)
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
1. Do you think the Yankees are overthinking their Game 1 starter for the Wild Card, have a legitimate reason to start someone other than Cam Schlittler (days of rest, matchup, etc.), or are they just laying a smokescreen?
2. Who plays more games in the postseason, Giancarlo Stanton or Aaron Judge?
The Pittsburgh Pirates might not be a playoff team this year, but the team still has a chance to finish the session with a winning record. The Pitching deserves a lot of credit for the success of this season.
The Pirates set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a season with 1,444, after right-handed pitcher Lake Bachar struck out St. Louis Cardinals Alec Burleson in the top of the first inning of the 5-1 loss at PNC Park on Sept. 23. Pittsburgh eclipsed its previous record (1,443), set in 2019 with four games left, and should easily add to it before 2026 ends.
The Pirates had a deep rotation this year, 30 different pitchers recorded a strikeout this season. The 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes leads the Pirates with 200 for the second straight season.
Braxton Ashcraft came in second with 173 and rookie Bubba Chandler coming right behind him with 138. Even with some injuries Mitch Keller and Jared Jones had a good season coming in fourth and fifth in strikeouts.
Mason Montgomery (102) and Yohan Ramirez (99) lead relief pitchers. Left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto is in third place with 79 strikeouts, while the other eight pitchers have fluctuated between the major leagues and minor leagues.
The Pirates had five pitchers who were with the team this season, but are no longer a part of the club.
The strong pitching is a really promising sign for the future in Pittsburgh. A lot of the top pitchers on the team right now are young guys like Pauk Skenes, Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones.
The Bucs breaking their own record this year is a great start and you can tell that the future is incredibly bright for the club in the Steel City.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: In case you missed it, last evening the New York Yankees announced that, due to the impending bad weather, this weekend’s series against the Baltimore Orioles has been rearranged. Saturday’s game has been “pre-poned” to this afternoon, serving as Game 1 of a single admission double header. CC Sabathia’s enshrinement in Monument Park will take place today, and Josh Hart bobbleheads will be given out to the first 18,000 fans who arrive when gates open at 2:30. Only those fans with tickets for the originally scheduled game will be honored; for those with tickets to the cancelled game, rainchecks will be available, subject to the team’s normal raincheck policy.
SNY | Julia Yohe: While most of the attention has centered on whether or not Aaron Judge will be available for the Wild Card Series as he deals with a calf strain, two other Yankee bats have been inching towards a return. Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham, on the IL for a series of calf strains and a strained hamstring, respectively, participated in baseball activities, and while it’s too early to say whether either will actually be able to play, it’s something worth paying attention to.
MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: After spending the entire season rehabbing to return to the Bronx, Clarke Schmidt’s season ends after recording just two outs. The team placed him on the injured list with right bicep neuritis prior to last night’s game, and while he theoretically could return for the ALCS (assuming the Yankees make it that far), he will have essentially missed a season and a half.
ESPN | Roundtable: As the season ends its final days, ESPN’s baseball insiders got together to talk about what they’ve been hearing about the upcoming postseason. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Yankees appear to be one of the biggest wild cards: their starting rotation makes them dangerous in a short series, but their path to the ALCS consists of teams that have been very hot in the second half and whose strengths are perfectly placed to exploit the Yankees’ weaknesses — especially with Aaron Judge on the shelf.
There are three games remaining in the 2026 regular season, and somehow the Astros control their own destiny in the American League West.
The Astros have won two of three games this week despite not having a starting pitcher complete three innings. Hunter Brown will start Friday’s game in West Sacramento, with Hayden Wesneski likely to follow Saturday. But what about Sunday?
This would’ve been Cristian Javier’s turn in the rotation, but Javier was placed on the injured list Wednesday after leaving Tuesday’s start with a groin injury.
It is possible Sunday’s game will be meaningless, but what if it’s not? What if it’s a must-win? Who starts, and how on Earth do Joe Espada, Josh Miller and company piece together 27 outs?
Here are some logical, illogical and downright crazy possibilities for who could start Game 162.
Pitchers already on the active roster
Ethan Pecko
Pecko would be starting on three days rest in this scenario, but he only threw 51 pitches in 2 2/3 innings in what was a disappointing start on Wednesday in Seattle. Pecko has not pitched in a game on less than four days of rest since his second professional outing in 2023 after facing three hitters in his pro debut in rookie ball.
Miguel Ullola
Ullola will be down on Friday after another impressive outing on Thursday against the A’s. It’s hard to think he wouldn’t come into play on Saturday, assuming he’s available, but if not, the Astros could try to extract a three inning start from him on Sunday.
Ronel Blanco
Blanco has pitched once since slogging through four shutout innings against the White Sox on Sept. 1, and that was the 14-4 game in Tampa when he entered with the Astros trailing 9-0. Blanco hasn’t been good since returning from Tommy John surgery in July. He has a 7.11 ERA over 31 2/3 innings with a 6.66 FIP, but Blanco has completed at least four innings in all five of his starts.
Tatsuya Imai
Needing just 13 outs for a $1 million bonus, Imai has thrown just 17 innings in seven games since being banished to the bullpen two months ago. He has a 2.12 ERA with a 2.21 FIP and a 34.3% strikeout rate out of the bullpen, but he hasn’t thrown a pitch with the Astros leading or tied since his last start in Anaheim on July 27, when he failed to complete the first inning for the third time in 15 starts. That Blanco made that start against the White Sox should tell you all you need to know about how the team currently feels about Imai.
Pitchers in the organization
Mike Burrows
Remember him? Burrows was returned from his rehab assignment on Monday after the minor league season ended. While on the 60-day IL, Burrows is throwing bullpens are joined the Astros in Sacramento on Thursday. He was a candidate to start that game against the White Sox on September 1, but shoulder inflammation ended that possibility. Burrows hasn’t pitched in the Majors since July 6, but he did post a 1.76 ERA in four rehab starts with Sugar Land.
Bryce Mayer
The Astros minor league pitcher of the year posted a 5.45 ERA in seven Triple-A starts after finishing his time in Double-A with a 2.61 ERA. Allowing 10 earned runs in eight innings while making two starts in Albuquerque and Las Vegas didn’t help that ERA. Mayer’s last two starts were a struggle despite pitching in neutral ballparks, and he eclipsed 100 innings for the first time as a pro. I imagine the Astros are content with his season being over.
You want to get nuts? Let’s get nuts!
Lance McCullers Jr.
Listen, I have no idea if McCullers has even thrown a baseball since he was released by the Brewers two months ago. I’m here for the story, and what a story it would be if the man who closed out game seven of the 2017 ALCS and started game seven of the World Series 11 days later, ended his career by helping the Astros win another American League West crown.
Justin Verlander
Hey man, you said you wanted to get nuts.
Verlander is currently scheduled to make the final start of his illustrious career on Saturday in Detroit, but hear me out: What if his old golfing buddy, Jim Crane, were to make a call to see if Verlander might be interested in rejoining his old team and pitching in a game with actual stakes?
The Tigers could then place Verlander on waivers, where the Astros could claim him and get him on a flight to California.
Of course, none of this will ever happen. The Tigers wouldn’t screw over their already pissed-off fan base, and even if Verlander wanted it to happen, he’d have to be placed on waivers now so the 48-hour waiver period could pass in time for him to start for the Astros on Sunday.
But imagine if it did happen.
You’d have one of this generation’s greatest pitchers making the final start of his career, pitching in one of baseball’s great cathedrals, Sutter Health Park, on the west side of Sacramento, California, trying to get a team he hasn’t played for in two years back to the playoffs.
How can you not be romantic about baseball?
Entering this week, the Dodgers seemed to be rolling toward the postseason.
They had won 14 of 17 games. They had clinched the National League West division crown. They separated themselves for a top-two NL seed. And they had finally gotten the entirety of their roster –– from a previously slumping offense to a once-scuffling bullpen to a star-studded rotation –– synced up and playing well at the same time.
There was, of course, one caveat to all that success.
The team had gotten an exceedingly soft late-season schedule, having not faced a fellow contender in almost a month.
Thus, this week’s visit of the San Diego Padres felt like something of a pre-October test, if not a preview of a potential postseason matchup.
And with a 4-2 rubber-match loss on Thursday night at Chavez Ravine, it was one they concerningly failed in their last true tune-up before the playoffs.
The Dodgers, of course, will downplay the significance of this week’s results. They won 7-0 with a bullpen game on Tuesday night. They felt Wednesday’s 5-1 defeat was closer than the final score reflected. In the big-picture, Thursday’s setback didn’t hurt them either –– especially after they clinched a first-round playoff bye pregame thanks to the Atlanta Braves’ loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
There was also a matter of motivation, with the Padres clinching their own postseason spot by winning each of the last two games.
Nevertheless, dropping this series continued an increasingly troublesome trend for the two-time defending champions.
On the season, the Dodgers are just 25-28 against above-.500 teams currently on track to make the playoffs this year (excluding the sub-.500 Astros and Rangers, who are currently tied atop the AL West).
In the last two months, that mark includes an eye-popping 2-14 rut in such matchups.
Over that period, there were series sweeps at the hands of the Red Sox, Cubs and Braves. There was just a lone win in a dispiriting four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers.
And still, no outcome felt more foreboding than this one.
After a four-run rally in the bottom of the second on Tuesday, the Dodgers’ once-resurgent lineup scored just six more times over its next 25 innings –– even with Shohei Ohtani returning from the injured list on Wednesday, and recording a multi-hit effort Thursday that included a consolation RBI double in the ninth.
Though they manufactured plenty of traffic and prevented each of San Diego’s starters from completing even five innings, they wasted countless opportunities by going 4-for-25 with runners in scoring position.
It didn’t matter that the team got a pair of quality, though hardly dominant, starts out of Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday (six innings, two earned runs –– albeit with two more unearned) and Tyler Glasnow on Thursday (6.1 innings, three earned runs –– the last of which scored after he left the game).
Or that their own bullpen was, by and large, excellent; only done in during a three-run seventh-inning rally from the Padres on Thursday that was aided by some shoddy Dodgers defense (another area where the team suddenly regressed against a higher level of opponent).
Instead, their red-hot offense reverted back to its mediocre mid-summer form.
And now, after several weeks of increasingly auspicious form, the Dodgers have renewed questions to answer about their inability to beat other playoff-bound teams.
If it doesn’t change soon, it could portend an unexpectedly short October.
The Houston Astros were coming off perhaps their most devastating defeat of the season Wednesday, fearing it might have cost them the AL West title. They called up rookie Lucas Spence to replace center fielder Brice Matthews, who was placed on the injured list.
Certainly, they had no expectations but needed a body.
Spence, who wasn’t even drafted out of Southern Illinois, was hitting just .150 with one extra-base hit when he was sent back in April to Triple-A Sugar Land.
He came up Wednesday and didn’t collect a hit, but was back in the starting lineup Thursday − and just may have saved the Astros’ season.
He hit not one, not two, but three home runs with five RBI in the Astros’ 7-5 victory over the Athletics.
He became only the third player in MLB history to hit the first three home runs of his career in the same game, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs.
And just like that, the Astros are back tied with the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West with a 79-80 record and just three games remaining.
“That was fun, man, that was awesome,’’ Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters after the game. “I enjoy watching young players come up here. The biggest stage there is. We need some of these kids to step up and do big things, and (he) just delivered. …
“He hit three homers (in) a must-needed win.’’
Spence, who still was in disbelief after the game, had trouble describing his emotions on the Astros’ postgame show.
“That was really exciting,’’ Spence said. “It kind of helped me settle in after getting called back up. It’s nerves or whatever, and you take a good swing like that, it helps you settle in and build on the day and keep it going forward.’’
The Astros, coming off a deflating 10-inning defeat Wednesday night to the Seattle Mariners, couldn’t have asked for Spence’s heroics to come at a better time. He hit a three-run homer in the second inning, a solo homer in the seventh, and then led off the ninth with his third homer of the night.
“It means everything,’’ Spence said. “You know, you’re up here. You want to win. You want to get to the playoffs. It’s why we work every day. It’s everything to us.’’
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rookie Lucas Spence saves Astros' season with epic 3-homer game
The Calgary Flames took their preseason show on the road Thursday night, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Seattle Kraken in a shootout at Climate Pledge Arena.
Devin Cooley got the start in net for Calgary, making his second preseason appearance.
The Flames opened the scoring at 10:02 of the first period after a strong forecheck from Dryden Hunt forced a turnover behind the Seattle net. Brennan Othmann collected the loose puck and found Jonathan Costagna in front, who buried his first goal of the preseason past Philipp Grubauer.
First NHL preseason goal for Jonathan Castagna: ☑️ pic.twitter.com/iWluaQwa5l
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 25, 2026
Seattle answered late in the period. Jordan Eberle made a play from the slot while being knocked down, finding Bobby McMann for a quick one-timer that beat Cooley and tied the game 1-1.
Calgary outshot Seattle 14-6 through 20 minutes.
The Flames regained the lead in the second when Rory Kerins found some open ice and took a pass from Alex Nylander before ripping a shot into the top corner for his first goal of the preseason.
After some physical play between the teams, Calgary went to a 5-on-3 power play and capitalized.
Aydar Suniev picked up the puck in the high slot and snapped a wrist shot over Grubauer’s glove for his third goal in two preseason games and fourth in his last three games, including the Next Gen rookie game.
We love a Sunny goal!
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 25, 2026
Watch live: https://t.co/Jmk4vDFvIypic.twitter.com/pu1JOIv4pC
The physicality continued, with Othmann throwing a big hit in the corner before being challenged by Ville Ottavainen.
Seattle appeared to cut into Calgary’s lead late in the period when Brandon Montour scored, but the goal was waved off for offside.
The Flames carried a 3-1 lead and a 23-9 edge in shots into the third.
Montour eventually got his goal just 1:26 into the final frame, pinching down from the blue line before taking a pass from Matty Beniers and beating Cooley with a wrist shot.
Seattle tied it at 7:31 when Ryker Evans drove down the left side and fired a shot into the top corner.
Neither team could find the winner in overtime, sending the game to a shootout.
Berkly Catton scored the deciding goal as Seattle completed the comeback with a 4-3 win.
The Flames brought the compete
This was essentially a Wranglers-heavy Calgary lineup going up against a much more NHL-calibre Kraken group. The Flames played fast, physical hockey, outshot Seattle and answered when the game got chippy. They also continued to show plenty of pushback when their teammates were challenged.
Suniev keeps scoring
Suniev continues to make noise this preseason. His goal Thursday was his third in two preseason games and fourth over his last three appearances, putting him among the preseason scoring leaders.
Aydar Suniev Making Early Push for Flames Roster SpotAydar Suniev didn’t need much time to make his presence felt this preseason.
A big goal for Kerins
Kerins needed to make an impact with limited preseason opportunities, and he did that Thursday. His second-period goal was an important moment for a player trying to stay on the Flames’ radar. It may not be enough to secure an NHL roster spot, but it gives him a strong performance to build on heading into the rest of camp.
“When there’s nothing left to burn you have to set yourself on fire” – Stars, “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead”
“When there’s nothing else to fight for, let me fight for this” – Bryan Woo, on fighting to stay in a little too long in tonight’s Mariners game, a sloppy 6-4 loss to the Angels.
I’m trying to sum up some annoyance at Bryan Woo for arguing to stay in this game, and at Dan Wilson for letting him, and at Cal Raleigh for dropping a third strike (stupidest rule in baseball) leading to a Rube Goldberg-esque chain of events, and at the Mariners for going 1-for-8 with RISP tonight and generally blowing chances against literally the 2026 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Disneyland, USA, and I just can’t. There’s nothing to fight for, or against, just the slow march towards the end of this dreadful season.
The Angels got on the board in annoying fashion in the second inning, when Josh Lowe lofted a little two-out single into center field. Christian Moore then hit an even weaker parachut fly ball that Julio dove for and missed, causing Laz Montes to bluescreen momentarily as he scrambled to pick up the loose ball in what’s been his first real tough test as a big-league outfielder, allowing Lowe to score from first. Blech, and also unfortunately a tone-setter for the rest of the night.
The Mariners answered back in the bottom of the inning, though. Cal Raleigh worked a walk, and then Julio Rodríguez obliterated a terrible middle-middle fastball from Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez. I remember listening to Grayson Rodriguez pitch to Julio Rodriguez in 2019 when Julio was playing for the West Virginia Power and the other Rodriguez was with the Delmarva Shorebirds in the now-defunct South Atlantic League. Those games were always hyped up big time, top prospect vs. top prospect. Anyway, Julio won this outing.
Here, with the Rick Rizzs call, as is proper:
451 feet is currently the longest distance a ball has been hit in baseball today, and I will miss saying that when there are no balls hit in baseball today because there is no baseball.
The Mariners had a chance to really break the game open here after Josh Naylor worked a walk and Cole Young singled to put two more on with no outs, but unfortunately Lazaro Montes reached out for a changeup and grounded into a double play to put two outs on the board. Leo Rivas then came through with a clutch two-out RBI, though, bringing home Naylor to make it 3-1 before J.P. popped out to end the threat.
The Mariners had some traffic against Rodriguez and a chance to add on more but frittered away their opportunities. A leadoff double from Randy Arozarena in the second was left stranded at third (Julio and Canzone both struck out) and in the fourth a clever challenge from Cole Young to turn a strikeout into an eventual walk followed by a laserbeam single off the bat of Lazaro Montes was also stranded when Leo Rivas, who is notably not Michael Arroyo, grounded into an inning-ending double play.
That opened the door for the Angels to tie things up in the fifth. Josh Lowe threw his bat at a curveball and was rewarded with a weakly hit leadoff double, and then some more sloppy play bit the Mariners as Cal Raleigh threw away what should have been out number two on a curveball Christian Moore chased after in the dirt, leading to Lowe advancing to third and Moore reaching on my absolute least favorite play in baseball, the dropped third strike rule. Lowe would then score on a groundout to bring the Angels within one.
Despite the curveball working well for him – he had already struck Neto out on the pitch twice – Woo went with a sinker in to Neto, who yanked the pitch into right for a game-tying RBI. I was perplexed as to why Woo moved off his curveball, which he was throwing particularly well tonight – he boosted its usage up to 14%, his most commonly-used secondary tonight, and of 15 thrown landed four for called strikes and got swings on another seven with four whiffs. I was going to ask him about it postgame, but instead we had to do the continued sad autopsy of slicing up the 2026 Mariners to see what parts are the most shriveled. So for now we will put Bryan Woo’s curveball in a box labeled “40 in 40s – 2027” and hope we get to unpack them this spring.
The Mariners jumped back in front in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of some shoddy command from Rodriguez, who walked two and then threw a wild pitch that allowed J.P. Crawford, who had led off the inning, to score. But again, the Mariners couldn’t do any more damage than that, and the Angels then went ahead in the sixth against a clearly tiring Bryan Woo.
Woo’s efficiency hadn’t been great all day, despite recording eight strikeouts against the strikeout-prone Angels. For those who have watched a lot of Mariners starters in 2026, the noncompetitive five-pitch leadoff walk to a hitter with a below-average walk rate who strikes out a quarter of the time appears like a canary in the coal mine that has been this season. Two batters later, Woo allowed another free pass by plunking Denzer Guzman, who walks even less and strikes out even more. With Woo pushing into the 80s with his pitch count, Dan Wilson came out to do a mound visit, at which point Woo was seen yelling forcefully in the face of his manager from behind his glove. Because there’s nothing left to burn but ourselves, Wilson left him in, and Woo immediately went to a 3-0 count against Christian Moore – who is currently running a 34% K rate – before serving up a fastball right on the plate that Moore tattooed into center for a go-ahead double. Just when you think the 2026 Mariners can’t get any more 2026 Mariners, they Mariners all over.
Michael Rucker came in and cleaned up the mess, everyone say thank you Michael Rucker, and Laz Montes helped him out with a great catch. And you know if we’ve reached the “defensive highlights” part of the recap we’re in dire straits.
Direness indeed. Cooper Criswell had the eighth and continued to look not as sharp as he did before going on the IL, walking – no come on guys, seriously, Denzer Guzman again? And of course that leadoff walk came around to score because baseball does still have rules, even meaningless baseball. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway – the Mariners failed to score again after that wild-pitch run in the fifth against the Angels bullpen. It’s the most not matters time in the most not mattering season. Why does it still hurt?
The Dodgers didn’t win a game Thursday. But they got something far more valuable before even taking the field for their 4-2 loss to the San Diego Padres.
With the Atlanta Braves’ loss to the Cincinnati Reds earlier in the day, the Dodgers clinched the second seed in the National League playoffs and the first-round bye that goes with it. That means the Dodgers will get five days off next week to prepare for their playoff opener, a godsend for a bruised and bloodied team that has stumbled to the finish of the regular season.
“I think we all know why it’s important,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said of the break. “There’s a lot of us kind of limping toward the end here, a lot of aches and pains this year.”
In addition to Freeman, who has been hobbled all month by a sore right knee, the Dodgers are rushing to get designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, starting pitcher Blake Snell and closer Edwin Díaz healthy.
Read more:Shaikin: For the Dodgers, the varsity will take it from here
Center fielder Andy Pages, who missed a month with a broken hand, returned to the lineup three days ago while Dalton Rushing, who is competing for a bench spot on the postseason roster, is expected to be activated off the injured list Friday.
All of them will benefit from some additional rest before their playoff opener, at Dodger Stadium, on Oct. 3.
And speaking of Dodger Stadium, the No. 2 playoff seed carries another important perk: the home-field advantage for the Division Series — and possibly the World Series, if the Dodgers make it that far. Home has certainly been an advantage for the Dodgers, who drew a sellout crowd of 53,027 Thursday, pushing the team’s total home attendance over four million for the second straight year.
“It’s more turning of the turnstiles than any venue in the world,” Dodger manager Dave Roberts said. “The amazing thing is that it’s not just localized. It’s international. Everyone looks different at Dodger Stadium.
“It’s spectacular and our players certainly feed off of it.”
The Dodgers are one of five franchises in big-league history to draw more than 4 million fans in a season but just two others — the Toronto Blue Jays, from 1991-93, and the New York Yankees, in the final four years at old Yankee Stadium — did it in consecutive seasons.
Plus the Dodgers are the only team to do it since 2008. They also lead the majors in road attendance this season, having drawn 2.82 million, or 36,159 a game. And for some fans, it’s hard to separate their support from the team’s success.
“A synergy exists between we the fans and the players,” said Charles Flores, an associate professor at Cal State L.A. and lifelong Dodger fan who attended more than a dozen games this season. “One inspires the other.”
Russ Hoffman of Santa Clarita, a season-ticket holder for 40 years, agrees.
“The atmosphere created by drawing so many fans definitely contributes to their success,” he said. “Winning continuously drives the attendance and the current ownership has committed the assets to do that.”
That edge can be even bigger in the playoffs. The Dodgers lost just five of 16 postseason games at home — a .688 winning percentage — en route to World Series titles the last two years.
“During the playoffs Dodger Stadium is a tough place to play because it’s 56,000 crazed fans yelling on every play,” said Stan Brooks, an award-winning film producer and long-time season-ticket holder. “The fans are so loud and the environment is so intense every night.”
The Dodgers (97-62) will finish the regular season with three games this weekend in San Francisco, where they will continue their preparation for the postseason. Ohtani had a single and a run-scoring double Thursday. He also sent Jackson Merrill to the center-field wall to run down two long outs Thursday.
Mookie Betts, dropped to second in the lineup with Ohtani’s return, went three for three with a walk, raising his average for September to .347, while Freeman had two hits for the third time in four games.
Read more:Dodger Stadium has a botanic garden tour. Meet the man entrusted with making it a draw
But the Dodgers stranded eight runners, going 0 for 8 with men in scoring position through eight innings, avoiding their first shutout of the season at home on Adrian Morejon’s balk in the eighth.
On the mound, Tyler Glasnow, who will be the Dodgers’ fourth starter in the postseason, was perfect through three innings. He walked Fernando Tatis Jr. on four pitches to start the fourth, but didn’t allow another Padres batter to reach base until Ethan Sales singled with one out in the sixth.
That proved costly when Tatis singled on the next pitch, sending Sales to third, from where he scored on Dustin Harris’ sacrifice fly, putting the Padres ahead to stay.
Glasnow (5-2) got out of the inning by striking out Manny Machado, giving him a season-high 11 strikeouts on the night and 21 in his last two starts but San Diego then blew the game open in the seventh, chasing Glasnow and scoring three times off reliever Justin Wrobleski on run-scoring singles by Austin Hayes, Sales and Tatis.
Díaz pitched a perfect ninth, striking out two.
With the win, the Padres (89-70) clinched a postseason berth for the fifth time in seven seasons.
Staff writer Maddie Lee contributed to this report.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Dodgers ended their final homestand on a whimper, as they managed to scratch across just two late runs against the San Diego Padres in a 4-2 loss on Thursday.
After a bullpen game from the Dodgers and a four-run outing for Yoshinobu Yamamoto over the first two games, Thursday night’s contest turned into a pitcher’s duel. Tyler Glasnow and Nick Pivetta both struck out five over their first three innings on the mound, with the former facing the minimum while not allowing a single baserunner.
San Diego broke up the perfect game bid with a leadoff walk to Fernando Tatis Jr. in the top of the fourth inning, but Glasnow prevented the Padres from striking further and did not allow a hit over his first five innings, racking up nine strikeouts. Pivetta, just like Robbie Ray on Wednesday, had his pitch count inflated early on and he was pulled after allowing a two-out single to Mookie Betts in the bottom of the fifth inning— his third hit of the game. Yuki Matsui allowed a single to Freddie Freeman to put runners at the corners but got Teoscar Hernández to strike out swinging, keeping the game scoreless.
After Glasnow struck out Samad Taylor for his 10th strikeout of the night, Ethan Salas broke up the no-hit bid with a single to left, promptly followed by an opposite-field single from Tatis. Dustin Harris hit a fly ball just deep enough to break the ice and plate Salas, giving San Diego a 1-0 lead.
Glasnow managed to pitch into the seventh inning, but his night was done after allowing a double to Jackson Merrill and a walk to Xander Bogaerts. Justin Wrobleski came on in relief, and San Diego countered with pinch-hitter Austin Hays, and the right-hander smoked an RBI single just past Betts to double the Padres lead. Salas’ second hit of the night plated Bogaerts, and Tatis cashed in Hays with his second hit in as many at-bats, making it a 4-0 lead.
Despite the complete lack of run support, Thursday proved to be a fine outing for Glasnow as he totaled a season-high 11 strikeouts on the night while being charged for the three runs on just three hits. In his six starts after being activated off the injured list, Glasnow posted a 4.46 ERA while striking out 49 and walking 12 over 34 1/3 innings.
It was another brutal night for the Dodgers offensively, as a night after leaving 12 men on base while going 1-9 with runners in scoring position, the Dodgers left eight men on base while going 1-9 with runners in scoring position. Their first run of the night came on a balk from Adrián Morejón that plated Mookie Betts in the bottom of the eighth, and Shohei Ohtani roped a double for his team-leading 81st RBI against Mason Miller in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Padres can thank the Dodgers for helping them secure their third consecutive postseason berth, doing so for the first time in franchise history.
The Dodgers head up to San Francisco for their final regular season series against the Giants beginning Friday (7:15 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Tarik Skubal faces rookie Yunior Marte.
Fighting for the division title and a playoff spot, the Houston Astros tallied five home runs, three from rookie outfielder Lucas Spence, to defeat the spoiler-minded Athletics 7-5 in a back-and-forth opener to their season-ending four-game series.
Both starting pitchers, Mason Barnett and Peter Lambert, tossed scoreless first innings. A’s center fielder Henry Bolte made a stellar diving catch for the second out of the game.
In the second inning. Spence hit his first major league home run against Barnett to give the Astros a 3-0 lead. Seeking an immediate response, A’s first baseman Jeff McNeil doubled to open the bottom of the second. Zack Gelof then drew a walk to put two runners on with no outs. The Athletics failed to capitalize on the scoring opportunity as Lambert struck out the next three batters.
Shea Langeliers, who kept his at-bat alive by winning an ABS challenge, hit a two-out single in the bottom of the third inning, bringing McNeil to the plate as the potential tying run. McNeil’s ninth home run of the season, a three-run shot to right center off Lambert, made it a brand-new ballgame.
Gelof followed with a solo home run to center, his 21st of the season, to give the Green and Gold a 4-3 lead.
Donovan Walton singled for the Athletics fourth consecutive two-out hit, knocking Lambert out of the game after just 2 2/3 innings. The Astros right-hander was one pitch away from ending the inning before suffering that two-out collapse. Left-hander Bryan King replaced him and got that elusive third out.
Athletics catcher Jonah Heim hit a one-out double in the bottom of the fourth inning, giving the A’s an opportunity to extend their lead. The hosts did not cash in on that scoring opportunity as King struck out two straight to strand Heim at second.
Pitching with the lead for the first time, Barnett pitched two straight scoreless innings, retiring eight in a row. In the sixth inning, Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes tied the game with his 24th home run of the season, a solo shot to left on a fastball down the middle.
The A’s right-hander rebounded to retire the next three hitters, completing a career-high six frames. Barnett will want those two home run pitches back, but otherwise it was a much-improved outing. He walked two while tying his career-high with eight strikeouts.
The A’s turned the game over to their bullpen as right-hander Scott Blewett entered for the seventh inning. With one out, Spence put the Astros back in front 5-4 with his second home run of the night. Houston had a chance to add on, but Blewett retired Paredes to strand two runners.
While the Astros surged ahead, rookie right-hander Miguel Ullola kept the A’s offense quiet with three scoreless innings of long relief. A night after recording four hits, Bolte struck out looking in his first four at-bats. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, A’s right fielder Lawrence Butler just missed a game-tying home run, settling for a double off the right-field fence. Ullola stranded the tying run at second by getting Langeliers to fly out.
Right-hander Chris Roycroft pitched the eighth inning for the A’s, looking to keep it a one-run game. With two outs, first baseman Christian Walker hit his 27th home run of the season and the Astros’ fourth of the game, extending their lead to 6-4.
The Athletics got a run back in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Gelof hit his second home run of the night, a solo shot to left against Astros left-hander Bennet Sousa to cut the hosts’ deficit to one. On a night when he received the Catfish Hunter Award, Gelof recorded his second career multi-home run game.
Astros reliever Bryan Abreu replaced Souza and retired Heim to end the inning, stranding the game-tying run at second base. Tommy White put together another useless three-pitch at-bat as a pinch-hitter that inning.
In the ninth inning, A’s right-hander Elvis Alvarado gave up Houston’s fifth home run of the game. Spence hit his third home run of the night, restoring the Astros’ two-run lead. The unheralded rookie became the third player in MLB history to hit his first three career home runs in the same game.
In the bottom of the ninth, Butler collected his third hit to bring the tying run to the plate. The game ended one pitch later as Abreu got Langeliers to ground into his second double play of the game.
The Athletics will look to bounce back Friday. Left-hander Jacob Lopez will start for the Green and Gold, while the Astros will counter with right-hander Hunter Brown.
Mike Babcock iced a lineup heavy with AHL talent Thursday night, and the Edmonton Oilers still walked away with a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks, who, in contrast, iced all of their big guns. The Oilers outworked their much more experienced opponent on the road and improved Babcock's preseason record to 3-0.
Babcock said, "Coming in, obviously we were undermanned and obviously outmatched, but our guys played with determination." He added that when you come in with the lineup they did, and you're not sure what's going to happen, it can go a number of ways. In this case, it was good to get through the opening five minutes, pick up the pace, and eventually the win.
Playing with pace is the Oilers' mantra. They've focused on it in practice and on-ice sessions. It's clear they're starting to work that pace into their games.
In net, Tristan Jarry looked sharp, stopping 25 of 26 shots and moving fluidly in the crease. Despite his poise, he credited the young guys. "I thought the kids played great tonight; they worked their butts off," Jarry said after the win. "Everything we've been going through in practice, they really implemented tonight."
When asked what it's like to play behind a group that's putting in that kind of effort, he responded, "It's awesome to stand back there and see that effort... They were working hard."
Victorious in Vancouver 👊@sentinelstorage | #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/as2LpjSvRZ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 25, 2026
With Jarry, Max Jones, Spencer Stastney, and Ty Emberson the only established NHL regulars in the lineup, the group still showed a clear defensive identity. It was genuinely an encouraging sign, even in a preseason game.
Edmonton pressured the puck throughout the game, especially on the penalty kill. The kill was aggressive, pouncing on the puck carriers from multiple angles. It's a bit of a gamble if not done properly, but this is the style the Oilers want to play. The goal against showed where things can go wrong, but the non-NHLers did a solid job applying the coach's teachings, and you can see what they're trying to do. The veterans will have to keep that trend going on Saturday.
While Jarry had a solid game in goal, Isaac Howard was the standout of the night. After a quiet start to camp as he pushed for a top-six role, Howard opened the scoring by pouncing on a bouncing puck, then added an assist. His game visibly shifted after the goal, as if a weight had been lifted, and he played much stronger over the final 50 minutes.
This was the kind of game he needed to have as the jury was out on him thus far in camp. Babcock said earlier in the day that they liked how Howard had been preparing, but they wanted to see him in a game where he got to possess the puck.
As for why he's the only player to play all of the team's preseason games, it's about opportunity. As a player trying to cement himself on the roster this season, Howard needs the looks.
What We Know Halfway Through PreseasonWe're now at the halfway mark of preseason, so what do we know about the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers">Edmonton Oilers</a> so far?
Vancouver pushed for the equalizer in the third period and controlled more of the puck late, but Edmonton's counterattacks generated the better scoring chances down the stretch. Vancouver did not look strong. The fact that such a loaded lineup struggled to generate anything remotely dangerous is not a good sign for a Canucks team that had no excuses.
Meanwhile, this was the last game that most of Thursday's lineup will play this season. Babcock said of the guys who the team will send down, "The hardest thing about this league is that no one is giving their job to you." He said they should all feel good about themselves.
Now, the roster will be narrowed down to an exclusively NHL roster and the team will be get ready for their final exhibition game on Saturday.
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Angels 6, Mariners 4
The guy I saw wearing a NOTHING IS REAL GO LET LOVE DESTROY YOU hat at the park: Julio Rodríguez, .19 WPA
The guy I saw wearing an Angels hat at the park*: Bryan Woo, -.52 WPA
*the guy in question was Mike Trout
Game thread comment of the day:
ST. LOUIS -- Sure, it’s the preseason. Sure, these games don’t count.
But they actually do. They count to those trying to win a job.
And if Adam Jiricek doesn’t win a job right out of training camp, it’s not because the first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2024 NHL Draft isn’t good enough or isn’t ready. It’s more because it’s a numbers game, and it’s because the St. Louis Blues can afford to allow the talented Czechia-born right-hander to simmer in the American Hockey League and build minutes – huge minutes.
But boy oh boy, did the 20-year-old really step to the plate and show Blues management and coaching staff that he’s putting his best foot forward to make the decision on a seventh defenseman as arduous as possible.
Tyler Tucker was all but locked in as the seventh D-man, but his recent right knee injury, a knee tweak that coach Jim Montgomery called, opened the door for Jiricek and Calle Rosen, who scored the lone goal in a 1-0 preseason win over the Chicago Blackhawks at Enterprise Center on Thursday.
Jiricek, who has battled injuries in his young career but was able to have a healthy season last year and play a ton, has played in preseason games before. Last year, to be exact. But Thursday’s performance was his best yet.
“I would say I’m a step ahead,” Jiricek said. “I have like a whole year, almost like 100 games (playing) last year. If you play 100 games, you just (are) building your confidence. I’m like more experienced, I’m older, I’m heavier and just everything together comes. I feel like I’m a couple steps ahead than I was last year.”
On Thursday, he played 17:04 and was a plus-1 with four shots on goal (six total), which was second on the team behind Aleksanteri Kaskimaki’s six; he finished with two takeaways, including one that sprung Oskar Sundqvist and Kaskimaki for a 2-on-1 that Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom made a terrific save on Kaskimaki, and Jiricek had zero giveaways.
“I felt good all over,” Jiricek said. “It’s great to play here. We have great players. When the great players are also like good teammates, it feels good and I feel good out there. Trying to do my best to play my best hockey and I think it’s going good. I feel pretty good out there.”
Jiricek played with Rosen, and it was evident how he demanded the puck, craved the puck and made things happen with the puck when he got it; whether it be moving it up ice, putting shots on goal, running the second power play unit or making a pass setting someone else up for a quality opportunity.
“His ability make plays with time, without time, just his brain offensively,” Montgomery described Jiricek’s game. “Thinks at a high level. His deception. The move he made at the blue line to walk in, let that wrist shot go. Just an exciting, young player.
“He has a zest for the game. He loves the game. He looks at the game like it's almost like he's an artist and the ice is his canvas. It's fun to watch.”
Is it fun enough to watch from the start of the season? The NHL deadline for 23-man rosters is Monday 4 p.m. (CT) and Jiricek could be – and the way he’s playing, should be – on it for the Blues. But is it wise to do so? Only if he’s playing.
Depending on the severity of Tucker’s injury, Jiricek could be here just to soak up the NHL player life and get acclimated and go to Springfield if Tucker’s injury is short-lived. Otherwise, it’s probably best to have Rosen here as the insurance policy as the extra D. And Jiricek is waivers-exempt, meaning the Blues can send him to the AHL without waivers. It's the part of the business that stinks, but it's reality.
But it’s been up to Jiricek to make this decision as difficult as possible. Thursday’s performance all but certainly made sure that decision would be a difficult one.
The Blues traded for Brandon Carlo as an insurance policy in case Jiricek wasn't ready. Not only does he look ready, but they have depth with a solid addition in Carlo.
“It’s my dream,” Jiricek said. “I’m doing everything I can do to do that as soon as possible. It’s just to play my best hockey and the decision is not on me anymore. I’m doing everything I can. It’s all I can manage. That’s all I can do.”
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