Interim manager Don Mattingly surely would be fired, with calls immediately placed to Alex Cora to replace him. Many of his coaches would be dismissed along with them. And the roster could be facing a dramatic change, with some of the Phillies’ biggest stars perhaps being placed on the trade block.
Then, like a thunderbolt coming down the sky, it happened, turning a 3-1, eighth-inning deficit into a dramatic 4-3 Phillies victory over Atlanta, saving their season, and setup up a dramatic winner-take-all game Thursday at Truist Park.
The Phillies, who nearly suffered one of the greatest collapses in baseball history, losing 14 of 23 games and almost coughed up a four-game lead with five remaining, are now guaranteed to play in October after all.
The Phillies’ comeback began when Atlanta starter Tyler Mahle came out of the game after seven brilliant innings, bringing in left-handed reliever Dylan Lee.
Kyle Schwarber, who hit 45 homers during the season, greeted Lee by hitting a 3-and-2 slider that nearly sailed out of the stadium, traveling 447 feet into the right-field seats.
Three pitches later, Bryce Harper, who botched a fly ball in right field in the seventh inning that led to two runs, hit another slider 418 feet away into the right-center-field seats.
Tie game.
“That’s why this team is so great," Harper told reporters after the game. “We pick each other up when we need to. ... Obviously my teammates picking me up in that situation, and that's what it's all about.
Two innings later, Alec Bohm hit a two-out homer into the right-field seats, with rookie Andrew Painter, who had been sent to the minors with a 7.06 ERA this summer, pitching the final three innings for the victory and the game ending on a successful ABS challenge.
“Obviously, we’re not going to quit," Bohm said on the TV postgame show. “They just punched us, took the lead, and you know, no two better guys to punch back than [Harper] and Kyle. So yeah, that was pretty electric. It was a great way to answer, and that’s the reason we won the game."
It will go down as one of the greatest postseason games in Phillies history, and Thursday’s result may determine just how long it will be remembered.
“Today was really emotional, a lot of swings in the game,’’ Bohm said. “So, I think as much as we want to enjoy this for a little bit, it's the same as we did [Tuesday]. Turn the page, move on to tomorrow, and show up ready to do the same thing.’’
The Phillies are still alive.
And there’s nothing they’d love than to board a flight Thursday night to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers in the NL Division Series in a rematch of a year ago.
MOOSIC, PA - JULY 6: Shortstop Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees flips the ball to the pitcher during a rehab assignment for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders during a game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at PNC Field on July 6, 2013 in Moosic, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It began April 4, 2013, with the first pitch from Vidal Nuño to Pawtucket’s Brock Holt. It ended Sept. 19, 2026, when Stephen Jones of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp uncorked a wild pitch with Kenedy Corona batting, enabling Yanquiel Fernandez to score the winning run from third base.
In between, there have been a lot of highs and lows and memorable moments for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Triple-A franchise as the RailRiders.
Since minor-league baseball returned to northeastern Pennsylvania in 1989, the franchise has been known by three nicknames. First was the Red Barons as a Philadelphia Phillies affiliate until 2006. In 2007, it became a New York Yankees affiliate and adopted the same moniker as the parent club. In 2013, to coincide with the major renovations of its home, PNC Field, it changed from Yankees to RailRiders, which was the winner of a fan name-the-team contest and honored the region having the first trolley system in the United States.
Now, after 13 seasons, the RailRiders’ final ride has pulled into the station. The name is being rebranded, and the new one will be announced in November.
As the RailRiders, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre finished with an all-time record of 1,028 wins and 834 losses. Only three times did it have a losing season: 2013, 2014, and 2023.
Six times the RailRiders made the playoffs. Three times they lost in the International League championship series (2017, 2018, 2025). But in 2016, they defeated the Gwinnett Braves in four games to capture the IL title, then beat the Pacific Coast League champion El Paso Chihuahuas to claim the Triple-A national championship.
There were plenty of memorable games throughout franchise history. One came on September 3, 2019. The RailRiders and Syracuse Mets tied for first place in the International League North Division and played a one-game playoff to decide the title. Syracuse led, 7-1, heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the RailRiders scored five runs to pull within 7-6. Syracuse scored six runs in the top of the eighth to make it 13-6. But the RailRiders rallied for eight runs in the bottom of the eighth to win, 14-13.
Three of the franchise’s seven no-hitters were thrown by RailRiders. Luis Gil, Reggie McClain and Stephen Ridings combined for one against Rochester on July 21, 2021. Sean Boyle tossed a seven-inning no-no in the second game of a doubleheader on August 19, 2021, at Worcester. This season, on June 5th at Syracuse, Brendan Beck and Carson Coleman teamed up for one.
Even the team’s final game as the RailRiders will long be remembered. Trailing Jacksonville 4-0 after two innings, they rallied to tie the game at 5 and force extra innings. With no arms left in the bullpen, position player Edinson Duran came on to get the final out in the top of the 10th with the bases loaded. The RailRiders won in the bottom of the 10th when Fernandez scored on Jones’ wild pitch.
“It was pretty poetic, tying the game in the eighth, showing no quit, could have easily rolled over. Then going extras and having Duran come in (to pitch) was a blast,” Beck said. “He works his butt off, so for him to go out there and pick us up like that and keep that inning at a zero, it felt like there was no way we weren’t going to score in the bottom of the 10th. It was an awesome game, great way to end the season.”
Beck became the fourth player in franchise history and second RailRider to be named International League Pitcher of the Year, joining Greg Weissert in 2022. This season, Beck led the IL in earned-run average (2.93), strikeouts (151), innings (135.1), WHIP (1.06), opponents’ batting average (.210), and tied for second in wins (10).
Ben Gamel became the third player in franchise history and lone RailRider to be named IL Player of the Year in 2016. One day after winning the honor, the Yankees traded him to the Seattle Mariners for minor-league pitchers Jio Orozco and Juan De Paula.
Many notable players have worn a RailRiders uniform.
Hall of Famer Derek Jeter spent seven games on a rehab assignment in early July 2013 while recovering from a broken ankle. During his time here, it became a daily game to see where he was spotted in downtown Scranton.
Later that month, Alex Rodriguez played three games here while coming back from offseason hip surgery. He hit a two-run home run in the second at-bat of his first game.
Curtis Granderson and D.J. LeMahieu were other notable Yankees who rehabbed here over the years. This season, pitchers Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, catcher Austin Wells, and outfielder Cody Bellinger all had rehab stints.
Current Yankees slugger Aaron Judge played 154 games with the RailRiders in 2015 and 2016 and five more games on a rehab assignment in 2019. He totaled 28 home runs and 95 RBIs. Prospects such as Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez, Anthony Volpe, Ben Rice, Cam Schlittler, Spencer Jones, and George Lombard Jr. also spent time here.
“A lot of great players have played for the RailRiders,” Beck said. “To be the last ones to do it is fun. The future is exciting as well. Looking forward to starting something new next year.”
When manager Shelley Duncan played in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre from 2007-09, the team was known as the Yankees. But in his four seasons as manager, the term “RailRiders” has come to mean a lot to him.
“I just always think about the character of every team that I’ve had,” said Duncan, whose record as RailRiders manager is 327-195. “I’ve been lucky to be a part of some good groups that fought all the way to the end. Some good memories and some good relationships. Each year has been a different team, and each year has been very special.”
The new nickname has already been decided, and team officials said it will reflect the “beauty, heritage and outdoor legacy” of the region. Whatever it is, it will have a tough act to follow. The RailRiders’ era was quite a successful and enjoyable time.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Andrew Painter #24 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate a win over the Atlanta Brave in game two of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phillies’ season looked all but over. Thanks to a horrendous fielding error by Bryce Harper, the Phillies found themselves trailing the Braves by two runs in the eighth. But thanks to back-to-back home runs by Kyle Schwarber and Harper, a go-ahead home run by Alec Bohm in the tenth, and some gutsy pitching by rookie Andrew Painter, the Phillies beat the Braves 4-3 to tie the Wild Card series at one win apiece.
The game started out promisingly for the Phillies’ offense. Trea Turner led off with an opposite field double, advanced to second on a ground out, and scored on Harper’s RBI single.
A single by Bohm put runners at the corners, but Bryson Stott hit a ball back to the pitcher and Harper was thrown out at home to end the threat.
The Braves answered back in the bottom of the inning. Cristopher Sanchez started the game by walking Ronald Acuna, Jr, and it ended up costing him thanks to Matt Olson’s RBI single two batters later.
The game then settled into a pitchers’ duel between Sanchez and Tyler Mahle. The Phillies continued to flail at Mahle’s split fastball and could only manage three hits over the next six innings. Sanchez ran into trouble in both the fifth and sixth but was able to pitch out of the jam both times.
Despite a rising pitch count, Sanchez began the seventh and started the inning with a walk. The next batter attempted a bunt, and Bohm made a poor decision to try to get the runner at second, putting two on with nobody out. Sanchez bore down to strike out Acuna and then got Drake Baldwin to hit what looked like a routine fly ball to right. However, …
With the back-to-back jacks tying the game at three, manager Don Mattingly chose to bring in rookie Andrew Painter. It was a tough spot for a rookie, and it looked like it might have been a mistake when his first six pitches missed the strike zone. But a mound visit seemed to settle Painter. He coerced a double play and a foul out to end the inning.
After trading zeroes in the ninth, the Phillies had two outs in the tenth when Alec Bohm lifted what looked like a routine fly ball to right field. But somehow, it kept carrying and gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead.
It isn’t clear if Jhoan Duran was unavailable or if it was just Painter’s game, but the rookie came back out for his third inning. Painter started out the inning with a strike three that nicked the strike zone by about a nanometer. After a single and another strike out, Michael Harris kept the game alive by flicking his bat at a ball that somehow found grass.
With two out and two on, Painter got two quick strikes on Austin Riley and then delivered a pitch that was so perfect that ABS had to call it a strike.
With the win, the Phillies have set up a pivotal game three on Thursday. It would be nice if they could get out to an early lead and coast to victory. It would also be nice if I could win the lottery.
ATLANTA — Alec Bohm put Philadelphia ahead with a two-out home run in the 10th inning and the Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 on Wednesday to force a decisive third game in their National League Wild Card Series.
The Phillies rallied with back-to-back homers from Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper after trailing 3-1 in the seventh. Harper’s homer made up for a crucial fielding mistake an inning earlier.
Andrew Painter (1-0), a starter in the regular season, saved the Phillies’ beleaguered bullpen with three scoreless innings to close things out. Painter stranded two runners in the 10th when he struck out Dominic Smith with a successful ABS challenge.
Playing under traditional extra-inning rules that don’t include designated runners at second base like in the regular season, Bohm delivered his third career postseason home run, a 357-foot shot to right field off right-hander Didier Fuentes (0-1).
The Phillies will try to continue their postseason dominance over the Braves in Thursday’s Game 3. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 1993 NLCS and the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.
In the seventh, Drake Baldwin’s double glanced off Harper’s glove in right field, driving in Sean Murphy to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. Harper, who resumed playing the outfield late this season for the first time since 2022, got a poor jump and was leaping for the ball near the warning track. He was not charged with an error. Matt Olson added a sacrifice fly.
“Probably should have been caught, obviously,” Harper said.
The Phillies pulled even with eighth-inning home runs by Schwarber and Harper off Dylan Lee, the winning pitcher in the Braves’ 5-3 opening win on Tuesday. Schwarber’s drive carried 447 feet and Harper followed with a 418-foot drive.
Tyler Mahle allowed one run on six hits in seven innings for Atlanta. Cristopher Sánchez allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings for Philadelphia while throwing a career-high 116 pitches.
Painter gave up a one-out single to Mauricio Dubón in the 10th, then struck out Austin Riley before giving up a bloop single to Michael Harris II. Painter’s 0-2 fastball to Smith was called inside by plate umpire Adam Beck, but Painter and catcher J.T. Realmuto immediately called for a robo-ump challenge. ABS confirmed the ball clipped the strike zone, the first time a postseason game has ended with a strike-zone appeal.
Harper, a first baseman before moving to the outfield at the trade deadline, was playing shallow and was late to adjust to Baldwin’s drive with runners on first and second. Harper reached up only to have the ball bounce off his glove for a double.
Ronald Acuña Jr. walked, stole second and then stole third with Edmundo Sosa not covering the bag before scoring on Olson’s single in the first.
Sánchez didn’t allow another hit until Sean Murphy doubled to center field with one out in the fifth.
Mahle kept pace, though he didn’t have a perfect inning until the fifth, when he struck out Schwarber and Harper. Sánchez issued an intentional walk to Acuña with two outs before Baldwin’s grounder to second base ended the inning.
Sosa leaves with injury
Sosa left the game after reaching on an infield single to open the ninth. Sosa appeared to aggravate a leg injury and was replaced by pinch-runner Derek Hill.
Up next
Braves RHP Grant Holmes (10-6, 3.44) is expected to either start or pitch in bulk relief in Game 3 on Thursday against Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (7-12, 4.67).
New York, NY - September 29: Boston Red Sox left fielder Roman Anthony walks up to the plate to bat in the first inning. The Boston Red Sox played the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 2026 Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 29, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Losing 9-0 against your blood rivals to open off the postseason is bad enough. But the pain of last night was brought to another level by losing 9-0 while your leadoff hitter and the face of the franchise mysteriously leaves the game after two awkward strikeouts.
You can see in this picture from before last night's game that Roman Anthony's right hand was pretty heavily taped up leading into it. Whatever happened in Tampa was much worse than they initially let on. In hindsight, Anthony likely doesn't even start if it's not a playoff game. https://t.co/HjRyH5mAXApic.twitter.com/j5lPe5LHXW
And, as it turns out, despite the fact that he returned at the end of August and performed as the lineup’s top hitter during an otherwise sleepy stretch run to end the season, Anthony has been battling the hand the whole time. In fact, Andruw Monasterio had been informed before the game even started that he may be called on to replace Anthony in the lineup. “He took a check swing and then another swing and his hand flared on him. And it got uncomfortable, so we had to make a move there,” Chad Tracy said. “It’s difficult. You’ll get a zinger every once in a while where you feel something, it’s fine, it goes away … [Tuesday] some stuff happened that was more serious and was uncomfortable.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Update, 4:20 PM: Anthony is not just out of the lineup tonight, he’s out for the series:
Roman Anthony won't play again in this series and the Red Sox have petitioned to the league for a roster replacement, which would.also knock Roman out for the ALDS
Roman Anthony was driven back to Boston last night and had imaging that revealed multiple new strains in his hand plus a re-aggravation of the old injury. He is out for the foreseeable future.
Update, 5:30 PM: And just to make things a little weirder, Anthony will be replaced in the lineup by none other than Curtis Mead, who has effectively not played at all for the Red Sox this year due to injury.
With Anthony out, Jahmai Jones will DH and leadoff, while Nate Eaton will play left.
Red Sox lineup (no Roman Anthony) for Game 2 against the Yankees:
DH Jahmai Jones C Adley Rutschman 1B Willson Contreras RF Wilyer Abreu CF Ceddanne Rafaela 3B Caleb Durbin 2B Nick Sogard SS Trevor Story LF Nate Eaton
Anthony was hardly the only hitter to struggle against Cam Schlittler last night. And making matters worse was the fact that the Sox had been preparing to face him for weeks. But Schlittler had a surprise in store for the Sox, as he unleashed his curveball far more than he typically does. “He was landing it just for some get-me-overs to try to get back into counts and getting ahead early. Good on him to kinda mix it up there,” said Caleb Durbin. “I thought he was doing a better job today of mixing up in the zone and lower in the zone with fastballs and his curveball.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
It won’t matter how the lineup performs tonight if Sonny Gray can’t keep the Yankees off the board. Gray has an ugly history with the Yankees. The arguable nadir of his career occurred during his brief time in pinstripes and he has since said he never wanted to play for the Yankees in the first place. But he doesn’t necessarily regret his time in the Bronx. “I think there’s a lot of people and a lot of players that can have one bump in the road and not get back on the tracks,” he said, “and for me, there’s been bumps along the way and that may have been a little bit of a bigger bump than others. But then to be able to recenter, to refocus, to continue to have confidence in yourself and not get off the wagon, get back on the wagon and continue to move forward in your career and in your life as well … ultimately it made me a better person.” (Tara Sullivan, Boston Globe)
Ben Rice, unfortunately, did always want to play for the Yankees, despite the fact that he grew up in Cohasset and likely has an opinion on South Shore style bar pizza. But his New England roots aren’t the only unusual thing about him, as he’s also the rare Ivy League grad in the big leagues. (Ronald Blum, Boston.com)
Sonny’s hatred of the Yankees is, of course, welcome around these parts. But it’s possible that the Yankees are doing one thing in particular better than everyone else: constructing their roster for these short Wild Card round series. (Michael Baumann, FanGraphs)
But roster construction alone isn’t going to win a playoff series, and this particular playoff series is not yet over. “I mean, I haven’t heard the fat lady sing yet,” Payton Tolle said last night. “So we’re just going to keep going out there. I believe in us. So it’s going to be fun to watch these guys compete tomorrow.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
The Atlanta Braves faced the Philadelphia Phillies in game two of the Wild Card series in a chance to clinch the series and move on to the next round.
Tyler Mahle, the key trade deadline acquisition, took the mound for the Braves. He has been on fire in the second half of the season for the Braves. with a 1.99 ERA with forty-eight strikeouts to only nine walks.
This is his first postseason appearance of his career and he was a little shaky in the first inning. Trea Turner smacked the second pitch he saw for a double. Schwarber then moved him to third on a ground out. This brought up struggling former MVP Bryce Harper to the plate. He took an splitter low and outside the opposite way for an RBI single to put the Phillies up by one. Alec Bohm followed that up with a single to put runners on the corners with only one out. Fortunately, Mahle calmed down and got Stott to hit a come-backer to the mound for a fielder’s choice via a pickle at third and then struck out Brandon Marsh to limit the damage.
The first inning continued to be exciting when the Braves came up to bat. Ronald Acuña led off the bottom of the first with a career OPS of 1.000 against Cristopher Sánchez. He was able to draw a walk. Baldwin struck out, but Acuña stole second against one of the best defensive catchers in recent memory in J.T. Realmuto. Albies grounded out, but then Acuña stole again and made it to third. Matt Olson then came up clutch and knocked Acuña in to tie the game at one before Dubón hit a 101.9 MPH line out.
Mahle looked much better in the second. He got Sosa and Crawford to flyout. He did surrender a single to Realmuto but then got revenge on Turner and struck him out. Unfortunately, the bottom of the inning was not any better for the Braves with them being sat down in order.
Mahle started get in the groove and show us why we were excited to have him be the game two starter in the third inning. He struck out Schwarber, and got Harper to ground out. He showed he was not intimidated even though the top of the lineup got to him last time. He walked Bohm, but then got Stott to groundout.
Some questioned why Kim was in the lineup, but he did his job in his first appearance. He was able to draw a six pitch walk. For some reason, Acuña then followed Kim up with watching three straight strikes without swinging. Drake Baldwin did not do much better with a six pitch strikeout. Albies then followed that up with a pop up.
The fourth inning started out great. The only offense from the Phillies was a single from Justin Crawford. Mahle was able to induce two groundouts and a lineout. This brought up Matt Olson in the bottom of the fourth. Olson was able to draw a 3-1 count (although the strike looked low), but it ended in a groundout to second. He was followed by two more groundouts.
If anyone questioned the Tyler Mahle acquisition, that should be put to bed. He sat down the Phillies in order in the fifth to include striking out both Schwarber and Harper. It looked like the Braves may get something going in the fifth. After a Harris groundout, Murphy doubled. Kim popped out and Sánchez intentionally walked Acuña to face Baldwin. Unfortunately for the Braves, that move paid off when Baldwin grounded out.
Mahle stayed in the game for the sixth and the only offense he surrendered was a single to Marsh. The Sixth looked very promising for the Braves. They loaded the bases thanks to a Albies single and back-to-back singles from Dubón and Riley after an Olson strikeout, but then Harris grounded into a double play to kill the momentum.
In the seventh the Braves chose to ride the hot hand and leave in Tyler Mahle. He was able to get Crawford to groundout on a low splitter, Realmuto to strikeout, and Turner to line out. It really showed that the Phillies do not have faith in their bullpen because Sánchez came back out to pitch after loading the bases in the previous inning. The Braves took advantage. Murphy walked and then Kim was able to get on as well via a misplayed bunt. Acuña struck out again, but then Baldwin came up big with a double to put the Braves up by one on a ball that appeared to be misplayed by Harper. Albies then was intentionally walked to load the bases. Olson came through again and gave the Braves another run via a sac fly. This brought in Alex McFarlane to pitch. McFarlane then got a groundout to end the inning.
Dylan Lee came in to pitch. He did well yesterday, but there was this sinking feeling of him coming in because he has struggled in the regular season as of late. The bad feeling was warranted because he surrendered back-to-back HRs to Schwarber and Harper to tie the game. Harper made up for his mistake. Fortunately, he was able to get two more outs and was relieved by Iglesias. In true Iggy fashion, he did his job and ended the top of the eighth.
The Phillies opted to bring in Andrew Painter in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Austin Riley won an ABS challenge and walked. Unfortunately, Michael Harris followed that up with his second GIDP of the game, and then Sean Murphy popped up.
With every inning that went by, the drama got higher and higher and in the ninth that held true. Iglesias stayed in to pitch the ninth and Sosa was able to single off of him, but appeared to be injured and was replaced with Derek Hill. Crawford tried to bunt the runner over, but it was unsuccessful. Realmuto then popped up. This brought us to the top of the lineup with two outs. The Braves opted to bring in rookie Dider Fuentes to try and get the third out after struggling yesterday. Under unimaginable pressure, he was able to get Trea Turner to pop out and end the inning, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth.
Yastrzemski pinch hit for Kim against Painter and hit a routine fly ball. Acuña continued his struggles with a ground out. Baldwin singled, but then Albies flied out to RF to send the game to extras. Fuentes stayed in the game to pitch the tenth and struck out Schwarber, then proceeded to get Harper to ground out, but then Alec Bohm put in the dagger with a solo shot on a ball over the middle of the plate to take a one run lead. This led to a single from Stott and De La Cruz. Fuentes was able to strike out Hill, but the damage was done.
The Braves got some offense going in the bottom of the tenth. Olson struck out, but Dubón was able to get a single. Riley came up to bat with a chance to be the hero again, but also struck out. Michael Harris singled and then the Braves opted to pinch hit Dominic Smith for Sean Murphy. This ultimately failed with Smith striking out on three pitches to include an overturned ABS challenge to end the game.
The offense had plenty of opportunities to score with eleven runners left on base, and the bullpen collapsed. If this game was simulated multiple times the Braves likely would have won the majority of them, but it that is not how it played out today in a demoralizing loss.
The Braves will likely face the Phillies’ ace Zack Wheeler tomorrow and will bring in Grant Holmes to pitch. This loss stings.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 05: Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 05, 2026 in New York City. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees 5-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox are in danger of watching their season come to a close in Yankee Stadium for the second consecutive year. The offense showed zero signs of life as the Yankees cruised to a 9-0 victory headlined by 10 strikeouts from growing Red Sox killer Cam Schlittler. Payton Tolle did enough on the mound as the Game 1 starter. His team was clearly just unable to do their part around them.
Now, the Red Sox fall into the need of a historic response given that just 3 of 24 teams to lose the opener in the Wild Card round have come back to win the series. For starters, Boston sends 18-game winner Sonny Gray to the mound. He flirted with a no-hitter the last time he faced New York in June and tallied a 1.98 ERA against the Yankees in 2026.
The Yankees counter with Max Fried, who has battled some inconsistencies in his ramp-up period from an injury return. The southpaw does have a sparkling 1.93 career ERA against the Red Sox in addition to a brilliant start in Game 1 last year with 6 1/3 scoreless innings, which his bullpen ruined in Boston’s 3-1 victory. To best combat the talented lefty, Jahmai Jones slots in leading off as the designated hitter. Caleb Durbin moves up to the sixth spot and Nate Eaton – another right-handed bat – gets the nod in left field.
After being shut out in consecutive postseason games, the Red Sox must find a way to score runs and now do so without Roman Anthony, who will come off the ALWC roster with new and aggravated injuries in his right hand. It’s an uphill challenge undoubtedly, though it’s one Boston must be ready for in order to extend the season.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Hunter Brown #58, Jeremy Peña #3, Yordan Alvarez #44, Jose Altuve #27 and Isaac Paredes #15 of the Houston Astros look on in the eighth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on September 27, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 29: Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees reacts to a play during Game One of the American League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Ben Rice takes the leadoff spot after a record-breaking Game 1 performance against the Red Sox. He went 4-for-5 with two home runs, including an electrifying eighth-inning grand slam, and drove in six runs. It’s also worth noting that his fellow Massachusetts native Cam Schlittler also showed Boston no mercy, pitching six and a third scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts to completely shut down the offense.
Cody Bellinger, who went 1-for-4, will bat second followed by Luis García Jr. in the hole. He’ll start at first for Game 2 over Paul Goldschmidt, who went 0-for-3 with two walks and a run scored on Tuesday night. Spencer Jones will take the cleanup spot after going 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk in the Game 1 blowout win. He’ll be playing right field alongside Trent Grisham, who made his return in Game 1 after being reinstated from the IL.
Gleaming in his postseason debut, going 3-for-4 and scoring two runs, George Lombard Jr. is the perfect segue to cruise into the bottom of the order and the lone right-handed hitter in the starting nine. Jazz Chisholm Jr. will start at second over Anthony Volpe, who gave a promising performance in Game 1.
Grisham, who was sidelined most of September with a hamstring injury, is going back to his comfort zone at center and will take the seventh spot in the lineup. He’ll be followed by Austin Wells, who went 1-for-3 with two hits and identical RBIs on Tuesday night. Ryan McMahon will round out the order and start at third over Amed Rosario, who struck out in three pitches from Payton Tolle in the second.
Here’s a look at the Red Sox lineup, which puts former Yankee Jahmai Jones in the leadoff spot. It’s a real blast from the past since he used to lead off for the Pinstripes not too long ago.
With a win over the Red Sox on Wednesday, the Yankees will advance to face the Rays in the ALDS. Don’t miss a second of the action and tune into NBC at 8 p.m. EST.
Postseason signage at Petco Park (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
October is a magical time for Major League Baseball. Every postseason team has a legitimate shot to win a World Series title. Whether you are the prohibitive favorite or the longest of long shots, the stakes remain the same.
It is still hard to imagine the San Diego Padres hosting a Wild Card Series at Petco Park, especially after Las Vegas sportsbooks gave them a seven percent chance of playing in October. But this year’s postseason feels different from past playoff appearances.
A tale of two halves
Is the 2026 roster better than past playoff teams? Tough to answer, but this group has risen off the mat to become a club no one wants to meet in the postseason.
Before the pomp and circumstance associated with Opening Day began, the Padres had to subtract two important pieces from the starting rotation: Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. Finding suitable replacements became an agonizing, summer-long task.
A.J. Preller, Friars President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, deserves praise for bolstering the starting rotation. All the talk before the trade deadline was the Padres acquiring a starting pitcher. The addition of Robbie Ray and Casey Mize immediately raised postseason expectations to a season high.
The Friars struggled badly in the first half, saddled with one of baseball’s worst offenses. Each game felt like a continuation of the run-scoring troubles that plagued them a season ago. The club limped into the All-Star break with a 48-49 record.
No one expected much from the Padres in the second half, but the lineup flipped the script and led the team to a shocking 39-12 run.
Veteran leadership key to turnaround
What changed?
It is impossible to predict a locker room’s reaction to player moves made at the trade deadline. The additions confirmed Preller’s belief in the roster holdovers. They began to believe in themselves and gained the confidence to climb back in the Wild Card chase.
And 17 wins in their final 20 games put an exclamation point on the Padres’ remarkable regular season. They finished at 91-71, clinched the four-seed, and continue to play in front of the Friar Faithful.
The club’s veterans were the foundation for the dramatic second-half turnaround. Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Ty France have become a sounding board for the younger players. Team manager Craig Stammen fully trusts his veterans, as they kept the team afloat during the first-half struggles.
Adding Dustin Harris to the lineup has added another dimension to the offense. The youngster has fit comfortably in the No. 2 spot in the batting order. He finished the regular season hitting .322 in 28 games with San Diego.
Often, Harris starts an inning by getting on base. His base-running skills allow him to take an extra base before coming home on a hit by the heart of the order. He also plays a solid left field, showing good range on balls hit to the gap.
Harris has stabilized the left-field platoon, despite San Diego being his third major league stop this season.
Yes, the 2026 Friars are a different team. The front office tinkered with the roster; the team took off and never looked back.
Behind masterful pitching performances from Tyler Mahle and Cristopher Sánchez, a 1-1 deadlock between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies was broken on what appeared to be a game-changing gaffe in the bottom of the seventh by Bryce Harper in right field.
With runners on first and second with one out, catcher Drake Baldwin got just under a sinker inside from Sánchez. The ball pulled into right and looked like it would be a routine flyball for Harper, but the Phillies slugger ran a little too far in front of it – and realized it a second too late. He tried to jump back to make the catch, but the ball rolled off the tip of his glove and onto the grass towards the wall as Sean Murphy scored on what was officially ruled an RBI double by Baldwin.
Matt Olson then made it a two-run game on a sac fly that chased Sánchez from the game, but the Phillies would respond in the eighth on back-to-back homers from Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper to tie it all up at 3-3.
So perhaps Harper's outfield gaffe wasn't as game-changing as it seemed, especially considering what Harper can do with a bat in his hands.
NEW YORK — Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is out for the remainder of the playoffs after aggravating a hand injury in two at-bats during Game 1 of the American League wild-card series, manager Chad Tracy said before Game 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Replacing him on the roster for the do-or-die Game 2 is a massive surprise: Curtis Mead, who has not played since suffering a fractured left wrist in his Red Sox debut July 27, when he was struck by a pitch in a game against the Athletics in West Sacramento.
That injury came just a day after Mead was acquired from the Washington Nationals for left-hander Connelly Early - who, oddly enough, started and lost the decisive Game 3 of this wild-card series a year ago.
Since that fateful night in Yolo County, Mead has been diligently working his way back, but couldn't quite recover before this series started. Then, Anthony's hand worsened and the Red Sox needed a body.
Mead took batting practice off a Trajekt machine for the first time Saturday and Monday, and then faced live pitching for the first time Tuesday. And that was enough for the Red Sox to activate him.
"Honestly, it’s not ideal, right?" Mead said of his accelerated and abbreviated rehab timeline. "But with the injury to Roman and even Mickey (Gasper) and guys banged up, I feel like I can contribute. I think watching the team and the runs they went on in July and August, I felt pretty good about them and us going deep in the playoffs.
"I was hoping to be ready on this timeline."
Anthony was limited to 55 games due to the injury this season. He was driven from Yankee Stadium to Boston after Game 1, arriving in the middle of the night, and received more imaging Wednesday morning, which Tracy said revealed further damage to the hand. Anthony returned to Yankee Stadium three hours before Game 2.
The Red Sox replaced Anthony on the roster with Curtis Mead for Game 2 of the best-of-three series, automatically Anthony out for the AL Division Series.
“He’s going through it right now, mentally,” Tracy said of Anthony. “I texted with him. He wants to be out there with the guys.”
Against Yankees left-hander Max Fried, Boston will start Nate Eaton in left field and Jahmai Jones at DH.
“He’s a really good player,” Tracy said of Anthony, “but the show goes on. We need to win two in a row.”
Mead, whose parents are in Australia and won't be able to make it to Yankee Stadium, talked frequently with Anthony as both recovered from their maladies.
"I saw Roman last night and saw his pain. I was quite interested in his return to play and the sort of things he was feeling, how long it took him to get up to speed," says Mead. "I feel horrible for him, but glad I can step in and kind of contribute."
TORONTO -- In the summer of 2025, the New York Islanders selected Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick, Victor Eklund at No. 16, and Kashawn Aitcheson at No. 17, adding three strong players to Isaiah George, Cole Eiserman, Danny Nelson, and Co.
Flash forward to now, and Schaefer is entering year two after winning the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie.
Eklund, who played one game for the Islanders -- Game No. 82 -- before the 2025-26 season ended, made the team out of training camp.
George, who didn't make the Islanders out of training camp, is still just 22 years old and is very much seen as part of their future.
Aitcheson and Eiserman were part of the last cuts this training camp, as they are closer than they appear.
But there's another prospect who just adds to the excitement surrounding this club's bright future.
Left-side defenseman Malte Gustafsson, whom the Islanders selected 13th overall this past summer, is playing in the SHL. He is someone who could be playing for the Islanders come season's end, as we saw with Eklund.
Malte Gustafsson, who the #Isles selected 13th overall this past draft — with Bartner there as a witness — is playing top-pairing minutes in the SHL this season and has looked incredible.
With the way Kashawn Aitcheson played at camp and what Gustafsson is showing, the future… https://t.co/qVMoAF4h25
Gustafsson recorded three assists in 27 games last season for HV71 Jonkoping.
This season, in four games, the 18-year-old has recorded three assists, matching his season total. He is playing on the top pair, but the 6'4, 200 lb defenseman looks much stronger and that's something Islanders fans should be excited about.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 17: Daulton Varsho #18 of the Houston Astros prepares for an at bat during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Daikin Park on September 17, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, the Houston Astros announced that CF Daulton Varsho underwent left arthroscopic wrist surgery yesterday. This procedure will sideline him for the remainder of the 2026 season. Varsho is a free agent at the end of the season.
Varsho’s time with the Astros was unremarkable. He batted only .172 in 41 games for Houston, spanning 151 AB. He hit 5 HR and drove in 14. He also posted a paltry .224 OBP and a “sub-Maldy” .535 OPS.
At this point, it is unlikely Varsho is a member of the Astros in 2027.
It was recently revealed that Varsho had been dealing with a wrist issue since before the team acquired him at the deadline, and was attempting to play through it. Eventually, it became too much discomfort for him to tolerate.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros pitches in the bottom of the first inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on September 25, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
WILD CARD SERIES, GAME 2: The Houston Astros (0-1) will host the Chicago White Sox (1-0) for a do-or-die Game 2 of the 2026 AL Wild Card Series today at Daikin Park. The Astros look to extend their season with their ace RHP Hunter Brown (6-4, 3.19 ERA) on the mound opposite RHP Sean Burke (11-7, 3.34 ERA) and the White Sox.
TODAY’S PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Hunter Brown is a perfect 6-0 with a 2.39 ERA (10ER/37.2IP) in six career starts against the White Sox, including two starts this season. Brown and today’s White Sox starter RHP Sean Burke matched up on July 25, 2026 at CWS, with Brown (0ER/7IP) beating Burke (2ER/6IP) in a 4-1 Astros win. That win sparked a strong finish for Brown, as he went 5-3 with a 2.67 ERA (20ER/67.1IP) in his final 12 starts of the season.
IN THE POSTSEASON: The Astros are making their 19th postseason appearance in club history in what is the 65th year of the franchise that began in 1962. This season marks the 14th time in club history for the Astros to enter the postseason as a division winner. The Astros have won three different divisions in their history, the NL West (1980, 1986), NL Central (1997-99, 2001) and AL West (2017-19, 2021-24, 2026).
SINCE 2015: After a one-year hiatus, the Astros are back in the postseason for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons (dating back to the 2015 season). The Astros join the Dodgers and Yankees as the only teams in the Majors to qualify for the postseason in at least 10 of the last 12 years.
POSTSEASON VETS: Since 2015, the Astros have played more postseason games (106) and have earned more postseason wins (62) than any other AL club. The Astros are 62-44 in that span for a .585 winning pct. in the postseason.
THE WILD CARD: The Astros are playing in the Wild Card round for the fourth time in their history. The Astros entered this series 3-2 all-time in the Wild Card round, dispatching the Yankees in the one-game playoff in 2015, sweeping the Twins in the 2020 Wild Card Series and getting swept by the Tigers in the 2024 Wild Card Series.
THE PEACOCK BROADCAST: This series will be exclusively televised by Peacock/NBCSN. Tom McCarthy will serve as play-by-play man alongside analysts Geoff Blum and Steve Stone. Adam Ottavino and Britney Eurton will work sideline duties for the telecast.
TODAY’S POSTGAME SHOW: Following every game of this Wild Card Series, Space City Home Network will air a live 30-minute postgame show, which will be hosted by Kevin Eschenfelder and Todd Kalas. The show will be hosted from the SCHN set on the center field concourse.
ABOUT GAME 1: The Astros dropped Game 1 of the Wild Card Series last night, losing to the White Sox, 6-3. Both teams went with bullpen games, with the Astros using eight pitchers, including RHP Miguel Ullola (1ER/3IP), who worked the bulk innings. PH Nelson Velázquez homered for the Astros, marking just the fourth pinch-hit home run in Astros postseason history and the first since IF Chris Burke hit one in Game 1 of the 2005 NLCS at STL.
VS. THE WHITE SOX: The Astros and White Sox are meeting each other for their third all-time postseason series against each other, the others being the 2005 World Series and the 2021 ALDS. The White Sox swept the Astros in 2005, while the Astros dispatched the Sox in 2021 in four games. History aside, the Astros went 5-2 against the White Sox this regular season, including a 3-1 record at Daikin Park.
AT THE HELM: Astros manager Joe Espada has guided the Astros to the postseason in two of his three seasons as the Astros manager since taking over before the 2024 season. Espada has posted a 256-229 regular season record in his three years as the Astros manager and ranks ninth in club history in managerial wins.
ABOUT THE ROSTER: The Astros Wild Card Series roster includes 12 pitchers and 14 position players. Prior to this series, 13 players on the roster had no postseason playing experience, including five position players and eight pitchers. In addition to their active roster, the Astros are carrying 16 players with them throughout the postseason on their Taxi Squad.
GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros hit 226 regular season homers as a team this year, which were the most in the Majors. The last time the Astros led the Majors in home runs was in 2000, when they hit 249 homers. The 2026 Astros also led the AL in SLG (.417) and OPS (.732).
THE CASE FOR THE MVP: DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez led the AL in OPS (1.033), slugging percentage (.601), OBP (.432), batting average (.316), total bases (341), walks (109), IBB (33), WRC (154), OPS+ (192) and extra-base hits (77). He also ranked second in RBI (106), second in hits (179), tied for second in home runs (42), tied for third in runs (105), and tied for fourth in doubles (34).
COMING UP BIG: 2B Jose Altuve ranks second in postseason history in HR (27), second in runs (89), third in hits (118), tied for third in extra-base hits (48), sixth in games (106) and seventh in RBI (56)
THE FIREMAN: LHP Josh Hader converted all 26 of his save chances this season. He is the seventh pitcher in MLB history to post 26-plus saves without a blown save. The last Major Leaguer to do so was RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV).
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2020 – The Astros dispatch the Twins in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series by a score of 3-1 at Target Field. RHP José Urquidy (1ER/4.1IP) started for Houston, while RHP Cristian Javier (0ER/3IP) earned the win.. Tied 1-1 in the 7th, SS Carlos Correa connected for a solo homer to put the Astros ahead. The win advances the Astros to a meeting with the A’s in the ALDS.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, September 30, 4:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Peacock/NBCSN
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 HD2 FM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
