The Cubs and Padres will again be the last of the four Wild Card Series to get underway today. That game will begin at 9 p.m. CT and I will have the usual game preview up at 6:30 p.m. CT.
In the meantime, there are three other Wild Card games today, so this is an all-purpose game thread for you to discuss the baseball action this afternoon and early evening.
The Braves, White Sox and Yankees can wrap up their series by winning today, as well as the Padres over the Cubs later tonight.
Here are all the details for those three games.
1 p.m. CT: Phillies at Braves (Braves lead series 1-0)
TV: NBC. Announcers: Matt Vasgersian, John Kruk, C.J. Nitkowski, Joey Votto
The Atlanta Braves are looking to secure a Wild Card series win today behind Tyler Mahle. Mahle only allowed one earned run against the Phillies in thirteen innings against them earlier this month.
Cristopher Sánchez is pitching for the Phillies. Overall he has had a fantastic season, but has an ERA north of five this past month. He also has struggled mightily against Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña, and Austin Riley.
On paper the Braves have the slight edge. Follow along in the comments as we root for a series win today.
The Chicago White Sox' Sam Antonacci is hit by a pitch in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros in Game 1 of an A.L. Wild Card series at Daikin Park on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Houston. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
We have a second day of Wild Card games today, and you can talk about them here.
The Braves host the Phillies at 1 p.m. in a game that will be played on NBC. Atlanta is up 1-0 in the series.
The Astros, down 1-0, deal with the White Sox at 4 p.m. in a game that is on Peacock and NBC Sports Network.
Boston plays New York at 7 p.m. on NBC in a series where the Yankees are up 1-0.
And the Padres, up 1-0, play the Cubs in San Diego at 9 p.m. on a Peacock/NBC Sports Network game.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres reacts after scoring a run on a throwing error by Carson Kelly #15 of the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first day of the 2026 playoffs was a good one across the board. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies battled back and forth before the Braves took a crucial lead in the bottom of the eighth to win 5-3. The Chicago White Sox then rolled into Houston to defeat the Astros 6-3. Then, in the primetime matchups, the New York Yankees shut out the Boston Red Sox 9-0 while the San Diego Padres shut out the Chicago Cubs 8-0.
It’s a crucial day as Tuesday’s winners look to wrap up the series and move on to the division round while the losing teams try to stave off elimination.
Here’s the schedule for today:
Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves on NBC/Peacock at 12:00 pm MDT
Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros on Peacock/NBC at 3:00 pm MDT
Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees on NBC/Peacock at 6:00 pm MDT
Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres on Peacock/NBC @ 8:00 pm MDT
We’ll add lineups as they become available.
Philadelphia Phillies (0-1) at Atlanta Braves (1-0) — 12:00 pm MDT
Feb 18, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta (27) during spring training photo day. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 01: A television camera lens is shown before the start of the game as the New York Yankees host the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on September 1, 2017 in New York City. The Red Sox won 4-1. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) | Getty Images
According to Wikipedia, comic relief is defined as, “the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious or dramatic work, often to relieve tension.” We were treated to some unexpected comic relief during the first game of the American League Wild Card Series, thanks to NBC’s production team.
Last night was a complete disaster for the Boston Red Sox, no doubt. It’s hard to find anything funny about a game where you:
-Lost 9-0 at your biggest rival’s yard,
-Saw your manager make some questionable decisions,
-Saw your starter fail to go five innings (though he left with the game in tact),
-Collected just three hits compared to approximately 38,000 whiffs,
-Hit the ball into the outfield on, like, five occasions,
-Saw one of your franchise players leave early due to (what I can only assume is at the time of writing) an injury, and
-Your bullpen got knocked around all over the place.
Not much joy to be found there whatsoever. However, I gotta call a spade a spade: The music situation that NBC/Peacock had on their hands during the top of the fifth inning—before everything really turned to shit—was hysterical in my book.
Peacock is currently playing elevator music in the middle of Yankees vs Red Sox? What the hell is going on
In case you missed it: NBC’s broadcast showed a replay of Caleb Durbin’s double play (one of the few bright spots for Boston on Tuesday) coming out of the break and into the start of the fifth. Typical network stock music was playing underneath it, nothing out of the ordinary. The highlight stopped, but the music kept going…and going…and going…and going…
Commentary be damned, action on the field be damned, the band played on. I wish I had a full replay of the broadcast to time exactly how long it was playing for, but it had to be for at least two minutes. Two minutes isn’t a lot of time in the wild ride we call life, sure, but when generic TV bed music is playing nonstop during a tense playoff game when you aren’t expecting it, two minutes feels like an eternity.
Hey everyone, happy to announce that I was recently hired as NBC Sports’ music production manager! Today’s my first day, wish me luck!
I know someone—or some people—were probably scrambling behind the scenes to get that music turned down so that we could hear the expert musings of Joe Girardi clearly, but funny’s funny. That, in my book, was a hysterical moment. What a way to cut the tension of a stressful postseason night: some unintentional comedy. It played out like a “Family Guy” cutaway sketch, where the fact that it went on for so long only made it that much more hilarious.
I’m not ashamed to admit that it got to the point where I had tears in my eyes laughing. I don’t know if the moment was just so ridiculous, I don’t know if my sense of humor is just so stupid at this point, I don’t know if it was because of how the snafu happened right in the middle of a high-intensity game where the chips were on the table for the Sox, and I don’t know if it’s a combination of all of those things. Honestly, I don’t care. That was a nice, brief moment of levity before I promptly went back to having a heart attack.
Sometimes, you just gotta laugh, right? Just for your own sake? I’m sure you woke up in a bad mood after last night’s loss; I’m none too pleased either, and things are looking dire for the 2026 season. Our backs are officially against the wall, and that’s an awful feeling to have. But a wise son of a son of a sailor said it best: “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”
To even bring it back into the game itself, Ben Rice’s late grand slam was even kind of funny! At that point, that might as well have happened, right? Hit a granny to make it 9-0, who cares? We were cooked anyways, might as well make it a laugher! I have to laugh or else I’d lose my marbles!
So thank you, NBC production team, for you inadvertent DJ set in the middle of Game One. It was a great piece of comic relief during an otherwise tense evening. I hope no one lost their job over it—and if any NBC heads are reading this for some reason, please don’t can anyone over that. I appreciate that I was given at least one thing to be happy about during that disastrous display at Yankee Stadium.
Now it’s time to wipe that smile off my face and continue to mope about how much of a clusterfuck that game was.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies is picked off and caught stealing second base against Ha-Seong Kim #7 of the Atlanta Braves during the third inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are the lineups for game 2 of the NLWC series in Atlanta. Let’s discuss!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres prepares to pitch during the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on September 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first day of playoff baseball was fun. We saw a couple close games and a couple blowouts. Now four teams are one win away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Conversely, four squads are one more loss away from beginning their offseason earlier than expected. Teams that win the first game of the series in the Wild Card round are 15-1 so everyone should be in desperation mode at this point. That just means better baseball for us.
Phillies at Braves (2:00 PM EDT)
Atlanta took the first game yesterday thanks to a late three-run home run from third baseman Austin Riley. Former Athletic Jesus Luzardo pitched well for the Phillies while former A’s All-Star Matt Olson went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Atlanta won the NL East and showed why yesterday with a well-rounded win against their division rivals.
Now Philadelphia has their backs up against the wall and need a win to keep their season alive for at least one more day. They’ll ask left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (18-7, 2.91 ERA) to help keep their season alive for one more day. He’s arguably their best pitcher and as good as any option for them to turn to, The Braves meanwhile have mid-season acquisition Tyler Mahle (4-1, 1.99 ERA)* taking the ball for them today. Since his trade from San Francisco at the deadline Mahle has looked like a completely different pitcher, providing the Braves with ace-like production. Does that run out today in the playoffs against a tough opponent?
*with Atlanta, not counting his stats with the Giants.
The bullpen game did not work out great for the Astros, predictably. Now they’re down in the series to the young and upstart White Sox who just won their first playoff game in five years. Houston will now turn back to their starting rotation and send their ace in right-hander Hunter Brown (6-4, 3.19 ERA) out there. Brown missed some time earlier in the year but he’s healthy now and looking strong. In fact, his last start was against the A’s in the final series of the season. He pitched into the sixth, allowing just one run on two hits and four walks. He’ll need to be sharper than that if Houston lives to see Thursday.
Chicago meanwhile has one of their top young arms going for them with a chance to send them to the next round. Right-hander Sean Burke (11-7, 3.34 ERA) is getting the ball this afternoon looking to make a name for himself on a larger stage here in the playoffs. He’s coming into this game on a roll: in his last three starts he’s allowed just two runs, walking six compared to 16 strikeouts in 16 1/3 frames.
Red Sox at Yankees (8:00 PM EDT)
New York won in convincing fashion last night, whooping their long-time rivals 9-0. They had everything going for them yesterday, from a dominant start from their likely Cy Young Award-winning starting pitcher, to their offense showing up even without their superstar leader in Aaron Judge. That’s put them one win away from not only moving on to the next round, but also knocking out their hated rivals and moving ahead in the all-time postseason series between these two (currently tied 3-3).
New York has their high-priced lefty on the mound in Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA) tonight. This is exactly the game that Fried was signed to his massive deal for so pressure is high on him in this one. Boston meanwhile has former Athletic Sonny Gray (18-5, 2.72 ERA) going for them in this one and that should make them feel better. Gray has had a resurgent season and he’ll be getting some Cy Young votes himself this coming award season. He’ll also be going up against his former Yankee squad, and it’s known he did not enjoy his time in New York. This should be a good one.
Cubs at Padres (10:00 PM EDT)
We wrap the day back in California with the Padres looking to move onto the next round with one more win over the Cubs. San Diego pummeled Chicago last night, beating their NL Central foes 8-0. Like New York it was a well-rounded win as their offense provided 13 hits including three home runs. That was more than enough for Padres ace right-hander Michael King, who had a no-hitter going into the seventh.
Down but not out, Chicago will have a grizzled and playoff-tested veteran on the mound for them in Kevin Gausman (4-2, 4.83 ERA)*. This is the game that the Cubs acquired him for and they’ll be hoping to see the Gausman from last year’s playoffs with Toronto. San Diego meanwhile has righty Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86 ERA) going for them in this one. There’s never really been any doubt about his talent but moreso about his ability to stay healthy. Well, he’s healthy, and pitching well coming into this one. The Cubs offense needs to score some runs if they want to survive one more day.
*with Chicago, not counting his stats with the Blue Jays
What happens today? Do we see four eliminations? Or do all four teams that lost yesterday win today to set up an epic Thursday with four winner-take-all games? More likely somewhere in the middle but let’s all root for Game 3’s!
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 28: (L-R) Evan Mobley #4, Donovan Mitchell #45, James Harden #1 and Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers laugh during Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day at Rocket Arena on September 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CLEVELAND — Media day is chaotic. Players are asked very random questions about their summers. Some of it is interesting. Some of it isn’t.
There often isn’t a throughline to what is said, and it’s impossible to synthesize everything into one cohesive story. So instead of trying to do so, I’m going to just give you one interesting thing each player said that wasn’t covered in any of our other articles.
“I saw Peyton Watson at the World Cup, and I told Koby [Altman] — we were just talking briefly, I had nothing to do with him coming here — I was like, man, he’s tall as shit. Like, I didn’t know he was that tall.”
Small forward has long been a problem area for the Cavs. They’ve struggled to find a player who connects their dynamic backcourt with the imposing frontcourt.
Part of the reason for that is the unique skill set needed to bridge that divide. The ideal fit needs to be comfortable operating off-ball offensively as a shooter and tertiary playmaker. Defensively, they need to cover multiple positions, which includes defending the opponent’s best perimeter player and shifting up to the four if needed.
The Cavs have had players who could do one of those things. De’Andre Hunter and Max Strus delivered the offensive component, but weren’t perfectly suited defensively for that role. Dean Wade was the opposite.
We’ll see if Watson can be the missing piece at the three. What I can confidently say now is that Mitchell is right. Watson is indeed tall.
Thomas Bryant
“We have to be a collective unit out there on the basketball court.”
Some years at media day, you get a lot of talk about how the team will play differently. Pushing the pace, shooting more threes, and moving more off-ball are all things we’ve heard in the past.
The Cavs didn’t focus on that this time. There wasn’t much talk about X’s and O’s. Instead, they talked about being more connected on and off the court.
That makes sense, given how hastily assembled the Cavs were last season. They found instant success due to their incredible skill and how well their talents matched up. Yet, it never felt like they reached their ceiling despite advancing to the conference finals.
If I were to read between the lines here, the Cavs reasoning for that was a lack of cohesion. They’ve spent this summer trying to correct that.
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Nae’Qwan Tomlin
“I’m definitely the best dancer. Don can’t dance. Don can’t dance. He got no rhythm for real, and then a lot of people don’t really dance.”
As someone who can’t dance and certainly doesn’t do so in public, I give Mitchell credit for trying.
Ernest Udeh Jr.
Reffering to what he wants to improve: “Decision-making. First and foremost, I understand my role and what I bring to any given team that I’m on. Within those details and little facets is decision-making. What to do with the ball when it comes to me in a specific spot.”
Decision-making and being able to process the game are some of the most important skills. It’s also the area rookies struggle with most coming into the league. It’s good that Udeh recognizes this and wants to improve there.
James Harden
“It’s my left hand. It was swollen at the time (last postseason), so it was kind of difficult to dribble or shoot, or be effective. But I mean, there’s no excuses. You just figure it out. Do whatever it takes.”
Harden admitted that the left thumb that he broke in February was still bothering him in the playoffs. That isn’t surprising since he was often seen icing his hand after playoff games. However, it’s somewhat noteworthy for him to admit that.
Referring to his poor off-ball defense last season: “It’s just laziness. … It was a lot of mental lapses, and I think that’s something that we went into with conditioning and being in even more of an elite condition.”
Tyson isn’t afraid to publicly point out his flaws. That also comes with an intense desire to fix those flaws. Last season, we saw him go from being a hesitant three-point shooter to being one of the most efficient in the league. This year, he’s targeting the defensive side of the floor.
Tyrese Proctor
“[Patty Mills] taught me a lot. Obviously, all the stuff on the court, footwork, technical stuff, balance, base, but a lot off the court. Just with the NBA and the environments that you play in and stuff like that.”
The second-year guard revealed that he spent three weeks in Hawaii with Mills training over the summer. You can’t find too many better guards to pattern your game after. This was in addition to representing Australia in FIBA qualifiers.
Safe to say, it was a busy summer for Proctor.
Tristan Enaruna
“I think I kind of found a spot here. I’m feeling good. I’m feeling confident. That definitely helps knowing what you’re getting into.”
Enaruna has the size and skills you want in a wing. Whether or not he can put it all together for the Cavs remains to be seen.
Mario Hezonja
“I don’t need to prove anything. I just need to give. That is my mentality. I think everyone knows what it is. I am not even coming here with my mentality of who I am back in Europe. … The mentality is giving. Giving to this team, giving to this coaching [staff], my teammates. Just giving back.”
A lack of skill wasn’t the reason Hezonja’s first stint in the NBA wasn’t successful, and isn’t a concern six years later. The question is whether Hezonja can buy into his place on the team, fit into what they need, and excel in that narrower role.
Based on Hezonja’s comments, he knows what he needs to do with this team and is willing to do so. We’ll see if he can back that up.
Craig Porter Jr.
“I feel like scoring. Just being able to open things up for other guys because everyone knows Donovan and James and those guys are going to do what they do on a nightly basis. It’s up to the rest of us to take some of that pressure off their shoulders.”
Porter has the potential to be a much more efficient scorer. The three-point shot has come a long way, and he’s a good finisher at the rim. The next step in his development is figuring out what to do when he’s cut off from the basket.
It’s much easier to envision Porter as the backup point guard if he’s a more multi-faceted scorer.
Meleek Thomas
“But specifically defense because I got to be trusted out there on defense before I could do anything offensively.”
Rookie second-round picks typically don’t make meaningful impacts on teams with championship aspirations. Thomas could be the exception if the scoring he showed in Summer League carries over to games that count. However, if he isn’t at least passable defensively, then it’s difficult to justify giving him minutes given the point-of-attack deficiencies already on this roster.
I’m skeptical of how impactful Thomas will be in his rookie season. It is, however, encouraging that he seems to know what he needs to do to get onto the court.
Riley Minix
“Guys are inviting each other to go to New York, to Phoenix, like to all these mini-camp places. We went to the U.S. Open together, which is pretty crazy. Guys are showing up, and you can tell on this team and in this organization, that’s part of the culture.”
As mentioned with Bryant’s quote, one of the main throughlines of media day was how this team is trying to establish a closer connection on and off the court. It’s difficult to communicate with players you don’t have a relationship with. That was perhaps an issue at times in the playoffs given how little experience the rotation had together.
Cleveland’s star players went out of their way to change that this offseason. Those plans included inviting even two-way players like Minix to events and making sure he felt like a valuable part of the team. That’s meaningful.
Evan Mobley
Reffering to what he worked on most in the off-season: “Getting go-to moves so when I get the ball in certain spots, knowing what I’m probably going to get to. That was a big focus for me this summer.”
Mobley wouldn’t divulge what those moves could be. “You’re gonna have to find out and see.”
Mobley has always been a good finisher around the rim, but the in-between game has been less than ideal for someone who has displayed good touch. Last season, he shot 46% on attempts between the restricted area and free-throw line (52nd percentile) and 31% on long mid-range shots (48th percentile). Both are passable but far from elite. Having something that he could go to in the second level would be a great way for him to supplement his offense.
Sam Merrill
“Experience is so important. You can’t replicate playoff experience. The every second pressure that’s out there, and how important every single possession is.
“I had some ups and some downs in the playoffs, like everybody did. I overall felt good about the way that I grew and felt like I got better and better, but again, how can I continue to get better at all facets of the game? Try and make life easier for Donovan and James, and for Evan and Jarrett [Allen]. The easier we can make life for them, the easier they’ll make it for us and the better we’ll be.”
A single elite skill like shooting can get you onto the floor in a playoff game. Being able to contribute in multiple ways will keep you there.
Merrill’s shooting was helpful at many points in the postseason. But becoming more comfortable doing other things like handling the ball, picking up a wider variety of defensive assignments, and finding ways to score inside the arc will allow him to showcase his shooting more often in the postseason.
Jarrett Allen
“More time together means more success.”
Merrill talked about the importance of playoff reps, but there’s something to be said about regular season ones as well. This group with Harden simply needs time to figure out how they want to play, how to perfect what they did well last year, and counters for when teams take away the high pick-and-roll like the New York Knicks did last postseason.
Regular season results don’t matter much in the playoffs. Regular season habits do. That is what the Cavs need to get right this year.
“We have the ability to do great things, but we have to do the work earlier so that we can be able to play at our best longer.”
Note: Peyton Watson and Khalifa Diop did not participate in media availability.
For the first time since Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" was still in theaters, the New York Knicks enter the NBA season as the defending champions — and the favorites to come out of the East and defend their crown.
As Adam Silver is all too happy to tell you, the NBA has had eight different champions in the past eight years. If Silver's quest for parity persists, which teams are poised to take the crown? Here are the five teams with the best chances to dethrone the Knicks.
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio made it to the NBA Finals ahead of schedule last season, and it showed in the Finals — blowing a 20-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 4 is the prime example.
"I couldn't imagine a better motivation," Victor Wembanyama said this week of losing in the Finals.
This is still a young team: Wembanyama (22), Stephon Castle (21), and Dylan Harper (20) are still early in their careers and on a steep learning curve, they should improve this season. The "old guys" are not that old, for example Keldon Johnson is 26, and De'Anthony Fox is 28. As a team, this group is still growing together.
The addition of Tobias Harris is underrated. He's got an oversized group of online critics, largely because he was forced into situations in the past where he was asked to take on more responsibility — particularly in the postseason — than fits his skill set. However, with the Spurs he becomes a great third or fourth option, another guy who defenses have to respect and who can knock down 3s and create his own shot if the offense is stuck late in the clock.
If we get a rematch of the Knicks and Spurs in the Finals, New York is going to learn quickly this is a very different San Antonio team than the young pups they dispatched last June.
Oklahoma City Thunder
If Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell had been healthy last May for Oklahoma City's seven-game series against San Antonio — or even if one of them had been — we likely would have had a very different Finals matchup last June. Heading into this season, both are back and healthy.
On paper, Oklahoma City is still the best team in the NBA — they won 64 games and made the Western Conference Finals last year without J-Dub, who was coming off an All-NBA season. They are led by two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the peak of his powers, they have the second-best defensive center in the game protecting the rim in Chet Holmgren — who averaged 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds a game as well — and now they get back Williams after a hamstring sidelined him for much of last season.
"I know what I am," Williams said at media day. "So, I'm not too concerned about trying to prove to somebody — we've all seen it. I'm just excited to prove that I can play healthy and do that whole thing and move on. I'm just excited to get going, bro."
OKC lost some veteran depth for financial reasons (Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins) but this is still a deep roster with Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Jared McCain, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams, and other guys who will get their chance to step up. If the Thunder are back in the Finals and poised to knock the Knicks off the top of the mountain, it will not be a surprise.
Philadelphia 76ers
Mike Gansey had a better offseason than any executive in the league: He added Jaylen Brown — coming off an All-NBA season and at the peak of his game — and LeBron James to a lineup with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, forming arguably the best starting five in the NBA. They have some solid depth behind them led by Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons…
If it all comes together. And everyone can stay healthy.
"In order for us to be great, we have to do things that are just not comfortable. We have to be comfortable being uncomfortable," four-time NBA champion LeBron said, laying out the path forward for this team. "That is the best way to expedite being great. You have to fall in love with doing things that's uncomfortable, and if we can do that, then we can be a great team. If we don't do that, then we be like, oh man, it was a great team on paper, and we had a lot of great talent, and we lost in the second round. Like, I don't want to do that.
"I didn't leave my family to lose in the second round. I know that for sure. So, work needs to be done, and I'm ready to put the work in."
There are legitimate questions about how good Philadelphia's defense will be and whether they have enough shooting, but on paper, this team has a chance to dethrone New York. What the Knicks did to win a title was become a whole greater than the sum of their parts — can the 76ers do that?
Cleveland Cavaliers
I understand the eye rolls this selection elicits: Picking a team that will need more from the historically up-and-down playoff performances of James Harden — with some major, painful downs — to knock off the Knicks and make the NBA Finals is a risk. And it's why I named Harden one of the players under the most pressure this season.
However, Cleveland is stacked. Donovan Mitchell is in his prime, coming off a season in which he was seventh in MVP voting, averaging 27.9 points and 5.7 assists a game. They have a dominant front line with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. This summer, the Cavaliers' front office plugged the team's biggest hole, poaching two-way wing Peyton Watson from Denver to play the three. While there are questions about depth and level of defense, this is a 52-win, top-four seed that reached the Eastern Conference Finals and then got better this summer.
But can they win it all with James Harden?
Houston Rockets
Out of a group of four teams in the West that maybe could rise up to threaten the Thunder and Spurs — including the Lakers, Timberwolves and Nuggets — I think the Rockets will be the breakthrough team. If anyone has a chance to knock off the Oklahoma City or San Antonio, it's Houston.
"We're not here to just make the first round, we want to make some real noise," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said at media day, referencing the team's first-round exit last year at the hands of the Lakers (without Luka Doncic). "Everybody's hungrier for that and to take the next step and not plateau."
The huge key is the Rockets get point guard Fred VanVleet back. Anyone who watched the Rockets in the clutch last season — when they had a -8.8 net rating — or in their playoff series against the Lakers, knows how stagnant and predictable their half-court offense would get. That despite Kevin Durant's legendary scoring, Alperen Sengun's all-around game (20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game last season), and Amen Thompson's athleticism. They lacked a floor general. Getting VanVleet back means not just another clutch scoring threat, but also someone who gets the ball in better positions for Durant and company to thrive. Expect the Rockets to be a good clutch team this season.
Houston was a 52-win team with a top-10 offense and defense last season that just got their glue guy, their connector back, and will be much better for it. If anyone is going to rise out of the West and threaten the two juggernauts, it is the Rockets.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 27: Tony Mansolino #89, Michael Harris II #23, Ozzie Albies #1 and Walt Weiss #22 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate in the fourth inning during the game against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hot off the heels of winning Game 1 in dramatic fashion, the Atlanta Braves will have another big challenge on their hands if they’re planning on finishing off this series in two games against the Philadelphia Phillies. Cristopher Sánchez is getting the ball for Philadelphia to start Game 2 and as such, the Braves have switched up their lineup a bit in response to the starting pitcher.
Game 1 hero Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies have both moved up in the lineup and while both of them did perform in Game 1, they’ve moved p because of their performance against Sánchez in the past as well. “I leaned a little bit on the personal history today, which you don’t typically do unless there’s a big enough sample,” stated Weiss when he was asked about the his lineup choices today.
“I’ve hit Ozzie third against lefties a lot this year, over 180 ABs, I think, in that spot against lefties. So nothing major there,” continued Weiss. “But with Michael [Harris II], Michael has had tough history. I think the two times we faced Sanchez this year, I gave Michael the day off. We had Lane Thomas at the time too, so a little different. And Michael is swinging the bat good, and I feel good about him being in there. But just move him down a few spots.”
It’s a bit of an astute move for Weiss to recognize that even if Harris has been performing lately, he’s got to take the recent history into consideration. Harris has only gone 2-for-15 with 10 strikeouts against Sánchez over the course of his career. Again, you don’t want to take Harris’s bat out of the lineup considering how well that he’s been going and how much of an impact player he is but it also makes sense that they don’t want to give Sánchez as many chances as possible to get one over on Harris again.
Despite the move down the lineup, Harris himself is still feeling pretty confident heading into this one. He also spoke with the media before Game 2 and when he was asked about what’s gone into the consistency that’s been a hallmark of his 2026 season, he went all the way back to the halfway point of 2025 to find a turning point.
“Yeah, it all just went back to All-Star break of last year,” stated Harris. “Once I made the change with my hands or whatever, just kind of maintaining that and making sure I keep the mechanics polished over the offseason. And then coming into Spring Training, seeing pitchers, making sure everything is still good, and then trusting it over 162. I think that’s pretty much all I did.”
It’s been working out for Harris so far here in the 2026 season and in the Postseason as well, as he picked up three hits and scored two runs in Game 1. He (along with the rest of the lineup) will have a tall task on his hands dealing with Cristopher Sánchez, who has proven to be a pretty solid Postseason performer, himself. We’ll see if Weiss’s lineup tweaks and Harris’s renewed focus will be able to play a role in today’s contest as the Braves look to close this one out.
Houston fans made their frustration clear to the Astros after a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card, as boos echoed throughout Daikin Park.
Despite returning to the playoffs after missing out last season, the Astros drew a sparse crowd, just 34,011 attendees in a park that seats 40,963, on Tuesday afternoon. Fans were not pleased, booing the home team’s performance as Houston fell behind 3-0 after just two innings.
"It's extremely frustrating as a home player," first baseman Christian Walker told The Athletic. "We're here, playing at home; we need cheers. We need energy. We don't need boos. What purpose does that serve in that moment?”
He added that, regardless of how fans may feel, the players have battled and given their all throughout the season to earn this opportunity, and being booed in this moment is especially disheartening.
Walker wasn’t the only player to voice his displeasure with the crowd. Astros reliever Bennett Sousa told reporters he was “pretty pissed off” when fans began booing in the seventh inning, emphasizing how tough it was to hear negativity from their home supporters during such a crucial game.
"The fans here are definitely spoiled with a lot of ALCS and World Series runs, and we have to earn that right to bring this team back to that position,” Sousa said. “That being said, when this team was in their first (playoff) series 10 years ago, Minute Maid Park was probably packed. It makes a big difference. If we were in Chicago, it'd probably be loud as s---."
With the victory, the White Sox now hold a 1-0 lead over the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card series, putting added pressure on Houston to respond in Game 2.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: A detailed view of signage on the field during National League Wild Card Series workouts by the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on September 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Postseason baseball is back, and unfortunately the Detroit Tigers aren’t part of it. For some, that really kills the interest level, and I get it. On the other hand, sports are amplified by the bright lights of the playoffs and World Series, and there is little better than postseason baseball in my opinion. So, pick a team or just see whose bandwagon you feel like jumping on along the way. Even without the Tigers, it’s going to be a really fun month of baseball, and potentially instructive in regard to the challenges facing the Tigers to get back to the playoffs.
All four Wild Card series are best-of-three, with the two top teams in each league waiting for their divisional round opponents. The home team stays the home team for the whole series, and there are no off days in an effort get to the full rounds without putting the top teams on the shelf for more than a few days.
Here are the times for Game 2 of each series, all of which are being broadcast through Peacock. If necessary, Game 3 schedules will be announced as required to take advantage of prime time. I never minded the old all-or-nothing Wild Card games, but it is fun that every series becomes win or go home for one team after the first game. We’ll see which of Tuesday’s winners can close it out today.
2:00 p.m. ET Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves
5:00 p.m. ET Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros
8:00 p.m. ET Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
10:00 p.m. ET Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres
The Phillies looked to have Game 1 of their series under control, but the Braves wouldn’t go away. Austin Riley launched a three-run shot off of closer Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning to seize a two-run lead and held on to win.
Both teams went with a bullpen game in this one, as White Sox pitching shut down the Astros and kept Yordan Alvarez in check. The White Sox’s offense cashed in some early runs and then added on after Houston threatened to get back into the game in the middle innings.
Cam Schlittler, the presumed AL Cy Young award winner, was pretty masterful for the Yankees as he shut down Boston over 6.1 scoreless frames with 10 punchouts. The Yankees built an early lead against lefty Peyton Tolle, but the game was close until they got to the Red Sox bullpen late and pulled away with a 9-0 victory.
Finally, the Padres lit up former Tigers’ lefty Matt Boyd while right-hander Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh before it was broken up. The Cubs bullpen couldn’t contain the damage as the Padres poured it on to win 8-0 in Game 1 at Petco Park.
NEW YORK - MAY 17, 1932. The starting pitching staff of the New York Yankees pose in the dugout on May 17, 1932. They are (L-R) Johnny Allen, George Pipgras, Red Ruffing, and Lefty Gomez. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sometimes it is easy to forget that professional athletes are human. They all have lives outside of their jerseys and had a journey to get to the biggest stage. Some players’ paths to the majors stand out from others. Johnny Allen has one of those stories that feels too human to be a professional athlete, much less a World Series champion.
John Thomas Allen Born: September 30, 1904 (Lenoir, NC) Died: March 29, 1959 (St. Petersberg, FL) Yankees Tenure: 1932-1935
The first part of Allen’s life was less than ideal, as his father passed away suddenly while he was still a young child. Facing hard times, Allen’s mom had to make the tough decision to send him and some of his siblings to an orphanage. Allen would grow up in that orphanage. When he was a teen, he lost some of his toes when a shotgun accidentally fired into his foot. However, while at the orphanage, Allen started playing baseball.
After graduating from Thomasville High School in North Carolina, Allen took a job and went to work in Sanford. As a young adult, Allen started playing baseball again and quickly made a name for himself on the local scene as a fiery and dominant pitcher. It took a few years, but Yankees scouts would eventually find and sign Allen in 1929.
The Yankees sent Allen to Jersey City for the 1930 season. The 25-year-old went 12-16 with a 3.98 ERA at the Double-A level. Then, in 1931, Allen split time with Jersey City and Toronto and went a very impressive 21-9. That performance earned him a spring training invite.
Allen broke spring training with the Yankees for the 1932 season. In his rookie year, at the young age of 27, Allen would go 17-4 with a 3.70 ERA in 192 innings. The Yankees faced the Cubs in the World Series, the same one that featured Babe Ruth’s famous “Called Shot.” Allen started Game 4 of the series but only got two outs and gave up three runs. Despite his rough outing, the Yankees were able to come back in the finale and complete the sweep. The 1932 World Series featured a record number of future Hall of Famers, including 13 players, both managers (Joe McCarthy for the Yankees and Rogers Hornsby for the Cubs), and even an umpire in Bill Klem.
In his sophomore season, Allen remained primarily in the starting rotation but had a bit of a sophomore slump, seeing his ERA rise to 4.39 and his record slip to 15-7. The Yankees finished the season in second place and out of the postseason. Allen went into the offseason feeling like he deserved more innings and money from the Yankees. He finally agreed to a contract after a long holdout.
The holdout was left to sour in the mind of ownership as Allen was plagued by injuries in 1934. Limited to only 13 games, Allen posted a 5-2 record with a 2.89 ERA across 71.2 innings. The team missed out on the playoffs again despite a 94-60 record.
1935 saw Allen bounce back in a big way. He went 13-6 in 23 starts and was able to log 67.0 innings with a 3.61 ERA. He led the American League in allowing the fewest hits per nine innings at an 8.0 clip and strikeouts per nine innings with 6.1. However, after constant clashes and outbursts, including destroying furniture after bad games, the Yankees decided they had had enough of Allen. Despite being 50-19 in pinstripes, the Yankees dealt Allen to Cleveland for Monte Pearson and Steve Sundra.
Although Pearson turned out to be a heckuva find, Allen did enjoy the best years of his career in Cleveland from 1936 to 1941 following his trade from New York. His tenure by Lake Erie was highlighted by a historic 1937 season in which he pitched to a 15-1 record, a then-record for the highest single-season winning percentage at .938. Allen would be named Major League Player of the Year by The Sporting News. In the Land, Allen compiled a stellar 67-34 record with a 3.65 ERA and earned his sole All-Star selection in 1938.
After his time in Cleveland, the remainder of Allen’s playing career became a journey. In December 1941, the front office traded him to the St. Louis Browns, where he went 18-7 with a 3.21 ERA over two seasons. In 1943, the Brooklyn Dodgers purchased his contract, transitioning Allen to the National League for the first time. He spent two and a half seasons in Brooklyn’s bullpen.
The Dodgers traded Allen to the New York Giants in July 1944 for pitchers Bill Sayles and Andy Karl. Allen closed out his 13-year Major League career with the Giants in 1945. When he retired, Allen hung ’em up with a lifetime 142-75 record, a 3.75 ERA, and a reputation as one of the fiercest competitors of his era.
After his playing days ended, Allen ended up working his way up the ranks as a minor league umpire. He additionally worked in real estate and as an automobile tag inspector. Allen was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, posthumously, in 1977.
Happy birthday, Johnny!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 1: Colorado Rockies players, from left, center fielder Jake McCarthy (31), left fielder Mickey Moniak (22), center fielder Cole Carrigg (16), and shortstop Ryan Ritter (8) celebrate the win after a game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
During the 2024 and 2025 seasons, it seemed like the Colorado Rockies were finding ways to make the record books in the worst ways imaginable every day. It was so frequent that I took it upon myself to try to chronicle those records and statistics, compiling them into articles to cap off the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
I entered 2026 expecting to do the same thing, preparing a document that the Purple Row crew and I could add to throughout the year. To my joyous surprise, I won’t be writing that dubious history article again. Despite the Rockies becoming the first team since the 1965 New York Mets to have four consecutive 100-loss seasons, there wasn’t a lot of notable historical failings for the club. Instead of being historically awful, they were mostly just bad in 2026, which is a milestone in its own right.
Rather than dig through the weeds to find more reasons to point the finger at how far this team has to go, let’s look at the improvement for the club that inspires some inkling of hope for the future.
The record
I know it seems asinine to celebrate the fact that a team lost only 104 games, but considering that the Rockies lost 119 a year ago, that 15-game improvement feels remarkable.
Remember how they didn’t have 10 wins until June 2 last season? Well, the 2026 club managed to secure the 10th win on April 22. The 2025 squad’s 43rd and final win didn’t come until September 21, during their final home game of the season. The 2026 team secured their 43rd win on July 31 and were up to 45 wins at the end of a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals on August 2.
The separation of a few weeks between when the 2025 squad lost their 100th game (Game No. 139) and when the 2026 team lost their 100th (Game No. 157) shows a team that made some steady improvement. The fact that it was a real possibility in the middle of August that the team could avoid 100 losses made the collapse through the end of the season all the more painful.
Considering where the team started coming into the year, 104 losses is still some positive momentum, even if it’s ugly to look at.
Offensive improvement
The majority of improvements for the 2026 season are thanks to the offense. While still flawed in ways, the Rockies batters made a massive leap forward under Brett Pill and Jordan Pacheco.
In 2025, the Rockies offense was the worst in franchise history. Compared to the rest of baseball, Colorado ranked:
23rd in AVG (.237)
30th in OBP (.293)
24th in SLG (.386)
29th in runs scored (597)
25th in HR (160)
29th in K% (25.9%)
30th in BB% (6.7%)
30th in wRC+ (75)
30th in fWAR (-3.0)
Across the board, the Rockies were not a good offensive team last season. So, the emphasis of the new front office and coaching staff was to boost production and approach at the plate through a new philosophy and personnel.
The results ended up speaking for themselves. At the end of the 2026 season, the Rockies ranked:
4th in AVG (.254)
7th in OBP (.322)
5th in SLG (.417)
7th in runs scored (752)
19th in HR (180)
21st in K% (22.8%)
27th in BB% (8.1%)
29th in wRC+ (91)
30th in fWAR (8.0)
In the basic counting stats, the Rockies saw such incredible improvement. Instead of being a bottom feeder in most every single category, they managed to put the ball in play more and get on base. It helped by having an influx of talent for the season and a better overall lineup.
The team still strikes out too much and walks too little, but the fact that they were able to get back toward the league average in both of those categories is an important step forward for the club. The Rockies were at their best when they were able to draw walks and get base hits to drive in runs.
They scored nearly 150 more runs in 2026 than they did last season. The run differential still wasn’t great at -192, but considering the Rockies had a historically bad -424 differential last season, that’s a promising improvement that could get better if the Rockies can get the entire offense working cohesively and more consistently.
Road warriors
Part of the significance for the offense was that they looked like a more competent team on the road. Despite the natural regression for the offense away from Coors Field, where there was much more offensive output, the road offense was actually one of the best for the franchise since 2002.
The Rockies batted .237 on the road this season, which actually ranked 11th for the franchise since the introduction of the humidor at Coors Field, with the .704 OPS ranking sixth. In 2025, the Rockies had a .203 AVG and .589 OPS, which was by far one of, if not the worst, road offenses in team history.
The key factor was that they managed to score more runs on the road. Their 346 road runs ranked 21st in baseball this season but ranked third for the club since 2002 and most since they scored 340 road runs in 2009. If the pitching had been better, there is no doubt that the Rockies could have won more than 25 games on the road this season.
Bits and pieces of the pitching
Pitching, particularly starting pitching, was the major flaw of the Rockies in the 2026 season, a theme that carries throughout team history. The rotation was truly awful this season and took a nosedive over the final two months. However, there are some inklings of positive notes from the pitching staff this season.
The offense did a lot of heavy lifting to improve the 2026 Rockies, but the bullpen held its own for most of the season. The Rockies pitching staff had a league-worst 5.59 ERA, but the relievers had a 4.80 ERA, which ranked 27th in baseball. Compared to the 5.18 ERA for the bullpen in 2025, that’s a steady improvement with room for more growth, especially with the infusion of some young arms like Mark Manfredi and Nick Frasso.
The Rockies also proved that struggling arms could find new life in the bullpen. Chase Dollander found a groove starting the year as a bulk reliever out of the bullpen before carrying over into the rotation. Antonio Senzatela was one of the best relievers in baseball to start the season after struggling so long in his career as a starter. Ryan Feltner found a new gear coming out of the bullpen to end the season as a bulk reliever. Jordan Romano reestablished his ability to be a high-leverage reliever worthy of closer opportunities.
While he faded down the stretch, Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) brought a stabilizing, reliable veteran presence to the rotation and recorded 12 wins in the year, the most for a starter since 2021. There were plenty of lessons to be learned from top to bottom for the pitching staff.
Something that shouldn’t be overlooked is that the Rockies made incremental progress in walks allowed. An 8.7% rate in 2025 improved slightly to 8.3% in 2026, which isn’t much, but it’s enough to take the Rockies from 11th-highest to 21st-highest.
If the Rockies could improve their ability to miss bats and start getting more strikeouts across the board, it would certainly help complement the slight improvement in walks allowed.
A long way to go
Ultimately, it’s clear the Rockies have a long way to go. However, they are trending in the right direction in some areas. The offense has a clearer identity and a group of players capable of doing good things. TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg, along with Kyle Karros, headlined a group of young hitters that can make a big impact. You had experienced players like Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro put together extraordinary bounce-back seasons. You had the explosive power of Hunter Goodman and Mickey Moniak (when he’s healthy).
2026 mostly boiled down to finding an offensive baseline that works. There is plenty of work to do to take the next step offensively, but you can see the path forward.
The pitching is another story. The franchise has to find a way to build a pitching pipeline, complemented by better acquisitions. We saw hints of what a competitive rotation can do for the club back in April, but things quickly went off the rails. Adjustments and recalculations will have to be made, and new experiments need to be conducted, but you can see potential in the arms and what could be if things start clicking.
Either way, 2026 was a step in the right direction and, if nothing else, gave me hope that things can get better.
