For the second consecutive season, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will provide a highly concentrated dosage of their rivalry at Yankee Stadium.
They meet once again in a best-of-three American League wild-card series and this time, New York's Cam Schlittler is starting Game 1 – not Game 3.
It's been exactly a year since Schlittler announced his arrival to the baseball world, striking out 12 Red Sox over eight shutout innings to clinch the series for the Yankees. He's since struck out 239 batters and posted a 1.95 ERA over 193 ⅔ innings, making him the heavy favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award.
And charged with giving the Yankees the upper hand in this very short series.
He'll be followed by left-hander Max Fried and, if necessary, Gerrit Cole in Game 3. The Red Sox will likely counter with left-handers Payton Tolle and postseason veteran Ranger Suarez, with 36-year-old Sonny Gray folded in there.
The Red Sox have been hit with untimely injuries. First baseman Willson Contreras sat out 10 days after getting struck on the hand by a pitch, and then received two at-bats, striking out and grounding out, in the Red Sox's season finale Sunday.
Reliever Tyron Guerrero (shoulder strain) and outfielder Mickey Gasper (biceps strain) are on the IL, as is outfielder Eli White. The Red Sox will have to pivot to run prevention, as was their mantra when they overcame a slow start to roar back and claim the No. 2 wild card spot behind the Yankees.
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The New York Rangers have placed goaltender Dylan Garand and forward Taylor Raddysh on waivers.
After Jonathan Quick retired last season, speculation suggested Garand would fill his role as the Rangers’ backup goaltender behind Igor Shesterkin.
However, the Rangers went out during the summer and acquired Joonas Korpisalo in exchange for Kalle Väisänen and a 2028 fourth-round pick.
Despite adding Korpisalo, the Rangers made clear that the backup goaltending position would be a competition between Korpisalo and Garand, and Mike Sullivan did not rule out carrying three goaltenders to kick off the 2025-26 season.
“Is that an option that is on the table for us, yes,” Sullivan said of the Rangers potentially carrying three goalies on the roster. “It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility. I think it's very manageable in the short term. I don't think it's in the best interest of the guys in the long term for obvious reasons.”
According to Mollie Walker of The New York Post, the Rangers organization believes Garand still has some developing to do and needs to be getting No. 1 goalie reps at the American Hockey League Level with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The Rangers signed Taylor Raddysh to a two-year, $3 million contract in the 2025 offseason.
The 28-year-old forward recorded nine goals, 10 assists, and 19 points in 68 games for the Blueshirts last season.
With Garand and Raddysh waived, Matt Rempe, Jaroslav Chmelař, Alberts Šmits, and Scott Morrow will likely make the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
Alex Bregman stood in the box at Tropicana Field on Sunday, Sept. 27 with a week-old set of facial fractures and sent a message. He had said he would not miss the playoffs despite the devastating injuries and Sunday, showed he's ready. The Chicago Cubs third baseman hit a Tanner Houck sinker for a 417-foot home run in his first at-bat of the day.
Two innings later, he drove another homer 402 feet. In the fifth, he hit one almost as far that went just foul, and he settled for a single.
On Sept. 20 in Cincinnati, Bregman, 32, was standing near the on-deck circle when Michael Busch checked his swing and fouled a pitch his way. The ball caught Bregman just below the left eye and left multiple fractures in his face.
He insisted he could play and the Cubs never put him on the injured list. He sat three games. By Wednesday, Bregman was tracking pitches off a machine. He came back Friday at Fenway as the designated hitter, with a C-flap on his helmet covering the left-side of his face. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in a 4-3 loss.
Sunday, when he got on base, he switched his batting helmet for one with double C-flaps.
Bregman came into the finale with 26 homers, 32 doubles, 89 RBI and a .799 OPS in 154 games this season.
The Cubs head to San Diego after Sunday's game to face the Padres in the National League wild card game.
Sep 27, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Fans sit in the stands during a rain delay before a scheduled game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Well, that was dumb.
About three hours after the scheduled first pitch, and about an hour after the original time before it was moved up earlier this weekend, the Yankees and Orioles’ season finale in the Bronx was officially cancelled. The nor’easter affecting the East Coast this weekend already caused Saturday’s game to be moved to Friday, and now it has officially led to Sunday’s planned season-ending clash to be cancelled. With this being the final day of the regular season and the playoffs beginning on Tuesday, as you might expect, this game will not be rescheduled, as it didn’t have any impact on possible playoff position.
You could kind of sense that there was not actually going to be any baseball played, as the Yankees never formally released a lineup for the game, other than that Elmer Rodríguez—who was technically never on the active roster today—as the probable starting pitcher. However, the three-hour wait between the “this game will not start on time” and “it’s cancelled” seemed unnecessary, but hey, we don’t get paid the big bucks to make these decision.
With that, the Yankees’ 2026 regular season is officially in the books. They will finish with a 93-68 record in their 161 games, a half-game shy of the 94-68 record with which they ended 2025. Like that year, they will have to settle for second place behind a surprising team, with the Rays being the culprit this time around instead of the Blue Jays.
With there being nothing to play for standings-wise for most of the last week, a lot of the attention has already been on the postseason, but now we can move our full focus to Tuesday and Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, who are now confirmed to face nemesis Cam Schlitter at 8pm ET. See you then.
The Braves won nine of the 13 regular season meetings in 2026. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 2022 and 2023 National League Division Series.
The Phillies last won the World Series in 2008, but have reached the Fall Classic twice since then, losing to the New York Yankees in 2009 and Houston Astros in 2022.
Philadelphia got off to a miserable start to the 2026 season and fired manager Rob Thomson but turned things around over the summer with interim manager Don Mattingly to stake their claim on a wild card spot.
Phillies playoff schedule
*If Philadelphia clinches wild card. Game 3 time subject to change
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The Yankees' 2026 regular season is in the books. Sunday's 1:05 p.m. game at Yankee Stadium between New York and the Baltimore Orioles, which was originally moved up from 3:20 p.m., is canceled due to inclement weather.
"The game will not be rescheduled," the Yankees said in part of a release.
Thirty-three minutes before the game's original start time, the Yankees announced on social media, "Please be advised today’s game will not start on time."
After more than three hours without an update, the game was called.
New York enters the postseason with a 93-68 record, which secured the American League Wild Card's first spot.
The Yankees start a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox this week at Yankee Stadium with starting pitchers and game times set.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees recently confirmed who’s taking the mound for the best-of-three American League Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.
Cy Young frontrunner Cam Schlittler will take the bump for Game 1 in the Bronx to kick off the MLB postseason. Max Fried will hopefully help the Yankees advance in Game 2, and if needed, Gerrit Cole will close out the series on Thursday.
This rotation isn’t too far off from our earlier predictions on who makes the postseason roster, and it may be the best-case scenario for the Pinstripes. Hypothetically, if the Yankees ultimately overcome Boston in the Wild Card Series, Schlittler will be available to pitch for Game 2 against the Rays in the ALDS.
The 25-year-old righty made his postseason debut in Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Red Sox and made a splash with a breakout performance on the big stage in the 4-0 victory, allowing five hits and striking out 12 in eight shutout frames. He made his second appearance against the Blue Jays in Game 4 of the ALDS, allowing eight hits and giving up four runs in 6.1 innings.
Fried, who finished the regular season with a 2.80 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, has strong numbers against Boston since joining the Yankees. Facing the Red Sox in six games, including the postseason, Fried posted a 1.24 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. A 2021 World Series champion with Atlanta who was excellent in their championship clincher, Fried threw 6.1 shutout innings against Boston in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series last year.
Cole, who was limited to 22 games and finished the regular season with a 3.61 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, will look to continue the Yankees’ postseason run in the Wild Card Series finale. If the Yankees sweep Boston in two games, he could be the starter for Game 1 of the ALDS. Fourth starter Carlos Rodón—who earned well-deserved chatter of a possible start in his own right with a 1.89 ERA in his last seven starts—would likely be in play for that outing if this series goes three games, the southpaw will be available out of the bullpen in the Wild Card as well. Obviously, the Yankees have to worry about getting past Boston first before they can fully plan for anything else.
You definitely won’t want to miss Schlittler face off against either standout rookie Payton Tolle or veteran right-hander Sonny Gray in a highly anticipated rivalry matchup to kickstart a potential long run into the postseason. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST on Tuesday from Yankee Stadium.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Jeremy Peña #3 of the Houston Astros points to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on September 26, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TODAY’S FINALE: The Houston Astros (80-81) conclude the 2026 regular season with the final game of a four-game series against the Athletics (64-97) at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA.
Astros RHP Peter Lambert (8-10, 3.87 ERA) will be on the mound, opposite RHP Seth Johnson (1-0, 6.19 ERA) and the Athletics.
THE LAMBO: RHP Peter Lambert has been the most consistent starter for the Astros this season, as he leads the club in wins (8), starts (28), innings pitched (153.2) and strikeouts (153). He’s allowed two-or-fewer earned runs in 19 of his 28 starts on the year and has done so in 11 of his last 15 starts.
THE POSTSEASON CHASE: The Astros and Rangers are locked in a tight race down the stretch for the AL West with the two teams having the same record with one games left to play. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with a season series victory (9-4 record).
CLINCH SCENARIO: The Astros can clinch the AL West division today with a win against the Athletics or a loss by Rangers against the Twins.
VS. THE ATHLETICS: This is the final series between the Astros and Athletics this season, with the two clubs last seeing each other from Aug. 21-23 at Daikin Park. The Astros have gone 6-6 vs. the Athletics this season. The Astros also own an overall regular season record of 126-112 against the Athletics, including a 61-61 record on the road.
ROAD WARRIORS: Today is the final game of a six-game road trip for the Astros. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 40-30 (.571) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the AL in that span, behind the Red Sox (43-28) and the Yankees (42-30).
LAST NIGHT’S GAME: The Astros defeated the Athletics, 13-2 at Sutter Health Park last night. RHP Hayden Wesneski allowed two runs (one earned run) on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in seven innings. SS Jeremy Peña (4×6, 4 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI) recorded his fourth multi-homer game of the season. The Astros offense combined for 16 hits.
GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros have hit 225 homers as a team this year, which is the most in the Majors. The last time the Astros led the Majors in home runs was in 2000, when they hit 249 home runs.
TWO-OUT MAGIC: The Astros lead the American League in two-out runs with 320 on the season, trailing only the Cubs (332) in the Majors. 3B Isaac Paredes leads this effort, as he holds the Major League lead with 46 two-out RBI, directly ahead of STL 1B Alec Burleson (45 RBI).
THE FIREMAN: LHP Josh Hader has converted 26 consecutive save chances to open his season, which is the Astros record. Should Hader finish the season without a blown save, he would become 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).
THE CASE FOR THE MVP: DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez leads the American League in OPS (1.036), slugging percentage (.604), OBP (.432), batting average (.316), total bases (340), walks (109), IBB (33), wRC+ (180), OPS+ (189) and extra-base hits (77). He also ranks second in home runs (42), second in RBI (105), second in hits (178), fourth in doubles (34) and fourth in runs (104).
BATTING TITLE: DH Yordan Alvarez enters today’s game leading the American League in batting average. He is looking to become the third player in franchise history to earn a batting title, joining 1B Yuli Gurriel (2021) and 2B Jose Altuve (2014, 2016-17).
YORGONE: DH Yordan Alvarez launched his 42nd home run of the season last night at ATH. His 42 home runs are tied for the fifth most in Astros franchise history.
Astros Most Home Runs – Single Season
1. J. Bagwell: 47 HR (2000)
2. L. Berkman: 45 HR (2006)
3. R. Hidalgo 44 HR (2000)
4. J. Bagwell 43 HR (1997)
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Last night’s victory was the 255th win for Astros Manager Joe Espada surpassing Hal Lanier for the ninth-most managerial wins in Astros franchise history. Espada owns a 255-229 record with the Astros.
THAT BOY BLU: RHP AJ Blubaugh leads MLB relievers with 96.0 innings, with MIL LHP Aaron Ashby (87.0 IP) the next closest. He is seeking to become the 1st Astros pitcher to lead their league in innings since RHP Doug Jones in 1992 (111.2 IP). His 96.0 innings this season are the most by an Astros reliever since RHP Octavio Dotel tossed 97.1 innings in 2002.
STRONG SEPTEMBERS: 3B Isaac Paredes has a 1.026 OPS this month to go along with a team-leading 21 RBI, which ranks tied for second in the AL. C Yainer Diaz is also having a strong September, as he’s hitting .354 (28×79) with four homers, 11 RBI and a .960 OPS in 22 games (19 starts) this month.
RACKING UP K’S: RHP Bryan Abreu has posted 528 career strikeouts, which ranks fourth among relievers in Astros history. He’s closing in on third-place RHP Dave Smith (529), needing only one strikeout to match the Astros reliever from the 1980s. LHP Billy Wagner (694) and RHP Brad Lidge (557) sit atop that all-time list.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1967 – In a classic, 11-inning pitchers duel in the Dome, both starting pitchers go the distance, with the Astros coming out on top over the Phillies, 1-0. LHP Mike Cuellar tallies 12 K’s in his 11.0 shutout innings. Phillies starter Jim Bunning allows just one run in his 10.2 innings of work. 1B Chuck Harrison singles home RF Rusty Staub to give the Astros the walkoff win.
1964 – Fittingly, Jimmy Wynn is the hero in the finlal game played at Colt Stadium as he drives home Rusty Staub in the 12th inning for a 1-0, walkoff win over the Dodgers. Colts RHP Bob Bruce hurls all 12.0 innings to earn the win, outdueling RHP Don Drysdale, who hurled 10.0 scoreless frames.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, September 27, 2:05 p.m. CT
Location: Sutter Heath Park, West Sacramento, CA
TV: SCHN, NBC Sports, Peacock
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws a pitch during his last MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Detroit Tigers (76-85) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (81-80)
Time/Place: 3:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:Bucs Dugout Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP River Ryan (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Jared Jones (5-6, 3.87 ERA)
Francisco Lindor hit his 300th career home run on Sunday, Sept. 27 in the final game of the 2026 regular season, reaching the mark after being stuck on 299 for two weeks.
That's a milestone that the Mets needed right now. In fact, they need any bright spot they can find in this season.
The Mets missed the playoffs for the second year in a row in a season that failed to launch. Lindor's own numbers tell a lot of the story. He came into the game hitting .222 with 20 home runs, well off his usual pace, on a team that hasn't given him much to play for down the stretch.
But the milestone gives the Mets something to celebrate.
The first 138 home runs of Lindor's career came with Cleveland, which drafted the shortstop eighth overall in the 2011 draft and signed him for $2.9 million. It didn't take long before that looked like a bargain.
He hit .313 with 12 homers in just 99 games as a rookie in 2015, finishing second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, and by 2016 he was the shortstop carrying a young Cleveland team through the postseason, hitting .310 with 18 hits over 15 games on the way to a World Series.
With a start like that no wonder he picked up the nickname Mr. Smile.
It's been harder for Lindor, 32, to keep up that moniker in Queens.
He was traded to the Mets in January 2021, sending Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene back in return. Three months later the Mets signed him to a 10-year, $341 million extension that runs through 2031. He got off to a slow start that April, slow enough that his own fans booed him, a rough welcome for a guy who'd just signed the richest deal in franchise history.
Since then, he's gone 30-30 twice and in October 2024, he hit the grand slam that sent the Mets past the Phillies and into the NLCS, still one of the best nights that Citi Field has had in almost a decade.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs to third base at Oracle Park on September 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers are going for 100 wins and a sweep of the Giants in their regular-season finale.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 25: Alec Burleson #41 of the St. Louis Cardinals is congratulated by Leo Bernal #13 after hitting a two run homer in the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on September 25, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up their season Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee as Andre Pallante will face one of the NL’s most formidable pitchers, Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers. First pitch is scheduled for 2:10pm central time at American Family Field and the final game broadcast of the year will be available via Cardinals.tv.
The Yankees are set to start RHP Cam Schlittler in Game 1 of this week's American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, which begins Tuesday at 8 p.m.
LHP Max Fried is New York's starter for Wednesday's 8 p.m. Game 2.
If necessary, RHP Gerrit Cole is the Yankees' Game 3 pitcher for Thursday's 8 p.m. start.
"It's kind of been in the works here for probably the last month or so," manager Aaron Boone said Friday. "Obviously, tremendous rivalry -- a team that's had a resurgent season after a really difficult start. I think they're really good. I felt that way all year. Also real confident, if we play our game and pitch like we're capable of, we've got a good chance to move on. So, we've got to play our best starting Tuesday."
The 32-year-old Fried was 5-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 112.2 IP over 20 regular-season starts while battling two IL stints for a left elbow bone bruise.
Cole, meanwhile, finished the regular season with a 10-9 record and 3.61 ERA. He made 22 starts in 127 IP during his first year back from March 2025 Tommy John surgery, activating May 22 and staying healthy.
The winner of the best-of-three series at Yankee Stadium subsequently faces the Tampa Bay Rays, who won the AL East, in the best-of-five ALDS.
Maybe it’s counterintuitive, but this is the happiest game thread I’ve written all year. You’d think there would be a bit of a letdown, going from what could have been the most dramatic Game 162 in team history to what amounts to a meaningless tune-up game.
That’s not the important part. My Sunday coverage meant that almost every regular game I did this year was the final game of a series, in one way or another. This is the last game thread of the last series of the last week of the 2026 season. Usually, that means one thing and one thing only.
But things are not usual, and with a feeling that would have been unimaginable six months ago, we can say for certain that this will not be the final game thread of 2026 on South Side Sox. And I can say for certain that I’ve never been close to this happy to write a preview of any Sox game in the month of September.
Not to sound too much like Bill Simmons, but in my head, I’m queuing up the great final battle scene of Return of the King and imagining Aragorn riding a horse rallying his troops. It’s the culmination of the ultimate comeback story. We’ve watched our protagonist move from among the last descendants of an ancient bloodline reduced to wandering in the wilderness, to the top of his old society. He was leading his army into near-certain death, sure, but goddamn if he wasn’t going out as the King of Gondor.
There will be a final game thread on South Side Sox. The ride will eventually end, whether we’ve enjoyed it or not. But it is not THIS day. I see in your eyes fear of a Houston Astros team currently in their Western Roman Empire phase and a Texas Rangers team that’s scored the fewest and allowed the most runs of any (potential) playoff qualifier. Maybe it’s justified, and the season will end by Thursday. But it is not THIS day, and when that day comes, they’ll go out as a playoff-caliber team.
“Wandering in the wilderness” is a truly generous way to describe the White Sox in recent years. When the Ancien Régime was finally deposed in 2023, we were dreadfully made to understand that the team’s next phase involved a competitive window opening in 2027, making it more than a decade of descending from “mired in mediocrity” to “mired in record-setting awfulness.” I was in such denial that I thought Luis Robert Jr. could still help form the nucleus of the next Sox team that would play meaningful September baseball.
And yet, here they are. A playoff team, arriving on the big stage somehow even earlier than expected despite a less-than-24-month-old nadir of a depth that shocked even our greatest cynics. If the White Sox are Aragorn, they’ve got their army, and they’re marching on Mordor. Even if it’s minuscule, there’s always a chance that Frodo could still make it to the top of the mountain. Ceiling be damned, the important thing at this point is that they’re there.
The 2026 White Sox: So remarkable that there is, in fact, a there there.
I almost forgot that a game is still happening. Here are nine guys that may or may not be looking forward to playing baseball this afternoon:
Kyle Freeland is like if Jordan Lyles became a local legend instead of the great journeyman of the 2010s. First pitch is at 2:10 p.m. CT from Rate Field (in what could, however, be the last home contest of the year). Standard broadcasts will be available on CHSN (TV) and ESPN 1000 AM (radio). We’ll see you there!
Sep 26, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (23), left fielder Mike Yastrzemski (18) and right fielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (49) celebrate a win over the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This is a Braves-Marlins game thread, but also one for…
Cubs @ Red Sox (neutral site game in St. Petersburg)
Rays @ Phillies
Diamondbacks @ Padres
Because we know y’all are haters scoreboard watchers. So have at it!
