LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 13: A Los Angeles Dodgers groundscrew worker paints the postseason logo on the field before the Milwaukee Brewers workout prior to the NLCS at Dodger Stadium on October 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are back home, looking for their first win of the 2026 National League Championship Series, with Game 3 at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
“No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow and the ensuing days,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. “At the end of the day in this big moment, we’re listening to Shohei, and we’re going to support the crap out of him and believe in him, and that’s it.”
Much like the Dodgers are trying to turn things around in this series, Snell is trying to turn things around after needing 90 pitches to record only 11 outs in Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on October 4. Snell walked five in that game, though only one run was charged to his ledger in a game the Dodgers eventually lost 3-2.
Left-hander Robert Gasser starts for the Brewers, looking for some redemption of his own. He lost both starts against the Dodgers in the regular season (May 23 and August 14), allowing a total of seven runs in 10 2/3 innings. Gasser started Game 3 of the NLDS for Milwaukee in San Diego, and allowed one run in four innings, with three strikeouts.
Happy birthday to Carlos Marmol, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1908 – Before the smallest crowd in World Series history (6,210), the host Detroit Tigers are tamed on three hits by Orval Overall, who strikes out 10 in a 2-0 triumph. The Chicago Cubs win the World Series in five games. Upset over seating arrangements at the World Series, sports reporters form a professional group that will become the Baseball Writers Association of America, and other stories as well.
1975 – The Cincinnati Reds take a 2-1 lead in the World Series with a controversial 6-5, 10-inning victory over the Boston Red Sox in Cincinnati. In the 10th inning, Reds pinch-hitterEd Armbrister attempts a sacrifice bunt and bounces the ball in front of the plate. Boston catcher Carlton Fisk, in an attempt to field the ball, collides with Armbrister and throws the ball into center field while trying to force Cesar Gerónimo at second base. Gerónimo goes to third base and later scores the game winner, as Armbrister moves to second. Home plate umpireLarry Barnett rules there is no interference despite heated protests by the Red Sox.
2015 – The Blue Jays complete a comeback from a two-games-to-none deficit by defeating the Rangers, 6-3, in Game 5 of the ALDS. The game features a wild seventh inning. In the top half, Rougned Odor scores the go-ahead run for Texas when C Russell Martin‘s throw back to P Aaron Sanchez hits Shin-soo Choo‘s bat and goes astray; the crowd at Rogers Centre screams for an interference call and pelts the field with debris, but the umpires allow the run to stand. In the bottom of the inning, the Rangers commit three straight errors to load the bases with none out, then the Blue Jays score four runs on a pop-up that drops just out of Odor’s reach, and a three-run homer by Jose Bautista off Sam Dyson, followed by an epic bat flip.
2021 – The Division Series between the Dodgers and Giants, the teams who posted the two best records in the majors this year, goes to the very limit, as the Dodgers score the winning run in the top of the ninth in Game 5, with Cody Bellinger‘s single off Camilo Doval driving in Justin Turner. Max Scherzer then comes out to pitch the bottom of the 9th, earning his first career save in nailing down the 2-1 win.
Today in Cubs history:
1929 – The Philadelphia Athletics rally for three runs in the 9th inning to beat the Chicago Cubs, 3-2, and take the World Series in five games. A two-run home run by Mule Haas ties the game and Bing Miller hits a RBI double to get the victory. There won’t be another winning rally by a team down two runs in the ninth inning of a Series final game in the 20th century. The Arizona Diamondbacks, in 2001, will do it next.
2003 – Holding a 3-0 lead and needing only five more outs to reach the World Series for the first time since 1945, the Chicago Cubs give up eight runs on five hits, three walks and an error to the Florida Marlins. Chicago appears to come apart after a Cubs fan, sitting along the left-field foul line at Wrigley Field, tries to catch a foul ball that is about to be caught by Cubs’ outfielderMoises Alou for the second out of the inning, although the bigger blow comes when SS Alex Gonzalez misplays a routine double play grounder a few moments later. The Cubs also will lose the seventh and final game of the NLCS.
2017 – The Dodgers win Game 1 of the NLCS, 5-2, at home over the Cubs. Chris Taylor breaks a 2-2 tie with a solo homer off Hector Rondon in the sixth, and Yasiel Puig follows suit with a shot off Mike Montgomery in the seventh as six Dodgers pitchers limit Chicago to five hits.
1884 – George Eastman patents paper strip photographic film.
1947 – Chuck Yeager makes the first supersonic flight in the Bell XS-1 at Mach 1.06.
1957 – Everly Brothers’ single “Wake Up Little Susie” reaches No. 1.
1960 – Peace Corps first suggested by John F. Kennedy in a speech at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
1964 – Little known American distance runner Billy Mills scores major upset by winning the 10,000m at the Tokyo Olympics; beats Mohammed Gammoudi of Tunisia by 0.4 second; only American to ever win the event.
1968 – American sprinter Jim Hines runs a world record 9.95s to beat Lennox Miller of Jamaica and Charles Greene of the US, and win the 100m gold medal at the Mexico City Olympics.
1968 – The Beatles finish recording their double album “The Beatles” more commonly known as “The White Album.”
1977 – RCA releases David Bowie‘s 12th studio album, “Heroes”; his second collaboration with Brian Eno in what becomes known as his ‘Berlin trilogy’ features contributions from guitarist Robert Fripp
1985 – New York Jets retire Joe Namath‘s No. 12 on nationally televised Monday Night Football; beat Miami Dolphins, 23-7.
Sep 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Edmundo Sosa (33) looks on before taking the field for the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Did anyone really think that the Dodgers were going to sit Shohei Ohtani?
Seriously, did you really believe that that was going happen?
Oct 13, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Bryan Baker (47) celebrates a win against the Cleveland Guardians in game two of the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Good morning Birdland,
Well, we know that at least one of the LCS won’t be a sweep. The Rays evened up the junior circuit matchup at one game apiece with a 3-1 win over the Guardians on Tuesday night. All three of their runs came in a big fourth inning. That proved to be enough for starter Freddy Peralta, who tossed six scoreless innings, followed by the Tampa bullpen, which was punctuated by another Bryan Baker save. Those two teams will have today off as they travel to Cleveland, where the series will continue on Thursday.
That means the NLCS is a solo act this evening. The Brewers have a commanding 2-0 lead, but will now head on the road for the first time in the best-of-seven set. Another win tonight doesn’t guarantee their first World Series appearance since 1982, but it would put them awfully close. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. on FS1.
Shohei Ohtani’s struggles have become a big storyline of that series. The four-time MVP is 3-for-20 this postseason with zero extra-base hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts. That’s a .411 OPS. He hit the IL near the end of the regular season, then struggled in eight September games, and still doesn’t look right. Dave Roberts moved him down the order in Game 2, and there were some rumblings that he could be removed from the order entirely for Game 3. But the Dodgers announced during the off day that this wouldn’t happen. Ohtani will be starting. If the Dodgers hope to complete a three-peat, they will need some magic from their superstar.
On the Orioles front, it’s quiet, as it is for just about all 26 teams that are no longer playing baseball this year. While front offices are surely making preparations for the offseason ahead, there simply isn’t much public-facing work to be done.
Free agency starts five days after the World Series ends. The GM Meetings start November 9. The owners meetings begin November 17. And the non-tender deadline is November 20. Anything beyond that is in doubt as the current CBA expires on December 1, which could mean that many of the most interesting days of baseball’s offseason are pushed or cancelled altogether.
While some minor moves are likely to happen prior to a new CBA, you would assume that any massive contracts will have to wait until teams, players, and agents fully understand the new deal. Salary caps and salary floors have been discussed. There could be changes to draft pick compensation for teams that lose higher-cost free agents. It’s a lot to unpack, and seems destined to drag well into next year at this point.
Links
Looking at Orioles through eyes of some opposing scouts | Roch Kubatko Roch discusses a current Orioles players that could be available in a trade this offseason. Apparently, Ryan Mountcastle is one to consider. He played in eight games this year due to a foot injury, and has a $7.5 million club option for 2027. It would seem like with the log jam at first base he would be an easy decline, making him a free agent. But if the Orioles front office thinks they could get anything for him in a trade, maybe it makes more sense to hold onto to him and deal him sometime in the spring.
Three prospects who could be key contributors for O’s in ’27 | Orioles.com Luis De León, Michael Forret, and Enrique Bradfield Jr. are mentioned, and all make sense. The Orioles, like every team, are going to need pitching, and Bradfield’s speed and defense seem major league ready, even if the bat still needs some work.
Oriole priorities in a likely shorter offseason | Rich Dubroff The Orioles enter this offseason with a desperate need to get better in a few places, which will be more difficult because of the impending lockout. But they aren’t going to overhaul the roster. The core of the team is already in place. They need to get more out of the guys they have in-house, and then supplement them with a few key external signings. There’s a lot to do, but it feels less about making moves and more about setting the players they already have up for success. Hopefully, a lockout doesn’t impact that too much.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Midre Cummings turns 55 today. He played in two games for the Orioles in 2005, which capped off his 11 season in MLB.
Carl Nichols is 64 years old. From 1986-88, he appeared in 36 games for the Orioles, mostly as a backup catching option.
Kiko Garcia turns 73. He was a useful utility infielder for the Orioles for five seasons from 1976-80, and was then traded to the Astros prior to the ‘81 campaign.
Tommy Harper is 85 today. His final major league season was spent with the Orioles in 1976, when he was almost exclusively deployed as a DH and pinch hitter.
This day in O’s history
1969 – The Orioles drop Game 3 of the World Series to the underdog New York Mets 5-0. The Mets now hold a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.
1971 – The Orioles get shutout 4-0 in Game 5 of the World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. That gives the Buccos a 3-2 lead in the set.
2014 – The Royals win yet again in the ALCS, extending their lead in the series to 3-0. Their bullpen pitches four perfect innings close things out the win over the Orioles in Game 3.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 13: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts after hitting a one-run double in the seventh inning during Game Two of the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s that time where I give you a rundown of what happened in baseball yesterday. However, we’ve already got a recap on this site that did that. Chase DeLauter was the only MLB player to drive in an earned run yesterday, yet the Guardians still lost. I don’t want to talk about it.
Around baseball
As I just said, the only run that scored all day was off the bat of Chas—
I guess we could talk about how Slade Cecconi generated 5 swings and misses in 1 inning?
Or the big controversy in LA, where Shohei Ohtani is staying in the lineup even though his billion dollar contract isn’t producing any hits yet?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: An aerial view of Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’re through two games in both the ALCS and NLCS, and the games have all been pretty riveting, if you’ve had the stomach to watch them with the Yankees long since eliminated. The Rays capitalized on some uncharacteristic sloppy play from Jose Ramirez to tie the ALCS at a game apiece last night, while the two-time defending champs find themselves with their backs just about up against the wall, needing to win tonight to avoid a 3-0 hole against the Brewers. It’s a matchup of lefties, Los Angeles throwing out Blake Snell, Milwaukee countering with Robert Gasser, one in which there’s a disparity in notoriety; Snell’s got two Cy Youngs, while Gasser’s got two seasons in which he’s been above replacement level to his name. Still, don’t underestimate Gasser or Milwaukee, with Gasser finding a way to make it work to the tune of a 3.87 ERA this year, and the Brewers of course finding a way to make it work night after night this season.
On the site today, get caught up with Madison’s review of last night’s Game 2 in St. Petersburg, and Josh’s writeup of the 2026 Yankees Team MVP, who could be none other than Cam Schlittler. Later, Kevin profiles Joe Girardi on the former catcher and manager’s 62nd birthday, and Jonathan discusses Mike Pinsky, a Yankees front office employee who’s competing in the current season of Survivor!
Today’s Playoff Matchup:
National League Championship Series Game 3 (Milwaukee leads 2-0)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers (LHP Blake Snell vs. LHP Robert Gasser)
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
TV: FOX/FS1/FOX ONE
Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Questions/Prompts:
1. Do you think it’s time for the Dodgers to pull Shohei Ohtani from the starting lineup?
2. Who do you favor the rest of the way in the ALCS with the series now tied?
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 05: Jonathan Aranda #8 of the Tampa Bay Rays is out at second base as Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees attempts to turn a double play during the first inning in game two of the American League Division Series at Tropicana Field on October 05, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. Chisholm was given an error on the throw on this play. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): The Yankees have ten men that will be free agents after the World Series, including one of the starting infielders and the established closer. They also face a winter of deep labor uncertainty, potential changes to compensation as underlined by a new CBA, and a possibility of lower revenue for 2027 if there are lost games. All those factors come together, along with what can reasonably be expected out of those ten guys going forwards, to set out the players the Yankees should try and retain, and who gets to test the market on their own.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: Speaking of free agents, David Bednar represents perhaps the most interesting question for the Yankees. Over the past few years the club has avoided long-term, big money contracts for closers, while routinely churning out excellent bullpen units. Still, Bednar seems extremely comfortable in New York, and though his velo was down a tick this season, sure has the numbers to back up investing in him long term.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: It seems likely Aaron Boone will return for his last year under contract as manager, but there’s no guarantee in continuity across the entire coaching staff. Matt Blake is also a free agent, and the talented pitching coach will likely have several offers from other MLB teams if the Yankees don’t return his services. Austin Wells’ failed triple wasn’t Luis Rojas’ fault, but the Yankee third base coach has drawn ire in his tenure before and could also be on a hot seat.
NJ.com | Adam Zagoria: On his radio program Tuesday, Michael Kay openly asked what Aaron Judge means when the Yankee captain says the team needs to go “all in”. The Yankees consistently lead the AL in payroll, and of the two teams that spend more than them, the Yanks are a much better run organization than the Mets. Still, it does always feel like the club leaves something — runs, talent, whatever — on the table every year since 2009.
Joe Girardi isn’t blaming Aaron Boone for the Yankees’ shortcomings, but believes a deeper-rooted culture issue might have contributed to the team being swept in the ALDS.
The former Yankees skipper tore into the team’s fundamentals, pointing to a pair of costly postseason blunders that underscored his concerns during an appearance on “The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman.”
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Jonathan Aranda is out at second base but Jazz Chisholm Jr. throws the ball away as he attempts to turn a double play in the first inning of the Yankees’ error-filled loss to the Rays in Game 2 of the ALDS. Getty Images
Chisholm, in particular, said, “I’d probably still try to throw it,” if given a do-over, despite the result of the play.
“You said you would’ve done the same thing over again? No! You can’t do the same thing again — it didn’t work!” Girardi added. “Some of the base running cues, the sliding over the bases, someone’s gotta say, ‘Enough is enough!’”
Girardi, who managed the Yankees from 2009-17, noted that the sloppy play needs to be addressed during the regular season, especially with underperforming players.
Austin Wells hits a double and is tagged out at third base trying to stretch a double into a triple ending the eighth inning during the Yankees’ Game 1 ALDS loss to the Rays. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
He referenced infielder Anthony Volpe, who had been New York’s incumbent shortstop the past three seasons before being demoted to Triple-A midseason.
“I think it happened with Anthony Volpe,” Girardi added. “I think he was better when he came back up because he sent down and said, ‘Hey, I can’t keep doing what I’m doing, it’s not working.'”
Girardi, 62, knows the trappings and challenges of managing the Bombers all too well. He led the club to a World Series title in 2009 but, despite reaching the ALCS in 2017, he was let go as skipper and replaced by Boone.
In what’s expected to be a transformative offseason for the Yankees, Girardi went to bat for Boone, whose future has come under fire in the wake of another abrupt postseason exit.
Girardi said that 2026 is arguably Boone’s best year, citing the team finishing with the American League’s second-best record despite a rash of injuries and down seasons from key players.
“Can you say that that’s his fault? I don’t think so,” Girardi said. “To me, that’s not his fault. I just don’t think the guys had the years that they projected them to have, or some of the guys just aren’t as good as they thought they would be.”
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 13: Shawn Armstrong #43 of the Cleveland Guardians hands the ball to manager Stephen Vogt #12 after being pulled against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning in game two of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on October 13, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a stunning, come from behind, full team effort that lead to a huge Win in last night’s Game 1, the Guardians were back in action tonight at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida for Game 2 of the ALCS. On the mound for the Rays would be former Brewer/Met and 2026 Trade Deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta, who really turned his season around once joining Tampa Bay. Opposing him for Cleveland would be the Guardian All Star Parker Messick, who would be looking to rebound from a shaky 1st postseason start last week in Chicago. It was well documented that Parker is a local kid, from Plant City, Florida, and would have a lot of family in the crowd tonight. But as good as his career stats are vs the Rays, the Playoffs are a different Beast…
Right from the jump it was clear that Cleveland’s game-plan was to attack Peralta early. Kwan singled on the 2nd pitch of the game, and Jose, Chase & Adell ALL swung at the first pitch (Jose and Adell popped up while Chase had a 3 pitch swinging K). 7 pitches and 5 were swung at, so clearly they want to get after him early (of course, Lowe would strike out on 8 pitch at bat to start the 2nd), which makes sense considering he doesn’t typically go deep into starts and Cash is likely to go all hands on deck, desperate for a Win to avoid going down 0-2 and hitting the road (only so many teams can be as comfortable as Cleveland is in that scenario). Bazzana would follow Lowe’s K with a single to CF and take 2nd on a Wild pitch. But all Cleveland could muster up was a Hedges HBP as Halpin and Rocchio struck out to continue our early game woes. The third wasn’t much better, as Kwan and Jose went down pretty quickly (Jose 2 quick pop ups, just 3 pitches seen) before Chase started a new K-less streak by drawing an 8 pitch walk before Jo Adell would fly out. The more you watch, the more you understand the approach to attacking Peralta early, as he was really starting to get comfortable out there through 3 relatively clean innings, just 2 singles, a walk and 4 K’s.
For as much fun as nearly every Guardian is having at the plate the last few days, Brayan Rocchio is probably not one of them. Since Rocctember ended, he’s hitting just .111, going 2-17 with just 2 singles. You can see him chasing a lot and swinging harder than usual, suggesting that he’s pressing at the plate compared to how calm and relaxed he’s looked recently when the pressure has turned up. A few people were suggesting a Genao start tonight- I wasn’t one of them but I wouldn’t have blamed Vogter if he went that way, looking to shake things up.
Meanwhile Parker Messick was continuing where he left off in Chicago- getting the job done but looking a tad shaky doing it. In the 1st inning he gave up a 2 out double down the line to Junior Caminero before striking out Mesa to end the threat. His 2nd inning started with an infield single, that was immediately doubled up on a slow groundball from the fastest man in the sport. Yes you read that correctly- usually a GIDP isn’t possible with Chandler Simpson running, but Rocchio ripped a seed to 1st to complete the 4-6-3 DP. Messick would lose a 2 out, 6 pitch battle to Ben Williamson, but immediately turned and picked him off at 1st to retire the side. Watching that half inning, I was hoping that the defensive magic would help Parker get a little comfortable out there and carry it into the 3rd.
Parker Messick had 2 pickoffs in 2026. Now, he has his first in the playoffs 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3XL5i444zE
Well, it wasn’t comfortable but it wasn’t harmful either.
Back to back singles from the 8-9 duo to start the inning and we were in trouble with the top of the order coming up. A 3-1 count to Yandy Diaz is not what you want, but sitting here I turn to my Dog (animal, not pal, although she is my pal too) and say “why not a groundball here?” as Yandy grounds into a tailor made 4-6-3 double play! Aranda would shortly follow with a groundball out of his own to Trav and just like that, Magic Man Parker Messick does it again!
Rays had two on with no outs but Parker Messick got out of it without allowing a run pic.twitter.com/r2Rmgqixez
To the 4th inning we go and yeah, THIS is the Freddy Peralta I remember. Not the guy who suited up in Orange and Blue this year in Queens. For whatever reason, that marriage did not work at all, and Peralta was dealt after just 3+ months as a Met. But he looks very comfortable now, just pumping heat through the middle of our order, striking out Lowe and getting weak pop ups from Trav and Hedgie. It SHOULD be noted that Greedy Petey Halpin did hammer a single into RF in this inning, proving that he probably deserves more time in the starting lineup.
In the bottom half of the inning, Caminero would work a walk (after Hedges missed a pretty obvious strike 3 challenge!), which would be the 3rd straight leadoff man to reach for Tampa. A bad trend that Parker and the Guardians are eventually going to regret. Especially with a huge review in the next batter- another grounder to Bazzana…. would it be an another 4-6-3 double play? Was Rocchio off the bag? Was Lowe? A lot hanging in the balance that turned out just be a regular 4-6 put out. After a big K to Johnny DeLuca, Chandler Simpson does the ONE thing he does, hits a high chopper to Short and Rocchio just can’t get it over in time, and Mesa smartly takes 3rd with all eyes on Simpson. Messick, in hot water for the first time, answered by getting a 2 out groundball to his 3rd basemen, who couldn’t play it off the lip, letting the ball thru and the first run to score. Next up was Liam Hicks who knocked in 2 more and it was 3-0 Rays in the blink of an eye.
To me, this inning summed up the Rays and Guardians pretty well this season. In that inning alone we saw a leadoff walk, hustle to beat out a GIDP, hustle to beat out an infield single, a concentration error from someone who lets them happen more often than he should (usually resulting in runs), a mental error from TWO guys who should know better, and not being able to limit the damage. Yeah. The 2026 Guardians are a team that plays with fire all too much, eventually always getting burnt. Meanwhile the Rays do all the little things right, hustle their tails off and make you make plays to beat them. Sound familiar? More on that later.
To the 5th inning and you can just feel a bad aura from Jose, who knows this should still be a tie game if he either charges that grounder or gets his whole body in front of it (or if a number of things before that happen to not breathe in so much extra life!). That bad aura can’t last long though if the Guardians want to take this series, because you can just tell that the reason this team ran off 4 straight games in 6 days was because of how loose they’ve been playing, and the energy they’ve been feeding off of has come directly from #11. Jose would single and steal, and Chase would work a long walk as well- but Jo Adell hit a 2 out line drive right to the Centerfielder and the Guardians would move to 0-3 with RISP on the night (tho it feels way worse).
Side note- and I know this is gonna make me sound like a classic old man baseball fan- this Rays team loves to show off. I know that’s kinda how sports are now, even in baseball where I once counted 11 types of celebrations on ONE homerun (Ronald Acuña I will never forgive you), but man this team REALLY wants to let you know it when they do something. It started yesterday with Caminero playing almost even with the pitcher’s mound. That wasn’t in the gameplan, it’s not like the Guardians are a good bunting team, he wants to play up that close to show you he’s not afraid. So when he caught a liner from Rocchio there, he just HAD to do the Dikembe Finger waive to let you know. And I know I’m not just imagining it, this is the guy who set the record for the longest homerun Trot in the history of the game. For reference, Colby Mayo has an inside the park homerun where he would’ve scored 3 times in the time it took for Caminero to circle the bases…
I KNOW, make baseball fun, and all that. But there’s a difference between being fun and taking every opportunity to soak up the spotlight. And no, I am NOT suggesting he faked the injury last night (even if that was the longest injury delay I have ever seen for a guy that stayed in the game who also had a delayed reaction to said collision). He was definitely shaken up on that. But, ya know… no no no not gonna suggest that, let’s just keep it clean here.
Back to the game and frankly, with the way Peralta was pitching, it was hard to imagine that the Guardians were ever gonna score tonight, making that calamity of mistakes in the 4th slightly more forgivable than if this were a night where we could score 2-3 runs and make a run at a 2-0 series lead. Peralta would go 6 innings scattering 4 hits (all singles) and 2 walks while striking out 6. His night came to and end with one tiny whimper of a firework when Bazzana took him to the deepest part of the ballpark, flying out 400 feet with nothing to show for it.
While Freddy was the Sum of All Fears for the Guards; Parker was living all night in Clear and present Danger. He would go 5 innings giving up 6 hits and 2 walks while only striking out 3. The 3 runs he gave up were all unearned, tho, he’d be the first to tell you that they’d have zero had he pitched better. Back to back nights an All Star and Cy Young Finalist hopeful gave up just a little too much and the team paid dearly for it. Shawn Armstrong would give up an infield single (how many throws to First can the Rays beat out in one game? Seriously they are going for a record!) but otherwise pitched a clean 6th as we headed to the final act.
Thru 6, 3-0 Rays.
Onto the 7th and the Guardians looked thrilled to face anyone but Freddy Peralta. On in relief was former Clevelander Kevin Kelly, who would work himself into trouble by way of walking pinch hitter Patrick Bailey and giving up a single to Steven Kwan. With 1 out and 2 on for our Hero Jose Ramirez, the Guardians were looking for a big hit. Jose wouldn’t provide it, and it was up to Chase DeLauter
DeLauter would come up big with our first hit with RISP on the night! A double down the line that unfortunately only scored 1 (I gotta see a better replay to see if Kwan should’ve went), but put the tying run at 2nd for Jo Adell. Could we see more late heroics from the middle of the order again?
Thank you, Jonathan Frakes. No. Not this time… But the Guards DID finally get on the board, showing the resiliency and never-quit attitude we’ve grown to love over the last month and change. And with a quick 1-2-3 inning from the Armstrong/Herrin combo, the Guards would return to the plate with 6 outs left, their backs against the wall, a spot that they’ve excelled in time and time again.
Sadly, this would not be one of them. Tonight was not our night at the plate, and honestly a day off for travel might do everyone some good. The Guardians would lose to the Rays 3-1, evening the series at 1 game a piece. On the positive, we came to Tampa, split the series and shifted home field advantage our way. On the negative, we had the 1 seed on the ropes and gave them 3 runs in a game we lost by 2. It’s fair to be frustrated but also need to keep in mind; a lot has gone our way recently and there is a lot of baseball left.
Finally, I wanted to point out the familiarity when watching these two teams. The Rays play a very similar brand of baseball to the one we’ve gotten used to over the last few years. While Cleveland has been better at it over the course of 3 seasons, the Rays were much better at it over the last 162 games. But hey/ that doesn’t mean Cleveland can’t be better over a 7 game series! Just gotta bounce back and limit the mental errors, and avoid giving Tampa extra chances/at bats. They WILL capitalize, as we saw tonight.
Game 3 will be Thursday evening when Gavin Williams takes the mound once again facing (I believe?) Nick Martinez. Should be a fantastic pitching matchup between one guy coming off a record setting Game 5 vs one who completely owns the Cleveland Guardians. Time to see what we’re made of, again.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — With the crowd chanting his name, a fired-up Freddy Peralta pumped one fastball after another past hitters all night long.
Peralta threw six innings of four-hit ball, Liam Hicks lined a two-run single after José Ramírez’s fielding error and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 Tuesday night to even the ALCS at 1-1.
The former Mets starter threw the hardest pitch of his big league career at 99.4 mph and relied on his four-seam fastball on 71 of 99 pitches — his 71.7% usage was his highest since June 11, 2019.
“It’s no secret that I trust in my fastball a lot and it’s my best pitch,” Peralta said.
Peralta’s 96.9 mph average fastball velocity was 2.6 mph above his season average.
Freddy Peralta, who pitched six scoreless innings, celebrates after getting the last out of his outing in the Rays’ 3-1 Game 2 win over the Guardians on Oct. 13, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Gary Bogdon/UPI/Shutterstock
“It plays a big role, the adrenaline,” Peralta said. “And also I define myself as a competitor, and I like these kind of games. I’ve always said in the past, that I enjoyed this as a Dominican pitcher. I grew up watching the games in D.R., and that’s the game that you see. And I got used to that because I grew up watching it. And I feel that I have that in me, in myself. And that’s the way that I feel when I am on the mound in these kind of games.”
Peralta pumped a fist and screamed joyfully walking off the mound in the sixth after fanning Petey Halpin swinging at a 3-2 changeup.
“I just enjoyed the moment because it was a really good at-bat,” Peralta said. “It wasn’t an easy game since the first pitch that I threw until the last one. It was a lot of competition between me and the hitters. … I think that was why I was fired up like that.”
Ramírez, whose two-run homer in Game 5 of their AL Division Series against Chicago helped the Guardians become the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series, misplayed a grounder in the fourth inning that led to three unearned runs against rookie lefty Parker Messick.
Junior Caminero walked to start that inning and Victor Mesa Jr. grounded into a forceout originally ruled a double play. The Rays challenged the calls at both first and second and Mesa was ruled safe when a video review overturned the out decision by first base umpire Mark Ripperger.
After Jonny DeLuca struck out, Chandler Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop, and the Mesa reached third standing up when Ramírez failed to cover the bag.
Ben Williamson followed with a grounder that scooted underneath Ramírez’s glove and between his legs after the ball hit the edge where the artificial turf met the infield dirt. The third baseman played back rather than charging.
“It’s a little bit faster here this type of surface,” Ramirez said through a translator. “It’s frustrating. I feel bad.”
Williamson reached second and Simpson went to third. Hicks drove the next pitch to right-center for a 3-0 lead, electrifying the towel-waving, cowbell-ringing crowd of 32,125 fans at Tropicana Field.
Peralta and three relievers didn’t need any more support.
Liam Hicks rips a two-run single during the fourth inning of the Rays’ Game 2 win over the Guardians. AP
“I think the velocity really stood out,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Peralta.
Kevin Kelly got two outs in the seventh, retiring Ramírez on a fly ball to center with two runners on.
Lefty Ian Seymour replaced him and Chase DeLauter lined an RBI double to the right-field corner.
Seymour struck out Jo Adell swinging at a changeup, leaving runners at second and third. Seymour pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Bryan Baker finished with a perfect ninth for his fourth postseason save.
Acquired by the Rays from the Mets at the trade deadline, Peralta turned around his season in Tampa Bay going 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts after posting a 4.99 ERA for New York.
He pitched his latest gem in front of Mets owner Steve Cohen, who was in attendance.
“We have a good relationship,” Peralta said of Cohen. “I think he’s awesome. And I’m happy that he was here watching, not watching me, watching the Rays.”
Messick, who grew up going to Rays games at the Trop, took the loss after giving up six hits and the three unearned runs in five innings.
Cleveland had won four straight in the postseason for the first time since winning their first six playoff games in 2016 on the way to a World Series berth.
The 98-win Rays swept the Yankees before a 7-3 loss in Game 1 on Monday.
That was their first loss in two weeks. Now, they’re back on the winning track and need three more in a series that’s reduced to a best of five to advance to their third World Series.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Freddy Peralta threw six innings of four-hit ball, Liam Hicks lined a two-run single after a fielding error by José Ramírez and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 Tuesday night to even the AL Championship Series at 1-1.
Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in Cleveland.
Ramírez, whose two-run homer in Game 5 of their AL Division Series against Chicago helped the Guardians become the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series, misplayed a grounder in the fourth inning that led to three unearned runs against rookie lefty Parker Messick.
Junior Caminero walked to start that inning and Victor Mesa Jr. grounded into a forceout originally ruled a double play. The Rays challenged the calls at both first and second and Mesa was ruled safe when a video review overturned the out decision by first base umpire Mark Ripperger.
After Jonny DeLuca struck out, Chandler Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop, and the Mesa reached third standing up when Ramírez failed to cover the bag.
Ben Williamson followed with a grounder that scooted underneath Ramírez’s glove and between his legs after the ball hit the edge where the artificial turf met the infield dirt. The third baseman played back rather than charging.
Williamson reached second and Simpson went to third. Hicks drove the next pitch to right-center for a 3-0 lead, electrifying the towel-waving, cowbell-ringing crowd of 32,125 fans at Tropicana Field.
Peralta and three relievers didn’t need any more support.
With fans chanting “Freddy! Freddy! Freddy!” Peralta struck out six to earn the win. He was fired up walking off the mound in the sixth after fanning Petey Halpin swinging at a 3-2 changeup.
Kevin Kelly got two outs in the seventh, retiring Ramírez on a fly ball to center with two runners on.
Lefty Ian Seymour replaced him and Chase DeLauter lined an RBI double to the right-field corner.
Seymour struck out Jo Adell swinging at a changeup, leaving runners at second and third. Seymour pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Bryan Baker finished with a perfect ninth for his fourth postseason save.
Acquired by the Rays from the Mets at the trade deadline, Peralta turned around his season in Tampa Bay going 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts after posting a 4.99 ERA for New York.
Messick, who grew up going to Rays games at the Trop, took the loss after giving up six hits and the three unearned runs in five innings.
Cleveland had won four straight in the postseason for the first time since winning their first six playoff games in 2016 on the way to a World Series berth.
The 98-win Rays swept the New York Yankees before a 7-3 loss in Game 1 on Monday.
No hit for you
Caminero leaped to his left to snag Steven Kwan’s hard liner to third in the fifth and then wagged his finger toward the batter. Caminero, who played all 162 games in the regular season and hit 42 home runs, was in the lineup after a collision with DeLuca on a foul ball in the ninth inning Monday night.
Up Next
Neither team had announced a starter for Thursday night. RHP Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10 ERA) started Game 3 against the Yankees, allowing two runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings in a 4-3 victory. RHP Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.76) is on schedule to start for the Guardians. Williams started Games 2 and 5 against the White Sox and tossed an inning in relief in Game 4. He had 24 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 31: Colin Rea #53 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on August 31, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the hippest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and join us. It’s always good to see a friendly face. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. There’s a two-drink minimum, but it’s bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last evening, I asked you who was the Cubs’ Pitcher of the Year for 2026. Admittedly it was a lot of bad choices, but you tied between Shōta Imanaga and Ben Brown, with both of them getting 24 percent of the vote.
On Tuesday night, I don’t normally do an movie stuff. But I always have time for tunes and you’re free to join us.
For our collection of Halloween jazz for October, we have a cocktail lounge classic in Peggy Lee singing the theme song to the sixties television show “Bewitched.” I bet some of you didn’t even know the theme song had lyrics.
I feel like I should have a martini in my hand while I listen to this. Maybe one of you can wiggle their noses and whip one up for me.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.
Colin Rea was not listed among my candidates for Cubs Pitcher of the Year, but at least one of you put in a plug for him in the comments. I think the best you can say about Colin Rea at this stage of his career is he’s a dependable innings eater. He can start and he can relieve. He’s thrown over 120 innings in each of the last four seasons and 137 this past year over 19 starts and 15 relief appearances. In that time, Rea went 4.34 with a record of 8-8. He struck out 101 batters and walked 47. Both Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs had Rea’s WAR last year at 0.4. That’s, well, just a little bit better than replacement value. Which means it’s somewhat below average. But hey, this isn’t Lake Woebegone. At least half the players have to be below average.
The Cubs have a $7.5 million team option on Rea with a $1 million buyout. So essentially, it will cost the Cubs $6.5 million to keep him around in 2027. (Assuming they play a full season in 2027, which isn’t a guarantee.) Would you pick up that option?
On the one hand, Rea has done everything the Cubs have asked of him. He’s not spectacular out there, but he’s not terrible. He’s someone who can fill in when someone gets hurt and won’t complain in between appearances.
On the other hand, Rea is going to be 36 years old next season. His ERA this past year was kind of “meh” at 4.34, but his expected ERA was a poor 5.35. His fielding independent pitching (FIP) was a below average 4.80. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that what little success that Rea had in 2026 was because of the Cubs defense and that the Cubs might be able to get another pitcher who replicate that performance for less salary.
So would you bring Colin Rea back for a third season? Or more precisely, would you pick up his team option? Because technically, the Cubs could possibly decline the option and try to sign him back for less.
Thanks for everyone who stopped by tonight. We enjoyed hosting you. Get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.
They will wake up in Cleveland still loving José Ramírez. That will never change, nor, likely, will Ramírez’s regard for the city he’s insisted on making his baseball home.
Yet the love affair between future Hall of Famer and scrappy municipality hit a most unpredictable speed bump, right around the time a ground ball skidded off the very edge of the artificial turf on Tropicana Field’s infield.
Ramírez, the beloved third baseman whose playoff heroics drove the Cleveland Guardians into a commanding position in this American League Championship Series, failed to stay down on a ground ball off the bat of Tampa Bay’s Ben Williamson with two outs in the fourth inning of a scoreless game, runners at the corners, the Guardians still in position to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.
It was a ball he’d fielded thousands of times in his 14-year career. This time, though, he appeared to eyeball the grounder hitting the dirt. Instead, it clipped off the turf and skidded right between his legs. Victor Mesa Jr. scampered home with the game's first run.
And if there's any team you don't want to leave the door open, it's the Rays.
"When they smell blood," says Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, "they take it and run."
Seconds later, after a Liam Hicks two-run single, a scoreless game turned into a three-run Tampa Bay Rays lead and eventually, a series-tying 3-1 victory Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Tropicana Field.
To that point, it seemed the Guardians were still in control. Ramírez played hero in Game 1, his leadoff single sparking a go-ahead, eighth-inning rally, his RBI double and daring break for third base keying a put-away rally in the ninth.
Sure, Cleveland rookie starter Parker Messick and Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta were locked in a pitchers' duel. But Messick kept getting ground-ball double plays when he needed them. The Guardians had played flawless ball with their backs against the wall since falling down 2-0 in their AL Division Series against the Chicago White Sox.
Since then? Win-win-win-win, just like the song says. They were grooving.
Which is what made their franchise cornerstone giving it away so shocking.
"José Ramírez," says Rays manager Kevin Cash, "is as good as any third baseman there is in the game."
After the ball skidded by him, all Ramírez could do was stare at his glove and furrow his brow, the telltale sign Ramírez is not right. Tropicana Field roared around him.
"It’s a little faster here," Ramírez said of the Tropicana Field infield, through a club translator. "I was playing parallel to the base and the ball bounced right on the edge between the dirt and the turf.
"I tried to knock it down, but I couldn’t."
Said Vogt: "Josey kind of got stuck. It looked like he just didn't move his feet. And I don't know if it hit the lip or not on the second hop, but just kind of looked like he sat back a little bit with his feet set instead of moving his feet."
And after Peralta powered through six innings, and Tampa Bay’s good but not impenetrable bullpen held the line just enough, Ramírez’s gaffe was, to slightly overstate it, 100% the reason the ALCS is now 1-1.
And not 2-0, Guards up, going home to Cleveland.
Come Game 3 on Thursday, they will announce the starting lineups for both clubs, and the Progressive Field crowd will roar for Ramírez, sure, for his Game 5 ALDS game-winning homer and Game 1 ALCS heroics.
Yet it will also be an acknowledgment that Ramírez and The Land are still cool. They probably always will be.
For one moment, though, Ramírez blinked. And the love song hit a rare sour note.
Shohei Ohtani needs to sit a lot more often this postseason. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers never waver in their game plan for the regular season: win enough games to secure a bye in the opening round of the playoffs and, in so doing, afford players all the down time they need during the summer to be in top form come fall. They do not need to hurry anyone off the injured list so they can squeak out another National League West title.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers and their increasingly perilous hope of a three-peat, they did not follow that game plan with Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers failed Ohtani this summer, and now all that remains is for them to cross their collective fingers and hope for the best.
Hope, as they say, is not a strategy.
The Dodgers should drop Ohtani from the postseason roster.
Amid headlines about how the Dodgers might have benched Ohtani for Game 3 of the NL Championship Series, manager Dave Roberts said the thinking was more about coupling Tuesday’s day off with a second consecutive day of rest.
Roberts drew a parallel between what might have happened with Ohtani and what did happen with Freddie Freeman during the NLCS two years ago, when the Dodgers provided what the manager called a “reset” — a day off for the team, followed by a rest day for Freeman.
“And he ends up winning the MVP in the World Series,” Roberts said.
Freeman had been playing with a bad ankle for three weeks, and even then he had been more productive that October than Ohtani has been in this one. Ohtani has been playing with a bad knee and biceps for three months, and the Dodgers already have tried intermittent rest.
They tried that in September, twice. They touted their bye week before the start of the playoffs. They talked up their three days off before the start of the NLCS.
They went 0 for 4. Enough already.
Roberts said the Dodgers — not just Ohtani, but the coaching staff and the training staff — see progress. True, no doubt. But we’ve heard similarly encouraging words after each of Ohtani’s rest breaks.
“We’re listening to Shohei, and we’re going to support the crap out of him and believe in him,” Roberts said, “and that’s it.”
Ohtani said Tuesday that his symptoms have subsided since the Dodgers put him on the injured list, for the minimum stay. That was a month ago.
Shohei Ohtani is just three for 20 this postseason. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
On Tuesday, he said his approaches can alternate between “focusing on reducing the symptoms and getting rid of the pain and/or just making sure that I’m moving well in the swing.”
There is no evidence so far that this might work, and an uncomfortable and increasing body of evidence that it might not.
Ohtani is batting .150 in the playoffs, with three hits in 20 at-bats. Of the 39 players with at least 20 at-bats this postseason entering play Tuesday, only three have a lower OPS than Ohtani’s .411.
One of them, Dodgers catcher Will Smith, has one hit in 23 at-bats. But he is hitting the ball hard: in the NLCS, one ball hit at 102 mph, another at 101, and every ball hit harder than the one Ohtani hit the hardest.
That exit velocity: 86 mph.
He has not pulled a ball in the series for a hit, or for an out.
Over his major league career, he has homered once every 14 at-bats.
He has not hit a home run since Aug. 18, a span of 107 at-bats. He has driven in one run since then; the Dodgers batted him cleanup in Game 2.
And, since hitting that last home run, Ohtani is batting .036 against fastballs thrown 95 mph or harder. The average fastball in this postseason: 96.2 mph, according to analyst Mike Petriello’s close-up of all the different ways Ohtani’s swing is fouled up.
When Ohtani spoke with reporters before the playoffs started, he said he might not know the full extent of his injuries or what he might need to do to rehabilitate them until after the postseason.
“I haven’t been able to get a good grasp of the root cause of all this,” he said then. “I think that process is going to happen during the offseason, when I’m going to have a little bit more time to be able to address it. But as of now, it’s something I’m just going to have to manage.”
The Dodgers did not need Ohtani to win the NL West. They needed to shut him down for an extended period to maximize their chances of winning in October.
They failed to do that. They believed a few days of rest would allow them to nurse Ohtani through the rest of the season.
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Blake Snell says he has been paying attention to what the Brewers have been saying and doing in the postseason.
The Dodgers are facing the Brewers in the NLCS for the second year in a row, and they’re getting the attention of Los Angeles.
Blake Snell, who was a hero in the postseason last year for the Dodgers, is paying attention to everything Milwaukee is doing on and off the field in the second go-around.
“I noticed how they talk, a lot of one-on-one competition is a key for them. The way Pat Murphy talks to the team is way different than last year,” Snell said. “So I understand that.”
Blake Snell has been keeping receipts this NLCS
Snell is taking the mound in a HUGE NLCS Game 3 at home vs the Brewers tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/JMhBRWQy3o
The Milwaukee Brewers celebrating after taking a 2-0 lead over the Dodgers in the NLCS. AP Photo/Kayla Wolf
A year ago, the Brewers finished the regular season 97-65, the best record in baseball.
When they met Los Angeles in the NLCS, they were swept.
A year later, the roles are reversed.
“How do you counter that? How do you get them into a different place? I think They’re in a good spot now, especially being up 2-0 but adversity hits and that’s when thoughts start racing,” Snell said.
Blake Snell says he is paying attention to what the Milwaukee Brewers are saying and doing this postseason. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers are certainly facing early adversity in the series as they’re in a 2-0 deficit in Milwaukee.
Both Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto had their shortest postseason outings in their careers on Sunday and Monday night. Skubal was pulled after throwing 80 pitches through five innings, while Yamamoto was sent to the showers following 75 pitches through 2 ⅔ innings.
In Game 1, Los Angeles got NL CY Young candidate Jacob Misirowski to exit early after he tossed 4 ⅓ innings on 94 pitches, giving up five hits.
When they faced the Brewers bullpen, the Dodgers only mustered up two more hits and squandered scoring opportunities in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings.
Blake Snell exiting in Game 2 of the NLDS after pitching only 3 ⅔ innings. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With Yamamoto’s early exit in Game 2, Los Angeles exhausted their bullpen by using seven different pitchers, who gave up a combined four runs.
Snell is set to take the mound when Game 3 begins on Wednesday night and will need to pitch deep to get the Dodgers out of the hole they’ve dug.
Snell has made only one start this postseason, and it was 10 days ago. And didn’t necessarily go the distance.
In Game 2 of the NLDS against the Braves, Snell gave up only three hits and one run. But also threw 90 pitches in 3 ⅔ innings.
In the NLCS last year, Snell threw an eight-inning game that featured 10 strikeouts against the Brewers.
So with Game 3 on the horizon, it begs the question.
Which postseason version will the Dodgers get from Snell?
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