MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 11: Will Smith #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on prior to Game One of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Sunday, October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The last early start time of the year for the Dodgers, trying to even things up with the Brewers before heading home to Los Angeles.
Milwaukee added three left-handed batters to their lineup for Monday, with Christian Yelich at designated hitter, Sal Frelick in right field, and David Hamilton at third base, in place of Andrew Vaughn, switch-hitter Luis Lara, and Joey Ortiz, respectively.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 10: Travis Bazzana #37 and Austin Hedges #27 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrate on the field after defeating the Chicago White Sox in game five of the American League Division Series at Progressive Field on October 10, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have a pair of LCS games for your viewing pleasure today.
In the early game, the Brewers, up 1-0, host the Dodgers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto goes for the Dodgers, with Logan Henderson pitching for the Brewers. It is a 4 p.m. Central start on Fox.
In the evening game, the Rays and Guardians kick off their series, with Foster Griffin for the Guardians going up against Drew Rasmussen for the Rays. It is a 7 p.m. Central start on TBS.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Ryan Vilade #26 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The MLB playoffs are rolling along, and today is the first day the Championship Series for both leagues will be on the field.
Both League Championship Series are in action to start the week 😤
In a pitching showdown that pitted two of the best — Tarik Skubal vs. Jacob Misiorowski — against each other, Game 1 of the NLCS came down to the bullpens for the Dodgers and Brewers on Sunday. The relievers for both teams combined to pitch 7.2 scoreless innings, and it was Milwaukee that took Game 1 2-1 after Skubal gave up two earned runs, including a Brice Turang solo homer.
Today, another pitching duel is on tap for Game 2 of the NLCS as Milwaukee’s Logan Henderson will face off against L.A.’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Henderson gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings on Oct. 4 in his lone 2026 postseason appearance against the Padres. Yamamoto surrendered only one run on four hits, while striking out 10 in seven innings.
Meanwhile, in Tampa Bay, the Rays will host the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS. The Rays haven’t played since Oct. 7 when they completed their sweep of the New York Yankees in the ALDS. Cleveland, on the other hand, rallied back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the White Sox in their ALDS series.
Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 2) at Milwaukee Brewers (No. 1) — 3 PM MDT
Oct 11, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) at bat in preparation against the Cleveland Guardians for the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 06: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on while pitching during Game Three of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The star studded pitching matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers Jacob Misiorowski and the Los Angeles Dodgers Tarik Skubal turned out to be a bit of a dud on Sunday night. Both were overpowering at points, but neither produced anything close to a dominant start. Ultimately, Skubal took a bit more damage, the Dodgers veteran bats looked overmatched at times, and the Brewers held on to a slim lead to take Game 1 of the NLCS.
They’ll be back at it tonight, while the ALCS matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians also gets underway in Tampa Bay.
The Dodgers will send their ace, RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-0, 1.29 ERA) against the Brewers young right-hander RHP Logan Henderson (0-0, 1.80 ERA) at 5:00 p.m. ET on FOX. It’s too early for either side to think about a short series, but the Dodgers would obviously do well to even things up before the series moves to LA.
The Guardians will go with LHP Foster Griffin (1-0, 3.38 ERA) as he takes on RHP Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who was absolutely brilliant in his lone start against the Yankees this postseason. The Rays will be well rested, but the Guardians will hope to catch them a little flat-footed early on. The ALCS will be broadcast on TBS, with Monday night’s game at Tropicana Field set for an 8:00 p.m. ET start.
Both League Championship Series are in action to start the week 😤
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 06: Los Angeles pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) reacts during the NLDS game 3 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves on October 6th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Dodgers at Brewers
Brewers lead, 1-0
First pitch: 5:00 PM EDT TV: FS1/FOX ONE Probable pitchers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP (LAD); Logan Henderson, RHP (MIL)
Guardians at Rays
Series tied, 0-0
First pitch: 8:00 PM EDT TV: TBS/HBO MAX Probable pitchers: Foster Griffin, LHP (CLE), Drew Rasmussen, RHP (TB)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: Teoscar Hernández #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a single during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game one of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field on October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a series facing plenty of left-handers against the Braves, the Dodgers offense will see a second right-handed starter in Milwaukee. Although the scoring output was disappointing in Game 1, Dave Roberts sticks with his approach of righty-lefty throughout the lineup, but there are a couple of changes.
Tommy Edman, who was on the bench for Game 1, gets the starting nod over Kiké Hernández in the ninth spot, playing second base. This is Edman’s first start since Game 2 of the NLDS, having appeared off the bench in each of the Dodgers’ last three games. More notably, perhaps, Will Smith drops to the fifth spot in the order, with Teoscar Hernández moving up to bat third, rewarded for his two-hit performance in Game 1.
It’s been no secret that Smith has been the worst Dodgers hitter this postseason; however, his at-bats in the first game of the series provided a bit of hope that he can bounce back and be a real factor in this NLCS. The Dodgers’ starting catcher had more hard-hit balls than any other player in a 2-1 defeat—it just happened that they were all outs.
Mixing and matching late in games, expect either Josue De Paula or Kiké Hernández to be ready for an impact off the bench against a Brewers reliever, depending on which reliever is on the mound late in the game. De Paula in particular has impressed with key walks in this postseason.
The Dodgers lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in the opening game of the National League Championship Series; falling behind two games could be a fatal blow. Delivering in high-stakes situations is one of the things that define Yamamoto's dominance.
Yamamoto, a 28-year-old righthander, started Game 2 of the 2025 NLCS against the Brewers. He pitched a complete-game, allowing one run on three hits with seven strikeouts in the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory. But what defined him took place in the 2025 World Series.
Against the Toronto Blue Jays, Yamamoto started two games and won both, allowing just two runs in 15 innings. Then he closed out Game 7, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings as the Dodgers won 5-4 in 11 innings and Yamamoto won the World Series MVP.
This year, in his only postseason appearance, Yamamoto allowed one run in seven innings with 10 strikeouts in the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
Thanks to his exceptional pitching mechanics, Yamamoto is among the league’s best pitchers as defined by pitch location and control. During the 2026 regular season, his strikeout-to-walk rate was 4.33, 11th best in the majors.
Sturdy
Yamamoto is dependable.
During the 2026 regular season, Yamamoto shared the league lead with 22 quality starts – pitching at least six innings and allowing three earned runs or fewer. Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies also had 22 quality shares.
Repertoire
He'll keep hitters guessing with his wide selection of pitchers.
Yamamoto throws a filthy four-seam fastball up to 99 mph, averaging around 96 mph. He throws a nasty sinker at 95 mph. But his best pitch is a split-finger fastball that, at 91 mph, keeps batters baffled.
He can also drastically change speeds with a 77 mph curveball, along with a 95 mph sinker and an 87 mph slider.
The Atlanta Braves are not longer in contention but there is still some fun playoff baseball to watch as the Los Angeles Dodgers are the visiting team against the Milwaukee Brewers. We already saw an insanely good pitching matchup yesterday, but we get another one today with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking on Logan Henderson.
Interestingly on paper in looks like the Dodgers have the advantage on paper, but some of the places people place their money do not agree.
More fun baseball is to follow as the Cleveland Guardians will be at the Tampa Bay Rays where Foster Griffin, in his first season back from Japan and after being traded mid-season, will be taking the mound against Drew Rasmussen. Rasmussen had a fantastic season with a 2.67 ERA over 172.0 innings pitched. Oddsmakers like the Rays in this matchup, but the Guardians are getting hot at the right time.
Follow along in the comments below, and don’t feel limited on just this subject. Want to talk about what the Braves should do in the offseason? Go for it. Will there even be a season next year? Who knows.
First pitch for the first game is at 4:00 EDT and can be seen on FOX. The second game will be at 7:00 EDT on TBS.
NEW YORK — Batters have been more successful on robot umpire challenges in the playoffs than during the regular season, and teams are utilizing the Automated Ball-Strike System more overall in its postseason debut.
Seventy-one of 121 overall challenges under ABS prevailed during the 25 games of the Wild Card Series and Division Series. The 59% success rate was up from 54% during the regular season. That includes an improvement for batters to 57% (29 of 51) from 49%.
It’s not that hitters are necessarily being more conservative, either. Teams are challenging more in the postseason overall, with 4.8 per game compared to 4.3 during the regular season. Batter challenges are up to 2.04 per game from 1.96.
Teams exhaust their challenges when they are unsuccessful twice in the game, so the more times they win appeals the more opportunities they can have.
Catchers had won 60% (42 of 70) of challenges, just above their 59% during the regular season. Pitchers were 1 for 1, with Tampa Bay’s Griffin Jax making the only challenge.
“Maybe a little more cautious,” Rays catcher Liam Hicks said. “It’s more just in the back of your head, you’re like, you want to save these for a meaningful situation.”
Among the four teams advancing to the League Championship Series, Cleveland won 7 of 13, Milwaukee 8 of 16, Tampa Bay 3 of 5 (with no tries by batters) and the Dodgers 2 of 6.
Atlanta had the most challenges, winning 14 of 22 over seven games and the White Sox 12 of 31.
Among batters, Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers and Atlanta’s Austin Riley won both their challenges.
Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox went 0 for 2 and the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. had the most challenges, splitting on four.
“It’s a new muscle for these guys to instinctually have, so I think if this is the route we go for the next few years guys will get more and more instinctually,” New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Some guys have been really good and really adept at it early on. Other guys have been more of a work in progress. Some guys have struggled with it.”
Braves catcher Sean Murphy was 4 for 4 and the Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto won 5 of 6. Realmuto had the first game-ending ABS challenge in postseason history in Game 2 of Philadelphia’s Wild Card Series against Atlanta.
Kyle Teel of the White Sox had the most challenges, winning 8 of 12, and the Guardians’ Patrick Bailey was second, succeeding on just 4 of 10. The Brewers’ William Contreras won 4 of 9.
“Some of the first-inning challenges, 1-0 counts, it’s like, let’s let those go and save them for when we might need them later in the game,” Realmuto said. “With that being said, we have a lot of guys that know the strike zone really well.”
Just 17 challenges were defined by Statcast as in high-leverage situations, and eight of 17 were successful.
“You’ve got to be careful trying to script it or dictate the perfect situation for it. You don’t know what it’s going to lead to, even if it’s early,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “My message has always been, the lower the leverage, the more certainty you need to have and vice versa. But at the end of the day, trust your eyes.”
Among 25 umpires who worked the first two rounds, four had perfect rates and were confirmed on all challenges. Tripp Gibson, James Hoye, Nic Lentz and Gabe Morales all were challenged twice and confirmed twice.
Lance Barrett was overturned on 10 of 12 challenges during Milwaukee’s Game 2 Division Series victory over San Diego and Adam Beck on seven of 10 during Philadelphia’s Game 2 Wild Card Series win over Atlanta.
Roberto Ortiz was overturned on 6 of 9, Jansen Visconti and Todd Tichenor on 4 of 7, Shane Livensparger on 5 of 6, Cory Blaser and Chris Guccione on 4 of 5 and Alex MacKay on 4 of 6.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 03: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts during Game One of the American League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Saturday, October 3, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On the evening of October 5th, the White Sox were riding high. After enduring three consecutive 1oo-loss seasons, their revamped roster had won their first four playoff games, sweeping the Astros in the Wild Card round and taking the first two from their division rivals in Cleveland. With just one more win in the next three games against the Guardians, they’d be playing for the pennant for the first time since they won it all in 2005.
Alas, just a few days later, the White Sox are left to watch the rest of the playoffs from the sidelines, wondering how it all went so wrong, so fast. Such is the nature of October baseball. With the upstart Pale Hose and underachieving Yankees pushed aside, the ALCS will feature two teams with miniscule payrolls but remarkably consistent performance: the Guardians and the Rays. The two teams’ similarity of approach leads to an intriguing matchup that may well be decided at the margins as Cleveland targets its first championship since 1948 and Tampa Bay eyes its first in franchise history.
Let’s start with the team that will be painfully familiar to Yankees fans. A benefit of their sweep of New York is that the Rays will be able to line up their rotation on plenty of rest. That means Drew Rasmussen in Game 1. Rasmussen ate the Yankees’ lunch in the ALDS, no-hitting them for 7.2 innings and allowing just the botched Austin Wells extra-base knock across eight innings in one of the most dominant playoff performances in recent memory.
If they take a similar tack to what they did in the last round (and why wouldn’t they?) that would mean Freddy Peralta and Nick Martinez would follow. That trio of veteran starters headlined a staff that held New York to five runs in three games, with All-Star closer Bryan Baker earning all three saves while allowing just a single baserunner. Lefty Ian Seymour could be in the mix as well as the fourth starter, or potentially getting the ball instead of Martinez for Game 3 in Cleveland.
Tampa’s lineup is led by Yandy Díaz, Junior Caminero, and Jonathan Aranda. Aranda was the best of the bunch in the DS, hitting .333 with a homer. Díaz, who led the AL in hits, and Caminero, who just hit 40 home runs for the second straight year, loom large as well. The team’s position players also trade on their gloves, playing mostly clean baseball last round in contrast with the Yankees’ defensive unraveling. Their leader on that side of the ball of Taylor Walls, who brings almost nothing with the bat but led all of baseball with 3.0 dWAR at shortstop.
The Rays were 2nd in DRS (87) this year, and a big reason why was Taylor Walls. Among SS, his 21 DRS led the pack, and he was the 4th-best defender in MLB per DRS. Great pre-pitch movements, high IQ, & great range. He brings so much value to a team that prides itself on defense. pic.twitter.com/yIyb6LR4L9
Like the Rays with Rasmussen, the Guardians have a true ace of their own in Parker Messick. Messick exploded onto the scene in his first full season, pitching to a 2.56 ERA while punching out more than a batter per inning. Behind him is Gavin Williams, who led the league with 248 strikeouts and fanned 23 White Sox across two starts in the ALDS.
Just as vitally, Cleveland features one of the game’s most dominant closers, Cade Smith. Smith just recorded his second sub-2.oo ERA season in his three-year career while leading all of baseball with 41 saves.
The Guardians have less to hang their hat on offensively. While both they and the Rays were top-five in the AL in runs allowed, Tampa scored 58 more runs than Cleveland, a huge factor in their winning 13 more games. The Guardians, never an offensive juggernaut in recent years, was particularly hamstrung as their superstar, José Ramírez, had a massive down year. He played like a man reborn in the ALDS, though, posting a 1.187 OPS with two homers, a major factor in their ultimate victory.
Throughout the season, the team’s best hitter has been relative newcomer Chase DeLauter, who slashed a strong .287/.363/.457 in 133 games. Fellow rookie Travis Bazzana was named an All-Star at second base, posting a 110 OPS+ with 22 doubles and 15 homers in 517 trips to the plate. Elsewhere, there are notable holes; first baseman Kyle Manzardo took a step back in his second season and Cleveland struggled to find production at DH, with midseason acquisition Jo Adell settling into the role after Rhys Hoskins was unable to regain his previous form.
On paper, the edge goes to Tampa Bay in all three facets of the game. But underestimate Cleveland at your own peril. Since Terry Francona took over as skipper in 2013, the Guardians have made the playoffs in 9 of 14 seasons, including in each of Stephen Vogt’s three years at the helm. This is their second ALCS appearance under Vogt, and they could give Tampa Bay a bigger fight than they offered the Yankees in 2024. Both of these teams have a knack for overperforming expectations, making this a strength-on-strength matchup worth watching.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 11: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers slides into home to score in the second inning during Game One of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Sunday, October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We have two games today.
Dodgers @ Brewers at 3:00 5:00 Eastern. Stupid time zones.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (14-9, 2.53) vs. Logan Henderson (11-3, 2.47).
Go Brewers.
Last night’s game was great. Very enjoyable baseball, with the right team winning. I’m going to miss the start of this one but will see most of it.
Guardians @ Rays at 8:00 Eastern.
Foster Griffin (15-6, 3.60) vs Drew Rasmussen (18-5, 2.67).
SURPRISE, AZ - OCTOBER 04: Manager Ted Tom #9 of the Salt River Rafters looks on from the dugout prior to the game between the Salt River Rafters and the Surprise Saguaros at Surprise Stadium on Sunday, October 4, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The Arizona Fall League is in full swing down here in Phoenix, but today we’re not here to discuss top prospects or future Mariners; rather, I’m interested in which coaches teams have opted to send in order to burnish their resumes and gain them experience with a diverse array of players from all different organizations. The Mariners are represented by long-tenured Mariner Jordan Cowan, acting as the hitting coach for the Javelinas, and pitching coach Dylan Gargas; look for stories on them later in the week.
Several big-league managers have experience helming an AFL crew: Kevin Cash, AJ Hinch, Torey Lovullo, Derek Shelton, and Warren Schaeffer have all managed AFL teams in the past. Generally there’s a bit of experience-building in between the two – Schaeffer managed the Salt River Rafters in 2022 before becoming interim manager of the Rockies in 2025 – but at the very least here are some names to put on your radar as the Mariners reassert their desire to look out of the organization for new voices on their coaching staff. (As such, I have left off Surprise’s manager, one-time Mariner and Sporcle remember-some-guys stumper Daniel Robertson.)
Billy Facteau (Bench coach, Peoria Javelinas)
Age: a literal infant
Current role: Development coach, Norfolk Tides (Orioles’ Triple-A team)
Relevant experience: 5+ years as development coach for the Orioles, played college baseball at Lynn University
Okay. OkAY. OKAY. I just need everyone to chill out and be cool for a moment and ignore the fact that Billy here looks like he came out of the beta version of the Orioles’ quirked-up-white-boy factory. And that his age starts with a 2. Remember we are scouting for the future here in addition to the current vacancies. And also, if you want a coach like this, someone who has been homegrown and nurtured in another organization, you’re going to have to dangle either more money or a bigger role (or both, ideally both) in front of them. It’d be too much to jump Facteau directly into a manager role – although he also has experience as a tech coordinator as an intern with the Orioles – but if the Mariners want to promote internally, I’d like to see an infusion of fresh perspective from outside the organization. As a former tech intern for the Orioles, he’s not only well-versed in tech like BlastMotion and Rapsodo but also how to translate that data to the players – including those who don’t speak English as a first language – and he has a special interest in coaching the outfield, a position in the Mariners system that’s maybe less robust than some other areas. A name to put on your radar.
Jeff Livesey (Hitting Coach, Surprise Saguaros)
Age: 60
Current role: Hitting coach, Reading Fightin’ Phils (Phillies’ AA team)
Relevant experience: Played professionally; 5+ years as MiLB hitting coach (WAS, PIT); two years as bench coach in NPB; one year as Marlins assistant hitting coach.
And now to the total opposite end of the spectrum. Livesey has the experience, but maybe not the fresh eyes the Mariners need. If you were a Kevin Seitzer fan, Livesey seems to have the same plainspoken approach to hitting, and the experience to back it up. Reading finished at the top of their division in the second half this season with the most runs scored in the Northeast division of the Eastern League.
“Sometimes with young hitters you get pitched tough, and guys get in-between pitches, and get kind of careful, We want to get to the point, we hunt our pitches. Good hitters hunt what they want to hit. When they get it, they take aggressive swings. That’s what we want to work towards. If they make two good pitches on us, we still have got something we can go to with two strikes. We can battle, and still be tough outs.”
Toby Nagel (Pitching Coach, Glendale Desert Dogs)
Age: ?
Current role: Pitching coach for the Blue Wahoos (Miami’s AA team)
Relevant experience: Driveline, Inspiration Academy
As you’d expect from someone who worked at Driveline, Nagel is a data-driven coach, but also adept at explaining that tech to players – you can see a ton of short videos he’s made explaining pitching tech and how to use it on TikTok. The Mariners are pretty rich in pitching coaches already but I wanted to throw Nagel onto this list just to get his name out there; his thoughts on command specifically make him a particular organizational fit (and make me dream about having him work with George Kirby).
Relevant quote:
🧵You're Thinking About Command the Wrong Way
You think it's just dotting corners. But command isn’t just about control. It’s targeting strategy, too.
Relevant experience: 5+ years of playing professionally, 5+ years of managing the ACL Brewers
Bonus points: bilingual (born in Mexico, played at UNM)
The ACL Brewers have been to the playoffs twice under Neda, winning the ACL championship in 2023. Neda is another one who is deeply engrained with the organization he played for professionally, but hasn’t progressed past the complex level yet – maybe because he’s young enough that searching his name still provides stories about his playing days. As a player, Neda was a super utility player who played all across the diamond – including catcher, so a true super-super utility player. As a collegiate at UNM he was named to the Johnny Bench Award watchlist, with his coach calling him the best catcher in the country for his work on and off the field.
Ted Tom (Manager, Salt River Rafters)
Age: ? Older than Billy Facteau, for sure.
Current role: manager of the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals High-A)
Relevant experience: 20+ years of coaching at the college level
Another one for those of you who value extensive experience, although Tom’s mostly comes at the college level. He has experience working with future big-leaguers at that level, though, such as Alex Freeland, now playing for the Dodgers; he also has a Mariners tie-in, having coached Dylan Moore during his time at UCF. At UCF, Tom mentored six all-conference selections, and after being promoted to hitting coach in 2019, helped the team reach the NCAA tournament.
Relevant quote:
There are lots because this man loves a podcast interview, which I love. I really enjoyed his thoughts on failure here and also “You need to fall in love with the monotony of every day” from this unfortunately very business-brained podcast.
Danny Worth (Manager, Peoria Javelinas)
Age: 41
Current role: infield coordinator with the Padres
Relevant experience: 8+ years of pro baseball plus a stint in the KBO; coached at Pepperdine before moving to MLB.
Worth is in his first year of MLB coaching, so he’s in the shallower end as far as MLB experience, but he has some of the most playing experience out of anyone on this list. He’s also got some college-to-big-league pipeline experience; he worked with current Tigers prospect John Peck at Pepperdine, helping him with his swing mechanics in addition to his infielding. At Pepperdine, Worth also mentored the 2018 WCC Player of the Year, Jordan Qsar, as well as five MLB Draft picks from the positions he coached.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: Joey Ortiz #3, Jake Bauers #9, Brice Turang #2 and Cooper Pratt #12 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field on October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are looking to take a 2-0 series lead in an LCS for the first time in franchise history. They’ve had two chances in the LCS before (2011 and 2018) and they lost both of those games. Today is their chance to change that.
It’ll be a tough task with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Brewers faced Yamamoto in Game 2 last year and he threw a complete game three-hitter while striking out seven. Yamamoto faced the Brewers twice this season. The first time was in May and Yamamoto threw 7 IP and allowed just one run. Then he faced the Crew again in August and went 6 IP, allowing just one run.
Yamamoto is as good as it gets, especially in the postseason. In the NLDS against the Braves, Yamamoto went 7 IP again, allowing just one run and striking out 10. Over 11 career postseason outings over the last three years, he has a 2.14 ERA.
On the other side, the Brewers will have Logan Henderson, the 24-year-old rookie who has yet to allow more than 3 ER in a single start in his career. Henderson was solid in Game 2 in the NLDS against the Padres, going 5 IP allowing just one earned run. He did have some shaky command, allowing three walks, but he kept the Brewers in the game.
“I don’t know what the secret sauce is, man, but he’s in the clubhouse now chopping it up with some of the guys like he doesn’t have one of the biggest starts of his life tonight. That, I think, reflects when he’s one the mound. You can just feel it,” Jake Bauers said on Henderson.
Pat Murphy is changing up his lineup a little bit again from Game 1. Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick are back in the lineup today to face the right-handed Yamamoto. David Hamilton is also in the lineup starting at third base.
The top four spots remain unchanged with Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras and Jake Bauers getting things started. Yelich is the DH and batting fifth. Garrett Mitchell and Cooper Pratt are in their same spots of sixth and seventh. Frelick is batting eighth in right field and Hamilton bats ninth.
The Dodgers lineup also will have a few changes. Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández have flip-flopped in the No. 3 and 5 spots in the lineup. Also, Tommy Edman will be starting at second base and batting ninth in place of Kiké Hernández, who got the start last night. Still, the group of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani make up the No. 1, 2, and 4 spots in the lineup.
Milwaukee hasn’t gotten a ton of length from their starters this postseason, putting quite the toll on their bullpen. The multiple days of rest has helped, and an off day on Tuesday will help as well. But the more looks the Dodgers get on the Brewers top relievers, the more of a chance familiarity could breed success for the hitters.
“Sometimes there’s nothing else you can do. You have to give your team the best chance to win. Familiarity, as we know, as the numbers tell us, does provide an edge when you know them better. So, what we try to do is make sure they don’t face the same guys the next time they pitch if they’re the one-inning guys. Can’t always do that, but we try like hell. I do think it’s an advantage, but what were we to do last night differently?” Pat Murphy said.
The Brewers will be hoping for length, and perhaps a larger lead than they’ve enjoyed to this point in the postseason as every single inning has been within two runs so far for the Crew. But runs will be hard to come by against Yamamoto.
First pitch is at 4:08 p.m. CT on Fox and the Brewers Radio Network.
