SAN DIEGO — Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras cut into the San Diego Padres' lead Tuesday with a solo home run during the fourth inning of Game 3 of the NLDS.
Contreras slowly trotted around the bases, even stopping briefly to celebrate, before crossing home plate at Petco Park.
The home run served as a quick response to the Padres, who scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning.
The Padres led the game 2-1 as action headed to the bottom of the fourth.
It was the second home run of the series for Contreras, who hit a go-ahead solo home run to center field in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie in Game 1 on Oct. 3.
Shohei Ohtani has not hit a home run since Aug. 18. The Los Angeles Dodgers are 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the National Division Series.
And they are now one win away from the NL Championship Series anyway.
That’s what all the money really buys.
On Tuesday night, it bought the insurance of having Enrique Hernandez.
Dave Roberts dropped Ohtani to fifth in the lineup Tuesday night, the first time he’d hit there this postseason. Ohtani struck out with two runners on in the first inning. The Dodgers still won 3-1 and now lead the National League Division Series 2-1.
Hernandez won it.
He’s making just $4.5 million on a one-year deal. He played 41 games in the regular season after elbow surgery and a torn oblique. He was only in the lineup Tuesday night because Roberts benched a slumping Tommy Edman. In the fourth inning, he hit a Chris Sale changeup for a two-run homer, the 17th postseason home run of his career. Freddie Freeman added a solo shot two batters later.
Every contender pays for stars. The Dodgers pay for the guy who wins the game when the star is slumping.
Their 2026 payroll is projected at $322.4 million. Add a projected $163.7 million luxury tax bill and they're spending close to $500 million all in this season, more than any team in baseball. Last year, they spent a record $515 million and won a second straight World Series.
The Atlanta Braves aren't exactly cheap with a payroll is $252.1 million, among the highest in the game. Atlanta, however, lost four starters in spring training and they’ve been trying to patch the holes ever since. The Braves opened their wild-card clincher and Game 2 of this series with Ray Kerr, a 32-year-old left-hander with barely 70 career innings coming into October. Rowdy Tellez, Tuesday's pinch-hitter, signed on the last day of spring training and spent most of the season in Triple-A.
That $70 million gap in salary alone, before the Dodgers' tax bill, shows up in the details that a team needs in October.
Tuesday night Max Muncy, Edman and 21-year-old Josue De Paula all started on the bench. Roberts called that "ultimate flexibility." For plenty of teams, it would be a lineup.
The Braves lost four starters in spring training. They opened their wild-card clincher and Game 2 of this series with Ray Kerr, a 32-year-old left-hander with barely 70 career innings coming into October. Rowdy Tellez, Tuesday's pinch-hitter, signed on the last day of spring training and spent most of the season in Triple-A.
And Wednesday, Roberts plans to move Ohtani back toward the top of the lineup against Tyler Mahle. Last October, he hit eight postseason homers. The Dodgers are now 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
Dave Roberts doesn’t have to worry about the drought.
“It’s good to know that we can still win games without him doing a whole bunch,” Roberts said.
For the Dodgers, that’s the peace of mind that $322.4 million buys them.
It proved to be the only start the 43-year-old made this season before the final one of his career on Sept. 26, after he suffered a left hamstring strain during a bullpen session in June.
Justin Verlander talks about his decision to retire. FOX Sports/X
It was then that Verlander knew his career was over before fighting his way back for his swan song.
“It was pretty easy,” the three-time Cy Young winner told the MLB on Fox crew before the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS. “I make the first start of the season and my leg starts hurting. I said, my entire career, man, I love this game. I love giving everything I got. I’m gonna play until the wheels fall off. The wheel falls off in the first game.
“Then a couple [of] months later, the wheel’s still falling off.”
One last thing sealed it, as Verlander got to spend more time with wife Kate Upton, 7-year-old daughter Genevieve and young son Bellamy.
“My daughter comes up. My family comes up. I mean, this is pretty sweet here, hanging out with them,” he said. “It just made it pretty clear. The arm held up great. It always has. But the leg man gave out on me.”
“I’m gonna play until the wheels fall off. The wheel falls off in the first game”
The former MVP and two-time World Series champion admitted before his final start that he was “skipping a lot of steps, risking some serious injury potentially” to get back on the mound.
It proved to be all worth it as he got emotional during an on-field ceremony and caught his daughter’s first ceremonial pitch. A day later, he turned in a performance to be proud of.
Genevieve Verlander hugs her dad, Detroit starting pitcher Justin Verlander, during the sixth inning of the Tigers’ win over the Pirates on Sept. 26, 2026, in Detroit. AP Photo/Jose Juarez
Verlander allowed two runs on five hits and walks with six strikeouts over 5 ⅓ innings against the Pirates.
Verlander finished his career with a 266-159 record, 3,560 strikeouts (eighth all time) and a 3.33 ERA to go along with a pitching Triple Crown in 2011.
The Yankees’ struggles at Tropicana Field run deeper than poor play on the field, according to a former MVP who once donned the pinstripes.
Andrew McCutchen, who spent the final months of the 2018 season in The Bronx, revealed how struck he was by the roster’s visceral response to facing the Rays on their home turf.
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“When I came over, we went to [Tropicana Field] and I remember them all talking about how they just can’t beat the Rays in Tampa,” the 2013 NL MVP and five-time All-Star revealed Tuesday during an appearance on MLB Network, a day after the Yankees’ loss to the Rays in Game 2 of the ALDS put them on the brink of elimination. “That was always the thing that they talked about.
“I remember being like, ‘Dude, we’re a good team, let’s go, let’s win.'”
While the Yankees finished 2018 with the second-best record in the American League (100-62), they did not fare well against their AL East rivals.
“That's the cloud that's over their head…”
Andrew McCutchen says when he played for the Yankees in 2018, the players would always talk about how hard it was to beat the Rays at Tropicana Field. pic.twitter.com/5I4Azbzi5Y
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after making an error and allowing a run to score in the first inning during Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays, Monday, October 5, 2026, at Tropicana Field. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
Before McCutchen’s acquisition in August, the Yankees went just 1-5 at Tropicana Field before winning three of four in Tampa Bay in their second-to-last regular-season series of 2018.
Despite that strong finish, McCutchen said the club’s negative attitude toward the Tampa turf never wavered.
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) is tagged out by Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) at third base on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Tropicana Field. Wells was tagged out trying to stretch a double into a triple to end the eighth inning. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post
“We ended up winning…but that’s not the thing they think about, I know that,” McCutchen, 39, said. “That’s the cloud over their head.”
After failing to catch the Rays in the AL East, the Yankees promptly disposed of the Red Sox in two games during the wild-card series — but the ALDS has been a different story.
Andrew McCutchen of the New York Yankees prepares to shake a teammate’s hand after scoring his second run in the seventh inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, Monday, September 24, 2018. Getty Images
The Yankees’ performance across the first two games of the ALDS has been defined by an anemic offense and a barrage of sloppy play.
The Bombers managed just a single hit in Game 1, an eighth-inning double by Austin Wells, which was negated by the catcher’s ill-advised attempt to stretch the knock into a triple.
Despite having Cam Schlittler on the mound and two homers from Ben Rice in Game 2, a comedy of errors sunk the Yankees in a 5-1 loss.
As the series shifts to Yankee Stadium for Game 3, New York will hope to kick off the difficult task of winning three straight games to advance — and McCutchen thinks his former club can pull it off.
Even with Aaron Judge still sidelined and the offense scuffling, McCutchen said the Yankees’ home field advantage gives them the edge.
“Going back to New York, they’re going to have a lot of fun. They know being at home, in their home stadium, they’re going to bring it, those fans are gonna be loud,” McCutchen said.
“I see them going and doing really well for those next two games.”
A trio of Mets rookies was honored on Tuesday night after being named to MLB Pipeline's 2026 All-Rookie Teams.
Right fielder Carson Benge took home First-Team honors while center fielder A.J. Ewing and starting pitcher Nolan McLean were picked for Second-Team after all three had great rookie seasons in New York.
Benge, who had a slash line of .282/.346/.430 (.776 OPS) with a 20/20 season to go along with 22 doubles, finished with a 4.3 WAR in 156 games -- the third-highest among rookie position players.
The 23-year-old is also one of the top contenders for the National League Rookie of the Year award with two of his competitors, Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Sal Stewart and St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt, also making First-Team.
After getting promoted to the big leagues in May, Ewing hit the ground running and made an immediate impact with the Mets. He struggled in the middle of the season, but the 21-year-old ended the season on a high note and led the club with 25 steals, a new franchise record for a rookie.
Ewing's biggest contributions of the season possibly came in the outfield, where he manned center field masterfully while occasionally getting reps at the corners as well. He finished with a 3.1 WAR in 120 games.
McLean rounds out the group after a sensational first full campaign in the big leagues. The right-hander burst onto the scene in 2025 when he made eight starts down the stretch of the season during a pennant race and went 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA.
Despite New York struggling as much as it did this season, McLean was one of the most consistent players on the team. He made all 31 of his starts and had a 3.16 ERA across a career-high 179.2 innings while striking out 194 batters. He's joined by Milwaukee Brewers starter Logan Henderson on the Second-Team.
Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, spoke with Cora about becoming their manager in 2027, but Cora informed Dombrowski he’s taking the season off, according to a high-ranking Phillies executive with direct knowledge of their talks told USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Phillies still have not decided who will manage their team.
Cora, who won a World Series with the Red Sox with Dombrowski in 2018, was offered the Phillies’ job in April before firing Rob Thomson, and he declined it, saying he wanted to spend the rest of the summer with his family.
Now, after being pursued again, he declined, with Cora still owed about $7.25 million from the Red Sox in 2027 as the third and final year of his three-year, $21.75 million contract.
Cora did not immediately respond to a text message from USA TODAY Sports.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 06: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves looks on during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welp, that wasn’t ideal!
The home field advantage that the Atlanta Braves snatched away from the Los Angeles Dodgers has slipped right out of Atlanta’s fingers thanks to a brilliant Yoshinobu Yamamoto and more power hitting from the Dodgers. They still haven’t scored with anything but homers and unfortunately Chris Sale was the latest victim of LA’s obsession with the long ball.
“They did a nice job of really grinding the at-bats and passing the baton,” conceded manager Walt Weiss when he was asked about the Dodgers’ approach against Sale in the postgame press conference. “[Sale] had to work hard. He had to work hard to get the outs that he got. He looked like Chris Sale to me [but] they did a nice job.”
Weiss also stated that he felt like Sale’s stuff was still good but the command may not have been there in his eyes. Either way, there’s no way around it: The Dodgers were better on this particular night and they did a solid job of bouncing back from Sale’s dominant outing when this team came to visit back in August.
With that being said, I’d imagine that the thing that’s on every Braves fan’s mind right now is that this lineup has got to start hitting consistently — and soon. While Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the rest of LA’s pitching staff is as imposing as it gets and it’s a much easier said-than-done task on Atlanta’s hands, it’s still the Postseason and the Braves are here for a reason — they’ve got to find a way to make something happen against this pitching staff.
That goes doubly for the stars like Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Ronald Acuña Jr., who have stayed largely dormant during this series so far. It was another quiet night for Acuña in particular, who has been picking up hits and getting on base but not at the rate or level that you’d expect out of a superstar-caliber player. Acuña had another chance to make something happen in a big moment in Game 3 when the fifth inning rolled around and he had a chance with two men in scoring position and two outs.
It could’ve been a special moment had Acuña come through and either tied the game with a knock or even electrified the stadium with a dinger. Instead, Acuña grounded out again and the moment went by the wayside. That ended up being Atlanta’s best chance of the night and the face of the franchise came up short again.
While it’s not just Acuña who has been underwhelming at the plate so far during this Postseason, it’s on him as the star of this ballclub to step up in the situations where the stars need to shine. While Acuña might have been dealing with a sore knee, it’s not an excuse — Weiss stated in the pregame that he hasn’t seen Acuña suffer any ill effects from the lower leg contusion that he sustained in the final week of the regular season and also Acuña’s knee was still in good enough position for him to play tonight.
If he’s not pressing at the plate (which Weiss insisted both during the pregame press conference and the postgame presser as well) then something’s got to change. If I knew what needed to change, I’d be getting paid a lot of money working in baseball instead of writing about it so it’s on Acuña and the coaching staff to figure it out. With their backs in the wall, the Braves are going to need everybody to contribute and hopefully the face of the franchise can finally lift his game for the Postseason before it’s too late.
It’ll also be on Tyler Mahle to make something happen on the mound for the Braves in Game 4. In the pregame presser before Game 3, Mahle at least expressed confidence that he’ll be up for the challenge for his start with Atlanta’s backs facing the wall. “…All you can do out there is make pitches. I’m not trying to trick them. [The Dodgers] know. They’ve seen me,” said Mahle when he was asked about approaching the Dodgers lineup in Game 4. “I’m sure they’re going to watch film, whatever. So it’s making pitches at the right times and that’s all you can hope to do.”
With that being said, the Dodgers also appear to be ready for the challenge of getting it right against Mahle with a trip to the NLCS in sight. Freddie Freeman spoke with the media following Game 3 and he talked about how the Dodgers plan to deal with Mahle on Wednesday evening. “If you’re chasing splitters down below, you’re going to be in trouble,” explained Freeman when he was asked about dealing with Mahle. “Just like we did with Sale, you gotta get him in the zone, get him off the bottom and hopefully he makes mistakes and you’re on time for them.”
“I wish baseball was so much more of ‘This is what we’re gonna do’ but sometimes we strip it down and it’s not that complicated. If we can just get him up off the bottom of the zone, hopefully we can have some great success tomorrow. We’ve gotta treat every game like an elimination game.”
All the way back in April, Mahle threw seven shutout innings against the Dodgers as a member of the Giants. A repeat performance will be sorely needed for the Braves and a star-making performance from any of the stars in this lineup would also be greatly appreciated as well.
The moment is there for Atlanta, they’ve just got to rise up to it and make something happen. We’ll see how it goes as the Braves play with the season on the line on Wednesday night in Cobb County.
Let him press his golden right hand into wet cement on Hollywood Boulevard.
What’s the wait?
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is only in his third season with the Dodgers, and the 28-year-old Japanese right-hander is already one of the greatest postseason pitchers in franchise history.
He produced his latest October masterpiece on Tuesday night in a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park that shifted the balance of their National League Division Series back in the Dodgers’ favor.
Yamamoto was dealing, and the Dodgers now have a chance to close out the series on Wednesday after taking a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-five series.
“Wow,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
How else could he describe the seven innings over which Yamamoto limited the Braves to one run and four hits?
The 10-strikeout performance further solidified the Dodgers’ belief in Yamamoto, who was the World Series MVP last year.
“He’s becoming one of the best pitchers on this stage,” infielder Miguel Rojas said. “Obviously, he hasn’t won a Cy Young here or been the best pitcher in the league, but we feel like very time he takes the mound, he’s the best pitcher for us.”
Yamamoto was pushed by the memory of the last time he pitched in this stadium against Sale. In that late August start, Yamamoto limited the Braves to a run in 6 ⅓ innings. Sale pitched a complete-game shutout, and the Braves won, 1-0.
“The last time I was here, I gave up the go-ahead run and we lost because he was able to hold us,” Yamamoto said in Japanese. “I was extremely mindful about the first run.”
While the Dodgers’ lineup made Sale work by extending at-bats, Yamamoto cruised through the first three innings. The only hit Yamamoto gave up over that span was a bunt single by Michael Harris II in the second inning.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws a pitch during the first inning of the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Braves in Game 3 of their NLDS series on Oct. 6, 2026 in Atlanta. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Maurico Dubón stole a home run from Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman by reaching over the left-field fence in the top of the third inning, but the Braves couldn’t turn that moment of jubilation into sustained momentum. Yamamoto wouldn’t allow it, retiring the Braves in order in the bottom half of the inning.
Finally, in the fourth inning, Sale broke. He gave up a two-run home run to Kiké Hernández, then a solo shot to Freeman. The Dodgers were up, 3-0.
Yamamoto’s first and only encounter with trouble came in the fifth inning. Yamamoto started the inning by giving up back-to-back singles to Dubón and Lane Thomas. With one out, he walked pinch hitter Rowdy Tellez to load the bases. A groundout by Drake Baldwn pushed in a run.
Up next was Ronald Acuña, the former NL MVP.
The showdown was representative of Yamamoto’s mindset. Yamamoto was determined to take on Acuña, or anyone else for that matter, on his terms. Even after falling behind in the count, 3-1, Yamamoto refused to throw a strike for the sake of throwing a strike. He still had a two-run lead. If he walked Acuña and forced in a run, he could preserve his team’s advantage by retiring the next batter.
Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto added to his playoff lore with his one-run over seven-inning gem in their Game 3 win over the Braves. AP
Yamamoto threw a splitter that just nicked the bottom of the strike zone, Acuña grounded out to second base, and the Dodgers maintained their 3-1 lead.
Limiting damage, Yamamoto said, was prioritized over efficiency.
“As long as I didn’t give up runs, I didn’t mind if I ran up my pitch count,” Yamamoto said. “I was going to throw the ball in places in which it would be difficult to hit.”
Turned out he didn’t have to make that sacrifice.
Yamamoto completed seven innings in 98 pitches, which spared Roberts the torture of using any relievers other than Tanner Scott and Edwin Diaz.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, how held the Braves to just one run over seven innings, stands on the mound during the Dodgers’ Game 3 win over the Braves. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Tarik Skubal, who pitched six shutout innings in a Game 1 victory, was already an admirer of Yamamoto before the Dodgers acquired him from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline. Sharing a locker room with Yamamoto over the last couple of months further intensified his respect for him.
“Nobody’s more deserving to go out there and perform and have success,” Skubal said. “He does everything the right way. He works his [butt] off. He’s relentless.”
Skubal marveled at Yamamoto’s distinctive training regimen.
“I’m never going to be doing what he’s doing,” Skubal said. “I’m not throwing javelins. The way he prepares is insane. He’s doing headstands. I’m not doing that. I weigh a little bit more than he does.”
Skubal chuckled.
Skubal is listed at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, and Yamamoto 5-foot-10, 176 pounds.
But the more Skubal spoke about Yamamoto, the more it became clear he viewed Yamamoto as a figurative giant.
“You want a guy on the mound in any situation,” Skubal said, “it’s probably him.”
ATLANTA — Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 10 in seven innings, Kiké Hernández hit a two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in their NL Division Series.
Yamamoto dominated the much-anticipated matchup with Atlanta ace Chris Sale, who allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. Yamamoto, the MVP of the 2025 World Series, permitted only four hits with one walk while improving to 8-1 in his postseason career.
The Dodgers can win the best-of-five series and take another step in their attempt to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series titles by beating the Braves again Wednesday night in Game 4.
The Braves hoped giving Sale extra rest would be a winning formula in the pivotal third game. Instead, after stranding six runners in the first three innings, he gave up the two-run homer to Hernández and a solo shot to Freddie Freeman in the fourth.
Ozzie Albies opened the Atlanta ninth with a double off the right-center wall against Edwin Díaz and moved to third on Micheal Harris II’s groundout. Díaz stranded the runner when Mauricio Dubón fouled out to right field and Mike Yastrzemski grounded out to shortstop Mookie Betts.
Dubón made a leaping catch over the left-field wall to rob Freeman of a home run in the third. Freeman wouldn’t be denied an inning later. Hernández’s homer to left drove in Andy Pages, who singled. One out later, Freeman pulled his 18th career postseason homer to right field for a 3-0 lead.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts moved designated hitter Shohei Ohtani down to No. 5 in the lineup because Ohtani was 3 for 15 in his career against Sale. Ohtani went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts against Sale when the Dodgers lost 1-0 on Aug. 26 in Atlanta.
Roberts correctly predicted Ohtani would have opportunities with runners on base hitting lower in the order.
With runners on first and second in the first, Sale struck out Ohtani to end the inning. With two runners on base in the third, Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference by Drake Baldwin to load the bases before Miguel Rojas ended the inning with a flyball to right field. Ohtani walked to lead off the eighth against Brent Suter, Atlanta’s fourth pitcher.
Baldwin’s bases-loaded grounder to first base drove in Dubón, who singled, in the fifth for Atlanta’s only run off Yamamoto.
Rojas left during an at-bat in the eighth. The second baseman appeared to injure his back on a swing and was replaced by Tommy Edman. The Dodgers announced the injury as lower back pain.
Tanner Scott added two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth for Los Angeles.
Up next
Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle is expected to face Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow in Game 4 on Wednesday night. Mahle said Tuesday an abdominal pull is now a “non-issue.” He felt the pull before allowing one run in seven innings of a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia in 10 innings during the NL Wild Card Series last week.
The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman follows through on a solo home run off a pitch from Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale. (Mike Stewart / Associated Press)
The Dodgers went into Game 3 of the National League Division Series knowing they couldn’t be so reliant on the home run, especially with Braves ace Chris Sale on the mound. And yet, in a 3-1 win, it was the home run ball, paired with a masterful performance on the mound from right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, that secured the victory.
The Dodgers pulled ahead to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. All 10 of their runs in the NLDS have come via homer.
The Dodgers tried to score in other ways, putting on six baserunners in the first three innings of the game. But it didn’t work.
They failed to take advantage of some luck and poor defense from the Braves in the first inning, as Mookie Betts beat out a soft groundball up the first base line and Teoscar Hernández reached on a fielding error by Braves shortstop Ha-Seong Kim.
The lineup shuffling manager Dave Roberts did against Sale had superstar Shohei Ohtani, batting fifth, walking up to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. His over-anxious approach at the plate so far this postseason followed him into the at-bat. And he struck out whiffing on a slider in the opposite batter’s box.
The next inning, Kyle Tucker hit a two-out single into left, baited Sale into picking over to first base twice, and then stole second. But he was stranded there, as Kiké Hernández went down swinging. All six of the Dodgers’ outs in the first two innings came via the strikeout.
In the third, the Dodgers loaded the bases. Betts started the effort with a single through the left side of the infield. And it looked for a moment as if Freddie Freeman had capitalized on the opportunity with a runner in scoring position.
He stayed back on a fastball and crushed it to deep left field, on a trajectory to just clear the short fence. But Braves left fielder Mauricio Dubón made a leaping catch, holding into the ball as he slammed into the wall.
Undeterred, the Dodgers kept putting runners on base. With two outs, Will Smith stayed through a slider to single. Ohtani clipped Braves catcher Drake Baldwin’s mitt and was awarded first base for catcher’s interference. Then Miguel Rojas, who’d exit the game in the eighth inning mid-at-bat with what the Dodgers called low back pain, hit a line drive that found leather to end the inning.
So, back to the long ball.
Perennial postseason hero Kiké Hernández delivered the first blow. With Andy Pages on first, after his first hit of the series, Hernández launched a changeup into the left-field stands. Then, two batters later, Freeman turned on an inside sinker and sent it over the right-field fence — where Dubón had no chance to track it down.
Game 3 was billed as a matchup between aces: Sale, whom the Braves tabbed for Tuesday because of his workload in their wild-card series, and Yamamoto, whom the Dodgers partially held back for the first two games with the NLCS in mind.
Yamamoto held up his end of the bargain, limiting the Braves to four hits and one run in seven innings.
He retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced. The only baserunner in that time, Michael Harris II, bunted for a single. Yamamoto crashed hard, slipping on the slick grass as he tried to pivot but still managing to make a throw to first from the ground.
He only wavered in the fifth, loading the bases with a pair of singles and a four-pitch walk. The Braves’ batting order turned over, and Yamamoto got Baldwin to ground out to first, but that scored a run. Then he induced Ronald Acuña Jr. to ground out to second to escape the jam. Rojas ranged to his left to field the ball and made an on-target throw even as he slipped on the grass in shallow right field.
Yamamoto didn’t allow another baserunner.
Left-handed reliever Tanner Scott served as the Dodgers’ setup man, throwing a hitless eighth. And right-hander Edwin Díaz came in for his first save opportunity since Aug. 14 against the Brewers.
He gave up a double off the wall to Ozzie Albies to open the inning but retired the next three batters.
SAN DIEGO — Padres closer Mason Miller went on the postseason paternity list Tuesday night with San Diego facing elimination in the NL Division Series.
The intimidating All-Star reliever will miss at least one game, the Padres announced about 45 minutes before the first pitch. Wandy Peralta replaced Miller on the 26-man playoff roster.
Miller was one of the best closers in the majors this season for the Padres. With a fastball that regularly touches 104 mph, Miller converted 38 of his 41 save opportunities and went 5-2 with a 0.90 WHIP and 129 strikeouts over just 70 innings.
But Miller also blew the save in the ninth inning of the Padres’ 4-3 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee last Sunday, putting San Diego in an 0-2 hole in the best-of-five series.
While attempting to finish a two-inning save, Miller issued three walks before Jackson Chourio delivered a two-out, two-strike, two-RBI single to win it on Miller’s 40th pitch.
Peralta was left off the Padres’ initial NLDS roster despite posting a 3.61 ERA during the regular season as a solid middle reliever.
Miller is the second Padres pitcher to go on the paternity list in this playoff series.
Walker Buehler missed the first two games in Milwaukee while on the list, but replacement Randy Vasquez also didn’t pitch while San Diego lost two straight in Milwaukee. Buehler, who returned to the Padres on Monday, recorded the final outs of the 2024 World Series while earning his first major league save for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A Los Angeles Dodgers player exits due to lower back pain.
ATLANTA –– During the eighth inning of Game 3 of the NLDS on Tuesday, Dodgers middle infielder Miguel Rojas exited the game with what the team said was low back apin.
Rojas was seen in visible discomfort after fouling off a fastball from Braves reliever Brent Suter.
Miguel Rojas met by Dave Roberts and members of the Dodgers training staff. AP Photo/Mike Stewart
Rojas started limping back toward the batter’s box and was immediately evaluated by a member of the Dodgers’ training staff and manager Dave Roberts.
Tommy Edman replaced Rojas at second base.
Miguel Rojas exits in the eighth inning due to lower back pain. AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
The good news: Rojas said he was “hopeful that everything will be fine,” and manager Dave Roberts didn’t seem overly concerned either.
“[We’ll see] how he comes in tomorrow,” Roberts saod. “Hopefully he feels better tomorrow.”
Rojas went 0-for-3 before departing Tuesday. He has one hit in the series — a double in Saturday’s 5-3 victory.
Rojas was a World Series hero last year after hitting a game-tying home run in Game 7 against the Blue Jays, sending the game to extra innings.
The Dodgers went on to win the game in the 11th when Will Smith hit a go-ahead home run.
In Tuesday’s game, the Dodgers’ offense popped off in the fourth inning, when Kiké Hernández and Freddie Freeman homered to give LA a 3-0 lead.
The Braves scored in the fifth when Drake Baldwin grounded out to first after Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto loaded the bases.
It was later in that inning when Rojas said he first felt back discomfort, after making a tougher-than-it-looked play on a ground ball from Ronald Acuña Jr. deep in the hole at second base.
“I kind of slid right there with the grass,” Rojas said. “My hip and my lower back tightened up.”
Despite that, Rojas tried to take his next at-bat a few innings later, but finally called for a trainer after feeling continued pain on his swing.
“I’m looking forward to being ready to go tomorrow if they need me,” he insisted. “I’m just going to do a couple rounds of treatment today and then see how [I feel when I] wake up tomorrow.”
Miguel Rojas exits in the eighth inning due to lower back pain. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers is congratulated by his teammates after hitting the game-winning two-run single against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a heartbreaking game 2 defeat, the San Diego Padres return home to Petco Park to host the Milwaukee Brewers in game 3 of the NLDS. Dustin May will try to nail down the series for the Brewers while the Padres will rely on RHP Nick Pivetta. First pitch is scheduled for 8:30pm central time and the game broadcast is available via Fox/FS1.
What is the point of having a six-man bench full of right-handed hitters if you are only going to use one across three innings against a lefty reliever with your season fading away?
That was the scenario the Yankees faced Monday night in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Rays, trailing 5-1 in the sixth inning when Ian Seymour entered the game.
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Aaron Boone had left-handed hitters Luis García Jr. and Spencer Jones hit for themselves in the sixth inning, then stuck with three more lefties in the seventh (Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trent Grisham and Austin Wells), with Seymour retiring all of them.
Finally in the eighth, Boone pinch hit Paul Goldschmidt for Ryan McMahon, though the veteran righty bat hit a harmless pop-up on the way to another meager offensive performance outside of Ben Rice’s two solo homers.
“Seymour I view as very neutral,” Boone said Tuesday. “So there would’ve been a right-hander I would have used at some point had we gotten runners on base, but by the time he was in the game it was 5-1. So I was playing more of a get on base, see if we could create traffic and then possibly shoot [Giancarlo Stanton] or Goldie or [Heliot] Ramos in a spot there.”
This year, lefties hit .244 with a .789 OPS against Seymour while righties hit .217 with a .683 OPS.
Aaron Boone looks on during the Yankees’ ugly Game 2 loss to the Rays on Oct. 5, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
During a regular season in which the Yankees leaned on him heavily, using him in 81 of their 161 games, Brent Headrick mostly delivered, including allowing only 14.8 percent of inherited runners to score — which ranked sixth among qualified relievers.
But after he looked to be running out of gas down the stretch, the left-hander’s dip in velocity has carried over into the playoffs.
His fastball averaged 93.2 mph (down from his season average of 94.1) in Monday’s Game 2, which included giving up a two-run single to Richie Palacios in the fifth inning after a George Lombard Jr. error extended the inning.
“I think we’ve seen velocity from anywhere from 91 to 94 in the last couple outings, so if we can keep him in the 94 range, there’s definitely plenty of effectiveness there,” pitching coach Matt Blake said Tuesday.
“Striking the slider has — obviously — has become a priority, using the offspeed effectively, which he’s done in the second half of the year. Using the splitter a little bit more to the righties, leaning into the slider to both lefties and righties and then he’s got to be effective with his command of the fastball, and ultimately that’s where we’re at this time of year. He’s been used a lot and he’s doing his best to stay fresh down the stretch, but ultimately we got to keep making pitches when it’s important at this time of year.”
After arriving back in New York early Tuesday morning, the Yankees had an optional workout at Yankee Stadium, though Boone had said Monday he hoped most of his players would “stay away” to get some rest.
“Whatever guys feel like they need to do today … hopefully guys were able to sleep at least a little bit and kind of recover today,” Boone said. “And I’m sure there will be some guys in, at least moving around and doing some things behind the scenes to be ready to go [Wednesday].”
Left-hander Wandy Peralta will replace Miller on San Diego’s NLDS roster. Miller must remain away from the club for at least one day and no more than three, and will replace Peralta upon his return.
San Diego Padres’ Mason Miller reacts during the ninth inning of Game 2 of a National League Divisional baseball playoff series against the Milwaukee Brewers. AP Photo/Kayla Wolf
Miller’s absence leaves an enormous hole for a Padres team already staring over the edge after dropping the first two games in Milwaukee.
It was a stunning stumble from one of baseball’s most overpowering relievers.
Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres earns a save in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Getty ImagesMason Miller of the San Diego Padres has a mound visit against the Milwaukee Brewers during the ninth inning. Getty Images
Miller went 5-2 with a 1.67 ERA, 38 saves and 129 strikeouts in 70 innings during the regular season. Last October, he announced himself to the postseason by striking out the first eight batters he faced — the longest such streak to begin a playoff career — while unleashing a 104.5-mph fastball, the fastest tracked pitch in postseason history.
Now the Padres must survive without their human flamethrower.
Nick Pivetta gets the ball in Game 3, but if San Diego carries a late lead Tuesday, somebody else will have to protect it.
