Major League Baseball is officially on to its semifinals with the matchups set for the best-of-seven American and National League Championship Series that begin on Sunday, Oct 11.
The NLCS features a Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewersrematch from a year ago, with the Dodgers sweeping aside the Brewers – who like this season, were the NL's top seed. But this Milwaukee team won 103 games and features one of the game's best pitching staffs, led by likely NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski.
The Brewers and Rays are among the five MLB teams that have never won a World Series title, joined by the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies. The World Series is scheduled to begin on Friday, Oct. 23 in Milwaukee or Los Angeles, as both NL finalists have better records than their AL counterparts.
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Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani works out Saturday at American Family Field ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against Milwaukee Brewers. (Kyla Wolf / Associated Press)
Shohei Ohtani blistered a ball into the second deck in right-center field. Then he launched another, this time a little closer to the imposing video board looming over American Family Field that bore the massive “2026 NLCS” logo.
“Good day of work for him,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said after the Dodgers’ workout Saturday. “Him and Bookie [Mookie Betts] had been talking hitting the last few days. His idea to hit on the field. New field, new backdrop, that sort of thing.”
Ohtani has only hit in batting practice on a field a handful of times this season. But ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, he had an extended session off the machine.
“Just trying not to flip the barrel so soon,” Bates said of what Ohtani has focused on mechanically. “Get comfortable in the setup so he feels like he’s in a good position to swing the bat, but mostly just not have his top hand roll over too soon. Then just sticking his finish, and that helps him reverse engineer, keeps the effort level low and obviously just on the ball longer.”
Ohtani went two for 13 in the NLDS, recording two singles in the first two games. The four-time MVP will try to overcome his recent struggles when he faces Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1.
Misiorowski raised his own bar in his second major-league season. But Ohtani’s struggles bumped him down to the No. 5 and 4 spots in the Dodgers’ lineup for games 3 and 4, respectively, against the Atlanta Braves.
Ohtani’s recent slump, however, isn’t going to change how Misiorowski pitches to him.
“It’s still October,” the Brewers ace said. “You’ve got to still pitch like he’s the best in the world and trust your stuff and go beat him at his game, and do your job.”
That track record is what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is leaning on, too, as he continues to predict that Ohtani will bust out of his funk.
“There’s nothing right now I’m going to hang my hat on outside of, I just believe in the person and the talent,” Roberts said in a conference call Friday. “I do think that getting a couple days out of a game environment to kind of work on his swing, rest the body, rest the mind is a benefit. I’m just never going to count Shohei out.”
Ohtani’s biggest contribution in the NLDS didn’t involve a swing. In his first at-bat of Game 4, he took advantage of Tyler Mahle taking a careful approach with him, drawing a five-pitch walk. Then he stole second base and capitalized on a pair of Braves errors to score.
“Outside of [Chris] Sale, I thought he did a good job of controlling the zone,” Roberts said. “I saw some better swings.”
Dodgers players work out at American Family Field on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Dodgers players take part in an off-day workout on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS.
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal walks on the field during practice.
Dodgers rookie Josue DePaula kneels on the field during practice.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
But the Dodgers also expressed optimism while Ohtani was on the injured list, and again after he had the bye week to work on his swing.
“It feels really good overall,” Ohtani said last Oct. 2, the last time he addressed the media. “I do feel like my swing is in a better place, feels smooth, and just a little tweak here and there, and I’ll be ready.”
Ohtani didn’t will a hot streak into existence then. But the Dodgers keep preaching optimism.
“If he’s in the batter’s box, he’s still a threat,” Roberts said Saturday. “He swung the bat well against these guys last postseason. Their memories — those pitchers, their memories are long. Now it’s just up to Shohei to understand that and control the strike zone. They’re just not going to give in to him regardless of how he might be swinging the bat over the last couple months, in my opinion.”
Roberts said he expects infielder Miguel Rojas to be on the Dodgers’ NLCS roster despite sustaining a back injury in Game 3 of the NLDS.
The Dodgers also plan to add a pitcher and remove a position player, to balance the roster at 13 pitchers and 13 position players.
“Length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching,” Roberts said when asked what the Dodgers would prioritize. “As far as handedness, they’re pretty balanced. So that really doesn’t come into play. I think for us, it’s more of, who can take down a couple innings if something in a medium- to lower-leverage situation?”
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) kicked off on Oct. 3, featuring six teams comprising prospects from all 30 MLB organizations.
* Salt River Rafters include D-backs, Rockies, Twins, Yankees, Nationals.
* Mesa Solar Sox include Athletics, Red Sox, Cubs, Angels, Blue Jays.
* Glendale Desert Dogs include Braves, White Sox, Dodgers, Marlins, Pirates.
* Scottsdale Scorpions include Tigers, Astros, Brewers, Giants, Rays.
* Surprise Saguaros include Guardians, Royals, Mets, Phillies, Rangers.
* Peoria Javelinas include Orioles, Reds, Padres, Mariners, Cardinals.
The teams play for six weeks from Oct. 3 to Nov. 14. There is a round-robin playoff with all six teams participating. The Fall Stars Game is on Nov. 8. A Home Run Derby takes place before the playoffs on Nov. 7.
The Quarterfinals begin Nov. 12 with the top two-seeded teams having a bye in the first round and playing the winners of that round in the semifinals beginning Nov. 13.
The championship game will be carried on MLB Network, MLB.com, and the MLB app (Nov. 14).
Each organization sends at least seven players to its team, and they name the participating players in August.
Padres prospects
The San Diego Padres sent five pitchers and three position players to the Peoria Javelinas of the Fall League. After finishing their minor league seasons, each player will continue developing with more competition in the desert. Some are replacing lost time due to injury, or they need further development beyond their normal seasons.
RHP Winyer Chourio, LHP Igor Gil, RHP Francis Peña, RHP Kannon Kemp, and RHP Jordan Valenzuela are the chosen pitchers. Chourio and Kemp are starters.
Catcher Ty Harvey, outfielder Alex McCoy, and infielder Justin DeCriscio are the three position players.
Danny Worth, Padres minor league infield coordinator, is the manager for the Javelinas. He just completed his second season in the Padres organization.
A split week
For their first week of competition, the Javelinas split their six games while playing two games versus Mesa, one game versus Salt River, one game versus Scottsdale, one game versus Surprise, and one game versus Glendale.
They sit in third place behind Salt River and Scottsdale, two games back of the lead.
The Javelinas are hitting just .219 so far but have healthy on-base and slugging numbers that give them a team .743 OPS. They are second in RBI with 32, while Salt River leads with 42.
Winyer Chourio has one start and three innings pitched without allowing a run on two hits. He walked none and had one strikeout.
Kannon Kemp started one game and allowed four hits and a run in 1 ⅔ innings pitched with a walk and three strikeouts.
Francis Peña has made two appearances and two innings pitched with two hits and no runs.
Jordan Valenzuela has made two appearances and pitched two innings, with three hits and two runs, a walk, and two strikeouts.
Igor Gil allowed two hits and two runs with a walk and a strikeout in his 1 ⅔ innings over two games, giving him a 10.80 ERA.
McCoy keeps hitting
Outfielder Alex McCoy, 6-foot-7 and 24 years old, missed much of 2025 with an injury. The gap doesn’t seem to have slowed his development much. Starting 2026 in Single-A Fort Wayne, McCoy was promoted to Double-A San Antonio for the last 25 games of the season. Over the two levels, McCoy hit .278/.355/.467 with 19 home runs and 71 RBI. His 26% strikeout rate was a bit high, while posting a 9% walk rate.
In the five games he has played with Peoria, McCoy has been in left field and hitting .250 with an .881 OPS while slugging a double and a homer for five RBI. He has four stolen bases in five attempts.
It could be debated whether he has earned a Spring Training invite to play left field and try hitting against more elevated pitching to see what he can do.
Infielder Justin DeCriscio has played in four games and has two hits with three RBI, hitting a double to drive in runs.
Catcher Ty Harvey missed much of 2026 due to injury and needs at-bats for development to catch up with his contemporaries. In four games as catcher and DH, Harvey has one hit and one RBI with five walks and seven strikeouts. He also has four stolen bases in four attempts.
Infielder Brandon Butterworth, traded by the Padres in 2025 to the Orioles (Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano), is also on the Javelinas playing alongside some former teammates.
MILWAUKEE – At this stage of the playoffs last year, Brewers manager Pat Murphy joked that he was certain the Dodgers couldn’t name eight players on his roster.
The false humility backfired.
Murphy’s words cast a spell on the Brewers, who went from being the winningest team in baseball to a collection of obscure laborers as unremarkable as the podunk town in which they play.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy, left, talks to members of the media during a workout for the National League Championship Series at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. Tannen Maury/UPI/Shutterstock
The Dodgers swept the Brewers in four games and went on to win the World Series.
Murphy started his news conference as he often does, asking reporters with whom he was unfamiliar to stand and introduced themselves. He playfully asked Japanese reporters if they could help him land a job in Nippon Professional Baseball.
But before Murphy was the manager of the Brewers, or even the coach at Arizona State or Notre Dame, Murphy was an amateur boxer who moved to Miami with designs of fighting professionally.
The day before Game 1, the fighter in him emerged.
Murphy said he regretted how he characterized his team last year. Getty Images
Murphy said he regretted how he characterized his team last year.
“I”m sorry I played that underdog card,” Murphy said. “I probably shouldn’t have played that, used that as an excuse for why we didn’t play well.
“I don’t care who the underdog is. I don’t care who the favorite is. It’s about getting in the ring and fighting it out.”
There were more boxing metaphors.
“I think any time there’s familiarity it could help,” Murphy said. “You fight a guy once and you fight him the second time, you should have a better idea. Everything’s different. The guy is a little different that you’re fighting the second time, even though it’s the same person. They’ve got a different strategy, maybe different personnel.”
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) pitches during the first inning of a National League Division Series game against the San Diego Padres at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Brewers once again finished the regular season with the best record in baseball, this time by winning a franchise-record 103 games.
But questions remain over how their unconventional offense translates in the playoffs. The Brewers had baseball’s highest batting average in the regular season. They also had the second-fewest home runs. They also don’t have much of a rotation after their first two starters, Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson.
Asked how the Brewers’ fastball-reliant pitching staff would deal with a Dodgers’ lineup with a penchant for hitting fastballs, Murphy replied, “You’ve got to execute because executing pitches is what it’s about. That stops offense. We’re still going to pitch to our strengths. It’s like any other fight. Styles matter, but we can only do what we can do. I can’t all of a sudden become a counterpuncher if I’m Mike Tyson, and they can’t be Muhammad Ali if all year they fought like George Foreman.”
Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich takes batting practice ahead of Game 1 of baseball’s National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Milwaukee. AP Photo/Kyla Wolf
For the Brewers to have a chance in this series, they will almost certainly have to win Game 1 in which Misiorowski will be their starter. The prohibitive favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award, Misiorowski beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Aug. 15, limiting them to one run over six innings and striking out six. But pitching opposite Misiorowski will be Tarik Skubal.
From there, the Dodgers will have an enormous edge in starting pitching. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2, after which Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are expected to follow, in that order. The more games are played, the more the Brewers’ bullpen figures to tire.
The Brewers know what they’re up against. But they’re also projecting a different energy this year, and they’re counting on that to assist them in overcoming the band of superstars from the entertainment capital of the world.
“Look, if you want to play who’s favored in this series, it’s probably not us, but it doesn’t matter,” Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich. “It’s the same thing in spring training when we’re the team that’s never picked to win the division or be the postseason team. It doesn’t matter who people say is favored or not favored because you have to go play the games.”
MILWAUKEE — All along, Christian Yelich felt this was going to be part of the road for the Milwaukee Brewers.
It was always going to be the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers — with their consecutive World Series titles and a payroll that casts a long shadow over Yelich and the small-market Brewers.
“We’ve been expecting having to play them in this round since spring training, in the regular season,” Yelich said Saturday. “You kind of just know that’s what’s going to happen.”
The 2026 NL Championship Series is a sequel, with Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers taking on Jackson Chourio and the Brewers. Los Angeles swept Milwaukee in last year’s NLCS on the way to the franchise’s 26th NL pennant and ninth World Series championship. The Dodgers also eliminated the Brewers in the NLCS in 2018 and the wild-card round in 2020.
Game 1 on Sunday night features a pair of stingy aces. Tarik Skubal goes for Los Angeles after the two-time Cy Young Award winner was acquired in an Aug. 1 trade with Detroit, and Jacob Misiorowski — the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award — starts for Milwaukee.
“They’re a really good ballclub,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Similar guys that we’re used to seeing, very similar to what we’re used to seeing. There’s going to be no secrets. They play a very good brand of baseball.”
Milwaukee was believed to be interested in pairing Skubal with Misiorowski at the trade deadline, but the Tigers ended up going with the Dodgers’ offer.
“When you’re talking about a seven-game series, to see Tarik on the other side would certainly — the series would look a lot different,” Roberts said.
The return engagement for the NLCS also shines a light on the competing arguments at the center of MLB’s collective bargaining negotiations. Baseball’s five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1, and management is expected to lock out players in a confrontation that could affect the 2027 season.
The Dodgers went 100-62 this season and won the NL West for the fifth straight year after they had an opening-day payroll of $323.6 million, second only to the New York Mets. Milwaukee’s opening-day payroll of $125.9 million ranked 20th, and the Brewers set a franchise record with a major league-best 103 wins on the way to their fourth consecutive Central title.
“We’re focused on trying to win, and I think we have for a while,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. “Regardless of what the economics look like, the guys in there believe, and so do I.”
Milwaukee was shut down by Los Angeles in last year’s playoffs, hitting .118 while managing just one run in each game in the sweep. Ohtani punctuated the series by swatting three solo homers and striking out 10 over six shutout innings in Game 4.
Ohtani won’t pitch this time around because of injuries, and the Japanese slugger went 2 for 13 with four strikeouts in the four-game NL Division Series against Atlanta. But the Dodgers still have a formidable rotation, fronted by Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
“Every night when you play these guys, you know you’re going to face a great pitcher, a Cy Young-caliber pitcher,” Yelich said.
Milwaukee has its own Cy Young-caliber pitcher in the 24-year-old Misiorowski, who went 16-5 with a major league-low 1.80 ERA in 30 starts this season while averaging 100.6 mph with his four-seam fastball. The 6-foot-7 right-hander also led the majors with 252 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings.
Misiorowski was a heralded rookie during last year’s NLCS run. He pitched 12 innings of three-run ball, including five effective innings in Game 3. The big difference this year, he said, is confidence.
“Going into last year’s postseason, I didn’t know if I was going to be on the roster,” said Misiorowski, who hasn’t pitched since Milwaukee’s NL Division Series opener against San Diego last weekend. “I didn’t know if I was going to make it and help the team. This year they trust me a little bit more. So it’s a little easier to get behind yourself.”
Misiorowski pitched six sparking innings in a 4-1 victory at Los Angeles on Aug. 15, but Dodgers slugger Max Muncy downplayed the significance of their previous experience with “a guy that throws 105” miles per hour.
“It’s very fast. Everything is coming at you very fast,” Muncy said. “It’s big-time extension, big guy on the mound, and you have to be ready to go in the box.”
The 29-year-old Skubal went 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts with Los Angeles down the stretch. The left-hander, eligible for free agency after the World Series, tossed six innings of one-run ball in a 5-3 win over the Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS.
“I think the pressure around — surrounding the Dodgers, it’s all a privilege,” Skubal said. “I think as an athlete this is what you want to be and you want to have (the) expectation to win. I have those same expectations as a player.”
Miguel Rojas worked out with Los Angeles at American Family Field. The utility player departed Game 3 against the Braves with lower back pain, but Roberts said he was doing well and he likely would be part of the team’s NLCS roster.
At least one Dodgers player isn’t worried about being booed in Milwaukee.
The Dodgers are staying at the historic Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee for their National League Championship Series showdown against the Brewers. This hotel, which opened in 1893, is iconic for allegedly being haunted.
The lobby of the Pfister Hotel is seen Tuesday, July 7, 2009, in Milwaukee. The Pfister is Milwaukee’s most regal address, having hosted every U.S. president since William McKinley and scores of celebrities. AP
There have been numerous stories about ghost sightings at the hotel, including multiple from professional athletes who are staying there to face one of Milwaukee’s pro sports franchises.
But Max Muncy is unbothered about dealing with a potentially spirited stay in Milwaukee. He was asked about the supposedly haunted hotel when speaking to the media on Saturday.
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) is on the field in Game 3 of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Cumberland, Georgia, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“No, I let it go,” Muncy said when asked whether the haunted stories have ever kept him from staying at Pfister Hotel, per Jack Harris of the California Post.
“If there’s a ghost there, come on in. If the TV turns on, I know he’s friendly. Hopefully he’s just not there to disturb me. I welcome them. If there’s a ghost, let’s have a good time with it, come on in. It is what it is,” he added.
It’s one thing for Muncy to say this now before he has a potentially haunted encounter.
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 15: A general view of Jacobs Field as Roy Halladay #32 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch during MLB game action against the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field on May 15, 2005 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have one game today, Game Five of the Guardians/White Sox series. Winner moves on. If the White Sox lose, they will have to ask for forgiveness from the Pope. Historically, Popes were much for forgiveness.
The starters are:
White Sox: Sean Burke (3.34, 11-7)
Guardians: Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.76).
Lineups:
Today’s Lineups
WHITE SOX
GUARDIANS
Sam Antonacci – LF
Steven Kwan – LF
Kyle Teel – C
Jose Ramirez – 3B
Miguel Vargas – 3B
Chase DeLauter – RF
Munetaka Murakami – 1B
Jo Adell – DH
Andrew Benintendi – DH
Nathaniel Lowe – 1B
Tristan Peters – RF
Travis Bazzana – 2B
Chase Meidroth – 2B
Patrick Bailey – C
Colson Montgomery – SS
Petey Halpin – CF
Brenton Doyle – CF
Brayan Rocchio – SS
Sean Burke – RHP
Gavin Williams – RHP
I was sort of cheering for the White Sox, but I don’t really care. I don’t like or dislike either team.
Tomorrow we have game one between the Dodgers and the Brewers. Tarik Skubal starts for the Dodgers, Jacob Misiorowski Brewers. Go Brewers Go.
That’s when, from the corner of the room, Hernández chimed in with one more observation.
“And we’re dinosaurs!” he shouted.
Cretaceous creatures, who have once again found the fountain of October youth.
Los Angeles Dodgers players celebrate winning Game 4 of baseball’s National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Atlanta. AP Photo/Mike StewartThe Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after winning Game 4 of baseball’s National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Atlanta. AP Photo/Mike Stewart
Their grizzled veteran core has played more games (and traveled more miles, including two season-opening Asia trips) than any other club in baseball the past two years.
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To the two-time defending champions, it still qualified as a perceived slight.
“We’ve heard it,” 36-year-old third baseman Max Muncy said. “But you can’t focus on the outside stuff for us.
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, left, and third baseman Max Muncy celebrate after winning Game 4 of baseball’s National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Atlanta. AP Photo/Colin Hubbard
“You worry about yourself,” Muncy said. “You worry about how you’re getting ready for the game, how you’re preparing for the series.”
But talk about their age has nonetheless added some fuel to their competitive fire.
“Los Viejitos!!!” Kiké Hernández captioned on an Instagram photo of him, Muncy, Miguel Rojas, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman earlier this week –– playfully using the Spanish term for “old folks” to describe the club’s five eldest statesmen.
That was not always the case during the second half of this year’s regular season, when the Dodgers’ offense slipped into such a glaring funk –– highlighted by an inability to consistently slug the ball –– that one rival scout remarked in late August: “This is the oldest they’ve ever looked.”
Since then, however, they have rediscovered a jolt. They scored the fourth-most runs in the majors in September. They outslugged the Braves in the NLDS by belting eight home runs, all but one of which came from players age 33 or older.
“The toughest part about age is [managing it during the regular] season,” Roberts said. “But once you get through the marathon and you get to the sprint of the postseason, advantage goes to us in the sense of the experience.”
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, left, talks with manager Dave Roberts during practice ahead of a baseball NL Division Series in Los Angeles, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Father Time, of course, will eventually win out at some point.
Even Muncy acknowledged that there has been “some talk” of this being a potential final ride for this version of the roster.
“For us, it’s about playing for each other, and that’s what makes it so special,” Muncy said. “A lot of us have been through a lot of moments together –– good, bad, in the middle –– and I wouldn’t want to share those with anyone else, that’s for sure.”
For now, however, the Dinosaur Dodgers just want to keep on roaring.
Eight wins away from another World Series, age is the least of their concerns.
“I don’t like thinking that this could be towards the end [of our run], because I don’t think it is,” Muncy said. “I think we still have a lot of good baseball left in us. Hopefully we can keep going.”
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 10: The Cleveland Guardians on the field for batting practice prior to the Major League Baseball American League Division Series Game 5 between the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians on October 5, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This is definitely not a pretty playoff series. But I’ll give it this: at least it’s going the distance and providing us with baseball to fill the time between now and the League Championship Series. While the Braves and Padres folded in four to the Dodgers and Brewers, and the Yankees got unceremoniously dusted by the Rays, the Guardians fought back from down 0-2 and going on the road to win two in Chicago and force a decisive fifth game.
If the Guardos pull off the comeback, it’ll be the first in the Division Series since the 2017 Yankees turned the trick at Cleveland’s expense. It’ll also be just the fourth ever in a best-of-five where the team lost the first two games at home, joining the 2001 Yankees, the 2012 Giants, and the 2015 Blue Jays. If the White Sox survive, however, then they’ll play for their first pennant since 2005.
I’ll just repeat what I said the other day about these two likely hapless teams: Yes, I’m hoping for a miracle in the ALCS and that one of these underwhelming AL Central teams can pull off an upset over Tampa Bay. Baseball’s a silly sport. You never know! (I have far more hope in Cleveland making it a series than Chicago since I don’t think the White Sox have any remotely rested pitchers, but we’ll see what happens.
Today’s Matchup:
American League Division Series Game 5
Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox(winner-take-all)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 08: Gavin Williams #32 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts during the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox in game four of the American League Division Series at Rate Field on October 08, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The White Sox and Guardians are the only teams to take their ALDS all the way to the limit. It’s been a battle of bad offenses to this point, with the Guardians exploding all over White Sox postseason hero Grant Taylor in Game 4 to force the winner-take-all finale.
Gavin Williams, the veteran ace of the Guardians, will take the ball in the top of the first inning. The White Sox, who have mostly leaned on their bullpen through the first six games of their 2026 playoff experience, will turn to the closest thing they have to their own ace in Sean Burke to start things off. This is a series finale, though, so expect all hands on deck and to potentially even see guys who pitched a lot on Thursday night like Parker Messick and Erick Fedde take the ball.
I can’t promise the baseball will be good, but it should at least be fun!
Oct 8, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams (32) and catcher Patrick Bailey, right, celebrate after the Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox in game four of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Oct 8, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) and the rest of the Guardians celebrate after beating the Chicago White Sox in game four of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The final spot in the best-of-seven League Championship Series will be decided tonight as the Cleveland Guardians face the Chicago White Sox in Game 5 of their Division Series. The winner will advance to face the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League pennant. In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers will look to avenge last fall’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the same round. That series begins Sunday, with the ALCS starting Monday.
Cleveland Guardians vs Chicago White Sox (8:00 PM EDT)
Tonight, the MLB spotlight will be on Cleveland, where the AL Central rivals will meet in the most important game of their season. The White Sox won the regular-season series against the Guardians 7-6, as the two teams struggled to gain an edge over one another down the stretch.
It is fitting, then, that this series comes down to a winner-take-all Game 5. The road team has won each of the first four games. Will the Guardians buck that trend and win in front of their home fans, or will the White Sox win their third straight playoff game in Cleveland?
Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams, who came out of the bullpen Friday to record the final three outs of Game 4, will make his third appearance and second start of the series. He started Game 2 and received a no-decision after allowing two runs on four hits over five innings while striking out 11.
After failing to clinch a postseason series win at home for the first time since 1906, the White Sox are dropping the opener strategy for the first time this round. Right-hander Sean Burke, who was Chicago’s best starting pitcher this season, will start for the visitors. He outdueled Williams in Game 2, allowing one run on one hit over 5 1/3 innings of bulk relief following the opener.
How deep both starters go into the game will likely depend on their performance and the score. As this series has shown, White Sox manager Will Venable and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt are willing to turn to their bullpens early and often.
Which team will win? Will it be a blowout, or a close, dramatic game?
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: Starting pitcher Tyler Mahle (54) of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the Atlanta Braves versus Philadelphia Phillies game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series on September 30, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It would be hard to find a Washington Nationals fan who would be against the idea of adding pitching this offseason, especially with the emergence of multiple key offensive pieces.
The free agent pool isn’t filled with many high-tier arms outside marquee starter Tarik Skubal, but it does include a handful of the exact type of pitcher Washington would love to add: middle-of-the-rotation veteran starters.
Names like former San Diego Padre Michael King and former Chicago Cub Kevin Gausman have already been floated as potential fits. Still, one player whose recent play could skyrocket him up the Nats’ wish list is 32-year-old Tyler Mahle.
Injuries severely threatened the righty’s MLB career in recent years, causing him to throw just over 100 innings from 2023-2025. His attempt at a career revival with the San Francisco Giants in 2026 got off to a rough start with an ERA above 5.00 through 18 starts, but everything changed after he was dealt to the Atlanta Braves prior to the trade deadline.
Atlanta needed any healthy arms to add to the rotation, but Mahle gave them so much more than just that. Averaging over 6.00 innings per start, his 9 regular-season appearances with the Braves were simply spectacular, throwing to a 1.99 ERA in the second half. He took it to another level in his first career taste of the postseason, shutting down two of the most feared lineups in baseball (Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers) with 13.1 innings of 2-run ball.
Going into the 2025 season, it wasn’t a guarantee that Mahle would be pitching in MLB for much longer, but now, he may be just what Washington needs. The revamped pitching development program flexed its muscles with the reclamation project that was Foster Griffin, and they have all the tools to repeat their success by carrying Mahle’s second-half performance into 2027 and beyond.
His price tag undoubtedly rose after he proved the October stage wasn’t too big for him, and the high demand for pitching could result in him landing a sizeable deal. The Nats will certainly have competition for Mahle, but, just like him, their 2025 season proved that they’re worth investing in.
Tyler Mahle might not have the best stuff anymore, but he has the willingness to throw his best pitch in any situation and the mentality to step up when the stakes are highest.
The Braves asked for the world from him tonight, and he delivered when they needed him most. pic.twitter.com/oVLpIapUOL
Washington’s front office should be all over him once free agency opens up. The question marks are still there, with his lengthy injury history and lack of extended recent success. Opening the checkbooks and making a legitimate push to raise the ceiling of the rotation needs to be the top priority this offseason.
It’s time for Paul Toboni and company to begin shelling out serious money for free agents who can take this team back to the playoffs, and that comes with taking chances. Mahle has proved that he can be an integral part of a playoff rotation, and that should be exactly what the Nats are looking to build.
The path to a successful offseason begins with adding a quality arm, and Mahle checks a lot of boxes for what this team is missing.
Randal Grichuk may be the Best Dad Ever, but Sean Burke represents Chicago’s only hope to advance to the ALCS. | (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
After a detestable start to the season, logic-defying climb to .500, command of the AL Central after the All-Star Break, September swoon, desperate attempt to claw back to first place, dominant start to the playoffs and utter collapse in front of a rabid and hungry home crowd, the White Sox head to Cleveland for only the second winner-take-all postseason game in their history and a chance at the first win in such a game.
No biggie, White Sox, just 126 years of history on your backs.
But, thanks to the strange twist at the end of Cleveland’s Game 4 rout, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt opted to use Cade Smith unnecessarily for a second straight two-inning stint (OK, the eighth inning of Game 3 made some sense), burning his closer for two innings again. The decision came back to bite him, and now not only has Vogt exposed Smith’s stuff to the White Sox needlessly (for the record, I don’t buy into a “book” hitters write on elite high-leverage arms like Smith and Grant Taylor, certainly not when the bigger factor is overworked pitchers getting tired and losing sharpness, something Taylor seemed to directly acknowledge after Game 4), but he forced Game 5 starter Gavin Williams in “close out” a 9-3 win.
Remember when Cleveland had such an “advantage” heading into the end of the series, with starters Parker Messick and Williams on full rest to finish things up? Well, throw that advantage out now, as a full inning of pitches on Wednesday certainly will affect Williams today — if not in efficiency, in durability. What could have been a six-innings target for the K machine is a more realistic four-five inning “open” now.
Therefore it’s advantage, White Sox, as Sean Burke (a better starter in the regular season than Williams, to begin with) starts Game 5 on full rest and coming off of the best outing of five-plus innings anyone’s had in this series.
Burke set a White Sox postseason record with 13 straight batters retired in Chicago’s Game 2 win in Cleveland, going 5 ⅓ innings total and allowing just one run on one hit. If that is the Burke we get on Saturday, the Guardians are in trouble.
Not sure it Miguel Vargas murdering Williams offsets Steven Kwan having great numbers against Burke, but perhaps Andrew Benintendi owning Williams as well flips some of the key matchups in our favor?
As you well know, though, advantages are all relative in 2026 between the White Sox and Guardians. Through 17 games, the White Sox still lead the season series, 9-8, but with the “blowouts” in Chicago the Guardians now have outscored Chicago in 2026 by all of five runs. Thirteen of 17 games in 2026 between the two clubs were decided by three runs or fewer, eight were one-run games and four ended on walk-offs. The White Sox were in first place for 96 days in 2026, Cleveland 89. And of course, the two teams finished one game apart in the standings after Cleveland’s hot finish to the season.
With Williams pitching, the White Sox will utilize their (stronger) lefty-heavy lineup, taking away any temptation to play Tommy Pham for significant innings and rendering him a pinch-hitting bat off the bench. However, in a twist, Braden Montgomery is benched for Game 5 despite facing a right-handed pitcher.
Cleveland, licking its chops at getting a righty starter in Burke, hopes to prove tonight how wise it was for Venable to dance with four consecutive lefty openers in the series — or, if the Guards fall back to the punchless offense they were in Games 1 and 2, expose such paranoid thinking as a ruse.
As to the pressure of the game, it’s hard to determine whose backs are more against the wall. Given that only three teams have ever rallied back to win after losing two straight home games to open the series, you’d think the pressure is weighing heavily on the White Sox. But here’s where their frat-boy dopeyness could help: If Colson Montgomery didn’t realize he was on the precipice of an infamous season strikeout record or that such a record even existed, do we think the clubhouse cares a whit about “pressure” to win in Game 5?
This idea was addressed, as much of this game thread was, in our pregame podcast, if you care to have a soothing voice calm your nerves as we near game time:
So friends, here we are, with a third chance to close out the Guardians. Let’s make it stick tonight.
kilé really said unc still got it 
(@myfriendteo) 
