Category: MLB

As someone with very fond memories of the Yankees winning fierce, neck-and-neck Division Series battles with Oakland, Cleveland, and Baltimore over the years, I’ve always enjoyed a tense Game 5. One team advances to fight for the pennant while the other goes home with those hopes dashed. I don’t think many neutral observers would pick either of these teams to upset the Rays after the way they posted the American League’s best record in 2026 and then mopped the floor with the Yankees.

But look, all you have to do is get the next round, and you’ll never know what happens. Who would’ve picked the 84-win Diamondbacks to upset the defending NL champion Phillies in 2023? Or going back further to a better memory for the City of Brotherly Love, how about when the 1993 Phillies dispatched a dynastic Braves team that outlasted the Giants to win 104 games? Dare to dream. The Guardians and White Sox both dared to do so; here’s how the winner booked a date at Tropicana Field for ALCS Game 1 tomorrow night.

ALDS Game 5

Cleveland Guardians 2, Chicago White Sox 0

(CLE wins, 3-2)

Star power often wins in the playoffs, and though Cleveland isn’t exactly awash with the stars the way it was in the 1990s when the team made it to multiple Fall Classics, they relied on a couple very good ones to lead the way in the winner-take-all Game 5 against the White Sox.

With a 2-0 victory, the Guardians won their third in a row, completing just the fourth comeback in MLB history for a team in a best-of-five that lost the first two games at home. To make this Yankees-centric and more familiar, this is the kind of the comeback that the 2001 Yanks pulled off against the A’s, sparked by the “Flip Play” game. It’s since been matched by the 2012 Giants, the 2015 Blue Jays, and now the 2026 Guardians. It’s also the first 0-2 comeback of any kind in a DS since the 2017 Yanks did it to Cleveland. (Shout-out Greg Bird, Masahiro Tanaka, and Didi Gregorius.)

The two stars who took center stage for the Guardians were José Ramírez and Gavin Williams. Whenever Ramírez ends his career, he’ll go down as one of the greatest players to ever wear a Cleveland uniform. October has sometimes been a struggle for him though, and he’s the last remaining player from their team that lost to the Cubs in a Game 7 heartbreaker in the 2016 Fall Classic. He hasn’t been back to the Greatest Stage since then, but he helped punch Cleveland’s ticket to give them a shot this year by going 5-for-12 across the three ALDS wins with two homers and seven RBI.

One of those dingers came yesterday off an otherwise-solid Sean Burke, and who could blame Burke for giving up a gopher ball on a pitch this low?

Ramírez has a good shot at a plaque in Cooperstown one day and this is one of those “tip your cap” moments. Not many players can physically do that. This has actually been a tougher year for him, as he had a broken bone in his hand that forced him to miss time and ultimately ended up with a sub-100 OPS+ for the first time since 2015. If it ends in Cleveland somehow breaking its championship drought though, the man won’t care a lick about his regular season.

Maybe it’s overstating a bit to call Williams a star, but the 26-year-old is a dangerous up-and-coming ace for Cleveland, leading the AL with 248 strikeouts despite not making the All-Star team. The Guardians wasted his 11-K start in Game 1, but he came out of the bullpen to help nail down Game 4 when closer Cade Smith wobbled late. Under 48 hours later, Williams started the game he forced and seemed unperturbed by those 18 pitches in relief. He did one better than his playoff opener, fanning a dirty dozen White Sox in 5.2 shutout innings, allowing only a single to Kyle Teel.

Williams’ primary drawback is that he doesn’t go deep into games, which hurt him in Game 1. Erik Sabrowski let him down then, but he made up for it last night by relieving Williams and fanning Munetaka Murakami with the bases loaded to escape a sixth-inning jam. The 2-0 lead remained intact.

The Pale Hose never came so close to scoring again. Tristan Peters never moved after a one-out single in the seventh, as Hunter Gaddis struck out both Chase Meidroth and Colson Montgomery as the potential tying runs. Sam Antonacci singled off Gaddis with one down in the eighth, so Cleveland skipper Stephen Vogt called on Smith for a five-out save, his third appearance in four days. Despite pitching every game in this series, he was up to the task. He struck out Kyle Teel and got Miguel Vargas to foul out to end the frame, and then struck out the side in the ninth to slam the door on the Sox, who set a postseason record with 21 team strikeouts in a nine-inning game. Woof.

The White Sox deserve a ton of credit for overachieving so much in 2026 after three consecutive 100-loss seasons. No one thought they’d make the playoffs, let alone come a win shy of the ALCS. Few predicted even a .500 finish! It will hurt knowing that they had three games to close out Cleveland and instead squandered the series, but this team honestly looked about as gassed possible. Can the Guardians actually threaten the Rays? I will at least hope they put up a better fight than they did in 2024 against the Yankees.

After a three-day hiatus, the Dodgers are back in business on Sunday as they begin the 2026 National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Tarik Skubal was handed the ball for Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, and he managed to allow just one run while striking out seven across six innings of work. Fresh off a full week of rest, Skubal will once again be handed the ball to kick off the series, this time doing so against the soon-to-be NL Cy Young award winner Jacob Misiorowski.

Sunday’s Game 1 matchup will feature quite the unprecedented pitching matchup, and Mike Petriello of MLB.com breaks down just how rare a matchup between Skubal and Misiorowski is compared to other historic postseason pitching matchups.

If a rare matchup of 100-win teams in the NLCS isn’t good enough, if a rematch of last year’s NLCS – and the third time since 2018 – isn’t good enough, there’s this, too. You just don’t really see starting pitching matchups like this, really ever. We’re incredibly fortunate to get this one, potentially twice in the next week.

Facing Misiorowski will be another rigorous test for the Dodgers in their quest for a third consecutive championship, and for a struggling Shohei Ohtani, he’ll have to find a way to bounce back offensively against one of the National League’s premier young aces.

Dave Roberts still has confidence that Ohtani will turns things around at the plate, and the two-way star worked in some extra batting practice while the Dodgers have been preparing at American Family Field, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.

“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.”

Max Muncy and I share basically one thing in common; we aren’t afraid of ghosts. That’s why he has elected to stay at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee this series, even with its notoriety as a “haunted” hotel, per Grant Young 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.

Eleven Years Ago Today

The Blue Jays trailed two games to none in the best-of-five 2015 ALDS against the Rangers. Facing elimination, they pulled off a crucial 5-1 victory.

The game remained tense until Troy Tulowitzki homered in the sixth inning. Despite several opportunities to break the game open, the team grounded into four double plays.

The Jays got on the board in the third. Dioner Navarro doubled, and Kevin Pillar singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. Ryan Goins then hit into a double play, but at least a run scored.

They added another run in the fourth:

Josh Donaldson led off with a double and advanced to third on Jose Bautista’s flyout. The Rangers intentionally walked Edwin Encarnacion, and Chris Colabello drew an unintentional walk to load the bases. Tulowitzki then walked, bringing Donaldson home.

However, with the bases still loaded, Navarro grounded into a double play.

The pivotal moment arrived in the sixth. Donaldson and Bautista opened with singles, and Edwin walked to load the bases. Colabello then grounded into yet another double play, making it seem like the Jays would squander their chances. From the recap:

Then, in the sixth inning, we get the bases loaded, and Colabello gets to a full count. I was sure he was going to get a hit or a walk. Instead, he hit the ball hard, but right at the first baseman, for a 3-2-3 double play. He couldn’t have hit the ball harder. The BABIP Gods stepped in, and he crushed it into a double play—lots of swearing from me.

Thankfully, Tulo took a full-count pitch over the left-field wall, making it 5-0, and we could relax a bit.

On the mound, Marco Estrada delivered another excellent playoff start: 6.1 innings, five hits allowed (four singles and a double), one earned run, no walks, and four strikeouts.

The bullpen combined for 2.2 scoreless innings, with Aaron Loup, Mark Lowe, Aaron Sanchez, and Roberto Osuna not allowing a single baserunner.

The Jays went on to win the next two games and advance to the ALCS.

From the recap:

Jays of the Day: Estrada (.269 WPA), Tulo (.235), and Pillar (.116, plus a couple of nice catches).

The top two teams in the National League will face off in the NLCS: The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers battle in a best-of-seven series to determine which team will advance to the World Series.

The Dodgers are searching for their third straight title, and fourth since 2020. Los Angeles made an in-season blockbuster trade to bring in pitcher Tarik Subal to help increase its chances. The Dodgers also have a potent offensive core of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández and Kiké Hernandez, but Milwaukee is on a mission.The Brewers won 103 games this season and their core has been dynamite in 2026, quite comparable to the Dodgers'. Jackson Chourio is a young star who has posted a .287 average with 21 home runs and 58 RBIs. Jake Bauers led the team with 23 home runs and 76 RBIs. The power hitter posted a .270 batting average. Not to mention, they still have 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich, a vet who can still torch a team. The NLCS begins with Game 1 on Sunday, Oct. 11 (8 p.m. ET). Here's what USA TODAY's experts and others predict will happen in the series:

USA TODAY Sports predictions

Here are the USA TODAY Sports staff's NLCS predictions:

Bob Nightengale: Brewers in 7

This is the year of the Brew Crew. They didn’t win 103 games by accident. They are armed and dangerous.

Andres Soto: Dodgers in 6

Despite getting rid of key contributors from last year's squad like Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin, the Brewers got even better. Jackson Chourio and Jacob Misiorowski took big leaps forward. Jake Bauers had the best season of his career at 31 years old. Logan Henderson is a solid No. 2 starter. Trevor McGill and Abner Uribe are dominant in the back end of the bullpen. 

This will not be a sweep again; Milwaukee has a strong case to upset the Dodgers, even. But LA has the experience, the poise, and the depth in both the rotation and lineup to win its third straight NL pennant.

James Williams: Dodgers in 6

The Dodgers have a strong pitching rotation working in their favor, with Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto leading the way for the first two games of the series.

The Dodgers have won the last two World Series and have postseason experience as an advantage, but the Brewers are better than they were a year ago and will continue to be a threat to L.A.

Marcus D. Smith: Dodgers in 7

The Dodgers somehow manage to deliver magic when you think their backs are against the wall − and they will be against the Brewers. The Dodgers have too many game-changers on offense and defense to count them out. It'll go the distance, but LA is on a quest to three-peat.

What are other experts saying?

Here's what other experts are saying about the NLCS rematch between the Dodgers and Brewers:

Sports Illustrated: Dodgers

The majority of Sports Illustrated's staff are siding with the Dodgers. Here's their breakdown.

• Noah Camras: Dodgers in 6
• Jason Fray: Dodgers in 6
• Ricardo Sandoval: Dodgers in 6
• J.P. Hoornstra: Brewers in 7

CBS Sports: Dodgers

CBS Sports staffers also went with the Dodgers but it wasn't a clean sweep. Here's their breakdown.

• Mike Axisa: Dodgers
• Kate Feldman: Dodgers
• Julian McWilliams: Dodgers
• Dayn Perry: Brewers
• Matt Snyder: Brewers

ESPN: Brewers

The ESPN staff mostly picked the Brewers to go to the World Series.

• Buster Olney: Brewers
• Jeff Passan: Brewers
• David Schoenfield: Brewers
• Bradford Doolittle: Brewers
• Sean Coyle: Dodgers
• Jorge Castillo: Dodgers

Dodgers vs Brewers NLCS Schedule

• Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on FOX
• Game 2: Monday, Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET on FOX
• Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
• Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
• Game 5: Friday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (if necessary)
• Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (if necessary)
• Game 7: Monday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on FOX (if necessary)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who wins Dodgers vs. Brewers series? NLCS predictions from experts

Good morning, baseball fans!

The 2026 MLB Playoffs continue today as the National League Championship Series begins between the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers.

As of the time this is being written, neither team has announced a starting pitcher for tonight’s game. Good old element of surprise. The game will begin at 5:00 p.m. PT, broadcasting on Fox/Fox One, with national radio coverage available on ESPN Radio.

I don’t think I really need to ask who you’re rooting for, but that’s kind of the format I’m going with this year so let’s get into a couple of reasons why everyone should be rooting for the Brewers, not just Giants fans.

First of all, no team has had back-to-back-to-back World Series championships since the New York Yankees did it in 1998-2000. And I really don’t want the Dodgers to be the team to do so. Because you just know the annoying Dodgers fans in your life will use that as ammo to belittle the three championships in five years that the Giants won.

But more importantly, the Milwaukee Brewers have never won a World Series. And the Dodgers just won two in a row. Gross. Wouldn’t it be cool to see a World Series between the Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays? You could root for both teams and be happy either way because neither franchise has ever won one. And it wouldn’t have any Dodger stink on it at all!

So I guess I’ll ask you anyway, and there’s only one acceptable answer:

Who are you rooting for in NLCS Game 1?

The California Post’s experts make their predictions on the Dodgers-Brewers NLCS matchup, scheduled to begin Sunday:

DODGERS-BREWERS

Rich Barak

Even if the Dodgers and Brewers played a million times, it still would come down to pitching in the final game. 

Dodgers in 7

Kendall Capps

Some players just know how to perform in the biggest moments. The Dodgers have far more of them than any other team in baseball, and that will carry them to the World Series.

Dodgers in 6

Jack Harris

We’ve seen this movie before. The Dodgers’ pitching is too good. The Brewers’ offense, while a nuisance, lacks enough star-power bats. Maybe Jacob Misiorowski, or Milwaukee’s admittedly dominant bullpen, can steal a game this time. But over a best-of-seven series, the Dodgers boast too much talent.

Dodgers in 5

Dylan Hernandez

The Brewers were built for the regular season, and Dodgers will win the big moments.

Dodgers in 6

Edward Lewis

Los Angeles proved against the Braves that its starting pitching staff is just too good to lose this series to the Brewers, and with Edwin Diaz showing he’s capable of closing out games again, the NLCS shouldn’t go past five.

Dodgers in 5

Christian Orozco

Dodgers rotation continues to dominate opposing lineups. Milwaukee will make it a series, but LA can taste its historic moment.

Dodgers in 6

We have reached the final four. Major League Baseball’s Championship Series officially start today with two best-of-seven series to determine the American League and National League representatives for this year’s Fall Classic.

On the National League side, much as everyone expected, the Los Angeles Dodgers are pushing for their sixth World Series appearance in the last decade as they try to three-peat. The Dodgers sat down the Atlanta Braves to make it this far. However, the powerhouse Dodgers are shockingly not the top seed in this matchup. That honor belongs to the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished with the best record in baseball for the 2026 regular season.

The Brew Crew knocked out the San Diego Padres in the NLDS and are trying to appear in their first World Series since 1982—where they lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals—despite making the playoffs in eight of their last nine seasons. They’ve only made it to the Championship Series twice in that stretch.

Meanwhile, the Cinderella run of the Chicago White Sox has at last struck midnight. Despite a miraculous turnaround from two seasons ago—in which they were the worst team in baseball history—the Cleveland Guardians have snuffed out their flame with a surging comeback after originally being down 0-2 in the series.

The Guardians and their dominant pitching staff—which set the record for team strikeouts in a nine-inning game—will now face the Tampa Bay Rays as they look to make it to the World Series for just the fourth time since 1948. Those same Rays, looking to raise a banner in the waning years of Tropicana Field before moving into a new ballpark, kicked the Yankees to the curb in order to reach their third Championship Series in franchise history. The Rays have gone on to lose in the World Series the two previous times they have participated in the ALCS.

The Colorado Rockies watch from the sidelines as they break down their fourth consecutive 100-loss season, perhaps examining the (non-Dodgers) playoff participants for blueprints to work with in their own rebuild.

With that being said, here’s what our staff here at Purple Row had to say this week:

To Read: Scaling the Rocks

• Monday:Walk-offs are awesome | James Riggenbach
• Tuesday:The Rockies are looking ahead | Skyler Timmins
• Wednesday:Let the autopsy of the 2026 Colorado Rockies begin | Renee Dechert
• Thursday:Away from the din of the crowds, 2027 starts to take shape | Cory Cohen
• Friday:CarGo joins elite Colorado club | Joelle Milholm
• Saturday:What would a 154-game season mean for the Rockies? | James Riggenbach

To Read: Rockpiles

• Monday:One peak Rockies shortstop, one impossible choice | James Riggenbach
• Tuesday:A briefing on the Rockies’ arbitration players for 2027 | Skyler Timmins
• Wednesday:Walker Monfort and Paul DePodesta discuss pitching, the Penner Sports Group, and going forward | Renee Dechert
• Thursday:Lessons for the Rockies from the Athletics failure to launch | Cory Cohen
• Friday:Rockies attendance dips, again, in 2026 | Joelle Milholm
• Saturday:The 2026 Rockies Statcast Awards | James Riggenbach

To Read: Ranking the Rockies, 2026

• No. 50:Troy Johnston | James Riggenbach
• No. 49:Brenton Doyle | Renee Dechert
• No. 48:Sean Sullivan | Joelle Milholm
• No. 47:Kyle Freeland | Sam Bradfield
• No. 46:Valente Bellozo | Skyler Timmins

Weekly Discussion Topics

Four teams now need eight wins to reach the pinnacle of baseball. What have you enjoyed most about the playoffs so far? What has you feeling disappointed? What are your predictions for the Championship Series? When do you think the Rockies might find themselves in the NLCS? Let us know in the comments!

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Good morning! Welcome to Sunday’s Cub Tracks.

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

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• Doug Schwamb (Cubs Insider): The Chicago Cubs Need to Focus A Lot More on Their Farm System. “The Cubs’ farm system needs drastic improvements to make a deep playoff run filled with sustained success.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Cubs insider leaves little doubt about the odds of a reunion with Shota Imanaga. “It seems like the end of the road in Chicago for the left-hander.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): 5 MLB playoff stars the Cubs must target this offseason to finally end their October misery. “A reminder that the Cubs will never spend as much money as the Dodgers do, and may never be as good at running baseball operations as the Brewers are.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): 3 Yankees the Cubs could poach if Rays sweep forces New York into an offseason reset. “Another ring-less campaign for Aaron Boone and the Bronx Bombers.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Next Year, Expect Fewer Calls to Go Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Way—Or At Least More to Be Overturned. “Few batters benefitted more from the implementation of ABS in 2026 than the man who enjoyed the biggest offensive breakout in the league. Next year, though, Pete Crow-Armstrong will get a slap in the face from regression, via robot.”
• Jordan Bastain (MLB.com): Suzuki reflects on the good times — and a few ‘what ifs’ — from 5 years with Cubs. “The first time Seiya Suzuki headed into Sloan Park in Arizona for batting practice, he had a captive audience.”
• Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): Pedro Ramírez’s Rollercoaster Rookie Season With Cubs Was An Overarching Success. “Pedro Ramírez wasn’t always consistent, but his first major-league campaign with the Cubs offered plenty of reasons to believe in his long-term outlook.”
• Justin Binkowski (Chicago Cubs On SI): 3 Potential Fits for Sonny Gray After Confirming He’s Pitching in 2027. “He’s coming off a tremendous 2026 season.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs would face even more pressure to dethrone Brewers thanks to MLB’s latest CBA proposal. “This one actually doesn’t look that bad.”
• Steve Silverman (ClutchPoints): Ex-Cubs star Anthony Rizzo revealed what led to his retirement decision. “Former Cubs star Anthony Rizzo reveals why he made his decision to retire from baseball after the 2024 season.”
• Ben Strauss (ESPN): Inside a Wrigleyville rooftop owner’s fight with the Cubs. “”I was worried it would affect ticket sales,” Dunican said in his Irish brogue, while he pointed at the screen. He later added: “People are still coming.” But Dunican now has more pressing concerns than the screens.“

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

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Food For Thought:

Sista Monica Parker (born Monica C. Parker, April 27, 1956 – October 9, 2014) was an American electric blues, blues rock, gospel and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her influences included Al Green, Aretha Franklin, the Staple Singers, Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke. She wrote most of her material, and released eleven albums in her lifetime. Parker shared the stage with a number of musicians over her performing lifetime including B.B. King, India Arie, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Elvin Bishop, Mavis Staples and the Staple Singers, the Neville Brothers, and John Lee Hooker.

After college, Parker joined the United States Marine Corps and after three years of service rose the rank of sergeant. Once her military service between 1977 and 1980 ended, Parker set up a staffing company, initially based in Chicago, aimed at electrical engineering professions. After moving the business to Silicon Valley she acquired clients which included Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo!. Encouraged by her then neighbor MC Hammer, Parker started a singing career in 1992 performing regularly at Emi’s Bar & Grille in Santa Cruz, California. By 1995 she released her debut album, Get Out of My Way, on her own independent record label, Mo Muscle Records. Her track “Windy City Burner” was played on the radio and it helped promote her initial touring around the US, Canada and parts of Europe. Her follow-up album, Sista Monica was released in 1997.

Gimme That Old Time Religion (2001) was her first gospel release, which was followed by Live in Europe the same year.^[1] The latter was recorded in Peer, Belgium. It was her performances in the late 1990s in Europe that gained her the nickname, “the Blues Lioness.” In 2002 she performed at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival, but late that year was diagnosed as suffering from the rare ailment of synovial sarcoma. She was initially given three months to live. Bouts of chemotherapy, radiation and therapy ensued before she returned to the recording studio and issued Love, Soul & Spirit, Vol. 1 in 2004.

In 2005, Can’t Keep a Good Woman Down included cover versions of Willie Nelson‘s “Funny How Time Slips Away” and Sam Cooke‘s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Sweet Inspirations was issued in 2008 when Parker was again the disc’s producer. Living in the Danger Zone (2011) saw Parker include Kelley Hunt in a vocal and piano duet. Her festival and other event appearances included the San Francisco Blues Festival (1995 and 1997), Monterey Jazz Festival (1998), Notodden Blues Festival (1999), Edmonton’s Labatt Blues Festival (2004), and Blue Bear Live II (2007).

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

The Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers begin the National League Championship Series with Game 1 on Sunday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee, with a high-octane pitching battle.

Tarik Skubal, the American League Cy Young Award winner in 2024 and 2025, makes his second consecutive Game 1 start for the Dodgers, after striking out seven in six innings on October 3 against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium, including 15 straight batters retired at one point.

The left-hander started twice against the Brewers this season, both six-inning starts at home — he allowed four runs in a no-decision in Detroit on April 23, then gave up two runs (one earned) at Dodger Stadium in a loss on August 16.

Jacob Misiorowski, the heavy favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award this season, makes his second start this season. He struck out six on October 3 against the San Diego Padres but was pulled after only four innings and two runs in, 88 pitches in.

In three career games against the Dodgers, including last year’s NLCS, Misiorowski has a 1.59 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 17 innings.

NLCS Game 1 info

• Teams: No. 2 seed Dodgers at No. 1 seed Brewers
• Ballpark: American Family Field, Milwaukee
• Start time: 5 p.m. PT
• TV: Fox, FS1 (Joe Davis, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal)
• National radio: ESPN Radio (Jon Sciambi, Doug Glanville)
• Local English radio: AM 570 (Stephen Nelson, Rick Monday)
• Local Spanish radio: KTNQ 1020 AM (José Mota, Luis Cruz)

Don't expect another NLCS sweep this year. Yes, the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Brewers are once again taking on the No. 2 seed Los Angeles Dodgers in the best-of-seven series. Yes, the Brewers have home field advantage again. Yes, they had the best record in baseball for the second year in a row.

But this is a different Brewers team. Somehow, they got better after parting ways with Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin this offseason.

It starts with the pitching staff. Jacob Misiorowski took a leap in his second year with an outstanding 0.80 WHIP and is a virtual lock for the NL Cy Young Award. The 24-year-old flamethrower has grown into a full-fledged ace, and he won't be relegated to a bullpen role like in 2025 -- he's starting Game 1 as the MLB leader in strikeouts and ERA. Logan Henderson also emerged as a solid No. 2 guy in the rotation with a 2.47 ERA in 18 starts this season. His 5.1% walk rate is among the best in the big leagues; that's going to be crucial against a Dodgers lineup that slugged their way to victory in the NLDS but struggled to string together hits and walks.

Then there's one of the deepest bullpens in baseball, led by Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe on the back end. Combine that with the Dodgers just as formidable pitching, and it's clear that runs will be at a premium this series. That's an area the Brewers are all too comfortable with.

These have been two of the best offenses in the big leagues this season; they're both elite when it comes to getting on base. But from there, their successes have come in completely opposite ways. Dodgers had the second-most home runs; the Brewers had the second fewest. That's not to say they don't have pop; Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers are true long ball threats. But where Milwaukee excels is at putting the ball in play, stealing bases and getting guys over.

This should be a much closer series than it was last October, but one thing this matchup isn't is David vs. Goliath, despite what some talking heads might try to have you believe.

"They have the best record in baseball," Dodgers manager Roberts told reporters on Friday. "They have that for a reason, and they’ve got home-field advantage. So we got to play our best baseball. I mean, they’re certainly not afraid of us. They’ve got the guy who’s going to win the Cy Young in the National League, starting Game 1.

"We got our work cut out."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why these Brewers are bigger threat to Dodgers than last year's NLCS team

After the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the NLDS, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was asked by reporters when he'd rather face the Milwaukee Brewers or San Diego Padres in the NLCS.

"I just want chaos," he said, drenched in beer as the clubhouse celebration ensued.

Two hours later, Friedman would have his answer. The Brewers punched their ticket, securing a rematch of the previous year's championship series. Don't expect a Dodgers sweep this time, though.

Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy loves to break out the "David vs. Goliath" narrative whenever his team plays the Dodgers and their exorbitant payroll. He'll wax poetic about how nobody can name their lineup compared to the star-studded roster in the other dugout. How they're "little woodpeckers" that just keep pecking away at the money tree that stands between them and their first pennant since 1982.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts isn't buying it.

"They have the best record in baseball," Roberts told reporters on Friday. "They have that for a reason, and they’ve got home-field advantage. So we got to play our best baseball. I mean, they’re certainly not afraid of us. They’ve got the guy who’s going to win the Cy Young in the National League, starting Game 1.

"We got our work cut out."

That they do. This year's Brewers are not the team that the Dodgers swept in 2025. They somehow got better after parting ways with Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin. Jacob Misiorowski and Jackson Chourio both took a leap this season, and Chourio's much healthier than when he was hampered by a hamstring injury last October. Logan Henderson is a bonafide No. 2 starter behind the Miz, and the back end of their bullpen has two anchors in Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe.

Here are three key factors that will decide the NLCS:

The Dodgers need to manufacture runs

The Dodgers offense has been streaky all season, but they haven't lacked for slugging. That carried over into the postseason, where they've led all teams with eight home runs in October. On the other hand, they were mostly unable to string hits and walks together against a depleted Braves pitching staff. It wasn't until the second inning of Game 4 on Mauricio Dubón's dropped pop up from Max Muncy allowed Shohei Ohtani to score that the Dodgers got their first run on a non-homer. Even then, they were still 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position until Andy Pages poked a two-out single up the middle to bring in the go-ahead runs in the seventh.

The Dodgers offense doesn't necessarily have to turn into the Brewers, who led the big leagues in team batting average and were fourth in stolen bases this season. But they're up against a pitching staff that does not give up the long ball. Misiorowski, MLB's strikeout leader in 2026, was third in expected slugging percentage (.255). Henderson, Megill and Uribe were all also in the top 20 in xSLG.

LA can get guys on base, but they have to bring them home.

Dodgers rotation depth

As formidable as the Miz and Henderson are, the Dodgers have two pitchers who are just as lethal with Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to start Games 1 and 2. Where they should have the edge, though, is the two games after that. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow round out the Dodgers rotation of four aces, but neither pitched particularly well in the NLDS.

Snell threw 90 pitches in just 3.2 innings against the Braves in Game 2, forcing the Dodgers into an impromptu bullpen game. He was able to limit damage while he was on the mound, giving up just one earned run, but Snell walked five batters. Glasnow threw 4.2 innings in Game 4 and also allowed a run with five walks. That can't happen against a Brewers lineup that was third in wOBA (weighted on-base average) this season.

Shohei Ohtani's health

Maybe the signature moment of Ohtani's career came against the Brewers one year ago, when he pitched six scoreless innings and mashed three home runs -- the last of which cleared the awning in the pavilion seats and left the ballpark entirely -- in a decisive Game 4 of the NLCS. What a difference a year makes.

Ohtani started the year with what looked like it could have been a Cy Young campaign. But lingering injuries to his right bicep and left knee shut him down from the mound in July and ultimately led to him to focus on just hitting for the remainder of this season. The Dodgers hoped an IL stint in September could reset some bad habits Ohtani developed while trying to play through pain, but the reigning back-to-back NL MVP still struggled at the plate down the stretch with an abysmal .566 OPS to close out the final month of the season.

He has yet to turn a corner in October and was dropped from leadoff to fifth in the lineup for Game 3 of the NLDS and hit from the cleanup spot in Game 4, though he still found a way to make an impact by drawing a walk in the second inning and immediately stealing second and advancing to third on a Braves throwing error. He then scored on a fielding error to tie the game early.

Ohtani is still Ohtani, though. He's clearly not 100%, but Dodgers brass still believes he'll have a breakthrough at some point this October.

"He’s the best player in the world," Friedman told reporters. "And at some point, it’s going to click for him, and the other team’s going to be in big trouble when that happens."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can Ohtani still be Ohtani? Three keys for Dodgers in NLCS vs. Brewers

Several months back, I began a series here at Pinstripe Alley where I was going to put together an All-Star Yankee team of players who were born in a given month. Since then, we as a staff have started doing daily posts for the year 2026, highlighting a Yankee from history whose birthday happens to land on that day. As we near the end of this month, what better way to put a cap on a month’s worth of birthday posts then by using the all-month teams as a way to look back on who we covered? And maybe some we didn’t cover who shared a birthday with someone else?

With that in mind, here are my choices for the All-September Birthday Yankee Team. (I was a little busy with playoff stuff to get this post ready before the end of September itself.)

Pitcher: Waite Hoyt (September 9th birthday post)

September has a pretty deep rotation, with the likes of Gerrit Cole, Bob Turley, Al Orth, Slow Joe Doyle, Randy Johnson, Jim Abbott, Doyle Alexander, and others available. However, the ace of the staff should probably be the Hall of Famer Hoyt, who won three World Series titles in the Bronx.

Catcher: Fran Healy

On the other hand, catcher is not particularly deep, so we’ll go with Healy, who was a backup on the 1977 World Series team.

First Base: Frank Chance

Chance is a Hall of Famer for his playing career as part of the “Tinkers to Evers to Chance” double play trio with the Cubs, who he also led to multiple championships as the manager. His Yankee player-manager career…went less well. He’ll be player-manager for September to see if he can lead this team to any better fate.

Second Base: Neil Walker

Walker wasn’t profiled as his September 10th birthdate is actually a pretty prolific one for the Yankees.

Shortstop: Phil Rizzuto (September 25th birthday post)

“Scooter” is a beloved figure in Yankees’ history, both for his playing career, where he won seven championships and the 1950 AL MVP, and his subsequent broadcasting career.

Third Base: Tom Tresh (September 20th birthday post)

In his rookie season, Tresh was honored as the 1962 AL Rookie of the Year. He helped the Yankees to a championship that season and was a bright spot in the down years that came in the mid to late 1960s.

Left Field: Charlie Keller (September 12th birthday post)

“King Kong” played with some other iconic Yankees of the 1930s and ‘40s, so he sometimes gets overlooked, but he was a beast. In 13 career seasons, he posted a 152 OPS+ with a career .410 OBP.

Center Field: Bernie Williams (September 13th birthday post)

Because he missed out on the 2009 championship, Williams doesn’t get included in the “Core Four” stuff, but Bernie was an integral part of the late 1990s and early 2000s championship teams, being another homegrown star. Not only will he be right in the heart of September’s lineup, but he can also serenade the team with music before or after games.

Right Field: Roger Maris (September 10th birthday post)

As mentioned, September 10th was a common birthday in Yankees’ history, getting its second player on the team with another to come. Maris was undoubtedly the best September 10th Yankee, winning two MVPs, including in his famous 61 home run 1961 season.

The outfield bench is…interesting, as it includes Tim Raines, Jacoby Ellsbury (if he’s not hurt), Heliot Ramos, and Chris Young.

Designated Hitter: Paul Goldschmidt

“Goldy” is the third member of the September 10th club on this team. His numbers as a Yankee won’t wow anyone years from now, but he was a perfectly solid platoon bat for the last two seasons.

That’s my team for September, but how would you fill out the lineup card?

Hello, friends.

There are now 164 days remaining until the next scheduled Orioles game. The next several months will be full of trying to find fresh ways to express that there is uncertainty as to whether any game will be played on that date, whether spring training report dates will happen as scheduled, and so on.

For now, there are the MLB playoffs continuing as a diversion from the harsh labor situation to come. The Guardians and White Sox took their series to five games, with the decisive game taking place yesterday. Future Hall of Famer José Ramírez hit a two-run home run in a game the Guardians won, 2-0, to take the series.

Cleveland pitchers recorded 21 strikeouts in the clincher, with starting pitcher Gavin Williams leading the way with 12 of them. Williams struck out 248 batters in the regular season to lead all AL pitchers and he’s already struck out 24 through 11.2 innings in this postseason.

On the National League side, the LCS between the Dodgers and Brewers – a rematch of last year’s NLCS – gets under way tonight at 8pm. Good luck to the Brewers. Mostly because I think it will be pretty boring if the Dodgers get the three-peat, and I am not interested in the way a Dodgers three-peat will contribute to the CBA negotiation discourse. Somebody beat these guys already. Thanks!

Orioles stuff you might have missed

We are in the time of year where you may encounter links repeated on multiple days, particularly on weekends. Sorry!

Wondering how Orioles would have fared in the postseason (Baltimore Baseball)
This topic has been on my mind as well. Rich Dubroff lays out that the O’s may have had a nice set of starting pitchers to go around, but otherwise thinks the team is far off from even the low level of the Guardians-White Sox series.

One of the best stories of 2026: Brandon Young (Steve on Baseball)
The Orioles went 19-9 in Young’s starts, and how he pitched had a whole lot to do with that. He might be the difference between the team having a win total in the 60s and not.

Down to Earth: On ground ball rates and Aron Estrada (Green Spreadsheets of the Mind)
This prospect-interested Substack crunched some numbers about prospects with high ground ball rates and their likelihood of becoming successful big leaguers, with particular notice of my guy Aron Estrada.

Are the Orioles listening? Their fans think they aren’t. (The Baltimore Banner)
Here’s the thing for me. If the front office listens to the fans, they’re going to get fired. The fans don’t know anything. If the business operations aren’t listening to the fans, they’re going to have problems with keeping fans.

How Colton Cowser believes he can return to form in 2027. (Orioles.com)
Among the goals are avoiding having the bad months be as bad as they were. This should be an achievable goal, which is not to say it’s guaranteed to be achieved.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

Today in 1971, the Orioles won Game 2 of the World Series against the Pirates, with Brooks Robinson setting a World Series record by reaching base five consecutive times. The Orioles won the game, 11-3, to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Let’s not think too hard about the rest of that series.

In 2012, the O’s pulled to a 2-2 tie with the Yankees in the ALDS that year, with J.J. Hardy driving in the go-ahead run in the 13th inning. Let’s not think too hard about the rest of that series.

In 2014, the Orioles played the second game of the ALCS. Let’s not think about that series at all.

There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2025 pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, 2009-10 infielder Ty Wigginton, 1988-93 pitcher Gregg Olson, 1968 infielder Mike Fiore, and 1956-60 catcher Joe Ginsberg.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Heinz founder Henry J. Heinz (1844), first lady and diplomat Eleanor Roosevelt (1884), former Orioles broadcaster Jon Miller (1951), Mystery Science Theater 3000 guy Mike Nelson (1964), former Baltimore Ravens defensive standout Terrell Suggs (1982), and rapper Cardi B (1992).

On this day in history…

In 1899, settlers of the Dutch-speaking Boer republics of southern Africa launched preemptive strikes against the British colony in South Africa, sparking the Second Boer War, which lasted nearly three years and ended with those republics being absorbed into the British empire.

In 1910, President Theodore Roosevelt flew in a plane, becoming the first president to ever do so. He was flown around by a pilot named Arch Hoxsey.

In 1968, the Apollo 7 mission launched. This was NASA’s first successful crewed mission in the Apollo program. Over 11 days, the three astronauts in the crew tested a variety of functions of the spacecraft that would later take men to the moon.

**

And that’s the way it is in Birdland on October 11. Have a safe Sunday. Go O’s!

So now we know all the participants in the coming ALCS and NLCS matchups. Dodgers and Brewers begins tonight, which should be an outstanding series.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• As noted yesterday, Sam Fuld will stay with the organization after being chased as their president of baseball operations.
• If the Phillies want to get imaginative with their changes, the first move to make is moving Trea Turner off of shortstop ($).
• There are ways to make changes and one of is to make trades. If they wanted to make trade for a “bad contract”, who are some candidates for that kind of move?

MLB news:

• We’ve seen the proposal that MLB put forward about a shorter season. What are some possible pros and cons to that kind of move?
• If the Braves wanted to acquire Tarik Skubal at the deadline, they needed to include Didier Fuentes. Now you know what Skubal wasn’t dealt to Atlanta.
• Including Victor Mesa, Jr., the Rays have acquired a lot of under the radar talents to help fuel their run to the ALCS ($).

After eight days of Division Series games, we have arrived at the League Championship Series, and the top four seeds all advanced. Rest didn’t affect these teams much as they rode first-round byes through the round. The next round begins today, with the NLCS taking center stage before the ALCS kicks off tomorrow. It’s best-of-seven series the rest of the way.

Earlier this week, we’ve posted a few in-depth previews of the series:

• Harrison had an in-depth preview of the Brewers-Dodgers series.
• Paul compared the two teams position-by-position.
• Adam gave reasons why you should against the Dodgers and for the Brewers.

Here’s a look at both of the matchups.

All times listed in Central Time.

AL Championship Series: (1) Tampa Bay Rays vs. (2) Cleveland Guardians

The two series went in opposite directions in the ALDS. The Rays finished the regular season leading the AL at 98-64, 4.5 games ahead of the 93-68 Yankees. While the Yankees came into the series after two blowouts of the Red Sox in the Wild Card round, that momentum was quickly squashed. The Rays never trailed in the ALDS and swept the Yankees 3-0 to advance. Meanwhile, the Guardians had to fight their way here. They lost their first two home games, forcing them into three straight elimination games. The Guardians survived, winning two in Chicago before taking Game 5 at home to advance. The Guardians are in the ALCS for the second time in three seasons, while the Rays are back for the first time since the shortened 2020 season.

Schedule

• Game 1 @ Tampa Bay: Monday, October 12 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 2 @ Tampa Bay: Tuesday, October 13 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 3 @ Cleveland: Thursday, October 15 @ 5:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 4 @ Cleveland: Friday, October 16 @ 5:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 5* @ Cleveland: Saturday, October 17 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 6* @ Tampa Bay: Monday, October 19 @ 4:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 7* @ Tampa Bay: Tuesday, October 20 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)

Team Rankings

Rays:

• Offense: .258/.326/.402 (.728 OPS ranks eighth); 169 HRs (22nd); 736 runs (12th); 164 SBs (tied for second)
• Pitching: 3.70 team ERA (seventh); 3.51 starter ERA (third); 3.99 reliever ERA (14th); 1,322 Ks (19th)

Guardians:

• Offense: .239/.316/.380 (.696 OPS ranks 26th); 162 HRs (27th); 678 runs (24th); 146 SBs (seventh)
• Pitching: 3.77 team ERA (eighth); 3.93 starter ERA (ninth); 3.54 reliever ERA (sixth); 1,530 Ks (third)

Projected Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 2: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 3: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 4: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 5*: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 6*: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 7*: TBD vs. TBD

Prediction

This will be a series between a well-rested Rays team and a battle-tested Guardians team. The Rays are set up to deploy their rotation in whatever order they want, along with a fresh bullpen. Meanwhile, the Guardians had to deploy their top two starters twice against the White Sox, which means they likely won’t have Parker Messick until Game 2 and Gavin Williams until Game 3. Cade Smith, their closer, also pitched in all five games. The Rays dominated the season series between the two teams, taking five of six games including a sweep in Tampa Bay. I think it will be a similar situation in the ALDS, and will take the Rays in five games.

NL Championship Series: (1) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (2) Los Angeles Dodgers

On the NL side of the bracket, both the Brewers and Dodgers needed four games each to advance to the NLCS. The Brewers needed some time to get going, but comebacks in their first two games gave them a 2-0 lead, and a solid team performance in Game 4 sent them to the next round. For the Dodgers, they split their two home games, but their pitching staff held the Braves to two runs in Atlanta to advance. This sets up a rematch from last season between the Brewers and Dodgers, as well as their third NLCS meeting in the last nine seasons.

Schedule

• Game 1 @ Milwaukee: Sunday, October 12 @ 7:00 p.m. (FOX)
• Game 2 @ Milwaukee: Monday, October 13 @ 4:00 p.m. (FOX or FS1)
• Game 3 @ Los Angeles: Wednesday, October 15 @ 7:00 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 4 @ Los Angeles: Thursday, October 16 @ 8:00 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 5* @ Los Angeles: Friday, October 16 @ 8:00 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 6* @ Milwaukee: Sunday, October 18 @ 7:00 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 7* @ Milwaukee: Monday, October 19 @ 7:00 p.m. (FOX or FS1)

Team Rankings

Brewers:

• Offense: .258/.341/.403 (.744 OPS ranks tied for third); 154 HRs (tied for 28th); 832 runs (second); 162 SBs (fifth)
• Pitching: 3.51 team ERA (second); 3.61 starter ERA (fifth); 3.40 reliever ERA (third); 1,544 Ks (second)

Dodgers:

• Offense: .257/.338/.424 (.762 OPS ranks second); 204 HRs (tied for seventh); 801 runs (fourth); 72 SBs (28th)
• Pitching: 3.55 team ERA (fourth); 3.43 starter ERA (second); 3.74 reliever ERA (ninth); 1,521 Ks (fourth)

Projected Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) vs. LHP Tarik Skubal (LAD)
• Game 2: TBD vs. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)
• Game 3: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 4: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 5*: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 6*: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 7*: TBD vs. TBD

Prediction

While the Brewers have been the best team in the regular season for two straight years, the four-game sweep by the Dodgers last year has been a giant blemish on their work. This team is hungry to prove that they can win in the big moments. However, the Dodgers have proven over and over again that they can win when it matters. Pitching will be on full display in this one as two of the best pitching staffs match up. I don’t think this one will go against the Brewers again. It was a 4-3 Brewers advantage in the regular season. I’ll take that same margin in the NLCS, with the Brewers winning in seven games.