Category: MLB

“Brave of you to boo Freddie.”

That was from the Dodgers — via the social media site X — to Atlanta’s fans, with love.

Left untweeted, but understood: Thank you. Thank you so much.

Like all of the booing Braves fans rooting against Freddie Freeman in the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory Tuesday in Game 3 of the National League Division Series, their counterparts in L.A. also remember well that Freeman became a Dodger in 2022 only after his painful split with the Braves.

Read more:Plaschke: Rejuvenated Dodgers beat Braves, ignore awful tomahawk chop in series that feels over

If those contract talks with Atlanta hadn’t stalled, Freeman, the so-so-clutch 37-year-old with the 1950s flat top, wouldn’t have provided Angelenos with so much joy and so many incredible postseason moments — including Tuesday’s solo home run off Atlanta ace Chris Sale.

If the Braves hadn’t pulled their offer and abruptly pivoted away from their fan favorite, the guy they drafted in the second round in 2007 out of El Modena High School in Orange, the Dodgers don’t even have an opening to invite him back to Southern California, or to sign him to a six-year, $162 million deal.

If the Braves don’t trade instead for Matt Olson, the Dodgers don’t have a hobbled Freeman hitting his walk-off, 10th-inning grand slam against the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Don’t have him providing the final blow with a 406-foot walk-off solo shot in last season’s 18-inning marathon of a World Series game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

And they don’t have him hitting his fifth career postseason home run at Truist Park — this one the first against the Braves instead of for them.

Boo your front office too, Braves fans, for not wanting to play ball with Freeman.

Tuesday’s 399-foot solo shot off of Sale’s sinker pushed the lead to 3-0 — a margin that no team has yet overcome against Dodgers’ ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

And for whoever is studying for the history test later, it also gave Freeman the most lefty-on-lefty home runs in MLB playoff history (eight). It was his 18th career postseason home run — nine of them with the Dodgers, thank the Braves very much — which nudged him back ahead of teammate Kiké Hernández, whose two-run home run two batters earlier was the 17th of his playoff career.

It also was Freeman’s second home run in three NLDS games — after he hit only one in the final 66 regular-season games he played in.

The man wasn’t kidding when he told us he’d figured something out.

“Yeah, the first couple of days of the bye week, you’re just trying to figure out and looking at the video what’s worked in the past, what it looks like in setup,” Freeman said after Tuesday’s victory. “We found something where my shoulders were a little too turned. All I really did was open my shoulders a couple inches.

“Baseball,” he reminded us, “is a game of inches.”

Ain’t that the truth; Freeman would’ve had two home runs Tuesday if Braves left fielder Mauricio Dubón hadn’t robbed him of one in the third inning with a sprinting, leaping catch at the wall.

“Dubón made a great play on the one at-bat,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “ … but (Freeman) just takes great at-bats.

“And no moment’s going to be too big for him.”

The Dodgers can count on Freeman to come through big at the plate; his home run in Sunday’s Game 2 loss wasn’t enough in the end, but the solo home run off Braves reliever Grant Holmes tied the score 1-1 and gave a subdued Dodger Stadium crowd a much-needed jolt.

The Dodgers also count on Freeman in the field.

Smooth and sure-handed, Freeman has the third-best fielding percentage among active first basemen (.997). On Tuesday, he finished off the game with a nifty pick, securing the squirrely throw from shortstop Mookie Betts to get Mike Yastrzemski for the final out, stranding Ozzie Albies at third.

“He does whatever it takes to win,” Roberts said. “That was a tough play. Yaz runs decent … you never know, I might have had to make a pitching change. You get (Austin) Riley who has come up with big hits. Just to be able to make that play was big.”

As for his reception, less welcoming than usual from the Atlanta faithful?

Freeman said he didn’t even hear the boos: “To be honest, I don’t really hear much out there. It’s just noise because it’s so loud.”

Read more:'He shows up when you need him.' Kiké Hernández helps lift Dodgers to 2-1 NLDS lead

And hearing about them didn’t leave him boo-hooing.

“I’ve got a gray uniform on, I expect boos. It’s OK,” he said, flashing that bright smile. “Like I’ve always said, I’ve enjoyed my 12 years in this organization. … I’ve had wonderful experiences with the white uniform on here, and I loved every second of it. I get it. This is a game. We’re trying to win the game. They want to win it for their team…

“It’s all love. I still love everybody here.”

But it’s baseball. There’s a thin line — just inches — between love and boos.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The first two games of the American League Division Series were an utter disaster for the Yankees, from nearly getting no-hit to idiotic baserunning decisions and heinous errors in the field. They very much deserve their 0-2 hole. They ran it back with the 2025 team, and perhaps it’s fitting that they would also stare down a possible ALDS sweep against the surprising rival that beat them out for the division title. Those Yanks managed to force a Game 4 thanks to some Aaron Judge heroics before meeting their ultimate fate. Can’t get a shot at a you-never-know Game 5 without winning Game 3, right? Look, I’m not terribly optimistic, but let’s see if we can’t get some Masahiro Tanaka/Greg Bird-esque Game 3 magic, if not only to jab a finger in the Rays’ eye.

Today on the site, Josh will rue the Yankees’ self-inflicted mistakes that may have already ruined the season, Matt will run through the NLDS action from yesterday during toe ALDS offday, Nick will celebrate the 94th birthday of a somewhat-recently departed 1960s champion, and Dani will set us up for the do-or-die Game 3 tonight.

Today’s Matchup:

American League Division Series Game 3

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Time: 8:00 p.m. EST

TV: TBS/HBO Max, TruTV, Univision

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Questions/Prompts:

1. Simple enough: Do the Yankees force a Game 4 tomorrow? And if yes, do you think they’ll bring the series back to the Trop for Game 5?

2. Which non-Ben Rice hitter do you feel best about at the moment?

Alex Cora won't manage Phillies or any MLB team in 2027: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

When Alex Cora spoke to the media at the start of spring training in 2024, he claimed that he didn’t intend to be a baseball manager for the rest of his life, stating that “there’s more in life than baseball.” And though his tenure as Red Sox manager ended a lot sooner than he or anybody else anticipated, the 50-year-old has followed through on his declaration.

He first did that in April, when he turned down an offer to manager the Phillies. And it’s now happened again, as he told the Phillies that he doesn’t intend to work in MLB for the 2027 season, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

“Cora informed [Phillies president of baseball operations Dave] Dombrowski he’s taking the season off,” Nightengale reported.

Phillies spurned again by Alex Cora, as manager says he's taking 2027 offhttps://t.co/pCx5pHvmhb

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 7, 2026

Dombrowski, who ran the Red Sox’ baseball operations from 2015-19, fired John Farrell after the 2017 season and hired Cora for his first managerial job. Cora led the Red Sox to a World Series victory in Year 1. And though the Red Sox fired Dombrowski late in the 2019 season, Cora remained a logical choice as Dombrowski’s next hire in Philadelphia after firing Rob Thomson in late April this past season.

Nevertheless, Cora took the 2026 season off following his firing on April 25, and he’ll continue to watch baseball from afar in 2027.

That’s not the most difficult choice for Cora, considering he’s still owed more than $7 million by the Red Sox, who in the summer of 2024 extended Cora through 2027 on a three-year, $21.75 million contract.

The Pittsburgh Pirates infield in 2026 was comprised of a balanced mix of All-Star caliber players and average rotational pieces.

Best of the best starters

Pittsburgh’s infield as a whole was a position group that in 2026 had several marquee players. The most explosive of these players was second baseman Brandon Lowe. After being acquired from Tampa in 2025’s offseason, Lowe made an instant impact for Pittsburgh as he set the all-time mark for most home runs hit by a Pirates’ second baseman in a single season with 35. His pop and power was a welcomed addition that helped the Pirates completely transform their putrid offense from a season ago. Fingers crossed Lowe resigns with the Pirates.

Ryan O’Hearn was another welcomed addition via free-agency and he too had one of his best statistical seasons of his career in his first year as a Bucco. O’Hearn did have to miss some time due to injury, but when he was on the field (first base or right field) he was absolutely electric. On July 7 against the Atlanta Braves he set a Pirates’ single-game record for RBIs (10) as he had three homers on the night and absolutely put the team on his back in that performance. His veteran leadership was welcomed in the locker room and on the field, and the Pirates are far better off with O’Hearn in the lineup.

Brandon Lowe crushed his first season in Pittsburgh 🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/pnChU2Dv5a

— MLB (@MLB) September 29, 2026

Perhaps the most surprising star of this Pirates squad in 2026 was Nick Gonzales who served primarily as the Pittsburgh’s third baseman. In 148 games played Gonzales put together his most complete season as a pro to date. His .303 batting average ranked fourth in the National League, while his hits and on base percentage ranked eighth and ninth respectively. This season Gonzales proved he’s a piece that’s worth keeping around, as he proved to be a capable well-rounded defender, as well as a great presence at the plate. Gonzales’ 167 hits was the most by anyone on the Pirates in 2026

Middle of the road rotational players

There was a point in time in the year where Spencer Horwitz getting a hit was as guaranteed as Munetaka Murakami giving a great interview. However, he did cool off at points in the season and had a pretty average year. Still though he did appear in 107 contests at first base for the Buccos and was mostly solid just not spectacular. His .244 batting average was a downtick to his .272 in 2025, and he hit one less homer this year. That being said, Horwitz is a steady presence at first, and was certainly the best option to play the position when O’Hearn was either hurt or in right field.

Nick Gonzales sticks one in the ivy to tie the game! 🍃👀 pic.twitter.com/56Du7zJYkz

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) September 13, 2026

Jared Triolo was once again right in the thick of things as a do it all defender. The former Gold Glove utility man had eight appearances at first base, 50 at third base and 71 at shortstop. He’s still the most versatile defensive player on the Pirates’ roster, but of course his offensive shortcomings keep him from being a more regularly used piece in the lineup. He once again finished with very high marks when it comes to fielding percentage, but was just average at the plate, only hitting .238 on the season and just three homers.

Not all will be welcomed back

Jacob Gonzalez was acquired from the Chicago White Sox on July 11 and it seems like he left the best of his abilities back in the Windy City. Although he did have five home runs with the Pirates the rest of his stats did not hold up. He only hit .203 as a Bucco and only had 14 RBIs with the club. I’m not sure that there was a real winner to this trade, but it’s clear that the Pirates might be better off cutting their losses with Gonzalez.

Nick Yorke had a majority of his appearances come at third base (38) for the Pirates in 2026, but that was mostly as a depth piece when Gonzales or Triolo weren’t there. He certainly shouldn’t be viewed as an integral piece of the team moving forward. What he didn’t do on the field was in a way made up for what he did provide to the clubhouse as a morale guy.

Konnor Griffin

The rookie-phenom Konnor Griffin deserves his own section, not so much for what he did in 2026 but for what he’s projected to do in the future. Griffin made waves when he became the highest paid Pirate ever, and then followed it up with a big hit in his first major league at bat. However, Griffin’s season was plagued with injuries. He was still able to appear in 80 games and hit for .272, but it’s clear to anyone with eyes and ears that Griffin is capable of so much more. It’s already remarkable what he’s been able to do at such a young age and in an injury shortened season, that 2027 will really be a treat for anyone who has the privilege of seeing Griffin in action. He’s a future star in the making, and could very well end up being talked about in the same breath as former teenage-phenoms like Ken Griffey Jr. and Bryce Harper. Stay tuned for so much more to come!

Who doesn't love a Konnor Griffin trip, trip, triple 🤩

4th triple for KG 💨 pic.twitter.com/10Qx4DS5q1

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) September 22, 2026

Overall the infield for the Pittsburgh groups was super solid. Even the middle of the road players were capable of flipping the script on a game and contributing in meaningful ways. If Lowe is resigned, this will be arguably the best position group for the Pirates in 2027.

The postgame celebration songs pounded through the Bluetooth speakers in the Chicago White Sox clubhouse on Monday night, minutes after the team’s playoff victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.

The White Sox, who lost 121 games two seasons ago, have made a remarkable turnaround. A team who were once so abject that they stopped tweeting out their results are now just five wins from the World Series. They can seal their progress to the American League Championship Series on Wednesday if they beat the Guardians in Chicago.

But amid the clubhouse excitement in Cleveland, one individual remained the same. As usual.

“He’s the same guy every single day,” White Sox designated hitter Andrew Benintendi said about the club’s manager, Will Venable. “He’s even keel. … Being Steady Eddie and showing up every day as the same guy.”

Venable has been the catalyst for the White Sox this year. His consistent approach and calm demeanor have helped set the tone for a team whose manager once envisioned his future on a basketball court. Long before Venable managed a major-league team, he learned about spacing, timing, preparation, trust and precision away from the baseball diamond.

Venable was a shooting guard for Princeton University from 2001 to 2005. He was first team All-Ivy League, led his team to the NCAA Tournament and once scored 21 points against Duke. As a baseball player, Venable was also All-Ivy, which made him only the second Princeton athlete to accomplish that distinction in baseball and basketball.

And he eventually took the Princeton concepts of basketball and used them in his baseball career.

“For me, my time playing basketball, especially at Princeton, helped me understand the importance of attention to detail,” said Venable, who played eight years in the majors, mostly for the San Diego Padres. “The spacing and timing required [in the Princeton offense] helped me as a baseball player understand the importance of every little detail.”

Princeton’s style of basketball taught Venable how to see baseball spatially and collectively. The basic concepts of the Princeton offense rely on constant player movement, precise passing, back-door cuts and read-and-react decisions rather than fixed set plays.

The Princeton offense is about players functioning as connected pieces rather than individuals. This postseason, Chicago’s pitching philosophy has been a team effort – sharing the ball as in basketball. Instead of the traditional routine in the playoffs of leaning on a starter to throw six-plus innings followed by relief, the White Sox focus on managing matchups, not innings. It’s not about who starts but who gets the next out.

Venable essentially manages his pitching staff the way a basketball coach manages a roster: through combinations, matchups, short bursts and putting players into situations where their particular skills have the greatest advantage.

“That’s carried over into managing,” Venable said. “The details matter: where we position guys, the timing of their pre-pitch movements, timing at the plate, all the very fine details and the precision of the game. I learned that through my time in basketball.”

And many of White Sox players have learned from their manager. They learned from the unconventional style but mostly from the confidence that leaks into his players.

That confidence was on display Monday when rookie Braden Montgomery’s opposite-field double in the sixth inning gave the White Sox the lead. In that same inning, Montgomery scored on a single as the White Sox held on for a 4-3 Game 2 victory. The switch-hitting outfielder had a .430 OPS in 103 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers in the regular season, the worst among qualifying hitters from the right side of the plate. And it was just his third hit in 12 postseason plate appearances.

“That’s a guy that’s not going to shy away from the moment,” Venable said. “It all culminates into trusting the player and really again putting the nine best guys out there to get the job done.”

Montgomery said Venable’s quote is special.

“I respect him so much for having that confidence in me, and that means the world to me,” Montgomery said. “I’d run through a wall for Will.”

Earlier this season catcher Kyle Teel needed a dose of confidence as he struggled at the plate after he returned to the active roster.

“[Will] came up to me and told me not to do too much and stay within myself,” Teel said. “I hit a home run right after he said that. He’s a phenomenal leader. I’m grateful he’s our manager.”

Shortstop Colson Montgomery said Venable’s confidence has a strong influence on the team.

“When you see your manager walking around with all of the confidence in the world, why would I not walk around like that too,” Montgomery said. “There’s never a doubt wondering if he believes in me.”

After losing 102 games in his first season as manager in 2025, Venable earned belief when the White Sox made a chase for a Central Division title this season and finished 84-78. They fell one game short behind the Guardians. Venable says the turnaround is a team and organizational effort.

“[General manager Chris Getz] was very clear about what he thought [winning] looked like, and as he outlined his plan and his values, I was very much in line with that,” Venable said. “That’s why I ultimately thought it was a good partnership and that this was going to be a place where we could help the organization move forward. … I was on board with the vision and wanted to do my part to help him.”

His part included developing a trust among his players, establishing confidence and bringing the lessons from basketball – precision, trust, interconnectedness and unselfishness – to baseball.

“It’s because they’ve done it together,” Venable said. “It’s because they’ve done it for each other, and that’s something that we witness every single day in that clubhouse.”

NY Daily News | James O’Connell: The Yankees ran out the same exact lineup in Games 1 and 2 of their ALDS matchup against the Rays, but aside from Ben Rice and his pair of home runs no one else is really contributing. As the series shifts over to New York for Game 3 tonight, manager Aaron Boone was amenable to some lineup tinkering though he wouldn’t get into specifics of who could find their way in and who would get sent to the bench. Some of the more likely candidates to sit include those who both haven’t found their way into a hit yet and also fumbled the ball around in their atrocious Game 2 showing, such as Ryan McMahon and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

NY Post | Mark W. Sanchez: Max Fried is lined up to start tonight on the mound in Game 3, but there was the potential for that to not be the case. Fried’s partner is due to give birth in the coming days and there was the possibility that Fried would have to miss this start, but the lefty confirmed that he will be there for the team adding that he’s “got a really supportive family that understands that this is my job.” Fried’s focus is leaving it all on the line for his team as the Yankees face elimination, and hopefully that dedication pays off for him.

MLB.com | Matthew Leach: So the Yankees are down in an 0-2 hole, but is there any hope of a comeback? There’s a few reasons to believe in a turnaround, namely that they largely beat themselves in Game 2 and have an elite pitching staff that could lock down opposing bats so long as the defense stops putzing the ball around. Getting out of Tropicana Field is also a big plus, and even though a potential Game 5 would see them return to that house of horrors, they’ve got to win the first two before worrying about that.

MLB.com | Mike Lupica: The Yankees are certainly not strangers to reverse sweeping in an ALDS, as Lupica takes us through the history of the team’s ability to flip the script. Unfortunately, that history all lies in the recent past as Aaron Boone’s squads have largely been unable to answer back after getting punched in the face in a series — let’s see if they can change that narrative this time around.

The Big Lead | J.P. Hoornstra: Sadly, we end our notes with the passing of ‘Sudden’ Sam McDowell, who died on Monday. McDowell was a six-time All-Star throughout his 15-year MLB career, and he played for the Yankees at the tail end of his career for the 1973-74 seasons. From all of us here at Pinstripe Alley, we send our condolences to Sam’s family and friends.

SAN DIEGO — Jake Cronenworth and the San Diego Padres avoided breaking the city's heart, earning a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

The win not only extends the season for the Padres, but forces the Brewers to stay in San Diego for Game 4.

Cronenworth and the Padres were confident in what the victory could do for them in Game 4 with a chance to even the series.

“I think it can (carry over),” Cronenworth said. “You look at the situation we’ve been in for more than half the season and it's kind of been our backs against the wall and fighting since before the trade deadline to survive. I think no team is more battle-tested than us right now.”

GAME 3: Padres will fight another day as ace plays emergency closer

Cronenworth made a difference offensively, going 2-for-2 with a home run that helped San Diego retake the lead. He blasted the ball 368 feet to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Padres wouldn’t give up the lead again, despite the Brewers’ efforts.

A single run has decided all three games in the best-of-five series.

“They’ve been great games, and I think runs are coming at a premium, especially with how the bullpens have been pitching,” Cronenworth said. “You score early, but you need to add some insurance. We had a huge hit by (Xander Bogaerts) and a stolen base to add that insurance run.”

Bogaerts' run in the sixth inning proved to be the difference, after scoring on an error by the Brewers to take a 4-2 lead.

Bogaerts went 1-for-3 at the plate on the night.

“We know what we are in for with those guys,” Ty France said. “They are a really good baseball team and they’re not going to lay down. We played a really good game. It took everybody and that’s kind of what you expect.”

The Padres also needed the arm of pitcher Michael King to protect a 1-run lead in the eighth inning.

King was asked to come out of the bullpen after closer Mason Miller was a late scratch on Tuesday evening.

King had just pitched five innings on Sunday, Oct. 4 in a 4-3 Game 2 loss. He had allowed just three hits and one earned run during that outing while striking out six on 72 pitches.

Miller was a late scratch and was placed on the postseason paternity list with his wife in labor on Tuesday evening. Miller’s status for Game 4 was unclear after the game.

Walker Buehler, who recently returned from the paternity list, will start Game 4, Padres manager Craig Stammen said after the game.

“We are just going to keep grinding one way or another,” Fernando Tatis Jr. said regarding the team’s mindset ahead of Game 4.

The Padres and the Brewers will play Game 4 at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) at Petco Park.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These Padres have always had their 'backs against the wall'

Our slow march toward… something

• Game 3 of the ALDS will be Daniel Espino squaring off against Sean Newcomb

Dodgers 3, Braves 1

• The Dodgers moved a hurting superstar down to 5th in their order. Do the Guardians know this is an option?

• Said hurting superstar, Shohei Ohtani, was 0-for-2 and drew a walk.

• But the Dodgers didn’t need much because Yoshi Yamamoto was pitching, and it appears that some guys are just great this time of year, despite little scientific evidence of #clutch.

• Speaking of which, Freddie Freeman and Enrique Hernandez homered.

Padres 4, Brewers 3

• Facing elimination, the Padres held off the pesky Brewers to win 4-3 and force a game 4.

• Michael King, who has been unhittable this postseason, got a 2-inning save in this one…

• …because Mason Miller was with his wife who was in labor.

Odds and ends
• Entering today,

• The New England Patriots released linebacker Jose Ramirez.

• Tom Pham remains insanely unlikeable.

The plucky San Diego Padres assured us a four-game Wednesday.

With their 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, the Padres ensured all four Division Series will live on, Game 3s on tap in the American League and Game 4s pitting the Padres and Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves in the National League.

Parity? Seems like there’s more than a little of it going around. The Padres’ 4-3 win over Milwaukee is befitting for a series that’s featured three one-run games. Only right it doesn’t end in a three-game sweep that involved stadium roofs and paternity leaves.

What did we learn as the AL took a travel day and the NL staged a pair of Game 3s? Here’s four takeaways from the NLDS:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the Most Valuable Dodger

So much attention was bestowed upon the $700 million signing of Shohei Ohtani that the fact Yoshinobu Yamamoto chose the Dodgers over similar offers from New York, San Francisco and elsewhere ducked relatively under the radar.

Now, the Dodgers are once again primed to win their third consecutive World Series title with the pair. And every time he takes the ball, Yamamoto builds the case he’s the greatest postseason pitcher of all-time.

Crazy? Well, consider that if the Dodgers threepeat, Yamamoto bailed them out every single time, digging them out of a 2024 NLDS hole by quieting San Diego, putting on one of the most heroic pitching shows ever in Games 6 and 7 in Toronto and then, Tuesday, when all the world was atwitter over 37-year-old Chris Sale available to start for Atlanta.

Somewhat startlingly, the Dodgers ace was relegated to the bottom of the marquee: “Also appearing – Yoshinobu Yamamoto.”

Now, after seven shutout innings and a career-best 10 strikeouts, Yamamoto should never earn such second billing again.

In three seasons, he has pitched in 11 postseason games. The Dodgers have won 10 of them, and he personally recorded the win in eight – no trivial matter given the four-and-out starts so endemic to the playoffs, a scourge that can blow out any bullpen.

No, Yama is the Dodgers’ rock and his three-year exploits – a 2.00 ERA, 58 strikeouts to 13 walks in 63 innings – are, era-adjusted, growing just as impressive as the Koufaxes and Pettittes and Bumgarners.

Relievers: Never get too high – or low – on them

Only the Dodgers could spend $145 million on a pair of relievers who horrify their fans.

Yet that’s been the case for both Tanner Scott – signed to a four-year, $72 million in 2025, only to tumble headlong out of manager Dave Roberts’ trust tree – and Edwin Díaz. The latter inked a three-year, $69 million deal this past winter, largely to paper over Scott’s failures a year before.

And then Díaz proceeded to be injured and awful for the entirety of the season. He barely made it back to the Dodgers roster by season’s end, completing a shaky late-seaon rehab assignment by the final week.

Suddenly, he locked it in.

Díaz posted five scoreless innings, giving up just a hit and a walk, in five appearances to end the year. And there he was, protecting a 3-1, ninth-inning lead in NLDS Game 3 and promptly giving up a wall-banging double to Ozzie Albies.

The angst was palpable. But Díaz was undaunted, retiring the red-hot Michael Harris II  and then Mauricio Dubón and pinch-hitter Mike Yastrzemski to end it.

Díaz could only lock down the save because Scott did some heavier lifting in the eighth, pitching around a wise two-out walk to Ronald Acuña and striking out Matt Olson in a left-on-left showdown that left the Truist Park crowd resigned to defeat.

October’s a long month. The guy you wouldn’t trust to deliver your groceries might be on point two weeks from now. And the dude that feels untouchable might be shot by then.

William Contreras, villain extraordinaire

They love “Wild Bill” in Milwaukee. Of course they do! This All-Star catcher can absolutely bang, and in the Brewers’ first road game this season, he compiled three hits and a home run.

And oh, what a trot at Petco Park.

William Contreras cuts the lead in half with his second home run of the series

📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/snox6YMbj8

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 7, 2026

Contreras took roughly 31 seconds to circle the bases, paying homage to his bullpen, the dugout and an undetermined deity when he crossed home plate, enabling the boos from Petco Park to reach a crescendo. As if most of the fans didn’t know who this dude was when he hit the ball and never wanted to see him again by the time he tapped home.

Yet the Padres simply can’t contain him.

His Game 1 go-ahead homer set the tone for the series and then in Game 3, he not only went deep again but showed off his hose catching Jase Bowen stealing. In the ninth, he drew a one-out walk to put a massive scare into the Padres.

Yet they survived, and their Game 3 win provided this series a narrative. It’s almost certain Wild Bill will have a key role in the final plot twists.

The Padres take care of their own

They were missing their bullpen bulwark, so the vaunted Padres relief corps banded together and simply agreed to do a little more.

With peerless closer Mason Miller going on the paternity list before Game 3, the likes of Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez and Jason Adam were asked to come in a little earlier, maybe retire an extra batter or two.

The puzzle was exacerbated by lefty Adrian Morejon's apparent unavailability. So Game 2 starter Michael King closed it, channeling his Yankees relief roots to record six outs and nail down the victory. He was on fumes at the end, putting the tying and winning runs on base and giving up a scorching liner to Christian Yelich. But it was right at shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who made a fantastic pick of the 107.1 mph screamer, stepped on second and turned the double play.

All in service of Miller supporting his family with, apparently, the birth of his child imminent. They got by without him, giving Miller the chance to return in a Game 4 or Game 5, his adrenaline, surely, pumping.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoffs takeaways: Why Yamamoto is the Most Valuable Dodger

Much like a weekend in Las Vegas, the San Diego Padres have little to talk about after the first two games of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

However, the Friar Faithful have plenty to say about the two defeats. One game was decided on a roof-aided out that negated Ty France’s go-ahead home run. And the game’s best closer coughed up a one-run lead in the ninth inning.

Not all dome stadiums are equal

The ground rules for a ball hitting a domed stadium’s roof depend on the venue’s architectural design. In Milwaukee, a batted ball that hits the roof or cable extension in fair territory is live and in play. However, if the contact is in foul territory, it is a foul ball. 

Keep in mind that the rules are different at Tampa’s Tropicana Field. The highest catwalk rings are the facility’s roof, and balls that hit them are considered in play. But the lower catwalk rings are in fair territory and, if hit, are automatic home runs. 

For competitive fairness, Major League Baseball needs a universal rule for all balls that hit a dome stadium’s roof. The sport cannot have different outcomes for the same play. A home run in Tampa could be ruled an out in Milwaukee. 

League rules state balls bouncing off the wall cannot be caught for an out. Please explain the difference in these scenarios.

Adopting a universal rule would eliminate confusion for players and fans alike.

Was Craig Stammen greedy?

The Padres were leading 3-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. Manager Craig Stammen was six outs away from evening the series at a game apiece and heading home for Games 3 and 4. Usually, he chooses long-term bullpen management over extending a reliever’s appearance. 
In Game 2, he became greedy with his managerial decisions. 

Arguably, Mason Miller is baseball’s best closer. He recorded 38 saves with a 1.67 ERA, and regularly throws in the 100s. You could not ask for a better option to close out a potential Game 2 win. But Stammen wanted more from his closer: a two-inning outing. 

Yes, Miller had two multi-inning appearances this season: a 7-6 win over the Atlanta Braves on June 23rd and a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees on September 4th. Both outings were extra-inning affairs. 

A tale of two innings

On Sunday, Miller retired the Brewers’ No. 2, 3, and 4 hitters on 12 pitches. But the ninth inning was a different story: besides recording two outs, he walked three batters and gave up the game-winning hit by Jackson Chourio.

Of course, conspiracy theorists believe Miller was tipping his pitches in the ninth inning. Sorry folks, but that is a fallacy. Control issues were his problem. 

In the postgame press conference, Stammen admitted his closer was struggling with the strike zone (40 pitches thrown/21 for strikes) in the ninth inning. If Miller was tipping his pitches, adjusting his hand placement within the glove will resolve the issue. 

It is tough to second-guess yourself, but Stammen’s first managerial mistake was using Adrian Morejon for two innings in Game 1. Instead, he should have used Morejon and Miller as a power-arm tandem for the final two innings.

Stammen did not trust another reliever to pitch the eighth inning and chose his best to close out the game. 

Let’s not kid ourselves: the Padres’ bats struggled through the first two games of the series. The offense stalled, leaving 20 runners on base, and the lineup went 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position.

The Friars know their fate this evening: Win or go home.

Box Score

For the third time this NLDS, the Brewers and Padres fought a very close game from start to finish, but this time, Milwaukee was unable to come out on top, as the Padres escaped with a 4-3 victory to cut the series lead to 2-1 for the Crew.

Things started off with a bang, as Jackson Chourio lined a ball into the left-center gap, but Jackson Merrill got a good jump and made a nice sliding catch on the warning track, robbing him of extra bases. Jake Bauers and William Contreras followed with a strikeout and flyout, respectively, but not before getting Nick Pivetta’s pitch count up to 17.

In the home half of the inning, Contreras inexplicably challenged the first pitch out of Dustin May’s hand, a call that was upheld upon review as he cut Milwaukee’s ABS challenges in half right away. May had a solid inning, though, allowing a two-out walk to Manny Machado but nothing else.

Milwaukee got the first hit of the night as Christian Yelich lined a one-out single to center, but he was left there before May went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning with a pair of strikeouts.

After another nice grab by Merrill to rob Sal Frelick, Joey Ortiz had a one-out single in the third but was left stranded, and the Padres got the first leadoff baserunner of the night in the bottom of the frame, as Samad Taylor picked up San Diego’s first hit on a liner up the middle. He then stole second base, advanced on a bunt by Jake Cronenworth, and scored on a groundout by Fernando Tatis Jr. for a 1-0 lead.

Already in a hole, May allowed a single to Merrill, who stole second and scored on a single by Machado to extend the lead to 2-0 before Ty France flew out to end the inning.

Contreras got one of those runs back quickly in the fourth, slugging a leadoff homer over the wall in left to make it 2-1 before Pivetta set the next three down in order.

Second homer of the series for Wild Bill ‼️ https://t.co/679F8srPaepic.twitter.com/0Zn0Yg2VE2

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 7, 2026

May returned for the bottom of the fourth to face Ethan Salas, who he walked on four pitches. He then threw another ball to Xander Bogaerts before Pat Murphy pulled the Pat Murphy special, pulling him mid at-bat. JoJo Romero entered and fell behind Bogaerts 3-0 but fought his way back to induce a forceout at second. He then struck out Dustin Harris and got Taylor to pop out, keeping the deficit at one.

Pivetta allowed back-to-back singles to Cooper Pratt and Frelick before Ortiz bunted both over to put runners in scoring position for the top of the order. Pivetta was lifted for Jason Adam, who got ahead of Chourio with a pair of down-and-away sliders before he hit a shallow fly ball to left-center. Surprisingly, Harris caught the ball instead of Merrill (who has the stronger arm) and Pratt made the decision to tag from third, easily beating the throw to tie it up at 2-2.

All knotted up in Game 3 pic.twitter.com/2ZDkabaHFR

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 7, 2026

With two outs, Bauers drew a walk before Contreras singled on a ball that, had it got past Bogaerts at short, would have scored another. Instead, the bases were loaded for Brice Turang, who had to face the lefty Yuki Matsui, who got him to ground out to escape the jam and keep it tied.

That tie didn’t last very long.

Romero stayed in for the bottom of the fifth, and on the first pitch of the frame, he hung a sweeper that Cronenworth promptly put over the wall in right, giving San Diego a 3-2 lead.

Romero and Antonio Senzatela combined to set the next three down in order, sending this one to the sixth.

Yelich started things off with a four-pitch walk before Mitchell got ahead 2-0, but he then took three pitches in the zone to strike out. Pratt followed with a single before Frelick moved both runners up with a groundout to first, and Matsui made way for Bradgley Rodriguez, who got Ortiz into a full count before he flew out to right, ending the inning and once again allowing San Diego to escape the jam.

Senzatela set France and Salas down to begin the bottom of the inning before Bogaerts singled, forcing Murphy to bring in the lefty DL Hall. Miguel Andujar entered as a pinch-hitter for Harris and worked the count full, with a wild pitch by Hall allowing Bogaerts to move up to second. Andujar then hit a broken-bat grounder to short, and Pratt fielded it cleanly but was clearly impacted by the flying bat and Bogaerts’ jump to avoid the ball, as his throw was low and hit the lip of the grass in front of Bauers, allowing Bogaerts to score and extending the lead to 4-2. Jase Bowen replaced Andujar at first and ended the inning as he was caught stealing, but the damage was done and the Brewers had some ground to cover if they wanted to end the series.

After Rodriguez struck both Chourio and Bauers out with ease, the Brewers mounted a two-out rally, as Contreras, Turang (of the bloop variety), and Yelich hit three consecutive singles to get a run back. With the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first, Mitchell was unable to come through, however, striking out to keep the score at 4-3.

EL CAPITÁN GETS ONE BACK pic.twitter.com/DfcIXGXjVH

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 7, 2026

Hall worked around a Cronenworth single in the seventh, keeping the deficit at one for the bottom-third of Milwaukee’s lineup, who would go up against Sunday’s starter, Michael King, on just one day of rest in the eighth.

King didn’t look like he had his best stuff, but he only allowed a two-out single to pinch-hitter David Hamilton, who was left there after Chourio grounded out to end the inning. Abner Uribe then made quick work of the 3-4-5 hitters, inducing three groundouts on seven pitches to send this one to the ninth.

After Bauers struck out, Contreras and Turang both drew walks to once again put the go-ahead run on, but Yelich hit into a game-ending 6-3 double play, ending this one just after midnight in Milwaukee.

It was a tough loss for the Brewers, as they out-hit San Diego 11-6 and out-walked them 4-2, but they left 11 runners on base in this one. Contreras led the offense with a homer, two singles, and a walk, while Pratt was the only other player with multiple hits, picking up two singles.

May was just fine to open things, and after Romero and Senzatela allowed runs in the fifth and sixth, the bullpen settled down to allow the offense an opportunity to make a come back.

We’ll be back here for a Game 4 on Wednesday night. Neither team has announced a starter yet, but it seems likely that we will see Robert Gasser for Milwaukee and Walker Buehler for San Diego. First pitch in that one is set for 9:08 p.m. CT. See you then.

SAN DIEGO — The Padres were one loss away from a vacation in Cancun, without their All-Star closer, and after blowing leads in both games in Milwaukee .

But on Tuesday night in Game 3, this time, they didn’t blink.

With Tom DeLonge of the band Blink 182 watching from behind home plate, the San Diego Padres held off the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Tuesday night at Petco Park, surviving a tense game to stave off elimination and trim Milwaukee’s lead in the National League Division Series to 2-1. 

Their reward? Another elimination game on Wednesday night.

At this point, they’ll take it.

San Diego struck first against former Dodgers’ pitcher Dustin May after Samad Taylor — inserted into the lineup when Gavin Sheets was scratched with a neck issue — singled and stole second.

Fernando Tatis Jr. brought him home with a groundout before Manny Machado punched a two-out RBI single into left for a 2-0 lead.

Manny Machado delivers another run for the Padres! pic.twitter.com/NNrm0BbRVV

— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2026

Nick Pivetta gave the Padres exactly what they needed early, but Milwaukee began its inevitable push in the fourth when William Contreras launched a solo homer to left, then took his time circling the bases and gestured between second and third as Petco Park serenaded him with boos.

The Brewers tied it in the next inning by stealing a run from underneath San Diego’s nose.

With Cooper Pratt at third, Jackson Chourio lifted a shallow fly to left. Pratt tagged anyway, challenging Dustin Harris’ arm, and scored when Harris’ throw arrived without enough mustard on it.

William Contreras gets a run right back for the Brewers! pic.twitter.com/AozYKwNKC9

— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2026

Unlike the hot dogs being devoured throughout the stadium by the sellout crowd of 47,708 at Petco Park.

For a Padres team that had watched Milwaukee steal both games at American Family Field, it felt ominously familiar for the Friars.

But reliever Yuki Matsui escaped a bases loaded jam and Jake Cronenworth put a stop to Milwaukee’s momentum by jumping on a JoJo Romero first-pitch sweeper in the bottom of the fifth for a leadoff homer that restored San Diego’s 3-2 lead.

The @Brewers tie the game in the 5th! pic.twitter.com/I51k6jfsAL

— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2026

The Padres added another run in appropriately chaotic fashion when former Yankee Miguel Andujar shattered his bat on a grounder to shortstop.

The broken lumber nearly found Xander Bogaerts, but he managed to avoid the splintered bat and the ball, while Pratt’s one-hopper to first wasn’t scooped cleanly by Brewers’ first baseman Jake Bauers and Bogaerts raced home for an insurance run. 

Milwaukee made it 4-3 on Christian Yelich’s two-out RBI single in the seventh, ensuring every remaining pitch would carry the weight of San Diego’s season.

JAKE CRONENWORTH!

PADRES BACK IN FRONT! pic.twitter.com/Egy3dzuhnS

— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2026

And with Mason Miller unavailable after being placed on the Postseason Paternity List earlier Tuesday, the Padres reached for an unconventional fire extinguisher.

Michael King.

The Game 2 starter came roaring out of the bullpen to help finish what Pivetta and the Padres started, turning a starting pitcher into an emergency postseason weapon with San Diego’s season hanging in the balance.

Xander Bogaerts comes around to score on a wacky play! pic.twitter.com/AiU8yOw8VO

— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2026

Desperate? Absolutely.

October doesn’t award style points for bullpen management. It only asks whether you’re still playing tomorrow.

The Padres are.

What it means

San Diego finally punched back.

The Padres still trail the Brewers 2-1 and still have no margin for error, but Milwaukee missed its first opportunity to end this series.

Now Petco Park gets another October night Wednesday, with San Diego potentially choosing between Robbie Ray and veteran Walker Buehler for Game 4.

Turning point

Milwaukee had just embarrassed San Diego by scoring Pratt from third on Chourio’s shallow fly, tying the game and seemingly stealing the momentum again.

Cronenworth needed exactly one pitch to steal it back.

Did you see that?

There is no roof at Petco Park — and one Padres fan wanted Milwaukee to know it.

San Diego fans don't forget pic.twitter.com/MP9TGfjReh

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 7, 2026

After Ty France’s potential go-ahead homer struck an overhead obstruction at American Family Field in Game 1, a fan arrived Tuesday with a sign delivering the perfect reminder:

“In San Diego there’s no roof to save you.”

Up next

The Padres and Brewers return to Petco Park Wednesday night for Game 4, with Milwaukee getting its second opportunity to clinch the series.

San Diego’s pitching plan remains the biggest question. Ray could return after starting Game 1, while Buehler gives the Padres another option, or they could go with an opener.

Whatever the choice, the assignment is refreshingly uncomplicated now.

Win Wednesday and send this thing back to Milwaukee.

Lose, and start packing for Cancun.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

The Phillies are going to have to dig a little deeper in their managerial search.

World Series-winning Red Sox manager Alex Cora informed the Phillies that he plans to sit out the 2027 season, meaning he will not be going to Philadelphia, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.

Heyman reported that Cora’s decision mostly came down to family reasons, as he’s been enjoying time with them. He is also getting married in November.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first reported the news of Cora’s decision on Tuesday night.

Heyman reported earlier this week that Cora — who is owed over $7 million by the Red Sox next year — could decide to sit out 2027.

It’s not the first time Cora has turned down the Phillies and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski this year. After the Phillies fired Rob Thomson after a sluggish start, the team reached out to Cora — who had recently been canned by the Red Sox. Dombrowski and Cora had worked together in Boston for the team’s last World Series championship in 2018.

“I accepted to be a full-time dad,” Cora told The Post in late April.

The Phillies instead made Don Mattingly the interim manager. The Yankees great went 79-55 as the Phillies squeaked into the postseason as the final National League wild-card entrant. They fell in three games to the rival Braves in the first round.

Though it was previously reported that Mattingly was expected to be dismissed, Heyman reported Wednesday that it is possible he does return to the Philadelphia dugout.

Cora finished with a 620-541 record with the Red Sox and made the playoffs three times.

Boston went 10-17 to start 2026 before he and much of his coaching staff were axed.

Chad Tracy took over in an interim capacity — later getting promoted to full-time skipper with a three-year contract.

The Red Sox made the playoffs but were swept handily in the wild-card round by the Yankees.

ATLANTA –– Seemingly every October, the same question arises.

Over the years, Kiké Hernández has supplied a wide range of answers.

Sometimes, it’s a simple joke: “I like Halloween,” he quipped two years ago.

Others, it’s a more introspective –– albeit, self-deprecating –– response: “My brain’s all over the place, man,” he said before Game 7 of last year’s World Series. “I got really bad ADHD.”

Usually, however, the explanation boils down to one simple factor, having to do with focus and fearlessness in the highest-pressure of situations.

Why is he, as a relatively mediocre regular-season hitter over his 13-year career, such a consistent force in the playoffs?

“It’s almost like when you’re in school and you have a project for two months, and then you leave it for the last day,” he said this time a year ago. “That’s kind of a similar way [it works in the playoffs]. I’m able to stay in the moment and, like, stay really, really focused.”

In Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Tuesday night, that mentality paid off with more postseason heroics yet again.

As usual, the Dodgers deployed Hernández like an ace up their sleeve, inserting him into the starting lineup to face star Braves pitcher Chris Sale with the best-of-five series knotted at one game apiece.

And, as usual, Hernández delivered, producing the decisive swing on a two-run homer in the fourth inning of the Dodgers’ 3-1 win at Truist Park.

“It’s something I take a lot of pride in, but don’t really think about it too much,” Hernández said.  “It’s something that, once I’m done playing, I’m going to look back on and be really proud of, because the way my career has gone, in terms of finding myself each and every year in October.”

Indeed, Hernández has a way of looking –– and getting –– lost in the regular season, especially in recent years while being relegated to a part-time spot on the Dodgers’ bench.

This season, the 35-year-old appeared in just 41 regular season games, getting less than 100 total plate appearances because of elbow and oblique injuries, but also a loaded Dodgers roster that leaves at-bats at a premium for fringe players like him.

It didn’t help that he hit only .222, lowering his career regular-season average to .235 to go along with a .706 OPS (a shade under league-average production when measured by OPS+).

Entering this October, he had no clear pathway to regular playing time, either, with the Dodgers boasting entrenched regulars at all nine positions.

No matter.

Since rejoining the Dodgers as a trade deadline acquisition in 2023, the utilityman has come to accept that “my role is not to necessarily be in there all year or every day.” He knew that, at some point, he would be summoned to provide a boost for the two-time defending champions.

“It would have been nice to get a little bit of a warm-up before [having to face] Chris Sale,” he joked. “But I’m just glad I’m here talking about something positive and not something negative.”

Rare is it, of course, that Hernández doesn’t make a positive impact when called upon.

At this point, he has turned majestic playoff performances into an almost annual tradition.

There was his three-homer outburst in the Dodgers’ pennant-clinching victory in Game 5 of the 2017 NL Championship Series. His game-tying, pinch-hit blast in Game 7 of the 2020 NLCS. His go-ahead shot early in a winner-take-all Game 5 triumph over the Padres in the 2024 NLDS. His season-saving double-play in left field in Game 6 of last year’s Fall Classic.

And that doesn’t even include what he did for the Boston Red Sox during their run to the ALCS in 2021, when he batted .408 with five home runs during his one postseason campaign away from Los Angeles.

“He’s a big-time player,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s always prepared. He loves moments like this. He has a way to lock in.”

Thus, in the run-up to a pivotal Game 3 on Tuesday night, and in the face of a daunting task against the Braves’ left-handed ace in Sale, Roberts turned to Hernández to give the offense some “added intensity, urgency,” starting him at third base in place of the left-handed-hitting Max Muncy.

“We needed a little bit of that Kiké dust,” Roberts said.

And, surprise, surprise — he came through once again.

After the Dodgers squandered several early chances against Sale, Hernández stepped up with one on and one out in the fourth inning, hoping to simply “grind out the at-bat” and keep stressing Sale’s climbing pitch count.

But when the former Cy Young Award winner tried to sneak back-to-back changeups by him, Hernández was ready for it.

“He doubled up on the changeup,” Hernández said. “My eyes recognized it.”

With a vicious swing that sent the ball screaming off his bat at 106.8 mph, Hernández launched a 406-foot drive deep into the left-field seats, breaking open what had been a scoreless pitchers’ duel previously.

The scene that followed was triumphantly familiar, with Hernández pounding his chest and screaming his lungs out as his Dodgers teammates erupted in the dugout down the third-base line.

The 2-0 lead would last, as well, thanks to seven dominant innings from Yoshinobu Yamamoto –– who, while facing a jam in the fifth, also got a quick pep talk from Hernández instilling him with confidence and featuring a “dirty word,” the pitcher joked –– that propelled the Dodgers to a two-games-to-one series lead. 

“He converts himself into this kind of monster when it comes to the playoffs, and when it matters the most,” said teammate Miguel Rojas, another veteran role player who has drawn so much inspiration from Hernández’s repeated heroics that he texted him last week to tell him “how much I appreciate what he taught me without even telling me how to do it.”

“He wants the situation. He wants the moment. He wants to be the guy,” Rojas added. “His value is way higher than what people think that he can be. He’s a great asset for us.”

The home run marked the 17th of Hernández’s postseason career, tied for 18th-most all-time along with the likes of Aaron Judge, David Ortiz and Jim Thome. In the playoffs, he now has a .272 average and .831 OPS in 105 career games (93 of which have come with the Dodgers, most in the franchise’s illustrious history).

“I wish there was a recipe for that so we can all take it from him,” first baseman Freddie Freeman, who went deep himself later in Tuesday’s fourth inning, joked afterward. “It’s incredible … He’s ready to go at all times.”

Hernández himself, yet again, still lacked a definitive answer for why his play in the postseason seems to inevitably elevate, outside of ample October experience and a slow heartbeat in such moments.

The only thing he did know for sure: “I was going to be ready,” he said, “whenever Doc put my name in the lineup.”

Once again, it might have swung the direction of the Dodgers’ season.

“Having him in a lineup in the postseason,” Roberts said, “just adds that extra sort of urgency, that kind of grit that you need.”