Category: MLB

The Yankees' decision to not put Aaron Judge on the ALDS roster did not come lightly.

Manager Aaron Boone told the media Saturday, ahead of Game 1 against the Rays, that he met with the team captain after Judge's workout on Friday to talk it through. After what the Yankees skipper called a "good conversation," he mulled over the decision for an hour or so before making the final call.

"He’s made really good progress here over the last couple of weeks. Has worked incredibly hard to be an option and wanted to be on the roster," Boone said of Judge. "Ultimately, I decided keeping him off was the best thing. Again, I feel like he’s getting close. But I feel like for us to get a version of Aaron back, and to win a World Series, this week’s important for him to continue to work towards getting back. 

Boone said Judge just started running and took at-bats for a few days already, but the team believes the reigning AL MVP could use more time to build up the endurance before he becomes a legit option for the ALCS and beyond.

The endurance part of the progression was hit on a few times by Boone. The manager admits that the superstar could likely get through a game, but it's unclear how Judge would bounce back for the next game or the one after. That's especially the case if they want to use him in right field, since Judge himself said it would be better for the team if he could play the field instead of clogging up the DH spot.

That all went into the calculation for Boone and the Yankees when making the decision. They even considered just carrying Judge to take an at-bat off the bench, like how they handled Giancarlo Stanton in the Wild Card Series. But ultimately, making sure Judge was as healthy as possible was the way they went.

"I think he’s ready to take an at-bat. But in the end, I felt like the best chance to get a good version of Aaron is to get a good 5, 6, 7 days of building up his running," Boone said. "Building up his endurance, taking BP every day. Those kind of things. Yeah, we considered it all." 

Of course, Boone knows the team is not guaranteed to make it past the AL East champion Rays -- who won the season series -- but this decision "was the right thing to do" to get the Judge that can help this team win a World Series back.

And despite being without Judge, Boone remains confident the team is good enough to beat anyone when they are playing well, like how they handled the Red Sox in their two-game sweep earlier this week.

"We know if we play well, we can beat anyone," Boone said. "We understand how good the Rays are. We’re playing this game here tonight [in Tampa] because they’ve been the best team in the American League. We have to play well, but we also have a lot of confidence that if we play well, we can win and beat anyone. Hopefully, we can go out there and prove that."

Why Ryan Weathers was added to roster

Aside from Judge being left off the ALDS roster, the Yankees replaced Amed Rosario with LHP Ryan Weathers.

The southpaw starter will be used out of the bullpen, and while Boone didn't say he would use Weathers for more than one inning, he did talk up Weathers' health heading into this series.

"I’m excited to get him back. Going into the Wild Card Series, he had thrown one live and then I had him throw another one the day before the series," Boone said. "Physically, he was ready to be on, but I felt that second live was important."

Boone said Weathers' situation is a little similar to Judge's. While Weathers could have been used in the Wild Card Series, the team would have had to be mindful and protective of the lefty after he was on the IL with a left forearm flexor strain. Now that he got through his second live without an issue, he can be used in a way the Yankees are more comfortable with.

"He’s ready to go now, and to play a real role for us," Boone said.

It’s going to be a sweltering temperature of 100 degrees at Dodger Stadium in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, and it still isn’t stopping Alex Vesia’s wife, Kayla Vesia, from doing a full face of makeup.

On Saturday morning, Kayla Vesia posted a video of her doing her makeup on TikTok while she was preparing for the game.

In the video, the viral audio of Kyle Jenner speaking about her relationship with makeup was playing while Kayla Vesia was lipsynching the audio.

“I don’t feel like I need makeup. A lot of the time I’m not wearing makeup, but…. No, I need makeup,” the Jenner audio said.

Her preparation began with her featuring eye patches on her face. The video then transitioned to her full look that she will be sporting for the game.

It’s safe to say she won’t be worried about her makeup melting off during the heat.

In the past, Kayla has been one of the more prominent Dodgers WAGS to be active on social media, as she’s constantly posting vlogs of her day in the life as a wife of an MLB player, while featuring videos of Alex Vesia and some of the other players’ wives.

While Kayla Vesia has been prepping for the game, Alex Vesia is preparing to help the Dodgers on their conquest for a three-peat World Series title.

Alex Vesia has been one of the more reliable pitchers in the Dodgers bullpen that’s been shaky throughout the regular season, appearing in 58 innings, while having a 2.64 ERA and 74 strikeouts.

If the San Diego Padres were looking for a better way to announce themselves this postseason, they wouldn’t be able to find one. The Friars swept the Chicago Cubs at home, outscoring them 12-1 and limiting the Cubs’ offense to just eight hits. It was an all-around dominance that the Padres haven’t approached before. This is all without mentioning that Petco Park was rocking.

Now, the Friars turn to the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Brewers for their first NLDS appearance since they fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024. They’ll play the first two games on the road before returning to Petco for Game 3 and a potential Game 4. They need to take at least one game in Milwaukee to have a shot of advancing at home.

Taking the mound

Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) v. Robbie Ray (SD)

This is a big one for San Diego. Misiorowski (the favorite to win the NL Cy Young) is the best pitcher of every postseason team this side of the bracket. He will be a true test for the Padres to see how far they’ve come since last facing the flamethrower. Misiorowski dominated San Diego back in May when the two teams faced off, twirling seven scoreless innings against the Friars.

That being said, this is a very different Padres team than they were back in May. If Misiorowski makes any mistakes, San Diego will be there to take advantage. The Friars can’t afford a misstep, and could seriously beef up their odds of winning the series if they can eke out a win over the Miz in Game 1.

On the other side, Ray gets an interesting nod for the series opener. In six career playoff appearances, he owns a 7.43 ERA and 19 K’s (13.1 IP). That being said, Ray has surged this season. The veteran southpaw posted a 3.59 ERA across 165 2/3 innings between the Padres and San Francisco Giants.

The Brewers have a sneaky offense that can scratch runs across despite their lack of pop. Ray will have to limit them in a similar way to when he faced them in Petco Park. The lefty held Milwaukee to two runs across four innings of work. It seems like all San Diego will be looking for is a few scoreless innings from Ray before turning it over to their vaunted bullpen.

Batter up!

The offense was booming in Petco Park. How much of that was them feeding off the crowd’s energy remains to be seen until first pitch is thrown tonight. Of the group, Gavin Sheets figures to be the biggest wild card (no pun intended) of the bunch. He launched a two-run shot that ended up signing Chicago’s death warrant in Game 2. It was his only swing of the entire series.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Dustin Harris, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Gavin Sheets, DH
8. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
9. Luis Campusano, C

The stars continued to shine in San Diego’s Wild Card Series. Bogaerts, Machado, Merrill and Tatis combined to go 13-for-29 (.448) with three walks, eight runs scored and seven RBI. If that quartet keeps up their momentum, they could easily take San Diego all the way.

Relief corps

It’s all hands on deck for Game 1 of the series. Because the Friars swept the Cubs, they’ve got two full days of rest before the series opener on tonight. That’s great for San Diego because the Padres burned through plenty of guys to finish out the Wild Card Series. After Nick Pivetta finished 3 1/3 innings, Bradgley Rodriguez, Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller slammed the door, allowing only three baserunners combined.

San Diego will be hoping for a tone-setting outing from Ray, but they’ve got plenty of weapons to turn to in case of emergency. Adam, Yuki Matsui, Miller, Morejon, David Morgan and Rodriguez will be available to pitch in relief.

Ketel Marte’s relationship with Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo appears to be somewhat strained after the three-time All-Star second baseman endured a rocky season punctuated by an unexcused absence from the team in August.

The Diamondbacks announced a two-year contract extension for Lovullo on Thursday, and he was asked how he plans to handle Marte in 2027.

“I think what I would tell him is what I would tell every other player: the decisions you make are going to be on you now,” Lovullo said on the “Burns & Gambo Show” on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “I’m going to eliminate protecting you the way I have. And I will allow you to go out there and answer the questions on your own behalf instead of me protecting you. I think I would change my tune in that way.

“I’ve taken the mindset that whenever anything goes wrong, it’s my fault. And I’m going to protect these players like they’re my own boys. And at a certain point, I can’t do that anymore. So I have to allow them to advocate for themselves in the proper space. That’s what I’ve learned over the past couple of years.”

Marte batted .249 with 22 home runs, 76 RBIs and a .748 OPS in 141 games this season for the Diamondbacks, who finished two games behind the Phillies for the final wild-card spot in the National League.

He also didn’t show up at Fenway Park for a game during a three-game series from Aug. 17-19 without informing Lovullo or the front office that he would be missing.

The organization placed Marte on the 10-day injured list before he came back to the team on Aug. 31.

It marked the fourth time in the past four years that Marte went AWOL without the team’s knowledge.

“It is not my job to micromanage the players. It is Torey’s job to manage the players,” D’backs owner Ken Kendrick told Bruno and Gambo. “He’s going on record now in a way that you described. And I hope that Ketel, if he is a Diamondback, will be the player that he has the talent to be. And I hope he will overcome his consistent acts of immaturity.

“That is what his manager should be doing, not me. I don’t mean it to come out as if I don’t have any responsibility in all of this. I do. But the primary responsibility for the ball players is the field manager once they’re selected by the general manager. And we’ve had a lot of good results from Ketel, and we’ve had some unfortunate acts of immaturity, and that needs to end.”

The 32-year-old Marte apologized to Lovullo and his teammates when he returned to the team, explaining his absence as “a moment of frustration.”

“I’m the type of person that when something is going on in my life, I don’t like to talk about it,” Marte said through an interpreter on Aug. 31. “That morning I woke up, my body was in pain and I couldn’t react. No one made the decision for me, I’m the one that made the decision not to show up.”

If the organization looks to move on from Marte this offseason, he has 10-5 veto rights on any potential trade with his contract running through 2031.

LOS ANGELES — The temperature at the first pitch of Saturday’s Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves was a toasty 100 degrees, making it the second-hottest postseason game in Dodger Stadium history.

Official scorer Ed Munson announced the game-time temperature at 100 degrees, while the left field scoreboard at Dodger Stadium displayed 103. Either way, it’s very hot in Los Angeles.

“One hundred degrees in October in LA, that’s definitely not normal,” said Braves reliever Brent Suter, who has a degree in environmental science and public policy from Harvard. “Obviously Super El Niño is a big thing to do with that. It’s going to be a challenge for both sides to stay hydrated, especially the position players. I don’t know how they do it day in and day out with some of this heat.

“Hopefully everyone is drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated. It’s going to be a hot one,” Dodgers Game 1 starter Tarik Skubal said Friday. “I’m excited, though.”

On the field at Dodger Stadium was even hotter, as shown by the Fox broadcast.

Manager Dave Roberts was around for the hottest-ever Dodgers postseason game, Game 1 of the 2017 World Series, with a first-pitch temperature of 103 degrees at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers won that night, 3-1.

“Yeah, it was hot. It was hot,” Roberts said Saturday. “I think for us it’s obviously do as much as we can to stay hydrated. I think honestly just not let it get to us and be more mindful of the pitcher. Outside of that, it’s the same conditions for both teams, and you’ve got to just stay hydrated and manage it. I’ll keep an eye on Will [Smith, catcher], but he’ll be fine.”

Skubal said he plans to drink a lot of water himself, and was asked if that might mean more in-game trips to the restroom. “You’re just not going to the bathroom because you’re probably sweating it out,” said Skubal. “That’s probably how it is.”

Shohei Ohtani said Friday that he wouldn’t change his gameday routine due to the increased temperatures.

“Nothing for me personally, but I know the pitchers are going to have a hard time,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “I’m wishing all the best for Skuby.”

Ohtani was involved in the hottest game in Dodgers history, though as an opponent. On July 6, 2018, the first-pitch temperature in Anaheim was a whopping 108 degrees for a game the Dodgers lost in walk-off fashion 3-2 in the ninth inning. Ohtani, then in his rookie campaign, scored the tying run after a two-out walk off Kenley Jansen.

Before that game in Anaheim eight years ago, the Dodgers did not take batting practice on the field, with Roberts telling reporters, “The net of being in air conditioning and resting your body gives us a better chance to win a baseball game,” per Ethan Bauer of the Los Angeles Times.

The Dodgers did take batting practice on Saturday before Game 1 against the Braves, though were pretty much done by 10:30 a.m., when the temperature was a cool 94 degrees.

In all, the Dodgers have played in 29 regular season games in their history with a first-pitch temperature in triple digits, with the last coming on September 8, 2024 against the Cleveland Guardians, a 4-0 shutout win in 103-degree heat at Dodger Stadium that featured Jack Flaherty pitching into the eighth inning plus home runs by Ohtani and Max Muncy.

The only other Dodgers game this season that started with a temperature of at least 95 degrees was August 23 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a Sunday afternoon game — another 1 p.m. start — that was 97 degrees at game time. The Dodgers won that home game, 4-0, behind six scoreless innings from Blake Snell.

Snell will start Game 2 against the Braves on Sunday, with a 5 p.m. start, when temperatures should cool down to 90 degrees or so, and below.

“I’ll be good. It will be hot, but not like 1:00 p.m. when the sun’s straight up,” Snell said Saturday. “It will be set, and I’ll be fine.”

With electricity buzzing in stadiums, bars, and homes around Cleveland and beyond Game 1 of the ALDS was officially under way.

Parker Messick got the start as a young rookie coming off a Cy Young and ROTY caliber regular season. With the line up and roster set, Messick faced off against the White Sox surrounded by a sea of red and the roar of the Cleveland faithful hanging onto every strike. Messick held his own against the impressive Chicago White Sox offense, throwing 54 pitches through the first three innings and striking out six. In that time frame Chicago had two base runners, both in the first inning, but Parker dialed in and hammered the strike zone, reaching 98 mph.

Cleveland’s offense took a bit to get rolling, not having a base runner until the bottom of the third. Cleveland’s lineup stayed patient, working Chicago’s opener Hagen Smith until his tank was empty. Cleveland’s patience in the batter’s box from the 9-1-2 hitters loaded the bases, all via walks and forced Will Venable to go to his bullpen. Bryan Hudson came on to bases loaded and Chase DeLauter up to bat. DeLauter worked a full count but lined out to left for the final out of the inning.

The dam finally broke in the top of the fourth, unfortunately for the wrong team. Parker gave up a single to Miguel Vargas and then a first pitch two-run homer to none other than Munetaka Murakami. Tommy Pham walked, but the Cleveland defense got the opportunity to support their pitcher with an easy 6-4-3 double play. Parker got out of the fourth with an easy fly out to Kwan.

Cleveland threatened again in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Vogt pinch hit Nathaniel Lowe for David Fry. Lowe drew a walk, forcing Venable to make another pitching sub. This time turning to Anthony Kay. Travis Bazzana recorded the Guard’s first hit of the game with a double to right to put everyone in scoring position. Austin Hedges drew a crucial walk to load the bases, bringing Brayan Rocchio to the plate again. Rocchio worked a 2-1 count then hit a sweeper straight to the right fielder for the final out of the inning.

In the top of the fifth, Parker Messick came back out, got one out, but gave up a single. Vogt made the right call to the bullpen, ending Parker’s playoff debut. Messick went 4.1 innings, allowing only two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out six in his outing and threw 87 pitches, 56 of which were strikes. Parker looked fantastic and made no indication that the playoff pressure was affecting him. Something that carried over to Daniel Espino’s sole batter faced in the fifth. Espino relieved Parker Messick, threw two pitches, and forced a 4-6-3 double play to retire the side.

Espino came back out in the sixth inning after a quiet 1-2-3 inning from Cleveland in the bottom of the fifth. Tristan Peters singled and Miguel Vargas drew a walk. Vogt pulled Espino and brought out Erik Sabrowski to stop the rally. Sabrowski struck out Murakami and watched Tommy Pham hit a long fly ball. This ball looked like it was going to the bleachers, but some weird air current made the ball drop right into the glove of left fielder Angel Martínez.

Martínez caught the ball with the bare minimum space to get his glove between the ball and wall and fired it in to Bazzana who got it to Nathaniel Lowe at first for an inning ending double play. Chicago challenged the call, but it was confirmed and the out was called.

The bottom of the sixth was another lame outing from the offense, with Nathaniel Lowe hitting a double for the only base runner of the inning. In the top of the seventh, Sabrowski got two outs, but gave up a walk and a RBI double. The double dribbled right down the foul like to left fielder Martínez who made a great throw home, but catcher Austin Hedges couldn’t hang on to the ball while applying the tag, giving the White Sox an insurance run with the Guards rapidly running out of outs.

Hunter Gaddis came in to finish the top of the seventh, forcing a flyout to retire the side.

Patrick Bailey was brought in to pinch hit for Austin Hedges in the bottom of the seventh. Bailey hit a lead off single to left to kick things off. Unfortunately Guards offense couldn’t build anything on the lead off single with a floundering strikeout from Rocchio and a GIDP from Kwan to retire the side.

Tim Herrin pitched the eighth, making two quick outs via a flyout to right and a groundout to José. Herrin got behind in the count to Murakami but threw a beautiful low curveball to get him out swinging. The bottom of the eighth was more of the same. The batters went 1-2-3.

Cade Smith pitched the ninth, replacing Tim Herrin. He got two quick outs with a flyout and groundout then struck out Kyle Teel to turn things over to the Guardians for their last three outs.

Early on in this game, it felt like the Guardians were playing a regular season game and you could feel that the pressure wasn’t really getting to them. At a certain point though, it made this game rather predictable. No one could hit themself into a meaningful at bat, batters were swinging at bad pitches, and they left many runners on and in scoring position. Just like the regular season, the pitchers did their job but the hitters couldn’t reciprocate in kind. Jo Adell went 0-for-4 as the DH with four strike outs and Chase DeLauter went 0-for-4 too.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, “Lets Go White Sox” cheers rang out at Progressive Field, embarrassing. Here’s hoping that this team’s one day at a time mentality carried itself over to the playoffs. The team that played today cannot beat the White Sox if Chicago continues to not make mistakes. At some point they will need to take the opportunity from Chicago instead of waiting for the White Sox to hand it to them. Cleveland did manage to see a lot of Chicago’s bullpen and the White Sox have yet to name their Game 2 starter. If the Guardians can capitalize on this, there may be room for the offense to drive in a run home.

Game 1 goes to Chicago.

Game 2 needs to go to Cleveland.

The Yankees are set to continue their postseason run, and have revealed their lineup for Game 1 of the Division Series from Tampa Bay.

Ben Rice leads off for the Yankees after dominating the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, with expectations to continue his hot streak against the Rays. Bellinger will bat second with García Jr. in the hole, seemingly unchanged from the Game 2 lineup that secured the sweep against Boston.

Spencer Jones will hit cleanup in the order and start in right over Heliot Ramos, followed by George Lombard Jr. and Jazz Chisholm Jr., who will get the start at second over Anthony Volpe. Trent Grisham will notably get the start at center field, with Austin Wells unsurprisingly starting behind the plate.

As confirmed ahead of the postseason matchup, Gerrit Cole will start on the mound as the Yankees look to earn a series opener win.

Here’s a look at the Rays’ starting lineup, which puts Yandy Díaz in the leadoff spot followed by Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero.

It’s time for one of our traditional early off-season activities: the Sporcle where you have to try and remember the names of everyone who played for the Diamondbacks this year. It’s going to be a bit easier than last season, because we only used 56 people in 2026: 25 position players and 31 pitchers (not included there are the three position players who took the mound). That’s significantly down on the 65 used in 2025. If you took yesterday’s survey, rating the 2026 team, that might also help the ol’ memory banks. [If you didn’t, probably do so after playing this one!]

Still, there are names which will certainly pose a challenge. You only have to provide their last name, and I think I managed to filter out all the funky characters beyond A-Z, and also take into account certain players who did not see fit to limit themselves to just the one last name! The position players are first with a bit of help in the shape of their primary position, and are largely in descending order of PA. Then the pitchers, in descending order of innings. We may only be a few days after the end of the season, but if you can remember half of these names, I think you’re doing pretty well. 40 would be genuinely impressive.

The quiz is below, or can be found here.

Feel free to post a comment listing your greatest hits and biggest misses. Spoiler text is recommended for use there. And if you want a real challenge, here are links to some of the previous season’s quizzes.

• The 2025 Diamondbacks
• The 2024 Diamondbacks
• The 2023 Diamondbacks
• The 2022 Diamondbacks
• The 2021 Diamondbacks: position players and pitchers
• The 2020 Diamondbacks
• 2019 is still missing. Maybe this winter…
• The 2018 Diamondbacks
• The 2017 Diamondbacks

The Dodgers postseason quest begins under the sun.

NLDS Game 1 info

• Teams: No. 2 seed Dodgers vs. No. 3 seed Dodgers
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 1:08 p.m.
• TV: Fox (Joe Davis, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal)
• National radio: ESPN Radio (Dave O’Brien, Jessica Mendoza)
• Local English radio: AM 570 (Charley Steiner, Rick Monday)
• Local Spanish radio: KTNQ 1020 AM (José Mota, Luis Cruz)

The National League Division Series begin with the Atlanta Braves traveling to Los Angeles to challenge the Dodgers. Tarik Skubal will make the start for the Dodgers while the Braves will start LHP Dylan Dodd. First pitch is scheduled for 3pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Fox and FS1.

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are starting left-handed pitchers — Tarik Skubal on Saturday, Blake Snell on Sunday — in each of the first two games against the Braves, a team that did not hit left-handers well this season at all. But with those southpaw starters, the Dodgers also pared down their bullpen to just three left-handers — everyday stalwarts Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia, plus trade deadline acquisition Kris Bubic, a former starter pitching in relief.

That meant Justin Wrobleski — an All-Star starter this year now pitching in relief — as well as Jack Dreyer, who was a regular contributor in last year’s postseason as a rookie and was third on the team with 67 appearances despite a stint on the injured list, were left off the NLDS roster.

“I feel like this is the best and deepest pitching staff we’ve ever had going into October,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Saturday. “I think we had some tough conversations in leaving some guys off the roster. That would have never happened before. Obviously things can change. Hopefully we play a lot this month, and things can change, but we left off the roster some really talented pitchers, which I think really speaks to the depth and volume of our staff.”

Another potential addition should the Dodgers advance to the NLCS is Emmet Sheehan, who continued to stretch out while pitching a simulated game during Friday’s work out at Dodger Stadium. Sheehan was optioned to the minors on September 21, and would not be eligible to be added to the Dodgers roster until October 6, once his 15 days on optional assignment are up.

“Just trying to stay ready as best as possible,” Sheehan said Thursday. “I don’t know what the plan would be for how long I would have to be ready to pitch or what, so I’m just ready for whatever they need me to do.”

Sheehan since August 12 between four Triple-A appearances and three games with the Dodgers put up a 0.91 ERA and 36.7-percent strikeout rate in 39 2/3 innings.

“I think it’s just giving myself some time to recover, trying to make sure my body’s in the best spot possible for peaking at this point of the year,” Sheehan said. “I feel really good with where I’m at, and feel like I’ve been able to keep routine.”

Blake Treinen was placed on the injured list on the final day of the regular season, September 27, with right shoulder inflammation, and though his injury was initially feared to be season-ending, there’s at least a chance the veteran right-hander might be ready later in October.

“Not decided firmly. It was clear for this round, but we’ll keep monitoring it as we go,” Friedman said Saturday. “Some shoulder soreness. It’s not surgical, but shoulder stuff.”

Treinen’s 15 days on the injured list don’t expire until October 12, which is the day after the NLCS begins, so it remains unlikely the right-hander would be ready before the World Series, if at all.

Josue De Paula, the 21-year-old named to his first MLB postseason roster on Saturday, spoke with Kirsten Watson at SportsNet LA before Game 1.

Surprised by how the Dodgers have lined up their starting rotation for the National League Division Series?

So was Tarik Skubal.

At the end of his final start of the regular season last week, Skubal was informed by manager Dave Roberts that he would be the club’s Game 1 starter in the playoffs.

Skubal, obviously, was excited and honored.

But also, as Roberts noted, Skubal “was very respectful of Yoshinobu” Yamamoto –– evidently not exactly anticipating getting the nod ahead of the reigning World Series MVP and October hero from the Dodgers’ postseason run a season ago.

“We have thoughts on why we do things,” Roberts assured him, as he recounted ahead of the team’s World Series three-peat pursuit on Friday. 

“All those guys,” Roberts added of his rotation, “are all in for whatever we decide.”

This week, the Dodgers’ decision to bypass Yamamoto in not only Game 1 against the Braves but Game 2 as well –– Blake Snell will start in that game on Sunday night instead –– ultimately came down to scheduling.

For starters, Yamamoto made his last regular-season start two Wednesdays ago, then threw extensively in a simulated game during the Dodgers’ bye week this past Wednesday. By saving him for Game 3, which will be on Tuesday in Atlanta, he will remain on his usual pitching schedule –– as will Skubal (who last started two Fridays ago) and Snell (who was right behind Skubal in the rotation order at the end of the regular season).

While that means Yamamoto won’t be available for a second start in the NLDS, he could still be an option if the series reaches a decisive fifth game. Skubal and Snell would be available for that potential occasion too. 

In other words, the Dodgers knew that trio would pitch in Games 1-3, and would all be available for Game 5 –– and felt pretty comfortable with whichever order they lined them up.

“They’re all going to pitch this series,” Roberts said, including Game 4 starter Tyler Glasnow as well. “You can put those three or four guys in a hat and kind of make a decision.”

The decision the Dodgers did settle on, they hope, could have benefits longer-term this October too.

If the team does advance past the NLDS, Yamamoto should theoretically be able to pitch twice in a potential NL Championship Series.

And while Roberts noted he was “not discounting this series [against the Braves], because you’ve got to win this series,” he also acknowledged that dynamic.

“I think just kind of looking out, potentially, that just sets up the rotation and Yamamoto better looking forward,” he said.

There were other factors at play in the Dodgers’ pitching decisions.

The Braves ranked just 21st in the majors in OPS against left-handed pitching this year (compared to 11th versus righties), and will now have to face two of the sport’s best southpaws in Skubal and Snell to begin the series (though, it should be noted, the Dodgers were seemingly planning to go this direction before the Braves matchup was even set).

Yamamoto, meanwhile, has been noticeably better on the road (1.77 ERA) than at home (3.13 ERA) this year, only underscoring the club’s confidence in handing him the ball at Truist Park.

That doesn’t mean there’s no risk involved with the move.

Yamamoto had the most productive regular season of any Dodgers starter (14-9 record, 2.53 ERA in team-high 28 starts). He is coming off an historic performance in last year’s playoffs (5-1 record, 1.45 ERA in six postseason outings, including two complete games and his Game 7 save in the World Series on zero days of rest). And if the Dodgers lose Game 1, they could face trouble in their best-of-five series, especially if Braves ace Chris Sale is able to go in Game 2 (and, after that, a potential Game 5).

Still, the Dodgers are confident.

They have the most dominant, star-studded and talent-rich rotation in this year’s playoffs.

They believe it will be the strength of their three-peat quest, no matter which order they start in.

“We have gone through years where our starting rotation hasn’t been as good. In ’24 that wasn’t a strength of our roster. [And still] we won the World Series,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “But the quality of life is way more difficult than being able to pencil in a Skubal, a Snell, a Yama, and a Glas.”

Hours before their playoff opener on Saturday afternoon, the Dodgers announced their 26-man roster for their National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves.

It included few big surprises.

All the obvious names were there, from Game 1 starter Tarik Skubal to less-than-100% superstars Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. 

So too were some of their consensus fringe roster candidates, most notably rookie slugger Josue De Paula and speed specialist Hyeseong Kim.

Previously injured reliever Edgardo Henriquez was also active, as expected, despite missing the last couple weeks of the regular season with a back strain.

Among the snubs: Left-handed pitchers Justin Wrobleski and Jack Dreyer, outfielder Alex Call and banged-up catcher Dalton Rushing (who would have only been available to hit because of an elbow injury, and was effectively beat out by De Paula for the left-handed bench bat role).

As manager Dave Roberts forecast on Friday, the team went with a 14-position player/12-pitcher split for the best-of-five series.

They will be hoping the group is enough to get past a surging Braves squad, and take their first step toward a third-consecutive World Series championship.

Here is the team’s full 26-man roster.

Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Josue De Paula

Catcher: Will Smith, Hunter Feduccia

Infield: Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas, Hyeseong Kim

Outfield: Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker, Kiké Hernández

Starters: Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell (who the Dodgers announced will be their Game 2 starter), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (who will likely start in Game 3), Tyler Glasnow

Right-handed reliever: Roki Sasaki, Evan Phillips, Brock Stewart, Roki Sasaki, Edgardo Henriquez

Left-handed reliever: Alex Vesia, Tanner Scott, Kris Bubic

Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers is here and it’s already looking like the bullpen is going to play a major role in any success that the Braves may have. Dylan Dodd has been announced as the starter for Game 1 and when it comes to expectations, manager Walt Weiss appears confident that the 28-year-old lefty will be able to pick up where Ray Kerr and the rest of this pitching staff left off in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series.

“He’s been a starter and he can go multiple innings. I like having that option and we had the same option with Ray Kerr,” stated Weiss. “Similar with Dodd, he can go multiple innings if things are going well and it’s a nice option to have instead of having a guy to go just one inning.”

While Brent Suter himself has yet to make an appearance in the Postseason, he definitely knows what it’s like to open. In fact, it wasn’t all that long ago when Suter himself pitched three shutout innings and struck out three batters as an opener against the Marlins. While the Postseason is a totally different animal, Suter should know what it’s like to be in Dylan Dodd’s shoes today.

When Suter was asked about the experience of coming in as an opener, Suter assured everybody listening that Dodd would be prepared for this moment like any other.

“He’s ready. We’re all ready. It’s kind of ‘all hands on deck’ mentality today for sure,“ stated Suter. ”Yeah, we definitely all want the ball. We all want to be able to help our team win and go out there against a very good lineup and attack really is the main thing, just attack.“

“He knows. He’s a pro,” continued Suter. “He’s been doing it for a while now, and he’s really good at his job. He’s a very well-prepared pitcher, just a great, great kid too. Great makeup, great kid. Super excited for him.”

Lane Thomas also spoke with the media ahead of Game 1 following his activation to the NLDS roster and it’s clear that he’s been excited to finally get going again.

“I feel good, I feel as prepared as I can be in that short time on the IL, and I’m just glad that they were able to help me get back in time,” said Lane Thomas as he talked about how he felt coming into this game. He was also asked about what it feels like to come into this game from a long layoff straight into the Postseason and while he stated that it was a tough transition, he’s also prepared to seize the moment if it comes.

“These games are tough. You expect to go out and have success but you’re facing the best teams in the league. It’s freeing a little bit — you’re not playing for stats and the season’s over so you can just go out and do your best,” stated Thomas. “It feels like Summer baseball as a kid again. It was pretty cool the last time I got to play in the playoffs — it’s freeing. The one goal is winning and it takes the pressure off trying to perform, yourself, and doing just whatever you can to get the team over the hump.”

Thomas won’t be starting today’s game but that was because Walt Weiss decided to ease Thomas into the intensity that is the Postseason. Weiss was asked about his absence from the lineup and stated that “With Lane, it was more about how he hasn’t been playing…I wanted to give him a day to run around out there. We’re going to face another lefty tomorrow and there’s a good chance he’ll be in there tomorrow.”

“We wanted to give him a day to get acclimated instead of throwing him right into Game 1 the first day he’s available. I talked to him. I let him know before I put the lineup out. That’s really what was the deciding factor with Lane.”

Another big topic of discussion is the weather. It’s one thing for it to still be warm this time of year — it is Los Angeles, after all. It’s another for the temperature to be pushing triple-digits on the thermometer, which is the case for the series-opener today. Weiss, Thomas and Suter were all asked about it but as you can imagine for a team that plays 81 games a year in Atlanta, it’s tough but it’s something that they’re used to.

“You gotta remember, we’re from Atlanta,” joked Weiss when he was asked about the temperature. “It’s not that big of a factor. With your pitching, you watch guys so there may be an effect there. If he’s in there and grinding, it could be a factor. Other than that, I wouldn’t overthink it.”

“I feel like just staying hydrated is the most important part,” said Thomas when it was his turn to talk about the weather. “I feel like this is a little cooler 98 than [what it would be in] Atlanta. So I think our guys will be prepared for it.”

With Suter being a Harvard-educated environmental science major and all that, he was asked about the environmental implications of the heat wave currently hitting Los Angeles and as you can imagine, the response was very well thought-out for it being on the spot.

“Definitely in the back of my mind, I’m like 100 degrees in October in L.A., that’s definitely not normal,” said Suter. “Obviously Super El Niño is a big thing to do with that. It’s going to be a challenge for both sides to stay hydrated, especially the position players. I don’t know how they do it day in and day out with some of this heat. Yeah, just making sure everyone is hydrated and staying loose and getting electrolytes in us for sure. It’s definitely in the back of my mind environmentally for sure.”

Personally, I’m just glad that all three of these guys knew better than to call it “Hotlanta,” so I tip my hat to them on a personal level. It’ll certainly be a scorcher in Dodger Stadium this afternoon but ultimately, it’s all about simply performing. The Braves are used to the heat and they’re used to the intensity of the Postseason — it’s all about executing and making plays now. We’ll see what happens!

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October baseball officially kicks off for the New York Yankees tonight.

Thanks to two nine-run outings by the Yankees, they swept the Red Sox in the Wild Card series to move on to the ALDS. In addition to scoring 18 runs, they held the Red Sox to just two across both.

Now, they’ll meet a familiar face in the ALDS: the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees’ AL East rival finished the regular season with the best record in the American League and won their division.

Yankees captain Aaron Judge was once again left off the official roster as the team enters the second round of playoffs. After sustaining a calf injury over two weeks ago, Judge he started a running progression on Tuesday, shortly before Game 1 against the Red Sox, but as of yesterday, he had yet to run the bases.

Here’s how to tune in to the Game 1 of the best-of-five ALDS without cable.

Yankees vs. Rays start time

Game 1 of the Yankees-Rays ALDS is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET today, Oct. 3.

How to watch Yankees vs. Rays ALDS Game 1 for free

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream Yankees vs. Rays for free.

DIRECTV is our favorite service for trying live TV for free. Right now, you can take advantage of a five-day free trial before saving $30 on your first month. We recommend the Choice plan, which includes FOX as part of its 125+ channel options.

Yankees vs. Rays starting pitchers

Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61 ERA) will start for the Yankees. Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA) will be on the mound for the Rays.

Yankees vs. Rays ALDS schedule

• Game 1: Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m. ET (TBS)
• Game 2: Oct. 5, 8 p.m. ET (TBS)
• Game 3: Oct. 7, 8 p.m. ET (TBS)
• Game 4: Oct. 8, 8 p.m. ET (TBS)*
• Game 5: Oct. 10, 8 p.m. ET (TBS)*

*if necessary

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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.