Category: MLB

Amid a weekend of storms lashing down across the East Coast, the Mets’ disappointing summer of baseball came to an end amid hopes the rain can wash away the bitter taste of a season that failed to materialize.

After a 6-4 loss to the Washington Nationals on the season’s final day, manager Andy Green described the mood in the clubhouse as “hungry to change the narrative.”

“We’ve got three, four months here to get after it in the offseason,” the skipper said Sunday. “Each guy has the chance to chase the best version of themselves and after that’s done, get together in spring training, get after it, and do something special together.”

Of course, moving on from the 74-88 campaign will take time before getting back to the tabula rasa of Port St. Lucie next spring.

“I think right now there’s still frustration for the way the season unfolded for everybody in the organization and the entire fan base,” Green said. “That takes a while to flush before you get to the excitement phase. And that [disappointment] can drive you for a while, too. To ensure you end up doing everything you end up doing everything you possibly can do to get to the excited phase.”

Despite the down year, Francisco Lindor, who socked his 300th career home run on Sunday, said there was "a lot" of progress made during the season toward building a better future.

"We have some good pieces," Lindor said. "Our relationships grew; guys are getting used to being in New York... I think we are moving forward... we're preparing ourselves to go forward.

"I feel like we're gonna be in a much better spot next year." 

As far as lessons learned for the disappointing year, Lindor, who missed long stretches of the season on the injured list, that "health matters a lot" and "relationships grow even bigger throughout the ups and downs."

"I've learned that you can't force relationships," he continued. "I've learned that when you are healthy you gotta go give everything you got, no matter what's gonna happen tomorrow because things can get out of your hands real quick."

Juan Soto, who lost several weeks to calf injuries himself, had the harshest critique for himself.

“Tough one, a lot of up and downs. I want to call it disappointing, embarrassing,” Soto said of his season, which saw him finish with 27 home runs and 68 RBI in 11 games.  “I gotta prepare myself better. I gotta be better for the team, try to be out there for 162 and contribute as much as I can.”

Sean Manaea, who allowed five runs on seven hits over six innings in Sunday's loss, called the season a “disappointment” from both an individual and team standpoint.

“We didn’t, as a team, do what we needed to do. I personally didn’t do what I needed to do,” Manaea said. “I think there was flashes of some really good times. There was also a lot of negative things. Overall, I would say it's a disappointment, but I’m just glad I ended it on a high note and go into the offseason.”

Some of the flashes of good were an emergence of young talent, including in the rotation. The challenge for the offseason is to make the flashes more frequent. 

“These young guys coming in have unbelievable stuff,” Manaea said. “I know going into next year they can repeat, if not do better. And I know as a starting group, as a rotation, the closer we get to bonding we can do some incredible things.

“Super excited for them for next year; they can be great.”

One thing Lindor predicts to be a "non-issue" this offseason is the clubhouse.

"I think the clubhouse is in great shape," he said. "I don't think we should be hearing anything about it in the offseason because I feel like the clubhouse his great. Everybody here is in a really good spot. We are all pulling for each other, we all care for each other, and at the end of the day, this is about playing for each other and growing and wanting the best for each other so we can win.

"It shouldn't be an issue."

Soto agreed that the clubhouse is in a great spot.

"I think we got a lot of really good veteran players that have played this game for a long time and it's great, so far so good," he said. "I think we have everything that we need. Just gotta add couple pieces in the offseason, and I think it's gonna be even better for the team. "

Dan Wilson, who managed the Seattle Mariners to the brink of their first World Series appearance yet oversaw a significant regression the following season, was fired as the club finished a 76-86 season on Sunday, Sept. 27.

Club president Jerry Dipoto said in a statement released by the team that "collectively we failed to meet our own expectations this season. Dan and I both care deeply about this organization, these players, and the future of the Mariners. After much discussion it was concluded that a new direction is best for 2027 and beyond.”

Wilson, 57, took over for the fired Scott Servais for the final 34 games of the 2024 season and assumed the job on a permanent basis, leading the Mariners to 90 wins and the AL West championship in 2025. The Mariners held a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Championship Series, but lost Game 6 and blew a 3-1 seventh-inning lead in Game 7 as a handful of Wilson's managerial moves backfired, culminating in George Springer's go-ahead three-run homer.

Still, the club had designs on going at least a step further this season, with a loaded pitching staff, a re-signed Josh Naylor and a trade for Brendan Donovan that galvanized the infield. None of it worked out: Cal Raleigh backslid from a 60-homer season to batting .182 with just 23 homers, Donovan was frequently injured and several members of the pitching staff regressed.

Despite the general ineptitude in the AL West, the Mariners slipped further down the standings by going 20-31 in July and August and suffering some indignities along the way, most notably a 22-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 18. They finished August with five consecutive losses to fall a season-high 10 games under .500.

Wilson was a beloved as a Mariners player, the primary catcher on the club that won the first division title in franchise history in 1995 and an All-Star the following year. He played 12 of his 14 major league seasons with Seattle.

The Mariners' 76-86 record was their worst full-season mark since going 68-94 in 2019. Wilson was 187-171 in his three seasons.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mariners fire manager Dan Wilson as club finishes 86-loss season

The sun has set on the 2026 Colorado Rockies season. Perhaps fittingly, it came with a 4-2 loss against the playoff-bound Chicago White Sox—a team that found themselves in a similar situation to the Rockies just two years ago.

With today’s loss, the Rockies finish their season at 58-104. It is their second-worst season in franchise history by both losses and winning percentage. However, it is also a 15-game improvement from their dire and historically bad 2025 campaign.

“We’re not where we want to be,” said skipper Warren Schaeffer in a pre-recorded interview shown during the game. “We’ve seen incredible growth this year in a lot of areas. And the trajectory is like this [gestures in an upwards motion]. It’s not like this [gestures in a downwards motion] like it’s been in the past. We’re headed in the right direction. The win-loss record is something that… This isn’t who we think we are. Obviously, it is who we are at the moment. That’s what matters. But, we have to look at all the positives that happened this year and there’s a whole ton of them. We all need to work to get better in the off-season to come back ready to fight next year. To get better and move this thing forward.”

Schaeffer also pushed for improvement over the off-season as the club continues to rebuild in his post-game interview.

“Continuing to push this thing forward. Continuing to take what we’ve built on this year and get better with it. Every aspect of the game. Just put it all together and winning more ballgames next year, which, I know we will,” he said.

“Individually we all need to get better. Every player. Every coach. Me. Come next year and be ready to roll.”

Feeling finality for Freeland

Today, 33-year-old Kyle Freeland made his 257th career start in a Rockies uniform. It’s hard to feel as though it was not his last. While the start lacked the emotional gravitas of his final Coors Field start last week against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, the weight of the day was not lost on Rockies fans.

The broadcast implied there was no pitch count for Freeland and he would leave everything on the mound. However, he went just four innings with 62 total pitches before Mark Manfredi was summoned from the bullpen.

The outing started well enough with a 1-2-3 inning in the first. Freeland then kept the White Sox off the board in the second inning despite a one-out Sam Antonacci double. Where things fell apart was the third. Luisangel Acuña led off the inning with a single and a stolen base before former Rockies outfielder Randal Grichuk hit a two-run home run. Japanese star rookie Munetaka Murakami (村上 宗隆) struck a well-hit double off the center field wall and former teammate Brenton Doyle hit a two-run home run of his own. Freeland also hit a batter and gave up another single, but was able to stop the bleeding and end the inning without allowing any more runs.

Freeland’s outing ended with a scoreless fourth inning. Catcher Drew Romo hit a double but was caught in a baserunning error.

Where Freeland goes after this is unknown. The terms of his most recent contract—signed back in 2022—have come to a close. While the chance he returns to the only organization he has ever known isn’t zero, one has to imagine life without the Colorado Kid starting in 2027.

“[I told him] how much I respect him and love him,” said Schaeffer. “What a career he’s had here. I couldn’t be more thankful for him. What he’s done in that clubhouse and on that field for the Rockies for a very long time. If he leaves, we’ll miss him.”

More farewells

In addition to Freeland, long-time coach and organizational staple Ron Gideon has suited up for the Rockies in the dugout for the final time as he will be retiring this off-season. A former minor league first baseman and reliever, Gideon joined the Rockies’ system as a coach in 1996 and was a tremendous fixture in the team’s farm system. He was promoted to the big league coaching staff in 2017.

“You have friends in this life, but not a lot of them would literally do anything for you and lay down their life for you and I believe that Giddy would do that,” said Schaeffer. “He’s an incredible man. He’s meant so much to this organization. We’re all going to miss him dearly. It’s just unbelievable to me that he’s going to be gone. It’s a tough one, but I love the man with all my heart.”

Long-time coach and scout Rick Matthews is also retiring from the organization.

Young bullpen shines

After the game was turned over to the bullpen, the Rockies kept the White Sox off the board for the remainder of the game.

Rookie Mark Manfredi pitched two hitless, scoreless innings with a strikeout. The 26-year-old, acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers organization at the deadline, finished his season with a 3.06 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 17.2 innings of work. His fellow rookie Nick Frasso ended the season on a positive note as well. Frasso did not allow an earned run over his final four appearances of the year including today. In his single inning of work this afternoon he worked a 1-2-3 frame with a strikeout.

Jaden Hill also made his final appearance of the season. Although he gave up the only hit from the Rockies bullpen allowed today—and that baserunner advanced on a wild pitch—he tallied two strikeouts in a scoreless inning.

A few bright spots despite little offense

The Rockies scored just two runs on six hits in their season finale against the White Sox. They scored first with a run in the top of the third inning. After Jordan Beck and Ezequiel Tovar hit back-to-back singles, Jake McCarthy laid down a sacrifice but and Connor Norby drove Beck home with a sacrifice fly.

For Beck, the single and a walk in today’s game allowed him to finish the year at the Mendoza line. Tovar’s single also represents an upwards trajectory. After struggling through much of the season, Tovar hit .304/.328/.500 in the month of September with two doubles and three home runs.

Connor Norby as also a strong addition to the Rockies lineup. After joining the Rockies via a trade with the Miami Marlins, Norby hit .302/.387/.457 with three home runs, 11 doubles, 18 RBIs, and 16 walks over 40 games. He also accomplished this while playing at less than 100% physically. Norby is expected to have off-season knee surgery but should be ready to go for spring training.

The Rockies rookies also had their chance to shine. Cole Carrigg hit his 12th home run of the season to finish the season at .279/.341/.477 with 22 doubles, four triples, 53 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases.

TJ Rumfield did not play today after being removed from yesterday’s game to preserve his .300 batting average and .390 on-base percentage. Rumfield finishes his season tied for the best batting average among all MLB rookies, in sole possession of the best on-base percentage among all MLB rookies, and with the second-best OPS. TJ Rumfield also becomes the first rookie to lead his respective league in on-base percentage since Walter “Cuckoo” Christensen in 1926 and the second since “Shoeless” Joe Jackson in 1911.

Coming Up Next

A long, dark off-season awaits for the Rockies. There will be more introspection, roster changes, departures, and arrivals as the rebuild continues. Come December the league may once again be embroiled in a lockout and labor dispute as a new CBA must be agreed upon. Should all that be navigated successfully, Opening Day is slated for March 25th on the road against the San Francisco Giants.

A message for our fans 💌 pic.twitter.com/7yaez4LcVU

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) September 27, 2026

Purple Row will continue to be here every step of the way. So please, stay with us, and we shall greet the morning together.

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Ok, it’s perhaps a little too early for Thanksgiving. But I’m pretty sure I saw a pumpkin spice latte advert from Starbucks the other day, so that’s good enough for me. As I write this, the final innings are being played out in San Diego, the D-backs having been eliminated in the 162nd and last game of the regular season. There will be plenty of time to chew over what that means for the 2027 campaign – if that happens, and in what form. But I just wanted to lay out some the things I’ve enjoyed about this year, both about the team and baseball generally, in no particular order.

• Gabriel Moreno winning the batting title. The first Diamondback ever to do so, squeaking out a victory by a few points in the fourth decimal place. But he became one of the very best catchers in the major leagues this year.
• Corbin Carroll rounding second and heading for third. Is the triple the most exciting play in baseball? I think there’s an argument to be had for that. And if so, we had the most exciting team, with 42 triples. Carroll became the franchise leader there. Think there will be more to come.
• ABS challenges. I’ve absolutely loved seeing this in action. It has had absolutely no noticeable impact on pace of play, but has given both sides a way to appeal the worst umpiring blunders. Anything that helps avoid games being decided by human error is fine by me.
• Justin Martinez throwing 104 mph. Yeah, I know it didn’t exactly go as intended this afternoon. But seeing him come back from surgery and throw franchise record fastball after fastball? I imagine he’s our closer in waiting for 2027. And, somewhat related…
• A bullpen that didn’t suck. The metrics were all over the place. 15th (excluding today) in ERA. But 4th by Win Probability. However, compared to previous years, even mediocrity tasted sweet. Simply not being concerned whenever the starting pitcher left was a huge improvement.
• Consider the alternative, #1. Narrowly missing out on the post-season three years in a row hurts. But it’s a damn sight better than being effectively eliminated by the All-Star break. Most MLB teams this year would love to be in Arizona’s shoes, and have had a meaningful Game #162.
• Consider the alternative, #2. Over the past week, I’ve become increasingly aware that we don’t know when the next MLB games will take place. While I think a lockout is in the best interests of the game, to achieve actual competitive balance, I don’t have to like it. All baseball is better than no baseball.
• The resurrection of Eduardo Rodriguez. To be honest, I’d written him off as another bad contract after 2024-25. But he proved me wrong again, stepping up to become the ace. He, Brandon Pfaadt and – hopefully – Corbin Burnes aren’t a bad foundation for our next rotation.
• The youth movement. Of all the competing teams in the NL, only the Brewers have a younger average age. The likes of Jose Fernandez, Jordan Lawlar, Ryan Waldschmidt and Martinez, should all be solid contributors for years. Watching players develop > buying in free agents.
• The SnakePit family. It’s likely the case that if it hadn’t been for the site, my interest in baseball would have died after COVID. The SnakePit has now lasted longer than any job, house or virtually anything else in my life, except my marriage. It’s you people that keep me here. Damn you all to hell. 🙂

Many thanks to all the writers, readers, commenters and lurkers for keeping this place going – without you, this would be nothing but a website placeholder! We’ll be keeping things very busy in what promises to be an interesting off-season for the team, so keep checking back often.

And that’s a wrap on the season, everyone. The A’s end their year on a losing note by dropping the final game of the year to the Houston Astros. That punched Houston’s ticket to October baseball as they’ll finish the season 81-81, which is good enough for the AL West but also the first time there’s a .500 team going to the postseason in baseball history. They shouldn’t be exactly proud of themselves for that. That’s it for the Athletics baseball until February 19th next year, the first game of Spring Training. Start the clock!

The A’s went with a bullpen game this afternoon, beginning with midseason trade acquisition Seth Johnson. His first few appearances in an A’s uniform haven’t been all that encouraging but he ended his season on a high note with 1 2/3 shutout innings, holding the Astros to just one hit and a couple walks while punching out a pair. Those walks came back-to-back and ended his day but overall a solid outing. Johnson was acquired for Colby Thomas with the expectation he could be a piece of next year’s bullpen and that’s still the case. Hopefully he can put in work this offseason and be ready to claim a spot in next year’s ‘pen right out of the gate.

After Johnson it was lefty Brady Basso’s turn as the bulk pitcher. While Johnson ended his season on a good note, Basso got touched up for four runs and ends his year on a low note. Basso finished the second but then he allowed a single, double, triple, hit a batter, and threw in an intentional walk for good measure. That was the recipe (not in that order) for four runs in the third inning, putting Houston on course for the playoffs. That pushed his ERA to 6.07, not a fun number to look at all offseason.

On the other side of things the Athletics’ lineup was facing emergent right-hander Peter Lambert. The Astros’ come-out-of-nowhere workhorse this year came out shaky against the A’s this afternoon. The A’s put together a couple hits in the first inning but wasted that opportunity, which ended up being their only real scoring chance this afternoon. Lambert would surprisingly only pitch two innings in this one as the Astros then turned things over to righty Ethan Pecko for three innings. It wasn’t much better for the A’s bats against him as they only collected one one single against him.

Houston tacked on a couple more in each of the sixth and seventh off of Scott Blewitt and Chris Roycroft, respectively. Then another in the eighth off Geoff Hartlieb, unnecessary insurance. The A’s offense looked like it was ready to hit the golf course as they ended the day with just five hits and three walks. A lifeless way to end a lifeless season.

And now the offseason begins. The Athletics finish the year at 64-98. The team will break up and head their separate ways, not to reunite until next spring. There’ll be lots of new faces and others that depart this winter. And with where the team finished in the standings that’s probably for the best. The A’s have now completed two of their three seasons in Sacramento, with just one more to go until they move into their new long-term home in Las Vegas. Enjoy the offseason everyone, and stay tuned to Athletics Nation for all the news and updates regarding our A’s!

The Dodgers closed the 2026 regular season with a 5-1 win against the Giants on Sunday, bringing their record to 100-62.

“There’s a lot of things that we had to go through this year,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And we just continue to remain steadfast and play on.”

The Dodgers were already locked into a No. 2 seed, with a first-round bye. But the slate of games Sunday sorted out the rest of the postseason bracket.

In the National League Division Series, the Dodgers play the winner of the best-of-three wild-card series between the No. 6 Philadelphia Phillies (who claimed the final NL wild-card spot with a win Sunday) or the No. 3 Atlanta Braves.

Read more:Plaschke: The Dodgers cannot three-peat without 'That Guy'... but who is he?

During the bye, the Dodgers will balance practice and live pitching with rest. Then they’ll host Game 1 and 2 of the NL Division Series on Saturday and Sunday. The Dodgers will hit the road for Game 3 on Oct. 6 and an if-necessary Game 4 the next day. If the NLDS goes to five games, it will return to Dodger Stadium on Oct. 9.

It’s now the Dodgers’ job to capitalize on it, the but their regular season put them in a strong playoff position.

“Truly, 100 wins is hard to do,” veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “It’s six months. It’s a grind. A lot of ups and downs. A lot of people getting hurt. A lot of depth pieces stepping up. A lot of good things happening for a lot of good people on this team.”

Here are the numbers that sum up the Dodgers’ 2026 regular season:

100 wins

The Dodgers posted their best regular-season record since 2023, when they went 100-62. This is their fourth 100-win season in six years, and they’ve recorded 100-plus wins in six of the past nine full seasons.

Roberts has been at the helm for all six, tied with Hall of Famers managers Bobby Cox and Joe McCarthy for the most 100-win seasons.

Regular-season success isn’t directly correlated with postseason performance. The Dodgers won the last two World Series after 98- and 93-win seasons.

9 games ahead of the rest

The Dodgers ran away with the NL West. They spent 181 days in first place, according to Baseball Reference. The Padres finished second and claimed a wild-card spot.

14 straight postseason berths

The Dodgers tied the record for consecutive postseason berths, set by the Braves from 1991 to 2005.

5 games the Dodgers’ A lineup has been available

Injuries rolled through the Dodgers’ position-player group throughout the season, including extended absences for Tommy Edman (ankle) and Will Smith (neck). Significant September injuries included Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) and Andy Pages (hand).

So, the Dodgers’ last five games of the season were their only ones with their projected postseason lineup available. Those nine only started one game together. The team hopes that means the best is yet to come.

22 combined starts for Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow

The rotation was also hit hard by injuries. Along with Ohtani, Blake Snell (shoulder, elbow) and Tyler Glasnow (back) were also limited. But they got healthy at the right time, joining stalwart Yoshinobu Yamamoto (14-9, 2.53 ERA) and trade-deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal (5-2, 2.61 with Dodgers) to form a fearsome four for the postseason.

10 two-way games from Shohei Ohtani

This was supposed to be Ohtani’s first full two-way season since 2023. But he only made 14 starts on the mound before injuries limited him to hitting. And in four of those pitching starts, he was not in the batting order, in an early effort to manage his workload.

His 1.79 ERA put him in the early Cy Young conversation. In the end, injuries not only ended that dream but tanked his case for a third consecutive MVP as well.

11 pitchers recorded saves

The Dodgers signed closer Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69-million contract in the offseason — securing a closer to a multi-year deal for the second straight year.

Between injuries and poor performance, Díaz lost the closer role. He made just 21 appearances and tallied seven saves. But in the final week of the season, he pitched his way back into the late-inning conversation.

Tanner Scott led the team in saves, with 25.

Read more:Shaikin: Dodgers don't have a designated playoff closer. That isn't as bad as it sounds

.715 OPS posted by Kyle Tucker

Tucker was the other big offseason signing. The right fielder set an average annual value record with his four-year, $240-million deal. Then he posted a sub-.800 OPS for the first time since his 2018 rookie season, when he logged just 72 plate appearances.

Tucker hit better on the road (.841 OPS entering Sunday) than at Dodger Stadium (.592). And he has swung a hot bat in September, entering Sunday with a .919 OPS this month.

1,000 career wins by Dave Roberts

Roberts became the fastest manager to 1,000 wins with a victory against the Athletics on June 30. He finished the season with 1,044.

2,500 career-hits by Freeman

Freeman reached the mark on June 9, the first player to do so since 2019. He finished with 2,598 career hits, leading all active players.

4,034,219 Dodger Stadium attendance record

For the second straight season, the Dodgers’ home attendance surpassed 4 million. They beat last year’s record by 21,749.

Read more:Blake Snell delivers 'best-case scenario' as Dodgers defeat Giants for win No. 99

11 wins for three-peat

The bye week will allow the Dodgers’ front office to finalize the NLDS roster. They have decisions to make regarding their bench and bullpen.

Rookie Josue De Paula, up for a pinch-hitting role, is set to join the team Tuesday, Roberts said. And the team is considering utility player Hyeseong Kim as a potential pinch-runner.

Right-handed reliever Edgardo Henriquez, who landed on the injured list two weeks ago with lower-back discomfort, is scheduled to throw to batters this week at Dodger Stadium, Roberts said. If that goes well, he’s expected to be on the NLDS roster.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mariners 7, Angels 3, Rick Rizzs 1 in a million

The Astros going 81-81: Logan Gilbert, +.015 WPA
The Astros winning the division at 81-81: Julio Rodríguez, -0.09 WPA

Game Thread Comments of the Day

Both PDX bros coming through today.

For nine-plus innings, the Dodgers and Giants couldn’t buy a hit with a runner in scoring position, but in the tenth, the Dodgers broke through for a 5-1 win. Alex Call and Andy Pages recorded two-out hits, a double, and a three-run shot to give the Dodgers their first lead in this game and the only one they’d need.

ANDY FOR GAME 162! pic.twitter.com/IUT59vcK9b

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 27, 2026

Before getting to that point of being tied in extras, Jack Dreyer did a reasonable job of keeping the Giants at bay as an opener, but a stolen base allowed the opportunity for just a pair of singles to open the scoring in the second. Shay Whitcomb singled and stole second, later driven in by Scott Bandura—his first RBI of the season, playing in just his 13th big league game. Bandura also tried to steal a base, but this time Dreyer was alert to the danger and picked him off.

Facing a traditional bullpen game with Carson Seymour completing just one inning to open this one, the Dodgers first threatened to score in the third, the inning marked by Tony Vitello’s ejection. With two on and a 2-2 count to Mookie Betts, a check swing in which he probably went around was called a no-swing. Vitello came out to argue what had already been a topic of frustration earlier in the game and was thrown out for the seventh time in his 2026. The Giants, however, got out of the jam, as Betts struck out on the next pitch, and Sam Hentges also punched out Freddie Freeman.

What the Dodgers offense couldn’t do in the third, it did in the following frame. Kyle Tucker got on to leadoff the inning thanks to a defensive error by the second baseman and moved to third on a Max Muncy double—his 27th of the season, setting a new career high in a single season. With two on and one out, Andy Pages evened the score with a sacrifice fly.

Through the following innings, the Dodgers kept threatening but never coming through, first with a Freddie Freeman hit with a man on being taken away by a great defensive play from Jonah Cox—somewhat redeeming himself for the error that contributed to the Dodgers’ first run. That, by the way, would be Freeman’s last action in the game, replaced after five by Kiké Hernández as Dave Roberts rotated key pieces.

In the sixth, Muncy nearly wrote another chapter in his book as a giant killer. But the deepest part of the park was just deep enough to keep him from a solo shot in a ball that would’ve gone out in 23 of 30 stadiums. Perhaps the biggest squandered chance, though, came in the seventh and eighth when the Dodgers first stranded a leadoff double by Tommy Edman with three straight groundouts—an inning later, after Muncy secured his third hit of the day, Andy Pages hit into an inning-ending double play with two on and one out.

The Dodgers’ pitching was the reason the offense kept getting these opportunities to take the lead. Justin Wrobleski was the first pitcher out of the bullpen for the Dodgers, but looking for an even distribution of workload, he only completed two scoreless innings in under 30 pitches. Roki Sasaki and Edwin Díaz combined to strike out three, each with a scoreless frame.

Although Wrobleski had a couple of scares, the Giants truly came back to threaten again in the seventh when Bobby Miller took the mound, but also without actually breaking through. With runners at the corners and no outs, Miller secured a strikeout, then lucked into Marcelo Mayer staying at third on a wild pitch quickly recovered by Hunter Feduccia, recorded another punchout, and finished off the inning with a groundout.

With both teams exhausting new ways of threatening without actually scoring, the Giants looked like they’d take the lead with a leadoff bomb in the eighth by Christian Koss. However, the call on the field of a home run was overturned when replay made it clear it was a foul ball, and the score remained 1-1 through nine innings.

Even in the tenth, it looked like the Dodgers were going to strand the ghost runner after their first two hitters were retired without him advancing to third, but Call came through, and an intentional walk later, Pages had the big hit of the game. With the four RBI he recorded in this game, Pages left Ohtani behind and isolated himself as the Dodgers’ RBI leader this season, with 85.

Sunday particulars

Home run: Andy Pages (23)

WP —Alex Vesia (3-1): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout

LP —Duncan Davitt (0-1):1 IP, 2 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned runs, 1 walk

Up next

The Dodgers get a little under a week off before they get back on the field on Saturday at home. They’ll be playing host to the winner of the Wild Card round between the Braves and Phillies in game 1 of the NLDS. No starters have been announced for that series.

Reds 1 Blue Jays 5

If I were Max Scherzer, that’s how I’d want to end my career. He threw seven innings, allowed six hits, one earned run, one walk, and seven strikeouts (which would finish him with 3,557 strikeouts, three fewer than Justin Verlander). Max threw 114 pitches. That’s just amazing, especially on short rest.

If Max doesn’t sign with someone for next year, he will finish with 225 wins, 126 losses and a 3.29 ERA in 3047.2 innings in 501 games—a sure first-ballot Hall of Famer.

And George Springer doubled to lead off the third inning and was taken out of the game. That is also a great way to end a career, if he decides that’s it.

Springer has a .365/.351/.472 batting line, 272 doubles, 25 triples, and 308 home runs, with 850 RBI and 1041 runs scored. Not a Hall of Fame career, but a Hall of Very Good career.

He’s 37 and really can only DH. I don’t know if a team would sign him to do that. If he wants to play, I hope he gets to.

Beyond that, we scored 5 runs, which, if we’d done that more often this year, the season wouldn’t be over.

We scored:

• Two in the second: Davis Schneider led off with a walk, and Brandon Valenzuela homered (his 9th of the season).
• Two in the third: Springer started it with a double (should have been a single, but left fielder JJ Bleday had it bounce over his head). Sean Keys replaced Springer as a pinch runner so fans in the ballpark could give Springer the ovation he deserves. Brett Bateman singled. Kazuma Okamoto walked. Charles McAdoo hit a sac fly. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. And a Schneider groundout scored Bateman.
• In the eighth, McAdoo homered (his third MLB homer of the season).

We only had five hits. Bateman had two, finishing with a .329 BA. Springer, McAdoo, and Valenzuela had the extra-base hits.

The defence was better than yesterday, but there was still a moment when three fielders watched a foul ball land between them. One thing that has to happen next year is they have to play better defence.

Jays of the Day: Scherzer (0.20 WPA), Valenzuela (0.16) and Bateman (0.10). And let’s get an honorary mention to Springer.

No one had the Other Number.

Thanks to everyone who joined us in the Game Threads and other threads. You all make the games so much more enjoyable.

We will have Game Threads for the playoff games (starting on Tuesday) and the usual off-season stuff, along with some, hopefully, free agent signings. I’m hoping we get baseball again next year and that it isn’t delayed.

That’s a wrap on the regular season. The Red Sox lost the series finale, a boring and pointless affair, to the Chicago Cubs, 6-2. So, what did we learn?

Tanner Houck isn’t ready for the postseason roster

Tanner Houck started the game today for his first appearance since May 2025. The line was okay; he allowed three runs over three innings on four hits and one strikeout, but the stuff isn’t where it needs to be. His fastballs were about two miles per hour below where they were last year, and his sweeper didn’t have as much bite. He commanded his fastballs and his splitter well, but the whiffs weren’t there as hitters could handle his stuff. Aside from two Alex Bregman home runs, there wasn’t much loud contact, but I still wouldn’t want to trust Houck out of the pen. I’m happy that Houck was able to get an appearance in, but there are better options for the postseason.

Patrick Sandoval isn’t an option for the Wild Card Round

Patrick Sandoval took over for Wyatt Olds in the fourth inning with two outs and pitched until the ninth inning. The Red Sox let him go all the way up to 98 pitches, signaling that he won’t be an option for the Wild Card round. I never thought he would be, other than in a mop-up role, but it’s nice to know the team’s opinion of him is in line with mine.

The Trop is the worst

Trevor Story caught a fly ball that Jarren Duran was tracking because it hit a catwalk, and apparently that’s still in play? How is that place a real stadium that can affect the outcome of playoff games?

Another example of Tropicana Field blowing.

Good work from Trevor Story to catch the ricochet. pic.twitter.com/cFHWbdmngE

— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) September 27, 2026

Drake Maye has brain worms

What the heck is up with that guy?

Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela are playing hurt

I think we already knew this one, but the fact that they both only played four innings and got two at-bats was illuminating. It’s clear that they’ve been battling through injuries, but this game had a real rehab-assignment vibe to it for those two. They’ll get another day off before they’re both probably in the lineup for game one against the Yankees.

The Astros and Phillies will be in the playoffs

The Phillies knocked off the Rays, and the Astros took care of business against the Athletics to secure the final playoff spots. If we’re lucky enough to face the Astros in the American League Championship, I pray they learn not to pitch to Yordan Alvarez. Just walk him.

The Yankees Still Suck

They only played 161 games because they’re witches who melt in the rain.

---

That’s all I got. Next stop, postseason.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have established a dynasty in the National League West and the Milwaukee Brewers are pretty much unbeatable in the Central. 

That leaves the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs to battle on the undercard - and that was a pretty compelling match one year ago. 

This time, it's San Diego's Petco Park, not Wrigley Field, that will host the two teams that battled through three games before the Cubs prevailed in the decisive finale a year ago. 

And now, the Cubs have Alex Bregman on their side. 

The two-time World Series champ and postseason constant bounced back from facial fractures suffered Sept. 20 when he was struck in the left eye by a foul ball. Five days later, he was back in the Cubs lineup and Sunday, he hit two home runs and had three hits in the Cubs' season-finale against Boston, moved to Tropicana Field for weather purposes.

Yet in a series matching a pair of rotations that fall shy of dominant, the Padres bullpen may provide the difference. Closer Mason Miller is the final boss of a unit that can match up lefties and righties with equal ease.

San Diego is looking to advance past the wild card round for the first time since 2022, when it reached the NLCS. The Cubs fell in a five-game NL Division Series at Milwaukee after vanquishing the Padres. 

Game 1 will be Tuesday, Sept. 29, with Michael King expected to get the start for the Padres.

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Padres vs. Cubs predictions

• Bob Nightengale: Padres in 2
• Gabe Lacques: Padres in 3
• Kristie Ackert: Cubs in 3
• Jesse Yomtov: Padres in 3

Padres vs Cubs schedule

Wild card series at Petco Park in San Diego. Game 3 time subject to change

• Game 1, Tuesday: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET
• Game 2, Wednesday: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET
• Game 3*, Thursday: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cubs vs Padres expert predictions, MLB playoff schedule for NL wild card series

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Sunday was a day of farewells for the Mariners on and off the field. Making official what many have suspected, sources inside the Mariners organization say that the Mariners and manager Dan Wilson have parted ways. According to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com and Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Wilson informed players he would not be returning in a meeting prior to Sunday’s season finale against the Angels. Wilson went on to manage the rest of the game, including two mid-inning defensive changes to allow fan appreciation moments for both J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena, both of whom are set to become free agents this season.

Wilson’s firing was essentially a fait accompli after the team underachieved to an almost unimaginable degree in 2026 following a deep playoff run in 2025. It was a baffling turn of events for a team that was projected as the favorites to win a weak AL West while returning essentially the same group of players and of staffers in 2026. Instead, the Astros once again captured the AL West, winning out over the Rangers. Neither club was particularly good this season; both were better than the Mariners.

While Wilson didn’t have direct experience managing, he did have a longstanding relationship with many of the team’s young players, having worked for years as a minor league coach/coordinator in the organization. Wilson had a particularly close relationship with fellow catcher Cal Raleigh, who always eagerly sought Wilson out for advice even before he was installed as the manager. Wilson’s first full season of managing was Raleigh’s historic 60-home run season, but Raleigh’s 2026 was a shocking disappointment that saw him go from one of the league’s best hitters to the league’s worst.

Moving on from Wilson is the first step in what promises to be an off-season of change for the Mariners, whose abysmal sub-.500 record ensure they cannot “run it back”. Given the young core and recent playoff run, Seattle should be an attractive destination for a manager. But how much control will that manager want to exert over bringing in their own choices for staffing? Pitching coaches Pete Woodworth and Trent Blank still have time left on their contracts, as does infield coach Perry Hill. There are questions to be solved on the roster, as well, as the. Mariners will have to replace the assumed departures of Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford, in addition to shoring up a bullpen that was both injured and ineffective. But those are questions for the front office, specifically Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander, who are scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday. The looming lockout also poses a wrinkle in the upcoming down time, making it an off-season of uncertainty all around.

One thing is clear: the Mariners will have a new manager in 2026, for the third time in four years.

The situation was clear for the Phillies: Win on Sunday afternoon and qualify for the playoffs. We can lament they didn’t take care of business earlier in the week, but on Sunday, Zack Wheeler and company took care of business, defeating the Rays 7-3, and earning the final spot in the National League’s playoff field.

It would have been preferable to have saved Wheeler for the playoffs, but if you needed one guy to start a must win game, there are few pitchers you’d rather have on the mound. And Wheeler delivered. He struck out the side in the first, setting the tone, and while he didn’t continue that level of dominance the rest of the way, he kept the Rays in check. His final line: One run on five hits over six innings to earn his 14th win of the season.

After a few games of offensive ineptitude, it was nice to see the Phillies get on the board early on Sunday. Kyle Schwarber singled and was doubled home by Bryson Stott to give them an early 1-0.

Stott puts one on the board! pic.twitter.com/4w9QgpWGjA

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 27, 2026

They extended that lead in the second when J.T. Realmuto finally broke out of his hitless streak to drive in the team’s second run.

Atta way, JT! pic.twitter.com/lHB7j0T4Qp

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 27, 2026

After a Trea Turner single, Schwarber blasted a double off the fence to put the Phillies up 4-0.

Come for the knock, stay for the slide pic.twitter.com/Q562Dl8Eyf

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 27, 2026

The bats quieted down for a few innings, and the Rays finally got on the board thanks to a Jonny DeLuca home run to start the fifth. Maybe the Phillies’ hitters needed that to snap them out of any sense of complacency, because they came back to life in the bottom of the innings.

Bryce Harper led off the frame with a home run.

BRYCE BRYCE BABY! pic.twitter.com/KkyeWiao8L

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 27, 2026

After a Stott double, a ground out, and a Brandon Marsh sacrifice fly, Edmundo Sosa added another solo shot to make it 7-1.

Alex McFarlane relieved Wheeler and was a little shaky in the seventh, giving up two runs, including DeLuca’s second home run of the game. Get that out of your system, Alex!

I didn’t agree with the decision to use Jesus Luzardo in the eighth. My hope was he could be the game one playoff starter, and I didn’t like putting a guy fresh off the Injured List onto a mound that was clearly deteriorating due to the rainy conditions. Fortunately, the Rays, with nothing to play for, seemed content to just swing at anything, and Luzardo got through the inning in four pitches.

Jhoan Duran got the ninth, and despite it not being a save situation, it was perhaps his most important appearance of the year. Three easy outs later, and the Phillies’ ticket to the playoffs was punched.

CLINCHED. pic.twitter.com/oZ5k3vwx1c

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 27, 2026

I understand if you’re frustrated with the Phillies. But this is a franchise that recently missed the playoffs ten straight years. I can’t turn up my nose at playoff spots, no matter how narrowly they made it.

Besides, everything that happened in the regular season doesn’t really matter. When they take the field in Atlanta on Tuesday, it doesn’t matter that they barely made the playoffs. Maybe the Phillies don’t inspire anyone with much confidence that they’ll make much noise in the postseason, but who knows? You can’t win the World Series without making the playoffs, and the Phillies at least have a chance now.

See you on Tuesday!