Category: MLB

Tyler Glasnow on the mound, a trip to the National League Championship could be secured this evening in Georgia. Joe Davis and Miguel Rojas both on the shelf for this one.

NLDS Game 4 info

• Teams: No. 2 seed Dodgers vs. No. 3 seed Braves
• Series: Los Angeles leads, 2-1
• Ballpark: Truist Park, Atlanta
• Start time: 3:08 p.m.
• TV: FS1 (Brandon Gaudin, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal)
• National radio: ESPN Radio (Dave O’Brien, Jessica Mendoza)
• Local English radio: AM 570 (Stephen Nelson, Rick Monday)
• Local Spanish radio: KTNQ 1020 AM (José Mota, Luis Cruz)

This Tyler-squared matchup would be more fun if it weren’t elimination-flavored, no?

One game at a time. Win tonight.

Game Notes

Pitching preview

Lineups

The Wild Card Series between the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs was the most stress-free and lopsided playoff series the team has ever been a part of. The offense was relentless, and the pitching was dominant. It is unrealistic to expect that against the Milwaukee Brewers.

What we experienced instead was the most stressful and exhausting baseball of any playoff series in recent memory.

With the Friars kicked in the gut the first two games in Milwaukee, losing after being ahead in both games, the team had their backs against the wall in their return home to Petco Park for a must-win Game 3.

Outstanding and a grind

The Friar Faithful likely witnessed the best game of the season in the 4-3 win over the Brewers on Tuesday night. All phases of their game had to be on point. After getting out to a two-run lead, the Padres had to keep responding to a Brewers team that just never quits. Tenacity applies to both teams in this series, and it’s a battle to the end of nine innings to determine who is still standing at the conclusion.

The 47,708 Padres fans in attendance joined the TV audience to fight through 3 hours and 22 minutes of grueling baseball. The competition was spectacular and exhausting.

Key pieces absent

What we didn’t know going into the must-win contest was that closer Mason Miller would be absent to attend the birth of his first child. And Adrian Morejon had a sore shoulder, which would keep them both away from competition.

Down their two most high-leverage relievers, the coaching staff had to put together a plan that would cover whatever innings starter Nick Pivetta left for the bullpen.

Their secret weapon was Michael King

At the conclusion of his start versus Milwaukee in the second game of the series, King told manager Craig Stammen that he would be available for the bullpen in games 3 and 4. After throwing 72 pitches on Sunday in their 4-3 loss, King was all in on providing more depth for the pitching staff. He was a reliever before becoming a starter, a perfect setup to provide reliable depth in the bullpen.

Instead of throwing his regular between-starts bullpen on Tuesday, King reported to the bullpen at the start of the game. 

Bogaerts was as surprised as the Friar Faithful

Xander Bogaerts saw King starting to warm up before the eighth inning and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. In the postgame scrum at his locker, Bogaerts’ awe was obvious.

“It’s unbelievable him being available for that,” Bogaerts said.

Being available wasn’t the end of what King was intending. When it became clear that Miller would be away for the game, King became the de facto closer for the Padres. Called into action after Stammen used Jason Adam, Bradgley Rodriguez, and Yuki Matsui from the fifth through seventh innings, King was it for the last six outs. No one outside the organization knew that Morejon was unavailable. The Padres kept that piece of information very private before the game.

When the ninth inning began without anyone warming in the bullpen, it was obvious the burden was King’s to bear.

His six-out save was his first as a major league pitcher and kept the Friars afloat to fight another day.

A must-win Game 4

Manager Craig Stammen wasn’t willing to divulge the Game 4 starter at his postgame news conference on Tuesday night, but Walker Buehler would be the logical choice. That became official a couple of hours after the game, and pitching coach Ruben Niebla also said as much in his post-game scrum with the media.

Buehler last pitched on Sept. 26 against Arizona in the last series of the regular season. He allowed five hits and three runs over 3.2 innings with three strikeouts. He was unavailable to pitch in the first two games versus Milwaukee while attending the birth of his second child in San Diego.

Activated back to the roster on Oct. 5, Buehler should be fresh and tuned up for his start.

The big question now is who will be in the bullpen to back Buehler up. All hands on deck is the battle cry for any team in the postseason. Regular season constraints and workload considerations won’t apply. The staff can’t worry about saving anyone for the next game. There won’t be a next game without winning this one.

Niebla was optimistic that both Miller and Morejon would be a part of their plan for Game 4. He said as much during his postgame comments. The decision on Morejon won’t come until they evaluate him today. Niebla reported that he threw a bullpen session before the game on Tuesday, but he wasn’t healthy enough to pitch that day.

Gavin Sheets should return

The other player originally intended to be available on Tuesday was Gavin Sheets, who was penciled in to DH. He was scratched with a stiff neck that wasn’t responsive to treatment before the game. His availability for Game 4 will be assessed during pregame work. It was reported after the game on Tuesday that he had improved and was available in the eighth inning.

Luck and determination are needed

Hopefully, Morejon, Miller, and Sheets can all be ready for tonight, and the Padres will need more from their offense against the Brewers if they want to push the series to Game 5. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. remains in a slump; he is 1-for-14 in the series. After chasing 10 of the 21 pitches he saw outside of the strike zone in the first two games, Tatis was more selective in Tuesday’s contest. He was able to make contact and drive in a run with a groundout in the third inning.

Jake Cronenworth hit a go-ahead home run to the Crone Zone in Game 3, his first meaningful contribution in the series after going 0-for-7 in the first two games. He also laid down a sacrifice bunt in the third inning that contributed to the team’s first run.

With contributions from the full lineup, the Padres will need their complete bullpen to step up. For these two home games, the entire pitching staff is available. Adam, Rodriguez, and Matsui carried the load on Tuesday. Joe Musgrove, Robbie Ray, and David Morgan will need to contribute for this series to continue. 

King contends he is able to come in for Game 4 after throwing 41 pitches in his closer role in Game 3. It is likely his availability will be as an emergency-only option.

Luck and determination served the Padres well on Tuesday. They will need more of the same as well as increased contributions from their player depth. An offensive explosion would also be welcomed.

There is enough to pull this out if the team continues to play as a cohesive group and the contributions come from all through the roster. Beating this Brewers team is a challenge but the Friars have been playing with resilience and togetherness.

Both will be required to finish this out.

Up the list, Enrique "Kiké" Hernandez climbs.

The Los Angeles Dodgers utilityman hit his 17^th career postseason home run Tuesday, Oct. 17, leaving him tied for 18th overall with sluggers Aaron Judge and David Ortiz.

Behold all 17 of Hernandez's blasts.

Yet the feat by the 35-year-old Dodger is likely underappreciated.

It wasn’t just a home run Hernandez hit. It was a two-run blast that helped the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves, 3-1, in Game 3 of the best-of-five NLDS as Los Angeles took a 2-1 lead.

On the all-time playoff homer list, Hernandez needs just one more to catch Reggie Jackson, the legendary New York Yankees slugger who earned the nickname “Mr. October.’’ Would Hernandez earn the right to borrow the moniker and any home run magic that comes with it?

He’s swinging for the fences on a star-studded list led by Manny Ramirez with 26 postseason home runs and populated by Derek Jeter (20), Albert Pujols (19) and Mickey Mantle (18).

Hernandez looks like he crashed the party, with Hernandez the only utilityman on the list of select sluggers.

But perhaps most impressive of all for Hernandez is this: During the regular season, he has averaged a home run every 28.4 at-bats. During the postseason, by contrast, he has averaged a home run every 17.5 at-bats.

This is his 10th season with the Dodgers. Of his 17 postseason homers, he hit 12 for the Dodgers. Perhaps his most memorable was a three-homer game in Game 5 of the 2017 NLCS that helped power the Dodgers past the Cubs, 11-1, and advance into the World Series.

Hernandez hit his other five playoff homers for the Boston Red Sox 2021. He has three World Series championships, all with the Dodgers (2020, 2024, 2025).

NLDS results: Dodgers vs Braves LIVE updates, lineups and where to watch NLDS Game 4

Jazz Chisholm Jr. said he'd make the same throw again.

The New York Yankees aren't giving him the chance.

Chisholm is out of the lineup for Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, two days after his wild throw opened the door in a 5-2 loss. Anthony Volpe starts at second base and bats seventh, his first start of the series.

The Yankees trail 2-0 in the best-of-five series and are on the brink of elimination.

Aaron Boone has benched Chisholm before this postseason. He started Volpe at second in Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Boston Red Sox, but that was a platoon split. Boston started left-hander Payton Tolle, and Volpe hits right-handed. Boone called it a tough decision that time.

Wednesday night, after Chisholm's error it wasn't as hard a decision. Tampa Bay is is starting right-hander Nick Martinez, a pitcher Chisholm normally plays against. He also started Jose Caballero at third over Ryan McMahon.

Boone admitted he was hoping for a spark offensively and defensively from Volpe and Caballero, but he also said it was a gut feeling after Game 2.

"Look, postgame and sitting on the plane, I just felt like that's the way I wanted to go with (Volpe) and Cabby," Boone said.

In the bottom of the first inning of Game 2, Chisholm took the throw at second for the force out and then spun and fired off balance to first to try and get a double play. The ball sailed wide and Yandy Diaz scored. It was the first of three errors in the first four batters. All three of the Rays first-inning runs were unearned.

After a disappointing first full season as a pro, Seaver King was at a crossroads entering 2026. If he continued to struggle, the former top 10 pick would lose most of his prospect shine. However, he also had the chance to put himself back on the map. That is exactly what King did this season.

This season, Seaver King showed exactly why the Nats took him 10th overall in the 2024 draft. With some adjustments which we will dive into, King was able to tap into his explosive athleticism and power. After dominating AA and AAA this year, King is a consensus top 100 prospect and knocking on the door of the big leagues. It was truly a dream season for the 23 year old.

Even as early as Spring Training, Seaver King looked impressive. I remember seeing him take at bats in big league Spring Training games and I came away very impressed. However, I still had plenty of doubt because of his 2025 season and the fact we have all seen Spring Training mirages before.

In that 2025 season, King really struggled. In High-A and Double-A, King hit just .244 with a .631 OPS. That is not what you want to see from a top 10 pick, even with the fact that King was seen as more developmental than most first round college bats. King’s plate discipline was poor and he hit too many ground balls to tap into his power.

Those were the two things that King needed to fix, and he knew it. I wrote a story about King and talked to him in Rochester. In that piece, he emphasized how much he has been working on his approach and elevating the baseball. 

Early in the season, we saw King come to AA with a borderline passive approach. That led to a lot of walks and much more production. As the season went on, he was swinging more, but his chase rate never got out of control in AA. When he got to Rochester, those chase issues appeared again, but they gradually got better as he adjusted to the level.

Seaver King is always going to have some chase in his game. That is just naturally who he is as a hitter. If you neuter that aggression too much, it could have negative effects. The key will be balancing his natural aggression with good enough swing decisions.

Along with fine tuning his swing decisions, King needed to hit the ball in the air more. He has always had impressive bat speed and exit velocities, which got even better in 2026. However, he hit the ball on the ground over 52% of the time last year. 

This year that number was around 45%, which is right around average. With more balls in the air, King saw his slugging percentage go from .337 in 2025 to .516 in 2026. After hitting 6 homers last year, King launched 21 this season.

With an approach that is naturally geared towards right center field, King is not one of those hitters that pulls the ball in the air a lot. He told me that he just wants to elevate the ball, and he does not really care if it is pulled or not. That resulted in a lot of opposite field power like you can see with this home run.

This season, Seaver King was just a completely different hitter. In 2026, King hit .303 with 21 homers and an .898 OPS. After really struggling offensively last year, King now looks like a bat that can hit for power and average. In my opinion, King has the ability to be a .280 hitter that hits 20 homers and steals at least 20 bases. That is not something that seemed realistic after last season.

We should see Seaver King in the big leagues next season. The only question is what position he will play. King mostly played shortstop this year, but he spent time at second and third as well. While King is an elite athlete, his defense is still inconsistent. Even during my two days in Rochester, I saw this inconsistency. He made a couple unbelievable plays, but also airmailed a throw. 

Once King gets to the show, I think he has the chance to be a fan favorite. I was struck by the energy he plays with and the passion he has. This is a player who lives and dies by every game.

When Paul Toboni took over, a big part of his plan was to revitalize this farm system. He is doing that not only with his trades, but also through development. The story of Seaver King is the best example of that. King was a distressed asset, but with hard work and player development, he looks to be a huge part of the Nats future.

Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss has maintained all season that his ballclub is at its best whenever their backs are against the wall. They will well and truly be up against it tonight (and again on Friday if they win Game 4) as the specter of elimination looms with the next Braves loss.

Atlanta’s going to have yet another tough task with Tyler Glasnow getting the ball as the Dodgers continue to send out what feels like a never-ending parade of imposing starting pitchers. With that being said, the Braves are here for a reason and they have no choice but to step up and continue to find ways to meet the moment in order to keep their season going.

The pressure’s definitely going to be on Tyler Mahle to continue delivering strong production on the mound. He’s done it before as he did pitch seven shutout innings against the Dodgers back in April when he was playing with the Giants but the Postseason is a different animal. With that being said, Weiss appears confident that his Game 4 starter can hold LA at bay during this critical contest.

“I think [Mahle]’s just a good pitcher. Slow heartbeat. That’s what I’ve seen since he’s been with us,” said Weiss when he was asked during the pregame press conference about what makes Mahle made for these moments. “He’s got a really good split finger and commands the ball. He can execute pitches. And that’s what he’s done with us. He’s been really, really good for us. His fastball goes typically north and south, and the split works off of that. He’s got a good cutter that I think is very complementary to the other pitches. Occasional slider. And he commands the ball. He executes pitches.”

On top of simply executing and delivering in the moment, the mentality of the ballclub is also important. One of the other things that Weiss has maintained with his team all season is that the best type of clubhouse is one that’s loose and focused. Wild Card Series hero Austin Riley echoed those sentiments when I asked him about the importance of maintaining that type of mentality going into such a crucial portion of the Postseason.

“For sure, I think you’ve got to stay that way,” responded Riley. “No matter the situation, you’ve got to stay loose, you’ve got to stay focused, you’ve got to trust your plan and trust your work that you’ve put in in the cage and through the whole season, and really just, like I said, trust on that.”

“If you put pressure on yourself in big moments and try to do too much, I think that’s when things spiral. We’ve got to stay loose and this team’s good when our backs are against the wall. I really like tonight and trust that we’ll get the job done.”

Tonight could be the first in a fantastic Postseason chapter for the Atlanta Braves against a club that is aiming to become one of baseball’s great dynasties or it could be the end of the line as far as 2026 goes. Either way, the Braves appear to stay committed to what brought them to the dance so far in the Postseason.

The stars need to shine, the pitching staff needs to come up huge and everybody needs to play the role that was set for them. It’s time to see another example of this team being at they’re best when they’re cornered.

The final four-pack of games today. All four Division Series are in action for the final time, and all four could finish today. Or none of them could. Or any number in between. The two American League Division Series are both 2-0, with the Rays and White Sox sitting on the edge of going into the Championship Series. Meanwhile, in the American League, the Dodgers and Brewers will both seek to clinch, having a 2-1 advantage. Los Angeles have the momentum back, having one Game #3 in Atlanta, while Milwaukee fell just short in San Diego, but have two more chances. All three games there have been decided by one run, and I’d expect another close contest tonight.

Here are the games on order today. There’ll definitely be some overlap here, so be prepared to channel surf. Or, I guess these days, switch browser tabs.

• Cleveland Guardians @ Chicago White Sox (0-2): 1:00 pm, TBS/truTV
• Los Angeles Dodgers @ Atlanta Braves (2-1): 3:00 pm, FS1
• Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees (2-0): 5:00 pm, TBS/truTV
• Milwaukee Brewers @ San Diego Padres (2-1): 7:00 pm, FS1

The two National League division series matchups play Game 4 today, while the two AL series play Game 3. Potentially, every one of these series could be over by the end of the day, if the team that has already won two games picks up its third win. The Dodgers and Brewers will be trying to win on the road. The Rays will be trying to finish a sweep on the road. Only the Chicago White Sox have a chance to finish off their series at home today.

Whatever happens today, this is the last day of the year where four MLB games will be played. If either NL series goes to a fifth game, they will have a travel day tomorrow, and they won’t play on the same day as the remaining AL games – if there are any after today. Enjoy it while you can. Winter is coming, and with the ownership lockout looming, this winter may drag on even longer than usual.

Today’s game times are staggered two hours apart, at 4, 6, 8, and 10pm Eastern. Here’s the schedule:

Guardians at White Sox, 4pm

Chicago leads 2-0, series ends with White Sox victory

Cleveland starting pitcher Daniel Espino had a 4.11 ERA across 15.1 innings in the regular season. Seems like an opener gambit or maybe a bullpen game. I wouldn’t feel great about either if my favorite team was trying to avoid a sweep in a postseason series.

White Sox lefty Sean Newcomb posted a 3.09 ERA in 90.1 innings this season, mostly in multi-inning relief with 60 games pitched. Are we looking at a double opener here? This is aesthetically displeasing.

This game, like the other AL series, will air on TBS.

Dodgers at Braves, 6pm

Los Angeles leads 2-1, series ends with Dodgers victory

Two real starting pitchers in this game, unlike that last one. LA’s Tyler Glasnow put up a 3.53 ERA in 13 regular season starts. Atlanta will try to hold on behind Tyler Mahle, who made 27 regular season starts and finished with a 3.99 ERA.

I am personally rooting for the Braves to pull off the comeback in the series, because wiping the possibility of a Dodgers three-peat off the board will make the rest of the postseason much more enjoyable.

This game as well as the other NL game will air on FS1.

Rays at Yankees, 8pm

Tampa Bay leads 2-0, series ends with Rays victory

The Yankees have spent the first two games of this series doing their best 2026 Orioles impersonation. This is a deeply satisfying outcome for me, though the Rays are going to need to finish the job to get that full satisfaction. Oh, man, the idea of the Yankees getting swept with the third game at home, it’s too good, I can’t even bring myself to imagine it might happen.

Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez rolled to a 3.10 ERA in 180 innings over 31 starts this season. Pretty good! I wouldn’t rule out Mike Elias trying to sign him as the designated rotation old guy next season – he’ll be heading into his age 36 season.

Yankees lefty Max Fried finished with a 2.80 ERA in 20 regular season starts, including a sub-1 WHIP. If the Yankees offense continues as it has done in these first two games, he will not have much margin for error.

Brewers at Padres, 10pm

Milwaukee leads 2-1, series ends with Brewers victory

As of this writing, there is no listed Brewers starting pitcher. San Diego sends Walker Buehler, about whom the only good thing that can be said is that he started 32 games this year. That helps a team get through 162 games. The 4.63 ERA doesn’t inspire much confidence for having him start a win-or-go-home postseason game. But, as we all know, plenty of weird stuff can happen in any given baseball game, something that’s only amplified with postseason stakes.

There’s a massive slate of playoff baseball on the docket for today, the 7th of October. All four Division Series could well end up decided by the wee hours of the morning!

The Cleveland Guardians have their backs against the wall as the Chicago White Sox look to send them back home with a sweep. Chicago holds a commanding 2-0 lead already, and lefty Sean Newcomb will be on the mound for the Pale Hose at home as they look to lock up a surprise return to the ALCS after dropping 100+ games for three consecutive seasons before their 2026 breakout. That game is set for a 4:00 PM ET start on TBS.

Following that AL Central confrontation will be the Los Angeles Dodgers attempting to shelve the Atlanta Braves for the next four months. Tyler Glasnow gets the start with LA holding a 2-1 series advantage in their half of the NLDS, while fellow Tyler Tyler Mahle will start for Atlanta in what could be their final home game of the 2026 season. First pitch there is set for 6:00 PM ET on FS1.

The Bronx will be loud and obnoxious (and potentially booing by the end of the evening) as the New York Yankees play host to the Tampa Bay Rays at 8:00 PM ET. The Rays hold the 2-0 series lead and will send old friend Nick Martinez to the mound to attempt to close out the Yankees, who will counter with ace lefty Max Fried. This game will be carried on TBS and truTV.

The nightcap may well feature the most epic baseball of the day, at least based on the previous electric games within the series. The San Diego Padres will play host to the Milwaukee Brewers after besting them last night to keep their NLDS hopes alive, Milwaukee’s 2-1 series lead getting handed to lefty Robert Gasser for the start. Lexington, KY’s own Walker Buehler will hope to turn back the clock to his previous postseason glory days as starter for the Friars, and he’ll chuck out the game’s first pitch at 10:00 PM ET on FS1.

Quite the full day of playoff baseball with a chance for four franchises to set their tee times as early as tomorrow!

This is the last day of the year with four baseball games.

Today we have:

4:00 Eastern: Guardians @ White Sox. White Sox are up 2-0.

Lineups:

6:00 Eastern: Dodgers @ Braves. Dodgers are up 2-1.

Starting pitchers: Tyler Glasnow (5-2, 3.53) vs. Tyler Mahle (7-10, 3.99).

8:00 Eastern: Rays @ Yankees. Rays are up 2-0. Go Rays Go.

Starters: Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10) vs. Max Fried (5-5, 2.80).

10:00 Eastern: Brewers @ Padres. Brewers are up 2-1.

Starters: Brewers are showing TBD, which seems strange on the day of the game. Padres have Walker Buehler (9-6, 4.63).

Four games today? Four games today!

• Guardians at White Sox, Game 3 – 4:00 pm
• Dodgers at Braves, Game 4 – 6:00 pm
• Rays at Yankees, Game 3 – 8:00 pm
• Brewers at Padres, Game 4 – 10:00 pm

Let’s talk about all the goodness.

With a win tonight, the Braves can head to Los Angeles all tied up.

Walt Weiss is hoping another new batting order will provide the offensive spark to wake up an offense that needs to win to reach Game 5.

Center fielder Michael Harris II will lead off for Atlanta, followed by Ronald Acuña Jr., who returns to right field after a late switch to DH following reports of a sore knee. First baseman Matt Olson remains in the third spot. Ozzie Albies is slated to hit cleanup. Drake Baldwin drops down several spots to hit fifth as the designated hitter. Mike Yastrzemski gets the start in left field while Mauricio Dubón mans shortstop. Austin Riley is at his usual base and set to bat eighth and Sean Murphy will catch for Tyler Mahle and hit ninth.

Dave Roberts is going all in on alternating-handedness for today’s lineup. Mookie Betts continues to lead off and play shortstop. Freddie Freeman moves up from third to second as one of two Dodgers with two home runs off starter Tyler Mahle. Will Smith will bat third and catch for Tyler Glasnow. Shohei Ohtani’s stint batting fifth was brief, as he moves up to cleanup today. Teoscar Hernández is in left field and hitting fifth, followed by third baseman Max Muncy. The bottom of the order is second baseman Kiké Hernández, right fielder Kyle Tucker, and center fielder Andy Pages.

Per The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, BravesVision’s Brandon Gaudin will be on the call tonight filling in for Joe Davis.

We’ve seen the Braves rise to the occasion when under pressure, the most recent instance being last week’s Game 3 to eliminate the Philadelphia Phillies. Can this team fire on all cylinders to extend their season?

This will be the last day of 2026 in which there will be four MLB games. This thread is for the first two, Game 3 of the Guardians/White Sox ALDS and Game 4 of the Dodgers/Braves NLDS.

Another thread will post at 6:30 p.m. CT for the two night games.

3 p.m. CT: Guardians at White Sox (White Sox lead series 2-0)

TV: TBS, truTV, HBO Max (streaming). Announcers: Alex Faust, Ron Darling and Lauren Jbara.

Daniel Espino, RHP vs. Sean Newcomb, LHP

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com preview

5 p.m. CT: Dodgers at Braves (Dodgers lead series 2-1)

TV: FS1. Announcers: Joe Davis, John Smoltz and Ken Rosenthal.

Tyler Glasnow, RHP vs. Tyler Mahle, RHP

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com preview

Here’s the Guardians’ lineup:

Here’s the White Sox lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!