The Cubs get lucky once again in this series and don’t have to face Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara, who went Sunday against the Padres. In fact, they’ll face the same three Marlins starters they took on in the series in Miami a couple of weeks ago, in the same order.
Since these teams last met two weeks ago, the Cubs are 6-6 — but 6-3, winning three straight series, since being swept in Milwaukee. The Marlins are 4-8 and just got swept by the Padres in San Diego.
For more on the Marlins, please visit the Marlins site Fish On First.
Fun facts
Good news! This is still the regular season.
The Cubs are 67-55 at Wrigley Field in regular-season games vs. the Marlins. They are 1-5 in the postseason.
The Cubs won two of three when they last hosted the Marlins on May 12-14, 2025. Today is the 495th day since then, during which the Cubs have played 274 games, including three at Miami on Sept. 4-6. They won the first two and lost the third.
The Cubs’ last sweep of the Marlins at home was on May 7-9, 2018. They did it on the road April 15-17, 2019. This will be their 13th series vs. the Marlins since then. They were swept twice, both at Miami, in 2021 and 2023. The Cubs have been swept at home by the Marlins only twice in 34 seasons: two games in 1997 and three in 2007.
NOTE: Thursday would be Clay Holmes’ turn, but MLB.com currently is listing “TBD,” so that’s what I’m showing here.
Times & TV channels
Tuesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Wednesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Thursday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Prediction
The Marlins are a much worse team on the road (31-47) than at home (45-33). The Cubs took two of three from them in Miami, and so ought to at least do that again, with a fair shot at a sweep.
Up next
The final series of the regular season, a three-game set vs. the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park beginning Friday evening. The weather forecast is a concern.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 20: Players of the Chicago White Sox celebrate after defeating the Detroit Tigers 8-1 at Rate Field on September 20, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last August, the White Sox were in the middle of a 102-loss season while the Royals were trying their best to stay on the fringes of the Wild Card race. The Royals would win 10 of 13 against the Sox, a big part of why they were able to finish with a winning record. The baseball world expected another trying season for the White Sox, but they grew up and found themselves in a pennant race this year. They go into this series just one game out of first place, and three games up for the last Wild Card spot. They have won 7 of 10 this year against the Royals, turning the tables on them.
Chicago White Sox (80-76) vs. Kansas City Royals (67-89) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
White Sox: 4.70 runs scored/game (6th in MLB), 4.43 runs allowed/game (15th)
The White Sox went from scoring the fourth-fewest runs in baseball in 2025 to the sixth-most runs this year. They added Munetaka Murakami, who is second among all rookies with 32 home runs. Outfielder Tristan Peters was acquired for cash considerations last December from the Rays and is now third among all rookies in fWAR at 3.9. Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery have also blossomed into 30+ home run hitters, and Sam Antonacci is tenth in the American League with a .363 on-base percentage.
Kyle Teel missed the first two and a half months with a hamstring injury and returned two weeks ago from an ankle injury. Brenton Doyle has not drawn a single walk in 37 games since the White Sox acquired him in July. Former Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi is hitting just .167/.216/.229 in his last 18 games. Former Royals outfielder Randal Grichuk is hitting .318/.361/.618 against left-handers.
Anthony Kay has not pitched into the sixth inning in any of his last five starts. Lefties are hitting just .186/.251/.267 against him, and he has a 5.07 ERA on the road. Daniel Lynch IV has a 5.28 ERA in eight starts, but is coming off his best start, throwing five shutout innings against the Astros his last time out.
Erick Fedde has a 2.84 ERA in five career starts against the Royals, but Salvador Perez is 5-for-11 (.455) with a home run against him. He has a 1.57 ERA over his last six starts. Seth Lugo has a 7.35 ERA in nine starts since the start of August, but the Royals are 5-4 in those games. He has a 2.14 ERA against the White Sox in 46.1 career innings.
The White Sox have not yet announced a starter for Thursday, but it is David Sandlin’s turn in the rotation. The former Royals farmhand has struggled in his rookie campaign, giving up five runs in four innings in a loss to the Tigers his last time out. Randy Dobnak lasted just 3.2 innings in his last start, his shortest outing in 14 games with the Royals.
White Sox relievers have a 3.68 ERA, seventh-best in baseball, but they have 30 blown saves, third-most. The team traded closer Seranthony Domínguez away at the deadline, with Grant Taylor and Bryan Hudson sharing closing duties since then. Hudson was claimed off waivers in spring training and is 25th in fWAR among all relievers. Former Arkansas standout and first-round pick Hagen Smith has become a bullpen weapon, with opponents hitting .107/.242/.167 against him. Trevor Richards, who pitched in three games for the Royals in 2025, has the seventh-most relief innings in baseball this year at 77.2.
The White Sox just took three out of four from the Tigers in Chicago, but have a losing record of 8-11 in the month of September. They are 34-44 on the road, the worst road record of any team currently projected to make the postseason. The White Sox have flipped the script from a year ago, and with the postseason within reach, they’ll look to continue their dominance over the Royals this season.
Charlie Condon walks off the field | Credit: Albuquerque Isotopes
Charlie Condon (No. 2 PuRP) was drafted third-overall in the 2024 draft and has been a highly touted prospect ever since. Condon was a walk-on for the University of Georgia his freshman year, and ultimately won the Golden Spikes Award during his senior year before being drafted by the Rockies.
He has rocketed up the minors and was on the brink of breaking camp this past spring before ultimately being assigned to Triple-A right at the very end.
“Spring training was a great experience for me, just getting to spend time in the big-league locker room with (Warren Schaeffer) and the staff up there,” Condon recalled. “And then also just the guys that are in that locker room and creating relationships with them. It was a productive spring to kind of get a subtle vibe of the big league feel.
“And then coming into Triple-A, it’s different than your previous minor league levels,” he continued. “You’re facing guys that are up and down, guys that you’re playing with are up and down, so there’s always people coming and going. But it was a great experience. I feel like I learned a lot, just as far as how the game works up here at a higher level. I think it was just a good experience against good competition.”
Condon played 130 games with the Isotopes this year, slashing .273/.390/.514 with 25 doubles, seven triples, 27 home runs, 98 RBI and eight stolen bases in 13 attempts. He struck out 25.1% of the time, but walked 13.2% — all good for a wRC+ of 118.
But the biggest takeaway he had from his first season in Triple-A was the importance of being healthy.
“It’s hard to pick one particular moment,” he said, “but I think for me, just an all-encompassing thing was just being healthy this full year and playing as many games as I did – getting as many at-bats as I did, getting the reps that I had both at first base and the outfield. I think just the opportunity to play a full, healthy year of baseball was the highlight for me.”
However, there were certainly some plays that stood out. The first one, of course, is September 6th, when Condon hit two grand slams against the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners).
“It was really cool. You don’t get that opportunity very often,” Condon said. “To come up with the bases loaded twice in one game and get the pitches that I got and put the right swings on them was great. But just to have those guys in front of me have a bunch of really good at-bats and load the bases… grand slams are a collective effort because if it’s just me out there, it’s two solo shorts. It doesn’t mean all that much. But props to the guys around me for making those things mean a little bit more.”
He also hit his first-career walk-off home run this year against the El Paso Chihuahuas on May 31st.
Defensively, Condon continued to split his time between first base and right field. He played 76 games at first (72 starts), 56 in the outfield (50 starts) and six as a designated hitter.
“It’s just a constant sharpening of all the positions,” he said of his preparation. “DH you don’t really need to prepare for all that much, other than how you get ready in the cage. And then as far as outfield and first base, I try not to make my preparation too different depending on what position I’m playing. I kind of just do a little bit of everything every day to just feel ready … It’s more like every day I’m going to go out and I’m going to ground balls. I’m going to get my stuff that I need to get in for first base, and then I’m going to go shag BP in the outfield. I’m going to get reads off the bat there, and so that way it just feels like I’m always ready for whichever position it may be that day.”
But like any player, Condon learned some lessons in his first season in Triple-A.
“I’ve been playing baseball for a long time. It’s the same game up here that you’ve played your whole life. There’s just different aspects to it,” he said. “I think a big thing I’ve learned is just keeping things simple and understanding it’s really not all that different. It just feels more important the closer you get to the big leagues, but it’s still just being able to maintain a slow heartbeat and not live and die with every good and bad thing that happens, and just being able to roll with the punches a little bit.”
He’s also made some minor adjustments, but really made sure to “listen to the game” along the way.
“The game’s going to tell you certain things about what you need to do that day to be ready,” Condon said, “what you’re feeling in the game, and you’ve got to be ready to listen, like, ‘Hey, I need to make a tweak here’ or ‘I need to keep riding with this because I think this is working with me.’ So it’s a constant game of just listening to what the game’s trying to tell you.”
One of the adjustments he had to make, like other players in the Rockies’ system, was to playing at roughly 5,100 feet above sea level.
“It’s a little harder to catch your breath every now and then,” he said. “But (it’s) nothing too crazy. Pitch shapes look a little bit different sometimes, but [I’m] definitely used to the coming and going of the traveling, for sure.”
But looking ahead, Condon is looking forward to continuing his work into the offseason.
“I’m excited to get in and get my body in good shape,” he said, “add a little bit of weight and just sharpen some tools this offseason. Rest a little bit, and hopefully just show up really ready whenever we get going.”
The Albuquerque Isotopes finished their season at home against the Salt Lake Bees (Angels). going 2-4 and being outscored 40-30. They finished 73-77 overall, and 34-41 in the second half.
⬆️ Stock Up: Sterlin Finish
Sterlin Thompson (No. 16 PuRP) made his MLB debut this season, but finished in Albuquerque after being optioned on August 18th. But he still played well, especially in the final week. In six games against Salt Lake, Thompson went 6-for-20 (.300) with two doubles, one home run (in the final game of the season), six runs scored, three RBI, six walks and just one strikeout. He also stole one final base on September 15th.
⬆️ Stock Up: Close the Brooks
Jake Brooks made his final start of the season on September 19th and pitched a gem. The right-hander threw seven innings, allowing just one run — a solo homer — on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. It was his longest outing in an Isotopes uniform, but he had done it twice before in Double-A Hartford before his promotion in July.
The Hartford Yard Goats went quietly in the Eastern League Division Series, as they were swept by the Reading Fightin’ Phils (Phillies) and were outscored 26-8. After being thrashed 21-4 in the opener, they bounced back and lost 5-4 in the second game. They finished 66-71 overall, and 27-42 in the second half.
⬆️ Stock Up: Young King Cole
Cole Messina finished the season on a high note. In the two games against Reading, Messina went 3-for-8 with two RBI, one run scored, a home run and two strikeouts. He attempted to steal a base in Game 1, but was caught. Messina’s three hits led the Yard Goats in the two-game series.
⬆️ Stock Up: Et tu, Jared?
Jared Thomas (No. 8 PuRP) played on two playoff teams this season — the ACL Championship team as well as the Yard Goats ELDS team. In Game 2 of the ELDS specifically, he went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored, one RBI and a stolen base. Thomas will continue action in the Arizona Fall League starting on October 3rd.
⬆️ Stock Up: Wimmer, Wimmer, Chicken Dinner
Braylen Wimmer had an outstanding season after being diagnosed with an astrocytoma (brain tumor) last fall. In total, he played 81 games for the Yard Goats and slashed .253/.352/.375 with 23 extra-base hits, 30 RBI, 36 walks and 97 strikeouts. He also stole 30 bases in 33 attempts. But in the ELDS specifically, Wimmer went 2-for-5 with two doubles (one in each game), three RBI, three walks, a strikeout and a stolen base.
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 16: Jr. Ritchie #60 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nick Loggarakis/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s tune-up time. The division is clinched, the chances of getting not-the-three seed in the NL are very low, and the Braves are presumably going to take it easy for their last two series before playoff action begins. For the first part of this week, they’ll host the Reds, and then complete the regular season down in Miami.
Much like the Braves are playing out the string, so are the Reds — though the latter’s been doing so for quite a while at this point. Fresh off a surprising playoff berth engendered by a Mets collapse in 2025, the Reds were not projected to be good when the season began (78 wins central estimate, playoff odds of about 17 percent). It turns out that they were unable to meet even that tepid wins mark, as they enter this series at 72-84. Last year’s squad pushed above .500 on the back of a top-five pitching staff; this year, both the position players and arms have been bottom ten.
On the position player side, the Reds have a superstar in Elly de la Cruz (6.3 fWAR in 603 PAs and counting), a guy who hit a lot of homers in Sal Stewart, and not much else. They have three guys with 200-plus PAs and -0.8 fWAR or more, which has been brutal considering they haven’t gotten good production from anyone but de la Cruz. The pitching is similar: Chase Burns has been phenomenal (4.3 fWAR in 154 1/3 innings and counting), but no one else has done much of anything.
Despite all that, the Reds started out blazing, with a 20-11 through April 30… but an eight-game losing streak immediately thereafter basically plunged their season into a mire they haven’t been able to clamber out of — even their monthly hitting and pitching performances have almost entirely been bottom half or far worse.
So, for both teams, this is basically just a prelude to things in the future. For the Braves, that’s the playoffs. For the Reds, it’s… next year? Burns and de la Cruz are some really nice building blocks, but a lot of the rest of the roster could use some work.
The Braves will give the ball to JR Ritchie, who could also use some work and a step in the right direction as he heads towards an offseason shutdown. The Braves could also carry Ritchie in the playoff roster as a mop-up guy, but they have enough guys that can fit that role. Still, maybe he makes it anyway. Ritchie has really struggled in the majors so far, with a 119/135/115 line (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-) in nine starts and six relief appearances spanning 62 2/3 innings of work. He’s been up and down and has had a few nice outings (two in long relief against the Mets to come mind), but he’s still chasing the performance (and vibes) high of his MLB debut, when he put up a 7/2 K/BB ratio (and was tagged for two solo homers) against the Nationals back in April.
In some ways, Ritchie looks like a good candidate for a Kyle Wright-esque reinvention as a sinker-curve-changeup guy with less emphasis on his four-seamer. The problem, though, is that he’s shown very problematic command to date. He has some nice pieces (curveball shape, great seam-shifted wake on some pitches, some truly picture perfect spin mirroring on his fastballs vis-a-vis his curve), but the erraticism of his ability to make any pitch go anywhere — or, more to the point, clip the zone without getting into the meaty part of it — has made everything play down. So, today is a chance for him to take a step towards a better future, against a team that just can’t hit at all. (After accounting for park effects, and not considering that they’re underperforming their inputs a fair bit, the Reds have the worst batting outputs in MLB… which may be partly because the style of offense they’ve been coaching in Cincinnati is a very throwback small ball style that isn’t generating results.)
The Reds will counter with 28-year-old left-hander Brandon Williamson, who has been part of the problem this year. To be fair, it’s not necessarily Williamson’s fault, as he’s working his way back from multiple serious injuries. Acquired in the pre-2023 trade that sent Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez to Seattle, Williamson had a nice-enough rookie season for his new team (97/101/108, 1.8 fWAR in 117 innings), but then fell victim to shoulder and elbow injuries that saw him miss most of 2024, all of 2025, and have lingered in 2026. Williamson started the season in the rotation and got absolutely blasted through six starts, and then sat out four months with shoulder fatigue. He returned in September, had a so-so start, and has been working in long relief since.
The Braves beat up on Williamson in one of his few outings in 2024 before he went down with one of his recurring arm injuries. The Reds haven’t faced Ritchie yet.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, September 22, 7:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV/Streaming: BravesVision, Gray TV
Radio: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
Jose Fernandez (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Inspiration.
Many fans have expressed their unhappiness when the Diamondbacks failed to score with runners in scoring position.
In May after 32 games, my batting perspective was that the Diamondbacks batted below league average with RISP.
“While the Diamondbacks’ batting ranked high with men on first base and no runners on base, they batted below league average with men in scoring position (RISP). Batting with RISP was a negative contributing factor.” — Makakilo
In September after 152 games, how are the Diamondbacks batting with RISP? Recently, Jim McLennan noted that this season the Diamondbacks are scoring a high percentage of their baserunners.
“…Or this season, where we’ve had perpetual complaints about D-backs’ LOBsters. They actually score a higher percentage of baserunners than 23 of the 30 MLB teams….” — Jim McLennan
Let’s look at batting with RISP.
Let’s start with a high-level perspective.
Looking at all runs scored by the Diamondbacks, what percentage were scored with RISP? This season in games through 17 September, 77.3% of Diamondbacks runs happened with RISP (per Baseball Reference Stathead). That percentage is the second highest in MLB (Brewers were highest with 80.7%). Clearly, this is a strength of the Diamondbacks.
Did the Diamondbacks do it with homers? Their .0292 home runs per plate appearance with RISP was only slightly more than the MLB average of .0277 (they ranked 11th). My conclusion is they did it with a fairly balanced mix of homers and non-homers.
My Approach to Address, “How well did Diamondbacks bat with RISP”?
My goal was to compare the Diamondbacks to other teams based on three measures of batting with RISP: OBP, SLG, and wOBA.
Two data splits made the data more relevant to the question:
(RISP when the tying or go-ahead runs was on base) vs (all RISP PAs).
(RISP for 1 August to 15 September) vs (RISP for the full season).
Data was courtesy of Baseball Savant.
Torey Lovullo’s Recent Comment.
Slugging (SLG) was one of the three measures that I looked at. Days after my writing was completed, Lovullo made the following comment. His comment appeared to support a conclusion that SLG is perhaps the most important of the three measures. Also, he said that slugging with RISP was worse in the last few weeks. He was correct. From 1 to 19 September, for RISP with the tying or go-ahead run on base, the Diamondbacks’ .390 SLG ranked 20th in MLB. For all RISP, their .405 SLG ranked 18th.
“…And then we hit and slugged with men in scoring position. That’s been something that’s kind of been a missing piece of this puzzle foe a few weeks.” — Torey Lovullo, postgame on 20 September.
The Data to Address, “How well did Diamondbacks bat with RISP”?
In RISP situations, did the Diamondbacks bat better when the tying run or go-ahead run was on base? The data shows that their wOBA and SLG were better, but their OBP was the same. Also, the data shows their SLG ranked very highly, their wOBA was average, and their OBP was below average. The following table shows the comparisons and the ranks compared to other teams:
For the full season, for RISP with the tying or go-ahead run on base (10 relevant PA minimum), Jose Fernandez had the team high .706 SLG (20 PAs).
What about recently? How did they compare from 1 August to 15 September? For RISP situations, when the tying or go-ahead run was on base their SLG was about the same (and was ranked very highly). However, their wOBA and OBP fell, but they continued to be ranked about the same as the entire season. In the last month and a half, for all RISP situations, their SLG and wOBA rose significantly. The following table shows the comparisons and the ranks compared to other teams:
For 1 August to 15 September, for RISP with the tying or go-ahead run on base (10 relevant PA minimum), Corbin Carroll had the team high .800 SLG (18 PAs). Second place was Ryan Waldschmidt with .786 SLG (16 PAs).
Summary.
The Diamondbacks percentage of runs scored in RISP situations was the second highest in MLB.
For the full season, in RISP situations when the tying run or go-ahead run was on base, the Diamondbacks wOBA and SLG were better than all RISP situations. Their SLG ranked very highly compared to other teams. Jose Fernandez had the team-high SLG.
For 1 August to 15 September, in RISP situations when the tying run or go-ahead run was on base, the Diamondbacks SLG was about the same as the full season, and was ranked above average compared to other teams. Corbin Carroll had the team-high SLG, with second place Ryan Waldschmidt.
In their heyday, the Dallas Cowboys would often win on Sundays simply due to the star on the side of their helmets. Twenty straight playoff appearances will do that kind of thing, intimidating the opposing sideline before the ball was even kicked off.
The Houston Astros have experienced their own championship pedigree. What started with a Wild Card victory over the Yankees in 2015, ultimately ushered in the “Golden Era” of Astros baseball, turning into 62 post season wins. Over 50,000 packed Yankee Stadium that day only to be silenced by Dallas Keuchel, who pitched scoreless ball over six frames. Solo home-runs from Carlos Gomez and Colby Rasmus would be enough, and the soon to be dynasty had authored its first chapter. That was October 6th, 2015. What would transpire next, four World Series Appearances and a pair of World Championships. Memories to last a lifetime.
Since 2015, the other professional franchises in town haven’t fared as well. The Rockets have run through a gauntlet of coaches. Kevin McHale, J.B. Bickerstaff, Mike D’Antoni, Stephen Silas and current front man Ime Udoka, all in search of returning to The Finals which has evaded them for more than three decades.
The Texans have also hired five head coaches in that span. Bill O’Brien, Romeo Crennel, the lost season with David Culley, Lovie Smith and now DeMeco Ryans. The only championship that’s happened there was the hosting of Super Bowl 41, which the Texans weren’t a participant of. There’s been seven playoff berths but zero advancement past the divisional round.
Yordan Alvarez called a players only meeting on Sunday after the Braves completed the sweep. The hope would be that for the next six games, he does his talking at the plate, channeling some of the past championship lore.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 15: Yordan Alvarez #21 of the Houston Astros hits a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Daikin Park on September 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The latest news and info about the Houston Astros:
Yordan Alvarez is tired of losing, and he let his teammates know about it:
Team meetings this time of year are sometimes eyewash. Time will tell if the one had in Houston on Sunday qualifies. That Yordan Alvarez spoke in it is important, though, and is instructive for the long term – https://t.co/kNxl3sUWS3
Astros starting pitching has been this feeble since 2013:
There are 6 games remaining and Peter Lambert leads the Astros with 8 wins. The last time they didn't have a pitcher reach double-digit wins in a 162-game season was in 2013, when Jordan Lyles led the team in wins (7). The Astros lost 111 games that season.
Meanwhile, the starting pitching was probably the best part of the 3 game sweep the Astros just endured at the hands of the Atlanta Braves to close out the home portion of the season:
The Astros threw their best three starters at the Braves – Lambert, Wesneski and Brown – and they had a 1.72 ERA in 15 2/3 innings. Houston’s bullpen had a 10.32 ERA in 11 1/3 innings.
It has been four years since the Astros parted ways with Yuli Gurriel. Four years of first base failure. Here’s how bad it’s been:
The Astros' first base production since 2023 is not good. The money they've spent is more painful. Given the state of the farm system and hesitancy to spend in free agency, the few deals Jim Crane does green-light must age well for this to function – https://t.co/AS6pa5X6cG
– While Mike Elias’ job is safe as the Orioles president of baseball operations, there continues to be a shuffling of the front office desk.
While Matt Blood, vice president of player and staff development, was let go earlier in the month, now longtime assistant GM Sig Mejdal, who was with Elias in Houston, was demoted and no longer is in charge of the team’s analytics department.
An inability to score runners from 3rd base with less than 2 out has doomed the Astros all season:
The #Astros have had 259 runners on third base with fewer than two outs, and only 47.1% (122) have scored. Only the Reds, Royals and Guardians have fared worse in that regard. pic.twitter.com/B9Hf0F7o9J
Astros legend Larry Dierker reflects on his career:
Larry Dierker has probably seen more Astros games in person than anybody else. As he turns 80 today, the former pitcher, broadcaster and manager reflects on his life and career.
“When I look back at it, sometimes I’m surprised I did all that stuff."https://t.co/XAhnOcWo41
Astros director of international scouting Brian Rodgers is leaving the organization for the same job with the Washington Nationals, sources tells @spencernusbaum_ and me – https://t.co/AbDNJcpiU2
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 15: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers talks with Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres in the game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 15, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers and San Diego Padres have faced off the postseason three times, in every even year dating back to 2020. For that streak to continue, it would likely need to happen one round later than the previous three matchups.
At the moment the Dodgers have the second-best record in the National League, two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. But with six games remaining for both teams, Los Angeles needs nine of 12 outcomes to go their way to overtake Milwaukee for the No. 1 seed. Conversely, the Dodgers are up four games on the Atlanta Braves and need only three of 12 outcomes to go their way to clinch the No. 2 seed, which would earn them a bye past the wild card round and into the NL Division Series.
MLB playoffs are structure such that the No. 1 seed in each league plays the winner of the wild card series between the No. 4 and No. 5 seed, while No. 2 takes on the series between No. 3 and No. 6. Entering Tuesday, the NL wild card is a tight race
NL wild card standings
Chicago Cubs 87-69 San Diego Padres 87-69 Philadelphia Phillies 86-70 – – – – – – – – – – Arizona Diamondbacks 82-74 *through September 21
The Cubs were 5-1 against the Padres and 6-1 against the Phillies, so would hold any tiebreakers, and Philadelphia was 6-0 against San Diego. Arizona’s last gasp might lie in their final three games against the Padres this weekend, if the Diamondbacks aren’t eliminated by then.
The point is any of those three teams could finish in just about any order from the fourth to sixth seed based on this final week. If the Padres end up the six seed, that would line them up for a potential NLDS against the No. 2 seed Dodgers, provided San Diego beats the No. 3 seed Braves.
But if the Dodgers are the No. 2 seed and the Padres are fourth or fifth, that means they couldn’t meet until the NLCS. Teams in the same division meeting in the postseason has only been possible since 1995, and two NL West teams have met in the NLCS only once — in 2007, the Diamondbacks ran into Rocktober and were swept in four games by the Colorado Rockies.
Divisional matchups in the League Championship Series has happened a total of 12 times:
1996 ALCS: Yankees over Orioles 1997 NLCS: Marlins over Braves 1999 ALCS: Yankees over Red Sox 1999 NLCS: Braves over Mets 2003 ALCS: Yankees over Red Sox 2004 NLCS: Cardinals over Astros 2004 ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees 2005 NLCS: Astros over Cardinals 2007 NLCS: Rockies over D-backs 2008 ALCS: Rays over Red Sox 2011 NLCS: Cardinals over Brewers 2023 ALCS: Rangers over Astros
Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt underwent testing on his right biceps after experiencing soreness on Sunday and looks to have avoided a serious injury.
Manager Aaron Boone told reporters before Tuesday's doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium that Schmidt "looks like he’s in a pretty good spot" following the results of the tests.
While it appears Schmidt, who was recently activated off the 60-day IL, averted disaster, his availability is still in question. Boone said the right-hander will play catch on Tuesday to see how available he can be and what the next steps are.
Schmidt has appeared in one game this season, when he pitched 0.2 innings against the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 16. He allowed two hits while striking out two on 24 pitches (13 strikes) during his outing. The Yanks called the 30-year-old's number once again on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but Schmidt experienced "cramping" in his right biceps while warming up and had to cut it short.
"Nothing structural, it was more precautionary," Schmidt said after the game. "Given the circumstance coming back from surgery, I don’t want to push through anything. All the testing was fine – nothing with the shoulder, nothing with the elbow."
Schmidt had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in July of last year and has a history of injuries over the last few seasons, including a right lat strain and right rotator cuff tendonitis.
After making 32 starts in 2023 as a full-time starter for the first time in his career, Schmidt has made a total of 30 starts since.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. expected to be back Tuesday
The Yankees will be getting some reinforcements for the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader as they are expected to activate Chisholm from the IL, per Boone.
Chisholm has been out since Sept. 9 with a right thumb sprain, and the infielder's return should give New York's offense a nice boost.
In 134 games this season, Chisholm is slashing .232/.312/.403 with 19 home runs, 55 RBI and 40 stolen bases. He was on fire prior to the injury, hitting .391 (18-for-46) in his last 15 games.
Sep 21, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Brett Bateman (21) makes a sliding catch during the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie LeBlanc-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I have a busy day so let’s have an Open Thread.
It sounds like Brett Bateman’s injury isn’t too serious, which is good to hear. I’d be ok when them sitting him the last five games.
The Sun has a story ‘Who’s to blame for Dylan Cease’s breakdowns?‘ Hmmmm who ever invented baseball? Throwing a baseball, that hard, snapping off spin, doing it over and over isn’t really something an arm was developed for.
What do I want to see in the last five games? I don’t know really, I’d like to see some good plays. I’d like to see some of the young guys play. I’m guessing they will have to call up a couple of the young starters. Scherzer will start tonight. José Soriano will start one. And Trey Yesavage will start one (which will be a bullpen day). That leaves two. CJ Van Eyk? Grant Rogers? I don’t know if they will want to start the major league clock on anyone. Maybe Chad Dallas will get a start? Josh Fleming?
Anyway, use the thread to discuss anything you’d like. Baseball related or not.
NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees star Aaron Judge had an injection in his sore right calf, putting his status for the postseason in even more jeopardy.
Before the Yankees faced the Rays in a day-night doubleheader Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone said Judge had a platelet poor plasma injection during the team’s off-day on Monday following its return from Arizona.
Judge was put on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a strained soleus muscle, which is in the lower part of his calf. Boone did not say what grade the strain is but described it as “moderate.”
“We’re planning on him not being a part of that but we’re also at time of the year, you hear all the time with injuries, you give ranges two to four weeks, four to six weeks,” Boone said. “The range is for a reason and a we’re at a point of the year where obviously we push it a little bit if that was in play but that’s a week away. I’m not expecting it, but I’m not ruling it out either.”
Judge is eligible to be activated for the regular-season finale on Sunday against Baltimore but will not do much activity in the next few days.
Judge injured his calf during last Wednesday’s game at Minnesota. The eight-time All-Star was lifted in the sixth inning for a pinch hitter because of discomfort in his leg and said at the time it was a precautionary move.
Boone said symptoms persisted and an MRI revealed the strain.
Judge was 4 for 23 with 13 strikeouts and one extra-base hit in seven games after returning Sept. 8 from a broken rib, which kept him out of the lineup for more than three months.
Judge is hitting .241 with 18 homers and 41 RBIs in just 66 games this year. He hit a long homer on Sept. 14 in Minnesota and had the next game off before straining his calf.
The Yankees entered Tuesday with a 48-41 record in the games Judge has missed and a 41-25 mark in games he has played. New York also began Tuesday a loss away from being eliminated from the AL East race, setting up a second straight wild-card series against the Red Sox next week.
“We’ve played much of the year without him and for the most part, we’ve done a pretty good job,” Boone said. “So guys are used to it. Obviously you always want your best player in the mix, but we understand we’ve got a job to do and an expectation to win. I think that expectation doesn’t change with or without him. We’re expecting to go into the series and know we can beat anyone when we play our game.”
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 18: Lazaro Montes #99 of the Seattle Mariners rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run to take the lead in the ninth inning during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Friday, September 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
I realize I’m jumping the gun here by six games and the Mariners are not mathematically eliminated yet, but I mean…(/gestures at entire cosmically cursed existence of the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club). This party is all but over. But, I’m going to try and steer the discourse into a more positive direction because, hey, it wasn’t all bad! There were a lot of exciting, fun, emotional, and unique moments in the 2026 Mariners season.
Here are a few of the more obvious ones:
Randy Day (AKA The Day Randy Woke Up and Said “I am going to kill the Cubs myself”)
Just spectacular and it really put an exclamation point on the career season Randy was already having at that point. I hope the Mariners can bring him back, but if not, I will miss him dearly and we’ll always have 2026 Randy, Destroyer of Worlds.
Colt Emerson’s first career walk-off
Before we found out Colt Emerson was playing hurt, boy, he had a great first few weeks in the show. Here he smashes a line drive into right field through the lefty shift and then gets thrashed around a bit by his teammates as tradition dictates. Hope to see more of this next season and lots more, Colt!
The Cal Raleigh 3 dinger game
In what will surely be a sneaky hard trivia question one day, a finally healthy and resurgent Cal Raleigh blasted three home runs against the Phillies in Seattle after enduring months of what can only be called The Worst Season Ever to Follow a 60 Home Run Season. So in a few decades, if you see a trivia question about “What season did Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hit three home runs in one game?”, just remember it came AFTER his career year in 2025. You’re welcome.
Lazaro Montes hits the longest home run in Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park history
This is probably my favorite because I’m fascinated by this enormous, violent-swing-having lad. This ball landed in the center field concourse, which is a landing spot that was previously unthinkable to just about every Mariners fan who has watched games at our marine layer-drenched stadium since 1999. Maybe it was the warm night air in combination with one of the, uh, “home run-prone” baseballs in the mix combined with a swing that could supply enough wind energy to power a small nation that produced this massive 474 foot blast. Regardless, it happened and it was special. Hope to see many more!
Okay, let’s hear from y’all in the comments!
What was your favorite moment, storyline, or player achievement during the 2026 Mariners season?
Your answers may help fuel nominations for this year’s annual Lookie awards, so let’s see what you got. And don’t worry, there will be plenty more opportunities to doom and gloom about all the things that went wrong in 2026 (someone should write a book about it, honestly), but let’s see those silver linings for now.
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 03: Logan Henderson #43 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday, September 3, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by George Gaza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in baseball at 98-58. They’ve essentially clinched a bye for the Wild Card round, and it is just a matter of whether or not they will have homefield advantage throughout the entire playoffs.
Or at least, the entire playoffs before they get eliminated.
This is the Brewers’ fourth straight National League Central title, and the eighth time in the last nine years that they’ve made the playoffs. There’s a belief in baseball that if you make the playoffs enough times, eventually, things will break your way, and you’ll win a World Series.
Eventually has yet to come for the Brewers. Not only have they not won the World Series, but they also haven’t even made it there during this run. The closest they came was in 2018 when they lost 4-3 in the NLCS to the Dodgers. Last year, they once again faced the Dodgers in the NLCS, and went down without much of a fight, getting swept. They had homefield advantage in 2025, and all it resulted in was scoring a total of two runs across their two NLCS home games.
After being swept by the Brewers in the regular season series, the Dodgers got the sweep of Milwaukee in the Championship Series! pic.twitter.com/M7n7tvj5PM
Will this year be any different for the Brewers? They seem to have a roster capable of winning it all. They’ve scored the second-most runs in baseball. They have a strong front of their rotation, and a bullpen capable of holding leads.
But they’ve seemed to have the necessary pieces in past years as well, and it hasn’t mattered. Maybe “eventually” simply hasn’t happened yet, or maybe they’re a great regular season team that lacks an extra something for the playoffs?
Opposition research: Logan Henderson
Most of us are familiar with Brewers’ ace Jacob Misiorowski who is very likely to win the NL’s Cy Young award this season. But one star pitcher does not a rotation make, and if the Brewers want any chance of winning a World Series, they’re going to need to get good starts from Mis’ rotation mates.
A good place to start is rookie righthander Logan Henderson. Henderson was called up at the beginning of 2025, and immediately impressed, striking out 29 batters in his first four starts. However, he experienced elbow inflammation which ended up sidelining him for almost the entire season.
After spending most of the early season in AAA, Henderson was recalled to the majors in May and had a string of strong starts before a back strain sent him to the Injured List. Since returning in July, he picked up where he left off. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start and has a 2.51 ERA on the season.
It’s understandable that the Brewers want to be cautious with a promising young pitcher, but it is somewhat concerning that he’s already had two notable injuries in two years. But that might work out in the Brewers’ favor if he’s relatively fresh for the playoffs.
Hating on the Brewers
For a while, it seemed like the Oklahoma City Thunder were following the Brewers’ example as a team that left Seattle only to repeatedly fall short in the playoffs every year. Except the Thunder finally won a title in 2025, something the Brewers have yet to do, and really only came close once – and that was in 1982.
The Pirates have been to twice as many World Series as the Brewers in the last 48 years.
Maybe it’s because they play in a small market, or maybe it’s because of all their past playoff failures. But nobody will view this team as a serious contender until they actually win the World Series.
Remembering a guy who played for both the Phillies and Brewers
After spending his early career with the Braves, Wes Helms was traded to the Brewers. For a second, it looked like Milwaukee might have stolen him when he hit 23 home runs in 2003. But he couldn’t follow up on that success, and after basically being relegated to a bench role over the next two seasons, he left as a free agent after 2005.
Helms had a strong season at the plate as a part-time player with the Marlins in 2006, and the Phillies signed him, hoping he could adequately replace David Bell at third base. Instead, he actually made Phillies fans feel slightly wistful for Bell.
In the end, "David Bell" was too high a projection for Wes Helms’ Phillies career. https://t.co/4s9tMHligL
There was a three-way split of playing time at third base among the 2007 Phillies: Abraham Nunez – who could field, but couldn’t hit, Greg Dobbs – who could hit, but couldn’t field, and Helms, who couldn’t do either. Somehow, the Phillies overcame the black hole at the position to win the NL East.
Realizing they needed a better option, the Phillies signed Pedro Feliz after the season, and released Helms, who went on to spend three seasons as a lousy bench player for the Marlins.
Additional thought about the series
The Phillies seemingly have more to play for this series, as they can still finish as any of the three Wild Card seeds or miss the playoffs entirely. The Brewers will likely be more concerned with getting their team ready for the playoffs.
You’d think that would be an advantage for the Phillies, but it is hard to understand this team much of the time. You don’t want your team to “peak at the wrong time,” but with one week until the playoffs begin, this seems like the right time for heretofore slumping hitters like Brandon Marsh and J.T. Realmuto to get their acts together.
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) delivers a pitch during a Major League Baseball game against the Houston Astros at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on September 11, 2026. The Rays defeated the Astros 3-1 to become the first team to clinch a spot in the postseason. (Photo by Kim Hukari/Image of Sport/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 11: Carlos Rodón #55 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium on September 11, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This four-game tilt against the Rays in the penultimate series of the season had the chance to be a blockbuster showdown to decide the division. However, the Yankees losing two out of three to the Diamondbacks removed a lot of the jeopardy from this series, New York now needing to sweep just to avoid being eliminated from the AL East title race and depending on a very unlikely collapse from Tampa in their final series of the season to keep the divisional door the slightest bit ajar. All the same, this could be a preview of a prospective ALCS showdown, so I expect both teams to come out firing. The first game of today’s doubleheader is a makeup of the rainout from May 23rd.
Carlos Rodón finds himself in the unexpected position of being on the postseason rotation bubble. Cam Schlittler and Max Fried are seemingly locks which would pit Rodón against Gerrit Cole for that final spot if they roll out a three-man rotation. It almost comes down to a style choice at that point — Rodón walks almost three times as many batters as Cole, but surrenders about half as many home runs per nine. He’s a good choice to start a game against the Rays — in six starts against Tampa with the Yankees, Rodón has a 3.69 ERA and 31.3-percent strikeout rate in 31.2 innings. In 15 starts this season, Rodón is 6-3 with a 2.95 ERA (142 ERA+), 3.69 FIP, and 83 strikeouts in 76.1 innings.
The Rays have a maddening habit of transforming other teams’ castoffs into rotation stars. This season’s example is longtime journeyman Nick Martinez, who had pitched as a swingman the previous four years in San Diego and Cincinnati. Martinez owns the lowest walk rate (3.5-percent) of any qualified starter, using deception and precise command to induce soft contact. He’s technically got a six-pitch mix but usually sticks with sinker, changeup, cutter, and four-seamer. In 29 starts, Martinez is 15-4 with a 2.94 ERA (142 ERA+), 3.98 FIP, and 101 strikeouts in 171.1 innings.
This is more or less the Yankees’ go-to lineup for the rest of the regular season with Aaron Judge on the IL. Heliot Ramos and Spencer Jones are both going to get a lot of run out in the outfield, so it was encouraging to see them both hit home runs against the former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes in their last game. José Caballero gets the start over Ryan McMahon at third and sounded eager to make an impact against the team that traded him to the Yankees at last year’s deadline.
The Rays have their three-headed slugging monster atop lineup and then stack the bottom two-thirds with speed. Junior Caminero is third in MLB with 41 home runs giving him back-to-back 40-HR seasons. Chandler Simpson is MLB’s stolen base leader with 46 and third in batting average at .309, but is the only qualified hitter in baseball without a home run this season.
