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Wild Card GDT: Let them fight!
MLB Wild Card, Game 1: Schedule, broadcast info, and open thread, 9/29/26
Phillies at Braves
First pitch: 2:00 PM EDT
TV: NBC/Peacock
Probable pitchers: Jesús Luzardo, LHP (PHI), Chris Sale, LHP (ATL)
White Sox at Astros
First pitch: 5:00 PM EDT
TV: Peacock/NBCSN
Probable pitchers: Hagen Smith, LHP (CWS), AJ Blubaugh (HOU)
Red Sox at Yankees
First pitch: 8:00 PM EDT
TV: NBC/Peacock
Probable pitchers: Payton Tolle, LHP (BOS), Cam Schlittler, RHP (NYY)
Cubs at Padres
First pitch: 10:00 PM EDT
TV: Peacock/NBCSN
Probable pitchers: Matthew Boyd, LHP (CHC), Michael King, RHP (SDP)
Tuesday playoff discussion: The games begin
Regular season baseball may be over, but postseason baseball is here.
Today, we’ve got the first action of the playoffs, with four Wild Card games gracing our televisions and streaming services. The two evening games—Yankees v Red Sox and Cubs v Padres—should be very good contests, as the average win total among all four teams is 90. This is in stark contrast to the 4pm American League game, which features the 84-win White Sox and the 81-win Astros. Could have been the Royals if they were competent this year, but alas.
At the time this article will publish, we only have lineups for the 1pm game. As the day goes on, I’ll update this with official rosters and then lineups as they become available.
1pm: Phillies vs. Braves NLWC game 1
- How to watch: NBC/Peacock
Phillies lineup
Braves lineup
4pm: White Sox vs. Astros ALWC game 1
- How to watch: Peacock/NBC Sports Network
White Sox lineup
Astros lineup
7pm: Red Sox vs. Yankees ALWC game 1
- How to watch: NBC/Peacock
Red Sox roster
Yankees roster
9pm: Cubs vs. Padres NLWC game 1
- How to watch: Peacock/NBC Sports Network
Cubs roster
Padres roster
MLB Wildcard 2026 Discussion Thread: Day 1
The Colorado Rockies did not make the playoffs (again), but it’s going to be a great day to talk about playoff baseball.
Here’s today’s bracket:
- Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves on NBC/Peacock at 12:00 pm MDT
- Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros on Peacock/NBC at 3:00 pm MDT
- Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees on NBC/Peacock at 6:00 pm MDT
- Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres on Peacock/NBC @ 8:00 pm MDT
We’ll add lineups as they become available.
Okay, let’s enjoy some October baseball.
Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves — 12:00 pm MDT
Record when teams met in 2026: Braves 9, Phillies 4
For the visiting Phillies:
And the home team:
Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros — 3:00 pm MDT
Record when teams met in 2026: Astros 5, White Sox 2
For the visiting White Sox:
And the home Astros:
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MLB Wild Card Series Game 1: Phillies at Braves, White Sox at Astros, Red Sox at Yankees
The Cubs and Padres will be the last of the four Wild Card Series to get underway today. That game will begin at 9 p.m. CT and I will have the usual game preview up at 7 p.m. CT.
In the meantime, there are three other Wild Card games today, so this is an all-purpose game thread for you to discuss the baseball action this afternoon and early evening.
Here are all the details for those three games.
1 p.m. CT: Phillies at Braves
TV: NBC. Announcers: Matt Vasgersian, John Kruk, C.J. Nitkowski, Joey Votto
Jesús Luzardo, LHP vs. Chris Sale, LHP
Though Luzardo is a starter, he threw an inning on Sunday after returning from a shoulder issue, so for the Phillies this will be some sort of bullpen game.
Baseball-reference.com preview
4 p.m. CT: White Sox at Astros
TV: Peacock. Announcers: Tom McCarthy, Steve Stone, Geoff Blum, Adam Ottavino
Hagen Smith, LHP vs. AJ Blubaugh, RHP
Both teams are going with a bullpen game.
Baseball-reference.com preview
7 p.m. CT: Red Sox at Yankees
TV: NBC. Announcers: Jason Benetti, Lou Merloni, Joe Girardi, Anthony Rizzo
Payton Tolle, LHP vs. Cam Schlittler, RHP
Baseball-reference.com preview
Enjoy the games!
Alec Zumwalt out as hitting coach
The Royals will reassign Alec Zumwalt from his duties as hitting coach, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. He will retain his position as senior director of hitting performance.
Zumwalt has been with the organization for nine years, and has been hitting coach and senior director of hitting performance since 2022. The Royals averaged 4.26 runs-per-game, finishing 21st in baseball. That was a slight improvement over their performance in 2025 when they scored 4.02 runs-per-game, 26th in baseball.
The season was highlighted by the emergence of Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone, who became two of the most productive players in the lineup, and Michael Massey enjoyed a career-best season. But the team once again got off to a cold start offensively, averaging just 4.06 runs-per-game in April as the team stumbled off to a slow start. Vinnie Pasquantino struggled much of the year, Salvador Perez significantly declined, Isaac Collins slumped badly to end the year, and Kyle Isbel had his worst offensive season.
No word yet on whether or not the Royals will retain assistant hitting coaches Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames, who joined the staff this year, or whether or not there will be further changes to the coaching staff. J.J. Piccollo is scheduled to meet with the media on Wednesday.
Padres playoff roster includes All-Star who hasn't pitched in two years
SAN DIEGO —The most surprising postseason roster decision Tuesday was not Aaron Judge being off the New York Yankees' roster and Giancarlo Stanton on it, but in San Diego.
Starter Joe Musgrove, who has been sidelined for nearly two years recovering from Tommy John surgery, not pitching in a Major League Baseball game since Oct. 2, 2024, was placed on the Padres’ postseason roster ahead of their best-of-three wild card series against the Chicago Cubs.
Musgrove, who faced hitters twice in the past five days while hitting 97-mph on the radar gun with control of his breaking pitches, will be another valuable piece in the Padres bullpen.
The Padres became cautiously optimistic he could return when he pitched in an instructional league game last Tuesday and then batting practice three days later.
He replaces Randy Vásquez, who threw 68 pitches over six innings on Sunday in the season finale, on the roster. Wandy Peralta and Griffin Canning were also left off the postseason roster.
The gamble with Musgrove is that he likely won’t be able to pitch in back-to-back games.
Musgrove, 33, the San Diego native who has pitched the Padres’ lone no-hitter in franchise history, was hoping to return this season but he had several setbacks while trying to return as a starter. He since has pitched in shorter stints as a reliever.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Padres playoff roster includes All-Star who hasn't pitched in two years
A full breakdown of the Yankees postseason roster for Wild Card Series
The stage is set for the postseason, and the Yankees have confirmed their 26-man roster for the Wild Card Series.
First off, it’s worth noting that Trent Grisham and Giancarlo Stanton are activated from the IL while captain Aaron Judge stays sidelined due to his calf injury. Stanton, who hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since April, will likely pinch-hit. On the other hand, we might see Grisham, who was placed on the IL in early September with a lingering hamstring injury, make the starting lineup in center over Spencer Jones.
Here’s everything you need to know about each player the Yankees are bringing into the postseason and how they can make an impact in the Wild Card Series against Boston.
Position Players
Cody Bellinger: Expected to take his spot in left field and make clutch defensive plays, Bellinger will also play a critical role in giving the Yankees offense some juice. Even without Judge, he’s still been effective offensively, batting at .287 with a .494 slugging percentage in September.
José Caballero: A utilityman most likely to be deployed at third base, Caballero has the potential to be effective defensively, but will likely rotate with McMahon and Rosario in case of any high-risk scenarios on either side of the ball.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Locked in at the keystone, Jazz will likely play second to make room for some alternative options at third base, including Caballero, Volpe, and McMahon. It remains a question of whether the impending free agent will start at second against tough lefties.
Luis García Jr.: Joining the Yankees ahead of the Trade Deadline, García Jr. has a lot to prove after slumping through most of September. If he can bring back his numbers from August, when he batted .290 with a .505 slugging, he has a good shot at making an impact against Boston.
Paul Goldschmidt: Making some big plays throughout the season and trending in the right direction offensively, Goldschmidt brings a strong veteran presence that will serve as an example for the younger guys on the roster. Expect him to start at first against lefties, who he continued to mash in 2026.
Trent Grisham: Despite not appearing in a regular-season game since early September, Grisham could start in center, though he has lost a step defensively and wasn’t batting nearly as well as he did in 2025. Nonetheless, he did register 39 extra-base hits in 121 games.
Spencer Jones: Taking Grisham’s spot in the field since he joined the IL, Jones has been on a positive trend with his development and could be a potent offensive weapon if he makes an appearance in the lineup.
George Lombard Jr.: Yielding promising results on offense and turning heads at shortstop, it’ll be very exciting to see how Lombard performs when the lights are brightest.
Ryan McMahon: Struggling in the last stretch of the season, McMahon could play a pinch-hitting role in place of either Rosario or Caballero at third. If Rosario starts against a lefty, look for McMahon to enter later on defense.
Heliot Ramos: Typically taking his place in right field since joining the Yankees at the Trade Deadline, Ramos has helped give the Yankees’ offense enough of a boost to reach the postseason. He hits lefties better than righties and finished September batting .255 with a .491 slugging percentage.
Ben Rice: Recording 41 home runs in the regular season, Rice will make a huge impact on the Yankees’ offense and may make an appearance at first base if he’s not a designated hitter in the lineup.
Amed Rosario: Possibly starting at third against lefties, Rosario hasn’t actually hit southpaws well in 2026 but raked against them in 2025. He finished September batting .231 with an identical OBP.
Ali Sánchez: Making the roster doesn’t come as a huge surprise for Sánchez, who will serve as a backup for Austin Wells behind the plate.
Giancarlo Stanton: Reinstated from the IL for the first time since April, Stanton will make his return in the postseason and likely serve as a pinch-hitter for when the Yankees need a powerful intimidating presence at the plate. Stanton is one of the Yankees’ all-time leading playoff sluggers, with 18 homers.
Anthony Volpe: Returning to the majors after hitting 11 home runs with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders this season, Volpe has the potential to make an impact on offense. He may not be trusted as much in the field, but there’s a chance he could make an appearance at second over Chisholm against a lefty, or even at third over McMahon and Rosario.
Austin Wells: After struggling early in the regular season, Wells picked it up offensively going into the stretch and has the opportunity to rake if he can get back to his August form — though Boston’s southpaws may challenge him. He finished September with a .154 batting average and a .236 OBP.
Pitchers
David Bednar: Serving as one of the most effective closers this season, Bednar is prepared to completely shut down the Red Sox offense.
Paul Blackburn: One of the most reliable relievers throughout the regular season, Blackburn is expected to keep Boston’s offense at bay and bring a veteran presence to the Yankees bullpen. He finished the regular season with a 1.69 ERA, 69 strikeouts, and a 1.09 WHIP through 89 innings.
Gerrit Cole: Starting for Game 3, if needed, the Yankees pitcher brings a leadership presence that the Yankees rely on without the captain Aaron Judge. The question will be whether or not he can get his home run problem under control (or at least limit the damage to solo shots).
Max Fried: With effective postseason numbers throughout his career, Fried is the best choice to start Game 2 against Boston and hopefully help the Yankees advance to the ALDS. He held the Red Sox scoreless in the playoff opener last year.
Brent Headrick: Maintaining consistency throughout the regular season, Headrick is expected to shine in a relief role throughout the postseason. He finished the regular season with a 2.18 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 78.3 innings. Headrick was used a lot, but did at least get three full days of rest going into today.
Carlos Rodón: After missing a stretch of games in the regular season due to some elbow inflammation, Rodón was outstanding in September and had a good case to start in his own right. As it stands, he’ll take a relief role in this series, and while he’s been great of late, he doesn’t have much bullpen experience in his career.
Cam Schlittler: Taking the starting role in Game 1 against the Red Sox, there is a lot of confidence that Schlittler is ready to shock the world and dominate Boston once again.
John Schreiber: Taking a spot as a relief option if needed, Schreiber may take the mound in a low-risk scenario.
Will Warren: Performing well in the regular season as a starter, Warren will be a reliable relief option to get the Yankees through a jam and looked sharp in late-season bullpen cameos. He finished 2026 with a 3.92 ERA and 158 strikeouts and 1.37 WHIP.
Ryan Yarbrough: The Yankees are likely using Yarbrough as a low-risk option, and he could make an appearance at the bump if there’s a scenario where they need to save a reliever from burning out before the ALDS. Yarbrough is one of the few southpaws on the Yankees’ staff, and he got the nod over the scuffling Tim Hill.
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NBC Curbs One of Fans’ Biggest MLB Playoffs Issues
Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees fans will hear friendly TV voices call their team’s Wild-Card matchup this week. In the playoffs, that’s not always the case.
Year after year, MLB followers grumble about losing the local announcing booths they’ve spent their summers with in favor of national voices brought in for postseason action. Team broadcasters hurt too.
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“It’s kind of like taking a transatlantic voyage on a ship, and then getting thrown overboard a mile from shore,” Mets play-by-play’er Gary Cohen toldThe Athletic in 2024.
This year, as NBC broadcasts its first MLB playoff games since 2000, at least a few color guys are getting a couple more days on board. Continuing its strategy from the regular season, NBC has combined one local analyst from each side with its own play-by-play voice for this week’s four Wild-Card series.
“The biggest complaint you hear during the postseason in baseball is, ‘I can’t hear my people, I can’t hear my guys call the game,’” NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood said before the season. “We really want to honor that part of baseball.”
NESN’s Lou Merloni and YES Network’s Joe Girardi will join Jason Benetti for Red Sox-Yankees coverage. Longtime White Sox color commentator Steve Stone will pair up with his Houston counterpart, Geoff Blum, as Phillies analyst John Kruk and Braves commentator C.J. Nitkowski will team to call that intra-division series. Cubs color commentator Jim Deshaies pushed his previously scheduled hip surgery back two weeks, given the opportunity to call the team’s games against San Diego alongside Padres analyst Mark Grant.
“Fans know these people,” Benetti said of local analysts on Monday. “You spend so much time with these people in your houses that there’s a trust factor that develops.” For third-party observers, the dedicated analysts also can provide insight a national voice might miss.
NBC began building its roster of potential playoff analysts months ago, identifying close to 20 broadcasters who would be tapped if their teams played in the opening round.
There are risks, to be sure. Three-person announcer booths can take years to gel; Benetti and his fellow play-by-play callers will have just hours to get everyone on the same page. But Benetti, who calls Detroit Tigers games during the regular season, has embraced the unfamiliarity.
“The thing that’s most exciting is you never know where the conversation is going to go,” he said.
NBC is also maintaining its newly created “Inside the Pitch” analyst position for each series, with Anthony Rizzo assigned to keep a close eye on the field and dugout for the Red Sox-Yankees series while Caroline Pineda fills the reporter position.
NBC will carry Braves-Phillies and Red Sox-Yankees games on broadcast TV at 2 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. ET Tuesday and Wednesday, while White Sox-Astros (5 p.m. ET) and Cubs-Padres (10 p.m. ET) will air across Peacock and NBC Sports Network both days. Thursday’s schedule of Game 3’s depends on who’s still alive at that point.
Unlike their TV colleagues, radio broadcasters typically keep calling their local teams’ games through the postseason.
NBC is reportedly paying close to $200 million annually in a three-year deal for Sunday Night Baseball and Wild-Card play.
Of course, there’s still no recreating the chemistry or comfort of a club’s dedicated TV announcing booth, melded into a family over the course of 162 games, summer after summer. For months, baseball operates largely as a regional affair. Postseason play offers something else entirely.
But, for a diehard fan, a few words from a familiar voice as October dawns could sound a lot like home.
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A position-by-position analysis of the Red Sox-Yankees playoff series
If you grew up watching the Attitude Era of wrestling, you acquired the word “slobberknocker” as part of your vernacular, thanks to the great Jim Ross on WWE play-by-play. Payton Tolle, who, like Ross, is from Oklahoma, dropped that word into his presser yesterday, one of his many gems on the microphone.
As I started digging into the Tale of the Tape, I realized Tolle is right. The margins are razor-thin and we have a three game slobberknocker on our hands the next three nights. So let’s break down the Red Sox and Yankees position by position to see who has the edge.
Git it on!
The Infield:
Yankees: Luis Garcia, Jazz Chisholm, George Lombard, Jose Caballero, Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe, Amed Rosario, Ryan McMahon
Expect a lot of platooning and substitutions from New York in the infield. Over the final month of the season against left-handed pitchers, Boone usually deployed (from left to right), Rosario, Lombard, Volpe, and Goldschmidt. The Red Sox are scheduled to throw lefty starters in Games 1 and 3. Against right-handed pitchers (Game 2), the Yankees usually started McMahon, Lombard, Chisholm, and Garcia, with some Caballero sprinkled in. You may remember a year ago that Boone left both Chisholm and Ben Rice on the bench in Game One against the left-handed Garrett Crochet, a 3-1 loss for New York with Rice never even appearing in the game. They both returned for wins in Games Two and Three. That won’t happen with Rice again, but could happen with Chisholm (.218 in 2026, .227 career vs. LHP) until the starter is out of the game.
Boston: Caleb Durbin, Trevor Story, Nick Sogard, Willson Contreras, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andruw Monasterio
The Red Sox infield lineup seems pretty cut and dry to start, if Contreras is healthy. Alongside Durbin and Contreras, Sogard was called up on July 29th and has started all but three games since. Story returned from the IL on August 30th and has started all but three games in that time.
The Yankees’ pickup of Garcia at the trade deadline really flew under the radar considering he was leading the National League in slugging percentage at the time of the trade. Garcia and Contreras’ seasons have been eerily similar, as they rank 8th and 9th in MLB in slugging. It’s a fascinating list, as they’re sandwiched just behind Junior Caminero and Pete Alonso, and just ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.
Who has the edge?
The rest of the infield leaves something to be desired across the board. On the Yankees, only Goldschmidt has a wRC+ over 100, at 111, but that number was 83 after the All-Star break. For Boston, it’s only Sogard with a 105 wRC+, and that was in 66 games, although Story is hitting .291 over the past month.
Edge: Push
Outfield & DH:
Red Sox: Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Jahmai Jones, Nate Eaton
Boston will have Rafaela in center and Abreu in right, no matter what. In Games 1 and 3 against a righty, Duran in left field and Anthony at DH is likely. Anthony hasn’t DH’d in three weeks, but much of that was related to Rafaela being on the IL. In Game 2 against Fried, Anthony will probably move to left, with Jones, who rarely has been deployed in the outfield, at DH. Braiden Ward (61 stolen bases at Triple-A) was a pinch-running option but was not chosen to be on the postseason roster, in favor of Eaton.
Yankees: Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, Spencer Jones, Heliot Ramos, Trent Grisham, Giancarlo Stanton
Obviously, there are a lot of moving parts. Grisham has been on the IL since early September but is back for the playoffs. Stanton last played on April 24 and was recently spotted running at tortoise speed in the outfield in an attempt to return. Judge said he wants to play, but he says a lot of things and ultimately was not put on the Wild Card roster.
Rice (DH) and Bellinger (LF) will obviously be in regardless. Against lefties, it will be interesting to see who plays center field between Jones and Grisham, with Ramos in right. In Game Two, Boone may elect to play them both, with Ramos sitting.
Who has the edge?
There are a lot of caveats here. Is a Bellinger, Grisham, Ramos outfield really better than Anthony, Rafaela, and Abreu? Absolutely not. Is Anthony the DH and, therefore, do we need to include Ben Rice in this debate? Probably. Also, the Yankees scored 50 more runs and hit 60 more home runs than the Red Sox this season, so they should get some edge at the plate.
Edge: Yankees
Catcher:
Red Sox: Adley Rutschman, Connor Wong
Yankees: Austin Wells, Ali Sanchez
Rutschman hasn’t hit a whole lot since joining the Red Sox (.222/.278/.410 slash line in 32 games), but Wells hasn’t hit a whole lot ever, with a career slash line of .213/.294/.397. Add in the defense, where Rutschman is 96th percentile in caught stealing and Wells is 15th percentile, and this should be a strong edge for Boston.
Edge: Red Sox
Defense:
As a team, the Red Sox were third in baseball in Defensive Runs Saved at +70. The Yankees were 13th at +27.
In team Outs Above Average, Boston was sixth at +20, with New York 17th at negative-5. Center Field was by far the best OAA position for the Sox at +18, thanks to Rafaela’s +16. Left field and shortstop were the only positions that were below average, with Monasterio’s -15 OAA heavily weighing things down, a position we would not expect him to play in the postseason. No other player on Boston’s playoff roster had lower than a -2 OAA.
The Yankees were among the best at second base, as a result of a +13 from Chisholm, but well below average at third base, center field, and right field. Jones, Grisham, and Ramos in the outfield, and Rice and Rosario in the infield, all graded out at a -4 or worse in OAA.
Edge: Red Sox
Starting Pitching:
Yankees: Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole
Red Sox: Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez
Setting the minimum at 110 innings to account for all of these pitchers, here is where they would land in the 2026 AL ERA race:
- Schlittler 1.95 (1st)
- Gray 2.72 (5th)
- Fried 2.80 (7th)
- Tolle 3.03 (10th)
- Suarez 3.22 (12th)
- Cole 3.61 (22nd)
How much should having the Cy Young winner on your team be weighted in this debate? Pretty significantly, I guess.
How much should having the worst of the six starters be weighted? If the Yankees win in two, it won’t matter at all. If the series goes three, it will matter very much.
Now, let’s look at postseason stats:
- Schlittler: 1-1, 1.26 (14 ⅓ inns.)
- Suarez: 4-1, 1.48 (42 ⅔ inns.)
- Cole: 11-6, 2.77 (133 ⅓ inns.)
- Gray: 1-3, 3.26 (30 ⅓ inns.)
- Fried: 2-6, 5.31 (76 ⅓ inns.)
- Tolle: N/A (faced one batter)
The Yankees not only lag with Gerrit Cole in the 2026 season but also will throw a starter in Game Two who has a 5.31 career postseason ERA in 22 postseason games (14 starts). Yeah, that cancels out the Schlittler edge. This has to be a push.
Edge: Push
Bullpen:
Red Sox: Jake Bennett, Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Wyatt Olds, Alec Gamboa, Greg Weissert, Erik Miller, Garrett Whitlock, Aroldis Chapman
I covered the Red Sox playoff bullpen recently. The losses of Justin Slaten and Tyron Guerrero are significant. andErik Miller’s control has reverted back to his Giants days this month, as he’s allowed runs in five of his final nine appearances this season. The Sox will have Garrett Crochet (6.30 ERA in a short 30-inning sample) and Jake Bennett (3.65) in the ‘pen for this series to counter the Rodon and Warren SP duo.
Yankees: Carlos Rodon, Will Warren, Ryan Yarbrough, John Schreiber, Paul Blackburn, Brent Headrick, David Bednar
The Yankees deployed only seven relievers, as they need to account for Stanton, who likely cannot play the field, and to maximize all of their platoons. In the regular season, the Yankees had the top bullpen ERA in baseball at 3.15, with the Red Sox finishing third at 3.27.
They’ll be relying heavily on their starters pitching out of the ‘pen, as Rodon (2.67 ERA) and Warren (3.92) pitched almost all of their innings as starters this year. Ryan Weathers (3.60), who is working his way back from a forearm injury and threw live to hitters on Monday, was left off of the roster. Closer David Bednar (2.47) and setup man Brent Headrick (2.18) have been excellent all year long, as has l Blackburn, who entered the season with a 4.97 career ERA, has inexplicably ended up with a 1.69 ERA despite a 3.75 FIP, 10.7 K-BB%.
Who has the edge?
While the entire bullpens top-to-bottom are a push, the Red Sox duo of future Hall-of-Famer Aroldis Chapman (1.92) and Garrett Whitlock (1.72), who has allowed two earned runs in the last three months, is an edge over Bednar and Headrick to push Boston over the top.
Edge: Red Sox
Game Thread: NLWC Game 1
Here are the lineups for game 1 of the NLWC series in Atlanta. Let’s discuss!
For the Phillies:
For the Braves:
Braves Wild Card Game 1 vs Phillies Chat and Discussion
Welcome to the Postseason. Welcome to the beginning of an historic World Series run, or the last two days of the season. Welcome to heroes becoming goats and GOATs becoming legends. This is first day of the rest of our fandom, or another fruitless day. This is the best time of the year, and a celebration intertwined with opportunities to cheer our team longer.
On the hill for the Braves will be 10-time All-Star Chris Sale, who brings one World Series title and 63.5 career WAR into this matchup. He has a 2.16/2.29/2.82 (55/51/67) line this season. He’s struck out 86 versus 5 walks since the All-Star Break.
Against Sale will be Jesús Luzardo, at least to start the game. The last time the Braves saw him was a complete game shutout and a game score of 100. We questioned the Braves approach versus Luzardo here. Let’s hope they have better ideas this afternoon. We don’t know how long Luzardo will pitch today. But we don’t know how long anyone will pitch today. There’s no reason to save anyone. Thursday isn’t guaranteed.
Game Notes
Here’s why the Atlanta Braves can win the World Series
2026 Wild Card Series Preview: Braves tangle with Phillies yet again
Braves stay loose and focused on Workout Day
Before we begin
If you have ever been here, you will know that we don’t allow users that have created their account today to participate in this thread or the post-game thread. We are waiving this requirement for the postseason. Many of our current users found us by joining this time of year, and we would like you to join us. However, please tread lightly. If you are newly minted you may receive more scrutiny. Please don’t be offended, just join in.
We’ve had trouble with Phillies trolls in this space, and this is a rule created to help handle this. I know this may seem unusual since Philadelphia sports fans are the greatest fans in the world. They will tell you this while they are trolling the site after a Braves playoff loss deep into the night, and creating multiple alts to do so. Trolls, by definition, aren’t going to follow the rules anyway. So everyone else, come on in.
We also don’t allow suggesting that the game is over and how the rest of the series will end for the Braves in this thread aka posting “ballgame” or the like. It just creates arguments, and isn’t welcome here. The other rules are here.
OK, we’re ready to go. battery666, if you please…
Tar Heels in the MLB Postseason
Tar Heel baseball fans will have a clear favorite Major League Baseball team as the 2026 postseason gets underway today.
According to Baseball-Reference.com, nine former Tar Heels were active on MLB rosters during the 2026 season. However, only one player appears set to see October (or at least very late September) baseball.
His Name is Michael Busch…
…and he is a bad man.
Fans of North Carolina baseball from 2017-2019 will remember Busch well as a standout first baseman for the Tar Heels. For those who do not recall, or those who simply yearn for a walk down memory lane, gaze upon four minutes of Michael Busch UNC highlights:
Over three seasons at UNC, Busch posted a 0.921 OPS with 32 home runs, 169 runs scored, and 142 walks. He is second all-time in walks in Carolina Baseball history.
Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019, Busch worked his way through the minors and made his major league debut on April 25th, 2023. He was traded to the Cubs in the offseason ahead of the 2024 season and has been a staple at first base ever since.
The 2025 season was his best yet as a pro, hitting 34 home runs with an .866 OPS and 4.5 WAR, all of which was good enough to help him finish 16th in the National League MVP voting. The 2026 season has seen a drop in power as he’s only hit 20 home runs, but his patience at the plate has yielded him a 13.0% walk rate, which is 17th best in the league.
He’s 28 years old, played in 160 games this season, and won’t be a free agent until 2030. There’s a lot for Cubs fans to like about Busch.
Postseason Experience
Last season was Busch’s first experience playing postseason baseball, and in the Wild Card round he absolutely raked.
Facing the San Diego Padres (who Busch is slated to face again in the 2026 Wild Card), Busch posted 4 hits, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 HR, and 1 BB in 12 plate appearances over three games. The NLDS had even more in store for Busch, as he hit three home runs in just 19 plate appearances over five games. Although the Cubs lost the series to the Brewers, it was a fantastic first foray into postseason baseball for Busch. He finished the postseason with a .296 BA and 1.128 OPS.
The Postseason Starts Now
It’s once again time for postseason baseball for Michael Busch, and he will enter tonight’s matchup against the San Diego Padres as the only former North Carolina Tar Heel on a postseason roster. Tonight, a little after 10:00 pm Chapel Hill time, he’ll climb into the batter’s box at Petco Park, stare down Michael King, and swing with the full weight and momentum of Tar Heel Nation in his bat.
Bonus Note: I should mention that former Tar Heel Trent Thornton is currently on the 15-day Injured List for the Cubs. If Chicago makes it past San Diego, there’s a chance Thornton makes it on the NLDS roster. Did you need another reason to cheer for the Cubs?
Ozzie Albies appears locked in, Walt Weiss explains roster decisions
It’s time to get rocking and rolling around here. Not too long from the time that I’m typing this, the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies wil be renewing their Postseason rivalry for another season. While the fans are never going to get on the field and make plays or anything like that (nor would anybody want to see that), it still means a lot that the Braves are getting to have home field advantage for the entirety of this Wild Card Series.
Ozzie Albies was asked during the pregame press conference about what it meant to be able to play this series right here in Truist Park and as you could imagine, he’s pretty excited about it. “Yeah, definitely the home crowd helps us a lot,” stated Ozzie. “I want to say thank you to all the fans that comes and support us every day and out. It makes the game better for sure. I know Braves Country always supports us, and definitely playing at home is going to be much more fun.”
Ozzie has been here for nearly of the ups-and-downs that this team has experienced during this particular era.I asked him about what makes 2026 different from the rest of them and he mentioned the fact that he was pretty jazzed up about facing the Phillies again.
“Every run is different and special. For us to go through and face the Phillies again, we’re definitely going to be hyped,” explained Ozzie. “We’re looking forward to playing as hard as we can to win tonight and the upcoming games against them because it’s super important.”
“At this point, winning is everything,” continued Ozzie. “Definitely it’s different, new year, new players, new everything. But it’s going to be a fun one.”
Perhaps the biggest story of the day was the revelation that guys like DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Rowdy Tellez and Luke Williams were going to be included on the roster. Tellez and Williams were particularly surprising choices and Walt Weiss was asked about those decisions in the pregame press conference.
“Rowdy is a big left-handed hitter over there that maybe puts some fear into some people,” explained Weiss. “We got a glimpse of him during the season and he hit a pinch-hit homer for us. He can do that. Keirsey obviously as a base runner did a great job, Triple-A, stealing bases, running the bases. He’s been impactful in that role in his short time here at the end of the year. I think virtually every time I’ve pinch ran him, he’s scored a big run for us.
“Luke is a really smart base runner,” continued Weiss. “Luke is a guy that can cover you all over the field too. Without the ghost runner at second base, these games could go 15, 16 innings. That kind of versatility helps if you get to that point. But [he’s] primarily [here to be a] base runner, base stealer, Luke.”
Lastly, Weiss’s reaction to Jesús Luzardo getting tabbed as the “opener” drew a laugh from everybody in the room. He was asked about whether or not he was skeptical about Luzardo “simply” being an opener and when he clarified that Don Mattingly was the one who said that, Weiss very dryly stated that he was “very skeptical” of that.
Whether it’s a bit of gamesmanship or the real deal, it sure feels like the Braves are ready for whatever the Phillies may have in store this game and the series as a whole. It really feels like one of those series that will be balanced on a knife’s edge and hopeflly the Braves will be the ones who come out victorious — especially with Chris Sale starting Game 1. We’ll see what happens, folks.
The doomsday scenarios
For the record, this essay is emphatically not a prediction.
Nor is it an exercise in pointing out the obvious flaws of a team that ultimately went on to win a World Series, forcing me to cook duck and creating the ability to cause generational drama in the Bronx by simply uttering the phrase “Fifth inning.”
There’s bean footage, and then there is bean footage. For the record, you can see the original title I gave that infamous 2024 prediction essay before Eric Stephen threw me under the figurative bus.
There’s a funny side effect from being present at the last game of the 2025 season, which was generally hailed as one of the best baseball games ever played: I find myself blissfully calm at the upcoming proceedings. Having the ability to cue the Rojas homer or the final outs on command from my phone does wonders for both my mental health and self-esteem.
Just one more time for the road, I promise.
That footage is better than some vitamins, I say. Will the Dodgers repeat for a second year over the month? I have no earthly idea. It’d be nice.
To paraphrase one of my favorite ad campaigns from the early 2000s: that’s bliss, baby. Now, I suddenly want bad tea.
I can see how the Dodgers would prevail next month — just do 2025 but better. I’m looking at you, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Andy Pages, and Tommy Edman. If Kyle Tucker is the answer, then my God, what is the question?
Conversely, I can see how the team would fall flat on their face. You did too; it was called the Summer Swoon. What if everyone I just mentioned plus Shohei Ohtani couldn’t hit water from a boat? That failure, especially with runners in scoring position, would likely do it.
Jacob Macofsky wrote a lovely essay worth your time on the happier side of things as a palate cleanser.
But if I give the upcoming tournament much thought, and you were inclined not to join me in my state of relative bliss, there are only two situations that would probably annoy me, much less anger me.
Scenario One: The Padres win it all
That’s it. Any other National League winner elicits no reaction from me apart from “Oh. Neat.” Maybe the Cubs; I did just gag a little.
Don’t get me wrong. I was quite annoyed when I had to live in a universe where the San Francisco Giants won a World Series. Then they did it again…and again…and have been irrelevant ever since, so it got better. My annoyance at a hypothetical Padres title does not rise to the level of agita I just described.
It’s just that the Padres have beclowned themselves at just about every opportunity when they have had actual expectations placed on them.
Expectations that the Padres would make a deep playoff run after finally besting the Dodgers in 2022? Nope, as apparently the job was done and the Dodgers’ failure was made worse when Philadelphia romped to the Fall Classic with modest effort.
Expectations that the Padres were going to win the NL West in 2023? Nope, as the team evacuated its figurative baseball bowels promptly, thoroughly, and repeatedly.
Expectations that the Padres would win the 2024 NLDS, likely costing Dave Roberts his job? Nope, as the Padres’ offense decided to go on holiday, not scoring for 23 innings to conclude the proceedings.
At this point, that team is practically daring me and others to pick it for a deep playoff run, potentially setting up a Dodgers-Padres NLCS.
I’m not falling for this bit again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us. Fool me four times, get a new hobby.
Honestly, it’s not animus towards the city of San Diego or its ballpark. It’s nice, on both counts.
It’s this current group of players who are as unlikeable and obnoxious as any bunch I can recall. The funny thing is that if they had actually done anything to justify the attitude, I would accept it as the winner’s prerogative.
Since they haven’t won anything, it’s just obnoxious.
Yes, they have been playing well in September, and their bullpen is formidable. I wanted the Dodgers to trade for Mason Miller last year. I even went to Sutter Health Park on his bobblehead day to get both the bobblehead and art for the subsequent Guide entry. Oh well.
The Padres have to get past the Cubs, which is an oddly compelling matchup that could easily fill a five-game or even seven-game series. Alas, it’s only three games as an amuse-bouche.
We don’t need extra playoffs; we need to savor what we have.
Seeing the Padres send the Cubs packing would likely be quite satisfying. In some respects, I am honestly rooting for every game to go to extra innings, and if a wayward meteor or an errant probe looking for whales happened by, who is to complain?
The just reward of that hypothetical Padres’ victory is that the Brewers are waiting, looming, if not salivating, for the winner. Most likely, the Padres’ dreams are smashed in Cream City, but not until giving the Brewers all that they can handle.
Scenario Two: Summer Swoon Coda
The Dodgers’ pitching core should be elite. Yes, the bullpen has seen better days, but this time of year is when the usual characters of Blake Treinen are out, and Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki are in.
If we’re being honest, and the Dodgers themselves were being honest, they would probably admit they are either going to win it all again or flop out right quick.
The problem with a best-of-five series is that all the benefits of depth are essentially negated. In a long enough series, the Dodgers should eventually beat just about anyone in the field. In a five-game series, the margin for error shrinks that much quicker.
I’ve been to Atlanta and Philadelphia. Those venues will be rocking if there is any sense of blood in the water, if the veneer of Dodger invincibility is scraped away.
Speaking of someone who has looked quite mortal since mid-August, Shohei Ohtani was eventually put on the injured list this September. Since his return, apart from one game, he hasn’t looked quite like himself.
He’s looked and hit better than Freddie Freeman, who didn’t sit for ten days in a gambit that has all but backfired at this point, but that observation really isn’t saying much.
- Freeman (20 games): .184/.259/.224. 14 for 76, 6 R, HR, 7 RBI, 6 BB, 23 K, 4 GIDP
- Ohtani (5 games): .238/.273/.286. 5 for 21, 2B, RBI, 1 BB, 8 K
Now, however unlikely, if the Dodgers reenact either 2022 (flopping after one victory) or 2023 (getting swept meekly), I would be modestly disappointed.
Reenacting 2021 (sputtering out in the LCS) wouldn’t raise my hackles, because sometimes a team either just sputters out or runs into a better team.
The Brewers are better and healthier than they were last year. Maybe it’s finally their year? Who’s to say? I swear that Pat Murphy’s faux-meek act is long past its expiration date, but specific analysis of the Brewers is a topic for a later day.
But it better not be the Padres’ year, unless they flop to the Tampa Bay Rays or, God forbid, some other AL team. I specifically think of a team that backed into the postseason with a non-winning record and somehow has a cakewalk path to the ALCS if Cleveland and Chicago play to expectations.
A Padres/Astros World Series would be 2002 Redux, and sequels and remakes are generally worse than the original. But doomsday scenarios aside, the above is how I learned to love the upcoming tournament.
11 victories from Los Angeles seal immortality. Let the games begin!