On a gray afternoon in April, his club in last place and mired in an 11-20 hole, Christian Walker looked around the Houston Astros clubhouse, paused and told USA TODAY Sports, "There's a hundred wins in this room."
He was wrong. The Astros only won 81 games this season - yet they're going to the playoffs, anyway.
The Astros did just enough to capture the feeble American League West title, clinching the division on the season's final day with a resounding 9-0 victory over the Athletics in West Sacramento.
Houston became the first team in major league history to reach the playoffs with a non-winning record in a full season. The Astros captured the division by one game over the Texas Rangers, who finished 80-82 and lost their must-win season finale at Minnesota, that game going final just minutes before Houston finished off the Athletics.
Houston will open the AL playoffs at home, taking on the upstart Chicago White Sox at Daikin Park in the best-of-three wild-card series beginning Tuesday.
The Astros, owning the tiebreaker between the teams, needed just a win to get in. And they left no doubt.
They jumped on Athletics starter Seth Johnson and reliever Brady Basso for four runs in the third inning. Walker homered in the sixth. Starter Peter Lambert and reliever Ethan Pecko provided five shutout innings before the Astros ran and hid.
It looked easy. The season was anything but.
They entered the final week after getting swept at home by Atlanta, erasing a one-game West lead and putting them a game behind the Rangers with six to play. But the Astros also had a nice voucher in their back pocket: Four games in Yolo County to finish the season.
They took three of four from the woebegone Athletics (64-98), capping a 4-2 final week to overcome the Rangers. MVP favorite Yordan Alvarez finished the season as the AL batting champ, his .316 average 10 points greater than the Rays' Chandler Simpson. Alvarez finished second in home runs, his 42 one shy of Baltimore's Pete Alonso.
It's the Astros' eighth AL West title in the past 10 years. And probably the strangest.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 27: Mauricio Dubon #14 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on September 27, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
And with that, the 2026 regular season comes to a close.
The Atlanta Braves finish 94-68 as NL East champions and are looking for more. Postseason baseball begins Tuesday as the Braves will take on the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round.
In this final tune-up, Atlanta regulars Ronald Acuña Jr., Drake Baldwin, and Michael Harris II got a full day off. Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies had a couple ABs apiece before getting off their feet. This final game and lineup was very much giving Game 162 as they dropped the series and season finale to the Marlins by a score of 5-3.
The Braves got on the board early courtesy of a home run by Mauricio Dubón. The effervescent Brent Suter, who’d joined the booth for an interview in the top of the third, had a great call.
Ozzie Albies got the start today and notched his first season playing in all 162 games. He went 0-for-2 with a groundout and strikeout before exiting at 3:45 pm. Matt Olson’s day ended at 3:54 pm after a strikeout in the first and a flyout in the fourth. Hugs for Matty O, our modern iron man.
Midway through an anecdote about JR Ritchie’s upcoming wedding, a changeup off the bat of Heriberto Hernández went screaming to left center to tie the ballgame 1-1.
Dom Smith and Kyle Farmer took over at first and second base respectively to start the bottom of the fourth. The two combined for a nice play in the sixth.
Hernández continued to menace Ritchie by hitting a leadoff double in the sixth and, after two outs, came home to score on a single by Esteury Ruiz. Deyvison De Los Santos followed with another single, which prompted a mound visit. This didn’t end up helping much as the first pitch Jared Serna saw doubled home two more Marlins. After keeping them down for most of his 5.2 innings of work, Ritchie was lifted in favor of AJ Smith-Shawver. AJSS got Brian Navarreto looking for the third out.
The Braves got within a run after Ha-Seong Kim worked a ten-pitch AB to walk, Brewer Hicklen blooped in a single down the right field line, an RBI groundout by DaShawn Keirsey Jr., and a single by Dubón off Calvin Faucher to make it 4-3. But Smith-Shawver gave a run back via a leadoff homer by Griffin Conine. He set down the next three in order, but the damage was done and the score would stay 5-3.
What of the other Braves getting some work in? Austin Riley exited after his 0-for-3 afternoon, so Dubón took over at third for the home half of the eighth and Yaz moved to left field. Sean Murphy had a nice day with a single apiece in the second and fifth. Ha-Seong Kim had two walks, a strikeout, and a stellar defensive play in the fourth.
Elieser Hernández entered and set the Marlins down in order in the bottom of the eighth. Sandy Alcantara came on for the save for the Marlins. No, you’re not missing anything, the Marlins are trying something new. Murphy reached to start the inning but would be stranded after the Cy Young winner set down Kim, Hicklen, and got Keirsey Jr. swinging to end it. But the Braves are unscathed and the Delta flight awaits to bring them back home.
Everything resets. Playoff baseball returns to Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 27: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers is taken out of game after pitching five scoreless innings in his last regular season debut against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field on September 27, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brewers didn’t have anything left to play for, and today’s goal was very simple: no one get hurt. Milwaukee achieved that goal, but hey, why not go out and pick up a sweep and a franchise-record 103rd win while they’re at it? Jacob Misiorowski, in a postseason tune-up, put together one more excellent performance to cap what will almost certainly be a Cy Young-winning season, and the offense showed us exactly what has made them special all season as they picked up six runs on 10 hits early in the game before cruising to victory.
The first inning of this game felt like a perfect encapsulation of the Brewers’ regular season. In the top of the first, the presumptive National League Cy Young winner went out and quickly retired the side in order, cruising at around 101.5 mph. In the bottom of the inning, the first four Brewers, Garrett Mitchell, Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio, and Brice Turang, all singled off of Cardinals starter Andre Pallante, the latter two of which scored runs. Turang, whose hit was of the infield variety, had his 100th RBI of the season and got a nice ovation from the home crowd.
Gary Sánchez made the first out of the inning on a fielder’s choice, but he hustled down the line and ensured that the Cardinals would have no double play opportunity. Captain Christian Yelich and Cooper Pratt continued the hit parade with two more singles, the first of which scored Chourio, and the Brewers had a 3-0 lead before Sal Frelick grounded into an inning-ending double play.
The first blemish on Misiorowski’s line came with one out in the second when Frelick was not quite able to make a diving catch on a lazy fly ball from Thomas Saggese in shallow right. But Miz retired the next two and had two scoreless innings to start his afternoon. Pallante had a much easier time in the second, and got David Hamilton, Mitchell, and Bauers in order.
Misiorowski continued with another scoreless inning in the third, as he worked around a one-out walk. Chourio led off the bottom of the third with his second single of the day. Turang, next up, smoked a line drive at 106 mph but hit it right to Saggese at shortstop for the first out. The next batter, Sánchez, got a hold of one to the opposite field and snuck it over the wall in right for a two-run homer, his 12th of the season. It also completed his chase for homers against all 30 teams, as the Cardinals were the last team remaining to have never allowed a Kraken homer.
Somewhat surprisingly, Misiorowski — who threw only three innings in his last outing — was back out for the fourth. To his own exasperation, he walked the leadoff hitter, Leo Bernal. But the next batter, Nolan Gorman, became Misiorowski’s 250th strikeout victim of the season, and Saggese grounded into a 5-4-3 double play that ended the inning.
Milwaukee struck again in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Hamilton reached on a dribbler that sat on the dirt down the third-base line, pretty much the most David Hamilton hit of all time. Mitchell drew a walk, and Bauers nearly cleared the bases with a 105-mph drive to the left-field gap, but Nathan Church ran it down for the second out. Chourio was next, though, and for the third time in the game he came through with a single, this one a two-out, run-scoring liner into right. Milwaukee led 6-0 after four.
Misiorowski had another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth — it was somewhat surprising to see him continue, but he was extremely efficient today and only had 64 pitches through five innings. Pallante had a clean fifth, and Misiorowski came back out for the top of the sixth — Pedro Pagés singled on the first pitch of the inning, but a three-pitch strikeout of Jordan Walker led to Pat Murphy making a semi-ceremonial pitching change that allowed his ace to get a standing ovation from the home crowd.
A strikeout and a standing ovation to end Jacob Misiorowski's legendary regular season 👏 pic.twitter.com/Yhf9mpyol2
After DL Hall finished the inning, Miz’s afternoon — and his legendary regular season — were finished. His official ERA for the season ends at 1.80, by far the best ever for a qualifying starter in Brewers history, ahead of Mike Caldwell’s 2.36 in 1978. He also added his name to an extremely exclusive list:
Pallante gave way to Justin Bruihl in the bottom of the sixth and got a 1-2-3 inning, and Hall and Bruihl again followed with six more consecutive outs. César Prieto ended that streak when he led off the top of the eighth with a triple off of Chad Patrick, a ball which Mitchell nearly ran down in deep right-center but which deflected off his glove. Pagés continued his afternoon with a walk, his second of the game, and he hadn’t been retired in three at-bats. St. Louis plated its first run of the day on an RBI fielder’s choice from Walker, who avoided a double play and advanced to second when Pratt’s rushed relay throw got past Bauers at first.
Patrick walked Iván Herrera, which led to a visit from the dugout and a hurried Shane Drohan warm-up in the bullpen, but the next batter, Bernal, popped a deep home run to the second deck in right, cutting the score to 6-4. That was it for Patrick, who did not look sharp in his last outing before the postseason. Drohan entered and got the next two to stop the bleeding and preserve the Brewers’ lead.
The 24-year-old righty Hancel Rincon was on for his third career appearance in the bottom of the eighth, and a 1-2-3 inning became the first scoreless outing of his big-league career. Drohan made the ninth look easy, and after retiring all five batters he faced, Drohan had the second save of his rookie season, and the Brewers had a sweep and 103 wins.
Misiorowski added to his 2026 legend with 5 1/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball that led to his 16th win of the year. Jackson Chourio picked up three hits, scored twice, and knocked two runs in to finish with a .291 batting average. Turang picked up his 100th RBI. Sánchez hit a two-run homer. No one got hurt. The Brewers are ready for the playoffs.
The Brewers don’t play again until Saturday, but we’ll have plenty of stuff for you to read this week, and we’ll have discussions up for the Wild Card round. It’s been a magical season! Thanks for being a part of it.
And in the American League, the most compelling action may come early, as East division stalwarts from New York, Boston and Tampa Bay will fight it out to see who advances to the AL Championship Series.
After 162 games and six months of baseball, the 2026 MLB playoff field is complete. While the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians have secured first-round byes in their respective leagues, the other eight squads will open October with the best-of-three wild-card round that starts Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Here's a look at every team that qualified for the 2026 MLB playoffs, along with where they fit in the postseason bracket.
MLB playoff teams 2026
American League
Tampa Bay Rays (AL East winner) – No. 1 seed
Cleveland Guardians (AL Central winner) – No. 2 seed
Sep 15, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker (55) reacts during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Texas Rangers scored four runs but the Minnesota Twins scored six runs.
The Rangers stayed true to who they were until the bitter end. A sauceless bunch. The 2026 Rangers were a dry, unseasoned chicken breast served with a side of tap water.
Today’s game had everything you suffered with all summer bundled up neatly and handed to you with the neat little bow on top being another year without postseason baseball.
A first inning run allowed? – ✓
A disappointing, brief outing from MacKenzie Gore? – ✓
Endless fruitless micromanaging from Jared Michael “Skip” Schumaker? – ✓
At-bats ruined by poor ABS usage or non-usage while the other team shaved outs on the margins with successful attempts? – ✓
The lineup turtling up at the first sign of adversity? – ✓
Bunts while down multiple runs? – ✓
Tyler Alexander? – ✓
The Rangers won’t win the American League West because they did not win today. They would not have won the American League West regardless because the Houston Astros won today (presumably, they’re leading the Pacific Coast League Athletics 8-0 as I’m writing this). You could take solace in that fact, I suppose. Nothing Texas could have done today mattered in the end.
Of course, that ignores the other like 30 weeks. The fact is, the Rangers were incredibly fortunate to even be in the position they were in today — a bad baseball team with a chance to win the division on the last day — and they even squandered that fortune.
They didn’t squander it because the A’s laid down for the Astros. They squandered because they themselves went 6-7 against the A’s, including losing both series in West Sacramento, where Houston has outscored them 21-2 in the last two must-win games. They went 5-8 against the soon-to-be 100-loss, last place Angels. They went 2-4 in the final two series of the season against two clubs who ended the year a combined 151-173, losing both series. The Rangers had no business being alive and they still chose death.
Anyway, the Astros can have the title of worst playoff team, even if that would have been kind of novel in the way that the Rangers strive on being novel. I can’t imagine I’d be able to stomach the October version of Skip Schumaker managing in the playoffs where you are already expected to be playing 4D chess.
There’s some irony in them not finishing the season at .500 given their never-ending desire for keeping their record evening all year. But missing .500 by a game and not losing the division on a tiebreaker to a team they went 4-9 against is probably the more just outcome, despite the fact that Houston is also cheeks.
A couple of seasons ago, after the last game of the year, I wrote reflecting almost more on the 2023 October and how the 2024 season hadn’t dulled my enjoyment for what they accomplished. On the last day of the 2025 season, I wrote that while the season had basically become an unpleasant slog, I had come to understand that I would miss them.
This year, though, I won’t miss this team. Except for Nathan Eovaldi. That guy is awesome.
I’ll miss baseball, though. Eventually. Maybe it’ll even come back in 2028.
Player of the Game: At one point after weeks and months of being something of the poster boy for the ABS inefficiencies the team managed during this inaugural year of the challenge system, and for being among the main problem spots at the bottom of the order, Danny Jansen had begun to creep onto the list of my all-time most disliked Rangers.
Today, he homered for Texas’ only run until it was 5-1 in the eighth inning (when fellow catcher Elias Diaz also homered before Corey Seager ended his season with a two-run home run in the ninth) in a game the Rangers had to win and didn’t.
For the second consecutive season, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will provide a highly concentrated dosage of their rivalry at Yankee Stadium.
They meet once again in a best-of-three American League wild-card series and this time, New York's Cam Schlittler is starting Game 1 – not Game 3.
It's been exactly a year since Schlittler announced his arrival to the baseball world, striking out 12 Red Sox over eight shutout innings to clinch the series for the Yankees. He's since struck out 239 batters and posted a 1.95 ERA over 193 ⅔ innings, making him the heavy favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award.
And charged with giving the Yankees the upper hand in this very short series.
He'll be followed by left-hander Max Fried and, if necessary, Gerrit Cole in Game 3. The Red Sox will likely counter with left-handers Payton Tolle and postseason veteran Ranger Suarez, with 36-year-old Sonny Gray folded in there.
The Red Sox have been hit with untimely injuries. First baseman Willson Contreras sat out 10 days after getting struck on the hand by a pitch, and then received two at-bats, striking out and grounding out, in the Red Sox's season finale Sunday.
Reliever Tyron Guerrero (shoulder strain) and outfielder Mickey Gasper (biceps strain) are on the IL, as is outfielder Eli White. The Red Sox will have to pivot to run prevention, as was their mantra when they overcame a slow start to roar back and claim the No. 2 wild card spot behind the Yankees.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
The New York Rangers have placed goaltender Dylan Garand and forward Taylor Raddysh on waivers.
After Jonathan Quick retired last season, speculation suggested Garand would fill his role as the Rangers’ backup goaltender behind Igor Shesterkin.
However, the Rangers went out during the summer and acquired Joonas Korpisalo in exchange for Kalle Väisänen and a 2028 fourth-round pick.
Despite adding Korpisalo, the Rangers made clear that the backup goaltending position would be a competition between Korpisalo and Garand, and Mike Sullivan did not rule out carrying three goaltenders to kick off the 2025-26 season.
“Is that an option that is on the table for us, yes,” Sullivan said of the Rangers potentially carrying three goalies on the roster. “It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility. I think it's very manageable in the short term. I don't think it's in the best interest of the guys in the long term for obvious reasons.”
According to Mollie Walker of The New York Post, the Rangers organization believes Garand still has some developing to do and needs to be getting No. 1 goalie reps at the American Hockey League Level with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The Rangers signed Taylor Raddysh to a two-year, $3 million contract in the 2025 offseason.
The 28-year-old forward recorded nine goals, 10 assists, and 19 points in 68 games for the Blueshirts last season.
With Garand and Raddysh waived, Matt Rempe, Jaroslav Chmelař, Alberts Šmits, and Scott Morrow will likely make the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
Alex Bregman stood in the box at Tropicana Field on Sunday, Sept. 27 with a week-old set of facial fractures and sent a message. He had said he would not miss the playoffs despite the devastating injuries and Sunday, showed he's ready. The Chicago Cubs third baseman hit a Tanner Houck sinker for a 417-foot home run in his first at-bat of the day.
Two innings later, he drove another homer 402 feet. In the fifth, he hit one almost as far that went just foul, and he settled for a single.
On Sept. 20 in Cincinnati, Bregman, 32, was standing near the on-deck circle when Michael Busch checked his swing and fouled a pitch his way. The ball caught Bregman just below the left eye and left multiple fractures in his face.
He insisted he could play and the Cubs never put him on the injured list. He sat three games. By Wednesday, Bregman was tracking pitches off a machine. He came back Friday at Fenway as the designated hitter, with a C-flap on his helmet covering the left-side of his face. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in a 4-3 loss.
Sunday, when he got on base, he switched his batting helmet for one with double C-flaps.
Bregman came into the finale with 26 homers, 32 doubles, 89 RBI and a .799 OPS in 154 games this season.
The Cubs head to San Diego after Sunday's game to face the Padres in the National League wild card game.
Sep 27, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Fans sit in the stands during a rain delay before a scheduled game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Well, that was dumb.
About three hours after the scheduled first pitch, and about an hour after the original time before it was moved up earlier this weekend, the Yankees and Orioles’ season finale in the Bronx was officially cancelled. The nor’easter affecting the East Coast this weekend already caused Saturday’s game to be moved to Friday, and now it has officially led to Sunday’s planned season-ending clash to be cancelled. With this being the final day of the regular season and the playoffs beginning on Tuesday, as you might expect, this game will not be rescheduled, as it didn’t have any impact on possible playoff position.
You could kind of sense that there was not actually going to be any baseball played, as the Yankees never formally released a lineup for the game, other than that Elmer Rodríguez—who was technically never on the active roster today—as the probable starting pitcher. However, the three-hour wait between the “this game will not start on time” and “it’s cancelled” seemed unnecessary, but hey, we don’t get paid the big bucks to make these decision.
With that, the Yankees’ 2026 regular season is officially in the books. They will finish with a 93-68 record in their 161 games, a half-game shy of the 94-68 record with which they ended 2025. Like that year, they will have to settle for second place behind a surprising team, with the Rays being the culprit this time around instead of the Blue Jays.
With there being nothing to play for standings-wise for most of the last week, a lot of the attention has already been on the postseason, but now we can move our full focus to Tuesday and Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, who are now confirmed to face nemesis Cam Schlitter at 8pm ET. See you then.
The Braves won nine of the 13 regular season meetings in 2026. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 2022 and 2023 National League Division Series.
The Phillies last won the World Series in 2008, but have reached the Fall Classic twice since then, losing to the New York Yankees in 2009 and Houston Astros in 2022.
Philadelphia got off to a miserable start to the 2026 season and fired manager Rob Thomson but turned things around over the summer with interim manager Don Mattingly to stake their claim on a wild card spot.
Phillies playoff schedule
*If Philadelphia clinches wild card. Game 3 time subject to change
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
The Yankees' 2026 regular season is in the books. Sunday's 1:05 p.m. game at Yankee Stadium between New York and the Baltimore Orioles, which was originally moved up from 3:20 p.m., is canceled due to inclement weather.
"The game will not be rescheduled," the Yankees said in part of a release.
Thirty-three minutes before the game's original start time, the Yankees announced on social media, "Please be advised today’s game will not start on time."
After more than three hours without an update, the game was called.
New York enters the postseason with a 93-68 record, which secured the American League Wild Card's first spot.
The Yankees start a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox this week at Yankee Stadium with starting pitchers and game times set.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees recently confirmed who’s taking the mound for the best-of-three American League Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.
Cy Young frontrunner Cam Schlittler will take the bump for Game 1 in the Bronx to kick off the MLB postseason. Max Fried will hopefully help the Yankees advance in Game 2, and if needed, Gerrit Cole will close out the series on Thursday.
This rotation isn’t too far off from our earlier predictions on who makes the postseason roster, and it may be the best-case scenario for the Pinstripes. Hypothetically, if the Yankees ultimately overcome Boston in the Wild Card Series, Schlittler will be available to pitch for Game 2 against the Rays in the ALDS.
The 25-year-old righty made his postseason debut in Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Red Sox and made a splash with a breakout performance on the big stage in the 4-0 victory, allowing five hits and striking out 12 in eight shutout frames. He made his second appearance against the Blue Jays in Game 4 of the ALDS, allowing eight hits and giving up four runs in 6.1 innings.
Fried, who finished the regular season with a 2.80 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, has strong numbers against Boston since joining the Yankees. Facing the Red Sox in six games, including the postseason, Fried posted a 1.24 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. A 2021 World Series champion with Atlanta who was excellent in their championship clincher, Fried threw 6.1 shutout innings against Boston in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series last year.
Cole, who was limited to 22 games and finished the regular season with a 3.61 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, will look to continue the Yankees’ postseason run in the Wild Card Series finale. If the Yankees sweep Boston in two games, he could be the starter for Game 1 of the ALDS. Fourth starter Carlos Rodón—who earned well-deserved chatter of a possible start in his own right with a 1.89 ERA in his last seven starts—would likely be in play for that outing if this series goes three games, the southpaw will be available out of the bullpen in the Wild Card as well. Obviously, the Yankees have to worry about getting past Boston first before they can fully plan for anything else.
You definitely won’t want to miss Schlittler face off against either standout rookie Payton Tolle or veteran right-hander Sonny Gray in a highly anticipated rivalry matchup to kickstart a potential long run into the postseason. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST on Tuesday from Yankee Stadium.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Jeremy Peña #3 of the Houston Astros points to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on September 26, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TODAY’S FINALE: The Houston Astros (80-81) conclude the 2026 regular season with the final game of a four-game series against the Athletics (64-97) at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA.
Astros RHP Peter Lambert (8-10, 3.87 ERA) will be on the mound, opposite RHP Seth Johnson (1-0, 6.19 ERA) and the Athletics.
THE LAMBO: RHP Peter Lambert has been the most consistent starter for the Astros this season, as he leads the club in wins (8), starts (28), innings pitched (153.2) and strikeouts (153). He’s allowed two-or-fewer earned runs in 19 of his 28 starts on the year and has done so in 11 of his last 15 starts.
THE POSTSEASON CHASE: The Astros and Rangers are locked in a tight race down the stretch for the AL West with the two teams having the same record with one games left to play. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with a season series victory (9-4 record).
CLINCH SCENARIO: The Astros can clinch the AL West division today with a win against the Athletics or a loss by Rangers against the Twins.
VS. THE ATHLETICS: This is the final series between the Astros and Athletics this season, with the two clubs last seeing each other from Aug. 21-23 at Daikin Park. The Astros have gone 6-6 vs. the Athletics this season. The Astros also own an overall regular season record of 126-112 against the Athletics, including a 61-61 record on the road.
ROAD WARRIORS: Today is the final game of a six-game road trip for the Astros. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 40-30 (.571) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the AL in that span, behind the Red Sox (43-28) and the Yankees (42-30).
LAST NIGHT’S GAME: The Astros defeated the Athletics, 13-2 at Sutter Health Park last night. RHP Hayden Wesneski allowed two runs (one earned run) on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in seven innings. SS Jeremy Peña (4×6, 4 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI) recorded his fourth multi-homer game of the season. The Astros offense combined for 16 hits.
GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros have hit 225 homers as a team this year, which is the most in the Majors. The last time the Astros led the Majors in home runs was in 2000, when they hit 249 home runs.
TWO-OUT MAGIC: The Astros lead the American League in two-out runs with 320 on the season, trailing only the Cubs (332) in the Majors. 3B Isaac Paredes leads this effort, as he holds the Major League lead with 46 two-out RBI, directly ahead of STL 1B Alec Burleson (45 RBI).
THE FIREMAN: LHP Josh Hader has converted 26 consecutive save chances to open his season, which is the Astros record. Should Hader finish the season without a blown save, he would become the seventh pitcher in MLB history to post 26-plus saves without a blown save. The last Major Leaguer to do so was RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV).
THE CASE FOR THE MVP: DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez leads the American League in OPS (1.036), slugging percentage (.604), OBP (.432), batting average (.316), total bases (340), walks (109), IBB (33), wRC+ (180), OPS+ (189) and extra-base hits (77). He also ranks second in home runs (42), second in RBI (105), second in hits (178), fourth in doubles (34) and fourth in runs (104).
BATTING TITLE: DH Yordan Alvarez enters today’s game leading the American League in batting average. He is looking to become the third player in franchise history to earn a batting title, joining 1B Yuli Gurriel (2021) and 2B Jose Altuve (2014, 2016-17).
YORGONE: DH Yordan Alvarez launched his 42nd home run of the season last night at ATH. His 42 home runs are tied for the fifth most in Astros franchise history.
Astros Most Home Runs – Single Season
1. J. Bagwell: 47 HR (2000)
2. L. Berkman: 45 HR (2006)
3. R. Hidalgo 44 HR (2000)
4. J. Bagwell 43 HR (1997)
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Last night’s victory was the 255th win for Astros Manager Joe Espada surpassing Hal Lanier for the ninth-most managerial wins in Astros franchise history. Espada owns a 255-229 record with the Astros.
THAT BOY BLU: RHP AJ Blubaugh leads MLB relievers with 96.0 innings, with MIL LHP Aaron Ashby (87.0 IP) the next closest. He is seeking to become the 1st Astros pitcher to lead their league in innings since RHP Doug Jones in 1992 (111.2 IP). His 96.0 innings this season are the most by an Astros reliever since RHP Octavio Dotel tossed 97.1 innings in 2002.
STRONG SEPTEMBERS: 3B Isaac Paredes has a 1.026 OPS this month to go along with a team-leading 21 RBI, which ranks tied for second in the AL. C Yainer Diaz is also having a strong September, as he’s hitting .354 (28×79) with four homers, 11 RBI and a .960 OPS in 22 games (19 starts) this month.
RACKING UP K’S: RHP Bryan Abreu has posted 528 career strikeouts, which ranks fourth among relievers in Astros history. He’s closing in on third-place RHP Dave Smith (529), needing only one strikeout to match the Astros reliever from the 1980s. LHP Billy Wagner (694) and RHP Brad Lidge (557) sit atop that all-time list.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1967 – In a classic, 11-inning pitchers duel in the Dome, both starting pitchers go the distance, with the Astros coming out on top over the Phillies, 1-0. LHP Mike Cuellar tallies 12 K’s in his 11.0 shutout innings. Phillies starter Jim Bunning allows just one run in his 10.2 innings of work. 1B Chuck Harrison singles home RF Rusty Staub to give the Astros the walkoff win.
1964 – Fittingly, Jimmy Wynn is the hero in the finlal game played at Colt Stadium as he drives home Rusty Staub in the 12th inning for a 1-0, walkoff win over the Dodgers. Colts RHP Bob Bruce hurls all 12.0 innings to earn the win, outdueling RHP Don Drysdale, who hurled 10.0 scoreless frames.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, September 27, 2:05 p.m. CT
Location: Sutter Heath Park, West Sacramento, CA
TV: SCHN, NBC Sports, Peacock
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws a pitch during his last MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Detroit Tigers (76-85) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (81-80)
Time/Place: 3:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:Bucs Dugout Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP River Ryan (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Jared Jones (5-6, 3.87 ERA)
