Category: Baseball

After it was all said and done, following the San Diego Padres’ questionable decision to have Mason Miller come out and pitch in the eighth and ninth innings, speculation arose that he was tipping his pitches.

For the Padres, who find themselves in a 2-0 hole against the Milwaukee Brewers, manager Craig Stammen begs to differ over his two-time All-Star closing pitcher being predictable.

Before the Padres were set to begin a team workout at Petco Park, a day before Game 3 of the NLDS, ESPN baseball reporter Alden Gonzalez wrote that Stammen said, “I think we’ve seen some of that from Mason, and it mostly happens in the appearances where he goes more than one inning.

“I think that’s definitely something strategy-wise that we were very comfortable with going into the game, but something going forward that we may have to adjust as the playoffs go.”

For Miller, he’s built a reputation as being one of the best closers in baseball, holding a 1.67 ERA and leading the National League in 38 saves last season.

In 66 games during the regular season, Miller threw 70 innings. In nine of them, he pitched above a single inning. In seven of those games, he didn’t give up a run.

Perhaps Stammen could be right that Miller wasn’t tipping his pitches. But Sunday night was the worst time for him to not be able to close out the game, as the Padres are on the verge of elimination.

While Miller was six of seven in save opportunities in September, his production trended downward, as he’s given up six runs, five earned, and has been hit nine times while giving up six walks.

Gonzalez reported that Stammen said Miller is still learning how to “keep the same adrenaline in one inning and bringing it to the second inning.”

During his ninth-inning meltdown on Sunday, Miller was in charge of preserving a 3-2 lead but wouldn’t be able to hold up his end of the bargain as he would give up two walks and would throw his 40th pitch of the outing by giving up a two-RBI single to Jackson Chourio to make it a 4-3 loss to the Brewers.

Aside from Stammen not believing Miller is tipping his pitches, Gonzalez reported that 12-year veteran catcher Gary Sanchez wasn’t aware if he was tipping pitches.

“I think even if he was and we were aware of it, hitting 104 is not easy by any means,” Sanchez told Gonzalez.

The Padres and Braves are set to play at 6:30 p.m. in Game 3 on Tuesday as Nick Pivetta will get the start for San Diego.

I have been a St. Louis Cardinals fan for more than five decades and I have lived through many different eras of losing seasons, championships and everything in between. I can’t recall any of them being more unclear about what the expectations should be for an upcoming season than the one that will hopefully begin in the Spring of 2027.

I think it’s safe to say that most of us were pleasantly surprised by the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals. The results of a poll that I shared after the final game of the season seems to back that up as a vast majority gave the team a B grade or better for the 2026 season.

Only 7% of those who voted gave the Cardinals a grade less than C for the 2026 season. Why? I think most of us had a realistic understanding that the roster would be full of young players being given the opportunity to either prove they belong or proving they don’t. Along the way, we saw a remarkable comeback season from Jordan Walker including an iconic and unexpected Home Run Derby victory. We also saw JJ Wetherholt establish himself as one of the game’s best defensive second basemen with a big potential offensive upside. Alec Burleson muscled up and led the league in RBI’s and Joshua Baez had one of the greatest Major League debuts with his 3 home run introduction against the Cubs. The late season appearance of Leo Bernal had many of us believing we were witnessing the new St. Louis Cardinals catcher for years to come.

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. Nolan Gorman regressed and may very well be on his way out of the organization. Matthew Liberatore struggled. The bullpen was a train wreck during the second half of the season. While Jordan Walker’s season was a positive, there are legitimate concerns about his swing decisions late in the season starting to resemble 2025. However, all things considered I think that most of us felt like the Cardinals season went at least slightly better than we expected. When all was said and done, a 77-85 record wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been.

What are your expectations for the 2027 St. Louis Cardinals season?

I have so many questions about what the Cardinals should do this offseason. Based on what Chaim Bloom said during his end-of-season press conference, I think he’s anticipating that many fans are not going to understand what phase this rebuild is in.

“This is a dangerous time…especially during the summer, when we were playing well, I heard plenty of comments about how we were back on track, or maybe ahead of schedule. We may have exceeded some other people’s expectations, but in my view, there’s nothing that happened this year that should tempt us to lose focus on our goals.”

Will Chaim Bloom continue to acquire more prospects or will he start adding to the Major League roster? I expect it will be a combination of both. A majority of our community said that the bullpen should be the priority in 2027 and I don’t necessarily disagree. I’d expect at the very least that the Cardinals will add some arms to eat the middle innings. What about third base or centerfield solutions? Will St. Louis trade from their catching depth to fill one of those voids?

There are many current roster questions, too. Will the St. Louis Cardinals continue to give Ivan Herrera opportunities behind the plate or is he a trade candidate? What about Alec Burleson? The Cardinals have 2 more years of control with two seasons of salary arbitration remaining. He said he’s “all ears” if the team wants to talk extension. Should they lock him up and make him a part of the emerging Cardinals core or consider trading high on his performance this year? What about the Cardinals starting rotation? My expectation based on the post-season press conference is they plan for Matthew Liberatore to be a starter again in 2027. Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy and Kyle Leahy should be locks for the starting rotation and hopefully Leahy will not be limited to a smaller number of innings like he was in 2026. I’d prefer that the Cardinals find a reliable starter or two and have Liberatore return to a middle innings solution, but I highly doubt the team is considering that as an option.

I have watched Chaim Bloom’s post-season presser multiple times and I feel like he’s struggling with messaging about what the 2027 St. Louis Cardinals season will look like. I understand that he’s likely not done rebuilding the farm system with prospects, but will the larger part of the fanbase support another season of rebuilding without additions to the Major League roster from outside of the organization from trades or free agent signings? I’m hopeful that there will be some combination of both. I think that many believe the St. Louis Cardinals to be at least a .500 team in 2027, but does that include the front office? It will be interesting what else is said by Chaim Bloom during the offseason to manage those expectations. More importantly, what he DOES before Spring Training 2027 will tell us even more.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When the division series makes its way to The Bronx, Max Fried will get the ball first for the Yankees. 

The club plans to start Fried for Wednesday’s Game 3 followed by Carlos Rodón for Thursday’s Game 4, if the Yankees can get it there, manager Aaron Boone said Monday before a slop-filled 5-2 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Fried would pitch on six days of rest. Rodón would be on six days of rest from the four-inning simulated game he threw last Thursday at Yankee Stadium, though he hasn’t pitched in a real game since Sept. 22 (eight shutout innings against the Rays). 

“Just like how it lines up for Max 3 and Carlos 4, how we’ve been building them out,” Boone said. “It keeps certain guys available in certain situations. Obviously, it’s always subject to change based on how the series unfolds. But that’s how we’re planning on going right now.” 

Rodón had been available out of the bullpen for the wild-card series, though the Yankees did not need him, before being in consideration to start Game 1 of the ALDS before Boone landed on Gerrit Cole. Theoretically, the Yankees could use Rodón out of the bullpen in Game 3 if they absolutely need to and start Cole in Game 4, since he would be on normal rest. 

If not, Cole could be a bullpen option later in the series. 

“I hope I never have to [use him in relief],” Boone said.

As Miguel Rojas is entering the final chapter of a 13-year career, he has a lot to be proud of.

One thing that he is certainly proud of happened over the Dodgers’ bye week last week, when he revealed he flew out to Miami to take his citizenship test and passed.

“As soon as I made the decision that I wanted to do this, I wanted to do it for my family, for my kids and for the future of them,” Rojas said. “So I’m really proud of being an American.”

Rojas, 37, first came to America after he arrived as a 16-year-old prospect out of Venezuela with the Cincinnati Reds.

Since then, he’s developed a whole life in the United States, and he and his wife, Marianna Rojas Gamboa have two children that were born here when he was playing with the Miami Marlins.

“I’m proud of being working here for over 20 years now,” Rojas said. “I’ve been playing professional baseball now for a long time, and that gave me the opportunity to learn the culture, the country, and I don’t take that for granted.”

On the baseball field, Rojas has had a lot to celebrate as he is a two-time World Series champion with the Dodgers.

For Rojas, Dodgers fans will always remember him as a World Series hero last year, when he had a game-tying home run in the ninth inning against Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman to even the score at four apiece.

The Dodgers would get the win after Will Smith made World Series history by hitting the first Game 7 extra-innings go-ahead home run.

While the Dodgers are preparing to play Game 3 of the NLDS on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves, Rojas’ time on the baseball field will soon be coming to an end, as he announced at the beginning of the season that he plans to retire after the season.

In his 13-year career in the MLB, Rojas has played five seasons with the Dodgers and has a career 19.6 WAR, a .260 batting average, 61 home runs and 386 RBIs.

As the Dodgers mull potential lineup changes for Game 3 of the National League Division Series, manager Dave Roberts said he is “open” to moving Shohei Ohtani lower in the batting order.

In his three seasons with the Dodgers, Ohtani has batted first or second in every game he has started. However, as he has admitted he is trying to “manage” in the aftermath of knee and arm injuries, and as Roberts has acknowledged Ohtani is “not 100%,” the lack of success could compel the manager to replace him at the top of the lineup with a more productive hitter at some point.

“I would,” Roberts said Monday. “I would. I think it’s something that, you know, I think moving him from 1 to 2 — but going further than that? I’m open to it.

“And it’s something that if I do, I would obviously have the conversation with Shohei to explain why. And at the end of the day every conversation I’ve had with him is whatever’s best for the team, he’s all-in on. So I know that undoubtedly.”

Read more:Swanson: Ailing Shohei Ohtani providing only a wasted at-bat for Dodgers in NLDS

The Dodgers are batting .215 through the first two games of the NLDS, with the Atlanta Braves scheduled to pitch left-handed ace Chris Sale in Game 3 on Tuesday. If the Dodgers lose, they would need to win back-to-back elimination games to advance beyond this series.

Roberts said the lineup changes he would consider include starting Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas, both of whom hit well against left-handers. That could mean infielders Max Muncy (0 for 7 against Sale, with five strikeouts) and Tommy Edman (0 for 11 against Sale) might not start.

Center fielder Andy Pages, who batted so poorly last October he was benched for the final three games of the World Series, is hitless in seven at-bats in this series, with four strikeouts.

“I’m gonna continue to give Andy leash,” Roberts said. “I believe in him. I feel that for us to win the World Series this year, we’re gonna need him to be an active part of our team.

Roberts said he did not envision benching catcher Will Smith, who is 0 for 8 in the series. The Dodgers’ backup catcher, Hunter Feduccia, is a career .205 hitter with no postseason experience.

But, even with the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup, the spotlight shines brightest on Ohtani.

Ohtani has not homered since Aug. 18. He hit .157 between then and the end of the regular season, striking out in 41% of his at-bats. In this series, he has two hits and two strikeouts in eight at-bats, and his inability to refrain from swinging at pitches outside the strike zone has become a glaring weakness.

“He’s not 100%,” Roberts said. “But, at the end of the day, he can still do a better job of staying in the strike zone.”

Ohtani hasn’t given the Braves a reason to challenge him within the strike zone.

“Everything orbits around Shohei, in the sense of his talent,” Roberts said. “And the Braves are going to enter with caution. And, so, knowing that, they’re going to continue to expand as long as we keep giving that to them. So until we show some discipline, they’re going to continue to kind of use that playbook.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The New York Yankees' Spencer Jones hit the ball into the roof at Tropicana Field in the second inning of Game 2 of the AL Division Series on Monday night. It came down in a glove. 

That's an out at the Trop, even after it hits the ceiling. 

Four catwalks ring the inside of the dome, labeled A through D from highest to lowest. They hold up the roof, along with the lights and speakers, and the hang over the field. 

The ground rules split them in two. A fair ball that hits either of the lower rings, C or D, is a home run. A fair ball that hits either of the upper rings A or B is in play. If it drops, it's a live ball. If a fielder catches it, the batter is out. 

That's what happened to Jones. It hit the B ring and Victor Mesa Jr. caught it. 

Spencer Jones' flyout hits the catwalk pic.twitter.com/a6eDNHob10

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 6, 2026

This time, there was little hubbub, a stark difference from Game 1 of the NL Division Series, when the San Diego Padres' Ty France hit the roof of Milwaukee's American Family Field with one out in the bottom of the ninth, a runner on and the Padres trailing the Brewers 3-2. The ball ricocheted off a beam and was caught by left fielder Jackson Chourio for the second out.

The Padres moderately protested, but the ruling was in line with ground rules in Milwaukee, leaving it a mystery whether France's 105.3 mph fly, hit at a 49-degree launch angle, would have been a home run had it completed its flight unimpeded.

In this ALDS, there was no controversy. At least not for now.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees hit the roof at Tropicana Field - and it's just another out

ATLANTA –– The Dodgers don’t want to overreact to a two-game sample size.

But, with elimination all of a sudden just two games away, they don’t want to wait too long to make changes either.

That’s what dynamic manager Dave Roberts was grappling with on Monday, as the Dodgers gathered at Truist Park in Atlanta ahead of Game 3 of their National League Division Series against the Braves.

A daunting challenge awaits on Tuesday night, when the club will face Braves ace Chris Sale for the first time since he threw a complete-game shutout against them in August.

Thus, even though the team’s quest for a World Series three-peat just began, potential lineup changes were already under consideration.

And even superstar Shohei Ohtani might not be immune.

“I am considering [changes],” Roberts said. “I think that’s a very fair question.”

That didn’t mean Roberts was ready to commit to any significant alterations ahead of a pivotal Game 3, with the best-of-five series tied one game apiece.

He noted the danger of reading too far into small playoff sample sizes this early in the postseason.

Still, he said there were things he was “thinking through” and “possibly kind of some changes” that could be enacted on Tuesday.

One possibility: Inserting Miguel Rojas and/or Kiké Hernández into lineup, perhaps in place of Max Muncy and/or Tommy Edman, to give the Dodgers extra right-handed bats against a dominant left-hander in Sale. 

Another, more notable potential option: Moving Ohtani even further down the order from his current No. 2 spot, after he went just 2-for-8 in the first two games of the NLDS while continuing to battle right arm and left knee injuries.

“[We already moved] him from 1 to 2 –– but going further than that? I’m open to it,” Roberts said. “It’s something that, if I do, I would obviously have the conversation with Shohei to explain why.”

The explanation, of course, wouldn’t be too complicated.

In Ohtani’s currently diminished physical state, he has simply not been the same presence at the top of the order that the Dodgers have grown accustomed to from the four-time MVP.

“Like we’ve talked about, he’s not 100%,” Roberts said. 

But also, “I think there’s a little bit of [him also] trying to do too much,” Roberts added. “I think that’s a piece.”

Indeed, Ohtani has suffered from a futile combination so far in the playoffs, failing to either punish pitches over the plate or keep from chasing out of the strike zone. 

“It’s hard to have success when you’re out of the zone,” Roberts said. “So I think that’s the thing, then the question is: How do we get him [attacking pitches back] into it?”

A change of mindset could help, especially against a premium pitcher like Sale (who has held Ohtani to a 3-for-15 mark with five strikeouts and only one double in their career head-to-head matchups).

“Trying to chase slug tomorrow night might not be the right plan, given the starter,” Roberts said.

Instead, Roberts pointed to the opposite-field single Ohtani slapped past a shift for his lone hit in Sunday’s Game 2 loss.

“That at-bat yesterday, the block base hit the other way, that’s something that is production,” Roberts said. “I think that’s something where, against a guy like Chris Sale, it gives you a chance.”

The Dodgers, of course, would love to get more pop from Ohtani, who led the team with eight home runs during last year’s World Series trek. Roberts also knows the slugger “feels the responsibility” to provide such power, which might be contributing to his lack of plate discipline.

Thus, for now, taking the pressure off Ohtani’s shoulders by potentially hitting him lower in the lineup might also prove to be prudent.

“At the end of the day, every conversation I’ve had with him is whatever’s best for the team,” Roberts said. “And he’s all in on [that]. I know that undoubtedly.”

While Roberts will contemplate other changes beyond Ohtani’s spot in the order, there were a few ideas he outright struck down Monday night.

The big one: Removing Andy Pages from the batting order despite his 0-for-7 start in the playoffs –– one that has felt reminiscent of his historic struggles last October, and been further marred by a consequential ABS challenge he missed in Game 1.

While Roberts said he feels Pages has been “trying to do too much” –– downplaying any lingering effects from the fractured hand that sidelined the center fielder for most of September –– he also said he wanted to give the 25-year-old slugger more leash.

“I believe in him,” Roberts said. “And I feel that for us to win the World Series this year, we’re gonna need him to be an active part of our team.”

That was all part of the balance Roberts was trying to strike with his team’s season potentially hanging in the balance. It might still feel early for drastic changes. But one more loss, and the club’s three-peat bid will be on the brink.

“Our guys are our guys,” Roberts said. “Yeah, I can tweak a lineup. I can kind of insert, take out a player or two. But at the end of the day, we still have got to go out there and play and execute and take good at-bats.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The final count from one nightmare of a bottom of the first inning for the Yankees: three errors, four misplays and somehow, largely thanks to Cam Schlittler, just one run.

Against a team that famously puts the ball in play often on a home turf that famously can be difficult to adjust to, the Yankees looked as if they had never played on this stage of the ALDS or at this locale of Tropicana Field.

After playing clean defense in the Game 1 loss Saturday to the Rays, the Yankees set the wrong tone early in Monday’s 5-2 Game 2 loss.

On Schlittler’s second pitch, Yandy Díaz chopped the ball to third baseman Ryan McMahon, who appeared to misjudge the turf bounce as the ball ticked off his glove for an error.

After a (legitimate) Jonathan Aranda single put two on, Junior Caminero sent a bouncer up the middle. George Lombard Jr. ranged over and backhand-flipped to Jazz Chisholm Jr. to record the only potential out on the play — but Chisholm wildly spun and threw to first, far off-line of Luis García Jr., enabling Díaz to score and Caminero to reach second base.

Jazz Chisholm makes a wild throw to first base and the Rays have the lead in the first! pic.twitter.com/iqEhS6fN8X

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 6, 2026

The comedy of errors was only going to grow funnier for Rays fans.

Schlittler appeared to strike out Liam Hicks, but what looked like strike three instead became a catcher’s interference, Austin Wells reaching too far forward and connecting his glove with Hicks’ bat.

With runners on first and second, Chandler Simpson grounded to Chisholm, who fielded and rushed a throw to Lombard. The rookie came off the base to catch it and then lunged back to record the out with a split-second to spare.

After Victor Mesa Jr. grounded to Chisholm — who fielded and threw to first base without incident, a development that needed to be reported — Schlittler had escaped a 19-pitch, 17-strike first inning in which everything went wrong except for his strike-throwing abilities. 

Gavin Williams brought the heat. The White Sox eventually ran up the bill.

For five innings, the Cleveland righthander made Chicago’s lineup look mostly overmatched, piling up strikeouts while the South Siders strung together missed opportunities. But Williams’ pitches had an expiration date, and when he finally handed the ball over in the sixth, the Sox were ready to collect.

Braden Montgomery’s two-run double flipped the game, Chase Meidroth supplied a crucial insurance run and Sean Burke provided the record-breaking pitching performance Chicago desperately needed. The result was a 4-3 victory and a 2-0 lead in this best-of-five ALDS, with a chance to finish the job Wednesday in front of the home crowd.

Pack the bags. Bring the brooms. Maybe leave the opener strategy in Cleveland.

Williams came out firing fastballs at 100-plus mph, retiring Sam Antonacci on a grounder he nearly beat out before striking out Kyle Teel. Teel took a questionable strike two but wisely kept the challenge in his pocket. Miguel Vargas worked a four-pitch walk, only to be stranded when Munetaka Murakami went down looking. A 15-pitch first inning wasn’t going to get Williams out of this game. Chicago needed to make him work considerably harder.

First, though, the Sox had to survive their own pitching plan.

Anthony Kay opened and immediately started playing with matches. Steven Kwan singled past Meidroth, who appeared to have a chance at the grounder, and José Ramírez walked. Chase DeLauter’s ground out moved both runners into scoring position, and skipper Will Venable had already seen enough.

Enter Sean Newcomb —along with considerably more chaos.

After two balls to Jo Adell, the Sox finished the plate appearance with an intentional walk. Nathaniel Lowe followed with a high chopper that gave Newcomb a tough play, and his throw sailed past first, allowing two runs to score.

One hit. One ball out of the infield. Two Cleveland runs.

October baseball: occasionally beautiful, occasionally whatever that was.

Newcomb struck out Angel Martínez and Travis Bazzana and then retired Cleveland in order in the second. Meanwhile, Williams was carving up White Sox hitters like a Thanksgiving turkey, striking out the side in the second as Chicago chased just about everything on the menu.

Both teams also burned an early challenge, leaving each with only one for the later innings. Thankfully, it didn’t come back to bite.

Colson Montgomery managed a walk in the third, but Antonacci erased it with a double play. Newcomb struck out DeLauter in the bottom half before Venable turned to Burke, who struck out the next two hitters.

That pitching change would age considerably better than the first one.

The Good Guys finally broke through in the fourth. Kyle Teel ended the no-hit bid with a leadoff single, Vargas drew another walk and Mune turned an 0-2 count into a full count before slapping an RBI single to right.

That was the approach. Take pitches. Extend at-bats. Make Williams earn every out.

Unfortunately, the rest of the inning offered a different instructional video.

Andrew Benintendi struck out on three pitches, Tristan Peters flied out and Braden Montgomery struck out, leaving two runners stranded. Chicago wasted another leadoff single in the fifth when Meidroth reached and Colson, Antonacci and Teel followed with strikeouts.

Williams had 11 Ks. He also had 91 pitches. The latter number was about to matter much more.

Stephen Vogt sent Williams back out for the sixth, and Vargas greeted him with another full-count battle before singling to left. Finally, Cleveland’s starter was done.

The South Siders had spent much of the evening losing individual fight, but still managed to wear down the guy throwing the punches.

Southpaw Erik Sabrowski took over and got Murakami to ground out, moving Vargas to second. Pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk drew a four-pitch walk, and a wild pitch to fellow pinch hitter Tommy Pham advanced both runners.

Pham popped out to shallow left, putting Chicago one out away from wasting another golden opportunity.

But have no fear: Braden is here.

The rookie jumped on the first pitch and drove an opposite-field double down the right-field line, bringing home Vargas and Grichuk for a 3-2 lead. Meidroth kept the line moving with an RBI single to right, then advanced to second on an errant throw to first.

Just like that, the Sox had four runs, and Cleveland had a problem.

Burke made sure it stayed that way. After working through a 19-pitch fourth, he retired the Guardians in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh. While Chicago’s offense went quiet again, the righthander kept putting zeroes on the board.

He retired a White Sox postseason-relief record 13 consecutive hitters before DeLauter’s two-out single in the eighth brought Venable back out for the hook.

Grant Taylor entered, and Adell promptly drove his first pitch to left-center for an RBI triple that came uncomfortably close to leaving the yard. Suddenly, that fourth run looked less like insurance and more like the entire policy.

Taylor got Lowe to fly out on his next pitch, preserving the 4-3 lead.

Cade Smith needed only five pitches to retire the Sox in the ninth. Taylor apparently liked that efficiency and matched it, setting Cleveland down in order on five pitches to finish the win.

It wasn’t tidy. It wasn’t comfortable. For long stretches, it wasn’t even particularly encouraging.

But the Sox made Williams throw enough pitches to open the door, Braden kicked it in and Burke gave them the innings to make it count.

Now the South Siders head back to Chicago one win from the ALCS.

Wednesday would be a lovely time to get it.

---

MVP
Sean Burke: 5 1/3: 1 H, 1 R, BB, 6 K, W

Runners-Up
Braden Montgomery: 1-for-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 K
Munetaka Murakami: 1-for-4, RBI, K
Chase Meidroth: 2-for-4, RBI, K
Grant Taylor: 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, S

Cold Cat
Anthony Kay: 1/3 IP, 1 H, 2 R (1 ER), BB

Runners-Up
Sean Newcomb: 2 IP, 1 H, BB, 3 K, E
Sam Antonacci: 0-for-4, K
Colson Montgomery: 0-for-3, BB

With Chicago leading the series 1-0, the Cleveland Guardians desperately needed to win today’s Game 2 to split the series.

Gavin Williams showed up looking to win today. After leading the AL in strikeouts, he immediately started adding to his playoff strikeout tally with two strikeouts in the first inning. Gavin walked a batter, but got out of the inning having only thrown 15 pitches.

The Big Rig racks up a pair of Ks to start and the fans are loving it.#GuardsBall | #StandGuardpic.twitter.com/q0g2wD77i2

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 5, 2026

Anthony Kay was tapped to be the White Sox opener for this game. He threw 17 pitches, gave up a single to Steven Kwan and a walk to José Ramírez. With only one out and runners on second and third, Will Venable was forced to go to his bullpen early. Sean Newcomb replaced Anthony Kay and threw two balls to Jo Adell before getting the signal from the dugout to intentionally walk Adell. With bases loaded, Nathaniel Lowe popped it high in the infield. The pitcher caught the ball but committed a throwing error to first, allowing Kwan and José to easily score. Two strikeouts on Angel Martínez and Travis Bazzana ended the inning but not before Cleveland was able to take the lead.

Gavin ramped up his pitching in the second, touching 100+ mph in multiple pitches, keeping his pitch count low, and struck out the side in order. He had five strikeouts in 31 pitches thrown. In the third inning Gavin added his sixth strike out, but walked the next batter. His pitch count started creeping up, but Sam Antonacci grounded into a double play to retire the side.

Gavin Williams, Vicious 90mph Sweeper. 😤

5th K thru 2. pic.twitter.com/qA2EJ2k6mU

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 5, 2026

The White Sox got on the board in the fourth inning. Gavin still held on, striking out two more, throwing over 100 mph on eight pitches but getting his pitch count up to 75. He struggled putting runners away, giving up a lead off single, a walk, and another single before recording an out. But Gavin and the Guards got out of the inning while maintaining the lead.

Gavin Williams, Angry 91mph Sweeper…and Sword. ⚔️

8th K thru 4 pic.twitter.com/XA11KR0WJv

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 5, 2026

The Guardians forced another pitching change and had one baserunner, via a Chase DeLauter single in the third, but wasn’t able to capitalize on it. A similar story for the bottom of the fourth inning, with Travis Bazzana being the sole base runner via a walk.

In the top of the fifth, Gavin gave up a lead off single, but recorded his ninth strikeout of the game for the first out of the inning. With his pitch count eclipsing 90 pitches thrown, Gavin Williams dug in and struck out the next two to retire the side and give himself 11 strikeouts.

Most strikeouts by a CLE pitcher in a playoff game:

12: Charles Nagy, 1996 ALDS Game 4
11: Gavin Williams, today
Bartolo Colon, 1999 ALDS Game 1
10: Bartolo Colon, 2001 ALDS Game 1

— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) October 5, 2026

Gavin came back out to start the sixth inning but gave up a single to end his night. Gavin’s final line reads 5.0 IP, 2R, 4H, 3BB, and 11Ks. Erik Sabrowski came on to face the middle of the order. Sabrowski got the first out, but a walk and wild pitch put Chicago runners on second and third. With two outs Sabrowski gave up a two run double along the first base line to give Chicago the lead. It was at this point that all of the work that Gavin put in to keep Cleveland in the lead was absolutely lost. Hunter Gaddis came in and gave up an RBI single then gave Chase Meidroth a free base with a wild throw in a pick off attempt. Hunter got the final out, but the tides turned with the White Sox going into the bottom of the inning with a two run lead.

Gaddis tightened up in the top of the seventh, getting two outs. Angel Martínez had another incredible play in left that kept Cleveland in it.

Stephen Vogt opted for the match up with Miguel Vargas and called for Shawn Armstrong. Armstrong got the final flyout to retire the side in the seventh. He went 1-2-3 in the eighth with a strikeout to give things to Cleveland to take back.

The Guardians stuck in it in the bottom of the eighth, bringing the team within one. With two outs, Chase DeLauter hit a single to left. After another pitching change, bringing in Grant Taylor, Jo Adell finally got his first post season hit with a RBI triple to left to score CDL. Nathaniel Lowe flied out for the final out, but he swung on a good pitch and just missed squaring up for a homer.

Cade Smith came in for the ninth and threw five pitches for three outs. The defense made three easy plays to make for a very quick inning.

Unfortunately the Guardians couldn’t make anything happen. Angel Martínez hit into a groundout. Travis Bazzana hit a long flyout. and Patrick Bailey hit a fly ball that was caught at the wall.

The Guards fall 0-2 in the series as the team heads to Chicago where they can hopefully avoid being swept by the White Sox. Its not known at this time who will be starting Game 3 for Cleveland.

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres may catch waves on the beach in their free time, down some fresh home-made margaritas in Old Town and watch the sights on the boardwalk, but they’re not naive, and certainly not stupid.

They know what’s up.

They know that they trail the Milwaukee Brewers 2 games to 0 in the best-of-five National League Division series, and the odds are severely stacked against them. Since 1969, only 10 of 93 teams (11%) have lost the first two games and come back to win a best-of-five series. The Padres not only have to win three games in a row, beginning Tuesday, Oct. 6 at Petco Park (9:30 p.m. ET, FS1), but they’re going to have to do it against the same team that won more games than any team in baseball this year.

The Brewers won a franchise-record 103 games this season, including seven victories in a row, and 17 of their last 20. They haven’t lost three games in a row since, well, being swept by these same Padres in August.

So, you’re saying there’s a chance?

This is why the Padres refuse to cower in fear.

This is why they won’t be intimidated.

This is why they won’t back down.

And this is why they still believe.

They won’t need bulletin board material to hype them up, almost laughing at Hall of Famer David Ortiz mocking them on TV saying they are done.

Maybe, the Padres say, Big Papi forgot that he was on that Boston Red Sox team in 2004 that came back from a 3-0 deficit to the New York Yankees, when everyone said they were done, and won the ALCS.

Maybe folks forget that the San Diego Padres were down 2-games-to-0 in the best-of-five NLCS in 1984, losing the first two games in Chicago, and came back to win the National League pennant.

Please, it’s not as miraculous a comeback as if they lost 121 games two years ago, and made the playoffs, like some team they know on the south side of Chicago.

“Listen, man, sports is a crazy game," Padres veteran third baseman Manny Machado said. "A lot of crazy things could happen, especially this time of the year ... It's been done before, '84, Big Papi, right, down 3-0, impossible.

"It's sports, right? It's sports. Anything is possible in this game. You've just got to go out there and leave it on the field, compete. This group has been doing it all year, and we're going to continue to do it. I believe in the group that we have in there. They're a resilient group that loves to fight, that loves to compete.

“We're going to leave it out there until we can't anymore."

While no one outside the 619 area-code is giving the Padres a shot, few gave them much of a chance to be in the postseason in the first place. They were muddling along with a 50-53 record in mid-summer with a 7.4% chance to make the postseason, according to FanGraphs. Their starting rotation consisted of Michael King, tape, gauze, and different relievers each week. They were fighting for their lives until the final week of the season just to qualify for the postseason.

“Fuel, we knew what type of group we had," Machado said. “We knew what type of baseball we were playing, which was not great, but we knew we were better than that. The outside noise: 'We're not going to make it. You’re not going to do this. The Padres suck.’ …It's been all year from everyone.

“We knew that was all fake and not reality. As a group, we just took that to fuel, and we ran with it, and we got better. We performed. We stepped up, and here we are today. It's nothing different.’’

The Padres will turn to veteran Nick Pivetta, whose season looked as if it would be over in mid-April when he went down with a right elbow flexor strain, but he came back in August, and will be making his sixth start Tuesday to save their season. He hasn’t gone longer than five innings, and lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his postseason start against the Chicago Cubs, but relishes the opportunity.

“I think if you look back at it, when I was really grinding on my rehab process and wondering if I was going to be able to pitch again this year," Pivetta said, “I look forward to these moments. I'm very grateful to be able to be the pitcher out there, to do this, to start it off...

“I'm never going to shy away from the moment or shy away from what's at stake. Like I said, I'm just grateful to be in these moments, and try to help us accomplish our goal.  To be able to pitch in these moments is very special to me."

The Padres could badly use a starter to give their bullpen a breather. They had the day off Monday, but still, their heavy workload has worn them down. It was left-handed reliever Adrian Morjeon, perhaps the best left-hander in the game, who coughed up a game-winning homer to William Contreras in the seventh inning of Game 1. And it was Mason Miller, perhaps the best closer in the business, who blew the save in the ninth inning of Game 2 on Jackson Chourio’s two-out, two-strike, two-run single, while trying to record a six-out save for only the third time this season. Miller was left in to throw a season-high 40 pitches.

“I never second-guess myself," Stammen said. “That's for everybody else to do."

More: Brewers may be World Series favorites. Beating Mason Miller showed why | Opinion

The rookie manager has been second-guessed most of the season when they were battling for their lives, so it’s nothing new. Besides, every time the Padres were counted down and out, they kept battling back, a trait that has defined the Padres’ character.

“We've been resilient all year," Stammen said. “We've had our backs against the wall several times. Players individually have had their backs against the wall. For us, it's just another day in Padres Land.

“But it’s an exciting challenge.’’

So, fatigue or not, the Padres aren’t going to change their game-plan now utilizing their high-leverage relievers. They will still count on Morejon for multiple innings. They still might ask Miller to go longer than an inning. It’s October. They’ll have all winter to rest.

And, perhaps one last time Tuesday, the Padres will try to silence the critics who believe it’s impossible to overcome their deficit, and beat the powerful Brewers for a trip to the NLCS.

“Not the ideal position you want to be in," Machado said, “but these boys, this group, we've been up against the wall all year. A lot of people didn't think we would be in this position to begin with, and here we are. We've overcome a lot as a group, and we've learned a lot throughout the season.

“To believe in a group that could overcome this are the 26 guys in there that fought all year to be in this position.’’

The Padres will play hard. They’ll play loud. They’ll have a packed house at Petco Park behind them.

Really, what do they got to lose?

“Here we are once again with our backs against the wall,’’ Machado said. “We've overcome it once, and we can do it again.

“And we are going to do it again."

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Padres believe comeback is still possible despite 2-0 hole vs. Brewers

The playoff format in baseball is quite unforgiving, isn’t it? In a season where you play 162 games, the Yankees ended a team’s season in about 28 hours last week, but now they stare down the barrel of theirs being in serious danger if they happen to lose consecutive games at Tropicana Field to the Rays, a usual House of Horrors for them.

While the saying goes, “A series doesn’t start until the home team loses”, simple math will tell you that the team without home-field advantage can’t exactly rely on that (for obvious reasons). So while the Rays winning tonight would simply mean holding serve, that doesn’t quite work in a five-game series. In the 30-plus years of the Division Series, only eight teams have ever come back from 0-2 — including the 2001 and 2017 Yankees. But after an unsuccessful comeback last year, the 2026 Yanks certainly don’t want to have to try and be the ninth.

Fortunately, they have their ace on the bump to try and send the series to the Bronx tied. Cam Schlittler will unanimously win AL Cy Young and finish top five in MVP voting, but his real brilliance is shown in October. Two of his three career postseason starts have been scoreless brilliance against Boston, but he did also pitch into the seventh in Game 4 of the ALDS last year against a Blue Jays team that provided a similarly pesky challenge to this Rays team.

In the regular season against the Rays, it was a mixed bag. Schlittler struck out eight, but allowed three runs in five innings in a loss on April 12th at Tropicana Field, but he came back to throw eight innings of one-run ball in early July in one of his best starts of the season. The third and final meeting was limited to just three frames to manage his pitch count ahead of the postseason, but the Rays made him throw 70 pitches in that abbreviated outing in a meaningless late September start. Expect them to try to grind him out of the game as they did that day.

After getting absolutely dominated by Drew Rasmussen on Saturday, the Yankees hope their bats will fare better against star deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta, the former longtime Brewer who was saved from a disastrous season in Queens at the Trade Deadline. The pending free agent has been much better since the trade, pitching to a 3.22 ERA (131 ERA+) and 3.93 FIP in 55.1 innings, albeit with just 43 strikeouts. He closed the regular season by allowing just three runs in his last 34 innings to win AL Pitcher of the Month honors. For the optimists, a look under the hood shows he’s due for regression. For the pessimists, his stuff plays well at the Trop.

What’s changed with Peralta since the trade? He’s throwing considerably more changeups, especially against right-handed pitching, and will lean on that and his mid-90s four-seamer tonight, while mixing in a sweeper and a curveball. As you might expect, his fastball has gotten much more ride and has added a tick since getting to play in the Trop, so expect a much different pitcher than the one you may have seen wearing blue and orange. He’s only made two career starts against the Yankees: Opening Day 2025 with Milwaukee, and allowing three runs in five innings against them in May 2026.

It’s the exact same lineup for the Yankees, and I can’t really blame them. The options on the bench aren’t great for a tough righty like Peralta, and it was the same unit that crushed the Red Sox in Game 2 last Wednesday. The Rays are doing the same despite only scoring one run on Saturday, batting the exact same nine that usually have success against right-handed pitching.

How to Watch:

Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL

First Pitch: 8:00 p.m. EDT

TV broadcast: TBS, TruTV, Univision

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), WDAE 95.7 FM, WQBN/1300AM (TB) | ESPN Radio (National)

Online Stream: HBO Max

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Ready for Game 2. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/ebI3DAlYvA

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 5, 2026

Game 2 crew

👀: TBS/HBO MAX
👂: 95.7 WDAE pic.twitter.com/d78UTt8Giw

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 5, 2026

Happy Monday, all. How are we faring after last night’s split?

The National League Division Series has had its fair share of drama. While we were hand-wringing about Chris Sale and the prospect of a bullpen game (where we need not have worried, because Ray Kerr is a hero?), Brewers/Padres has been unreal. A potential game-tying home run in Game 1 foiled by… the closed roof (but maybe not, as the analytics say it only would’ve been a homer in Houston).

And a two-out, two-strike, two-RBI walkoff single off Mason Miller to bring the series back to San Diego with the Friars down 0-2. Gut punches, for sure. There truly isn’t anything like postseason baseball stress.

The AL is back in action tonight with the White Sox up 1-0 over the Cleveland Guardians. The Rays one-hit the Yankees and only needed a Jonathan Aranda home run to take their lead in the series.

I will leave you with this interview Brent Suter did with former Brave Kevin Pillar and co-host Cody Allen. He chats about the team, the “ace of all aces” in Chris Sale, how underratedness of Matt Olson, and much more.

The comments are yours. Have at it!

Aaron Boone is sure Cam Schlittler is built for moments like getting the start against the Rays in the ALDS.

During his conversation with the media ahead of Game 2 on Monday, the Yankees’ skipper responded to comments about Schlittler’s confidence when the lights are brightest. The Division Series was a bit bumpier for him in 2025 than the Wild Card Series showdown with Boston, so he’ll look to put that behind him. The 25-year-old righty will be making his second career ALDS start and will look to continue his current postseason hot streak as New York faces Tampa Bay.

“You never know a result is going to be in a given game, but he’s certainly equipped to handle it,” Boone stated. “He’s got a ton of confidence and is fearless in these spots.”

Aaron Boone full pregame presser ahead of Game 3 pic.twitter.com/OhXH6eeLrd

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 5, 2026

During his previous postseason outing, Schlittler barred the Red Sox offense from gaining an edge in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, throwing six and a third scoreless innings and racking up 10 strikeouts. It’s no surprise that he showed up and shelled out, following the discourse behind his rivalry with New England fans and media outlets.

The Yankees will have the opportunity to head back to the Bronx, with hopes of a split series, and have Max Fried take the mound for the Game 3 start against Tampa Bay. Boone also announced that Carlos Rodón would get the nod in a possible Game 4 at Yankee Stadium, which New York would very much like to force tonight rather than waiting until Wednesday.

You won’t want to miss a second of Schlittler’s outing as the Yankees face off against the Rays in Game 2 of the Division Series Monday at 8 p.m. EST.

The Padres welcomed Walker Buehler back to the roster for the National League Division Series.

Buehler was originally speculated to be the Game 1 starter for the Padres in the NLDS, but was placed on the paternity list ahead of the highly-anticipated matchup with the Brewers.

Now that Buehler is with the team, he will likely slot into the Padres’ plans as the Game 4 starter with Nick Pivetta scheduled to start Game 3 Tuesday.

The Padres took a chance on Buehler when the front office signed him to a minor league deal in the offseason. He earned a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster and has remained a staple of the rotation this season.

Buehler, who has plenty of postseason experience with a 3.04 career ERA in October, is poised to make his mark with the Padres in the NLDS against Milwaukee.

Taking off Randy Vasquez was San Diego’s corresponding roster move for Buehler’s return. The team essentially had no choice in removing Vasquez from the roster as Buehler had to take the place of the pitcher who originally replaced him on the roster, per MLB rules.

The right-hander served as quite the workhorse for the team and had a hot start to the 2026 campaign. The right-hander made 32 appearances (23 starts) for the Padres in the regular season, posting a 3.90 ERA across 140.2 innings.

Vasquez didn’t pitch in the first two games of the series and he won’t return to the mound again this year unless the Padres advance to the NL Championship Series.

The Padres have their backs against the wall after dropping both games in Milwaukee, but return to an eager home crowd at Petco Park for the next two games of the NLDS.