LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 03: Quinn Mathews #60 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, September 3, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will invade American Family Field again Saturday night for game 2 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Quinn Mathews will put on the pearls for his final start of the season Saturday night for St. Louis while it will be former Cardinals starter Dustin May taking the mound for the Brewers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10pm central time Saturday night and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
Jose Quintana is at the end of his career, but may yet still have one final gift to give his former White Sox team. | (Photo by Ray Bahner/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
With just two games left in the regular season, time is running short to tie (i.e., catch) the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the AL Central and the associated free pass to the ALDS via the American League’s No. 2 seed. Naturally, that makes tonight’s final night game of the regular season a must-win — and as should be clear from the above, the White Sox could not have written a better script to send off their season.
Former ace/No. 2 starter Davis Martin takes the mound, for the White Sox, on paper a nice advantage with most matchups. And while you might not expect much of a starting pitcher challenge from a 57-win Rockies team, we’re catching a couple of Colorado’s weakest to finish the season. That begins with Old Friend Jose Quintana taking the mound for the purples on Saturday.
Jose is pitching to a 5.40 ERA over 10 starts, and believe it or not he’s lucky to have that modest an ERA given 18 walks against a mere 22 strikeouts this season. At 37, he’s just about done for his career, and he will retire as the best Columbian-born MLB pitcher ever. He also forever remains the best, if not only, “lottery ticket” pickup for the White Sox by GM Rick Hahn.
The White Sox have their “vs. lefties” order rolled out tonight, which unfortunately is missing Chase Meidroth (hamstring) but includes Tommy Pham (GM intimidation). However, with the shift of Sam Antonacci to second base opening up left field for Randal Grichuk, there may not be a lot lost without Meidroth despite how scorching hot he was for the Kansas City series.
Mild roster news comes from the maternity ward, as Jake Rogers is on the verge of becoming a dad and thus has taken the weekend off for paternity leave; Drew Romo, close enough to the club to have been featured as a non-rostered participant in the beer and champagne showers on Thursday, slots in Rogers’ stead.
Finally, for the many of you who have lost faith in Chicago’s ability to tie (overtake) Cleveland here in the season’s waning days, note that a few Royals are licking their chops at the prospect of digging in against tonight’s Guardians starter Tanner Bibee:
The Royals and Guardians tip off at the same 6:10 p.m. CT the White Sox do, and all season finale games run at the same time tomorrow, so it will be quite the scoreboard-watching weekend.
CHSN/WMVP-AM/La Ley 107.9 FM on your dials as usual, and Chrystal O’Keefe will be around to supply your celebratory recap postgame.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Michael Wacha #52 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the first inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 20, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, folks. It’s been a…well I was going to say it’s been a good season. But it hasn’t. So I’ll say, “It’s been a season.”
This is my last game preview for the 2026 Royals calendar. I, along with the rest of the usual suspects, will be posting discussion threads for the playoffs, but even if I think you should pick a team to root for, there just isn’t the same emphasis on previewing those games.
Anyway, let’s do this one more time for this year.
Michael Wacha will take the mound for the Royals. He needs to pitch 5.2 innings to reach 200 for the season for the first time in his career. The Royals probably need him to pitch eight or nine if they’re going to win the game, based on how atrocious the bullpen has rebounded to be over the past week or so. Lest you doubt me, the team had a 4.03 bullpen ERA until the Pirates series; that’s not good, but it’s not horrendous. Since then, they have a 6.10 ERA, second-worst in baseball, only to the Angels.
The Guardians will send out Tanner Bibee. I had a sense that I had written about him in a game preview earlier this year. I was right! He faced Wacha back on August 28th, and I had this to say about him then:
The other good news, at least relative to the remainder of the weekend, is that the Guardians will counter with Tanner Bibee. Two years ago, Bibee was the Guardians’ ace. No longer. Now he’s on something of a Michael Wacha trajectory where he pitches better than you think, but not as well as anyone hoped after those first couple of seasons. And, importantly, he’s right-handed. That sets him apart from the other two starters the Royals will face this weekend.
I also noted that his most-used pitch is the cutter and that the Royals should look out for it. That’s still true. They apparently didn’t heed my advice last time, as Bibee’s pitching wasn’t the problem in that game; he allowed only one run in six innings. It’s just that Wacha pitched the best game of his Royals’ career: 8 shutout innings with no walks, 4 hits (all singles), and 10 strikeouts. It would be swell if Wacha replicated that effort again tonight.
Lineups
Hey look, the Royals like the word penultimate, too!
Nick Loftin went on the paternity list earlier today, ending his season. So, with Maikel Garcia getting the day off, Josh Rojas is back in there one more time. Kyle Isbel gets the day off in favor of shifting John Rave to center and putting Isaac Collins in left field. Hopefully they’ll play better defense than they did last night.
New York Yankees first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (26) follows through on an RBI single against the Baltimore Orioles during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Friday, September 25, 2026.
With their playoff seed wrapped up Tuesday night, the Yankees have played four (and will have played five) games in which the results do not matter.
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Apart from obligation, the main point of this stretch for the club is to ensure each hitter and pitcher is feeling well at the right time. In that way, perhaps Luis García Jr.’s effort in an otherwise meaningless nightcap of Friday’s doubleheader will matter.
The slugging first baseman/DH, who has been cold for most of the month, put together some of his most encouraging at-bats in the 6-3 win over the Orioles.
In the fourth inning, against righty Brandon Young, García crushed a fastball right back up the middle — 105.3 mph off the bat — right into the glove of shortstop José Barrero, which was “really good to see,” manager Aaron Boone said.
After a sixth-inning walk, García grounded an RBI single up the middle against lefty Grant Wolfram in the seventh.
New York Yankees first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (26) follows through on an RBI single against the Baltimore Orioles during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Friday, September 25, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“He’s such a good hitter that you know it’s going to come around,” Boone said. “Kind of hoping the timing of a little lull here the last 10 days or so is just in time to heat up at the right time.”
Perhaps most notably, he had walked once and struck out 18 times in the span.
“He’s just been kind of mis-hitting some balls where it feels like he’s on time for some for the last week or 10 days,” Boone said Friday. “Where he ends up with the lazy fly ball to the outfield, where he’s just off there a little bit.”
The left-on-left at-bat against Wolfram was particularly encouraging considering the pitchers the Yankees are about to see. García is among the best bats in the game against right-handed pitching (.865 OPS) and often benched against lefties (.653 OPS), and the Red Sox’s staff is loaded with southpaws.
It will be curious to see how Boone deploys García in the wild-card series. If Paul Goldschmidt starts at first base against a lefty and Ben Rice — who has hit lefties better than García — starts at DH, García likely would be a powerful bat off the bench.
After coming through with a double and a single, the third baseman is 4-for-8 with a homer and six RBIs in his past two starts. Previous to this spurt, he had not tallied a multi-hit game in his past 21 tries, a brutal stretch in which he hit .143 with a .387 OPS.
Consider it one more thing for Boone to consider on Tuesday, when he will choose McMahon (mostly for his third base defense), Amed Rosario (for his righty bat), or José Caballero or Anthony Volpe (who are more balanced options) as his starting third baseman against Boston.
Due to the heavy rains and winds expected especially later in the afternoon, Sunday’s regular-season finale with the Orioles was moved up to 1:05 p.m.
For the fourth consecutive night, the Phillies had a chance to nail down a National League wild-card berth. And for the fourth consecutive night, they failed, this time in embarrassing fashion as the finest team in the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays, dealt them a 12-1 loss on Saturday, Sept. 26 that at least temporarily wrested destiny from their hands.
The Phillies extended their shutout streak to 21 innings before scoring a meaningless unearned run in the seventh inning. They have been outscored 23-2 on the four nights they had a chance to clinch or at least shave their magic number to one. They have lost six of their past eight games.
Meanwhile, surprise starter Aaron Nola was blitzed for three runs on four extra-base hits in the first inning and the Rays piled on from there.
Now, their last hope: Ace Zack Wheeler, trying to beat a Rays team with nothing to play for but a need to stay sharp with five days off before their AL Division Series begins. They will start All-Star right-hander Nick Martinez, who is 15-5 with a 2.94 ERA.
In a more ideal Phillies world, Wheeler would be resting up for a Game 1 NLDS assignment against Chris Sale. Now, he has no choice but to pitch and save the Phillies’ season.
The D-backs took a six-game winning streak into Saturday, trailing Philadelphia by a game and owning the head-to-head tiebreaker that could vault them in the playoffs. But they lost to the San Diego Padres10-7 at Petco Park, missing a chance to control their own destiny on the season's final day.
Regardless, Sunday stays the same: A Diamondbacks win and a Phillies loss ends yet another Phillies season that once had such high hopes.
USA TODAY Sports provided live updates of the Phillies-Rays battle:
Well, at least the 2026 season won't elapse without the Phillies not scoring another run.
Shut out for 21 innings since Thursday night, the Phillies squeezed a run out in the seventh inning against Tampa Bay - but only because Rays second baseman Richie Palacios booted a two-out grounder. That enabled Bryson Stott to score.
Not that it saved any face: The Phillies still trail 10-1, held to just four hits by five Tampa Bay pitchers.
He visited Citizens Bank Park on a gray day in 2018, the Philadelphia Phillies ready to be "stupid" about spending money and Manny Machado ready to receive some. Instead, the Phillies signed Bryce Harper to a record deal for a free agent and Manny ended up in San Diego.
Yet nearly eight years later, that transaction is paying off for the Phillies.
Machado, who has rallied back from a terrible start to his season, ripped his 30th home run, a go-ahead three-run shot in the fourth inning, to give San Diego a 6-4 lead on Arizona. Even with the Phillies losing 10-0 to Tampa Bay, a Padres win would keep the Phillies one game ahead of Arizona with one game to play. The Diamondbacks own the tiebreaker between the two teams.
The Phillies have proven incapable of helping themselves. And the San Diego Padres are so far helpless to lend them a hand, too.
As the Phillies' scoreless streak extended to 21 innings as they trail Tampa Bay 10-0 through six innings, Arizona's James McCann hit a go-ahead home run to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the fourth at San Diego.
An Arizona win - its seventh in a row - means the Phillies' destiny would be out of their hands on Sunday, the final day of the regular season. Stay tuned.
At this point, the Phillies don't need a rally. They need a mercy rule.
One of the game's greatest collapses in recent years turned macabre in the sixth inning Saturday, as the Rays plated three more runs off Jose Urquidy to take a 10-0 lead on Richie Palacios's two-run single.
Palacios's line drive had hardly touched the damp outfield grass when the Citizens Bank Park crowd produced a booming chorus of boos. While the standard Philly fan can be somewhat reactionary, this was fully warranted: The Phillies' shutout streak has reached 21 innings and they've been outscored 21-2 since Wednesday - the first day they could have clinched a playoff berth.
After Aaron Nola got chased after one inning, the Phillies' planned bullpen game calmed things down into the fifth. But then Chase Shugart issued a leadoff single to Yandy Díaz, interim manager Don Mattingly summoned veteran lefty Jose Alvarado and things blew up again.
Alvarado failed his initial assignment, issuing a walk to Jonathan Aranda. The jam was exacerbated when Liam Hicks rolled a perfect double-play grounder to second, but Bryson Stott's throw was high, resulting in just one out.
Mattingly opted not to walk Rays slugger Junior Caminero in the first inning - and he hit a game-turning two-run homer. This time, with first base occupied, Mattingly ordered the intentional pass to Caminero, loading the bases. And then Victor Mesa Jr. lashed a single to left, and Alvarado issued a bases-loaded walk to Richie Palacios. Just like that, a three-run deficit became 5-0 - all the runs coming after dubious Mattingly decisions.
Mattingly mercifully lifted Alvarado and Jose Urquidy recorded an out, but Cedric Mullins brought the last bit of pain - a two-run single for a 7-0 Tampa Bay lead at the game's halfway point.
If the Phillies are truly bowing out of postseason play, they're doing it in the meekest fashion possible.
Philadelphia's scoreless streak reached 18 innings as Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax worked around a pair of hits to get through the third inning with a 3-0 lead intact.
And the Phillies can't even get a good bounce.
With two outs and Justin Crawford on second, Trea Turner hit a line drive up the middle - 104 mph off the bat - that struck Jax in the lower back. But the ball caromed directly to shortstop Taylor Walls, who threw out the speedy Turner at first.
Jax will be done for the night, replaced by lefty Steven Matz, so perhaps the Phillies' luck will turn. Then again, they haven't been able to score off anybody.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly thought spot starter Aaron Nola could give him "40 or 50 pitches" in a start made possible by Nola skipping his usual between-starts throwing session. The verdict: Nola threw 21 pitches, four of them crushed for extra-base hits, and departed with the Phillies in a 3-0 hole.
Left-hander Tanner Banks was summoned for the top of the second as the Phillies' expected bullpen game was on in earnest. And he supplied a scoreless inning. Now, though, they're facing an uphill climb with a malfunctioning offense.
It was a bold but calculated gambit to start Aaron Nola on two days' rest. The Rays needed just six batters to turn that into a disaster.
Yandy Díaz scorched a leadoff double and Junior Caminero followed an out later with his 42nd home run of the season for a quick 2-0 Rays lead, absolutely the last thing a reeling Phillies team with its season on the brink needed.
And it was not over: Victor Mesa Jr. and Richie Palacios hit consecutive doubles for a 3-0 lead before Nola could escape the inning. The outcome was as bad as the exit velocities on those hits suggested: 97.7 mph, 111.9 mph, 98.3 mph, 101.5 mph.
The Phillies have scored two runs in their last three games. Their work is cut out for them.
The Phillies announced that the rain-delayed game is set to begin at 7:50 ET at Citizens Bank Park. A first pitch at that time would come after a 35-minute rain delay.
On paper, it appears like a panic move. But the Phillies are simply utilizing what would typically a day for Aaron Nola to throw a side session and instead will start him in their second game against Tampa Bay.
Nola has been very reliable and often brilliant in his past 15 starts, posting a 3.12 ERA. In Game 161, the Phillies are asking him to lead off a bullpen game, though interim manager Don Mattingly told reporters in Philadelphia he thinks Nola can give the Phillies a handful of innings.
"If anybody's built for this, it's probably Nola," says Mattingly. "He is a guy who is more old school than anybody."
Nola threw 88 pitches Wednesday night, when he gave up four runs in six innings of a 4-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Nola will be opposed by Rays right-hander Griffin Jax.
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DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 19: Jose Quintana #62 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday, September 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ray Bahner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Somehow, every season, 160 baseball games aren’t quite enough. There’s always plenty of drama that spills over into games 161 and 162. 2026 is no different, with lots to be decided around the league during the last weekend of the season.
The Colorado Rockies have two more against the playoff-bound Chicago White Sox with a lot of divisional and Wild Card jockeying going on around the league.
The AL Central remains up for grab in a tight race. The Cleveland Guardians won 12-9 in extras last night, giving them a one-game cushion over the White Sox for the division lead. The Guardians square off against the Kansas City Royals in a 5:10 p.m. MT matchup as well, so Southsiders will be scoreboard watching throughout the evening.
Chicago will try to hold their own and hope for an assist from KC. For their part of the equation, they’ll send out Davis Martin. Martin is 9-7 across 27 starts this season with a 3.84 ERA and a 1.294 WHIP. His production has declined as the season has gone on, as he’s 0-2 in his last seven games with a 4.76 ERA and 0-5 in the last 15 games with his ERA ballooning to 5.51 in that stretch. Despite starting the year with three wins in his first four starts, he hasn’t logged one since back in early June. He did, however, have a strong game in his last outing, going 4.1 scoreless innings, only giving up three hits with six strikeouts.
The Rockies couldn’t play spoiler against an Arizona Diamondbacks squad looking to be the third NL West team in the playoffs this year as they try to chase down the stumbling Philadelphia Phillies. Now, the Rockies try to log a rare September win and ruin some of Chicago’s fun. They’ll start Jose Quintana, who enters with a 2-3 record through 10 starts. The lefty carries a 5.40 ERA, a 1.511 WHIP, and 22/18 K/BB. After returning from a few months on the injured list with a sprained elbow, Quintana gave up three runs on five hits – including two home runs – in four innings of work for a no-decision in a 5-3 win for the Rockies.
The Rockies will see some old friends on the other side of the diamond, with both Brenton Doyle and Randal Grichuk in Chicago’s starting lineup (and with Drew Romo being recalled from Triple-A). The Rockies will look for more progress from their youngsters and try to reach some milestones across the rest of the batting order, including one more Hunter Goodman home run to reach 40 and two more triples to get Jake McCarthy to a 15-15-15 season.
The final days of regular season baseball are here. It will be an exciting finish around the league. Hopefully the Rockies have at least one more win left in the tank.
I thought many of you would like to follow along this evening with the two games that could affect the Cubs’ postseason position, since the Cubs are off today.
Here’s what you need to know about the Phillies/Rays and Padres/Diamondbacks games.
Rays at Phillies, 6:15 p.m. CT
Griffin Jax, RHP (Rays) vs. Aaron Nola, RHP (Phillies)
Nola is going on two days’ rest and he threw 88 pitches three days ago.
DETROIT — Justin Verlander made a teary farewell, accompanied by his 7-year-old daughter as he left a major league mound for the final time in the Detroit Tigers’ 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
Eduardo Valencia hit a game-ending, two-run homer off Mason Montgomery (6-4) in a three-run ninth that included Kevin McGonigle’s RBI groundout.
Verlander allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings with one walk and six strikeouts in his 91-pitch outing. The 43-year-old right-hander was making his second start of the year and first since March 30 in a season derailed by a sore hip and hamstring injury.
After Brandon Lowe hit a foul popup starting the sixth, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch walked from the dugout toward the plate and pointed toward the seats. Genevieve Verlander, wearing a Tigers jersey with her dad’s name and number, sprinted to the mound and hugged her father, who reached down to embrace her and started shaking and sobbing.
Verlander finished 266-159 in 557 starts with a 3.33 ERA and 3,560 strikeouts, eighth on the career list.
Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead on solo homers by Brandon Lowe in the fourth and Nick Gonzales.
Javier Báez hit an RBI double in the sixth, and Bryan Reynolds extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 3-1 with a run-scoring triple in the eighth.
Jacob Waguespack (2-2) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Pittsburgh (81-80) needs one win for its first winning season since 2018.
The Pirates’ Kirby Yates made his first career start after 517 relief appearances. The 39-year-old right-hander allowed two hits over 1 2/3 innings in what he said might be his final game.
Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz left in the third inning. He fell awkwardly while trying to field McGonigle’s bloop single in the first.
"It means a lot," he said through an interpreter. "Obviously, it's been a difficult year. We're already approaching the end of the season, but it means a lot to have this type of game. You've just got to continue to go out there and do your best and try to finish strong with the way the season turned out."
The 25-year-old infielder homered for the first time since May 1 in the Mets' 4-3 win at the Los Angeles Angels.
"I'm happy for him," Mets manager Andy Green said of Mauricio. "It's got to feel good, going deep from both sides of the plate. Played a really nice game, made a really nice backhanded play as well. So, I know it's been a long year with limited major league opportunity with him. So, we're very happy for him."
Mauricio slashed .261/.302/.493 with 18 home runs and 57 RBI in 71 games for Triple-A Syracuse this year before rejoining the Mets upon last Friday's recall.
"That did not surprise us at all," Green said of Mauricio's impact. "... It's really impressive pop. He took some pitches south of the zone and set up that home run, which is huge for him. We talked about it yesterday -- when he impacts the baseball, it's special."
Mauricio's 2-for-4, three-RBI performance rebounds from last Saturday's 0-for-2 return in the Mets' 10-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
"There's a lot of motivation to continue to build off of how we've been playing," Mauricio said through an interpreter. "It allows us to play strong, to play together. And I think, with that, it kind of inspires us to go out there next season with the same motivation, that same drive to continue to play well."
Mauricio, who debuted Sept. 1, 2023, before missing the 2024 campaign with a torn right ACL and logging 61 games with the Mets in 2025, made 19 appearances for New York this season while working through a left thumb fracture earlier this year.
"I think the injuries were the toughest part," Mauricio said through an interpreter, "but, at the same time, that's part of the game. This game has a lot of highs and lows, and I think the most important thing is to go out there and try to do your best and try to be successful with whatever situation you have."
What comes next for Mauricio on Green's Mets?
"When we think of him, there's two ways towards greatness," Green said. "One is shrinking the zone down, not chasing. And then the other is kind of the chase rate that's still high, but you're absolutely annihilating the baseball consistently. So, those two things give a path towards him getting better. I think he's always going to be aggressive. I think there's always going to be some element of chase there. If he does that type of damage, though, you can live with the chase."
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 25: David Hamilton #6 of the Milwaukee Brewers is congratulated after scoring in the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at American Family Field on September 25, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 regular season is drawing closer to the end. There are just two games left, the Brewers are working on their final tune-ups before the postseason. The St. Louis Cardinals are already making their plans for Cancun.
The Brewers showed the fight they still had as they put together a four-run eighth inning last night to get an 8-4 victory and their 101st win of the season. They’ll be looking for win #102 tonight.
However, also last night, third baseman Joey Ortiz was removed from the game with a nagging right knee bruise. Prior to tonight’s game, Ortiz went for an MRI. Pat Murphy told reporters that on top of the knee bruise, Ortiz had been dealing with an abdominal strain and a groin injury.
Jonathan Ornelas is with the club, but has not been activated. Murphy said the Brewers will operate a man down on their bench with Ortiz unavailable since they’re within 10 days of the NLDS and an IL stint would make him unavailable for that series.
On the mound tonight, the Brewers will have Dustin May, who is looking to make one final tune-up before the postseason. He’s been working on trying to find the right pitch mix and sequencing.
“It’s an opportunity for him to pitch well. It’s especially hard to pitch well against the team that knows you so well, but at the same time you know them. So I think it’s an opportunity…and I think he’ll take that head on.” Murphy said.
May has had a lot of short outings lately, though some of that has been by design or out of his control. Still, the Brewers would love to see May be able to fully stretch out and pitch a little deeper into this game and find the pitch mix that works well for him.
His counterpart tonight is Quinn Mathews, who has a 3.65 ERA on the season. He’s a left-handed pitcher, which means the Brewers are going with a largely right-handed lineup.
Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and Jake Bauers lead things off for the Brewers. William Contreras, Gary Sanchez, and Luis Lara form the middle of the order. Contreras is catching while Sanchez is the DH tonight. Then Cooper Pratt, Brandon Lockridge, and David Hamilton will round out the bottom of the lineup.
The Cardinals had a last minute scratch of shortstop Masyn Winn. Thomas Saggese is taking his place at shortstop and batting eighth. The top of the Redbirds lineup is led by JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera again, with Alec Burleson batting third. Jordan walker, Leo Bernal, and Nolan Gorman form the middle of the lineup. Then Bryan Torres, Saggese, and Nathan Church round out the bottom of their order.
Can the Brewers get win #102 and keep pushing this wins record? Can Dustin May prove he’s trustworthy for Game 3 of the NLDS? We’ll find out, starting with first pitch at 6:10 PM.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Casey Mize #32 of the San Diego Padres walks to the dugout after pitching the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on September 25, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After stunning the rival Los Angeles Dodgers with a series win this week, the San Diego Padres returned home to face the Arizona Diamondbacks. They clinched on Thursday night, which might have had something to do with Friday night’s debacle of a game. Starter Casey Mize pitched four innings, surrendering seven runs (yes, you read that right). Mize’s ERA raised to 4.32 on the season after posting a 2.70 ERA before joining San Diego. He was placed on the 15-day IL ahead of today’s game.
Even still, the offense didn’t do much to back him up. By the time Mize departed, the score was 7-2. The final score was 11-4. Four runs isn’t nothing, but it’s peanuts compared to 11. Most of those Arizona runs came via command issues. The Padres walked eight batters in, with Kyle Hart and Jason Adam loading the bases via five walks. San Diego needs just one win to clinch home-field advantage for the upcoming Wild Card series. They’ll need better performances tonight to do so.
Taking the mound
Ryne Nelson (AZ) v. Walker Buehler (SD)
Nelson is likely to fill out a bulk relief role for the Dbacks tonight, with a reliever serving as the opener ahead of him. He’s pitched decent this season with a 4.80 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 86 1/3 innings. He was a starter for most of the year before transitioning to the bullpen in September.
The right-hander struggled in his last start against the Padres. Nelson surrendered six runs in five innings of work. He gave up two home as well. Still, it seems likely that Arizona uses him after he pitched in relief on Sunday versus the New York Yankees. Even though Nelson pitched last night, he only threw 12 pitches to record one out. His arm should still be fresh.
Buehler is coming off of a stellar performance against the Miami Marlins on Sunday. The veteran righty pitched into the seventh inning and had given up no runs in the first six. Unfortunately, Buehler surrendered a three-run shot to end his scoreless bid. That said, it was still a great performance from the Padres starter.
It seems likely that Buehler starts a potential Game 3 for San Diego. In a win-or-go-home spot, there’s not many pitchers who have shown they can be trusted more than him. He owns a 3.53 ERA in his last seven games and has surrendered three or fewer runs in every starts he’s made since July 21.
Batter up!
The strange thing about last night’s game is that San Diego’s offense has two more hits (10) than Arizona’s (8). Despite that, the Dbacks scored seven more runs than the Friars. Of the second-stringers put in, Sung-Mun Song had the most eventful night. Song went 2-for-2 and scored a run after replacing Jackson Merrill in the seventh inning.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Dustin Harris, LF
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Luis Campusano, DH
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Freddy Fermin, C
Machado fouled a pitch off himself quite painfully last night. It’s possible he could take an off day tonight in order to keep him fresh for the upcoming playoff series on Tuesday. Either way, Machado has seemed to be playing with an injured hand lately. He’s DH’d in three of the last seven games.
Relief corps
With Mize departing after four, San Diego got creative. David Morgan, Kyle Hart, Jason Adam and Wandy Peralta covered the final five frames for the Padres. They did so to varying degrees of success. Peralta threw two perfect innings, and Morgan pitched a scoreless fifth. Hart was on his way with two outs but walked three before allowing a three-run double. Adam struggled in his second appearance back from the IL, walking two and allowing a run.
The positive side is that it leaves the Friars with options for tonight. The Padres have Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez available out of the ‘pen. All are high-leverage options. The best-case scenario for San Diego is to clinch home-field advantage tonight so that they can rest their top players ahead of Tuesday’s Game 1.
Chase Hampton’s time with the Nationals is likely coming to an end after the team designated the pitcher for assignment, Washington announced Saturday.
The right-hander spent a couple of weeks with the organization but never took the mound. The DFA of Hampton and the optioning of pitcher Luis Perales to Triple-A opened a roster spot for lefty Connelly Early, who is set to be activated off the 60-day injured list.
The move comes just weeks after the Yankees cut ties with Hampton.
The former Yankees prospect and 2022 sixth-round pick finishes this season with an 8.18 ERA over 55 innings across three levels of the minor leagues.
New York Yankees pitcher Chase Hampton poses for a photo at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Hampton was a top-100 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s list in 2024. The year prior, during his first full professional season, he posted a 3.63 ERA in 20 starts at High-A and Double-A, striking out 145 and walking 37 over 106 2/3 innings.
But the 25-year-old has dealt with a series of injuries early in his career.
After returning this season with the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate in Tampa, Hampton struggled — in both A-ball and Double-A — to match his earlier results.
New York Yankees pitcher Chase Hampton throws in the outfield during a workout at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, Saturday, February 14, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Hampton’s ERA climbed as he gave up 13 home runs in 55 innings. In the Yankees’ system, he also posted a 12.9 percent walk rate against a 21.3 percent strikeout rate.
Justin Verlander’s final big league start became a family affair — and there were few dry eyes in Comerica Park.
The 43-year-old future Hall of Famer announced earlier this year that this season would be his last, and Saturday’s outing against the Pirates marked his final time on a big league field.
And, in the middle of all the fanfare to close out his career, Verlander was surrounded by his family — wife Kate Upton, 7-year-old daughter Genevieve and 1-year-old son Bellamy.
But it was a moment with Genevieve that made Verlander’s final time on the mound even more of a tear-jerker.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander stands on the mound next to his daughter during his last MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park in Detroit, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectGenevieve Verlander, left, hugs her dad, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander, during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Detroit. AP Photo/Jose Juarez
With one out in the sixth inning, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch left the dugout to signal the end of Verlander’s day and career, but instead of going toward the mound, he walked toward the stands and summoned Genevieve to come out to the field and share a moment with her dad.
Genevieve ran out to the mound ahead of Hinch, and she shared a long embrace with Verlander as the Detroit crowd stood and applauded. A clearly emotional Verlander shared hugs with his teammates on the mound before he walked slowly to the Detroit dugout with his daughter. He doffed his cap to the roaring crowd and then shared a hug with Upton, who came out onto the dirt near the dugout.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander, center, acknowledges the crowd after being taken out of the game during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Detroit. AP Photo/Jose JuarezKate Upton, left foreground, hugs her husband, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander, after he was taken out of the game during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Detroit, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. AP Photo/Jose Juarez
Verlander’s farewell season didn’t go as planned, as hip inflammation and a hamstring strain limited him to just one start — in which he allowed five runs in 3 ⅔ innings — before Saturday.
But against the Pirates, he brought some vintage Verlander, striking out six and yielding just two runs over 5 ⅓ frames. Verlander said before the game there was “no script” in how long he would pitch in his career sendoff.
“There’s no script,” Verlander told reporters. “I want to go as long as I can. I skipped about a month’s worth of rehab to be able to do this, but I also don’t want to just go out there and throw 20 pitches. I think everybody feels comfortable with 20 pitches, and then after that, we’re kind of in a who-knows zone.”
The three-time Cy Young Award winner and one-time American League MVP finished his career with 3,560 strikeouts, which rank eighth all time.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Bryson Stott #5 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after a double play in the second inning during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park on September 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A.J. Hinch has made plenty of pitching changes, but Saturday, he gave this one to someone else.
After Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe popped out in the sixth inning Saturday, the Detroit Tigers manager signaled to the stands and Justin Verlander's daughter, Genevieve, sprinted out to the mound to get her father.
Justin Verlander was already crying as she closed the gap to the mound quickly. He bent down and wrapped her up in a hug that lasted about 15 seconds as the crowd around him rose. When he stood back up, he took his daughter's hand and walked off the mound for a final time.
It was the final scene of a farewell that Verlander and the Tigers had been building toward since he announced his retirement in July.
After two decades that took him from Detroit to Houston, New York and San Francisco, the 43-year-old came home for one last start, his first at Comerica Park in a Tiger uniform since he was traded in 2017 and only his second of this injury-wrecked season. He leaves as one of the defining pitchers of his generation: three Cy Young Awards, 2011 MVP, Rookie of the Year, three no-hitters, two World Series titles and 3,560 strikeouts, eighth in major league history. Saturday, in the ballpark where it started, he got to go out on his own terms.
As he and his daughter walked off, the crowd and his teammates gave him a standing ovation. The Pirates stood in their dugout, clapping and watching history.
Verlander tipped his cap. His wife, Kate Upton, and their son, Bellamy met him on the dirt for more hugs. He high-fived his way down a line of teammates, tipped his cap again, took a deep breath through tears, waved, tipped his cap again and disappeared down the dugout stairs.
It was the second time in two days Genevieve had been part of the show. Before Friday night's game, she threw the ceremonial first pitch to her dad and put it right over the plate.
Verlander left with the Tigers trailing 2-0 after having allowed two solo home runs and striking out six in 5 1/3 innings. The Tigers rallied to take him off the hook. Eduardo Valencia's two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth gave Detroit a 4-3 win in Verlander's last game.
