CHICAGO (AP) — Manny Machado hit a two-run homer, Mason Miller dominated again, and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Wednesday, sending their NL Wild Card Series to a decisive third game.
Jackson Merrill hit an early sacrifice fly as San Diego avoided elimination after losing 3-1 on Tuesday. Dylan Cease struck out five in 3 2/3 innings before handing the ball to his team’s hard-throwing bullpen.
The finale of the best-of-three series is back at Wrigley Field on Thursday.
The playoff-tested Padres are looking for a repeat of 2020, when they dropped Game 1 in the special pandemic wild-card round before advancing with two straight victories against St. Louis. Machado also homered in Game 2 of that series.
Chicago finished with four hits. The franchise is making its first appearance in the playoffs in five years, and it hasn’t advanced since it eliminated Washington in a 2017 NL Division Series.
San Diego jumped in front on Merrill’s flyball to right off Andrew Kittredge in the first, driving in Fernando Tatis Jr. Kittredge started for Chicago as an opener, and the right-hander was replaced by left-hander Shota Imanaga in the second.
The Cubs threatened in the fourth, putting runners on first and second with two down. Adrian Morejon then came in and retired Pete Crow-Armstrong on a bouncer to first.
The Padres added two more runs on Machado’s 404-foot drive to left off Imanaga in the fifth. Tatis reached on a leadoff walk and advanced on a sacrifice ahead of Machado’s 12th career playoff homer.
The three runs were more than enough for San Diego’s bullpen, with Miller and Robert Suarez combining for 14 pitches of over 100 mph.
Morejon pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings before Miller showed off his electric stuff while striking out five consecutive batters. The 6-foot-5 right-hander reached 104.5 mph on a called third strike to Carson Kelly in the seventh that was the fastest pitch in the postseason since Statcast started tracking in 2008.
Miller, who was acquired in a trade with the Athletics on July 31, struck out the side in the seventh in his postseason debut on Tuesday. The eight straight Ks tied the postseason record set by Josh Hader in 2022.
Miller was pulled from Game 2 after he hit Michael Busch with a slider with two oust in the eighth. Suarez retired Nico Hoerner on a liner to right before a one-hit ninth for the save.
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Yu Darvish will get the ball for San Diego on Thursday. There was no immediate word on Chicago’s starter.
Darvish played for the Cubs for three seasons before he was traded to the Padres in December 2020. The right-hander said he enjoys pitching at Wrigley.
“Yeah, this place did me good,” he said through a translator. “The organization, the fans did me good, too.”
The 2025 MLB playoffs are moving to the Division Series.
The American League’s No. 4-seeded New York Yankees and No. 6 Detroit Tigers along with the National League’s No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 4 Chicago Cubs have survived the Wild Card Series and advanced to the second round of the postseason.
The Division Series will see the introduction of the top two seeds in each league to the postseason. The AL’s No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays and No. 2 Seattle Mariners, and the NL’s No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers and No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies earned byes past the Wild Card Series and into the Division Series.
Over in the AL, the Tigers took quite the route to their second straight ALDS appearance. Detroit blew a 12.5-game lead for first in the AL Central over the final month-plus of the regular season, as the Cleveland Guardians snatched the division crown. But the Tigers got the last laugh over their division rivals, eliminating the No. 3 Guardians with a 6-3 Game 3 win.
The final Wild Card Series matchup featured baseball’s most bitter rivalry between the No. 4 Yankees and No. 5 Boston Red Sox. After losing Game 1, the Yankees outlasted the Red Sox in Game 2 before bouncing Boston with a 4-0 win in Game 3. Yankees rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler starred in the series-clincher, striking out 12 over eight shutout innings in his playoff debut. New York is looking to go from runners-up to champions after losing in last year’s Fall Classic.
So, what are the ALDS and NLDS matchups? And when does the Division Series begin? Here’s what we know:
The Dodgers will next put their title defense on the line against the NL East champion Phillies, while the Cubs will take on the MLB-best Brewers in an NL Central battle.
The AL side of the bracket will also have a divisional showdown, as the Yankees go from facing one AL East foe to another in the league-best Blue Jays. The Tigers, meanwhile, will square off against the AL West champion Mariners.
Here’s a full look at the bracket:
American League
No. 2 Seattle Mariners vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
National League
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
When do the 2025 ALDS, NLDS start?
All four Division Series begin Saturday, Oct. 4.
How many games are in the ALDS, NLDS?
Following best-of-three Wild Card Series, the postseason moves to a best-of-five format for the Division Series. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
What is the 2025 ALDS, NLDS schedule?
Here’s a series-by-series look at the Division Series schedule (this section will be updated as details are announced):
American League
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
Game 1: Yankees at Blue Jays — Saturday, Oct. 4, 4:08 p.m. ET, Fox
Game 2: Yankees at Blue Jays — Sunday, Oct. 5, 4:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 3: Blue Jays at Yankees — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 8:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Blue Jays at Yankees — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Yankees at Blue Jays — Friday, Oct. 10, 8:08 p.m. ET, Fox
No. 2 Seattle Mariners vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
Game 1: Tigers at Mariners — Saturday, Oct. 4, 8:38 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 2: Tigers at Mariners — Sunday, Oct. 5, 8:03 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 3: Mariners at Tigers — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 4:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Mariners at Tigers — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 3:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Tigers at Mariners — Friday, Oct. 10, 4:40 p.m. ET, FS1
National League
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
Game 1: Cubs at Brewers — Saturday, Oct. 4, 2:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 2: Cubs at Brewers — Monday, Oct. 6, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 3: Brewers at Cubs — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 5:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 4 (if necessary): Brewers at Cubs— Thursday, Oct. 9, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 5 (if necessary): Cubs at Brewers — Saturday, Oct. 11, 4:38 p.m. ET, TBS
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 1: Dodgers at Phillies — Saturday, Oct. 4, 6:38 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 2: Dodgers at Phillies — Monday, Oct. 6, 6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 3: Phillies at Dodgers — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 4 (if necessary): Phillies at Dodgers — Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 5 (if necessary): Dodgers at Phillies — Saturday, Oct. 11, 8:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Zack Gelof should be good to go for the Athletics ahead of the 2026 MLB season after the second baseman underwent successful surgery to address the dislocated left shoulder he suffered when diving for a ground ball in the Athletics’ win at the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 19.
Stanford Medicine’s Marc R. Safran, M.D., explained what Gelof’s recovery should look like in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports California’s Tristi Rodriguez on Thursday.
“Usually in a sling for about four to six weeks, just letting things kind of heal up — just doing some mild range-of-motion exercises,” Safran told Rodriguez. “Then, after six weeks, you start to work on increasing the range of motion. Usually around three months, you start to strengthen the shoulder.
“Usually by four months, they can do most things; with him, it’s his non-throwing shoulder, so [throwing] wouldn’t be a problem. But also probably wouldn’t have him do any diving yet, til about six months after the surgery.”
Keep in mind, this is the second major injury he suffered in 2025, as he underwent surgery to repair a hook of the hamate fracture in his right hand during spring training and didn’t play with the Green and Gold until July 4.
Fortunately for Gelof, given the current situation, he won’t have to miss any games, as the Athletics missed the MLB playoffs and have a long offseason ahead of them.
“It’s just really about trying to protect the shoulder while the soft tissues are healing, and then gradually increasing the strengthening, and then increasing the load to that area as it continues to get stronger and stronger,” Safran said.
“He’s not going to be catching any balls until probably a few months after the surgery, and he probably also will not do any batting. And when he does, he’ll probably start off batting a little bit of fungo and those types of things before he tries to take a full swing.”
Gelof hit .174 with two home runs and seven RBI over 30 games this year. Perhaps an offseason of recovery will help him return to the electric up-and-comer he was in 2024.
SAN FRANCISCO — Giants executive Buster Posey doesn’t consider his former manager Bruce Bochy a candidate to fill the vacant position again for San Francisco.
Posey, the club’s president of baseball operations, said he had spoken to Bochy and mentioned there could be a position for the 70-year-old in the organization — just not the managerial job.
“The door’s always open here for some sort of role,” Posey said during a news conference at Oracle Park. “I don’t see us going that route with Boch.”
The Giants fired Bob Melvin after his second season ended with an 81-81 record — one more victory than last year — and a fourth straight missed playoff opportunity.
The Texas Rangers announced a mutual parting with Bochy after three seasons that featured the organization’s first World Series championship in 2023.
Posey expressed the hope of finding someone who could provide stability for years to come on the dugout’s top step as the club tries to become a regular contender again, but he didn’t provide any details about the process except that interviews are happening this week. Under Bochy, the Giants won biennial World Series championships in 2010, ‘12 and ’14.
“We had a pretty consistent stretch of not playing good baseball,” Posey said. “... There’s a lot of good things in place, but ultimately we did not achieve our goal this year.”
When Posey took over in his current job at this time last year to replace Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ longtime catcher committed to three seasons. And he is still planning to fulfill that agreement.
“I’m fully committed, but I think the focus has to be on the present,” the 38-year-old Posey said. “That’s the way I try to look at it. Would I like to do it longer, sure, but I think the focus has to be in the moment.”
Athletics general manager David Forst said Tuesday that he has talked with ownership about working on contract extensions to keep 22-year-old first baseman Nick Kurtz and 23-year-old shortstop Jacob Wilson with the franchise for the long-term future (h/t MLB.com’s Martín Gallegos).
David Forst said he’s had “a lot of conversations” with ownership about more contract extensions for the A’s young talent, like Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson. Said he imagines those talks will pick up in the next few months.
The Athletics would be wise to hold onto Kurtz and Wilson, as each flourished during the 2025 MLB season.
Kurtz finished with 36 home runs, 86 RBI and a 1.002 OPS, and Wilson had 151 hits and MLB’s second-highest batting average (.311). The two are expected to be the top choices to win the AL Rookie of the Year award.
“We haven’t really talked about it much,” Kurtz told Gallegos about gladly competing with Wilson on July 25th. “But it’s awesome that it’s most likely going to be an A’s player. It’s really cool.
“Whether I win it or he wins it, we’re just really looking forward to representing the A’s and what we’re all about. Individual awards are good and all, but it’s not why we play the game. We’re excited to keep going and keep improving.”
The league will announce who will take home the nod in November. Baseball America already named Kurtz its MLB Rookie of the Year.
Regardless, Forst and the Athletics are smart to get discourse started early.
Gallegos added that the “young talent” he referred to in his post also includes 27-year-old catcher Shea Langeliers.
He had a strong season, slashing .277/.325/.536 with 31 homers and 72 RBI. Langeliers was named AL Player of the Month after an 11-homer August.
On the latest episode of The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo tie a bow on the 2025 season for the Mets, a season that ended in disappointment and failure.
Connor and Joe recap all that went wrong that brought the Mets nowhere near their expectations, and sort the blame between president of baseball ops David Stearns, manager Carlos Mendoza, the coaching staff, and the players.
The guys also look ahead to what needs to be fixed, plus ideas for how to do it, and react to comments Stearns made during his end-of-season news conference.
As always, the show dives into the Mailbag to also give voice to the frustrated fans, who have their own questions about the way the Mets went down.
Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
NEW YORK — Aaron Boone planned to lift starter Max Fried after the sixth inning of Game 1 of the New York Yankees’ AL Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox. Fried inducing a double play and sitting on 99 pitches prompted Boone to reconsider and let his ace lefty get one more out in the seventh.
Fried did that, and then Boone went to his bullpen. Luke Weaver walked the first batter he faced, and then allowed a double and Masataka Yoshida’s pinch-hit two-run single. David Bednar gave up back-to-back hits in the ninth to give Boston some breathing room, and the Yankees manager’s in-game pitching decisions were under the microscope yet again in the aftermath of a 3-1 loss that put New York on the brink of elimination in the best-of-three opening round.
Boone defended his decision on the basis that Fried faced increased pressure in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and had to work hard to get through them.
“I felt like his command was not as good those final few,” Boone said. “He’s just making so many big pitches, and his stuff was good. He gave us what we needed and felt really good about the outing he put forth, but I felt pretty convicted. Especially we got the double play, it’s like, ‘Let’s go get one more hitter and be good.’”
Fried allowed just four hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings and threw 63 of his 102 pitches for strikes, and the Yankees led 1-0 on Anthony Volpe’s solo home run. Fried beat Jarren Duran in a race to first base for the final out he recorded and felt he “had enough in the tank for whatever the team needed.”
“I definitely felt good at the end, coming out feeling good,” Fried said. “I’m going to stay in until I get the ball taken from me.”
Boone made that call and handed it to Weaver, who has not been the same since returning in June from a stint on the injured list with a strained left hamstring. The righty had a 1.05 ERA in his first 24 appearances before getting hurt and then a 5.31 over his final 40 games.
“I’ll take Weave there at the bottom of the order, especially with an out in the books,” Boone said.
Weaver started Ceddanne Rafaela off with two strikes before walking him in an 11-pitch plate appearance. It snowballed from there with Nick Sogard doubling, Yoshida driving in two. Weaver didn’t record an out and exited with the Yankees trailing.
“They put a good approach together, put the ball in play and found the holes,” Weaver said, describing his pitching as competitive. “I know there’s a lot of disappointed people, including myself, but I just got to be better.”
There were plenty of pregame decisions questioned, too, with left-handed hitters Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon not in the lineup against Boston starter Garrett Crochet, who got 23 outs before fellow lefty Aroldis Chapman recorded the final four to close it out. Crochet retired 17 consecutive batters after Volpe homered.
But after turning to Nestor Cortes in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers last year — with Freddie Freeman hitting a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 on Cortes’ first pitch — and making other calls to the bullpen that didn’t work out, Boone put himself in position to be second-guessed again.
He expressed no regret about the decisions afterward, other than lamenting Weaver not getting Rafaela out.
“I felt good about him going through there: Sogard and then probably a pinch-hit lefty there,” Boone said. “They played a couple hits on him where (he left it) maybe just a little up with a couple of the pitches more than he wanted.”
It’s a familiar script for the Yankees, whose bullpen ERA of 4.37 ranked 23rd out of 30 teams. That could have been forgotten if they scored after loading the bases with no outs in the ninth, but Chapman got out of the jam against his former team.
New York had scored in 25 of its previous 28 innings when loading the bases with no outs.
“One hit there and we tie the game,” said Paul Goldschmidt, who singled to begin the rally that fell short. “Unfortunately it didn’t work out but a good job to give ourselves a chance.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Freddie Freeman’s father long has been the one in his ear with an encouraging word and some advice to simplify his swing.
Even now, in his mid-30s, he still hears it from dad: Return to the tee.
Frederick Freeman Sr. instructs his son to get back to his hitting basics when times are tough. So, on a September Saturday in San Francisco, the Dodgers slugger did just that. He grabbed his bat and headed for the indoor cage to take some cuts off a tee.
It served as a reset of sorts for the Los Angeles first baseman, a chance to adjust his swing ever so slightly.
Freeman wound up with three hits in a 13-7 win over the Giants that night of Sept. 13 before getting three more the next day in a 10-2 triumph.
He took all of 45 warmup swings that first day behind the scenes — 12 balls off the tee and some 25 underhand flips before listening in on a hitters’ meeting then completing one more round in the indoor cage at Oracle Park.
“It’s always a work in progress,” Freeman said. “Sometimes you feel good where you can just go up there and it feels like you’re just swinging and you hit the ball hard. Sometimes you’re going through it.
“Even as you get older you’ve still got to go back to the basics. I hit off the tee this morning before the game, sometimes you’ve got to back to square one even if you’ve been playing a long time. Over the course of a season if you stick with your process and your plan and hunt where you’re looking and stick to it, it’s going to work over time.”
Freeman figures he hits off the tee maybe four times a season — “only when I think I’m really bad,” he said, smiling.
A perplexing funk left him searching for answers over much of a frustrating first half this year.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, meanwhile, remained ready to offer his support whenever needed, even for a veteran star unaccustomed to such hitting struggles.
Of course, Freeman found his way.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell provides an important reminder: There’s a lot of failing in baseball.
“That’s the wonderful challenge of being a major league hitter,” Counsell said. “If you do your job right you don’t always get the results you want. In basketball if you shoot a good shot it’s going to go in. Something’s not going to happen where it’s not going to go in, it’s going to go in. In baseball it’s a little different and I think that’s what makes it hard and I think that’s why we talk about the mental component of baseball and hitting so much. Those are challenges that the guys get good at. I think players get really good at that stuff. That doesn’t mean it still doesn’t affect you.”
Sometimes, turning to the metrics is the way to go nowadays more so than during the 55-year-old Counsell’s 16-year major league career as an infielder from 1995-2011.
“The statistics today in a lot of ways can help players because we can do a little better job of when a guy is just having bad luck and I think they have a better idea of that,” Counsell said. “Before, I would just say I was having bad luck and nobody would really believe you. We’re in a little better spot to do that. And then there’s sometimes when you’re not having bad luck, you’re just not very good.”
Padres manager Mike Shildt has an open-door policy with his players, and he’s all about establishing dialogue and trust to know when somebody might need more information and when to just leave him be.
“I think every player gains more experience and figures out how to deal with the challenges that are 162 games-plus schedule,” Shildt said. “It’s real, the schedule ebbs and flows and there’s going to be that with the human factor of this. You do try to, from my seat, always a starting point is just be supportive. Just the biggest thing is supportive and create relationships with players. Then you know how to best communicate with them on what they need and what they don’t need — sometimes they don’t want a whole lot. Sometimes they need something.”
“Then more specifically is what they may need as far as encouragement about what with our staff to work on — a little more clarity that we need to work on plate zone discipline, the ball up, breaking balls, etc. ... It’s a combination of things, but mostly about relationships and trust.”
Sticking to the approach and plan, “it’s that simple” for Freeman. That’s what he did to find his groove again at the plate after the All-Star break.
“I’m lucky enough that my approach, I’ve been in this game a long time, it’s worked over time,” he said. “This game is hard, sometimes it’s really hard. ... Just keep working and keep going and sometimes when they are going tough you can chase things and that’s when things can spiral. I know it’s going to work, it’s worked for a long time, so if it doesn’t work then I don’t know, it is what it is.”
The 36-year-old nine-time All-Star batted .297 leading into the break, but was hitting .376 on May 11. Roberts was unconcerned, and Freeman finished the regular season at .295 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs.
“I’m really impressed with how he just continues to work. He expects a lot of himself. He’s an easy guy to bet on,” Roberts said. “Hitting is still hard. ... He just doesn’t waver from his work.”
Freeman knows momentum comes and goes in this game over the course of a 162-game season, with the many variables like travel, weather, pitchers and everything in between.
That allows him to keep it all in perspective to better deal with the rough days.
And, on occasion when needed, return to the tee under his dad’s direction.
“Every day’s a new day. You’re not facing the same guys every day so even if you feel good one day that’s why you can go 0 for 4 with four strikeouts the next day,” he said. “We’re just going to keep grinding.”
LOS ANGELES — Hunter Greene lived out a childhood dream, making his first postseason start for the Cincinnati Reds in his hometown.
There was no Hollywood ending for him, though.
Greene gave up a leadoff homer to Shohei Ohtani and lasted only three innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers pounded Cincinnati pitching for a 10-5 victory in the opener of their NL Wild Card Series.
The hard-throwing right-hander was tagged for six hits and five runs — all on three homers. He walked two and struck out four.
“Just wasn’t great at executing my slider,” Greene said. “That’s where I got hurt the most tonight. I’ve got to be able to make that pitch.”
The 26-year-old Greene prepped at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, about 15 miles north of Dodger Stadium, and was the second overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft.
He grew up a Dodgers fan, but thought he kept his emotions in check.
“Even keeled. Never felt fast,” said Greene, an All-Star last year. “Just wasn’t able to execute the way I needed to.”
In the first inning, Ohtani laced a 117.7 mph drive off a 100.4 mph fastball from Greene — the fastest pitch the three-time MVP has homered on in his major league career.
Greene issued consecutive walks to Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy in the third, and those proved costly when Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman launched back-to-back homers that gave the Dodgers a 5-0 lead. Greene got out of the inning after that, but then Reds manager Terry Francona went to his bullpen.
“Ball just got away from me, that’s really it,” said Greene, who went 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts this season.
Ohtani turned around a triple-digit fastball early, but Greene struck him out in the second inning on a 100 mph heater.
That fastball seemed to generate mixed results.
“There were some swings and misses on it,” Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson said. “I know Ohtani got one to hit. Just kind of a bad location. Teoscar hit the slider. I thought he made some good pitches, but they just took advantage of some he didn’t.”
During a workout at Dodger Stadium, Greene went to the mound and dropped to a knee, perhaps envisioning a scenario in which he turned the ball over to the Cincinnati bullpen after a successful playoff outing.
Maybe another night.
“(I’m) frustrated, but I have a lot of confidence that I’ll be back in this position and that we’ll be able to come out on top,” Greene said.
ATLANTA — Brian Snitker, who managed the Atlanta Braves to the 2021 World Series championship as the highlight of almost a half-century with the organization, will not return to the dugout next season.
The Braves announced the 69-year-old Snitker will move to an advisory role and will be inducted into the team’s hall of fame next year.
Snitker has been with the organization for 49 years as a long-time minor league manager, major league coach and finally major league manager.
Snitker led Atlanta to 811 wins, six NL East division titles and the the 2021 World Series championship in his 10 seasons as manager.
Preparing to defend their World Series crown, the Dodgers seemed to awaken from their summer slumber in the final week or two of the regular season winning nine of their last 11 games. They carried that momentum into Game 1 of their Wild Card series last night at Chavez Ravine, jumping out to an 8-0 lead before ultimately winning 10-5. Shohei Ohtani led off the bottom of the first with a home run. He and Teoscar Hernandez each homered twice in the win and Blake Snell was dominant allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings while striking out nine.
LA's bullpen was leaky and that should make Dodger Nation a bit nervous, but seeing Snell control the game and the bats come alive is without question a combination the rest of baseball noticed.
Game 2 is now a must-win for Cincinnati. They will send Zach Littell to the mound while the Dodgers will counter with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto made 30 starts this season finishing with 12 wins and the fourth-best ERA in baseball at 2.49. Littell carries a regular season record of 10-8 with a 3.81 ERA into the contest. Cincinnati has won his last four starts.
Lets take a closer look at the number for Game 2 and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Reds at Dodgers - Game 2
Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Time: 9:08PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Reds at the Dodgers - Game 2
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Cincinnati Reds (+223), LA Dodgers (-281)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5 (-132)
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Reds at Dodgers - Game 2
Pitching matchup for October 1, 2025: Zack Littell vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Reds: Zack Littell (10-8, 3.81) Acquired from Tampa Bay at the deadline, Littell closed the season strong allowing 3 runs over his final 2 starts (9.2 IP)
Dodgers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA) Yamamoto has not allowed a run over his last 2 starts (11.1 IP) and just 3 runs over his last 5 starts (34 IP)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Reds at Dodgers
In 17 playoff games over the last 2 seasons, Shohei Ohtani now has 5 HRs and 13 RBIs
In his last 3 postseasons (19 games), Teoscar Hernandez is hitting .262 with 7 HRs and 20 RBIs
Yoshinobu Yamamoto started 4 games in last season's title run for LA compiling a 2-0 record with a 3.86 ERA
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s Game 2 between the Reds and the Dodgers
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday’s game between the Reds and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Los Angeles Dodgers at -1.5.
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A year afterPete Alonsohit free agency for the first time -- resulting in an incredibly long negotiation process that included some late Blue Jays buzz, pointed words toward Scott Boras from Mets owner Steve Cohen, and an eventual compromise on a two-year deal with an opt-out to return to New York -- the first baseman is about to test the market again.
In the clubhouse this past Sunday after the Mets' season ended in abject failure, Alonso confirmed what was already known -- he would be opting out of his deal.
This time, Alonso will be coming off a much stronger season than the one he had in 2024.
While playing all 162 games in 2025, Alonso slashed .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs, a career-best 41 doubles, and 126 RBI. He was an All-Star for the fifth time, had the second-best OPS of his career, and was a force with runners in scoring position -- hitting .309/.401/.634 in 217 plate appearances.
Along the way, Alonso broke the Mets' all-time record for home runs. He now stands alone atop the leaderboard, having smacked 264 homers over his seven seasons in New York.
Speaking on Monday, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns made similar comments about Alonso's future to the ones he made last year around this time.
"Pete is a great Met," Stearns said. "He had a fantastic year. I said this last year and it worked out – I’d love to have Pete back and we’ll see where the offseason goes."
Stearns added:
"Whenever we’re talking about departing free agents or players who were with us who are then free agents, it’s always the holistic package of what that player brings to an organization. It’s what he means to the team on the field, it’s what that player means to the community, what that player means to the fanbase. That is always part of the decision-making process, and I imagine it will be again this offseason."
Should the Mets re-sign Alonso, paving the way for him to spend his entire career in Queens? Or is it time to move on?
Aug 12, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) runs after hitting a two run home run to become the all time Mets franchise home run leader in the third inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. / Wendell Cruz - Imagn Images
WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO LET ALONSO GO
Alonso will be entering his age-31 season in 2026, meaning he's getting to the point where some regression can be expected.
He's also likely going to be looking for a massive payday. However -- as was the case last offseason -- it's fair to wonder how many teams will have a need for a power-hitting first baseman whose defense is suspect and be able to afford to pay him.
About that defense...
Alonso was near the very bottom of the league in 2025 when it came to range/Outs Above Average, ranking in the second percentile. His arm also graded out as very poor (fifth percentile), and he had issues with throws all season. It was Alonso's high throw to first base to a covering Kodai Senga that led to Senga's hamstring injury in June.
Then there's Stearns' comments about needing to improve the team's run prevention and the possibility of shaking up the offensive core.
"I come at this like we need to create a better roster that fits together better," Stearns said the day after the season ended. "I think our players worked their tails off. I think they came to the park with the right attitude every single day, and it didn’t work. So I need to take a long, hard look at our roster."
Of the Mets' core, Juan Soto is obviously going nowhere (as should be the case), Francisco Lindor is a perennial MVP candidate who plays plus defense at shortstop, and Brandon Nimmo has a full no-trade clause (and likely not a ton of value on the market given his age and contract situation). That means letting Alonso go could perhaps be the easiest way to shake things up.
While Alonso's offensive profile remains mostly terrific, he has had more swing and miss in his game over the last two seasons, striking out 162 times in 2025 after fanning a career-high 172 times in 2024. If his bat starts to slow down, those strikeout numbers could spike.
Sep 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) hits a RBI single against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field. / David Banks - Imagn Images
He was in the 90th percentile or better this past season in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard hit percentage, and bat speed.
And while Alonso could perhaps be seeking a deal worth five or six years at roughly $30 million per season, it's not a slam dunk that any team will be prepared to give that to him. Maybe the Rangers could have interest, but they trimmed their payroll ahead of 2025. The Red Sox could be a fit, especially if Alex Bregman walks, but they should have Triston Casas back and healthy in 2026. The Yankees don't make much sense since they already have two right-handed power hitters who strike out a lot (Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton). The Cubs have Michael Busch at first base.
So it's possible Alonso falls back into the Mets' lap, though it will obviously take a bigger deal in terms of length than it did last offseason.
As the Mets weigh whether to reunite with Alonso, it's also worth noting that they don't have anyone ready to step in at first base if he leaves.
Before they re-signed Alonso last offseason, they floated the idea that Mark Vientos could be his replacement. But after Vientos had a down year (.702 OPS), it's impossible to see New York going in that direction for 2026. As far as options in the minors, the power-hitting Ryan Clifford could theoretically become one at some point soon. But he's not ready, and doesn't have the same kind of polished approach at the plate that Carson Benge and Jett Williams possess.
Another thing in Alonso's favor is that he plays nearly every day, and has done so for his entire career.
Out of a possible 1,032 regular season games over seven seasons, Alonso has played in 1,008 of them -- that includes all 162 each of the last two seasons.
New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) rounds the bases after hitting a home run / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
VERDICT
There's the logical side of this -- Alonso, while not a great defender, is a really good hitter at a position of need for the Mets, and has proven he can excel in New York.
Then there's the emotional side of it.
In addition to what he brings at the plate, Alonso has been a terrific Met off the field, is beloved by most of the fanbase, and has repeatedly expressed a desire over the last few seasons to remain in New York.
If Alonso's market doesn't get out of control -- and there's really no reason to expect it will -- it makes all the sense in the world for the Mets to make a strong effort to bring him back.
It will make even more sense for the Mets to reunite with Alonso if he's open to starting to transition to designated hitter in the coming seasons, which would allow the team to place a greater emphasis on defense at first base.
In the meantime, they can seek to improve their team defense by focusing on third base, second base, and center field.
With Boras as Alonso's agent, this will likely not be easy. But as was the case last offseason, the most sensible outcome is Alonso winding up back with the Mets. In that regard, nothing has changed.
The connection was easy to make, but there will be no reunion, Buster Posey said Wednesday. At least not when it comes to this search for a new manager
Posey said he spoke with Bochy earlier this week and let him know that he’s looking in a different direction.
Buster Posey doesn't envision the Giants pursuing Bruce Bochy for their managerial opening pic.twitter.com/AtPR7r8afI
“The door is always open here for some sort of role, but the way I think things are coming into picture in my mind with where we want to go next, I don’t see us going that route with Boch,” Posey said. “Obviously, (I have) a tremendous amount of respect (for him).
“It’s interesting, when I was a player, I didn’t consider Boch necessarily a friend. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, because he had this reverence and respect that he demanded from his players, but now post-playing, I consider Boch a friend and somebody that I know I can pick the phone up and call anytime and ask anything from him. That’s where I’m at.”
Bochy spent three seasons in Texas, winning a World Series in his first year back from retirement but then having two years that were similar to the ones that Melvin experienced. Friends of Bochy believe he would go one more year somewhere given the right opportunity, but Posey indicated that he is looking to hire somebody who can be his long-term partner.
On that front, Posey offered few specifics on Wednesday at his end-of-season press conference. He said he has had conversations with a few candidates already and that work will continue this week, but wouldn’t offer any names or rule anyone out.
A couple of potential candidates could quickly become the choices elsewhere. Skip Schumaker was considered the manager-in-waiting in Texas, and that job now is open. The Los Angeles Angels reportedly are interested in hiring former MLB superstar Albert Pujols, who is ready to try his hand at managing.
