Category: Baseball

The thud of another October disappointment will certainly linger in Yankeeland and obscure a fine renaissance by a talented team over the course of what was a trying, topsy-turvy season. 

These Yankees were at first great, then perplexing – and somewhat alarming – before getting themselves together. A strong stretch run led to a Wild Card series victory over the Red Sox and then an ALDS loss to, ultimately, a better Toronto Blue Jays squad. 

It wasn’t what the Yanks wanted or what their fans demanded – winning second only to breathing, yada, yada, yada. Still, the Yankees had some excellent individual performances and tied for the AL lead in wins by going 94-68 with MLB’s top offense. 

But there were some down years, too. All will be reflected in our Yankees Report Card. 

Here are the grades. Yes, this includes the playoffs: 

BRIAN CASHMAN

Plan B worked after Juan Soto left for Queens, the organization delivered some high-end young pitching, and Cashman had a strong trade deadline, even if every move wasn’t a home run. There will be the usual carping about how Cashman should pay because fans shouldn’t have to wait so long between World Series titles – the last one, you may have heard, came way back in 2009. Oh, alas!

Who knows what happens to the rotation without Max Fried? Cody Bellinger was a monster addition and in July the GM addressed a sagging bullpen and an open wound at third base. There’s work to be done on this roster – how about some contact hitters? There's also thorny questions looming this winter, but Cashman had a solid year.

GRADE: B

AARON BOONE

The Yankees had a 6.5-game division lead in early June and then stumbled, lurching into a fundamental quagmire. Through it all, Boone remained publicly positive. While that didn’t please fans thirsting for blame-game rants, it seemed to work on the roster – and the Yanks finished with the third-best record in MLB and the seventh postseason berth in Boone’s eight-year tenure. 

Maybe, though, he and the organization could have been more proactive when Anthony Volpe was struggling so badly at shortstop. Sometimes, tough love is love, too. 

Boone gets heat for game-level moves – what manager doesn’t? But, as only one example, he was huge in Game 3 of the ALDS, using his best hitters instead of overreacting to the reverse-splits of Toronto starter Shane Bieber. Then, when the Yanks fell way behind early, he set a bullpen path that stopped the Jays so his hitters could rally. 

GRADE: B

AARON JUDGE

Video game numbers again over the full season – his slugging percentage was 66 points higher than the next-best, Shohei Ohtani, he led MLB in average by 20 points and on-base percentage by 58. And hit 53 home runs. 

And now the Negative Nellies of the world can’t even ding him for his October performance after he batted .500 and hit that seismic homer off the left-field foul pole in Game 3. 

The Yankees captain is a living, breathing cheat code who does everything well. Is there a higher league he can move up to? 

GRADE: A+++

CODY BELLINGER

Defensive versatility, 29 homers and a strong all-around game added up to a nifty first Bronx season for Bellinger. He also led the Yanks with a .348 average with runners in scoring position, exhibiting a clutch gene. Needed more from him than a .651 OPS in the postseason, though. He’s reportedly opting out of his contract, so we’ll see if he returns, but he’s a strong fit at Yankee Stadium.

GRADE: B+

CARLOS RODÓN

Huge regular season in which he was the hardest pitcher in the AL to get a hit against – his 6.1 hits-per-nine was the lowest in the circuit. He finished with a 3.09 ERA and 203 strikeouts in 33 starts. He had one OK postseason start, delivering six innings against the Red Sox, but was hammered by the Jays for six runs and departed in the third inning of Game 3 of the ALDS. His 9.72 playoff ERA knocks his final grade.

GRADE: B+

MAX FRIED

Assumed the ace mantle after Gerrit Cole got hurt and delivered, big time, in the first year of his big-money contract ($218 million, most ever for a free agent lefty). His 19 wins led all of MLB and his 2.86 ERA was eighth. He was 11-1 after Yankee losses in the regular season, but was not a stopper in the Jays series – Toronto hammered him for seven runs in three innings in Game 2, which mars his final grade. He had started the postseason nicely, too, throwing 6.1 shutout frames against the Red Sox.

GRADE: A-

JAZZ CHISHOLM JR.

Was the third Yankee ever to have a 30-30 season and provides needed energy and swag to the Yanks, who sometimes skew bland. Even volunteered to play third base when needed, even though he’s best at second base where his athleticism can shine. Monster homer in Game 3 against Toronto gave the Yanks the lead for good in a comeback, though his game-changing error in Game 4 hurt chances for another rally. 

GRADE B+

TRENT GRISHAM

We all napped on The Big Sleep, didn’t we? Grisham broke out with a career-best 34 homers and an .811 OPS in taking over center field. He provided solid defense, at least via the eye test (defensive metrics are not in love with his play), and should be set up for a nice free agent payday. Struggled in the postseason, though, batting just .138.

GRADE: B

BEN RICE

Another breakout player, Rice smashed 26 home runs and was a Statcast darling, ranking among the sports’ boldface names in hard-hit metrics. Can catch, but could be the everyday first baseman in 2026, too, though he must improve defensively.

GRADE: B

CAM SCHLITTLER

One of the most exciting developments of the year, Schlittler’s emergence as a rotation weapon cannot be overstated, as hard as we might try. The 23-year-old had a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts and then exploded in the postseason with a dominant start against his hometown Red Sox – eight scoreless innings and 12 strikeouts, no walks. Then he delivered the only competent start in the entire series against the Blue Jays. Does anyone throw 100 miles-per-hour as smoothly as this guy?

GRADE: A

GIANCARLO STANTON

He only played 77 games, but was terrific when healthy, bashing 24 homers and notching a .944 OPS. Didn’t deliver the usual October Giancarlo, though, batting .192 with a .536 OPS and no homers.

GRADE: B

ANTHONY VOLPE

Volpe fell way off after a strong 2024 postseason had fueled high hopes. Had the fourth-most errors (19) in baseball and a career-worst .272 on-base percentage. He looked lost in the ALDS, going 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts. Still, he got his defense back on track after his midseason woes became a dominant Yankee storyline. Also had 55 extra-base hits, including 19 home runs, and added 72 RBI. Next year could be a crossroads-type season for the 24-year-old, homegrown shortstop.

GRADE: D

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT

Maybe he didn’t have the big power numbers (10 homers, .403 slugging percentage) that he piled up earlier in his career, but Goldschmidt provided strong defense at first base, was clutch (.312 average with RISP) and hammered lefties. He was fourth in MLB with a .981 OPS against left-handed pitching.

GRADE: B

JOSÉ CABALLERO

A fine, versatile deadline pickup who played second, third, short and the outfield for the Yanks and had an .828 OPS in 40 games. He was 15-for-18 in steals after donning pinstripes and over his time in the Bronx and Tampa Bay he led MLB with 49 thefts. How will he impact the shortstop position next year?

GRADE: B

RYAN MCMAHON

He’s a spectacular defensive player – did you see that tumble and catch into the Red Sox dugout? – who helped solidify the infield after he took over third base and let Chisholm move to third. He’s got potential for some thump, matching Rice’s average exit velocity (93.3 mph), though he only hit four homers in 54 games with the Yankees, 20 overall including his time in Colorado.

GRADE: B-

JASSON DOMÍNGUEZ

Mega prospect had 10 homers, 23 steals and a .719 OPS in 123 games. He really struggled as a right-handed hitter, batting only .204 against lefties. Only had one postseason at-bat, a pinch-hit double. Next year’s big for him, too.

GRADE: C+

AUSTIN WELLS

Hit 21 homers and drove in 71 runs as a catcher, so there was some offensive contribution from a defensive position, though his OPS-plus of 95 was below MLB average and he hit only .227 with a .488 OPS in the playoffs. Trusted behind the plate, he’s an excellent pitch-framer and caught 25.3 percent of runners trying to steal, well above league average (21.5 percent).

GRADE: B

WILL WARREN

Overall numbers didn’t match his nasty repertoire, but Warren has plenty of promise. The rookie struck out 9.5 per nine innings and had a 4.44 ERA and gave the Yanks needed bulk, tying for the AL lead with 33 starts and throwing 162.1 innings.

GRADE: B-

LUIS GIL

Abbreviated numbers were OK – 3.32 ERA in 11 starts after return from injury. But his underlying metrics were scary as his stuff lost some of his electricity while he tried harder to throw strikes. Another big talent who heads into a big 2026 for his career.

GRADE: C

DEVIN WILLIAMS

Elite reliever whose early struggles fouled his overall numbers (4.76 ERA) and incurred fans’ ire. He was the closer, then wasn’t the closer and ended as a trusted setup man with 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

GRADE: C+

TIM HILL

In 70 outings, the lefty had a 3.09 ERA and was real hell on left-handed hitters, holding them to a .181 average and .444 OPS. Had three scoreless outings in the playoffs, including a key 1.1 innings in the Game 3 comeback in the ALDS.

GRADE: B+

LUKE WEAVER

He retired only one of the seven batters he faced in the playoffs, so he had a 135.00 ERA. Yikes. His season numbers, including a 3.62 ERA, were OK, but this was not a big-time follow-up to his strong 2024.

GRADE: C

FERNANDO CRUZ

The Yanks really missed Cruz and his elite splitter when he was injured. On the split, he held hitters to a .178 average and .280 slugging. Overall, he had a 3.56 ERA and 13.5 K/9 during the regular season and a 2.45 ERA in four postseason outings.

GRADE: B

CAMILO DOVAL

Doval had a rough transition after coming over in a deadline deal, recording a 4.82 ERA and walking 11 in 18.2 innings. But he looked more like himself (2.70 ERA) in the playoffs, which added oomph to the bullpen.

GRADE: C+

DAVID BEDNAR

Bednar, probably the Yankees’ best deadline pickup, stabilized the back end of the bullpen when he arrived, even though he blew his first pinstriped save opportunity. He had a 2.19 ERA and 10 saves in 22 regular season outings and a 1.50 ERA and two more saves in five playoff appearances.

GRADE: B+

AMED ROSARIO

Utility pickup brought in to combat lefties, Rosario had a .788 OPS in 33 at-bats and then went 3-for-10 in the playoffs.

GRADE: B

As the 2025 Mets devolved from a team with World Series hopes to one that missed the playoffs, the main culprit behind their fall was the pitching -- the starting rotation specifically. 

Among the issues?

The season-ending injuries suffered by Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill in June, the summer struggles of David Peterson and Sean Manaea, and the transition from reliever to starter that led to truncated starts by Clay Holmes.

But the most puzzling thing that impacted New York's 2025 rotation was the Jekyll and Hyde performance of Kodai Senga.

Over his first 13 starts from April 1 to June 12 -- spanning 73.2 innings -- Senga posted a 1.47 ERA (3.24 FIP) while allowing just 51 hits.

During his start on June 12, Senga injured his hamstring while receiving a high throw from Pete Alonso as he covered first base. That injury kept him out for roughly a month, and there are many who draw a throughline right there when trying to assess why it all went wrong.

But Senga was strong in his first start back from the IL, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings on July 11 while allowing four hits, walking two, and striking out four.

After that, it was a nightmare for the 32-year-old, who had a 6.56 ERA (6.11 FIP) in 35.2 innings over eight starts from July 21 through Aug. 31. After his start on Aug. 31, Senga accepted an assignment to the minors, where he was unable to get his mechanics straight or find his stuff. 

In light of Senga's massive struggles, and with the Mets needing to transform the starting rotation, is it time to explore a trade?

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO TRADE SENGA

More than anything, it is Senga's ongoing struggle to get his mechanics right -- and the massive issues that often pop up when he doesn't feel they're 100 percent in place -- that has been the most frustrating aspect of Senga's tenure in New York.

And while it took until September of this season for things to come to a head, Senga was pointing to his mechanics and "overthinking" as early as July 22.

The hope when Senga went to the minors was that it was a largely stress-free spot where he could get right. That he couldn't reach a point where he was able to return and pitch in the majors should have alarm bells going off.

Looking at Senga's pitch mix, his forkball remained elite in 2025 -- hitters slugged a minuscule .188 against it -- but he had serious difficulties with consistency when it came to the offering.

Meanwhile, Senga's two other most used pitches (his four-seam fastball and cutter) were crushed.

Opposing hitters slugged .543 against the four-seamer while slugging .483 against the cutter.

Beyond Senga's battle to get his mechanics in order and find the correct pitch mix is his growing injury history.

Since the start of the 2024 season, Senga has missed time due to injuries to his shoulder, calf, and hamstring. Those issues limited him to just 5.1 regular season innings in 2024 and 113.1 innings in 2025.

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO KEEP SENGA

Senga's rookie campaign in 2023 and his first few months in 2025 are proof that he can pitch near the top of the rotation when he's at his best.

His advanced numbers from April through June in 2025 show that he was perhaps due for a bit of a regression, but his 2023 was utterly dominant.

In 166.1 innings over 29 starts, Senga had a 2.98 ERA and 1.22 WHIP while allowing just 126 hits and striking out 202 batters -- a rate of 10.9 per nine innings.

Senga's four-seamer (grading out in the 98th percentile) and forkball (93rd percentile) were also elite in 2023, as was his whiff percentage, barrel percentage, strikeout rate, and xBA. Meanwhile, his ground ball rate and xERA were above average. 

Senga might not profile as a true ace in the event he gets it together, but he possesses high upside. 

He's also relatively affordable -- set to make $15 million each of the next two seasons. The Mets have a conditional club option for 2028 worth $15 million that will kick in if Senga has Tommy John surgery or a right elbow injury that keeps him on the IL for 130 or more days.

There's also the rest of the rotation to consider when weighing Senga's future. In other words, while there are concerns about Senga, there are questions surrounding most other potential members of the rotation, too.

VERDICT

Using logic and deductive reasoning, it's fair to believe that three pitchers might be penciled in right now as members of the Mets' 2026 rotation: Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, and Nolan McLean.

Manaea did not perform well in 2025, but he was also pitching with loose bodies in his elbow. Additionally, his salary ($22 million annual luxury tax hit through 2027) could be prohibitive when it comes to finding a potential trade partner. 

It's also likely that Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong will both play a big role in 2026, though that might not come from the jump. 

As far as David Peterson, who is entering his final season of arbitration, it would be hard to give up on him.

Meanwhile, it can be argued that the Mets need to find a top of the rotation starter externally -- and probably will.

If you put all of it together, something will have to give. And the most sensible scenario has the Mets dangling Senga via trade. 

What Buster Posey took away from Bryce Eldridge's late-season Giants call-up originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — During the final homestand at Oracle Park, the lower deck was dotted with No. 78 jerseys, which will become a throwback next spring when Bryce Eldridge is given a much lower number. But those weren’t the only souvenirs from the 20-year-old’s two-week cameo in the big leagues. 

Eldridge picked up his first big league hit, and his mom even managed to snag a Matt Chapman foul ball while watching a game at Dodger Stadium. There were a lot of lessons that the organization’s top prospect will take away from September, too.

“You’ve got to make adjustments at this level,” he said on the final day of the season. “I’m just excited that I got the opportunity. I love the fact that I got that out of the way going into next year. I know the things I’ve got to work on. I’m just excited and looking forward to next year and continuing to have a bigger role on this team.”

The Giants never intended to have Eldridge get his feet wet in September, but when Dominic Smith went down with the team still fighting for a Wild Card spot, Buster Posey made the move in hopes that it could provide a jolt down the stretch. Eldridge ended up getting 37 plate appearances over 10 games, showing why he’s potentially a franchise-altering hitter and also what he has to work on.

Eldridge finished with just three hits, but when he made contact, he showed his elite power. He had an average exit velocity of 95.6 mph, a tick above Aaron Judge, who led qualified big leaguers at 95.4 mph. In a small sample, Eldridge also posted what would have been the league’s best hard-hit percentage. He was at 68.8 percent, well ahead of Kyle Schwarber’s 59.6 percent. His expected slugging percentage would have been a top 20 figure in the league over a full season. 

That power was there throughout his Triple-A season, too, but Eldridge also had a high strikeout rate, which is one reason the Giants were holding him back all summer. That showed in the big leagues, too. His 35.1 percent strikeout rate would be the highest in the big leagues over a full season. He did, however, counter that with a high walk rate. 

Add it up and it’s about exactly what was expected given his age and lack of experience. When Eldridge makes contact, it’s special … but he certainly has work to do in terms of limiting strikeouts. 

“I think it’s kind of what we anticipated we might see,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said on Giants Talk. “You could see some swing and miss, he hit the ball hard. I was impressed at some of his takes. I thought he did a nice job against some really tough pitchers. It’s a big jump. It’s a big jump from Triple-A to the big leagues for a lot of different reasons and one is the quality of arms that you’re seeing every day and every night, starting pitching and relief pitching. There were some takes against (Yoshinobu) Yamamoto that were balls just under the zone that he did a nice job with.

“It’s exciting to have a guy that you know there’s tremendous upside. I know he knows and we all know there’s a lot of room for growth still and we’re excited to keep watching that.”

The call-up put Eldridge on the 40-man roster, eliminating one hurdle to having him on the Opening Day roster next season. But the Giants haven’t committed to anything for 2026, at least publicly.

Eldridge showed he’s more comfortable at first than he was earlier in the year, but if the front office wants him to get a bit more seasoning on that side and continue to work on his approach in Triple-A, there’s an avenue to do that. Rafael Devers likely will be the primary first baseman next year, anyway. There’s some interest in a reunion with Smith, although that’s likely far-fetched given that the roster will at some point have two left-handed first base/DH types in Devers and Eldridge.

Given how much they have to do on the pitching side, the Giants could also go into the offseason with a plan to start Eldridge in the big leagues next year no matter what. A midseason injury limited him a bit in Triple-A, but he got a taste of MLB pitching late in the year and can work on adjustments all spring. That would set him up for an early matchup with Judge, a fellow 6-foot-7 hitter, and give him another chance to get one more milestone out of the way in a big game. The Giants open 2026 on national television against the New York Yankees.

Eldridge came a few feet short of picking up his first homer at Dodger Stadium. He didn’t get that first homer at Oracle Park over the final week, but he said that’s one part of the late-season cameo that wasn’t stressing him out.

“It’ll come when it comes. I’m not worried about it,” he said. “I think there will be plenty of them in my career. I just have to wait a little bit longer, but it’s not a big deal.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

In those buoyant days of spring, Dodgers fans blithely predicted their star-studded and well-financed team would win, say, 125 games. No major league team had won more than 116 but, if the Dodgers were going to ruin baseball, they would have a damn good time doing it.

Then the season started, and with it the ups and downs, and the injuries and the inconsistencies. The Dodgers won the National League West, of course, but with what they would consider a very modest 93 wins.

Eventually, far later than their fans expected, they roared. They closed the regular season by winning five of their final six series. They swept the Cincinnati Reds in the wild-card round. They dismissed the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the division series.

Read more:Plaschke: A wild finish propels the Dodgers into NLCS and past their toughest playoff test

The Dodgers have gone 20-6 over these past five weeks. That is a .769 winning percentage, which over a full season would translate into ... 125 victories.

The Dodgers have advanced to baseball’s final four, losing just once in six postseason games. If these are the real Dodgers, the rest of the league appears to be in trouble.

But what if these are not the real Dodgers? The Dodgers are winning but, as the cliche goes, are they hitting on all cylinders?

“Not yet,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said amid the team’s second champagne celebration in nine days.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith smiled at the question of whether the Dodgers have another gear within them.

“I think there’s another gear,” Smith said. “Look at Shohei.”

Ohtani, the defending most valuable player and the presumed repeat winner, had one hit in 18 at-bats in the division series. He struck out nine times.

He scored a franchise-record and league-leading 146 runs this season, just about one every game. In the four games of the division series, he neither hit a home run or scored a run.

“He didn’t do much this series,” Smith said. “I expect next series for him to come out and hit like five homers. That’s just who he is.”

The Dodgers’ starters are healthy and effective at the right time. In six postseason games, the Dodgers have five quality starts. They have deployed another starter as a closer and yet another as a setup man, and the rest of their bullpen might charitably be described as a work in progress.

In the four-game division series, they batted .199 with more errors (three) than home runs (two).

Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman each went four for 17, Teoscar Hernández four for 16, Freddie Freeman three for 15, Andy Pages 0 for 15.

“I think we won this series because we pitched really well,” utility player Kiké Hernández said.

As the players doused one another in celebration, the Dodgers readily gave credit to a Phillies pitching staff that might rate as the best they will face this October. In this series, the Phillies posted a 2.87 earned-run average and the Dodgers posted a 3.32 ERA.

“That’s a great team over there,” Roberts said. “We took every punch that they threw at us.

That said …

“I think that we can be better,” Hernández said. “We didn’t necessarily defend the way we can defend. We didn’t hit the way we can hit. Even though we beat a really, really good team, we can be even better.

“That just speaks volumes about this group. We have gone through so much together. We’re battle-tested, and we’re going to find a way to win a ballgame even when things are not going our way.”

On Thursday, they advanced to their seventh NLCS in 10 seasons by winning a game in which they did not get an extra-base hit, or a hit with a runner in scoring position. In the regular season, they led the NL in runs and home runs.

Read more:Dodgers defeat Phillies in a wild, instant-classic walk-off to reach the NLCS

On Wednesday, before the Dodgers lost their only game this postseason, third baseman Max Muncy scoffed at the notion the team was hitting on all cylinders.

“I still think there's another gear in there,” Muncy said. “I don't think we fully reached where we can be at. And that’s not saying we are, and that’s not saying we aren’t. But I still think there's a whole other level in there we haven’t reached yet.”

What would tell you that you’ve reached it?

“I think you would know,” he smiled to a gathering of reporters. There was laughter in the room, and room for his already accomplished team to grow.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Roki Sasaki was literally the toast of the Dodgers.

“Shot for Roki!” infielder Miguel Rojas screamed.

Hooting and hollering, the players raised the little paper cups in their hands and emptied the contents into their mouths to celebrate the three perfect innings delivered by Sasaki in an 11-inning, 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that secured their place in the National League Championship Series.

The emergence of Sasaki as an October hero was as unexpected as his relief performances in the NL Division Series were electric.

How did this happen?

How could a newcomer who practically vanished when he went down with a shoulder impingement five months earlier become the team’s most dominant reliever?

How could a pitcher on whom the Dodgers had more or less given up produce what manager Dave Roberts described as “one of the great all-time appearances out of the pen”?

Sasaki can point to when he started down the road to postseason glory.

“The scene in the hotel,” Sasaki said in Japanese.

Sept. 8.

Sasaki was in a hotel room in Oklahoma City, preparing to pitch the next day for the Dodgers’ triple-A affiliate.

Read more:Plaschke: A wild finish propels the Dodgers into NLCS and past their toughest playoff test

While eating, he watched videos of himself pitching for Ofunato High School. His signature high leg kick was the same then as it was now, but what he did in the next phase of his delivery wasn’t.

Sasaki noticed that he used to be more explosive before landing his plant foot and releasing the baseball.

“This is it,” he said to himself.

Right there, in his Oklahoma City hotel room, Sasaki started shadow pitching, wanting to recapture the feeling in his lower body from when he was viewed as the most talented pitcher his country had ever produced.

The next day, Sasaki rediscovered his fastball.

Of the 90 pitches he threw in his 4⅔-inning start, six of them were clocked faster than 100 mph. His average fastball velocity was 98.5 mph.

His average fastball velocity in the start before that: 94.4 mph.

A couple of days later, Sasaki met with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes. While assuring him they viewed him as a starter next year and beyond, they presented him with the idea of a temporary move to the bullpen, which could drastically improve his chances of making the playoff roster.

Sasaki has done more than make the roster.

Most valuable players aren’t chosen for division-round series, but if they were, Sasaki would have likely claimed the prize.

He saved Games 1 and 2.

Roberts called on Sasaki to pitch two innings in the clinching game. Sasaki ended up pitching three, starting with an eighth inning in which he retired Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm in order.

Sasaki made the Phillies look as overmatched at the plate as Postseason Shohei Ohtani, also pitching perfect ninth and 10th innings.

“I was relieved,” Sasaki said.

Roberts was feeling more intense emotion — “Pure elation,” he said — which was why he didn’t wait for Sasaki to return to the dugout to embrace him. Roberts jumped off the bench and hugged Sasaki on the field.

Sasaki’s effort kept the score level at 1-1, positioning the Dodgers to win the game in the 11th inning on a throwing error by Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering.

“Roki was unbelievable,” starter Tyler Glasnow said. “Since coming back, coming in from the bullpen, he’s honestly one of the best pitchers I’ve ever seen. His stuff is incredible.”

Sasaki didn’t look like this in the eight starts he made early in the regular season. Part of that was health-related, as Sasaki has said that his shoulder problems affected his arm slot. When Sasaki recovered, he regained more than his natural throwing motion and previous fastball velocity.

He also regained his confidence.

Sasaki has projected an entirely different energy than he did at his introductory news conference, at which he looked uncomfortable.

When he was asked if he was taunted by fans at Citizens Bank Park, he said he didn’t understand what they were saying. The implication: He didn’t care.

Read more:Dodgers defeat Phillies in a wild, instant-classic walk-off to reach the NLCS

When he was asked about his first season in the major leagues, he said he felt as if his injury prevented him from gauging the level of competition. The implication: If he was healthy, he would have dominated the way he is now.

“He’s very shy, reserved,” Roberts said. “But I do think that [since] coming back, he’s opened up a lot more. I think he’s showing more of who he really is and showing some emotion.”

The change was reflected on the field in the NLDS, Sasaki attacking the Phillies in a style that conveyed a hit-me-if-you-can attitude. The demeanor has contributed to him being the ace of the bullpen this October and it could be why he will be the ace of the rotation in the future.

“We’re starting to see something really special in him,” Roberts said. “What he’s done now on the biggest stages, he’s just scratching the surface.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

When Giants exec Buster Posey knew Northern California was ‘home' for his family originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Northern California is home to Buster Posey.

The Giants president of baseball operations explained why he knew the Golden State is where he belongs in Wednesday’s inaugural “415 Podcast” episode hosted by The San Francisco Standard’s Kerry Crowley.

“Well, this is home,” Posey told Crowley. “I think for me personally, it took a year away to realize just how important and special this part of the world had become to me and my wife and our kids. My wife will tell you, she didn’t want to make the move back to Georgia to begin with. … It’s really hard to explain. You’re hopeful that everybody out there gets to experience that feeling of a place where you belong. And we’ve spent basically our entire adult lives here; our kids were all born here.

“Really, what spurred this move on was [that] we came back out, probably eight months or so to being in Georgia, and were visiting some friends and here for some sort of engagement … Like 24 hours in, my wife and I looked at each other, and [we were] like, ‘Why aren’t we living here?’ And it was one of those strange life moments, where we made the decision on the fly.”

Posey essentially grew up in San Francisco after the franchise selected him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft out of Florida State, playing his entire 13-year career with the Giants.

Upon retiring in 2021, Posey moved his family back to their roots in Georgia, but as he explained, California kept calling.

And it’s safe to say it was meant to be.

“We’ve been back a couple of years now,” Posey told Crowley. “It’s great. It’s home. The downside is definitely not being able to see family as much as we’d like. But this is home for the Poseys, and we love being here.”

It seems Posey will stay “home” for good.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

This hasn’t been the best of seasons for Tommy Edman or the best of postseasons for Andy Pages.

But both stepped up when they were needed most Thursday, with Edman singling to start the game-winning rally and Pages’ soft comebacker to the mound starting the strange play that gave the Dodgers a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. The victory sends the team on to next week’s NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee Brewers.

For Edman, baseball’s biggest stage has long been a comfortable place. If teammate Kiké Hernández has proven to be one of the best postseason players in recent history, Edman isn’t far behind. In five playoff series with the Dodgers, Edman, a .258 hitter in the regular season, is batting .306. And last October he had 11 hits and 11 RBIs against the Mets in the NLCS, winning MVP honors.

Read more:Dodgers defeat Phillies in a wild, instant-classic walk-off to reach the NLCS

“Tommy is a competitor,” infielder Miguel Rojas said during the Dodgers’ beer-soaked victory celebration, a pair of ski googles on his head and a bottle of champagne in one hand. “I feel like everything that happens to him in this stage is not a coincidence.”

Edman certainly deserves something for the patience and persistence he showed during a trying summer. A right ankle injury, which sent him to the injury list twice, limited him to just 97 games and his .225 batting average and 78 hits were his lowest totals for a full season. Yet despite playing in discomfort during the playoffs, he’s hit safely in four of the five games in which he’s appeared.

“Everybody on our team likes the big moment,” Edman said. “We just do our best to keep on passing the baton and find a way to win.”

Edman made his biggest contribution in the 11^th inning Thursday, though he had to watch from the bench to see how it played out. With one out, Edman battled through an eight-pitch at-bat before lining a single to left, the Dodgers’ first hit since the seventh inning.

Edman then exited for pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim, who came around to score the winning run on a single, a walk and Pages’ two-hopper back to the mound that Phillies’ pitcher Orion Kerkering fumbled, then threw away. The comic sequence so surprised Kim, he ran past the plate before returning to make sure the run counted.

“You see the ball come off the bat, you think it's the third out, and you see him boot it and throw the ball away,” Edman said. “And that's the game right there. Definitely not the way we expected to win.”

It may not have been pretty, or even particularly memorable. But it kept alive the Dodgers’ quest to win a second consecutive World Series.

“We’re glad to be moving on,” Edman said. “And hopefully it ends well with a few more wins.”

While Edman is at his best under the postseason spotlight, Pages is...well, the opposite. He hit .211 with more strikeouts than hits in the first two playoff series last fall and was left off the roster for the World Series.

His struggles have been even more pronounced this fall. When he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the 11^th inning Thursday, he was 1 for 23 in the postseason.

He managed to put the ball in play, however, and Kerkering did the rest.

“Anything can happen when you put the ball in play,” Rojas said. “He's been fighting, and he's been going through it in the [batting] cage. I know how hard he works. The confidence that he can get from this is going to be amazing.”

Across the room Pages stood in an expanding puddle of champagne, clutching a handful of Budweiser bottles as teammates took turns pouring beer over this head.

“I knew that moment would come,” he said in Spanish. “The two at-bats before the last one, I had good at-bats. But it wasn't my moment. So, I just thought maybe there will be another one.”

For Pages, who batted .272 with 27 homers and 86 RBIs during the regular season, it wasn’t the most impressive at-bat in his short career. But it may have been the most important.

“Our goal has always been the same: to win the World Series,” Pages said.“To keep moving forward, keep winning games, is what ultimately matters to us.”

But there’s also something personal at stake for Pages, who grew up in Cuba so poor his carpenter father made the bats he played with. He escaped from the island at 15 to chase a pro career, the only thing that would make that sacrifice worth the price. His parents, meanwhile, remain in Cuba, separated from a son who they follow on TV and through social media.

Read more:Plaschke: A wild finish propels the Dodgers into NLCS and past their toughest playoff test

So Pages, juggling the beer bottles, took a moment to raise a toast to them in the bedlam of the victory celebration.

“To all the people who supported me during the bad times I was going through,” he said. “I am always grateful to them.”

Thursday he and Edman gave those people something to cheer.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

“It’s humbling,” Sullivan said on winning his first game with the Rangers. “It’s an incredible honor to be the coach of the New York Rangers. It’s a franchise that has such history to it. For me it’s just a privilege that I don’t take for granted. I’m excited about the group of players that we have here. 

“There’s been a certain enthusiasm on the team that has been really rewarding from a coaching standpoint. It’s tangible, we can feel it. We get the first win, it means a lot to me, J.T. (Miller) gave me the game puck, which was nice.”

No, he didn’t.

Yes, they did!

No, Philadelphia Phillies’ reliever Orion Kerkering did not just botch a grounder and throw it away with the season on the line!

Yes, it happened with two out and the bases loaded and allowed the Dodgers to steal a National League Division Series clinching 2-1 victory in 11 taut innings Thursday at Dodger Stadium!

Clinched, just in time.

Read more:Dodgers defeat Phillies in a wild, instant-classic walk-off to reach the NLCS

Clinched, while the other guys were clenching.

With their backs quickly approaching the wall, faced with a loss that would return the series to Philadelphia for a deciding Game 5, the Dodgers dug in and lashed out and ultimately suffocated the talented and favored Phillies to take a three-games-to-one series win and clear the way toward their second consecutive World Series title.

And they did it thanks to a mad, mindless throw from a frozen, frightened reliever.

Has any postseason series ended with such an error?

“It’s brutal,” acknowledged Dodger Manager Dave Roberts.

It happened in the 11th, after Tommy Edman hit a one-out single to left, then moved to third one out later on a single by Max Muncy. Kiké Hernández walked to load the bases, bringing up the struggling Andy Pages, who entered the day with an .053 playoff average and had gone hitless in four previous at-bats.

He proceeded to hit into his fifth out… except Kerkering muffed the grounder. When the pitcher finally picked up the ball, he still had plenty of time to throw out Pages at first, and catcher JT Realmuto gestured for him to throw it to first... but he didn't throw it to first. Instead, he panicked and threw it home, launching it far over Realmuto’s head.

“Once the pressure got to me, I just thought there's a faster throw to JT… little quicker throw than trying to cross-body it to Bryce (Harper),” said Kerkering afterward. “So just a horses— throw… honest mistake. Just it's baseball, s— happens.”

Pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim scored the winning run as Kerkering stood slumped on the mound with his hands on his knees while the Dodgers danced wildly across the field around him.

“I mean, when this happens, it's like your entire world comes to a stop,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “It's just a thud.”

One man’s thud is another man’s triumph, and the Dodgers will now be shouting their way deep into October, advancing to the National League Championship Series, where they will be heavy favorites against either the Milwaukee Brewers or Chicago Cubs.

A victory in that seven-game set will land them back in the World Series, where they will be even heavier favorites against whatever inferior team the American League can muster.

Yeah, the rest of their journey should be the easy part, the Dodgers already conquering their Goliath equal in a Phillies series that was essentially the World Series.

“It was a war,” said Roberts. “It was a battle.”

Remember last fall when they defeated the San Diego Padres in a tense five-game fight before cruising to the title? This was that. This was the two best teams in baseball. This was the Dodgers once again swallowing all the pressure and refusing to relent.

After a breathtaking six-inning scoreless pitching duel between the Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow and the Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez, the Phillies struck first in the seventh with a single, an error by reliever Emmet Sheehan, and a double by Nick Castellanos.

The Dodgers countered in the bottom of the seventh with two walks and a single followed by a bases-loaded walk drawn by Mookie Betts against closer Jhoan Duran.

This set the stage for the Error Heard ‘Round The World, which shouldn’t obscure the fact that the Dodgers played hard enough to earn this victory without an asterisk.

Glasnow, maligned throughout his two Dodgers seasons for a lack of resilience, was brilliantly tough, giving up only two hits with eight strikeouts in six scoreless innings.

“What he did, it was his time today,” said Roberts. “Today was his moment. And I was just very happy to see that he rose to that occasion.”

Roki Sasaki, struggling with injury and ineffectiveness throughout his rookie season, was equally as brilliant with three perfect innings.

“Oh, my gosh. You're talking about one of the great all-time appearances out of the pen that I can remember,” said Roberts.

Then there were the great plate appearances in the 11th inning that laid the groundwork for the error. Edman’s single came with two strikes, Muncy’s single came against a left-hander, and Hernández worked a six-pitch walk with the final two balls coming with two strikes.

“It was just a great inning,” said Roberts. “Again, we just kept fighting.”

Before these playoffs there was a lot of talk about the Dodgers’ late-season struggles that were symbolized by that blown no-hitter in Baltimore. They had no bullpen depth. They had no offensive patience. They were headed for another early October exit.

It turns out, that’s what outsiders thought. That’s clearly not what the Dodgers thought.

“I think it boils down to the guys we have in the clubhouse,” said Muncy earlier this week in a pregame news conference. “We have a lot of experience, a lot of really good players. We've been there before. We accomplished it.”

Read more:Dodgers defeat Phillies in 11-inning thriller to advance to NLCS

They were impressive in the four games against the Phillies. Here’s guessing they’re going to get even better before the month ends.

“I still think there's another gear in there,” said Muncy. “I don't think we fully reached where we can be at. And that's not saying we are, and that's not saying we aren't. But I still think there's a whole other level in there we haven't reached yet.”

The Times’ Bill Shaikin quickly asked, “What would tell you you've reached it?”

“I think you would know,” said Muncy.

The media laughed. The baseball world shivered.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading back to the National League Championship Series after an extraordinary error from Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering ended his team’s season.

A WALK-OFF TO MOVE ON TO THE NLCS. pic.twitter.com/JPveGti3Nu

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 10, 2025

With the scores tied at 1-1 and the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, the Dodgers’ Andy Pages hit a routine grounder to Kerkering. But the 24-year-old fumbled the ball and, instead of going to first for an easy out, he threw it wide of catcher JT Realmuto at home plate as Hyeseong Kim scored the winning run. The 2-1 win sealed a 3-1 series victory for the Dodgers, who will face either the Milwaukee Brewers or Chicago Cubs for a place in the World Series.

Kerkering slumped in despair after his error and was comforted by manager Rob Thomson.

The Phillies had gifted the defending champions their other run in the seventh when Jhoan Durán walked Mookie Betts with the bases loaded allowing Justin Dean to score. The Phillies had taken the lead at the top of the inning when Max Kepler scored off Nick Castellanos’s double.

It was another frustrating end to a season for the Phillies, who were the No 2 seed in the National League after winning the NL East. Despite an excellent rotation and a strong batting lineup they have lost in the NLDS two years in succession; last year they were eliminated by NL East rivals the New York Mets. They also lost in the 2023 NLCS to the Arizona Diamondbacks, despite at one point holding a 3-2 series lead.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, are into the NLCS for the eighth time in 13 seasons.

‘It's the worst feeling': Another Phillies season ends far too soon originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LOS ANGELES – To a man in the Phillies’ tiny clubhouse following their 11-inning, season-ending 2-1 loss to the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, it didn’t come down to pitcher Orion Kerkering throwing the ball errantly towards home with the bases loaded after he bobbled a come-back grounder, allowing the winning run to score. That was just a play in the series, in which the Dodgers advanced by winning three of four. There were other opportunities missed, hits that weren’t had, runners that were left stranded, plays that weren’t executed. Not a ton of them, as this was a really well played series between two of the best in baseball, but enough that putting the series loss on that one play wasn’t justified, in their eyes.

A wonderful pitcher’s duel in which both teams got terrific outings from their starters, multiple pressure packed innings from their relievers and splendid defensive gems, ended on a play that will be remembered for a long time in the Philadelphia area.

Kerkering came into the game in the 11th with two outs and runners on first and third. After walking Kike Hernandez, Kerkering got a swinging strike on Andy Pages with a 97 mph sinker. Pages then hit the next pitch right back to Kerkering, who bobbled the grounder but still had plenty of time to get the out at first, with catcher J.T. Realmuto calmly pointing that way. But the moment got to Kerkering, and when he gathered the ball, he threw it well wide of Realmuto at home and the Dodgers advanced to the NLCS with the hard-fought win.

“Just kind of the pressure got to me. Just in the moment,” said a distraught Kerkering.

As many said throughout the somber clubhouse following their final game of the season, that play didn’t define the series. Their top three hitters in Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper were offensively inept again Thursday, going 1-for-14 with four strikeouts and three runners left on base. There was a bases-loaded walk by Jhoan Duran that tied the game in the seventh inning after the Phillies purposely loaded the bases by intentionally walking Shohei Ohtani. There were seven runners left on base, a wasted wonderful starting outing from Cristopher Sanchez and a few more tidbits here and there. And that’s just Game Four. Add to that the many chances the Phillies had to not get into a 2-0 hole with losses at home to begin the series and the contemplation among the players makes sense.

“You either win or lose,” said Turner, who went 4-for-17 in the series with three RBI. “I don’t care how it ends, who it is, what it is. It doesn’t matter. At the end of the day losing sucks. It’s the worst feeling. It sucks. I felt like we played a really good team and we played really clean baseball for a lot of innings. I felt like we had some more opportunities offensively, myself included. If those things go one way or the other in a few of these games, who knows what happens. We lost and we have to do better.

“When you’re facing elimination, you can’t afford to have a single bad game or really a single bad at-bat. They all count. They all feel really big. Who knows what happens if you hit a single here or there or get a walk here or there. Who knows what happens. I think we all feel that. We want to be that person up there in those situations and we didn’t get it done. That’s on me and on us.”

The Phillies took the lead on Thursday in the seventh when Max Kepler scored on an RBI double by Nick Castellanos down the left field line. It was the first run of the game and appeared as if it may be enough to even the series and send it back to Philadelphia.

But it was quickly wiped out in the bottom of the inning, amid a very controversial call. Sanchez got Will Smith to ground out to short on a wonderful play by Turner. Then, after a missed called third strike by home plate umpire Mark Wegner, Alex Call walked. Sanchez then gave up a single to Kike Hernandez, and his day was over. On his way off the mound, he had some words for Wegner, who answered back to Sanchez.

“He knows he missed it because he told me and he apologized to me,” said Sanchez. “But a lot of pressure, important game, important situation, you can’t miss those things. You can’t miss those calls. I get it with the added pressure and all, but the pitch was a strike. So that’s going to stick in the back of his mind, there.”

Manager Rob Thomson brought in closer Duran to close out the inning and he got Pages to ground out to first, putting runners on second and third with two outs. The Phillies then gave Ohtani the free pass to load the bases before Duran walked Mookie Betts on six pitches to bring home the tying run.

“That’s Jhoan’s first career bases loaded walk,” Thomson said. “So, you’re not expecting that.”

Just as no one involved with the Phillies expected them to be ousted by the Dodgers in four games. Though they are the defending champs and still a very solid team, many truly believed this was the Phillies year.

The hugs and tears and disappointment in the clubhouse was all there to see, with the heavy cloud of free agents Schwarber, Realmuto and Ranger Suarez hanging in the air.

“It doesn’t feel good,” said Schwarber, his lips quivering in emotion. “You make a lot of different relationships in the clubhouse. You don’t know how it’s going to work out. You just make so many personal relationships with guys and you spend how much time with these guys throughout the course of the year and they become family and you just never know how it’s going to go. These guys know how I feel about them. I got a lot of respect for the guys in here, the organization, the coaching staff, everyone, top to bottom. This is a premier organization, and a lot of people should feel very lucky that you’re playing for a team that is trying to win every single year, and you have a fan base that cares, and you have an ownership that cares, you have coaches that care.”

Schwarber has often been described as the heart and soul of the team due to his steady presence and terrific chemistry with everyone. Realmuto isn’t at all behind in those categories and everyone gravitates towards the sunny disposition of Suarez.

If this isn’t that last run that the primary core of this group has, the somberness sure made a hint that it may be.

“I’m not sure,” said Harper about the future. “J.T. is one of the best catchers in baseball. Our guys love pitching to him, throwing to him. He calls a great game. Had a great year this year, had a great postseason. Schwarbs is one of our team leaders, cornerstone of our organization. I’m not really sure what happens or what goes into this offseason or where we kind of go from here. I think those guys are going to be a main decision for us and main conversation for us as a team and as a club. We love those guys and want them back.”

Thomson, who has the backing of his players to return as this team’s manager, sang the praises of his players during a season that saw them lose their ace pitcher when Zack Wheeler went down in August, and overcame many adversities throughout the season.

“I told them after the game I appreciate what they’ve done all year,” Thomson said. “They prepared, competed, picked each other up. True professionals the entire year. I’m extremely proud of how they went about their business. That goes for the coaching staff, all the support staff. It’s a unique group of people. They win as a team they lose as a team. They support each other. As bad as you feel, it’s good to see them be there for each other.

“When this happens it’s like the entire world comes to a stop. It’s just a thud. It’s just not a good feeling. Especially the regular season, we were really good. We had a lot of wins. We expected a lot more.”

And now comes the offseason of questions and answers, players coming and going. How it all plays out will be seen over the next few months, but this sting will last for a while with this group.

“I know fans are upset, it’s warranted,” said Harper. “We’re upset in here as well. Our daily life is Philly baseball. This is our family in here. This is what we do. We want to win not just for ourselves but for everybody that watches us play as a fan base and everything else. I understand what they’re going through. I’ve lost many playoff series and many games in the playoffs and it’s not fun. I want it more than probably a lot of people. I want to hold that trophy and that’s the goal every single time you get into spring training and that’s going to be the goal for us going into spring training this year.”

For now, that just doesn’t resonate for many. Not yet, at least.