Category: Baseball

There are four — count ‘em, four — LDS games going on today.

The White Sox host the Guardians in the early game, with Chicago in position to sweep and move on to the ALCS with a win. Its a 3 p.m. Central start on TBS.

The Braves host the Dodgers in the late afternoon game. Los Angeles is up 2-1, so the Braves need to win in order to force a game five in L.A. The game starts at 5 p.m. and is on FS1.

The Yankees, down 0-2, host the Rays in the early evening game. It is on TBS and starts at 7 p.m. Central.

Finally, the Brewers, up 2-1, play in San Diego against the Padres in the late game. It is a 9 p.m. start on FS1.

Talk about the games here.

Yoshinobu Yamamato starred for the Dodgers on Tuesday as they took a 2-1 lead over the Braves. The Padres scrapped their way to a victory to avoid elimination by the Brewers as starter Michael King filled in for ace closer Mason Miller, who is on paternity leave. On Wednesday, all four series are back in action, and four teams face elimination. The Guardians, Yankees, Padres, and Braves are all in a tight spot here and have to win or go home.

Here are the matchups for Wednesday, October 7.

Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox (2-0): 4:00 p.m. ET, TBS

RHP Daniel Espino vs LHP Sean Newcomb

Los Angeles Dodgers (2-1) at Atlanta Braves: 6:00 p.m. ET, FS1

RHP Tyler Glasnow vs. RHP Tyler Mahle

Tampa Bay Rays (2-0) at New York Yankees: 8:00 p.m. ET, TBS

RHP Nick Martinez vs. LHP Max Fried

Milwaukee Brewers (2-1) at San Diego Padres: 10:00 p.m. ET, FS1

TBD vs RHP Walker Buehler

White Sox at Guardians

White Sox lead, 2-0

First pitch: 4:00 PM EDT
TV: TBS/HBO MAX
Probable pitchers: Sean Newcomb, LHP (CWS), Daniel Espino, RHP (CLE)

Dodgers at Braves

Dodgers lead, 2-1

First pitch: 6:00 PM EDT
TV: FS1/FOX ONE
Probable pitchers: Tyler Glasnow, RHP (LAD); Tyler Mahle, RHP (ATL)

Yankees at Rays

Rays lead, 2-0

First pitch: 8:00 PM EDT
TV: TBS/HBO MAX
Probable pitchers: Max Fried, LHP (NYY), Nick Martinez, RHP (TB)

Brewers at Padres

Brewers lead, 2-1

First pitch: 10:00 PM EDT
TV: FS1/FOX ONE
Probable pitchers: TBD (MIL); Walker Buehler, RHP (SDP)

After an exciting 4-3 victory, the White Sox (84-78) incredibly hold a 2-0 series lead over the Guardians (85-77) in the ALDS. The South Siders are one victory away from advancing to the ALCS, where they have not been since 2005.

Sean Newcomb, 33, will start on the mound for the South Siders. Newcomb posted a 3.09 ERA and a 3.21 FIP in 90 1/3 regular season innings. Newcomb accumulated 1.7 fWAR, a very high single-season total for a relief pitcher. Newcomb pitched 8 1/3 innings against Cleveland in the regular season, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits. In that limited sample, the Guardians posted a .226/.368/.355 slash line against him.

Daniel Espino, 25, is a right-handed pitcher who will open the game against the South Siders. Espino posted a 4.11 ERA and a 3.75 FIP in 15 1/3 innings, resulting in an accumulation of 0.1 fWAR. Espino has pitched two innings and allowed one run against the White Sox. Miguel Vargas got the best of Espino on September 14, when he launched home run No. 31 out of 33 of his season.

Here are today’s starting lineups:

Baseball Reference keeps a statistic called cWPA, or Championship Win Probability Added. In this series, Grant Taylor (+3.42%) leads the way due to his ability to shut down the Guardians and close the first two games. Sean Burke (+3.00%) is No. 2, as his strong performance in Game 2 was crucial. Among hitters, Vargas (+2.81%) is the leader, as he is 2-for-4 with four walks. Munetaka Murakami (+2.07%) is next, which is no surprise, given that he is 3-for-8 with a homer. Up next is Braden Montgomery (+1.53%), who is only 1-for-7, but the lone hit was a clutch double that put the White Sox ahead.

This game is available on TBS and HBO Max, and the first pitch is scheduled to take place at 3:00 p.m. CT. Will the South Siders pick up another postseason series sweep? We will find out soon.

ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman claimed not to hear the boos that came raining down on him Tuesday night.

Having expected as much in his return to Atlanta this week, he simply blocked out the crowd every time he stepped to the plate.

“I don’t really hear much out there,” the future Hall of Fame first baseman said after Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Tuesday. “It’s just noise, because it’s so loud.”

There’s been plenty of noise around Freeman entering this series, of course, with the veteran Dodgers star being pitted against his old Braves team.

But from the beginning of the week, Freeman downplayed the narrative, minimizing his role in this best-of-five series.

It’s been half a decade, after all, since Freeman’s stunning free-agent departure from Atlanta and $162 million signing with the Dodgers during the 2022 offseason. At this point, only four of his former teammates from the Braves’ 2021 World Series campaign are even still with his former organization.

“I understand it will be a storyline, I get it,” Freeman told reporters before the start of this NLDS. “But it is five years later. I’m not going to try and look at it any differently.”

Indeed, the only real difference in this reunion has been the reception he received from his former home fans.

Over the years, Freeman usually receives ovations during his trips back to Truist Park. In his first return in 2022, he got choked up while being serenaded during his championship ring presentation.

On Tuesday night, however, there were no cheers when he was announced during pregame introductions or before the start of each of his at-bats.

Instead, he was met with a wave of repeated boos. One particularly vocal fan near the press box went so far as to begin chanting “traitor!”

To the 37-year-old, it was all to be anticipated.

“I’ve got a gray uniform on,” he said with a smile. “I expect boos. It’s OK.”

Freeman still made sure to reflect fondly on his 15 years in the Braves’ organization. 

“I’ve had wonderful experiences with the white uniform on here,” he said. “I loved every second of it.”

Then again, he also loved the way that Tuesday’s 3-1 win played out, when he quieted the boos by hitting his second home run of the series.

It helped put the Dodgers one win from the NL Championship Series and the Braves’ season on the brink of elimination.

“We’re trying to win the game. They want to win it for their team,” he said. “So it’s OK. It’s all love. I still love everybody here.”

As for the boos, he was asked again:

“I would be surprised if they cheered me in October.”

The Dodgers relied on Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s pristine postseason pedigree in a critical game once again on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old Japanese hurler outdueled Braves ace Chris Sale in a pivotal Game 3 of the NLDS, throwing seven innings, giving up one earned run and totaling 10 strikeouts. Los Angeles secured a 3-1 win to go up 2-1 in the best-of-five series.

Yamamoto and the Dodgers’ day might have ended differently if not for a vulgar intervention from Kiké Hernández.

The Athletic’s Katie Woo wrote an article on Tuesday night that included an anecdote from Yamamoto about when Hernández (who homered in the 3-1 win) and Dodgers catcher Will Smith made a mound visit after the Braves loaded the bases in the fifth inning.

Hernández could be seen whispering something to Yamamoto at the end of the discussion, prompting a nod from the pitcher.

Yamamoto clearly took inspiration from whatever Hernández said, as he got two straight groundouts to end the inning.

After the game, Yamamoto said Hernández used a “dirty word.”

He wouldn’t shed light on what this word was, only reiterating that it was “very” dirty.

Hernández’s “dirty word” may never become public knowledge. But whatever it is, Dodgers fans are happy Yamamoto now knows it.

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.

It’s the battle of the Tylers.

At 6 p.m. ET today, Tyler Glasnow’s Los Angeles Dodgers will take on Tyler Mahle’s Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the NLDS at Atlanta’s Truist Park.

After feeling confident heading home, Atlanta’s backs are up against the wall following their Game 3 loss yesterday afternoon. To make sure their season doesn’t end today, they’ll need strong offensive performances from Ronald Acuña Jr., Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies as well as a gem from Mahle.

“…All you can do out there is make pitches. I’m not trying to trick them. [The Dodgers] know. They’ve seen me,” Mahle said, prior to Game 3. “I’m sure they’re going to watch film, whatever. So it’s making pitches at the right times and that’s all you can hope to do.”

Still, oddsmakers believe Los Angeles will close out the series today. They’re -150 favorites on the moneyline and Glasnow has a 2-1 career history against Atlanta over six appearances dating back to 2017.

That being said, the 33-year-old right-hander got a no-decision in their last meeting on Aug. 25 (his first appearance on the mound in 3.5 months), going five innings and giving up three runs in a 4-3 loss.

As for Mahle, the former Giant is 3-3 all time against LA with a 3.15 ERA.

Which Tyler will prevail today?

Although we can’t say for certain, we do know the best way to find out is live.

Here’s how to tune in to the Game 4 of the NLDS without cable.

Dodgers vs. Braves time

Game 4 of the Dodgers vs. Braves NLDS is scheduled to begin today, Oct. 7, at 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET.

How to watch Dodgers vs. Braves NLDS Game 4 for free

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream Dodgers vs. Braves NLDS games for free.

DIRECTV is our favorite service for trying live TV for free. Right now, you can take advantage of a five-day free trial before saving $30 on your first month. We recommend the Choice plan, which includes FS1 as part of its 125+ channel options.

Dodgers vs. Braves NLDS schedule

• Game 1: Dodgers 5, Braves 3
• Game 2: Braves 3, Dodgers 2
• Game 3: Dodgers 3, Braves 1
• Game 4: Oct. 7, 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET (FS1)
• Game 5: Oct. 8, 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET (FOX)*

*if necessary

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

We’re all in favor of a stirring rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game’’ but it was something else that had the crowd at Petco Park rocking Tuesday, Oct. 6.

A crowd of more than 47,000 sang in unison to “All The Small Things” by Blink-182, a pop-punk band with roots in the San Diego area.

Tom DeLonge, Blink-182's frontman, clearly enjoyed the moment as the crowd belted out one of his band’s hits while the Padres clung to a 4-3 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers heading into the bottom of the eighth.

DeLonge twirled a yellow Padres towel, and when a TV cameraman got close, he belted out a few of the lyrics, too.

The Padres beat the Brewers, 4-3, pulling within 2-1 in the NLDS Series.

It was a critical victory for the Padres and their fans, perhaps  best captured by these lyrics from “All the Small Things.’’

Say it ain’t so, I will not goTurn the lights off, carry me home

The Padres will try to even the series Wednesday, Oct. 7, when they play the Brewers in Game 4 at Petco Park.

Padres playoffs: These Padres have always had their 'backs against the wall'

Padres fans serenade Blink 182's Tom DeLonge

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Padres' fans rock out in Petco Park to hit song in win over Brewers

Alex Cora is ready to hit pause on baseball — all for good reasons.

The former Red Sox manager, who was fired in April, informed the Phillies he is planning to sit out next season even though he seemed to be the favorite for the managerial job.

The reason largely revolves around family matters, as Cora is set to get married in a month to longtime partner, Angelica Feliciano.

Cora, 50, proposed to Feliciano in November 2025, sharing one photo of him putting the engagement ring on her finger on Instagram and writing “To be continued” as the caption.

The wedding bells are nearly ringing for what will be a big baseball-tied wedding for the two families from Puerto Rico.

Cora’s father, the late José Manuel Cora, founded a Little League program at home and was a baseball reporter and broadcaster. His older brother, Joey, also played in MLB and has over 20 years of coaching experience. He is currently a free agent after parting ways with the Tigers in July.

While growing up, Cora knew of Feliciano’s father, a pitcher who served as the Olympic flag-bearer for the country in the 1988 Seoul Games. “He’s a legend back home,” Cora said when speaking to The Boston Globe in 2024 about his relationship.

Cora and Feliciano have been tied to one another since 2016. Yet their love story was planted long before then.

Cora and Feliciano’s brother, Jésus Feliciano, were apart of the Dodgers organization in the late 1990s and early 2000s together — the former as a big league infielder and the latter in the minors.

The pair also played for the Mets during the 2009-10 season, which included Feliciano’s big league debut at 31-years-old.

“He took care of me,” said Feliciano. “He took me under his wing my entire career. I really appreciate everything he did for me.”

The couple has raised twin sons together, Xander Gabriel and Isander Manuel. Cora also has a daughter, Camilia, with his ex-wife Nildamarie Lecleres-Vazquez.

Feliciano, who remains private and is often out of the public eye, explained that the two try to “create a balance” during the offseason by allowing some separation from baseball in Puerto Rico. Yet it’s difficult to stay away when both families have a constant pulse on it.

In 2024, Cora was inducted into the Puerto Rican Sports Hall of Fame and months later the couple supported Jesús when he was inducted into the Caribbean Series Hall of Fame in Miami.

“If it’s up to me, for balance, I’d stay away from it,” Cora said. “[The Felicianos’] parents love going to the game, my sisters, everybody. Sometimes we have to go because everybody is there.”

View this post on Instagram

Cora and Feliciano also share a passion for running and the two competed in the New York City Marathon together in 2025.

He completed the race in 4:37:51, while Feliciano came in with a time of 5:00:17.

In 2024, Cora and his sons supported Feliciano as she ran the Boston Marathon. “Celebrating mom!!!!
Thank you @felicianoangelica for showing us the way. Proud of you!” he wrote on Instagram.

The two also find time to travel and go to fun events with their kids, including a Coldplay concert in July 2025.

“I’m very proud of what they’ve accomplished on the field, but for people to recognize what they’ve accomplished off the field means more,” Feliciano said. “I understand the preparation that goes into it, the sacrifices that come into play through this profession. I love it and I’m proud of it.”

Following a 10-17 start, Cora was fired along with four members of his coaching staff.

Triple-A skipper Chad Tracy went on to lead Boston to the wild-card round, where they were eliminated by the Yankees for the second consecutive year. This time, they were swept in two games and lost by a combined score of 18-2.

Cora had been with the team since 2018 and left with a 619-541 record.

Diamondbacks News

Arizona Parting Ways with Pitching Coach Brian Kaplan
One of these days, the team will find some stability here.

Kaplan Out After Two Seasons
The last two years have been something of a mixed bag with the team’s pitching.

How the Diamondbacks Will Treat Marte Differently in 2027
Ketel Marte will not have nearly the amount of interference being run for him that he enjoyed in previous seasons.

Diamondbacks Linked to All-Star Outfielder
The Diamondbacks have apparently been linked to impending free agent, Randy Arozarena. Just so everyone knows, I was once tabbed to potentially marry Anne Hathaway one day. I’m pretty sure my chances are still higher than Arizona’s.

Arizona Diamondbacks Arbitration Projections and Tender Decisions
Seems just about everyone is in agreement that Pavin Smith is destined to be non-tendered.

Other Baseball News

Yamamoto Outduels Sale

The two big game pitchers faced off on Tuesday night while Kike Hernandez did his postseason thing.

Padres Force Game 4
The Brewers may regret not having closed things out. Time will tell.

Previewing the Upcoming Starting Pitcher Free Agent Class
A list of players Arizona will almost certainly not be linked to.

Alex Cora Again Declines Opportunity to Manage Philadelphia
The controversial skipper says he plans to take 2027 off.

The only Dodger more excited for this game than Max Muncy, who finally gets a chance to start once again after sitting against a pair of left-handers, is Tyler Glasnow. Much like the case with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Glasnow will take the ball following a long layoff—having last pitched roughly two weeks ago—only without the same track record of postseason dominance to project total security in his upcoming performance, set to battle his namesake, Tyler Mahle.

Utilizing only two relievers in Game 3, involved in a series in which runs have come at a premium and with off days on either side of the two games in Atlanta, Dave Roberts is likely to manage this game aggressively—if not ready to turn to the bullpen at the first sign of trouble, at the very least unwilling to push the envelope with his starter.

For the superstitious crowd, you’ll be pleased to know that the Dodgers were 6-0 last postseason when Glasnow took the mound, four times as a starter, and a couple more out of the bullpen. Looking back, the perception of his postseason performance was affected by the 11 walks in 21.1 innings, but apart from a shaky Game 3 of the World Series against the Jays, run prevention wasn’t a problem for the former Ray.

Prior to the Game 3 win, the threat of Chris Sale loomed large, almost regardless of how much this team trusted Yamamoto. Mahle, today’s opponent, doesn’t have the track record, but the reality is that through the last months of the season and into the start of the playoffs, few have done it better than the right-hander. And the Dodgers offense isn’t exactly performing at its highest level.

NLDS Game 4 info

• Teams: No. 2 seed Dodgers vs. No. 3 seed Braves
• Series: Los Angeles leads, 2-1
• Ballpark: Truist Park, Atlanta
• Start time: 3:08 p.m.
• TV: FS1 (Joe Davis, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal)
• National radio: ESPN Radio (Dave O’Brien, Jessica Mendoza)
• Local English radio: AM 570 (Stephen Nelson, Rick Monday)
• Local Spanish radio: KTNQ 1020 AM (José Mota, Luis Cruz)

The Yankees of the early 1960s were a behemoth. Led by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in the lineup and Whitey Ford in the rotation, the team was stacked and fearsome, still operating at the peak of its power and winning the AL pennant nearly every year. But championships are not won solely by the top of a roster. Even the most star-studded squad needs contributions from role players to get them over the hump. One of these unheralded contributors was a journeyman lefty who brought his experience to bear in their bullpen.

Leavitt Leo “Bud” Daley
Born: October 7, 1932 (Orange, CA)
Died: October 15, 2024 (Riverton, WY)
Yankees Tenure: 1961-64

Bud Daley grew up in southern California. He came to baseball late, playing his first organized game while enrolled at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach. By his senior year, he was hitting .450 and pitching to an 11-1 record, drawing the attention of the pros. Of the many teams that came calling, he picked Cleveland because their star hurler, future Hall of Famer (and, later, Yankees manager) Bob Lemon was also an alumnus of Woodrow Wilson.

Daley had a rough start to his pro career in 1951, pitching to a 5.54 ERA in 25 appearances with Class-C Bakersfield. He started to straighten things out the following year, winning 14 games with a 3.09 ERA for Class-B Cedar Rapids, but still struggled with control, walking 125 in 227 innings. His improvement was enough to earn him a promotion to Triple-A the following year. He got his free passes in check, and by 1955, at the age of 22, he got the call to the Show.

Daley would spend all three of his years in Cleveland shuttling between the big club and Triple-A, struggling to find a consistent role. In ’58, he was traded to the Orioles as part of a deal that brought back franchise icon Larry Doby for a second act with the club. Baltimore flipped Daly before he could appear for the O’s, this time to the Athletics.

It was in Kansas City that Daley would find his greatest success. After a solid first campaign as a swingman, he joined the rotation in earnest for the ’59 season. It would be the high-water mark of his career. Daley took the decision in 16 of the A’s 66 wins, posting a career-best 3.16 ERA while making both of the year’s All-Star squads and earning down-ballot MVP votes. He’d make the All-Star teams and receive MVP votes again the following year, though perhaps largely on the strength of his breakout the year prior; Daley allowed the most runs in baseball in ’60. His All-Star berths did lead to a career highlight for the 27-year-old, who got to finish off one of the games in front of his hometown fans.

“That was one of the biggest thrills I ever had,” Daley later said. “I came in in the ninth inning to pitch the last inning and the bullpen was in dead center field. I opened the gate and started walking in. From the time I opened the gate until I got to the mound I had a standing ovation the whole way.”

The A’s were sold that offseason to the notoriously stingy Charlie Finley. After Daley got off to a slow start, he found himself on the trading block once again, this time headed to New York.

Daley’s performance was uneven down the stretch, leading to the loss of his regular spot in the rotation. But, come October, he settled into a new role. In Game 3 of the World Series, with both the game and the series knotted at 1-1, Daley entered in a critical spot. Yankees starter Bill Stafford had exited with two outs and two on in the seventh. Yankees manager Ralph Houk called on his southpaw reliever to face the left-handed Vada Pinson. The 23-year-old was one of the game’s most dangerous hitters, having just led all of baseball with 208 hits. Daley got two strikes on Pinson before inducing a fly out to right. It would be the only batter he’d face in an eventual 3-2 victory.

In Game 5, Houk would lean on his swingman for more length. With the Yankees up 6-3 with one out in the third, the skipper brought in Daley. He’d end up going the rest of the way, allowing only two unearned runs in 6.2 innings of work, earning the win as the Yankees clinched the title. Not many players in big-league history can say that they were on the mound when a championship was secured, but for all his days, Daley could.

Daley continued to work primarily out of the bullpen the next season and got another inning of work in the ‘62 Fall Classic, retiring Willie Mays and Willie McCovey to strand two runners in the eighth inning of Game 2. He wrapped up his postseason career without allowing a single earned run in eight innings of work.

Daley made just one appearance in ‘63 before suffering an arm injury that ended his season. He returned the following year but wasn’t the same pitcher. The Yankees traded him back to Cleveland before the ‘65 campaign but he failed to make their roster, hanging up his cleats at the age of 32. Daley and his family retired to Wyoming, where he lived until his passing in 2024.

While he’s far from the first name that comes to mind when remembering the mighty Yankees of the early ‘60s, Daley put together a strong, 10-year career that included excellence in World Series play. Please join us in remembering the legacy of Bud Daley.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

The Atlanta Braves took the field in the home Friday reds on a Tuesday, hoping to take a 2-1 lead in the NLDS in front of a sold-out crowd. Instead, in a rematch of an August marquee pitching matchup, they were stifled by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and couldn’t overcome three runs on a pair of home runs allowed by Chris Sale.

A lack of run support for the Braves ace was unfortunately common for the regular season, but it was especially frustrating in a pivotal Game 3. For all the hand-wringing and Narrative about Braves pitching, the lion’s share of the blame should be focused on an underperforming offense.

“Let It Fly” doesn’t hit as hard when it’s the other team doing it in your park to beat you. Yes, it’s something Walt Weiss said to the team in spring training. That, plus probably a sweet bonus of being a subtle-but-deniable clap back at our Wild Card opponents, makes an amount of sense. But my advice to the marketing team as someone else in the field? It makes for great highlight clips, but maybe give a cursory glance to make sure the season’s offensive numbers and trends can back up the rally cry.

The Braves had a golden opportunity to win and advance at home. But this weird team prefers to do things the hardest of ways, so here we are: on the brink of elimination again for the second time this postseason. What will they do this time with their backs against the wall?

Fighting for a flight to Los Angeles, Tyler Mahle gets the ball for Atlanta. Mahle spun a gem in his playoff debut for the Braves with seven innings of one-run ball against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the Wild Card series. He surrendered half of his six hits in the first inning, where the one run scored. Otherwise, he walked one and struck out six on 95 pitches. The outing was overshadowed by the extra-innings loss and was all the more remarkable when Weiss revealed that Mahle had felt an abdominal pull prior to starting. But he and Mahle have reiterated it is not an issue for today’s do-or-die game.

Mahle also had a stellar start versus LA back in April as a member of the San Francisco Giants. He outdueled Shohei Ohtani and scattered three hits, two walks, and five strikeouts in seven shutout frames. The Dodgers with the most success against Mahle with an OPS over 1.000 are last night’s architects of defeat in Kiké Hernández and Freddie Freeman, as well as Will Smith. The latter two have a homer apiece off him. Max Muncy is 6-for-19 with a double to account for his .316 AVG and .778 OPS. Otherwise, everyone else drags down the team slash line to .208/.280/300.

The Dodgers will counter with a Tyler of their own. Glasnow has a career 2-6 record with a 4.43 ERA in the postseason. He spent some time on the IL for low back spasms, but owns a 5-2 record with a 3.53 ERA in 13 games in the regular season. He last faced Atlanta in August and gave up three runs on five hits in five innings while striking out seven.

The most ABs against Glasnow on the team belong to Rowdy Tellez, who is 5-for-19 with two doubles and two home runs. The only other Braves with a homer off him is Sean Murphy, which accounts for his one hit in four at-bats. Every Brave has at least one hit except for Ha-Seong Kim and Lane Thomas, but there hasn’t been much success in sub-15 PAs, leading to the .182/.243.303 team slash line.

The Braves have faced a true gauntlet of starting pitching, and you simply have to tip your cap to Yamamoto’s brilliance last night. But they’ve got to hit to win. Get to Glasnow early/often and live to play another day, or else someone else’s champagne will be on ice in your ballpark.

Game Info

Game Time: Wednesday, October 7, 6:00 pm EDT

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

Watch: FS1 / FOX ONE

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM, ESPN Radio

Go back a week, and you’ll see that the Yankees had been favored to win this series.

They had former Cy Young Gerrit Cole on the mound for game one and the should the unthinkable happen and New York drop game one, they’d have the for sure victory in game two behind probable 2026 Cy Young Cam Schlittler. Plus, they’d have the added benefit of a home away from home with a raucous pro-Yankee crowd at Tropicana Field.

Four days and two games later things look very different.

In case you need a recap: Over the first two games of the ALDS, it’d be hard to fathom a team playing much worse (decent pitching notwithstanding) than the New York Yankees. They are having a historically awful time against the Rays pitching. Drew Rasmussen came just four outs shy of a no-hitter during game one and Freddy Peralta held the Bronx Bombers in check for the first three innings of his outing until Ben Rice ruined things. Ben Rice and Austin Wells have been the extent of the Yankees offense thus far with the entirety of the rest of the Yankees lineup collectively going 1-46.

For game two, Schlittler pitched well but couldn’t overcome a relentless Rays offense and an absolute abysmal atrocious defense behind him. Typical Rays chaos resulted in botched plays, errors, stolen bases, and well timed hits that allowed the Rays to tally five runs. The Yankees offense mustered two runs, both courtesy of Ben Rice solo homeruns. Cam Booser had the most difficult part of the night for the Rays, facing Cody Bellinger with the bases loaded and two away. After getting ahead 0-2, Bellinger lined a ball to center field that wouldn’t have been a homerun in 18 of the 30 MLB ballparks (including Yankee Stadium). Johnny DeLuca tracked it down, with little difficulty, for the final out.

Ian Seymour worked three innings, allowing just one run (Ben Rice’s 2nd homerun). Then Bryan Baker worked another perfect inning, recording his second save. With a Rays victory on Wednesday, if Baker records the save he’ll become just the 4th pitcher in MLB history to record a save in a League Division Series sweep.

And about tonight? Well, the Yankees won’t make things easy on the Rays as the series heads to New York.

Tampa Bay will face one of the best left-handed starting pitchers in baseball as Max Fried is scheduled to take the mound. There was some talk of Fried missing the start so he could be with his pregnant girlfriend, who is expected to deliver their baby any day now. However, Fried confirmed with reporters on Tuesday that he would be starting Game Three of the ALDS against Tampa Bay.

Fried signed a record breaking contract with the Yankees prior to the 2025 season and proceeded to put up possibly the best year of his career. This past season, Fried endured two seperate stints on the Injured List but when healthy, he was equally if not better than his 2025 campaign.

Over 20 starts, Fried compiled a 2.80 ERA | 2.65 FIP with a 24.0 K% & 7.6 BB% spread over 112.2 IP. Expect the Rays to load their starting lineup with right-handed bats as Fried is nearly unhittable against lefties. Those who share the same side of the plate as Fried hit just .174/.245/.228 this season over 103 PA while righties hit .209/.270/.288. Another testament to how great of a pitcher Fried is that he is able to keep the ball in the park despite playing in a stadium that is known for being a homerun haven. That being said, Fried’s numbers in New York are much worse than when on the road. All four homeruns that Fried has surrendered this season came at home and he has a 3.42 ERA in the Bronx compared to 2.34 away (and yes, that is FOUR HOME RUNS ALL SEASON).

Going to the mound for the Rays is one of the best free agent signings in franchise history, veteran hurler Nick Martinez.

Martinez has pitched all around the league and even in Japan for a spell. Most recently, Martinez was with the Cincinnati Reds and provided them with two excellent years. Despite his success, the Rays were able to snag Martinez as a free agent on a one year, $13M deal (there is a mutual option for 2027 but given Martinez’s 2026 campaign, he’ll get PAID).

During this past season with Tampa Bay, Martinez showcased himself as an excellent starting pitcher and possibly even better teammate helping to foster an amazing environment within the Rays clubhouse. He’s not a strikeout pitcher but manages to induce plenty of weak contact, which is a good approach when he has one of the game’s top defenses behind. Martinez helped his own cause by having some of the best command in baseball, evidenced by a 3.6 BB% which was easily the lowest in baseball among qualifying pitchers (2nd was Drew Rasmussen and Chris Sale with 4.8%). Among pitchers with at least 40 IP (there were 389 of them), Martinez’s 3.6 BB% was still the lowest while fellow Rays Kevin Kelly and Cam Booser slide just behind him at 3.9%.

The Yankees offense has been held in check by the Rays pitching staff but regression may be imminent. Not many baseball offenses will sustain a 1-46 performance and perhaps the squad will be riveted by return home to what is sure to be an incredible atmosphere. Then again, not many teams have a stable of arms like the Rays and thus far, they’ve been able to limit the Yankees to just 2 runs over two games while keeping most of their bullpen rested.

Game three begins tonight at 8pm on TBS

Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr.went hitless in his team’s 4-3 win over the Brewers on Tuesday night.

But one Padres fan was more worried about how his butt looked.

X user @linatheemo posted a video of a Padres fan zooming in on Tatis Jr.’s butt with her Phone camera while he was taking a knee in the outfield during Tuesday’s game.

The fan, who was wearing a Padres hat backward, snapped a photo of the 27-year-old’s backside when she was content with the photo.

Caught in 4K #ForTheFaithful #Padres #SanDiego,” the post was captioned.

It has since gone viral, amassing over 20,000 views since it was posted Tuesday night. Fans find it hilarious how shameless the fan is with this photo.

Then again, the fan surely had no idea they were being recorded while capturing a photo of Tatis Jr.’s backside.

This isn’t the first Padres fan to go viral for a romantic storyline this postseason.

Another San Diego fan got a ton of attention for using social media to find a date to a wild-card game. This fan was successful in finding their date, largely because their initial post got so much traction.

This Padres fan may have gone viral, but the Tatis Jr. close-up probably won’t help her dating prospects.