Category: Baseball

The Yankees will kick off the Division Series from Tampa, with Gerrit Cole on the mound and Ben Rice leading off as the Bombers look to continue the chase for 28.

Going with yet another lefty-heavy lineup, the Yankees are going with Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second, Spencer Jones in right field, and Luis García Jr. at first over Paul Goldschmidt. The veteran first baseman may appear as a pinch-hitter, as may Giancarlo Stanton, who is on the roster again but won’t start.

Drew Rasmussen will get his second career postseason outing for the Rays, looking for a hot start to the series in Tampa Bay. The 31-year-old righty had a 2.67 ERA in 30 starts during the regular season. He’s posting a 2.86 ERA against the Yankees this season, allowing 14 hits and giving up seven earned runs in 22 innings.

We hope that you’ll come join us in the game thread as we kick off another postseason matchup as the Yankees race for the American League!

How to watch

Location: Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, FL

First pitch: 6:30 p.m. ET

TV broadcast: TBS/TruTV

Streaming: HBO Max

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | 95.7 FM / 620 AM, WESX 1230 AM (TB) ESPN Radio (national)

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

Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax made an appearance at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 3.

The Dodgers were taking on the Atlanta Braves in the first game of the National League Division Series.

Koufax was among those in the crowd to watch the game up close with a seat in the second row despite the brutal heat in Los Angeles. The 90-year-old has frequently attended postseason games and the World Series in recent years. The Dodgers have an opportunity to complete a World Series three-peat this year.

It was 102 degrees, according to AccuWeather, during the bottom of the fifth inning in Los Angeles. There was a RealFeel of 106, with a wind gust of nine MPH.

The temperature was just under the record-high 108-degree day set in 1987. AccuWeather notes that the "extreme heat can be dangerous for outdoor activities."

There were times Friday, manager Aaron Boone admitted, when he thought that Aaron Judge was going to be on the division series roster. 

In all likelihood, it would have been just as a pinch hitter, possibly with a chance to be a full player later in the best-of-five series against the Rays if his right calf allowed. That was all part of the discussion when Boone sat down with Judge and director of sports medicine and rehab Mike Schuck in his office at Tropicana Field after Friday’s workout. The manager then asked for an hour to think it through even more before ultimately coming to the decision to leave Judge off the roster for the second straight round. 

“In the end, I just feel like he’s not quite ready to do it,” Boone said Saturday in that same office before the Yankees fell 1-0 in the series opener. “He wanted to be on and was willing to do anything, but I just felt like for us to win a World Series — and fully acknowledging with him, and I understand this, obviously there’s no guarantees. We could be home in a week. 

“But for us to potentially have a [good] version of Aaron back, I feel like he needs this week to continue to hit, continue to ramp up the running and moving and all those things. So it was very close for me … but I just felt like this was the right decision.” 

Judge, who has been doing everything in his power in the 17 days since he strained his right calf to get back as soon as possible, took the news “OK.” 

“I think he’s disappointed, because I think he wants to be on, but I think he understands, too,” Boone said. 

And so the three-time MVP was back at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees spring training home in Tampa, Saturday morning to continue his buildup in hopes of joining the Yankees for the ALCS if they can get there without him. 

Judge has taken multiple rounds of live batting practice over the last five days and started his outdoor running progression Tuesday, a few hours before Game 1 of the AL wild-card series against the Red Sox, though he has still not advanced to running the bases. So despite making progress and looking better, it was still not enough to defy the odds and return this quickly. 

“The reality is he just hasn’t run a lot yet or started to move a lot,” Boone said. “It’s one thing to be able to go out there and manage. It’s another thing to do it [for] three hours. I just feel like that volume part of it would have been a real challenge. And if we kept him on [the roster] in Giancarlo [Stanton’s] role, in that pinch hitting role, I feel like that would have stripped away the ability to have some really good days and be in a better position five, seven, nine days from now.” 

The ALCS begins Oct. 12, nine days away from Saturday. 

The Yankees considered carrying Judge on the roster with the thought of not using him until later in the series, like once they got back to New York for Game 3 or 4, but opted against it. 

“I just felt like we probably needed a little more time for that to be a realistic thing,” Boone said. 

Boone also indicated that the turf at Tropicana Field — which can be troublesome for players dealing with soft-tissue leg injuries — was not a major factor in leaving Judge off the roster. 

“If we were at home, he wouldn’t be playing right now,” Boone said. “The turf always factors in, but it wasn’t in the immediate right now anyway. If he would have been on, it would have been in a pinch hitting role only.” 

The Yankees withstood Judge’s absence in the wild-card series without a problem, crushing the Red Sox in a two-game sweep. But trying to take down the Rays without him may prove to be a more difficult task. 

“It would be a blessing to have Aaron,” Spencer Jones said Saturday. “But at the same time, there’s games ahead that we’ve got to win with or without him. I think we’re set up, in a way, in a good position to win with the guys we’ve got.”

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have struck first in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves.

The bats were kept quiet for most of Braves opener Dylan Dodd's three innings pitched as he managed to keep pace with Tarik Skubal on the opposing mound, but the Dodgers offense wasted no time in getting after Victor Mederos once the 25-year-old righty checked into the game in the bottom of the fourth.

Freddie Freeman worked a four-pitch walk, the first of the game by either team, before Teoscar Hernández jumped on a cutter down the middle, flipped his bat high in the air and admired the ball as it sailed a towering 431 feet halfway up the left-field pavilion seats at Dodger Stadium for a two-run home run.

ALL EYES ON TEOSCAR. pic.twitter.com/JCf9KweGs8

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 3, 2026

Kyle Tucker followed Hernández up with a base hit, after which Mederos was pulled from the game after throwing just 11 pitches.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Teoscar Hernández's dramatic home run puts Dodgers up on Braves

Teoscar Hernandez kicked off the scoring for the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS as the California heat wave is taking its toll on baseball fans at Dodger Stadium.

Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning off of Braves reliever Victor Mederos to bring home Freddie Freeman who was on first after a walk.

Dodgers ace Tarik Skubal shined in first five innings of his start, allowing no runs and one hit until Braves catcher Sean Murphy blasted a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning to bring the score to 2-1. Skubal was pulled from the mound after six innings of work.

The Dodgers big offseason acquisition Kyle Tucker made his presence felt with a two-run blast of his own in the bottom of the sixth inning. In the same inning, Max Muncy hit a solo homer to extend LA’s lead 5-1.

With Saturday being the first day of a heatwave that’s expected to linger through mid-October, the fans are certainly feeling the effects of the triple-digit temperatures.

As fans started to enter the gates of the stadium, journalist Arash Markazi reported that they were being greeted with complimentary Dasani water bottles and were also being given free Gatorade as a way to keep them hydrated.

Markazi continued to post more videos of fans trying to cool off as they were gathering in front of large fan misters and were also purchasing personal-sized ones for $28. Before first pitch, he posted a video of the fans gathering under the shaded area behind center field, doing their best to cool off.

As the game was about to begin, the live broadcast showed the fans trying to avoid the sun beating down on them by stashing the complimentary towels they were given underneath their hats while covering their necks. They were also seen waving themselves with personalized fans.

Video journalist Steve Saldivar reported that during the pregame flyover, the temperature was already at a scorching level of 102 degrees.

But still, the harsh conditions weren’t enough to keep the Dodgers fan base from soaking up the sun.

On X, the account @MooneyOwnsYou posted a video of a shirtless Dodgers fan soaking in the heat, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and flip-flops, with two empty Dos Equis beer cans next to him.

@SoCalEricLittle posted photos on his X account of the Dodgers fans enduring long traffic lines to enter the stadium, while finding their seats during pregame.

When the game officially started, it was already starting to look like a packed house, as fans were seen filling in the outfield and the shaded areas in the stadium.

In Los Angeles, they’re lining up multi-Cy Young Award winners and a World Series hero named Yoshinobu Yamamoto, ready to hang zeroes for the Dodgers. Over in the other dugout, Chris Sale lurks, a future Hall of Famer giving the Atlanta Braves a chance.

In St. Petersburg, the visiting New York Yankees are so pitching-rich that Gerrit Cole didn’t even need to pitch in the wild-card round, while he and presumed Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler will square off against a pair of Tampa Bay Rays All-Stars in Games 1 and 2 of their American League Division Series.

In Milwaukee, The Miz towers over this entire postseason, a 6-7 fireballer who has learned to stretch his 102-mph Dairyland cheese across six innings.

And in Cleveland, the American League strikeout leader and a dominant rookie left-hander made the Guardians prohibitive favorites in their ALDS.

The Chicago White Sox also showed up. With five relievers in a trench coat, impersonating a starting pitcher.

And the formula remains perfect so far in this postseason.

Forget the Pope. Papal power is no match for one booming home run from Munetaka Murakami and a fantastic pitching plan, executed perfectly by manager Will Venable. And in Game 1 of this ALDS Saturday, Oct. 3 at Cleveland’s Progressive Field, the White Sox showed they were for real-for real in this playoff field, recording a 3-0 victory over their Central rival Guardians.

This was a fantastic ballgame, befitting a pennant race that saw the 85-77 Guardians eke ahead of the 84-win White Sox at the end.

No biggie. The White Sox lost 121 games just two years ago, 102 last year. Now?

It feels like anything’s possible.

How could it not? This game ended with Grant Taylor, the White Sox’s sometimes-closer who never pitched more than 2⅔ innings this season, logging a four-inning save, striking out six and walking nobody.

The White Sox have now played three playoff games. They have never trailed. Nor has one of their starting pitchers recorded more than 12 outs.

Their winning pitchers? Relievers Jordan Hicks, Anthony Kay and Bryan Hudson, two of them earning Ws thanks to “scorer’s discretion.”

The Milwaukee Brewers host the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday night, opening the best-of-five clash.

Milwaukee won 103 games in the regular season and had the best record in Major League Baseball – earning a bye to this round – while San Diego swept the Chicago Cubs in the best-of-three wild card series to reach the NLDS.

"I think both teams are probably trying to play the same game – get out to an early lead and let the bullpen handle it the rest of the way," Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters. "They have a great one from the last guy to the first guy that's how we feel about our bullpen too. It will be a tough series. It will probably be a lot of close games because of that."

The Padres and Brewers are two of the five MLB organizations that have never won a World Series title, along with the Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners. San Diego last made the Fall Classic in 1998 and the Brewers' only appearance came back in 1982.

Where to watch Padres vs Brewers today: TV channel, live stream

• Game time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• TV channel: FS1 and Fox Deportes
• Live stream: Fubo and Fox One

Watch Padres-Brewers on Fubo

Padres vs Brewers prediction

• Bob Nightengale: Brewers in 5
• Gabe Lacques: Brewers in 5
• Kristie Ackert: Padres in 5
• Jesse Yomtov: Brewers in 4

Brewers vs Padres schedule

• Game 1 (Saturday, Oct. 3): At Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Game 2 (Sunday, Oct. 4): At Milwaukee, 4 p.m. ET
• Game 3 (Tuesday, Oct. 6): At San Diego, 9:30 p.m. ET
• Game 4 (Wednesday, Oct. 7)*: At San Diego, 10 p.m. ET
• Game 5 (Friday, Oct. 9)*: At Milwaukee, 4:30 p.m. ET

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers vs Padres score, LIVE updates, where to watch NLDS Game 1 today

Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.

Cleveland ace Parker Messick made one mistake, hanging a sinker to Munetaka Murakami on the first pitch of his at-bat in the fourth, with Miguel Vargas on base, and 111 mph and 440 feet later the White Sox had a 2-0 lead. It’s definitely a moment worth savoring:

That would turn out to be all the offense the Sox would need, thanks to excellent bullpen work and lousy Guardians hitting that left the bases loaded in both the third and fourth and didn’t get anyone on base with fewer than two outs until the seventh. Sox pitchers deserve great credit, of course, but it was the team with playoff experience (and the overwhelming favorite in the series) that in the later innings took to swinging at anything thrown between first and third base and bounced fewer than three times.

Hagen Smith was cruising through his second open of the playoffs, retiring the first eight batters he faced while striking our four. But with two outs in the third inning the southpaw suddenly lost control completely, walking three in a row on 16 pitches. In came Bryan Hudson to get Chase DeLauter to hit a soft liner to end the threat (and pick up an improbable win, because he faced his one batter at the right time).

Next inning it was Anthony Kay coming to the rescue of Jordan Hicks in the same, bases-loaded, two-out situation, getting Chicago nemesis Brayan Rocchio to line to right.

But while those were momentary successes, the heavy lifting was done by Grant Taylor, who came in to start the sixth and just never left. Taylor achieved the seldom-seen (first in the playoffs since 2017) four-inning save, with two hits, no runs and six strikeouts, most of those on pitches that had Guardians flailing at pitches not even in the same area code as home plate.

Oh, yes — the White Sox did score another run, one more in the way of good fortune than good skill. Kyle Teel walked in the seventh and with two outs Colson Montgomery blooped an opposite-field dribbler against a shift that Statcast gave a 5% chance of being a hit. Teel got waved home and was thrown out easily — except Austin Hedges forgot to catch the ball:

That lousy D help from the Guardians helped make up for an excellent theft of a Tommy Pham homer in the sixth by Angel Martinez that led to a double play, with Vargas getting doubled off of first on a play right in front of him:

Today’s win means the White Sox have not trailed at any point in the postseason, and have not even been tied (beyond 0-0) over 27 innings of play.

The Sox have stolen home-field advantage in the series, with Game 2 not until 4 p.m. Central on Monday due to MLB’s inordinate fear of the NFL. The White Sox are not yet saying who will start, though Sean Burke is expected to do the heavy work.

MVP

Grant Taylor: 4 IP, 2 H, 6 K, SAVE, 34-of-42 strikes, 22% WPA

Runners-Up

Munetaka Murakami: 2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K, two hardest hits of the game, 17% WPA

Anthony Kay: 1 ⅓ IP, BB, K, 10% WPA

Miguel Vargas: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB, terrible baserunning getting doubled off of first, 9% WPA

Cold Cat

Brenton Doyle: 1-for-4, K, GIDP, –10% WPA

Runners-Up
Chase Meidroth: 0-for-4, 2 K, GIDP, -9% WPA

Tommy Pham: 0-for-2, BB, K, LIDP, -8% WPA

The Yankees' decision to not put Aaron Judge on the ALDS roster did not come lightly.

Manager Aaron Boone told the media Saturday, ahead of Game 1 against the Rays, that he met with the team captain after Judge's workout on Friday to talk it through. After what the Yankees skipper called a "good conversation," he mulled over the decision for an hour or so before making the final call.

"He’s made really good progress here over the last couple of weeks. Has worked incredibly hard to be an option and wanted to be on the roster," Boone said of Judge. "Ultimately, I decided keeping him off was the best thing. Again, I feel like he’s getting close. But I feel like for us to get a version of Aaron back, and to win a World Series, this week’s important for him to continue to work towards getting back. 

Boone said Judge just started running and took at-bats for a few days already, but the team believes the reigning AL MVP could use more time to build up the endurance before he becomes a legit option for the ALCS and beyond.

The endurance part of the progression was hit on a few times by Boone. The manager admits that the superstar could likely get through a game, but it's unclear how Judge would bounce back for the next game or the one after. That's especially the case if they want to use him in right field, since Judge himself said it would be better for the team if he could play the field instead of clogging up the DH spot.

That all went into the calculation for Boone and the Yankees when making the decision. They even considered just carrying Judge to take an at-bat off the bench, like how they handled Giancarlo Stanton in the Wild Card Series. But ultimately, making sure Judge was as healthy as possible was the way they went.

"I think he’s ready to take an at-bat. But in the end, I felt like the best chance to get a good version of Aaron is to get a good 5, 6, 7 days of building up his running," Boone said. "Building up his endurance, taking BP every day. Those kind of things. Yeah, we considered it all." 

Of course, Boone knows the team is not guaranteed to make it past the AL East champion Rays -- who won the season series -- but this decision "was the right thing to do" to get the Judge that can help this team win a World Series back.

And despite being without Judge, Boone remains confident the team is good enough to beat anyone when they are playing well, like how they handled the Red Sox in their two-game sweep earlier this week.

"We know if we play well, we can beat anyone," Boone said. "We understand how good the Rays are. We’re playing this game here tonight [in Tampa] because they’ve been the best team in the American League. We have to play well, but we also have a lot of confidence that if we play well, we can win and beat anyone. Hopefully, we can go out there and prove that."

Why Ryan Weathers was added to roster

Aside from Judge being left off the ALDS roster, the Yankees replaced Amed Rosario with LHP Ryan Weathers.

The southpaw starter will be used out of the bullpen, and while Boone didn't say he would use Weathers for more than one inning, he did talk up Weathers' health heading into this series.

"I’m excited to get him back. Going into the Wild Card Series, he had thrown one live and then I had him throw another one the day before the series," Boone said. "Physically, he was ready to be on, but I felt that second live was important."

Boone said Weathers' situation is a little similar to Judge's. While Weathers could have been used in the Wild Card Series, the team would have had to be mindful and protective of the lefty after he was on the IL with a left forearm flexor strain. Now that he got through his second live without an issue, he can be used in a way the Yankees are more comfortable with.

"He’s ready to go now, and to play a real role for us," Boone said.

It’s going to be a sweltering temperature of 100 degrees at Dodger Stadium in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, and it still isn’t stopping Alex Vesia’s wife, Kayla Vesia, from doing a full face of makeup.

On Saturday morning, Kayla Vesia posted a video of her doing her makeup on TikTok while she was preparing for the game.

In the video, the viral audio of Kyle Jenner speaking about her relationship with makeup was playing while Kayla Vesia was lipsynching the audio.

“I don’t feel like I need makeup. A lot of the time I’m not wearing makeup, but…. No, I need makeup,” the Jenner audio said.

Her preparation began with her featuring eye patches on her face. The video then transitioned to her full look that she will be sporting for the game.

It’s safe to say she won’t be worried about her makeup melting off during the heat.

In the past, Kayla has been one of the more prominent Dodgers WAGS to be active on social media, as she’s constantly posting vlogs of her day in the life as a wife of an MLB player, while featuring videos of Alex Vesia and some of the other players’ wives.

While Kayla Vesia has been prepping for the game, Alex Vesia is preparing to help the Dodgers on their conquest for a three-peat World Series title.

Alex Vesia has been one of the more reliable pitchers in the Dodgers bullpen that’s been shaky throughout the regular season, appearing in 58 innings, while having a 2.64 ERA and 74 strikeouts.

If the San Diego Padres were looking for a better way to announce themselves this postseason, they wouldn’t be able to find one. The Friars swept the Chicago Cubs at home, outscoring them 12-1 and limiting the Cubs’ offense to just eight hits. It was an all-around dominance that the Padres haven’t approached before. This is all without mentioning that Petco Park was rocking.

Now, the Friars turn to the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Brewers for their first NLDS appearance since they fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024. They’ll play the first two games on the road before returning to Petco for Game 3 and a potential Game 4. They need to take at least one game in Milwaukee to have a shot of advancing at home.

Taking the mound

Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) v. Robbie Ray (SD)

This is a big one for San Diego. Misiorowski (the favorite to win the NL Cy Young) is the best pitcher of every postseason team this side of the bracket. He will be a true test for the Padres to see how far they’ve come since last facing the flamethrower. Misiorowski dominated San Diego back in May when the two teams faced off, twirling seven scoreless innings against the Friars.

That being said, this is a very different Padres team than they were back in May. If Misiorowski makes any mistakes, San Diego will be there to take advantage. The Friars can’t afford a misstep, and could seriously beef up their odds of winning the series if they can eke out a win over the Miz in Game 1.

On the other side, Ray gets an interesting nod for the series opener. In six career playoff appearances, he owns a 7.43 ERA and 19 K’s (13.1 IP). That being said, Ray has surged this season. The veteran southpaw posted a 3.59 ERA across 165 2/3 innings between the Padres and San Francisco Giants.

The Brewers have a sneaky offense that can scratch runs across despite their lack of pop. Ray will have to limit them in a similar way to when he faced them in Petco Park. The lefty held Milwaukee to two runs across four innings of work. It seems like all San Diego will be looking for is a few scoreless innings from Ray before turning it over to their vaunted bullpen.

Batter up!

The offense was booming in Petco Park. How much of that was them feeding off the crowd’s energy remains to be seen until first pitch is thrown tonight. Of the group, Gavin Sheets figures to be the biggest wild card (no pun intended) of the bunch. He launched a two-run shot that ended up signing Chicago’s death warrant in Game 2. It was his only swing of the entire series.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Dustin Harris, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Gavin Sheets, DH
8. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
9. Luis Campusano, C

The stars continued to shine in San Diego’s Wild Card Series. Bogaerts, Machado, Merrill and Tatis combined to go 13-for-29 (.448) with three walks, eight runs scored and seven RBI. If that quartet keeps up their momentum, they could easily take San Diego all the way.

Relief corps

It’s all hands on deck for Game 1 of the series. Because the Friars swept the Cubs, they’ve got two full days of rest before the series opener on tonight. That’s great for San Diego because the Padres burned through plenty of guys to finish out the Wild Card Series. After Nick Pivetta finished 3 1/3 innings, Bradgley Rodriguez, Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller slammed the door, allowing only three baserunners combined.

San Diego will be hoping for a tone-setting outing from Ray, but they’ve got plenty of weapons to turn to in case of emergency. Adam, Yuki Matsui, Miller, Morejon, David Morgan and Rodriguez will be available to pitch in relief.

Ketel Marte’s relationship with Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo appears to be somewhat strained after the three-time All-Star second baseman endured a rocky season punctuated by an unexcused absence from the team in August.

The Diamondbacks announced a two-year contract extension for Lovullo on Thursday, and he was asked how he plans to handle Marte in 2027.

“I think what I would tell him is what I would tell every other player: the decisions you make are going to be on you now,” Lovullo said on the “Burns & Gambo Show” on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “I’m going to eliminate protecting you the way I have. And I will allow you to go out there and answer the questions on your own behalf instead of me protecting you. I think I would change my tune in that way.

“I’ve taken the mindset that whenever anything goes wrong, it’s my fault. And I’m going to protect these players like they’re my own boys. And at a certain point, I can’t do that anymore. So I have to allow them to advocate for themselves in the proper space. That’s what I’ve learned over the past couple of years.”

Marte batted .249 with 22 home runs, 76 RBIs and a .748 OPS in 141 games this season for the Diamondbacks, who finished two games behind the Phillies for the final wild-card spot in the National League.

He also didn’t show up at Fenway Park for a game during a three-game series from Aug. 17-19 without informing Lovullo or the front office that he would be missing.

The organization placed Marte on the 10-day injured list before he came back to the team on Aug. 31.

It marked the fourth time in the past four years that Marte went AWOL without the team’s knowledge.

“It is not my job to micromanage the players. It is Torey’s job to manage the players,” D’backs owner Ken Kendrick told Bruno and Gambo. “He’s going on record now in a way that you described. And I hope that Ketel, if he is a Diamondback, will be the player that he has the talent to be. And I hope he will overcome his consistent acts of immaturity.

“That is what his manager should be doing, not me. I don’t mean it to come out as if I don’t have any responsibility in all of this. I do. But the primary responsibility for the ball players is the field manager once they’re selected by the general manager. And we’ve had a lot of good results from Ketel, and we’ve had some unfortunate acts of immaturity, and that needs to end.”

The 32-year-old Marte apologized to Lovullo and his teammates when he returned to the team, explaining his absence as “a moment of frustration.”

“I’m the type of person that when something is going on in my life, I don’t like to talk about it,” Marte said through an interpreter on Aug. 31. “That morning I woke up, my body was in pain and I couldn’t react. No one made the decision for me, I’m the one that made the decision not to show up.”

If the organization looks to move on from Marte this offseason, he has 10-5 veto rights on any potential trade with his contract running through 2031.

LOS ANGELES — The temperature at the first pitch of Saturday’s Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves was a toasty 100 degrees, making it the second-hottest postseason game in Dodger Stadium history.

Official scorer Ed Munson announced the game-time temperature at 100 degrees, while the left field scoreboard at Dodger Stadium displayed 103. Either way, it’s very hot in Los Angeles.

“One hundred degrees in October in LA, that’s definitely not normal,” said Braves reliever Brent Suter, who has a degree in environmental science and public policy from Harvard. “Obviously Super El Niño is a big thing to do with that. It’s going to be a challenge for both sides to stay hydrated, especially the position players. I don’t know how they do it day in and day out with some of this heat.

“Hopefully everyone is drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated. It’s going to be a hot one,” Dodgers Game 1 starter Tarik Skubal said Friday. “I’m excited, though.”

On the field at Dodger Stadium was even hotter, as shown by the Fox broadcast.

Manager Dave Roberts was around for the hottest-ever Dodgers postseason game, Game 1 of the 2017 World Series, with a first-pitch temperature of 103 degrees at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers won that night, 3-1.

“Yeah, it was hot. It was hot,” Roberts said Saturday. “I think for us it’s obviously do as much as we can to stay hydrated. I think honestly just not let it get to us and be more mindful of the pitcher. Outside of that, it’s the same conditions for both teams, and you’ve got to just stay hydrated and manage it. I’ll keep an eye on Will [Smith, catcher], but he’ll be fine.”

Skubal said he plans to drink a lot of water himself, and was asked if that might mean more in-game trips to the restroom. “You’re just not going to the bathroom because you’re probably sweating it out,” said Skubal. “That’s probably how it is.”

Shohei Ohtani said Friday that he wouldn’t change his gameday routine due to the increased temperatures.

“Nothing for me personally, but I know the pitchers are going to have a hard time,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “I’m wishing all the best for Skuby.”

Ohtani was involved in the hottest game in Dodgers history, though as an opponent. On July 6, 2018, the first-pitch temperature in Anaheim was a whopping 108 degrees for a game the Dodgers lost in walk-off fashion 3-2 in the ninth inning. Ohtani, then in his rookie campaign, scored the tying run after a two-out walk off Kenley Jansen.

Before that game in Anaheim eight years ago, the Dodgers did not take batting practice on the field, with Roberts telling reporters, “The net of being in air conditioning and resting your body gives us a better chance to win a baseball game,” per Ethan Bauer of the Los Angeles Times.

The Dodgers did take batting practice on Saturday before Game 1 against the Braves, though were pretty much done by 10:30 a.m., when the temperature was a cool 94 degrees.

In all, the Dodgers have played in 29 regular season games in their history with a first-pitch temperature in triple digits, with the last coming on September 8, 2024 against the Cleveland Guardians, a 4-0 shutout win in 103-degree heat at Dodger Stadium that featured Jack Flaherty pitching into the eighth inning plus home runs by Ohtani and Max Muncy.

The only other Dodgers game this season that started with a temperature of at least 95 degrees was August 23 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a Sunday afternoon game — another 1 p.m. start — that was 97 degrees at game time. The Dodgers won that home game, 4-0, behind six scoreless innings from Blake Snell.

Snell will start Game 2 against the Braves on Sunday, with a 5 p.m. start, when temperatures should cool down to 90 degrees or so, and below.

“I’ll be good. It will be hot, but not like 1:00 p.m. when the sun’s straight up,” Snell said Saturday. “It will be set, and I’ll be fine.”

With electricity buzzing in stadiums, bars, and homes around Cleveland and beyond Game 1 of the ALDS was officially under way.

Parker Messick got the start as a young rookie coming off a Cy Young and ROTY caliber regular season. With the line up and roster set, Messick faced off against the White Sox surrounded by a sea of red and the roar of the Cleveland faithful hanging onto every strike. Messick held his own against the impressive Chicago White Sox offense, throwing 54 pitches through the first three innings and striking out six. In that time frame Chicago had two base runners, both in the first inning, but Parker dialed in and hammered the strike zone, reaching 98 mph.

Cleveland’s offense took a bit to get rolling, not having a base runner until the bottom of the third. Cleveland’s lineup stayed patient, working Chicago’s opener Hagen Smith until his tank was empty. Cleveland’s patience in the batter’s box from the 9-1-2 hitters loaded the bases, all via walks and forced Will Venable to go to his bullpen. Bryan Hudson came on to bases loaded and Chase DeLauter up to bat. DeLauter worked a full count but lined out to left for the final out of the inning.

The dam finally broke in the top of the fourth, unfortunately for the wrong team. Parker gave up a single to Miguel Vargas and then a first pitch two-run homer to none other than Munetaka Murakami. Tommy Pham walked, but the Cleveland defense got the opportunity to support their pitcher with an easy 6-4-3 double play. Parker got out of the fourth with an easy fly out to Kwan.

Cleveland threatened again in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Vogt pinch hit Nathaniel Lowe for David Fry. Lowe drew a walk, forcing Venable to make another pitching sub. This time turning to Anthony Kay. Travis Bazzana recorded the Guard’s first hit of the game with a double to right to put everyone in scoring position. Austin Hedges drew a crucial walk to load the bases, bringing Brayan Rocchio to the plate again. Rocchio worked a 2-1 count then hit a sweeper straight to the right fielder for the final out of the inning.

In the top of the fifth, Parker Messick came back out, got one out, but gave up a single. Vogt made the right call to the bullpen, ending Parker’s playoff debut. Messick went 4.1 innings, allowing only two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out six in his outing and threw 87 pitches, 56 of which were strikes. Parker looked fantastic and made no indication that the playoff pressure was affecting him. Something that carried over to Daniel Espino’s sole batter faced in the fifth. Espino relieved Parker Messick, threw two pitches, and forced a 4-6-3 double play to retire the side.

Espino came back out in the sixth inning after a quiet 1-2-3 inning from Cleveland in the bottom of the fifth. Tristan Peters singled and Miguel Vargas drew a walk. Vogt pulled Espino and brought out Erik Sabrowski to stop the rally. Sabrowski struck out Murakami and watched Tommy Pham hit a long fly ball. This ball looked like it was going to the bleachers, but some weird air current made the ball drop right into the glove of left fielder Angel Martínez.

Martínez caught the ball with the bare minimum space to get his glove between the ball and wall and fired it in to Bazzana who got it to Nathaniel Lowe at first for an inning ending double play. Chicago challenged the call, but it was confirmed and the out was called.

The bottom of the sixth was another lame outing from the offense, with Nathaniel Lowe hitting a double for the only base runner of the inning. In the top of the seventh, Sabrowski got two outs, but gave up a walk and a RBI double. The double dribbled right down the foul like to left fielder Martínez who made a great throw home, but catcher Austin Hedges couldn’t hang on to the ball while applying the tag, giving the White Sox an insurance run with the Guards rapidly running out of outs.

Hunter Gaddis came in to finish the top of the seventh, forcing a flyout to retire the side.

Patrick Bailey was brought in to pinch hit for Austin Hedges in the bottom of the seventh. Bailey hit a lead off single to left to kick things off. Unfortunately Guards offense couldn’t build anything on the lead off single with a floundering strikeout from Rocchio and a GIDP from Kwan to retire the side.

Tim Herrin pitched the eighth, making two quick outs via a flyout to right and a groundout to José. Herrin got behind in the count to Murakami but threw a beautiful low curveball to get him out swinging. The bottom of the eighth was more of the same. The batters went 1-2-3.

Cade Smith pitched the ninth, replacing Tim Herrin. He got two quick outs with a flyout and groundout then struck out Kyle Teel to turn things over to the Guardians for their last three outs.

Early on in this game, it felt like the Guardians were playing a regular season game and you could feel that the pressure wasn’t really getting to them. At a certain point though, it made this game rather predictable. No one could hit themself into a meaningful at bat, batters were swinging at bad pitches, and they left many runners on and in scoring position. Just like the regular season, the pitchers did their job but the hitters couldn’t reciprocate in kind. Jo Adell went 0-for-4 as the DH with four strike outs and Chase DeLauter went 0-for-4 too.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, “Lets Go White Sox” cheers rang out at Progressive Field, embarrassing. Here’s hoping that this team’s one day at a time mentality carried itself over to the playoffs. The team that played today cannot beat the White Sox if Chicago continues to not make mistakes. At some point they will need to take the opportunity from Chicago instead of waiting for the White Sox to hand it to them. Cleveland did manage to see a lot of Chicago’s bullpen and the White Sox have yet to name their Game 2 starter. If the Guardians can capitalize on this, there may be room for the offense to drive in a run home.

Game 1 goes to Chicago.

Game 2 needs to go to Cleveland.

The Yankees are set to continue their postseason run, and have revealed their lineup for Game 1 of the Division Series from Tampa Bay.

Ben Rice leads off for the Yankees after dominating the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, with expectations to continue his hot streak against the Rays. Bellinger will bat second with García Jr. in the hole, seemingly unchanged from the Game 2 lineup that secured the sweep against Boston.

Spencer Jones will hit cleanup in the order and start in right over Heliot Ramos, followed by George Lombard Jr. and Jazz Chisholm Jr., who will get the start at second over Anthony Volpe. Trent Grisham will notably get the start at center field, with Austin Wells unsurprisingly starting behind the plate.

As confirmed ahead of the postseason matchup, Gerrit Cole will start on the mound as the Yankees look to earn a series opener win.

Here’s a look at the Rays’ starting lineup, which puts Yandy Díaz in the leadoff spot followed by Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero.