Oct 11, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) talks with media in preparation against the Cleveland Guardians for the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Waiting all day for Monday night.
With respect to Monday Night Football, it’s still baseball season. The final four teams will be in action tonight with Game 2 of NLCS and Game 1 of the ALCS on the docket. The Dodgers and Brewers will play Game 2 after kicking off their series last night, while Cleveland and Tampa Bay will begin the ALCS later this evening.
Of the teams remaining, three qualify as “small market” teams. The Dodgers, on the other hand, have spent more than the other three teams combined. Will the Dodgers secure another World Series title on the way to a lockout, or will one of the little guys prove that they can succeed under the current agreement?
NLCS Game 2: Dodgers at Brewers, 5:00 PM. FOX/FS1
RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. RHP Logan Henderson
It’s difficult to compete with Skubal vs. Misiorowski, but the NL teams will give us another quality pitching matchup tonight.
ALCS Game 1: Guardians at Rays, 8:00 PM. TBS
LHP Foster Griffin vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen
The Orioles were an incredibly flawed baseball team, but they were capable of beating both of these teams on any given night. Baltimore finished 8-5 against Tampa Bay and 3-4 against Cleveland. It’s difficult to comprehend that either of these teams will be playing for a World Series title, but that’s how it goes.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 19: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the first inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 19, 2026 at at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The ALCS gets underway this evening at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, and it’s a rather surreal moment for not just the fans of the Rays and Guardians (who are both starving for a championship), but for the Red Sox, the AL East, and the sport as a whole.
The Rays aren’t just in the ALCS, they’re in the AL East. They beat both the Red Sox and Yankees over 162 games, and then they went out and swept the Yankees in lobsided fashion, right after the Yankees swept the Red Sox in lobsided fashion. This was a total beatdown! The Rays were clearly and repeatedly the best team in the division in 2026, and even though they’ve been good and competitive for many years, it feels like we’re reaching some kind of tipping point with both the Red Sox and Yankees proving to be nothing more than Wild Card fodder for two years in a row.
The Red Sox specifically have been accused of trying to be too much like the Rays for many years now, and it increasingly seems like we’re getting the worst of both worlds. On one hand, if it’s true, the Red Sox were right about “this” being the way to run your team in 2026, but they’re also not anywhere near as good as the Rays in getting all of their assets to work together as a cohesive unit. Instead, the Sox appear to be caught in-between, where they spend much more on payroll than teams like the Rays and Guardians, but not enough to dominate the landscape and fill their biggest needs (where is our a stud power bat?). And then, the front office also can’t get the pieces they do invest in to be as situationally productive as the Tampa manages to do over and over again.
It’s a very, very awkward situation.
So, where does this leave us going forward? The Red Sox have spent the last handful years acting very much like a team that believes a salary cap is going to be imposed in a specific window very soon while also failing to get above third place in the division during that time (five straight years and counting). If you want to be optimistic, you might argue this will leave them more prepared than other big market teams if or when a salary cap is imposed. But here’s the problem: They also seem to be less prepared than the small market teams who are nailing it right now. So the situation kind of sucks no matter what, and Rays and Guardians being in the ALCS underscores this in a bizarre, humbling and underwhelming way.
The Red Sox should be flexing their financial muscle. They’re not! Then, in a world where the Red Sox are not flexing their full financial muscle, they should also be further along in getting things right after trying to adopt the cost effective strategies used by teams like the Rays, Guardians and Brewers for the better part of a decade. Again, they’re not! About the only thing they seem prepared to do is enter a post lockout world with a salary cap imposed somewhere around their current payroll. However, if we get an all small market World Series, who knows if they’re even going to get that prediction correct?
The more I look at the landscape, the harder it is to find an October outcome that’s going to make me less angry in the coming months. The Red Sox won four championships in 15 years powered by a financial engine that got its fuel from a dedicated and passionate fanbase willing to pay high prices for Fenway tickets and NESN subscriptions if it means getting a solid product in return. Not only have the Red Sox not held up their end of the bargain throughout the 2020s, but they intentionally thrown it away while now getting beat by teams with less resources who they’re supposedly trying to emulate. I find this so disgusting, and I have little to no confidence there’s anywhere near enough motivation on Jersey Street to find a proper solution.
Use this thread to talk about both LCS games tonight, what it might mean for the Red Sox going forward, and as always, be good to one another.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: Brice Turang #2 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates a home run with William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field on October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s game 2 of the NLCS in Milwaukee Monday afternoon as Yoshinobu Yamamoto will try to pull the Dodgers even while the Brewers will ask Logan Henderson to give them a 2-0 advantage. First pitch scheduled for 4pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Fox/FS1.
Oct 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Last night, the National League (NL) Championship Series began with Game 1 between the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Last year, the Dodgers swept the Brewers in this best-of-seven series before defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. Hoping for a different outcome this fall, the Brewers got off to a good start, rallying for a 2-1 win in front of their frenzied home fans. Milwaukee’s bullpen prevented the Dodgers from retaking the lead after starter Jacob Misiorowski failed to complete five innings.
Today, the Dodgers will attempt to even the series against the Brewers, while the Tampa Bay Rays host the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the American League (AL) Championship Series.
Dodgers at Brewers (5:00 PM EDT)
Seeking to avoid returning to Los Angeles trailing 0-2 in the series, the Dodgers will turn to right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was named World Series MVP last year after throwing 2 2/3 innings of relief on zero days’ rest to help his team win Game 7 in extra innings.
Following another strong regular season, Yamamoto remains Los Angeles’ postseason ace. He earned the win in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, allowing one run on four hits over seven innings while striking out 10. This evening, the Japanese right-hander will look to record his second consecutive quality start.
The Brewers will counter with rookie right-hander Logan Henderson, who has considerably less postseason experience than his counterpart. Henderson earned the No. 2 spot in Milwaukee’s playoff rotation after finishing the regular season with an 11-3 record and a 2.47 ERA in 18 starts.
He took the mound in Game 2 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres and received a no-decision after allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits over five innings. It will be interesting to see how Henderson fares this afternoon against the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup.
In Tampa Bay, the AL East champion Rays and AL Central champion Guardians will square off for the AL pennant.
The Rays are rested and ready after sweeping the New York Yankees in the Division Series, while the Guardians’ heavily taxed pitching staff had just one day off following a comeback victory over the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland won the final three games, including two in Chicago before clinching the series at home in a winner-take-all Game 5.
Tampa Bay’s ace right-hander Drew Rasmussen will make his second start of the postseason, looking to pitch as well as he did in his team’s playoff opener. Rasmussen was nearly perfect in that outing, holding the New York Yankees to one hit over eight innings while striking out 10. Pitching at home against a Guardians offense that often struggles to score, Rasmussen could once again set the tone for the Rays with a dominant performance.
With both Parker Messick and Gavin Williams unavailable after starting the final two games of the previous round, the Guardians will turn to left-hander Foster Griffin.
The southpaw, who the team acquired from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline, will make his first career postseason start. Griffin pitched once in the Division Series, earning the win in Game 3 after allowing one run over 2 2/3 innings of relief.
As Yamamoto prepares to take the mound in Game 2 of the NLCS on Monday, his catcher, Will Smith, revealed that he doesn’t even know what’s inside it.
“We’re talking constantly, so it’s probably the same stuff,” Smith said.
Another reporter immediately followed up with Smith, asking if he ever writes, “I smoked this guy,” after striking them out, to which Smith shrugged it off with a laugh and said, “No.”
Will Smith speaks on Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s viral notebook that he goes to during his starts in the dugout.
Since Yamamoto joined the Dodgers two years ago, he’s regularly been spotted writing in his notebook and taking notes in between innings.
According to former professional pitcher Robby Rowland, the reason Yamamoto writes in a notebook instead of utilizing an iPad is that he has drawings of the strike zone.
Rowland believes that inside the drawings, he features pitches that are circled with different numbers – which could indicate which pitches batters swung at. He also added that writing down the pitches in the notebook helps more with his memory than utilizing modern technology.
The details of what’s inside Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s notebook are a mystery. AP Photo/Kyla WolfAs Yamamoto prepares to take the mound in Game 2 of the NLCS on Monday, his catcher, Will Smith, revealed that he doesn’t even know what’s inside it. AP Photo/Kyla Wolf
During the World Series last year, Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated reported that Yamamoto will sit down with his interpreter and Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior in between innings and will use the notebook as his own personal scouting report and will review the next three or four hitters he’s set to face.
Last year, his method elevated him to winning the World Series MVP after he made two starts and appeared in three games last year, where he pitched in 17.2 innings, with a 1.02 ERA, and struck out 15 batters.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 11: Will Smith #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on prior to Game One of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Sunday, October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The last early start time of the year for the Dodgers, trying to even things up with the Brewers before heading home to Los Angeles.
Milwaukee added three left-handed batters to their lineup for Monday, with Christian Yelich at designated hitter, Sal Frelick in right field, and David Hamilton at third base, in place of Andrew Vaughn, switch-hitter Luis Lara, and Joey Ortiz, respectively.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 10: Travis Bazzana #37 and Austin Hedges #27 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrate on the field after defeating the Chicago White Sox in game five of the American League Division Series at Progressive Field on October 10, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have a pair of LCS games for your viewing pleasure today.
In the early game, the Brewers, up 1-0, host the Dodgers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto goes for the Dodgers, with Logan Henderson pitching for the Brewers. It is a 4 p.m. Central start on Fox.
In the evening game, the Rays and Guardians kick off their series, with Foster Griffin for the Guardians going up against Drew Rasmussen for the Rays. It is a 7 p.m. Central start on TBS.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Ryan Vilade #26 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The MLB playoffs are rolling along, and today is the first day the Championship Series for both leagues will be on the field.
Both League Championship Series are in action to start the week 😤
In a pitching showdown that pitted two of the best — Tarik Skubal vs. Jacob Misiorowski — against each other, Game 1 of the NLCS came down to the bullpens for the Dodgers and Brewers on Sunday. The relievers for both teams combined to pitch 7.2 scoreless innings, and it was Milwaukee that took Game 1 2-1 after Skubal gave up two earned runs, including a Brice Turang solo homer.
Today, another pitching duel is on tap for Game 2 of the NLCS as Milwaukee’s Logan Henderson will face off against L.A.’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Henderson gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings on Oct. 4 in his lone 2026 postseason appearance against the Padres. Yamamoto surrendered only one run on four hits, while striking out 10 in seven innings.
Meanwhile, in Tampa Bay, the Rays will host the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS. The Rays haven’t played since Oct. 7 when they completed their sweep of the New York Yankees in the ALDS. Cleveland, on the other hand, rallied back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the White Sox in their ALDS series.
Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 2) at Milwaukee Brewers (No. 1) — 3 PM MDT
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 06: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on while pitching during Game Three of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The star studded pitching matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers Jacob Misiorowski and the Los Angeles Dodgers Tarik Skubal turned out to be a bit of a dud on Sunday night. Both were overpowering at points, but neither produced anything close to a dominant start. Ultimately, Skubal took a bit more damage, the Dodgers veteran bats looked overmatched at times, and the Brewers held on to a slim lead to take Game 1 of the NLCS.
They’ll be back at it tonight, while the ALCS matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians also gets underway in Tampa Bay.
The Dodgers will send their ace, RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-0, 1.29 ERA) against the Brewers young right-hander RHP Logan Henderson (0-0, 1.80 ERA) at 5:00 p.m. ET on FOX. It’s too early for either side to think about a short series, but the Dodgers would obviously do well to even things up before the series moves to LA.
The Guardians will go with LHP Foster Griffin (1-0, 3.38 ERA) as he takes on RHP Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who was absolutely brilliant in his lone start against the Yankees this postseason. The Rays will be well rested, but the Guardians will hope to catch them a little flat-footed early on. The ALCS will be broadcast on TBS, with Monday night’s game at Tropicana Field set for an 8:00 p.m. ET start.
Both League Championship Series are in action to start the week 😤
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 06: Los Angeles pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) reacts during the NLDS game 3 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves on October 6th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Dodgers at Brewers
Brewers lead, 1-0
First pitch: 5:00 PM EDT TV: FS1/FOX ONE Probable pitchers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP (LAD); Logan Henderson, RHP (MIL)
Guardians at Rays
Series tied, 0-0
First pitch: 8:00 PM EDT TV: TBS/HBO MAX Probable pitchers: Foster Griffin, LHP (CLE), Drew Rasmussen, RHP (TB)
Oct 11, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) at bat in preparation against the Cleveland Guardians for the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: Teoscar Hernández #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a single during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game one of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field on October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a series facing plenty of left-handers against the Braves, the Dodgers offense will see a second right-handed starter in Milwaukee. Although the scoring output was disappointing in Game 1, Dave Roberts sticks with his approach of righty-lefty throughout the lineup, but there are a couple of changes.
Tommy Edman, who was on the bench for Game 1, gets the starting nod over Kiké Hernández in the ninth spot, playing second base. This is Edman’s first start since Game 2 of the NLDS, having appeared off the bench in each of the Dodgers’ last three games. More notably, perhaps, Will Smith drops to the fifth spot in the order, with Teoscar Hernández moving up to bat third, rewarded for his two-hit performance in Game 1.
It’s been no secret that Smith has been the worst Dodgers hitter this postseason; however, his at-bats in the first game of the series provided a bit of hope that he can bounce back and be a real factor in this NLCS. The Dodgers’ starting catcher had more hard-hit balls than any other player in a 2-1 defeat—it just happened that they were all outs.
Mixing and matching late in games, expect either Josue De Paula or Kiké Hernández to be ready for an impact off the bench against a Brewers reliever, depending on which reliever is on the mound late in the game. De Paula in particular has impressed with key walks in this postseason.
The Dodgers lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in the opening game of the National League Championship Series; falling behind two games could be a fatal blow. Delivering in high-stakes situations is one of the things that define Yamamoto's dominance.
Yamamoto, a 28-year-old righthander, started Game 2 of the 2025 NLCS against the Brewers. He pitched a complete-game, allowing one run on three hits with seven strikeouts in the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory. But what defined him took place in the 2025 World Series.
Against the Toronto Blue Jays, Yamamoto started two games and won both, allowing just two runs in 15 innings. Then he closed out Game 7, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings as the Dodgers won 5-4 in 11 innings and Yamamoto won the World Series MVP.
This year, in his only postseason appearance, Yamamoto allowed one run in seven innings with 10 strikeouts in the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
Thanks to his exceptional pitching mechanics, Yamamoto is among the league’s best pitchers as defined by pitch location and control. During the 2026 regular season, his strikeout-to-walk rate was 4.33, 11th best in the majors.
Sturdy
Yamamoto is dependable.
During the 2026 regular season, Yamamoto shared the league lead with 22 quality starts – pitching at least six innings and allowing three earned runs or fewer. Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies also had 22 quality shares.
Repertoire
He'll keep hitters guessing with his wide selection of pitchers.
Yamamoto throws a filthy four-seam fastball up to 99 mph, averaging around 96 mph. He throws a nasty sinker at 95 mph. But his best pitch is a split-finger fastball that, at 91 mph, keeps batters baffled.
He can also drastically change speeds with a 77 mph curveball, along with a 95 mph sinker and an 87 mph slider.
The Atlanta Braves are not longer in contention but there is still some fun playoff baseball to watch as the Los Angeles Dodgers are the visiting team against the Milwaukee Brewers. We already saw an insanely good pitching matchup yesterday, but we get another one today with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking on Logan Henderson.
Interestingly on paper in looks like the Dodgers have the advantage on paper, but some of the places people place their money do not agree.
More fun baseball is to follow as the Cleveland Guardians will be at the Tampa Bay Rays where Foster Griffin, in his first season back from Japan and after being traded mid-season, will be taking the mound against Drew Rasmussen. Rasmussen had a fantastic season with a 2.67 ERA over 172.0 innings pitched. Oddsmakers like the Rays in this matchup, but the Guardians are getting hot at the right time.
Follow along in the comments below, and don’t feel limited on just this subject. Want to talk about what the Braves should do in the offseason? Go for it. Will there even be a season next year? Who knows.
First pitch for the first game is at 4:00 EDT and can be seen on FOX. The second game will be at 7:00 EDT on TBS.
