HOUSTON — The Houston Astros have parted ways with manager Joe Espada after deciding not to renew his expiring contract.
The team announced the decision while also moving on from several members of his coaching staff. His contract is set to expire at the end of October.
“We are thankful for Joe’s hard work, his passion for the game, and for his commitment to the Houston Astros,” team owner Jim Crane said in a statement. “He represented the Astros and the Houston community in the most positive way. We wish he and his family the best moving forward.”
The move comes after the Astros overcame a plethora of injuries to win the AL West with an 81-81 record and become the first team in Major League Baseball history to reach the postseason without a winning record. They were then swept by the Chicago White Sox in two games at home in a Wild Card Playoff series.
The Astros now will be searching for a new manager and general manager after former GM Dana Brown was fired in August.
The Astros also parted ways with catching instructor Tim Cossins, game planning coach Tommy Kawamura, third base coach Tony Perezchica, assistant hitting coach Anthony Iapoce and assistant pitching coach Ethan Katz.
The team said bench coach Omar Lopez has been offered an opportunity to remain in the Astros organization in a new role.
The Astros are retaining pitching coach Josh Miller, first base coach Dave Clark, major league field coordinator Jason Bell, hitting coach Victor Rodriguez and longtime bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte.
It was the first managerial job for Espada, who was in his third year after being promoted from bench coach after Dusty Baker retired following the 2023 season.
Houston won the AL West in Espada’s first season in 2024 but was swept by the Detroit Tigers in the wild card playoff round. That series loss ended a streak of seven straight appearances in the AL Championship Series, and that included four World Series trips and titles in 2017 and 2022.
The Astros went 87-75 last season to finish second in the division and miss the playoffs, snapping a streak of eight consecutive appearances.
The 51-year-old Espada went 256-229 as Houston’s manager.
He’s been with the Astros since joining them as the bench coach in 2018. Espada, who was born in Puerto Rico, was the second Latino manager in franchise history, joining Cuban-born Preston Gomez, Houston’s manager from 1974-75.
Espada began his coaching career in the Marlins organization, working in the minors until moving to the big league club as the third base coach in 2010.
He remained with the Marlins through the 2013 season before taking a job as a special assistant to New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. He joined the Yankees coaching staff in 2015 and worked as their infield and third base coach through the 2017 season before coming to Houston.
Espada was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 1996 amateur draft and spent nine seasons in the minors. He advanced to Triple-A as a player, but retired at age 29 after failing to reach the majors before beginning his coaching career.
Benge will be competing with Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks and Seiya Suzuki of the Cubs for the award.
In his rookie season, Benge emerged as a game-changer in the outfield with both his glove and arm.
Benge was above average when it came to OAA (Outs Above Average), grading out in the 70th percentile, via Baseball Savant. He was at the very top of the league in arm value (100th percentile) and arm strength (99th percentile).
He also had 10 outfield assists, which was tops among all NL right fielders and third among all NL outfielders (Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages had 14 and Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill had 11).
Given how poorly Carroll's arm rated (he was in the first percentile in arm value), it's possible the race comes down to Benge and Suzuki, whose advanced numbers were elite across the board.
McLean is battling with Chris Sale of the Braves and Michael McGreevy of the Cardinals for the NL award at pitcher.
Torrens, who is seeking to become the first Mets catcher to ever win a Gold Glove, is up against Freddy Fermin of the Padres and Gabriel Moreno of the Diamondbacks.
Torrens' defense was elite in 2026, with his blocks above average (85th percentile), framing (86th percentile), caught stealing above average (89th percentile), and pop time (95th percentile) all near the top of the league.
The last Met to win a Gold Glove was Juan Lagares, who secured the award for center field in 2014.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 30: Manager Joe Espada #19 of the Houston Astros looks on in the first inning of game two of the American League Wild Card Series against the Chicago White Sox at Daikin Park on September 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I think this was expected, given that the Astros granted the Seattle Mariners permission to interview Espada for Seattle’s vacant managerial job. The interesting thing, though, is that a number of coaches — pitching coach Josh Miller, hitting coach Victor Rodriguez, first base coach Dave Clark, major league field coordinator Jason Bell, and bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte will reportedly return for the 2027 season.
The Astros are not bringing back assistant hitting caoch Anthony Iapoce, assistant pitching coach Ethan Katz, third base coach Tony Perezchica, game planning coach Tommy Kawamura and catching instructor Tim Cossins. If Iapoce’s name sounds familiar, he was the Rangers’ hitting coach under Jeff Banister from 2016-18.
This is kind of weird. The Astros do not have a manager or general manager at this point, and in the normal course of things, you’d expect the team to hire a general manager, who would hire a manager, who would then assemble a coaching staff. As it is, the incoming general manager and the incoming manager will apparently be inheriting coaches that are already in place and that they will be expected to work with.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 19: Vinnie Pasquantino #9, Bobby Witt Jr. #7 and Michael Massey #19 of the Kansas City Royals celebrate a 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium on July 19, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While the Royals may have struggled on offense at times this year, defense does not slump. The Royals flashed some leather in the infield this year, and today all four defenders were named finalists for Gold Glove Awards. Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey, and Nick Loftin are all up for the first award, while two-time winner Bobby Witt Jr. has a chance to repeat as top overall defender.
Bobby Witt Jr. won the 2025 American League Platinum Award for top overall defender. He led all American League players at all positions with +25 Outs Above Average. He led all American League shortstops with 71 double plays and Fielding Run Value with +17.
Vinnie Pasquantino was second among American League first baseman in Defensive Runs Saved with 7, behind only Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is also a finalist. Houston’s Christian Walker is the other Gold Glove finalist at first base.
Michael Massey was second among all American League second basemen in Outs Above Average at +11 behind only Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Yankees and was tied for second in Defensive Runs Saved with 5 behind only Cole Young of the Mariners. He tied Young for the highest fielding percentage for anyone with at least 750 innings at .990, and his 68 double plays were second behind only Young. Massey is up against Young and Chase Meidroth of the White Sox, all of whom are seeking their first Gold Glove.
In his first full year in the big leagues, Nick Loftin was tied for fourth among American League third basemen in Outs Above Average with +6 and was third in fielding percentage for third basemen with 500+ innings at .982. Loftin is up against Caleb Durbin of the Red Sox and Brooks Lee of the Twins.
Winners will be announced on November 1 on ESPN. Here is how Gold Glove finalists and winners are determined, according to MLB.com:
To determine the winners at the nine standard positions, the 30 MLB managers and up to six coaches from each team vote from a pool of players in their league, excluding players from their own team. These votes comprise 75% of the selection total, with the SABR Defensive Index counting for the other 25%.
For the utility position, Rawlings collaborated with SABR to create a specialized defensive formula separate from the traditional selection process.
Here is a complete list of finalists:
American League
Pitcher: Tanner Bibee (Guardians), Jacob deGrom (Rangers), José Soriano (Angels/Blue JAayS)
Austin Wells, Cody Bellinger and Jose Caballero are three Yankees named finalists for the Gold Glove Award at their respective positions Wednesday.
Wells, along with Toronto's Brandon Valenzuela and the Tigers' Dillon Dingler are the three American League catchers vying for the top defensive award in MLB.
The Yankees backstop may have struggled offensively, but his defense continued to improve this season. According to Baseball Savant, the 27-year-old is in the 92nd percentile in blocks above average (9) and in the 95th percentile in framing (7). While his caught-stealing average (-3) and pop time (1.97) rank low, his work behind the plate while managing one of the best starting rotations in the majors has earned Wells his first nomination.
For Bellinger, the veteran outfielder is looking for his second Gold Glove after capturing the award in his 2019 MVP year.
Bellinger is joined by the Rangers' Wyatt Langford and the Rays' Chandler Simpson as the three finalists for AL left field. The 31-year-old led all left fielders in DRS (21) and FRV (8) and was second in OAA (6).
Caballero will be up against the Rangers' Ezequiel Duran and the Tigers' Zach McKinstry in the utility category. He'll look to be the second Yankee ever to win the award in that category after DJ LeMahieu was the inaugural AL winner back in 2022.
The Gold Glove Award winners will be announced Nov. 1.
The Cubs are known as an elite defensive unit and today, Rawlings announced the “finalists” for their Gold Glove Awards for this year.
In reality, these aren’t actually “finalists,” which is why that’s in quotes — there isn’t another election. The players named today are simply the top three vote-getters at every position in the voting that was conducted before the end of the regular season.
Five Cubs are listed as finalists: Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field (one previous Gold Glove), Alex Bregman at third base (one previous Gold Glove), Dansby Swanson at shortstop (two previous Gold Gloves), Ian Happ for left field (four previous Gold Gloves) and Seiya Suzuki for right field (this would be his first, though he won five Golden Gloves in Japan, the NPB equivalent).
It’s a bit of a surprise, but not that much, that former Gold Glove winner Nico Hoerner didn’t make it. Hoerner wound up playing at shortstop in Dansby Swanson’s place this year, and while Nico was still an elite fielder, his defensive numbers were down a bit.
Congratulations to all the Cubs named today and I believe there should be several winners here, likely PCA and Happ for sure, and hopefully the other three.
The 2026 Gold Glove winners will be announced in an ESPN broadcast at 8 p.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 1. Platinum Glove voting will begin immediately after the broadcast on Rawlings.com.
Jim Crane clearly wanted an organization reset in Houston.
The Astros are not renewing manager Joe Espada’s expiring contract, the team announced Wednesday, moving on from the third-year skipper months after dumping general manager Dana Brown.
Houston also announced that five additional coaches will also not be returning for 2027, while bench coach Omar Lopez has been offered a new role within the organization.
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (21) looks on in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“We are thankful for Joe’s hard work, his passion for the game, and for his commitment to the Houston Astros,” Crane, the owner, said in a statement posted to MLB.com. “He represented the Astros and the Houston community in the most positive way. We wish he and his family the best moving forward.”
The Astros are going through a down period following their seven straight ALCS trips from 2017-23 that resulted in two World Series, having failed to win a playoff series during Espada’s three years.
After serving as the team’s bench coach from 2018-23, the former Yankees assistant took over a team that lost in the Game 7 of the 2023 ALCS and oversaw a wild-card sweep in 2024 by the Tigers, a 2025 campaign without a postseason berth and another wild-card sweep this year by the Guardians.
Houston Astros owner Jim Crane speaks during a news conference before the start of the first official spring training baseball practice for the team Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Fla. AP
Espada went 256-229 in the regular season and 0-4 in the postseason as the team’s manager, winning a pair of AL West crowns.
This year’s team won the division with an 81-81 record, the worst record for an MLB playoff team in a 162-game season, and that inconsistency cost Brown his job in late August.
There had been rumors of disputing views on a trade involving reliever Bryan Abreu that Crane ultimately nixed.
After the split, which came during the last year of Brown’s contract, the team said in a release at the time that Crane would oversee baseball operations during the “transition period.”
In its announcement Wednesday, the Astros also stated that five coaches will be retained for 2027, including the pitching and hitting coaches.
While Houston has enjoyed grand success over the last 10 years, consistently allowing premium talent like Gerrit Cole, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, to exit has left the roster exposed.
On this day 104 years ago, Ray Schalk’s squeeze bunt led to a walk-off win for the White Sox that kept them alive in the City Series. | (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
1906 The White Sox beat the Cubs, winning the World Series four games to two, behind the pitching of Doc White. The South Siders clinched the title by winning the sixth game, 8-3. The White Sox wasted no time in putting this one out of reach, jumping out to a 7-1 lead after two innings against Cubs ace Mordecai Brown, who was knocked from the box with two outs in the second inning. Jiggs Donohue provided the most potent blow, driving in two runs with a ground-rule double in the bottom of the first, putting the White Sox up for good, 3-1.
The win remains one of the biggest upsets in World Series history. Ironically, the light-hitting White Sox ended up putting up 37 hits in the Series, to the 116-36-3 Cubs’ 36. The “Hitless Wonders” White Sox had a team batting average of only .230 for the season and hit even worse (.198) in the series. But they collected 10 doubles and three triples in the six games — and held the powerful Cubs to a series batting average of only .196.
Best of all, a crowd of 19,249 at South Side Park got to witness the only home win of the entire World Series.
Ed Walsh won two games for the Sox during the Series, with infielder George Rohe batting .333, leading the team with an OPS of better than 1.000, and playing in all six games. Rohe also contributed the key moment of the Series, clearing the bases with a two-out triple to give the White Sox a lead in Game 3 and contributing a Series-high 276.51 championship leverage (cLI) score to the cause.
Based on championship win probability (cWPA), the MVP of the Series would have gone to Nick Altrock, who won Game 1 and lost a heartbreaker in Game 4, with 26.33% cWPA. Others in the running would have included Donohue (18.39%), Rohe (13.55%) and George Davis (17.72%).
Leadoff hitter Ed Hahn smacked four singles in five at-bats, just the second White Sox player to have four hits in one postseason game — answering Frank Isbell’s effort all the way back in … Game 5 of the Series! Only two White Sox have matched that feat since.
Reflective of the time, both the White Sox and Cubs used just four pitchers apiece to span all 54 innings of the Series.
After the win, owner Charles Comiskey handed a $15,000 check to manager Fielder Jones, to be split among the players. The players viewed the check as a bonus for their championship effort. Comiskey, though, considered it as part of their 1907 salary! To put that bonus/advance in perspective, the loser’s share for the Cubs ($439.50) remains the lowest in World Series history.
The 1906 Fall Classic remains the only time in 120 years that the White Sox and Cubs have ever met in the postseason. It also remains the only playoff series the White Sox have ever clinched at home.
1911 Matty McIntyre doubled to tie Game 2 of the City Series, 7-7, in the top of the eighth at Wrigley Field. Later in the frame, McIntyre would score the eventual winning run. The clutch hit was capped quite a season for McIntyre; the White Sox had purchased the veteran left fielder from Detroit before the season, and the 31-year-old delivered in a big way, with 17 steals, 52 RBIs, a .323/.397/.401 slash and 4.2 WAR.
The 8-7 win gave the White Sox a 2-0 lead in the Series, which they would sweep two games later.
That sweep would mark the first-ever City Series win for the White Sox (not counting the World Series win in 1906), making the South Siders’ all-time Series record 1-2-1 at that point. It also was the first of many City Series upsets to come for the White Sox, who came into the clash with the Cubs with 15 fewer wins in the 1911 season.
1922 In front of 14,677 fans, Ray Schalk’s squeeze bunt with one out in the ninth inning scored Earl Sheely for a 1-0, walk-off win at Comiskey Park.
Red Faber was the pitching hero, twirling a three-hitter. However, the Cubs finished off the White Sox the next day, taking the 1922 City Series.
2005 Jon Garland threw the second straight White Sox complete game in the ALCS, going the distance for a 5-2 win that ended up decided with one out in the first. Scott Podsednik singled to lead off, was sacrificed to second by Tadahito Iguchi, scored on a Jermaine Dye double — and the White Sox finished the initial flurry with eventual ALCS MVP Paul Konerko clocking a home run to left-center. Konerko would go 3-for-4 in the game, and those top four batters in the order 8-for-15.
Garland scattered four hits and a walk, striking out seven.
The win gave Chicago a 2-1 advantage in the ALCS, two wins from a pennant.
Jarvis Gomez was hot at the plate all summer in the Dominican Summer League, but right now he’s very cold.
In his defense, the San Isidro native is on US soil for the first time, and while it’s currently 90 degrees and rainy in Boca Chica, where the Mariners Dominican complex is located, it’s a bit more brisk on a late September afternoon in Seattle. Perhaps no one warned the 17-year-old that he might want to bring a jacket.
Gomez was in Seattle last month to accept the award for Mariners MiLB Hitter of the Year, an award he shared with slugger Lazaro Montes, who won the award for the third straight year.
But while Montes has been a prospect sensation since signing out of Cuba in 2022 for a hefty $2.2M bonus, Jarvis (yar-VEES) Gomez isn’t a name even deep-cut prospect aficionados might know.
The 5’11” outfielder signed for a modest $100K, one of the lesser-known names in a draft class where most of the attention was filtered towards outfielder Juan Rijo and infielder Gregory Pio, who signed for a combined $5M, representing about 70% of the Mariners’ total bonus pool in the 2026 signing period. Both Rijo and Pio had solid debut seasons – Pio showcased excellent plate discipline for a 17-year-old, walking more than he struck out, and Rijo hit .310 with 20 extra-base hits. Both were overshadowed, however, by Gomez, who also walked more than he struck out, but hit as many home runs as the other two combined, with six, posting a slash line one might more expect out of a big-bonus signee. His OPS of 1.013 ranked 16th out of over 300 players in the DSL, and he added 17 stolen bases on to that output.
Standing on the big-league field at T-Mobile Park, Gomez didn’t look overwhelmed by the moment, craning his neck around to hopefully catch a glimpse of his favorite player, Julio Rodríguez, and taking in the blue skies – and crisp air – of a picture-perfect fall day in Seattle.
“It’s a dream I had since I was little to be here,” he said. “[Seattle] is a beautiful place with very nice people, everybody’s been very welcoming.”
Gomez will leave the Dominican Republic behind again later this month and make his second trip stateside, heading to the Mariners’ High Performance Camp in Arizona. He says he’s excited to take the next stride in his career, and maybe just a little bit nervous.
“It’s a very big step and a big change,” he said, but says he’s excited for the “more organized” structure of the stateside complex.
But Gomez won’t be making the journey alone; he’ll travel with many of his teammates from the Mariners DSL team, which finished at the top of their division with a 33-23 record, earning a spot in the playoffs. He doesn’t see his trip to the HPC as something he’ll be doing just as part of his personal journey, but rather as a step he’s taking with his teammates from the complex league.
“It was a group effort, a lot of work all between us to achieve what we did.”
Gomez was a steady contributor to one of the better DSL teams the Mariners have put forth in recent years, contributing both at the plate and in the field. His goal at HPC is to focus on strength and conditioning, continuing the work he started in the DSL and adding muscle. Gomez has a level swing that can result in him putting the ball on the ground too often, so it would be nice to see him add in some loft without sacrificing his excellent plate discipline.
Gomez describes himself as an “electrifying” player who doesn’t fear rising to the moment.
“When it’s zero hour, I’m out there and able to show what I can do.”
It’s always a challenge to learn about the prospects in the DSL with the lack of video (other than what the players themselves post), and especially when that player is one who hasn’t been given as much scouting attention as some other players. What does Gomez want Mariners fans to know about him?
“I want them to know that I always give my maximum effort. I always like to support my teammates in difficult moments, and I’m very happy to be playing for the Seattle Mariners.”
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — José Ramírez’s mental mistake and fielding error cost Cleveland in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, a day after his bat helped boost the Guardians to an opening win.
He left third base uncovered on Chandler Simpson’s fourth-inning infield chopper, then misplayed Ben Williamson’s grounder for an error that led to three unearned runs as the Tampa Bay Rays evened the best-of-seven series with a 3-1 win.
“It’s a little bit faster here with the surface and I was playing parallel to the base,” Ramírez said through a translator. “The ball bounced right on the edge between the dirt and the turf, and that’s what made it a little more difficult for me. I tried to knock it down.”
“It’s frustrating. I feel bad because I wasn’t able to make that play and after that the runs came in. I feel bad about that,” he added.
A seven-time All-Star who has finished among the top five in MVP voting six times, Ramírez had three hits and scored twice in Cleveland’s 7-3 win in the opener.
Game 2 was 0-0 with Victor Mesa Jr. on first and two outs in the fourth when Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop Brayan Rocchio.
Ramírez, shifted toward second base on the left-handed hitter, took a few steps toward Simpson and watched the shortstop throw to first. Seeing third base uncovered, Mesa rounded second and sped to third standing up as Ramírez tried in vain to catch up.
Four pitches later, Williamson hit a two-hopper that struck the edge of where the artificial turf meets the dirt near third. The ball skipped between Ramírez’s legs into left, allowing Mesa to score.
“José kind of got stuck. It looked like he just didn’t move his feet,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “Just kind of looked like he sat back a little bit with his feet set instead of moving his feet. So tough break right there and obviously they capitalized.”
Liam Hicks pulled Parker Messier’s next pitch, a slider, into right-center for a two-run single and a 3-0 lead.
“They’ve done that all year. When they smell blood, they take it and run,” Vogt said. “We had some sloppy plays in the field that we need to clean up.”
Ramírez homered in Games 4 and 5 of the Division Series as Cleveland overcome an 0-2 series deficit, the first Cleveland player to homer in consecutive postseason games since Francisco Lindor in 2018.
MILWAUKEE — William Contreras’ trots around the bases after his homers are as much of a spectacle as the blasts themselves.
The Brewers catcher hit his third homer of the postseason, a majestic, 436-foot shot that tied the score in the fifth inning of Milwaukee’s 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series.
The three-time All-Star took his time rounding the bases, just as he did each time he went deep in the NL Division Series. MLB posted a video of Contreras rounding the bases, and it appeared to take him roughly 35 seconds.
“More than anything, I try to enjoy the moment,” Contreras said through interpreter Daniel de Mondesert. “I think doing it, it’s most importantly for my teammates. For them to feel the energy, feel the vibes, and for us to feel that together. The celebrations are for them. It’s for the teammates and to keep us going.”
Contreras keeps giving the Brewers reasons to celebrate.
Homer wasn’t Contreras’ only big hit in Game 2
Conteras went 3 for 4 with three RBIs as the Brewers took 2-0 series lead. He has gone 9 for 23 with four walks this postseason, good for a .481 on-base percentage and a 1.264 OPS.
“He wants to compete every single day, every moment,” Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. “(He) does a great job handling the pitching staff. He’s the fire of our team, just likes the moments, likes the big moments. We’ve got all the confidence in the world in him when he’s out there, whether that’s behind the plate or at the plate.”
That fire was evident from the way Contreras came through in the sixth inning.
Contreras singled home a run against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first inning and homered in the fifth off Kris Bubic to tie the game at 4-all. The Brewers had a runner on third with one out in the sixth when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts intentionally walked Brice Turang to set up a possible double play.
That brought up Contreras, who hit an RBI single off Brock Stewart.
“I took it as motivation,” Contreras said. “That was a decision that their manager took, and then I just tried not to get too big or do anything too much. I wanted to put the ball in play. I knew it was a big run there.”
Contreras’ competitive fire drives the Brewers
Contreras has been providing that kind of spark since the Brewers acquired him from Atlanta in 2022. The Venezuela native — whose older brother, Willson, is a slugging first baseman for the Boston Red Sox — won a World Series with the Braves the prior season.
He posted an OPS over .800 each of his first two seasons in Milwaukee and finished fifth in the NL MVP balloting in 2024. Contreras also set an example with his work ethic.
Manager Pat Murphy recalled how Contreras wanted to catch every game.
“(He) was ticked if I ever DH’d him,” Murphy said. “He just wanted to be in there. This kid wants it. He doesn’t believe in days off. He doesn’t believe in being injured. He played one year with a broken hand. And he wants to excel. It’s not enough for him to make the All-Star team. He wants to excel. He wants it all. He’s driven to a point where sometimes you have to intervene.”
Contreras’ zest for the game is evident from his home run celebrations.
After hitting his drive over the center-field wall, Contreras laid his bat down and faced the Brewers dugout as he walked to first base. He paused after rounding second base and gestured as he faced the outfield and wall. He stopped to slap hands with third base coach Matt Erickson and lifted his arms skyward while looking up before heading home.
Contreras says he loves playing in Milwaukee in part because the Brewers appreciate the way he plays.
“I think it’s the confidence that Milwaukee instilled in me from day one whenever they acquired me,” Contreras said. “I think going out there and letting me play the game that I do and letting me play the way that I do. I think the only thing I really have to say is just very appreciative to the organization for what they’ve been able to do. I think I’ve been able to have the best years of my career here.”
Contreras loves soaking in big moments with his teammates and fans. He’s hoping they’ll be exulting in the Brewers’ first World Series title a few weeks from now.
That celebration undoubtedly would last quite a bit longer than his trips around the bases.
DENVER - SEPTEMBER 27: Starting pitcher Jorge De La Rosa #29 of the Colorado Rockies delivers against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field on September 27, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. De La Rosa earned the win as the Rockies defeated the Cardinals 4-3. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies have to figure out how to pitch at Coors Field.
Since the team’s inception in 1993, moving to Coors Field in 1995, installing a humidor in 2002, and throwing just about everything they can at the wall, a pitching formula for success in Colorado has eluded them.
Looking back to the past and relying on the wisdom and examples of players is always a valuable resource in baseball. The issue with past Rockies front offices was that instead of learning from examples, they simply tried to replicate them, hence the years of pitching to contact and throwing sinkers like Aaron Cook. Today, let’s look back on a few examples of successful starting pitchers at Coors Field.
For the sake of this article, these are all pitchers with at least 90 innings thrown at Coors Field in a Rockies uniform.
Ubaldo Jiménez
The best place to start is by looking at the best Rockies starter in franchise history.
In 65 starts at Coors Field as a Rockie, Ubaldo Jiménez posted a sparkling 3.68 ERA, which is the lowest among starters in team history (min. 90 innings). That mark isn’t just a consequence of spectacular defense behind him, either, as his 3.82 FIP also ranks as the best in team history at home.
Jiménez was an electric arm that could easily overpower opposing hitters. While he was a little more wild at times with a 9.5% walk rate, he complemented that with a nearly 20% strikeout rate at home. The fastball was certainly his calling card — dialing up to 100 mph — but his slider regularly generated a whiff rate over 30% during his time with Colorado, while the curveball, changeup, and splitter contributed their fair share of swings and misses.
Jiménez was more than just a power pitcher trying to rack up strikeouts. His arsenal allowed him to limit opponents to a .244 AVG while inducing a 48.7% ground ball rate. The ability to miss bats and generate softer contact made him a threat every time out. Despite the walks, Jiménez could always rely on his ability to get batters out and he was rarely ever rattled when something didn’t go his way.
Jason Marquis
Folks often forget about the incredible season Jason Marquis had with the Rockies in 2009 and the major role he played in making the playoffs that season. Traded from the Chicago Cubs, Marquis put up the best season of his career as he became an All-Star and was valued at 3.5 rWAR. He went 15-13 with the Rockies that season and posted a 4.04 ERA in 33 starts, tossing a whopping 216 innings.
What stood out was Marquis’s success at Coors Field where, in 16 starts, he posted a 3.92 ERA. What made him successful despite a 10.3% walk rate (the second-highest for a starter at home) and a 12.9% strikeout rate was that he relied heavily on his sinker, slider, and changeup to induce ground balls at a 58.8% rate.
Naturally, a player who relies on sinkers near the bottom of the zone is going to have a higher walk rate, but Marquis escaped damage with double-play balls and avoided home runs. At Coors Field, he allowed just five of his 15 home runs on the season. But what made him most valuable is that ability to be a workhorse
Across 105.2 innings of work at Coors Field, Marquis had just two starts that lasted less than five innings. On top of that, he had 13 starts go six innings or more. The fewest pitches he threw in an outing was 77 over four innings on the road in Los Angeles. Nine of his Coors Field starts saw him throw over 100 pitches, including multiple starts with over 120 pitches across eight-plus innings.
Marquis was a bulldog on the mound, attacking hitters with complete confidence in his stuff and the determination that he was going to outlast the other starter and give the Rockies a chance to win.
Jorge De La Rosa
One of the top pitchers in franchise history, Jorge De La Rosa became a reliable arm during his years in Colorado. He ranks at the top of franchise lists in most categories for good reason, as he spent nine years in a Rockies uniform. As a result, he has a vast sample size of time at Coors Field, where in 99 starts, De La Rosa had a 4.36 ERA across 561.1 innings of work
De La Rosa wasn’t an overpowering pitcher, but he was savvy and had mental fortitude. He managed to neutralize the harsh Coors Field environment with a reliance on his off-speed and breaking pitches, particularly a split-finger changeup. Despite the lack of power pitches, De La Rosa still managed a 20.7% strikeout rate against a 9.3% walk rate. He induced plenty of ground balls along with weak fly balls through his career with the Rockies.
De La Rosa’s confidence on the mound was demonstrated by his ability to pitch backwards and throw any of his pitches in any count. The ability to be confident in his entire arsenal is crucial for a pitcher in Colorado, and De La Rosa was a great example of that. He could mix his fastball and split-finger up and down while disrupting time with his unique delivery.
While many pitchers let Coors Field dictate their strategy, De La Rosa adapted his repertoire to rely on gravity-based movement and coincide with his aggressive and resilient approach to prevent a compounding of errors.
Conclusion
There are certainly plenty more pitchers we could talk about (perhaps we’ll save that for another time), but these three examples are a great place to start. You can certainly look for certain archetypes and profiles that will fit at Coors Field; that’s just part of the game, but you also have to find a way to emphasize the intangible aspects that aren’t found in a stat sheet.
Colorado is a tough place to pitch, but it’s not impossible to have success there. Mindset and repertoire are important, and the Rockies would do well to keep looking for those who aren’t just trying to conquer and solve Coors Field, but learn how to be a successful pitcher that just happens to play at Coors Field.
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani will be in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani will bat anywhere from second to sixth with the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers losing the first two games of the best-of-seven series.
“He was very convicted that he is onto something mechanically (with his swing),” Roberts said. “He was adamant that he can help us. He’s well enough to help us win a baseball game, so that’s all I needed to hear.”
Ohtani is hitting .150 (3 for 20) over six postseason games. He has seven strikeouts, three walks and one stolen base with no home runs, no RBIs and an OPS of .411.
He hasn’t homered since Aug. 18 at Colorado.
Ohtani admitted before the NLDS against Atlanta that he’s not 100% healthy from right biceps and left knee issues that bothered him the last the last few months of the regular season. He has appeared visibly uncomfortable at the plate while flailing at pitches.
“The symptoms have subdued a lot,” Ohtani said through a translator while making an unscheduled appearance in the off-day interview room. “The symptoms shouldn’t be the reason why I can’t hit, and even if the injuries happen by accident, I take full responsibility.”
Roberts spoke to Ohtani before the team worked out at Dodger Stadium, where Ohtani took on-field batting practice, something he rarely does during the regular season.
Roberts said their conversation wasn’t about benching the Japanese superstar, but rather offering him time off similar to Freddie Freeman during the postseason in 2024. Freeman had a sprained ankle and bone bruise, and took three days off spanning the NL Division Series and NLCS before earning World Series MVP honors.
“Over the course of this long season, there’s only really a short period of time when my mechanics is completely in sync,” Ohtani said. “So it’s just really kind of just going back and forth, finding the right parts of the swing and managing just the different parts of the swing. It’s a constant, ongoing process that’s headed in the right direction.”
Ohtani led the Dodgers to a four-game NLCS sweep of Milwaukee last year, when the Brewers hit a measly .118 against LA’s pitching.
He was 5 for 14 (.357) with three home runs, four walks and five strikeouts as NLCS MVP — all three homers came in a memorable Game 4 clinch in which he also struck out 10 as a pitcher. He had a 1.643 OPS and 1.143 slugging percentage.
“We remember vividly at this time last year that he maybe had the best baseball game ever played the day he pitched against us and hit a home run every time up, it seemed like,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “You can’t forget that, his capabilities. But you still have to go at him.”
Ohtani is known for hitting homers but the offensively starved Dodgers would take any kind of production from him at this point.
“In this big moment, we’re listening to Shohei, and we’re going to support the crap out of him and believe in him,” Roberts said, “and that’s it.”
Snell looking to rebound for Dodgers in Game 3
Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell starts for Los Angeles against Robert Gasser of the Brewers in a matchup of left-handers.
The Dodgers will be looking to get considerably more innings out of Snell than in his last start on Oct. 4.
He lasted 3 2/3 innings, giving up one run, three hits, walking five and striking out five, in a 3-2 loss in Game 2 of the NLDS against Atlanta. He didn’t speak to media afterward and has kept a low profile since then.
“Just a lot of time talking to myself, figuring out where I need to get to, where I’m at,” he said. “Watching two games against Milwaukee, just kind of game planning, seeing what I can expose, what they’re doing really well. Just trying to figure them out.”
Mitchell back home
Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell grew up in Orange County as a Los Angeles Angels fan. His family had season tickets in left field. He went to high school with the son of Angels star Garret Anderson.
“Got to have some good conversations with him, take some blasts into the past and talk about memories,” Mitchell said. “I was a shortstop when I was a kid, too. So I enjoyed watching David Eckstein and Adam Kennedy, and I also have a personal relationship with Adam Kennedy as well.”
Mitchell said the way the Angels played reminds him of how the Brewers approach games.
“Guys who maybe aren’t the greatest or the best on the field but know what they’ve got to do and know their roles and grind and compete to the best of their abilities,” he said. “That’s what it takes, it’s a team effort.”
Joe Espada, whose tenure as Houston Astros manager was marked by sluggish starts followed by late-season rallies that left owner Jim Crane dissatisfied, was fired Wednesday, Oct. 14, two weeks after the Astros were eliminated in the American League wild-card round by the Chicago White Sox.
Espada's firing comes on the heels of Crane firing general manager Dana Brown on Aug. 24. Crane said at that time that Espada's status would be evaluated at the end of the season, a juncture that came quickly after the Astros were swept out of the playoffs in two games.
Tuesday, the Astros granted permission for Espada to interview for the vacant Seattle Mariners managerial job. Espada's contract with Houston expires at the end of this month.
"We are thankful for Joe’s hard work, his passion for the game, and for his commitment to the Houston Astros," Crane said in a statement released by the club. "He represented the Astros and the Houston community in the most positive way. We wish he and his family the best moving forward."
The Astros also announced several members of the coaching staff who will either depart or remain, most notably that bench coach Omar Lopez, who guided Venezuela to the 2026 World Baseball Classic title, will be offered a different role in the organization.
Espada, 51, took over for Dusty Baker after the 2023 season and guided the Astros to an 88-73 record and the American League West title in his first season. But the Astros were swept out of the wild-card round by the Detroit Tigers, missed the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons in 2025 and failed to gain traction above .500 this season, which ended in an 81-81 record that was good enough to win the AL West but not enough to save his job.
Espada had a 256-229 record at the Astros’ helm and they exited the playoffs in the wild-card round both seasons he got them there. He spent six seasons as the Astros’ bench coach before Crane tabbed him to replace Baker.
His first squad got off to a 7-19 start, yet recovered to win 88 games and the West title. Similarly, the 2026 Astros lost 20 of their first 31 games. Yet the AL West's overall ineptitude kept them in the fight.
The Astros will be looking for their fourth permanent manager in 13 years and third in seven seasons after Baker took over for A.J. Hinch following Hinch’s 2020 firing for his role in the club’s 2017 sign-stealing scandal.
The club announced that pitching coach Josh Miller, first base coach Dave Clark, field coordinator Jason Bell, hitting coach Victor Rodriguez and bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte will return.
Coaches not being retained include third base coach Tony Perezchica, assistant hitting coach Anthony Iapoce, assistant pitching coach Ethan Katz, catching instructor Tim Cossins and game planning coach Tommy Kawamura.
A complex stew of factors combined to result in the creation of this specific NFL news outlet, which launched 25 years ago as of November 1. A reader reminded me of one of the specific dominoes that fell the right way a little while ago.
As a kid, I was a baseball fan before becoming a football fan. Growing up 60 miles from Pittsburgh, I loved the Pirates. I studied the box scores in the newspaper every day. I'd listen to games on the radio with my grandfather, who used a Tupperware container as a Mail Pouch spittoon. He often missed the target.
The 1979 "We Are Family" Pirates felt like a magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience. (Little did I know that it was.)
The '80s weren't great (the low point was 1985, and a record of 57-104). By the end of the decade, however, the pieces were in place for three straight National League East titles.
The 1990 NLCS felt like found money. Lose 4-2 to the Reds? Fine. Next year will be the year. Blowing a 3-2 lead to the Braves in the 1991 NLCS hurt.
But that was just the appetizer.
The 1992 NLCS became the lowest point possible. My wife (two years before we got hitched) and I went to multiple games. We were there the night Deion Sanders showed up after playing for the Falcons, but didn't get into the game. Down 3-1 in the series, the Pirates won that night (our seats in the upper deck at Three Rivers were so bad that we couldn't see the ball), and two nights later the Pirates forced a seventh game.
Game 7 happened 34 years ago today. We watched the game at her apartment in Pittsburgh. I was hobbling around on a hamstring that I'd torn, and then re-torn because I was too stubborn to let it heal.
Everything was going smoothly for the Pirates. They led, 2-0, entering the bottom of the ninth. Three outs to the World Series.
When the Braves scored a run on a sacrifice fly, I shrugged. It's fine, 2-1 is fine. This is fine. Only two outs to go.
Brian Hunter popped to shallow centerfield. One out to go. I still remember walking into the kitchen at her apartment and peering over the top of the railing above the sink while leaning against the counter and holding my breath as Francisco Cabrera came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. Former Pirates first baseman Sid Bream was on second; he wouldn't score on a single. Extra innings would be fine. This is fine.
And then it happened. Routine single to left. OK, extra innings. Fine. But wait. What the hell? They sent Bream? Surely, Barry Bonds will nail him at home.
The throw from Bonds was off the line and the tag from Mike LaValliere wasn't in time and I looked down at the fake granite countertop and I said, "They won't be good again for at least 20 years. I'm done."
And that's when I forgot about baseball and became even more focused on football. Nine years and 18 days later, the flip was switched on ProFootballTalk.com, and here we are.
So, thanks, Francisco and Sid — and Barry. If the Pirates had won that game and advanced to the World Series, I may have never made the NFL the center of my sports universe. And I wouldn't be doing what I've been doing for as long as I've been doing it.
Still, it continues to sting. Thirty-four years to the day later.
