New York had the incentive of knowing the Cincinnati Reds were losing in Milwaukee, and then lost to the Brewers, meaning they could earn the third wild-card spot by winning their game.
Yet they went quietly, finishing the season as the only team in the majors that lost every game in which it was trailing after eight innings.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The Marlins gave the Mets plenty of opportunities, allowing seven walks, in addition to five hits, but Carlos Mendoza’s team went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, a fitting ending of sorts for a team that was so inconsistent offensively all season, especially in RISP situations.
Their last gasp came in the eighth inning when they put runners at first and second with two outs against reliever Calvin Faucher, as both Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez struck out chasing pitches out of the strike zone.
In Alvarez’s case, on a 3-2 pitch he chased a slider outside that would have been ball four, loading the bases. He then snapped his bat in half over his knee in anger.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera held the Mets to two hits over five innings, but also walked five hitters.
-- The Mets’ pitching plan became clear early when Mendoza pulled Sean Manaea in the second inning, after two walks put runners on first and second with two outs. He brought in Huascar Brazoban, who got out of the inning, and from there he tried to piece nine innings together by his high-leverage relievers in the early innings.
Brazoban and Brooks Raley got the game through three innings with the game scoreless, but the plan -- and the game -- unraveled in the fourth inning.
The two primary culprits were Ryne Stanek and Tyler Rogers. With a runner on first, Stanek paid for hanging a couple of sliders that Eric Wagaman and Brian Navarreto hit to the wall in left-center for RBI doubles to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead.
Rogers then came in and gave up two hard-hit balls, a triple to left-center by No. 9 hitter Javier Sanoja and a line single to center by Xavier Edwards for a 4-0 lead.
-- Doing anything to keep the game close, Mendoza went to Edwin Diaz in the fifth inning, and the Mets’ closer delivered two scoreless innings as the game stayed at 4-0.
Ryan Helsley and then Gregory Soto each pitched a scoreless inning.
-- The Mets had their best chance in the fifth inning. Trailing 4-0, they loaded the bases against Cabrera on three walks, to Ronny Mauricio, Francisco Lindor, and Juan Soto.
With two outs, Pete Alonso hit a laser toward left-center at 115.9 mph off the bat. At that exit velocity, and launch angle, the expected batting average on such a ball was .780. Yet, the speedy left fielder Sanoja sprinted to his left and made the catch on the run, as Alonso stopped in the first base line and stared, seemingly in disbelief.
Two innings earlier, with the game still scoreless, the Mets had another opportunity when Tyrone Taylor reached on an infield single to deep short, and Lindor walked.
With one out, Soto hit a ground ball up the middle, and with shortstop Otto Lopez playing him that way, it turned into an easy 6-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Game MVP: Edward Cabrera
The Marlins’ right-hander shut down the Mets over the first five innings, giving his team time to build a 4-0 lead that held up.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw waves his cap as he leaves during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. (John Froschauer / Associated Press)
It was one last batter. One last strikeout. One last ovation for a future Hall of Famer.
And it ended, fittingly, on a helplessly empty swing.
In the top of the sixth inning on Sunday afternoon, in the final regular-season outing of his illustrious 18-year career, Clayton Kershaw snapped off a trademark slider that ducked below the zone. Eugenio Suárez waved at it for a strikeout like so many countless others before him.
With that, Kershaw had his seventh strikeout of the day and the 3,052nd of his career. He had completed 5 ⅓ scoreless innings, lowering his career ERA to 2.53 — the best among any starting pitcher with 1,000 career innings in the live ball era (since 1920).
In the dugout, manager Dave Roberts motioned to fellow veteran Freddie Freeman, sending the first baseman out to the mound to remove Kershaw from his last career start.
When he got there, the two exchanged an embrace, Kershaw hugged the rest of his infield teammates, and then he acknowledged a cheering T-Mobile Park crowd as he walked back to the dugout.
He donned his cap, waved his arm and disappeared down the stairs — for perhaps the very last time.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw embraces his teammates as he gets lifted from Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners. (John Froschauer / Associated Press)
If Kershaw is to take the mound again before retirement this winter, the Dodgers will have to advance through the first round of the playoffs.
Ahead of his scoreless 5 ⅓ inning start in the Dodgers’ 6-1 win against the Seattle Mariners in Sunday’s regular-season finale, Roberts said Kershaw would not be on the team’s roster for next week’s best-of-three wild card series against the Cincinnati Reds.
The decision isn’t shocking. Kershaw was not going to feature in the starting rotation for the series. And though he could have been an option in the bullpen, the Dodgers already have an abundance of left-handed relievers.
Thus, the Dodgers (who finished the season 93-69) will have to reach at least the National League Division Series for Kershaw to pitch in a major league game again. Roberts noted that, if the team does advance, Kershaw could be an option in any capacity.
“You just don’t know how things are gonna play out,” Roberts said. “I can see him starting a game. I can see him coming in for a short burst. I can see him in long relief. I can see him in a lot of ways. I don’t think anyone can predict how that’s gonna play out. We gotta get through the wild card series, and see who’s standing after that.”
If this is the end of the line for Kershaw, he is going out on his own terms.
After being limited by injuries for much of the past three seasons — including missing all of last year’s World Series run with toe and knee injuries that ultimately required offseason surgery — the 37-year-old decided to return to the Dodgers this season for one last crack at a championship chase.
He wound up turning in one of his most impactful performances.
Though Kershaw’s 11-2 record and 3.36 ERA are no career highs, his ability to consistently produce over 23 outings this season (including a ninth-inning appearance as a reliever last week) proved to be invaluable for the Dodgers. He was a steady veteran presence early in the year, when the team was battling a wave of rotation injuries. He was a losing-skid stopper on multiple occasions over the second half, when the team nearly squandered a division lead that once was nine games.
“I don’t think we’d have won the division,” Roberts said, when asked where the team would have been without Kershaw this season.
“He delivered 10 times over for us.”
Roberts acknowledged that Kershaw exceeded all of his expectations for the aging pitcher this season. He relished watching the all-time Dodgers icon write one last memorable chapter to his legendary, record-setting MLB career.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and catcher Ben Rortvedt, center left, walk to the dugout after working the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners. (John Froschauer / Associated Press)
“He doesn’t want handouts, he doesn’t want freebies, he doesn’t want to be a token,” Roberts said. “He was a big part of what we accomplished this year.”
And, if the Dodgers can get through this week’s wild-card series, he still might be at some point in the playoffs as well.
Ohtani sets career, club HR mark
A year after breaking the Dodgers’ single-season home run record with a career-high 54 long balls last season, Shohei Ohtani reset the high mark once again Sunday.
After two-run home runs from Hyeseong Kim and Freeman early in the game, Ohtani extended the Dodgers' lead with a solo blast to center field in the seventh. It was his 55th homer of the year, leaving him one shy of Kyle Schwarber for most in the NL.
Reds outfielder Gavin Lux celebrates after hitting a double against the Dodgers in a game at Dodger Stadium last month. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he would be scoreboard watching on Sunday afternoon.
But he insisted he didn’t care how things played out.
His team, of course, had already been locked in as the National League’s No. 3 seed, set to host a best-of-three wild card series starting Tuesday.
What wasn’t clear until the end of play on Sunday, however, was whether the Dodgers would be facing the Cincinnati Reds or New York Mets to open the postseason.
“I honestly don’t really care, I really don’t,” Roberts said. “I think the way we’re playing right now, it doesn’t matter who we play.”
In a photo finish for the NL’s final wild card berth, all the Reds needed was a win against the Milwaukee Brewers, or a Mets loss. The Mets needed a win and a Cincinnati defeat.
Turned out, the Reds got a Mets loss as the Marlins knocked off the Mets, 4-0, in Miami after Cincinnati dropped its finale to the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-2.
Thus, it will be the Reds coming to Chavez Ravine this week.
Here are nine things to know about the Reds ahead of Game 1 at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday at 6:08 p.m. (ESPN):
Tito magic
On Sept. 5, the Reds appeared left for dead. They were a game under .500. They were trailing the New York Mets by six games for the final NL wild card spot. They had two other teams to catapult in the standings.
But then, they reeled off 13 wins in their next 21 games, including an 8-3 run to end the year. They clinched a playoff spot on the final day of the season, their first in a full campaign since 2013.
And they did it, first and foremost, by following the lead of their veteran manager.
At 66 years old, two-time World Series champion and three-time manager of the year Terry Francona came out of what appeared to be his managerial retirement to take another crack at contention with upstart Cincinnati.
His first season wasn’t easy, with a young pitching staff and a patchwork offense struggling to find consistency for much of the year. But over the last month, the Reds hit their stride while the Mets quickly collapsed. Now, Francona is back in the postseason for the 12th time in his 24-year career. His 44 career playoff wins are seventh-most all-time, one spot behind Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Electric Elly
The Reds do not have an overpowering offense. They rank just 15th in scoring, 20th in batting average and 21st in home runs and slugging percentage. They have just two qualified batters with an above-league-average mark in OPS+.
One of them, however, is Elly De La Cruz.
And even at just 23 years old, he has become the biggest threat in their lineup.
In just his third MLB, De La Cruz earned his second All-Star selection while batting .264 with 21 home runs, 85 RBIs, a .774 OPS, and 37 stolen bases. In each of the last four categories, he leads the team.
A 6-foot-5, 200-pound switch-hitter, De La Cruz is prone to strikeouts (he has 178 this season) and is not hitting the ball as hard as he did last year. But he is also one of the game’s most intriguing and exciting up-and-coming talents, and will now get his first crack on a postseason stage.
Now in his sixth MLB season, Lux has still not realized the top-prospect potential he came up with in Los Angeles a half-decade ago. While he has hit a team-best .269 during his first season in Cincinnati, he has just five home runs, a .725 OPS, and a negative mark in wins-above-replacement according to Baseball Reference.
What Lux has provided to his new club, however, is some World Series-winning experience. He has gone from a young role player on the Dodgers, to something of a veteran leader with the Reds.
Lux, whom the Dodgers traded away after signing Hyeseong Kim in January, has served in a utility role this year, getting starts at second base, left field and as the designated hitter. He didn’t have a great postseason with the Dodgers last year, when he hit just .176 during the team’s title run. But now, he has a chance to help upset the team that dealt him coming into the season.
Hunter Greene homecoming
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene works against the Dodgers in a game last month at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
Eight years ago, the Reds drafted right-handed pitcher Hunter Greene second overall out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks.
Now, after being a key part of their rebuild, the 25-year-old will get the chance to make his postseason debut at Dodger Stadium.
The strength of the Reds is their starting rotation, which ranks seventh in the majors in ERA this season and fourth during their surge since Sept. 6. Greene has been a key piece of the puzzle, going 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 19 starts despite missing more than two months in the middle of the year with a groin strain.
Greene is one of the hardest-throwing starters in the majors, with a fastball that averages 99.5 mph and a slider that clocks in at almost 90 mph. He’s one of the sport’s best at getting chase, whiff and strikeouts, ranking fifth among pitchers with 100 innings with a 31.4% K-rate.
Greene will also be lined up for a potential Game 1 start, having not pitched since Wednesday. The start before that was perhaps the best of his career: A one-hit, nine-strikeout shutout of the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 18.
The rest of the rotation
Greene might be the most gifted Reds’ starter, but others in their rotation have been even more productive this season.
Andrew Abbott, a 26-year-old left-hander who excels at limiting hard contact, is 9-7 with a 2.80 ERA in 28 starts. Nick Lodolo, another left-hander with an excellent curveball/changeup combination, is 9-8 with a 3.30 ERA, also in 28 starts.
The team’s wins and strikeout leader is Brady Singer, a lengthy 6-foot-5 right-hander who went 14-11 with a 3.95 ERA. Zack Littell is the other member of the Cincinnati rotation, though the trade deadline acquisition hasn’t been as good with the Reds (4.39 ERA) as he was with the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this season (3.58 ERA).
The real question for next week is which of those arms are available. Abbott and Singer pitched on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, to help the Reds clinch their playoff berth. Lodolo and Littell last threw the two days before that.
Red(s)-hot closer
Emilio Pagán was no stranger to the ninth inning before this year, having recorded 33 saves in his first eight MLB campaigns.
But this year, the veteran righty has been among the most dependable closers in the majors, as one of just six relievers with at least 30 saves (he has 31) and a sub-3.00 ERA (his is 2.93).
With his fastball/splitter/cutter mix, Pagán has been especially good down the stretch, having converted five consecutive save opportunities and thrown nine consecutive scoreless innings since Sept. 8.
The Reds’ talent might pale in comparison to the Dodgers at most spots on the roster. But the reliability of their closer is one place where they have a clear edge.
Ohtani killers?
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Graham Ashcraft reacts after striking out Pittsburgh Pirates' Joey Bart during a game on Thursday. (Jeff Dean / Associated Press)
The Reds finished the season with just one left-handed pitcher, Brent Suter, in their bullpen.
But when it comes to matching up with Shohei Ohtani, they do have a couple righties with successful personal histories against him.
Set-up man Graham Ashcraft and multi-inning swingman Nick Martinez have both faced Ohtani 10 times in their careers. The soon-to-be four-time MVP is 0-for-nine in both matchups, having drawn only one walk against each.
For reference: There are only seven other pitchers against whom Ohtani is at least 0-for-nine in his career (one of them, coincidentally, is a current teammate: Clayton Kershaw).
A deep bullpen
The Reds have two other relievers to know — and they might be the best two on the team.
Right-hander Tony Santillan not only led the majors with 80 appearances this season, but did so while posting a 2.44 ERA and allowing hitters to bat only .200 against him.
Another right-hander, 24-year-old Connor Phillips, has only been a full-time fixture on the Reds’ big-league roster since mid-August. But in that time, he has allowed only three runs in 18 ⅔ innings while striking out 26 batters and giving up five total hits.
Wild-card wackiness
The Reds will be the lower-seeded underdog in next week’s series. But recent history suggests that could work to their benefit.
In three postseasons since MLB expanded its playoff field in 2022, road teams have won in eight of the 12 best-of-three wild card series — a reminder that with such a small sample size, anything is possible in the crapshoot of October.
This year will be the Dodgers’ first time playing in the new wild card round, after they secured byes to the division series in each of the past three seasons.
Angels owner Arte Moreno, on the field before a home game in 2023, has seen his team go through 10 consecutive losing seasons. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
The standings spoke for themselves, but the Angels’ management wanted you to know they had comprehended the lesson.
“Obviously, we’re not doing it the right way,” team president John Carpino told reporters five years ago. “We’re not winning games. So something is not right in our organization.”
That was after the 2020 season, and after five consecutive losing seasons. The Angels since have endured another five consecutive losing seasons.
The general managers have changed, and so have the managers. The only constants in this run: Carpino and owner Arte Moreno.
I wanted to ask both men to share with fans what the Angels have determined about what was not right in their organization and how they have been going about trying to fix it. Neither man was available for an interview, a team spokesman said.
The standings continue to speak for themselves. The Angels finished in last place last season, with the worst record in team history. They sank into last place again this season, the first time in 50 years the Angels finished in last place in consecutive years.
Moreno, 79, explored selling the team three years ago but is not expected to do so this winter, according to people familiar with his thinking but not authorized to speak publicly.
He might be better served, some of those people said, to wait out the collective bargaining negotiations set to start next year and see if owners can push through a salary cap, which league executives believe would increase franchise values — that is, sale prices.
When Carpino spoke about “something is not right in our organization,” he did so in discussing the dismissal of Billy Eppler as general manager. In Eppler’s five years, the Angels posted a .469 winning percentage and finished a combined 110 games out of first place.
“It was a business decision,” Carpino said of Eppler’s firing. “And we’re in the business of winning baseball games, and we just didn’t win enough over the five-year period.”
In the five years under current general manager Perry Minasian, the Angels have posted a .442 winning percentage and finished a combined 111 games out of first place.
Moreno is expected to determine this week whether to retain Minasian and manager Ron Washington, who underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in June but would like to return. Minasian has one guaranteed year and an option year left in his contract. Washington, 73, has an option that the Angels had leaned toward picking up before he fell ill and went on medical leave.
Angeles general manager Perry Minasian, right, introduces Angels new manager Ron Washington, left, during a news conference at Angel Stadium in Nov. 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
It is unlikely Moreno could lure an established general manager to replace Minasian or a current manager to replace Washington. The likes of Andrew Friedman and Dave Dombrowski have declined overtures in past years from the Angels, who never have hired a president of baseball operations to work in concert with a general manager. (Minasian’s brother, Zack, is the San Francisco Giants’ general manager, working under president of baseball operations Buster Posey.)
The Angels absolutely need to tighten up their fundamentals, including sloppy defense and baserunning that has alarmed people who advise Moreno. That is Washington’s calling card. The Angels went 36-38 under Washington and 36-52 under interim manager Ray Montgomery.
The other finalist Moreno selected when he hired Washington, Buck Showalter, is available. So is longtime Orange County resident Skip Schumaker, the 2023 National League manager of the year for the Miami Marlins.
Torii Hunter, the former Angels star and current special assistant, is interested in managing and could command a clubhouse with the kind of relentless positivity Dave Roberts brings to the Dodgers. Darin Erstad, another former Angels star, has experience teaching young players as a college coach and would be a stickler for fundamentals and accountability. Albert Pujols would like to manage; Moreno already employs him under a personal services contract.
But this all comes down to players, of course. For two years now, the Angels have talked about nurturing a quality core of young players while running out the clock on Anthony Rendon’s $245-million contract, with the idea that Moreno might then reopen his checkbook to add the final free-agent pieces to a budding contender. Rendon’s contract runs out next year.
Yet the Angels so far have developed just two young players who would unmistakably fit onto a championship roster: shortstop Zach Neto and pitcher José Soriano.
Outfielder Jo Adell could, if his 37-homer season — his first career season as a league-average hitter — is for real. Pitcher Reid Detmers could, at least as a reliever.
First baseman Nolan Schanuel and center fielder Bryce Teodosio could, if the Angels can find enough big bats to keep them in the lower half of the lineup. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe could, if his offensive and defensive regression can be corrected. Second baseman Christian Moore could, if his bat is as advertised.
That’s a lot of ifs, and even then the Angels still would have holes at third base, in the outfield, and throughout their pitching staff.
The Angels’ hitters this year led the majors in strikeouts and ranked in the bottom three in on-base percentage. The Angels’ pitchers had the highest earned-run average in the American League — as a starting corps, as a relief corps, and as a staff as a whole. The Angels’ defense, by one measure, was the worst in the AL.
The Angels can say they won nine more games this season than last — mostly thanks to better health. Five pitchers each started more than 20 games for the Angels this season; two did last season. Even still, the team’s run differential was the worst in the AL.
National analysts continue to rank their farm system as one of baseball’s thinnest; the Angels scoff and say they like their prospects. In July, however, they demoted their No. 5 starter to the minors without a minor league starter ready to fill in.
In an 11-day span, they twice used an infielder throwing 34 mph lobs to mop up a major league game, then ran out of pitchers in a triple-A game and used an infielder in a save situation (and lost the game). The lineups in recent weeks too often resembled those used on split-squad days in spring training.
I asked a high-ranking National League official whether the responsibility for persistently weak depth should properly fall upon Minasian. Sure, the official said, but then he reminded me that bidding wars are not always at the major league level, for millions of dollars. The best minor league free agents look for the best deal too, and that often is not found in Anaheim.
That is really the issue. The Angels are a major-market team operating for now as a mid-market team.
Remember last winter, when the Athletics lured pitcher Luis Severino to Sacramento for $67 million and everyone in baseball pointed out the A’s never had signed anyone for that much money?
Under Minasian, you know how many players Moreno has signed for that much money? Zero. Moreno understandably shied away from the big bucks after the Rendon and Josh Hamilton disasters, but Minasian’s record contract is $63 million, for pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.
The Angels’ major league player payroll, while in the $200-million range, ranks among the middle third of teams — and a third of that is payable to Rendon and Mike Trout. Their attendance, up slightly from last year but down about 25% from its peak, ranks among the middle third of teams. Their television revenue is down significantly from last year, after the parent company of what was then called Bally Sports emerged from bankruptcy.
All of that is why it is important for fans to hear from Moreno and Carpino what they determined was not right in their organization and how they have been going about trying to fix it. It is not evident in the standings, or to the fans deciding whether to buy tickets, or to pay to watch from home.
And then fans can decide whether to continue to appreciate affordable baseball, staffed by friendly people, in aging but comfortable Angel Stadium, or instead to enjoy championship-caliber baseball at Dodger Stadium or Petco Park.
The 2025 Mets' playoff hopes have officially ended -- along with their season.
A year that started with such high expectations coming off an NLCS appearance and big offseason ends in massive disappointment, as Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Miami Marlins officially sends the club home early.
If New York had won -- with the Cincinnati Reds (83-79) losing their final game of the season, 4-2, at the Milwaukee Brewers (97-65) -- the team would've been in.
It looked as if the Mets (83-79) were going to soar their way to the postseason after getting off to an MLB-best 45-24 start.
The only thing left to question was whether they'd win the NL East or make it in as a wild card.
However, things slowly but surely took a turn for the worse in mid-June, as Carlos Mendoza's squad went on to post a bottom-three record in baseball the rest of the way, which ultimately left it short.
Despite the ups and downs of the 2025 campaign, the Mets entered the final weekend of the regular season in control of their playoff destiny. However, Friday's 6-2 loss to the Marlins allowed the Reds to pull even in the wild-card standings with Cincinnati holding the tiebreaker.
There's plenty of finger-pointing to go around for the reasoning behind this dip.
The MLB-best rotation took a massive decline as they lost Griffin Canning, Frankie Montas, and Tylor Megill to injuries, Clay Holmes hit his career-high in innings, David Peterson was unable to maintain his All-Star form, and both Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea struggled upon returning from the IL.
Youngsters Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong provided a late-season boost, but it wasn't enough.
The offense certainly has to shoulder some of the blame as well -- they were an extremely inconsistent group despite receiving another phenomenal showing from their sluggers at the top -- Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo, among others.
This lineup showed the ability to do damage against anyone, but it also endured way too many extended stretches where it was among the most anemic in the league -- particularly during their numerous large skids.
Defensively, they also made way too many physical and mental errors, which quickly cost them.
And even the trade deadline reinforcements came around to backfire on David Stearns.Cedric Mullins never found his footing in the Big Apple, Ryan Helsley was a nightmare before settling into a groove, and Gregory Soto was inconsistent down the stretch.
In the end, it's just an unfortunate result for a $340 million team that got off to a terrific start.
The Yankees' 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles in Sunday's regular-season finale puts New York into the playoffs on a high note.
Takeaways
How does Luis Gil factor into the Yankees' playoff rotation? The right-hander's mixed outing -- two runs (back-to-back fourth-inning homers) on three hits while striking out two and walking two in five innings -- leaves the door open to whom the third starter should be with rookie Cam Schlittler trending behind veterans Max Fried and Carlos Rodón.
Gil (4-1, 3.32 ERA) threw 45 strikes on 79 pitches and, while deserving of more run support, could not hold the Yankees' 1-0 lead after first baseman Ben Rice's first-inning solo shot. While the Toronto Blue Jays' pending win over the Tampa Bay Rays (they led 13-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning when this was published) left the Yankees on the outside looking in at the AL East, Gil had a chance to make a statement and did not.
Rice's second home run -- a go-ahead solo shot to lead off the eighth inning -- put the Yankees ahead, 3-2, and capped a strong first full regular season for the 26-year-old. After logging 50 games last year, he ended his 2025 campaign slashing .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs and 65 RBI in 138 appearances.
Desigated hitterGiancarlo Stanton is heating up at the right time. The veteran slugger torched the Orioles (75-86) this weekend for five hits (three home runs) and seven RBI, capped by Sunday's fourth-inning RBI single to tied the game at 2-2. Stanton, 35, winds down Year 8 as a Yankee while slashing .273/.350/.594 with 24 home runs and 66 RBI in 77 games. He has turned up his intensity in the postseason, and the end of the regular season appears to be a teaser for that.
The Yankees, pending the finish of the Blue Jays' game against the Rays, are set to be in the AL Wild Card against the Boston Red Sox with Tuesday's best-of-three series opener.
Willy Adames and Matt Chapman grabbed a microphone after Sunday’s 4-0 Giants win over the Colorado Rockies, taking the field at Oracle Park to thank San Francisco fans for their support through an up-and-down year.
The victory gave San Francisco a four-game sweep against the Rockies to close out the 2025 MLB season, but the Giants still finished 81-81 and missed the playoffs.
Willy Adames and Matt Chapman offer an end-of-season message for Giants fans 👏 pic.twitter.com/XmWc6Xfswj
“I know this year ended up not the way we wanted it to, but we just want to thank you all,” Adames said. “Thank you, guys, for the support. You guys were unbelievable.
“Even when we were at our worst, you guys were showing up every day and packing the stadium. That was impressive. So, we just want to say we love you guys. Thank you for the support. We promise we’re going to do our best this offseason to get prepared for next year and go to the postseason next year.”
The 30-year-old shortstop also capped his season with a milestone — becoming the first Giants player since Barry Bonds in 2004 to hit 30 or more home runs in a season.
Adames closed the season with a .224 batting average and 86 RBI, while Chapman hit .245 with 21 home runs and 61 RBI.
Chapman echoed Adames’ gratitude shortly after.
“Just like Willy said, I speak for the whole team,” Chapman said. “We love you guys. You guys support us every single night. It means a lot. You guys spend your money to come show up and support us. You cheer hard. We love you guys.”
A .500 finish left plenty to fix, but Chapman and Adames made clear the fans remain the team’s biggest strength.
“I know we didn’t reach our goal this year,” Chapman continued. “We’re all disappointed, but like Willy said, we’re gonna go home, we really are gonna get better and we’re not gonna disappoint you guys next year. We’re gonna be playing a lot later than this. So, thank you guys.”
Senga has not been with the Mets since they optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse in early September, but their 32-year-old right-hander was on hand for Sunday's game.
"He's part of the team, in Port St. Lucie, he's doing his throwing program here and, hopefully, he gets on a plane with us," Mendoza said of the Mets potentially having a playoff roster. "That doesn't mean that's going to be on a potential playoff roster, because we've got to get there first, but that's why he's here."
If the Mets reach the postseason, it would be for a wild-card series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mendoza said that Senga would "most likely" fly with the team to Los Angeles for the potential matchup but did not go so far as saying if he would make the roster.
Alonso's potential last game
If the Mets do not reach the postseason, it could be the last game for Alonso with the franchise.
Alonso, 30, has a player option for the 2026 season.
"He means a lot to all of us," Mendoza said. "Homegrown player that knows what it takes to play here in New York. And when you see the production, I mean, he's unbelievable -- pretty steady, consistent and he takes pride in being in the lineup and posting every day. But hopefully it's not the last game for him."
MILWAUKEE — One playoff berth remains up for grabs heading into the final day of Major League Baseball’s regular season.
Cincinnati will earn the National League’s third and final wild card if the Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers or the New York Mets lose at Miami on Sunday. A New York victory and Cincinnati loss would send the Mets to the playoffs instead.
The Reds and Mets have identical 83-78 records. Cincinnati owns the head-to-head tiebreaker because it won four of its six meetings with the Mets this season.
“If you could have promised us this in spring training, I think everybody would sign up for it every year,” Reds closer Emilio Pagán said Saturday night after his team’s 7-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. “As cool as it is to clinch ahead of time and kind of know where you’re at, to have every single game be this meaningful is a gift. It doesn’t come around often. Hopefully we can make the most of it.”
Whichever team earns that last playoff berth heads to Los Angeles to begin an NL Wild Card Series against the defending World Series champion Dodgers on Tuesday.
The two teams fighting for the final spot offer a study in contrasts.
Cincinnati last reached the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Reds last earned a playoff berth in a full season in 2013, and they haven’t won a postseason series since 1995.
The Mets made it to the National League Championship Series last year and began this season with an MLB-high $322.6 million payroll.
Although the Mets owned MLB’s best record at 45-24 through June 12, they’ve gone just 38-54 since. That has enabled Cincinnati to move into playoff position despite going 16-18 over its last 34 games.
Cincinnati has heated up lately, winning eight of its last 10.
“We’ve felt we’ve been playing playoff baseball now for a while,” Pagán said. “Obviously we’ve needed some help across the league, and there’s no doubt we’ve gotten some. But right now we’re playing really good baseball. We’re excited to get to the field tomorrow.”
The Mets lost control of their postseason fate Friday when they fell 6-2 at Miami while the Reds won 3-1 at Milwaukee. New York bounced back Saturday afternoon by beating the Marlins 5-0, with Clay Holmes and three relievers combining on a one-hitter.
“It definitely felt good,” Holmes said. “It’s a game we had to win today. I just went out there and kind of gave it my all. I think once we finish the job here and get in the playoffs, it will be a little bit more satisfying.”
The Mets’ game ended before the Reds started playing Saturday night. Cincinnati then broke a scoreless tie with a six-run third inning and stayed ahead the rest of the way against the Brewers to move a step away from the playoffs.
“Obviously, we have a lot riding tomorrow and everyone’s going to be hyped up,” said Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott, the winning pitcher in Saturday’s game. “There will be a lot of pressure, a lot of excitement. But that’s good. Hopefully we feed off it and come ready to play.”
Cincinnati’s Brady Singer (14-11, 3.95 ERA) will start Sunday, while the Reds’ lineup will face All-Star right-hander Freddy Peralta (17-6. 2.68). Sean Manaea (2-4, 5.80) will start for the Mets against Miami’s Edward Cabrera (7-7, 3.66).
A postseason run would represent the latest chapter in the illustrious managerial career for Terry Francona, who led the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007 and guided Cleveland to Game 7 of the 2016 Fall Classic.
Francona took a year off from managing for health reasons before the Reds hired him. Now he’s on the verge of getting back to the playoffs during his first season in Cincinnati.
“It’s exciting,” Francona said. “Don’t run from it. I know sleep this time of year is not great anyway. We’ll be ready to go.”
Pagán exemplifies the Reds’ sense of urgency as they chase this playoff berth. He pitched for the fourth straight day Saturday and retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 32nd save.
The only other player to pitch four straight days this season was the Athletics’ Tyler Ferguson, who did it from May 3-6.
After Saturday’s game, Pagán was asked how his arm feels.
“Right now it feels great,” he said. “Adrenaline is through the roof. I’m probably not going to fall asleep for a few hours. I’m sure whenever the season does end — hopefully a month and a half from now — it’s not going to feel great for a couple of days, but that’s OK. This is what you sign up for, for these opportunities and moments like this. If I can throw it over the plate tomorrow, then I’m going to try my hardest to get in there.”
The Red Sox secured their spot as the second American League Wild Card team with a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers in Game 162.
As the No. 5 seed in the AL with an 89-73 record, Boston will face the No. 4 seed New York Yankees — the top AL Wild Card team — in a best-of-three series, with every game at Yankee Stadium.
A lot has changed in Boston over the last four years, as Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck (who is currently on the injured list) are the only holdovers from that 2021 team on this 2025 squad. The Red Sox still have the same manager, however, as 2021 was Alex Cora’s first year back with the team after serving a one-year suspension from MLB.
Can the Red Sox recapture that 2021 magic in 2025? History will be on their side in the Wild Card round, as they’ve won eight of their last nine postseason games vs. the Yankees — a run that began with Boston’s magical Game 4 win in the 2004 ALCS and continued with a four-game series win over New York in the 2018 ALDS.
If the Sox advance from this best-of-three Wild Card series, they’d play the Toronto Blue Jays, who won the AL East and earned the No. 1 seed in the American League with a 94-68 record.
Boston’s ace, Garrett Crochet, will start Game 1 on Tuesday, manager Alex Cora confirmed Sunday. Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito will start Games 2 and 3, although it remains to be seen who will pitch each game.
The Phillies decided to wait until the last minute on Sunday to give their fans their proper present on Fan Appreciation Day. But nonetheless, they did … by scraping out a 2-1, extra-inning win in the last game of the regular season on a sacrifice fly by Nick Castellanos.
Trailing 1-0, Max Kepler tied the game in the eighth with a home run to right before Castellanos delivered the game-winner.
Except for the excellence of Cristopher Sánchez, the Phillies regular season finale against the Twins had all the excitement of an intrasquad game. Well, make that a preseason intrasquad game, because Wednesday’s contest among the Phillies at Citizens Ban Park should be quite entertaining.
The Twins took advantage of Sánchez’ early exit and scored the first run of the game when reliever Lou Trivino walked Austin Martin and then gave up a run-scoring double to Ryan Jeffers.
Sánchez–who will be the Game 1 starter on Saturday against the Wild Card Series winner between the sixth and third seed–threw a gem in 5 2/3 innings of work, as he allowed just two base hits, no walks and struck out eight. Of the 60 pitches he threw, 47 of them were strikes. In fact, he didn’t throw a ball until his 22nd pitch of the game.
With the score tied at one in the 10th and a courtesy runner on second, Orion Kerkering became the sixth pitcher of the day for the Phillies and promptly struck out the three Twins he faced. It was an outing somewhat needed for Kerkering entering the playoffs, so another box checked for the team.
On a day where fans were appreciated, substitutions plentiful and days off given (no J.T. Realmuto or Harrison Bader), the Phillies offense was truant as it accumulated just two hits through seven innings. Fitting, they scored the winning run in the 10th with a Weston Wilson sacrifice bunt that moved pinch-runner Harrison Bader to third before Castellanos’ fly ball to center.
Trea Turner did get his start at shortstop, his first game back since September 7 due to a hamstring injury. As promised by manager Rob Thomson before the game, Turner went five innings, made a play in the field and grounded out twice. He finished the season with a .304 average to garner the National League batting title.
Sánchez finished his wonderful season with career-highs in strikeouts (212), wins (13) and was among the leaders in the National League with a 2.50 ERA. Teammate Kyle Schwarber played in his 162nd game of the season and finished with 56 home runs, just two shy of Ryan Howard’s single-season record.
At Citizens Bank Park this season, the Phillies finished with a 22-3-1 record in series played and a 55-26 overall record. They drew more than 3,000,000 people for the third year in a row and Sunday’s sellout was the 40th in 81 home games.
SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Melvin wasn’t supposed to be facing questions about his 2026 status after the 2025 finale. The Giants looked to be headed for the postseason for most of the first half, and after the losing started, Melvin had his 2026 option picked up by president of baseball operations Buster Posey.
But on Sunday afternoon, a few minutes after the end of a disappointing 81-81 season, Melvin admitted he has gotten no recent assurances that his job is still safe. He said he expects to speak to someone in the front office on Monday.
“It is what it is,” he said postgame. “We’ll see what the next day brings.”
Bob Melvin addresses the uncertainty around his job status entering next season pic.twitter.com/tZNojrKruK
The vibes in the clubhouse after the season’s final game certainly did not seem to indicate it definitely will bring good news. The entire coaching staff has felt in the dark on this homestand, with some noting that their normal end-of-season meetings had not yet been scheduled. There was nothing but uncertainty as the staff headed for the offseason.
Melvin has had the backing of his players throughout his two years in San Francisco, but there has been a lot of internal talk in recent weeks about the fact that someone will have to pay for this second-half collapse. The Giants were double-digit games over .500 in June, then went out and acquired Rafael Devers. On Sunday, they watched as the Cincinnati Reds clinched the final NL playoff spot with just 83 wins.
It was a disappointing year, and that may fall on the manager, or at least some of his coaches. That would sting for a lot of the players, many of whom have tried to take responsibility in the second half.
“I think at the end of the day it comes down to us being able to play better as players,” ace Logan Webb said. “I think everyone in here would say the exact same thing. BoMel is a great leader of men, and it’s been amazing. I think BoMel is great.”
The Giants went 80-82 in Melvin’s first season in San Francisco. They got off to a good start earlier this year, but had lost six of seven when Posey made the decision to pick up the option. The bold move did not work, and the Giants at one point lost 15 of 16 games at Oracle Park.
If a move is made, that stretch will likely be the reason. It was one of the worst months in franchise history and came at a time when the Giants were seeing notable attendance gains.
Melvin didn’t offer any more on Sunday except to mention the Monday meeting. He did not expect to meet with Posey on Sunday. Multiple players said the roster has been given no indication one way or another about what is next.
Third baseman Matt Chapman has in the past said that Melvin is the biggest reason he came to San Francisco. After Sunday’s game, he said he’s “grateful” to have reunited after years together in Oakland.
“He’s the same guy every day. He’s been steady for us,” Chapman said. “He’s always honest with the players, he has our back, he’s done the best with what we’ve given him, the players. A lot of us didn’t play to probably our capabilities.
“If you ask guys in this room, I think a lot of guys would say they wish they were able to play better or more consistently. He never turns his back on us, and he always has our back. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about BoMel. Obviously, I love him.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Melvin wasn’t supposed to be facing questions about his 2026 status after the 2025 finale. The Giants looked to be headed for the postseason for most of the first half, and after the losing started, Melvin had his 2026 option picked up by president of baseball operations Buster Posey.
But on Sunday afternoon, a few minutes after the end of a disappointing 81-81 season, Melvin admitted he has gotten no recent assurances that his job is still safe. He said he expects to speak to someone in the front office on Monday.
“It is what it is,” he said postgame. “We’ll see what the next day brings.”
Bob Melvin addresses the uncertainty around his job status entering next season pic.twitter.com/tZNojrKruK
The vibes in the clubhouse after the season’s final game certainly did not seem to indicate it definitely will bring good news. The entire coaching staff has felt in the dark on this homestand, with some noting that their normal end-of-season meetings had not yet been scheduled. There was nothing but uncertainty as the staff headed for the offseason.
Melvin has had the backing of his players throughout his two years in San Francisco, but there has been a lot of internal talk in recent weeks about the fact that someone will have to pay for this second-half collapse. The Giants were double-digit games over .500 in June, then went out and acquired Rafael Devers. On Sunday, they watched as the Cincinnati Reds clinched the final NL playoff spot with just 83 wins.
It was a disappointing year, and that may fall on the manager, or at least some of his coaches. That would sting for a lot of the players, many of whom have tried to take responsibility in the second half.
“I think at the end of the day it comes down to us being able to play better as players,” ace Logan Webb said. “I think everyone in here would say the exact same thing. BoMel is a great leader of men, and it’s been amazing. I think BoMel is great.”
The Giants went 80-82 in Melvin’s first season in San Francisco. They got off to a good start earlier this year, but had lost six of seven when Posey made the decision to pick up the option. The bold move did not work, and the Giants at one point lost 15 of 16 games at Oracle Park.
If a move is made, that stretch will likely be the reason. It was one of the worst months in franchise history and came at a time when the Giants were seeing notable attendance gains.
Melvin didn’t offer any more on Sunday except to mention the Monday meeting. He did not expect to meet with Posey on Sunday. Multiple players said the roster has been given no indication one way or another about what is next.
Third baseman Matt Chapman has in the past said that Melvin is the biggest reason he came to San Francisco. After Sunday’s game, he said he’s “grateful” to have reunited after years together in Oakland.
“He’s the same guy every day. He’s been steady for us,” Chapman said. “He’s always honest with the players, he has our back, he’s done the best with what we’ve given him, the players. A lot of us didn’t play to probably our capabilities.
“If you ask guys in this room, I think a lot of guys would say they wish they were able to play better or more consistently. He never turns his back on us, and he always has our back. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about BoMel. Obviously, I love him.”
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SAN FRANCISCO — As the Giants finished up a sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, it was hard not to think about what might have been.
Sure, the Rockies are one of the worst teams ever, but had the Giants shown this same energy against the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates over the last week of July, they might be preparing for the Wild Card round right now. Instead, it was another 81-81 season after a 4-0 win in Game 162.
The Giants have finished exactly .500 just twice in their long history. They did it in 2022 and again this year, which was just as disappointing as that campaign that came on the heels of 107 wins.
After being double-digit games over .500 when they traded for Rafael Devers in June, they fell apart. Losing 15 of 16 at home in July and August wrecked their season, and this week, they had to win their final four just to avoid a losing season.
There are late lineup changes a couple of times a month, usually because of an injury during BP. Sunday’s change was maybe the most interesting of the year.
A few minutes before first pitch, the Giants announced that Adames had been moved up to the leadoff spot, a change that was very clearly meant to maximize his ability to reach 30 homers. Adames didn’t need the extra at-bat.
On the first pitch he saw, Adames blasted a sinker from McCade Brown over the center field wall. He became the first Giant since Barry Bonds in 2004 to reach 30 homers, and he did it with a second-half explosion. The homer was Adames’ first leadoff blast in the big leagues, which made sense; he had not hit first since 2018.
The Giants should have multiple good options to make it two years in a row in 2026. In addition to Adames and Matt Chapman, who finished three short last year, they’ll have a full season of Rafael Devers. His solo shot Sunday gave him 20 in 90 games as a Giant and 35 overall. There’s always Bryce Eldridge, too …
The Workhorse
Weeks ago, the Giants moved Webb up a day so that he could face the Dodgers twice and be lined up for Game 162 if it was needed. They ended up falling short in the playoff race, but Webb still had a lot to pitch for Sunday.
The right-hander entered the day tied with two others atop the NL strikeout leaderboard, and he wrapped that up in the first when he struck out the side. Webb finished with 224 strikeouts, 30 more than his previous high in the big leagues.
Webb was just about a lock to lead the NL in innings for a third straight year, but by pitching into the sixth, he also passed Boston’s Garret Crochet and won the MLB title for a second time in three years. Webb became the first Giant since 1944 to lead the NL in both innings and strikeouts.
Good Giant
Bob Melvin gave Wilmer Flores a start on Saturday, but he didn’t feel that was enough. Flores was in the lineup again Sunday, with Melvin saying he wanted to let him feel the love from Giants fans. In the top of the third, Flores was removed from the game and received a standing ovation.
Wilmer Flores receives a standing ovation as he departs potentially his final game with the Giants 🥹 pic.twitter.com/sUghMuLCTF
The 34-year-old is almost certainly done as a Giant, and given how teams view aging curves, he might have some difficulty finding a good opportunity this winter. His run in San Francisco, though, will always be appreciated.
Flores played 667 games for the organization over six seasons, hitting 92 homers and driving in 313 runs. A former Willie Mac Award winner, he might be the most popular player in the clubhouse. Melvin said Sunday that Flores never complained this season, despite the fact that his playing time got cut by the Devers, Dominic Smith and Bryce Eldridge moves.
“I have as much respect for Wilmer Flores as anybody I’ve ever managed,” he said.
