Category: Baseball

Cam Schlittler authored another playoff gem against Boston and Ben Rice had four hits, including a grand slam and a solo homer, as the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 9-0, Tuesday night in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series. 

Here are the key takeaways...

-Schlittler has now made two playoff starts against the Red Sox and has allowed no runs and just seven hits in 14.1 innings. He’s struck out 22 and walked only one. In six career starts against Boston, including the postseason, he has a 0.47 ERA, allowing only two earned runs in 38.2 innings.

-Schlittler’s strengths are his three fastballs – a four-seam, a cutter and a sinker – and they were in fine form Tuesday. The first pitch he threw in the game lit up the scoreboard radar gun at 101 miles per hour and he used his heaters and their differing movement patterns to flummox the Red Sox. But his curveball was also a weapon. He jacked up its usage – most of the season it was at 10 percent of his arsenal, but it was nearly three times that on Tuesday – and it was a fine finishing pitch. He completed four of his 10 strikeouts with the pitch and felt so good about it he occasionally threw it twice in a row. Overall, Schlittler got 24 swings-and-misses during his outing, according to Baseball Savant, an indication of how dominant he was.

-Schlittler needed 22 pitches to navigate the first inning, mostly because of a 10-pitch battle with Adley Rutschman that ended up with a one-out, bloop single. Schlittler then retired the next 13 batters before issuing a two-out walk to Jarren Duran in the fifth. Schlittler iced Trevor Story on a harmless fly to center to end the inning, threw a 1-2-3 sixth and then the Yankees had a decision to make. The last pitch of the sixth, a cutter that wiped out Rutschman for strikeout No. 10, was Schlittler’s 107th, matching his career high attained in his dominant start against Boston to close out the 2025 Wild Card Series. Aaron Boone sent Schlittler out to start the seventh and he got one out before giving up a single to Wilyer Abreu. Then Boone came to get him and Schlittler departed to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 48,437, many of whom were chanting “M-V-P, M-V-P.”

-With Aaron Judge not on the roster for this series because of a calf injury, the Yankees perhaps needed a hitter to step up, and Rice did just that on Tuesday. He was 4-for-5 with six RBI and all four of the hits were clocked at 106.4 miles per hour off the bat or harder. The grand slam off Brayan Bello was 108.6 mph. Between Rice and Schlittler, a big night for the Yanks' Massachusetts natives against the Olde Towne Team, eh?

-The Yankees have a lefty-leaning lineup, but they’ve been successful against left-handed pitching this year. Southpaw Payton Tolle started for the Red Sox and the Yanks’ victory means they are 36-20 in games started by left-handers, including the regular season. Lefty hitters helped Tuesday night. Austin Wells, who batted .122 against lefties, knocked in the first run with an RBI single and Rice delivered insurance with his 12th homer against a lefty pitcher this year. He also hit a 110-mph double off Tolle. He hit the grand slam off righty Brayan Bello.

-The Yanks didn’t get anything out of their first three at-bats with runners in scoring position, but cashed their fourth with a hit from a perhaps-unlikely source: Wells. With two outs in the second inning, Wells swatted a single into right field to score George Lombard Jr. from second base for a 1-0 Yankee lead. Wells had a poor season offensively and was particularly bad against left-handed pitching, going 11-for-90 against lefties.

-The Yanks were set up for damage in the fourth inning when Lombard reached on a tough chopper to third that was scored a base hit. Amed Rosario followed with a walk on a 3-2 pitch that became ball four when he successfully challenged the original strike call. But things flattened from there, even as Boston started its bullpen churning. The Red Sox clearly thought Anthony Volpe would bunt, because they slid their corner infielders in. Volpe swung and fouled out and then Spencer Jones hit a soft liner to the left side that Caleb Durbin easily snared. Lombard got too far off the bag at second and Durbin threw over for an inning-ending double play. After two more failed at-bats with runners in scoring position, the Yanks were only 1-for-7 in such situations early.

-Tolle lasted 4.2 innings for the Red Sox, allowing just one run and five hits – four singles and Rice’s first-inning double. He walked one, struck out four and threw 83 pitches (58 strikes). Boston manager Chad Tracy took Tolle out with Rice waiting to hit. In came fellow lefty Erik Miller and Rice punished the Red Sox, smashing a 423-foot homer over the center field wall that was clocked at 108 miles per hour off the bat. Rice’s longball, the second postseason home run of his career, gave the Yanks a 2-0 lead that seemed much wider because of the way Schlittler was pitching.

-Rice later added an RBI single in the seventh inning and the Yanks got a fourth run on a double-play grounder, too. In the eighth, Wells made it 5-0 with a sac fly and Rice connected for his slam in that inning, too, a 408-foot drive.

Game MVP

Schlittler. He threw 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and a walk. The Red Sox never got a runner past first base against him. He struck out 10 and threw a career-high 117 pitches, 77 of them for strikes. Boston’s 1-2-3 spots in their lineup were 1-for-9 against him with seven strikeouts.

Highlights

Cam Schlittler starts Game 1 off with a K pic.twitter.com/u3VdvJxsFU

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

Three strikeouts for Cam Schlittler in the first after a successful Austin Wells ABS challenge pic.twitter.com/V7X44ouZ3j

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

Four strikeouts for Cam Schlittler in 2 innings

He’s generated 11 swing and misses pic.twitter.com/pLHesL783f

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

George Lombard Jr. singles in his first postseason at-bat pic.twitter.com/0OfOKFWzcc

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

Austin Wells opens the scoring in Game 1! pic.twitter.com/11NGVmZyZ6

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

Cam Schlittler is up to 6 Ks in 3 innings in Game 1 pic.twitter.com/RyWngkIWhC

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

BEN RICE. 2-0! pic.twitter.com/PgXWZtTKcI

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

Cam Schlittler. pic.twitter.com/8SRIIYJ654

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

Paul Blackburn gets the double play! pic.twitter.com/gO4HizgMa9

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

Ben Rice with an RBI knock to make it 3-0! pic.twitter.com/Dv4DfM4Wyo

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

Nick Sogard with the diving stop to start the double play, but Austin Wells comes into score to make it 4-0 pic.twitter.com/jHJI6ym9Tc

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

Another RBI for Austin Wells on a sac fly pic.twitter.com/YPhYsoqNC1

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

BEN RICE BRINGS THE HAMMER DOWN!

A grand slam and the Yankees lead 9-0! pic.twitter.com/42w0x95BAD

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

Up next

The Yankees have a chance to sweep the best-of-three series against their archrivals on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.

Max Fried takes the mound for New York, squaring off against former Yankee Sonny Gray, who enjoyed an excellent 2026 regular season with Boston.

Ben Rice turned Game 1 of the American League wild card series into a laugher with his two-out grand slam in the bottom of the eighth against the Boston Red Sox, his second home run of the night in the New York Yankees' 9-0 win.

The Yankees led 4-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth and pushed a fifth run across on Austin Wells' sacrifice fly. But Brayan Bello walked Paul Goldschmidt to load the bases again, bringing up Rice. The All-Star fell behind 0-2 but worked Bello to a full count before driving the sixth pitch of the at-bat over the wall, sending Yankee Stadium into a frenzy.

Rice hit 41 home runs in the regular season and had a solo homer off left-hander Erik Miller in the bottom of the sixth inning that had extended the Yankees one-run lead to 2-0.

Rice guys finish blast. pic.twitter.com/afe7NqeqKB

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 30, 2026

Cam Schlittler is going to win the American League Cy Young winner in November, and likely garner MVP votes while he is at it. 

But if the Yankees ace is going to keep pitching like this against the Red Sox in the postseason, they are going to start naming babies and streets and everything else after him around these parts. 

And Ben Rice may not be far behind. 

Schlittler and Rice, the sons of Massachusetts, continued to torment their hometown team and carry the Yankees, combining to run away with a 9-0 win over the Red Sox in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series on Tuesday night at a boisterous Yankee Stadium. 

Schlittler struck out 10 across 6 ¹/₃ shutout innings, all of which came in a tight game before Rice helped blow it open — his grand slam in the eighth inning providing the knockout punch on his second home run and fourth hit of the night. 

“The job’s not done,” Schlittler said. “We’ve got to get another win [Wednesday]. But it’s very well known that if you want to be a legend, which is obviously the goal, you’ve got to do it in the postseason. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

“So go out there and have dominant starts and put the team in a position to win. And that’s kind of the most important thing. I thought a lot of guys today did a great job of that.” 

The flame-throwing, 25-year-old Schlittler, who mixed in more curveballs than he has in any start of his career, allowed just two singles and one walk. After throwing his career-high 117th and final pitch of the night in the seventh inning of what was then a 2-0 game, he walked off to “MVP” chants and a thunderous standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 48,737. 

After dominating the Red Sox in a clinching Game 3 of the AL wild-card series here last year — tossing eight shutout innings with 12 strikeouts to announce his arrival on the big stage — Schlittler delivered yet again on Tuesday to give the Yankees a chance to finish off the sweep Wednesday when they hand Max Fried the ball against Sonny Gray. 

Rice, who like Schlittler (and Anthony Volpe, who also enjoyed a strong night) was signed and scouted by Matt Hyde, led the Aaron Judge-less offense with four of its 12 hits — matching the same number of hits he had across six playoff games last year – while driving in six runs. 

“I’ll remember getting a ‘W’ versus the Red Sox — there’s nothing better than that,” Rice said. “I’ll remember Cam going out there and just being lights out, like he always is. I’ll remember the atmosphere. It was just an awesome night.” 

What threatened to be the Yankees’ kryptonite coming into the series — the Red Sox’s parade of lefty arms — proved to be their offensive key to Game 1. Their left-handed hitters (Rice, Cody Bellinger, Spencer Jones and Austin Wells) went 7-for-13 against three Red Sox lefties, including starter Payton Tolle, who lasted just 4 ²/₃ innings. 

Making matters worse for the Red Sox was the fact that they lost one of their best hitters, Roman Anthony, to a recurrence of his hand injury in the middle of Game 1 that threatens his availability the rest of the series. 

Schlittler came out firing, striking out three in the top of the first inning — two on his curveball, foreshadowing how important it would be for him on the way to a career-high 24 whiffs — on a night when he lowered his career ERA to 0.47 in six starts against the Red Sox. 

The bottom of the Yankees’ lineup started the scoring in the second inning, which George Lombard Jr. led off with a single — becoming the youngest player (21 years, 119 days) in franchise history to record a hit in his playoff debut — before Volpe roped a one-out single of his own. 

Then with two outs, Wells lined a left-on-left single through the right side for the 1-0 lead. 

Rice, who crushed 41 home runs during the regular season but cooled off some during the summer months when Judge was out with a broken rib, greeted lefty reliever Erik Miller in the fifth inning with a solo blast into Monument Park to double the lead. 

Paul Blackburn relieved Schlittler in the seventh inning and rolled a double play ball to erase the inherited runner. But from there, the Yankees added on against the Red Sox bullpen, scoring twice against lefty reliever Alec Gamboa before Rice blew it open in the eighth, a fitting exclamation point on a night that belonged to him and Schlittler. 

“Pretty remarkable,” manager Aaron Boone said. “For them to go out and have that kind of night together to start this postseason, pretty amazing and kind of hard to grasp a little bit, frankly. But I’m certainly glad we have those two.”

The Red Sox looked lost at the plate against Yankees ace Cam Schlittler Tuesday night, and then saw one of the club’s budding stars exit early.

Roman Anthony was unexpectedly lifted for pinch hitter Andruw Monasterio in the top of the sixth inning after striking out in his first two plate appearances in Boston’s 9-0 loss in Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Yankees.

After the defeat, manager Chad Tracy told reporters that Anthony’s right hand “flared on him” after a check swing.

Tracy added that it was “hard to say” whether Anthony would play in Wednesday’s Game 2 or not.

Anthony was seen flexing his right wrist in the dugout after his first-inning strikeout but stayed in for another plate appearance before he was removed.

“That’s not a good sign,” ex-Red Sox infielder Lou Merloni said during the NBC broadcast.

Merloni referred to an at-bat in Boston’s regular-season finale on Sunday against the Cubs in which Anthony appeared to experience discomfort in his right hand.

“There was a check swing [in Sunday’s game], where we weren’t sure what we were seeing,” Merloni added. “It looked like he was shaking it out a little bit. Obviously, [he] hasn’t been right and there’s something going on with it.”

The 22-year-old missed 107 games after sustaining an injury, which was initially reported as a wrist issue but later called a ring finger ailment, and experiencing a myriad of setbacks during his rehab.

In 55 games this season, Anthony hit .245/.339/.396 with just five homers and 15 RBIs.

It was not the type of season either side envisioned after Boston inked Anthony, considered one of baseball’s top prospects, to a historic $130 million deal shortly after his MLB debut.

HOUSTON — In Tuesday’s Game 1 of the American League wild-card series, Chicago White Sox rookie left hander Hagen Smith found himself in uncharted territory: making his first postseason start and facing the reigning AL batting title winner.

He didn’t blink.

Smith spun three scoreless innings and helped the White Sox deliver a deluxe version of a bullpen game in a 6-3 win over the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, putting Chicago on the precipice of advancing to the AL Division Series for the first time since 2021.

“It was awesome,” Smith told USA TODAY Sports. “From the first day out here, the guys on the team have just been awesome. It’s super fun to show up every day and just play with them, so I was really happy to go out there with them.”

Facing a Houston lineup known for its power, Smith surrendered two hits, singles to Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith, and stifled one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. AL MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez went 0-for-2 with two groundouts against Smith.

“He's a great hitter,” Smith said of Alvarez after the game. “Obviously, when you look at the scouting reports you kind of circle him as one of the guys that you try not to let him beat you. And, yeah, just trying to go to go out there and do the same thing I always do. Just not make the moment too big for that certain hitter, and just try to attack him with my strengths.”

After Smith’s start, the White Sox used three relievers – Jordan Hicks, Sean Newcomb and David Sandlin – as a bridge to closer Grant Taylor. Taylor secured seven laborious outs, the biggest among them when he stifled a Houston rally in the eighth inning by striking out Yainer Diaz, who represented the potential tying run with two on base and two outs.

You could say the White Sox holy rolled the Astros in Game 1 of the American League wild-card series, taking advantage of the divine intervention that one of the club’s biggest fans sent their way before the game. 

Pope Leo XIV sent a letter of support to the White Sox, which the team shared on social media hours before the American League Chicago team went on to defeat Houston 6-3 at Daikin Park on Tuesday  

“As I have noted, sport can truly become a school of life, where all can learn that abundance does not come from victory at any cost, but from sharing, from respecting others and from the joy of walking together,” the first American Pope wrote to White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. 

Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, hails from the Windy City and has made his White Sox fandom known since being elected pontiff in May 2025. 

View this post on Instagram

Then known as Father Bob, the Pope attended the White Sox’s World Series opener in 2005 when they played the Astros, sitting in section 140, Row 19, Seat 2 to watch as the White Sox won 5-3. 

It’s the White Sox first postseason appearance since 2021 and followed three consecutive 100-loss seasons

“In this spirit, it is my hope that the White Sox will continue to foster bonds of friendship and solidarity among people, and thus bear hopeful witness to the possibility of living and working together in peace,” the Pope’s letter, dated Sept. 5, continued. “With these sentiments, I willingly invoke the Almighty’s abundant blessings upon you and your loved ones.”

The letter was sent to the White Sox in response to the team’s promotion on Aug. 11, when fans at that game received Pope hats with the team’s logo.

One was delivered to Pope Leo by Chicago native Father Tom McCarthy in August. 

Pope Leo was likely very happy with the result on Tuesday as his beloved White Sox moved one step closer to advancing, with Colson Montgomery hitting a solo home run and Sam Antonacci driving in a pair of runs in the Game 1 victory. 

Game 2 takes place on Wednesday in Houston.

Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker has never shied away from just how bad his performance at the plate was for much of his first season in Los Angeles.

For the first five months of the season, when he’d show brief glimpses of progress before sinking back into an extended slump, Tucker’s .683 OPS was the third-worst among Dodgers hitters with at least 100 plate appearances, better than only Hyeseong Kim and Kyle Freeland, who both spent time in triple A.

In September, however, he found a sustainable adjustment. He fixed his bat path, extending through the ball more consistently instead of pulling off of it. He posted a .889 OPS in September, on par with his four straight All-Star seasons before signing with the Dodgers.

Now, all of a sudden, he looks like a potential difference-maker in the postseason.

“The last month or so is more or less what I expect out of myself,” Tucker said in a recent conversation with The Times. “The biggest thing is we have an opportunity now being in the playoffs to win another World Series. Once the playoffs start, you can forget about any stats or personal numbers. The only one that really matters is the win column. So that’s just what I’m gonna try and contribute towards.”

The Dodgers offense had a lot of success stories like Tucker’s in the final month of the regular season. He helped carry the offense, along with Teoscar Hernández and Mookie Betts, who turned around their seasons down the stretch, and Will Smith, who returned from the IL and quickly found his home run swing.

The Dodgers’ starting rotation is their biggest strength going into the postseason. But the offense’s performance against elite pitching, and the bullpen’s execution in tight games, could make or break a series.

Here’s how some other key players are trending going into the postseason:

Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani: Fortunate to have the bye

Ohtani returned from the IL with five games left in the season, and he went five for 21 with one extra-base hit.

All indications from general manager Brandon Gomes and manager Dave Roberts in video conference calls before the Dodgers’ closed workout Tuesday were that Ohtani was feeling good physically.

“I feel confident that you’re going to see the best version of Shohei of the last two months,” Roberts said. “I know that’s sort of a low bar given his injury, but I do think that he’s as healthy as he’s been in quite some time, and every day from the training staff, it keeps getting better. So, number one, he’ll be a threat being in the lineup, but I do think that the performance piece will be what we’re hoping for.”

First baseman Freddie Freeman: Ice cold

Freeman, who pushed through a bout with tendinitis in his right knee earlier this month, hit just .184 in September and went 0-for-7 in his last two games.

On Tuesday, Freeman said he had no pain in his knee. But finally acknowledged that the injury could have affected his swing mechanics, while again emphasizing that he wouldn’t use that as an excuse.

Freeman has a plan for the bye week that he hopes will set him in the right direction for the playoffs.

“I’m going to hit on the field every day,” he said Sunday. “I already know how my Tuesday is going to go. There’s going to be a lot of blocked balls to left [field], a lot of flares into left. I’m hoping as Tuesday goes Wednesday, I’ll come back and those will be put down a little more. Thursday they’ll be moved over to shortstop and by Friday I will be feeling good. That is how my head is thinking right now.”

Center fielder Andy Pages: Out of the gate running

It was hard to predict how the center fielder would look at the plate when he returned from a fracture in his left hand. He recorded a 1.181 OPS in six games and homered twice in the final regular-season series against the San Francisco Giants.

Read more:The Dodgers have an old roster. But that isn't necessarily a drawback in October

“He went into last October really scuffling, and it sort of bled into October,” Roberts said over the weekend. “Where, I think right now he feels really confident, swinging the bat well, and the hope is that this one bleeds into October as well.”

Reliever Edgardo Henriquez: Healthy

Henriquez is “trending really well” after throwing live batting practice, Gomes said. If this week continues to go smoothly, the flame-throwing right-hander is expected to be on the NLDS roster.

“Given the body of work, what he’s done, the unique skill set,” Roberts said, “could be huge for us — will be huge for us.”

Reliever Edwin Díaz: Strong finish

Díaz made five appearances after his latest return from the IL (neck). He gave up just one hit in those games, with a 52.9% strikeout rate.

Read more:Dodgers Debate: Who do the Dodgers want in the NLDS?

“I don’t know if we could have asked much more out of Edwin,” Gomes said. “Felt like each outing was more and more sharp and looking more like himself. So feel that he’s in a great place right now. Stuff out of hand is as good as it’s been all year. And we know that he has pitched in the hottest of hot games in the past and in any role, especially in the postseason. So he’s looked great, and glad that he’s in the position that he’s in and was able to bounce back after the IL stint.”

NLDS weather: Sweltering

Los Angeles’ weather forecast for this weekend, when the Dodgers are set to host the first two games of the NLDS, shows temperatures reaching the high 90s. The Dodgers are scheduled to play Game 2 at 5 p.m. on Sunday. But Saturday’s game time will depend on the results of the wild-card round. First pitch for Game 1 could be at 1 p.m. or 6 p.m.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Athletics third baseman Zack Gelof has sued the Detroit Tigers over an injury he sustained during a 4-1 loss on July 9 at Comerica Park, according to a Sept. 28 court document filed with the Wayne County (Michigan) Circuit Court.

In addition to the Tigers, Ilitch Holdings Inc. and the Detroit-Wayne County Stadium Authority were also named as defendants.

Gelof, 26, was playing left field July 9 when Tigers outfielder Zach McKinstry hit a fly ball into foul territory in the bottom of the third inning. Gelof made a sliding catch to get McKinstry out, running his legs into the stands in a section covered by fencing. After the play, the A's infielder was clearly in pain, holding onto his knee.

A's outfielder Zack Gelof is suing the Detroit Tigers because he missed games in July and August after injuring his knee sliding into a metal fence pic.twitter.com/h35jDfz23h

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 29, 2026

Gelof's right knee struck an "exposed, dangerous metal-fence on the side wall that protruded into or alongside the playing area" that tore through his uniform and caused a laceration in his kneecap that narrowly missed a patellar tendon, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit says Gelof immediately felt significant pain and did not play the rest of the game. He was placed on the A's 30-day injured list following the collision.

"(The Tigers) knew or should have known that professional baseball players routinely run and slide at high speeds into foul territory while attempting to catch baseballs," the lawsuit says. "Padding and protective measures in an MLB ballpark exist for a reason."

The Tigers declined to comment on the matter, according to the Detroit Free Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

"We are aware of the lawsuit and do not comment on pending litigation," the Tigers said in a statement Tuesday, Sept. 29.

The lawsuit described the fence as "exposed" and "rigid" with "sharp metal components capable of causing serious injury." The lawsuit also alleges that there was "insufficient padding or other protective material covering the fencing" and "inadequate clearance or runoff space between the playing area and the fencing."

Tigers left fielder Riley Greene "acknowledged to reporters that the specific area along that wall is made of metal and can be quite unforgiving during a hard slide," the court documents said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A's infielder Zack Gelof sues Detroit Tigers over knee injury

Who you gonna call?

Well, it appears the Cubs summoned Ghostbusters star Bill Murray to Petco Park Tuesday for Game 1 of the National League wild-card series against the Padres. Murray was spotted in the crowd as a sea of yellow dominated the seats in San Diego.

Murray is a lifelong Chicago fan and has famously said he was “baptized a Cubs fan” since birth. At Wrigley Field, he is a regularly attendee and has been seen signing during the seventh-inning stretch and celebrating wtih the team.

Murray celebrated the team’s historic 2016 World Series championship, where he even joined the players in the locker room with champagne. The legendary actor even traveled to Japan for last year’s season opening series at the Tokyo Dome between the Cubs and Dodgers.

On Tuesday, Murray was locked in for the wild-card series. He likely wasn’t very happy with how the first inning panned out for Chicago as Padres ace Michael King had an impressive 1-2-3 inning and Fernando Tatis Jr. proceeded to homer on the first pitch off Matthew Boyd in the bottom half of the frame.

Regardless of the outcome, Tuesday’s playoff atmosphere was electric in San Diego as fireworks flew before first pitch and the crowd was already raucous before the game began.

The San Diego Padres hit a couple of homers in the opening inning against the Chicago Cubs in the National League wild card series at Petco Park. It was a tough start for Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd in Game 1.

Boyd threw an 83-mph changeup and to get things going Fernando Tatis Jr. smacked a leadoff home run, 405-feet across center field to give the Padres a 1-0 lead.

But San Diego wasn't done. Another one of their sluggers stepped up shortly after Tatis.

Manny Machado, whether you love him or hate him, is that dude and a home run threat at the plate. He lived up to that reputation in the bottom first inning taking Boyd's 81-mph changeup 391 feet for a solo home run.

The Padres led 2-0 after the first inning in Game 1 of the NL wild card series. The winner takes advantage and moves one game closer to advancing to the NL Division Series against face the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers.

What’s the worst thing you would have imagined popping up on tonight’s MLB Gameday feed before the game started? Jarren Duran pops out to foul territory, caught by Marlins Man would be pretty bad. I wouldn’t want to see On-field injury delay, Payton Tolle overly aggressive hug either.

But I don’t think I would have imagined anything worse than this:

Yes. Andruw Monasterio — the last man on the Red Sox bench, the man who has just 2 hits in his last 32 at-bats, the man who many fans would have preferred be passed over on the roster in favor of Braiden Ward, who has never played in a Major League game in his life — pinch-hit for Roman Anthony. In the sixth inning.

The Red Sox have not yet said anything about Anthony’s injury status. But we don’t really need them to, do we? Anthony’s career, young though it may be, has been defined by two things: (1) Precocious brilliance at the plate, (2) A gut-wrenching inability to stay on the field. Anthony struggled with a bizarrely stubborn hand injury for most of the season. He returned to put up an OPS just a tick under .800 over the last few weeks, but appeared to still be battling the injury as of Game 162:

His first two plate appearances against Cam Schlittler tonight both ended in awkward check-swing strikeouts. He may not get another one in this series.

It’s a late night in San Diego as the Padres host the Chicago Cubs in game 1 of the NL Wild Card series. According to MLB.com, LHP Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs while the Padres will send RHP Michael King to the mound. First pitch scheduled for 9pm central time at Petco Park and the game broadcast for the Wild Card rounds will be handled by NBC/Peacock.

A year ago, the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs met in the National League wild-card series. What a difference a year makes.

The Padres are on almost the exact opposite trajectory now than they were in 2025: they're hitting the ball.

Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill all rebounded from slow starts to help spark a remarkable mid-season turnaround in San Diego as they finished out the year 41-18 after sitting at 50-53 entering July 24. The offense, paired with the deepest bullpen in baseball and getting guys back in the rotation from the IL, not only re-inserted themselves into the wild card conversation but shot them straight to the top of it.

The Cubs won the regular-season series 5-1, but their last matchup was on July 1, weeks before the Padres got it together. Now, they'll have a chance to redeem themselves against a Cubs team that eliminated them at Wrigley Field last October – and this time, it'll be at home in Petco Park.

Here are three factors that will decide the NL wild card series between the Padres and Cubs:

Just like that, the Astros are on the brink of elimination. White Sox 6. Astros 3.

What unfolded over the course of a late afternoon affair was a glaring contrast between the clubs going well beyond the final box score. Chicago’s core nucleus of young talent might be eventually as good as what Houston had back in 2015. The similarities of emerging from the doldrums are striking.

Munetaka Murakami brought in the game’s first run with an RBI Sac Fly, scoring Sam Antonacci. The Sox would increase their lead the following frame against Bryan King. Montgomery and Meidroth reached on singles and then Colston Montgomery was hit, loading the bases. Sam Antonacci once again produced, this time punching out a 2 run RBI single, making it 3-0. King faced 5 batters, allowed 4 hits and a HBP. The only reason there wasn’t more damage was due to a pair of K’s from Miguel Ullola who electrified the crowd with his velocity.   

All told on the day, Houston would run through 8 different pitchers. AJ Blubaugh in a starting role was wild throughout the opening stages, administering three walks. He threw 27 pitches and recorded just 2 outs. Not exactly the result Brent Strom was looking for when lured out of retirement a month ago.  

In the 4th, Colton Montgomery still smarting from the earlier HBP, launched a solo blast to center field making it 4-0 and you could feel the air and anticipation leave the ballpark. That would remain the score until the fifth when Chase Meidroth brought home Murakami.    

Houston finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Nelson Velazquez homered to left, bringing home Lucas Spence. Chicago grabbed one of those runs back curtesy of a wild pitch.

In the bottom of the 8th, the Astros flirted with a comeback. Pena and Alvarez each singled and then Altuve reached on an error which was compounded by Murakami’s adventures in the outfield. That made it 6-3 and that would be your final.  

Game Notes:

Oft he previous 12 Wild Card matchups, 11 of the 12 teams to win game 1 of the series have won the series.

To Freddie Freeman, two years ago was “100 times worse.”

And if he could find his swing then, he is confident of doing so again now. 

Freeman’s 2024 postseason, of course, has become club legend at this point. How he played through ankle and rib injuries. How he slumped through the first couple rounds in his severely diminished state. And how, after a week off before that year’s Fall Classic, he tweaked his swing and produced one of the most memorable performances in World Series history — highlighted by his iconic walk-off grand slam in extra innings of Game 1 at Dodger Stadium.

This time, Freeman thinks a similar turnaround could be much more simple, despite battling another physical ailment down the stretch this regular season with patellar tendonitis in his right knee.

“I truly feel good right now, physically,” Freeman said on Tuesday, during a video conference with reporters ahead of the Dodgers’ first pre-National League Division Series bye week workout. “So it’s on me now to figure out the mechanics of the swing in the next five days. And I have all the confidence in myself that I will figure that out by [Game 1 on] Saturday.”

At the start of September, Freeman looked to be on the right track.

The former MVP was sporting a .300 batting average, accomplishing his primary preseason goal. He had looked more mobile at first base for much of the year, a byproduct of consistent health in his age-36 campaign. And though he was mired in a power drought, going 47 games between home runs at one point, he had nonetheless remained a key contributor in the heart of the Dodgers’ star-studded batting order.

Then, just as the stretch run started to heat up, Freeman’s right knee suddenly began to hurt.

There was no one play that caused the veteran slugger’s injury (at least not that he has pinpointed publicly). He tried to downplay the severity of the issue, despite missing a handful of games during the middle of the month.

But it nonetheless triggered a slump that put Freeman’s postseason productivity into question, making him perhaps the club’s biggest question mark after a similarly banged-up Shohei Ohtani.

“[The injury is] affecting him,” manager Dave Roberts said last week. “So how can he sort of navigate being compromised?”

For much of September, Freeman struggled to find an answer.

On Sept. 2, he snapped his long-ball drought in a two-hit performance that raised his season-high average to .306 and his OPS to .850. After that, he spiraled into a three-week slump for the remainder of the regular season, going 12-for-72 (.167) over his final 18 games. 

His final full-season numbers: a .288 average (his second-lowest mark since 2015), a .792 OPS (the lowest of his career excluding his 20-game cameo as a rookie in 2010) and just 16 home runs (another career low for a full-length season).

Freeman tried to tweak his swing a few times during that stretch, at one point focusing on catching the ball farther out in front in search of more pull power.

The one thing he did not do, however, was put the blame entirely on his latest physical problem. 

“I’m not going to make an excuse. I will never blame my knee,” he insisted after Sunday’s regular-season finale. “I didn’t play very well, and that’s just how it is. It’s on me now in the next five days to figure out my swing and be prepared for Saturday.”

By Tuesday, Freeman sounded optimistic about that mission.

He reiterated that “my body feels good” and maintained his stance that “I just didn’t play well the last couple months of the season.”

“Did I have some ailments in my knees? Yes, I did,” he said. “I don’t know how much that attributed to subconsciously trying to do stuff where it didn’t hurt as much … so maybe I created bad habits. But I won’t blame it on that. I just played bad. My knee is in a good spot now. That’s why the bye week is huge.”

Indeed, Freeman has a specific plan for the next couple days — not only in how many swings he will take (which could be upward of 400 between the batting cages, on-field batting practice and live BP sessions, he said) but also in how he will go about recalibrating his mechanics.

“I’m gonna try what I used in the World Series in ’24,” Freeman said, referencing a “step-out” mental cue that impacts how he plants his front foot and is intended to prevent him from cutting his swing across the plate. 

“That’s the thought going in today, and I’m very confident that that’s gonna help get things back in line throughout the course of the week.”

It certainly worked two years ago, when a clearly hampered Freeman went 7-for-32 before the Fall Classic, then emerged from his off-week reset by going 6-for-20 with four home runs in the World Series to earn MVP honors.

And the fact that Freeman already claims to feel significantly better physically has fueled optimism around the team that the worst of his struggles are behind him.

“I think that it is a mechanical thing with Freddie,” Roberts said, “and I do think that having five days to work through it gets him back to close to 100% — which I think he will be.”

The Dodgers could obviously use that version of the 10-time All-Star. If he and Ohtani (who the Dodgers also continue to insist is improving from his right arm and left knee injuries) are struggling at the top of their lineup, it could scuttle the team’s recently resurgent offense.

“Personally, it’s huge for me that I got five days to really work on mechanics,” Freeman said.

It paid off two Octobers ago. He’s counting on a similar rebound this year.