Category: Baseball

Jeff McNeilhas been a constant for the Mets since bursting onto the scene as a 26-year-old rookie in 2018 and hitting .329 with an .852 OPS -- giving New York a cog who has been a lineup mainstay ever since.

Since 2019, McNeil has played at least 120 games in every full season (he appeared in 52 of 60 during the COVID-shortened campaign in 2020).

Along the way, he's won a batting title and made two All-Star teams.

McNeil, who signed a four-year, $50 million extension before the 2023 season, has also been versatile.

A natural second baseman, he has gotten a solid amount of time at both corner outfield spots and third base. This past season, McNeil even played 34 games in center field -- including 28 starts. And he performed admirably in center. 

There have been ebbs and flow for McNeil along the way, which included down campaigns in 2023 and 2024.

But as he prepares to enter his age-34 season in what is the final guaranteed year of his contract (the Mets hold a club option for 2027), McNeil is coming off a campaign where he was an above average offensive performer while continuing to provide the aforementioned versatility. 

Should McNeil be in the Mets' plans for 2026, or is it time for them to move on?

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO TRADE MCNEIL

While McNeil's 2025 season was above average when compared to the rest of the league -- he slashed .243/.355/.411 with an OPS+ of 111 -- it's now been three full seasons since he was a high-average, high-on-base percentage player.

Over his first five seasons in the majors, McNeil slashed .307/.370/.458.

Over his last three seasons, McNeil has hit .253/.326/.389.

Meanwhile, McNeil has never really hit for power -- excluding 2019, when he smacked a career-high 23 homers. He also doesn't walk a lot, though he did draw a career-high 49 walks this past season.

Beyond McNeil's recent shortcomings at the plate is the fact that the Mets have a glut of infielders on the 40-man roster and more coming. Additionally, they're set at both corner outfield positions (Juan Sotoin right, Brandon Nimmo in left) and will almost certainly go defense-first in center field to start the 2026 season. 

When it comes to the infield situation, second base and third base are technically open, but Brett Baty is coming off a season where he started to produce at the plate -- posting a .748 OPS while smacking 18 homers in 130 games. Baty was a solid defender, too, and showed that he can handle second base in addition to the hot corner. 

There's also the presence of Ronny Mauricio. The 24-year-old still has way too much chase at the plate, but he has tantalizing power and the ability to be Francisco Lindor's backup at shortstop along with being an option at second and third. 

Then there's Jett Williams, who had an .828 OPS in 130 games last season across Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. The 21-year-old is the Mets' top prospect and is expected to debut this coming season -- possibly at some point in the first half. And it's likely that his position once in the bigs will be second base or center field. 

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO KEEP MCNEIL

Even though the Mets have numerous options for second base and third base, they're all unproven.

And while it's also possible to envision a scenario where the Mets find a third baseman externally if Pete Alonsoleaves via free agency (which would create a domino effect that gives them four possible second base options), that hasn't happened yet.

There's also the fact that none of the other options on the Mets' 40-man roster offer the kind of versatility that McNeil does.

Baty has played a grand total of 1.0 inning in the outfield during his big league career, and that came in 2023.

Mauricio played 26 games in left field in the minors in 2023, but hasn't left the infield dirt since suffering the knee injury that cost him the entire 2024 season. 

Even in a world where McNeil isn't being viewed as someone who will start the majority of the time, it's easy to make an argument that he would be valuable in a super utility role where he gets time at four or five different spots in the field.

The main question for the Mets in that scenario would be whether they think it makes sense to have a $15.75 million bench player who -- while able to play all over the field -- isn't a true plus defender at any position and doesn't hit for power. 

VERDICT

The day after the season ended, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns stressed the need to improve the team's defense.

Stearns also did not reject that idea that the offensive core of the team could be shaken up.

And if Alonsore-signs, the easiest way to shake up the core while improving the defense could be to move on from McNeil (and Starling Marte, a free agent who is no longer able to play the outfield much).

In the case of McNeil, it's possible the Mets would have to eat a bit of his salary in order to help facilitate a deal.

But he could be an intriguing option for infield-needy teams in need of a versatile player who won't require a commitment beyond 2026.

Thomson trusts Nola with start, Suárez to follow in must-win Game 3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies are taking an unconventional approach to an elimination game.

Rob Thomson will hand the ball to Aaron Nola. The 11-year veteran had a forgettable 2025 regular season, posting a 6.01 ERA in 17 starts.

This will be just the third time in major-league history that a team has turned to a starter with a 6-plus ERA (minimum 50 regular-season innings) in a postseason elimination game.

The Phillies’ skipper will lean on the trust factor.

“He’s more comfortable starting,” Thomson said Tuesday. “Nola’s pitched some really big games for us over the last couple of years.”

It’s a gutsy move. Many believe it should be Ranger Suárez for Game 3. The southpaw has made eight starts and two relief outings in the postseason and has been stellar — a 1.43 ERA in 37 ⅔ innings with 40 strikeouts.

“I trust them both, don’t get me wrong,” Thomson said.

After starting lefties Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo in Games 1 and 2, the Phils will likely force Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to construct a different lineup against the right-hander Nola.

Contrary to popular belief, the numbers do justify Nola getting the start over Suárez.

Against all the hitters on L.A.’s NLDS roster, Nola has been the far more effective pitcher in his career. Dodgers batters are slashing just .220/.267/.378 in 246 at-bats. That line jumps to .326/.375/.535 against Suárez.

Even with the favorable lefty-vs.-righty matchups (including switch-hitter Tommy Edman), lefties are just 24-for-127 (.189) against Nola. In the less favorable lefty-lefty matchups against Suárez (excluding Edman), they’re hitting .308 (8-for-28).

And Nola did, in fact, finish his injury-riddled season on a high note. In his final start, he fired a season-high eight innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out nine — an encouraging sign ahead of his biggest outing of the year.

“His last start was phenomenal,” Thomson said. “That’s the Nola we’ve seen before, and I’m banking on that’s what we’re going to get.”

Tonight, it’s not necessarily one or the other, because Thomson has already committed to bringing Suárez in out of the bullpen.

“You’re going to see Ranger,” Thomson said. “I’d be shocked if you don’t. I’d regret having either one of those guys not pitching in this series.”

And Suárez is no stranger to pitching in that role. He’s made 70 appearances in his career (regular season and postseason), pitching to a 2.87 ERA. His last outing in the bullpen, though? The 2022 World Series.

This move could also help the Phillies bridge the gap and avoid their struggling middle relief. From innings six through eight in the regular season, Phillies relievers posted a 4.50 ERA — the fourth-highest mark in the National League. Suárez seems to be a much safer option.

When the Phillies looked to have extreme rotation depth earlier this season, moving Suárez to the bullpen was already a conversation.

Back in June, the lefty emphasized that he was “open to do whatever it takes to help this team win.”

Now, the Phillies are desperate for a victory. A 96-win ballclub with the second-highest payroll in the National League getting swept in the opening round of the playoffs would be a tough pill to swallow — especially with their longest-tenured player making the start.

If you want to watch every Dodgers game in 2026, you’ll likely need access to all of these outlets: SportsNet LA, Fox, ESPN, NBC, Peacock and Apple TV.

That is not, shall we say, fan-friendly.

Baseball’s holy grail is this: One place to watch your team, and every team, wherever you are. One price. No blackouts. No need to decide whether to pay up for a subscription to an outlet you may never watch after the game ends.

Rob Manfred, baseball’s commissioner, does not need to persuade fans about this. He does need to persuade the owners of all 30 teams about this.

Since Manfred would like to have this “All the Teams, All The Time” outlet up and running in 2029, he needs to start lining up votes among the owners. Manfred has talked about this goal for years, and I asked him if he can say this is really going to happen.

“I think that there is a lot of acceptance within the industry that, given what’s happened within the media environment, we need to be more national,” Manfred told me before the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies met Monday at Citizens Bank Park.

“The idea of centralizing, and getting more games available on national platforms, is really appealing to people. Now, we’ve got some cards to play, still. But I remain optimistic that it can happen.”

So does Stan Kasten, the president of the Dodgers.

Read more:Shaikin: Inside the Mookie Betts play call that won NLDS Game 2 for the Dodgers

“We are supportive of the notion of all fans anywhere being able to watch any game, and doing away with blackouts,” Kasten said. “That takes a lot of steps, and every team has a different situation.

“We have a long way to go, but the goal is an admirable one, one I think all fans will benefit from, and that is what is most important.”

This all sounds lovely so far. But the Dodgers are not about to unconditionally surrender what fans outside Los Angeles consider their greatest competitive advantage: money, and lots of it.

The Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers are on course to meet in the National League Championship Series. The Brewers make about $35 million in local television revenue this year, according to Sports Business Journal.

The Dodgers make about 10 times that much in rights fees this year from Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum — and that annual rights fee will top $500 million by the end of the Charter contract in 2038. And there’s more: the Dodgers also own SportsNet LA.

If the 30 teams pooled their broadcast rights, Manfred believes they could generate interest not only from traditional outlets but from streamers such as Apple, Peacock, Paramount and Netflix. League officials believe the exclusivity of one package would generate more collective revenue than the combination of 30 individual team deals.

In theory, then, the Brewers would get significantly more than $35 million per year if the teams split the pot evenly. The Dodgers would get less, and probably much less. So would Manfred just lean on the Dodgers to go along for the good of the game?

Read more:Hernández: The Phillies are done, and the Dodgers' path to the World Series looks clear

“I don’t think you can make a change like this based on people saying this is for the good of the game,” Manfred said. “I think you make a change like this by people realizing who the buyers are, what they want to buy, and by packaging up a set of changes that make it kind of closer to an economic wash.”

Meaning cash-neutral for teams like the Dodgers — and the New York teams, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs — still reeling in big bucks amid the collapse of regional sports networks outside large markets?

“Yeah, and there are a whole lot of ways to get there,” Manfred said.

He did not lay out his menu of options, but the first one is clear. Collective bargaining negotiations are scheduled to start next year, with the growing likelihood of a lockout after the 2026 season.

If owners can push through a salary cap — a cap that the players’ union insists will remain — then small-market owners could be guaranteed a certain percentage of league revenue. That cost certainty, coupled with the potential of increased revenue from a 30-team broadcast package, probably would win over small-market owners.

And that could be critical, because those owners currently make a fair amount of money from revenue sharing, under which teams are assessed a percentage of such money as ticket sales, concession sales and local media revenue. That money is pooled and shared equally for now, but Manfred could offer the Dodgers and other financial behemoths a chance to keep more of — or all of — that money for themselves.

The league also could offer to buy out SportsNet LA and other such channels, meaning more money for the Dodgers. And, although the Dodgers under current ownership do not appear interested in a salary cap, a cap would decrease player spending and thus increase team profits.

A wild card: With Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Hyeseong Kim on their roster, the Dodgers could ask for greater revenue from international broadcast rights, which are now shared equally among teams.

Those are a lot of balls for Manfred to juggle. Kasten adamantly declined to say what might work for the Dodgers.

“You’re delving into areas that are way too premature for me to discuss, other than for me to tell you we agree with the goal,” he said. “The goal is a good one, and we hope baseball can get there.”

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Zach LaVine hails Dodgers starter Blake Snell as most ‘electrifying' MLB pitcher originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Zach LaVine is gearing up for his first full season with the Kings, but he’s keeping a close eye on the 2025 MLB playoffs. And for good reason.

LaVine’s brother-in-law and good friend, Blake Snell, has been pitching lights out for the Los Angeles Dodgers as the team aims for back-to-back World Series wins, and Snell’s first of his 10-year MLB career.

Snell helped those chances with another dominant start in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, tossing six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in the Dodgers’ 4-3 win. Snell didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning with two outs — and he never allowed another.

“Shoutout my boy Blake, man,” LaVine told reporters in Sacramento after Kings practice Tuesday. “He’s probably the most electrifying pitcher in baseball. I’m really excited for him. I wish I was able to go to a couple games. Hopefully, we have an off day and [I can] slide down there. We’ll see. We’ll figure it out.

“But Blake Snell right now is my MVP of the playoffs.”

Cruise control for Blake. pic.twitter.com/Hg0bjEwx8l

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 6, 2025

Now through 13 innings pitched in his first two Dodgers playoff starts, Snell has a 1.38 ERA and 0.77 WHIP.

He now has four playoff outings with nine or more strikeouts and no more than two hits allowed, which is the most by any pitcher in MLB postseason history.

After one season with the Giants, Snell signed a five-year, $182 million free-agent contract with the Dodgers. And thus far, he’s proven to be worth every penny for Los Angeles.

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Aaron Judge still thinks that his first career home run, the one he hit way back on Aug. 13, 2016, off Matt Andriese of the Tampa Bay Rays, is the biggest one of his life. You finally make “The Show,” he explained, and you really have no idea if you’re good enough to stick around. If you aren’t, you can at least say that you hit one in the big leagues.

Fair enough. But Judge hit one Tuesday night that maybe should rate even higher than the first one and higher than No. 62 back in his record-setting 2022. With the Yankees staring at elimination and a five-run deficit against the Blue Jays, who battered them in the first two games of the AL Division Series, Judge smashed a tying three-run homer in a fashion no one else seemingly has – more on that later – to propel a comeback that might’ve tilted this best-of-five series.

Couple that with the constant background cacophony about Judge’s October resume and his towering shot off Louis Varland that clanged high off the left-field foul pole was not just a game-changer, but a narrative-changer, too.

Aaron Boone called the Yankees’ 9-6 victory over the Blue Jays in Game 3 “an awesome team win,” and the manager was right – in addition to Judge, the bullpen was huge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a go-ahead home run and Giancarlo Stanton knocked in a pair. But, years from now, we probably won’t remember all that.

So how about this meatier, more lasting moniker for this one? “The Aaron Judge Game.”

Judge finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs. He was a triple short of the cycle, made a sparkling diving catch in right field with a runner on second and worried the Jays so much they intentionally walked him in the sixth (he later scored). He even stayed in a rundown between third and home long enough for Cody Bellinger to grab an extra base in the third inning, and Bellinger eventually scored on a sac fly.

“It was a ‘best-player-in-the-game performance,’” Boone said.

Even ardent Yankee fans have wondered about Judge under the high-wattage lights of postseason baseball. His numbers are lower than the plaque-worthy stats he puts up in the regular season. As recently as the aftermath of Game 1 of this series, when he whiffed with the bases loaded and nobody out, an at-bat that could’ve changed the game, he was answering questions about being “overanxious” at the plate. Every one of his swing decisions is dissected, his playoff rep often lamented.

Yankeeland was waiting for Judge to wreck an October. Well, he’s 11-for-22 in six games so far with that homer, two doubles and six RBI. He has a 1.304 OPS in these playoffs.

Now you have to wonder if he is going to take over this series. Will the Jays even pitch to him again? Should they?

To be fair, Toronto is still ahead in the series, two games to one. But they commanded Game 3, too, and the Yankees took it away. Now the Jays are planning a bullpen game against Cam Schilitter, the Yanks’ rookie who was the breakout star of the Wild Card series.

Who blinks if the teams go back to Toronto for a winner-take-all game, the team that surged into a tie or the one who owned the series but lost two straight? Yanks haven’t won in Toronto, but narratives can evolve.

Just ask Judge.

The home run itself was fascinating. It came on an 0-2 pitch, right after Varland had thrown a 100-mile-per-hour fastball past Judge. “He blew my doors off on the pitch before,” Judge acknowledged. Judge added: “He’s got all the leverage. He’s probably in attack mode. You’ve gotta attack that head on.”

Varland’s next pitch was 99.7 mph, way inside. Judge kept his hands in and pulled it down the left-field line. According to Andrew Simon, a researcher for MLB, no one in the pitch tracking era (since 2008) had ever hit a home run on a 99-plus pitch that went as far inside as this one did. It was also the fastest pitch Judge had ever homered against. Boone said he’d only seen powerful righty hitters such as Edgar Martinez and Manny Ramirez hit balls like that.

Asked why he liked the pitch, Judge perhaps alluded to the questions he faced earlier in the series.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I get yelled at for swinging out of the zone, now I’m getting praise…It looked good to me.”

Still, it was unclear whether Judge’s drive would stay fair. Boone noticed the flags in left had stopped flapping, a hopeful sign that no wind would push it too far left. The manager leaned in the dugout – using “body English” – to will the ball fair. Judge stood at the plate, watching, then tossed his bat after the ball hit the pole. Later, the slugger wondered if Yankee Stadium ghosts had any influence on where the ball ended up.

Whatever the case, Judge authored a significant October moment in the midst of a remarkable game. It helped save the Yankees’ season.

It should quiet the noise that Judge is never quite himself in the postseason, too.

AARON JUDGE TIES UP GAME 3!!!!! pic.twitter.com/5Y5VWgZ4pd

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

In a must-win game, when their starter didn't have it, the Yankees bullpen came up clutch. Maybe not Aaron Judge clutch, but they were close.

After Carlos Rodon gave his team just 2.1 innings, and put his team in a 6-1 hole, five relievers combined to get the final 20 outs on Tuesday night to help the Yankees stave off elimination in the team's eventual 9-6 win over the Blue Jays in Game 3 of the ALDS.

"They were awesome," manager Aaron Boone said of the bullpen after the win. 

Fernando Cruz was the first man out, getting the final two outs of the third inning before getting an out into the fourth. Camilo Doval continued his recent streak of effective outings by getting the next three outs. Tim Hill picked up the final out in the fifth inning, stranding a runner on second base, before pitching a 1-2-3 sixth inning. Devin Williams picked up four outs and David Bednar locked down the five-out save.

"Cruz coming in and kind of settling things, Camilo continuing to really throw the ball incredibly well," Boone said. "Tim Hill coming in and getting that final out and then going back out knowing he's got to face [George] Springer, but we then added to the lead a little bit. So the fact he was able to get two guys out there and then that kept him in play to face [Davis] Schneider. The add-on run that we had and him getting the first two outs of that inning was really big because then you could afford to -- Schneider puts a pretty good swing on it but then flies out to left. And that allowed us to shorten things with Devin and Bednar finishing the last three innings in a shared situation. Really good job by all the pen guys and doing it efficiently, too."

The bullpen's 6.2 shutout innings -- allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out nine batters -- helped the Yankees complete their largest comeback win in a postseason game since the 2010 ALCS against the Rangers, also a five-run deficit. It also marked only the third time in franchise history that Yankees relievers tossed at least 6.2 scoreless innings in a postseason game.

"Proud of my boys," Hill said of his bullpen mates. "We did what we’re supposed to do."

"You want those shutdown innings, especially after the offense gets some you momentum," Bednar said. "Just keep handing the ball over. We have a really good group down there, just keep trusting everyone."

"Incredible effort by everyone," Williams said. "Everyone stepped up and got as many outs as you could tonight. It was a great performance tonight and gotta go do it tomorrow."

Devin goes beyond

While all the Yankees relievers were spectacular, Williams' was notable as he went and pitched more than an inning for the first time all season. Williams said Boone didn't ask, just told him he was going to go back out there to get Ernie Clement. While he allowed a single, Clement's fourth hit of the game, Williams bounced back to strike out Anthony Santander before being lifted for Bednar.

"This is the time when you're going to need it every now and then," Boone explained of the decision to keep Williams to pitch a second inning. "He was efficient in his inning in the seventh there. So I knew for sure I wanted him to go out and face Clement. And then if he was efficient, Wellsy and I kind of talked about giving him Santander too. And the fact that Clement gets another hit, but he's able to make a couple of really good pitches to get the strikeout of Santander, which was big. That shortened it a little bit for Bednar." 

"I was expecting to go further than I did, but it’s all hands on deck right now," Williams said. 

Tuesday was Williams' sixth postseason appearance, and the first of at least four outs in his career. The trust Boone has in Williams right now is sky high, and for good reason. Entering Game 3, Williams had allowed just two baserunners (one hit, one walk) in two innings of work. If you want to include just the regular season, since allowing four runs in 0.2 innings back on Sept. 3, Williams has not allowed a run (12 IP).

"He’s a hard worker," Hill said of Williams. "Devin’s always putting in the work no matter what. I saw that from the beginning. Everyone goes through struggles in this game. His work never changed, he stayed the course and that’s why you’re seeing what you’re seeing at this point."

"[He's been] Lights out," Bednar added. "It’s been fun to watch playing in the [NL] Central getting to watch him from the other side and now getting a front seat. It’s been a lot of fun to watch. It’s been very impressive."

Despite the up-and-down first season in the Bronx, Williams says he's kept the same mindset but ist just getting the results he wants now. Once Boone took the ball from him in the eighth, the Yankee Stadium crowd gave the often-maligned reliever a standing ovation for his efforst. 

"It’s awesome, nice to feel appreciated sometimes. It was definitely a lot better than what I heard from most of the year," Williams said with a grin. 

The Yankees will hope to get the same performance from the bullpen in Wednesday's must-win Game 4. With Cam Schlittler on the mound, Boone may not need many relievers, but they are ready to try and send the series back to Toronto.

 

 

Carlos Rodón understood his assignment and the stakes. What he needed to give the Yankees in a must-win Game 3 of the ALDS against the Blue Jays was what two teammates couldn't deliver in Games 1 and 2 over the weekend -- quality length as a starting pitcher.

But fans' long-standing fears about Rodón's reliability in October were once again realized on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, since he, too, didn't meet the job's demands. While the Yankees miraculously staved off elimination with a thrilling 9-6 comeback victory, Rodón was responsible for the necessity of a huge rally, as he gave up six runs and failed to complete three innings.

"All year since we've played them, the miss is just not really there," Rodón said after the win. "Just trying to force weak contact. They put some good swings. Obviously, I made some pitches that could've been way better. They force the issue. They make us play defense. Up and down the lineup, they have pretty good at-bats. The chase isn't really there, and they just put the ball in play."

The signs of trouble for Rodón appeared almost immediately. After allowing a one-out walk in the first inning, he left a soft changeup in the middle of the zone to the red-hot Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who clobbered it into the left field bullpen for a two-run blast. The superstar slugger became the first player in Blue Jays history to start the playoffs with a homer in each of the first three games.

Rodón worked around a leadoff infield single and a two-out hit-by-pitch in the second, but that inning turned out to be his easiest. The wheels fell off in the third, and his mess began with a leadoff double to Davis Schneider that was followed up by an intentional -- and sensible -- walk to Guerrero.

With one out, Rodón gave up a single to Dalton Varsho that brought Schneider home due to a botched Yankees relay. Then, sharp singles from Ernie Clement and Anthony Santander doubled the Blue Jays' run total to six and extended their lead to five. Rodón's eight-pitch bout with Santander was his last -- he was pulled with one out at 67 pitches (44 strikes). He struck out only two.

For a third straight game, the Yankees didn't see their starter record 10 outs. The combination of Luis Gil, Max Fried, and Rodón allowed 15 runs on 18 hits (four homers) for a ghastly ERA of 16.88. And by the time of Rodón's exit, Yankees pitchers had given up a whopping 29 runs, the most allowed in any three-game stretch within a single postseason in franchise history (h/t Katie Sharp).

Of course, the Yankees were lucky that dormant bats finally woke up in the Bronx to not only bail out Rodón, but also to force a do-or-die Game 4 on Wednesday night. The bullpen deserves ample praise, too, as five relievers kept the relentless Blue Jays in check by providing 6.2 scoreless innings.

"They were incredible," Rodón said of the bullpen. "They didn't give up a run. They covered 21 outs and were really impressive. They shut them down and won us the game there, too."

By the numbers, Rodón's efforts weren't the worst among the Yankees' three starters, but the timing of his clunker was disastrous. There was little reason -- maybe even no reason -- to believe the team was capable of summoning eight unanswered runs en route to stunning survival when the veteran left-hander walked off the mound.

Whether or not the Yankees overcome the series deficit to the Blue Jays and advance to the ALCS, the topic of Rodón's struggles under the bright postseason lights is sticking around. The 32-year-old southpaw has a 9.72 ERA across 8.1 innings (two starts) this month. 

Rodón seemed poised to put that narrative to bed, too. He produced the second 200-strikeout campaign of his career, while logging career-high marks in both innings (195.1) and starts (33). For extended stretches, he performed near ace level, living up to his high-priced salary.

Luckily for Rodón, the postgame conversations weren't centered on him this time. The massive weight of the season now rests on other shoulders.

Aaron Judge hit a huge home run Tuesday night to help the Yankees rally from a big deficit and stave off elimination in Game 3 of their ALDS against the Blue Jays. 

Judge, often maligned for his October play, slammed a game-tying three-run homer in the fourth inning and Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered in the subsequent frame to give the Yankees the lead for good in a 9-6 win in front of 47,399 at Yankee Stadium. It was the third time in these playoffs that the Yankees won a game in which a loss would’ve ended their season.

The Yankees had trailed by five runs after the top of the third inning. Toronto was 71-4 when they scored at least five runs in a game during the regular season and had won the first two games of this series while scoring five-plus, too.

The teams resume the series Wednesday night in the Bronx, and the Yankees will still be trying to avoid elimination -- the Jays still lead the best-of-five affair, two games to one.

Here are the main takeaways...

-- The Blue Jays got a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning after Carlos Rodón issued a one-out walk to Davis Schneider, bringing up Yankee-slayer Vlad Guerrero Jr. Guerrero smashed his third home run of the series, a 427-foot shot to left center that left his bat at 110.5 mph. Guerrero, who entered the game 10-for-17 with a homer and three doubles lifetime against Rodón, is the first Blue Jays player to homer in three consecutive playoff games. Not surprisingly, when Guerrero batted against Rodón in the third inning with first base open, Aaron Boone ordered an intentional walk. 

-- After a terrific regular season, Rodón has been mostly a disappointment in the playoffs. He could not get out of the third inning against Toronto and wound up allowing six runs and six hits in 2.1 frames. He walked two, one intentionally, and fanned two. In two starts, he’s mustered a 9.72 ERA.

-- Overall, Yankees starters have failed them badly in the series, allowing 15 earned runs and 18 hits in just eight total innings of work. Rodón’s start was the shortest of all, but the worst might have been ace Max Fried in Game 2, when he gave up seven runs in three innings. Overall, their starters have a 16.88 ERA in the series.

-- Schneider started the third inning with a double and the Yankees put on Guerrero. One out later, Daulton Varsho blooped a ball to left field that Cody Bellinger dove for, but could not snare. Schneider had slowed at third, but when he saw that Trent Grisham, who backed up the play, threw the ball to second, he bolted for the plate and beat Chisholm’s throw easily to give the Jays a 3-1 lead. Ernie Clement followed with a single to left and Guerrero whirled around second and sprinted for home, barely beating a strong throw by Bellinger. Varsho and Clement each moved up a base on the throw, which became key when the next batter, Anthony Santander, hit a two-run single to right for a 6-1 Toronto lead. Judge did not try to throw home on the play and the Jays seemed to be prepared to exploit that. Judge has been dealing with an elbow issue.

-- The Yankees kept chipping away, though. They scored twice in the third inning, which started when they challenged a non-call with Grisham up, hoping it would result in catcher’s interference. It did not, but the result of Grisham’s at-bat was better, anyway -- he doubled to right. Judge followed with an RBI double to left. After Bellinger singled to center, Ben Rice hit into a fielder’s choice, in which Judge was put out in a rundown between third and home. But the Yankees weren’t done scoring -- Stanton brought the crowd to its feet with a deep drive to center, but Varsho ran it down and the Yankees had to settle for a sac fly to move to within 6-3. After Chisholm walked, Boone used Amed Rosario, who hits lefties well, to pinch-hit for Ryan McMahon against lefty reliever Mason Fluharty. Fluharty got Rosario to foul out.

-- Judge’s big homer in the fourth inning was set up in part because the Blue Jays made another error. With one out, Austin Wells lofted a catchable fly ball beyond third base. Addison Barger went back for it, but the ball glanced off his glove for a two-base error. Fluharty walked Grisham, bringing up Judge. With the crowd chanting “M-V-P, M-V-P,” Judge fell behind hard-throwing reliever Louis Varland, 0-2. The second pitch was 100 mph heat that blew right by Judge. But he smashed a high parabola down the left-field line on Varland’s next offering, a 99.7 mph fastball off the plate, and it struck high up the foul pole, 373 feet away, for an enormous three-run homer. 

-- The Yankees, seemingly dead an inning earlier, were dead even. It was the 17th career postseason homer for Judge, first this year. According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, it was Judge’s sixth home run in the postseason when facing elimination, matching David Ortiz for the most in MLB history.

-- -Before Chisholm’s go-ahead homer in the fifth inning, which landed in the second deck in right field, he had been just 3-for-17 (.177) in the playoffs. His blast off Varland was the third postseason home run of his career. The Yankees pushed their lead to 8-6 in the same inning when Rosario doubled and scored on a single by Wells. In the sixth, Rice tacked on with a sac fly, scoring Judge after his intentional walk.

-- The Yankees' bullpen, viewed as a potential trouble spot during these playoffs, was terrific after Rodón gave up six runs and couldn’t get out of the third inning. Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, Devin Williams and David Bednar combined to allow no runs and three hits in 6.2 innings of work. Williams had not gotten more than three outs in any appearance all season, but provided four across the seventh and eighth innings and allowed only one hit. This would’ve sounded crazy at points during the season, but Williams got a standing ovation from fans. Bednar got the final five outs in a row.

-- -With multiple miscues, including a pair of fielding errors, the Blue Jays looked more like the mistake-prone midsummer Yankees than their usually-efficient selves. Even plays in which they weren’t charged with an error -- like Santander’s ill-advised dive on a Bellinger liner in the sixth -- weren’t smooth. Santander missed and Bellinger reached second with a double. 

Game MVP: Aaron Judge

Judge singled and scored in the first, doubled in a run in the third, homered in the fourth and was intentionally walked and then scored in the sixth. He grounded out in the eighth to finish 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs and finished a triple shy of the cycle. He even made a sweet catch in right field. Judge is 11-for-22 this postseason (.500) and has already set a career-best for hits in a single October.

Highlights

Giancarlo Stanton gets the Yankees on the board after an error from IKF pic.twitter.com/RaFOp7KKed

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

Aaron Judge follows up Trent Grisham’s double with one of his own to cut it to 6-2 pic.twitter.com/sbmnrciC8o

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

Giancarlo Stanton with a sac fly to cut it to 6-3 pic.twitter.com/zFKFoqoI50

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

AARON JUDGE TIES UP GAME 3!!!!! pic.twitter.com/5Y5VWgZ4pd

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

Aaron Judge with the diving catch!!! pic.twitter.com/YzxOoFYX45

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

JAZZ CHISHOLM JR. YANKEES LEAD 7-6! pic.twitter.com/fy8WNaw3nF

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

Austin Wells makes it 8-6! pic.twitter.com/Bvqd7gmYDF

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

Aaron Judge (who was intentionally walked) comes in to score on Ben Rice’s sac fly to make it 9-6 Yankees! pic.twitter.com/P8bfIahjiK

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

A perfect 7th for Devin Williams! pic.twitter.com/e0EwLPePXZ

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

Jose Caballero ends Game 3 in style! pic.twitter.com/doJIqpLzeA

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 8, 2025

What's next

The Yankees will host Game 4 on Wednesday night, with first pitch in the Bronx scheduled for 7:08 p.m.

RHP Cam Schlittler is slated to take the mound, while the Blue Jays have yet to announce their starter.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was trying to play the long game Monday night.

Which is why, when his team entered the ninth inning with a three-run lead in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, he gave the save opportunity to Blake Treinen instead of Roki Sasaki.

If all things had been equal, it’s likely that Roberts would have turned to Sasaki to start the inning. In just two weeks since returning from a shoulder injury and being moved to the bullpen, the converted rookie starter has become the club’s most dominant relief option.

But, for as much of a revelation as the 23-year-old right-hander had been in that time — posting four scoreless outings with a 100-mph fastball and unhittable splitter — the team remained conscientious about managing Sasaki’s workload, which included one appearance in Game 2 of the wild card series, then another in Game 1 of the NLDS just days prior.

Thus, with Roberts feeling confident enough in Treinen (the veteran right-hander coming off a career-worst season but also some recently improved outings) to protect a three-run cushion that felt relatively comfortable, he left Sasaki sitting in the bullpen despite the save situation.

Read more:Hernández: Is Roki Sasaki the Dodgers' closer now? 'That's what we need right there'

He tried to take advantage of an opportunity to give his ace reliever rest.

“He hasn't gone two out of three [days] much at all,” Roberts said after the game. “So I didn't want to just kind of preemptively put him in there. I felt good with who we had.”

That plan, of course, almost backfired in disastrous fashion. Treinen gave up two runs without retiring a batter. Alex Vesia needed his defense to turn a wheel play on a Bryson Stott bunt to limit the damage from there. And in the end, Sasaki entered the game anyway to record the final out.

Moving forward, Roberts confirmed on Tuesday, Sasaki is “definitely the primary option now” for any future save situations — the closest the team will come to calling him their outright closer, since they could also choose to use him in high-leverage spots before the ninth.

Read more:Hernández: The Phillies are done, and the Dodgers' path to the World Series looks clear

“Obviously what Roki has done, has continued to show, has been very encouraging on a lot of fronts,” Roberts said.

The question, however, remains exactly how hard the Dodgers can ride him the rest of these playoffs; and how delicately they’ll have to balance the burden they place on a young pitcher who has never before pitched in a relief role.

“He's not going to close every game, it's just not feasible,” Roberts said Tuesday. “This is something he's never done. And you're expecting to go a few more weeks [in the postseason]. So all that stuff has to play in, that a lot of people don't have any appreciation for.”

The deeper the Dodgers go in the playoffs, the more tricky this calculus will get.

For now, the team’s preference would be for Sasaki to have at least one day of rest before each of his outings. And while Roberts didn’t rule out using him back-to-back days, he described it as “the next graduation point” for the offseason Japanese signing (who had made only eight MLB starts at the beginning of the season before initially getting hurt and missing the next four months).

“There's no guarantee what the stuff's going to be like [in a back-to-back sequence],” Roberts said, adding that any potential usage of Saskai on consecutive days would require conversations beforehand with pitching coaches about how Sasaki looked in pregame catch sessions.

“I would love to have Roki throw every single day if he could, but that's just not feasible,” Roberts reiterated. “Again, we have a lot of conversations, and then I make my decision.”

In other words, Sasaki will get the majority of save opportunities moving forward. But he likely won’t be the only one to handle such spots.

Sheehan responds in set-up role

After a promising regular season in which he posted a 2.82 ERA in 15 outings, the Dodgers looked to Emmet Sheehan to be a multi-inning set-up man for their beleaguered relief corps.

His first playoff outing was troublesome: Giving up two hits and two walks while recording only one out in Game 2 of the wild-card series against the Reds.

But on Monday night, he bounced back with two innings of one-run relief to keep the Dodgers’ lead intact entering the ninth.

The biggest moment of Sheehan’s outing (in which he retired the side in the seventh, before giving up a down-the-line triple to Max Kepler and RBI single to Trea Turner in the eighth) came after he’d yielded that lone run. The Phillies had left-handed sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper due up next. The Dodgers had Vesia, their top left-handed option, warming in the bullpen.

For a brief moment, as pitching coach Mark Prior came to the mound and Sheehan fidgeted with his PitchCom device during an extended pause, it appeared the Dodgers were just stalling for Vesia to get warm.

But Roberts ultimately stayed put and let Sheehan pitch to the Phillies' star duo. His faith was rewarded with two outs that ended the inning. Sheehan struck out Schwarber with a 97.6-mph fastball on the inside corner, tied for his third-hardest pitch for a strikeout this season. Then he got Harper to fly out on a changeup, pumping a fist into his mitt as he skipped off the field.

“I think it just showed some adjustments that I made compared to that previous game [against the Reds],” Sheehan said.

The biggest one?

“Definitely controlling your emotions,” Sheehan acknowledged. “It’s a big piece of coming out of the bullpen. I’ve talked to a lot of guys about that, especially after Cincinnati where I wasn’t as comfortable out there.”

Read more:Shaikin: Inside the Mookie Betts play call that won NLDS Game 2 for the Dodgers

That Reds outing, of course, was a major red flag for the Dodgers’ bullpen plans. Given the struggles from the team’s traditional relievers entering the playoffs, Sheehan was supposed to essentially be a set-up man out of the bullpen capable of bridging the gap from the starting pitcher to the ninth.

Sheehan said, in that wild-card outing, he felt he was “trying to do a little too much, trying to be a little too fine with my pitches at the corners.”

“That’s not really my game,” he said in hindsight. “So I think just getting back to the approach and the game plan that’s been working for the past couple months was big. Trying to just go right at them and attack in the zone.”

Roberts gave Sheehan the leash to do that Monday, and will likely keep calling upon him in high-leverage spots moving forward, perhaps making Sheehan and Sasaki his preferred combination to close out the final innings of games.

“I just felt that his stuff was still real good [and that] he wasn't going to run from those guys at the top,” Roberts said Tuesday of letting Sheehan face Schwarber and Harper (who are a combined one for 14 in the NLDS with two walks and eight strikeouts).

“I trusted him. I felt in that moment he was the best option. And it proved to be right.”

Treinen lacking ‘edge’

At the other end of the reliever trust spectrum is Treinen, who not only failed to retire any of the three batters he faced in Game 2 but also, at least in Roberts’ estimation, also didn’t look like someone confident in their stuff.

“I just didn't see that edge last night,” Roberts said Tuesday, “that I know I've seen it many times over.”

Indeed, Treinen was the Dodgers’ most trusted reliever during their World Series run last year, when he was credited with three saves, two holds and two wins and punctuated his October with 2 ⅓ scoreless innings of relief in Game 5 of the World Series.

This season has been a different story, with Treinen stumbling to a career-worst 5.40 ERA after missing much of the first half with a forearm problem.

Despite that, Treinen had entered Monday on more of a high, after striking out three batters in his regular-season finale before making two scoreless appearances in the wild-card series.

The Phillies, however, took advantage of his inability this year to get as much swing-and-miss, fanning on just one of eight swings while stringing together a single and two doubles (the last one on a half-swing from Nick Castellanos against Treinen’s trademark sweeper).

“I felt that he was getting some momentum before that last one, so I'll check in on him,” Roberts said. “But there's ways of how you go about an outing, successful or not successful, and how a player carries himself matters to me.”

On Monday, Treinen didn’t check that box. And whether he will be thrown into such a high-leverage situation his next time out remains to be seen.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Prior to Game 3 of the ALDS between the Yankees and Blue Jays on Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone spoke about a variety of topics...

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Dance with who brung ya

If the Yankees survive elimination and force a must-win Game 4 in the Bronx on Wednesday, they'll do so with the same exact lineup that placed them in a daunting 0-2 series hole this past weekend.

With veteran right-hander Shane Bieber slated to start for the Blue Jays, the Yankees decided to leave their batting order untouched. For a third straight game, they'll trust Trent Grisham in the leadoff spot, Ben Rice batting cleanup at first base, Giancarlo Stanton hitting fifth as the designated hitter, and Austin Wells handling catching duties.

When asked about deploying an identical lineup and weighing lefty-righty matchups, Boone didn't mince words. He wants his best hitters in the box right away, even if some metrics recommend a shuffling.

"I'm putting out there what I think has the best chance to be successful against Bieber," Boone said. "I understand in the short time at the back-end of this season, he's been a reverse-split. Throughout his career, he's been very neutral -- some years, one way or the other... But the people they have in their bullpen, the lefties are very lefty specialist-type guys. Having the threat of a couple of our righties is a presence I like to have."

One of the righty bench options will be Paul Goldschmidt, who, in a tiny six at-bat sample, has three hits off of Bieber. He and Stanton (3-for-15) happen to be the only Yankees players with multiple knocks against the former AL Cy Young winner. Aaron Judge is a measly 1-for-13 with eight strikeouts.

Boone still prefers Rice over Goldschmidt at first, and based on the power potential, the choice makes sense. But the rookie infielder hasn't exactly posed a threat since ripping a home run in Game 2 of the Wild Card series against the Red Sox. He looked wobbly at the plate in Toronto, striking out four times with no luck against off-speed pitches.

"He's just been more than a dangerous hitter, especially here down the stretch," Boone said of Rice. "He kind of killed the ball all year against right-handed pitching. He's just a real threat in the middle of the order. Goldy has that presence looming over there. Hopefully, I can get him into a good matchup and even better than that, I'm putting him in late because we have a lead and he's playing defense at first."

With no margin for error, the Yankees can ill afford to fall behind early and look off-balance. They were held scoreless through five innings in Games 1 and 2 at Rogers Centre, and their swing-early-and-often approaches to starters Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage were fruitless.

The Yankees also must buck the strikeout trend. They've already whiffed 21 times in the series, and with 50 total punchouts in five playoff games this season, they're once again resembling an offense that can't deliver hits in bunches under bright October lights.

Running out of time

History has shown that 0-2 LDS deficits aren't death sentences -- 10 teams have defied the odds and advanced to the LCS, and the most recent instance came in 2017, with the Yankees' three-win comeback over the then-Indians.

But the Yankees' pair of road losses eight years ago weren't lopsided and humiliating like their latest road letdowns in Toronto. The Blue Jays flexed their muscles with home-field advantage, scoring a whopping 23 runs on 29 hits.

As if there wasn't enough pressure on the Yankees' bats to adequately produce, Carlos Rodón is tasked with do-or-die stakes on the mound against a lineup -- from top to bottom -- that causes fits. The trick will be containing a red-hot Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who's hit a lifetime .308 (203 plate appearances) at Yankee Stadium and .588 (21 plate appearances) against the veteran southpaw.

"I think we'll respond well," Boone said. "We've handled adverse situations well all year, navigated that. It's a group that's very close together. They trust in one another. That's important this time of year... But it all comes down to playing well, and I feel like our guys are in the right frame of mind to go do that."

While both teams finished the regular season tied atop the AL East with 94 wins, the head-to-head tiebreaker favored the Blue Jays, who thumped the Yankees with 10 wins in 15 meetings. Only time will tell if some home cooking keeps the Yankees' hopes alive for at least one more day.

Don't expect Harrison Bader to be a full-time player anytime soon originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LOS ANGELES – So here’s the situation that is facing the Phillies now, some of them known, maybe some not.

They are down two games to none in this best-of-five National League Division series against Los Angeles with Game Three to be played Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

In order to keep themselves alive in this series, the Phillies will have to start getting some offense from the top of the lineup and receive continued good pitching from their starters. Next up: Aaron Nola.

The part that wasn’t so well known but now has seem to come to light a little bit more is that Harrison Bader probably won’t be a major participant for the rest of this series in now what we know is a hamstring strain.

The frustration in Bader’s voice was as noticeable as the purplish bandana holding back his long locks as he described his injury and the struggle to get himself to be 100 percent. The feeling is, he just isn’t going to get there before this series is over, whether that be on Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday back in Philadelphia. Pinch-hitting appears to be the only chore his body will allow at this time.

Asked how close to normal he felt in Game Two when he hit a pinch-hit single in the ninth before being pinch run for, Bader said, “If normal is not having a hamstring strain, it felt abnormal. You do your best. It’s the playoffs and I’ll just give whatever I can to help the team. In that moment it was just getting off an at-bat. Hopefully I can certainly do more tomorrow because it’s really bothering me not being out there.”

He went on to say what his workout plan was for Tuesday, including some running, fielding and batting practice. But with a long travel day that started early in the morning, the Phillies cut their time on the field very short. Bader was seen doing a couple of 60-foot semi-sprints before leaving the field.

A betting man would certainly take the money that he’s not going to be manning center any time soon. And you can see it’s killing Bader to not be able to be out there.

“Your body has limits to it and trying to take that first step out of the box, even though it wasn’t necessarily a sprinting play, you still feel a little bit limited,” said Bader about his pinch-hitting duty. “But I can swing. It’s better than it was at two days ago. Just assess it realistically and go through whatever we can do today, and I have a full day to recover and come back tomorrow and hopefully it will be better. It’s certainly progressing better. It really is minor. It’s a strain, certainly. It’s affecting me from being 100 percent out there, but I don’t have to be 100 percent to go out there and help this team win. I’m just going to do whatever I can to my limit to just try be effective.”

Effective is not what the Phillies’ offense has been against the Dodgers in this series so far and now they will face Los Angeles starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has given up a total of five earned runs in his last seven starts for a 0.96 ERA in 46.2 innings.

“Pitching’s been good, on both sides of the ball,” said Bryce Harper, who is 1-for-7 in the series with a walk and three strikeouts. “I don’t think, there’s maybe two guys that have kind of played well on both sides. It’s always tough in the post season. You get into it, you’re excited, you’re ready to go and then you run into the juggernaut of pitching. That’s our team and that’s their team as well. I think those are two really good matchups, the first two matchups, two of the better ones in baseball, all through. I expect tomorrow night to be the same thing. Obviously, we need to do a better job of hopefully hitting the long ball or making things happen anywhere, any way we can.”

Particularly at the top of the order. Harper, leadoff hitter Trea Turner and No. 2 Kyle Schwarber have combined to go 2-for-21 with 11 strikeouts and left12 on base so far in this series. But Harper insists it’s nothing you can dwell on.

“I think the postseason you got to flush it as quick as possible because any at-bat can change the course of a game or change the course of a series,” he said. “Any time you go up there if you get out you’ve got to flush is as quick as possible because that at-bat has no merit on what your next one is going to be. You just got to go up there and get the pitches that you can. I don’t let an at-bat like that affect me any way. Especially this time of the year you can’t let that happen. You just have to let the game come to you a little bit and go from there.”

Aaron Nola will be the somewhat surprise starter for the Phillies, coming off a phenomenal outing his last start of the season when he allowed two hits and one earned run in eight innings against the Minnesota Twins. He’ll be followed closely by Ranger Suarez.

“He’s more comfortable starting,” Thomson said of having Nola start. “You’re going to see Ranger tomorrow. I would be shocked if you don’t see Ranger. The numbers on their lefties are very similar, Ranger versus Nola. And the trust factor. I have trust in both of them, don’t get me wrong, but Noles has pitched some really big games for us. I regret having either one of those guys not pitch in this series.”

What Thomson didn’t regret was the bunt he called for Bryson Stott to execute in the ninth on Monday that ultimately got Nick Castellanos thrown out at third for the first out of the inning.

“I just think they made a great play,” Thoms said. “Mookie Betts did a great job by breaking very late so the hitter can’t adjust (to slash at the ball) and it’s tough for Nick to get a proper secondary (lead) or bigger secondary because Betts is sitting right behind him. At the end of the day, they made an aggressive play and they made it work. It was a good play.”

NOTES: The Phillies will wear their powder blue uniforms for both games of the series, something they decided about 10 days ago, according to Thomson. He said the players just like them and wanted to wear them on the road in the playoffs… Harper, who grew up in Las Vegas, professed his early childhood love of the Dodgers, which went directly against his dad who was a Cincinnati Reds fan… The early morning cross-country flight didn’t involve a lot of baseball talk, Harper said. “Played a lot of cards, so that was fun.”

Steven Gerrard says he has "unfinished business" in management as Rangers await confirmation over whether he is interested in a return to Ibrox.

The former England skipper was previously in charge at Rangers for three years from 2018, winning the title in his final season.

With Rangers seeking a successor to the sacked Russell Martin, would you welcome Gerrard back for a second spell as manager? Is he the man to revive the club's fortunes?

Tell us your views here.