Category: Baseball

The Atlanta Braves faced the Philadelphia Phillies in game two of the Wild Card series in a chance to clinch the series and move on to the next round.

Tyler Mahle, the key trade deadline acquisition, took the mound for the Braves. He has been on fire in the second half of the season for the Braves. with a 1.99 ERA with forty-eight strikeouts to only nine walks.

This is his first postseason appearance of his career and he was a little shaky in the first inning. Trea Turner smacked the second pitch he saw for a double. Schwarber then moved him to third on a ground out. This brought up struggling former MVP Bryce Harper to the plate. He took an splitter low and outside the opposite way for an RBI single to put the Phillies up by one. Alec Bohm followed that up with a single to put runners on the corners with only one out. Fortunately, Mahle calmed down and got Stott to hit a come-backer to the mound for a fielder’s choice via a pickle at third and then struck out Brandon Marsh to limit the damage.

The first inning continued to be exciting when the Braves came up to bat. Ronald Acuña led off the bottom of the first with a career OPS of 1.000 against Cristopher Sánchez. He was able to draw a walk. Baldwin struck out, but Acuña stole second against one of the best defensive catchers in recent memory in J.T. Realmuto. Albies grounded out, but then Acuña stole again and made it to third. Matt Olson then came up clutch and knocked Acuña in to tie the game at one before Dubón hit a 101.9 MPH line out.

Mahle looked much better in the second. He got Sosa and Crawford to flyout. He did surrender a single to Realmuto but then got revenge on Turner and struck him out. Unfortunately, the bottom of the inning was not any better for the Braves with them being sat down in order.

Mahle started get in the groove and show us why we were excited to have him be the game two starter in the third inning. He struck out Schwarber, and got Harper to ground out. He showed he was not intimidated even though the top of the lineup got to him last time. He walked Bohm, but then got Stott to groundout.

Some questioned why Kim was in the lineup, but he did his job in his first appearance. He was able to draw a six pitch walk. For some reason, Acuña then followed Kim up with watching three straight strikes without swinging. Drake Baldwin did not do much better with a six pitch strikeout. Albies then followed that up with a pop up.

The fourth inning started out great. The only offense from the Phillies was a single from Justin Crawford. Mahle was able to induce two groundouts and a lineout. This brought up Matt Olson in the bottom of the fourth. Olson was able to draw a 3-1 count (although the strike looked low), but it ended in a groundout to second. He was followed by two more groundouts.

If anyone questioned the Tyler Mahle acquisition, that should be put to bed. He sat down the Phillies in order in the fifth to include striking out both Schwarber and Harper. It looked like the Braves may get something going in the fifth. After a Harris groundout, Murphy doubled. Kim popped out and Sánchez intentionally walked Acuña to face Baldwin. Unfortunately for the Braves, that move paid off when Baldwin grounded out.

Mahle stayed in the game for the sixth and the only offense he surrendered was a single to Marsh. The Sixth looked very promising for the Braves. They loaded the bases thanks to a Albies single and back-to-back singles from Dubón and Riley after an Olson strikeout, but then Harris grounded into a double play to kill the momentum.

In the seventh the Braves chose to ride the hot hand and leave in Tyler Mahle. He was able to get Crawford to groundout on a low splitter, Realmuto to strikeout, and Turner to line out. It really showed that the Phillies do not have faith in their bullpen because Sánchez came back out to pitch after loading the bases in the previous inning. The Braves took advantage. Murphy walked and then Kim was able to get on as well via a misplayed bunt. Acuña struck out again, but then Baldwin came up big with a double to put the Braves up by one on a ball that appeared to be misplayed by Harper. Albies then was intentionally walked to load the bases. Olson came through again and gave the Braves another run via a sac fly. This brought in Alex McFarlane to pitch. McFarlane then got a groundout to end the inning.

Dylan Lee came in to pitch. He did well yesterday, but there was this sinking feeling of him coming in because he has struggled in the regular season as of late. The bad feeling was warranted because he surrendered back-to-back HRs to Schwarber and Harper to tie the game. Harper made up for his mistake. Fortunately, he was able to get two more outs and was relieved by Iglesias. In true Iggy fashion, he did his job and ended the top of the eighth.

The Phillies opted to bring in Andrew Painter in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Austin Riley won an ABS challenge and walked. Unfortunately, Michael Harris followed that up with his second GIDP of the game, and then Sean Murphy popped up.

With every inning that went by, the drama got higher and higher and in the ninth that held true. Iglesias stayed in to pitch the ninth and Sosa was able to single off of him, but appeared to be injured and was replaced with Derek Hill. Crawford tried to bunt the runner over, but it was unsuccessful. Realmuto then popped up. This brought us to the top of the lineup with two outs. The Braves opted to bring in rookie Dider Fuentes to try and get the third out after struggling yesterday. Under unimaginable pressure, he was able to get Trea Turner to pop out and end the inning, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth.

Yastrzemski pinch hit for Kim against Painter and hit a routine fly ball. Acuña continued his struggles with a ground out. Baldwin singled, but then Albies flied out to RF to send the game to extras. Fuentes stayed in the game to pitch the tenth and struck out Schwarber, then proceeded to get Harper to ground out, but then Alec Bohm put in the dagger with a solo shot on a ball over the middle of the plate to take a one run lead. This led to a single from Stott and De La Cruz. Fuentes was able to strike out Hill, but the damage was done.

The Braves got some offense going in the bottom of the tenth. Olson struck out, but Dubón was able to get a single. Riley came up to bat with a chance to be the hero again, but also struck out. Michael Harris singled and then the Braves opted to pinch hit Dominic Smith for Sean Murphy. This ultimately failed with Smith striking out on three pitches to include an overturned ABS challenge to end the game.

The offense had plenty of opportunities to score with eleven runners left on base, and the bullpen collapsed. If this game was simulated multiple times the Braves likely would have won the majority of them, but it that is not how it played out today in a demoralizing loss.

The Braves will likely face the Phillies’ ace Zack Wheeler tomorrow and will bring in Grant Holmes to pitch. This loss stings.

A miserable Game 1 of the wild-card series for the Red Sox was even worse upon closer inspection.

Not only were the Red Sox 9-0 losers in the first game of the best-of-three in The Bronx, but they also lost Roman Anthony for the series — and longer if they do advance — after he sustained “additional damage” to muscles in his right wrist, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said.

The Red Sox had submitted paperwork to MLB to enable them to remove Anthony from the roster and fill his spot. In an elimination game Wednesday, former Yankee Jahmai Jones was atop the lineup at DH against lefty Max Fried.

Anthony batted leadoff Tuesday and only took two at-bats before being lifted, having reinjured the same hand that sidelined him for nearly four months from early May to late August.

He initially suffered a partially torn tendon in a joint that connects a finger to his wrist, which he aggravated while facing Cam Schlittler.

The Red Sox sent him back to Boston after the game to get re-imaged, which found further damage to the wrist.

The second-year outfielder/designated hitter had been among the best prospects in the game and was a force after debuting last season before an injury-filled sophomore campaign.

“He’s a really good player,” Tracy said. “So, certainly not something we wanted to happen, and having him in there is important. But again, I can’t reiterate enough, we’ve dealt with things like this all year. The show goes on.”

The Red Sox are in danger of watching their season come to a close in Yankee Stadium for the second consecutive year. The offense showed zero signs of life as the Yankees cruised to a 9-0 victory headlined by 10 strikeouts from growing Red Sox killer Cam Schlittler. Payton Tolle did enough on the mound as the Game 1 starter. His team was clearly just unable to do their part around them.

Now, the Red Sox fall into the need of a historic response given that just 3 of 24 teams to lose the opener in the Wild Card round have come back to win the series. For starters, Boston sends 18-game winner Sonny Gray to the mound. He flirted with a no-hitter the last time he faced New York in June and tallied a 1.98 ERA against the Yankees in 2026. 

The Yankees counter with Max Fried, who has battled some inconsistencies in his ramp-up period from an injury return. The southpaw does have a sparkling 1.93 career ERA against the Red Sox in addition to a brilliant start in Game 1 last year with 6 1/3 scoreless innings, which his bullpen ruined in Boston’s 3-1 victory. To best combat the talented lefty, Jahmai Jones slots in leading off as the designated hitter. Caleb Durbin moves up to the sixth spot and Nate Eaton – another right-handed bat – gets the nod in left field. 

After being shut out in consecutive postseason games, the Red Sox must find a way to score runs and now do so without Roman Anthony, who will come off the ALWC roster with new and aggravated injuries in his right hand. It’s an uphill challenge undoubtedly, though it’s one Boston must be ready for in order to extend the season. 

Today’s Lineups

Red Sox: 

Yankees: 

⚾️ First Pitch: 8:00pm — Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York.

📺 TV: NBC (and streaming on Peacock)

📻 Radio: WEEI, ESPN Radio, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio

Ready to break down the game! Join us in the game thread below!

Hunter Brown vs. Sean Burke

Keep nodding, Andrew: Painter crafts ‘career-altering' outing in must-win spot originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ATLANTA — Picture this.

You’re a 23-year-old rookie starting pitcher, a former first-round pick and the most highly anticipated pitching prospect the Phillies have had in years.

Your first stint in the majors didn’t go how anyone envisioned. Your second offered a much better glimpse of why everybody had been waiting. Then October arrives and all you hear about is pitching out of the bullpen.

With a fastball that can touch triple digits and a changeup that has transformed your arsenal, maybe that sounds like a pretty good place to let it eat. You’re available in Game 1, perhaps even to close it, but your name is never called.

Then your team needs you the next day with its season on the line. You enter a tie game in the eighth inning.

And your first six pitches are balls.

Gulp.

OK, you can stop using your imagination.

That was Andrew Painter on Wednesday afternoon at Truist Park, where the rookie delivered three scoreless innings in the Phillies’ 4-3, 10-inning win over the Atlanta Braves to keep their season alive.

“Obviously nerves getting to me a little bit at first,” Painter said. “I was super amped up. I was just trying to throw everything as hard as I could.”

The situation did little to calm him down.

Austin Riley opened the eighth with a four-pitch walk. Yes, that Austin Riley, who had buried the Phillies with a go-ahead three-run homer less than 24 hours earlier. Painter then missed with his first two pitches to Michael Harris II.

Six pitches. Six balls.

Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham came strolling toward the mound as Truist Park reached one of its loudest points of the afternoon.

The Phillies had already experienced enough emotional whiplash. Defensive mistakes by Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm helped Atlanta score twice in the seventh, putting Philadelphia six outs from elimination. Then Kyle Schwarber and Harper went back-to-back in the eighth to tie it.

Now Painter was having trouble finding the strike zone.

J.T. Realmuto kept his message simple.

“You got here, so you gotta trust your stuff here,” Realmuto recalled telling him. “You’re plenty good enough to get this guy out.”

Painter finally threw a strike to Harris. Then he turned to the pitch that has helped make him a different pitcher since his return to the majors.

The changeup.

Painter began pre-gripping the circle change in his glove this season, a similar concept to what he had done with his splitter. But while he believed the splitter grip had begun affecting the quality of his fastball, the changeup has become the complement that helps everything else play.

He buried one to Harris.

Ground ball to Bohm. Force at second. Back to first.

Double play.

Exhale.

“I think once I got that first strike in there, I was able to kind of ease in and it gave me a little bit of peace of mind,” Painter said.

The very next pitch produced a Sean Murphy pop-up in foul territory.

Painter’s first six pitches were out of the zone. His next three produced three outs.

“That double-play ball was huge for him, and that just sent him on a roll,” interim manager Don Mattingly said.

There would be no traditional closer waiting behind him.

Jhoan Duran was unavailable after throwing 27 pitches across two innings in Game 1, Mattingly confirmed afterward. The Phillies hoped to have him for Thursday’s deciding Game 3.

Wednesday belonged to Painter.

He returned for the ninth and recorded a groundout and flyout before Drake Baldwin singled with two outs, bringing the potential winning run aboard. Painter went right after Ozzie Albies, eventually muscling a 99.9 mph fastball under his hands for a harmless fly ball.

In between outs, Painter kept nodding on the mound.

It was a small gesture that pointed to something much bigger.

The Painter who arrived in the majors earlier this season didn’t always look this comfortable. He struggled badly during his first stint, with the first inning becoming a recurring problem. His fastball didn’t play the way the Phillies expected. His command disappeared too often. A rookie who had dominated almost everywhere before reaching the majors suddenly had to deal with failure on the sport’s biggest stage.

The Phillies sent him back to Triple-A.

And, as Mattingly put it, they didn’t send him there for one tune-up start.

“He had to go down and earn his way back,” Mattingly said. “If he wouldn’t have been pitching good, he wouldn’t have found his way back.”

Painter went to work.

Mechanics. Pitch mix. Sequencing. Figuring out what made the best version of a 6-foot-7 right-hander with some of the best raw stuff in the organization.

“I was kind of just figuring out who I was as a pitcher and learning through the failure,” Painter said. “I think we did a lot of good stuff down in Triple-A, whether it was mechanically, pitch mix, sequencing, just trying to figure out what made the best version of myself as a pitcher.”

The result has been a pitcher who carries himself differently.

“He went down, he didn’t complain, he went to work, kept pitching,” Mattingly said. “Went down, went to work, came back. He’s been a different guy.”

Wednesday offered the strongest evidence yet.

Painter remained in the game as it moved to the 10th. Then Bohm sent a two-out fly ball the opposite way. It kept carrying until it rattled beyond the right-field wall.

4-3.

Painter heard the reaction from the tunnel and emerged knowing the next three outs belonged to him.

“Knowing that three outs was going to get that job done,” he said, “letting everything loose, everything I had in the tank, just emptying it.”

Those three outs weren’t going to come easily.

Painter surrendered two singles, sandwiched around a pair of strikeouts.

Two outs. Two aboard.

The Phillies’ season was still one swing away from ending.

Painter attacked Dominic Smith with two changeups before reaching 0-2. Then he fired a fastball toward the inside corner.

Strike three.

At least Painter thought so. Smith challenged.

Painter was already walking toward the dugout, tapping his head to signal that he wanted Realmuto to challenge right back.

“He looked more sure it was a strike than I was, to be honest,” Realmuto said.

The review showed Painter had painted the corner. Game over.

Painter later described his reaction a little differently.

“I don’t know. That’s just kind of where my finish takes me,” he said. “I wanted the challenge. Kind of just blacked out in the moment.”

Harper loved what he saw.

He had watched Painter take moments throughout the outing to collect himself, including late in the game when the rookie stepped off, grabbed the rosin bag and deliberately tried to slow everything down.

“It kind of fired me up because he was able to slow down the moment,” Harper said.

His description of Painter’s entire performance was even more succinct.

“Absolute dawg mentality.”

Realmuto went even further.

“That’s a career-altering performance, in my opinion,” he said. “The amount of confidence that you can gain from that…”

Painter had never made a true relief appearance before Wednesday. He acknowledged that he had been pacing around the bullpen during Game 1, preparing for a role completely foreign to him.

This time, when the phone rang, he emptied the tank.

Thirty-seven pitches. Three innings. Three strikeouts. No runs.

His first postseason appearance ended with the 23-year-old closing an elimination game.

“I didn’t think I was going to be closing a game in the playoffs,” Painter said. “But I think I’m capable of a lot.”

That might be the biggest thing the Phillies learned Wednesday.

They spent much of the year figuring out exactly what Painter was capable of. In Game 2, with no Duran and no room for error, they asked him to find nine outs in a role he’d never truly handled before.

He did.

And with another elimination game coming Thursday, someone asked the rookie whether 37 pitches might prevent him from doing it again.

Painter smiled.

“Everything on the line,” he said. “Luzardo would make fun of me if I didn’t. I’m 23; he says I should be good every day.”

The Phillies live another day.

Apparently, Painter might pitch another one, too.

The lineup for the Wild Card Series elimination game is set, and the Yankees are making headlines by starting eight left-handed hitters, not including switch-hitters, for the first time in MLB postseason history.

Ben Rice takes the leadoff spot after a record-breaking Game 1 performance against the Red Sox. He went 4-for-5 with two home runs, including an electrifying eighth-inning grand slam, and drove in six runs. It’s also worth noting that his fellow Massachusetts native Cam Schlittler also showed Boston no mercy, pitching six and a third scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts to completely shut down the offense.

Cody Bellinger, who went 1-for-4, will bat second followed by Luis García Jr. in the hole. He’ll start at first for Game 2 over Paul Goldschmidt, who went 0-for-3 with two walks and a run scored on Tuesday night. Spencer Jones will take the cleanup spot after going 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk in the Game 1 blowout win. He’ll be playing right field alongside Trent Grisham, who made his return in Game 1 after being reinstated from the IL.

Gleaming in his postseason debut, going 3-for-4 and scoring two runs, George Lombard Jr. is the perfect segue to cruise into the bottom of the order and the lone right-handed hitter in the starting nine. Jazz Chisholm Jr. will start at second over Anthony Volpe, who gave a promising performance in Game 1.

Grisham, who was sidelined most of September with a hamstring injury, is going back to his comfort zone at center and will take the seventh spot in the lineup. He’ll be followed by Austin Wells, who went 1-for-3 with two hits and identical RBIs on Tuesday night. Ryan McMahon will round out the order and start at third over Amed Rosario, who struck out in three pitches from Payton Tolle in the second.

As confirmed ahead of the postseason matchup, Max Fried will start on the mound as the Yankees go for the sweep.

Here’s a look at the Red Sox lineup, which puts former Yankee Jahmai Jones in the leadoff spot. It’s a real blast from the past since he used to lead off for the Pinstripes not too long ago.

With a win over the Red Sox on Wednesday, the Yankees will advance to face the Rays in the ALDS. Don’t miss a second of the action and tune into NBC at 8 p.m. EST.

October is a magical time for Major League Baseball. Every postseason team has a legitimate shot to win a World Series title. Whether you are the prohibitive favorite or the longest of long shots, the stakes remain the same. 

It is still hard to imagine the San Diego Padres hosting a Wild Card Series at Petco Park, especially after Las Vegas sportsbooks gave them a seven percent chance of playing in October. But this year’s postseason feels different from past playoff appearances.

A tale of two halves 

Is the 2026 roster better than past playoff teams? Tough to answer, but this group has risen off the mat to become a club no one wants to meet in the postseason.

Before the pomp and circumstance associated with Opening Day began, the Padres had to subtract two important pieces from the starting rotation: Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. Finding suitable replacements became an agonizing, summer-long task.

A.J. Preller, Friars President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, deserves praise for bolstering the starting rotation. All the talk before the trade deadline was the Padres acquiring a starting pitcher. The addition of Robbie Ray and Casey Mize immediately raised postseason expectations to a season high.

The Friars struggled badly in the first half, saddled with one of baseball’s worst offenses. Each game felt like a continuation of the run-scoring troubles that plagued them a season ago. The club limped into the All-Star break with a 48-49 record.

No one expected much from the Padres in the second half, but the lineup flipped the script and led the team to a shocking 39-12 run.

Veteran leadership key to turnaround

What changed? 

It is impossible to predict a locker room’s reaction to player moves made at the trade deadline. The additions confirmed Preller’s belief in the roster holdovers. They began to believe in themselves and gained the confidence to climb back in the Wild Card chase.

And 17 wins in their final 20 games put an exclamation point on the Padres’ remarkable regular season. They finished at 91-71, clinched the four-seed, and continue to play in front of the Friar Faithful.

The club’s veterans were the foundation for the dramatic second-half turnaround. Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Ty France have become a sounding board for the younger players. Team manager Craig Stammen fully trusts his veterans, as they kept the team afloat during the first-half struggles.

Adding Dustin Harris to the lineup has added another dimension to the offense. The youngster has fit comfortably in the No. 2 spot in the batting order. He finished the regular season hitting .322 in 28 games with San Diego.

Often, Harris starts an inning by getting on base. His base-running skills allow him to take an extra base before coming home on a hit by the heart of the order. He also plays a solid left field, showing good range on balls hit to the gap.

Harris has stabilized the left-field platoon, despite San Diego being his third major league stop this season. 

Yes, the 2026 Friars are a different team. The front office tinkered with the roster; the team took off and never looked back.

Let’s see what happens.

Editor's note: Get live updates on Phillies vs. Braves NL wild card Game 2 action here.

For the second game in a row, postseason chaos has ensued late at Truist Field.

Behind masterful pitching performances from Tyler Mahle and Cristopher Sánchez, a 1-1 deadlock between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies was broken on what appeared to be a game-changing gaffe in the bottom of the seventh by Bryce Harper in right field.

With runners on first and second with one out, catcher Drake Baldwin got just under a sinker inside from Sánchez. The ball pulled into right and looked like it would be a routine flyball for Harper, but the Phillies slugger ran a little too far in front of it – and realized it a second too late. He tried to jump back to make the catch, but the ball rolled off the tip of his glove and onto the grass towards the wall as Sean Murphy scored on what was officially ruled an RBI double by Baldwin.

That. Just. Happened!#LetItFlypic.twitter.com/qtePObgSvZ

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 30, 2026

Matt Olson then made it a two-run game on a sac fly that chased Sánchez from the game, but the Phillies would respond in the eighth on back-to-back homers from Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper to tie it all up at 3-3.

So perhaps Harper's outfield gaffe wasn't as game-changing as it seemed, especially considering what Harper can do with a bat in his hands.

BRYCE HARPER
BACK-TO-BACK
THIS GAME IS TIED pic.twitter.com/fiIJdIM4oz

— MLB (@MLB) September 30, 2026

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bryce Harper atones for game-changing gaffe with HR to tie Braves-Phillies

NEW YORK — Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is out for the remainder of the playoffs after aggravating a hand injury in two at-bats during Game 1 of the American League wild-card series, manager Chad Tracy said before Game 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Replacing him on the roster for the do-or-die Game 2 is a massive surprise: Curtis Mead, who has not played since suffering a fractured left wrist in his Red Sox debut July 27, when he was struck by a pitch in a game against the Athletics in West Sacramento.

That injury came just a day after Mead was acquired from the Washington Nationals for left-hander Connelly Early - who, oddly enough, started and lost the decisive Game 3 of this wild-card series a year ago.

Since that fateful night in Yolo County, Mead has been diligently working his way back, but couldn't quite recover before this series started. Then, Anthony's hand worsened and the Red Sox needed a body.

Mead took batting practice off a Trajekt machine for the first time Saturday and Monday, and then faced live pitching for the first time Tuesday. And that was enough for the Red Sox to activate him.

"Honestly, it’s not ideal, right?" Mead said of his accelerated and abbreviated rehab timeline. "But with the injury to Roman and even Mickey (Gasper) and guys banged up, I feel like I can contribute. I think watching the team and the runs they went on in July and August, I felt pretty good about them and us going deep in the playoffs.

"I was hoping to be ready on this timeline."

Anthony was limited to 55 games due to the injury this season. He was driven from Yankee Stadium to Boston after Game 1, arriving in the middle of the night, and received more imaging Wednesday morning, which Tracy said revealed further damage to the hand. Anthony returned to Yankee Stadium three hours before Game 2.

The Red Sox replaced Anthony on the roster with Curtis Mead for Game 2 of the best-of-three series, automatically Anthony out for the AL Division Series.

“He’s going through it right now, mentally,” Tracy said of Anthony. “I texted with him. He wants to be out there with the guys.”

Against Yankees left-hander Max Fried, Boston will start Nate Eaton in left field and Jahmai Jones at DH.

“He’s a really good player,” Tracy said of Anthony, “but the show goes on. We need to win two in a row.”

Mead, whose parents are in Australia and won't be able to make it to Yankee Stadium, talked frequently with Anthony as both recovered from their maladies.

"I saw Roman last night and saw his pain. I was quite interested in his return to play and the sort of things he was feeling, how long it took him to get up to speed," says Mead. "I feel horrible for him, but glad I can step in and kind of contribute."

Red Sox starting lineup for Game 2

1. Jahmai Jones (R) DH
2. Adley Rutschman (S) C
3. Willson Contreras (R) 1B
4. Wilyer Abreu (L) RF
5. Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF
6. Caleb Durbin (R) 3B
7. Nick Sogard (S) 2B
8. Trevor Story (R) SS
9. Nate Eaton (R) LF

Today, the Houston Astros announced that CF Daulton Varsho underwent left arthroscopic wrist surgery yesterday. This procedure will sideline him for the remainder of the 2026 season. Varsho is a free agent at the end of the season.

Varsho’s time with the Astros was unremarkable. He batted only .172 in 41 games for Houston, spanning 151 AB. He hit 5 HR and drove in 14. He also posted a paltry .224 OBP and a “sub-Maldy” .535 OPS.

At this point, it is unlikely Varsho is a member of the Astros in 2027.

It was recently revealed that Varsho had been dealing with a wrist issue since before the team acquired him at the deadline, and was attempting to play through it. Eventually, it became too much discomfort for him to tolerate.

WILD CARD SERIES, GAME 2: The Houston Astros (0-1) will host the Chicago White Sox (1-0) for a do-or-die Game 2 of the 2026 AL Wild Card Series today at Daikin Park. The Astros look to extend their season with their ace RHP Hunter Brown (6-4, 3.19 ERA) on the mound opposite RHP Sean Burke (11-7, 3.34 ERA) and the White Sox.

TODAY’S PITCHING MATCHUP: RHP Hunter Brown is a perfect 6-0 with a 2.39 ERA (10ER/37.2IP) in six career starts against the White Sox, including two starts this season. Brown and today’s White Sox starter RHP Sean Burke matched up on July 25, 2026 at CWS, with Brown (0ER/7IP) beating Burke (2ER/6IP) in a 4-1 Astros win. That win sparked a strong finish for Brown, as he went 5-3 with a 2.67 ERA (20ER/67.1IP) in his final 12 starts of the season.

IN THE POSTSEASON: The Astros are making their 19th postseason appearance in club history in what is the 65th year of the franchise that began in 1962. This season marks the 14th time in club history for the Astros to enter the postseason as a division winner. The Astros have won three different divisions in their history, the NL West (1980, 1986), NL Central (1997-99, 2001) and AL West (2017-19, 2021-24, 2026).

SINCE 2015: After a one-year hiatus, the Astros are back in the postseason for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons (dating back to the 2015 season). The Astros join the Dodgers and Yankees as the only teams in the Majors to qualify for the postseason in at least 10 of the last 12 years.

POSTSEASON VETS: Since 2015, the Astros have played more postseason games (106) and have earned more postseason wins (62) than any other AL club. The Astros are 62-44 in that span for a .585 winning pct. in the postseason.

THE WILD CARD: The Astros are playing in the Wild Card round for the fourth time in their history. The Astros entered this series 3-2 all-time in the Wild Card round, dispatching the Yankees in the one-game playoff in 2015, sweeping the Twins in the 2020 Wild Card Series and getting swept by the Tigers in the 2024 Wild Card Series.

THE PEACOCK BROADCAST: This series will be exclusively televised by Peacock/NBCSN. Tom McCarthy will serve as play-by-play man alongside analysts Geoff Blum and Steve Stone. Adam Ottavino and Britney Eurton will work sideline duties for the telecast.

TODAY’S POSTGAME SHOW: Following every game of this Wild Card Series, Space City Home Network will air a live 30-minute postgame show, which will be hosted by Kevin Eschenfelder and Todd Kalas. The show will be hosted from the SCHN set on the center field concourse.

ABOUT GAME 1: The Astros dropped Game 1 of the Wild Card Series last night, losing to the White Sox, 6-3. Both teams went with bullpen games, with the Astros using eight pitchers, including RHP Miguel Ullola (1ER/3IP), who worked the bulk innings. PH Nelson Velázquez homered for the Astros, marking just the fourth pinch-hit home run in Astros postseason history and the first since IF Chris Burke hit one in Game 1 of the 2005 NLCS at STL.

VS. THE WHITE SOX: The Astros and White Sox are meeting each other for their third all-time postseason series against each other, the others being the 2005 World Series and the 2021 ALDS. The White Sox swept the Astros in 2005, while the Astros dispatched the Sox in 2021 in four games. History aside, the Astros went 5-2 against the White Sox this regular season, including a 3-1 record at Daikin Park.

AT THE HELM: Astros manager Joe Espada has guided the Astros to the postseason in two of his three seasons as the Astros manager since taking over before the 2024 season. Espada has posted a 256-229 regular season record in his three years as the Astros manager and ranks ninth in club history in managerial wins.

ABOUT THE ROSTER: The Astros Wild Card Series roster includes 12 pitchers and 14 position players. Prior to this series, 13 players on the roster had no postseason playing experience, including five position players and eight pitchers. In addition to their active roster, the Astros are carrying 16 players with them throughout the postseason on their Taxi Squad.

GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros hit 226 regular season homers as a team this year, which were the most in the Majors. The last time the Astros led the Majors in home runs was in 2000, when they hit 249 homers. The 2026 Astros also led the AL in SLG (.417) and OPS (.732).

THE CASE FOR THE MVP: DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez led the AL in OPS (1.033), slugging percentage (.601), OBP (.432), batting average (.316), total bases (341), walks (109), IBB (33), WRC (154), OPS+ (192) and extra-base hits (77). He also ranked second in RBI (106), second in hits (179), tied for second in home runs (42), tied for third in runs (105), and tied for fourth in doubles (34).

COMING UP BIG: 2B Jose Altuve ranks second in postseason history in HR (27), second in runs (89), third in hits (118), tied for third in extra-base hits (48), sixth in games (106) and seventh in RBI (56)

THE FIREMAN: LHP Josh Hader converted all 26 of his save chances this season. He is the seventh pitcher in MLB history to post 26-plus saves without a blown save. The last Major Leaguer to do so was RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV).

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2020 – The Astros dispatch the Twins in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series by a score of 3-1 at Target Field. RHP José Urquidy (1ER/4.1IP) started for Houston, while RHP Cristian Javier (0ER/3IP) earned the win.. Tied 1-1 in the 7th, SS Carlos Correa connected for a solo homer to put the Astros ahead. The win advances the Astros to a meeting with the A’s in the ALDS.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, September 30, 4:10 p.m. CT

Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: Peacock/NBCSN

Radio:  KBME 790 AM & 94.5 HD2 FM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

The White Sox (84-78) got off to a great start to the postseason with a 6-3 victory, and they hold a 1-0 series lead over the Astros (81-81).

Sean Burke, 26, will start on the mound for the South Siders. Burke posted a 3.36 ERA and a 3.62 FIP in 172 1/3 regular season innings. Burke accumulated 3.2 fWAR to lead the White Sox pitching staff in the regular season. The talented right-handed pitcher had two starts against Houston in the regular season, and he performed admirably against them, only allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits in 11 2/3 innings. The Astros posted a slash line of only .125/.239/.150 against Burke, but the Astros managed to win one of those games.

Hunter Brown, 28, is a right-handed starter who will be challenging for the White Sox to solve. Brown posted a 3.19 ERA and a 3.77 FIP in 107 1/3 innings, resulting in an accumulation of 1.9 fWAR this year. Brown made two starts against the South Siders, and those games went exceptionally well for him, as he only allowed two runs on eight hits in 13 innings. The White Sox slashed just .174/.208/.174 against Brown, so it is no surprise that the Astros won both of those games.

Here are this afternoon’s starting lineups:

This game is available on NBC Sports Network and Peacock, and we have further details in our broadcast guide. The first pitch is scheduled to take place at 4:00 p.m. CT. Will the South Siders complete a sweep for their first postseason series victory in 21 years? Let’s enjoy these exciting moments together.

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One win down, one to go.

The AL Wild Card series continues tonight, Sept. 30 as the Yankees go for the series-clinching victory.

Last night, the Bronx Bombers won Game 1, 9-0, largely thanks to designated hitter Ben Rice’s huge night. Rice had four hits and six RBIs in the win, which he capped off with an eighth-inning grand slam.

“I’ll remember getting a ‘W’ versus the Red Sox — there’s nothing better than that,” Rice said after the game. “I’ll remember Cam [Schlittler, who struck out 10 over 6 1/3 scoreless innings] going out there and just being lights out, like he always is. I’ll remember the atmosphere. It was just an awesome night.”

Tonight, Max Fried will be on the mound as the Yankees try for the sweep.

If the Yankees win tonight, they’ll advance into the ALDS and head to Tropicana Field for a best-of-five series against the Tampa Bay Rays, who finished atop the AL East and finished the regular season with the best record in the league (98-64).

Here’s how to tune in to the Game 2 of the AL Wild Card series without cable.

Yankees vs. Red Sox start time

Game 2 of the Yankees-Red Sox AL Wild Card series is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET tonight, Sept. 30.

How to watch Yankees vs. Red Sox AL Wild Card Game 2 for free

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream Yankees vs. Red Sox for free.

DIRECTV is our favorite service for trying live TV for free. Right now, you can take advantage of a five-day free trial before saving $30 on your first month. We recommend the Choice plan, which includes NBC as part of its 125+ channel options.

You can also watch the Yankees AL Wild Card series for free with a Peacock Premium free trial (seven days, then $16.99/month).

Red Sox vs. Yankees Game 2 starting pitchers

Sonny Gray (18-5, 2.72 ERA) will start for the Red Sox. Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA) will be on the mound for the Yankees.

Red Sox vs. Yankees AL Wild Card schedule

All times below are listed in ET.

• Game 1: Yankees 9, Red Sox 0
• Game 2: Sept. 30, 8 p.m. (NBC)
• Game 3: Oct. 1, 8 p.m. (NBC)*

*if necessary

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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.