Category: Baseball

This what they call a must-win game.

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Here’s the White Sox lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!

The number of playoff teams is dwindling.

Tonight, the Chicago White host the Cleveland Guardians in Game Four of the American League Divisional Series. It is the only remaining Divisional Series in the playoffs as the other three have concluded, including two last night.

The first team to advance to the League Championship Series was the Los Angeles Dodgers, who easily dispatched the Atlanta Braves in four games. Yesterday, the Rays completed their sweep of the Yankees as the Brewers knocked off the Padres.

The NLCS is set: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Milwaukee Brewers.

The Tampa Bay Rays await the winner of the Cleveland-Chicago series. Chicago jumped to a two-games-to-nothing lead before Cleveland won 9-3 yesterday to live another day.

That day is today.

The White Sox will send out lefty Hagen Smith to open against the Guardians. Smith, the former No. 5 pick, went 3-3 during the regular season over 18 appearances that included one start. Smith pitched 2/3 of an inning yesterday while allowing one hit, two walks, and one earned run while striking out one batter.

Cleveland’s going with Parker Messick, another southpaw. Messick pitched 186-and-1/3 innings this season while finishing 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA, 1.063 WHIP, and 3.07 FIP. He struck out 193 batters while walking 51. The first-time All Star finished with a 6.3 bWAR.

He didn’t fare so well in the first game of this series five days ago as he took the loss as he pitched only 4-and-1/3 innings while giving up four hits, two walks, and two earned runs while striking out six.

Let’s get to the lineups, Cleveland first:

Now, for the White Sox:

Major League Baseball on Thursday announced start times and broadcast schedules for the National League Championship Series.

And, for a second straight series, Dodgers fans were greeted with an inconvenient weekday first pitch.

While Game 1 of the team’s NLCS rematch against the Brewers will kick off at 5 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday from American Family Field in Milwaukee, Game 2 on Monday will begin at 2 p.m. local time in Los Angeles –– similar to the late-afternoon weekday starts the Dodgers had in Games 3 and 4 of their NL Division Series defeat of the Braves this week.

Every other game of the NLCS will be at night on the West Coast.

The series shifts to Dodger Stadium for Game 3 (Wednesday at 5 p.m.), Game 4 (Thursday at 6 p.m.) and Game 5 (Friday at 6 p.m.).

Game 6 (Sunday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m.) and Game 7 (Monday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m.) will be back in Milwaukee, if necessary.

All games will be on Fox or FS1.

The Dodgers swept the Brewers at this stage in last year’s playoffs, propelling them to a second straight NL pennant en route to a second straight World Series title.

This year, the club is trying to complete the first NL pennant three-peat since the St. Louis Cardinals of 1942-44 and the first World Series three-peat by an NL team in baseball history.

Here is the full schedule for the NLCS:

Game 1, Sunday: 5 p.m. PT, Fox in Milwaukee

Game 2, Monday: 2 p.m. PT, Fox/FS1 in Milwaukee

Game 3, Wednesday: 5 p.m. PT, FS1 at Dodger Stadium

Game 4, Thursday: 6 p.m. PT, FS1 at Dodger Stadium

Game 5*, Friday, Oct. 16: 6 p.m. PT, FS1 at Dodger Stadium

Game 6*, Sunday, Oct. 18: 5 p.m. PT, FS1 in Milwaukee

Game 7*, Monday, Oct. 19: 5 p.m. PT, Fox/FS1 in Milwaukee

*if necessary

Good evening, y’all.

At this time yesterday, I had posted something along the lines of “can we borrow some runs @/guardians”, because our game was deadlocked and Cleveland was well on their way to the 9-3 final score against the Chicago White Sox to stave off their elimination.

Must be fun to score a lot. I’m not bitter, who said that?

Following our LDS exit, the Yankees and Padres quickly followed suit.

Max Fried was charged with the loss with four runs given up to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees very nearly tied the game with a potential two-run homer off the bat of Anthony Volpe. But an umpire review and spectator interference ruling only allowed one run to score… and that was the difference. Yes, that’s Frenchy in the booth. Absolutely unreal way to lose.

Fernando Tatis Jr. homered for the Padres, but that solo shot was all the Padres would manage in Milwaukee.

The last piece of the League Championship Series could fall into place tonight. The White Sox will take another shot at clinching at home at Rate Field tonight at 8 pm ET. Braves menace Parker Messick will get the ball for Cleveland, opposed by reliever Hagen Smith for Chicago.

The comments are yours for the ALDS, post-elimination clarity, or anything else on your mind. Go forth and opine / reflect / GIF to your heart’s content, baseball sickos. I say that with love, as I am one of you.

Major League Baseball announced game times for the 2026 League Championship Series, which begin with the National League on Sunday, Oct. 11 and the AL on Monday, Oct. 12.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers will meet in the best-of-seven NLCS for the second year in a row. The Brew Crew had MLB's best record in 2026 and hope to avenge last year's embarrassing four-game sweep, which also occurred when Milwaukee was the NL's top seed. Los Angeles won the World Series each of the past two years while the Brewers are one of five teams to never win a title, last reaching the Fall Classic in 1982.

The Tampa Bay Rays have home-field advantage in the ALCS which begins a day after the NL, facing the winner of the Cleveland Guardians-Chicago White Sox ALDS. Tampa Bay has reached the World Series twice in franchise history (2008 and 2020) and is among the other clubs that have failed to win a championship.

The ALCS and NLCS winners will face off in the World Series, which begins Friday, Oct. 23.

MLB teams looking to get into the spirit of the season with their players need to do so before Dec. 2, otherwise, the league is telling teams they should avoid sending holiday cards once the lockout begins. 

While the playoffs are in full swing, the likely lockout has cast a cloud over the MLB postseason, with Major League Baseball executive Dan Halem issuing a 34-page memo to owners and high-level team execs explaining how they should act during a labor stoppage. 

And, according to the memo obtained by The Athletic, holiday cards are a no-no. 

“Sending Players holiday cards or gifts would not be permissible during a Lockout,” Halem wrote in the memo. “Clubs could send holiday cards or gifts to players prior to Dec. 2.”

Among the items Halem outlined in the memo was how MLB’s digital arm would create alternate club websites that scrub any trace of the players’ likeness, though teams will still be able to sell merch with players’ names and images on them. 

It also says that team staffers can attend players’ weddings that they have been invited to, but they cannot discuss business and if a club official runs into a player in public, they “should be cordial.” 

The MLB collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. 

Halem did write in the memo that the league’s “commitment has been and remains to exhaust every realistic option to achieve our goal of reaching an agreement with the Players Association.”

On Thursday, MLB made several proposals to the MLB Players Association, which included shortening the regular season to 154 games, extending the division series from best-of-five to best-of-seven and allowing the higher-seeded teams in the wild-card and divisional rounds to select their opponent. 

However, all of that would be contingent on the players agreeing to a salary cap. 

The MLBPA called the proposed changes “anti-player” as the league “once again made clear that all of its proposals are contingent on players’ agreement to a salary cap, a system that guts player rights and compensation, as well as its other anti-player proposals.”

An MLBPA statement added: “Players will weigh in on these proposals and we will respond at the bargaining table.”

Three teams advanced to the league championship round on Wednesday night. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up their series wins over the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres, respectively. They’ll square off in what should be a pretty epic NLCS. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays completed their dismantling of the New York Yankees, never trailing at any point in the series. The Yankees’ World Series drought going back to 2008 continues.

Tonight, the Chicago White Sox will look to knock off the Cleveland Guardians, and they’d be advised to get it done and not face a Game 5 in Progressive Field against Gavin Williams with all the Guardians bullpen arms on alert. First pitch at Rate Field is set for 8:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on TBS.

LHP Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA) takes on LHP Hagen Smith (3-3, 1.29 ERA)

The Guardians have the clear starting pitching advantage, but Smith has been really good and will probably only look to go four innings before White Sox’ manager Will Venable turns to his deep bullpen.

One Yankees legend is calling for a change.

During the Fox postgame show on Wednesday night after the Bombers were swept by the Rays in the American League Division Series, Alex Rodriguez ripped the powers that be in the Bronx, calling for a “philosophy change.”

“Something has to change,” Rodriguez said, kicking off a long rant. “I’m not talking about personnel, but I’m talking about a philosophy. There has to be a philosophy change. You’ve won 27 titles one way. I’m not saying anyone should lose their job, I’ll make that clear. But [general manager Brian] Cashman has to surround himself with people that know baseball, that understand baseball, that can value both sides of the ball. 

Rodriguez took particular issue with the Yankees’ lack of stability around the diamond, arguing that a team facing elimination shouldn’t still be having to solve so many lineup and defensive questions.

“It’s unthinkable in a game where your season is on the line, and of the nine positions, you don’t know who’s gonna play five positions — first base, second base, third base, center field, and right field because [Aaron] Judge is out. If something doesn’t change, you’re gonna have the same results. We’ve been watching the same movie for over a decade, and nothing changes.”

Rodriguez’s comments echo those made by Judge, who watched from the dugout as he nursed a calf strain, after the 4-3 loss. 

“We’re the Yankees,’’ Judge said. “I feel like [the front office] should go all in and do what they need to do. If we’ve got holes, if it’s finding certain players, whatever we need … They give us a winning team every year. That’s not good enough in New York.” 

It remains to be seen whether change will be at the top this winter. 

Before being eliminated, Cashman seemed to indicate that manager Aaron Boone would be back next season.

“I think Boone’s a really good manager,” he said. “We’re here for a reason. There’s a lot of reasons behind that. And he’s certainly part of that.”

Beyond Boone and Cashman, the Yankees have plenty of questions to sort out on the roster. 

Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trent Grisham, Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario are among the position players who can test free agency, while closer David Bednar is also set to hit the open market.

Outside of George Lombard Jr. at shortstop, there are a ton of questions on the infield, and uncertainty over how much the Yankees can continue to count on the oft-injured Giancarlo Stanton at designated hitter moving forward.

In what could possibly be his final game in pinstripes, Jazz Chisholm Jr. once again struck the wrong note with a former teammate.

Wednesday night’s 4-3 loss to the Rays eliminated the Yankees from the postseason, but Chisholm found the Yankee Stadium faithful’s booing “confusing,” saying the team needed their support.

Anthony Rizzo, who spent the final 3 ½ seasons of his career in The Bronx, was dumbfounded by the mercurial infielder’s remarks.

“Jazz Chisholm’s comments after the game just looks like a player who is lost,” Rizzo said in an episode of “Ross and Rizzo Unfiltered” released Thursday.

“He says after the game about being booed, ‘I don’t understand, I was confused why I was being booed.’ It surprises you that you were booed? What do you mean?”

Chisholm, 28, was among several Yankees who struggled during the eventual ALDS sweep, which included a series of misplays in Game 2 and led to his benching for Game 3.

After boldly predicting a 50-home run, 50-stolen base regular season back in spring, the impending free agent finished with 19 bombs and 41 steals during a disappointing, injury-riddled 2026.

Despite those struggles, he said he understood the fanbase but remained perplexed by its reaction.

“I already understand New York fans,” Chisholm told reporters postgame. “They booed Aaron Judge before, who am I?

“It doesn’t hurt, it’s just confusing because it’s the playoffs and we’re trying to win games. So you’re booing a guy that’s playing currently trying to help the team win. You’re hearing boos instead of trying to hype guys up. But at the end of the day, it didn’t hurt me because I’ve seen Aaron Judge get booed here too.”

But Rizzo, who previously ripped Chisholm’s “immaturity” over an ejection during the Yankees’ sweep by the Red Sox in June, once again didn’t let his former teammate off the hook.

“You’ve played there for three-plus years now, you’ve seen [Anthony] Volpe get run out of town. You’ve seen Judgey get booed. You’ve seen Stanton get booed.

“It surprises you that you got booed? That’s just not the right way to answer questions.”

Chisholm will be among several key decisions for the Yankees entering the offseason as the organization looks to build its first championship-winning squad since 2009.

The second baseman, who entered Game 3 as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-2 with a stolen base, made it clear where he wants to continue his career.

“This is where I want to be,” Chisholm said.

The Pirates season has come to a close finishing 82-80. The offense was the big story for the club this season with how dynamic and dominant they were at the plate. The pitching wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t the best in the league, let’s take a look at the Pirates bullpen this season. 

The Good

Yohan Ramírez served as a reliable workhorse and multi-inning weapon out of the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen. He racked up over a strikeout per inning (102 K in 85.0 IP) with a strong 2.86 ERA across 66 appearances. The bullpen was very questionable for a lot of the season, but Ramirez was definitely one of the more reliable and trusted arms. 

Mason Montgomery led the team with 18 saves and had a solid 2.55 ERA. Montgomery was shaky in the beginning of the season, but he looked better in the second half of the year. 

Luke Weaver was a big addition for the Bucs at the trade deadline from the New York Mets, and he looked pretty solid at times for the team. Weaver is Under contract through the 2027 season, with his next unrestricted free agency scheduled for 2028.

In the Middle

The Pirates were ranked in the middle in bullpen ERA at 14th with a 4.01 ERA. That’s not bad, but the big thing with the bullpen was inconsistency. As a team, they had 41 total saves on the year, which was an above average state compared to the rest of the league.   

Gregory Soto was a name the team called on a good bit this season, pitching in 68 games. He also had the problem of inconsistency, he had a 3.68 ERA and had an issue with allowing the long ball. As a whole, the bullpen allowed 65 home runs on the year, which was on the lower side in the league.   

The Bad

For the whole season, the Buccos didn’t have a go to closer. Mason Montgomery was thrusted into that role later in the year, but I’m not sure if he can be a legit long-term closer in the ninth inning for the Pirates next season.

To start the season, Denis Santana was the closer but he was designated for assignment by the Pirates on July 23, 2026, after posting a 6.05 ERA.

Another disappointment was Camilo Doval, who was traded from the New York Yankees at the trade deadline. Doval was supposed to be this big pickup at the deadline, but he was designated for assignment by the Pirates on September 22, 2026 and was later picked up by the San Francisco Giants. 

The Pirates need to go out and get a legit closer in the offseason because they need that guy they can fully rely on. I think having Mason Montgomery throw in the seventh and maybe having Luke Weaver in the eighth can work as great set up guys. New closer to follow.

Overall, the Pirates bullpen did okay this season in places, but inconsistency killed them, especially when the Pirates had those rough months in the middle of the year. If the Bucs want to snap their playoff drought for the 2027 season, they should be aggressive in the offseason and spend some money on some guys in the bullpen that can help out. 

CHICAGO – There are some atmospheres a young team just has to experience for itself.

Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable acknowledged his team was affected by the magnitude of Game 3 of the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians. The team's first playoff game at home since 2021. A chance to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since 1906. A fanbase ecstatic to be in the postseason after three 100-loss seasons in a row.

“This group has always responded well to different atmospheres, whether that's on the road or here. … It was different yesterday,” Venable said Thursday, Oct. 8, ahead of Game 4.

“I'm not sure that there was anything that myself or anybody else could have said to prepare them for that,” Venable added. They had to experience it for themselves.”

Jim Crane’s reputation for control could make Houston’s search for new leadership far more difficult than anyone wants to admit.

The two most important positions in the Houston Astros organization are either open or facing uncertainty, and the scary part is that they may also be two of the least attractive jobs in Major League Baseball.

Think about that for a moment.

We’re talking about an organization that has enjoyed one of the most successful runs in modern baseball history. A franchise with multiple World Series appearances, two championships, a passionate fan base, and a reputation for winning. On the surface, the opportunity to become the next general manager or manager of the Houston Astros should be one of the most coveted positions in the sport.

But there’s one major problem:

Jim Crane.

With Dana Brown’s departure as general manager and uncertainty surrounding Joe Espada’s future as manager, the Astros should be positioned to attract some of the brightest minds in baseball. Experienced executives and proven managers should be lining up for interviews, while young, innovative candidates should view Houston as the perfect opportunity to establish themselves on the biggest stage.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe that’s the reality.

The biggest obstacle facing the Astros isn’t necessarily the roster, the payroll, or even the organization’s depleted farm system. It’s the reputation of an owner who, in my opinion, has become far too involved in baseball decisions and far too controlling of the people he hires to make them.

Let’s be clear. Jim Crane owns the Houston Astros. He has every right to run his organization however he sees fit. He’s invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the franchise, and nobody can take away the success the Astros have enjoyed under his ownership.

But there’s a significant difference between being an involved owner and being an owner who makes it difficult for the baseball people he employs to actually do their jobs.

That distinction could become the single biggest issue facing this organization moving forward.

Why Would an Established Candidate Want These Jobs?

We will probably never know everything that happened behind closed doors with Dana Brown, Joe Espada, or even Dusty Baker before them. We don’t know every disagreement, every personnel decision, or how much authority each man actually had.

Baseball is a small world. Executives talk. Managers talk. Agents talk. Reputations travel quickly throughout the industry. Does anyone really believe that experienced baseball executives and managers aren’t going to do their homework before considering an opportunity in Houston?

If you’re an established general manager with a proven track record, why would you leave a comfortable situation to take a job where you might not have the final say on the decisions you’re ultimately going to be judged for? If you’re a veteran manager who has spent decades earning the respect of players and front offices, why would you willingly enter a situation where ownership might constantly second-guess your decisions? Look no further than the friction that surrounded Dusty Baker’s final years in Houston.

Baker was a future Hall of Fame manager with a World Series championship and decades of experience. He had earned the right to manage his clubhouse and make baseball decisions based on his knowledge and instincts. Yet even with his résumé, questions persisted about the relationship between the manager and ownership.

If someone with Dusty Baker’s credentials faced those challenges, what does that tell prospective candidates about the environment they’re potentially walking into?

Established baseball people don’t need the Houston Astros job badly enough to surrender the authority and independence they’ve spent their careers earning.

That should concern every Astros fan.

The Risk for Young, Up-and-Coming Candidates

Now consider the other side of the equation.

Maybe Crane decides to go in a different direction and hire younger, emerging talent. Someone with fresh ideas, a modern analytical approach, and a desire to make a name for themselves in Major League Baseball. That sounds exciting, right? However, put yourself in the shoes of one of those candidates.

You’ve spent years working your way through an organization, building relationships, learning the business, and waiting for your opportunity to run a baseball team or manage at the major league level. Your first opportunity could define your entire career. Would you really want that opportunity to come with the possibility of being undermined by ownership, having your authority questioned, or being held responsible for decisions you didn’t necessarily make?

Because here’s the reality of professional sports: When things go wrong, the general manager and manager usually take the blame, regardless of who was actually making the decisions.

For a young executive or manager, one unsuccessful opportunity can dramatically change the trajectory of a career. It’s one thing to fail because your philosophy didn’t work, your personnel decisions were wrong, or your team simply didn’t perform. It’s something entirely different to fail because you were never given the freedom to build and lead the organization the way you believed was necessary.

That’s a risk some of the brightest young minds in baseball may not be willing to take.

Would New Leadership Want to Tear Everything Down?

There’s another question that I don’t think is getting nearly enough attention.

What happens if the Astros do hire a younger general manager with a completely different philosophy? Would that person look at the current roster and see a team that just needs a few strategic additions to compete for another World Series? Would they see an aging core, expensive contracts, limited organizational depth, and an opportunity to completely rebuild the franchise? That’s a massive difference.

The Astros have spent years building a culture where winning the division and competing for championships are expectations, not aspirations. Despite the challenges facing the organization, there is still a foundation of talent capable of competing. A new general manager looking to establish their own identity might prefer to start over rather than inherit a roster and organizational structure built by previous regimes.

That could mean difficult decisions involving established veterans, popular players, and potentially a complete philosophical shift in how the Astros construct their roster. Here’s the bigger question: Would Jim Crane actually allow that person to execute such a plan? Would we simply be right back where we started, with another general manager carrying the title but not necessarily possessing the authority that should come with it?

The Astros Don’t Need Another Figurehead

For years, the Astros were considered one of baseball’s model organizations.

They developed talent, made calculated personnel decisions, embraced innovation, and built a championship culture that other franchises desperately wanted to duplicate.

However, successful organizations don’t stay successful simply because of what they accomplished in the past. They evolve. They adapt. Most importantly, they empower talented people to make difficult decisions.

That’s where I believe Jim Crane faces his biggest challenge as an owner. He doesn’t just need to find the next general manager and manager of the Houston Astros.

He needs to convince qualified candidates that they’ll actually be allowed to do the jobs they’re being hired to do.

If the perception around baseball is that Houston’s front office and dugout are ultimately controlled by the owner’s office, the Astros may discover that their impressive history and championship pedigree aren’t enough to attract the caliber of leadership this franchise needs. If the best candidates decide the potential headaches outweigh the opportunity, Houston could be left choosing from people who are willing to accept the conditions rather than those who are best qualified to lead.

That’s not how championship organizations should operate.

The Biggest Decision Belongs to Jim Crane

The Astros are at a crossroads.

They can build on the talent and winning foundation that still exists, make the necessary adjustments, and position themselves for another championship window, or they can continue down a path where instability, uncertainty, and questions about organizational authority become bigger stories than what happens on the baseball field.

The next general manager and manager will undoubtedly face enormous pressure to win. Before Jim Crane decides who those individuals should be, perhaps he needs to ask himself a much more important question.

Is he willing to hire the best baseball people available and then trust them enough to let them do their jobs?

Until that question is answered, the two most important jobs in the Houston Astros organization might also remain two of the least desirable.

For a franchise that has spent the better part of a decade setting the standard for success in Major League Baseball, that’s a troubling place to be.

The Brewers took down the red-hot San Diego Padres in the NLDS, and they’re now set to face off with the Dodgers for the second straight season in the NLCS.

To get there, the Brewers had a few big moments, including Jackson Chourio’s walk-off single in Game 2 and, more recently, a huge home run robbery by Garrett Mitchell.

And maybe we should just believe in them.

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When the Brewers got swept at Petco Park in August, two of the three losses came down, at least in part, to bullpen management.

In the first game, a 3-2 loss, Logan Henderson had thrown six strong innings, but Brewers manager Pat Murphy left him in after he allowed a one-out single to Ty France in the seventh. The next batter, Jackson Merrill, hit a two-run homer to give the Padres the lead.

In the third game, a 4-3 extra-inning loss, Murphy sent Dustin May back out to start the eighth. May walked Xander Bogaerts, and Murphy pulled him for Chad Patrick, who walked the bases loaded. Aaron Ashby then came in to face Jake Cronenworth, who tied the game with an infield single. The Brewers retook the lead in the 11th, but Antonio Senzatela gave up two runs in the bottom half, and the Brewers lost.

In the NLDS, Murphy learned from that series. Reluctant to let any pitcher face the Padres’ lineup a third time, he kept each of his starters on an extremely short leash, which was only possible because of the depth and effectiveness of the Brewers’ bullpen in a short series.

Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski hit the showers after just four innings in Game 1, and Milwaukee’s bullpen threw five scoreless. In Game 2, Henderson went five innings, and the bullpen allowed just one unearned run. In Game 3, May exited after three innings, and the only earned run the bullpen allowed came on a solo homer allowed by JoJo Romero.

In Game 4, Murphy pulled starter Robert Gasser after four innings, even though Gasser had allowed only three hits and one run. Milwaukee’s bullpen then held the Padres hitless over the final five innings. For those of you keeping count at home, Brewers relievers threw 19 innings (compared to 16 by Brewers starters) and allowed just one earned run, the Romero homer. That works out to a 0.47 ERA.

Neither team led by more than two runs at any point in the series, but even without any garbage time, Murphy wasn’t afraid to hold his leverage guys back until he absolutely needed them.

In Game 1, he replaced Misiorowski with Senzatela, who isn’t usually on the shortlist for high-leverage spots. Senzatela allowed two hits but got two outs, and then Murphy brought in Ashby to finish the inning.

After Henderson exited in Game 2, Murphy went to Romero, who got two outs and issued a walk. Then, Murphy brought in Uribe, who got the final out of the inning.

In Game 3, down a run in the bottom of the fourth, the first two relievers out of the bullpen were again Romero and Senzatela, who covered 2 2/3 innings between them.

With a one-run lead in Game 4, Murphy finally went first to one of his most trusted options, Ashby, who responded with three hitless innings. Uribe and Megill, the Brewers’ usual eighth- and ninth-inning duo, closed out the game and sent the Crew to the NLCS.

After four playoff games, Murphy’s playoff bullpen strategy is clear. He’ll hold his leverage arms for the right moment, erring on the side of saving them for a true do-or-die situation. He trusts the depth of his bullpen, and he trusts his guys to show up when the lights are brightest.

Comparing Murphy’s bullpen management to that of Padres manager Craig Stammen, it’s hard not to conclude that the bullpens were the difference in this series. The Padres have what Murphy called “the best bullpen in baseball,” so Stammen, like Murphy, kept his starters on a short leash. Unlike Murphy, though, Stammen didn’t seem to trust his depth options.

In Game 1, Stammen used all of his best relievers except closer Mason Miller: Bradgley Rodriguez, Yuki Matsui, Jason Adam, and Adrian Morejon. If not for a Contreras homer off Morejon, the only run San Diego’s bullpen allowed in Game 1, it would have worked.

After starter Michael King exited in Game 2, Stammen went to Matsui and Rodriguez again, then brought in Miller to attempt his first six-out save since 2024. After a dominant eighth, Miller looked fatigued in the ninth and lost command. The Brewers worked three walks, setting the stage for Jackson Chourio’s walk-off single on Miller’s 40th pitch.

Miller and Morejon, who threw 31 pitches in the eighth inning of Game 1, were unavailable for Game 3 with what Stammen called “shoulder stickiness.” When Nick Pivetta exited, Stammen didn’t turn first to one of his less-used arms (Randy Vásquez, Joe Musgrove, or David Morgan). Instead, he went to the same three relievers, Adam, Matsui, and Rodriguez, then called on Game 2 starter Michael King for 40 more pitches.

Understandably, King also ran out of steam in the ninth. After getting the first out, he walked two straight batters, then gave up a 107-mph one-hopper to Christian Yelich. Unfortunately for the Brewers, Yelich hit it right into the shift, and Bogaerts turned two to secure the win.

In Game 4, with his bullpen overworked, Stammen pulled starter Walker Buehler, who’d allowed one earned run over three innings, for Game 1 starter Robbie Ray. Ray gave up a triple to Garrett Mitchell, who scored two batters later to give the Brewers a lead they’d never relinquish. After Ray, Stammen went back to Rodriguez, Matsui, Adam, and then Miller, who didn’t look like his usual dominant self but kept the Brewers off the board. Finally, down 3-1, Stammen turned to Joe Musgrove, who looked great in two hitless innings across the eighth and ninth.

The Brewers now head to the NLCS with a bullpen that allowed one earned run in 19 innings and, more importantly, with arms that aren’t running on empty. Only Ashby threw more than four innings, only Uribe pitched in all four games, and nobody threw more than three innings in a single outing. Guys like Romero and Senzatela also proved Murphy can trust them in the middle innings, and Chad Patrick, Shane Drohan, and Kyle Harrison haven’t pitched yet.

That depth will matter even more in a seven-game series. If Murphy keeps trusting it, the Brewers’ bullpen might be the best weapon left in the postseason.

The Dodgers advanced to the NLCS without much help from their best player.

Shohei Ohtani’s struggles at the plate since returning from an injury in September have been well documented. He hasn’t hit a home run since then, has produced one RBI and had a brutal .154 OPS during the Dodgers’ four-game NLDS against the Braves.

Yet, this is Shohei Ohtani — one of the greatest players in the sport’s history.

It’s a matter of when, not if, Ohtani is going to turn things around. And this should scare the other teams still playing baseball this season.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman indicated as much with a comment on Wednesday night.

“At some point, it’s going to click for him. And the other [teams are] going to be in big trouble when that happens,” Friedman said of Ohtani.

All it might take is one pitch or one good swing for Ohtani to begin feeling like himself. Perhaps that will happen in the NLCS against the Brewers. Perhaps it will happen if the Dodgers advance to the World Series.

But Ohtani is too good for this slump to persist much longer. And when he does turn things around, Los Angeles’ already elite offense will get its anchor back.