Four Giants pitchers protested the team’s annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community on June 12. Months later, the team declined to answer whether it intends to continue sporting the rainbow-colored “SF” hats on Pride Night next season.
Ryan Walker of the San Francisco Giants pitches at Oracle Park on June 12, 2026. Getty Images
Sam Hentges chose to wear the Giants standard baseball cap, rather than the custom hat for the event. JT Brubaker, Landen Roupp and Ryan Walker added a Bible verse to the side of their rainbow-colored caps.
Giants president of baseball operations Bustery Posey speaks during the team’s press conference. Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via APSan Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp with a Bible verse on his Pride Night hat. AP Photo/Scott Marshall
“MLB agreed to allow them to utilize the hats/uniforms with the emblems provided that no player or uniformed staff would be required to wear them, and that the team would speak to the players to make sure they were comfortable with the apparel,” Manfred wrote.
“Unfortunately, this year the Giants’ communication with players was inadequate and not clear. Some players apparently did not understand that they had the option to wear their normal uniform and elected to add messages to their hats bearing the pride logo as a result. The Giants players were allowed to wear the hats with the biblical references for the entire game. After the game had concluded, my office issued a routine oral warning about the uniform policy violation – unfortunately it was issued before we became aware of the Giants’ lapse in communication.
“The players were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be.”
While Tolle has at least partially reverse splits, his dominant fastball might overwhelm Chisholm, who has gone from crushing fastballs a year ago to performing meekly against them this season. And former shortstop Anthony Volpe has been too effective down the stretch for Yankees manager Aaron Boone to roll with Chisholm.
Boone's perspective? It will take all 26 men to defeat the Red Sox in this best-of-three sprint.
"My expectation is he'll be ready to go and could play a crucial role as early as tonight," Boone said Tuesday to Yankees beat reporters before his nightly press conference.
Chisholm struck a confident tone a day earlier, telling reporters Monday in New Yor that he would be "ticked off" if he didn't start Game 1.
"Yeah, who wouldn't be?" he said. "As a competitor, who wouldn't be? It's the playoffs. You want to play."
Chisholm has a .170 batting average, three homers and a .607 OPS in 24 career playoff games. Volpe is at .252 with no homers and a .728 OPS in 21 career playoff games.
Eight teams will compete for an opportunity to advance to the Division Series. Wild Card teams facing each other in the American League include the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox taking on the New York Yankees.
The Wild Card round is a best-of-three. Winners go on to the next round in a best-of-five Division Series.
Here's a look at the MLB Playoffs Division Series schedule:
MLB Playoffs Division Series
See the full schedule for the Division Series during the MLB Playoffs including what-if scenarios for each Wild Card team.
* = if necessary
All times are Eastern Standard
Saturday, Oct. 3:
If the Cubs advance:
Chicago White Sox/Houston Astros winner at Cleveland Guardians, Game 1 at 1 p.m. (TBS/truTV/HBO Max)
SITE NOTE: NBC says the first pitch of this game should happen around 9:10 p.m. CT. The BCB “live” thread will post tonight at 8:30 p.m. CT.
Tuesday notes…
GAME 1: The Cubs were 27-26 this year in first games of series. On the road, they were 12-14. Two of the wins were on the West Coast, at Los Angeles and San Francisco, as were two of the losses, at San Diego and Seattle. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
ON THE ROAD: The Cubs won the first two games of seven road series, including at San Francisco. They won the first and lost the second of five, including at Los Angeles. They lost the first and won the second of eight, including at San Diego. They lost the first two of six, including at Seattle. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
PITCHING IS GETTING GOOD, PART 1: Cubs pitchers allowed a total of 12 runs in their last five games, with a high of four. That tied for the sixth-fewest runs in any five-game span of the season. They gave up 10 three times, the last of them April 18-22, and 11 runs twice, most recently July 29-Aug. 2. They yielded 12 runs in three earlier spans, the last July 31-Aug. 4. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
PITCHING IS GETTING GOOD, PART 2: In the first nine innings of games, the Cubs have given up only 17 runs in their last eight games. They surrendered six runs in the 12th inning of one of the eight. The 23 total runs in eight games tied for their seventh fewest of the season. They gave up 19 runs July 28-Aug. 4; 20, April 14-22; 21, July 27-Aug. 3; and 22 three times, all between July 24 and Aug. 6. They gave up 23 twice earlier, April 15-23 and July 27-Aug. 5. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Here is how important winning Game 1 of a Wild Card series is:
In the history of the best-of-three Wild Card Series, teams taking a 1-0 lead have gone on to win the series 21 of 24 times (88%), including 17 two-game sweeps. Home teams have won all nine series in which they have gone ahead 1-0, including eight sweeps.
He made two starts, then missed three weeks with a bicep injury. He came back and threw pretty well, then hurt his knee playing with his kids (nominee for Weird MLB Injury of the Year!) and missed about six weeks.
Most important for right now is that he’s thrown well over his last six starts: 3.28 ERA, 1.121 WHIP, only one home run in 35.2 innings — and that ERA is in part the victim of a bullpen that allowed some of his inherited runners to score.
Boyd allowed three runs in five innings to the Padres June 30 at Wrigley Field, including home runs by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Hold those two guys down and this could be a good game for Boyd.
Perhaps of note: Boyd has a 1.66 ERA in seven postseason games (six starts) covering 21.2 innings. He has never allowed a postseason home run.
Michael King is the Padres’ best starter and by bWAR (4.3) this was his best MLB season, though his K rate was down a bit from last year.
In his three years and 77 starts with the Padres, though, he has never made a regular season start against the Cubs. His only appearance vs. the Cubs as a Padre was one inning of scoreless relief in Game 3 of last year’s Wild Card Series. He struck out Dansby Swanson, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Shaw.
In looking up various batter vs. pitcher matchups, small sample sizes are always caveats. I was, however, struck by the fact that Alex Bregman is 7-for-8 with two doubles and two walks against King. That’s not nothing. Perhaps it will mean something tonight.
Please visit our SB Nation Padres site Gaslamp Ball. If you do go there to interact with Padres fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Cam Schlittler, pitches in the fourth inning, Monday, May 4, 2026, at Yankee Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
After the 162-game marathon that is the baseball regular season, we have now reached the sprint that is the baseball postseason. Tonight, the Yankees will begin their quest to add another championship to their illustrious history. As always, the road there will be tough, and there’s an added element to this year’s opening series.
For the second-straight season, the Yankees will host the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series. Last year, the Yankees won the matchup in a decisive Game 3, thanks to a humungous effort from pitcher Cam Schlittler. This time around, they’ll be relying on him in Game 1.
After a season that has him as the favorite for the AL Cy Young Award, the Yankees will give the ball to Schlittler for Game 1. In last year’s aforementioned Game 3, he threw eight shutout innings, allowing just five hits as the Yankees advanced. One thing to note about Schlittler’s 2026 is that he has been worse at home — 2.98 ERA vs. 1.16 ERA on the road — but he has shown a knack for big moments over his young career.
Facing a lefty opposing starter, the Yankees have gone with their lefty-hitting lineup, including the likes of Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario while Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon go to the bench. There’s no Giancarlo Stanton or Trent Grisham in the lineup following their addition to the roster, while Anthony Volpe gets the nod at second base.
For Boston, they’ll give the ball to Payton Tolle. While not as dominant as Schlittler, Tolle has also been very good as a young pitcher, putting up a 3.03 ERA and a 3.04 FIP in 26 starts. He’ll likely be in the AL Rookie of the Year race. He was very good in his two starts against the Yankees this season, allowing just one run in 13 innings. While the Yankees are playing their lefty lineup, that’s been an issue they’ve had this season, exemplified by those two Tolle outings.
The big news in the rest of Boston’s lineup is that Willson Contreras is in there. Contreras missed a good chunk of the end of the regular season with a right hand injury, and only made a brief appearance in the final game of the regular season.
We hope that you’ll come join us in the game thread as we kick off another postseason matchup between these two historic rivals!
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY
First pitch: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV broadcast: NBC
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | WEEI 93.7, WCCM 1490 AM (SP), WESX 1230 AM (SP) (BOS) | ESPN Radio (national)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 22: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox walks through the dugout before a game against the Cleveland Guardians on September 22, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bregman, who began taking ground balls the past few days after suffering the injury Sept. 20 when a foul ball by teammate Michael Busch hit him in the face while standing near the on-deck circle, tried to convince Cubs manager Craig Counsell that he was good enough to play third base with the swelling in his face dramatically reduced.
Yet, Counsell said that Bregman’s bat is too valuable to take the risk of Bregman being back in the field.
“I played it safe, I'll be honest with you," Counsell said. “I just think this is a man seven days off of facial fractures, and I want his at-bat. I think his at-bats are the most critical thing for our team is that he gets his at-bats this series. That's what's most important.
“I feel like this is a better way to guarantee that he gets these at-bats. There's just more risk playing the field. Could it go fine? Yeah. Does he want to play the field? He does. This is just a safer way to go to make sure he gets all his at-bats."
Still, just the fact that Bregman is back in the lineup so quickly, his teammates say, is a huge boost for their morale, much less their lineup, where he’ll bat second.
“That fires you up,” Cubs MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “Knowing him and how wonderfully crazy he is, just about his work and how much he loves the game, it’s not really surprising. Not to put a damper on how cool it is that he’s coming back after facial fractures and whatnot, I’m just not that surprised.
“He lives for this kind of baseball. Most importantly, I’m glad he’s healthy enough to do what he loves. …Simply put, Alex Bregman makes our lineup better. So, it’s huge that he’s getting himself game ready.”
Certainly, he proved in the Cubs’ season-finale that his bat is just fine, going 4-for-4 with two home runs.
“I’ll do whatever it takes,’’ said Bregman, who finished his first year with the Cubs hitting .265 with 28 homers, 93 RBI, and an .819 OPS in 155 games. He had a sensation second half, producing a 1.010 OPS compared to a .696 OPS before the All-Star break.
Now, he becomes the 11th player in MLB history to play in 10 consecutive postseasons with the advent of the wild-card.
“He's the man, to be honest,’’ Cubs reliever Jaco Webb said. “That's tough to do. That's really cool and shows the kind of character that he has going through such a crazy injury.
“I mean, you're putting your career on the line at that point, but he knows what he's doing. The biggest thing is he wants to be here. He wants to win."
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 29: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with manager Walt Weiss #22 after winning Game One of the National League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
How’s that for a curtain-raiser on this Postseason run for the Atlanta Braves? The best way that I can describe how that first game went down is to paraphrase a quote from my favorite professional wrestler of all time. The only thing that’s for sure about the Postseason is that nothing’s for sure.
That’s the only proper way to explain what happened with the two biggest hits of this game from both sides. J.T. Realmuto coming through with a go-ahead triple for the Phillies in the seventh inning, despite having finished the final month of the regular season with a wRC+ of 8 (eight) across his final 21 games and 79 plate appearances. Austin Riley delivering a go-ahead, opposite-field homer after the wretched game and rough series that he had been having.
It’s the Postseason, folks. You’ve just got to expect the unexpected!
“That’s how it usually goes when these two teams play each other,” explained Weiss when he started off the press conference. “Just goes to show you that when the playoffs start, everything starts at zero. Nothing that happened in the regular season really matters and it’s a clean slate. Austin Riley has been a great player in the Postseason play.”
Obviously, the star of the show on this particular day was Riley, himself — though Chris Sale did draw a laugh out of the presser by playfully lamenting that he’d been asked the majority of the questions (and Riley fist pumped in response). When I asked Riley about what he was looking for in that particular moment against Jhoan Duran (especially with the shadows in play), he figured that he just needed to be ready for any potential mistakes and as it turned out, he got one (100-mph heat notwithstanding) right in the middle of the plate.
“You just try to push him out and push him up,” explained Riley. “You’re not going to get very many mistakes against those back-end guys. It was definitely tricky. You typically only get one [mistake] an at-bat and you can’t miss it and I was fortunate enough to put a good swing on it.”
This was yet another example of the Braves coming through in a late-game, high-leverage scenario at the plate. They’ve done it a ton of times this season (especially at home) and the fact that the Braves were able to come through in late in the contest was perhaps the least surprising development. I asked Walt Weiss a bit of a follow-up question to Matt Olson’s remarks on Workout Day about how the team has woven the late-game heroics “into their DNA” and Weiss agreed with Olson’s sentiments.
“I’ve said this before: I feel like when the stakes are highest and the challenges are the toughest, that’s when we’ve been at our best,” explained Weiss. “It’s been that way all year long. Whether it’s looking like we’re going to give away the division and then going on a run again, facing a rough road trip, coming back home and having to play the Dodgers and sweep ‘em, even going into Philly with the division on the line, we played well in those two series late in the season.”
“Our guys just rise to the occasion,” continued Weiss. “It’s a good group — I’ve been talking about the group all year. It’s a great room and this is what you get when you have that kind of heart and that kind of culture.”
Had the Braves not come through with some more heroics, the big talking point likely would’ve been Chris Sale being taken out in the seventh inning with one out and runners on the corners in favor of Didier Fuentes. When he was asked about it by the media, Weiss defended the decision.
“I thought Sale was outstanding,” started Weiss. “There in the seventh inning, I felt like [Sale’s] tank was emptying there and we had our best reliever [Fuentes] ready to go so I went and got Chris. [Fuentes] ended up giving up the two runs but I take [Didier] in that spot every time.”
When he was further pressed on what he saw during Sale’s final inning, Weiss continued to defend the decision. “I saw the stuff start to tick down a little bit,” explained Weiss. “The near-home run from [Bryce] Harper, the knock from [Bryson] Stott, the velocity was down and we had our best reliever ready to go for the bottom of their lineup.”
“I take [Didier] 99 times out of 100. Believe me: I give the longest leash for good reason. I’ve let him go this year and usually to the point where he’s got to give up the runs before I take him out but I just saw with my eyes that the stuff was ticking down and that the tank was empty.”
For what it’s worth, Chris Sale was totally behind the decision that his manager made in that moment. “We have faith and trust in each other,” explained Sale when he was asked by the media about being taken out for Fuentes. “Didier’s the right guy for that situation. I don’t think there’s anybody that’s watched our team play a single game this year that wouldn’t agree with that.”
“He felt bad about [giving up the run] and I said ‘Hey man, sometimes we need help too. That’s why this is a team game.’ That’s why you never feel out of it and you never point fingers. He’s saved this team countless times and when he gave up that run he was like ‘Man, my bad.’ I just said ‘Listen man, this is baseball, this is the Postseason, this is sports. Sometimes we need some help too.’
Sale himself was busy finding some serious heat while he was on the mound, as he once again reached 100-mph on the radar gun during this contest. It’s incredible to see him reach that mark during this season like he’s been doing recently — which is funny because all the way back in March, he stated that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d thrown that hard. I asked him about how it felt to be able to reach abck and find that at this stage in his career and as usual, Sale was effusive towards his personal supporting cast.
“I pride myself on my work ethic and determination,” started Sale. “I’ve said countless times and I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face: This isn’t me on my own. I have an incredible team in my corner. From the guys in the weight room to our training staff, the pitching coaches, the catchers — it takes a lot for that to happen. I’m just thankful to be in that position to be able to do that but again, there’s a lot of people propping me up to be able to accomplish that.”
As Sale mentioned earlier, it’s all about the team and it’s clear that this team is pulling in the same direction from all corners of the squad. Weiss mentioned during his press conference when he was asked about Riley’s makeup behind-the-scenes that “you couldn’t tell if he was the leading MVP candidate in the National League or if he was struggling. He’s the same guy everyday.” That’s the type of mentality that you need to succeed in such a mental marathon of a sport as baseball and clearly, it was Austin Riley’s turn to make a strong kick towards the finish line in this particular game.
There’s still one more win that the Braves need to nail down before they can start packing their bags for Los Angeles but at least they now have two more chances to do it — and to do so in front of their home crowd, no less. We’ll see what twists and turns pop up during Game 2 but for the time being, the Braves can rest easy on this particular even in knowing that they managed to snatch the upper hand out of nowhere. You never know who’s going to be a Postseason hero and it’ll be exciting to see who comes up big for Atlanta going forward during this playoff run.
Only one of these two still holds a big-league job and it’s not the one on the right | Getty Images
Yesterday brought sweeping changes to the Mariners coaching staff on the heels of a disappointing 2026 season. Jerry Dipoto, in meeting with the media, described the need for a “culture reset” in the organization, noting specifically the sense that the big-league club had gotten away from organizational principles preached in the minor leagues.
“The performance on the field this year has made us question a lot of the things that we are doing at the major league level, and I will say multiple of our major league players who came through our system have referenced what they learned in player development that that got abandoned in the big leagues this year. And not just the players who came up for the first time, but we have a host of players who’ve come through our system, and they saw a difference. We need to get back to to what we believe is a Mariners baseball process.”
Dipoto expressed particular consternation about the defense – with reason, as the Mariners were the worst defensive team in baseball from wire to wire, never improving – not just as violating the vision of “crisp, efficient Mariners baseball” but also because of the additional strain the poor defense put on the pitching.
“A starting pitching staff who attacks the strike zone and has the ball put in play is harmed by by the lack of range and positioning of our team,“ said Dipoto.
Perhaps this is why the pitching coaching staff escaped the ax that fell on many of the other coaches, as the organization cleaned house so the new manager will be able to install a hand-picked staff. Pitching coaches Pete Woodworth and Trent Blank will both return, despite a pitching staff that also underachieved this year – as the offense started to turn things around late in the season, the rotation fell apart, posting the worst WAR in baseball down the stretch. But despite the setback, Dipoto still believes in the Mariners pitching philosophy and in Woodworth and Blank’s ability to enact that vision with the big-league club. In answering a question about why those two remained on staff, Dipoto cited past performance, specifically their “goodness over time” and the “unquestionably awesome” nature of the quality of the pitching programs which has allowed all 13 members of their pitching staff at any given time to succeed.
“From 2021 until mid-season of 2026, we’re one of the three or four best pitching staffs, one through 13, in MLB. We don’t want to take three months and and use that as the criteria to ruin a program that has been the backbone of what we’ve done for for a decade.”
The key to the pitching core’s success, beyond programs that work, is their communication with players. Dipoto spoke extensively about communication issues in the organization, from the breakdown in expectation of standards in the front office to how it was borne out in the clubhouse and on the field. Personally, Dipoto took responsibility for his own breakdown in communication with the pitchers regarding how the “piggyback” strategy was implemented – while pointing out it was actually a success on the field, he spoke with regret about the failure of how it was communicated to the players, and how that breakdown in communication was indicative of a larger organizational failure.
“The way [the piggyback strategy] was communicated, the way it was received, and the drama around it was part of what I think was a bag that we were carrying around with us all year and couldn’t shed, and the piggyback is one piece of that. I could come up with 10 other things that were contributing factors, but we need to communicate more clearly. And we talked about this with the players during that piggyback period, that we handled the kickoff of that as poorly as you possibly could from a leadership standpoint.”
One exception to that organization-wide communication issue is and has been the pitching staff, which is why the piggyback drama stood out so starkly. But Dipoto reasserted his full-throated support behind Blank and Woodworth as messengers.
“Those guys communicate incredibly well,” said Dipoto. “Our pitchers love them for what they what they provide. Trent has all the TLC in the world and the ability to keep guys healthy and moving forward. And Woody is as good a messenger as exists in that clubhouse space.”
That doesn’t mean there isn’t work to do to get the pitchers back on track, however. Cal Raleigh, in his season postmortem, talked about how Mariners pitching might have gotten too predictable, noting how aggressive he saw teams – even ones that aren’t usually aggressive – in attacking the first pitch, and saying pitchers have to do a better job of executing strike one and less thinking about throwing strike one.
“It’s not not necessarily all the time about winning your 0-0s, your 1-1s. It’s about executing a pitch and how can we get this guy out,” said Cal.
For Dipoto, the problem wasn’t necessarily with strike one, but with strike three. Over the course of the season, Mariners pitching took a moderate step back in strikeout percentage and strike-to-walk ratio this year, but if you isolate it to just the last two months of the season, Mariners pitching fell to middle of the pack in K% percentage and 28th in average allowed – only the A’s and Rockies were worse.
“We’ve had a culture of relentless filling of the strike zone. That’s what we do. We get ahead, we stay ahead, we work ahead,” said Dipoto. “Where we struggled this year was we struggled in our two-strike execution, particularly in the second half of the season. It’s something our pitchers are aware of. All of them have talked about it openly in private discussion, and we know that’s an area we need to focus on moving forward.”
But Dipoto views this as a fixable problem, not a systemic one, echoing almost exactly what Cal Raleigh said about an over-focus on winning the counts and losing the bigger picture.
“It’s something that kind of happened over time. We got so focused on winning our 0-0s and winning our 1-1s that we forgot that was only a proxy for the greater goal, which was finishing the at-bat. Our prompt became the goal at times, and and that’s not what we were ever intending. And again, we let it get away from us. And perhaps you know, new eyes, new voice, new thoughts can stop that from happening the next time.”
So it sounds like the new manager will also have the job of working with a pitching staff already steeped in the organizational culture and help them refocus. Add it to a long list of tasks for whoever that person might be.
After Chicago's Sam Antonacci grounded out to Jose Altuve in the fourth inning, Venable argued the Astros second baseman violated the shift rules, which require infielders to be on the dirt when the pitch is delivered. The video shown on the broadcast made it hard to tell if Altuve's cleat was touching the grass. The call stood.
"So that comes from the replay – (Bryan Johnson) and the replay center who is aware of all those things and looking closely at all those things. With two challenges, we talked about it before the game, before the series, that we want to go ahead and be aggressive. And so he noticed something immediately, that Altuve was on the grass to start," Venable said after the game. "The problem with it is it's just a really hard call to get overturned, but worth it with two challenges there. So I thought it was a really good challenge, really good pickup by BJ, and it just didn't go our way."
The rules, part of the 2023 package that also brought the pitch clock and bigger bases, require two infielders on each side of second base, with all four on the infield dirt when the pitch is delivered. Teams can't slide a fielder onto the outfield grass for a better angle.
This was very odd 🤨
The Chicago White Sox challenged whether Jose Altuve's heel was on the outfield grass before the pitch, which would make him ineligible to field the ball.
Players adjusted quickly. There were 26 violations in the rule's first season, two in 2024 and one in 2025.The penalty got tougher along the way. It started as an automatic ball. Since 2025, if the violating fielder makes the first play on the ball, the batter gets first base, runners advance and the fielder is charged with an error.
According to MLB's official count, there were only two challenges in the 2026 regular season for shift restriction violations.
Boston, MA - September 22: Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle celebrates getting out of the fifth inning. The Boston Red Sox played the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park on September 22, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
When it comes to Red Sox vs. Yankees, the past is always an overarching theme. Many times, it even towers over the present, and for good reason. The curse, the comeback, the history, the fights, and the ever accumulating list of October showdowns echoes through every game.
But tonight, it’s also about the future clashing with the present. 23-year-old Payton Tolle faces off against 25-year-old Cam Schlittler is a game primed to the be the opening salvo for the next era of epic baseball between Boston and New York. Both are young, both are flame throwers, and both seem likely to be at or near the top of each of these rotations for years to come. Tonight, they’ve been matched up in a clash of titans where the winner will instantly push the other’s team to the brink of elimination. Such is life in a best-of-three Wild Card series.
Lineup wise, the Red Sox will have Roman Anthony leading off, but they have him at DH instead of left field. This means Jarren Duran is in left – where he botched a huge play in Game 2 last year at Yankee Stadium — and if Chad Tracy pinch hits for Duran late, they’ll have to do some roster shuffling to realign the deck. That’s a big story to watch out for late.
Also of note, Adley Rutschman bats second in front of Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu. This will create some very interesting platoon decisions for the Yankees when Schlitter runs out of gas as Rutschman has looked better from the right side of late. I also find Caleb Durbin batting ninth in front of the Anthony, Rutschman and Contreras part of the lineup interesting.
The Yankees meanwhile are going with Anthony Volpe over Jazz Chisholm at second base, Spencer Jones over Trent Grisham in center field, and Amed Rosario over Ryan McMahon at third. I would expect a bunch of mixing and matching here if the Red Sox bring a righty into the game. The Yankees went with 16 position player on the playoff roster, so there will be no shortage of combinations they can turn to as the innings wear on.
Those storylines, and a bunch of others that haven’t even hatched yet are about to play out over the next few hours. Hold onto your butts! Red Sox vs. Yankees starts now!
Today’s Lineups
RED SOX
YANKEES
Roman Anthony – DH
Paul Goldschmidt – 1B
Adley Rutschman – C
Ben Rice – DH
Willson Contreras – 1B
Heliot Ramos – RF
Wilyer Abreu – RF
Cody Bellinger – LF
Ceddanne Rafaela – CF
George Lombard – SS
Nick Sogard – 2B
Amed Rosario – 3B
Jarren Duran – LF
Anthony Volpe – 2B
Trevor Story – SS
Spencer Jones – CF
Caleb Durbin – 3B
Austin Wells – C
Payton Tolle – LHP
Cam Schlittler – RHP
⚾️ First Pitch: 8:00pm — Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York (Hell).
It's a rematch of last year's wild card series, won by the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Right-hander Michael King will start the opener for the Padres, with southpaw Matthew Boyd taking the mound for the Cubs.
"Very professional lineup," King said of the Cubs' offense. "They were first in runs this year and it shows."
The Padres are trying to get back to the World Series for the first time since 1998 and are in the postseason for the fourth time in five years, undoubtedly the most successful spell in the franchise's history.
“It's a new year, it's a different year," Padres third baseman Manny Machado said. “Obviously, that stung last year for us. They played better ball than us last year. This year's going to be a little bit different. "
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Where to watch Padres vs. Cubs: Channel, streaming
First pitch between the Padres and Cubs is scheduled for 10 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
2022: Houston Astros (def. Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2)
2021: Atlanta Braves (def. Houston Astros, 4-2)
2020: Los Angeles Dodgers (def. Tampa Bay Rays, 4-2)
2019: Washington Nationals (def. Houston Astros, 4-3)
2018: Boston Red Sox (def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1)
2017: Houston Astros (def. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3)
2016: Chicago Cubs (def. Cleveland Indians, 4-3)
2026 MLB playoff power rankings
09:42 PM ET, September 29 2026, Andrés Soto
Full breakdowns of the rankings can be found here.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Tampa Bay Rays
Milwaukee Brewers
New York Yankees
Cleveland Guardians
Philadelphia Phillies
Boston Red Sox
San Diego Padres
Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs
Padres projected rotation
09:33 PM ET, September 29 2026, Andrés Soto
The Padres will have their ace Michael King (2-10, 3.21 ERA) on the mound for Game 1. The 31-year-old righty emerged as the rock of a San Diego rotation that was decimated by injuries throughout most of the summer. Nick Pivetta missed five months with a flexor strain in his right elbow but pitched well in his four starts since returning from the IL on Sept. 7, posting a 1.45 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 0.91 WHIP through 18.2 innings. He'll get the ball for Game 2 on Wednesday. If the series goes a third game, it would likely be either Robbie Ray (13-8, 3.59) or Walker Buehler (9-6, 4.56 ERA) with the season on the line.
The surprise addition of Joe Musgrove -- who hasn't pitched since 2024 -- to the postseason roster adds an interesting wrinkle but as USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reported, he'll likely be used out of the bullpen.
Cubs projected rotation
09:17 PM ET, September 29 2026, Andrés Soto
Matthew Boyd (10-5, 3.91 ERA) will get the ball for Game 1, the Cubs announced on Monday night. Manager Craig Counsell notoriously keeps his cards close to his chest, so the rest of the rotation is anyone's best guess at this point. Kevin Gausman (9-12, 4.51 ERA) injured his non-throwing shoulder attempting a diving tag at first base on Wednesday, but he threw a bullpen session on the final day of the regular season with "encouraging results," per MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. He's being monitored for availability in either Game 2 or 3. Shota Imanaga (11-10, 3.77 ERA) will almost certainly get a nod at some point as well.
Other pitchers in the mix include Clay Holmes (6-8, 3.29 ERA) and David Peterson (9-8, 4.79 ERA).
Padres vs Cubs regular season series results
09:01 PM ET, September 29 2026, Andrés Soto
The Cubs dominated the season series, taking five of their six matchups against the Padres in 2026. Here are the scores from each time they met:
April 27: Padres 9, Cubs 7
April 28: Cubs 8, Padres 3
April 29: Cubs 5, Padres 4
June 29: Cubs 3, Padres 2
June 30: Cubs 9, Padres 7
July 1: Cubs 23, Padres 3
MLB playoff wild card format
08:47 PM ET, September 29 2026, Andrés Soto
All four MLB wild card series will start with Game 1 on Tuesday, Sept. 29. The best-of-three series will continue with Game 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 30 and if necessary, Game 3 on Thursday, Oct. 1. The winners will advance to the NLDS and ALDS on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Game 1 between the Padres and Cubs at Petco Park is set to air at 7 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Network. Fans looking to stream the game can find it on Peacock.
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: The San Diego Padres mascot The Swinging Friar waves a Padres flag after the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on September 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Somehow they did it. The San Diego Padres won 90-plus games for the third consecutive year, making the postseason each of those seasons. In his rookie year in the manager’s chair, Craig Stammen has continued this club’s regular season success (in spite of his pitfalls). It’s been a stellar 2026 campaign for the Friars, and it all comes down to this.
It’s easy to make the argument that this is the most defining game of the Padres’ chase towards the World Series. Since the inception of the Wild Card round in MLB, only two teams have ever come back from losing Game 1. In a three-game set, anything can happen. In a roaring Petco Park, with their ace on the mound, San Diego will need to earn the win over the Chicago Cubs.
Taking the mound
Matthew Boyd (CHC) v. Michael King (SD)
Despite getting knocked around by San Diego in both of his starts this season, Boyd has the potential to dominate in the series opener. Across two starts against the Friars (9.0 IP), Boyd has surrendered eight runs on 16 hits and two walks. His first start was a slugfest that San Diego eventually won. The second was a slugfest that Chicago won out.
The Padres’ lineup (108 at-bats) has a career .315/.339/.500 slash line versus the left-hander. Of hitters with 10-plus at-bats, Manny Machado has the most success with a .450 batting average and 1.255 OPS (20 ABs). The question for Chicago is whether Boyd can keep up. In the past, he’s been picked up by the Cubs’ stellar offense. If they can’t solve King, Boyd might easily be outdueled before anyone realizes what’s happening.
King has long been the obvious option for the Padres in this role. He pitched just one inning out of the bullpen in the 2025 playoffs after returning from the injured list late in the season. But King dominated in 2024. In Game 1 of the NL Wild Card series versus the Atlanta Braves, King struck out 12 batters over seven scoreless innings. If he can replicate that against Chicago tonight, it would be massive for San Diego’s chances.
Surprisingly, King hasn’t faced the Cubs yet this season. That could give him an edge over Chicago’s potent lineup. He’ll need to mix it up and keep hitters guessing to work deep into the game. King’s been incredible down the stretch, pitching to a 2.84 ERA in his last 15 starts (88.2 IP). That said, he’s coming off of a tough start against the Los Angeles Dodgers (5 ER, 4.0 IP). How he bounces back from that will determine how the series plays out.
Batter up!
The Padres’ lineup has consistently posted fantastic numbers throughout the final month of the season. The question is if that can continue. The Friars scored five or more runs in 16 games in September. The offense will need to keep that rolling to avoid another early exit at the hands of Chicago.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Dustin Harris, LF
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Jackson Merrill, CF
Gavin Sheets, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Luis Campusano, C
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Sheets seems likely to retain sole DH duties since returning from the injured list. Campusano could take over some of that role if Freddy Fermin or Ethan Salas are behind the dish, but Sheets will be limited due to his foot still being somewhat injured. The slugger launched a mammoth home run (17) in the regular season finale on Sunday afternoon. His resurgence could be huge for the Friars.
Relief corps
It’s imperative that San Diego wins this game, meaning it’s all hands on deck until they advance or go home. Jason Adam, Griffin Canning, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan, Bradgley Rodriguez, Wandy Peralta and Randy Vásquez should be the options out of the ‘pen for the Padres.
However, Robbie Ray could easily fill out a bullpen role for San Diego. That seems unlikely, given his lack of working in bulk relief. Ray will seemingly be left off of the roster until a potential NLDS matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers. The bullpen could easily be the turning point for San Diego in this series. In a three-game set, all the Padres need is a lead going into the seventh and a win is all but guaranteed.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 17: A general view of the stadium lights in the third inning during game four of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on October 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Major League Baseball on Tuesday announced the broadcast schedule for the first few days of the Division Series, and Game 2 of the Dodgers’ NLDS at Dodger Stadium will be played under the lights on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. As for Game 1 on Saturday, that depends on who wins the Cubs-Padres wild card series in San Diego.
If the Cubs win the wild card round, the Dodgers on Saturday will play at 6 p.m. PT in Game 1 of the NLDS in a game televised by FS1. If the Padres win the wild card round, the Dodgers will play Game 1 at 1 p.m. PT Saturday and be televised by FS1.
Either way, Game 2 on Sunday at Dodger Stadium is set for 5 p.m. on FS1. The start times for rest of the Division Series will be revealed later this week, after all the wild card series have been decided.
Fox Sports will televise the entirety of the National League playoffs as well as the World Series, which means every game the Dodgers play this October will be televised by Fox or FS1. Announcer assignments haven’t yet been announced by Fox for the NLDS.
Game
Date
Location
Time (PT)
TV
1
Sat, Oct 3
Dodger Stadium
1 p.m. or 6 p.m.
Fox or FS1
2
Sun, Oct 4
Dodger Stadium
5 p.m.
FS1
3
Tue, Oct 6
Atlanta/Philadelphia
TBA
Fox or FS1
4*
Wed, Oct 7
Atlanta/Philadelphia
TBA
Fox or FS1
5*
Fri, Oct 9
Dodger Stadium
TBA
Fox or FS1
*if necessary
Saturday is the opener for all four Division Series, while the two American League series have Sunday off before resuming on Monday with Games 2. That leaves Sunday as a two-game day for both National League series.
Saturday, October 3 schedule
ALDS Game 1: Astros/White Sox at Guardians, 10 a.m. PT (TBS)
NLDS Game 1: Cubs at Brewers or Braves/Phillies at Dodgers at 1 p.m. (Fox)
ALDS Game 1: Yankees/Red Sox at Rays, 3:30 p.m. (TBS)
NLDS Game 1: Padres at Brewers at 4:30 p.m. or Braves/Phillies at Dodgers at 6 p.m. (FS1)
Sunday, October 4 schedule
NLDS Game 2: Padres/Cubs at Brewers, 1 p.m. (FS1)
NLDS Game 2: Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, 5 p.m. (Fox)
Monday, October 5 schedule
ALDS Game 2: Astros/White Sox at Guardians, 2 p.m. (TBS)
ALDS Game 2: Yankees/Red Sox at Rays, 5 p.m. (TBS)
Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided some updates prior to Tuesday's Wild Card Game 1 in the Bronx...
How close was the captain to a Wild Card return?
Aaron Judge was grinding his way back from his right calf injury in an effort to get onto the Yankees Wild Card roster, but in the end, he ultimately missed the cut.
Judge was able to take live batting practice on Monday's off day in the Bronx.
Boone said that the team has been encouraged by what they've seen from him to this point, but after meeting with the training staff, they felt he wasn't there yet.
"Yesterday was a significant step for him, and a sign that he's shown some real improvement over the last couple of weeks," the skipper said. "We had an honest conversation with the trainers last night after the workout, and I just felt like he wasn't quite ready to be what he needs to be for us."
Judge will continue to progress his way back, and the hope is that these next couple of days will be valuable for him if the Yankees are able to advance past the Red Sox into the ALDS.
"He is doing everything he can to get better and heal as quickly as possible," Boone emphasized.
With Judge remaining sidelined, though, New York will lean on trade deadline addition Heliot Ramos to handle the bulk of the playing time in right field against Boston's lefty-heavy pitching staff.
Tuesday will mark the first postseason game of Ramos' five-year big-league career.
"I just want to gain everyone's trust," the 27-year-old outfielder said. "Judge, his presence, the type of player he is, nobody can compare to that -- but at the end of the day, I'm me, I know I'm ready for it and I'm ready to go."
Grish and Big G back in the mix
While Judge wasn't ready to roll, the Yanks will receive two of their regular back for the series.
Both Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham were able to return from their respective injuries after making significant progress in the closing weeks of the regular season.
Grisham, out since Sept. 4 with a hamstring strain, is a full-go.
As for Stanton, Boone said that it's "awesome" seeing the big man back in the mix having been sidelined since late-April due to a calf strain and numerous reaggravations of the injury.
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) tosses his bat after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
"It's been a really tough year for G on the injury-front," he explained. "I give him a ton of credit -- after this last setback a month ago he could've just taken his ball and gone home, but he's just never stopped -- even through the frustration of a couple setbacks he's never stopped working to be some kind of option."
Even with all of the down time, Stanton's bat should play, as he's continued hitting throughout the year.
Don't expect to see him out there too too much in this series, though, as he'll likely only be limited to pinch-hit duties with the makeup of the Yanks Wild Card roster.
"It's a bullet off the bench, and it's a pretty dynamic one," Boone emphasized. "He feels ready to go, I know he'll handle the moment mentally and emotionally, and hopefully he has a big swing or two in him."
Stanton's had his share of big swings in his Yankee playoff career, racking up 16 HR and a .939 OPS over the years.
Weathers misses the cut
Like Judge, Boone said that it was a "tough call" to have to leave lefty Ryan Weathers off the WC roster.
Weathers has been making tremendous progress returning from a forearm strain over the past few weeks, and looked healthy throwing his live BP session on Monday.
Boone decided, however, they were better off playing things safe.
"He threw one live going into yesterday, so had he been on this roster he wouldn't have thrown that yesterday, and I felt like we would be really limited with what we have going with 10 pitchers," Boone explained. "I felt like I probably would've had one inning with him in this series.
"So I feel like he needed that next one, and obviously there are no guarantees, but if we are able to advance I feel like he'll be in a good place to really be able to impact us moving forward."
Weathers has been sidelined since late-August due to the forearm flexor strain.
