The Orioles backed themselves into a corner where they probably need to win every remaining game or all but one remaining game in order to make the postseason. They responded to being in that corner by sweeping the Mets, a not very good team, in a series where the Mets fans were all continually cheering for the best Orioles player. Now they are back in Baltimore to face the team in MLB with the best record so far this season, the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee has been laying waste to just about all comers as this season goes along. Their 95-58 record is the best thing anybody has going on this year. They have already clinched their division title, and at this point they only “need” to win games to make sure they stay ahead of the Dodgers for the #1 seed in the National League. The back-to-back champions are currently at 93 wins. That one isn’t a done deal yet for the Brewers.

One part of why the Brewers have been able to do this is the absolute freak Jacob Misiorowski, a second-year starting pitcher who’s taken a big leap this year after a mixed bag rookie season a year ago. Misiorowski is averaging over 100mph on his fastball and it’s proving mostly unhittable, which is how he’s been able to drop a 1.89 ERA and 0.812 WHIP on the league. As of this writing, it seems that we will not see Misiorowski pitch in this series, though the Brewers do have a TBD for Sunday and until that turns into someone else, I guess it might be him.

The bullpen is holding up its share of the weight as well. There are six relievers, including former Oriole DL Hall, who are sitting with a 3.50 ERA or better. Hall, in fact, has a 2.17 ERA through 43 games. Closer Trevor Megill has a 0.902 WHIP in his 57.1 innings. You are doing pretty well as a closer if you are allowing fewer than one baserunner per inning pitched. It is a very good way to seal wins.

The Brewers have also scored more runs than anybody else in baseball. They have been able to do this in part because there are six decent-to-great hitters in their regular lineup, plus two guys on the bench (including former Oriole Gary Sánchez) who are doing well in their reserve opportunities. They’re getting a breakout season from first baseman Jake Bauers at age 30, another “good hitting, great defense” season from Brice Turang, and even former Oriole Joey Ortiz, who was absolutely terrible at the plate a year ago, has bounced back to decent.

These guys are helping themselves out by cashing in the scoring opportunities that they do get. Their split with runners in scoring position is nearly 60 points higher than their regular batting. This is the #1 number among all MLB teams. (The Orioles, with a .759 OPS with RISP, are in 10th.)

This is a complete team that hasn’t had much postseason success despite fairly dominant regular seasons. They have won their division five times since the 2018 season, with two wild card bids, and have advanced past the first round in which they played just twice. That gives them the edge over the Mike Elias era Orioles in two ways: They’ve actually been consistently good, and they’ve actually won a few playoff games here and there.

The Orioles are inferior to this team in basically every way and they’ve got to manage to sweep this series or at the absolute worst win two out of three. Yeah, good luck with that.

As of this writing, the Orioles are listing TBD as their starting pitchers for every game of the series. Very helpful for bloggers who are trying to say something informative about the series. It appears likely that Cade Povich will be recalled from Norfolk to start one of the games.

Game 1: Friday, 7:05pm Eastern

• BAL starter: TBD
• MIL starter: Dustin May – 4.49 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 1.287 WHIP in 28 games (Cardinals then Brewers)

May was a well-regarded pitching prospect so long ago that people were hoping that the Orioles would be able to pry him loose from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado trade, and disappointed when they did not manage to do so. Due to a variety of injury challenges (and one global pandemic) he hasn’t pitched a full season worth of starts in his seven-year career until this season. Dean Kremer, the pitcher the Orioles actually got, has more than doubled May’s career bWAR to date.

The 29-year-old 6’6” righty appeared to be a victim of bad luck with the Cardinals earlier this year, allowing a .322 BABIP that probably wasn’t all his fault. Since joining the Brewers, May’s BABIP luck has improved (.288) but he’s getting substantially worse results, probably because he’s now giving up home runs and other hard contact like it’s going out of style. There does exist the possibility that the Orioles will show up with a game plan that allows them to take advantage of this.

Game 2: Saturday, 7:05pm Eastern

• BAL starter: TBD
• MIL starter: Robert Gasser – 4.30 ERA, 4.32 FIP, 1.266 WHIP in 19 games

Gasser is in his third season with the Brewers, though he had to get Tommy John surgery just five starts into his MLB career and as a result, he’d only pitched in seven major league games before this season. He started this season out with Milwaukee’s Triple-A team and eventually was added to the MLB club, since when he’s done… fine. He has the same ERA+ as Trevor Rogers this season. That feels less bad when you’ve got a guy doing what Misiorowski has done at the top of the rotation as compared to what has happened with Orioles starting pitching.

The Statcast peripherals for Gasser are not good. He has been particularly vulnerable to giving up hard contact. He does not get many ground balls, he does not throw the ball hard, he does not get a lot of swing-and-miss and he doesn’t get batters to chase very often outside of the strike zone. Absolutely none of which means that the Orioles offense will do well against him on Saturday. Gasser is left-handed.

Game 3: Sunday, 7:20pm Eastern

• BAL starter: TBD
• MIL starter: TBD

Note: This game airs on Peacock and only on Peacock.

Double TBD. Sheesh. Get it together, teams.

**

How do you think this series is going to go for the Orioles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

With a suspended meeting in Triple-A and Tulsa losing a winner-take-all matchup, it was an eventful day despite a low number of games in the Dodgers’ minor league system.

Player of the Day

In a game where hits were incredibly difficult to find for the Drillers, recently promoted outfielder Charles Davalan recorded one of his team’s RBI in a 6-4 loss.

🚨 TIE GAME 🚨

Charles Davalan singles and Sirota scores 🔥 pic.twitter.com/buJvVnRMXy

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) September 18, 2026

Elected the Midwest League MVP for his efforts in High-A with the Loons, Davalan ends the year positively, even with Tulsa failing in its final objective.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Both offenses were rolling through the first four before the rain put a stop to this game. Austin Galthier left the yard with a two-run shot, and twice hitting with runners in scoring position, first baseman and cleanup hitter Matt Gorski drove in a run with an out.

Gauthier goes the other way☄️ pic.twitter.com/hcV67SqMcF

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 18, 2026

While the Chihuahuas had already gone to the bullpen in the fourth inning, Charlie Barnes was the only Comets pitcher to appear in this one before its suspension. The left-hander was averaging nearly 20 pitches per inning and running into all kinds of trouble.

It’ll be Hyeseong Kim coming to bat in the top of the fifth when the game resumes later today. Kim is one of only two Comet hitters yet to reach safely in this game.

Double-A Tulsa

For a team that was nearly outhit four to one by their opponent, the Drillers did about as decent a job at staying competitive as they could’ve hoped: eventually losing 6-4 to the Cardinals and saying goodbye to the postseason, dropping the Division Series in three.

Cardinal starter Liam Doyle refused to let the Drillers put the ball in play, allowing five walks but striking out eight in 3.2 innings and ultimately only letting across one earned run.

Despite their hitting struggles, the Drillers managed to take a 3-2 lead in the seventh thanks to an Elijah Hainline sacrifice fly. However, relievers Christian Suarez and Jacob Kmatz both allowed multiple runs in the eighth and ninth to quickly surrender control of the game to the Cards.

ONEOK FIELD IS ROCKIN' 🔥

Hainline hits a sacrifice fly and Young scores to put the Drillers in the lead! pic.twitter.com/aUDLolbvxT

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) September 18, 2026

Not only did Tulsa finish the game without a homer while the Cardinals had three, but they didn’t even record an extra-base hit, limited by three strikeout games from Mike Sirota and Jake Gelof.

Partially responsible for the game being so close, starter Christian Zazueta had a productive performance, allowing just a pair of runs in five innings, both of them solo shots. Zazueta recorded seven of his 15 outs via strikeout as he was inducing whiffs at will, ultimately undone by his team’s lack of run support.

Christian Zazueta strikes out 7️⃣ tonight! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mh9yCo1GT3

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) September 18, 2026

High-A Great Lakes

The Great Lakes Loons were eliminated by the Dayton Dragons in the Division Series, losing it two games to one.

Class-A Ontario

The Ontario Tower Buzzers were swept by the Lake Elsinore Storm in the Division Series.

Transactions

The Dodgers optioned Bobby Miller back to Triple-A and called up Landon Knack.

Thursday’s scores

• Springfield 6, Tulsa 4
• El Paso 5, Oklahoma City 5 – suspended game will resume today

Friday’s schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: OKC and El Paso resume yesterday’s suspended game tied 5-5 in the top of the first inning
• The regularly scheduled Friday matchup between OKC (Christian Romero) and El Paso (Jhony Brito) will start after the end of the first game. It’ll be a seven-inning affair.

As you know, the Cubs hold the tiebreaker over the three teams closest to them in the Wild Card race, the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Padres.

This is extremely important because the Cubs are now tied with the Phillies entering Friday’s action after the Phillies beat the Mets Thursday, and lead the Padres by one game, as San Diego also won on Thursday.

The Cubs lead the Diamondbacks by five games and thus the magic number for the Cubs clinching a Wild Card berth is four.

The magic number for the Cubs to clinch the first wild card over the Phillies is 9. But for the Phillies to surpass the Cubs, their number is 10, due to the tiebreaker.

Tankathon has the Phillies with the toughest strength of remaining schedule of the four clubs (third). The Padres are ninth, Cubs 14th, and Diamondbacks 16th, with nine games remaining for all four teams.

Here are the remaining schedules for all four Wild Card contenders. Home games in boldface.

Cubs, 9 games (3 home, 6 road)

at Reds (3), Marlins (3), at Red Sox (3)

The Reds are in disarray at this point, having lost eight of their last 10. The Marlins are just 31-44 on the road, though they did just take two of three from the D-backs in Phoenix.

The interesting series is the last one, as both the Cubs and Red Sox will be jockeying for postseason positioning.

Phillies, 9 games (6 home, 3 road)

at Mets (3), Brewers (3), Rays (3)

The Phillies do get to finish their season with a six-game homestand — but with both series against the teams with the best records in their respective leagues.

So hopefully the Brewers do the Cubs a solid and beat up on the Phillies. And Cubs fans will have to hold their noses and root for the Mets this weekend.

Padres, 9 games (6 home, 3 road)

Marlins (3), at Dodgers (3), Diamondbacks (3)

As noted, the Marlins did win a series in Arizona, and they will be facing the Padres on the road just before heading to Wrigley.

Diamondbacks, 9 games (3 home, 6 road)

Yankees (3), at Rockies (3), at Padres (3)

The D-backs play a pair of teams, one in a postseason spot and fighting for one. In between they face one team way out of it. The D-backs and Padres have split their first 10 games this year, and the teams also have split at each other’s parks, 2-2 in San Diego and 3-3 in Arizona.

If Arizona is eliminated before that final weekend (or even if they aren’t), they could help out the Cubs by defeating the Padres.

Fasten your seat belts!

Diamondbacks News

(San Diego Union-Tribune) Padres rout Rockies, add to lead in playoff race

The Padres came down from the mountains with the margin they need after winning on Thursday by a large margin.

With a 9-2 victory over the Rockies, the Padres increased their lead in the race for the final National League playoff spot to four games with nine games remaining in the regular season.

That lowered the Padres’ “magic number” to six, meaning any combination of Padres wins and Diamondbacks losses that add up to six assures the Padres a postseason berth.

(Purple Row) Second-inning disaster sinks Rockies in 9-2 loss to Padres

The Padres’ offensive aggressiveness claimed another Rockies victim in Tanner Gordon. After a pedestrian top of the first inning in which he allowed a couple of singles and had a couple of strikeouts, Gordon had a 1-0 lead to work with heading into the second inning.

Then the wheels fell off.

(SI.com) Diamondbacks Stare Down Dangerous Yankees as Playoff Hopes Dwindle

The Arizona Diamondbacks are running out of time.

This weekend, Arizona will play its final three-game set of the regular season in front of the Chase Field home crowd.

It’s likely to be packed, with the 88-64 New York Yankees coming to town, and a 25-year celebration of the Diamondbacks’ World Series victory over those same Yankees.

(Burn City Sports) D-backs CEO Derrick Hall addresses roof leaks at Chase Field

A roof leak during a storm may sound like a minor inconvenience, but in Phoenix, where a retractable roof is supposed to be one of the building’s defining features, it becomes another uncomfortable reminder of Chase Field’s aging infrastructure. This is also hardly a new problem. Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall acknowledged the roof has leaked before, saying he first witnessed an issue during a monsoon roughly 20 years ago. The roof is only the latest concern surrounding the stadium, which has also dealt with unresolved HVAC problems, a roof motor that reportedly has not functioned properly for years, and piping issues on the upper level.

MLB News

(CBS Sports) Mets’ Jared Young carted off field after colliding with Nolan McLean during play at first base

Mets first baseman Jared Young “avoided the scariest outcomes” after a terrifying collision with pitcher Nolan McLean during the top of the sixth inning during the Phillies-Mets bout at Citi Field on Thursday night, manager Andy Green told reporters after the game.

A weak grounder to first base off the bat of Justin Crawford brought Young and McLean together and a bit of miscommunication caused a really ugly and scary collision. While both fielders scrambled for the ball, McLean’s knee appeared to strike Young’s head, sending the first baseman to the ground.

(ESPN) Dodgers clinch fifth straight NL West title, 13th in 14 years

The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth consecutive National League West title and 13th in the past 14 seasons with an 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday afternoon.

“It’s a big deal,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think that a lot of people think that it’s just a rite of passage, [but] it’s not easy. So it’s something that we’re all really proud of, but really understand that’s not the end goal.”

(Yahoo! Sports) Dodgers exec Andrew Friedman expects Shohei Ohtani to return from IL in the regular season: ‘He’s progressing well’

“He’s doing well,” Friedman said, via Jack Harris of the California Post. “He’s progressing well.”

When asked if Ohtani would be back in time to join the Dodgers in the playoffs, Friedman pointed to the two-way player returning even sooner: “I expect him back in the regular season,” he said.

Good morning A’s fans. Happy Friday!

The Athletics entered their final road trip of the season riding high after scoring 25 runs and securing both series victories during a six-game homestand last week. The American League-best Tampa Bay Rays halted the Athletics’ momentum by sweeping them in three games for the second time in as many months.

The A’s used to be the embodiment of small-market success, but that baton has now been passed to the Rays, who have a legitimate shot at reaching the World Series this fall. If the A’s want to reclaim their crown, the team must upgrade its pitching and defense, two major weak spots that heavily contributed to the Rays’ blowout victory yesterday.

That will be an offseason focus, as it is too late in the season to expect changes. At 92 losses with nine games left, the A’s need to win at least two games to avoid a dreaded 100-loss campaign.

This weekend, the team wraps up its road slate with three games against the 78-75 Cleveland Guardians, who are in a fierce battle with the Chicago White Sox for the American League Central title. After failing to play spoiler in Tampa Bay, the Athletics will look to lower the Guardians’ hopes of a third straight playoff appearance under manager Stephen Vogt—an A’s fan-favorite during his playing days.

Right-hander Mason Barnett will return from Triple-A Las Vegas to start tonight, while Cleveland will counter with opener Daniel Espino. Left-hander Jacob Lopez and right-hander Jack Perkins will make the Athletics final two road starts of 2026, while the team’s offense will look to scratch runs across against Guardians right-handers Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams.

What are you hoping to see from the Athletics in Cleveland? Which players should the A’s further evaluate and who should sit on the bench over these final nine games?

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Swept By Rays, Drop Finale 10-1
• Paralyzed A’s prospect Lasko released from rehab facility to ovation from staff
• Rays Walk-off A’s, 2-1, in Series Opener
• Injuries Out Of Control, But Why?
• No. 2 prospect in baseball De Vries undergoes successful shoulder surgery
• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• A’s Win Series, Beat Mariners 8-7
• A’s Walk Off Blue Jays 6-5
• “Fast Movers” Might Be Key To Contention
• Billy Beane comments on the job Mark Kotsay has done this season.
• What the A’s Hiring Mike Rizzo would Signal and the Questions it Would Raise
• Bi-Polar Performance Arcs Make Evaluation Difficult
• A’s Designate José Suarez For Assignment
• Q&A: Clarke determined to finish strong with A’s after long IL stint
• It’s Been a Bummer Summer in Sacramento
• The A’s valuation rises with sales of 2 MLB clubs as Las Vegas move looms
• A’s, Circa ink 1st Las Vegas founding partnership deal
• Your 2026 Hacktastic A’s
• Athletics Considering James Click For GM Vacancy
• Daejon Love case brings back Eric Byrnes’ bizarre story of an A’s bat boy impersonation
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app

MLB News and Interest:

• MLB teams with potential 2026 managerial, front office changes
• Nats in extension talks with ace Cavalli (source)
• The next Shohei Ohtani? Why we haven’t seen more two-way stars
• Why Arte Moreno’s Angels sale may be unlike anything we ever see again
• Yankees activate Schmidt from 60-day IL, DFA Cabrera
• MLB Farm System Grades For Every Team In 2026
• Phillies place Jesús Luzardo on IL with shoulder inflammation
• Jameson Taillon Seeking Additional Opinions On Elbow, Won’t Return This Season
• Twins’ shortstop Kaelen Culpepper to injured list with hamstring strain
• Phils claim veteran pitcher Urquidy off waivers from White Sox
• Cardinals activate rookie 2B JJ Wetherholt from injured list
• D-backs To Activate Ryne Nelson, Designate Derek Law For Assignment
• Will these 5 teams take the next step in 2027?
• Picking the best player at eac h position who wasn’t a 2026 All-Star
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Not good optics. Will the team turn things around before moving to Las Vegas, or will the losing stretch follow them to “Sin City”?

From A's PR: A's lost their 90th game last night and have now lost 90 or more games in 4 of last 5 seasons and lost 483 games over last 5 years, which is second most in MLB (Rockies, 512) and most by A's over a 5-yr span since 1961-65 in Kansas City when they had 487 losses.

— LVSportsBiz.com (@LVSportsBiz) September 16, 2026

Yesterday’s game was not the first time sloppy defense and walks have resulted in an A’s loss this season. Both are areas that can be coached. The fact that these problems continue to happen suggests that manager Mark Kotsay and his coaching staff are struggling to teach these players how to play error-free baseball.

A's had one-run losses in first two games vs. Rays. Today, a 4th-inning defensive meltdown, 2 errors and 10 walks led to a 10-1 loss.

Kotsay: "We played sloppy defense and walked so many guys I stopped counting. Any time you play like that, you’re going to get your ass kicked.”

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) September 17, 2026

Athletics’ Las Vegas stadium feature update: The organization is fully embracing the casino culture synonymous with the city.

The Circa Dugout Box that will be inside the A’s Las Vegas ballpark as part of the founding partnership deal. #vegas#athletics#mlbpic.twitter.com/FaOYHoARnK

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) September 17, 2026

Do you think it’s fair to compare A’s players to legends of the game’s past? If so, share your best comparisons for the current members of the Green and Gold in the comments.

🚨 SPECIAL SHOW TONIGHT AT 8:00 PM PACIFIC! 🚨

The A’s were swept by the Rays in Tampa, but Sam @StraightAs123 is turning postgame duty into one of the most entertaining experiments of the season.

On a special WHERE STATS MEET INSTINCT, Sam will compare EVERY A’s position… pic.twitter.com/CzlENnL7XL

— The House Always Wins Media Network/Las Vegas A's (@lasvegasaspod) September 17, 2026

Thursday was an off day for the Yankees, but as we progress into the final weeks of the 2026 regular season, every game matters for many teams around the Junior Circuit. Between the mediocre races in the Central and West, or the fight for the final wild card spot, there is plenty of moving that could take place before the end of the season.

Let’s take a look at what went down on Thursday.

Tampa Bay Rays (93-59) 10, Athletics (61-92) 1

On a night where they had a free half-game to take in the East, the Rays took full advantage on Thursday. Despite a quiet start on both sides, a big fourth inning fueled an easy Tampa Bay win against the A’s.

Starters Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen kept the game scoreless through three innings of play, before the Rays’ bats turned the corner in the fourth. In that inning, Chandler Simpson’s single score a pair, before a double from Richie Palacios cleared the the bases to plate three more. After the dust settled in the fourth, the Rays were up 6-0 and cruising into the middle innings.

Rasmussen turned in a good day at the office, tossing five scoreless for the Rays, while the offense continued to plug away, led by Simpson, Palacios, Liam Hicks, and Taylor Walls, who all tallied a pair of RBIs each. They made the most of their opportunities, as they needed just seven hits to reach their double-digit run total.

The only noise the A’s made in this one came from a long Lawrence Butler home run in the sixth, though it was a only a blip in the blowout the Rays dished out. With the win, they jump to a daunting five game lead in the East.

Other Games:

Texas Rangers (76-77) 3, Boston Red Sox (83-70) 4:

In the race in the West, the Rangers dropped a crucial one, as the Red Sox came back to win on Thursday. The Rangers went up 3-0 early on, with help from Josh Jung’s 10th homer of the season, and held that lead through six innings. After scratching a run across in the seventh, the big blow came off the bat of Trevor Story, who belted a three-run bomb to suddenly give the Sox the lead. They’d hold on to it, as they inch closer to clinching a postseason berth.

AL Rock Fight:

Houston Astros (77-76) 6, Kansas City Royals (67-86) 2: The Astros popped back above .500 with a win over the Royals on Thursday. Of their six runs, five of them came on a quintet of solo homers, including Jeremy Peña’s 20th of the season that tied things up in the first, as well as Yordan Alvarez’s 40th bomb of the season. Meanwhile, five different Houston pitchers helped to keep this one calm, as the Royals were only able to plate a pair with just three hits

The race in the West may very well come down to the final days of the season.

Chicago White Sox (78-75) 3, Detroit Tigers (72-81) 1: The White Sox rode the wave of a three-run bomb in the first inning, as Munetaka Murakami’s 32nd long ball of the season gave them a lead they’d never give up. The win gets them into a dead heat atop the Central alongside the Guardians, who had Thursday off.

Good morning friends and happy Friday!

The M’s kick off their three-game set against the Rockies tonight with first pitch scheduled for 5:10pm PT. Let’s check out what else is happening around baseball.

In Mariners news…

• Brooks has unveiled a new Mariners-themed set of sneakers.
• For yesterday’s off-day prompt, Kate Preusser asked you folks what the origin of your SBN/LL username is.

Around the league…

• Things haven’t been going great for Luis Castillo in Chicago, and now the White Sox are moving him to the bullpen.
• The Nationals are reportedly closing in on a contract extension with right-hander Cade Cavalli.
• Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic previewed the winter’s coming managerial carousel by discussing the six most vulnerable skippers around the league. ($)
• Jarrett Seidler at Baseball Prospectus continued his ranking of the sport’s front offices by revealing Nos. 20-11. ($)
• Despite the fierce odds against a playoff appearance for the Marlins, right-hander Sandy Alcantara still believes. Matthew Trueblood at Baseball Prospectus has more. ($)
• This post reads like a Mad Lib.

• The nations of Bagladesh and Malaysia have launched women’s baseball programs as the sport continues its international surge.

Breathe a sigh of relief. For now, anyway.

Willson Contreras was forced to leave last night’s game after getting hit by a pitch in the right hand. It looked pretty bad in the moment and he later said his hand went numb for about five minutes. Thankfully, post-game x-rays were negative. But, given how the Red Sox medical staff has diagnosed injuries this year, well, you know:

Willson tomorrow 💔🕊️ https://t.co/usp7vIpyn1pic.twitter.com/2zRtNYsUIk

— Pod On Lansdowne (@PodOnLansdowne) September 18, 2026

It was the 24th(!) time that Contreras has been hit this year and he’s had more than enough of it. “I feel like … ” Contreras said, pausing for seven seconds, “I want to say something I can’t say. Let’s leave it at that… If nobody does anything about it, I’m going to keep getting hit. That’s the way I see it. That’s it.”

Regardless of the x-rays, don’t expect to see Willson in the lineup any time soon in light of the fact that the Sox don’t really have anything to play for. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

---

Contreras wasn’t the only injury scare we had during last night’s game. Even though the Sox found themselves in a save situation, closer Aroldis Chapman did not make it into the game. Is this something to worry about?
“He’s just dealing with some lat tightness we’re going to be conservative with,” Chad Tracy said. “It’s getting better, but we’ve got to make sure it gets there. That’s why he wasn’t available tonight.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

---

If Chapman does go down for an extended time, the Sox don’t have another all-time great closer to replace him with. But they are pretty good in the giant Cuban fireballer department in general. That’s because Johan Oviedo made his first rehab appearance last night, hitting 98.5 on the gun and striking out 4 over 2.1 innings. (Katie Morrison-O’day, MassLive)

---

Meanwhile, there’s another injury to keep on eye on in the lineup. “Nearly three months after Caleb Durbin first dislocated his left pinkie and more than a month after he reinjured it, the third baseman’s digit remains locked nearly at a right angle.” Durbin is unable to fully straighten the finger and it could require offseason surgery, but he’s staying on the field for now. “There really is kind of a joint understanding that we’ll get it looked at at the end of the season if we have to, because [whatever the diagnosis is], it’s not going to impact my decision to play at all,” he said. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

October is starting to come into focus.

Several MLB teams have already locked up postseason berths, but many of baseball's biggest races remain unsettled. The American League Central and AL West are still up for grabs, the final AL wild-card spot remains hotly contested and jockeying for National League wild-card positioning could continue until the season's final days.

Here's every team that has clinched a playoff berth, along with the clubs that could be next and what the postseason bracket would look like if the season ended right now.

MORE: Dodgers have won the NL West again. Now what? 4 biggest questions entering playoffs

Which MLB teams have clinched playoff berths?

American League

• New York Yankees (at least a wild card)
• Tampa Bay Rays (at least a wild card)

National League

• Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West)
• Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central)

Which MLB teams have clinched divisions?

• Milwaukee Brewers: NL Central
• Los Angeles Dodgers: NL West

Who could clinch next?

These are the teams closest to clinching divisions/playoff spots:

• Atlanta Braves — 1 to clinch playoff berth (5 to clinch NL East)
• Boston Red Sox — 3 to clinch playoff berth
• Chicago Cubs — 4 to clinch playoff berth
• Milwaukee Brewers — 4 to clinch first-round bye (7 to clinch NL homefield advantage)
• New York Yankees — 4 to clinch at least No. 1 wild card
• Philadelphia Phillies — 5 to clinch playoff berth
• Tampa Bay Rays — 5 to clinch AL East, first-round bye and AL homefield advantage
• Los Angeles Dodgers — 6 to clinch first-round bye
• San Diego Padres — 6 to clinch playoff berth
• Chicago White Sox — 7 to clinch playoff berth (9 to clinch AL Central)
• Cleveland Guardians — 8 to clinch playoff berth (10 to clinch AL Central)
• Houston Astros — 8 to clinch AL West

Projected MLB postseason bracket

This would be the playoff field if the season ended after games on Wednesday, Sept. 16:

American League

1. Tampa Bay Rays (East)
2. Chicago White Sox (Central)
3. Houston Astros (West)
4. New York Yankees (Wild card No. 1)
5. Boston Red Sox (Wild card No. 2)
6. Chicago White Sox (Wild card No. 3)

National League

1. Milwaukee Brewers (Central)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (West)
3. Atlanta Braves (East)
4. Chicago Cubs (Wild card No. 1)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (Wild card No. 2)
6. San Diego Padres (Wild card No. 3)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who has clinched an MLB playoff spot? Teams in the 2026 postseason field

Major League Baseball's 2026 regular season has two weekends to go, with contenders still jockeying for position and some postseason spots still very much up for grabs.

The Cleveland Guardians managed to run down the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central and it looks like the race will go down to the final days of the season. Just two years after setting an MLB record with 121 losses, Chicago has the chance to get back to the postseason for the first time in five seasons.

The big race to watch in the National League is the wild card, with the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres all in contention to secure the top wild card spot – and host the best-of-three wild card series.

The NL Central (Milwaukee Brewers) and NL West (Los Angeles Dodgers) titles have already been clinched, leaving four of baseball's six divisions still not secured. The AL West race also features the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers within one game – and the team who comes in second likely missing out on the playoffs.

Here's the latest look at the MLB postseason picture:

Standings updated entering play Friday, Sept. 18

MLB playoff bracket 2026

#-division champion; *clinched at least a wild card spot

American League

• Byes:Tampa Bay Rays* (1), Chicago White Sox (2)
• Wild card series:
  • Guardians (6) at Astros (3) – Winner vs. White Sox
  • Red Sox (5) at Yankees* (4) – Winner vs. Rays

National League

• Byes: Milwaukee Brewers# (1), Los Angeles Dodgers# (2)
• Wild card series:
  • Padres (6) at Braves (3) – Winner vs. Dodgers
  • Phillies (5) at Cubs (4) – Winner vs. Brewers

AL wild card standings

Top three teams qualify

1. *New York Yankees (88-64) +10.5 games
2. Boston Red Sox (83-70) +5 games
3. Cleveland Guardians (78-75)
4. Texas Rangers (76-77) – 2 GB
5. Toronto Blue Jays (76-77) – 2 GB
6. Baltimore Orioles (75-78) – 3 GB
7. Detroit Tigers (72-81) – 6 GB
8. Seattle Mariners (71-82) – 7 GB
9. Minnesota Twins (71-82) – 7 GB

NL wild card standings

Top three teams qualify

1. Chicago Cubs (85-68) +1 game
2. Philadelphia Phillies (85-68) +1 game
3. San Diego Padres (84-69)
4. Arizona Diamondbacks (80-73) – 4 GB
5. Miami Marlins (76-77) – 8 GB
6. Pittsburgh Pirates (76-77) – 8 GB
7. St. Louis Cardinals (75-78) – 9 GB

AL East

1. *Tampa Bay Rays (93-59)
2. *New York Yankees (88-64) – 5 GB
3. Boston Red Sox (83-70) – 10.5 GB

AL Central

1. Chicago White Sox (78-75)
2. Cleveland Guardians (78-75)
3. Detroit Tigers (72-81) – 6 GB
4. Minnesota Twins (71-82) – 7 GB

AL West

1. Houston Astros (77-76)
2. Texas Rangers (76-77) – 1 GB
3. Seattle Mariners (71-82) – 6 GB

NL East

1. Atlanta Braves (89-64)
2. Philadelphia Phillies (85-68) – 4 GB

NL Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers (95-58) − winners of NL Central

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (93-60) – winners of NL West

*clinched at least a wild card spot

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoff picture: Wild card standings, AL and NL postseason bracket

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers lost a crusher last night, 4-3 to the Red Sox.

Shawn McFarland writes that Texas no longer has any margin for error with these kinds of losses.

Kennedi Landry says the team remains optimistic with 9 games left.

She also says they better get over it, because in come the Blue Jays for another massive series.

Elsewhere Nathan Eovaldi says he’s good to start after his clutch bullpen appearance.

Justin Foscue has had a nice surprise run as the Rangers leadoff hitter vs. lefties.

McFarland also has an injury update, including on MacKenzie Gore after his Wednesday start.

The MLB Pipeline guys name a breakout prospect from each team this season.

And Ruben Sierra is the latest guest on Evan Grant’s podcast.

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers start up a crucial wildcard series with the Blue Jays tonight at 7:05 with Kumar Rocker on the mound for Texas.

Happy Friday and Go Rangers!

Every series looms large at this point, so the Guardians find a three-game set against one of the worst teams in MLB playing a big part in their pursuit of a playoff spot.

The Athletics are 61-92 with a -214 run differential, since 8/4 they are 23rd in team wRC+ at 91, ninth in baserunning runs above average at 1.4, 27th in Defense at -15, 28th in starting pitcher ERA at 6.17 (5.16 FIP), and 23rd in bullpen ERA at 4.53 (3.75 FIP).

The Guardians are 78-75 with a -7 run differential, since 8/4 they are 11th in team wRC+ at 101, 18th in baserunning runs above average at -0.9, sixth in Defense at 0.9, 21st in starting pitcher ERA at 4.57 (4.12 FIP), and fourth in bullpen ERA at 3.11 (3.39 FIP).

Put the ball in play, get to the starters, and play solid, fundamental baseball with good plate discipline and good things will happen vs. The A’s.

Matchups:

Game One, Friday, 7:10PM, Barnett, RHP 7.08 ERA (6.98 FIP) vs Espino, RHP/Cantillo, LHP

Game Two, Saturday, 6:10PM, Lopez, LHP 5.02 ERA (5.07 FIP) vs. Bibee, RHP

Game Three, Sunday, 1:40PM, Perkins, RHP 6.14 ERA (4.73 FIP) vs. Williams, RHP

Let’s get it done, Guardians!

Xander Bogaerts has not been the most productive player at the plate for the San Diego Padres this season, but that was not the case against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday. Bogaerts fell a single short of the cycle while leading the Padres to a 9-2 win over the Rockies to give them a 3-1 series win.

Bogaerts led off the second inning with a solo home run that tied the game at 1-1. He followed that with an RBI-triple later in the second inning. Bogaerts returned to the plate in the top of the fourth inning and hit a ground rule double, leaving him five innings to get a single to complete the cycle. His first opportunity came in the top of the sixth inning, but he was called out on an ABS strike-three. Bogaerts got his last chance for a single leading off the top of the ninth inning, but he struck out swinging to end his night at the plate.

Michael King started on the mound for San Diego, and he got into trouble with the first batter of the game. Jake McCarthy connected on a leadoff triple and scored one batter later when Connor Norby hit an RBI-single to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. King settled in after the first and completed six innings allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts. The most impressive part of his start considering where he was pitching, was that the right-hander did not allow a home run.

Bogaerts was not the only Padres player to have a successful day at the plate. Dustin Harris turned in a 3-for-5 day with a run scored and three RBI. Ty France finished 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Jake Cronenworth and Samad Taylor each had two hits in the game. The only two San Diego starters not to record a hit in the game were Manny Machado and Luis Campusano. However, Machado did record an RBI.

The start from King combined with the nine-run, 15-hit performance from the offense allowed Padres manager Craig Stammen to give his high leverage bullpen arms their third day off in a row. Yuki Matsui and Griffin Canning combined the final three innings of the game for San Diego.

The Padres return to Petco Park to open a three-game series with the Miami Marlins tonight at 6:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• Lake Elsinore wins California League Championship for the first time since 2021 with solid start from 2026 first round pick Coleman Borthwick.

• The Padres are trying to stay loose in the clubhouse as the regular season winds down and the players took time to answer a question that not many would have asked.

Baseball News:

• The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the NL West with a win over the Cincinnati Reds.

• The Houston Astros hit five home runs to beat the Kansas City Royals.

• Aaron Nola pitched the Philadelphia Phillies past the New York Mets.

• The Washington Nationals are working to extend pitcher Cade Cavalli.

• The Pittsburgh Pirates knocked off the Milwaukee Brewers to win the season series.