Category: Sports News

Major League Baseball's further-expanded postseason probably means that no playoff records will be safe in the years to come, with more October games than ever before.

All 18 of Mickey Mantle's home runs came in the World Series as the Hall of Famer retired before the introduction of the League Championship Series in 1969. Previously, the top team in each league would go directly to the World Series at the end of the regular season.

These days with a 12-team postseason field, a team can play up to 22 games – compared to seven in Mantle's day – meaning plenty more opportunities to accumulate stats on baseball's biggest stage.

But Manny Ramirez, who last played in the postseason in 2009, still holds the record with 29 home runs in the postseason. Jose Altuve ranks second in history with 28 – including one in the AL wild card series – but the Houston Astros will have to get back to the postseason

Here's a look a the all-time leaders in career postseason home runs:

LOS ANGELES – Josue De Paula's plans for October originally included a trip back home and three weeks off to spend time with family before picking up his offseason training regimen. That was until he got a call from Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts a few days ago.

Instead, the 21-year-old rookie will spend the month on the Dodgers' postseason roster, waiting in the wings for when Roberts calls his number.

"I was shocked. I was happy," De Paula said. "There was a lot of emotions going on at the same time. A lot of thoughts going into it, like envisioning how this is going to be. I'm just going along for the ride and see how everything comes to me."

De Paula's role will be primarily as a lefty bat off the bench, and Roberts has mentioned there aren't many guys in his lineup that he'll pinch-hit for, so his opportunities will be limited as the Dodgers attempt to make history in their push for a third consecutive World Series championship.

It's not a position he's used to; De Paula admits he's only been a pinch hitter once or twice in his entire minor league career, the most recent of which was in 2024 with High-A Great Lakes. He pinch-hit once in his first big league series on the road in Cincinnati and recalls liking the adrenaline that came with it. To build on that, De Paula has been leaning on the vets in the clubhouse to try and keep everything as close to his normal routine as possible despite the unfamiliar role.

Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has a bigger spotlight on him than just about anybody else in sports.

His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, prefers to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible.

This is why it’s always cool to see Mamiko out in public, particularly when she’s at Dodgers games.

She was one of many Dodgers WAGs who showed up for their team’s NLDS Game 2 showdown against the Braves.

All of these wives posed for a photo together pregame, which was posted on the @ladodgerwives Instagram account.

“Game 2, little less hot but we’re still [bringing] the heat ,” the post was captioned.

Mamiko Tanaka can be seen in the second row, on the far left. She’s wearing a black top in the photo.

Tanaka also appeared at NLDS Game 1 on Saturday. She was rocking a similar outfit in the WAG group’s photo, but this time she was posing in the front row and holding a See’s Candies bag.

Ohtani and Tanaka have two children. It looks like they were able to get a babysitter for these two games, especially because it might not have been safe for them in the insane heat Los Angeles is experiencing this weekend.

Ohtani and his teammates are looking to turn up the heat on Atlanta by going ahead 2-0 in the series.

Kyle Tucker started the season as the Dodgers’ No. 2 hitter.

There’s a chance he ends it batting in that spot.

No joke.

By the time the Dodgers reach the World Series, Kyle Tucker — yes, that Kyle Tucker — could be back in the heart of their order.

That probably won’t happen over the remainder of the National League Division Series against the Braves. But making the $240 million disappointment a focal part of the offense will be something the Dodgers might have to eventually consider, especially if their two best left-handed hitters prove to be physically compromised.

Shohei Ohtani isn’t expected to be close to full strength in these playoffs because of discomfort in his right arm and left knee. Freddie Freeman is dealing with a right knee problem. 

Ohtani batted second for the Dodgers in the first two games of the NLDS, and Freeman batted cleanup. Each of them collected a single on Saturday in their 5-3 win in Game 1, with Freeman also drawing a key fourth-inning walk that set up a two-run home run by Teoscar Hernandez.

Manager Dave Roberts isn’t about to drop Ohtani or Freeman in the order. The more games the Dodgers play, however, the more Ohtani’s and Freeman’s bodies could feel it, and that could require Roberts to rethink whether Tucker should continue batting in the bottom half of the lineup.

Batting sixth, Tucker was 2 for 4 with a two-run home run that was ultimately the difference for the Dodgers in Game 1, but the idea of him taking a more prominent role in the offense shouldn’t be viewed as an overreaction to an isolated incident.

This was the version of Tucker who quietly emerged over the second half of September as the Dodgers cruised into the postseason.

Over his final 17 regular-season games, Tucker batted .333 with five home runs and 11 RBIs. He registered an OPS of 1.072.

Tucker had a number of teases over a grueling regular season, showing flashes of the hitter he used to be, only to immediately revert back to his season-long slump. Statistically, he finished with his worst regular-season numbers since becoming a full-time player, as he batted .233 with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs. 

Because they had a bye in the wild-card round, the Dodgers had a five-day break between their regular-season finale in San Francisco and their opening game of the NLDS. Considering how many stop-and-gos Tucker experienced in the regular season, the fact he was able to maintain his form over five days of inactivity was a promising sign.

“Everyone stayed ready,” Tucker said. “Just did some intrasquads and live BPs, just practice in general. Everyone was prepared for what we needed to do once these games started. They’ve been doing it for a while now. Everyone kind of has an idea of what they need to do once these games roll around.”

Tucker wasn’t the same after breaking his right hand while playing for the Cubs last year, and Dodgers coaches think they have unlocked something to offset the physical changes that he might have undergone then. If they did, they might have found a luxurious insurance policy for Ohtani and Freeman.

Given where Ohtani and Freeman are physically, Tucker could be positioned to provide something they might not be able to: power.

The Dodgers are generally a home run-dependent team, and the low-scoring environment of the postseason will make them even more so. To that point, every run they scored in Game 1 was scored via the home run.

Regardless of whether Tucker moves up in the order or just adds length to the lineup, the Dodgers will be delighted if he continues to hit — delighted for not only the team but also for Tucker individually.

“I think we all know the struggles he had this year,” Roberts said. “I give him a lot of credit for grinding through it, not running from it, always posting and kind of getting to the other side of it.”

He might now be ready to deliver for the Dodgers when they need it most.

Mason Miller threw Jackson Chourio a 100 mph fastball to begin the biggest at-bat of the Milwaukee Brewers season.

Then he threw him a 102 mph and a 104 mph fastball for strikes.

As Miller continued to throw gas up in the zone, Chourio did his best to battle them off knowing that the San Diego Padres closer was baiting him and soon going to throw a slider.

On the fifth pitch he did. A hanging slider that was low in the zone. Chourio remarkably laid off it to stay alive. With the count 2-2, Miller threw another 101 mph fastball up in the zone. This time Chourio was ready and he beat the best closer in baseball.

Milwaukee’s 22-year-old star lined Miller’s 101.3 mph fastball through the middle with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Sunday, scoring Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick for a stunning 4-3 walk-off victory over the Padres in Game 2 of the NLDS.

It was less a rally than it was a jailbreak.

The Padres entered the ninth with a 3-2 lead and a 98% win probability, handing the baseball to a pitcher who had spent October turning opposing hitters into strikeout statistics. Miller retired Milwaukee in order in the eighth, giving him 12 strikeouts among his first 15 batters faced this postseason — an MLB record.

After Miller retired the first batter of the ninth, Yelich walked and stole second. Frelick walked. Andrew Vaughn flied out, bringing San Diego within one out of escaping Milwaukee with a split.

Instead, Gary Sánchez worked a full-count walk to load the bases.

Up came Chourio.

Miller attacked him with the kind of velocity that has made October at American Family Field resemble a drag strip. His fastball registered 104 mph. Chourio eventually fell behind with two strikes but refused to become another name on Miller’s growing list of strikeout victims.

On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Chourio barreled a 101.3 mph fastball back through the box, just beyond Jake Cronenworth’s desperate diving attempt. Yelich scored. Frelick followed. The Brewers poured from their dugout while Miller walked off the mound having experienced something few hitters have managed to give him:

Defeat.

“Happy I could come through with that hit there,” Chourio said through an interpreter. “I’ve got my family here in the stands, so I dedicate this one to them.”

At 22 years, 80 days, Chourio became the second-youngest player in MLB history with a postseason walk-off hit, behind only Edgar Renteria in 1997.

And this was no ordinary arm he conquered. Miller and Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski have helped turn this NLDS into baseball’s velocity series. Through two games, the teams have combined for 83 pitches of at least 100 mph, already an MLB postseason series record and it isn’t even close.

The previous record was 56 back in 2016 in a four-game series between the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. The Padres and Brewers have almost doubled that total in half the games.

But the 83rd and final pitch of over 100 mph in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday was the only one that mattered. The Padres were one strike away from tying the series. Instead, Chourio turned into a 2-0 Milwaukee lead to send the series to San Diego where the Padres will need to make some history of their own.

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The moment you dream of as a kid. Bottom of the 9th, bases loaded, two outs, two strikes, facing the top closer in the game, the entire game all comes down to this. Jackson Chourio lived that moment, he was born for that moment, and he delivered in that moment.

Chourio ripped a 109.5 MPH line drive back up the middle, past the diving glove of Jake Cronenworth. Yelich scored easily, Jackson Merrill fielded the ball cleanly in center, Sal Frelick was getting waved home, it was going to be close. The throw was just a bit wide and Freddy Fermin couldn’t come up with it cleanly, but it didn’t matter anyway because it looked like Frelick was going to be safe regardless.

The Brewers escape with a 2-0 series lead, which is remarkable because for most of this game, the Brewers did not look like the team that deserved to win it.

Logan Henderson was doing a solid job of keeping the Brewers in the game, despite the Padres continuing to work counts against him. Henderson had nearly struck out the side in the first inning, but a check swing by Manny Machado was ruled to have not gone, which led to a walk. Then a wild pitch put Machado on second, followed by Ty France slapping a single to the opposite field to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. Henderson rebounded to retire eight straight.

But the Brewers defense had some uncharacteristic struggles in this game. In the 5th, Brice Turang completely missed an easy double-play ball up the middle and it went right through his legs. That put runners at the corners with one out. With a chance for redemption on the next play, Turang fielded it cleanly and got the lead out, but Pratt’s relay to first was short and couldn’t be picked, which was another error and meant another run came around to score. That made it a 2-0 Padres lead.

Meanwhile, Padres starter Michael King was cruising through most of this game. He made it through four perfect innings, retiring the first 14 batters he faced, before the Brewers finally broke through with two outs in the 5th inning. The captain, Christian Yelich, ripped a double into the right field corner. Yelich could’ve tried for third after Fernando Tatis Jr bobbled the ball, but shortstop Xander Bogaerts perfectly executed a deke, laying down a fake tag to convince Yelich the throw was coming in and to slide into second base.

Ultimately, that deke didn’t prevent Yelich from scoring when Sal Frelick singled to left on an 0-1 pitch.

Cooper Pratt followed with a single and the Brewers had two on for David Hamilton and a chance to tie the game and keep the rally going. But Hamilton ultimately popped out to third and the threat was ended.

Both managers went to their bullpens one batter into the 6th inning. That kept the game where it was at 2-1, until we got to the 7th.

The Padres added an insurance run after yet another defensive miscue, a fielding error by David Hamilton, allowed Fernando Tatis Jr to reach base. A walk to Manny Machado by Abner Uribe put Tatis on second, where he came around to score on a single by Ty France. But Sal Frelick was able to gun down Machado trying to head to third to end the inning, though Tatis had already crossed the plate and the run counted to make it a 3-1 Padres lead.

Milwaukee had a big chance in the 7th inning, starting with a Garrett Mitchell leadoff single. Yelich crushed a baseball to left-center and it seemed ticketed for extra bases, but Merrill ran it down and made a leaping grab. But a walk by Frelick and then a fielder’s choice by Pratt brought up David Hamilton. Hamilton a little dribbler toward second, Cronenworth bobbled then rushed the throw and threw it into the dugout. That brought Mitchell home and left runners on 2nd and 3rd for Chourio.

Chourio grounded out to short, seemingly dashing the Brewers best hopes to take the lead in this one with Mason Miller looming for the final two innings.

But the hopes clearly were not dashed.

It started with a walk from Yelich, followed by a stolen base, then a walk by Frelick. Murphy went to his veterans on the bench. Andrew Vaughn pinch-hit first, and flew out to center. Then it was up to Gary Sanchez, who worked the count full and drew a walk to load the bases for Chourio. Chourio got his chance at redemption and came through in the 9th inning for one of the most memorable postseason moments in franchise history.

This very well might be a “Where were you when?” kind of moment.

“He’s, I think, turning into a bona fide, top-flight player. Couldn’t be happier for him because he brings it every day.” Pat Murphy said.

“He loves those moments. And he knows how talented he is and what he can do on a baseball field. He can do anything. So when he comes up in that situation, just with everything that’s going on in that inning, you just feel good about it.” Christian Yelich said.

Chourio said back in September that he felt he was “born for those moments” when the game is on the line. He was asked when he first felt that way. Chourio said “I look back to my first year, my rookie year. It was a game against Seattle. And I think I was the last out, punched out against (Andres) Munoz. He was on the mound at the time. At that point, everything turned for me. I told myself i was never going to make the last out. I’d dedicate myself to fighting and doing whatever I could for the team and not having that feeling again from that specific game.”

That game was April 6, 2024. That was the only loss the Brewers had in that series against Seattle, they lost 5-3. It was a relatively non-descript game, nothing seemingly special about it. A random April game in Seattle during Chourio’s rookie year was the catalyst for him to become one of the best clutch hitters in the game. This was seven games into his MLB career. Truly special.

The Brewers could very easily be down 0-2 in this series. They didn’t play great in this one, especially defensively. They could’ve easily lost Game 1 as well. Instead, they are up 2-0 and in command of this series as it heads to San Diego.

When the lights shine the brightest, Jackson Chourio has risen to the occasion. He was born for those moments.

The Dodgers are never short on celebrities when they play playoff games at home.

And the current heat wave in Los Angeles didn’t keep these celebrities away when the Dodgers beat the Braves 5-3 on Saturday.

Among these was Vanessa Bryant, who posted several photos and videos from her time at Saturday’s Dodgers game to her Instagram after the game.

One of the photos showed Bryant sitting alongside Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman’s wife, Chelsea. And another showed Bryant posing while holding two children.

“Game 1 W in 110° ,” the post was captioned, which is a reference to how hot the temperature was during the Dodgers’ win.

Bryant is one of the most beloved figures in Los Angeles, and it’s always cool to see her supporting the city’s various sports teams.

The stars are surely out for Game 2 of the NLDS between the Dodgers and Braves on Sunday evening. Atlanta is going with a second consecutive bullpen game instead of starting ace Chris Sale on short rest, which should benefit the Dodgers’ offense.

Blake Snell started for Los Angeles, as he hopes to give his team a 2-0 lead before the series heads to Atlanta later this week.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Yankees were technically off Sunday, but the players who wanted to get their work in ahead of Game 2 of the ALDS went to their spring training home instead of the field where they will play Monday night.

Tropicana Field certainly plays differently from just about anywhere else, but the Yankees felt they would get better use out of their facility at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, so they had their pitchers throw there in addition to some position players working out.

“You’ve got a full facility, our training stuff, modalities, things like that, plenty of fields to get whatever space you need,” manager Aaron Boone said on a video call Sunday. “We’ve got Trajekt for guys who want to get on that. And staying in Tampa, it’s a quick, easier back and forth.”

The Trajekt — a specialized pitching machine that spits out exact pitches of big leaguers down to the spin, shape and velocity, with a video of their delivery on the front — is not available to visiting teams in MLB stadiums.

But playing here, the Yankees got the perk of having the Trajekt at their disposal, hoping it will serve them better in facing Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta in Game 2 on Monday than it did against Drew Rasmussen in Game 1 on Saturday.

Aaron Judge was part of the group working out at Steinbrenner Field on Sunday, continuing his buildup after a right calf strain in hopes of making the ALCS roster if the Yankees qualify.

“He was off from running [Saturday], so I know he’s running again today,” Boone said. “I think we’ll get some live [batting practice] in. So just another workday, trying to stack another good day and, obviously, continue to heal up.”

The Yankees were still debating the pitching order for Max Fried and Carlos Rodón in Games 3 and 4. Rodón threw a 60-pitch, four-inning live batting practice Thursday at Yankee Stadium, with a decision to come on whether to have him throw a between-starts bullpen session or make him available out of the bullpen for Games 2 or 3.

“We’re kind of working through that and won’t necessarily reveal how we go there the rest of the way, too,” Boone said.

Boone was not buying into the idea that he should have gotten Giancarlo Stanton an at-bat once the two wild-card games got out of hand, so that when he pinch-hit in the ninth inning of Saturday’s Game 1 it would not have been his first at-bat in five-plus months.

“It’s not summer ball,” Boone said. “Big G is ready to go. … There’s no courtesy at-bats this time of year.”

The curtain hasn’t closed on the White Sox yet this season, but it’s never too early to start thinking about the 2027 season-to-be-or-not-to-be. Entering next year with a payroll in the bottom third among all MLB teams and with a sizable pool of Triple-A talent to pull from, Chicago enters arbitration negotiations in an advantageous position. Of the six players who are eligible for arbitration, the Sox should keep three.

Miguel Vargas
Buying our Vargas’ next three years of arbitration would be the most strategic move from a financial and roster-management perspective. Coming off a breakout campaign where cracked the 30-home run threshold, more than doubled his WAR from last year, and took 101 free passes to first, Vargas is a player the Sox should focus on extending. At the plate and hot corner, he’s an integral to the success of the White Sox.

Even with three infield prospects among the Top 10, including new golden boy Roch Cholowsky, Vargas’ position on the field shouldn’t swing this decision. Vargas has played past his projected $5.4 million 2027 arbitration estimate, and tripling it to buy out his contract for the rest of the decade is a reasonable expectation for a team looking to squeeze every playoff game out of this young lineup. Going to arbitration over a guy who makes everyone in the lineup better and has been the heartbeat of the team for most of the season would be an egregious mistake.

Brenton Doyle
An August pickup at the trade deadline and the second-best glove in the outfield, Doyle’s projected $3.66 million arbitration is a fair price for his value. His perfect fielding percentage and the occasional pop in his bat outweigh his general inconsistency at the plate, and having a Gold Glove outfielder to pair with Tristan Peters when games come down to the wire will pay dividends, especially with Will Venable’s far-from-orthodox pitching philosophy.

Doyle may not be a starter, but the Sox need a veteran on the field to provide an extra line of defense and add stability to the young and streaky lineup. While Doyle doesn’t command a long-term deal, his presence isn’t taken for granted.

Huascar Brazobán
Brazobán hasn’t blown anyone’s socks off in Chicago, but cutting him loose would leave talent on the table. After bringing him onto the team in August, Brazobán’s performance dropped from the 2.56 ERA and 1.006 WHIP marks he set with the Mets earlier in the year. He knows how to miss bats, but when he came to the South Side he began to experience control issues. His 4.40 ERA and 1.395 WHIP after being traded may be a result of switching leagues, but it could also just be the typical volatility that comes with relievers. Either way, the Sox know he can pitch better, it’s just a matter of whether they can unlock that side of him.

Paying an estimated $1.6 million for a chance to bring out the best in Brazobán is worth the price of admission. Starting him out on the 40-man next spring also puts pressure on Brazobán to bring his A-game when he knows that several talented pitchers in Charlotte are chomping at the bit to snatch his spot. Competition and pressure will be the best way to see if Brazobán can exceed expectations.

Meeting these three players’ arb estimates and avoiding the ungainly process of a hearing still leaves three eligible players out in the cold. Catcher Joey Bart is in his final year of team control and will command an estimate $2.9 million; the White Sox undoubtedly prefer Jake Rogers as a veteran hand, especially because he will be less expensive. Reliever Chris Murphy, expected to earn just $900,000 in 2027, will be a game-time decision. And Jordan Leasure, rehabbing from TJS, expects only $1 million in arbitration but chances are the White Sox will not offer him seven figures.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — Through three postseason games, what looked to be a weak link for the Yankees has not been.

For the first four months of the season and right up until Aug. 3, the Yankees were expected to upgrade a bullpen that looked as if it needed help, and then they didn’t. In a stunner, GM Brian Cashman subtracted rather than added, putting his faith in the incumbents and mostly internal options.

Many of those options did not work out. Clarke Schmidt pitched in one game before returning to the injured list. Fernando Cruz is on the 60-day IL. Luis Gil’s stuff did not play up. They brought in Michael Fulmer, who did not pitch himself onto the playoff roster, and John Schreiber, who did not pitch himself into playoff leverage.

And yet through these first three games — two wins over the Red Sox and a loss to the Rays — the Yankees bullpen has allowed one run on two hits and three walks in 8 ²/₃ innings.

David Bednar and Paul Blackburn have remained untouchable. Brent Headrick’s stuff may have taken a step back, but he has still been effective in limited time. Will Warren was helpful against Boston.

And perhaps the most encouraging takeaway from Saturday’s 1-0 loss was Ryan Weathers looking strong in a nine-pitch sixth inning that featured three groundouts to first base.

“Really good to see Weathers come in there and just throw strikes, induce weak contact, have a clean, efficient, short inning,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday of Weathers, who missed six weeks with a flexor strain and returned as a reliever rather than a starter. “Again, I think he can be massive for us in the postseason.”

After the loss, Weathers said he felt normal, healthy and strong enough that he believed he would be available Monday on one day of rest.

The Yankees could use him not just because he had emerged as the season wore on — posting a 1.29 ERA in his final six starts before the injury — but because Boone has shown less faith in an overworked Headrick. The team’s top lefty all season has only recorded two playoff outs, the second of which came Saturday.

After Blackburn (1 ²/₃ scoreless innings) walked Junior Caminero with two outs in the eighth, Headrick entered to face Liam Hicks and walked him.

With a fastball that averaged 92.6 mph — and had averaged 94.1 mph during the regular season — Headrick induced a hard-hit groundout from Chandler Simpson to escape.

“Pitching absolutely did their job really, really well,” said Boone, who watched the lineup become the biggest problem instead.”