In the midst of a fifth straight MLB season at or under .500, few bright spots exist for the 65-94 Giants, but the emergence of rookie left-handed pitcher Matt Wilkinson certainly is one.
Wilkinson was acquired in May from the Cleveland Guardians as part of the Patrick Bailey trade and made his major league debut against his former team on Aug. 19, tossing two scoreless innings.
The Giants have exercised precaution with Wilkinson as he ramped up his arm. In five starts so far, Wilkinson has exceeded four innings just twice and has thrown under 80 pitches in six of his seven appearances.
Despite the pitch limit, Wilkinson appeared increasingly comfortable as the season progressed. He has gone 10 consecutive shutout innings over his last three appearances, including his first win in relief against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sep. 9 and a five-inning, six-strikeout performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Sunday.
“I think with Tugboat [Wilkinson], it’s silly to limit what he can do, but I do think he’s always going to kind of fit in that category if things are going to work out for him as a starter – he’s just a get-it-done guy,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said Thursday on KNBR’s “The Executive Show”. “He competes. He attacks the zone. He’s not afraid. He doesn’t get rattled when guys are on base. And if things don’t go well, he’s just going to get more determined to come back and be better the next time.”
Vitello has utilized Wilkinson as both a starting and relief pitcher over the past month, but did not want to put a ceiling on the 23-year-old’s future potential when asked about it.
“I think you know what you got if you’re looking for a guy to just get you three outs or to get you out of a jam and come in and get a lefty out,” Vitello said. “He’s equally good on lefties and righties, so I think he can be that one-inning guy. He’s already shown that he could be a long relief guy. So why not find out if he can start and push it to the brink?”
Vitello also confirmed that Wilkinson will start Saturday afternoon’s home matchup against the Dodgers in the Giants’ penultimate game of the season.
Britons Tom Pidcock and Oscar Onley are contenders but the Belgian is aiming for an unprecedented medal haul
In a world road championships marked by the absence of Tadej Pogacar, Tom Pidcock and Oscar Onley will lead British hopes in the men’s elite road race on Sunday. But for either to claim the rainbow jersey, they must beat a determined Remco Evenepoel, a man on a mission in Montreal.
Pogacar is recovering after a heavy crash in the Vuelta a España and Pidcock and Onley are among a large group of contenders, headed by Paul Seixas of France, the Belgian Evenepoel and Isaac del Toro of Mexico, all seeking to capitalise on the Slovenian’s absence.
LeBron James isn’t underrating how valuable VJ Edgecombe can be for the new-look Sixers this season.
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On the latest episode of his Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash, James detailed his confidence in the second-year guard after his All-Rookie First Team season in 2025-26.
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“He’s a flat-out player, man,” James told Nash.
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James noted that all the reports he’s heard out of the Sixers organization have been complimentary of Edgecombe. He specifically mentioned how Edgecombe is “beyond his years,” and was impressed by the fact that he often acted as a leader of the team as a rookie.
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“They say he speaks with an intelligent, [natural] confidence and works extremely hard.”
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Given the number of ball dominant players on this Sixers team, reasonable questions regarding Edgecombe’s usage have come up. What will his role look like on a team with four players who finished top-50 league-wide in usage rate last season?
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James rejected the premise that Edgecombe should have to wait his turn even with so much star power surrounding him. The most immediate area of impact he has in mind for Edgecombe?
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The defensive side of the ball.
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“There’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to, if he really wants to be, contending for an All-Defensive team this year with his athleticism, with his length, with his speed,” James said.
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“I think [Jaylen Brown] gonna set the tone with his ability to guard,” he added. “But I think VJ should be right there, just taking all the keys from JB, learning all the nuances, because he has all the tools.”
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The No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft was a disruptive defender as a rookie. He was 17th in the NBA in steals per game (1.3) and 18th among guards in blocks per game (0.5).
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VJ Edgecombe's defense on Jalen Brunson on Friday was quite possibly the most impressive feat of his NBA career so far.
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Brunson attempted 10 field goals against Edgecombe. He made the first one. Then he missed the last nine.
He was also 43rd league-wide in transition points per game (4.3), an element of the game where the Sixers should thrive in 2026-27.
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In fact, Tyrese Maxey (7.2), James (7.1) and Brown (6.7) were second, third and fourth in the NBA in transition points per game last year. James sees Edgecombe and Maxey as a two-headed monster that can create transition.
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“If we can get stops or create turnovers, then it’s gonna benefit VJ and Tyrese more than anybody on the team,” he said. “Those guys are so fast and so athletic. You’re not going to be able to catch up to ‘em.”
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James also noted his excitement to play in Nick Nurse’s defensive scheme given the opportunities it could create for the athletic Sixers starting lineup. He pointed to the 2019 NBA champion Raptors as a defense that he wants to emulate.
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“They got up into you. They got into the passing lane. If you got around one guy, there’s another guy helping you,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing if we can translate a little bit of that as well because we have the speed, we have the athleticism.”
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The Sixers have struggled defensively the past two seasons, finishing 19th in scoring defense in 2025-26 and 21st in 2024-25. The advanced numbers haven’t been better – they were 17th in defensive rating last year and 26th the season before.
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Brown joining the fold gives Nurse a bonafide wing defender in the starting lineup. Dean Wade is a versatile, plus defensive piece. James, although no longer the generational athlete he was in his prime, is one of the smartest basketball players to ever play the game who adds size and length. Those new pieces alongside Edgecombe’s continued maturation into a backcourt stopper should give the Sixers a higher defensive floor in 2026-27.
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“It’s a pride thing,” James said regarding their defensive mentality. “I’m not going to allow my guy to continue to exploit me or beat me or whatever the case may be. There has to be some type of pride in the sense of it.”
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James and the Sixers will hope to embrace that mindset next week with training camp kicking off on Tuesday after Monday’s media day.
SAN FRANCISCO – The sequence was promising on paper. In practice on Friday night, it was spectacular.
Roki Sasaki in the eighth inning.
Tanner Scott in the ninth.
Manager Dave Roberts emphasized they wouldn’t necessarily be deployed in that order come the playoffs, but their performances in the Dodgers’ 2-0 victory over the Giants indicated they could be the foundation of a championship-caliber bullpen for the Dodgers.
Roki Sasaki pitches during the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ 2-0 win over the Giants on Sept. 25, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I don’t want you to pigeonhole me into using these guys in certain roles, but, yeah, I think it’s just better to have as many guys that you have confidence in leverage (situations),” Roberts said.
Scott retired the side in the ninth to record his 24th save.
On their World Series run last year, the bullpen was something the Dodgers had to work around. They were extremely dependent on their starting pitchers, whom they counted on not only to pitch deeper into games but also make relief contributions. Sasaki’s emergence as closer was as much a reflection of their lack of options as it was of the Japanese fireballer’s gifts.
The Dodgers should enter the playoffs next month with an entirely different feel.
Scott has recovered from his nightmare season last year, looking more like the Padres relief ace who shut down Shohei Ohtani in the 2024 playoffs to earn a $72-million payday with the Dodgers.
As for the 24-year-old Sasaki, he looks even better as a reliever than he did last year.
“I think the fastball’s better,” Roberts said. “I think the split’s better. It’s also nice that he’s already done it. So, just in total, he’s just a better pitcher than he was last year and a lot more confident. And certainly, the stuff was really good the last couple outings.”
Tanner Scott gets ready to throw a pitch during the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ win over the Giants. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Four of the six fastballs Sasaki threw were clocked at faster than 100 mph.
The other two registered readings of more than 99 mph.
“Overall, he just keeps getting better,” Scott said. “Even when he was starting, I thought he was pretty dominant. For him to get moved to the bullpen as we go into October, it’s huge for us.”
Sasaki started seven games after the All-Star break and was 2-0 with a 3.05 earned-run average. A blister on his pitching hand landed him on the injured list. When he returned earlier this week, he did so as a reliever.
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts reacts during the Dodgers’ win over the Giants on Sept. 20, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He also struck out two batters in his other relief appearance, a scoreless inning on Tuesday against the San Diego Padres.
“Throughout the season, I’ve sharpened myself technically,” Sasaki said in Japanese. “Compared to last year, I feel much better in that respect.”
Sasaki will likely pitch next in the regular-season finale on Sunday, Roberts said.
He could close out games again in October, as Roberts said there could be games in which he calls on Scott to pitch against a particularly dangerous segment of the opposing lineup earlier in the game.
Scott said he was open to pitching in any situation.
“Just get outs,” Scott said. “That’s all that matters in October. Get outs.
“October is about winning every single game. It really doesn’t matter what roles you get asked to do. Just go out there and do it.”
I realize it makes it look like Bryce Miller is the one who committed defensive sins tonight; he did not. But apparently this barnburner of a game was not compelling enough to attract the photogs tonight so photo pickings are as slim as Bryce himself. | Getty Images
[Ed. note: if you don’t know the show Derry Girls and the wonderful character Sister Michael, I suggest you remedy that forthwith. It’s much more entertaining to watch than this game, I promise.]
Well, apparently you have some atoning to do, because somehow you’ve arrived here at the 2026 Mariners season, watching a fruitless game between two eliminated teams. The Angels, staving off a 100-loss season, managed to come out on the upper end of this particular tug of war, beating the Mariners 7-5. At this point you might be asking yourself:
And you would be right. The 2026 Mariners: putting the wake in Wake Me When September Ends.
Bryce Miller looked pretty hittable in the first, recording no whiffs and giving up some hard contact. He got stung on a Wade Meckler triple that rolled down the right field line just out of Josh Naylor’s reach; Meckler would then scoot home on a wild pitch, a splitter Miller buried in the dirt. However, the hard contact he gave up did allow for a chance for Dominic Canzone to make an eleventh-hour submission for his best catch of the year. If you read last night’s recap, you know that when I share defensive highlights, that means things are Not Going Well. MLB didn’t see fit to clip this one as a highlight, because they have apparently not watched as much of Dom Canzone playing right field as I have.
Unfortunately, the baseball gods punished Canzone by allowing Bryce Teodosio to make an equally excellent leaping grab to rob him of extra bases in the bottom of the inning, making it a 404-foot out and turning hte Mariners away without an answer-back score. Aside from an eighth-inning home run from Zach Neto off Eduard Bazardo, the other two furthest-hit balls tonight were that one from Canzone, and a 401-foot flyout from Cole Young in the fifth. Ah. So it would be one of these games.
(They were all one of these games.)
In the second inning, Miller finally was able to start getting some whiffs, getting a strikeout on his curveball and one on a nice elevated fastball up and out of the zone he got Josh Lowe chasing after. But the at-bat with Lowe consumed nine pitches, to add to an eight-pitch at-bat he’d had in the first.
To be fair, Miller pitched better than his line tonight, even if he went to some deeper counts than you’d hope. Miller led off the inning by walking Mike Trout on seven pitches, damaging both his pitch count and his FIP, and then tried too hard to get back into it, leaving a first-pitch slider in the middle of the plate for Meckler, who had already tripled off him. Meckler kept it to a single this time, but Vaughn Grissom also swung at the first pitch he saw, a splitter, for an RBI single to make it 2-0 Angels. Thankfully, because this is the Angels, they then made three straight outs to cap the damage there, including back-to-back three-pitch strikeouts; both came on well-executed fastballs up from Miller. It’s nice to see Miller working the top rail fastball again after it’s so often been low and uncompetitive this season.
“I gave up three [sic, it was two] hits in a row on first pitch and was like, all right, they’re gonna come out swinging, let’s be a little more aggressive here. So we went first pitch slider under to Lowe, got a swing and miss out of it. Those are the situations where you have to be a little more aware of what they’re doing, what’s our approach, and then adjust on the fly.”
Canzone finally broke up the no-hitter in the fourth, sending a ball to Teodosio that this time he couldn’t catch, but it turns out you generally need other players to make contact with the ball in order to score runs, and Canzone was left stranded. As someone who had to recap last night’s game, is recapping tonight’s, and will recap tomorrow’s, I have never related to Dominic Canzone more.
The Mariners did get a little traffic on in the bottom of the fifth thanks to Michael Arroyo—on base for the second time—leading off with a line-drive single and swiping second base. Fun player is fun! Cole Young then put a charge into a ball (the aforementioned 401-foot flyout) but unfortunately to the wrong part of the park, and Jhonny Pereda worked a nice nine-pitch walk, but Weston Wilson and Leo Rivas couldn’t pick up those runners.
As so often happens, the missed chance immediately bit the Mariners. The Angels broke things open in the sixth, as the Rube Goldberg machine of embarrassment that is the 2026 Mariners finally got up to full power. You’d look at the Angels scoring three runs in the sixth and think “typical, Dan left Miller in an inning too long,” but it actually wasn’t entirely Miller’s fault. Things started off badly when Miller coaxed a lazy fly ball off the bat of Meckler that dropped between Leo Rivas, Michael Arroyo, and Julio Rodríguez in a trio of futility: Arroyo couldn’t get to the ball, Rivas couldn’t make the basket catch, and Julio was slow to pick up the ball, allowing Meckler to reach second. Miller then walked Vaughn Grissom on eight pitches, again with the problem of the long at-bat. Miller, trying to be less inattentive to baserunners then he’s been, attempted to pick off Meckler at second, but Rivas let the ball squirt out of his glove, allowing both runners to advance. A lineout to Cole Young that could have been an inning-ending double play was missed when Rivas was slow to get to the bag. Then, in the most predictable sequence of events possible, in an 0-2 count Miller tried to go top rail with the fastball again to Christian Moore – not a bad plan, as he’d struck out Moore on that exact pitch the previous at-bat. This time, though, Moore got on top of it for a three-run homer.
“I’ve beat a lot of really good hitters with that pitch,” said Miller. “I don’t know how he got to it but credit to him, good swing. We struck him out on it in the second-at bat, and then first pitch of the at-bat he swung and missed and I actually missed a little bit too much in the zone there. Then got a foul ball and then…yeah. It kind of sums up how the second half of my year’s gone. It’s 0-2, two outs, sixth inning, and I thought that was a good pitch and he got to it.”
While it’s possible to argue pitch selection – maybe Miller should have tried a sweeper out first before going back to the top rail – he also didn’t have a ton of whiff tonight on anything that wasn’t the four-seamer. Attacking Moore, who strikes out over 30% of the time, with a fastball up is a solid plan. The bigger problem is that was a three-run homer and not a solo shot because of the walk and sloppy defense.
The Mariners continued not to do anything against Reid Detmers and the Angels, while Zach Neto added some insurance in the form of a home run off Eduard Bazardo. That’s the fourth homer Bazardo has given up in 5.1 innings pitched in September for a home run rate that ranks…oh who cares, I don’t want to calculate it.
The Mariners did claw back two in the bottom of the eighth against the Angels bullpen – and it was a claw, starting with pinch-hitter Lazaro Montes working a one-out walk. A pair of singles from the top of the order loaded the bases, and then Angels reliever Sam Bachman hit Julio with a pitch, forcing in a run. Michael Arroyo came up with a clutch two-out infield single, hustling down the line to scrape another run on the board. Cole Young couldn’t come up with another big two-out hit against a lefty, old friend Tayler Saucedo, who speedily dispatched Young to quell the threat.
In the ninth, realizing he hadn’t yet done his Earn A Big Payday play of the game Randy Arozarena scored the Mariners’ most ethical run of the night, lacing a triple into right field and scoring Weston Wilson, who had walked. Dom Canzone, my fellow strongest soldier, finally got revenge for that robbed home run, reaching for a slider away and muscling it out onto the netting over Edgar’s in left. That man is strong. That brought the Mariners into a garbage-time score of 7-5 that looks a lot more respectable in the box score than it was to watch, so between that and Bryce Miller, no justice was had in the box score tonight.
“His fate was – it should have been better,” said Dan Wilson about Miller’s outing.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 25: Michael Arroyo #96 of the Seattle Mariners watches a three run home run hit by Christian Moore #4 of the Los Angeles Angels (not pictured) go over the back wall during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park on September 25, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Angels 7, Mariners 5
(the arrow changed a little after Dom’s homer but I’m not remaking the chart art, sorry, losing to the Angels still results in getting put in the Shame Machine)
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Sep 25, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) delivers during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Game Summary
Full recap to follow shortly. For now, fill the comments with good tidings of great joy.
Win Probability and Box Score
Outside the Box Score
No OTBS tonight since I was mostly following the box score myself.
Comment of the Game
A great turnout tonight in the GameDay Thread with a total of 379 comments at time of publishing. Tonight’s COTG by popular vote goes to Tim Tawa’s dad, JTawa, with his contribution to tonight’s thread. Thanks for stopping by Mr. Tawa, and make sure your son knows he’s got a group full of fans here at the ‘Pit!
Coming Up
The Diamondbacks face the Friars tomorrow at 5:40pm. With Corbin Burnes going on the IL earlier today, good ol’ TBD will take the mound for the good guys while veteran right-hander Walker Buehler (9-6, 4.56 ERA) will get the ball for San Diego.
Scoreboard Watching
The Phillies lost at home to the Rays earlier tonight 2-0 to bring their lead over the D-backs to a single game.
Phillies play tomorrow night at 4:15pm on FOX. A loss tomorrow night paired with a win by our Snakes would give the Diamondbacks control over their own destiny for the final game of the season.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Henry Bolte #33 of the Athletics reacts after hitting a two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park on September 25, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The A’s managed to take the second game of their four-game set with the Houston Astros on Friday night, squeaking by their division rivals 6-5 in convincing fashion to even this series up. Thanks to the Rangers’ loss the Astros still remain tied for first place in the AL West. All that means is that the A’s have more motivation to win all over again tomorrow. The A’s will be the squad that sends a losing team to the postseason. Two more games left!
Lopez strong in final start of the year
Taking the ball for the final time this season, left-hander Jacob Lopez entered tonight coming off of easily his worst career outing of his career (2 2/3 IP, 10 ER). That’s put a bit of a damper on what has otherwise been a successful second half for Lopez, who as we all know lost his roster spot for a time before his recent reemergence. Ideally he wanted to end his season on a high note with a strong final outing at home in Sacramento against a division rival.
That’s just what the A’s got tonight. The lefty held Houston’s formidable lineup down tonight, allowing just a couple of hits and a couple walks. Houston put two on in the second but Lopez squashed that rally before it began. The only damage done against him this evening was a solo home run off the bat of Houston first baseman Christian Walker in the fourth. Other than that the Astros couldn’t push anything more across against a pitcher leaving it all on the mound before offseason.
Jacob Lopez: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 94 pitches
That’s a fantastic way to end a season. Lopez came into tonight coming off the worst outing of his career and bounced back with one of his best of the season. He officially ends his season with a 5.47 ERA, though that doesn’t do justice to how well he pitched in the second half. Baseball is a game of two halves though. It’ll be interesting to see how the A’s view Lopez over the offseason and heading into spring. Something to monitor this winter.
Astros score first, A’s strike backbig
After the Astros took the early 1-0 lead the pressure was on the offense to back up their starter. The A’s hadn’t done much against Houston ace right-hander Hunter Brown, managing just a couple hits and four walks against him. They had chances in the second and third innings, getting a runner into scoring position, but wasted those opportunities.
Their fortunes would turn in the bottom of the sixth. Now much deeper into the game and likely tiring, the A’s got to work. Jeff McNeil started things off with a leadoff single then found himself at second base after a Houston error put Gelof on behind him. Needing to cash in manager Mark Kotsay called for a sacrifice bunt from Donovan Walton, which he executed to perfection. This is where the game turned.
With a left-handed hitter in Carlos Cortes coming to bat Houston pulled Brown (at 100 pitches) for lefty relief pitcher Bennett Sousa. Kotsay countered by pitch-hitting Cortes with the righty-swinging Michael Stefanic. The game of chess worked out in Kotsay’s favor tonight as Stefanic rewarded him with a two-run RBI single to take the lead:
And they weren’t done there either. Rookie infielder followed with another single to put another runner in scoring position, and Jonah Heim delivered a third straight single to bring home Stefanic:
That made it 3-1 A’s. And they still weren’t done. Sensational rookie center fielder Henry Bolte was up next and all he did was swat a two-run RBI triple to make it 5-1:
Still not done, Lawrence Butler followed and grounded out to the first baseman. Bolte made the dash for home, the throw trying to beat him. Which made it there first? Take a wild guess:
What can’t this kid do? If there’s one positive from an otherwise down year, it’s that the Athletics have their long-term answer in center field. And his name is just an addes bonus.
Astros rally, A’s hold on
That six-spot in the sixth seemed like it would be more than enough for the Athletics tonight. However Houston wasn’t ready to roll over just yet, not with the playoffs within their grasp. First they cut into the lead with a solo shot in the seventh to make it 6-2, then they rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth off Luis Medina. He’s lucky he only allowed three as it could have spiraled way more out of control than it did.
Still, the A’s had the lead heading into the ninth and turned things over to Hogan Harris, asking him for three more outs. He was more or less nails, allowing just a walk but promptly wiping him out with a groundball double play to end the game, securing his 17th save of the year.
Closer than it needed to be but still a solid win all around. Lopez dealt in his final appearance of the season and heads into winter on a high note. The offense meanwhile did its job without the long ball, again in large part thanks to Bolte. The bullpen was definitely shaky but they still held onto the lead and the A’s came away with win #64. Thanks to Texas’ loss the Astros are still tied for first in the AL West at 79-81. That just means the A’s will have to win again tomorrow.
We’re down to our final two games of Athletics baseball this year! It’s been a slog at times but we’re all going to miss it in about a week, that’s for sure. For now let’s just soak it all up while we can. The third game of the series is tomorrow night. The A’s are sending right-hander Jack Perkins to the mound for his final start of the 2026 campaign, like Lopez hoping to end his tough season on a high note. Houston meanwhile has yet to announce their starter so stay tuned there.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Teoscar Hernández #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is congratulated by Max Muncy #13 after Hernández hits a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the second inning at Oracle Park on September 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers (98-62) shutout the Giants (65-95) Friday night in San Francisco behind a dominant Tarik Skubal and a pair of home runs from Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages.
Despite a Giants lineup more akin to a Triple-A squad, Skubal looked completely dominant and efficient against the San Francisco bats. Skubal struck out 10 over seven shutout innings, and he only made 75 pitches in his final tuneup before his first postseason start with the Dodgers.
Will Smith’s health and success is key to the Dodgers heading into the postseason. Smith came into the game hitting .400 with eight hits including three home runs in his last seven games. Smith continued his hot hitting and lined a single in the first inning to give the Dodgers two runners in scoring position with two outs against Yunior Marté.
While Smith and Pages continued to ramp up their offense with solid nights at the plate, Shohei Ohtani had a rough one. Ohtani went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
There were three outfield assists in the first three innings of the game. Both teams attempted to stretch singles into doubles but were shut down with laser throws from the outfield.
Pages showed off his arm in center field in the bottom of the first behind Skubal, throwing out Victor Bericoto at second. Bericoto must not have read the scouting report on Pages and his cannon in center.
Teoscar Hernández quickly crushed the first pitch he saw from Marte for a solo homer to left to put the Dodgers on the board.
Pages has been trying to get at-bats in after missing more than a month. He looked in midseason form when he launched a solo home run to make it 2-0 in favor of the Dodgers, his first round-tripper since coming off the injured list.
Both teams tried to stretch singles into doubles but got mowed down by the opposition at second base. Kiké Hernández was thrown out by Marcelo Mayer at second for the second outfield assist of the game.
Smith collected his second hit of the night, a two-out single in the bottom of the third. Smith also tried to leg out a double, but was once again blocked by Mayer. The Dodgers challenged the call on the field, but the trifecta of outfield assists stood intact.
There was no need to push Skubal any further without anything on the line for the Dodgers during this final weekend series. Roki Sasaki took over for Skubal out of the bullpen for the eighth inning and struck out two. Sasaki and his giant yellow glove will certainly be looked to out of relief during the NLDS.
America’s Catcher, Smith, picked up his third hit of the night in the top of the ninth. Despite the late-inning base runners, the Dodgers couldn’t add on to their lead.
Tanner Scott took the ball with a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth and secured the 2-0 shutout win with two strikeouts to put a bow on it.
Friday particulars
Home runs: Teoscar Hernández (16), Andy Pages (22)
WP — Tarik Skubal(12-7): 7 IP, 3 hits, no runs, no walks, 10 strikeouts (75 pitches)
The Dodgers and Giants face each other in the penultimate regular season game Saturday (1:05 p.m., SportsNet LA). Blake Snell (4-1, 1.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) looks to head into the postseason on a strong note. Fellow lefty Matt Wilkinson (1-3, 3.65 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) starts for the Giants.
SAN FRANCISCO –– In his final tune-up of the regular season, Tarik Skubal looked like a well-oiled machine.
After looking good, but not often great, in his first couple months with the Dodgers, the team’s marquee trade deadline acquisition tapped back into his two-time Cy Young-winning form on Friday night, carving up the San Francisco Giants in a 2-0 win that could portend big things in the playoffs.
“That was the best we’ve seen,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He was on a mission tonight. You could see it. Everything was working … Incredibly good.”
During his scoreless seven-inning start, Skubal struck out 10 batters and allowed just three hits. He didn’t issue a walk. He hardly even looked stressed during an uber-efficient 75-pitch domination.
Tarik Skubal smiles as he walks to the dugout after striking out Shay Whitcomb to close out the fifth inning in the Dodgers’ 2-0 win over the Giants on Sept. 25, 2026, in San Francisco. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
In his entire MLB career, the only time he posted a better stat line might have been in his lone complete-game shutout last year against the Cleveland Guardians.
“It’s just pitching aggressive and challenging them,” Skubal said. “Tough park to hit in. And the wind seemed like it was blowing in, kind of keeping fly balls in the yard tonight. So just challenge them and see how far they can hit it.”
The Dodgers, of course, didn’t need proof of such excellence from Skubal.
When they acquired him from the Tigers two months ago, they knew they had landed the one player available at this year’s deadline capable of significantly boosting their World Series odds.
He felt like he was being “a little too fine” at times, recording only one start without a walk in his first nine Dodgers outings. He didn’t have a scoreless performance until two weeks ago in Cincinnati, when he blanked the Reds over seven innings with nine strikeouts and only three hits allowed. And even then, he turned right back around and allowed four runs in five innings against the Giants his last time out –– showing visible frustration with himself before spending a few days earlier this week away from the team on the bereavement list.
“I’m not attacking the way I know how to attack,” he said. “My stuff’s too good to give a guy a free pass.”
Friday’s rematch at Oracle Park followed an entirely different script.
Tarik Skubal throws a pitch during the third inning of the Dodgers’ road win over the Giants. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
And from there, the 29-year-old Northern California native never looked back.
He pounded the Giants with a steady diet of fastballs (even hitting 100 mph at one point for only the third time this year) and changeups (commanding it better than he had for most of the last couple months) while also starting out with a first-pitch strike to 21 of his 23 batters.
“First-pitch strikes [are important],” Skubal said. “Today’s game gets very analytical. I think when I’m really good, it’s at the old-school stuff. Like getting ahead, winning your 1-1 counts, getting guys out in three or four pitches.”
Did Skubal think he “bullied” the Giants’ overmatched offense?
“I’m not going to use that word,” he joked. “That’ll make a pretty good headline if I say that.”
With Friday’s performance, Skubal finished his regular season with a 12-7 record and 2.72 ERA overall. Following his trade to the Dodgers, he went 5-2 and posted a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts, the last four of which were all winning decisions.
“Those numbers are great,” he said. “I think there’s just some things where I could be better. Today was a really good day. But I’ve also had some kind of poor performances … I think there’s always room for improvement. I’m not really satisfied with anything I’ve accomplished so far.”
Tarik Skubal throws a pitch during the Dodgers’ road victory over the Giants. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The only caveat to Friday’s gem: The Giants are trotting out what is effectively a Triple-A lineup, as they limp to the end of a dismal 2026 season in which all of their big stars first struggled, then got hurt.
Still, there are worse ways to enter the playoffs than off the back of what was arguably his most complete start all season.
Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal delivers in the first inning of a 2-0 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Friday night. (Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
It didn’t matter that Tarik Skubal’s heater zipped across the middle of the plate, belt high to San Francisco Giants rookie Bo Davidson. The Dodgers’ left-hander had been unhittable all inning, and the 100-mph fastball he reached back for to end the fourth was no exception.
It was just the third time Skubal had touched 100 mph all season, and Davidson waved at the pitch, falling to the same fate as his teammates before him, as Skubal struck out the side in order.
Skubal’s final regular-season tuneup, in the Dodgers’ 2-0 win on Friday, went swimmingly. In an efficient seven scoreless innings, Skubal threw just 75 pitches.
That gem brought Skubal’s regular-season ERA to 2.72, and 2.61 since the Dodgers (98-62) acquired him from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline.
Teoscar Hernández is showered in sunflower seeds after hitting a home run against the Giants in the second inning Friday. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
At the time, his addition looked like a luxury for a team that already boasted one of the best rotations in the majors, assuming two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani would eventually return to the mound.
When he didn’t, instead landing on the injured list for two weeks, Skubal’s smooth transition turned what could have been a shock wave of a loss for the rotation into barely a tremor.
Even without Ohtani, the Dodgers’ projected postseason rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow is still drawing comparisons to the ‘90s Atlanta Braves.
Next, they’ll test that association under postseason conditions. Skubal’s outing Friday sent him into the first-round bye on a high note.
Skubal only gave up three hits, all singles, one of which third baseman Max Muncy knocked down the line before the soft grounder could leave the infield in the seventh inning. Skubal retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani takes the field at the start on Friday's game against the Giants. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
In all, Skubal recorded 10 strikeouts, reaching double digits for the fourth time this season.
Roki Sasaki — continuing to log innings in relief in preparation for his postseason role — threw a perfect eighth. Tanner Scott retired the side in the ninth to record the save.
The Dodgers’ offense came via the long ball. Teoscar Hernández continued his red-hot September with a solo home run in the second inning, his fifth homer in a month. Andy Pages followed two batters later with a home run, his first since coming off the injured list this week.
If the Yankees want to ensure they do not have a ball hit to third base against them in the playoffs, perhaps they should just put Anthony Volpe there.
They had Volpe start at the hot corner Friday for the first time in his big league career, and by the end of the 10-2 loss to the Orioles in the opener of a doubleheader, he was still waiting for his first real chance.
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A ball was finally hit to third base in the ninth inning, except it hit the bag and flew over Volpe’s head, giving him no shot to make a play.
Otherwise, nothing came his way, and while he could start there again Sunday if the Yankees are not washed out, Aaron Boone still considered the game valuable for Volpe.
“Not a lot of action over there, but there’s something to be said for being in there and thinking through the situations and moving and setting up how you’re supposed to,” said Boone, who started Volpe at shortstop in the nightcap.
Anthony Volpe rips a two-run ground-rule double during the sixth inning of the Yankees’ 6-3 win over the Orioles in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Sept. 25, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Volpe seems unlikely to start at third base in the playoffs, but he played there Friday so he could at least have it in his back pocket, which would give him even more positional flexibility after making the transition from shortstop to second base at Triple-A.
Having that versatility could allow the Yankees to get more aggressive in using pinch hitters and pinch runners in the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.
“I felt comfortable,” said Volpe, who credited third baseman Ryan McMahon, infield coach Dan Fiorito, Triple-A infield coach Gil Velasquez and former teammate Oswaldo Cabrera for helping him get up to speed at the position.
“No matter where you play, you got to anticipate and know where you got to be. I feel like I’ve picked it up.”
Leody Taveras is safe at second base after beating the throw to shortstop Anthony Volpe during the third inning of the Yankees’ Game 2 win over the Orioles. AP Photo/Noah K. Murray
Before Friday’s doubleheader, the Yankees held the equivalent of postseason tryouts — or perhaps prove-its — as Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham faced Ryan Weathers, with all three trying to show they are healthy enough and ready to be on the wild-card roster.
Weathers, throwing one inning and about 20 pitches, was facing hitters for the first time suffering a left forearm flexor strain last month. Doing so Friday leaves the door open for him to be on the roster next week, which would give the bullpen a power lefty.
“He looks healthy, that’s what I took away,” Boone said. “Looks like Ryan stuff-wise. He was up to 96 [mph] with the velo[city]. A little scattered there in his inning, but just from my vantage point on the side, stuff looked good. … Whether [he’s an option for the] first round or not, that’ll be the conversation we have here in the next day or two.”
Stanton and Grisham, meanwhile, were facing live pitching for the second time in three days (and faced minor league lefty Xavier Rivas for more at-bats around Weathers’ inning). Despite not having played in a game for five months because of three calf strains, Stanton is in consideration to make the roster as a pinch hitter depending on how many position players the Yankees carry.
“Obviously we’ll talk to G, see where he’s at, mentally, physically, all that,” Boone said. “But having the threat there is real, and if we feel like he’s up to it and ready for it, the threat that we all know G is, we got to weigh that.”
Grisham has been sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring strain but could make the roster as a fourth outfielder (and potentially start in center against righties, with Spencer Jones moving to right).
“He’s knocking on that door too,” Boone said. “He’s checked a lot of the boxes and gone through his running progressions and things like that. So he’s very much in play and in the conversation too.”
The Yankees had 18 innings to cover Friday, but Carlos Lagrange was not called up to throw any of them. Across the two games, they promoted Brendan Beck, Yerry de los Santos and Alexander Cornielle to eat innings (Beck starting Game 1), allowing them to protect the rest of their pitching staff ahead of the postseason.
Lagrange, meanwhile, was not going to be available to pitch Friday after throwing live on Wednesday in Somerset, N.J., as part of the Yankees’ stay-ready group. The hard-throwing 23-year-old is still not far removed from a shoulder sprain, so the Yankees are being cautious with him even while keeping him in play to potentially be an option for a postseason roster.
“He had an injury, and he’s just started throwing lives again,” Boone said. “He threw live two days ago, so he’s not in play right now. Could be down the road, but he’s not in play yet.”
With Sunday’s regular-season finale in jeopardy because of the nor’easter — and the Yankees planning to call up Elmer Rodríguez for length if they play that game — Lagrange seems doubtful to appear in a regular-season game.
Fernando Cruz (partially torn UCL) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday (to make room on the 40-man roster for Cornielle), essentially ruling him out for the entire postseason despite his attempt to make a late-season comeback. … Boone said he did not know what Aaron Judge (calf strain) was doing Friday “as far as baseball goes
New York Yankees relief pitcher Will Warren (29) follows through on a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the third inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Friday, September 25, 2026.
For a bullpen that has three (heavily used) sure things and a whole lot of question marks behind them entering the playoffs, Will Warren is trying to become one of the answers the Yankees will need to find.
The right-handed starter made his final regular-season appearance out of the bullpen Friday and delivered 3 ¹/₃ scoreless innings in the Yankees’ 6-3 win over the Orioles to split the doubleheader, as he prepares for a relief role in the AL Wild Card Series and beyond.
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Warren recorded seven of his 11 outs via the strikeout, racking up 13 whiffs on 28 swings and flashing the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that could be valuable in the Yankees bullpen.
“He can be big for us moving forward in the postseason, and in different roles,” manager Aaron Boone said.
The Yankees know they have workhorses Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn to form the bridge to David Bednar in the ninth inning, but they could certainly use more help. Warren has a chance to offer it, especially as his velocity and stuff has ticked up over the past month.
“I feel like as a starter, you’re supposed to get both sides of the plate out, so I think that would be pretty big for us,” said Warren, who finished the season with a 3.92 ERA. “You see Blackburn do it, you see Headrick do it, so whenever my name’s called, I’ll be ready to go.”
New York Yankees relief pitcher Will Warren (29) follows through on a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the third inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Friday, September 25, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The club kept Warren to 54 pitches Friday in his third relief appearance of the season, ensuring he will be available on Tuesday for Game 1 against the Red Sox while also offering some length if needed.
“I felt good — a little less blackout this time,” Warren joked, referring to his bullpen cameo earlier this month against the Padres.
On a day when the wind from the incoming nor’easter wreaked some havoc, the Yankees (93-68) dropped the first game of the doubleheader 10-2 before taking the nightcap. Whether they actually play Game 162 on Sunday remains to be seen, with the forecast iffy, but their bats came alive in the second half of the twin bill, including a two-run double from Anthony Volpe and two hits apiece from Ben Rice and Ryan McMahon.
New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) is greeted by teammates in the dugout after scoring on his solo home run during the fourth inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY PostNew York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) hits a two-run RBI ground-rule double during the sixth inning of game two of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Former Met Pete Alonso crushed a pair of home runs for the Orioles (79-82) in Game 1 — including a 471-foot shot that cut through the wind blowing in — to move into sole possession of the American League lead with 43 on the year.
The Yankees also had some questionable outfield defense in both ends of the doubleheader, windy or not. In Game 1, Spencer Jones could not track down a fly ball to center field, as it hit off his glove and turned into an inside-the-park home run for Jeremiah Jackson. In Game 2, right fielder Heliot Ramos simply dropped a fly ball to right field.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 25: Travis Bazzana #37 of the Cleveland Guardians slides into third base against Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium on September 25, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If I hadn’t known any better, I would have assumed the Royals were the team that were partying late into the night and didn’t get into town until 3 AM. They played perhaps their sloppiest game of the season and despite the fact that Gavin Williams didn’t have anything approaching his best stuff, the Royals fell to the Guardians 12-9.
I don’t usually like to go over the game with such a fine-tooth comb, but this game defies understanding without it. So here we go.
The sloppiness started immediately. Steven Kwan took a strike on the inside corner. He knew it was a strike. Carter Jensen knew it was a strike. But the umpire called it a ball and, inexplicably, Carter didn’t challenge. Next up, Jose Ramírez hit a ground ball to third. It looked like a good chance for a double play, but instead Maikel Garcia let the hop play him, and it deflected off of his glove for no outs. At that point, Noah Cameron got a flyout from Chase DeLauter; Ramírez attempted to tag and advance to second behind Kwan going to third. The throw appeared to be there in time, but J-Ram swam around it. However, he appeared to slide past the bag while Michael Massey was holding the tag. The umpire called him safe, and the Royals didn’t challenge. From there, Noah gave up a legitimate single to Angel Hernandez to score two before mercifully escaping.
In the bottom of the first, Bobby Witt Jr. took a one-out, four-pitch walk. Jac Caglianone roped a double into the left field corner that could score only someone as fast as Bobby. Things were looking up!
Maikel Garcia smashed a single into right that was hit too hard to score Jac, but Maikel inexplicably took a wide turn around first. It didn’t look like he was trying to draw a throw to allow Jac to score, which would have been a mistake given how hard he hit that ball in any case. But that would mean he simply got sloppy running the bases, which isn’t better. The Guardians got him in a rundown, and Jac exacerbated the problem by kind of dancing to no-man’s-land between third and home. Fortunately for the Royals, they missed the tag on Maikel but easily threw out Jac. Jac needed to either aggressively go home or stay at third; the in-between stuff guaranteed he wasn’t going to do anything positive.
Cameron gave up a home run to Austin Hedges in the top of the second, and it seemed like things might get completely out of control. But he didn’t give up another baserunner that inning. In the bottom of the inning, John Rave reached on a bunt single, and Carter Jensen got his second look at Gavin Williams.
That tied Carter Jensen with Mike Piazza for the most extra-base hits for a catcher in a rookie season. More importantly, that tied the game! Maybe things weren’t going to be so bad after all!
Nope. Cameron gave up another run in the top of the fourth.
But the bottom of the fourth! John Rave led off with a walk. Kyle Isbel inexplicably sacrificed him over. The Guardians went to their bullpen for Tim Herrin rather than risk pushing Williams even further when they needed him in the playoffs. Rave immediately stole third and scored on a Jensen sacrifice fly. Then Bobby singled to right, stole second, and scored on a Caglianone single to right. Maikel Garcia hit a slow roller to the left side; it was clearly going to be an infield single. Jac Caglianone inexplicably took a hard turn around second and ended up in a rundown that ended the inning instead of putting runners at first and second for Vinnie Pasquantino. Still, they had the lead!
Alas, Cameron still hadn’t found his command. Jo Adell doubled, and two batters later, David Fry crushed a home run to left to take the lead right back. Travis Bazzana hit a fly ball to right field, and the wind really got a hold of it. Jac was slow to read how much shallower it was going to end up, and Bazzana got a double out of it when Jac’s dive came up short. Hedges hit a grounder back to Cameron; Bazzana inexplicably took off for third, Cameron tossed it to Maikel, but the team failed the rundown, and the Guardians ended up with runners at second and third. Bazzana then scored on a Brayan Rocchio groundout.
That’s where the score stayed until the bottom of the eighth. Connor Thomas pitched the sixth and seventh, allowing only a hit, but walking no one and striking no one out. Lucas Erceg walked the bases loaded in his inning, but otherwise escaped unscathed. His body language was complaining about the state of the mound – remember tonight’s game was delayed almost an hour by rain and it was a soggy night even when it wasn’t raining,
Massey led off the inning with a single to center. Rave hit a deep fly to the left field corner, and Massey was not prompt about returning to first, so he was doubled off when Steven Kwan and Rocchio combined to pick up the assist. But Kyle Isbel dumped a single into right and Carter Jensen wasn’t going to let the Royals go down so quietly.
You’ll hear at the start of that clip that Ryan wondered if Massey was hurt, but he stayed in the game.
That gave Carter the new record for most XBH by a rookie catcher in a season. Don’t count him out of the Rookie of the Year conversation just yet!
Nate Pearson got the ninth, and he also walked the bases loaded. While he was at it, Travis Bazzana gifted the Royals a pop-out on the only strike Pearson threw in his first 13 pitches. He was also complaining about the mound. Finally, they came out and messed around with the dirt. Pearson responded by getting Kwan on a soft ground out to Garcia; the play was at the plate. But then Pearson walked Jose Ramírez to force in the go-ahead run.
Matt Quatraro went to get Nolan Hoffman to try and get past DeLauter. Hoffman walked him, too. Then he walked Petey Halpin, who had pinch-run for Jo Adell earlier in the game. Finally, Angel Martinez put a ball in play, a double down the left field line. Halpin was mercifully thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Heaven knows if we had had to wait for a Royals’ pitcher to actually earn an out we would probably still be there.
Salvy crushed a home run to left field with Maikel on to cut the deficit to 3.
The home run, number 324, tied him with Lance Parrish and Gary Carter on the all-time list for home runs by a primary catcher.
So let’s do a little summarization here, because that was a lot.
Noah Cameron had his worst start since he started calling his own pitches. He finishes the season with a 4.11 ERA.
The Royals walked a season-high 13. Each of the last three relievers the Royals used, all of whom likely figure in their plans for next year, allowed three or more baserunners, including at least two walks.
Six different Royals reached base at least twice, including Jensen’s pair of dingers, Jac Caglianone coming through with three hits, and John Rave reaching twice and scoring each time.
The Royals outhit the Guardians, but those walks were backbreaking. The baserunning errors didn’t help.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Royals were paying tribute to Denny’s lengthy career all night. I had kind of shrugged my shoulders about it all because I expected it to be very corporatized and saccharine. But, in the end, the tributes all seemed quite heartfelt. I may have even teared up a little. It was a bright spot on an otherwise exceptionally frustrating night for Royals fans.
The Guardians’ magic number to win the division fell to two. The Royals will try to bounce back tomorrow. Michael Wacha (3.33 ERA, 4.36 SIERA) will make his final start of the year; he needs 5.2 innings to reach 200 for the season. The Royals will probably beg him to throw at least that many, considering the state the bullpen has been in for the past couple of weeks. The Guardians will counter with Tanner Bibee (4.35 ERA, 4.49 SIERA). The game will start at 6:10 PM.
