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Game Discussion: Milwaukee Brewers (99-59) @ Philadelphia Phillies (87-71)

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after a 3-0 victory against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 20, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

For the first time, the Brewers will play a regular-season game with 99 wins next to their name. For the first time, the Brewers will have a chance to do something they’ve never done as a franchise before, and that’s win 100 games.

Tonight has the makings of an offensive duel as both pitchers on the mound have an ERA over 4.00. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean a ton, but both offenses have been swinging a hot bat as of late. The Brewers will have to face Andrew Painter, who has had an up-and-down rookie season. Specifically, through the month of September, he enters with a 4.03 ERA, having pitched beyond five innings just twice. During that span, he has allowed four home runs, giving the Brewers bats a chance to improve their power stroke in their final road game of the season.

Up until a few hours ago, the Brewers hadn’t announced their starter for tonight’s game as they continue to get pitchers lined up for next weekend’s NLDS. Shane Drohan, who hasn’t made a start since September 12, will get the call. His previous two appearances have come out of the bullpen, where he threw a collective 2 1/3 innings, not allowing a run. He’ll look to make an interesting case to carry him as a reliable lefty in the event a starter has to be pulled early. However, Drohan got knocked around a bit in his last two starts, giving up a total of 11 runs, 10 hits, and four home runs.

The Crew will be without Jackson Chourio, Christian Yelich, and Andrew Vaughn in the lineup tonight as Gary Sánchez will make the start behind the plate with Sal Frelick in left field. Garrett Mitchell will lead off the top of the lineup, with Brice Turang to follow and William Contreras batting third. Joey Ortiz will find himself at the bottom of the lineup playing third base, keeping David Hamilton off the field.

Tonight’s game begins at 5:05 p.m., and you’ll be able to watch the game on Brewers.TV and listen to it on WTMJ 620.

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Ranger Suárez makes final regular season start with series win on the line

TV: NESN

First Pitch: 6:45 p.m. ET

The Red Sox would love to have some more momentum prior to the playoffs as they wrap up the penultimate regular season. Ranger Suárez would love to continue his own momentum with a 0.92 ERA in September. The left-hander is historically dependable in the playoffs and he can offer another reminder of that with an appetizer of sorts in the rubber match against the Cleveland Guardians. 

Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate behind him Thursday night at Fenway Park. 

The Guardians, who can clinch a playoff spot with a win or loss by the Astros or Rangers, counter with Daniel Espino. The right-hander is finally back on the mound after dealing with injuries after being selected in the first round of the 2019 draft. 

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Michkov shows his offseason work as Flyers beat Bruins in preseason

Michkov shows his offseason work as Flyers beat Bruins in preseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

After dressing some inexperienced lineups in their first two preseason games, the Flyers had much more of an NHL look Thursday night.

They played like it, picking up a 2-0 exhibition win over the Bruins at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Matvei Michkov and Cole Knuble provided the Flyers’ goals. Joseph Woll delivered the shutout in net.

The Flyers improved to 1-2-0 in the preseason and have one game left before opening night next Wednesday.

• It was an exhibition game, but all the hype about Michkov’s big offseason looked legit.

The 21-year-old winger moved extremely well. His hands and legs were at a different gear.

“Mich I thought was skating really well and felt it with the puck,” Rick Tocchet said. “It was really nice to see.”

Michkov scored just 4:02 minutes into the game on a rebound. During that sequence, he displayed some crisp passing in the offensive zone.

In the second period, he had a nifty touch pass through his legs to spring Christian Dvorak for a scoring chance.

Michkov would have had two goals if he buried a Grade A look in the third period. He was excellent, though, and provided a really good sign of him bouncing back from his sophomore slump.

“He was awesome,” Porter Martone said. “He played really well. … I think we should expect a big season from him.”

• Woll, the Flyers’ new backup goaltender, stopped all 28 shots he faced.

“He looks big in net,” Tocchet said. “He made some really good saves.”

It was a good tune-up for the 28-year-old. We’ll see if Woll will be needed on opening night. Dan Vladar is day to day with an upper-body injury.

• Zach Aston-Reese, Jack Studnicka, Danila Klimovich, Nolan Foote and Cam Dineen cleared waivers Thursday and were loaned to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

Carl Grundstrom also cleared, but he’ll stay with the big club for now. That’s likely related to the uncertainty around Denver Barkey’s status for opener. The 21-year-old forward has been considered day to day with a lower-body injury.

Barkey was skating Thursday in a non-contact jersey with the non-game group. However, he left the ice early, according to Travis Ballinghoff of the Nasty Knuckles podcast.

If Barkey is unavailable for the regular-season opener, the Flyers could turn to Grundstrom or Nikita Grebenkin. Grebenkin has to be healthy, though. He exited briefly in the third period after taking a hip check into the boards. The 23-year-old had a delayed start to training camp because of a flare-up with his injury from last season.

It’s also possible Knuble has forced his way into the conversation. The Flyers have given him a good look and he hasn’t wasted it. In three preseason games and one rookie game, Knuble has put up three goals. The Flyers are high on the 22-year-old prospect. Tocchet didn’t rule out Knuble making the season-opening roster.

“Yeah, it could happen,” Tocchet said. “There’s a numbers game, but he’s definitely pushing some people.”

Jett Luchanko has also played in all three preseason games and has collected an assist in each one.

“We’re building some chemistry there,” Knuble said. “He’s fun to play with, he’s so fast, he creates turnovers — an easy guy to play with.”

Helge Grans left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and didn’t return. The 24-year-old defenseman recorded an assist on Michkov’s goal.

The Flyers’ roster is at 30 players. It can have no more than 23 when it’s submitted before next Monday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline.

• The Flyers have a day off Friday before wrapping up the preseason Saturday when they host the Capitals (5 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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Lakers make bold statement about LeBron James era

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers looking serious on court, Image 2 shows Rob Pelinka speaking at a press conference with Lakers and UCLA Health logos in the background

After opening media availability with a moment of silence for Lawrence Tanter, the Lakers thanked LeBron James for his eight seasons in Los Angeles.

“I thought it would be appropriate, at the front, just to express gratitude for the LeBron era here,” general manager Rob Pelinka said to open Thursday’s news conference.

“Clearly, new team, new players, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today, but we just as an organization are so grateful for the run that we had with him here. The Lakers have become, as they should, a perennial playoff team.

“It was a great era, and we’re grateful for it. I just think it’s important to say that at the onset as we turn into a new chapter.”

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Reddick addressed the media Thursday. Getty Images

This summer, James informed the Lakers he would not return for the 2026-27 season and would enter free agency. The 41-year-old’s decision kicked off the saga of the summer as NBA teams attempted to snag James.

The veteran ultimately joined the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal.

Meanwhile, the Lakers completely revamped the roster headlined by the signing of center Walker Kessler to a four-year, $130 million deal. Pelinka and coach JJ Redick spoke to the media for the first time Thursday about the roster overhaul.

It’s a new era in Los Angeles as Luka Doncic shoulders the Lakers as captain and leader.

LeBron James (23) of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts on the court during the second half. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
JJ Redick points while talking to LeBron James during a game. NBAE via Getty Images
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Public Skate: Bruins vs. Flyers, Preseason Pt. II

BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 22: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins chases the puck down during a preseason game between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers on September 22, 2026, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Welcome to preseason game 3 of 4, folks!

The Bruins and Flyers will renew acquaintances tonight in Philadelphia, just a couple of days after the B’s beat the Flyers at TD Garden by a score of 5-1.

Per the NHL website, this game will be broadcast on NESN+ locally, so you should be able to watch if you have a subscription/cable.

Per the Bruins yesterday, here’s who you’ll see tonight:

The Flyers will respond with plenty of NHL regulars, so this one could get interesting.

After tonight, the B’s will wrap up their preseason on Friday night in Washington, DC.

Bruins! Flyers! Again, but in a different place!

Discuss.

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The Mets couldn’t rock Rocker, fall to Rangers

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 24: Zac Thornton #49 of the New York Mets pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field on September 24, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After taking the first two games of their three-game series, the Mets’ bats couldn’t shake off the (presumed) Texas BBQ coma they were in, dropping the series finale to the Rangers 3-1.

The Mets got off to a good start today, with Francisco Lindor leading off the game with a ground-rule double. Lindor would come around to score on a Carson Benge RBI single three batters later, putting the Mets up 1-0. However, the Mets would reach base just four more times over the subsequent eight innings, twice on hits (a single from Brett Baty and a double from Nick Morabito), and twice via the base on balls (Juan Soto and Marcus Semien).

Former Mets’ first round track pick Kumar Rocker started for the Rangers and, aside from the first inning run, was solid over five for Texas. He walked two, struck out four, and lowered his ERA to 4.38 on the season. Relievers Robert Garcia, Tyler Alexander, Chase Silseth, and Jordan Montgomery all blanked the Mets, allowing just one base runner over the game’s final four innings.

Aside from allowing a two-run home run to Josh Jung in the bottom of the first, Zach Thornton was solid in his final start of the year. He pitched five innings, allowing just those two runs, striking out four and walking one. With 83 pitches on the afternoon, they could’ve pushed him to potentially pitch one more inning, but why?

Thornton was relieved by Jefrey Yan, who on his second pitch of the afternoon, allowed a home run to Corey Seager to extend the Rangers’ lead to two runs. Yan would last two-thirds of an inning before he was relieved by Austin Warren, who was perfect in his inning and a third of work. Jack Weisenberger gave up one hit and one walk in his inning, but stranded both runners.

With this win, the Rangers keep their playoff hopes alive, as they are currently a half game up on the Rangers before Houston plays the Athletics this evening.

The Mets travel to Washington D.C. to face the Nationals in the final series of the season. The Mets have not announced a starter after Christian Scott went on the IL, but Andrew Alvarez will start for the Nats.

SB Nation GameThreads

Amazin’ Avenue

Lone Star Ball

Box scores

ESPN

MLB.com

Win Probability Added

Mets/Rangers WPA Chart 9/24/26

What’s WPA?

Big winner: Nobody

Big loser: Bo Bichette, 018.0% WPA

Total pitcher WPA:  -3.0% WPA

Total batter WPA: -47.0% WPA

Teh aw3s0mest play: Carson Benge’s first inning RBI single, +9.4% WPA

Teh sux0rest play: Josh Jung’s two-run home run, -18.6% WPA

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Dobnak roughed up, offense silent in Royals loss

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 24: Randy Dobnak #62 of Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium on September 24, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Randy Dobnak failed to get out of the second inning while the offense managed just a single run against the White Sox Thursday afternoon as the Royals appropriately lost their 91st game of the season, 9-1.

Chicago came out attacking Dobnak in the first inning. Through only 14 pitches, he’d already faced six batters and allowed three runs. His last outing of the season was ugly as he recorded only four outs while allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out one. He also committed two throwing errors, one after fielding a bunt and one on a botched pick-off attempt.

In the first, leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci singled up the middle. Catcher Kyle Teel followed with a perfect bunt that Dobnak cleanly fielded, but his throw to first pulled Vinnie Pasqauntino off the bag. Miguel Vargas followed with an RBI single to left. After striking out Munetaka Murakami for the first out, Dobnak got Andrew Benintendi to fly out to center, which scored Teel from third. Vargas then stole second before scoring on Tristan Peters’ single through the infield. Chase Meidroth then singled before Dobnak retired Colson Montgomery on a fly ball to center.

An unencouraging top half of the first inning, and yet things continued to get worse. Braden Montgomery led off the second with a single before Antonacci walked. Montgomery then scored on Dobnak’s second error of the game when miscommunication ensued and the pitcher, unbeknownst to the first baseman, attempted a pickoff. Dobnak then hit Teel before Vargas added his second RBI single in two innings. After Murakami grounded out to second, which scored Teel, the Royals finally pulled Dobnak.

Good riddance.

The Royals offense collected seven hits with John Rave and Kyle Isbel both going 2-for-4. Bobby Witt Jr. hit his 32nd double in the bottom of the first while Nick Loftin recorded his 27th and Rave his 8th. The Royals now have 285 doubles on the year, which leads the Majors.

Salvador Perez scored the Royals only run of the day when he uncorked his 20th home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the score to 8-1. The White Sox grabbed that run right back in the top of the fifth. Neither team scored the rest of the way.

It’s the 10th time Salvy has hit at least 20 home runs in a season, extending his Royals record.

For the White Sox, former Royals farmhand David Sandlin had a strong start: six innings, five hits, one walk, seven strikeouts, one earned run. He improves to 3-2 on the year with a 5.58 ERA. Chicago’s bullpen finished the game with three unexciting innings in which the Royals mustered two hits and one walk.

Aside from Dobnak, Anthony Gose pitched 1-and-2/3 innings while giving up one run and striking out three. Spencer Bivens and Nolan Hoffman combined for three innings of shutout ball while allowing two hits and zero walks while striking out five. Alex Lange and Juan Cuas, not so much—they combined for three innings pitched, three earned runs, five walks, and three strikeouts. Lange allowed the only White Sox home run, to Teel (5) in the fourth.

For the Royals, Cleveland comes to town tomorrow night to start the season’s final series. The White Sox head to Colorado to face one of the few teams worse than the Royals in 2026.

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Mets muster just four hits in 3-1 loss to Rangers

The Mets dropped the final game of their three-game set against the Rangers, 3-1, on Thursday afternoon.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Rookie Carson Benge kicked off the scoring for the Mets early, cracking a single out to right field and sending Francisco Lindor, who doubled in the Mets' first at-bat of the afternoon, home for his 63rd RBI of the season. Overall, the rookie went 1-for-4, grounding out in the fourth, flying out in the seventh, and striking out swinging in the ninth. 

Heading into the game, Benge led the team in runs (83), batting average (.275), OBP (.338) and SLG (.420). With one more home run in any of the final three games of the season, he would become the first Met with both 20 homers and 20 steals in his rookie season.

-- The Rangers quickly retaliated, taking a one-run lead in the bottom of the first. Leadoff Justin Foscue singled to left field to start before Josh Jung slammed the ball into the left field stands at 104 mph, sending himself and Foscue around the bases for the 2-1 edge. 

After several deadlocked innings, Corey Seager added to the Rangers' lead with a fly ball out to right field to open the bottom of the sixth. With the win, the Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak.

-- In the 15th start of his rookie season, Zac Thornton nearly replicated his performance from his last start Sept. 18, allowing two runs on four hits, walking just one batter, and striking out four across five innings. Jung was the only Rangers batter to make serious contact with a ball tossed by Thornton, accounting for two of the four hits, both of which left the bat at over 95mph (his second hit, a line-drive double in the bottom of the fourth, clocked 96.5mph).

Jeffrey Yan took over for the southpaw for just two-thirds of the sixth inning, allowing two hits and walking Jung before being replaced by Austin Warren, who struck out two across 1.1 innings. Jack Weisenburger closed the game for the Mets with one allowed hit, one walk, and one strikeout in his one inning.

-- Rangers starter Kumar Rocker posted a similar game, owning the mound for five innings. He allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four. The Mets draftedRocker in 2021 before ultimately deciding not to sign him due to concerns about the health of his right arm. He was then redrafted by the Rangers in 2022 and has been with the organization since.

Robert Gracia, Tyler Alexander, Chase Silseth, and Jordan Montgomery pitched one inning each to round out the game for Texas. Only Alexander allowed a hit, and Silseth struck out two. Montgomery struck out one.
-- Much of the excitement for the Mets came in the field rather than at the plate. In the bottom of the second, Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford took off from first in an attempt to steal second but was caught by Mets catcher Luis Torrens, who calmly caught Thornton's pitch and fired it down the field to Marcus Semien forthe out. Later, when Jake Burger tried to steal third in the bottom of the sixth, Torrens quickly tossed the ball back to Semien to trap Burger between the bases. After Burger slipped on his way back to second, Semien tagged him out as he scrambled to get safely to third.

The Mets connected for a double play to shut the Rangers down in the bottom of the eighth. After Seager struck out swinging, Burger grounded to Lindor at short, who tossed to Semien at second for the second out. Semien then turned to Brett Baty at first to close the half inning.

-- Brandon Nimmo was stifled at the plate in his final appearance against his former team, walking and striking out once apiece. 

Game MVP: Josh Jung

In three at-bats, Jung notched three hits, including his first-inning two-RBI home run. 

Highlights

What's next

The Mets head to Washington, D.C., for a three-game series against the Nationals to close the regular season, beginning Friday.

LHP AndrewAlvarez (2-6, 3.17 ERA) will take the mound for the home team. New York has yet to name a starter.

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Martín Pérez to be placed on Injured List with lower back inflammation, Elieser Hernandez recalled

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 17: Martín Pérez #33 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after giving up a run scoring single against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game at Target Field on August 17, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

We received injury news from the Braves ahead of Walt Weiss’s usual pregame press conference this afternoon. Ronnie’s fine, but Martín Pérez is not.

Perez only threw 79 pitches in his last start. There didn’t appear to be any signs of struggle, so perhaps this has been an issue for some time. Hey, at least it’s not the elbow. Martin Perez has thrown 142 innings of 3.04/4.31/4.52 ball this season, but his postseason appears in doubt and perhaps JR Ritchie may make the postseason roster after all.

We got another bit of a stunner to start off the Walt Weiss’s pregame presser, as the team announced straight away that Martín Pérez would be heading to the IL with what was described as lower back inflammation. As ABsinceWayBack mentioned above, there wasn’t really too much of an indication that something was wrong with Pérez during his recent start. Unfortunately, it appears to be one of those things that just suddenly started acting up on the veteran hurler.

“He felt it during that last outing on Houston. He gutted through it,” explained Weiss when mark Bowman asked him about how it all happened. “You can imagine how frustrated he is. In his mind, he’s wanting to try to hurry up and get better and get back and he wants to be a part of it but we’re just running out of time here.”

“It’s tough for Martín. He’s obviously re-established himself after last year missing most of the year. He’s re-established himself with the year he’s had this year and we wouldn’t be where we are without him.”

Obviously, this has a pretty big effect on Atlanta’s plans for the Postseason as far as deploying their pitching staff. Pérez very likely would’ve been in line to make a start (or at least a bulk appearance out of the bullpen) if the Braves get past the Wild Card series. Pérez has had a bounce-back season as he’s made 30 appearances (26 starts) and produced an ERA of 3.04 (73 ERA-) and a FIP of 4.31 (104 FIP-), which is some of the best work that he’s done in years. It’s been a long road back to the big time for Pérez and it’s a bummer that this is how his regular season had to end.

As far as the pitching plans go, there aren’t any immediate changes to the rotation as they finish off this Cincinnati series and go dust off the regular season in Miami. However, you’d have to imagine that this could lead to a potential bullpen game if the Braves get into the Divisional Series since they’d have to roll right into the NLDS from the Wild Card Series if the opening round ends up going three games. At this point, a sweep would be huge for Atlanta’s chances at making a deep run in the Postseason — much easier said than done!

“For the remaining games, we have things mapped out,” explained Weiss when he was further asked about the plans. “Things can change. If we end up having to use more pitchers (for instance, tonight), then it’ll change what we do tomorrow. That’s always the case, really.”

Similarly to how they’ve had to sort of roll with the punches during the regular season, Weiss continued to explain how the Braves were going to “cross that road when we get there” when it comes to their starting situation. The Braves do have their fair share of options to start games, like Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver (who is currently in the plans to make a piggyback appearance once Tyler Mahle is done tonight) and JR Ritchie. They also have a deep and formidable bullpen as well, so it’s a situation that is still very much manageable at the moment.

With all of that being said, it’s certainly frustrating for the Braves to have lost Reynaldo López, Bryce Elder and now Martín Pérez right before the Postseason is set to kick off. Again, the Braves have options but you’d much rather prefer for those options to expand rather than constrict as the Postseason gets closer and closer. It’s also a nasty reminder of how things have gone for Atlanta’s pitching staff in so many Postseason appearances in recent memory — even in 2021 when Dylan Lee was called upon to make a “start” in the World Series.

Simply put, the Braves have just got to navigate things and it’s on Walt Weiss to figure out a way to do so in a tactically-effective way. Hopefully they’ll get deep enough in the Postseason in order to get those pitching options back and then they’ll have good problems to have in order to figure out who’s going to be on their pitching staff for each respective round. We’ll see what happens.

UPDATE [6:50 p.m. ET]: The Braves have made Pérez’s move to the IL official and have called up Elieser Hernández as the corresponding move.

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79-80 – Rangers send off Shed with 3-1 win over Mets

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 24: Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammate Justin Foscue #14 after hitting a two run home run against the New York Mets during the first inning at Globe Life Field on September 24, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Texas Rangers scored three runs while the New York Mets scored one run.

After a couple of elsewise embarrassing defeats to the National League’s New York squad to begin this crucial series, and with the threat of a crippling sweep, the Rangers decided to buckle down and give the hometown fans one last victory for the road in the final scheduled game at The Shed during this long, weird season.

To accomplish their victory, the Rangers turned to two of their biggest, most necessary catalysts at the plate and a cobbled together pitching staff working through things one pitch at a time.

Things started on an inauspicious note with today’s starter Kumar Rocker allowing a first inning run that had to have had the faithful thinking, “the Rangers are really going to bookend the home slate with series sweeps at the hands of NL squads?”

Indeed, the first home series of the season for Texas was a sweep by the Cincinnati Reds and down 1-0 immediately, it was looking like the Mets had claimed favorable odds for pulling off a final ignominious sweep of Texas in their building even with the division still hanging in the balance.

Leave it to the guy who has been carrying the load since he returned to action to dissuade that notion as Josh Jung followed New York’s first inning run with a two-run dinger in the bottom of the inning to put the Rangers up early. And, as we’ve learned over a whole summer and 80 home games, the Rangers having an early lead is perhaps the predominant key to their success.

To Rocker’s credit, with the Rangers using the entire supply of duct tape in the state of Texas to try to hold their pitching staff together at the moment, the young right-hander stepped up and pitched five innings with the first inning run being his only blemish.

Overall Rocker went his five frames allowing the run on three hits and two walks while striking out four Mets. After Rocker left, the beleaguered bullpen was tasked with needing to wade through four innings in a one-run game. Texas got those four innings out of Robert Garcia, Tyler Alexander, Chase Silseth, and Jordan Montgomery with only Alexander allowing a base runner. Kudos to the ‘pen. They stepped up today.

It didn’t remain a one-run game either as Corey Seager finally came through after a rough series and gave the arms a bit of insurance with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. Eventually that allowed Montgomery to pick up the save with Jacob Latz unavailable. It was just the second save of Montgomery’s career but it was a nice time to get it as Texas held on for the win.

With any luck, today’s game won’t actually be the final game played at The Shed this season but as far as the regular season goes, the Rangers are finished in Arlington. At 79-80, 14th best in baseball, the Rangers hold a half game lead over Houston for the American League West crown.

Player of the Game: We’ve taken to dubbing Jung “the straw” of late for being the straw that stirs the drink for what is a complicated offense that has been prone to disappear without him.

Today, without him, the Rangers and Met would presumably still be playing as his two-run home run in the bottom of the first to erase a 1-0 Mets lead proved the difference for a player who is proving to be a difference maker down the stretch.

Overall Jung went 3-for-3 with a walk to reach in each of his PAs today. Josh Jung wants some of that postseason action.

Up Next: The final series of the regular season begins for Texas as they travel up to Minnesota to take on a Twins squad that they have not beaten this year, as they were swept by them in Arlington back in June.

As the Rangers don’t really have any starters left a starter has not been named for the opener. Meanwhile, Minnesota will opt for RHP Joe Ryan in the opener.

The Friday evening first pitch from Target Field is scheduled for 7:10 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.

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Adam Fantilli agrees to 6-year, $82.5 million deal with Blue Jackets

It took Adam Fantilliholding out for the first week of Blue Jackets training camp, but the team's top young center has agreed to a six-year contract worth $82.5 million ($13.75 million AAV) to finally put negotiations behind him and join his team at Nationwide Arena.

“Adam Fantilli has all of the tools you look for in a player ... speed, size, skill along with a competitive drive to succeed,” Blue Jackets president/general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. "He is one of the most exciting young players in the NHL and a big part of what we are building in Columbus, so this is a very exciting day for our organization and our fans."

Fantilli, 21, became a restricted free agent without arbitration rights July 1. Had he signed a big offer sheet, like Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson did with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Jackets would’ve been forced to match it or let Fantilli leave for a package of compensatory draft picks.

That didn't happen, allowing Waddell to seek a more team friendly cap hit than what Fantilli and agent Pat Brisson initially wanted. Getting their price, however, wound up costing Fantilli valuable preparation time with his teammates prior to opening the season against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 1 at Nationwide Arena.

The Ducks weren't as fortunate from a cap perspective, swallowing hard before matching the Flyers’ offer sheet that now pays Carlsson at $18 million a season for the next five years. Carlsson was selected second overall in 2023, one pick ahead of where the Blue Jackets got Fantilli, a comparable top young center who’s similar in size, age and stats through their first three seasons.

According to PuckPedia, the Blue Jackets had just under $12.7 million in cap space prior to signing Fantilli, so they're about $1.2 million over the cap ceiling of $104 million for this season. That number, however, counts salaries for 14 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies — including injured center Isac Lundestrom (Achilles surgery) and goalie Elvis Merzlikins (shoulder).

Merzlikins, who underwent shoulder surgery Aug. 17, and Lundestrom will almost certainly start the season on IR, and both could be placed on long-term injured reserve to gain flexibility against the cap. Utilizing LTIR allows teams to exceed the cap ceiling by the amount that injured players placed on it puts them over. So, adding Merzlikins' $5.4 million and Lundestrom's $1.3 million salaries would provide plenty of cushion.

Teams are allowed to exceed the cap in the offseason by up to 10% of the ceiling, but must be cap compliant before 5 p.m. on Sept. 28.

Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) looks to pass as Boston Bruins center Mark Kastelic (47) trails the play during the first period at Nationwide Arena.

Columbus Blue Jackets anchor lineup with Adam Fantilli contract

Fantilli is now the Blue Jackets’ highest-paid player by a wide margin, exceeding the salary of reigning Norris Trophy winning defenseman Zach Werenski ($9.58 AAV) by roughly $4.1 million this season and next.

Though it doesn't come close to matching Carlsson's annual cap hit, Fantilli's salary now sits between Ducks power forward Cutter Gauthier's new deal for $13.5 million over the next six years and Connor Bedard's $15 million AAV for the next five with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Gauthier was selected fourth overall by the Flyers in 2022 and traded to the Ducks, while Bedard was the 2023 draft's first overall pick. Carlsson went second that year and Fantilli, whose numbers stack up comparably, went third. Fantilli has totaled 140 points on 67 goals and 73 assists through 213 games with the Blue Jackets, while Carlsson has give the Ducks 141 points on 61 goals and 80 assists and in 201 games.

Bedard tops both with 203 points on 75 goals and 128 assists in 219 games for the Blackhawks, but he's done it while posting a -98 plus/minus for a team that has lagged near the bottom of the NHL's overall standings.

Carlsson, who has a -1 plus/minus, helped the Ducks get back into the playoffs last season while Fantilli (-30) has narrowly missed the postseason the past two years with the Blue Jackets, a team that most analysts didn't consider a playoff contender.

Now, Fantilli is locked in with the Blue Jackets for six more years as an elite young center they'll need to continue improving over the course of this contract. Those type of gems are almost always drafted, rarely traded and almost never signed as free agents, which boosts their value immensely.

The NHL’s best teams typically follow the same roster construct, starting with goaltending and defense before shifting to center ice. The Blue Jackets are doing well in those areas, especially after locking up Fantilli for a forward group that lost center Boone Jenner in free agency but has Sean Monahan, Charlie Coyle, Lundestrom and Cole Sillinger as additional center options.

Columbus Dispatch Blue Jackets/Crew reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Adam Fantilli agrees to 6-year, $82.5 million deal with Blue Jackets

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Chicago White Sox shortstop ties infamous MLB record

Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery tied the MLB single-season strikeout record on Thursday, Sept. 24, whiffing for the 223rd time this season to equal Mark Reynolds' mark set in 2009.

Montgomery struck out in his first at-bat of the game then flew out twice to avoid breaking the record in the White Sox's postseason clincher, but there are three games remaining with Chicago hosting the Colorado Rockies for the final weekend.

The Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber has also had his eye on the dubious record, and entered Thursday's game on 218 strikeouts. Both players had 216 through Sunday but Montgomery struck out three times on Tuesday and three again on Wednesday in Kansas City to pull ahead in the "race."

Montgomery is hitting .200 in 150 games with 31 home runs and 87 RBIs this season, his second year in the majors.

Others have come close to the 223 mark in recent years and the top 15 seasons have all occurred since 2009. The Washington Nationals' James Wood came close in 2025, finishing with 221 strikeouts.

Most strikeouts in a season

  • 1. Mark Reynolds (2009) – 223 SO
  • – Colson Montgomery (2026) – 223 SO
  • 3. Adam Dunn (2012) – 222 SO
  • 4. James Wood (2025) – 221 SO
  • 5. Chris Davis (2016) – 219 SO
  • 6. Elly De La Cruz (2024) – 218 SO
  • – Kyle Schwarber (2026) – 218 SO
  • 8. Yoán Moncada (2018) – 217 SO
  • 9. Kyle Schwarber (2023) – 215 SO
  • 10. Eugenio Suárez (2023) – 214 SO
  • 11. Joey Gallo (2021) – 213 SO
  • 12. Chris Carter (2013) – 212 SO
  • 13. Teoscar Hernández (2023) – 211 SO
  • – Mark Reynolds (2010) – 211 SO
  • – Giancarlo Stanton (2018) – 211 SO

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chicago White Sox shortstop ties infamous MLB record

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White Sox clinch a playoff spot with a 9-1 rout of the Royals after back-to-back 100-loss seasons

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chicago White Sox became the first team to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons by reaching the playoffs on Thursday, throttling the Kansas City Royals 9-1 to ensure no worse than one of the three AL wild-card spots for the postseason.

They could still win the AL Central, too. The White Sox began the day one game behind the Cleveland Guardians.

Chicago has three games left at home against the last-place Colorado Rockies, while the Guardians wrap up their series in Boston on Thursday night before flying to Kansas City, where they coincidentally have three left against the Royals. The White Sox win mathematically eliminated Baltimore from postseason contention.

Kyle Teel homered and reached base five times, and five different White Sox drove in runs. David Sandlin (3-2) allowed one run on five hits over six innings against the club that drafted him out of Oklahoma four years ago.

Randy Dobnak (3-5) allowed six runs — four earned — for Kansas City. He also made two errors while retiring just four batters.

Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, reaching 20 in a season for a club-record 10th time.

The first couple of innings summed up what the White Sox have done so masterfully this season: They capitalized on mistakes.

Sam Antonacci opened the game with a single, Teel reached on a bunt when Dobnak’s throw was wide of first base, and Miguel Vargas followed with an RBI single. Andrew Benintendi added a sacrifice fly and, after Vargas stole second to get into scoring position, Tristan Peters brought him home with another single to make it 3-0.

More hijinks ensued in the second: Braden Montgomery singled leading off, Dobnak walked Antonacci, then the right-hander threw to nobody covering first base for his second error. That allowed Montgomery to easily score from second.

By the time Dobnak plunked Teel and Vargas added another RBI single, the champagne was probably on ice in the clubhouse.

The White Sox improved to 82-77, a record number of wins for a club coming off three straight 100-loss years. They head home having won four of their last five with their first playoff appearance since 2021 in their pocket and a division title still in their sights.

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Chicago Cubs punch ticket to MLB playoffs, clinch NL wild card spot

For the second straight season, the Chicago Cubs are going to the playoffs.

Chicago locked up a spot in the National League field with a 2-1 over the Miami Marlins on Thursday, Sept. 24, locking up a National League wild card spot after fumbling clinching opportunities by losing the first two games of the series.

It capped a months-long fight for playoff position that had Chicago tangled with the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies for the league's wild card spots into the season's last full week. The Milwaukee Brewers locked up the NL Central last week and the Cubs were never really within reach.

How the Cubs got here

Chicago's calling card all year was the lineup. The pitching staff was something the Cubs had to survive. The Cubs led the majors in runs scored, powered by an MVP-caliber season from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. He paired 40-plus home runs and speed on the bases with elite defense, and by Seiya Suzuki's steady production in the middle of the order. Alex Bregman gave the lineup another middle-of-the-order threat, but that was before he suffered multiple facial fractures after being hit in the face with a foul ball.

The pitching staff was the bigger question mark, and the front office spent the summer trying to answer it. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins added Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes at the trade deadline to bolster a rotation and bullpen that had leaked home runs but in Holmes' case, that plan had blown up in September after a hot start. Manager Craig Counsell spent the stretch run mixing and matching to cover for it, leaning on the lineup to outscore Chicago's mistakes.

Chicago's last trip to October ended at Milwaukee's hands, a five-game NL Division Series loss to the Brewers last season, and that series hangs over this Cubs team every time the two clubs meet.

What's next for the Cubs?

Because Chicago finished as a wild card team rather than a division winner, it opens the postseason in a best-of-three Wild Card Series. It could potentially host that series if it finishes as the top wild card team.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chicago Cubs punch ticket to MLB playoffs, clinch NL wild card spot

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Yankees place Clarke Schmidt back on IL, will miss Wild Card Series

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 16: Clarke Schmidt #36 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Michael Turner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Injuries continue to plague the Yankees as they head into the final few games of the regular season, and this time the bullpen takes a hit.

The Yankees announced that reliever Clarke Schmidt was sent to the 15-day injured list with bicep neuritis, which means he will likely be left out of the postseason roster and unavailable for the upcoming Wild Card Series. They called up righty reliever Bradley Hanner from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take his place for the time being.

This situation puts the bullpen in a tighter spot and raises more questions about who will be shuffled around to take on a relief role in the postseason. Will Warren is expected to be a healthy weapon who can make an impact, and Carlos Rodón has a lot of potential if he doesn’t end up in a starting role, so the outlook isn’t as bad as it seems. Ryan Weathers is still up in the air as an option; it would’ve been nice to see him get some reps before the postseason officially begins.

After recovering from Tommy John surgery that kept him on the IL for most of the regular season, Schmidt made his return against the Twins, striking out two batters and allowing two hits. He was initially poised to make his second appearance on Sunday against the Diamondbacks, but halted his warmup from the bullpen due to bicep soreness. It seems that his injury is lingering longer than both Schmidt and the Yankees anticipated.

The Yankees postseason begins next week with the Wild Card Series, and hopefully, despite missing Schmidt, the bullpen will provide enough assurance to shut down Boston.