Category: Sports News

The National League had the MLB playoff stage to itself on Sunday, but while those four teams switch cities, Monday belongs to the American League Division Series, with a pair of Games 2 in Cleveland and St. Petersburg.

Major League Baseball in recent years has started the Division Series round with all four series playing Game 1 on the same day, then will insert an extra off day between Games 1 and 2 for one of the leagues — alternating each year — to ensure that there are as many days with baseball games as possible. This year, the AL got the extra off day between the first two games.

First up on Monday is the Chicago White Sox, going for a fourth straight win to open their postseason, with their first three wins thus far coming on the road. There’s one more game for the Sox before returning home, having to face Gavin Williams and the Guardians in Cleveland on Monday.

Only one run was scored in the opener of Rays vs. Yankees, and New York turns to Cam Schlittler in Game 2 on Monday to try to avoid the 2-0 hole before returning home to The Bronx.

Both games, and the entire rest of the American League playoffs (Division Series and Championship Series) will be televised by TBS.

Monday Division Series schedule

2 p.m. PT: White Sox at Guardians
Chicago leads, 1-0
ALDS Game 2: Anthony Kay vs. Gavin Williams
TBS (Alex Faust, Ron Darling)

5 p.m.: Yankees at Rays
Tampa Bay leads, 1-0
ALDS Game 2: Cam Schlittler vs. Freddy Peralta
TBS (Brian Anderson, Jeff Francoeur)

It’s becoming very easy to treat Cam Schlittler as a superhero, the old school television programs that end with the protagonist once again disposing of the villain, with everything present on screen except the ads for cereal are replaced by ones for so-called prediction markets that are rotting the brains of 30 percent of the male population. Throw whatever obstacle at him you want — playoff start, the hated rival, a lineup that refuses to score — and he’ll overcome it. I am at least slightly convinced the Yankees scoring nine runs last Tuesday had something to do with Cam.

Tonight he once again faces his toughest test of the year, tasked with preventing the Rays from taking what would be a strangling 2-0 lead in the ALDS. If there was one pitcher on planet Earth, with full respect to Jacob Misiorowski, that I would trust to lead my team away from that fate, it would be Cam Schlittler.

The what is one thing, and that’s discussed above. The how and why are different questions.

Cam’s disposal of the Red Sox last week was a particularly notable one, as the righty drastically changed his approach to pitching. If you’re standing in the box against Cam, there’s about a 90 percent chance he throws you some kind of fastball, and your job is to figure out, in the 0.4 seconds it takes for that pitch to reach the plate, whether it has rise, cut, or run. That approach has put Cam in the pole position for the AL Cy Young Award, just throw F*** You fastballs all around the strike zone and good things will happen.

Except, against the Red Sox, something changed:

You still get a lot of the No. 1, Cam will never abandon the four-seamer that’s made him one of the three or so best pitchers in the world. He caught the Sox completely flat footed with his curveball though, after the club reportedly spent the entire final regular season in Tampa working off his heaters on Tropicana Field’s Trejekt machine.

It’s hard to tell what’s funnier, that Cam got a 50 percent (!) whiff rate on the bender that night, or that while he edged out eight whiffs he got another six called for strikes. Boston doesn’t have the best lineup in baseball, but they’re still MLB players, and they were bamboozled by the change in gameplan.

And we’ve seen this with Cam before — what makes me so supremely confident in him, and what drives my desire for the Yankees to work out an extension with him the moment labor strife in the sport is resolved is that ability to tweak in-between starts. He gave up four home runs against the Tigers on June 30th, and then just six in the 15 starts and 89.2 innings he threw to close the year. He walked five against the Red Sox on August 28th, a start that could have made us otherwise nervous given his dominance of his hometown team. After that he made five starts to finish up his Cy Young campaign, 30 innings of work, and walked just seven combined.

Then of course facing a Boston team so geared up for velo on Tuesday, Cam quite literally bent the gameplan and pitched the game of his life, again. Mike Trout used to do this, at the height of his powers he would look at a part of his game that wasn’t A+ and just decide to make it A+. Mike Trout is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, maybe the best five-tool talent I have ever seen for an extended period of his career, and I am not quite ready to say that Cam Schlittler is at that level, but damn if he isn’t trying.

But he doesn’t face Boston tonight, he faces Tampa Bay. Instead of the league’s 17th best offense, it’s the sixth best. The Red Sox struck out 21.7 percent of the time, below league average to be clear but three full points higher than Tampa’s K-rate. They do have one thing in common though.

Boston was the worst team in baseball facing curveballs, -7 runs against the pitch. Tampa Bay is the second-worst, -5.7. Now we get into game theory, and perhaps paralysis by analysis. If I know how bad Tampa is against curves, and Tampa just watched the Red Sox get led around Yankee Stadium on a leash made of breaking balls, the Rays have to be gameplanning against a repeat, curve-heavy performance.

Cam’s made three starts against the Rays this year, and has actually underperformed to his own baseline, posting a gaudy 2.81 ERA in 16 innings. He has also struck out seven Rays for every one he walked so, maybe the gameplan is just “do that again.” Then again, he owns the lowest ERA of any pitcher ever against the Red Sox, and became a completely different man when taking them down Tuesday. Maybe we get F*** You Fastball Cam, maybe we get Schlittler on a bender, maybe there’s something else he’s cooking up. The joy of watching Cam Schlittler over the last year and a half has been witnessing the evolution of an ace, and the next chapter comes tonight.

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

The MLB postseason rolls on, and yesterday brought two quality games in the NL Division Series. The Brewers and Padres played an absolute thriller, one that ended on Jackson Chourio’s dramatic two-run, two-out, two-strike walkoff single off of the unhittable San Diego closer Mason Miller, putting Milwaukee one win away from a sweep. And in Los Angeles, the Braves clapped back against the Dodgers with a 3-2 victory — with their bullpen game defeating Blake Snell — to even the series at one. The NL teams have a travel day today while the two AL Division Series are back in action.

In the meantime, it’s never too early to start thinking about what the Orioles’ roster will look like in 2027, whenever the season may begin. MLB Trade Rumors’ Charlie Wright wrote about Jordan Westburg’s expected return and what it might mean for the Orioles’ crowded infield picture. In the absence of Westburg, the Orioles’ regular third baseman in 2025, the O’s filled the hot corner this season with the trio of Coby Mayo, Blaze Alexander, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who happened to be three of the Orioles’ best hitters. All remain under team control for years to come.

Wright also suggests that the O’s could plug in Westburg at second base, a position he’s played 120 times in his career, as a way to ease him back into action. The Orioles’ current starter at the keystone position is Jackson Holliday, who struggled after suffering a hamate injury in spring training.

That makes five players for two positions. All of them have some warts, though. Mayo’s bat belongs in the lineup but he isn’t really a quality defender. Alexander had a scorching bat in part-time duty but could be overexposed as a regular. Encarnacion-Strand is just a few months removed from being waived by the Reds and can’t be considered a sure thing. And it’s unclear how quickly Westburg will be able to round back into form after missing the entire 2026 season.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Orioles aim to alleviate the logjam, if they try to do so at all. Would they consider optioning Holliday to the minors for the first time since 2024? Will they put Westburg on the IL at the start of the season to give him a little extra time to recover? Or, as Wright suggests, could the O’s try to swing a trade involving one or more of their infielders?

Me, I say just keep them all, unless you get an overwhelming trade offer. These things tend to have a way of sorting themselves out. Last year before spring training, O’s fans thought there was no possible place on the team for Mayo, with Pete Alonso and Ryan Mountcastle blocking him at 1B/DH and Westburg at 3B. And look what happened. Westburg and Mountcastle both suffered injuries that cost them most or all of the season, and Mayo ended up playing 132 games. It’s always nice to have extra depth.

What do you think, Camden Chatters? What should the Orioles’ infield — especially the second and third base situations — look like in 2027?

Links

Orioles’ Beavers knows he must be better in 2027 – BaltimoreBaseball.com

This could easily be the first of a 25-part series of “[Orioles player] knows he must be better in 2027.”

Sunday Notes: A Burdened Backstop No More, Ike Irish Aims to Bash in Baltimore

If it weren’t already obvious by the fact that he played zero games behind the plate in 2026, Ike Irish is no longer a catcher. That’s probably a good thing, considering that he openly hated catching.

Five unexpected developments for Orioles in 2026 – School of Roch

There was a whole lot of, “Wow, who expected this Oriole to be this terrible/injured?” going on in 2026.

Enddy Azocar cracks a second top 100 prospects list – Steve Melewski

The newly acquired outfield prospect hasn’t taken long to Endd-ear himself to Orioles fans. (I’ll show myself out.)

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! The only player in Orioles history born on Oct. 5 is the late right-hander Terry Mathews (b. 1964, d. 2012).

On this date in 1986, Hall of Fame Orioles skipper Earl Weaver managed the final game of his 17-year career, which included 2,541 regular season games, 46 postseason games, and 96 ejections. Weaver, who had retaken the reins of the Orioles in 1985 after initially retiring in 1982, took a loss in his finale, 6-3 to the Tigers. That finished a 73-89 season, which remarkably was the only losing season of Earl’s career.

The Orioles have played 11 postseason games on this date, going an incredible 9-2 in those games. Among the highlights:

• In 1966, the O’s opened their first-ever World Series with a 5-2 win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson set the tone for the series with back-to-back homers in the top of the first against fellow Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, taking an early lead that the O’s never relinquished. Moe Drabowsky turned in a brilliant appearance in long relief, working the final 6.2 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts.
• In 1969, the Orioles won Game 2 of the ALCS with their second straight extra-inning, walkoff win against the Twins. Dave McNally pitched a masterpiece, tossing an 11-inning shutout with 11 strikeouts. The Twins’ Dave Boswell was very nearly McNally’s equal, carrying a shutout of his own into the bottom of the 11th, but a walk, a sac bunt, and a pinch-hit RBI single by Curt Motton led the Orioles to a 1-0 victory.
• In both 1970 and 1971 on this date, the O’s finished off a three-game ALCS sweep, beating the Twins in the former and the Athletics in the latter. In both cases, it was Hall of Famer Jim Palmer who led the Orioles to victory with a complete game. In the 1970 game, he dominated the Twins with 12 strikeouts and gave up only one run in a 6-1 decision, and in the ’71 contest he held the A’s to three runs in a 5-3 Orioles win.
• In both 1996 and 1997, the Orioles finished off the Division Series with a Game 4 victory to advance to the ALCS. In ’96, they outlasted Cleveland in a 4-3, 12-inning thriller at Jacobs Field. Roberto Alomar played the hero, first tying the game with two outs in the ninth on an RBI single, then winning it with a leadoff homer in the top of the 12th. And in ’97, in an epic pitcher’s duel between Hall of Famers Mike Mussina and Randy Johnson, Moose came out on top with seven innings of one-run ball. O’s manager Davey Johnson riskily countered the Big Unit by benching top hitters like Alomar and Rafael Palmeiro in favor of little-used righties, and it worked when utility infielder Jeff Reboulet powered a homer en route to a 3-1 Orioles win.
• In 2012, the Orioles won the first-ever AL Wild Card Game in Texas, stunning the Rangers with a 5-1 victory. Journeyman lefty Joe Saunders, who historically had always struggled in Texas, memorably outdueled Rangers ace Yu Darvish by holding Texas to one run in 5.2 innings. Darren O’Day, Brian Matusz, and Jim Johnson followed with 3.1 innings of scoreless relief. Nate McLouth and J.J. Hardy sparked the O’s lineup by combining for three hits and three RBIs atop the order.
• And in 2014, the O’s sealed a three-game sweep of the Tigers in the Division Series, eking out a 2-1 win in Detroit. For the third consecutive game, the Orioles defeated a former Cy Young winner, besting David Price after doing the same to Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Nelson Cruz’s two-run homer in the sixth provided all the offense the O’s needed, backing 6.1 scoreless innings from Bud Norris. Closer Zack Britton kept the tying and winning runs stranded on base in the ninth by inducing a series-ending double play.

Crazy what happens when the roof is open, huh Milwaukee? Still, I’ve never seen anything like Ty France’s long out on Saturday night in a playoff game. It’s why baseball playoffs are the best.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• We can all agree that there are things that need to be different for the Phillies. Here is a list of ten things that need to change for 2027.
• Bryson Stott is a good player for the Phillies that struggles in the postseason. Can he turn things around and take his career to a new level ($)?
• The idea of trading either Kyle Schwarber or Bryce Harper makes sense from the outside, but it’ll probably never happen.

MLB news:

• Ah, the Mets. Splashing cash around only to miss the playoffs in spectacular fashion means that we get pieces like this, where people are actually looking at their financial future.
• The Yankees will have a fairly big free agent this offseason, but the team hopes to retain his employment beyond this year.
• The goal for the Orioles in 2027 is to compete with a better defense, something they’re trying to improve on.

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Rey Sanchez*, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1945 – Claude Passeau of the Chicago Cubs pitches a one-hitter, beating the Detroit Tigers, 3 – 0, in Game 3 of the World Series, and 1947 – Left fielder Al Gionfriddo makes a spectacular catch and robs Joe DiMaggio of a game-tying home run in Game 6 of the World Series. The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Yankees, 8-6, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1915 – In a 5-0 loss to the Indians, Detroit Tigers speedster Ty Cobbsteals his 96th base of the season. That total will stand as a major league record until 1962, when Maury Wills steals 104 bases for the Dodgers.
• 1921 – New York is host to the first one-city World Series since 1906 and the Polo Grounds is the site for all nine games. Carl Mays of the Yankees needs 86 pitches to set the Giants down on five hits, four of them by Frankie Frisch, as Babe Ruth drives in the first run of the Series in the opening inning of the 3-0 Yankees win.
• 1926 – In Game 3 of the World Series, Jesse Haines pitches a five-hit shutout as the Cardinals beat the Yankees, 4 – 0, to take a 2-1 lead in the Series.
• 1928 – In the World Series, Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees unloads a three-run home run in the first inning of Game 2. Grover Cleveland Alexander, the hero of the 1926 Series between the Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals, is driven from the game in the 3rd inning as New York cruises, 9-3, to take a 2-1 Series lead.
• 1929 – New York GiantsMel Ott and Chuck Klein of the Philadelphia Phillies go into a head-to-head doubleheader tied at 42 home runs apiece. In the opener, Klein homers for the Phillies off Carl Hubbell in his first at-bat to take the home run lead. In the nightcap, Phillies pitchers intentionally walk Ott five times rather than give him a chance to tie Klein. The last walk comes with the bases loaded. Lefty O’Doul of the Phillies has six hits on the day for a National League season-record of 254 hits.
• 1949 – In Game 1 of the World Series, Allie Reynolds and Don Newcombe are locked in a scoreless duel in the bottom of the ninth inning, until Tommy Henrich leads off with a walk-off home run, the first in World Series history, and the Yankees beat the Dodgers, 1-0.
• 1954 – Oscar Charleston, one of the greatest players in the history of the Negro Leagues, dies in Philadelphia, days after he had fallen down a flight of stairs. He was 57 years old.
• 1960 – In a portent of things to come, Bill Mazeroski‘s two-run 5th-inning home run off Jim Coates is the difference as Pittsburgh beats the Yankees, 6-4, in its first World Series win since 1925.
• 1966 – With 1st-inning home runs by Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson, and 11 strikeouts from relief pitcherMoe Drabowsky, the Baltimore Orioles win their first World Series game, 5-2, over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• 1967 – Jim Lonborg of the Boston Red Sox pitches a one-hit, 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals to tie the World Series, 1-1. Carl Yastrzemski hits two home runs.
• 1968 – Tim McCarver and Orlando Cepeda each hit three-run home runs to lead the Cardinals to a 7-3 win over Detroit. The Cardinals take a 2-1 World Series lead.
• 1971 – The Baltimore Orioles overcome two home runs by Reggie Jackson and one by Sal Bando to complete a sweep of the Oakland Athletics in the American League Championship Series with a 5-3 victory.
• 1979 – The Pittsburgh Pirates complete a sweep of their National League Championship Series, beating the Cincinnati Reds, 7-1. Willie Stargell, who hit a home run, is named the Series MVP.
• 1997 – Mike Mussina beats the Mariners and Randy Johnson for the second time and gives Baltimore their second straight trip to the American League Championship Series. Mussina pitches a two-hitter for seven innings to win the game, and the Series, by a 3-1 margin.
• 2003 – Chicago Cubs win their first MLB postseason series since the 1908 World Series with a 5-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of the NLDS at Turner Field
• 2013 – The Red Sox take a 2-0 lead in the ALDS with a 7-4 win over the Rays at Fenway Park, sparked by a pair of homers from David Ortiz.

Cubs Birthdays:Tyler Ferguson, Rey Sánchez*, Al Heist, Charlie Pechous, Norm McMillan, Roger Denzer.

Today in history:

• 1274 – Around 1,000 soldiers of the Mongol army land on the Japanese island of Tsushima in the first attack of Kublai Khan‘s Mongol invasion of Japan.
• 1892 – The Dalton Gang ends in a shootout in Coffeyville, Kansas, during a bank holdup; four members are killed, and a fifth is captured.
• 1947 – Harry Truman delivers the first presidential address televised from the White House.
• 1969 – TV sketch comedy series “Monty Python‘s Flying Circus” premieres on BBC1.
• 1973 – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the 7th studio album by Elton John, is released.
• 1975 – Austrian Niki Lauda wins the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen to claim his first Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship, winning by 19.5 points over Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil.

*pictured.