Here’s how Jazz Chisholm Jr. coped with not playing in Game 1 of the Yankees’ Wild Card series with the Red Sox: He went home afterward and played MLB The Show, the baseball video game, online.
“I mercy-ruled someone,” Chisholm said, shrugging and smiling, as he sat in the interview room following the Yanks’ 4-3 Game 2 victory over the Red Sox on Wednesday night, a must-win that evened up the series at one game apiece and set up a corker of a deciding game for Thursday.
“That’s how I get my stress off.”
The team in the game that he created, the New York Aliens, has a few ringers, including himself.
“Ken Griffey Jr., Jimmy Rollins,” Chisholm added. “It’s kinda like a cheat code. ... It’s a lot of fun.”
Honestly, it sounds like a blast. And Chisholm was clearly enjoying himself while talking about it. It was all perhaps an indication of the effervescence and spirit he brings to the Yankees, who, you may have heard, sometimes come off as a little too buttoned-up.
Chisholm plays flashy. He can be emotional. He likes, as Aaron Boone put it, “the stage.” It’s all OK.
As stress relief, his wind-down plan clearly worked. There were no signs of unhappiness in Game 2.
“All that was clear before I came to the field (Wednesday),” Chisholm said. “It’s all about winning.”
And Chisholm helped make the Game 2 victory happen. He was in on several of the biggest moments of the night, from starting a key double play in the third inning after the Red Sox had scored twice, to keeping a ball in the infield that prevented Boston from scoring in the seventh to, ultimately, the deciding play.
In the bottom of the eighth, Chisholm drew a two-out, seven-pitch walk and then scored the winning run, sprinting from first to home on Austin Wells' single down the right-field line. He was running on the pitch and knew the outfielder had to chase the ball toward the stands, and kept running. He slid headfirst to beat the throw.
“What do you expect?” Aaron Judge said. “Guy is a game-changer.”
A possible controversy bloomed late Tuesday night when Chisholm admitted he wasn’t happy he hadn’t started Game 1. The Yankees had just lost, were already facing elimination, and certainly didn’t need distractions in the cauldron of the playoffs. Boone had wanted to match up righties against Boston ace Garrett Crochet, an elite lefty, so Chisholm was out, though he subbed in late.
Asked if everything was OK between him and Boone, Chisholm responded:
“There is never a problem between me and Aaron Boone. He’s been my manager all year, and I’ve stood behind him all year. We always have disagreements. I mean, I played third base this year, and we had a little bit of a disagreement in that. But at the end of the day, I always stand with Boonie because he understands where I come from.
“He knows I’m a passionate player, and he knows I wear my feelings on my sleeve. He knows that I’m here to compete.”
For his part, Boone said before the game he expected Chisholm to “play his butt off for us tonight.” That’s exactly what happened, culminating in Chisholm’s sprint home with the eventual winning run.
“Obviously, moving on the pitch gave him a little bit of a head start there,” Boone said. “And his speed comes into play big-time there. Obviously, an exciting, big play.”
Chisholm will be in the lineup for Game 3, Boone said, even though Boston is starting another lefty -- Connelly Early. Early is not Crochet, however -- who is? -- and when Boone makes lineup choices, “It’s not just ‘a lefty.’ It’s ‘what lefty?’” the manager said.
So Chisholm could have more big moments coming just at the right time -- no team has ever lost the opener of a Wild Card and won the series since the playoff format changed. Boone knows Chisholm wants those moments, too.
“He loves to play,” the manager added. “He feels a responsibility to us, his teammates. He and I have always been good, despite what you think may have happened (Tuesday). He’s a gamer.”
Major League Baseball games, video games, it doesn’t matter. Chisholm is on a roll in either category -- the other night, Chisholm said, his New York Aliens won that stress-buster game, 12-1.
Can he keep it all going in Game 3 of this AL Wild Card Series?
"I haven't decided on my catcher, first base, all of that -- sit on that," Boone said when he was asked about his plan for Rice with Boston set to start left-handed pitcher Connelly Early next. "Early's pretty neutral, a little different than the first guy we faced, so we'll sit and talk about it and make that decision tonight."
Boone started first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and catcher Austin Wells while sitting Rice in Tuesday's seven-hit loss. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4 with leadoff singles in the first and ninth innings.
Rice started at first base and batted cleanup while Goldschmidt sat in Wednesday's 10-hit win, which included Rice's tone-setting home run -- a two-out, two-run shot that put the Yankees up 2-0.
"Obviously, Benny's playing at such a, such a (high level), swinging the bat so well, especially here down the stretch, so, yeah, he makes it tough," Boone said, referencing Boston starting southpaw Garrett Crochet in Game 1 and being set to start Early for Game 3 after going with right-handed pitcher Brayan Bello Wednesday.
"Again, it's not just, 'It's a lefty,' it's, 'What lefty? Is that guy going to be out there for six or seven innings?' I want to leverage a spot for, whoever my bench guys are, to have a good matchup and not three bad matchups that I can guarantee. So, all those things factor into it."
Rice cashed in on Cody Bellinger's two-out single after Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge went down to start the bottom of the first inning, taking Bello deep on his plate appearance's first pitch.
"It was great," Judge said. "The boys were locked in from the jump, but for us to get a two-run lead like that early was huge -- and especially to knock out a guy like Bello, who's kind of had our number over the years, was huge and it was kind of a bullpen game after that. But it was great for Ricey to get a start -- first pitch he sees in the postseason, to do that? Impressive."
Rice's 2-for-4 performance included a leadoff single in the sixth inning.
"I know my role, and yesterday my role was to be ready for a big at-bat off the bench and today I was starting," Rice said. "So, the approach doesn't change. I've just got to be prepared for every at-bat I get and every chance I get."
The 26-year-old slashed .255/.337/.499 with 26 home runs and 65 RBI in 138 regular-season games this year, his first full MLB campaign.
"Hits the ball hard every single time gets up there," Judge said. "Just great at-bats. Calculated. Knows what he's looking for. When he gets it, he usually doesn't miss. It's been fun to see his growth in the last season to this season."
Whatever Boone decides, Rice seems ready.
"It helps make you feel like you're in a good spot and, of course, I was able to help the team win today," Rice said. "So, just gives myself and the team a lot of confidence going into tomorrow."
NEW YORK (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. zipped all the way home from first base on Austin Wells’ tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees extended their season Wednesday night with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series.
Unhappy he was left out of the starting lineup in the opener, Chisholm also made a couple of critical defensive plays at second base that helped the Yankees send the best-of-three playoff to a decisive Game 3 on Thursday night in the Bronx.
In the latest chapter of baseball’s most storied rivalry, the winner advances to face AL East champion Toronto in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Saturday.
Ben Rice hit an early two-run homer and Aaron Judge had an RBI single for the Yankees, who got three innings of scoreless relief from their shaky bullpen after starter Carlos Rodón put the first two batters on in the seventh.
Devin Williams worked a one-hit eighth for the win, and David Bednar got three outs for his first postseason save. Judge pumped his fist when he caught Ceddanne Rafaela’s flyball on the right-field warning track to end it.
Trevor Story homered and drove in all three runs for the Red Sox, who won the series opener 3-1 on Tuesday night behind ace lefty Garrett Crochet.
With the score tied in the seventh, Chisholm saved a run with a diving stop of an infield single by pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida. Story then flied out with the bases loaded to the edge of the center-field warning track to end the inning, and fired-up reliever Fernando Cruz waved his arms wildly to pump up the crowd.
Chisholm also made a tough play to start an inning-ending double play with two on in the third — the first of three timely double plays turned by the Yankees.
There were two outs in the eighth when Chisholm drew a walk from losing pitcher Garrett Whitlock. Chisholm was running on a full-count pitch when Wells pulled a line drive that landed just inside the right-field line and caromed off the low retaining wall in foul territory.
Right fielder Nate Eaton made a strong, accurate throw to the plate, but the speedy Chisholm barely beat it with a headfirst slide as Wells pumped his arms at first base.
New York took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Judge’s sinking looper went off the glove of diving left fielder Jarren Duran for a run-scoring single. Trent Grisham scored from second after drawing a two-out walk and advancing on a wild pitch.
Story connected on Rodón’s third pitch of the sixth to tie it again with his second career postseason homer.
Rodón then issued a four-pitch walk to Alex Bregman. But after a mound visit from manager Aaron Boone, the left-hander avoided further damage when he got Carlos Narváez to ground into an inning-ending double play.
New York jumped ahead early when Cody Bellinger singled with two outs in the first and Rice, also left out of the lineup Tuesday against Crochet, lined the first postseason pitch he saw to right field for a two-run homer.
Story tied it with a two-run single in the third off Rodón, who prevented further damage by getting Bregman to ground into an inning-ending double play.
With the Yankees threatening in the third, Boston manager Alex Cora lifted starter Brayan Bello from his first postseason outing and handed the game to a parade of relievers who held New York in check until the eighth.
Up next
Hard-throwing rookie Cam Schlittler (4-3, 2.96 ERA) starts Game 3 for New York. The 24-year-old right-hander grew up in Boston, where he attended Northeastern University, but has said he always wanted to play for the Yankees.
Rookie left-hander Connelly Early (1-2, 2.33 ERA) will pitch for Boston in place of injured Lucas Giolito. Early has made four major league starts since his debut on Sept. 9.
The Yankees are turning to Cam Schlittler, the 24-year-old rookie right-hander, to climb the hill in Game 3 of the Wild Card series as they look to advance past the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night in The Bronx.
“He’ll handle it well,” manager Aaron Boone said about Schlittler ahead of Game 2. “I don't think it will be too big for him, and he will be ready to roll.”
Schlittler, a Massachusetts native, said he knew from public reports before Boone had the chance to tell him he’d be the starter, but that the way the last few days were setting up, he was expecting the nod.
After making his big league debut just before the All-Star break, Schlittler posted a 2.96 ERA (3.74 FIP) and 1.219 WHIP in 73 innings over 14 starts with 84 strikeouts to 31 walks.
The skipper called the right-hander “super coachable, accountable” and, after his call-up, gave the club a “shot in the arm when he became another stabilizing force in our rotation."
“Like how he has handled every situation he has found himself in this year," Boone said, “Starting with coming over and pitching a big spring training game for us late in spring, and, I thought, handled it and navigated it.
“And man, you saw the right competitive edge to him."
He saved his best outing for his last, allowing just two hits, two hit batters, and a walk over seven shutout innings against Baltimore while striking out nine on the regular season’s penultimate day.
“Been super impressed with, first and foremost, his stuff,” Boone said. “I mean, he's got… big stuff. It’s a big fastball. The cutter and this curveball are really good pitches for him. Really good competitor.”
Carlos Rodon said he’s excited to see the rookie go to work.
“Everybody knows the kinda stuff that Cam has, he’s equipped well with a pretty impressive arsenal,” the Game 2 starter said. “I’m excited to see how the energy and the crowd and how he interacts with that. It’s gonna be really good for him, he needs to experience this.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him dominate tomorrow.”
Boston is countering with a rookie of their own in left-hander ConnellyEarly, the 23-year-old who pitched to a 2.33 ERA in just 19.1 innings over four starts since making his MLB debut on Sept. 9.
The heater, with a 98 mph average velocity, puts him in the 95th percentile in the majors. And that pitch, which he's using 54.8 percent of the time, has helped him tally a 27.6 strikeout rate (82nd percentile).
The right-hander will face a different lineup after the Yanks started back-to-back lefties, but Schlittler still believes there was something to gain from watching Boston’s hitters these past two games.
“It’s more of the mentality and the mental side of the game, as well,” Schlittler said. “Being able to listen in to what they’re doing and the adjustments they’re making is gonna make things a little bit easier for me.
“And it’s all learning points, so for me to experience playoff baseball for two days before I get throwing is definitely a good experience.”
While one game a career does not make, Boone was asked if Schlittler’s debut season has made it seem like the Yanks have a rotation piece for years to come? “It does feel that way.”
The 2025 edition of the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry will have one more installment – a winner-advances, loser-goes-home Game 3 after the Yanks evened their Wild Card Series Wednesday night with a dramatic 4-3 victory.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., who had been unhappy that he did not start in Game 1, made perhaps the biggest play of Game 2, scoring all the way from first base on a single down the right-field line by Austin Wells with two outs in the eighth inning. Chisholm, running on the pitch, slid headfirst to beat the throw, sending the Yankee Stadium crowd into a frenzy.
The Yankees scored the winning run off reliever Garrett Whitlock, whom the Red Sox took from the Yankees in the Rule 5 draft in December of 2020.
Here are the takeaways...
-Yankees closer David Bednar, who had allowed a run in Game 1, preserved the lead with a spotless ninth, striking out Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran and getting Ceddane Rafaela on a scary fly ball to deep right.
-Ben Rice gave the Yankees a quick 2-0 lead, slamming the first postseason pitch he ever saw for a two-run homer in the first inning. There’s a nice rivalry footnote to the homer, too, considering Rice is a Massachusetts native who nonetheless rooted for the Yankees as a kid. Cody Bellinger set the whole thing up with a two-out single to bring Rice to the plate. Rice became the first Yankee to hit a home run in his first career postseason at-bat since Shane Spencer in 1998, according to ace MLB researcher Sarah Langs.
-Rice was not in the Game 1 lineup against Garrett Crochet, just like fellow lefties Chisholm and Ryan McMahon. But all three were back as starters against Boston righty Brayan Bello, who had a 1.44 ERA in his five previous starts at Yankee Stadium. Bello allowed two runs and four hits in 2.1 innings, getting a quick hook from Red Sox manager Alex Cora. With two on and one out in the third, Cora called for lefty Justin Wilson to face Bellinger and Rice, and Wilson wriggled free of trouble. First, he got Bellinger on a fly to left that was so short it prevented Trent Grisham from trying to score. Then he retired Rice on a hard-hit liner that was whacked at right fielder Nate Eaton. The Red Sox had six left-handed relievers listed on the scorecard given out to the media.
-The Red Sox tied the score at 2 in the third inning on a rally started by their 7-8-9 hitters. Duran led off with a single and Rafaela walked on a 3-2 pitch. No. 9 hitter Nick Sogard bunted and Carlos Rodón pounced on it, but he bounced his throw to Chisholm covering at first. The throwing error loaded the bases with none out. Rodón struck out Rob Refsnyder, but Trevor Story, who had been ill earlier in the series, smacked a two-run single into center field. The inning could’ve been worse, but Rodón got Alex Bregman to hit into a double-play to end it.
-Aaron Judge, who had two hits in Game 1, gave the Yanks a temporary 3-2 lead with an RBI single in the fifth inning, set up by Grisham’s two-out walk. Judge looped a fly into left field off reliever Justin Slaten that Duran charged and dove for, but the ball glanced off his glove as Grisham scampered around third and scored.
-The Red Sox quickly answered, however, when Story led off the sixth with a homer to left off Rodón, knotting the score at 3. It was a mistake pitch, 95 miles per hour, right down the middle. After Rodón walked Alex Bregman, Aaron Boone visited the mound as reliever Fernando Cruz started to warm up. Rodón remained in the game and it was the right call – he retired Romy Gonzalez on a pop-up and got Carlos Narváez, the ex-Yankee catcher who’s had several tough at-bats in the series, to hit into a 5-4-3 double play.
-Boston mounted a big threat in the seventh when Rodón walked Eaton on four pitches leading off and then threw three straight balls, including a wild pitch, to Duran, before plunking him. The HBP was the last pitch Rodón threw – Boone emerged from the dugout to bring in Cruz. Rafaela tried to sacrifice, but his bunt was a disaster, a pop right to Cruz for the first out. One out later, pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida hit a grounder toward the middle that Chisholm dove for and stopped. But he couldn’t get much on the throw, which bounced twice, and Yoshida had an infield hit. Eaton might have scored from third on the play had he kept running. Then Story smashed a deep fly to center that had the crowd gasping, but Grisham flashed back to catch it, ending the threat.
-Rodón threw six-plus innings and allowed three runs and four hits. He struck out six and walked three. Rodón, who had a terrific regular season with 18 wins and a 3.09 ERA, lowered his career postseason ERA from 6.64 to 6.15.
-Devin Williams threw a scoreless eighth for the Yanks, pitching around a leadoff single by Bregman. Williams started a 1-6-3 double play with a shaky throw to second, but Anthony Volpe leapt to snare it, landed on the bag and threw to first to complete the DP. Then Williams struck out Narváez, fooling him so badly with his “Airbender” changeup that Narváez’s bat flew out of his hands and actually hit Eaton, who was prepping to bat next.
Game MVP: Austin Wells
Let’s not overthink this – Wells got the winning hit, he’s the star of the game. He finished 2-for-3 with a walk.
The Yankees and Red Sox play a win-or-go-home Game 3 on Thursday night. First pitch is set for 6:08 p.m. or 8 p.m., depending on the result of Game 2 of the Cincinnati - Los Angeles series.
New York will send rookie Cam Schlittler on the mound while the Red Sox are sending out rookie left-hander Connelly Early.
It has been a tough 12 months for Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Jack St. Ivany, and it looks like things aren't getting any easier.
During Wednesday's pre-season tilt against the Buffalo Sabres, St. Ivany blocked a shot midway through the first period that appeared to hit the inside of his foot. He was helped off the ice and into the locker room and returned to the bench briefly, but he was then ruled out for the remainder of the game with a lower-body injury.
St. Ivany, 26, made the Penguins' NHL roster out of camp last season after signing a three-year extension that summer. He struggled to start the season and was re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), where the Penguins hoped some heavy AHL minutes would help him get back on track.
Unfortunately, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound blueliner was injured just two games later, and he missed nearly two months of action, making it hard for him to get back on track. He had just one point in 19 games at the NHL level in 2024-25, and at the AHL level, he recored one goal and 16 points to go along with a plus-9 in 37 games.
No further update on St. Ivany's status has been announced yet. Stay tuned to the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins site for updates.
When Tyler Herro was asked at media day which player would step up in his place with the All-Star guard out for the first month of the season, he quickly shouted out Nikola Jovic, adding he expected a "tremendous" season from the young big. Herro's endorsement speaks to the hype around Jokic entering the season.
Jokic and the Heat have agreed to a four-year, $62.4 million contract extension, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by other reports. This is a straight four, no options for either side. That extension is a good deal at just more than $15 million a season (it does not kick in until the 2026-27 season, he will play out his current contract for $4.4 million this season).
Jovic, 22 and entering his fourth season, averaged 10.7 points and 3.9 rebounds a game last season and was taking a step forward until he broke his hand in February, ending his season. The hype for Jovic only grew during EuroBasket, where he averaged 14.7 points and four rebounds a game for Serbia.
Jovic enters camp in a debate about who will be the starting center next to Bam Adebayo, Kel'el Ware or Jovic. The Heat see Ware as their starting center of the future, and he has to be considered the frontrunner, but entering his sophomore season he has a lot of development to do. With Herro out for the first month of the season, Jovic's shooting (37.1% from 3-point range) and shot creation may be needed more than everything Ware brings. What will Erik Spoelstra and the Heat prioritize?
Whether he's starting or coming off the bench, Jovic is getting paid.
The 2025 MLB playoffs are moving to the Division Series.
The American League’s No. 4-seeded New York Yankees and No. 6 Detroit Tigers along with the National League’s No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 4 Chicago Cubs have survived the Wild Card Series and advanced to the second round of the postseason.
The Division Series will see the introduction of the top two seeds in each league to the postseason. The AL’s No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays and No. 2 Seattle Mariners, and the NL’s No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers and No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies earned byes past the Wild Card Series and into the Division Series.
Over in the AL, the Tigers took quite the route to their second straight ALDS appearance. Detroit blew a 12.5-game lead for first in the AL Central over the final month-plus of the regular season, as the Cleveland Guardians snatched the division crown. But the Tigers got the last laugh over their division rivals, eliminating the No. 3 Guardians with a 6-3 Game 3 win.
The final Wild Card Series matchup featured baseball’s most bitter rivalry between the No. 4 Yankees and No. 5 Boston Red Sox. After losing Game 1, the Yankees outlasted the Red Sox in Game 2 before bouncing Boston with a 4-0 win in Game 3. Yankees rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler starred in the series-clincher, striking out 12 over eight shutout innings in his playoff debut. New York is looking to go from runners-up to champions after losing in last year’s Fall Classic.
So, what are the ALDS and NLDS matchups? And when does the Division Series begin? Here’s what we know:
The Dodgers will next put their title defense on the line against the NL East champion Phillies, while the Cubs will take on the MLB-best Brewers in an NL Central battle.
The AL side of the bracket will also have a divisional showdown, as the Yankees go from facing one AL East foe to another in the league-best Blue Jays. The Tigers, meanwhile, will square off against the AL West champion Mariners.
Here’s a full look at the bracket:
American League
No. 2 Seattle Mariners vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
National League
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
When do the 2025 ALDS, NLDS start?
All four Division Series begin Saturday, Oct. 4.
How many games are in the ALDS, NLDS?
Following best-of-three Wild Card Series, the postseason moves to a best-of-five format for the Division Series. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
What is the 2025 ALDS, NLDS schedule?
Here’s a series-by-series look at the Division Series schedule (this section will be updated as details are announced):
American League
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
Game 1: Yankees at Blue Jays — Saturday, Oct. 4, 4:08 p.m. ET, Fox
Game 2: Yankees at Blue Jays — Sunday, Oct. 5, 4:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 3: Blue Jays at Yankees — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 8:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Blue Jays at Yankees — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Yankees at Blue Jays — Friday, Oct. 10, 8:08 p.m. ET, Fox
No. 2 Seattle Mariners vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
Game 1: Tigers at Mariners — Saturday, Oct. 4, 8:38 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 2: Tigers at Mariners — Sunday, Oct. 5, 8:03 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 3: Mariners at Tigers — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 4:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Mariners at Tigers — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 3:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Tigers at Mariners — Friday, Oct. 10, 4:40 p.m. ET, FS1
National League
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
Game 1: Cubs at Brewers — Saturday, Oct. 4, 2:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 2: Cubs at Brewers — Monday, Oct. 6, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 3: Brewers at Cubs — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 5:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 4 (if necessary): Brewers at Cubs— Thursday, Oct. 9, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 5 (if necessary): Cubs at Brewers — Saturday, Oct. 11, 4:38 p.m. ET, TBS
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 1: Dodgers at Phillies — Saturday, Oct. 4, 6:38 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 2: Dodgers at Phillies — Monday, Oct. 6, 6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 3: Phillies at Dodgers — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 4 (if necessary): Phillies at Dodgers — Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 5 (if necessary): Dodgers at Phillies — Saturday, Oct. 11, 8:08 p.m. ET, TBS
The 2025 MLB playoffs are moving to the Division Series.
The American League’s No. 4-seeded New York Yankees and No. 6 Detroit Tigers along with the National League’s No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 4 Chicago Cubs have survived the Wild Card Series and advanced to the second round of the postseason.
The Division Series will see the introduction of the top two seeds in each league to the postseason. The AL’s No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays and No. 2 Seattle Mariners, and the NL’s No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers and No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies earned byes past the Wild Card Series and into the Division Series.
Over in the AL, the Tigers took quite the route to their second straight ALDS appearance. Detroit blew a 12.5-game lead for first in the AL Central over the final month-plus of the regular season, as the Cleveland Guardians snatched the division crown. But the Tigers got the last laugh over their division rivals, eliminating the No. 3 Guardians with a 6-3 Game 3 win.
The final Wild Card Series matchup featured baseball’s most bitter rivalry between the No. 4 Yankees and No. 5 Boston Red Sox. After losing Game 1, the Yankees outlasted the Red Sox in Game 2 before bouncing Boston with a 4-0 win in Game 3. Yankees rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler starred in the series-clincher, striking out 12 over eight shutout innings in his playoff debut. New York is looking to go from runners-up to champions after losing in last year’s Fall Classic.
So, what are the ALDS and NLDS matchups? And when does the Division Series begin? Here’s what we know:
The Dodgers will next put their title defense on the line against the NL East champion Phillies, while the Cubs will take on the MLB-best Brewers in an NL Central battle.
The AL side of the bracket will also have a divisional showdown, as the Yankees go from facing one AL East foe to another in the league-best Blue Jays. The Tigers, meanwhile, will square off against the AL West champion Mariners.
Here’s a full look at the bracket:
American League
No. 2 Seattle Mariners vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
National League
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
When do the 2025 ALDS, NLDS start?
All four Division Series begin Saturday, Oct. 4.
How many games are in the ALDS, NLDS?
Following best-of-three Wild Card Series, the postseason moves to a best-of-five format for the Division Series. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
What is the 2025 ALDS, NLDS schedule?
Here’s a series-by-series look at the Division Series schedule (this section will be updated as details are announced):
American League
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
Game 1: Yankees at Blue Jays — Saturday, Oct. 4, 4:08 p.m. ET, Fox
Game 2: Yankees at Blue Jays — Sunday, Oct. 5, 4:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 3: Blue Jays at Yankees — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 8:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Blue Jays at Yankees — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Yankees at Blue Jays — Friday, Oct. 10, 8:08 p.m. ET, Fox
No. 2 Seattle Mariners vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
Game 1: Tigers at Mariners — Saturday, Oct. 4, 8:38 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 2: Tigers at Mariners — Sunday, Oct. 5, 8:03 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 3: Mariners at Tigers — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 4:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Mariners at Tigers — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 3:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Tigers at Mariners — Friday, Oct. 10, 4:40 p.m. ET, FS1
National League
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
Game 1: Cubs at Brewers — Saturday, Oct. 4, 2:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 2: Cubs at Brewers — Monday, Oct. 6, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 3: Brewers at Cubs — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 5:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 4 (if necessary): Brewers at Cubs— Thursday, Oct. 9, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 5 (if necessary): Cubs at Brewers — Saturday, Oct. 11, 4:38 p.m. ET, TBS
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 1: Dodgers at Phillies — Saturday, Oct. 4, 6:38 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 2: Dodgers at Phillies — Monday, Oct. 6, 6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 3: Phillies at Dodgers — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 4 (if necessary): Phillies at Dodgers — Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 5 (if necessary): Dodgers at Phillies — Saturday, Oct. 11, 8:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Jake LaRavia is a career 42.9% three-point shooter, averaging 6.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. (Harry How / Getty Images)
When LeBron James was asked about how a former defensive player of the year and a former No. 1 overall pick could elevate the Lakers roster, the superstar instead offered a different offseason addition’s name first.
Jake LaRavia’s signing came with less fanfare than the moves that brought Smart and Ayton to the Lakers, but the 6-foot-7 wing hopes he can be equally as influential in a quiet connector role behind some of the league’s biggest stars.
“We got a lot of dudes on this team that can score, a lot of dudes on this team that can put the ball in the bucket,” LaRavia said Wednesday at Lakers training camp. “So I'm here to complement those players, but to also just bring energy every day on both sides of the ball.”
The 19th overall pick in 2022, LaRavia is a career 42.9% three-point shooter, averaging 6.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. After beginning his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings last season, playing in 19 games. His team option wasn’t picked up, putting the 23-year-old on the free agency market.
The Lakers, in need of three-and-D players to pair with Luka Doncic, were quick to call.
“To get a young player — a young player in free agency for a team that is trying to win a championship — it’s an incredible opportunity for myself and our player development department to have him continue to grow,” coach JJ Redick said last week. “Jake, I’m very high on him. His level of commitment to what we’ve asked of the guys this offseason has been very high.”
Two days into training camp, LaRavia said he’s been asked to guard four different positions. He’s played often with Doncic’s group and marveled at the five-time All-Star’s impressive array of shots. One of his main objectives during training camp will be to understand how to best to space the court when the ball is in Doncic’s hands.
“It's gonna make my life so much easier playing with someone like that,” LaRavia said.
LaRavia, who was born in Pasadena but moved to Indianapolis as a child, grew up rooting for the Lakers. Following his father’s fandom, LaRavia said he idolized Magic Johnson.
Now sporting the purple and gold himself, LaRavia is realizing that the team is bigger than just basketball, he said. Compared to his experiences in Memphis and Sacramento, it is obvious the Lakers brand stretches globally.
While suddenly in the spotlight, LaRavia has tried to keep a low profile. He was married a few days before training camp started. He relishes the chance to go unnoticed at local restaurants.
He wants to be recognized only for his wins on the court.
“I understand what this organization wants every year, which is championships,” LaRavia said at media day. “It's a winning organization, and my one goal being here is just to continue to provide rings.”
Gabe Vincent fully participates in practice
James was held out of practice for the second straight day Wednesday, but still participated in individual drills, Redick said. Guard Gabe Vincent, who missed the first day of training camp, returned to practice and appears to still be on track to play in the Lakers’ first preseason game in Palm Desert on Friday against the Phoenix Suns.
Smart (achilles tendinopathy) and rookie Adou Thiero (knee) remained out, although Smart stayed on the court after practice for extra shots. Redick said Tuesday he expected the 31-year-old guard to be fine by the end of the week.
Forward Maxi Kleber sat out as a precaution after tweaking his quad during conditioning Tuesday and will get an MRI exam, Redick said. Kleber, who missed almost all of last season with a foot injury after being traded to the Lakers in February, said at media day he was entering the season fully healthy.
If the Philadelphia Flyers want to solve their issues on defense, they may have to get creative by using the NHL waiver wire.
On Wednesday, it was announced that former Flyers defenseman Louie Belpedio was placed on waivers by the Metropolitan Division rival Washington Capitals, making him available to Philadelphia for a reunion.
Also on waivers is former Flyers forward Jakob Pelletier; the Flyers themselves cut newcomer Lane Pederson, who suffered an upper-body injury in the first preseason game against the New York Islanders.
Flyers fans may remember Belpedio, 29, as the steady but unspectacular right-shot defenseman who spent the last three seasons with the organization, primarily in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Belpedio did, however, play 12 NHL games for the Flyers in the 2023-24 season, scoring two goals, two assists, and four points while accumulating zero (yes, zero) penalty minutes and a +6 rating. That's not half bad!
Belpedio also spent the entirety of last season with the Phantoms, scoring five goals, 23 assists, and 28 points in 66 games while wearing an 'A' on his sweater for the second year in a row.
The former third-round pick is under contract for two seasons at a $775k cap hit, and his salary is reduced to $575k if and when he plays in the AHL.
The Flyers know the player well, and assistant GM Brent Flahr was the assistant GM of the Minnesota Wild when Belpedio was drafted in 2014.
Should the Flyers truly be completely underwhelmed by the race to the bottom for a roster spot on defense between Adam Ginning, Egor Zamula, Dennis Gilbert, and Noah Juulsen, they could take a free flier on Belpedio and see if they can land him on waivers.
Things will change once Rasmus Ristolainen returns from his triceps injury, but until then, it wouldn't be the worst idea to give Belpedio another shot wearing the Orange and Black.
Seth Curry and his brother Stephen Curry are together for the first time. Eventually.
As had been expected, the Golden State Warriors officially signed Seth Curry, a move that had been on hold while the Jonathan Kuminga contract drama played out. With that settled, the Warriors made a series of moves official — such as signing Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton (more on him below) — and Seth was part of that.
Curry signed an Exhibit 9 deal, which means he will be with the Warriors through all of training camp, then be waived before the season starts. The Warriors can re-sign him after Nov. 15. The reason is that with the Kuminga contract, plus the ones for Horford and Melton, the Warriors are getting close to the second apron, where they are hard-capped (due to using the taxpayer mid-level exception on Horford). After Nov. 15, the Warriors will have the space to sign a pro-rated minimum contract for the rest of the season, which Curry is expected to get.
Seth, 35, may not be on the level of his older brother, but he is an elite shooter, a career 43.3% 3-point shooter who hit 45.6% of his attempts last season with Charlotte. He averaged 15 minutes a night across 68 games for the Hornets last season, averaging 6.5 points a game. His shooting will fit in great with the Warriors, once they re-sign him.
It's also going to be November (at least) before Warriors fans see De'Anthony Melton on the court.
The veteran guard is recovering from tearing his ACL last December and while the Warriors are signing him now he's not ready to return to the court and will be re-evaluated in a month.
Steve Kerr says De’Anthony Melton will “hopefully be ready sometime in the next couple of months.”
Warriors say Melton will be re-evaluated four weeks from now.
The Warriors have the depth to withstand the absence of Curry and Melton for a while. Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield likely start in the backcourt, with Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Gary Payton II behind them.
This update consists largely of visual refreshes and tunings.
The lone gameplay issue that was fixed was an issue in Ones Eliminator where idle players were not kicked out of the match.
These edits occurred across all leagues. The Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers had their scoreboards updated, while the two along with the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks, had their center ice artwork updated.
Center ice artwork was also updated for ECHL and CHL teams.
New jerseys were added to the Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken, Ottawa Senators, and Chicago Blackhawks.
The ECHL's Greensboro Gargoyles had their new jerseys added, while multiple teams in Liiga, the SHL, and the NL had jerseys updated.
Artwork changes related to the Boston Bruins logo on hats in WoC and a missing pixel in the jersey number 8 were addressed.
Crashes, UI and chemistry issues, and missing text were addressed in Franchise Mode.
An injury symbol not showing up at appropriate times and crashing issues were fixed in World of Chel.
The Red Sox let a very winnable game get away from them on Wednesday night. And now, their season will be hanging in the balance on Thursday night.
The whiplash of consequences in the Wild Card Round is just that severe.
And while Alex Cora’s bold decision to yank Brayan Bello with one out in the third inning may be the headline coming out of New York’s 4-3 win, the game was lost in the smaller moments of the game.
To wit: Top of the seventh inning, tie game, two on, nobody out after an absolute gift from Aaron Boone to leave Carlos Rodon in the game after the starter’s tank had clearly hit E. Ceddanne Rafaela digs in against reliever Fernando Cruz with one of the most basic assignments in sports: Bunt the baseball.
Rafaela couldn’t do it.
After reaching out and fouling off a splitter that was well off the plate, Rafaela … did it again. This time he popped it up to pitcher Fernando Cruz, returning the favor for Boone’s managerial mistake by gifting the Yankees a free out.
Cruz, with the help of a Jazz Chisholm diving stop and the helping hands of baseball’s BABIP gods, pitched out of the inning without allowing the Red Sox to take a lead after the Rafaela mishap.
Rafaela, who did walk in his first plate appearance after his 11-pitch walk in Game 1, also chased a pitch two feet off the plate with two outs in the ninth inning to put himself in an 0-2 hole against David Bednar.
Yet that bad baseball may pale in comparison to what Jarren Duran did — or didn’t do — in the fifth inning. Because all Duran had to do was catch the baseball. He did not.
Despite the dive, and despite the official scorer’s ruling that it was a hit, that was a routine play at any level of baseball, let alone the majors. Yet Duran kicked it, allowing the Yankees to take a 3-2 lead in the fifth.
Duran is 1-for-7 at the plate over the first two games of the series, too, making for a frustrating series thus far.
Getting a bunt down. Making a routine catch. These are plays that have to be made for a team to win playoff games and playoff series. Yet they weren’t in Game 2, and they’re major reasons why the Red Sox will be facing elimination on Thursday night in the Bronx.
Here’s more of what we learned from what was another postseason classic played by the Red Sox and Yankees.
Alex Cora is a madman
Point-blank, period. Alex Cora is crazy.
How often does a manager, in a game where his team can’t be eliminated, pull his No. 2 starter after just 28 pitches in a 2-2 game? The answer, dear reader, is NEVER. Yet Cora, who simply carries himself differently in October, didn’t hesitate to make the move in the third.
And you know what? It worked. Barely. Justin Wilson entered in relief and, after getting Cody Bellinger to fly out harmlessly to left, served up an absolute cookie to Ben Rice.
Rice, who homered in his first at-bat, actually hit this one harder, but the 109.4 mph liner was hit directly at right fielder Nate Eaton, who made the catch to end the threat.
But technically, it worked. And after the bullpen essentially got Monday and Tuesday off (except for closer Aroldis Chapman), Cora knew he had everybody at his disposal in this one. The quartet of Wilson, Justin Slaten, Steven Matz and Zack Kelly would have given him three scoreless inning, if not for Duran’s gaffe in left. And Garrett Whitlock giving up the game-winning run in the eighth certainly wasn’t the manager’s fault.
While the Yankees had only scored on Rice’s first-inning homer, Cora watched Bello and didn’t like what he saw. He made an executive decision that came with tremendous risk, and it proved to be a good one.
Double plays were a killer
Nothing kills momentum in the playoffs more than an ill-timed double play. The Red Sox had three of them.
Top of the third, tie game, two on, one out: After Trevor Story singled home two runs to tie the game at 2-2, Alex Bregman had the chance to open the floodgates. Instead, he sent a 1-1 changeup to second base, starting a routine 4-6-3 double play.
Top of the sixth, tie game, one on, one out: After Trevor Story homered to tie the game (sensing a theme there) to lead off the inning, Bregman walked. Aaron Boone visited the mound but kept Carlos Rodon in the game. The starter was vulnerable. Romy Gonzalez, though, popped out, before Carlos Narvaez grounded to third base for a 5-4-3 double play, on the first pitch of his at-bat. That could have been the inning that Boston won the game. Instead, the threat was quickly extinguished.
Top of the eighth, tie game, one on, nobody out: After Bregman put in a professional at-bat and led off with a single against Devin Williams, Nathaniel Lowe entered as a pinch hitter with the go-ahead run on base. Lowe, though, chased a changeup well off the plate, weakly grounding back to the mound to start a 1-6-3 double play. Another rally ended before it could even begin.
Obviously, they’re not trying to ground into double plays, but the results are what they are. In Game 2, they were devastating for the Boston offense.
Red Sox infield defense: Strong
Nick Sogard made a very nice play in the third inning, moving to his left, going into a slide, fielding the ball, and pivoting to make a strong throw to second base to gun down the lead runner.
(Sogard can also execute a sacrifice bunt, by the way.)
Alex Bregman also made a few plus-level plays at third, though that’s nothing new at this point. His night included inning-ending assists in the second (5-4-3 double play), fourth and sixth. Trevor Story looks to have moved past his late-season throwing issues, too.
It didn’t help win them this game, but it’s been sharp, and it will be a factor if they are able to advance with a win on Thursday.
Nate Eaton should have scored
I actually changed my mind on this, because it’s absurd to have expected Nate Eaton to busting it around third base on a ground ball behind second base with the hopes of scoring on an infield hit and errant throw to first base. Lots of premonition would have been necessary for Eaton to have pulled that off and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.
Yet after looking at it again, there are some very simply reasons for thinking Eaton should have scored.
This took place, of course, when Masataka Yoshida delivered a pinch-hit, infield single. Jazz Chisholm made a diving stop, which prevented runs from crossing the plate, but his throw to first skipped away from first baseman Ben Rice, opening the door for one of baseball’s fastest players to make a run for home.
Initially, I felt Eaton should not have been expected to score, as everything took place behind him. If a throw to first base was simply late but not errant, then Eaton would have been a dead duck whipping around third and heading to home. The tag play at the plate would have been deflating for the Red Sox and sent Yankee Stadium into a delirium.
But watching the high-home camera, it’s clear that Eaton and third base coach Kyle Hudson should have been more prepared to pounce on the opportunity.
Eaton was at third base and looking at Chisholm when the second baseman made the throw. Meanwhile, third baseman Ryan McMahon was almost standing in the shortstop position, paying no attention to Eaton. With speed and base running being major factors of Eaton’s game, he should have known that he had plenty of room to get frisky by bouncing off third base toward home plate, knowing that there was nobody at the bag to tag him out if a throw came that way.
Yet instead of aggressively bouncing down the line, Eaton stopped and watched the throw, and he was actually moving back to third base when the ball skipped away from Rice.
Eaton should have been 20-25 feet down the line when the ball skipped away, but he lacked awareness of where the third baseman was, and he didn’t innately sense the opportunity to put himself in position to make a game-changing play on the bases.
Cora didn’t appreciate hearing such a suggestion in his postgame press conference.
“That’s their opinion,” Cora said when told the broadcast suggested Eaton could have scored. “I think it’s easy from up there to say that he could score. They’re not down there with us.”
They’re not … but they’re right. That was a major missed opportunity.
Fernando Cruz used up his World Series celebration
In the unlikely event that Fernando Cruz finds himself in the position to close out the World Series, and in the just-as-unlikely event that he pulls it off, the 35-year-old won’t be able to debut his top-level celebration. He used that one up in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series after giving up a 100-plus mph line drive that managed to find some leather on the warning track in center field.
Trevor Story came up about 15 feet shy of making this, officially, The Trevor Story Game™. A grand slam, after already driving in the first three runs of the game, to eliminate the Yankees in their stadium would’ve been one for the ages. But not on this night.
It’s just a shame that the broadcast didn’t have the WHOOP heart rate monitors that we saw in the Ryder Cup for Cruz. He might’ve made that thing shatter.
Reliever Fernando Cruz celebrates after the last out of the seventh inning in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series between the Red Sox and Yankees in New York. Photo: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
(It was a cool moment. But celebrating Trent Grisham for making a great play instead of celebrating yourself for giving up a laser would have been the better move.)
Garrett Whitlock getting ‘tired’ isn’t great news for Boston
From June 29 until Sept. 26, Garrett Whitlock allowed two earned runs across 32 innings in 33 appearances. He had a 0.875 WHIP and a 0.56 ERA in that span. He was as lights-out as light-out gets for a long time.
And for the first six batters he faced, he looked like that guy. He did surrender a double but also struck out three batters and welcomed weak contact. With two outs in the eighth, this thing was going to the ninth tied.
But then … Whitlock got “tired.”
“Felt good. Got tired towards the end, but thought I made some good pitches, and they did a good job,” Whitlock said. “I definitely lost command. And unfortunately that happened.”
“That” was a seven-pitch walk to Jazz Chisholm, an at-bat where none of the four balls was anywhere close to the strike zone, followed by the game-winning double by Austin Wells.
That ball getting swallowed up by the angled fence in foul ground was a stroke of bad luck for Whitlock, but that’s baseball. From there, Whitlock gave up another single and then a truly wild walk, ending his night after 47 pitches.
Whitlock indicated he wants to pitch if needed in Game 3, but if he was tired in Game 2, a trip back to the mound one night later doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
Sometimes, you’ve got to appreciate a great photograph
And this is one of them.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jazz Chisholm dives into home to score the winning run in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series between the Red Sox and Yankees. Photo: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
It probably won’t end up hanging in any Boston bars, but hey: Art is art.
Unknowns abound in Game 3
Connelly Early made his MLB debut in a minor league park in West Sacramento less than a month ago. On Thursday night, he’ll be given the ball and asked to keep the Red Sox’ season alive in a raucous Yankee Stadium.
No pressure there.
Connelly Early will be the first pitcher ever to start a winner-take-all postseason game within 30 days of his MLB debut. pic.twitter.com/nMTGo1X7f7
Cam Schlittler may be an old veteran by comparison, having made his MLB debut all the way back on July 9, but the rookie is every bit of the wild card that Early is for Boston.
Schlittler is from Walpole and pitched at Northeastern (as well as Harwich in the Cape League), so get ready for plenty of that from the broadcast. But as for his performance, he’s been great in his 14 big league starts, posting a 2.96 ERA and 1.219 WHIP, striking out 84 batters in 74 innings.
Early posted a 2.33 ERA and a 1.086 in his four big league starts, but obviously, none of those compare to the one that awaits him on Thursday night.
As was the case in Game 1 and again in Game 2, the Red Sox will have the advantage at the manager spot in Game 3. That one’s a blowout in favor of Alex Cora over Aaron Boone.
Everything else, though? None of it can properly be predicted — though, based on the first two games of this series, chaos and tension feel like safe bets to show up at Yankee Stadium for the finale.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images