Posts

Posted on

Division Series Game 1 open chat

Sep 29, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) is introduced before game one of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Division Series begins today for both the American and National Leagues, which once again means all-day baseball. The AL has tomorrow off to start the staggering of schedules/avoid competing too much with the NFL, so get your fix today. This gives the AL teams three days off if a series goes five games, which is ridiculous.

The ALDS is a best-of-five series with games with the first two games at home for the higher seed, followed by two games at the lower seed, and game five back home for the higher seed.

Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians, 1:00

Where to watch: TBS / HBO Max

The AL Central matchup pits Hagen Smith of the White Sox against Parker Messick of the Guardians. Messick was an All-Star this year with a 2.56 ERA over 32 starts. Smith is a rookie who had a 1.29 ERA this season in 18 games. 17 of them, however, were out of the bullpen. Smith started against Houston in the Wild Card round and pitched three innings with two hits and no runs. He’s like a jumbo opener, I suppose.

I don’t have a strong rooting interest in this one. I’d be happy with the Guardians moving on, as they haven’t won the World Series since 1948. And I really like José Ramírez. As for the White Sox, they have two things going for them. One, they are coming off of a string of horrendous seasons and kind of came out of nowhere this year. And they play second fiddle to another team in their own city. That other team was already eliminated, of course.

Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 4:00

Where to watch: FOX / FOX One

As I write this, we are about 3.5 hours from game time and the Braves have not announced a starting pitcher. Bold. It’ll be Tarik Skubal for the Dodgers.

Obviously we are all rooting against the Dodgers in this one, right? They’ve won three World Series since 2020 including the last two seasons. Pass. The Braves are my rooting interest by default.

New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays, 6:30

Where to watch: TBS / HBO Max

The Rays were the best team in the American League this year and also the Orioles had an 8-5 record against them. That doesn’t mean anything, but it’s all I have. The pitching matchup is Gerrit Cole vs Drew Rasmussen.

Gotta root for the Rays here for several reasons. First, obviously you know why. Also, they’ve never won the World Series. And they have a handful of former Orioles including the delightful Cedric Mullins. Go get a ring, Ced!

San Diego Padres @ Milwaukee Brewers, 8:30

Where to watch: FS1 / FOX One

It’s a real shame this matchup isn’t a possibility for the NLCS, although at least we know one of them will be there. Neither of these teams has ever won the World Series. San Diego has Manny Machado, who is now an old man with 399 career home runs. Milwaukee has one of the most exciting young pitchers in baseball, who has thrown over 1,100 pitches over 100 mph this season.

That guy, Jacob Misiorowski, is starting tonight for the Brew Crew. It’ll be old friend Robbie Ray for the Padres. I haven’t seen Ray pitch lately; I assume his pants are still very tight.

I hope they all have fun!

Posted on

Wizards guard makes shocking claim while admitting team tanked to land No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Bub Carrington #7 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on March 25, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Image 2 shows AJ Dybantsa in a Washington Wizards jersey poses against a starry background

Apparently, no one told Wizards guard Bub Carrington that the first rule of tanking is to never admit to tanking.

The former first-round pick said in an interview this week that the Wizards intentionally “held back” the team last season in order to maximize their odds of landing the No.1 overall pick, which they ultimately used to grab BYU forward AJ Dybantsa.

“We’ve all, in a way, been held back just because, like you said, we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That’s no secret,” Carrington, the 14th overall pick in 2024 out of Pitt, told WUSA’s Marshall Kramsky. “But now, no one has handcuffs. Everyone’s shackles-free. So, that alone is already a conversation starter.

Bub Carrington #7 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on March 25, 2026 in Salt Lake City. Getty Images

“But then you put that on top of the coaching, on top of the vets that we have. That’s a playoff team, and that’s gonna happen.”

The Wizards finished with the worst record in the NBA last season at 17-65, giving them a 14.0 percent chance to win the draft lottery and a 40.1 percent chance for a top-three selection.

The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a freshman last year at BYU.

During last season, the Wizards made two significant trades for injured All-Stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young, but they combined for just five appearances (all by Young) for Washington.

The NBA implemented strict rules and fined both the Jazz and the Pacers for alleged tanking violations last season, but The Athletic reported that the league is “not expected” to penalize Carrington or the Wizards.

Davis, a 10-time All-Star and Young, a four-time selection, are currently healthy and participating without limitations during Wizards training camp.

AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards poses for a portrait during NBA media day on Monday, September 28, 2026, at Capital One Arena in Washington. NBAE via Getty Images

Carrington has appeared in all 82 games in each of his first two seasons, averaging 10.7 points and 4.6 assists in 27.7 minutes per game in 2025-26.

Posted on

Blackhawks D Bowen Byram to miss homecoming against Buffalo Sabres because of a family matter

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill ruled out top defenseman Bowen Byram from playing at Buffalo on Saturday night because of a family matter.

Byram’s absence comes as he was preparing to face his former team for the first time since the Sabres traded him to Chicago in a multiplayer deal in June. The 25-year-old Byram subsequently signed a six-year, $75 million contract with the Blackhawks in becoming the team’s top-paid defenseman.

The offensive-minded player had 21 goals and 89 points in 182 games with Buffalo.

He’s yet to register a point this season, with Chicago opening with two straight losses. After playing Buffalo, the Blackhawks open their home schedule hosting St. Louis on Tuesday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Posted on

How Dusty May plans to get Cooper Flagg easy points

DALLAS, TEXAS - JUNE 29: New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May (L) and Dallas Mavericks team president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri stand for photos during a press conference at American Airlines Center on June 29, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Cooper Flagg had a stellar rookie season, but one blemish on his campaign was his lackluster advanced numbers.

While Flagg had great counting stats, the advanced metrics suggest his impact was below average, but it can definitely be improved. One metric that Flagg can improve on is his lack of offensive rebounding, which Dusty May has already commented on.

“Getting him to take advantage of his offensive rebounding ability,” said May in his media availability after the first training camp practice. “ When we’re connected as a group where we’re playing off of each other, I think it will organically happen.”

Winning the possession battle has become incredibly important in the modern NBA, with offensive rebounds being specifically important. Teams like the Houston Rockets have had tremendous regular season success while being a medicore offense, in large part to winning the possession battle.

It’s simple math, if you shoot more shots than your opponent, it will often lead to more points.

Flagg was in the 38th percentile for his OREB%, a lackluster mark for a 6’9 forward with elite athleticism. Flagg getting on the glass would not only help the team win the possession battle, but also will help him get more easy rim attempts.

“But just playing better basketball, I think it will afford him more opportunities,” said May.

Flagg had to work tremendously hard for most of his scoring opportunities last year, whether it was the terrible spacing or lack of teammate-created buckets.

On the other hand, putback’s are one of the most efficient play types, with players average 1.14 points per-possession on average last season, according to Synergy.

This focus on more analytically-driven basketball is a major departure from the previous coaching staff, with the Mavericks consistently being behind the times.

Last season the Mavericks were towards the top of the league in mid-range attempts, and were towards the bottom in three-point attempts.

But while all Mavericks fans want more three-point attempts, there is nuance in this discussion.

“If we have an elite mid-range shooter, he’s going to shoot the right mid-range shots,” said May. “Obviously, we want as many quality threes as we can get, but if guys are incredibly efficient at something very specific, I’m definitely not going to look at a spreadsheet and overrule guys with what we call mastery shots.”

This approach to team-wide shot diets is the correct approach in the modern NBA.

Forcing all players into threes or rim-attempts can severely limit a star player and prevent them from feeling comfortable in an offense.

The Mavericks are also uniquely affected by this, as both Flagg and Irving are mid-range maestros.

All of this comes back to a simple math equation, if a player can average greater than 1 point-per-possession on any given shot type, they should shoot that shot

May’s approach throughout his career has been to maximize what his players do best, rather than forcing them into an uncomfortable role.

Posted on

Saturday Posted & Toasted Notes: Wise men, French presidents, BrickBron James

SYMBOL - 25 November 2024, Austria, Innsbruck: A chamois at the Innsbruck Alpine Zoo. Photo: Silas Stein/dpa (Photo by Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Last weekend without basketball, fellas, so here’s a quick summary of a bunch of stuff that popped up recently around the NBA before we get down to (yeah, I know, preseason, but still…) business.

  • James Wiseman has emerged as the early favorite for the Knicks’ 14th and likely final standard roster spot, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. Nothing new considering we’ve been talking about New York prioritizing a third center for months on end. In Bondy’s eyes, Tony Bradley and Drew Eubanks are Wiseman’s primary competition up front, while Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji are also fighting for the last spot in the Knicks’ roster.
  • Mike Brown, however, isn’t ready to declare Wiseman—or anybody else—the winner of that roster battle.

“I’m just going to let it unfold. I got no expectations. I’m not trying to forecast anything. I’m just taking this literally one practice at a time, one game at a time. And at the end of the day, when it comes time for us to figure out who’s going to be on the final roster, we’ll do it.”

  • The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III identified whether the Knicks can maintain their edge after winning the championship as New York’s biggest question entering the new season.
  • In another piece published over The Athletic, multiple reporters assembled three perspectives on the Knicks’ chances of repeating, and none were especially bullish.
  • Anne Hathaway would sacrifice another Oscar for another Knicks championship.
  • New court documents revealed additional allegations behind OAKAAK J.R. Smith’s arrest in Texas.
  • The Pistons and Jalen Duren finally found common ground, with the big boy and postseason no-shower inking a five-year, $200 million deal… without a weight clause on it.
  • Get ready for a whole lot of “Inside the NBA” this season, likely the last one with Charles Barkley on board.
  • Victor Wembanyama hasn’t even won an NBA title, but he’s already thinking about running for President of France. Oh, là là!
  • It looks like the Las Vegas Whatevers are a very real thing and will get a franchise approved before Seattle does, but that could come with the con of having to wait an extra year to enter NBA play, contrary to the SuperSonics 2.0 making their comeback in time for the 2028-29 campaign.
  • JaVale McGee has joined the Shanghai Sharks, teaming up with D’Angelo Russell in China. Yes, that’s a real headline.
  • LeBron stans are already aboard the #lbjmvp train. Meanwhile…

Posted on

Wild Player To Watch: Kirill Kaprizov Has Dominated The Bruins

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild will play its home opener Friday night against the Boston Bruins, and if history is any indication, Kirill Kaprizov is a player to keep a close eye on.

Kaprizov has had remarkable success against Boston throughout his NHL career. In seven games against the Bruins, the Wild superstar has recorded nine goals and 10 points.

Even more impressive is how efficiently Kaprizov has produced those goals. He has scored nine times on just 23 shots against Boston, good for a 39.1 percent shooting percentage.

Kaprizov has also scored two power-play goals against the Bruins and has one game-winning goal and one overtime winner.

The 29-year-old opened the season with a goal in Minnesota’s season opener against Nashville, continuing his streak of recording at least one point in every season-opening game of his NHL career.

Now, Kaprizov gets a matchup that has treated him exceptionally well.

Boston has plenty of offensive weapons of its own, but Kaprizov’s history against the Bruins makes him Minnesota’s player to watch as the Wild return to Grand Casino Arena for their home opener.

See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source

Image

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Posted on

MLB Division Series: White Sox at Guardians, Braves at Dodgers

It’s time to begin the Division Series round of the 2026 postseason. There will be two threads for the four games today. This one is for the two afternoon games. The night game thread will post at 5 p.m. CT.

At the time of this post, the Braves had not yet listed a starting pitcher.

12 noon CT: White Sox at Guardians

TV: TBS, truTV, HBO Max. Announcers: Alex Faust, Ron Darling and Lauren Jbara.

Hagen Smith, LHP vs. Parker Messick, LHP

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com preview

3 p.m. CT: Braves at Dodgers

TV: Fox-TV. Announcers: Joe Davis, John Smoltz and Ken Rosenthal.

TBD vs. Tarik Skubal, LHP

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com preview

Posted on

Division Series Day One Game Thread

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 01: Signage in Truist Park during the Philadelphia Phillies versus the Atlanta Braves in game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series on October 1st, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Eight MLB teams remain in the hunt for the 2026 World Series title as the playoffs move into the Division Series. The San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees all ousted their Wild Card round opponents in two games, while it took the Atlanta Braves three games to end the Philadelphia Phillies’ season.

In the American League (AL), both best-of-five series feature division rivals vying for a spot in the AL Championship Series. In the National League (NL), the Padres, Braves and Milwaukee Brewers will look to prevent the Los Angeles Dodgers from winning a third consecutive NL pennant.

White Sox at Cleveland Guardians (1:00 PM EDT)

The battle-tested Guardians barely eclipsed the upstart White Sox down the stretch for the American League Central title and first-round bye. Now these two Midwest rivals will duke it out for a semifinal spot.

Coming in hot after sweeping the American League West champion Houston Astros, the White Sox will look to continue their Cinderella season. However, the rested Guardians will pose a tougher test than the Astros.

Chicago will employ the same pitching strategy that worked in the series opener in Houston. Rookie left-hander Hagen Smith will serve as the opener again. Cleveland will counter with rookie left-hander Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA), who was among the top rookie pitchers in baseball this season.

Braves at Dodgers (4:00 PM EDT)

In pursuit of a three-peat, the superstar-laden Dodgers aren’t messing around. Left-hander Tarik Skubal (12-7, 2.72 ERA), the biggest name traded at this season’s trade deadline, will start Los Angeles’ postseason opener.

Braves ace left-hander Chris Sale entered in relief to record the final outs of the Wild Card Series, making him unlikely to pitch until Game 2 or 3 of this series. Atlanta will instead roll with a bullpen game today.

Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays (6:30 PM EDT)

This series is truly a David vs. Goliath matchup, as the Yankees have historically experienced more success and operated with a higher payroll. However, the small-market Rays punched above their weight by winning the most games in the AL and capturing the division title.

Tampa Bay’s pitching staff played a significant role in the team’s successful 2026 campaign. This could be a low-scoring series, as New York’s pitching staff is also stellar at run prevention. The Yankees will also be without Aaron Judge for a second straight postseason series.

Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole will make his 23rd career postseason start. He will be opposed by Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who has considerably less postseason experience.

Padres at Brewers (8:30 PM EDT)

This matchup between the Padres and the Brewers could result in a classic Division Series, given the number of quality players each of these teams has.

The Padres will face a rested Brewers squad that won an MLB-high 103 games this season. Left-hander Robbie Ray, acquired from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline, will make his first postseason appearance with San Diego.

Flame-throwing phenom Jacob Misiorowski will start for the Brewers. The 24-year-old right-hander is favored to win the NL Cy Young Award after finishing the season with a 16-5 record, a 1.80 ERA, a 0.80 WHIP and 252 strikeouts over 174 2/3 innings.

The Padres, Brewers and Rays have yet to win a World Series. Will one of these teams make history this fall, or will their drought continue?





Posted on

MLB Division Series 2026 discussion thread: Day 1

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 30: The Chicago White Sox pose on the field after defeating the Houston Astros in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Daikin Park on September 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Wild Card round came and went, with three series sweeps and one series ending in a game three battle. Now it’s time to get into the meat of October with a weekend slate of NLDS and ALDS matchups.

The Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Dodgers will get into the action after starting the playoffs with a bye.

The Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees pulled out the brooms against the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox, respectively. The Philadelphia Phillies stole one from the Atlanta Braves before Atlanta closed things out.

Now, two pairs of division foes meet in the American League, alongside two intriguing matchups in the National League.

Here’s the schedule for Saturday’s games:

  • Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians on truTV, TBS, HBO Max at 11:00 am MDT
  • Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers on FOX at 2:00 pm MDT
  • New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays on truTV, TBS, HBO Max at 4:30 pm MDT
  • San Diego Padres @ Milwaukee Brewers on Fox Sports 1 at 6:30 pm MDT

We’ll add lineups as they become available.

Chicago White Sox (0-0) at Cleveland Guardians (0-0) — 11:00 am MDT

Pitching Matchup: Hagen Smith (3-3, 1.29 ERA) vs. Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA)

SB Nation Sites: Southside Sox, Covering the Corner

Lineups:

Atlanta Braves (0-0) at Los Angeles Dodgers (0-0) — 2:00 pm MDT

Pitching Matchup: Dylan Dodd (4-1, 2.54 ERA) vs. Tarik Skubal (12-7, 2.72 ERA)

SB Nation Sites: Battery Power, True Blue LA

Lineups:

New York Yankees (0-0) at Tampa Bay Rays (0-0) — 4:30 pm MDT

Pitching Matchup: Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61 ERA) vs. Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA)

SB Nation Sites: Pinstripe Alley, DRaysBay

Lineups:

Yankees

Rays

San Diego Padres (0-0) at Milwaukee Brewers (0-0) — 6:30 pm MDT

Pitching Matchup: Robbie Ray (13-8, 3.59 ERA) vs. Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA)

SB Nation Sites: Gaslamp Ball, Brew Crew Ball

Lineups:

Padres

Brewers

Join the conversation!

Sign up for a user account and get:

  • Fewer ads
  • Create community posts
  • Comment on articles, community posts
  • Rec comments, community posts
  • New, improved notifications system!

Download the SB Nation app on iOS or Android. 

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Posted on

Saturday Divisional Round discussion

Munetaka Murakami celebrates in the locker room with his teammates after winning the Wild Card Series
HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 30: Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates in the clubhouse after defeating the Houston Astros in Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Welcome to the divisional round! There’s a full slate of four games to be played today.

Starting at noon, we have White Sox at Guardians. The White Sox will use Hagen Smith (1.29 regular season ERA) as an opener for a bullpen game and the Guardians will counter with their rookie ace, Parker Messick (2.56 regular season ERA). The game can be seen on TBS and HBO Max.

At 3 PM, Atlanta will take on the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Atlanta has not yet declared their intended starter, the Dodgers will go with deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal (2.72 regular season ERA). That game can be seen on FOX.

At 5:30, the Yankees will venture to St. Petersburg to take on the Rays. Gerrit Cole (3.61 regular season ERA) will face Drew Rasmussen (2.67 regular season ERA) in the opener. This game can be seen on TBS and HBO Max.

The final game of the night, at 7:30, will see the Padres face the Brewers in a battle of brown teams. Robbie Ray (3.59 regular season ERA) will face presumptive NL Cy Young winner Jacob “The Mis” Misiorowski (1.80 regular season ERA).

If I might be allowed to editorialize for a moment, I think three of the four games promise to be especially good. I’m not convinced Atlanta has what it takes to battle with the Dodgers, but the Brewers and Padres have each shown me enough to think they could give them a run for their money in LCS. The White Sox haven’t pitched well but the Guardians haven’t hit well, and though the Guardians won the division, the White Sox won more head-to-head matchups, so that series figures to be a bloodbath of one kind or another.

Can’t wait!

Posted on

NLDS/ALDS Gamethread, 10/3/26

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 7: A fan holds a baseball waiting to get it autographed before a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park on June 7, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 9-5. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

There are four baseball games today that will determine who plays for the pennants in the Championship Series.

  • Chicago at Cleveland, 1:00 pm
  • Atlanta at Los Angeles, 4:00 pm
  • New York at Tampa Bay, 6:30 pm
  • San Diego at Milwaukee, 8:30 pm

Let’s talk about it.

Posted on

Division Series Games One discussion thread

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 29: A general view during the national anthem before the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Both the American League Divisional Series and the National League Divisional Series kick off today.

In the early game, the White Sox go to Cleveland for a noon start in a game on TBS and TruTV.

The Dodgers host the Braves in a 3 p.m. game on Fox.

The Rays and the Yankees square off in Tampa in a 5:30 p.m. game on TBS and TruTV.

And the late game has Padres playing in Milwaukee on FS1 at 7:30 p.m.

Talk about it here.

Posted on

ALDS GAME 1 WHITE SOX AT GUARDIANS: Messick vs. Smith/Martin, discussion

KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 27: Jo Adell #7 of the Cleveland Guardians rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, September 27, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Here is the White Sox lineup:

Here is the Guardians lineup:

Posted on

Brewers announce NLDS roster

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 26: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning at American Family Field on September 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Brewers’ postseason is finally here, and with it, we’ve got our first look at a playoff roster. Given the relative health of the team at the end of the season (with only some restorative absences from Joey Ortiz and Andrew Vaughn in the season’s last week), there wasn’t a ton to be decided, though the question of whether they’d carry 12 or 13 pitchers — and the position player who might take that extra spot, if it existed — remained.

We have our answer! The Brewers did, indeed, carry 13 pitchers, and the inclusion that we may have all been wondering about was that of Kyle Harrison, who did make the cut. Other than that, there are no real surprises. Here’s the rundown:

Catchers (2): William Contreras, Gary Sánchez

Infielders (6): Jake Bauers, David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, Cooper Pratt, Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn

Outfielders/DH (5): Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Luis Lara, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich

Pitchers (13): Aaron Ashby, Shane Drohan, Robert Gasser, DL Hall, Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson, Dustin May, Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, JoJo Romero, Antonio Senzatela, Abner Uribe

This pitcher breakdown gives the Brewers six lefties (Ashby, Drohan, Gasser, Hall, Harrison, Romero), five of which could conceivably pitch multiple innings. San Diego does feature a righty-heavy lineup, so that’s not going to be quite as big an advantage as the Brewers may have had against a team like the Dodgers or Cubs, but it’s interesting nonetheless. If Gasser is indeed the choice to start Game 3 and a bullpen game is in store for Game 4, then expect to see some combination of Drohan, Hall, Harrison, May, and Patrick as guys who cover a lot of innings in those two games.

There are no surprises on the position player side; in order to make it interesting, the Brewers would’ve had to carry 12 pitchers, and they would’ve had to opt against including Bo Naylor as an extra catcher. This means that Brandon Lockridge didn’t make the roster, and neither did a major wildcard inclusion along the lines of Andrew Fischer. Ortiz and Vaughn were both expected to make the roster, but it’s encouraging to see them both nonetheless, given that they were dealing with minor issues (injury and/or health) at the end of the season.

It’s a strong group, and we’ll hope they play up to their ability level. We’ll see you back here at 7:30 p.m. tonight for the game, and we’ll also have a general Division Series thread up during the day. Happy baseball.

UPDATE: The Padres have also announced their NLDS roster. No changes to their squad from the NL Wild Card Series, as they’ll stick with 11 pitchers and 15 position players.

Catchers (3): Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin, Ethan Salas

Infielders (6): Miguel Andujar, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, Ty France, Manny Machado, Gavin Sheets

Outfielders (6): Jase Bowen, Dustin Harris, Austin Hays, Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr., Samad Taylor

Pitchers (11): Jason Adam, Walker Buehler, Michael King, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan, Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta, Robbie Ray, Bradgley Rodriguez

Posted on

Dodgers will start Blake Snell in NLDS Game 2, Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 3

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Pitcher Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers leaves the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 26, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — After naming Tarik Skubal the Game 1 starter of the NLDS earlier on Friday, the Dodgers on Saturday announced that Blake Snell would start Game 2 on Sunday, pushing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to Game 3 on Tuesday in Atlanta.

“We have such talented starters. I think you can roll out any of us in any situation and you’re going to be in a really good spot,” Skubal said Friday of Dodgers rotation depth, echoing comments made this week by Freddie Freeman, Dave Roberts, general manager Brandon Gomes, and others. “I don’t make any of those decisions. I don’t really think about that. They tell me when I’m going, and I’m ready to go that day. That’s kind of how I approach it.”

Roberts told Skubal the news of his Game 1 start one week ago, when he took the left-hander after seven scoreless innings on 75 pitches on September 25 against the Giants in San Francisco.

“I thought in the moment I was going to be able to finish the game, and he’s like get ready for Game 1,” Skubal said. “That’s how I was told, and obviously excited and fired up and ready to go.”

Skubal’s the most likely starter to pitch on four days rest if needed, and Snell and Tyler Glasnow have a history of pitching on four days rest as well. Yamamoto has never started in the majors on fewer than five days rest, with the one notable asterisk his eight-out relief appearance to close out Game 7 of the 2025 World Series. Yamamoto was the rock of the Dodgers rotation each of the last two seasons, the only starter to remain healthy all season in each of 2025 and 2026. Now he’s pushed to Game 3 of the Dodgers’ opening series, but there is method to the madness.

The Braves as a team hit .240/.300/.396 against left-handed pitchers this season, their 91 wRC+ ranking 24th among 30 MLB teams. Hitting southpaws isn’t something that improved for Atlanta, either. Over the final two months of the season they hit just .238/.287/.383 with an 84 wRC+ against southpaws.

Now they’ll face two lefties to start the first two games of the NLDS in Skubal and Snell. But the matchup wasn’t the only consideration.

“A lot of it this series, the possibility of usage, as well as, as we look out, who’s best lined up,” Roberts said Friday. “I think it’s a good process, appreciating that the most important thing is this series right now. But if you have talented arms at your disposal, it’s prudent to kind of map out potentially how they could line up, and that’s just doing your due diligence.”

Should the Dodgers advance to beat the Braves — not a given, obviously — Yamamoto is the ideal Game 2 starter in a seven-game series, because it allows him to pitch the latter on five days rest, while starting in Game 1 or Game 3 would mean needing to be available to start in Game 5 or 7 on four days rest. And Yamamoto starting in Game 3 of the Division Series on Tuesday would line him up perfectly to potentially start Game 2 of the NLCS on Monday, October 12 on five days rest.

And if Skubal is needed again in the NLDS in Game 5 against the Braves, having Snell at the ready to potentially start Game 1 is a nice fallback option to have. Snell started three Games 1 last postseason for the Dodgers, and won two of them, part of an overall 3.18 ERA in 34 innings, and set a Dodgers franchise postseason record with 41 strikeouts.

There’s also the matter that Yamamoto had a 1.77 ERA and 2.93 FIP on in 12 road starts this season, compared to a 3.13 ERA and 3.65 FIP at home, and 14 of Yamamoto’s 20 home runs allowed were hit at Dodger Stadium. Plus starting him in Game 3 gives Yamamoto his first extended rest of the season, having last started on September 23 with only Wednesday night’s closed scrimmage at Dodger Stadium in between.

“If you’re fortunate enough to keep moving on, things start to get more unpredictable,” Roberts said. “So I think that at the outset, if you can kind of line it up in such a way to giving guys ample rest, it just puts you in a better position for more options down the road. That’s kind of some of the math we had.”