Good things are happening for the White Sox. Recently, Pope Leo XIV was asked if he had anything to do with the team’s turnaround. The Pope declined to comment before saying, “Good things happen in Chicago,” and he is absolutely correct. The White Sox secured a spot in the ALDS with a 7-3 victory over the Astros.

Astros starter Hunter Brown, 28, was terrific against the White Sox in the regular season. The South Siders could not solve him back then, as they posted a measly .174/.208/.174 in two games against him. However, it was an entirely different story for Brown today.

Sam Antonacci, the game’s first batter, drove a fly ball to deep left. Left fielder Yordan Alvarez appeared to have a play, but he narrowly missed Antonacci’s drive, so Antonacci pulled up at second with a leadoff double. Just like in Game 1, Antonacci’s successful plate appearance to open the game set the tone for a great start for the White Sox. From there, Kyle Teel went after the first pitch he saw from Brown, and he hit a sharp grounder into center field to drive in Antonacci. Five pitches and two batters into the game, the White Sox had a 1-0 lead, and they were not done. Miguel Vargas hit a high chopper to third, but third baseman Nick Allen failed to field the grounder cleanly, allowing Teel to advance to second, and Vargas was safe at first.

Munetaka Murakami struck out, but Andrew Benintendi added some insurance. Benintendi hit a soft liner that landed in front of center fielder Lucas Spence to drive in Teel. In addition, an errant throw by Spence allowed Vargas to score, and Benintendi advanced to second. Following that disaster for Houston, Tristan Peters singled to drive in Benintendi to add an exclamation point to the huge inning. Just like that, the White Sox had an early 4-0 lead.

DON'T STOP NOW, BOYS! pic.twitter.com/S7EJZYWW2V

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 30, 2026

The nightmarish inning was not quite over just yet for Brown, whose pitch count continued to rise. Chase Meidroth singled, Braden Montgomery struck out, and Colson Montgomery displayed a good batting eye by drawing a six-pitch walk. That walk resulted in the bases being loaded, and Brown’s outing was over after 36 pitches and only retiring two batters.

From there, Astros reliever AJ Blubaugh took over with the bases loaded and two outs, looking to prevent the game from getting completely out of hand, and he did that. Antonacci, who was batting for the second time in the first inning, hit a soft ground out on a sweeper in the middle of the zone. Despite that, the White Sox happily switched sides with a 4-0 lead.

White Sox starter Sean Burke, 26, had a rough start to his outing, as shortstop Jeremy Peña crushed a moonshot to left-center to lead off the bottom of the first. However, Burke did not let Peña’s blast carry over, and he did not allow any further damage that inning.

The Astros went back to work in the second, when Cam Smith got all of a sinker on the inner half and drove it way out to left. Smith’s blast went 440 feet, but fortunately, it only counted for one run, and the White Sox still had a 4-2 lead. Burke got through the third inning cleanly, as he struck out the side in order. That was a particularly difficult task, as Peña, Alvarez, and Paredes are quite tough to strike out consecutively.

Meanwhile, the White Sox offense stalled, as they were retired in order in each of the second, third, and fourth innings. That gap in offense caused some uneasiness for White Sox fans, and that restlessness grew in the bottom of the fourth, when José Altuve led off with Houston’s third solo blast against Burke. Suddenly, the Astros were within a run, and they had all kinds of momentum.

The Astros pitching staff completed its fourth consecutive perfect inning in the fifth, and they appeared to be in business. The Astros built on their momentum in the bottom of the fifth, when interestingly, Huascar Brazobán took over on the mound to begin the frame. Brazobán hit Smith with a fastball to open the inning, but he struck out Allen to cool things down. However, Brazobán allowed a single to Peña, and the Astros had two on with one out, and Alvarez stepped up to the plate. That prompted a pitching change, and Anthony Kay replaced Brazobán. Alvarez hit a sharp liner to left, but he did not get all of it, and Antonacci made the catch in deep left. Kay issued a walk to Paredes to load the bases, so the tying run was at third, and the go-ahead run was at second. In a crucial, high-leverage moment, Kay got Altuve to fly out to right to end the threat and preserve the 4-3 lead.

Entering the sixth, the previous 13 White Sox hitters had been retired. At long last, Andrew Benintendi broke that streak by drawing a leadoff walk against Astros reliever Bryan Abreu. Luisangel Acuña entered the game as a pinch-runner for Benintendi, and he immediately stole second base. From there, Tristan Peters walked, and the White Sox were setting themselves up to do some damage. Chase Meidroth stepped up to the plate and showed bunt. That drew the infield in, and the Astros were caught off-guard as Acuña and Peters executed a double-steal, and the South Siders had a pair in scoring position. Abreu fell behind 3-1 before leaving a slider over the middle of the plate, and Meidroth took full advantage.

3-RUN POSTSEASON HOMER FOR CHASE MEIDROTH! pic.twitter.com/39yNEWjiLt

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 30, 2026

Meidroth’s towering blast extended the South Siders’ lead back to four, and the victory was within reach.

Reliever Jordan Hicks was phenomenal, retiring all six batters he faced and striking out three of them. As a result, the score remained 7-3 after seven. From there, Erick Fedde took over on the mound, and he locked it down. Like Hicks, he faced six batters and retired all of them, striking out three. Although Meidroth’s blast allowed the final few innings to be relatively relaxed, Hicks and Fedde deserve plenty of credit for that, too.

CHILLS. pic.twitter.com/eOnSA6Bc7J

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) October 1, 2026

With this victory, the White Sox have won their first postseason series since 2005. Back in Spring Training, did any of us imagine we would be in this position at the end of September? I certainly did not, but here we are, and I am incredibly grateful. The White Sox will take on the Guardians (85-77), and that best-of-five series is scheduled to begin on Saturday at noon CT. TBS/HBO Max and TruTV will televise that matchup, and WMVP 1000 AM will have the radio coverage. We will see you then.

MVP
Chase Meidroth (2B): 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 0.12 WPA

Runners-Up
Kyle Teel (C): 2-for-5, RBI, 0.03 WPA
Sam Antonacci (LF): 1-for-4, 2B, 0.02 WPA
Jordan Hicks (RHRP): 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 0.07 WPA
Erick Fedde (RHRP): 2, IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 0.04 WPA
Tristan Peters (CF-LF): 1-for-3, BB, RBI, 0.07 WPA
Andrew Benintendi (DH): 1-for-2, BB, RBI, 0.17 WPA
Anthony Kay (LHRP): 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 K, 0.13 WPA

Cold Cat
Munetaka Murakami (1B): 0-for-5, 3 K, -0.07 WPA

Runners-Up
Miguel Vargas (3B): 0-for-5, 2 K, 0.02 WPA
Sean Burke (RHSP): 4 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 8 K, -0.06 WPA
Braden Montgomery (RF): 0-for-4, K, -0.05 WPA

The Los Angeles Dodgers might not be rooting for a specific opponent in the NLDS as they await the winner of Game 3 between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, but manager Dave Roberts does have a pretty strong preference regarding when they play Game 1 on Saturday, Oct. 3.

"I would prefer to play at night," Roberts said on Monday, Sept. 28. "As far as who we play, I don't think we really care. But I do think that it's going to be a hot weekend, and to play at night would certainly be more beneficial."

That's not entirely in the Dodgers' control. Per the broadcast schedule MLB released on Monday, there are two scenarios facing the Dodgers for Saturday: If the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres in their wild card series, the Dodgers would play at 6:00 p.m. local time. If the Padres win, however, the start time gets moved up to 1:00 pm PT.

That significant jump might be a problem for everybody involved.

Late September/early October is generally considered the hottest time of the year in Los Angeles, as the marine layer that normally protects the region from oppressive heat in the summer months starts to dissipate. Santa Ana winds also factor in, bringing in more heat and adding to the risk during peak wildfire season. Due to El Niño and the effects of climate change, this year is set to be even worse.

Here's what you need to know about the forecast heading into Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday, Oct. 3:

Los Angeles forecast for Saturday, Oct. 3

A week-long heat wave is expected to settle into LA on Friday, with "record breaking temperatures" expected by Saturday, according to AccuWeather. The high at 1000 Vin Scully Avenue is forecasted at 103 degrees with a RealFeel of 106.

"Blazing sunshine and very hot with the temperature approaching the record high of 108 set in 1987," AccuWeather says. "Heat will be dangerous, minimize outdoor activity."

At night, the temperature is predicted to drop to 74 with a slight breeze cooling the RealFeel down by another two degrees.

So yes, the start time can be a significant factor for the Dodgers – and whoever their opponent ends up being – on Saturday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Weather for Dodgers, weekend playoffs in LA will be sweltering

Wednesday notes…

• BLANKETY-BLANK: Last night’s loss was the 12th time the Cubs have been shut out in 132 post-season games. One of them was the final game of a series. They were 7-3 in the next games of the other series, including 5-1 on the road. They won all three next games in which they were blanked on the road, then played the same team on the road in the next game. They beat the Dodgers, 10-2, after losing Game 3 of the 2016 Championship Series, 6-0. They beat the Indians, 5-1, after losing Game 1 of the 2016 World Series. Last year, the Cubs beat the Padres at home, 3-1, after losing Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, 3-0. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• GAME TWO, PART 1: In all post-season series, the Cubs are 10-17 in second games, but just 3-11 on the road. Two of the wins were the ones at St. Louis and Cleveland listed above. The third was in the 1906 World Series vs. the White Sox, 7-1. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• GAME TWO, PART 2: In the regular season this year, the Cubs were 14-12 in second games of series after losing first games. They were 8-6 after first-game losses on the road, including a win at San Diego on April 28.
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Thad Bosley singles in the tying run, then scores the winning run on a throwing error as the Cubs walk off the Cardinals 2-1 in the final regular-season game of the best Cubs season since 1945. It happened 42 years ago today, Sunday, Sept. 30, 1984.

Cubs lineup:

New day, new game. #FlyTheWpic.twitter.com/q5TREk9bDH

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 30, 2026

Padres lineup:

Game 2. pic.twitter.com/yi6b0GWGs2

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 30, 2026

Kevin Gausman, RHP vs. Nick Pivetta, RHP

This is exactly why the Cubs traded for Kevin Gausman: His extensive postseason experience, which includes six appearances (five starts) and 30.2 innings in last year’s postseason for the Blue Jays in which he posted a 2.93 ERA. He’ll need to be that guy tonight.

As you know, Gausman has had some good outings as a Cub but overall has been somewhat of a disappointment. He suffered a minor injury to his non-throwing shoulder in his last start, which was a week ago at Wrigley Field against the Marlins.

Gausman threw six innings and allowed three runs, striking out eight, against the Padres July 12 at Petco Park. A repeat of that might be good enough to force a Game 3.

Nick Pivetta missed almost the entire 2026 season with a right flexor strain. He was out from mid-April until early September, when he returned to make four starts in which he posted a 1.45 ERA and 0.911 WHIP, with just two walks in 18.2 innings.

He has not faced the Cubs this year. Current Cubs are batting .252 (27-for-107) against him with seven home runs, among those two each from Dansby Swanson and Michael Conforto.

As has been pointed out elsewhere, he has extreme reverse splits this year: .442 OPS vs. LHB, .704 OPS vs. RHB. Both are fairly small sample sizes (61 PA vs. RHB this year, 79 PA vs. LHB). For his career he’s about equal against both left-handed and right-handed batters.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Petco Park. If this game had been scheduled for Wrigley Field, it would likely have been rained out, as it’s been raining in Chicago pretty much all day and evening.

Today’s game is on Peacock and NBC Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Padres site Gaslamp Ball. If you do go there to interact with Padres fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

In the words of a Yankee legend, it was dèja vu all over again in the Bronx last night as Cam Schlittler continued crafting a legend of his own. Just like last season, Schlittler delivered a gem of a performance against the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, staking New York to a 1-0 series lead and giving them an opportunity to close the affair out early tonight. But unlike last year’s three-game set, in which the Yankee offense never fully erupted, the lineup finally achieved escape velocity. Ben Rice and his four hits, two homers, and six RBI, led the charge — but the bottom of the lineup contributed their fair share as well.

In other words, the Yankees played the perfect ballgame last night. Max Fried will be tasked with carrying the momentum into Game 2. Fried’s second season in pinstripes has been marred by a couple of IL stints limiting him to just 20 starts and 112.2 innings, but when he’s been healthy, he’s been just as good as in 2025. He’ll be pitching on seven days’ rest in Game 2 — his last appearance was an up-and-down start against the Rays, in which Tampa clinched the AL East.

As far as the recent track record against Boston, Fried has been quite effective. He only faced them twice this season: one was a short start from when he was returning from his latest injury, the other an eight-inning masterpiece in April from before the Red Sox got it together under new manager Chad Tracy. In Game 1 of last year’s WCS, he provided 6.1 scoreless innings, scattering four hits three walks while striking out six. The Yankees couldn’t hold onto the narrow 1-0 lead he had defended, and sabotaged their own comeback effort after loading the bases with nobody out in the ninth inning. None of that was Max’s fault, of course. Provided the lineup supports him, an effort like last year’s will be more than enough.

Old friend Sonny Gray never caught on with the Yankees in 2017 and 2018, but he’ll have no choice but to step up under the Yankee Stadium lights with Boston’s season on the line. Over his first season with the Red Sox, the steady veteran turned in yet another outstanding season, leading the AL with 18 wins (don’t think that doesn’t mean anything to him) and pitching to a 2.72 ERA. That’s the thing about the Red Sox’ pitching: they have lots of exciting youngsters like Payton Tolle, who pitched last night, but they also routinely get the most out of their veteran pitchers too. Gray faced New York twice in June and pitched well both times. The latter outing was his best start of the season by game score — one hit, one walk, nine strikeouts over 7.1 scoreless innings.

Unsurprisingly, Aaron Boone’s lineup for Game 2 is nearly unrecognizable when compared with the Game 1 starting nine. It’s a history-making card: according to James Smyth of the YES Network, it’s the first time a team has put eight lefty batters — switch hitters not included — in the same lineup in the postseason. The portside octet includes Trent Grisham, who entered late last night for his first action off the IL. Rice will ascend to the leadoff spot, with Cody Bellinger and Luis Garcia Jr. to follow. Spencer Jones hits cleanup and plays right field ahead of George Lombard Jr., the lone righty to get the start. Jazz Chisholm Jr. draws in at the keystone, Grisham bats in the seven-spot after him, Austin Wells will bat eighth, and Ryan McMahon starts at third and will hit ninth. Naturally, expect plenty of right-handed bats to come off the bench against a lefty-heavy Boston staff once Gray’s start concludes.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY

First pitch: 8:00 p.m. ET

TV broadcast: NBC

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | WEEI 93.7, WCCM 1490 AM (SP), WESX 1230 AM (SP) (BOS) | ESPN Radio (national)

Streaming: Peacock

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Game 2 at our house. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/eZhRJbQt3v

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 30, 2026

Set for Game 2. pic.twitter.com/TSPiTr5hjQ

— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 30, 2026

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sat back on the sofa in his office on Monday, looking the most relaxed he has in weeks.

He'll be leading the charge as the Dodgers try for a historic World Series three-peat starting Saturday. If the Dodgers succeed, they would be the first team in National League history to accomplish the feat. But that's not what's on Roberts' mind right now; he knows the danger of looking too far ahead once you're in October.

"It just makes life more difficult when you don't focus on the job," he said over Zoom. "And that's winning this next series."

Max Muncy echoed his skipper, adding that the team doesn't need to add any extra pressure. Instead, the Dodgers are focusing on staying sharp over the week off, coming in to workout at Dodger Stadium, take batting practice, throwing bullpens and watching the wild card games together.

The bye helps the Dodgers get healthier, too; both Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman have been using the time to work on their mechanics at the plate while managing knee ailments (and a right bicep injury for Ohtani).

It also helps the team to lock in by just being around each other.

"Winning the World Series is hard enough as it is," Muncy said. "So for us, we're just trying to focus on what we have ahead of us without the added noise to it."

What lies ahead for the Dodgers in the NLDS is still unknown. As the No. 2 seed in the NL, they'll face either the Atlanta Braves or Philadelphia Phillies, who have battled through two chaotic games so far; the Braves jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Austin Riley's clutch three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth on Monday and led 3-1 late on Wednesday until back-to-back blasts from Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper tied it up. Alec Bohm then went deep on a solo shot in the 10th to force a decisive Game 3 on Thursday.

That means the Dodgers won't know who they play until the last possible minute. Not that they necessarily care who occupies the dugout across from them, anyway.

"Either team, it doesn't really matter," Muncy said. "You're gonna have to play nothing but good teams from here on out. It's the postseason ... any team can go out and beat you. ... Whoever we play is whoever we play."

Here's a look at each of the Dodgers' possible NLDS opponents:

Atlanta Braves

The Dodgers and Braves dueled in both the 2020 and 2021 NLCS, but just four players remain from that 2021 Braves team that won the World Series: Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Dylan Lee and Ronald Acuña Jr. The Dodgers have had plenty of turnover, too.

The biggest knock on this Braves team has been the pitching depth. Chris Sale is continuing to beat Father Time and has a solid argument against Jacob Misiorowski for the Cy Young Award, but there's a dropoff in the rotation after him. Tyler Mahle has pitched well since being acquired at the trade deadline with a 1.99 ERA in nine starts. He threw seven innings of one-run ball in Game 2 against Philadelphia, but he was also the only starting pitcher that president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos traded for this summer when the consensus around league circles was that the Braves needed at least another arm.

Atlanta's battled through injuries for most of the season but much like the Dodgers, the Braves seem to be getting healthy at the right time.

Philadelphia Phillies

This would be a rematch of last year's NLDS, with home field advantage flipped to LA. The Dodgers are fully familiar with how dangerous the Phillies' lineup, headlined by Schwarber and Harper, can be; but they're just as familiar with how vulnerable the Phillies' bullpen is in October.

And the Phillies may have showed that volatility a little early with a 10-14 September record in which they didn't secure their playoff spot until the final game of the season despite their magic number being at one for the seven games before that. They avoided a historic collapse to close out the regular season and came back from what looked like sure elimination late in Game 2 on Wednesday, but how much longer can their bats keep covering for the bullpen? If it's anything like it was in 2025, the answer is not much.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who should Dodgers root for in NL wild card series? Breaking down Phillies, Braves matchups

Welp, you kinda just knew that this was going to be in the future for these clubs, huh?

After another close game was decided on a knife’s edge, the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are heading to a winner-take-all Game 3 in the Wild Card Series. There were twists and turns but at the end of the day, the three guys who the Braves couldn’t let beat them ended up beating them. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper went back-to-back against Dylan Lee in the eighth inning (right after the Braves took the lead) and then Alec Bohm bopped one out against Didier Fuentes in the tenth inning to essentially decide the contest.

For the first seven-and-a-half innings, it seemed like the Braves were going to snatch another one. Tyler Mahle in particular was fantastic through seven strong results as he only gave up one run while he was out there. As it turned out, he was gutting his way through it as Walt Weiss dropped a bombshell during the postgame press conference and stated that Mahle was dealing with an injury right before the matchup and was considered a game-time decision.

“We had a scare before the game. He felt an abdominal pull. We didn’t know if he was going to make the start,” explained Weiss when he was asked about whether or not Tyler Mahle was truly done after the seventh inning. When he asked to explain more about Mahle’s pregame status, he explained that it really and truly was touch-and-go for Mahle heading into today’s game.

“We weren’t sure. It was right at game time after he came out of the bullpen,” explained Weiss. “He ended up working through it, and it got better as the game went on. But we were scrambling early on.” With that particular context, it makes Mahle’s start all the more impressive — especially considering that this was his first career Postseason start. A lot of credit has to be given to Mahle for going out there and toughing it out but now his status will be in question going forward, and hopefully he’ll be feeling better as the Postseason run (hopefully) progresses.

Meanwhile, this was another tough day for Didier Fuentes, who has now given up that big triple to J.T. Realmuto in Game 1 and the homer to Bohm in Game 2. It’s a very rough stat to Postseason life for Fuentes but Weiss has likely been using his own experiences as a player to keep Didier’s head high during this particular low moment.

“When you’re a late-inning reliever, these things happen,” explained Weiss. “I’ve seen some great ones that this has happened to. I saw one of the greatest. I was at shortstop when Kirk Gibson did his thing off [Dennis Eckersley,] one of the greatest closers of all time. It comes with the territory when you’re pitching late in close games. Every once in a while, they get you.“

Weiss also stood behind his decision to go to Dylan Lee, which made sense in the moment considering how Game 1 went. “Lee is our high-leverage lefty,” explained Weiss when he was asked about going with Lee in that situation. “[He] put down the same part of the order yesterday pretty easily. Threw the ball really well yesterday. So no, that’s his inning every time.”

Lastly, Dominic Smith got the call for a big at-bat at the end and Weiss had to field a question about that situation as well. Again, Weiss backed his player in that situation and stated that he had a “good feeling” about Dominic Smith potentially coming through with another big moment.

“Dom is a really good pinch-hitter and it’s a professional at-bat,” stated Weiss as he was asked about Smith coming in for the tenth inning. “I think thought there was a good chance he may even draw a walk there and pass the baton to Yaz. Just felt good about Dom in that situation. He’s come through for us.”

All in al, it’s a tough pill for the Braves to swallow (especially considering the missed opportunities that Atlanta had in the game, including a tough double play from Michael Harris II when Cristopher Sánchez was just barely holding on to a tied ballgame in the sixth inning) but at the same time, the Phillies had to take their medicine in Game 1.

It’s part of the dramatic ebb-and-flow that comes with the Postseason — especially considering that these two are divisional rivals who have been going back-and-forth with each other all season. There are no secrets left, no surprising the other. It’s just going to be a matter of who’s going to be the better team over the next nine (or so) innings.

Hopefully once the smoke clears tomorrow, the Braves will be the ones heading out to Los Angeles for the weekend but for now, it’s clear that the margin for error is just as razor thin as everybody thought it would be. The Braves threw their haymaker, the Phillies responded in kind and now it’s time to see who’s going to be able to deliver that knockout shot in Game 3. We’ll see what happens as the Braves play their first actual game in October this season — with everything on the line.

I don’t know that there was any better way to announce to the world that the San Diego Padres are here to stick around. The Friars took Game 1 of the three-game set against the Chicago Cubs in spectacular fashion, scoring eight runs while limiting the Cubs to zero. It’s the biggest postseason shutout in franchise history. Starter Michael King pitched seven dominant innings, taking a no-hitter into the seventh before it was broken up on a liner to third base.

The offense went off, with Fernando Tatis Jr. homering on the first pitch before captain Manny Machado went yard a moment later. Nothing could have set the stage better for a series sweep than last night’s game. Tonight, San Diego will attempt to reverse their 2025 fates and beat the Cubs to advance to the NLDS. It would be their first appearance in the Division Series since 2022 against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Taking the mound

Kevin Gausman (CHC) v. Nick Pivetta (SD)

To say that Gausman has struggled since being traded to the Cubs would be an understatement. He was already struggling with the Toronto Blue Jays (4.38 ERA) before being traded to the North Siders and authoring a 4.83 ERA across nine starts. He looked good at the beginning of his tenure, but slowly started to struggle. In his final three starts of the season, Gausman surrendered 10 runs (15.1 IP).

The right-hander pitched quite well against San Diego when he last faced them as a Blue Jay. He twirled six innings of three-run ball in a no-decision that eventually became a Padres victory. What bit him were the walks. Gausman has an abnormally high 1.27 WHIP. Despite his fantastic stuff (184 K’s), he’s volatile. If the Friars sit and wait, they’ll get their pitch sooner or later.

Pivetta has been nails since returning from the injured list at the beginning of September. In four starts since then, the righty has authored a 1.45 ERA (18.2 IP). It’s not an abundant amount of work to draw from, but he’s looked dominant since his return. If that can continue against Chicago tonight, it would be a massive advantage for San Diego.

The right-hander is also coming off of a sterling outing against one of baseball’s best offenses in the Dodgers. His final start of the regular season came against the NL West rivals, with Pivetta twirling 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Should he be able to similarly stymie the Cubs, the bullpen won’t have too many outs to cover. That would give the Friars a major leg up in a potential NLDS appearance.

Batter up!

The offense was rocking last night, tagging Chicago starter Matthew Boyd for fours runs in as many innings. Xander Bogaerts, Machado and Tatis all homered off of the lefty. The Cubs’ bullpen was mostly solid, but gave up four more runs to San Diego in the fifth and seventh innings.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Dustin Harris, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Luis Campusano, DH
7. Xander Bogaerts, SS
8. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
9. Ethan Salas, C

The Padres’ big four (Bogaerts, Machado, Jackson Merrill and Tatis) combined to go 8-for-14 (.571) last night with two walks, six RBIs and six runs scored. San Diego will likely go as far as their stars can take them. If they continue to get this level of production from them (or even a semblance of it), they’ll be well on their way to where they want to be.

Relief corps

King told reporters on Monday afternoon that he had no interest in turning the ball over to the bullpen. He was almost entirely true to his word. He pitched seven one-hit innings of scoreless ball before Yuki Matsui and Joe Musgrove (yes, you read that right) pitched the final two innings. Matsui pitched a perfect eighth before Musgrove navigated some trouble in his first big-league appearance in almost exactly two years.

That allows the bullpen to be fresh for tonight. Should the wheels fall off with Pivetta, the Friars are equipped with more than enough capable arms to fill out the remaining innings. Jason Adam, Mason Miller, David Morgan, Adrian Morejon, Robbie Ray and Bradgley Rodriguez are available for manager Craig Stammen to turn to. That said, Ray seems unlikely to pitch in relief given his experience as a starter.

About a month before his team reported to spring training this year, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sat on the balcony of an upscale restaurant near his offseason home in San Diego, recounting his journey from franchise scapegoat to championship leader.

The more Roberts spoke about his professional evolution, the more it became clear that he wasn’t just explaining who he was a manager at that moment.

He was envisioning the manager he would become.

“At 53,” Roberts said, “I feel I’m just scratching the surface.”

His theory is about to be tested.

The Dodgers have a loaded starting rotation. They have an experienced but inconsistent lineup. They have a hodgepodge of a bullpen.

And they have another X-factor in Roberts, who ranks third all-time in playoff wins as a manager with 59. No other manager in this postseason field has won more than 26.

With the Dodgers reaching the playoffs in each of their 11 seasons under him, Roberts has already managed 117 postseason games.

The experience has resulted in a change in how he sees October games.

“It’s slowed down,” Roberts said.

As the games unfold, he can better predict what will happen next. When making decisions, he doesn’t feel rushed.

That could be especially valuable in this postseason.

The Dodgers have an all-world rotation that includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. They have two relievers they trust at the back of their bullpen in Tanner Scott and Roki Sasaki.

The question Roberts will have to face on most nights will be how to manage the innings that aren’t pitched by the starter, Scott or Sasaki. 

When the Dodgers had a weak bullpen last year, Roberts’ approach was relatively straightforward: Ride the starters as long as possible, turn to them whenever possible.

Dodgers starters pitched into the seventh inning or beyond seven times last postseason. Yamamoto pitched two complete games. Snell made an eight-inning start. Three of the team’s four starters were used as relievers at some point, and the other, Shohei Ohtani, started Game 7 of the World Series on three-days’ rest. Yamamoto pitched the final 2 ⅔ innings of that game – a day after pitching six innings in a Game 6 win.

A repeat of that is entirely possible. But what the rotation did last year was historic and the counting on the group to do that again might not be realistic.

The advantage the Dodgers have this year is that their bullpen has more upside than it did last October, which should provide Roberts with a greater number of middle relief options. But every option carries significant risk. 

Displaced $69-million closer Edwin Diaz had a nightmare of a regular season. Edgardo Henriquez is the hardest thrower on the team – and probably the most improved as well – but he missed the end of the regular season with a back injury. Fireman Alex Vesia posted his highest walk rate in five years. Evan Phillips has looked like a ninth-inning possibility on some nights but has been home-run prone. Converted starter Justin Wrobleski was an All-Star but had a rough second half of the season.

Roberts will be counted on to navigate the middle innings of this group, which could also include the left-handed Scott if a particularly dangerous group of left-handed hitters is due up at a critical juncture.

Whatever happens, the situation shouldn’t be nearly as complicated as it was during the Dodgers’ World Series run in 2024.

The Dodgers went into that postseason with only three viable starting pitchers – Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was in his first year in the majors and limited to 90 regular-season innings because of shoulder problems; Jack Flaherty, a trade-deadline acquisition who posted a 4.99 earned-run average the previous year; and Walker Buehler, who registered a 5.38 ERA in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.

Roberts had to rely on his bullpen.

The limited number of starting pitchers forced the Dodgers into a bullpen game at least once in every series. He was forced to punt certain games to preserve the little pitching he had for the future.

As chaotic as it looked from the outside, Roberts said he was clear-headed.

“I couldn’t have said that in ‘16, ‘17, ‘18,” he said.

Roberts mentioned how athletes decline after playing a certain number of years.

“But with coaching, your best years are with experience and as you get older,” he said. “That’s the irony. And I do feel that I’m much more wise. My decision-making, I feel, has gotten even better. My feel for the game.”

Now on the brink of a three-peat, the Dodgers might be more reliant on that feel than they ever have.