Los Angeles, California - September 24: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 and Ethan Salas #8 of the San Diego Padres celebrate with teammates in the clubhouse after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers to secure a playoff spot on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
With a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night, the Padres won the series and more importantly secured a postseason berth. It is the first time in franchise history the team has reached the postseason in three consecutive seasons. San Diego is in, but with three games remaining against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park, there is still plenty to play for.
The Padres hold a one-game lead over the Chicago Cubs for the top Wild Card spot and if they can maintain that position they would host the Wild Card Series. The Philadelphia Phillies dropped another game back with a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers which means the Diamondbacks still have a chance to reach the postseason if they can get some wins to end the regular season and the Phillies continue to struggle.
San Diego was held hitless against Los Angeles until the top of the sixth inning. Ethan Salas broke up the no-hitter by Tyler Glasgow with a one-out grounder to left field that seemed to wake the slumbering Padres offense. Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with another single on a grounder ball to right field that allowed Salas to move to third base. With runners on the corners, contact man Dustin Harris hit a sacrifice fly to right-center field that was caught by Andy Pages. He did not even attempt to throw home and Salas tagged up and scored to give San Diego a 1-0 lead. Tatis later stole second base, but the inning ended when Manny Machado struck out.
The Padres kept the Dodgers off the scoreboard and returned to the plate in the top of the seventh looking to add on. Jackson Merrill hit a one-out double to right field and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk to put runners at first and second base. Glasgow was removed from the game and Austin Hays was called on to pinch-hit against Justin Wrobleski. Hays hit a sharp ground ball that kicked off the glove of Max Muncy and rolled into shallow left field, that allowed Merrill to score to give the Padres a 2-0 lead. Samad Taylor struck out for the second out of the inning, but Salas impacted the game once again with his second single which allowed Bogaerts to score from second to push the San Diego lead to 3-0. Tatis again followed Salas with a single to drive in the fourth run of the game and Harris grounded out to end the inning. The three-run inning allowed the Padres to take control of their playoff destiny.
The Dodgers were able to score a run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Adrian Morejon was called for a balk, which allowed Mookie Betts to score. Morejon ended the inning one batter later when he got Miguel Rojas to fly out to end that Los Angeles scoring threat.
The Dodgers were able to add a run in the bottom of the ninth, but they should have never had the opportunity. Mason Miller struck out Pages, got Hunter Feduccia to fly out and then struck out Tommy Edman, but the strikeout pitch bounced and got through Salas allowing Edman to reach first base. Shohei Ohtani who was limited throughout the game hit an RBI-double to left-center field to score Edman who advanced to second base on a defensive indifference and the Padres’ lead was cut to 4-2. Miller finally closed the game and earned the playoff-clinching save when he got Betts to ground out to Ty France at first base.
It is important to note that Nick Pivetta pitched very well in the game. He did not stay in long enough to earn the win, but that was not because he was ineffective. He needed 87 pitches to get through 4.2 scoreless innings, which was his most pitches thrown since his return from injury. Pivetta allowed just four hits and one walk to the Dodgers and he had seven strikeouts. He was in a little trouble when manager Craig Stammen removed him from the game, but Pivetta put together a solid night. Yuki Matsui and Jason Adam each completed scoreless inning. Morejon pitched 1.1 one innings with one run allowed on a balk and Miller allowed the one run in his inning of work.
Salas finished the night 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI and Tatis followed with a 2-for-3 night with a walk and RBI. Merrill and Hays had the only other hits in the game and despite San Diego being outhit 7-6, the Padres were able to end the night with a champagne celebration in the visitor’s clubhouse before returning to San Diego.
The Padres will look to maintain and perhaps improve their playoff position when they host the Diamondbacks tonight at 6:40 p.m.
The World Champion Knicks begin training camp on Monday.
Here are three things to keep an eye on while the team prepares to defend its title...
EXTENSION TENSION?
Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and Miles McBride are all eligible for extensions.
As noted earlier this week, Towns’ side and the Knicks have been in regular contact throughout the offseason about the extension. Per a league source familiar with the matter, the talks have been positive. And the Knicks have made it known that they want Towns in New York for a long time.
Towns has also previously said that he wants to be a Knick for a long time, yet no deal has come to fruition.
ESPN reports that negotiations have become stagnant and an agreement ahead of camp is unlikely. I’m not refuting that reporting, but I’d be surprised if the situation hung over the team like a cloud during camp, as ESPN suggested.
Towns, per SNY sources familiar with the matter, has been at the Knicks facility ahead of the start of camp.
Based on recent history, I think any issue like this will generate much more noise outside of the Knick locker room than inside of it. The team is just coming off of a timeless championship run. Towns and the Knicks have until June 30 to come to an agreement, but it’s also worth pointing out Towns’ negotiations may impact extension talks for Hart and McBride.
Towns is making $57 million this season, he has a $61 million player option for next year, and is eligible for a four-year extension worth as much as $276 million.
At one point in offseason discussions, the Knicks made offers to Towns that started between $45 million and $50 million per season, per league sources. The length of those offers is unknown. Clearly, those offers were rejected. If Towns and the Knicks don’t find common ground on an extension, he won’t opt out of his $61 million player option for 2027-28.
Towns opting out would give the Knicks much more flexibility under the second apron to extend Hart, and possibly, McBride. But if he opts in for 2027-28, the Knicks will have much less financial flexibility under the second apron for other extensions.
To get more perspective on potential extensions for Towns, Hart, and McBride, I reached out to my friend and salary cap guru Yossi Gozlan, founder of The Third Apron.
For our hypothetical, Gozlan uses $75 million as a combined annual salary for the first year of Towns and Hart extensions. With this number, the Knicks would have roughly $13-$14 million in second apron space to offer McBride.
Feb 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) is greeted by guard Josh Hart (3) during a timeout in the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Let’s say the first year of Towns and Hart extensions are a combined $65 million (**not realistic, in my view but we'll use it for purposes of the exercise). The Knicks in this scenario would have roughly $23 million in space under the second apron. This, as Gozlan notes, should be enough to sign McBride and a good backup big man.
The Knicks have to project these extensions out further than next season, obviously. And when you look ahead to 2028-29, the numbers look a bit different, since Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby are eligible for extensions during the 2027 offseason.
Let’s say Brunson signs a max extension. If you take Brunson’s deal and combine it with a total $75-$80 million in extensions for Towns and Hart, the Knicks would have around $10 million under the second apron for either McBride or another player. In this example, Anunoby does not sign an extension. That $10 million is certainly below McBride’s market value. So that’s where the situation gets tricky.
A couple of things can change here -- the salary cap numbers for future seasons can come in higher than current projections, which would give the Knicks more room under the second apron. Or the Knicks could change course and decide to spend above the second apron in team salary, but owner James Dolan has said that the organization will not spend above the second apron this season.
If the cap projections are accurate and the Knicks want to stay below the second apron, it will be difficult to extend Towns, Hart, and McBride under current configurations.
In that case, it will be interesting to see how the organization approaches McBride’s future. There are pathways to retain McBride via extension or via free agency -- but each pathway requires additional decisions/moves. I assume teams have -- and will continue to -- ask the Knicks about the possibility of trading for McBride.
CAMP CONFRONTATIONS?
As of Friday morning, the Knicks have 18 players under contract -- teams can have a maximum of 21 players under contract during training camp. I expect that rookie Tyler Nickel will take up one of the remaining spots, and I expect versatile third-year wing Kevin McCullar will eventually have a roster spot, as well.
Will the Knicks add another veteran ahead of camp?
Earlier this month, they signed veterans Bruce Brown Jr., John Konchar, and Ochai Agbaji to compete for a wing position. They also signed big men Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman to compete for a center position.
Mar 20, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ochai Agbaji (30) runs up court after a basket against the New York Knicks during the first half at Barclays Center. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
It will be interesting to watch those veterans during training camp and preseason games (you can expect Knicks regulars to play fewer minutes this preseason, so the team will have a chance to get an extended look at other players).
If the Knicks decide that they need a veteran center and wing on the roster, they will need to make a trade to shed salary.
As things currently stand, the Knicks only have room for one veteran minimum contract if they want to remain under the second apron in team salary. So, for example, if they wanted to keep Eubanks and Konchar, they would need to shed salary via trade.
They were in this situation last year with Landry Shamet, Malcolm Brogdon, and Garrison Mathews.
They only had room to keep one of those veterans, but were considering keeping two of them. Brogdon decided to retire (at the time of his retirement, there was no guarantee he was going to make the roster, despite reports to the contrary). So the Knicks kept Shamet and the veteran responded with a great season, making pivotal plays throughout the title run.
ROTATION ALTERATION?
Speaking of Shamet, I’ll be interested to see how Mike Brown deploys his bench this season -- maybe we get some clues about his bench approach during preseason games.
The defending champs (it still feels a bit foreign to type that phrase) have a deep bench with Shamet, McBride, Jose Alvarado, and Andre Drummond. They also have a pair of young players in Tyler Kolek and Mohamed Diawara who showed that they can contribute last season.
The Knicks showed their commitment to Shamet (four years, $24 million), Alvarado (three years, $14.3 million), Diawara (four years, $11.2 million) and Clarkson (one year, $3.8 million) by re-signing them in the offseason. Kolek is under contact this season with a team option for next season (deadline to decide is June 29, 2027).
But Brown last season made it clear that he doesn’t play favorites/politics with his rotation minutes. He’s not going to play someone who isn’t producing just because they have a strong financial commitment from the Knicks.
He benched Clarkson early in the 2025-26 season and went back to him later in the year and in the postseason. Same goes for Alvarado. He benched free agent signee Guerschon Yabusele early in the 2025-26 season, as well. So the players who start the season in Brown’s rotation will not necessarily be the players who finish the season in it.
Former Rangers captain and interim manager has spoken about the "true leader" he believes Dan Neil can be for the Ibrox club.
Ferguson spoke to the former Sunderland captain and his father as part of his role as Rangers ambassador when the Glasgow club were looked to bring in the 24-year-old.
Neil has been a recent standout for Rangers, particularly in the back-to-back wins over Celtic.
"I had a good chat with him and his old man when Rangers were interested in him," said Ferguson, who will manage Rangers in the upcoming Tennent's Sixes.
"I came away so impressed by him. He was so eager to come to Rangers. I know there were a number of clubs after him, and Rangers did brilliantly to get him.
"It's always difficult when you don't have a good start, but it shows you how strong a character he is. He's come through that period and over the last couple of weeks, I think he became a real leader for the Rangers team."
On this date 25 years ago, a 38-year-old Michael Jordan announced his return as a player with the Wizards. “I’m doing it for the love of the game,” he said at the time. “Nothing else. For the love of the game.” The Wizards sold out every home game in his two seasons there but never made the playoffs.
I asked a few of my colleagues to share some thoughts about Jordan’s final un-retirement.
Sam Amick: As a kid who was a maniacal MJ fan despite growing up in the San Francisco Bay during the Warriors’ Run TMC era, his choice to put that Wizards jersey on hurt almost as bad as those Golden State years before Timmy, Mitch and Mully arrived. He had some good moments, but you just knew that nothing would compare to the (last) Bulls chapter that should have been his swan song.
Mirin Fader: I can’t get over that he was still a pretty productive player. That was truly remarkable, all things considered. But him in that blue jersey just looked wrong to me.
Jason Jones: I’m glad he eventually had his farewell tour, even as a Wizard. Things ended so abruptly in 1998 for someone of his stature; it was good the NBA could thank Jordan properly.
Law Murray: I still have mixed feelings about this comeback. I’m focusing on how it started, not how it ended. I know, hindsight is 50-50. But it is certainly one of the greatest flexes ever by a GOAT candidate. The man was the part owner and basketball president and decided to wear THAT uniform, for the love of the game!
Marcus Thompson II: All I even remember about the Michael Jordan era with the Wizards was Mariah Carey’s Wizards dress at the All-Star Game.
Joe Vardon: It was April 8, 2003. I was a young reporter covering Cleveland sports. The now-Guardians had their home opener during the day, and MJ and the Wizards were in town that night. I was late to the basketball game. I walked through the tunnel and behind the hoop close to the Wizards’ basket, on my way to my media seat.
There was a stoppage in play. Michael was at the elbow, with his hands on his shorts. He glanced up and looked right at me, right into my eyes, and held his gaze for a few seconds. It felt like an eternity. It was the only time I ever saw Michael play in person. He scored 26 points that night, and the Wizards won.
It was one of the few times in my career I was actually star-struck — the greatest player ever stared directly into my soul.
The last 24
📈 Upside. Which teams will exceed their projected win totals this season? John Hollinger has his picks — including the rebuilt Bucks.
⏰ Dame Time again? Damian Lillard is back for the Trail Blazers this season after sitting out with a torn Achilles tendon. Early reports are that he’s looking like his old self.
Mariah Carey’s famous jersey dress was actually more of a jersey gown, and man, was it glorious!
Carey wore the floor-length, fitted, blue Wizards jersey to honor Jordan at his final All-Star Game in Atlanta in 2003.The diva’s dress — OK, maybe it was her performance — made the GOAT emotional; Jordan looked like he was holding back tears.
But Carey’s isn’t the only iconic jersey dress. Singer Mya actually wore a powder blue North Carolina Tar Heels jersey dress (No. 23, of course!) in her video for “Best of Me, Part 2” with Jay-Z three years earlier, and it is the earliest instance of the dresses that I remember. Stylist June Ambrose tailored the dress, and it remains one of the style’s greatest moments. (The video was also considered really fly for that era.)
Here’s a little history: Jersey dresses were the result of one of the (in hindsight!) funniest eras of fashion. During the early 2000s, the trend for men was to wear oversized clothing. And I mean, extremely oversized. People were buying the largest sizes possible!
According to the New York Times in 2003, the dress style was created when Mitchell & Ness, the sporting goods brand, decided to use smaller jerseys that were sitting in the warehouse and turn them into dresses. And of course, due to its lack of sleeves and lower neckline, the basketball jersey is the best option of all sports for something like this.
So while Joe Vardon may have a moment where Michael Jordan looked into his eyes to remember the early 2000s, I’ve got the jersey dress.
WNBA playoffs
The field is set
It’s one of the best times of the sports calendar! (Yes, I will say this multiple times a year, and I am always right.)
The WNBA playoffs start Sunday, and I’ve got to be honest, y’all: I’m pretty pumped. This season has been so interesting, and the games have been good. There’s something for everyone. You’ve got young players — generational talents! — helping turn organizations into winners. A former soccer player turned basketball player putting on a show. (They don’t call her The Spectacle for nothing.) A team and an M’VP trying to repeat. A really tough expansion team (Golden State) in the playoffs for the second time in just their second season. Two bona fide MVP candidates who can give you 30 apiece on a good night, and 20-plus on a normal one. I couldn’t hit everybody, but this is all really riveting stuff!
And yet, everybody can’t win.
The first round starts Monday. Here are the matchups:
The spots are locked and the teams are ready to go 🚨
Check out the official bracket for the 2026 WNBA Playoffs presented by @madebygoogle.
The best-of-five semifinals begin Oct. 4, and the best-of-seven WNBA finals start on Oct. 17.
The same way fans have been arguing incessantly online about end-of- season awards, I think there’s a case for so many teams.
And finally, Sunset: Last night’s game between Connecticut and the Toronto Tempo was the final game for the Sun franchise. The team was sold to Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta in May for $300 million and will relocate to Houston. The Sun beat the Tempo 95-81 before a sellout crowd of 8,911.
Thanks for following along as I filled in for Zach. He’ll be back Monday — when The Bounce returns to five days a week.
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have trimmed their training camp down by four more to 28 on Friday morning, and they include a couple players that have had really strong training camps.
We wrote after Thursday night's 1-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks that defenseman Adam Jiricek, a first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2024 NHL Draft that he will make this decision on who to keep as a seventh defenseman with Tyler Tucker (tweaked right knee) currently shelved.
Well, at least for the time being, veteran Calle Rosen will be that guy.
Jiricek, along with 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg, Dylan Peterson and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who also had a terrific game on Thursday, were all assigned to Springfield.
It's really not that big a surprise, despite that Jiricek, Peterson, who also had a strong training camp, Stenberg and Kaskimaki all are waiver-exempt.
All of the others, including Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker, Jack Finley, Zach Dean, Dillon Dube and Rosen will require waivers to be sent down to the AHL.
For Jiricek, he can go to Springfield and play upwards of 25 minutes or more and continue to ascend and perhaps become a dominant player.
Kaskimaki displayed enough talent that he can be a sure-fire call-up should the Blues need one at any point, as can Peterson, who displayed a well-balanced mix of grit, toughness, some speed and an offensive skill set. The best thing for Stenberg is he needs to play a more refined role and play bigger minutes; his training camp produced very mixed results.
The Blues will need to trim five more players off the roster by the NHL's opening night deadline, which is 4 p.m. (CT) on Monday.
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Patrick Kane wore the Chicago Blackhawks jersey Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues. This road game was his one opportunity to get some preseason work in before the real games begin. The Blackhawks want to save his home debut for the regular season, so he isn't expected to play Saturday night's preseason finale at the United Center.
When the season does start, Kane and the Hawks will play in the first three games on the road before returning home to play the Blues on October 6th. Kane coming back has plenty of hockey implications, but the organization also recognizes the magnitude of his cultural importance in town.
Whenever Patrick Kane speaks now, you can hear the genuine excitement for him to be representing the Chicago Blackhawks on the ice again.
“Nice to wear the Blackhawks sweater again and wear the jersey and be back out there as a Chicago Blackhawk again, so that was a good feeling,” Kane said with a happy face.
On the ice, he showed glimpses of his former self. He may not be a 90-point player anymore, but his ability to create time and space for himself and others in the offensive zone is still incredibly noticeable.
Kane played on a line with Frank Nazar and Roman Kantserov, and they each had multiple chances set up by Kane. None of them were buried, but those floodgates are sure to open soon. More than anyone, 38-year-old Patrick Kane seems to be in mid-season form already.
"I thought we had some chances, some looks," Kane said of his line. "Maybe a little sloppy with the puck at times, but I didn't think we gave up much. Maybe trying too many plays at times instead of making the simple play to keep possession. We could have capitalized on some chances."
When Connor Bedard comes back, that may be his spot instead of Frank Nazar, but the line is going to be strong in the offensive zone all year long regardless. Patrick Kane has the hockey IQ to make those around him better, even now, and it is already showing in the chances that were created in St. Louis.
Kane recognized that they were a bit rusty, but he also admitted that game action, albeit preseason, is much different than practice. It was good for him to get into this game.
"When [Patrick Kane] got the opportunity to be out there, I thought he did a good job," head coach Jeff Blashill said. "He competes, he reloads hard, he's doing all the things we're asking him to do. I thought he and Roman [Kantserov] showed good chemistry again. It was a good first step."
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In Elliotte Friedman's latest episode of his podcast, 32 Thoughts, the NHL insider revealed that Dylan Larkin has expanded his trade list as he continues to pursue a move away from the Detroit Red Wings.
The list is reportedly up to seven teams, and the Minnesota Wild are still among them.
''One of the things I heard about Larkin is that there are more teams that he's willing to go to than what have been reported," said Friedman.
"I think some of the other teams there are Colorado, Washington, and I suspect, in case people didn't know them already, Dallas and Tampa.''
Of those seven teams, a deal is unlikely with the Panthers and Golden Knights, as they don't have the future assets to make it work and likely don't want to part with many of their NHL veterans.
The Stars and Avalanche are in the same boat: fairly happy with their rosters and lacking tradeable assets, but they could still find a way to make a deal work.
The Capitals and the Wild are the most interesting teams that could make it work with the Red Wings.
So, with all of this, does Larkin expanding his trade list make configuring a deal for Larkin more difficult? The simple answer is yes, because they now have two more teams to compete with, but outside of Washington, their competition likely couldn't match what the Wild have at their disposal.
It also raises the asking price for Larkin. With more teams able to discuss trades, the Red Wings gained a bit of leverage and could demand more, or better assets, in a deal.
That's where the Wild will be most affected by the expanded list.
It doesn't end their chances of acquiring Larkin, but it does add to the difficulty.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch a wildcard spot at Dodger Stadium on September 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Padres took out the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2, and clinched a playoff spot, leaving one playoff position open for either the Phillies or Diamondbacks.
Arizona begins play on Friday two games behind the Phillies.
So how much of a chance do they have of making the Major League Baseball playoffs? Here’s a rundown of baseball’s playoff races and what teams already have clinched.
Lovullo is on a one-year contract, and has yet to be extended beyond 2026. Earlier in the year, reporting suggested it was a simple cause-and-effect: if Lovullo wants to be retained, he needed to get Arizona back to the postseason.
Even the manager himself noted as much. The Diamondbacks are still, somehow, alive in this playoff race, though they will need an improbable sweep of the San Diego Padres this weekend to make it in.
But according to the latest comments from Diamondbacks team president and CEO Derrick Hall, the Lovullo decision is not that simple.
“I highly doubt that Torey Lovullo would accept a one-year deal. This guy has been here for 10 years; he took a team to the World Series, he’s 11 games over .500 this year … There seems to be an ownership group that is not totally convinced that he’s the right guy for the job,” Gambadoro said.
“If that’s the case, then maybe he does decide to say ‘let me see what’s out there.’”
The Friars beat the Dodgers 4-2 on Thursday night in Los Angeles, formally punching their postseason ticket with three games left in the season and as exciting as that is, there is still plenty to play for. San Diego is still in position to host the National League Wild Card series at Petco Park.
That interview took place months before the 2025 season — yes, 2025 — when Quero predicted the White Sox to be improved because of their collective youthful energy, even coming off 121 losses.
“I mentioned it again in Spring Training,” Quero told MLB.com during a recent interview. “Maybe some people think I was crazy, but I’m not. The guys are proving it right now.
“I’ve played with a lot of players here in the Minor Leagues, we played in the playoffs, too. It’s the base of a really good team we play with right now. You can see the guys are hungry and we play really good baseball.”
Sep 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Athletics left fielder Zack Gelof (20) watches as center fielder Henry Bolte (33) makes a catch in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Welcome to Friday A’s fans!
With just three games remaining in the regular season, this seems like an appropriate time to reflect on an Athletics season that began with promise before a rash of injuries and a league-worst pitching staff contributed to another summer collapse.
Making matters worse is the fact that the 2026 American League West was the worst division in MLB history. Either the Houston Astros or Texas Rangers will win the division and play in the playoffs despite finishing the season with at best a .500 record. As a result, this year will go down as a missed opportunity for the A’s to be involved in a postseason race, something the franchise has yet to experience under manager Mark Kotsay.
However, given the pitching staff Kotsay had at his disposal, it was not surprising that the A’s finished the season with the league’s second-worst ERA and allowed the second-most runs, behind only the Colorado Rockies. Additionally, the Green and Gold allowed the most home runs and posted the league’s second-worst WHIP.
Right-hander Luis Severino earned $22 million to make 12 starts before missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, while fellow veteran Jeffrey Springs allowed more home runs than any other pitcher. J.T. Ginn and Gage Jump at least showed flashes of promise, giving the team two rotation building blocks. Whoever the A’s new pitching coach is will need to help right-hander Luis Morales get back on track after his significant regression this season.
The A’s league-worst bullpen comprising many waiver-wire arms also failed to consistently retire opposing batters, resulting in outfielder Carlos Cortes pitching in nine blowout losses. Outside of Hogan Harris and Luis Medina, the team needs relievers it can trust. That is why the new general manager should prioritize acquiring bullpen reinforcements, along with at least one starting pitcher, this winter.
The A’s offense should be fine, provided the injury bug does not bite again. In fact, the unit provided some of the best moments of the 2026 season, from dramatic comebacks to breakout performances and unexpected contributors.
Rookie Henry Bolte looks like the answer to the A’s center field and leadoff hitter questions, while versatile Zack Gelof shrugged off injuries to enjoy a resurgent career-best season. Now if only right fielder Lawrence Butler could stay consistent for a whole season instead of waiting until the team is out of contention to start performing better.
What was your favorite moment from 2026? Which players lived up to expectations and who underperformed? Will the Athletics get one final season in Sacramento, or will the lockout derail the 2027 campaign?
The Cubs last played the Red Sox July 20, 2025 at Wrigley Field, 432 days ago. They lost 6-1 after winning the first two games of that series.
In hindsight, that’s when the wheels started falling off the 2025 season. The Cubs entered that game leading the NL Central by one game and were 20 games over .500 at 59-39. They went 33-30 after the July 20 loss, which isn’t terrible, but the Brewers went 38-25 and won the division by five games.
These games are more meaningful for the Cubs, as they could still finish as the fourth, fifth or sixth NL postseason seed. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are most likely headed to New York Tuesday to begin a Wild Card series.
For more on the Red Sox, here’s Mike Carlucci, a writer for our SB Nation Red Sox site Over The Monster.
As the Cubs arrive in Fenway Park they face perhaps the most mercurial Red Sox team in a generation. Boston famously got off to a disastrous start. Alex Cora and the entire (well, mostly, Andrew Bailey survived) coaching staff departed unceremoniously, or perhaps slightly ceremoniously, in a van that said “Coaches for Hire.”
But then a 15-game winning streak. And a streak of 9. They couldn’t lose.
After about 40 gamers though, things slowed down. With a playoff berth clinched, Boston welcomes the Cubs to Fenway Park on a weekend the city braces for a nor-easter. Sunday became Friday afternoon. Friday evening became…slightly earlier on Friday. Saturday is… possibly being moved to Tropicana Field on Sunday. On the NESN post-game show the plan was for the players to be packed and ready to go to Tampa for a game Sunday and then from there to New York for the Wild Card.
Former Cub Willson Contreras hopes to play in the series after getting hit in the hand by the Texas Rangers. He’s still in a lot of pain trying to swing and isn’t sure he will be ready for the Wild Card. Garrett Crochet will probably not appear in any games. However they did move him to the Spring Training park to keep building up. Maybe if Sunday is played in Tampa he’ll make a surprise entrance?
Alex Gamboa will be the starter/opener in Game 1. He’s gone as deep as 4.0 innings before so it might be a short start rather than a strict open. It’s possible Jake Bennett provides some bulk innings as well. Bennett, in his rookie year, had a fantastic first half but tired in the second half.
Brayan Bello gets the start for Game 2. He’s been starting with an opener most of the summer but last time out against the Rays he went 8.0 brilliant innings in a return to starting the game in the first inning himself.
Who pitches on Saturday? It could be anyone! Possibly Jedixson Páez as he made one appearance for Boston already and could save the bullpen from carrying those innings. He’s tossed 6.2 innings in his career, all in 2026, with both colors of Sox while allowing 14 earned runs. You hate to think of a player as expendable but, in a potentially rain-shortened (or canceled) game 162 that is meaningless to at least one team involved, that just might be the bar.
Fun facts
This is only the second time that the Cubs have finished the regular season playing an American League team, and the first outside Chicago. They wrapped up 2020 on the South Side vs. the White Sox.
Since interleague play began in 1997, the Cubs have played only 27 games against the Red Sox, tying for their fewest against an American League team. They also have played 27 vs. the Athletics. They have played 28 vs. the Orioles and Rays, 29 vs. the Angels and 30, their total against Boston after this weekend, vs. the Blue Jays and Rangers.
The Cubs are 14-13 against the Red Sox, despite having been outscored by 11 runs, 142-131. The Cubs are +6 in all games except the second one in their last visit to Boston: a 17-0 shellacking on April 27, 2024.
The Cubs lost that series finale, too, 5-4, leaving each team with six wins when they have met in Boston. Half of the Cubs’ wins came in 2014, when they swept the Sox by scores of 2-0, 2-1 and 16-9. They went 1-2 in each of their three other series at Fenway Park. They split the first two games of all three.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday, Game 1: Clay Holmes, RHP (2-4, 4.26 ERA, 1.241 WHIP, 4.11 FIP in eight starts with Cubs; 6-8, 3.25 ERA, 1.165 WHIP, 3.62 FIP in 17 starts overall) vs. Alec Gamboa, LHP (1-0, 1.16 ERA, 1.065 WHIP, 3.16 FIP)
Friday, Game 2: David Peterson, LHP (6-2, 3.94 ERA, 1.394 WHIP, 4.20 FIP in 15 games with Cubs; 9-8, 4.96 ERA, 1.514 WHIP, 4.03 FIP in 31 games overall) vs. Brayan Bello, RHP (6-7, 4.62 ERA, 1.371 WHIP, 4.00 FIP)
Saturday: TBD vs. TBD
Times & TV channels
Friday, Game 1: 12:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Friday, Game 2: 5:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Saturday: 6:15 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
As you have likely heard, there is a chance that the Saturday game might be moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, and played on Sunday instead of Saturday. If that happens, the game would likely be played at 2:05 p.m. CT so as to match up with all the other last day of the regular season starting times.
Prediction
I throw up my hands here. I have no idea. I like picking two of three so why the heck not. The Cubs need to win one more game than the Padres do this weekend against the Diamondbacks to finish ahead of them for a wild card spot, and one more game than the Phillies do against the Rays to finish ahead of them. (Those numbers include the fact that the Cubs own the tiebreaker against both the Padres and Phillies.)
Up next
The postseason! The Cubs will be playing Tuesday. Against … the Phillies, or the Padres, or the Braves, or even possibly the Diamondbacks, and at this time we have no idea where. As always, we await developments.
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 23: Sam Antonacci #17 of the Chicago White Sox bats during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Sydney Schneider/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We are entering the final week of the regular season. The playoff field is mostly set, with, realistically, just the Rangers battling the Astros for the AL West – the loser stays home – and the White Sox battling the Guardians for the AL Central – the loser gets the final Wild Card spot. The Royals, obviously, are not included in this year’s field.
And yet, I discovered last year that having your local team miss the playoffs doesn’t have to be a bad thing. The Royals also missed the playoffs that year, and yet I became invested in the Seattle Mariners. Cal Raleigh was such a fun story last year, and they had all that amazing pitching. Plus, they’d had one of the most exciting trade deadlines, acquiring Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor. So when it came time for the playoffs to start, unlike most seasons, I kept watching.
And what I found was an absolutely liberating experience. When the Mariners managed to scrape past the Tigers and Tarik Skubal, it was nearly as much fun as watching the Royals win. But when the Phillies lost on the terrible defensive play, I didn’t feel the crush of defeat the way I normally do. When the Mariners blew the late lead in game seven of the ALCS, I felt a small twinge, but rebounded very quickly. I was even able to transfer my temporary allegiance to the Blue Jays and the exciting story of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. smashing every single ball thrown near him. When they also blew a late lead in game seven of the World Series, again, a small twinge, but then I was able to simply enjoy how cool Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s postseason performance had been.
Every season, 18 teams stop playing after the regular season ends. From that point on, it’s constant attrition until there can be only one winner. It seems silly that only 1/30 of the fans get to enjoy the season based on their team winning the whole thing. So I highly recommend giving temporary fandom a shot. It can be rewarding without being nearly as punishing as the usual thing.
That said, I think even temporary fandom has to be a bit organic. If you try to force it, it simply doesn’t work. That’s what I found out last year when I tried to transfer my Phillies fandom to the Brewers. Milwaukee just wasn’t able to appeal to me for whatever reason, and so I became an AL-only fan. But to give you all the best chance I can to find that organic excitement, let’s go over some of the storylines for each of the playoff contenders, and hopefully you’ll find at least one team you can vibe with!
The Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in the American League, and they’ve done it on the backs of two young position players who could hardly be any different. Junior Caminero has battled with Yordan Alvarez for the AL lead in home runs for most of the season; he leads all of MLB in swing length and bat speed. He leads the American League in EV90 – a stat that averages the top 10% hardest-hit balls by a player. On the other end of the spectrum is Chandler Simpson. Simpson doesn’t have a single barrel to his name in the entire season, though he squares the ball up better than anyone; he just doesn’t hit it very hard. He almost never walks or strikes out. But he has the fourth-best batting average in MLB and leads the AL in stolen bases. He’s basically what you would get if you took Luis Arraez and traded away what little power he has for elite defense and speed.
Drew Rasmussen leads the rotation, but Griffin Jax and Shane McClanahan (who will miss at least the ALDS) have been good too. Freddy Peralta has been rejuvenated after being acquired at the deadline. Nick Martinez has been solid. Ian Seymour has been significantly better than his ERA, but might end up in the bullpen for the playoffs, where he could really dominate. If he does, he’ll join Bryan Baker – battling for MLB saves leader – and Kevin Kelly – 24th in MLB for reliever fWAR.
The New York Yankees are probably a tough sell for most Royals fans, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about them a little. Aaron Judge is a generational talent. Ben Rice is having the kind of breakout season we all hope to see from Jac Caglianone next year. Cody Bellinger is still very good; Paul Goldschmidt is having a heck of a last hurrah. Giancarlo Stanton is trying to come back to attempt more playoff heroics.
On the pitching side, Cam Schlittler is probably going to win the AL Cy Young Award. He somehow overshadows Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, and the breakout of Ryan Weathers. They have two relievers who have topped 2.0 fWAR in setup man Brent Headrick and closer David Bednar.
The Boston Red Sox might be the poster children for the idea that good things can happen when an underachieving team fires its manager, even if the manager is widely regarded as quite good at his job. Roman Anthony was one of the best prospects in baseball last year and is starting to come back into his own again after battling injuries all season. Mickey Gasper was a waiver wire pickup who has nearly carried the offense. Willson Contreras is having the best season of his good career at age 34. Cedanne Rafaela has been electric in center field, though he injured his hamstring and his availability for the playoffs is in question.
Rookie Payton Tolle might have stolen the show with his tremendous pitching, but Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez are no slouches. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman have always been very good, but Brayan Bello has been a revelation since being bumped from the rotation, and Erik Miller has turned out to be a very good deadline pickup. Collectively, the Red Sox have had the most valuable bullpen in the AL, and it isn’t particularly close.
The Chicago White Sox are this year’s version of the 2024 Royals. They lost 102 games last year and this year they’re battling with the Guardians for the division and will settle for a Wild Card. And that’s just the very beginning of why they’re going to be my favorite team to start the 2026 playoffs! They also have Team Italy contributors Sam Antonacci and Kyle Teel. They have Munetaka Murakami being way better than people expected. They have two young sluggers named Montgomery who are not related to each other. They have a huge surprise in Tristan Peters and a young veteran taking yet another step forward in Miguel Vargas, and somehow Chase Meidroth has exploded.
They don’t have much of interest in their rotation, but Grant Taylor has been pretty good in the bullpen. They recently promoted top pitching prospect Hagen Smith to the bullpen and demoted top pitching prospect Noah Schultz from the rotation to the bullpen, and both have been utterly dominant.
I don’t want to spend the time to go over the Texas Rangers or the Houston Astros. We’re still not sure which of them will even make it; the Astros are still stained by the cheating scandal of nearly a decade ago in many minds, and the Rangers do everything they can to be political and on the wrong side for my taste. The Rangers have Nicky Lopez, and the Astros have Yordan Alvarez. Either team could be the first-ever MLB team to make the playoffs with a sub-.500 record, and maybe you want to root for the chaos and gnashing of teeth that such a team winning the World Series would lead to. And who would I be to stop you?
The Los Angeles Dodgers are going to be a hard sell for many, but they have a certain appeal. They’re going for the first threepeat since the Yankees did it from 1998-2000. Shohei Ohtani won’t be pitching, but he should still be hitting, and that’s still worth the price of admission. Josue De Paula earned a promotion to the bigs when Shohei was hurt a couple of weeks ago, and he did well enough that I absolutely would not count him out of postseason appearances even after he was demoted upon Shohei’s return. Max Muncy is still Max Muncy. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Teoscar Hernández are no longer as good as they once were, but they’re still good. Enrique Hernández is somehow still around and has always been a monster for LA in the postseason.
Their pitching, as usual, is just silly. Tarik Skubal is taking up all the oxygen, but Blake Snell has won a pair of Cy Young Awards; Yoshinobu Yamamoto almost single-handedly won the World Series for them last season; Tyler Glasnow would have won a Cy Young if he could have ever pitched a full season; Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan, and Roki Sasaki have all been very good. In their bullpen, Edwin Díaz has been a disappointment, but Tanner Scott has rebounded in a big way, and they have old friends Will Klein and Kris Bubic to help carry the load, too.
The Atlanta Braves have Ronald Acuña Jr. – he’s always fun. Drake Baldwin is an exciting young catcher. Ozzie Albies has bounced back. Matt Olson has hit 40 home runs for two straight seasons. And old friends Lane Thomas and Mike Yastrzemski are role players who could be key pinch-hitters on the nights they don’t start.
On the pitching side, it’s Chris Sale and then everyone else. Chris is 37, a future Hall of Famer, and somehow he’s still dealing so well that if it wasn’t for the next starting pitcher we’re going to talk about, he’d be a strong candidate for the Cy Young Award this year.
When you talk about the Milwaukee Brewers, you don’t start with the hitting; you start with Jacob Misiorowski. He is, as hinted above, a near lock for this year’s NL Cy Young at only 24. He has a 1.86 ERA, and he has a 31.7% K-BB%, which is higher than the K% of all but two other starting pitchers in all of baseball. They also have three flamethrowing relievers at the back end of their bullpen: Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby.
But actually, their offense is pretty fun, too. Brice Turang has taken even a step above last year’s breakout. Jackson Chourio bounced back after taking a dip in his sophomore year. Jake Bauers has come out of nowhere at age 30. Garrett Mitchell has done the same, though he’s still just 27. And William Contreras is still a truly excellent catcher. Andrew Vaughn continues his career resurgence after arriving from Chicago last season. Christian Yelich is no longer the player he once was, but he used to be so good, and for some, it might be fun to watch him try to finally capture a championship.
The Brewers are also a small-market team and will finish the season with more wins than any other team.
The Philadelphia Phillies have the same exciting guys they’ve had for a few years. Bryce Harper might have some weird opinions, but he can hit a baseball. So can Kyle Schwarber, though I don’t know if he has any weird opinions.
Pitching has been their real calling card this year, though. Cristopher Sánchez was on a Cy Young track until the Royals roughed him up and he finished looking far more mortal. They also have Zack Wheeler, though he’s had a similar arc to his season. Jesús Luzardo was fantastic before he got hurt, though he promised to return for the playoffs and successfully threw a bullpen session recently. Jhoan Duran is still one of the best closers in the sport, and his sidekick is former Royal Jonathan Bowlan.
The Chicago Cubs start and mostly end with Pete Crow-Armstrong, the 40-40 center fielder who seems destined not just for this year’s Gold Glove, but also a platinum glove and an MVP Award. Seiya Suzuki and Alex Bregman have been adequate sidekicks for the guy who has basically been the best player in MLB with little to no competition. Bregman, unfortunately, suffered multiple facial fractures from an errant foul ball, and his availability for the playoffs is in question.
On the pitching side, I have to be honest: no one really stands out. Their best pitcher by fWAR has been Ben Brown, and he was ruled out for the remainder of the season at the beginning of the month. The next most valuable has been Shota Imanaga, and he’s been plenty good but simply cannot compare to the other studs around the sport.
The San Diego Padres have Fernando Tatis Jr., and you don’t need much more to be interested in them. But they also have Manny Machado still chugging along. Jackson Merrill has been enjoying a bounce-back campaign. Xander Bogaerts has been playing his best ball in years. Old friends Samad Taylor and Freddy Fermin have valiantly held down bench roles. But it’s old nemesis Ty France who seems to have boosted the Padres from “playoff contender” to “championship threat”, at least on the hitting side. He’s enjoying the best campaign of his career and treating all of MLB as he always has the Royals. At least now everyone else feels our pain.
Now, if you actually want to know what’s powering the Padres’ success…remember how I mentioned the Red Sox had the most valuable bullpen in the AL and it wasn’t particularly close? They lead the second-place AL team by 1.6 fWAR. The Padres lead the Red Sox by 1.4 fWAR. Mason Miller has had a nearly 4-WAR season as a reliever. Adrian Morejon has the third-best reliever fWAR in baseball at 2.8. Yuki Matsui has a sub-1.00 ERA over the past month. Michael King leads their rotation, and he’s been more “quite good” than “fantastic,” but if you want to see a team try to pull off the HDH victories of 2014 and 2015, these Padres might be the team to do it.
I won’t tell you which team to pick, though I’ve told you my favorite in the AL. After doing this exercise, I think I’m probably leaning toward the Padres in the NL, but maybe The Miz can attract me back to the Midwest. But really, it doesn’t matter which team you pick. Just that you pick one and give yourself an additional opportunity to feel some relatively risk-free joy in a world where it can be so hard to find.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 22: Adley Rutschman #31 of the Boston Red Sox tags out Chase DeLauter #24 Cleveland Guardians at home during the second inning of a game on September 22, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite getting eliminated from the AL East title race on Tuesday, the Yankees have to feel good about taking three out of four from the Rays. Concluding with the comeback victory to cap off the series win on Thursday, the Yankees now have a tangible piece of positive reinforcement that they can beat Tampa Bay with the playoffs less than a week away. While their game may have carried no weight in the standings or postseason seeding, there is still meaningful baseball being played around the AL that has consequences for both divisional and Wild Card races, with two teams getting eliminated from the Wild Card picture (though still with a chance to win their division).
Cleveland Guardians (83-76) 1, Boston Red Sox (85-74) 0
Those tuning in hoping for some excitement on offense were sorely disappointed, the Guardians and Red Sox combining for just six hits. It was an unorthodox pitchers’ duel, Ranger Suarez limiting Cleveland to a run on three hits and a walk in five innings while the Guardians rolled out a bullpen game, opener Daniel Espino and bulk reliever Joey Cantillo combining for six scoreless innings allowing just a hit and two walks. Boston’s only base knocks were two-out singles by Nick Sogard and Jarren Duran in the third and seventh, respectively.
The Guardians were hardly more effective at the plate with the bulk of the action coming in the second and third innings. The lone run of the game came courtesy of a one-out solo shot by Angel Martínez in the second on a 2-2 changeup from Suarez off the plate away.
As it turns out, that was the blast that clinched a postseason berth for the Guardians. With the win, Cleveland at worst has clinched the third and final Wild Card spot, their third straight postseason berth. They still lead the AL Central by a game over the White Sox, though Chicago does own the season series tiebreaker in the event of identical records.
As for Boston, a postseason berth is already sewn up, but not quite the five-seed in the AL. Should Boston lose out, Cleveland win two of their final three, and Chicago win out, all three teams would end with an 85-77 record. In that unlikely event, the AL Central tiebreaker would supersede interdivisional head-to-head record, meaning that the Red Sox would then drop to the six-seed in the AL despite winning the season series over the White Sox and splitting with the Guardians. That would result in a Yankees-Guardians showdown in one AL Wild Card Series while the Red Sox would face off against the winner of the AL West.
AL Wild Card Rock Fight
Chicago White Sox (82-77) 9, Kansas City Royals (68-91) 1
The White Sox joined the Guardians in clinching their postseason berth, though in far more thrilling fashion than their AL Central counterparts. David Sandlin gave them six innings of one run ball with seven strikeouts, while his offense ambushed Randy Dobnak for six runs on six hits in the first two innings, the Royals starter recording just four outs. The Royals managed just one run on a Salvador Perez solo shot in the fourth, but they were already losing 8-0 by the time that ball flew over the wall.
Sam Antonacci, Kyle Teel, Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth, and Braden Montgomery all logged multi-hit efforts for Chicago, Teel going yard to lead off the fourth. Vargas, Andrew Benintendi, and Tristan Peters all drove in a pair on the night. Chicago remains a game behind the Guardians in the AL Central. Despite the possibility that they and the Astros finish the season with identical records and the Astros hold the tiebreaker in the season series, the White Sox winning the season series over the Guardians takes precedence in postseason seeding, guaranteeing the White Sox at worst the six-seed in the AL at the moment. It will be Chicago’s first trip to the postseason since 2021.
Texas Rangers (79-80) 3, New York Mets (73-86) 1
Every game is a must win for the Rangers at this point, and they kept their playoff hopes alive with a narrow win over the Mets in Arlington. Kumar Rocker gave them five innings of one run ball, the lone damage a Carson Benge RBI single in the first after Francisco Lindor led off the game with a double. Josh Jung responded in the bottom half of the frame with a two-run blast following Justin Foscue’s leadoff single. Corey Seager provided a crucial insurance run with a solo shot in the sixth, the Rangers bullpen combining to close the game with four shutout innings of one-hit ball.
With the White Sox winning their game over the Royals, the Rangers’ only path to making the postseason is by winning the division. They lost the season series to both the Astros and the White Sox, meaning if all three finish with identical records, Texas would be eliminated.
Houston Astros (79-80) 7, Athletics (63-96) 5
Astros rookie center fielder Lucas Spence had himself the game of a lifetime to keep the Astros tied by record with the Rangers atop the AL West. Despite entering the game with a .150 average and 26 wRC+, he almost singlehandedly won the game for Houston with a three-run blast in the second to open the scoring, the go-ahead solo shot in the seventh after the Athletics came roaring back, and his third homer of the night in the ninth to seal it — the first three home runs of his major league career.
It looked like the A’s would strike a dagger blow to the Astros’ postseason chances, Jeff McNeil and Zack Gelof going back-to-back in the third with a three-run homer and a solo shot, respectively, to take a 4-3 lead. However, Houston tied the game on an Isaac Paredes leadoff homer in the sixth followed by Spence’s second of the game an inning later. Christian Walker hit what turned out to be a necessary insurance solo shot in the seventh as Gelof hit his second solo bomb of the night in the eighth to keep it a one-run game.
Just like the Rangers, Houston can only make the postseason by winning the AL West. The Astros dominated the season series over Texas, winning nine games to the Rangers’ four, so they own the tiebreaker in the division if the teams end with identical records. With three games to go, the only race to determine playoff participants is the AL West battle between both Texas teams for first, though the AL’s fifth and sixth seeds could shift depending on results.
MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 05: Los Angeles Dodgers cap and gloves rest on the dugout steps during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at LoanDepot Park, Miami, Fla. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
How about your already championship-caliber team receiving the boost of one of baseball’s top prospects with their backs against the wall, fighting for the title in the highest level of minor-league ball? There was more behind the Comets’ turnaround to beat the Aviators in the Pacific Coast League Championship Series than the addition of Josue De Paula ahead of Game 2, but it certainly didn’t hurt their goals, joining an already stacked outfield.
Player of the Day
Although it took one of the better examples of a collective effort that you’ll see, particularly in a game of this magnitude, a special shout-out in this section to Zach Ehrhard is a must. The standout young outfielder finished this title-clinching win in a two-for-five performance; with it, the Comets’ leadoff bat managed to hit .500 in 12 at-bats in this Championship Series.
Wrapping up a marvelous campaign in Triple-A, Ehrhard was involved in three of his team’s five runs, scoring a pair and driving in one with a double—the only Comets hitter with multiple extra-base hits in a game in which they didn’t even need to hit a home run.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Although Cole Irvin was the starter, by all intents and purposes, the Comets treated this one like a bullpen game—removing the veteran southpaw after 2.1 scoreless innings and a little over 30 pitches—relying on a talented group that kept the zeroes on the board until the eighth. This standout performance included scoreless frames from Kyle Hurt and Bobby Miller.
By the time the Aviators got on the board with a pair of runs off Seth Halvorsen in the bottom of the eighth, the Comets were already up 5-0, carrying a commanding lead in this one from start to finish. On top of Ehrhard, whom we already mentioned, Mike Sirota once again showcased his incredible plate discipline this season with three walks in five plate appearances.
That first run of the game came from the veteran Ryan Fitzgerald, one of four Comets with multiple hits on the night. Since catcher Eliezer Alfonso—who was hitting right behind Fitzgerald in the lineup—reached base on a catcher’s interference in the ninth, every single Comets hitter would get on base at least once in this game.
De Paula, who had already contributed with a pair of walks in Game 2, got his first hit since his temporary return to the minors, including driving in the Comets’ fifth and final run.
May this be a little preview of the impact he can provide for the big league team, eventually back for a playoff role based on the immediate impact he brought to the squad.
Transactions
The Comets placed right-handed pitcher Ryder Ryan on the Development List.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 16: Brady House #12 of the Washington Nationals is tagged out by Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets to end the second inning at Citi Field on August 16, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The New York Mets (73-86) will wrap up their 2026 season against the Washington Nationals (75-84) in a battle for last place in the National League East (and, depending on how you look at it, either the chance to avoid the misfortune of finishing in the cellar or the opportunity to cement better lottery odds in the MLB Draft). The Mets own a 6-4 lead in the season series against their division counterparts this year, with the two sides splitting a four-game set at Nationals Park in May. The Mets have won four straight after dropping four of the first six.
The Mets had the opportunity to play spoiler against the Rangers and ran with it over their three-game set at Globe Life Field, and they mostly succeeded in putting a dent in Texas’ playoff hopes. They took two out of three which, combined with the Astros taking two of their last three games, put both Texas-based teams in a first-place tie at 79-80 (no, that is not a typo). With Houston holding the tiebreaker, that effectively means the Rangers are now in second place with three games to go. The Mets took the first three against old friends Jacob deGrom and Brandon Nimmo, with a 6-3 victory on Monday and a 7-2 win on Tuesday, before falling 3-1 in the finale to be denied a sweep. Still the win did get the Mets to 73 victories on the season, meaning that, at the very least, they would not reach 90 losses on the season, which was no sure thing given the 12-game losing streak in April.
One of the big blasts in the series with a pinch hit, ninth inning grand slam off the bat of Brett Baty. The blow came after the Rangers intentionally walked Juan Soto for the third time in the game, setting a new Mets’ club record for a single game. It was Baty’s second grand slam of the year, the most on the club, and continued a torrid stretch for the young infielder. Since August 1, Baty leads all Mets’ hitters with a 159 wRC+ while slashing .301/.383/.559 in 38 games—that OBP is also tops on the club since the start of August. His 23 runs batted in since August 1 are also tied for a club lead alongside Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor. Baty, like many of the young players on the club, are fighting to prove they belong on the club next year, and with his late-season surge, he’s likely established some sort of role on the 2027 Mets (if not as a starter, then at the very least a super utility player, perhaps like a Jeff McNeil type who can slot into essentially any position when needed and will accumulate 400+ at-bats despite not having a solid starting role).
The big news that broke right before the first game of the series win was the announcement that Andy Green had been signed to manage the team for three years after serving as interim skipper since late June. Since taking over, Green has put together a 39-39 record, which some would argue is not nearly definitive or inspiring enough to offer Green the role without going through a formal interview process. However, all that aside, the players, both new and established, have really taken to Green and enjoy playing for him. He got a resounding vote of confidence from both Soto and Lindor, and Steve Gelbs, in a pre-game discussion on the hire, said one veteran Mets player called Green the best manager he’s ever played with. For a team looking for stability and dreading the idea of another offseason of upheaval, being able to establish this sort of stability before heading into an uncertain offseason is a big win. Whether Green’s honeymoon is prolonged or ends rather abruptly remains to be seen.
The Nationals enter this series after taking two of three from the Tigers, which followed their series win against the Cardinals. In all, they’ve won eight of their last 11 games, which has helped hold off the Mets and keep them in fourth place in the NL East. For the Mets to overtake Washington—New York does hold the tiebreaker, though the two clubs cannot finished tied unless a game is rained out and not made up—they would have to sweep the series. Losing any game this weekend would guarantee the Mets their first last place finish since 2003—I will point out that these two clubs tied for last place in 2020, though I am all for pretending 2020 did not exist.
James Wood is looking to wrap up a solid third year in the majors, one that saw him pick up his second straight All-Star nod. Wood missed some time with an oblique injury and just returned on September 2, and has struggled since his return, posting a 78 wRC+ with no home runs and a .242/.333/.303 slash line in 18 games. Comparatively, he leads the club with a 141 wRC+ for the whole season, with 30 home runs and a .262/.385/.505 slash line in 132 games. CJ Abrams is also wrapping up a terrific year, one that saw him make the All-Star team for the second time in his career, as he enters play hitting .262/.338/.500 while leading the club in home runs (33) and runs batted in (103) and placing second in runs scored (92). One thing to watch out for: light-hitting Nasim Nuñez sits at 49 stolen bases, and will very likely be gunning for number 5o during the weekend. Nuñez’s accomplished the feat despite posting a miniscule 52 wRC+ and slugging just .242 on the year, the lowest by any major league player with over 475 plate appearances since the 1973 season.
Friday, September 25: TBD vs. Andrew Alvarez, 6:45 PM EDT on WPIX
TBD
The Mets have not officially announced who will take Christian Scott’s spot on Friday, though it’s likely they go with either Justin Hagenman or a traditional bullpen game. Scott’s season came to an end when he was placed on the IL with left knee inflammation.
Alvarez is enjoying a really solid rookie campaign after a brief cup of coffee in the majors with Washington last year. The former 12th round pick has become one of Washington’s most dependable pitchers this year, making 16 starts and eight relief outings across his 108 innings. He has the third-best ERA among Nats pitchers, and his 2.99 ERA as a starting pitcher is the best on Washington’s staff. He is coming off two really strong starts in a row—his last time out, he pitched six shutout innings of five-hit ball against the Cardinals, and before that, he hurled seven one-hit innings against the Angels. Despite the positive result, he did not factor in the decision in either game. He struck out eight batters in each of those outings.
Saturday, September 26: Jonah Tong vs. Jake Irvin, 4:05 PM EDT on SNY
After one of the best starts of his young major league career, in which he allowed just one unearned run over six innings, Tong reverted back to his troubling trends and took a step back against the Phillies. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings against Philadelphia, allowing four earned runs on five hits to pick up the loss. He also walked four batters, which is unfortunate after he walked just one in each of his previous two starts. He ended up throwing 95 pitches, which is his most in any of his major league starts in 2026, and tossed 61% of those for strikes. Tong will look to make a positive final impression as he hopes to position himself for a spot in the club’s 2027 rotation.
Irvin has had another mediocre year for Washington, though he has pitched better as of late. His last start was one of his better ones this year, as he allowed two earned runs on three hits over 5 1/3 innings. The most encouraging sign was that he didn’t walk a batter while striking out eight. It’s his first time now allowing a walk since his start on April 25, which comes after he walked 13 across his previous four starts. The eight punch outs are also the second-most in a start this season. The Mets have faced Irvin twice this year and have put up seven runs (six earned) in ten innings against him, with the Mets winning both of those games.
Sunday, September 27: Sean Manaea vs. DJ Herz, 3:05 PM EDT on SNY
There was a point in Manaea’s outing against the Rangers when it seemed he might be heading for an early exit. He allowed three runs across the first four innings and struggled in the fourth, hitting two batters and loading the bases twice before allowing two runs. However, he buckled down and shut the door in the fifth and sixth innings, which positioned him for a win after New York re-took the lead in the sixth. In all, he allowed three earned runs on three hits, with nine strikeouts and two walks in six innings. The nine strikeouts were his second-most in a start. With Manaea under contract for one more year, his recent turnaround will give the team a lot to think about as they ponder the best way to use Manaea in 2027.
Herz made his season debut on September 21 after missing the entire 2025 season following Tommy John Surgery. The left-hander was slated to return earlier, but a flexor muscle train shut him down in June, and he finally recovered enough to make it back to the big league level after tossing 88 2/3 innings for Washington in 2024. In his first major league outing in almost two full years, Herz allowed four earned runs on five hits over four innings against the Tigers, which resulted in a loss. He struck out four, walked two, and threw 63 pitches in his return.
May 4, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) singles during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Yesterday afternoon, while the Orioles were enjoying their day off, they were eliminated from the postseason race. The Chicago White Sox defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-1 to clinch the third Wild Card spot. This was just a formality; the Orioles have been out of the race for a few weeks. I know this was a very frustrating year for the Orioles and a down year for the American League, but it’s still something that they were not eliminated until there were just four days left in the regular season.
Despite being eliminated, the Orioles have one final series to play. And they are playing another team with nothing to play for this weekend. Unfortunately, the New York Yankees have nothing to play for for the opposite reason as the Orioles. They have clinched the first Wild Card spot and have been eliminated from the AL East, so their spot in the playoffs is set in stone.
The Orioles have been terrible against the Yankees so far this year. Over the first three series of the season, they are 2-8 and have been swept twice. Even against a Yankees team will mostly be trying to stay healthy and set up for the Wild Card round, it would be nice to see the Orioles rise up and get a series win to finish off the year. Or heck, why not a sweep? After sweeping the Blue Jays to wrap up their home schedule, they could end the season on a six-game winning streak. A sweep would also get them back to .500. And while .500 is far from the goal for this team, it’s better than being a loser.
So what have the Yankees been up to since the Orioles last played them? After they beat the Orioles 6-1 to complete a sweep on August 20th, they have gone 19-12 to maintain their comfortable hold on that top WC spot. They were unable to make up any ground on the division-leading Rays.
The big news for the Yankees in September was the return of their star, Aaron Judge. Judge have been on the IL since May 31st with a broken rib. He was back in action on September 8th, but lasted just seven games before going back on the IL with an injured calf. There was a bit of a kerfuffle yesterday when Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Judge would not be ready for the Wild Card round. Judge didn’t like the declaration, but it does seem highly likely he won’t be playing in that series.
The Yankees have arguably the best starting rotation in the American League, led by Cam Schlittler (32 GS, 1.89 ERA) and Max Fried (20 GS, 2.80 ERA). Lefty Ryan Weathers has been quite good, but has been on the IL for about a month. And you know the rotation is deep when Gerrit Cole is the fourth guy I mention.
Despite spending most of the year without Judge, the Yankees offense is also up there near the top of the league. This is largely due to Ben Rice, whose power and on-base skills have flourished in his third big-league season. He is sitting on 41 home runs, which is tied with Pete Alonso and others for the top mark in the AL.
Games 1 & 2: Friday, Sept 25th, 4:05 PM
Where to watch: MASN/YES
With a major Nor’easter set to slam New York this weekend, MLB has elected to move Saturday’s game to Friday to avoid the inevitable rainout. It’s a smart move, and hopefully the storm won’t also affect Sunday’s game.
These games are being played as a single-admission doubleheader, which might make you compare the Orioles and their rainout this week against the Blue Jays. The Orioles opted to turn their final two home games into a split-admission doubleheader, charging fans twice if they wanted to see both games. The Yankees did no such thing. And I gotta say, when I read that I was a little irked. If the Yankees are making you look greedy in comparison, that’s a bad look.
With their spot in the postseason secure, the Yankees are playing it loose and have not announced any pitchers for this weekend’s series. I imagine that any regular Yankees starter you see will have a short tune up in preparation for the playoffs.
The Orioles have announced their pitchers. For game one, it will be Trevor Rogers, making what could be his final start as an Oriole. I hope not! Rogers is coming off of an incredible start against the Brewers. He held the best team in baseball to just one run on three hits. He pitched eight innings and struck out 10.
Game two’s starter will be Brandon Young. Young also had a nice start against the Brewers, a two-run, six-inning game with nine strikeouts. I half expected them to skip Young’s final start. But maybe it’ll be a short one. Albert Suárez is back with the Orioles for the final series.
Game 3: Sunday, Sept 27th, 3:20 pm
Where to watch: MASN/YES
Shane Baz will take the mound to close out the season for the Orioles. Baz got the win against Toronto on Monday with a 6.2 IP, three-run effort. Baz’s 4.11 ERA puts him at an exact average ERA+ of 100. Baz has done a pretty good job of proving he’s better than his numbers last year with the Rays. Since May 15th, his ERA is 3.66.
Baz has faced the Yankees twice this year. In May, he allowed five earned runs in 5.2 innings. In August, it was three runs in 6.1 innings. Better! He also struck out 10 that night.
How many games do you think the Orioles will win to close out the season?
