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What to know for the 2026 ALDS, NLDS: Bracket, schedule, format and how to watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The 2026 MLB playoffs began with 12 teams. Now, that number is down to nine.

The American League’s No. 4 New York Yankees and No. 6 Chicago White Sox, along with the National League’s No. 4 San Diego Padres, have advanced to the Division Series of the postseason. All three teams recorded Wild Card Series sweeps — New York dominated the rival No. 5 Boston Red Sox, Chicago rolled past the No. 4 Houston Astros for its first postseason series victory in over two decades, and San Diego took care of the No. 5 Chicago Cubs.

The only Wild Card Series headed to a decisive Game 3 is the matchup between the No. 3 Atlanta Braves and No. 6 Philadelphia Phillies. That series wraps up Thursday night.

The Division Series will see the introduction of the top two seeds in each league — the AL’s No. 1 Tampa Bay Rays and No. 2 Cleveland Guardians, and the NL’s No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers and two-time defending World Series champion No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers. Those clubs received byes past the Wild Card Series.

From the matchups to the schedule and more, here’s what to know for the ALDS and NLDS:

Are teams reseeded in the MLB playoffs?

The MLB postseason follows a bracket format, so teams are not reseeded after the Wild Card Series.

How many games are in the ALDS, NLDS?

The ALDS and NLDS have a best-of-five format where the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.

2026 ALDS bracket: What are the matchups?

The AL side of the bracket features a pair of divisional showdowns:

• No. 1 Rays vs. No. 4 Yankees
• No. 2 Guardians vs. No. 6 White Sox

2026 NLDS bracket: What are the matchups?

Over in the NL, the Brewers meet the Padres, while the Dodgers await the winner of Braves-Phillies:

• No. 1 Brewers vs. No. 4 Padres
• No. 2 Dodgers vs. No. 3Braves/No. 6 Phillies

When do the ALDS, NLDS start?

All four Division Series matchups start Saturday, Oct. 3.

What is the ALDS, NLDS schedule in the 2026 MLB playoffs?

Here’s a look at the full Division Series schedule (this section will be updated as more details are finalized):

Oct. 3

• White Sox at Guardians, Game 1 — 1 p.m. ET, TBS and HBO Max
• Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Game 1 — 4 p.m. ET, FOX
• Yankees at Rays, Game 1 — 6:30 p.m. ET, TBS and HBO Max
• Padres at Brewers, Game 1 — 8:30 p.m. ET, FS1

Oct. 4

• Padres at Brewers, Game 2 — 4 p.m. ET, FS1
• Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Game 2 — 8 p.m. ET, FS1

Oct. 5

• White Sox at Guardians, Game 2 — 5 p.m. ET, TBS and HBO Max
• Yankees at Rays, Game 2 — 8 p.m. ET, TBS and HBO Max

Oct. 6

• Dodgers at Braves/Phillies, Game 3 — time TBD, network TBD
• Brewers at Padres, Game 3 — time TBD, network TBD

Oct. 7

• Guardians at White Sox, Game 3 — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max
• Rays at Yankees, Game 3 — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max
• Dodgers at Braves/Phillies, Game 4 (if necessary) — time TBD, network TBD
• Brewers atPadres, Game 4 (if necessary) — time TBD, network TBD

Oct. 8

• Guardians at White Sox, Game 4 (if necessary) — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max
• Rays at Yankees, Game 4 (if necessary) — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max

Oct. 9

• Padres at Brewers, Game 5 (if necessary) — time TBD, network TBD
• Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Game 5 (if necessary) — time TBD, network TBD

Oct. 10

• White Sox at Guardians, Game 5 (if necessary) — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max
• Yankees at Rays, Game 5 (if necessary) — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max

Where to watch, stream the 2026 ALDS and NLDS

All ALDS games will air on TBS and stream live on HBO Max, TBS.com and the TBS app.

NLDS contests will air across FOX and FS1 and stream live on FOX One and FOXSports.com.

What to know for the 2026 ALDS, NLDS: Bracket, schedule, format and how to watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The 2026 MLB playoffs began with 12 teams. Now, that number is down to nine.

The American League’s No. 4 New York Yankees and No. 6 Chicago White Sox, along with the National League’s No. 4 San Diego Padres, have advanced to the Division Series of the postseason. All three teams recorded Wild Card Series sweeps — New York dominated the rival No. 5 Boston Red Sox, Chicago rolled past the No. 4 Houston Astros for its first postseason series victory in over two decades, and San Diego took care of the No. 5 Chicago Cubs.

The only Wild Card Series headed to a decisive Game 3 is the matchup between the No. 3 Atlanta Braves and No. 6 Philadelphia Phillies. That series wraps up Thursday night.

The Division Series will see the introduction of the top two seeds in each league — the AL’s No. 1 Tampa Bay Rays and No. 2 Cleveland Guardians, and the NL’s No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers and two-time defending World Series champion No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers. Those clubs received byes past the Wild Card Series.

From the matchups to the schedule and more, here’s what to know for the ALDS and NLDS:

Are teams reseeded in the MLB playoffs?

The MLB postseason follows a bracket format, so teams are not reseeded after the Wild Card Series.

How many games are in the ALDS, NLDS?

The ALDS and NLDS have a best-of-five format where the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.

2026 ALDS bracket: What are the matchups?

The AL side of the bracket features a pair of divisional showdowns:

• No. 1 Rays vs. No. 4 Yankees
• No. 2 Guardians vs. No. 6 White Sox

2026 NLDS bracket: What are the matchups?

Over in the NL, the Brewers meet the Padres, while the Dodgers await the winner of Braves-Phillies:

• No. 1 Brewers vs. No. 4 Padres
• No. 2 Dodgers vs. No. 3Braves/No. 6 Phillies

When do the ALDS, NLDS start?

All four Division Series matchups start Saturday, Oct. 3.

What is the ALDS, NLDS schedule in the 2026 MLB playoffs?

Here’s a look at the full Division Series schedule (this section will be updated as more details are finalized):

Oct. 3

• White Sox at Guardians, Game 1 — 1 p.m. ET, TBS and HBO Max
• Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Game 1 — 4 p.m. ET, FOX
• Yankees at Rays, Game 1 — 6:30 p.m. ET, TBS and HBO Max
• Padres at Brewers, Game 1 — 8:30 p.m. ET, FS1

Oct. 4

• Padres at Brewers, Game 2 — 4 p.m. ET, FS1
• Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Game 2 — 8 p.m. ET, FS1

Oct. 5

• White Sox at Guardians, Game 2 — 5 p.m. ET, TBS and HBO Max
• Yankees at Rays, Game 2 — 8 p.m. ET, TBS and HBO Max

Oct. 6

• Dodgers at Braves/Phillies, Game 3 — time TBD, network TBD
• Brewers at Padres, Game 3 — time TBD, network TBD

Oct. 7

• Guardians at White Sox, Game 3 — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max
• Rays at Yankees, Game 3 — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max
• Dodgers at Braves/Phillies, Game 4 (if necessary) — time TBD, network TBD
• Brewers atPadres, Game 4 (if necessary) — time TBD, network TBD

Oct. 8

• Guardians at White Sox, Game 4 (if necessary) — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max
• Rays at Yankees, Game 4 (if necessary) — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max

Oct. 9

• Padres at Brewers, Game 5 (if necessary) — time TBD, network TBD
• Braves/Phillies at Dodgers, Game 5 (if necessary) — time TBD, network TBD

Oct. 10

• White Sox at Guardians, Game 5 (if necessary) — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max
• Yankees at Rays, Game 5 (if necessary) — time TBD, TBS and HBO Max

Where to watch, stream the 2026 ALDS and NLDS

All ALDS games will air on TBS and stream live on HBO Max, TBS.com and the TBS app.

NLDS contests will air across FOX and FS1 and stream live on FOX One and FOXSports.com.

Things did not stay classy in San Diego.

Cubs pitcher Daniel Palencia enraged the Padres’ bench Wednesday night after plunking a batter immediately following a game-changing two-run homer in the 4-1 road loss in Game 2 that ended Chicago’s season rather unceremoniously.

One person on the Padres bench clearly shouted, “F–k you,” toward Palencia after Jake Cronenworth took a 100-mph 3-0 offering right in the back, while others seemed quite miffed.

A trainer attended to Palenica right after the hit by pitch, with one of the Peacock broadcasters noting they did not believe he hit Cronenworth on purpose.

The scene unfolded in the fourth inning after Palencia — a reliever — allowed a two-run homer to pinch-hitting Gavin Sheets that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 4-1 hole.

Palenica then fired three balls to Cronenworth before his fourth hit him in the back, resulting in the latter staring down the reliever while the fans booed loudly.

Craig Counsell and medical staffers then checked on Palencia, who recorded the final out of the inning and then pitched a clean fifth inning.

That he would hit Cronenworth right in the typical spot for a beaning immediately after surrendering a homer certainly raised some flags, although the trainer coming out indicated something being amiss.

Tempers eventually cooled but the Cubs’ bats never heated up and they exited the postseason being outscored 12-1 over the two games.

Their lone run came on a fourth-inning RBI single by Nico Hoerner but the good vibes didn’t last long before Sheets took Palenica deep to make it a three-run game.

The Cubs have now lost in the NLDS and Wild Card in back-to-back years, raising questions about this team’s ceiling.

“It didn’t go well here. We just didn’t play well enough. They’re playing really well. We just couldn’t get anything going offensively obviously,” Counsell said.

“Look, it’s the end of the season is — when you’re in this position, you’re going to be disappointed. You’re going to feel unfulfilled, and you can’t — that’s just dominating everything you feel right now. Maybe as you reflect, I think I can get to some better places. Right now that’s all I feel.”

Good morning everyone!

Three of the four Wild Card matchups concluded last night, with one more left to go. We’ve got all of that and more in today’s batch of links.

MLB Playoff Scores…

• The White Sox dispatched the Astros before October even began, winning 7-3 to sweep the series and advance to the ALDS.
• The Yankees’ bats went off once again, teeing off Garrett Crochet in his first appearance back from injury in a 9-2 ballgame to punch their ticket to the ALDS.
• The Cubs bats failed to get going yet again, allowing the Padres to sweep the series with a 4-1 victory.
• The Phillies drew even with the Braves thanks to a trio of homers, including an extra-inning bomb from Alec Bohm, in a 4-3 win. They’ll play the deciding match this evening.

In Mariners news…

• Ryan Rowland-Smith made his pitch for why the Mariners need to extend right-hander Logan Gilbert.

Around the league…

• Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray expressed frustration with manager Chad Tracy after he was pulled in Boston’s loss to the Yankees.
• Astros outfielder Daulton Varsho is done for the season after undergoing wrist surgery.
• For the fourth season in a row, attendance was up across Major League Baseball.
• Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki made huge strides defensively in 2026. Davy Andrews at Fangraphs has the analysis.
• Matthew Roberson at Fangraphs wrote about Fernando Tatis, Jr.’s incredible first-to-home stolen base from Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.
• Jarrett Siedler at Baseball Prospectus highlighted 10 players to watch at this year’s Arizona Fall League. ($)
• Bob Costas expressed regrets for how the end of his baseball play-by-play career panned out.

Good morning A’s fans!

Three of the four series of the first round ended with sweeps. The Yankees, Padres, and White Sox all vanquished their opponents and have punched their tickets to the divisional round. The Cubs, Red Sox, and Astros (yay) all saw their seasons come to an unceremonious end. None of them were huge favorites to win it all so their fanbases can only be so disappointed, but still never fun to see your team end the year with a loss.

The second round is now mostly set. After their dominance over one division rival, the Yankees now take on the #1 seed in the AL in another rival, the Tampa Bay Rays. This series could go either way and it’ll be one of the best of the second round.

The other matchup in the AL is, again, between two division rivals as the White Sox take on the Guardians. The upstart White Sox beat Houston in convincing fashion but Cleveland is a much better opponent. Can they keep the mojo going, or does their magic finally wear off?

In the NL, the Brewers now know they’ll be facing the Padres in their Division series matchup. Milwaukee was the only team to win 100 games this year and is one of the favorites to win it all. They’ve been here before though and always fall short. Is this the year for them? The same can almost be said exactly the same of the Padres: a great team year in, year out, but always falling just short of expectations. Milwaukee should be favored in this series but San Diego could be the pick if someone wants an upset in the second round.

The only team that couldn’t finish off the sweep was the Atlanta Braves. They were close, coming to within six outs of finishing off the Phillies. Their division rival managed a late comeback with back-to-back homers in the eighth to tie it and then they finished the comeback in extras, forcing one more game to decide the series. Winner-take-all. This is going to be some good baseball, and a mere taste of what’s to come in the later rounds of the playoffs.

Philly hasn’t announced their starter for the must-win game later today. They could turn to Zack Wheeler on short rest, which at this point in the year is kind of why he got that massive contract. Atlanta meanwhile has a bit more of a complicated decision for them on who starts today’s contest. It could end up being former A’s prospect Grant Holmes, who has blossomed with Atlanta. We’ll all just have to wait and stay tuned.

Meanwhile A’s fans are still waiting to find out who the new General Manager will be. There were rumors and reports that the organization wanted their choice installed before the end of the year but that deadline is long gone. The hope now is that they pick their person before the end of the playoffs so the new voice has an entire and full offseason at the helm. News could drop at any moment and any day now.

Phillies-Braves Game 3 first pitch is at 5:15 Pacific. Have a great Friday Junior everyone!

A’s Coverage:

• Athletics’ Zack Gelof sues Tigers after hitting metal fence
• 2026: Year Of The “Didn’t See That Coming!”
• Where the A’s Plan to Use Zack Gelof in 2027
• Last MLB game in West Sacramento? Why A’s 2026 season deserves a eulogy
• A’s Lose Final Game Of The Year To Astros 9-0
• Perkins finishes intriguing season with another flash of potential
• A’s Bounce Back, Take Second Game From Astros 6-5
• ‘Road Trip Mike’ on the move to wherever his beloved A’s go
• Wheat/Chaff Updates As Season Winds Down
• Paralyzed A’s prospect Lasko released from rehab facility to ovation from staff
• Devin Taylor: Athletics 2026 Minor League Player Of The Year
• Henry Bolte Is the A’s Next Budding Star
• Determining Athletics’ Offensive MVP for the 2026 Season
• Notes From Star-Studded Rockies-A’s Instructional League
• Injuries Out Of Control, But Why?
• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• “Fast Movers” Might Be Key To Contention
• Billy Beane comments on the job Mark Kotsay has done this season.
• Should Mark Kotsay return in 2027? A’s Players Weigh In
• What the A’s Hiring Mike Rizzo would Signal and the Questions it Would Raise
• Athletics Considering James Click For GM Vacancy
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app

MLB News & Interest:

• White Sox sweep Astros once more to claim 1st playoff series win since 2005 WS
• ‘Never a doubt’: Resilient Phils force Game 3 on three dramatic swings
• Yanks sweep rival Sox behind another offensive onslaught to punch ticket to ALDS
• Red Sox’s Roman Anthony ruled out of ALWC with injuries
• Padres make quick work of Cubs to sweep Wild Card Series
• Padres’ Ethan Salas becomes youngest ever to catch playoff game
• With 28th postseason HR, Altuve now 1 shy of all-time record
• With 2 steals each (in 1 inning!) Acuña bros. make postseason history
• D-Backs, Michael Soroka Have Mutual Interest In Reunion
• Daulton Varsho Undergoes Wrist Surgery
• MLB attendance up for 4th straight year, boosted by Rays
• Previewing The Upcoming Center Field Class
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

I’ll say Cortes and Williams:

…why?

And the A’s could have had this guy!

Excellent use of AI:

After a disappointing 93-loss season, Royals president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo said the team plans to be “aggressive in acquisitions.” But that aggressiveness, he cautioned, should not be confused with a willingness to spend aggressively on the payroll. He addressed the media along with manager Matt Quatraro in the team’s annual end-of-year press conference on Wednesday.

The season did not go as planned, with the team stumbling to a 12-19 start by the end of April. Picollo took addressed the slow start by saying “we’re responsible for the performance in April and May.” He did point out the World Baseball Classic kept some Royals players away from the team during spring training, making it more difficult to build team camaraderie. And injuries made it difficult for the team to climb their way out of the hole they had dug.

“We weren’t very good in April, and we weren’t very good in the beginning of May. I can’t sit here and tell you that I know we would have been good in June, July, August, and September, but if we had had those players on our roster and healthy and available, I think we could have made a better run.”

The Royals lost key players like Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino early in the year, in addition to having their pitching staff decimated by injuries over the summer. The Royals announced changes to their medical staff, although Picollo denied the injuries were the reason for the moves. He also contended that despite all the adversity, the team has to win.

“That being said, nobody feels sorry for you. You got to go out and win.”

Here is what Picollo had to say about how he plans to address team needs this offseason.

The bullpen

“The bullpen is going to be a focus for us,” said Picollo. “There’s no question.”

Royals relievers had a 5.07 ERA, second-worst in baseball, and a league-worst 6.65 ERA in the ninth inning. The team lost closer Carlos Estévez to injury after his first game, and got disappointing performances from Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm.

While Picollo expects the team to be aggressive, he added “I don’t want that mistaken for aggressive payroll spending.” He noted that the team was top five in spending on the bullpen over the last three years, but that spending on relievers may not be the solution due to the volatility of their performance.

“We have to look into ways at being more efficient,” he said, adding that they tried to look for that “diamond in the rough” late this year with waiver claims and small deals. They sought pitchers that presented different arm angles and pitches to give hitters varying looks.

“There’s not a clear, definitive answer on how to pull put a bullpen together. But I think the variety of ‘different looks,’ ‘different stuff’ type of relievers is the way we’re probably going to go.”

Back in August, owner John Sherman said he thought the bullpen could be “cobbled” together without spending too much money.

While Picollo highlighted the pitching of Steven Cruz and Nate Pearson down the stretch, the 2027 closer may not be on the roster right now.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to sit here today and tell you we’ll have a closer. Internally, we don’t think we necessarily have it.”

Daniel Lynch IV, who enjoyed a breakthrough season in the bullpen, will be given a chance to compete for a starting spot next year. Lynch had a 1.96 ERA in 46 relief appearances this year, and a 6.53 ERA in 10 starts.

Starting pitching

Picollo said starting depth was their biggest priority after upgrading the bullpen. He admitted that the starting pitching depth he had amassed before the season was not nearly enough.

“It was as confident as I’ve ever been in starting pitching depth,” he said before discussing the injuries that hit the pitching staff. Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, Ryan Bergert, and Stephen Kolek all missed significant time this season.

“So we’re never going to take starting pitching for granted.”

Next year’s rotation will feature Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, and Noah Cameron, but the team will have to figure out who will fill the last two spots. The team expects to pick up the option of Tony Gonsolin, the former Dodgers All-Star pitcher who was signed late in the year and pitched in one game for the Royals. He could compete for a rotation spot along with Lynch, and Randy Dobnak, who impressed with a 3.51 ERA in 15 games.

Offense

As far as the offense, Picollo liked some of the underlying things they did, but ultimately the team did not score enough runs, particularly on the road. The Royals averaged 4.26 runs per game overall, finishing 21st in baseball. That was a slight improvement over their performance in 2025 when they scored 4.02 runs per game, 26th in baseball. But they finished dead last in baseball in runs on the road, averaging just 3.62 per game.

“It’s a combination of things. It’s getting on base at a greater clip. It’s running the bases well. It’s putting the ball in play when you need to with a man in scoring position. A lot is made of batting average with runners in scoring position – for us its more about ‘did you get him in?’”

He confirmed Ken Rosenthal’s report from Tuesday that hitting coach Alec Zumwalt has been reassigned to focus more on minor league development, but Picollo clarified that this was not a reflection of performance, and had been the plan all along. Zumwalt had worked with the current core of Royals hitters in the minors, and had ascended to the big league level with them. The team wants him back working with young minor league hitters, while assistant hitting coaches Marcus Thames and Connor Dawson work with the big league hitters. The Royals will likely hire another assistant hitting coach, but Picollo backed the work of Zumwalt.

“We’re not disappointed with his performance. We think he’s a very good hitting coach.”

The team will look for offensive upgrades in the outfield. Picollo noted the outfield defense regressed this season, despite the fences at Kauffman Stadium being moved in leaving less room to cover. Outfield prospect Carson Roccaforte could be in the mix, although he is left-handed and Picollo noted that the team is already very left-handed heavy.

The team will be “open to any and all ideas” on trades, even if that means trading players on the roster. Picollo added he is not interested in trading players for prospects, given their timeline and expectations to contend.

“We need to add players that help us at the major league level.”

Spending

Picollo said he does not have a specific payroll figure, but noted that ownership has approved additional spending when he has brought forward opportunities worth pursuing.

“I’ve always felt like it’s not my job to worry about the payroll. Our job is to get the most out of whatever we have,” said Picollo, noting there are teams in the playoffs with lower payrolls than the Royals, while many teams that spent a lot are sitting at home.

“I don’t think payroll is indicative of success on the field. I think success on the field comes with knowing your roster and how to get the most out of your roster and that’s our task. That’s what we need to do.”

Sherman said in August that the team is “freeing up some money” the team could invest, with about $30 million expected to come off the payroll with impending free agents.

When asked about potential long-term contracts for Jac Caglianone or Carter Jensen, Picollo deferred, saying that they typically don’t seriously consider such deals until after a player’s second year of service time. Both players just completed their first full season in the big leagues, finishing strong with each hitting over 20 home runs and posting an OPS+ over 120.

The Royals may have to work quickly to address their shortcomings simply because of the looming potential work stoppage. The collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, which could lead to an end to free agent signings until a new labor deal is worked out.

“The aggressiveness in November is going to be important for us, as we expect the entire industry to be fairly busy.”

But it is clear the Royals have a lot do before the next season begins. The Royals entered 2026 expecting to build on back-to-back winning seasons. Instead, they finished with the fifth-worst record in baseball and now face significant questions in the bullpen, starting rotation and outfield. Picollo acknowledged that the fans demand more.

“It’s refreshing to know that our fans have high expectations. We want them to have high expectations, because we gave them reason to have high expectations,” said Picollo.

“With that comes to responsibility of getting it done. I think we feel pressure every year to win.”

What a way to sweep the Red Sox out of the playoffs! The Yankees brushed aside their inferior opponents, winning the two games by a combined score of 18-2. Every facet of their game was clicking — plate discipline, slug, bat-to-ball, two-strike hitting, situational hitting, base running, defense, and of course, starting pitching. It’s a winning recipe that leaves them in good stead for the upcoming ALDS date with Tampa.

The Yankees weren’t the only team to eliminate their opponents from the postseason on Wednesday so let’s jump straight into the action!

AL Wild Card Series Game 2

Chicago White Sox 7, Houston Astros 3
(Chicago wins 2-0)

After just two games, I can’t think of any playoff participant who wants to face these White Sox. That is a sentence that no one could conceive of typing at the start of the season. Two seasons removed from suffering the most losses in MLB history and on the back of three straight losing campaigns, this upstart Chicago squad came out of nowhere to crash the postseason, starting with a two game sweep of the Astros in their own building.

They have done so by scoring early and often, the White Sox lineup a deep unit one-thru-nine with multiple ways to hurt you. They work deep counts, foul pitches off, draw walks, and can put the ball in play, but can also slug the ball out of the yard from almost any spot in the batting order. On Tuesday, they scored three unanswered runs in the first two innings to put the Astros on the back foot from the word go, and Wednesday continued the trend with the Southsiders hanging a four-spot before the home team had a chance to bat.

They had a 1-0 lead just five pitches into the game against Astros ace Hunter Brown, Sam Antonacci leading off with a double before Kyle Teel drove him home with a single. A fielding error by Nick Allen on a Miguel Vargas grounder put a pair on, and three straight singles by Andrew Benintendi, Tristan Peters, and Chase Meidroth plated three more runs with help from a Lucas Spence throwing error from center.

Credit to the Astros, they did not roll over after going down four in the first and slowly chipped into the White Sox lead. Jeremy Peña led off the bottom of the first with a booming home run that clattered off the left field wall just below the train tracks. Cam Smith hit one to almost exactly the same spot with two outs in the second. Jose Altuve narrowly snuck a solo shot into the Crawford Boxes to lead off the fourth and just like that, a 4-0 game had become a 4-3 thriller.

An inning later it looked like the Astros would pull of the improbable and complete the comeback. Smith was hit by a pitch, Peña singled, and Isaac Paredes walked to load the bases with two outs for Altuve. However, reliever Anthony Kay got Altuve to fly out to medium right field to strand all three ducks on the pond. That left the door open for the White Sox to swing the momentum back in their own favor and they did so immediately. Benintendi and Peters drew a pair of walks to open the sixth, prompting Joe Espada to call on Bryan Abreu out of the bullpen. Astros owner Jim Crane vetoed a trade of Abreu to the Twins in the final minutes of the deadline, and Abreu rewarded that faith by hanging a 3-1 slider to Meidroth, the second baseman crushing a three-run bomb to left to put the final nail in the Astros’ coffin.

After sweeping this rematch of the 2005 World Series, the White Sox advance to the ALDS where they will face the AL Central champion Guardians, first pitch of Game 1 scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.

NL Wild Card Series Game 2

Philadelphia Phillies 4, Atlanta Braves 3
(Series tied 1-1)

The Phillies’ season was hanging by a thread until some late heroics by Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Alec Bohm sent this thrilling series to a decisive Game 3. It was a pitchers’ duel early between two starters trending in opposite directions. Tyler Mahle entered his first career playoff start with a sub-two ERA after joining the Braves from the Giants at the deadline while Cristopher Sánchez posted an ERA above five in the month of September (though will still likely wrap up his second straight runner-up finish in NL Cy Young balloting).

The one thing the two starters do have in common is first inning struggles and that certainly played out in this game. Mahle allowed a leadoff double to Trea Turner and consecutive one-out singles by Bryce Harper and Alex Bohm to allow the Phillies to jump ahead, 1-0. However, Sánchez issued a leadoff walk to Ronald Acuña Jr., who promptly stole second and scored the tying run on a Matt Olson single.

Both starters settled in from there, trading zeroes for the next five innings, until things unraveled for Sánchez and his defense in the seventh. Sean Murphy worked a leadoff walk and Ha-Seong Kim reached on a bunt single to put a pair on with no outs. Drake Baldwin then clubbed what looked like a routine liner to right, but Harper misplayed it horrifically breaking in on the ball only to watch it sail over his glove and to the wall for what was ruled as an RBI double. Sánchez intentionally walked Ozzie Albies to load the bases, and Olson made him pay with a sac fly to double the Braves lead, 3-1.

What should have been a hammer blow to the Phillies morale did not play out as such. Schwarber immediately responded with a towering leadoff shot off lefty reliever Dylan Lee, and Harper atoned for his misplay by going back-to-back to retie the game, 3-3. That sent this game to extra innings, where the much-maligned Alec Bohm continued his redemption tour. Bohm was on the bubble of being non-tendered during the offseason, but the Phillies kept him around and drove in the first run of the series with an RBI double in the first inning of Game 1. The third baseman was the ultimate hero in this one, his opposite field solo homer off rookie Didier Fuentes in the 10th to keep the Phillies season alive and force a decisive Game 3.

San Diego Padres 4, Chicago Cubs 1
(San Diego wins 2-0)

This game featured surprisingly quick hooks of both starters as neither manager wanted to risk leaving their highest leverage relievers unused. One was certainly more deserved than the other, Kevin Gausman allowing three runs on five hits in 3.1 innings. The Cubs were desperate for starting pitching at the Trade Deadline and Gausman was supposed to be their big prize. However, he flopped after making the move from the Blue Jays, pitching to a 4.83 ERA in nine starts post-deadline, and his stinker tonight was the beginning of the end of the Cubs’ season. Nick Pivetta on the other hand held Chicago to a run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings, but Craig Stammen seemed determined to play the matchups in this one.

Ty France got things started with a double to lead off the second, advancing to third on a Jackson Merrill single, who then stole second to put a pair in scoring position for Xander Bogaerts. The veteran shortstop opened the scoring with an RBI single, which brought Ethan Salas to the plate. The 20-year-old became the youngest catcher ever to appear in a playoff game, and in his first postseason PA, he lifted a sac fly to center to plate Merrill as the Padres’ second run.

The real story of this series has been the Cubs’ inability to score. They led MLB scoring 5.25 runs per game, spearheaded by shoo-in NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong and his MLB-leading 45 home runs (PCA would go 0-for-7 with four strikeouts in the series). They found themselves shut out through the first 12.1 innings of this series, finally breaking the seal in the fourth on a Seiya Suzuki single, Ian Happ walk, and Nico Hoerner RBI single. A Carson Kelly hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with two outs, but Dansby Swanson flew out to stand all three in place.

San Diego immediately punished them for failing to fully cash in on that scoring opportunity. Bogaerts reached on a one-out double, prompting Craig Counsell to call on Daniel Palencia in relief of Gausman. Palencia yanked a 101 mph fastball right into Sheets’ nitro zone down and in, and the lefty crushed it to right for a mammoth two-run blast.

It was all hands on deck from there from the Padres bullpen looking to protect their lead for the final five innings of the contest. They proved how terrifying a relief corps they’ve been all season, allowing just three base runners — a Michael Busch walk with two outs in the fifth, a Tyrone Taylor pinch-hit single with one out in the eighth, and a Hoerner one-out double off Mason Miller in the ninth — after the Cubs stranded the bases loaded to end the fourth.

San Diego advances to the NLDS where they will face the best team in baseball. It’s an unenviable position to come up against presumptive NL Cy Young Jacob Misiorowski and the 103-win Brewers. Game 1 of that series is scheduled for October 3rd with first pitch time contingent upon the result of Game 3 between Philly and Atlanta.

What the Chicago White Sox have done in 2026 is why sports are so great. A perennial punching bag, and Major League Baseball’s biggest laughingstock a year ago has transformed into a baseball powerhouse, and on Wednesday night they proved it. The ChiSox cruised to a 7-3 win over the Astros in the AL Wild Card, clinching 2-0 and moving on.

The locker room broke into a massive party, and nobody was having more fun than Munetaka Murakami, who celebrated with his teammates, partied with his translator, and gave drunken interviews to anyone with a microphone.

“HE’S DRUNK! [gestures to translator] HE’s DRUNK! He’s my classmate [?], but he’s drunk! Yeah! I’m drunk! I’m drunk! Yesterday, maybe hungover. No, not yesterday — tomorrow, hungover. Yeah, sorry, I don’t speak English.”

The unabashed joy pouring out of Mune is contagious, and it happened again later in the evening when CHSN tracked him down for another attempted interview.

There’s just something special about this White Sox team. To lift an entire organization out of the cellar to become one of the best teams in baseball is a sight to behold, and they’re doing it together as a team — Munetaka Murekami is a huge part of that. The man deserves his drunken celebration.

The White Sox will play the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS starting on Saturday, October 3rd at 1 p.m. ET

The season’s been dead for less than 12 hours, but it’s always good to start reflecting on the year that was when the emotions are fresh, because you’ll probably never feel this strongly about the details of 2026 ever again.

So with that, we’ve got a simple question today: How do you feel about the 2026 Red Sox as a whole? It’s a more complicated question than usual at September’s end given the enormous highs and lows and the uncertainty of what will happen next, but we’ve got plenty of time to ponder it now that we don’t know when Red Sox baseball will be returning next.

For me, the 2026 season is a failure, and a big one! Third place for the third year in a row, failure to win at least 90 games for the fifth year in a row, and failure to bring playoff baseball back to Fenway Park for five years and counting. The season was salvaged from being an even bigger disaster by that remarkable 32-5 summer stretch, but when it ended, the September Red Sox once again became the April, May and most of June Red Sox. They had an offense that wasn’t good enough, a slate full of boring and uninspiring games, and a complete inability to execute in key spots.

But what are your emotions right now? Use this space to let us and the rest of the OTM community know. We’ll be here with you all offseason (however long that lasts into 2027), so make yourself comfortable, and as always, be good to one another.