PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 18: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees warms up on deck during the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 18, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Yankees defeated the Diamondbacks 9-2. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees continue to sit in what feels a bit like baseball purgatory. Their loss yesterday pushed them five back of the Rays, as it looks like they’ll have to resign themselves to another Wild Card Series despite running the second-best record in the American League. They’ve played good baseball but have been unable to make up any ground on Tampa, and now, Aaron Judge is injured again, and it’s unclear how severe his calf injury isand whether he’ll be able to contribute to the team in the playoffs. There’s little we can do but sit and wait, for the games to become meaningful again, and to see whether New York’s captain will be back or if he’s done for the year.
On the site this morning, Andrew runs down Saturday’s American League action, before profiling Tom Tresh, 1962 AL Rookie of the Year winner for the Yankees. And later, John runs through Yankee social media this week, before the Yankees and Diamondbacks wrap up their business with a Sunday matinee.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees at Arizona Diamondbacks
Time: 4:10 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, DBacks.tv
Venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Questions/Prompts:
1. Who do you think would be a bigger boost if they’re able to get fully healthy before playoff time, Trent Grisham or Jazz Chisholm Jr.?
2. Do you have a team you’re hoping to see win the races in the AL Central and AL West?
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 02: Riley Duran #62 of the Boston Bruins skates with the puck against the Washington Capitals in the first period during a preseason game at Capital One Arena on October 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just the Facts
The Time: 5pm EST
The Place: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Place to Watch: NHLN, NESN Plus
Place to Listen: 98.5 The Sports Hub
Game Preview
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Preseason’s new format is enormously truncated; consisting of only two opponents stretched out over a week’s time thanks to the NHL adding two extra games to the regular season schedule. For Boston this year that means playing the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers. For tonight’s game, it would probably be more accurate to call what slouches into the TD Garden away locker room as the unholy amalgam of the Hershey Bears and Washington Capitals’ depth.
That’s going to be a harder fight than you might expect, as the H-Bears are perennial AHL Eastern Conference monsters. The Caps have been pretty good at getting promising depth pieces from their central Pennsylvanian club and have only continued to improve with young guns like Lyndon Lakovic and the other Protas, as well as Cole Hutson; Lane’s brother. There’s a lot of “jesus there’s MORE of them!?” on the Capitals depth chart at the moment.
Boston will more than likely be putting a pretty prospect heavy roster out on the ice tonight, and so it will be a major test for many of these young kids and in-betweeners to get consideration for potential call-ups in the future; as the NHL roster, at least from my perspective, seems entirely set in stone at the moment; with only defense being a potential place of ingress for a young hopeful.
If nothing else, it’ll be a good test after five days of camp, and maybe a good preview of what the P-B’s are gonna be like down in Rhode Island. And hey! It might be mostly minor league Bruins hockey, but it is Bruins hockey coming back!
So let’s see how all that offseason training did them! Let’s go B’s!
UNITED STATES - DECEMBER 03: Basketball: Portland Trail Blazers Bill Walton (32) in action vs Phoenix Suns, Phoenix, AZ 12/3/1976 (Photo by Hank Delespinasse/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X21024 TK2)
In the conversation about great NBA big men, Bill Walton sort of gets an asterisk. Everyone acknowledges his brilliance, but his fragile body, especially his feet, kept him from playing consistently.
Out of 1,148 possible games, Walton played in just 468, meaning that he missed 59.23 percent of those contests.
But when he was healthy, Walton was an astonishing basketball player.
He wasn’t an immense scorer. His best season scoring wise was 18.9 ppg. He was a very good rebounder, averaging 10.5 for his career. He was an excellent passer, too.
But mostly what made Walton great was his understanding that the team’s success was the most important thing, and he was passionate about winning. And it was never more evident than in his third season with the Portland Trail Blazers, when, in 1977, he won his first championship.
As you’ll see in this video, Walton was immensely dominant. He was quick and agile, and he blocked a lot of shots. In one play, you’ll see him do a spin move to bank in a shot well away from the basket.
The most dazzling aspect of his game, though, was his ability to rebound and fire off an outlet pass immediately. You’ll see a bunch of those here. Along with Bill Russell, Wes Unseld, and Kevin Love, Walton was one of the absolute masters of the outlet pass. He made them immediately, fearlessly, and with immense confidence.
And you should note this, too: aside from Maurice Lucas, the other starters were Dave Twardzik, Lionel Hollins, and Bob Gross. Most of you will never have heard of any of those guys.
With Walton as the driving force, that group coalesced into a superb unit. Philadelphia had tremendous talent, but Portland was far more cohesive.
That team was extraordinary and Walton was its driving force. Watch this and you’ll realize why people have to include him in conversations about the best centers of all time.
No other center has ever had a better combination of skills than Walton, and in the 1977 playoffs, we saw just how great he was.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 15: Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees hits a three-run home run against the Minnesota Twins during the sixth inning of the game at Target Field on September 15, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Post | Greg Joyce: The Yankees cannot afford any more additions to their M*A*S*H unit. Unfortunately, at least for Saturday, there is another. Spencer Jones, who’s been outstanding at the plate lately, was out of the starting lineup Saturday with a sore foot. For his part, Jones did not seem worried and attributed the soreness to playing in Arizona Friday after jamming his heel earlier in the week against the Twins. Here’s hoping he’s right.
Yahoo Sports | Tate Mosher: Headed into what was likely his penultimate regular season start of 2026, Cam Schlittler’s incredible campaign has the attention of people all over baseball. Cam’s been so sensational that he’s earned MVP chatter, an award that pitchers rarely hoist. The last to do it? Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. Earlier on Saturday, MLB’s official X account made sure everyone is tracking the similarities between the latter’s 2014 season and Cam’s 2026 campaign. Whether Schlittler can take home AL MVP or not, it’s been a heck of a ride. And you know you’ve had a brilliant season when you’re getting comped to Peak Kershaw.
MLB | Bryan Hoch: All Cam, all the time. The burgeoning ace has been so spectacular that it has become difficult for those closest to him to express just how good he has been. Through 31 starts, his 1.95 ERA trails only Ron Guidry’s 1.71 ERA in 1978. His 21 starts of one run or fewer are the most in franchise history. And in the past 11o years, only three pitchers his age or younger have matched him, including Babe Ruth in 1916.
CBSSports | Mike Axisa: Meanwhile, if you hadn’t heard, Aaron Judge is headed back to the IL, this time with a calf injury. In the aftermath of the Captain’s injury, Axisa takes a look at a few questions for Judge, and for the Yankees at large. For Judge, if he can return in time for a playoff run, how much has the injury set him back? Will he be able to find his timing at the dish? For the Yankees, if Judge is out or ineffective, where does that leave the offense against southpaws? It sure would be nice if Judge returns in good order and quickly finds his footing.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): Speaking of Judge’s calf injury, there’s a little bit of clarification on its nature, if not its severity or a timeline. The injury is in Judge’s inner, lower calf. That part of the calf is important for “sustained activities such as standing or walking uphill.” Judge has previously played through calf injuries. This time, however, it’s in a spot that makes doing so more difficult. So here we are, with the best hitter in the world back on the IL as the Yanks approach the postseason.
Drew Fortescue’s path to ice time with the Rangers has become complicated.
As a left-handed defenseman for an organization suddenly filled with them, it’ll be difficult for the top prospect — who received a nine-game taste of the NHL at the end of last season to burn the first year of his entry-level deal — to make the roster out of training camp.
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But that doesn’t mean the 21-year-old former Boston College star has dwelled on his complicated reality with the Rangers after the additions of veteran Marcus Pettersson via trade and rookie Alberts Smits via the first round of the draft. Nor has his belief about returning to the NHL wavered.
“That’s nothing that’s in my control,” Fortescue said after the Blueshirts’ training camp sessions Saturday, when asked about their additions. “All I can do is just work the hardest that I can and whoever’s here or whatnot, I think that I know that I’m good enough — and someday, if it’s not now or in the future, that I’ll be able to play here.”
Even while skating with Group B during the first three sessions, Fortescue reiterated that he’s here — at his first NHL training camp — to “show that I can be on this team.” He collected a pair of assists across his nine-game cameo at the end of 2025-26, capitalizing on the lost Blueshirts season to become one of the young pieces auditioning for future roles.
“You want to play at the highest level,” said Fortescue, who has been going back and forth between the hotel and his home in Pearl River during training camp. “It’s your dream as a kid, and kinda getting that little glimpse last year, that month I was there, it was pretty special.”
Drew Fortescue is looking to find a spot on the Rangers’ blue line. Jason Szenes for New York Post
The offseason arrived, and while Fortescue said he made strides in every area throughout the summer, the Rangers added pieces around him. AHL Hartford emerged as a likely destination to start the season. Injuries could expedite his return to the NHL at any point, but for now, it might take time for Fortescue to claw his way back to the Rangers.
Tye Kartye, the fourth-liner whom the Rangers claimed off waivers last season, scored two more goals during the intrasquad scrimmage Saturday, giving him three through the first three scrimmages.
Team Blue — the group that Kartye skated for — defeated Team White 4-1.
“He loves hockey,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of Kartye, adding that he’s an “easy guy to root for.” “Brings great energy to the rink. Just, he’s an enthusiastic learner. I think all those things are important. I think that stuff’s contagious inside the confines, and so, for me, you can’t have enough of those guys that love hockey, that love to be here, that want to play, that want to get better — and Tye’s all of those things.”
While the Rangers lines mostly remained unchanged, Matt Rempe got the first reps with the fourth line. … Matthew Robertson left the ice early in the Group A practice after getting hit in the face and returned with teeth seemingly knocked out. … Cole Beaudoin, who entered training camp day to day, wore a blue jersey and was a full participant in the scrimmage.
The Mets’ season has been miserable, but it has not been wasted.
Even amid the frustration and losses, there have been emergences like Carson Benge, whose rookie campaign has been excellent and, at least in the franchise record books, is now historic.
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The young outfielder collected three more hits (including a home run) in Saturday’s 10-3 victory over the Phillies at Citi Field, and he tipped his helmet to the 37,468 on hand after his third, which gave him the all-time record for hits by a Mets rookie.
The Mets recently said goodbye, again, to Pete Alonso, and now can say goodbye to his then-rookie record of 155 hits in 2019. Benge tallied his 156th in his 149th game and has another week to add to his total.
“To see all the guys who have come through here, all the greats … being able to hold that [record] is pretty special,” said Benge, who did not set the record dramatically but rather fittingly.
In the second inning, Benge drilled a home run off righty Andrew Painter, his 19th of the year, to tie Ike Davis (2010) and Ron Swoboda (1965) for fourth most by a Mets rookie.
In the seventh, Benge poked a single into right-center against lefty José Alvarado to tie Alonso.
And in the eighth, against righty Orion Kerkering, Benge turned a check swing into a swinging bunt that hugged the third base line, a big grin on his face as he reached first base for the record.
Carson Benge gets a dousing from a teammate after setting the Mets’ rookie record for hits in a season during their 10-3 blowout win over the Phillies on Sept. 19, 2026 at Citi Field. Jason Szenes for New York Post
This season, Benge — with his aptitude, a swing that has few holes, good speed and a cannon of an arm — has done some of everything to help the Mets.
“There’s just no clean way to get him out,” interim manager Andy Green said of Benge, who has proven himself against major league pitching of all kinds.
“When he sees one pitch in an at-bat,” said Christian Scott, who struck out seven and was charged with three runs in 4 ²/₃ innings, “he kind of learns from it.”
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Benge has learned plenty this season, which began with promise — having won a job in camp — and transitioned to disappointment. He was hitting .189 with a .525 OPS at the end of April.
Nearing the end of September, he is hitting .276 with a .759 OPS. The rookie struggled immediately and then not again, launching himself into the Mets record books and at least the NL Rookie of the Year conversation.
“It just proves I’m tough,” Benge said of his getting past his early struggles. “I won’t let things get me down too much.”
Further proof: He will not take jabs about the record-setting hit, which officially traveled 1 foot in the air.
How will Bournemouth and Liverpool fare today? Here is what to know, including kick-off time, TV channels and live stream options
Andoni Iraola will make his first return to Bournemouth since leaving the south-coast club for Liverpool. Four games into the new season, the Reds remain a work in progress.
Liverpool have won just one of their opening four league fixtures while Bournemouth are still searching for their first league victory under new manager Marco Rose. Both teams are struggling to build some early season momentum.
World No 9 returns to form in 6-3, 6-3 win against Kamil Majchrzak
Max Purcell and Rinky Hijikata click in doubles as Australia progress
Alex de Minaur has returned to form to seal Australia’s Davis Cup progression, with the hosts beating Poland 3-1 in Brisbane also thanks to some earlier doubles brilliance.
The world No 9 found top gear on Sunday at Pat Rafter Arena, beating Kamil Majchrzak 6-3, 6-3 to clinch a 3-1 result that sends Australia into the Cup’s penultimate round next year.
If the Rangers needed a reminder of what Sean Durzi can provide and how one of their newest defensemen can add needed offense, they only have to look back to a Jan. 5 game against the Mammoth.
Early in overtime, Durzi veered toward the right post after his pass was deflected, received the puck from Nick Schmaltz and deposited the puck past Jonathan Quick.
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He found the pocket of space during the 3-on-3 session, crashed toward the net and found a way to convert.
It marked one of Durzi’s five goals and 27 points last year — below his career-best seasons of 41 and 38 in 2023-24 and 2022-23, respectively, but still emblematic of his high floor — and captured some of the instincts he’ll bring to the Rangers after arriving as part of the return package in the Vincent Trocheck trade July 1.
He’s “gonna be able to eat minutes,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of the former second-round pick in 2018 who has averaged at least 19 minutes of ice time in all five of his seasons.
He’ll get a “long look” as one of the options to quarterback the second power-play unit, too, Sullivan said.
And after a summer that featured the Rangers overhauling their blue line, Durzi has embraced the expectations that accompany his expected top four responsibilities — likely on a pairing with Marcus Pettersson.
“I’ve played top four for the majority of my career,” Durzi told The Post after the Rangers training camp sessions and scrimmage in Tarrytown. “You want that pressure. You put it on yourself to perform, but most importantly, you gotta believe you can do it.”
Durzi is essentially the Rangers insurance policy with Fox.
Sean Durzi, who is now with the Rangers, skates up the ice during the Mammoth’s loss to the Hurricanes on April 11, 2026 in Salt Lake City. NHLI via Getty Images
With Fox limited to 55 games last year, the Blueshirts struggled to replace him on the top pairing alongside Vladislav Gavrikov.
New Ranger Sean Durzi NHLI via Getty Images
Braden Schneider, who received plenty of opportunities as the Fox replacement, was on the ice for a team-worst 63 goals at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick, and has skated on the third pairing of the Rangers’ NHL group in training camp.
Durzi, 27, could help with the transition if Fox misses time this season. Entering the first preseason game Monday night against the Devils, Durzi has skated exclusively with Pettersson — who the Blueshirts acquired from the Canucks and who played with Sullivan in Pittsburgh — and leaned on Pettersson while adjusting to Sullivan.
The Rangers coach, Durzi said, operates with “a lot of honesty.” He knows that Durzi wants to be pushed and feels like he has “more to give” in every area.
“I think he has good offensive instincts,” Sullivan said. “He can pass the puck. We knew that when we got him, and I think that was one of the things that attracted us to him. … I can tell in the first three days he’s a guy that’s gonna be able to eat minutes, and when you have defensemen that are capable of eating minutes, those are good guys to have.”
In addition to getting a chance to audition for the power-play role, Durzi could also help the Blueshirts penalty-kill unit, Sullivan said. He could help them with breakouts — something the Blueshirts struggled with last season. With his skating, Durzi could join the Blueshirts on the rush, too, Sullivan added.
The extent of Durzi’s role with the Rangers will settle into place across the upcoming days and weeks.
They haven’t worked on special teams yet through three sessions of training camp, but they’ll open their exhibition slate Monday night against the Devils.
Then, they’ll open the regular season Sept. 29 against the Bruins. Those nights will serve as hints of Durzi’s role in the present.
His offensive abilities, at least initially, have impressed Sullivan. With two years left on his contract, Durzi will have a chance to carve out a role into the future, too. Given his placement behind Fox on the depth chart and the relatively thin options behind him, his role for the Rangers could become even more vital.
But over the last couple nights, Plan B has looked pretty good too.
Whenever Ohtani returns from the injured list, the two-way star will likely reprise his customary role as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter –– one he has held since halfway through his debut 2024 season with the team.
Likely, however, was as far as manager Dave Roberts was willing to describe it on Saturday.
Mookie Betts hits a first-inning double during the Dodgers’ 10-4 blowout win over the Giants on Sept. 20, 2026 in Los Angeles. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Because in Ohtani’s absence, Mookie Betts has made a case to spearhead the team’s order, too.
Over the last week, a red-hot Betts has served as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter three times. In each of those contests, he delivered a vintage performance.
There was a 2-for-4 display with an RBI and a double in Miami last week.
A 3-for-4 outburst with two home runs (including one to lead off the game) against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.
Then, a 4-for-4, three-double, two-RBI, one-walk masterpiece in another 10-4 rout of the Giants on Saturday, a victory that lowered the Dodgers’ magic number to clinch a first-round playoff bye down to four with eight days remaining in the season.
“I just think he’s physically in a better spot than he has been,” Roberts said after Saturday’s outburst, which pushed Betts’ season average up to .261 and OPS to .785. “The ball’s coming off the right way.”
Of course, Betts has been crushing the ball regardless of where he’s been in the order lately. Since Aug. 5, he is batting .336 in 39 games with nine home runs, 12 doubles, 31 RBIs and a 1.008 OPS.
It has marked the former MVP’s best extended stretch since early in the 2024 season. It has been a reminder that there’s still plenty of life left in his previously slumping bat.
Mookie Betts gestures with a safe call after being called out by home plate umpire John Tumpane while trying to score on a single by Will Smith before the call was overturned during the sixth inning of the Dodgers’ blowout win over the Giants. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
“I know I’m still capable of it,” the 33-year-old Betts said. “I know it was in there somewhere.”
Added Roberts: “It just doesn’t matter where you hit him, who he’s facing, [what’s] the situation –– he’s taking good at-bats.”
Betts’ impact at the top of the lineup specifically, however, has been impossible to ignore over the last week; especially when juxtaposed with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Ohtani, who is expected back next week from right arm and left knee injuries but still doesn’t figure to be 100% physically.
That’s why, after writing Betts’ name in at the leadoff spot for a second-straight day Saturday, Roberts was asked if it’s still a certainty that Ohtani will remain in the leadoff spot upon his return.
Shohei Ohtani, who did not play, works out on the field before the Dodgers’ blowout win over the Giants. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Yeah, I mean, I think that’s my first kind of thought,” Roberts said. “But until he gets back, or when he gets back, then I’ll kind of potentially read and react.”
Roberts also cited other factors like trying to match up against either right- or left-handed pitching, leaving the door open to some game-by-game tinkering in October.
“I haven’t really thought too much about it [yet],” he insisted.
Mookie Betts is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after scoring on a double by Kyle Tucker during the first inning of the Dodgers’ blowout win over the Giants. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
The way Betts is going, though, it might soon become a critical lineup-construction decision.
Run the risk with a potentially diminished but ever-dangerous Ohtani? Or give the most at-bats as possible to the team’s hottest current hitter?
Granted, Betts hasn’t pushed to take over the leadoff spot, saying Friday that “I’ll hit wherever” and “there’s a guy that’s named Shohei that needs to be up there and to get us going.”
But if the Dodgers need to pivot among Ohtani’s ongoing ailments, he is quickly emerging as their best fallback option –– especially with their initial leadoff replacement, the switch-hitting Tommy Edman, mired in a brutal 2-for-39 slump.
Mookie Betts rips an RBI single scoring Josue De Paula during the second inning of the Dodgers’ win over the Giants. Getty Images
“Going back up there, it is fun,” Betts acknowledged, having played almost 1,100 career games as a leadoff hitter over his 13-year career. “Kind of feels like home.”
“You do got to kind of prepare for whatever,” Roberts added, “and I just think that Mookie’s swinging the bat well, has hit there many times throughout his career, so it just kind of makes sense.”
For now, the Dodgers’ bigger priority will be making sure Betts keeps swinging the bat well, whether that’s in the No. 1 spot or somewhere else in the heart of the order.
“It’s good. It’s fun. But the main thing is doing it when it counts,” Betts said of his recent success. “Right now, just keep laying the foundation, and then when playoffs come, just need it to show up.”
Still, given how things are trending at the moment, it might not be a surprise if the Dodgers’ first at-bat of the playoffs belonged to their streaking shortstop.
“I couldn’t tell you that I saw this [coming],” Roberts conceded. “But he’s got stronger. He’s worked hard on that … And just for it to come together has been great.”
PHOENIX — It was more than an hour since New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler threw a pitch Saturday evening, and he was still upset with himself.
He had another strong performance in the Yankees’ 5-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, one that just about every starter in baseball would take − but they’re not Schlittler.
They’re not demanding perfection.
They’re not having one of the greatest seasons in baseball history.
So, when you give up just three hits and one earned run in six innings, it’s not good enough.
Not when you’re cruising to the Cy Young award with a 14-6 record and 1.94 ERA, yielding no more than one earned run in 22 of 32 starts, the best mark in Yankees history.
The 24-year-old has looked like Bob Gibson on the road, yielding an insane 1.16 ERA, the third-lowest in MLB history in a pitcher’s first 17 road starts. The only pitchers with a lower road ERA are Gibson in 1968 and Claude Hendrix in 1914.
Still, Schlittler didn’t care about any of that. All he knows is that the Yankees lost on Pavin Smith’s pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth inning, and he blamed himself.
He was livid that he couldn’t field a bunt in the fifth inning by Tim Tawa, and paid the price by giving up a two-run triple to Jordan Lawlar, with both runs unearned, coughing up a 2-1 lead. And after the Yankees took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth, he ran into control problems, throwing eight consecutive balls, and gave the lead right back, 3-3.
His night was over after six innings.
And, for the first time since Aug. 3, he gave up more than one run in a game, even though two of the runs were unearned.
“I mean, I wouldn’t say I really gave them a chance,’’ Schlittler said. “That one’s kind of on me, so I’ll take the blame for that. Made an error there, let up two runs.
“I mean, that’s baseball, but yeah, that one’s on me.’’
The loss all but mathematically eliminates the Yankees’ hopes of catching the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL East lead, even with a four-game series scheduled next week at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees (89-65) are five games back with just seven games remaining, with the Rays’ magic number dropping to 4.
“I mean, there’s still a chance,’’ Schlittler said, “but we got to play our (butts) off a little bit.’’
The reality is that the Yankees would have to sweep the Rays, needing to win all four games to win the tiebreaker, and still would need help.
“Mathematically, probably pretty tough,’’ Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger said, “but you never know. … I mean, they’re playing tremendous baseball so it’s tough to climb up in the standings if they keep winning, right?
“So, mathematically, pretty tough, but got to keep on rolling.’’
The Yankees realize winning the AL East certainly has an inherent advantage with a first-round bye, which would give slugger Aaron Judge four more recovery days. But if they’re going to win their first World Series since 2009, they’re going to have to do it the hard way.
“The goal is obviously to win the division, rest your guys, get those extra off-days,’’ Bellinger said. “But ultimately, the World Series champion has come out of the wild card, so keep on fighting for the division, and we got to keep on rolling.’’
While the Yankees know it’s unrealistic to believe they can still win the division, they can at least start thinking about setting up their rotation for the postseason.
They can have Schlittler make one more start, perhaps even limit his innings, making sure he’s plenty rested, knowing that if they’re going to be playing deep into October, they’ll need to jump on his shoulders. He’ll be starting Game 1 of the postseason for them, being only the ninth pitcher in the 21st century to complete a season with a sub-2.00 ERA.
The Cy Young award belongs to him.
But he wants a World Series ring to go along with that hardware.
“The expectation is to make the playoffs,’’ Schlittler says, “and the expectation is to win a championship. That’s what I care about.’’
The Yankees know he’s special, putting on the greatest season by a Yankees pitcher since Ron Guidry in 1978, and know that when he takes the mound in October, he fully expects to win.
“He's a healthy combination between mature and immature,’’ Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I say that affectionately because look, he's really confident (in) what he does, which is a critical component to playing this game at this level. But he also doesn't take himself too seriously.
“I think he has a really good way of not being overwhelmed by really good results, which obviously he's had a lot of. Or even the moments and times where he struggled, he processes it real well, kind of matter-of-fact, and moves on.’’
The reality now is that the Yankees will be a wild-card team, and will host the Boston Red Sox in a best-of-three series at Yankee Stadium.
They also will have the greatest pitcher in the American League at their disposal.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 17: Wade Meckler #53 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off single in the 10th inning against the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 17, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Twins made their remaining loyal contingent suffer through a blown lead and another loss in extra frames, as the Angels took the third game of the series.
Walker Jenkins continued his tear, leading off the third inning with a single. This would enable Luke Keaschall to bring him home on a one-out double; Keaschall would then swipe third base (19), in turn enabling him to cross home plate when Austin Martin grounded out to short.
That 2-0 Twins lead was expanded a bit in the next inning, with Victor Caratini bringing home Brooks Lee with a two-out knock, after Lee had doubled his way onto second base.
The Angels would do their part to make sure most of tonight’s runs were clustered within the middle innings. Joe Ryan, who had kept Los Angeles off the board for the first three frames, coughed up a two-run homer to Jose Siri that brought the Halos to within a run. But noted “noted power hitter” Ryan Kreidler bopped his eighth bopper of the season to snatch the two-run lead right back to lead off the fifth.
Angel starter Reid Detmers and Twins arm Joe Ryan both went five innings, with Ryan giving up two runs on seven hits while Detmers allowed four runs on six hits; both struck out five, and Ryan’s was the only free pass allowed between either starter.
Caratini added another RBI single for an insurance run in the eighth, a decision that revealed itself as quite useful after Yoendrys Gomez let in a pair on a two-run Adam Frazier double in the home eighth, bringing the Angels to within a run. In a titanic battle, Kody Funderburk induced a Mike Trout GIDP to clean up two of Gomez’s inherited runners, and A.J. Minter was tasked with the ninth.
This did not work out! (A dream ballet ensues, which communicates to the reader that Minter served up a game-tying homer to Vaughn Grissom, knotting the score at 5-5 with one out in the ninth inning.)
So, we snap back to reality with another extra-inning game at Angel Stadium. In the top of the tenth, Brooks Lee moved ghost runner Ben Ross over to third on a first-pitch sacrifice fly. Then, after a sequence that nearly saw two Twins beaned by pitched and fouled balls, Royce Lewis flew into a twin killing, as an up-the-line throw from right fielder Josh Lowe was sent home on a ball shallow enough to still get Ross trying to score from third.
Lowe would lead off the home tenth in one of those quintessential baseball situations, but managed to strike out on a bunt foul off fellow lefty Taylor Rogers, now the sixth Twin reliever in the game. But after some intentional walk and pinch-hitting shuffling, a double steal put the winning run at third and brought Derek Shelton’s infield in.
Thankfully, Taylor Rogers remembered what a great closer he used to be, and struck out two straight Angels to usher the game into its 11th inning, as the clock struck midnight back home in Minnesota. Unthankfully, a word spawned by the constraints of after-midnight blog recap writing, the Twins could not get Royce Lewis’ ghost runner to cross home, and handed the Angels another chance to walk it off.
Shelton clearly read my Mike Trout walk-off comment from the preview, and he handed Trout first base to start the home 11th. Wade Meckler committed one of those Manfred-era cardinal sins, flying out on the first pitch he saw and failing to advance either of Los Angeles’ free runners, but Rogers would hit Grissom to load the bases with one out and move the winning run to third anyway.
With the bases loaded and one out, Jenkins moved in from center to help form a five-man infield. Rogers got another big-money strikeout, then fell victim to Lady Luck; a first-pitch sharp grounder from Christian Moore doinked off Rogers’ body and dripped away into no-man’s-land, bringing the winning run across before anyone had a chance to reach it.
So, the Twins give away a late 5-2 lead to the Angels, leading to the second walk-off loss to the Halos in three days (or four, if you’re counting from somewhere in the country that does not reside on the west coast.) The best Minnesota can do is even the series, and due to tiebreakers, the Chicago White Sox can officially eliminate both the Detroit Tigers and the Twins with a single win tomorrow. Joy!
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 19: Pavin Smith #26 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk off home run against the New York Yankees during ninth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on September 19, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Brandon Pfaadt was taking the mound for the Diamondbacks in the second game of this increasingly crucial series against the New York Yankees. He and the Snakes were going up against Cam Schlittler, the presumptive American League Cy Young Award winner for this season. We got utterly hosed last night by the Yankees last night, after dropping two of three to the Marlins, while the damned Padres just keep on winning. I’d forgive you if you didn’t have us winning this one on your bingo card tonight, because I certainly didn’t. If you were to claim, though, that not only did you have us winning, but you had us winning on a Pavin Smith pinch-hit walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth? You would be lying. Pure and simple.
And yet, happily and hilariously, here we are!
The game started late, due to a truly lovely celebration on the field of the 25th anniversary of the Diamondbacks’ World Series victory over the New York Yankees, who happened to be our opponents tonight. A ton of players from the 2001 club attended and appeared on the field. Bob Brenly came down from the broadcast booth to throw out the first pitch, which he bounced to 2001 Diamondbacks catcher Damian Miller, who in a cool side note was reunited with one of his old catcher’s mitts from back in the day, that some equipment guy had found in a box somewhere. It was pretty cool, all of it. There was some hope, at least in the early remarks in the Gameday Thread, that the invocation and evocation of the 2001 team would inspire their 2026 counterparts to rise to the occasion tonight.
It didn’t look great in terms of that in the early going. Schlittler was tough, no-hitting us through four frames with his only blemish being a four-pitch walk to Corbin Carroll in the bottom of the second that led to nothing. Brandon Pfaadt, meanwhile, matched him through his first two innings of work before getting a little wobbly in the third with a one-out walk and a subsequent single that seemed like they might be harbingers of another One Big Inning, though thankfully he managed to settle down and put up a zero.
Brandon retired the side in order in the fourth, but opened the fifth with back-to-back singles, a really good bunt that catcher Gabriel Moreno made a fantastic play on to cut down the lead runner at third, and then a third single to load the bases. Somewhat surprisingly, manager Torey Lovullo decided that he’d seen enough, and pulled Pfaadt at that point, and it was likely very good that he did. Justin Martinez relieved him, and quickly recorded the final two outs on fly balls to left, the first of which allowed the runner on third to tag and score. But it could have been a whole lot worse. 1-0 New York
Unlike what we’ve seen a lot of recently, the Diamondbacks actually answered right back in the bottom of the fifth. Nolan Arenado broke up Schlittler’s no-hitter by lining a one-out single to left. Tim Tawa tried to bunt Arenado to second, but wound up on first base thanks to Schlittler booting it for an error. That brought Jordan Lawlar to the plate, who promptly lined a triple into the alley in left-center:
That scored Arenado and Tawa, to give us a lead! 2-1 DBACKS
The lead, sadly, turned out to be short-lived, as Kevin Ginkel took the mound for the top of the sixth and further cemented his status as the weak link in the Diamondbacks’ September “A” bullpen. He got the first out easily, but then gave up a solo shot to Heliot Ramos. He then got the second out, and then gave up a solo shot to Austin Wells. So that was no bueno. 3-2 New York
Apparently, however, we had decided we weren’t going to go gentle into that good night this evening, which was nice to see. Schlittler helped out, walking Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno on eight pitches total to start the bottom of the sixth. Geraldo Perdomo laid down a bunt on the left side of the infield that he managed to beat out for a single to load the bases with nobody out. Corbin Carroll then hit a sacrifice fly to deep left that allowed Marte to score and the other runners to advance. Moreno and Perdomo were left standing on second and third, sadly, as Arenado and Tawa each struck out, but at least we weren’t trailing anymore. 3-3 TIE
And then it was fully onto the bullpen for both teams. Brandyn Garcia pitched a scoreless seventh for us, and recorded two outs in the eighth before giving way to Juan Morillo, who recorded the final out and then pitched a scoreless top of the ninth. The Yankees, meanwhile, trotted out a succession of bullpen arms who all apparently have ERAs below 2.00, which was annoying. Despite that, we got a leadoff single from pinch-hitter Ildemaro Vargas to lead off the seventh (but he was stranded), and a leadoff single from Gabi and a two-out single from Arenado in the eighth (but both of them were left stranded).
Which brings us to the bottom of the ninth. Vargas, taking his second plate appearance, drew an eight-pitch walk off Michael Fulmer. Jordan Lawlar then struck out swinging. That brought Pavin Smith to the plate, pinch-hitting for Jose Fernandez, who’d come on to pinch-hit for Lars Nootbaar in the seventh. And here’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, that we’ve all been waiting for, even if we didn’t know it until the moment it happened:
Maybe there was a little bit of Luis Gonzalez 2001 magic that Pavin soaked up during the pregame celebration? Could be. Who knows? Whatever works! 3-2 DBACKS FINAL
Given how things have been going lately, especially on Saturdays and especially given that an increasing number of “Turn out the lights” type posts have been cropping up on the Feed, I would say that tonight’s Gameday Thread was pretty well-attended, with 195 comments at time of writing. By popular acclaim Comment of the Game goes to Trappkory, for this possibly broken-clock pronouncement which I can nevertheless confirm was posted just before the big moment in the bottom of the ninth:
As I noted in the thread, you called it! Well done!
And once again, we head into Sunday looking for a win to take the series. An increasingly recovered Corbin Burnes goes for us, Will Warren goes for the Yankees, first pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm AZ time. It’s the last home game of the regular season, and TheRealRamona has the guest recap, so I hope you can join us as we once more try to stave off elimination and chart a path to a postseason berth!
The Padres and Cubs won today, but the Phillies lost, and given the odd fact that the day started with all three current NL wild card teams tied, it means that we didn’t lose any ground, and we in fact gained a game on one of those teams! Remember, you don’t need to outrun the cheetah, you just need to outrun at least one other person who is fleeing from the cheetah. And oddly enough, in a weird sort of way, we are now the cheetah. So go cats! And Snakes!
As always, thanks so much for reading, and as always, go Diamondbacks!
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 19: Cleveland Guardians left fielder Angel Martinez (1) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Athletics and Cleveland Guardians on September 19, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was a beautiful offensive performance from the Guardians today. The bats appear to be heating up at the right time. The Guardians scored 12 runs on 15 hits and 3 home runs. Angel Martinez went 4-5 with two home runs and is up to a .255 AVG with an OPS of .759 on the season. Chase DeLauter went 2-5 with a HR and is now hitting .290 with an .821 OPS. We also saw multi hit performances from Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez, and Jo Adell. If the Guardians lineup can stay hot, they should have no problem making the playoffs.
Nobody is happier about the offensive performance tonight than Tanner Bibee, who really struggled in a must win game. He was only able to go 4.2 innings and surrendered 6 runs on 12 hits with only two strikeouts. His ERA on the season is up to 4.35. I had previously felt confident in Bibee starting a potential playoff game, but now I’m really starting to feel uneasy about it.
The Guardians will go for the sweep tomorrow. It will be Gavin Williams vs Jack Perkins at 1:40 pm ET. This is another must win game for the Guardians as the White Sox are just one game back of the division.
