Andrei Kuzmenko joined the Pittsburgh Penguins this summer.Photograph: Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko has stepped away from the team after his father, Alexander Kuzmenko, was killed in a bear attack in Siberia this week.
REN TV was the first to report the death of the 62-year-old, who was a well-known hockey coach in Russia.
Kuzmenko was with a group on a fishing trip on Tuesday in Tuva, a landlocked region in Siberia near Russia’s southern border with Mongolia, according to REN TV’s reports. The group encountered a bear that attacked Kuzmenko.
Ambulances were reportedly delayed in reaching the group because they were in a densely forested area along the Krasnaya River. REN TV said the group traveled down the river for four hours before an ambulance could locate them. Kuzmenko was airlifted to a hospital with severe facial injuries before he was pronounced dead on Wednesday.
“The Pittsburgh Penguins organization was deeply saddened this morning to learn of the passing of Andrei Kuzmenko’s father, Alexander,” team president and general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement on Thursday. “Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the Kuzmenko family and their loved ones as they grieve the loss of Alexander. We ask that the privacy of Andrei and the Kuzmenko family be respected at this time.
“Andrei chose to be surrounded by his teammates and practice with the team this morning before returning to Moscow to be with his family this afternoon. Andrei and the Kuzmenko family have the full support of the Penguins organization during this time.”
REN TV reported that the forested area where the group went had previously been restricted because of bear activity. The outlet said at least 15 people have been killed in bear attacks across Russia this year.
Andrei Kuzmenko, 30, signed for the Penguins in July. After breaking out with CSKA Moscow and SKA Saint Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League, he made his NHL debut in 2022 with the Vancouver Canucks. He also had stints with the Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings before joining Pittsburgh. He has 85 goals and 97 assists in 271 NHL appearances.
After Andrei Kuzmenko left the Canucks in 2023, his father, mother Galina, sister Victoria and a childhood friend wrote a letter to the city’s fans thanking them for their “warm hospitality towards our son” and “for helping him grow professionally”.
Lorentz, 30, has played two seasons with the Maple Leafs since joining the club as a free agent for the 2024-25 season.
Last season, the left winger scored seven goals and 18 points in 71 games and averaged a career-high 11:52 of ice time per game.
Lorentz was strong for Toronto's fourth line when he first joined the team and didn't have a solidified spot on the roster. Since his first year, he has signed a three-year contract with the team at a $1.35-million salary cap hit.
What could be the reasoning behind this decision?
The Kitchener, Ont., native has been a one-dimensional player to some degree. He's a viable option for the penalty kill, but aside from that, he doesn't utilize his 6-foot-4 frame as he could and has only scored 10 goals in one NHL campaign on one occasion (2022-23 with the San Jose Sharks).
So while his style of game couldn't excel in some ways, the Maple Leafs might've found someone to fill his place on the fourth line, and that's right winger Zack MacEwen.
MacEwen, featuring in the NHL-heavy lineup on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena, made his presence felt in different ways. The 30-year-old continued to play his physical style of game - getting into a scuffle at the tail end of the contest - playing hard on the forecheck and along the boards, while also contributing on the scoresheet
"Well, we like the physicality," Hiller said. "I mean, I know he scored last night, but I think what was equally or probably more, important to us was, you know, there was some stuff going on, and he was able to get in there fairly quickly and do his job."
Lorentz hasn't featured in the AHL since 2019-20, as a member of the Charlotte Checkers in the Florida Panthers organization.
If he were to be claimed by another NHL team within the next 24 hours, that would get the organization under the maximum number of standard contracts in the organization. Going into training camp, Toronto didn't have a free spot, with 50/50 standard contracts in the organization.
That would allow Toronto to keep defenseman Nick Blankenburg, who has joined the team this training camp on a PTO. He requires a standard contract to join the team officially for the regular season.
If he's not claimed, most of Lorentz's cap hit will come off the books, leaving a remaining $125,000 on the Maple Leafs' payroll.
Paul, 31, only played 4:42 of ice time in Wednesday's pre-season game against the Ottawa Senators at home. Head coach Jim Hiller didn't have an update following that game, but said he'd have more on Thursday after practice.
Here's what he said of Paul on Thursday.
"I'll just say it like this. Obviously, he didn't skate today," Hiller said. "That's nothing I think that we're overly concerned about. But we have to take it day by day. That's what I would leave it with."
He added that he can't say with certainty that he'll be available for the season opener on Tuesday. He, as well as Dakota Joshua, who skated with the Leafs today, will be travelling to Arizona for the team trip.
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The father of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko has died in a bear attack in Russia.
Ren TV reported that Alexander Kuzmenko, a hockey coach, was mauled Sept. 23 in the Tuva region. A bear reportedly came out of the woods quickly and bit Kuzmenko. His companions were able to free him from the animal, but attempts to treat him failed.
“The Pittsburgh Penguins organization was deeply saddened, this morning, to learn of the passing of Andrei Kuzmenko’s father, Alexander,” Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said in a statement Thursday. “Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the Kuzmenko family and their loved ones as they grieve the loss of Alexander. We ask that the privacy of Andrei and the Kuzmenko family be respected at this time.
“Andrei chose to be surrounded by his teammates and practice with the team this morning before returning to Moscow to be with his family this afternoon. Andrei and the Kuzmenko family have the full support of the Penguins organization during this time.”
Bear attacks in this area of the country have surged in 2026. According to Ren TV, 15 people have been attacked across four provinces, with experts blaming a poor harvest of berries and pine nuts.
Andrei Kuzmenko signed a one-year deal with the Penguins on July 1 and had just reported to Pittsburgh for training camp. The 30-year-old has 85 goals and 97 assists across four NHL seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers.
Pittsburgh opens its season Sept. 30 against the Flyers.
‘I want to try and win every single race. That’s my goal’
Briton quickest in practice for Azerbaijan Grand Prix
George Russell has insisted he will keep fighting for the Formula One world championship until it is mathematically gone but while he made an encouraging start to his efforts by going quickest in practice for this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix the makeup of said numbers remains somewhat in limbo.
Russell is 81 points behind his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli going into the race in Baku which is taking place on Saturday to avoid clashing with Azerbaijan’s national remembrance day. The Italian has eight victories this season including the past two in a row, coming through to win from 19th on the grid in Monza and then taking the flag in Madrid.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park on September 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With four games left in the regular season, it is still impossible to predict where the Phillies are going to play in the opening round of the postseason next week.
Yes, this is assuming the Phils don’t blow a 3-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks with four to play, but I’m willing to take that risk.
Things got even murkier on Wednesday night.
The Phillies fell 4-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers after going 0-12 with runners in scoring position.
The Miami Marlins edged the Cubs 3-2, their second win over Chicago in as many nights.
The San Diego Padres handled the Dodgers in L.A., 5-1.
Suddenly, the Padres now sit atop the wild card standings at 88-70, holding a one-game lead on the Cubs and Phillies, both of whom are 87-71.
San Diego is going to enter the playoffs as the hottest team in baseball, 15-5 in September, and 32-16 since the start of August, the best mark in baseball (the Phillies are 30-18, by the way, 4th-best). If the season ended today, the Padres would host the Cubs in the wild card round, with the Phillies heading to Atlanta.
However, the Padres would need to finish with the best record, as they would lose the tie-breaker to both the Cubs and the Phillies. They went 1-5 against Chicago and 0-6 against Philadelphia. The Cubs went 6-1 against the Phils and hold that tie-breaker.
The ideal scenario for the Phillies would be for them to finish as the top wild card team and the No. 4 seed, with the Padres slotting in as the 5-seed and Chicago landing at 6. In that situation, the Phils would welcome the Padres to Citizens Bank Park, and that is a realistic scenario given what’s coming this weekend.
On Thursday, the Phils will wrap up their series against the Brewers, who will be throwing a bullpen game as they ready themselves for the postseason. The Padres finish their series against the Dodgers and the Cubs play one more against the feisty Marlins.
This weekend, the Cubs could be in real trouble. With nasty weather anticipated up in Boston, MLB is scheduling a day-night doubleheader between Chicago and the Red Sox on Friday and a single game on Saturday, understanding that one, or multiple, of those games might have to be made up. That kind of disruption could be difficult for the Cubs, even going up against a Red Sox team that is locked in as the AL’s second wild card.
The Padres, meanwhile, are hosting a Diamondbacks team that may or may not still have an outside shot at a playoff berth. San Diego should be able to handle Arizona at home, and may have the clearest path to the NL’s top wild card spot now.
As for the Phils, it remains to be seen how the Rays are going to play things this weekend at Citizens Bank Park. They have the American League’s No. 1 seed locked up, so these games are meaningless to them. They are unlikely to pitch their top starters for more than a couple innings, and their regulars will likely get some rest. That said, Tampa is still a very good, and deep, team, capable of handling the Phils even with some of their regulars out of the lineup.
There is a realistic path to the Phillies earning the top wild card spot and hosting either the Cubs or the Padres. There’s just as likely a chance they’ll finish as the second wild card and travel to Chicago or San Diego for the best-of-three series, and also as likely a chance they are the NL’s final wild card and head to Atlanta for a series against the Braves.
Obviously, a first round match-up with the Padres would be the ideal scenario. The Phillies have owned them over the last few years. A trip to Wrigley would, for the sake of spectacle, be terrific. Despite both teams having existed for more than 100 years, the Phils and Cubs have never squared off in the postseason.
A trip to Atlanta would be ick.
There’s an argument to be made that starting the playoffs on the road, as an underdog and away from the crushing expectations of the fanbase, might be the best thing for this group. They could sell themselves as the upstarts, the same way they did in 2022 against the Cardinals in St. Louis, rather than “the favorite,” expected to win.
Fans should continue to hope for a home wild card series, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they started the postseason away from home.
On the latest Hittin’ Season podcast, I discussed all the scenarios with Mike Robertson of FranzkeLA, so make sure to check it out!
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels looks stands in the dugout during the eighth inning of the Los Angeles Angels and Athletics game at Sutter Health Park on September 22, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Technically, there’s a miniscule chance the Mariners could sneak into the playoffs. They’d need to win out and both the Rangers and Astros would have to lose out. That would give all three teams a 78-84 record and Seattle would take the division via a three-way tiebreaker. FanGraphs thinks the chances of that happening are … 0.0%. Really, this weekend is all about sending off Rick Rizzs into retirement. (If you’re watching these final four games on Mariners.TV or MLB.TV, make sure you’re switching your audio feed to the radio broadcast!) We never got a chance to say goodbye to Dave — he was here one season and then he was gone the next — so cherish this opportunity to say thank you and godspeed to Rick. The sound of our summer will be different next year.
What can I say about the Angels that John didn’t already say last week when the Mariners faced them in Anaheim? This organization is in a weird spot right now. They’re on the verge of losing 100 games for the first time in franchise history but the team also just got out from under former owner Arte Moreno. This is the worst the team has ever played, yet it might be the most optimistic the fan base has been in a long, long time.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Zach Neto
SS
R
684
30.6%
9.5%
0.194
114
Mike Trout
DH
R
619
26.0%
16.6%
0.183
132
Wade Meckler
LF
L
321
18.7%
9.7%
0.081
117
Vaughn Grissom
1B
R
455
18.2%
6.6%
0.151
99
Moisés Ballesteros
C
L
339
22.7%
8.3%
0.121
75
Denzer Guzman
3B
R
290
25.5%
5.5%
0.122
71
Josh Lowe
RF
L
331
30.2%
7.6%
0.153
76
Jose Siri
CF
R
244
32.4%
6.1%
0.167
91
Christian Moore
2B
R
131
34.4%
6.1%
0.066
31
From a previous series preview:
Anaheim has a couple familiar faces up top in Zach Neto and Mike Trout, but not many. They’ve taken the back half of the year to wisely audition several young players, finding some promise in folks like Wade Meckler but still waiting on more elsewhere. Moises Ballesteros was a highly regarded prospect with the Cubs but has not found his swing yet since coming over in return for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. There’s a few post-hype hopes here as well in Josh Lowe and Jose Siri, but hope has been their predominant currency.
At one point a few years ago, Grayson Rodriguez was considered the best pitching prospect in baseball. Unfortunately, a variety of injuries have prevented him from making good on those lofty expectations. He was traded from Baltimore to the Angels this past offseason — straight up for Taylor Ward — and returned from a major shoulder injury in May. He definitely hasn’t looked as sharp in his first major league action since 2024, though he’s slowly improved as the season has gone on. The good news is that his fastball velocity is still intact, but his command has really slipped and he’s just not generating as many swings and misses with his secondary pitches this year.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Reid Detmers
179
28.4%
6.4%
9.5%
37.8%
3.47
3.05
Bryce Miller
112.2
24.4%
7.8%
14.6%
37.9%
3.99
4.43
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
45.8%
44.9%
94.1
102
95
102
0.314
Sinker
0.5%
2.5%
93.5
Changeup
12.3%
0.9%
83.8
101
123
112
0.294
Curveball
12.0%
8.6%
72.3
101
117
110
0.307
Slider
29.5%
43.2%
86.0
110
109
97
0.218
From a previous series preview:
Reid Detmers has thrived in his return to the rotation this year, accumulating a career-high 4.4 fWAR with career-best marks in ERA and FIP. His strikeout rate is right in line with his career norms but the big reason he’s taken a big step forward is because he’s cut his walk rate by nearly three points and has dramatically reduced the amount of hard contact he has allowed.
The Mariners managed to score three runs off Detmers last week and he struggled in his next outing against the Twins over the weekend.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Ryan Johnson
95
18.5%
9.5%
13.0%
34.1%
4.93
5.38
Kade Anderson
32.1
21.4%
6.1%
11.1%
38.3%
4.18
3.72
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Sinker
21.7%
15.3%
92.4
81
17
73
0.515
Cutter
37.0%
38.8%
89.7
104
102
88
0.317
Splitter
8.1%
29.3%
84.6
74
93
146
0.253
Sweeper
33.2%
16.7%
80.9
107
90
80
0.279
From a previous series preview:
Ryan Johnson is a perfect encapsulation of everything wrong with the Angels current player development philosophy. He was drafted in the second round in 2024 after dominating in college ball at Dallas Baptist. He made the Opening Day roster in 2025 as a reliever, skipping the minor leagues entirely. After a month and a half and a 7.36 ERA, the Angels pulled the plug and sent him to High-A to continue his development as a starter. He made 12 starts in the minors and looked really good. Fast forward a year and Johnson had a solid, but not outstanding, spring training and Los Angeles opted to start the season with Johnson on the big league roster again. After allowing six runs in his first start of the year, the Angels sent him back to the minors for a few months before recalling him for good in mid June. It’s really too bad because Johnson has a really intriguing profile, and obviously has some raw talent, but the games the Angels have played with his development pathway have really hurt his ability to grow.
Johnson held the Mariners to just a single run in six innings last week, striking out seven against zero walks.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Yusei Kikuchi
62.2
21.3%
10.3%
10.1%
40.8%
4.88
4.12
Logan Gilbert
182
26.7%
6.5%
14.3%
38.0%
3.81
3.91
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
41.1%
42.0%
95.5
99
88
115
0.304
Cutter
6.0%
5.7%
90.2
76
Splitter
20.7%
7.1%
86.6
107
91
66
0.344
Curveball
10.4%
9.9%
79.4
97
76
168
0.301
Slider
21.7%
35.3%
87.4
93
78
122
0.356
From a previous series preview:
Yusei Kikuchi missed nearly four months of the season with a shoulder injury. He returned to the majors towards the end of August and resumed his brand of effectively wild pitching. After a slight dip in velocity last year, his heater is back to averaging close to 96 mph. It’s the eighth hardest four-seamer from the left side among all starting pitchers this year. He continues to mix in a hard slider and a curveball as his primary secondary pitches, but he’s replaced his changeup with a true splitter and added a cutter this season. The split has been an excellent pitch but the cutter has been hit pretty hard.
Kikuchi did not have his best stuff against the Mariners last week. He allowed five runs on five hits and five walks in just 4.1 innings.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Astros
78-80
0.494
—
-53
L-L-L-W-L
Rangers
78-80
0.494
—
-42
W-W-L-L-L
Mariners
74-84
0.468
4.0
-62
W-L-W-L-W
Athletics
63-95
0.399
15.0
-217
L-L-L-W-W
Angels
60-98
0.380
18.0
-93
L-W-L-L-L
Like I said above, the Mariners can sneak into the postseason if they win out and the Astros and Rangers both lose out. That means we’re rooting for the A’s against Houston and the Twins against Texas.
With a major storm system on track to hit New England on Sunday, the Cubs' regular-season finale in Boston that day has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on Friday.
"They never move games up and especially within a five-day window of a starting rotation," Counsell told reporters on Wednesday, Sept. 23. "So we can't have somebody ready to pitch on Saturday. They just moved games up on us. I understand there's extenuating circumstances, but you just don't see that happening."
After the regular season concludes, there's a rest day on Monday before the start of the wild card playoffs.
MLB could conceivably move a rained out game on Sunday to the off day, but that would leave the Red Sox and Cubs very little time to travel to and get ready for their wild-card openers on Tuesday.
The Red Sox are just about locked in to the No. 5 seed in the American League, which will send them to New York to face the Yankees in a best-of-three AL wild card series.
The Cubs are still battling for the top spot in the NL wild card race, but they would still need to get from Boston to the site of their playoff opener, be it home or away.
One other disadvantage for the Cubs is that with expanded rosters in September, they aren't allowed to add an extra player for a doubleheader, as they would normally. So Counsell will have to juggle his pitching staff for two games on Friday and lose one day of rest for his starter on Saturday.
"The decision is made always on a balance of everybody's interest," Counsell said. "And you get shortchanged in some … or not have the optimal solution."
The Chicago Blackhawks have been doing a great job getting some of their young depth pieces signed to long-term deals with good value.
The next in line is Oliver Moore, who was set to be an RFA next summer. Instead of dealing with that after the season, they got it done now. Moore and the Blackhawks are in agreement on a five-year extension that will carry a cap hit of $4.25 million.
For the next six years, the Blackhawks are locked into an incredibly fast, tenacious, and skilled forward who can play up and down the lineup. In a perfect world, he is a third-line forward, preferably a center, who can help shut down the other team's top players while contributing middle-six levels of offense.
Moore can play on the power play when necessary, but his true special teams value comes from his ability to kill penalties. His speed is his best asset, as he has an argument for being considered the fastest player in the organization. That helps him with his abilities on the PK.
The Blackhawks selected Moore in the first round (19th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft. Since then, he has had an excellent tenure at the University of Minnesota and has played in 60 NHL games over parts of the last two seasons.
In 2025-26, his official rookie year, Moore had 5 goals and 14 assists for 19 points in 51 games played. He still has another level to get to in terms of production. If he reaches that level, his cap hit will look even better.
The Blackhawks have a handful of other players set to become RFAs at the end of the 2026-27 season, so getting this team-friendly deal with Moore done now is incredible business.
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PICKING UP THE PIECES: This is the 11th of the Cubs’ 52 series in which they lost the first two games. They are 7-3 in third games, including 3-2 at home. They beat the Pirates on April 12, the Braves on May 14 and the Cardinals on July 5. They lost to the Brewers and Astros in back-to-back series on May 20 and 24. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
DAY vs. NIGHT: The Cubs are just 34-33 in day games this season. A win today will assure them of finishing with a winning record in sunshine if they play one day game at Boston in their final series. They have finished below .500 in only one of the past 10 full seasons: 32-39 in 2021. They were 8-8 in the 60-game 2020 season. The Cubs are 23-17 in day games at home this year, including 11-5 in day games following night games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
WINNING ON THURSDAYS: The Cubs are 10-3 on Thursday, their best record on any day of the week. They are 15-10 on Saturday, 15-11 on Wednesday and 11-7 on Monday. At home the Cubs are 5-1 on Thursday. They are 9-2 on Monday, 8-5 on Saturday and 7-6 on Wednesday. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs lead 7-3 heading to the seventh, only to give up five to the Mets and trail 8-7. A two-run homer by Jody Davis gives them the lead back, but the Mets score in the eighth to tie the game 9-9. Bobby Bonds homers in the bottom of the eighth and the Cubs hold on for a 10-9 win. This brings them within three games of the NL East lead in that strike season’s “second half.” After the game on the WGN radio broadcast, Lou Boudreau complains that only 2,555 came to see the Cubs in a “pennant race game,” which was technically true, three games back with 10 remaining. The Cubs lost seven of those 10 and finished well out of any postseason play. That Cubs/Mets game happened 45 years ago today, Thursday, Sept. 24, 1981.
Matthew Boyd threw well in his last start, Saturday at Cincinnati, allowing the Reds just two hits and two runs (one earned) in five innings.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that he’s been much worse at Wrigley Field this year (5.53 ERA in 10 starts) than on the road (2.86 ERA in 11 starts).
He has not faced the Marlins as a Cub, either this year or last year. No current member of the Marlins has ever faced him, so maybe that’ll be a positive this afternoon.
The Cubs scored three runs in five innings off Tyler Phillips Sept. 6 at Miami, including Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 40th home run of the season.
Since then Phillips hasn’t gotten out of the fourth inning in two starts, and hasn’t thrown more than 68 pitches. Perhaps the Cubs can get to him early today.
Please visit the Marlins site Fish On First. If you do go there to interact with Marlins fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MAY 21: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers bats against the Baltimore Orioles during the tenth inning at American Family Field on May 21, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here we are, the last series of the regular season.
The Brewers, at 99 wins entering Thursday night’s series finale in Philadelphia, have four more chances to reach the 100-win threshold for the first time in franchise history. Their magic number for the No. 1 overall seed also sits at 2, meaning they need some combination of two wins and Dodgers’ losses to lock it up over these next few days. On the other side, the Cardinals, at 77-81, got off to a strong start despite low expectations entering the season. They’ve cooled off considerably over the last few months and now look like they’ll finish just below .500 but still ahead of the “Why aren’t we the Brewers” Reds at the bottom of the NL Central.
On the injury front, the Brewers are without relievers Grant Anderson and Bryse Wilson (both could be activated for Thursday’s series finale in Philadelphia), as well as Brian Fitzpatrick and Angel Zerpa (both out for season). Starters Quinn Priester (out for season) and Brandon Woodruff (slim chance of returning in the postseason) are also out.
St. Louis is without position players Blaze Jordan, Joshua Báez, and Everson Pereira. Pereira is the only player we could see this weekend, as he was on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis entering their postseason series this week. Pitchers Hunter Dobbins and Max Rajcic are also done for the year.
Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio, and Brice Turang have anchored Milwaukee’s well-rounded offense this season, and all three of them are now at 20-plus homers. William Contreras has an outside chance at hitting the 20-homer threshold, sitting at 18 with four games to go. Garrett Mitchell, Andrew Vaughn, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, Christian Yelich, and Joey Ortiz are the other regulars, with Sal Frelick, Gary Sánchez, and David Hamilton the first players off the bench. Bo Naylor has effectively served as the emergency catcher/travel day backstop since rosters expanded earlier this month. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .257/.339/.402 (.741 OPS ranks fourth), with 151 homers (tied for 28th), 810 runs scored (second), and 159 steals (fifth).
The Cardinals are led by Jordan Walker, who is wrapping up what will likely be a top five MVP finish as he’s hitting .273/.330/.470 with 28 homers, 100 RBIs, 94 runs scored, and 21 steals this season. Alec Burleson has added 23 homers and an MLB-best 112 RBIs, while Iván Herrera, Rookie of the Year candidate JJ Wetherholt, and Nathan Church also have double-digit homers. José Fermín, Leo Bernal, Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn, and Bryan Torres are also in the regular mix, with Victor Scott II, Thomas Saggese, César Prieto, and Pedro Pagés rounding things out. As a team, the Cardinals are hitting .241/.315/.380 (.695 OPS ranks 26th), with 161 homers (25th), 709 runs scored (tied for 12th), and 99 steals (17th).
Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe have the late innings on lock for Milwaukee’s bullpen, while Aaron Ashby, Chad Patrick, and DL Hall have all taken on high-leverage roles. Deadline acquisitions Antonio Senzatela and JoJo Romero (a long-time Cardinal) have had their ups and downs, while Shane Drohan and Kyle Harrison have both moved to the bullpen here late in the season. Lyon Richardson is the latest piece, replacing Colton Gordon after his long relief outing on Tuesday night. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.53 team ERA (second), including a 3.64 starter ERA (fifth) and a 3.40 bullpen ERA (third). They’ve struck out 1,503 batters (second) over 1,410 2/3 innings.
All-Star Riley O’Brien has 38 saves this season, but he’s also blown eight saves and has a 4.08 ERA. Justin Bruihl (3.69 ERA over 75 2/3 IP), George Soriano (4.23 ERA over 66 IP), and Ryne Stanek (4.09 ERA over 61 2/3 IP) are the other anchors for the bullpen. Gordon Graceffo (2.76 ERA over 78 1/3 IP) has been one of the best arms for St. Louis, and rookie Luis Gastelum (4.29 ERA over 35 2/3 IP) has also been solid. Cade Winquest (4.63 ERA over 11 2/3 IP), Cooper Hjerpe (6.00 ERA over 9 IP), and Brycen Mautz (6.92 ERA over 13 IP) round things out. As a staff, the Cardinals have a 4.26 team ERA (21st), including a 4.10 starter ERA (11th) and a 4.50 bullpen ERA (24th). They’ve struck out 1,248 batters (25th) over 1,410 2/3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, September 25 @ 6:40 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (5-5, 4.01 ERA, 4.32 FIP) vs. RHP Michael McGreevy (7-9, 3.84 ERA, 4.24 FIP)
Gasser has been a solid arm for the Brewers this season, particularly over the last couple of months, and he seems in line to be in the rotation for the postseason. He’s coming off arguably the best start of his young career, as he went seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over the Orioles, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out a pair. The left-hander has now allowed one run or fewer in four of his last five outings, lowering his season ERA from 4.79 to 4.01. Gasser has made three career starts against St. Louis, going 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA and 10 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings. That includes a win in St. Louis back in July, when he went 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and striking out four.
McGreevy, 26, has turned in a solid season, making 30 starts with a 3.84 ERA, 4.24 FIP, and 113 strikeouts over 164 innings. He went four innings in his last appearance, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out one in an extra-innings loss to the Nationals. McGreevy’s two career appearances against Milwaukee both came this year, and he’s 1-1 with six runs allowed and 12 strikeouts across 10 1/3 innings.
Saturday, September 26 @ 6:10 p.m.: RHP Dustin May (7-9, 4.67 ERA, 3.59 FIP) vs. LHP Quinn Mathews (2-3, 3.65 ERA, 3.80 FIP)
May, who started the season with the Cardinals and made 21 starts for them, was acquired by the Brewers alongside JoJo Romero at the trade deadline. He’s had an up-and-down tenure with Milwaukee, going 2-2 with a 5.61 ERA, 5.06 FIP, and 33 strikeouts over 33 2/3 innings. Despite those numbers, there are a few strong starts in there, including six scoreless against the Reds just two weeks ago. This is May’s first time facing the Cardinals since he was a Dodger back in 2023. He’s made two career starts against St. Louis, going 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA and 11 strikeouts over 10 2/3 innings.
Mathews, 25, is a rookie who was called up right around the trade deadline. He’s made eight starts for St. Louis, going 2-3 with a 3.65 ERA, 3.80 FIP, and 39 strikeouts across 44 1/3 innings. He went seven solid frames against the Nationals in his last appearance, allowing three runs and striking out three. This marks his first career appearance against Milwaukee.
Sunday, September 27 @ 2:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (15-5, 1.86 ERA, 2.16 FIP) vs. RHP Andre Pallante (12-8, 3.61 ERA, 3.71 FIP)
Misiorowski has all but locked up his NL Cy Young candidacy, and Sunday will just be a tune-up outing for him ahead of the postseason. Across 169 1/3 innings this year, Miz is 15-5 with a 1.86 ERA, 2.16 FIP, and 247 strikeouts, leading the majors in all three of those stats. He went three scoreless in an intentionally shortened start against the Orioles on Sunday night, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out four on 44 pitches. Miz has made five starts against St. Louis, going 3-1 with a 3.25 ERA and 35 strikeouts over 27 2/3 innings. That includes two starts this year, going 2-0 with four runs allowed over 14 innings, striking out 23.
Another familiar foe, Pallante, 28, is in his fifth season with St. Louis and third as a full-time starter. This has been his best year as a starter yet, pitching to a 12-8 record with a 3.61 ERA, 3.71 FIP, and 106 strikeouts across 157 innings. The right-hander took a tough luck loss in his last outing, allowing one run and striking out two over six innings as the Cardinals lost 2-0 to the Pirates. Pallante has made 17 career appearances (five starts) against Milwaukee, with a 6.07 ERA and 24 strikeouts across 43 innings. That includes a pair of losses this season, as he’s totaled 11 innings with 11 runs allowed and five strikeouts.
How to Watch & Listen
Friday, September 25: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, September 26: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, September 27: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
Neither of these two teams should have much to play for this weekend, but I can’t imagine Pat Murphy will let his team let up on the gas as they approach the postseason. Give me the Brewers to win two of three as the squad looks to turn things up a notch before next weekend.
NEW YORK — Ben Rice one-upped Aaron Boone. And then he two-upped the New York Yankees manager.
Boone predicted during spring training that Rice would finish with 39 home runs this season. Rice hit Nos. 40 and 41 in a 9-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, tying for the American League home run lead.
He smiled and pointed at Boone when he returned to the dugout after driving Mason Englert’s first pitch of the game into Yankee Stadium’s right field second deck. Rice grinned at Boone some more after another solo homer in the fourth.
“I think I said, `Hey, there’s 40 for you,’” Rice recalled. “I was joking with him after the 41st one, saying, `Hey thanks for inspiring me this year.’ But it’s all in good fun. Back in spring when he told me that, I knew that secretly meant he was hoping I’d hit 40.”
Rice is tied for the AL home run lead with Baltimore’s Pete Alonso, the Rays’ Junior Caminero and Houston’s Yordan Alvarez. He is hitting .263 and leads the Yankees with 97 RBIs and an .899 OPS, becoming a first-time All-Star and the biggest cog in an offense missing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton for most of the season.
Boone deliberately picked an odd total rather than a round figure.
“I was confident he was going to have a really big year,” he said. “Probably wanted to make sure it was just south of a number, maybe to maybe let him know that.”
Rice, who had three hits and a walk, became the 13th Yankees player with a 40-home run season but just the third to reach the milestone during his first three seasons after Joe DiMaggio and Judge. Rice’s plate appearances often prompt a rendition of Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets″ from the stadium’s organist, and Rice has sparked an often struggling offense with 16 go-ahead homers this year and three that have tied games.
“One thing I always tell guys the difference between minor leaguers and big leaguers is the consistency,” Judge said. “He’s one of the best. I can look up at the clock and I know exactly where he’s going to be in the cage. You know what he’s doing in the training room, the weight room. It’s just every single day, man, this guy’s a machine.”
A 12th-round pick in the 2021 amateur draft from Dartmouth, where he played just 30 games over three years due to the coronavirus pandemic, Rice mostly was a catcher but occasionally a first baseman in the minors. He made his big league debut in June 2024 at age 25 after Anthony Rizzo broke a forearm.
Rice hit .171 with seven homers and 23 RBIs in 50 games that year, then batted .255 with 26 homers and 65 RBIs in 138 games last year.
With Stanton sidelined for most of the season, the left-handed-hitting Rice has 93 games at DH this year and 52 at first.
“It’s tough to pull him off his back leg,” Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole said. “He’s really able to stay balanced and deliver high-efficacy strikes on various pitches in all parts of the zone.”
Rice was hitting .306 through May, then batted .196 in June. An 18-for-58 (.119) slide after the All-Star break dropped his season average to .248 on Aug. 22 but he’s rebounded to bat .333 (34 for 102) since.
“Went through a lull, which is inevitable, even in a great season,” Boone said. “Had a stretch in there where it was a struggle and he was grinding but kind of battled through that and feel like the last few weeks has been on a really good run.”
Rice’s potential was evident on July 6, 2024, less than a month into his big league career, when he became the first Yankees rookie with three home runs in a game and tied Lou Gehrig’s Yankees rookie record of seven RBIs. Consistency took time.
“A lot of it I always feel like is just experience-based,” Rice said. “You just see more pitching at the big league level, get exposed to guys who throw all different kinds of pitches from different angles and slots and all these things. I feel like I’ve always been a good learner in that way.”
Justin Foscue of the Texas Rangers swings at a pitch during the game between the New York Mets and Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on September 22, 2026. (Photo by Seth Garber/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for September 24, 2026 against the New York Mets: starting pitchers are Kumar Rocker for the Rangers and Zac Thornton for the Mets.
The Rangers this afternoon try to finish their home schedule with a win, avoid a sweep, keep alive their hopes of a winning record, and keep afloat in their battle with the Astros for the A.L. West.
The lineup:
Foscue — 2B
Seager — SS
Jung — 3B
Burger — 1B
Nimmo — RF
Langford — LF
Duran — CF
Diaz — C
Jansen — DH
1:35 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -131 favorites.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 22: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates warms up in the bullpen before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will face the Pittsburgh Pirates for the final time this season Thursday when they’ll face Paul Skenes. The Cardinals will counter with Kyle Leahy who will pitch at least the first few innings depending on his pitch count limitation. First pitch scheduled for 11:35am at PNC Park and the game broadcast will be handled by Cardinals.tv.
Detroit Tigers broadcasters Jason Benetti (left) and Dan Dickerson (right) before a spring training game between the Tigers and Boston Red Sox on Thursday, February 27, 2025, in Lakeland, Florida. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Detroit Tigers announced today that broadcasters Dan Dickerson and Jason Benetti have signed long-term extensions with the club. This keeps them locked in as the lead voices for Detroit SportsNet and the Tigers Radio Network for years to come. The duo has worked as a team the past few seasons already, with Dickerson handling the television broadcasts when Benetti’s national obligations take him away from the Tigers for certain events.
The length of the deals wasn’t made public, but the Tigers continue to draw high marks both nationally and locally for their broadcasts, and the rollout of Detroit SportsNet this season has seemingly gone quite well, so getting them locked up long-term makes sense. In the wake of their independent regional sports networks collapse after the long saga of Bally Sports and then FanDuel Sports trying to hang onto the old model, the Tigers are in a pretty good place in terms of their broadcast production and on air talent, and things will remain consistent for a while.
Dickerson has now been one of the voices of Tigers radio since 2000 and the lead play-by-play voice of their radio broadcasts since 2003 after he succeeded one of the all-time greats in Ernie Harwell. He’s on his way to a similar place in Tigers broadcast history, though catching Harwell’s 42 year career as the voice of Tigers baseball will be difficult. His appearances handling the television broadcast will be expanded somewhat next season in support of Benetti, who continues to be one of the most sought after all-around voices in sports.
2026 was Benetti’s third season in Detroit after coming over from the Chicago White Sox for the 2024 season. He remains the play-by-play voice for NBC Sports “Sunday Night Baseball” while also handling some college football and basketball, including working some NCAA tournament games during March Madness.
The Tigers had prepared for the eventual RSN collapse by hiring Dickerson and Benetti as team employees, rather than as employees of Bally or FanDuel. So the transition out of the RSN model went pretty smoothly, with the Detroit SportsNet rollout this season a pretty successful one. Dickerson and Benetti will be the center of the team’s broadcasts for several more years to come. The duo also collaborates to host the Have a Seat podcast on the Detroit Tigers YouTube channel, interviewing players and coaches throughout the season.
“We’re incredibly proud to have Jason and Dan as the voices of Tigers baseball, and grateful for their eagerness to make an even deeper commitment to our organization,” said Ryan Gustafson, President and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. “Several years ago, we made a deliberate decision to improve how we engage with our fans, and building a broadcast worthy of them was central to the effort. Jason and Dan, alongside many others, continue to deliver an entertaining and informed broadcast that is among the best in baseball.”
Detroit Tigers Sign Jason Benetti and Dan Dickerson to Long-Term Contract Extensions
DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers today announced multi-year contract extensions with television play-by-play voice Jason Benetti and radio play-by-play voice Dan Dickerson, keeping the pair at the…
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 13: Fans head up a ramp during a rain delay before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on September 13, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The plan as of right now is for the Red Sox and Cubs to play a double header on Friday with start times of 1:05pm and 6:05 pm in an effort to get as much baseball in as possible before the onset of this weekend’s nor’easter. This is going to be a highly interesting scenario because while all models have come into agreement on the idea of there being strong, slow moving, and retrograding nor’easter, there’s actually quite a bit of disagreement on the initial timing and position of the low.
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples with both of the following maps valid for 4:00pm on Friday afternoon. First up, the RGEM (short range Canadian model):
This one has the low moving much quicker to the north initially before stalling and running into the block. If correct, harsh, full blown nor’easter conditions would arrive during the first game of the double header and we’d be in big trouble in trying to complete all three over the weekend.
But then there’s other short range models like the HRRR that handle things completely different:
Here, we see the low much further south during that same late Friday afternoon timeframe. As a result, the initial push of moisture into eastern Massachusetts is actually falling apart as it comes north in favor of newer, more powerful bands forming to the south closer to the low.
And you know what? If I had to guess based on all the data I’m looking at right now, I think the HRRR is closer to to the bone here. This makes me think we’re going to be dealing with a situation where they try and play baseball in some rain (maybe even on and off rain) Friday afternoon and evening to get these first two games in the books. A lot of this depends on what type of conditions MLB is willing to play through, but given what’s coming on Saturday, my guess is their tolerance is going to be pretty high and they push to get the games in.
In addition to the rain though, there will be wind, and despite the uncertainty in the exact timing and intensity of the moisture moving in on Friday before conditions further deteriorate over the weekend, I have a high degree of confidence the wind will be howling well before any rain gets there. The National Weather Service has already issued a High Wind Watch for Boston calling for gusts up to 50mph through Saturday evening. During the late Friday afternoon and evening timeframe, I would expect northerly gusts top 35 mph even before the precipitation arrives.
This means you should have incredibly blustery conditions blowing in from left field during whatever baseball is played on Friday. It won’t be great for fans, but it could be good for Patrick Sandoval’s ERA assuming he takes the mound at some point tomorrow.
Either way, this has the potential to get messy if all three games are needed to determine playoff seeding, and given that likelihood (the Cubs are a game behind the Padres for the top Wild Card spot while holding the tiebreaker), we’re probably going to see baseball played in some pretty crazy conditions at some point.
