The Detroit Tigers opened up the final series of the 2026 campaign with an 8-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night at Comerica Park. Jackson Jobe earned the win after tossing 5 1/3 frames of two-run ball and the offense produced enough early runs to fend off a furious late rally.
Taking the mound for the Olde English D on Saturday in Game 2 is right-hander Justin Verlander, who will make the final start of his illustrious Hall of Fame career. The Detroit faithful are privileged to see the all-time great wrap things up wearing the Olde English D in the park where so many memories were made.
Opposite him will be fellow righty Kirby Yates, who will make his first and only start of the season. The 39-year-old has dealt with injuries this summer and is also pondering retirement after the schedule concludes.
Here is a quick look at the pitching matchup as the Tigers look to seize a series win on Saturday.
Detroit Tigers (75-85) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (81-79)
Time (ET): 1:10 p.m. ET Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:Bucs Dugout Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 161: RHP Juston Verlander (0-1, 12.27 ) vs. RHP Kirby Yates (2-5, 3.32 ERA)
Briton leads from pole to claim third win of the season
Russell closes gap on leader Kimi Antonelli, who was fifth
George Russell took a dominant victory from pole to flag at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to give his world championship hopes a shot in the arm. His Mercedes teammate and title leader Kimi Antonelli delivered a strong comeback to claim fifth from 16th on the grid, but the British driver clawed back 15 points on the Italian.
Russell delivered a drive that was all but flawless, including managing two tense restarts after the safety car was called. He was hounded to the line by Max Verstappen, his margin at the line just one-tenth of a second.
Updates from final round of county cricket games Get in touch with Tanya on email or comment BTL
Wow – Ethan Bamber has bowled more overs than anyone else in Div One this year! And 66 wickets in his pocket to count for it. He takes the ball at the press box end.
In answer to the Leicestershire appeal question BTL, we think they have appealed everything but the only points likely to be overturned or semi overturned are eight points, which will make no difference to the relegation battle. If anyone thinks different, do drop me a line.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals and Nasim Nuñez #26 celebrate after defeating the New York Mets 7-6 at Nationals Park on September 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Nationals will be staying out of last place in 2026! With the 7-6 win last night, the Nats officially secured 4th place in the division. While 4th place is obviously not the goal, it is a clear step forward. As long as the Nats did not get swept, they would avoid last place and that is exactly what happened last night.
One thing that made it even sweeter is the fact that it will be the Mets who finish last. Despite being a bit of a meme, the Mets actually do not tend to bottom out. This is actually their first last place finish since 2003. Given their massive payroll, that is quite a disastrous outcome. The Nats made that outcome a reality last night.
The Mets finish LAST in the NL East for the first time since 2003 🤯
It felt important to get that one win and stay out of last. With how the team played for most of this season, it would have been cruel to be in the basement at season’s end. Outside of a brutal 6 week stretch that basically doomed the season, this team has played inspired baseball.
The game last night was quite the whacky one. Andrew Alvarez has pitched so well this season, but he did not have it in this one. His command was all over the place from the jump. A combination of uncompetitive misses and pitches in the middle of the zone doomed the southpaw.
Alvarez settled in a little bit and Blake Butera wanted to get him through 5 innings to qualify for a win. However, Alvarez allowed two homers in the 5th and was pulled. Despite pitching very well this season, Alvarez will finish the year with a 2-6 record.
Unlike most Alvarez outings, the Nats actually gave him a lot of run support tonight. That started with a CJ Abrams two run single in the first. Abrams thought it was gone and watched the ball fly, but it hit off the wall. He has not done that since Opening Day, but it was not the best of looks for CJ. A wild third inning which saw 4 wild pitches helped the Nats cash in four more runs.
However, the deciding run in this game came in the bottom of the 7th. After Justin Hagenman blew a fastball by Dylan Crews to start the at bat, he tried to do it again. This time Crews was ready and hit an absolute bomb out to left field to make it a 7-5 game.
After Jack Sinclair allowed a run on a sac fly in the 8th, we were going to be in for a tense finish. The only question was who was going to close the game. After working 4 times in 5 days, Erik Tolman was likely unavailable even after the off day. That limited the options.
Blake Butera turned to a surprise candidate, Josiah Gray. The former All-Star just rejoined the big league club, and now he was being thrust into a massive spot. Gray did not have a save in his career entering last night. Now, he was being trusted to face Lindor and Soto in the 9th.
Things started very well for the 28 year old. He got Christopher Morel to pop up and then struck out Lindor. After pitching around Juan Soto, it all came down to Bo Bichette. While Bichette has not had a great first season in Queens, he has had a lot of success against the Nats, including a home run in this game.
After getting ahead 1-2, Gray got Bichette to chase a breaking ball that was nearly in the dirt. Somehow, Bichette made contact, but it was only a dribbler back to the pitcher. Gray picked it up and fired to first to get his first save. He bounced on the Nationals Park mound in triumph as he got his first ever save.
It was a very long road back for Gray, who was pitching at Nationals Park for the first time since April of 2024. You can tell he was very emotional, not only about the win. This was not just a feel good moment though. A performance like that also puts Gray in the mix for a bullpen, or even rotation spot in 2027.
Honestly, I quite like Gray in the bullpen. He can just spin guys to death with his slider, curve and sweeper. Gray only threw one fastball on the night, but he still had success. I think he has the chance to be a solid arm in the ‘pen.
Overall, this was a great night. It was fantastic to stay out of last place and do it in style with the Gray save. Today will be an early start at 12:45. The pun was intended there as Connelly Early will also be making his Nationals debut today. After last night, the Nats now have 10 more wins than last season. Let’s see how many more they can get.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 25: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, September 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by CJ Lauretani/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
There are so many ways that one can describe this team right now. There is a lot of (rightful) negativity going at the team thanks to the supreme funk they have put themselves in, so let’s let it all hang out. What is the best nonprofane word that you can use to describe the Phillies right now? There are so many to choose from – frustrating, disappointing, etc. – that one can think of, but I’m sure that many of you can be a little more eloquent than I.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves reacts during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park on September 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Major League Baseball will give MVP awards for the League Championship Series and the World Series. They do not award an MVP for a Wild Card Series or a Division Series. I’m not sure why the earlier rounds don’t have their standout players honored. Let me understand this. After 162 games and 6 plus months of baseball, sets of three and five games aren’t that meaningful. Why are we playing them then? It’s almost as if it’s stupid for a team to win their division only to turn around and possibly play the second or third place team in their division en route to an additional three rounds to win the trophy. Or maybe have a sub-.500 team host one of these rounds is any better? Yeah, yeah I know. Money. Can’t you just sell another 20 games to Netflix and make up the difference?
Sorry for the aside. While I’m having my one-way argument against Rob Manfred, why not consider the difference makers of the Braves and who will come up big? Chris Sale could go a long way to putting a stranglehold on this coming series at home. I think Drake Baldwin might do something special. I have this feeling that Mike Yastrzemski might stay hot.
So who would win a theoretical NL Wild Card MVP? As long as a Brave is among the winners, anyone would be fine.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 25: Dylan Beavers #12 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees in game two of a double-header at Yankee Stadium on September 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
We know the Orioles have already been eliminated from the playoff picture, but it’s possible that their regular season is over a day or two early as well. They played a double-header with the Yankees on Friday, where the teams split the games. The Orioles walloped their hosts 10-2 in the opener while the Yankees took the nightcap 6-3. That arrangement was done to avoid the nasty weather on the east coast today, and they are still scheduled to play the finale on Sunday. But that proposition is looking dicey, with rain expected throughout the day. MLB is not going to push a game without meaning to Monday, so it is possible that what we have already seen the last of the 2026 Orioles.
That means Trevor Rogers’ time in black and orange is over. If it is, he went out on a good note in Game 1. Craig Albernaz only used him for four innings, but they were solid. He allowed just one run and struck out four. His 2026 ERA is 4.03. The lefty will now test free agency, though he has said time and time again he would like to return to Baltimore.
If Sunday’s tilt doesn’t happen, then Leody Taveras has probably played his last game with the O’s too. The outfielder was unexpectedly helpful when the team was trying to find any sort of production from the position group. His continued playing time as the season went on was less helpful. He also had a nice showing yesteday, going 2-for-4 with two RBI in the loss.
Chris Bassitt and Andrew Kittredge are two other veterans that could walk out the door one last time as well. Bassitt was quite good post-injury, but he will entered the 2027 season as a 38-year-old, and it’s unlikely he gets less hurt as he ages. Kittredge was a reliable arm to lean on in the bullpen, but many of his peripheral numbers took a dive this season, and the Orioles are spoiled with relief options at the moment. A pricey righty that has spent some time on the IL recently probably isn’t at the top of their list.
And don’t forget about Ryan Mountcastle. He played in just eight games this year due to a couple of serious injuries. There is a team option in his contract for 2027, but it’s hard to see the Orioles picking that up given all of the other solutions they have at first base. It’s unfortunate that his time with the team is coming to an end like it is.
Most other Orioles of consequence will return in 2027, or they are at least under team control for the season. That’s a nice place to start building from. But clearly, there are adjustments needed to the roster. If Mike Elias stays, as we expect him to, and then rolls out an identical team apart from a healthy Jordan Westburg in 2027, there will be mobs at the gates of the warehouse.
So, what do they need to do? For me, they need to add an impact outfielder. I’m OK with Colton Cowser in center everyday simply because his glove is that good. But improvement is needed in either corner. I wouldn’t mind some serious competition at second base too. Jackson Holliday is not finding his ceiling the way we may have hoped, and I’m not sure they want Blaze Alexander married to any one position. On top of that, I would like a rotation upgrade, someone that you would consider for the Opening Day start, and then a left-handed reliever that can pitch high leverage innings.
That’s a lot to get done in an offseason, but if Elias wants to keep his job into 2028 he probably needs to get most of it across the finish line.
This, that and the other | Roch Kubatko Seems like a lot of Orioles are sad about missing the playoffs. They should be. The talent on this team was good enough in this weak American League. The execution, coaching, and decision-making was not. That’s an organizational failure.
Doug Sisk turns 69 today. He spent the 1988 season in the Orioles bullpen, accumulating a 3.72 ERA over 94.1 total innings.
Dave Duncan is 81 years old. The catcher had a two-year stint in Baltimore from 1975-76, when he was worth 0.5 bWAR as a defense-first backstop.
This day in O’s history
1956 – Orioles pitcher Charlie Beamon throws a 1-0 shutout win over the Yankees in his very first major league start.
1962 – Dave McNally shuts out the Athletics 3-0 in his first major league start.
1971 – Jim Palmer gets his 20th win of the season, becoming the fourth member of the Orioles pitching staff to do so along with McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson. Only one other major league team (1920 White Sox) has ever had rotation with four pitchers that had 20 or more wins in the same season.
1978 – Mike Flanagan comes within one out of a no-hitter against Cleveland. Instead, he allowed a home run to Gary Alexander, followed by two singles. Don Stanhouse is brought on to notch the save and finish up the Orioles 3-1 win.
1994 – Johnny Oates is fired as Orioles manager despite guiding his team to a 63-49 record before a strike ended the season early. It was the latest in a series of hands-on decisions by the club’s new owner Peter Angelos.
2012 – The Orioles crush the Blue Jays 12-2 thanks to the seven home runs they hit. Chris Davis and Manny Machado both go deep twice. The win keeps them on the Yankees heels for the top spot in the AL East.
2023 – The greatest third baseman in major league history, and Orioles icon, Brooks Robinson dies at the age of 86.
The Celtics and their fans have to be pleased with the way last season went. It was supposed to be a reset year in the absence of Jayson Tatum, but instead turned into a surprise playoff run as the two-seed. They lost in seven games to Philadelphia, but the confirmation that they had a rock-solid group around their superstar was enough to feel good about an otherwise lost year.
Trade rumors started circulating as soon as the Celtics walked off the floor after game seven. These eventually led to the biggest trade of the last few seasons, sending Jaylen Brown, the Finals MVP just three seasons ago, to the 76ers for Paul George. It was cited as a financially driven move, but with Jayson Tatum in his prime, there is still pressure to compete for championships every season. With a revamped roster, Boston is seeking their sixth straight 50-win season, and they’re looking to do it without the guy who carried them to 56 wins last year.
Boston Celtics: Over/Under 50.5 wins (-115/-110)
Last Season: 56-26, lost E. Conf first round
Key Additions: Paul George, Mike Conley, Mitchell Robinson
Key Losses: Jaylen Brown, Anfernee Simons
Championship Odds: +1500
If you ask 100 NBA fans who won the swap of Jaylen Brown and Paul George, 90 or more are going to tell you the 76ers. Sometimes, when the crowd is so resolved in an opinion like that, the opposite is true. That is how I feel about Boston’s outlook this year. Getting rid of Brown certainly has some addition by subtraction, allowing Jayson Tatum to once again be the alpha lead for this squad. But people are writing George off as some old bag of bones that is going to play five games a month. George averaged over 17 points a game over 37 minutes while shooting almost 50 percent from the floor against this very Celtics team in the playoffs five months ago. He is still a good player, and arguably a better fit with what the Celtics want to do.
The most important thing for Boston is that Jayson Tatum is going to be fully healthy again. He is one of the best players in the league, and they still have a core around him similar to the one that won the NBA Finals in 2024. With Joe Mazzulla at the helm and plenty of talent to go around, this team can be penciled in for 51 wins at the very least every year.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 25: Jacob Degrom #48 of the Texas Rangers reacts to giving up a run on a wild pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Target Field on September 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Having moved a scheduled Saturday game against the Orioles up to Friday for a straight doubleheader, the Yankees and O’s split the twin bill. Baltimore blew out Brendan Beck and company in a 10-2 loss in the opener—an ignominious follow-up to CC Sabathia’s number retirement—but Ryan Yarbrough and Will Warren combined to lead them to 17 strikeouts in the 6-3 nightcap win. Most importantly, everyone remained healthy. Wins and losses don’t matter for the regular season at this point! Now, they wait at home for the storm to pass today and see if they can play a Game 162 tomorrow. If not … see you on Tuesday for the Wild Card Series, Boston.
Here’s what else was going on Friday among the remaining AL playoff hopefuls.
Tampa Bay Rays (97-63) 2, Philadelphia Phillies (87-73) 0
We’ll only take a minute on this one since—with all due respect to the playoff hopes of our friends in Philly (but boy is it suddenly getting tense with the Diamondbacks hot on the trail)—it really doesn’t mean much with Tampa Bay locked into the top AL seed. The Phils got a really nice outing from ace Cristopher Sánchez, who fanned 10 Rays in seven innings of work. But he did allow an RBI single to Jonny DeLuca in the first and a solo shot to catcher Nick Fortes in the second, and with the Phillies absolutely sputtering … yeah, that was it. Freddy Peralta blanked Philly through 5.1 before a quartet of relievers completed the four-hit shutout, Bryan Baker notching his 41st save of the season.
Boston Red Sox (86-74) 4, Chicago Cubs (88-72) 3 [Game 1]
It took a little longer than anyone expected, but the Red Sox officially locked themselves into the No. 5 seed in the American League and a date with the Yankees in the Wild Card Series. The best-of-three will begin on Tuesday with all games in the Bronx. At first, it seemed like Boston’s odd skid would continue when the Cubbies plated three within the first four outs. Tyrone Taylor had doubled in Seiya Suzuki following a one-out walk in the first, and the trio of Matt Shaw, Michael Busch, and No. 9 hitter Miguel Amaya continued the mini-parade against Alec Gamboa in the second with with a single and a pair of doubles, Amaya’s going off the Green Monster to drive in a pair.
Part of that rally had involved Shaw getting thrown out on a grounder to third though, and Chicago never scored that fourth run. They would rue that result, with typical starter Jake Bennett getting his first relief appearance in anticipation of the Wild Card showdown and throwing 3.2 scoreless. Greg Weissert and Raymond Burgos continued to keep the Cubs off the board for the rest of the game as their offense rallied off Clay Holmes. A rare error by Dansby Swanson brought in the first Boston run in the fourth, and Holmes allowed a leadoff single to former Yankees teammate Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the fifth, followed by a Roman Anthony double. He got one more out, but Caleb Thielbar entered and allowed a game-tying knock from Adley Rutschman.
The Red Sox took the lead in the seventh, breaking the tie off Aaron Civale when Anthony tripled and Connor Wong doubled him in. With Weissert and Burgos silencing Chicago, that was all she wrote. The only downside for Boston was that surprise story Mickey Gasper had to leave the game early with biceps discomfort.
Boston Red Sox (87-74) 2, Chicago Cubs (88-73) 0 [Game 2]
The weather got gloomier as the day went along but the Red Sox left Fenway with a clean doubleheader sweep. Boston kept Brayan Bello in playoff tune-up mode despite coming off an outing of eight innings of 11-K, one-run ball, and they still twirled a shutout. Bello blanked Chicago through four, departed with his pitch count at 58, and gave way to rookie Jedixson Paez, making his fifth career appearance. Paez outpitched Bello, fanning five in five shutout frames to earn his first career win.
David Peterson’s own five zeroes for the Cubs were in vain. The scoreless tie was broken up in the eighth with IKF and Jahmai Jones (another former Yankee) on base after walks. Wilyer Abreu cracked a double off Ryan Rolison to plate both runners. That was all Boston needed. The Cubs had hoped to host a Wild Card Series at Wrigley, but that’s looking unlikely now with the Padres a game and a half ahead of them. Game 162 will determine their flight path, and they’ll need a flight just to play it. The nor’easter is not supposed to get any better in Beantown over the weekend, so the Sunday game will be at a neutral site: Tropicana Field. Let’s get weird.
When Jacob deGrom was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, opportunities like this one undoubtedly drove him. Yes, the AL West is lousy, but the Rangers can easily win it and they had deGrom out there against a team playing out the string in the Twins. Even with Joe Ryan on the bump opposing him, they felt great. Instead, Minnesota clobbered deGrom and tallied six in the second, Luke Keaschall delivering the big blow on a two-run triple. The two-time Cy Young Award winner was tagged for eight runs in four innings of work. The news got worse for the Rangers learned that top bat Josh Jung broke his hand on a hit-by-pitch; he’s likely done for 2026. This one had to hurt, and deGrom was furious at himself in the postgame, saying multiple times that he was “embarrassed.”
Well don’t worry Jacob because remember: the AL West is lousy. The Rangers lost while the Astros were still playing on Friday, so they had a golden opportunity to seize control of the AL West, especially because they own the tiebreaker and were facing a terrible A’s team. Said terrible A’s team held off Houston and won, 6-5. A six-run sixth proved to be enough for the A’s offense as Hunter Brown’s once-solid outing went by the wayside with awful relief from Bennett Sousa, who failed to record a single out and allowed three runs. Henry Bolte smacked a two-run triple in the frame and the A’s had a commanding 6-1 lead.
Houston did fight back, in part because the A’s bullpen is horrific. Cam Smith homered and a rally in the eighth broke the score to 6-5 with runners on second and third after a wild pitch. Baby Bomber alum Luis Medina fanned Smith though and Houston was held at bay. Nelson Velázquez got a one-out walk in the ninth to put the go-ahead run on against Hogan Harris, only to be erased on a Jeremy Peña double play ball, stranding Yordan Alvarez in the on-deck circle. For the first time in MLB history, we are guaranteed a full-season division winner with either a .500 record or worse because neither Houston nor Texas can be better than 81-81.
Cleveland Guardians (84-76) 12, Kansas City Royals (68-92) 9
Funky one in KC. The Guardians maintained their hot streak and withstood rallies from the Royals to win late without actually getting all that many hits. They had a dozen runs scored but only nine hits. Carter Jensen slugged two homers and drove in five for the Royals, but it wasn’t nearly enough, even with a tied-up ballgame at 7-7. Six walks and a fielder’s choice in the eighth led to Cleveland plating three without a hit before the surging Angel Martinez drove in two with a double to make it a 12-7 game. Salvador Perez’s 324th career homer cut into the lead in the ninth, but the Guardians held on to maintain their one-game lead in the AL Central.
Chicago White Sox (83-77) 6, Colorado Rockies (57-103) 1
Munetaka Murakami clobbered a pair of dingers to reach 35 in his rookie MLB season, and both came off countryman Tomoyuki Sugano, who he’d homered against twice in NPB play. Sean Burke threw 5.1 innings with one run allowed, and all that was easily plenty for the Pale Hose to take care of business on the South Side. They’ll just need some help from KC if they’re going to pass Cleveland for the division again.
Sep 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (3) dives back to first base against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meet the Mets
The Mets fell to the Nationals 7-6 in what was an sloppy game for both teams, but a disastrous third inning that featured four wild pitches—two of them forcing in runs—sealed the Mets’ fate. On the bright side, with his 20th home run last night, Carson Benge became the first Mets rookie to have a 20-20 season.
The second game of this weekend’s series between the Mets and Nationals, originally scheduled for 4:05pm, will be played at 12:35pm due to the rain in the forecast later this afternoon and evening in Washington DC.
“Anything that can be in the history book and done for the first time is something special,” Carson Benge said about becoming the first Mets rookie to have a 20-20 season. “I hold that close to my heart.”
“If it matters to a Mets fan, it matters to me, but deep down, if I think about it, there’s playoffs and there’s not playoffs. There’s nothing we’re going to do to get to that spot,” said Andy Green prior to last night’s game about the importance—or lack thereof—of avoiding the cellar in the NL East. “As we watch other teams celebrate inclusion in playoffs, that should leave a bitter taste in all of our mouths to get back there. That’s all I’m really concerned with.” Last night’s loss to the Nationals ensured that the Mets will indeed finish in last place this season.
Prior to yesterday’s game, the Mets called up Justin Hagenman, who pitched the bulk of last night’s game in relief, and optioned Jack Weisenburger. Also, Xzavion Curry cleared waivers and was outrighted to the FCL Mets.
The Phillies were shut out 2-0 by Freddy Peralta and the Rays, as the Diamondbacks won their game last night and inched within a game of Philadelphia for the final NL Wild Card slot (and own the tiebreaker over the Phillies) with two games to play. The Phillies were five games ahead of Arizona with eight games to play and are now in danger of missing the playoffs.
The Braves, with their NL East title already secured, were shut out by the Marlins 3-0. Eury Pérez ended his season on a high note with a one-hit shutout, striking out eight.
Around Major League Baseball
The Mets weren’t the only team whose games were impacted by the incoming Nor’easter this weekend. The Cubs and Red Sox—already originally scheduled to play a doubleheader yesterday—instead had the final game of their series moved to Tropicana Field in Tampa to avoid a soggy Fenway Park. The Yankees and Orioles preemptively moved the game originally scheduled for today and played a doubleheader yesterday.
With a 4-3 victory over the Cubs in Game 1 of yesterday’s doubleheader, the Red Sox secured the No. 5 seed in the AL and a matchup with the Yankees in the AL Wild Card Series.
“I don’t know,” said George Springer when asked whether he plans to retire after this season. “I love this organization. I loved being a Blue Jay. I’ve loved every single bit of being here. I haven’t really gotten that far yet. I’ve kind of taken every day with these guys in stride.”
“No comment,” Pope Leo XIV said with a smile when asked if he had any divine influence over the White Sox’s 2026 season. ”Great things happen in Chicago.”
MLB.com ran down the top 20 selling jerseys for the 2026 season. Not surprisingly, Shohei Ohtani was number one with Aaron Judge and Pete Crow-Armstrong rounding out the top three. Juan Soto was tenth, the only Met to make the list.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. apologized yesterday afternoon for comments he made earlier in the week in a Spanish-language interview with Veronica Batista, in which he said that he was being paid his $500 million contract for what he’d done in the past, not what he’d do in the future. “I just gave it some thought, and I felt like the comments I made the other day were not really what I wanted to say,” he said. “I felt that everyone, my fans and everyone, deserves an apology from me.”
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Vasilis Drimalitis previewed the final series of the season between the Mets and Nationals.
In a new episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series, Brian Salvatore and Chris McShane discuss Andy Green being installed as the new permanent Mets manager and the Mets’ addition of Derek Falvey to the front office.
This Date in Mets History
The Mets became the first New York baseball team to draw 3 million fans in a season on this date in 1987, the year after their championship campaign. The Yankees would eventually do it too, but it would take another dozen years.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Nick Fortes #40 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the second inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Rays stayed healthy in a game that didn’t matter to them — and won.
That’s about all you can ask for at the end of the regular season post-clinching. And they looked good doing it, sporting the sweet new Tampa Bay road grays.
Jonny DeLuca got the jump on Phillies lefty Christopher Sanchez (‘fOrMeR rAy!’ Yes, we get it.) with an opposite field RBI single, 1-0 Flappy Boys in the first.
Nick Fortes cut through the 17 MPH wind in from left field at Citizens Bank Park to extend the Tampa Bay lead to 2-0.
In the top of the third, Junior Caminero nearly left the yard but the aforementioned wind took 38 feet off the distance of his 107 MPH missile to center field, resulting in a flyout to Justin Crawford (damn I’m old).
Freddy Peralta dazzled yet again, going 5.1 IP while striking out four and only allowing four hits.
In Peralta’s last six starts, he’s gone 5-0 with a 0.79 ERA, only allowing three earned runs over 34 innings.
Freddy Peralta tonight:
5.1 IP | 4 H | 0 ER | 3 BB | 4 K | 12 Whiffs
He was up in velocity, sitting 96.2 mph and topping out at 98.5 mph. His changeup returned a 40% Whiff%, and he mixed in some sliders and sweepers.
Cam Booser, Kevin Kelly and Cole Sulser each earn holds while Brian Baker earns his 30th save in a row, a team record.
You could tell the Phillies were pressing tonight.
They have not clinched a postseason berth, and their magic number was two coming in to tonight’s game.
Not only did they go 0-6 with runners in scoring position, and the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team directly behind them in the NL Wild Card standings, won 11-4.
As expected in Philly, they got booed mercilessly at “The Bank”.
CHARLOTTE, USA - APRIL 3: Kon Knueppel from the Charlotte Hornets against Kobe Brown from Indiana Pacers during the NBA game at the Spectrum arena in Charlotte NC, United States, on April 03, 2026. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
Last year, former Duke star Kon Knueppel missed a game and remarked that it was the first time he had ever missed a game. The guy is nothing if not durable.
Unfortunately, he’s going to miss a few games now, as the second-year Charlotte Hornets star has suffered a hamstring injury. It may keep him out for all of the preseason, and possibly some of the regular season as well.
It’s a tough break for Knueppel, obviously, but it’s not the worst timing for the Hornets. They’ll get a chance to look more closely at Christian Anderson (get ready for a lot of puns about his hands – Hands Christian Anderson, get it?), and how players like Grayson Allen, Liam McNeely, and the newly acquired Buddy Hield could fit in.
When Knueppel gets back, the Hornets could be better for the experience.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 25: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the first inning at Oracle Park on September 25, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tarik Skubal’s final regular season tuneup went about as well as he and the Dodgers could have hoped, with 10 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings on only 75 pitches, with no walks against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night. On the season the left-hander had a 2.72 ERA and 3.06 xERA in 158 2/3 innings, including a 2.61 ERA, 3.15 xERA, and 23.2-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate in 10 starts for the Dodgers.
“It’s awesome to be a part of something where the standard is winning a World Series. That’s the way everybody goes about their business, from ownership to president to GM to manager to players, and then you talk about support staff and the chefs in the kitchen, the flight attendants … They all go out of their way to make sure you have everything you need to go out there and perform. I feel like everyone in this organization is rowing in the same direction and everybody wants a World Series just as bad as the players do.”
Jarrett Seidler at Baseball Prospectus ranked all 30 MLB front offices and wrote many words about his hierarchy over the last few weeks. After writing about Nos. 21-30 and Nos. 11-20, Seidler on Thursday wrote about his top 10 front offices, with the Dodgers No. 2 overall, one of three teams in his top tier along with the top-spot Brewers and No. 3 Rays. From Seidler:
The Dodgers remain the best team around at trades, both buying and selling. They remain at or near the top in draft acquisition, player development, and research. They are going to be one of the best teams in baseball deep into the 2030s on an annual basis. They got Shohei Ohtani to sign with them. So there’s a lot going for them.
But I just don’t know how one can call the guys who signed the Kyle Tucker deal seven months ago—a deal that is currently trending towards being the literal worst contract in the history of the sport—the best front office in baseball, ultimately.
Other Dodgers minor leaguers named All-Stars at their level were James Tibbs III as designated hitter in Triple-A, third baseman Jake Gelof in Double-A, Davalan and pitcher Zach Root in High-A, plus third baseman Chase Harlan and outfielder Jaron Elkins in Class-A.
Triple-A end-of-season awards should be announced on Saturday, with the Triple-A title game coming at 7:05 p.m. PT in Las Vegas between PCL title-winning Oklahoma City and Rochester, the International League champs.
As the Vancouver Canucks continue to trim their roster, one familiar name remains. After missing most of the 2025-26 campaign with injury, defenceman Guillaume Brisebois is focused on becoming a full-time NHLer. The 29-year-old fan favourite has performed well through the pre-season and could be on the verge of making Vancouver's opening-night roster.
Brisebois's journey with the Canucks has been a roller coaster. The organization drafted him in 2015, but constant injuries have derailed any momentum he's tried to build at the NHL level. Over a decade since he was drafted, Brisebois remains motivated and ready to do whatever he can to impress the coaching staff.
"I approach it pretty much the same way," said Brisebois. I want to make the team and just trying to work hard and keep going. I've had some injuries. I've been battling some stuff. So feels good coming into this camp being healthy. So I don't have to really think about that anymore."
The injury issue has been a major problem for Brisebois. Since making the jump to the pros in 2017, he has played 306 AHL games and 30 NHL games, including just nine AHL games in 2025-26. As Brisebois explained, dealing with injuries is difficult, but his love for the game keeps him motivated to keep playing.
"It's been really hard. But at the same time, it's my passion for hockey. I love hockey, and I want to get better. So every time I come back from injury, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get better, and I try to persevere through it."
This past off-season, Brisebois signed a one-year extension with Vancouver. In fact, as of contract signing date, he is the longest-tenured player in the organization. When asked about his continued loyalty to the organization, Brisebois mentioned his bond with the Canucks new GM.
"Just the way they treat me and the way they've been treating me, especially through injuries. They've been there through those tough times. With Ryan Johnson also, I've been with him for the past 10 years that I've been here. We've had a really good relationship, and that's what keeps bringing me back. They help me get to the player I am and also the person, so I am really grateful for that."
If Brisebois is going to make the NHL lineup, he needs to impress not just Johnson but also his former Abbotsford Canucks coach, Manny Malhotra. The two had success in the AHL, including winning the 2025 Calder Cup. As Brisebois explained, Malhotra is not just a strong coach on the ice, but off it as well.
"He brings positivity to the group. He's an amazing leader. He's a great human. So I think the whole combination of being a good human, being a good like he's got really good hockey knowledge. So when you mix everything together, it's a really good mix, and especially for that group. I think it's going to be really beneficial."
As mentioned, Brisebois has become a fan favourite within the organization. Whether he is playing in the NHL or AHL, he receives a lot of support from Canucks Nation on social media. Brisebois is well aware of how fans feel about him with the constant support being one of the reasons he chose to re-sign yet again.
"I obviously appreciate it. I am very grateful for that, and I'm happy that they're behind me. It helps a lot. Especially through tough times, when they could say some stuff about the injuries and everything. But they've been really good to me, and everyone's been great in Vancouver. That's also a reason why I wanted to come back and make it through with them and not with another organization."
Overall, Brisebois has a simple goal this season. He wants "to play games" and wants "to be healthy". A player who is easy to cheer for, Brisebois will make an impact this year regardless of where he plays.
Dec 28, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Guillaume Brisebois (55) shoots during warm up prior to a game against the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants hits a two run home run at Oracle Park on September 12, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The final weekend of San Francisco Giants baseball is upon us, and as we have spent the rest of the season picking the Player of the Week, I thought today we would make our picks for Player of the Year.
BUT, before we get started, there is to be no stat checking whatsoever. This is strictly based on your memory of the season that was. The time will come for player reviews and further introspections. This is not that time. This is the time for vibes.
So, based on my recollection of this season and having picked players every week of it, my pick absolutely has to be Rafael Devers. I don’t keep stats on how many times I pick players during the course of a season, but I know for absolute certain that I picked Devers more than any other player. He was a rare bright spot in a season of dark clouds. So he’s my guy.
Who is your pick for Player of the Year?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants play game two of this three game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers this afternoon at 1:05 p.m. PT.
