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Phillies' season ends with the pain of another early postseason knockout originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ATLANTA – While the Phillies tried to extend their season Thursday night against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, their Delta 757 charter sat 23 miles away at Hartsfield-Jackson International airport.

A win would send the Phillies west, to Los Angeles and a second straight National League Division Series matchup with the Dodgers.

A loss would send them home, to Philadelphia and another long, cold winter.

It didn’t take long to figure out which way the Phillies would be heading. Aaron Nola was tagged for three runs in the first inning. The Phillies never recovered. Their season came to an end in a 6-2 loss to the Braves in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series.

For just the second time in franchise history, the Phillies qualified for the postseason five years in a row, matching a team-high streak first reached from 2007 to 2011. The Phils won the World Series in 2008, but have not since. They made a surprising run to the World Series in 2022 but were beaten by the Houston Astros in six games. They were a win away from returning to the World Series in 2023 only to collapse and lose Games 6 and 7 of the NL Championship Series at home to Arizona. Since then, they have gone the wrong way, losing in Division Series (their first round of play) in 2024 and 2025 and now in the Wild Card Series.

Meanwhile, their core group of high-priced veteran players has gotten older.

Heading into the offseason, the Phils have many questions, first and foremost: Will Don Mattingly return as manager in 2027? He took over, with an interim tag, for Rob Thomson after the team got off to a 9-19 start in April.

The Phillies played .590 ball (79-55) under Mattingly, but president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski tried to hire Alex Cora when he let Thomson go, and he seems likely to try again in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

If Cora comes on board, he will be taking over a team of highs and lows, one with an inconsistent offense that is seemingly up one month (see August) and down the next (see September). He will be taking over a team that lacks pitching depth, both in the starting rotation and the bullpen. Both weaknesses reared their head in recent weeks as the Phils had to scramble to make the playoffs, using ace Zack Wheeler on the final day of the regular season, a circumstance that prevented him from starting Game 1 of the postseason.

Jesus Luzardo pitched well in Game 1 and the Phillies held a 3-2 in the seventh. With few trusted arms in his bullpen, Mattingly went to his All-Star closer, Jhoan Duran, in the bottom of the seventh. Duran got through that inning but gave up the lead on a three-run homer in the eighth and the Phillies lost, 5-3.

They bounced back to win a wild Game 2 Wednesday in 10 innings on the strength of three late home runs and the clutch pitching of Cristopher Sanchez, Alex McFarlane and Andrew Painter. They seemed to have momentum heading into Game 3.

But the momentum disappeared quickly as Nola had big trouble throwing strikes.

Just three of his first 13 pitches to open the game were strikes. He fell behind Ronald Acuna Jr., and Matt Olson, the Braves’ Nos. 2 and 3 hitters, with 3-0 counts and eventually walked both. He then fell behind Michael Harris II, 2-0. Harris hit the next pitch, a sinker down and out of the zone, over the right-field wall for a three-run homer.

Nola did not make it through the second inning. Tim Mayza got the final out of the frame before handing off to Wheeler in the top of the third. The Phillies’ brain trust opted not to start Wheeler on three days’ rest. He’d never done that before. They reasoned that Nola’s best chance of succeeding would be to stay in a starter’s role.

“We’re going to need Nola in this game,” Mattingly said before the game. “Starting him gives us the best version of him.”

The Phillies weren’t sure Wheeler would even be able to pitch until he tested himself by playing catch before the game. He ended up pitching four innings but was not particularly sharp. He gave up three hits and walked three. One of those walks turned into a run when Ozzie Albies stroked a two-run homer in the fourth to give the Braves a 5-0 lead.

Later in the game, Olson hit the Braves’ third homer of the night, a solo shot against Jonathan Bowlan in the seventh.

Atlanta used lefty Ray Kerr as an opener. He pitched 3 1/3 innings and did not allow a run. The only hit Kerr allowed was a single to Kyle Schwarber in the first inning. Kerr then struck out Bryce Harper.

Grant Holmes, Robert Suarez, Didier Fuentes, Dylan Dodd and Chris Sale finished off the Phillies. Sale, the Braves’ ace lefty who started Game 1, entered with two outs in the eighth and struck out Harper.

Before the 2019 season, Harper signed a 13-year, $330-million contract with the Phillies. He came looking for a parade down Broad Street. Eight years later, he boarded a flight back to Philadelphia, still looking.

(More coming…)

Here’s all the info you need for tonight’s Wild Card Series decisive game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. The series is tied 1-1.

Aaron Nola, RHP vs. Ray Kerr, LHP

The Braves are going with a bullpen game. Kerr, a lefthander, is obviously starting to try to neutralize the LH power hitters at the top of the Phillies lineup. Not sure who their bulk guy will be.

Lineups:

Gotta have it.#RedOctoberpic.twitter.com/yg6CVaoWTa

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 1, 2026

Game 3. #LetItFlypic.twitter.com/t1p31mOp0U

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 1, 2026

TV: NBC. Announcers: Matt Vasgersian, John Kruk, C.J. Nitkowski, Joey Votto.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Enjoy the game, and discuss amongst yourselves.

Phillies at Braves

First pitch: 8:00 PM EDT
TV: NBC/Peacock
Probable pitchers: Aaron Nola, RHP (PHI), Ray Kerr, LHP (ATL)

It’s the deciding game 3 between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves Thursday afternoon. RHP Aaron Nola will start for the Phillies while the Braves will give the ball to LHP Ray Kerr. First pitch is scheduled for 7pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via NBC/Peacock.

In just a couple days, we will know the Guardians’ 26 choices for their ALDS roster. But, that won’t stop the impatient among us from guessing ahead of time!

Most choices are obvious:

Patrick Bailey and Austin Hedgees – Catchers

Nathaniel Lowe and David Fry – First Basemen

Travis Bazzana and Angel Genao – Second Basemen

Brayan Rocchio – Shortstop

Jose Ramirez – Third Baseman

Angel Martinez, Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, Jo Adell, Petey Halpin – Outfielders

Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, Joey Cantillo – Starting Pitchers

Daniel Espino, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, Shawn Armstrong and Cade Smith – Relief Pitchers

All of these players will make the roster. So, who gets the final four spots?

That leaves four positions.

Tanner Bibee, Foster Griffin, Slade Cecconi, Matt Festa, Daniel Schneemann, Rhys Hoskins, Craig Yoho, Franco Aleman and Austin Peterson would seem to be the top remaining options.

If Hoskins is healthy, I suspect he will make the roster to provide an additional right-handed hitter against Hagen Smith, Anthony Kay, Bryan Hudson and Sean Newcombe. Is he healthy? Supposedly, he is scrimmaging. Is he going to actually help vs. LHP? The jury is definitely out there. But, I have a feeling he will make it.

So, who gets the last three spots? Who SHOULD get them? With the depressing news that Colin Holderman is out, I think one answer should be Foster Griffin. Griffin has a 3.08 FIP against LHH. He should be a weapon to be deployed against left-handed hitters and seen as more reliable in that spot than Tim Herrin for the ALDS, given that the team will not need his services as a starter. He is the perfect pitcher to deploy with 1 or 2 runners on and 1 or 2 outs, given his penchant for getting groundballs, if a lefty is at the plate.

Ok, so two spots left. I think you can make a strong argument for Slade Cecconi, Tanner Bibee and for Daniel Schneemann. Is 14 positions players and 12 pitchers the right mix, or would it be helpful to have an additional left-handed bat on the bench? It is not going to be Kyle Manzardo as there have been zero signs that the team wants him back, at least yet. Would the team pull a 2025 Chase DeLauter and bring Ralphy Velazquez up as a bench bat? I WOULD BE SO HAPPY IF THEY DI… but, I don’t think that’s likely.

If the goal isn’t to get a serious left-handed bat to pinch-hit against Grant Taylor late in a game, then I vote Tanner Bibee and Slade Cecconi to fill out the roster. Both have experience, both have moxie and both can give you a really good inning of work if needed. In fact, I think the team should consider moving Espino to the back end of the pen and making Cecconi Cantillo’s opener for game three. I don’t oppose Schneemann making the roster but I do think if they want a left-handed bat, they should choose someone with consistent home run power. I know Schneemann provides a ton of defensive versatility and pinch-running skills, but, if that’s what they want, they should probably pick Schneemann over Halpin, and I don’t see them doing that.

So, there you have it. Add Rhys Hoskins, Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi and Foster Griffin to the names listed above and that’s my prediction for the ALDS roster.

By Austin Humphrey

Adrian Rodriguez is done switch-hitting, at least for now. The Texas Longhorns junior shortstop is staying on the left side of the plate, and he’s learning he doesn’t need nearly as many swings to get ready.

Rodriguez hit exclusively left-handed down the stretch of Texas’ 2026 run to Omaha while managing a left-hand injury that has followed him through his first two college seasons. The Longhorns plan to keep it that way heading into 2027.

Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said Monday the doctors and specialists Rodriguez saw recommended rest, and that batting right-handed bothered his left hand more than batting left-handed did. “With that rest, the best thing for him, at least at this point in his career, is to just hit on one side of the plate,” Schlossnagle said.

Switch hitting also meant twice the workload. “When you’re a switch hitter, it’s double the work, and whether you’re doing 10 swings in a day, you’ve got to do 10 from each side, or whether you’re doing 1,000, then it’s both sides,” Schlossnagle said.

The decision came through what Schlossnagle called “a series of conversations” over “a very long amount of time.” They involved Rodriguez, members of his family and Troy Tulowitzki, the former major-league shortstop who is now a star assistant for the Longhorns. Tulowitzki’s credibility, built in this case around his ability to “recite off examples of major leaguers that he’s played with” who have done more with fewer swings helped convince Rodriguez to stick with a reduced-volume approach from the left side. The goal was getting everyone on the same page “because we want him to feel supported by everyone around him,” Schlossnagle said.

Part of that process meant changing how Rodriguez prepares. Schlossnagle described telling his star shortstop  that “if some guys need 200 swings before a game to be ready, you need two and you’re ready to go,” even if that’s not an exact swing count.. “A lot of players find comfort and confidence in their work ethic,” Schlossnagle said. “I think he still has that.”

The hand has interrupted Rodriguez’s development more than once. His trouble dates to March 2025, when a pitch against Missouri fractured his left hamate. He finished his freshman season batting left-handed and had surgery that fall to insert a staple. The hardware came out around the end of March 2026 after inflammation that Schlossnagle attributed to an apparent reaction to nickel and cobalt. Rodriguez missed eight games after the procedure and returned against Alabama on April 17.

Even before the full switch, the left side was doing more damage. In an April 30 scouting report, Prep Baseball’s David Seifert listed a .461 slugging percentage for Rodriguez batting left-handed and .244 batting right-handed. The report didn’t include at-bat totals for each side, so those numbers are a midseason snapshot rather than a final split. By June 8, Burnt Orange Nation reported, Rodriguez was hitting exclusively left-handed because it caused less pain.

During Texas’ NCAA tournament run, Rodriguez went 19-for-31 (.613) with 16 RBI in eight games. His best afternoon came June 15, when he went 5-for-5 in a 14–2 elimination-game win over Alabama and hit for the third cycle in Men’s College World Series history. His sixth-inning home run completed the cycle, and his seven RBI tied a single-game event record.

That afternoon will be the easy reference point next spring, but his full season is a steadier measure of what Texas brings back: a .327 hitter with 18 doubles and 47 RBI in 53 starts.

So far, the hand has held up. “I haven’t seen any flare-ups. Certainly going to knock on wood about that,” Schlossnagle said. He added that it would be nice for everyone, Rodriguez most of all, “just to play a season without taking a swing and knowing that if you miss the ball, it’s going to hurt.”

Schlossnagle also said Rodriguez has “some clarity in his own mind about who he is as a player” and pointed to “so much success left on left.”

As for getting the Omaha version of Rodriguez every day, Schlossnagle kept his expectations simple.

“I just want to see him healthy and confident and smiling,” the Texas head coach said. “When he’s doing that, he’ll be just fine.”

So, here we are. One team is going to be having a champagne shower and booking a flight to Los Angeles for the National League Divisional Series and one team will have to face the cold, dark (and in this case, uncertain) offseason having to deal with the extra sting of having been eliminated by a divisional rival.

I think we’re all hoping that it’ll be the Atlanta Braves getting on the plane instead of the Philadelphia Phillies and if it’s going to happen, they’re going to need Ray Kerr (and Johnny Wholestaff, really) to come up huge and keep Philadelphia’s lineup quiet while the offense gets to work against Aaron Nola (and, well, Philadelphia’s whole pitching staff as well).

Obviously, the spotlight is on Kerr who will be making his fourth start and first-ever Postseason appearance. It’s been a long and winding road to get here for Kerr and now the Braves will be leaning on him to make it happen for them on the mound in a winner-take-all situation.

Walt Weiss was asked in the pregame press conference about how Kerr is approaching making this big start and agin, his history is definitely a factor in making sure that the moment doesn’t become too big for him. “Ray is a pretty easygoing guy. He’s got a great story, too, if you haven’t seen it,” said Weiss. “He’s overcome a lot of things in his life. He’s very grateful to be here and I’m sure really excited about the start.”

As far as the strategy goes, Weiss made it pretty clear what he had in mind when he was asked about that as well. “[The Phillies have] obviously a pretty tough left-handed top of the order,” explained Weiss. “Ray has thrown the ball well against these guys, and it’s been recent. I think two different outings within a week, three, three-plus each time, scoreless, did a nice job. Keeps a right-handed starter away from that top of the order for a minute. Ray has thrown the ball really well, he’s done a nice job for us.”

He was also asked about when he came up with the idea and it seemed like one of those ideas that came as a matter of circumstance. “I would say the last week of the regular season, just starting to look at some scenarios,” stated Weiss. “Look, we’ve lost all these starters. We lost three more starters toward the end of the year in Elder and Martin Pérez and Reynaldo López. We started to think a little bit creatively because we knew we might run into something like this. So it was good. It was good that Ray got that start under his belt.”

Meanwhile, the other big move of the day is that Dominic Smith has been given DH duties for this one, despite only receiving liited at-bats and playing time over the course of this season. Obviously his at-bat to end Game 2 didn’t exactly engender a ton of confidence amongst the Braves faithful but Weiss is feeling confident that Smith can come through when called upon.

Weiss was asked about why he thinks Smith can come through for the Braves tonight he explained that it was mostly due to the matchup. “Dom has got a lot of history against Nola. Not saying he’s dominated Nola or anything, but he’s had his fair share of success against him, a lot of at-bats,” said Weiss. A lot of the underlying numbers for Nola favor left-handers against him. Dom has been a big part of our success.“

“Look, he hasn’t had a lot of at-bats recently because when [Sean Murphy] came back, Murph was doing the lion’s share of the catching, which made Drake [Baldwin] the DH, and Dom was the odd man out,” stated Weiss as he also explained why Dominic Smith hadn’t received many ABs in recent times.

“…in the latter part of the season, I was using that DH spot to get guys off their feet, Ronald [Acuña Jr.] in particular. Several times he was the DH, [Ozzie] Albies was the DH. So Dom was the odd man out,” continued Weiss. “But [Dominic] is a professional hitter. He was instrumental in our early season success. He was one of the guys carrying us the first couple months of the season, and his at-bats got limited. Obviously the production was limited.”

Weiss continued to talk about the decision to start Smith and went back to his early-season results as an example (while also admitting that the Game 2 AB was rough). “But even when I’ve used him as a pinch-hitter, it’s almost always a quality at-bat. Tough at-bat yesterday, tough circumstances against a guy throwing 100, but I still felt good about Dom in the box yesterday. He just typically gives you a good — it’s usually a deep count by the time the at-bat is over. He can draw a walk. He uses the whole field. And we just needed a single right there. I thought Dom was our best option to get a single right there. Like I said, he’s a professional hitter.”

For what it’s worth, Dominic Smith has 11 hits in 41 plate appearances and has hit .268/.286/.488 with six doubles and a homer against Nola over the course of his career, so maybe there’s something there. Also, I’d imagine that Smith would be out of there once Nola is out of there (unless Dom just delivers a Big Dominic Smith Moment at the best possible moment) so this doesn’t feel like something we’re going to see for the full nine (or so) innings. Either way, it’ll be fascinating to see how this goes for Smith and the Braves.

Either way, the Braves are still feeling loose and confident heading into Game 3. When Mike Yastrzemski was asked about what the vibe of the clubhouse was like ahead of this big elimination game, Yaz stated that there was still a fun atmopshere in the clubhouse despite so much being at stake.

“It feels like any other day right now. I don’t know if you like to hear that or not, but that’s just the reality of things. It’s another game,” stated Yaz. “There are repercussions at the end of the game, but for us to play our best, it has to be just another game. Because if we start thinking about things and overanalyzing how a pitcher is going to throw, what a hitter is going to be looking for, that’s how you get locked up in those moments. Trusting our preparation, trusting all the work we’ve put in the whole season is the way we’re going to be able to play loose. Guys like Ozzie and Ronny and [Mauricio Dubón] that are laughing and having a good time and bringing out the best in everyone, that’s what they’re going to be doing today because that’s how we operate.”

Mauricio Dubón also seemed pretty loose and confident, though he’s always come off that way in my experiences with him and just observing him around the ballpark. When he was asked about the game moving to 8 p.m. ET, he stated that he was excited about being able to play in front of a full house in primetime. “The vibes are good. It’s the only game that’s being played today. Everybody is going to be watching. Phillies and Braves fans hate each other. So it’s going to be really fun,” said Dubón.

When I asked him about being able to deliver in those big, two-out, high-leverage sitautions, he explained to me that it was all about focus and stepping up in the moment. Just getting the job done, man. If you don’t do it, somebody else will. They’re going to bring somebody else to do it,“ explained Dubón. ”I think the sense of urgency, just try to get the job done. You don’t need a three-run homer to deliver. One at a time is going to be really important right there. If you get it, great. If not, just try to bring one in.“

So while they’re loose, the squad appears to be focused as well. They’re professionals and they know what’s on the line. Ultimately, everybody knows what’s at stake and they know that they’ve got to either produce or go home. It’s that simple. Hopefully once we reach the end of the night, we’ll be here discussing a joyous night at Truist Park instead of a bummer. We’ll see what happens!

The Houston Astros 2026 season ended much the way it existed all season long: unfulfilled promise, frustration, some excitement that ended in disappointment. The unfulfilling season capped off with an unfulfilling ending.

So many issues that the Astros had to work through this season exposed their lack of major-league caliber depth. It unfortunately coincided with some older players losing their stare downs with Father Time.

So where do the Astros go from here (position player edition):

A) Make a decision on Jeremy Pena.

This is the most important offseason decision the team has to make. Are they willing to pay Jeremy Pena and make him the next Astros lifer, following in the footsteps of Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Jose Altuve? If they aren’t, will they look to maximize his value the way they did Kyle Tucker, or will they let him walk for nothing as they did most recently with Alex Bregman and Framber Valdez?

Paying him a long term deal (which Astros owner Jim Crane has been loathe to do for anyone) comes with the risk of Pena experiencing a significant performance drop-off towards the end of the contract. Pena just completed his age-28 season, and has one more year of arbitration before he hits free agency.

If they were to write him an 8-year deal that included eating up his final year of arbitration, it would take him through his age-36 season. Jose Altuve just completed his age-36 season, and it was by far the worst season of his career. Altuve is also a franchise icon. Pena could be in the same vein when you consider his resume (All-Star, Gold Glove winner, ALCS MVP, World Series MVP, World Series champion, team leader) and his current importance to the team. Pena is a team leader, offensive catalyst, and their clear best defender at the position (despite his occasional mental lapses in this injury-marred season).

If they were to trade him, they could get a Kyle Tucker-esque return, which has proven to be a very strong return for the Astros. Paredes is a top-3 bat on the team with a tailor-made swing for Daikin Park, Cam Smith developed more power this season and is some pitch recognition from becoming an All-Star, and Hayden Wesneski has turned into a solid middle-of the-rotation pitcher. They may even be able to get more for Pena because he plays a premium position, has the postseason pedigree, the leadership pedigree, and his contract demands won’t be so absurd per year that only 3-5 teams can consider him.

The only thing they cannot do, especially with the team not being a World Series contender, is have him play out the season and walk away for nothing at the end of the year. That would be franchise malpractice.

B) Find a trade partner for Christian Walker.

Walker isn’t Jose Abreu. 29 HR and 87 RBI don’t grow on trees. He did post a 103 OPS+, so he was slightly above league average as a hitter, despite the low batting average (.226) and low OBP (.299). His defense was also still above average, as his 3 Outs Above Average (OAA) were tied for sixth-best in MLB.

But there are too many strikeouts, too many GIDPs, too many missed RBI opportunities. Finishing his age-35 season, it really looks nearly identical to his age-34 season that had many questioning if Father Time had called him with bad news.

The Astros have an infield log jam, and either Isaac Paredes or Carlos Correa are both superior options to Walker at 1B at this point, and both are more productive and on better contracts.

Walker’s comments regarding Astros fans after Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series against the Chicago White Sox didn’t win him any fans, either. I am a firm believer that once a player takes shots at the fans, it’s time for them to go. This is especially true with underperformers who have not had any major accomplishments in the team uniform.

C) Settle the positions of Isaac Paredes and Carlos Correa.

Paredes has 1B experience, but has played more 3B. While he is not an elite defensive 3B by any metric (-3 OAA, tied for 31st), his defense has not been a real negative factor impacting games for the Astros in either of the past two seasons.

Correa is a superior defender at 3B, but his tendon injury must be accounted for. If the tendon injury limits Correa’s ability to play 3B, whether it’s lateral movement or ability to charge balls or throw on the run, moving Correa to 1B should be an option on the table.

Correa would be a big target at 1B (he’s 6’3”), his ability to snag short hops at 3B should translate to his ability to pick short hop throws at 1B, and his natural athleticism and high baseball IQ should translate to his learning a new position easily. While it would make sense to have the better defender at 3B, if Correa has a potential physical limitation, playing him at 1B would make more sense. Additionally, just as Correa wanted to move to 3B to make playing easier on his body, a move to 1B would take more burden off him physically. As demonstrated this season, the Astros really need Correa’s bat in the lineup.

D) The Astros have to change how they manage the DH spot.

Yordan Alvarez made just 24 starts in LF this season, his fewest in which he played a full season. He also maintained his reputation of hitting better when he plays the field. The presumed favorite for AL MVP this season hit .305 with a .422 OBP and .997 OPS as a DH. As a LF, he hit a ridiculous .376 with a .476 OBP and 1.239 OPS.

Essentially as a DH Yordan is an All-Star. As a LF, he’s Babe Ruth.

Jose Altuve has become nearly unplayable at 2B this season. He was an MLB-worst -10 OAA. His limited range was on display in the first inning of Game 2 of the AL Wild Card game vs. the White Sox when he was unable to get to a ground ball while diving that Nick Allen would have gotten to standing up. Father Time really came for Jose Altuve this season, and the franchise icon just couldn’t beat him back down.

Altuve made 127 starts at 2B this season, and only 7 at DH. While it’s a very small sample size, Altuve posted a .689 OPS as a 2B and a .922 OPS as a DH.

Those numbers on their own don’t say much, but when we add them to last season’s splits, the picture becomes clearer.

In 2025, Altuve played 63 games at 2B, and posted a .759 OPS. He played 45 games in LF, and post a .742 OPS. In 49 games as a DH, his OPS was .816. Altuve’s numbers are better when his body is fresher.

This should demonstrate that the Astros need to stop making Yordan a full-time DH, and have him share the spot with Altuve.

Altuve clearly needs more DH time, and hits better there. Alvarez, while a poor fielder due to limited range, brings a ton of offense and power to an OF that was incredibly weak at the plate in 2026. Also, it turns out, Alvarez is superhuman at the plate when he plays the field.

Alvarez has never played more than 56 games in LF, and now the Astros need to ask him to play about 75. They also need to ask Altuve to drop to about 75 games in the field. It’s a big ask of both players, but it seems like the best way to manage both of them going forward and maximize their success.

Major League Baseball did in fact look into the substance that many people seemed to notice on Sonny Gray’s neck during the Red Sox’s Game 2 wild-card series loss to the Yankees, The Post confirmed.

Sports talk host Craig Carton first reported on WFAN on Thursday that the league had looked into it.

While the Yankees walloped the Red Sox to complete the sweep, plenty of baseball fans noticed what appeared to be a strange substance on Gray’s neck when he was on the mound, raising plenty of questions. 

Gray appeared to touch it at various times while on the mound, and baseball fans were quick to point out the discoloration on the right side of his neck. 

Did Major League Baseball look into whatever was on Sonny Gray's neck? @craigcartonlive called the league to find out: pic.twitter.com/DwieOdG2Vj

— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) October 1, 2026

Carton said on air that he was told by Major League Baseball that it was on top of the situation and that the umpires had checked his hat, glove and hands after every inning he pitched. 

“He was checked after every inning. The spin rate was not up at all compared to his starts throughout the regular season,” Carton said. “They did a full check because, obviously, if you’re watching the game, like we all are, you saw the right side of his neck was discolored.”

Gray pitched 4 ⅔ innings and allowed only a solo home run to Luis Garcia Jr. before he was pulled from the game at 70 pitches. 

Sonny Gray obviously had sticky stuff on his neck, a breakdown pic.twitter.com/ii41NNMsDK

— Jimmy O'Brien (@Jomboy_) October 1, 2026

The veteran right-hander seemed to question the decision to pull him from the game. 

“I think I’m the best pitcher in the American League going through the order the third time. I think that’s a fact. I would have liked to live or die with me in that moment, but that’s the competitor I am,” he told reporters. “You can probably ask the guys and they felt the same way. I felt strong. I felt confident.

“I felt convicted. What can you do? You know.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong hit 45 home runs and stole 41 bases this season. Only six players in major league history had done that before him.

In two playoff games against the San Diego Padres, he and Alex Bregman went a combined 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts.

The Cubs scored more runs than any team in baseball during the regular season. They scored one in the wild-card round.

They weren't the only ones that didn't actually make it to October and are hitting the golf course early.

The Boston Red Soxscored two runs in 18 innings against the New York Yankees. In Houston, Astros right-hander Hunter Brown threw 36 pitches in an elimination game and got two outs. The Chicago White Sox pinned four runs on him in the first.

None of this came out of nowhere.

Boston finished 26th in the majors in home runs. The Cubs built a rotation with the idea the lineup would cover up the warts. Houston needed a club-record 19 starting pitches to get through 162 games.

The postseason found the fatal flaws.

Here's what sank each team and what it will take for them to get back stronger next fall.

Why Chicago Cubs lost to San Diego Padres

The Cubs lineup was supposed to carry them. For six months, it did.

Chicago led the majors in runs and hit 220 home runs. Pete Crow-Armstrong joined the 40-40 club. Most nights, the lineup covered up the Cubs fatal flaw: pitching.

The rotation was flawed from the start. Shota Imanaga allowed 34 home runs, the most in the majors. They tried to fix it by acquiring Kevin Gausman, who posted a 5.04 ERA after the trade, and Clay Holmes, who had never started a postseason game.

The plan was to outscore everybody and it lasted for one inning. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado homered off Matthew Boyd in the first inning of Game 1. Michael King took it from there.

The Cubs went 8-for-62, a .129 batting average over the two games.

The fix starts on the mound. Imanaga, Gausman, Boyd and Holmes are all headed to free agency, so Chicago is rebuilding the rotation. Help is coming, just not soon. Cade Horton, who finished second in 2025 Rookie of the Year voting, had Tommy John surgery in April. Justin Steele, a 2023 All-Star and under contract through 2027, will be back from his second elbow surgery. Jaxon Wiggins, the Cubs' top prospect, can hit 100 mph, but also had a 7.83 ERA in Triple-A.

The Cubs have to spend on a stopper, one starter they can rely on and give the ball to for Game 1. They need to go all in on a pitcher, so why not go for broke with Tarik Skubal, the two-time American League Cy Young winner. He is going to be expensive, but he turns them into a contender.

Why Boston Red Sox lost to New York Yankees

Willson Contreras' solo homer in the sixth inning of Game 2 ended a streak of 26 2/3 innings without a run for the Red Sox.

Boston scored two runs in two games.

The offense looked a lot like the one Boston had all season. The Red Sox finished 23rd in the majors in runs and 26th in home runs. Against the Yankees, they managed seven hits in 18 innings.

The lack of runs shaped everything else.

First-year manager Chad Tracy pulled both his starters, Payton Tolle and Sonny Gray, with two outs in the fifth inning and Boston trailing 1-0. He said he felt he had to be aggressive because the team could not score.

He managed like one run would beat him and with the lineup he had, it could.

The fix is getting what general manager Craig Breslow dealt away in 2025 and hasn't replaced: a middle-of-the-order power hitter - or two.

Brandon Lowe, who hit 35 homers for Pittsburgh, is a free agent they could probably get at a bargain. Boston also needs more from players already on the roster. Jarren Duran's production has dropped two years running, and Roman Anthony needs to stay healthy.

Why Houston Astros lost to Chicago White Sox

Hunter Brown needed 36 pitches to get two outs.

He had a 2.68 ERA over an eight-start stretch late in the season, the closest thing Houston had to a sure thing. The White Sox scored four runs on him and chased him in the first inning. The offense rallied to within a run, but the bullpen couldn't hold it and the season was over.

Houston's rotation spent most of 2026 on the injured list. Brown strained his shoulder in April. Tatsuya Imai and Cristian Javier went down within weeks. The Astros were 20-31 by mid-May and used a franchise-record 19 starting pitchers. Their starters carried a 4.97 ERA, 28th in the majors, into September. The staff walked 628 batters, the most in the American League.

Yordan Alvarez is the only reason the Astros were able to pull out the American League West title with an 81-81 record. He won the AL batting title at .316, hit 42 homers and led the majors in on-base and slugging percentage. He is under contract through 2028. Since he signed a six-year extension in 2022, the Astros have won one playoff series. They are wasting his prime without pitching.

The fix is two dependable starters to slot in behind Brown. Imai can opt out of his three-year, $54 million deal. Mike Burrows had a 5.99 ERA before he went on the injured list. Javier has been up and down when healthy. None of them is a sure thing for 2027.

Michael King has an opt-out after this season. Though he missed chunks of time with a thoracic-outlet nerve issue and a knee inflammation, he just threw a gem in the wild card round.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoffs fatal flaws: Why Cubs, Red Sox and Astros got swept – and how to fix them

We’re getting the AL playoff matchup we deserve with Yankees-Rays, the league’s two top teams, though it’d be cooler if it were one round later than this best-of-five AL Division Series. 

Oh, well. Maybe the shorter dose will jolt the intensity even higher because this will be intense. Even if Yanks-Rays doesn’t have the dates-back-to-Babe Ruth lore of Yanks-Red Sox, it still has the right kind of heat to make this a compelling October. 

The Rays are a pesky lot who seem to have it coded into their DNA to annoy the Yankees. What fun! They pitch, run, bunt and, oh, have a guy who smashed the second-most home runs in the AL -- Junior Caminero, one of the great young hitters in the game. 

Tampa Bay won the season series, 7-6, and even got to clinch and celebrate their AL East Division title at Yankee Stadium. The only previous time the Yanks and Rays met in the playoffs was in the five-game 2020 ALDS won by Tampa Bay. 

This year’s models are well matched -- they scored at nearly the same rate this season (the Yanks, at 4.59 runs per game, were 0.05 better), even if their offenses hum differently. The clubs, led by the Rays, were 1-2 in the AL in steals. Tampa Bay (.728) had a better team OPS by eight points. The Yanks’ 3.24 ERA topped the Rays’ 3.70. 

There’s even pre-series intrigue -- will Aaron Judge be healthy enough to make the Yanks’ roster? We’ll know by the time the series begins Saturday night at the Rays’ home, Tropicana Field.

WHAT THE YANKEES HAVE GOING FOR THEM

If you watched the dismissal of the Red Sox, it looks like every dang thing, right? 

They outscored Boston, 18-2, and outhit the Sox, 26-7. They raked with RISP (.450 average). Their lefties mauled Boston’s left-handed pitchers (an absurd .429 average and 1.002 OPS over the two games). The Red Sox batted .117 in the series and did not score for the first 14 innings. The Yanks even stole four bases. 

“We played great baseball in a lot of ways,” Aaron Boone said after the series. 

Things figure to be much more difficult against Tampa -- in plain language, the Yanks ain't going to be scoring nine runs per game in this dogfight. 

Still, they should generate offense, especially since they’re blazing hot -- Boston manager Chad Tracy said some form of “they swung the bats great” five different times in his postgame press conference after Game 2. 

Ben Rice was a one-man game wrecker in the opener, and Luis García Jr. and Cody Bellinger smacked homers in Game 2. Even Austin Wells, a frustrating null set at the bottom of the order most of the regular season, was tremendous against Boston, batting .500 with four RBI. 

And Judge could really impact the series if his calf is healed enough. 

Then there’s the rotation, a pinstriped behemoth all year and into the postseason. Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodón (1.42 ERA in September) figure to start Game 1. Cam Schlittler, the best pitcher in the AL all year, is lined up for Game 2 and Game 5, a nice slot for the Yankees. 

“That has been the biggest strength for us throughout the year,” Boone said of the rotation, a constant when Judge missed time. “It sustained us. It got us through some difficult times.” 

Schlittler and Max Fried ate up 12.1 innings against Boston, meaning the Yanks’ bullpen had a mostly light load. 

WHAT THE RAYS HAVE GOING FOR THEM

Only Kyle Schwarber (101) has more home runs than the 87 Caminero has over the last two seasons. Caminero, just 23 years old, slugged 42 home runs this year and showed evidence of evolving into an even tougher out -- his on-base percentage soared 49 points to .360.

As a team, the Rays thrive when they put the ball in play. They struck out the fewest times in baseball. They tied Milwaukee for the highest batting average (.258) and led everyone in batting with runners in scoring position (.283), despite producing some of the lowest hard-hit numbers in the sport. 

Speaking of hard contact, outfielder Chandler Simpson doesn’t really make any. That’s OK -- it’s not his game. He batted .306, second in the AL, and frustrates opponents with speed and slap. He led the AL with 46 stolen bases.

The Rays will run some quality pitching at the Yankees, including presumptive Game 1 starter Drew Rasmussen, who led the AL in WHIP and K/BB ratio and relies on three fastballs with differing movement, a la Schlittler. Fordham product Nick Martinez (15-6, 3.10 ERA) was perhaps the most savvy free agent signing last winter, and ex-Met Freddy Peralta had a 0.79 ERA over his final six starts and was the AL Pitcher of the Month for September.

The last time Rasmussen pitched against the Yanks, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning the day the Rays clinched the division. In his career, he’s 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA against the Yanks.

The Rays tied for the best home record in baseball (55-26) and, even if the Yanks are a good road team, it’s a big advantage playing three games in a best-of-five at the Trop. It’s a gray, sterile atmosphere and experience tracking fly balls with the roof as a backdrop can be important. Dome, sweet dome, indeed.

THE YANKEES WILL WIN THE SERIES IF…

The starters are the thing. Again. Schlittler is authoring a postseason resume that ultimately will be like few others if he keeps adding October gems. It’d be fascinating if Game 5 comes down to his start. Fried might not have had his best stuff in Game 2, but he also didn’t have any trouble with the Red Sox and now Cole and Rodón await their turns. 

The above mentioned “difficult times” Boone talked about were those vexing days when the Yankee offense would vanish. It’s happened in previous Octobers to the Yankees, which perhaps is why the flashes they got from the running game against Boston seem so promising. If their lineup flags, perhaps they can force offense – like the Rays do – with speed. 

Rice has hit free and easy for weeks now after seeing his numbers tumble when Judge first went out during the regular season. He’ll be a constant threat. 

And if Judge does make it back and can give them a lightning bolt or two, watch out. 

THE RAYS WILL WIN THE SERIES IF…

Caminero puts on a show and the rest of the Rays continue their frenetic baseball stylings. 

Annually, there is a ton of hand-wringing over home runs and October baseball. Detractors whine: “You can’t rely on the long ball.” Maybe. But hitting home runs is an extremely effective way to win playoff games. 

Already this year, teams that out-homer their opponent are 5-1, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com. Last October, teams that did it were 30-5. 

Yeah, it’s nice to find other ways to score and the Rays will. But if Caminero parks a few, Tampa Bay is all the more dangerous. He was one of baseball’s best against fastballs, in terms of slugging and OPS. But there’s pressure on him, too, because the Yanks, who out-homered the Rays, 223-169, during the season, seem much more likely to go deep as a team. 

If Caminero has a power outage, perhaps the Rays will discombobulate the Yanks by flooding the basepaths and putting runners in motion. 

PREDICTION

Yanks in five. 

Maybe there’s some recency bias involved, but it’s hard to pick against the Yankees after watching them annihilate Boston, especially knowing their rotation is healthy. 

And it wasn’t just stars that fueled two routs -- hitters up and down the lineup, even as young as 21 (George Lombard Jr.), made huge contributions. A repeat might be enough to get the Yanks all the way to the ALCS.