LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 8: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout during the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on September 8, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers begin their final regular season home series of the year, hosting the San Diego Padres beginning Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
Center fielder Andy Pages will likely be activated to start on Tuesday, after missing 27 games with a broken left hand.
It’ll be a bullpen game for the Dodgers in the opener, who will start Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday and likely Tyler Glasnow on Thursday. Roki Sasaki is expected to be available out of the bullpen against the Padres, not as a bulk reliever, but will instead pitch in high-leverage relief, potentially for multiple innings on occasion.
“I trust him,” manager Dave Roberts said of Sasaki in relief on Sunday.
Right-hander Michael King starts on the mound for the Padres on Tuesday.
Nolan Arenado (28) of the Arizona Diamondbacks runs the bases after hitting a grand slam off relief pitcher Brent Headrick (47) of the New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026.
PHOENIX — The Yankees’ chances of winning the AL East are on life support.
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Of greater concern is whether their bullpen meltdown Sunday was just a bad day or cracks emerging in a heavily worked unit.
Brent Headrick served up a grand slam to Nolan Arenado in the fifth inning, flipping the game on its head and all but wrapping up the Yankees’ spot in the AL wild-card series next week after an 8-4 loss to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
By dropping the series finale, a game they once led 4-1, the Yankees (89-66) fell to six games back of the Rays with seven to play. They will welcome the Rays to Yankee Stadium on Tuesday for a four-game showdown, needing a sweep to stay alive in the division race. One win by the Rays in The Bronx will secure them the AL East title.
“I feel like we let the last two slip away, which is tough to do right now,” Will Warren said. “But it’s coming down to the wire, and we got to keep winning, finding a way to win.”
Nolan Arenado (28) of the Arizona Diamondbacks runs the bases after hitting a grand slam off relief pitcher Brent Headrick (47) of the New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. Getty Images
If and when the division officially becomes out of reach, the Yankees would then turn their attention to securing the top AL wild card, ending Sunday leading the Red Sox by 5 ¹/₂ games, though Aaron Judge’s questionable status for that series because of a calf strain looms over everything.
Getting an early resolution on the division would allow the Yankees to give some of their overworked relievers (like Headrick) some rest, but first comes a Tuesday doubleheader against the Rays.
“We’re going to show up Tuesday and try to kick their butt,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Simple as that, and we’ll keep it simple.”
New York Yankees left fielder Heliot Ramos (34) celebrates his home run with first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (26) during the third inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In the meantime, Sunday’s loss — on the heels of Saturday’s walk-off win by the Diamondbacks (82-74) — was another regrettable one after third-inning home runs by Heliot Ramos, George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones off Corbin Burnes had staked them out to a 4-1 lead.
Then in the bottom of the fifth, Warren loaded the bases with one out, at which point Boone called on the reliable Headrick for his 79th appearance of the season — the second most in the majors.
Before Sunday, Headrick had inherited 50 runners this season and allowed only five of them to score. But after striking out the first batter he faced, Headrick walked Corbin Carroll to force in a run, which brought Arenado to the plate.
A New York Yankees fan watches during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Phoenix. AP Photo/Caitlin O'Hara
Arenado crushed Headrick’s 2-0 fastball just to the left of the left field foul pole, but then straightened it out on the very next pitch (another fastball), clobbering a grand slam to put the Diamondbacks ahead 6-4.
“I felt good, just lack of execution and falling behind hitters,” insisted Headrick, who was pitching for a second straight day.
“He’s been a dog for us all year,” Warren said. “It sucks, but obviously we rely on him, and he’s been really good for us all year, and he’s going to continue to be good.”
Headrick’s average fastball velocity was down again Sunday, as it has been for most of his outings of late, though his fastest pitch was the 94.2 mph heater — matching his season average — that Arenado drilled for the grand slam.
“He’ll be all right,” Boone said. “His stuff plays as long as he’s commanding the strike zone and using his slider and splitter effectively. Hopefully in this week, we can get him set up to be in a really good spot heading into the postseason.”
The Diamondbacks later added a pair of insurance runs off John Schreiber in the seventh inning, the first earned runs Schreiber has allowed as a Yankee, putting another serious dent in their chances of catching the Rays.
“That’s a tall task,” Boone said. “We got an off day [Monday], then come ready to play some baseball on a long day Tuesday and see where it goes.”
NOTE: There are photos in the body of this article that could be upsetting to some readers.
Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman was injured during the fourth inning of Sunday’s game against the Reds in Cincinnati in the most freakish way possible — on a check swing foul ball off the bat of Michael Busch, while Bregman was in the on-deck area.
Bregman immediately left the game and went to a local hospital for X-rays and a CT scan. Here’s what we know as of now, via Patrick Mooney in The Athletic:
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he anticipated Bregman traveling with the team on Sunday night back to Chicago.
“It’s the left cheekbone, essentially, under the eye,” Counsell said. “I don’t know anything more than that right now. He had a cut under his eye. He was bleeding from his nose a little bit. He’s pretty swollen.”
You can see exactly where that injury was in this photo:
I know that’s not fun to look at, which is why I didn’t make it the lead image for this article. But you can see a cut below Bregman’s eye and his nose bleeding. Hopefully, what Pete Crow-Armstrong said is true:
“At the end of the day, you just hope your friend’s OK,” Crow-Armstrong said. “That’s the news that I’m hoping for. I heard no concussion, maybe, so that’s a plus. Scary stuff.”
Assuming there’s no concussion, the swelling is reduced and Bregman has no vision issues, he could perhaps play in the series against the Marlins which begins Tuesday evening at Wrigley Field. Or, the team might think it better to hold him out for a day or two of that series to see how things are going. If the Cubs can defeat the Marlins without Bregman, and maybe clinch home field by winning at home while the Dodgers beat the Padres in San Diego, Bregman could rest until a Wild Card series begins next week. Here’s more from Counsell:
“We got to get good results at the hospital,” Counsell said. “That’s what’s first. He got hit in the face, so you’re worried just about general well-being first. If we get a good report, then we’ll kind of move to the next step. I want to get a good report first.”
Well, that’s pretty scary looking. Hopefully, it looks worse than it is.
The Cubs still have a magic number of 1 to clinch that Wild Card spot, which they can do by defeating the Marlins Tuesday evening. It would be nice to see the team clinch the postseason at Wrigley Field. All the teams involved in that race — the Cubs, Phillies, Padres and Diamondbacks — are off Monday.
In the final home game of the season for the Mets, rookie starter Jonah Tonggot the ball against the Philadelphia Phillies for his second-to-last start of the year and things didn’t start out so well for the right-hander.
Tong walked the leadoff hitter, Kyle Schwarber, after getting ahead in the count 1-2 and allowed a single to Bryce Harper before Luis Arraez brought home the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly. Alec Bohm followed with an RBI single which quickly put New York in a 2-0 hole.
The inning ended with a scary moment after Bryson Stott collided with Tong at first base on a ground ball hit to first baseman Mark Vientos. Tong beat Stott to the bag and got the out, but Stott stepped on Tong’s ankle before sending him to the ground.
“I got to work on standing my ground there I guess,” the rookie said, before adding, “I didn’t realize he stepped on me until someone said it afterwards. Maybe I’ll feel it tomorrow, but I feel great right now.”
To Tong’s credit, he popped right back up and after hopping around a bit he went right back to the dugout before coming back out for the second where he retired the side in order with two strikeouts. Unfortunately things went south again in the third.
Once again, Tong walked Schwarber to lead things off after a nine-pitch at-bat where he got ahead of the slugger 1-2. The Phillies made the rookie pay after Trea Turner doubled Schwarber home to extend their lead to 3-0. A fourth run came in to score on Arraez’s single.
“I think I just need to do a better job of, especially after that first inning, set the tone,” Tong said. “Feel like I competed well through it, but again my job is to limit damage and go out there and keep competing.”
Tong ended up fighting his way through 4.2 innings without allowing another run, although he walked four and had trouble putting hitters away while throwing 95 pitches (58 strikes) in what was a wet and rainy day at the ballpark.
Interim manager Andy Green was pleased that Tong showed some fight after a tough start, but he wants to see more out of his young right-hander and doesn’t want to make excuses for him and even challenged him as he’s done throughout the season for many of the youngsters on the team.
“I expect Jonah to beat those guys,” Green said. “As for the weather, it’s obviously harder to pitch when the mound is wet, it’s wet for both teams. There is some level of truth to if you’re a pitcher that gets a lot of extension, and especially if you’re shorter, the way Jonah does you get further down the slope, you’ll slip a little bit more – makes it a little bit harder, but that’s handing him an excuse that he doesn’t need.”
The skipper continued: “Felt he competed. Wasn’t his best day here but he wasn’t far from getting through five right there.”
In three starts since his September call-up, Tong is 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA and has struck out 18 in 15.2 innings. Before Sunday, the 23-year-old had also kept his walks down with just two free passes in 11 innings.
While he admitted that “walks suck”, Tong said he’s not going to dwell on them and is just looking forward to getting back on the mound and competing once again.
“I think I’ve learned a lot about myself, I’ve said that a lot, but just continuing to find ways to get deep into games has been a big focus of mine,” Tong said. “So I know after a rocky start to go as deep as I possibly could was something I look back on and I’m happy with.”
A year removed from his first major league call-up which was perhaps premature but came at a time where the Mets were desperate for some pitching and trying to keep their season from collapsing, Tong does look and sound more confident in himself and his numbers would agree.
Although he showed promise at times, in five starts last year Tong pitched to a 7.71 ERA. This year, which also includes three relief outings in May and June, the right-hander has a 4.21 ERA.
So, has Tong made a big enough jump to be considered for next year’s starting rotation?
“He definitely has a chance,” Green said. “I think we’ve kinda painted the landscape for a lot of the guys that like we’re likely to go sign some people. We’ll have a lot of guys who have established themselves at that point in time so the chance is heightened if he pitches really well, if his stuff gets better, if strikes are there and so I think all those things are possible for Jonah. I’m excited to see him get on the mound one last time this season.”
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 20: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks runs the bases after hitting a grand slam off relief pitcher Brent Headrick #47 of the New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Chase Field on September 20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Contrary to popular belief, I actually think the Yankees have done decently well for themselves considering the brutal injury luck they’ve had this year, especially since their abbreviated “June swoon” ended in early July. Outside of a dreadful 4-14 stretch, they’ve routinely played .600 ball, something that would either easily win or be extremely competitive for three of the other five divisions in the sport.
Unfortunately, they play in by far the most competitive division in recent baseball history. There’s a good chance all five teams win 78+ games. I’m not looking up the last time that happened (editor’s guess: the 2005 NL East?), but it doesn’t happen often. In said division, the Rays never ever slowed down. Going 3-3 this week against the Twins and Diamondbacks was likely never going to be enough, but when Tampa Bay goes 5-1, it’s dead on arrival. Blame the teams playing them, blame the Yankees for playing some shoddy baseball the last few days, whatever. Their fate is 99-percent sealed.
Barring a 7-0 or 0-7 final week, they will be hosting the Boston Red Sox starting next Tuesday in the Bronx for a second consecutive year in the Wild Card Series. This next week will be effectively meaningless, but considering you’ll be (hopefully) playing the Rays in the playoffs, I’d like to see a good series against them starting Tuesday anyway. Show some pride, will ya?
As for today’s game, it kinda sucked. Early homers by Heliot Ramos, George Lombard Jr., and Spencer Jones seemed to set a good tone, but it unraveled in a disastrous five-run fifth, as Will Warren had his first bad outing since August and Brent Headrick couldn’t put out the fire he departed with in what turned into an 8-4 loss.
What you want against a pitcher on a pitch count is to jump on him early, and at least for a bit, it seemed like they’d do that off Corbin Burnes. Ben Rice worked a four-pitch walk and Cody Bellinger lined a single to right-center field, but Burnes induced three consecutive flyouts to center field to get out of it, albeit on 23 pitches.
Warren took the mound and got in the same trouble as Burnes, with Lars Nootbaar and Ketel Marte lining singles up the middle. He routinely worked ahead in the count but kept giving up singles up the middle, capped by one from Geraldo Perdomo to make it 1-0 early. He induced a double play to keep his pitch count down, but put the Yanks in a small early hole.
The second was pretty quiet for both pitchers, but the Yankees kept driving up the pitch count on Burnes with an Austin Wells walk, but they did nothing with it. Warren walked last night’s hero, Pavin Smith, but got through his inning unscathed.
There would be no leaving Burnes unscathed in the third, who gave up a trio of increasingly impressive homers. Heliot Ramos pulled one just over the head of Nootbaar in left field for a homer, his second straight day going yard off a righty, to start things off. After a single by Luis García Jr., we saw probably the best major league swing by George Lombard Jr., who walloped a grooved cutter 424 feet to deep left field to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead.
Just one batter later, Burnes was rudely introduced to Spencer Jones, who let him know what it looks like when you hang a curveball in the zone. He obliterated a 3-2 pitch 448 feet, way past the ridiculously deep center field wall at Chase Field, to chase a diminished Burnes from the game for Ryne Nelson, who wrapped up the third, but not before the Yankees took a 4-1 lead.
Being given a decent lead, Warren kept filling up the zone, working around a two-out single to Marte in the third and a two-out walk to Jesús Sánchez in the fourth to keep the lead intact through four innings. That unraveled in a hurry in the fifth, as a double, single, and walk with one out loaded the bases against a laboring Warren, who was lifted for Brent Headrick.
The fireman lefty got Perdomo to strike out, but fell behind the next two hitters and got in big trouble. He walked Corbin Carroll to force in a run with two outs and, after giving up a foul home run on the previous pitch, he served up a 2-1 cookie down the pipe for a Nolan Arenado grand slam to give the D-backs the lead for good, 6-4. The life of a reliever is defined by ebbs and flows, so I’m not calling him burnt out yet, but given how meaningless the final week of the season now is, you should probably give him some rest.
There was a chance at an immediate response in the sixth after a bunt single from Lombard and a single from Anthony Volpe, but José Caballero popped a 3-2 slider to shallow right field to end the inning with the tying run on base. He also chased a handful of pitches prior, which could’ve gotten him on base for Rice. Bummer.
Tim Hill got the bottom of the sixth and pitched around a leadoff single by inducing a double play. Brandyn Garcia made easy work of the top of the order in the seventh for Arizona, while their offense tacked on against righty specialist John Schreiber, who predictably struggled when some lefties came up. A crummy infield single by Gabriel Moreno was followed by an RBI triple from Perdomo and an RBI single by Carroll to make it 8-4 after seven.
Old friend Jonathan Loáisiga got to make an appearance in the eighth, retiring the middle of the order in order. I’m happy he’s had a healthy, good season. After Luis Gil did the same in the bottom half, Loáisiga worked around a one-out single by Austin Wells to close it out against his former team. Good for him. Arizona probably won’t be going to October in a hellacious NL (their record is better than half the current AL playoff teams), but they kept their season partially alive with good play the last two days.
A series that we all hoped would be more meaningful than it now is begins on Tuesday in the Bronx, as the Yankees and Rays will play a split-admission twin bill. It’ll be Carlos Rodón vs. Nick Martinez in the matinee at 1:05 pm and Max Fried vs. Drew Rasmussen in the nightcap at 7:05 pm. Both games will be on YES, but the second game will also be carried on TBS.
Sep 20, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) hits a two RBI triple against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The pitching was a mess, in dire need of a starter that would step up and pitch well enough that the bullpen wouldn’t be an issue. At the very least, the Phillies needed some length out of their starter, avoiding the bullpen as much as possible.
Enter Cristopher Sanchez.
Sanchez stopped the bleeding for the Phillies, leading them to a badly needed win in New York, where they can head home needing to clinch a final spot in the playoffs. He was buoyed by an offense that showed some signs of life early and often. It started in the first inning when the team pushed across two runs off starter Jonah Tong. A sacrifice fly by Luis Arraez brought home Kyle Schwarber, followed by an RBI single by Alec Bohm to score Bryce Harper and Sanchez had a lead.
A Luis Arraez sac fly and Alec Bohm RBI single started the scoring for the Phillies, 2-0 good guys.
The top of the first inning ended with a collision between Bryson Stott and Jonah Tong over at first base with Tong limping off the field. pic.twitter.com/2AnwE0eXUP
Arraez had another RBI when he singled home Turner and a 4-0 with Sanchez on the mound was in their possession. From there, Sanchez was good. The first blemish on his record was a home run by Bo Bichette in the sixth inning. He would be replaced by Alex McFarlane in the seventh after allowing a one out single, who then allowed two straight singles to make the score 4-2 with a lone out in the inning. He would settled and get the final two outs to send it to the seventh.
In that inning, the Phillies would load the bases for Justin Crawford, one out only. Crawford saw a Kodai Senga fastball he liked and laced a triple up left/center alley, clearing the bases and salting the game away.
From there, the game slowly marched to the end, Chase Shugart and Jose Alvarado making the game entirely too uncomfortable for a five run, but they were able to preserve the win.
Tommy Edman watches his solo home run in the sixth inning Sunday. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Only the Pirates and Cubs have met more often than the Dodgers and Giants, who faced off for the first time in 1889. And over all that time, the Dodgers are just two games better, with 1,294 wins to the Giants’ 1,292.
The Dodgers and Giants have also won more pennants, made more World Series appearances and have more players wearing their caps in the Hall of Fame than any other National League teams, all of which fueled a rivalry that was once among the most visceral and passionate in American sports.
But that was then and this is now.
After Sunday’s 3-1 victory over the Giants, the Dodgers’ 14th win in their last 17 games, the team could finish a season with 100 wins for the fourth time in six years. The Giants have had just one winning record in that time.
The Dodgers (96-60), who have won five straight division titles, are headed to the postseason for a record-tying 14th consecutive year. The Giants will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season.
So is the rivalry dead? That depends on who you ask.
“It’s always a rivalry,” Giants pitcher Logan Webb. “We’d like to make it a little closer when it comes to the standings. But I definitely feel it when I throw against them.”
But then Webb, who is from Northern California, grew up with the rivalry and, as the longest-tenured Giant, pitched against the Dodgers in games that mattered. Giants coach Ron Washington, who made his major league debut with the Dodgers when the rivalry was still a thing, said many players on San Francisco’s roster don’t know that background.
“It should be a rivalry. But I don’t think the young kids we got know anything about a rivalry. They’re not history buffs.”
Webb said it’s the responsibility of the veterans on both sides to keep that history alive by explaining the enmity to the young players.
“I think there are still guys that came up in the system that know what it’s like,” he said. “It’s my job to kind of hype these guys up to play a game like this.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who played for the Dodgers and Giants during his 10-year career, agrees the rivalry now exists more in the history books than the current standings, where the Giants have been overtaken by the San Diego Padres, who will finish second to the Dodgers in the N.L. West for the fourth time in five seasons.
“It’s certainly a rivalry in the sense of the history, the fan bases,” Roberts said. “But obviously it’s about relevancy. The Padres have been successful the last handful of years, and so it’s certainly built some momentum. The geography lends itself to that too.
“But Dodgers-Giants is always fun.”
It hasn’t been so much fun for the Giants lately. San Francisco hasn’t won the season series with the Dodgers since 2021 and has lost more than 90 games this year for the first time in nine seasons.
On Sunday they went in front three batters into the game with Johan Cox working Dodger opener Jack Dreyer for a leadoff walk, then making his way around the bases on Dreyer’s throwing error, a stolen base and a one-one single by Victor Bericoto.
San Francisco would get just one more hit — a single by Jung Hoo Lee with one out in the sixth.
That allowed the Dodgers to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth on Tommy Edman’s seventh home run of the season just inside the right-field foul pole. An inning later they went ahead to stay when Max Muncy singled under a sliding Cox at second, moved to third on a single by rookie Josue De Paula and scored on Kiké Hernández’s double to center.
Josue de Paula hits a double in the fifth inning Sunday. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
A two-out single by Muncy, his second of the game, scored Teoscar Hernández, who also had two hits, in the eighth inning with the final run.
Even the slumping Freddie Freeman contributed to the Dodgers’ 11-hit attack, ending an 0-for-11 slide with a broken-bat single in the fourth then singling again in the eighth.
Sunday’s result helped clarify the Dodgers’ once-muddy playoff picture. With six games left in the regular season, the Dodgers lead Atlanta by four games in the race for the second seed in the National League playoffs, which would give them a first-round bye and the homefield advantage in the division series.
The team’s postseason roster may be getting clearer as well. Right-hander Emmet Sheehan, who made 22 starts this season, came out of the bullpen for the first time Sunday and was brilliant in his audition for the playoffs.
“If there is a role in the postseason, it will be out of the [bull]pen,” Roberts said of Sheehan, who gave up just a hit and walk, striking out nine — one off his season high — in 5 1/3 innings.
De Paula, meanwhile, whose third multihit game extended his modest hitting streak to four games, appears to have secured a job as the team’s left-handed bat off the bench while utility player Hyeseong Kim, who has spent the last four months in the minors, will rejoin the Dodgers after the triple-A playoffs and be considered for a roster spot as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement.
“My expectation is that Hyeseong will be here during the off week and potentially be a conversation for the postseason because he has the ability to run, play defense, and steal a base,” Roberts said.
After Monday’s off day, the final break of the regular season for the Dodgers, the team is expected to activate Andy Pages, Roki Sasaki and Shohei Ohtani from the injured list during its three-game series with the Padres.
“We’ll get Andy back on Tuesday, which will be great, and then shortly thereafter we’ll get Shohei back. So yeah, things are starting to come together,” Roberts said. “We’re in a good spot.”
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 and Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate a win against the Houston Astros as they clinch the 2026 National League East division championship at Daikin Park on September 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sometimes, it’s just good to take all the drama out of the picture as soon as you possibly can. That’s exactly what the Braves did this weekend in Houston, as they made another good memory for themselves at the building formerly known as Minute Maid Park. It started with a nice, bubbly glass of champagne on Friday night following a Postseason-clinching win and it finished with a full-on champagne shower on Sunday evening as this team clinched their seventh division title in nine seasons.
It’s impressive when you consider that this was in the home ballpark of an Astros squad that is still fighting for their lives in the AL West. Atlanta may have thrown a major wrench in Houston’s pursuit of yet another Postseason berth but at this point, it’s a problem for the Astros and not for the Braves. Instead, the Braves get a chance to enjoy a hard-fought divisional title and now it’s time to look at how they sealed the deal.
This was a bad day to be a baseball heading towards the bat of an Atlanta Braves hitter or a seat in the Crawford Boxes, because three big boppers in particular did some serious damage to both during this contest. Three big swings from Michael Harris II, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson ended up making all of the difference in the world as Atlanta got one step closer to clinching the division and officially punched their ticket to the Postseason.
The big star on the mound on this night for Atlanta was none other than Tyler Mahle, who once again went out and tossed another strong ho-hum six innings where the Astros were only able to muster up three hits and a run against Mahle. It really can’t be said enough about how effective Mahle has been since arriving in Atlanta — he has already produced nearly a full point more fWAR as a member of the Braves (1.4) over just eight starts and 49.1 innings pitched than he did in 94.2 innings with the Giants (0.8). The turnaround has been stark and he deserves a ton of credit, just like pitching coach Jeremy Hefner deserves it for helping to unlock whatever Mahle was capable of and Alex Anthopoulos deserves it for having the vision in the first place.
Anyways, Money Mike’s two-run dinger in the fourth inning essentially set the Braves on their way as they never trailed in this game. The Astros got close with an Issac Paredes RBI single in the fourth and then another one from Paredes in the eighth that made it a two-run game but on this night, you weren’t going to beat the Braves with singles. Acuña’s two-run homer in the seventh gave Atlanta some breathing room and then Matt Olson’s 40th bomb of the season brought us to the eventual final score. Atlanta’s Postseason ticket was booked and thanks to the Phillies losing to the Mets, the divisional title was within sight.
Issac Paredes seemed pretty set on dragging the Astros to victory in this one, as he picked up where he left off on Friday night by cracking a solo homer that gave Houston the early lead. He also singled home Jeremy Peña in the third inning to make it a 2-0 lead for Houston. Combine that with Hayden Wesneski keeping Atlanta’s lineup mostly quiet for the 5.1 innings that he was out there, it sure seemed like this was shaping up to be a hard-luck night for the Braves.
However, Wesneski eventually slipped up in that sixth inning as the Braves pushed a run past him and eventually ran him from the game. AJ Blubaugh got the ball in the seventh and he left the game in the same inning and passed the baton to Bryan Abreu to clean up a bases-loaded mess that the Braves created. Atlanta had two outs to play with once Abreu entered the game. Drake Baldwin struck out but Ronald Acuña Jr. did anything but. Abreu tried to sneak a 97-mph heater past Acuña near the heart of the plate and to the delight of a lot of Braves fans in Houston, Acuña didn’t miss it at all.
Mike Yastrzemski added on a solo shot of his own in the eighth inning and just like that, the game had turned significantly and the Braves were suddenly in complete and total control of this contest. Issac Paredes once again attempted to get the Astros back in it after he made it on base with a walk and then proceeded to score in the bottom of the eighth inning but outside of that, the Astros weren’t able to muster up much more offense and Atlanta had slugged their way to a series win.
Thanks to the Phillies getting bopped by the Mets on Saturday night, the magic number was down to just one by the time Sunday rolled around. The bad news is that the Mets didn’t do the Braves another solid by picking up a third-straight win over the Phillies. The good news is that it didn’t matter at all since the Braves took care of business in order to clinch the division right then and there in Houston.
Once again, we all had to wait a bit for the Braves to get something going as they went into the sixth inning down 1-0 after Jose Altuve made some noise with a solo shot in the fourth inning. Once the Braves did get going, however, it was time for another crooked number to go on the scoreboard. Hunter Brown was fantastic for Houston through five innings but once Bryan King entered the game, the Braves jumped all over him. A broken-bat bloop single from Ozzie Albies with two men in scoring position tied the game up at one and then Mike Yastrzemski blew it open with a three-run blast out to the seats in right field to make it 4-1 Braves. Once again, things changed once the bullpen got involved for both teams.
Yainer Diaz cracked a solo shot for the Astros in the eighth inning to cut the lead down to two runs but it was still not enough for Houston to keep up with the Braves, who seemed to be laser-focused on ending the NL East race at their first opportunity. Dylan Dodd was called upon for the ninth inning and he struck out the side in order to finish off the sweep and to start off a champagne party for the Braves in Houston.
Talk about taking care of business! The Braves did exactly what they needed to do and did so against an Astros squad that is currently fighting for their lives in the AL West, themselves. While the Astros still aren’t exactly the most imposing ballclub out there this season, this was still an impressive task on Atlanta’s part to be able to go into Houston and do what they needed to do to finish off the NL East race once and for all.
The good news is that the Braves now have a week to essentially just tune-up for the Postseason without having to fight tooth-and-nail to clinch the division. Technically, the Braves could still catch the Dodgers for the second seed and get a bye but that would require Los Angeles to fall on their face in the last week of the season while the Braves catch fire in serious fashion to end their season. It’s possible but at the same time, I think it’s time to get ready for the Braves to be dealing with however the NL Wild Card race shakes out.
With that being said, it’s hard to not feel confident in any given Wild Card Series — even if none of the options are particularly appealing. Still, it’s extremely important that the Braves have guaranteed that the volatile three-game series will be at home and they should be able to get their rotation set up for that series since they now have a week to get ready for it. As long as there are no injuries between now and then, the Braves are going to be set-up pretty well for the Wild Card Series. It’s still going to be tough but they’ll have the home field advantage and the ability to prepare instead of simply rolling into the Postseason, so it’s definitely different from their dramatic entrance into the Wild Card Series back in 2024.
The team is certainly in an encouraging spot right now. The offense has been hitting for power, with Ronald Acuña Jr. peaking at the right time, Michael Harris II continuing to be consistent, Matt Olson starting to get things back on track and guys like Mike Yastrzemski coming up big as well. The pitching has also been consistent and it’ll definitely be encouraging to see this bullpen (hopefully) get Robert Suarez back at some point before the Postseason so that this relief corps can look even more imposing heading into October. This is a team that looks like they might be peaking at the right time, which would be a nice change of pace from their most recent Postseason appearances.
So yeah, it’s a time to celebrate and get excited if you’re a Braves fan. Winning the division is never the main goal but it’s certainly a lovely goal to achieve. Atlanta’s work really hard for this all season and now they get to reap the benefits of that hard work while we await even more celebrations and titles going forward. We’ll see what happens!
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Tommy Edman #25 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Repeating the trend of these series’ first two games, the Dodgers didn’t take the lead until the second half of the game—this time keeping their scoring to nearly the minimum needed to overcome the Giants, sweeping their rivals with a 3-1 victory that relied heavily on Emmet Sheehan’s work as the bulk man, following Jack Dreyer.
Without putting the ball in play, the Giants placed a man on third in the opening inning, manufacturing a run partially thanks to Dreyer’s loose grip on the running game. Leadoff hitter Jonah Cox earned a walk as Dreyer struggled to locate his heater, moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt, and aggressively stole third—hardly a surprise for a rookie with 13 stolen bases in just 140 plate appearances. Cox was driven in by a Jonah Bericoto single, a run that would loom large given the effectiveness of both Sheehan and Giants starter Matt Wilkinson.
Deceptive with his low-90s fastball that gets terrific results, Giants starter Matt Wilkinson didn’t encounter many problems holding the Dodgers scoreless through five innings of work. Only twice did Wilkinson need to strand one-out doubles, but on both occasions with minimal stress. That success was at least partially owed to a lefty-heavy lineup—three of the four outs Wilkinson recorded with a runner in scoring position came against a left-handed hitter, but then again, one of the doubles came from Josue De Paula, so we mustn’t read too much into it.
As soon as Wilkinson got the hook, though, the Dodgers would tie the game in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a solo shot from Tommy Edman off Carson Seymour. Traditionally a better power hitter from the right side, Edman was looking in the whole way and crushed one all the way out to the Giants’ bullpen.
The only reason why the Dodgers were able to tie the score with just one swing was the fact that Sheehan matched Wilkinson pitch for pitch and then some. Overall, few players have improved their case for a significant postseason role over the past couple of weeks with the Dodgers quite like Sheehan, a new pitcher since his return following a one-month stint in Triple-A. Pitching as brilliantly as he did in two September starts, Sheehan completely shut down the Giants’ lineup through 5.1 innings, enjoying great success with a curveball that induced six whiffs on 12 swings, leading him to strike out nine batters.
Proving Wilkinson and his difficult-to-pick-up fastball were the problem, the Dodgers’ offense scored again in the seventh—they took the lead thanks to a Kiké Hernández RBI single after De Paula and Max Muncy set the table despite an unfavorable matchup against the southpaw.
Mookie Betts nearly put this game to bed, but what would’ve been a two-out, three-run bomb died at the wall, leaving the score at 2-1. The Dodgers would still find a way to provide a little cushion to Tanner Scott in the ninth inning, adding one more run in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a Max Muncy two-out RBI single.
Game particulars
Home run— Tommy Edman (7)
WP—Kris Bubic (4-2): 0.2 IP, 1 strikeout
LP— Sam Hentges (1-7): 0.1 IP, 3 hits, 1 run
SV Tanner Scott (23): 1 IP, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Up next
It’s a rare off day at home for the Dodgers before the San Diego Padres come into town on Tuesday hoping to clinch their playoff berth. Although neither team has announced their starters, based on the current schedule, the first game of that series would pit Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Robbie Ray against each other. It’s a standard 7:10 p.m. (PT).
In the final game and rubber match of their three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (82-74), the Yankees (89-66) coughed up an early lead to lose 8-4.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Will Warren got the nod to start the game, and delivered a solid outing... until the fifth inning. Up to that point, Warren had allowed one earned run - an RBI single in the first inning by Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo - and struck out four batters through four full innings. The Yankees entered the fifth inning leading 4-1 (thanks to home runs from Heliot Ramos, George Lombard Jr., and Spencer Jones), but after Warren surrendered two hits and a walk to load the bases with just one man out, he was pulled in favor of left-handed reliever Brent Headrick.
-- Headrick struck out Perdomo to record the second out, but he couldn't close the door on the frame, issuing a free pass to Corbin Carroll to bring in one run before surrendering a grand slam to Nolan Arenado which gave Arizona a 6-4 lead.
-- Of those five earned runs surrendered in the fifth, three were attributed to Warren, and two to Headrick.
-- New York's right-handed reliever John Schreiber allowed two more runs in the seventh inning, surrendering a triple to Perdomo and a single to Carroll which brought the shortstop home. For Arizona, former Yankee Jonathan Loáisiga recorded the final six outs, facing the minimum six batters without allowing a run to wrap up the 8-4 loss.
Game MVP: Nolan Arenado
Arenado's grand slam flipped the game on its head, and the massive momentum-shifting blast gave the Snakes a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The Yankees travel back home on Monday and will kick off a pivotal three game series against the AL East divisional leading Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday at 1:05 p.m.
Of course, now 6.0 games back of Tampa Bay for first place in the AL East with just seven regular season games remaining, the Yankees need a miracle to win the division.
Carlos Rodón (2.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP in 76.1 IP) is set to take the mound for the Yankees.
The Rays will send out Nick Martinez (2.94 ERA, 1.07 WHIP in 171.1 IP).
But let’s take a second to think about what that entailed.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, left, reacts next to guard Stephen Curry during the first half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA playoff basketball series against the Memphis Grizzlies in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, May 5, 2015. AP
He was smart enough to allow Curry to shoot from anywhere, which forever changed the game of basketball.
He was genuine enough to gain the respect of Draymond Green, who trusted him so much that they could share heated words and then Kerr could turn around and guide Green during his most vulnerable moments.
He was skilled enough to unlock the team’s role players, including helping Andre Iguodala become the 2015 Finals MVP.
But overall, Kerr is one of the best coaches the NBA has seen.
He’s smart. He has a special way of getting through to players. And he’s deeply competitive.
Kerr’s superpower is he can relate to anyone on the roster, players one through 15. He knows what it takes to be a role player after winning five championships alongside such names as Michael Jordan, David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
He learned how to sacrifice. And he learned how to stand up for himself. (Remember when he shoved Jordan in the chest during a very intense scrimmage and then took a punch from the megastar?)
The Warriors quickly transformed into a dynasty after Kerr took over the helm in May 2014, winning their first championship in 2015. The following season, they finished with the best record in NBA history, winning 73 games before blowing a 3-1 series lead in the Finals against the Cavaliers.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, laughs with Warriors coach Steve Kerr during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Thursday, March 1, 2018, in Washington. AP
The Warriors remained atop the league for years, something that’s stunningly difficult. The proof? Over the last eight seasons, there have been eight different NBA champions.
Over the last four years, things have changed for the Warriors.
Since winning their last title in 2022, they haven’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs. In two of those seasons, they missed the postseason altogether.
When Kerr’s contract expired after last season, he spent a lot of time reflecting on whether returning was right for the Warriors and him.
But ultimately, he decided he still genuinely loved coaching. The team’s brass wanted him back. And he knew this was his last chance to work with Curry, who turns 39 next season, and Green, who turns 37, both of whom wanted Kerr to return to the helm.
Kerr, who’s introspective and self-deprecating, acknowledged a lot of things need to improve next season, including his coaching. He said he rewatched every turnover the Warriors committed. He wants to revisit the fundamentals. He wants to impart mental sharpness.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, looks on from the bench as head coach Steve Kerr, right, yells out to the floor during the first half of an NBA game against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, Saturday, February 10, 2018. EPA
Saying those things in front of reporters was notable. In a league where coaches are scapegoats, he’s not afraid to take responsibility. To admit weakness. To recalibrate.
So, both Kerr and the Warriors are going into next season with a new mentality.
They know they’re not going to be champions next season, barring something extraordinary happening ahead of the trade deadline. But they’re deeply competitive, and there’s something beautiful about them beginning their dynastic run together and closing that chapter alongside one another. Still fighting. Still championing each other.
Kerr did some soul-searching. He decided he wasn’t done. He tapped into his fire again. His why.
We’re lucky we get to witness Kerr, Curry and Green again. They’ve been together for 12 seasons. That’s unheard of in the modern NBA, where loyalty has become as valued as snail mail.
Curry is the greatest shooter ever. Green is a Hall of Fame defender. And Kerr has been the fearless captain of the ship, patching up more holes than we’ll ever know.
For at least two more seasons, we’ll get to witness Kerr’s basketball intellect, his humor and his leadership.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 14: Brandon Young #63 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Monday, September 14, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Phebe Grosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Orioles have reached the point where they need to be absolutely perfect from this point out, and even that likely won’t be enough to sneak them into the playoffs. For a more modest goal of simply finishing at .500 or better, the team can still lose one more time. On paper, it looks like that loss is coming today.
NL Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski is on the mound for the Brewers today. He is very good! The 24-year-old leads the league with a 1.89 ERA and 243 strikeouts. His second half (2.44 ERA) has not been as good as his first half (1.62 ERA), and he began this month with a tough start against the Cubs (four innings, five runs, four walks, five strikeouts), but this is still a guy that you would expect to dominate this Orioles lineup.
Last night’s effort at the plate was lacking. The O’s struggled against the trio of Robert Gasser, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby, three pitchers that are very much NOT Misiorowski. It is possible that the Orioles could work some counts against the Brewers starter, drive his pitch count up, and then be able to face the bullpen for the final three or four innings, though they have had limited success against them this series anyway.
Brandon Young will look to eclipse the 150-inning threshold for the 2026 season in this game. He enters the day at 145.2 innings on the year, so a modest start will get the job done. It has been a tremendous season for the 28-year-old righty, though he has slowed down in September (5.87 ERA). Without him, these Orioles end up in a far worse position than they are.
The Buffalo Sabres will practice at Key Bank Center early Monday morning, before heading to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins at the PPG Paints Arena on Monday night. It is expected that the roster for the exhibition debut will closely resemble one of the groups that took part in the Blue and Gold scrimmage on Saturday, but with a preseason schedule of four games, the Sabres and many other NHL clubs appear to be focusing more on generating familiarity with players that they’ve already decided will make their 23-man roster and less on players battling to make the club.
The Sabres will be at a slight disadvantage because of their three-headed monster between the pipes, as carrying Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis will allow them to retain one fewer blueliner or forward. Where the club will carry less than the normal amount will be on defense, as it is probable that head coach Lindy Ruff will opt to go with seven defensemen, with Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, Olin Zellweger, Louis Crevier, Conor Timmins, and Zach Metsa.
Noah Ostlund signs an eight-year contract extension with the Sabres.
The group of youngsters, headed by 2025 first rounder Radim Mrtka, as waiver-exempt and will begin the season in Rochester, while veterans like former first rounder Ryan Johnson and Buffalo native Dennis Gilbert will have to clear waivers to be sent down to the AHL Amerks.
Up front, the sports hernia injury to veteran Jason Zucker will likely have the winger starting the season on injured reserve. The only possible roster quandary may involve forward Jiri Kulich, who has not played an NHL game in 10 months. The 22-year-old still is waiver exempt and could be sent down to Rochester to ramp up after such a long layoff, although his placement on the fourth line might indicate that Ruff will ramp him up by playing decreased minutes with Sam Carrick and Beck Malenstyn.
If the Sabres decide to send him down, that could mean that Ruff will decide to keep non-exempt Tyson Kozak, or veteran Conor Sheary as the 13th forward, while Kulich gets more top line opportunity to start the campaign.
The weather cooperated just enough on Sunday in Flushing, Queens, allowing legendary radio voice Howie Rose to call one last Mets game.
Rose gave a heartfelt goodbye on Saturday night at the end of New York's win over the Philadelphia Phillies with rain in the forecast, unsure if he'd get another chance on Sunday.
Luckily, Mother Nature was on his side to give a true, final call.
"I thought I spent all of the sentiment, tears, and emotion yesterday in anticipation of not getting this chance today so I'm not going to reprise everything from yesterday," Rose said. "And it's probably just as well because I'm supposed to be reasonably articulate, you know when you're a broadcaster you're supposed to be able to find the right words to say, but I don't think I can find the right words to express just how much all of you mean to me.
"You know, we've known each other a long, long time, and whether we've met personally or not it feels as though we're on a first-name basis with each other, right? We've been together in the car, at the beach, enjoying a backyard barbeque, maybe even under the covers if you tried to hide your radio or smart phone from mom and dad during those West Coast games.
"But most importantly, we shared some time bonding over the exploits of the team we love, the New York Mets. And so as I said yesterday in closing, thank you, and I love you all."
Rose's retirement ceremony was scheduled to take place during the pregame on Sunday, but due to the weather and uncertainty if the team was going to play, that celebration was postponed to Opening Weekend 2027.
Although, the Hall-of-Famer did get to speak with media before the game and thanked everyone who was part of his career. Rose said he'll miss the "challenge" of radio broadcasts, but is looking forward to the next season's ceremony.
"I'm going to miss everything about it, because this is really all I know how to do." Rose said. "Radio is the most intimate medium. You have to call, to craft, to describe. To me, that's the greatest challenge in sports broadcasting, painting that picture."
He added: "There are so many emotions involved, running around inside me right now. There's a certain melancholy about reaching the end of a career, but God-willing, we'll all reconvene here next year, and it'll be a party!"
Despite the team falling 7-2 on Sunday, and Rose unable to use his signature "put it in the books" call, the players came out of the dugout and tipped their caps to Rose. Gary Cohen called it a "fitting tribute for a legend who has called his last major league game."
In honor of Howie Rose calling his last game, the Mets collectively tipped their hats towards the radio booth 🥹
