CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 25: Lucas Spence #28 of the Houston Astros bats in a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on July 25, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (72-74) lost 7-5 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Schiavone RBI double. Mayer got the start but ran into some trouble in the 2nd inning allowing 5 runs. He ended up going 4 innings and allowing 6 runs, 5 earned. Sugar Land got a run back on a Ferreras RBI groundout and another in the 5th on a Matthews sac fly. The offense picked up 2 runs in 7th as they cut the lead to one. Munoz allowed a run in the 9th and the offense was quiet the rest of the way as Sugar Land fell 7-5.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 28: Joel Embiid #21 and Adem Bona #30 of the Philadelphia 76ers watch a replay on the scoreboard during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on October 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With less than two weeks to go until training camp begins, the vibes around the Sixers are still largely immaculate for the time being. However, Thursday’s news that Adem Bona suffered a foot sprain was a reminder of what might prove to be their Achilles’ heel.
Liberty Ballers’ Paul Hudrick reported that Bona suffered the injury during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers and that he’s expected to return to on-court workouts within the first two weeks of training camp. For now, it doesn’t appear to be any major cause for alarm. But if Bona does miss the start of the season for whatever reason, it’ll put the Sixers’ frontcourt depth to the test early on.
Joel Embiid has not exactly been the textbook definition of health throughout his decade-long NBA career. Although he said in the spring that he was feeling better about his oft-injured knee moving forward, he isn’t going to suddenly start playing 82 games. If nothing else, he figures to continue missing at least one game in back-to-back sets and buying strategic rest at other points throughout the regular season.
As a result, backup center tends to be more important for the Sixers than most other teams. And even with a healthy Bona, that looked like the weakest spot of their roster heading into the season.
Bona is the spiritual successor to Paul Reed: a low-minutes chaos agent who can’t stay out of foul trouble. His athleticism and motor have endeared him to Sixers fans, but his 4.7 fouls per 36 minutes over his first two seasons? Not so much. Bona did undeniably outplay Andre Drummond for significant portions of the 2025-26 season and figured to enter this year with the inside track for the backup center job.
Ariel Hukporti, whom the Sixers signed with a portion of their bi-annual exception this offseason, is Bona’s main competition for that role. He’s far more of an unknown, as he served as the New York Knicks’ third-string center for his first two NBA seasons. The 7’0″, 246-pound Hukporti has solid size for a center, but could he hold down the fort as the primary backup if Bona misses time? The jury remains very much out on that for now.
The Sixers might not have much of a choice in the matter, though. After signing LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, they’re only about $1.8 million below their first-apron hard cap. They won’t have enough financial wiggle room to sign anyone other than an undrafted rookie free agent until early December at the earliest. (Sorry, Kevin Love.)
Nurse already tinkered with small-ball lineups featuring Dominick Barlow at the 5 last year, so he figures to revisit those. Granted, lineups featuring Barlow without any of Embiid, Bona or Andre Drummond had a net rating of minus-3.3 last season, so those might not be a panacea, either.
Dean Wade is also listed at 6’9″, so he could be another small-ball 5 option. However, he didn’t fare much better in lineups without Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley last season in Cleveland (minus-2.1 net rating). And while LeBron-at-the-5 lineups are a fun idea in theory, that isn’t the best use of him on either end of the floor. Those lineups would also leave the Sixers woefully short on rim protection.
The Sixers do still have one open two-way spot, so they could (should?) look to fill that with another big man as additional insurance. Granted, players can only sign two-way contracts if they have fewer than four years of NBA experience, so the Sixers couldn’t sign an established veteran such as Love or Kelly Olynyk to such a deal. Their options may be fairly limited in that regard, although none of us should ever doubt president of basketball operations Mike Gansey again after what he pulled off this offseason.
If the Sixers are fully healthy, they should be in the inner circle of title contenders this year. But Bona’s foot sprain was an unwelcome reminder of their lack of depth behind the oft-injured Embiid.
Could that be their undoing, at least early in the year before they’re able to fill their 15th roster spot with a prorated minimum contract? It might largely fall on Hukporti to prove otherwise.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 17: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after being hit by a pitch from Chase Silseth of the Texas Rangers in the eighth inning at Globe Life Field on September 17, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Breathe a sigh of relief. For now, anyway.
Willson Contreras was forced to leave last night’s game after getting hit by a pitch in the right hand. It looked pretty bad in the moment and he later said his hand went numb for about five minutes. Thankfully, post-game x-rays were negative. But, given how the Red Sox medical staff has diagnosed injuries this year, well, you know:
It was the 24th(!) time that Contreras has been hit this year and he’s had more than enough of it. “I feel like … ” Contreras said, pausing for seven seconds, “I want to say something I can’t say. Let’s leave it at that… If nobody does anything about it, I’m going to keep getting hit. That’s the way I see it. That’s it.”
Regardless of the x-rays, don’t expect to see Willson in the lineup any time soon in light of the fact that the Sox don’t really have anything to play for. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
Contreras wasn’t the only injury scare we had during last night’s game. Even though the Sox found themselves in a save situation, closer Aroldis Chapman did not make it into the game. Is this something to worry about? “He’s just dealing with some lat tightness we’re going to be conservative with,” Chad Tracy said. “It’s getting better, but we’ve got to make sure it gets there. That’s why he wasn’t available tonight.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
If Chapman does go down for an extended time, the Sox don’t have another all-time great closer to replace him with. But they are pretty good in the giant Cuban fireballer department in general. That’s because Johan Oviedo made his first rehab appearance last night, hitting 98.5 on the gun and striking out 4 over 2.1 innings. (Katie Morrison-O’day, MassLive)
Meanwhile, there’s another injury to keep on eye on in the lineup. “Nearly three months after Caleb Durbin first dislocated his left pinkie and more than a month after he reinjured it, the third baseman’s digit remains locked nearly at a right angle.” Durbin is unable to fully straighten the finger and it could require offseason surgery, but he’s staying on the field for now. “There really is kind of a joint understanding that we’ll get it looked at at the end of the season if we have to, because [whatever the diagnosis is], it’s not going to impact my decision to play at all,” he said. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 28: Luis Castillo #58 of the Chicago White Sox pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game at Target Field August 28, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning friends and happy Friday!
The M’s kick off their three-game set against the Rockies tonight with first pitch scheduled for 5:10pm PT. Let’s check out what else is happening around baseball.
Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic previewed the winter’s coming managerial carousel by discussing the six most vulnerable skippers around the league. ($)
Jarrett Seidler at Baseball Prospectus continued his ranking of the sport’s front offices by revealing Nos. 20-11. ($)
Despite the fierce odds against a playoff appearance for the Marlins, right-hander Sandy Alcantara still believes. Matthew Trueblood at Baseball Prospectus has more. ($)
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 17: (L-R) Richie Palacios #1, Taylor Walls #6, Chandler Simpson #14, and Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate after defeating the Athletics 10-1 at Tropicana Field on September 17, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Thursday was an off day for the Yankees, but as we progress into the final weeks of the 2026 regular season, every game matters for many teams around the Junior Circuit. Between the mediocre races in the Central and West, or the fight for the final wild card spot, there is plenty of moving that could take place before the end of the season.
Let’s take a look at what went down on Thursday.
Tampa Bay Rays (93-59) 10, Athletics (61-92) 1
On a night where they had a free half-game to take in the East, the Rays took full advantage on Thursday. Despite a quiet start on both sides, a big fourth inning fueled an easy Tampa Bay win against the A’s.
Starters Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen kept the game scoreless through three innings of play, before the Rays’ bats turned the corner in the fourth. In that inning, Chandler Simpson’s single score a pair, before a double from Richie Palacios cleared the the bases to plate three more. After the dust settled in the fourth, the Rays were up 6-0 and cruising into the middle innings.
Rasmussen turned in a good day at the office, tossing five scoreless for the Rays, while the offense continued to plug away, led by Simpson, Palacios, Liam Hicks, and Taylor Walls, who all tallied a pair of RBIs each. They made the most of their opportunities, as they needed just seven hits to reach their double-digit run total.
The only noise the A’s made in this one came from a long Lawrence Butler home run in the sixth, though it was a only a blip in the blowout the Rays dished out. With the win, they jump to a daunting five game lead in the East.
Texas Rangers (76-77) 3, Boston Red Sox (83-70) 4:
In the race in the West, the Rangers dropped a crucial one, as the Red Sox came back to win on Thursday. The Rangers went up 3-0 early on, with help from Josh Jung’s 10th homer of the season, and held that lead through six innings. After scratching a run across in the seventh, the big blow came off the bat of Trevor Story, who belted a three-run bomb to suddenly give the Sox the lead. They’d hold on to it, as they inch closer to clinching a postseason berth.
Houston Astros (77-76) 6, Kansas City Royals (67-86) 2: The Astros popped back above .500 with a win over the Royals on Thursday. Of their six runs, five of them came on a quintet of solo homers, including Jeremy Peña’s 20th of the season that tied things up in the first, as well as Yordan Alvarez’s 40th bomb of the season. Meanwhile, five different Houston pitchers helped to keep this one calm, as the Royals were only able to plate a pair with just three hits
The race in the West may very well come down to the final days of the season.
Chicago White Sox (78-75) 3, Detroit Tigers (72-81) 1: The White Sox rode the wave of a three-run bomb in the first inning, as Munetaka Murakami’s 32nd long ball of the season gave them a lead they’d never give up. The win gets them into a dead heat atop the Central alongside the Guardians, who had Thursday off.
KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 17: Athletics starting pitcher Mason Barnett (63) is relieved in the third inning during a major league baseball game on August 17, 2026, between the Athletics and the Kansas City Royals, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning A’s fans. Happy Friday!
The Athletics entered their final road trip of the season riding high after scoring 25 runs and securing both series victories during a six-game homestand last week. The American League-best Tampa Bay Rays halted the Athletics’ momentum by sweeping them in three games for the second time in as many months.
The A’s used to be the embodiment of small-market success, but that baton has now been passed to the Rays, who have a legitimate shot at reaching the World Series this fall. If the A’s want to reclaim their crown, the team must upgrade its pitching and defense, two major weak spots that heavily contributed to the Rays’ blowout victory yesterday.
That will be an offseason focus, as it is too late in the season to expect changes. At 92 losses with nine games left, the A’s need to win at least two games to avoid a dreaded 100-loss campaign.
This weekend, the team wraps up its road slate with three games against the 78-75 Cleveland Guardians, who are in a fierce battle with the Chicago White Sox for the American League Central title. After failing to play spoiler in Tampa Bay, the Athletics will look to lower the Guardians’ hopes of a third straight playoff appearance under manager Stephen Vogt—an A’s fan-favorite during his playing days.
Right-hander Mason Barnett will return from Triple-A Las Vegas to start tonight, while Cleveland will counter with opener Daniel Espino. Left-hander Jacob Lopez and right-hander Jack Perkins will make the Athletics final two road starts of 2026, while the team’s offense will look to scratch runs across against Guardians right-handers Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams.
What are you hoping to see from the Athletics in Cleveland? Which players should the A’s further evaluate and who should sit on the bench over these final nine games?
Not good optics. Will the team turn things around before moving to Las Vegas, or will the losing stretch follow them to “Sin City”?
From A's PR: A's lost their 90th game last night and have now lost 90 or more games in 4 of last 5 seasons and lost 483 games over last 5 years, which is second most in MLB (Rockies, 512) and most by A's over a 5-yr span since 1961-65 in Kansas City when they had 487 losses.
Yesterday’s game was not the first time sloppy defense and walks have resulted in an A’s loss this season. Both are areas that can be coached. The fact that these problems continue to happen suggests that manager Mark Kotsay and his coaching staff are struggling to teach these players how to play error-free baseball.
A's had one-run losses in first two games vs. Rays. Today, a 4th-inning defensive meltdown, 2 errors and 10 walks led to a 10-1 loss.
Kotsay: "We played sloppy defense and walked so many guys I stopped counting. Any time you play like that, you’re going to get your ass kicked.”
Do you think it’s fair to compare A’s players to legends of the game’s past? If so, share your best comparisons for the current members of the Green and Gold in the comments.
🚨 SPECIAL SHOW TONIGHT AT 8:00 PM PACIFIC! 🚨
The A’s were swept by the Rays in Tampa, but Sam @StraightAs123 is turning postgame duty into one of the most entertaining experiments of the season.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 14: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres bats during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Monday, September 14, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Padres came down from the mountains with the margin they need after winning on Thursday by a large margin.
With a 9-2 victory over the Rockies, the Padres increased their lead in the race for the final National League playoff spot to four games with nine games remaining in the regular season.
That lowered the Padres’ “magic number” to six, meaning any combination of Padres wins and Diamondbacks losses that add up to six assures the Padres a postseason berth.
The Padres’ offensive aggressiveness claimed another Rockies victim in Tanner Gordon. After a pedestrian top of the first inning in which he allowed a couple of singles and had a couple of strikeouts, Gordon had a 1-0 lead to work with heading into the second inning.
This weekend, Arizona will play its final three-game set of the regular season in front of the Chase Field home crowd.
It’s likely to be packed, with the 88-64 New York Yankees coming to town, and a 25-year celebration of the Diamondbacks’ World Series victory over those same Yankees.
A roof leak during a storm may sound like a minor inconvenience, but in Phoenix, where a retractable roof is supposed to be one of the building’s defining features, it becomes another uncomfortable reminder of Chase Field’s aging infrastructure. This is also hardly a new problem. Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall acknowledged the roof has leaked before, saying he first witnessed an issue during a monsoon roughly 20 years ago. The roof is only the latest concern surrounding the stadium, which has also dealt with unresolved HVAC problems, a roof motor that reportedly has not functioned properly for years, and piping issues on the upper level.
Mets first baseman Jared Young “avoided the scariest outcomes” after a terrifying collision with pitcher Nolan McLean during the top of the sixth inning during the Phillies-Mets bout at Citi Field on Thursday night, manager Andy Green told reporters after the game.
A weak grounder to first base off the bat of Justin Crawford brought Young and McLean together and a bit of miscommunication caused a really ugly and scary collision. While both fielders scrambled for the ball, McLean’s knee appeared to strike Young’s head, sending the first baseman to the ground.
The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth consecutive National League West title and 13th in the past 14 seasons with an 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s a big deal,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think that a lot of people think that it’s just a rite of passage, [but] it’s not easy. So it’s something that we’re all really proud of, but really understand that’s not the end goal.”
“He’s doing well,” Friedman said, via Jack Harris of the California Post. “He’s progressing well.”
When asked if Ohtani would be back in time to join the Dodgers in the playoffs, Friedman pointed to the two-way player returning even sooner: “I expect him back in the regular season,” he said.
As you know, the Cubs hold the tiebreaker over the three teams closest to them in the Wild Card race, the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Padres.
This is extremely important because the Cubs are now tied with the Phillies entering Friday’s action after the Phillies beat the Mets Thursday, and lead the Padres by one game, as San Diego also won on Thursday.
The Cubs lead the Diamondbacks by five games and thus the magic number for the Cubs clinching a Wild Card berth is four.
The magic number for the Cubs to clinch the first wild card over the Phillies is 9. But for the Phillies to surpass the Cubs, their number is 10, due to the tiebreaker.
Tankathon has the Phillies with the toughest strength of remaining schedule of the four clubs (third). The Padres are ninth, Cubs 14th, and Diamondbacks 16th, with nine games remaining for all four teams.
Here are the remaining schedules for all four Wild Card contenders. Home games in boldface.
Cubs, 9 games (3 home, 6 road)
at Reds (3), Marlins (3), at Red Sox (3)
The Reds are in disarray at this point, having lost eight of their last 10. The Marlins are just 31-44 on the road, though they did just take two of three from the D-backs in Phoenix.
The interesting series is the last one, as both the Cubs and Red Sox will be jockeying for postseason positioning.
Phillies, 9 games (6 home, 3 road)
at Mets (3), Brewers (3), Rays (3)
The Phillies do get to finish their season with a six-game homestand — but with both series against the teams with the best records in their respective leagues.
So hopefully the Brewers do the Cubs a solid and beat up on the Phillies. And Cubs fans will have to hold their noses and root for the Mets this weekend.
Padres, 9 games (6 home, 3 road)
Marlins (3), at Dodgers (3), Diamondbacks (3)
As noted, the Marlins did win a series in Arizona, and they will be facing the Padres on the road just before heading to Wrigley.
Diamondbacks, 9 games (3 home, 6 road)
Yankees (3), at Rockies (3), at Padres (3)
The D-backs play a pair of teams, one in a postseason spot and fighting for one. In between they face one team way out of it. The D-backs and Padres have split their first 10 games this year, and the teams also have split at each other’s parks, 2-2 in San Diego and 3-3 in Arizona.
If Arizona is eliminated before that final weekend (or even if they aren’t), they could help out the Cubs by defeating the Padres.
SPRINGFIELD, MO - SEPTEMBER 15: Charles Davalan #25 of the Tulsa Drillers looks on prior to the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo by Shanna Stafford/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
With a suspended meeting in Triple-A and Tulsa losing a winner-take-all matchup, it was an eventful day despite a low number of games in the Dodgers’ minor league system.
Player of the Day
In a game where hits were incredibly difficult to find for the Drillers, recently promoted outfielder Charles Davalan recorded one of his team’s RBI in a 6-4 loss.
Elected the Midwest League MVP for his efforts in High-A with the Loons, Davalan ends the year positively, even with Tulsa failing in its final objective.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Both offenses were rolling through the first four before the rain put a stop to this game. Austin Galthier left the yard with a two-run shot, and twice hitting with runners in scoring position, first baseman and cleanup hitter Matt Gorski drove in a run with an out.
While the Chihuahuas had already gone to the bullpen in the fourth inning, Charlie Barnes was the only Comets pitcher to appear in this one before its suspension. The left-hander was averaging nearly 20 pitches per inning and running into all kinds of trouble.
It’ll be Hyeseong Kim coming to bat in the top of the fifth when the game resumes later today. Kim is one of only two Comet hitters yet to reach safely in this game.
Double-A Tulsa
For a team that was nearly outhit four to one by their opponent, the Drillers did about as decent a job at staying competitive as they could’ve hoped: eventually losing 6-4 to the Cardinals and saying goodbye to the postseason, dropping the Division Series in three.
Cardinal starter Liam Doyle refused to let the Drillers put the ball in play, allowing five walks but striking out eight in 3.2 innings and ultimately only letting across one earned run.
Despite their hitting struggles, the Drillers managed to take a 3-2 lead in the seventh thanks to an Elijah Hainline sacrifice fly. However, relievers Christian Suarez and Jacob Kmatz both allowed multiple runs in the eighth and ninth to quickly surrender control of the game to the Cards.
ONEOK FIELD IS ROCKIN' 🔥
Hainline hits a sacrifice fly and Young scores to put the Drillers in the lead! pic.twitter.com/aUDLolbvxT
Not only did Tulsa finish the game without a homer while the Cardinals had three, but they didn’t even record an extra-base hit, limited by three strikeout games from Mike Sirota and Jake Gelof.
Partially responsible for the game being so close, starter Christian Zazueta had a productive performance, allowing just a pair of runs in five innings, both of them solo shots. Zazueta recorded seven of his 15 outs via strikeout as he was inducing whiffs at will, ultimately undone by his team’s lack of run support.
The Great Lakes Loons were eliminated by the Dayton Dragons in the Division Series, losing it two games to one.
Class-A Ontario
The Ontario Tower Buzzers were swept by the Lake Elsinore Storm in the Division Series.
Transactions
The Dodgers optioned Bobby Miller back to Triple-A and called up Landon Knack.
Thursday’s scores
Springfield 6, Tulsa 4
El Paso 5, Oklahoma City 5 – suspended game will resume today
Friday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: OKC and El Paso resume yesterday’s suspended game tied 5-5 in the top of the first inning
The regularly scheduled Friday matchup between OKC (Christian Romero) and El Paso (Jhony Brito) will start after the end of the first game. It’ll be a seven-inning affair.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 05: A general view as Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 5, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles backed themselves into a corner where they probably need to win every remaining game or all but one remaining game in order to make the postseason. They responded to being in that corner by sweeping the Mets, a not very good team, in a series where the Mets fans were all continually cheering for the best Orioles player. Now they are back in Baltimore to face the team in MLB with the best record so far this season, the Milwaukee Brewers.
Milwaukee has been laying waste to just about all comers as this season goes along. Their 95-58 record is the best thing anybody has going on this year. They have already clinched their division title, and at this point they only “need” to win games to make sure they stay ahead of the Dodgers for the #1 seed in the National League. The back-to-back champions are currently at 93 wins. That one isn’t a done deal yet for the Brewers.
One part of why the Brewers have been able to do this is the absolute freak Jacob Misiorowski, a second-year starting pitcher who’s taken a big leap this year after a mixed bag rookie season a year ago. Misiorowski is averaging over 100mph on his fastball and it’s proving mostly unhittable, which is how he’s been able to drop a 1.89 ERA and 0.812 WHIP on the league. As of this writing, it seems that we will not see Misiorowski pitch in this series, though the Brewers do have a TBD for Sunday and until that turns into someone else, I guess it might be him.
The bullpen is holding up its share of the weight as well. There are six relievers, including former Oriole DL Hall, who are sitting with a 3.50 ERA or better. Hall, in fact, has a 2.17 ERA through 43 games. Closer Trevor Megill has a 0.902 WHIP in his 57.1 innings. You are doing pretty well as a closer if you are allowing fewer than one baserunner per inning pitched. It is a very good way to seal wins.
The Brewers have also scored more runs than anybody else in baseball. They have been able to do this in part because there are six decent-to-great hitters in their regular lineup, plus two guys on the bench (including former Oriole Gary Sánchez) who are doing well in their reserve opportunities. They’re getting a breakout season from first baseman Jake Bauers at age 30, another “good hitting, great defense” season from Brice Turang, and even former Oriole Joey Ortiz, who was absolutely terrible at the plate a year ago, has bounced back to decent.
These guys are helping themselves out by cashing in the scoring opportunities that they do get. Their split with runners in scoring position is nearly 60 points higher than their regular batting. This is the #1 number among all MLB teams. (The Orioles, with a .759 OPS with RISP, are in 10th.)
This is a complete team that hasn’t had much postseason success despite fairly dominant regular seasons. They have won their division five times since the 2018 season, with two wild card bids, and have advanced past the first round in which they played just twice. That gives them the edge over the Mike Elias era Orioles in two ways: They’ve actually been consistently good, and they’ve actually won a few playoff games here and there.
The Orioles are inferior to this team in basically every way and they’ve got to manage to sweep this series or at the absolute worst win two out of three. Yeah, good luck with that.
As of this writing, the Orioles are listing TBD as their starting pitchers for every game of the series. Very helpful for bloggers who are trying to say something informative about the series. It appears likely that Cade Povich will be recalled from Norfolk to start one of the games.
Game 1: Friday, 7:05pm Eastern
BAL starter: TBD
MIL starter: Dustin May – 4.49 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 1.287 WHIP in 28 games (Cardinals then Brewers)
May was a well-regarded pitching prospect so long ago that people were hoping that the Orioles would be able to pry him loose from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado trade, and disappointed when they did not manage to do so. Due to a variety of injury challenges (and one global pandemic) he hasn’t pitched a full season worth of starts in his seven-year career until this season. Dean Kremer, the pitcher the Orioles actually got, has more than doubled May’s career bWAR to date.
The 29-year-old 6’6” righty appeared to be a victim of bad luck with the Cardinals earlier this year, allowing a .322 BABIP that probably wasn’t all his fault. Since joining the Brewers, May’s BABIP luck has improved (.288) but he’s getting substantially worse results, probably because he’s now giving up home runs and other hard contact like it’s going out of style. There does exist the possibility that the Orioles will show up with a game plan that allows them to take advantage of this.
Game 2: Saturday, 7:05pm Eastern
BAL starter: TBD
MIL starter: Robert Gasser – 4.30 ERA, 4.32 FIP, 1.266 WHIP in 19 games
Gasser is in his third season with the Brewers, though he had to get Tommy John surgery just five starts into his MLB career and as a result, he’d only pitched in seven major league games before this season. He started this season out with Milwaukee’s Triple-A team and eventually was added to the MLB club, since when he’s done… fine. He has the same ERA+ as Trevor Rogers this season. That feels less bad when you’ve got a guy doing what Misiorowski has done at the top of the rotation as compared to what has happened with Orioles starting pitching.
The Statcast peripherals for Gasser are not good. He has been particularly vulnerable to giving up hard contact. He does not get many ground balls, he does not throw the ball hard, he does not get a lot of swing-and-miss and he doesn’t get batters to chase very often outside of the strike zone. Absolutely none of which means that the Orioles offense will do well against him on Saturday. Gasser is left-handed.
Game 3: Sunday, 7:20pm Eastern
BAL starter: TBD
MIL starter: TBD
Note: This game airs on Peacock and only on Peacock.
Double TBD. Sheesh. Get it together, teams.
**
How do you think this series is going to go for the Orioles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Several MLB teams have already locked up postseason berths, but many of baseball's biggest races remain unsettled. The American League Central and AL West are still up for grabs, the final AL wild-card spot remains hotly contested and jockeying for National League wild-card positioning could continue until the season's final days.
Here's every team that has clinched a playoff berth, along with the clubs that could be next and what the postseason bracket would look like if the season ended right now.
Major League Baseball's 2026 regular season has two weekends to go, with contenders still jockeying for position and some postseason spots still very much up for grabs.
The Cleveland Guardians managed to run down the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central and it looks like the race will go down to the final days of the season. Just two years after setting an MLB record with 121 losses, Chicago has the chance to get back to the postseason for the first time in five seasons.
The big race to watch in the National League is the wild card, with the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres all in contention to secure the top wild card spot – and host the best-of-three wild card series.
The NL Central (Milwaukee Brewers) and NL West (Los Angeles Dodgers) titles have already been clinched, leaving four of baseball's six divisions still not secured. The AL West race also features the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers within one game – and the team who comes in second likely missing out on the playoffs.
Here's the latest look at the MLB postseason picture:
Standings updated entering play Friday, Sept. 18
MLB playoff bracket 2026
#-division champion; *clinched at least a wild card spot
The Vegas Golden Knights possess championship-caliber top-end talent with Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone, but a projected total of 103.5 points demands more than star power. It requires Vegas to produce sustained regular-season excellence with one of the NHL’s oldest and most injury-sensitive cores.
Stone remains highly productive when available, delivering 73 points in only 60 games last season, but his recurring injury history makes projecting a full campaign dangerous. Vegas must also carefully manage veterans such as Alex Pietrangelo and William Karlsson, while Eichel, Marner and Tomas Hertl will be asked to carry an enormous offensive burden. It may take only one extended absence from that group to turn several regulation victories into overtime losses—or wins into losses.
Last Season’s Record Creates a Warning Sign
The Golden Knights finished 39-26-17 with 95 points last season, despite winning the Pacific Division and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. Their 17 overtime and shootout losses were the most in franchise history, showing how often Vegas struggled to finish close games in regulation.
That postseason run may now be inflating the market’s evaluation of a team that was far less dominant throughout the regular season. Vegas caught fire following its late coaching change, closing 7-0-1 under John Tortorella before carrying that momentum deep into the playoffs. Replicating that short-term surge across an entire 82-game schedule is a much more demanding assignment.
Clearing 103.5 would require at least 104 points—a nine-point improvement from last season. That is a considerable jump for an aging roster entering another transition under Ryan Craig, who must establish his system, manage veteran workloads and maintain the urgency that followed Tortorella’s arrival.
Scoring Depth and Goaltending Remain Concerns
Vegas must also replace Pavel Dorofeyev’s team-leading 37 goals. Losing that production creates a significant hole beyond the established stars, particularly if Stone, Eichel or Hertl misses time. The Golden Knights should remain dangerous on the power play, but their five-on-five depth could become a problem when the schedule compresses or injuries force younger players into larger roles.
Goaltending presents another source of volatility. Vegas allowed 250 goals last season and lacked a clearly established No. 1 capable of consistently stealing games. Average goaltending may be enough for this roster to qualify for the playoffs, but surpassing 103.5 points likely requires above-average performance in net and better results in the numerous one-goal games that defined last season.
The Pacific Division should also offer fewer soft landing spots. Edmonton remains a contender, Los Angeles is difficult to play against, and improving teams in San Jose and Anaheim should reduce the number of seemingly automatic divisional points available to Vegas. A deeper conference also makes it harder to survive ordinary stretches without surrendering valuable ground.
The Golden Knights can finish approximately 47-28-7 for 101 points, comfortably reach the playoffs and remain a legitimate Stanley Cup threat while still cashing the Under. That projection already represents a six-point improvement over last season.
This is not a bet against Vegas’ postseason ceiling. It is a wager against an older, injury-sensitive roster improving by at least nine points while replacing its leading goal scorer, adjusting to another coach and receiving more dependable goaltending over six demanding months. The Golden Knights may again become extremely dangerous in April, but asking them to produce 104-plus points before then is setting the regular-season bar too high.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 17: Trevor Story #10, Wilyer Abreu #52, Isiah Kiner-Falefa #2 and Nate Eaton #18 of the Boston Red Sox after a three-run home run in the eighth inning to take the lead against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on September 17, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, LSB.
The Rangers lost a crusher last night, 4-3 to the Red Sox.
That’s all for this morning. The Rangers start up a crucial wildcard series with the Blue Jays tonight at 7:05 with Kumar Rocker on the mound for Texas.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 04: Manager Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with his players after the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers during game one of a doubleheader at Progressive Field on September 04, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Guardians defeated the Tigers 7-6. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every series looms large at this point, so the Guardians find a three-game set against one of the worst teams in MLB playing a big part in their pursuit of a playoff spot.
The Athletics are 61-92 with a -214 run differential, since 8/4 they are 23rd in team wRC+ at 91, ninth in baserunning runs above average at 1.4, 27th in Defense at -15, 28th in starting pitcher ERA at 6.17 (5.16 FIP), and 23rd in bullpen ERA at 4.53 (3.75 FIP).
The Guardians are 78-75 with a -7 run differential, since 8/4 they are 11th in team wRC+ at 101, 18th in baserunning runs above average at -0.9, sixth in Defense at 0.9, 21st in starting pitcher ERA at 4.57 (4.12 FIP), and fourth in bullpen ERA at 3.11 (3.39 FIP).
Put the ball in play, get to the starters, and play solid, fundamental baseball with good plate discipline and good things will happen vs. The A’s.
Matchups:
Game One, Friday, 7:10PM, Barnett, RHP 7.08 ERA (6.98 FIP) vs Espino, RHP/Cantillo, LHP
Game Two, Saturday, 6:10PM, Lopez, LHP 5.02 ERA (5.07 FIP) vs. Bibee, RHP
Game Three, Sunday, 1:40PM, Perkins, RHP 6.14 ERA (4.73 FIP) vs. Williams, RHP
