PHILADELPHIA — Freddy Peralta pitched into the sixth inning to help Tampa Bay deny Philadelphia a third straight shot at clinching a wild-card spot, as the AL East champion Rays beat the Phillies 2-0 on Friday night.
The Phillies entered leading Arizona by two games for an NL wild card with three to play. The Phillies would have clinched their fifth straight playoff berth with a win against the Rays and an Arizona loss to San Diego.
The Phillies instead lost their third straight and delayed a potential clincher at least until Saturday when they will throw a bullpen game against the Rays.
Jonny DeLuca had an RBI single in the first inning and Nick Fortes hit a homer in the second to back Peralta (10-11) as the Rays tune up for the playoffs. The Rays have home-field advantage in the AL Division Series and would have it if they reach the AL Championship Series.
Tampa Bay received a scare when .300-hitting left fielder Chandler Simpson fouled a ball off his right foot. He was in pain but finished the at-bat and struck out.
Peralta struck out four and allowed four hits over 5 1/3 innings. Bryan Baker tossed a scoreless ninth for his 41st save.
For the moment, Tampa Bay has surrendered its home field. Major League Baseball moved a regular-season series finale between the Red Sox and Chicago Cubs from Fenway Park to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, because of a weekend storm threat in the Boston area.
Cristopher Sánchez (18-7) struck out 10 and walked one in seven innings.
The Phillies sluggers continued to shrivel in the September spotlight.
The gut punch came in the sixth inning when Trea Turner and Bryce Harper led off with consecutive singles. Alec Bohm grounded out but advanced the runners. Bryson Stott lined out to second and pinch hitter Bryan De La Cruz lined out to shortstop.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 23: Major League Field Coordinator Bob Geren #88 and Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on April 23, 2026 in San Francisco, California. The Dodgers defeated the Giants 3-0. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Getty Images) | Getty Images
All eyes will be on Blake Snell on Saturday afternoon as the Dodgers left-hander makes his final tuneup of the regular season before October, against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.
Snell left his last start, on September 16 in Cincinnati, after only one inning as a precaution after feeling left groin discomfort.
Left-hander Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson starts for the Giants.
Sep 25, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. (13) jumps but cannot make a catch against Miami Marlins center fielder Jakob Marsee (not pictured) during the eighth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Braves’ pitching staff largely took care of business despite an untraditional assignment in Friday night’s opening game of the regular-season sendoff series in Miami
The offense, which was not tinkered with and likely resembled what could be the team’s postseason lineup, did not seem to get the memo.
Atlanta managed just one hit off Marlins right-hander Eury Pérez, who threw his first career complete game and first career shutout in a 3-0 Miami win. Pérez struck out eight and walked one, facing just two over the minimum.
The lone Braves hit, a sixth-inning single from Sean Murphy to break up the no-hit bid, was immediately erased by a double play.
That offensive no-show negated what had been a strong combined pitching performance from Ray Kerr and Grant Holmes.
Kerr made his first start of the season as an opener while Holmes pitched four innings out of the bullpen, each testing out potential new postseason roles.
After Kerr allowed the first two Miami batters to reach on singles, he escaped the first-inning jam unscathed and retired eight of the final nine batters he faced to finish with three scoreless innings. The only additional baserunner he allowed, a leadoff walk in the second, was immediately erased by a double play.
Holmes (10-6) replaced him and navigated two hits and three walks through his first three innings before allowing the game’s first run on a solo homer from Marlins catcher Joe Mack with one out in the seventh.
Didier Fuentes was tasked with the eighth inning and had a rare ineffective outing, allowing two runs on five hits — both the most he’s allowed since he gave up seven hits and four runs in an April relief appearance at Washington.
The first five Miami batters of the inning had hits off Fuentes, who got the first two outs via a baserunning mistake and a pickoff at second base. Heriberto Hernandez made it 2-0 with an RBI single after Jakob Marsee’s leadoff triple, and Griffin Conine closed out the scoring with another solo homer.
The Marlins somewhat surprisingly sent Pérez back out to the mound for the ninth as he approached 100 pitches and he retired Murphy, Drake Baldwin and Ronald Acuña Jr. in order to finish just six pitches shy of a Maddux at 105 pitches.
Game 2 of the series is slated for Saturday at 4:10 p.m. EDT.
"You could ask me, you could ask Steve Kerr, you could ask Draymond (Green), we still believe that we can be that team. I think our challenge now is to reimagine what that looks like. And, you know, we have a veteran team. We need health on our side... You can't just roll the ball out and be like, 'Oh, we're the Warriors. We're gonna win.' Nah, it's let's embrace the challenge of figuring out what this team needs to do to win. And as long as I'm on the squad, Draymond, Steve, I feel like we all have that shared mentality."
Curry dealt with the health concerns personally last season, playing in just 43 games, and it wasn't just Curry who had injury issues in Golden State last season, De'Anthony Melton (49 games), Al Horford (45) and Kristaps Porzingis (15) missed significant time. That doesn't even get into Jimmy Butler (ACL) and Moses Moody (torn patellar tendon), who missed time last season and will each miss a chunk of this season, too. Smith also asked Curry if he thinks about Father Time and being near the end of his career.
"Oh, I'm close to it. Look, Father Time is undefeated. We know that. And there's an idea of how far can I push this high level of play that I got, what expectations I have for myself. What it really means at this point is it just changes the way that I prepare and my mindfulness of everything that I do to put into my game. I do train differently than I used to. There's a different mentality of off season, in-season, all the things that need to go into me playing at the highest level...
"I think about the end of the road every day. I think that's okay. I think that's a motivator, right? Like, it's an idea that…you can't just not get whatever you need to do out of every single day and not have the most fun and joy when I'm out there playing because wins and losses, I'm the most competitive guy in the room, I wanna win every game, but I also wanna enjoy myself and what I'm doing. And I can only enjoy myself if I'm prepared for what I need to do out there on the floor. So it all kinda goes hand in hand. And if I don't acknowledge the end, I think I won't appreciate the now, if that makes sense."
The rest of us need to heed that advice and savor watching Curry for the dwindling years we still can.
DENVER — For nearly 39 minutes Friday night, the Avalanche looked like a team still searching for answers.
Then T.J. Hughes took over.
The rookie scored twice in the final 1:32 of the second period to erase a 2-1 deficit, then completed his hat trick late in the third as Colorado pulled away for a 5-2 preseason victory over the Winnipeg Jets at Ball Arena.
Hughes finished the night with four points, while Jaden Schwartz added a goal and two assists and Nazem Kadri chipped in two assists. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 24 of 26 shots in his latest preseason appearance.
First Period
Just 4:24 into the opening period, Nazem Kadri was sent to the penalty box for hooking, giving Winnipeg the first power play of the evening.
The Jets wasted little time capitalizing.
At 6:15, Nino Niederreiter buried a rebound past Mackenzie Blackwood after the Avalanche goaltender kicked out a shot from defenseman Neal Pionk, giving Winnipeg a 1-0 lead.
The Jets nearly doubled that advantage with just under 12 minutes remaining in the period. Blackwood left a juicy rebound in front of the net with Gabriel Vilardi closing in, but Vilardi couldn’t finish the chance.
Colorado got its first opportunity on the man advantage near the midway point of the period when Niederreiter took Noah Juulsen down along the blue line and was assessed a two-minute interference penalty.
It wasn’t much of a power play for the Avalanche, though.
Head coach Jared Bednar said in recent days that last season’s power-play unit was too slow for his liking, and Colorado’s first opportunity Friday had a similar feel. The Avalanche managed just one shot on net during the two-minute advantage.
With just under four minutes left in the period, Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg unloaded a big slap shot from the point, but Blackwood — who has been excellent with his glove throughout training camp — was there to make the save.
Colorado’s penalty trouble continued late in the frame when Gavin Brindley was called for interference after officials determined he had run into Isak Rosen, sending the Winnipeg forward crashing into the boards.
Replay, however, appeared to show Rosen lose an edge before going down.
The Jets’ power play lasted only a few seconds before Niederreiter was sent to the box for roughing, wiping out Winnipeg’s man advantage.
After 20 minutes, the Jets carried a 1-0 lead into the first intermission, while holding a 9-7 edge in shots.
Second Period
Colorado began the second period shorthanded after Brock Nelson was whistled for hooking at 1:48.
The Avalanche finally broke through at 6:09. Jaden Schwartz got a stick on a shot from T.J. Hughes, redirecting it past Jets goaltender Stuart Skinner to tie the game at 1-1. Fedor Svechkov also picked up an assist on the play.
The tie didn’t last long.
Just over a minute later, Winnipeg regained the lead after Nathan MacKinnon attempted a dangerous clear that was intercepted by the Jets. Vladislav Namestnikov quickly turned the turnover into offense, firing a shot past Blackwood to make it 2-1.
The Avalanche continued to battle some of the same issues that surfaced in the opening period.
Colorado was later called for too many men on the ice, giving Winnipeg another opportunity to extend its lead. The Jets couldn’t capitalize, but the Avalanche continued to have problems in their own zone, including defensive breakdowns, trying to make one pass too many instead of putting pucks toward the net and failing to provide Blackwood with enough support around the crease.
Then, with the second period winding down, everything changed.
Hughes scored twice in the final 1:32 to turn a one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead.
His first came with 1:32 remaining when Hughes took a pass from Kadri in the low slot and snapped a wrist shot through Skinner, with the puck sneaking underneath the Jets goaltender’s pads to tie the game at 2-2.
Hughes wasn’t finished.
With only 11 seconds left on the clock, the rookie struck again. After receiving a pass from Brett Kulak, Hughes drove the puck down the left wing before cutting his shot toward the net and banking a backhand off Skinner’s stick and into the cage.
Just like that, Colorado went from trailing 2-1 to leading 3-2 heading into the second intermission.
Third Period
The Avalanche had done the hard part by stealing the lead late in the second. In the third, they had to protect it.
For much of the period, Colorado kept Winnipeg from generating the kind of sustained pressure it needed to get back into the game, while Blackwood handled the chances that did get through.
The biggest came with about 6:20 remaining.
Namestnikov broke in alone with a chance to tie the game, but Blackwood stayed with the play and made a huge save on the breakaway. The stop preserved Colorado’s one-goal cushion and gave the Avalanche the breathing room they needed.
Then Cale Makar provided the insurance.
With 4:25 remaining, Makar took a pass from Nathan MacKinnon in the slot and snapped a shot underneath Skinner’s glove to make it 4-2.
It was Makar’s first goal of the preseason and a reminder of the impact Colorado’s top defenseman can have when he is fully involved in the offensive game.
Winnipeg had one more problem to deal with.
Hughes.
With 22 seconds remaining, the rookie completed his hat trick to cap a four-point night and put the finishing touch on Colorado’s comeback.
What began as a frustrating night for the Avalanche turned into one of their most entertaining preseason performances yet, with Hughes’ three goals providing the spark and Blackwood making the key saves when Colorado needed them.
Skinner finished with 28 saves on 32 shots, while Niederreiter and Namestnikov each finished with a goal and an assist for Winnipeg.
Next Game
The Avalanche will wrap up their preseason schedule Saturday afternoon against the Utah Mammoth on the road.
Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. as Colorado gets one final tune-up before turning its attention toward the regular season.
Mark Reynolds' record lasted 17 years. Colson Montgomery took it from him Friday night in the fifth inning.
The Chicago White Sox shortstop struck out for the 224th time this season. The record whiff came against Colorado right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano for the second out in the inning. That set a new single-season major league mark and broke his tie with Reynolds, who struck out 223 times for Arizona in 2009.
Montgomery was called out on a 3-2, 93-mph fastball for the historic punchout.
Montgomery, 24, tied the record Thursday night in Kansas City on a called third strike from Royals reliever Anthony Gose. After the game he celebrated in the clubhouse with his teammates, not for the dubious record, but because the White Sox clinched their first playoff berth since 2021. Chicago is the first team to reach the postseason after back-to-back 100-loss seasons.
Why the White Sox live with Colson Montgomery's strikeouts
Montgomery's strikeout Thursday also moved him past former White Sox slugger Adam Dunn, who set the American League record with 222 in 2012.
The White Sox have lived with the strikeouts because of what comes with them. Montgomery entered Friday with 31 home runs and 87 RBI to go with a .202 average.
September has tested the White Sox player's patience. Through Thursday he was hitting .111 this month, with 38 strikeouts and eight walks. Chicago manager Will Venable said the young shortstop hasn't let it get to him and added that the team is supporting him.
In his first full big-league season, Montgomery has said he knows he is still developing as a hitter.
He might not hold onto the infamous MLB record long
There is a race for the major-league record this season. Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber entered Friday with 218 strikeouts and three games left against Tampa Bay.
Reynolds told The Athletic in July that he wasn't rooting for anyone to catch him.
"I'm like 'No. How many big-league records do you have?'" Reynolds said.
Up next
The White Sox finish the regular season with two more games against Colorado before the playoffs begin.
In the midst of the Mets' disappointing season, rookie Carson Benge is having one to remember.
With two outs in the fifth inning Friday against the Nationals, Benge took Andrew Alvarez deep. Benge smashed a 3-1 sinker that was over the plate, and it went 407 feet. Incredible, considering the wind had knocked down a few potential home runs already in this game.
Benge's blast was the 20th of his season, and it put him in the Mets' record books. The home run put Benge in the 20-20 club for the year, the first Mets rookie to ever do it.
"I feel like anything that means the history books and done for the first time is something special and I hold that close to my heart," Benge said after the game. "God is good all the time. Being even-keeled through all of it, the highs and lows, it’s a blessing."
With his 20 doubles, Benge is now the 11th player in Mets history to have that amount of doubles along with the homers and stolen bases.
In addition, Benge became the 18th rookie in MLB history to post such a season. That list includes names like Bobby Witt Jr., Mike Trout and Carlos Beltrán.
The 23-year-old admitted he was thinking about hitting 20-20 once he got his 19th homer back on Sept. 19. But he tried to not think about it, and keep having good at-bats.
Benge has had a fantastic rookie season. Through Friday's game, Benge is slashing .277/.342/.426 with an OPS of .768 to go along with the aforementioned 20 home runs, 22 stolen bases (third in Mets rookie history), 21 doubles, three triples and 64 RBI.
He's also played impressive defense in right field, with his arm contributing to his 10 assists this season. Benge's arm is also becoming known to opponents, who think twice before challenging the youngster.
Benge already broke Pete Alonso's Mets rookie record for hits earlier this month, and is looking to potentially add some hardware in the offseason as he's in the thick of the NL Rookie of the Year race with the Reds' Sal Stewart and the Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt. Benge's teammate, Nolan McLean, also has a shot to win the award.
"That’s a huge award. There’s a bunch of guys in the running, one being another guy in this clubhouse," Benge said of potentially winning. "There’s a lot of good players in there and winning it would be amazing."
When asked whether he deserved Rookie of the Year, Benge said it's not his job to decide, just try and play the best he can every day. Mets manager Andy Green would vote for him, though.
"Just did something no Mets rookie’s ever done before. That’s really special," he said. "It’s well-rounded. What he’s done offensively, what he’s done defensively when it comes to position players, add in the bases, he’s done all of those things, in my mind, as well as any rookie in baseball."
Benge ranks in the top-5 in the National League in 10 offensive categories for rookies, including fWAR (3.7 - second), home runs (20 - second), hits (162 - third), steals (22 - third), runs (84 - third), RBI (64 - third), average (.277 - fourth), triples (3 - fourth), doubles (21 - fourth) and walks (50 - fifth).
While Benge continues to collect accolades, he says he's happiest with how he bounced back from a rough start to the season because it showed "what I’m made of."
But there could be more for Benge to tap into this offseason for next year. Green talked about his outfielder putting on strength this offseason and while Benge believes he can still get better in all facets of the game, putting on strength would be huge for him.
"Couple of those balls in the warning track, leave," Benge said at the possibility of getting stronger. "Not only that, but get faster, stronger and also to keep that throughout the year, would be huge for me."
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: Yainer Diaz #21 and Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros react during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Daikin Park on September 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (79-80) will continue their final road trip of the regular season with the second game of a four -game series against the Athletics (63-96) at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA.
RHP Hunter Brown (6-3, 3.26 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite LHP Jacob Lopez (6-5, 5.68 ERA) and the Athletics.
THE DIESEL: Astros ace RHP Hunter Brown has posted a 5-2 record and a 2.76 ERA (19ER/62IP) in his last 11 starts (since July 25), pitching through the 5th inning in all 11 outings. Brown, who finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting last season, has been limited this season, missing over two months due to a lengthy stint on the IL (April 1-June 15) with a right shoulder strain. In 10 career starts vs. the Athletics, Brown has recorded a 2.86 ERA (18ER/56.2IP) with 67 strikeouts.
THE POSTSEASON CHASE: The Astros and Rangers are locked in a tight race down the stretch for the AL West with the two teams having the same record with three games left to play. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with a season series victory (9-4 record).
VS. THE ATHLETICS: This is the final series between the Astros and Athletics this season, with the two clubs last seeing each other from Aug. 21-23 at Daikin Park.. The Astros have gone 5-5 vs. the Athletics this season. The Astros also own an overall regular season record of 125-111 against the Athletics, including a 60-60 record on the road.
ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the fourth game of a six-game road trip for the Astros. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 39-29 (.574) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the AL in that span, behind the Red Sox (43-28) and the Yankees (42-30).
LAST NIGHT’S GAME: The Astros defeated the Athletics, 7-5 at Sutter Health Park last night. The Astros offense combined to hit five home runs between CF Lucas Spence (3×4, 3 HR, 5 RBI), 3B Isaac Paredes (1×4, HR, RBI) and 1B Christian Walker (2×4, HR, RBI). RHP Miguel Ullola allowed one hit and struck out three in three scoreless innings to earn his second win of his career.
GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros have hit 218 homers as a team this year and have hit 200-plus homers in a single season for the 10th time in franchise history (last, 222 HR in 2023). The Astros rank second in the AL in home runs this season behind only the Yankees (223).
TWO-OUT MAGIC: The Astros lead the American League in two-out runs with 311 on the season, trailing only the Cubs (331) in the Majors. 3B Isaac Paredes leads this effort, as he holds the Major League lead with 45 two-out RBI, directly ahead of CHC Pete Crow-Armstrong and STL 1B Alec Burleson (44 RBI).
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Last night’s victory was the 254th win for Astros Manager Joe Espada tying him with Hal Lanier for the ninth-most managerial wins in Astros franchise history. Espada owns a 254-228 record with the Astros.
THE CASE FOR THE MVP:DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez leads the American League in OPS (1.032), slugging percentage (.600), OBP (.432), batting average (.315), total bases (333), walks (108), IBB (33), wRC+ (181), OPS+ (.190) and extra-base hits (75). He also ranks tied for second in home runs (41), second in RBI (102), tied for second in hits (175), fourth in runs (101), and tied for third in doubles (33).
TRIFECTA: CF Lucas Spence went 3×4 with three home runs and five RBI last night vs. the Athletics. He became the third player in Major League history to hit their first three career home runs in the same game, joining STL Joshua Baez (Aug. 15, 2026) and CWS C Seby Zavala (July 31, 2021). Spence is the second rookie in Astros franchise history to record a three-homer game, joining DH Yordan Alvarez (Aug. 10, 2019 at BAL). It was the first three-homer game by an Astro this season (last, IF Jose Altuve on Sept. 5, 2023 vs. TEX).
ANNUAL HOUSTON BBWAA AWARDS: On yesterday, Houston BBWAA Chapter Chairman Chandler Rome (The Athletic) announced the 2026 Houston BBWAA Awards:
Astros MVP: Yordan Alvarez
Astros Pitcher of the Year: Peter Lambert
Astros Rookie of the Year:AJ Blubaugh
Darryl Kile Good Guy Award:Bryan Abreu
Fred Hartman Long and Meritorious Service to Baseball Award:Brent Strom
STRONG SEPTEMBERS: 3B Isaac Paredes has a 1.009 OPS this month to go along with a team-leading 20 RBI, which ranks second in the AL. C Yainer Diaz is also having a strong September, as he’s hitting .343 (24×70) with four homers, 10 RBI and a .956 OPS in 20 games (17 starts) this month.
THE FIREMAN:LHP Josh Hader has converted 26 consecutive save chances to open his season, which is the Astros record. Should Hader finish the season without a blown save, he would become the seventh pitcher in MLB history to post 26-plus saves without a blown save. The last Major Leaguer to do so was RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV).
NO. 200: 1B Christian Walker recorded his 200th home run of his career on Tues. night at SEA with a three-run home run in the third inning. Became the 34th active player in the Majors to record 200 career HRs.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1986 – RHP Mike Scott clinches the NL West Division title for the Astros in historic fashion by hurling a 2-0, no-hit victory over the Giants in the Dome. Scott, who tallied 13 strikeouts in the win, would go on to win the NL Cy Young Award later that season, finishing with an 18-10 while leading the Majors in both ERA (2.22) and strikeouts (306).
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, September 24, 8:40 p.m. CT
Location: Sutter Heath Park, Sacramento, CA
TV: SCHN
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
The Buffalo Sabres are aiming to improve on their rewarding 2025-26 season, in which they finished first in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division in the regular-season, then beat the Boston Bruins in Round 1 of their Stanley Cup playoff series before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in Round 2.
Here at TheHockeyNews.com, as part of an annual series of articles, we’re analyzing the Sabres’ Eastern Conference opponents in a series titled “Know Your Enemy”. In these files, we’re looking at how Buffalo played against every East team last season, and how they’re likely to fare against every of those Eastern teams this season.
And in this file, we’re turning the spotlight on the Tampa Bay Lightning..
The Lightning finished second in the Atlantic last year, just three standings points behind Buffalo. Tampa Bay had the same amount of wins as the Bolts did last season, so the Lightning are going to be one of the Sabres’ toughest opponents this season. Here’s this columnist’s perspective on how the Sabres should fare against the Lightning this season:
BUFFALO SABRES VS. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
NEW LIGHTNING PLAYERS: Ilya Mikheyev (LW), John Carlson (D), Dennis Hildeby (G), Jeffrey Viel (LW)
2025-26 SERIES: Sabres 3-0-1, Lightning 1-3-0
2026-27 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: November 11 at Buffalo; November 22 at Tampa Bay; January 2 at Tampa Bay; April 5 at Buffalo
CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? The Lightning were one of the best teams in the league before their off-season made them considerably better. They’ve now got a healthy Victor Hedman back, as well as free-agent signing Carlson, the long-time Washington Capitals defenseman. Carlson essentially replaced departed D-man Darren Raddysh, and that could be a significant upgrade for the Bolts.
Meanwhile, Bolts GM Julien BriseBois went out and added an above-average winger in Mikheyev, and he traded with the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire an up-and-coming goaltender in Dennis Hildeby. The Lightning have needed a better backup for star Andrei Vasilevsky for years now. And Hildeby, who was stuck in a logjam with the Leafs, could thrive on a Lightning team better than Toronto. If he can give Tampa 25-30 games, Vasilevskiy will be fresher for the Bolts’ next playoff run.
All of which is to say, yes, the Sabres can still beat Tampa Bay, but it certainly won’t be easy for Buffalo, and there is a world in which the Sabres get swept by the Bolts. It could be a feast-or-famine type of year for the Sabres, but they clearly have a nemesis in Tampa Bay. And the Lightning have the superstars – Jake Guentzel; Nikita Kucherov; Hedman and Brayden Point; and the newcomer, Carlson – to overwhelm their opponents, Buffalo included.
The Sabres will be taking on the Lightning twice in an 11-day stretch in early November, and they’ll then clash again the day after New Year’s Day. And after that, they’ll get one more look at Tampa in their third-to-last game of the regular-season on April 5. That particular game could affect either or both team’s place in the Atlantic standings, and it could set up a first-round matchup between Buffalo and the Bolts. And that would be a first-round series Sabres fans may not be pleased with.
The Sabres are a strong team, and they did handle their business against the Lightning last season, winning three out of four games, and never losing in regulation in those four games. That’s a record against the Bolts that few teams can boast of. But the Lightning have as least as much talent, if not more, than Buffalo does.
And in the four regular-season clashes between the two teams, the one thing that’s guaranteed is we’re going to see high-quality hockey.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 07: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on September 07, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, the A’s dropped the first game of this four-game set with the Astros last night. The final series of the season continues this evening as the weekend gets underway with a nightcap against Houston. The Athletics’ loss paired with the Angels’ win yesterday means that Los Angeles still has a chance to pass our A’s so let’s get the win tonight and clinch fourth place once and for all.
On the other side of the ball, thanks to both Texas teams winning last night the two squads are still tied atop the AL West, fighting with the Rangers for the division (and therefor their last path to the playoffs). At 79-80 they still have a chance to finish with either a losing or winning record, regardless of if they win the division. Let’s make sure they finish with at least a .500 record. That means we’ll need to take two of three. Think our A’s have it in ‘em to play spoiler a few more times?
The Athletics have left-hander Jacob Lopez on the bump this evening making his 24th and final start of the season. It’s definitely been an up-and-down year for the southpaw as he started the year in the rotation before faltering so hard he found himself back in the minor leagues. He’s worked through the adversity however to have worked his way back into the rotation and overall thrive. That is, until his last start. That was easily the worst appearance of his career as he allowed 10 (!) earned runs to the Guardians in less than three innings of work. That has skewed his overall ERA on the year but he’s in general ending the year on a good note. That likely won’t be enough to guarantee him a rotation job next spring but he could be one of the top depth options for next year’s squad.
Here’s how the lineup for game two looks this evening:
The A’s are going with their usual starting lineup again tonight, with minimal changes from yesterday. And why mess with a lineup that put up five runs? Tonight’s scorecard will see the return of Tommy White to the lineup playing first and batting eighth, taking Joshua Kuroda-Grauer’s spot in the lineup. That’s the only major difference, with the rest of the changes coming on the defensive side of the ball. McNeil moves to second base, Walton to shortstop to accommodate White on the infield.
As for Houston, they have their top arm on the bump in this one. Right-hander Hunter Brown is getting the ball for his 20th start this season. After missing most of the first two months of the year Brown has helped stabilize a shaky Houston rotation thanks to his team-leading 3.26 ERA. He lines up to take the ball for Houston in their first playoff game if they make it to October.
And the Astros’ starting nine tonight shapes up like this:
Can’t let Alvarez kill us. Or for that matter Spence, who nearly single-handed beat us last night with a three-home game (his first three career homers, go figure). If we can handle them then we should be able to stick around and sneak out our 64th win. Let’s go A’s!
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres beats the throw to Hunter Feduccia #46 of the Los Angeles Dodgers for a run in the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium on September 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Arizona Diamondbacks (85-74) at San Diego Padres (89-70), September 25, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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The Cubs came to Boston Friday hoping they could win a couple of games and maybe still get home games next week in the Wild Card Series.
Instead, after losing the doubleheader nightcap 2-0 to the Red Sox, there’s a mathematical chance they could be dumped into the third wild card spot and wind up facing the Braves in Atlanta
This time, the Cubs went just 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position — but that’s because they didn’t really have many RISP. All the Cubs’ seven hits on the night were singles. The top run-scoring offense in MLB has looked almost completely impotent over the last five games, scoring a total of nine runs, losing four of them.
This, obviously, is not good.
Let’s take a look back.
The Cubs didn’t have anyone past first base until the top of the fifth. In that inning, Nico Hoerner led off with a single and two outs later, Matt Shaw singled Nico to third. But that was that when Pete Cros-Armstrong grounded out.
David Peterson went into Friday’s game having pitched 61 innings since the All-Star Game break, with a 2.95 ERA. That tied him with Sonny Gray for 20th best since then. With his five shutout innings Friday, his ERA is down to 2.73.
I would not hesitate to start Peterson in a Wild Card game, especially if it’s against the Phillies (though that’s looking unlikely, more on that coming).
Javier Assad took over from Peterson and threw two very good innings, the sixth and seventh, while the Cubs offense remained moribund.
Then Assad got in trouble in the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff walk. One out later (and after the Cubs unsuccessfully challenged that Connor Wong didn’t re-touch second on a fly to right), Assad was replaced by Ryan Rolison. Rolison struck out Roman Anthony, but then issued a walk to Jahmai Jones.
And then Wilyer Abreu doubled off the Green Monster and both runners scored, and you just knew that was going to be it for the Cubs, who went down 1-2-3 in the ninth.
“Sad” facts, as John called them in his message to me:
The Cubs have tallied nine runs runs in their five games. They have scored in only seven of their last 51 innings, starting with the sixth last Sunday at Cincinnati. … The Cubs had been shut out by the Red Sox in only one of their previous 28 regular-season games, by 17-0 at Boston on April 27, 2024. They also were blanked, 1-0, in Game 1 of the 1918 World Series, played at Comiskey Park on Sept. 5, 1918. The pitcher for the Red Sox was Babe Ruth.
So everyone’s now off to Florida to play the third game of this series Sunday afternoon. In the meantime, here are the permutations for the Cubs.
The Cubs are 88-73. The best record they can finish with is 89-73, obviously.
If the Cubs are 89-73, the Phillies would have to get to 90-72 (sweep the Rays) to finish ahead of them. The Padres have to go only 2-1 to finish ahead of the Cubs. If both of those teams do that, the Cubs would play the Braves. That could also happen if the Cubs lose Sunday. Then the Phillies would have to go 2-1 and the Padres just 1-2 to finish ahead of the Cubs.
So we’re still kind of in a holding pattern to see who the Cubs will be playing, and where. At this point, the only way the Cubs could still play at home is if they win Sunday and the Padres get swept and the Phillies win no more than two of their three against the Rays. So yes… I’m saying there’s still a chance.
The Cubs will have a rare Saturday off. Their flight to Florida is supposed to arrive well after midnight tonight and they and the Red Sox will both rest up before they play Sunday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. CT at Tropicana Field, televised on Marquee Sports Network. Please stick around BCB on Saturday, as we’ll have plenty here, including a game thread that will post at 5 p.m. CT so you can follow along with the Phillies and Padres games, which start at 6:15 p.m. CT and 8:40 p.m. CT, respectively.
At this time we don’t know who will start for the Cubs on Sunday. It could be Shōta Imanaga, it could be some kind of modified bullpen game… as always, we await developments. The Red Sox, whose postseason series against the Yankees is locked in, are likely to also use some sort of bullpen game on Sunday.
Hopefully the Cubs bats show up in Florida. They’ve been absent in Chicago and Boston all week.
With a nor'easter forecasted to hit the area, the Washington Nationals announced that the start time for Saturday's matchup with the Mets has been moved up.
Originally scheduled for 4:05 p.m., the new first pitch is now set for 12:35 p.m. as a precautionary measure.
Jonah Tong (2-2, 4.21 ERA) is scheduled to make his final regular season start against Connelly Early (7-5, 3.44 ERA).
It's unclear whether Sunday's season finale will also be affected by the weather, but for now, that game is set for 3:05 p.m.
This final series between NL East foes is important in terms of draft positioning. The Mets entered the weekend set two games behind Washington in the standings. A Mets sweep will allow New York to avoid the basement of the division, but also give them a lower pick in the upcoming MLB Draft.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 25: Starting pitcher Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox throws in the first inning during game two of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park on September 25, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Brayan Bello gave Boston four innings and handed it to rookie Jedixson Páez, who turned around and gave them five more. Combined: nine innings, seven hits, zero Cubs runs—nine innings they were lucky to get in, with the rain circling Fenway all afternoon.
David Peterson matched Bello through five for Chicago. Neither team did much with what they had. The Cubs were making contact. They were just finding gloves.
Then came the eighth. Peterson was gone, Javier Assad got yanked, Ryan Rollison was in, and Wilyer Abreu doubled to right to score two. Assad took the loss.
Final: Red Sox 2, Cubs 0.
The Sox came into this doubleheader wanting to keep the bullpen from taking a beating before the final regular season game. Páez going five innings as a rookie—quietly one of the better pitching performances of the day—was exactly the kind of thing they needed. They sweep the Cubs and head to Tropicana Field to finish the 2026 regular season out.
Jedixson Páez — Five innings. Zero runs. He came in after Bello in the fifth and just kept going—through a Cubs lineup with its own playoff stakes, through whatever the weather was doing, through the innings where any mistake ends a shutout. The rookie threw the longest outing of the two-man combo and walked away clean. That’s the headline here. Beyond impressive for a spot call-up.
Brayan Bello — Four solid innings to set the table. He’s been one of the better starters in the AL since August and this was him doing his job—keeping the game zero when it needed to stay zero, letting Páez take it from there. Honestly starter Bello is acquiring reliever Bello’s powers and I trust him a little more.
Wilyer Abreu — Three hours of scoreless baseball, and when the game finally broke open, it broke on his bat. Two runs, eighth inning, that was the whole night.
Duds
The Red Sox offense — Four hits in nine innings. They won really because Wilyer’s double was the whole ballgame, and the timing couldn’t have been better. But two runs against a team they’ll never see again isn’t exactly what you want to carry into a playoff series at Yankee Stadium. They’ll need more than that next week.
Play of the Game
Wilyer’s double in the eighth. Three hours of scoreless baseball, a rookie pitcher on the mound, rain somewhere overhead—Abreu stepped in and ended the whole thing with one swing.
The San Jose Sharks announced a few more cuts to their training camp roster, including center Filip Bystedt. The Sharks' 27th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Bystedt showed improvements during the 2025-26 campaign, but seemed to struggle quite a bit during preseason outside of the latter half of his final game. Since he's still waiver-exempt, Bystedt was reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda, but it seems fair to question whether or not he'll ever make the jump to the Sharks' roster at this point.
Bystedt made more than one appearance in preseason for the first time in his career this time around, playing two games and registering three points (a goal and two assists). On paper, his production was fine, but he often felt slow, disengaged, and out of position. While other young players are running with their opportunity, he seemed content with heading back to the Barracuda.
Players like Cam Lund, who is unfortunately not playing in preseason due to injury, Igor Chernyshov, and Ethan Cardwell have all gotten the chance to play some NHL games over the past few seasons, but Bystedt is yet to make his debut despite being drafted two years before Chernyshov and a round ahead of Lund.
While late first-round picks usually aren't game changers, the Sharks undoubtedly would've preferred to see Bystedt show that he's deserving of an opportunity by now. At 22 years of age, he still has time to get to the NHL, but it won't be long before he's no longer viewed as a prospect.
This season, it seems like it's now or never for Bystedt, he needs to appear in at least one NHL game in the 2026-27 campaign, otherwise it'll be very easy for him to get left behind moving forward as more and more prospects become NHL ready.
