NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: A view of the field is seen after game two of the American League Wild Card Series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 MLB Playoffs continue today with Game 3 of the ALDS and Game 4 of the NLDS.
As of the time I am writing this, the NLDS games from Tuesday have not yet been played. So at this point I’m not sure if there will be two NLDS games or just the one. But I’ll include info for both just in case. As usual, all games will have national radio coverage on ESPN Radio.
Here’s what’s on deck for today.
1:00 p.m. PT – Cleveland Guardians @ Chicago White Sox – TBS/HBO Max
Expected Starters: Daniel Espino (RHP) vs. Sean Newcomb (LHP)
3:00 p.m. PT – Los Angeles Dodgers @ Atlanta Braves – Fox Sports 1/Fox One
5:00 p.m. PT – Tampa Bay Rays @ New York Yankees – TBS/HBO Max
Expected Starters: Nick Martinez vs. Max Fried
7:00 p.m. PT – (If Necessary) Milwaukee Brewers @ San Diego Padres – Fox Sports 1/Fox One
(No starters listed as of the time this is being written. If the game ends up being played, you can check down in the comments to see who is expected to start.)
As usual, my loyalties lie with the Not-Dodgers, so let’s go Braves. Then I guess I’m going with the White Sox, Rays and Padres, if they’ve managed to stay alive.
The committee recommended rezoning of an area of about 68 acres located south of Pershing Road, west of Gillham Road, north of E. 27th Street and east of Main Street. It also recommended recommendations of the Tax Increment Financing Commission to enact a new stadium impact area policy.
Finally, it recommended the issuance of approximately $600 million in bonds to pay the city’s portion of the $1.9 billion stadium. The Royals also plan an associated billion-dollar mixed use development and reimagined Crown Center in partnership with Hallmark Cards that will be privately funded.
“This is a long investment, a large investment, the stakes are very high,” Councilman Crispin Rea said during Tuesday’s committee meeting.
Before the city authorizes the $600 million in bonds by the Missouri Development Finance Board they wanted to make sure they’d be able to collect enough taxes over the next 30 years to pay back an estimated nearly $1.4 billion in debt service.
Jackson County has some ideas for what to do with Truman Sports Complex after the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals no longer call it home.
Kansas City plans to finance much of its $600 million contribution by borrowing money and paying it back over decades. By the time the debt is paid off, the city expects to have paid more than twice that amount in principal and interest — about $1.393 billion. This Hunden analysis says our plan will produce just enough in tax revenue to cover that: the aforementioned $1.4 billion. But remember, Kansas City had already settled on its $600 million commitment before Hunden finished this analysis. Now the study has arrived, and it projects almost exactly the amount of revenue to cover the cost of the borrowing. Are Kansas City’s city leaders really such financial savants that they picked the right number months before the analysis was finished? Or were Hunden’s projections tortured until they produced a number just high enough to make the deal pencil out? You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to suspect the latter.
Kansas City remembers Buck O’Neil, a baseball man through and through with decades of ties to the area. It has been 20 years since the Hall of Famer passed away.
Phil Shafer, a muralist with Sike Style, helped create a mural on 3rd and Broadway in Kansas City preserving O’Neil’s passion for storytelling.
“He had a good sense of humor. He was really all about championing other people,” Shafer said. “He was a really good connector that way. He wanted people to feel like they could come and talk to him, and he could tell his stories to them.”
Nelson said O’Neil made everyone feel at home.
The Royals kept O’Neil’s seat at Kauffman Stadium after he served the franchise as a scout.
The veteran left-hander came to Atlanta at the trade deadline along with outfielder Lane Thomas. Falter tossed two scoreless outings with the Braves. It was a nice bounceback showing after he was crushed for 15 earned runs over 9 2/3 innings in Kansas City. Falter has shuffled between multiple organizations over the past few seasons. He’s been a useful swingman, outside of his stint with the Royals. Falter is the most likely candidate of this group to find an MLB gig in 2027.
But with a flawed roster at the moment, the team needed an opportunity to inject more talent all around. Wacha was the chance to achieve that. Meanwhile parting ways with Lugo would have given the Royals the chance to free up money to use in free agency this offseason. Now it seems unlikely that Royals GM J.J. Picollo will have the funds to pursue any significant free agent talent.
The Royals holding onto Wacha and Lugo at the deadline was certainly a bold strategy. But the team will have a hard time justifying their willingness to run it back in 2027 if their roster is plagued with the same concerns as this season.
High drama is afoot in the MLB postseason, which is always a delightful thing to see unfold. Whether it’s Shohei Ohtani’s unexpected postseason slump (or was it really unexpected considering he’s been battling injuries the latter half of the season?), or Mason Miller tipping pitches (he claims he wasn’t!), or the Yankees just dropping the ball throughout their series against the Rays, it has been a very interesting week of postseason ball.
We’ll get into all that and more below, so let’s just jump right into it.
This might be right up there with “game in a National Park” as the dumbest idea MLB has had this season.
Parents spend months trying to get their baby’s first word to be ‘Mama’ or ‘Dada.’ This book is for parents with bigger dreams.
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The Orioles gave up two productive veterans at the 2025 trade deadline, and Boston Bateman was the main reason why. One year later, the towering lefty looks like a smart bet and one of the most intriguing arms in Baltimore’s system.
Back in 2024, the Padres took Bateman with the 52nd pick in the draft out of Adolfo Camarillo High School in California and signed him for $2.5 million. Last July, San Diego agreed to part with the 6-foot-8, 240-pound southpaw, shipping him to Baltimore as part of the eight-player deal that saw Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano become Padres. That summer, Bateman made two starts at Delmarva after the trade, and three more at High-A Aberdeen, posting a 3.93 ERA over 75.2 innings across both levels.
The Orioles started Bateman at Frederick in 2026, and he settled in quickly. He was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May after posting a 0.89 ERA over 20.1 innings. His best start that month came on May 20 against Greenville, when he threw 5.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts. By early summer, Bateman had struck out 59 batters in 45.1 innings with a 3.38 ERA.
The second half was bumpier. A hip issue after the All-Star break led the Orioles to limit Bateman’s innings as a precaution. The big lefty still finished strong, with five consecutive scoreless starts over the month of August, and a 3.65 ERA over the regular season, striking out 117 batters in 86.1 innings and walking 48. That’s 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings, and he gave up only five home runs all year.
Bateman saved his best outing for last. He struck out a career-high 10 batters over five innings in Game 1 of the South Atlantic League North Division playoffs on September 8, and the Keys routed Greensboro 13-1. The Grasshoppers won the next two games to end Frederick’s season, but Bateman had made an entrance.
Anthony Eyanson, Joseph Dzierwa and Caden Hunter grabbed most of the pitching headlines on the farm this summer, and all three finished the year at Double-A. Bateman’s season got less attention, but it’s worth remembering that he’s a year or two younger than that trio and still learning how to command a very big frame.
MLB Pipeline ranks Bateman as Baltimore’s 11th-best prospect, and Baseball America has him at No. 10. He hasn’t joined Booth, Eyanson, Dzierwa and Hunter on Pipeline’s Top 100 yet, but a strong start to next season in the upper minors could change that quickly.
Bateman’s arsenal is very interesting. His fastball averaged 95.4 MPH early in the season, sat in the upper 90s and touched 100. His slider is his best secondary pitch, and he also throws a curveball and changeup. Said current Frederick manager Collin Woody, then of Delmarva, “Oh my God, the stuff is super legit.” One of the more encouraging signs from 2026 was that Bateman relied less on his fastball. He threw the slider and changeup more often and got more chases and whiffs as a result.
The walks are the obvious problem. Bateman averaged five walks per nine innings—not unusual for a pitcher his size, as tall pitchers often take longer to repeat their mechanics. Bateman has said that consistent pitch shapes and a repeatable delivery are his priorities. If the control improves even to average, the strikeout stuff gives him a real chance to start.
He’ll likely open 2027 in Chesapeake’s rotation. MLB.com estimated this spring that he was about two years from a big league debut, so 2028 is a more realistic target than next season. That timeline works fine for Baltimore. The Orioles need left-handed starting pitching, and Dzierwa, Hunter and Luis De León are all in line ahead of Bateman. Having another high-ceiling lefty a level behind them gives the organization depth and options as the rotation takes shape.
Bateman will finally face some adversity at Double-A, where advanced hitters will lay off pitches out of the zone. He’ll have to throw strikes to get by there in a way he didn’t always have to in A-ball.
Orioles fans know pitching prospects don’t always pan out. Unlike Hunter, Bateman will carry some expectations as the main return for two popular veterans. He doesn’t seem bothered by that. “Failure is no longer in my vocabulary,” he said this summer, and in August he added that “we’ll be getting a ring in Baltimore.”
That’s a bold prediction from someone who just turned 21, and Bateman shouldn’t be considered a can’t-miss prospect yet. But a big lefty who throws close to 100 and has improving secondary pitches is exactly the kind of prospect who can jump up the rankings in a hurry.
Lendeborg, speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike in a postgame interview, credited the veteran leadership of Curry and Draymond Green.
“After last game, I texted Steph and Draymond both to just ask for some advice and some guidance,” Lendeborg recalled. “I was a little scared first game to be aggressive. I was a little shell-shocked and all.
“But getting the word of advice from both of those guys telling me that they believe in me and I have room to make mistakes, just gave me the extra confidence I needed tonight.”
It’s hard to imagine a better motivator than two future Hall of Famers offering validation.
Lendeborg made the most of the gained confidence. He attacked the basket early and scored his first three field goals deep inside the paint, exactly what Kerr wants from his 6-foot-9 rookie.
“We need him to be a scorer,” Kerr told reporters in his postgame press conference. “We need him to get us easy buckets at the rim. And he did a great job of that tonight.”
The Warriors desperately need scoring outside of Curry. Golden State’s two leading scorers behind their superstar last season were Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porziņģis.
With Butler continuing rehab on his surgically repaired knee and the uncertainty surrounding Porziņģis’ availability, Lendeborg is presented with the opportunity to establish himself as a true second option.
And despite being the leading scorer for the national champion Michigan Wolverines last season, Lendeborg says the need for that aggression will require adjustment.
“It’s hard to learn,” Lendeborg told reporters during his postgame press conference. “I’ve been an unselfish player my whole life. And just coming here and hearing I got to [have a] score first mindset — it’s going to be something that I got to get adjusted to.”
Lendeborg showed his scoring ability earlier this offseason by winning the 2026 NBA Summer League MVP, but his performance Tuesday night proved he has the potential to do it against NBA-level talent.
Kerr will look for that production on a consistent basis. With the support of Curry and Green, Lendeborg will have the boost of confidence he needs to strive for that.
American involved in disputed point during tournament
Gauff called out ‘insane’ amount of abuse online
Coco Gauff said she had been left drained by the racist abuse she experienced during the China Open after losing in the last 16 to Elise Mertens.
The American was dismayed earlier this week after an incident during her match against Chinese teenager Sun Xinran. The 16-year-old thought she had hit a winner late in the first set but Gauff had raised her hand to stop the point because she was distracted by flickering lights on the stadium’s advertising hoardings. The move prompted some boos from the crowd. The umpire agreed to have the point replayed, and Gauff went on to win 7-5, 6-1.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 06: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves reacts during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves had an unfortunate Tuesday and fell behind in Game 3 of the NLDS after a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chris Sale got the start, and though he recorded seven strikeouts, he did not have his sharpest stuff. In the fourth inning, he surrendered two home runs that put the Braves in a 3-0 hole.
In other unfortunate news, the Atlanta offense was unable to provide run support. The Dodgers pitching staff limited the Braves to just five hits all game. Atlanta went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
With elimination on the line, the series continues at Truist Park tonight at 6:00 ET.
More Braves News:
Ronald Acuña Jr. was moved to DH due to a sore knee. He has reportedly been dealing with the issue since Game 2 of the series.
MLB News:
Alex Cora has informed the Philadelphia Phillies that he plans to take 2027 off. Cora was fired by the Boston Red Sox during the 2026 season.
Oct 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; A general view of the MLB 2026 Postseason logo before game three of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs between Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers have a chance to close out the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday night at Truist Park in Atlanta.
A trio of familiar Dodgers stalwarts in October fueled the win in Game 3 on Tuesday, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto striking out 10 in seven strong innings, plus home runs by Kiké Hernández and Freddie Freeman to supply the three runs of offense that were somehow enough to get the Dodgers within a win of a third straight trip to the NLCS.
Game 4 is a battle of Tylers on the mound, with Glasnow pitching for the Dodgers and Mahle starting for the Braves.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 27, 2026: Riley Greene #31 of the Detroit Tigers reacts after striking out during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park on September 27, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
There’s something kind of fun about watching the postseason drama unfold when you don’t have a horse in the race. Sure, it would be more enjoyable to watch if the Tigers were still in it, but it’s also very fun to watch the White Sox absolutely destroy the Guardians with no worries about the outcome. It’s always fun to watch the Yankees drop the ball. And it can be very interesting to watch the stories of Shohei Ohtani slumping and Mason Miller tipping his pitches when they aren’t playing on your team.
So we’ll get into all that below, but on the Tigers’ side of things, Riley Greene has been nominated for the Hank Aaron Award this season, and we aren’t totally done making you cry about Justin Verlander.
Let’s get into it!
Detroit Tigers News
A nice nomination for Riley. The Hank Aaron Award is given to players with the best offensive performances of the season.
Congrats to Riley Greene on being nominated for the Hank Aaron Award!
Verlander then joined MLB Network as an analyst on Tuesday night, surprising Freddie Freeman and Manny Machado, who were not expecting to be interviewed by the Tigers great only days after his retirement.
Freddie Freeman wasn’t expecting Justin Verlander to be the one asking the postgame questions. 😂
Before answering, he made sure to congratulate Verlander on his retirement.
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ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 03: Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees runs onto the field during player introductions before game one of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on October 03, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!—All the armies of Europe, Asia, and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.
“At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide”
Abraham Lincoln here is talking about the dangers of mob rule, of sedition and the undermining of institutions, at 28, some 23 years before he would be tasked with holding the Union together. What I’m about to talk about carries significantly less weight than abolishing chattel slavery, and yet the rhetoric holds true. The New York Yankees will win their 28th World Series, or die by suicide.
Cam Schlittler was tasked with knotting up the ALDS on Monday night, knowing there was little chance of an offensive breakthrough for his club. Two pitches into the game, Yandy Díaz bounced a grounder to Ryan McMahon, who is on this team because of his supposed defensive prowess. McMahon can’t get a grip on the ball, Diaz reaches on an error. Two batters later, Jazz Chisholm Jr., while falling backwards after getting a forceout at second, throws the ball in the general ZIP code around first base, and Díaz scores. It was a preposterously poor idea do anything but hang onto the ball and take the one out. The Yankees were behind the eight ball already.
Two other errors meant that Schlittler, while charged with three runs overall, only had one count against him in a game where he admittedly didn’t have his best stuff. He still had to throw more pitches, against a team that makes you pay for that, and had high-stress innings bloom out of what should have been an easy start to the frame.
Two and a half weeks into this season I wrote about how the Yankees step on a lot of rakes. It was about Jazz not knowing the rules of baseball and the various other ways he can frustrate despite providing his own form of value. We’re past the point of frustration now, the Yankees’ inability to help themselves seems likely to cost them their postseason. The Rays are a very good baseball team, but the Yankees can beat them three times in a series — we saw them do just that two weeks ago. The Rays aren’t even really beating the Yankees; the Yankees are beating themselves.
Austin Wells thrown out at third base by 20 feet, with Luis Rojas waving a giant stop sign the moment the Yankees’ catcher hit second. A dozen flails at pitches well out of the zone. A runner at first to lead off the inning rather than a quick out, and the team you’re playing does not make enough of their own mistakes to let things level out.
I don’t know who to blame for this. I think the Yankees are actually coming close to deciding it’s time to make a change at manager, and I won’t shed a tear when Aaron Boone leaves the organization. Here’s the thing though: Aaron Boone doesn’t have to tell McMahon to field a groundball that hops at his waist. We keened for Boone to replace Anthony Volpe at shortstop, and George Lombard Jr. has been an error machine at that slot. The players are simply not good enough to avoid beating themselves.
If and when the Rays take the series they will have earned it. They’ve outplayed the Yankees in two games, outscoring anyone not named Ben Rice 6-0. They haven’t outplayed the Yankees by that much though, not really. The hole the Yankees find themselves in, the track set on the Blue Ridge before them, is one of their own construction.
In the afternoon, the Los Angeles Dodgers, up 2-1 in their series, take on the Atlanta Braves in a crucial Game 4. The Dodgers are one win away from advancing, while the Braves will be fighting to keep their postseason hopes alive in front of their home crowd.
It was a historic night at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, as Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna scored his first NHL point and goal against the Nashville Predators.
The crowd completely erupted when his name was called on the PA for both goals that he contributed to and, of course, when his goal itself was scored.
"Definitely feeling the love from the fans," McKenna said after Toronto's 5-4 overtime win against Nashville. "That one obviously feels good, and (I) love this fan base. So to hear that, it was pretty special."
The fans were happy, but McKenna's teammates and coaches were thrilled for the 18-year-old, in a moment he called "a big monkey off the back," even if this was only his fourth NHL game.
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who had the primary assist on McKenna's goal, was asked about the moment, and his face lit up.
"It was great," Matthews said. "I mean, he's been playing great, and it can be tough when you don't score for a little bit. But, I mean, you saw he made a nice play in the D zone there. Johnny goes down and scores. And, I think it just kind of gives you a little boost. He scores the goal and gives you another little boost. He's got all the confidence in the world in himself in the best way possible. But, obviously, when you find the back of the net, it obviously helps. And it was great to see him and get that moment, and enjoy that. It's very well deserved."
Auston Matthews on Gavin McKenna: “I think you’re going to see him go on a tear now with the weight lifted off his shoulders.”
Also, for someone who has made a living of catch-and-release finishes, Matthews was impressed with McKenna's shot, labelling it as "beautiful."
"That was awesome," William Nylander said of his goal. "I mean, I was so happy for him. That moment is just something you never forget. It was a bullet, top shelf, so I'd be very happy for that one."
Also impressed with the goal was Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller."That goal was a goal-scorer's goal," he said post-game. "We know he's a playmaker, I guess. That's kind of by trade, he's a playmaker. But that was a goal-scorer's goal. Got his feet around it on the strong side, and he had some zip on it."
What Hiller liked most about McKenna's first NHL goal was how important it was for the team, and how he came through in a big moment. The rookie's goal brought the Leafs within one goal of the Preds, making it 4-3 for Nashville.
"It was a big goal in the hockey game," Hiller said. "So that's the one you remember. It was really important. It wasn't the first goal of the game. It was an important moment, and he came up big in an important moment. So I like that."
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SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 3: Kelly Olynyk #8 of the San Antonio Spurs arrives to the arena before the game against the New York Knicks during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After one season with the San Antonio Spurs, big man Kelly Olynyk is heading to Italy. He joins BC Roma, a club recently founded by Donnie Nelson. Nelson spent twenty-four years with the Dallas Mavericks starting in 1998 when he served as an assistant coach to his father, Hall of Famer Don Nelson. The junior Nelson was essential to the drafting of Dirk Nowitzki and was with the franchise as an executive when they won their 2011 NBA Championship. He also was key in the acquisition of Luka Doncic and drafting Jalen Brunson in 2018, widely considered one of the best draft moves in the modern era. Luka Doncic is also involved in the development of the BC Roma franchise.
Olynyk stayed close to the Spurs this summer traveling to Europe with members to visit Victor Wembanyama in France. He was seen in photos with the Spurs sightseeing and taking in art at the Louvre.
Olynyk joins former NBA and G-League players Nico Mannion, Trentyn Flowers, Erik Stevenson, and Marko Simonović on the fledgling team. The club will compete in the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) as well as in the EuroCup.
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 06: Jesper Bratt #63 of the New Jersey Devils controls the puck during the first period against the Utah Mammoth at Prudential Center on October 06, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Not exactly a roaring start to the season. The Mammoth went 2-for-4 on the power play and took a 5-3 game over the Devils on Tuesday. [Devils NHL]
Marty talks:
Martin Brodeur and his son Jeremy join me for a wide-ranging conversation about the Devils’ goalies, the evolution of the position, carrying the Brodeur name and passing a legendary legacy to the next generation.
“Rutt’s Hut’s debut at Prudential Center was a hit with New Jersey Devils fans. A team source told NJ Hockey Now that the iconic Clifton, New Jersey hot dog stand — located in Section 15 — sold more than 1,200 ‘Ripper’ dogs during the Devils’ home opener against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.” [New Jersey Hockey Now]
“There are very few people who truly understand what it has meant to grow up as a New Jersey Devil. Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt have never had to explain it to one another. They were there for each other at the beginning, two teenagers trying to find their place in a new league, a new city and a life that suddenly looked very different from the one they had known. And they’ve been there for virtually everything since.” [Devils NHL]
“The beginning of this conversation about no-move and no-trade clauses, we do take as an attack on players’ CBA-negotiated rights. And we will treat it as such.” [The Athletic ($)]
“The past few seasons were difficult for Elias Pettersson, but these first few outings may suggest that the 27-year-old center has found his spark again. What has led to his strong start?” [The Hockey News]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
