How will Thomson have Phillies attack Dodgers in NLDS? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

If you ever get the chance to play poker with Phillies manager Rob Thomson, be leery. If his demeanor over the past month or so when it comes to the playoffs is anything close to what it would be at the card table, good luck getting a read on him.

Thomson has been playing his thoughts on his team when it comes to the playoffs very close to the vest, from the roster, starting pitching, bullpen and the lineup. You know the answers are in his head, but they certainly aren’t about to be shared with anyone who, in his mind, doesn’t need to know.

The only leak in his secrecy has been that Cristopher Sanchez will be the Game 1 starter when his club faces the Dodgers in a best-of-five National League Division Series starting on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Beyond that, well, it’s up to us to speculate. So that’s just what we’ll do here.

Roster

Because there is a day off between all games except Games 3 and 4 in Los Angeles, the bullpen will have plenty of time to rest and everyone should be available for just about every game. Therefore, I believe Thomson will go with 14 hitters and 12 pitchers for his 26-man roster in this series.

Thomson does use his bullpen a lot come playoff time, maybe even excessively, so the 12-man may surprise some, but because of the amount of rest in which they are going into the series and the way the schedule is laid out, I think that’s how he will go. So here it is:

Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, Edmundo Sosa, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Harrison Bader, Max Kepler, Nick Castellanos, Rafael Marchan, Otto Kemp, Weston Wilson.

Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Walker Buehler, Tanner Banks, Matt Strahm, David Robertson, Orion Kerkering, Jhoan Duran, Tim Mayza.

Starters

As we know, Sanchez is the No. 1 and will go every fifth day, maybe even sooner if elimination is on the table. That much is guaranteed. It seemed that having a Sanchez, Suarez, Luzardo trio to begin the series would be almost a given as the three have been the stabilizing factors among the starters since Zack Wheeler went down with his season-ending injury back in mid-August.

Also, Sanchez and Luzardo are power pitchers and having the command-centered, lighter throwing Suarez in between would probably be a strategic way to go for Thomson. But there are other factors that have to be considered.

First, Suarez has proven to be a big-game pitcher, particularly when it comes to the playoffs. As Thomson likes to say, Suarez has a heart-rate that doesn’t change, no matter the circumstances of the game. That may lend itself to Thomson wanting Suarez to start a Game 3 on the road in Los Angeles, where no matter the outcome of the first two games, is going to be a pressured situation. Suarez boasts a 2.84 ERA on the road and pitched well out in Los Angeles last month in the division-clinching win, when he allowed seven hits and three runs in six innings.

Another factor is this. Thomson has an extremely high level of confidence and loyalty to Nola, who looked phenomenal in his last start of the season against Minnesota when he went eight innings, allowed two hits and one earned run while striking out nine. It’s just a gut feeling, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he finds a spot for the veteran right-hander to start one of these games, even though a three-man rotation is doable with the schedule.

Bullpen

The single certainty about the ‘pen is that Duran will close out games for Thomson. And don’t be surprised, in fact expect it, that he will be called on to get four, maybe even five outs at times during this playoff run. But getting to him with whom seems to be a pretty good problem that Thomson has right now.

Let’s assume that in these playoffs all relief appearances are high-leverage, because, well, that’s playoff baseball.

For most of the season, Kerkering has been the first right-hander that Thomson has called upon. However, since being brought to the team in early August, Robertson has earned the trust of his manager and even leaped ahead of Kerkering as the first righty out of the ‘pen.

Kerkering didn’t help his case late in the season as in four appearances from Sept. 15 to 24, he allowed four earned runs on six hits in four innings. However, in two appearances to end the season, Kerkering faced four hitters and struck out each of them, perhaps garnering his manager’s faith once again.

From the left side, it’s pretty much a given that Strahm is the first lefty that will be called upon. Strahm has given up just one earned run in his last 11 outings, which encompasses 11 innings. Thomson also has Banks in left-handed situations, and he has been very good. He is more the lefty who will come in with runners on base, and he’s been quite effective, having not allowed a run in his past seven outings.

How Thomson will use Walker or Buehler remains to be seen. Should they need a long reliever in any of the games, those are the first choices. Beyond that, it would be hard to imagine either coming in for an inning or so to get outs. If that is the case, Buehler is the first choice there.

Lineup

We all know Thomson’s propensity for changing his lineup, never more so than this season. After Turner, Schwarber and Harper, the rest of the lineup has been changed numerous times, pending on hot hitters and slumping ones. Also, how much platooning will the manager do during the postseason? Will Sosa and Stott share duties at second base? What about Castellanos and Kepler?

The Dodgers will throw right-hander Shohei Ohtani at the Phillies to begin the series on Saturday, so the outfield will most likely be Marsh in left, Bader in center and Kepler in right. Game 2 would probably be a start for Dodgers’ left-hander Blake Snell, which would may mean Sosa and Castellanos in the lineup. That deserves watching, however, as Stott has been swinging the bat very well lately and is a premier defensive second baseman.

As for the order after the first three, I think it’s a safe bet that the hot-hitting Bohm remains in the cleanup spot. Since returning from a shoulder injury nine games ago, the third baseman has gone 17 for 37 (.459) with eight RBI.

After that, Thomson may do the lefty-righty thing with Marsh and Realmuto and Kepler, Bader and Stott. Bader has cooled a bit with just four hits in his last 30 at-bats, but his comfort level will probably be higher now that Turner is back. Bader can now be a catalyst for the bottom of the order for Thomson, the role they envisioned for him when he was brought over at the trade deadline.

Why Giants' Buster Posey emphatically believes Mariners' Cal Raleigh is AL MVP originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

From one MVP catcher to … another? It’s no secret who Buster Posey believes is most deserving of the American League honor this season.

The Giants president of baseball operations, and 2012 National League MVP, joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Thursday, and among the many questions asked pertaining to his team, also was asked to share his thoughts on Seattle Mariners star catcher Cal Raleigh’s incredible 60-homer 2025 MLB season.

“It’s incredible,” Posey said of Raleigh. “He’s a Florida State alum like myself. I don’t know Cal that well, I had a chance to talk to him a little bit earlier this season when they were in town playing. I’m glad I don’t get to vote on the MVP race on this one, because I know which way my vote would be going.

“To do what he’s done behind the plate, to lead the staff, the grind of being behind the plate [and] to hit 60 homers and to do it in meaningful games down the stretch, I think it’s immeasurable his value to that team and just truly a season for the ages.”

Raleigh finished the regular season batting .247/.359/.589 with 60 home runs, 125 RBI and a .948 OPS in 159 games for the AL West-winning Mariners, who secured their first division title in 24 years.

The race for the AL MVP award will come down to Raleigh and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who batted .331/.457/.688 with 53 home runs, 114 RBI and a 1.144 OPS in 152 games.

While Judge clearly has the better percentage splits than Raleigh, it appears that Posey believes the catcher’s work behind the plate and his importance to Seattle’s elite pitching staff should put him over the top.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Early's historic start among fascinating Red Sox-Yankees Game 3 subplots originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Red Sox’ 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night was a tough pill to swallow for Boston fans.

But if you’re a fan of intriguing storylines and high drama, you’re in for a treat.

Boston and New York are tied at 1-1 in their best-of-three American League Wild Card series entering Thursday’s 8 p.m. ET finale in the Bronx. The winner advances to the Division Series to face the Toronto Blue Jays and the loser starts its offseason early.

The stakes are sky-high — and the fate of both teams rests on the arms of two rookies.

Let’s dive into the subplots that will make Thursday’s Game 3 at Yankee Stadium one for the history books:

Connelly Early making historic postseason debut

The Red Sox will start left-hander Connelly Early, who was promoted to the majors less than a month ago(Sept. 9) and has made just four starts at the big-league level.

If you’re wondering how many pitchers have been in Early’s position before as a recent call-up starting an elimination playoff game, the answer is … zero.

In fact, Early will be just the fifth pitcher to make apostseason start of any kind within his first five MLB appearances, and the first to do so since Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz and Atlanta’s Dylan Lee in 2021.

The good news for Red Sox fans: Early has looked sharp in his four starts to date, allowing two runs or fewer in every outing. He owns a 2.33 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 29 strikeouts over 19.1 innings. The 23-year-old didn’t exactly face elite competition, however, facing the Athletics (twice), Tampa Bay Rays and a scuffling Detroit Tigers squad.

Early will face his stiffest challenge yet in a Yankees lineup that led Major League Baseball in OPS (.797), home runs (70) and RBI (239) against left-handed pitchers this season.

Not that the rookie is shying away from the challenge.

“I’m excited to get out there,” Early told reporters Wednesday. “I’ve stuck to all my preparation and feel pretty good, so I’m ready to go out there and do it.”

Rookie with local ties gets the start for Yankees

Early won’t be the only fresh face on the mound Thursday night. New York is rolling with 24-year-old right-hander Cam Schlittler, who made his MLB debut on July 9 and has just 14 big-league starts under his belt.

Between Early and Schlittler, Thursday will be the first MLB playoff game ever featuring two starters with fewer than 15 career appearances under their belts.

Schlittler, who posted an impressive 2.96 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over those 14 starts and pitched seven scoreless innings in his most recent outing against the Baltimore Orioles, has plenty of ties to Boston. Born in Walpole, Mass., he attended Walpole High School, played college baseball at Northeastern and spent the summer of 2021 playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Harwich Mariners.

In an ironic twist of fate, Schlittler may not have many family members in attendance Thursday, as the Yankees barred Massachusetts residents from buying tickets through Ticketmaster. But he’s managed to convert many close to him to root for New York over Boston.

“I take pride in being from Boston. When it came to my career and where I want to be, this is where I want to be,” Schlittler told reporters Wednesday. “They are full Yankee guys now. They don’t wear it around as much in Boston, just because. When they are here (in New York), they are very prideful about it.”

How’s that Red Sox bullpen looking?

Alex Cora’s bold move to pull Brayan Bello after just 28 pitches Wednesday meant Boston had to use six different relievers to finish the game.

But with the exception of Garrett Whitlock — who threw 47 pitches and took the loss — none of those relievers threw more than 25 pitches, and Cora told reporters Wednesday that everyone minus Whitlock should be available.

“We’ll check with Whit, right? Get a lot of treatment and see where we’re at (Thursday),” Cora said. “But the rest, they’re in good shape.”

Early didn’t make it past the fifth inning in any of his previous four starts, so how Cora manages Boston’s bullpen could decide the outcome of this game.

The Dodgers aren’t ready to call Roki Sasaki their closer, but who are they kidding?

Sasaki is their closer.

When the 23-year-old rookie from the Japanese countryside stepped onto the October stage on Wednesday night, he revealed himself to be more than the team’s best late-inning option.

He showed he was special.

He was Reggie-Bush-exploding-through-the-Frenso-State-defense special.

Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers dismantle Reds. Bring on the — gulp — Phillies!

He was Allen-Iverson-crossing-up-Michael-Jordan special.

He was Yasiel-Puig-doubling-off-a-runner-for-the-final-out-in-his-debut special.

“Wow,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “Really, all you can say is wow.”

Watching Sasaki pitch the final inning of a two-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds in their National League wild-card series, the patrons at Dodger Stadium at once recognized the novelty of his act. The same crowd that can’t distinguish home runs from fly balls was chanting his first name throughout the ballpark after just two pitches.

Sasaki threw seven fastballs in the perfect inning, and six of them were faster than 100 mph. The other was clocked at 99.8 mph.

With a forkball that looked as if it was dropping perpendicular to the ground, he struck out the first two batters he faced. Spencer Steer and Gavin Lux had no chance.

“That guy is gross,” reliever Tanner Scott said.

The 11-pitch performance by Sasaki was why the 8-4 victory in Game 2 felt so different than the 10-5 win in Game 1. In both games, the bullpen created messes in the eighth inning. Game 1 left the Dodgers questioning how they could defend their World Series title with such an unreliable group of relievers. Game 2 offered them a vision of how they could realize their ambition.

“That’s what we need right there,” Muncy said.

Sasaki was the last card in the deck for the Dodgers, who gave up on Scott before the playoffs even started. They experimented with some less experienced arms, but none of them performed well. Edgardo Henriquez and Jack Dreyer were part of a dispiriting three-run eighth inning against the Reds in Game 1. Converted starter Emmet Sheehan was part of another eighth-inning meltdown in Game 2, as he retired just one of the five batters he faced, and that was on a sacrifice fly that drove in a run. Sheehan was charged with two runs.

By the time Sasaki started warming up in the bottom of the eighth inning, he might as well have already inherited the closer role by default. The other candidates had pitched their way out of consideration.

Never mind that Sasaki had never pitched in relief in either the United States or Japan until he did so on a recent minor-league rehabilitation assignment. Sasaki pitched out of the bullpen twice in the major leagues in the final days of the regular season, and he was about as promising a bullpen possibility as they had.

So when Sasaki emerged from the bullpen against the Reds, fans in every section of Dodger Stadium stood to applaud. Sasaki represented their final hope.

Read more:Dodgers showcase their mental resolve and beat Reds to advance to NLDS

Once on the mound, Sasaki delivered a performance that was aesthetically pleasing as it was effective.

The high leg kick. The athletic delivery. The velocity and precision of his fastball.

Words couldn’t accurately describe what he did, so his teammates didn’t bother trying.

“You guys saw the same thing I did,” catcher Ben Rortvedt said.

Dodgers management was reluctant to say anything definitive about Sasaki’s role moving forward.

Was Sasaki the new closer?

“He’s going to get important outs for us,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman replied.

Read more:Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Phillies in the NLDS

Asked the same question, manager Dave Roberts offered an equally ambiguous answer.

“I trust him,” Roberts said, “and he’s going to pitch in leverage.”

As guarded as Friedman and Roberts were, they couldn’t conceal the truth. Something fundamentally changed for the Dodgers on Wednesday night: They found their ninth-inning pitcher.

Sasaki is their closer.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Highlighting 10 potential Giants managerial candidates after Bob Melvin firing originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Buster Posey did a Zoom call with reporters on Monday, sat down for a press conference on Wednesday morning, and then taped an episode of the Giants Talk podcast. He has been bombarded with questions about his managerial search since firing Bob Melvin, and so far, he has revealed just one real bit of news: The Giants won’t be turning back to Bruce Bochy. 

When it comes to anything and anyone else, reporters might as well be opposing runners trying to steal second. As they said for so long at Oracle Park, Buster ain’t having it. 

“I’ve mentioned that I’m going to keep it tight,” Posey said in response to one query during a press conference with general manager Zack Minasian. “Sorry, not going to answer that.”

Managerial searches generally are mysterious in nature anyway, and Posey has a particularly good reason to be tight-lipped this time around. More than a quarter of the organizations in Major League Baseball are looking for new managers, and the same candidates will show up in multiple places. It’s possible that Posey will be competing with the Atlanta Braves or Baltimore Orioles, or someone else for his top choice. 

For now, practically nothing is known about who that might be, although some close to Posey are convinced he already has a person in mind. The second-half collapse took long enough that Posey has had plenty of time to think about what’s next. 

Posey said this week that age is irrelevant in this search, and experience can be viewed different ways. He shot down questions about specific candidates, but the perception from some who have spoken to him over the past month is that he likely will hire someone he is familiar with. 

Posey is one year into his career as an executive, but because he played so long in the big leagues, that still is a long list. Here’s an early look at potential candidates and some of the new names you might hear over the next month … 

Nick Hundley

The 42-year-old is a fit in a lot of ways, and Posey is said to be intrigued. Hundley is a former catcher and former Giant, having served as Posey’s backup in 2017-18. In retirement, he first worked for MLB and now serves as a senior advisor for the Texas Rangers’ baseball operations department. In that role, Hundley won a World Series, and he got an up-close look at the work done by Bochy, his former manager with the Giants. 

While Hundley has no coaching experience, he certainly brings the type of personality that would be a breath of fresh air for a team that continues to go into second-half slides. A former Willie Mac Award winner, Hundley has plenty of fans within the organization, and he traveled to San Francisco last week to watch Willy Adames get the award. 

Mark DeRosa

Technically, DeRosa already has a managerial position. In addition to his work at MLB Network, he’s the manager for Team USA and currently is preparing for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. 

The former big league infielder played for the Giants in 2010-11, although it was a rough couple of years because of wrist injuries. DeRosa should be a popular name this month and seems like an easy fit in Atlanta, where he spent the first half of his career. 

Ron Wotus

If you’re looking for people with longtime ties to the organization, nobody beats Wotus, a team employee for four decades who has managerial experience at the minor league level and has been part of every staff since Dusty Baker was in charge. Wotus has interviewed elsewhere multiple times and also has interviewed to be Giants manager before, but he’s still waiting for that shot in the big chair. 

Wotus has the respect of the current players and even knows the next generation from his defensive help at affiliates. He has such a strong reputation in the dugout that Melvin quietly lured him back to the bench at the end of the 2023 season, hopeful that he could provide a boost. Gabe Kapler made him the only holdover on staff after taking over for Bochy. 

The 64-year-old currently serves in a bit of a hybrid role, working with Giants infielders and minor leaguers while supporting coaches and the front office. He won three titles with Posey when he was Bochy’s bench coach, and this past season, Wotus often watched games with Posey and Minasian in the front office’s suite.

Mark Hallberg

Nobody has more experience with Posey than Hallberg, who was on Kapler’s staff and then served as Melvin’s first base coach. The 39-year-old played with Posey at Florida State, and some around the industry view him as a frontrunner for the job. 

Hallberg managed in the Giants’ minor league system before getting promoted to Kapler’s staff and he would bring an attention to detail and commitment to accountability that has been missing at times in recent years. He had a more prominent role in the dugout this past season, and while he’s short on big league experience, some of that could be mitigated by hiring an experienced bench coach. 

Craig Albernaz

After letting Melvin go, Posey said he wanted someone who was “obsessive” about the details, the daily work that’s required, and getting the most out of players and staff. It sounded a bit like Kapler and his group of young coaches, who ultimately didn’t work out but still helped lead the Giants to a franchise-record 107 wins in Posey’s final season. 

There are multiple coaches from that team — Donnie Ecker, Kai Correa, Antoan Richardson, etc. — who might get an interview somewhere during this hiring cycle, but Albernaz would seem to be the best fit for the Giants. He was Posey’s catching coach in 2021 and is extremely close with Patrick Bailey. Albernaz has spent the past two seasons in Cleveland as Stephen Vogt’s associate manager. 

Rocco Baldelli

The former big league outfielder won the AL Central three times in Minnesota, but he was fired after a 70-92 season. Overall, he had a 527-505 record with the Twins, who went into a complete teardown at the trade deadline. The 44-year-old was named American League Manager of the Year in 2019.

Skip Schumaker

Schumaker is the heavy favorite to get the Rangers job. The 2023 NL Manager of the Year (with the Miami Marlins) spent this past season in Texas’ front office and has been viewed as next in line to Bochy. 

But, if Posey is interested, perhaps he can make a stronger case. The Rangers plan to decrease their payroll a bit, although like the Giants, they do have a core already in place, and they have some intriguing young talent. 

Brandon Hyde

The Santa Rosa native managed nearly 1,000 games in Baltimore, surviving a rebuild and leading the Orioles to 101 wins in 2023. Hyde was fired earlier this season after the Orioles got off to a rough start. He would bring plenty of experience, having previously served as a minor league manager and big league bench coach, as well. The 51-year-old was the AL Manager of the Year in 2023. 

Rodney Linares

There was a time not too long ago when the Giants were obsessed with following the Tampa Bay Way. Former Rays exec Chaim Bloom was the runner-up to Farhan Zaidi when he got hired, and Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro was a finalist for the job that ultimately went to Kapler. 

There was a good reason for all of that, too. While this was a down year for the organization, the Rays generally have done more with less than anyone in Major League Baseball. Their current bench coach, Linares, has spent years learning from Kevin Cash and should be the next to get a good opportunity elsewhere. 

Linares also managed the Dominican Republic at the 2023 WBC. That team included a couple of young infielders named Willy Adames and Rafael Devers.  

Tony Vitello

First mentioned as a possibility by The Athletic, Vitello has long been on the radar of some in the front office, per a source. The Giants also have loaded up on former Tennessee stars over the past year, trading for Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell and drafting Gavin Kilen.

The 46-year-old would be a surprising choice, but there’s no denying his credentials at the collegiate level. The Volunteers have made three College World Series appearances in the last five seasons and have won 72 percent of their games under Vitello, a Missouri native. 

Some of the most innovative coaches in the country are leading collegiate programs, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see MLB teams turn that way in the coming years. This would be a risk given Vitello’s lack of experience at the professional level, but Posey certainly has the leeway to take a huge swing here if he wants to. 

Really, that’s where this search is unique. The Giants have handed the keys to a franchise legend, and over 12 months, he has given out the largest contract in franchise history, stunningly traded for an even bigger one, signed a 42-year-old starter, and fired his manager just three months after picking up his option. Posey’s moves have been bold, and it wouldn’t be a shock if his next one is, too. 

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast