All articles tagged with #baseball
The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers will meet in the National League Championship Series starting Sunday, October 11. The Brewers advanced after defeating the San Diego Padres 3-1, while the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1. The series is a rematch of the 2025 NLCS, which the Dodgers swept. The Brewers have not reached the World Series since 1982.
The New York Yankees trail 0-2 in the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays and must win Game 3 on Wednesday to avoid elimination. Manager Aaron Boone is facing intense scrutiny over his decision to stick with a lefty-heavy platoon lineup that has failed to produce offensively or defensively. Analysts argue that desperate times require desperate measures, suggesting Boone should replace underperforming starters with bench players to alter the team's dynamic, despite the risks involved.
The 2026 MLB season marked the debut of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, resulting in a 54% overturn rate across 10,557 total appeals. While fielders succeeded 58% of the time, hitters managed only 49%. The Cincinnati Reds led the league in net run gains, whereas the Cleveland Guardians finished last. Notably, eight of the twelve playoff teams recorded negative net runs, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.
The New York Yankees are attempting to sweep the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series after a 9-0 victory in Game 1. For Game 2, manager Aaron Boone is fielding a historic lineup of eight left-handed hitters to counter right-hander Sonny Gray. Ben Rice leads the order following a grand slam performance, while Cam Schlittler’s dominant Game 1 pitching sets the stage for a potential series clincher.
The Chicago White Sox and Cubs clinched postseason berths within minutes of each other on Sept. 24, 2026, marking the first time both teams have qualified since 2008. The White Sox, coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons, secured a playoff spot with a 9-1 win over the Kansas City Royals, while the Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 2-1 at Wrigley Field. This unexpected success follows a turbulent season for both franchises, with the White Sox overcoming a record 121 losses in 2024 and the Cubs navigating a mid-season slump despite a high-profile acquisition.
The 2026 MLB regular season enters its final days with division titles clinched by the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, but wild-card spots and seeding remain contested. The Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox are separated by one game in the AL Central, with the White Sox holding the tiebreaker. In the AL West, the Houston Astros hold the tiebreaker over the Texas Rangers despite a one-game deficit. The NL wild-card race involves the Cubs, Padres, and Phillies, with complex tiebreaker scenarios involving the Arizona Diamondbacks. Clinching scenarios for Thursday night include potential division wins for Cleveland and Chicago, and wild-card locks for Boston, Chicago, San Diego, and Philadelphia depending on game outcomes.
A new reality series premiering on Paramount+ spotlights the lavish, high-stakes world of elite youth baseball in Scottsdale, Arizona, drawing sharp criticism for prioritizing parental drama over the well-being of the child athletes.
The Philadelphia Phillies claimed right-hander José Urquidy off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on September 17, 2026, to address a rotation void created by the injury of Jesús Luzardo. Urquidy, who has struggled in the majors this season but performed well in Triple-A, will join the team immediately for a bullpen game. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Phillies placed reliever Caleb Kilian on the 60-day injured list. While Urquidy is ineligible for the postseason due to the September 1 deadline, he provides immediate innings for the regular season finale as the club secures playoff positioning.
Twenty-year-old catcher Ethan Salas became the youngest catcher to hit two home runs in a game since 1900, delivering a two-run shot and another homer as the Padres routed the Rockies 9-3 at Coors Field. Salas also hit a leadoff triple earlier and was involved in a pivotal umpire challenge that helped ignite the Padres’ offense; San Diego’s win moved them 3.5 games up on the Diamondbacks in the NL playoff race, with Robbie Ray delivering a strong start to help seal the win.
Ray Ratto argues September in the American League is a chaotic scramble: the White Sox led the AL Central briefly thanks to pope-themed theatrics and Tommy Pham's three-run homer, but Cleveland surged to the division lead as the rest of the league's contenders remain muddled, with Houston and Texas in meh territory and the Blue Jays and Orioles still in wild-card contention.
Sandy Alcantara, a longtime Marlins ace, pitched in relief for the first time in nine seasons and earned his first career save to seal Miami’s 4-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, preserving a sliver of playoff life as the club sits 7 1/2 games out with nine games remaining.
Milwaukee nips Pittsburgh 5-4 at PNC Park as Christian Yelich belts a go-ahead two-run single in the bottom of the ninth. Pirates had briefly surged ahead 4-3 after Oneil Cruz’s 172nd homer of the season, a franchise single-season record, but a ninth-inning Brewers rally saw Triolo foil an earlier threat at the plate, and Yelich delivered the decisive hit. Pirates starter Jared Jones went five innings (3 earned on 7 hits with 9 strikeouts) while Logan Henderson struggled to finish off Milwaukee early, culminating in Milwaukee’s late comeback for the win.
On Roberto Clemente Day, the Pirates deliver a bleak home performance, losing 5-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers as a baserunning blunder and a tumultuous outing by Gregory Soto sap any late momentum; fans cite the Clemente bobblehead promo and boo the team, underscoring the franchise’s continued underperformance under the Cherington era despite attendance boosts and a celebratory backdrop.
The Yankees designated Oswaldo Cabrera for assignment to open a roster spot for Clarke Schmidt, who has been reinstated from the 60-day IL; Cabrera, a versatile 27-year-old with solid minor-league numbers and a modest MLB track record, is likely to clear waivers given his $1.2M salary and remaining option year, while Schmidt returns as a reliever after Tommy John surgery.
The Chicago Cubs announced their Arizona Fall League roster for the Mesa Solar Sox, featuring a promising group of prospects: Myles Bailey, Juan Cabada, Dominick Reid, Jhon Cabral, Anhuar Garcia, Yoendris Gonzalez, Jake Knapp, Kade Snell, and Miguel Useche. The AFL—starting in under three weeks—serves as a development showcase, with Bailey hoping to showcase his power after an ankle injury, Cabada and Reid aiming to rebound from injuries, Cabral as a newly acquired depth arm, Garcia and Gonzalez turning peripherals into upside, Knapp and Snell adding depth, and Useche bringing Double-A experience as an undrafted catcher. The roster underscores the Cubs’ focus on developing young talent ahead of the offseason.