Chris Sale pitched 5 2/3 strong innings, Ronald Acuna Jr. provided the offense with a home run and the Atlanta Braves closed the season with a 4-1 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Atlanta (76-86) salvaged a game in the three-game series. Pittsburgh (71-81) won the season series against the Braves 4-2.
Sale entered the game with one out in the second inning. He approved the idea of coming out of the bullpen to give 41-year-old veteran Charlie Morton, a former Brave, what is expected to be the final start of his career.
In his first appearance out of the bullpen since 2012, Sale (7-5) pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run on four hits and two walks, with nine strikeouts.
Tyler Kinley pitched a scoreless eighth and Raisel Iglesias worked a perfect ninth to earn his 29th save.
Ronald Acuna Jr. got the Braves on the board in the first inning with a two-run blast that traveled 451 feet deep into the bleachers in left-center field. It was the 21st homer for Acuna.
Morton, signed by Atlanta after he was released by Detroit this week, pitched 1 ? scoreless innings and left after striking out Alexander Canario on a curveball, the signature pitch of Morton’s career. He departed to an extended standing ovation after what is expected to be the final appearance of his 18-year career.
Pittsburgh starter Johan Oviedo (2-1) pitched five innings and allowed two runs on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Pittsburgh got its run in the sixth on an RBI single by Joey Bart.
Atlanta added two insurance runs in the eighth. Matt Olson singled in a run and scored when Jared Triolo made a bad throw to first base.
Morton became the 71st player used by the Braves this season, breaking the MLB record of 70 set by Miami in 2024 and matched by Baltimore this season. Morton was the 46th pitcher used by the club.
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The 2025 MLB season is barreling toward its most electric stretch, the playoffs.
This is the time when rosters tighten, rotations shorten, and every pitch carries the weight of an entire city’s hopes. The margins are razor-thin, and only the most complete teams survive the October gauntlet.
While every playoff-bound club dreams of hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy, a few stand out as legitimate front-runners. They combine deep pitching staffs, explosive offenses, and postseason-tested leadership.
Alongside them is a dark horse capable of derailing even the most carefully laid championship plans.
Atlanta Braves: The Relentless Machine
The Braves enter the postseason as one of baseball’s most consistent forces. Year after year, they produce one of the league’s best run differentials and dominate at the plate. In 2025, that balance between firepower and pitching depth puts them squarely among the favorites.
Why They’re a Contender
Atlanta’s offense remains an engine of destruction. Their lineup blends power, patience, and speed, making it a nightmare for opposing pitchers. The rotation is equally formidable.
Key Players
Ronald Acuña Jr.: Acuña Jr continues to redefine the leadoff role. His blend of 30+ home run power and elite baserunning forces pitchers to labor from the very first at-bat. He also sets the tone defensively, covering massive ground in right field.
Spencer Strider: Strider’s strikeout arsenal remains unmatched. With an upper-90s fastball and wipeout slider, he can dominate even the deepest playoff lineups.
It’s no surprise that discussions around the odds to win the World Series often feature Atlanta near the top; they’re a team built for both the 162-game grind and the win-or-go-home chaos of October.
Los Angeles Dodgers: The Star-Powered Juggernaut
No team in recent memory blends star power and depth quite like the Dodgers. They’ve built an organization where losing a key starter doesn’t derail the season; it just means the next All-Star-caliber player steps up.
Why They’re a Contender
The Dodgers’ offensive depth is awe-inspiring. They can stack their lineup with hitters who each pose a legitimate long-ball threat, while their bench remains one of the league’s best. On the pitching side, their rotation boasts frontline dominance and a flexible bullpen.
Key Players
Mookie Betts: Betts remains one of the game’s most complete players, excelling in every facet, power, average, speed, defense, and leadership. His October track record is proof of his big-game pedigree.
Shohei Ohtani: While his two-way role is managed carefully, Ohtani’s ability to change a game with either his bat or arm makes him the ultimate postseason weapon. His presence alone alters opposing teams’ game plans.
If the Dodgers stay healthy, they’re as dangerous as any team in baseball, perhaps more so because of their adaptability across a long playoff run.
Houston Astros: The October Specialists
PHOTO: Lesly Juarez/Unsplash
Year after year, the Astros prove that playoff baseball is in their DNA. Their core has been through deep runs, and their ability to execute in big moments remains unmatched.
Why They’re a Contender
Houston thrives under pressure. They’ve developed a reputation for clutch hitting and efficient pitching in October. Even as pieces of their championship core have changed, their winning culture endures.
Key Players
Yordan Álvarez: Few hitters in the game can match Álvarez’s combination of raw power and disciplined approach. His ability to deliver in high-leverage situations makes him one of the most feared bats in the postseason.
Framber Valdez: Valdez brings calm and control to the mound. His heavy sinker induces ground balls at a rate that frustrates power-heavy lineups, a valuable skill in tight postseason games.
The Astros’ blend of veteran leadership and postseason experience ensures they’re never intimidated by the October stage.
Dark Horse: Seattle Mariners
Seattle may not carry the same “favorite” label as Atlanta, Los Angeles, or Houston, but ignoring them would be a mistake. Their roster is young, athletic, and built around pitching depth, an ingredient that often sparks surprise playoff runs.
Why They Could Shock Everyone
The Mariners’ rotation is among the most underrated in baseball, capable of matching up with the game’s elite. Their offense, while streaky, has enough firepower to flip a game with a single swing. In a short series, that volatility can work in their favor.
Key Players
Julio Rodríguez: The face of the franchise and one of MLB’s brightest stars, Rodríguez brings dynamic offense and highlight-reel defense. His energy fuels the entire roster.
Logan Gilbert: Gilbert’s rise as a dependable frontline starter has given Seattle a true ace to match up in must-win games. His combination of velocity and command is tailor-made for success in October.
If Seattle catches fire early, they have the tools to become the postseason’s most dangerous underdog.
What Contenders Have in Common
While each of these teams has its own style, they share key characteristics that define championship-caliber baseball:
StarPower: Each club boasts multiple game-changers capable of deciding a series on their own.
PitchingDepth: From aces to lockdown relievers, they can control the strike zone in any situation.
Adaptability: They can win slugfests, grind out 2–1 nail-biters, and adjust to the unique demands of each opponent.
It’s these qualities, not just regular-season dominance, that tend to separate World Series winners from the rest.
Final Outlook on the 2025 Playoff Picture
As October approaches, the Braves, Dodgers, and Astros have positioned themselves as the most likely to navigate the postseason minefield. Their combination of talent, experience, and depth makes them formidable opponents for anyone. Yet, lurking just behind them, the Mariners stand ready to break the script.
Baseball history is full of unexpected October heroes and teams that defy the odds. In 2025, whether the favorites hold serve or the dark horse charges to the forefront, the road to the World Series promises drama, unpredictability, and unforgettable moments.
For fans, that’s the beauty of this sport, the certainty that nothing is specific, and the belief that any team still standing has a shot at glory.
The 2023 Kansas City Royals were embarrassed. A 106-loss season can — and should — do that to a major league team.
Royals owner John Sherman said something about it. Then he did something about it.
“It sucked,” Sherman told MLB.com at the end of spring training. “But that’s what motivates you. Sometimes, you need that slap upside the head, right? We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we cannot tolerate something like that again for our fans.”
So the Royals went big and bold.
Their aggressiveness stoked a remarkable 30-game about-face (56-106 last season to 86-76 this season), a two-game sweep of the Orioles in the American League wild-card series, and a berth in the ALDS before they fell in four games to the Yankees.
By beating the Orioles, Kansas City became just the second team to win a postseason series one year after losing at least 100 games. The other was the 2020 Marlins, who snuck into the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened 60-game season.
Rockies fans should hope owner Dick Monfort was paying attention.
Monfort’s club, which lost 103 games last season and 101 this season, is making some strides toward a turnaround with some young talent on the roster and in the system. But does the will and the wherewithal exist at 20th and Blake to put the Rockies in position for a playoff swing?
“Our talent base is getting better,” Schmidt said at the end of the season. “Our depth is getting better. I’m not going to say we’re going from this year to win 95 next year. Our record this year might be similar (to 2023), but we’re going to be a better club.”
Asked if Colorado can mimic the Royals and the Tigers (who went from 78-84 to 86-76 and the playoffs), Black answered: “Kansas City? Detroit? Anything is possible. When I got here in ’17 … what happened in ’16? (Colorado was 75-87 under Walt Weiss.) And then we made the playoffs. I’m going to say yes. I’m optimistic.”
But the Rockies aren’t the Royals and Monfort is not Sherman.
During the offseason, K.C. committed $109.5 million to free agents, the most money in any offseason in franchise history, including free-agent starting pitcher signees Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. They also signed their star shortstop, Bobby Witt Jr., to a contract extension that could add up to $377 million over 14 years.
The Royals’ first big roster move was signing free-agent pitcher Will Smith for the back end of their bullpen. Smith had been on the roster of the last three World Series champions, with the Rangers, Astros and Braves.
During the season, when they sensed success was on the horizon, they acquired closer Lucas Erceg and outfielder Tommy Pham.
The Royals, who had not been to the playoffs since winning the World Series in 2015, created an effective roster mix. Their postseason roster featured 12 homegrown players, including draftees and international signees. The other 14 players came from trades and free agency. Of those 14 players, 11 had previous postseason experience.
The Royals are far from a powerhouse franchise. Last season, they averaged just 16,136 fans per game at Kauffman Stadium, ranking 27th in the majors, ahead of only the Marlins and the A’s. This season, the Royals drew 20,473, ranking 26th.
According to Spotrac, Kansas City’s total payroll this season was $122.5 million, ranking 20th. Last year, it was $96.1 million (23rd).
After the 106-loss debacle, GM J.J. Picollo immediately began reshaping the front office. He hired Brian Bridges as the new scouting director, promoted Jim Cuthbert to director of pro personnel and strategy, and beefed up the preseason and development department by hiring six new people.
And so the seeds of a playoff team were planted.
The Rockies, meanwhile, have some distinct advantages over the Royals. They drew 31,360 fans per home game this season, ranking 15th. Their payroll was $147.4 million (17th).
The problem is not the Rockies’ failure to spend money; it’s how they’ve spent it. This season, $28 million (19%) of Colorado’s payroll went to the perennially injured Kris Bryant, who played in just 37 games with 155 plate appearances. For the record, that amounts to about $757,000 per game.
Giving former closer Daniel Bard a two-year, $19 million deal for the 2023-24 season was also a big misstep. Bard, derailed by injuries, did not pitch a game in ’24.
With pitching prospects Chase Dollander, Carson Palmquist, Sean Sullivan and Gabriel Hughes nearing their big-league debuts, the starting rotation has a chance to be better and deeper than it’s been since 2018. We know that free-agent starters aren’t going to come to Colorado, so the Rockies will need their youngsters to make the big-league grade.
But even if they do, as soon as next season, the Rockies’ tepid offense has a huge strikeout problem that must be solved. For all of the optimism about the bullpen during the season’s final month, it remains a huge question mark. Plus, the Rockies lack a middle-of-the-lineup slugger.
After their 106-loss season, the Royals faced similar dilemmas. Their offseason blueprint included finding two quality veteran starting pitchers, a trio of tested relievers, and a big bat. They acquired all of the pieces and more.
The Rockies, in the hole with a losing record for six consecutive seasons, believe they’ve moved into the on-deck circle. Now it’s time for them to prove they’re serious about stepping up to the plate.
The Phillies took three of four from the Braves in a thrilling and mostly entertaining series in Philly this weekend, surrounding a 7-2 stinker with comeback wins and pitching dominance.
From a pair of teams that are no strangers — the Phillies upset the Braves in back-to-back playoff series the last two years (ironically 3-games-to-1 each time) — Philly continues to assert dominance. And the timing couldn’t be better.
Expect to see the Phillies back on top of power rankings and World Series odds next week, as the push for Red October heats up.
What happens in the regular season will be irrelevant very soon — performing in the playoffs is all that matters. Did we learn anything from their tango with Atlanta that can preview what we might see from this team come October?
Here are five things we learned from the series victory:
Primetime players
The Phillies haven’t played in a playoff atmosphere for nearly a year. Yes, they have had more than a few sellouts. They swept a high powered Dodgers team at home. They’ve thrilled the fans with the most home wins in Major League Baseball.
But in their series against the Braves, the pressure was on. A Braves series win makes the division a race again. And wth three of the four games broadcast nationally in prime time — the team was in its element. If you remember, the 2023 postseason featured the Phillies prominently placed in the 8 pm time slot for every single game they played.
In a tie game in the Sunday finale, needing to win to jump way ahead in the NL East race, the anxiety was high and so was the volume. In the ninth, with Matt Strahm on the mound, the reliever was able tip toe around a bases loaded, one-out jam and give the Phillies a chance to walk off in the ninth.
When the rivals got to the 11th, Nick Castellanos capped off a series he won’t soon forget driving in a walk-off run. Castellanos has been a monster over the last few weeks but this one is up there:
They’ve got some fight in them
The series opener had all the makings of one of those games where the Phillies go quietly into the night without showing much fight. And then after stranding a bunch of hitters on base for the first six innings, Braves manager Brian Snitker made a horrible mistake.
After throwing 101 pitches — and dancing around a bevy of baserunners — 40-year-old Charlie Morton was kept in the game to face off against left-handed hitting Brandon Marsh, who has gigantic splits between lefties and righties.
This three-run homer in the sixth got the Phillies on the board for the first time in more than 15 innings and put some momentum back in Citizens Bank Park:
And then in the seventh Castellanos made it feel like October came early with a two-run go-ahead blast:
From a 4-0 stinker to a 5-4 comeback win.
Zack Wheeler has a Cy Young case
Yeah, we knew this before, but amid Phillies pitchers struggling and going through cold streaks, Wheeler has been outrageously consistent all season long and he is clearly among the top three or four pitchers in the conversation for the award — one he’s come close to winning but has never taken home.
In his start Saturday, Phillies bats supported Wheeler with a pair of solo shots from Edmundo Sosa and Trea Turner and a Sosa triple. But the defense made some potentially critical mistakes (including an error from fill-in third baseman Weston Wilson and some un-turned double plays).
It actually could have been three solo shots by the way — but perhaps the catch of the year took one away from Austin Hays in the seventh:
Amid all of that, Wheeler was his steady self, tossing seven innings of shutout baseball while striking out eight and scattering four hits. It was his career 100th win.
Having an ace like Wheeler to rely on could literally be the difference in October. He made a difference every fifth day in August.
Has Ranger Suárez lost his ace stuff?
Suárez was another Phillies hurler with a beefy Cy Young campaign leading into the All-Star break, but he hit the skids with four terrible starts in row following a 10-1 stretch with a 1.75 ERA through his first 15. He hit the Injured List and missed about a month before he returned last week. He looked good in five one-run innings in Kansas City.
But then in Game 2 of the series against the Braves Friday, Suárez looked like the he did right before he missed that month of games. The lefty was roughed up for four runs in four innings. The Phillies offense did little to lift him off the mat, but the start was just the second time (that was not injury related) that he failed to get through five innings this season.
A healthy Suárez will be getting handed the baseball third in a potential postseason series, and having him pitching like he did in June has to be a very high priority for the team.
Finally, some relief
The Phillies had their equivalent to the Eagles’ “gauntlet” of games against contenders over the last few weeks and somehow the team still controls its NL East destiny.
Starting on July 22 against the Twins, the Phillies had 10 of 12 series against teams in the playoff picture. Over those 32 games, the Phillies won 14 games, including three against the Braves to hold a seven-game lead for the division. With 25 games remaining that’s nearly insurmountable.
There are eight series remaining in the regular season. The Phillies will face just one team currently in playoff position — the NL Central-leading Brewers at home — and two NL Wild Card hopefuls, the Cubs and Mets (twice). A look at their remaining opponents:
The Philadelphia Phillies started the 2024 season at an incredible pace. It seemed like Rob Thomson’s team couldn’t lose.
Phillies fans are wondering what happened to that team because lately, it seems like all Thomson’s team can do is lose.
The Phillies had a 61-32 record through July 11, including two seven-game win streaks, one six-game win streak, and only seven series losses. They held the title of the best team in baseball for quite some time and had a large lead in the NL East. All was good in Philadelphia.
Teams are Catching Up to the Phillies
Then, just before the All-Star break, the Phillies lost a three-game series to the Oakland Athletics at Citizens Bank Park. Not only did they lose the series, but they lost it badly. The Phillies were outscored 29-16 in their home ballpark against one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball. Little did the team and the fans know what would come after that.
The Phillies came out of the All-Star break playing sloppy baseball. They lost five straight series to start the second half of the season, including a six-game losing streak during that stretch. They were able to win the series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and the first game in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. It looked like the Phillies were getting back on track and playing winning baseball again. They fooled us.
After taking the series opener against the Diamondbacks, the Phillies lost three straight games to lose yet another series. Two of those three games were complete blowouts. The Phillies were looking to start fresh against the last-place Miami Marlins back at home after a long 10-game road trip out west.
Taijuan Walker took the mound in the series opener against the Marlins after returning from the IL. This was his first major league start since June 21. He let up two runs in the first inning and only made it through four innings, allowing three total runs. The Phillies’ offense couldn’t get anything going, and they lost their fourth straight game.
The Importance of a First-Round Bye for the Phillies
The Phillies have 42 more games left in the regular season. Their schedule is favorable from here on out. They have two big series against the Atlanta Braves and an important series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Braves are just six games back in the NL East and are creeping up on the struggling Phillies for the top spot.
The Brewers are just two games back of the Phillies in the National League standings. The Phillies are 3-0 against the Brewers this season, with three games left to play. If they finish with identical records at the end of the season, the Phillies need to win at least one more game against them to guarantee potential home-field advantage and the better seed in the playoffs.
As of today, the Dodgers hold the top spot in the NL. The Phillies are 5-1 against them, so the Phillies will have home-field advantage and the better seed if both teams finish with identical records. This is also true with the San Diego Padres, who are two games back of the Phillies in the NL.
One team to worry about is the Diamondbacks. The Phillies are 3-4 against them this year and don’t have any more games against them. The Diamondbacks are two games back of the Phillies in the NL.
The top two division winners at the end of the regular season get a first-round bye in the playoffs. If the season ended today, the Phillies would be the No. 2 seed and have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs unless they would end up facing the Dodgers in the NLCS.
It’s also important to have the best record in the majors come playoff time. Home-field advantage in the World Series is determined by the team with the best regular season record. If both teams finished with identical records, the tiebreaker would go to the head-to-head record. The Phillies are the fifth-best team in the major leagues and are 1 ½ games back from having the best record as of today.
The Phillies need to figure things out collectively as a team and get back to playing winning baseball. This slump has lasted too long.
