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Tag: MLB Playoffs

  • Shohei Ohtani Wins Fourth MVP in Five Seasons – LAmag

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    The two-way superstar received the award in a unanimous honor

    Shohei Ohtani has added yet another milestone to a career already overflowing with them. The Dodgers’ two-way sensation was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player, earning the award unanimously for the fourth time in five seasons, a run of sustained excellence.

    Ohtani’s 2025 campaign was as complete as any he’s had, blending elite power at the plate with a successful return to the mound after his second Tommy John surgery. He hit .282 with a .392 on-base percentage and a .622 slugging mark, while launching 55 home runs, the most ever by a Dodgers player in a single season. He also led the NL in adjusted OPS (179), reaffirming his position as the league’s most dangerous hitter.

    On the pitching side, Ohtani worked carefully back into form, posting a 2.87 ERA over 47 innings. While the volume was limited, the impact wasn’t. Every Dodgers opponent knew the challenge of preparing for a player who could change a game in fundamentally different ways depending on where he was positioned that night.

    Speaking through an interpreter, Ohtani said the unanimous result made the moment even more meaningful. “Everything has to do with your teammates,” he said, adding that individual awards ultimately mean less than postseason success. “At the end of the day, we want to be playing for a World Series.”

    With four MVPs before turning 32, Ohtani now stands in a category that previously seemed reserved for legends. Only Barry Bonds, who collected seven, owns more. No player in baseball history has ever won four MVP awards in a five-year window while contributing simultaneously as a hitter and pitcher.

    Ohtani also achieved another unprecedented distinction this year: he became the first player in MLB history to win both an MVP award and a championship within his first two seasons with a franchise. For a Dodgers team built for October, the accolade is both a celebration and a reminder of the player anchoring their championship window.

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    Anthony Gutierrez

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  • Dodgers to Face Blue Jays in Game One of World Series – LAmag

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    Southpaw Blake Snell will take the mound for game one at Rogers Centre

    A year ago Saturday the Los Angeles Dodgers were taking the field at Dodger Stadium, looking for their first Fall Classic victory since 1988. 

    364 days later, and the Dodgers will be out on the Rogers Centre field with the same goal in mind on Friday.

    The only difference? The team across the diamond.

    After being down 2-0 in the ALCS – and two away contests slated for games three and four – the Toronto Blue Jays pulled off the unthinkable, winning four of the last five games against the Seattle Mariners, scoring 33 runs across the five-game stretch.

    In game one of the 2025 Fall Classic, the Blue Jays will take on the Dodgers in their first World Series appearance since 1993 at Dodger Stadium. Game two will commence Saturday and then both teams will travel to Los Angeles for games three, four and five on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. If needed, games six and seven will take place back in Toronto.

    Dodgers ace Blake Snell will take the mound Friday evening. The southpaw is 3-0 in the 2025 postseason and boasts a 0.86 ERA across 21 innings pitched.

    Snell has punched out 28 batters while conceding just six hits and two earned runs across the three postseason affairs. Snell has also yet to give up a home run.

    Across the field, right-hander Trey Yesavage pitched 15 innings in the 2025 postseason so far, amassing a 2-1 record and 4.20 ERA.

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    While he may boast a higher than average earned run average for a game one World Series starter, he has struck out 22 batters and conceded just seven runs, including five against Seattle.

    Coming into the contest, the Blue Jays’ hottest bats come from first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and third baseman Ernie Clement.

    The duo both boast a .400-plus batting average across 11 postseason games with a .442 and .429 batting average, respectively. The tandem has combined for 37 hits and 19 runs batted in.

    Guerrero has been the Blue Jays’ most impactful power hitter, notching six home runs across 43 at-bats. Joining Guerrero in the power-hitting lineup is right fielder George Springer, who hit the Blue Jays’ go-ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning in game seven of the pennant series.

    From the Los Angeles dugout, right fielder Teoscar Hernandez, shortstop Mookie Betts and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. Hernandez has knocked in four home runs and has a .268 batting average through 41 plate appearances.

    Ohtani – who struggled through the majority of the 2025 postseason – hit three home runs in game four of the NLCS, improving his batting average to .220.

    Enrique Hernandez has been the Dodgers’ most consistent contact hitter, boasting a .306 batting average with 11 hits and four doubles but zero home runs.

    The biggest strength of the Dodgers roster, though, is their pitching staff. Apart from Snell, Yoshinubo Yamamoto is the team’s other ace and will start game two.

    He boasts a 1.83 postseason ERA with 18 strikeouts. Joining the starting rotation is Ohtani, who has a 2.25 ERA and 19 strikeouts, and Tyler Glasnow. 

    First pitch will commence at 5 p.m.

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    Connor Dullinger

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  • Dodgers Sweep Brewers to Reach World Series

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    Ohtani struck out 10 and hit three home runs en route to a 5-1 victory and sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers

    Pressure builds diamonds.

    And with just one victory separating the Dodgers from back-to-back World Series appearances – and the team’s fifth since 2017 – Shohei Ohtani produced Los Angeles a gem.

    Spearheaded by one of the most complete and dominant performances in MLB postseason history, the Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 Friday night at Dodger Stadium in game four of the NLCS.

    The victory completed the sweep, extended the team’s win streak to five – while also taking nine of 10 postseason contests, and gave the Dodgers an opportunity to be back-to-back world champions. 

    Ohtani’s night started on the mound where he made the second start of the 2025 season. The three-time MLB Most Valuable Player came into game four having given up just three earned runs across six innings pitched while striking out nine batters in his previous outing against the Philadelphia Phillies.

    And Ohtani wasted no time building on what has been a defensive masterclass, tossing six scoreless innings where he conceded just two hits and three walks while punching out 10 Brewer bats. His performance gave him a 2-0 postseason record for the 2025 campaign and possesses a 2.25 ERA across both contests.

    But where the right handed pitcher and designated hitter really made his mark was at the plate.

    The left handed batter reached base all four times and hit three home runs – in the first, fourth, and seventh innings respectfully. While all three long balls were solo shots, his offensive outing made him the first player in MLB history to punch out 10 batters and hit three home runs in a game in the postseason and regular campaign.

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    And the firsts did not end there. 

    His performance also made him the first pitcher with at least 10 strikeouts and no runs allowed in a postseason pennant-clinching game. And he was also the first person with three or more home runs in a pennant-clinching affair since Dodger teammate Kike Hernandez did it in 2017.

    “We all know about Shohei but until you play with him and see it, it’s just a different level,” said Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw. “You have to do so much as a starting pitcher, the routine you have to do, he can do that and then hit every day while doing that. He doesn’t have a regular starting pitcher schedule, he pitches when we need him too, and he goes out there and does that.”

    Ohtani’s record game was also his first offensive breakout performance of the 2025 postseason. Entering game four of the pennant series, Ohtani boasted just a .158 batting average, having almost three times as many strikeouts as hits. 

    “I’m still kind of speechless. The man just struck out 10 guys and hit three home runs in the same game,” said first baseman Freddie Freeman. “It’s just incredible. The inevitable happened. He was going to break out at some point. He’s just so locked in when he’s pitching, so I think the unicorn came out.”

    Crucial to the Dodgers postseason run has been the performance from the relief staff, and the units dominance was continued Friday by the quartet that has regularly came in after the starter exits. 

    In game four, after Ohtani was relieved from the mound, the bullpen – composed of southpaws Anthony Banda and Alex Vesia and right handers Blake Treinen and Roki Sasaki – combined for the final three frames of game four where they conceded just one hit and one earned run.

    Offensively, an explosive bottom of the first gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead that they would never relinquish for the remainder of the affair. Following Ohtani’s leadoff bomb, second baseman Tommy Edman sent home fellow middle infielder Mookie Betts for the second run of the ball game.

    And power-hitting right fielder Teoscar Hernandez hit an RBI groundout to give the Los Angeles squad a 3-0 before the Brewers picked up their bats for a second time.

    Ohtani then supplemented what was already a 3-0 lead with a pair of 400-plus foot bombs that gave the Dodgers a 5-0 lead. The Brewers earned one run back on an RBI fielders choice hit by second baseman Brice Turang.

    However, the last ditch effort in the eighth was not enough to get the Brewers back into the affair, as they fell 5-1, completing the NLCS sweep.

    “The boys pitched, and we had some timely hits. We kind of did it all,” Betts said. “For the first three games we all did and then in the last game Shohei did it by himself so it’s always good to have him take over a game.”

    The Dodgers will face the winner of the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays who are facing off in game seven of the ALCS which is slated to commence Monday night at 5:10 p.m. A Fall Classic victory will make the Dodgers the first back-to-back World Series champions since the New York Yankees did it in 1999 and 2000.

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    Connor Dullinger

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  • Guerrero hits 6th postseason homer and Blue Jays beat Mariners 6-2 to force Game 7 of ALCS

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    TORONTO — TORONTO (AP) — Look dad, Game 7!

    Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his sixth home run this postseason, rookie Trey Yesavage struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings and the Toronto Blue Jays pushed the American League Championship Series to the limit by beating the sloppy Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Sunday night.

    The AL pennant will be decided Monday night in Toronto, the second Game 7 in Blue Jays history. Toronto lost to Kansas City in the 1985 ALCS.

    “Got to enjoy it, man. This is what we sign up for,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “It’s special and unique, but you have to look at it as a game.”

    For one famous baseball family, it will also be a first. Guerrero’s father, Hall of Fame outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, never played in a postseason Game 7 during his 16-year career.

    “My dad was telling me, Game 7 is give it all you have,” the Toronto slugger said.

    Seattle, the only big league team without a pennant, will play a Game 7 for the first time. The winner faces the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series beginning Friday.

    “Win or go home,” Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez said. “We’re going to lay everything out there.”

    Addison Barger homered and drove in three early runs for the Blue Jays, who turned three double plays behind Yesavage — two of them to escape bases-loaded jams.

    That made Toronto the first team to induce consecutive bases-loaded, inning-ending double plays in a postseason game, and only the fourth team to turn two in a single postseason game.

    “I knew my defense had my back,” Yesavage said.

    Toronto also took advantage of Seattle’s season-high three errors. By comparison, the Blue Jays have made four errors in 10 playoff games.

    “Balls just kind of in and out of the glove there that put a couple extra guys on base,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Unfortunately, it led to a couple runs.”

    Guerrero’s sixth career postseason homer — all this year — tied him with José Bautista and Joe Carter for the most in Blue Jays history.

    “This is what you look for from one of the elite players in the game,” Schneider said.

    Bautista threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game.

    Toronto had lost its previous four games when facing postseason elimination. That streak stretched to Game 5 of the 2016 ALCS against Cleveland and included wild-card round losses to Tampa Bay in 2020, Seattle in 2022 and Minnesota in 2023.

    Guerrero’s leadoff homer in the fifth made it 5-0 and chased Mariners starter Logan Gilbert. The right-hander allowed four earned runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.

    “I thought he had a good fastball, especially early,” Wilson said. “His split was good at times. This is a tough lineup and they did what they had to do to get the ball in play.”

    Yesavage took a shutout into the sixth. He was charged with two runs and six hits, five of them singles. Five of his strikeouts came on his split-finger fastball, as did both double-play grounders with the bases loaded.

    “I just believed in myself. I know my stuff plays at this level,” Yesavage said. “I know the defense behind me is going to play at the best of their abilities, and getting three double plays in back-to-back-to-back innings was huge.”

    The 22-year-old Yesavage threw a season-high 31 splitters. He got 10 whiffs on splitters and five more on sliders.

    “He brings the energy,” Guerrero said. “He’s young. He wants to win so bad.”

    Three of Yesavage’s six major league starts have come in the playoffs. He’s won twice this postseason after winning one of three outings during the regular season.

    Louis Varland got four outs and Jeff Hoffman struck out four over two hitless innings to end it.

    The Mariners used two walks and a single to load the bases against Yesavage in the third but were denied when slugger Cal Raleigh grounded into a 3-6-1 double play started by Guerrero and completed by Yesavage covering first base. Raleigh’s first-pitch grounder came off his bat at 101 mph.

    “Underappreciated, I think, is how Vlad can play really deep because of his arm,” Schneider said. “In that situation, too, you need some wiggle room for a guy that hits the ball really hard.”

    Raleigh finished 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.

    Seattle came up empty again after another bases-loaded opportunity in the fourth when J.P. Crawford grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

    The Mariners broke through and chased Yesavage in the sixth. Josh Naylor’s solo shot was his third home run of the playoffs. Yesavage exited after Randy Arozarena’s base hit, and Eugenio Suárez greeted Varland with a bloop RBI single.

    Toronto took advantage of fielding errors by Rodríguez in center field and Suárez at third base to score twice in the second, when Barger and Isiah Kiner-Falefa had RBI singles.

    Ernie Clement hit a two-out triple off the left-field wall in the third and scored when Barger homered, his second of the postseason.

    George Springer started at designated hitter for the Blue Jays and went 0 for 4 with a walk. Springer exited in the seventh inning of Friday’s Game 5 loss in Seattle after he was hit on the right kneecap by a 95.6 mph pitch from Bryan Woo.

    Guerrero was hit by a pitch from Seattle reliever Matt Brash in the seventh. Guerrero moved to second on Alejandro Kirk’s single and was advancing on a wild pitch when he scored on Raleigh’s throwing error.

    Toronto is expected to start RHP Shane Bieber on Monday night. Bieber allowed two runs and four hits over six innings in Game 3, a 13-4 win for the Blue Jays. He struck out eight and walked one as he bounced back from a poor outing against the Yankees in the Division Series.

    RHP George Kirby will start for Seattle. He allowed eight runs and eight hits, including three homers, over four innings in Game 3.

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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  • Brewers outclassed by Ohtani and big-money Dodgers as rousing season ends with NLCS sweep

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    LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Turned out the National League Championship Series was indeed a mismatch, just as Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested.

    But not only in payroll and star power.

    On the baseball field, too. Where it really matters.

    After compiling the majors’ best record during the regular season, the scrappy Brewers appeared capable of beating anybody — until they ran into Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers in October.

    Milwaukee mustered only four runs and 14 hits in a four-game Dodgers sweep that left the Brewers steps short of the World Series once again. The team’s only pennant came in 1982, when Milwaukee was in the American League.

    “The pitching performances by the Dodgers basically put the hammer down,” Murphy said.

    Before the series, Murphy did his best to paint a picture of David vs. Goliath, calling the Dodgers “a powerhouse” and joking he was “sure that most Dodger players can’t name eight guys” on an underdog Milwaukee roster he had referred to as “Average Joes.”

    The defending World Series champion Dodgers are poised this year to spend a record $509.5 million in payroll and projected luxury tax. The Brewers play in the smallest market in the big leagues, and their entire payroll of $124.8 million doesn’t even approach Los Angeles’ projected luxury tax bill of nearly $168 million.

    Still, the NL Central champion Brewers went 97-65 this season and won all six meetings with the NL West champion Dodgers (93-69) — though those games came in July before a banged-up Los Angeles team got healthier.

    When they squared off in the playoffs, it was a different story. Milwaukee scored only one run in each of the four games, and Ohtani delivered the final blow with an epic display Friday night.

    The two-way superstar launched three homers at the plate and struck out 10 in six-plus scoreless innings of two-hit ball on the mound as Los Angeles rolled into the World Series with a 5-1 victory in Game 4.

    “That’s probably one of the best games anybody’s ever played in baseball, I would imagine,” Brewers slugger Christian Yelich said. “Just an awesome performance from him tonight. He’s the best player in the game for a reason and he definitely showed that tonight.”

    During a regular season to savor, Milwaukee got stingy pitching, played airtight defense, moved runners along and came through with timely hits.

    But against the Dodgers, the Brewers were outclassed.

    A draining five-game Division Series versus the rival Chicago Cubs and a tight 2-1 loss in Game 1 of the NLCS appeared to sap Milwaukee’s energy.

    “I think we obviously had some guys not feeling their best at the plate and we had a couple of them at the same time,” said Yelich, who went 1 for 14 in the series with seven strikeouts. “It’s unfortunate when those rough stretches happen at the same time.”

    After left-hander Aaron Ashby was used as an opener twice in three games, the Brewers went with veteran left-hander Jose Quintana to start Game 4. But his brand of location and low-velocity breaking balls did not play Friday as Ohtani stole the show.

    “It’s really hard to do one, and he did two things at the same time,” Quintana said, marveling at Ohtani’s feat. “You stop for a second and look at this guy, it’s unbelievable. We stayed with the plan and it was a great night for him. … This was not the way we wanted it to end, but at the same time, it was an amazing season for us.”

    Instead of a dark and somber tone in the locker room, the Brewers had hugs and pats on the back for each other. Instead of waiting a few weeks after the sudden disappointment to appreciate six-plus months of success, they tempered the sting of elimination with gratitude.

    “Yeah, I think you guys can sense it,” outfielder Blake Perkins said. “We all believe in each other and we love each other. We preached a lot this year the power of friendship and I think this is it. It’s really cool to be a part of. We might not all play together again, so we’re just trying our best to look around and enjoy what we have.”

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

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  • Brewers turn potential grand slam by Dodgers slugger Max Muncy into wild double play in NLCS

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    MILWAUKEE (AP) — Max Muncy was inches away from hitting a grand slam for the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the scoring in the National League Championship Series.

    Little did he know his 404-foot drive instead would end the top of the fourth inning Monday night in one of the most incredible plays of this or any postseason.

    “It’s definitely the worst fielder’s choice/double play I’ve ever hit in my life,” Muncy said after the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1.

    Here’s how Muncy’s potential grand slam turned into an unusual 8-6-2 double play:

    With the bases loaded and one out, Muncy hit a long drive to center field, where Sal Frelick jumped and reached over the wall in an attempt to make the catch.

    The ball popped out of Frelick’s glove and hit the top of the fence before Frelick caught it in the air. Muncy wasn’t ruled out because the ball hit the wall — but the Dodgers’ runners scrambled back to their bases thinking the ball was caught on a fly.

    “I didn’t see it hit the wall,” said Will Smith, who was on second base. “I just thought he kind of brought it back in and caught it.”

    Frelick fired to shortstop Joey Ortiz, who quickly relayed a strike to catcher William Contreras. Aware a force was still in effect, Contreras alertly stretched for the throw with his right foot on home plate, rather than position himself for a tag that would have been necessary if the ball hadn’t hit the wall.

    Contreras caught the ball before Teoscar Hernández slid across the plate, forcing out Hernández after he had hesitated at third base.

    “Teo knows the rule. I think right there he had just a little bit of a brain fart, appreciating that when it does hit the glove, you can tag (up) there,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But then he tagged, did it correctly, then saw he didn’t catch it, (and) he went back. That was the mistake. But he owned it. And after that, there’s nothing else you can do about it.”

    After the forceout at home plate, Contreras smartly got up and jogged to third to force out Smith, too.

    Smith had gone back to second when he thought Frelick made a clean catch.

    “From home plate, I had a pretty good view of it,” Contreras said through an interpreter. “I could tell pretty much right away it hit off the wall. Right away once it hits off the wall, you know that ball is played live. Tremendous job by the guys there just doing what we needed to do to finish that play off.”

    As all of it was developing, Frelick had his arms out with a quizzical look on his face, wondering what exactly had just happened — not unlike many fans.

    The Dodgers challenged the call, but a replay review confirmed the forceouts at home and third for a most unusual inning-ending 8-6-2 double play.

    Umpires called it correctly in real time all the way through the play.

    “Honestly, I didn’t know they ruled it a no-catch,” Roberts said. “I just wanted clarity on the whole situation. And then kind of making sure that they got a couple of forceouts, which they did. And ultimately, those guys and replay, the guys on the field got it right. They nailed it.”

    At 404 feet, it was the second-longest projected distance on a batted ball resulting in a double play since Statcast tracking began in 2015 — regular-season games included. For Muncy, it goes down as a grounded-into-double play, even though the ball didn’t touch the ground.

    There had not been an 8-6-2 double play in the postseason over the last 35 years, the Elias Sports Bureau said. Those type of official scoring details are not always clear in records going back any further.

    The most recent 8-6-2 double play in the regular season involved a ball hit by Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa to Cincinnati center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. in April 2004 — though that one ended with a tag at the plate.

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

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  • Rob Thomson Set to Return as Phillies Manager in 2026 – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

    The Phillies announced on Monday that Manager Rob Thomson will be returning for the 2026 season.

    Thomson will be entering the final year of his contract, making 2026 a true make-or-break season for both Thomson and the Phillies.

    Philadelphia Heartbreak

    It’s been five days since the Phillies lost Game 4 of the NLDS in the most heartbreaking fashion you could imagine. The first series in MLB history to end on an error. Of course, it would happen to the Phillies.

    It took me all day Friday to go through the stages of grief following the loss. I was not angry at Kerkering for a miscue throw to—the. In fact, I completely understand the mental state when you first bobble a ball. Even if you knew where you were supposed to go with the ball, the second you bobble it, panic sets in, and that’s exactly what happened. I know Kerkering can be a good reliever, and I hope he bounces back next year with us.

    Different Year, Same Result

    While my sympathy was with Kerkering, my anger was directed towards Rob Thomson, the entire lineup aside from JT Realmuto, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos. The big three of Turner, Schwarber, and Harper went 1-14 in the Game 4 elimination game. The third season in a row, the big guns disappeared when it mattered most. That part of it is on the players, and while Rob Thomson makes the lineup, he can’t control what pitches these guys are swinging at.

    Rob Thomson controls the bullpen and who comes in certain situations. This is part of his job; Rob Thomson has been horrible at it in the postseason. In 2023, he brought Craig Kimbrel in against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which eventually led to the Phillies blowing the lead and the series. Since that series, Rob Thomson has poorly managed the bullpen when it matters the most. It’s led to the Phillies blowing leads in multiple playoff games over the last few years, including in this year’s series. Going to Kerkering with runners on was a terrible idea from the start. 8/13 inherited runners have scored on Kerkering since August. Having him in the game in that moment was a terrible decision by Rob Thomson. Even leading up to that, one might question why we walked Ohtani in the 7th inning to load the bases? Duran would walk in a run, tying the game 1-1 after Mookie Betts worked a walk. Thomson made a few questionable decisions, but it’s not solely on him to blame.

    What Went Wrong?

    Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

    I touched on the lack of production from Turner, Schwarber, and Harper before, but it’s important to know how flat-out bad these three were in this series. Aside from the Game 3 outburst, these three underperformed when the lights were the brightest. While I still want the Phillies to re-sign Kyle Schwarber, you have to wonder if he decreased his price tag following his poor October showing. Harper and Turner need to figure out a way to make their $300 million price tags worth it come October. Harper had an incredible postseason in 2023 and 2024, but his last two postseason showings have been lackluster. You aren’t gonna win many baseball games when the highest-paid players don’t show up.

    Harrison Bader was injured with a groin injury, which also hurt the Phillies in terms of their lineup. Bader was such a spark for this team down the stretch, and his absence should not go unnoticed. I’m hoping the Phillies could bring him back, but the question is for how much and where he would play. If Bader did play his last game in a Phillies uniform, he was an incredible addition to this team, and it’s a shame he got injured when he did.

    I tip my cap to Alec Bohm and JT Realmuto, who had really strong showings at the plate in the division series. I would love to have JT back behind the plate next year, as he is set to hit free agency. If JT walks, I expect the Phillies to possibly pursue a trade with the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Adley Rutschman. Rutschman would be a nice replacement for the Phillies if Realmuto isn’t on the team next year. With that being said, I do hope JT works out a deal and hopefully ends his career as a Phillie.

    Pitching Excellence

    The starting pitching once again showed up when it mattered most, despite not having Zack Wheeler. Christopher Sanchez pitched two great games and further solidified himself as a true ace during this series. Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez all pitched great throughout the series as well. The starting pitching was dominant all year, and they performed well above expectations in this series.

    Ranger Suarez is the only starting arm that is a free agent this upcoming winter. The big question is, do you pay Ranger Suarez knowing you have a replacement in Andrew Painter coming up? Suarez has been one of the best lefties in the game over the last two years, so although it would hurt to lose him, the Phillies might not be able to afford to keep him. It’s going to be very interesting to see where Suarez lands this upcoming offseason.

    Season Conclusion

    That’s officially a wrap on the Phillies’ 2025 season, as well as my first season covering the team. It was a pleasure to bring you weekly storylines and my thoughts on this ball club throughout the year. The season ended like no one could have expected, with a game-losing error. One of the main things I love about baseball is that you can shake off whatever happened in the game before and get right back at it within a day or two. But in this scenario, having to sit with this feeling all offseason is certainly going to sting.

    While some fans (including myself) are still angry with this team and the result, I can already feel the excitement and optimism of opening day 2026 when the Texas Rangers come to town. Only 163 days until The Bank is packed for Opening Day on March 26, 2026!

    One Last Weekly Prediction: The Seattle Mariners are going to be your 2025 World Series Champions.

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    Matt Saglembeni

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  • Brewers beat Cubs 3-1 in Game 5 of NL Division Series to earn NLCS matchup with Dodgers

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    MILWAUKEE — MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ending their recent run of playoff frustration earned the Milwaukee Brewers a new nickname from their manager.

    Pat Murphy has referred to his team as the “Average Joes,” a nod to their small-market status and lack of big names. But after the Brewers beat the rival Chicago Cubs 3-1 in the decisive fifth game of their NL Division Series on Saturday night, Murphy decided it was time for an upgrade.

    “You can call them the average Joes,” Murphy said, “but I say they’re the above-average Joes.”

    The Brewers relied on contributions from just about all of them to get past the Cubs.

    Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking homer in the fourth inning and William Contreras and Brice Turang also went deep. Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Aaron Ashby, Chad Patrick and Abner Uribe combined on a four-hitter, with Uribe getting six outs for the first multi-inning save of his career.

    “It takes every single one of these guys in the locker room, and they’ve done it,” Turang said. “We’ve got to keep going.”

    The Brewers, making their seventh playoff appearance in eight years, earned their first postseason series win since sweeping Colorado in a 2018 NLDS. Milwaukee was on the verge of its second World Series berth that year before losing Game 7 of the National League Championship Series at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

    Now, the Brewers get another NLCS matchup with the defending World Series champion Dodgers, who beat the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the other NL Division Series. Game 1 is Monday at Milwaukee as the Brewers chase their first pennant since 1982 — back when they played in the American League.

    After losing slugging shortstop Willy Adames in free agency and trading away All-Star closer Devin Williams last winter, the scrappy Brewers finished the regular season with the best record in the majors at 97-65.

    They’ve reached the NLCS nine months after the death of Bob Uecker, who broadcast Brewers games for 54 seasons and is probably more synonymous with the franchise than any player.

    As the Brewers posed for a postgame picture on the field, they had a banner in front of them with Uecker’s signature. The sellout crowd roared before the game when the scoreboard video showed a fan holding a sign with the message: “Do It For Bob Uecker.”

    “It was important to these guys — because it’s the rival — to finish the job,” Murphy said. “And they know Ueck is smiling.”

    The victory was particularly sweet for Milwaukee fans because it came against the club’s biggest rival and knocked Cubs manager Craig Counsell out of the postseason.

    Counsell grew up in the Milwaukee area, played for the Brewers and became the winningest manager in team history until he left for Chicago.

    In the two seasons since Counsell’s departure, Brewers fans have booed every mention of his name whenever the Cubs have visited American Family Field. They did it again Saturday, though the sellout crowd appeared to include more Cubs backers than in Milwaukee’s Game 1 and Game 2 home victories.

    The Cubs were attempting to become the 11th team to erase a 2-0 deficit and win a best-of-five playoff series, a feat last accomplished by the New York Yankees against Cleveland in their 2017 ALDS.

    “I’m disappointed. I’m sad,” Counsell said. “I think this team did a lot to honor the Chicago Cub uniform. In the big picture, that’s how I feel.”

    Homers produced all the runs in this winner-take-all game, and each of Milwaukee’s came with two outs.

    Contreras hit a 389-foot shot to left-center off Drew Pomeranz in the first inning. Vaughn sent a 3-2 pitch from Colin Rea over the left-field wall to break a 1-all tie, and Turang provided some insurance with a 416-foot drive to center off Andrew Kittredge in the seventh.

    “We fight back. That’s our mentality,” Vaughn said. “We’re going to punch someone else. We’re going to throw it right back.”

    Chicago’s Seiya Suzuki greeted Misiorowski by sending a 101.4 mph fastball into the Cubs bullpen leading off the second, but that was the only run the rookie right-hander allowed in four innings as he earned his second win of the series.

    “It’s been crazy,” the 23-year-old Misiorowski said. “It’s been a whirlwind and it’s been fun.”

    The Brewers brought in Misiorowski after Megill retired the side in order in the first. The Cubs had totaled 11 first-inning runs in the first four games of the series without ever going scoreless in the opening frame.

    After Suzuki’s homer, they didn’t score again Saturday.

    Chicago’s best threat came when it put two on with nobody out in the sixth against Ashby, who had thrown 32 pitches two nights earlier in Milwaukee’s Game 4 loss. Michael Busch hit a leadoff single before Ashby grazed Nico Hoerner with a pitch.

    Ashby got Kyle Tucker to strike out swinging at a 3-2 pitch for the first out. Patrick then came out of the bullpen and retired Suzuki on a fly to left before Ian Happ struck out looking.

    “You set a goal to win the World Series every year,” Busch said. “You come up short, so it stings no matter what.”

    The Brewers exorcised some demons to finish off the series.

    They entered the ninth inning with a two-run lead, just as they did in the decisive game of last year’s NL Wild Card Series against the New York Mets. Milwaukee lost that game when Williams allowed four runs in the final inning, including a three-run homer by Pete Alonso.

    This time, the Brewers had no reason to worry as Uribe retired the side in order.

    “We talked about it before the game,” Murphy said. “It absolutely entered my mind. We talked about it at the end of last season. We sat down in the room. We were all shell-shocked. And I said, ‘Guys, I don’t know what to tell you. Somehow this is going to help us.’ And sure enough, it was prophetic.”

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  • Don’t check in late for Cubs-Brewers NLDS decider. This series is all about the first inning

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    MILWAUKEE — MILWAUKEE (AP) — Working as a starting pitcher in the NL Division Series between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers has been one tough job.

    Twenty-one of the 35 runs in the series have been scored in the first inning. The series concludes on Saturday night with a winner-take-all Game 5 to determine which of these NL Central rivals will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.

    “I think it’s way more common than you think, for pitchers to be vulnerable in the first inning,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Friday. “Everybody’s geeked up. The atmosphere is way different. And I think that’s something that is noted.”

    So perhaps it’s no surprise that neither Murphy nor Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced their Game 5 starting pitchers a day in advance.

    The Cubs have the option of turning to Game 2 loser Shota Imanaga on four days’ rest, but he posted a 6.51 ERA in September and has allowed six runs over 6 2/3 innings in two appearances this postseason.

    “With the exception of (Game 4 starter) Matt Boyd, everyone’s going to be available,” Counsell said. “And so it’s a cliché here, but we have 11 pitchers to figure out how to get 27 outs. That’s how we’re treating it.”

    Milwaukee could use a similar approach to its Game 2 strategy, when seven different pitchers contributed to a 7-3 victory. Murphy noted that Aaron Ashby would be available after throwing 32 pitches in the Brewers’ Game 4 loss on Thursday.

    Murphy listed Ashby, Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig, Trevor Megill, Chad Patrick and Jacob Misiorowski as guys who are “going to probably pitch.”

    “A lot of those guys are rookies, a lot of those guys are not very experienced, but that’s how we’ve won all these games and come together,” Murphy said. “Now we’re playing in a way bigger environment, and it’s a bigger task. But I’m confident that we’ll have enough pitching.”

    The Cubs are trying to become the 11th team to win a best-of-five series after losing the first two games. The last team to do it was the New York Yankees against Cleveland in the 2017 AL Division Series.

    Saturday’s winning team would open the NLCS on Monday. The Brewers would host the Dodgers for the start of the series, while the Cubs would travel to Los Angeles.

    Chicago has reached this point by winning each of its last three elimination games, though all of them were at home. The Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 in the decisive third game of their Wild Card Series, and they brought this series back to Milwaukee by winning 4-3 in Game 3 and 6-0 in Game 4.

    “I feel like it’s an even slate,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said after the Game 4 victory. “Game 5. Both teams have had great moments in this series. I love where our group’s at.”

    Milwaukee is trying to change its recent history of postseason frustration.

    The Brewers are in the playoffs for the seventh time in the last eight seasons, but their last postseason series win was in the 2018 NLDS. They lost Game 7 at home to the Dodgers in the NLCS that year and are 4-13 in their last 17 playoff games.

    Murphy remains confident in the Brewers’ chances as they look to bounce back from two straight losses in Chicago.

    “We’re five wins away from the World Series,” Murphy said. “I’ve learned a lot about this team, and one thing it is, it’s resilient, and they bounce back.”

    Milwaukee suffered one of its most heartbreaking playoff exits last year, when the Brewers led the New York Mets 2-0 heading into the ninth inning of Game 3 in the NL Wild Card Series before Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer off Devin Williams as part of a four-run rally.

    Losing this series would be just about as painful for Brewers fans because it’s against one of their biggest rivals and Counsell, the longtime Milwaukee manager who grew up in the area but left his hometown team to join the Cubs.

    Counsell has downplayed the personal aspect of this matchup throughout the series.

    “I’m just thinking about how do we advance,” Counsell said. “It’s almost like the opponent doesn’t matter right now. How do we advance? Because who you play and all those stories around that, that doesn’t matter. How do we advance? That’s really been my focus.”

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  • Dodgers Head Back to NLCS After Phillies’ Costly 11th-Inning Error – LAmag

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    A costly Phillies error in the 11th inning sealed a 2–1 Dodgers victory

    In the 11th inning of a tight Game 4, Andy Pages hit a slow dribbler back to Orion Kerkering, Philadelphia’s rookie reliever. The play looked routine — until it wasn’t. Kerkering bobbled the ball as it kicked off his feet, glanced toward first, then fired home. His throw sailed wide of catcher J.T. Realmuto, allowing Hyeseong Kim to score what would become the game-winning run. Seconds later, the Dodgers were mobbing and celebrating Pages near first base, celebrating a 2–1 win and a return to the NLCS. (KTLA)

    For Kerkering, who had been a bright spot in the Phillies’ bullpen all season, it was suddenly a nightmare. “Once the pressure got to me, I just thought there’s a faster throw to J.T.,” he said afterward, acknowledging the split-second decision that ended Philadelphia’s year. (ESPN)

    Before the late-inning chaos, the night had been a classic pitching duel. Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow tossed six scoreless innings for Los Angeles, striking out seven, while Rōki Sasaki pulled through with three near-perfect frames in relief. The Dodgers’ bullpen combined for five scoreless innings, keeping the game within reach even as the team struggled offensively. 

    The Phillies had their chance in the seventh, when Nick Castellanos doubled home the game’s first run. But Los Angeles answered almost immediately, tying it after Mookie Betts drew a bases-loaded walk. 

    By the time Pages stepped to the plate in the 11th, who was hitless in his previous 22 at-bats, the Dodgers were ready to finally close out the game and punch their ticket back to the pennant.

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  • Phillies face an uncertain future following their 4th straight playoff exit

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    PHILADELPHIA — PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Orion Kerkering airmailed a throw into the Los Angeles night that not only unimaginably ended the Phillies’ season — it all but ended the run of the core of a roster that suffered through four straight postseasons without a World Series title.

    NL home run and RBI champion Kyle Schwarber, veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto and rotation stalwart Ranger Suárez are all free agents. Outfielder Harrison Bader, who raised his value with a dynamite two months with the Phillies, has a mutual option he is sure to decline.

    And what about manager Rob Thomson? Thomson has guided the Phillies through four playoff berths in his four seasons in charge. He led them to the 2022 World Series (where they lost to Houston) and the Phillies did just win their second straight NL East title.

    The ring is the thing and the Phillies fell shy again of winning their first championship since 2008. That failure could weigh heavily on managing partner John Middleton and team president Dave Dombrowski’s call to bring back Thomson for a fifth season or start fresh with a new manager and a roster makeover after years of essentially running it back with the same core.

    The Phillies could lose valuable pieces to more than just free agency in the offseason.

    What will they do with right fielder Nick Castellanos —- who has one year left on the five-year, $100 million deal signed ahead of the 2022 season — who seemed unhappy and cited personal issues with Thomson after losing his starting job late in the season?

    José Alvarado has a club option for 2026 but are the Phillies really keen on keeping the left-hand reliever who served an 80-game suspension and was left off the postseason roster for violating baseball’s performance-enhancing drugs policy?

    The real question that has haunted the Phillies in each of the last three playoff years is this: How do the Phillies — with a $291.7 million payroll — snap out of the same October pattern of frigid bats from their highest-priced players that doomed them again against the Dodgers?

    Kerkering’s errant throw was only the final shovel of dirt on a playoff hole dug deep by a collapse at the plate from Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. Harper and Turner aren’t going anywhere and top minor league prospects such as starting pitcher Andrew Painter, outfielder Justin Crawford and infielder Aidan Miller are on the brink of joining the big leagues.

    So what’s next?

    The 62-year-old Thomson is on the short list of greatest managers in franchise history. Outside of Castellanos, Thomson is generally well-liked and highly-regarded inside the clubhouse. His decision-making had some hits — such as the Aaron Nola-Suárez pitching combo in Game 3 — and misses — a rally-killing Bryson Stott in the the ninth inning of Game 2 — in the NL Division Series. He’s 346-251 (.580) in the regular season and that kind of record usually doesn’t get managers fired.

    Whiffing his way down the postseason ladder —- losing in the 2022 World Series; the 2023 NL Championship Series and two straight defeats in the NLDS — raises some concern about Thomson’s job security.

    “It’s out of my control,” Thomson said. “I’m not even thinking about it. I’ve got 60 people in there that are brokenhearted right now. So I’m thinking about that more so than my job right now.”

    Harper — who has six years left on his 13-year, $330 million contract — and Turner both stumped for Thomson to return.

    Yes, they both like the affable Canadian. Yet, there’s a tinge of guilt that their postseason slumps are the bulk of the reason why the Phillies are home empty-handed in October.

    Turner went 4-for-17 with no homers and three RBIs in the NLDS while Schwarber went 3-for-16 (with two homers in Game 3) and Harper was just 3-for-15 with no home runs and no RBIs. Throw out Game 3’s offensive outburst, and Turner-Schwarber-Harper went a combined 3-for-35 in the series. Castellanos, Stott and outfielder Max Kepler all hit under .200 in the series.

    “I love Topper, man. He’s done a great job for us,” Harper said. “That’s a Dombrowski question. But obviously, we love Topper in here. He’s been great for us.”

    Thomson is signed through next season. But there’s always a fall guy and it’s possible the Phillies part ways with hitting coach Kevin Long.

    Schwarber has emerged as the heart of the clubhouse and has about topped Harper as the face of the franchise over his four wildly-successful seasons.

    He’s going to command a lot of years and a lot of money — a lot of money — on the open market. He hit 46, 47, 38 and a career-high 56 homers this season. Schwarber turns 33 before next season and the Phillies can’t be sure his power will hold up deep into a potential long-term contract.

    But can they afford the short-term power and popularity hits if they let him walk?

    Schwarber fought back tears after the Game 4 loss as he pondered not only the end of the season but his crucial offseason decision.

    “You just make a lot of different relationships in the clubhouse,” Schwarber said. “You don’t know how it’s going to work out. You just make so many personal relationships with these guys … They become family. You just never know. These guys all know how I feel about them. This is a premier organization and a lot of people should be very lucky that, one, you’re playing for a team that tries to win every single year and you have a fan base that cares and ownership that cares.”

    Realmuto bristled at reporters in Los Angeles that asked about his future, saying, “I’m not here to talk about free agency, dude. Don’t ask that question right now.”

    Castellanos said he would tend to a left knee injury suffered in July before he made decisions about his future.

    Either way, the Phillies are still talented and deep enough to make the playoffs in 2026.

    No decisions will change the sting of another playoff series loss.

    “Sometimes, baseball just happens,” Turner said. “It’s a bad answer and not what people want to hear. That’s why this game is so hard.”

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  • Dodgers rolling in defense of World Series title after closing out Phillies to reach NLCS

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    LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers are on track to be the first repeat World Series champions in a quarter century, helped along by superb starting pitching, a flame-throwing rookie in the bullpen and strong defense.

    They were swigging and spraying from bottles with — oops — NLCS on the labels while partying in the team’s batting cage after a wild 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in 11 innings on Thursday night.

    “We’re going to find a way to win a ballgame even when things aren’t going our way,” utility player Kiké Hernández said.

    NL West champion Los Angeles took the best-of-five NL Division Series 3-1 and will play either the NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers or runner-up Chicago Cubs in the best-of-seven NL Championship Series that starts Monday. Those teams play a decisive Game 5 on Saturday in Milwaukee.

    The Dodgers dropped four of seven to the Cubs during the regular season. The Brewers swept their six games with the Dodgers, outscoring them 31-16 while holding Los Angeles to two or fewer runs in four of those games.

    No matter who’s up next, the Dodgers are rolling at the right time, winning five of their first six postseason games. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow lead a stellar rotation. Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is a candidate to start on the mound in Game 1 of the NLCS.

    “The whole pitching staff, we don’t win this series if it wasn’t for them,” Hernández said.

    The defense is helping, too.

    The Dodgers made a couple of clutch defensive plays during a 4-3 win in Game 2 against the Phillies.

    Freddie Freeman had a game-saving pick at first base and they successfully executed a defensive wheel play with the Phillies threatening.

    With Nick Castellanos on second, third baseman Max Muncy rushed home plate to field a bunt by Bryson Stott, turned and perfectly threw to shortstop Mookie Betts, who was covering third. Betts got the out while being upended by a sliding Castellanos.

    Rookie Roki Sasaki delivered three perfect innings of relief in the finale. The right-hander has allowed just one baserunner over 5 1/3 scoreless playoff innings after returning late last month from a long-term shoulder injury.

    “It’s a massive weapon for us this whole postseason now,” Freeman said.

    Ohtani and Freeman have not been so great at the plate. They’ll need to jump-start their offense in the next round.

    Ohtani had a franchise-record 55 homers — second-best in the NL — in the regular season. He homered twice in the wild-card round against Cincinnati, but has gone silent since. He was 1 for 18 with nine strikeouts in the NLDS, going 0 for 5 in Game 3.

    Freeman hit .295 during the season — third-best in the NL — and had 39 doubles and 24 homers. He was 1 for 5 on Thursday, extending his postseason on-base streak to 11 games with a single.

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  • Judge remains without World Series ring as Yankees’ title drought reaches 16 years

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    NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge walked slowly from first base to the Yankees’ dugout after Cody Bellinger ended the game with a strikeout, then turned his head to watch the Toronto Blue Jays celebrate on New York’s infield.

    “You don’t like seeing it and it kind of leaves an impression,” Judge said. “Make sure this doesn’t happen next year.”

    New York’s 16th consecutive season without a World Series championship ended Wednesday night with a 5-2 loss to Toronto, which won the AL Division Series 3-1 and advanced to a matchup against Seattle or Detroit for the American League pennant.

    An hour after the game, Giancarlo Stanton walked over to Judge, seated by his locker in the quiet clubhouse, and put a consoling arm around the captain’s shoulder.

    “Didn’t execute when we needed to,” Stanton told reporters a few minutes later. “Timely at-bats, timely pitches, we just didn’t do it as well as they did.”

    Judge hit .500 with seven RBIs in seven postseason games, including .600 (9 for 15) with one homer, six RBIs, four walks and a 1.617 OPS against the Blue Jays. But a year after losing a five-game World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Yankees are still looking for championship No. 28.

    “This has been a tough year for me personally,” manager Aaron Boone said after his eighth season without a title. “It’s terrible. It hurts.”

    Now 33 and perhaps on the verge of his third AL MVP award, Judge has had eight unfulfilling trips to the playoffs in 10 big league seasons.

    Instead of moving alongside Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter in adding to the Yankees’ championship collection, Judge remains in the same category as Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield — star players also known for not winning a World Series in the Bronx.

    “It doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen, and he and I wholeheartedly believe that it will,” Boone said. “You keep working your tail off to get back to this position and punch through.”

    Judge won his first AL batting title this season by hitting .331 with 114 RBIs and 53 home runs — reaching 50 for the fourth time. He is on a Hall of Fame track with a .294 career average and 368 homers, and he has a .235 postseason average with 17 homers and 41 RBIs in 65 games.

    “It’s almost like we take it for granted because he only had 50-something homers and not 60,” said Paul Goldschmidt, a seven-time All-Star who joined the Yankees for this season. “Took it to a whole new level. He’s the best that I’ve ever been around. He’s also just the greatest teammate I’ve been around, the best leader.”

    It is unclear whether Judge’s right elbow, both of Stanton’s elbows and shortstop Anthony Volpe’s left shoulder might need surgery.

    “We’ll do some work on it and get it right,” Judge said.

    Asked whether an operation could be needed, he responded: “I’m not a doctor. I don’t know.”

    A year after an AL East title and a five-game World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Yankees had a winning record for the 33rd straight season. But they finished second to Toronto in the division on a tiebreaker, then rallied to win their best-of-three Wild Card Series against archrival Boston after losing the opener.

    New York was outscored 34-19 by the Blue Jays and outhomered 9-4, a surprise for an offense that led the major leagues with 274 homers and scored a big league-high 50.2% of its runs on longballs, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

    And just like last year, defense precipitated the demise. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. allowed Andrés Giménez’s hard one-hopper to skip off his glove for an error instead of turning it into an inning-ending double play, and Nathan Lukes hit a two-out, two-run single off Devin Williams for a 4-1 lead in the seventh.

    “Just missed it,” Chisholm said an hour after the final out. “Been thinking about that since the play happened, still thinking about it now. Still can’t get it out of my head.”

    Judge’s supporting cast needs a remake. New York’s 4.37 bullpen ERA ranked 23rd out of 30 teams. The team’s 7-8-9 batters combined to hit just .224 with a .687 OPS. Volpe batted .212 during the season and .192 in the playoffs with 16 strikeouts in 26 at-bats.

    “I’m sure there will be a lot of sleepless nights,” Volpe said.

    Goldschmidt and outfielder Trent Grisham can become free agents along with Williams, Luke Weaver, Tim Hill and Ryan Yarbrough plus pitcher Paul Blackburn, infielder Amed Rosario and outfielder Austin Slater.

    Bellinger is likely to turn down his $25 million player option in favor of a $5 million buyout, and the Yankees probably will decline a $5 million option on oft-injured right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga. They could exercise a $3 million option on Hill.

    “It just sucks for the guys that this might be their last time wearing pinstripes, not getting a chance to have a long run with them and getting the championship,” Judge said.

    He urgently wants to keep chasing that ring.

    “I want to get back out there right now,” Judge said. “I wish spring training was in a couple of weeks so we can kind of get this going.”

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  • Tigers-Mariners ALDS Game 3 delayed by rain

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    Fans sit in the stands as drizzle falls while waiting for the start of Game 3 of baseball’s American League Division Series between the Detroit Tigers and the Seattle Mariners Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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  • Yankees head home facing elimination after back-to-back beatdowns in Toronto

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    TORONTO — TORONTO (AP) — After back-to-back beatdowns in Toronto, the New York Yankees don’t have any margin for error as they head home for Game 3 of the ALDS on Tuesday night.

    Yankees manager Aaron Boone put on a brave face after a 13-7 loss Sunday in Game 2 left his team facing elimination.

    “Obviously, it feels like the world’s caving in around you, you lose two games like that in their building where it doesn’t go right,” Boone said. “But all of a sudden you go out there and win a ballgame on Tuesday, the needle can change. There’s been a lot of weird things that have happened in baseball this year. This would not be the weirdest, us rallying.”

    New York was held hitless through 5 2/3 innings on Sunday, unable to get anything going against Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage.

    The Blue Jays thumped the Yankees 10-1 on Saturday in Game 1. Toronto’s 23 runs in the ALDS so far are the most by any team in the opening two games of a postseason series. The Yankees scored 22 runs in the first two games of the 2020 Wild Card round against Cleveland.

    New York has lost eight of nine in Toronto this season but is 4-2 at home against the Blue Jays.

    “We haven’t lost any confidence,” Boone said. “Obviously, they’ve had our number and gotten the better of us so far this year, but I don’t think anyone in our room doesn’t feel like we can’t go out and beat them. We’ve got to play better. We’ve got to pitch and swing it better. But we’re certainly capable of it, and we’ll expect to do that on Tuesday night.”

    New York was pushed to the limit by Boston in the Wild Card round and has seen its bullpen tested in the first two games of the ALDS, with seven relievers combining for 10 1/3 innings of work.

    “We know where they’re at in terms of their bullpen and everything,” Toronto’s Ernie Clement said about the Yankees. “They just came off a really tough series. It’s really important for us to work them, just make it as tough as possible on them.”

    Yankees left-hander Max Fried, who was chased after three-plus innings Sunday, credited the Blue Jays for making it tough on New York’s pitchers.

    “They’ve put up good at-bats against us all year,” Fried said. “That’s a good ballclub. They don’t strike out and they put the ball in play and they play good defense. They’re playing their game and they’ve had a good series so far.”

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  • Scherzer, Bichette and Bassitt are left off Blue Jays’ Division Series roster against Yankees

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    Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was left off the Toronto Blue Jays’ roster for their AL Division Series against the New York Yankees along with injured shortstop Bo Bichette and right-hander Chris Bassitt.

    Scherzer was 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his last six starts, including a Sept. 7 loss to the Yankees as New York took advantage of the 41-year-old right-hander tipping pitches with his changeup.

    An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer was 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts after agreeing to a $15.5 million, one-year contract. He didn’t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

    He has a 221-117 record with a 3.22 ERA, winning World Series titles with Washington in 2019 and Texas in 2023. Scherzer is 7-8 with a 3.78 ERA in 30 postseason games.

    Bichette, second in the major leagues to the Yankees’ Aaron Judge with a .311 batting average, hasn’t played since Sept. 6, when he sprained his left knee in a collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells. Bassitt, who was 11-9 and led the Blue Jays in wins, hasn’t pitched since Sept. 18 because of lower back inflammation.

    Toronto included 13 pitchers, but only Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage, a 22-year-old right-hander who debuted Sept. 15, finished the season in the rotation. Toronto chose four left-handers against lefty-heavy New York: Justin Bruihl, Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer and Brendon Little.

    New York added right-hander Luis Gil, who was set to start Saturday’s opener and dropped right-handed relief Mark Leiter Jr., who was active for the Wild Card Series against Boston but didn’t pitch.

    The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers added three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw and left-hander Anthony Banda to the roster for their NL Division Series against Philadelphia while dropping right-hander Edgardo Henriquez.

    Kershaw, a 37-year-old, is slated to pitch in relief. The 11-time All-Star says he will retire after the postseason.

    Infielder Otto Kemp and outfielder Weston Wilson were on the Phillies’ roster and right-handers Jordan Romano and Lou Trivino were left off.

    Right-hander Ben Brown was added to the Chicago Cubs’ roster against the Milwaukee Brewers and left-hander reliever Taylor Rogers was dropped. Rogers pitched a hitless inning in the Wild Card Series against San Diego.

    Milwaukee included hard-throwing rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski and left-hander Robert Gasser while leaving off first baseman Rhys Hoskins.

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  • Shohei Ohtani to make postseason pitching debut for Dodgers in Game 1 of NLDS

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    LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani will make his postseason pitching debut when he starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

    The Dodgers open the best-of-five series on Saturday in Philadelphia.

    “Very talented ballclub. It’s going to be a fun environment,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think we match up really well with those guys. They’re going to run a bunch of left-handers at us. Talented, all throughout the lineup.”

    Roberts confirmed Ohtani as the starter after the Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-4 to complete a sweep in the NL Wild Card Series on Wednesday night. The Dodgers had planned to start Ohtani if the Wild Card had gone to a deciding third game.

    Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA) didn’t pitch for the Dodgers last season while recovering from a second elbow surgery that he had in December 2023. He became the first player in major league history with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases as the Dodgers won the World Series over the New York Yankees.

    The two-way superstar never made the playoffs during six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.

    At the plate, Ohtani revived himself in September, hitting .312 with 10 home runs and a 1.165 OPS. He finished the regular season with a career-high 55 homers, one more than last season.

    Against the Reds in Game 1, he hit two homers. He was 1 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI in the closeout win Wednesday.

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  • Giants fire veteran manager Bob Melvin after two years as Buster Posey seeks ‘different voice’

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    SAN FRANCISCO — Buster Posey will search for a fresh managerial voice to guide the San Francisco Giants, someone with an “obsessive” work ethic and attention to detail.

    Manager Bob Melvin was fired Monday after the club missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

    Posey, San Francisco’s President of Baseball Operations, announced the decision. He had shown his confidence in Melvin by exercising the veteran manager’s contract option for the 2026 season on July 1.

    “Just looking to find a different voice that can take us in a different direction,” Posey said.

    Melvin said after Sunday’s 4-0 victory against Colorado to conclude his second season that he had received no assurances about managing in 2026.

    “It is what it is,” he said, “we’ll see what the next day brings.”

    The Giants finished 81-81 for one more victory than in Melvin’s first year. They haven’t reached the postseason since winning the NL West with a franchise-record 107 victories to edge the rival Dodgers by one game in 2021 under then-skipper Gabe Kapler.

    Now, another change.

    “It’s definitely not ideal but unfortunately we talked about it a lot what the standards are for the Giants and we have high standards,” Posey said. “And I hold myself to those same standards. I understand fully the position that I’m in now. My job and the team’s success is evaluated accordingly as well. You without a doubt hope that there can be consistency in these leadership positions. We’ve got to get back to a place where we’re getting in the playoffs, we’re making runs in playoffs. That’s what our fan base deserves, that’s what the city deserves.”

    As Posey begins finalizing his list of candidates, one familiar name has come up as a possibility: the catcher’s former manager, Bruce Bochy. He has wrapped up his three-year contract with Texas but Posey noted, “I don’t know what his status is yet so I can’t speak on that.”

    The 70-year-old Bochy managed the Giants for 13 seasons from 2007-2019, a run that featured every-other-year World Series titles in 2010, ‘12 and ’14.

    Posey said there’s no timetable for making a hire — “I want to make sure we get it right” — nor suggested whether he would seek someone with prior managerial experience.

    Players offered support for Melvin as the season ended.

    “You know how I feel about BoMel, I loved him. He’s been my manager for I guess seven years,” said third baseman Matt Chapman, who also played for Melvin with Oakland. “I feel extremely grateful that I get to play for him and he’s the same guy every day. He’s been steady for us, he’s always honest with the players, he has our back. He’s done the best with what we’ve given him. The players, a lot of us didn’t play to probably our capabilities.”

    The 63-year-old Melvin left the San Diego Padres to return home to the Bay Area and manage the Giants last year for the job he always dreamed of doing as a former catcher with the organization. This is his 22nd year as a major league manager.

    Melvin has a 1,678-1,588 career regular-season managerial record. A three-time Manager of the Year who has won the award in both leagues, he has eight postseason appearances while guiding Arizona, Seattle, Oakland, San Diego and the Giants.

    San Francisco finished 80-82 in Melvin’s first season last year after he replaced Kapler, who was fired with three days remaining in the 2023 season.

    Melvin is a native of nearby Palo Alto, California. He attended the University of California-Berkeley and played for his hometown Giants from 1986-88.

    This has been his dream job, one he thought about in each visit to Oracle Park as a visiting manager.

    “It wasn’t enjoyable. I knew how much this job meant to Bob,” Posey said of their conversation.

    The players certainly realized their skipper’s passion for being in a place that means so much to him.

    While several Giants — including All-Star Logan Webb — said they don’t expect Posey to be satisfied with this disappointing year, that didn’t necessarily mean they expected a managerial change.

    “He’s done a great job,” Webb said after Sunday’s start. “I know I said some things last time that I think got misconstrued. It had nothing to do with BoMel. He’s amazing at what he does. I think at the end of the day, it comes down to us being able to play better as players, and I think everyone in here will say the exact same thing. BoMel’s a great leader of men. It’s been amazing. I think BoMel is great.”

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  • Marté’s home run-robbing catch was one of the best Francona says he’s ever seen

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    Noelvi Marté might have saved the Cincinnati Reds’ playoff hopes when he robbed Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds of a home run with a spectacular catch over the wall in the ninth inning of a 2-1 win

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  • The Padres earn a playoff spot for the 4th time in 6 seasons

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    SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres are headed back to the playoffs for the fourth time in six seasons.

    The Padres clinched a playoff berth with a 5-4, 11-inning win against the three-time NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.

    Freddy Fermin, acquired from Kansas City at the trade deadline on July 31, singled in automatic runner Bryce Johnson with one out in the 11th to set off a wild celebration in front of a sellout crowd of 42,371 at Petco Park.

    The Padres pulled within 2 1/2 games of the idle Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West race and 2 1/2 games behind the idle Chicago Cubs in the race for the National League’s first of three wild card spots.

    Manny Machado, shirtless, wearing sunglasses and drenched with beer and Champagne, says he feels good about the team’s chances in the playoffs.

    “Everything is different. But we’ve got heart,” Machado said. “Everybody wants it. It’s always a challenge. Baseball’s a challenge. It’s hard.”

    Fermin was being interviewed when Machado stopped by and poured a shot of tequila into his mouth.

    “I believe with this staff we have, we are going to the World Series,” said Fermin, the catcher. “It is very special, this moment. I don’t have words for this moment. Very special. First step, we’ve got to keep rolling this.”

    The Padres’ road appears to be tougher than last year, when they swept the Atlanta Braves in a home wild-card series to earn a shot at the rival Dodgers. San Diego led 2-1 before their bats went so cold that they didn’t score in the last 24 innings as they lost the series in five games. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series.

    “What this group has done this year, and even last year, to put this into place, and for us to go to the postseason two years in a row for the first time since 2005-06, is truly special,” second baseman Jake Cronenworth said.

    If the current standings hold, the Padres would visit the Cubs for a best-of-3 wild-card series. The winner would move into the division series against the Brewers, who clinched their third straight division title on Sunday and are in the postseason for the seventh time in eight seasons.

    It’s been an interesting season for the Padres, who led the division for much of April before slipping back as they played .500 ball in May and sub-.500 ball in June. The Dodgers never could open a big lead, but the Padres never could regain the lead, except for brief stretches in August.

    General manager A.J. Preller pulled off a major overhaul at the trade deadline on July 31, acquiring reliever Mason Miller from the Athletics, catcher Freddy Fermin from Kansas City and outfielders Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano from the Orioles.

    The Padres became the first big league team to send three relievers to the All-Star Game when Jason Adam, closer Robert Suarez and left-hander Adrián Morejón were selected for the Midsummer Classic. Adam went down with a season-ending quadriceps injury on Sept. 1.

    The Padres were prone to offensive slumps, particularly on the road.

    But there were some defensive highlights, including several home run robberies by right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

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