Austin Riley hit a three-run homer off All-Star closer Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning and the Atlanta Braves rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 on Tuesday in the opener of a best-of-three National League Wild Card Series.Duran (0-1), who allowed just two homers in 61 regular-season games, gave up a single to Michael Harris II before hitting Ozzie Albies with a pitch. Riley drove the go-ahead blast over the wall in right-center field. Harris had three hits.The Braves can clinch the series on Wednesday and end the Phillies’ history of postseason success in the NL East rivalry. Philadelphia beat…

Aaron Judge hopes to talk his way onto the New York Yankees roster for the AL Wild Card Series and into the starting lineup against the Boston Red Sox.Sidelined since Sept. 16 by a strained right calf, the Yankees captain took live batting practice on the field Monday, a day ahead of the series opener. He walked twice, hit a comebacker to the mound and took a called third strike against teammates Ryan Weathers and Elmer Rodriguez.”I’ve been doing a lot of convincing, I feel like, so I’m going to keep doing that,” Judge said. “The most important thing is…

Have we seen the last of Mad Max on the mound?Max Scherzer struck out seven over seven-plus innings for his 225th career win and help the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-1 in Sunday’s season finale.A two-time World Series champion and three-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer (4-9) boosted his career strikeout total to 3,557. That’s the ninth-highest mark in big league history — three behind former teammate Justin Verlander, who made the final start of his decorated career Saturday.Scherzer, who turned 42 in July, has said he would wait until the offseason to make a decision on…

As far as storybook endings go, Justin Verlander just made one a reality. Not only has he put together a Hall of Fame career, but he’s easily one of the most dominant and impactful forces on the mound in baseball history. On Saturday afternoon, he walked off the field for the final time, and in the most memorable way possible.Verlander’s historic career came to an end after 91 pitches in the top of the sixth, when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch came out to make the final pitch count official. In an emotional surprise, his daughter ran out to meet him on…

It’s happening again!The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will face off in the 2026 MLB Wild Card Series for a second consecutive year, as Boston’s Friday afternoon victory over the Chicago Cubs secured its spot as the No. 2 American League wild-card seed; New York secured the No. 1 AL wild-card seed earlier in the week.Game 1 of the three-game set will come on Sept. 29, as the series takes place at Yankee Stadium, like last year when New York defeated Boston in three games.Here’s how the two AL East rivals fared against each other this season and…

For the fourth time in MLB history, there will be playoff baseball in both Chicago’s North Side and South Side. The Chicago White Sox became the first team to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons by reaching the playoffs on the same day the Chicago Cubs clinched their second straight postseason berth. The previous seasons in which both teams reached the playoffs were in 1906, 2008 and the expanded field in 2020. The 1906 season was the only in which there was a Windy City World Series, with the White Sox beating the Cubs.The White Sox could still win the AL Central as…

With just a few days left in the regular season, the AL West might make a particularly mediocre kind of history.After Tuesday night’s games, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros were tied for first place at 78-79. No full-season division champion has ever had a losing record.In fact, no team has made the postseason with a sub-.500 record, unless you count a trio of participants from years the playoffs were temporarily expanded: In the 2020 season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Milwaukee and Houston were both 29-31 and made the postseason. After Tuesday night’s games, the Texas Rangers and Houston…

The grass isn’t always greener elsewhere (yes, we’re making that joke).The New York Mets announced on Tuesday afternoon that they’ve named interim manager Andy Green their full-time skipper. Green inked a three-year extension with the Mets that runs through the 2029 MLB season.”Andy has connected with and pushed our players to perform, despite the disappointment of the season,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement, according to MLB.com. “Over the last several months, he has brought discipline, accountability and positivity to the clubhouse, attributes we were seeking in our next manager.”Green was named New York’s interim manager…

This is it. With one week remaining in the regular season, the National League playoff field looks nearly complete. The Brewers, Dodgers and Braves have already clinched their respective divisions, while the Cubs, Padres and Phillies are jockeying for wild-card seeding while hoping to hold off the Diamondbacks, who haven’t been eliminated yet but are four games back of the final wild-card spot. In the American League, meanwhile, much is yet to be determined. The Rays, Yankees and Red Sox are the only teams who have already clinched a spot in the playoffs. Tampa Bay can clinch the AL East as…

Shohei Ohtani could make his return for the Los Angeles Dodgers sooner rather than later.Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided an encouraging update on Ohtani, revealing that he could return as early as Wednesday and is expected to play every game down the stretch once activated.Roberts also believes it’s important for Ohtani to get as many at-bats as possible once he returns to the field.Through 130 games, Ohtani is batting .277 with 30 home runs, 80 RBIs, and a .902 OPS. While his offensive numbers rank among the league’s elite, Ohtani won’t return to the mound…