2026 Wild Card round

Starts TODAY!

Very thoughtfully, the games are at a decent time so that Pope Leo and I can both follow. Yes, the White Sox game starts at 11pm this time, but he’s a 162 guy, that won’t matter at all.

Today (29/9):

Phillies - Braves
2pm EST/11am PST/7pm BST
Luzardo-Sale

White Sox - Astros
5pm EST/2pm PST/10pm BST/11pm CEST
Smith-Blublaugh (it’s a bullpen game for the Astros, PLEASE NOTE they do not have a single qualified starter this year)

Red Sox - Yankees
8pm EST/5pm PST/1am BST
Tolle-Schlittler

Cubs - Padres
10pm EST/7pm PST/3am BST
Boyd-King

Tomorrow (30/9)

Phillies - Braves
2pm EST/11am PST/7pm BST
TBD-TBD

White Sox - Astros
5pm EST/2pm PST/10pm BST/11pm CEST
TBD-TBD

Red Sox - Yankees
8pm EST/5pm PST/1am BST
Gray-Fried

Cubs - Padres
10pm EST/7pm PST/3am BST
TBD-TBD

Wednesday, if needed (ACTUAL OCTOBER BASEBALL 1/10)

Phillies - Braves
2pm EST/11am PST/7pm BST
TBD-TBD

White Sox - Astros
5pm EST/2pm PST/10pm BST/11pm CEST
TBD-TBD

Red Sox - Yankees
8pm EST/5pm PST/1am BST
Suarez-Cole

Cubs - Padres
10pm EST/7pm PST/3am BST
TBD-TBD

Phillies (Luzardo) / Braves (Sale) definitely a marquee match-up.

I'm sure Tyler Mahle will start for the Braves tomorrow, even though they haven't announced it yet. Sure hope the bats show up.

From Posnanski: "My favorite Chris Sale stat is this: He currently has the highest strikeout-to-walk ratio in baseball history at 5.36-to-1. This year was typical: He struck out 200 and walked 31. Actually, my favorite Chris Sale stat might be this: Over his career, he has a sub-3.00 ERA (2.95) AND a sub-3.00 FIP (2.84). The only two starters (min. 2,000 innings) in the last fifty years to finish their careers with sub-3.00 ERAs and FIPs were Clayton Kershaw and Pedro Martinez. And Sale’s FIP is lower than both of theirs."

He's pretty good. Too bad he was up against Miz in the game I went to.

Koufax also sub-3.00 in both--but not last 50 years, and he had a big home-park/era advantage. That Pedro did that during the PED era is, again, astounding.

If the Miz didn’t have an unreal season Sale would be winning his second Cy Young

luzardo hasn't pitched since early september he might be rusty

Huge improvement on the pregame show on Peacock — there's no sound.

Lmao exactly same this side of the Atlantic.

Some interesting targeted ads: they’re pushing some skincare serum for men really hard.

Me (very excited) hey that’s fucking legit! Panthenol is a ball knower ingredient!!

Backing up to the peacock home screen fixed the sound issue. Weird.

playoff baseball is here, season went by fast imo

Who is Derek Hill

"Did the Phillies just win the series?" Votto takes 1/2 inning to reveal himself as a total idiot.

I know! WTF was that shit

all knob

What a terrible AB

Whether Riley or Kim, that comment is almost always correct.

What happened to Riley? Age?

I was meaning Kim, Luzardo couldn’t find the zone with a rocket launcher and he still managed to strike out after taking a lead in the count

Combination of abdominal surgery, death of his swing coach, 100% pressing and head on upside-down, I guess. Summary at https://www.bravestoday.com/p/what-really-happened-to-austin-riley. I think any correct swing decisions he's made this year have been stopped-clock-occasionally-right.

Thank you. Not surprised at a core injury, they have such long tails for the severe ones.

Oh Ronnie 😞

ahhhhahahahaha, this fucking bad swing decisions guy

What a fucking nuke!!!!

wow

Lmao when Trey Turner threw it into the dugout, they were like, “I was talking to Don Mattingly and he was saying how Trey has trouble getting the ball out of his glove sometimes” he’s a shortstop! It’s his whole job!

Commentary also called that Riley clutch hit. What a TANK. Also, Jhoan Duran in a non-save situation always delivers (pure shit)

talking shit about someone to reverse-jinx them is totally a thing and I'm glad to do my part

I honestly could not be happier for Riley after reading about his injury troubles

Also, Votto saying “these old guys on the Phillies know they’ve got to win while they’re still in their semi-primes” 💀

Players of the game: Austin Riley, Chris Sale
Runner-up: Trey Turner

Trea, ffs

wow astros are garbage

Horrible team at home vs horrible team on the road - resistible object meets less resistible force I guess

Capacity at Atlanta Braves' home park is 41,500. They only Only had 30,127 show up for the first playoff game.

It was at 2pm local time

It would have sold out in LA, San Diego or even Philadelphia. Braves have always had attendance problems. I thought the new park was supposed to fix that, I guess not.

Forgot the Cubs but they are the most use to day games and would have sold out too.

What are you basing this on? Truist is quite famously in some random suburb with shaky public transport. Every other stadium you mention is much more easily accessible in more ways.

>I thought the new park was supposed to fix that, I guess not.

the park is famously further away from the... urban (literally and racistly) center. so anyone who might play hooky and go at a 2pm game isn't gonna

people tend to be at work or in school on Tuesday afternoons

I dunno, I feel like any other teams is going to do better than 3/4 capacity at the same time slot*

*not counting teams based in Florida

Haven't been able to watch anything today, but checking the boxscore and looks like Schlittler's killing it.

Trauma spiking double play by the yanks there

Only game I really care about today is the Padres v Cubs. I also lost internet today so it has been an adventure. I will have to pay for Peacock but think it's worth it.

not actually watching; how hard are the announcers leaning on schlitter being a massachusetts kid

wow pads

PCA hungry but just not there. Love/Hate to see a hot Mannyando

Tatis and Machado both homer in the first!

wiki kids are at it again

https://postimg.cc/p90Y2b96

https://i.postimg.cc/bJP69qqp/schittki.jpg

Wyatt Olds really does look like a guy called Wyatt Olds

That play by Sogard was something else

Game over

Yankee game that

ben rice

cam schlittler mvp

Other game, over.

The Padres are a scary team.

Cubs are being no hit and the Padres have 7 into the sixth

7 runs on 8 hits that is

The pads are hot enough as it is without the cubs gifting them a post season no hit performance. Not to jinx it but thank goodness they're the brewers problem

Okay sorry that comment minimises what Michael "The King" King is doing tonight

sleep is where i'm a MikeKing!

Should the cubs have let Assad eat the innings? He can do length. 7 down 6th inning....

sleep is where i'm a MikeKing!

oh no!

Who are cheering this postseason Thinwall? Who are all our non-participators cheering for in 2026?

Padres for me but that is probably obvious.

brewers

Dodgers should have to play both the Brewers and Padres/Cubs to advance. Braves scare me with all those former Giants around. Tyler Mahle really?

padres second maybe?

cmon call it an error

No love for the White Sox hey?

I guess they've got the pope, they're not in need of anymore support

Brewers!

tho their shit don't seem to work in the playoffs

This year does feel different

Thought experiment: You're a brewers fan. The devil knocks on your door and says he'll make sure your boys win the world series, but it'll just cost one thing.... Miz blows his arm out to win game 7 and he's never the same again. You call up Miz and he says it's your call, he'll respect it either way. WDYD?

A) Let it blow
B) There's always next year

Tatis is so fun

flags fly forever

Generational talent mook!

also he's probably gonna blow out his arm anyway?

also brewers have never won a championship

rip miz

*dreaming* of getting this bargain re: skenes

Devil doesn’t bargain with Pittsburgh

do we have stats on position players pitching in playoff games y/n

xp all too true

not actually watching; how hard are the announcers leaning on schlitter being a massachusetts kid

Ben Rice also quite famously a Massachusetts kid (he grew up a Yankees fan)

gross

I'm personally for it

I know Chandler Rome loved writing this as much as I loved reading this

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7644992/2026/09/30/astros-loss-game-1-fans-frustration/?unlocked_article_code=1.FFE.zm-Y.rMKuVPHEEUVu

Thought experiment: You're a brewers fan. The devil knocks on your door and says he'll make sure your boys win the world series, but it'll just cost one thing.... Miz blows his arm out to win game 7 and he's never the same again. You call up Miz and he says it's your call, he'll respect it either way. WDYD?

A) Let it blow
B) There's always next year

― H.P, Tuesday, September 29, 2026 11:11 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

option A without any hesitation

this is without a doubt the greatest era in Brewers history, it'll be their 7th playoff appearance in 8 years (and I think the one they missed was the Covid year) and even though I think the coaches and front office are doing a fantastic job this is a small market team, we know it's not gonna last forever, and like with the Bucks I really want to be able to say hey, at least we got one. as for the Miz I would feel bad turning him over to Satan like that but I suspect he's gonna blow his arm out anyway, the human body is not designed to do what he's doing

if you let it blow miz is never gonna get paid anything :(

https://i.postimg.cc/rwSqSL6x/IMG-1245.jpg

ATL-CHW is my dream series. Please no Dodgers, Yanks or Phils, otherwise I'll enjoy the ride.

rooting for cubs, brewers, white sox. i like the padres too but have come to dislike machado intensely

Counterpoint: have you seen his swing?

You just have to seperate the art from the artist

PITCHING! TODAY:

Phillies: Sanchez, Braves: Mahle

White Sox: Burke, Astros: downtown Hunter Brown

Red Sox, Yankees: as in the OP

Cubs: Gausman, Padres: Pivetta

Rooting for Gausman to have a good start.

i noticed Burke did not rule out men.

It’s true, they are a team full of robust young men who enjoy grabbing each other

i know he pitched less than 1/3 of the season, but wow Mahle had himself season!

battle of the ground ball pitchers rn

Double play, should have sent him.

That bunt was Kim’s 2nd best PA of the season

Bryce Harper miss plsy cost them big time

116 pitches on Sanchez for that misplay to maybe be the season. Damn

think mattingly told bohm to throw to second on that right?

also, with arraez out they are still playing bryce in RF so they can get bohm's bat into the lineup? why?

wow schwarbomb

bryce harper redemption arc

He had to make up for it and he did.

romanthony out

Lmao they absolutely proved me wrong in some style

So glad there is no ghost runner in the playoffs!

Phillies come all the way back

“Alec Bohm’s opposite field shot puts the Phillies ahead as they try to push the setting sun back into the sky”
What the fuck was that metaphor

the mets broadcast started calling realmuto JBS realmuto and now you know why

tuning in to the sox stros... oh my god just put the astros out of their misery already

Another great game here, wonder who’s pitching tomorrow

AL west fails to even reach october

Go to hell Astros

As much as I'm sure everyone wants to see Yordan, be thankful it's an interesting, ascendent team instead of the woeful last gasp of a dynasty going forward.

You would think in the playoffs you would do all the fundamental correct. Why don't you cover first just in case?

Didn't cost them tho

This loss gave the Astros their ninth consecutive home postseason loss, dating back to Game 2 of the 2023 ALDS.

oh no the fans are booing

I grew up a Cubs fan, my dad grew up several blocks away from Wrigley Field, and when he was in middle school, he had a job cleaning up the stands before and after the games. He once told me a memorable moment when he saw Mickey Mantle warming up before the game and he yelled out “hey Mick!” And Mickey turned around and waved at him. So anyway, my allegiance typically lies with the north siders, but I never bought the rivalry. Maybe because my mom grew up on the south side. And they just had so many fun teams down there, especially throughout the 90s, that Walt Hriniak-tutored lineup was full of some really exciting dudes with that specific wonky swing. It would be an absolute blast to see those two teams face off in the series, I’m not putting any money on it, but the Cubs still have a shot and the Sox have the mojo.

Wow

at the risk of being an awful and horribly pedantic person . . . i'm not sure mantle ever played at wrigley? maybe a preseason or barnstorming tour tho

He was a reserve in the (second) '62 ASG--maybe there?

https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1962-allstar-game-2.shtml

cool

It may have been some type of event like that, or possibly even an All-Star game. I don’t know the year, I would have to ask my uncle to see if he knows the story.

(I also allow for the possibility that he was misremembering things at a certain point…)

that was a really tough situation to put crochet into

Bye Red Sox

I never did understand why the Dodgers gave up on, looks stoned all the time, Cody Bellinger.

the sox were a shitty team that had one good month

Cmon surely that’s an undersell

sox just need to bring in johnny damon

San Diego already has teo

Braves clinched their division in Houston, and CHW won their series there tonight, so that's twice the visitors' clubhouse got drenched in alcohol. Sux to be a Houston clubhouse attendant.

feel like we need to rein in the champagne showers in general?

you made the playoffs: totally
you won the division: okay i guess (unless it was simultaneous with ^^^)
you won a wild card series: gtfo, who cares
you won a division series: that's nice but still not worthy of spray; get back to work
you won a pennant: i'll allow it; good for you guys

cya cubbies

gl brewcrew, pads look HOT

103

Cubs have a pulse

Two down

Padres are on an amazing run.

They’re red hot at the moment. Home advantage is no joke, both the Padres and the Yankees have showed that. (Astros don’t count per my earlier post as I mentioned they are a horrific home team).

The Pope and I are both happy: the first Guardians-White Sox ALDS game is 6pm my time 7pm Vatican time on Saturday. And yes, someone has been asking him about the team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CifdbtYszuo

Someone in the Vatican pool needs to ask him the REAL questions: which Montgomery does he like better, does he like the Mune/Vargas bromance, what does he think of the fact that there are so many Italian Americans on the team, does he love Sam Antonacci as much as the rest of the fanbase, etc

Yordan + PCA: 15 AB, 1 single, 0 BB, 0 runs, 0 RBI.

Ray Kerr starting for the Braves tonight, Nola for PHI.

I was going to post about Nola--why not Wheeler?--but I see he'd be on short rest (pitched on the 27th). Too bad one of these teams has to make such an early exit.

if the phils were to adopt the new marlins strategy i think wheeler would be available out of the pen no?

Wheeler's pitch counts the last five times out: 97, 101, 91, 110, 95. Sometimes on five days' rest, sometimes on four; today would be on three.

right but today would have been a bullpen day anyway for wheeler?

I don't know how they operate; if I'm Mattingly, I go to Wheeler for the first critical out.

Nola pitched well against the Braves twice in September. Not a terrible option even though he's no Wheeler

Here we go

indeed

mods how do i delete a post

lol, hi stranger.

Kerry pitched well

Kerr

RayKerr

Oh no

I’m cautiously optimistic

ozzie albies needs to get paid after this year

consider me pleasantly surprised, so far! i was expecting some vintage postseason barves by now.

was absolutely certain that was going to be the inning everything for the braves fell apart to moment schwarber reached base

strong support for Yastrzemski's "When the Levee Breaks" walkup music

ozzie albies needs to get paid after this year

― 龜, Thursday, October 1, 2026 8:35 PM

Club option next year for pocket change, and his dropoff is real enough that he may never get real paid.

Getting late

if it keeps on rainin
ozzie albies won't get paid

literally just said to myself "c'mon olson, give these fans a taste"

Congrats William and other Braves fans, now go beat the Dodgers!

Apparently Sale was waiting in Weiss's office when he got there today and said "put me in, Skip." I wish he hadn't pulled seniority rank...I think they would have closed the game out anyway, and they'll need him fresh in (presumably) game 3. But getting the game in hand was critical, so ok.

can't believe Weiss had any intention of putting him in the game unless it was necessary. tbf i thought the harper at-bat would be it, but my "fuck yeah, playoff time" brain got even more hyped when he went out for the ninth.