Samwise MLB Newsletter
Sunday, September 27, 2026
Justin Verlander Ends 21-Year Career in Emotional Final Start as Tigers Rally for Walk-Off Win
Justin Verlander delivered an emotional farewell to his 21-year career Saturday, striking out six and pitching 5⅓ innings before exiting to a standing ovation at Comerica Park as the Detroit Tigers rallied for a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Verlander, 43, left the mound to meet his daughter Genevieve in a moment that brought the sold-out crowd to its feet. The three-time Cy Young Award winner departs with 266 victories, 3,560 career strikeouts — eighth all-time — and two World Series rings. A Tigers rookie hit the game-ending walk-off home run, the first by a Detroit rookie while trailing since Lou Whitaker on July 28, 1978.
Sources: CBS Sports
Padres Clinch No. 4 NL Seed With 10-7 Win, Will Host Wild Card Series Against Cubs
Manny Machado hit his 30th home run of the season, a three-run opposite-field shot off José Cabrera in the fourth inning that gave the Padres a 6-4 lead they never relinquished, as San Diego routed Arizona 10-7 Saturday and clinched the No. 4 seed in the National League playoffs. Xander Bogaerts also went deep. The victory secured San Diego’s club-record third straight 90-win season and improved the Padres to 90-71 on the year. The Padres will open the best-of-three Wild Card Series Tuesday at Petco Park against the fifth-seeded Chicago Cubs.
Sources: ABC News / AP
Kiké Hernández’s Ninth-Inning Homer Lifts Dodgers Past Giants 4-3
Kiké Hernández led off the ninth inning with a go-ahead solo home run Saturday, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers past the San Francisco Giants 4-3 to claim their 99th victory. Hernández crushed a cutter from Trent Harris 429 feet for his fourth homer of the year, breaking a 3-3 tie. Mookie Betts had homered in the third, and RBI singles from Miguel Rojas and Tommy Edman built a 3-0 lead before San Francisco rallied. Tanner Scott closed it out for his 25th save. The Dodgers enter the postseason at 99-62 with the NL West title.
Sources: ABC News / AP
Alvarez Homers for 42nd Time as Astros Rout Athletics 13-2, Tie Rangers in AL West
Yordan Alvarez cracked his 42nd home run of the season — a three-run blast in the fifth inning that tied him with Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero for second in the AL — as the Houston Astros battered the Athletics 13-2 Saturday, pulling even with the Texas Rangers in the AL West standings entering Sunday’s decisive final day. Alvarez’s homer extended his season batting average to a major-league-best .316. The Astros, who hit five home runs, improved to 80-81 and will need to win Sunday or receive help from the Rangers losing at Minnesota to claim the AL West crown.
Sources: ABC News / AP
Josh Naylor Becomes First First Baseman With Consecutive 30-Steal Seasons Since George Sisler
Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor swiped his 30th base of the season Saturday, becoming the first first baseman to record back-to-back 30-steal seasons since George Sisler did so each year from 1920 through 1922. Naylor, in the midst of a historic power-speed campaign at the corner infield spot, is now the fourth first baseman in major-league history to post a 20-home run, 30-stolen base season — joining Joe Carter, Jeff Bagwell and Paul Goldschmidt. Seattle closed the regular season at 75-86 and will miss the postseason for the second straight year.
Sources: CBS Sports
Michael Harris II Goes 4-for-5 as Braves Rout Marlins 8-3, Seal Miami’s Third Straight Losing Season
Michael Harris II went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two singles Saturday as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Miami Marlins 8-3, sealing Miami’s third consecutive losing season and 15th in the past 17 years. Harris, who has 20 doubles since the All-Star break to bring his season total to 36, served as the offensive catalyst for the NL East champions. Drake Baldwin homered and added two singles while Dominic Smith also went deep. Brent Suter opened on the mound for Atlanta. The Braves (94-67) will host a best-of-three Wild Card Series starting Tuesday.
Padres Place Casey Mize on Injured List With Ankle Sprain Ahead of Wild Card Series
The San Diego Padres placed right-hander Casey Mize on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right ankle sprain, effectively ending his season just days before the Wild Card Series opener. Mize originally sprained his ankle on August 22 after slipping on the dugout steps, and he averaged nearly eight earned runs per nine innings with eight home runs allowed in six starts since returning. The Padres will send Michael King to the mound in Game 1 of the Cubs series Tuesday, with Nick Pivetta starting Game 2 and Walker Buehler in Game 3.
Sources: MLB Trade Rumors
Dodgers Reliever Blake Treinen Ruled Out for Postseason With Shoulder Injury
Blake Treinen’s 2026 season ended Saturday after the Los Angeles Dodgers reliever injured his right shoulder while warming up in the bullpen during the team’s 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. Manager Dave Roberts said the 38-year-old Treinen will undergo imaging and will be placed on the injured list, ruling him out of Los Angeles’ postseason run. ‘I don’t know if it was a complete blowout, but really unfortunate,’ Roberts said. Treinen had been expected to handle low-leverage spots in the playoffs, but the Dodgers’ exceptionally deep pitching staff should absorb the loss entering the postseason at 99-62.
Sources: MLB Trade Rumors
American League
| Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL EAST | |||
| x-Tampa Bay | 98 | 63 | — |
| y-New York | 93 | 68 | 5.0 |
| y-Boston | 87 | 74 | 11.0 |
| Baltimore | 79 | 82 | 19.0 |
| Toronto | 78 | 83 | 20.0 |
| AL CENTRAL | |||
| x-Cleveland | 85 | 76 | — |
| y-Chicago | 83 | 78 | 2.0 |
| Minnesota | 76 | 85 | 9.0 |
| Detroit | 76 | 85 | 9.0 |
| Kansas City | 68 | 93 | 17.0 |
| AL WEST | |||
| Houston | 80 | 81 | — |
| Texas | 80 | 81 | — |
| Seattle | 75 | 86 | 5.0 |
| Athletics | 64 | 97 | 16.0 |
| LA Angels | 62 | 99 | 18.0 |
National League
| Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL EAST | |||
| x-Atlanta | 94 | 67 | — |
| Philadelphia | 87 | 74 | 7.0 |
| Miami | 79 | 82 | 15.0 |
| Washington | 76 | 85 | 18.0 |
| NY Mets | 74 | 87 | 20.0 |
| NL CENTRAL | |||
| x-Milwaukee | 102 | 59 | — |
| y-Chicago | 88 | 73 | 14.0 |
| Pittsburgh | 81 | 80 | 21.0 |
| St. Louis | 77 | 84 | 25.0 |
| Cincinnati | 75 | 86 | 27.0 |
| NL WEST | |||
| x-Los Angeles | 99 | 62 | — |
| y-San Diego | 90 | 71 | 9.0 |
| Arizona | 86 | 75 | 13.0 |
| San Francisco | 65 | 96 | 34.0 |
| Colorado | 58 | 103 | 41.0 |
x-clinched division y-clinched playoff spot Source: ESPN, after Sept 26 games
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