Samwise MLB Newsletter
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Rays Beat Yankees 4-3 to Sweep ALDS and Reach ALCS
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-3 on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium to complete a three-game sweep of the AL Division Series and advance to the ALCS, their third in franchise history. Ryan Vilade hit a fourth-inning solo homer off Max Fried, and Victor Mesa Jr. followed with a two-run, go-ahead homer in the sixth. Anthony Volpe’s apparent game-tying two-run homer was overturned for spectator interference and ruled a run-scoring double. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “I thought they got it right.” Tampa Bay opens the ALCS Monday at Tropicana Field.
Sources: CBS Sports, MLB.com
Pages’ Two-Run Single Lifts Dodgers Past Braves 4-1 in NLDS
Andy Pages hit a bases-loaded, two-run single in the seventh inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Wednesday night, taking the best-of-five NL Division Series 3-1. Pages sent a 3-2 pitch from Robert Suarez up the middle, scoring Teoscar Hernández and pinch-runner Tommy Edman. Pages had missed most of the final month of the regular season with a left-hand fracture. Max Muncy added a ninth-inning solo homer. Tyler Glasnow walked five over 4 2/3 innings, and Edwin Díaz recorded the save. The Dodgers will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, which opens Sunday at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
Sources: AP via NBC Sports, MLB.com
Brewers Beat Padres 3-1 to Win NLDS and Set Up Dodgers Rematch
The Milwaukee Brewers beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 at Petco Park on Wednesday to win the NLDS in four games. Garrett Mitchell had two hits, including an RBI single in the third and a fifth-inning leadoff triple, and in the eighth he caught a 106.7 mph drive from Manny Machado at the wall. Jackson Chourio drove in at least one run in all four games. Fernando Tatis Jr. homered for San Diego. Milwaukee, which won an MLB-high 103 games, opens the NLCS against the Dodgers on Oct. 11, a rematch of last year’s series.
Sources: Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports
Guardians Beat White Sox 9-3 to Force ALDS Game 4
Jo Adell hit a three-run triple in the third inning, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-3 on Wednesday to avoid elimination in the AL Division Series. José Ramírez added a two-out triple in the eighth that scored Travis Bazzana and Patrick Bailey. Cleveland had scored three runs in the first two games combined. It was the White Sox’ first loss of the postseason. Foster Griffin set a franchise record for a reliever with seven strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Chicago leads the series 2-1, with Game 4 on Thursday.
Sources: AP via NBC Sports, ESPN
Yankees Face Offseason Questions After ALDS Sweep
The Yankees enter the offseason with questions about their manager, general manager and roster after Tampa Bay swept them. Aaron Boone has one year left on his contract, and Brian Cashman’s contract expires this offseason. Aaron Judge, who strained his right calf on Sept. 16 and missed the postseason, said the front office should “go all-in and do what they need to do.” Asked about his own future, Boone said, “those conversations and things are for another day.” Free agent Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 0-for-8 with a walk in the series. The loss extended New York’s World Series drought to 17 seasons.
Sources: CBS Sports, ESPN
Braves Face Offseason Questions After NLDS Exit
The Atlanta Braves won 94 games and the NL East in first-year manager Walt Weiss’s debut season, but their year ended with a 4-1 loss to the Dodgers in NLDS Game 4. Atlanta drew 18 walks in the series, and none scored. CBS Sports noted that since winning the 2021 World Series, the Braves have won just one postseason series. The club has about $176 million committed to 2027 payroll before arbitration raises and Ronald Acuña Jr.’s option, and CBS described the expectation that Atlanta will again go for it next season.
Sources: CBS Sports, AP via NBC Sports
MLB Tells Clubs to Prepare for Lockout as CBA Nears Expiration
MLB sent teams a memo outlining procedures for an expected offseason lockout, The Athletic’s Evan Drellich reported, according to MLB Trade Rumors. League negotiator Dan Halem wrote that clubs have “no realistic alternative but to implement a lockout of major league players.” The collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 1. As in the 2021-22 lockout, team personnel would be largely barred from interacting with players on 40-man rosters. The Rule 5 draft, scheduled for mid-December, would be determined in negotiations, while minor league transactions would not be affected.
Sources: MLB Trade Rumors, ESPN
American League
| Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL East | |||
| Tampa Bay Rays | 98 | 64 | — |
| New York Yankees | 93 | 68 | 4.5 |
| Boston Red Sox | 87 | 75 | 11 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 79 | 82 | 18.5 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 79 | 83 | 19 |
| AL Central | |||
| Cleveland Guardians | 85 | 77 | — |
| Chicago White Sox | 84 | 78 | 1 |
| Minnesota Twins | 77 | 85 | 8 |
| Detroit Tigers | 76 | 86 | 9 |
| Kansas City Royals | 69 | 93 | 16 |
| AL West | |||
| Houston Astros | 81 | 81 | — |
| Texas Rangers | 80 | 82 | 1 |
| Seattle Mariners | 76 | 86 | 5 |
| Athletics | 64 | 98 | 17 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 62 | 100 | 19 |
National League
| Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL East | |||
| Atlanta Braves | 94 | 68 | — |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 88 | 74 | 6 |
| Miami Marlins | 80 | 82 | 14 |
| Washington Nationals | 77 | 85 | 17 |
| New York Mets | 74 | 88 | 20 |
| NL Central | |||
| Milwaukee Brewers | 103 | 59 | — |
| Chicago Cubs | 89 | 73 | 14 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 82 | 80 | 21 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 77 | 85 | 26 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 75 | 87 | 28 |
| NL West | |||
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 100 | 62 | — |
| San Diego Padres | 91 | 71 | 9 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 86 | 76 | 14 |
| San Francisco Giants | 65 | 97 | 35 |
| Colorado Rockies | 58 | 104 | 42 |
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency