Samwise MLB Newsletter
Friday, October 9, 2026
Guardians Rally Past White Sox 9-5 to Force Decisive ALDS Game 5
The Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Thursday night at Rate Field to force a winner-take-all ALDS Game 5 on Saturday in Cleveland. The Guardians arrived in Chicago trailing the series 2-0. Pinch-hitter Patrick Bailey and José Ramírez homered in the fifth inning before the White Sox retook a 4-3 lead. Cleveland answered with six runs in the sixth as Travis Bazzana, Bailey, Ramírez, Chase DeLauter and Jo Adell all drove in runs. White Sox reliever Grant Taylor did not retire any of the six batters he faced. Probable Game 5 starter Gavin Williams got the final three outs. The winner faces Tampa Bay in the ALCS.
Sources: CBS Sports · ESPN
MLB Proposes 154-Game Season and Best-of-Seven Division Series Starting in 2029
Major League Baseball proposed Thursday to shorten the regular season to 154 games and expand the Division Series to a best-of-seven format, beginning in 2029, in bargaining with the MLB Players Association. Monday would become a standard off day for most teams. MLB also proposed letting the No. 3 seed in each league choose its wild-card opponent, and the No. 1 seed pick which wild-card winner it faces in the Division Series. Yearly salaries would not be reduced, though bonuses would be adjusted proportionally. The union said it is reviewing them but criticized the league’s salary-cap demand, calling a cap “a system that guts player rights and compensation.”
Sources: ESPN · MLB Trade Rumors
Marlins’ Jakob Marsee and Tyler Zuber to Undergo Elbow Surgery Monday
Miami Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee and right-hander Tyler Zuber will both undergo elbow surgery on Monday, Oct. 12, the club shared. Each will have an internal brace procedure to repair the UCL, Marsee in his left elbow and Zuber in his right. Marsee faces a six-month absence, leaving him hard-pressed to return by Opening Day. He played in 155 games this year, and September was his best month, with a .985 OPS, three homers and two steals. Zuber, 31, landed on the injured list with a right elbow sprain during the final week of the season. He is expected to miss 10 to 12 months.
Sources: MLB Trade Rumors · NBC Sports · NBC Sports
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 | 11.0 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 79 | 82 | 18.5 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 79 | 83 | 19.0 |
| AL Central | |||
| Cleveland Guardians | 85 | 77 | — |
| Chicago White Sox | 84 | 78 | 1.0 |
| Minnesota Twins | 77 | 85 | 8.0 |
| Detroit Tigers | 76 | 86 | 9.0 |
| Kansas City Royals | 69 | 93 | 16.0 |
| AL West | |||
| Houston Astros | 81 | 81 | — |
| Texas Rangers | 80 | 82 | 1.0 |
| Seattle Mariners | 76 | 86 | 5.0 |
| Athletics | 64 | 98 | 17.0 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 62 | 100 | 19.0 |
National League
| Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL East | |||
| Atlanta Braves | 94 | 68 | — |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 88 | 74 | 6.0 |
| Miami Marlins | 80 | 82 | 14.0 |
| Washington Nationals | 77 | 85 | 17.0 |
| New York Mets | 74 | 88 | 20.0 |
| NL Central | |||
| Milwaukee Brewers | 103 | 59 | — |
| Chicago Cubs | 89 | 73 | 14.0 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 82 | 80 | 21.0 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 77 | 85 | 26.0 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 75 | 87 | 28.0 |
| NL West | |||
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 100 | 62 | — |
| San Diego Padres | 91 | 71 | 9.0 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 86 | 76 | 14.0 |
| San Francisco Giants | 65 | 97 | 35.0 |
| Colorado Rockies | 58 | 104 | 42.0 |
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency