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Elimination was staved off by one team in the Division Series on Tuesday. Wednesday brings a chance for all four series to be closed out. Will the two AL series be extended like the two in the NL?
Rest up!Big day of #Postseason baseball on Wednesday 👀
Division Series Digest
A Little Chaos Saves Padres’ Season
Final score: Padres 4, Brewers 3
Series: Brewers lead 2-1
Next game: Brewers (TBA) at Padres (TBA), 10:08 p.m. ET (TBS)
There have been other games this postseason that have been chaotic. But none had the desperation that the San Diego Padres faced in Game 3 of the NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. With their top two relievers unavailable, the Padres turned to Game 2 starter Michael King for a six-out save and Jake Cronenworth hit a go-ahead homer to keep their season alive with a 4-3 win over the Brewers. The Padres will need more of the same in Game 4 in order to avoid elimination as the Brewers lead the best-of-five series 2-1.
King, who threw 72 pitches in his start two days earlier, was needed as superstar closer Mason Miller’s wife went into labor hours before the game and left-hander Adrian Morejon was again unavailable due to an ailing left shoulder that kept him out of Game 2. With the other leverage relievers used earlier in the game, King worked a perfect eighth. The ninth was not as smooth as he issued a pair of one-out walks before Christian Yelich grounded into a game-ending double play.
As has been the case throughout this brief series, there were big hits and momentum swings. The Padres struck twice in the second as Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado drove in runs, but the Brewers battled back on William Contreras‘ second homer of the series, a fourth-inning solo shot, and Cooper Pratt’s heads-up scoring on a fly ball to left in the fifth to tie it 2-2. Cronenworth went deep in the fifth to make it 3-2 and Xander Bogaerts scored from second on Miguel Andujar’s grounder to short that forced some acrobatics from Bogaerts and a throwing error by Pratt. The Brewers pulled within 4-3 on Yelich’s first postseason RBI since Game 7 of the 2018 NL Championship Series.
Yamamoto Dominates In Showdown With Sale
Final score: Dodgers 3, Atlanta 1
Series: Dodgers lead 2-1
Next game: Dodgers (RHP Tyler Glasnow) at Atlanta (RHP Tyler Mahle), 6:08 p.m. ET (TBS)
It is the postseason, which means it is Yoshinobu Yamamoto time. The right-hander outdid fellow ace Chris Sale, striking out 10 over seven innings to send the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over Atlanta in Game 3 of the NL Division Series. The two-time defending World Series champs now lead the series 2-1, with a chance to return to the NL Championship Series today. Yamamoto allowed a run on four hits and a walk, picking up right where he left off in the World Series last year to cap a remarkable postseason run.
The Dodgers’ bats didn’t do a lot of damage, but they did enough. Enrique Hernández, who typically plays a big role in the postseason, did so for the first time in these playoffs, crushing a 406-foot homer, a two-run shot, in the fourth inning off Sale. Freddie Freeman followed two batters later with a solo blast of his own to make it 3-0. It was Freeman’s second homer of the series against his former team. Atlanta got to Yamamoto in the fifth inning. Mauricio Dubón and Lane Thomas had leadoff singles. After a popout, pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez walked to load the bases. Drake Baldwin then hit an RBI grounder to first. Ronald Acuña Jr. couldn’t provide any more damage, grounding out to second.
Sale finished five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out seven. The Dodgers got through the final two innings with left-hander Tanner Scott and right-hander Edwin Díaz, who earned his first postseason save with the Dodgers.
By The Numbers
1 Brewers-Padres is the 13th postseason series to have each of the first three games decided by one run. Only two series have had the first four be one-run games.
4 Dodgers ace right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto now has four consecutive starts of at least six innings and one or zero runs allowed, tied for second-most in MLB postseason history.
4 Teams are 14-0 this postseason when scoring at least four runs.
71 Dodgers manager Dave Roberts moved into a tie for second place for career postseason victories.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Dubi’s Defense
Mauricio Dubón is really good defensively regardless of where he plays for Atlanta. He showed Freddie Freeman his skills in left field.
Murph On The Mic
Following Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill’s second terrific catch of the game, Brewers manager Pat Murphy had a priceless reaction. (The first of those catches is below.)
"God dammit, Merrill."Pat Murphy is a national treasure and having him mic'd up for this catch was amazing.
— Casey Drottar (@caseydrottar.bsky.social) 2026-10-07T02:19:20.958Z
Pregame Respect
Atlanta’s Chris Sale and the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave each other a pregame tip of the cap.
Chris Sale and Yoshinobu Yamamoto show each other respect before facing off
— Talkin' Baseball (@talkinbaseballbot.bsky.social) 2026-10-06T22:09:36.000Z
Power Source?
Don’t expect Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami to get a haircut anytime soon.
Let the record show, Munetaka Murakami is keeping his luscious locks 😤
Around The League
Report: Cora Won’t Manage In 2027
Everyone thought Alex Cora would manage the Philadelphia Phillies in 2027. Turns out that Cora is unlikely to manage any team next year. According to a report by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Cora told Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski that he won’t be taking a managerial job for next season. Cora was fired by the Boston Red Sox on April 25 and the Phillies axed Rob Thomson three days later, with Dombrowski offering Cora the job before making the decision to drop Thomson public.
Extra Bases
⚾ Superstar Padres closer Mason Miller went on the paternity list before Game 3 as his wife went into labor. Left-hander Wandy Peralta was added to the roster.
⚾ Sam McDowell, a six-time All-Star who was one of the best pitchers of his generation, died at age 84. McDowell, a left-hander known as “Sudden Sam” who played 11 of his 15 seasons in Cleveland, broke in as an 18-year-old in 1941, then led MLB in strikeouts six times and walks six times. He did both in two seasons.
⚾ Fred Claire, a longtime executive who was the general manager of the 1988 World Series champion Dodgers, died at age 91. Claire is credited with coining the phrase “Dodger Blue.”
Articles You Should Read
How do broadcasters handle accusations of bias in postseason? — Tim Britton and Sam Blum, The Athletic
White Sox need a rival and Guardians fit the bill — now they just need to dislike each other — Jeff Agrest, Chicago Sun-Times
Orioles’ Henderson says he was “trying to force stuff” Here is what scouts saw. — Andy Kostka, Baltimore Banner
