PHILADELPHIA — There are certain signs, certain tells, that let a man know that he is old. Might be that twinge of pain near your Achilles tendon a half-mile into a run. Might be the realization that a Saturday night out on the town is no longer as appealing as a Saturday night on the couch with a craft beer in your hand and a college football...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Although the numbers don’t show much success for Caden Dana in his second stint as a big league starter, the way he handled himself gave Ray Montgomery reason to believe the 21-year-old right-hander is going in the right direction.

Before Dana gave up five runs in a 6-1 loss to the Houston Astros in his final start of the ...Read more

SEATTLE — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ biggest questions in the final days of the regular season remain health-related.

In a 5-3 win against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, Max Muncy missed a third-straight game while battling leg problems, though the Dodgers are still optimistic he’ll be ready for Tuesday’s postseason opener.

...Read more

SAN DIEGO — As it had seemed would be the case for some time, the Padres found out Saturday they will begin the postseason away from San Diego.

“Road warriors,” Ryan O’Hearn said Saturday afternoon. “We’re going to Chicago to win.”

They might have to do it with a new backup catcher and with a pitching plan that seems tenuous.

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ATLANTA — Knowing nearly 200 friends and family members made the trip to Truist Park to watch his final start of the season, Bubba Chandler had no other choice but to put on a show. The game’s top pitching prospect concluded his brief 2025 campaign Saturday evening with 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball, which set the table for a 3-1 Pirates ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Chicago White Sox pitcher Sean Burke recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts after following opener Tyler Gilbert on Saturday afternoon.

But the Sox again struggled to keep the ball in the park, falling 6-5 to the Washington Nationals in front of 24,360 at Nationals Park.

The Sox surrendered three home runs, including back-to-back ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA – The first time Mick Abel pitched at Citizens Bank Park this season, on May 18 for his major league debut, he pitched six scoreless innings, struck out nine batters and he outdueled National League Cy Young Award favorite Paul Skenes.

Back again four months later, Abel decided it was time for an encore.

No, he didn’t pitch ...Read more

NEW YORK — Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited the New Yokr Yankees’ game against the Baltimore Orioles in serious pain on Saturday, as the second baseman took a 96.8-mph sinker to his left forearm in the fifth inning.

The at-bat-opening pitch, thrown by Orioles lefty Grant Wolfram, sent Chisholm straight to the Yankees’ dugout, where a trainer and ...Read more

TORONTO — The American League East race between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees will come down to Sunday’s final day of the season.

And the Tampa Bay Rays will have a big hand in determining the winner, with the added twist of the Yankees rooting them on.

The Jays, who beat the Rays for a second straight day Saturday, 5-1; and ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Watching from afar, Bob Melvin assumed that Justin Verlander’s sustained success was primarily a product of his ability. Over the last eight-ish months, Melvin learned first-hand that Verlander didn’t craft a Hall of Fame career on ability alone.

“From the other side, you’d think it’s just the talent, that he just ...Read more

Regardless of their angst-ridden ride through the end of August and through September — going on a 27-40 slide and squandering the division title and a first-round bye — the Detroit Tigers are going to the postseason for the second straight season.

It’s not truly a collapse if you are still standing, right?

The Tigers secured a spot in ...Read more

MIAMI — The drums and the noisemakers came out around the top of the sixth. Finally, the atmosphere at LoanDepot Park had some life.

With more fans in attendance for the visiting team than the home team, it had been nearly lifeless for most of Friday night and for five innings Saturday as the New York Mets fought to keep their season alive.

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CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs finally can take the postseason bunting out of the mothballs.

Playoff baseball will return to Wrigley Field next week for the first time in five years, and for the first time with fans inside the ballpark since 2018.

The Cubs clinched home field for their National League wild-card series with a 7-3 win over the St....Read more

CHICAGO — The Cade Horton saga took a left turn Saturday when the Chicago Cubs announced their top starter was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right rib fracture.

Horton, who was expected to start one of the games in the wild-card series against the San Diego Padres, will be unable to pitch until at least Game 5 of the National ...Read more

NEW YORK — Cam Schlittler passed his final audition with flying colors.

The rookie right-hander made his strongest case yet to be the Yankees’ No. 3 starter this postseason, hurling seven shutout innings in Saturday afternoon’s 6-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the Bronx.

Schlittler’s career-best start came under heightened ...Read more

SEATTLE — When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Brock Stewart at the trade deadline, they knew he came with some risk.

But on Friday, their worst-case scenario was realized.

Stewart will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, manager Dave Roberts announced before the Dodgers’ 3-2 win against the Seattle Mariners, leaving the team ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres accomplished some significant positives on Friday night, things they can feel good about going into the postseason.

Fernando Tatis Jr. returned from his three-day bout with a flu-like illness and hit a grand slam. Luis Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn continued to hit. Xander Bogaerts began to hit. So did Gavin ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Trevor McDonald has been on the San Francisco Giants for roughly a week-and-a-half this season, but the rookie right-hander hasn’t wasted the opportunities he’s been giving.

After tossing six innings of one-run ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, McDonald recorded his first career win as he struck out a career-...Read more

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Maybe Mike Trout has actually unlocked something with his swing in the final weeks of the season.

Trout hit a pair of home runs, including a tie-breaking blast in the eighth inning, to lead the Angels to a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.

Trout has hit three homers in the last two games, and four homers ...Read more

ATLANTA — The Pirates’ bats made plenty of noise Friday evening, starting strong and finishing stronger. That dominant collective effort at the plate paved the way for a 9-3 win over the Braves at Truist Park.

After falling behind in the first inning, Pittsburgh tallied four runs in the top of the second. The big inning came against former ...Read more