MLB Baseball 8-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: October 12, 2026, 3:40 PM ET
Postseason Collapses and Advances
The White Sox fell flat in a winner-take-all decisive game, striking out 21 times and managing just three hits after squandering a 2-0 series lead. The loss ended Chicago's postseason run in a painful fashion.
American League Championship Series
The Guardians and Rays are set for the ALCS, with each club making a single roster move to prepare. Tampa Bay added rookie right-hander Brody Hopkins, while cleveland made its own adjustment. Cleveland arrives after a whirlwind Game 5 and cross-country travel, setting up a contrast in approach between the teams' recent workloads, a debate that has long divided managers over rest versus rust.
Robot umpire challenges have also drawn attention this postseason, as batters have won more of their appeals than in the regular season.
National League Championship Series
The Dodgers kept Miguel Rojas on the NLCS roster despite a back injury scare that had sidelined him. In the opener, the Brewers outlasted Los Angeles 2-1, with a Turang home run providing the decisive margin after Milwaukee had struggled to score in its recent sweep.
Final Four Rankings and Predictions
ESPN's panel has ranked the four remaining clubs, weighing their strengths as the field narrows. Experts have also issued picks for both series, forecasting who will reach the World Series. Finally, a breakdown of how each survivor was assembled, from marquee free agent signings to under-the-radar finds, shows the different roads these four franchises took to the final stage.