MLB Baseball 24-Hour Briefing

Last updated: October 14, 2026, 11:47 PM ET

Postseason Pitching and Lineups

Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams gets the ball for Cleveland in Game 3 against Tampa Bay, despite having thrown 210 pitches over the past six days. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has been dropped to sixth in the lineup after hitting just .150 this postseason, and the team says he is "all on board" for Game.

NLCS Matchup

Milwaukee can take a commanding three-games-to-none lead over the reigning champions if it wins Game 3 at home. The Brewers have shown they can beat anyone, and Milwaukee entered the rematch convinced it would play differently than in past meetings with Los Angeles. Oddsmakers have set the series prices for both championship series, with the Dodgers and Guardians favored in their respective Game 3s.

ALCS and Weather

Weather in Cleveland forced MLB to move up the start time of ALCS Game 3 by five hours. Guardians star Jose Ramirez, who starred in Game, took responsibility after two costly miscues in the fourth inning sank Cleveland.

Managerial Decisions

Don Mattingly will remain as Phillies manager after agreeing to a two-year deal, having guided Philadelphia to the playoffs after taking over on an interim basis. In Houston, Joe Espada will not return as Astros manager despite leading the club to two AL West titles.

Labor and the Game's Future

Jeff Passan examines what this year's final four reveals about the sport's growing payroll divide, noting that the No. 1 payroll in baseball stands far above the rest of the postseason field and that three other clubs combined barely approach Los Angeles's spending.