After several days in which the American and National Leagues alternated, all eight remaining teams will be in action today, with two Game 4s in the NL and two Game 3s in the AL.
Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox (4:00 PM EDT)
This afternoon, the White Sox will look to make their first postseason home game of 2026 a memorable one. With a third straight win, the upstart “South Siders” would clinch their first postseason series win at home since the 1906 World Series.
Chicago is using the opener strategy for a third consecutive game. Left-hander Sean
Newcomb will start on the mound for the White Sox, who have yet to lose this postseason.
Seeking to avoid a swift elimination, the Guardians are also using an opener. Rookie right-hander Daniel Espino will start for the AL Central champions. Once again, Cleveland’s lack of offense is hindering its postseason success. If the Guardians want to keep their season alive, they will need third baseman José Ramírez and the rookie duo of Travis Bazzana and Chase DeLauter to get their bats going.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves (6:00 PM EDT)
One win away from their third consecutive NLCS appearance, the two-time defending champion Dodgers will turn to talented but injury-prone right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who will make his 14th career postseason start.
A Braves win would force a winner-take-all Game 5 in Los Angeles. Right-hander Tyler Mahle will make his second start of the playoffs, but his first of this round for the hosts. He received a no-decision in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies after allowing one run on six hits over seven innings. With their season on the line, Mahle will likely have a quick hook and be pulled early if he runs into trouble.
Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (8:00 PM EDT)
After winning the first two games of the Division Series in Tampa Bay, the Rays will look to eliminate the Yankees tonight as the series shifts to the Bronx for Game 3. Right-hander Nick Martinez, who had a career-best season in his first year with the Rays, will make his first career postseason start.
It is do or die time for the Yankees, who must take advantage of their home crowd to spark a series comeback. The “Bronx Bombers” will turn to left-hander Max Fried, who will make his second start of the playoffs despite his girlfriend being due to give birth to their first child any day now. Fried earned the win in the second and final game of the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox after allowing one run on three hits over six innings.
Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres (10:00 PM EDT)
Playing in front of their passionate fans last night, the Padres staved off elimination with a 4-3 victory in the third consecutive closely contested game between the evenly matched teams. With closer Mason Miller on the paternity list, Game 2 starter Michael King came out of the bullpen to pitch the final two innings. If the past three games are any indication, today’s nightcap should be another thrilling affair.
Right-hander Walker Buehler, freshly back from the paternity list, will make his first postseason appearance with San Diego. The veteran has extensive playoff experience from his time with the Dodgers, as this will be Buehler 19th career postseason start. With the Padres looking to win a second straight game and force a winner-take-all Game 5 in Milwaukee, they will likely turn to their bullpen as soon as Buehler finds himself in trouble. As for that bullpen, there is a chance Miller could be activated for this game.
The Brewers, who have lost an MLB-record-tying 12 consecutive road playoff games, will send left-hander Robert Gasser to the mound for his first career playoff start.
