The 2026 MLB postseason is only one day old, and the pressure has already hit full throttle. Four teams are staring at elimination in Game 2, with the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies the only matchup to bring real late-inning drama on Tuesday, Sept.
- The Braves rallied in the eighth to take that one, while the rest of the opening-day action settled in without much suspense.
NBC, Peacock and NBC Sports Network are carrying the entire quadruple-header again on the second day of the Wild Card Series.
Philadelphia is the team in the most immediate spot, handing the ball to two-time All-Star Cristopher Sanchez with its season on the line. The Phillies are 1-3 in Sanchez’s postseason starts over the last three years.
In the other Game 2s, the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros meet after the White Sox grabbed an early lead in Game 1 and cruised from there. The Astros did put the tying run on deck in the eighth, but Yainer Diaz struck out to end the inning.
That matchup features Sean Burke (11-7) against Hunter Brown (6-4) and is set for 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN/Peacock.
The Boston Red Sox were overwhelmed by the Yankees’ power display in their opener. Ben Rice delivered a double and two homers, Cam Schlittler worked 6 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and just two hits allowed, and Boston wound up using a bullpen game while New York held the Red Sox to three baserunners all night.
The Chicago Cubs also have a quick turnaround after the San Diego Padres jumped them early in Game 1. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado each went deep in the first inning, Michael King followed with seven innings of one-hit ball, and Pete Crow-Armstrong was left sorting out check swings with the umpiring crew.
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Astros Bullpen Gamble Left Houston In A Brutal Spot For Game 2
Houston entered the AL Wild Card Series already leaning on thin pitching depth, and the decision to use a bullpen game in Game 1 came with a steep price. The White Sox took advantage in a 6-3 win, leaving the Astros to piece together the rest of the series with their season suddenly hanging by a thread.
Hunter Brown is lined up to start Game 2 on four days rest, giving Houston a chance to push the matchup back to Chicago and keep its postseason alive. The challenge is obvious: the Astros have dropped eight straight playoff games at home dating back to the 2023 AL Division Series, so even a familiar ballpark has not offered much comfort when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Espadas Game 1 Choice Put The Astros In Trouble Early
The Astros opened their American League Wild-Card Series with an aggressive pitching plan, turning to a bullpen game and giving the ball first to AJ Blubaugh against the White Sox. It was the kind of decision that signaled Houston was willing to trust its depth in a short series, but the move quickly put pressure on the rest of the staff when Bryan King entered and the second inning started to unravel.
By the time Miguel Ullola settled things with three innings of relief, the Astros were already chasing the game and never fully got back in it. Houstons 6-3 loss left plenty of attention on how manager Joe Espada lined up his pitchers, and whether the early approach left the club too much to overcome before the offense had a chance to answer. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Face An Ugly Crowd Problem At The Worst Possible Time
The Astros walked into a familiar October pressure cooker and left with a 6-3 loss to the White Sox in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series, a result that immediately put them on the brink. With the series now hanging over one game, Houston needs a response in Game 2 just to force a deciding Game 3, and the margin for error is gone in a hurry.
Bennett Sousa was frustrated by the boos from the home crowd after his outing, and Christian Walker also pointed to the negative effect of the reaction. For a team trying to steady itself in an elimination spot, the atmosphere around the dugout has become part of the challenge, and the Astros have to find a way to block it out before the series slips away. [Read more 🡒]