A fifth-game showdown in Cleveland headlines the day as the White Sox and Guardians square off at 7 p.m. CT with the ALDS on the line.
Chicago turns to Sean Burke, who already gave the Guardians trouble in Game 2 by holding them to one run over 5 1/3 innings of relief. Cleveland counters with Gavin Williams, who worked five innings as the Game 2 starter and later came back for an inning to help finish off the Guardians’ Game 4 win.
The team that comes out on top gets a day to rest and celebrate before opening the ALCS against the Rays on Monday.
Out west, the Dodgers have locked in their first two starters for the NLDS against the Brewers. Tarik Skubal gets Game 1 on Sunday, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto follows in Game 2.
Those two have already set the tone in October once this year, combining to allow just two earned runs across 13 innings in their winning starts against the Braves in the NLDS. Skubal now carries a 1.97 ERA over 45 2/3 career playoff innings for the Tigers and Dodgers, while Yamamato owns a 2.14 ERA over 63 career postseason frames, along with the 2025 World Series MVP trophy.
Milwaukee is expected to name at least its Game 1 starter today, and the likely matchup has ace Jacob Misiorowski lined up against Skubal.
Meanwhile, the Athletics appear to be edging closer to hiring their next baseball operations leader. Reports indicate a decision could come within the week.
Among the names tied to the search are Phillies president of business operations Sam Fuld, Cubs assistant GM Jared Banner, Brewers assistant GM Matt Kleine, and Cardinals assistant GM Rob Cerfolio. They join A’s assistant GM Billy Owens, Red Sox assistant GMs Mike Groopman and Taylor Smith, former Nationals president of baseball ops Mike Rizzo, and former Astros GM James Click on the list of candidates still believed to be in the mix.
The A’s have been searching for a permanent head of baseball ops since former GM David Forst was let go in early August, with assistant GM Dan Feinstein serving as interim general manager in the meantime.
In Other News...
As Front Office Search Just Took A Hit At The Worst Time
The Athletics search for a new president of baseball operations has run into an early snag, with a familiar name no longer in play. Sam Fuld, who previously served as the Phillies general manager before moving into their president of business operations role, had been offered the As top baseball-operations job. Instead, he is staying in Philadelphia, leaving Oakland to keep working through a process that already carries plenty of urgency.
For the As, the timing makes the miss sting a little more. The club is still weighing other finalists, including Rob Cerfolio and Taylor Smith, as it tries to find the right leader to steer the baseball side of the organization. With Fuld off the board and the search narrowing, the next choice becomes even more important for a franchise looking to stabilize its front office and move forward. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics May Be Closing In On A Front Office Hire Boston Hates
The Athletics search for a new baseball operations leader has started to take shape, and it is apparently reaching into a familiar East Coast pipeline. Taylor Smith, the Boston Red Sox assistant general manager who oversees research and development under Craig Breslow, is reportedly one of the leading candidates for the job in Oakland as the club looks to reset its front office direction.
For the As, the opening came after parting ways with longtime general manager David Forst, leaving a significant vacancy at the top of the baseball operations department. Smiths background in the Red Soxs analytical and developmental work makes him a logical fit for a team trying to chart its next era, even if the hiring process is still in motion and the final decision remains to be made. [Read more 🡒]