MLB Results and Recap — Thursday, September 24, 2026

Tampa Bay opened this series with a 6-1 win. New York has answered twice, first with a shutout and then with a 9-2 victory.

That leaves the Yankees 91-67, five games behind the Rays, with a chance to take three of four from the division leader.

Cam Schlittler gives New York a formidable arm for the finale. Over 190.2 innings, he has a 1.94 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. His 11.1 strikeouts per nine are nearly identical to Ian Seymour's 11.0, but Schlittler has been much harder to score against and has allowed far fewer home runs.

That matters against a Tampa Bay club that does not need power to create offense. The Rays are hitting .258 with a .326 on-base percentage. New York has taken the opposite route more often, leading MLB with 221 home runs.

The season series still belongs to Tampa Bay, 7-4. The current series belongs to New York, 2-1.

One game remains.

The full Rays-Yankees preview looks at Schlittler, Seymour and the final game of the series.

The White Sox play at 2:10 ET. Cleveland does not start in Boston until 6:45.

With one game separating them in the AL Central, Chicago gets several hours to put a result on the board first.

The White Sox and Royals have split two games in Kansas City. Chicago scored 14 in the opener, then lost 5-4. David Sandlin gets the finale after a difficult five-start introduction to the season: his ERA is 6.29, though his 4.67 FIP and 8.7 K/9 make the line less one-dimensional than the ERA suggests.

Randy Dobnak has been steadier for Kansas City, posting a 3.08 ERA in 73 innings.

If the game gets into the bullpens, the numbers turn sharply toward Chicago. White Sox relievers have a 3.71 ERA. Kansas City is at 5.02 and ranks last in MLB in relief WHIP.

Then Cleveland gets its turn.

The Guardians lost 1-0 in Boston on September 23, leaving that series tied. Ranger Suarez starts for the Red Sox with a 3.27 ERA and 3.12 FIP.

Daniel Espino has made only two starts for Cleveland. His 14.8 K/9 is eye-catching, but it comes from just 13.1 innings. At this stage, it is a glimpse rather than a body of work.

By first pitch at Fenway, the division picture may already look different.

The Brewers have spent most of the season finding runs without depending heavily on home runs.

They are second in MLB at 5.13 runs per game and have a .339 on-base percentage. Their 151 home runs, however, rank 29th.

That combination has carried Milwaukee to 99-59.

Philadelphia won the first game of this series 6-4. Milwaukee came back with a 4-1 win, setting up a finale with the Brewers sitting one victory from triple digits.

Bryse Wilson is the probable starter despite having made no starts this season. In 34.1 innings, he has a 3.67 ERA, 2.92 FIP and just 0.8 walks per nine.

Andrew Painter has worked in a more traditional role for Philadelphia, making 22 starts and throwing 120.2 innings. His season has been rougher: 5.59 ERA, 4.81 FIP.

Milwaukee also owns a sizable relief edge. Its bullpen ERA is 3.40, third in MLB. Philadelphia is at 4.31.

There is no need to manufacture much drama around the number. The Brewers have 99 wins. One more settles the series and gets them to 100.

Our Brewers-Phillies preview takes a closer look at Milwaukee's chase for win No. 100 and the unusual pitching setup for the finale.

Chicago has the best offense in the league by several major measures.

The Cubs lead MLB in runs per game, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

Miami has beaten them twice anyway.

The Marlins won 8-2 in the opener, then 3-2 the next day. Four Chicago runs in two games is the part of the series that stands out most.

Tyler Phillips starts the finale for Miami with a 3.45 ERA, though his 4.63 FIP is less flattering. Matthew Boyd has a 4.06 ERA for Chicago, but the rest of the comparison leans more favorably toward him: lower FIP, lower WHIP, fewer walks and fewer home runs allowed per nine.

Those numbers matter. So does what has already happened.

The Cubs have spent the season averaging 5.31 runs per game. Miami is one win from leaving Wrigley Field with a sweep.

The first two games could hardly have been more decisive.

Los Angeles won 7-0. San Diego came back and won 5-1.

Now the series goes to a finale between two clubs that are both 15-5 over their last 20 games.

The standings tell a different story. The Dodgers lead San Diego by nine games in the NL West and have won eight of 12 meetings this season. They are also 51-29 at Dodger Stadium.

Nick Pivetta is scheduled for San Diego after making seven starts and throwing 30 innings. He has a 3.30 ERA and 2.33 FIP in that limited work.

Tyler Glasnow's sample is larger, though still well short of a full season. Across 67.2 innings, he has a 3.46 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 11.6 K/9.

Los Angeles has been the better offensive club over the full season, averaging 4.99 runs per game with a .426 slugging percentage. San Diego's bullpen has been better by ERA, 3.46 to 3.81.

After two lopsided games, the teams get a third to decide the series.

The full Padres-Dodgers preview breaks down Pivetta, Glasnow and a finale after two one-sided games.

Cardinals at Pirates — Paul Skenes gets the rubber game. Pittsburgh won 2-0 to start the series; St. Louis answered 5-1. Kyle Leahy owns the slightly lower ERA, 3.65 to 3.91, but Skenes has the better FIP, WHIP and strikeout rate. The Pirates also bring the fifth-ranked offense in MLB into the finale.

Mets at Rangers — Texas is trying to avoid a sweep. New York has won 6-3 and 7-2, leaving the Rangers on a three-game losing streak. Texas is three games from the listed AL Wild Card position. Zac Thornton starts for the Mets with a 3.40 ERA and 1.15 WHIP; Kumar Rocker goes for Texas.

Diamondbacks at Rockies — Arizona has quietly built a four-game winning streak. The Diamondbacks have taken the first two at Coors Field and sit three games from the listed NL Wild Card spot. Eduardo Rodriguez gives them a 2.89 ERA over 183.2 innings. Colorado has lost three straight, although its offense continues to look far better than its 57-101 record, ranking seventh in runs per game.

Reds at Braves — the first two games have gone in opposite directions. Cincinnati opened with a 4-0 win; Atlanta came back 3-2. The Braves are 52-28 at home and hand the finale to Tyler Mahle, whose 3.81 ERA and 3.85 FIP are both better than Brady Singer's season marks.

Angels at Mariners — not much offense has separated these clubs all season. Seattle ranks 28th in runs per game, Los Angeles 29th. Bryan Woo has given the Mariners 167.2 innings with a 1.08 WHIP and 3.27 FIP. The Angels counter with Grayson Rodriguez, who comes in with a 5.96 ERA.

Astros at Athletics — Houston opens the series below .500 and still atop its division in the supplied standings. The Astros are 78-80 after going 3-7 over their last 10. Peter Lambert has a 3.70 ERA across 151 innings. Oakland's Mason Barnett has made only five starts, but both his 7.16 ERA and 6.78 FIP have been difficult. The Athletics also own MLB's highest bullpen ERA at 5.25.

Chicago gets the first result in the AL Central race. Cleveland answers later.

Milwaukee has 100 wins sitting one victory away. Tampa Bay leaves New York after one final meeting with the team chasing it. Arizona is trying to carry a four-game streak through another afternoon in Colorado, while Texas needs a win simply to avoid being swept at home.

Most of those questions will have answers before the final game begins.

Then San Diego and Los Angeles get the field to themselves, tied 1-1 in the series after spending the first two nights taking turns winning comfortably.