Three teams punched their tickets to the next round while the Cleveland Guardians forced a deciding game during a relentless day of elimination matches across Major League Baseball’s 2026 division series.
Guardians Keep Season Alive Against White Sox
The Cleveland Guardians avoided elimination on the South Side, overwhelming the Chicago White Sox 9-3 to force a Game 4 in their American League Division Series. Cleveland seized control in the fourth inning by plating four runs.
The Guardians added insurance with single runs in the fifth, eighth, and ninth innings. Chicago’s offense struggled to generate momentum, striking out 19 times during the contest. Foster Griffin earned the victory on the mound with seven strikeouts, while Cade Smith tossed two scoreless innings and stuck out five batters.
Dodgers Eliminate Braves to Reach National League Championship Series
The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the next round, defeating the Atlanta Braves 4-1 to capture their series 3-1 and secure a third consecutive NLCS appearance. Braves starter Tyler Mahle delivered a strong performance, allowing just one earned run and striking out four batters over 6.1 innings, utilizing a 55% splitter usage rate to stymie the Dodgers’ bats before the Atlanta bullpen faltered.
The Dodgers broke through in the seventh inning when Andy Pages lined a two-run single off Robert Suarez, who fell behind in the count and left a full-count fastball over the plate to give Los Angeles a 3-1 lead that they would not relinquish. Max Muncy immediately padded the lead with a solo home run.
Rays Complete Sweep of Yankees as Mesa Delivers Decisive Blow
The teams traded runs early before Victor Mesa Jr. launched a two-run home run in the sixth inning. New York nearly mounted a comeback in the sixth when Anthony Volpe hit a run-scoring double that initially appeared to be a tying home run. However, the play was overturned following a video review.
The ruling placed Volpe at second base and wiped out the tying run.
“The ball would not have left the playing field nor would it have been caught. The call is OVERTURNED, there was spectator interference and no home run. Additionally, the Replay Official scored one run and placed the batter-runner at second.”
Replay Center, via Major League Baseball
Brewers Silence San Diego Crowd to Set Up NLCS Rematch
The Milwaukee Brewers secured a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, wrapping up the series 3-1. After both teams traded third-inning runs, 22-year-old Jackson Chourio drove in a fifth-inning RBI single.
Speedster Garrett Mitchell contributed a single, a triple, and a game-sparing catch. The Padres threatened late when Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a third-inning home run that served as San Diego’s lonesome high point and final hit of the season. San Diego brought the tying run to the plate in both the seventh and eighth innings, but outfielder Garrett Mitchell preserved the lead by robbing a potential home run at the outfield wall.
Can the Chicago White Sox bounce back in Game 4?
