Four final-week series among eight MLB playoff hopefuls offered an October preview: Cleveland and San Diego clinched postseason berths, while Philadelphia held a two-game lead over Arizona with three games left; rotation choices remain for the Yankees and Brewers.
Rays ace Drew Rasmussen led the AL East-clinching win with 6⅔ innings, one run, one hit and 11 strikeouts against New York, throwing 114 pitches. The Yankees likely will start Max Fried and Cam Schlittler in the first two games; Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole are options if the wild-card series reaches Game 3. Milwaukee’s rotation behind Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson is uncertain: Kyle Harrison has struggled, while Dustin May has a 5.61 ERA in 33⅔ innings since joining the Brewers.
Philadelphia’s Brandon Marsh drove in three runs with a double and homer Tuesday; Luis Arraez’s left ankle injury could further weaken the lineup. Cleveland improved on 2025 but remained near the bottom in runs and OPS; OptaSTATS said Cleveland was the first full-season playoff team with no .300 hitter, 20-homer hitter, 75-RBI hitter or 40-steal player. Ohtani had an RBI double among several hard-hit balls in two games after a 13-game IL stint. Pivetta shut out LA for 4⅔ innings in San Diego’s clincher, allowing three runs over 18⅔ innings since his return. Boston’s Tyron Guerrero is a late-inning option.
