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October baseball arrived with a bang this week. All four MLB Wild Card Series 2026 results were in by Thursday (US time), and three of the four were sweeps. The Yankees, White Sox, Padres and Braves moved on, and the Division Series started on the weekend. By Sunday night the Brewers had a 2-0 lead on San Diego, the Rays and White Sox had stolen Game 1s, and the Dodgers and Braves were level at one game apiece.
Yankees humiliate the Red Sox again
For the second year in a row, Boston’s season ended at Yankee Stadium without a win. In Game 1, 25-year-old Cam Schlittler threw a career-high 117 pitches, struck out 10 and kept the Red Sox scoreless into the seventh in a 9-0 rout. Ben Rice went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and a late grand slam for six RBIs, and George Lombard Jr. had three hits in his postseason debut.
Game 2 finished 9-2. Max Fried gave up three hits in six innings, Cody Bellinger drove in four with a three-run homer, and deadline pickup Luis García Jr. homered among his three hits. Boston had battled back from 32-46 just to make the playoffs, then hit .117 for the series and lost on aggregate 18-2.
White Sox win a playoff series for the first time since 2005
Few saw this coming. The White Sox had lost 100 games in each of the previous three seasons, and they’re now the first team in MLB history to reach the playoffs straight after back-to-back 100-loss years. They won Game 1 in Houston 6-3. In Game 2 they scored four runs in the first inning and chased Hunter Brown. Houston clawed within one through three solo homers before Chase Meidroth’s three-run blast in the sixth sealed a 7-3 win.
Jose Altuve’s homer was his 28th in the postseason, one short of Manny Ramírez’s record. The Astros only won the AL West on the last day of the regular season and finished 81-81, the first team to reach the postseason without a winning record.
Will Venable’s side carried their bullpen-game approach into the ALDS. Five pitchers combined on a three-hitter in Cleveland for a 3-0 Game 1 win, and Munetaka Murakami’s two-run homer did the damage.
Padres get payback, Braves survive
San Diego’s 2025 season ended at Wrigley Field, so this one was sweet. Michael King took a no-hit bid into the seventh in an 8-0 Game 1. In Game 2, a 4-1 win, Gavin Sheets came back from a foot injury to hit a pinch-hit two-run homer off a 100.8mph fastball. The Cubs led the majors in runs during the regular season and scored one run in the whole series.
Atlanta needed three games. Austin Riley’s eighth-inning three-run homer off Jhoan Duran won Game 1 5-3, and the Phillies forced a decider with a 4-3 win in 10 innings. In Game 3, Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson all homered in a 6-2 win, and Chris Sale got the final four outs on one day’s rest. It was Atlanta’s first-ever playoff series win over Philadelphia.
Brewers walk it off against the Padres
Top seed Milwaukee won a franchise-record 103 games and has now won twice more. Jacob Misiorowski lasted only four innings in Game 1, but five relievers threw five scoreless innings to win it 3-2. Game 2 was even tighter. Padres closer Mason Miller walked three in the ninth, and Jackson Chourio lined a two-run, bases-loaded single up the middle for a 4-3 walk-off.
Other storylines
- Rays 1, Yankees 0 (ALDS G1): Drew Rasmussen held New York to one hit over eight innings with 10 strikeouts. Jonathan Aranda’s solo homer off Gerrit Cole was the only run, and Aaron Judge (calf) didn’t play.
- Dodgers 5, Braves 3 (NLDS G1): Deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal gave up one run in six innings in 100°F (38°C) heat. Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all homered.
- Braves 3, Dodgers 2 (NLDS G2): Harris went 3-for-4, finishing a home run short of the cycle, and Atlanta squared the series 1-1.
What it means
In the AL, Tampa Bay (at home) and Chicago (in Cleveland) both lead 1-0. The Yankees are without Judge and were shut out in Game 1, so they need a quick turnaround on Monday when Schlittler faces Freddy Peralta.
In the NL, Milwaukee is one win from a second straight NLCS. The two-time defending champion Dodgers now head to Atlanta level at 1-1, with Sale lined up for Game 3.
How to watch in Australia
- ESPN, streaming on Disney+, has MLB postseason and World Series coverage in Australia in 2026.
- The ESPN channels are also on Foxtel, Kayo Sports and Fetch TV.
- Every MLB game with AEDT times and confirmed AU broadcasters: USA Sports TV Guide
- Full rundown of platforms and prices: How to Watch MLB in Australia 2026
One email per day at 7:00pm AEDT. Tomorrow’s MLB games with confirmed AEDT times, exact broadcasters, and pick of the day. Free.
What’s next?
- Live US Sports TV Guide
- How to Watch MLB in Australia 2026
- Previous MLB Wrap — 27 September 2026
- Next MLB Wrap — 11 October 2026
Results accurate as of 4 October 2026 US time. All times AEST (AEDT from Sunday 4 October). Mac Johannson covers US sports for Australian fans.