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Cubs stars struggle mightily in Wild Card round
James Schiano reviews the "disappointing" showing from the top of the Cubs lineup after getting swept by the Padres in the Wild Card round, particularly Pete Crow-Armstrong's

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  • PIT Starting Pitcher #35
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    It’s a best-case scenario after Ashcraft hit the injured list with arm discomfort last week. The 26-year-old righty should have a normal offseason and be ready for the start of spring training.
  • PIT Starting Pitcher #35
    Ashcraft came out of Saturday’s start against the Angels complaining of a bit of discomfort in his pitching arm and at this stage of the season the Pirates weren’t going to take any chances. It’s likely that his 2026 season has come to a close. Antwone Kelly was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move on Thursday to take his place on the Pirates’ active roster.
  • MIL Starting Pitcher #23
    Proat was called up on Monday to serve as a reliever. However, he walked four batters in the ninth inning on Wednesday night, and Brewers manager Pat Murphy did not mince words when discussing the performance: “It’s unacceptable. You’ve got to throw the ball over the plate, or you can’t be a major league pitcher...You can’t let it snowball like that.” Sproat will continue to work on his command and approach in the minors, but there’s a good chance that we don’t see him up with the Brewers again this season.
  • MIL Starting Pitcher #23
    Sproat will return in a relief role, but with Brewers manager Pat Murphy also considering moving Kyle Harrison into the bullpen, there’s a chance Sproat and Harrison could form some sort of tandem. In Triple-A, it seems like the Brewers have significantly dialed back Sproat’s cutter usage, leaning into the four-seamer as his primary fastball and upping the usage of all his secondaries. We’ll see if the results improve at the big league level.
  • PIT Starting Pitcher #35
    Ashcraft breezed through three scoreless innings before the Angels got to him for a run on two hits in the fourth. He ran into more trouble in the fifth, giving up a solo homer to Josh Lowe and a second run in the frame on a pair of hits. Ashcraft would finish out the fifth and end his day at 67 pitches with nine strikeouts. The 67 pitches were a season-low for him, though he’s already surpassed last season’s innings total by nearly 50. The 26-year-old right-hander will take a 3.65 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 173/35 K/BB ratio across 165 1/3 innings into a start against the Cubs in Chicago on Friday.
  • PIT Starting Pitcher #35
    Ashcraft was yanked after 71 pitches today, which could be a sign that the Pirates are beginning to monitor his workload. He’s at 160 1/3 innings for the season, which is 42 more than his previous career high from last year. Because of that, he probably won’t be allowed to put in a full September. He’s due to make his next start Saturday against the Angels.
  • PIT Starting Pitcher #35
    Ashcraft appeared to get through six scoreless, only to lose the shutout on a balk. He then left with a one-run lead that failed to hold up. It’s unclear how many more starts Ashcraft, who has now thrown 39 more innings than his previous career high, will make with the Pirates nearly out of contention at this point, but he’s still thriving, having allowed exactly one run in three straight starts. He’s in line to face the Cardinals on Sunday, but the Pirates have Thursday and Monday off if they want to give him some extra time.
  • PIT Starting Pitcher #35
    Ashcraft gave up five hits, walked none and struck out four. He improved to 13-5 with the win. Ashcraft allowed a solo home run to Brett Callahan in the fifth inning, but otherwise held the Tigers scoreless over eight innings. He’s allowed two earned runs in 17 innings with 14 strikeouts and one walk over his last two starts. Ashcraft has a 3.68 ERA. He’s lined up to face the Padres on the road next Monday.
  • PIT Starting Pitcher #35
    It was a shutout until the ninth, when Owen Caissie hit one out to cut the lead to 13-1. Ashcraft had allowed 21 runs in his last five starts entering today, along with seven homers, so this qualifies as a bit of a course correction. Ashcraft generated a 30 percent whiff rate on 33 swings, with both the curveball and slider drawing misses while he touched 99.2 mph on the gun with his fastball. Ashcraft draws the Tigers in his next start, hopefully he can keep this form going.
  • PIT Starting Pitcher #35
    Ashcraft is now 15 innings over his previous career high from last year, and while it hasn’t taken a toll on his velocity at all, his results are suffering; he’s given up 22 earned runs over 24 innings in his last five starts, taking his ERA from 3.24 to 4.08. There was nothing illegitimate about his first-half numbers, but it could be a bumpy ride here in August and September. He’ll face the Marlins next week.

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  • LAD Right Fielder #23
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    Kyle Tucker went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, leading the Dodgers to a 5-3 win over the Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday.

    Tucker came through with a signature moment in his Dodgers playoff debut after a calamitous regular season where he career-worst .715 OPS. The 29-year-old marquee free agent addition crushed a 408-foot no-doubter to right field off Atlanta reliever AJ Smith-Shawver to give Los Angeles a commanding 4-1 advantage in the sixth inning. He also singled and stole a base in his first postseason contest in a Dodgers uniform.
  • ATL 2nd Baseman #1
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    Ozzie Albies clobbered a two-run homer in a loss to the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday.

    Albies took Dodgers lefty reliever Tanner Scott deep in the ninth inning to pull Atlanta within a pair of runs at the time. It was his second round-tripper of the postseason. The 29-year-old second baseman gave Atlanta a chance in the final frame, but they were unable to erase a four-run deficit in the final frame.
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    Teoscar Hernández went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer against the Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday.

    Hernández put Los Angeles ahead with a gargantuan 431-foot blast against Atlanta reliever Victor Mederos in the fourth inning. He finished 2-for-4 at the dish prior to being lifted for a defensive replacement. The 33-year-old continues to deliver down the stretch for the Dodgers after slumping for most of the season.
  • LAD Relief Pitcher #59
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    Evan Phillips recorded the final out of the ninth inning against the Braves to pick up a save in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday.

    Phillips was called upon to record the final out of the ninth inning with Los Angeles leading by a pair of runs after Tanner Scott served up a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies before managing to record a pair of outs. He issued a walk to Mauricio Dubón before coaxing a game-ending ground out from Austin Riley.
  • LAD Starting Pitcher #29
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    Tarik Skubal recorded seven strikeouts and allowed one run over six innings to pick up a win against the Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday.

    Skubal offered a reminder of why he was the most coveted pitcher available at the trade deadline, delivering a dominant performance in his Los Angeles playoff debut. The 29-year-old impending free agent retired 15 consecutive batters following a leadoff single to Drake Baldwin, carrying a shutout into the sixth inning before Sean Murphy connected for a solo homer that represented the lone run against him. He threw 94 pitches (64 strikes) and allowed just four baserunners over six impressive frames. He figures to get the ball for a decisive Game 5 of the best-of-five series if it gets that far.
  • ATL Starting Pitcher #46
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    Dylan Dodd struck out four over three scoreless innings against the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday.

    Dodd scattered a pair of hits over three nearly flawless frames, needing just 47 pitches to record nine outs. The 28-year-old lefty gave Atlanta a chance in the early stages of the contest, but they were unable to manufacture enough offense against Tarik Skubal and the Los Angeles bullpen to avoid a series-opening defeat. He figures to be an option for the Braves as an opener for the remainder of the series.
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    Ethan Salas is at catcher and hitting seventh for Game 1 of the NLDS against the Brewers on Saturday.

    Salas earns his second consecutive nod behind the plate as the Padres kick off a best-of-five matchup against a powerhouse Brewers squad. The 20-year-old prodigy, who is a revelation from a defensive standpoint, has gone 1-for-2 with an RBI in the postseason. Here’s the full lineup: Fernando Tatis Jr. (RF), Dustin Harris (LF), Manny Machado (3B), Ty France (1B), Jackson Merrill (CF), Xander Bogaerts (SS), Salas (C), Luis Campusano (DH) and Jake Cronenworth (2B).
  • CWS Starting Pitcher #59
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    White Sox manager Will Venable told reporters Sean Burke will play a role in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Guardians.

    Venable declined to name a Game 2 starter, but went out of his way to state that Burke will play a large role. The 26-year-old struck out eight and allowed three solo homers over four innings in his playoff debut against the Astros earlier this week. It’s possible Chicago decides to throw out an opener ahead of Burke, but he’s going to play a large role in their Game 2 showdown on Monday.
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    Luis Lara is in right field and hitting seventh in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres on Saturday.

    The biggest development here is Lara getting the nod in right field with Jake Bauers at the cold corner over Andrew Vaughn. It doesn’t come as a surprise to see Bauers in the lineup, but the widely-held assumption was that he would be their primary right fielder in the postseason. It’s basically Lara getting the nod over Andrew Vaughn to face Padres lefty Robbie Ray. Here’s the full lineup: Jackson Chourio (LF), Brice Turang (2B), William Contreras (C), Bauers (1B), Christian Yelich (DH), Cooper Pratt (SS), Lara (RF), Garrett Mitchell (CF) and Joey Ortiz.
  • MIL Starting Pitcher #53
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    Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) confirmed the World Series would be the earliest he could return.

    There hasn’t been any official clarity from either the Brewers or Woodruff after he underwent followup imaging on his shoulder in late September. The 33-year-old has been cleared to resume throwing and is presumably ramping up his pitch count and stamina in an effort to contribute if Milwaukee makes a deep postseason run.