Reds at Dodgers Wild Card Game 2 prediction: Odds, expert picks, pitching matchup, trends, and stats  —  Preparing to defend their World Series crown, the Dodgers seemed to awaken from their summer slumber in the final week or two of the regular season winning nine of their last 11 games.

Ohtani and Hernández power Dodgers past Reds 10-5 with 2 homers each in Wild Card Series opener  —  Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández hit two home runs apiece, Blake Snell struck out nine over seven strong innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-5 in their NL Wild Card Series opener Tuesday night.

Yankees bullpen falters again in playoff-opening loss to the Red Sox  —  The bullpen that has been one of the New York Yankees' biggest weaknesses this season faltered again in their playoff opener and has them on the brink of being eliminated by the rival Boston Red Sox.

Bruce Bochy out as Texas Rangers' manager  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Bruce Bochy will not return as manager of the Texas Rangers after a three-year stint that began with the franchise's first World Series championship in 2023 before missing the playoffs and not having a winning record in both seasons since then.

Even star players like Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman must get back to basics during hitting slumps  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Freddie Freeman's father long has been the one in his ear with an encouraging word and some advice to simplify his swing.  —  Even now, in his mid-30s, he still hears it from dad: Return to the tee.

Ron Washington reportedly won't return as Angels manager after two seasons  —  Ron Washington will not return for a third season as the Los Angeles Angels manager, The Athletic reported.  The Angels hadn't publicly announced their decision Tuesday on Washington, who missed roughly half …

Brian Snitker, who managed Braves to 2021 World Series title, won't return to dugout next season  —  ATLANTA — Brian Snitker, who managed the Atlanta Braves to the 2021 World Series championship as the highlight of almost a half-century with the organization, will not return to the dugout next season.

Suzuki and Kelly hit back-to-back homers as the Cubs top the Padres 3-1 in playoff opener  —  Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back homers, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Tuesday in Game 1 of their NL Wild Card Series.  Chicago also got a perfect performance …

Twins fire manager Rocco Baldelli after 70-92 season  —  MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli on Monday, ending his seven-year tenure that included three American League Central titles after a second straight disappointing season.  —  “This is a difficult …

Mets fumble final shot at October: 'It's a failure'  —  MIAMI — In the end, after an unfathomable 3½-month descent that suggested they were more bottom feeder than World Series contender, the New York Mets' assignment Sunday was simple: Beat the Miami Marlins and October baseball would follow.