2026 MLB Playoffs begin with Wild Card Round

The 2026 MLB Playoffs started on Tuesday with all four best-of-three Wild Card series getting underway. The Atlanta Braves defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 behind an eighth-inning three-run home run from Austin Riley. In the American League, the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 6-3, and the New York Yankees shut out the Boston Red Sox 9-0 thanks to two home runs from Ben Rice.

Elsewhere, the San Diego Padres earned an 8-0 shutout victory against the Chicago Cubs as Michael King tossed seven scoreless innings. Separately, MLB announced its September Players of the Month, honoring Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jared Jones as National League Pitcher of the Month and teammate Mason Montgomery as NL Reliever of the Month.