NL Central rivals Milwaukee and Chicago collide in the NLDS, setting up a glove-driven war where outs and range trump home run swing diplomacy. Cubs’ infield leaders Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson anchor a top-tier defense, with Pete Crow-Armstrong patrolling center and contributing range. Milwaukee counters with Brice Turang, William Contreras, Joey Ortiz and Sal Frelick delivering elite play on the dirt and behind the plate. The series leans on defense, with both clubs excelling in defensive metrics and turning batted balls into outs.

Defensive metrics back the storyline: Cubs sit just behind the league leaders in defensive efficiency, fielding run value and outs above average, while Milwaukee sits solidly in the upper tier. In a best-of-five, the glove work could swing the balance in tight games, elevating pitching and situational defense as the ultimate differentiator.

Boston walked off Detroit 4-3 as Ceddanne Rafaela lined a 1-0 pitch to center that dropped after Parker Meadows leaped, sending Romy Gonzalez home with the winner. Jarren Duran tied it with an eighth-inning RBI, and the Red Sox clinched a postseason berth with two games to spare, two games clear of Detroit and three ahead of Houston.

Boston will play a road wild-card series, with Giolito slated for Game 2 and Crochet likely to start Game 1, while the club celebrated in Green Monster jerseys and eyed a rotation plan designed to maximize October results. A rookie addition, Roman Anthony, remains a hopeful spark as Boston rides this momentum.