Paul Skenes closed his rookie season with six scoreless innings against Cincinnati, finishing 10-10 but posting a 1.97 ERA, 216 strikeouts and a 0.95 WHIP. He delivered a historically elite season even as Pittsburgh capped off a 20-games-under-.500 campaign, underscoring run support gaps and bullpen volatility. Starling Marte launched a late homer, Tyler Stephenson knotted the game in the ninth, and Pittsburgh walked it off in 11. Offense stalled with O'Neil Cruz at .201 and Bryan Reynolds with 16 homers, leaving questions about next year’s lineup around their ace.

In a season defined by Skenes’s ceiling versus team outcomes, the Pirates must decide how to pair him with a more reliable offense and a steadier bullpen. If Pittsburgh can bolster the lineup and stabilize late-game results, Skenes’s fantasy and real-world upside could be transformative in 2026, with the rest of the roster finally providing the support his dominance demands.

New York surged for six in the fourth to overturn a 4-1 deficit, riding Juan Soto’s three-run homer to a 12-6 win over Washington as the Mets stay in the NL wild-card mix. Lindor, Alvarez and Nimmo backed the rally, and Soto’s 42nd homer vaults him onto the Mets’ single-season list alongside Hundley and Beltrán. Four errors mudded the night, but New York’s offense kept pace in a tight playoff chase with Diamondbacks looming.

The Cubs’ offense remains a fluctuating theme as they drop another 4-1 decision to Atlanta. Elder kept Chicago blanked for the second time in a week, while Imanaga labored early but steadied into six innings. Nico Hoerner provided Chicago’s lone extra-base hit with a double, and Matt Shaw added a seventh-inning sac fly, but the Cubs’ bats didn’t sustain pressure. With 18 games left, the Cubs must bolt their lineup back to consistent scoring to chase the playoffs. Atlanta, leaning on a sharp first inning and a resilient bullpen, holds serve as the schedule tightens.

Imanaga’s adjustments after the first helped limit damage, but the Braves’ early onslaught set the tone. Hoerner stressed the need for a unified, high-intensity approach, while the Cubs look to rebound with offensive stability. The Braves’ aggression in the opening frame underscored the gap the Cubs must close, especially as the postseason picture nears.