playoffs

The WNBA playoffs are underway, with the first-round series now in progress. Fans are following the opening games and debating the matchups, title contenders and star players to watch as the postseason gets going. The league's latest playoff run is drawing attention across sports circles as results start coming in.

The Philadelphia Phillies are in danger of one of the biggest postseason collapses in baseball history. After a strong stretch of the playoffs, the team is facing elimination in its current series, and fans and commentators are debating whether the club can recover or will go down as a historic postseason failure.

Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever are set to meet in the WNBA playoffs, with attention on Aces star A'ja Wilson, who says she is focused despite a lingering back injury. She described her mindset as "still got a job to do" as the post-season begins, with the series shaping up as one of the talking points of the opening round.

The Philadelphia Phillies were shut out by the Tampa Bay Rays, stretching their losing streak as the National League wild card race goes down to the final games. Rays slugger Junior Caminero hit his 42nd home run, driving in his 100th run of the season. Philadelphia holds the third wild card spot by just one game over the surging Arizona Diamondbacks, who have won six straight, leaving the postseason picture undecided until the last day.

The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers are meeting in a late-September series drawing heavy attention. Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy are out of the Dodgers lineup, a notable absence with the season winding down. Coverage also highlights Kyle Tucker and the Dodgers facing the Giants on September 26, and notes Los Angeles made baseball history against San Francisco dating back to 1958.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman threw a bullpen session as he tests his injured shoulder ahead of the Wild Card Series, according to The Athletic. His availability for the playoff rotation is one of the biggest questions facing his team entering the postseason, and fans are watching closely for word on whether he will be cleared to start.

With the MLB regular season winding down, only a couple of playoff spots remain undecided. Houston will clinch a postseason berth unless it loses and Texas wins. Houston led Oakland 6-0 after six innings, while Texas trailed Minnesota 5-1 at the same stage, making the Rangers' path look unlikely.

The Las Vegas Aces face the Indiana Fever in Game 1 of their WNBA playoff series, with the New York Post predicting Caitlin Clark and the Fever will push the reigning champions despite their underdog status. The matchup pits the league's most-watched young star against the recent champions, drawing wide attention from basketball fans.

The Chicago White Sox took on the Colorado Rockies in an MLB matchup drawing attention in Japan, where Rockies starter Tomoyoshi Sugano allowed two home runs to Munetaki Murakami. Sugano, in his second MLB season, finished 12-12 and said Murakami looked like he had grown even since Japan. Japanese sports outlets also noted the possibility of a rare all-Chicago World Series, with both the Cubs and White Sox in playoff contention.

Major League Baseball has released the schedule for the Wild Card Series round of the postseason. The matchups include the Chicago Cubs travelling to face the San Diego Padres, while the Chicago White Sox will play either the Houston Astros or the Texas Rangers. Fans in Chicago and across the league are now locking in their viewing plans as the playoff picture takes shape.

The 2026 MLB playoff picture is taking shape, with the AL West title and an NL wild card spot still up for grabs as the standings tighten. Fans and analysts are tracking which teams will secure division crowns and which clubs will grab the remaining wild card berths as the race reaches its decisive stage.

MLB.com has published an updated overview of the current Major League Baseball playoff picture, laying out the postseason bracket, the standings scenarios and the tiebreaker procedures that would decide races still unresolved. With the regular season entering its decisive stretch, fans are checking where their teams stand and which head-to-head results could shuffle seeding. The league's explainer is aimed at clarifying how tiebreakers would play out if teams finish level.

Major League Baseball has published its schedule for the 2026 postseason, laying out the dates for the wild card rounds, division series, league championship series and World Series. Fans are checking the calendar to plan around key games as the league looks ahead to next season's playoffs following the conclusion of the current championship race.

Fans across the United States are checking NFL standings ahead of Week 3, with fantasy football managers also tracking injuries, last-minute roster moves and favorable matchups. Coverage from major outlets is highlighting which players to start or sit, as early-season results begin to shape division races and playoff pictures.

The New York Yankees have set their pitching rotation for the American League Wild Card Series, with rookie Cam Schlittler named as the Game 1 starter. The decision signals how the club plans to line up its arms for the postseason opener, with the rest of the series rotation now also settled as the playoffs begin.

MLB's 2026 postseason schedule has been published, laying out when the playoffs begin and how the postseason will unfold. Fans are checking the dates to plan for the wild card round, division series, league championship series and World Series, and to follow their teams' potential paths through October baseball.

On this day in 2020, the Boston Celtics were eliminated from the Eastern Conference Finals, falling to the Miami Heat in six games inside the NBA's pandemic bubble at Walt Disney World in Florida. The series, played without fans amid COVID-19 restrictions, marked Miami's return to the NBA Finals and ended Boston's bid for a first championship since 2008.

Week 3 of the NFL season wrapped up Sunday, and ESPN has published a recap pulling together the biggest takeaways, lingering questions and fantasy football implications from the day's games. Fans and fantasy managers are poring over the results to judge early-season trends, breakout players and what Week 3 performances mean for rosters and playoff outlooks going forward.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' next steps in the Major League Baseball postseason are the subject of a new explainer laying out what fans can expect from the club. The piece addresses common questions about the team's playoff path and prospects as October baseball gets underway.

The Philadelphia Phillies have activated left-hander Jesús Luzardo off the injured list ahead of Game 162, the final game of the regular season. However, the team has not decided how or even whether he will pitch, keeping his role for the season finale and potentially the playoffs uncertain as Philadelphia fine-tunes its roster.

Week 3 of the NFL season is here, and The Athletic has laid out the key storylines to follow. Several 0-2 teams face must-win pressure to avoid falling out of the playoff race early, multiple backup quarterbacks are being pressed into starting duty after injuries, and one matchup pits two head coaches named Sean against each other.

The San Diego Padres have made a series of recent roster moves that carry significant implications for how the team will be constructed for the playoffs. The changes are being watched closely by fans and analysts, as decisions on which players to carry could influence the club's postseason chances.

The Houston Astros faced the Athletics on September 27, 2026, with MLB publishing a game recap covering the final score and standout plays. The summary offers fans a quick look at the key moments of the matchup, part of MLB's standard coverage as the regular season winds down and playoff races reach their decisive stages.

The Cleveland Guardians faced the Kansas City Royals on September 27, 2026, with a full game recap and highlight plays published covering the result and standout moments from the contest. Fans are following the final stretch of the regular season, where every AL Central division game carries weight for standings and playoff positioning.

The Texas Rangers faced the Minnesota Twins on September 27, 2026, with a game recap and highlight plays now available. Fans are checking key results and standout moments as the MLB season approaches its final stretch, when every game can affect standings and playoff positioning.

CBS Sports has published its updated bowl game projections ahead of Week 5 of the college football season. The predictions map out which teams are expected to reach postseason bowl games and the biggest matchups, including College Football Playoff spots. With several undefeated teams still standing and conference races taking shape, fans and analysts are debating where their programs will land in December and January.

The Indiana Fever are preparing for a playoff matchup against the Las Vegas Aces, the reigning WNBA champions. Coverage notes the spotlight on the Fever has never been brighter, with the sentiment that "everybody's watching" as the underdog Indiana side takes on the league's most dominant team in a high-stakes postseason series.

Major League Baseball has announced the television schedule for the 2026 Wild Card round, laying out which games will air on which networks and at what times. Details on specific broadcast assignments remain limited so far, but the release gives fans and broadcasters an early look at how October playoff coverage will be organised next season.