The 2026 MLB season enters its final twenty-four days with the playoff picture compressed into something genuinely unresolved. The Milwaukee Brewers hold the best record in the National League at 87-53. The Tampa Bay Rays lead the American League East at 83-56. In between, six teams are separated by fewer than three games for the last wild card spots in each league — and on September 3, the St. Louis Cardinals took the Dodgers to ten innings and won 8-6 on a two-strike infield single by Thomas Saggese.
That is what baseball looks like in September when the standings are real. Every game carries a weight the sport usually saves for later in the month.
Baseball Games Today (September 3, 2026)
The most notable result from Wednesday’s slate: the Cardinals defeated the Dodgers 8-6 in ten innings at Busch Stadium. Thomas Saggese delivered the go-ahead infield single in the tenth. The loss dropped Los Angeles to 82-57 on the season, though the Dodgers still hold first place in the NL West by a comfortable margin.
For the full scoreboard with all games in progress and today’s complete results, visit today’s baseball scores. Live updates and box scores are posted at CBS Sports throughout the day.
Baseball Schedule: This Week
The 2026 regular season runs through September 27. Every series from this point carries playoff implications for at least one club in the matchup. Teams protecting leads in their divisions face pressure from clubs still chasing wild card berths, and the schedule in early September tends to front-load interleague and divisional intensity before teams settle into their final regular-season pushes.
For the complete week-by-week schedule with broadcast times and channels, the official schedule page is updated daily.
MLB Standings (September 3, 2026)
| Division | Leader | W | L | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL East | Tampa Bay Rays | 83 | 56 | .597 |
| AL Central | Chicago White Sox | 73 | 66 | .525 |
| AL West | Houston Astros | 71 | 69 | .507 |
| NL East | Atlanta Braves | 83 | 57 | .593 |
| NL Central | Milwaukee Brewers | 87 | 53 | .621 |
| NL West | Los Angeles Dodgers | 82 | 57 | .590 |
| Standings as of September 3, 2026. Live standings at MLB.com/standings. | ||||
The Brewers own the best record in baseball at 87-53, putting them in line for the top seed in the National League and home field advantage through the NL playoffs. The Rays lead the AL East but face a tighter race in the American League, where four teams remain in realistic contention for the three wild card spots.
MLB Wild Card Race
The 2026 MLB playoff format includes twelve teams — three division winners and three wild card teams from each league. Wild card teams are seeded fourth, fifth, and sixth in each bracket and face a best-of-three series against one another in the first round before advancing to the Division Series.
In the American League, the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Guardians currently occupy the three wild card spots. Baltimore is approximately 1.5 games back. That separation is narrow enough that two or three losses in a row can flip the order entirely.
In the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies (79-61), Chicago Cubs (78-62), and Arizona Diamondbacks (74-67) hold the wild card positions. The gap between the Phillies and the D-backs is five games — larger than the AL side, but still close enough to move before the final week of the season.
The regular season ends September 27. The playoffs begin in early October.
Baseball Scores and Results
For yesterday’s results and historical scores from the 2026 season, CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports both maintain searchable scoreboard archives. The official scoreboard is the primary source and updates live throughout each game.
The 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia featured Shohei Ohtani, Dylan Cease, and Jose Sanchez among the headliners and marked the unofficial midpoint of the season. Both leagues have held their form since the break.
How to Watch Baseball Games Tonight
National television broadcasts in the United States air on ESPN, Fox and FS1, Apple TV+ for Friday Night Baseball, and Peacock for select games. Regional Sports Networks carry local team broadcasts in most major markets.
Out-of-market access is available through the out-of-market streaming service at mlb.com/tv. The service streams every game not subject to local blackout restrictions across phones, tablets, smart TVs, and streaming devices. Blackout rules apply based on the viewer’s local market — check the site for details.
For specific broadcast assignments by game, the official game schedule lists the network for each game as it is confirmed.
About the 2026 MLB Season
The 2026 regular season opened March 26 and runs 162 games per team through September 27. It is the second full season under the current collective bargaining structure and the first in which the league’s new broadcast package — splitting games across Fox, ESPN, Apple TV+, and Peacock — has been fully operational.
The Brewers have been the most consistent team in baseball this season. Tampa Bay’s resurgence, built on pitching depth and a payroll that sits well below the league’s luxury-tax threshold, has been the story of the American League. The payroll gap between the Rays and teams like the Dodgers has attracted significant attention from analysts examining how Tampa Bay has stayed competitive without matching the spending of the NL West’s dominant club.
The Dodgers remain the defending World Series champions after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in seven games in 2025. Their full 2026 schedule and matchup history against the Blue Jays is covered in detail in the Dodgers vs Blue Jays hub.
What Baseball Games Are on Today?
September 3 included action across the full slate. The Cardinals defeated the Dodgers 8-6 in ten innings, one of the day’s late results. For the full game list and live scores, visit mlb.com/scores or check your local listings for broadcast times.
What Time Do Baseball Games Start Tonight?
Game times vary by broadcast and market. Most evening games start between 6:40pm and 7:10pm local time, with West Coast starts typically scheduled for 7:05pm or 7:10pm PT. Afternoon games on weekdays usually begin at 12:05pm or 1:05pm ET. Apple TV+ Friday Night Baseball games are typically scheduled for 7:05pm ET. Check mlb.com/schedule for exact times for each game.
How Long Is a Baseball Game?
The average game in 2026 runs approximately two hours and thirty minutes under the pitch clock rules introduced in 2023. Pace-of-play measures have reduced game times significantly from the three-hour-plus average of the early 2020s. Extra-inning games, which begin each inning beyond the ninth with a runner on second base, typically add between fifteen and thirty minutes per extra frame.
How Many Games Are in an MLB Season?
Each of the 30 clubs plays 162 games in the regular season. The 2026 season runs from March 26 through September 27. Postseason play begins in early October with the Wild Card Series.
How Do I Check Live Baseball Scores?
The fastest options for live scores are mlb.com/scores, the official app, ESPN, Yahoo Sports, and CBS Sports. All four platforms update in real time and include play-by-play, pitch data, and box scores. The app is available for iOS and Android.
What Channel Are Baseball Games On?
In 2026, national games air on ESPN, Fox, FS1, Apple TV+ (Friday Night Baseball), and Peacock. Regional Sports Networks carry local team broadcasts. For the specific channel for a given game, check the official schedule page or your cable provider’s listings.
What Are the Current MLB Standings?
As of September 3, the Brewers (87-53) lead the NL, the Rays (83-56) lead the AL East, and the Braves (83-57) lead the NL East. The Dodgers (82-57) are first in the NL West. Full standings are listed above and updated daily at mlb.com/standings.
When Do MLB Playoffs Start in 2026?
The 2026 regular season ends September 27. The Wild Card Series, the first round of the playoffs, begins in early October. The exact date is confirmed as the regular season concludes and playoff seedings are set.
What Is the MLB Wild Card?
Each league sends six teams to the postseason: three division winners and three wild card teams. The wild card teams are the three clubs with the best records among non-division winners. The three wild card teams in each league play a best-of-three Wild Card Series before advancing to the Division Series if they win.
How Do I Watch Baseball Games Online?
The primary streaming service for out-of-market games is available at mlb.com/tv and through the official app, as well as smart TV platforms including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Apple TV+ carries a select Friday night game each week as part of its Friday Night Baseball package, available with an Apple TV+ subscription. Local blackout rules apply — games in your home market may not be available through the service.
The 2026 regular season ends September 27. Twenty-four days, which is not a lot when you are three games out of a wild card spot. The next four weeks will sort it.
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