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Ray Ratto

Freddie Freeman points his bat at the sky in the foreground while various Dodgers fans watch his game-winning grand slam home run and freak out in the background. This was from Game 1 of the 2024 World Series, at Dodgers Stadium.

That’s How You Start A World Series

David Roth

Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees grimaces/smirks after a strikeout in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during Game Four of the ALCS.

Podcasts

There’s No Rutgers Football In The Champagne Room

Pete Alonso flat on the ground with the brim of his helmet jammed into the earth after fouling a ball off his foot in Game Six of the NLCS in Los Angeles on October 20, 2024.

The Mets Ran Out Of Magic

Barry Petchesky

Let Me Push The Win Button

Manager Dave Roberts celebrates with bench coach Danny Lehmann, right, as the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after defeating the New York Mets 10-5 to win game 6 of a National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 20, 2024.

History Is For The Dead And The Boring

Tom Ley

Juan Soto #22 and Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrate after Soto hit a home run in the 10th inning against the Cleveland Guardians during Game Five of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Yankees Have Power In All The Right Places

Albert Burneko

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 17: David Fry #6 of the Cleveland Guardians gets doused with water after hitting a walk off two-run home run to beat the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS presented by loanDepot at Progressive Field on Thursday, October 17, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Elder Wisdom

Point/Counterpoint: Friday Night Playoff Games

Kathryn Xu

Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers returns to the dugout after winning Game 4 of the NLCS.

Dodgers Lifehack: Just Don’t Chase, Dummy

Harrison Bader (left) and Jesse Winker (right) celebrate in the outfield at CitiField after the Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. Bader is yelling; Winker, also yelling, kind of looks like a snake a little bit.

The Hazards Of Beef Tourism, With Rohan Nadkarni

CHIMCHIME, ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - 2024/10/13: (EDITORS NOTE: Image taken with drone) In this aerial view, the domed roof at Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, is seen ripped to shreds from Hurricane Miltonís powerful winds in St. Petersburg. The storm passed through the area on October 10, 2024, making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Siesta Key, Florida. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Where Should The Rays Play?

Max Muncy of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches his home run sail out to right field in Game 3 of the NLCS in New York.

The Dodgers Are More Than Advertised

Dave McKenna

Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a two-run home run in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians during Game Two of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2024 in New York City.

Aaron Judge Finally Woke Up

Lauren Theisen

Mark Vientos rounds first base after hitting a grand slam

Mark Vientos Blew The Dodgers Away

Screengrab of TBS showing a bad score bug that makes it look like there's always a runner on second.

TBS’s Score Bug Is Dreadful

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Lane Thomas #8 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a grand slam during the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers during Game Five of the Division Series at Progressive Field on October 12, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Lane Thomas Put Detroit’s Ace In A Hole 

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

A screenshot of Thursday's game on TNT, showing the action pushed over to the left side of the screen.

MLB’s Television Product Is Getting Shittier In Exciting New Ways

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ryan Brasier (57) hands the ball to manager Dave Roberts as he is taken out of the game one of the National League Division Series game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 5, 2024.

It Takes A Village To Pitch A Shutout

A drone image shows the dome of Tropicana Field which has been torn open due to Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10, 2024. At least four people were confirmed killed as a result of two tornadoes triggered by Hurricane Milton on the east coast of the US state of Florida, local authorities said Thursday. (Photo by Bryan R. SMITH / AFP)

Tropicana Field Shredded By Hurricane Milton

Francisco Lindor Has Been Waiting Years For This

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 09: The New York Mets celebrate after winning Game 4 of the Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 in New York, New York. The New York Mets won 4-1 and will advance to the NLCS. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

God Appears To Have Given The Mets A Big Sloppy Kiss On The Mouth

San Diego Padres mascot Swinging Friar poses with a "Beat LA" sign

Don’t Underestimate The Power Of Spite

Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Padres screams triumphantly in the outfield at the end of his team's Game 3 win in the National League Divisional Series on October 8, 2024.

The Padres Keep Getting Louder

Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in a scene from the film 'Groundhog Day', directed by Harold Ramis, 1993.

This Is So Stupid

You’re Stuck In A Time Loop. How Are You Helping Your Team Win A Game?

Tarik Skubal Didn’t Need Much Help

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

Long angle shot of Bryce Harper standing there, back 3/4 to the camera, looking at the ball. He's just hit a homer. Behind him in the photo is the Phillies dugout watching, and fans going wild in the stands. It's a long shot, about 25-30 rows of fans.

MLB