Australia begins Day 4 in Durban with a 139-run lead over South Africa with all ten second-innings wickets intact, but with a tricky batting dilemma to ponder. Live updates below!
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
Manchester City unrepentant in victory, Spurs make progress of a sort and Noni Madueke meets the moment
The manner of Manchester City’s victory at Liverpool was an article of both vindication and vilification. Those gleefully wielding inflatable bananas in the Anfield away end could thumb their noses. Why not enjoy the dances of defiance until the music stops? The same went for City players, asked to perform under the darkest of clouds, able to focus, at last, on football, rather than legal argument and uncertain futures. Beyond City, the sight of a club found guilty of 100-plus charges laying waste to such rivals as Liverpool was deeply uncomfortable. The Premier League season and product are badly damaged until the matter is somehow resolved. What happened at Anfield should double the haste for a resolution. Chants of “cheat” whenever City players, the game already won, slipped the ball around, are bound to be repeated at other stadiums. Enzo Maresca has described his club’s plight as “noise” but his team’s victory did absolutely nothing to turn the volume down. John Brewin
Match report: Liverpool 0-3 Manchester City
Match report: Crystal Palace 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Match report: Hull City 2-2 Everton
Continue reading...How Brewers squeezed Dodgers to win torturous NLCS opener: 'Gotta love it'
MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers knew the magnitude of this one.
It was just Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night at American Family Field, but they had their ace, Jacob Misiorowski on the mound. They had a fresh bullpen. They had momentum.
They also had the bitter memory of a year ago that needed to be erased.
You see, the Brewers were in this same position a year ago, facing the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, with home field advantage.
The Dodgers embarrassed them.
It was humiliating, really.
The Brewers not only were swept, but they didn’t lead a single inning, and set a dubious postseason record hitting just .118.
So now, after winning Game 1, 2-1, with their vaunted bullpen picking up Misiorowski and shutting down the Dodgers’ powerful offense, just what did this game mean to their psyche?
“Well," said Brewers closer Trevor Megill, “we ain’t getting swept now. We can relax a little bit."
Don’t let the Brewers fool you. They know how important this game meant for their chances to go where no Brewer team has gone since 1982 with a World Series berth.
“I think that was huge," Brewers left-handed reliever DL Hall said. “Momentum plays a big part in the postseason."
The series wouldn’t have been over with a loss, but with World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamto taking the mound Monday in Game 2 for the Dodgers, the Brewers simply couldn’t afford to head to Los Angeles down 2-0 and still be confident of a return trip to Milwaukee for a potential Game 6.
Now, for the first time since 2021, the Dodgers are trailing in the NLCS, while the Brewers are not only surviving, but embracing their heart-stopping close games.
“You can't go into a long series against a team that has the best record in baseball," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “and expect to just win four. It's going to be a long series. We knew it coming in. We had our chances, but they made plays, pitches when they needed to. We've just got to reset."
The Brewers certainly are developing a knack for these tense moments. They are only the third team in postseason history not to lead or trail by more than two runs in a game, joining the 1915 Red Sox and Phillies. And they are only the fourth club in the last 110 teams to have each of their first five games decided by two or fewer runs.
“Hey," said Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell, “it’s Brewer baseball. We never give up, man."
It’s not as if the Brewers smacked around two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal for five innings or the Dodgers bullpen, producing just six hits the entire game. Their own ace, Misiorowski, lasted just 4 ½ innings. But, oh, that bullpen. It no longer is the best-kept secret in the game.
The Brewers’ bullpen, which gave up just two hits in 4 ⅔ shutout innings, has yielded a 0.38 ERA this postseason. They have pitched 23 ⅔ innings in the first five games have a .163 batting average batting average against, with only three extra-base hits, and nine strikeouts.
“Everyone down there throws a sinker," said Aaron Ashby, who pitched two scoreless innings. “Getting the ball on the ground certainly helps limiting damage. And everyone’s got a swing-and-miss pitch to offer. So, it helps when you have swing-and-miss stuff in the postseason….
“I just think we have a great combination and variety."
The last time a bullpen had this low of an ERA in the first games of a postseason since the divisional era in 1969 was the 2006 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.
“I don't know how you could get more out of them," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We're squeezing everything we can, and they just get better and more confident. They're making pitches and pick each other up.
“They don't care. They just want to get outs for the Milwaukee Brewers, and that's the beauty of it. Everything else that will come their way will be a result of just caring so much about the team and not just about themselves.’’
The same attitude is reflected by its offense. They bunted. They hit-and-ran. They moved runners over. They tried to steal. They even got a homer from second baseman Brice Turang.
It was Brewer baseball.
You get a feeling this could be their year when Turang, who hit just .067 (1-for-15) against the Dodgers in last year’s NLCS, hit a 96-mph fastball on the black on the inside part of the plate for a home run to lead off the fourth inning.
“I’m going to tip my hat on a pitch like that," Skubal said. “A 2-0 sinker in, I mean, I’m going to live with that left on left."
Turang, who was working on his swing late into the evening Friday, said it brought back memories growing up and spending the night in the batting cage.
“I just didn’t want to foul off my knee again," Turang said. “That’s one way to help you stay inside of a ball is hit a ball off your leg or your foot . ... It definitely felt good. It was one of those things where you just are trying to do something, and you end up doing something like that."
It was no different for Brewers 21-year-old rookie Luis Lara, with only 61 games of big-league experience, who stepped up to the plate in the fifth inning. Mitchell led off the inning with a walk. Fellow rookie Cooper Pratt moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. And Lara slapped a single up the middle on a changeup for a 2-1 lead that the Brewers’ bullpen refused to relinquish.
“The dream for me is to win the World Series," he said. “That will be the dream moment is when we’re able to complete that. Obviously, very happy that I was able to come through for my teammates and that we were able to get the win."
It’s the little things that enabled them to win a major-league leading 103 games this season, despite having the second-lowest home run total in baseball.
How do they pull it off?
“I think the buy-in factor," Turang says, “with everyone buying into what we're trying to accomplish and kind of our style of play. Guys are getting more experience, they're learning the game. That's a big factor in this. Then not giving up when we are behind in the game and knowing that we can do it, we can make up runs.
"This group is really, really good with that.’’
They proved that during the season, and now, they’re doing it in the postseason, this time for all of the world to see.
“Just Brewers baseball,’’ Megill said. “You gotta love it.’’
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Brewers squeezed Dodgers to win torturous NLCS opener: 'Gotta love it'
Will Smith is in a slump, but benching him isn't an option for Dodgers
The Dodgers have a big hole in the middle of their batting order, and it’s not Shohei Ohtani.
If anything, Ohtani has reemerged as an offensive force in the cleanup spot, singling, walking and scoring the Dodgers’ only run Sunday in a 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
The problem is with the guy hitting in front of Ohtani.
Will Smith walked in four plate appearances, marking just the second time he’s reached base in the postseason. In the four division series games against the Atlanta Braves, he had a single in 16 at-bats, striking out seven times. He’s hitting .053 in the playoffs — only Cleveland’s Ángel Martínez has a lower average among players with at least nine at-bats.
But there’s not much the Dodgers can do about it. They are built to win with pitching and Smith, the catcher, is the guy they rely on to guide those pitchers through games.
Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers could be in big trouble if Brewers steal their October swagger
Dalton Rushing, who started just three fewer games behind the plate than Smith this season, is injured and not on the roster. Hunter Feduccia, who did make the team, caught just 15 complete games this season and isn’t an option to start in the playoffs.
“I’m not going to put Feduccia in place of Will Smith,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s just not going to happen.”
So Roberts and the Dodgers are left to muddle on with Smith regardless of how much he struggles offensively. That’s because he’s far more valuable crouching behind the plate than standing next to it.
“I don’t even know how he’s performing offensively,” said Tarik Skubal, who took the loss Sunday. “Catchers, I think it’s the most important position on the field. They’re the ones calling pitches, dictating game flow, rhythm, all that type of stuff. I’m going to trust those guys always.”
Smith appears to be executing his catching duties very well, since opponents have scored just 10 runs and are hitting .160 against the Dodgers this postseason. Only Tampa Bay, which has played two fewer games, has done better.
As for what Smith thinks, that’s unknown because the Dodgers did not make him available to the media Sunday. But since he’s not coming out of the lineup, the next-best solution might be moving him to another spot in the order.
That worked with Ohtani, who had as many strikeouts as hits in the first two games of the division series, when he batted second. Since being dropped in the order, he has reached base four times in three games, stolen a base and scored twice.
“There’s always lineup construction. I can think it through. He’s not swinging the bat well,” Roberts said of Smith. “It’s hard because of the body of work, he just has that knack to get a hit, to get a big hit.”
That’s exactly what happened last fall when Smith’s two-out, 11th-inning home run in Game 7 of the World Series helped the Dodgers win a second straight title.
Smith was on the injured list for 86 days this summer because of neck disk inflammation, returning for the final month when he slashed .290/.400/.548. He has cooled off considerably in October, just as he did last year, when he returned from a right hand contusion three games into the playoffs and got just two hits in his first 14 at-bats.
Read more:Brewers get just enough off Tarik Skubal, draw first blood in NLCS Game 1 win
He recovered to bat .400 in last year’s NLCS win over Milwaukee, then broke a 4-4 tie with his winning homer against the Toronto Blue Jays. Just as important, though, Smith caught all but 11 innings in the Dodgers’ final 15 postseason games — including two 11-inning games and another that lasted 18 innings.
Smith rarely has hit well in the postseason, batting just .206 in 18 series, which may explain Roberts’ lack of panic. Plus, Roberts knows his All-Star catcher has helped him win three World Series rings, and if the Dodgers are to get another, it will be on the strength of their pitching, not their hitting.
And that side of Smith’s game is as strong as ever.
“To be honest, that’s not where my focus is with Will,” Skubal said of his catcher’s hitting. “My focus is what he’s doing behind the dish and he’s very important. He’s very important to the entire pitching staff.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Dodgers got Tarik Skubal for this moment. But Cy Young ace 'didn't do my job' | Opinion
MILWAUKEE — This isn't why the Los Angeles Dodgers got Tarik Skubal.
The Dodgers outbid everyone else interested, including the Milwaukee Brewers, because they thought the two-time Cy Young Award winner would deliver them a third consecutive World Series title. They gave up three highly touted prospects to get Skubal because, when you're the Dodgers, the future doesn't matter nearly as much as the present.
What Los Angeles didn't do was get Skubal to lose Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, giving those Brewers their first postseason win over the Dodgers since 2018. It was only Skubal's second loss in the postseason, and first since the 2024 ALDS.
"I didn't do my job," Skubal said after taking the loss in Milwaukee's 2-1 win over the Dodgers on Sunday, Oct. 11. "Anytime we lose and it's 2-1, I didn't do my job."
Harsh as it might be to say, Skubal is right. Though the Dodgers have rallied after losing a Game 1 before — they lost the first game of the World Series last year and look how that turned out — there's a reason he was on the mound to start this series.
Skubal was 3-1 with a 1.97 ERA in his previous seven postseason starts, including a win in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves. He'd never gone fewer than six innings in a playoff game or thrown fewer than 84 pitches. Since joining the Dodgers on Aug. 2, Skubal was 5-2, and Los Angeles had won his last seven starts.
If Los Angeles wanted to send the Brewers a message that their 103-win regular season was nice and all but they shouldn't expect this postseason matchup to be different than their others, Skubal was the guy to do it.
Except he wasn't.
Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee's young ace, didn't have his best stuff, giving up an RBI single to Andy Pages in the second inning after issuing a leadoff walk to Shohei Ohtani. But Misiorowski and the Brewers bullpen managed to limit the damage from there, allowing the Dodgers only three runners in scoring position over the last six innings.
The Brewers, meanwhile, got sharper against Skubal the more they saw him.
In Skubal's first run through the Milwaukee lineup, he had six strikeouts while allowing just one hit. In his final two innings, he gave up two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out one.
"I thought my stuff was just as good as it was early and late," Skubal said. "They just put the ball in play later in the game."
The Brewers tied the game in the fourth, when Brice Turang led off with a homer on a 2-0 pitch. In the fifth inning, Skubal gave up a leadoff walk to Garrett Mitchell, who took second on Cooper Pratt's sacrifice bunt and scored on Luis Lara's single to center.
After Joey Ortiz grounded out, the Brewers loaded the bases on a single by Jackson Churio and a walk by Turang. William Contreras flew out to right to end the inning, but the damage had been done. Alex Vesia relieved Skubal in the sixth inning.
"A leadoff walk just can't happen," said Skubal, who threw 81 pitches in five innings. "Leadoff walk in that inning and then you give them the ability to bunt the ball over. Then all they need is a base hit and they got it. I think I did a good job of limiting damage that inning, but the leadoff walk just can't happen. It gives them an opportunity to create something, and ultimately that's all they needed today."
Scattering two runs on five hits would be good enough in most games. But not against a team as opportunistic as the Brewers.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2 for the Dodgers, and he's about as good of a second option as there is. He's 8-1 in the postseason overall and has won his last five starts, including a 5-1 win over the Brewers in Game 2 of last year's NLCS.
But Yamamoto was supposed to be locking the door on Milwaukee after Skubal had closed it, not making sure the Dodgers don't head back to Los Angeles in an 0-2 hole.
"We feel good with our guy," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "You can't go into a long series against a team that has the best record in baseball and expect to just win four. It's going to be a long series. We knew it coming in. We had our chances, but they made plays, pitches when they needed to. We've just got to reset.
"We've got our guy going tomorrow, who we trust undoubtedly, and we've got to win a baseball game."
That's what the Dodgers thought about Skubal, too. Look what it got them.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers got Tarik Skubal for this moment. But Cy Young ace 'didn't do my job' | Opinion
In battle of aces, Dodgers flinch first as Brewers win Game 1 of NLCS
Unsurprisingly, in a battle of two aces, Jacob Misiorowski and Tarik Skubal, the expected NL Cy Young winner and the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner, runs were hard to come by in this pitchers’ duel. But ultimately, in Game 1 of the NLCS, the Brewers came out on top 2-1.
The Dodgers struck first against Misiorowski. Shohei Ohtani drew a leadoff walk, then Teoscar Hernandez singled. With one out, Andy Pages slapped a ground ball single through the right side to bring home Ohtani and give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
Misiorowski did not have his best stuff in this game. He hit 104 MPH once, but the vertical break on his fastball was down a couple inches and the command wasn’t there as he walked three on the night. Still, he battled and was able to induce a 6-4-3 double play to end that 2nd inning.
Then, drama.
In the 4th inning, Teoscar Hernandez danced a little too far off of first base, Misiorowski stepped off, spun around, and calmly threw to first to get Hernandez out, seemingly ending the inning. However, home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso called a balk on Misiorowski. Pat Murphy was emphatically upset at the call.
Misiorowski ended up striking out Kyle Tucker to end the inning, so no harm was truly done. Miz was emotional coming off the mound, and the Brewers appeared to have a fire lit under them after that. Immediately after, to leadoff the bottom of the 4th, Brice Turang slugged his first home run of the postseason.
That tied the game at 1-1 and cemented momentum in the Brewers favor.
“Yeah, I didn’t want to foul a ball off my knee again, so I was like I’m going to stay inside of this one. Not try to do too much, just drive back up the middle and get inside of it. Yeah, I just got it. Just trying to stay inside of it, drive it up the middle, and sometimes less is more.” Turang said.
The Brewers would keep it going in the 5th after Garrett Mitchell led off the inning with a walk, then was moved over on a sacrifice bunt from Cooper Pratt. That perfectly set up Luis Lara to give the Brewers the lead.
At just 21 years old and the youngest player on the team, Lara came through when his team needed him the most.
“(Lara) is very committed to team. He’s very committed to not letting his teammates down, and I think that’s what makes the guy special at this point. Both him and Pratt are up here not knowing they were going to be in the Big Leagues, and they are both very conscientious about getting it done the right way. They’re more concerned about not letting their teammates down than not letting a national audience down.” Murphy said.
“Really I was just looking to push the runner across. That was the only thing that was going through my mind. That’s what I’m focused on in that moment is just finding a way to connect, put the ball in play, and find a way for the run to score. Thanks to God I was able to do that.” Lara said.
The Brewers had an opportunity to bring in some insurance runs in that inning. Jackson Chourio followed with a single, then Brice Turang drew a walk, loading the bases with two outs for William Contreras. However, Contreras flew out to deep right to end the threat.
The Brewers had a few more chances to add on, but were unable to capitalize. Jake Bauers was picked off first by Alex Vesia in the 6th on what clearly should’ve been called a balk. Vesia’s stride was towards home and far beyond the 45 degree angle that’s allowed. Yet it was not called.
Then in the 8th, Chourio led things off with a single. The Dodgers then brought in $72MM reliever Tanner Scott and refused to allow him to face a single right-handed batter. They intentionally walked William Contreras to face Jake Bauers, and then intentionally walked Andrew Vaughn to face Garrett Mitchell. Mitchell grounded out to end the inning and leave it a 2-1 Brewers lead heading into the 9th.
Trevor Megill was called upon to lock things down once again, and he was able to deliver, albeit with a little bit of stress. After inducing an infield fly and a flyout, Megill walked the 8th and 9th hitters for the Dodgers to turn the lineup over to Mookie Betts. Betts flew out to deep center to end the game and Garrett Mitchell caught it and celebrated with an emphatic fist pump.
The Brewers will not be swept out of the NLCS this year. They have taken the 1-0 series lead and are now three wins away from reaching the World Series.
For the Brewers to accomplish their goal, they’ll need to win the games started by Misiorowski. They were able to accomplish that and have now set themselves up with a chance to take a 2-0 series lead with Game 2 on Monday afternoon. It’ll be Logan Henderson on the mound for the Crew while Brewers killer Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on the mound for the Dodgers.
Preseason Game Preview: Knicks vs. Timberwolves, October 12, 2026
The World Champion New York Knicks have lost their first two preseason games and we are resoundingly unconcerned. Winning all the marbles has quite a calming effect on the nervous system.
Tonight, they host the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1) at Madison Square Garden. The furry bunch has shed Julius Randle and Naz Reid, but added LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga. If nothing else, it’s a team to watch for curiosity’s sake. In this tilt, the Knicks will be challenged to play at a faster pace, with Ball and Anthony Edwards playing full-tilt and Kuminga adding vertical spacing. Then again, all of Minny’s starters are listed as day-to-day for rest, so this could look more like a scrimmage with a G League squad.
They last met December 23, 2025, when the Timberwolves won 115-104 in Minneapolis. Edwards scored 38 and Randle added 25; Karl-Anthony Towns poured in 40 for the Knicks with Jalen Brunson sidelined with an ankle issue.
Minnesota finished last season with a 116.8 offensive rating (12th) and 113.5 defensive rating (8th), scoring 118 points per game. Edwards remains the engine, scoring 28-plus points a night; Rudy Gobert still anchors the paint and owns the glass; and Jaden McDaniels supplies wing defense and secondary scoring.
New York is still searching for continuity after two losses. The starters have played limited minutes while they ramp up to full-game shape following their summer of love. Meanwhile, coach Mike Brown’s been mixing and matching the supporting cast as he seeks to lock down his roster. On the injury report, McCullar Jr., Agbaji, Eubanks and Bradley are listed as coach’s decisions, so James Wiseman and Bruce Brown should see more gametime off the bench.
Prediction
The Knicks should win if they control the glass, limit Minnesota’s transition, and get make their shots. If coach Chris Finch rests everybody, the Knicks should have an even easier time securing their first dub of the preseason. Knicks by nine.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (0-2) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1)
Date: Monday, October 12, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
NBA Should Make The Pistons Daytime Opening Game a New Tradition
It’s been proven time and time again that Detroit knows how to turn an opening day into an unofficial holiday. This article can be considered my unofficial campaign to give the Detroit Pistons the same treatment.
Pistons fans (and NBA league office), walk with me for a minute.
In case you haven’t heard, it’ll be a matinee start on Oct. 20 for the Pistons, with Detroit and the Boston Celtics officially tipping off the NBA season at 3 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock. So check your schedules, because the Pistons and Celtics will likely have settled things by the time most of the workforce starts their evening commute.
I, for one, am completely here for this new format for a number of reasons. Being the first game of the year during an isolated time slot gives the Pistons a chance to highlight their young and ascending roster. It also gives the city of Detroit a chance to showcase itself on a national stage as the only game taking place in the afternoon.
A weekday afternoon tipoff could be a tough ask for some working fans. But I also see an opportunity for a revitalized fanbase to build something worth planning around. Let’s also remember it is not uncommon for other sports to have a daytime game during their opening week. Professional baseball and college basketball have successfully used the daytime opening-day format for many years, so this is not entirely uncharted territory.
Though it likely won’t draw the crowds and hooplah of their baseball opening day counterparts, here is hoping (or maybe wishful thinking) that Detroit fans will come out in earnest, and that the Pistons and the NBA can partner together and embark on a new, longstanding tradition for opening day. Let’s make the afternoon opening game an annual tradition for the league and make Detroit its permanent home. Who says no?
Imagine Detroiters playing hookie for a half day, and local gathering spots such as Campus Martius, Tin Roof, or Harry’s packed with fans, with the party spilling out all over Woodward and beyond. It’d be an atmosphere all the same as Tigers opening day, but with a better bet for good weather. And if you’re a Detroit sports fan, what’s not to like? Fans would get to essentially start and end the summer with an electric opening day for two of your four professional sports teams, not to mention a built-in half-day off of work.
Anyways, enough of me dreaming.
The city has a chance to replicate some of the magic that the Tigers’ opening day has supplied over the years, a pseudo-holiday in these parts.
Leave the primetime games for the New Yorks and the Golden States of the world. We’re good over here.
Adam Silver, if you’re reading this, please make this a yearly reservation.
Pistons fans, let’s show up and make this new opening day the start of something special.
Top Prospects Shine in Two Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Blowout Wins This Weekend
The AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins lost their first two games of the 2026-27 season before quickly putting those losses behind them this weekend.
They earned their first win on Saturday, crushing the Hartford Wolf Pack 7-1, and it was the Bill Zonnon show. Zonnon scored twice in the second period and added an assist in the win.
He made that first goal happen, leading the rush early in the second period before collecting the puck behind the net and stuffing it home.
Billy Z collects and cashes in! pic.twitter.com/DPvgFdndFM
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) October 10, 2026
Zonnon's second goal came from the net-front when he banged home a rebound off a pass from Mikhail Ilyin along the left well.
Atley Calvert, Avery Hayes, Tanner Howe, Mikhail Ilyin, and Owen Pickering also scored in the win.
The fun continued on Sunday with a 6-2 win for WBS over the Providence Bruins. Zonnon notched his third goal of the season less than a minute into the middle frame. He came streaking down the left side and fired an absolute laser past the Bruins goaltender.
Zonnon has three goals and five points in four games.
Billy Z’s got his third goal in 2 games! pic.twitter.com/UZZVUaV0ue
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) October 11, 2026
Phil Kemp, Tristan Broz, Oliver Okuliar, and Rutger McGroarty (two goals) also scored for WBS in this game.
Speaking of McGroarty, he was fantastic in this game, adding two assists to his two goals. He saw the ice extremely well, and forechecked his butt off. His second goal was a thing of beauty: he took a lead pass on the left side and made a gorgeous forehand-to-backhand move before elevating the puck to the top shelf of the net.
RUT AGAIN pic.twitter.com/BDem7317ZK
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) October 11, 2026
McGroarty may not be with the NHL club right now, but there will come a time when he is needed this season. When that happens, he'll do everything he can to make sure he never goes back down to the AHL.
WBS is now 2-1-1-0 and will play the Cleveland Monsters in their next two games this Friday and Saturday.
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Ex-Penguin Handed Controversial Punishment For Spear
It's no mystery to anyone that the NHL's Department of Player Safety has a long history of inconsistency when it comes to handing out discipline to players.
And, on Saturday, a former Pittsburgh Penguin was involved in a play that many thought was suspension-worthy.
New Jersey Devils forward Evan Rodrigues - who played for the Penguins from 2019-2022 - was approaching the faceoff dot with Vancouver Canucks center Marco Rossi during the Saturday tilt between the teams. Prior to the draw at center ice, Rossi gave Rodrigues a nudge on the shoulder with his right hand, and in response, Rodrigues speared Rossi in the throat.
On Sunday, the Department of Player Safety fined the 33-year-old Rodrigues $5,000, which is the maximum allowable under the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). He received a spearing penalty on the initial play, but upon review, it was reduced to a double-minor.
The video shows Rodrigues making a distinct spearing motion right at Rossi's throat, which is why many thought both the double-minor and the $5,000 fine was not nearly enough. However, on the other side of the spectrum, some thought Rossi went down rather easily.
Evan Rodrigues has received the maximum $5,000 fine allowed under the CBA for this high-sticking play on Marco Rossi. pic.twitter.com/G0Bg0zK6bD
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 11, 2026
At the end of the day, though, there is a precedent for intentional stick plays with the intent to injure. For example, Penguins' forward Evgeni Malkin received a four-game suspension during the 2021-22 season for a cross-check to the face of Nashville Predators' defenseman Mark Borowiecki, and he was assessed a five-game suspension last season for a slash to the face of Rasmus Dahlin.
Although those cross-checks and slashes may appear more violent - and they were - spears have a history of automatic punishment because of the intentionality behind them. For example, defenseman Tony DeAngelo and forward Brad Marchand have both been suspended for spears in the past, and neither were to the neck or head of an opponent.
Was the double-minor and the fine was enough for Rodrigues, or should it have been more than that? How much did Rossi's reaction affect the ruling? Join The Pittsburgh Penguins Roundtable Community and leave a comment to join the discussion.
Former Penguins Defenseman Retires After 13 NHL SeasonsThis former Penguins defenseman is calling it a career.Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Brewers vs. Dodgers: When is NLCS Game 2?
The Los Angeles Dodgers will look to rebound from the 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 11.
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal spent more time on the mound in the battle with Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, but it was the runs that Skubal allowed that made the difference in the game.
Skubal struck out seven and allowed five hits, but it was two earned runs against him that made the difference. Misiorowski pitched 4⅓ innings, allowed five hits and one earned run while striking out five.
The Brewers managed to overcome the early run scored by the Dodgers in the top of the second inning. Brice Turang hit a solo home run 384 feet into left center field in the fourth inning. Luis Lara followed it up with a single to center field in the bottom of the fifth that brought in Garrett Mitchell.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be the Game 2 starter for the Dodgers. Logan Henderson will be on the mound for the Brewers. Here’s when they will play:
When is Dodgers vs Brewers Game 2? How to watch
- Time: 5 p.m. ET
- TV channel: Fox
- Live stream: Fubo and Fox One
Watch the MLB playoffs on Fubo
NLCS schedule for Dodgers vs Brewers
Sunday, Oct. 11
NLCS Game 1: Brewers 2, Dodgers 1
Monday, Oct. 12
NLCS Game 2: Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m. ET, Fox, FS1, Fox One & Fox Deportes
Wednesday, Oct. 14
NLCS Game 3: Brewers at Dodgers, 8 p.m. ET, FS1, Fox One & Fox Deportes
Thursday, Oct. 15
NLCS Game 4: Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. ET, FS1, Fox One & Fox Deportes
Friday, Oct. 16
NLCS Game 5*: Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. ET, FS1, Fox One & Fox Deportes
Sunday, Oct. 18
NLCS Game 6*: Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m. ET, FS1, Fox One & Fox Deportes
Monday, Oct. 19
NLCS Game 7*: Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m. ET, Fox, FS1, Fox One & Fox Deportes
(*if necessary)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers vs. Dodgers: When is NLCS Game 2?
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8 Takeaways from Cavs 119-105 preseason win over Magic: ‘It’s an adjustment’
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business in their second preseason game as they dispatched the Orlando Magic 119-105 in what was overall a much cleaner performance than their first outing on Thursday.
Mario Hezonja needed a game like this.
His debut on Thursday was rough. He looked out of place and a step or two slow against a versatile, athletic Boston Celtics team. That wasn’t the case on Sunday, as he poured in 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Maybe Hezonja just needed to get his feet under him. Maybe it was playing against a much bigger and more physical team. Either way, this was a much better outing for Hezonja.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson called Hezonja a “diesel train” pregame, saying that he wants to see him get downhill in transition and attack the offensive boards. We saw him do both as he scored a few baskets in transition and had a nice and-one after grabbing an offensive rebound in the first quarter.
Hezonja has the skills to be an offensive connector, functional dribbler, floor spacer, and impactful rebounder. Every team would like to have a backup four that could provide all of those things. Hezonja was that player this game.
The NBA game is much different than what Hezonja was used to in Europe. Atkinson said that he’s tried to incorporate things from the international game into what the Cavs do. Hezonja laughed it off when he asked if there were similarities between Cleveland’s offense and what he thrived on over in Europe.
“I wish in Europe that we play like this,” Hezonja said. “I wish. I wish, because this is smart. This is what it is. But also you don’t have this type of personnel in Europe. … The entire (NBA) game is based on reads nowadays.”
This isn’t the only adjustment Hezonja is making. He’s also getting used to fitting into a different role than what he’s been used to over the past six years with entirely new teammates.
“So you’re just adjusting to the system, coming off the bench, trying to see who are my teammates on the court, what they need, what type of game is it until I get in there,” Hezonja said. “So, just reading over there, it gets a little bit maybe for a couple seconds [it’s weird], but then the experience kicks in.”
Getting used to the Cavs won’t happen overnight. But based on the skills that he showed on Sunday, being patient for him to get up to speed seems like it’ll be worth it.
“It’s an adjustment,” Atkinson said. “We’ve got to have empathy for that. It’s not going to happen overnight.”
James Harden looks ready for the regular season after his preseason opener on Sunday. Harden was able to get wherever he wanted on the court, scored with ease, and created contact to generate free-throw attempts. This resulted in 24 points on 7-for-10 shooting with two assists in 26 minutes.
Atkinson wants to see how Evan Mobley fits alongside Harden. The Cavs have experimented with different lineup combinations throughout these two exhibition games. One that may stick is the Harden and Mobley grouping.
“James’s ball handling can help Evan, especially in the pocket,” Atkinson said. “Can we see that more? We’ll see if we can stick with it, but so far I’ve liked it.”
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Overall, Atkinson said that we shouldn’t look too deeply into the rotation, especially in terms of the backup point guards. That said, it’s worth pointing out that Tyrese Proctor hasn’t gotten much of a chance to prove anything in the preseason.
Meleek Thomas is more of an unknown commodity. Getting him as much run as possible with rotation players in a setting like this is important and worthwhile. However, those minutes have come completely at the expense of Proctor, which isn’t a good sign for him.
We’ll see if this changes for the final tune-up game on Tuesday, where Atkinson expects the starters to play more than they did here. As of now, it’s difficult to envision Proctor getting rotation minutes at the start of the season.
Cleveland did a much better job rebounding after a poor showing against Boston. The Celtics gathered 46.9% of their missed shots (100th percentile for an offense). On Sunday, the Magic only retrieved 28.6% of their offensive misses (38th percentile for an offense).
The Magic aren’t as good of an offensive rebounding team as the Celtics. That’s worth pointing out. Yet, it is encouraging that the Cavs were able to do a much better job in this area.
Rebounding is one of the points Atkinson has continually pointed out as wanting to improve this year. This performance was a step in the right direction.
Peyton Watson struggled to establish an offensive rhythm. He aired a three and overall just didn’t seem as comfortable offensively here as he did against Boston, as he went 3-for-10 from the floor for just six points.
“He got a little clunky there offensively, just him not knowing our principles and how we play,” Atkinson said. “We’ll clean that up. I’m not worried about that.”
Like Hezonja, this is an adjustment period for Watson as well.
“Just a little bit more unpredictability,” Watson said when asked what the difference was between this offense and the ones he was a part of with the Denver Nuggets.
The Cavs are giving Watson more responsibilities. They’re allowing him to create with the ball and entrusting him to be more than just a floor spacer or cutter. This added freedom should allow him to grow into a better all-around player. But there could be bumps along the way. This is in addition to figuring out what lineups he fits with best.
“It’s all about instincts and knowing how to play the game around two elite offensive players, just knowing where to be. Whereas with Joker (Nikola Jokic), I kind of knew every time down he was going to have the ball on the floor, on this spot or this spot, and the play or the cut was going to be for me to do this or do that.
“Here, there’s a lot more possibilities of things that I can do/bring to the table. I think that it’s an adjustment. I’m still getting acclimated, but I couldn’t be happier to be in this situation. I think it’ll really benefit my game, and I think it’ll benefit the team as well.”
Turang homers and Milwaukee’s bullpen delivers as the Brewers beat the Dodgers 2-1 in NLCS opener
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brice Turang homered off Tarik Skubal and Milwaukee’s bullpen shut down the Los Angeles Dodgers after Jacob Misiorowski’s taxing outing, sending the Brewers to a 2-1 victory in the NL Championship Series opener on Sunday night.
Luis Lara hit a tiebreaking single off Skubal in the fifth inning as Milwaukee took Game 1 in the first NLCS matchup of 100-win teams since the Cincinnati Reds eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies in 1976. The Brewers had dropped seven consecutive postseason games against the Dodgers, including a sweep in last year’s NLCS.
Game 2 is on Monday in Milwaukee. Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers, and Logan Henderson takes the mound for the Brewers.
Los Angeles, looking to become the first team to win three straight championships since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, grounded into three double plays, stranded nine runners and went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 2 for 22 in the playoffs.
The Dodgers chased Misiorowski, the favorite for the NL Cy Young Award, in the fifth inning, but they managed just two hits against four relievers.
DL Hall replaced Misiorowski with a runner aboard and got Freddie Freeman to ground into a double play, sending a charge through the rollicking crowd of 42,617. Abner Uribe allowed two hits in the sixth, then struck out Andy Pages with runners on the corners for the final out of the inning.
Aaron Ashby pitched two innings before Trevor Megill got three outs for the save. Kyle Tucker and pinch-hitter Josue De Paula walked with two down in the ninth before Mookie Betts flied to the center-field warning track.
The Brewers are among five current teams that have never won it all.
The Dodgers made Misiorowski throw 35 pitches in the second inning. Pages drove in Shohei Ohtani on a grounded single into right field, and Tucker loaded the bases when he reached on a 10-pitch walk that included four foul balls.
But Misiorowski limited the damage when he got Kiké Hernández to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
Turang responded with a leadoff drive into the home bullpen in the fourth. It was the second career postseason homer for Turang, who went 1 for 15 with six strikeouts in last year’s NLCS.
Sticking with the same brand of baseball that resulted in the majors’ best record this year, Milwaukee went ahead to stay in the fifth.
Garrett Mitchell reached on a leadoff walk and advanced on rookie Cooper Pratt’s sacrifice bunt. Lara, another rookie, then grounded an RBI single into center field. The Brewers loaded the bases with two down, but Skubal escaped the jam when William Contreras flied to right.
Up Next
Yamamoto is 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 postseason appearances. The Japanese right-hander pitched a three-hitter in a 5-1 victory at Milwaukee in Game 2 of last year’s NLCS.
Henderson is making his second career postseason start. The right-hander tossed five-plus innings of two-run ball in Milwaukee’s 4-3 win over San Diego in Game 2 of their NL Division Series. He went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts against Los Angeles this season.
Brewers get just enough off Tarik Skubal, draw first blood in NLCS Game 1 win
First and foremost, the Dodgers wanted Tarik Skubal on their team. When they pursued him at the trade deadline, they saw him as the rare player who could improve their odds of winning a third straight World Series.
It didn’t hurt that by acquiring him they prevented other postseason contenders, including the Milwaukee Brewers, from landing the two-time Cy Young Award winner. The Dodgers guaranteed that they wouldn’t have to face him in October.
“I’m sure it’s in the back of your head, the teams that are interested,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Sunday before the Dodgers’ 2-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. “Certainly not a driver, but not nothing either. As far as how happy I am, I am very happy it’s Skubal versus Miz and not Miz and Skubal [for the Brewers] in the next two.”
Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers could be in big trouble if Brewers steal their October swagger
That sentiment rang even truer when the Dodgers dropped Game 1 at American Family Field, despite forcing “Miz” — Jacob Misiorowski, the NL Cy Young favorite — out of the game in just 4⅓ innings, and despite having Skubal, who struck out seven in five innings but gave up two runs in a fine effort, on their side.
“That’s our job, trying to get the starter, especially when you’re facing a guy like him, out of the game early,” said left fielder Teoscar Hernández, who logged two hits against Misiorowski. “I think we did a pretty good job, we just didn’t get the job done when we needed with guys in scoring position.”
The Dodgers hit into three inning-ending double plays in the first five innings and overall left nine men on base, going one for six with runners in scoring position.
In a role reversal, the Dodgers, who scored almost exclusively via the home run in the first round, pulled ahead with a pesky approach at the plate.
Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani opened the second inning with a four-pitch walk. Then Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages hit opposite-field singles to move Ohtani around the bases and give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
Taking a similar “grind him out” approach to the one they deployed against Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale in Game 3 of the Division Series, the Dodgers forced Misiorowski to throw 35 pitches in the inning — 10 alone to Kyle Tucker, who worked a walk.
By the third inning, Misiorowski’s fastball velocity, which touched 104 mph, had dropped to double digits. And though the Dodgers didn’t score again against him, they continued to rack up his pitch count. By the time he exited with one out in the fifth, it was at 94.
The Brewers, known for their peskiness, instead tied the score with one swing against Skubal. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Brice Turang got the barrel of his bat to an inside sinker and lifted it over the fence in left-center, into the Brewers’ bullpen.
“A 2-0 sinker in, I mean, I’m going to live with that, left-on-left,” Skubal said. “He put a good swing on it. The first at-bat he broke his bat [on a similar pitch], ground ball.”
Though the Brewers have players who can hit home runs, they pulled ahead the next inning with a sequence more closely aligned with their identity.
Skubal walked Garrett Mitchell on five pitches. Brewers rookie Cooper Pratt moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. And then Luis Lara sent a ground-ball single through the middle of the infield to drive in the go-ahead run.
“The leadoff walk just can’t happen,” Skubal said. “It gives them an opportunity to create something, and ultimately that’s all they needed today.”
Skubal battled traffic to get out of the inning without giving up another run. But in such a tight game, that marked the end of his start.
The American Family Field atmosphere added an extra charge to the close contest. The home crowd was perhaps its loudest (until an ear-splitting cheer at the final out) when it took issue with a balk call against Misiorowski. It looked as if he had picked off Hernández to end the fourth inning, but Hernández instead was awarded second base.
That play still was seared into their collective memory when Dodgers left-hander Alex Vesia picked off Jake Bauers at first base. Brewers fans shouted “balk!” over and over.
The bullpens battled to a scoreless draw, the Dodgers’ last stand falling flat after Tucker and pinch-hitting rookie Josue De Paula drew a pair of two-out walks against Trevor Megill. Mookie Betts drove a deep fly ball to the warning track, momentarily silencing the crowd, until Mitchell closed his glove around it. So the edge the Brewers gained against Skubal held.
“You can’t go into a long series against a team that has the best record in baseball and expect to just win four,” Roberts said after the game. “It’s going to be a long series. We knew it coming in. We had our chances, but they made plays, pitches when they needed to. We’ve just got to reset. We’ve got our guy going [Monday], who we trust undoubtedly, and we’ve got to win a baseball game.”
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That guy is right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who last year threw a complete game at American Family Field in Game 2 of the NLCS.
The road doesn’t get much easier for the Dodgers’ offense Monday, when it’ll face right-hander Logan Henderson, who held the Dodgers to one run in seven innings when the Brewers came to Los Angeles in August. But imagine if instead the Brewers had outbid the Dodgers and they had to go through Skubal first.
“It would look really different,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday. “What those guys do — they had the best record in baseball. Certainly when you’re talking about a seven-game series, to see Tarik on the other side … the series would look a lot different.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski labors into 5th inning of NLCS opener against Dodgers
MILWAUKEE (AP) — It was a really challenging night for Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski.
The front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award labored just to make it to the fifth inning of the NL Championship Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night.
Los Angeles fouled off 21 of his 94 pitches by the time his final batter, Mookie Betts, reached on a one-out walk in the fifth. The 24-year-old allowed one run and five hits.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander threw 44 pitches at 100 mph or higher, reaching 104 mph on his initial offering to Freddie Freeman in the first. The Dodgers swung at 27 of his 62 fastballs, fouling off 16 and missing just five.
Misiorowski went 16-5 with a major league-low 1.80 ERA in 30 starts this season while averaging 100.6 mph with his four-seam fastball. He also led the majors with 252 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings.
He struck out five and walked three in his second start this postseason. He tossed four innings of two-run ball in Milwaukee’s 3-2 win over San Diego in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Oct. 3, reaching triple digits on 52 of 88 pitches.
Misiorowski was helped by three inning-ending double plays against Los Angeles, including Kiké Hernández’s bouncer to shortstop with the bases loaded in the second.
DL Hall replaced Misiorowski and got Freeman to ground into a double play, delighting the yellow towel-waving crowd of 42,617.