ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues recalled defenseman Quinton Burns from Springfield of the American Hockey League late Friday night.
The 21-year-old, a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, played in seven games for the Thunderbirds this season and had one assist and 29 penalty minutes.
After Theo Lindstein was sent down to Springfield on Thursday night, the Blues were left with six healthy defensemen, and although it is not likely that Burns makes his NHL debut on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, it gives the team an extra blue liner while in the midst of a five-game homestand, and it will be Burns' first taste of NHL life during the season.
The Smiths Falls, Ontario native has six assists and 121 penalty minutes in 38 AHL regular-season games.
Lindstein played for the Thunderbirds on Friday in their 3-2 loss to Charlotte.
"He’s a big part of what we want to do and we have guys playing really well," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said about Lindstein. "So this is an opportunity for him to go get some game action so when he gets back up here, it hasn’t been a week like it was the last game he played. He’s just going to come back in here and get in the lineup and take someone’s job."
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Hachimura eventually wandered into the visitors’ locker room where he joined his new Clippers teammates.
Hachimura and the Lakers shared mutual interest in a reunion this offseason, but the wing ultimately decided to join the crosstown rivals amid a summer filled with scandal for the Clippers.
The NBA punished the Clippers for circumventing the salary cap, stripping the team of five first-round picks, issuing a $30 million fine, and suspensions for owner Steve Ballmer and president of baseball operations Lawrence Frank.
Hachimura, however, has expressed full confidence in the organization and revealed he joined the Clippers because of their outstanding treatment of players.
Darius Garland of the LA Clippers plays defense on Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers on October 23, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena. NBAE via Getty ImagesRui Hachimura of the LA Clippers smiles during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 23, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena. NBAE via Getty Images
The 2026-27 campaign marks an important year for both Los Angeles franchises. For the Lakers, Luka Doncic must prove he can shoulder the load as the team’s leader and help the franchise win a title in the near future.
For the Clippers, the organization must prove it can bounce back from one of sport’s biggest scandals.
Game 1 of the 2026 World Series is officially in the books, with the Milwaukee Brewers taking down the Tampa Bay Rays in a nail-biter. Things won't slow down between the Rays and Brewers, who will meet again on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET for Game 2.
Ahead of Saturday's action, get everything you need to know below, including TV/streaming information, the full World Series schedule and more.
The Rays and Brewers are both chasing their first World Series championship. Our Rotoworld experts break down the matchup, identify potential difference-makers and make their picks.
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers fans patiently waited 44 years for this night, and three hours later, with hoarse throats and weary legs, oh, was it ever worth it.
The Brewers, in front of 43,250 screaming fans who stood most of the game Friday at American Family Field, delivered a powerful victory in Game 1 of the World Series, 3-2, over the Tampa Bay Rays.
It was hardly easy, with the Rays refusing to fade into the night, but the Rays were their own worst enemy, three times running into outs on the bases, and having two balls glance off their gloves in the field.
“This team was the best team in the National League," Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda said before Game 1, “best team in baseball for a reason. … They do almost everything well."
The Brewers, led by ace Jacob Misiorowski, dominated for five innings, and then sat back and watched the Brewers’ bullpen completely suffocate the Rays’ offense. The Brewers’ bullpen pitched four shutout innings, giving up just two singles, while Aaron Ashby continued his brilliance, pitching 1 ⅔ shutout innings. He has pitched 14 shutout innings this postseason, giving up just four hits.
The Brewers had just two extra-base hits without a homer, but scrapped and clawed their way to three runs with the top four hitters in the lineup_Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers, Christian Yelich and William Contreras_producing six of their eight hits. They did most of their damage in the first inning with Chourio leading off with a single, Yelich hitting a one-out triple to center field field that glanced off Jonny DeLuca’s glove with Contreras following with a sharp single off shortstop Taylor Walls with a drawn-in infield.
But the real heroes, the Brewers say, are their fans.
“They're a big impact on these games, how loud they've been,’’ Yelich said. “The atmosphere they've created, it's definitely a difference maker. You kind of just see how excited everybody is in this city. You can kind of feel the energy….
“It's cool to be able to provide memories for people to be able to share with their family, their kids, their grandparents, or just friends that have been Brewers’ fans over the years for decades and getting to kind of experience this together. We know we represent a city and a state, and we're proud to do it. People coming up to you and saying they’ve been waiting their whole life for this and for this series.
“Looking forward to creating more memories for people.’’
Misiorowski, pitching on 11 days’ rest, set the tone on the first pitch of the game, throwing a 103.5-mph fastball, the fastest ever thrown in a World Series game when they first began tracking in 2008. He threw 10 pitches over 101-mph alone in the first inning, with five pitchers over 102-mph.
And then he went out and dominated for five innings, yielding four this and one run while striking out three batters.
It wasn’t vintage Miz, but after a long season – throwing 45 more innings than his career-high – still kept the Rays’ offense in check.
He nearly gave up a homer to Yandy Diaz to lead off the game, and then back-to-back singles to Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson. But he escaped when Junior Caminero lined out to third baseman David Hamilton, who then threw to second base to double-up Aranda who was fooled on the liner.
It was the first of three critical mistakes by the Rays. Victor Mesa ended the fifth inning by inexplicably trying to steal third base with Diaz at the plate when he was already in scoring position. And Aranda ended the sixth inning when he was caught stealing second on a botched hit-and-run with Simpson at the plate, striking out for the second time. It was the first time Chandler struck out twice in a game since June 9.
Misiorowski graciously accepted the gifts, and even though he has not lasted past five innings in any of his three postseason starts, the Brewers have won all three games.
“He hasn't been as crisp,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I don't think people are up there thinking it's going to be 104, and I think they're elated if it's anything less than that. They're trying to exploit everything. He's exposed, like all these guys get at some point. He's exposed."
The Brewers now are three victories away from their first World Series championship in a year where everyone doubted them at the start of spring training. They traded away ace Freddy Peralta and rookie third baseman Caleb Durbin during the winter, following the past few years when All-Star shortstop Willy Adames left as a free agent, and All-Star closers Josh Hader and Devin Williams were traded, along with Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.
“The guys who walked out the door, they're some of the best players in baseball,’’ Yelich said. “Cy Young winners, relievers of the year, Willy was a really great player for us. So really what it does… everybody kind of doubts you again because you lose some big pieces, which is understandable. But this group just ends up finding its identity throughout the year, and coming together as a team, and finding our formula to win, and how we do it as a team.
“That's really what it's been year after year."
Brewers vs Rays World Series schedule
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 28 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 30 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 31 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
MILWAUKEE – William Contreras is already having a historic run through this postseason. The Tampa Bay Rays certainly didn’t need to play into his hands in Game 1 of the World Series.
Yet over the course of just a few innings, Contreras, the Milwaukee Brewers’ dynamic catcher, showed just how much he can control a single baseball game – on both sides of the ball.
It is not often that one man smokes his team’s hardest-hit ball of the night for a run-scoring hit that stood up as the winning run, then snuffs out two of the opposition’s scoring chances by cutting down baserunners foolhardy enough to run on him.
Contreras, though, is truly built different.
The three-time All-Star finally has a stage befitting his massive skills and nickname to match – Wild Bill – for the baseball world to appreciate. And Friday, Oct. 23, as Milwaukee was ready to burst over its first World Series appearance in 44 years, Contreras gave them what they asked for as he commanded the Brewers’ 3-2 victory before 43,250 giddy onlookers at American Family Field.
Milwaukee takes a 1-0 lead into Saturday’s Game 2, thanks to a victory in a game that was taut yet also featured several unforced errors by the Rays.
Then again, Contreras forced the issue on numerous occasions.
This game turned on the game’s third batter, when Rays center fielder Jonny DeLuca fell just shy of making a terrific diving catch on Christian Yelich’s fly ball that landed for an RBI triple.
Just one man was out. Yelich was on third. And so the Rays infield, per the laws of baseball, was condemned to play in on the grass with Contreras at the plate.
No wonder this game is considered so cruel.
Contreras ranks in the 89 th percentile in squaring up balls. His top exit velocities the past four seasons have ranged between 114 and 118 mph. He drove in 94 runs this season.
Little wonder, then, that he drilled a Nick Martinez fastball 108.4 mph, just to the right of Rays shortstop Taylor Walls. The ball ticked off his glove, and not even the most sadistic official scorer might consider giving Walls an error.
Yelich trotted home on the play for a 2-0 lead, the Rays halving that with a run in the fourth. And Milwaukee would not score again until a Jackson Chourio RBI single in the seventh.
No matter. Contreras was preventing runs as easily as he drove one in.
With starter Jacob Misiorowski starting to wobble in the fifth and Victor Mesa Jr. on second, Misiorowski emptied his tank against slugging leadoff man Yandy Díaz – three fastballs of at least 101.7 mph. With Díaz in an 0-2 hole, Mesa broke for third.
Foolish. Contreras threw him out easily, ending the threat and forcing Díaz to lead off the next inning, the bases empty.
Next inning, similar scenario.
After reliever Abner Uribe retired Díaz, Jonathan Aranda reached for the third time in Game 1, on a single.
This was the exact spot the Rays likely eyeballed in the run-up to this World Series: Early enough in the game to avoid Milwaukee’s deadliest relievers, and with slugging third baseman Junior Caminero on deck.
Speedy No. 3 hitter Chandler Simpson worked a full count. The man only struck out 7.8% of the time this season. Rays manager Kevin Cash decided to send Aranda on the full-count pitch.
And Uribe threw one of the nastiest sliders Simpson’s likely ever seen. The back-foot offering to the left-handed hitter elicited a meek half-swing on a ball way low and in.
Simpson was rung up.
Despite the suboptimal pitch to throw on, and the uncertainty of the play, Contreras gunned an absolute strike to second. Aranda was easily out.
Caminero was stranded helplessly on deck. Uribe was beyond amped.
And the Brewers were nine outs from victory.
STRIKE ‘EM OUT, THROW ‘EM OUT 😤
Abner Uribe and William Contreras combine for a magnificent double play to end the 6th! pic.twitter.com/5qjdsNSvN8
It was the latest tour de force from Contreras, who keyed the Brewers’ sweep of the Dodgers by delivering three game-tying or go-ahead hits in a Game 2 victory. Now, there are no other teams standing.
This is Contreras’ stage. And so far, he’s commanding it.
Rui Hachimura was back at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night – but this time as an opponent.
Hachimura made his return to the Lakers’ arena after 3 ½ seasons with the franchise when the Lakers hosted the Clippers for both team’s second game of the regular season.
Rui Hachimura of the LA Clippers arrives at the arena before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
And despite being an opponent, the Lakers made sure Hachimura knew they appreciated his contributions to the organization with a customary tribute video during the first quarter of Friday’s game.
During the Clippers’ first timeout, midway through the first, the Lakers played the near minute-long video, which ended with a replay of the 6-foot-8 forward knocking down a buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer in the Lakers’ win over the Raptors on Dec. 4, 2025, in Toronto.
Rui Hachimura participates in warmups before a game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Friday, October 23, 2026. London Entertainment
The No. 9 pick in the 2019 draft was all smiles before Friday’s game, greeting his former teammates and coaches.
The Lakers acquired Hachimura from the Wizards in January 2023.
He was a vital part of their run to the 2023 Western Conference finals, and was a full-time starter during each of their playoff runs from 2024-26.
Rui Hachimura of the LA Clippers dribbles the ball during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Hachimura averaged 12.3 points on 51.6% shooting (41.5% on 3-pointers) and 4.3 rebounds in his 228 games with the Lakers.
He shot 50.7% on 3-pointers in the 36 playoff games he played for the franchise.
These are not the same Detroit Pistons. Off the back of their let it fly by any means offense, Detroit ran through the Miami Heat 128-111. Detroit ranked 29th in 3-point attempts last season, shooting 31 a game. They shot 40 against Boston and 38 tonight. The offseason buzz about upgraded shooting is coming to fruition. They shot a sizzling 47 percent from range tonight.
Jalen Duren could not be a part of the offensive success as he went down with a hamstring injury in the second quarter. Duren was on his way to another complete game. He did more than hold his own in matchups with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Duren pinned Giannis’ shot like a piñata and beat him to the punch to swipe the ball away right before he went down.
Paul Reed filled the Duren void as only Bball Paul could. He sank a trey ball with Giannis sagging, forcing Giannis to look at the Heat’s bench like, “that wasn’t on the scouting report, coach.” Reed needs an update on the know your personal reports. He’s flat-out one of the most impactful role players. Reed had 19 points and 11 boards. Hoopers love his game because of his sneaky craft. Stat heads love his impact numbers. Everybody loves Reed because of his heart and hustle.
Ausar Thompson had Bad Boys sequences before he exited the game with a lower body injury. He rejected Giannis at the cup and threw an on-target lob to Cade Cunningham on the break. He gave Pelle Larsson a get-out-of-here shove after arguing why he was fouled (he was). And Ausar had a mean corkscrew lob finish. Watching him contort his body 3,000 feet in the air never gets old. He went down, but others kept their foot on the gas.
Hello John Collins, nice of you to join the party. Collins rained triples, ragdolled smalls, drew charges, and had his hard hat on the glass. His Pistons coming-out party took place in the Miami streets.
Collins finished with 23 points and seven boards. He was nearly perfect from deep, going 5-for-6. Collins was a great addition to the Pistons’ shooting, but an old shooter reminded the Heat what they are missing. Duncan Robinson got his string music going early in a building he once called home. Robinson scorched Miami shooting 5-for-10 from way downtown.
Detroit’s bench did Miami the same way, outscoring the Heat’s bench 64-39. Everybody got in on the action. Ron Holland made top-of-his-class decisions, Kevin Huerter continues to be an underrated defender, and Isaiah Joe’s shot creation is the two-eyes emoji. He’s going to get going as he gets more comfortable.
I got this far without mentioning Cade on an individual level, as he was impactful too. Consistently drawing two and shooting efficiently works. The seven turnovers aren’t ideal, but you know he’s doing everything in his power to chase those turnovers down like 2009 LeBron.
Giannis is the Heat’s first year-in, year-out superstar since LeBron played in South Beach. Giannis rim ran for 36 points, shooting 15-for-26. He was a one-man army again.
Miami needs way more from Bam Adebayo offensively, but the Heat’s defense has been super disappointing. Daniss Jenkins waltzed to the rim a few times (he was solid all around, honestly). For a defense that’s supposed to be top-fiveish, Miami has a ways to go before they sniff that level. They get another chance to get in the win column tomorrow night versus the Charlotte Hornets.
The Pistons get a look at the radio talk show leading Philadelphia 76ers Sunday night. LeBron. Cade. The Pistons’ blend of clamps and shooting. Philly’s star power. Sunday will be a fun one.
The Knicks' championship defense has gotten off to a slow start, dropping their first two games after Friday's loss to the Celtics, but not as slow as the play of Mikal Bridges.
After scoring just four points on 2 of 8 shooting in 33 minutes during New York's series opener against the 76ers, Bridges was held scoreless in 22 minutes on 0 of 8 shooting -- including 0-for-5 from three -- versus Boston.
"For the most part, most of his looks... I mean, he had three or four wide open threes. And we want them to make half of them if they're open," head coach Mike Brown said of Bridges after the loss. "But he's got to keep shooting them. And hopefully, they'll eventually go in sooner than later, but he's getting the looks that he needs to get. He's just gotta knock them down now."
Bridges' offensive ups and downs date back as long as he's been a Knick. Last season, he averaged 14.4 points per game, his lowest since the the 2021-22 season when he was with the Suns.
While the offensive inconsistencies Brown can manage, he can't go too long without Bridges' defense.
Searching for offense against the Celtics, Brown rolled with Miles McBride, who scored 20 points in 30 minutes off the bench. That left Josh Hart in charge of guarding Jayson Tatum, a task that even Hart had trouble with. Tatum finished with a game-high 36 points and made some clutch buckets down the stretch when the Knicks threatened to steal the win in the final moments.
Perhaps the game result could have been different with Bridges guarding Tatum. But Brown won't put it all on missing Bridges, as the Knicks head coach pointed to how Boston was more physical than the Knicks.
"He's got to make sure that he's physical on the defensive end," Brown continued on Bridges. "And he, as well as everybody else because it was all of us, are laying on screens when we get hit, and that when we do switch, there's a level of physicality to the switch so that they're not able to take advantage of us."
The Knicks will look to get their first victory of the season when they return home to host the Magic on Sunday. Perhaps Bridges' offense and defense will be a factor in that one.
The injury occurred midway through the second quarter. Duren attempted a spin move past Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Duren appeared to tweak something, as he abruptly pulled up and grabbed his leg in apparent discomfort. Duren immediately went to the locker room.
The Pistons declared him questionable to return, but Duren did not play the remainder of the game, which Detroit dominated from the opening tip.
In his place, backup Paul Reed filled in admirably, perhaps allowing coach J.B. Bickerstaff to exercise caution with Duren’s injury. Reed scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, adding 11 rebounds and 4 assists.
Duren played just 10 minutes and scored 4 points on 2-of-4 shooting, adding 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 1 steal.
Duren wasn’t the only Pistons player to suffer an injury Friday night, as forward Ausar Thompson, a first-team All-Defense selection, fell awkwardly on his back, forcing him to the locker room. Thompson played just 19 minutes, recording 4 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds.
After the game, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he did not have any updates on either injury.
Major League Baseball is monitoring the investigation involving Dodgers owner Mark Walter.
Walter caught the attention of federal authorities following a whistleblower complaint regarding alleged misrepresented loans made between the Guggenheim founder’s companies. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the complaint and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred revealed the league’s interest in the situation.
CEO and owner Mark Walter of the Los Angeles Dodgers waves to the crowd during the 2025 Back-to-Back World Champions Ring Ceremony prior to a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. MLB Photos via Getty Images
“As always when we have an investigation, external law enforcement, whatever, we monitor that and that’s where we are right now,” Manfred told reporters.
Walter has already sold several parts of his sports empire in light of the investigation. The business mogul sold the Lakers at a record $12.5 billion valuation as well as his stakes in Chelsea FC.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred answers questions before the start of game one of the 2026 World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Tannen Maury/UPI/Shutterstock
The investigation has propelled several questions regarding Walter’s sports portfolio, which has shrinked in recent months. Walter’s remaining holdings include the Dodgers, the Cadillac F1 team and the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Los Angeles Dodgers chairman Mark Walter attends a press conference announcing a new partnership between the Los Angeles Dodgers and UNIQLO at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
“I wanted to make sure everyone understood one thing very clearly: The Dodgers are not being sold,” Kasten told reporters.
“They’re not gonna be sold. They’re not for sale. There’s no process that has been started to sell it, period,” Kasten continued. “We are planning only to win. That is what we are always doing. And we are still continuing to do that.”
The results of the federal probe, however, could have implications for the back-to-back World Series champions.
SAN FRANCISCO — Brandin Podziemski gave the Warriors a scare early in his season debut.
Less than four minutes into the Warriors’ home opener Friday night, their most durable player from a season ago was in visible pain, laying prone on the hardwood beneath the Grizzlies’ basket.
Podziemski, who missed the Warriors’ season opener with a sore back, took a hard fall — and a blow to the face from Memphis center Zach Edey — on a drive into the lane and remained on the floor while the game continued at the other end.
Brandin Podziemski went to the locker room after Zach Edey appeared to hit him on the head pic.twitter.com/uunqOyl0C4
Podziemski immediately retreated to the Warriors’ locker room at the next stoppage of play and re-emerged a short while later with a heating pad wrapped around his lower back.
However, it didn’t take long for the fourth-year guard to assuage any concerns about his health.
Podziemski re-entered the game, to relieved cheers from the sold-out Chase Center crowd, with 1:06 left in the quarter, intercepted a pass from former teammate Quinten Post and scored the Warriors’ final two buckets of the period.
He finished with 18 points, including a team-high nine in the opening quarter despite his brief detour to the locker room. However, he missed 11 of his final 14 shots from the field after starting 4-for-4.
Golden State Warriors player Brandin Podziemski warms up before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Needless to say, it hasn’t exactly been an auspicious start to the season for one of 18 players around the NBA to appear in all 82 games last season. Podziemski said afterward that he would also sit out Saturday night against the Suns in the second half of the Warriors’ first of 15 back-to-backs.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara, left, reaches for the ball as Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski dribbles during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in San Francisco. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred speaks with Mark Attanasio, owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, while standing next to former MLB commissioner Bud Selig, center, and Debbie Attanasio, left, before Game 1 of the World Series on Friday. (Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)
It was an evening for pomp and pageantry, for celebrating a World Series between two of the five major league teams never to win one. But, before the first pitch of the first game, the commissioner of baseball and the head of the players’ union held separate media gatherings that only served to reinforce the notion that a lockout in December is a virtual certainty and Opening Day next March is in serious jeopardy.
Of all the major North American sports, baseball is the only one without a salary cap. The players and their union vow to keep it that way, and union chief Bruce Meyer said every proposal the owners make on every issue is contingent upon a salary cap. How, someone asked commissioner Rob Manfred, can the owners strike a deal if the union is entrenched against a cap?
“Re-thinking where you are is a really important part of trying to make a deal,” Manfred said. “It’s actually a skill in collective bargaining. It’s easy to say, ‘I’m here and I’m never moving.’ That’s not a particularly skilled approach to the process.”
That is perilously close to telling the other guy at the negotiating table how to negotiate. It’s also something you might say when you’re feeling pretty darn good that you’re going to win the negotiation.
“We have an unprecedented level of unanimity among ownership that it is something that we need to do,” Manfred said.
He wouldn’t say otherwise at this point, of course. The owners were unified in 1994, when they last demanded a salary cap. They didn’t win, and fans lost the final two months of the 1994 season and the first month of the 1995 season.
When the NHL got its salary cap, owners shut down the league for a full year. Would MLB owners forgo a year — or at least several months — of ticket sales and media revenue to get their cap? Would MLB players forgo a year — or at least several months — of their salaries to stave off a cap?
We won’t know the answer to either question until the spring, and until then a new collective bargaining agreement would require one side or the other to abandon its position.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred speaks with the media before Game 1 of the World Series in Milwaukee on Friday. (John Fisher / Getty Images)
That makes this year’s World Series something of a Rorschach test: Is a Brewers-Rays series proof that the system actually works just fine the way it is?
To Manfred, the answer is no. A series featuring two of baseball’s smaller markets is an anomaly when history shows a correlation between payroll and success, not only in the regular season but in advancing through the playoffs.
“It’s not that no small market can win,” Manfred said. “It’s just that it’s pretty rare.”
To Meyer, the answer is yes.
“It has nothing to do with what the Dodgers are doing,” Meyer said. “There is no reason whatsoever that the Pirates can’t do what the Brewers have done, or what the Rays have done.”
The Pirates, Meyer said, do not spend all the money they are allotted to sign draft picks. The Brewers, playing in baseball’s smallest market, might not routinely hand out free-agent riches, but owner Mark Attanasio said his team ranks “right in the middle” of the 30 teams in spending on baseball operations.
Attanasio publicly stumped for a salary cap here Friday, saying it would “help us compete but more importantly all of the other teams with lower payrolls too.” He said Brewers fans already fear it might take another 44 years to return to the World Series.
Said Meyer: “That doesn’t seem like a great way, with all due respect, to try and generate excitement among your fans.”
Meyer said this year’s series “undermines their argument” for what he called “the nuclear bomb of a salary cap.” He said the owners are uninterested in the union’s proposals for addressing competitive balance, including increased revenue sharing among owners and a tax against teams that fail to win consistently, and he alleged the league’s argument is “a charade” for what the owners really want: “to suppress salaries and gut player rights.”
The takeaway: Don’t book non-refundable airline tickets and hotel rooms for spring training.
On other topics:
— As The Times has reported, MLB is keeping an eye on federal investigations into Dodgers owner Mark Walter and his insurance empire, which is under scrutiny for allegedly violating laws designed to protect investors. Walter also is a defendant in multiple civil lawsuits filed by investors alleging fraud and breach of contract.
“As always when we have an investigation — external, law enforcement, whatever — we monitor that,” Manfred said. “That’s where we are right now. We’re just watching what’s going on right now.”
Over the past two months, amid efforts to find what could be more than $20 billion to recapitalize insurance funds, Walter has sold his controlling interest in the Lakers and a minority share of Chelsea, the English Premier League club. On Friday, Bloomberg reported he is seeking to sell the Sparks. He has no plan to sell the Dodgers, team president Stan Kasten has said.
— Meyer said the MLBPA continues negotiations with LA28 over how major league players would be accommodated in the 2028 Olympics. “As of now, we’re not getting satisfaction on those things,” Meyer said.
Both the league and the union say they want to participate in the Games, but Manfred said MLB would normally start preparing its 2028 schedule early in 2027. The league has agreed to an extended All-Star break to accommodate the Olympics, but MLB also could tire of waiting for the union to agree with LA28, which badly wants MLB players to participate.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning in Game 1 of the 2026 World Series at American Family Field in Milwaukee on Oct. 23, 2026.
It didn’t take long for Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski to break a record in his first World Series appearance.
Misiorowski set the record for the fastest World Series pitch in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008) on his very first ball thrown during Milwaukee’s 3-2 Game 1 win of the Fall Classic on Friday — a 103.5 mph heater to Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz.
The pitch, which Diaz took for a ball above the strike zone, was listed as 103.4 mph on the scoreboards at American Family Field, but MLB’s Statcast system clocked it at 103.5 mph.
And with that 103 MPH Miz fastball, the 2026 World Series is underway.
Misiorowski’s record-setting pitch beat out lefty flamethrower Aroldis Chapman’s 103.2 mph fastball for the Cubs during Game 2 of the 2016 World Series, which ultimately resulted in a groundout by Cleveland outfielder Coco Crisp.
The right-hander was fastball-heavy in the first inning, starting the game with 10 in a row and throwing it on 11 of 13 pitches in the frame, averaging a scorching 101.9 mph.
Misiorowski ended Friday’s game with three strikeouts and gave up one earned run through five innings.
Misiorowski has made waves across the MLB in his first full season for his incredibly high velocity for a starting pitcher, throwing 1,115 pitches over 100 mph in the regular season this year.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning in Game 1 of the 2026 World Series at American Family Field in Milwaukee on Oct. 23, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The high velocity has translated into success for Misiorowski, as the righty led the league in ERA (1.80) and strikeouts (252) with a 16-5 record in 30 starts.
He hasn’t let off the gas much in the postseason either, pitching to a 3.24 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 8 ⅓ innings in two starts headed into Friday’s game.
Following his start earlier this month during Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers, Misiorowski opened up on the pressure of starting a postseason game compared to coming out of the bullpen, which he did in the 2025 postseason.
“I think it’s different just the fact that I’m starting, that nerve of actually having the whole game and it being behind me, and it’s kind of different,” he said during an appearance on FOX Sports after the game. “Coming out of the bullpen, you’re like, you get thrown in a situation, it’s unknown. So this one’s a little different.
“Nerves are a little higher with the start, so nothing crazy, but that’s about it.”
The Knicks lost to the Boston Celtics on Friday night, 107-103.
Here are the takeaways...
-- In search of their first win of the season, the Knicks went down 4-0 and didn’t hit their first shot until Karl-Anthony Towns hit a deep three to get New York on the board. Towns finished the opening quarter with eight points while going 3-for-3 from the floor.
-- OG Anunoby had five points and Jalen Brunson added four in the first 12 minutes, but the rest of the starters were held in check so the Knicks went to their bench looking for a spark.
-- They got it in the form of Miles McBride who checked into the game with 6:21 left in the quarter and immediately went to work by draining two threes and drilling two free throws and matching Towns’ eight points.
-- McBride’s second three-pointer gave the Knicks a five-point lead with just under three minutes left in the quarter, but from there New York was outscored 7-3 and the Celtics cut their deficit to one point and entered the second quarter down 27-26.
-- Boston opened the second quarter by outscoring the Knicks 13-4 to take an eight-point advantage. Anunoby’s made three put an end to the ambush and eventually New York tied the game at 41-41 thanks to Josh Hart’s first points of the game following a two-minute stretch of misses and turnovers by both teams.
-- Hart tied the game again with a three with 56 seconds left in the half before giving the Knicks their first lead since midway through the first quarter on a driving hook shot.
-- However, Paul George nailed a three-pointer as time expired and sent the Celtics into the locker room with a 50-49 halftime lead.
-- Both teams traded baskets to kick off the second half as Anunoby and Brunson got more involved offensively and each hit a three. Towns also made a triple later in the frame, but New York wouldn’t hit another shot for over two minutes before Brunson’s second three-pointer of the quarter.
-- The Celtics weren’t able to take advantage during the Knicks’ scoring drought, scoring just four points themselves.
-- After abandoning McBride following his hot start, New York went back to him late in the third and he stayed hot by making back-to-back threes to pull his team to within one.
-- Once again, though, Boston ended the quarter on a 13-4 run, spearheaded by Jayson Tatum, to go into the fourth quarter up by 10. Tatum had a monster third quarter, leading all scorers with 16 points.
-- The Knicks, down by as many as 12 points, did their best to climb back. Landry Shamet hit a couple of key threes off the bench to get back within striking distance which got New York going in the right direction.
-- They hung around for as long as they could, going shot for shot with Tatum and George, but in the end Tatum’s 36 points was too much and the Knicks lost for the second straight time to begin their season.
-- McBride had a great game, scoring 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field (6-for-8 from three). Mikal Bridges, on the other hand, was held scoreless (0-for-8 from the field, 0-for-5 from three) and only played 22 minutes – far less than any other starter.
-- Anunoby, Towns and Hart all finished with a double-double and Anunoby led the team with eight assists. Still, the trio of Anunoby, Towns and Brunson combined for 10 turnovers as the Knicks gave it away 16 times compared to Boston’s 10 turnovers – the difference in the game.
-- In his first game against his former team, Mitchell Robinson was a non-factor with four points, four rebounds and a block in 22 minutes. He also picked up five fouls.
Game MVP: Jayson Tatum
Tatum led all scorers with 36 points and took over whenever the Celtics needed him to.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 23: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on October 23, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (1-1) gifted first-year head coach Dusty May with his first NBA win on Friday, outlasting the Indiana Pacers (1-1), 121-105, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But at what cost?
Cooper Flagg left the game with a shoulder injury late in the second quarter, but the Mavericks had already built a soft fluffy cushion in the form of what was at one point a 37-point lead. They had enough in the tank to hang on, behind 24 points on 5-of-10 3-point shooting from Kyrie Irving and 20 points and 13 rebounds from PJ Washington. Max Christie and Naji Marshall chipped in 16 and 15, respectively, in the win as well.
The Pacers got 23 points on three made 3-pointers from Pascal Siakam, and 18 points and seven assists from Tyrese Haliburton in the loss. Here are five more stats that stood out from Friday’s win at the Pacers, a team a lot of people thought was one to be dealt with in a deeper Eastern Conference this year.
22-6: Mavericks’ first-quarter run
Marcus Sasser’s hot hand from 3-point range carried over from Wednesday’s season-opening loss at the Houston Rockets and fueled an inspiring early 22-6run that saw the Mavs grow their lead to 33-19 late in the first quarter. Both of his first-quarter triples came as part of the run, which started with 4:55 left in the first. Flagg found him with his third assist of the opening frame on the break for a pull-up look that made it a 23-17 ballgame. Two minutes later, Irving found Sasser in the left corner for another long ball, this time extending the Dallas lead to 33-19.
Both Flagg and Irving also hit 3-pointers during the run. Dallas scored an outlandish 44 points in the first quarter on the strength of that late run. Flagg, Irving, Sasser and Naji Marshall combined to shoot 11-of-14 from the field and 6-of-8 from 3-point land in the first. They were out of their minds, and the Mavericks led 44-27 after one.
15-0: Another Mavs’ second-quarter run
The Mavericks kept getting in passing lanes for deflections, Indiana kept turning the ball over and Dallas continued to pour it on in the second quarter. The Pacers turned the ball over seven times in the first 7:15 of the period, including on four straight possessions at one point midway through the frame. It created fast-break opportunity after fast-break opportunity for the Mavericks. They were out and running.
Zaccharie Risacher, who had a less-than-inspiring debut for the Mavs on Wednesday, was the primary beneficiary of all the easy buckets. He scored three easy ones as the Mavericks pushed the advantage to 30 points during a 15-0 run in the middle of the second. He also rose up and blocked a shot attempt inside from Pascal Siakam, which created another fast-break chance earlier in the run. Risacher’s efforts on both ends helped the Mavs increase what was a 46-31 lead two minutes into the second to 61-31 just a little more than four minutes later.
Risacher racked up 11 points, five rebounds and two stocks in the first half. The Mavs’ bench outscored the Pacers’ reserve unit 28-6 in the first half. Dallas led 77-43 at the break.
19-2: Third-quarter bench scoring reversal
There were moments after Aaron Nesmith’s flagrant foul on Cooper Flagg with a minute left in the first half when it looked like the Pacers would climb back into the game, but the Mavericks held serve for the most part in the third.
Indiana’s bench finally woke up in the third, though, to help them creep to within 22 by the time the fourth quarter rolled around. The Pacers’ bench outscored the Dallas reserves 19-2 in the third after getting dragged, 28-6 in the first half. Quenton Jackson and Obi Toppin combined to score 11 in the third, as Indiana outscored the Mavs 33-21 in the frame.
Still, Dallas carried a 98-76 lead into the decisive fourth quarter. Irving and PJ Washington combined for 17 points, and Washington pulled down five boards in the third to keep Indiana at arm’s length.
Irving continued his hot hand from the outside after Flagg exited the game with “shoulder soreness” as a result of Nesmith’s hard flagrant foul in transition late in the first half. Irving refused to let the Pacers back within shouting distance of the lead, hitting three big 3-pointers, all from near the top of the key, in a stretch from late in the third quarter to early in the fourth.
His fifth of the game came with 9:43 left to play and put the Mavericks ahead 103-82. It gave him five points in the first two minutes and change of the fourth quarter, and 24 points for the game. But on the other end of the floor, Irving committed his fifth personal foul of the game with 9:33 remaining, committing the mortal sin of fouling Nesmith in the act of shooting a 3-pointer.
Irving, who is also still presumably on a minutes restriction, came out of the game immediately for one or both of those reasons. He would foul out with 4:23 left in the game after logging 25 minutes.
He called his minutes restriction to start the year “difficult mentally” in his televised postgame interview, but also said, “It’s a team game. We’ve got to build these habits now. All of the components, all the players we have, we’re interchangeable.”
6: Kyrie Irving fouls
According to Mavs TV. This was Kyrie Irving’s first career foul-out: 781 regular-season games.
If the number five was notable for Irving in the win, the number six was one little notch more notable, at least from a statistical perspective. It was the first foul-out of Irving’s 781 regular-season game career.
The Mavericks broadcast crew first brought the statistical oddity up before May confirmed it in his postgame press conference. His last two fouls in the fourth quarter were not particularly good ones. He fouled Nesmith on a 3-point attempt early in the fourth, forcing himself out of the game with 9:33 remaining. That left Dallas without either of the bona fide stars on the roster for a long, precarious stretch of the fourth.
He came back in with 4:55 left to play, but fouled out of the game 30 seconds later, trying to prevent the Pacers from starting a fast break with the Mavericks nursing a 112-99 lead.
But hey, the Mavs were able to bring it home, so no harm, no foul. Except for the six he was whistled for.
21: Mavericks stocks
Even after Flagg left the game, the Mavericks continued to play well on the defensive end for most of the game. Dallas ended the night with 11 blocked shots and 10 steals.
Washington blocked three shots to go along with 20 points and 13 boards — really a huge night for the veteran who’s gotten a lot of flak for the perception of not fitting in with a revamped roster. Risacher blocked three more, finishing with a very respectable 11 points and six rebounds. Gafford blocked a pair as well.
Naji Marshall pilfered three steals, to match Flagg for the team-high mark in the win over the Pacers.
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D.J. Short
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