The billionaire’s departure will change little day-to-day but could be significant for club’s stadium plans
Not since a doomed foray into the thorny world of the transfer market has Todd Boehly had any real influence over the day-to-day at Chelsea. The American exits football as a diminished figure four years on, along with his fellow investor Mark Walter, and the first thing to say is that little will change in the Stamford Bridge boardroom just because Boehly has left the scene.
Clearlake Capital, the US private equity firm founded by Behdad Eghbali and José E Feliciano, was already the majority owner and guiding force. The trio of Boehly, Walter and the Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss had an equal share of a 38.5% stake but have drifted into irrelevance since the BlueCo consortium bought Chelsea from Roman Abramovich for £2.5bn in 2022.
Day one of training camp is in the books for the New York Rangers, and after months of speculation, we got our first breadcrumbs about what the opening-night roster could look like.
Here’s all you need to know from the first day of training camp
Gabe Perreault, Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière reunite:
Mike Sullivan went back to a winning formula on Thursday, reuniting Gabe Perreault, Mika Zibanejad, and Alexis Lafrenière on a line.
For a stretch late in the 2025-26 season, these three forwards found success playing alongside each other and provided the Rangers with consistent offensive production they had not gotten all year long.
Perreault is slated to take on a larger top-six role as he heads into his first NHL season and by the looks of the team’s first practice, it appears as if he’ll indeed start the season as a top-six forward.
“We thought they had pretty good chemistry, so I think just from a common sense standpoint, it would make sense to maybe see where it goes,” Sullivan said.
The case to pair Zibanejad with Pavel Dorofeyev is certainly enticing and could be explored as camp progresses, but the fact that he started training camp playing with Perreault and Lafrenière may be a sign of things to come, and Sullivan confirmed that he wants to keep the same lines and defensive pairings for at least a couple of days.
“I'd like to give them a couple of practices, maybe a couple inter-squads, and see where it goes. I think it's obvious we started there for a reason,” Sullivan said. “We'll learn along the way, and we'll figure out based on what we see, based on some of the conversations we have with the players involved, we'll get their feedback also, and then we'll try to make the best decisions for the team.”
J.T. Miller centers line with Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand:
After thriving playing alongside Jack Eichel in Vegas, Pavel Dorofeyev opened up camp with J.T. Miller as his new center.
Miller fluctuated from the wing to center last season, but playing his natural position down the middle is more beneficial to him, and having Dorofeyev on the wing could help him recapture his offensive game.
“J.T. is a versatile guy,” Sullivan said. “I think his playmaking ability is probably undervalued. He sees the ice pretty well, I think he has an ability to distribute the puck. I think J.T. brings a physical element to the downlow-grind game that I think he can drag his linemates into a little bit, so they can create some offense in different ways.
“I think Pav is a guy that could obviously score goals, and so we wanted to see what that looks like.”
Oliver Bjorkstrand, who signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Rangers this offseason, complimented Miller and Dorofeyev, as Sullivan praised Bjorkstrand’s ability to score goals.
While Dorofeyev played on the right side during Thursday’s practice, Sullivan has plans to try out Dorofeyev at both right and left wing.
“I know he can play both,” Sullivan said of Dorofeyev. “From talking to him, talking to some of his former coaches, I know he can play both sides. I think a lot of it is going to come down to what we think is the best fit based on the combinations that we put together.
“So we're going to explore different options to figure out how we can create the balance that we think is necessary to win consistently, but also to set players up for success, him included. I would anticipate probably seeing him on both sides throughout the course of the next couple of weeks.”
Will Cuylle Set To Play A Third-Line Role:
The Rangers’ third line on Thursday consisted of Will Cuylle, Noah Laba, and new addition Eeli Tolvanen, with Taylor Raddysh also filling in.
Sullivan felt that last season Cuylle played his best hockey in a third-line role playing alongside Noah Laba, and now that the Rangers have added more depth to their top-six forward unit, it gives them the ability to utilize Cuylle on the bottom six, a position that he’s better suited to thrive in.
“I thought Will Cuylle played some of his best hockey with Laba last year,” Sullivan emphasized. “When you put a guy like Will on the third line, so to speak, it creates I think, a scoring threat, a physical presence, more balance through our lineup that makes us harder to play against. You potentially get more advantageous matchups. I think there are advantages to having balance. Will Cuylle with Laba, it strengthens that top nine as opposed to that top six.”
Tolvanen signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Blueshirts late in the offseason, and he provides an element of speed and physicality to a line that is centered around those two traits.
This newly assembled line brought a strong physical presence on Thursday, specifically shown on a hit delivered by Cuylle on Lafrenière.
Joe Veleno and Tye Kartye create a speedy fourth line:
Sullivan looks to be prioritizing speed on the fourth line with a duo of Joe Veleno and Tye Kartye.
The Rangers went out and signed Veleno to a one-year, $1.2 million contract, and based on the team’s first practice, it appears as if he’s the frontrunner to land the fourth-line center role.
Kartye mostly played on the third line after being claimed off waivers in February, and he provided an instant spark to the team.
Sullivan noted the increase in speed to the bottom-six forward unit, specifically provided by Veleno and Kartye.
“I think we got faster in the bottom six in particular,” Sullivan said. “Veleno, he can really skate. We added Tye Kartye at the end of the year. Tye could really skate, he’s a dog on the bone with the puck.”
Jaroslav Chmelař and Matt Rempe rotated for that last fourth-line spot.
Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson make up the second defensive pairing:
When the Rangers acquired both Durzi and Pettersson this summer, it was widely speculated that they would be paired together.
That was the case on Thursday. Durzi and Pettersson made up the Rangers’ second pairing behind Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov.
Sullivan and Chris Drury emphasized the Rangers’ need for a puck-moving defensemen that is exactly what Durzi and Pettersson provide.
“You look at our defense core, adding Marcus Pettersson, adding Durzi. We tried them together out there today, and I thought they looked really good,” Sullivan said. “I think both of them have an ability to move the puck, go tape-to-tape, I think that is really going to help us.
“Exiting out of our end, maybe getting out a little bit cleaner. If we can get the puck in motion, if we can get the puck with speed, I think it should help us off the rush. I think these guys are good players that will make our group stronger back there.”
Alberts Šmits being given a real shot to make the NHL roster:
During Wednesday’s press conference, Sullivan made it abundantly clear that Šmits will be given a real opportunity to make the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
"Yes, he has a chance to make the team,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “We have to make sure that we do the right thing for him.”
Sullivan put his words into action, placing Šmits on the third defensive pairing alongside Braden Schneider.
If this is an indication of anything, it is that the 2026 fifth overall pick is seriously being looked at to fill a roster spot come Sept. 29 in Boston to kick off the regular season.
“I thought he had a pretty strong first day. I think the thing that jumps out at me right away is just his physical stature. He's big and strong, winning puck battles, but when he passes the puck, he snaps it hard, which I think is a very evident thing with NHL players.That’s one thing I noticed right away being on the ice with him, he snaps pucks. It's on and off his tape. We obviously had him paired with Schneids today. I thought he had a good first day. I thought he didn’t look out of place by any stretch.”
Matthew Robertson, who’s Šmits’ main competition for that third-pairing left-handed defensemen spot, was paired with Scott Morrow as alternates, but given Robertson’s role with the Rangers last season, all indications point toward him still having an edge over Šmits for now.
Rangers Open To Carrying Three Goalies To Start The Season:
The Rangers’ backup goaltending position is up for grabs, with Dylan Garand and Joonas Korpisalo competing for that spot.
The retirement of Jonathan Quick left a void for the backup spot behind Igor Shesterkin, and despite Dylan Garand making a strong impression when he was called up from the American Hockey League at the tail end of the 2025-26 campaign, the Rangers still went out of their way to acquire Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins.
While there still may be a competition between Garand and Korpisalo for the rights to backup Shesterkin, Sullivan hasn’t ruled out carrying both goalies on the roster to open up the season.
“Is that an option that is on the table for us, yes,” Sullivan said of the Rangers potentially carrying three goalies on the roster. “It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility. I think it's very manageable in the short term. I don't think it's in the best interest of the guys in the long term for obvious reasons.”
Korpisalo practiced with the Rangers’ main group, consisting mostly of NHL players on Thursday, while Garand practiced with most of the players expected to play for the Hartford Wolf Pack.
It's no mystery that Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson are eligible to sign extensions, and each player may have a vastly different path in front of them.
But regardless of what those eventual paths are, the Penguins are not too worried about neither player being signed up to this point.
After day one of training camp Thursday, Penguins' assistant general manager Jason Spezza spoke on a variety of topics, including Crosby and Karlsson. Like general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas emphasized in the spring, Spezza said the situations for both players will sort out in due time.
"We've communicated with [Karlsson] where we're at as a team, and we want to continue to see growth. And I think he wants to see that as well. So, there's been great conversation transparency around his situation.
"We think a lot of Erik. I think he's enjoyed his time here, and we've enjoyed having him. So, those situations will play themselves out as the year goes."
As for Crosby, who is entering his 22nd season and is currently on one of the best bargain contracts in the NHL at $8.7 million average annual value?
"With Sid, I think it's a unique situation, but it's also a situation other great players at his level have gone through," Spezza said. "And, at his age, he probably wants to see how he feels. I think Sid is going to play for a long time if he continues to see things this way. Where that falls into the contract, I think it's less of a concern for us internally and, probably, for him at this point. And he probably wants to see how he feels.
"And I can understand it as a guy who played later into my career. You want to kind of see how you feel, and you want to play at a certain standard. And I think that's probably where Sid is at right now So, there's not really a concern on our end or on his at this point, and like I said with Erik, we try to be transparent with the guys and have conversations with them. And I think everyone knows Sid's situation here. So, he's gonna make sure he's feeling good before anything gets done."
During season ticket deliveries Tuesday, Crosby clarified the situation with his contract, saying that he's letting Dubas and agent Pat Brisson handle it. He also said that he feels good but, realistically, knowing when to hang up the skates is different for every player, and trying to project when that will be is a futile exercise.
"I wouldn't say there's a hard timeline," Crosby said to reporters covering the event. "I think it's something that I'll let them discuss. And, at this point in my career, it's hard to project how long I'm going to play for, but I think it's just something that I'll see what happens there."
While Crosby's contract situation with the Penguins feels certain to resolve with an extension at some point, the same is not the case for Karlsson.
When asked about his future Thursday, Karlsson offered some clarity with a dash of uncertainty woven in, specifying that extension talks have not occurred between him and the Penguins up to now. But he also implied that he's comfortable entering the season and seeing where the team is at before coming to any final determination on his future with the Penguins, who are in an interesting position organizationally.
"I think that the situation is pretty given on what it is and what it's not," Karlsson said. "I have one year left. Our team is in a weird stage, I think. So, we'll see how it goes this year."
He added: "I'm enjoying my time right now, you know? I'm 36 years old, feel really good. Got a lot of years left in me. The future is not something that I've really thought about.
He added: "I know where I'm at. I know I feel good enough that it's not something that I think I have to worry about. I'm going to stay in the present. I'm very focused on what I can control in the moment right now, and I'm looking forward to that."
Turning it around: For the first time in a whileMunetaka Murakami had a big game, as his 423-footer drove in the South Siders’ only runs. | Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The White Sox (78-75) pulled through with an excellent pitching performance, as the Tigers (72-81) finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. As a result, despite quite a few high-leverage moments down the stretch, the South Siders prevailed by a score of 3-1.
Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez, 32, ran into trouble in the bottom of the first. Chase Meidroth led off for the South Siders with a tricky grounder that third baseman Kevin McGonigle did not field cleanly. Meidroth ended up with an infield single to set the stage for what turned out to be a big inning. Tommy Pham drew a four-pitch walk, so the White Sox had runners on first and second with no outs. Miguel Vargas struck out looking at a 3-2 cutter right on the upper-inside corner, and Randal Grichuk grounded into a force out. With runners at the corners and two outs, Munetaka Murakami stepped up to the plate. The first pitch from Valdez to Murakami was a sinker that caught too much of the plate, and Murakami did not miss it. Murakami has been cold since mid-August, entering this game with a .095/.252/.168 slash line from August 19 through September 16. However, Murakami changed that trend in a big way with a timely,423-foot three-run homer to center. Suddenly, the White Sox had an early 3-0 lead.
Erick Fedde, 33, started on the mound for the South Siders, and overall, his evening went smoothly. Fedde got off to a fantastic start by retiring the first six batters he faced. Fedde’s third inning was not as easy, but even then, he limited the damage. Fedde hit Max Clark to open the inning, and Josh Peck singled to put two on with no outs. Javier Báez struck out, but McGonigle walked to load the bases with only one away. From there, Fedde got Gleyber Torres to hit a soft grounder to Vargas, who stepped on third for the force out. One run scored, but the White Sox still had a 3-1 lead. With runners on first and second with two outs, Fedde threw a 3-2 sweeper that was located very nicely at the knees, but Dillon Dingler hit a sharp liner toward shortstop. However, Luisangel Acuña was in the right place at the right time, and he made the catch to end the inning.
With the score still 3-1 in the top of the fifth, Fedde remained on the mound to open the inning. Fedde retired the first two batters of the inning, but the Tigers did not go down easily. Torres hit a deep drive to left that hit the middle of the wall, only a few feet from being a solo homer. However, the park held it, and Randal Grichuk made an excellent, barehanded play to quickly retrieve the ball and hold Torres to a long single.
That play by Grichuk turned out to be impactful, as Dingler hit a sharp liner to left for a double. Once again, Grichuk got it in quickly, and Torres was unable to score. Had Torres started that play on second, he surely would have scored on Dingler’s double, but instead, the Tigers had runners on second and third with two outs. At that point, Bryan Hudson replaced Fedde on the mound to face Riley Greene in a high-leverage spot. On a 2-2 pitch, Hudson got Greene to chase a low sweeper to end the threat. That closed the book on Fedde’s stat line, which was 4 2/3 innings, one run, four hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.
Spencer Torkelson led off the sixth for the Tigers, and he lined a fastball from Hudson toward the left field corner. Torkelson headed to second base, which he normally would have made it to safely, but once again, Grichuk came up big on defense. Grichuk fired a strike to second to retire Torkelson on another great play.
In the seventh, with the score still 3-1, Jordan Hicks took over on the mound and struck out the first two batters he faced. The second of those batters was Báez, and that was his third looking strikeout of the game, the first time that has happened in his career. However, McGonigle extended the inning with a single, and Torres walked, prompting a pitching change, as Grant Taylor took over for Hicks. Dingler hit a sharp grounder, but Acuña was there to make the play and end the threat.
Taylor remained on the mound in the eighth, and he retired the first two batters of the inning before issuing a walk to Brett Callahan. That extended the inning for Clark, who hit a tricky grounder, and he narrowly beat the throw to first for an infield single. Surprisingly, though, Callahan tried advancing to third. Murakami spotted this and made an accurate throw over, but Callahan was initially ruled safe. The White Sox challenged the play, and it was about as close as it could have been, but the call was overturned. Just like that, the Tigers walked away empty-handed again.
In the eighth, the White Sox had an opportunity to pick up an insurance run when Murakami tripled down the right field line to record his first career three-bagger. Murakami had the only two extra-base hits of the game for the White Sox. Murakami also picked up the only clutch hit, as the South Siders finished 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. After his triple, the South Siders failed to capitalize, so it was up to the bullpen to protect a two-run lead entering the ninth.
Taylor returned to the mound to open the ninth in an uncharacteristically long appearance for him. Taylor got Peck to fly out on the first pitch of the inning, but the White Sox were not out of the woods yet. Taylor initially got a friendly strike call on a 3-2 pitch to pinch-hitter Colt Keith. However, ABS showed that the pitch narrowly missed, so Keith reached base, and the potential tying run came to the plate. McGonigle hit a soft liner that landed in front of Acuña, who had an easy play at second base, even after a bobble. Since Keith had to wait and see if Acuña would make the catch, he got a late start on his journey to second. Instead, Acuña made the throw to first, which was late. That brought Torres to the plate with two on and no outs, but Taylor locked in and got a ground ball to third. Vargas tagged Keith, who unwisely ran into an out, and Vargas threw to first in time to retire Torres to wrap it up.
The White Sox are back in first place, as they have the same record as the Guardians (78-75), and the South Siders have the tiebreaker. The next game is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CT on Friday. The probable starters are David Sandlin (5.64 ERA, 5.04 FIP, 0.1 fWAR in 30 1/3 innings) and Andrew Sears (5.40 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 0.1 fWAR in 16 2/3 innings). As usual, CHSN will televise the game, and ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM will have the radio coverage. We hope to see you then.
The final few weeks of the baseball season usually sees fans and the teams they root for in 2 boats, 1 boat was sunk weeks if not months ago and has everyone looking forward to the future and what they can possibly get excited about in the offseason, the other boat has holes in it and the fans inside are using whatever they can to scoop out whatever water is pouring in hopes that they can stay afloat just enough to reach the finish line and make it to October and get to play postseason ball.
All fans (whether our hearts and blood pressure agree or not) would prefer to be in the second boat 10 times out of 10 and that’s exactly where the Diamondbacks find themselves as they continue to paddle their way towards a Wild Card birth, but after a series loss to the Texas Rangers that added more leaks to the Snakes boat they find themselves running out of buckets to scoop out the water that is rapidly filling up their ship.
Dead Fish
With the San Diego Padres on a winning streak that seemed like it might never end, the Diamondbacks found themselves with little to no room for error going into this 3 game series against the Miami Marlins and they would need the offense to do whatever it can to get out of the rut they seem to have been in the last few weeks.
Mondays up and down roller coaster of events that had us ready to jump head first off the 3rd deck as the Snakes entered the 9th inning down by just a run and looking like they would drop to 3.5 games back of San DIego, but the heroics of Corbin Carroll and his walk-off 2-Run blast had the indoor skydiving event postponed to another day and gave us hope that maybe Corbin and the rest of this offense found the spark they needed to get hot at just the right time and go on a run to end the season. Sadly that was not the reality that we would be treated to for the following 2 days.
The next 2 days were full of even more drama and even more of the same offensive struggles that have seemed to plague this squad and us fans for what feels like an eternity, as a heartbreaking loss in extras, a game that the Diamondbacks had nearly every opportunity to cash in and get a crucial win, to a 4-3 loss in the series finale that ended with Jordan Lawler getting thrown out on a steal attempt with Ketel Marte at the plate representing the winning run brought more misery and pain to fans in attendance and those watching at home.
Brandon and I aired out our frustrations with this teams lack of clutch hitting (yet again) and just how much this series loss has put them back in the position of begging other teams to beat the Teams ahead of them and give them as much assistance as they can ask for in getting to October and with the Dbacks having an even tougher opponent coming to town for the final homestand of the 2026 campaign, its leaving both of us with little optimism heading into their final 9 games.
“From You, 25 Years Ago”
WIsh a gut wrenching series loss to the Marlins in the rear view mirror, Brandon and I looked ahead at the matchups in store for the Snakes in their final 3 home games of the year as the Diamondbacks would be welcoming the New York Yankees into town and celebrating the 25th anniversary of the greatest fall classic that has ever been played.
The two of us both had equal levels of excitement for the festivities in store as it’s always fun to reminisce on the good times that was the 2001 World Series and getting to see so many heroes and legends from that year’s roster, our excitement for this series ended there once we looked at who would be toeing the rubber for the Evil Empire with 3 really tough right handed starters scheduled for New York in Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler (AL Cy Young favorite by the way) and Will Warren.
Brandon brought up that this teams has not only struggled to get anything going against opposing starting pitchers as of late, but right handed pitching has given them the most trouble all year as they have the 2nd worst OPS against right handed pitching in all of Major League Baseball with a .689 mark having them ahead of only the Angels and their .676 OPS.
With the Diamondbacks being a full 4 games back of San Diego heading into Friday, the snakes can not afford any more setbacks and have to do anything and everything in their power to at least win 2 of 3 from New York or even somehow sweep them, but even that might not be enough to help them with the way the Padres have been playing.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 14: first baseman Jared Young #29 of the New York Mets in action during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Citi Field on September 14, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. The Orioles won 2-1. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets lost to the Phillies tonight 3-0, but the loss paled in comparison to the frightening collision between Nolan McLean and Jared Young that left Young crumpled on the field before being removed by EMS on a backboard. He was taken to the hospital, and the Mets have confirmed that he has feeling in, and full use of, his extremities. Nevertheless, the accident was an abrupt reminder of the very human side of the game and bigger priorities we all share.
With two outs at the top of the first inning, Bryce Harper knocked a ground ball into center field for a single. McLean walked Luis Arraez on four pitches, but the scoring threat ended when Alec Bohm grounded into a force out for the third out. At the bottom of the inning, Juan Soto walked with one out, but was picked off by Aaron Nola, and Bo Bichette then struck out for the third out.
Bryson Stott singled on an infield hit to lead off the second inning, but the top of the inning ended when Justin Crawford grounded into a double play. Nola retired the Mets’ batters in order in the bottom of the second, and the score remained 0-0 through the first two innings. McLean and Nola both worked 1-2-3 innings in the third. Harper socked a fly ball single into right field to lead off the fourth inning, but was stranded there when McLean retired the next three batters in order. Francisco Lindor bunted, but grounded out to lead off the bottom of the inning. Soto drew another walk, but unfortunately Bichette grounded into a double play to end the inning. The score was still 0-0.
At the top of the fifth, Brandon Marsh smacked a fly ball into right field in front of multiple defenders, reaching first base in the process. Crawford laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved Marsh to second base, and Garrett Stubbs grounded out, allowing Marsh to reach third. McLean then walked Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner to load the bases. Harper initially was ruled to have grounded into a force out at second base, but the Phillies challenged the ruling, and it was overturned. Instead, it was an RBI hit, and the Phillies scored the first run of the game. The Mets again went down in order at the bottom of the fifth inning, and the score was Phillies 1, Mets 0.
The top of the sixth inning started inauspiciously. Bohm hit an infield single to third base and reached second on a sac bunt by Stott. Marsh flied out to Ewing in center field for the second out. And then it took some time to understand what happened next. Crawford dribbled a hit up the first-base line. McLean ran to cover and grab the ball, but Young seemed to realize that the ball was close to him as well and stretched to grab it off the ground. The ensuing collision between the two left Young on the ground for several minutes as EMS used the backboard. McLean was deeply shaken, yet he assured Andy Green that he was going to finish the inning. He struck out the next batter for the third out.
At the bottom of the sixth inning, Brett Baty walked with one out, and Nick Morabito broke up Nola’s no-hitter with a single to left field. However, Lindor grounded into a double play to end the sixth inning. Tobias Myers replaced McLean at the top of the seventh inning. He gave up a walk to Turner, who reached third base on a throwing error by Francisco Alvarez. Alvarez had been attempting to catch Turner stealing at first base. Harper walked as well, and Arraez drove in Turner on a sacrifice fly. At the bottom of the seventh, Carson Benge slapped a one-out single into center field. Mark Vientos, who had come in for Young, followed by lining a single into center field as well. A.J. Ewing grounded out to end the seventh inning with the runners stranded, though, and the score was Phillies 2, Mets 0.
Stott led off the eighth inning with a double into right field that Benge could not quite get his glove on, and Brandon Marsh laid down yet another sacrifice bunt to get Stott to third. Crawford scored Stott on the sac fly. Jonathan Bowlan replaced Aaron Nola in the bottom of the eighth inning and walked Baty with one out. However, he was experiencing a lower body injury issue, and Tim Mayza replaced him after two outs, during Lindor’s at-bat. Mayza walked Lindor, but Soto grounded out to end the eighth, and the score was now Phillies 3, Mets 0.
Austin Warren replaced Myers at the top of the ninth inning and retired the Phillies batters in order. Phillies’ closer Jhoan Duran came out for the bottom of the ninth. Bichette swatted a line drive into center field for a single, but Duran retired the next three batters to end the game 3-o.
Game two of the series is tomorrow at 7:15 PM. Zac Thornton will pitch for the Mets against TBD for the Phillies.
Big Mets winner: Nolan McLean, +17% WPA Big Mets loser: Francisco Lindor, -18% WPA Mets pitchers: +4% WPA Mets hitters: -54% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Nick Morabito single, 6.3% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Francisco Lindor grounds into double play, -15.5% WPA
CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth consecutive NL West title and 13th in the past 14 seasons with an 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.
“It’s a big deal,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think that a lot of people think that it’s just a rite of passage (but) it’s not easy. So it’s something that we’re all really proud of, but really understand that’s not the end goal.”
The Dodgers (93-60) are in the postseason for the 14th consecutive season, tying the Atlanta Braves’ record from 1991-2005.
“It’s step one,” Mookie Betts said, rubbing the bubbly from his eyes. “We’ve got a long way to go.”
The on-field celebration was muted following the final out on Thursday, but players let loose in the clubhouse where sparkling wine and beer was sprayed from the floor to the ceiling.
“I think it’s one of those things where in baseball you play every day, and guys focus on performing,” Roberts said. “So there’s not a lot of moments to celebrate. So it’s nice to see the guys let loose a little bit.”
Despite all of their success, the players believe they still have something to prove.
The Dodgers shattered Major League Baseball’s spending record last year with a combined $515 million in payroll, leading to suggestions they have an unfair advantage.
“What we’re creating here is special,” Max Muncy said. “It definitely doesn’t get enough credit. Everyone points to the payroll, but we don’t ever talk about how we do things the right way, how we prepare the right way, how we do all those little things. That doesn’t get talked about.”
The two-time defending World Series champions are still chasing the NL’s top seed, currently held by the Milwaukee Brewers. Los Angeles has a four-game lead over the Braves (89-64) for the second seed but trails the Brewers (95-58) by two games.
“We’re still trying to get one of those top two seeds,” Roberts said. “I think we do a great job of celebrating, but not having it carry over. We have to get on the flight and play the Giants tomorrow.”
The Dodgers are looking to become the first team to capture three consecutive World Series championships since the Yankees did it from 1998 to 2000.
It’s the Dodgers’ fourth-earliest division clinching. They clinched the NL West on Sept. 10 in 2019, Sept. 13 in 2022 and Sept. 16 in 2023.
LA will use that time to try getting healthy. That starts with Shohei Ohtani.
The four-time MVP has been on the 15-day injured list since Sept. 8 with right biceps inflammation and told reporters earlier this month he is done pitching for the season. The two-way star took swings off a tee for the first time Tuesday and felt good. He’s expected to return as a hitter before the end of the regular season, although it’s unclear if he can get 100% healthy before October.
Roki Sasaki, on the IL with a blister on his middle finger, threw live BP on Wednesday in Cincinnati and it went well. Roberts said his next outing will be a start.
Blake Snell left Wednesday’s start after one inning with left groin tightness. His status is uncertain.
Closer Edwin Diaz, who’s been on the IL since August with neck inflammation, is expected to be activated Friday. Setup man Edgardo Henriquez is on the IL with lower back discomfort. He had an MRI in Los Angeles on Wednesday which revealed a low back strain and his rehab will be paused for a few days.
The Dodgers made the biggest splash of the trade deadline when they acquired two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Tigers. Skubal is 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA in eight starts for the Dodgers.
The addition of Skubal made the Dodgers the odds-on favorites to win the World Series. After going 61-36 to start the season, the Dodgers are 32-24 since the All-Star break.
“I spoke to the guys and just really lauded them,” Roberts said. “For the fact, I think that we’re the most talented team, the smartest team, the toughest team, and to enjoy this.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 17: Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies scores on a sacrifice fly during the seventh inning past Francisco Alvarez #4 of the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Obviously, the title can seem a bit misleading when you account for this being a Phillies-centric website for Phillies fans. This isn’t about the Phillies winning or how.
There is no good transition for this, but the game had been going and ended up finishing so there is a recap needed for it.
The Phillies worked a few baserunners over the first four innings of the night but with little success when it mattered. With two outs in the first, Bryce Harper took a first pitch sinker right up the middle for a single, followed by a Luis Arraez walk to put runners on first and second. On the next pitch, Alec Bohm hit a soft groundball to Jared Young that ended the Phillies threat. In the second, Bryson Stott led the inning off with a single, but a Justin Crawford double play ended the inning.
It wasn’t until the fifth inning where the Phillies were able to string things together. Brandon Marsh snapped an 0 for 15 with a bloop single in front of Carson Benge for a leadoff it. After a Justin Crawford sacrifice bunt and Garrett Stubbs groundout, the top of the Phillies order went to work.
Kyle Schwarber was able to work a five-pitch walk. Then, Trea Turner saw seven pitches against McLean, fouling off a few comeback sinkers while being able to foul a high and inside fastball with two strikes. He did just enough and McLean did not have enough command and walked him on an uncompetitive sinker.
Bryce Harper’s at bat was not impressive, hitting a soft groundball on a sinker off the plate but Turner’s speed beat Lindor’s toss to second base and the Phillies took a 1-0 lead.
It was enough for Aaron Nola, who continues to run hot with the Phillies needing it most. Even with slightly diminished velocity, he worked quickly with curveballs, sinkers, and changeups to keep the Mets from recording a hit for five and a third straight innings.
The final two innings of Nola’s seven-inning shutout were his toughest. In the sixth, it was the bottom of the Mets order trying to give a veteran team some life in a meaningless September. Brett Baty fouled three straight full-count off-speed pitches from Nola to work a walk on the tenth pitch of the at bat.
After falling behind 3-1 to Nick Morabito, Nola threw a well-located curveball for a strike but Morabito slapped a single past Trea Turner to put runners on first and second with one out.
On what ended up being a very frustrating night for Francisco Lindor, he grounded out to Luis Arraez for an inning ending double play.
In the top of the 7th, the Phillies once again played small ball. Trea Turner worked a one-out walk, then reached third base when Francisco Alvarez decided to try and back-pick him and threw the ball well past Mark Vientos’s first base glove. After a Harper walk, Luis Arraez hit a flyball to center field that doubled the Phillies lead to two.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Mets tried starting a two out rally with back-to-back singles from Carson Benge and Mark Vientos but rookie center fielder AJ Ewing got on top of a cutter and grounded out to Trea Turner.
During both the sixth and seventh innings, Don Mattingly warmed up Alex McFarlane twice but he never appeared. With him probably being down for the rest of the game, Mattingly had Jonathan Bowlan get up and come in for the 8th.
Bowlan showed some life that inning, his fastball velocity was back to the 97+ range he had before September started and he struck out Francisco Alvarez and Nick Morabito on well-placed fastballs, albeit with a Brett Baty walk in-between.
In the middle of a battle with Francisco Lindor, Bowlan threw a slider and immediately started grabbing at his side. He threw one more pitch, a 93 mph fastball that had no finish and had to exit the game immediately. The Phillies later said he was removed with right groin tightness.
Tim Mayza entered, likely because Alex McFarlane warmed up twice before, and walked Francisco Lindor on his first two pitches, resuming the battle. On his first pitch to Juan Soto, Mayza was able to get a groundball to first that ended the Mets best chance of coming back.
With an insurance run in the ninth and a Jhoan Duran save, the Phillies have the same record as the Chicago Cubs and are one game up on the San Diego Padres for the fifth seed.
But still, it’s not all quite good news. Who knows exactly what happened with Jonathan Bowlan and it’s fair to point out his September issues but Bowlan has been a key fixture in the late innings for the Phillies bullpen all season. The Phillies already put Jesus Luzardo on the injured list on Tuesday, and his status for the rest of the season is up in the air. Now they see Jonathan Bowlan have to exit. Who knows how things go there but the Phillies’ pitching staff is getting thinner and thinner.
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 17: Spencer Torkelson #20 of the Detroit Tigers slides into second as Chase Meidroth #10 of the Chicago White Sox applies the tag during the game at Rate Field on Thursday, September 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Things went south for the Tigers in the South Side as they lost their series opener against the White Sox 3-1.
With less than two weeks left in the regular season, the Tigers opened a four-game series against the division rival White Sox in a series of games that could, surprisingly, actually matter a great deal. Despite dropping their final game against the Blue Jays earlier in the week, the Tigers had been on a red-hot run and were hoping to bring that luck back against the Sox, who have been struggling of late. To get the job done, they had Framber Valdez on the mound, up against Erick Fedde on the mound for the White Sox.
The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the top of the first. Chase Meidroth singled to start the home half, followed by a walk to Tommy Pham. If you missed the fun story from this week. Pham literally talked his way into being activated by making an elevator pitch to the team’s GM and hit a three-run homer in his first game back. Hopefully he got that out of his system for tonight. With two outs, Munetaka Murakami hit a three-run homer to put the White Sox in an early lead.
In the second, the Tigers went three-up, three-down again. In the home half… Jake Rogers apparently plays for the White Sox now? Hi Jake! He challenged a strike call, and it was a ball, giving him a leadoff walk. Three outs followed, though, putting the risk of another run to bed.
Max Clark was hit by a pitch to start the third. John Peck singled. Then, with one out, Kevin McGonigle walked to load the bases. Gleyber Torres grounded into a force out that allowed Clark to score, and Peck was out at third. The Tigers were now on the board with their first run of the night. Miguel Vargas got a one-out walk in the home half. Two outs followed, though, to leave him stranded.
Riley Greene kicked off the fourth with a single, then Spencer Torkelson walked. Two outs ended the inning with two men left on the bases, though. Brenton Doyle singled to start the bottom of the inning. Rogers struck out, but Doyle advanced to second on a passed ball by Dillon Dingler. Luisangel Acuna then reached on a fielding error by McGonigle. Braden Montgomery hit into a force out, eliminating Acuna for the second out of the inning. The Tigers got the final out of the inning and avoided any additional runs scoring.
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Torres singled. The only reason it wasn’t a double was a pretty great off-the-wall bare-handed catch by Grichuk. Dingler doubled, putting two runners in scoring position, so the White Sox dipped into their bullpen for Bryan Hudson, who got Riley Greene for the last out of the inning and cut off one of the Tigers’ best scoring opportunities of the night. Grichuk got a two-out walk in the home half, but the White Sox failed to capitalize on a baserunner.
Spencer Torkelson singled to start the sixth, but he tried to leg out a double and Grichuk once again played the spoiler, getting Torkelson out at second. It was a whopping five-pitch inning as the next two outs happened in quick succession. Valdez was done after five innings, with a final line of 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 1 HR, on 90 pitches. That’s a lot of Ks for a guy whose bread and butter is inducing contact. A decent outing for him with a few moments of frustration. Jacob Waguespack came in to replace him. Brenton Doyler singled to start the home half, then stole second. But three consecutive outs put an end to any hopes of getting another run in.
Jordan Hicks came in for the seventh and pitched as if he had never met the zone, with some truly crazy pitches. McGonigle got a two-out single, then Torres walked. A flailing Hicks was swapped for Grant Taylor, who got the final out of the inning. Ty Madden came in for the Tigers in the bottom of the inning. He got the side out in order. One play was particularly delightful as Baez seemed to literally juggle a catch, bouncing it up several times before finally getting it in his glove. Ben Malgeri has never had more fun watching someone play.
With two outs in the eighth, Brett Callahan walked, and while the Sox did challenge it, the call on the field was confirmed. Max Clark singled, which led to a fairly dramatic moment in the game as Clark easily made it safely to first, but Callahan made a break for third and initially looked safe. The White Sox challenged both safe calls, and ultimately Clark was ruled safe at first, but Callahan was out at third to end the inning. With one out in the bottom of the inning, Murakami tripled. The Tigers got the next two outs to end the inning.
Colt Keith came in to pinch-hit for Baez with one out in the ninth. Keith ended up going for two ABS challenges, losing the first but winning the second on a full count to get a free pass to first. Keith got insanely lucky as McGonigle singled to Acuna, and Acuna didn’t even make a move towards second, throwing to first instead and getting zero outs in the process. Torres then grounded into a double play, though, ending the inning and the Tigers’ chances of a rally.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 17: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals smiles while pointing to fans during a game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on September 17, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals dropped the rubber game against the Houston Astros Thursday night. Despite scoring first, Kansas City falls 6-2 as Houston homered five times.
The game started off promising as the Royals loaded the bases in the top of the first on just nine pitches—two four-pitch walks to Carter Jensen and Bobby Witt Jr. before Houston opener Miguel Ullola plunked Jac Caglianone in the foot. Up came tonight’s cleanup hitter, Maikel Garcia, with a chance to do some real damage.
Real damage he did not inflict.
Instead, on the second pitch of the at-bat—Ullola’s last pitch of the evening—Garcia grounded into a run-scoring double-play. The Royals led 1-0 but the air had been let out of the balloon. Michael Massey couldn’t score Cags from third with two outs.
Houston wasted no time tying the game as Jeremy Pena led off the bottom of the first with his 20th home run of the season. In the bottom of the second, Daulton Varsho’s 12th homer gave Houston the lead it would never relinquish.
Before the Royals collected their first hit of the evening, LaMonte Wade Jr. (4) and Yordan Alvarez (40) also homered. Taylor Trammell (8) added another in the bottom of the 8th.
In total, the Astros hit more home runs tonight than the Royals had basehits.
That’s never a good sign.
Props to Jensen, though, as he remains the only good thing about this woeful offense recently. In addition to his walk, he broke up Houston’s combined no-hitter with a sharp single in the sixth before adding another in the eighth inning, this time driving in John Rave, who’d doubled, to make it a 5-2 game. With Witt up next and Cags after him, things didn’t look completely dire.
But then Witt struck out on a wicked slider nowhere close to the strike zone. Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu, who only faced Witt, made the Royals shortstop just look silly.
That was pretty much it. Trammell’s home made it 6-2, and then Josh Hader came in to lock it down. Can you believe this is already Hader’s 10th season? I shouldn’t have looked that up. It made me feel old.
Hader retired the Royals in order, getting Nick Loftin—pinch-hitting for Cags for some reason—to fly out to right, Garcia to ground out to second, and Michael Massey to ground out to first. Bingo bango bongo, ballgame.
The loss drops the Royals to 67-86. The Astros improve to 77-76, 1/2 game up on the Texas Rangers in the division. As of this writing, the Rangers lead the Red Sox, 3-0, in the seventh inning, so it looks like these two Lonestar teams will continue duking it out for the West.
Before ending this, here’s how Royals starter Seth Lugo fared: five innings pitched, eight hits allowed, four homers given up, one walk, five strikeouts. He’s now 7-9 on the year with an ugly 5.06 ERA. If he didn’t have guaranteed money lined up for 2027, one would be forgiven for thinking this was the end of his line.
DYERSVILLE, IA - AUGUST 12: A general view of a John Deere tracker and the Welcome to MLB at Field of Dreams signage during the media batting practice at Field of Dreams movie site on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 in Dyersville, Iowa. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The offseason is approaching fast, which means we’ll have to find other things to fill our evenings. For me, I’ll probably get caught up on a lot of movies and TV shows I’ve been putting off. And some of those will probably getting caught up on baseball movies I haven’t seen.
I mean, I only saw Bull Durham for the first time a few weeks ago, and ashamedly watched A League of Their Own for the first time last year.
So tonight, I’d like to ask you all: What’s your favorite baseball movie? I’m always looking for recommendations!
The Mets mustered just four hits while falling to the Phillies, 3-0, in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday night at Citi Field.
Here are the takeaways...
- In his penultimate start of the season, Nolan McLean was sharp over the first four innings as he used his entire arsenal to keep the Phillies off balance.
While dancing around four runners in the first four frames, McLean pitched quickly and efficiently -- averaging 12 pitches per inning and retiring eight of nine batters spanning the second inning and end of the fourth.
McLean was victimized by soft contact in the fifth inning as the Phillies opened the scoring. Following a bloop single by Brandon Marsh and a pair of two-out walks, Bryce Harper hit a slow grounder to shortstop, with Francisco Lindor's throw to second base arriving a hair too late to nab Trea Turner. That resulted in Marsh scoring from third base to make it 1-0, Philadelphia, though McLean escaped further damage by getting Luis Arraez to line out to left field.
Overall, McLean allowed one run on seven hits while walking three and striking out five in 6.0 innings, lowering his ERA to 3.18. He threw 82 pitches (57 strikes).
Aug 17, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
- Philadelphia increased its lead to 2-0 in the seventh inning after Francisco Alvarez made a two-base error while throwing behind Turner at first base. Following the error, Arraez lifted a sacrifice fly to center field. The Phils tacked on another run in the eighth on a sac fly by Justin Crawford.
- Aaron Nola held the Mets hitless over the first five innings while facing the minimum (Nola picked Juan Soto off first base after a walk in the first inning, and erased Soto with a double play in the fourth).
The Mets, swinging early and often and not generating much hard contact, made Nola throw just 47 pitches over the first five innings.
- New York finally tallied a hit against Nola in the sixth inning, with Nick Morabito's line drive single to left field giving them runners on first and second with one out. But Lindor bounced into a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.
The Mets had another chance against Nola in the seventh inning, when back-to-back two-out singles by Carson Benge and Mark Vientos set things up for A.J. Ewing. But Ewing tapped out to shortstop to leave the runners stranded.
Nola finished with seven scoreless innings while allowing three hits, walking three, and striking out four.
Soto came to the plate as the tying run with runners on first and second and two outs in the eighth inning, but grounded out softly to first base on the first pitch he saw.
- In a scary scene in the sixth inning, first baseman Jared Young was taken off the field on a stretcher after being kneed in the head by McLean on a play at first base. On the play, the ball -- which was hit by Justin Crawford -- rolled slowly up the first base line with both Young and McLean pursuing it. As it got close to the bag, Young lunged to his right to attempt to field it as McLean arrived near first base, with McLean's right knee hitting Young in the head/face, resulting in Young lying face down and motionless.
Young was down for several minutes while being attended to by the medical staff. Young, who was surrounded by McLean and every starting position player while lying on the field, was eventually placed on a stretcher and removed from the field on a cart. He had feeling in his extremities and was taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
What's next
The Mets and Phillies continue their series on Friday night at 7:15.
Zac Thornton gets the start for New York, while Philadelphia has not yet announced a starter.
The Mets’ top prospect launched his third homer in just his third game since being promoted to Triple-A.
In the third inning, with the game tied, 7-7, Rojas smashed a 364-foot blast off southpaw Tucker Davidson on a 1-0 slider over the plate. It was Rojas' third at-bat of the game after he was hit by a pitch in the first inning. He smoked a double, his first with Syracuse, to drive in a run in the second inning.
Rojas finished 2-for-4 with three RBI.
He is now 7-for-12 with the aforementioned three homers and seven RBI since being promoted.
Rojas' numbers since being acquired by the Mets at the deadline have been phenomenal. He first started in Double-A, where he immediately excelled. In 29 games with Binghamton, Rojas slashed .280/.336/.593 with an OPS of .929 to go along with nine home runs and 29 RBI, nearly doubling both season totals in a third of the games from when he was in the Cubs' system. Rojas hit 15 homers and drove in 57 runs in 91 games with Knoxville while slashing .270/.339/.461.
Catcher Kevin Parada had another great game, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. He raised his batting average in Triple-A to .310. Once a top prospect, Parada has had a strong 2026. After slashing .229/.315/.327 with an OPS of .642 in 64 games with Binghamton, he was promoted to Syracuse in May and really took off.
On the other side of the coin, pitching prospect Jack Wenninger struggled. He allowed five runs on six hits and two walks in 1.2 innings while striking out just one batter.
It's a setback for Wenninger, who was finding his groove. He had allowed two or fewer runs in his last five games (four starts) across 22.0 IP.
Cooper Connolly may have dropped the biggest hint yet about how Australia’s batting line-up might shape up for next month’s three-Test tour of South Africa.
