Category: MLB

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Ahead of the 2025 season, it was fair to wonder whetherBrett Baty was about to get his last, best chance to show he could be a big part of the Mets' future.

In parts of three seasons with New York after making his debut late during the 2022 season, Baty's performance at the plate wasn't just underwhelming -- there also seemed to be a confidence issue.

Over 602 plate appearances spanning 169 games between 2022 and 2024, Baty slashed just .215/.282/.325 with 15 homers. He hit the ball on the ground way too much, had too many poor at-bats, and watched as the Mets' long-term third base job seemingly slipped away.

But while Mark Vientos staked his third base claim in 2024 as he popped 27 homers in 111 regular season games before having a power surge during New York's run to the NLCS, he relinquished it in 2025 -- leading to an opportunity for Baty, who also got plenty of time at second base.

And even though Baty didn't break the door down once given his chance, he finally started to put it all together.

In 432 plate appearances spanning 130 games this past season, Baty hit .254/.313/.435 with 18 home runs and 13 doubles. His .748 OPS dwarfed his previous career-best OPS of .633, his OPS+ of 111 was solidly above league average, and his defense at third base was smooth and reliable.

But with the Mets entering an offseason where the offensive core could be shaken up, could Baty be impacted?

Should Baty be part of the calculus going forward, or is it time to explore a trade?

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO LET BATY GO

Baty did a lot of things right in 2025, but he still hits the ball on the ground a ton.

His 51.0 percent groundball rate was improved from 2024 (54.5 percent) but still well above the MLB average of 44.2 percent. Baty also strikes out at a pretty high clip for someone who doesn't hit for a lot of power. And he won't make an impact on the bases.

It can be argued, though, that it's not really Baty's performance/profile that could make his situation tenuous, but the presence of others.

In other words, with Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Brandon Nimmo locked in, it's hard to envision the Mets making a big offensive addition unless it's at third base or first base. 

If that move comes at first base in the form of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, perhaps they'll simply slot Baty back in at third base. But in a world where New York re-signs Pete Alonso, would they be comfortable handing third base to Baty and basically running back the same offense that was so hit-or-miss in 2025?

What if Alonso walks, the Mets miss on Murakami, and sign/trade for a stopgap first baseman for 2026 who doesn't offer a ton offensively?

In that scenario, it's fair to think they'd look to bolster the offense elsewhere, with third base being a sensible spot to upgrade. And if they go that route, free agent Alex Bregman -- who is a plus offensive player and a plus defender -- could make a lot of sense.

Baty can also play second base, but the presence of top prospect Jett Williams -- whose big league debut should come in 2026 -- complicates the long-term view there. 

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO KEEP BATY

In addition to Baty's standard offensive numbers, his advanced metrics also told a nice story in 2025.

His bat speed was elite, while his hard hit percentage, barrel percentage, and xSLG were all well above average. Baty was also above average when it came to xwOBA, average exit velocity, and chase percentage.

And while the Mets possibly shaking up the offense might make Baty's future a little more uncertain than it would have otherwise been, his ability to play strong defense at third base is a huge plus to consider as David Stearns and the front office look to fortify the team's run prevention.

Even in a world where the Mets aren't sold on Baty as a starting player or simply want to go in a different direction at third base, he could still provide lots of value as a versatile bench player capable of handling third base, second base, and perhaps corner outfield in a pinch. He could also theoretically be part of the answer at designated hitter. 

There's also Baty's age (26 for all of next season), cost, and team control to consider.

He won't become arbitration-eligible until after the 2026 season, is under team control through 2029, and made just $774,000 in 2025.

So the Mets have no reason to be in a rush to make a final determination on Baty. 

VERDICT

Unless there's a potential trade partner that locks in on Baty as a key target in a deal that would bring an impact player back to New York, it should be an easy choice to keep him.

Depending on how the offseason goes, Baty could enter the season as the starting third baseman, second baseman, or a key bench player.

And while Williams and Benge should be lineup options at some point in 2026, it will be a big surprise if either player is part of the plan by Opening Day.

There's also a possibility that the Mets trade Jeff McNeil this offseason. The departure of McNeil, who is entering the final year of his contract, would make the presence of Baty even more important.

 

 

A smile started to form on the face of Dodgers closer Roki Sasaki as he described his disposition in the bullpen.

“Every time,” Sasaki said, “I’m praying the starter will pitch a complete game.”

The Japanese speakers in the Dodger Stadium interview room broke into laughter.

The overwhelming performance of the Dodgers in this postseason has created an atmosphere in which even the famously introverted Sasaki feels comfortable joking in front of reporters.

With a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, the Dodgers extended their lead in the National League Championship Series to three games to none.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

They improved to 8-1 in these playoffs.

The only reason there’s any doubt whether the Dodgers will repeat as World Series champions is because of their heart-attack-inducing bullpen, and now that group has started taking shape under the guidance of manager Dave Roberts.

What felt like wishful thinking has become an actual roadmap to victory, with Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen taking down key outs late in the game before giving way to Sasaki, the converted starter with a 100-mph fastball and vanishing forkball.

The organization’s vision came together in Game 3, as the bullpen was entrusted with covering the 3 ⅓ innings that remained after starter Tyler Glasnow’s removal.

With Vesia recording two outs and Treinen taking down two more, Roberts had to find a bridge to Sasaki. He called on Anthony Banda, who pitched just once in the three previous weeks.

Banda pitched a perfect eighth inning against the heart of the Brewers’ order, retiring Brice Turang, William Contreras and Christian Yelich in succession. The night ended with Sasaki becoming the first pitcher to register each of his first three career saves in the postseason.

“The thing about our guys is they’re battle tested,” Roberts said, “and I’ve never lost faith in them.”

The truth was, he didn’t have a choice.

Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, the team’s two high-priced bullpen additions from the offseason, aren’t on the active roster.

The dynamic forced Roberts to continue riding Vesia, who near the end of the regular season looked as if he could be running out of gas after making a career-high 68 appearances. Roberts also had to continue depending on the 37-year-old Treinen, who last month was described by a rival scout as “finished.”

Perhaps the most significant wager placed by Roberts and the front office was on Sasaki, who had no previous experience pitching out of the bullpen.

As overpowering as Sasaki was in his two relief appearances in the final week of the regular season, as breathtaking as he was in closing out the NL wild-card series against the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers couldn’t be certain what they could expect from him.

Their fears were realized in Game 1 of this series. Four days removed from a three-inning relief appearance against the Phillies in the NLDS, Sasaki nearly blew a two-run lead he inherited from Blake Snell in the ninth inning. Treinen replaced Sasaki with two outs and recorded the final out in the 2-1 victory.

Was Sasaki exhausted?

“Physically, there was no problem,” Sasaki said. “However, without me realizing it, I think my delivery probably crumbled and something was a little off.”

Sasaki said he spent the two days between Games 1 and 3 working on slowing down his delivery.

The first pitch he threw on Thursday night was a ball to Andrew Vaughn, but the pitch was clocked at 99.7 mph. He touched 99.8 mph later in the at-bat.

Vaughn was retired on a spectacular defensive play by shortstop Mookie Betts. Sal Frelick popped up. Caleb Durbin struck out.

This being Sasaki’s sixth postseason game, the performance temporarily subsided concerns about the right-hander’s ability to withstand an October workload. Dodger Stadium could resume celebrating him.

In a short time, Sasaki has become one of the team’s most popular players, with chants of “Ro-ki” frequently breaking out while he is on the mound.

He emerges from the bullpen to “Bailalo Rocky,” a song by Yoan Retro and Ariadne Arana. Sasaki revealed the song was pushed on to him by reserve infielder Miguel Rojas, who noticed that “Rocky” said with a Latin American accent sounds similar to Sasaki’s first name.

Read more:Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

“From the start of the season, especially at Dodger Stadium, I couldn’t pitch the way I wanted,” Sasaki said. “Since I came back (from the injured list) as a reliever and started performing in a way that better represents who I am, I’ve seen the scenery gradually change. I’m thinking that will lead to something in the future.”

Not only for him but also for the Dodgers.

Considering how thoroughly they have outplayed their opponents in this postseason, how great would the Dodgers be if they had a half-decent bullpen?

With Sasaki closing, and with Treinen and Vesia in front of him, they could be on the verge of finding out.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Shohei Ohtani has done next to nothing in the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers could sweep their way into the World Series on Friday, with Ohtani as a footnote in the NLCS story, but baseball’s best player has a flair for the dramatic.

Bring on the latest Babe Ruth comparison!

Baseball’s contemporary two-way superstar can do something Friday that baseball’s original two-way superstar never did.

Ruth started three postseason games as a pitcher, never hitting a home run in those games. Ohtani starts his second postseason game as a pitcher Friday, looking for his first postseason home run as a pitcher.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

He could hit a home run and be the winning pitcher Friday, because why not?

“I feel like Shohei is a superhero character,” Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said.

In the division series, Ohtani had one hit in 18 at-bats, with nine strikeouts. After the Dodgers clinched, this was catcher Will Smith: “He didn’t do much this series. I expect next series for him to come out and hit like five homers. That’s just who he is.”

In this series, Ohtani has two hits in 11 at-bats, with five strikeouts. Over the NLDS and NLCS, he is batting .103 with no home runs, and he has struck out in 48% of his at-bats.

He has not hit five home runs in this series, as Smith had optimistically anticipated.

“I’m hoping he will tomorrow,” Smith said Thursday.

If a player has a rough week or two in June and changes up his routine, you might hear about it for a couple of minutes on the pregame show. Ohtani had a rough week or two in October and decided to take batting practice on the field instead of in the indoor cages Wednesday, and it became MAJOR BREAKING INTERNATIONAL NEWS.

Not just for fans, the ones that have made his jersey baseball’s best seller, and the ones set to flock to the grand opening of a Tokyo pop-up gallery Friday, featuring vinyl albums that pay homage to the walk-up songs and anthems of Ohtani and other major league stars.

Ohtani’s teammates came out to watch that rare outdoor batting practice. The sound guys cranked up an extra dose of Michael Bublé. And, because it was Ohtani, he hit a ball off the roof of the right-field pavilion.

So, no, the Dodgers aren’t worried. And, no, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts isn’t about to move Ohtani down in the lineup.

“Obviously, Shohei's not performing the way he would like or we expect,” Roberts said. “But I just know how big of a part he is to this thing.

“We've got a long way to go. But I just like the work he's putting in. And I'll bet on him all day long.”

For Ohtani’s hitting, pitching has been his kryptonite this season. In his 15 starts, including the one in the NLDS, he is batting .207, and he has struck out in 43% of his at-bats.

“I don't necessarily think that the pitching has affected my hitting performance,” Ohtani said Wednesday. “Just on the pitching side, as long as I control what I can control, I feel pretty good about putting up results. On the hitting side, just the stance, the mechanics, that’s something that I do. It’s a constant work in progress.”

There was some progress Thursday, when Ohtani tripled to lead off the first inning. On the next pitch, Mookie Betts doubled him home.

“It’s kind of like the Bulls playing without Michael Jordan sometimes,” Betts told TBS after the game. “So we get him going and then it’s really going to be hard to beat. You see what happens immediately. As soon as he gets a hit, good things happen. But he’s going to be there.

“He’s going to be there when the time is right. We all trust and believe in Shohei.”

Before the NLCS, Roberts was blunt about Ohtani’s offensive struggles.

“We’re not gonna win the World Series with that sort of performance,” Roberts said.

That sort of performance has continued, and the Dodgers are undefeated since then. That makes it easier to believe in Ohtani, and in what he might deliver on Friday.

Read more:Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

“I’m expecting nothing short of incredible,” infielder Max Muncy said.

“All in all, I’m expecting Shohei to pitch a great game, and whatever he does offensively is just kind of icing on the cake at that point. It’s a tough thing to pitch and hit in the same game, especially in a postseason game. He’s going to be fine.”

The Ruth comparison only goes so far. When he pitched in the postseason, he was primarily a pitcher, twice batting ninth. He made 145 pitches in his first postseason start, a 14-inning complete-game victory.

That is about all we can say Ohtani will not do. The Dodgers are so deep that, Roberts’ fear notwithstanding, they could win the World Series with a slumping Ohtani. They did that last year, in fact.

However, with one mighty swing, Friday’s storyline could be less about what he did not do and more about what Ruth could not do. Champagne showers are in the forecast.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The debate over whether Mookie Betts can play shortstop was settled long ago.

The debate now is whether Mookie Betts can play shortstop better than anyone in baseball. That discussion may soon be drawing to a close too.

Because a day after being named a finalist for a Gold Glove, Betts put a huge exclamation point on Thursday’s 3-1 playoff win over the Milwaukee Brewers with a spectacular play to start the ninth inning.

The victory leaves the Dodgers a win away from advancing to their second straight World Series, a journey they could complete Friday in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. And a big reason they’re there is the steady defense of Betts, a six-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield who has made the difficult move to the middle of the infield seem easy.

Read more:Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

“I think the only person on this planet that believed that Mookie Betts would be in this conversation was Mookie Betts,” Dodger manager Dave Roberts said. “It's just something that has never been done. I can't even — it's incredible. Obviously I'm at a loss for words.”

Betts tried the position last year but Roberts said the confidence wasn’t there, so he moved Betts back to the outfield. There was no chance that would happen this fall.

Few understand the difficulty of what Betts has done more than those who have played the position. Yet Miguel Rojas, the man Betts replaced at shortstop — and a Gold Glove finalist himself this season as a utility player — said he’s not surprised because he has seen how hard Betts works.

“He doesn’t take days off,” Rojas said of Betts, who is frequently among the first players on the field for pregame drills and among the last to leave. “Even when we have an off day, he’ll still go out there and is asking ways to get better. I think it’s a product of being a relentless worker every single day. He’s never satisfied. He’s always trying to get better.

“For me to be there every single day to watch him perform and watch his work ethic, it’s been impressive.”

Part of that work, Betts said, involves watching video of every fielding play he makes. That includes the brilliant ones, like the ninth-inning play Thursday in which he ranged in the hole to backhand Andrew Vaughn’s grounder, then rose up and delivered a strong one-hop jump throw across his body to first baseman Freddie Freeman to get Vaughn easily.

“I go back and watch all my plays, even the routine ones, just to learn what I can do better,” he said.

Asked if he’s ever surprised by what he sees, Betts, who has yet to make an error in the playoffs, shrugged.

“I'm just doing my job. I'm just doing my job going out there and playing short, that's all.

“Once I get to the ball, I believe and trust in my athletic ability to make a play.”

Rojas, who has played six positions in the majors, said shortstop is such a hard place to play because of the mental focus it demands. An outfielder might be able to think about his hitting for a few pitches, but the shortstop, who quarterbacks the infield, doesn’t have that luxury.

“In the middle of the year he was in a slump offensively. But he never let the defense down. And that’s really impressive,” Rojas said. “He always said it to me, ‘Even though I’m sucking right now at hitting, I’m never going to be bad at defense. And I’m going to catch every single ball.’

“That’s the mentality that you have to have to be a really good shortstop.”

In the postseason, he’s become a really good offensive shortstop as well. After slumping to a career-low .258 average in the regular season, Betts is slashing .297/.381/.459 and shares the team lead with 11 hits and five extra-base hits in the postseason.

However, the numbers and the awards mean little to him, he said; Betts cares far more about winning. And as for proving himself at shortstop? Others, including his manager, may be surprised, but he isn’t.

“I know I could do it. I believed in myself. I always have belief in myself,” he said. “It was a goal to be the best I could be. If it came with a Gold Glove, cool. If it didn’t come with a Gold Glove, cool.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

“I can go to bed at night knowing that I did everything I could. That’s all I care about.”

Just a season ago there were mornings when he’d get out of that bed wishing he could go back to right field. That doesn’t happen anymore.

“I would say the best athletes are the guys in the dirt,” he said. “It was fun while it lasted. I enjoy being in the dirt now.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Milwaukee Brewers have no chance.

Neither will the Seattle Mariners or the Toronto Blue Jays.

The clear truth emerged from the Dodger Stadium shadows late Thursday amid a downtown-shaking roar of delight and disbelief.

This is ridiculous. This is simply ridiculous, how well the Dodgers are playing, how close the history books are beckoning, and how an ordinary summer has been followed with unbelievable days of the extraordinary.

The Dodgers are not going to lose another game this October. Write it down, bet it up, no major league baseball team has ever played this well in the postseason, ever, ever, ever.

With their 3-1 victory over the Brewers on Thursday in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers take a three-games-to-none lead with a sweep likely in the next 24 hours and coronation coming in the next two weeks.

The Dodgers are going to win this NLCS and follow it with a four-game whitewash of the World Series because, well, you tell me.

How is anybody going to beat them?

Match their aces-flush rotation? Nope. Equal their hot closer and revived bullpen? Sorry. Better than their deep lineup? Nobody is even close.

The Dodgers are more than halfway to finishing the most dominant postseason in baseball history. It’s all there in the numbers.

The only team to go undefeated through the playoffs since the divisional era began was the 1976 Cincinnati Reds. But the Big Red Machine had to win only seven games. Since the playoffs were expanded and the test became tougher, the greatest October streaks have belonged to the 2005 Chicago White Sox and the 1999 New York Yankees, both of whom went 11-1.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

These Dodgers were forced into that early wild-card series, so if they end this postseason without another loss, they will finish 13-1.

The last team in this town to have such a dominating postseason was the champion 2001 Lakers, who went 15-1 in the postseason with only one stumble against Philadelphia on the night Allen Iverson famously stepped over Tyronn Lue.

Fittingly, the mamba mentality of that group was referenced Thursday by Mookie Betts.

“Honestly, I have zero emotions,” he said. “We're up but, you know, like Kobe said, the job’s not done, so we’ve got to keep going and just keep applying pressure.”

Those Lakers were legendary. These Dodgers will be soon.

“That team is pretty good,” acknowledged Brewers manager Pat Murphy.

You think? They are currently 8-1 in the playoffs and have won 23 of their previous 29 games and again, who’s going to beat them?

Start with that rotation. Tyler Glasnow followed gems by Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Thursday by twirling 5 ⅔ innings of swing and miss, holding the Brewers to one run with eight strikeouts. In three games, the Brewers have scored two runs in 22 ⅔ innings against Dodgers starters.

And perhaps their best pitcher hasn’t even taken the mound yet, that being Friday’s starter, Shohei Ohtani.

Now for their deep lineup. Ohtani is still mired in a career-worst slump, but his one hit Thursday was a leadoff triple that led to him scoring the first run, and seemingly everybody else chipped in. Betts had the first RBI, Tommy Edman knocked in Will Smith with the go-ahead run in the sixth, a hustling Freddie Freeman scored on a wild pickoff attempt, and on and on ...

Finish with their bullpen, which is actually finishing. Taking over for Glasnow with a runner on first and two out in the sixth Thursday, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda and Roki Sasaki shut the Brewers down the rest of the way, and their regular-season weakness has become their strength.

“I think the thing about our guys is, they're battle-tested, and they know that I've never lost faith in them,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Incidentally, Sasaki’s ninth-inning shutdown was aided by a brilliant in-the-hole putout by shortstop Betts, seven innings after Max Muncy threw out a runner at home, and that golden defense is just one more way the Dodgers can beat you.

All this, and as Thursday confirmed, they have arguably the best home-field advantage in baseball.

No place is bigger. No place draws more fans. And no place is louder, from the bleacher-rattling roar to the cover-your-ears sound system.

“This place has an aura about it,” Muncy said of Dodger Stadium. “It's the biggest capacity in baseball. Everybody talks about it when you come here. The lights seem a little brighter. The music seems a little louder — that might actually be because it is a little louder.”

Yeah, fans, you might hate the otherworldly stadium volume, but the players like it.

Read more:Dodgers defeat Brewers to move to the verge of returning to the World Series

“That's part of the perks of being at Dodger Stadium, we have that sound system,” Muncy said. “It sounds silly to say something like a sound system could be an advantage. But it really is. When the speakers in the center field are cranking and the crowd is going absolutely nuts and you feel the field shaking beneath your feet, it's a really big advantage. And that's something we've always had here.”

The stadium rose to the occasion Thursday as it always does this time of year, filling up despite the weird midafternoon starting time, constantly standing and screaming by the game’s end.

“When we've had those big moments, there's arguably no place that can get louder than Dodger Stadium, especially in the postseason,” Muncy said. “When you have 56, 57,000 people screaming all at the same time in a big moment, it's pretty wild. That's an advantage that we've always had here, and the guys love it.”

There’s a lot to love.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Roberts said.

Getting shorter by the roar.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

For five innings on Thursday afternoon, the Dodgers waited.

For impossible shadows to vacate the playing surface after a 3:08 p.m. start at Dodger Stadium.

For Milwaukee Brewers rookie star Jacob Misiorowski to lose steam after an electric start to his bulk-relief outing.

For a door to open that their veteran club, seeking a 3-0 lead in the National League Championship Series, could finally exploit.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, it arrived.

With a two-run rally fueled by professional hitting, aggressive baserunning and a little cat-and-mouse game with the pitch clock, the Dodgers broke an early tie and took a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, moving to the doorstep of the World Series with a 3-1 defeat of the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLCS.

The decisive rally followed five innings of frustration.

Tyler Glasnow carved up Brewers hitters on one side, giving up just one run over 5 ⅔ innings. Misiorowski did the same to the Dodgers, following opener Aaron Ashby, who gave up a run two batters into his outing, with five innings of almost perfect relief.

In the sixth, however, the Dodgers flipped the script — finally getting more favorable circumstances, and immediately manufacturing a couple of runs.

First and foremost, Misiorowski’s velocity, which was previously 100 mph or more with his fastball and up to 96 mph with his slider, started dipping. The shadows that had tortured hitters all day, leaving home plate covered in shade while the outfield batter’s eye was drenched in sun, also suddenly subsided.

Read more:Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

With one out, Will Smith took advantage by hitting a hanging 95-mph slider to left for a single. Then, Freddie Freeman drew a walk in a strategic battle with the 23-year-old pitcher, whose plan to hold the ball against Freeman as the pitch clock wound down was thrown back in his face by Freeman standing outside the batter’s box as long as possible.

With two runners aboard, and Misiorowski facing his first real stress since inheriting two runners back in the first, Tommy Edman hit a first-pitch slider (this one at just 94 mph) to center to break a 1-1 tie.

As the relay throw came into the Brewers' infield, Freeman made an aggressive — and ultimately rewarding — decision to go all the way to third from first.

The move paid off two batters later. While heavily used Brewers closer Abner Uribe (who was making his fourth outing in the last six days) set Teoscar Hernández down swinging for a key second out, he then made a back-breaking mistake: Firing an errant pickoff throw to first that got past Andrew Vaughn and trickled up the right-field line.

Freeman trotted the 90 feet home with ease. The Dodgers had a 3-1 lead that their bullpen — which used Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda and Roki Sasaki for the final 10 outs — protected. And now, entering Game 4 on Friday night, the Dodgers are in position for a sweep.

Unlike Games 1 and 2 of this series, which the Dodgers dominated outside of a brief ninth-inning scare in the opener, Thursday’s contest was much of a jump ball.

The Dodgers scored first, thanks to a questionable tactical move from the Brewers — who used the left-handed Ashby as an opener, forcing him to face the top of the Dodgers’ order for the third time in this series.

The familiarity backfired. Shohei Ohtani hooked a leadoff triple into the right-field corner, snapping his season-long seven-game drought without an extra-base hit. Mookie Betts drove him in on the next pitch, belting a double into the right-center field gap.

Read more:Shaikin: It's not easy to repeat as World Series champs, but Dodgers don't seem to mind

Only once Misiorowski entered did the Brewers settle down.

Four months after dismantling the Dodgers in a six-inning, one-run, 12-strikeout gem, one that helped him earn a surprise (and controversial) All-Star selection just five starts into his MLB career, the long-limbed, flame-throwing right-hander was similarly stout for most of his bulk-relief outing Thursday.

He stranded the two runners he inherited in the first with back-to-back strikeouts. He worked around an infield single from Andy Pages in the second. Then, he didn’t let another runner reach base until the sixth, racking up nine strikeouts along the way.

Glasnow, however, found equal success.

In a three-hit, three-walk, eight-strikeout start, he gave up his only damage in the second inning, when Caleb Durbin tripled (with the help of an over-aggressive dive from Kiké Hernández in left field) and scored on Jake Bauers’ RBI single.

But later in the inning, Glasnow got some help from his defense, with third baseman Max Muncy making a diving stop and a spinning throw from a drawn-in position to get Bauers (who had advanced to third on a steal and errant pickoff throw from Glasnow) at the plate.

And from there, Glasnow was untouchable, retiring 14 of his next 15 batters before his day ended on a two-out walk in the sixth.

Glasnow’s start kept the Dodgers’ rotation ERA in this postseason at an immaculate 1.54. The group also now has 71 strikeouts in 58 ⅓ innings over its nine combined starts.

That strength has been enough to give the Dodgers control of this series.

But the usually pesky Brewers haven’t helped their cause, either.

The clearly fading Misiorowski wasn’t removed until the Dodgers had already gone in front in the sixth. Uribe’s pickoff throw later in the inning was also puzzling, given that he hadn’t allowed a steal since 2023 and had successfully picked off a runner only once in that time. And during their one opportunity to rally in the seventh, when Durbin hit a leadoff double, manager Pat Murphy left Jake Bauers in the game for a left-on-left matchup against Vesia — leading to a harmless fly ball and the first of nine consecutive Brewers outs that would end the game.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The New York Rangers are once again being discussed the rumor mill. 

In a recent article for Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Rangers have had talks with other NHL clubs about forward Brennan Othmann since he did not make the NHL roster out of training camp. 

With Othmann being a former first-round pick, it is understandable that he is generating some trade interest. He could be a solid low-risk, high-reward prospect for another club to take a chance on if the Rangers are willing to move him. 

Othmann played in 22 games this past season with the Rangers, where he recorded two assists, seven penalty minutes, and 43 hits. He also posted 12 goals and 20 points in 27 AHL games with the Hartford Wold Pack in 2024-25. 

With Othmann being only 22 years old, the Rangers do not need to rush any potential trade involving him. However, if they do not view the 2021 first-round pick as a long-term fit on their roster, he could be a very solid trade chip for the Rangers to use to upgrade their roster now. 

Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what happens with Othmann and the Rangers from here. 

Phillies reup coaching staff with one vacancy, new role originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies’ coaching staff will look largely familiar in 2026 — except for one key addition. With Mike Calitri transitioning into a new Major League field coordinator role, the club plans to hire an experienced bench coach from outside the organization to work alongside Rob Thomson.

“Managers use bench coaches in different fashions during a game,” Dave Dombrowski said at Thursday’s end-of-season press conference.  “I think it would be ideal to have somebody that maybe has had some managerial experience or that-type of role. But we think Cal is perfect for that [field-coordinator] role. He’s done such a good job in so many ways.”

Thomson agreed: “It was Dave’s idea,” he said. “But I thought it was a good one — another set of eyes, a different perspective.” 

He emphasized that chemistry will drive the hire: “Absolutely. Not only with myself but with the rest of the staff. The staff is so good — we’re just trying to add one more guy to make it even a little bit better.”

Thomson’s postseason regrets help explain the motivation. He pointed to a pair of decisions in Game 1 of the NLDS — having David Robertson come in after a long “up-down” and using Matt Strahm mid-inning rather than with a clean frame — as moments he’d reconsider. “We didn’t check that box,” he said. “Would it have made a difference? I don’t know. But if we’d checked that box, I could sleep a little bit better.”

Those small margins express the value of another experienced voice in the dugout — not because Calitri fell short, but because the Phillies want to keep evolving.

The rest of the staff is expected to return. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham and hitting coach Kevin Long remain cornerstones, and both — like Thomson — trace part of their baseball DNA to the Yankees. Thomson spent 27 years in New York’s organization and coached under Joe Girardi, who later managed the Phillies. Cotham was drafted by the Yankees in 2009 and made his big-league debut with them six years later. Long served as the Yankees’ hitting coach from 2007-14.

That shared lineage doesn’t make this a Yankees reunion — but it hints at the kind of profile Philadelphia could target: someone who’s been in the fire and can serve as Thomson’s trusted in-game partner.

Possible fits who check those boxes — managerial experience and familiarity with Thomson’s era of the Yankees, as well as playing days — include Tony Peña, Willie Randolph, DeMarlo Hale, Al Pedrique, and Bobby Meacham. Each has managed or coached at the Major or Minor League level and carries a strong reputation

Why the rest of the staff isn’t changing

There’s bound to be noise about why the Phillies didn’t make broader coaching changes after another NLDS exit. But both Dombrowski and Thomson made it clear — the organization remains confident in the group’s track record.

For Long, the body of work speaks loudly. Since he joined the Phillies before the 2022 season, the team ranks second in the Majors in batting average (.256), third in OPS (.753), fifth in runs per game (4.79), and fifth in batting average with runners in scoring position (.263).

The October numbers tell a different story — the Phillies are just 12-for-61 (.197) with runners in scoring position over their past two postseasons — but Long’s regular-season results and reputation across the league still carry weight inside the organization.

Dombrowski voiced confidence in Long entering his fifth season in the role, “Kevin Long is an exceptionally good hitting coach…I think we have a good hitting program.”

Cotham’s case is even clearer. Under his watch, the Phillies’ pitching staff has evolved into one of baseball’s best units. Over the last two seasons, Philadelphia starters own a 3.69 ERA, the lowest in the National League.

Extending Topper’s stay?

Ultimately, the Phillies view this winter’s adjustments as refinement, not reinvention — further evidence of Dombrowski’s trust in his skipper.

“We believe in Rob and his staff,” Dombrowski said. “They’ve helped establish a winning culture here.”

For Thomson, who returns to manage in the final year of his contract, the feeling is mutual. He made clear he’d welcome a longer stay in Philadelphia.

“Oh, absolutely,” Thomson said. “The last four years have been the most fun of my career. It has to do with the people in the organization — players, staff, front office, the fan base, how I’m treated by [the media]. I feel like I’m treated very fairly. As long as I’m happy, my family’s happy, I’m having fun, and they want me, I’ll manage.”

Yankees GMBrian Cashman didn't delve deep into what the club might do this offseason when it comes to reshaping the roster.

But he was open about a number of the players who are already there.

Cashman, speaking at Yankee Stadium during the team's end-of-season news conference, said he's comfortable with Ryan McMahon as the everyday third baseman, but noted that could change.

Regarding Jasson Dominguez, he said he views him as the potential regular left fielder.

The GM also spoke at length about Anthony Volpe, whose season will be delayed after he underwent left shoulder surgery. And Cashman attributed some of Volpe's struggles this past season to the fact that he played through the injury, adding the the Yanks still "believe in the player."

At the end of Thursday's news conference, Cashman weighed in on top outfield prospect Spencer Jones, who split the 2025 season between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

"I think he's put himself in the conversation," Cashman said when asked if Jones could be on the Opening Day roster in 2026. 

"I think how it plays out depends on how our winter plays out," Cashman added. "He'll certainly come to spring training, and he's earned -- without a doubt -- the look, and the competition. 

"But again, it all depends on how many opportunities exist based on the decisions that come our way this winter. But he's put himself in the position to be considered a potential everyday major leaguer in 2026, but we'll see."

Jones, 24, has massive power. But his strikeout rate in four minor league seasons has been alarming.

In 116 games this past season, Jones slashed .274/.362/.571 with 35 home runs and 179 strikeouts. Jones was red hot for about a month after getting promoted to Triple-A on June 27. But he cooled off as the summer went on, slashing just .209/.295/.368 with six homers over his last 48 games.

In 2024 for Somerset, he hit .259/.336/.452 with 17 home runs over 124 games, striking out 200 times. 

If Jones is on New York's Opening Day roster in 2026, it's fair to believe he'll be in center field, flanked by Aaron Judge in right and Dominguez in left.