Billy Dodds on BBC Sportsound: Gerrard was probably the frontrunner. Most of the fans wanted Steven Gerrard but that's gone now. Danny Rohl, if you go down that route again, I'm not saying he's not a good manager but it's kind of rinse and repeat. I don't think the Rangers fans want that. I think it's huge that the hierarchy at Rangers take the fans into account for this one. You don't select your manager through fans but I think they have to take the fans' view into account.
Tom English on BBC Sportsound: This is the third time he's custard pied Rangers if you include 2021 when he left for Aston Villa. I don't believe this has got anything to do with timing. When you look at what Gerrard had before at Rangers, he had a very supportive chairman in Dave King, a very supportive managing director in Stewart Robertson, Michael Beale as his trusted coach and Ross Wilson as his trusted head of recruitment. He had the run of the club, he was the man at the club. All of those things are no longer there.
What he has now is a new chairman, new vice chairman, new head of recruitment, new sporting director. They've spent fortunes on the team so how big a budget is he going to get? Rangers' operating losses multiplied on Steven Gerrard's watch, I don't think these things would have been open to him this time. It's way, way more complicated than just the timing.
Michael Stewart on BBC Sportsound: Can anyone tell me anything positive that's happened at Rangers since the new owners came in? Russell Martin's appointment was questionable, Kevin Thelwell's appointment was questionable, player recruitment was questionable, the hanging on to Russell Martin for longer than anybody expected was also questionable. Now, that Steven Gerrard debacle was also questionable. They are under serious pressure to make sure this appointment is on point.
Rangers are in a bit of a hole as to where they're going to turn now. Danny Rohl can be as good a coach as you want but is he going to have the experience of handling all the fires that are needing put out at Rangers? I would suggest not. They need a manager who is a genuine leader. They need a figurehead and I'm not sure Danny Rohl, if he was to get the job, would have the experience and wherewithal to handle the mess Rangers are in at the moment.
Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki reacts after striking out a batter in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium. Sasaki has thrown 5 ⅓ scoreless innings in four appearances this postseason. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Thirty-one days ago, Roki Sasaki arrived at Dodger Stadium, met with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes, and was presented a plan that required faith and trust.
It had been eight months since Sasaki signed with the Dodgers amid massive expectations, coming over from Japan as a 23-year-old phenom billed as possessing some of the best raw arm talent in the world.
It had been four months since his debut season took a dismal turn, landing on the injured list with a shoulder impingement following an opening month marred by poor performance and diminished stuff.
Less than two weeks earlier, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had all but written Sasaki off as a potential factor in the team’s postseason plans, after the pitcher had continued to struggle in a minor-league rehab stint.
But then, two days before his meeting with club brass, Sasaki had finally shown some signs of life, striking out eight batters during an auspicious start with triple-A Oklahoma City in which his fastball once again touched 100 mph and his trademark splitter was almost unhittable.
So, as the team began looking ahead to October, Friedman and Gomes sat Sasaki down alongside his interpreter, and presented what has proven to be a season-altering idea — for him, and his new team.
The Dodgers knew Sasaki was unlikely to feature as a starting pitcher in October, given their healthy and dominant rotation. But they saw an opportunity to use him as a reliever in the playoffs.
Only, however, if he were also open to it.
“We were just honest with him, that as things stood, the only real pathway — short of multiple injuries — was in the bullpen,” Friedman said. “But we wanted his full buy-in.”
Long-term, they promised him, he would still be a starter. In their view, he was assured, the team still saw him as a potential future ace.
But for now, they asked if he’d be open to making a temporary move to the bullpen; to taking on a relief role that they knew to him was completely foreign.
“We don’t want an answer right now,” Friedman told Sasaki. “We want you to take time and think through it.”
“We would not want to push this,” he added, “unless you’re totally on board.”
All year, the Dodgers had tried to build trust with their newest Japanese star. Now, they waited for an answer, as Sasaki went home and mulled things over alongside his agent.
As he later told the Japanese magazine Shukan Bunshun, he was initially “very hesitant” to such a switch. There was a time in middle school he’d been a closer, but during his ascent from high school to the pros, starting was all he’d ever known.
Several things, however, tipped the scales in his mind. He craved a chance to pitch in a postseason environment. He sensed an opportunity to boost a team in desperate need of relief depth. And, having finally found a comfort level with his club after a trying rookie season, he’d regained the confidence he was missing at the start of the campaign.
Thus, before the end of that day on Sept. 11, Sasaki gave the Dodgers his answer. He was in.
“Because they will let me try to start again next season,” he said, “it was a relatively easy decision to make.”
Thirty-one days — and 5 ⅓ scoreless, invaluable innings of postseason relief work from Sasaki — later, it was a moment that might have helped save the Dodgers season, and launch the rest of his MLB career.
From the day Sasaki signed with the Dodgers in January, his agent, Joel Wolfe of Wasserman Media Group, was quick to remind reporters that his young client was “not a finished product by any stretch.”
Turned out, he didn’t come to the majors completely healthy either.
During his final couple seasons in Japan, Sasaki’s fastball velocity had dipped while battling shoulder and oblique injuries. He couldn’t explode down the mound with his high leg kick the way he once did. He wasn’t consistently hitting 100 mph on the radar gun or dotting the strike zone with his typically pristine command.
His delivery, evaluators noticed, had begun to suffer. A throw built on generating torque from his legs to his hips and on through his shoulder and lengthy right arm, instead started to look inefficient and uncomfortable.
“I think a lot of it just came from his body changing the way he was throwing,” said Dodgers director of pitching Rob Hill, who had closely admired Sasaki during his Japanese career. “Due to kind of throwing hurt for probably a couple years.”
Once he joined the Dodgers this year, Sasaki hit rock bottom. His oblique no longer bothered him. But his shoulder remained sore and stiff. His fastball eclipsed triple-digits a couple times in his adrenaline-fueled MLB debut in Tokyo in March, but quickly plummeted upon returning stateside, averaging just 95.7 mph (and dipping all the way to 93 mph and below) over his seven subsequent starts.
When coupled with erratic control (he walked 22 batters in 34 ⅓ innings), and a flat pitch shape that made his four-seamer relatively easy to hit (lacking the vertical “ride” required to fool MLB batters long accustomed to combating big velo), opponents began teeing off. By the time Sasaki finally went on the injured list with a shoulder impingement in early May, he had a 4.72 ERA and some of the worst underlying metrics in the majors.
“We go back to the drawing board every week with him,” pitching coach Mark Prior said at the time. “We’re just trying to support him with everything we can.”
Roki Sasaki, above pitching during Game 1 of the NLDS in Philadelphia, is the first pitcher in MLB history to have his first two career saves come in the playoffs. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
At first, Sasaki seemed slow to embrace it. Not only was there a language barrier between him and his new club, but the rookie also built walls around his personality. Quiet by nature and “very particular” in temperament, as Wolfe described him this winter, Sasaki tried to keep a steadfast routine. He didn’t want to alter his pitch mix. He searched for his own ways to iron out his mechanics.
But all he found instead was frustration, leaving him looking lost in his new surroundings — and sinking even lower when lingering shoulder pain in early June further delayed his recovery timeline and required a cortisone injection.
"I think like any new player that you acquire, it takes a little while to build up trust,” Friedman said. “We knew that he was a guy that was accustomed to doing things a certain way, and we were going to embrace that, [while] at the same time forging a relationship and building trust and getting to a place where we could partner together.”
It would take time for the two sides to get there.
As Sasaki tells it, the turning point in his season happened three days before that meeting with Friedman and Gomes; on the eve of the rehab start that triggered their suggestion to move to the bullpen.
Sitting in his Oklahoma City hotel room that night, Sasaki pulled up old video of his high school days and studied a delivery that, even then, enthralled evaluators around the sport.
He was looking to the past to find answers in the present.
“I felt,” he later recounted to Shukan Bunshun, “like I was about to notice something.”
So, he kept watching.
In the three months before then, Sasaki and the Dodgers had finally started making progress.
After his initial injury setback, he formed a connection with head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache — the renowned orthopedic surgeon who not only laid out a plan for Sasaki’s recovery, but more important allayed fears of continued problems through what Sasaki described as a “very educational” process.
As Sasaki’s shoulder calmed down, he took strides in the weight room as well, working with Dodgers strength coach Travis Smith to add explosiveness and strength (especially in his lower body) to his once-scrawny 6-foot-2 frame.
“I feel better about being able to throw harder,” Sasaki said in August, as he headed out on a long-awaited rehab assignment, “especially because I'm completely pain free.”
Sasaki’s first four starts in triple-A were still a mixed bag. His velocity gradually improved, but remained mostly struck in the mid-90s. He tinkered with new pitches, including a cutter and sinker, but still couldn’t execute his trademark splitter the way he wanted.
By early September, it was enough for Roberts to cast doubt on Sasaki’s return, saying bluntly that “the performance, the stuff hasn’t been there.”
“Roki has gone through a lot this year, and he still has a ton of talent,” Roberts added. “We just want to see more.”
One week later, they finally would.
During a trip to the team’s Arizona training complex in the following days, Sasaki met with Hill and his pitching development staff, spending several hours reviewing video of his throw.
As Hill described it last month, they weren’t so much “solving this master plan” with Sasaki as they were “helping him actualize the things” he was trying to do in his delivery. They suggested tweaks to Sasaki's lower-half mechanics. They emphasized the way he fired his hips as he launched down the mound.
Sasaki listened, and agreed on what they identified as the root causes of his struggles. One day that week, he even tested some of the changes in what was one of his hardest bullpen sessions all year.
"The day of that bullpen, it was like, 'Holy s—,'" Friedman recalled thinking. “Things are in a really good spot.”
Sasaki, however, hadn’t convinced himself of that yet. While Hill’s evaluation “matched up with what I thought wasn’t going well,” he said in Japanese last week, “the approach [to fixing it] was a different story.”
That’s why, when Sasaki returned to Oklahoma for his next start days later, he went back over more video, and waited for a revelation.
It was then, he said, “I noticed something about the use of my lower body.”
Like a high jumper with a disjointed sequence while lifting off the ground, Sasaki felt he was still losing too much power between his leg kick and release — drawing a contrast to what he saw in his old high school motion.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman gives the ball to pitcher Roki Sasaki after he closed out the ninth inning to preserve the win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the NLDS. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
So, for the rest of that night, he did dry throws in his room in search of a specific feel. All those months of work with the Dodgers' medical team, training staff and pitching coaches suddenly tied together. For the first time all year, he felt like his old self again.
The next evening, he took the mound and hit 100 mph six times. He coupled it with extra life and movement on his knuckle-balling splitter. And he showed enough for Dodgers brass to call him back to Dodger Stadium and inquire about the bullpen.
“We think you can be really good in this role,” Friedman told him. "This is the potential pathway to help us in October."
Of course, no one saw the level of dominance that was on the horizon. After completing his minor-league stint with two scoreless relief appearances, Sasaki rejoined the Dodgers for the final week of the regular season, showcased his improved stuff with two more scoreless innings of relief, then made a rapid ascent to de facto postseason closer — producing zero after zero when other relievers faltered around him.
He recorded the final outs of the team’s wild-card round sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. He picked up back-to-back saves in Games 1 and 2 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, becoming the first pitcher to record his first two career saves in the playoffs. He spun three perfect innings in the club’s Game 4 clincher on Thursday.
“One of the great all-time appearances out of the ‘pen that I can remember,” Roberts called it.
“Since coming back, coming in from the bullpen,” added teammate Tyler Glasnow, “he’s honestly one of the best pitchers I’ve ever seen.”
It has all come with a renewed level of confidence too. After that Game 4 masterclass (in which he was so locked in he didn’t even remove his glove in the dugout between innings), Sasaki said he has felt no nerves in the playoffs, nor any hesitancy about attacking the strike zone.
All those frustrations from early in the season have evaporated. His process of building trust within the organization while rediscovering the best version of himself on the mound has come suddenly, electrifyingly complete.
“The stuff being there lines up with what our expectations were,” Friedman said. “But the poise and composure, you don’t know until someone’s out there. And I would say he has more than answered the bell.”
Former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl is the new favourite to be Rangers head coach after impressing senior figures at Ibrox in preliminary discussions, while former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O'Neil and ex-Chelsea and West Ham United manager Graham Potter have also been sounded out. (Sunday Mail)
Rangers had been speaking to other candidates throughout the week before former manager Steven Gerrard decided against an Ibrox return and have been impressed by former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl. (Scotland On Sunday)
Former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has held talks with Rangers and is now appearing to be a leading contender. (TalkSport)
Danny Rohl, who recently left Sheffield Wednesday, is one of a number of other candidates who have held what are said to have been positive talks with Rangers in recent days. (Rangers Review)
Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl will look to bring a former Rangers player with him to help him as part of his backroom team win over the fans should he be named head coach. (Scottish Sun On Sunday)
Sean Dyche, who had been linked with the Rangers job, is now the front runner to replace Ange Postecoglu should the former Celtic manager be sacked by Nottingham Forest. (Telegraph)
Former Rangers and Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam is in the frame to be the new Blackpool team boss having played for the League One club. (Alan Nixon on Patreon)
Current Blackpool caretaker Stephen Dobbie is in the frame for the job permanently along with fellow Scotsman Charlie Adam. (Scottish Sun On Sunday)
Rangers right-back Max Aarons will never let his dream of playing for England go - and his desire for Three Lions honours was a big factor in joining Rangers. (FourFourTwo)
Danny Rohl reportedly impressed Rangers during his interview [Getty Images]
Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl appears to be the front runner to be Rangers head coach, while Angus Gunn is touted as a possible Celtic signing.
Former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl is the new favourite to be Rangers head coach after impressing senior figures at Ibrox in preliminary discussions, while former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O'Neil and ex-Chelsea and West Ham United manager Graham Potter have also been sounded out. (Sunday Mail)
Rangers had been speaking to other candidates throughout the week before former manager Steven Gerrard decided against an Ibrox return and have been impressed by former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl. (Scotland On Sunday)
Former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has held talks with Rangers and is now appearing to be a leading contender. (TalkSport)
Danny Rohl, who recently left Sheffield Wednesday, is one of a number of other candidates who have held what are said to have been positive talks with Rangers in recent days. (Rangers Review)
Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl will look to bring a former Rangers player with him to help him as part of his backroom team win over the fans should he be named head coach. (Scottish Sun On Sunday)
Sean Dyche, who had been linked with the Rangers job, is now the front runner to replace Ange Postecoglu should the former Celtic manager be sacked by Nottingham Forest. (Telegraph)
Former Rangers and Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam is in the frame to be the new Blackpool team boss having played for the League One club. (Alan Nixon on Patreon)
Current Blackpool caretaker Stephen Dobbie is in the frame for the job permanently along with fellow Scotsman Charlie Adam. (Scottish Sun On Sunday)
With 38-year-old Kasper Schmeichel's contract remaining uncertain, Celtic are exploring the possibility of signing a new goalkeeper and Scotland's Angus Gunn is eager to join the Scottish champions after being pushed down the pecking order at Nottingham Forest. (Football Insider)
Rangers right-back Max Aarons will never let his dream of playing for England go - and his desire for Three Lions honours was a big factor in joining Rangers. (FourFourTwo)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ending their recent run of playoff frustration earned the Milwaukee Brewers a new nickname from their manager.
Pat Murphy has referred to his team as the “Average Joes,” a nod to their small-market status and lack of big names. But after the Brewers beat the rival Chicago Cubs 3-1 in the decisive fifth game of their NL Division Series on Saturday night, Murphy decided it was time for an upgrade.
“You can call them the average Joes,” Murphy said, “but I say they’re the above-average Joes.”
The Brewers relied on contributions from just about all of them to get past the Cubs.
Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking homer in the fourth inning and William Contreras and Brice Turang also went deep. Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Aaron Ashby, Chad Patrick and Abner Uribe combined on a four-hitter, with Uribe getting six outs for the first multi-inning save of his career.
“It takes every single one of these guys in the locker room, and they’ve done it,” Turang said. “We’ve got to keep going.”
The Brewers, making their seventh playoff appearance in eight years, earned their first postseason series win since sweeping Colorado in a 2018 NLDS. Milwaukee was on the verge of its second World Series berth that year before losing Game 7 of the National League Championship Series at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now, the Brewers get another NLCS matchup with the defending World Series champion Dodgers, who beat the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the other NL Division Series. Game 1 is Monday at Milwaukee as the Brewers chase their first pennant since 1982 — back when they played in the American League.
After losing slugging shortstop Willy Adames in free agency and trading away All-Star closer Devin Williams last winter, the scrappy Brewers finished the regular season with the best record in the majors at 97-65.
They’ve reached the NLCS nine months after the death of Bob Uecker, who broadcast Brewers games for 54 seasons and is probably more synonymous with the franchise than any player.
As the Brewers posed for a postgame picture on the field, they had a banner in front of them with Uecker’s signature. The sellout crowd roared before the game when the scoreboard video showed a fan holding a sign with the message: “Do It For Bob Uecker.”
“It was important to these guys — because it’s the rival — to finish the job,” Murphy said. “And they know Ueck is smiling.”
The victory was particularly sweet for Milwaukee fans because it came against the club’s biggest rival and knocked Cubs manager Craig Counsell out of the postseason.
Counsell grew up in the Milwaukee area, played for the Brewers and became the winningest manager in team history until he left for Chicago.
In the two seasons since Counsell’s departure, Brewers fans have booed every mention of his name whenever the Cubs have visited American Family Field. They did it again Saturday, though the sellout crowd appeared to include more Cubs backers than in Milwaukee’s Game 1 and Game 2 home victories.
The Cubs were attempting to become the 11th team to erase a 2-0 deficit and win a best-of-five playoff series, a feat last accomplished by the New York Yankees against Cleveland in their 2017 ALDS.
“I’m disappointed. I’m sad,” Counsell said. “I think this team did a lot to honor the Chicago Cub uniform. In the big picture, that’s how I feel.”
Homers produced all the runs in this winner-take-all game, and each of Milwaukee’s came with two outs.
Contreras hit a 389-foot shot to left-center off Drew Pomeranz in the first inning. Vaughn sent a 3-2 pitch from Colin Rea over the left-field wall to break a 1-all tie, and Turang provided some insurance with a 416-foot drive to center off Andrew Kittredge in the seventh.
“We fight back. That’s our mentality,” Vaughn said. “We’re going to punch someone else. We’re going to throw it right back.”
Chicago’s Seiya Suzuki greeted Misiorowski by sending a 101.4 mph fastball into the Cubs bullpen leading off the second, but that was the only run the rookie right-hander allowed in four innings as he earned his second win of the series.
“It’s been crazy,” the 23-year-old Misiorowski said. “It’s been a whirlwind and it’s been fun.”
The Brewers brought in Misiorowski after Megill retired the side in order in the first. The Cubs had totaled 11 first-inning runs in the first four games of the series without ever going scoreless in the opening frame.
After Suzuki’s homer, they didn’t score again Saturday.
Chicago’s best threat came when it put two on with nobody out in the sixth against Ashby, who had thrown 32 pitches two nights earlier in Milwaukee’s Game 4 loss. Michael Busch hit a leadoff single before Ashby grazed Nico Hoerner with a pitch.
Ashby got Kyle Tucker to strike out swinging at a 3-2 pitch for the first out. Patrick then came out of the bullpen and retired Suzuki on a fly to left before Ian Happ struck out looking.
“You set a goal to win the World Series every year,” Busch said. “You come up short, so it stings no matter what.”
The Brewers exorcised some demons to finish off the series.
They entered the ninth inning with a two-run lead, just as they did in the decisive game of last year’s NL Wild Card Series against the New York Mets. Milwaukee lost that game when Williams allowed four runs in the final inning, including a three-run homer by Pete Alonso.
This time, the Brewers had no reason to worry as Uribe retired the side in order.
“We talked about it before the game,” Murphy said. “It absolutely entered my mind. We talked about it at the end of last season. We sat down in the room. We were all shell-shocked. And I said, ‘Guys, I don’t know what to tell you. Somehow this is going to help us.’ And sure enough, it was prophetic.”
As they worked out at Dodger Stadium, two days after winning their National League Division Series over the Philadelphia Phillies, they had Game 5 of the other NLDS on the scoreboard — getting a first look at their NL Championship Series opponent.
“It's certainly nice to be able to get a couple days to reset, prepare, and we're kind of doing our due diligence,” manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday afternoon. “We'll have that game on the big board."
What they saw as they worked out was a 3-1 Milwaukee Brewers win that sets up an NLCS opener on Monday at American Family Field.
As of Saturday, the Dodgers were awaiting their opponent before picking a Game 1 starter or finalizing their NLCS roster.
Now, they know who they’ll be facing with a trip to the World Series on the line.
Ahead of this week’s NLCS, here are nine things to know about the Brewers:
An identifiable brand
The Brewers’ $143-million payroll this year was less than 20 other teams in Major League Baseball — including the historically bad Colorado Rockies — and almost one-third the size of the Dodgers.
That meant, in lieu of star talent and potent offensive weapons, the Brewers had to build their team around playing a particular brand of baseball. And on offense, where they were third in the majors in scoring this year, that led them to go all-in on a small-ball approach.
They got on base, ranking third in batting average (.258) and fourth in walks. They swung at good pitches, recording the fifth-fewest strikeouts while chasing out of the zone at the lowest rate in MLB. They made contact (with the majors’ third-lowest whiff rate) and put pressure on defenses (ranking second in stolen bases). They had the second-best batting average with runners in scoring position, as well.
It didn’t matter that they were only 22nd in home runs, or 12th in slugging percentage. Only 33% of their runs scored came via big flies anyway (the third-lowest mark in MLB).
Instead, they built a lineup full of tough outs and hitters who didn’t deviate from the team-wide plan. They formulated an identity, and rode it to the winningest season in their franchise’s history at 97-65.
An old-school manager
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy returns to the dugout after making a pitching change during a July 2024 game. (Erin Hooley / Associated Press)
If that style sounds almost collegiate in nature, it’s because it emanated from the Brewers’ old-school, former college coach of a manager.
After helming big-name college programs at Notre Dame and Arizona State for three decades, the 66-year-old Pat Murphy has become one of the most beloved characters in professional baseball in recent years.
He joined the Brewers in 2016 as bench coach for Craig Counsell. When Counsell left two years ago for the Cubs (the team Milwaukee beat in the NLDS), Murphy was promoted to the big chair.
Now, he’s become known for his big personality, his hands-on approach in molding Milwaukee’s brand of baseball … and more lighthearted habits, like the “pocket pancakes” he’ll gobble up in the middle of games.
An impeccable pitching staff
For all the attention the Brewers’ unique offense and one-of-a-kind manager have received this year, the club’s pitching staff remains the backbone of the team.
The Brewers, long known for their ability to develop pitching talent and replenish staff depth despite their shoestring budget, ranked second in the majors in team ERA this season, third in batting average allowed and fifth in strikeouts.
Like with the offense, it required full-team production. The Brewers’ rotation had the third-best ERA, but logged the fifth-fewest innings. Their bullpen, however, was sixth in ERA and fifth in save percentage.
The Dodgers learned this first-hand this year, when they were twice swept by Milwaukee in July. In those six games, the Dodgers scored just 16 runs, nine fewer than they managed against any other NL team. They also batted .179, lower than any other opponent they faced besides the Texas Rangers.
The NL wins leader
The Brewers’ one true ace this season was veteran right-hander Freddy Peralta, a two-time All-Star who turned in a career-best performance with a 2.70 ERA, an NL-best 17 wins in 33 starts, and a whopping 204 strikeouts in just 176 ⅔ innings (the sixth-best K/9 mark in MLB).
Peralta was Milwaukee’s starter in Game 1 of the NLDS, when he struck out nine over a 5 ⅔ innings, two-run start. He’d likely get the Game 1 nod again in the NLCS, where the Dodgers will have to prepare for his deceptive mid-90s-mph fastball (which limited hard contact and held opponents to just a .209 average in the regular season) and a changeup/curveball/slider secondary mix (which induced whiffs on more than one-third of swings).
Peralta made two starts against the Dodgers this year, tossing six shutout innings on July 7 in Milwaukee before giving up four runs in five innings two weeks later at Dodger Stadium.
The late-blooming talent
At the start of this season, former first-round draft pick Quinn Priester was looking more like a bust than a future postseason rotation member.
After posting a 6.23 ERA in his first two big-league seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox, the Brewers acquired the 25-year-old right-hander in April for two minor-leaguers in hopes he could provide rotation depth.
Instead, he became their second-best starter.
Priester’s postseason debut did not go well, giving up four runs in the first inning of Game 3 before being removed after just two outs.
But in 29 regular-season outings, Priester had a 3.32 ERA with a 13-3 record that marked the highest winning percentage in the majors. He doesn’t strike out many batters (just 132 in 157 ⅓ innings) or throw the ball exceptionally hard (his fastball sits 94 mph). But he had one of the best ground-ball rates in the sport thanks to a sinker he used more than ever before in his career.
The rookie All-Star
The Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski reacts after striking out the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman during a game on July 8. (Aaron Gash / Associated Press)
Well, it turned out he wasn’t the second-coming of Paul Skenes, stumbling to a 5.36 ERA over the rest of the season (while battling a shin injury) that landed him in Milwaukee’s postseason bullpen.
However, the 6-foot-7 flamethrower made a huge impact in the NLDS, throwing three scoreless innings of relief in Game 2 and four more in the winner-take-all Game 5.
He once again figures to play a key role in the NLCS. And whether or not he can replicate his dominance against the Dodgers could be an X-factor in the series.
Depth on depth on depth
Beyond the above names, the Brewers pitching staff just keeps coming in waves.
There is crafty veteran left-handed starter Jose Quintana (11-7, 3.96 ERA), who has long been a thorn in the Dodgers’ side (2.32 ERA in 15 outings against them).
There is a hard-throwing bullpen hierarchy of Trevor Megill (30 saves, 2.49 ERA), Abner Uribe (seven saves, 37 holds, 1.67 ERA) and left-hander Jared Koenig (two saves, 27 holds, 2.86 ERA).
There are productive middle relievers in Grant Anderson and Nick Mears (right-handers with 60-plus appearances and sub-3.50 ERAs) and Aaron Ashby (another lefty with a 2.16 ERA, but who struggled as an opener in the NLDS).
It means, even in a seven-game series, there could be few weak spots in the Milwaukee pitching staff for the Dodgers to exploit.
Depth on depth at the plate too
Back to the offense, where the Brewers make up for their lack of big names with equally impressive offensive depth.
Christian Yelich is the club’s one household name. The former MVP hit .264 with team-highs in home runs (29) and RBIs (103) while serving primarily as designated hitter. Jackson Chourio is a former top prospect with an $82-million contract, coming off a .270 season with 21 home runs and 78 RBIs.
Beyond them, however, the Brewers have plenty of other contributors.
Second baseman Brice Turang hit .288 with 18 home runs. Outfielder Isaac Collins, a 28-year-old rookie, batted .263 with 22 doubles. Former Chicago White Sox slugger Andrew Vaughn was acquired in a midseason trade after being demoted to the minors, then blossomed with a .308 average and 46 RBIs, starting with a breakout series against the Dodgers in July. And then there’s catcher William Contreras, who hit .260 with 17 home runs.
Home-field advantage
The Brewers locked up the best record in baseball, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, thanks largely to how well they played at their home field.
The team’s 52 home wins trailed only the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays for most in the majors, tying the Dodgers for second-most in the NL. And in the NLDS, they went 3-0 at American Family Field.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reaches on a fielders' choice in the third inning of Game 4 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
When Shohei Ohtani was asked about his woeful performance at the plate in the Dodgers’ National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies last week, he first gave credit to the opposition.
Then, after a series that saw the Phillies counter him with one left-handed pitcher after the next, he was also quick to point out that he wasn’t alone.
“It was pretty difficult for left-handed hitters,” Ohtani said in Japanese amid the Dodgers’ clubhouse celebration following their Game 4 victory. “This was also the case for Freddie [Freeman].”
The Phillies did indeed make life tough on the Dodgers’ best lefty bats.
Freeman was only three for 15 in the series, albeit with a key Game 2 double and a .294 on-base-percentage.
Max Muncy was four for nine in the series, but spent most of it waiting on the bench, not getting a start in any of the three contests the Phillies had a southpaw on the mound.
And as a team, the Dodgers hit just .199 with 41 strikeouts in the four-game series.
However, no one’s struggles were as pronounced as Ohtani’s — the soon-to-be four-time MVP winner, who in the NLDS looked like anything but.
Ohtani struck out in each of his first four at-bats in Game 1. He didn’t get his first hit until grounding an RBI single through the infield in the seventh inning of Game 2.
After that, Ohtani’s only other time reaching base safely was when the Phillies intentionally walked him in the seventh inning of Game 4.
His final stat line from the series: One for 18, nine strikeouts and a whole lot of questions about what went wrong.
Ohtani, who was coming off a three-hit, two-homer wild-card round, did acknowledge Thursday night that “there were at-bats that didn’t go the way I thought they would.”
But, he quickly added: “The opposing pitchers didn’t make many mistakes. They pitched wonderfully, in a way that’s worthy for the postseason. There were a lot of games like that for both teams.”
The real question coming out of the series was about the root cause of Ohtani’s unexpected struggles.
Was it simply because of the tough pitching matchups, having faced a lefty in 12 of his 20 trips to the plate? Or had his faltering approach created more legitimate concerns, the kind that could threaten to continue into the NL Championship Series?
“I think a lot of it actually was driven by the left-handed pitching,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday, as the Dodgers awaited to face either the Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee Brewers in an NLCS that will begin on Monday.
“Hoping that he can do a little self-reflecting on that series, and how aggressive he was outside of the strike zone, passive in the zone,” Roberts said. “The at-bat quality needs to get better.”
For the Dodgers, the implications are stark.
“We’re not gonna win the World Series with that sort of performance,” Roberts continued. “So we’re counting on a recalibration, getting back into the strike zone.”
From the very first at-bat of Game 1 — when he was also the starting pitcher in his first career playoff game as a two-way player — Ohtani struggled to make the right swing decisions.
He chased three pitches off the inside of the plate from Phillies lefty Cristopher Sánchez, which Roberts felt “kinda set the tone” for his series-long struggles, then took a called third strike the next two times he faced him.
From there, the 31-year-old slugger could never seem to dial back into his approach.
He went down looking again in Game 1 against left-handed reliever Matt Strahm. He led off Game 2 with another strikeout against another lefty in Jesús Luzardo. On and on it went, with Ohtani continuing to chase inside junk, flailing at pitches that darted off the plate the other way, and finding his only reprieve in a rematch with Strahm in Game 2 when he got just enough on an inside sinker.
Roberts’ hope was that, moving forward, Ohtani would be able to learn and adjust.
“Understanding when he faces left-handed pitching, what they’re gonna try to do: Crowd him in, off, spin him away,” Roberts said. “He’s just gotta be better at managing the hitting zone. I’m counting on it. We’re all counting on it.”
Roberts also conceded that Ohtani’s at-bats on the day he pitched in Game 1 seemed to be especially rushed.
“[When] he’s pitching, he’s probably trying to conserve energy, not trying to get into at-bats,” Roberts said. “It hasn’t been good when he’s pitched. I do think that’s part of it. We’ve got to think through this and come up with a better game plan.”
After all, while Ohtani might not have been the only struggling hitter in the NLDS, his importance to the lineup is greater than anyone’s. The Dodgers can only endure without him for so long.
With Pete Alonso expected to opt out of his contract that he signed with the Mets last offseason, the first baseman will reportedly be seeking a new contract of at least seven years during free agency, per NY Post's Mike Puma.
After a great bounce-back season for the slugger in which he slashed .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs and 126 RBI while playing in all 162 games, Alonso is hoping to turn that into a long-term deal, the same one that he was seeking last offseason.
A seven-year contract would be consistent with what Alonso's agent, Scott Boras, was able to complete for other clients of the same age, such as third baseman Matt Chapman and shortstop Marcus Semien in recent seasons. However, both Chapman and Semien play more valuable positions than Alonso.
In what was a long and difficult offseason last year for the slugger, Alonso, whose .788 OPS in 2024 was the lowest of his career, ultimately signed a two-year, $54 million contract with a player option after the first season to remain in New York.
The 30-year-old immediately returned to form in 2025 and posted his fifth straight season of 30 or more home runs to go along with 41 doubles, which led the National League. His 80 extra-base hits ranked tied for fifth in MLB.
While Alonso's offense was restored, his defense regressed.
Not known as a defensive-minded first baseman, Alonso's defense, particularly his throwing, hurt the team on many occasions last season. To his credit, he continued to be one of the best at scooping the baseball at first base. Nevertheless, a transition to designated hitter in some capacity is likely in Alonso's future.
Although he's been a stalwart in the Mets lineup since his debut in 2019 -- even breaking the franchise home run record this season -- are his defensive shortcomings enough for New York, which will likely emphasize defense next year after a poor season on the field, to look elsewhere for a solution at first base?
Considering the possible price tag, length of contract and likely move to DH in the future, it'll be interesting to see if the Mets or any other team are willing to sign Alonso to the deal that he is seeking this offseason.
Steven Gerrard remains a hero to many Rangers supporters - Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Steven Gerrard has ruled himself out of the running to return to Rangers, according to reports.
The 45-year-old had been the front-runner to replace the sacked Russell Martin as head coach, but it is understood that after holding talks with the club, he felt the timing was not right for a return to Ibrox.
Martin was sacked last weekend after just four months in charge, with the team having won just one of their opening seven Scottish Premiership matches.
Gerrard, who left his role in charge of Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq in January, is a hero to many Rangers supporters after leading them to the title in 2020-21, which remains the only time they have won the league since their financial implosion in 2012.
The former England and Liverpool midfielder left the club later that year after three years in charge to take over at Aston Villa.
Other names to have been touted as potential successors to Martin include Hearts manager Derek McInnes, former Rangers player Kevin Muscat and ex-Everton manager Sean Dyche.
Gerrard was on the club’s longlist of managerial candidates at the end of last season when Rangers looked for a replacement for Philippe Clement but the club instead went for Martin.
Speaking last week on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Gerrard said: “I’ve had five or six really interesting phone calls since I stopped in Saudi. And I haven’t been ready because I haven’t got that team set around me. And the timing hasn’t been right. My daughter’s just had a baby. I’ve just become a granddad. I wasn’t ready. I haven’t got my staff ready.
“So unfortunately, them opportunities or them phone calls have come at the wrong time, if you like. But if the right call comes my way, the right club, the right challenge, and I’ve got my people set, which I will have at some point, I’ll take that challenge on because it’s in me. It’s in me.”
A season-ending locker room that was hoped – make that expected – to be soaked with celebratory champagne, was instead sprinkled with some sorrow-drowning beers Thursday in the visitor’s clubhouse at Dodger Stadium. The Phillies saw their season end with a 2-1, 11-inning Game 4 loss in the Division Series.
Players fought back tears, shared hugs, sentimental thoughts and perhaps some goodbyes, as the team fell short of their World Series-winning dreams for the fourth playoff year in a row.
And now the question becomes, what’s next?
End of the season locker rooms are rarely a place of fun, unless those corks are being popped. But this was different. This didn’t feel like just the end of a season, in some ways it did feel like the end of an era.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto, always a stand-up person with the media, bluntly stated that he refused to talk about next season, letting it be known that questions should be centered around the disappointing loss, the season and his teammates. Realmuto becomes a free agent once the World Series is complete.
When asked about his future, Kyle Schwarber struggled to fight back the tears as he professed his love for his teammates, his manager, the organization and his desire to return as he hits the free agent waters.
Manager Rob Thomson probably summed up what this current team’s identity is all about when asked about what his future may be with the club when he said: “That’s out of my control. I’m not even thinking about it. I got 60 people in there that are broken hearted right now, so I’m thinking about that more so than my job.”
This team, laced with so many veterans, had a special bond. When you consider what they went through as a team, from unexpectedly getting to the World Series in 2022 to absorbing gut-wrenching playoff disappointment in the years since then, you have to believe they’re family.
And as individuals, with Realmuto, Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos getting life-altering contracts from the club. The rise of youngsters to veterans such as Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez, who is also set to enter the free agent market.
The steady hand of Thomson was a key factor ever since he took over for Joe Girardi in early June of 2022, prompting Harper to say on Thursday, “I love Topper, man. He’s done a great job for us. I don’t know what the future holds, I have no idea. We love Topper in here.”
So, what may the future hold? Let’s look at some thoughts and we’ll start with the manager.
Since taking over the club, Thomson has led them to 90, 95 and 96 regular season wins, and went 65-46 in his first season before leading the club to the World Series. His is a calming, fatherly style. He got his nickname from Joe Torre while he was with the Yankees because “he is always on top of everything.” There is always reasoning for his decisions, though sometimes they aren’t very popular with the fan base. But all are calculated moves that sometimes don’t work.
There is rarely a “gut” reasoning for his actions. He has changed through the course of the years by becoming more flexible with his lineup, with changing Schwarber out of the top spot in favor of Turner this season. He summed up who he is in the devastating loss on Thursday, by waiting on the top step of the dugout for relief pitcher Orion Kerkering, who fumbled a ground ball and threw wildly to home to allow the winning run to score, to embrace him and give him words of encouragement as chaos erupted around the field.
Is Thomson back? The reality of all this is that something has to change with the Phillies. This organization, for the most part, has been in “run it back” mode for a few seasons now. The first look always goes to the manager when changes are made. I don’t believe the organization wants to move on from him.
Yes, there are questions about his handling of pitchers in the playoffs through his years, but he may have changed that narrative with his Aaron Nola-Suarez move in Game 3 against the Dodgers. The decision, ultimately, may be left up to Thomson himself.
The starting pitching and the closer next year in Jhoan Duran seem to be pretty solid, with some tweaks needed to the bullpen. Sanchez is a legit No. 1 and seems to get better with every outing. The return of Zack Wheeler from his thoracic outlet decompression surgery is very much up in the air. Recovery from the surgery probably will take him to the beginning of next season, then comes the actual duty of getting in the work to be ready to start games every five days, and who knows how long that will be.
Nola and Jesús Luzardo will be back, but it is not known about Suarez. The decision on him might be a direct result of what the club does with Schwarber and Realmuto.
The second year back pitching from Tommy John surgery is usually the tell-tale sign of where a pitcher is, and that’s what this coming season will be for top prospect Andrew Painter. You have to think that Dave Dombrowski would expect Painter to be a part of the starting lineup of pitchers going into Spring Training.
While the immediate focus on the loss to the Dodgers will go to Kerkering’s play, it shouldn’t. There were many other reasons the team lost the series, and it begins with the top of the order in Turner, Schwarber and Harper. Those three went 4-for-35 with 15 strikeouts in the three losses to the Dodgers, 7-for-13 with two home runs and five RBIs in the win. So, if the team brings back Schwarber, can you run it back?
Although he had the best season of his career and is rightfully lumped into MVP talk, I wonder if it’s time to put Schwarber in the four-hole to change things up a bit. Modern baseball says a player like him should be higher in the lineup, but change seems to be needed. Perhaps a Justin Crawford or Aiden Miller, should they become everyday players, can fill in at the top of the order while moving Schwarber’s power numbers to the more conventional cleanup spot.
This is a pivotal off-season for Dombrowski as he has to deal with the free agents at hand, keep an eye on others out there and figure out what the plan is for the many good prospects littering the Phillies farm system. And is this another summer of trade rumors for third baseman Alec Bohm?
One thing I believe we know for certain with this team is that they can’t simply run it back again.
The Cubs and Brewers take the field in Milwaukee tonight for Game 5 of their National League Division series with the winner earning the right to play for the National League pennant against the Dodgers.
Neither manager has released information as to who will start the pivotal Game 5 but lets review options and take an educated guess for each side.
Chicago's options are Shota Imanaga, a bullpen game, or Cade Horton. All things being equal, the obvious choice would be Horton, but he has thrown only a handful of pitches since fracturing a rib. He is not ready to face live bats. If they choose the bullpen, all arms other than Horton and Matthew Boyd are available. If Craig Counsell is thinking of using Imanaga at all, it will more than likely be to start the game. No doubt Iamanaga's issues this postseason - an 8.10 ERA with three homers allowed in 6.2 innings - are a cause for concern.
In the other dugout, Pat Murphy, has options but each also comes with question marks. The obvious choices are Jose Quintana, Quinn Priester, or a bullpen game. Priester was rocked earlier in the series lasting just two outs in the first inning. It would be a bold choice to give him the ball. The bullpen is always a possibility and like the Cubs almost every arm is available. The logical choice, though, is Quintana. The veteran has pitched in big games throughout his 14-year career including nine postseason games. Most recently, Quintana pitched five scoreless innings last year for the Mets in their winner-take-all Wild Card series Game 3 against the Brewers.
If Pat Murphy takes a detour away from these options, he could go with his flamethrower, Jacob Misiorowski. While the manager may feel taking the mound at the start may be too big for the rookie. That said, the manager without question will go to the rookie if need be out of the bullpen.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Cubs at Brewers - NLDS Game 5
Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
Time: 8:08PM EST
Site: American Family Field
City: Milwaukee, WI
Network/Streaming: TBS
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Odds for the Cubs at the Brewers - NLDS Game 5
The latest odds as of Saturday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Cubs (+119), Brewers (-145)
Spread: Brewers -1.5 (+142)
Total: 7.5 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Cubs at Brewers
Pitching matchup for October 11, 2025: Shota Imanaga vs. Jose Quintana
Brewers: Jose Quintana (Reg. Season: 11-7, 3.96 ERA) Last outing: 10/8 at Cubs - 3IP, 0ER, 2H, 1 BB, 2Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs at Brewers - NLDS Game 5
William Contreras is 5-12 (.417) with 3 HRs against Shota Imanaga in his career
Jackson Chourio is 1-7 (.143) in his career against Imanaga
Christian Yelich is 5-12 (.417) with 1 HR in his career against Imanaga
Imanaga has allowed 12 HRs in his last 6 starts (34.2 innings).
Dansby Swanson is 4-13 (.308) with 1 HR in his career against Jose Quintana
Kyle Tucker is 2-8 (.250) with 1 HR in his career against Quintana
Justin Turner is 7-25 (.280) with 5 RBIs in his career against Quintana
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s NLDS Game 5 between the Cubs and the Brewers
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday's game between the Cubs and the Brewers:
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October disappointment equals pointed winter evaluations and, perhaps, nowhere is that baseball equation truer than the Bronx, USA. The Yankees fell well short of their playoff goals again and now they have much to do before the optimism of spring blooms anew.
So, what are the five biggest questions facing them as they push for a World Series title in Aaron Judge’s prime?
1. Elbow Judge-ment
Anything to do with Judge’s health has outsized implications in Yankeeland, so we must start with the flexor strain in his right elbow.
It briefly put him on the injured list over the summer, though he played in 152 games.
He returned, at first as a designated hitter, and then back to right field. And he was amazing, as usual. His arm strength got better along the way, but there was trepidation about his throwing, too.
So what now?
In the clubhouse after the Yankees were eliminated, Judge was asked about his elbow and he said, “We’ll definitely do some work on it. We’ll do some work on it and get it right.”
Pressed if that meant surgery, Judge replied, “I’m not a doctor. I don’t know.”
Will this become something that significantly impacts Judge’s 2026?
2. Lineup re-up?
The Yankees were the most prolific offense in baseball over the course of 162 games, averaging 5.24 runs and blasting 274 home runs. They had enough variety that they recorded a .405 winning percentage in games they were homer-less, the third-best mark in MLB, though chasing homers is certainly a big part of their approach.
But the Blue Jays’ contact-heavy attack overwhelmed Bronx lightning in the four-game ALDS, outscoring the Yankees, 34-19. Toronto led MLB in hits and had the lowest strikeout percentage. The Yanks were 12th in hits and had the third-most strikeouts. Hmmm.
Hitting home runs is a great way to win in October -- over the 2024-25 postseasons, teams outhomering their opponents are 38-12, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs. That’s a .760 winning percentage.
But you have to hit the home runs. That was the Yankees’ great skill and yet they were outhomered in the playoffs, 10-6, while also hitting less and striking out more than their opponents. They must address that discrepancy to cover themselves in the October tournament, when top teams’ top pitchers can suppress their slugging.
Calling all free-agent contact hitters.
Sep 9, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) walks back to the dugout after failing to lay down a sacrifice bunt during the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
3. We need to talk about Anthony
Do the Yanks have a shortstop problem? Maybe.
Anthony Volpe regressed defensively and morphed into a dominant season storyline, whether it was his struggles on offense, playing through a small labrum tear in his left shoulder or the repeated votes of confidence he got from Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman.
Now that the season is over, they have to figure out the position.
Is Volpe, as the bigwigs insist, the solution? He did have an impressive 55 extra-base hits and got himself together defensively later in the season. He’s also under team control for three more years.
But he batted .212 with a .663 OPS and made 19 errors. He was also dreadful against Toronto, going 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts.
4. Go Back-to-Back with Belli?
Cody Bellinger has a $25-million opt-out and seems destined for free agency after a tremendous first season in pinstripes. He can do it all -- hit, base-running, defense -- and can play all three outfield positions plus a nifty first base. The Yanks must retain him.
Problem is, all those great qualities should make him a popular target across MLB, maybe the contract gets kooky.
There’s a lot going on in the Yankee outfield -- Judge’s elbow and the potential departures of both Bellinger and Trent Grisham, also a free agent.
Does Spencer Jones, the touted prospect who slugged 35 homers in the minors, fit in? What’s Jasson Domínguez’s role?
5. Who’s on first?
Ben Rice emerged in a big way this season, but is he the everyday first baseman going forward?
He certainly hits enough (26 homers, ridiculous hard-hit metrics, 19th-best slugging percentage in MLB). He needs to improve on defense, however.
So the Yankees should bring in a right-handed hitting complement who can provide the glove-work.
Rice can also catch and be a lefty DH, which might open more opportunities at first for a free agent, or even Bellinger, depending on how the outfield evolves.
There will be a new free agent joining the market this offseason.
Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami will be posted by the Yakult Swallows this winter, officially making him available to all 30 MLB teams, according to MLB’s Mark Feinsand.
Numerous teams are expected to be in the running for the lefty sluggers talents, and according to Nikkan Sports, both New York clubs are among them.
Murakami has been a star for the Swallows over the past eight seasons, taking home a pair of MVP awards while popping a combined 246 home runs, 165 doubles, and 681 RBI.
22 of those long balls came in an injury-riddled campaign this past season.
His biggest power display came in 2022, when he popped 56 homers and drove in 134 runs.
The 25-year-old mainly plays the hot corner, but he’s also spent time at first and DH.
For the Mets, Murakami presents an intriguing option for David Stearns to consider if slugger Pete Alonso were to leave in free agency after opting out of his deal with the club.
The Yankees, on the other hand, aren’t exactly a smooth fit at the moment but his powerful swing from the left-side certainly would be well suited for the short porch in the Bronx.
The Dodgers, Mariners, Phillies, Red Sox, and Giants are also expected to be in the mix.
Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering (center) hangs his head as Dodgers players rush onto the field to celebrate their Game 4 win. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
"All's well that ends well" as they say, but during the entire Game 4 on Thursday night it felt to me like a game the Dodgers would lose as soon as the bullpen got to the mound, because they were not hitting worth a darn. L.A. scored because of an unforgiveable bases-loaded walk to tie and a throwing error for the ages by the Phillies pitcher for them to win. Losing last night would've sent them back to Philly with their heads way down to play in cold weather, with rainstorms brewing. Yes, their season could've easily been over by Saturday night.
So I don't yet see them as a "dominating team" and am holding my breath while waiting for their luck to maybe run out. That said, I've really enjoyed their 2025 season … so far.
Doug Weiskopf Burbank
Andy Pages hits a broken bat comebacker to the Phillies pitcher and that play turns into the winning run. With that the Dodgers advance in the playoffs. Yet, one of the first thoughts that came to my mind had to do with Kirk Gibson hitting his walk-off home run against the Oakland A's in the 1988 World Series and two Hall of Fame announcers with their calls. Vin Scully saying "In the year of the improbable, the impossible has happened!" And Jack Buck saying, "I can't believe what I just saw!" Either call would have fit Thursday night at Chavez Ravine. What an ending!!
Chris Sorce Fountain Valley
I am happy for the Dodgers. I have been a fan since I was 11 (1955 World Series vs. Yankees). I just wish that Game 4 would have ended differently. It could have ended with Andy Pages getting a base hit, or either Trea Turner or Bryce Harper making an error. I feel badly for relief pitcher Orion Kerkering. This will possibly scar him for his entire career. Certainly the Phillies fans will never forgive him (see Bill Buckner and the Red Sox fans — it was Bill’s manager who put him at first base, but the fans never saw it that way). I hope Orion gets traded by the Phillies and has a nice career.
John Vitz Manhattan Beach
Anyone still believing the Dodgers don’t have a decent bullpen, please call Roki Sasaki. My only question is what took us so long to realize it!
Marty Zweben Palos Verdes Estates
Best headline of the year: A Game of Thrown.
Keep up the great work!
Billy Groak Fullerton
Momentous moment
Replays and close-ups that watching on TV provides can’t compare with the excitement of being present. But once in a while there is a moment that only TV captures. Jerry Neuheisel was experiencing such a moment in UCLA's upset of Penn State and his father Rick’s exhilaration over the joyful moment.
Richard Agay Los Angeles
According to the headlines, photos and first 12 paragraphs of Ben Bolch's story, playcaller Jerry Neuheisel nearly single-handedly masterminded the Bruins upset win over the Nittany Lions. The interim head coach, Tim Skipper, was eventually mentioned merely as an afterthought. This is akin to attributing a ship's safe passage through rough seas to the first mate, not the captain. Let's hope that Coach Skipper is not relegated to attention only after a UCLA defeat.
Dave Sanderson La Cañada
Championship coaching
So Lakers coach JJ Redick keeps harping on championship habits, championship communication and championship shape, even making a veiled swipe at Luka Doncic at the end of last season saying not everyone was in “championship shape.” Can someone tell me, what does Redick know about being in championship shape? He never won an NBA championship. He ought to get himself in championship coaching shape so he doesn’t make the same rookie mistakes he made against the Timberwolves in last season's playoffs.
Danny Balber Jr. Pasadena
Charge it
Any offensive coordinator who has the ball on the one-yard line and throws a pass should be fired on the spot. Any team, no matter whether it's Pop Warner, high school, college or pro, that can't score from the one with four downs doesn't deserve a touchdown. Somebody wrote last week that the Chargers were the Clippers of football. They weren't lying.
Luis Cruz La Mirada
Time for change
Is anybody else watching the WNBA finals between the Las Vegas Aces and Mercury Phoenix? The arena seats are not full and ticket prices seemed to have dropped. Could it be because of the lack of action from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, or maybe due to inconsistent officiating, or perhaps many star players injured, or being fined for speaking out about these issues all season? Sure, players are asking for more pay, but what they are really asking for is fairness and a change in the system at the top.
Joan C. Fingon Ventura
The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.
SEATTLE — Jorge Polanco hit a game-ending single in the 15th inning, and the Seattle Mariners advanced to the AL Championship Series by outlasting the Detroit Tigers for a 3-2 victory Friday night in the longest winner-take-all postseason game in baseball history.
With one out and the bases loaded, Polanco drove in J.P. Crawford with a liner to right off Tommy Kahnle. Crawford hit a leadoff single, Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch and Julio Rodríguez was intentionally walked before Polanco’s big swing on the 472nd pitch of an epic Game 5 in a tightly contested Division Series.
The Mariners left 12 runners on base and still managed to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2001. Next up is a matchup with the AL East champion Blue Jays, beginning on Sunday night at Toronto.
“We never give up. We just keep fighting. It doesn’t matter how many innings we play,” Polanco said. “We just stay ready and wait for the moment. It’s going to come. It was my time.”
Luis Castillo pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win in his first major league relief appearance. Logan Gilbert, another member of Seattle’s rotation, worked two scoreless innings in his first relief outing since his college days at Stetson University in 2017.
“It was such a tough night,” Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh said. “Everyone put their other stuff side and did everything for the team, including Logan and Luis.”
Detroit wasted a stellar performance by Tarik Skubal, who struck out 13 while pitching six innings of one-run ball. The Tigers went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base.
“We had an incredible game today that — unfortunately, somebody had to lose, and that somebody was us, and it hurts,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
Kerry Carpenter put Detroit in front when he hit a two-run homer off Gabe Speier in the sixth inning. Carpenter had four hits and walked twice, becoming the first player to reach five times and hit a home run in a winner-take-all postseason game since Babe Ruth in 1926.
The Mariners tied it at 2 on Leo Rivas’ pinch-hit single off Tyler Holton in the seventh. Rivas celebrated his 28th birthday with his first postseason hit.
“He was up to the task tonight,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said. “It was a huge hit.”
Up next
Seattle dropped four of its six games against Toronto this season. The Mariners won two of three in an April series in Toronto, but they were swept by the Blue Jays at home from May 9-11.
