SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Stephen Curry #30 speaks to Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of their preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on October 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Steph Curry may have reminded us on Sunday that preseason results don’t matter, but there’s still an expectation to handle business. And for the Golden State Warriors, that meant there was an expectation that they would easily beat a Los Angeles Lakers squad that was playing without their three core, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler.
And handle business they did. It was Nellie Night at the Chase Center on Tuesday night, and the Dubs paid a perfect homage to the late, great coach, but getting out and running, and scoring, scoring, and scoring some more.
Golden State’s starting five of Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos, and Draymond Green put on an absolute show on offense. They jumped out to an 11-2 lead within the first two minutes, and at the 6:55 mark Curry made his first of two four-point plays to give the Dubs a 27-13 advantage.
27 points in just over five minutes? Yep, Nellie surely would have been proud of that performance.
In all, the Warriors poured in 45 first-quarter points against a helpless Los Angeles squad, and then added 36 more in the second quarter, and hit the halftime lockers with an 81-53 advantage. It was a score reminiscent of the Run TMC Warriors or the We Believe squad. A fitting tribute.
Not surprisingly, given that it was just the second preseason game of the year, the Warriors pulled Curry and Green at the half, but those two had only needed a partial game to impress. Curry had more points (16) than minutes played (14), while shooting 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for-6 from deep, dishing out five assists with no turnovers, and finishing with a game-high +26. As for Green, he only took one shot (a three, which he made), but played spirited defense, whipped eight assists, and was +25 in just 15 minutes.
Steve Kerr also called it a night at halftime for Podziemski, who continues to be one of the stars of camp. The lefty shot 7-for-11 from the field en route to 16 points in just 19 minutes.
The bench never risked giving up the lead in the second half, but certainly didn’t pick up where the starters left off. After 81 first-half points, the second unit only had 15 points in the third quarter. But thanks to a strong defensive performance, they never let the Lakers, who only had 22 in the quarter, get close.
Lendeborg was the star outside the Curry/Green/Podz trio, as the rookie continues to impress. Like Podziemski, Lendeborg shot 7-for-11 from the field, and finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. He certainly looks very likely to earn a starting spot come opening night in two weeks.
While the second half wasn’t the high-flying offensive display that the first was, the Warriors still managed to separate themselves from the Lakers, thanks to a late 22-4 run. And with that, the buzzer rang on a festive night with the Dubs winning 124-98, moving their preseason record to 1-1.
Golden State has a rare preseason back-to-back, as they travel up to Oregon to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. PT. You can expect Curry and Green to rest rather than play on consecutive days.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 6: Jaren Jackson Jr. #20 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket during the game against the Denver Nuggets on October 6, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Alex Goodlett/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The first, inevitable dent to the good vibes has occurred – the Jazz lose a frustrating, hard-to-watch game to the Nuggets in their home opener, 106-117. We all knew that this was not the perfect team, but still… it’s never fun to be reminded like this.
The first quarter was more in-line with the strong quality of play we saw from the preseason opener in Boulder, Colorado; the shots were falling, the players were vibing, and the defense seemed even a bit improved. After this strong start, however, the game was exhaustingly ugly until the bitter end. Part of this was the fault of the Jazz and their sloppy play, but the 64 combined fouls from both teams led to a stilted gameplay experience – if I hadn’t signed on to write the recap, there’s no chance I would’ve dedicated nearly 2 hours and 45 minutes to a meaningless preseason game. To be sure, most of these were valid calls; it appears to me that the coaching staff have been preaching defensive intensity to a group of players inexperienced with that aspect of the game. They’re trying, but often by putting their arms all over their assignment (the zone defense which often put a guard against Jokic in the post didn’t help) instead of mastering defensive fundamentals.
What made this game more of a struggle to sit through was the lack of truly impressive performances from anyone on the Jazz roster. Darryn led the team in scoring, but I think he played far from a perfect game. I came away from this performance wowed by his talent in shot-making (and, less obviously, impressed by some neat passes), but slightly worried regarding how limited he looks as an athlete when matched up with NBA players. Some of this can be attributed to his handle, sure, but frequently he had to settle for very difficult shots because his preferred driving lane was stone-walled by one of the Nuggets wings. Without the burst to get by or the strength to muscle through, Darryn will be very reliant on screening actions and off-ball movement to begin his career… which is fine! Those are valuable skills for him to learn, and will provide the foundations of stardom if he truly is a Tier-1 difficult shot maker (a cool archetype, but one with very low margin for err0r). However, the way Peterson gets to his buckets is something that I will be monitoring as he continues to develop.
It was the bench unit that really sunk the Jazz in this one. Now, this really isn’t fair to them. 4 key rotation players were out with injury, which led to a few guys being really overtasked. Still, it was a bad look for the bench, because not only did they really struggle on both ends, but it felt like, in the middle of the third quarter, that the frustration overtook them and they gave up. Now, it’s better to give up in the preseason than the regular season, and I’m sure the effort level would’ve been higher if they began falling behind in the middle of December instead of the beginning of October. Nevertheless, when things started to go wrong, the team started to fray at the seams, and that deserves mention regardless of the time of year. I found the main culprit to Isaiah Collier. He began to really force things offensively and take plays off defensively. I’ve been a Collier advocate throughout the Summer, because his particular set of skills is really unique in the greater context of the Jazz roster, but when there are injuries, there may be too much of a creation burden placed on him when he’s playing with bench units.
Ace Bailey was once again impressive to me. The efficiency wasn’t great, but he found ways to provide value even on possessions when the shot wasn’t falling. Defensively, Ace seems to have realized that he is enormous and freakishly athletic. He was flying around the court, grabbing rebounds and generally mucking things up. There was one possession in particular where he was switched onto Jamal Murray and moved his feet like an All-Defense type of player. It would’ve been nice for the shots to drop, but Project MPJ+Defense is still going according to plan.
Among the deep bench players, Harrison Ingram was a breath of fresh air. He brought a burst of energy immediately when he stepped on the court, and demonstrated all of the skills that have the potential of earning him minutes as the year progresses. His rebounding was the loudest positive that he brought to the team – 3 offensive rebounds in 8 minutes is nothing to scoff at, especially from the 3rd largest player in the lineup. His passing was crisp, his hustle was evident, his feet were zooming; this is the skill-based forward archetype that, in theory, the Jazz could really use. No player has ever won regular season playing time off of 8 minutes of preseason garbage time, but it certainly isn’t a bad thing that Harrison Ingram appeared to be the best player on the court for those 8 minutes. His performance in the G-League is something that I’ll monitor closely this year.
Poor defense and stunted offense made this a tough watch, but the young guys showed flashes, which is one of the more valuable data points that we can take from the preseason. What stood out to you after this one? Comment below!
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Sandro Mamukelashvili #54 of the Los Angeles Lakers is guarded by Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of their preseason game at Chase Center on October 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Down seven rotation players, the Lakers did their best impression of the Kings as they were blown out by the Warriors on Tuesday, 124-98.
The game began with Brandin Podziemski getting fouled from behind the arc for a four-point play. It led to coach JJ Redick calling a timeout less than a minute into the game.
LA fell behind by nine as they struggled to find offense.
Bronny James got Los Angeles on the board with a jump shot. Sando rectified his earlier missed shot by scoring seven points. Golden State’s rookie Yaxel Lendeborg was cooking with five points.
As expected, the Lakers continued to struggle. They did get some decent bench production from Jaden Hardy Cameron Carr with six and five points, respectively.
Podz opened the second period with an easy layup. Quentin Grimes helped jump start the offense by scoring five points, giving him eight in total. After a triple from Mamu, the Warriors called a timeout as their lead shrank to 14.
Out of the break, Podz scored on another easy layup. He continued to cook for Golden State, adding another four points.
It was Lendeborg, though, who was leading Golden State with 15 points. Adou Thiero was fouled during a massive highlight play, dunking the ball with authority before completing the 3-point play.
Golden State was still up big with five minutes left in the half.
After a triple, Grimes now had 11 points. He was one of only two players for Los Angeles, Mamu the other, in double figures.
Steph Curry completed his second four-point play. He ended the half with 16 points, going 3-6 from behind the arc. At halftime, the purple and gold were down by 28.
Mamu picked up his first assist of the night, passing to Thiero for a dunk to open the third period. He scored two more soon after, bringing his total to seven before knocking down his third triple.
Both teams played chaotic, sloppy basketball as the benches got most of the playing time. Hardy did get into double figures with 10 points, a nice spark off the bench despite the rough score.
At the end of the third, the Lakers were down by 21.
The final frame was mostly cardio. We did get some Cole Swider minutes, as he made three of his four attempts from behind the arc, finishing with nine points. Chris Mañon scored four points and Dalton Knecht had extended minutes to end the night with seven points.
Key Player Stats
Mamu finished with 15 points, two rebounds and two assists. Grimes ended with 12 points and three assists. Hardy had 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench.
Carr pitched in five points and two steals. Thiero tallied seven points with four rebounds. Bronny scored four points with five assists. Jake LaRavia had nine points with three rebounds and three steals.
The Lakers’ next preseason matchup will be against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday at 7:30 PM PT.
Lakers forward Adou Thiero looks to pass around Golden State forward Yaxel Lendeborg during the Lakers' 124-98 preseason loss Tuesday. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
This was never going to be a game for the Lakers to remember. But with nearly half of the roster sidelined because of injuries or resting, Adou Thiero at least tried to inject some life into a sleepy preseason back-to-back.
Thiero’s towering one-handed dunk over two Golden State defenders provided a highlight in the Lakers’ otherwise forgettable 124-98 preseason loss to the Warriors at Chase Center on Tuesday. The Lakers leaned on their depth to get through their second short-handed preseason game in as many nights.
Guard Quentin Grimes, the only player starting a second consecutive game for the Lakers, had 12 points and three assists. Forward Sandro Mamukelashvili started at center and had 15 points and a trio of three-pointers. Thiero, getting a rare starting moment, scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds while Bronny James had four points and five assists in a starting role.
Star guard Luka Doncic sat out after scoring 21 points in one half Monday against the Sacramento Kings. After setting the tone defensively against the Kings, forwards Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle watched from the sideline Tuesday. The Lakers were also without center Walker Kessler (finger), guards Austin Reaves (ankle) and Collin Sexton (lower body) and two-way forward Arthur Kaluma (lower body), who all missed their second consecutive preseason game.
Thiero has been prepared for this type of opportunity. The second-year forward is trying to take advantage of his first true NBA preseason after knee injuries marred his rookie season. He played in his first summer league games, showing incremental progress during games in San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Thiero started the summer moving too quickly through games, crashing into the lane and flying recklessly toward the rim. He even missed time from a minor wrist injury suffered during a fall. But as the summer progressed, he settled into the pace of the game. During a Las Vegas Summer League game, Thiero flashed his potential with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks with zero turnovers in 30 minutes.
“I feel like that just came with playing more, and just understanding what I was supposed to do, understanding my role,” Thiero said this week of his progress during the summer. “I feel like my role during summer league is very different compared to my role during the season. I was on-ball more. Even creating the offense in summer league. And I didn’t have much experience with that at the time, but as summer league kept going on, I got more comfortable with it and realizing when to speed up and everything.”
Thiero is fighting for minutes in a deep wing group led by Williams and Thybulle. The Lakers have stocked their team with versatile perimeter defenders to help complement their offensive-minded backcourt of Doncic and Reaves. Thiero, whom Reaves described as “a freak-of-nature” athlete, could add a unique quality to the rotation.
“Our ceiling rises if he’s able to [contribute defensively] and be an impactful offensive player with crashing, with cutting, with touching the paint, playing off two feet,” coach JJ Redick said before Monday’s preseason game. “I’ve seen a lot of growth there from him over the last six, seven weeks. That’s exciting.”
Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox calls for a pitching change during the third inning of a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
The Phillies are going to have to dig a little deeper in their managerial search.
World Series-winning Red Sox manager Alex Cora informed the Phillies that he plans to sit out the 2027 season, meaning he will not be going to Philadelphia, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.
Heyman reported that Cora’s decision mostly came down to family reasons, as he’s been enjoying time with them. He is also getting married in November.
Alex Cora calls for a pitching change during the third inning of the Red Sox’s loss to the Yankees on Oct. 1, 2025 in Game 1 of their AL wild card series in The Bronx. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
It’s not the first time Cora has turned down the Phillies and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski this year. After the Phillies fired Rob Thomson after a sluggish start, the team reached out to Cora — who had recently been canned by the Red Sox. Dombrowski and Cora had worked together in Boston for the team’s last World Series championship in 2018.
The Phillies instead made Don Mattingly the interim manager. The Yankees great went 79-55 as the Phillies squeaked into the postseason as the final National League wild-card entrant. They fell in three games to the rival Braves in the first round.
Though it was previously reported that Mattingly was expected to be dismissed, Heyman reported Wednesday that it is possible he does return to the Philadelphia dugout.
Alex Cora reacts in the dugout during the fourth inning of the Red Sox’s season-ending loss to the Yankees on Oct. 3, 2025 in Game 3 of their AL wild card series in The Bronx. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Cora finished with a 620-541 record with the Red Sox and made the playoffs three times.
ATLANTA –– Seemingly every October, the same question arises.
Over the years, Kiké Hernández has supplied a wide range of answers.
Sometimes, it’s a simple joke: “I like Halloween,” he quipped two years ago.
Kiké Hernández is already back in his October form. AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
Others, it’s a more introspective –– albeit, self-deprecating –– response: “My brain’s all over the place, man,” he said before Game 7 of last year’s World Series. “I got really bad ADHD.”
Usually, however, the explanation boils down to one simple factor, having to do with focus and fearlessness in the highest-pressure of situations.
Why is he, as a relatively mediocre regular-season hitter over his 13-year career, such a consistent force in the playoffs?
“It’s almost like when you’re in school and you have a project for two months, and then you leave it for the last day,” he said this time a year ago. “That’s kind of a similar way [it works in the playoffs]. I’m able to stay in the moment and, like, stay really, really focused.”
Enrique Hernandez circles the bases after hitting a two-run home run. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As usual, the Dodgers deployed Hernández like an ace up their sleeve, inserting him into the starting lineup to face star Braves pitcher Chris Sale with the best-of-five series knotted at one game apiece.
And, as usual, Hernández delivered, producing the decisive swing on a two-run homer in the fourth inning of the Dodgers’ 3-1 win at Truist Park.
“It’s something I take a lot of pride in, but don’t really think about it too much,” Hernández said. “It’s something that, once I’m done playing, I’m going to look back on and be really proud of, because the way my career has gone, in terms of finding myself each and every year in October.”
Indeed, Hernández has a way of looking –– and getting –– lost in the regular season, especially in recent years while being relegated to a part-time spot on the Dodgers’ bench.
This season, the 35-year-old appeared in just 41 regular season games, getting less than 100 total plate appearances because of elbow and oblique injuries, but also a loaded Dodgers roster that leaves at-bats at a premium for fringe players like him.
It didn’t help that he hit only .222, lowering his career regular-season average to .235 to go along with a .706 OPS (a shade under league-average production when measured by OPS+).
Entering this October, he had no clear pathway to regular playing time, either, with the Dodgers boasting entrenched regulars at all nine positions.
No matter.
Since rejoining the Dodgers as a trade deadline acquisition in 2023, the utilityman has come to accept that “my role is not to necessarily be in there all year or every day.” He knew that, at some point, he would be summoned to provide a boost for the two-time defending champions.
“It would have been nice to get a little bit of a warm-up before [having to face] Chris Sale,” he joked. “But I’m just glad I’m here talking about something positive and not something negative.”
Hernández celebrates his homer with his teammates. AP Photo/Mike Stewart
Rare is it, of course, that Hernández doesn’t make a positive impact when called upon.
At this point, he has turned majestic playoff performances into an almost annual tradition.
There was his three-homer outburst in the Dodgers’ pennant-clinching victory in Game 5 of the 2017 NL Championship Series. His game-tying, pinch-hit blast in Game 7 of the 2020 NLCS. His go-ahead shot early in a winner-take-all Game 5 triumph over the Padres in the 2024 NLDS. His season-saving double-play in left field in Game 6 of last year’s Fall Classic.
And that doesn’t even include what he did for the Boston Red Sox during their run to the ALCS in 2021, when he batted .408 with five home runs during his one postseason campaign away from Los Angeles.
“He’s a big-time player,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s always prepared. He loves moments like this. He has a way to lock in.”
Thus, in the run-up to a pivotal Game 3 on Tuesday night, and in the face of a daunting task against the Braves’ left-handed ace in Sale, Roberts turned to Hernández to give the offense some “added intensity, urgency,” starting him at third base in place of the left-handed-hitting Max Muncy.
“We needed a little bit of that Kiké dust,” Roberts said.
And, surprise, surprise — he came through once again.
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Enrique Hernandez hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After the Dodgers squandered several early chances against Sale, Hernández stepped up with one on and one out in the fourth inning, hoping to simply “grind out the at-bat” and keep stressing Sale’s climbing pitch count.
But when the former Cy Young Award winner tried to sneak back-to-back changeups by him, Hernández was ready for it.
“He doubled up on the changeup,” Hernández said. “My eyes recognized it.”
With a vicious swing that sent the ball screaming off his bat at 106.8 mph, Hernández launched a 406-foot drive deep into the left-field seats, breaking open what had been a scoreless pitchers’ duel previously.
The scene that followed was triumphantly familiar, with Hernández pounding his chest and screaming his lungs out as his Dodgers teammates erupted in the dugout down the third-base line.
The 2-0 lead would last, as well, thanks to seven dominant innings from Yoshinobu Yamamoto –– who, while facing a jam in the fifth, also got a quick pep talk from Hernández instilling him with confidence and featuring a “dirty word,” the pitcher joked –– that propelled the Dodgers to a two-games-to-one series lead.
“He converts himself into this kind of monster when it comes to the playoffs, and when it matters the most,” said teammate Miguel Rojas, another veteran role player who has drawn so much inspiration from Hernández’s repeated heroics that he texted him last week to tell him “how much I appreciate what he taught me without even telling me how to do it.”
“He wants the situation. He wants the moment. He wants to be the guy,” Rojas added. “His value is way higher than what people think that he can be. He’s a great asset for us.”
Enrique Hernández of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run. Getty Images
The home run marked the 17th of Hernández’s postseason career, tied for 18th-most all-time along with the likes of Aaron Judge, David Ortiz and Jim Thome. In the playoffs, he now has a .272 average and .831 OPS in 105 career games (93 of which have come with the Dodgers, most in the franchise’s illustrious history).
“I wish there was a recipe for that so we can all take it from him,” first baseman Freddie Freeman, who went deep himself later in Tuesday’s fourth inning, joked afterward. “It’s incredible … He’s ready to go at all times.”
Hernández himself, yet again, still lacked a definitive answer for why his play in the postseason seems to inevitably elevate, outside of ample October experience and a slow heartbeat in such moments.
The only thing he did know for sure: “I was going to be ready,” he said, “whenever Doc put my name in the lineup.”
Once again, it might have swung the direction of the Dodgers’ season.
“Having him in a lineup in the postseason,” Roberts said, “just adds that extra sort of urgency, that kind of grit that you need.”
Veteran forwards Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle leading the way wasn’t a surprise. The white-hot shooting was.
The Nets, who were dead last in the league in offensive rating and 3-point percentage last season, shot 55.0 percent overall and 20-for-37 from deep Tuesday.
They carved up short-handed Charlotte up with 31 assists and forced 25 turnovers to pile up a 25-6 edge in fast-break points.
“Yeah, it was a good feeling obviously,” coach Jordi Fernández said. “First game preseason we accomplished playing pretty much everybody that was available. Everybody won their minutes. That’s important — to play hard for 48 minutes.
“We struggled with turnovers in the first half. [We] ended up with three — I don’t count the last one for holding it — three turnovers in the second. So that’s pretty good, 31 assists on 44 made field goals, that’s great. Defensively, the ball pressure turned them over 25 times for 31 points. The only thing we struggled with was the 3-point line. We have to be better at getting out there and finding shooters.”
Porter had a team-high 16 points on 4-for-6 shooting from deep, while Randle added 13 points and three assists.
Julius Randle looks to make a move during the Nets’ 124-90 win over the Hornets on Oct. 6, 2026 in their preseason opener in Charlotte, N.C. NBAE via Getty Images
Porter and Randle largely played on different teams early in camp, so they’re still getting on the same page.
“Yeah, just getting a feel for each other,” Fernández said. “It’s important that they understand, Mike, they have to find him at the 3-point line. Julius, he can score in different ways, get into the paint and then kick it out. And it was cool, because I think Julius found Mike once, but then Mike found Julius once for a 3. So it’s good.
“They’re trying to get those actions together. And it’s been a good first step. We want to keep working on ramping those minutes up and have better feel with the different groups that we’ll have out there. But those two did an amazing job.”
Day’Ron Sharpe added eight points and seven boards. But for a team starved for rim protection, his two blocks and plus-19 in 17:56 were auspicious signs.
Drake Powell, who struggled at summer league, had nine points on 4-for-6 shooting, finished a game-high plus-20 and hit his only 3.
Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) reacts to contact with Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) during the second quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Tuesday, October 6, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Nets played everybody other than injured first-round picks Mikel Brown Jr. (ankle) and Joshua Jefferson (lower back), but Charlotte didn’t have that option. They were without Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Coby White, but still hit 16-for-36 from deep.
“When you win every quarter, it’s a good sign. We had different groups out there and they did whatever it took to get wins every quarter. That mindset is important,” Fernández said. “It was a closer first half, but very happy with the intentions, very happy with the effort and the good things you see quarter by quarter.”
The story from the 2018 Test in South Africa will stay alive for years more, unless it is finally put to sleep with the truth of what happened
Add it to the immeasurable list of things that you can blame Covid for. Without the pandemic, Australia’s Test team would have headed to South Africa in February 2021, less than three years after the 2018 sandpaper scandal saw them come home from Johannesburg in disarray. With memories fresh, the attention would have been intense on the returning players: headlined by sacked captain Steve Smith, his replacement Tim Paine, and principal antagonist David Warner, with a support act of bowlers Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
At least, though, that prompt rematch would have lanced the boil of Australian cricket’s great modern humiliation, after Cameron Bancroft was caught sandpapering the match ball in the third Test at Cape Town. Instead, a lack of appetite for pandemic-era touring saw Cricket Australia cancel the 2021 tour before kicking a replacement years down the road, and while there have been white-ball trips in the interim, it has now taken eight years for an Australian Test return to supersede their ill-starred previous visit.
Drew Doughty has only known one thing in his career.
The Los Angeles Kings.
Doughty, 36, is in his first season serving as the captain of the Kings and shared a heartfelt, two-page letter he wrote to the team’s former captain and the greatest hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretzky.
Drew Doughty reveals a heartfelt letter he wrote to Wayne Gretzky as a child. ZUMAPRESS.com
“Dear Mr. Gretzky, my name is Drew. I am 5 years old. I played hockey this year for the London Red Circle Raiders in the mite division,” Doughty wrote. “It was my 2nd year of hockey. Last year I scored 6 goals all year. This year I got 93 goals.”
As Doughty’s five-year-old self was writing to his hockey hero, he revealed that his coaches didn’t keep score, but the parents attending the games did.
Doughty went on to tell Gretzky that he is his favorite hockey player, and that the Kings were his “favourite team,” in true Canadian spelling.
“My mommy says I used to cry to stay up late and watch hockey when I was two years old.”
Drew Doughty shares a heartfelt letter he wrote to Wayne Gretzky as a child. NHLI via Getty Images
In the letter, Doughty asked Gretzky if he could do him a favor and say hi to then-Kings goalie Kelly Hrudley.
At the end of the letter, he went on to congratulate Gretzky on reaching his 2,500th NHL point and gave him a fun fact.
“Also my grandma was at Parkwood Hospital in London [Ontario]. She said one of her nurses went to your wedding,” Doughty wrote.
Drew Doughty has played for the Kings for the entirety of his NHL career. NHLI via Getty Images
For Doughty, life has come full circle as he’s had a 19-year career in the NHL with the Kings, and will likely play the rest of his career with the franchise.
He also helped the franchise he grew up admiring win two Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014. During their 2012 title run, Doughty had four goals in the playoffs and collected 16 points with 12 assists.
On Tuesday night, the Chicago Blackhawks made their highly anticipated return to the United Center for their first home game of the 2026-27 season. That meant that Patrick Kane made his return in a Blackhawks sweater after a handful of seasons away.
With some of his former mates in the building, specifically Jonathan Toews and Nicklas Hjalmarsson, there was an extra sense of excitement in the crowd. The 0-3-0 start on the road didn't keep anyone from bringing the energy.
The opponent, the St. Louis Blues, entered Chicago with a 1-1-0 record to start the season, and they had the plan of matching the intensity that the Blackhawks were naturally going to bring.
Before the games began, player intros were a bit more special than in other years. Patrick Kane was given a warm welcome with an intro video, special effects on the ice, and a standing ovation from the crowd that was blistering.
After the game started, for a while, it was more of the same for the Blackhawks. There were problems connecting on passes in all three zones, sloppy play defensively, and no finish to their game offensively.
Eventually, the Blues took the lead with a goal scored by Mason McTavish. This came at 15:38 in the first period, and the Blues held that lead through the first intermission.
Early in the second, the Blues scored again, but the goal was waved off for offside. That seemed to give the Blackhawks some juice. From there, they started to play their game. At 5:40 of the middle frame, Sam Rinzel scored by cleaning up Frank Nazar's rebound garbage.
Exactly two minutes of game clock later, at 7:40, Anton Frondell scored his first goal of the season. This goal was Frondell taking advantage of a brilliant play by Artyom Levshunov, who split the defense and made a brilliant pass.
The 2-1 lead held for Chicago through the second intermission. Holding onto leads that they built for themselves in the third period was a major issue in 2025-26, and this was their chance to put a stop to that early in the year.
The Blackhawks, who held the Blues off the board for the first 18 minutes of the final frame, had to face a penalty kill late. With 2:23 left, Roman Kantserov took a tripping penalty. The Blackhawks had to make a final push to kill the penalty if they wanted to win in regulation.
With the net empty, Cole Smith scored his first goal with the Blackhawks to make it 3-1. That felt like a secured victory for Chicago, but the Blues kept their goaltender out of the net and got it back to make it 3-2.
Instead of letting the lead slip away, however, Frank Nazar added another empty-net goal, and the Blackhawks secured a 4-2 victory on Patrick Kane night.
Now, the Blackhawks have a win to build on. From the time they scored their first goal of the game, they played much better than they had in the first three games. They overcame the tough start to the game and found a way. The Hawks would like to clean up that goal that was scored by St. Louis with under a minute left, but it was a work in progress that they can build on.
Injury Update
Teuvo Teravainen left the game and did not return. Jeff Blashill confirmed after the game that he will not travel for thier next game. Beyond that, it is unknown at this time.
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Cronenworth sent the ball 368 feet to right field during the bottom of the fifth inning.
The run cuts into the momentum the Milwaukee Brewers started building in the top of the inning.
Milwaukee had just evened the score with a run scored in the top of the fifth inning, but the Padres managed to prevent the game from getting out of hand as the Brewers were in position add more runs with the bases loaded.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Pedro Ramirez #75 of the Chicago Cubs bats in the National League Wild Card game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Tuesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. We leave the light on for a reason. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
The last time we met, I asked you about whether you’d give outfielder Ian Happ a qualifying offer. The vote was very close, reflecting the divided opinion of Happ that seems to be a fixture of Cubs fandom these days. In any case, 51 percent of you said no, you wouldn’t give Happ a qualifying offer and 49 percent of you said you would. So yeah, really close.
On Tuesdays, I don’t normally do any movie stuff. But I did want to take a moment to remember Eva Marie Saint, who passed away today at the age of 102. Saint won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for On the Waterfront, which was her on-screen debut. Of course, she also co-starred with Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest, which won our Hitchcock tournament a few years ago. But she was more than just her two most famous films and she had a long career that continued into her nineties.
So rest in peace, Eva, and thank you for all your performances that made so many people happy.
Tonight we have one of those NPR Tiny Desk concerts featuring Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana and Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The two are joined by Pablo Menares on bass and Kush Abadey on drums. This is from just last week as part of Latin Music Month.
Welcome back to everyone who skips all that jazz.
The Cubs have a very good infield of Alex Bregman, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch. They also have two solid reserve infielders in Pedro Ramírez and Matt Shaw, both of whom would start for many other teams. Shaw, of course, started for the Cubs in 2025.
Six good infielders is nice to have, but it’s a bit of a luxury. While Matt Shaw played more outfield than infield in 2026 and the Cubs have experimented with Ramírez in the outfield, both Shaw and Ramírez’s best positions are second and third base. And while both of them have the potential to be pretty good hitters for a second or third baseman, they aren’t projected to have the kind of power that contending teams want out of their corner outfielders.
This is just a roundabout way of saying that Shaw and Ramírez might be more valuable to another team than they are to the Cubs. And in that case, it might be a good idea to see if a team would be willing to send the Cubs a pitcher or an outfielder for one or both of them.
The other point is that Shaw and Ramírez are pretty similar players and it’s not always great to have two similar players on the roster. Sure, it’s nice to have a backup if one or the other gets hurt, like Shaw did for a chunk of this year, but if they’re both healthy, they’ll be fighting each other for playing time. (Not literally. No punches will be thrown.) Both Shaw and Ramírez had a similar OBP last year (.327 to .321) and a similar slugging percentage. (.410 to .402). We can argue about which one is the better fielder. Ramírez had much better defensive metrics last year, but Shaw was also forced to play a majority of his games out of position as a corner outfielder. Shaw was much better defensively in 2025 as an everyday third baseman.
Ramírez is also two years younger than Shaw and has one more year of control. That might mean Ramírez would bring back more in trade, despite the two being so similar in many other ways.
So which one of these two players would you try to trade this winter? Shaw or Ramírez? Or would you trade neither? Both?
Obviously there’s an answer of “Whichever one brings back the most.” I’m going to ask you to take into consideration which one you think will bring back more in trade. So if you are willing to deal the one you think is better for a better return, vote for that player. I’m not going to tell you which one that is. Like I said, I think the two are pretty similar except that Ramírez is younger.
So what would you do with Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramírez?
Thank you for stopping by tonight. We were so glad to see you. Tell your friends about us. Get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottled. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.
Although Tuesday night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is one that the Nashville Predators will likely want to forget as soon as possible, one player will certainly remember it. Ryan O'Reilly recorded his 900th career point in the second period when he assisted on Steven Stamkos's second goal of the evening.
O'Reilly, a player often known for his two-way style of play, may not be known as a prolific scorer. With that being said, he has played 1,236 career games in the NHL and during that time he's recorded an impressive 900 points (328 goals and 572 assists).
Currently in his fourth season in Nashville, O'Reilly registered 198 of his points in Predators Gold. He scored the most points as a member of the St. Louis Blues, picking up 269 across five seasons. He also had stints with the Colorado Avalanche (the team that drafted him back in 2009), the Buffalo Sabres, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
O'Reilly's future in Nashville is currently up in the air, as he's in the final year of his current contract and at 35 years of age, he's running out of time to win a second Stanley Cup.
Not even the Orioles mascot escaped the layoffs that have swept through the MLB organization.
More than two dozen employees were let go by the Orioles in layoffs that touched everything from ticket sales to graphic design and included the individuals who played The Oriole Bird and Mr. Splash, The Athletic reported Tuesday.
The team is planning to continue to operate its Bird Bath section in left field despite the news on Tuesday impacting Mr. Splash, whom the Orioles debuted in May 2023. He was in charge of spraying fans with water in the special section when the team connected on extra-base hits.
The Baltimore Orioles mascot performs during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Sept. 18, 2026, in Baltimore. Getty Images
Multiple outlets reported on the layoffs on Tuesday, and a spokesperson told The Athletic that the cuts had impacted the Orioles’ business department.
The Orioles spokesperson also said the team does not comment on employee matters.
The Baltimore Banner reported that the number of employees who were let go was at least in the teens, and one source described it as a “bloodbath.”
President of business operations Catie Griggs wrote in an internal memo that the cuts were “not about reducing headcount” and that the ballclub would “continue to recruit for critical roles and will add talent in areas where we have clear needs.”
“Today we made difficult changes to our business, reshaping some roles and reporting lines and saying goodbye to colleagues,” Griggs wrote in the memo, obtained by multiple outlets. “Some of the people leaving have been here for more than a decade, others for a much shorter time, and every one of them was part of our team. To many of you, they are friends as well as coworkers.
Mr. Splash waves to the crowd before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the start of a game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023. Getty Images
“For those of you who have been here a long time, today may also feel like losing part of what this place has been. That history matters, and it remains part of who we are. We’re grateful for what each of them gave this organization.”
When the Nets tipped off their preseason Tuesday night in Charlotte, a strong offseason by Egor Dëmin had buoyed hopes of a potential sophomore leap.
Brooklyn’s young guard said he’s not the player he was in summer league.
He’s better.
“Yeah, my goal is to translate not just a part of what I did in summer league, but even more, right?” said Dëmin, who has worked to improve his driving and shore up his Achilles’ heel. “Obviously I had some more time after summer league, and I kept working on that stuff. And I think I’m even better right now than I was in summer league.”
Dëmin’s playing time was limited, though his 18:26 led all the starters.
He hit 2-of-3 from 3-point range (six points), but his repeated paint touches unlocked his passing. He handed out a game high-tying five assists, including a second-quarter drive down the lane and behind-the-back pass to Day’Ron Sharpe for a dunk.
Edor Dëmin dribbles the ball up court during the Nets’ 124-90 preseason win over the Hornets on Oct. 6, 2026 in Charlotte, N.C. NBAE via Getty Images
“Yeah, you see him with five assists in the first group; so he leads that group in assists, which is great,” said Jordi Fernández. “Egor was good. I want him aggressive to shoot or to touch the paint, and he’s done it the whole summer. He’s worked at it, he’s stronger, and now he’s very comfortable getting there. So, it’s great. He’s got to keep doing it, got to keep finding his teammates or getting good shots.”
It showed not only the Nets’ faith that he was more capable of handling on-ball duties, but that they were less intent on force-feeding minutes to their sophomore point guards — regardless of struggles — and more intent on playing the best available, and winning.
Brooklyn tanked through two arduous seasons to get consecutive lottery picks that became first Dëmin and then Mikel Brown Jr.
Dëmin taking a quantum leap would let the Nets advance their rebuild and exceed expectations.
“To win as many games as possible,” Dëmin said. “Our process is oriented now on getting there each day, at least a little bit, but getting there, no matter whether it’s a game day, practice day, or an update.”
Dëmin would have to be a big part of that.
He wasn’t merely an ineffective driver but an unwilling one. Billed as a point guard, he was turned too often at the point of attack and kept out of the paint.
But his progress this summer was encouraging.
Grayson Allen drives on Egor Dëmin during the Nets’ win over the Hornets in their preseason opener. Getty Images
Work with head strength and conditioning coach Alvin Dike has let Dëmin get bigger and stronger, and his downhill game benefited. After having gone just 1-for-4 inside the arc during his rookie summer league, this time Dëmin showed far more downhill juice in going 22-for-29.
“I’m excited to play with Egor,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “He’s a phenomenal shooter and scorer, but also a great passer. So he can do a lot of things on the court, rebound, push the break, shoot the ball. And now that he’s getting in the paint and finishing around the rim, he’ll make a humongous jump.”
The preseason opener was his first chance to show it against NBA competition.
With Brown still working his way back from a rolled ankle, the Nets needed a lead guard.
Coach Jordi Fernández went with veteran Keon Ellis at off guard and put Dëmin on the ball rather than Nolan Traore or Ben Saraf.
It was an acknowledgment of how much Brooklyn needs Ellis’ point-of-attack defense, but also a show of faith in how real they believe Dëmin’s improved driving is. It would let the Nets stagger him and Brown going forward, and in turn leverage the defense of Ellis and/or Terance Mann.
“Yeah, I can’t rave on Egor enough in terms of the work he’s put in, the difference that I’m seeing with him playing,” Porter said. “And Egor was a dude who already last year had such big flashes. He showed a lot of clutch performances. He showed his fearlessness, his shooting ability. And working with [Dike] in the weight room, [he looks] better and different.
“Egor is a lot more comfortable with the ball in his hands as a point guard. Guys aren’t able to crowd him and be physical around him. He’s very comfortable with the ball in his hands. He’s also, as a scorer, touching the paint more, getting downhill more, looks very comfortable finishing around the rim. So Egor is very comfortable playing the point guard position or the shooting guard position. He definitely has physically matured enough to play the point guard if that’s needed, because guys aren’t bothering him when he’s pressured.”
