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Justin Verlander hilariously explains ‘pretty easy’ decision to retire

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Five sports commentators standing in a studio with a large screen displaying a picture of Justin Verlander, Image 2 shows Justin Verlander talking about his retirement in a studio setting, Image 3 shows Genevieve Verlander hugs her dad, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander, on the pitcher's mound during a game

Justin Verlander seemingly didn’t have to think too hard about whether it was time to retire after 21 MLB seasons. 

The future Hall of Fame right-hander was injured in his first start back with the Tigers on March 30 and was placed on the injured list with left hip inflammation.

It proved to be the only start the 43-year-old made this season before the final one of his career on Sept. 26, after he suffered a left hamstring strain during a bullpen session in June.

Justin Verlander talks about his decision to retire. FOX Sports/X

It was then that Verlander knew his career was over before fighting his way back for his swan song.       

“It was pretty easy,” the three-time Cy Young winner told the MLB on Fox crew before the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS. “I make the first start of the season and my leg starts hurting. I said, my entire career, man, I love this game. I love giving everything I got. I’m gonna play until the wheels fall off. The wheel falls off in the first game.

“Then a couple [of] months later, the wheel’s still falling off.”

One last thing sealed it, as Verlander got to spend more time with wife Kate Upton, 7-year-old daughter Genevieve and young son Bellamy.   

“My daughter comes up. My family comes up. I mean, this is pretty sweet here, hanging out with them,” he said. “It just made it pretty clear. The arm held up great. It always has. But the leg man gave out on me.”

The former MVP and two-time World Series champion admitted before his final start that he was “skipping a lot of steps, risking some serious injury potentially” to get back on the mound.

It proved to be all worth it as he got emotional during an on-field ceremony and caught his daughter’s first ceremonial pitch. A day later, he turned in a performance to be proud of.

Genevieve Verlander hugs her dad, Detroit starting pitcher Justin Verlander, during the sixth inning of the Tigers’ win over the Pirates on Sept. 26, 2026, in Detroit. AP Photo/Jose Juarez

Verlander allowed two runs on five hits and walks with six strikeouts over 5 ⅓ innings against the Pirates.

His daughter joined Tigers manager A.J. Hinch to take him out of the game.

Verlander finished his career with a 266-159 record, 3,560 strikeouts (eighth all time) and a 3.33 ERA to go along with a pitching Triple Crown in 2011.       

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Andrew McCutchen opens up on Yankees’ historic Tropicana Field woes: ‘Cloud over their head’

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after making an error in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, Image 2 shows Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero tags out New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells at third base, Image 3 shows Photo of former NBA player Ben Wallace wearing a blue suit and a dark shirt

The Yankees’ struggles at Tropicana Field run deeper than poor play on the field, according to a former MVP who once donned the pinstripes.

Andrew McCutchen, who spent the final months of the 2018 season in The Bronx, revealed how struck he was by the roster’s visceral response to facing the Rays on their home turf.

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“When I came over, we went to [Tropicana Field] and I remember them all talking about how they just can’t beat the Rays in Tampa,” the 2013 NL MVP and five-time All-Star revealed Tuesday during an appearance on MLB Network, a day after the Yankees’ loss to the Rays in Game 2 of the ALDS put them on the brink of elimination. “That was always the thing that they talked about.

“I remember being like, ‘Dude, we’re a good team, let’s go, let’s win.'”

While the Yankees finished 2018 with the second-best record in the American League (100-62), they did not fare well against their AL East rivals.

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. reacts after making an error and allowing a run to score in the first inning during Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays, Monday, October 5, 2026, at Tropicana Field. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post

Before McCutchen’s acquisition in August, the Yankees went just 1-5 at Tropicana Field before winning three of four in Tampa Bay in their second-to-last regular-season series of 2018.

Despite that strong finish, McCutchen said the club’s negative attitude toward the Tampa turf never wavered.

New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) is tagged out by Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) at third base on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Tropicana Field. Wells was tagged out trying to stretch a double into a triple to end the eighth inning. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post

“We ended up winning…but that’s not the thing they think about, I know that,” McCutchen, 39, said. “That’s the cloud over their head.”

Tropicana Field’s status as a house of horrors has been a consistent theme in 2026 once again, as the Yankees lost five of seven games at the venue during the regular season.

After failing to catch the Rays in the AL East, the Yankees promptly disposed of the Red Sox in two games during the wild-card series — but the ALDS has been a different story.

Andrew McCutchen of the New York Yankees prepares to shake a teammate’s hand after scoring his second run in the seventh inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, Monday, September 24, 2018. Getty Images

The Yankees’ performance across the first two games of the ALDS has been defined by an anemic offense and a barrage of sloppy play.

The Bombers managed just a single hit in Game 1, an eighth-inning double by Austin Wells, which was negated by the catcher’s ill-advised attempt to stretch the knock into a triple.

Despite having Cam Schlittler on the mound and two homers from Ben Rice in Game 2, a comedy of errors sunk the Yankees in a 5-1 loss.

As the series shifts to Yankee Stadium for Game 3, New York will hope to kick off the difficult task of winning three straight games to advance — and McCutchen thinks his former club can pull it off.

Even with Aaron Judge still sidelined and the offense scuffling, McCutchen said the Yankees’ home field advantage gives them the edge.

“Going back to New York, they’re going to have a lot of fun. They know being at home, in their home stadium, they’re going to bring it, those fans are gonna be loud,” McCutchen said.

“I see them going and doing really well for those next two games.”

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Devils' rally falls short in 5-3 loss to Mammoth

Nick Schmaltz scored his NHL-best fifth goal of the season, and the Utah Mammoth relied on their proficient power play to beat the New Jersey Devils, 5-3, on Tuesday night.

Clayton Keller, MacKenzie Weegar, Lawson Crouse and Vincent Trocheck also scored for the Mammoth, and Mikhail Sergachev had three assists to surpass 300 for his career before leaving the game when he took a puck to the back of the helmet late in the second period.

Utah went 2-for-4 on the power play and has scored on 8 of 13 opportunities this season with the man advantage, including Keller’s goal in the first period and Schmaltz’s go-ahead tally midway through the second that made it 3-2.

Luke Evangelista scored twice for New Jersey, and Jesper Boqvist had the other goal.

The Mammoth beat the Devils for the first time, having gone 0-for-4 in the franchise’s previous two seasons.

Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots for Utah, and New Jersey’s Jake Allen made 26 saves.

Sergachev reached 300 assists with his second of the game, on Weegar’s goal early in the second period. The 28-year-old Russian defenseman reached the milestone in his 634th NHL game.

He also assisted on Schmaltz’s goal for his seventh career four-assist game and fourth in his last 32 contests.

Schmaltz had two assists, the second on Trocheck’s goal that made it 5-3 with 3:08 remaining.

New Jersey defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler left with an injury early in the third period.

Up next

Mammoth: At Boston on Thursday.

Devils: Host Vancouver on Saturday.

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Penguins Notebook: Bryan Rust Nears His Return To The Lineup

The Pittsburgh Penguins held a practice inside the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Tuesday after suffering their first loss of the season to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. 

The Penguins didn't play well in that game, but they quickly got back on the ice and put it behind them. All expected players were on the ice, and Bryan Rust joined them, getting closer to returning.

Rust has been week-to-week with an injury that he suffered in the Penguins' final pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres. He's been skating with the team in morning skates, but fully participated in Tuesday's practice. 

He skated on the third line with Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen, while also participated in special teams drills. 

Penguins head coach Dan Muse confirmed after practice that they still need to have some conversations before Rust can make his season debut. 

"Still need to have some conversations, but it was good to have him out there," Muse said.

Here were the forward lines and defensive pairs: 

Forwards

Lapierre-Crosby-Rakell

Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin

Koivunen-Kindel-Rust

Dewar-Lizotte-Robertson

Defensive pairs

Carlile-Karlsson

Girard-Korczak

van Riemsdyk-Letang

The defensive pairings remain unchanged, but Muse is already trying new combinations, including Hendrix Lapierre on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell. 

Lapierre will face his former team, the Washington Capitals, on Wednesday and is excited for the challenge. He also can't wait to face Alex Ovechkin after the latter announced on Monday that this will be his final NHL season.

"Like the rest of the team, it's going to be pretty special," Lapierre said after practice. "I played with him for a couple of years, and it was a pleasure; it was an honor. Really, truly had a great time there and playing with them, and he's a great leader. Again, it's gonna be a little weird tomorrow, but I'm super excited. He's had a heck of a career, as you guys know, and to be able to play against him in his final year is gonna be special, so it should be a really good game."

Wednesday will be the first of four matchups between the Penguins and Capitals this year. The Penguins are 2-1-0 through three games, while the Capitals are 1-1-0 through two games. 

Puck drop for Wednesday's game will be at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

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Mets' Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Nolan McLean named to MLB Pipeline's 2026 All-Rookie Teams

A trio of Mets rookies was honored on Tuesday night after being named to MLB Pipeline's 2026 All-Rookie Teams.

Right fielder Carson Benge took home First-Team honors while center fielder A.J. Ewing and starting pitcher Nolan McLean were picked for Second-Team after all three had great rookie seasons in New York.

Benge, who had a slash line of .282/.346/.430 (.776 OPS) with a 20/20 season to go along with 22 doubles, finished with a 4.3 WAR in 156 games -- the third-highest among rookie position players. 

The 23-year-old is also one of the top contenders for the National League Rookie of the Year award with two of his competitors, Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Sal Stewart and St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt, also making First-Team.

After getting promoted to the big leagues in May, Ewing hit the ground running and made an immediate impact with the Mets. He struggled in the middle of the season, but the 21-year-old ended the season on a high note and led the club with 25 steals, a new franchise record for a rookie. 

Ewing's biggest contributions of the season possibly came in the outfield, where he manned center field masterfully while occasionally getting reps at the corners as well. He finished with a 3.1 WAR in 120 games.

McLean rounds out the group after a sensational first full campaign in the big leagues. The right-hander burst onto the scene in 2025 when he made eight starts down the stretch of the season during a pennant race and went 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA.

Despite New York struggling as much as it did this season, McLean was one of the most consistent players on the team. He made all 31 of his starts and had a 3.16 ERA across a career-high 179.2 innings while striking out 194 batters. He's joined by Milwaukee Brewers starter Logan Henderson on the Second-Team.

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Luka Doncic among Lakers’ sitting out against Warriors

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Luka Doncic warms up with a basketball on the court, Image 2 shows Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers shakes hands with Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors before a game

SAN FRANCISCO — Superstar Luka Doncic was among the Lakers players who weren’t available for Tuesday’s preseason game against the Warriors at Chase Center.

Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Collin Sexton and two-way forward Arthur Kaluma also sat out against the Warriors, which was the second night of a back-to-back for the Lakers.

Even though he didn’t play, Lakers guard Luka Doncic still went through a pregame warmup. Getty Images

Reaves, Kessler, Sexton and Kaluma also weren’t available for Monday’s preseason-opening win over the Kings in Sacramento. 

Doncic led the Lakers with 21 points against the Kings in his first game in over six months. 

With a significant chunk of their lineup sidelined, the Lakers started Bronny James, Quentin Grimes, Adou Thiero, Jake LaRavia and Sandro Mamukelashvili against the Warriors. 

Bronny James stepped into the starting lineup against the Warriors. William Liang for CA Post
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers shakes hands with Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors before their preseason game at Chase Center. Getty Images

The Warriors started Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Yaxel Lendeborg and Draymond Green.

The Lakers will play the Kings again when they host their division rival at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. 

The Warriors were on the first night of a back-to-back, with a matchup against the Trail Blazers scheduled for Wednesday night in Portland. 

Like the Lakers, the Warriors were also in the midst of three games in four days after playing the Clippers in Hawaii on Sunday in their first preseason game. 

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Dylan Larkin Scores, Named 1st Star In Season Debut During 5-3 Red Wings Win

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Former Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin made sure his season debut was a memorable one.

Despite being booed repeatedly when he first hit the ice and touched the puck during his opening shift, Larkin quickly turned many of those boos into cheers. He scored in the first period and added an assist in the Red Wings' 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena.

Larkin, who missed all of Training Camp and the preseason, along with the first two games of the regular season, was named the game's first star.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings were playing without forwards J.T. Compher, Marco Kasper, and Mason Appleton, along with unsigned RFA defenseman Simon Edvinsson; William Wallinder made his NHL debut on the blue line and skated in 9:07 of ice time. 

The Senators struck first as Tim Stutzle beat John Gibson with a quick shot at the 2:44 mark of the first period, only to have Alex DeBrincat respond 32 seconds later with his first goal of the season.

Just after their power-play expired, the Red Wings took their first lead of the season thanks to Larkin, who buried a centering feed from Viktor Arvidsson at 13:14. 

Just 2:01 into the second period, Arvidsson scored his second goal in as many games, burying a rebound of Larkin's chance past Senators goalie Samuel Ersson.

Justin Faulk then added a highlight-reel tally minutes later, weaving his way through multiple Ottawa players and beating Ersson up high while falling to the ice. 

Not long afterward, Ottawa began making a game of it thanks to a power-play tally from Drake Batherson, which would eventually be followed by a goal from William Eklund midway through the third period. 

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However, despite pulling Ersson, the Senators weren't able to come up with the equalizer. DeBrincat added his second of the game into the empty net with 50 seconds left in regulation, sealing Detroit's win. 

Gibson finished the contest with 21 saves for Detroit, while Ersson made 31 saves. 

There were multiple fights that broke out at the end of the second period, as DeBrincat squared off with Shane Pinto, Ben Chiarot against Ridley Greig, and Emmitt Finnie against Jordan Spence.

Ironically, despite his fight, Finnie wasn't penalized, meaning that it won't go into the books as his first official bout in the NHL. 

The Red Wings are back in action on Friday against the visiting Seattle Kraken at Little Caesars Arena. 

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Phillies spurned again by Alex Cora, as manager says he's taking 2027 off

The Philadelphia Phillies have been spurned again by Alex Cora.

Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, spoke with Cora about becoming their manager in 2027, but Cora informed Dombrowski he’s taking the season off, according to a high-ranking Phillies executive with direct knowledge of their talks told USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Phillies still have not decided who will manage their team.

Cora, who won a World Series with the Red Sox with Dombrowski in 2018, was offered the Phillies’ job in April before firing Rob Thomson, and he declined it, saying he wanted to spend the rest of the summer with his family.

More: Phillies need hard reset with Mattingly paying the price

Now, after being pursued again, he declined, with Cora still owed about $7.25 million from the Red Sox in 2027 as the third and final year of his three-year, $21.75 million contract.

Cora did not immediately respond to a text message from USA TODAY Sports.

Don Mattingly, who took over the Phillies as their interim manager and led them to a wild-card berth, still is under contract in 2027 but as a bench coach.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Phillies spurned again by Alex Cora, as manager says he's taking 2027 off

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Taylor Hall scores 2 as Hurricanes beat Canadiens 6-4 in Montreal's home opener

MONTREAL (AP) — Taylor Hall scored twice as the Carolina Hurricanes beat Montreal 6-4 in the Canadiens' home opener on Tuesday night.

Sebastian Aho added a goal and two assists, while Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski had a goal and an assist each.

Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net goal and Brandon Bussi stopped 16 shots in the rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference final.

Zachary Bolduc scored twice, Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist, and Juraj Slafkovsky also scored for Montreal. Alexandre Texier and Chris Krieder had two assists apiece, while Jakub Dobes made 28 saves.

The Canadiens returned to the Bell Centre for their first regular-season home game since falling to the Hurricanes in the third round. Carolina eliminated Montreal in five games before going on to win the Stanley Cup over the Vegas Golden Knights.

The teams combined for five goals in the opening 13 minutes. Hall opened the scoring 2:25 into the first period, deflecting Jackson Blake’s shot after Slafkovsky turned the puck over in front of his own net.

Bolduc evened the score at 3:23, corralling a rebound and shoveling a backhand into the top corner. Suzuki put Montreal in front 64 seconds later with a snap shot over Bussi’s left shoulder, but Robinson tied it at 9:22 when Jalen Chatfield’s point shot deflected off him and past Dobes.

Bolduc gave the Canadiens a 3-2 lead at 12:54, scoring his second of the night on the power play.

The lead held until Aho, also with the man advantage, slid a shot through Dobes’ pads 3:56 into the second. Jankowski capitalized on Noah Dobson’s giveaway to give Carolina the lead at 13:24, then Hall made it 5-3 at 12:21 in the third.

Slafkovsky jumped on a rebound to pull one back with 3:04 remaining before Svechnikov’s empty-netter.

Ivan Demidov missed the game after the Canadiens announced he would be sidelined two to four weeks with a lower-body injury.

Up next

Hurricanes: Host Vancouver on Thursday.

Canadiens: Host Nashville on Thursday.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

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Alexis Lafreniere's hat trick lifts Rangers to 5-2 win over Islanders

The Rangers emerged victorious in the 2026-27 NHL season's first Battle of New York, beating division rival Islanders, 5-2, behind a hat trick from Alexis Lafreniere and a two-goal outing from right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand. The win marked their fourth straight.

Here are some takeaways...

 — The Rangers didn't land a single shot on goal until almost seven minutes into the game, but when they finally did, they made it count. After chasing the puck-wielding sophomore Islanders defender Matthew Schafer into the boards,Lafrenierelost his balance, but not before managing to slide the puck backward as Bjorkstrand calmlyskated into the right dot. Bjorkstrand reacted instantly, scooping up the pass and rifling a shot above Isles goalie Semoyn Varlamov's left shoulder, giving the home team the early lead with his first goal as a Ranger.

— The first period wound down without another score, marking the fifth straight game in which the Rangers have not allowed a first-period goal, but it was far from quiet. The rivals combined for five penalties across the latter 13 minutes of the frame, including matching penalties for fighting drawn by Rangers captain J.T. Miller and Islander Brayden Schenn. In the final two minutes of the game, Islander Simon Holstrom was helped off the ice after taking a puck to the face on a shot from Sean Durzi.

— The Rangers got off to a much faster start in the second, doubling their lead just 25 seconds into the middle period as Lafreniere sent the puck bardown, but the Islanders retaliated soon after, evening the score with two quick tallies of their own. 

The Islanders first found the back of the net on their fourth power play of the evening. Captain Bo Horvat caught a cross-ice pass sent by Matias Maccelli through traffic and smoothly shoved it in top shelf. Two minutes later, Schenn sent a pass through traffic to the slot, where 21-year-old Calum Ritchier waited unprotected. Ritchie dragged the puck toward the net, drew Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin out of the net, then slid the puck behind a sprawling Shesterkin's skate to bring the Islanders up to speed.

— The Blueshirts ended the period with a one-goal edge thanks, once again, to Bjorkstrand, who received a cross-ice pass from Gabe Perreault in the waning seconds of a power play and walked it two strides toward the net before letting loose for his second of the night. The outing marks Bjorkstrand's 22nd-career multi-goal game. 

— Lafreniere scored the game's only third-period goals, finding the empty net twice in the final two minutes of the contest for his third career hat trick.

— Just three days after making his AHL debut, twenty-year-old center Cole Beaudoin skated in his first NHL contest Tuesday night after the Rangers placed Joseph Veleno, who sustained a lower-body injury in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth, on injured reserve Tuesday afternoon. Beaudoin finished the game without a point but with a plus-1 rating, one block, and three hits. He won an even 50 percent of his faceoffs, tied for third-best on the team with Noah Laba.

The Rangers acquired Beaudoin, along with 27-year-old bluelinerDurziand a 2027 third-round draft pick, in the trade that sent veteran center Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth. He began the season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers' AHL affiliate, and quickly found his stride. Across his two games in Hartford, Beaudoin contributed to more than half of the Wolf Pack's eight goals so far this season, recording a team-leading five points (1 goal, four assists) and propelling them to the top of the Atlantic Division (though they're knotted with the Springfield Thunderbirds, who are also 2-0).

— Making his first NHL appearance in 676 days, Varlamovmade 19 stops on 22 shots in the loss. 

The 38-year-old missed most of the 2024-25 campaign and all of last year due to two partial knee replacements in November 2024 and 22 months of extensive rehab. Heading into the matchup, Varlamov was 5-1-0 with the Islanders at MSG, posting a .950 save percentage, a 1.55 goals-against average, and four shutouts. He's now 10-4-1 in the arena across his 18 years as an NHL goalie.

— Shesterkin finished the game with an .895 save percentage.

—The rivals next go head-to-head Dec. 20, this time in Isles territory at UBS Arena.

Highlights

What's next

The Rangers get two days off before facing the Washington Capitals on the road Friday at 7 p.m. The Islanders are set to host the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday at 7:30.

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Matthews scores OT winner, McKenna gets his first NHL goal, as Maple Leafs beat Predators 5-4

TORONTO (AP) — Auston Matthews scored with 14 seconds left in overtime and had three assists in regulation and the Toronto Maple Leafs erased a three-goal deficit in a 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

William Nylander, No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna — with his first as a professional — John Tavares and Jack Roslovic had the other goals for Toronto, which got 21 saves from Anthony Stolarz.

McKenna also picked up an assist on Tavares’ goal for his first NHL point. Nylander chipped in two assists and Roslovic added one.

Steven Stamkos scored twice for Nashville to move into 17th place on the NHL’s career goals list, while Nils Hoglander also scored twice. Filip Forsberg had two assists and Juuse Saros made 33 stops.

Stamkos opened the scoring at 7:13 of the first period on a power play. Nashville doubled its lead at 9:08 when Hoglander collected a rebound off the end boards and slotted it home before making it 3-0 at 3:03 of the second on another tap-in.

Tavares got Toronto going off the rush at 4:56 of the middle period and Nylander connected on a man advantage at 6:58 to make it 3-2. Stamkos scored his second to restore a two-goal lead at 13:30, but McKenna scored his first NHL goal 61 seconds later.

Roslovic tied things at 8:54 of the third.

Stamkos broke a tie with Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla on the league’s career scoring list with his first-period goal — the 626th of his career — before adding another in the second. Dave Andreychuk is 16th in NHL history with 640 career goals.

Stamkos became the third active player to score 100 game-opening goals in his career. Alex Ovechkin leads with 154 followed by Sidney Crosby at 127.

Up next

Predators: At Montreal on Thursday.

Maple Leafs: At Vegas on Thursday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

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Nick Schmaltz scores NHL-best 5th goal and Mammoth beat Devils 5-3

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Nick Schmaltz scored his NHL-best fifth goal of the season, and the Utah Mammoth relied on their proficient power play to beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Clayton Keller, MacKenzie Weegar, Lawson Crouse and Vincent Trocheck also scored for the Mammoth, and Mikhail Sergachev had three assists to surpass 300 for his career before leaving the game when he took a puck to the back of the helmet late in the second period.

Utah went 2 for 4 on the power play and has scored on 8 of 13 opportunities this season with the man advantage, including Keller's goal in the first period and Schmaltz's go-ahead tally midway through the second that made it 3-2.

Luke Evangelista scored twice for New Jersey and Jesper Boqvist had the other goal.

The Mammoth beat the Devils for the first time, having gone 0-4 in the franchise's previous two seasons.

Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots for Utah, and New Jersey's Jake Allen made 26 saves.

Sergachev reached 300 assists with his second of the game, on Weegar's goal early in the second period. The 28-year-old Russian defenseman reached the milestone in his 634th NHL game.

He also assisted on Schmaltz's goal for his seventh career four-assist game and fourth in his last 32 contests.

Schmaltz had two assists, the second on Trocheck's goal that made it 5-3 with 3:08 remaining.

New Jersey defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler left with an injury early in the third period.

Up next

Mammoth: At Boston on Thursday.

Devils: Host Vancouver on Saturday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

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Atlanta’s star hitters must perform like stars with elimination looming

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 06: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves looks on during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welp, that wasn’t ideal!

The home field advantage that the Atlanta Braves snatched away from the Los Angeles Dodgers has slipped right out of Atlanta’s fingers thanks to a brilliant Yoshinobu Yamamoto and more power hitting from the Dodgers. They still haven’t scored with anything but homers and unfortunately Chris Sale was the latest victim of LA’s obsession with the long ball.

“They did a nice job of really grinding the at-bats and passing the baton,” conceded manager Walt Weiss when he was asked about the Dodgers’ approach against Sale in the postgame press conference. “[Sale] had to work hard. He had to work hard to get the outs that he got. He looked like Chris Sale to me [but] they did a nice job.”

Weiss also stated that he felt like Sale’s stuff was still good but the command may not have been there in his eyes. Either way, there’s no way around it: The Dodgers were better on this particular night and they did a solid job of bouncing back from Sale’s dominant outing when this team came to visit back in August.

With that being said, I’d imagine that the thing that’s on every Braves fan’s mind right now is that this lineup has got to start hitting consistently — and soon. While Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the rest of LA’s pitching staff is as imposing as it gets and it’s a much easier said-than-done task on Atlanta’s hands, it’s still the Postseason and the Braves are here for a reason — they’ve got to find a way to make something happen against this pitching staff.

That goes doubly for the stars like Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Ronald Acuña Jr., who have stayed largely dormant during this series so far. It was another quiet night for Acuña in particular, who has been picking up hits and getting on base but not at the rate or level that you’d expect out of a superstar-caliber player. Acuña had another chance to make something happen in a big moment in Game 3 when the fifth inning rolled around and he had a chance with two men in scoring position and two outs.

It could’ve been a special moment had Acuña come through and either tied the game with a knock or even electrified the stadium with a dinger. Instead, Acuña grounded out again and the moment went by the wayside. That ended up being Atlanta’s best chance of the night and the face of the franchise came up short again.

While it’s not just Acuña who has been underwhelming at the plate so far during this Postseason, it’s on him as the star of this ballclub to step up in the situations where the stars need to shine. While Acuña might have been dealing with a sore knee, it’s not an excuse — Weiss stated in the pregame that he hasn’t seen Acuña suffer any ill effects from the lower leg contusion that he sustained in the final week of the regular season and also Acuña’s knee was still in good enough position for him to play tonight.

If he’s not pressing at the plate (which Weiss insisted both during the pregame press conference and the postgame presser as well) then something’s got to change. If I knew what needed to change, I’d be getting paid a lot of money working in baseball instead of writing about it so it’s on Acuña and the coaching staff to figure it out. With their backs in the wall, the Braves are going to need everybody to contribute and hopefully the face of the franchise can finally lift his game for the Postseason before it’s too late.

It’ll also be on Tyler Mahle to make something happen on the mound for the Braves in Game 4. In the pregame presser before Game 3, Mahle at least expressed confidence that he’ll be up for the challenge for his start with Atlanta’s backs facing the wall. “…All you can do out there is make pitches. I’m not trying to trick them. [The Dodgers] know. They’ve seen me,” said Mahle when he was asked about approaching the Dodgers lineup in Game 4. “I’m sure they’re going to watch film, whatever. So it’s making pitches at the right times and that’s all you can hope to do.”

With that being said, the Dodgers also appear to be ready for the challenge of getting it right against Mahle with a trip to the NLCS in sight. Freddie Freeman spoke with the media following Game 3 and he talked about how the Dodgers plan to deal with Mahle on Wednesday evening. “If you’re chasing splitters down below, you’re going to be in trouble,” explained Freeman when he was asked about dealing with Mahle. “Just like we did with Sale, you gotta get him in the zone, get him off the bottom and hopefully he makes mistakes and you’re on time for them.”

“I wish baseball was so much more of ‘This is what we’re gonna do’ but sometimes we strip it down and it’s not that complicated. If we can just get him up off the bottom of the zone, hopefully we can have some great success tomorrow. We’ve gotta treat every game like an elimination game.”

All the way back in April, Mahle threw seven shutout innings against the Dodgers as a member of the Giants. A repeat performance will be sorely needed for the Braves and a star-making performance from any of the stars in this lineup would also be greatly appreciated as well.

The moment is there for Atlanta, they’ve just got to rise up to it and make something happen. We’ll see how it goes as the Braves play with the season on the line on Wednesday night in Cobb County.

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Warriors’ Steve Kerr honors late Don Nelson with pregame beer

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson pointing as he talks to Stephen Curry, Image 2 shows Warriors coach Steve Kerr honored late franchise legend Don Nelson with a pregame beer ahead of the team's preseason game on Tuesday, October 6, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors were celebrating Don Nelson with “Nellie Night” when they hosted the Lakers on Tuesday at Chase Center. 

And Warriors coach Steve Kerr had the perfect way to honor the late Hall of Fame coach.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr honored late franchise legend Don Nelson with a pregame beer. Khobi Price

Kerr cracked open a can of Bud Light and took a sip of the beer before answering questions from reporters during his pregame media availability – a nod to Nelson bringing a can of Bud Light to his postgame media availability during the Warriors’ 2007 playoff run more than once. 

Nelson’s postgame beer in the interview room didn’t last long after the eighth-seeded Warriors, who adopted the “We Believe” moniker, upset the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. 

The NBA stepped in and told the Warriors that Nelson couldn’t bring beer in the postgame interview room. 

Don Nelson coached the Warriors twice. MediaNews Group via Getty Images

The league doesn’t have to worry about Kerr making it a habit.

“Definitley not,” the Warriors coach responded when asked whether he was going to fish the beer. “I got a game to coach.”

Former Warriors players, including Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes and Chris Mullin, and members of Nelson’s family were in attendance for Tuesday’s game. 

Don Nelson’s 1,335 wins as head coach are the second-most in NBA history. Getty Images

Fans received a commemorative “Nellie” pin upon entry, in addition to souvenir “Nellie Night” beer koozies being sold.

The Warriors are wearing a “Nellie” band on the team’s uniforms throughout the 2026-27 season. 

Nelson, who was the Warriors head coach for 11 seasons across two stints (1988-95 and 2006-10), died on Aug. 9 at the age of 86.

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Larkin scores in return to lineup as Red Wings deal Senators 1st loss of the season 5-3

DETROIT (AP) — Dylan Larkin scored in his first game since asking for a trade, helping the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.

Larkin was initially booed by the home crowd when he touched the puck on his first shift. The boos turned to cheers when he scored in the 13th minute, giving Detroit a lead it never relinquished. He also set up a goal early in the second.

Alex DeBrincat scored twice and Justin Faulk and Viktor Arvidsson added goals for Detroit. John Gibson made 22 saves.

Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle and William Eklund scored for the Senators, who had won their first two games. Samuel Ersson had 31 saves.

DeBrincat opened his scoring in the first with a wrist shot 3:16 into the period, assisted by Nate Danielson and Carter Mazur. He added a power-play empty-netter with 50 seconds remaining in the third. DeBrincat also had an assist.

Larkin remains in limbo several months after his trade request became public. He was stripped of the captaincy, reported to training camp despite being injured, missed the start of the season because of injury and received a frosty reaction from home fans during introductions prior to their first game last week.

Ersson started for Ottawa after entering in relief of injured No. 1 goaltender Linus Ullmark for the third period Monday night in Boston. Ullmark did not dress, and the Senators called up Jonas Johansson from Belleville of the American Hockey League to back up.

Ridly Greig made his season debut for Ottawa and finished with an assist. Greig served a two-game suspension at the start of the season that he received for roughing during the Senators’ final playoff game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Greig was banned for sucker punching Carolina defenseman Sean Walker in the second period of Ottawa’s 4-2 loss on April 25.

Up next

Senators: Host Philadelphia on Thursday.

Red Wings: Host Seattle on Friday.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here