It has been a tough 12 months for Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Jack St. Ivany, and it looks like things aren't getting any easier.
During Wednesday's pre-season tilt against the Buffalo Sabres, St. Ivany blocked a shot midway through the first period that appeared to hit the inside of his foot. He was helped off the ice and into the locker room and returned to the bench briefly, but he was then ruled out for the remainder of the game with a lower-body injury.
St. Ivany, 26, made the Penguins' NHL roster out of camp last season after signing a three-year extension that summer. He struggled to start the season and was re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), where the Penguins hoped some heavy AHL minutes would help him get back on track.
Unfortunately, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound blueliner was injured just two games later, and he missed nearly two months of action, making it hard for him to get back on track. He had just one point in 19 games at the NHL level in 2024-25, and at the AHL level, he recored one goal and 16 points to go along with a plus-9 in 37 games.
No further update on St. Ivany's status has been announced yet. Stay tuned to the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins site for updates.
When Tyler Herro was asked at media day which player would step up in his place with the All-Star guard out for the first month of the season, he quickly shouted out Nikola Jovic, adding he expected a "tremendous" season from the young big. Herro's endorsement speaks to the hype around Jokic entering the season.
Jokic and the Heat have agreed to a four-year, $62.4 million contract extension, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by other reports. This is a straight four, no options for either side. That extension is a good deal at just more than $15 million a season (it does not kick in until the 2026-27 season, he will play out his current contract for $4.4 million this season).
Jovic, 22 and entering his fourth season, averaged 10.7 points and 3.9 rebounds a game last season and was taking a step forward until he broke his hand in February, ending his season. The hype for Jovic only grew during EuroBasket, where he averaged 14.7 points and four rebounds a game for Serbia.
Jovic enters camp in a debate about who will be the starting center next to Bam Adebayo, Kel'el Ware or Jovic. The Heat see Ware as their starting center of the future, and he has to be considered the frontrunner, but entering his sophomore season he has a lot of development to do. With Herro out for the first month of the season, Jovic's shooting (37.1% from 3-point range) and shot creation may be needed more than everything Ware brings. What will Erik Spoelstra and the Heat prioritize?
Whether he's starting or coming off the bench, Jovic is getting paid.
The 2025 MLB playoffs are moving to the Division Series.
The American League’s No. 4-seeded New York Yankees and No. 6 Detroit Tigers along with the National League’s No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 4 Chicago Cubs have survived the Wild Card Series and advanced to the second round of the postseason.
The Division Series will see the introduction of the top two seeds in each league to the postseason. The AL’s No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays and No. 2 Seattle Mariners, and the NL’s No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers and No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies earned byes past the Wild Card Series and into the Division Series.
Over in the AL, the Tigers took quite the route to their second straight ALDS appearance. Detroit blew a 12.5-game lead for first in the AL Central over the final month-plus of the regular season, as the Cleveland Guardians snatched the division crown. But the Tigers got the last laugh over their division rivals, eliminating the No. 3 Guardians with a 6-3 Game 3 win.
The final Wild Card Series matchup featured baseball’s most bitter rivalry between the No. 4 Yankees and No. 5 Boston Red Sox. After losing Game 1, the Yankees outlasted the Red Sox in Game 2 before bouncing Boston with a 4-0 win in Game 3. Yankees rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler starred in the series-clincher, striking out 12 over eight shutout innings in his playoff debut. New York is looking to go from runners-up to champions after losing in last year’s Fall Classic.
So, what are the ALDS and NLDS matchups? And when does the Division Series begin? Here’s what we know:
The Dodgers will next put their title defense on the line against the NL East champion Phillies, while the Cubs will take on the MLB-best Brewers in an NL Central battle.
The AL side of the bracket will also have a divisional showdown, as the Yankees go from facing one AL East foe to another in the league-best Blue Jays. The Tigers, meanwhile, will square off against the AL West champion Mariners.
Here’s a full look at the bracket:
American League
No. 2 Seattle Mariners vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
National League
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
When do the 2025 ALDS, NLDS start?
All four Division Series begin Saturday, Oct. 4.
How many games are in the ALDS, NLDS?
Following best-of-three Wild Card Series, the postseason moves to a best-of-five format for the Division Series. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
What is the 2025 ALDS, NLDS schedule?
Here’s a series-by-series look at the Division Series schedule (this section will be updated as details are announced):
American League
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
Game 1: Yankees at Blue Jays — Saturday, Oct. 4, 4:08 p.m. ET, Fox
Game 2: Yankees at Blue Jays — Sunday, Oct. 5, 4:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 3: Blue Jays at Yankees — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 8:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Blue Jays at Yankees — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Yankees at Blue Jays — Friday, Oct. 10, 8:08 p.m. ET, Fox
No. 2 Seattle Mariners vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
Game 1: Tigers at Mariners — Saturday, Oct. 4, 8:38 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 2: Tigers at Mariners — Sunday, Oct. 5, 8:03 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 3: Mariners at Tigers — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 4:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Mariners at Tigers — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 3:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Tigers at Mariners — Friday, Oct. 10, 4:40 p.m. ET, FS1
National League
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
Game 1: Cubs at Brewers — Saturday, Oct. 4, 2:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 2: Cubs at Brewers — Monday, Oct. 6, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 3: Brewers at Cubs — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 5:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 4 (if necessary): Brewers at Cubs— Thursday, Oct. 9, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 5 (if necessary): Cubs at Brewers — Saturday, Oct. 11, 4:38 p.m. ET, TBS
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 1: Dodgers at Phillies — Saturday, Oct. 4, 6:38 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 2: Dodgers at Phillies — Monday, Oct. 6, 6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 3: Phillies at Dodgers — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 4 (if necessary): Phillies at Dodgers — Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 5 (if necessary): Dodgers at Phillies — Saturday, Oct. 11, 8:08 p.m. ET, TBS
The 2025 MLB playoffs are moving to the Division Series.
The American League’s No. 4-seeded New York Yankees and No. 6 Detroit Tigers along with the National League’s No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 4 Chicago Cubs have survived the Wild Card Series and advanced to the second round of the postseason.
The Division Series will see the introduction of the top two seeds in each league to the postseason. The AL’s No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays and No. 2 Seattle Mariners, and the NL’s No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers and No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies earned byes past the Wild Card Series and into the Division Series.
Over in the AL, the Tigers took quite the route to their second straight ALDS appearance. Detroit blew a 12.5-game lead for first in the AL Central over the final month-plus of the regular season, as the Cleveland Guardians snatched the division crown. But the Tigers got the last laugh over their division rivals, eliminating the No. 3 Guardians with a 6-3 Game 3 win.
The final Wild Card Series matchup featured baseball’s most bitter rivalry between the No. 4 Yankees and No. 5 Boston Red Sox. After losing Game 1, the Yankees outlasted the Red Sox in Game 2 before bouncing Boston with a 4-0 win in Game 3. Yankees rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler starred in the series-clincher, striking out 12 over eight shutout innings in his playoff debut. New York is looking to go from runners-up to champions after losing in last year’s Fall Classic.
So, what are the ALDS and NLDS matchups? And when does the Division Series begin? Here’s what we know:
The Dodgers will next put their title defense on the line against the NL East champion Phillies, while the Cubs will take on the MLB-best Brewers in an NL Central battle.
The AL side of the bracket will also have a divisional showdown, as the Yankees go from facing one AL East foe to another in the league-best Blue Jays. The Tigers, meanwhile, will square off against the AL West champion Mariners.
Here’s a full look at the bracket:
American League
No. 2 Seattle Mariners vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
National League
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
When do the 2025 ALDS, NLDS start?
All four Division Series begin Saturday, Oct. 4.
How many games are in the ALDS, NLDS?
Following best-of-three Wild Card Series, the postseason moves to a best-of-five format for the Division Series. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
What is the 2025 ALDS, NLDS schedule?
Here’s a series-by-series look at the Division Series schedule (this section will be updated as details are announced):
American League
No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
Game 1: Yankees at Blue Jays — Saturday, Oct. 4, 4:08 p.m. ET, Fox
Game 2: Yankees at Blue Jays — Sunday, Oct. 5, 4:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 3: Blue Jays at Yankees — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 8:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Blue Jays at Yankees — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Yankees at Blue Jays — Friday, Oct. 10, 8:08 p.m. ET, Fox
No. 2 Seattle Mariners vs. No. 6 Detroit Tigers
Game 1: Tigers at Mariners — Saturday, Oct. 4, 8:38 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 2: Tigers at Mariners — Sunday, Oct. 5, 8:03 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 3: Mariners at Tigers — Tuesday, Oct. 7, 4:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Mariners at Tigers — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 3:08 p.m. ET, FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Tigers at Mariners — Friday, Oct. 10, 4:40 p.m. ET, FS1
National League
No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
Game 1: Cubs at Brewers — Saturday, Oct. 4, 2:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 2: Cubs at Brewers — Monday, Oct. 6, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 3: Brewers at Cubs — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 5:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 4 (if necessary): Brewers at Cubs— Thursday, Oct. 9, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 5 (if necessary): Cubs at Brewers — Saturday, Oct. 11, 4:38 p.m. ET, TBS
No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 1: Dodgers at Phillies — Saturday, Oct. 4, 6:38 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 2: Dodgers at Phillies — Monday, Oct. 6, 6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 3: Phillies at Dodgers — Wednesday, Oct. 8, 9:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 4 (if necessary): Phillies at Dodgers — Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Game 5 (if necessary): Dodgers at Phillies — Saturday, Oct. 11, 8:08 p.m. ET, TBS
Jake LaRavia is a career 42.9% three-point shooter, averaging 6.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. (Harry How / Getty Images)
When LeBron James was asked about how a former defensive player of the year and a former No. 1 overall pick could elevate the Lakers roster, the superstar instead offered a different offseason addition’s name first.
Jake LaRavia’s signing came with less fanfare than the moves that brought Smart and Ayton to the Lakers, but the 6-foot-7 wing hopes he can be equally as influential in a quiet connector role behind some of the league’s biggest stars.
“We got a lot of dudes on this team that can score, a lot of dudes on this team that can put the ball in the bucket,” LaRavia said Wednesday at Lakers training camp. “So I'm here to complement those players, but to also just bring energy every day on both sides of the ball.”
The 19th overall pick in 2022, LaRavia is a career 42.9% three-point shooter, averaging 6.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. After beginning his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings last season, playing in 19 games. His team option wasn’t picked up, putting the 23-year-old on the free agency market.
The Lakers, in need of three-and-D players to pair with Luka Doncic, were quick to call.
“To get a young player — a young player in free agency for a team that is trying to win a championship — it’s an incredible opportunity for myself and our player development department to have him continue to grow,” coach JJ Redick said last week. “Jake, I’m very high on him. His level of commitment to what we’ve asked of the guys this offseason has been very high.”
Two days into training camp, LaRavia said he’s been asked to guard four different positions. He’s played often with Doncic’s group and marveled at the five-time All-Star’s impressive array of shots. One of his main objectives during training camp will be to understand how to best to space the court when the ball is in Doncic’s hands.
“It's gonna make my life so much easier playing with someone like that,” LaRavia said.
LaRavia, who was born in Pasadena but moved to Indianapolis as a child, grew up rooting for the Lakers. Following his father’s fandom, LaRavia said he idolized Magic Johnson.
Now sporting the purple and gold himself, LaRavia is realizing that the team is bigger than just basketball, he said. Compared to his experiences in Memphis and Sacramento, it is obvious the Lakers brand stretches globally.
While suddenly in the spotlight, LaRavia has tried to keep a low profile. He was married a few days before training camp started. He relishes the chance to go unnoticed at local restaurants.
He wants to be recognized only for his wins on the court.
“I understand what this organization wants every year, which is championships,” LaRavia said at media day. “It's a winning organization, and my one goal being here is just to continue to provide rings.”
Gabe Vincent fully participates in practice
James was held out of practice for the second straight day Wednesday, but still participated in individual drills, Redick said. Guard Gabe Vincent, who missed the first day of training camp, returned to practice and appears to still be on track to play in the Lakers’ first preseason game in Palm Desert on Friday against the Phoenix Suns.
Smart (achilles tendinopathy) and rookie Adou Thiero (knee) remained out, although Smart stayed on the court after practice for extra shots. Redick said Tuesday he expected the 31-year-old guard to be fine by the end of the week.
Forward Maxi Kleber sat out as a precaution after tweaking his quad during conditioning Tuesday and will get an MRI exam, Redick said. Kleber, who missed almost all of last season with a foot injury after being traded to the Lakers in February, said at media day he was entering the season fully healthy.
If the Philadelphia Flyers want to solve their issues on defense, they may have to get creative by using the NHL waiver wire.
On Wednesday, it was announced that former Flyers defenseman Louie Belpedio was placed on waivers by the Metropolitan Division rival Washington Capitals, making him available to Philadelphia for a reunion.
Also on waivers is former Flyers forward Jakob Pelletier; the Flyers themselves cut newcomer Lane Pederson, who suffered an upper-body injury in the first preseason game against the New York Islanders.
Flyers fans may remember Belpedio, 29, as the steady but unspectacular right-shot defenseman who spent the last three seasons with the organization, primarily in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Belpedio did, however, play 12 NHL games for the Flyers in the 2023-24 season, scoring two goals, two assists, and four points while accumulating zero (yes, zero) penalty minutes and a +6 rating. That's not half bad!
Belpedio also spent the entirety of last season with the Phantoms, scoring five goals, 23 assists, and 28 points in 66 games while wearing an 'A' on his sweater for the second year in a row.
The former third-round pick is under contract for two seasons at a $775k cap hit, and his salary is reduced to $575k if and when he plays in the AHL.
The Flyers know the player well, and assistant GM Brent Flahr was the assistant GM of the Minnesota Wild when Belpedio was drafted in 2014.
Should the Flyers truly be completely underwhelmed by the race to the bottom for a roster spot on defense between Adam Ginning, Egor Zamula, Dennis Gilbert, and Noah Juulsen, they could take a free flier on Belpedio and see if they can land him on waivers.
Things will change once Rasmus Ristolainen returns from his triceps injury, but until then, it wouldn't be the worst idea to give Belpedio another shot wearing the Orange and Black.
Seth Curry and his brother Stephen Curry are together for the first time. Eventually.
As had been expected, the Golden State Warriors officially signed Seth Curry, a move that had been on hold while the Jonathan Kuminga contract drama played out. With that settled, the Warriors made a series of moves official — such as signing Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton (more on him below) — and Seth was part of that.
Curry signed an Exhibit 9 deal, which means he will be with the Warriors through all of training camp, then be waived before the season starts. The Warriors can re-sign him after Nov. 15. The reason is that with the Kuminga contract, plus the ones for Horford and Melton, the Warriors are getting close to the second apron, where they are hard-capped (due to using the taxpayer mid-level exception on Horford). After Nov. 15, the Warriors will have the space to sign a pro-rated minimum contract for the rest of the season, which Curry is expected to get.
Seth, 35, may not be on the level of his older brother, but he is an elite shooter, a career 43.3% 3-point shooter who hit 45.6% of his attempts last season with Charlotte. He averaged 15 minutes a night across 68 games for the Hornets last season, averaging 6.5 points a game. His shooting will fit in great with the Warriors, once they re-sign him.
It's also going to be November (at least) before Warriors fans see De'Anthony Melton on the court.
The veteran guard is recovering from tearing his ACL last December and while the Warriors are signing him now he's not ready to return to the court and will be re-evaluated in a month.
Steve Kerr says De’Anthony Melton will “hopefully be ready sometime in the next couple of months.”
Warriors say Melton will be re-evaluated four weeks from now.
The Warriors have the depth to withstand the absence of Curry and Melton for a while. Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield likely start in the backcourt, with Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Gary Payton II behind them.
This update consists largely of visual refreshes and tunings.
The lone gameplay issue that was fixed was an issue in Ones Eliminator where idle players were not kicked out of the match.
These edits occurred across all leagues. The Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers had their scoreboards updated, while the two along with the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks, had their center ice artwork updated.
Center ice artwork was also updated for ECHL and CHL teams.
New jerseys were added to the Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken, Ottawa Senators, and Chicago Blackhawks.
The ECHL's Greensboro Gargoyles had their new jerseys added, while multiple teams in Liiga, the SHL, and the NL had jerseys updated.
Artwork changes related to the Boston Bruins logo on hats in WoC and a missing pixel in the jersey number 8 were addressed.
Crashes, UI and chemistry issues, and missing text were addressed in Franchise Mode.
An injury symbol not showing up at appropriate times and crashing issues were fixed in World of Chel.
The Red Sox let a very winnable game get away from them on Wednesday night. And now, their season will be hanging in the balance on Thursday night.
The whiplash of consequences in the Wild Card Round is just that severe.
And while Alex Cora’s bold decision to yank Brayan Bello with one out in the third inning may be the headline coming out of New York’s 4-3 win, the game was lost in the smaller moments of the game.
To wit: Top of the seventh inning, tie game, two on, nobody out after an absolute gift from Aaron Boone to leave Carlos Rodon in the game after the starter’s tank had clearly hit E. Ceddanne Rafaela digs in against reliever Fernando Cruz with one of the most basic assignments in sports: Bunt the baseball.
Rafaela couldn’t do it.
After reaching out and fouling off a splitter that was well off the plate, Rafaela … did it again. This time he popped it up to pitcher Fernando Cruz, returning the favor for Boone’s managerial mistake by gifting the Yankees a free out.
Cruz, with the help of a Jazz Chisholm diving stop and the helping hands of baseball’s BABIP gods, pitched out of the inning without allowing the Red Sox to take a lead after the Rafaela mishap.
Rafaela, who did walk in his first plate appearance after his 11-pitch walk in Game 1, also chased a pitch two feet off the plate with two outs in the ninth inning to put himself in an 0-2 hole against David Bednar.
Yet that bad baseball may pale in comparison to what Jarren Duran did — or didn’t do — in the fifth inning. Because all Duran had to do was catch the baseball. He did not.
Despite the dive, and despite the official scorer’s ruling that it was a hit, that was a routine play at any level of baseball, let alone the majors. Yet Duran kicked it, allowing the Yankees to take a 3-2 lead in the fifth.
Duran is 1-for-7 at the plate over the first two games of the series, too, making for a frustrating series thus far.
Getting a bunt down. Making a routine catch. These are plays that have to be made for a team to win playoff games and playoff series. Yet they weren’t in Game 2, and they’re major reasons why the Red Sox will be facing elimination on Thursday night in the Bronx.
Here’s more of what we learned from what was another postseason classic played by the Red Sox and Yankees.
Alex Cora is a madman
Point-blank, period. Alex Cora is crazy.
How often does a manager, in a game where his team can’t be eliminated, pull his No. 2 starter after just 28 pitches in a 2-2 game? The answer, dear reader, is NEVER. Yet Cora, who simply carries himself differently in October, didn’t hesitate to make the move in the third.
And you know what? It worked. Barely. Justin Wilson entered in relief and, after getting Cody Bellinger to fly out harmlessly to left, served up an absolute cookie to Ben Rice.
Rice, who homered in his first at-bat, actually hit this one harder, but the 109.4 mph liner was hit directly at right fielder Nate Eaton, who made the catch to end the threat.
But technically, it worked. And after the bullpen essentially got Monday and Tuesday off (except for closer Aroldis Chapman), Cora knew he had everybody at his disposal in this one. The quartet of Wilson, Justin Slaten, Steven Matz and Zack Kelly would have given him three scoreless inning, if not for Duran’s gaffe in left. And Garrett Whitlock giving up the game-winning run in the eighth certainly wasn’t the manager’s fault.
While the Yankees had only scored on Rice’s first-inning homer, Cora watched Bello and didn’t like what he saw. He made an executive decision that came with tremendous risk, and it proved to be a good one.
Double plays were a killer
Nothing kills momentum in the playoffs more than an ill-timed double play. The Red Sox had three of them.
Top of the third, tie game, two on, one out: After Trevor Story singled home two runs to tie the game at 2-2, Alex Bregman had the chance to open the floodgates. Instead, he sent a 1-1 changeup to second base, starting a routine 4-6-3 double play.
Top of the sixth, tie game, one on, one out: After Trevor Story homered to tie the game (sensing a theme there) to lead off the inning, Bregman walked. Aaron Boone visited the mound but kept Carlos Rodon in the game. The starter was vulnerable. Romy Gonzalez, though, popped out, before Carlos Narvaez grounded to third base for a 5-4-3 double play, on the first pitch of his at-bat. That could have been the inning that Boston won the game. Instead, the threat was quickly extinguished.
Top of the eighth, tie game, one on, nobody out: After Bregman put in a professional at-bat and led off with a single against Devin Williams, Nathaniel Lowe entered as a pinch hitter with the go-ahead run on base. Lowe, though, chased a changeup well off the plate, weakly grounding back to the mound to start a 1-6-3 double play. Another rally ended before it could even begin.
Obviously, they’re not trying to ground into double plays, but the results are what they are. In Game 2, they were devastating for the Boston offense.
Red Sox infield defense: Strong
Nick Sogard made a very nice play in the third inning, moving to his left, going into a slide, fielding the ball, and pivoting to make a strong throw to second base to gun down the lead runner.
(Sogard can also execute a sacrifice bunt, by the way.)
Alex Bregman also made a few plus-level plays at third, though that’s nothing new at this point. His night included inning-ending assists in the second (5-4-3 double play), fourth and sixth. Trevor Story looks to have moved past his late-season throwing issues, too.
It didn’t help win them this game, but it’s been sharp, and it will be a factor if they are able to advance with a win on Thursday.
Nate Eaton should have scored
I actually changed my mind on this, because it’s absurd to have expected Nate Eaton to busting it around third base on a ground ball behind second base with the hopes of scoring on an infield hit and errant throw to first base. Lots of premonition would have been necessary for Eaton to have pulled that off and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning.
Yet after looking at it again, there are some very simply reasons for thinking Eaton should have scored.
This took place, of course, when Masataka Yoshida delivered a pinch-hit, infield single. Jazz Chisholm made a diving stop, which prevented runs from crossing the plate, but his throw to first skipped away from first baseman Ben Rice, opening the door for one of baseball’s fastest players to make a run for home.
Initially, I felt Eaton should not have been expected to score, as everything took place behind him. If a throw to first base was simply late but not errant, then Eaton would have been a dead duck whipping around third and heading to home. The tag play at the plate would have been deflating for the Red Sox and sent Yankee Stadium into a delirium.
But watching the high-home camera, it’s clear that Eaton and third base coach Kyle Hudson should have been more prepared to pounce on the opportunity.
Eaton was at third base and looking at Chisholm when the second baseman made the throw. Meanwhile, third baseman Ryan McMahon was almost standing in the shortstop position, paying no attention to Eaton. With speed and base running being major factors of Eaton’s game, he should have known that he had plenty of room to get frisky by bouncing off third base toward home plate, knowing that there was nobody at the bag to tag him out if a throw came that way.
Yet instead of aggressively bouncing down the line, Eaton stopped and watched the throw, and he was actually moving back to third base when the ball skipped away from Rice.
Eaton should have been 20-25 feet down the line when the ball skipped away, but he lacked awareness of where the third baseman was, and he didn’t innately sense the opportunity to put himself in position to make a game-changing play on the bases.
Cora didn’t appreciate hearing such a suggestion in his postgame press conference.
“That’s their opinion,” Cora said when told the broadcast suggested Eaton could have scored. “I think it’s easy from up there to say that he could score. They’re not down there with us.”
They’re not … but they’re right. That was a major missed opportunity.
Fernando Cruz used up his World Series celebration
In the unlikely event that Fernando Cruz finds himself in the position to close out the World Series, and in the just-as-unlikely event that he pulls it off, the 35-year-old won’t be able to debut his top-level celebration. He used that one up in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series after giving up a 100-plus mph line drive that managed to find some leather on the warning track in center field.
Trevor Story came up about 15 feet shy of making this, officially, The Trevor Story Game™. A grand slam, after already driving in the first three runs of the game, to eliminate the Yankees in their stadium would’ve been one for the ages. But not on this night.
It’s just a shame that the broadcast didn’t have the WHOOP heart rate monitors that we saw in the Ryder Cup for Cruz. He might’ve made that thing shatter.
Reliever Fernando Cruz celebrates after the last out of the seventh inning in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series between the Red Sox and Yankees in New York. Photo: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
(It was a cool moment. But celebrating Trent Grisham for making a great play instead of celebrating yourself for giving up a laser would have been the better move.)
Garrett Whitlock getting ‘tired’ isn’t great news for Boston
From June 29 until Sept. 26, Garrett Whitlock allowed two earned runs across 32 innings in 33 appearances. He had a 0.875 WHIP and a 0.56 ERA in that span. He was as lights-out as light-out gets for a long time.
And for the first six batters he faced, he looked like that guy. He did surrender a double but also struck out three batters and welcomed weak contact. With two outs in the eighth, this thing was going to the ninth tied.
But then … Whitlock got “tired.”
“Felt good. Got tired towards the end, but thought I made some good pitches, and they did a good job,” Whitlock said. “I definitely lost command. And unfortunately that happened.”
“That” was a seven-pitch walk to Jazz Chisholm, an at-bat where none of the four balls was anywhere close to the strike zone, followed by the game-winning double by Austin Wells.
That ball getting swallowed up by the angled fence in foul ground was a stroke of bad luck for Whitlock, but that’s baseball. From there, Whitlock gave up another single and then a truly wild walk, ending his night after 47 pitches.
Whitlock indicated he wants to pitch if needed in Game 3, but if he was tired in Game 2, a trip back to the mound one night later doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
Sometimes, you’ve got to appreciate a great photograph
And this is one of them.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jazz Chisholm dives into home to score the winning run in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series between the Red Sox and Yankees. Photo: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
It probably won’t end up hanging in any Boston bars, but hey: Art is art.
Unknowns abound in Game 3
Connelly Early made his MLB debut in a minor league park in West Sacramento less than a month ago. On Thursday night, he’ll be given the ball and asked to keep the Red Sox’ season alive in a raucous Yankee Stadium.
No pressure there.
Connelly Early will be the first pitcher ever to start a winner-take-all postseason game within 30 days of his MLB debut. pic.twitter.com/nMTGo1X7f7
Cam Schlittler may be an old veteran by comparison, having made his MLB debut all the way back on July 9, but the rookie is every bit of the wild card that Early is for Boston.
Schlittler is from Walpole and pitched at Northeastern (as well as Harwich in the Cape League), so get ready for plenty of that from the broadcast. But as for his performance, he’s been great in his 14 big league starts, posting a 2.96 ERA and 1.219 WHIP, striking out 84 batters in 74 innings.
Early posted a 2.33 ERA and a 1.086 in his four big league starts, but obviously, none of those compare to the one that awaits him on Thursday night.
As was the case in Game 1 and again in Game 2, the Red Sox will have the advantage at the manager spot in Game 3. That one’s a blowout in favor of Alex Cora over Aaron Boone.
Everything else, though? None of it can properly be predicted — though, based on the first two games of this series, chaos and tension feel like safe bets to show up at Yankee Stadium for the finale.
The NHL had many players hit the waiver wire on Oct. 1. While no current Montreal Canadiens were placed on waivers, two of their former players were.
This is because former Canadiens defensemen Kale Clague (Winnipeg Jets) and William Lagesson (Detroit Red Wings) have been placed on waivers by their current clubs.
Clague signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Jets this off-season. This comes after the 2016 second-round pick recorded 10 goals, 29 assists, 39 points, and a plus-3 rating in 69 AHL games with the Rochester Americans this past season.
Clague appeared 25 games for the Canadiens during the 2021-22 season, where he recorded two goals, three assists, five points, 14 hits, and a minus-8 rating.
Lagesson, on the other hand, signed a two-year contract extension with the Red Wings this summer. This was after the 6-foot-2 defenseman recorded one assist, six hits, seven blocks, and a minus-1 rating in seven games with Detroit in 2024-25. He also had three goals and nine points in 23 AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2024-25.
Lagesson played in three games with the Canadiens during the 2021-22 season, where he posted one assist, four blocks, and a plus-2 rating.
Well, it didn't take long for Christián Jaroš to get a job.
According to Russian Hockey Insider Artur Khairullin, Christián Jaroš will be signing with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.
Per Khairullin, "Defenseman Christián Jaroš, whom Columbus placed on waivers to terminate his contract, will continue his career at Spartak." Jaroš and the Blue Jackets mutually agreed to him being places on waivers just today.
Jaroš has played in 94 NHL games, recording 14 points. In the AHL, he has suited up for 90 games and collected 34 points.
Before signing in Columbus, Jaroš played the last three seasons in the KHL. He played for Avangard Omsk, CSKA Moskva, and Severstal Cherepovets. He totaled 8 goals and 33 points.
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CLEVELAND (AP) — Rocctober has returned to Cleveland.
Brayan Rocchio came up with another clutch hit in the postseason with the go-ahead homer in the eighth inning as the Cleveland Guardians evened their AL Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers with a 6-1 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday.
“It was huge, an 0-2 count and he was ready to fire,” manager Stephen Vogt said of Rocchio’s blast. “For us, it was a frustrating day offensively for us. Two hits leading into the 8th. For our guys to explode and get separation felt good.”
Bo Naylor also went deep in the eighth as the Guardians put up five runs to take control of the game.
George Valera also homered to force a deciding game in the best-of-three series.
The winner Thursday faces the Seattle Mariners in a Division Series. No team has lost Game 1 of a Wild Card Series and advanced since the expanded round began in 2022.
Javier Báez had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers, who were 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15 runners.
Detroit had the bases loaded with two out in the ninth inning, but Cade Smith got Dillon Dingler to line out to first baseman C.J. Kayfus.
“They made the most of their opportunities and we left 15 guys on. I think that paints the picture that it was today,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “The score doesn’t really indicate how the game was. But we kept giving ourselves a chance.”
The game was tied 1-1 with one out in the eighth inning when Rocchio connected on a 99.9 mph fastball from losing pitcher Troy Melton and drove it 379 feet into the right-field stands for his second homer in three games. He had a three-run drive in the 10th inning on Sunday to give the Guardians a 9-8 victory over Texas in the regular-season finale.
“I’d been lucky to face him a couple times in Triple-A. In these situations, you have to tone it down a little bit and keep it simple. José’s recommendation was look for the fastball. That’s what I was trying to do,” Rocchio said through an interpreter.
The 24-year-old Venezuelan infielder has a .308 batting average (12 for 39) in 12 postseason games with two homers, two doubles and three RBIs, hitting .333 in last year’s playoffs.
Guardians teammates have referred to it as “Playoff Rocchio” mode.
“It speaks to his confidence. It doesn’t matter what the regular season holds, he comes out in these moments and he’s really confident and puts off a great swing. And you saw what happened,” outfielder Steven Kwan said,
Rocchio’s .257 batting average since being recalled from Triple-A Columbus on July 1 was second on the team to José Ramírez (.258). Rocchio also was third on the club in RBIs (36) and doubles (15).
“Like I said in a couple interviews, I don’t think about it. I try to keep my mind focused and competing. This is competing time. There’s no self-awareness. It’s being competitive as you can,” Rocchio said of the postseason.
Daniel Schneemann added an RBI double before Naylor golfed a sweeper from Brant Hurter over the right-field wall for a five-run lead.
Jakob Junis got the win as the Guardians bullpen held Detroit scoreless over 5 1/3 innings.
Cleveland took the lead in the first when Valera drove a 94.1 mph fastball on the upper half of the strike zone from starter Casey Mize over the wall in center field. The homer came on a full count and the seventh pitch of the at-bat.
Detroit tied it in the fourth and nearly took the lead. Báez had a base hit up the middle to drive in Riley Greene and Dingler after Zach McKinstry appeared to beat José Ramírez’s tag at third on a great throw by Chase DeLauter, who was making his big league debut. A video review overturned the safe call by umpire Stu Scheurwater and Dingler’s run came off the board.
The Tigers had runners at the corners with no outs in the seventh after Gleyber Torres was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on Kerry Carpenter’s hit. Hunter Gaddis retired Spencer Torkelson on a shallow flyout, and Tim Herrin struck out Jahmai Jones and Wenceel Pérez.
Up Next
Detroit RHP Jack Flaherty (8-15, 4.64 ERA) makes his eighth postseason start Thursday and Cleveland RHP Slade Cecconi (7-7, 4.30 ERA) gets his first playoff start.
CHICAGO (AP) — Manny Machado hit a two-run homer, Mason Miller dominated again, and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Wednesday, sending their NL Wild Card Series to a decisive third game.
Jackson Merrill hit an early sacrifice fly as San Diego avoided elimination after losing 3-1 on Tuesday. Dylan Cease struck out five in 3 2/3 innings before handing the ball to his team’s hard-throwing bullpen.
The finale of the best-of-three series is back at Wrigley Field on Thursday.
The playoff-tested Padres are looking for a repeat of 2020, when they dropped Game 1 in the special pandemic wild-card round before advancing with two straight victories against St. Louis. Machado also homered in Game 2 of that series.
Chicago finished with four hits. The franchise is making its first appearance in the playoffs in five years, and it hasn’t advanced since it eliminated Washington in a 2017 NL Division Series.
San Diego jumped in front on Merrill’s flyball to right off Andrew Kittredge in the first, driving in Fernando Tatis Jr. Kittredge started for Chicago as an opener, and the right-hander was replaced by left-hander Shota Imanaga in the second.
The Cubs threatened in the fourth, putting runners on first and second with two down. Adrian Morejon then came in and retired Pete Crow-Armstrong on a bouncer to first.
The Padres added two more runs on Machado’s 404-foot drive to left off Imanaga in the fifth. Tatis reached on a leadoff walk and advanced on a sacrifice ahead of Machado’s 12th career playoff homer.
The three runs were more than enough for San Diego’s bullpen, with Miller and Robert Suarez combining for 14 pitches of over 100 mph.
Morejon pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings before Miller showed off his electric stuff while striking out five consecutive batters. The 6-foot-5 right-hander reached 104.5 mph on a called third strike to Carson Kelly in the seventh that was the fastest pitch in the postseason since Statcast started tracking in 2008.
Miller, who was acquired in a trade with the Athletics on July 31, struck out the side in the seventh in his postseason debut on Tuesday. The eight straight Ks tied the postseason record set by Josh Hader in 2022.
Miller was pulled from Game 2 after he hit Michael Busch with a slider with two oust in the eighth. Suarez retired Nico Hoerner on a liner to right before a one-hit ninth for the save.
Up Next
Yu Darvish will get the ball for San Diego on Thursday. There was no immediate word on Chicago’s starter.
Darvish played for the Cubs for three seasons before he was traded to the Padres in December 2020. The right-hander said he enjoys pitching at Wrigley.
“Yeah, this place did me good,” he said through a translator. “The organization, the fans did me good, too.”
As Tuesday's contest between the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens showed, even pre-season NHL games can be intense and emotional.
Even if there's a potential risk of injury in rivalry friendlies, anyone who argues pre-season games should only be between non-rivals should compare the attendance in the Senators' two games in Quebec City.
That said, it was obvious why emotions were running high between Ottawa and Montreal. These teams will be duelling all season long, whether it's on the ice, in the standings or in the trade market.
Playing in the Atlantic Division – arguably the NHL’s toughest division – the Sens and Habs are essentially in the same boat this season. Both teams wanted the other to know they won't lay down and roll over for their opponent.
Indeed, only six points separated fourth-place Ottawa and fifth-place Montreal last season, and many pundits have the Senators and Canadiens finishing in the same vicinity this season. That’s only the equivalent of three wins that was the difference between the two teams. One bad week could be the difference between these longtime rivals.
Here’s something else to picture: if these two teams meet in the playoffs, watch out. You’re going to get two passionate fan bases in close geographical locations, with a healthy hate-on for each other. We already saw it in 2012-13 when the Sens and Habs had a line brawl and in 2014-15 when Montreal got revenge for their first-round loss two years earlier.
Given that the NHL has long been trying to develop and maintain divisional rivalries, we should expect that the league would be thrilled to have Montreal and Ottawa squaring off in the first or second round.
And above and beyond the four regular-season games the Habs and Sens will play against one another this season, the rivalry between the two franchises will manifest in other areas.
Depending on how the regular season plays out, the Senators and Canadiens could be vying for the same players on the trade market. Ottawa has $3.5 million in salary cap space at the moment – a number that could swell to $16 million by this year’s trade deadline. Meanwhile, Montreal has $4.5 million in cap space, which could balloon to $20.8 million by the deadline. So both teams have the financial flexibility to do big things via trades this season, with Montreal potentially wanting a second-line center and Ottawa looking wherever it can for upgrades.
It could well come to pass that the Canadiens and Senators could be wrapped up in an arms race that has a significant effect on their bottom line.
In any case, we should never be surprised to see ill feelings between the Sens and Habs, no matter what time of year it is. It’s true that the pre-season proves nothing to anyone, but the NHL needs its divisional rivalries to thrive for the league to succeed – and in that regard, the Canadiens and Senators have nothing to worry about.
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