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Lakers vs. Nuggets Preseason Preview: The final dress rehearsal

The Lakers are down to one last preseason game which will be against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. The purple and gold will be back on their home floor for this one.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

When: 7:30 p.m. PT, Oct 16

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch:  ESPN, Spectrum Sportsnet

Just like that, the Lakers are just one preseason game away from the real thing that is the regular season.

The preseason has provided plenty of early clues about what lies ahead for the Lakers this season. Clues like which lineups work and don’t, what some of the role players can bring to the table alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves and even how the overall Lakers game experience — from the new PA announcer to broadcast — team — will look like this season.

But if there’s one thing that we haven’t seen yet in the last four games, it’s a complete Lakers team on the floor.

We saw perhaps the biggest signing of the offseason, Walker Kessler, finally take the floor in Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas. Kessler, who had 16 minutes of burn, recorded 11 points and nine rebounds.

Besides Kessler’s sensational defense, the highlight was witnessing him already running plays with Reaves, who had himself a night with 28 points and seven assists.

The Lakers may have come up short after resting their key players in the second half but this one was still arguably their most entertaining preseason game yet. Now the question is, will the fun continue in Friday’s dress rehearsal against the Nuggets?

Hopefully we see even just a few minutes of Dončić, Kessler and Reaves together on the floor. If those three indeed suit up, it’ll be interesting to see who takes the last two slots in the starting five as well as head coach JJ Redick’s substitution patterns.

Speaking of Redick, yes, it may be preseason but it’s hard to imagine him not having a game plan against Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets. Note that this will also be the Nuggets’ last preseason game, so it’s fair to assume that they’ll treat this one like a dress rehearsal as well. All of Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon played minimal minutes in their previous game so they could possibly suit up and do the same on Friday.

It may be preseason, but it sure will be nice to see how these two projected playoff teams in the Western Conference match up. Remember, the purple and gold have won four of their last six matches against the Nuggets since Dončić arrived in Los Angeles. Facing a reenergized Nuggets team is a great test for the Lakers ahead of the season opener.

Let’s see if LA can get that win on Friday.

Notes and Updates

  • Collin Sexton has yet to play in any preseason game as he continues to recover from a lower leg injury. There is optimism that he could play on opening night.
  • One thing to look at for in Friday’s game is how the Lakers perform in the rebounding department, something they worked on in practice on Thursday.
  • We have an exciting new feature in our app this season. It’s easier than ever to chat in our game threads. Each game, this post will become a live chat and will be easy to find at the top of the Lakers community page, so be sure to download the app and give it a try this preseason.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

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Brewers manager twists the knife after Dodgers’ humiliating postseason collapse

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy smiles while being interviewed on the podium after winning the NLCS, Image 2 shows The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate with pitcher Aaron Ashby after the final out of Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series, Image 3 shows Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout holding a bat

The Dodgers’ season is over.

After losing four straight games to the Brewers in the National League Championship series, the hopes of a historic three-peat have diminished. As Milwaukee accepted the National League pennant at Dodger Stadium Thursday night, Brewers manager Pat Murphy took a moment to send a somewhat cruel message to the back-to-back World Series champions.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy celebrates on the podium after defeating the against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“They may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but we have a bunch of gamers, and the gamers won this week,” Murphy said on the broadcast.

The Dodgers completely collapsed this October. After incredible World Series runs in 2024 and 2025, the magic was gone.

The Brewers outperformed LA in every facet of the game. Milwaukee’s hitting was superior. The defense was elite. The Brewers out-pitched baseball’s juggernaut.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout during the ninth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate with pitcher Aaron Ashby (26) after the final out of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

The Dodgers starting rotation — filled with Cy Young winners, All-Stars and World Series MVPs — posted a 6.50 ERA in the NLCS. The Dodgers lineup — which featured nine players with at least one All-Star selection to their name — was 4-for-27 with runners in scoring position.

The Dodgers assembled one of the greatest rosters in baseball, but fell short in what is likely to be remembered as one of the worst postseason collapses in MLB history. LA couldn’t muster a single win over the Brewers throughout the NLCS, despite the star-studded team.

Evidently, Milwaukee is reveling in its historic sweep of the Dodgers as Murphy’s comments are sure to sting ahead of a trying offseason for the organization.

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Instant Analysis: Two Nights After Blowout Win, Blues Get Rattled Despite Late Rally In 5-4 Loss To Wild

The St. Louis Blues knew the objective would be tough facing the Minnesota Wild on Thursday despite the home side missing a plethora of key players due to injury.

Instead of accounting for who wasn’t in the Blues’ lineup, they needed to be more mindful of of the ones that were in the game, namely the Wild’s best players.

Minnesota’s top line of Matt Boldy, Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek combined for nine points, and Quinn Hughes – Minnesota’s best defenseman – had two assists, and the turnover-prone Blues, in search of a three-game winning streak, saw that notion come crashing to a halt despite making it interesting late in a 5-4 loss at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minn.

The Blues (3-3-1) have split their two games of a three-game road trip after a 7-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.

Let’s get to the key moments of the game …

* Too many turnovers – If there’s one thing the Blues have done a decent job of in the early going this season is take care of the puck.

Not Thursday.

Even though the Blues were playing not up to par, two costly turnovers led directly to Wild goals that essentially put the game away.

It had already been a tough night for the Cam-Fowler-Brandon Carlo defensive pairing (more below), but the Blues had some positive momentum going, and when Connor McMichael paid a puck for Fowler to step into in the offensive zone and the veteran D-man fumbled it, it led to the Wild transitioning the other way, and Kaprizov would eventually make it 4-2 at 8:47 of the second period:

And in the simplest of plays, and at the end of his shift, Philip Broberg had a puck on the left side of the ice, and as partner Colton Parayko went off for a change, Justin Barron jumped on, took a pass from Broberg but fumbled it in the neutral zone.

The puck turned back in the D-zone, Broberg is tired and badly needed a change, and the line on the ice wasn’t able to win a puck back before Kaprizov found Boldy for a one-timer in the left circle for the hat trick goal and a 5-2 lead at 16:47 of the second:

The turnovers were a microcosm of the Blues’ play throughout much of the game that kept this game closer than the score thanks to some terrific saves by Joel Hofer.

And then there was that learning moment for Dylan Peterson, playing in just his second NHL game.

Instead of chipping a puck in and going to work on the forecheck, which is his game, the 24-year-old tried to stick-handle along the wall, got stripped and it was off to the races for Minnesota before Danila Yurov made it 2-1 at 11:17 of the first:

* Too many odd-man rushes – The Blues, even with the Wild missing a lot of their veteran players, couldn’t afford to play a track meet game against this team.

But tying in with the turnovers, that’s what it turned into, and at least through two periods, the odd-man chances were 6-1 in favor of the Wild and scoring chances were 21-11. A lot of those came off the odd-man rushes, but as mentioned, Hofer was making some really nice stops.

* Tough night for the Fowler-Carlo pairing – A veteran pairing that had been really strong to begin the season, this pairing did not have a good night.

We already mentioned the fumbled puck of Fowler that led to Minnesota’s fourth goal, but it seemed like they were a step slow in reading coverage and as a result, backing in instead of attacking Minnesota’s forwards.

Let’s call it a one-off, or at least Blues fans hope it is, because they have been steady-solid to begin the season.

Fowler did end up with three assists in the game after two late third-period goals, but through 40 minutes, he and Carlo were each a minus-3 and a three-goal deficit was too much to overcome.

* Berggren takes advantage – With Pavel Buchnevich (expecting birth of child) returning to St. Louis and missing the game, the Blues needed someone to step into the special teams slot vacated by Buchnevich, and Jonatan Berggren, already getting minutes on the PK, was inserted onto the power play and it paid immediate dividends with a beautiful power move to the net and backhand goal that actually gave the Blues a 1-0 lead 1:45 into the game that gave Berggren a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists):

* McTavish keeps shining – Hofer had made a series of really good saves that at the time kept it a one-goal game at 2-1, and you had a sense that normally when that happens, teams find a way to score the tying goal, and Mason McTavish did just that when his breakaway goal, off a clever pass from Pius Suter to spring him, tied the game 2-2 at 4:57 of the second:

It was just what the doctor ordered until …

* Poor shift after tying goal – The Wild retook the lead just 27 seconds later when Boldy would get his second of the game and make it 3-2 and the Blues could never recover.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery had the Dalibor Dvorsky line on the ice with Jake Neighbours and Pius Suter and the Fowler-Carlo pairing, and what does a coach always say after scoring: the next shift of always crucial.

The Blues actually get the puck into the Minnesota zone, and they’re in position everywhere on the ice, but when the puck gets whipped along the right boards to the Blues’ blue line, the puck gets chipped in, and Fowler had already backed in and was now fending a 2-on-1 forecheck, which he wasn’t able to win, and Jake Neighbours was caught puck-watching until it was too late to identify where Boldy was:

But ultimately what was a 3-on-3 from the blue line going in wasn’t played well at all and cost the Blues big time.

* Costly penalties against league’s top power play unit hurt – The strong start on the Berggren goal was wiped out by two costly penalties that enabled Boldy to get his first of the night and tie it.

McTavish was whistled for a high stick 200 feet from his net, then Neighbours got called for tripping giving Minnesota 28 seconds of a 5-on-3, which the Wild took advantage of on Boldy’s one-timer at 7:31 of the first, or with five seconds on the two-man advantage.

And even though the Blues have been strong out of the gates on the PK, having to kill five penalties against this team despite going 4-for-5 is asking a lot.

* Thomas, Holloway finally get on the board; can that get them going? -- Well, yoou were just sitting back and wondering when Robert Thomas and/or Dylan Holloway would get on the board with goals.

Two-thirds of the Blues’ top line, along with Jimmy Snuggerud, has seen remnants of looking like they would break out, and they combined for six points last Saturday in a win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, but it had been slim pickings for this unit as a whole.

Serving a penalty when Hofer was nabbed for interfering with Kaprizov behind the Blues’ net, Thomas would finish off a play and score the Blues’ third shorthanded goal in seven games and second in as many to make it a 5-3 game with four minutes on the clock, using patience to gain the zone before feeding Fowler for a good look before potting home the rebound:

And with a sixth attacker on the ice, Holloway finally got his first with 15 seconds on the clock to make it 5-4:

The goals didn’t help the Blues win, but just getting on the board could certainly fuel this trio on a run, which they can definitely benefit from.

* Need to start winning divisional games – After beating the Dallas Stars 4-0 in the season-opener, the Blues have now lost three straight to divisional opponents. This was a sore spot last season when they went 10-16-0 in that department, and if they want to be relevant in the playoff chase this season, those are the teams they’re going to have to be beating, and with another divisional game on the road – the first five within the division are on the road – against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, these are the games they need to start being on the better side of.

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Have Brewers ever won World Series? What to know about last trip

Manager Pat Murphy and the Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the World Series.

The Brewers advanced to Fall Classic after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Thursday, Oct. 15.

Jake Bauers was named the NLCS MVP after posting an .412 on-base percentage with a home run and six RBIs in four games, including two epic game-changing at-bats.

Milwaukee became the first team in MLB history to sweep a team in the postseason after being swept by the same team the previous year. The Brewers are now just four wins away from winning a title for the franchise.

Here's when the Brewers last appeared in the World Series:

Brewers last World Series appearance

Brewers have not played in the World Series since losing Game 7 to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.

Then playing in the American League. Brewers dropped the last two games in that series to fall short in the title series.

Did the Brewers ever win a World Series?

The Brewers have not won a World Series in its history. Milwaukee is one of five teams that haven’t won a World Series in MLB history.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Have Brewers ever won World Series? What to know about last trip

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Dodgers' disaster leaves massive questions on LA's offseason, free agents

What now?

The Los Angeles Dodgers' season is over. Their bid for history failed. Their hopes swept away on their home field as the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate their first pennant in 44 years.

Now comes an offseason of uncertainty in LA.

Put owner Mark Walter's federal investigations aside; let's ignore the (seemingly) impending lockout as the MLB owners' tense standoff with the players' union over a salary cap doesn't appear to be anywhere close to a resolution. The Dodgers have nine players set to hit free agency this winter and, given that the average age of their lineup is 30.9 years old − the oldest in the big leagues, according to Baseball Reference − the clubhouse might look a bit different come next spring training, whenever that might be.

The Dodgers are old

"When you do think about it, it is special what we have accomplished over the last couple years," Freddie Freeman told reporters before Game 4. "And we still want this to keep going. We know we have a lot left in the tank together. It's a great group of guys, been through a lot, been all over this world together."

Freeman is one of three former MVPs on the Dodgers alongside Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani. He's also 36 years old. Retirement isn't likely this offseason, but he's talked about his baseball mortality before and will enter the final year of the six-year, $162 million contract he signed in 2022. Betts, 33, and Ohtani, 31, are also on the other side of 30. In fact, the only regular fixtures in LA's lineup under 30 years old this season were Kyle Tucker, 29, and Andy Pages, 25.

Free agents

Miguel Rojas' contract expires this winter; he's strongly considering retirement but has definitively said he won't play for any other organization besides the Dodgers at this point in his career. One of the most important figures in the clubhouse, Rojas is a vocal leader and mentor to several of the younger players; when Betts was transitioning to shortstop, it was Rojas who stayed on the field with him every day to take groundballs and give advice to the Gold Glove outfielder. If Rojas does hang up his (often customized) cleats, he'll likely step into some sort of coaching or player development role within the organization.

Kiké Hernández held back tears when addressing reporters after the Dodgers' Game 3 loss on Wednesday.

"We didn’t expect to be in this situation, this position," he said, referring to their 3-0 deficit. "But this one sucks."

Hernández's biggest moments have come in October, but like Rojas, at this point in his career, his biggest contribution is his leadership. He's battled through injuries this year, including offseason elbow surgery that delayed his 2026 debut until May, but this winter Andrew Friedman will need to decide whether Hernández's clubhouse presence justifies his declining bat.

Here's the full list of Dodgers set to be free agents, according to Spotrac:

  • Tarik Skubal, LHP
  • Evan Phillips, RHP
  • Miguel Rojas, IF
  • Kiké Hernández, UTIL
  • Alex Vesia, LHP
  • Kris Bubic, LHP
  • Blake Treinen, RHP
  • Brusdar Graterol, RHP
  • Eric Lauer, LHP

Where does Josue De Paula fit next season?

De Paula was thrust into the big leagues when Ohtani went on the IL in September and was an immediate spark to the Dodgers any time he stepped foot in the batter's box. The 21-year-old's impact popped out on the stat sheet with his 1.081 OPS in a small sample size of 11 games, but it also showed up in the intangibles − his poise, his confidence, and a plate discipline beyond his years.

He made enough of an impression to make the 26-man postseason roster as a lefty bench bat, where he continued to thrive. De Paula didn't register a hit this postseason, but each of his two walks in three plate appearances were in clutch situations that gave the Dodgers a fighting chance late. The moment proved not to be too big for the No. 6-ranked prospect in baseball.

That all begs the question: where does he go next season?

De Paula may have proved that his bat is MLB-ready, but his defense as a corner outfielder is still a work in progress.

"Right now, as we've talked about, we view him as a DH," Friedman said in late September. "I think the improvement that Josue had in the outfield from '24 to '25, to '26 is real and for us, it's about taking another big step going into '27. He's got the tools and the ability to do it."

Every day, both in those two weeks in September and throughout the postseason, De Paula has been spotted working at just that. He's shagging fly balls, taking pointers from manager Dave Roberts, third base coach Dino Ebel, and Betts. He was even spotted taking reps at shortstop at one point during the NLCS. Defense has been De Paula's number one priority, and he's vowed to "shut a lot of people up with my defense."

If he takes that leap by spring, he could potentially force a conversation on where he could fit in on the roster among Tucker and Teoscar Hernández.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers' disaster leaves massive questions on LA's offseason, free agents

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Heroes and zeros: Dodgers’ October nightmare ends with a whimper

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy celebrates with a microphone in hand next to a trophy on a podium after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy reacts after striking out while Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras walks back to the dugout, Image 3 shows Milwaukee Brewers' Jake Bauers heads to second base after hitting a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers

Heroes, zeros and other observations from the Dodgers’ 6-4, season-ending loss to the Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, which completed a pennant-clinching sweep for Milwaukee:

Zero: The Dodgers’ offense –– after the second inning

In 2004, one clutch stolen base changed everything for the Boston Red Sox.

In 2026, it briefly felt like one cathartic swing could potentially spark something similar for the Dodgers.

In the bottom of the second inning Thursday, the team finally had its breakthrough moment, taking a 4-0 lead after a long-awaited home run swing from Shohei Ohtani.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani hits a home run at the bottom of the second inning. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post

It was the four-time MVP’s first long ball since Aug. 18, snapping his career-long 25-game homer drought. It was also the Dodgers’ first big fly of this series, representing the first true sign of life all week from their slumping offense.

However, it wouldn’t last.

As the Brewers came storming back, the Dodgers’ bats once again went mysteriously cold.

Ex-Dodger Dustin May gave up the home run to Ohtani, but then responded with a couple of shut-down innings. Left-hander JoJo Romero came out of the Milwaukee bullpen next, and also threw up a couple scoreless frames, stranding the potential tying run in scoring position in the sixth by striking out Max Muncy and sending him spiking his bat into the dirt.

From there, the Brewers only needed one more arm.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras returns to the dugout as Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) slams his bat after striking out to end the sixth inning. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Hard-throwing southpaw Aaron Ashby entered for the seventh and gave up a leadoff double to Andy Pages, but stranded him by striking out Ohtani on three pitches and getting Mookie Betts to bounce one to short.

In the eighth, the Dodgers had life again after Will Smith lined a ball into the right-field corner that kicked away from Sal Frelick, allowing him to reach third with one out. But Ashby buckled down once more, getting Kyle Tucker to hit a shallow fly ball and Teoscar Hernández to strike out swinging.

In the ninth, Ashby returned for a third inning of work, and retired the side in order.

Game, set, match. National League pennant to the Brewers.

Hero: Jake Bauers

If you want to know why this year’s Brewers team is different from the one that got swept by the Dodgers in last year’s NLCS, all you have to do is look at the series MVP winner.

Before this season, Jake Bauers was a journeyman slugger who had never hit better than .235 in a season while playing for five different big-league teams.

But this year, he blossomed in Milwaukee’s player development factory, hitting .266 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs.

Milwaukee Brewers’ Jake Bauers (9) heads to second base after hitting a two-RBI double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning in Game 4. Caroline Brehman/UPI/Shutterstock

And this week, he inflicted pain on the Dodgers time and again, following up his pivotal 12-pitch walk against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, and a go-ahead two-run homer in an 11-pitch battle against Blake Snell in Game 3, with a couple more heroic moments that helped the Brewers overcome their four-run deficit.

In the fourth inning, he hit a two-run ground-rule double that cut the Dodgers’ lead in half. In the fifth, he drew a bases-loaded walk that erased it, giving him an NLCS-best six RBIs in this four-game series.

Like the rest of the Brewers’ relentless lineup, he fought off pitches, worked long at-bats, and kept Dodgers pitching under constant stress.

For a small-market franchise that has had to find different ways –– and undervalued players –– to win, he has been the epitome of their success, and the No. 1 reason this week they won their first pennant in almost half-a-century.

Unsung hero: Pat Murphy

Last year, Pat Murphy tried playing the underdog card against the Dodgers.

This year, the Brewers’ manager implored his club to fight.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy celebrates on the podium after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The shift in mentality worked. The baseball lifer helped inspire Milwaukee’s NLCS upset, setting the tone for a team that –– at the plate, on the mound, in the field, and on the bases –– did every little thing right to flip this year’s script.

The Brewers’ triumph marked only the second time in MLB history a club had been swept by an opponent in the playoffs one year, then come back to eliminate them the next. This was the first time such a reversal happened with a sweep.

Murphy challenged his team. And they responded.

Stat of the game: Six

That’s how many different times the Dodgers held a lead in this series. Once in Game 1. Three times in Game 2. After Will Smith’s go-ahead sixth-inning double in Game 3. And after Thursday’s four-run outburst in the second.

Every time, Milwaukee answered.

Not once did the Dodgers even stay in front for longer than three innings.

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Flyers' Epic Free Fall Continues with Another Anemic Offensive Showing

The Philadelphia Flyers' comically bad start to the 2026-27 continued in embarrassing fashion on Thursday night, losing 2-1 to a mediocre Detroit Red Wings team mired in turmoil of their own.

With the anemic loss, the Flyers now own an 0-6-3 record on the year and hold the distinction of one of the two winless remaining teams in the NHL beside the 0-3-2 Los Angeles Kings, who have played four fewer games.

Third-year forward Matvei Michkov continues to impress in spurts, tallying his third goal of the season - the Flyers' lone goal - in the loss to Detroit, which makes him the team's leading goal-scorer and tying him for the team lead in points.

The caveat is that only four Flyers played less than Michkov against the Red Wings: linemates Noah Cates and Porter Martone, and fourth-liners Jack Studnicka and Michael Bunting.

In total, Michkov took just 18 shifts, and Martone (17), Bunting (13), and Studnicka (11) were the only Flyers who took fewer.

As has become customary, the Flyers also lost the shot battle once again. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers were out-attempted 52-37 at 5-on-5, while the Red Wings doubled them up on unblocked shot attempts, 34-17.

Even more egregiously, high-danger chances were an astounding 15-4 in Detroit's favor, including a 5-0 third period.

If the Flyers are going to consistently play this poorly without making major personnel or staff changes, the least they can do is lean into developing the youth they already have on the roster. Playing the most sluggish, ineffective, and boring hockey in the NHL is not a suitable alternative.

NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers 'Untouchable' Forward Drawing Big InterestNHL Trade Rumors: Flyers 'Untouchable' Forward Drawing Big InterestThe Philadelphia Flyers are refusing to trade this popular forward drawing trade interest around the NHL.

Instead, Michkov and Martone, the organization's only two long-term building blocks, again barely played for a team devoid of any offense - at forward, at defense, at even strength, and on the power play.

Just over two weeks into the season, Trevor Zegras isn't playing center anymore, and Tyson Foerster has two points since the start of the playoffs last season.

Winger prospect Alex Bump, who started the season with the Flyers before getting replaced by Bunting, has scored in each of his three games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms since being sent down to the AHL, recording 11 shots on goal across those three games.

Jett Luchanko, who has three assists in four AHL games, could conceivably take on a third-line role for the Flyers should the losing continue, with Noah Cates and Sean Couturier the obvious candidates to receive reduced workloads going forward.

With Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York out, the Flyers brought up Oliver Bonk, and that move has paid dividends for them thus far. The 21-year-old should remain with the NHL club for the foreseeable future, even if and when the two injured veterans return.

That's the one silver lining the Flyers can secure for themselves this season, having already lit 10% of the campaign on fire.

The development of young players was the organization's modus operandi until last year, when many players enjoyed career years to spur the team to a somewhat fluky playoff run.

Now, with higher expectations, the Flyers have lost sight of that, and the incorporation of older players like Bunting and Studnicka is a recent example of the philosophical shift.

If the Flyers are going to be this bad for the rest of the season, they should at least have the courtesy to make it fun and interesting for an increasingly impatient, loyal, and passionate fanbase.

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Brewers' Jake Bauers wins NLCS MVP for unforgettable heroics vs. Dodgers

The fifth team was the charm for Jake Bauers. Was it ever.

Traded from Tampa Bay, crushed in Cleveland, slugless in Seattle and gone from the Yankees in a New York minute, Bauers loaded up his equipment bag one more time when the Milwaukee Brewers called, a team always seeking improvement on the margins taking a no-risk bet on a player who couldn't stick anywhere.

Yet nearly three years after the Brewers first snagged Bauers from baseball oblivion, they're going to the World Series together - and Bauers is taking the National League Championship Series MVP trophy with him.

Bauers' fantastic postseason did not stop in the decisive Game 4 of the NLCS, as he drove in half the Brewers' runs and got them back in the game with a crucial two-run double in a 6-4 victory at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The World Series will begin in eight days from American Family Field, the Brewers' first appearance since 1982. It's only slightly more overdue and unlikely than Bauers' journey.

The 31-year-old first baseman has been traded four times, released three times and pondered retirement after his first go-round with the Brewers didn't result in immediate success.

Yet he stuck it out one more year, in part to support his family. And was justly rewarded.

"Somewhere along the way, I chose to be confident," he said in a Fox Sports postgame interview. "I chose to believe in myself."

As did the Brewers. They won a club-record 103 games and Bauers was a big part of it, hitting 26 home runs and also setting career highs in OPS (.889), on-base percentage (.389) and RBIs (86).

He, and they, were just getting started.

Bauers pushed the Brewers toward NLCS victory with an epic 12-pitch at-bat against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, resulting in a walk that preceded a Christian Yelich RBI single. More important, it wore down Yamamoto and enabled the Brewers' bullpen to assert its dominance.

He came back with another gem in Game 3 Wednesday, flipping the game - perhaps the series - with a two-run, go-ahead left-on-left homer off Blake Snell, capping an 11-pitch at-bat. And a 2-1 Brewers deficit turned into a 3-2 lead and eventual 4-2 victory.

Now, the World Series, a worthy destination for a slugger whose route was so circuitous. Yet so rewarding.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers' Jake Bauers wins NLCS MVP for unforgettable heroics vs. Dodgers

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Levshunov’s OT winner caps Blackhawks’ 4-3 win over Jets as Kane sets US-born assists record

CHICAGO (AP) — Artyom Levshunov scored 1:37 into overtime and Patrick Kane set the NHL record for most assists by a U.S.-born player in a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.

Connor Bedard scored on the power play for his first goal of the season after missing the first six games with a shoulder injury. Frank Nazar and Ryan Donato also scored for Chicago and Bedard added an assist.

After breaking Phil Housley’s record with his 895th assist in the first period, Kane had a hand in Levshunov’s game-winner.

Kane gained the Jets’ zone and dropped the puck to Bedard, who fed Levshunov. The defenseman took a few steps up the middle and snapped a shot to beat Stuart Skinner on the glove side.

The goal came some 40 seconds after Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight kicked out his left pad to foil Neal Pionk’s attempt to convert Mark Scheifele’s cross-ice pass on a two-on-one break.

Knight had 31 saves.

Pionk had a goal and two assists. Kyle Connor, on the power play, and Alex Iafallo also had goals for the Jets. Connor now has a four-game point streak with five goals and an assist. Skinner had 24 saves.

DEVILS 7, RANGERS 1

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Evan Rodrigues scored with 29.6 seconds left in the first period to begin a barrage of four goals in just over five minutes, and New Jersey rolled over New York in the first matchup this season between the cross-Hudson River rivals.

The bubble burst on the Rangers and Dylan Garand, the minor-league callup who had been spectacular in his first two starts — and wins — since franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin was lost to a season-ending injury. Teammates did him few favors this time.

Captain J.T. Miller, who was spectacular on a 5-on-3 penalty kill and had a strong offensive-zone shift near the end of the first, whiffed on a passing attempt that put the puck on Rodrigues’ stick in prime scoring territory. Top-pairing defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov had a giveaway that led to Luke Hughes’ first of two goals, which came 18 seconds out of intermission.

Garand made a puck-handling mistake that led to Devils captain Nico Hischier scoring on a tap-in. The shift after New York coach Mike Sullivan called timeout to attempt to stunt his opponent’s momentum, Arseny Gritsyuk scored on a juicy rebound to end Garand’s night following four goals on 13 shots.

Spencer Martin allowed goals to Hughes, Stefan Noesen and Cody Glass in relief.

PANTHERS 3, CANUCKS 2, OT

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Brady Tkachuk completed his second straight natural hat trick with a nifty move up the middle in overtime to give Florida a victory over Vancouver.

Tkachuk also scored three straight goals Tuesday night in Columbus in the second period of a 7-3 victory over the Blue Jackets.

With goalie Akira Schmid off for an extra attacker, Tkachuk tied it with 13 seconds left in regulation with a one-timer from the right faceoff circle. He started the run with 8:49 to go, firing a shot from the top of the right circle past goalie Leevi Merilainen.

Merilainen made 36 saves, and Liam Ohgren and defenseman Elias Pettersson scored first-period goals for Vancouver. The Canucks have lost six straight, the last five to start a six-game trip.

Schmid stopped 15 shots.

Ohgren opened the scoring at 7:23. After a Florida turnover, he took a pass from Linus Karlsson and snapped in a shot from the high slot.

Pettersson struck with 2:54 left in the first with his third goal of the season. Filip Chytil — making his season debut after returning from preseason shoulder injury — set up the defender for a shot from the slot.

LIGHTNING 4, KRAKEN 3, OT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Captain Victor Hedman scored just over two minutes into overtime to give Tampa Bay a victory over Seattle.

Hedman crossed the blue line, split the defense and drove straight to the net, tapping the puck through the legs of Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer, who was trying to poke the puck away. Pontus Holmberg got an assist on the goal 2:07 into OT.

Brandon Hagel scored twice and Ilya Mikheyev added a goal for the Lightning, who improved to 4-0-0 at home. The last time Tampa Bay opened a season with four straight wins in 2020-21, when they opened 6-0.

Tampa Bay led 2-1 after two periods and was 3-0 when leading after 40 minutes entering Thursday’s game. Last season, the Lightning were 33-1 when leading after two periods.

Jared McCann, Matthew Beniers and Ryan Winterton scored for the Kraken. Beniers’ tip-in goal in the third tied the game with 4:19 left in regulation.

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves in the win for the Lightning. Grubauer had 31 saves for the Kraken.

SABRES 5, MAPLE LEAFS 4, OT

TORONTO (AP) — Owen Power scored in overtime and Buffalo rallied from two goals down in the third period to overcome Kirill Marchenko’s hat trick and beat Toronto.

Marchenko had the fifth hat trick of his career in his 300th NHL game. His third goal, at 16:51 of the second period, put the Leafs ahead 4-2.

Jack Quinn had a pair of goals for Buffalo before Dennis Gilbert and Mattias Samuelsson scored in the third to tie it at 4-all. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 shots for the Sabres, who were coming off a shootout loss to Montreal two nights earlier.

Auston Matthews also scored for Toronto, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves.

Power took a feed from Quinn at center ice and ripped it past Bobrovsky at 3:14 of overtime.

Acquired from Columbus on Sept. 28, just before the season began, Marchenko had scored only once for Toronto before Thursday.

John Tavares had two assists before he left the game early in the third after he collided with Buffalo forward Josh Norris. The former Toronto captain appeared to favor his left leg as he left the ice.

RED WINGS 2, FLYERS 1

DETROIT (AP) — Andrew Copp broke a tie with 4:38 left and the Detroit Red Wings sent the Philadelphia Flyers to their franchise record-extending ninth straight loss to start the season, winning 2-1 on Thursday night.

The Flyers dropped to 0-6-3.

After Copp put Detroit ahead with a point-blank shot, the Flyers had one more chance but Oliver Bonk shot wide from 10 feet with eight seconds left.

The Flyers scored first when Matvei Michkov’s baseball swing put a bouncing puck past Daniil Tarasov with 2:28 left in the first period.

Dylan Larkin set up the tying goal, passing across the slot on a 2-on-1 to set up Anton Johansson’s first NHL goal at 4:31 of the second period.

Johannson is the third Scandanavian rookie to score his first career goal this season for Detroit, joining fellow Swede William Wallinder and Norwegian Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.

Tarasov stopped 17 shots. Joseph Woll made 24 saves for Philadelphia.

SENATORS 2, ISLANDERS 1, SO

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner to lead Ottawa to a win over New York.

Ridly Greig scored in regulation and Linus Ullmark made 20 saves for Ottawa (6-2-0). Ullmark has won his first six starts of the season.

Matias Macelli scored and Semyon Varlamov, making his second start of the season, stopped 18 shots for the Islanders (3-3-1).

The Islanders’ Adam Pelech took a hooking penalty with 3:08 remaining in overtime. Varlamov made two saves to extend the game before Dylan Cozens took a tripping penalty catching Pelech as he came out of the box and looked to break in on Ullmark. Bo Horvat had the lone shot on the power play.

Trailing 1-0, the Senators tied the game late in the second on a 2-on-1. Warren Foegele broke in and made a cross-ice pass to Greig, who beat Varlamov high on the stick side.

New York opened the scoring with 11.2 seconds remaining in the period when Maccelli stripped Pinto of the puck at Ottawa’s blueline, took two strides and wristed a shot past Ullmark.

Artem Zub made his season debut Thursday, assisting on Greig’s goal. The Senators defenseman hadn’t played since sustaining a knee injury in Game 1 of the first round of last season’s playoffs.

SHARKS 3, PREDATORS 2, SO

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Macklin Celebrini scored the only goal of a shootout to give San Jose a victory over Nashville.

Mason Marchment and Will Smith scored, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 33 saves to help the Sharks snap a two-game losing streak. Nedeljkovic has won both of his starts this season.

Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos scored, and Juuse Saros made 30 saves for Nashville, losers of three straight. Saros is 15-2-2 in his career against San Jose.

Celebrini beat Saros with a wrist shot on the glove side for the shootout’s only goal. All four of the Sharks’ wins on the season have been beyond regulation time.

Marchment scored the game’s first goal at 5:20 of the opening period.

From behind the Nashville net, Tyler Toffoli sent a pass to Marchment in front, where he beat Saros for his second goal of the season.

Smith doubled the San Jose lead at 4:28 of the third, snapping a wrist shot from the right circle to beat Saros on the far side.

Smith has seven points, three goals and four assists, in seven career games played against Nashville.

WILD 5, BLUES 4

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Boldy had his fifth career hat trick as part of a four-point night, Kirill Kaprizov added his league-high ninth goal and two assists, and Minnesota held off St. Louis.

Quinn Hughes had two assists to establish a franchise record for the longest season-opening point streak at eight games.

Danila Yurov also scored, Joel Eriksson Ek also had two assists and Jesper Wallstedt made 21 saves for Minnesota, which has won three of four.

Dylan Holloway scored with 15 seconds left for St. Louis after Robert Thomas scored with 4 minutes remaining. Jonatan Berggren and Mason McTavish also had goals.

From near the left dot, Boldy hammered home a no-look backhand pass by Kaprizov for a 5-2 lead late in the second period, leading to hats aplenty landing on the ice.

Boldy, who scored on a one-timer in the first period and off a turnover earlier in the second period, is the third-fastest active American skater to record five hat tricks, doing so in 369 games. Only Tage Thompson of Buffalo (279 games) and Jason Robertson of Dallas (363) were quicker.

MAMMOTH 4, OILERS 2

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Clayton Keller scored a pair of goals and Utah snapped Edmonton’s five-game win streak.

Barrett Hayton and Logan Cooley also scored for the Mammoth, who have won three straight. Karel Vejmelka stopped 22 shots.

Leon Draisaitl and Shakir Mukhamadullin scored for the Oilers, who were missing five starting forwards and a defenseman. Devon Levi made 20 saves for Edmonton.

Just 23 seconds after Draisaitl got Edmonton on the board at 13:54 of the second period to pull the Oilers within 2-1, Vincent Trocheck sent he puck in front to a hard-charging Cooley, who directed in his first of the season to restore Utah’s two-goal lead.

Connor McDavid picked up an assist to extend his season-starting points streak to seven games. He now has four goals and 14 assists for a league-leading 18 points, his best start to a season.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 6, FLAMES 2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone had the fourth hat trick of his career and Vegas beat Calgary.

Vegas (7-2-0) leads the NHL with 14 points.

Stone scored all three of his goals in the third period to put the game out of reach for the defending Western Conference champion. He’s tied for sixth in the NHL with six goals.

Jack Eichel, who ranks second in the NHL with 16 points, had a goal and two assists and has had at least a point in seven of Vegas’ first nine games.

Brett Howden and Braeden Bowman also scored for the Golden Knights. Ivan Barbashev finished with three assists and Carter Hart made 28 saves.

Jacob Middleton and Matt Coronato scored for the Flames and goaltender Dustin Wolf stopped 27 shots.

Calgary dropped to 1-6-0.

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Dodgers face an offseason reckoning after stunning NLCS sweep

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Milwaukee Brewers players celebrate on the field as Los Angeles Dodgers player Kiké Hernández walks away after the final out, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers players Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Kiké Hernández, and Freddie Freeman stand together on the field during a game, Image 3 shows Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout holding a bat

The home run shredded the October sky like a bolt of lightning.

Shohei Ohtani turned toward the Dodgers’ bench.

He threw his bat. He screamed. He punched the air. He screamed some more.

With one furious swing, Ohtani unleashed months of pent-up frustration. 

His streak of 115 plate appearances without a home run was over.

But this wasn’t a series-altering three-run home run.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a home run at the bottom of the second inning during NLCS Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post

This was a last stand.

The four-run lead the Dodgers built up in that stadium-rocking second inning didn’t endure. The Milwaukee Brewers saw that it wouldn’t.

As they did throughout this National League Championship Series, the Brewers pressed and pressed and pressed. Little by little, the Dodgers gave in.

By the sixth inning, the Dodgers were behind. Three innings later, they were officially eliminated from the playoffs when Kiké Hernández flied out to left field against Aaron Ashby for the final out of a 6-4 defeat at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers didn’t just lose.

They were swept in four games by the same team they swept at this stage of the postseason last year.

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Kik&e3; Hern&a1;ndez, left, leaves the field after making the final out as the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate with pitcher Aaron Ashby, center, after Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Now, comes the hard part.

The Dodgers might be the second-best team in baseball behind the Brewers, but they can’t return with a similar roster next season and expect the results to be any different.

Farewells are in order.

Farewell to long-time Dodgers who will forever be known in these parts as World Series heroes.

Farewell to Ohtani hitting and pitching full-time.

With how the Dodgers were thumped by the Brewers, president of baseball operation Andrew Friedman has a clear directive.

Adjust – or else.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout during the ninth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

The Dodgers have the oldest team in the major leagues. First baseman Freddie Freeman and infielder Miguel Rojas are 37. Third baseman Max Muncy is 36 and utilityman Kiké Hernández is 35. Shortstop Mookie Betts and outfielder Teoscar Hernández are 34.

The problem is magnified by their prime-aged players, who are breaking down as if they are senior citizens.

Ohtani, 32, was obviously debilitated in the postseason, which explains why a former 50-homer player wasn’t a power threat for the majority of these playoffs.

Catcher Will Smith, 31, was sidelined for three months with a disc problem, which contributed to him being out of sorts in the batter’s box.

Utilityman Tommy Edman, also 31, is an All-Star-caliber player when healthy – but he often isn’t.

Kyle Tucker, 29, flat-out stunk for the majority of the first season of his four-year, $240-million contract.

From left, Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, third baseman Max Muncy, third baseman Kiké Hernández, and first baseman Freddie Freeman stand together during a pitching change during the fourth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

What Friedman and others in the front office will have to decide in the coming weeks and months is how quickly and drastically they will turn over the roster.

The Dodgers shopped Teoscar Hernández last offseason, and they figure to do so again this offseason, as they already have a promising in-house replacement for him in left field in 21-year-old rookie Josue De Paula. Hernández has only one more guaranteed year remaining on his contract.

But what do the Dodgers do beyond that? 

Do they attempt to move some of their other veterans? Or do they field more or less the same team next season, accept the limitations of their roster, and wait for some of their contracts to expire in another year?

Freeman will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 season. Muncy could also depart that winter, as his option for the 2028 season is a team option.

There are no simple answers.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, left, celebrates with Shohei Ohtani after Ohtani’s three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the second inning of Game 4 of the NLCS Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for the CA Post

Muncy’s option for 2028 is a relative bargain at $10 million, for example. The Dodgers might not be able to find a better third baseman at that price point.

Or, in the case of Freeman, how can they not re-sign a player as beloved as he is?

One factor that could influence the Dodgers’ team-building approach: Baseball’s next collective-bargaining agreement.

More restrictive spending limits of some kind figure to be on their way, as franchise owners are pushing for a salary cap. The Dodgers could be forced to dump salaries whether they want to or not.

Whatever happens on that front, the Dodgers will have to address Ohtani’s situation. 

Ohtani broke into Japan’s top league as an 18 year old. He was a two-way player in the five seasons he played for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, and his body has plenty of mileage on it.

A Los Angeles Dodgers fan looks down during the eighth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

This season was particularly demanding.

Last year, resumed pitching in the middle of the season after recovering from his second major elbow operation. This year, he attempted to be a full-time hitter and pitcher for the entire season.

Ohtani broke down. He abandoned pitching in the middle of the season. The resulting injuries diminished him as a hitter.

Knowing Ohtani will insist on remaining a two-way player, what do the Dodgers do? 

Do they spread out his starts to extend the periods between his starts? Or do they try to sell him on the idea that by not pitching in the early parts of the season, he could be a two-way player in October?

The results have spoken.

Changes will have to be made.

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The Dodgers pushed for history. They failed. Here's the 3 biggest reasons why.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' season − and their quest to become the first National League team to ever win three consecutive World Series − ended Thursday night. Their 6-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers secured a sweep in the NLCS at Chavez Ravine, sending the Brew Crew to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982.

For all the buzz there was back in spring about the Dodgers' chase for history, that talk was downplayed heading into the postseason. The players in the clubhouse and manager Dave Roberts said all the right things heading into the postseason. They couldn't look ahead at the big picture. They had to focus on each opponent in front of them. The chaos and randomness of October was all too familiar to them.

"We don't need to be adding any extra pressure on ourselves," Max Muncy said before the NLDS. "... Winning the World Series is already hard enough as it is."

All of that rang true once they ran into the buzzsaw that was the Brewers pitching staff, which completely shut down a Dodgers lineup that already wasn't firing on all cylinders in the previous round. Runs come at a premium in the postseason, and LA simply couldn't produce enough of them.

The end result was all too predictable.

Here are the three biggest reasons the Dodgers failed in their push for a three-peat:

Mismanagement of Shohei Ohtani

Above all else, the Dodgers simply weren't healthy enough. Shohei Ohtani, hampered by knee and bicep injuries since early July that eventually ended his season on the mound, has not been his superhuman self at the plate. His last home run, before Thursday, was on Aug. 18, and he finished out the regular season batting .157 with a .214 slugging percentage over his final 18 games.

He hadn't fared much better in the postseason, hitting 4-for-22 and not registering a single extra base hit entering Thursday. Roberts' hand was forced to move Ohtani down to as low as sixth in the Dodgers' lineup in Game 3 on Wednesday. Ohtani did show flashes at some points, such as his clutch walk against Abner Uribe to load the bases and set up Will Smith's two-run double that briefly gave LA the Game 3 lead. It was enough for Roberts to move Ohtani back to leadoff for Game 4, where he finally broke through for a monster three-run home run − his first in 116 plate appearances − but it was too late to overcome a Brewers squad that flat-out outplayed them all series.

It became clear that Ohtani's two-week IL stint in September didn't provide the "reset" Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman had hoped. Whatever the extent of Ohtani's injuries actually are, they affected him enough to tweak his mechanics and cause the back-to-back NL MVP to develop bad habits at the plate. At that point, it usually takes an offseason at least to work those out of the system. The reasons for not sitting Ohtani earlier in the season, like in July or August when his symptoms began, were straightforward: his bat is simply too valuable to sit, and Ohtani himself feels a deep responsibility and duty to play in every game.

Still, it's hard not to look back and think how he would be performing now if he had gotten time to properly recover.

More injuries

Ohtani's ailments weren't an isolated case. Freddie Freeman was managing a knee injury in the last few days of the regular season. Blake Snell was limited to just 42.2 innings in nine starts this year due to left shoulder fatigue and loose bodies in his left elbow. He pitched well since returning to the rotation on Aug. 11, but his health was again put in doubt when he exited his penultimate start against the Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 16 after just one inning with groin tightness, though he avoided a strain and didn't miss his next start.

Tyler Glasnow missed over three months with back spasms. Will Smith was also out on a roughly similar timeline with a neck injury that kept him sidelined from June 5 until Sept. 1.

All significant players who struggled this postseason.

Offense couldn't produce

The Dodgers offense has been streaky for most of the second half of the season; their struggles with runners in scoring position was not limited to October. They grounded into 128 double plays, the most in the major leagues this year.

As a team, they entered Thursday collectively slashing just .188/.264/.308 with 60 strikeouts these playoffs.

The strength of this lineup has always been its pop. The Dodgers couldn't string hits together or manufacture runs against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS, but they powered to victory with eight home runs in four games, the most of any team in the postseason entering the NLCS.

But against a Brewers pitching staff that rarely gives up the long ball, the offense completely sputtered out. Game 4 played out the same script, with the Dodgers going out 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position (5 for 43 in the entire postseason). Even worse, this "small ball" Milwaukee team outslugged LA seven homers to one.

That spelled disaster for the Dodgers this season.

Dodgers' 'four aces' rotation goes bust

For all of the Dodgers' shortcomings at the plate, the starting pitching was supposed to be good enough to pick up the slack. Yoshinobu Yamamoto almost did it single-handedly a year ago, and now Tarik Skubal was in the mix along with Snell and Glasnow, who were both pitching well at the end of the regular season. Skubal and Yamamoto dominated in the NLDS while Snell and Glasnow had mixed results but they ultimately did enough to beat the Atlanta Braves.

All of that unraveled in the NLCS. In 18 innings pitched between Skubal, Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow, they gave up a combined 13 runs, 16 hits and eight walks for a 6.50 ERA, according to the OC Register's Bill Plunkett.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Dodgers pushed for history. They failed. Here's the 3 biggest reasons why.

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Dodgers' three-peat dream dies with Game 4 NLCS loss to Brewers

Dodgers Miguel Rojas, Tommy Edman and catcher Hunter Feduccia stand in the dugout during Game 4 of the NLCS.
Dodgers Miguel Rojas, Tommy Edman and catcher Hunter Feduccia stand in the dugout during Game 4 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium on Thursday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The hope for a Dodgers comeback in the National League Championship Series was fleeting.

A long-awaited home run from Shohei Ohtani briefly stoked the flame. But it already had been snuffed out by the time the final out landed in Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio’s glove.

The Dodgers’ hopes of making National League history with a three-peat died with a 6-4 loss to the Brewers on Thursday, completing Milwaukee’s four-game sweep.

As the Dodgers’ postseason hype video declared before the game: “October doesn’t remember who came close. It remembers who triumphs.”

The Milwaukee Brewers bench cheers after a solo home run by David Hamilton during the ninth inning of Game 4.
The Brewers' bench cheers after a solo home run by David Hamilton in the ninth inning. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers, after reinforcing their roster from back-to-back championships in the offseason and entering the year as the World Series favorites, were swept out of the NLCS by the team they did it to last year.

When they went down 3-0 in the series, they faced a steep climb that only one team in MLB history has overcome. But the Dodgers showed resolve to begin the game.

Three singles in the second inning gave the Dodgers a lead, with Andy Pages driving in the first run. It was his third hit of the postseason with runners in scoring position and the Dodgers’ fourth overall. Then with two outs, Ohtani not only prolonged the inning but also made it the Dodgers’ highest-scoring frame of the postseason, with their first home run of the series.

It had been a maddening couple of months as Ohtani battled injuries, slid down the batting order and failed to produce when the Dodgers needed him most — in the postseason.

Then on Thursday, with the Dodgers on the brink of elimination, one swing wiped all that away.

Ohtani got his bat head down to a cutter from former Dodgers pitcher Dustin May on the inside corner. He lifted it into the stands for a three-run home run.

Read more:Plaschke: The Dodgers had everything needed to three-peat. This is why they failed

Ohtani turned to the Dodgers’ dugout, spread his arms wide and tossed his bat to the side. He tilted his face to the sky and yelled. He punched the air.

This was the version of Ohtani the Dodgers had sorely been missing. He announced his return with authority. And he breathed life into a stadium that had a crowd of only 49,104 — short of a sellout.

It was his first home run since Aug. 18. And it had been even longer since he’d hit a homer quite like that. With an exit velocity of 113.1 mph, it was his hardest-hit home run since June 20 and his third-hardest hit of the year, according to Statcast.

Even more important, it was the big swing the Dodgers had been waiting for all series.

Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow kept the good vibes going, retiring the first 10 batters he faced. But the Brewers, as they had all series, had a comeback in them.

It began with one out in the fourth inning, as Brice Turang drew a walk, the first baserunner against Glasnow. Then William Contreras and Jake Bauers each bounced ground-rule doubles into the stands, Bauers’ driving in two runs to cut the Dodgers’ lead in half.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani strikes out with a runner on third during the seventh inning of Game 4 of the NLCS.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani strikes out with a runner on third during the seventh inning of Game 4 of the NLCS on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

The next inning, the Brewers used a walk, stolen base and David Hamilton’s RBI single to tie the score and knock Glasnow out of it.

Then, in the sixth, Dodgers setup man Tanner Scott took the mound early, at an inflection point in the contest. He worked ahead 0-2 in the count to Garrett Mitchell. But Mitchell spat on three straight balls to get to a full count.

Scott missed down the middle with a fastball. Mitchell sent it over the fence to give the Brewers the lead for the first time.

Roberts continued to manage like he had hope, bringing in Edwin Díaz in the seventh to keep the game close.

The Dodgers offense got runners to third in three straight innings. In the sixth, Kyle Tucker hit a one-out double, and Teoscar Hernández moved him over with a groundout. In the seventh, Pages led off with a double, and Kiké Hernández bunted him over. In the eighth, with one out, Will Smith cut out the middle man by doubling into the right-field corner and advancing to third when right fielder Sal Frelick misplayed the carom off the wall.

The Dodgers stranded all three there, failing to score the tying run.

Díaz did his part to keep the Dodgers in the game, retiring eight straight batters. But the ninth batter he faced, Hamilton, hit a solo homer to add cushion to the Brewers’ lead.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Brewers sweep the Dodgers in the NLCS to reach the World Series for the first time since 1982

LOS ANGELES — Garrett Mitchell hit a go-ahead homer off reliever Tanner Scott in the sixth inning, Milwaukee’s bullpen slammed the door late and the Brewers rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to earn their first trip to the World Series since 1982.

No. 9 hitter David Hamilton’s two-out solo shot off reliever Edwin Díaz gave the Brewers a two-run cushion in the ninth. Hamilton had just four homers in the regular season.

Shohei Ohtani’s first home run of the postseason helped put the Dodgers ahead 4-0 early before the Brewers came back to complete a four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champions a year after getting swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS.

The Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 in their only other World Series appearance, when Milwaukee played in the American League.

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Artyom Levshunov Scores In Overtime, Blackhawks Beat Jets 4-3

CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks came into Thursday night's game against the Winnipeg Jets feeling good about their game. Two nights prior, Connor Bedard returned to the lineup, and that added some juice to the team in a winning effort over the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

For a variety of reasons, the Jets came into the 2026-27 season with low expectations from the outside. In their room, however, they didn't see that to be the case. They have shown it on the ice in the early going, too, as they entered the United Center with a 4-1-1 record. 

The Blackhawks, for the second game in a row, started off on a good note. While on a 5-on-3 power play, Connor Bedard scored his first goal of the season. It was set up by Patrick Kane, which was a connection that folks have been waiting weeks to see in a game that counts. 

With that assist, Patrick Kane passed Phil Housley for the most assists ever by a US born player in the NHL. Of the many impressive milestones that Kane has reached throughout his career, this one shows just how good he has been compared to other top American borns in history. 

Patrick Kane Makes USA Hockey History With Assist On Connor Bedard's First Goal Of 2026-27Patrick Kane Makes USA Hockey History With Assist On Connor Bedard's First Goal Of 2026-27With an assist on Connor Bedard's first goal of the 2026-27 season, Patrick Kane made some history for USA Hockey.

The game opened up a little bit from there, and Frank Nazar made it 2-0 shortly after. In his return from a two-game suspension, he found some open ice, used his speed to create separation, and sniped one home. 

Before two minutes of game clock could go by, Neal Pionk got the Winnipeg Jets on the board with his first of the season. 14 seconds later, Ryan Donato restored the two-goal lead for the Blackhawks. He used incredible patience to eventually get a good shot off for the goal. 

That 3-1 score held through the first intermission. In the middle frame, there was only one goal scored, and it was Kyle Connor for the Jets. It wasn't for a lack of chances, but both goalies stood tall. 

You knew the Jets would not fly quietly into the night, and they got the equalizer that they were looking for when Alex Iafallo scored. That's back-to-back games in which the Blackhawks blew a 3-1 lead. They overcame it against the Penguins, but they needed a hero again against the Jets. 

That hero came in overtime when Artyom Levshunov scored his first of the season. He was set up with a lane to the net thanks to a play made by Patrick Kane and Connor Bedard. Levshunov has been exceptional as an offensive defenseman so far this season, and it continued with this game-winning goal. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will be back in action on Saturday night. Their homestand continues with a match against the Dallas Stars at the United Center. 

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Dodgers collapse in Game 4 loss to Brewers, watch three-peat end with NLCS sweep

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell celebrates his solo home run with Cooper Pratt during a game, Image 2 shows Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy reacts after striking out as Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras walks back to the dugout

The Dodgers’ reign atop Major League Baseball officially ended at 8:08 p.m. Thursday night.

Kiké Hernández hit a line drive to left. Jackson Chourio caught it on the run. And instead of a World Series three-peat, the Dodgers saw their dynasty end in the most futile fashion.

With a 6-4 loss in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, the two-time defending champions were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell celebrates his solo home run with Cooper Pratt during the sixth inning of Game 4 of a baseball National League Championship Series game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Ashley Landis
Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras returns to the dugout as Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) slams his bat after striking out to end the sixth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

No World Series three-peat. No historic march to baseball immortality. Just a fourth-straight loss and an embarrassing elimination that will send the Dodgers into a long, regretful winter full of future uncertainty.

This team’s season was not supposed to end like this.

Not after they entered the year coming off back-to-back championships. Not after they amassed the league’s most talented –– and expensive –– roster with a record-setting $432 million payroll. And certainly not after the way Game 4 started, when the Dodgers jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a cathartic three-run blast from the previously slumping Shohei Ohtani.

At that point, it felt like the tide just might be starting to turn.

Shohei Ohtani (17) of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the second inning in game four of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. Getty Images
Shohei Ohtani (17) of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the second inning in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. Getty Images

All month, the Dodgers had waited for an injury-hampered Ohtani to look like himself at the plate. All week, they had waited for their offense to show any genuine sign of life against a dominant Brewers pitching staff.

Finally, after returning to his customary leadoff spot of the lineup for the first time this postseason, Ohtani took care of both, belting a 428-foot bomb for his first home run since Aug. 18.

As had been the case throughout this one-sided series, however, the Brewers regrouped, then came roaring back.

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Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell connects for a solo home run during the sixth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Milwaukee Brewers third baseman David Hamilton (6) greets Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich (22) after scoring on a base loaded walk by Jake Bauers during the fifth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. AP Photo/Ashley Landis

It started in the top of the fourth, when Tyler Glasnow –– having retired his first 10 batters, six via strikeout –– gave up a walk, then back-to-back ground-rule doubles, the latter coming from NLCS MVP Jake Bauers to score two runs and cut the Dodgers’ lead in half.

An inning later, the cushion would be gone, with Milwaukee going full BrewerBall to stun the Dodger Stadium crowd.

Though left-hander Alex Vesia was warm, manager Dave Roberts tried to sneak Glasnow through the left-handed-heavy bottom of the Brewers’ order. It didn’t work. Sal Frelick walked, stole second, then scored on a David Hamilton single. At that point, Roberts summoned right-hander Evan Phillips, but watched him issue two more free passes to load the bases.

That finally brought Vesia into the game. But he couldn’t find the strike zone.

With Bauers at the plate again, the southpaw missed on four-straight pitches to walk in the tying run.

Just like that, Milwaukee had snatched the momentum right back, erasing the sixth different Dodgers’ lead of this series.

In the top of the sixth, they’d go in front for good on Garrett Mitchell’s solo home run against Tanner Scott.

The Los Angeles Dodgers watch during the eighth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Ashley Landis
A Los Angeles Dodgers fan looks down during the eighth inning of Game 4 of baseball’s National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

That was this NLCS in a nutshell. The Brewers responded to every moment of adversity. The Dodgers withered in the face of every setback of their own.

The magic from the last two Octobers? Nowhere to be found.

The energy that had pulsed through this franchise over the last two years? Long gone, as another less-than-capacity crowd –– Thursday’s attendance was just 49,104 –– once again showed.

Where the Dodgers go from here is just as much of a mystery.

Their aging roster will be another year older. Important veteran role players like Miguel Rojas (who is likely to retire) and Kiké Hernández (who will be a free agent) could be gone.

Add in the uncertainty of a looming labor battle, and a new collective-bargaining agreement that could bring profound changes to the sport’s financial structure, and it’s possible an ever larger-scale retooling could be in order.

That’s why this year’s run was so precious; with the Dodgers not only chasing history, but trying to prolong what felt like a potential last dance with this veteran core.

They won 100 games in the regular season. They captured a 13th NL West crown in the last 14 years.

But all that really mattered was completing their World Series three-peat.

In the end, they came up frustratingly short.