TORONTO (AP) — Auston Matthews scored with 14 seconds left in overtime and had three assists in regulation and the Toronto Maple Leafs erased a three-goal deficit in a 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.
William Nylander, No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna — with his first as a professional — John Tavares and Jack Roslovic had the other goals for Toronto, which got 21 saves from Anthony Stolarz.
McKenna also picked up an assist on Tavares’ goal for his first NHL point. Nylander chipped in two assists and Roslovic added one.
Steven Stamkos scored twice for Nashville to move into 17th place on the NHL’s career goals list, while Nils Hoglander also scored twice. Filip Forsberg had two assists and Juuse Saros made 33 stops.
Stamkos opened the scoring at 7:13 of the first period on a power play. Nashville doubled its lead at 9:08 when Hoglander collected a rebound off the end boards and slotted it home before making it 3-0 at 3:03 of the second on another tap-in.
Tavares got Toronto going off the rush at 4:56 of the middle period and Nylander connected on a man advantage at 6:58 to make it 3-2. Stamkos scored his second to restore a two-goal lead at 13:30, but McKenna scored his first NHL goal 61 seconds later.
Roslovic tied things at 8:54 of the third.
Stamkos broke a tie with Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla on the league’s career scoring list with his first-period goal — the 626th of his career — before adding another in the second. Dave Andreychuk is 16th in NHL history with 640 career goals.
Stamkos became the third active player to score 100 game-opening goals in his career. Alex Ovechkin leads with 154 followed by Sidney Crosby at 127.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Nick Schmaltz scored his NHL-best fifth goal of the season, and the Utah Mammoth relied on their proficient power play to beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3 on Tuesday night.
Clayton Keller, MacKenzie Weegar, Lawson Crouse and Vincent Trocheck also scored for the Mammoth, and Mikhail Sergachev had three assists to surpass 300 for his career before leaving the game when he took a puck to the back of the helmet late in the second period.
Utah went 2 for 4 on the power play and has scored on 8 of 13 opportunities this season with the man advantage, including Keller's goal in the first period and Schmaltz's go-ahead tally midway through the second that made it 3-2.
Luke Evangelista scored twice for New Jersey and Jesper Boqvist had the other goal.
The Mammoth beat the Devils for the first time, having gone 0-4 in the franchise's previous two seasons.
Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots for Utah, and New Jersey's Jake Allen made 26 saves.
Sergachev reached 300 assists with his second of the game, on Weegar's goal early in the second period. The 28-year-old Russian defenseman reached the milestone in his 634th NHL game.
He also assisted on Schmaltz's goal for his seventh career four-assist game and fourth in his last 32 contests.
Schmaltz had two assists, the second on Trocheck's goal that made it 5-3 with 3:08 remaining.
New Jersey defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler left with an injury early in the third period.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 06: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves looks on during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welp, that wasn’t ideal!
The home field advantage that the Atlanta Braves snatched away from the Los Angeles Dodgers has slipped right out of Atlanta’s fingers thanks to a brilliant Yoshinobu Yamamoto and more power hitting from the Dodgers. They still haven’t scored with anything but homers and unfortunately Chris Sale was the latest victim of LA’s obsession with the long ball.
“They did a nice job of really grinding the at-bats and passing the baton,” conceded manager Walt Weiss when he was asked about the Dodgers’ approach against Sale in the postgame press conference. “[Sale] had to work hard. He had to work hard to get the outs that he got. He looked like Chris Sale to me [but] they did a nice job.”
Weiss also stated that he felt like Sale’s stuff was still good but the command may not have been there in his eyes. Either way, there’s no way around it: The Dodgers were better on this particular night and they did a solid job of bouncing back from Sale’s dominant outing when this team came to visit back in August.
With that being said, I’d imagine that the thing that’s on every Braves fan’s mind right now is that this lineup has got to start hitting consistently — and soon. While Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the rest of LA’s pitching staff is as imposing as it gets and it’s a much easier said-than-done task on Atlanta’s hands, it’s still the Postseason and the Braves are here for a reason — they’ve got to find a way to make something happen against this pitching staff.
That goes doubly for the stars like Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Ronald Acuña Jr., who have stayed largely dormant during this series so far. It was another quiet night for Acuña in particular, who has been picking up hits and getting on base but not at the rate or level that you’d expect out of a superstar-caliber player. Acuña had another chance to make something happen in a big moment in Game 3 when the fifth inning rolled around and he had a chance with two men in scoring position and two outs.
It could’ve been a special moment had Acuña come through and either tied the game with a knock or even electrified the stadium with a dinger. Instead, Acuña grounded out again and the moment went by the wayside. That ended up being Atlanta’s best chance of the night and the face of the franchise came up short again.
While it’s not just Acuña who has been underwhelming at the plate so far during this Postseason, it’s on him as the star of this ballclub to step up in the situations where the stars need to shine. While Acuña might have been dealing with a sore knee, it’s not an excuse — Weiss stated in the pregame that he hasn’t seen Acuña suffer any ill effects from the lower leg contusion that he sustained in the final week of the regular season and also Acuña’s knee was still in good enough position for him to play tonight.
If he’s not pressing at the plate (which Weiss insisted both during the pregame press conference and the postgame presser as well) then something’s got to change. If I knew what needed to change, I’d be getting paid a lot of money working in baseball instead of writing about it so it’s on Acuña and the coaching staff to figure it out. With their backs in the wall, the Braves are going to need everybody to contribute and hopefully the face of the franchise can finally lift his game for the Postseason before it’s too late.
It’ll also be on Tyler Mahle to make something happen on the mound for the Braves in Game 4. In the pregame presser before Game 3, Mahle at least expressed confidence that he’ll be up for the challenge for his start with Atlanta’s backs facing the wall. “…All you can do out there is make pitches. I’m not trying to trick them. [The Dodgers] know. They’ve seen me,” said Mahle when he was asked about approaching the Dodgers lineup in Game 4. “I’m sure they’re going to watch film, whatever. So it’s making pitches at the right times and that’s all you can hope to do.”
With that being said, the Dodgers also appear to be ready for the challenge of getting it right against Mahle with a trip to the NLCS in sight. Freddie Freeman spoke with the media following Game 3 and he talked about how the Dodgers plan to deal with Mahle on Wednesday evening. “If you’re chasing splitters down below, you’re going to be in trouble,” explained Freeman when he was asked about dealing with Mahle. “Just like we did with Sale, you gotta get him in the zone, get him off the bottom and hopefully he makes mistakes and you’re on time for them.”
“I wish baseball was so much more of ‘This is what we’re gonna do’ but sometimes we strip it down and it’s not that complicated. If we can just get him up off the bottom of the zone, hopefully we can have some great success tomorrow. We’ve gotta treat every game like an elimination game.”
All the way back in April, Mahle threw seven shutout innings against the Dodgers as a member of the Giants. A repeat performance will be sorely needed for the Braves and a star-making performance from any of the stars in this lineup would also be greatly appreciated as well.
The moment is there for Atlanta, they’ve just got to rise up to it and make something happen. We’ll see how it goes as the Braves play with the season on the line on Wednesday night in Cobb County.
DETROIT (AP) — Dylan Larkin scored in his first game since asking for a trade, helping the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.
Larkin was initially booed by the home crowd when he touched the puck on his first shift. The boos turned to cheers when he scored in the 13th minute, giving Detroit a lead it never relinquished. He also set up a goal early in the second.
Alex DeBrincat scored twice and Justin Faulk and Viktor Arvidsson added goals for Detroit. John Gibson made 22 saves.
Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle and William Eklund scored for the Senators, who had won their first two games. Samuel Ersson had 31 saves.
DeBrincat opened his scoring in the first with a wrist shot 3:16 into the period, assisted by Nate Danielson and Carter Mazur. He added a power-play empty-netter with 50 seconds remaining in the third. DeBrincat also had an assist.
Larkin remains in limbo several months after his trade request became public. He was stripped of the captaincy, reported to training camp despite being injured, missed the start of the season because of injury and received a frosty reaction from home fans during introductions prior to their first game last week.
Ersson started for Ottawa after entering in relief of injured No. 1 goaltender Linus Ullmark for the third period Monday night in Boston. Ullmark did not dress, and the Senators called up Jonas Johansson from Belleville of the American Hockey League to back up.
Ridly Greig made his season debut for Ottawa and finished with an assist. Greig served a two-game suspension at the start of the season that he received for roughing during the Senators’ final playoff game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Greig was banned for sucker punching Carolina defenseman Sean Walker in the second period of Ottawa’s 4-2 loss on April 25.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 06: Head coach Jordi Fernandez of the Brooklyn Nets looks on in the first half against the Charlotte Hornets during their preseason game at Spectrum Center on October 06, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets visited the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night to open preseason play. Mikel Brown Jr. did not play, still rehabbing his ankle injury, nor did Joshua Jefferson and his stiff lower back. All other regulars did, though, with Egor Dëmin, Keon Ellis, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, and Day’Ron Sharpe the starting lineup. The Charlotte Hornets were without many of their projected regulars, including but not limited to Kon Knueppel, Coby White, and Brandon Miller.
Brooklyn won the ballgame convincingly, final score 124-90, not that we should read too much into that. Day’Ron Sharpe was the only Nets starter who played in the second half. Still, the boys in black-and-white looked good, which, for a team that’s won 46 games over Jordi Fernández’s first two seasons, is always nice to see. They shot 55% from three through three quarters, blowing it open by the fourth quarter. That was a pleasant change-of-pace too, hopefully a harbinger of what’s to come this season.
Here are my takeaways from Tuesday night’s reintroduction to Brooklyn Nets basketball, which I jotted down in chronological order, skewing more heavily toward the starters’ minutes, naturally.
6:22, 1Q — Brooklyn Nets 20, Charlotte Hornets 12
Not surprised that Keon Ellis got the start. Michael Porter Jr. singled out Ellis as playing well in camp, plus there’s the pre-existing trust with Jordi Fernández. But starting Ellis, who doesn’t offer much advantage creation as a ball-handler, does indicate increased confidence in the playmakers around him, specifically Dëmin’s (potential) growth and the arrival of Julius Randle.
They’ve switched nearly every ball-screen so far. There’s been a trap or two. Charlotte has already made them pay with a couple offensive rebounds; still, switching would seem to be a natural tactic for Brooklyn, boasting length across positions, though without great rim protection or point-of-attack defense.
Day’Ron will be shooting threes this season. Fernández (who called a clear-out post-up for Randle on the first possession of the game) has to let Randle operate in the middle of the floor, at least a little. Sharpe set a screen, didn’t get it on the roll, then spaced out to the corner and cashed a three. Good sign.
3:34, 1Q — Brooklyn Nets 25, Charlotte Hornets 25
Moe Wagner just got dusted by Sion James on a drive, though playing drop coverage. He switched on a couple possessions, played a little drop. Largely the same offensive positioning as Day’Ron Sharpe. We’ll see how good he is, but a stylistic facsimile for Sharpe.
Chaney Johnson sixth man minutes? Somebody must be having a strong camp. (Not as a center, worth noting.)
12:00, 2Q — Brooklyn Nets 33, Charlotte Hornets 31
Ben Saraf — ahead of Nolan Traore in the rotation tonight — just stepped behind a ball-screen (after his defender went under) and hit a 3-pointer. Pleasant sight.
They’ve having some trouble defending guard-to-guard actions. Ghost screens, slips, etc.
7:59, 2Q — Brooklyn Nets 40, Charlotte Hornets 36
Nets are gonna play faster this season, that much is clear. Julius Randle is empowered to grab the ball and go, Day’Ron has set some early ball-screens for him in semi-transition. I imagine most teams just switch that sorta thing. But there will be plenty of two-man actions with Brooklyn’s lead ball-handler and starting center, like every other team in the league. Can Randle create advantages for others out of it? Big storyline for their offense, I’d imagine.
Randle defending Naz Reid with an oomph greater than average 13-year-veteran-playing-preseason intensity. Hmm.
4:44, 2Q —Brooklyn Nets 51, Charlotte Hornets 44
Julius Randle is a more trustworthy transition ball-handler than the Nets have had in some time. This reflects poorly on the last couple years of Nets basketball, though again, Randle’s reputation around the league is a bit harsher than it probably should be.
MPJ can still shoot, no worries there.
Funny that Egor Dëmin has passed up a couple take catch-and-shoot threes, preferring to drive the lane with his newfound muscle and confidence. Almost dunked on Ryan Kalkbrenner, then a highlight assist. Worth noting that Day’Ron Sharpe cuts into the dunker spot on this second play, rather than remaining in the corner…
Julius Randle is playing Julius Randle basketball, that’s for sure. Some early PnR as mentioned, willingness to fire catch-and-shoot threes, but he’s posting up mismatches and working on the empty side of the floor as he pleases.
Starters seemingly done for the second half, though not Day’Ron Sharpe. Something, nothing? Probably nothing.
Michael Porter Jr. dove on the floor near the end of the first half, but more importantly, he helped Brooklyn secure some big-time defensive rebounds by boxing out a Charlotte big. I trust MPJ-Randle-Sharpe to be a strong rebounding front court, even if they’re playing aggressive coverages. Porter Jr. did his part tonight, even in a meaningless game.
6:58, 3Q — Brooklyn Nets 67, Charlotte Hornets 57
Saraf’s driving style and Day’Ron Sharpe’s ability to Gortat screen are a natural pairing. They’ve had a couple nice two-man actions to start this third quarter, though Saraf has also mixed in some rough moments.
This lineup (Mann/Saraf/Clowney/Johnson/Sharpe) doesn’t have a single average 3-point shooter, but it’s the sort of athletic, potentially tough lineup that the Nets might occasionally deploy this season, particularly with a couple injuries.
Chaney Johnson, three dunks before the first timeout this quarter. An offensive rebound, a cut, a transition opportunity. Maybe it’s just what he does, though the preseason a mere half-step down from tanking spring basketball.
Unimpressed by these Noah Clowney minutes. Not that this is a particularly meaningful sample.
12:00, 4Q — Brooklyn Nets 92, Charlotte Hornets 73
Drake Powell, Danny Wolf, and Josh Minott each checked in during the third quarter and hit his first 3-point attempt. The Nets enter the fourth 16-of-29 from deep, a hair better than what they’re shooting inside the arc. But hey, Charlotte is 15-of-31 from deep, so this 19-point lead isn’t all shooting luck.
END OF GAME
Drake Powell has gotten to two feet and tired to explode through a Charlotte rim protector twice, after hitting the aforementioned 3-pointer. He got swallowed up and missed a feeble attempt on the first drive, but finished a smooth lefty finger roll the second time.
Let’s draw rash conclusions — I don’t think Powell will be in the rotation to star the season. Same for Josh Minott, and potentially Danny Wolf. Still time for things to change, though.
Nolan Traore looks bigger, but no slower. He’s zapped to the rim a few times in this fourth quarter, albeit against a bleak Charlotte lineup.
Jordi Fernández will be thrilled by Brooklyn’s 12 steals (and how about those 25 transition points), less so by their five offensive rebounds. But the Nets will be launching, running, and rebounding this season. At least, that’s the plan, and it was clear to see even on day one.
Shoutout Eric Collins: “I have never seen Danny Wolf and [ex-Hornet] Jeremy Lamb in the same room together, thankfully. Scary situation for Jeremy Lamb.”
Michael Porter Jr. scored 16 points, Randle added 13, while Traore had ten off the bench. Those were the only double-digit scorers for Brooklyn, who saw every player hit a shot, outside of Dain Danja and Ben Humrichous, who only played the last couple minutes. Liam McNeely scored 14 points — all in the third — to lead Charlotte, while trade acquisition Naz Reid scored 13.
Next Up
<p>Mitchell Leff/Getty Images</p><br>
LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid sat out the Philadelphia 76ers’ first preseason game on Monday night. But their next one is in Brooklyn. The Nets’ first home preseason game is against the new-look Philadelphia 76ers, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday evening.
Allan Border was never a shrinking violet but at the end of a decorated career the former Australian captain learned just how important it was to pick your targets in a battle.
ATLANTA — Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 10 in seven innings, Kiké Hernández hit a two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in their NL Division Series.
Yamamoto dominated the much-anticipated matchup with Atlanta ace Chris Sale, who allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. Yamamoto, the MVP of the 2025 World Series, permitted only four hits with one walk while improving to 8-1 in his postseason career.
The Dodgers can win the best-of-five series and take another step in their attempt to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series titles by beating the Braves again Wednesday night in Game 4.
The Braves hoped giving Sale extra rest would be a winning formula in the pivotal third game. Instead, after stranding six runners in the first three innings, he gave up the two-run homer to Hernández and a solo shot to Freddie Freeman in the fourth.
Ozzie Albies opened the Atlanta ninth with a double off the right-center wall against Edwin Díaz and moved to third on Micheal Harris II’s groundout. Díaz stranded the runner when Mauricio Dubón fouled out to right field and Mike Yastrzemski grounded out to shortstop Mookie Betts.
Dubón made a leaping catch over the left-field wall to rob Freeman of a home run in the third. Freeman wouldn’t be denied an inning later. Hernández’s homer to left drove in Andy Pages, who singled. One out later, Freeman pulled his 18th career postseason homer to right field for a 3-0 lead.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts moved designated hitter Shohei Ohtani down to No. 5 in the lineup because Ohtani was 3 for 15 in his career against Sale. Ohtani went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts against Sale when the Dodgers lost 1-0 on Aug. 26 in Atlanta.
Roberts correctly predicted Ohtani would have opportunities with runners on base hitting lower in the order.
With runners on first and second in the first, Sale struck out Ohtani to end the inning. With two runners on base in the third, Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference by Drake Baldwin to load the bases before Miguel Rojas ended the inning with a flyball to right field. Ohtani walked to lead off the eighth against Brent Suter, Atlanta’s fourth pitcher.
Baldwin’s bases-loaded grounder to first base drove in Dubón, who singled, in the fifth for Atlanta’s only run off Yamamoto.
Rojas left during an at-bat in the eighth. The second baseman appeared to injure his back on a swing and was replaced by Tommy Edman. The Dodgers announced the injury as lower back pain.
Tanner Scott added two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth for Los Angeles.
Up next
Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle is expected to face Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow in Game 4 on Wednesday night. Mahle said Tuesday an abdominal pull is now a “non-issue.” He felt the pull before allowing one run in seven innings of a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia in 10 innings during the NL Wild Card Series last week.
The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman follows through on a solo home run off a pitch from Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale. (Mike Stewart / Associated Press)
The Dodgers went into Game 3 of the National League Division Series knowing they couldn’t be so reliant on the home run, especially with Braves ace Chris Sale on the mound. And yet, in a 3-1 win, it was the home run ball, paired with a masterful performance on the mound from right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, that secured the victory.
The Dodgers pulled ahead to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. All 10 of their runs in the NLDS have come via homer.
The Dodgers tried to score in other ways, putting on six baserunners in the first three innings of the game. But it didn’t work.
They failed to take advantage of some luck and poor defense from the Braves in the first inning, as Mookie Betts beat out a soft groundball up the first base line and Teoscar Hernández reached on a fielding error by Braves shortstop Ha-Seong Kim.
The lineup shuffling manager Dave Roberts did against Sale had superstar Shohei Ohtani, batting fifth, walking up to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. His over-anxious approach at the plate so far this postseason followed him into the at-bat. And he struck out whiffing on a slider in the opposite batter’s box.
The next inning, Kyle Tucker hit a two-out single into left, baited Sale into picking over to first base twice, and then stole second. But he was stranded there, as Kiké Hernández went down swinging. All six of the Dodgers’ outs in the first two innings came via the strikeout.
In the third, the Dodgers loaded the bases. Betts started the effort with a single through the left side of the infield. And it looked for a moment as if Freddie Freeman had capitalized on the opportunity with a runner in scoring position.
He stayed back on a fastball and crushed it to deep left field, on a trajectory to just clear the short fence. But Braves left fielder Mauricio Dubón made a leaping catch, holding into the ball as he slammed into the wall.
Undeterred, the Dodgers kept putting runners on base. With two outs, Will Smith stayed through a slider to single. Ohtani clipped Braves catcher Drake Baldwin’s mitt and was awarded first base for catcher’s interference. Then Miguel Rojas, who’d exit the game in the eighth inning mid-at-bat with what the Dodgers called low back pain, hit a line drive that found leather to end the inning.
So, back to the long ball.
Perennial postseason hero Kiké Hernández delivered the first blow. With Andy Pages on first, after his first hit of the series, Hernández launched a changeup into the left-field stands. Then, two batters later, Freeman turned on an inside sinker and sent it over the right-field fence — where Dubón had no chance to track it down.
Game 3 was billed as a matchup between aces: Sale, whom the Braves tabbed for Tuesday because of his workload in their wild-card series, and Yamamoto, whom the Dodgers partially held back for the first two games with the NLCS in mind.
Yamamoto held up his end of the bargain, limiting the Braves to four hits and one run in seven innings.
He retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced. The only baserunner in that time, Michael Harris II, bunted for a single. Yamamoto crashed hard, slipping on the slick grass as he tried to pivot but still managing to make a throw to first from the ground.
He only wavered in the fifth, loading the bases with a pair of singles and a four-pitch walk. The Braves’ batting order turned over, and Yamamoto got Baldwin to ground out to first, but that scored a run. Then he induced Ronald Acuña Jr. to ground out to second to escape the jam. Rojas ranged to his left to field the ball and made an on-target throw even as he slipped on the grass in shallow right field.
Yamamoto didn’t allow another baserunner.
Left-handed reliever Tanner Scott served as the Dodgers’ setup man, throwing a hitless eighth. And right-hander Edwin Díaz came in for his first save opportunity since Aug. 14 against the Brewers.
He gave up a double off the wall to Ozzie Albies to open the inning but retired the next three batters.
SAN DIEGO — Padres closer Mason Miller went on the postseason paternity list Tuesday night with San Diego facing elimination in the NL Division Series.
The intimidating All-Star reliever will miss at least one game, the Padres announced about 45 minutes before the first pitch. Wandy Peralta replaced Miller on the 26-man playoff roster.
Miller was one of the best closers in the majors this season for the Padres. With a fastball that regularly touches 104 mph, Miller converted 38 of his 41 save opportunities and went 5-2 with a 0.90 WHIP and 129 strikeouts over just 70 innings.
But Miller also blew the save in the ninth inning of the Padres’ 4-3 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee last Sunday, putting San Diego in an 0-2 hole in the best-of-five series.
While attempting to finish a two-inning save, Miller issued three walks before Jackson Chourio delivered a two-out, two-strike, two-RBI single to win it on Miller’s 40th pitch.
Peralta was left off the Padres’ initial NLDS roster despite posting a 3.61 ERA during the regular season as a solid middle reliever.
Miller is the second Padres pitcher to go on the paternity list in this playoff series.
Walker Buehler missed the first two games in Milwaukee while on the list, but replacement Randy Vasquez also didn’t pitch while San Diego lost two straight in Milwaukee. Buehler, who returned to the Padres on Monday, recorded the final outs of the 2024 World Series while earning his first major league save for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers is congratulated by his teammates after hitting the game-winning two-run single against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a heartbreaking game 2 defeat, the San Diego Padres return home to Petco Park to host the Milwaukee Brewers in game 3 of the NLDS. Dustin May will try to nail down the series for the Brewers while the Padres will rely on RHP Nick Pivetta. First pitch is scheduled for 8:30pm central time and the game broadcast is available via Fox/FS1.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 01: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves prepares to throw a pitch during the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on October 01, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves took on the Dodgers tonight in a pivotal game that would give them the 2-1 lead in the NLDS. Chris Sale took on Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The last time these two faced of Sale pitched a complete game shutout and the Braves won 1-0.
The first inning looked great for Sale. He gave up a leadoff single to Betts and Ha-Seong Kim committed an error, but Sale struck out Freeman, Smith and Ohtani. Yamamoto answered with a great inning of his own, striking out the first two hitters and getting Olson to groundout.
In the second, Tucker singled and stole second, but Sale struck out every other hitter he faced. Harris singled in the second for the first base runner for the Braves, but it was the only offense. The third inning got dramatic. Betts singled, but then Dubón robbed Freddie Freeman of a HR.
After a Teoscar Hernández fly out, Smith singled and then Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases. Sale was able to get Rojas to line out to end the top of the inning with no damage done. The Braves had zero offense in the third.
The fourth is where it started to fall apart for Sale. Pages singled. Tucker lined out, but then postseason legend Enrique Hernández hit a two-run shot to give the Dodgers a lead. Betts grounded out, but then Freeman added a HR of his own to make the score 3-0. Fortunately, Teoscar Hernández had a 108.4 MPH fly out to end the top of the fourth. Matt Olson singled, but it was the only offense in the fourth for the Braves.
Sale stayed in to pitch the fifth and retired the side to include a strikeout of Will Smith. It looked like the Braves might get some momentum in the fifth with a Dubón single followed by a Thomas single. Riley struck out, but then Tellez pinch hit for Kim and walked to load the bases. Baldwin grounded out to score a run, but then Acuña grounded out himself to end the inning.
Dylan Dodd came in to pitch the sixth. Sale ended his start with 5.0 innings with three earned runs, seven hits, zero walks, and seven strikeouts. Pages had a single, but then Dodd sat down the rest to include two strikeouts. Unfortunately, the Braves did not do any better as they were retired in order.
Dylan Lee came in to pitch the seventh. He has been struggling lately, but it did make sense to bring him in here. He was able to retire the side to keep the game close. The bottom of the lineup looked like the bottom of the lineup for the Braves as they were sat down in order again in the seventh.
Brent Suter came in to pitch the eighth. An interesting choice. He walked Ohtani on seven pitches. Rojas then tweaked something and was replaced by Edman who popped up. Suter then prevented anymore offense. Tanner Scott then came in to replace Yamamoto. Hicklen struck out and Baldwin grounded out. Ronald Acuña then walked on five pitches. Olson was able to get Scott to pitch six pitches, but struck out. This left the Braves three outs to tie it up.
Raisel Iglesias came in to pitch the ninth. He was able to induce a pop up from Hernández after falling to a 3-0 count. He then struck out Mookie Betts on eight pitches. This brought up Freddie Freeman who walked on sox pitches. Max Muncy pinch hit for Teoscar Hernández. Muncy struck out on three pitches.
Edwin Díaz came in to pitch the ninth. Ozzie Albies has been one of the best hitters on the team this postseason and continued with a double to lead off the ninth. Harris made Díaz work, but ultimately grounded out on eight pitches and moved Albies to third. Mauricio Dubón flies out to right and it was not far enough to score the run. Mike Yastrzemski replaced Lane Thomas as the last chance. He then grounded out to end the game, putting the Braves at a big disadvantage moving forward.
Next game is at home with Tyler Mahle on the mound with a win or go home game. The bats were cold as ever, and will need to wake up against Glasnow to stay alive.
The game was tight, knotted at 0-0 through the third inning. Freddie Freeman thought he had a home run but Atlanta Braves outfielder Mauricio Dubón had other ideas in mind, robbing Freeman of the shot.
Hernández hit a two-run homer for his 17th career home run in the postseason. Freeman followed with a solo shot just a few batters later.
The Braves got a run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Drake Baldwin grounded out to first, giving Dubón time to make it home safe. That was the end of the scoring, though. The Dodgers hung on to preserve the win and go ahead in the series.
Physically, LA didn't make it out of the game without a scratch. Second baseman Miguel Rojas left the game in the eighth inning after sustaining an injury seemingly during a swing.
The NLDS continues Wednesday, Oct. 7. Here's the remaining schedule for the NLDS between the Dodgers and Braves:
NLDS Game 4: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves
Date: Oct. 7
Game Site: Truist Park in Atlanta
Start time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
TV/Stream: FS1; FOX Deportes; FOX One
*NLDS Game 5: Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers
*= if necessary
Date: Oct. 9
Game Site: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles
Start time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. ET (subject to change)
Oct 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) walks off the diamond after pitching against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Yoshinobu Yamamoto continued his postseason dominance with seven strong innings and the Dodgers homered twice in their best showing against Chris Sale this season, beating the Atlanta Braves 3-1 on Tuesday night in Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Truist Park.
Los Angeles leads the best-of-5 series, two games to one.
Yamamoto only allowed two singles in the first four innings, one of which was a bunt that he was quick to field, but lost his footing when trying to throw to first base, one of three plays in Game 3 in which a Dodgers fielder slipped on the Truist Field turf.
Trouble came for Yamamoto in the fifth inning, with two single to open the frame followed by a one-out, four-pitch walk to pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez, in just his 14th major league plate appearance on the season. One ground out to first base brought in a run but another grounder ended the inning with only one run in, and the Dodgers still leading.
He needed only 98 pitches to finish off seven innings, with just that one run across, and tied a season high with 10 strikeouts, done three timesduring theregular season.
Yamamoto’s last five postseason appearances have been on the road, and he’s won all five of them. In the four starts, Yamamoto lasted at least six innings and allowed exactly one run in all four games. There was a rather famous eight-out, championship-clinching scoreless relief appearance on zero days rest last November as well. In those five games Yamamoto has allowed four total runs in 33 2/3 innings, with 32 strikeouts against only four walks.
He’s made himself at home on the road.
Breakthrough
Sale, even at age 37, is a tough customer to face, and his first six outs were all strikeouts, looking very much like the ace that allowed three runs in 16 innings in two regular season starts against the Dodgers this year. But in between those six strikeouts the Dodgers had two hits, plus another reached on an error.
Two more hits came in the third inning, plus a catcher’s interference, but the Dodgers stranded the bases loaded. That meant six left on base in what was still a scoreless game to that point, but there were encouraging signs, including Sale needing 62 pitches to get through the first three frames. Freddie Freeman, who homered in Game 2, hit a ball the other way with enough distance to get over the left field wall, but Mauricio Dubón robbed him of a two-run home run with a fantastic catch.
The Dodgers started to get the fruits of their labor in the fourth inning, which began with Andy Pages singling for his first hit of the postseason. Kiké Hernández, making his first start of the playoffs, deposited a changeup into the left field seats for the first two runs on the game.
Two batters after Hernández’s 12th postseason home run for the Dodgers — and his 17th career postseason shot — Freeman left no doubt this time around, taking Sale out, well over the wall in right field for a three-run inning.
Finally getting runs across underscored the work already put in by the Dodgers in making Sale work, and that paid off further when his night was done after five innings and 93 pitches.
Chance are
Ohtani batted fifth in Game 3, the first time in his three years with the Dodgers he’s batted anywhere but first or second. Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani hitting that low — which spaced out lefties Freeman, Ohtani, and Kyle Tucker with two batters in between them — was more of a one-time deployment because he was facing left-hander Chris Sale.
“I don’t think it’s a pressure thing. I do think it’s something where he wants to do more,” Roberts said earlier Tuesday. “But in that same breath, I do think that there’s going to be a couple big spots today where he’s going to be at-bat.”
Sure enough, Ohtani’s first two trips to the plate came with two runners on base. He chased badly on a strikeout in the first inning, but reached on catcher’s inference in the third. Ohtani didn’t bat again with any one on base, but those four total runners on with him at the plate were his most in a game since August 28. Ohtani did walk in the eighth inning, but was stranded.
On the mend
Miguel Rojas started for a second straight game against a left-handed starter, and was hitless in three at-bats. While batting in the eighth inning, Rojas felt something on a swing and left the game in the middle of the plate appearance with lower back pain, the Dodgers announced during the game. Rojas also had one of the aforementioned slips on the west Truist Park turf, loosing his footing in making the final out of the fifth inning on a ground out.
Tommy Edman completed the at-bat and popped out, then remained in the game at second base.
NLDS Game 3 particulars
Home runs: Kiké Hernández (1), Freddie Freeman (2)
LP — Chris Sale (0-1): 5 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 7 strikeouts
Sv — Edwin Díaz (1): 1 IP, 1 hit
Up next
The Dodgers try to close out the series with Tyler Glasnow on the mound on Wednesday night in Game 4 (3:08 p.m. PT, FS1), while right-hander Tyler Mahle goes for the Braves.
SAN DIEGO — If the San Diego Padres didn’t have enough obstacles to overcome the Milwaukee Brewers, they will now be without All-Star closer Mason Miller for at least Game 3 Tuesday night when he was placed on paternity leave.
Miller’s wife, Jordan, went into labor Tuesday afternoon to deliver their first child.
The Padres, who were down 2-0 in the National League Division Series, replaced him on the roster with Wandy Peralta. It’s the second time this series that the Padres will be without a key pitcher with starter Walker Buehler also going on the paternity list before returning Monday.
Miller, the game’s top closer, will likely be replaced in the back end of the game with Adrian Morejon, who has been their setup man. The Padres were also without DH Gavin Sheets, who was scratched with a stiff neck, and replaced him with Samad Taylor.
If San Diego wins Tuesday to extend the series, Game 4 will be played on Wednesday, Oct. 7 in San Diego.
Oct 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; iLos Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas (72) leaves the game after hitting a foul ball off his body against the Atlanta Braves in game three of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Rojas was batting in the eighth inning against Braves reliever Brent Suter when he felt something on a swing, and started walking gingerly around the plate. After brief consultation with trainer Yosuke Nakajima and Roberts, Rojas was removed from the game in the middle of the at-bat, with a 1-1 count.
Tommy Edman popped out to finish the plate appearance, then played the final two innings at second base.
“He probably won’t be in there tomorrow against [Braves right-hander Tyler] Mahle. But just to have him available. Hopefully he feels better tomorrow,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters in Atlanta. “But I give him credit for conceding that at-bat because he wasn’t feeling right. So hopefully got it treated up and will feel better coming into tomorrow.”
Rojas expressed something similar to reporters in the clubhouse.
Miguel Rojas said he felt some tightness in his left lower back/hip area. He wasn’t concerned about his availability going forward.
Rojas also slipped on the wet turf just beyond the infield on a groundout to end the fifth inning. Rojas lost his footing on the play but was still able to throw to first base to retire Ronald Acuña Jr.
So far this postseason Rojas has played in two of the Dodgers’ three games, both starts against a left-handed Braves pitcher, with a start at third base in Game 2 and at second base in Game 3. He doubled off Ray Kerr in Game 2 on Sunday, and was hitless in three at-bats against Chris Sale in Game 3. Rojas during the regular season hit .293/.340/.469 with a 121 wRC+ against southpaws.
The 37-year-old Rojas when he signed a one-year deal last December said his plan was to retire after the season and then move into the Dodgers front office, with a focus on player development. Whether this is actually the final ride for Rojas as a player is still up in the air.
“I’m not thinking about that at all. I’m not thinking about my future or anything. I’m thinking about a player who is hitting sixth today in the lineup to help the team win. And I still feel like I can play the game,” Rojas told reporters in Atlanta earlier Tuesday. “I will never think about stepping away from the game because of my performance or my way to play my game. I think there’s other things in life that I’m contemplating about that decision. But if I have to tell you right now, I’m not 100 percent like Kershaw was last year or others in the past that knew for sure they want to go after this year.
“For me it’s more, I would say it’s a 40/60 right now that I want to stay in the game and I want to play.”
