Philadelphia 76ers guard Jaylen Brown takes a shot prior to a preseason NBA basketball game against his former team, the Boston Celtics, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Boston.
During Saturday’s preseason game between the Celtics and the 76ers, NBA stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown completely ignored each other throughout warmups, making it pretty clear they’re still at odds.
In their first meeting since the offseason blockbuster trade, the two former top Celtics picks pretended that the other didn’t exist, despite being in mere steps away from one another.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Jaylen Brown, center, warms up prior to a preseason NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, his former team, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Boston. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
Jaylen Brown was pivotal for the Celtics last season, as his 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game kept Boston at the top of the Eastern Conference while Tatum was recovering from an Achilles injury.
Boston faced low expectations at the start of last season due to the departures of Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis, as well as Tatum’s injury. Brown’s contributions ensured the Celtics remained a top-two seed in the East, but their season ultimately ended with a collapse to Philadelphia after a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.
The relationship between the Celtics and Brown grew sour during the season, and in his unofficial return, the five-time All-Star didn’t even sit courtside. According to NBC Sports Boston sideline reporter Abby Chin, Brown spent most of the 144-106 76ers loss in the locker room.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Jaylen Brown (7) warms up prior to a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Jaylen Brown, a former Celtic, is in the building,” Chin reported in the second quarter. “He’s not on the bench. So, we believe he’s back in the locker room here in Boston for the first time since he was traded away this summer.”
Tatum posted 23 points, five rebounds and four assists against the shorthanded 76ers, as Philadelphia also rested Joel Embiid and LeBron James.
Brown doesn’t make his official return to the TD Garden until Jan. 21. Boston will begin the first of four meetings between the two teams on November 10th in Philadelphia.
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 11: Peyton Watson #8 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Orlando Magic during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 11, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business in their second preseason game as they dispatched the Orlando Magic 119-105 in what was overall a much cleaner performance than their first outing on Thursday.
Mario Hezonja needed a game like this.
His debut on Thursday was rough. He looked out of place and a step or two slow against a versatile, athletic Boston Celtics team. That wasn’t the case on Sunday, as he poured in 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Maybe Hezonja just needed to get his feet under him. Maybe it was playing against a much bigger and more physical team. Either way, this was a much better outing for Hezonja.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson called Hezonja a “diesel train” pregame, saying that he wants to see him get downhill in transition and attack the offensive boards. We saw him do both as he scored a few baskets in transition and had a nice and-one after grabbing an offensive rebound in the first quarter.
Hezonja has the skills to be an offensive connector, functional dribbler, floor spacer, and impactful rebounder. Every team would like to have a backup four that could provide all of those things. Hezonja was that player this game.
The NBA game is much different than what Hezonja was used to in Europe. Atkinson said that he’s tried to incorporate things from the international game into what the Cavs do. Hezonja laughed it off when he asked if there were similarities between Cleveland’s offense and what he thrived on over in Europe.
“I wish in Europe that we play like this,” Hezonja said. “I wish. I wish, because this is smart. This is what it is. But also you don’t have this type of personnel in Europe. … The entire (NBA) game is based on reads nowadays.”
This isn’t the only adjustment Hezonja is making. He’s also getting used to fitting into a different role than what he’s been used to over the past six years with entirely new teammates.
“So you’re just adjusting to the system, coming off the bench, trying to see who are my teammates on the court, what they need, what type of game is it until I get in there,” Hezonja said. “So, just reading over there, it gets a little bit maybe for a couple seconds [it’s weird], but then the experience kicks in.”
Getting used to the Cavs won’t happen overnight. But based on the skills that he showed on Sunday, being patient for him to get up to speed seems like it’ll be worth it.
“It’s an adjustment,” Atkinson said. “We’ve got to have empathy for that. It’s not going to happen overnight.”
James Harden looks ready for the regular season after his preseason opener on Sunday. Harden was able to get wherever he wanted on the court, scored with ease, and created contact to generate free-throw attempts. This resulted in 24 points on 7-for-10 shooting with two assists in 26 minutes.
Atkinson wants to see how Evan Mobley fits alongside Harden. The Cavs have experimented with different lineup combinations throughout these two exhibition games. One that may stick is the Harden and Mobley grouping.
“James’s ball handling can help Evan, especially in the pocket,” Atkinson said. “Can we see that more? We’ll see if we can stick with it, but so far I’ve liked it.”
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Overall, Atkinson said that we shouldn’t look too deeply into the rotation, especially in terms of the backup point guards. That said, it’s worth pointing out that Tyrese Proctor hasn’t gotten much of a chance to prove anything in the preseason.
Meleek Thomas is more of an unknown commodity. Getting him as much run as possible with rotation players in a setting like this is important and worthwhile. However, those minutes have come completely at the expense of Proctor, which isn’t a good sign for him.
We’ll see if this changes for the final tune-up game on Tuesday, where Atkinson expects the starters to play more than they did here. As of now, it’s difficult to envision Proctor getting rotation minutes at the start of the season.
The Magic aren’t as good of an offensive rebounding team as the Celtics. That’s worth pointing out. Yet, it is encouraging that the Cavs were able to do a much better job in this area.
Rebounding is one of the points Atkinson has continually pointed out as wanting to improve this year. This performance was a step in the right direction.
Peyton Watson struggled to establish an offensive rhythm. He aired a three and overall just didn’t seem as comfortable offensively here as he did against Boston, as he went 3-for-10 from the floor for just six points.
“He got a little clunky there offensively, just him not knowing our principles and how we play,” Atkinson said. “We’ll clean that up. I’m not worried about that.”
Like Hezonja, this is an adjustment period for Watson as well.
“Just a little bit more unpredictability,” Watson said when asked what the difference was between this offense and the ones he was a part of with the Denver Nuggets.
The Cavs are giving Watson more responsibilities. They’re allowing him to create with the ball and entrusting him to be more than just a floor spacer or cutter. This added freedom should allow him to grow into a better all-around player. But there could be bumps along the way. This is in addition to figuring out what lineups he fits with best.
“It’s all about instincts and knowing how to play the game around two elite offensive players, just knowing where to be. Whereas with Joker (Nikola Jokic), I kind of knew every time down he was going to have the ball on the floor, on this spot or this spot, and the play or the cut was going to be for me to do this or do that.
“Here, there’s a lot more possibilities of things that I can do/bring to the table. I think that it’s an adjustment. I’m still getting acclimated, but I couldn’t be happier to be in this situation. I think it’ll really benefit my game, and I think it’ll benefit the team as well.”
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brice Turang homered off Tarik Skubal and Milwaukee’s bullpen shut down the Los Angeles Dodgers after Jacob Misiorowski’s taxing outing, sending the Brewers to a 2-1 victory in the NL Championship Series opener on Sunday night.
Luis Lara hit a tiebreaking single off Skubal in the fifth inning as Milwaukee took Game 1 in the first NLCS matchup of 100-win teams since the Cincinnati Reds eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies in 1976. The Brewers had dropped seven consecutive postseason games against the Dodgers, including a sweep in last year’s NLCS.
Game 2 is on Monday in Milwaukee. Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers, and Logan Henderson takes the mound for the Brewers.
Los Angeles, looking to become the first team to win three straight championships since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, grounded into three double plays, stranded nine runners and went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 2 for 22 in the playoffs.
DL Hall replaced Misiorowski with a runner aboard and got Freddie Freeman to ground into a double play, sending a charge through the rollicking crowd of 42,617. Abner Uribe allowed two hits in the sixth, then struck out Andy Pages with runners on the corners for the final out of the inning.
Aaron Ashby pitched two innings before Trevor Megill got three outs for the save. Kyle Tucker and pinch-hitter Josue De Paula walked with two down in the ninth before Mookie Betts flied to the center-field warning track.
The Brewers are among five current teams that have never won it all.
The Dodgers made Misiorowski throw 35 pitches in the second inning. Pages drove in Shohei Ohtani on a grounded single into right field, and Tucker loaded the bases when he reached on a 10-pitch walk that included four foul balls.
But Misiorowski limited the damage when he got Kiké Hernández to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
Turang responded with a leadoff drive into the home bullpen in the fourth. It was the second career postseason homer for Turang, who went 1 for 15 with six strikeouts in last year’s NLCS.
Sticking with the same brand of baseball that resulted in the majors’ best record this year, Milwaukee went ahead to stay in the fifth.
Garrett Mitchell reached on a leadoff walk and advanced on rookie Cooper Pratt’s sacrifice bunt. Lara, another rookie, then grounded an RBI single into center field. The Brewers loaded the bases with two down, but Skubal escaped the jam when William Contreras flied to right.
Up Next
Yamamoto is 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 postseason appearances. The Japanese right-hander pitched a three-hitter in a 5-1 victory at Milwaukee in Game 2 of last year’s NLCS.
Henderson is making his second career postseason start. The right-hander tossed five-plus innings of two-run ball in Milwaukee’s 4-3 win over San Diego in Game 2 of their NL Division Series. He went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts against Los Angeles this season.
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal wipes his face while headed to the dugout after giving up a run in the fifth inning. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
First and foremost, the Dodgers wanted Tarik Skubal on their team. When they pursued him at the trade deadline, they saw him as the rare player who could improve their odds of winning a third straight World Series.
It didn’t hurt that by acquiring him they prevented other postseason contenders, including the Milwaukee Brewers, from landing the two-time Cy Young Award winner. The Dodgers guaranteed that they wouldn’t have to face him in October.
“I’m sure it’s in the back of your head, the teams that are interested,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Sunday before the Dodgers’ 2-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. “Certainly not a driver, but not nothing either. As far as how happy I am, I am very happy it’s Skubal versus Miz and not Miz and Skubal [for the Brewers] in the next two.”
That sentiment rang even truer when the Dodgers dropped Game 1 at American Family Field, despite forcing “Miz” — Jacob Misiorowski, the NL Cy Young favorite — out of the game in just 4⅓ innings, and despite having Skubal, who struck out seven in five innings but gave up two runs in a fine effort, on their side.
“That’s our job, trying to get the starter, especially when you’re facing a guy like him, out of the game early,” said left fielder Teoscar Hernández, who logged two hits against Misiorowski. “I think we did a pretty good job, we just didn’t get the job done when we needed with guys in scoring position.”
The Dodgers hit into three inning-ending double plays in the first five innings and overall left nine men on base, going one for six with runners in scoring position.
In a role reversal, the Dodgers, who scored almost exclusively via the home run in the first round, pulled ahead with a pesky approach at the plate.
Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani opened the second inning with a four-pitch walk. Then Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages hit opposite-field singles to move Ohtani around the bases and give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
Taking a similar “grind him out” approach to the one they deployed against Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale in Game 3 of the Division Series, the Dodgers forced Misiorowski to throw 35 pitches in the inning — 10 alone to Kyle Tucker, who worked a walk.
By the third inning, Misiorowski’s fastball velocity, which touched 104 mph, had dropped to double digits. And though the Dodgers didn’t score again against him, they continued to rack up his pitch count. By the time he exited with one out in the fifth, it was at 94.
The Brewers, known for their peskiness, instead tied the score with one swing against Skubal. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Brice Turang got the barrel of his bat to an inside sinker and lifted it over the fence in left-center, into the Brewers’ bullpen.
“A 2-0 sinker in, I mean, I’m going to live with that, left-on-left,” Skubal said. “He put a good swing on it. The first at-bat he broke his bat [on a similar pitch], ground ball.”
Though the Brewers have players who can hit home runs, they pulled ahead the next inning with a sequence more closely aligned with their identity.
Skubal walked Garrett Mitchell on five pitches. Brewers rookie Cooper Pratt moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. And then Luis Lara sent a ground-ball single through the middle of the infield to drive in the go-ahead run.
“The leadoff walk just can’t happen,” Skubal said. “It gives them an opportunity to create something, and ultimately that’s all they needed today.”
Skubal battled traffic to get out of the inning without giving up another run. But in such a tight game, that marked the end of his start.
The American Family Field atmosphere added an extra charge to the close contest. The home crowd was perhaps its loudest (until an ear-splitting cheer at the final out) when it took issue with a balk call against Misiorowski. It looked as if he had picked off Hernández to end the fourth inning, but Hernández instead was awarded second base.
The Brewers' Jake Bauers is tagged out by Dodgers second baseman Kiké Hernández after he was caught too far off first base by by pitcher Alex Vesia. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
That play still was seared into their collective memory when Dodgers left-hander Alex Vesia picked off Jake Bauers at first base. Brewers fans shouted “balk!” over and over.
The bullpens battled to a scoreless draw, the Dodgers’ last stand falling flat after Tucker and pinch-hitting rookie Josue De Paula drew a pair of two-out walks against Trevor Megill. Mookie Betts drove a deep fly ball to the warning track, momentarily silencing the crowd, until Mitchell closed his glove around it. So the edge the Brewers gained against Skubal held.
“You can’t go into a long series against a team that has the best record in baseball and expect to just win four,” Roberts said after the game. “It’s going to be a long series. We knew it coming in. We had our chances, but they made plays, pitches when they needed to. We’ve just got to reset. We’ve got our guy going [Monday], who we trust undoubtedly, and we’ve got to win a baseball game.”
That guy is right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who last year threw a complete game at American Family Field in Game 2 of the NLCS.
The road doesn’t get much easier for the Dodgers’ offense Monday, when it’ll face right-hander Logan Henderson, who held the Dodgers to one run in seven innings when the Brewers came to Los Angeles in August. But imagine if instead the Brewers had outbid the Dodgers and they had to go through Skubal first.
“It would look really different,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday. “What those guys do — they had the best record in baseball. Certainly when you’re talking about a seven-game series, to see Tarik on the other side … the series would look a lot different.”
MILWAUKEE (AP) — It was a really challenging night for Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski.
The front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award labored just to make it to the fifth inning of the NL Championship Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night.
Los Angeles fouled off 21 of his 94 pitches by the time his final batter, Mookie Betts, reached on a one-out walk in the fifth. The 24-year-old allowed one run and five hits.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander threw 44 pitches at 100 mph or higher, reaching 104 mph on his initial offering to Freddie Freeman in the first. The Dodgers swung at 27 of his 62 fastballs, fouling off 16 and missing just five.
Misiorowski went 16-5 with a major league-low 1.80 ERA in 30 starts this season while averaging 100.6 mph with his four-seam fastball. He also led the majors with 252 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings.
He struck out five and walked three in his second start this postseason. He tossed four innings of two-run ball in Milwaukee’s 3-2 win over San Diego in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Oct. 3, reaching triple digits on 52 of 88 pitches.
Misiorowski was helped by three inning-ending double plays against Los Angeles, including Kiké Hernández’s bouncer to shortstop with the bases loaded in the second.
DL Hall replaced Misiorowski and got Freeman to ground into a double play, delighting the yellow towel-waving crowd of 42,617.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Shane McClanahan will not pitch for the Tampa Bay Rays in the postseason.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday the left-hander will not be added to the AL Championship Series roster after pitching 118 innings this year in his return following a two-year absence.
McClanahan had Tommy John surgery and then a nerve issue that forced him to miss 2024 and 2025. He was 10-7 with a 3.36 ERA in 24 starts this season before being placed on the injured list with left forearm tightness in early September.
“He’s a healthy pitcher. We are incredibly appreciative and grateful for the contributions that he gave us to get us to this point,” Cash said. “I don’t think any of us could have envisioned that he was going to get to that 120-inning mark and do it in a pretty dominant fashion. I mean, I think he’s got to be up there for Comeback Player of the Year with the time that he missed.
“But felt it made the most sense that his season is over. He’s going to go into the season as a healthy pitcher. Right now, he’s really focused on being the best teammate, which he does that pretty seamlessly and cheering his buddies on.”
The Rays host the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday night.
MILWAUKEE –– The Dodgers did almost everything right early on Sunday night.
Key word: Almost.
In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, in a marquee pitching matchup between a reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner and this year’s presumptive recipient of such hardware, the Dodgers came in with a clear game plan against the Milwaukee Brewers and their young stud ace, Jacob Misiorowski.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani greets teammates prior to Game 1. AP Photo/Abbie ParrMilwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski pitches during the first inning. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
They wanted to stress Misiorowski’s pitch count by working tough, long at-bats. They wanted to shorten their swing against his 105 mph fastball and hit balls the other way. They wanted to get him out of the game quickly and let their own ace, Tarik Skubal, pitch with a lead.
“Try to make him earn,” infielder Kiké Hernández said. “Make him grind it out.”
On almost all accounts, they were successful.
There was just one problem.
“We didn’t score enough,” Hernández sighed.
Indeed, in a 2-1 loss at American Family Field that put the Brewers in front to open this best-of-seven series, the Dodgers wasted chance after chance against Misiorowski and the Brewers’ stout bullpen, hitting into three double-plays, stranding nine men on base, and squandering an early lead en route to a Game 1 defeat.
It almost did, of course, with the Dodgers putting together the kind of quality at-bats that have become a trademark of their October offense.
Misiorowski needed 94 pitches to get through only 4 ⅓ innings. He gave up five hits, four of them to the opposite field. He topped out at 104 mph with his fastball, yet got the Dodgers to whiff on only five of their 27 swings against it.
“I thought our approach was really great,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said.
However, after an RBI single from Andy Pages in the second inning, the team wouldn’t score again.
Instead, the Brewers rallied in front of a raucous home crowd, tying the score on Brice Turang’s solo home run in the fourth before taking the lead on an RBI single from Luis Lara in the fifth.
Those were the only real mistakes Skubal made in his five-inning, seven-strikeout outing. But in a game that saw the two bullpens combine for 7 ⅔ scoreless frames –– a potential preview of things to come this series –– that would be two too many to prevent a Game 1 defeat.
“It’s gonna be a good series,” Kiké Hernández said. “For us, it’s a matter of turning the page and coming back being ready to play tomorrow.”
Granted, Sunday’s opener was always more important for the Brewers –– who were trying to protect home-field advantage, and needed to capitalize on Misiorowski’s start given the lack of star power in their rotation behind him.
Still, the result will sting for the Dodgers, after they seemingly had the game where they wanted it early, only to cede control with their costly string of missed opportunities.
Fans cheer prior to Game 1 of baseball’s National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. AP Photo/Kyla Wolf
The Dodgers spent Saturday’s off-day workout prepping for Misiorowski’s unprecedented fastball velocity, using a drill Albert Pujols introduced to the team in 2021 –– in which they took swings against a velocity machine from several steps in front of home plate –– to calibrate their approach against his triple-digit heat.
From the start, the strategy paid off. Just like against Braves ace Chris Sale in the NL Division Series, the Dodgers extended at-bats and created stress repeatedly.
In the first, Freeman singled on a line drive the other way, though that was negated by a Will Smith inning-ending double-play (extending what is now a 1-for-19 postseason drought for him).
In the next at-bat, Kyle Tucker continued the grind, battling his way to a 10-pitch walk that kept the rally going.
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani scores a run during the second inning. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Suddenly, with the bases loaded and Misiorowski nearing 40 pitches in the second inning alone, it appeared the Dodgers were on the verge of a knockout blow.
They would regret not making it come to fruition.
Instead, Kiké Hernández bounced into another double-play that allowed Misiorowski to escape the danger, representing a turning point that even Hernández felt “changed the game.”
Misiorowski’s pitch count continued to climb in the third (when Betts hit a leadoff single) and the fourth (when Teoscar Hernández hit a leadoff single, then was gifted second on a controversial balk call that negated a pick-off), but the Dodgers again failed to add to the lead.
In the fifth, he was finally chased from the mound afrer a one-out walk from Betts. But even then, Freeman hit into yet another double-play four pitches later against reliever DL Hall.
In case you had forgotten, the Dodgers hit into more double-plays (128) than any other NL team in the regular season.
“I don’t think it was anything about frustration,” Teoscar Hernández said. “It’s just, we need to be better with guys in scoring position.”
On Sunday, the trend would quickly prove costly.
After three dominant innings to start the game from Skubal –– who struck out six of his first nine batters, including three on three pitches –– Brice Turang stayed inside a tailing 2-0 sinker to leadoff the fourth and deposited it in the Brewers’ left-field bullpen.
Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) celebrates a solo home run. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The solo blast tied the game. It awoke a sold-out, yellow-towel-waving crowd at American Family Field. And it set the stage for the Brewers to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth.
All around Milwaukee’s home ballpark, signs have displayed the club’s slogan for this October: “Win Our Way.”
In the fifth, the Brewers showed what that meant.
Epitomizing their style of so-called Brewer Ball, the club’s small-ball offense put its identity on display. Garrett Mitchell drew a leadoff walk. Cooper Pratt bunted him to second. Then, with a short swing on a hanging first-pitch changeup, Luis Lara bounced an RBI single back up the middle.
It was something out of seemingly nothing –– a reminder of how the Brewers, with their bottom-10 payroll of $123 million, ranked second in the majors in scoring this year (despite hitting the second-fewest number of home runs).
“They’re a good baseball team,” Skubal said. “They do that type of stuff.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal looks toward the plate after giving up a home run. AP Photo/Abbie Parr
The Brewers almost broke the game open after that, later loading the bases with two outs while inflicting their own damage on Skubal’s pitch count. And though Skubal would get out of it, he wouldn’t return for the sixth, removed after 80 throws in the shortest start of his postseason career.
Four Brewers relievers, meanwhile, would make the 2-1 lead stand up, stranding more runners in the sixth (when Pages struck out against Abner Uribe with runners on the corners), the eighth (after Smith drew a walk) and once again in the ninth (when closer Trevor Megill walked two batters with the bases loaded, including pinch-hitting rookie sensation Josue De Paula, before finally ending the game on a flyout from Betts).
So often, they almost seemed to get to the Brewers.
But in the end, it was Milwaukee that executed its game plan more clinically, drawing first blood in an NLCS rematch that already looks nothing like last year’s Dodgers sweep.
“You can’t go into a long series against a team that has the best record in baseball and expect to just win four,” Roberts said. “It’s going to be a long series. We knew it coming in. We had our chances, but they made plays, pitches when they needed to. We’ve just got to reset.”
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 11: Garrett Mitchell #5 of the Milwaukee Brewers runs home to score and take the lead in the fifth inning during Game One of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Sunday, October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
A pair of long inning cut short the promised battle of aces in Game 1 of the National League Championship, but the overall adage that runs would be hard to come by still proved true. Both teams scratched across a single run in their big innings, but the Brewers added a solo home run which was the difference in a 2-1 win over the Dodgers on Sunday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
Tarik Skubal struck out six batters his first time through Milwaukee’s batting order, stranding Jake Bauers after a one-out double in the second inning, the only batter to reach base in the first three innings against the left-hander.
Brewers second baseman Brice Turang made his mark in the field with a tremendous stop and throw well behind the bag to get Mookie Betts in the first inning, then made a lightning-fast turn on a double play which ended a big Dodgers rally in the second.
Then Turang got Milwaukee on the board with a leadoff home run in the fourth inning, going other way to left center field off Skubal to tie the game at 1-1.
The fifth inning was the stressful one for Skubal, with his only two walks of the game. The first one — Garrett Mitchell — was sacrificed to second base then driven home on a single by No. 9-hitter Luis Lara, giving the Brewers their first lead. A single and walk loaded the bases with two outs but William Contreras flew out to strand three.
Skubal escaped the big inning but needed 26 pitches in the fifth alone, and that was his final frame. After his first time through the order, Skubal allowed four hits and two walks to his next 12 batters, with one strikeout.
The Dodgers knew they were in for a battle against likely National League Cy Young Award-winner Jacob Misiorowski, who throws in triple digits more than anyone else and is usually a nightmare to face. They tried a deliberate approach.
“It’s more a little bit conceding the slug, hitting the ball out front, to then seeing the ball a little bit longer to spoil pitches, to shoot the ball the other way. That’s how you’ve got to beat this guy,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters in Milwaukee before Sunday’s game. “To think you’re going to catch him out front and pull it in the air is bananas.”
This was a plan similar to what the Dodgers used against Chris Sale in Game 3 of the Division Series last Tuesday, and got him out of the game after five innings, with three runs in the bank.
The Dodgers made Misiorowski work, fouling off 21 pitches and running six different three-ball counts, three of the latter in the second inning alone. The Dodgers scored a run in that inning and had the bases loaded but couldn’t get more in a 35-pitch frame by the big right-hander.
Misiorowski needed 94 pitches to get his 13 outs, none of the five innings in which he appeared a clean one, with five singles and three walks allowed. But the Dodgers were only able to plate one run against the Brewers, thanks in part to grounding into three double plays in the first five innings alone.
The Dodgers led the National League this season with 128 double plays, third-most in the majors.
In relief
Two Dodgers singled in the sixth inning against Abner Uribe but did not score, and Will Smith walked against Aaron Ashby in the eighth against the Brewers bullpen, with four pitchers combining for 13 outs to close out the game.
Closer Trevor Megill walked Kyle Tucker with two outs in the ninth to keep the game going, then 21-year-old pinch-hitter Josue De Paula did the same to keep the game going. But Mookie Betts flew out to end the game.
Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, and Tanner Scott combined for three scoreless innings of their own, with six strikeouts, with only a single and one unintentional walk allowed (plus two intentional free passes, who were stranded). Scoring against these bullpens should be difficult. Now it’s just a matter of seeing if relative early access to relievers in Game 1 bears fruit later in the NLCS.
But the Brewers got the win in front of them on Sunday, and lead the NLCS, one game to none.
Both Yamamoto and Henderson have allowed 18 earned runs since the All-Star break — in 84 1/3 innings over 12 starts with 86 strikeouts for Yamamoto, and in 75 innings over 13 starts with 80 strikeouts for Henderson.
MILWAUKEE — It was Milwaukee Brewer baseball on full display Sunday evening, showing the baseball world why they’ve won more games than any team in baseball the past two seasons.
They also showed the Los Angeles Dodgers that this edition of the Brewers won’t be the pushover that embarrassed themselves in the National League Championship Series a year ago.
The Brewers, playing the style of baseball that earned them 103 victories this season, stunned the Dodgers with a 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the NLCS in front of a sellout crowd of 42,617 at American Family Field.
They pitched, with ace Jacob Misiorowski permitting one run in 4 ⅓ innings while their bullpen came in and pitched 4 ⅔ shutout innings.
The Brewers produced only six hits, but they worked their pesky magic.
They bunted.
They executed the hit-and-run.
They attempted stolen bases.
They even showed they could homer, with second baseman Brice Turang hitting his first postseason longball.
And now, for the first time in five years, the Dodgers are facing a deficit in the NLCS in their bid to become the first National League team to win three consecutive pennants since the 1942-1944 St. Louis Cardinals. And no National League has ever won three consecutive World Series titles.
“I think the organization is fantastic …,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gushed about the Brewers. “They play baseball. They play baseball the way it was intended. They value 90 feet. They take extra bases. They defend well. They're athletic. They prevent runs with really good pitching and then with the defense layered in. They don't give pitches away. They hit to all fields.
“And with that, they're in every game."
The Brewers became the first team to keep two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from completing six innings in his eight career postseason games. Skubal still showed just why he was the most wanted man at the trade deadline, and why he’ll become the richest pitcher in baseball history this winter when he hits free agency, but the Brewers forced him to throw 81 pitches and beat him playing small ball in the fifth inning.
The Brewers showed off their playbook going ahead in the fifth with Garrett Mitchell drawing a leadoff walk. Rookie Cooper Pratt laid down a sacrifice bunt. And fellow rookie Luis Lara drove in Mitchell by slapping a single up the middle, giving the Brewers a 2-1 lead. They threatened to blow the game open when they loaded the bases, but Skubal escaped the jam when William Contreras flied out to right field.
It was certainly a relief for the Brewers, who badly wanted Skubal, too, at the trade deadline. The Brewers put in what they thought was an aggressive bid, but it just wasn’t as good as the Dodgers’ offer.
“I thought that if they wanted to outbid us, they could," Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told USA TODAY Sports, “”but because of the team they have and the depth of the team they have. It would be easier for them to add that extra prospect.
“The Dodgers run an exceptional organization. Yes, it's not easy to be that exceptional, and they're exceptional in everything. That's not easy. Yeah, they're getting showered with money. Well, why do you think they have all this money? Because they've been so smart in their business."
Certainly, Skubal could still change the fate of this series, with Skubal scheduled to go in Game 5, but Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations, dreaded the idea of having to face Skubal and Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski, too.
“I’m very happy it’s Skubal vs. Miz,’’ Friedman before the game, “and not Miz and Skubal in the next two.’’
Just as the San Diego Padres did in the NL Division Series, the Dodgers copied the same blueprint and also wore down Misiorowski early.
Misiorowski threw 69 pitches just to get through the first three innings – including 35 pitches in the second inning when the Dodgers scored their lone run. They could have blown it open but Enrique Hernandez grounded into a bases-loaded double play to end the inning.
While the Padres fouled off 29 of Misiorowski’s 88 pitches in their game, the Dodgers fouled off 16 of Misiorowski’s first 69 pitches and 21 in the game. Misiorowski, who allowed eight baserunners, threw 94 pitches and lasted just 4 innings.
No problem.
The Brewers turned to their vaunted bullpen, and the firm of DL Hall, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill closed it out.
“I think the success they've had over the last handful of years, the deepness of their roster,’’ Friedman said, “really stands out. It's hard over 162 to do what they've done. .. I think there's really not a glaring weakness. So 1 through 26, they can beat you in a lot of different ways. Those are the kind of things that I feel like you need in October.
“If you're just reliant on hitting a homer, tough way to live life. They just have so many different ways to do it."
The Dodgers certainly aren’t panicking, not with World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound for Game 2. They also are accustomed to comebacks, down 3 games to 2 to the Toronto Blue Jays in last year’s World Series, only to cross the border going home with a World Series trophy.
“Once you get through the marathon and you get to the sprint of the postseason,’’ Roberts said, “advantage goes to us in the sense of the experience.’’
Then again, now that the Brewers are back in the NLCS, they’re starting to get that experience, too.
“They’re playing with confidence," Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts said, “so that may have been all they needed. To get real experience, and a real taste of it, and now they know what they have to do.”
New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown speaks at a press conference as the New York Knicks practice at Madison Square Garden Training Center in Greenburgh, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.
This was a day for “mindfulness.”
A day that Knicks coach Mike Brown used to remind his players that others can be going through their own personal issues they might not be aware of.
Prior to practice Sunday, rather than watching film, Brown chose to discuss something beyond basketball.
New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown speaks at a press conference as the New York Knicks practice at Madison Square Garden Training Center in Greenburgh, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
He also brought up the loss of his ex-wife in 2025 and the impact it had on his sons and him.
“As a coach, it’s not all about X’s and O’s every single day. Any time you can try to enlighten guys in different areas of life, not just about the basketball court, you try to do that,” he said. “This is something I thought about doing because I discussed it with a few of my coaches maybe a week and a half, two weeks ago. It was just speaking on being mindful or having mindfulness when it comes to your teammates.”
Karl-Anthony Towns appreciated it. He is one of three Knicks who are extension-eligible. Towns has been vocal about his disappointment that a new deal hasn’t gotten done, and Friday the Knicks released a statement that they were cutting off talks until later in the year.
“It was really cool to have Coach talk to us about being human, about the struggles in life,” Towns said. “Us being together and us understanding where everyone is in life and the situations they deal with will allow us to be even more connected and allow us to be an even better team.
“I want to make sure I say that. I have to give flowers to Mike. That was an amazing job by him as our leader to approach the elephant in the room and to allow us, the players and the coaches, the ones who were on that court in Game 4, Game 5, who really found a way to get this title back to New York, to be human. I think that’s an amazing thing.”
Brown made it clear this wasn’t just about the contractual issues. It was about the Knicks growing closer as a family and being there for one another.
“We have to hold each other accountable, but we also have to be mindful that you may have some s–t going on in your life that may not be good,” he said. “So we can’t keep trying to beat you up to be better at your job. Sometimes, it’s trying to figure out how to do that while uplifting you because I don’t know what you’re going through at home in your private life.”
What started as an opportunity for the Philadelphia Flyers to change the narrative on their awful season ended in brief but noticeable chants for the club to fire head coach Rick Tocchet, following an uninspired 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes that set a most undesirable franchise record.
Now 0-5-2 with no silver lining or signs of hope, Tocchet's Flyers are now winless through their first seven games of the season, marking the first such instance in franchise history.
This would be a different story, contextually, if the Flyers kept each of those seven losses close, but the two overtime losses are disservices to how badly New Jersey and Carolina outplayed them in those games.
The reality is that, outside of the 2-1 loss to Ottawa on Thursday night, the Flyers have been smacked around the rink on a nightly basis. Effort and "compete" have been constant talking points discussed by the players, Tocchet, and even general manager Danny Briere himself.
That shouldn't happen two weeks into a season, if at all, and it follows a season where the Flyers made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
As much blame as the players should get, as the ones playing the game, equal blame should fall on the shoulders of the coaching staff and front office.
For instance, prospect defenseman Oliver Bonk, who played on Saturday night for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, was called up and immediately pressed to action, getting a jarring wake-up call having to play against the Hurricanes on Sunday.
Placed on the top defense pairing next to Travis Sanheim, the pair was torched for three of the Hurricanes' four goals, with Bonk also getting whistled for two penalties in the first period.
Forward Matvei Michkov is the only Flyers player with multiple goals this season. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
With Helge Grans still on the roster, it was just plain unnecessary to throw Bonk to the wolves in the manner the Flyers did, even if they do feel he deserves to play games for them going forward.
David Jiricek had given the power play some spark, aiding the team to man-advantage goals in two straight games, but the Flyers again went 0-for-3 against the Hurricanes. The Flyers make scoring goals in the NHL look like a miraculous feat, and their defending and shot suppression are virtually non-existent.
Outside of Joseph Woll, who was in net for all four Hurricanes goals on Sunday, there is not a single bright spot for the Flyers through their first seven games, and that is not hyperbole.
At some point, the Flyers are going to feel even more pressure to make a significant, meaningful change that goes beyond the faint "Fire Tocchet" chants heard hurtling down from the few remaining fans in the building on Sunday night.
Flyers fans are chanting "Fire Tocchet" as the arena is clearing out.
And Bump has two goals and an assist in his two games for the Phantoms since returning to the AHL, for what that's worth.
Somehow, some way, the Flyers have to do something, because carrying on like this clearly is not working.
If they don't, they'll subject their building block veterans and youngsters to another losing, meaningless season, which will assuredly have downstream effects when it comes to wanting to compete for a Stanley Cup in the future.
Skubal’s outing was successful for the Dodgers at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner was brought to Los Angeles with the intention of having him strengthen the pitching depth and rotation for the postseason.
He was acquired by the Dodgers in a blockbuster trade with the Detroit Tigers in early August, sending outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handed pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith to Detroit.
Skubal allowed his first hit in Game 1 to right-handed hitter Andrew Vaughn in the bottom of the second inning. Vaughn was eventually left stranded at third base after Skubal struck out Cooper Pratt.
Skubal was dominant to start, striking out six batters through the first three innings. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts replaced Skubal with Alex Vesia to start the bottom of the sixth inning.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy chose to insert Vaughn into the lineup as the designated hitter instead of Christian Yelich, a left-handed batter for the Brewers. The decision was influenced by Vaughn's success against left-handed pitchers such as Skubal.
Here's how Skubal fared in NLCS Game 1 win over the Brewers:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jared McCann broke a tie with 5:27 left and the Seattle Kraken overcame NHL career leader Alex Ovechkin’s first goal of the season to beat the Washington Capitals 5-3 on Sunday night.
Jordan Eberle, Frederick Gaudreau, Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Winterton also scored to help the Kraken improve to 4-2-0. Joey Daccord stopped 33 shots.
On the deciding goal, McCann cut to the middle and beat goalie Logan Thompson on a quick shot. Ryan Winterton iced it with 2:40 left.
Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner also scored for Washington as the Capitals dropped to 3-2-0. Thompson made 22 saves.
After back-to-back penalty kills, Seattle got off to a quick start, with Kakko sneaking in a rebound just 6:06 minutes into the game.
The Capitals responded with two goals in a 5:06 span. First, Kyrou buried a cross-ice feed from Cole Hutson for his first with Washington. Then, after a strong forecheck and forced turnover from brothers Aliaksei and Ilya Protas, Ovechkin got the puck alone in front and sniped a quick shot past Daccord for his 930th NHL goal.
RANGERS 6, CANUCKS 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Ty Kartye and Will Cuylle scored two goals each and Dylan Garand made 19 saves as New York beat Vancouver in their first game since losing goaltender Igor Shesterkin for the season with a knee injury.
Kartye snapped a 2-2 tie with his second goal of the game at 18:25 of the second period and the Rangers went on to win their fourth straight at home to start the season.
Alexis Lafreniere and Gabe Perreault also scored for the Rangers, while J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad each had two assists.
Kartye opened the scoring 27 seconds into the contest. Vancouver’s Jake DeBrusk tied it at 17:04 of the first before Cuylle put New York ahead with his first at 2:09 of the second.
Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson scored short-handed at 16:56 of the second to tie the contest again before Kartye’s go-ahead goal.
Lafreniere extended New York’s lead to 4-2 with his team-leading fifth of the season on the power play at 1:04 of the third. Perreault made it 5-2 at 5:57. Cuylle scored again with less than five minutes to play.
HURRICANES 4, FLYERS 1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho each had a goal and an assist and Carolina beat Philadelphia, handing the Flyers their franchise-record seventh straight loss to open the season.
Flyers rookie defenseman Oliver Bonk had a rough second period in his season debut and was a factor in three Carolina goals.
Svecnhikov scored his fourth goal of the season at 10:16 of the second period to open the scoring. Bonk turned it over to former Flyer Sean Walker at the blue line, and Walker fed Svechnikov, who skated into the slot and snapped a wrister past goalie Joseph Woll.
Aho fed a pass through Bonk, who turned around at the side of his own net, to another former Flyer, Shayne Gostisbehere, who banged home his second goal of the season to make it 2-0. Both of Gostisbehere’s goals this season have come against his former team.
Aho later netted his sixth goal of the season on a pass from William Carrier. Svechnikov stripped Own Tippett in the neutral zone and fed Carrier, who blew past Bonk and slid the pass to Aho, who had an open net to shoot and score the Hurricanes’ third goal.
