Jonathan Kuminga's ‘fire' vs. Trail Blazers trends toward rotation stability

Jonathan Kuminga's ‘fire' vs. Trail Blazers trends toward rotation stability originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

If the Warriors are to become a force in the Western Conference, they’re going to need Jonathan Kuminga. For at least as long as he’s on the roster.

Coach Steve Kerr, whose relationship with Kuminga has been a topic of debate for at least two years, has accepted that. The Warriors, the second-oldest team in the NBA, need Kuminga’s athleticism, his youthful vitality and his ability to create offense in isolation. The more he shines, the more they shine.

That’s how, in three months, we’ve gone from the Warriors and Kuminga each exploring outside options toward a divorce to Kerr raving about the 23-year-old forward and even approving of the explosive conduct that led to Kuminga’s ejection Tuesday night in a 118-111 preseason victory over the Trail Blazers.

“I love the way he played,” Kerr told reporters at Moda Center in Portland. “I love the fire, the passion.  I don’t mind the objection at all; I kind of liked it, actually. 

“I thought JK was terrific tonight.”

Prior to being ejected with .9 seconds left in the first half for belligerence in the face of referee Rodney Mott, Kuminga was doing a nice job of following the script the Warriors handed him as a rookie. He was running with velocity, rebounding with force, making smart and timely passes and generally providing the kind of offense no one else on the roster can deliver.

And while Kuminga has adventured into some missteps through four preseason games – with two starts, including Tuesday – there has been enough constructive hoops to encourage the Warriors and a fan base semi-divided over his merits.

He’s shooting 11-of-21 from the field, 3-of-9 from deep. Small sample size, but respectable enough. Where Kuminga is showing considerable advancement is with rebounding and passing. His 17 rebounds rank second on the team, behind only Trayce Jackson-Davis, and his 16 assists rank second on the team, behind only Brandin Podziemski.

To put a finer point on it, JK is flipping dimes at a slightly higher rate than Draymond Green and a much higher rate than Stephen Curry. His 17 rebounds have come in 74 minutes. Quinten Post, a 7-foot center, has 14 rebounds in 79 minutes.

Numbers like that might persuade Kerr to shrug off the brief tantrum that prompted the ejection.

“He kind of got right in Rodney’s face,” Kerr said. “You can’t do that. They’re going to eject you if you do that.

“But, like I said, I like the fire, and I like the energy that he played with. The emotion. I think JK’s having an excellent camp and I’m excited about how he looks.”

That’s the JK the Warriors have been seeking. The JK who inspires concern in opponents They can live with some of the ill-conceived turnovers if the other parts of his game are flourishing. Their roster is light on athleticism, and he’s the most athletic player. Their roster is heavy on high-IQ vets with tremendous aptitude for the game. He’s still on the learning curve but can offer lightning-bolt activity they can’t.

It’s profoundly evident that Kerr and his staff are trying to find the right balance of experience and youth to succeed. With four players – Jimmy Butler III, Al Horford, Curry and Green – age 35 or older, there will be considerable load management in the 82-game regular season. It’s essential that the veterans be competently supported by the 25-and-under group. That means, above all, Brandin Podziemski (22), Moses Moody (23) and Kuminga.

Kerr believes in Podziemski, so he’s assured to get meaningful minutes. Putting Moody in the starting lineup late last season yielded positive results and could happen again. 

Kuminga, however, has been the wild card. In the lineup some nights, in and out of the rotation on a regular basis.

“He got fouled,” Kerr said, again referring to the ejection. “It was a frustration play. I have no problem with it. He deserved the foul (being called). He was getting fouled quite a bit. It was a physical game.

“But the way he ran on that play, the activity that he played with, the rebounding – he had six boards in one half, 17 minutes – that’s the JK who can really help our team.”

Kuminga is trending toward stability. Toward trustworthiness. The Warriors could use that, as could a few other teams. Whether they trade him before the Feb. 5 deadline for someone who is a “better fit” or consider him too valuable to move, they win.

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Toronto Wolfpack players finally paid salaries after five-year battle

  • Canadian club folded during Covid-19 pandemic in 2020

  • Players receive around £750,000 in unpaid income

Players from the former Super League club Toronto Wolfpack have finally been paid around £750,000 in unpaid salaries following a five-year legal battle, the Guardian can reveal.

The Wolfpack folded in 2020 during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic leaving their playing squad – which included the likes of Sonny Bill Williams – unemployed and without a contract. Some of those players were able to source deals for 2021 and continue playing but others retired from the sport altogether and had to take jobs outside rugby league to make ends meet.

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In this postseason, Dodgers' offense starts from the bottom

Kiké Hernández scores a run on a double by Andy Pages in the second inning of the Dodgers' 5-1 win
Kiké Hernández scores a run on a double by Andy Pages in the second inning of Game 2. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers haven’t so much beaten opponents this postseason as they have worn them down. A lineup that underperformed for much of the summer has been relentless, resourceful and unstoppable in the fall.

And deep. Did we mention deep? Because while the Dodgers have stars at the top of that lineup, it’s been the players at the bottom who have done the most damage.

Tuesday’s 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series is the most recent example of that. The Brewers managed to keep Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in check, only to see Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández and Andy Pages knock them down repeatedly, combining for seven hits, three runs and three RBIs to give the Dodgers a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series which resumes Thursday at Dodger Stadium.

And that’s been a trend all postseason: The sixth through ninth hitters in the Dodgers lineup are slashing .302/.391/.448 with 14 RBIs and a playoff-best 35 hits in eight games. The top five hitters in the order are batting .235.

Tommy Edman celebrates after hitting a ground-rule double in the fourth inning.
Tommy Edman celebrates after hitting a ground-rule double in the fourth inning against the Brewers in Game 2 of the NLCS on Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“It's just that trust and belief we have in each other that if you don't get the job done, the guy behind you is going to do it,” said Kiké Hernández, whose two hits Tuesday raised his postseason average to a team-high .379. Hernández has also scored a playoff-high seven runs.

“We know that, one through nine, we have the best and deepest lineup in the league.”

And the hits have been important ones, with Teoscar Hernández tying the score with his second-inning home run and Andy Pages, banished to the bottom of the order after managing just a single in his first 27 postseason at-bats, untying it three batters later by doubling in Kiké Hernández.

“I was just looking for a pitch in the zone that I could hit well,” Pages, who drove a 1-1 change-up into the right-field corner, said in Spanish. “Obviously it was really important. It put the team ahead. But more important was that I was able to make good contact.”

Read more:Yoshinobu Yamamoto's stellar complete game helps lift Dodgers over Brewers in Game 2

Making contact and putting the ball in play has been a hallmark of the bottom half of the Dodgers’ lineup — and it’s probably a big factor in its success. Even with his struggles, Pages has struck out just six times in eight games; leadoff hitter Ohtani has fanned more that twice as often.

“Any time you can create traffic, especially in the postseason, it puts a lot of pressure on the opposing pitchers,” Max Muncy said. “And any time you can get guys on base, it just amplifies that and they’re more liable to make mistakes.”

“From the beginning,” Teoscar Hernández added, “it’s putting pressure on the other side. We still have to go there and get our job done.”

The postseason spotlight is one Kiké Hernández and Edman have thrived under before. Hernández is batting .330 in his last seven postseason series with the Dodgers, almost 100 points better than his career regular-season average. And Edman, who matched Hernández with two hits Tuesday, was named MVP of the NLCS last season after hitting .407 in the Dodgers’ victory over the Mets.

“Those guys, they were made for this moment,” Teoscar Hernández, who leads all postseason players with 10 RBIs. “Kiké, I know he's doesn't get a lot of opportunities in the regular season, but he knows what he can do.”

“He was a player who was born for this moment,” Pages added of Kiké Hernández. “He’s demonstrated that. And he keeps doing it.”

Another key to doing well in the postseason, Teoscar Hernández said, is not paying attention to it. Each game, he said, offers another chance for success or failure and in the playoffs, each game — and each at-bat — is magnified.

So it’s all about what you’ve done lately. Play the game, celebrate the victory or mourn the defeat, then flush it and get ready to do it all over again.

Read more:Hernández: The Dodgers' latest starting-pitching flex? Make the bullpen a non-factor

“I know we have big names in our lineup. We have really good players,” he said. “But at the same time, we still have to go there and get our job done. It's not because we had a good lineup that we score a lot of runs. We go there with confidence, with a plan and the just try to execute.”

If they can do that two more times at home this week, the Dodgers can end the Brewers season and give themselves a week’s rest before returning to the World Series for the second time in as many years.

“We’re good. We’re really good,” said Kiké Hernández, who is one of the reasons for that. “The experience, the trust that we have in each other, that if we're down in the game early, we're going to find a way to come back and tie it or take the lead.

“We're 2-0 in the NLCS, but the goal is to win a World Series, not to win two games on the road. And as we're still playing the Milwaukee Brewers, we're going to focus on them and take it one day at a time. We haven't really accomplished anything yet.”

But when they do, expect the accomplishment to come from the bottom up.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

‘Counterfeiting a code’: NRL announces 10-year ban for players who engage with R360

  • Agents who take players to unregistered competitions also face ban

  • Rules will ‘protect future of the game’, ARLC chair Peter V’landys says

The NRL has vowed to ban any player who leaves the code for R360 for 10 years, as it fights to fend off the threat of the breakaway rugby competition.

In a statement on Wednesday, the NRL also threatened to ban any agent if they take a player to the rebel competition.

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Top 5 Young Guns from Upper Deck's 2025-26 Series One

Let the hunt begin!

On Wednesday, October 15th, Upper Deck releases the first installment of its flagship product, as 2025-26 Series One hits the shelves. 

Series One and Two are highly anticipated due to the coveted Young Guns that are released within the set. These are considered the "main rookie card" for each play, and are highly collectible. 

The Young Guns set includes a 50-player checklist each year, and here is a list of the top-five players to chase in Series One. 

1. Ivan Demidov, Montreal Canadiens. 

Habs fans call him the 'Demi-God', and the demand for his marquee rookie card from Series One flagship will be high. The Russian rookie burst onto the scene late last year and played the final two games of the regular season for Montreal, finishing with a goal and an assist, while adding two more points in five playoff games. He is projected to be a top-six star in Montreal, and already has three points in four games ahead of the Series 1 release (Oct. 15th, 2025).

Ivan Demidov Young Guns

2. Jimmy Snuggerud, St Louis Blues.

Snuggerud was a first-round draft pick of the Blues in 2022. He played the final seven games of the 2024-25 season, scoring a goal with three helpers in those games. He also added two goals and two assists in the Blues' seven-game playoff series against Winnipeg. The 21-year-old forward is off to a hot start this season as well, with two goals and three points in the team's first three games before the release of his Young Guns. 

3. Ryan Leonard, Washington Capitals.

Leonard had a great NCAA collegiate career, notching 61 goals across two seasons with Boston College. He also captained Team USA's U20 team at last year's World Junior Championships, where he tallied five goals and five assists in 10 games. He's gotten off to a slower start at the NHL level with just two goals in his first 14 games, but the scoring abilities are off the charts, and he's expected to be a big-time piece of the post-Ovechkin puzzle in Washington once '8' hangs them up. 

4. Zayne Parekh, Calgary Flames.

It's not too often a rookie defenseman creates buzz around the NHL, but Parekh scored in his NHL debut in the Flames' final game of the 2024-25 season. He's yet to find the scoresheet early in 2025, but has impressed with his smooth skating and playmaking abilities. He filled the scoresheet in the OHL, putting up 87 goals and 240 points in 177 games at the junior level. It's that level of production that has scouts and fans excited about what he could develop into, given the recent trend of young puck-movers putting up strong production from the back-end. 

5. Sam Rinzel, Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks have two young blue liners featured in Series One, but it's Rinzel that I believe will have the most hobby relevance. He was a 2022 first-round draft pick of the Hawks, but played two years of collegiate hockey at the University of Minnesota, scoring 60 points in 79 games at that level. Rinzel then debuted for the Hawks late last season, collecting five assists in nine games. The young defender has just one goal so far in four games this season, but he is a member of the Hawks' top power-play unit, so I'd expect him to produce once that young group gets going. 

Below is the full checklist of 2025-26 Series One Young Guns class: 

201 Artyom Levshunov, Chicago Blackhawks

202 Gabe Perreault, New York Rangers

203 Olivier Rodrigue, Edmonton Oilers

204 Carter Mazur, Detroit Red Wings

205 Ivan Demidov, Montreal Canadiens

206 Tim Washe, Anaheim Ducks

207 Jimmy Snuggerud, St. Louis Blues

208 Jack Finley, Tampa Bay Lightning

209 Jani Nyman, Seattle Kraken

210 Karsen Dorwart, Philadelphia Flyers

211 Riley Duran, Boston Bruins

212 Ozzy Wiesblatt, Nashville Predators

213 Luca Cagnoni, San Jose Sharks

214 Ryan Suzuki, Carolina Hurricanes

215 Sam Morton, Calgary Flames

216 Oliver Moore, Chicago Blackhawks

217 Rodrigo Abols, Philadelphia Flyers

218 Colton Dach, Chicago Blackhawks

219 Noah Ostlund, Buffalo Sabres

220 Niklas Kokko, Seattle Kraken

221 Nikita Tolopilo, Vancouver Canucks

222 Michael Callahan, Boston Bruins

223 Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

224 Quinn Hutson, Edmonton Oilers

225 Jacob Gaucher, Philadelphia Flyers

226 Dalibor Dvorsky, St. Louis Blues

227 Owen Sillinger, Columbus Blue Jackets

228 Matthew Wood, Nashville Predators

229 Donovan Sebrango, Ottawa Senators

230 Jacob Melanson, Seattle Kraken

231 Marc Gatcomb, New York Islanders

232 Ian Moore, Anaheim Ducks

233 Ville Koivunen, Pittsburgh Penguins

234 Dominik Shine, Detroit Red Wings

235 Rory Kerins, Calgary Flames

236 Zayne Parekh, Calgary Flames

237 Joakim Kemell, Nashville Predators

238 Ryan Leonard, Washington Capitals

239 Matthew Robertson, New York Rangers

240 Ethen Frank, Washington Capitals

241 Jacob Quillan, Toronto Maple Leafs

242 Cam Lund, San Jose Sharks

243 Justin Robidas, Carolina Hurricanes

244 Jakub Skarek, New York Islanders

245 Victor Ostman, Seattle Kraken

246 Parker Ford, Winnipeg Jets

247 Skyler Brind’Amour, Carolina Hurricanes

248 Sam Rinzel, Chicago Blackhawks

249 Dylan Duke, Tampa Bay Lightning

250 Ivan Demidov/Artyom Levshunov CL, Montreal/Chicago Canadiens/Blackhawks.

Flames Fall 4–2 to Golden Knights, Drop Third Straight

Starting to skid.

The Calgary Flames (1–3–0) dropped their third straight game Tuesday night, falling 4–2 to the Vegas Golden Knights (2–0–2) at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary built a 2–0 lead early but couldn’t hold off a Vegas rally that saw the defending champs score four unanswered goals.

Mikael Backlund opened the scoring with his first of the season, finishing off a slick setup from MacKenzie Weegar, who disguised his slap pass perfectly to freeze Adin Hill. Blake Coleman added another late in the first, jumping on a turnover and wiring a shot over Hill’s shoulder to make it 2–0.

But Vegas — as they’ve done all season — stormed back. Jack Eichel scored twice, Kaedan Korczak added another from the slot, and Tomas Hertl sealed it with an empty-netter as the Golden Knights continued their early-season trend of comeback victories.

© Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

1. Kadri Line Creating Momentum

The trio of Matt Coronato, Nazem Kadri, and Matvei Gridin was one of the Flames’ bright spots. The line was active all night, driving play with speed and creativity. Kadri’s veteran poise blended nicely with Coronato’s offensive instincts and Gridin’s youthful energy, giving Calgary consistent offensive-zone time. 

2. Third Period Continues to Frustrate Flames

It’s becoming a worrying pattern — the inability to protect leads. The Flames have now surrendered multiple third-period goals in three straight games: four to the Vancouver Canucks, two to the St. Louis Blues, and another two against Vegas. Tuesday’s collapse came despite a strong start and a solid first 40 minutes. Until Calgary can lock things down defensively in crunch time, wins will continue to slip away.

3. Zary’s Development Path Getting a Test

Connor Zary is currently being tested in a fourth-line centre role — not a natural fit for his offensive skillset. Still, he was taking offensive-zone draws late in the game, suggesting the coaching staff is pushing him to take big offensive draws while also rounding out his defensive game. It’s a learning curve for the young forward, but one that could pay dividends if he transitions into a full-time top-six centre down the road.

The Flames will look to rebound quickly as they face the Utah Mammoth tomorrow night.

Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby Moves To 9th All-Time In NHL History For Assists

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby continues to climb the all-time ranks in several categories this season. 

Crosby came into Tuesday's game against the Anaheim Ducks tied for ninth for the most assists in NHL history with 1,063, and is now ninth by himself after getting the secondary assist on Rickard Rakell's goal in the first period. Crosby now has 1,064 assists and is 15 assists away from tying Adam Oates for eighth on the all-time list. 

Crosby has a legit chance to pass Jaromir Jagr on the all-time assists list, who finished his NHL career with 1,155. The former came into this game with two points in three games and now has his third point to start the year.

He'll try to get his fourth later in this game or on Thursday when the Penguins travel to Los Angeles to take on the Kings.  


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

Hernández: The Dodgers' latest starting-pitching flex? Make the bullpen a non-factor

Dodgers Will Smith congradulates Yoshinobu Yamamoto on his complete game in Game 2 of the NLCS at American Family Field.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith congratulates Yoshinobu Yamamoto on his complete game victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the NLCS at American Family Field. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Technically, Roki Sasaki was available to pitch in relief for the Dodgers on Tuesday night.

Realistically, he wasn’t.

“I wouldn’t say unavailable,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “But it is unlikely that we will use him.”

The Dodgers had only one potential silver bullet, and it wasn’t even loaded for Game 2 of the National League Championship Series.

They still won. They still took the best-of-seven series to a place where it’s out of the Brewers’ diminutive reach.

Read more:Yoshinobu Yamamoto's stellar complete game helps lift Dodgers over Brewers in Game 2

How?

By making their bullpen a non-factor.

The possibility of one of their relievers blowing the game was eliminated by a complete game thrown by Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Another late-inning scare was avoided because of a persistent offense that tacked on insurance runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

With a 5-1 victory at American Family Field, the Dodgers extended their lead in the best-of-seven series to two games to none.

Two more wins and the Dodgers will advance to the World Series for the third time in six seasons. Their dreams of becoming baseball’s first repeat champions in 25 years are starting to take realistic shape.

Ninety-three teams have taken a two-games-to-none lead in a best-of-seven postseason series. Seventy-nine of them have advanced.

In other words, this series is over.

If the Philadelphia Phillies couldn’t overturn a 2-0 deficit against the Dodgers, the tryhards from Milwaukee certainly won’t.

With the next three games at Dodger Stadium and Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell scheduled to start those games, the most pressing question about this NLCS is whether it will return to baseball’s smallest market for Game 6.

Don’t count on it.

The Brewers’ bullpen was supposed to be superior to the Dodgers’, but that advantage has been negated by the Dodgers’ superior starting pitching.

Reaching this stage of October has forced the Brewers to exhaust their relievers, so much so that by the time setup man Abner Uribe entered Game 2 in the sixth inning, he might as well have been Tanner Scott.

The Brewers’ bullpen was suddenly as rickety as the Dodgers’, and that was with Sasaki just spectating.

The uncertainty over Sasaki’s ability to take on an October workload is suddenly in question, and that should make for some nervous moments between now and the conclusion of the postseason.

Sasaki’s failure to close out Game 1 sounded alarm bells, and rightfully so. The converted starter still looked exhausted from his three-inning relief appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the NL Division Series. His fastball velocity has gradually declined over postseason, and he’s the type of pitcher who isn’t nearly as effective when he’s throwing 96 mph instead of 100 mph.

“It’s one of those things that we’re still in sort of uncharted territory with him,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers provided an elegant solution for a frightening problem: Throwback starting pitching.

A day after Snell faced the minimum number of batters over eight scoreless innings, Yamamoto registered three more outs in a three-hit performance.

The only run charged to Yamamoto came on a homer hit by the first batter he faced, Jackson Chourio.

For Yamamoto, the start represented an opportunity for redemption.

Redemption for his loss to the Phillies in the NL Division Series and redemption for his start in this ballpark three months earlier, which marked the first time in either the majors or the Japanese league that he failed to pitch out of the first inning.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy didn’t place much stock in that early-July game in which Yamamoto registered only two outs and was charged with five runs.

Read more:Just how much are the Dodgers charging for World Series tickets?

“He’s going to make the adjustment,” Murphy said. “He’s been really, really good. He’s been one of the five best pitchers in baseball.”

However, Murphy warned, “We’ve studied him, studied him, studied him.”

So when Dodgers catcher Will Smith called for a fastball on the first pitch of the game and Yamamoto delivered it, Chourio was ready to pounce. Chourio sent the ball over the right-field wall to move the Brewers in front 1-0.

The Brewers didn’t score again.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Yamamoto throws 3-hitter as Dodgers beat Brewers 5-1 for 2-0 lead in NLCS

MLB: Playoffs-Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers

Oct 14, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) celebrate after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in game two of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Benny Sieu/Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a three-hitter for the first postseason complete game in eight years as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 on Tuesday night to take a commanding lead in the National League Championship Series.

Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy each hit a solo homer as the Dodgers left Milwaukee with a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series, which shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday. Muncy’s 412-foot drive to center field was the 14th homer of his postseason career, breaking the Dodgers record he had shared with Corey Seager and Justin Turner.

Yamamoto allowed a home run to Jackson Chourio on the first of his 111 pitches but shut down the Brewers the rest of the way. The right-hander’s complete game was his first in the majors and the first in the postseason since Justin Verlander did it for Houston against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the 2017 ALCS.

The last Dodgers pitcher to throw complete game in the postseason was Jose Lima against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the 2004 NL Division Series.

This is the first time since 1970 that both LCS road teams started 2-0. The Seattle Mariners own a 2-0 lead in the ALCS heading into Game 3 on Wednesday in Seattle.

Twenty-four of the previous 27 teams that took the first two games on the road in a best-of-seven series with a 2-3-2 format have gone on to win. The three teams to come back after losing Games 1 and 2 at home all came in World Series: the 1985 Kansas City Royals against the St. Louis Cardinals, the 1986 New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox, and the 1996 New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves.

The Brewers pulled out all the stops Tuesday as they tried to avoid that 2-0 deficit. Former Milwaukee slugger Eric Thames got on the field to exhort fans just before the game and popped open his jersey to reveal his bare chest.

The 21-year-old Chourio then delighted a sellout crowd by sending Yamamoto’s first pitch over the wall in right-center field for his fourth career postseason homer, tying Orlando Arcia and Prince Fielder for the Brewers record.

That seemed like a foreboding start for Yamamoto, who lasted just two-thirds of an inning in an 8-1 loss the previous time he pitched in Milwaukee. But he bounced back and silenced the Brewers the rest of the way.

The Brewers have five hits in the series. Los Angeles left-hander Blake Snell limited them to one hit and no walks over eight innings in the Dodgers’ 2-1 Game 1 victory.

Los Angeles became the first team to have consecutive postseason starts of at least eight innings in the same series since San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum did it in Games 4 and 5 of the 2010 World Series against Texas.

After Chourio’s homer, Los Angeles wasted no time coming back against Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.

Hernández, whose baserunning mistake contributed to the Brewers’ unusual 8-6-2 double play in Game 1, sent a 3-2 curve over the left-field wall for his fourth homer of this postseason. Two outs later, Kiké Hernández singled and scored on Andy Pages’ double.

Pages had been 1 for 27 in the postseason before delivering his shot into the right-field corner.

Muncy extended the lead to 3-1 with his two-out homer in the sixth, which came on Peralta’s 97th and final pitch of the night. The Dodgers added two more runs on RBI singles by Shohei Ohtani in the seventh and Tommy Edman in the eighth.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto's stellar complete game helps lift Dodgers over Brewers in Game 2

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers in the fifth inning of a 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers in the fifth inning of a 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the NLCS at American Family Field on Tuesday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Milwaukee Brewers have used the slogan “Magic Brew” as the tagline for their postseason run.

On Tuesday night, the Dodgers made it feel like the magic was running out.

In their first truly stress-free win of these playoffs, the Dodgers slowly suffocated the Brewers in a 5-1 Game 2 victory in the National League Championship Series, riding a complete game from Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a relentless attack from their star-studded lineup to leave the plucky, but overpowered hometown Brewers very nearly left for dead.

In every which way, this one felt like a mismatch.

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates after the final out of the Dodgers' 5-1 win over the Brewers.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates after the final out of the Dodgers' 5-1 win over the Brewers in Game 2 of the NLCS on Tuesday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Milwaukee’s staff ace, Freddy Peralta, couldn’t limit the damage against the Dodgers’ juggernaut lineup, giving up three runs in a 5⅔ inning start.

Milwaukee’s typically opportunistic offense led the game off with a home run, then hardly touched Yamamoto en route to the Dodgers’ first postseason complete-game performance since a José Lima shutout in the 2004 NL Division Series.

Even on defense, the Brewers came up just short. In very nearly the same spot as where he robbed Max Muncy of a grand slam in a mind-bending double play in Game 1, Milwaukee center fielder Sal Frelick drifted back on another drive from Muncy in Tuesday’s sixth inning, made a similar leaping effort at the wall, but this time came up empty as the ball barely cleared the fence.

The Brewers, plain and simple, failed to stack up against the defending World Series champions.

And now, with a commanding 2-0 lead as the NLCS shifts to Dodger Stadium, it would require a major surprise for the Dodgers to let this series return here again.

Despite winning six of their first seven games in this year’s playoffs, little of the Dodgers’ October success had come easy.

In each of their previous three wins (all of which came by just one run), their opponent had the winning or go-ahead run in scoring position in the final inning — including a bases-loaded ninth-inning jam at the end of Monday’s NLCS opener.

In the game before that, the Dodgers let the potential tying run reach base in the eighth. Go back one more contest, and the tying run was at the plate against the team’s shaky bullpen.

On Tuesday, however, there were no late-game theatrics.

Behind Yamamoto’s nine-inning gem, the team imposed its will from the start (well, almost) to the finish.

Only in the first inning, when Jackson Chourio went deep on Yamamoto’s first pitch, did it feel like the Magic Brew was being stirred.

But then, the 27-year-old Japanese right-hander immediately quelled it, turning in yet another historic pitching performance from a Dodgers rotation beginning to make them feel routine.

Teoscar Hernandez hits a solo home run for the Dodgers in the second inning.
Teoscar Hernández hits a solo home run for the Dodgers in the second inning against the Brewers on Tuesday in Game 2 of the NLCS. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Yamamoto was unfazed by a string of early traffic, working around a Muncy error in the second, singles in the third and fourth, and his lone walk of the night in the fifth.

He was dominant down the stretch, retiring his final 14 batters while finishing with seven strikeouts on just 111 pitches.

The Dodgers’ offense, meanwhile, quickly staked him to a lead. In the top of the second, Teoscar Hernández tied the score on a towering home run to left before Andy Pages shot a two-out RBI double down the line for a 2-1 advantage.

And from there, the Dodgers didn’t relent, eventually pulling away after Muncy’s home run in the top of the sixth.

With a swing that both stretched the Dodgers’ lead and etched his name into Dodgers postseason history, Muncy took Peralta deep on the right-hander’s final pitch, hitting his 14th career playoff home run (a franchise record) on a scorching line drive to center.

For a brief moment, some in American Family Field cheered, believing Frelick had denied Muncy of a long ball just like he did on the Game 1 double play.

Alas, Muncy kept rounding the bases this time as Frelick revealed his glove to be empty. And from that point on, a crowd of 41,427 watched in relative silence, as the Dodgers scored again in the seventh (on an RBI single from Shohei Ohtani, breaking a one-for-23 slump going back to the start of the division series) and the eighth (on an RBI single from Tommy Edman) to give Yamamoto breathing room to finish his complete-game domination.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The latest on Yankees coaching staff changes

Less than a week after their season ended in an American League Division Series loss to Toronto, the Yankees have made several changes to their coaching staff.

According to league sources, the team is promoting hitting coordinator Jake Hirst to the major league staff, moving on from longtime bullpen coach Mike Harkey and first base/infield coach Travis Chapman, and discussing a new role in the organization for beloved assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler.

The Yankees are also bracing for the potential of losing third base/outfield coach Luis Rojas and hitting coach James Rowson to managerial opportunities. Rojas has interviewed for the vacancy in Baltimore, league sources say. The New York Post first reported that Rowson is a candidate for the Minnesota job.

Taken together, these represent significant changes for manager Aaron Boone’s staff. The rest of the staff -- bench coach Brad Ausmus, pitching coach Matt Blake, assistant pitching coach Preston Claiborne, assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes, major league field coordinator and director of catching Tanner Swanson -- will likely be invited to return.

The Yankees value Rojas and Rowson, and would keep both unless another team hires them to manage.

Harkey served as bullpen coach for a total of 16 years across two stints. Pitchers loved his feel for the game and warm personality.

In an email, Harkey said, “Had a great 16 years and I’m very grateful for the opportunity I had with the Yankee organization! I wish them nothing but the best!!”

Hirst, who has coached most of the Yankees’ homegrown players, attracted interest this fall for major league jobs in other organizations.

Roessler, 65, has long been a valued member in the organization, going back to his time in a leading role in player development in the mid-2000s. He later went on to serve as hitting coach for both the Mets and Washington Nationals before returning to the Yanks.

He is beloved by stars like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, whom he coached both with the Yankees and Nationals. The Yankees were happy with his performance as assistant hitting coach and are considering ways for him to help the organization.

Top Prospect Will Be Out Of Lineup In Anaheim For 'Development Plan'

It appears that one of the top prospects for the Pittsburgh Penguins will see his first game as a healthy scratch Tuesday.

Head coach Dan Muse said that 19-year-old defenseman Harrison Brunicke will not play against the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday as part of the development plan the team has laid out for him. 

Muse mentioned that these planned scratches are part of the team's process for both Brunicke and fellow teenage rookie Ben Kindel, who is just 18 years old and was drafted 11th overall by the Penguins this summer. 

"We're looking at what's best for him and his development," Muse said. "It's all part of a plan for them laid out by management and the coaching staff. They're in a different position because of their age, and we want to put them in the best position to succeed."

It's Only Been Three Games. But Kindel And Brunicke Should Be In Pittsburgh To Stay.It's Only Been Three Games. But Kindel And Brunicke Should Be In Pittsburgh To Stay.Going into Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp this season, it's safe to say that most folks did not have 2025 11th overall pick Ben Kindel making the NHL roster out of the gate.

Brunicke registered his first NHL goal on Thursday in a 4-3 win against the New York Islanders and has one point in three NHL games to start his career. Kindel has the same exact stat line, as he scored his first NHL goal Saturday against the New York Rangers, which is his lone point on the season so far.

In the first three games this season, Brunicke worked on the third defensive pairing with Caleb Jones, and Kindel has been centering the third line. Kindel is expected to play against Anaheim.

Penguins At Ducks Preview: Penguins Looking To Bounce Back After Saturday's LossPenguins At Ducks Preview: Penguins Looking To Bounce Back After Saturday's LossThe Pittsburgh Penguins will start their run through California on Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. 

"I Felt Good": Cam Talbot Speaks After Clutch 38-Save Performance

Sometimes, an NHL team needs their goaltender to be the best player on the ice. For Detroit Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot, that was exactly the case on Monday afternoon against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Talbot backstopped the Red Wings to their second consecutive victory over the Maple Leafs with a spectacular 38-save performance, singlehandedly keeping Detroit alive in their contest that saw Toronto largely dominate play. 

By the time everything was said and done, the Maple Leafs had a 40-15 advantage in shots, but it was the Red Wings who secured the two points in the standings thanks to a 3-2 final score. 

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“I felt good from the get-go," Talbot explained of his performance. "Made a couple big stops early and confidence grows, especially after last game. I’m just trying to make the saves I’m supposed to make and give our team a chance to win. I feel like I was able to do that tonight.”

Talbot made 20 saves on the 23 shots he faced as part of Detroit's 6-3 victory over the Maple Leafs at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday evening, which was his first start of the new campaign. 

He likely earned himself another start with his clutch play in both games.

The Red Wings struck first thanks to a first period power-play goal from Dylan Larkin, and later increased that lead to 2-0 in the third period thanks to a strong power move to the net by first-year Detroit forward James van Riemsdyk, who was making his Red Wings debut. 

While the Maple Leafs managed to pull even with goals from Matthew Knies and Calle Jarnkrok, the Red Wings stunned the crowd at Scotiabank Arena with the game-winner from another first-year Red Wings forward, Mason Appleton, with just 45 seconds left in regulation. 

It was Appleton who took teammate Lucas Raymond's spot on the top line after the latter departed the contest following a heavy hit into the boards from Toronto's Chris Tanev. 

"That's A Good Sign": Red Wings Find Positives In Win Despite Being Outshot "That's A Good Sign": Red Wings Find Positives In Win Despite Being Outshot Getting outshot by a 40-15 margin and constantly getting hemmed into their defensive zone wasn't the strategy for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit Red Wings </a>on Monday afternoon, and yet things still worked out for them thanks to a superhuman performance from goaltender Cam Talbot.&nbsp;

Talbot highlighted how other Detroit players stepped up in the absence of Raymond, which, combined with his 38 saves, resulted in Detroit's victory. 

“We’ve put together a couple good ones here, and we knew this was going to be a tough one and that we were going to need everybody," Talbot said. "You lose Ray at some point during the game, and other guys have to step up.

"You throw Apps on that top line, and he buries a big one for us with 45 seconds left. That’s how good teams win hockey games, and we had contributions from everyone tonight.”

"We gave up a two-goal lead and didn’t quit. It didn’t look like we were real polished, but we didn’t quit. That’s a good sign.”

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Takeaways: Nashville Predators Fall In Hard-Fought Fashion To Maple Leafs

Oct 14, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron (47) celebrates with forward Cole Smith (36) after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

After a 4-1 victory in Ottawa against the Senators Monday afternoon, the Nashville Predators faced their first test of finishing a back-to-back on the road.

Tuesday night, the Preds traveled to Toronto for the second of a four-game swing through Canada. They fought hard, but came up short in a 7-4 loss to the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, John Tavares, Bobby McMann, Auston Matthews (2) and William Nylander scored for the Maple Leafs.

Michael Bunting, Erik Haula, Roman Josi and Nick Perbix tallied the Preds' goals.

The Maple Leafs were coming off two consecutive losses to the Detroit Red Wings, and took out their frustrations on the Predators. They built a 2-0 lead before the Preds roared back early in the second with two goals in 44 seconds to tie the score.

The Leafs answered with three goals of their own and staved off a spirited comeback by the Predators, who suffered their first loss in regulation and fall to 2-1-1 for the season.

Preds head coach Andrew Brunette scratched Brady Martin for the second game in a row. He told reporters earlier in the day this was part of Martin’s development plan.

With Martin sitting, Tyson Jost skated on a line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly. Ozzy Wiesblatt made his season debut and collected two assists on the night.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

The Preds Showed A Lot Of Heart

Toronto was desperate to play well in front of the home crowd, and showed it in the opening period.

The Preds couldn’t register a shot through the first six minutes, but finally began narrowing the gap and ended the frame with eight shots to Toronto’s nine. Problem was, two of the Leafs’ shots went into the net, and built a 2-0 lead.

The second period saw the Preds outshoot the Leafs 14-6, with McCarron and Haula bringing them even 2-2 with goals just 44 seconds apart.

Once again, Toronto refused to give in, and the Preds found themselves sinking in quicksand despite showing grit throughout the game.

The two teams traded a total of four goals in the final four minutes of the game. The Preds tallied eight goals in their first two road games, twice the number they scored in the first two home games combined. They left Toronto without a win, but didn't allow the Leafs to run away from them.

Big Juice Was Outdueled

Oct 14, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann (74) shoots the puck against Nashville Predators goalie Justus Annunen (29) in the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

It was a battle of the backup goalies, with Justus Annunen getting his first start of the young season. Cayden Primeau was in net for the Leafs.

It was Primeau who came out on top, stopping 22 of 26 shots. Annunen saved 18 of 23 Leafs shots.

While Annunen kept the game from getting completely out of hand, he was out of position on McMann’s goal after Brady Skjei made a great defensive play on the initial shot. That gave the Leafs their two-goal lead back after the Predators had worked hard to get back in the game.

Juuse Saros has been virtually unstoppable through his first three games, posting a 2-0-1 with a 1.64 goals-against average and .947 save percentage. No one is expecting Annunen to be Saros's equal, and the No. 1 guy has to be rested once in a while.

One game is too small a sample size to judge, but Big Juice will need to have some big games to keep hopes of a turnaround season alive for the Preds.

The Power Play Has Lost Power

Stop us if you’ve read this before: the Preds’ power play was stalled again.

The unit seems to be more inclined to pass rather than take a shoot-first approach. They’re failing to get penetration and find consistent chances to score.

Nashville came into the game a paltry 1-for-15 with the man advantage, an Tuesday did nothing to raise that percentage. They didn't have as many opportunities as they did against the Sens the day before, but failed in both their tries against the Leafs.

The penalty-kill unit didn’t have to work as hard, either, compared to the penalty fest in Ottawa. They successfully killed off both penalties and are now 11-of-12 through four games.

Their only blemish on the young season came Monday against Ottawa, when they gave up an empty-net goal on a 6-on-4. Otherwise, they are perfect in 5-on-4.