Oct 7, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages (44) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning in game four of the NLDS...
As the Dodgers are set to advance to the NLCS for the third year in a row from a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves, Andy Pages did something that the Dodgers haven’t done in a long time.
Bring home runners in scoring position.
Pages’ two-RBI go-ahead single in the seventh inning was the first time in the series they had a hit with runners on base.
Andy Pages snaps the Dodgers’ 0-14 drought with runners in scoring position. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Coming into Wednesday, the Dodgers were 0-14 with runners in scoring position, as they’ve relied heavily on the long ball.
Through the first two games of the series, Pages was hitless and was enduring an 0-7 cold streak. In Game 3, he had two hits, then had another two-hit performance in Game 4, putting his series average up to .286.
The Dodgers’ first run in Wednesday night’s victory came after Shohei Ohtani scored on an error by Mauricio Dubon, when the ball bounced off his glove.
After Pages gave them the lead, the Dodgers added an insurance run when Max Muncy hit a solo home run over the right field fence.
Starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up only one hit, while striking out five batters.
Los Angeles Dodgers snap a 0-14 drought for runners in scoring position. AP Photo/Colin HubbardDodgers snap a 0-14 drought for runners in scoring position. AP Photo/Mike Stewart
The Braves threatened in the sixth inning, when Ozzie Albies hit a leadoff double off of Alex Vesia. Manager Dave Roberts brought in Edgardo Henriquez to retire the next three batters he faced and pitched two more outs in the seventh.
Edwin Diaz came out to close the ninth and needed only eight pitches to pick up his second save of the series, as he had one strikeout and ended the game by getting Austin Riley to fly out towards right.
San Diego, California - September 26: Walker Buehler #10 of the San Diego Padres reacts after Gabriel Moreno's #14 of the Arizona Diamondbacks single during the third inning at Petco Park on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
It’s game 4 of the NL Division Series as the Padres will try to force a game 5. Walker Buehler will get the start for the Padres while the Brewers will depend on LHP Robert Gasser. First pitch at Petco Park is scheduled for 9pm central time and the game broadcast is available via Fox/FS1.
New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) scores a hat trick goal during the third period of a game against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, N.Y., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026.
The first goal in Alexis Lafrenière’s eventual hat trick Tuesday showcased what the Rangers have known, the offensive flashes they’ve always tried to make sustainable with the No. 1 pick in 2020.
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But the final two, which occurred 32 seconds apart in the third period of their 5-2 win, captured another step for Lafrenière. His defensive game has earned the trust of head coach Mike Sullivan in 5-on-6 situations — when opponents have their goaltender pulled while trailing late — recently, and during the past two wins, Lafrenière has rewarded that belief.
“It means a lot,” Lafrenière said postgame of Sullivan’s trust in those situations. “You always want to be out there late in games, either when you’re down one, up one, whatever it is.”
That serves as another layer of the phrase Sullivan used Monday, when he said that Lafrenière — after a strong finish last year to a 24-goal, 57-point campaign — still has “untapped potential.” There’s more that the Rangers coaching staff will “try to pull out of him,” Sullivan said.
New York Rangers left wing Alexis Lafreniere (13) scores a hat trick goal during the third period of a game against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, N.Y., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The offensive potential has always been evident with Lafrenière. That was the case again Tuesday, when Mika Zibanejad slid a pass to him from his knees early in the second period and Lafrenière ripped a shot past Semyon Varlamov, off the crossbar and in. Those moments have been fleeting for most of his Blueshirts career, but Sullivan stuck by his top line of Lafrenière, Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault early in the season in hopes of capturing what made them the Rangers’ most dynamic group to end 2024-25. Their production Tuesday, which helped extend their winning streak to four games, was another sign that Sullivan’s strategy has started to pay off.
But then there’s the 5-on-6. The late-game situations. The chance that Sullivan described as an earned responsibility. He flipped the pair of pucks into the Islanders net after the Rangers cleared their zone, and with just over 40 seconds remaining Sunday, Lafrenière blocked a shot by Utah’s Dylan Guenther before drawing a penalty. Through five games, he sits in a tie for third in the NHL with four penalties drawn.
“We think that he’s a guy that’s very capable there, so we’re challenging him there to bring a defensive conscience in those situations — and he gets rewarded with some empty-net opportunities,” Sullivan said postgame Tuesday. “We’re not just handing that stuff to [Lafrenière]. We think he’s earned that, and that’s why we’ve given him that opportunity. … His complete game on both sides of the puck continues to grow and develop.”
Rangers legend Mark Messier dished out plenty of praise for 18-year-old defenseman Alberts Smits — the No. 5 overall pick in June’s draft who proceeded to make the opening night lineup — during the second intermission Tuesday.
“He’s played four games in the National Hockey League,” Messier, now an NHL analyst, said on ESPN, “and he’s looked like he’s playing 400 games in the National Hockey League. His nuances and the subtleties of his game are unparalleled for anybody I’ve seen play this position. … He’s not gonna be on the highlight offensive reels there, but this is the kind of guy you win Stanley Cups with because he does all the subtleties — he’s a shutdown defenseman that’s only 18 years old.”
CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox were never going to roll through the postseason unscathed.
Oh, it was tempting to imagine it, what with the sweep of the Houston Astros in the wild-card round and opening the ALDS by taking two games off the Cleveland Guardians at their ballpark. The hitters were providing timely offense, the pitchers were stifling opponents, and no stage is proving too big for a team as chill as it is young.
It all seemed to be setting up perfectly for the White Sox to come back to Rate Field and clinch their first postseason series at home since 1906.
Baseball is rarely that tidy, however. After a 9-3 loss to the Guardians in Game 3 of the ALDS on Wednesday, Oct. 7 — a game that wasn’t even as close as the score indicated, to be honest — the White Sox have to find a way to channel that enthusiastic oblivion that’s served them so well in this historic season.
Game 4 is Thursday, Oct. 8.
“It’s baseball. You’re not going to win every game. That’s the reality of it,” second baseman Chase Meidroth said. “But you know, tomorrow is a new day.”
And a loss like this is likely going to be easier to put behind them than a white knuckler that came down to the last few at-bats.
Almost everything went wrong for White Sox
It’s not as if they played well and still lost. Little, if anything, went right for the White Sox. They were outhit for the first time this postseason. Their 19 strikeouts — yes, 19 — was an MLB record for a nine-inning postseason game. They were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. They stranded eight.
The nine runs the White Sox gave up were three times what they allowed in the first two games of the series. They walked 10. Jo Adell and Jose Ramirez both hit triples, the first time Cleveland has had multiple triples in a postseason game.
The White Sox got on the board first with Kyle Teel’s RBI double in the first inning. But the Guardians took control of the game with a four-run third inning. Steven Kwan tied it up with an RBI single. Three batters later, Adell’s triple made it 4-1.
The White Sox would chip away at Cleveland’s lead, getting an RBI double from Tristan Peters in the fourth and scoring another after Hunter Gaddis plunked Colson Montgomery and Sam Antonacci in consecutive at-bats. But their momentum was never sustainable.
“We’ve just got to be able to execute a little bit better, get outs,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “And, again, we’ve talked about this the whole series, that these guys are going to make you pay for walks. First couple games they didn't. But today, they did.”
White Sox have been resilient all year
While the White Sox clubhouse was silent after the game, this is not a team that’s going to wallow and get in its own head. They don’t know to get stage fright or overthink. They’ve spent the entire season merrily defying expectations — the first team in Major League Baseball to make the playoffs after losing 100 or more games in consecutive seasons — and having a blast doing it.
They were counted out before the season even began. And after they lost 13 of their first 19 games. And after they lost four in a row at the beginning of August. And after they lost eight of 11 in early September. And after … well, you get the idea. Every time, the White Sox have been able to put their woes behind them.
They don’t see why it should be any different now.
“Just everybody in the clubhouse,” lefty Hagen Smith said. “Everybody believes in each other and plays super hard and plays until the last out. So I’m super confident for tomorrow.”
The White Sox still only have to win one game while the Guardians have to win two. Even if they lose Game 4, the White Sox would keep playing. If Cleveland loses Game 4, its season is over.
A loss, even one as bad as this, doesn't change anything for the White Sox. They can't make the mistake of thinking it does.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
The Test series shapes as one of unforced errors and modest scores with both sides unconvincing with the bat and relying on their bowling attack
Lost among the looking back to Australia’s Test tour of South Africa in 2018, there lies a similarity to the team about to take on that challenge in 2026. The previous side relied on a primo bowling quartet of Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, along with David Warner’s power as opener and the middle-order ballast of Steve Smith. The rest of the batting was makeshift: Cameron Bancroft the recently added opener, Usman Khawaja with at that stage a parlous record away from home, and the Marsh brothers an entirely unknowable quantity at five and six.
This time around, the same four bowlers have burnished their careers by a further 998 Test wickets, the proven batting still consists of one aggressive left-handed opener plus Smith, and Australia otherwise remain makeshift.
ATLANTA — Andy Pages drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the seventh inning to give Los Angeles the lead, and the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Wednesday night to clinch their NL Division Series.
The Dodgers won back-to-back games in Atlanta to take the best-of-five matchup 3-1 and advance to the National League Championship Series as they seek to become the first NL team to win three straight World Series.
Pages lined a 3-2 pitch from Robert Suarez up the middle to drive in Teoscar Hernández, who singled off starter Tyler Mahle, and pinch-runner Tommy Edman for a 3-1 lead. Didier Fuentes walked pinch-hitter Josue De Paula and Kyle Tucker to load the bases. Edman ran for De Paula.
Max Muncy’s solo shot off Raisel Iglesias in the ninth padded the lead and gave the slugger 19 postseason homers with the Dodgers, extending his franchise record.
Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow, making his first start since Sept. 24, allowed only one hit but walked five batters in 4 2/3 innings. After he issued two walks in the fifth, left-hander Alex Vesia ended the inning on Matt Olson’s groundout to second base.
The missed opportunity left the Braves with 18 walks in the series, and none scored.
Glasnow and four relievers combined to give up just three hits. Tanner Scott pitched a perfect eighth before Edwin Díaz got three quick outs for the save.
Mahle, a native of Newport Beach, California, who grew up a Dodgers fan, allowed two runs — one earned — in 6 1/3 innings.
Michael Harris II hit Glasnow’s first pitch for a single before stealing second and eventually scoring from third on a wild pitch that bounced off catcher Will Smith’s chest protector.
The Dodgers pulled even in the second with the help of two Atlanta errors. Shohei Ohtani walked, stole second and advanced to third on catcher Sean Murphy’s errant throw into center field. Muncy’s pop fly into shallow left field was dropped by shortstop Mauricio Dubón for another error, allowing Ohtani to score.
Hernández crashed into the wall while attempting to catch Ozzie Albies’ double off Vesia leading off the sixth. Hernández pointed to his head and neck when talking to an athletic trainer but remained in the game.
Edgardo Henriquez stranded Albies at second. Henriquez allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Injury report
Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas was held out after leaving Tuesday night’s 3-1 win during an at-bat in the eighth inning with lower back soreness. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Rojas would not be available off the bench.
Ronald Acuña Jr. started in right field for Atlanta one day after being moved to designated hitter in a late lineup change due to right knee soreness.
Up next
The Dodgers will face Milwaukee or San Diego in Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday.
The Colorado Avalanche did just about everything but finish on Tuesday night.
Colorado outshot Winnipeg 34-19, generated sustained pressure throughout the game and erased two separate deficits, but Kyle Connor’s second goal of the night with one minute remaining lifted the Jets to a 3-2 victory at Canada Life Centre.
Jaden Schwartz and Fedor Svechkov each recorded a goal and an assist for Colorado, while Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 16 of 19 shots. Stuart Skinner was the difference for Winnipeg, turning aside 32 of 34 shots in an outstanding performance.
The loss drops Colorado to 1-5 in its last six road games against the Jets at Canada Life Centre.
Cale Makar following a 6-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.
First Period
Colorado pressed on the gas early—and when we say gas, we mean literally. Cale Makar tattooed a slap shot from the point at 101.9 mph, but Skinner came up with a big save to keep the game scoreless.
More than six minutes into the period, Colorado started creating quality chances. Brock Nelson, a finalist for the Selke Trophy last season as the NHL’s best two-way forward, stripped the puck from Winnipeg forward Cole Perfetti, dangled around a defender and fed Nazem Kadri for a one-timer from the right circle. Skinner, however, made the save in the breadbasket.
Near the halfway point of the period, the Avalanche earned their first power play of the night after Dylan Samberg was called for hooking Artturi Lehkonen. Colorado failed to convert, but spent much of the man advantage in the offensive zone as Skinner continued to impress between the pipes.
With about eight minutes remaining, Colorado continued to press. After Nathan MacKinnon won an offensive-zone faceoff, Kadri wasted no time firing a quick shot on net, but Skinner came up with another sharp blocker save to keep the game scoreless.
Colorado went on its first penalty kill with just under three minutes remaining after Fedor Svechkov was called for delay of game after shooting the puck out of play. Svechkov was acquired in the offseason trade that sent Jack Drury to the Nashville Predators.
The Avalanche killed the penalty, and the first period ended in a 0-0 tie.
Second Period
Jaden Schwartz broke the tie 2:51 into the period when he pounced on a puck the Jets mishandled in front of their net. He stepped into the loose puck and fired it past Skinner to give Colorado a 1-0 lead.
Colorado goal!
Scored by Jaden Schwartz with 17:09 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Fedor Svechkov and Brent Burns.
The advantage didn’t last long, as Kyle Connor scored off a deflection to tie the game at one. It was his fourth goal of the season and the 14th of his career against the Avalanche.
With just under six minutes remaining in the period, Devon Toews stepped into a one-timer, but Skinner came up with the pad save. At that point, Colorado had outshot Winnipeg 27-12.
The Jets regained the lead with 1:44 remaining when Cole Perfetti redirected a shot with his left skate, sending the puck through Blackwood’s five-hole to make it 2-1. It was Perfetti’s third goal of the season, extending his goal streak to three games, and the fourth of his career against Colorado.
Despite trailing after 40 minutes, the Avalanche held a commanding 27-17 edge in shots.
Jets star Josh Morrissey also suffered an upper-body injury, possibly to his wrist, late in the period and did not return.
Third Period
Colorado found itself shorthanded during another critical stretch when Brock Nelson was assessed a cross-checking penalty at 8:19 after sending Jets defenseman Jack St. Ivany into the end boards.
The Avalanche killed off the penalty and eventually found their equalizer with 7:25 remaining.
Svechkov jumped on a loose puck in front of the net following a shot from Brett Kulak and poked it past Skinner for his first goal as an Avalanche and the 13th of his NHL career. Schwartz picked up an assist on the play.
With one minute remaining, Connor struck again on an odd-man rush. Mark Scheifele fed him a perfect pass in the low slot, and Connor fired it past Blackwood’s left pad to put Winnipeg back in front 3-2.
The Avalanche pushed for another equalizer but couldn’t find one, falling by a 3-2 final despite holding a 34-19 advantage in shots.
Colorado will look to bounce back Thursday against the Calgary Flames at the legendary Saddledome. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. local time, with Scott Wedgewood slated to make his first start of the season.
Cameras caught the couple seated during a tense (on-field) moment in the first inning with two strikes and two outs. Their neighbors recommended they stand up to watch the pitch as another fan was standing in front of them.
Yankees starter Max Fried struck out the Tampa Bay Rays hitter for the third out, and the pair high-fived nearby fans to celebrate.
The five siblings of longtime Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss filed an opposition Wednesday, Oct. 7 to her attempt to block selling their shares of the team, according to ESPN.
The opposition was filed on behalf of the siblings seeking to sell their shares of the team to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, who agreed to buy the team from Mark Walter for $12.5 billion.
ESPN's Shams Charania published a statement on X from the siblings, which read, “Jimmy, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss, the five of six siblings who voted to sell the Trust’s shares in the Lakers, today filed their formal opposition, demonstrating that Jeanie Buss’s petition is legally and factually baseless.
"While discussions among the siblings continue, their focus remains on facilitating the proposed transaction and the Trust’s participation in it, while ensuring that all beneficiaries, including Jeanie, are treated equally. Today’s filing is a necessary step to protect those interests and ensure the transaction proceeds on schedule."
Jeanie Buss needs her siblings to retain at least 15% of the team for her to continue to serve as governor and controlling owner.
Kushner and Iger agreed to the purchase in mid-August.
USA TODAY Sports could not immediately obtain the court filing.
The Dodgers' Andy Pages reacts after hitting a tiebreaking, two-run single against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning Wednesday. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
The Dodgers punched their ticket to the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 win in Game 4 of the division series on Wednesday at Truist Park.
The Dodgers got a tiebreaking, two-run single from Andy Pages in the seventh, Max Muncy’s third homer in four games and a shutdown effort by the bullpen.
It’s the ninth time in the last 14 seasons that the Dodgers advanced to the NLCS, and they will be seeking their sixth World Series in 10 seasons starting Sunday against either the Milwaukee Brewers or San Diego Padres.
Dodger right-hander Tyler Glasnow limited the Braves to one hit and one run in 4-2/3 innings. But walks prevented him from pitching deeper into the game.
His five walks were tied for the second-most he’s given up in a postseason game. The only time he topped that was in Game 1 of the 2020 World Series, when he pitched for Tampa Bay and issued six walks to the Dodgers.
The lone run he gave up was made possible by Braves leadoff hitter Michael Harris II’s speed. He got on top of Glasnow’s first pitch, a fastball up and out of the strike zone, to shoot a single through the right side.
Harris then stole second and failed to capitalize on catcher Will Smith’s off-target throw, which got past second baseman Kiké Hernández and bounced into the outfield. But no matter. Harris advanced to third on Matt Olson’s groundout.
Then, in an 0-and-2 count to Ozzie Albies, Glasnow spiked a curveball in front of the plate. Smith managed to block the ball, despite the high bounce, but it rolled back toward the mound, giving Harris time to dash home.
Glasnow didn’t have another runner get past first until the fifth when, when he issued his second walk of the inning with two outs. That spelled the end of his start.
The Dodgers’ offense followed up their two-homer performance against Braves ace Chris Sale the night before with an anticlimactic effort against Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle.
They hadn’t faced Mahle since April, when he was with the San Francisco Giants and racking up a 5.13 ERA. But he’d been lights out since the Braves acquired him, authoring a 1.99 ERA. In his postseason debut, he limited the Philadelphia Phillies to one run in seven innings.
The Dodgers faced that new and improved version of Mahle on Wednesday.
“He’s on a nice run here,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “We’re certainly not going to take him lightly. We’ve got our work cut out.”
The one run the Dodgers scored against Mahle was something of a fluke.
In the second inning, Shohei Ohtani, who moved up to the cleanup spot after hitting fifth the day before, drew a five-pitch walk without taking a swing. He then stole second base, drawing an errant throw that allowed him to advance to third. So, he was in position to score the tying run when Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubón, who robbed Freddie Freeman of a home run as the left fielder the day before, dropped a popup in shallow left.
The Dodgers recorded only three hits against Mahle in 6 ⅓ innings. So, the game would come down to the bullpens.
Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández had a scary moment in the sixth inning. He crashed into the wall in an all-out effort to nab Albies’ double off left-hander Alex Vesia. Hernández was slow to get up and put his hand on his head as he talked to an athletic trainer but stayed the game.
Then in the top of the seventh inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases with a single from Teoscar Hernández, a walk from pinch-hitting rookie Josue De Paula, and a five-pitch walk from Kyle Tucker.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 07: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after a strike out against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning in game four of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 07, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A strong bullpen and stellar defense have been calling cards for the Atlanta Braves all year. But slip ups on both fronts, combined with the consistently-inconsistent offense, doomed the Braves in Game 4 of the NLDS. By a final score of 4-1, the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the Braves at home and will advance to the NLCS.
As the only Braves player with an offensive pulse this entire postseason, Michael Harris II was already doing more than his fair share. But he was determined to put this team on his back once more. After Tyler Mahle set down the Dodgers in a 1-2-3 top of the first, Harris single-handedly created a run. He laced the first pitch he saw for a single, stole second base, moved over to third base on a Matt Olson groundout, and scored on a wild pitch to get the Braves on the board 1-0. Mahle and Michael set the tone for a promising start.
Unfortunately, a leadoff walk to Shohei Ohtani to start the second immediately became consequential. An attempted strike’em out, throw ‘em out was botched on the back half, allowing Ohtani to get to third and giving Sean Murphy a throwing error. Mauricio Dubón earned an error of his own when he was unable to catch a pop up, allowing LA to tie it 1-1 and allowing Max Muncy to get to first. A double play erased both runners, but that was a blow to the burgeoning Atlanta momentum.
The Tyler-off then began in earnest. They traded off scoreless innings until their departures, and a batter never got further than first base until Glasnow walked two batters in the bottom of the fifth. Mahle only allowed singles to Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker, and Teoscar Hernández the rest of his outing.
Glasnow issued five free passes, and the Braves couldn’t cash in any of them for runs. The biggest opportunity was the aforementioned fifth, where Austin Riley led off with a walk before a Murphy lineout and Harris strikeout looking. Ronald Acuña Jr. worked a four-pitch walk, which prompted Dave Roberts to take Glasnow out of the game at 73 pitches. He summoned the lefty Alex Vesia to face Olson. Tension built… and immediately dissipated when Olson hit the first pitch he saw hard (107.8 miles per hour), but into the ground to end the frame.
Ozzie Albies hit a double off Vesia to start the home half of the sixth that would’ve been a home run in 29/30 ballparks. Yes, that’s correct, the only place it would not have been a homer is home sweet home, Truist Park. Baldwin lined out before Walt Weiss deployed Lane Thomas in Mike Yastrzemski’s spot. To counter, the Dodgers put in reliever Edgardo Henriquez, who got Thomas to ground out and Dubón to line out to strand Ozzie at second.
Mahle came back out for the top of the seventh and retired Ohtani. But a single by Teoscar Hernández would end his evening. Didier Fuentes entered with a runner on first and got Muncy to ground out. Struggling to find the zone, he issued walks to rookie Josue De Paula (pinch-hitting in place of Kiké Hernández) and Kyle Tucker to load the bases. Robert Suarez entered in a tough spot and on a 3-2 count, allowed a two-run single to nine-hole hitter Andy Pages. He got Mookie Betts to ground out on two pitches after, but the deadlock was broken and damage was done to make it 3-1 Los Angeles.
Harris, again, doing everything he can, hit a two-out double off Henriquez in the bottom of the seventh. But another first-pitch groundout, this one off the bat of Acuña Jr., quickly sent us to the eighth. Frustrated Braves Country fans at the park erupted in rare boos.
The Pages single was ballgame, but we played out the rest anyway. Max Muncy had a ninth-inning homer off Raisel Iglesias to get us to the final score. Rowdy Tellez got an AB in the bottom of the ninth and struck out. Dubón added to the tally of first-pitch outs. And finally, Austin Riley’s fly out was gloved by Kyle Tucker to seal this for the Dodgers. They will now celebrate that they have more baseball to play in our visiting clubhouse while we face an uncertain 2027. At least there will be plenty of time to reflect on what went wrong.
It’s been a pleasure and an honor, Braves Country. Back to being NL East champions, but of course we wanted more. We hope to see you in the spring.
The phrasing, in the middle of a preseason broadcast interview, was notable from Tye Kartye.
It would’ve been understandable if he wanted to prove the Kraken wrong, and publicly stated as such, after the organization who inked him to an entry-level deal as an undrafted forward — and then watched him get named the AHL’s top rookie and climb his way to the NHL — dumped him on waivers in February.
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But, Kartye said that night during the intermission interview, he wanted to prove the Rangers right for taking a chance on him instead of proving Seattle wrong.
Head coach Mike Sullivan called him a “dog on a bone on the puck,” and Kartye’s ability to win possession — something shaping his game since juniors — has allowed him to seamlessly mesh with Pavel Dorofeyev, their $77 million offseason splash, and J.T. Miller.
“When it happened,” Kartye told The Post on Monday of getting waived, “I kinda move from the last team that I was on and I focus on the team that I’m on now — and doing everything that I can to be successful here and help the team win here.”
He opened training camp last month on the fourth line, producing a goal in multiple training camp scrimmages and flashing his offensive instincts again in the final exhibition — when he sent a shot past the Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov.
Then, during the win in Detroit last week, Sullivan swapped Kartye and Oliver Bjorkstrand, attempting to ignite his second line with the speed and tenacity of Kartye.
Tye Kartye skates up ice during the Rangers’ win over the Islanders on Oct. 6, 2026 at Madison Square Garden. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
They’ve become the Rangers’ top forward combination in terms of expected goals for percentage (69.79), according to Evolving-Hockey, and sit 10th leaguewide among forward lines with at least 20 minutes together. Kartye doesn’t want to change his identity, either.
He’s relied on it since his first year in juniors with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, when he went from not making the team to trying to carve out a role — with his goal totals climbing from four to 25 and then 45 in his three seasons there.
The Greyhounds worked to enhance his shot, Jamie Tardif, a former Greyhounds assistant and an assistant with AHL Hartford from 2022 through last season, told The Post.
They helped it become one that could thrive in tight and high-danger areas of the ice. And along the way, Kartye developed the type of game that “can move up and down your lineup,” Tardif said.
“Whether Tye’s on a top line or a fourth line, his role and his identity as a player does not change,” Tardif said. “So everyday, Tye is a very predictable hockey player. … To me, it’s no secret why he’s in that role, he’s in the top six, because he’s predictable, he’s dependable and guys want to play with him.”
Across three years with the Kraken, Kartye skated in 180 games and collected 20 goals and 41 points while also getting his first taste of postseason hockey during the 2023 playoffs.
Tye Kartye (right) battles Matthew Schaefer for the puck during the Rangers’ win over the Islanders. NHLI via Getty Images
He went from undrafted to one of the sport’s biggest stages before, less than three years after those playoff games, hitting waivers in the middle of February with his hockey career again uncertain.
Then the Rangers gave him a fresh start. As a restricted free agent in the offseason, Kartye’s opportunity to be in the top six also doubles as an audition to play his way into the future of the organization.
Kartye likely won’t recapture the 40-goal output from his final year of juniors. He might not score with the same consistency as he did in those scrimmages and exhibitions, either.
But the Blueshirts don’t need that from him. They just need the version of Kartye that prompted Sullivan’s first tweak of the top six this season in the first place. The puck pursuit. The forecheck. The under-the-radar variables that, in turn, can help unlock the rest of the line.
“Without a doubt, we always have conversations with players like that that get moved up the lineup,” Sullivan said Monday. “ ‘Don’t change your game just because you moved up the lineup. You got moved up the lineup because of the game that you’re playing. Bring that element to the line, and everything will work.’ ”
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 07: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting a two-run double in the seventh inning during Game Four of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It took until the seventh inning of the fourth game of the National League Division Series for the Dodgers to get their first hit with a runner in scoring position. But Andy Pages made it count, with a two-run single to break a tie in a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night at Truist Park, clinching the NLCS to send the Dodgers to their third National League Championship Series in a row.
The winning rally started with a single by Teoscar Hernández, just minutes after crashing into the left field wall on a Braves double in the previous half-inning. That ended the night for Tyler Mahle, who continued to have the Dodgers number, once again pitching into the seventh.
In came Game 2 Braves hero Didier Fuentes, whose second batter faced was fellow 21-year-old pinch-hitter Josue De Paula, only 24 days his senior. De Paula, in just his second postseason plate appearance, walked, then was removed for pinch-runner Tommy Edman. Kyle Tucker also walked to load the bases, setting up Pages — the Dodgers RBI leader this season — to single home a pair.
After going hitless in his first two games this series, Pages had two hits in Game 3 and two more in Game 4, equaling his total for the entire postseason in 2025. The hit also snapped an 0-for-14 skid by the Dodgers with runners in scoring position to start this series.
The first of those runs snapped a string of 22 straight innings by Mahle against the Dodgers without allowing an earned run, dating all the way back to 2022.
Edgardo Henriquez, who entered with one out in the sixth inning and stranded a runner on second, followed with a scoreless seventh inning to bookend the Dodgers rally, and earned the win.
Just like in Game 3, Tanner Scott pitched a scoreless eighth and Edwin Díaz closed out the win in the ninth, giving the Dodgers the planned back end of their bullpen that hadn’t really been fully intact since early April.
Dodgers pitchers allowed eight total runs in the four-game series.
Max power
Max Muncy added some insurance with a solo home run in the ninth inning, extending his Dodgers career postseason record with now 19 home runs. Muncy also homered in Games 1 and 2 of this series, matching his most prolific postseason series with the long ball. He also hit three home runs in the 2019 NLDS against the Washington Nationals.
Sloppy start
Both teams exchanged mistakes for each other’s first run, including an errant throw into center field on a stolen base attempt from each side. Michael Harris II got a great jump from third base on a wild pitch by Tyler Glasnow that didn’t get too far from home plate in the first inning, catching the Dodgers flat-footed. In the top of the second, Shohei Ohtani walked, stole second and went to third on the bad throw, then scored when a Max Muncy popup into short left field was biffed by shortstop Mauricio Dubón.
Glasnow improved a bit as the game progressed, and didn’t allow another hit after Harris led off the game with a single. But, like Blake Snell in Game 2, Glasnow on Wednesday walked five batters, including two in the fifth inning — a leadoff free pass to Austin Riley after getting ahead 0-2, and a two-out, four-pitch walk to Ronald Acuña Jr. to end Glasnow’s night early.
The Dodgers right-hander struck out five with those five walks in his 4 2/3 innings, and like Snell limited the damage to only one run. Alex Vesia helped, inducing a groundout to second base to end the fifth inning with those two Glasnow walks left stranded on base, and the game still tied.
Glasnow threw 78 pitches, 44 for strikes.
Not so free passes
None of Glasnow’s five walks in Game 4 scored, and none of the 18 Braves who walked in the NLDS have touched home plate. But there have still been costs to that Dodgers wildness. For one, the Dodgers had to turn to its bullpen much earlier than hoped in two of the four games.
Also, two of Snell’s walks in the first inning of Game 2, pushing Acuña to third base, which allowed him to score on an infield single. In Game 3, the pinch-hit walk by Rowdy Tellez pushed Dubón to third base, which allowed him to score on a groundout. So the walks have been costly, even if not as much as perhaps they should have been.
The Dodgers move on to a third consecutive National League Championship Series, and eighth in the last 11 years, beginning Sunday night (time TBD, Fox Sports) either in Milwaukee against the Brewers or at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles against the Padres.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 13: A detail shot of the 2025 logo on the hat of a Dodgers player during Game One of the National League Championship Series presented by loanDepot between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Monday, October 13, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the NLDS on Wednesday, and are back in the National League Championship Series for a third season in a row and the eighth time in 11 years with manager Dave Roberts at the helm in Los Angeles.
Either the Milwaukee Brewers or San Diego Padres will be the Dodgers’ opponent this time around. Milwaukee leads San Diego two games to one in their NLDS, with Game 4 on Wednesday night at Petco Park in San Diego. If the Dodgers play the Brewers, it’s a rematch of last year’s NLCS (and 2018).
If the Dodgers play the Padres in the NLCS, it would be their fourth postseason matchup in the last seven years — every even year: 2020, 2022, 2024, 2026 — and just the second time two NL West teams battle in the NLCS, along with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies battling during Rocktober in 2007.
The Dodgers in the NLCS would have home-field advantage over the Padres, but would start on the road if they play the Brewers.
The NLCS begins on Sunday night, and will be televised by Fox Sports, with Joe Davis — if his voice allows, after missing Games 3 and 4 of the NLDS — and John Smoltz on the call, plus reporters Ken Rosenthal, Tom Verducci, and Tom Rinaldi as part of the broadcasts as well.
Start times and Fox Sports telecast plans haven’t yet been revealed.
Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson releases his letter “Dear Ducks Fans.” NHLI via Getty Images
Three days before the Ducks had their season opener against the Vegas Golden Knights, Carlsson released a letter to the Anaheim fans, titled “Dear Ducks Fans,” to let them know why he accepted the offer.
But also informed them that his heart was in Anaheim.
“The contract negotiations over the summer were a lot to deal with for everybody, but when all is said and done, Anaheim is ultimately where I want to be for the rest of my life,” Carlsson wrote in the letter. “That to me was always a no-brainer. This was a unique situation, but I of course always wanted to be here.”
Carlsson went on to say that he loves the restaurants, the people, the weather and the environment that is Orange County.
“I don’t think it’s going to be anything crazy, to be honest. That’s just what I think,” Carlsson said to Stephens. “Obviously, a couple of my chirps here and there probably. And then I just have to show it with my game as well. See how it is.”
While it’s only two games into the season, Carlsson already has five points on the year, and had a goal in their home opener against the Florida Panthers.
Leo Carlsson receives a loud roar of applause from Anaheim Ducks fans during their home opener. AP Photo/Kyusung Gong
Ducks fans have appeared to have put what happened in the summer in the past, as Carlsson received a roaring round of applause from the Anaheim fans when his name was called during pregame introductions.
“We have great fans here,” Carlsson said to Stephens. “It feels great every time that happens. You know, you feel like you’re doing something good. I love the fans. Hopefully they love me as well, so it’s fun.”
Anaheim Ducks’ center Leo Carlsson calls out any doubters he has after signing extension to make him the highest paid player in the NHL. NHLI via Getty Images
With Carlsson and the Ducks getting his lengthy stall of contract negotiations behind them, he currently has the highest cap hit of any player in the NHL ($18 million), as Macklin Celebrini (18.8 million AAV) and Cale Makar ($20.4 million AAV), who both signed contract extensions, will surpass Carlsson starting next season.
“[It’s] the organization and me having the idea to just really show everybody that I really want to be here if there’s still any doubters out there,” Carlsson said to Stephens. “Got a great response from it as well. Happy I did it.”
