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Cody Bellinger drives in four to power Yankees' Wild Card Series sweep of Red Sox

Max Fried threw six strong innings, and Luis García Jr. and Cody Bellinger slammed home runs Wednesday night as the Yankees blew out the Red Sox, 9-2, in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium.

The victory means the Yanks won the best-of-three series against Boston, 2-0. Now they head into an AL Division Series date with the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays. This DS, which features the AL’s two best teams, starts on Saturday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. 

After the final out, the Yankees met on the field in a handshake line, a mellow celebration of a convincing beatdown of their rivals.

The Red Sox season is over. New York has eliminated Boston in the Wild Card round in each of the last two years. 

Here are the takeaways...

-- Even without the injured Aaron Judge, the Yankees lineup pounded Boston pitching, scoring nine runs in the opener and nine more times in Game 2. The Yanks outscored Boston in the series, 18-2, and outhit the Sox, 26-7.

-- Fried threw 21 pitches in the first inning but quickly got his workload in order with a seven-pitch second. He didn’t encounter much trouble all night in allowing just three hits, including a solo homer by Willson Contreras. He relied mainly on his sweeper, cutter and four-seam fastball, though he threw three other pitch types, too. Fried struck out six and walked one in earning the third postseason win of his career.

-- García, who did not start Game 1 because the Red Sox had a lefty starter, gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning with a drive to right that was clocked at 107 miles-per-hour off the bat. Entering the game, García and Ben Rice were the only players on the Yankees roster who had hit a home run off Gray in their careers. García may have been an imperfect trade acquisition because a right-handed slugger might have fit the Yankees better, but he’s contributed all through his time in pinstripes and now in the postseason, too.

-- The Yanks tacked on in the fifth inning and might have had more if they had been more conservative on the basepaths. With two outs and Austin Wells running from first on a 3-2 pitch, Rice hit a grounder through to right field. Wells sprinted to third, putting the Yanks in a strong spot. That’s when Boston manager Chad Tracy yanked Gray and brought in lefty Erik Miller to face Bellinger. Bellinger hit an RBI single for a 2-0 lead, and García followed with a single to left. But third-base coach Luis Rojas had Rice try to score from second, and Nate Eaton cut him down at the plate, keeping the Red Sox just two runs behind.

-- Gray, who had a brief, unsuccessful stint with the Yankees across 2017-18, threw 4.2 innings and allowed six hits and two runs. He was booed by the sellout crowd of 49,004 on his way off the mound. But Yankee fans probably should be happy that the Sox took him out, because the Beantown relievers could not keep the score reasonable.

-- With two outs in the sixth inning, Contreras brought Boston within one run with his fourth career postseason homer that snapped the Red Sox’s playoff scoring drought of 26.2 innings dating back to last year. It’s the worst drought in team history. The homer, which came on a 3-2 pitch, was reviewed by umpires because a fan caught it near the wall in right, but it was upheld.

-- The Yankees broke open the game in their half of the sixth inning, scoring six times to go up, 8-1. George Lombard Jr. drove in a run with a single for his first career postseason RBI, Wells hit a sac fly, Ryan McMahon hit an RBI grounder and then Bellinger delivered his 11th career postseason home run, a three-run shot. Along the way, the Yanks knocked out Garrett Crochet, the ace starter who the Red Sox put in their bullpen for the playoffs. He had not pitched since April 25 because of a shoulder injury and perhaps it showed. He struck out the first batter he faced, Spencer Jones, but Jones reached first on a dropped third strike and then stole second and went to third on Adley Rutschman’s throwing error. Then Crochet gave up three straight singles, including a bunt hit by Trent Grisham, resulting in a run and loading the bases and the inning went haywire.

-- In the seventh inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. stole a base, a nifty callback to August, when a Red Sox broadcaster criticized Chisholm for stealing a bag in a lopsided game. He and Grisham then pulled a double steal to put runners on second and third with one out. Wells followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 9-2. It was Wells’ fourth RBI of the series.

-- Here’s something to tuck away for later in the playoffs: The Red Sox challenged Grisham in center in the third when a bloop hit fell in front of him. Eaton sped into second base for a hustle double, easily beating Grisham’s throw. It ended up being harmless – Fried struck out Jahmai Jones looking on a sweeper and retired Rutschman on a grounder to end the inning – unless, that is, other teams take advantage if there are similar opportunities going forward.

Game MVP: Luis Garcia Jr.

García Jr., who got the scoring started in the fourth inning with his first career postseason home run, a 387-foot solo shot off Boston starter Sonny Gray. He added two singles and finished 3-for-5 on the night.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees will now travel to St. Petersburg to start a best-of-five series with the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Game 1 is set for Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

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Yankees sweep Red Sox in embarrassing Wild Card round playoff showing

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Manger Chad Tracy of the Boston Red Sox removes Sonny Gray #54 from the game against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Red Sox just got eliminated by their biggest rivals for the second consecutive season. 

The Yankees made Boston pay in grand fashion Wednesday night in a 9-2 defeat to sweep the American League Wild Card Series. New York heads south to meet the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS while the Red Sox head back to Boston far sooner than they could have hoped for the second year in a row. 

Willson Contreras and Nick Sogard homered. At least Nate Eaton wanted to play baseball Wednesday night. Sonny Gray pitched pretty well. None of it mattered. 

Both putrid losses followed a similar script: starting pitcher pulled too early, offense fails to create any momentum, bullpen calls backfire and Yankee fans party in the bleachers. And now – with the lockout looming – the Red Sox head into winter with problems to solve. 

Here are three takeaways from Wednesday night’s season-ending loss. 

SONNY DESERVED BETTER

The veteran right-hander looked the part of a frontline starter in an elimination game. Man, did his stuff look on from pitch one. Ben Rice smacked the staff around last night and Gray finished him off to start the night with a fantastic curveball. He showed flashes of a great two-seam fastball, including a filthy front-door one to strikeout Spencer Jones. 

Gray racked up 12 swings-and-misses (16 was his season-high) in 4 2/3 frames. He truly made just a single “mistake” on the evening – not that bad of a pitch – on the breaking ball that Luis Garcia Jr. golfed into the right field seats for a solo home run. He allowed another earned run that Erik Miller, who entered for Gray with two on and two out in the fifth inning, allowed to score on an RBI single for Cody Bellinger. 

Even more so than the debate with Payton Tolle for Game 1, there was no reason to take Gray out of the ballgame given how he had thrown the ball to that point at just 70 pitches – especially to turn to Miller amid his struggles from the end of the regular season and Tuesday night’s mistake pitch to Rice. 

Gray’s future – both as a Red Sox and as a player with hints toward retirement throughout the year – will be up in the air. He more than did his job Wednesday night. 

CHAD TRACY HAS A LONG WAY TO GO

The Red Sox really didn’t score enough to make this point the headliner, but Chad Tracy spun himself in circles with his bullpen usage and it consistently burned him – usually immediately after. Erik Miller imploded in both outings. Trusted arms in Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock gave up back-breaking homers after getting the call far later than they should have to keep the game close. Every bullpen button he pressed was wrong. 

He ditched the interim tag and has a three-year contract to look forward to. If he really wants to earn it, he has to gain some feel and conviction beyond his calming presence in the clubhouse and stretch beyond the miraculous stretch of July baseball Boston used to even reach this point. 


OFFENSE NEEDS AN OVERHAUL

The Red Sox did enough to get here, but let’s be honest. Even if Roman Anthony was healthy, did this lineup scare anyone in the playoffs? Was there any chance to hang a crooked number? 

Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela have been zeroes offensively in both years they’ve made it. Caleb Durbin finished quietly. Too many AAAA players have been asked to take playoff at-bats at Yankee Stadium in each of the last two seasons. That cannot continue 

People will be upset that the Red Sox did not earn a home playoff game. That’s because they didn’t earn it. Complaints about the current playoff format are honestly irrelevant. 

Want playoff baseball back at Fenway Park? Build a better team that can actually thump their opponents in the playoffs. Until then, the Yankees will run circles around you in The Bronx for the rest of the decade, no matter the fun the kids find in the summer at Fenway. 

Contreras’ homer finally snapped a 26 2/3 inning scoring drought in the postseason dating back to Game 2 of last year’s series in New York. The Red Sox need to overhaul a lineup that doesn’t have a one player or one position solution. Creativity has to prevail because the offense clearly hasn’t worked for two years running against the Yankees.

Get to work.

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'Young, hungry' White Sox come of age and dismantle a dynasty in the process

HOUSTON – Sam Antonacci’s double to lead off Game 2 of the American League wild-card series missed Yordan Alvarez’s glove by inches, but that was all the daylight the Chicago White Sox needed.

The White Sox jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and never looked back, defeating the Houston Astros, 7-3, on Wednesday, Sept. 30 to complete a series sweep. The White Sox advanced to play the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS, which begins Saturday, Oct. 3.

To White Sox manager Will Venable, the ruthless first inning exemplified his team’s approach.

“The way that we started was really, I think, indicative of that fearlessness and the guys responded behind it, so just amazing stuff,” he said.

Poetically, it was the White Sox’s first postseason series win since they swept the Astros in the 2005 World Series.

Chase Meidroth, whose three-run homer in the sixth inning on Wednesday put the game away for the White Sox, said the result came down to belief, energy and confidence.

“We got a young, hungry group, some veteran guys that we lean on,” Meidroth said. “But, yeah, it's been the same all year. We believe we can win every game.”

Astros fans at Daikin Park began to believe it, too, when the White Sox pounded Houston starter Hunter Brown for four runs in the first inning. Three solo home runs by Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith and Jose Altuve chipped the lead to one run, but the Astros failed to capitalize on other opportunities before Meidroth’s decisive blast.

In the fifth inning, the Astros had Alvarez, this year’s AL batting title winner, at the plate with two on and one out. But White Sox southpaw Anthony Kay got Alvarez to fly out and, after walking Isaac Paredes, induced a flyout from Altuve to leave the bases loaded.

Alvarez hit .200 with zero home runs and eight walks in 29 plate appearances against the White Sox this regular season, and went 1-for-8 in the wild-card series. Venable said Chicago was prepared to walk Alvarez in certain scenarios, but said those situations never arose.

Chicago was two outs away from securing the win when a chant of, “Let’s go, White Sox!” broke out down the third-base line.

After the White Sox suffered through four consecutive sub-.500 seasons, including losing 100-plus games in each of the previous two seasons, triumph took over.

Venable said he is neither a champagne nor a cigar man, but the second-year manager grinned ear-to-ear as he sprayed his players and staff with bubbly inside the clubhouse.

“From where the organization was and the pain that was those couple years and those 100-loss seasons, and then to see the growth and to have the fans be part of this and be able to celebrate it, it just makes me happy,” Venable said.

Veteran designated hitter Andrew Benintendi was the only White Sox player in Wednesday’s lineup with previous postseason experience, which came in 2016-18 with the Boston Red Sox.

Now in his fourth season with the White Sox, Benintendi clutched a paper cup filled with Crown Royal and cola and recalled the club’s significant improvement in the second half of the 2025 season. That turnaround sparked a belief that simmered all summer and boiled over this season, Benintendi said, accelerated by a carefree camaraderie.  

“I think Antonacci said it: We’re just a bunch of idiots that enjoy hanging out and getting after it together,” Benintendi said.

Chase Meidroth of the Chicago White Sox celebrates on first base after hitting a single against the Houston Astros during the first inning of Game 2 at Daikin Park on Sept. 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas.

Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes, and Wednesday’s victory spurred a celebration as boisterous as the team’s eclectic collection of personalities.

Reliever Erick Fedde, who tossed the game’s final two scoreless innings, laid shirtless and glided like a hockey puck across a folding table slick with beer as his teammates pushed him back and forth. Catcher Kyle Teel danced with first baseman Munetaka Murakami and yelled, “I am Japanese!!!” mimicking Murakami’s viral postgame interview from when the White Sox clinched their postseason berth a few days earlier.

Buckets of Dubble Bubble chewing gum were emptied of their contents and refilled with alcohol. Cigar smoke clouded the air and booze pooled on the floor. Then, the bottles of Budweiser ran out.

“We need more beer! They weren’t prepared for us,” someone yelled.

Eventually, the celebration spilled out into the dugout tunnel and onto the field, the site of countless playoff celebrations over the last decade – but usually for the home team.

Since 2015, the Astros have played and won more postseason games than any other American League club. From 2017 through 2023, Houston made the ALCS every year and won 100-plus games in four different seasons. After missing out on the playoffs in 2025, the Astros this season went 81-81 and became the first team in MLB history to make the postseason without a winning record.

But the White Sox had their own history to rewrite, and in the process played a part in dismantling a dynasty.  

In the wild-card series, the White Sox offense hit 8-for-20 with runners in scoring position while the Astros hit 0-for-9.

“I think the mindset here is it’s just another game,” Benintendi said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s at home or on the road; we’re going to show up, do what we do and hopefully everything goes our way. And we showed up these last two games.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Young, hungry' White Sox come of age and dismantle a dynasty in the process

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Conflicting reports emerge on Wizards’ interest in Jalen Duren

WASHINGTON, DC -  MARCH 19: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons goes up for the rebound during the game against the Washington Wizards on March 19, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Washington Wizards have been floated as a potential trade destination for Jalen Duren over the past week. It remains unclear whether there is any actual fire amid the billowing smoke.

The Wizards were among four teams ESPN’s Marc J. Spears mentioned during Monday’s episode of NBA Today that were said to “have interest in a potential sign-and-trade” for Duren. Washington’s inclusion in the report caught Jorge Sedano off guard, to the point that he felt the need to interrupt Spears.

“The Wizards one, let’s just recklessly speculate for a second,” Sedano said. “There’s one salary, one particular one that still is unsigned moving forward in Anthony Davis that could make the math work.”

“I think you are probably doing good math,” Spears replied.

A report published Wednesday by The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson initially corroborated Spears. At first, the article “confirmed an ESPN report indicating that the Washington Wizards would have interest in a Duren-for-Anthony Davis trade,” which was supposedly not of interest to Detroit.

The Athletic later removed the Wizards mention from the article entirely and included an amendment clarifying that the earlier reporting was erroneous.

“An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that the Wizards would have interest in a potential Duren-Anthony Davis sign-and-trade. The article has been corrected by removing that reference,” the amendment read.

It’s possible the Wizards tried to gauge interest in a Duren-Davis swap and covered their tracks once they realized there was none, so as not to risk shaking up team chemistry. It could also be that the reporting was simply wrong or overblown from the beginning.

The regular season starts in three weeks, folks.

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Who do the Yankees play next in MLB playoffs? What to know about their ALDS opponent

Aaron Judge has not played since mid-September. Now that the New York Yankees have gotten past the Boston Red Sox, they are going to need him at Tropicana Field on Saturday, against the best team in the American League.

The Rays went 98-64 and beat out the Yankees for the AL East and the No. 1 seed. They went 55-26 at the Trop. The Yankees went 2-5 there this season.

Judge's right calf strain kept him off the wild-card roster. He has said he wants to play this postseason, but even if he does, he might not be at full speed. The concrete floor at the Trop isn't going to do him any favors, either.

The Yankees and Rays have met in October only once. In 2020, in a pandemic bubble where they played in San Diego's Petco Park, Mike Brosseau homered off Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning of Game 5, and the Rays won 2-1. A month earlier, Chapman had been suspended for throwing at Brosseau's head.

When does the Yankees vs Rays ALDS start?

  • Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field (TBS, truTV, HBO Max)
  • Game 2: Monday, Oct. 5, 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, TV TBA
  • Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Yankee Stadium, Time and TV TBA
  • Game 4, if needed: Thursday, Oct. 8 at Yankee Stadium, Time and TV TBA
  • Game 5, if needed: Saturday, Oct. 10 at Tropicana Field, Time and TV TBA

How did the Yankees do against the Rays in 2026?

The Rays won the season series 7-6. Location mattered in the series.

Tampa Bay went 5-2 at the Trop. Three of those wins came in April by one or two runs, including one in 10 innings. In July, Shane McClanahan shut out the Yankees 3-0.

The Yankees went 4-2 in the Bronx. In September, Carlos Rodon won 2-0, and Gerrit Cole won 9-2.

Cam Schlittler made two starts at the Trop. He lost 5-4 in April and won 5-1 in July.

What will decide Yankees vs Rays?

The Trop: The Yankees have struggled there historically and the Rays have homefield advantage.

Cam Schlittler: The AL Cy Young favorite has a 1.95 ERA.

Aaron Judge: Even if he plays, a calf strain could slow him down, especially at the Trop.

The Rays' bats: Tampa Bay has lost seven straight playoff games and scored two runs in its last four. That's a lot of pressure on Junior Caminero in his second postseason appearance.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who do the Yankees play next in MLB playoffs? What to know about their ALDS opponent

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Yankees' full schedule for 2026 ALDS matchup with Rays

The Yankees are officially moving on.

After taking care of business with a two-game sweep of the rival Red Sox, they fittingly advance to face another division foe, the Tampa Bay Rays, in the Divisional Series.  

Here are the full dates for the best-of-five set, which gets underway over the weekend...

ALDS

Saturday, Oct. 3 

Game 1: @ Rays at 6:30 p.m. (TBS/HBO Max)

Monday, Oct. 5

Game 2: @ Rays at 8:00 p.m. (TBS/HBO Max)

Wednesday, Oct. 7

Game 3: vs. Rays (TBS/HBO Max)

Thursday, Oct. 8 *If necessary*

Game 4: vs. Rays (TBS/HBO Max)

Saturday, Oct. 10 *If necessary*

Game 5: @ Rays (TBS/HBO Max)

WILD CARD

Game 1: Yankees defeated Red Sox, 5-3

Game 2: Yankees defeated Red Sox, 9-2

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Yankees destroy Red Sox in wild-card series sweep to set up ALDS date with Rays

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Luis García Jr. #26 is all smiles a he rounds the bases on his solo home run in the fourth inning, Image 2 shows New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger is greeted by second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. after hitting a home run, Image 3 shows New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates in the clubhouse after advancing to the ALDS
Yankees win game 2

Virtually nothing has come easy for the Yankees this year. 

But the AL wild-card series just did — at least they made it look that way, even without Aaron Judge. 

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A much more dangerous divisional opponent awaits, but the Yankees will be flying high into the ALDS after making light work of the Red Sox, finishing off a two-game sweep with an emphatic 9-2 win over their rivals Wednesday night in front of a jubilant sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium. 

After fending off the pesky Red Sox for a second straight year in this opening round, the Yankees will now try to conquer the Rays, whom they could never chase down for the AL East in the final months of the regular season. Game 1 is Saturday at Tropicana Field, and unlike last year when they stretched themselves thin to beat the Red Sox and paid for it against the Blue Jays, they should enter the ALDS in a strong position to start Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodón, and possibly with Judge even ready to join the party. 

The Yankees’ Luis García Jr. is all smiles as he rounds the bases on his solo home run in the fourth inning on Sept. 30, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

“The best player in baseball isn’t even playing right now and we’ve been dominating,” said Cam Schlittler, who led the domination in Game 1. “So we’re only going to get stronger when [Judge] gets back. 

“It’s good to get it done in two. Now we’re set up perfectly for Tampa.” 

The Yankees followed the same script in Game 2 as they did in Game 1 — a dominant starting pitcher protecting a small lead until their bats could break the game open — just with some different actors leading the way. Max Fried tossed six innings of one-run ball, nearly matching what Schlittler did Tuesday, while Cody Bellinger delivered the knockout punch that Ben Rice did the night before, clobbering a three-run homer in the sixth inning that put the champagne on ice. 

New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger is greeted by second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. after scoring on a three-run home run in the sixth inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
New York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones dumps champagne over designated hitter Ben Rice. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge celebrates in the clubhouse after the Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox to advance to the ALDS during Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Emphasizing the Yankees’ greatest strength — and the biggest reason they have high hopes and dreams for October — in their rotation, Fried struck out six and scattered three hits across six innings. When Willson Contreras snuck a home run over the right field wall against him in the sixth inning, it snapped a 26-inning scoreless streak by Yankees pitchers in the postseason against the Red Sox, dating back to Game 2 of last year’s AL wild-card series. 

“That’s been the biggest strength for us throughout the year,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It sustained us. It got us through some difficult times. And I feel like they’re all in a good place right now.” 

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. celebrates with Trent Grisham after the final out of the ninth inning of Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. The New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox to go to the ALDS. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Contreras’ homer pulled the Red Sox within 2-1, but the Yankees found an immediate answer in the bottom of the frame, first with a steady dose of small ball before Bellinger’s long ball. 

Rookie Spencer Jones provided the spark, using his speed and hustle to reach first base on a dropped third strike from Red Sox lefty Garrett Crochet, who was making his first appearance since April 25. Jones then stole second and took third as the throw trickled into center field, allowing him to score on fellow rookie George Lombard Jr.’s lined single that made it 3-1 in another dash of homegrown happenings. 

Fried reacts as he walks back to the dugout after ending the fifth inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray is pulled from the game in the fifth inning during Game 2. Robert Sabo for New York Post

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham, who were both on the bench for Game 1, followed with singles to load the bases (Grisham on a bunt to third base, with an off-target throw from Caleb Durbin). 

After the Red Sox put Crochet out of his misery and brought in righty Garrett Whitlock, Austin Wells hit a sacrifice fly for the second straight night before Ryan McMahon hit a soft groundout to score another run for the 5-1 lead. 

The Red Sox then intentionally walked Rice, who homered twice and drove in six runs in Game 1, but it backfired as Bellinger lifted a three-run homer to the short porch that took forever to land, the crowd entering a frenzy well before it did. 

“I had a lot of confidence in them,” Judge said. “Going into the series, obviously I wanted to be out there with them, but going into it, this is a dangerous group, and they’ve showed it here in this series.” 

The New York Yankees celebrate on the field after defeating the Boston Red Sox. Robert Sabo for NY Post

For a second straight night, the Yankees pounced on the Red Sox bullpen once manager Chad Tracy pulled his starter early in the fifth inning of a 1-0 game — Payton Tolle in Game 1 and Sonny Gray in Game 2. And on both nights, they turned it into as much of a laugher as you will find in the playoffs, sending them full steam ahead into the ALDS. 

“At that point,” Chisholm said, “when everyone’s working in sync like that, especially the talent we have on this team, I feel like we’re unbeatable.”

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MacKinnon Drops the Gloves, Avalanche Drop Eight on Kings in Opening-Night Rout

DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, dropped the gloves with Brandt Clarke and helped lead the Colorado Avalanche to an emphatic 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on opening night at Ball Arena.

The reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner made his presence felt in just about every way possible. He scored 23 seconds into the second period, added another goal later in the frame and then, with Colorado protecting a three-goal lead in the third, squared up with Clarke in a fight that sent both players to the penalty box.

“It’s an intense game, and obviously he didn’t say a great word to me, so I didn’t like the word,” MacKinnon said afterward. “Yeah, we fought.”

Nathan MacKinnon following a night that included two goals and some fisticuffs.

MacKinnon said he initiated the challenge, pointing to the way Clarke plays as part of the reason tensions boiled over.

“He plays hard, he gets under guys’ skin,” MacKinnon said. “He’s a really good defenseman. But sometimes when you play like that, you have to fight sometimes.”

It was an eventful opening night for more than just MacKinnon.

Artturi Lehkonen scored twice, while Brock Nelson recorded a goal and two assists in his Colorado debut. Parker Kelly, Nicolas Roy and Gabriel Landeskog also found the back of the net, and MacKenzie Blackwood stopped 27 of 31 shots in his Avalanche debut.

Colorado's power play went 4-for-5 on the night, while Darcy Kuemper struggled at the other end, allowing eight goals on 29 shots for a .724 save percentage.

First Period

The opening draw of the 2026-27 season was won by the Avalanche. After briefly losing possession, MacKinnon drove the puck down the ice and fired the game's first shot, which Kuemper easily gathered.

Colorado generated a quality opportunity nearly three minutes into the game when Nazem Kadri gained control along the left wing and carried the puck into the offensive zone before finding an open Nicolas Roy. Roy closed in on Kuemper, but the 2024-25 Vezina Trophy finalist turned aside the high-danger chance with a blocker save.

The Avalanche were awarded their first power play of the season when Kings forward Andre Lee shot the puck out of play for a delay-of-game penalty. For the first time this season, Avalanche fans got a look at the supposedly new-and-improved power play.

And improved it was.

Colorado opened the scoring at 6:33 when Brock Nelson capitalized on a broken play. Jaden Schwartz's pass was initially intended for Artturi Lehkonen, but the puck deflected off his stick and landed perfectly for Nelson, who was waiting in the slot. The veteran forward snapped it past Kuemper just inside the left post for his first goal of the season.

Just past the halfway mark, Colorado went to its first penalty kill of the season after Schwartz was whistled for hooking.

With nearly nine minutes remaining in the period, Los Angeles had a golden opportunity to tie the game when Adrian Kempe — the Kings' leading scorer last season — unloaded a blistering one-timer from the low slot. But MacKenzie Blackwood was up to the task, making a spectacular save to keep Colorado ahead 1-0.

The Avalanche successfully killed off the penalty, starting the season a perfect 1-for-1 on both the power play and penalty kill.

Los Angeles eventually broke through with 4:46 remaining. Brian Dumoulin took a drop pass from Alex Laferriere and fired a shot through a maze of bodies in front of Blackwood, beating the goaltender to tie the game 1-1.

Devon Toews was sent to the penalty box for holding with roughly four minutes remaining after Joel Armia slashed his stick out of his hands. Toews responded by shoving Armia, but it was the Avalanche defenseman who ultimately received the penalty.

Just three seconds after the penalty expired, Parker Kelly restored Colorado's lead.

Fresh off a career-high 21-goal season, the 27-year-old forward took a pass from Josh Manson and fired a wrist shot that deflected off Kuemper and into the net with 2:02 remaining. It was Kelly's first goal of the season, and fittingly, Taylor Swift's “The Fate of Ophelia” began playing over the loudspeakers inside Ball Arena immediately afterward.

Adrian Kempe and Kings captain Drew Doughty were both penalized late in the period, with Kempe called for tripping Schwartz and Doughty assessed a cross-checking penalty against T.J. Hughes. The penalty came just moments after Hughes, making his professional debut, was denied by Kuemper on a rebound opportunity.

After 20 minutes, the Avalanche held a 2-1 lead despite Los Angeles holding a 13-10 advantage in shots on net.

Second Period

The Avalanche began the period with 1:12 remaining on a 5-on-3 power play. And, much like their first man advantage of the night, they wasted little time converting.

MacKinnon made it a 3-1 game just 23 seconds into the period, giving Colorado its second power-play goal of the night and his first of the season.

The Kings answered with a strike of their own. Moments after T.J. Hughes had the puck picked off by Joel Armia, the Kings forward snapped a wrist shot past Blackwood to cut Colorado's lead to 3-2.

At 8:33, MacKinnon scored his second goal of the night on a scintillating sequence. It started when Brent Burns connected with Martin Necas near center ice. Necas, coming off his first 100-point season, carried the puck up the ice, evaded a check and left a pass for MacKinnon, who skated into the zone before ripping a wrist shot past Kuemper to restore Colorado's two-goal advantage.

Hughes was sent to the penalty box with 7:36 remaining after being assessed a roughing penalty against Brandt Clarke. The call came moments after Clarke took Cale Makar down from behind during a breakaway attempt.

Nicolas Roy then scored his first goal of the season with just over three minutes remaining on a wild sequence in front of the Kings' net. Kuemper sprawled across the crease attempting to make a save, while Schwartz ended up down inside the blue paint after being shoved from behind by Dumoulin. The goal stood after Los Angeles opted not to challenge for goaltender interference, giving Colorado a 5-2 lead.

The Kings answered shortly afterward when Trevor Moore beat Blackwood with a wrist shot while shorthanded, cutting the Avalanche's lead to 5-3 on what appeared to be a soft goal.

Colorado responded yet again.

After Joel Edmundson was called for slashing MacKinnon, the Avalanche went back to the power play and converted for the third time on the night. Lehkonen one-timed a pass from the slot off a slick feed from Nelson, restoring Colorado's three-goal cushion at 6-3.

The Avalanche carried that 6-3 lead into the second intermission.

Third Period

Artemi Panarin cut Colorado's lead to 6-4 with 8:09 remaining after Alex Turcotte slipped behind the Avalanche defense and screened Blackwood. Panarin found the loose puck and beat Blackwood five-hole to bring the Kings within two.

Just over a minute later, MacKinnon and Clarke dropped the gloves.

MacKinnon landed a pair of right hands before sending Clarke to the ice. After winning the fight, MacKinnon picked up his helmet and chucked it across the ice as he headed to the penalty box.

The fight didn't derail Colorado's momentum.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog answered for Colorado, scoring on a backhand to restore the Avalanche's three-goal lead at 7-4. Turcotte was subsequently assessed a tripping penalty, giving Colorado an opportunity to go a perfect 4-for-4 on the power play.

And the Avalanche did just that.

Lehkonen punched in his second goal of the night, extending Colorado's lead to 8-4 and putting the game firmly out of reach.

From there, Colorado closed out the opening-night victory in convincing fashion.

By the Numbers

MacKinnon finished the night with two goals, while Lehkonen also scored twice.

Nelson had a three-point night in his Colorado debut, recording one goal and two assists.

Blackwood stopped 27 of 31 shots in his first regular-season appearance for Colorado.

Kuemper struggled at the other end, allowing eight goals on 29 shots for a .724 save percentage.

The Avalanche finished 4-for-5 on the power play.

Next Game

The Avalanche (1-0) take on the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night at Ball Arena, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. local time.

The Blues will be playing the second half of a back-to-back after facing the Dallas Stars on the road Friday night at American Airlines Center.

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Flyers Eviscerated by Penguins in Brutal 7-0 Home Opener Loss

After an offseason filled with hope and hype, the Philadelphia Flyers could not have suffered through a more nightmarish loss to start their 2026-27 season if they tried.

On Wednesday night, the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins marched into Xfinity Mobile Arena and smashed the Flyers, winning by an eye-watering 7-0 margin. Nick Robertson opened the scoring with a redirection, and Ville Koivunen doubled the Penguins' lead to 2-0 on a breakaway, taking advantage of a poor line change from the Flyers.

After getting out-shot 11-5 in the first period and trailing 2-0, the hope was that the Flyers would respond in a meaningful fashion in the second period, but things just snowballed from there.

An exasperated Rick Tocchet said after the game that he didn't know if the Flyers won a battle, and the effort and score reflected that assessment.

Evgeni Malkin, Filip Hallander, and Hendrix Lapierre all scored for the Penguins in the span of 5:20 to put the Penguins up 5-0, and the Flyers carrying a 26-12 shots on goal deficit.

"That's a team that didn't want to be engaged," Tocchet said of the Flyers. "As much defensively as offensively."

Discipline was an issue for the Flyers, too, as Porter Martone, Nick Seeler, and Travis Konecny all took needless penalties starting their own altercations unprovoked.

The Flyers hung Dan Vladar out to dry against the Penguins. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
The Flyers hung Dan Vladar out to dry against the Penguins. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)

Ultimately, the Penguins were 2-for-4 on the power play while also scoring shorthanded, and the Flyers went 0-for-3. On paper, that's hardly the difference in a 7-0 loss, but the Flyers failed to build and maintain any momentum, and special teams once again were a piece of that equation.

By the time Robertson and Egor Chinakhov scored the sixth and seventh goals for the Penguins, the Flyers already looked wholly disinterested in finishing out the game, and they looked very much like the team that got smoked 5-1 by the Washington Capitals' prospects and depth AHLers in the preseason finale.

After the game, Flyers captains Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Travis Sanheim resisted definitively answering questions about complacency and preparedness, though after an abhorrent effort such as the one put forth Wednesday night at a home opener, it's fair to wonder.

"Once we're out there, we gotta bring a compete level a lot higher, win more one-on-one battles, and not rely on our skill," Couturier said. "We know we got talent in this locker room, but [if] we're not gonna win battles and support each other, that talent's not gonna bring us too far."

"I don't have an answer," Tocchet said matter-of-factly. "They out-coached us tonight, they out-played us, they did everything better than us tonight."

Sanheim was quick to point out that the Flyers play again on Thursday night, representing an opportunity to flush this one straight away.

"We got a game tomorrow night. We can bounce back and forget about this, and if we do that, everyone won't remember," Sanheim assessed.

The Flyers' next opponents will be the New Jersey Devils, who have their home opener at 7 p.m. on Thursday night.

That's a faster, more skilled team that won't be banged up like the Penguins, who were without Ben Kindel, Bryan Rust, and Andrei Kuzmenko (personal) on Wednesday night.

"If we play like this tomorrow with a team like Jersey, it's going to be even worse, so we got to be careful," Tocchet said.

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Josh Hart trolls Red Sox for call that led to game-changing Cody Bellinger home run: ‘Dumb as hell!’

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger watches his three-run home run against the Boston Red Sox, Image 2 shows New York Knicks champion Josh Hart throws out the first pitch before game two of a doubleheader between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y, Image 3 shows New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger is greeted by second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. after hitting a home run
bellinger hart

Josh Hart added an NBA championship to his resume this summer.

This fall, it seems as if he wants to make another addition: big league manager.

The Knicks star chimed in on the state of the Yankees-Red Sox wild-card series on Wednesday night as the Bronx Bombers blew the doors open in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 2.

Hart slammed the Red Sox for their decision to intentionally walk Ben Rice — with a runner on second and a base open — to face Cody Bellinger.

New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger connects on a three-run home run off the Boston Red Sox in the sixth inning during game two of the 2026 American League wild-card series at Yankees Stadium in The Bronx, New York, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR NEW YORK POST
New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger is greeted by second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. after scoring on a three-run home run in the sixth inning during Game 2 of the American League wild-card series against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Manager Chad Tracy’s move did not pay off, to say the least.

Bellinger skied a high drive into right, clearing the short porch in right field for a three-run homer to extend the Yankees’ lead to 8-1 (before Boston added a run on a solo shot from Nick Sogard in the top of the seventh).

Hart, in a series of posts on X, was excited as the Yankees ran up the score and looked to be nearing a sweep.

“YOU WANTED TO WALK RICE TO GET TO BELLI?! BOSTON YOU DUMB AS HELL!!!” Hart wrote. “NY RUNS BOSTON. BELLI IS HIM.”

New York Knicks champion Josh Hart throws out the first pitch before game two of a doubleheader between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post

Hart was in The Bronx just last week when he threw out the first pitch before the Yankees took on the Orioles in the nightcap of their doubleheader on Friday. He and teammate Jalen Brunson also threw out first pitches in mid-June shortly after they helped end the Knicks’ 53-year NBA title drought.

The Yankees, who had lost three straight playoff series to the Red Sox entering 2025, are on the precipice of knocking out Boston for the second straight season in the wild-card round.

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Islanders score late, but open season with 2-1 loss to Maple Leafs

TORONTO (AP) — Easton Cowan had a goal and an assist in the first period and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Wednesday night for their first victory under coach Jim Hiller.

The Maple Leafs rebounded from a 3-2 home loss to Montreal in their opener Tuesday night, spoiling the Islanders’ first game of the season.

Colton Sissons also scored for Toronto, and Anthony Stolarz made 26 saves.

Emil Heineman scored in the third period for New York. Ilya Sorokin stopped 24 shots.

Sissons redirected his first goal for Toronto at 7:14 of the first period off Nick Paul’s setup. Cowan then shoveled home a power-play rebound with 8:05 left in the period.

Reunited with fellow netminder Sergei Bobrovsky after winning the Stanley Cup together with Florida in 2024, Stolarz was perfect until Heineman scored short-handed with 5:51 left.

Up next

Islanders: Host New Jersey on Saturday night.

Maple Leafs: Host Ottawa on Saturday night.

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Penguins crush Flyers 7-0 as Arturs Silovs earns a shutout in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Evgeni Malkin, Hendrix Lapierre and Filip Hallander scored in the second period and Arturs Silovs stopped 19 shots to help the Pittsburgh Penguins steamroll the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 on Wednesday night.

Silovs posted his third career shutout in his 57th start. Nick Robertson scored two goals and Ville Koivunen and Egor Chinakhov also scored for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby added an assist.

The Penguins’ season ended on the same Philadelphia ice in April when the Flyers won a first-round playoff series in six games.

The Flyers left the clincher to a roaring ovation on Cam York’s winner. Five months later, the Flyers were soundly booed off the ice – reaching a crescendo after the second period – and the opening night festivities were spoiled for a team trying to become a force in the Eastern Conference.

The Penguins are trying to run it back at least one more time between the longtime core of Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang. Malkin signed a one-year deal to remain in Pittsburgh, and the hope is there’s enough magic left to help put the Penguins in position to win a playoff series for the first time in nearly a decade.

The 40-year-old Malkin ripped a one-timer from the slot early in the second period for the 3-0 lead that also gave him 100 career points against the Flyers. He became the sixth player with at least 100 points against the Flyers. Crosby’s assist on Robertson’s game-opening goal extended his record with 140 career points against Philly.

MAPLE LEAFS 2, ISLANDERS 1

TORONTO (AP) — Easton Cowan had a goal and an assist in the first period and Toronto beat New York for its first victory under coach Jim Hiller.

The Maple Leafs rebounded from a 3-2 home loss to Montreal in their opener Tuesday night, spoiling the Islanders’ first game of the season.

Colton Sissons also scored for Toronto, and Anthony Stolarz made 26 saves.

Emil Heineman scored in the third period for New York. Ilya Sorokin stopped 24 shots.

Sissons redirected his first goal for Toronto at 7:14 of the first period off Nick Paul’s setup. Cowan then shoveled home a power-play rebound with 8:05 left in the period.

Reunited with fellow netminder Sergei Bobrovsky after winning the Stanley Cup together with Florida in 2024, Stolarz was perfect until Heineman scored short-handed with 5:51 left.

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Islanders’ defensive issues reinforced in season-opening loss to Maple Leafs

Colton Sissons of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates a goal past the New York Islanders goaltender.
Colton Sissons #15 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates after scoring his first goal.

TORONTO — The Islanders, as close to a whole product as they can get while Mat Barzal is hurt, looked like a better, faster, more competitive team on Wednesday night than they had in a preseason that verged on alarming. 

Just not better, faster or competitive enough to come away with two points. 

For the fifth time in six years, the Islanders started their season with a defeat, falling to the Maple Leafs 2-1, opening 2026-27 with a performance that had a lot of fight and not enough finish. 

Goaltender Ilya Sorokin makes a save as Auston Matthews (34) stands in front during the Islanders’ 2-1 season-opening loss to the Maple Leafs on Sept. 30 2026 in Toronto. Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP

“We all have more to give, especially me,” Matthew Schaefer said. “And I think we’re gonna learn from it.” 

It wasn’t all bad at Scotiabank Arena. But — ironically given his own framing — the good for the Islanders almost exclusively came when Schaefer was on the ice, and that is a problem anyone could have predicted. 

Schaefer, who was part of the headline bill against this year’s No. 1 overall Gavin McKenna, picked up right where he left off last season, his adjustment to the right side looking far more seamless than McKenna’s to the NHL. 

Adam Pelech and Schaefer aside, though, the other two defense pairs looked like they were still getting their sea legs. 

Matthew Schaefer skates with the puck as Bo Groulx defends during the Islanders’ loss to the Maple Leafs. Getty Images
Casey Cizikas (53 and Nick Paul (20) battle for the puck during the Islanders’ opening-night loss to the Maple Leafs. NHLI via Getty Images

As was the case in preseason, the Alexander Romanov-Ryan Pulock pair looked rocky. Logan Stanley, making his Islanders debut alongside Tony DeAngelo, seemed to still be getting his bearings — and was victimized on the Leafs’ opening goal, when Colton Sissons beat him to Nick Paul’s feed for a successful redirection. 

Five minutes after Sissons opened the scoring, the Leafs doubled their lead on the power play. Morgan Rielly batted the puck to keep it in off Ryan Pulock’s clearing attempt and Easton Cowan cleaned up the garbage on the ensuing blast from Jack Roslovic. 

The Islanders were cleaner defensively after that, but the damage had been done. And offensively, it took them far too much time to get going. 

Colton Sissons celebrates after scoring a goal on Ilya Sorokin during the Islanders’ loss to the Maple Leafs. NHLI via Getty Images

“I think we can get some more pucks [in front],” Pulock told The Post. “I think we can get some more traffic there. I think in today’s game, in this league, it’s hard to beat a goalie when he sees the puck.” 

Leafs coach Jim Hiller threw a huge test at Victor Eklund right away, matching Auston Matthews’ line against the rookie’s trio that included JG Pageau and Emil Heineman. 

That made for an underwhelming night for Eklund, though, as coach Pete DeBoer said, he grew into the game. He was also far from the only one. 

The second line was barely noticeable aside from Cal Ritchie’s struggles, and by late in the second period, DeBoer had moved Anthony Duclair — perhaps the Islanders’ best offensive forward on the night — into Matias Maccelli’s spot, demoting the latter to the fourth line. 

Shortly thereafter, DeBoer put the entire lineup in the blender, hoping to spark them in the third period. Ironically, when the Islanders did get on the board, it was shorthanded, with Emil Heineman finishing off a 2-on-1 rush with Bo Horvat at 14:09 of the third. 

Cutting the deficit to 2-1 with nearly six minutes to go gave the Islanders the opportunity they’d been looking for all night. But they couldn’t use it to squeeze out a point. 

Adam Pelech (3) and Gavin McKenna (92) battle for the puck during the Islanders’ loss to the Maple Leafs. NHLI via Getty Images

There were stretches, amid a game that wasn’t all that open, where the Islanders created extended pressure and forced Anthony Stolarz into action. Duclair, specifically, looked like the best version of himself, and had the Islanders’ best chance of the night when he skated across the crease and forced Stolarz to stretch all the way out to make a save in the third. 

While the power play looked just as bad as it did last season, with an 0-for-4 performance that made it culpable, you could at least squint at parts of the 5-on-5 game and see building blocks. 

“Work in progress,” DeBoer said of his team’s 5-on-4 game. 

That could have applied to the whole thing.

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Former 5-time MLB All-Star calls Manny Machado ‘misunderstood’

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows San Diego Padres player celebrates with a fist pump in front of an enthusiastic crowd during a game against the Chicago Cubs, Image 2 shows San Diego Padres player Manny Machado reacts during a game against the Chicago Cubs

Since his arrival in the MLB 15 years ago, Manny Machado has been considered one of the most controversial players in the game.

But according to one of his former teammates, that might not be true.

Macahdo’s former Baltimore Orioles teammate, Adam Jones, appeared as a guest on “All the Smoke” and told former Lakers star Matt Barnes and former MLB player Harold Reynolds that Machado is not the villain he’s portrayed to be.

San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado rounding the bases during their wild-card game against the Chicago Cubs. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Obviously he gets some bad rap for some things but, that dude is awesome,” Jones said. “He’s a gamer. You can look at his games played; it’s on the back of his card. He posts up every day. Everybody’s going through aches and bruises, but he posts up.”

For most of Machado’s career, he was teammates with Jones until their final moments with the Orioles.

Machado was traded by Baltimore to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018, while Jones would leave that same season in free agency.

As Jones mentioned, Machado’s had some moments that don’t look the best on his resume, including in 2014, when he flung his bat across the infield towards former Oakland A’s third baseman Alberto Callaspo.

In 2017, he cleated former Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia while sliding into second base and would end up giving him a career-ending injury.

When Machado joined the San Diego Padres in 2019, he was asked about that moment and said “it sucks.”

Aside from a few dirty plays, Machado was also well known for his “flashy swagger” that he brought to the field – notoably for some of the iconic chains he would wear around his neck during games.

Manny Machado celebrates during the Padres wild-card game against the Cubs. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Jones recalled Machado being a great teammate, Reynolds rebuffed him and asked him about conversations they had together and proceeded to call him a “knucklehead.”

“I think he’s misunderstood,” Jones said. “He’s from Miami. You just gave him $5.5 million. I would have turned up too.”

Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. celebrating during wild-card game against the Chicago Cubs. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jones went on to say that being teammates with Machado was simple.

“He’s the third overall pick. Talent is through the roof,” Jones said. “All you need to do is keep him focused. That’s it. I’m not going to police this guy.”

Since Machado has been in San Diego, he’s quietly changed the narrative of his career from being a “knucklehead” and has become a leader in the Padres locker room, including playing a big part in mentoring Fernando Tatis Jr. when he was called up in 2019.