Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:Federal Baseball
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (10-11, 4.06 ERA) vs. LHP Richard Lovelady (3-4, 3.86 ERA)
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NEW YORK— Three months ago, Andy Green had no aspirations of managing the New York Mets.
Now, he’s got a three-year deal in the dugout to produce better days ahead.
In a surprising change of direction, Green went from interim Mets manager to full-time skipper when the club gave him a three-year contract. New York made the announcement before starting its final road trip of the season against the Texas Rangers.
“I think Andy is the perfect person for this job,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said at a pregame news conference in Arlington, Texas.
“I think Andy brings to us an ability to connect the organization in ways that very few people could. He allows us to connect front office to dugout. He allows us to connect minor league to major league, and he provides us a level of continuity that we need right now, and a level of stability and belief.”
Green, who managed the San Diego Padres from 2016-19, had been running New York’s farm system before taking over as interim manager when Carlos Mendoza was fired in late June. At the time, Green said he wasn’t particularly interested in becoming a manager again, citing the desire to keep spending time with his three daughters and saying he viewed his interim role on the bench as more of a responsibility to the club than a personal opportunity.
“At the outset, I wasn’t even entertaining that idea whatsoever,” Green said.
Stearns said Green would return to a front-office role after the season, a stance the executive stuck to even as the last-place Mets (72-85) improved their play on the field and several rookies who rose through the minors under Green such as Carson Benge and Nolan McLean flourished in the big leagues as well.
“Andy has connected with and pushed our players to perform, despite the disappointment of the season,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. “Over the last several months he has brought discipline, accountability and positivity to the clubhouse, attributes we were seeking in our next manager.”
And even as the struggling Mets unloaded a bevy of veteran pitchers leading up to the Aug. 3 trade deadline, Green found himself enjoying the steep challenges of his job on the bench and in the clubhouse.
“It was a tough time. It was trade deadline, we weren’t necessarily winning baseball games. There was a lot of conversations that had to be had with players to help walk them through difficult chapters,” Green said. “And I started thinking, if I have such a passion for the hard times, I’m looking forward to the good times.”
After he talked things over with his family, Green’s wife and teenage daughters encouraged him to pursue managing full-time again if the opportunity arose.
“As time went on, it was just an overwhelming sense of joy and purpose being in the dugout and belief that something within me can help,” Green said. “So it became pretty obvious as time went on.”
Stearns said Green called him during the first week of September and let him know “his passions had changed,” and they were now in the dugout as manager.
“So that got my head spinning a little bit. I digested that over the course of the last couple of weeks. Andy and I have had a number of conversations,” Stearns said.
In the end, the Mets committed to Green and chose not to conduct a full search for a new manager this offseason as Stearns had said they would.
“I think it’s a wise decision, a good decision, and I’m looking forward to the next couple of years,” star shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “He’s made a good impact in the clubhouse.”
“Over the course of the season, it became evident that the next manager of the New York Mets was already in place,” Stearns said in a statement.
Coming into the season, the Mets had lofty expectations for a franchise without a World Series title since 1986. New York opened the season with baseball’s highest payroll at $358 million and was projected to pay an additional $124 million in luxury tax.
But the Mets underperformed early and were beset by injuries to Lindor, Juan Soto and others. They were 34-47 at the midpoint of the season when Mendoza was fired on June 26. The team is 38-38 since Green took over following a 6-3 victory over Texas.
“The last three months I think there’s been progress,” he said before the game. “We’ve got more to do.”
The 49-year-old Green, a former major league infielder, went 274-366 as Padres manager and finished with a losing record in all four seasons. Then he spent four seasons as a bench coach with the Chicago Cubs before joining the Mets in 2023 and serving as senior vice president of baseball development.
Now, he becomes the 26th manager in franchise history.
“Certainly when I came down here three months ago, didn’t anticipate this day at all. Wasn’t anything that I was thinking could happen,” Green said.
“I think it’s just an indication of where my family has pivoted over the last three months. They’ve seen my passion rise and I think above anything else, it’s right to acknowledge the players in that clubhouse because they’ve rekindled in me a love that I had for being in the dugout.”
SEATTLE — Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez gained some ground in his chase for a Triple Crown.
He still has plenty of work to do this week.
The AL MVP front-runner went 2 for 4 with his 41st home run and three RBIs in the Astros’ 7-0 win over the Seattle Mariners. Alvarez hit an RBI single in the first inning, was intentionally walked in the second and then belted a 386-foot homer in the eighth with a 109.5 mph exit velocity.
“At this point, I keep wondering why guys are pitching to him,” Houston first baseman Christian Walker said. “He just seems to come through in every moment. He’s dangerous at the plate right now.”
Alvarez, who is quiet and shows little emotion, orchestrated a team meeting after the Astros (78-79) were swept by Atlanta, squandering their lead in the AL West. His performance was much-needed to put Houston in a tie with the Texas Rangers atop the division with five games left this season.
“He’s been backing it up all year,” Astros manager Joe Espada said.
Alvarez’s two-run shot to right field tied him with Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League lead with 41 homers. Alvarez is first in batting average at .314 — five points ahead of Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson — and he has 102 RBIs, six behind Baltimore Orioles slugger Pete Alonso for most in the AL.
Alonso drove in three runs with two homers against Toronto, but the teams were rained in Baltimore because of bad weather. They are scheduled to play a split doubleheader.
Alvarez has six homers since Aug. 1, and the 29-year-old designated hitter has eight RBIs over 17 games in September. He’ll need more to become baseball’s first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012.
Alvarez leads the AL in slugging percentage (.601), OPS (1.032), total bases (329) and walks (106). Logan Gilbert intentionally walked Alvarez in the second inning, which was the 33rd time for Alvarez this season, already a franchise record.
It’s been a historic season for the four-time All-Star after he was limited to 48 games in 2025 because of a broken hand and an ankle injury.
If he wins the AL MVP award, the Cuban slugger will join Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers as the only players to win an MVP award while primarily serving as a designated hitter. Othani was close to winning a Triple Crown in 2024 after leading the NL in homers (50) and RBIs (130), but his .310 average fell just short to Luis Arráez’s .314.
CHICAGO — Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman could play again in the regular season after he sustained multiple facial fractures when he was struck in the face by a foul ball.
Chicago manager Craig Counsell said Bregman did a light workout in the weight room and tracked pitches from a machine in a batting cage. There are no plans to place him on the injured list.
“He’s still got significant swelling in his face and his eye that needs to improve,” Counsell said. “But all things considered, he’s in a good place.”
Bregman was on deck in the fourth inning of a 9-1 win at Cincinnati when he was hit on the left side of his face on Michael Busch’s check-swing foul ball. Bregman immediately jogged toward the Cubs’ dugout and covered his face before going back to the clubhouse with an athletic trainer.
“When everything was going down on Sunday afternoon, I think that we all thought the worst case might be a possibility,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “And all the news since then has been really good. He’s had a lot of different doctor’s appointments, and they’ve been positive. And I think we have to take it one step at a time.”
Pedro Ramírez started at third in an 8-2 loss to Miami in 12 innings. He went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts. Matt Shaw also could fill in at third while Bregman is out.
Chicago (87-70) can clinch an NL wild card with a win over Miami or a loss by Arizona at Colorado.
The Cubs have five games left in the regular season. But the schedule for their weekend series at Boston is in flux because of heavy rain in the forecast.
“I think Alex is going to be fine. I really do,” Counsell said. “The guy is ... he’s driving home from Cincinnati and he wants to play. So he’s planning on playing. He knew he had to get some good news from the doctors. He got that good news. So he’s going to do everything in his power, and as long as I think symptoms don’t kind of increase or happen as he increases activity, I think you’re going to see him play.”
Bregman is batting .262 with 26 homers and 89 RBIs in 153 games during his first season with Chicago. The three-time All-Star signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs in free agency.
The 32-year-old Bregman got off to a rough start in his new home, hitting just .229 with two homers in his first 20 games. But he has been one of Chicago’s most productive players since the All-Star break, batting .305 with 17 homers and 48 RBIs in his last 57 games.
Bregman also has excelled in the postseason in the past. He won two World Series championships with the Houston Astros. He appeared in at least two postseason games in each of the previous nine years.
“To see a friend and a teammate just get hit in the face and bleeding like that is awful,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “I think his reactions to everything has been uplifting, just him being relentlessly aggressive and positive and speaking out, all the things that he’s excited to do.”
Prior to last night’s game, the Texas Rangers announced that outfielder Joc Pederson had been placed on the 10 day injured list due to the broken bone in his hand that he suffered on September 12. To replace Pederson on the active roster, the Rangers activated Michael Helman from the 60 day injured list. To make room for Helman on the 40 man roster, the Rangers moved Cal Quantrill from the 15 day injured list to the 60 day injured list.
It is a disappointing end to what was a very solid season from Pederson, who slashed .235/.329/.487 in 432 plate appearances covering 136 games as the team’s primary DH against righthanded pitching. The Rangers had held off on putting him on the injured list in the hope that he would recover to the point he could resume hitting, but that didn’t happen. The hope is that, if the Rangers make the playoffs, Pederson would be physically able to hit by then, and could be on the team’s playoff roster.
The Quantrill move to the 60 day injured list means that he is done for the 2026 season, and won’t be eligible to return even in any potential playoff series. This is disappointing but not surprising, as a lat strain, which is what Quantrill landed on the injured list with, is the sort of thing that is going to generally sideline a pitcher for a couple of months.
As for Helman, he last played in the majors on June 13, having gone on the injured list with multiple fractures in his hands and fingers. He played in five games for Round Rock on a rehab assignment prior to being activated from the injured list. He presumably is a late game pinch runner/defensive replacement option.
The Penguins made some roster cuts today during their off day, trimming away nine players.
Besides Gauthier, the fourth goalie in the organization, only Tomas Galvas is on an NHL contract from this group. The Penguins stuck with the plan to loan the 20-year old 2026 second round pick back to his Czech team for the season – he could be recalled to Wilkes-Barre in the spring depending on how things go. Galvas shined in the prospect tournament a couple weeks ago in Detroit but then had a rocky showing in his first NHL preseason game last night against a more veteran Red Wings team.
Beyond that, not too many notable surprises. Overall, by my count the Penguins still have 59 players in their NHL training camp. Pittsburgh has another exhibition game tomorrow night, after which a lot of cuts will be made as the team starts to pare down towards the 23-player limit before the season starts next Wednesday.
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is expected to be back in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup after a stint on the injured list.
The two-way superstar has been on the IL since Sept. 9 due to right biceps inflammation and lingering soreness in his left knee.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani is feeling “considerably” better.
“I would say if he was a five, he’s probably an eight or a nine right now,” Roberts said before the Dodgers faced San Diego.
The Dodgers clinched their 13th NL West title in 14 years without Ohtani, who was in Los Angeles for treatment when the team beat Cincinnati on the road. Now, the four-time MVP will have five games remaining to get some at-bats in before the postseason begins.
Ohtani likely will resume his role as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter, especially against right-handed pitching. Mookie Betts has been atop the lineup and is hitting .373 in September.
“That’s probably the way it’s going to fall out, but I haven’t totally decided yet,” Roberts said, adding that he would consider Betts’ leadoff value against left-handed pitching. “I have to think about the entire lineup structure.”
‘I love going to the Middle East,’ says Ferrari driver
Qatar and Abu Dhabi races could still be cancelled
Lewis Hamilton said he hopes the Formula One season can still end at the two scheduled rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with the finale still in doubt because of the war in the Middle East.
Formula One is pressing ahead with its original plan, although a contingency is understood to be in place to host a final round in Imola if the volatile situation means both meetings have to be cancelled.
Continue reading...The 2026 MLB season is in its final days, which means the playoffs are just on the horizon. While many teams are locked into playoff spots, a few final spots remain up for grabs, as well as playoff seeding and tiebreaker scenarios.
In this article, which we'll update every day until the end of the year, we'll go over the updated playoff picture, break down the MLB standings, and discuss the implications of the remaining few games. Let's dive in.
This is a good time to remind you that, in Major League Baseball, the three division winners will always be the top three seeds. That is especially relevant in the American League where the Wild Card teams both have better records than two of the three division winners. Yet, it will be the division winners who get a bye and also get home-field advantage. If there is a tie in regular season records, then a tiebreaker (record season head-to-head) determines who is the home team and higher seed for the matchup.
1. Tampa Bay Rays (Clinched AL East)
Record: 96-61
Tiebreaker: Secured tiebreaker over Yankees
Remaining schedule: 5 left: @ NYY (2), @ PHI (3)
2. Cleveland Guardians(AL Central leader)
Record: 82-75
Seeding: Magic number for playoff birth is 2 and to win the AL Central is 5
Tiebreaker: have secured a tiebreaker over the Orioles, but lost tiebreakers to White Sox, Rangers, Blue Jays, and Astros. Red Sox tiebreaker will be decided with current series.
Remaining schedule: 5 left: @ BOS (2), @ KC (3)
3. Houston Astros(AL West leader)
Record: 78-79
Seeding: Magic number for playoff berth and AL West title is 5
Tiebreaker: Secured a tiebreaker over the Guardians, White Sox, and Rangers but lost a tiebreaker to the Orioles
Remaining schedule: 5 left: @ SEA (1), @ ATH (4)
4. New York Yankees (wild card)
Record: 90-67
Seeding: Clinched playoff berth
Tiebreaker: Secured a tiebreaker over the Red Sox but lost one to the Rays.
Remaining schedule: 5 left: vs. TB (2), vs. BAL (3)
5. Boston Red Sox (wild card)
Record: 84-73
Seeding: Clinched playoff berth
Tiebreaker: Secured a tiebreaker over the White Sox but lost a tiebreaker to the Yankees. Guardians tiebreaker will be decided with current series.
Remaining schedule: 5 left: vs. CLE (2), vs. CHC (3)
6. Chicago White Sox (wild card)
Record: 81-76
Seeding: Magic number to secure playoff berth is 2
Tiebreaker: Has secured a tiebreaker over the Guardians, Rangers, and Blue Jays but lost tiebreakers to the Red Sox, Astros, and Orioles
Remaining schedule: 5 left: @ KC (2), vs. COL (3)
1. Milwaukee Brewers (Clinched NL Central)
Record: 98-59
Seeding: Magic number to secure 1st seed is four games
Tiebreaker: Have a tiebreaker over the Dodgers
Remaining schedule: 5 left: @ PHI (2), vs. STL (3)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers(Clinched NL West)
Record: 97-60
Seeding: Could still get the 1st seed
Tiebreaker: Lost tiebreakers to both the Brewers and Braves
Remaining schedule: 5 left: vs. SD (2), @ SF (3)
3. Atlanta Braves (Clinched NL East)
Record: 92-65
Tiebreaker: Has a tiebreaker over the Dodgers and Phillies but lost a tiebreaker to the Padres
Remaining schedule: 5 left: vs. CIN (2), @ MIA (3)
4. Chicago Cubs
Record: 87-70
Seeding: Magic number to secure a playoff spot is 1
Tiebreaker: Have secured tiebreakers over the Padres, Phillies, and Diamondbacks
Remaining schedule: 5 left: vs. MIA (2), @ BOS (3)
5. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 87-70
Seeing: Magic number to secure a playoff spot is 2
Tiebreaker: Has secured a tiebreaker over the Padres but lost a tiebreaker to the Braves and Cubs
Remaining schedule: 5 left: vs. MIL (2), vs. TB (3)
6. San Diego Padres
Record: 87-70
Seeing: Magic number to secure a playoff spot is 2
Tiebreaker: Has secured a tiebreaker over the Braves but lost tiebreakers to the Cubs and Phillies
Remaining schedule: 5 left: @ LAD (2), vs. AZ (3)
MLB.com
Texas Rangers
Situation: Texas is two games back from the final Wild Card spot and tied with the Astros for the AL West title, but the Astros have the tiebreaker
Record: 78-79
Tiebreaker: Secured tiebreaker over Guardians, Blue Jays, and Orioles but lost a tiebreaker to the White Sox and Astros
Remaining schedule: 5 left: vs. NYM (2), @ MIN (3)
Toronto Blue Jays
Situation: Four games behind the White Sox for the final Wild Card spot. Eliminated with a loss or a White Sox win.
Record: 77-80
Tiebreaker: Secured a tiebreaker over the Guardians but lost one to the Rangers and White Sox
Remaining schedule: 5 left: @ BAL (2), vs. CIN (3)
Baltimore Orioles
Situation: Five games behind the White Sox for the final Wild Card spot. Eliminated with a loss or a White Sox win.
Record: 76-81
Tiebreaker: Secured a tiebreaker over the White Sox, Astros but lost a tiebreaker to the Guardians and Rangers
Remaining schedule: 5 left: vs. TOR (2), @ NYY (3)
Arizona Diamondbacks
Situation: Four games behind the Padres, Cubs, and Phillies for the final Wild Card spot. Magic number for elimination is 2.
Record: 83-74
Tiebreaker: Lost a tiebreaker to the Cubs. Padres tiebreaker will be decided by upcoming series.
Remaining schedule: 5 left: @ COL (2), @ SD (3)
On Wednesday, the Guardians can clinch a playoff berth with a win vs. the Red Sox AND a Rangers loss to the Mets or an Astros loss to the Mariners.
On Wednesday, the White Sox can clinch a playoff berth with a win vs. the Royals AND a Rangers loss to the Mets.
On Wednesday, the Dodgers can clinch at least the No. 2 seed and a bye with a win vs. the Padres OR a Braves loss to the Reds.
On Wednesday, the Cubs can clinch a playoff berth with a win vs. the Marlins OR a Diamondbacks loss to the Rockies.
On Wednesday, the Padres can clinch a playoff berth with a win vs. the Dodgers AND a Diamondbacks loss to the Rockies.
On Wednesday, the Phillies can clinch a playoff berth with a win vs. the Brewers AND a Diamondbacks loss to the Rockies.
Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 29
Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 30
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 1*
NLDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 3
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 4
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 6
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 7*
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 9*
ALDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 3
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 5
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 7
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 8*
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 10* (*if necessary)
NLCS
Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 11
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 12
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 14
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 15
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 16*
Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 18*
Game 7: Monday, Oct. 19*
ALCS
Game 1: Monday, Oct. 12
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 15
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 16
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 17*
Game 6: Monday, Oct. 19*
Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 20* (*if necessary)
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 28*
Game 6: Friday, Oct. 30*
Game 7: Saturday, Oct. 31* (*if necessary)
After last night’s rare low scoring win, the Nats are in position to claim a series win. This afternoon contest in Detroit will be the last road game of the season for the Nats. The boys will look to finish on a high note as they head home for a final series.
With a lefty on the mound, the Nats are loading up on right handed bats. James Wood and CJ Abrams are the only lefties in the lineup. Jacob Young and Harry Ford will return to the lineup in this contest. Dylan Crews moves to left field as Daylen Lile gets the day off. Richard Lovelady will be the opener in what will be a bullpen game.
A couple big names are back in the lineup for the Tigers. After sitting yesterday, Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler are back. Zach McKinstry will also make his first start of the series. Javier Baez will be getting the day off. Framber Valdez has had an up and down first season in Detroit, but he has been better lately. He is on the mound this afternoon.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Comerica Park
Time: 1:10 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
It is wild that this is the last road game of the year, but here we are. Hopefully we can finish the road slate with a curly W. CJ Abrams has been swinging it well, so he is one to watch this afternoon. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Kevin Durant still just wants to hoop — and watch other people hoop.
Last season, Durant was second in the NBA in total minutes played with 2,840, and he was third in minutes per game at 36.4. When he sat down at Rockets media day on Tuesday, he was asked if, with a healthier and deeper Houston roster, the goal was to keep his minutes down this season.
"I'm better on the court. The team is better when I'm on the court," Durant said, pushing back on the idea of a minutes reduction. "Now, if we handle our business the first three quarters, then or earlier in the game, then maybe. But just for the sake of get my minutes, just because, 'Oh, he's older' or he played a lot of minutes — that's what I'm supposed to be training for is to play the long haul. Play 48 minutes a night.
"I get the concern. But you know, if the game needs me to be out there, I want to be out there."
Durant is under contract for this season but has a player option for next season. He is extension elegible with Houston, and Rockets head of basketball operations Rafael Stone said Durant told him he was happy in Houston. However, when asked if that meant he wanted to sign an extension in Houston or stay with the team beyond this next season, Durant brushed that conversation aside.
"I'm not thinking about anything like that," Durant said. "I'm enjoying coming into work every day. It's been fun going through the process with everybody. And like I said, I'm taking it one day at a time. And that's the most I can do. You know, who knows what'll happen down the line or in the future."
Durant, a long-time, very vocal supporter of the WNBA, was asked about the state of the league and the culture war it's been dragged into, in part by former Durant teammate Enes Kanter. Durant answered like the hooper he is — and echoed how a lot of people in the basketball world feel about the drama.
"All that stuff just be noise, man. The WNBA is flourishing," Durant said. "Look what these women are doing. Look at the money they're making, that they made over the last few years. Look at the visibility of their league. They got four or five signature athletes that are representing major brands. These women have brands for themselves. They're businesswomen for themselves outside of the game.
"So, a lot of this stuff, you know, the politics that they bring into sports nowadays, I understand the messaging behind what they're trying to do, but a person like me who just strictly cares for the purity of the sport, I do not give a f*** about none of that. I care about flourishing and pushing the league forward, and that's what's happening right now."
In perhaps the most injury-riddled playoff matchup of the season last spring, the Los Angeles Lakers dispatched the Houston Rockets in six games. Luka Dončić, Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams did not log a single minute.
Kevin Durant only played one game. Austin Reaves missed the first four games of the series. That’s a lot of pivotal names missing in action.
It was a series defined by understandably erratic, ugly stretches of offense and key players from each side often reduced to fumes by the third or fourth quarter. Twice, the Rockets and Lakers both failed to crack the century mark. The Rockets did so four times overall in the series while the Lakers did so thrice.
The most famous game — or, infamous, depending on one’s perspective — was Game 3, when Los Angeles mounted a late comeback to force overtime and ultimately take a 3-0 series lead, all but sealing Houston’s 2025-26 fate. In that contest, the Rockets held possession and a 101-95 lead with 34 seconds remaining before committing consecutive turnovers, fouling Marcus Smart on a 3-point attempt and conceding a Luke Kennard game-tying triple.
It was a calamity of errors from Houston, typifying its lack of poise and execution down the stretch of games. According to NBA.com, the Lakers won two of the three “clutch” games in the series and outscored the Rockets by eight points during those 15 “clutch” minutes.
That sort of disparity defined the series and was Alperen Şengün’s takeaway from the matchup when he told reporters during Houston’s media day on Tuesday.
“We played six games. Unfortunately, we only had KD for one game. That was another time for us to grow. Jabari [Smith Jr.], me, Amen [Thompson] taking the leadership because we were the ones playing and having to play against the Lakers, who had a lot of experience,” Şengün said. “LeBron [James], Marcus, Rui [Hachimura], like all of those players have been there and they know, they understand it better. We gave them a really hard time. We beat them in every stat. Just the experience beat us, I would say. They knew what to do. They were calm in the clutch times. That’s what we learned.”
It’s undeniable clutch-time performance helped propel Los Angeles past Houston. And the Rockets did give the Lakers “a really hard time.” Many of those games were close and tense.
Şengün is spot on in those evaluations. The Rockets posted a lower turnover rate and higher offensive rebounding rate than Los Angeles, according to Cleaning the Glass. But they were done in by abysmal shot-making and scoring output, numbers also tracked in the stats department. For instance, the Lakers’ effective field goal percentage was 8.2 percent higher (54.9 vs. 46.7) while their free-throw rate was four points higher (25.5 vs. 21.5).
Late-game blunders helped sink Houston’s ship, yet it did not win “every stat” of that series. To progress its rebuild beyond the first round, it must become a more efficient offense, an aspect not entirely tied to experience and something the Lakers, led by Dončić and Reaves, are hoping they can ride to success out West this season.
You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.
‘I didn’t celebrate. I went home to rest. It was a hard fight’
Hrgovic stopped Briton to win the IBF heavyweight title
Filip Hrgovic, the new IBF world heavyweight champion, has offered a candid insight into the ordeal he endured before beating Moses Itauma in a shock stoppage victory last month, revealing he absorbed so many heavy punches in the first eight rounds that he felt headaches for a number of days afterwards.
“I felt fucked up,” said the 34-year-old Croat. “I received a lot of shots and I was bruised. I had a bit of a headache for a few days. On the Wednesday after the fight I was back in the gym, working out already, but for a few days I felt really tired and bruised, with some headaches.”
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LOS ANGELES — Last year at this time, Evan Phillips and Brock Stewart were both recovering from surgeries and unavailable to pitch. They were around the team but unable to contribute during the stretch run and postseason. This year, both veteran right-handers are two key cogs in an increasingly deep Dodgers bullpen and an important part of their October puzzle.
Phillips had Tommy John surgery in June 2025, wiping out the last half of last season and the first half of this one. When he returned from the injured list in July, the Dodgers were cautious in his usage, not using him on back-to-back days for his first four weeks, and used him on one day rest only four times during that stretch.
The results were spotty at first, allowing runs in five of his first seven appearances, including an uncharacteristic four home runs in such a short span. Since then, Phillips has allowed runs in only three of his last 21 appearances, and the lone home run surrendered was last Monday to Elly De La Cruz, which seems to be a rite of passage for everybody these days.
“Evan as you would expect, the first handful of outings were inconsistent coming off Tommy John, but I’d say the last [few] have been kind of who he is, and it’s been fun to see,” manager Dave Roberts said recently. “There’s a two-seamer, there’s a four-seamer, and some sweepers getting some awkward swings, some chase. That’s been good, and his command has been a lot better, too.”
Phillips in his 28 games has 28 strikeouts against only three unintentional walks. Since the start of August, the Dodgers have used Phillips more aggressively, pitching on back-to-back days five times, and he pitched three times in four days in three different stretches, and during that span has a 2.30 ERA and 2.46 FIP.
“I appreciate what they’ve done, trying to build me up, plus also protect me, plus giving me advantageous lanes while also challenging me,” Phillips said. “It’s been great so far, and I definitely feel like I’m coming closer and closer to that best version of myself that I have been and continue to strive to be.”
Stewart, a sixth-round draft pick of the Dodgers in 2014, was reacquired by the team at the 2025 trade deadline, but he pitched in only four games for them before succumbing to right shoulder debridement surgery in September. This year the right-hander has a 2.45 ERA and 2.53 xERA in his 27 games, with 24 strikeouts and seven unintentional walks in 25 2/3 innings, including a scoreless first inning to start Tuesday night’s bullpen-game shutout of the San Diego Padres.
“When Brock’s healthy, he’s as good as anyone we have,” Roberts said Tuesday. “For us, it’s just trying to manage him the right way and keep him strong and healthy. He’s been great.”
“That’s very cool to hear. I just go out there and throw it, that’s literally all I focus on. But people tell me that my — you know, I throw five pitches, which helps as a reliever,” Stewart said. “They tell me my stuff is pretty good, and it’s always nice to hear that. But I don’t know, I just go out there and throw it, try to compete as best I can, and hope it works out.
Roberts wasn’t wrong. Since returning to the majors in 2023 with the Minnesota Twins, Stewart has a 2.45 ERA and 2.78 xERA, which ranks 10thand ninth, respectively, among the 576 major league pitchers with at least 100 innings over the last four years. Tarik Skubal, with two Cy Young Awards during that stretch, has a 2.50 ERA and 2.73 xERA, for example.
But staying on the field has been a problem for Stewart, who this season alone has been on the injured list three different times — recovering from shoulder surgery, bone spur in his left foot, and shoulder discomfort — inactive for a total of 95 games. Since 2023, Stewart has also been on the injured list with elbow soreness, shoulder tendinitis, a shoulder strain, a hamstring strain, and shoulder inflammation, limited to just 106 2/3 total innings over the last four seasons.
“I feel good, but I’ve told everybody though, one day at a time. I’ve been hurt a lot so I always try to take things one day at a time. But I’m happy with the way I feel, happy with the way I felt today,” Stewart said. “Getting close to the finish line, but happy with how I feel, happy with how the stuff is coming out. I feel like I’m in a good spot and can hopefully help out.”
Stewart has pitched in the postseason only once, in three games over two series with the Minnesota Twins in 2023. Phillips was an October stalwart for the Dodgers since he was acquired on a waiver claim in 2021. In 12 appearances for the Dodgers in the playoffs, Phillips has yet to allow a run, over 15 1/3 innings, with 21 strikeouts and six unintentional walks. Phillips missed out on the World Series in 2024 with a right rotator cuff injury suffered during the NLCS, and was sidelined for all of last October.
“I love pitching in the postseason, I love competing with these guys. In 2024, missing out on the World Series, but I tried to dig in on the fact that I helped us get there, and played quite a large part in the Division Series and Championship Series. Obviously I want to see it all to the end, and help us carry that trophy off the field,” Philips said. “I’m just as eager as ever. Fortunate that I feel healthy at this time, and just trying to build on that, continue to chip away, and be the best I can when it matters most.”
This season, only Tanner Scott, Edwin Díaz, and Alex Vesia have a higher average-leverage index than Phillips and Stewart among Dodgers relievers. Phillips and Stewart have each saved a game this year, and Phillips has done so in the past with 46 saves with the Dodgers. Roberts said he’d feel comfortable with either Phillips or Stewart getting a save opportunity in October, along with a group that includes Tanner Scott and the just-activated Roki Sasaki.
“This year, more than any other year, I think there’s more guys we feel comfortable closing out games,” Roberts said.
The initial plan called for Roki Sasaki to pitch an inning or two as an opener.
Sasaki had other ideas.
“I said I wanted to pitch out of the bullpen,” Sasaki said in Japanese.
Because Sasaki will be deployed as a reliever in the playoffs, he figured he should spend the remainder of the regular season becoming reacquainted with the role.
So instead of throwing the first and second innings of the Dodgers’ 7-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night, Sasaki pitched the fourth.
Returning from a month-long stay on the injured list, Sasaki pitched in relief for the first time this season.
What was most memorable about his night wasn’t that he struck out two batters or threw six of his 20 pitches faster than 99 mph. Rather, what was most striking was his embrace of his move out of the Dodgers’ rotation.
Sasaki was reluctant to make the switch last year, doing so only as a last-ditch effort to salvage an otherwise disastrous rookie season. The decision made him an October hero, as the team’s lack of options made him the closer almost by default.
He returned to the rotation this year and was 5-5 with a 4.56 earned-run average through his first 23 games, all of them starts. His form improved over the course of the season, and he was 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA in seven starts after the All-Star break. But in the last of those starts, which was on Aug. 26 in Atlanta, he developed a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.
Starting games was a source of pride for Sasaki. When he agreed to try pitching in relief last year, he made the Dodgers promise him they would use him as a starter this season.
Sasaki didn’t require as much convincing when team officials started talking to him about a role change on the Dodgers’ recent trip to Cincinnati.
The Dodgers will use a four-man rotation in the playoffs, and they have four Cy Young Award-caliber pitchers in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal and Tyler Glasnow. Sasaki could do the math. If he was going to pitch in the postseason, it would be as a reliever.
“I think it’s important to make the roster,” Sasaki said.
Something else: The Dodgers kept their word about him starting games, and Sasaki wanted to repay them.
“In the first half of the season, they used me as a starter even when I wasn’t pitching well,” he said.
Sasaki didn’t pitch more than five innings in any of his first five starts. His ERA at that point was 6.35. His fastball velocity was down and his command was non-existent.
The Dodgers would have been justified in removing him from the rotation.
They didn’t.
They could have sent him to the minor leagues.
They didn’t.
That meant something to Sasaki.
“This time,” Sasaki said, “I want to be able to contribute to the team in whatever shape.”
The feelings point to a growing trust that has developed between Sasaki and the Dodgers.
At this stage of the season last year, they didn’t seem to be on the same page. As he shined as their closer last October, Dodgers officials and coaches told stories about how they helped Sasaki rediscover his 100-mph fastball. Sasaki downplayed the team’s role in his resurgence, saying he figured out what he was doing wrong by watching videos of himself pitching in high school.
Sasaki is said to have become more open to instruction this season, which contributed to an improved fastball as well as the incorporation of a different variation of his signature forkball.
He is also physically stronger than he did last year. Fatigue was a factor for him in the postseason, and by the World Series, he looked like a spent cartridge. To close out Game 7 of the World Series, manager Dave Roberts went to Yamamoto, who was pitching his third inning in relief a day after making a six-inning start.
Sasaki looks more capable of shouldering a reliever’s schedule and workload.
Sasaki closing games in the upcoming postseason is “certainly an option,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Edwin Diaz has worked his way back into ninth-inning consideration by posting three consecutive scoreless appearances since his return from his latest IL stint. Tanner Scott has been the Dodgers’ primary closer this season, but Roberts said there could be instances in which the left-hander is used earlier in games in high-leverage situations.
Sasaki said he would pitch whenever asked.
That could be determined by how he looks over this final week of the regular season. Roberts said he will likely pitch next on Friday in San Francisco.
This time around, there isn’t any hesitation on the part of Sasaki. This time around, he really wants to do this.