“Yeah I mean obviously it hasn’t been good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic. “He doesn’t feel great. I think for me, it’s having a conversation with him tomorrow, kind of try to figure out what’s best for him, what’s best for us. He certainly has earned that conversation and deserves it.”
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is considering benching Shohei Ohtani. AP Photo/Abbie Parr
Rosenthal and Woo went on to report that Roberts said he would go ahead and have a conversation “with him tomorrow.”
This time last year, Ohtani had one of the greatest games in baseball history, when he struck out 10 batters and hit three home runs in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Brewers.
But given his performance this postseason, it might be the right thing to do.
Dodgers may consider benching Shohei Ohtani due to egregious slump. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In Monday night’s 7-4 loss, Ohtani lowered his postseason batting average to .150 after going 0-for-4 at the plate and striking out twice.
On top of that, the four-time MVP was recently dropped to fifth in the lineup and attempted to lay down a bunt to lead off the sixth inning against Brewers left-handed pitcher Jojo Romero.
Rosenthal and Woo wrote that if the Dodgers elect to sit Ohtani, rookie Josue De Paula would be the top candidate to take his spot as the designated hitter in the starting lineup.
The two reported that the Dodgers have been impressed with De Paula’s “elite plate discipline.”
But the fact of the matter is, he didn’t, and now Los Angeles is facing a 2-0 deficit in the NLCS following a 7-4 loss on Monday night.
Smith had two missed ABS challenges against Brice Turang in the first and third innings, costing the Dodgers a chance change the game.
Will Smith leaves two challenge opportunities on the table for the Dodgers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The first missed opportunity happened after starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was about to pick up his second strikeout of the game when he worked Brice Turang to an early 0-2 count.
Yamamoto threw a 91.2 splitter to the bottom corner of the strike zone and it was ruled a ball.
Smith had a chance to ABS challenge the pitch but ultimately decided to check with the third-plate umpire if Turang’s bat crossed the plate.
The umpire ruled that his bat didn’t, keeping his at-bat alive.
“Will’s got a great view of that; you try to defer to your catchers for challenges,” Roberts said. “If you look back, that changes the outing.”
Will Smith squanders two missed ABS challenge opportunities against the Brewers. AP Photo/Ashley Landis
Three pitches later, after the botched attempt, Turang reached base on a double, then was brought home in the next at-bat, following an RBI single by William Contreras.
Yamamoto eventually got out of the inning after the missed challenge opportunity from Smith by getting Jake Bauers and Christian Yelich to hit out.
Smith’s second chance to get Turang to strike out came in his second at-bat, when he was facing a full count.
Will Smith watching Brice Turang hit a solo home run. AP Photo/Ashley Landis
After Yamamoto threw a cutter in the middle-outside part of the zone, the pitch was ruled a ball, and Smith had a chance to challenge the call but elected not to.
“It was kind of early in the game, we kind of had him on the ropes,” Smith said. “I figured we could get him out there. The walk one was a bummer. But it happens. It’s baseball.”
After Turang was walked, the Brewers offense exploded in the third inning, after Christian Yelich drove in two runs, sending Yamamoto to the showers early after he threw 75 pitches in 2 ⅔ innings.
When the game was over, the Dodgers remained with their two ABS challenges at their disposal.
Aside from the struggles on defense, Smith is 1-for-23 in the playoffs with one walk and eight strikeouts.
The Knicks are still in search of their first preseason win after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, 122-104, at Madison Square Garden.
Here are the takeaways...
-- New York has struggled to find its footing offensively so far in preseason and that continued against the Timberwolves with the Knicks shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range. Jalen Brunson led the charge with 20 points on 6-of-13 from the floor but was capped at 22 minutes along with the rest of the starting five.
-- OG Anunoby was right behind Brunson with 15 points (4-of-8) while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges combined for 20 on 6-for-12. Josh Hart had two points with three rebounds, three assists, a steal and two turnovers. His lone made basket gave New York its only lead of the night in the first quarter.
-- Beyond that, the Knicks gave extended minutes to a number of other players to see who might step up. Pacome Dadiet was first up and scored seven points in 14 minutes while going 2-for-3 from deep. Dadiet was the most efficient scorer among the reserves and knocking down threes is a good sign for young wing competing for minutes.
-- Andre Drummond was the first sub for Towns at the center position and the veteran had three blocks and four rebounds to show his potential value as a backup center following the loss of Mitchell Robinson. Overall the Knicks were outrebounded 39-28, despite nobody on Minnesota having more than five rebounds.
-- Entering the game in the final seven minutes with New York conceding, Tony Bradley made an impact by going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and grabbing two boards. Still, even he was a minus-1 on the floor as the entire Knick roster ended the game in minus territory.
-- For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards had 26 points in a game-high 25 minutes and was hot from deep, going 5-for-8. Jaden McDaniels wasn't far behind him with 22 points on 8-of-12 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Overall, Minnesota shot over 50 percent from both the floor and three-point range, although it struggled from the free throw line (66.7 percent).
Edwards and McDaniels alone combined to make more threes than the Knicks.
-- Ayo Dosunmu had himself a great game with a plus-13 rating in just 20 minutes but found himself in a confrontation with Anunoby after Dosunmu chased him down for a block attempt after the Timberwolves turned it over which resulted in a foul and a pair of hard falls.
Game MVP: Anthony Edwards
He led all scorers with 26 points.
Highlights
Josh Hart with the tough bucket! https://t.co/Jzbv6j9lLS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 12: Og Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks reacts during the third quarter of a preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden on October 12, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before tonight’s scrimmage, there was talk of coach Chris Finch resting his starters. Fat chance. Only Jonathan Kuminga sat tonight for the Minnesota Timberwolves (3-1), since everyone wants to play at Madison Square Garden, the grandest basketball stage in the world. Indeed, the visitors looked determined to announce themselves while the defending champs (0-3) still dragged their feet in the loss. Final score: 122-104
The Knicks set the tone for the night with Brunson and Towns missing badly from deep. They found a creadky rhythm soon after, with buckets from Hart and Bridges and a pair of steals. Meanwhile, the game gave us our first look at LaMelo Ball in Timberwolves blue. He finished the night with 10 points, seven dimes, and five giveaways in 22 minutes. Sounds about right.
In the opening minutes, Brunson got hit with a flopping call when he stumbled from a shove by Gobert. Expect more of those calls this season, at least in the opening months. According to the telecast, NBA referees are utilizing a “STEM” criteria to evaluate potential flopping violations. The acronym stands for Secondary, Theatrical, Exaggerated, and Movement. So, officials are looking for secondary reactions that occur delayed and long after initial contact; theatrical (overly dramatic) performances; exaggerated physical responses that are misaligned with the actual force applied; and unnatural body movements (think arm flailing, karate-style leg kicks).
In Q1, Edwards had 11 points early, leading his team on a 7-0 run by the middle of the first period. After a timeout, the Knicks started clawing their way back. Around the four-minute mark, Deuce McBride and Andre Drummond checked in, and Deuce laced a triple, giving the crowd a rare moment to cheer about.
Deep in the quarter, Pacome Dadiet, Landry Shamet, and Jose Alvarado spelled the remaining starters. Over the final four minutes of the frame, New York managed just five points (a long shot by Dadiet, and a shake-and-bake kiss-off-the-glass shot by Drummond) while Minny went on a 9-5 run. Preseason basketball can get fairly sloppy, folks! Score after 12 minutes: 30-25, visitors.
To start the second, Grand Theft Alvarado picked Ball’s pocket on the inbound play and scored an easy layup. He picked off a Trey Lyles pass on the next possession, too, but missed the ensuing floater. Nice to see Jose in mid-season form. Drummond provided some protection behind him, blocking Ball and swatting a Lyles three for his third block of the game.
Landry Shamet had a rough stretch: he missed a three, lost the ball to Ayo Dosunmu ahead of a Jaden McDaniels layup, then had another three blocked by Dosunmu. He finished with two points in 12 minutes. Dadiet had a few nice moments and hit another three off a Tyler Kolek assist to cut Minnesota’s lead to 34–31.
McDaniels took over from there, scoring seven straight points as Minnesota extended its lead to 41–31. He also blocked Kolek’s drive during that run, while Kolek committed an out-of-bounds passing turnover. Mixed night for Tyler, who finished with four points and four assists in 11 minutes. Jordan Clarkson finally stopped Minnesota’s run with a three, but New York still trailed 41–34 when they called a timeout midway through the quarter.
Late in the quarter, Anunoby picked off a Dosunmu pass, and Ayo chased him down for a hard foul at the rim. It was a spicy moment, as Anunoby took exception to the aggression, but tensions cooled quickly. It’s preseason! OG delivered some highlights, finishing the half with 12 points and the night with 15.
OG Anunoby momentarily unhappy with the hard foul by Ayo Dosunmu in the preseason pic.twitter.com/P60ywlM9c2
The Wolves were clearly motivated to show up the World Champs, and when Edwards hit a buzzer-beater for his 20th point, his team took a 62-50 lead into intermission. New York hadn’t played cohesively, as evidenced by the first-half stats. Minnesota shot 55% from the field and 10-of-16 from three, compared with New York’s 39% and 7-of-19 from deep. The Knicks also made just 8-of-19 inside the arc, and they dished only nine dimes. Not bueno. Despite eight steals, New York managed only two fast-break points to Minny’s 12. The villains outrebounded our heroes, 21–15.
Whatever was discussed during halftime helped to turn their play around. Out of the break, the Knicks played with more focus and cooperation. Brunson turned it on, scoring 10 points through the first half of the period (he finished the night with 20 points in 22 minutes on 6-of-13 shooting).
After that, Mike Brown swapped out his starters with his team trailing 77-72. Mohamed Diawara got to make his first appearance of the game, and it was a shaky stretch. He fouled Dosunmu, who canned both free throws, then committed a traveling turnover on New York’s next possession. He grabbed a defensive rebound in the closing seconds but missed a three just before the buzzer, finishing the stretch with no points, one rebound, one turnover, and one foul. Minnesota went without a field goal over the final 3:18 but still carried a 90–80 lead into the fourth.
Drew Eubanks gave the Knicks some useful minutes early in the fourth. Alvarado did, too, hitting a jumper to cut the deficit to 90–82, but threes from Williams and Martin pushed it back to 14. Eubanks finished an Alvarado alley-oop and added a driving hook, then collected a steal before leaving at 7:10 with four points, a block, and a steal in the quarter. He looked pretty good for a third-string candidate. New York couldn’t string together enough stops, too, and watched their opponents score at will, stretching the margin to 103-86.
Tyler Kolek scored four points on a pull-up and a late driving layup, but missed a floater, a three, and the free throw that would have completed a three-point play. He also threw a pass that Pullin picked off, though he later found Tony Bradley for a layup. Bradley was the most productive of New York’s late substitutions, making all four of his shots for eight points and grabbing two rebounds. Also looked pretty good for a third-string candidate! Diawara collected two boards but continued to go scoreless, committed two turnovers, and picked up two fouls. While we’ve been focused on the guys fighting to make the team, we might be watching Diawara play himself off of it.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 12: Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on October 12, 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 Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s only the preseason, but heading into Monday night, the Brooklyn Nets have given fans plenty to be encouraged by.
They opened with a dominant 124-90 win over the Charlotte Hornets before taking down a star-studded Philadelphia 76ers team, 114-108, on Thursday.
On Monday, the Nets traveled to Washington for their third preseason contest, taking on the Wizards and looking to build on their strong start. They did just that, leaving with a 131-122 win to improve to 3-0 in exhibition play.
With Day’Ron Sharpe and Michael Porter Jr. returning after missing Thursday due to injuries, the Nets’ starting five included Egor Dëmin, Keon Ellis, Porter Jr., Julius Randle, and Day’Ron Sharpe.
Here are a few takeaways from Monday’s victory.
3:58, 1Q – Brooklyn Nets 26, Washington Wizards 18
MPJ is picking up right where he left off. In his return to the lineup after missing Thursday with left wrist soreness, Porter has 13 points on five-of-six shooting (83.3%) while knocking down two of his three attempts from deep (66.7%) in just seven minutes.
Randle continues to impress as a facilitator early on. Across his first eight minutes, Randle tallied seven points, four assists, and zero turnovers. His ability to create opportunities for his teammates will be very important this season.
The Nets’ frontcourt clicked early on. MPJ, Randle, and Sharpe combined for 23 of the Nets’ first 26 points. Sharpe even knocked down a three on Brooklyn’s first possession, which is encouraging for his offensive versatility as he enters a crucial season.
0:00, 1Q – Brooklyn Nets 35, Washington Wizards 33
Brooklyn’s offense found success early. The Nets shot 60.9% from the field in the first quarter (14-of-23), and 45.5% from three (5-of-11).
The Nets have also done a nice job of attacking inside, scoring 14 points in the paint compared to Washington’s eight. Generating points around the basket will be very important for the Nets this year, especially to complement their strong perimeter shooting.
One area where Brooklyn got outmatched early on was on the glass, particularly on the offensive end. Washington grabbed five offensive boards compared to the Nets’ one. Especially with Sharpe on the court, one of the NBA’s most efficient offensive rebounders, it was an odd sight.
4:36, 2Q – Brooklyn Nets 57, Washington Wizards 52
Nolan Traoré provided quite the spark off the bench, scoring 13 points on five-of-seven shooting (71.4%), including two threes, in just 10 minutes. He continues to make a case for a strong role in Fernández’s rotation, most likely as the squad’s backup point guard.
Randle continued to impress as a playmaker, dishing out seven assists in only 11 minutes.
Ellis continued his efficient offense this preseason, scoring seven points while drilling both of his three-point attempts in 11 minutes.
0:00, 2Q – Brooklyn Nets 73, Washington Wizards 72
Entering halftime, defense certainly hasn’t been the story. Brooklyn and Washington combined for 145 points in the half, with both teams shooting 50% from deep.
The Nets’ interior defense, one of their biggest question marks this season, didn’t have the most inspiring first half.
7:35, 3Q – Brooklyn Nets 78, Washington Wizards 82
Brooklyn’s offense has cooled off coming out of halftime. After posting 73 first-half points, the Nets scored just five in the first 4:25 in the third quarter, allowing Washington to take a four-point lead.
Dëmin has had a rough offensive outing, scoring just two points on one-of-six shooting (16.7%) while missing all four of his three-point tries in 19 minutes. His willingness to attack the basket on Thursday stood out, but tonight he has struggled with efficiency.
Beyond his strong shooting, Porter has already made his presence felt on defense, recording two steals and a block in 20 minutes.
End of game – Brooklyn Nets 131, Washington Wizards 122
Three games, three wins. Sure, it’s only the preseason, but there’s plenty to like about what Brooklyn has shown so far. The Nets shot 56.8% from the field, knocked down 17 threes, and scored 50 points in the paint. Overall, the offense looked quite encouraging.
Noah Clowney deserves some love for his performance. After a relatively quiet first half, the 22-year-old finished with 15 points on five-of-eight shooting (62.5%), including four-of-six from three (66.7%). When Clowney gets going from the perimeter, he is a valuable piece. Finding that consistency, though, has been his struggle. This is his second straight solid preseason outing, though.
Shout out to Grant Nelson. The seven-footer has played well in limited minutes, tonight scoring nine points in the fourth quarter. In the 8:51, the 24-year-old two-way also grabbed four boards, three offensive and shot 4-of-5, including 1-of-2 from deep.
One concern worth mentioning is the turnovers. Brooklyn gave the ball away 18 times, including 10 in the second half. That could come with having a young team, but taking better care of the basketball will be crucial once the regular season rolls around.
Next Up
The Nets will wrap up their four-game preseason slate Wednesday night, traveling to Miami to face the Miami Heat. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, it is also expected to be the debut of No. 6 overall pick Mikel Brown Jr., who missed the team’s first three preseason games due to an ankle roll. He’s been working his way back and fully practiced over the weekend, while getting some run in 5-vs-5s Monday morning.
Mikel Brown Jr. (ankle) has advanced in his ramp up and been practicing fully over the weekend. The rookie went through 5-on-5 this morning, and – though he’ll sit out vs. the #Wizards – is expected to make his preseason debut Wednesday at the #Heat. #nets#nba
MILWAUKEE — Some people play do crossword puzzles for fun, other people listen to podcasts. Jake Bauers works opposing team's aces until their arms are ready to fall off.
"It was a blast, honestly. It was a blast. Any time you can get that locked in doing anything, it's, to me, one of the most enjoyable experiences I think a human being can have," Bauers said after the game, a 7-4 win that gives the Milwaukee Brewers a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
More importantly, the at-bat changed the momentum of the game. The two-out walk to Bauers loaded the bases, and Christian Yelich followed with a two-RBI single. Though the Dodgers would re-take the lead with two runs in the fifth, it was obvious to everyone at American Family Field that it was temporary.
Bauers' had put the Brewers in control, of the game and maybe the entire series.
"That changes the game," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "It was a huge at-bat. How many pitches? A 12-pitch walk? It took seven minutes, somebody told me. You think about that and what it does to a pitcher. (Yamamoto) can get through an inning in less than seven minutes, and he does all the time. He's one of the best pitchers in the land.
"It was a great at-bat," Murphy added. "I think a turning point, I really do."
Bauers took two called strikes in the first four pitches he saw from Yamamoto. After a ball on the fifth pitch, he started fouling. One pitch after another. The Dodgers had a chance to put an end to it, with one ball dropping between Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernandez near the tarp down the third-base line and another dropping between Muncy and Will Smith.
"It just got to a certain point where it was straight compete mode. A little bit of like blackout, just kind of in the flow, a little bit competing," Bauers said. "I knew that was a moment where the guys needed something, the team needed something. It was either I'm going to get something to hit here or I'm going to see enough pitches to take a walk."
Yamamoto said he was trying to work the edge of the strike zone, but Bauers wasn't giving an inch.
"He just stayed on it. He did a good job," Yamamoto said.
As Yelich waited in the on-deck circle, he said he knew he couldn't let Bauers' at-bat go to waste. He took the first pitch for a ball, then laced a curveball in the middle of the zone into left-center.
"You want to follow a great at-bat like that with a good at-bat," Yelich said. "I wanted to make sure I was going to swing at a good pitch and put a good swing on something, and fortunately I was able to do that."
For the second consecutive game, the Brewers had chased a Dodgers ace early. Yamamoto's 2⅔ innings matched his shortest postseason start, and the three runs were the most he's allowed in his last five starts.
"As the at-bat was going on, I was just enjoying it," Bauers said. "I was honestly just having a blast."
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 12: William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field on October 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another Brewers playoff game, another nine innings filled with stress and heightened blood pressure across the state of Wisconsin. Game 2 of the NLCS was a back and forth affair, with both teams scoring in the first, third, and fifth innings. But it was once again the Brewers who came out on top 7-4.
The Dodgers were able to strike first without the benefit of a base hit. Mookie Betts was able to overturn a strikeout with an ABS challenge and then work a walk from it. He then reached second on a grounder from Freddie Freeman and a wild pitch from Logan Henderson allowed Betts to reach third. Teoscar Hernandez’s job was simple and he did it, lifting a sacrifice fly to center and it was 1-0 Dodgers.
But the Brewers would answer right back in the bottom half. Brice Turang ripped a double down the left field line and then William Contreras drove him in with a single to tie the game at 1-1.
Then in the 3rd, the Dodgers were able to get another run after a Cooper Pratt misplay at shortstop turned what could’ve been a double play ball into a single with runners now at the corners. Henderson then made a poor pickoff attempt at first and the ball got away, allowing the Dodgers to take the lead again.
Once more, the Brewers answered right back. David Hamilton started the rally with a single and then stole second base. Brice Turang then walked to put two runners on. Jake Bauers then had the at-bat of the night against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, working a 12 pitch at-bat that culminated in a walk.
“That changes the game. We’ve seen him do that before… Yeah, you think about that and what it does to a pitcher. He can get through an inning in less than seven minutes, and he does all the time. He’s one of the best pitchers in the land. It was a great at-bat. I think a turning point, I really do.” Pat Murphy said.
“Yeah, it just got to a certain point where it was straight compete mode. A little bit of like blackout, just kind of in the flow a little bit competing.” Bauers said.
That loaded the bases for the Captain, Christian Yelich, who delivered the big hit.
After going multiple years without an RBI in the postseason, Yelich has come through a couple of times for the Brewers this year.
However, the Dodgers would still answer back in the 5th inning. After Henderson had retired six straight, Kyle Tucker led off with a double. Then Tommy Edman dropped a sacrifice bunt down to get Tucker to third, but Henderson sailed the throw to first base, allowing the run to score and Edman to reach second base. Pat Murphy was out to make the pitching change immediately.
Dustin May came in and settled things down, though he did allow a sacrifice fly to Freeman that brought in Edman and gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. Jackson Chourio did make it close, though. The Brewers challenged the safe call, but were unsuccessful.
But just like the first and third innings, the Brewers would answer right back in the bottom half, with William Contreras supplying the very loud answer.
Then, finally, the Brewers were able to score without having to make it an answer to the Dodgers. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Hamilton led things off with a hit by pitch. He then reached second on a failed pickoff attempt. Hamilton moved to third on a ground ball to the right side by Chourio. With the go-ahead run on third, the Dodgers chose to intentionally walk Brice Turang to face William Contreras.
A bold strategy that did not pay off. Contreras jumped all over the first pitch and lifted a single to put the Brewers on top for good.
Contreras becomes just the fourth player in MLB history to hit three game-tying or go-ahead base hits in a single postseason game. He joins George Brett, Steve Garvey, and Sandy Alomar Jr on that list.
“Fourth guy ever? Seems pretty good.” Cooper Pratt said.
Meanwhile, the Brewers bullpen was absolutely carving up the Dodgers lineup. After Dustin May came in to relieve Henderson two batters into the fifth inning, the Dodgers did not get a single baserunner. It was five perfect innings to finish out the game
“I don’t know that you’re necessarily planning to do that, that’d be awesome if you could. We’re in a really good spot right now with the way things are going in our bullpen.” Aaron Ashby said.
Abner Uribe was able to get four outs, he set up Aaron Ashby to get five outs to end the game. The Brewers were able to avoid using Trevor Megill for a second consecutive night.
The Brewers also added some insurance runs in the 8th inning to finally extend the run differential to more than two runs for the first time this postseason. David Hamilton singled and stole second, then Brice Turang singled to add the first insurance run. Contreras then walked and Jake Bauers singled home a second run to make it 7-4.
A little breathing room went a long way as the Brewers now extend their series lead to 2-0 over the Dodgers. They are just two wins away from the World Series and are at the very least guaranteed a return trip home to play at American Family Field.
The series now pivots to Los Angeles for Game 3. Robert Gasser will get the start for the Brewers and look to put the Brewers up 3-0 over LAD and further confirm their control over this series.
After Monday’s 7-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, Yamamoto isn’t sure what went wrong in the third inning.
“I don’t know the exact reason yet, I need to check the videos on what happened today,” Yamamoto said. “I wanted to get through the third inning but couldn’t.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto details what went wrong in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers. AP Photo/Ashley Landis
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 75 P) discusses his struggles against the Brewers lineup in the 7-4 game 2 loss in the #NLCS. pic.twitter.com/gODJLlK4OL
Yamamoto tossed 2 ⅔ innings on 75 pitches, while giving up four hits, three runs, two walks and only striking out one batter.
The Dodgers World Series hero from a year ago was pulled in the middle of the third inning, when Christian Yelich gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead from a two-run RBI single.
Before Yelich came up to bat, the Brewers were relentlessly working Yamamoto, making him throw 22 pitches between David Hamilton, Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras.
Turang was down 0-2 in the count, then saw four pitches go past him for a walk.
During the at-bat, Yamamoto tried to get Turang to chase outside but couldn’t get him to bite.
He attempted to challenge the final pitch of the at-bat but was denied, leaving him appearing frustrated while on the mound.
Two at-bats later, Yamamoto had his biggest challenge yet of the postseason. Jake Bauers.
William Contreras stares down a solo home run in the fifth inning in Game 2 of the NLCS. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In two at-bats against Yamamoto, Bauers saw a total of 17 pitches against the Dodgers star, including a 12-pitch at-bat in the third inning, where he threw five different pitch sequences in the final six pitches of the at-bat.
“I was trying to work on the edge of the zone, some pitches were really good,” Yamamoto said. “He just stayed on it. He did a good job.”
Yamamoto was on the verge of getting out of the inning by forcing Bauers into a 3-2 count until Bauers fouled off six pitches and forced his way on base with a walk, setting the stage for Yelich to take the plate with the bases loaded.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto details what went wrong against the Brewers. AP Photo/Kayla Wolf
Alex Vesia was brought in afterward, and he got Garrett Mitchell to go down swinging.
After the half inning was over, Dave Roberts told Ken Rosenthal during a live interview during the game that he “felt we had to stop the damage right there.”
Los Angeles tacked on three more runs after Yamamoto’s departure but couldn’t match the Brewers as Contreras went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs, including a game-tying home run in the fifth and a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth.
The Brewers tacked on two more runs in the eighth on RBI singles from Hamilton and Bauers to give the game its final score.
The hot start continues for Linus Ullmark, Tim Stützle and the Ottawa Senators.
Ullmark ran his personal record to 5-0 as the Senators (5-1-0) defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-1 at Prudential Center in Newark. Tim Stützle had a goal and an assist and now has 10 points in his first six games.
Shane Pinto and Stephen Halliday each scored in the second period, which was all the scoring the Sens needed, as Ullmark made 29 saves for the win.
As has so often been the case this season, the victory came with a price, as Nikolas Matinpalo was hurt in the first period on a hit from behind. The Sens played the final 50 minutes of this game with just five D.
Steve Warne talks about the Sens commitment to defensive structure in the ealryl days of the season
The Devils (2-3-0) came out looking to intimidate early, with veteran defenceman Brendan Dillon running around in the opening minutes.
Then came the nasty hit from behind by Anthony Mantha on Matinpalo.
Mantha got a five-minute major for boarding, giving the Senators a chance to take control of the game. But their struggling power play failed to capitalize.
The Senators wasted little time breaking the scoreless tie in the second period.
Just nine seconds after the opening faceoff, Pinto scored his first goal of the season, with Michael Amadio and Claude Giroux picking up the assists.
The Sens doubled their lead at 8:40 when Halliday scored his second of the season, finishing off a play set up nicely by Stützle. Brett Pesce blew a tire, giving Halliday, on a holiday Monday, the gift of all the time he needed to pick his spot.
It was a welcome bit of success for a struggling Sens power play that went 1 for 5.
The Devils pushed back in the middle frame, outshooting the Sens 12-10, but their high-danger chances were limited.
By the end of the second period, the Senators had also outhit the Devils 14-9, showing they were more than willing to push back on the Devils' early physicality.
The Senators tried to park the bus in the third period and were badly outshot in the period 14-3, but it worked out. The Sens didn't get their first shot on goal until midway through the period, and it was Stützle with a perfect tip-in off a Thomas Chabot slap shot.
The Devils didn't give up, though. They thought they'd gotten on the board, but their goal was overturned following a successful Ottawa challenge for goaltender interference. That was a gutsy call by the Sens, who were only up by two and risked giving the Devils a power play if the challenge was unsuccessful. But that paid off, too.
The Devils finally did get on the board on a goal by Arseny Gritsyuk, who ruined the Ullmark shutout bid, but that's as close as they would get.
The Senators had three tries at an empty net, including one by Ullmark, before Tyler Kleven put one in to seal the deal.
With Matinpalo going down, this is the fourth win this season that's been blemished by an injury concern. The others were Jake Sanderson on opening night in Toronto, Ullmark in Boston, and William Eklund against the Flyers. Best guess on Matinpalo's injury is a concussion after the side of his head struck the boards first.
On the bright side, the Sens are now 5-1 to start a season for the first time since the 2007-08 season. They'll head back home now to face the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 12: Kyshawn George #18 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on October 12, 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 are no longer perfect in the preseason, falling to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday in a 131-122 affair at Capital One Arena.
Defense was optional in the first half. The Nets shot nearly 60% from the field in the first two quarters, with both teams making exactly 50% of their attempts from beyond the arc. Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, and Kyshawn George combined for eight triples before the break.
George led the way with 18 points on 5-for-6 shooting. Coulibaly came out aggressive offensively, scoring 15 points on a 6-for-7 clip. Johnson connected on a logo triple off a behind-the-back pass from Trae Young, as is customary. The Wizards trailed 73-72 at the half.
AJ Dybantsa shook off a shaky start with a stellar third quarter. He connected on his first triple of the preseason, threw down a putback dunk that got the bench off their seats, and also finished off a pick-six for another jam.
Trae Young seemed to be forcing things to close out the third. The All-Star guard gave up a few unforced turnovers, allowing Brooklyn to end the period on a 15-2 run. Washington entered the final quarter down 103-94.
The bench mob tried to work their magic again to end the game. Bub Carrington went off for 11 fourth-quarter points, but it wasn’t enough as Washington lost 131-122.
George paced the Wizards with 21 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals, while Coulibaly finished with 19 points on a 7-for-11 clip. Dybantsa and Carrington tallied 14 points apiece.
The Wizards close out their preseason slate Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Zero: The whole Dodgers’ offense –– but especially Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith
Really, the 7-4 scoreline in Monday’s Game 2 loss flattered the Dodgers. They managed just three hits. All of their scoring required the help of either a wild pitch or a throwing error from Brewers starter Logan Henderson. And once Milwaukee turned to the bullpen, their relievers retired all 15 batters they faced the rest of the way.
Still, as has been the case all postseason, it was Ohtani and Smith whose struggles once again loomed largest.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani returns to the dugout after grounding out during the third inning of Game 2. AP Photo/Abbie Parr
From the Nos. 4-5 spots of the order –– after Smith was bumped down from the three-hole pregame –– they combined to go 0-for-8 with three strikeouts. Overall in the playoffs now, Ohtani is 3-for-20 without any extra-base hits, while Smith is now an unthinkable 1-for-23 with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Even worse for Smith, Monday included a couple of regrettable moments from behind the plate.
In both the first and third innings, Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw what should have been called third strikes against Brice Turang. But both times home plate umpire Chris Segal missed the call –– and, most crucially, Smith elected against trying to challenge.
Home plate umpire Chris Segal, center, talks with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and catcher Will Smith, right, during the third inning. AP Photo/Abbie Parr
Manager Dave Roberts didn’t want to second-guess his catcher postgame, while Yamamoto also described both pitches as being “too fine a line on the [edge of the] strike zone” to challenge.
Still, both times, they missed ABS chances backfired, with Turang doubling and later scoring in the first, then walking and later scoring in the third.
“It was kind of early in the game, we kind of had him on the ropes,” Smith said, explaining his thought process. “I figured we could get him out there [without risking the challenges].”
Hero: The Brewers’ bullpen
The Brewers’ bullpen also figured to be one of their strengths in this series.
But two games in, their dominance has shifted the scales of the series.
In Game 1, four Brewers relievers (DL Hall, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill) combined for 4 ⅔ scoreless innings while working out of several jams with a one-run lead.
In Game 2, the group was even more dominant, with four arms (Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Uribe and Ashby again) going 15 up, 15 down over five perfect closing innings.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe reacts while walking to the dugout after a pitching change against the Los Angeles Dodgers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers’ hope is that, as the series wears on, their lineup will benefit from repeated looks at the group. However, they will have to find some sort of answer to the unit’s premium stuff first.
As of Monday night, Roberts was still searching for one.
“I know that they’ve got good arms,” Roberts said. “But I think they’re just finding ways to win pitches better than we are.”
Unsung hero
Fifteen months ago, the Dodgers traded May away as an excess piece of their pitching staff.
On Monday, he was the one Brewers pitcher to inherit some danger out of the bullpen, but found a way to limit damage in what would prove to be the Dodgers’ final rally.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Dustin May throws during the fifth inning of Game 2. AP Photo/Abbie Parr
After Henderson’s second error of the game –– on an errant throw while fielding a bunt from Tommy Edman –– allowed a tying run to score and left Edman standing on second, May retired Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández in order. Betts’ grounder did move Edman to third, while Freeman’s sacrifice fly got him home for a brief 4-3 lead.
But May’s performance set the tone for the rest of Milwaukee’s bullpen dominance.
And now, he could turn around and be available to start Game 4, in what would be his first outing back at Dodger Stadium since being shipped away by the team.
Key stat: Four
As in, the number of misses Yoshinobu Yamamoto generated from 33 Brewers swings.
The resulting 12% whiff rate was tied for the second-lowest of Yamamoto’s career. More consequentially, it stressed his pitch count and prompted his eventual early exit from the game, leaving too large a workload for the Dodgers’ bullpen (which gave up four runs in its 5 ⅓ innings of work) to withstand at a raucous American Family Field.
Quote of the night
“They had much better at-bats than we did across the board, top to bottom. And then they put the ball in play, created havoc. That’s what they do, and we didn’t do that.”
That was Roberts’ overall summation of the Dodgers’ Game 2 loss. It captured the many, but ultimately simple, reasons they find themselves facing a daunting two-game deficit as the series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
As the worst offensive team in the NHL on a goals-per-game basis, the Philadelphia Flyers desperately need to find ways to add offense to the struggling group, and they have yet to really do that.
After signing Michael Bunting to a one-year contract, the Flyers sent prospect Alex Bump back to the AHL after he went without a point in his first three games of the season.
Bump, however, scored in his first game back with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, then added a goal and an assist in his second game back.
Despite that, the 22-year-old will remain in the AHL for the time being, as the Flyers instead decided to call up veteran Jack Studnicka, with Carl Grundstrom being re-assigned to the Phantoms.
Studnicka, 27, gives the 0-5-2 Flyers an additional right-handed center option to complement Noel Acciari, but he was held off the scoresheet entirely in 19 games with the Florida Panthers last year.
He does have a goal and two assists in three games with the Phantoms, but if the Flyers were really looking for offense, they would have turned to Bump, who made the team out of training camp and has consistently drawn rave reviews for his shot and willingness to make individual plays by leveraging his skills with the puck.
Instead, the Flyers have gone with the older, more experienced Studnicka, who played 52 games for Rick Tocchet's Vancouver Canucks between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
And, despite the familiarity with Tocchet, Studnicka didn't even survive Tocchet's first full season in Vancouver, having been traded to San Jose for Nick Cicek and a sixth-round pick on Dec. 15, 2023.
Whether it's positional versatility, familiarity, or veteran leadership, the Flyers find themselves still looking for the wrong things, even from their in-house AHL call-ups.
Even Oliver Bonk, who can chip in some offense from time to time, got pressed into top-pair action next to Travis Sanheim against Carolina on Sunday night, and it went about as poorly as could be.
If the Flyers were looking for some defensive stability with Rasmus Ristolainen out, Bonk, at his age, was never going to provide it.
If the Flyers are looking for more offense with Travis Konecny out, Studnicka is never going to provide it, while Bump continues to wait in the wings for his next opportunity.
On the same night head coach Mike Sullivan bumped Pavel Dorofeyev to the first line in search of more 5-on-5 production from his top six, he also dropped Dorofeyev — acquired from the Golden Knights in June and then inked to a $77 million contract — to the second power-play unit for the third period of their 6-2 win over the Canucks on Sunday.
He has collected just one goal and a pair of assists through the opening seven games after recording 72 goals the past two seasons.
Gabe Perreault took Dorofeyev’s spot with the top unit and assisted on Alexis Lafrenière’s goal during the Blueshirts’ lone chance with the man advantage during the final frame.
“I thought Pav was fighting it a little,” Sullivan said postgame Sunday, “and sometimes, players have those nights. We thought we’d make a little tweak and see if we could get it going a little bit, and obviously, Gabe was a part of the goal, so we were happy about that.
New York Rangers Pavel Dorofeyev (16) takes a slapshot against the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
“But it was just situationally based on how we thought guys were going throughout the course of the night.”
From the first power-play drill of training camp, when the Blueshirts began working on special teams during the condensed preseason, their top unit consisted of Dorofeyev, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, J.T. Miller and Lafrenière.
Pavel Dorofeyev (16) of the New York Rangers passes the puck against the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday, October 11, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
Perreault, who spent time on the top power-play line last year and finished with six points with the man advantage in 2025-26, opened the year on the second unit.
And Sullivan, after the top unit generated just one goal through the first five games, had said Thursday that they planned to be patient and let the group work through early growing pains.
The next wrinkle with the power play, which entered play Monday still ranked No. 7 in the NHL with a 26.3 percent success rate, will involve whether that change was temporary or for longer than one night.
Dorofeyev, who tallied 20 power-play goals last year, was signed to enhance that unit, to give the Rangers another one-timer alongside Zibanejad.
But so far, he has just six shots on goal across nearly 22 minutes of power-play ice time.
Lafrenière was named the NHL’s third star of the week after collecting five goals and two assists across the Rangers’ three games.
He leads the Blueshirts in both categories, and his latest goal unfolded on the power play Sunday night — when he sent a pass from Perreault near the net past Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen.
He also added an assist in the first period, sending a pass to Tye Kartye that led to the Rangers taking a 1-0 lead just 27 seconds into the game.
Lafrenière became the second Blueshirts player to pick up a weekly award in the opening two weeks of the season, joining goaltender Igor Shesterkin — who sustained a season-ending right knee injury last week.
The Rangers have only trailed after three periods through their opening seven games. … Liam Greentree, who was the prospect returning to the Rangers in the Artemi Panarin trade last season, scored in consecutive games for AHL Hartford over the weekend to mark the first professional goals of the 20-year-old’s career.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — You could hear a pin drop in Grand Casino Arena during the first period of Monday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights after another Minnesota Wild player was struck in the head by a hockey puck.
The first time it happened was in the Wild's final preseason game against the Dallas Stars when Brock Faber was hit in the head by Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen's shot.
On Monday, in the first period, Nico Sturm was struck in the head by Jared Spurgeon's point shot.
The veteran forward instantly went down holding his head while head athletic trainer John Worley rushed on the ice.
After being on the ice for a minute, Sturm was helped up by Michael McCarron and Worley and escorted off the ice into the locker room.
Nico Sturm had to leave the game after taking a puck to the head.
The Wild have already lost Brock Faber for an extended period after he took a puck to the head and fractured his skull. pic.twitter.com/epPbsEzJlK
Sturm, 31, was playing in his third game of the season for the Wild. The 6-foot-3 center has played in 383 career NHL games.
Obviously, a scary scene for Wild fans and the Wild, considering the status of Faber after he was hit in almost the same spot, just on the other side of the head.
*** This story will be updated when more news comes.
Update: Sturm ruled out for rest of the game with an upper-body injury.
Update 2: According to a source, Sturm was stable and on a stretcher in the back of the ambulance in Grand Casino Arena.
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