New coach, new system: Aging Kings aim for playoff success in their new era

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty chases the puck during a game.
Kings defenseman Drew Doughty will serve as the team captain this season in his 19th year with the team. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Peter Laviolette Era begins for the Kings on Wednesday when the coach steps behind the bench for the first time before their season opener against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.

And that won’t be the only difference from last season because Laviolette, the winningest American-born coach in NHL history, has inherited an aging team in transition, one he and his new staff have immediately tried to put their stamp on.

“The coaching changes brought a lot of excitement,” goaltender Darcy Kuemper said. “It’s new drills, new systems, so it kind of makes everyone turn on their brain and challenge themselves, which is fun for guys at this level.”

Not all of the changes are positive, however.

Kings coach Peter Laviolette stands in the team's locker room at their practice facility in El Segundo in June.
Kings coach Peter Laviolette stands in the team's locker room at their practice facility in El Segundo in June. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

For the first time in 20 years, the Kings are starting a season without Anze Kopitar, the franchise leader in games, assists and points and a two-time Stanley Cup champion. That has left a big hole on the ice and in the locker room, where Kopitar’s leadership was invaluable.

Also gone are wingers Andrei Kuzmenko and Jeff Malott, who left as free agents, and center Trevor Lewis, who retired. High-scoring winger Kevin Fiala, meanwhile, will miss the first couple of months, at least, after experiencing a setback in his return from a gruesome leg injury sustained at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

That could hurt Laviolette’s effort to transform the Kings from the defense-first system they’ve been for years into a quicker, more aggressive offensive-style team. The Kings, whose scoring has declined in each of the last four seasons, had just 225 goals in 2025-26, fourth-fewest in the NHL, while the power play converted fewer than 18% of its chances, fifth-lowest in the league.

Two of the key pieces in turning that around will be forwards Adrian Kempe, who led the team in scoring the last three seasons, and Artemi Panarin, who had his best offensive season under Laviolette with the New York Rangers, scoring 49 goals and 120 points in 2023-24. The Kings are also counting on young forwards Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere, both 24, to take the next step in their development.

For Laferriere, change has been the main constant in his time in Los Angeles.

Kings right wing Alex Laferriere shoots in front of Philadelphia right wing Travis Konecny on March 19.
Kings right wing Alex Laferriere shoots in front of Philadelphia right wing Travis Konecny on March 19. (Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)

“This is going to be my fourth year with my fourth different coach,” said Laferriere, who had career highs in goals (21), points (44) and average TOI (18:18) last season. “It kind of reminds me a little bit of my rookie year. It kind of gives me that fresh slate, just trying to prove myself and try to gain the coach’s belief.”

In the dressing room, the Kings have given Kopitar’s crown to defenseman Drew Doughty, who will take over as captain in his 19th NHL season. At 36, he’s the third-oldest player on one of the NHL’s oldest teams and the last holdover from the 2014 Stanley Cup team.

“I’m not changing anything about myself when it comes to leadership,” he said. “I’ve been a leader on this team for a long, long time and been the loudest voice in the locker room and the guy that people come up to.

“One thing I will change: I always had Kopi as kind of the even-keel guy, where my emotions kind of go up and down. I’m going to be more aware of that and try to keep more of an even-keel.”

Read more:'Nobody was cooler' than former Kings coach and beloved broadcaster Barry Melrose, who sold the U.S. on hockey

Whether a new coach, a new system and a new leader will be enough to get the Kings to the playoffs for a sixth straight season remains to be seen.

Laviolette, a Stanley Cup winner with Carolina two decades ago, has missed the postseason just three times when he’s been behind the bench the whole season. But the makeover he faces with the Kings is shaping up as one of the most challenging of his career, and most of the preseason prognostications have the Kings failing to make the cut.

If Fiala comes back early and healthy and if the team adapts quickly to the change in style, those predictions may prove overly dire. If not, the transition to the Laviolette Era could be more difficult than expected.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

New coach, new system: Aging Kings aim for playoff success in their new era

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty chases the puck during a game.
Kings defenseman Drew Doughty will serve as the team captain this season in his 19th year with the team. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Peter Laviolette Era begins for the Kings on Wednesday when the coach steps behind the bench for the first time before their season opener against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.

And that won’t be the only difference from last season because Laviolette, the winningest American-born coach in NHL history, has inherited an aging team in transition, one he and his new staff have immediately tried to put their stamp on.

“The coaching changes brought a lot of excitement,” goaltender Darcy Kuemper said. “It’s new drills, new systems, so it kind of makes everyone turn on their brain and challenge themselves, which is fun for guys at this level.”

Not all of the changes are positive, however.

Kings coach Peter Laviolette stands in the team's locker room at their practice facility in El Segundo in June.
Kings coach Peter Laviolette stands in the team's locker room at their practice facility in El Segundo in June. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

For the first time in 20 years, the Kings are starting a season without Anze Kopitar, the franchise leader in games, assists and points and a two-time Stanley Cup champion. That has left a big hole on the ice and in the locker room, where Kopitar’s leadership was invaluable.

Also gone are wingers Andrei Kuzmenko and Jeff Malott, who left as free agents, and center Trevor Lewis, who retired. High-scoring winger Kevin Fiala, meanwhile, will miss the first couple of months, at least, after experiencing a setback in his return from a gruesome leg injury sustained at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

That could hurt Laviolette’s effort to transform the Kings from the defense-first system they’ve been for years into a quicker, more aggressive offensive-style team. The Kings, whose scoring has declined in each of the last four seasons, had just 225 goals in 2025-26, fourth-fewest in the NHL, while the power play converted fewer than 18% of its chances, fifth-lowest in the league.

Two of the key pieces in turning that around will be forwards Adrian Kempe, who led the team in scoring the last three seasons, and Artemi Panarin, who had his best offensive season under Laviolette with the New York Rangers, scoring 49 goals and 120 points in 2023-24. The Kings are also counting on young forwards Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere, both 24, to take the next step in their development.

For Laferriere, change has been the main constant in his time in Los Angeles.

Kings right wing Alex Laferriere shoots in front of Philadelphia right wing Travis Konecny on March 19.
Kings right wing Alex Laferriere shoots in front of Philadelphia right wing Travis Konecny on March 19. (Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)

“This is going to be my fourth year with my fourth different coach,” said Laferriere, who had career highs in goals (21), points (44) and average TOI (18:18) last season. “It kind of reminds me a little bit of my rookie year. It kind of gives me that fresh slate, just trying to prove myself and try to gain the coach’s belief.”

In the dressing room, the Kings have given Kopitar’s crown to defenseman Drew Doughty, who will take over as captain in his 19th NHL season. At 36, he’s the third-oldest player on one of the NHL’s oldest teams and the last holdover from the 2014 Stanley Cup team.

“I’m not changing anything about myself when it comes to leadership,” he said. “I’ve been a leader on this team for a long, long time and been the loudest voice in the locker room and the guy that people come up to.

“One thing I will change: I always had Kopi as kind of the even-keel guy, where my emotions kind of go up and down. I’m going to be more aware of that and try to keep more of an even-keel.”

Read more:'Nobody was cooler' than former Kings coach and beloved broadcaster Barry Melrose, who sold the U.S. on hockey

Whether a new coach, a new system and a new leader will be enough to get the Kings to the playoffs for a sixth straight season remains to be seen.

Laviolette, a Stanley Cup winner with Carolina two decades ago, has missed the postseason just three times when he’s been behind the bench the whole season. But the makeover he faces with the Kings is shaping up as one of the most challenging of his career, and most of the preseason prognostications have the Kings failing to make the cut.

If Fiala comes back early and healthy and if the team adapts quickly to the change in style, those predictions may prove overly dire. If not, the transition to the Laviolette Era could be more difficult than expected.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Massive contracts, high expectations. Ducks aim to improve after breakout season

Ducks star Leo Carlsson controls the puck during a playoff game against the Edmonton Oilers in April.
Ducks star Leo Carlsson controls the puck during a playoff game against the Edmonton Oilers in April. Carlsson signed a five-year, $90-million contract during the offseason. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

Joel Quenneville had one mission when he took over as coach of the Ducks last year: get them back to the playoffs.

He did much better than that. The Ducks scored a franchise-record 273 goals, spent much of the season atop the Pacific Division and knocked off the powerful Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights, the eventual conference champions, in the second round.

All of which raises a question for Quenneville and the Ducks coming off a summer of upheaval and turnover: What can they do for an encore?

“Expectations are going to be higher across the board,” said Quenneville, whose team opens the season Friday in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights. “That’s healthy. But at the same time, it’s an everyday thing that that challenge is going to be out there.”

Read more:Ducks sign Cutter Gauthier to a six-year, $81-million contract

Before Quenneville arrived, the Ducks stumbled through a franchise-record seven straight losing seasons. Now many of the players in his locker room are thinking beyond just making the postseason.

“The culture change, we can really feel it,” goaltender Lukas Dostal said. “What we did last year, obviously we want to improve and move even further.

“You don’t play hockey to just think like ‘OK, we want to make the playoffs.’ You want to go as far as possible. So the sky’s the limit. I really trust this team.”

“At the end of the day, you want to win a Stanley Cup,” added new captain Mikael Granlund. “You have to have that one goal. We’re going to do everything we can to be better than last year.”

Many Ducks are certainly going to be better paid than last year. General manager Pat Verbeek had no choice but to overspend on center Leo Carlsson, signing him to a five-year, $90-million contract after the Flyers offered Carlsson the same deal. The 21-year-old, who had a career-high 29 goals and 38 assists last season, is the NHL’s highest-paid player this season.

Verbeek also re-signed restricted free agents Cutter Gauthier, (six years, $81 million) and Pavel Mintyukov (five years, $36 million) and gave center Tim Washe a $9-million contract extension. Gauthier led the team with 41 goals and 69 points last season.

“It’s a sign you’re doing something correctly,” Quenneville said of his players being rewarded. “But at the same time, I don’t think we change too much our demands. They know we work on a meritocracy and the better you do, the more you’re going to play.”

Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov passes against the Utah Mammoth on March 20.
Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov passes against the Utah Mammoth on March 20. (Melissa Majchrzak / Associated Press)

All that spending left the team with nothing to offer veteran winger Chris Kreider, who was released this summer, joining an exodus that included key defensemen John Carlson, Radko Gudas, Olen Zellweger and Jacob Trouba.

The Ducks will also be without forward Troy Terry, who averaged 24 goals over the past five seasons, until well into the winter as he recovers from hip surgery.

As a result, the Ducks start with several new pieces up front and thin experience on the blue line, which isn’t a good look for a team that gave up 288 goals last season, fourth-most in the NHL.

Despite the additions of veterans A.J. Greer, a Stanley Cup winner in Florida who was acquired to add a physical presence in the attack, and Nick Jensen, 36, who was signed to stabilize the defense, the Ducks will once again have one of the youngest rosters in the NHL. But Quenneville has a history of turning young teams into champions. Nineteen years ago he took over a Chicago Blackhawks team that was the youngest in the league and led it to the conference final. A year later that team captured the Stanley Cup, the first of three Quenneville won in Chicago.

For the Ducks to match that, their summer additions will have to add up to more than the subtractions. And the investment Verbeek made in Carlsson, Gauthier and Mintyukov will have to pay off. What’s certain, however, is after last season’s breakthrough, the Ducks won’t be sneaking up on anyone.

“We made it a little harder for ourselves,” Washe said. “We’ve got a little target on our back.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Guardians News: Those Mad Lads Did it Again

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 26: Manager Stephen Vogt #12 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates clinching the American League Central Division title after defeating the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on September 26, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Guardians have won the AL Central for the 14th time and third straight year.

Zack Meisel had a nice article about the division win, including an interesting note about an advantage the Mets found against them in August as they heard pitch calls through Nathaniel Lowe’s Pitch Com. Meisel also had a more introspective piece on the guys who got the Guardians to this point.

It will be fun to see the hangover lineup today. I would guess Jose, Rocchio and DeLauter get the break today. We will see who else does. Parker Messick will start but I imagine he will throw about three innings.

Thank you, Colorado Rockies, and Ryan Feltner and Hunter Goodman especially. Here is a Rockies’ charity should you wish to express appreciation.

Around MLB:

The AL West race comes down to today. If the Astros beat the A’s, they are in. If they lose and the Rangers also lose to the Twins, they are in. The last NL Wildcard comes down to today. If the Phillies beat the Rays, they are in. If they lose and the Diamondbacks lose to the Padres, they are in. But, the Diamondbacks would be in with a win and a Phillies loss.

Warwickshire celebrate title, Abell makes 307 on County Championship final day – live

Updates from the final round of county cricket games
Get in touch with Tanya on email or comment BTL

Caught at long on, aiming for the rope, and finishes one run short of Joe Clarke in the highest run-scorers of the year league. Handshakes from Pope and Worrall as he walks off with no fuss.

Somerset, 731 all out, have a first-innings lead of 301. Do Surrey have one last collapse in them?

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Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Guardians clinch AL Central, AL West still in play

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 26: Patrick Bailey #16 of the Cleveland Guardians is congratulated by teammates after hitting a home run during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on September 26, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images

With more nasty weather thrashing the East Coast, the Yankees did not play today—meaning all eyes could shift to the rest of the league. New York doesn’t have anything more to play for, but that was far from the case for many of their AL contemporaries. One division was finally decided on this penultimate day of the regular season, while the other may just come down to the very last out.

Texas Rangers (80-81) 6, Minnesota Twins (76-85) 2

The Rangers, with no choice but to take the division if they wish to play in October, had to wait through a two-hour rain delay to get started at Target Field. But their bats were very much alive despite the tardy first pitch. In the second inning, they strung together five consecutive two-out hits off Bailey Ober—four of which were doubles—to take a 4-1 lead. Danny Jansen and Jake Burger added solo homers to give Nathan Eovaldi quite the early cushion.

Eovaldi was making his first start since coming off the injured list on September 12. To that point, he’d made a couple relief appearances as manager Skip Schumaker looked to ease him back in. Tonight, he pitched into the fifth inning before entering a jam and departing—a subsequent double play ensured he’d leave with just the one run allowed on four hits. The bullpen allowed just one more run the rest of the way as the Rangers held serve in their battle for the AL West crown.

Cleveland Guardians (85-76) 11, Kansas City Royals (68-93) 5

Kansas City got off to a hot start against Tanner Bibee, grabbing three runs in the opening frame. Jac Caglianone picked up his 30th double of the season to bring in one of those runs to put Cleveland in an early hole. But in characteristic Guardians fashion, they punched right back. Catcher Patrick Bailey atoned for a costly first-inning throwing error with a game-tying two-run blast down the line, then a sinking Steven Kwan liner eluded a diving Isaac Collins in left field for a run-scoring triple to put Cleveland on top as they looked to keep pole position in the AL Central.

As Bibee settled in, Chase DeLauter tacked on a solo shot in the third—his 16th. After that, all was quiet until the top of the sixth, when Travis Bazzana tripled and was brought home on a sac fly from Nathaniel Lowe. All six runs—albeit only two of them earned—were surrendered by Michael Wacha, who grit his teeth through 6.1 innings in his final start of the year. In so doing, he passed the 200-inning mark and finished with a 3.32 ERA.

The Royals threatened to make it a ballgame in the bottom of the eighth, closing the deficit to 7-5. But that just set the stage for another massive inning from the Guardians offense in reply. Bailey and Rocchio hit back-to-back jacks—their second of the night apiece—and Cleveland added two more runs to seal the deal. Slade Cecconi speedily recorded the final three outs, and with a near-simultaneous final out from the Rockies on the South Side, the never-say-die Guardians clinched their second straight division title.

Colorado Rockies (58-103) 9, Chicago White Sox (83-78) 3

No matter how bad your record is, you can still make a difference in the postseason picture. Just look at the Rockies. Despite marching to their fourth consecutive hundred-loss season, Colorado crushed the White Sox’ hopes of winning the AL Central with a complete offensive effort. Like the Royals, they started with a three-spot in the first, but instead of coughing the advantage up immediately, they added to it with a long Hunter Goodman home run—the 40th of the year for the powerful catcher.

The White Sox trailed 5-3 entering the eighth inning, but got runners in scoring position to bring the tying run to the plate with nobody out. In this high-leverage spot, they needed some quality at-bats. What they got instead was a three-pitch strikeout from Sam Antonacci and a first-pitch grounder to second from Colson Montgomery for an inning-ending double play. Woof.

From there, the Rockies provided the punishment, scoring four runs to take a 9-3 lead. Goodman smashed another homer, this time a three-run shot, to provide the finishing blow. Chicago’s last hurrah came in the form of an Andrew Benintendi three-run homer to get those runs back, but Jordan Romano retired the next three batters in order to consign Chicago to the Wild Card series against the AL West winner.

Tampa Bay Rays (98-63) 12, Philadelphia Phillies (87-74) 1

Don Mattingly, with his Phillies in freefall, was looking for a spark from his longest-tenured player. He gave the ball to Aaron Nola on two days’ rest and gave the 33-year old every opportunity to turn back the clock when his team needed it most.

It didn’t take long for the decision to look more like wishcasting than solid managing. The Rays, unsentimental as they are prolific, pummeled Nola right out of the gate. Junior Caminero reached the 100-RBI mark with a two-run homer, his 42nd of the season. Not content to stop there, Victor Mesa Jr. and Richie Palacios clocked back-to-back doubles to some early boo birds at the Bank. Nola, unsurprisingly, did not take the mound for the second inning as the listless Phillies offense was already stuck in a 3-0 hole.

If ever a stirring comeback would be authored at the Bank, it was not gonna be tonight. The Rays took advantage of more dysfunctional pitching, piling on with four runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth for a gruesome 10-0 scoreline. Yandy Díaz and Mesa Jr. grabbed three hits, Palacios plated four runs, and the Phillies lost an unsightly game. Thing is, the Diamondbacks also lost, meaning that if they can find a way to win tomorrow, they’ll make the postseason after all that hullaballoo. If being the operative word there. And even if they do—is anyone in Eastern PA and South Jersey excited for a prospective Wild Card Series with this group?

Houston Astros (80-81) 13, Athletics (64-97) 2

While the Rangers won earlier in the night, the Astros control their own destiny. As long as they keep pace with their cross-state rivals, the tiebreak will deliver them the AL West title. They took an important step towards doing that with a blowout victory in West Sacramento.

Isaac Paredes fired the opening shot with a home run in the first inning. Jeremy Peña followed with a two-run tater—his first of a pair on the night—out to center in the third inning, then the presumptive AL MVP continued to put the finishing touches on his incredible season. Yordan Alvarez throttled a ball from poor Jack Perkins, who thought he had strike three on the previous pitch. Instead, Alvarez’ three-run missile—his 42nd long ball—opened the game up at 6-1.

As former Yankee prospect Hayden Wesneski limited the Athletics to two runs on six hits in seven innings, Houston added to their comfortable margin, finishing with 13 runs on 16 hits. So, this surreal AL West race will come down to the final game of the season. If the Astros win, they’re in. If the Rangers lose, Houston wins on the tiebreak. And if Houston falls, a Texas victory in Minnesota will vault them ahead on the final day.

How to watch the Red Sox take on the Yankees in 2026 AL Wild Card

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 23: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after scoring off a single hit by Andruw Monasterio #32 (not pictured) in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park on September 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Boston Red Sox punched their postseason ticket a while back, but the seeding and matchup were technically unclear until the Red Sox beat the Cubs on Friday afternoon. Now it’s official: the Red Sox have the No. 5 seed and will face the No. 4 Yankees for a best-of-three series in the American League Wild Card in New York.

This is the matchup everyone had been expecting. In fact, the series is a rematch of the 2025 Wild Card, right down to the Yankees’ homefield advantage. After winning Game 1 last year, the Sox went down quietly.

Do-Over and Shot at Redemption

The Sox now have the do-over they wanted. To make the most of it, they will need to wake up the offense, which has gone largely quiet in the latter part of the regular season.

One question mark is whether Willson Contreras will be ready for Tuesday’s opener—or any of the Wild Card Series. Ahead of the last series of the regular season, he called his hit-by-pitch hand injury “really concerning.”

Though the Yankees won the 2026 season series against the Red Sox, 7-6, the Sox kicked off their historic summer surge by sweeping the Yanks over four games at Fenway Park. They went on to notch a 15-game winning streak, as well as the winningest month (21-4) in franchise history. However, in the final regular-season meeting between the two, the Yankees prevailed, 16-1.

Payton Tolle will be a big part of their shot at redemption. He got a taste of the postseason in 2025 as a reliever; he faced and retired one Yankees batter. In 2026, he will likely start either Game 1 or Game 2 and has a much more impressive resume this time around.

We will update this post with starting times when they are announced.

How to Watch and Listen

Game 1

Date: Tuesday, September 29

Start Time: TBD

Channel: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

Radio: ESPN Radio (local affiliates, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio)

Game 2

Date: Wednesday, September 30

Start Time: TBD

Channel: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

Radio: ESPN Radio (local affiliates, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio)

Game 3 (if necessary)

Date: Thursday, October 1

Start Time: TBD

Channel: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

Radio: ESPN Radio (local affiliates, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio)

Phillies news: Luis Arraez, Bill Giles, Justin Verlander

Sep 26, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; From right to left Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott and Trea Turner and Alec Bohm look on during a pitching change during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

My god, I can’t even talk about the Phillies right now. They are Rockies-level bad right now.

But hey, they scored a run!

On to the links.

Phillies news:

MLB news:

Orioles news: The O’s season ends today

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: The Baltimore Orioles tip their caps to the fans after a 4-2 victory in game two of a double header against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

We’ve made it. We’re finally at the finish line of this slog of a 2026 Orioles season. The O’s play their final game of the season today at Yankee Stadium. Or maybe they won’t even play it! The weather forecast in New York isn’t great, and the game time has already been moved up from 3:05 to 1:05, but it’s possible it could be rained out anyway.

Whatever the case, I can’t say I’ll miss watching the Orioles. I mean, I like baseball, and the O’s had their share of entertaining moments — mostly from Pete Alonso — but for the most part this season was a daily exercise in futility from a team that should have been so much better. I’ve had enough of the constant defensive blunders and fundamental mistakes and the Orioles’ irritating habit of blowing winnable games. The 2026 Orioles weren’t the worst team of my lifetime, but they sure were one of the most disappointing.

This is the Orioles’ second straight year missing the playoffs, but the bad vibes have lingered longer than that. Their magical 101-win season in 2023 was short-circuited by their three-and-out in the Division Series, and the O’s hit a swoon midway through 2024 from which they’ve never really recovered. Since July 9, 2024, the Orioles have a record of 188-207, a dispiriting 19 games under .500. They’ve gone through three managers in that span and their current one is arguably the worst of the lot.

It’s an organization that’s in dire need of change, and I’m not convinced we’ll get much if the O’s run it back with the same leadership group next season. It’s now been 43 years since the last time the Orioles made it to and won a World Series, and they don’t seem any closer to reaching that goal. You have to wonder how many more years we’ll need to wait.

As for today, while the Orioles game (if it happens) is meaningless, there are still postseason spots and seedings on the line around MLB. In the American League, the Guardians clinched the AL Central and a first-round bye yesterday, assuring that the White Sox will be third wild card team. But the AL West race between the Astros and Rangers is coming down to the final day. One team will become the first in major league history to make the playoffs with a .500 or worse record. The other will head home for the winter.

In the National League, the surging Diamondbacks have a chance to surpass the collapsing Phillies today for the final wild card spot. If that happens, I’m sure the response from Phillies fans will be calm, rational, and even-keeled.

There’s a lot of fun stuff going on in baseball today. There might also be an Orioles game. Time to say goodbye — and also say good riddance, if you’re so inclined — to this underachieving club.

Links

Rico Garcia: Strong start, strong finish to his 2026 season for the Orioles – Steve Melewski

The Orioles’ bullpen-building strategy of “throw things against a wall and see what sticks” has ended up with plenty of duds, but a few success stories, too. Rico is one of the best examples of the latter.

3 managerial candidates Orioles should have considered instead of keeping Craig Albernaz – Birds Watcher

I’m not happy with Albernaz, but I’m not particularly excited about any of the veteran managers mentioned in this article, either. I guess choosing a manager isn’t such an easy task after all.

Would Orioles’ minor league teams be affected by a lockout? | MAILBAG – Rich Dubroff

Get ready to watch a lot of minor league baseball in 2027. I have a feeling it’s going to be the only game in town for a long while.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with three former O’s, including a member of the Orioles Hall of Fame, the late right-hander Dick Hall (b. 1930, d. 2023). The reliever spent the final nine seasons of his 16-year MLB career with the Birds, racking up 60 saves and posting a 2.89 ERA in 342 games while winning two World Series. Other ex-Orioles born on this day are 1998 one-game righty and Sidney Ponson’s cousin Radhames Dykhoff (52), and 1978 outfielder Carlos López (78).

On this date in 1970, the birthday boy Dick Hall picked up a victory in Cleveland with three innings of perfect relief, completing a season in which he had more wins (10) than walks (six). Hall became the first major league player in 51 years to accomplish that feat.

In 1974, the Orioles threw a 17-inning shutout against the Brewers in a walkoff 1-0 victory at Memorial Stadium. Hall of Famer Jim Palmer pitched 12 scoreless innings for the Orioles but was one-upped by Milwaukee righty Jim Colborn, who threw 13. After Palmer, O’s relievers Bob Reynolds and Grant Jackson combined for five shutout innings before the O’s finally won on a 17th-inning RBI fielder’s choice by Bob Oliver.

And this was a dark day in 1996, when Orioles second baseman Roberto Alomar spit in the face of home plate umpire John Hirschbeck after being ejected for arguing balls and strikes. The incident set off a firestorm throughout the professional sports world, even more so when Alomar’s punishment was a paltry five-game suspension that he didn’t have to serve until the following season. That allowed him to stay on the O’s roster for the entirety of the 1996 postseason, when he helped the Birds to a Division Series upset of a heavily favored Cleveland team.

Five storylines to follow as Lakers open training camp this week

Lakers guard Luka Doncic winks while pointing across the court after scoring.
Guard Luka Doncic is now the face of the Lakers franchise after the departure this offseason of LeBron James. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

More than half of the Lakers roster is new. Two starting spots are still up for grabs. The Lakers have a lot to evaluate in the next month.

After one of the busiest offseasons in the NBA, the Lakers begin their Luka Doncic-led era this week. Here are five storylines for the Lakers as they begin training camp this week:

What does Luka Doncic’s team look like?

The crown has been passed.

After sharing the spotlight with LeBron James, Doncic now takes center stage for the Lakers. The two-time scoring champion is coming off 33.5 points per game last season and was the focal point for the franchise’s offseason of change.

“Luka is the world’s greatest offensive player,” general manager Rob Pelinka said at his preseason news conference on Thursday. “For us to be able to have an opportunity as a franchise to have that player in our building every night ... is special. And it requires us to do special things to build the team around him.”

The Lakers brought in eight players through free agency or trade to remake their roster. For the first time in JJ Redick’s three-year tenure, “I feel like the pieces actually fit together,” the head coach said. Doncic and returning guard Austin Reaves are the glue that holds the puzzle together.

Read more:Lakers' new era opens with a thanks for the LeBron James era

“This team is their team,” Redick said of the star guards.

Redick praised how Doncic planned a team minicamp in Slovenia where players and some assistant coaches participated in basketball practices while enjoying team-bonding activities such as golfing, rowing and sightseeing in Doncic’s hometown of Ljubljana. Players were so appreciative of Doncic’s hosting efforts that they all presented him with handwritten thank-you notes after, Pelinka said.

In a 30-minute vlog sharing highlights of the trip, Doncic was asked what matters to him now that didn’t five years ago. During that time, Doncic has become a father to two daughters and changed teams in one of the league’s most shocking trades ever. His basketball priorities have shifted.

“Five years ago, I was third year in the league,” Doncic said in the video. “I wasn’t the leader I was supposed to [be], so I think the leadership is an important part of my case now.”

What can Walker Kessler do?

Redick said he plans to use Kessler similarly to how the San Antonio Spurs deploy defensive player of the year Victor Wembanyama: low and near the basket. Kessler’s elite rim protection — 2.4 blocks per game in his NBA career — can open a new defensive style for the Lakers, who can afford to be more aggressive on the perimeter knowing Kessler can hold down the post.

New Lakers center Walker Kessler pumps his right fist as he reacts after throwing out the first pitch before a Dodgers game.
New Lakers center Walker Kessler reacts after throwing out the first pitch before a Dodgers game earlier this month. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

“I know we have switched a lot one through five over the years; that has been by necessity,” Redick said. “We look at him as someone we want close to the basket, protecting the rim. He’s been an excellent rebounder throughout his career, both offensively and defensively.”

Despite costing four first-round picks, Kessler is still unproven in the NBA. He showed flashes of brilliance, but is coming off a season in which he played only five games because of a shoulder injury. Pelinka said after a “deep dive” into Kessler’s medical history, the organization is not concerned the injury will linger.

The 25-year-old center’s age aligns well with Doncic, 27, and Reaves, 28, creating a potent trio that could define the franchise’s new era.

“If you canvassed the league and looked at age groups, even the ability to acquire someone, [Kessler] is just the perfect fit for those guys and building out the next phase of the Lakers,” Redick said.

How will Austin Reaves handle the jump to being a max player?

Before completing their new “Big Three” with Kessler, the Lakers needed to bring Reaves back. The former undrafted free agent was one of the highest-profile free agents this summer, but told reporters in July that his “heart was in L.A. the whole time.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves runs onto the court before a playoff Game 3 against the Thunder.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves runs onto the court before a playoff Game 3 against the Thunder. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Reaves is coming off 23.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, both career highs. He scored 51 points in a game against Sacramento and provided one of the highlights of the regular season with a perfect missed free throw and offensive rebound that helped the Lakers survive with a thrilling overtime win over the Denver Nuggets.

But Reaves also played in a career-low 51 regular-season games, missing significant time because of injuries. He missed the beginning of the playoffs because of an oblique injury, and despite returning sooner than expected from the Grade 2 strain, Reaves struggled to get back to form consistently in the postseason.

No longer just the feel-good story, Reaves is now the second-highest paid player on the Lakers after signing a four-year, $185-million contract this summer. He is living up to his superstar status already in the offseason, being “a leader in the gym every single day,” Redick said.

Who will survive the training camp cut down?

The Lakers have 16 players on guaranteed contracts entering training camp and must get that number down to the league maximum 15 by the season opener on Oct. 21. While the Lakers figure out the two open starting roles alongside Doncic, Reaves and Kessler, the next month will also feature competition for the final roster spots.

Pelinka mentioned a consolidation trade that ships two players out for one as a possible solution to the overcrowded roster. The Lakers have wing depth, but could bolster their center options beyond Kessler and backup Kevon Looney, and are unsettled at power forward.

Lakers forward Jake LaRavia, right, reaches with his right hand to try to strip the ball from Warriors forward Chales Bassey.
Lakers' Jake LaRavia, right, attempting to strip the ball from Warriors forward Charles Bassey, is one of several forwards who will vie for playing time this season. (David M. Barreda / Los Angeles Times)

Jake LaRavia, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jarred Vanderbilt are among the logjam of options at forward, along with wings Adou Thiero and Matisse Thybulle. Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht, the embattled third-year guard who has never found a solid role with the team after he was traded and returned in 2025, could be trade pieces.

“Building a championship roster is an evergreen process,” Pelinka said. “You’re never done with the work.”

What’s up with the ownership situation?

For the second consecutive season, the Lakers have an ownership change hanging over the organization.

Mark Walter’s sale of his controlling stake of the team is still pending, with Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner prepared to step in after purchasing the majority stakes at a $12.5-billion valuation.

While unable to comment fully on the ownership change because the sale hasn’t been approved, Pelinka said he has had “preliminary discussions” with Iger and Kushner that have been “really, really positive.”

Lakers general manager/president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, left, speaks to reporters as coach JJ Redick listens.
Lakers general manager and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, left, speaks to reporters as coach JJ Redick watches on during a news conference Thursday. Pelinka said that the new ownership group has had preliminary discussion with him about moving forward. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“In terms of day-to-day, nothing’s changed,” Pelinka continued. “We’re operating with Lakers excellence.”

During his short tenure, Walter worked to overhaul the front office and business operations. The changes did not stop with Walter’s ownership now in limbo.

The Lakers have added more than 15 people in the front office, Pelinka said, including Rohan Ramadas and Eric Amsler in new assistant general manager positions. Pelinka said the organization “rebuilt our entire player experience and player development arm,” led by the promotion of Zach Guthrie, the former G League affiliate head coach, to the head of player development. The team has added new equipment for recovery and treatment and hopes to bring in more scouts.

“The goal, as the Lakers brand, is not just to be at the same level as all the other 29 teams in those areas,” Pelinka said, “but to be the leader.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Open Thread: Tony Parker’s brother Pierre is hosting a skills camp

For those of you who have been involved with the Open Thread over the years might recall that from time to time I moonlight as a musician. Last night I had a gig at this great spot in Leon Springs and I saw this flier posted:

Pierre Parker, younger brother of Spurs legend Tony Parker, is hosting a basketball camp at Voss Middle School in Boerne, Texas, located 30 miles northwest of San Antonio.

The younger Parker is currently an assistant coach with the Austin Spurs, but he has been involved with the Spurs since 2023, previously serving as a coaching assistant and video room coordinator. His camp advertises “a one-day clinic to polish your basketball techniques and skills” for 2nd-8th grade students.

The camp is schedule from 1-5pm on Saturday, October 17 .


Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

Snubbed? The Hawks players who missed ESPN’s Top 100 list

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 25: Onyeka Okongwu #17 and Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks high five during the game against the New York Knicks during Round 1 Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Just before the season, there’s always something that seems to ragebait NBA fans, and it’s ESPN’s annual Top 100 list. Over the years, there have been some questionable decisions made on the list that people (including players) have had to say something about when they don’t see their names. There will always be some argument when it comes to any list, and some are valid. Others might need a little more convincing.

The Atlanta Hawks had four players to make the list this upcoming season, as Lu Dort came in at 100, CJ McCollum at 87, Nickeil Alexander-Walker at 41 and Jalen Johnson at 22. People can debate on if those players are ranked correctly, but that’s not the biggest problem here.

The problem is that the players who actually should’ve made the list didn’t. Those players would be Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu.

Okongwu has seemed to be one of the more underrated players at his position, which is interesting due to all of things he can do on the court. He had a career-year last season, averaging 15.2 points per game and shooting 37.6 percent from the 3-point line. Among centers, he had one of the best 3-point percentages, and he took over five a game.

Defensively, Okongwu once again showed the ability to guard multiple positions if need be, which helped elevate the Hawks’ defense. The argument that he’s too small to play center continues to come up anytime he faces an actual 7-footer, but nobody talks about how the Hawks are a better rebounding team when he’s on the floor.

ESPN might not take this into account either, but Okongwu was the one constant in the Hawks’ rotation last season. Through all the injuries and trades that they had at the center position, he remained consistent, and that led him to play the most minutes of his career at 31.0. Okongwu should’ve been somewhere on the Top 1o0, and it may be safe to say he got snubbed.

If not seeing Okongwu on the list was disappointing, then not seeing Dyson Daniels may have caused an uproar for some.

There were a lot of interesting takes about Daniels’ last season, and it always started with his 3-point shooting. 18% is not good for a guard, and it’s obvious that part of his game was a lowlight of the season, especially after he shot 34 percent the previous season. The good news for the Hawks is that everyone else around him could shoot, and he basically served as the team’s center.

Despite the 3-point shooting, Daniels was basically efficient in everything else he did on the court. Similar to how Okongwu had a career year, the same could be said for Daniels after he averaged a career-high in rebounds and assists. He techincally served as the point guard for the Hawks, and he played that role well, getting other involved while not turning the ball over at a high rate.

Daniels was still one of the best defenders in the league, and though he didn’t break any crazy records last season, he still averaged 2.0 steals per game, which was tied for the best in the league.

Of course, people are going to look at the 3-point shooting and stop the conversation there, but he was more valuable to the Hawks last season than people think.

There’s no telling what more Okongwu and Daniels would’ve had to do to make the Top 100 list, but fans will be excited to see if they take their games to another level once again this season.

Lando Norris targeted by online abuse after calling for Franco Colapinto ban

  • Alpine condemn social media abuse of world champion

  • Fans of Argentinian driver criticised after Baku incident

Lando Norris has been the victim of a wave of online abuse, having stated that the Alpine driver Franco Colapinto should not be in Formula One, after the Argentinian caused an accident that knocked the defending world champion out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday.

Such was the level of abuse on social media, which appears to be from fans of Colapinto, his Alpine team were prompted to issue a statement condemning what is only the latest incident in a host of occurrences of fan abuse associated with the Argentinian driver.

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Why 60 games is magic number in MLB's imminent lockout | Nightengale's Notebook

A growing number of executives believe that the 2027 Major League Baseball season will begin around Memorial Day weekend next year considering that if 60 or more games are cancelled next season, players will miss about four paychecks and national TV contracts would be extended through 2029.

The collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, with the league demanding a hard salary cap and that idea being an absolute non-starter for the players.

The 2021-22 lockout was the longest in history at 99 days, but the two sides agreed on a deal that preserved a full 162-game season.

– While manager Dan Wilson will be blamed for the Seattle Mariners’ embarrassing season and is expected to pay the price by being fired as early as Monday, Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners’ president of baseball operations, is under heavy scrutiny.

Dipoto doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy of being fired, but critics point out that the Mariners have reached the postseason just twice in his 11-year tenure, and veteran catcher Cal Raleigh went public about the Mariners’ cultural woes .

“I think it was a collective failure, unfortunately,’’ Raleigh told reporters. “It’s going to take a lot of people having some self-reflection, myself included, on the direction of where we’re heading, what we want to be, and who we want to be as a team. What is our team identity? I don’t feel like there was one this year….’’

The Mariners have plenty of disgruntled employees, with everyone from assistant GMs to equipment managers to strength and conditioning coaches being fired in recent years. And if the Mariners don’t reach the postseason next year, those fingers will be pointed directly at Dipoto.

– Former Texas Rangers GM Jon Daniels, who guided the Rangers to back-to-back pennants, pulled himself out of consideration for the Athletics’ GM vacancy for family reasons. Daniels, who has two kids in college and one in high school, was flattered by the opportunity, but enjoys his job as a senior advisor in baseball operations for the Tampa Bay Rays.

– The easy solution to avoid another Alex Bregman incident (suffering facial fractures when hit by a foul ball getting ready to hit), MLB executives say, is for the hitter in the on-deck circle to stand on the same side the batter is hitting. So, if Bregman had been standing on the other side of the field from left-handed hitting Michael Busch, the accident could have been prevented.

– The World Baseball Classic took a massive hit this week when 2025 Cy Young winner Paul Skenes blamed his participation in this year’s WBC for his massive struggles, with San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb also suffering his worst season.

Skenes threw 75 pitches at 95-mph or faster during the WBC, topping out at 99.7-mph. He didn’t reach that velocity the entire season, with his fastball down 2-mph from his rookie season in 2024.

“It definitely affected the year,” Skenes told reporters. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m the only one.”

The WBC is scheduled to resume in 2030, two years after the Olympics, but GMs are hoping that MLB could change the format to have at least the final rounds played during the All-Star break, to avoid the rash of pitching injuries when arms simply aren’t ready in March.

– Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, preaches the importance of veteran clubhouse leadership, believing it’s essential for teams with postseason aspirations.

“I think veteran leadership is extremely important," Dombrowski tells USA TODAY Sports. “Not everybody necessarily agrees with this, but veteran leadership on what it takes to win."

Dombrowski has leaders Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in Philadelphia, had Dustin Pedroia and Mookie Betts in Boston, Victor Martinez, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in Detroit, and insists they wouldn’t have won the 1997 World Series without Darren Daulton and Craig Counsell in Florida.

– What a storybook ending to Justin Verlander’s Hall of Fame career, not only showing flashes of his greatness in his final outing, but having his 7-year-old daughter wearing a Tigers jersey with her dad's name and number, running to the mound to hug him after being lifted from the game. Verlander stood on the mound sobbing.

“That hit me,’’ Verlander said, “like a ton of bricks."

– San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas, 20 years, 116 days, who was not old enough to drink during the Padres’ clinching celebration, so the Padres gave him a bucket containing apple cider, baby bottles and a tiny jersey with a letterboard that read: BABY’S FIRST CLINCHMAS.

Salas will be the youngest catcher in baseball history to participate in the postseason.

– Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin raised some eyebrows when he criticized the Reds’ front office in his final broadcast, which drew strong support from former Reds All-Star MVP Joey Votto

“I think these last three weeks of baseball playing against some of the better teams that are going to be going to the postseason really illustrate how far we are behind at this big-league level," Larkin said. “Change has to happen. This city deserves better than that, and I know every player down there feels that. But something has to give. We have to get better because we are so, so far behind.’’

The Reds’ response?

The ownership group announced that GM Nick Krall and his staff are returning for 2027.

– It’s hard to believe that with more than 125 years of co-existence, this will be only the fourth postseason that the Cubs and White Sox have played in together, and they clinched their postseason berths just two minutes apart on Thursday.

– Miami Marlins Gold Glove infielder Javier Sanoja has had a surreal year. It began when he scored the winning run for Venezuela in their WBC championship game, and continued through the season, hitting  .294, including a league-leading .339 since Aug. 1. He’s also the only National League position player to play in 10 or more games at five different positions this season (22 games at second, 117 at third, 10 at shortstop, 10 in left field and 14 in right field).

The highlight, though, Sanoja tells USA TODAY Sports, will always be winning the gold medal for his country.

“It meant so much for our country, and our people who are such big fans of the game," Sanoja said. “Every city I go, someone in the stands is congratulating me for the championship. It fills me with a lot of emotion. It’s a night I’ll never forget as long as I live."

– There’s just something about September that brings out the best in the Guardians. They have won eight of their last nine games entering Saturday, and are 83-48 in September since the 2022 season_second-best in the AL behind only the Yankees.

– The Chicago White Sox, who grabbed Luis Castillo at the trade deadline, need to find a way to fix him in 2027 or else they just wasted $20 million. He was an albatross on their staff since his acquisition, going 1-2 with an 8.42 ERA in nine appearances.

– You can expect Red Sox rookie Payton Tolle to be a key to their hopes of defeating the Yankees in the wild-card round. Tolle now only has a 2.44 ERA in his last eight starts, but he has given up just one run and four hits in 13 innings with 18 strikeouts in his two starts against the Yankees this year.

– The Guardians are the first team to reach the postseason without a single qualifying player hitting .300 or hitting 20 homers or driving in 75 runs or stealing 40 bases, according to OptaSTATS.

– Randal Grichuk, who was released by the Yankees and signed a $1.25 million contract, has been an absolute godsend for the White Sox.

Grichuk signed with the White Sox on May 4 after Austin Hays suffered a left calf strain, and has hit .304 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs for the Sox, slashing .400/.408/.733 with four doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs in his last 15 games entering Saturday.

“He’s obviously responded to the opportunity here, taking advantage of it,” White Sox manager Will Venable told reporters. “He’s been as good as anybody in this league offensively.”

– Former Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo, who led his franchise to its 2001 World Series title, was not part of the 25-year reunion celebration last week but plans to have his own dinner party for the team and staff in November.

– If the Pittsburgh Pirates want to be taken seriously, they do everything possible to bring back Brandon Lowe, who’s a free agent this winter. Lowe has hit 33 home runs, the most by a Pirates’ player since Josh Bell in 2019, with his 19 homers at PNC Park the most in the ballpark’s history.

– The Yankees cringe watching Ezequiel Durán with the Texas Rangers. They traded him at the 2021 trade deadline for outfielder Joey Gallo.

– This is the Astros’ worst season since 2014. ... and yet may win the AL West with a losing record.

– The Arizona Diamondbacks can’t thank the St. Louis Cardinals enough for giving them Nolan Arenado this winter. The Diamondbacks not only had the Cardinals pay all but $11 million of the remaining $42 million that Arenado is owed, but Arenado has carried the D-backs’ offense, hitting a team-leading 30 homers with 85 RBI and a .803 OPS, his best season since 2022. Arenado joins Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews and Mike Schmidt as the only third basemen in MLB history to have eight 30-homer seasons.

And the D-backs got Arenado for the mere cost of mid-level prospect Jack Martinez.

He saved the D-backs season.

– How much does Aaron Judge mean to the Yankees? The Yankees hit just .227 and ranked 26th in runs per game without Judge in the lineup this season.

– The Rockies are the worst team in baseball once again. They became just the fifth MLB franchise to lose at least 100 games in four consecutive seasons, last done by the expansion New York Mets (1962-65). They looked pathetic in their final homestand getting trounced by the Diamondbacks.

They will go down in history as the first team to post the highest ERA in five consecutive seasons while also losing at least 100 games in four consecutive years.

– Congratulations to Pete Alonso, who became the first player in MLB history to hit 40 or more home runs in his first season with a team in the National League and the American League, and with 43 homers and 113 RBIs this season, could become the first player ever to lead both leagues in RBI.

– The Yankees are worth at least $12 billion after reaching a deal to sell 16% of the team for $2.6 billion to Apollo Sports Capital (ASC) last month.

– The San Francisco Giants’ embarrassing season comes to a close by becoming the first team in four years to go an entire season without a four-game winning streak.

– In 2024 season, the Mariners’ rotation produced an MLB-leading 92 quality starts. This year, just 66, with a 4.64 ERA the second half.

– Congratulations AL West, you just produced the worst division in history, with the division champion being the first not to have a winning record.

– Tropicana Field is a house of horrors to visiting teams with the Rays going 55-26 at home this season, and will have home-field advantage throughout the AL postseason.

– What’s the difference between hosting a wild-card series and playing on the road?

Try about $4 million.

The home team receives about $3 million in revenue from hosting the first round while the visiting team spends about $1 million with traveling costs.

– The Blue Jays’ offensive ineptitude was alarming this year, scoring the fewest runs in MLB with only rookie Kazuma Okamoto hitting more than 15 home runs this season, and only two players with more than 10.

– Chris Sale produced the fifth-lowest ERA (2.16) at the age of 37 or older in MLB history, trailing only: Justin Verlander (1.75 in 2022), Roger Clemens (1.87 in 2005), Dazzy Vance (2.08 in 1928) and Spud Chandler (2.10 in 1946).

– The Mets not only lost plenty on the field this season, but also at the box office.

The Mets’ attendance was down 14.8% from last season, averaging 33,901 fans a game, going from fifth in attendance to 12th, with their only sellout on opening day.

– The Yankees are expected to start Max Fried in Game 1 and Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler in Game 2 of the wild-card series against the Red Sox, which still allows Schlittler to pitch Games 2 and 5 in a potential ALDS.

– The San Diego Padres were 50-53 on July 23, with only the 11th-best record in the National League.

Now, they are in the postseason, going on a 15-3 run since Sept. 5, and will likely host the NL Wild Card series.

– Outfielder Austin Hays is in his fourth consecutive postseason with four different teams: Baltimore (2023), Philadelphia (2024), Cincinnati (2025), San Diego (2026).

– Diamondbacks starter Corbin Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million contract two years ago, will not opt out of the remaining four years and $140 million on his deal after ending his season on the injured list. He pitched just 10.1 innings in three starts this season recovering from Tommy John surgery, yielding a 7.84 ERA.

– Considering that first baseman Ty France may be the Padres’ MVP this season, it wouldn’t surprise a soul if the Padres’ ownership gives him his $200,000 bonus for reaching 500 plate appearances, even if he’s going to fall just shy of the incentive.

– The Padres may have had a losing record against the other NL postseason teams, but no one in baseball had a better record (59-28) against teams with losing records.

– Casey Mize’s free-agent value has severely tumbled with his struggles since joining the Padres at the trade deadline, yielding a 7.46 ERA in 10 starts.

– If the Dodgers and Brewers match up again in the NLCS, they should have a bowling competition with Mookie Betts of the Dodgers and Brice Turang of the Brewers. Each are skilled bowlers who grew up with the game. Betts’ parents each bowled and Turang learned the sport from his grandfather.

– Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara joined late Hall of Famer Phil Niekro (1978) as the only pitchers to lead MLB in innings pitched for a season and save at least one game in the same regular season since saves became an official statistic in 1969.

– Congratulations to Gary Matthews, Ralph Garr, Reggie Smith and Andre Thornton, who were inducted Saturday night into the Negro Leagues Hall of Fame.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why 60 games is magic number in MLB's imminent lockout | Nightengale's Notebook

Australia 42-38 South Africa: international men’s rugby union Test – as it happened

The Wallabies hold on to beat Springboks after four yellow cards in final 15 minutes in Perth as Les Kiss extends unbeaten streak

“The focus for us is physicality,” puffs Rob Valetini as he makes his way down the tunnel after the warm-up. He also suggested new winger Suaalii would be used as an aerial target.

The individual under the most scrutiny today will be Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. The 23 year old rugby league recruit has been Australia’s poster boy since his high profile code switch in 2024, performing solidly in the centres in 22 internationals without setting the world alight. He lines up on the wing today, with Hunter Paisami partnering John Eales Medal winner Len Ikitau in the midfield.

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