PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Ryan Howard and Nick Swisher look on prior to the 96th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brian Garfinkel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Now that we’re in the offseason, it’s time to shift our focus to a possible event on the horizon that may be even more daunting than the MLB postseason.
The collective bargaining agreement between the league and the MLB Players Association expires on December 1st, and if the two sides don’t reach an agreement by then, a lockout will ensue. What does this mean? Well, it means that no games will occur until both MLB and MLBPA find a way to make it work. I recently had the opportunity to ask a former ballplayer about the subject, and he was happy to share his take on the situation.
There have been a few lockouts over the course of MLB history, but the longest was in 1994, when a player strike halted regular season and postseason games for 232 days. Ryan Howard, Phillies legend and 2008 World Series Champion, spoke with Pinstripe Alley on the matter and shared his perspective on the impact the lockout could have on the game and league as a whole.
“When it comes to that, you want what’s best for the game,” Howard told Pinstripe Alley. “When you look back at the lockout back in ‘94, I think the game was in such an amazing place. Then once that happened, it hurt the game.”
To Howard’s point, the game is in a similar spot as it was in 1994, where viewership is trending in the right direction. Fox Sports reported that it averaged 3.2 million viewers for the first two games of the NL Division Series involving the Braves and Dodgers, as well as the Padres and Brewers, according to Front Office Sports. Fox Sports also reported that the network set a 10-year viewership high during last year’s AL Division Series between the Yankees and Blue Jays as well as the Tigers and Mariners.
Howard also shared that he doesn’t believe there will be a lockout, and that both sides will have to make concessions to move forward with the 2027 regular season as scheduled.
Despite the Yankees exiting earlier than anticipated, we might as well enjoy this MLB postseason while it lasts. Who knows, but we should all prepare for the possibility of a lockout and seeing silence on the diamond come March 24th.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 24: Ryan Johnson #33 of the Buffalo Sabres plays against the Detroit Red Wings during a pre season game at Little Caesars Arena on September 24, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
An ol’ 2-for-1 trade. The Penguins have sent a pair of minor league defensemen to Buffalo for a former first round pick.
The Penguins have acquired defenseman Ryan Johnson from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch.
Johnson, 25, was taken with the 31st pick back in the 2019 draft. He’s got 47 career NHL games under his belt, though the majority of that was in 2023-24 and he’s been mostly in the AHL ever since, playing only three NHL games in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. So far this season, it’s been all AHL time for Johnson. The 6’1”, 195 left shot defender spent four seasons at the University of Minnesota prior to that. Johnson has a contract through the 2027-28 season.
In exchange, Pittsburgh does a little house cleaning to drop two players and get down to 48 contracts of the 50 they are allotted per year. The Pens traded Caleb Jones, who cleared waivers weeks ago. Jones has played four games with AHL Wilkes-Barre, recording all three of his assists on the season in the same game. The 29-year old played seven NHL games with the Pens last season before a pair of long-term injuries and the rare suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program ended his season last year.
Laatsch was a seventh round draft pick in 2021, the lanky defender spent four seasons in Wisconsin then spent most of his rookie season in 2025-26 with ECHL Wheeling, with 10 games played in the AHL. He’s yet to play this season and was only going to be a swing ECHL/AHL type of depth option in the organization.
Overall, this deal helps right size the numbers for the Pens at the minor league level. The team had all of Ilya Solovyov, Jones, Owen Pickering, Jake Livanavage, Laatsch and AHL contracted Maleek McGowan as left shots fighting for time in Wilkes-Barre. Paring down the numbers should help ease the block in the future for that spot.
Beyond that, time will tell if this deal has any NHL impact. Johnson might draw some intrigue as a former first round pick and member of the US National Development team but his career track has been spinning its wheels for a while. Even if he’s nothing more than deep depth, that’s the only place what Pittsburgh gave up would be this season anyways. Mostly a minor deal, helps restock the numbers a bit but does give the Pens a chance to take a look at a former first round pick to see what might come of playing in a new organization.
The Pittsburgh Penguins returned to practice on Monday after notching a 2-1 shootout win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak that began last Monday against the Winnipeg Jets and lasted for almost a week. The Penguins needed it in the worst way since they weren't defending well and looked lethargic.
They played excellent defense, got great goaltending from Arturs Silovs, and the shooters (Ben Kindel, Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell) finally did well in a shootout.
Monday's practice saw Muse tinker with the third line some more. Ben Kindel has had a rotating cast of wingers to start the season, and that likely won't change when the Penguins head to the "Windy City" to play the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
Kindel was skating on a line with Ville Koivunen and Andrei Kuzmenko during practice. Koivunen was a healthy scratch on Saturday, while Kuzmenko sat out the last two games since he's obviously going through a lot.
Here were the full practice lines and pairs:
Forwards
Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin
Kuzmenko-Kindel-Koivunen
Dewar-Lizotte-Robertson
Defensive pairs
Carlile-Karlsson
Girard-Korczak
Stastney-Letang
Based on these combinations, it appears Hendrix Lapierre and Elmer Soderblom will be the odd ones out at the start of this four-game road trip.
Lapierre's scratch makes sense because, aside from that first game against the Philadelphia Flyers, he's been a bit of a non-factor. It wouldn't hurt to sit him for a game or two so he can work on a few things.
As for Soderblom, this one's a bit more surprising, especially since he played super well against the Stars on Saturday. He was great along the walls and was one of the Penguins' best forecheckers behind the net. He deserves to get more runway on that line, but the staff doesn't see it that way right now.
Spencer Stastney will be in the lineup for a little bit since Trevor van Riemsdyk is not going on the trip. Stastney was solid in his Penguins debut on Saturday and showcased some good speed and defensive ability in his own end.
He was a good fit with Kris Letang, so it'll be interesting to see if that can continue this week.
Puck drop for Tuesday's Penguins-Blackhawks game will be at 8 p.m. ET.
Walker Kessler, the franchise’s marquee free-agency acquisition, could make his preseason debut against the Warriors on Tuesday in Las Vegas after sitting out of the first three games. The 7-foot-2 center made his return to live play in practice on Sunday after dealing with an injury to his left pinky finger.
Walker Kessler could make his highly-anticipated preseason debut for the Lakers on Tuesday against the Warriors. NBAE via Getty Images
Collin Sexton’s status is uncertain for Tuesday against the Warriors and Friday’s preseason finale vs. the Nuggets in Los Angeles, with coach JJ Redick saying the 6-foot-3 guard is “probably a little bit further behind” Kessler when it comes to his return as he deals with a lower leg injury.
And Ziaire Williams, the 6-foot-10 forward who’s in contention for a spot in the starting lineup, is dealing with a foot contusion after having only played in the Lakers’ preseason-opening win over the Kings on Oct. 5.
It’s unclear whether Lakers guard Collin Sexton will play during the preseason as he deals with a right lower leg injury. Khobi Price
But regardless of who is available for their final two preseason games, the Lakers have plenty to clean up before the games start to count in the standings.
Here are non-injury/player availability factors The California Post is keeping an eye on in the last two exhibitions
Ball security
Preseason statistics come with an obvious caveat: It’s just the preseason.
Many teams, like the Lakers, haven’t been able to use all of their rotation players in every game.
And the rotation players who have suited up aren’t playing full games at this point, either playing just the first half or getting minutes in the third quarter before sitting out the entire fourth quarter, which complicates statistical takeaways.
Most teams have yet to crack double-digit practices, and haven’t come close to installing all of their offensive sets or defensive game plans.
Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic both need to turn the ball over less. Getty Images
But one thing is clear from the Lakers’ first three preseason games: They need to take better care of the basketball.
The Lakers’ 22.3% turnover rate entering Monday ranked No. 28 among all teams during the preseason.
Their star ball-handlers in Luka Doncic (5 turnovers per game) and Austin Reaves (3 per game) are the main catalysts of the team’s ball-security woes.
But Jaden Hardy (3 turnovers per game), Quentin Grimes (3), Bronny James (2.7), Dalton Knecht (2) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (2) have also coughed the ball up too much, especially when factoring most players aren’t playing as many minutes.
The turnovers have piled up when unfamiliar lineups are on the floor together and aren’t as organized as they’d like to be – a reality coach JJ Redick has acknowledged.
Quentin Grimes has also been turnover-prone. NBAE via Getty Images
More practice and court time should be a natural remedy.
The Lakers have been generating the types of shots they want, especially when Doncic and/or Reaves are on the floor.
But they need to help themselves by being more careful with the ball.
Defensive rebounding
The Lakers have gotten a good look at what life without Kessler could look like.
And from a rebounding standpoint, it hasn’t been pretty.
The Lakers’ 61.6% defensive rebounding percentage during preseason has ranked No. 27 across the league.
Their struggles on the glass are predictable.
Kessler patrolling the paint will be a significant boost for the Lakers’ rebounding.
But he can’t be on the floor for every minute of every game during the regular season. So the last week has provided the Lakers with insight on what they need to do so they can be better on the glass when their starting center isn’t on the floor.
“It’s important to have two of the bigger wings out there for rebounding purposes,” Redick said. “That was a concern I think coming into the year – trying to be a good defensive rebounding team. What does that look like with Walker not on the court? In film, it’s pretty apparent that we need to do a better job of boxing out. Just like simple stuff and gang rebounding.
“We’ll figure that out. The biggest thing is trying to make sure we have…two bigger wings out there, Luka, Adou [Thiero], whoever that may be, Mamu as a wing with non-Walker minutes.”
Michael Jordan came out of retirement after three years to play two seasons with the Washington Wizards, from 2001-2003 [Getty Images]
A Michael Jordan jersey from his 'Last Dance' season has sold for $14m (£10.6m), a record for a piece of basketball memorabilia.
Jordan wore the Chicago Bulls jersey during game two of the 1998 NBA Finals and has autographed it too.
He scored a game-high 37 points that evening before ending his last season with the Bulls with a 4-2 series win for his sixth and final NBA Championship. He was named the Finals' Most Valuable Player in all six.
The only item of sports memorabilia that has cost more is the jersey worn by baseball legend Babe Ruth when he "called the shot" during the 1932 World Series, which was sold for $24.1m (£18.2m) in 2024.
The previous high for a basketball item was a card featuring Jordan and Kobe Bryant from 2007-08 which sold for $12.9m (£9.8m) last year.
The previous record for a piece of game-worn Jordan memorabilia was set just two weeks ago when his jersey from game three of the 1998 Finals, which is not autographed, sold via auction for $12.3m (£9.3m).
The latest purchase was made by Miami real estate investor Ron Firman in a private sale through Hunt Auctions.
David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, said in a statement: "While Michael Jordan's importance within the sports memorabilia marketplace has long been established, it has now escalated to an elite asset class more typically reserved for iconic works of art."
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: Abner Uribe #45 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning in game one of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field on October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the NLCS, tonight we have Game 2 between the Dodgers and Brewers. Last year’s WS MVP, Yoshinobu Yamamoto goes for the Dodgers, and rookie stud Logan Henderson pitches for the Brewers.
In the second game of the slate, we get the first ALCS game between the Guardians and Rays. Former Royal, Foster Griffin, will match up for the Guardians with the Rays’ ace Drew Rasmussen.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild (3-1-1) returns to Grand Casino Arena on Monday night for a 7 p.m. matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights (5-1-0), looking to build on Saturday's 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers.
Minnesota enters the matchup having won three consecutive regular-season games against Vegas, including all three meetings during the 2025-26 season.
The Wild have also enjoyed considerable success against the Golden Knights since Vegas entered the NHL, holding a 16-11-4 all-time record against them.
However, Monday's matchup presents an early-season test against a Golden Knights team that has won five of its first six games.
Vegas has been led offensively by Jack Eichel, who has recorded three goals and nine assists for 12 points in six games. Mark Stone has added seven points, while Tomas Hertl has contributed five.
For Minnesota, Kirill Kaprizov has been the driving force offensively.
The 29-year-old winger has recorded six goals and two assists for eight points through five games, including a hat trick and four-point performance against Florida on Saturday.
Kaprizov enters Monday tied for the NHL lead in goals and has scored in five consecutive games to begin the season. He has also enjoyed success against Vegas throughout his career, recording 11 goals and six assists for 17 points in 19 games.
Defenseman Quinn Hughes has been equally productive from the blue line, recording two goals and five assists for seven points while collecting at least one point in each of Minnesota's first five games.
One of the biggest reasons for Minnesota's early success has been its special teams.
The Wild enter Monday tied for second in the NHL with a 37.5 percent power play, converting on six of their first 16 opportunities. Minnesota has scored a power-play goal in each of its first five games, marking just the third time in franchise history the team has opened a season with a power-play goal in five consecutive contests.
The penalty kill has been just as impressive, successfully killing 16 of 17 opposing power plays for a 94.1 percent success rate, also tied for second in the league.
Vegas, meanwhile, enters the contest with a 30.4 percent power play and an 81.3 percent penalty kill.
Minnesota will once again turn to Jesper Wallstedt in goal.
Wallstedt has started all five games this season, posting a 3-1-1 record with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. He stopped 29 shots in Saturday's victory over Florida and enters Monday ranked fourth in the NHL in save percentage.
The Wild will remain without Brock Faber, who continues to recover from a skull fracture suffered during the preseason. Marcus Foligno is day-to-day with a mid-body injury, while Nick Foligno is expected to miss additional time with an upper-body injury.
Zach Bogosian, who missed Saturday's game with a lower-body injury, is expected to return to Minnesota's lineup.
With both teams off to strong starts, Monday's matchup should provide an interesting test for a Wild team looking to establish consistency early in the season.
Wild Projected Lineup
Kirill Kaprizov - Joel Eriksson Ek - Matt Boldy
Blake Coleman - Ryan Hartman - Maxim Shabanov
Rieger Lorentz - Danila Yurov - Bobby Brink
Nico Sturm - Michael McCarron - Yakov Trenin
Defense:
Quinn Hughes - Jared Spurgeon
Olli Maatta - Jonas Brodin
Daemon Hunt - Zach Bogosian
Starting Goaltender: Jesper Wallstedt
Scratched: David Spacek, Matt Kiersted
Injured: Marcus Foligno (Mid-Body), Brock Faber (Upper-Body, Indefinitely), Filip Gustavsson (Lower-Body, LTIR), Nick Foligno (Upper-Body, Day-To-Day).
Golden Knights Projected Lineup
Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Mark Stone
Brett Howden - William Karlsson - Mitch Marner
Trevor Connelly - Tomas Hertl - Raphael Lavoie
Marc Gatcomb - Nic Dowd - Braeden Bowman
Defense:
Shea Theodore - Brayden McNabb
Parker Wotherspoon - Rasmus Andersson
Jeremy Lauzon - Noah Hanifin
Starting Goaltender: Carter Hart (projected)
Scratched: Dylan Coghlan, Ville Heinola
Injured: Victor Olofsson (Lower-Body).
Wild vs. Golden Knights — October 12, 2026
Game Information
Puck drop: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Grand Casino Arena — St. Paul, Minnesota
Minnesota Wild: 3-1-1 (7 points)
Vegas Golden Knights: 5-1-0 (10 points)
Wild starting goalie: Jesper Wallstedt
Golden Knights starting goalie: TBD (Carter Hart projected)
How to Watch
TV: Wild+
Play-by-play: Anthony LaPanta
Color analyst: Ryan Carter
Reporter: Kevin Gorg
How to Listen
Radio: KFAN FM 100.3
Play-by-play: Joe O'Donnell
Color analyst: Tom Reid
Studio host: Kevin Falness
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Oct 11, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) talks with media in preparation against the Cleveland Guardians for the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Waiting all day for Monday night.
With respect to Monday Night Football, it’s still baseball season. The final four teams will be in action tonight with Game 2 of NLCS and Game 1 of the ALCS on the docket. The Dodgers and Brewers will play Game 2 after kicking off their series last night, while Cleveland and Tampa Bay will begin the ALCS later this evening.
Of the teams remaining, three qualify as “small market” teams. The Dodgers, on the other hand, have spent more than the other three teams combined. Will the Dodgers secure another World Series title on the way to a lockout, or will one of the little guys prove that they can succeed under the current agreement?
NLCS Game 2: Dodgers at Brewers, 5:00 PM. FOX/FS1
RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. RHP Logan Henderson
It’s difficult to compete with Skubal vs. Misiorowski, but the NL teams will give us another quality pitching matchup tonight.
ALCS Game 1: Guardians at Rays, 8:00 PM. TBS
LHP Foster Griffin vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen
The Orioles were an incredibly flawed baseball team, but they were capable of beating both of these teams on any given night. Baltimore finished 8-5 against Tampa Bay and 3-4 against Cleveland. It’s difficult to comprehend that either of these teams will be playing for a World Series title, but that’s how it goes.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: A detailed view of the 2026 NLCS logo on the field prior to game one of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A double-bill of championship series, so enjoy it. Might only be one more this year, on Thursday. We start off with the National League, where the Dodgers will seek to even the series after losing the opener 2-1 in Milwaukee. A good start for the Brewers, but things won’t be any easier for them today: Yoshinobu Yamamoto isn’t much of a downgrade from Tarik Skubal. Meanwhile, the bargain basement American League Championship Series gets under way. All those who complain about Arizona fans not showing up, should look at Cleveland. They have now made the postseason eight of the last eleven years, but their HIGHEST attendance is only 2,051,360. They’ve been below the D-backs every year in that time, bar the weirdo 2021 season. In 2026, the gap was 287,000.
Here’s what’s on offer today:
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Milwaukee Brewers (0-1): 2 pm, FOX/FOX One
Cleveland Guardians @ Tampa Bay Rays (0-0): 5 pm, TBS/HBO Max
Offense has been hard to come by so far in the early goings of the 2026-27 NHL season for the Detroit Red Wings, who are off to a 1-3-1 start following their second shutout setback on Saturday evening.
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler turned aside all 30 shots that he faced from the Red Wings in regulation and overtime, and also denied all six Detroit players he faced in the subsequent shootout.
The final save that he made that capped the victory for the Canadiens was on forward Nate Danielson, who made the roster out of Training Camp and the preseason.
But through his first five games, Danielson has a single assist; he appeared in 28 NHL games last season, scoring twice and adding five assists before being returned to the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins.
During the 2026 Prospects Tournament, Griffins head coach Dan Watson said he'd like to see Danielson be more selfish with the puck and shoot more, something Danielson acknowledged he could improve upon.
"I think I could probably shoot a bit more," Danielson said after practice on Monday. "I think probably, depending on who I'm playing with, I could definitely create some more O-zone time and get in front of the net a little more and create some more opportunities that way."
According to head coach Todd McLellan, Danielson's presence on the roster is something they came into Training Camp expecting - and now that he's achieved that goal, it's time for him to start finding his name more consistently on the scoresheet.
"Danny has come in, and he's done what we thought he'd do; he made the team. We expected him to make the team," McLellan said. "And now, he's gotta take it up a notch, I'd say. He's got to perform at a higher level, or else we're expecting too much from him."
While playing on the fourth line, Danielson has skated with a revolving door of linemates so far this season, including Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Mason Appleton, Carter Mazur, and Sheldon Dries.
According to McLellan, this has made it difficult to develop the consistency and rhythm that come from playing alongside the same forwards. Still, ultimately, Danielson needs to start meeting the offensive expectations that come with being selected ninth overall in the NHL Draft.
"He's had to deal with some tough things that aren't his fault, but overall, we'd like to see him pick it up and contribute a little more offensively," McLellan said. "It's what he's been able to do in the past; we expect that here."
Before suffering a season-ending injury in mid-February of last season, Danielson appeared in 18 games with the Griffins in 2025-26, scoring three goals and 12 assists. The previous season, in his first full AHL campaign, he played 71 games and scored 12 goals while adding 27 assists.
While Danielson is known as a defensively responsible center, it's clear the Red Wings want him to make a greater offensive impact.
Danielson and the Red Wings next face the New Jersey Devils at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday evening beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET.
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ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 19: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the first inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 19, 2026 at at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The ALCS gets underway this evening at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, and it’s a rather surreal moment for not just the fans of the Rays and Guardians (who are both starving for a championship), but for the Red Sox, the AL East, and the sport as a whole.
The Rays aren’t just in the ALCS, they’re in the AL East. They beat both the Red Sox and Yankees over 162 games, and then they went out and swept the Yankees in lobsided fashion, right after the Yankees swept the Red Sox in lobsided fashion. This was a total beatdown! The Rays were clearly and repeatedly the best team in the division in 2026, and even though they’ve been good and competitive for many years, it feels like we’re reaching some kind of tipping point with both the Red Sox and Yankees proving to be nothing more than Wild Card fodder for two years in a row.
The Red Sox specifically have been accused of trying to be too much like the Rays for many years now, and it increasingly seems like we’re getting the worst of both worlds. On one hand, if it’s true, the Red Sox were right about “this” being the way to run your team in 2026, but they’re also not anywhere near as good as the Rays in getting all of their assets to work together as a cohesive unit. Instead, the Sox appear to be caught in-between, where they spend much more on payroll than teams like the Rays and Guardians, but not enough to dominate the landscape and fill their biggest needs (where is our a stud power bat?). And then, the front office also can’t get the pieces they do invest in to be as situationally productive as the Tampa manages to do over and over again.
It’s a very, very awkward situation.
So, where does this leave us going forward? The Red Sox have spent the last handful years acting very much like a team that believes a salary cap is going to be imposed in a specific window very soon while also failing to get above third place in the division during that time (five straight years and counting). If you want to be optimistic, you might argue this will leave them more prepared than other big market teams if or when a salary cap is imposed. But here’s the problem: They also seem to be less prepared than the small market teams who are nailing it right now. So the situation kind of sucks no matter what, and Rays and Guardians being in the ALCS underscores this in a bizarre, humbling and underwhelming way.
The Red Sox should be flexing their financial muscle. They’re not! Then, in a world where the Red Sox are not flexing their full financial muscle, they should also be further along in getting things right after trying to adopt the cost effective strategies used by teams like the Rays, Guardians and Brewers for the better part of a decade. Again, they’re not! About the only thing they seem prepared to do is enter a post lockout world with a salary cap imposed somewhere around their current payroll. However, if we get an all small market World Series, who knows if they’re even going to get that prediction correct?
The more I look at the landscape, the harder it is to find an October outcome that’s going to make me less angry in the coming months. The Red Sox won four championships in 15 years powered by a financial engine that got its fuel from a dedicated and passionate fanbase willing to pay high prices for Fenway tickets and NESN subscriptions if it means getting a solid product in return. Not only have the Red Sox not held up their end of the bargain throughout the 2020s, but they intentionally thrown it away while now getting beat by teams with less resources who they’re supposedly trying to emulate. I find this so disgusting, and I have little to no confidence there’s anywhere near enough motivation on Jersey Street to find a proper solution.
Use this thread to talk about both LCS games tonight, what it might mean for the Red Sox going forward, and as always, be good to one another.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 11: Brice Turang #2 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates a home run with William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field on October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s game 2 of the NLCS in Milwaukee Monday afternoon as Yoshinobu Yamamoto will try to pull the Dodgers even while the Brewers will ask Logan Henderson to give them a 2-0 advantage. First pitch scheduled for 4pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Fox/FS1.
Oct 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Last night, the National League (NL) Championship Series began with Game 1 between the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Last year, the Dodgers swept the Brewers in this best-of-seven series before defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. Hoping for a different outcome this fall, the Brewers got off to a good start, rallying for a 2-1 win in front of their frenzied home fans. Milwaukee’s bullpen prevented the Dodgers from retaking the lead after starter Jacob Misiorowski failed to complete five innings.
Today, the Dodgers will attempt to even the series against the Brewers, while the Tampa Bay Rays host the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the American League (AL) Championship Series.
Dodgers at Brewers (5:00 PM EDT)
Seeking to avoid returning to Los Angeles trailing 0-2 in the series, the Dodgers will turn to right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was named World Series MVP last year after throwing 2 2/3 innings of relief on zero days’ rest to help his team win Game 7 in extra innings.
Following another strong regular season, Yamamoto remains Los Angeles’ postseason ace. He earned the win in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, allowing one run on four hits over seven innings while striking out 10. This evening, the Japanese right-hander will look to record his second consecutive quality start.
The Brewers will counter with rookie right-hander Logan Henderson, who has considerably less postseason experience than his counterpart. Henderson earned the No. 2 spot in Milwaukee’s playoff rotation after finishing the regular season with an 11-3 record and a 2.47 ERA in 18 starts.
He took the mound in Game 2 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres and received a no-decision after allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits over five innings. It will be interesting to see how Henderson fares this afternoon against the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup.
In Tampa Bay, the AL East champion Rays and AL Central champion Guardians will square off for the AL pennant.
The Rays are rested and ready after sweeping the New York Yankees in the Division Series, while the Guardians’ heavily taxed pitching staff had just one day off following a comeback victory over the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland won the final three games, including two in Chicago before clinching the series at home in a winner-take-all Game 5.
Tampa Bay’s ace right-hander Drew Rasmussen will make his second start of the postseason, looking to pitch as well as he did in his team’s playoff opener. Rasmussen was nearly perfect in that outing, holding the New York Yankees to one hit over eight innings while striking out 10. Pitching at home against a Guardians offense that often struggles to score, Rasmussen could once again set the tone for the Rays with a dominant performance.
With both Parker Messick and Gavin Williams unavailable after starting the final two games of the previous round, the Guardians will turn to left-hander Foster Griffin.
The southpaw, who the team acquired from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline, will make his first career postseason start. Griffin pitched once in the Division Series, earning the win in Game 3 after allowing one run over 2 2/3 innings of relief.
As Yamamoto prepares to take the mound in Game 2 of the NLCS on Monday, his catcher, Will Smith, revealed that he doesn’t even know what’s inside it.
“We’re talking constantly, so it’s probably the same stuff,” Smith said.
Another reporter immediately followed up with Smith, asking if he ever writes, “I smoked this guy,” after striking them out, to which Smith shrugged it off with a laugh and said, “No.”
Will Smith speaks on Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s viral notebook that he goes to during his starts in the dugout.
Since Yamamoto joined the Dodgers two years ago, he’s regularly been spotted writing in his notebook and taking notes in between innings.
According to former professional pitcher Robby Rowland, the reason Yamamoto writes in a notebook instead of utilizing an iPad is that he has drawings of the strike zone.
Rowland believes that inside the drawings, he features pitches that are circled with different numbers – which could indicate which pitches batters swung at. He also added that writing down the pitches in the notebook helps more with his memory than utilizing modern technology.
The details of what’s inside Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s notebook are a mystery. AP Photo/Kyla WolfAs Yamamoto prepares to take the mound in Game 2 of the NLCS on Monday, his catcher, Will Smith, revealed that he doesn’t even know what’s inside it. AP Photo/Kyla Wolf
During the World Series last year, Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated reported that Yamamoto will sit down with his interpreter and Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior in between innings and will use the notebook as his own personal scouting report and will review the next three or four hitters he’s set to face.
Last year, his method elevated him to winning the World Series MVP after he made two starts and appeared in three games last year, where he pitched in 17.2 innings, with a 1.02 ERA, and struck out 15 batters.
The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to have Connor Bedard in the lineup on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This will be his season debut for 2026-27 following shoulder surgery that he had over the summer.
Bedard's first game will also mark the first time that he wears the "C" on his chest as Chicago Blackhawks captain. He was given this honor right before the season started, and now he will serve in this role on the ice for the first time.
On the other side of the bench will be one of the best captains in NHL history, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby. Crosby is one of Bedard's childhood idols, so it's a perfect time for him to debut as captain in his 4th NHL season.
Another one of Bedard's childhood idols is his newest teammate, Patrick Kane. This will also be Bedard's first-ever game alongside Kane. The two will skate on Chicago's top line together.
"I've been watching Kane since I was 5 years old," Bedard said. "[It's] pretty cool to play with him and see him up close. The way he can think the game - the way he makes little passes. Honestly, for me, I just want to get him the puck and get open as much as I can."
These two have the brainpower to feed off each other when it comes to making plays. Kane isn't the 100-point player that he once was, but his offensive instincts are poised to work well with a young star like Bedard. The younger of the two isn't the only one excited about this opportunity, either.
"It's definitely a boost to the whole team," Kane said about Bedard coming back. "Just seeing what he's capable of doing out there, just in practice, it's high-level skill- the way he attacks, the way he can make plays off attacking. He's a special player, and he's a big part of our team, so it's nice to see him back."
Whether it is at even strength or on the power play, the offense should come quickly when these two are on the ice together. It will also slot every other player into spots that are better suited to their ability.
It might feel like an early-season Tuesday night match against an Eastern Conference opponent, but in a lot of ways, it's a new beginning for the Blackhawks and their franchise player.
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