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From the Pocket: they may be old but Scott Pendlebury’s Collingwood are wily and hungry

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The “too old, too slow” slight is as old as football. In the AFL era, Hawthorn in 1991 and Geelong in 2011 both played like they were insulted at the idea of being pensioned off. But by today’s standards, the age composition of those two premiership teams shouldn’t have been cause for concern. Michael Tuck was 38 but it felt like he’d been 38 since the early 1980s. Chris Mew was 30 and Gary Ayres turned 31 on grand final day. Within six months of that game, Dermott Brereton’s body was shot to bits. But he was still only 27. Similarly, the Geelong side of 2011 wasn’t the dad’s army that they’re sometimes remembered as, with only five 30 or older and Matthew Scarlett the oldest at 32.

The Collingwood team that will run out in the preliminary final really is old. If Jeremy Howe plays, he’ll be the ninth player who is 30 or over. Two more, Jordan De Goey and Darcy Moore, will soon join them. It’s a trend we’re seeing in all sports. Tom Brady retired at 45. Novak Djokovic won a dozen grand slams in his 30s. Serena Williams won nine, including an Australian Open at 35 when she was pregnant.

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Four Dark Horse Candidates To Break Penguins' NHL Roster Out Of Camp

Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp is officially only two days away, and there will be many storylines to watch this year.

There will be legitimate battles to keep an eye on for every positional group. There is a new coaching staff in town that will implement some foreign systems and act as fresh sets of eyes on everyone at camp. 

And there will be a few dark horse prospect candidates to watch out for, too. 

Of course, most eyes will be on higher-profile prospects such as Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, Owen Pickering, and Harrison Brunicke. But there are a few others who should push for NHL roster spots as well right out of the gate.

Here are four of them.

Filip Hallander

Many people are focusing the forward discussion on Koivunen and McGroarty, and rightfully so. Both players made an impression at the end of the 2024-25 season.

But Hallander, 24, also made quite the impression last season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

Hallander was originally selected by the Penguins in the second round (58th overall) of the 2018 draft. After an underwhelming two AHL seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) from 2021-23, the organization non-tendered him as a restricted free agent, and he opted to play in the SHL.

In 2024-25 - his second season after initially departing the Penguins' organization - he took home the SHL's Forward of the Year honors by registering 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games with Timra HK. His season with Timra earned him a second chance with the Penguins, and they signed him to a two-year NHL contract. 

Between Hallander finding his footing as far as production and his strong two-way game as a center, he should push pretty heavily for a roster spot. As with every other player on this list, it will be an uphill climb. But if he performs anything like he did last season, he will make decisions very difficult for Penguins' brass.

Emil Pieniniemi

It has been mentioned several times over that the left defensive battle this season is as wide-open as they come.

Of course, new signees in Parker Wotherspoon and Alexander Alexeyev were brought in to be part of that battle. Carryovers from the roster last season in Ryan Shea and Ryan Graves will likely have inside tracks to roster spots. Pickering had a 25-game NHL stint last season and is well-positioned to grab a roster spot with a good camp.

But don't count out Pieniniemi, either. 

The 20-year-old blueliner hailing from Kuopio, Finland put together an impressive season with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL last season - his first on North American soil. He recorded 10 goals and 60 points in 60 games and four goals and 10 points in 11 playoff games, and he finished seventh in scoring among OHL defensemen.

His ability to run a power play, his physicality, his skating ability, and two-way prowess make him an intriguing prospect with upside. With a good camp, his name should be in consideration for an NHL roster spot as much as guys like Pickering and Alexeyev.

And with a good start to his professional career in the AHL, don't be surprised to see him at some point this season, even if he doesn't break camp.

Avery Hayes

Hayes was just covered by us earlier Tuesday, and for good reason. Between dominating Prospects Challenges and scoring big goals in big moments, he seems to have a few things figured out. 

Hayes, 22, put up 23 goals and 42 points in 60 AHL games last season and earned himself a two-year entry-level NHL contract as a result. Undrafted, the WBS Penguins originally signed him to a two-year AHL deal prior to his 2023-24 campaign, which was marred with injuries and inconsistency.

But ever since the 2024 Prospects Challenge, Hayes has done nothing but impress. He is an effective player in all three zones, is feisty, forechecks well, drives the net... and he can finish. He scored four goals in three Prospects Challenge games this year, and he looked out of place in the best way during the event.

Out of all the names on this list, Hayes could very well make the biggest push. His game seems translatable to the NHL level, and he is someone who has the ability to fight his way up a lineup and into heavier minutes. His work ethic is hard to top, and he plays the game the right way.

Don't count this guy out in terms of breaking camp. He's been that good for the Penguins this past year.

Tristan Broz

It may be a stretch to call Broz, 22, a "dark horse" at this point, and that's only because he has grown so much and impressed in all facets even though he faced a fair amount of adversity last season.

Despite missing nearly two months of the 2024-2025 season with mononucleosis, the young American forward grew into the center position and established himself as a reliable two-way forward. He had two goals and nine points in the final 10 games of the season as well as a goal and three points in two playoff games, and - even with his setback - he still recorded 19 goals and 37 points in 59 games during his first season in professional hockey.

But his ability on both ends of the ice is really what stands out about Broz. He is a smart, responsible player in all three zones, he has the ability to disrupt plays and excel in transition, and - like Hayes - he can put the puck in the back of the net. 

Because of Broz's setback, starting the season in the AHL certainly wouldn't hurt him, and there is still a lot of room for him to grow. But a lot of the details are already ironed out for him, and he plays a very mature game - something that may give him a leg-up if he shows well in training camp.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

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Mets' Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea willing to do 'whatever it takes to win' after piggyback outing

At the business end of the season, the business of winning trumps all else. Egos, conventional wisdom, and tradition all must bow at the altar of the bottom line: Win or spend the long offseason contemplating the what-ifs. For the Mets, the game plan for Tuesday night’s game against the San Diego Padres was to start Clay Holmes, piggybackSean Manaea after, and then... go from there.

Unlike so many best-laid plans of the 2025 season, this one didn’t go awry as Holmes delivered four innings of two-run ball and Manaea followed with five innings of one-run ball in New York's 8-3 win.

“Thought it was great,” Holmes said. “We got a win, bullpen didn’t have to pitch, so always a good day. Offense showed up earthly and really took the pressure off of us, and we could just go and throw strikes and let the defense play. It was nice to just be able to cover the game, the both of us.” 

The Mets' offense putting up a five-run first inning, including four runs with two outs, provided a big boost for the starter after he posted a 1-2-3 first inning, allowing him to pound the strike zone with conviction.

“Sinker felt good,” Holmes said. “For me, it was just kinda attacking and filling the strike zone up. I gave up the two homers on the four-seam and the cutter, probably my fifth and sixth pitches, but it was where the game was. 

“I knew it was gonna be a piggyback situation, but you just never really know what that entails. So, once we got up, I was just being super aggressive and attacking and seeing how far I could go, really, until Mendy wanted to make the switch.”

Holmes came out after just four innings and 53 pitches, surrendering a pair of solo home runs, but that was less a reflection on the righty’s performance than the Padres lineup featuring a handful of lefty hitters they wanted Manaea to attack.

“We knew we wanted to play the matchups as much as possible,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “So if you’re trying to extend Clay [into the fifth], you’re looking at Clay facing three lefties in a row and then you get Manaea facing righties for the first time. Yeah, I was aggressive there, but I thought I needed to give those guys good matchups there.”

Holmes said he wasn’t aware of any “set plan” that he would be coming out after a certain batter. 

“I was pitching until they said no, and I didn’t really know when that was,” he said. “I prepared as a normal start and basically was just going after the hitters as I would as if [it were a normal start], kinda letting them make those decisions.”

Mendoza added that when Holmes struck out Jackson Merrill swinging to end the fourth with a runner on base, that was going to be his last hitter, and if the inning continued, Manaea would have entered with two on and two out.  

Manaea, who made 27 relief appearances back in 2023 and one piggyback start earlier this year, leaned on that experience to be ready when his number was called.

“Being adaptable is a huge asset for situations like this, and I lean on that,” he said. “It felt normal, like a normal routine, just took that and ran with it.”

Of course, he didn’t think he was going to pitch as long as he did – five innings and 73 pitches – but: “Whatever it takes to help this team win.”

The plan is for the duo to piggyback on Sunday against the Nationals, but there could be a tweak in the order of appearance

“We still gotta talk about whether we wanna go the same way,” Mendoza said, raising the possibility the roles might be reversed. “Because of the lineups, looking at the Nationals and some of their lefties at the top, we gotta have those discussions, but that’s the plan.”

For Holmes, he’s good with either role, as the mantra stays the same.

“We all want to win, and I think we all believe in each other,” he said about piggybacking after Manaea or vice versa next time around. “Really, I think it’s just the mentality of, whatever it takes, we’re willing to do. It may take some creativity, it may take some things that doesn't seem normal, I guess… I think the bottom line is we all want to win and whatever that takes at this point, I think we’re willing to do whatever.” 

The win keeps the Mets in position for a National League Wild Card spot, and gives them two consecutive wins after a tough weekend series against Texas.

“It’s nice to get things rolling back in the way that we want to and the way we know we’re capable of,” Holmes said. “But at the same time, we know there’s still a lot of work to be done. We gotta take it a game at a time, and each day is a new day, and bring what you have that day. 

“These last couple weeks, every day’s gotta be earned, and we know that.”

Manaea to keep fighting

Mendoza said he has noticed a difference in the left-hander, carrying over from his last start in Philadelphia, and that it was “good to see him out there and have that type of performance.”

“The aggressiveness, competing in the strike zone, his ability to elevate the fastball,” the manager said. “But I think there’s just conviction there with every pitch he makes. Expanding when he needs to, staying on the attack, there’s a lot to like there.”

The lefty entered the night with a 5.76 ERA and 1.240 WHIP over his first 50 innings of the year, surrendering 32 runs on 52 hits despite posting 64 strikeouts to 10 walks. 

Manaea pinpointed his performance on Tuesday, the lone blemish a solo home run, to good fastball execution with some good sliders “for the most part” and came out of his outing feeling good.

"We all believe in him and what he can do," Holmes said. "And he's gonna be a big part of what we do down the stretch tonight. It was huge tonight to see him go out there and pound the strike zone and get the results that we believe he can."

This was longer than the lefty managed to go in six of his 11 outings since his season began out of the bullpen the day before the All-Star break. And that had been the story for Manaea this year: Pitching pretty well through the early innings and then seemingly out of nowhere hitting a wall around the fourth.

“We saw a pretty effective guy out of the gate and then he just ran out of gas, but today, we saw a guy I feel like he got better as the game went,” Mendoza said. “Mechanics, him feeling a lot better physically, and now he’s getting results.”

“Backed myself into a corner and had to start punching my way out,” the lefty said of his rough year. “ And I’ve kinda taken that mindset. I think that was a continuation of that last start.”

The frustration had been easy to spot.

“I think Sean’s frustrated,” president of baseball operations David Stearnssaid before Tuesday’s game. “I think we’re frustrated that we haven’t been able to get him over the hump. There are reasons I think that we can pinpoint. His fastball is a very effective pitch, but we gotta get up in the zone a little bit more than perhaps he has been able to thus far this year. Probably slightly different pitch mix...

“We’re gonna need Sean over these next 12 games, we’re gonna need Sean into the playoffs, hopefully… We’ve seen flashes of a really good pitcher, and it’s our job to help get there a little bit more consistently.”

The pair of good outings won’t be enough to see the southpaw drop his hands. 

“Feels good, but I can’t let my guard down. I think that’s probably how I got in this situation in the first place,” he said. “Still got work to do, and it’s coming down to crunch time. Feel good, I’m just gonna keep doing that.”

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Pat Cummins will play ‘significant’ role in Ashes series, Andrew McDonald says

  • Australia’s injured captain may not be in all five Tests starting November

  • Konstas and Labuschagne score centuries in bid for selection

Australia’s injured captain Pat Cummins will play a “significant” part in the Ashes but may not feature in all five Tests, coach Andrew McDonald says.

McDonald concedes uncertainty remains around Cummins amid the skipper’s back injury. But he dismissed speculation Cummins could miss the highly anticipated Test series against England starting on 21 November in Perth.

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Yankees survive shaky bullpen to hold one for 10-9 win over Twins

The Yankees offense put up 10 runs on 16 hits, but had to hold on to a 10-9 win over the Twins on Tuesday night in Minnesota.

New York got out to a 10-1 lead, but starter Cam Schlittler and the low-leverage arms in the bullpen struggled to hold the Twins lineup down. 

Here are the takeaways....

-After mustering just two hits in Monday's series opener, the Yankees' offense woke up from its slumber in the first inning. Back-to-back singles from Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge got the Yankees going before Cody Bellinger followed a fly out from Ben Rice with a single to drive in Grisham. Giancarlo Stanton nearly missed a three-run shot, but his long fly ball allowed Judge to score on the sac fly. 

In the second, Austin Wells followed Anthony Volpe's double with a double of his own -- barely missing a homer. Grisham did not miss a homer, hitting a two-run shot over the right field wall in the next at-bat, to put the Yankees up 5-1. Stanton tacked on a run with a two-out single, scoring Judge.

Three more runs were scored in the third inning on three hits and two sac flies. Unfortunately, the Yankees would not score another run, and could not get insurance runs across when they had opportunities late.

-Schlittler did not give the Yankees a lockdown inning after they scored two in the first. After getting the first two outs, he walked two straight batters before Royce Lewis smoked a single off the glove of a diving Ryan McMahon. But Schlittler would settle down, retiring 11 straight batters at one point, but it fell apart for the youngster in the fifth. Schlittler allowed three runs on three walks and two hits, including a two-run shot to James Outman. 

Schlittler went just 4.2 innings (89 pitches/49 strikes), allowing four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out six batters.

-The bullpen wasn't much better. Ryan Yarbrough came in to start the sixth and was battered around for four runs but Mark Leiter Jr. settled down the Twins lineup, picking up five big outs, but almost gave up the tying run when Trevor Larnach launched a long fly ball that Judge caught at the wall. 

Devin Williams pitched a perfect eighth and David Bednar got the final three outs but allowed a solo shot to have the Yankees sweat this one out. 

Here's how the Yankees bullpen pitched:

  • Fernando Cruz: 0.1 IP 
  • Yarbrough: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 K
  • Leiter Jr.: 1.2 IP, 1 H
  • Williams: 1.0 IP, 2 K
  • Bednar: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K

-Volpe, starting in his first game in a week, was solid at the plate. He went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs, a walk and an RBI. He also made a nifty play in the field.

Game MVP: Mark Leiter Jr.

The middle reliever settled down the bullpen to get the game to Williams and Bednar

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees and Twins complete their series on Wednesday evening. First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m.

Luis Gil (4-1, 2.83 ERA) will take the mound and will go up against Taj Bradley (6-7, 4.88 ERA).

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Raleigh breaks Mantle's switch-hitter record, ties Griffey's Mariners record with 55th and 56th HRs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Cal Raleigh broke Mickey Mantle’s record for homers by a switch-hitter and tied the Mariners record set by Ken Griffey Jr. when the Seattle star hit his 55th and 56th of the season in consecutive at-bats against the Royals on Tuesday night.

Raleigh doubled in his first at-bat on a hot, humid night in Kansas City. He came up again in the third inning and, batting left-handed against Michael Wacha, fouled off a changeup and took a sinker for a ball before Raleigh sent a hanging curveball 419 feet over the right-field fence for his 55th home run of the season.

That broke the switch-hitter mark set by the Yankees star in 1961, which Raleigh had tied against the Angels on Sunday.

The All-Star catcher was back up in the fourth inning Tuesday night. This time, batting right-handed against left-hander Daniel Lynch IV, Raleigh sent the first pitch he saw 425 feet to straightaway center for his 56th homer.

Griffey set the Mariners record when he hit 56 homers during the 1997 season and matched the mark the following year.

After both of the home runs, Raleigh got a standing ovation from a small group of Mariners fans behind the visiting dugout at Kauffman Stadium. Many Royals fans, who had turned out to watch a club fading from playoff contention, also applauded the home runs. It was Raleigh’s 20th career multi-homer game and his 10th this season.

There have only been nine 60-homer seasons in the majors. Aaron Judge had the last when he hit 62 for the Yankees in 2022.

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Mets use five-run first inning to power past Padres, 8-3

The Mets scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back as they smacked four home runs in an 8-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night at Citi Field.

New York piggybacked Sean Manaea off Clay Holmes successfully combined to go all nine innings, allowing the three runs (all on solo home runs) on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

The Mets improved to 78-73 (47-29 at home). San Diego fell to 82-69 on the year.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Mets wasted no time jumping on Michael King in the bottom of the first:Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso all singled to center to load the bases. Brandon Nimmo poked a single the other way to plate a run, and San Diego pitching coach Ruben Niebla was out for a visit after 11 pitches. 

After Mark Vientos bounced into a 1-2-3 twin killing, Jeff McNeil came through with a two-run double that just stayed fair down the first base line, yanking a first pitch slider that floated over the plate, snapping an 0-for-11 skid. Brett Baty made it 5-0 when he clobbered a 3-1 fastball for a two-run home run to right. The 93 mph King heater on the inner-half went off the facade of the second deck, traveling 416 feet (108.2 mph off the bat) for Baty's 17th on the year.

- King’s bad day continued in the second: Lindor got a sinker up and over the plate and crushed it off the facade of the second deck in right for a solo homer (382 feet, 104 mph). It was his first dinger of the month, giving him 27 on the year and 78 batted in.  

With two down, Alonso got a sinker down and in and demolished it to the second deck in left field (430 feet, 113 mph). The slugger now has 35 homers and 118  RBI on the season.

- Cedric Mullins drilled a down-in-the-zone changeup into the Mets' bullpen (388 feet) for a leadoff shot in the fourth to end King’s night. Lefty Kyle Hart came in from the Padres ‘pen and struck out five of the first six batters he faced. After the Mullins homer, the Mets came up hitless against San Diego's relievers with only a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch over the next five frames.

-  Holmes needed 10 pitches for a 1-2-3 first, including a strikeout of Luis Arraez, who entered the night about the hardest guy to strikeout with just 20 in 627 plate appearances this season (3.19 percent). Pitching with a five-run lead, Holmes issued a leadoff walk before getting a 6-4-3 double play, with a very close call at first base going the Mets’ way. That proved big as a red-hot Jackson Merrill launched the very next pitch 431 feet to center for a solo shot.

Holmes had a six-run lead to work with in the third, but left a fatball over the plate to Jake Cronenworth, who clocked it for a 411-foot homer to just right of center. The righty threw a hanging sweeper to Manny Machado to start the fourth, but the slugger got under the ball for a flyout to left. Holmes allowed a two-out double to Ramon Laureano, but kept San Diego off the board, getting Merril swinging.  

That closed the book on Holmes: 4.0 innings, two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts on 52 pitches (34 strikes).

- With Holmes at 39 pitches and one out in the fourth inning, Manaea was seen getting loose in the bullpen. Before the game, manager Carlos Mendoza said the left-hander would get into the game regardless of how well Holmes was pitching.

And Manea got the call for the top of the fifth with the Mets ahead 8-2 and got lefty Ryan O’Hearn swinging to start a run of five straight retired before Machado looped a single the other way with two out in the sixth. The lefty then retired the next five, including getting two broken-bat comebackers in the seventh. The streak ended with one out in the eighth when Freddy Fermin drove a solo home run 327 feet to left, as a 1-0 sweeper stayed over the plate. 

Manaea surrendered a two-out double in the ninth, as he closed the door with five innings of one-run ball with four hits and four strikeouts on 71 pitches (52 strikes).

- The Mets had a scare in the bottom of the eighth inning when Francisco Alvarez was drilled by a 99 mph sinker on the left arm and had to exit the game. He was back in the dugout and on the field for the postgame celebration, however, sporting a big smile and an even bigger ice pack on the back of his arm.

- Lindor (as well as Soto and Edwin Diaz) wore No. 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente Day. And the shortstop wasn’t the only member of his family to star as his wife, Katia, played the national anthem on the violin.  

Game MVP: Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea

It was a group project, and everyone did their part with the starters combining well and the bats pounding out plenty of run support.

Highlights

What's next

The two sides are back in action on Wednesday night for a 7:10 p.m. first pitch.

Left-hander David Peterson (3.77 ERA, 1.324 WHIP with 148 strikeouts in 162.1 innings) takes the ball for his 29th start of the year. The visitors are sending out righty Nick Pivetta (2.73 ERA, 0.951 WHIP with 180 strikeouts in 171.1 innings) for his 30th start.

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Mets' Francisco Alvarez exits game vs. Padres after being hit by pitch

Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez exited Tuesday's series opener against the San Diego Padres after being hit by a pitch late in the game.

Alvarez came up with the Mets having an 8-3 lead in the eighth inning. With two outs, Alvarez took a 99.8 mph fastball to the left arm. It's unclear where exactly Alvarez was hit, but it was above the elbow, perhaps in the triceps area. The Mets backstop took a knee and held his arm in pain as manager Carlos Mendoza and the staff tended to Alvarez.

Alvarez walked to first base before being lifted for Hayden Senger.

Alvarez is already playing with a torn UCL and a fractured finger that has put him on the IL two separate times this season.

This story is still developing...

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Phillies erupt for 6-run inning, collect another series win over Dodgers

Phillies erupt for 6-run inning, collect another series win over Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LOS ANGELES – There certainly was a built-in excuse for the Phillies’ play against the Dodgers on Tuesday, a day after they clinched their second consecutive National League East title. After all, there were candles lit in the clubhouse before the game to try and help smother the smell of many celebratory beers and cigars.

If there were any lingering cobwebs from the previous night’s fun, no one around the Phillies was going to admit as much, and maybe being no-hit in the first five innings was just a coincidence. Or perhaps the better reasoning was that Shohei Ohtani was on the mound.

Excuses weren’t needed as the Phillies, again, came back from an early deficit and defeated the Dodgers, 9-6. Backup catcher Rafael Marchan blasted a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning for the thrilling win. The Phillies improved to 91-61, their first time being 30 games over .500 this season.

“He had good at-bats all night,” said manager Rob Thomson of Marchan. “He’s done a great job for us all year. He plays once every fifth day, once every sixth day and as prepared as he is not only behind the plate but offensively, too. He’s just done a fabulous job. Really has.”

When Ohtani was removed after his five innings, either the espresso that was so popular in the clubhouse before the game kicked in or this resilient bunch just showed their true colors of late as they erupted for six runs in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead.

“We thought that he was pretty good,” Thomson deadpanned about Ohtani. “Seeing the shapes of his pitches, just seeing it live, it should help a little bit (should there be a playoff meeting).”

The long ball hurt Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez early as the Dodgers plated three in the second inning on a solo home run by Alex Call and then a two-run shot by Kike Hernandez. They added another run in the fourth on singles by Tommy Edman and Andy Pages before a sacrifice fly by Hernandez.

Sanchez, whom manager Thomson said would be his Game 1 playoff starter, wasn’t at his sharpest but typical of everyone on the team lately, battled through.

“I feel great for him,” said Sanchez of Marchan. “He’s a tremendous catcher. The only thing is he’s backing up J.T. right now, but he’s a tremendous catcher. I’m just really happy that he’s showing out for the team.

“I felt good today. I was attacking the hitters and I was throwing strikes. The only bad thing about it was maybe they got me with a couple of pitches that I left in the zone, but I felt good overall and we got the win, which is the most important thing.”

Marchan broke the no-hit seal for the Phillies in the sixth and then the flood gates opened. Harrison Bader and Kyle Schwarber followed with singles to load the bases off Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski. Bryce Harper then doubled, scoring two, before Brandon Marsh obliterated a slider into the right-center seats for a 5-4 lead. Edgardo Henriquez replaced Wrobleski and gave up a home run to Max Kepler down the rightfield line as the Phillies batted around in the inning.

With a two-run lead and having already thrown 89 pitches, Thomson sent Sanchez out for the seventh inning in what could be his last normal workload before the playoffs. He easily shut down the Dodgers in that frame and finished his night with 102 pitches, 75 of them strikes and allowed seven hits, four earned runs and struck out six to improve to 14-5 on the year.

“He’s going to have one more start, maybe two,” said Thomson of Sanchez. “Our pen was a little bit light today, so we pushed him a little bit further than we normally do. In the sixth he was really good and he was 96, 97 in the seventh. The one thing early in the game, everything seemed to be leaking back to the middle of the plate on right-handed hitters and they had some pretty good swings. He grinded and he did a great job.”

Ohtani led off the eighth with a home run to right off David Robertson that completely left the stadium. Teoscar Hernandez chased Robertson after he doubled. Tanner Banks then gave up a walk to Freddie Freeman and a single to Tommy Edman to load the bases. Alex Call hit a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game.

In the ninth, Weston Wilson laced a two-out double to left off Blake Treinen. Bryson Stott was then intentionally walked before Marchan smashed a 3-1 pitch just over the short fence and into the Phillies bullpen for the deciding runs.

“We knew if we could keep the score close (against Ohtani) then we’d have a chance,” said Marchan. “I was excited. I’ll just try to enjoy it as much as I can, but the way that we are winning is more important. I know he was trying to be around the strike zone and I just wanted him to come to me and give me the best chance to put my best swing. I hit the ball well. I was ready for that.”

Jhoan Duran pitched the ninth and picked up his 31st save of the season.

The Phillies remain 1.5 games behind Milwaukee for the top seed in the National League as the Brewers beat the Angels Monday. Philadelphia also expanded their lead over the Dodgers to 6.5 for the second seed. The top two seeds receive byes in the postseason.

“They’ve been huge because they’ve been great games,” said Thomson of the two wins against the Dodgers. “Fell behind tonight 4-0 and it kind of looked like we were dead in the water. All of the sudden we have that big sixth inning, Marsh home run and Kepler home run and in the ninth it all started with two outs. Just a really good team win.”

The Phillies now own the tiebreaker against the Dodgers so would have home field advantage should the two meet in the playoffs.

“It’s huge,” Thomson said. “It doesn’t matter what team it is I think we play better at home than we do on the road and I think a lot of it has to do with our fan base and everybody is comfortable at home. Getting home field advantage is crucial.”

Not only are the wins happening often for the Phillies, they are also happening in extremely enjoyable ways for them.

“I was ready to run on the field like we were in the bottom of the ninth,” said Marsh of Marchan’s home run. “It was a whole lot of fun. Really good at-bat, weight off the back foot. It was a professional at-bat and we needed it. Big time.”

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Red Wings Players To Watch In 2025-26: Alex DeBrincat

The 2024-25 NHL season was the second in the Detroit Red Wings tenure of Farmington Hills, Mich. native Alex DeBrincat, whom the Red Wings acquired from the Ottawa Senators in 2023. 

His first season with the club began with a torrid scoring pace, as DeBrincat lit the lamp nine times in his first 10 games in a Detroit uniform. However, his scoring pace cooled off considerably, especially down the stretch.

He managed only two goals over 28 combined games in January and March, finishing the season with 27 tallies. Thankfully, his scoring rebounded significantly in his second campaign.

DeBrincat recorded 39 goals for the Red Wings in the 2024-25 season, his highest total since netting 41 with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021-22. He also contributed 31 assists for 70 points, marking his best overall output since that same season in Chicago.

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Like many of his teammates, DeBrincat acknowledged the positive impact that the coaching change in late December from Derek Lalonde to Todd McLellan made on the Red Wings, and he expects a full campaign of McLellan behind the bench to pay dividends in the long run. 

“I think it’s a big difference,” DeBrincat said after the Red Wings cleaned out their dressing room on April 19. “I’ve been through a couple coaching changes midseason, and I think when you’re able to get that full training camp, he gets to implement his systems, and we just get to have the message right from Day 1. It’s a big difference. I think it’ll be good for us to get that training camp with him under our belts, and obviously we’re comfortable with him now, we know what to expect, and there’s going to be no surprises come September.”

Along with his former Blackhawks teammate Patrick Kane, DeBrincat seemed to find a groove playing on the team's second forward line centered by rookie Marco Kasper, a line that will likely remain intact heading into the upcoming season. 

Red Wings Players To Watch In 2025-26: Marco Kasper Red Wings Players To Watch In 2025-26: Marco Kasper When Steve Yzerman returned to the Detroit Red Wings in April 2019 to take over the role of general manager, he didn’t have much to work with in terms of enticing prospects, but since then he has built one of the most highly regarded prospect pools in the NHL. 

For the Red Wings to bring Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time in the venue's existence next spring, they'll need DeBrincat to duplicate his performance of last season and remain a constant threat to appear on the scoresheet. 

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