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Yankees, on brink of elimination, have shown the mettle to bounce back in Game 2 of Wild Card series

Playoff life comes at you fast. Especially in the treacherous, best-of-three Wild Card round.

The MLB postseason has just started – they only recently hung the playoff bunting at Yankee Stadium, for crying out loud – and the Yankees are already facing elimination after losing to the Red Sox, 3-1, in Tuesday night’s opener. 

A season in which they tied for the best record in the American League – but lost out on a first-round bye because they did not hold a tiebreaker – is suddenly, perhaps cruelly, in peril. Boston, a club that has dominated the Yankees this season, can finish them off Wednesday night in Game 2. In the Bronx, no less.

The Yanks are tangling with a historic rival, one that beat them 9 of 13 during the regular season. And history. Recent history, anyway – in the previous three years of this current MLB playoff format, no team that lost the opener of a Wild Card round ended up winning the series.

We’ll see, of course, if these Yankees can buck that trend. And, even though they knew coming into this series how difficult it would be, they say they can do it.

“We are going to show up (Wednesday) and I expect us to do pretty well,” Aaron Boone said at his post-game press conference. Later, he added, “Look, we have been playing these types of games for a while now. We have been playing with a lot on the line seemingly every single day.

“So (Tuesday) was a great baseball game that we just couldn't get that final punch in. So we will be ready to go, and I expect us to come out and get one (Wednesday).”

Boone’s right about the quality of the contest. It was a taut game filled with brilliant pitching by Boston’s Garret Crochet and Yankee ace Max Fried. Anthony Volpe gave the Yanks an early 1-0 lead with a homer off Crochet. But the Yankee bullpen later surrendered that lead. The Yanks loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth inning against old buddy Aroldis Chapman, but Chapman, maybe baseball’s best reliever this year, escaped.

Before the game, Boone opined that the 2025 version of the Yankees might be the best he’s ever taken into the playoffs in his tenure as manager, which started in 2018 and has included an October trip every season but one. They won their final eight games of the regular season, were healthy, full of mutual trust and confidence. They also, he said, have “different ways to beat ya.”

Better pluck one from the pile Wednesday night. Maybe it’s Carlos Rodón, the lefty starter who’s taking the ball against Brayan Bello of the Red Sox. Rodón had a terrific season, but still makes some fans nervous with a big start looming. Maybe he needs to be great to save this Yankee season.

Rodón had some October moments during last year’s run to the World Series, but he was also so hyper during a playoff start against the Royals that it seemed to wobble him. Boone says Rodón has learned.

“He has done a really good job since he has been here of learning from some stumbles, learning from some good times,” Boone said. “Last year – I am hoping that serves him well and just really slowing things down, really controlling moments, because that’s an important thing to have.”

Perhaps we should offer these Yankees the benefit of the doubt. After all, they resurrected themselves later in this season, even after some of their own fans wrote them off as they fumbled their AL East lead and plunged into a morass of poor play. They pushed aside their problems with fundamentals and, while they obviously haven’t solved all their bullpen issues, added help there at the trade deadline.

Their superlative offense, which led baseball in runs per game, covered up some deficiencies, too. By August, the Yanks were on fire, started beating good teams and finished 34-14 over their final 48 games, best in MLB.

“We’ve been doing it all year,” said Aaron Judge. “There’s a lot of veterans in this clubhouse. We’ve been through some stuff. Been to the World Series, been through some tough moments. We’ll go out and play our game. We’ll be good.”

If they’re not, they’re cooked. Seems weird for it to get so real so quickly, considering there’s no October chill yet (it was 77 degrees at first pitch Tuesday). Heck, Game 1 wasn’t even played in October. But here we are.

From the brink, can the Yankees win Wednesday night and push the Red Sox close to the abyss, too? After Game 1, they sure said all the right things, noting that they had done some of the right things during the season.

Now they must do them again, just to survive another day.

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Should Ben Kindel Get The Nine-Game Trial? The Case For And Against

There are a lot of stories coming out of Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp this year. Many of them involve young players making an impression and pushing for the NHL roster.

And one of those young players has been the biggest surprise of the pre-season.

Penguins' forward prospect Ben Kindel has been a standout in camp this year, and his play has opened a lot of eyes. The 18-year-old center was selected 11th overall by the Penguins in the 2025 NHL Draft after registering 35 goals and 99 points in 65 WHL games with the Calgary Hitmen last season, and there were many unfamiliar with Kindel's game who assumed that he was a reach at his draft position.

But one look at Kindel's tape from last season goes to show that his performance in training camp up to this point should come as no surprise at all. 

Although he may be a hair undersized at 5-foot-10, 182 pounds, Kindel doesn't let that get in the way of what he's trying to do. His hockey IQ, vision, edgework, and playmaking ability have always been hallmarks of his game, and those skills are translating on the ice at the NHL level - that is, at least in the pre-season.

Kindel seems to be getting better with every game he plays, and along with each game has come better competition. He hasn't missed a beat, and it has led some to conclude that Kindel should be given the "nine-game trial."

In the NHL, a junior player can play in nine NHL games before their entry-level contract would kick in at Game No. 10. If a player stays in the NHL beyond nine games, a year of their contract is burned regardless of whether or not they get sent back to their junior team at any point that same season. 

Mailbox Monday: What Will The Penguins' Final Roster Look Like?Mailbox Monday: What Will The Penguins' Final Roster Look Like?Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp is beginning to draw to a close, and there is sure to be a lot of drama in the next several days. 

So the Penguins have some decisions to make regarding Kindel, especially if he continues to build on every performance. He is slated to appear in the Penguins' sixth pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday, and he is the only player on the camp roster who has participated in four games up to this point. 

Should the Penguins give Kindel a nine-game trial, or should they just send him back to Calgary for another season of development instead? Here is the case for and against the nine games.

The case for

Quite simply, Kindel has earned it.

Yes, there have been other young forwards in the pre-season up to this point who have proven themselves worthy of the NHL roster conversation, and many of them are suiting up Wednesday as well. This includes Tristan Broz, Avery Hayes, Filip Hallander, and Ville Koivunen. 

Cases can be made for each of these players to make the NHL roster. They're all older, more established, and less raw than Kindel, and they've earned more looks up to this point.

But Kindel has been the standout for the past two games. He only has one goal in four games, but this is a situation where the stat sheet doesn't tell the entire story. Kindel was one of the best players on the ice against the Columbus Blue Jackets during Marc-Andre Fleury's final game as a Penguin, and he was the best player on the ice in a tight-checking, well-played 2-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday.

Penguins Oust Blue Jackets On 'Fleury Night' In PittsburghPenguins Oust Blue Jackets On 'Fleury Night' In PittsburghWhat a game, what a night, and what a player.

Many have argued, "Why burn a year of his entry-level contract on a terrible Penguins' team? Let him dominate the WHL next season."

While this is understandable to an extent, it's also, arguably, a bit nonsensical.

Kindel is not a step behind. His reads are up to speed. He's keeping up with the speed of the game in general, and he doesn't look out of place in the slightest.

If a player is showing that he is NHL-ready - at least, for now, in this short sample - what is the hurt in giving him a nine-game trial to prove it's not a fluke?

If a player is NHL-ready, what exactly is the holdup? Why hold a player back when he proves he can rise above the occasion? Is dominating a level he has likely outgrown best for his development, or is putting him in a league of players who will challenge him better?

The easy road would be to send him back to Calgary. But there is logic in giving him nine games to prove he belongs. If he does, he'll be an important player for the Penguins this season. If he does not, he'll be sent back to juniors like nothing happened. There's not really much risk involved.

The case against

Even if the argument can be made that Kindel is NHL-ready, there are simply too many other factors that make giving Kindel the nine-game trial a bit too complicated. 

For one, those other players are deserving, too. Koivunen is likely to make the roster, anyway.  Broz and Hayes have been every bit as good as Kindel for most of camp. And Hallander has not only had a pretty good camp, his experience and all-around game as a two-way center give him a bit of a leg-up on others. 

In a perfect world, all of these players and Kindel crack the roster. But, that's simply not realistic. There are too many other players - veterans and carryovers from last season alike - in the mix in addition to the prospects already. And several of them - such as Robby Fabbri, Connor Dewar, and Philip Tomasino - have turned in strong camps as well. 

Penguins' Mid-Camp Prospect Tiers: Who Is Most Likely To Make NHL Roster?Penguins' Mid-Camp Prospect Tiers: Who Is Most Likely To Make NHL Roster?We're officially 10 days into Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp, and if one thing is for certain, there has been a ton of competition. 

This makes it unlikely that Kindel would be able to stick, anyway. So why bring him into the fold in the first place?

The other part of this concerns the Penguins' goals for this season. It's anyone's guess what the roster is going to look like on Oct. 7, and Dubas said that the "young guys are coming." It will be interesting to see just how many young guys make the roster over veterans. 

But there is a world - and not one that seems far-fetched at all - where having all that youth on the roster makes the Penguins better than expected this season. Depending on organizational goals, is that the best thing for 2025-26?

Having Kindel on the roster would give a boost to the lineup, and, maybe, the Penguins don't want to get too carried away with winning a ton of hockey games this season. Then again, maybe they do. A team is never going to try to lose on purpose, of course. But GMs have the power to make losing more or less likely.

Keeping Kindel would make that less likely. So it's certainly something to think about.

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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Yankees captain Aaron Judge provides context on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s postgame comments

Aaron Judge had not yet seen the video of Jazz Chisholm Jr. or read his quotes. But he is the captain of the Yankees, the video was already blazing a path around the digital universe, and I wanted Judge’s thoughts so that I could finalize mine.

He knows better than any of us how a development plays in the clubhouse. His opinion and context are far more valuable here than mine.

Like Aaron Boone’s decision to remove Max Fried in the Yankees’ 3-1 loss to Boston in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series (totally defensible; we’ll get to that later), Chisholm’s cameo seemed sure to be a major talking point for the next day.

“I haven’t seen it,” Judge said, politely and truthfully.

Here was the briefing: Chisholm did not start because Boone used a right-heavy lineup against Boston’s left-handed ace, Garrett Crochet. Amed Rosario started at second. Chisholm replaced him on defense in the eighth.

After the game, as reporters waited in the middle of the clubhouse for Fried to speak, Chisholm walked to his locker. Reporters and camera operators followed.

Asked if he was surprised that he wasn’t starting, Chisholm turned his back to the group, fiddled with the plastic hangers in the locker and said, “I mean, I guess, yeah.”

Another reporter followed up by asking if he and Boone had a conversation about it.

“It’s a little conversation, not much,” Chisholm said. “But yeah. You just move forward after it.”

Chisholm is a nice guy. His tone remained mild. But his body language and words were not a good fit for the internet and its desire for controversy. He should have known better than to risk a stir with his team already facing elimination (that’s my take, not Judge’s).

Whatever the nuances, it seemed that, between the Jazz interview and the Fried decision, the Yankees were about to get roasted for their drama.

Standing at his locker after his postgame scrum, Judge considered all this.

Speaking of the Chisholm situation, he said, “It will cause some drama on the outside, but in here we’ll definitely be good. Inside this clubhouse, we’re all good. We’re pulling for each other. We’ll be good. There’s always a storm on the outside -- but we can’t work that way.”

Judge suggested that he would handle the situation internally, but did not make it sound as if it would be a major crisis or cleanup.

The weird part about Chisholm’s postgame performance was that I’d spoken to a Yankees person (not Boone) before the game and asked how Jazz had taken the news. That person said that Boone had communicated effectively, and that Chisholm had taken it well and was in a good place.

After the game, a few other Yankee people said that Chisholm was not acting angry behind the scenes. Perhaps he was embarrassed and didn’t want to talk about the manager’s decision, those people speculated. Chisholm remains a popular teammate. This did not feel like a five-alarm fire.

Before any of this happened, it seemed that tomorrow's discourse would involve Boone’s Fried decision. That one was actually fairly straightforward: according not only to Boone but to scouts watching the game (one in person, one on television), Fried looked tired in the sixth inning.

In that frame, he induced a groundout, issued a walk and got out of it with a ground ball double play. His velocity was fine, but when a pitcher begins to tire, it’s not the velocity that goes -- it’s the command.

“I felt like his command was not as good those final few [innings],” Boone said. “He was making so many big pitches and his stuff was good. Look, he gave us what we needed and felt really good about the outing he put forth. But I felt pretty convicted, especially when we got the double play. Let's go get one more hitter and be good.”

In the dugout after the inning, Boone asked Fried if he could get that one more hitter, lefty Jarren Duran. Fried said yes. He did not say, “Let me get the next few guys, too.” He is a grown-up, and self-aware. He was just about done.

"I definitely exerted a lot of energy trying to get out of that, but I definitely had enough in the tank for whatever the team needed,” Fried said.

An observation about Fried, earned from covering the team this season: As a first-year New Yorker, he is excessively careful with his public comments. He is always trying to walk a line that avoids any whiff of controversy.

He is still learning how to execute that strategy. If it sounded like he was criticizing Boone’s decision -- well, I’m almost certain that he wasn’t. He was just trying to get out of there without creating a headline one way or the other.

Chisholm, at least, took care of that for him.

On to tomorrow.

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A Tough Night On Power Play Costs Blackhawks Preseason Game 4

CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks made their return to the United Center on Tuesday for the fourth preseason game. Their first three all came on the road, and now they will close out the exhibition season with some home cooking. 

The Detroit Red Wings were the first team to visit, and they dressed a lineup that included some of their regular-season players in addition to some roster hopefuls. 

The Blackhawks dressed a group that will mostly make up their group on opening night against the Florida Panthers in Sunrise. There are a few positional battles to sort out, which were a part of Tuesday's evaluation, but most of their lines from this game will be how things look next week. 

It wasn't necessarily due to terrible overall play, but some bad mistakes led to the Blackhawks being down 3-0 after two periods. Whether it was them pressing too hard offensively or not being strong on the puck after failing to score on a power play, they weren't good enough.

Early in the third period, however, the Blackhawks finally got on the board. Colton Dach drove the net all on his own and put one away. 

That would be all they were able to muster up, as the 3-1 score stood up as the final. Shots on goal favored the Blackhawks, 28-19. 

Part of the issue for Chicago in this one was the power play. The Blackhawks went 0/6, despite having double-digit chances with the man advantage. Even one goal in that situation could have turned the tide of the whole game. They got their looks, and now it's just about executing. 

Spencer Knight, who played the whole game, gave up three goals on 19 Detroit shots. It wasn't his best performance, but all three goals had more problems with skaters in front of him making errors that are hard to recover from.

Although goalies making tough saves can be the difference in winning and losing, none of these three goals against can be viewed as his fault alone. 

Dach's goal showed that he will bring some offense in addition to the physicality that he has brought in other preseason games so far. Other Blackhawks players had their chances, but they weren't able to bury on Cam Talbot, who had a great game in his own right. 

There are two more preseason games to go for Chicago. The Minnesota Wild will be at the United Center on Friday night, followed by the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. Both of those games, in addition to the film that came from this one, will provide clarity on the roster that will eventually exist come Tuesday. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Senators Clobbered 5-0 By Montreal In Quebec City 'Home' Game

NHL preseason games are rarely memorable anyway, but the Ottawa Senators’ matchup Tuesday night in Quebec City against the Montreal Canadiens is one they’ll want to forget as quickly as possible. The Senators were dominated on the scoreboard and in the alley, falling 5–0 to the Habs, who got a whopping 10 power play chances on the night.

In a week when Ottawa had hoped to win over hockey fans in Quebec City, it ended with the pro-Canadiens crowd singing “Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye” in the final minutes.

It wasn’t a great outing for backup goalie Leevi Meriläinen, who played the entire game and surrendered five goals on 23 shots. Brendan Gallagher helped set up three of the five goals.

Quebec City hockey fans were treated to two of the easiest shutouts this week that you’ll ever see. In Sunday’s game, Linus Ullmark stopped 14 shots in Ottawa's 2–0 win over the Devils, and on Tuesday, Jakub Dobeš needed only 16 saves for Montreal to blank the Senators.

The night was also filled with fights, which all went Montreal’s way. Jan Jenik got into two of them and left with a bloody nose that looked like it might be broken. That was part of a bizarre second period sequence that somehow left the Sens having to try and kill of a 5 on 3 power play. 

The Sens had over 100 penalty minutes in this game, and the Habs made them pay for their sins, going 3 for 10 on the power play. It doesn't seem to matter if it's preseason or regular season, Sens-Habs games always seem to boil over. They'll be destination viewing again this season. 

The Senators were technically the home team, but the atmosphere felt like a game at the Bell Centre. This neutral-site series in Quebec City was intended to help Ottawa grow its fan base in the region, but former Nordiques fans in Quebec City have either long since converted to being Montreal supporters or were drowned out by Habs fans who bought up the tickets and made the trip up the highway. 

The Senators slip to 2-2 in preseason and will be in St. Louis for their next game on Thursday night.

More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:
Broadcast Frustrations Resurface For Senators Fans
Ullmark Sharp In Senators Victory, Embraces The Struggle
Stephen Halliday's NHL Stock Continues to Rise
Former Senator Josh Norris Embraces New Opportunity To Prove Himself
Will This Be Shane Pinto's Breakout Year With The Senators?
Batherson Joins Ottawa Senators List Of Preseason Injury Concerns

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Penguins To Honor 'Big Three' With 20-Year Celebration

When Pittsburgh Penguins' center Evgeni Malkin made his NHL debut on Oct. 18, 2006, it was impossible to predict that - two decades later - one of the rarest stories in professional sports would still be ongoing. 

But, 20 years later, the beat goes on for Malkin and the "Big Three" in Pittsburgh - and now, they're being celebrated. 

In their home opener against the New York Islanders on Oct. 9, the Penguins will celebrate 20 years of Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang all playing together for the same franchise. Since the day Malkin entered the league - he was the last of the three to make his debut - Crosby, Malkin, and Letang have combined to play in 3,726 NHL games and combined for 3,703 points - which is the highest point total for a trio of single-team teammates in NHL history.

The Penguins will celebrate the longest-tenured trio in North American professional sports history with a pre-game ceremony, and they will also offer various food, ticket, and prizes packages throughout the game and some throughout the season starting Oct. 9.

Malkin, Crosby, and Letang have expiring contracts in consecutive seasons, beginning with Malkin's at the end of the 2025-26 season and Letang's at the end of the 2027-28 season. Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas said that the organization will revisit Malkin's contract situation during the 2026 Olympic break to gauge whether or not he plans to retire at the end of the season.

Mailbox Monday: What Will The Penguins' Final Roster Look Like?Mailbox Monday: What Will The Penguins' Final Roster Look Like?Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp is beginning to draw to a close, and there is sure to be a lot of drama in the next several days. 

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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Red Sox at Yankees Wild Card Game 2 prediction: Odds, expert picks, pitching matchup, betting trends, stats

Bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning down by two runs.

That was the scenario in Game 1 for the Yankees as Boston's Aroldis Chapman prepared to face Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Trent Grisham.

Stanton struck out.

Chisholm Jr. flied out to right.

Grisham struck out.

Ballgame. Boston takes Game 1 of this Wild Card series.

As exciting as the bottom of the ninth was, the story was Garrett Crochet. Acquired in the offseason from the White Sox to fill the void at the top of their rotation, the 26-year-old lefthander delivered. Crochet dominated throwing a career-high 117 pitches over 7.2 innings allowing just four hits including an Anthony Volpe solo blast in the second inning. Along the way, Crochet struck out 11.

Max Fried started for the Yankees and was nearly as good if not slightly better allowing four hits and striking out six over 6.1 shutout innings. The difference was Max was deemed to be fried after throwing 102 pitches. Max left the mound and Luke Weaver promptly allowed hits to the only two batters he faced, and a 1-0 lead turned into a 2-1 deficit.

The Yankees now turn to Carlos Rodon Wednesday hoping to avoid elimination from the postseason. The Red Sox are handing the rock to Brayan Bello.

Lets dive into the matchup and perhaps find a few sweats along the way.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Red Sox at Yankees - Game 2

  • Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
  • Time: 6:08PM EST
  • Site: Yankee Stadium
  • City: Bronx, NY
  • Network/Streaming: ESPN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Red Sox at the Yankees - Game 2

The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:

  • Moneyline: Boston Red Sox (+138), New York Yankees (-169)
  • Spread:  Yankees -1.5 (+131)
  • Total: 7.5 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Red Sox at Yankees - Game 2

  • Pitching matchup for October 1, 2025: Brayan Bello vs. Carlos Rodon
    • Red Sox:Brayan Bello (11-9, 3.35 ERA)
      Bello has allowed 15 earned runs in just 25 innings in September (5.40 ERA)
    • Yankees:Carlos Rodon (18-9, 3.09 ERA)
      Rodon has struck out 5 or more in three of his last four starts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Red Sox at Yankees

  • After closing the regular season with 2 hits in his final 14 ABs (.143), Anthony Volpe opened the playoffs with 2 hits in 3 ABs
  • With his 2 hits Tuesday night, Alex Bregman now has 90 hits in 100 career playoff games
  • Aaron Judge picked up a couple of hits in 4 ABs to give him 47 hits in 224 (.210) postseason ABs
  • Luke Weaver had not allowed a run in his previous six appearances

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for Game 2 between the Red Sox and the Yankees

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday’s game between the Red Sox and the Yankees:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Yankees -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.5.

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
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Aaron Boone explains pulling Max Fried in Yankees' Game 1 loss to Red Sox: ‘He gave us what we needed’

Max Fried was spectacular in his Yankees postseason debut on Tuesday night. 

He worked his way through three efficient frames to open the game, holding the rival Red Sox to just two hits, but then was faced with trouble in each of the next few innings. 

The ace left-hander worked around two-on-and-two-out jams in both the top of the fourth and the fifth, getting Jaren Duran to strikeout swinging and then Yankee killer Alex Bregman to groundout to third, respectively. 

He began to labor again after issuing a one-out walk in the sixth, but was able to get the speedy Nate Eaton to ground into a hard-hit inning-ending double to dance through the frame. 

Fried admitted that he exerted a lot of energy trying to work out of those jams, but he felt he had enough left in the tank for whatever the team needed. 

Aaron Boone decided that was just the leadoff man, Duran, whom he got to roll over for the first out of the top of the seventh, before turning things over to the bullpen. 

It didn’t take long for that decision to immediately backfire on the Yanks. 

Luke Weaver entered and immediately allowed the next three batters to reach, with the big blow being a pinch-hit go-ahead two-run single from Masataka Yoshida. 

Boston added another run against David Bednar later in the game, but that inning would go down as the difference in the Wild Card series-opening loss. 

Despite things not working out, Boone stood by the decision to pull Fried with 102 pitches. 

“He gave us what we needed,” the skipper said. “They pressured him pretty good in the fourth, fifth, sixth. Had a couple of baserunners in each inning. Felt like he kind of cruised through the first few and ends up pitching great, but had to work pretty hard there.

“I was going to have the sixth be the end -- after we finished with the double play, I wanted him to go out and get Duran and felt like we were lined up pretty well from there.”

New York will look to stay alive Wednesday with Carlos Rodon on the mound.

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McAllister, Entwistle score in Orlando, Panthers come up short against Lightning

The Florida Panthers played what could end up being one of their last neutral site preseason games on Tuesday night.

Florida faced off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Kia Center in Downtown Orlando, something that has become a regular occurrence of late, but a game that could be in jeopardy due to the NHL shrinking preseason schedules starting next season.

It was Tampa who got on the board first, with Oliver Bjorkstrand taking advantage of the extra space allowed during a 5-on-3 power play and beating Brandon Bussi to give the Bolts a 1-0 lead midway through the opening frame.

MacKenzie Entwistle tied the game for Florida less than five minutes later, centering a pass toward Wilmer Skoog in the slot that went off a Tampa defenseman and past goaltender Jonas Johansson.

Two quick goals by Tampa about midway through the game gave the hosts (it was a Lightning home game in Orlando) a two-goal lead heading into the third period.

Ryan McAllister, one of Florida’s top young AHL prospects, scored his first goal of the preseason just 2:30 into the final frame to bring the Cats within one.

It was what you might call a goal scorers’ goal as McAllister was quick to one-time a nifty pass by Skoog through Johansson from a sharp angle inside the right faceoff circle.

That would be as close as the Cats would get, unfortunately.

Johansson stopped five of Florida’s six third period shots on goal, securing the narrow victory for the Bolts.

Neither team dressed any of their ‘big guns’ but that is expected to change in the coming days.

Florida and Tampa will battle two more times, Thursday in Tampa and Saturday in Sunrise, to wrap up their respective preseason schedules.

Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice has said previously that he plans to play many of his NHL regulars in the two tune-up games.

Florida will host the Chicago Blackhawks for Opening Night in exactly one week, on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

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Photo caption: Sep 24, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers right wing MacKenzie Entwistle (44) gets ready for the face off against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

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Yankees bullpen falters again in playoff-opening loss to the Red Sox

NEW YORK (AP) — The bullpen that has been one of the New York Yankees’ biggest weaknesses this season faltered again in their playoff opener and has them on the brink of being eliminated by the rival Boston Red Sox.

After Max Fried worked six scoreless innings in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, manager Aaron Boone let him take the mound in the seventh. But Boone removed Fried after he retired the first batter in favor of Luke Weaver, who walked the first batter he faced and allowed a double and Masataka Yoshida’s two-run single.

David Bednar gave up back-to-back hits in the ninth to give Boston some breathing room, and Boone’s in-game pitching decisions were under the microscope yet again in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss.

There were plenty of pregame decisions questioned, too, with left-handed hitters Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ryan McMahon not in the lineup against Boston starter Garrett Crochet, who got 23 outs before fellow lefty Aroldis Chapman recorded the final four to close it out. Crochet retired 17 consecutive batters after allowing Anthony Volpe’s solo home run.

But after turning to Nestor Cortes in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers last year — with Freddie Freeman hitting a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 on Cortes’ first pitch — and making other calls to the bullpen that didn’t work out, Boone put himself in position to be second-guessed again.

Fried cruised through his first postseason start in pinstripes, allowing four hits and walking three batters. He threw 63 of his 102 pitches for strikes and got a standing ovation as he departed.

Post-injury Weaver showed up. The righty had a 1.05 ERA in his first 24 appearances went on the injured list in June with a strained left hamstring and had a 5.31 over his final 40 games.

That’s emblematic of the Yankees’ season, when their bullpen ERA of 4.37 ranked 23rd out of 30 teams.

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History Of Expansion Draft Losses: The Sens That Got Away

Things are going pretty well these days for former Ottawa Senators goalie Joey Daccord. For one, he's starting his new set-for-life contract, a five-year deal worth $25 million to tend goal for the Seattle Kraken.

Secondly, his old school announced this week it plans to honour Daccord by retiring his number 35 jersey. Daccord's number will rise to the rafters at Arizona State University in the Sun Devils' season opener when they face Gavin McKenna and Penn State on October 3rd.

Daccord will become the first ASU player to ever have his number retired, and he's also the first to be drafted, sign, and play with an NHL team. The Sens selected him in the seventh round back in 2015.

But he's long gone from the Sens organization because they left him unprotected in the 2021 Seattle Expansion Draft. Teams could only protect one goalie, and the Sens went with Filip Gustavsson, while leaving Daccord, Anton Forsberg, Marcus Hogberg, and Matt Murray unprotected.

It got me thinking about players the Senators have historically lost in the expansion drafts of the past.

Here's the full list:

2021: G Joey Daccord (Seattle Kraken)

2017: D Marc Methot (Vegas Golden Knights)

2000: F Kevin Dineen (Columbus Blue Jackets)

2000: F Joe Juneau (Minnesota Wild)

1999: F Phil Crowe (Atlanta Thrashers)

1998: F Denny Lambert (Nashville Predators)

1993: D Mark Ferner (Anaheim Ducks)

1993: F Marc LaBelle (Florida Panthers)

Because the pre-Vegas expansion draft rules allowed existing teams to protect many more talented players on their rosters than we saw in the past, there's a huge drop-off in calibre before 2017. So any discussion about the greatest player Ottawa ever lost in an expansion draft is a two-horse race between Methot and Daccord. 

We'll give the edge to Methot right now, because his loss was the biggest to the team, simply because the Sens spent a lot of years trying to find another right-shot defenseman like him. But Meth is now long retired, and Daccord has a lot of race track still ahead, so we may have to revisit this in a few years.

In the meantime, we'll always have a soft spot for Daccord, especially after his emotional interview following his first NHL win, a few months before he headed for Seattle.

After unexpected start, Joey Daccord candidly details ‘special’ first NHL win After unexpected start, Joey Daccord candidly details ‘special’ first NHL winundefined

More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:
Broadcast Frustrations Resurface For Senators Fans
Ullmark Sharp In Senators Victory, Embraces The Struggle
Stephen Halliday's NHL Stock Continues to Rise
Former Senator Josh Norris Embraces New Opportunity To Prove Himself
Will This Be Shane Pinto's Breakout Year With The Senators?
Batherson Joins Ottawa Senators List Of Preseason Injury Concerns

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Yankees' bullpen coughs up lead, spoil Max Fried's gem in Game 1 loss to Red Sox

Max Fried delivered the kind of high-level start that befits a $218-million ace and departed Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series with his Yankees ahead of the Red Sox. But the Yankee bullpen -- one of their potential postseason danger zones -- blew the lead. 

Now, the Yanks face elimination in their own ballpark. 

Boston beat the Yankees, 3-1, Tuesday night in the opener of this best-of-three affair, which means the Sox can advance by beating the Yanks again in Game 2 Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. 

Luke Weaver came in with one out and nobody on in the seventh and did not have it. He gave up two runs, squandering a 1-0 lead. That meant the Yanks had to try to rally against Boston ace Garrett Crochet, who was amazing. 

Here are the takeaways...

- The Yankees ranked 23rd in MLB in relief ERA during the regular season, despite some talented arms, trade-deadline additions and role shifts. No wonder it was a source of such consternation through the summer. Yankee manager Aaron Boone doubtless will be second-guessed for taking out Fried for a reliever when he did, even if Fried had thrown 102 pitches. Fried only exceeded that number eight times during the regular season, when his high was 111. David Bednar gave up a Boston insurance run on an RBI double by Alex Bregman in the ninth.

- In the bottom of the ninth, Aaron Judge, whose postseason numbers are well-documented, came up with a runner on first and no one out and Boston closer Aroldis Chapman on the mound. Judge singled up the middle, his second hit of the game, to put the tying run on base. Cody Bellinger followed with a single to load the bases and put the potential tying run in scoring position. But Chapman struck out Giancarlo Stanton, got Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a flyout to right field and fanned Trent Grisham to seal the win.

- Volpe’s second-inning homer was an opposite-field shot to right that traveled 382 feet and gave the Yanks a 1-0 lead. Volpe turned around a Crochet fastball clocked at 97 miles per hour for his second career Postseason home run. The first was his grand slam in Game 4 of last year’s World Series against the Dodgers. 

- The Yanks held a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning, but after Fried came out, Weaver gave up the advantage. With one out, he walked No. 8 hitter Ceddane Rafaela in an 11-pitch battle. The next hitter, Nick Sogard, doubled to put runners on second and third. Red Sox manager Alex Cora then sent up pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida so he could have a lefty hitter face Weaver. Yoshida swatted a two-run single into center to put Boston ahead, 2-1. Fernando Cruz relieved Weaver and got two outs sandwiched around a walk, limiting the damage. 

- Fried, who had a blazing finish to his regular season, was terrific, throwing 6.1 scoreless innings and leaving to a huge ovation once he had gotten the first out of the seventh. Fried allowed four hits while striking out six and walking three. He threw 102 pitches, 63 of them for strikes. Fried, who was making his 21st career postseason appearance (13th start), trimmed his playoff ERA from 5.10 to 4.66 with the gem. While his final line was spotless, run-wise, he did encounter some trouble. To his credit, he wriggled out of it each time, though.

- In back-to-back innings midway through the game, Fried wobbled but did not allow a run. With two out in the fourth, he walked Carlos Narváez on a 3-2 pitch after narrowly missing striking him out and then gave up a bloop double to right to Nate Eaton. Amidst the threat, Fried fell behind the next hitter, Jarren Duran, 3-0, but rebounded to strike him out with a breaking ball. When he came off the mound afterward, the normally stoic Fried slapped his glove in celebration of getting a big out. Still, it took effort to get through the danger – Fried threw 24 pitches in the fourth inning alone, running his pitch count up to 61. In the fifth, he again walked a hitter on a 3-2 pitch with two out -- this time it was Rob Refsnyder -- and then gave up a single to Trevor Story. But Fried retired Alex Bregman on a grounder.

- Fried threw seven different pitches during his outing, according to Baseball Savant, and generated 19 swings-and-misses overall. The Red Sox swung at his curveball 10 times and missed eight times. He threw a particularly gorgeous one to strike out Story to end the third inning with a runner on second. 

- The Yankees had an early opportunity when Paul Goldschmidt and Judge clocked consecutive singles to start the first inning. But Crochet dealt with it quickly. First, the Boston lefty got Bellinger to swing-and-miss at 98.7-mph heat for strike three. Then he got Stanton to hit into an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play. 

Game MVP: Garrett Crochet

Crochet, who allowed four hits and one run across 7.2 terrific innings. He struck out 11 and walked none. After allowing a solo homer to Anthony Volpe in the second inning, Crochet retired 17 straight hitters until he gave up a single to Volpe in the eighth. Crochet fanned the last batter he faced, Austin Wells, catching him looking at a fastball clocked at 100.2 miles per hour. Crochet threw 117 pitches, 78 for strikes.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees and Red Sox meet again for Game 2 of the Wild Card series on Wednesday evening as New York looks to stave off elimination. First pitch is set for 6:08 p.m.

Carlos Rodon will take the mound against Brayan Bello.