If the Brewers take Game 4, it will not only be the first title in their history, but also the first World Series sweep since 2012, when the Giants swept the Tigers.
I’d like to see the Rays win tonight if for no other reasons than this: More baseball is always good, and we don’t know when MLB players will next take the field after this World Series due to the looming owners’ lockout.
7 p.m. CT: Brewers at Rays (Brewers lead series 3-1)
TV: Fox-TV, Fox One (streaming). Announcers: Joe Davis, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 26: Chandler Simpson #14 of the Tampa Bay Rays makes a catch at the warning track during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field on October 26, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have Game 4 of the World Series this evening, and with the Brewers holding a commanding 3-0 lead, its very possible this is the last major league baseball game we will have in 2026.
Baseball's first World Series was played in 1903 with the Boston Americans defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates that October.
The New York Yankees have won more championships – 27 – than any other team in history. Entering 2026, 25 of Major League Baseball's current 30 franchises have won a championships with the Milwaukee Brewers-Tampa Bay Rays series set to crown a first-time winner.
Here's a look back at all of MLB's World Series champions
And when their power play fails, like it did on Tuesday night against the Buffalo Sabres, it’s a 2-0 loss.
Here are three takeaways from tonight:
Life Apart for WillMack?
For Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, there’s life apart from each other. WillMack were split up for the first time this season, aside from the two games that Celebrini was hurt earlier this year.
Celebrini, put in perhaps more of a primary shooting role because of his more pass-first linemates Collin Graf and Ivar Stenberg, registered three 5-on-5 shots. He had just one in his last two games combined and zero against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, with both contests coming on the heels of Igor Chernyshov’s injury.
That’s not normal for the usually shot-happy Celebrini, who hasn’t been held to zero 5-on-5 shots in consecutive games since his rookie campaign in February 2025.
So it’s good to see him shoot more. Celebrini also fed Graf in the blue paint for what looked like an open-net goal, but Graf couldn’t quite elevate the shot about Colten Ellis’s left pad.
Meanwhile, Smith didn’t play as much — his 16:20 time on ice was on the lower side — but he was part of one of the Sharks’ more dangerous 5-on-5 sequences tonight. Smith picked up a Mason Marchment pass that was behind him in the slot, calmly turned around instead of forcing a weak shot toward the net and passed it back to Michael Misa. Misa and Michael Kesselring pounded the net in tight for three shot attempts, with a couple of them blocked.
Smith benefiting from less attention away from the Celebrini line and being the offensive engine of a more sheltered line isn’t a bad thing for a Sharks squad that sorely needs an offensive lift from anywhere.
And Warsofsky can reunite Celebrini and Smith late in the game, whenever he needs more of an offensive push.
Oct. 19 at the Toronto Maple Leafs (.935 save percentage) and Oct. 22 at the Ottawa Senators (.953), Askarov’s last two games, marked the first time since last calendar year — Dec. 16 and 20 (.900 versus the Calgary Flames and .903 versus the Seattle Kraken) — that Askarov had a .900 save percentage or better in consecutive games.
The last time that Askarov had three straight games with a .900 or better save percentage? You’ll have to go back to his November hot streak last year, when he went 8-2-0 with a .947 mark. From November 1-23, for eight consecutive consecutive contests, Askarov peeled off a .900 or better save percentage.
That will be tough for Askarov to match, but the Sharks will take it.
Punchless Without the Power Play?
The Sharks entered tonight 30th in the NHL with 1.69 5-on-5 Goals per 60. In contrast, their power play was sixth in the league, but it went 0-for-3.
They’re now 31st in the NHL in 5-on-5 scoring — their 1.55 Goals per 60 only above the Philadelphia Flyers’ 1.36.
Of greater concern, San Jose isn’t generating enough chances, but they also are giving up too many. Per Natural Stat Trick, Buffalo out-chanced them 15-10 at 5-on-5 High-Danger.
The Sharks did pick it up after a first period where they were bullied net-front, another area of concern heading into tonight. But overall, they did not play a game that was deserving of a win.
Trouba Takes the “A”
With Alex Wennberg out with a week-to-week upper-body injury, the Sharks needed a new alternate captain.
Jacob Trouba, who captained the New York Rangers from 2022 to 2025, was a natural choice to take Wennberg’s spot.
Good Call?
Last time in this space, I complained about the Sharks overusing their playoff introduction. That’s the slow descent of the Shark Head, accompanied by the clanging of Hans Zimmer’s “Do You Think I’m Saxon?”. It’s truly one of the classic intros in hockey.
The Sharks used it on opening night (that’s special), the next home against the Los Angeles Kings (still opening weekend, I guess?), and after a couple games on the road, a week later against the Edmonton Oilers.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 26: Brandon Woodruff #53 and Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in Game Three of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One at Tropicana Field on Monday, October 26, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Can the Brewers clinch it tonight?
Can the Rays extend the series, and the MLB season, yet another day?
New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, left, and catcher Jorge Posada react after Tampa Bay Rays' B.J. Upton hit a two-run double during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010, in New York.
A former Yankee opened up after Jorge Posada revealed he no longer feels welcome by the organization he helped lead to four World Series titles.
Former hard-throwing reliever Joba Chamberlain took to social media Tuesday afternoon to indicate how much the comments say about the current situation in The Bronx for Posada to publicly reveal his feelings, which were aired out during an appearance on The Post’s “The Show” podcast hosted by Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman.
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In a separate post responding to a fan, Chamberlain, who was part of the 2009 World Series-winning Yankees squad with Posada, wrote that it “seems like there are some that they love that are still around.”
Replying to a fan who opined that the Yankees “look down on former players,” Chamberlain wrote, “Who knows anymore.”
Chamberlain and Posada played together from 2007 through 2011.
New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, left, and catcher Jorge Posada react after Tampa Bay Rays’ B.J. Upton hit a two-run double during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010, in New York. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Posada was asked by Heyman and Sherman about possibly helping the Yankees when he made the surprising comments.
“I mean, I could, but I don’t think they want me there, to tell you the truth,” said Posada, who was inducted into Monument Park and had his No. 20 retired in 2015.
“I don’t feel welcome when I go there, you know? Even in spring training, I don’t feel like — I’m just like, I don’t know, like, I don’t feel welcome. I don’t feel like they want me there, so I don’t go.”
Posada spent 17 years with the Yankees from 1995 to 2011 and was a fan favorite during the dynasty run.
The Yankees great has been around the franchise over the years, having been in attendance for several Old Timers’ Days and being on hand for the 25th anniversary of the Bronx Bombers’ Championship team in 2023. He was also part of the pregame ceremony on Sept. 11 in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Former New York Yankees player Jorge Posada takes the field for a pregame ceremony in honor of 9/11 before the start of a game at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Posada did not give a specific moment that has led him to feel unwelcome by the Yankees, but did reference the end of his career with the franchise in 2011, when he publicly disagreed with the team over his playing time and his use as a designated hitter.
“I don’t know what happened. I’d rather just move forward,” Posada said. “My last season of my career was a really tough one when it comes to handling everything in my part and also the Yankees toward Jorge Posada.
The Sixers are trying to figure out their personnel and plans behind Joel Embiid. It’s far from the first time.
In many previous seasons, the Sixers have fared dramatically worse with Embiid off the floor. That trend hasn’t changed in the very early days of the 2026-27 campaign.
No numbers are worth any deep scrutiny yet. Still, the backup center spot and defensive rebounding were valid, overlapping concerns going into the season. The Sixers haven’t had great starts in either area.
“If you’re missing some of your size … it obviously becomes a problem and all five guys have to rebound,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Sunday. “I look at the numbers there and the defensive rebounding, no matter the position, just isn’t good enough. So everybody has to chip in with a few more. That’s got to be the answer for sure.”
From guard to center, the Sixers will need more to avoid another season as one of the NBA’s bottom defensive rebounding teams.
“Boxing out, going to get the ball aggressively,” Anfernee Simons said Tuesday. “Obviously, having tall guys (available) does help. I think it’s going to be a collective thing. … We can try to mitigate the struggles of maybe not having some big guys out there. We’ve just got to be extra tough to be able to withstand that.”
Adem Bona’s work on the glass against Detroit was a significant positive.
The third-year big man played his best game of the young season, recording six points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. Continued good minutes by Bona would simplify Nurse’s decisions.
“I think the biggest thing I’m happy about is Bona played more like we’re used to seeing,” Nurse said following Tuesday’s practice. “We probably would’ve went that way if that body of work had been in front of him. It’s easy to say when you’re looking back on it, that you would’ve made some other moves and all that kind of stuff. And listen, we’ve had some amazing moments with LeBron (James) at the five, so I’m going to draw from those.”
Instead of Bona, Nurse started James at center and the Sixers sunk into a 15-1 hole.
James is capable of sliding up to the five, but he doesn’t expect to do it much.
“S—, we have the (former) MVP over here,” James said postgame, pointing toward Embiid’s locker. “I’m not here to have a sustainable role at the five. You’ve got Joel Embiid on the team. … It’s a role that we know we can tap into. I know I can play one through five offensively and defensively. But a sustainable role playing the five? I don’t think that’s it.”
Aspects of the Sixers’ Embiid-less play should improve with reps and sharper role definition. Whether it’s Bona, James, Dean Wade or another alternative at center, the team should fine-tune its principles over time.
“I think the biggest thing is with Process, we play a lot of five-out because it’s good for us,” Tyrese Maxey said Sunday. “When we go small ball, it would be good for us to play in a little bit of a different way. Maybe four out, one in. Create some driving lanes with Dean or Bron or somebody else off the top of the key just in case (Jaylen Brown) or somebody wants to crash the paint or something like that.
“We’re going to figure it out. I think it was game four. I’m not too worried about that.”
Tacko Fall, who received the Sixers’ third and final two-way slot, has been out with a left quadriceps strain and won’t be available Wednesday night when the Sixers visit the Pacers. Fellow center options Jabari Walker (left knee soreness) and Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction) will remain sidelined as well. The 7-foot-6 Fall did return to practice Tuesday as a full participant, a team official said. VJ Edgecombe practiced and was off the Sixers’ injury report after missing Sunday’s game with an abdominal contusion.
DETROIT, MI - JULY 12: Detroit Tigers third base coach Billy Boyer (88) looks on during a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers on July 12, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In all the talk around Mariners managerial candidates, it felt like a lot of the candidates who were being proposed were the obvious ones – Jason Kanzler was the first real dark horse candidate that popped up, and has apparently made it quite far in the process. But if the Mariners are really looking for new voices and ideas, it seems to me that it would be productive to look into some under-the-radar names, people who are more up and coming rather than established names. That inspired me to do some digging around the league and try to identify at least one candidate from each organization who I think would be an interesting fit in Seattle.
Admittedly, some teams are more scoop-able than others. For this reason I’ve left off most of the AL West, teams undergoing their own coaching changes (again, most of the AL West, plus the Red Sox), some organizations that have recently undergone sweeping coaching changes (the Rockies, the Nationals), and some teams that I just couldn’t come up with a good name for or don’t think have really strong coaching and player development (it’s the Reds. Sorry, Cincinnati).
I am a big proponent of joining professional organizations and ongoing professional development (both attending and presenting). Therefore, in identifying candidates, I first and foremost looked for people who are interested in the art of coaching; I cross-referenced names with members of the ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) and tried to track down articles and quotes to get a sense of their coaching philosophy or managerial style (and in some cases, guest appearances on the ABCA podcast). I also gave some preference to those with geographical ties to the West Coast or the Seattle area in particular, because unfortunately that is a very real thing to have to consider, as we saw with why Rocco Baldelli reportedly dropped out of the race. Finally, I considered how long a candidate has been with a particular organization or how deeply tied they seem to be to their current organization – for example, I really like Ron Wotus with the Giants, but his connections to that organization run so deep it’s hard to imagine him anywhere else.
With the Mariners reportedly seemingly narrowing it down to Joe Espada and Jason Kanzler for a managerial role, this article is less useful than it was when I started doing all this research, but maybe some of these people would be under consideration for a non-managerial role. Actually, since there are a lot of candidates here who are more nontraditional as far as big-league managing experience, this article might be more useful. At least that’s what I’m telling myself after hours of scrolling LinkedIn profiles, social media accounts, and podcast appearances.
In order to avoid publishing The Odyssey-but-make-it-coaching, I’ll be splitting these up by divisions; we’re starting with the AL Central. Let’s see how many I can get done before the Mariners announce a hire.
AL Central:
Patrick Leyland (White Sox)
Current role: Manager, Double-A Birmingham Barons
Age: 35
Bonus points: coaching bloodlines (son of Jim Leland); former Mariner farmhand (2015)
Leyland has been coaching in pro ball since 2018, and has managed at the minor-league level since 2022, all in the White Sox organization; he’s yet to make it to the big-league level. Like dad Jim, Pat has found more success as a coach than as a player, which he says informs how he relates to players.
Relevant quote: “Not that it disqualifies any other coach, because there’s more than one way to do things, but I know I can relate to our players,” he said. “I understand what they’re going through. I tell them that I wasn’t a very good player, and I know how hard this can be. I can be a shoulder to lean on, especially when things aren’t going well. I had to fight and claw and find a way to grind things out.”
Double bonus points: normally a cool customer, was ejected once all season in a home game on the last day of the MiLB season for sticking up for his hitter who got pitched inside and absolutely made a meal of it.
Kevin Howard (Royals)
Current Role: Assistant Director of Player Development
Age: 45
Bonus points: Has a connection to current Mariners farm director Justin Toole; former Mariner farmhand (2008); College World Series champion (Miami, 2001) under Jim Morris, who Howard cites as a mentor.
Following a 12-year playing career (drafted in the 5th round out of Miami in 2002) Howard spent a year coaching high school/small college before being hired by the Guardians as a hitting coordinator. In 2021 he moved to the Mets as Director of Player Development, then was moved to hitting coach; in 2023 went to the Royals in his current role. During his time with the Mets, Howard spoke to his alma mater about desiring an on-field role because he really values building relationships.
Relevant quote: “I was willing to work hard. I wanted to get to the Major Leagues so bad. I was willing to do whatever I could, but some of the stuff that I try to instill in our players is having a growth mindset and I did not have a growth mindset. I had a fixed mindset and I didn’t want to listen. I didn’t want people to tell me anything because I took it personally. If I could go back, that’s definitely something I would change and I think that would have made a major impact on how much I could have improved.”
Billy Boyer (Tigers)
Current role: Third base coach (MLB)
Age: 42
Bonus points: Born in Auburn, WA; attended Enumclaw HS; PNW coaching experience (student manager at UW, coached at Seattle U, coached at Pierce College during the program’s first NWAC Championship in 2012)
Boyer, whose name is probably most recognizable on this list, has a reputation as a strong infield defensive coach – his big-league coaching journey started with the Twins as an infield and baserunning coach before he moved to the Tigers, transitioning from a quality control coach to third base coach this past July after the team and Joey Cora parted ways after the Tigers finished near the bottom of the league in stolen bases despite an organization-wide emphasis on that. The Tigers also reportedly wanted Boyer to work with upcoming superstar Kevin McGonigle, but a report from the Detroit News at the end of September called Boyer’s status “unclear” amidst a bunch of other coaching changes.
Relevant quote: I thought this thread on rhythm, tempo, and timing was a nice encapsulation of Boyer’s approach and an interesting supplement to Perry Hill’s “6 Fs”.
Most infield development stops at reps & fundamental mechanics.
But elite infield play is built on some internal operating systems:
Rhythm, Tempo & Timing.
These aren’t buzzwords they're the feel behind elite consistency.
Bonus points: Spent first 16 years of his life living in Saudi Arabia with his international-school teacher parents; triple sport athlete in college
Non-bonus points: said he fell in love with baseball because of Kirby Puckett and the Twins
The Twins were a HEADACHE to go through, y’all. Apparently the only thing the Pohlads love more than saving money is hiring franchise legends, nepo babies, and lifelong fans. Hallberg was with the Giants for six years before moving to the Twins, close to his Wisconsin-based family. It’s too bad, because I really like data-minded Hallberg, who was part of implementing an aggressive ABS challenge system with the Twins this spring.
Relevant quote: “When you can switch count leverages in big moments and change base/out states (run expectancy charts), those are all factors, and how many run-scoring opportunities you get,” Hallberg said. “When you’re down in the game and you make their closer (enter) and keep fighting throughout the night, some of those overturns (Wednesday) gave us the opportunity to come back. It stung to lose the game, but our guys fought and our competitive spirit was intact. We made them work. We got their closer up. That impacted the next day, and I hope our team continues to do that throughout the season.”
(Also quoted in that article is someone else I considered while tussling with the Twins’ org chart, Mike Rabelo, who doesn’t have a lifelong love of the Twins sparking his interest in baseball, but is also tragically very east-coast-based)
Alyssa Nakken (Guardians)
Current role: Assistant Director, Player Development
Age: 36
Bonus points: West Coast ties
It’s time that the Mariners reverse-scoop from the Guardians’ staff. Coming back to the West Coast would be an easy landing for Nakken, whose previous big-league experience was with her hometown Giants; she’d also walk into a clubhouse led partially by Josh Naylor, who is an outspoken advocate of women having a place in baseball. This is assuming, of course, Nakken would prefer a role back on the field, as she moved from the Giants to the Guardians to take a more front-office role after the birth of her first child. Look, just let me have this one beautiful dream, okay.
Joe DeMayo welcomes a doubleheader of great guests to the latest episode of The Mets Pod, as offseason action quickly approaches for the Mets and all of MLB.
First up, Ron Darling chats with Joe about the future of the SNY booth, as well as the future of the Mets starting rotation, the free agency of Tarik Skubal, learning from other playoff teams, and the 40th anniversary of the 1986 Mets championship.
Later, Will Sammon of The Athletic checks in for a conversation that covers Skubal, Teruaki Sato, the possibility of moving Juan Soto to first base, and the potential prospects who could eventually be the solution at second base for the organization.
The show wraps with a Mailbag that delivers questions about Francisco Alvarez, David Stearns, Kodai Senga, and more.
Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Kawhi Leonard's return to the Toronto Raptors has encountered a concerning setback, and he's likely to miss his lone scheduled game back in Los Angeles against his former team because of it.
The Raptors announced on Tuesday, Oct. 27, that Leonard will undergo a treatment and rehabilitation program to address swelling in his left knee. Medical imaging did not reveal an acute injury, according to the team, and he will be reevaluated in one week.
The relatively light punishment cleared the way for Leonard to join a Raptors team with hopes of contending in the Eastern Conference this season. Now, however, he's not expected to be available when Toronto plays its only game of the 2026-27 regular season against the Clippers at Intuit Dome on Nov. 2. The Raptors' outlook, meanwhile, suddenly depends on whether Leonard's swelling subsides or becomes a lingering concern.
Here's more on his injury situation and what it means for the Raptors moving forward:
Leonard posted a message on social media that appeared designed to reassure Raptors' fans. It noted he would be "returning soon." The Clippers did not release a specific timeline for Leonard's return, other than to note he would reevaluated in one week.
"It's always frustrating missing time," Leonard said. "I came back to compete with this team and I'm focused on getting back to 100."
Leonard is coming off one of his healthiest years in recent memory, having appeared in 65 games for the Clippers during the 2025-26 season. But there were nonetheless concerns about his durability given his injury history and age.
The uncertain nature of this knee ailment only underscores the potential issues the Raptors could be forced to manage the remainder of the season. Knee swelling can sometimes become a recurring issue over the course of an 82-game season, particularly for a 35-year-old player with Leonard's extensive injury history.
There good news is an MRI revealed no structural damage, which decreases the chances that Leonard is facing an extended absence. It's also not an injury to the right knee Leonard has had surgically repaired multiple times before and during his NBA career.
What Kawhi Leonard's injury means for the Raptors
If Leonard is out for "weeks," as an ESPN report suggested, the Raptors should still be able to remain in contention while he's out.
Toronto finished as a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference a year ago, and a core featuring Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and R.J. Barrett can provide enough firepower to stay afloat. Second-year forward Collin Murray-Boyles, who has drawn comparisons to Draymond Green, could benefit the most with an increased role while Leonard is sidelined.
The roster isn't quite as deep after the moves required to acquire Leonard, but Toronto's championship aspirations ultimately hinge on having him healthy in April and May, not October and November.
Kawhi Leonard stats
Leonard is averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals through two games this season with the Raptors. He averaged 27.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game during the 2025-26 season with the Clippers.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 24: Dustin May #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates an out against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning in game two of the 2026 World Series at American Family Field on October 24, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After two tightly contested games to open the 2026 World Series, Game 3 got out of hand as Milwaukee scored seven runs with two outs in the fifth inning on the way to a 10-1 victory. With a win tonight, the Brewers would clinch the first World Series title in franchise history.
On the mound for the Brewers will be right-hander Dustin May, who threw one scoreless inning in Game 2. His last bulk appearance came in relief of Shane Drohan during Game 4 of the NLCS. In that outing, May gave up a three-run homer to Shohei Ohtani, but bounced back and ate three innings in the Brewers’ pennant-clinching win. Through four appearances this postseason (three in relief), May has allowed eight hits and five earned runs in eight innings.
Tampa Bay will counter with righty Griffin Jax. Acquired from Minnesota at last year’s trade deadline, the former shutdown reliever moved into the rotation in late April and put up solid numbers. In 34 appearances (23 starts), Jax posted a 3.53 ERA with 9.29 strikeouts per nine innings.
Today’s lineup has just one change from yesterday’s: Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick swap spots. Mitchell, who hit sixth in each of the first three games of the series, drops to eighth. He’s just 2-for-11 in the World Series, though both hits drove in runs. Frelick, who’s 4-for-his-last-12 with a home run, a double, and two RBIs, moves up to sixth.
Meanwhile, Rays manager Kevin Cash is shaking up his lineup after Tampa Bay scored just one run last night. Jonathan Aranda is back for Tampa Bay, playing first base and hitting second, but Ryan Vilade gets his second straight start as Victor Mesa Jr. starts tonight’s game on the bench. Junior Caminero moves up to the third spot, and Chandler Simpson, who’d hit third in each of the first three games, drops down to sixth.
You can catch the game on FOX and the radio broadcast, as always, on WTMJ 620. Tonight’s first pitch is set for 7:00 p.m.
It is no secret that the Montreal Canadiens have been linked to disgruntled Detroit Red Wings star center Dylan Larkin for a while now. However, the Canadiens are still not among the teams on Larkin's trade list, even after he expanded it to 10 clubs.
Although this is the case, the Canadiens have not given up on their pursuit of Larkin. Furthermore, one of Montreal's top Atlantic Division rivals are also being connected to Larkin.
"He’s indicated a willingness to waive his no-trade clause for 10 teams and may yet have to expand that list further to facilitate a deal that nets Detroit the right mix of assets in return. The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres are two teams not currently on his trade list that have interest," Johnston wrote.
Hearing that the Canadiens still have interest in Larkin is not difficult to understand. They need another star center, and he would form a perfect one-two punch with the currently sidelined Nick Suzuki if acquired by Montreal. Thus, it would not be surprising if the Canadiens continue to show interest in Larkin and hope that he eventually becomes open to a trade to Montreal.
It would certainly sting for the Canadiens to see Larkin get traded to the Sabres, though. The Sabres are one of the Canadiens' division rivals, so it would not be good for Montreal if they won the Larkin sweepstakes. However, as Johnston noted, Larkin does not have Buffalo on his trade list right now.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what will happen with Larkin.
Jonny DeLuca and pinch-hitter Ben Williamson singled home runs in a stunning 12th-inning rally, and the Tampa Bay Rays staved off World Series elimination with a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night that forced Game 5.
Cooper Pratt hit a tiebreaking home run off Ian Seymour in the top of the 12th as Milwaukee neared a sweep and its first World Series title.
But the Rays, also seeking their first championship, rallied in the bottom half after a throwing error by third baseman Joey Ortiz on Junior Caminero’s leadoff grounder against reliever Antonio Senzatela.
Liam Hicks singled off Shane Drohan, who relieved in his first appearance since Oct. 15, and DeLuca’s single to center drove in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins to tie the score at 3.
Chandler Simpson’s single loaded the bases and Milwaukee employed a five-man infield with the infield in.
Williamson, who had been 1 for 15 in the postseason, hit a chopper over first baseman Jake Bauers and into right field.
“We’ve got a lot of fight in us. We’re never going to shy away,” Simpson said. “We were going to keep fighting until the end — the last inning, the last out, the last play, the last pitch. We were going to keep fighting. That’s what we did tonight.”
Game 5 in the best-of-seven matchup is Wednesday night at Tropicana Field, with NL Cy Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski scheduled to start for the Brewers. Rays manager Kevin Cash said he hadn’t decided on a starter yet.
Tampa Bay became just the fifth of 26 teams that fell behind 3-0 in the World Series to win Game 4. The previous four lost Game 5.
Of 43 teams to trail 3-0 in any best-of-seven postseason matchup, the only one that rebounded to win was the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series.
“It just shows the resiliency of this group,” Williamson said. “We continue to fight, and that’s been the motto this series and this full season, is just fight.”
Caminero was replaced by Mullins at third base and hobbled off the field with an ailing left foot. But the slugger said he’ll definitely play Wednesday night.
“He’ll play tomorrow on one leg. I’ll make sure of it,” Cash said.
Tampa Bay ended an eight-game winning streak by the Brewers, who were bidding to become only the second team to sweep a League Championship Series and the World Series.
“If you want to win a championship, you’ve got to survive some hard things,” Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich said. “Like I said earlier, it’s supposed to be hard. It’s supposed to test you. We understand that.”
David Hamilton also homered for the Brewers. Jackson Chourio had a single and double, improving to 10 for 20 in the Series.
Pratt, a 22-year-old rookie whose go-ahead hit sparked the Brewers to a 5-4 win in Game 2, drove a slider into the left-field seats against Seymour. Pratt had tied the score at 1 with an RBI double in the second.
Milwaukee players bounded out of the dugout to greet Pratt, who debuted in June and became the first rookie to hit an extra-inning homer in the World Series.
Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Cooper Pratt #12 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates with teammate Garrett Mitchell #5 after hitting a solo home run in the 12th inning during Game Four of the 2026 World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Seymour had allowed Frelick’s tying homer in Game 2.
Milwaukee fans in the crowd of 40,514, many waving yellow towels and some wearing cheeseheads, brought a Badger State feel to Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay returned to its white home jerseys, a day after playing in Devil Rays throwbacks.
Simpson hit an RBI double off starter Dustin May in the second, but Milwaukee tied the score in the fourth against Griffin Jax when Frelick hit a two-out single and came around on Pratt’s double.
Caminero singled leading off the bottom half to chase May and advanced on a groundout. DeLuca hit a hard grounder to Hamilton and Caminero twisted toward the grass to avoid the third baseman’s tag, then came home when Hamilton bounced his throw past Bauers for an error.
Hamilton, Milwaukee’s No. 9 hitter, drove an 0-2 fastball at the letters from Jax into the right-field seats for his second home run of the postseason — half his regular-season total and just his second since June 6.
Well, they never really had a chance to be cocky Tuesday night.
A brutal first period ultimately cost the Flyers as they fell to the Blue Jackets, 4-3, in overtime at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Kent Johnson scored the winner for Columbus on a 2-on-0 rush.
The Flyers erased a 3-0 deficit. Jamie Drysdale tied the game with 11 seconds left in regulation when the Flyers emptied their net for the extra attacker.
In the opening stanza, Tocchet’s club gave up more goals than it had shots. The Flyers were staring down a 3-0 hole with 6:16 minutes still left in the period. They surrendered the three goals in a span of just 2:46 minutes. They finished the period with only two shots.
The Flyers woke up in the middle stanza with a concerted push. Noah Cates tapped home a loose puck in the crease after Porter Martone fired a shot on net.
After the goal, Matvei Michkov had a couple of close looks right at the doorstep of the post. He couldn’t seem to corral the puck, though, for a deflection.
Trevor Zegras trimmed Columbus’ lead to one with 4:56 minutes to go in the third period.
The Flyers (3-7-4) have just 10 points over their first 14 games. Last season, Tocchet’s first as the team’s head coach, the Flyers had 17 points through 14 games (8-5-1).
This was the first of four matchups between the Flyers and Blue Jackets (5-5-0).
• Dan Vladar was unable to mask the Flyers’ mistakes like he has before. He made 11 saves on 15 shots.
He denied Columbus on a 2-on-0 rush in OT, but then had to face another one. The Blue Jackets capitalized on the second opportunity.
The Flyers were sloppy. The first 2-on-0 was a result of Michkov being stripped. On the second, Michkov, Cam York and Denver Barkey were all caught in deep.
Vladar had given up just four goals over his previous three starts. That was good for a 1.30 goals-against average and .953 save percentage.
But in the first period Tuesday night, Columbus struck three times.
The first goal was at 4-on-4. The Flyers lost Adam Fantilli in front when Noah Cates and Oliver Bonk both converged on Johnson.
Johnson added to the Blue Jackets’ lead with a deflection. Bonk committed a turnover in the defensive zone and the puck then found its way to Zach Werenski for a shot.
Fifty seconds later, Columbus made it 3-0. Denton Mateychuk skated into a shot after Drysdale and York lost a puck battle along the back boards.
Cam Talbot, the 39-year-old former Flyer, stopped 28 of 31 shots for the Blue Jackets.
• Hunter McDonald exited briefly with 5:54 minutes left in the second period. The rookie defenseman was favoring his shoulder after taking a hit behind the net from Mathieu Olivier.
McDonald, though, was able to return before the period ended.
He replaced Rasmus Ristolainen, who was out because of a reinjury to his left hand. More on his status here.
Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett remained out. Konecny has missed the last nine games because of a lower-body injury. Tippett has missed the last five with an upper-body injury.
• The Flyers are right back at it Wednesday when they visit the Capitals (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).
England’s record Test wicket-taker James Anderson was treated with disrespect when he was released by Lancashire, according to his former pace bowling partner Stuart Broad.
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