Another Contract Year, Another Opportunity For Penguins Forward Philip Tomasino
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Philip Tomasino is heading into another contract year for the 2025-26 season. He had a year left on his contract going into the 2024-25 season before he was dealt to the Penguins by the Nashville Predators last November for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Tomasino only had one assist in 11 games for the Predators before compiling 11 goals and 23 points in 50 games for the Penguins. He played up and down the lineup during the season and would have some good stretches mixed with some bad ones.
He burst onto the scene right away with four points in his first five games, three of which were goals, before going pointless for his next six games. This inconsistency would continue for the rest of the season despite Tomasino getting a lot of minutes with second-line center Evgeni Malkin. The two played 250:33 of 5v5 minutes this year, and the numbers were a mixed bag. When they were on the ice together, they had a 48.2% CF%, 48.2% of the expected goals, 50.8% of the scoring chances, and 50.4% of the high-danger chances.
Tomasino enjoys playing with Malkin, as evidenced by their good moments early in his first season with the Penguins.
"I think we just complement each other really well," Tomasino said
Head coach Dan Muse may look to give them more minutes together, but Tomasino will have to earn those minutes since the top six looks really strong on paper right now. The Penguins still haven't dealt forwards Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, and there's no guarantee that they will before the season.
With them still in the fold, they will take up two of the top-six spots, as will Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The other two spots will be up for grabs and will have a lot of players jockeying for them, including Tomasino, Anthony Mantha, Tommy Novak, Rutger McGroarty, and Ville Koivunen. McGroarty and Koivunen looked great in their short stints to end the 2024-25 season after being called up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. They got to spend time with Crosby and Malkin and looked ready to be full-time NHLers.
If Tomasino loses out on a top-six spot to start the season, he could still secure a third-line role with Novak if Muse and Co. are successful. Novak and Tomasino are familiar with each other from their time in Nashville, and they looked solid when they were on the same line together, albeit for a small sample. They only played 67:50 at 5v5 during the 2023-24 season, but they made those minutes count, compiling 54.7% of the expected goals, 62.6% of the scoring chances, 64% of the high-danger chances, and a 55.7% CF% rate.
Three of Tomasino's goals came on the power play last year, and he'll be a solid contender to be on the second PP unit again next season. His release is good enough to be utilized anywhere in the offensive zone, and he has a knack for scoring goals in big situations. For example, he had six game-winning goals last year, which was good for second on the Penguins. Only Crosby was ahead of Tomasino with 10 game-winning goals, which made sense because Crosby was the Penguins' best player last year. He finished the season with 33 goals and 91 points in 80 games. It was his third-straight 90+-point season despite being well into his 30s.
Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2025: Oft-Forgotten Part Of Jake Guentzel Trade Has IntrigueHeading into the 2025-26 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have shifted the focus to youth and development.
The 2025-26 season will be another contract year for Tomasino after the Penguins re-signed him to a one-year, $1.75 million contract on July 1. He was originally a restricted free agent before the Penguins didn't give him a qualifying offer, allowing him to test free agency. Despite becoming an unrestricted free agent, he still decided to return to the Penguins, along with fellow forward Connor Dewar, who also wasn't given a qualifying offer by the Penguins. He signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Penguins on the same day as Tomasino.
Tomasino is slated to be a restricted free agent again after this upcoming season, so the Penguins will control his rights into next summer unless they don't qualify him again. If he's more consistent this year, the Penguins may try to sign him for longer than a year since he's still only 24. The Penguins want young players like him to take the next step at the NHL level. He'll cost a bit more, but that won't be a problem for the Penguins since they will have over $40 million of cap space next summer. They won't spend all of it since they are still rebuilding, but they'll spend enough. It won't be a situation where the Penguins have to worry about barely getting above the cap floor.
With all of that in mind, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas will be keeping a close eye on Tomasino this year.
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From The Archive: Still The Best After All These Years
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Still The Best After All These Years - November 16, 2009 - Volume 63, Issue 09 - KC
BEST NOT TELL THE BIG BOSS about this. After all, it might affect Nicklas Lidstrom’s future with the Red Wings.
Sure, Lidstrom has been a standout for 18 seasons now, was an integral contributor to four Stanley Cups and has become one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history.
Little known fact, though: Lidstrom is a rebel. For example, two of his four boys, Adam and Samuel, play minor hockey in the Detroit Compuware AAA organization. In case you weren’t aware, Compuware is owned by Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos and is a huge rival of Wings owner Mike Illitch’s Little Caesars AAA organization.
Just so you know, Illitch and Karmanos aren’t exactly a modern-day version of Amos ’n Andy.
“I don’t even know if (Illitch) knows about it,” said Lidstrom, justifying his insubordination by explaining Compuware’s rink is about 10 minutes from his house.
Chances are, Illitch would probably be willing to overlook Lidstrom’s miscreance in return for a couple more seasons of work. Despite the fact Lidstrom turns 40 in April, there has been almost no drop-off in his performance level, as evidenced by the fact our panel identified him as having the best point shot, best first pass and being the top shut-down defenseman in the NHL, not to mention the best mentor.
There have been precious few players who have played at the elite level Lidstrom has at such an advanced age. Gordie Howe scored 103 points when he was 41 and Jean Beliveau was a point-per-game player while leading the league in playoff assists when he was 40. Doug Harvey won his last Norris Trophy at 37 and Chris Chelios was a runner-up for the Norris when he was 40.
Red Wings GM Ken Holland thinks Lidstrom could play another five seasons and chances are he’ll play at least a couple more in Detroit before hanging them up.
“I don’t think we’re going to wake up one day and say, ‘Holy cripes, what happened to this guy?’ ” Holland said.
Do a YouTube search of “Nicklas Lidstrom’s 1,000th point,” and you’ll see precisely why he’s considered the NHL’s best point man. He takes a half slapshot through a maze of skates, which hits Henrik Zetterberg’s stick and deflects to the top corner.
“THERE IS NO PRESSURE POINT WITH NICKLAS LIDSTROM”
“That really nails it,” Lidstrom said. “I kept my head up and I couldn’t get it on net, so I’m looking for Zetterberg’s stick. That’s the typical play I try to make.”
Lidstrom’s shot from the point isn’t about to blow by anybody. More than anything, it sneaks its way to where it wants to go.
Sabres Prospect Profile – Melvin Novotny
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the best deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 40 NHL games.
Other Sabres Stories
Projecting Sabres Trade Cost - Bryan Rust
Six Former Sabres Who Signed Elsewhere
#33 - Melvin Novotny - LW (Leksands IF Jr. - Sweden)
The Sabres had a trio of seventh-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, and with the first pick (195th overall) they selected left winger Melvin Novotny. The 18-year-old had a breakout season in the SHL junior system, scoring 38 points (12 goals, 26 assists) in 41 games for Leksands IF, and also played for Sweden at the World Junior under-18s.
According to the Elite Prospects Draft Guide, the 6’1”. 187 lb. forward is considered a smart player, who is “a chess player that uses his teammates as his pawns, throwing them pucks to retrieve while himself moving into favourable positions in the offensive zone…..He’s not the most physical player overall, but has a knack of spinning away from checks and using contact as an advantage.”
Instead of following the usual path toward playing in the SHL, Novotny is heading to North America to play with Muskegon in the USHL and is committed to playing for U.Mass (Amherst) in 2026.
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Rod Brind'Amour Feels Hurricanes' Offseason Moves Give Them A Chance To Win Stanley Cup
The Carolina Hurricanes made two substantial moves this offseason to bolster their roster in pursuit of a Stanley Cup.
The most highly coveted unrestricted free agent this offseason was arguably Nikolaj Ehlers.
After most of the top free agents had already signed with their new respective teams, Ehlers was still pondering his next move.
Ultimately, the Hurricanes won the sweepstakes for Ehlers as he signed a six-year, $51 million contract.
Carolina also took a big swing at defenseman K’Andre Miller, who has the potential to be a reliable blueliner for years to come, but he’s just yet to fully put all of the tools together.
The Hurricanes acquired Miller in a sign-and-trade from the New York Rangers, and quickly signed him to an eight-year, $60 million contract.
Rod Brind'Amour feels that these two moves put the Hurricanes over the top.
“If there's something out there that can make us better, we're going to try to figure out how to get it,” Brind'Amour said. “The additions were the best we could do. We just want to have a chance. I feel like we do.”
There Are Reportedly Over Five Teams Interested In Signing Jack Roslovic, Including The Maple LeafsTraining camps around the NHL are set to begin in just over a month, and Carolina Hurricanes forward Jack Roslovic remains unsigned.
The Hurricanes have been a top contender in the Eastern Conference for years, but have never seemed to be able to get over the hump.
We’ll have to see if Ehlers and Miller are able to change that.
Here's Why New-Look Blues Will Give Sabres A Tougher Test Next Year
The Buffalo Sabres' schedule has been out for a while now, but here at THN.com's Sabres site, we've been breaking down each Sabres opponent next season. And in this file, we're examining one of the NHL's best regular-season teams -- at the end of last season, at least -- the St. Louis Blues.
Last year, Buffalo won both games against St. Louis, but the Sabres avoided the Blues in the second half of the year, when they were an entirely different team. Buffalo and St. Louis will play relatively early this time around -- and will that make a difference in the bottom line between these two teams? Time will tell.
However, in the meantime, you can make your voice heard by leaving a comment below. And feel free to register as a community member on THN.com. Your voice is unique, and we want to hear it.
Former Ottawa Senator Mark Borowiecki Now 'Looks At Fighting From A Different Lens'
Former Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki was a guest on the Sens Nation Podcast this week, the official podcast of The Hockey News Ottawa, and shared some candid thoughts about fighting in today’s NHL.
During his NHL career with the Senators and the Nashville Predators, “Boro” never shied away from dropping the gloves, often taking on some of the game’s toughest heavyweights. Borowiecki played 458 regular-season NHL games, recording 15 goals, 56 points, and 848 penalty minutes. Known for his fearless, physical style and a strong work ethic, he was a fan favourite in Ottawa.
In my wide-ranging conversation with him this week, we covered a number of topics, including a recent Predators development camp where a Nashville reporter posted on-ice video of Borowiecki, now a development coach, demonstrating fighting tactics to young prospects.
Borowiecki explained that fighting advice is a very small part of the job, and with three children under five, his perspective on fighting in hockey has changed.
“I look at it from a different lens now, which maybe is wrong of me,” Borowiecki said. “For me, it was a way to survive in the league and make a name for myself. If I was coaching my son, I’d be focused on competing, playing hard, playing with some passion and emotion — and whatever results, results.
"I’m not going to encourage him to go fight. Maybe that’s your answer there. If that’s the way I’m going to approach it with my son, I’m not going to push other kids to. I don’t really have much desire to see 17-year-old kids hitting each other. It doesn’t do it for me in the junior level.
“Again, I want to see guys go out there and compete, play with passion, play with some aggressiveness, embrace the contact, embrace the confrontation — and whatever results, results. From a coaching standpoint, for me, it’s play hard, play extremely hard defensively, play hard offensively. Have that puck, be a pain in the butt to contain, to check, to cover. You know what? Sometimes when you play that relentless, high-energy style, things are (still) going to happen.”
Borowiecki also reflected on his transition to coaching, the evolution of fighting in hockey, and the challenges faced by today’s young players. He shared insights on the Senators’ push to return to the playoffs, praised the leadership of former teammate Brady Tkachuk, and offered thoughts on the coaching styles of Guy Boucher and D.J. Smith.
He also discussed his post-career health and answered some lighthearted hockey questions, showing the same honesty and personality that made him such a respected player in Ottawa.
Watch the full interview with former Senator Mark Borowiecki on the latest Sens Nation Podcast.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
This article originally appeared on The Hockey News website:
More Sens Articles:
Keith Tkachuk On Brady's Future In Ottawa: 'I Don't Think He's Going Anywhere'
Next NHL Expansion Fee May Be 40 Times More Than The Ottawa Senators Paid
The Ottawa Senators' 2025-26 Lineup Is Probably Already Set
Should Batherson Have Been Considered For Team Canada's Orientation Camp?
Mark Stone Jokes That It Wasn't Always Easy Playing On Brady Tkachuk's Line
2018 World Junior Trial Ends: Former Senator Alex Formenton Found Not Guilty
Mets promoting top prospects Jonah Tong, Jett Williams, Carson Benge, Ryan Clifford to Triple-A Syracuse: report
The Mets are promoting four prospects in Joe DeMayo's midseason top 30 for SNY -- infielder/center fielder Jett Williams (No. 1), right-handed pitcher Jonah Tong (No. 2), outfielder Carson Benge (No. 3) and first baseman Ryan Clifford (No. 6) -- from Double-A Binghamton to Triple-A Syracuse, according to a report Sunday by The Athletic's Will Sammon.
Outfielder A.J. Ewing (No. 9) is also going to Binghamton from High-A Brooklyn, Sammon reported.
Tong, 22, allowed one run on three hits while striking out eight over five innings Sunday in Binghamton's 2-0 loss to the Yankees-affiliated Somerset Patriots. He is 8-5 with a 1.59 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 20 starts for Binghamton this season.
The 21-year-old Williams was the Mets' No. 14 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Through 96 games this season for Binghamton, he is slashing .281/.390/.477 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI.
Benge, 22, was New York's first-round pick in 2024 at No. 19 overall. Promoted to Binghamton June 23, Benge has slashed .317/.407/.571 with eight home runs and 23 RBI through 32 Double-A games.
Also 22, Clifford is slashing .243/.355/.493 with 24 home runs and 75 RBI through 105 games this season for Binghamton.
Ewing, meanwhile, is 21 and enjoying a breakout year after getting promoted from Low-A St. Lucie to Brooklyn. Through 78 games for Brooklyn, he is slashing .288/.387/.388 with two home runs and 26 RBI.
Know Your Enemy, Sabres Central Edition: Are Boosted Blues Bound To Beat Buffalo?
The Buffalo Sabres are facing enormous pressure to end their 14-year Stanley Cup playoff drought next season, and it's not hyperbole to say that the Sabres can't afford so much as a single off-night if they're going to be a playoff team. Every game really counts, and Buffalo needs to beat many above-average squads if they're going to earn a playoff berth in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division.
As such, the Sabres will be worth watching every game, because every game matters. And so we're examining each of Buffalo's opponents next year -- who each team has added, when they'll square off this year, and other relevant info -- and we're now well into the Central Division, witht the St. Louis Blues. The Blues are a strong team that didn't play well against Buffalo last year, but with some notable changes, that could change in the Blues' favor this time around. So let's get down to business, and break down the Sabres/Blues rivalry.
BUFFALO SABRES VS. ST. LOUIS BLUES
NEW BLUES PLAYERS: Pius Suter, C, Nick Bjugstad, C; Logan Mailloux, D
2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 2-0-0, Blues 0-1-1
2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: November 6 at Buffalo; December 29 at St. Louis
CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? There's a neat sense of deja vu when it comes to the Sabres and Blues playing each other this year and last year. On Dec. 29, 2024, Buffalo played St. Louis in St. Louis for their final game against each other. And on Dec. 29, 2025, the Sabres will be playing the host Blues. for their final game of next season. You don't see that every year.
In any case, the Blues came on strong late in the season last year to earn a Western Conference wild card playoff berth, but when they did get to the post-season, the Blues blew a late lead and lost Game 7 to the Winnipeg Jets, ending St. Louis' season in the first round. For as great a story as they were on that late-season run, the Blues showed their deficiencies in falling to the Jets.
So, armed with as much salary cap space as he could muster, Blues GM Doug Armstrong set out to bolster his lineup this summer. And he did just that, strengthening St. Louis down the middle, and giving an opportunity to a young defenseman he acquired at a fairly high price.
Know Your Enemy, Sabres Central Edition: Will Buffalo Sweep Series Vs. Sub-Par Nashville Predators Next Season?The NHL's 2025-26 schedule has been out for a while now, and THN.com's Buffalo Sabres site has been analyzing every team the Sabres will take on next season. We've worked our way through the Eastern Conference teams, and we're currently focusing on the Central Division teams. And in today's file, we're turning our attention to the Nashville Predators.
At center, Armstrong added two veterans -- first and foremost, former Vancouver Canuck Pius Suter, and then, journeyman Nick Bjugstad. Both players combined cost Armstrong $5.875-million -- not bad at all, especially given how this year's market for centers was a seller's market.
Elsewhere, Armstrong added 22-year-old defenseman Logan Mailloux in a trade with Montreal that sent 22-year-old winger Zac Bolduc to the Canadiens. Mailloux will start the season on the Blues' third defense pair, but he has the chance to work his way up the depth chart by quickly adapting to the NHL level.
So, the Blues team the Sabres will face this year is going to be much tougher than the one Buffalo faced in December of last year. Indeed, while the Sabres handled their business against St. Louis last year, the Blues were a tale of two teams -- one that was inconsistent early in the year, and the other was a legitimate powerhouse that bulldozed its way into the playoffs. The Sabres managed to avoid that powerhouse Blues team, and this time around, they won't be so fortunate.
Know Your Enemy, Sabres Central Edition: Will Superstar Kaprizov And Minnesota Wild Roll Over Sabres?The NHL's 2025-26 season is nearly here, and here at THN.com's Sabres site, we've been examining every one of the Buffalo Sabres' opponents next year. Earlier, we looked at the Atlantic Division's seven teams, followed by the Metropolitan Division's eight teams, and now, we're four teams deep in the highly-competitive Central Division.
What we're ultimately saying here is that Buffalo will have a tall task trying to win both games against St. Louis next season. It's not out of the question that the Sabres can beat the Blues twice -- and to be sure, that's exactly what Buffalo should be aiming to do -- but if this St. Louis team is properly motivated, they're a handful for every NHL team, the Sabres included.
The Blues' many veterans won't forget that Buffalo beat them twice last year, and they'll want to avenge their losses to the Sabres. For that reason, St. Louis should expect to bounce back against Buffalo, and the Sabres need to prepare for a much tougher battle against the Blues next season.
Yankees' Aaron Boone: 'I wholeheartedly believe we are going to get rolling and turn this thing around'
The Yankees have lost three straight series and seven of their past nines games after they looked lifeless in Sunday's 7-1 finale against the Houston Astros, but manager Aaron Boone and his players maintain that a run is possible while New York clings to a postseason spot.
"Obviously, we're feeling it and we know we have to be better," Boone said after the Yankees (62-56) totaled three hits in the rubber match with Houston (66-52). "We know we have a much higher standard for ourselves and expectations. At the same time, we're in control of this.
"I wholeheartedly believe we are going to get rolling and turn this thing around. When it does, you start to really build that next layer of confidence where guys are kind of feeding off each other. It's all just talk right now, but that's how I feel about it. We've got to go do it."
The Yankees are 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East Division. Even the second-place Boston Red Sox are 2.5 games ahead while New York holds a half-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians for the third wild card.
"The game is littered with dead and buried teams," Boone said. "We're in a playoff position right now, and we've been through a bad two months where we haven't performed at a level we need to. But look at last year, go back to the year before, year before. You can pick out a number of teams that are sitting in a worse position than we are right now that go on that run. We have the people to do that. No doubt in my mind. But just sitting here, it's talk right now and we haven't been good enough the last two months.
"But this is different than, say, even like '23 where I didn't think we were necessarily capable of that run that we needed to really get hot -- and we were out of position at that point. This is different. We're in a position right now where we're in control of things, we're in a playoff spot, technically, right now, and I believe we have the people to get it done. We've got to play consistent baseball, period."
Not helping the Yankees is the fact that left-hander Max Fried, New York's 2025 ace, has not won a start since July 29. Fried (12-4, 2.94 ERA) allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings of Sunday's 94-pitch, 64-strike start.
"That's just the way I've felt since I've come into the big leagues," Fried said of expecting to win. "I work hard and I only get to play once a week -- once every five, six games. So, when I take the ball, I want to go out there and I expect to win."
The Yankees are 1-4 in Fried's past four starts.
"Obviously, we're aware of it," Fried said. "We know that we're not performing to where we want to be or where we know that we can. We have a lot of really talented guys in here and we expect to win every day.
"So, when we come out and we lose, we're obviously frustrated and want to be able to be able to show that the talent and results can match up."
A quick turnaround follows New York's 1-2 weekend with the Minnesota Twins coming to town for a three-game series that completes a six-game homestand.
"We've got a great team in this room," said Yankees captain Aaron Judge, who was 0-for-3 with a walk in Sunday's loss to the Astros. "Got a lot of great players, guys that have had their backs up against the wall before and in tough situations. So, every year you play here, you're going to have your back up against the wall.
"So, guys have been there and done that and just got to step up and do it on the field. We can sit here and talk about it. You can ask me how everything's going. But it's about what we do on the field."
New York is 20-31 since starting 42-25 through June 12.
"Yeah, it's tough, but there's no excuses," said Judge, who is slashing .337/.446/.691 with 37 home runs and 86 RBI through 108 games. "We've got to go out there and perform at our best, go out there and win baseball games. Fans are still packing out and showing support for us, and we've got to show out for them and just go out there and do our job. That's what it comes down to. It's we're not doing our job. We're not doing the little things to put ourselves in a good position to go out there and win baseball games.
"So, it's going to take all of us. It's going to take everybody in this room -- every reliever, every infield-outfield guy. So, we've just go to step up. That's what it comes down to. I wouldn't say the confidence has really changed. We have a lot of confident guys in this room, and we've just got to focus on what we can control and go out there and do it."
Dave Roberts criticizes Shohei Ohtani after Dodgers' frustrating loss to Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays did everything possible to hand the Dodgers a victory Sunday.
Their pitchers gave up 10 hits, including two home runs. They walked 13, a season-high for the Dodgers, twice loading the bases on free passes in the final two innings. At the plate, Toronto struck out 14 times.
The Dodgers, however, refused to accept the gift, giving up an eighth-inning lead in a 5-4 loss that dropped their lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West to two games. The Padres trailed by six games less than three weeks ago.
“This is frustrating because I just felt there's no way we should lose this game today,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We had them on the ropes numerous times. And for us not to win is so frustrating.”
Read more:Blake Snell turns in a performance befitting his 'Snellzilla' nickname in Dodgers' blowout win
How frustrating? The Dodgers were one for 10 with runners in scoring position. They left a season-high 16 men on base — six in the last two innings.
Every Dodgers starter reached base at least once. Yet they still lost.
Afterward, third baseman Max Muncy insisted the black cloud had a silver lining, even if no one else could see it.
“We were creating opportunities. So, you know, we were doing the first part of it,” he said. “We just weren't cashing in today. The positive you take out of it is we found a way to create a lot of opportunities.
“You just have to finish the job.”
That goes double for the Dodger relievers. Starter Tyler Glasnow was brilliant, striking out eight and allowing just two runs over 5⅔ innings, turning a 3-2 lead over to a bullpen that had to get 10 outs. Once again they couldn’t do it, with Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia giving up three solo home runs in the span of six batters.
“You give good hitters pitches right down the middle, they’re going to do damage,” said Treinen, who came on in the eighth with a one-run lead and left five batters later trailing after back-to-back home runs by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger.
“Sometimes we get away with making bad locations turn into outs. They made me pay for it and it cost us a game.”
He’s not the only one who had to pay. Because after Freddie Freeman walked with the bases loaded for the second time to tie the game in the eighth, Vesia came on to start the ninth with the score even again. Ernie Clement unevened it on Vesia’s first pitch, driving an 85-mph slider over the wall in left field to put Toronto ahead. It was the 65th homer Dodgers relievers have allowed this season; only two bullpens in the majors have given up more.
But the Blue Jays’ generosity knew no end, so Toronto tried to give the win back when reliever Jeff Hoffman loaded the bases with one out for Shohei Ohtani.
Dave Roberts addresses the media following the Dodgers' 5-4 defeat to the Blue Jays in the series finale. pic.twitter.com/dyKYMGrKML
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 11, 2025
But after fouling off two tough full-count pitches from Mason Fluharty, a left-hander with a 5.15 earned-run average and Toronto’s eighth pitcher of the day, Ohtani waved at a sweeper outside the zone to strike out.
“The last thing I was thinking was he was going to strike out. ... We’ve got to come up with one right there," Roberts said. "Chasing the ball down below is something we can't have happen."
Mookie Betts followed by grounding into a force out to end the game.
Three innings earlier Ohtani, who had two hits, including his 41st homer of the season to run his hitting streak to a season-best nine games, was thrown out trying to steal third with two outs and Freeman at the plate, ending another Dodger threat.
“That was his decision,” Roberts said. “Not a good baseball play.”
Read more:In a battle of 3,000K stars, Clayton Kershaw outduels Max Scherzer in Dodgers' win
Now the Dodgers head to Anaheim for a three-game series with the Angels before returning home to face the Padres, likely with the division lead at stake.
The Dodgers have been faltering since July 1, going 15-18. San Diego has been on fire, going 21-13 over the same span. Among NL teams, only the Milwaukee Brewers have been better.
While San Diego has the most saves (39) and the best bullpen ERA in baseball (3.04), Dodgers relievers rank 21st (4.24).
And while the Padres got better at last month’s trade deadline, making five trades that netted them reliever Mason Miller and left-hander JP Sears from Oakland, first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn and left fielder Ramón Laureano from the Orioles and catcher Freddy Fermin from the Royals, the Dodgers barely tinkered around the edges. Their major acquisition, reliever Brock Stewart, has given up six hits and two runs in 3⅔ innings.
The Padres went all in. The Dodgers did not.
Talk about frustrating.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Justin Rose wins nail-biting playoff against JJ Spaun to claim FedEx Cup title
Run of late birdies sets up Rose’s victory in Memphis
At 45 is oldest European to win on PGA Tour in modern era
Justin Rose produced a sensational finish at the FedEx St Jude Championship with six birdies in his last final eight holes to win a playoff against the US Open champion JJ Spaun.
The English golfer, who at 45 became the oldest European to win on the PGA Tour in the modern era, looked out of it after a bogey at the 12th dropped him to 12 under. That left Rose two off the pace with Tommy Fleetwood, the world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and Spaun ahead of him.
Continue reading...Charges against Marcus Morris Sr. dismissed after markers to casinos paid off
The charges against former NBA player Marcus Morris Sr. for fraud involving outstanding debts to two Las Vegas casinos have been dropped after the markers were paid off, according to court documents reviewed by KLAS television 8 in Las Vegas.
Morris was arrested in Florida late last month on what were officially fraud charges related to insufficient funds to cover a total of $265,000 in lines of credit to gamble at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, with these issues dating back to 2024. The casinos simply wanted their money back, and once the lines of credit were repaid, the charges were dismissed.
From the start, Morris strongly denied that there was any malice or intent to defraud anyone involved, as he explained in a conversation with his twin brother Markieff Morris on their YouTube channel.
"Don't ever put my name with nothing but fraud. This is not fraud activity. I have never wrote a check to no casinos in exchange for money that I can put in my pocket. I wrote exchange for credit thinking that you know the source of the income and you know what I've done in the past years to pay it back plus put the money back that I chose to take from y'all to gamble with. So you know I want to just clear that up and then you could take it how you want."
This case is now in the past. Morris played 13 seasons in the NBA for the Rockets, Suns, Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Clippers, 76ers and most recently, the Cavaliers. Morris did not play in the league last season and does not have a contract for the upcoming season.
Nationals beat Giants 8-0, spoil Justin Verlander’s 3,500th career strikeout
SAN FRANCISCO — CJ Abrams homered and the Nationals spoiled a milestone achievement by San Francisco’s Justin Verlander on Sunday as Washington beat the Giants 8-0.
Josh Bell and Paul DeJong had three hits apiece to highlight a 17-hit day for Washington. James Wood had a pair of two-run doubles as the Nationals won a series at Oracle Park for the fourth straight season.
Verlander (1-9), the three-time Cy Young Award winner who has struggled in his first season with the Giants, struck out the side in the first inning and became the 10th pitcher in MLB history with 3,500 strikeouts.
The milestone mark was the lone bright spot for the 42-year-old Verlander, who was unbeaten in five career starts against the Nationals before Sunday. He allowed 11 hits and five runs with six strikeouts and a walk.
MacKenzie Gore (5-12) had 10 strikeouts and pitched six scoreless innings for his first win since July 9. Cole Henry, PJ Poulin and Clayton Beeter each retired three batters to complete the three-hit shutout.
Abrams started Washington’s offensive onslaught in the second inning with a two-out home run off Verlander that hit the foul pole in right. That came three pitches after Wood doubled in a pair of runs.
Wood also connected for a two-run double off Spencer Bivens in the seventh.
Key moment
The Nationals seized the momentum with three consecutive hits with two outs that led to four runs in the second inning.
Key stat
Three of the hits allowed by Verlander had an exit velocity of 103.9 mph or faster.
Up Next
Giants ace RHP Logan Webb (10-8, 3.24 ERA) faces the Padres in San Diego on Monday.
Nationals RHP Cade Cavalli (0-0, 0.00) pitches against Royals LHP Bailey Falter (7-6, 4.14) on Monday in his second start since 2022.
Phillies going back to facing the National League after MLB record 21 interleague games in a row
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) The Philadelphia Phillies are finally going back to facing their own league.
Philadelphia wrapped up an MLB record of 21 consecutive interleague games with a 4-2 win Sunday against the Texas Rangers to complete a three-game series sweep. The Phillies finished 13-8 in that span, and are 24-15 overall against American League opponents this season.
According to the Phillies, the previous MLB record was 15 in a row “done by hundreds of times by other clubs.”
Their game Monday night at Cincinnati will be the first for the Phillies against a fellow National League team since a 2-1 win at San Diego on July 13, the last game before the four-day All-Star break.
All seven of the Phillies' series since the All-Star break have been against AL opponents, accounting for nearly half of the 48 interleague games they will play all season. They have three more interleague series, all at home, against Seattle, Kansas City and then Minnesota to wrap up the regular season.