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Fraser Minten has a goal and two assists as Bruins roll past winless Flyers

BOSTON (AP) — Fraser Minten had a goal and two assists, Pavel Zacha scored his first goal of the season and the Boston Bruins beat the struggling Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 on Saturday.

Mason Lohrei, Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt also scored for Boston (4-2), which won its second straight game.

Starting for the fifth time in the Bruins’ first six games, Jeremy Swayman faced just three shots in the opening 30 minutes and finished with 14 saves. His bid for his second shutout of the season was spoiled when Porter Martone had a power-play goal 6:32 into the final period. Swayman won his 136th game, tying Andy Moog for eighth on Boston’s all-time list.

Dan Vladar made 27 saves for the Flyers (0-4-2), who are the Eastern Conference’s only winless team.

DEVILS 4, CANUCKS 1

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Nico Hischier scored two goals and added an assist while Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist in New Jersey’ win over Vancouver.

Jack Hughes contributed two assists and Jake Allen, playing in his 500th career game, made 20 saves.

Linus Karlsson scored for Vancouver, who have lost three straight games while getting outscored 14-5. Leevi Merilainen made 31 saves.

Hischier’s first goal was his 200th for New Jersey in 613 games, becoming the fifth Swiss player to reach that mark and the second fastest among that group. His linemate, Timo Meier, scored 200 goals in 569 games.

Bratt and Hischier each scored power-play goals in the second period to put the Devils ahead 4-1.

OILERS 3, SHARKS 1

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Connor McDavid recorded his 13th point of the season and 10th assist as Edmonton beat San Jose for their fourth straight win.

Vasily Podkolzin scored his fifth goal while Mattias Ekholm and Alex Formenton also scored for Edmonton. Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots.

Macklin Celebrini returned to the lineup for San Jose after missing two games with a lower-body injury. The Sharks captain scored his first goal of the season midway through the third period.

Ekholm opened the scoring at 12:37 of the first period. Podkolzin extended Edmonton’s lead 3:13 into the third, with McDavid recording the assist. He moved ahead of Jack Eichel for the league lead in points and assists.

Formenton made it 3-0 on a backhand shot about two minutes later.

Celebrini got San Jose on the board midway through the third period, but the Sharks could not complete the comeback.

Yaroslav Askarov made 17 saves for San Jose.

WILD 4, PANTHERS 1

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov had three goals and an assist, Matt Boldy scored his first goal of the season in the game’s first minute, and Minnesota spoiled Florida’s home opener by beating the Panthers.

Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt continued his hot start, stopping 29 shots. Wallstedt has been in net for all five of Minnesota’s games so far, going 3-1-1 with a .936 save percentage and a stingy goals-against average of just 1.78.

Boldy gave the Wild the lead 53 seconds into the game. Kaprizov made it 2-0 with 13:42 left in the opening period, added his second 5 minutes into the middle frame, and finished his hat trick on an empty-netter with 1:04 left.

MAMMOTH 4, SABRES 1

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — John Marino, Anders Lee and Kailer Yamamoto each had a goal and an assist to help Utah beat Buffalo.

Nick Schmaltz also scored, and Barrett Hayton had two assists.

Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves as the Mammoth bounced back from a 6-1 loss in Boston on Thursday night to win for the third time on a five-game trip.

Tage Thompson had a goal for the Sabres in their second straight loss at home. Colten Ellis stopped 26 shots.

Schmaltz and Lee scored 2:01 apart late in the second period to give the Mammoth a two-goal lead.

Thompson’s goal at 8:00 into the game was Buffalo’s first on the power play this season.

Yamamoto, making his season debut, tied it just past the midway point of the first period. Yamamoto entered the lineup in place of forward Michael Carcone, who is listed as week to week with an upper-body injury.

CANADIENS 1, RED WINGS 0, OT

MONTREAL (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored in the sixth round of a shootout, Jacob Fowler made 30 saves and Montreal beat Detroit.

After Bolduc beat Daniil Tarasov through the pads for the first score in the tiebreaker, Fowler stopped Nate Danielson.

Montreal ended a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-2-1. It won for first time on home ice in three outings this season.

Fowler had his second career shutout for the Canadiens. The 21-year-old was making his second straight start for Montreal after being recalled from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

Tarasov made 30 saves in his first start for the Red Wings.

SENATORS 3, PREDATORS 2, OT

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner to give the Ottawa a victory over Nashville.

Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson — who tied it with 2:23 left in the third period — scored for the Senators (4-1-0). Linus Ullmark turned away 16 shots.

Jonathan Marchessault and Ross Colton scored for Nashville (2-1-2), while Matt Murray made 18 stops.

The Predators took a delay-of-game penalty for a puck over glass with 13 seconds remaining in regulation providing the Senators the perfect opportunity, but a stagnant power play was unable to capitalize. Ottawa went 1 for 6 with the man advantage.

PENGUINS 2, STARS 1, SO

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rickard Rakell scored the deciding goal in the shootout and Pittsburgh beat Dallas.

Arturs Silovs stopped Mikko Rantanen in the shootout to help Pittsburgh snap a three-game losing streak. Sidney Crosby and Ben Kindel also scored in the shootout for the Penguins, who lost in a shootout at Columbus on Friday.

Connor Dewar scored in regulation for Pittsburgh and Silovs stopped 24 shots.

Jake Oettinger stopped 20 shots for the Stars.

Oettinger, coming off back-to-back shutouts against San Jose and Buffalo, set the longest shutout streak of his career at 188:52. It’s the third-longest shutout streak in franchise history.

HURRICANES 5, BLACKHAWKS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Jackson Blake and Jordan Martinook had a goal and an assist each and Carolina beat Chicago.

Mark Jankowski, Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champions who won their fourth in a row and outplayed the Blackhawks, outshooting them 39-26 and winning the majority of the faceoffs.

Beginning with Jankowski’s breakaway score in the final minute of the first period, Carolina scored three goals in a span of 4:25. A short-handed goal by Aho and an even-strength goal by Blake within 1:19 of each other early in the second period gave Carolina a 3-0 lead.

Chicago’s Roman Kantserov scored his first NHL goal 4:40 into the second period, briefly drawing the Blackhawks within two goals. Hall’s goal 1:25 later gave Carolina a 4-1 lead. Martinook beat Spencer Knight on a slot backhand five minutes into the third period.

Oliver Moore scored Chicago’s second goal with 5:46 to play.

BLUES 5, BLUE JACKETS 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice and Dylan Holloway had three assists as St. Louis beat Columbus.

Making his second start of the season, Jordan Binnington stopped 20 shots. In his first game, Binnington allowed six goals in a loss at Colorado.

St. Louis (2-2-1) snapped a three-game losing streak. The Blues had lost their previous six games against the Blue Jackets (2-2-0).

Jet Graeves recorded 24 saves for Columbus.

On a delayed penalty, Jonatan Berggren scored the go-ahead goal at 9:33 in the third period. Greaves stopped a Mason McTavish shot but Berggren was there to put back the rebound.

Pavel Buchnevich added an empty-net goal at 19:17.

MAPLE LEAFS 6, AVALANCHE 3

DENVER (AP) — William Nylander and Easton Cowan scored 46 seconds apart late in the second period and Toronto beat Colorado.

Nylander finished with two goals and had a career-high three assists to finish with five points, also tying a career high. Auston Matthews had two goals and two assists for Toronto, which has alternated wins and losses to start the season.

Nathan MacKinnon scored twice for Colorado, which suffered its first loss in three home games. Brock Nelson also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood had 16 saves in his first setback of the season. The Avs finished 0 of 5 on the power play, which included eight seconds of a 5 on 3 early in the second period.

After Nick Blankenburg gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead 3:03 into the game, MacKinnon’s bull-rush through the Toronto defense tied it midway through the first. He gave Colorado the lead with his second of the night at 15:14.

Nylander tied it 19 seconds after Jaden Schwartz took high-sticking minor early in the second, the first power-play goal the Avs allowed this season. Brock Nelson scored off his own rebound later in the period to give Colorado a 3-2 lead before the Maple Leafs grabbed control in the second.

LIGHTNING 5, ISLANDERS 3

NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored two goals with less than two minutes to play to complete his hat trick and Tampa Bay extended their winning streak to four games with a victory over New York.

Hagel, who also had an assist, scored the go-ahead goal with 1:44 remaining and an empty-net goal 21 seconds later.

Jake Guentzel scored twice for Tampa Bay, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves and the Lightning won the first half of their brief two-game New York road trip.

Tony DeAngelo, Matthew Schaefer and Brayden Schenn scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin finished with 21 saves.

_____

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Guardians complete comeback vs White Sox; advance to ALCS

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 08: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox in game four of the American League Division Series at Rate Field on October 08, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Nah nah nah nah

Nah nah nah nah

Hey hey hey

GOOD BYEEEE…

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

ITS ALL OVER

GO HOME NOW

AND CRYYYYY

Alright- got that out of my system.

Well it was a thrilling night down at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario (thrilling? That’s what you call when your heart is beating out your butt?). After 2 games it looked like we probably wouldn’t get another home crowd until next season, but the Road Guardians were able to come alive thanks to some Heroics from several of our guys. A new brand new life appeared in their eyes when Jose started to turn his series around, and after two 9 run outbursts, the Guardians and their fans were believing again. The teams would be given about 44 hours to rest up and get to Cleveland before we do this one last time, the 18th between the two teams this year. Would the White Sox continue their dream season? Would the Guardians finish off the comeback? Would Jake stress eat half a rotisserie chicken through it all? Let’s see!

Through 2 innings both pitchers looked SHARP. Gavin was up to his typical routine of gassing 99 past hitters and locating in the zone. He had 4 strikeouts through 2 innings allowing only a Walk to reach. It was only 24 pitches but he looked in command early, and the crowd was loving it…. But not to be outdone, Sean Burke was matching Gavin stride for stride, getting 5 easy outs and ending the 2nd with his 1st K on Travis Bazzana. And then, the worst thing a Cleveland fan can hear when facing Chicago in the Playoffs… Rain.

The rain picked up at the end of the 2nd and you could feel the crowd lighten up, knowing the history here. Fortunately Gavin didn’t seem to mind, adding another 2 quick strikeouts and getting a groundout to make it 3 complete innings, a first for any Cleveland pitcher since Game 2.

And UNfortuantely, Sean Burke continued to match Gavin out there. He wouldn’t rack up the K’s, but he was extremely efficient. He would retire the first 7 batters in just 20 pitches. Petey Halpin, making his first start of the postseason (in for the struggling Angel Martinez) was the first to make Burke work, getting a 7 pitch groundout and making Burke cover the bag as well. Even just making him run for 5 seconds felt like a Win, as Burke would get Rocchio to check swing Strikeout, finishing the 3rd inning on 34 pitches and putting the Guardians on Perfect Game Watch.

0-0 thru 3.

Back out there for the 4th and Gavin was absolutely dialed in. With the heart of the White Sox order (Teel/Vargas/Murakami), Gavin would throw a 13 pitch masterpiece, striking out the side, reaching 101 and using that 2 seamer to perfection. Thru 4 innings Gavin was everything you could ever want in a Game 5 Starter, striking out 9 allowing just one base runner to reach.

In the bottom half of the inning, Kwan would record the first hit of the game, a single to CF, and we would finally get to see how Sean Burke would react out of the stretch.

Perfect timing.

The GOAT doing GOAT things. Outside of a few inconsequential solo homers in the regular season, Sean Burke was the one pitcher we haven’t been able to figure out. So leave it to Jose to golf one out that was an inch off the plate. A Homer that only he could hit, sending the crowd into a brief frenzy before they chanted his name.

Jo-seeee

Jose Jose Joseee

Jo-seeee

Jooo-se

Add in a hustle infield single, and Burke’s pitch count started to climb and Venable’s leash on him begun to shorten. Sean Newcomb would start to warm in the bullpen as we headed to the 5th inning, the Guardians holding a small 2-0 lead.

But all series long, and honestly, all season long, the White Sox had this innate ability to answer right away. And coming to the plate were some very familiar faces, one who drove Gavin out of a gem with an 18 pitch at bat just a month ago (a detail the announcers just couldn’t keep out of their mouths). But the Big Rig was more like an unstoppable train tonight, and that continued in the 5th with a strikeout, a rare groundout and another swinging strikeout. His masterpiece would continue for at least one more inning- with a line of 5IP, 1 BB, 11 K on 72 pitches. A long way to go but just an incredible line through 5 innings of an elimination game.

To the bottom of the 5th and we got some fireworks again- but not the good kind. With 1 out Greedy Petey Halpin lined one into the RF corner and seeing it slow down, Petey decided to try for 3. Well, he ain’t Greedy Petey for nothin, and was thrown out taking 3rd. In the moment, I didn’t hate it. He’s probably the fastest guy on the team and was daring the White Sox to make 3 great throws. If they don’t, he’s a Sac Fly from Rocchtober away from expanding the lead. But they did make two great throws, and our first runner in scoring position was out before we could even get a bat. After thinking about it more, and who was coming up, I don’t love the aggressiveness there. Trust one of Rocchio or Kwan to get a hit, or at least a walk to get Jose up. Gotta know who is behind you and the situation here. Don’t hate it, don’t love it, it is what it is and we are still 2-0 headed to the 6th inning.

To start the 6th DOES ANYONE GET HBP AS MUCH AS THESE GUYS? I’m sure they aren’t even that high up there, but man it feels like we’ve hit far too many of them this series. Well, from cruise control to alarms blaring in every Cleveland fan’s heart, the Sox get their leadoff man on with the top of the lineup incoming. On an 0-2 pitch nonetheless. Woof!

So Gav. You’ve thrown a gem. You have a 2 run lead. But the tying run is at the plate, how do you respond?… Quick strikeout, flyout, but then a 2 out single (the first hit for the White Sox all game) and we ask again Gav, this time in the voice of Carl Willis coming out for a meeting on the mound… You’ve thrown a gem, you’ve got the tying run on base, and the most dangerous batter Chicago has is at the plate. How, do you, respond?

He would walk Vargas on 5 non-competitive pitches, loading the bases for Munetaki Murakami and ending his day at 5.2 IP.

As I type this, I know his line isn’t final. There’s a chance that 5.2 IP has 3 ER attached to it. Hopefully Sabrowski does his job and there are no runs attached to it. But all I gotta say is Gavin spun an absolute gem. So no matter what happens, that needs to be the AND SRIK SABROWSKI STRIKES OUT MUNETAKI MURAKAMI!!! KICKSTART MY HEART AND LET OUT THAT PRIMAL ROAR YOU BEAUTIFUL CANADIAN HOSER!!!!! (I do assume Hoser is a term of endearment in Canada? Or at the very least a regular of fun name-calling banter. I apologize if it is a slur or offensive in anyway).

Whoa BABY that 6th was a ride! Now can we please add some insurance here? Because I’m counting the outs we have left and I would REALLY like a 3rd and 4th run here.

Oh no that wouldn’t happen here. Sean Newcomb put his big boy pants on tonight and would strikeout Kwany and Jose before Chase “handsomest man in the world” DeLauter squeaked one by Chase “most White Sox looking White Sox ever even more than Aaron Rowand/Paul Konerko/Joe Crede” Meidroth, but Jo Adell could not play hero and we go to the 7th, still 2-0.

Vogt would surprisingly pull Sabrowski after the one batter, putting Hunter Gaddis directly into the fire against the White Sox for what might have actually been the 18th time this season (I think it’s actually 12 which is insane anyway). Interesting decision, knowing you likely don’t want to go 2 Cade innings again, AND, it’s Hunter Gaddis…

But the Big Hairy Georgian was AWESOME, striking out 3 while allowing just one flare off the end of the bat. Another great call by Vogt, and we are 6 outs away from the ALCS. Big question now becomes, do you stuck with Gaddis for Doyle? Herrin for Antonacci/Teel/Vargas? Does Shawn Armstrong come into play? How many outs are we asking of Cade? All nerve wracking questions that would matter a whole lot less if you could just ADD A DAMN INSURANCE RUN!!!

Nope. Again, why would we do that? What’s the fun in winning easy? Why not enter every inning with a solid chance at colossal heart break? What’s the saying? It’s better to have loved and lost rather than to win by 5 or 6? Something like that?

Onto the 8th inning, and Hunter Gaddis comes back out after a 14 pitch, BEAUTIFUL 7th, ready to throw pitch 15 and possibly more for the 9th hitter and beyond. Randall Grichuk, he of Guardian faithful Free Agency dreams (and then again of the Waiver Wire), would pinch-strikeout for Doyle before the lineup would turn over. Gaddis stayed on; so of course Antonacci would get the Sox 3rd hit of the night (all were flares off the end of the bat), which would be all that Vogt needed to go to the ‘pen, hopefully one last time (in a good way), where he’d be calling on Cade Smith to get 5 outs.

Look, I trust Cade Smith more than any pitcher we’ve maybe ever had. But Thursday’s appearance, as well as the fact that he’s thrown in every game this series, has me more nervous than I’ve ever been with him taking the mound. Usually, I’m as steady as a rock. Tonight, I’m a shaky wet puddle on the floor.

Oh Jaker, ye of little faith. Cade would scare me for two pitches way out of the zone before coming back to strike out Teel and then getting Vargas to pop up to Bailey. Cade Smith. K’d. The Cade Crusader. Gettin the job done like he has 200 times before.

3 outs away

So please, one final time, can I get an insurance run???

Well, we’d get our chance. Halpin would lead the inning off with a double off the top of the wall, but Grant Taylor would come in and somehow get the job done by getting Rocchio to ground out, walking Kwan and then Jose (intentionally), then two sharp groundouts from Chase and Jo. 0-3 with RISP on the night. Would it bite us one final time in a year where it seemingly did once every series? Would 2 runs be enough for the extremely overused Cade Smith?

1.

2.

3.

BALLGAME.

Unbelievable. The Cleveland Guardians come back from down 2 games to none to advance to the American League Championship Series for the 2nd time in 3 seasons under Steven Vogt! Incredible pitching to set strikeout records in both game 4 with 19 in 9 innings and then again in game 5 with 21 strikeouts.

Gavin Williams. Jose Ramirez. Cade Smith. THAT IS GUARDSBALL BABY.

——

Let me just say, major shout out to the Chicago White Sox. What they overcame this year was remarkable. I mean, this was their second best season in the last 100 years, and they almost beat us! It was close. Now, we might take our seasons for granted here, ya know, we just wake up and win the division so the ALCS is way more in our wheelhouse. But in Chicago it’s basically a pipe dream. So for them to come so close to it, is truly remarkable. They deserve a lot of credit for putting together such an incredible Wild Card round Win for one of their greatest moments in franchise history. And they almost won the division too. Great stuff guys really!

No, no trolling. In all seriousness the White Sox and Guardians were neck and neck all year and it made plenty of sense that this came down to a Winner-Take-All Game 5. They were a formidable opponent that I would’ve hated to lose to because, well, I just don’t like them. But damn it did I respect their game all season long. They got the better of us just as often as we did them (literally, the regular and post season series came out to 9-9).

What a year, and we ain’t done. ALCS starts Monday night in Tampa. I have no idea who’s pitching and I do not care. Let’s enjoy this ride Cleveland! See you Monday!!!

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MLB playoff bracket 2026: Printable bracket for ALCS, NLCS

The matchups are now set for the American and National League Championship Series.

It's a battle of NL heavyweights as a pair of 100-win teams stage a rematch of last year's NLCS with the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers looking to avenge their loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers will have to break through on the road once again if they hope to make it three titles in a row.

Meanwhile, the AL matchup offers the complete opposite, with the top-seeded Rays looking to get back to the World Series for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2020 season – and hoping to win it for the first time in franchise history.

They'll be heavy favorites over the Cleveland Guardians, who had to survive a grueling five-game division series just to get here.

Printable MLB playoff bracket: 2026 League Championship Series update

MLB playoff bracket, schedule

* - if necessary

ALCS: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians/Chicago White Sox

All times Eastern

  • Game 1: Monday, Oct. 12. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
  • Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 13. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
  • Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 15. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 6 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
  • Game 4: Friday, Oct. 16. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 6 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
  • *Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 17. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
  • *Game 6: Monday, Oct. 19. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 5 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
  • *Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 20. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max

NLCS: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

All times Eastern

  • Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 11. Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
  • Game 2: Monday, Oct. 12. Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
  • Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 14. Brewers at Dodgers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
  • Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 15. Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
  • *Game 5: Friday, Oct. 16. Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
  • *Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 18. Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
  • *Game 7: Monday, Oct. 19. Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One

2026 World Series

  • Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23
  • Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24
  • Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26
  • Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27
  • *Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 28
  • *Game 6: Friday, Oct. 30
  • *Game 7: Saturday, Oct. 31

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoff bracket 2026: Printable bracket for ALCS, NLCS

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Guardians stun White Sox with 21 strikeouts to win ALDS after 0-2 deficit

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams reacts after a strikeout, Image 2 shows Petey Halpin of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after hitting a double against the Chicago White Sox during Game 5 of the American League Division Series, Image 3 shows A fan holds up a handmade sign that reads

CLEVELAND — Gavin Williams had 12 of a record 21 strikeouts by Cleveland pitchers, José Ramírez hit a go-ahead home run on a pitch just above home plate and the Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 Saturday night to complete a comeback from an 0-2 deficit in their best-of-five AL Division Series.

Cleveland opens the AL Championship Series at Tampa Bay on Monday night, seeking its first World Series trip since 2016.

The Guardians/Indians franchise hasn’t won the title since 1948, the longest drought among MLB teams.

Guardians pitchers set a record for strikeouts in a nine-inning postseason game and the most in any regular or postseason game since at least 1900.

Petey Halpin celebrates after hitting a double during the eighth inning of the Guaridans’ series-clinching win over the White Sox in Game 5 of their ALDS matchup on Oct. 10, 2026 at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Getty Images

The White Sox got just three hits, put only nine balls in play and finished the series with 75 strikeouts and a .185 batting average.

“It was less about chase and more about being attacked in the zone and swing and miss in the zone,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Just didn’t have what it would have took to move some balls forward there.”

Cleveland became just the 11th team to win a best-of-five series among the 96 that fell behind 0-2, the first since the 2017 Yankees against the Indians and only the fourth to achieve the feat after losing the first two games at home.

Two days after saving Game 4, Williams became just the third pitcher in postseason history to get the last out of a game and start the following game when his team faced elimination in both.

He didn’t allow a hit until Kyle Teel looped a knuckle-curve into right field with two outs in the sixth, two innings after Ramírez homered for the second straight game, a two-run drive off Sean Burke.

After a walk loaded the bases, Erik Sabrowski relieved and struck out Munetaka Murakami on a foul tip, the pitcher letting out a yell.

Williams’ 12 strikeouts tied Cleveland’s record for a postseason game. He got 22 swings and misses, and his 24 strikeouts over three games were one shy of the mark for best-of-five postseason series.

“That was big-boy stuff today,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’ve seen other performances like that in the postseason, but to do it in this stage and these types of games facing three straight elimination and you have one of your starters say I will pitch whenever you need me to, super impressive.”

Guardians react with their signs during the ninth inning of their Game 5 series-clinching home win over the White Sox. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hunter Gaddis followed Sabrowski and got four outs, and Cade Smith finished for his first career five-out save, striking out the side in the ninth. He blew a fastball by Tristan Peters for the final out, setting off a celebration at Progressive Field.

Chicago, the first team to reach the playoffs after three straight 100-loss seasons, has not won the World Series since 2005.

Ramírez homered on a knuckle-curve 0.74 feet above ground, the lowest pitch hit for a postseason home run since tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast, and the lowest hit by Ramirez in his 14-year big league career.

Steven Kwan had singled leading off the fourth ahead of Ramírez’s sixth postseason homer, which went just over the wall near the right-field line.

Cleveland starter Gavin Williams pumps his fist after a strikeout in the fifth inning of the Guardians’ Game 5 series-clinching win over the White Sox. AP Photo/Phil Long

Murakami and Andrew Benintendi struck out four times each, and Teel and Chase Meidroth three times apiece.

Up next

Tampa Bay went 5-1 against the Guardians, including three shutouts.

It will be the third postseason meeting of the teams following the Rays’ win in the 2013 wild card game and the Guardians’ sweep in the 2022 wild card series.

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Sixers Bell Ringer: Edgecombe’s growth, Walker’s strong preseason continue

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 10: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics on October 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Preseason Bell Ringer rankings:

Jaylen Brown – 1
LeBron James – 1

The Sixers got off to a 10-2 start against the Celtics, but things looked bleak by halftime.

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope due to rest. Dominick Barlow (back), Anfernee Simons (hamstring), Adem Bona (foot) and Tacko Fall (hip) are still nursing injuries.

We saw flashes of the Vj-Maxx connection early in the first, as Tyrese Maxey fed VJ Edgecombe for a transition finish and corner three. Amidst the Celtics’ barrage, and Sixers lenient defense, there were Bell Ringer-worthy performances.

VJ Edgecombe: 19 points, 6-of-11 FG, 2-of-5 3PT, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 turnovers

Edgecombe got the three to fall quickly after going 0-for-2 on Thursday and was cooking Payton Pritchard on multiple occasions.

He blazed past him on a drive just seconds into the second quarter. A few minutes later, Edgecombe took Pritchard in the post with a beautiful fadeaway baseline jumper.

He is looking more comfortable finishing through contact and strong at the rim.

Jabari Walker: 14 points, 6-of-11 FG, 2-of-7 3PT, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover

Walker looked great in all facets, and is earning himself more minutes this preseason. He battled on the offensive glass and created an easy oppurtunity for himself early.

He showcased an ability to create offense and make quick decisions with a nice pass to a cutting Dean Wade during the Sixers’ 10-2 run to begin the game.

Honorable Mentions

Labaron Philon Jr.: 14 points, 5-of-13 FG, 4-of-8 3PT, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Philon’s shot looks very good, but the question will be if he can survive defensively. The rookie showcased his playmaking potential all night including a smooth bounce pass to Walker in the third.

Dean Wade: 5 points, 2-of-4 FG, 1-of-3 3PT, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover

It may be hard to imagine given the star-studded roster, but Wade will be a fan-favorite by the end of the year. He does all of the little things — sets solid screens, hits the three, can battle in the post, and was fighting for rebounds with Celtics that were considerably taller than him.

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WE ARE GOING TO THE ALCS!!!

CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 10: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the fourth inning in game five of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on October 10, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

LETS GOOOOOOOOOO!!! YOUR CLEVELAND GUARDIANS ARE GOING TO THE ALCS!!! WHAT A GAME!!! WHAT A SERIES!!!

Where do we start? That was one of the most enjoyable games I’ve ever watched. Gavin Williams, after closing Game 4 out less than 48 hours ago, had maybe the best start of his career in the most important game of his career. THAT is what an ace does.

How about our goat??? After one of his toughest seasons(due to injury), Jose Ramirez had maybe his best playoff series ever. He absolutely put the offense on his back in every win.

Gavin Williams was unbelievable tonight, but this entire pitching staff deserves their flowers. They were all incredible tonight after some not so great performances earlier in this series. Erik Sabrowski, NAILS, and Hunter Gaddis, for all of his playoff mishaps, was absolutely crucial in this game. They don’t win this game without his 5 out performance. And then of course, the best reliever in all of baseball did what the best reliever in all of baseball does. DOMINANCE.

I know it’s just the ALDS, but this was a series and specifically a game that I will never forget. Seeing all of our stars deliver at the highest level and in the most high leverage situations is truly what being a baseball fan is all about. You can not ask for anything more than what the Guardians gave us tonight. Emjoy it y’all, we’re on to the Rays.

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MLB playoff predictions for Dodgers-Brewers and Guardians-Rays LCS

Major League Baseball is officially on to its semifinals with the matchups set for the best-of-seven American and National League Championship Series that begin on Sunday, Oct 11.

In the AL, the Tampa Bay Rays have home-field advantage against the Cleveland Guardians, with Tampa looking to get over the hump to the World Series for the third time in franchise history (2008 and 2020).

The NLCS features a Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewersrematch from a year ago, with the Dodgers sweeping aside the Brewers – who like this season, were the NL's top seed. But this Milwaukee team won 103 games and features one of the game's best pitching staffs, led by likely NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski.

The Brewers and Rays are among the five MLB teams that have never won a World Series title, joined by the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies. The World Series is scheduled to begin on Friday, Oct. 23 in Milwaukee or Los Angeles, as both NL finalists have better records than their AL counterparts.

Rays vs Guardians prediction

  • Bob Nightengale: Rays in 5
  • Gabe Lacques: Rays in 5
  • Jesse Yomtov: Rays in 6

Buy 2026 ALCS tickets

Dodgers vs Brewers prediction

  • Bob Nightengale: Brewers in 7
  • Gabe Lacques: Brewers in 6
  • Jesse Yomtov: Dodgers in 5

Buy Dodgers-Brewers tickets

When does the World Series start?

The 2026 World Series begins on Friday, Oct. 23 featuring the winners of the AL and NL Championship Series.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB playoff predictions for Dodgers-Brewers and Guardians-Rays LCS

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This Hour Has 22 Minutes (Without A Shot), But Senators Still Rally To Beat Nashville In A Shootout

The Senators went more than 22 minutes without a shot on goal on Saturday night, but somehow managed to find a way to pull out a 3-2 shootout victory over the Nashville Predators at Canadian Tire Centre.

Drake Batherson played the hero in regulation, scoring with just 1:23 remaining with Linus Ullmark on the bench for an extra attacker. Tim Stützle, who had already scored the Sens'  first goal of the night, picked up an assist on the equalizer before adding a goal in the shootout.

He's off a fabulous start with 8 points in five games, good for ninth in the league, as of this writing.

Shane Pinto eventually delivered the shootout winner as the Senators improved to 4-1 on the young season.

It certainly wasn't a Rembrandt, especially through the first half of the game, when the Senators struggled to generate much of anything.

Nashville opened the scoring at 8:50 of the first period when Ross Colton beat Ullmark for his first goal of the season. It was a fortunate bounce off a skate that skipped right on to Colton's tape. Ullmark couldn't get over to his left in time to stop the wrist shot that went over his head.

The Predators doubled their lead at 13:10 when Jonathan Marchessault scored his first of the year on the power play. He beat Ullmark from a bad angle between the legs, but coverage-wise, he had way more room to operate than he should have.

The Sens managed just four shots on goal in the opening period and went through an incredible stretch of more than 22 minutes without a single shot.

But the Senators finally broke through at 9:29 of the second when Stützle scored his fourth goal of the season on the power play on a perfect feed from Dylan Cozens, cutting Nashville's lead to 2-1.

Despite their struggles, the Senators were still within striking distance in the third, but with things looking bleak late, they made their final push count.

With Ullmark on the bench for an extra attacker, Batherson scored his third goal of the season at 18:37 of the third period, tying the game at 2. At the right point, Stützle had no shooting lane, but he did have Shane Pinto in the slot.

He ripped a hard pass at him and Pinto redirected it. It would have gone wide, but Batherson was standing at the left post and it went in off his leg.

It was a fine rescue for a Sens team that had spent much of the night struggling to create anything.

Overtime gave the Sens a fantastic opportunity to complete the comeback on a four-on-three power play. But the best OT scoring opportunity came immediately after the Nashville penalty expired.

Roman Josi stepped out of the box and found himself on a breakaway, but Ullmark came up with a huge save, turning aside a wrist shot to keep the Sens alive.

That set the stage for the shootout, where Ryan O'Reilly scored for Nashville to give them a 1-0 lead.

Stützle answered for the Senators to tie it, Pinto gave them the lead, and Ullmark stopped Steven Stamkos on the Preds last gasp to secure the win.

Ullmark finished with 16 saves on 18 shots, while Nashville goaltender Matt Murray (not that Matt Murray) stopped 18 of the Sens' 20 shots.

Both teams finished 1-for-6 on the power play, a sluggish 16.7 percent success rate. 

This was the kind of close game in the past that the Senators would oftenlet get away from them. But they managed to turn what was shaping up to be a frustrating evening into their fourth victory in five games.

It definitely wasn't pretty, but as they say, there's no room for description on the scoresheet.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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Daniil Tarasov Shines, But Red Wings Shut Out 1-0 In Marathon Shootout Loss To Habs

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Despite another strong performance, including an impressive debut from goaltender Daniil Tarasov, the Detroit Red Wings couldn't find the back of the net Saturday night.

The Montreal Canadiens escaped with a 1-0 shootout victory at Bell Centre after Zachary Bolduc scored the only goal in the sixth round.

Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped all 30 shots he faced through regulation and overtime before denying all six Red Wings attempts in the shootout, turning aside Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Viktor Arvidsson, Dylan Larkin, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Nate Danielson. 

Tarasov, making his first start with the Red Wings, was equally impressive, stopping 30 shots in regulation and overtime.

The Red Wings, playing their first game away from Little Caesars Arena this season and their second in 24 hours, were once again heavily shorthanded up front because of the absences of Marco Kasper, J.T. Compher, and Mason Appleton.

Additionally, defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

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Detroit received a trio of breaks during the contest, as three would-be goals by the Canadiens would be overturned, including a snipe from Bolduc in overtime that was called back for offside. 

Todd McLellan: Brandsegg-Nygård's Playing Style A Good Example For Others Todd McLellan: Brandsegg-Nygård's Playing Style A Good Example For Others Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan noted that the playing style of Michael Brandsegg-Nygård is what several other players on the roster could be emulating.

Unfortunately for the Red Wings, it's the second time that they've been shut out through the first five games of the 2026-27 campaign. 

The Red Wings will return home for another trio of games in downtown Detroit, starting Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. 

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Celtics crush Sixers 144-106 in first preseason matchup

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 10: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Payton Pritchard’s 25 points and Jayson Tatum’s 23 led the Boston Celtics to a dominant 144-106 home win over the Jaylen Brown-less Philadelphia 76ers in the C’s second preseason game of the 2026-27 season.

The game provided first glimpses of Paul George and Mitchell Robinson playing in green, and marked Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Neemias Queta, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser’s return to action. All seven sat out of Thursday’s preseason opener against Cleveland.

Boston’s starters included White, Jordan Walsh, Tatum, George, and Robinson. Hauser, Queta, and Pritchard came off the bench for their first minutes of the year.

Ron Harper Jr. was out with right shoulder soreness and Devin Carter, who starred in the game against Cleveland, was out with an illness.

The Sixers deployed a starting lineup of Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Justin Edwards, Dean Wade, and Jabari Walker. Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were inactive for Philly.

The Celtics’ starters looked clunky in their first minutes together, and couldn’t get much going early. Tatum and George both missed a couple midrange shot attempts and Tatum missed Robinson on an early alley-oop attempt. It was Edgecombe who broke the ice with an and-1 reverse layup, and Philly took an early 8-0 lead while Boston was still back-rimming every shot it took.

Tatum was passing well early, regardless of all the missed shots. He got it to White and Walsh for a couple open three-point attempts, but they bricked both. Robinson finally put the C’s on the scoreboard with a putback dunk, and White scored Boston’s second bucket of the game. George clunked another midrange shot attempt, but got fouled and hit 1 of 2 free throws for his first points as a Celtic.

Boston didn’t get it going until about halfway through the first quarter, when shots started falling. Queta and Hauser were the first substitutions of the game and injected some life into the offense, but JT also kicked into gear. He got a dunk off a George steal for his first points of the game, made a nice pass to a slashing Queta for an easy bucket, and hit a couple three-pointers to cut Philly’s lead to 16-15 with less than 3 minutes to go in the opening frame.

Over those final minutes, JT hit a tough midrange shot and hit a cutting Hauser with a clean dime to secure the Celtics’ first lead of the game, 19-18. By the time Pritchard ended the quarter with a couple free throws, Boston had a 24-20 lead over Philadelphia.

The Celtics maintained their momentum from the end of the first quarter with some hot shooting and hard rebounding in the second.

Robinson opened the frame and was active banging down low, but the whole team was active on the boards. One offensive rebound resulted in a Pritchard three-pointer, and Robinson put another back for a bucket of his own.

Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez also provided some good energy off the bench. Scheierman made a nice pass that resulted in a Hugo Gonzalez bucket, then got a steal on the very next play. Gonzalez drew an offensive foul on one play and knocked down an open three-pointer soon after to put the Celtics up 38-28 four minutes into the quarter.

While the first quarter was close, the second quarter was a one-sided bloodbath.

Pritchard (who scored 11 points in the quarter) got hot and hit a few three-pointers to keep Boston rolling, JT came back in to play the last half of the second quarter, and George — who was racking up steals and deflections left and right — finally got his shot to fall.

The C’s really started to pull away in the latter half of the second quarter. Hauser got a steal and passed it forward to JT for an easy transition dunk. The next play down, White got another steal and got it to George, who hit an open three-pointer that forced the Sixers to call a timeout in an attempt to stop the bleeding. But, by that point, Boston was already up 53-35.

George hit another three-pointer a few minutes later to secure a 21-point Boston lead with less than a minute to go in the half. Boston ended the half with a 63-42 lead and won the quarter 39-22.

Pritchard led the C’s in first-half scoring with 15 points and 4 assists. Tatum had 14 points and George racked up 11 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.

Edgecombe led Philly with 14 points, 3 assists and 4 steals.

The second half opened with a couple ugly missed free throws from Robinson, but Walsh put on a show as the C’s kept their collective foot on the Sixers’ neck. He got a slick block that resulted in a White three-pointer, then got a three-pointer of his own while capitalizing on Robinson’s gravity down low.

Philadelphia seemed to increase its effort on the court, but it didn’t make too much of a difference early in the third quarter. White got a couple buckets, Walsh got another three-pointer, and Tatum hit a three-pointer to put the C’s up 85-61 with about five-and-a-half minutes to go in the quarter. George got his fifth steal of the game on the next play and dunked it to extend the lead even further.

Despite the big lead, the Celtics didn’t take their foot off the gas. Philly’s shots were no longer falling, as Boston’s defensive activity stifled the Sixers’ offense, but everything was going right for the C’s. Tatum made a nice underhanded pass to Pritchard for a deep three-pointer, then got a steal on the next play. After a Gonzalez layup and another Pritchard 3, Boston had a 31-point lead with less than 2 minutes to go in the third quarter.

With the help of another three-pointer — this time from Hauser — and a couple Pritchard free throws, the C’s ended the quarter with a 104-69 lead.

With the win all but secured, the Celtics opened the final frame with Pritchard, Hauser, Scheierman, Gonzalez and Garza on the floor. Garza immediately racked up two offensive rebounds — one off a miss of his own — and made a putback layup for the first points of the quarter.

The squad kept up Boston’s torrid pace on both ends of the court. Garza got another putback layup and Scheierman got a couple of steals, which resulted in three-pointers for both Hauser and himself.

After the C’s took a 124-88 lead with 6:52 to go, Boston subbed in Dillon Mitchell and Chris Cenac Jr. But the fun didn’t end there. Gonzalez hit another three-pointer and Mitchell made a layup soon after. Cenac got a couple easy buckets, including a strong dunk which gave the Celtics a 138-94 lead with 3 minutes to go in the contest.

With the help of Gonzalez’s fourth three-pointer of the night (he hit all four attempts), the Celtics finished with a 144-106 win — the highest scoring preseason win in franchise history.

Tatum, who didn’t play a minute of the fourth quarter, ended the game with 23 points on 47.4% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from deep, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal.

Pritchard had 25 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds.

George finished his first game as a Celtic with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals.

Robinson had 6 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist.

Gonzalez, White, and Hauser finished with 17, 15, and 11 points, respectively.

On the other end of the court, Edgecombe finished with 19 points, 4 assists and 4 steals.

Overall, Boston dominated the Sixers on the boards, 70-41, including an 18-7 difference in offensive rebounds, and put up 11 more shot attempts than Philadelphia.

The Celtics’ next preseason game will be against the Charlotte Hornets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at home in TD Garden. The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston and locally live-streamed via Peacock.

Boston will face Philly again in its preseason finale on Friday, Oct. 16, before the regular season begins with a road game against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

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Bolduc scores in shootout as the Canadiens outlast the Red Wings 1-0

MONTREAL (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored in the sixth round of a shootout, Jacob Fowler made 30 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 on Saturday night.

After Bolduc beat Daniil Tarasov through the pads for the first score in the tiebreaker, Fowler stopped Nate Danielson.

Montreal ended a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-2-1. It won for first time on home ice in three outings this season.

Fowler had his second career shutout for the Canadiens. The 21-year-old was making his second straight start for Montreal after being recalled from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

Tarasov made 30 saves in his first start for the Red Wings.

Detroit (1-3-1), playing in its first road game of the season, dropped its second game in two nights after falling 6-3 to the Seattle Kraken on Friday night.

Cole Caufield’s shot 1:16 into the game was deemed not to have crossed the goal line, while Bolduc’s second-period goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference by Jake Evans on Tarasov. A third apparent Montreal goal, this one courtesy of Alexandre Texier, was called back for offside midway through overtime.

In addition to cheering on the home team, Canadiens fans spent much of the game showing their appreciation for Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin. The crowd repeatedly broke into chants of “We want Larkin! We want Larkin!” in a bid to persuade the American to make Montreal his next destination. The former Red Wings captain requested a trade out of Detroit this past offseason.

Up next

Red Wings: Host New Jersey on Tuesday night.

Canadiens: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

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Wizards vs. Pistons recap: D.C survives 114-108 OT thriller

WASHINGTON, DC -  OCTOBER 10: AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons on October 10, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Washington Wizards’ clash with the Detroit Pistons on Saturday was arguably one of the greatest preseason contests in franchise history. The Wizards’ 114-108 overtime win at Capital One Arena had everything fans could have asked for.

The first quarter was virtually every Wizards supporter’s wet dream for the upcoming season. Trae Young and AJ Dybantsa were throwing endless lobs to Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr. DC’s defense turned into offense at every opportunity, with outlet passes leading to 19 fastbreak points in the opening period alone.

Tre Johnson also caught fire to close the first with three triples to help build a 40-20 lead after the first 12 minutes of action.

The Washington Express lost some steam in the second quarter as the Wizards went nearly four full minutes without scoring. The first bucket of the quarter was emphatic: Dybantsa served up another lob dunk to Sarr.

Dybantsa also showed off some transition wizardry with a behind-the-back move to get past three Pistons defenders for an And-1. Dybantsa and Johnson each had 12, while Davis and Kyshawn George had 10 apiece as Washington led 56-50 at the half.

Trae Young scored his first and only field goal of the game to start the third quarter, then got ejected minutes later following an altercation with Daniss Jenkins. He left the game with 2 points, 8 assists, and 5 turnovers as the Wizards’ lead shrank to 80-78 through three quarters.

Brian Keefe rode the third-stringers in the fourth quarter as the Pistons took a 94-87 lead with five minutes to go, in what was shaping up to be a loss. That’s when Will Riley, Justin Champagnie, and Felix Okpara shined.

Okpara hit a three-pointer, then put a Piston on a poster in back-to-back possessions. The game went into overtime, where the Wizards came out on top 114-108.

Riley and Johnson led the Wizards with 15 points. Dybantsa, shaky jumper aside, showed flashes of greatness throughout his 14-point, 7-rebound outing.

It’s only preseason, but this Washington team already has fans buzzing in anticipation of opening night.

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Islanders fail first real test against Lightning — despite bright spots

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer celebrates with a teammate after scoring a goal.
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

The Islanders liked the direction in which they were trending over the season’s first four games. 

Until Saturday, though, they had not been tested against a true contender. 

Now they have, and while the Islanders can be happy with pieces of their game, the overall results won’t be to their liking. 

The Lightning were faster and smarter. Mostly, Tampa Bay played a more complete 60 minutes than the Islanders in beating them 5-3 at UBS Arena on the back of Brandon Hagel’s hat trick. 

“Just didn’t show up quite on time,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “But when we did show up, we went nose to nose with them.” 

Center Jake Guentzel (59) celebrates his goal with left wing Brandon Hagel (38), who had a hat trick of his own, during the second period of the Islanders’ 5-3 loss to the Lightning on Oct. 10, 2026 at UBS Arena. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

Want to know why it’s so important to take care of business on nights like Thursday against Chicago or this coming Tuesday against Vancouver? Saturday is why. 

It is a testament to their resilience as well as their penalty-killing on a night when the Islanders spent more than seven minutes in the box that they entered the late stages of the game still very much in it. 

As has been the case a few times early this season, the Islanders grew into the game as it went on, finally starting to apply pressure and take away Andrei Vasilevskiy’s eyes in the second period. That resulted in Tony DeAngelo’s goal that made it 2-1, while Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s that made it 3-2 at 11:41 of the period may have been more about Matthew Schaefer’s supreme skill.

Schaefer walked the line, deked Anthony Cirelli clean and let loose a shot that Pageau tipped past Vasilevskiy before an emphatic celebration.

At that point, Schaefer started to take over the game. His skill on the puck helped set up the game-tying goal with seven seconds left in the second period, as a juggling keep-in led to Brayden Schenn getting to Kyle Palmieri’s pass across, with Erik Cernak’s stick giving a last touch on the way into the net. 

Matthew Schaefer (48) celebrates with a teammate after assisting on a goal during the second period of the Islanders’ loss to the Lightning. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

That gave way to a rollicking third, by far the most entertaining hockey the Islanders have played this season: end-to-end, physical, breathless. 

With under two minutes to go, it was still deadlocked at 3-3, but the Lightning again had started to tilt the ice. It didn’t take a long offensive-zone shift to take the lead, though: Hagel beat Ilya Sorokin clean on an innocuous-looking shot from the right circle with 1:44 to go and then completed his hat trick into an empty net just 21 seconds later. 

“We passed quite a few of the tests in my mind of how we have to play,” DeBoer said. “You just have to do it for 60 minutes. You can’t spot a team like that two goals.” 

The details and ethic that DeBoer is trying, bit by bit, to instill in this team have long since been perfected by Jon Cooper’s squad. There were stretches during which the Islanders looked on Tampa’s level, but also, over 60 minutes — and particularly the first 20 — too many when they did not. 

Andrei Vasilevskiy defends against Bo Horvat during the third period of the Islanders’ loss to the Lightning. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, once a shutdown top pair in back-to-back conference finals against this team, epitomized it more than anyone. The duo, reunited in the wake of Alexander Romanov’s ACL tear, was badly victimized by Hagel, who skated through both of them to make it 2-0 Tampa late in the first, then a second time by Jake Guentzel, who was left free near the crease to score the Lightning’s third on the power play. 

“The start, it’s just unacceptable,” Pelech told The Post. “Partially on me. I was on for a couple goals they scored in the first period. Better execution, I think more intensity of battles, winning more battles, committing more to the way we have to play to be successful right off the bat.” 

The puck management, an issue on which DeBoer has harped over the last few days, was an issue too, particularly early in the game as the Islanders breakouts consistently were stymied by their own decision-making. 

Two things that seem contradictory but are not: It is an unequivocal positive that the Islanders got better throughout the game, and it is unacceptable — perhaps game-losing — that they took 25 or so minutes to look like they were in it. 

“We’re gonna get better,” Schaefer said. “We’re gonna have a better start, hopefully, next time and keep it going throughout the game.”

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Dodgers confident Shohei Ohtani will break out of his slump against Brewers

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani works out Saturday at American Family Field.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani works out Saturday at American Family Field ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against Milwaukee Brewers. (Kyla Wolf / Associated Press)

Shohei Ohtani blistered a ball into the second deck in right-center field. Then he launched another, this time a little closer to the imposing video board looming over American Family Field that bore the massive “2026 NLCS” logo.

“Good day of work for him,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said after the Dodgers’ workout Saturday. “Him and Bookie [Mookie Betts] had been talking hitting the last few days. His idea to hit on the field. New field, new backdrop, that sort of thing.”

Ohtani has only hit in batting practice on a field a handful of times this season. But ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, he had an extended session off the machine.

Read more:By not overextending itself vs. Braves, Dodgers' rotation primed for success vs. Brewers

“Just trying not to flip the barrel so soon,” Bates said of what Ohtani has focused on mechanically. “Get comfortable in the setup so he feels like he’s in a good position to swing the bat, but mostly just not have his top hand roll over too soon. Then just sticking his finish, and that helps him reverse engineer, keeps the effort level low and obviously just on the ball longer.”

Ohtani went two for 13 in the NLDS, recording two singles in the first two games. The four-time MVP will try to overcome his recent struggles when he faces Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1.

Misiorowski raised his own bar in his second major-league season. But Ohtani’s struggles bumped him down to the No. 5 and 4 spots in the Dodgers’ lineup for games 3 and 4, respectively, against the Atlanta Braves.

Ohtani’s recent slump, however, isn’t going to change how Misiorowski pitches to him.

“It’s still October,” the Brewers ace said. “You’ve got to still pitch like he’s the best in the world and trust your stuff and go beat him at his game, and do your job.”

That track record is what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is leaning on, too, as he continues to predict that Ohtani will bust out of his funk.

“There’s nothing right now I’m going to hang my hat on outside of, I just believe in the person and the talent,” Roberts said in a conference call Friday. “I do think that getting a couple days out of a game environment to kind of work on his swing, rest the body, rest the mind is a benefit. I’m just never going to count Shohei out.”

Ohtani’s biggest contribution in the NLDS didn’t involve a swing. In his first at-bat of Game 4, he took advantage of Tyler Mahle taking a careful approach with him, drawing a five-pitch walk. Then he stole second base and capitalized on a pair of Braves errors to score.

“Outside of [Chris] Sale, I thought he did a good job of controlling the zone,” Roberts said. “I saw some better swings.”

Dodgers players work out at American Family Field on Saturday ahead of Game 1.Dodgers players take part in an off-day workout on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS.Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal walks on the field during practice.Dodgers rookie Josue DePaula kneels on the field during practice.
Dodgers players work out at American Family Field on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers. Dodgers players take part in an off-day workout on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS. Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal walks on the field during practice. Dodgers rookie Josue DePaula kneels on the field during practice. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

But the Dodgers also expressed optimism while Ohtani was on the injured list, and again after he had the bye week to work on his swing.

“It feels really good overall,” Ohtani said last Oct. 2, the last time he addressed the media. “I do feel like my swing is in a better place, feels smooth, and just a little tweak here and there, and I’ll be ready.”

Ohtani didn’t will a hot streak into existence then. But the Dodgers keep preaching optimism.

“If he’s in the batter’s box, he’s still a threat,” Roberts said Saturday. “He swung the bat well against these guys last postseason. Their memories — those pitchers, their memories are long. Now it’s just up to Shohei to understand that and control the strike zone. They’re just not going to give in to him regardless of how he might be swinging the bat over the last couple months, in my opinion.”

Read more:Shaikin: Here's why the Dodgers-Brewers NLCS might have been decided in August

Roster decision

Roberts said he expects infielder Miguel Rojas to be on the Dodgers’ NLCS roster despite sustaining a back injury in Game 3 of the NLDS.

The Dodgers also plan to add a pitcher and remove a position player, to balance the roster at 13 pitchers and 13 position players.

“Length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching,” Roberts said when asked what the Dodgers would prioritize. “As far as handedness, they’re pretty balanced. So that really doesn’t come into play. I think for us, it’s more of, who can take down a couple innings if something in a medium- to lower-leverage situation?”

Right-hander Emmet Sheehan and left-hander Justin Wrobleski could fit that description.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Edgecombe, Philon shine, but shorthanded Sixers beat up by Celtics’ regulars

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 10: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics on October 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Jaylen Brown made his return to Boston Saturday, but we’ll have to wait until the regular season to see him face off against his former team.

Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were all out as the Sixers took on Paul George, making his preseason debut, and the Celtics Saturday night. With Boston using its regular rotation, the shorthanded Sixers got crushed 144-106.

VJ Edgecombe was sensational, dropping 19 points (6-of-11 from the field, 2-of-5 from three) and recording four assists and four steals. Tyrese Maxey struggled from the field as he found himself in early foul trouble and saw a lot of bodies throughout the night. He was 2-of-10 for eight points. Jabari Walker, who continued his impressive preseason, pitched in 14 points and five rebounds. Rookie Labaron Philon, Jr. impressed with 14 points (4-of-8 from three) and seven assists.

Anfernee Simons (hamstring), Dominick Barlow (back), Adem Bona (foot) and Tacko Fall (hip) all remained out for the Sixers.

Only one more of these next Friday back at the crib before they start counting.

Here are some takeaways from the night.

First quarter

  • Edgecombe pulled up confidently from three in transition, but missed. Maxey found him in the corner and Edgecombe finally buried his first triple of the preseason. Sandwiched in between was a gorgeous up-and-under, and-one lefty finish.
  • I loved the Dean Wade signing when they made it. I love it even more watching Wade through three preseason games. Some guys just know how to play … and too often those guys haven’t been members of the Sixers.
  • Jabari Walker is having a terrific preseason. It’s no small task to go up against a true bruising center like Mitchell Robinson. Walker acquitted himself quite well. He’s playing himself into a role.
  • Another game with an early scare. Edgecombe was flying down the floor in transition. As he left the ground in the paint and passed it to the corner to Rayan Rupert, he went down hard. He stayed down for a moment, but eventually got up — and looked mad he didn’t get a whistle. He exited the game briefly, but was back in before the period ended.
  • With so many guys out, Labaron Philon, Rayan Rupert and Dillon Jones all got first-quarter minutes.
  • Philon made yet another beautiful move into the paint and saw a floater go in and out, a theme for the rookie so far this preseason. His miss was rebounded and kicked back out to him and he buried a three. Like the moxie from the kid.
  • Turnovers were a big issue in Brooklyn. The Sixers had seven in the first quarter Saturday. Maxey was just 1-of-6 from the field to start as he was aggressively trapped (because Joe Mazzulla is a crazy person). Edgecombe led the team with six points, going 2-of-5. Neither team shot the ball well, but the Celtics took a 24-20 lead after one

Second quarter

  • Edgecombe kicked off the quarter with a beautiful drive and finish. His improved handle and finishing have been on full display. This is a star in the making.
  • Wade started the period playing as the five against Robinson. Wade held his own when they dumped it down to Robinson in the post, forcing a miss.
  • Justin Edwards got the start tonight. Unfortunately, his rough preseason continued. He looks indecisive and is struggling to contain anyone defensively.
  • Don’t like to make officiating a thing (especially in the preseason), but my goodness, the Sixers are not getting a kind whistle.
  • The Sixers are playing multiple Exhibit 10 signees and a two-way player against Boston’s rotation guys, so the score got ugly, but it also gave Edgecombe a chance to cook — and boy, did he cook. He’s been incredibly impressive in the preseason.
  • Philon with a middie fadeaway in Derrick White’s eye. Fearless. He then made a beautiful read and found Rupert in the opposite corner. Rupert bricked the three. Rupert is another guy having a rough preseason.
  • Maxey just blocked the shit out of George, who’s having a brutal night. Really great help defense by Saint Thomas. Thomas has actually looked decent in limited minutes.
  • Another brutal turnover from Edwards, then one by Edgecombe. The Sixers had 12 in the first half. That paired with the Celtics starting to hit shots and the score got ugly.
  • The Sixers had a couple beautiful possessions that led to two threes — both with assists from Wade. This guy is such good connector.
  • Again, it was Boston’s regulars against a thin Sixers lineup. The Celtics took a 63-42 lead into the half. Edgecombe was the bright spot, leading the Sixers with 14 points, three assists and four steals.

Third quarter

  • Unsurprisingly, no Maxey to start the second half. Wade also sat after halftime.
  • Walker picked up his fifth foul 15 seconds into the half. Suboptimal considering where the Sixers are with the center position right now.
  • Philon made an absolutely filthy bounce pass to Walker in transition for an and-one. Walker buried another three on the next offensive possession. He’s hoopin’.
  • Looks like Edgecombe’s night is done midway through third. Can’t say enough about how he played Saturday and how he’s looked overall in the preseason.
  • And another beauty of a dime from Philon to Walker. This kid is fun to watch.
  • Yeah, this is a bloodbath. Sixers are playing two two-way guys, two Exhibit 10 guys and a rookie. The Celtics still have a lineup full of rotation guys.

Fourth quarter

  • Four straight threes for the Sixers — two each from Philon and Edwards. Again, the Celtics still have regulars out there, so Philon is doing this against legit NBA competition. He looks like he can play right away — and he might need to depending on Simons’ health.