Thursday will see the American League teams play Game 4, with the Yankees and Tigers looking to advance. The Dodgers will host a Game 5 showdown with the Padres on Friday.
Yankees 3, Royals 2
It took a huge night from Giancarlo Stanton, but the New York Yankees are one win away from reaching the ALCS.
The Yankees snuck past the Kansas City Royals 3-2 in Game 3 of the ALDS at Kauffman Stadium. That gave the Yankees a 2-1 series lead and has them on the cusp of their fourth ALCS in the past eight seasons.
The Yankees jumped out early on an RBI double from Stanton in the fourth and a sacrifice fly from Juan Soto in the fifth. The Royals responded in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back RBI from Kyle Isbel and Michael Massey, who hit a deep triple that just barely got past Soto in right field.
Finally, Stanton lifted the Yankees back into the lead in the eighth with a deep home run that went well over the left-field wall. That gave the Yankees a one-run lead and eventually pushed them to the 2-1 series lead.
The two teams will run it back on Thursday in Kansas City, where the Yankees can close it out. If not, they’ll return to the Bronx on Saturday for Game 5.
Mets 4, Phillies 1
The dream season for the New York Mets continues. As do the postseason nightmares for the Philadelphia Phillies.
After coming up scoreless with the bases loaded in both the first and second innings, the Mets made the most of things in the sixth. Francisco Lindor launched a no-doubt grand slam over the right-field wall off Phillies reliever Carlos Estevez to get the Mets on the scoreboard with a 4-1 lead. They held to win by the same score and advance to the NLCS with a 3-1 NLDS victory.
The win continues an unlikely run that saw the Mets seemingly out of the postseason race at the All-Star break and needing a win on the last day of the regular season just to make the playoffs. Now, they’re eight wins away from a World Series championship. They’ll face the winner between the Padres and Dodgers for the NL pennant.
Another game between the Tigers and Guardians, another shutout.
Riley Greene, Matt Vierling and Spencer Torkelson provided the runs as the Tigers took a 2-1 series lead in the ALDS with a 3-0 win in Game 3. The Tigers were powered early by strong pitching from reliever Brant Hurter, who threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings after starter Keider Montero kept the Guardians quiet in the first inning. Greene's first-inning single and Vierling's third-inning sacrifice fly helped put Detroit up 2-0.
Torkelson, who entered the day hitless in his previous 14 at-bats, roped a run-scoring double in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend the Detroit lead to 3-0, which was more than enough considering how well the Tigers' bullpen was performing. After Hurter exited the game, Beau Brieske came in and continued his dominant postseason run with two more scoreless innings of relief.
The Guardians had their chances but left eight runners on base and managed just six hits off Tigers pitching on Wednesday — three of which came off the bat of Steven Kwan. The Guardians have now gone 20 consecutive innings without scoring a run. Detroit can close out the series in Game 4 on Thursday.
Dodgers 8, Padres 0
This didn't go well for the Padres, to say the least. Riding two straight wins, with no shortage of drama, the Padres went for the kill by giving Game 1 starter Dylan Cease the ball on short rest.
The Dodgers responded by chasing Cease after 1 2/3 innings, then knocking around the Padres' bullpen for the rest of the game en route to an 8-0 victory and a 2-2 series. The Dodgers bullpen combined for nine scoreless innings, opening with Ryan Brasier and ending with Landon Knack, who was in consideration to start the game.
Every Dodgers hitter save for Chris Taylor had at least one hit. Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Gavin Lux each hit a home run. The lone win for the Padres is that the Dodgers used every late-inning arm they have, but any fatigue will be mitigated by the day off Thursday.
Here's how it all went down via Yahoo Sports:
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Jack Baer
Dodgers decline to name Game 5 starter
It could be Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It could be Jack Flaherty, who spent the night in the bullpen. It could be one then the other. Either one will likely have a short leash.
#Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wouldn’t announce a starter for Game 5. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty are options. But so is another bullpen game.
LAD-SD: It should be Yu Darvish vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 5
Game 1: Close Dodgers win
Game 2: Lopsided Padres win
Game 3: Close Padres win
Game 4: Lopsided Dodgers win
Game 5: ???
Jack Baer
Final: Dodgers 8, Padres 0
The Padres went for the kill by starting Game 1 starter Dylan Cease on short rest. They got steamrollered instead.
Rather than celebrate an NLCS berth at home, the Padres got shut down by the Dodgers' bullpen, with eight pitchers combining for nine scoreless innings. Meanwhile, a Dodgers lineup missing Freddie Freeman knocked around Cease, then the Padres bullpen. Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Gavin Lux all homered.
The two teams will now travel to Los Angeles for a Game 5, with the winner facing the New York Mets in the NLCS.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: One more inning to go
It was a little more adventurous than the Dodgers were probably expecting from the usually dominant Treinen, but he gets through the eighth scoreless. They're up 8-0 and three outs away from playing a Game 5 at home.
The Dodgers have their plan, and they're sticking to it. Even with an eight-run lead, they're sending in top relief arm Blake Treinen to face the top of the Padres order in the eighth inning. Treinen hasn't pitched since throwing 39 pitches in Game 1.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Daniel Hudson keeps it scoreless in the seventh
Whatever the plan is for the Dodgers, it's working. Hudson works a scoreless seventh, with a quick scare on a two-out Jake Cronenworth triple. Looks like some Padres fans are leaving with their team down 8-0 and two innings to go.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Daniel Hudson warming for the Dodgers
Now this is interesting. The Dodgers have Landon Knack, a guy who can eat multiple innings, in their bullpen with three innings to go. They could have him finish this game. However, Daniel Hudson, a medium-leverage guy, is warming instead.
Given that Game 2 starter Jack Flaherty was warming earlier instead of Knack, the Dodgers might be saving Knack to back up Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who's had trouble with San Diego, in Game 5 while letting Hudson, Flaherty, Edgardo Henriquez or Ben Casparius finish the game.
Daniel Hudson is warming for the Dodgers. Surprised Landon Knack hasn't figured in yet.
LAD-SD: Gavin Lux busts the game open with a 2-run homer
Gavin Lux welcomes Peralta with a two-run homer to right. It's 8-0 Dodgers, and L.A. probably doesn't have to worry about using the rest of the team's high-leverage arms tonight.
The call stands. Now the Padres pull Alek Jacob for Wandy Peralta, with a runner on second and two outs in the seventh inning.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Tommy Edman bunts in a run
The Dodgers move up 6-0 as Tommy Edman lays down a perfect bunt with runners on the corners and one out. He was called out, but the Dodgers are challenging the call at first. Looks like he might have been safe.
LAD-SD: Manny Machado hits one deep ... to the warning track
Manny Machado hit one deep. He watched it fly. Petco Park began erupting.
Chris Taylor caught it at the warning track. One batter later, Jackson Merrill grounded out to end the sixth inning with the Padres still down 5-0.
Phillips threw only six pitches that inning, which isn't nothing.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Padres pull Jeremiah Estrada for Alek Jacob
Shohei Ohtani works a nine-pitch walk and that will do it for Estrada, who was at 29 pitches after an inning-plus of work. Alek Jacob comes and gets Mookie Betts to pop up after two pitches.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Fernando Tatis Jr. comes short of a three-run homer
Phillips got ahead 0-2 on Tatis, who then took two balls and sent the next pitch just short of the warning track in right-center. That was a big at-bat, and the Dodgers bullpen is now more than halfway to landing this plane.
The remaining available arms in the Dodgers pen with four innings to go: Blake Treinen, Daniel Hudson, Jack Flaherty, Ben Casparius and Landon Knack.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Here comes Evan Phillips
The Dodgers have a five-run lead, but it's an elimination game. After Alex Vesia strikes out Kyle Higashioka and gets a Luis Arraez flyout, the Dodgers are bringing in another top arm in Evan Phillips to face Fernando Tatis Jr. with two runners and two outs.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: David Peralta gets another hit
Peralta was 4-for-20 with eight strikeouts against left-handers in the regular season, but he has two hits off the Dodgers' two bullpen lefties in this game. Evan Phillips is warming now, while Vesia walked Jake Cronenworth.
The Padres have two men on with no outs and could make this game interesting very quickly.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Alex Vesia stays in for fifth, with Jack Flaherty starting to throw
Even with the Dodgers up five runs, it might be about to get weird with their bullpen. Flaherty could have been a bullpen option in Game 5, assuming the Dodgers got there, but pitching him here would line him up to pitch Game 1 of the NLCS on three days rest.
LAD-SD: Jackson Merrill robs a big hit from Max Muncy
Max Muncy hits a ball to deep right-center, but Jackson Merrill leaps and grabs it at the top of the wall. Could have been a double, could have been a homer, a big play either way for the Rookie of the Year contender.
Now Jeremiah Estrada comes into the game for Morejon.
LAD-SD: Another scoreless inning for the Dodgers bullpen
So far, so good for the Dodgers' bullpen game plan. They've allowed two hits in four scoreless innings with four strikeouts so far.
Important to note: They still have Landon Knack, who could have started this game and will be an option if the Dodgers want a guy to eat multiple innings if they're feeling comfortable with the lead.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: More on the Ohtani-Machado-ump play
Upon further review, Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel put the stop sign up after seeing the ball hit the ump, but Ohtani's head was down, likely after seeing the first bounce.
LAD-SD: Padres get Ohtani at home on the luckiest of plays
Ohtani walked and took second on a fly ball to center (he is very fast).
A Teoscar Hernandez hit should have scored him after it bounced off Manny Machado's glove near the third-base line, but the ball hit the third-base ump and bounced back to Machado, who threw Ohtani out at home by 10 feet.
And that's how the Padres got their first scoreless inning of the game.
The ball bounces off the umpire and Manny Machado throws out Ohtani at the plate pic.twitter.com/EnS2wOYGyu
LAD-SD: Michael Kopech ends the third, might stay in
Jurickson Profar hits an easy fly ball to end the third inning. Like with Brasier, the Dodgers might keep Kopech in to face Manny Machado in the next inning before going to Vesia against Merrill.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Fernando Tatis Jr. hits a double after high-and-inside pitch
Kopech throws a pitch way high and a bit inside, enough that Fernando Tatis Jr. drops to the ground and Padres manager Mike Shildt talks to the ump about the pitch (which was clearly not intentional). Tatis responds with a ground-rule double.
Left-hander Alex Vesia is now warming, likely to face Jackson Merrill in a couple of at-bats.
LAD-SD: Dodgers throw Michael Kopech at top of the Padres' order
Even up five runs, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is getting aggressive. Michael Kopech, one of the L.A. late-inning arms, comes in for the third inning to face 9-1-2 in the Padres' lineup.
Ryan Young
KC-NYY: Royals have one last chance
Soto reached first on a brutal error by the Royals, and then Aaron Judge was walked with just one out on the board. The Royals, though, survived when Wells flied out to center and Stanton fouled out to first.
The Yankees can close this out with three more outs.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Adrian Morejon comes in for Brian Hoeing
Hoeing stays in to strike out Tommy Edman (who's weak against right-handers), and now it's Adrian Morejon to face the bottom of the Dodgers' order.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Will Smith puts the Dodgers up 5-0 with two-run HR
The Dodgers look like a completely different team right now. Max Muncy led off the third with a double off Brian Hoeing, and then Will Smith, who has had some drama with the Padres, followed with a two-run homer to put his team up five. It's Smith's first hit of the postseason.
LAD-SD: It's been a while since the Dodgers had a lead like this
A three-run lead is by no means comfortable against a lineup such as the Padres', but it's still bigger than the Dodgers have had in two years.
#Dodgers lead 3-0 after 2 innings. That is their largest lead at the end of a postseason inning since they led NLDS Game 1 v SD in 2022 5-0 through 4 innings
Witt singled to left with just an out on the board in the eighth for the Royals, and Perez hit him to third with a single after Anthony Volpe made a wild diving catch to make the second out of the inning. But Gurriel flied out to center, and the Yankees survived.
That was a perfect opportunity for the Royals, and they couldn't get it done. We'll head to the ninth now with the Yankees still in control.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Anthony Banda gets out of two-out jam
The Padres got a pair of two-out baserunners with a Xander Bogaerts walk and David Peralta single, but Jake Cronenworth pops out to keep the inning scoreless. The Dodgers started warming up Michael Kopech, one of their top arms, so we'll see if he gets the third inning.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Anthony Banda comes in for Brasier
Ryan Brasier does his job with 4 up, 4 down against the Padres' potent top of the lineup. Southpaw Anthony Banda comes in to face left-handed rookie Jackson Merrill.
Ryan Young
KC-NYY: Another look at Stanton's home run
That home run from Giancarlo Stanton was the first Yankees go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later in the postseason in more than a decade.
LAD-SD: Ryan Brasier stays in to face at least Manny Machado
The Dodgers bullpen has nine innings to cover, so they're keeping Brasier in to face Manny Machado after a good first inning.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Mookie Betts keeps Dodgers moving with another RBI
Brian Hoeing comes in for Cease and allows a first-pitch single to Mookie Betts. 3-0 Dodgers, but that's all they get after Teoscar Hernandez grounds out.
LAD-SD: Padres pull Dylan Cease after Shohei Ohtani adds another run
Dylan Cease walked Max Muncy and allowed a single to Kiké Hernández, giving Shohei Ohtani runners on the corners with two outs. Ohtani came through with a single to put L.A. up 2-0 and is now 15 for his past 18 with runners in scoring position.
That will be all the Padres get from Cease, who is pulled after 1 2/3 innings and 38 pitches.
Shohei Ohtani's first RBI since Game 1 extends the Dodgers' lead 👀
Well, that's one inning down. Brasier throws a 1-2-3 first inning, striking out Tatis on three pitches. He might not be done, with the right-handed Manny Machado due up and the left-handed Anthony Banda warmed up behind him.
Ryan Young
KC-NYY: Royals strike out Aaron Judge
Brady Singer gets the job done. He just struck Aaron Judge out swinging, so the Royals will head to the bottom of the seventh now with the 2-2 tie intact.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Fernando Tatis Jr. strikes out... for the first time all postseason
The Padres star has been a monster so far in the playoffs. Ryan Brasier won the first go-around.
Fernando Tatis Jr. just struck out for the first time all postseason.
This could be an interesting wrinkle. Jack Flaherty took the loss in Game 2, but could make a bullpen appearance down the line. Meanwhile, left-hander Anthony Banda is warming up behind opener Ryan Brasier.
A couple of pitchers started to make their way to the #Dodgers bullpen after the top of the first inning. Jack Flaherty was one of them.
Long came close to making it out of the seventh, but the Royals are pulling him now after he walked Soto. So it'll be Brady Singer coming in to pitch to Aaron Judge with two outs.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Dylan Cease gets out of 1st via diving Jurickson Profar catch
The Padres avoid further damage after a Teoscar Hernandez single, with Jurickson Profar ending the inning with a diving catch to take a single from Will Smith. However, it might not be a great sign that the Dodgers hit three balls with exit velocities of at least 100 mph. San Diego took a significant risk by pitching Cease here and that wasn't the best start.
Jack Baer
LAD-SD: Mookie Betts strikes first with solo home run
Another game, another Mookie Betts home run ball in the first inning. This one, unlike the last two games, went to center field, and the Padres outfield did not catch it. It's 1-0 Dodgers.
MOOKIE BETTS HOMERS IN THE FIRST INNING FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT GAME 💪
Dylan Cease, pitching on short rest after a rough Game 1, throws a 100 mph fastball past Shohei Ohtani and we're off in San Diego.
Ryan Young
KC-NYY: Stanton actually steals a base
Giancarlo Stanton just successfully stole second for the Yankees — it was his first stolen base in the postseason since his playoff debut in 2018 — but the Royals made it out of the sixth without giving up a run. It's still 2-2.
The Yankees are pulling Clarke Schmidt from the mound after that two-run burst from the Royals. Clay Holmes came out to relieve him, and he managed to end the inning without allowing any more damage.
It's 2-2 now after 5.
Ryan Young
KC-NYY: Royals respond, tie game
Isbel just hit a deep double into the left field corner to score one for the Royals, and then Massey hit a triple that just barely got past Soto in right to hit Isbel home and even this game up in the fifth.
After loading up the bases in the fifth, Juan Soto just hit a deep sac fly to score another for the Yankees. Aaron Judge flew out to center to follow Soto, so the Yankees will take a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth.
Jason Owens
NYM-PHI: Mets win, eliminate Phillies
The dream season for the New York Mets continues. As do the postseason nightmares for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Francisco Lindor's sixth-inning grand slam was the difference in the game as the Mets scored a 4-1 win over the Phillies.
The win continues an unlikely run that saw the Mets seemingly out of the postseason race at the All-Star break and needing a win on the last day of the regular season just to make the playoffs. Now, they’re eight wins away from a World Series championship. They’ll face the winner between the Padres and Dodgers for the NL pennant.
The loss marks a crushing disappointment for a Phillies team many believed was equipped to win a championship this year.
With players looking to catch the eye of Ruben Amorim, it was Amad Diallo who staked his claim for a place in his plans with goals to end Manchester United’s wretched run without winning a European match.
The interim England manager Lee Carsley says he was not aware when he took charge of the team’s Nations League game against Greece at Wembley that Thomas Tuchel had already agreed his contract with the Football Association two days’ earlier.
Russell Westbrook scored 29 points, Peyton Watson blocked a shot in the closing seconds after missing a pair of free throws at the other end and the injury-riddled Denver Nuggets rallied to beat Oklahoma City 124-122 on Wednesday night to hand the Thunder their first loss of the season. Nikola Jokic finished with 23 points, 20 rebounds and 16 assists as the Nuggets rebounded from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter. Christian Braun added 24.
The Lebanese army said an Israeli strike on a vehicle near a checkpoint in the southern city of Sidon on Thursday killed three people and wounded troops and UN peacekeepers."The Israeli enemy targeted a car while it was passing through the Awali checkpoint," the main northern entrance to Sidon, the army said.With the exception of a few limited strikes, Sidon, a Sunni Muslim-majority city, has been relatively spared the deadly air raids targeting south Lebanon in Israel's war against the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. The strike killed three people, all of them passengers in the targeted vehicle, the army said.Three Lebanese soldiers manning the checkpoint were also wounded alongside members of the Malaysian contingent of UNIFIL, according to the army. The UNIFIL peacekeeping force said a "convoy bringing newly-arrived peacekeepers to south Lebanon was passing Sidon when a drone strike occurred nearby.""Five peacekeepers were lightly injured and treated by the Lebanese Red Cross on the spot. They will continue to their posts," it said, urging warring parties "to avoid actions putting peacekeepers or civilians in danger."UNIFIL has thousands of peacekeepers Lebanon's official National News Agency said a UNIFIL vehicle was on the "same lane" during the strike, which left UN peacekeepers with "minor injuries". An AFP correspondent in the area saw the charred, mangled remains of the targeted vehicle which was only a few metres away from an army checkpoint.The correspondent saw UNIFIL peacekeepers gathered on the sidewalk near the checkpoint, some of them bloodied and wounded after the raid, as paramedics attended to their injuries. The UNIFIL convoy comprised a number of busses, the correspondent said.Israeli raids have intensified in recent weeks on Haret Saida, a densely-populated Sidon suburb that has a significant population of Shiite Muslims. Israel has also increasingly launched targeted strikes on vehicles. A woman was killed Thursday in an Israeli strike targeting a car on a key road linking the capital Beirut with the Bekaa Valley and Syria, a security source told AFP.Lebanon's National News Agency reported earlier that "an enemy drone targeted a car in Araya," adding that the strike left the route blocked to vehicular traffic.The highway links Beirut to the Syrian capital of Damascus, through the Lebanese mountains.str-lar/ho/it
Kylian Mbappé has been axed from the France squad, a decision Didier Deschamps stressed was not related to reports linking the captain to a rape investigation he has branded “false and irresponsible”.
Emma Raducanu is in talks with Maria Sharapova’s former fitness trainer, Telegraph Sport understands, as she looks to bolster her backroom team for next season.
St Lucia's Julien Alfred became a household name this summer after storming to gold in the 100-metre final at a rainy Stade de France during the Paris Olympic Games.
It's Thursday and 'Fantasy Film Room' is back with Nate Tice and Matt Harmon. The two dive into our midseason review and reveal their biggest fantasy surprise and disappointment of the 2024 season so far. Tice highlights two 4th year running backs that are having career years in less than ideal situations. Harmon shares which offense has surprised him and disappointed him the most through nine weeks.