Category: Sport

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani has propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers again to the World Sequence with a two-way efficiency for the ages.

Ohtani hit three mammoth homers and struck out 10 whereas pitching into the seventh inning, and the Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers out of the NL Championship Sequence with a 5-1 victory in Recreation 4 on Friday night time.

The Dodgers could have an opportunity to be baseball’s first repeat World Sequence champions in a quarter-century after this mind-blowing night time for the three-time MVP Ohtani, who emphatically ended a quiet postseason by his lofty requirements. Ohtani was named the NLCS MVP basically on the power of this one unforgettable recreation.

“It was actually enjoyable on either side of the ball at present,” Ohtani stated by way of his interpreter. “As a consultant (of the crew), I’m taking this trophy, and let’s get 4 extra wins.”

After placing out three within the high of the primary inning of Recreation 4, Ohtani hit the primary leadoff homer by a pitcher in main league historical past off Brewers starter Jose Quintana.

Ohtani adopted with a 469-foot blast within the fourth, clearing a pavilion roof in right-center.

Ohtani added a 3rd solo shot within the seventh, changing into the twelfth participant in main league historical past to hit three homers in a playoff recreation. His three homers traveled a mixed 1,342 toes.

Ohtani (2-0) additionally completely dominated the Brewers in his second profession postseason mound begin, permitting two hits in his first double-digit strikeout recreation in a Dodgers uniform.

The numbers inform the story. Ohtani is the primary participant in MLB historical past to hit two-plus homers as a pitcher in a postseason recreation, based on ESPN Analysis. He’s additionally the primary MLB participant ever with extra homers hit (3) than hits allowed (2) in a postseason pitching begin and the primary participant to hit a leadoff homer as a pitcher (common season or postseason).

“Generally you’ve bought to verify your self and contact him to verify he’s not simply made from metal,” stated Freddie Freeman, final season’s World Sequence MVP. “Completely unbelievable. Largest stage, and he goes out and does one thing like that. It’ll most likely be remembered because the Shohei Ohtani recreation.”

After the Brewers’ first two batters reached within the seventh, he left the mound to a stadium-shaking ovation – and after Alex Vesia escaped the jam, Ohtani celebrated by hitting his third homer within the backside half.

The powerhouse Dodgers are the primary crew to win back-to-back pennants since Philadelphia in 2009. Los Angeles is again within the World Sequence for the fifth time in 9 seasons, and it’ll try to turn into baseball’s first repeat champs because the New York Yankees received three straight World Sequence from 1998 to 2000.

“That was particular,” Freeman stated. “We’ve simply been taking part in actually good baseball for some time now, and the inevitable type of occurred at present – Shohei. Oh my God. I’m nonetheless speechless.”

After capping a 9-1 rampage by way of the NL playoffs with this singular efficiency by Ohtani, the Dodgers are headed to the World Sequence for the twenty third time in franchise historical past, together with 14 pennants since shifting from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Solely the Yankees, final 12 months’s opponent, have made extra appearances within the Fall Basic (41).

Los Angeles could have every week off earlier than the World Sequence begins subsequent Friday, both in Toronto or at Dodger Stadium towards Seattle. The Mariners beat the Blue Jays 6-2 earlier Friday to take a 3-2 lead within the ALCS, which continues Sunday at Rogers Centre.

The Dodgers had by no means swept an NLCS in 16 earlier appearances, however they turned solely the fifth crew to comb this collection whereas completely dominating a 97-win Milwaukee membership. Los Angeles is the primary crew to comb a best-of-seven postseason collection since 2022, and the primary to comb an NLCS since Washington in 2019.

“I’ll inform you, earlier than this season began, they stated the Dodgers are ruining baseball,” Los Angeles supervisor Dave Roberts shouted to the gang through the on-field celebration. “Let’s get 4 extra wins and actually break baseball!”

The NL Central champion Brewers had been eradicated by the Dodgers for the third time throughout their present stretch of seven playoff appearances in eight years. Even after setting a franchise report for wins this season, Milwaukee remains to be ready for its first World Sequence look since 1982.

“We had been a part of tonight an iconic, perhaps one of the best particular person efficiency ever in a postseason recreation,” Milwaukee supervisor Pat Murphy stated. “I don’t suppose anyone can argue with that. A man punches out 10 and hits three homers.”

The Brewers had by no means been swept in a playoff collection longer than a best-of-three, however their bats fell silent within the NLCS towards the Dodgers’ sensible beginning rotation. Los Angeles’ 4 starters mixed to pitch 28 2/3 innings with two earned runs allowed and 35 strikeouts.

The Dodgers added two extra runs within the first after Ohtani’s tone-setting homer, with Mookie Betts and Will Smith each singling and scoring.

Jackson Chourio doubled main off the fourth for Milwaukee’s first hit, however Ohtani stranded him with a groundout and two strikeouts.

Struggling Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen allowed two extra baserunners within the eighth, and Caleb Durbin scored when Brice Turang beat out his potential double-play grounder earlier than Anthony Banda ended the inning.

Roki Sasaki pitched the ninth within the newest profitable aid outing for the Dodgers’ unlikely nearer.

Data from The Related Press was used on this report.

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored for the primary time this season, Dylan Strome added two targets and the Washington Capitals beat the Minnesota Wild 5-1 on Friday night time for his or her fourth straight victory.

Ovechkin’s third-period shot pinged off the left put up and in, and the gang roared its approval when the counter above one nook of the ice was flipped to 898, his new profession complete. The NHL’s profession chief in targets additionally had an help as a part of a dominant exhibiting at residence for Washington.

Logan Thompson allowed solely ex-Capital Marcus Johansson’s tally within the second. That tied it at 1, however Aliaksei Protas answered 31 seconds later.

Minnesota entered the sport with the league’s prime energy play, having scored on 10 of 21 alternatives. However the Capitals took solely two penalties and killed each. Washington completed with a 45-14 edge in pictures.

Ovechkin handed up an excellent capturing alternative from the best facet, as a substitute discovering Strome for a simple tap-in to open the scoring within the first. Washington failed to attain on a double-minor penalty on Minnesota’s Jake Middleton within the second. Then, Johansson beat Thompson with a wrist shot with 3:13 to play in that interval.

That snapped a streak wherein the earlier 9 Minnesota targets had come on the facility play, and it was simply the third five-on-five rating allowed by Washington this season.

The Capitals answered shortly with Protas’ fourth aim this season. The 6-foot-6 ahead was left open to the left of the aim. With teammate Connor McMichael on the alternative facet of the crease, Protas despatched the puck towards the web, and it slipped previous goalie Filip Gustavsson.

Ovechkin’s aim within the third got here instantly after Strome received a faceoff to him within the offensive zone. Then, Strome knocked in a rebound to make it 4-1. Tom Wilson added a power-play aim with 1:57 remaining.

An upbeat Lando Norris shrugged off his disappointment after being crushed to pole place by Max Verstappen in Friday’s qualifying for Saturday’s dash race at america Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old Briton, who’s bidding to beat his McLaren team-mate sequence chief Oscar Piastri to the drivers’ title, had topped the occasions for McLaren throughout a close-fought session, however was outpaced within the last seconds by the four-time world champion in his Crimson Bull.

“It’s all OK,” he stated. “It’s not that sudden and it has been tough over the bumps in sector one… I might have cherished to be on pole however Crimson Bull are just a bit bit forward of us.

“However I believe our race tempo can be a bit higher so now we have good hopes for the race.”

Norris is 22 factors behind Piastri, who certified third, within the title race whereas Verstappen is third, 63 factors adrift.

Piastri stated: “I didn’t get it collectively as we speak and in some methods I’m lucky to be third on the grid. The automobile tempo is nice and it was nothing main. Not a catastrophe.

“I had a messy lap and I should be tidier tomorrow. I’ll see what occurs in the beginning and hope for an excellent launch.”

McLaren workforce chief Andrea Stella stated the session had produced a real illustration of the sphere with Crimson Bull proving they’ll win and struggle for poles at any type of circuit.

“We’re aggressive too, so it’s an excellent end result for us if not the one we needed. We wish to take pole however this can be a good basis for the dash race and for race quali tomorrow.

“I believe it is going to be an excellent race.”

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AUSTIN, Texas — Max Verstappen beat McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to pole place for Saturday’s U.S. Grand Prix dash race to proceed inching up the warmth within the title battle.

Verstappen’s late lap for the shortened race was 0.071 seconds faster than Norris, who trails teammate Piastri by 22 factors within the championship battle. Verstappen is 63 factors behind Piastri however has been inching nearer for the reason that summer time break.

Though there are solely eight factors obtainable from the dash race on Saturday — which is held earlier than qualifying for Sunday’s essential occasion — it’s going to solely serve to extend the strain McLaren’s drivers are feeling from the reigning champions.

Norris and Piastri got here into the weekend following their conflict on the Singapore Grand Prix two weeks in the past. Whereas the 2 stay free to race, a collision whereas combating for place within the dash would possibly open the door for an additional Verstappen factors haul.

Verstappen’s pole lap appeared to substantiate he will likely be combating the McLaren drivers for pole place for Sunday’s grand prix, with the subsequent nearest automotive half a second behind, simply so as to add additional intrigue to what’s going to observe on the Circuit of the Americas over the weekend.

“It labored out properly,” Verstappen mentioned after the session. “However I nonetheless count on it to be a tricky battle tomorrow within the dash, however that’s I believe precisely what we wish to see.

“I’m excited for tomorrow and proud of immediately. I hope that we now have good tempo within the race, however we’ll discover out tomorrow.”

Better of the remainder was Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg, who took a preferred and long-awaited first profession podium on the British Grand Prix earlier this yr. Hulkenberg will begin fourth, forward of Singapore Grand Prix winner George Russell and two-time champion Fernando Alonso.

Ferrari claimed a spectacular win on the Circuit of the Americas 12 months in the past however turned in one other underwhelming show, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc set to start out eighth and tenth respectively.

Williams drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon will share the spots both facet of Hamilton after a powerful run by means of to SQ3.

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli did not get out of SQ2, being narrowly pipped to tenth place by Hamilton.

Like teammate Russell, Antonelli got here into this week’s motion together with his contract for 2026 lastly settled.

Racing Bulls Isack Hadjar was eleventh, forward of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.

Liam Lawson didn’t set a time in SQ2 and can begin the dash fifteenth.

Yuki Tsunoda continued the season’s disappointing pattern of failing to make it out of the primary qualifying session, ending a lowly 18th in what will likely be one other bitter blow to his already slim probabilities of remaining inside Crimson Bull’s Method 1 steady subsequent yr.

Haas drivers Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon did not progress, as did Alpine’s Franco Colapinto. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto did not set a lap time so didn’t make it out of the session.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rashee Rice, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ No. 1 receiver, carried out properly in his first observe week since ending his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s private conduct coverage, setting himself as much as play a large variety of snaps Sunday towards the Las Vegas Raiders (1 p.m. ET, CBS).

In his first public feedback since rejoining his teammates, Rice mentioned Friday that he spent a lot of his time throughout his suspension coaching in Florida and Texas. He did his personal particular person exercises, classes that included work on his route operating, his energy and situation, and his quickness.

Throughout coaching camp — even earlier than he was suspended by the league — Rice vowed to remain in form throughout his time away from his teammates.

“I attempted to maintain myself within the warmth, identical to [St. Joseph, Missouri],” Rice mentioned Friday, referencing the place the Chiefs conduct their coaching camp. “I skilled Monday via Friday and did some sort of exercise on Sunday to have my thoughts get able to get energetic on a sport day.”

In July, Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 5 years’ probation for his position in a multicar crash in Dallas that left a number of individuals injured throughout the 2024 offseason.

When the NFL handed down its suspension, which Rice didn’t attraction after the league’s inside investigation, it voided a Sept. 30 listening to earlier than former U.S. District Choose Sue L. Robinson that was scheduled to be held at league headquarters in New York. Rice, 25, pleaded responsible in district court docket to 2 third-degree felony prices — collision involving severe bodily damage and racing on a freeway inflicting bodily damage. He acquired deferred adjudication, and the case can be dismissed if he completes probation.

“Actually, it was a call that was greatest for not solely me however for the staff so I could possibly be right here proper now,” Rice mentioned of selecting to not attraction. “All of that’s over, so I’m prepared [to play]. I realized that I really like the sport of soccer. It’s most likely my second love [behind my family], however I used to be capable of understand how sturdy I’m mentally in having the ability to face plenty of adversity, on the time.”

After observing Rice for 3 practices, coach Andy Reid is optimistic that his prime receiver can regain his type sooner slightly than later.

“He seemed sharp,” Reid mentioned of Rice. “It’s not a sport, however what we requested him to do, he did properly. You may inform he’s in good condition. That’s all the time your fear when somebody misses a number of weeks, as a result of it’s completely different while you’re enjoying. However he busted his tail, so now it’s only a matter of getting in a sport and getting reps. We’ll see how all that goes.”

As a rookie in 2023, Rice led the Chiefs’ receivers with 79 receptions for 938 yards and 7 landing catches. Final yr, he suffered a season-ending damage in Week 4 after he tore the lateral collateral ligament in his proper knee. He had 24 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in these 4 video games.

Sunday’s sport would be the first time that Rice, Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown — the staff’s prime trio of receivers — will play snaps collectively. Even with out Rice, the Chiefs have averaged 31.6 factors up to now three video games, a stretch since Worthy returned to the lineup after he recovered from a dislocated proper shoulder damage.

“This week is basically large,” Rice mentioned. “I’m very excited to be on the market to compete.”

Rookie left sort out Josh Simmons, the Chiefs’ 2025 first-round decide, missed this week of practices and isn’t anticipated to be out there for Sunday’s sport. Reid mentioned Josh Simmons’ absence was a “household state of affairs.”

Hours earlier than final Sunday’s sport towards the Detroit Lions, Simmons flew again to his hometown of San Diego for what the staff known as a private purpose. Reid on Friday didn’t give a timeline for when Simmons can be again with the staff.

United States ahead Trinity Rodman has a Grade 1 MCL sprain and might be sidelined for an unspecified period of time, Washington Spirit head coach Adrian Gonzalez stated on Friday. There isn’t any timetable for her return.

Rodman is anticipated to overlook the US ladies’s nationwide staff’s upcoming video games towards Portugal and New Zealand because of the knee damage sustained earlier this week. U.S. Soccer has not introduced Rodman’s withdrawal from coaching camp, and Gonzalez stated he couldn’t reply whether or not she would miss time with the USWNT.

The NWSL playoffs start in three weeks. Rodman is one the very best gamers within the NWSL and a focus of the assault for Washington, which not too long ago clinched the No. 2 seed within the playoffs.

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“We’re going to take this daily,” Gonzalez instructed reporters. “Each participant is totally totally different.”

Rodman’s damage occurred on Wednesday, just some hours after U.S. Soccer introduced her return to the staff after a six-month absence and USWNT head coach Emma Hayes instructed reporters she was “tremendous excited” to have Rodman again on the roster. Rodman final performed for the USWNT on April 5.

“She’s top-of-the-line gamers on the earth, and we’ve needed to play with out her for greater than a 12 months,” Hayes stated about Rodman on Wednesday previous to the ahead’s damage.

Rodman was helped off the sphere in tears throughout Wednesday’s 4-0 win over Mexican facet Monterrey within the last sport of group play within the Concacaf W Champions Cup. She was unable to place stress on her proper leg. She was later seen on crutches and in a full knee brace.

“She’s on the facility right this moment beginning the rehab; she’s doing good,” Gonzalez added. “The outcomes that we acquired are the very best state of affairs. Clearly, an damage will not be all the time an excellent scenario. It’s not as dangerous because it might be. She’s beginning now the rehab.

“She has an MCL sprain. It’s not too massive, an excessive amount of, however we have to see how she’s doing daily, begin the rehab right this moment, and attempt to assist her on this scenario.”

Washington’s victory on Wednesday clinched the Spirit a spot in subsequent 12 months’s semifinals of the regional championship, which serves as qualification to FIFA’s forthcoming world membership competitions.

Rodman’s standing for the NWSL playoffs can also be unsure. There are two video games remaining within the NWSL’s common season. The playoffs start on Nov. 7. The NWSL Championship takes place on Nov. 22.

Rodman has handled a recurring again damage for over a 12 months. Her look for the USWNT in April — when she scored six minutes right into a 2-0 win over Brazil — is her lone worldwide cap because the Olympic gold-medal sport in August 2024.

The Spirit clinched the No. 2 seed within the NWSL playoffs for the second straight season. Final 12 months, Washington completed second within the common season and runners-up to the Orlando Delight within the NWSL Championship.

Rodman performed by again ache throughout that stretch and stated after her staff’s loss within the last in November 2024 that it was “not an excuse however I wasn’t the Trin that I needed to be right this moment” resulting from her again ache.

“All gamers are totally different,” Gonzalez stated on Friday. “We’re taking good care of each participant as a person by way of how we put together [for] the weeks, the video games, and attempting to individualize as a lot as attainable the hundreds. Clearly, each participant has a unique background, and we all the time are taking good care of these particulars.

“Proper now, we have to concentrate on daily, attempt to assist her to recuperate, to heal as finest as attainable, and let’s see how she’s progressing daily.”

The U.S. will play Portugal on Oct. 23 in Chester, Pennsylvania, and once more on Oct. 26 in East Hartford, Connecticut. The Individuals wrap up the window towards New Zealand in Kansas Metropolis on Oct. 29.