LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out nine as the Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the National League Division Series. On Wednesday night, the Dodgers broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning to beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-4. After hitting five home runs in a 10-5 win on Tuesday, the Dodgers eliminated the Reds by playing small ball and rapping out 13 hits. Mookie Betts went 4 for 5 with three doubles. The Dodgers will face the Phillies in the NLDS starting Saturday in Philadelphia. The teams last met in the postseason in 2009.
CHICAGO (AP) — Manny Machado hit a two-run homer, Mason Miller dominated again and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 3-0 to send their NL Wild Card Series to a decisive third game. Jackson Merrill hit an early sacrifice fly as San Diego avoided elimination after losing 3-1 on Tuesday. Dylan Cease struck out five in 3 2/3 innings before handing the ball to his team’s hard-throwing bullpen. The finale of the best-of-three series is back at Wrigley Field on Thursday. The playoff-tested Padres are looking for a repeat of 2020, when they dropped Game 1 in the wild-card round before advancing with two straight victories against St. Louis. Machado also homered in Game 2 of that series.
NEW YORK (AP) — Left out of the starting lineup for the New York Yankees’ playoff opener, Jazz Chisholm Jr. was understandably unhappy. Any accomplished player would be. Chisholm just has a different way of letting off steam. He says he played “MLB: The Show” and routed his opponent — and that’s how he blows off steam. Back at second base Wednesday night, Chisholm played a huge part in saving the Yankees’ season as they beat the rival Boston Red Sox 4-3 in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series. And this one was no video game.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Brayan Rocchio and Bo Naylor homered during a five-run eighth inning and the Cleveland Guardians evened their AL Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers with a 6-1 victory in Game 2. George Valera also went deep as the Guardians forced a deciding game in the best-of-three series. The winner Thursday faces the Seattle Mariners in a Division Series. Javier Báez had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers, who were 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and left 15 on base.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The new manager of the Minnesota Twins will inherit an uncertain outlook for next season with no determination yet what the payroll will be. President Derek Falvey said the question about whether certain players will remain on the roster shouldn’t affect the search. The Twins are sharply focused on young player development as they evaluate their entire baseball operation and move forward after firing manager Rocco Baldelli this week. Falvey said the blame for the stagnation or regression of top prospects should not be placed on Baldelli. But Twins leadership determined earlier this year that a different voice was needed
(Green Bay, WI) — Don’t blame quarterback Jordan Love for the Packers’ slow start to the NFL season. CBS Sports ranks him among the top-five passers in the league. In that 40-40 tie against the Cowboys, Love completed 31 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns. He kept producing clutch throws that kept Green Bay in the high-scoring game. After four games, he’s completed more than 69 percent of his passes for an even one thousand yards, eight touchdowns, and just one interception.
WARE, England (AP) — Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell says quarterback J.J. McCarthy will begin to get “a little bit more active” but won’t be rushed back from a sprained right ankle. Carson Wentz is set to start his third straight game when Minnesota faces Cleveland on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. McCarthy is “entering the next phase of his rehab where he can get a little bit more active.” The coach adds he wants to “make sure we let that high ankle fully heal.” Andrew Van Ginkel (neck) missed Sunday’s game in Dublin — a 24-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and is not expected to practice this week.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Dillon Gabriel will get his first NFL start on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns face the Minnesota Vikings in London. The Browns are benching Joe Flacco after he struggled to lead the offense in the first four games. Cleveland is 1-3 and ranked next-to-last in scoring, averaging 14 points per game. The team has scored 17 points or fewer in nine straight games. Gabriel will be the fifth different starting QB in 10 games. Gabriel was selected in the third round of April’s draft. He has seen action in two games and has completed three of four passes for 19 yards and a touchdown.
Napheesa Collier, a Minnesota Lynx player and vice president of the WNBA players union, is preparing for tense negotiations with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The talks aim to reach a new collective bargaining agreement by Oct. 31. Players across the league, including MVP A’ja Wilson, support Collier’s recent criticism of the WNBA and its leadership. The negotiations could impact free agency, with nearly every player not on a rookie contract becoming a free agent this offseason.
(Milwaukee, WI) — Bucks coach Doc Rivers has noticed. He says veteran guard Amir Coffey is an early standout at training camp. The six-foot-seven Coffey’s contract runs out at the end of this camp, so he’s working to earn a spot on the roster when the season tips off. He has a lot of the qualities that Milwaukee needs, connecting on 41 percent of his 3-pointers last season and looking like the wing defender the Bucks have been seeking in recent years.
(Madison, WI) — The Wisconsin men’s hockey team opens its season Friday on the road at Lindenwood. Coach Mike Hastings’ team is ranked for the second straight season, showing up at 20th on the USCHO preseason poll. Games Friday and Saturday against the Lions will start at 7:00 p-m at the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Missouri.
(Madison, WI) — The Wisconsin volleyball team faces two Big Ten Conference opponents at home this weekend. Illinois will try to take down the 7th-ranked Badgers tonight (Thursday) at the UW Fieldhouse. Then, the Michigan Wolverines will visit Madison Sunday. Wisconsin carries a 2-and-0 record in conference games after last week. The Badgers are 9-and-1 overall.