• Bijan Robinson racked up a career-high 238 yards from scrimmage in the Falcons’ win over the Bills.
• Falcons coach Raheem Morris re-upped his claim that Robinson is ‘the best player in football.’
• Robinson, however, prefers not to be in the spotlight when it comes to receiving praise for his performances.

ATLANTA – Bijan Robinson can cut on a dime, overpower a linebacker in the open field and zip through a crack of daylight for a long-distance run and make it all look so easy.

Yet it seemed apparent in the aftermath of his career game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday night – Robinson stole the show with a career-high 238 yards from scrimmage, a career-high-matching 170 rushing yards and a career-long run of 81 yards – that there is at least one trait the Atlanta Falcons star running back is not quite so adept at displaying.

Talking about himself.

Of course, this is a good thing. In a world full of self-promoters and look-at-me messaging, Robinson, 23, is the one who adds a layer of coolness to humility.

I mean, when someone asked what it was like to be in the type of zone he demonstrated in the 24-14 thrashing of the Buffalo Bills, he made it about anything but himself.

“It’s like a three-point shooter,” Robinson said. “Like Steph Curry, when he’s starting to get in a groove, the basket looks so big to him. It seems like he can’t miss.”

Say what? That response resonated more a bit later during his postgame media session, when Robinson wouldn’t take the bait when asked – twice – if he gets into such a flow that he can’t be stopped. He explained that he’d never think that, let alone say it.

“That’s not my style,” he said.

And it seems so authentic for a classy man who heaps praise in so many directions – including his faith and his offensive line – before pointing at himself.

Besides, there are plenty of others willing to talk about the special running back who has amassed more yards from scrimmage through six games (822) than any running back in Falcons history.

“He’s the best player in football,” insists his coach, Raheem Morris. “I’ve said it multiple times. I can’t say it enough.”

Then there was the opinion posted on X by LeBron James, who knows a thing or two about greatness: “Bijan so COLD!!!!!!!!”

Another assessment came from veteran cornerback A.J. Terrell.

“He just keeps better,” Terrell said. “Everything he does just seems so easy. Then you look around the league and realize how special he is. The way he can turn a simple play in to a huge, big play…”

A case in point came on the long-distance touchdown in the second quarter that was longest in the NFL this season. Robinson scooted through a hole off right tackle provided by linemen Elijah Wilkinson and Chris Lindstrom, picked up a block on the edge from receiver Casey Washington, then stepped through Cole Bishop’s attempted tackle near midfield as he tip-toed down the sideline and turned on the after-burners.

This is apparently what Robinson, a third-year pro, envisioned when he set a goal during the offseason to finish off more long runs.

“It always feels like he’s going to break one of those every single time he touches the ball, so it was nice for him to finally get one,” said Morris, whose team improved to 3-2. “It was the longest play of his career, whatever the case may be. But we’ve been waiting for that moment.”

Robinson acknowledged that he came in with extra motivation because he would share the stage with Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the reigning NFL MVP.

Then again, Robinson always finds a way to get an edge. He’s established a ritual over the years of watching video tape of great running backs – other great running backs, that is – in helping with his mindset.

Before Monday’s game, he watched highlights from Adrian Peterson’s freshman year at Oklahoma – more striking since his alma mater, Texas, just defeated the Sooners on Saturday in the annual Red River Rivalry.

“I just pick a guy, whether it’s college or the NFL, and see what kind of moves he’s got, how he attacks downfield,” Robinson explained of his habit. “That’s the kind of game I had today.”

Not that he plans to bask in it. While the Falcons have climbed above .500 for the first time this season, it wasn’t too long ago – three weeks, to be exact – that they were embarrassed during a shutout loss at Carolina.

Robinson knows. For his team to emerge as a legit contender, it needs to consistently show up as it did on Monday night, when the Falcons offense racked up 443 yards and the defense manhandled a prolific Buffalo offense.

That’s where Robinson’s humility may serve a greater purpose.

“For this performance, people are going to come at us like, ‘Wow, look at the Falcons,’ ” he said. “We’ve go to scratch this out of the building.

“Worship and praise, I’ve got to shut that down immediately, because that’s what hurts your team. That’s when you go to the next game and get blown out. So, for us, this was great. We’ll celebrate it tonight, but we’ve got to put this behind us super fast.”

Never mind the social media mentions and hype. The 49ers are up next.

“As a leader of this team, I’m going to continue to harp on it and say, ‘Let’s stop that,’ because we’ve got to focus and win another game.”

Which would be much more likely for the Falcons if their unassuming superstar is leading the way – in action and by example.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

Christian Pulisic was forced to leave Tuesday’s U.S. men’s national team friendly against Australia early with an injury.

Following the match, U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino said that Pulisic suffered a hamstring injury.

‘He felt something in his hamstring,’ Pochettino said. ‘Tomorrow he will fly to Italy, tonight we will assess, and we cannot say nothing at the moment.’

Pulisic came into the game dealing with an ankle issue that first cropped up in AC Milan’s preseason, but was fit enough to start after playing the final 20 minutes of Friday’s 1-1 draw against Ecuador.

But the star attacker’s night was over by the 31st minute as he limped off the pitch at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.

Pulisic was slow to get up after a 15th-minute tackle from Australia defender Jason Geria, who won the ball but also appeared to follow through into Pulisic’s leg.

But the 27-year-old was able to continue — until another confrontation with Geria just 10 minutes later.

Pulisic spun Geria with a great turn near midfield, and the defender clipped the attacker from behind to stop a U.S. break. As the referee gave Geria a yellow card, Pulisic remained down on the turf.

After U.S. trainers checked Pulisic out, the AC Milan attacker was withdrawn from the match in favor of Diego Luna.

Pulisic was able to walk off under his own power, but appeared visibly frustrated as he went to the bench and then eventually down the tunnel.

Jordan Bos gave Australia the lead in the 19th minute, but Haji Wright equalized for the USMNT just two minutes after Pulisic left the pitch.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the Carolina Panthers drops them to 2-3-1 six weeks into the 2025 NFL season. They’re in danger of falling to last in the NFC East in Week 7 with a game against divisional foe Washington.

But Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones still thinks his team is in the hunt for the division and a playoff spot. Washington’s loss to the Chicago Bears in the final game of Week 6 gave him some hope.

‘It just reminded me that we are still in it,’ Jones said today during an announcement that the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl will be played at the team’s practice facility – The Star – in Frisco, Texas. ‘I see so much parity, then you factor in that these teams get compromised with injury. We can have and may [have it too] but if we should have some good go of it here over the next weeks ahead with our injury situation and return of injury and we can get some wins.’

The Cowboys may be expecting two players back on what’s been a struggling defense so far in 2025. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown could be back after the team’s bye Nov. 9 after a serious knee injury last year. Rookie cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. may make his debut in the next month or so as he finishes rehabilitation on a torn ACL suffered in college.

But what if Jones and company don’t wait for those two players to make their debut? Dallas is armed with extra draft picks thanks to the Micah Parsons trade – an extra first-round pick in the 2026 and 2027 NFL Drafts – and more cap space.

Jones revealed the team is weighing their options ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline.

‘We will weigh what are the likelihood of the players we’ve got coming back, how will they impact where that will put this team as opposed to should we add a player in a trade?’ Jones said. ‘And I don’t have a trade in mind at all. And that comes about right now if someone is on the phone calling.’

Dallas could be active at the trade deadline. Here are six targets they should consider:

Dallas Cowboys trade targets

Edge Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans

Hunter’s been one of the best and most productive pass rushers in the league for a decade. He’ll turn 31 years old later this month but he’s shown no signs of slowing down with age. The Texas native has four sacks through five games this year and ranks eighth league-wide in sack percentage, per NFL Next Gen Stats. His pass-rush get-off time is 0.84 seconds which is also top-10 league-wide.

Dallas’ defense needs help against both the run and pass. Hunter’s the type of edge rusher who can assist in both areas. He’s on pace for career-highs in tackles for loss as well as sacks this season.

What may make this worth it for Houston is the long-term outlook for the franchise. They have contract extensions looming for franchise cornerstones Will Anderson Jr. and C.J. Stroud amid a 2-3 start to the 2025 season. Their playoff chances aren’t looking good and it’d be worth getting value for Hunter, who is only on the books through next season (with three void years tacked on to his contract).

CB Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs

This one will definitely require one of those extra first-rounders. McDuffie’s been a top-10 cornerback in the NFL since 2023 and is arguably the best slot cornerback in the league. He’s spent more time outside for the Chiefs in 2024 and 2025 and is certainly usable in that alignment.

McDuffie is playing on the fourth year of his five-year rookie contract. Dallas already has two high-priced cornerbacks on the roster in DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs and adding McDuffie would make this the most expensive cornerback room in the league once he’s on his fifth-year option. But he’d also give the team a huge boost in coverage which it needs; Dallas ranks last in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) per pass allowed, per SumerSports.

Kansas City’s developed plenty of great cornerbacks over the years. They could bet on their infrastructure to develop another corner and/or use a first-rounder on a player at the position.

S Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta’s defense has turned things around in 2025 and it’s allowing more fans to understand just how good Bates is in the secondary. The 2023 second-team All-Pro is having a slightly down year by his high standards but is still one of the better safeties in the league.

That’d come in handy for Dallas. Their starting safeties, Juanyeh Thomas and Donovan Wilson, rank 58th and 70th league-wide among 83 qualifying players at their position, per Pro Football Focus (PFF) grading. It’d likely be less expensive than trading for a younger cornerback like McDuffie. And Bates, who is in his age-28 season, still has a couple more years left in his prime.

Bates is a standout run defender who is more than capable in coverage. He’s spent nearly equal amounts of time at the box and free safety positions in 2025, per PFF data, and would be a versatile piece to help in both phases. Plus, Atlanta could recoup a first-round pick after sending theirs in 2026 to the Los Angeles Rams.

DB Jalen Pitre, Houston Texans

Pitre offers youth like McDuffie and versatility like Bates. Though he’s listed as a safety, Pitre’s lined up in the slot for 172 snaps in 2025 compared to 71 everywhere else (defensive line, box safety, free safety, outside corner) combined, per PFF. He’s an absolute menace when he gets a head of steam in run defense and has grown into one of many hard-charging defenders for the Texans.

Like Hunter, Houston could look over the roster given how their season’s gone so far and look to find value if the right call came in. Pitre would likely stay in the slot primarily with Bland and Diggs on the outside much like he does with the Texans. He’s already on a relatively team-friendly deal through 2028 that sees his cap number stay at $13 million at most, per OverTheCap.

There is a question of availability, though. Pitre missed two games in 2023 and five in 2024. But when he’s on the field, he’s a force in the secondary.

WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins

If the Cowboys would rather invest even more in the offense rather than help the defense, Waddle could make sense at wide receiver. George Pickens is absolutely balling out for the Cowboys’ offense this season as CeeDee Lamb sits with an injury, but is on the last year of his contract. He’ll likely command a lot of money in free agency next offseason and Dallas may not want to pay up.

Waddle is older than Pickens but currently on a deal that keeps him signed through 2028. Those later years do involve a higher cap hit: $33.83 million in 2027 and $37.21 million in 2028. But with how extensions league-wide are going in recent years, signing players sooner than later is a good call and Waddle’s deal could age well.

Tyreek Hill is out for the season and Waddle’s stepping into a bigger role. He’s a deep threat the Cowboys could use knowing they have him longer-term than Pickens. Miami may be facing a full rebuild this offseason and an extra first-round pick would certainly help that outlook.

Edge Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears

This would be a familiar face for Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who was the head coach in Chicago when the Bears traded for Sweat in 2023.

Sweat is performing well in 2025 as one of the better starters on defense for the Bears. He’s been a key contributor in both pass rush (13 pressures, per NFL Next Gen Stats) and run defense (seven ‘defensive stops’ per PFF). That’d be a welcome sight for the Cowboys up front and would ease pressure on the team’s younger talents at the edge to perform.

Sweat has a higher cap hit than others on this list at $25.09 million every year from 2025 to 2027. But that’s only going to look better in comparison to others at the position as the years go on.

The two-year qualifying process for the 2026 World Cup is nearly done, with multiple nations booking their spots in next summer’s tournament in recent days.

The most recent qualifiers have mostly come from Africa, which concluded the main phase of the region’s qualifying process on Tuesday. There are some familiar powers among the teams to qualify from the continent thus far in October, including Egypt, Ghana, and South Africa. However, tiny Cape Verde — with a population under 600,000 — is also on the list, having stunned Cameroon to claim the top spot in Group D in the Confederation of African Football’s qualifying process.

Tuesday saw Qatar become the 24th country to claim one of the 48 available World Cup berths, with Canada, Mexico, and the United States set to host a newly-expanded format next year. England, Ivory Coast, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, and South Africa followed shortly thereafter, taking the total number of claimed spots up to 28. Portugal could have made it 29, but conceded a stoppage-time equalizer against Hungary in a UEFA qualifier on Tuesday, leaving them stuck on the brink.

There are also pivotal matches in Concacaf (the region comprising North and Central America, along with the Caribbean) and elsewhere in Europe, with some teams having to endure a tense wait for the next round of qualifying in November to discover their fate.

Here’s what to know about where qualifying stands for the 2026 World Cup, including who could secure their berth next:

Who has qualified for World Cup 2026?

The 2026 World Cup will include 48 teams, a huge jump up from the 32 that participated in Qatar 2022. As October’s qualifiers play out, 28 nations have qualified.

Here is a complete list of every country to qualify for the 2026 World Cup as of the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 14:

• Host nations: Canada, Mexico, United States
• Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
• Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
• Concacaf: None yet
• Europe: England
• Oceania: New Zealand
• South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

World Cup qualifying: Who could clinch a 2026 spot next?

There aren’t that many rounds of World Cup qualifying left to get through, though each confederation’s schedule and process mean each continent will wrap up at different points.

At the moment, there are eight teams (mostly hailing from Europe) that could claim a place at the 2026 World Cup with the right results in the coming days:

• Austria: After missing out on six straight men’s World Cups, Austria could clinch a berth next month. A win on Nov. 15 at Cyprus combined with Bosnia and Herzegovina failing to defeat Romania would mean party time in Vienna.
• Croatia: The Faroe Islands’ shock win over the Czech Republic on Sunday means that Croatia needs just one more point to win Group L and qualify for an eighth straight World Cup. The Croats host the Faroese on Nov. 14 in Rijeka.
• France: ‘Les Bleus’ nearly won UEFA’s Group D after just four rounds of games, but will have to wait until November for a shot at finishing the job. France hosts second-place Ukraine in Paris on Nov. 13, and a win would guarantee the hosts a spot at the World Cup.
• Honduras: ‘Los Catrachos’ have a path to clinch in the next round of play in Concacaf’s Group C. A win at Nicaragua on Nov. 13 combined with a draw between Haiti and Costa Rica in a game played earlier that same day would give Honduras entry into their fourth World Cup ever.
• Netherlands: The Dutch control their own destiny in UEFA’s Group G. A win on Nov. 14 at Poland would clinch a place at next summer’s tournament for the ‘Oranje.’
• Norway: The Norwegians have been a surprise in Group I, with Erling Haaland and Co. close to mathematical certainty of a World Cup spot. If Norway’s result against Estonia on Nov. 13 is superior to what Italy can do against Moldova, the job will be done.
• Portugal: Dominik Szoboszlai’s stoppage-time equalizer for Hungary left Portugal frustrated, but they’re still highly likely to qualify. A road win on Nov. 13 over the Republic of Ireland would clinch their berth, as would Hungary failing to defeat Armenia earlier that same day.
• Switzerland: The Swiss will head into the November window with a chance at clinching in UEFA’s Group B. All they need to do is pick up a better result than Kosovo on Nov. 15. A Swiss win plus Kosovo draw, or Swiss draw and Kosovo loss, will settle the issue.

World Cup qualifiers: How many spots for each region?

Here is a complete breakdown of how FIFA divided all 48 berths at the 2026 World Cup:

• Host nations (3): Canada, Mexico and the United States all qualified as soon as they were picked to host the tournament.
• Asia (8): Six Asian countries have qualified. The Asian Football Confederation’s fourth round (which will settle who claims the final two automatic bids) will conclude on Tuesday.
• Africa (9): African qualifying sorted 54 countries into nine groups of six (though Eritrea withdrew from Group E before play began). The nine group winners have qualified, while the four best runners-up — Cameroon, DR Congo, Gabon, and Nigeria — will convene for a dramatic playoff in Morocco in November. The winner of that event will enter the intercontinental playoff.
• Concacaf (3): The region’s third round — featuring three groups of four — began on Thursday, Sept. 4. Group winners qualify directly, while the two best runners-up will enter the intercontinental playoff.
• Europe (16): UEFA qualifying features 54 teams broken up into 12 groups. Group winners qualify for the World Cup, while the second-place finishers (along with the top four teams from the UEFA Nations League who didn’t win their qualifying groups) will enter a playoff for Europe’s final four berths that is set for March 2026.
• Oceania (1): New Zealand has already claimed Oceania’s only guaranteed berth at the 2026 World Cup, while New Caledonia is headed to the intercontinental playoff.
• South America (6): CONMEBOL’s marathon qualifying tournament has concluded, with six teams getting places at the World Cup. A seventh (Bolivia) claimed the region’s spot in the intercontinental playoff.
• Intercontinental playoff (2): New Caledonia and Bolivia have locked in spots in what will be a six-team tournament scheduled for March 2026.

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The Seattle Mariners are going home with a commanding advantage in the American League Championship Series. 

The pitching-centric team is crushing the Toronto Blue Jays in all facets of the game, slugging three home runs in Game 2 to cruise to a 10-3 victory Oct. 13 at Rogers Centre. 

And now, history is overwhelmingly on their side. 

They will take a 2-0 lead home to T-Mobile Park, knowing that in LCS history, a team that won the first two games on the road has advanced 86.8% of the time. 

They can thank Jorge Polanco and a possibly peerless bullpen for the happy flight home to the Pacific Northwest. 

Polanco broke a 3-3 tie with a three-run home run off reliever Louis Varland in the top of the sixth inning. Polanco also provided the go-ahead and insurance RBIs in Seattle’s 3-1 victory in Game 1. 

‘It felt amazing,’ Polanco said in a postgame interview with Fox Sports, ‘to see that ball go over the wall.’

And for the second consecutive game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider’s mid-game maneuvers failed to pan out. 

One night after removing Kevin Gausman after just 76 pitches, only for a reliever to let in the go-ahead run, he was perhaps too hesitant to remove rookie Trey Yesavage, who allowed an infield single and then intentionally walked Cal Raleigh before Varland gave up the decisive blast to Polanco. 

Re-signed after the Mariners declined his option a year ago, Polanco is now 4-for-9 with five RBIs in this series, and has eight hits and 11 RBIs this postseason, six of the game-winning or go-ahead variety. 

Meanwhile, Seattle’s bullpen combined for six innings of scoreless, one-hit relief, giving them nine scoreless innings this series. Eduard Bazardo and Carlos Vargas were particularly solid, contributing two innings and giving up just a hit and a walk, respectively. 

All have combined to keep Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero hitless in seven at-bats this series. 

— Gabe Lacques

Here’s how ALCS Game 2 unfolded:

Canadian Josh Naylor’s home run extends Seattle lead

On Canadian Thanksgiving, an Ontario native might have put the Toronto Blue Jays to sleep in Game 2 of the ALCS. 

Josh Naylor, a Mississauga product, skied a two-run home run to right field in the top of the seventh inning, giving the Seattle Mariners a 9-3 lead and further quieting the masses at Rogers Centre. 

Naylor’s blast off Braydon Fisher was the Mariners’ third home run of the game, following three-run blasts in the first inning by Julio Rodriguez and the fifth inning by Jorge Polanco. 

Now, the stout Mariners bullpen needs just nine more outs with a six-run lead to go home with a massive 2-0 ALCS lead.

Mariners get insurance run in sixth inning

The Seattle Mariners added on, and are drifting even closer toward a commanding lead in the ALCS. 

Pinch hitter Mitch Garver, the balding, part-time 34-year-old DH, smacked a triple off the center field wall and J.P. Crawford drove home pinch runner Leo Rivas as Seattle extended its lead to 7-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth.

The Mariners bullpen has been up to the task, as Eduard Bazardo pitched two innings of one-hit relief after starter Logan Gilbert was removed after three innings. 

Jorge Polanco home run puts Mariners back in front

Jorge Polanco just might singlehandedly carry the Seattle Mariners’ offense to a 2-0 ALCS lead. 

Polanco broke open a tie game with the Mariners’ second three-run homer of the night as Seattle took a 6-3 lead at the halfway point of Game 2. 

Polanco drove in the go-ahead run and an insurance run in their 3-1 Game 1 victory. A night later, he came up with runners on first and second and one out against Blue Jays set-up ace Louis Varland. 

He drove the pitch just over the high wall in right field, turning a 3-3 tie into a 6-3 Blue Jays lead. 

Logan Gilbert done after three innings

If the Seattle Mariners are to snag the first two games of this ALCS at Toronto, they’re going to need their bullpen to be on point for six innings. 

Manager Dan Wilson pulled starter Logan Gilbert after three innings and 58 pitches, perhaps feeling confident after he got six innings from starter Bryce Miller the night before. 

Eduard Bazardo relieved Gilbert in the fourth and pitched a clean inning, extending to four the number of perfect frames by Seattle’s bullpen in this ALCS. 

The game remains tied, 3-3, in the top of the fifth. 

Toronto ties it up in the second

It took just two innings for the Toronto Blue Jays to erase Julio Rodriguez’s three-run homer. 

Ernie Clement led off the bottom of the second with a single and came around to score on Nathan Lukes’ RBI hit as ALCS Game 2 was tied, 3-3, heading to the third inning. 

While the score is tied, the starting pitchers are trending in different directions. Mariners starter Logan Gilbert is already up to 46 pitches and has allowed a half-dozen baserunners. Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage also needed 46 pitches to work two innings, but needed just 13 to retire the side in the second. 

Blue Jays answer quickly with two in bottom of first

Much to the Seattle Mariners’ disgust, the Toronto Blue Jays’ lineup wasn’t going to stay down forever. After Julio Rodriguez’s first-inning, three-run homer, they answered back with two runs in the bottom of the inning. George Springer lashed a leadoff double, Nathan Lukes reached on an infield hit as Springer scored on an error and Alejandro Kirk knocked an RBI single to right, scoring Lukes. 

After one inning: Mariners 3, Blue Jays 2 as Trey Yesavage needed 33 pitches to finish the inning, and Logan Gilbert expended 19.

Julio Rodriguez home run gives Mariners 3-0 lead

Trey Yesavage is no longer spotless – and the Mariners are positioned to take a commanding lead in the ALCS

The Blue Jays rookie right-hander who was near perfect in his playoff debut against New York got knocked around immediately in Game 2 of the ALCS, hanging his notorious split-finger pitch to Julio Rodriguez, who crushed it for a three-run home run. 

Yesavage, 22, who’d made just three major league starts before his 11-strikeout, no-hit dominance in  5 1/3 innings against the Yankees, knew almost immediately this one would be different. The Mariners remained patient out of the gate, as Yesavage hit Randy Arozarena with a full-count pitch and then walked Cal Raleigh. 

Yesavage then jumped ahead 0-2 on Rodriguez, threw one splitter in the dirt and then made a fatal mistake, hanging it for Rodriguez to guide just fair down the left field line. 

Sure, there’s still 8 ½ innings to play but it’s not too early to think: Of the 38 teams that won the first two games of an LCS on the road, 33 (86.8%) have gone on to the World Series.

Mariners lineup today for ALCS Game 2

1. Randy Arozarena (R) LF
2. Cal Raleigh (S) C
3. Julio Rodríguez (R) CF
4. Jorge Polanco (S) 2B
5. Josh Naylor (L) 1B
6. Eugenio Suárez (R) 3B
7. Dominic Canzone (L) DH
8. Victor Robles (R) RF
9. J.P. Crawford (L) SS

Blue Jays lineup today

1. George Springer (R) DH
2. Nathan Lukes (L) RF
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
4. Addison Barger (L) 3B
5. Alejandro Kirk (R) C
6. Daulton Varsho (L) CF
7. Ernie Clement (R) 2B
8. Davis Schneider (R) LF
9. Andrés Giménez (L) SS

Trey Yesavage says people close to him ‘being attacked’

Trey Yesavage, who will start Game 2 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, began his press conference in advance of that outing decrying the attacks and negativity on loved ones since no-hitting the New York Yankees for 5 ⅓ innings in just his fourth big league start.

‘Living in this world where there’s so many different opinions and feelings which results in a lot of hate, it’s sad to see that people close to me are being attacked for my performances on the field,’ Yesavage told reporters. ‘These people have done nothing to warrant negativity for my actions, whether that’s my parents, my brothers, my girlfriend, family. It’s just really sad.

‘I know I have the platform to address it, so I am. I hope that people can realize that those individuals have nothing to do with what happens on the field or whatnot.

Have the Mariners ever won a World Series?

Seattle is one of five teams that has never won a World Series title and is the only club in Major League Baseball that has never even reached the Fall Classic.

The Mariners came into existence in 1977 and didn’t make the playoffs for the first time until 1995. This year marks Seattle’s fourth appearance in the ALCS after losing in 1995 (Cleveland), 2000 (Yankees) and 2001 (Yankees).

When did the Blue Jays win the World Series?

The Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.

They defeated the Atlanta Braves in six games in 1992 for their first title and then beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six to repeat, clinching on Joe Carter’s walk-off home run.

MILWAUKEE — The Los Angeles Dodgers survived the Milwaukee Brewers’ magic act, shrugged off their bad luck, and by the end of Monday night, just won a postseason game the old-fashioned way.

The Dodgers, riding the golden arm of Blake Snell, and the powerful bat of Freddie Freeman, outlasted the Brewers for a 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field.

While the Brewers turned perhaps the wildest double play in postseason history, and emptied their bullpen trying to suffocate the Dodgers’ offense, the Dodgers resorted to the traditional way to win games.

Snell, the two-time Cy Young winner, put on one of the greatest postseason pitching performances in history. He never gave the Brewers a chance, facing the minimum batters through eight innings, striking out 10, and giving up just one hit – a third-inning single up the middle by Caleb Durbin. He was so dominant that he gave up just one fair fly ball to the outfield the entire game, inducing 11 ground balls.

Snell became the first pitcher in postseason history to strike out at least 10 batters and give up one hit without a walk in eight innings.

“He’s a bona fide ace,’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Having him take the ball, feeling that he’s always essentially going to be the best option on the mound.’

Certainly, there has not been a hotter pitcher on the planet. Snell is yielding a 0.68 ERA in his last six starts, pitching 40 innings, yielding 15 hits, and striking out 56 batters.

In Snell’s three postseason starts, he’s 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA, giving up just seven hits in 21 innings, striking out 28 batters.

Despite injuries limiting him to 11 starts in the regular season, Snell has been worth every penny of that five-year, $182 million contract in the first year of his free-agent deal.

“I’ve known Blake a long time,’ said Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations, who drafted and signed Snell with the Tampa Bay Rays. “Just getting a chance to watch that maturation over a 12-year period and seeing that growth, we felt really strongly that not only could he help us in the regular season in accomplishing that first goal, but what he would bring to our staff in October. I think for some it is literally a part of their identity and what they yearn for more than anything.’

It turned out that the Dodgers needed every one of those outs Snell provided. The Dodgers turned to closer Roki Sasaki in the ninth, but he ran into trouble, gave up a run, and departed with two outs and runners on the corners. Roberts pulled Sasaki and went to veteran Blake Treinen.

Treinen, after walking William Contreras to load the bases, struck out Brice Turang to end the game, and overcome the play in the fourth inning that nearly stole the show.

The Dodgers were in the process of breaking the game open in the fourth inning, loading the bases, when Max Muncy sent Quinn Priester’s cutter 404 feet towards the center-field wall for a potential grand slam.

Brewers center fielder Sal Frelick leaped, brought the ball back, but it bounced off the yellow stripe back into his glove.

The Dodgers, who initially thought the ball was going over the fence, froze. Then, they thought Frelick caught the ball, even though left-field umpire Chad Fairchild ruled the ball was in play.

Teoscar Hernandez, who had gone back to tag up at third base, raced home. Frelick threw a strike to cutoff man Joey Ortiz, who fired home, just ahead of Hernandez, who didn’t know it was a force play.

Meanwhile, Brewers catcher William Contreras, realizing that Will Smith, who was heading back to second base believing the ball was caught, sprinted to third base. Smith hurried ot third. Too late.

Out at home. Out at third. Double play.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts asked for a replay review, which confirmed that Hernandez was out at home.

And after the umpires huddled, they confirmed that Fairchild called the ball correctly that the ball indeed bounced off the fence, and there was no catch.

The Brewers ran off the field leaving the Dodgers dazed, and the sellout crowd going bonkers not believing what they just witnessed.

It technically went down as your routine 8-6-2, 404-foot GIDP.

It was the first 8-6-2 double play in postseason history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“The Brewers are a really good team,’’ said Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations. “Team speed, defense, they don’t chase, put the ball in play. They do a lot of things well. And I think the depth of their roster really helps them withstand 162 games and also puts them in position to be a really competitive team in October.’’

Friedman joked that the Dodgers were hoping to win just a game against the Brewers considered the Brewers went 6-0 against them during the regular season, but of course, those games weren’t played in October.

This is the Dodgers’ time of the year.

And, for another night, they proved it again.

— Bob Nightengale

Here’s how Game 1 unfolded:

Dodgers hang on in the ninth for 2-1 win

The Brewers pushed a run across and loaded the bases with two outs, putting the go-ahead run on second base. But Blake Treinen struck out Brice Turang to end the game.

Dodgers add insurance run in ninth

Abner Uribe loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth and then walked Mookie Betts with a full count to drive in a run and extend the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0.

Blake Snell keeps it going into the ninth

The Dodgers left-hander sailed through the eighth inning and NLCS Game 1 is heading to the ninth with the Dodgers clinging to a 1-0 lead. Snell struck out 10 and gave up only one hit in eight innings, but will likely give way to Roki Sasaki for the ninth.

To the eighth: Dodgers 1, Brewers 0

Blake Snell got through his seventh scoreless inning, facing the minimum with nine strikeouts. He’s at 91 pitches and the Dodgers bullpen is quiet, meaning it’s likely the left-hander gets the ball for the eighth.

Blake Snell dominating through six

Blake Snell has the faced the minimum 18 hitters through six innings, racking up eight strikeouts with no walks on 77 pitches. The only hit he surrendered up came in the second inning, but SNell picking off Caleb Durbin after his single.

Freddie Freeman home run breaks the deadlock

Freddie Freeman hit a solo home run off Chad Patrick with one out in the top of the sixth, opening the scoring in Game 1 of this NLCS.

The World Series MVP last year, the homer was Freeman’s first of the 2025 poseason.

Brewers escape on absolutely insane play

With the bases loaded and one out, Max Muncy hit a drive to the center field wall that bounced off center fielder Sal Frelick’s glove, then the wall and was grabbed before hitting the ground – a live ball, not a catch for an out. The baserunners were confused and held up initially, with Teoscar Hernandez thrown out at home trying to score from third, a bizarre 8-6-2 forceout.

Still having no idea what happened, Will Smith, never advanced to third and he was then forced out to complete the double play.

Quinn Priester takes over for Brewers

Milwaukee right-hander Quinn Priester came on to replace opener Aaron Ashby to begin the second inning. He walked Max Muncy, but stranded the runner with a strikeout of Enrique Hernandez to end the second.

In the third, Priester set down Andy Pages, Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts in order to keep the game scoreless. The Dodgers are without a hit through three innings.

Priester was a revelation for the Brewers this year, going 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 157.1 innings.

Aaron Ashby puts up a zero in the first

Brewers opener Andy Ashby worked around a leadoff walk of Shohei Ohtani in a scoreless first, getting Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez before striking out Freddie Freeman to strand Ohtani.

Ashby, the nephew of two-time All-Star Andy Ashby, made four appearances in the five-game NLDS against the Cubs.

When is Shohei Ohtani pitching? Dave Roberts won’t say

MILWAUKEE — With Blake Snell starting Game 1 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Yoshinobu Yamamoto getting the nod for Game 2, that means Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow won’t take the mound until the series shifts to Los Angeles later this week. Asked if he’s already decided which games they’ll start, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said yes. 

Would he care to share that information?

‘No,’ Roberts said, smiling. 

Aaron Ashby starts Brewers’ pitching parade

MILWAUKEE — Brewers manager Pat Murphy is completely focused on Game 1 while already thinking ahead. 

Huh? 

With only two starters – 1 ½, really – the Brewers will be leaning heavily on their relievers to get them through the seven-game series that includes just two off days. Which means Murphy has to be smart in how he uses them. Let one go an extra inning, or two, in Games 1 or 2, and Milwaukee could pay for it down the road. 

‘It’s win tonight, but when you get to about Game 4, you better be careful of what you’ve done to your pitching staff. It might show up in Game 4, Game 5,’ Murphy said ahead of Game 1. 

‘Especially the third game, OK, we just had a day off. How much do you want to use here? What do you think about?’ Murphy continued. ‘That’s where you can get exposed because now your thinking is, `We’re not playing to win tonight,’ we’re playing, `Hey, we’ve got to pitch these guys because these (other) guys are gassed.’ We’ve got to try to keep ourselves from that situation.

‘Comes down to depth and quality of depth.’ 

That helps explain Murphy’s decision to add Tobias Myers to the roster for the NLCS and remove Nick Mears. Mears has been ‘unbelievable’ for Milwaukee, Murphy said. But he’s better in short spurts, and the Brewers will need someone who can go longer. — Nancy Armour

Dodgers lineup today

1. Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
2. Mookie Betts (R) SS
3. Teoscar Hernández (R) RF
4. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
5. Will Smith (R) C
6. Tommy Edman (S) 2B
7. Max Muncy (L) 3B
8. Enrique Hernández (R) LF
9. Andy Pages (R) CF

Brewers lineup

1. Jackson Chourio (R) RF
2. Christian Yelich (L) DH
3. William Contreras (R) C
4. Brice Turang (L) 2B
5. Andrew Vaughn (R) 1B
6. Sal Frelick (L) CF
7. Caleb Durbin (R) 3B
8. Isaac Collins (S) LF
9. Joey Ortiz (R) SS

Dodgers NLCS roster

The Dodgers have added right-handed pitcher Ben Casparius to the mix in place of third catcher Dalton Rushing, apparently signaling Will Smith should be able to handle a greater share of the duties behind the plate in the NLCS. Smith was limited over much of September and early in the playoffs by a fracture in his right hand.

The Dodgers will also have veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw on the roster, despite his rocky outing in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Phillies when he gave up five runs (four earned) in two innings of work.

Rookie quarterback Cam Ward’s blunt assessment of the Tennessee Titans last month shed light on the state of the team.   

The Titans made their first major decision to change the trajectory of the franchise Monday when they fired head coach Brian Callahan after less than two seasons.

‘After extended conversations with our owner and general manager, we met with Brian Callahan this morning to tell him we are making a change at head coach,” Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker said in a statement. “While we are committed to a patient and strategic plan to build a sustainable, winning football program, we have not demonstrated sufficient growth. Our players, fans, and community deserve a football team that achieves a standard we are not currently meeting, and we are committed to making the hard decisions necessary to reach and maintain that standard.’

Callahan went 4-19 in 23 games as the Titans head coach. One might think parting ways with a head coach after 23 games is premature, but when the No. 1 overall pick and franchise quarterback sounded the alarm after the Week 4 loss, it was only a matter of time before changes would be made in Tennessee.

The Titans are a bad football team. Tennessee has the NFL’s worst total offense (232.3 yards per game), they average the second fewest number of points (13.8) and rank No. 22 in total defense, allowing 343.3 yards per game.

Ward is among a few players on the roster that generate tangible optimism for the future. In Week 5, Ward and the Titans became the first team to overcome a deficit of at least 18 points and win with a rookie starting quarterback since the New York Giants on Sept. 22, 2019. He leads all rookies in passing yards (1,101) and passing yards per game (183).

“Everybody talks about his work ethic, how early he’s there, how late he stays,” franchise legend and Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon told USA TODAY Sports of Ward earlier this season. “He just loves to work. That’s what you want your best player being. You want him to be one of the hardest workers on the team. You want him to be a guy that doesn’t blink. That has tremendous confidence, but he puts in the work to back it up.”

Sure, Ward is experiencing rookie growing pains. He’s completed under 40% of his passes between 10-19 yards and has a 40% success rate on pass attempts beyond 20 yards, per Pro Football Focus. While his 55% overall completion percentage ranks last among starting quarterbacks.

But the Titans haven’t necessarily surrounded Ward with weapons. Does a receiving corps that consist of Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett strike fear on opponents? Or tight ends Chig Okonkwo and Gunnar Helm?

Tony Pollard is a solid starting running back, but he’s currently averaging 3.9 yards a carry.

The Titans must do a better job of building around Ward. That starts with whomever they hire as head coach.

The positive news is the Titans have enough resources. Tennessee enters the 2026 season with the most salary cap space in the NFL, per Over The Cap.

The Titans made the correct decision in taking Ward No. 1 overall in the 2025 draft. Now they must do right by the quarterback. The development and success of Ward is contingent upon the Titans’ ability to build around him and implementation of an offensive system that caters to his skill set.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.