The Rays left Yankee Stadium with everything they wanted and more, completing a sweep of the Yankees with a 4-3 win in Game 3. It was the kind of postseason gut punch that can linger, especially with fan interference playing a role in a crucial sixth-inning sequence. Now Aaron Boone is left to absorb even more pressure after another October setback.
Across the National League, the Dodgers punched their ticket to the NLCS by knocking off the Braves, 4-1. Los Angeles also survived the Padres, 3-1, in Game 4, setting up a series with the Brewers. For Atlanta, the loss opens the door to major offseason questions.
The only division series still alive in the American League belongs to the Guardians, who avoided elimination against the White Sox. That kept a busy night in baseball from turning into a clean sweep across the board.
The WNBA playoffs delivered their own drama, and then some. The Dream escaped with a 101-98 overtime win over the Liberty in a semifinal thriller, with Jordin Canada and Angel Reese combining for 46 points.
The finish also came with clock controversy in the closing seconds. In California, the Valkyries held off the Aces, 83-81, behind a clutch block from Kiah Stokes.
That means the last two WNBA champions are now one loss from elimination on Friday night, trying to do something no team has ever done before: come back from 2-0 down in a best-of-5 series.
Baltimore made a big move on the offensive line, acquiring C Cam Jurgens from the Eagles in exchange for a pair of draft picks. The Ravens had a clear opening at center after losing Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, and Jurgens, a two-time Pro Bowler, fills it immediately.
The trade fits a team pushing all-in for a Super Bowl run. It also leaves a bigger question hanging over Philadelphia: are the Eagles about to start a full-scale rebuild?
That answer should come into focus over the coming weeks.
Oregon will be without quarterback Dante Moore against UCLA. Even though Moore was at practice this week, the Ducks listed him as out on Wednesday’s availability report.
That means Dylan Raiola is set for his first start for Oregon. He’ll line up opposite Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who checked in inside the top 40 of the latest CFB QB Power Rankings.
There was also major news in Eugene on the basketball side. Dana Altman announced he is retiring immediately, less than a month before the 2026-27 season tips off.
He leaves with 792 career wins, just eight short of 800. The timing invites a natural question: why now?
NIL and the transfer portal are part of the answer, and so is Oregon’s roster, which simply isn’t very good.
And with NFL Week 5 getting underway tonight, the weekend slate is already taking shape. One of the headline games is Bears-Packers, where Chicago is trying to keep its strong start rolling and Green Bay is looking for a much-needed jolt.
Caleb Williams will not play for the Bears, but Chicago has barely missed a beat. The offense has leaned hard on the run game, and Green Bay has struggled to stop it.
Tyler Sullivan likes Chicago to win and cover, pointing to the Bears’ ground attack and the Packers’ issues against the run. As Sullivan put it: "Chicago has persevered amid Caleb Williams' injury, and both Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent (who'll start on Sunday) have performed at a high level in his stead.
The Bears have leaned on their running game with D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, and the team leads the NFL with 196.3 rushing yards per game. That strength could once again be an X-factor as Green Bay is tied for the second-most rushing touchdowns (7) allowed this season."
Elsewhere in the NFL, the 0-4 Texans are staring at a must-win game against the 0-4 Titans, and DeMeco Ryans is taking over play-calling duties in an effort to get Houston’s defense moving again.
The NBA season is almost here too, and John Gonzalez raised eight questions about what’s coming next. Among them: whether the Warriors have enough left. The age and health concerns around that group are hard to ignore, with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford all part of the conversation.
The 76ers are also expected to remain a talking point, and not just for basketball reasons. Knicks announcer Mike Breen recently apologized for an anecdote about James calling out Joel Embiid at practice, which James refuted.
A few other items are worth keeping on the radar: the Cowboys keep getting exposed on special teams, there’s a hypothetical Marvin Harrison Jr. trade to think about in Arizona, Georgia-Alabama may be dealing with ugly weather, Denzel Boston is playing like a first-round pick, Jon Rahm took a hit in LIV Golf 2.0, BYU will be without LJ Martin against Notre Dame, the Flyers have tumbled in the NHL Power Rankings, Arizona and Kansas look like the Big 12 teams to beat in college basketball, Napheesa Collier could have five possible landing spots if she leaves the Lynx, and the USMNT has a promising wave of young talent coming through.
Thursday’s watch list is busy: Sam Houston at Liberty, Missouri State at WKU, Wizards at Knicks in NBA preseason action, South Florida at UTSA, South Alabama at Arkansas State, Guardians at White Sox, and Buccaneers at Cowboys.
In Other News...
Aaron Judge Turns Rays Sweep Into Yankees Front Office Pressure
Even while sidelined, Aaron Judge still found himself at the center of the Yankees latest postseason disappointment after Tampa Bays ALDS sweep sent New York home early. The injured captains absence only sharpened the frustration around a season that ended with the same old October questions, and his comments afterward pointed directly at the people who have to answer them. He said the Yankees ownership and front office need to go all-in this offseason if they want to put together a roster capable of making a real championship run.
Judge also took a moment to acknowledge how hard the elimination hit, while noting that his own rehab remains ongoing as he works his way back. For the Rays, the sweep was a statement series and another reminder of how quickly the balance can shift in the division. For the Yankees, it became something bigger than a loss - it turned into an uncomfortable prompt about urgency, expectations and what kind of push the organization is willing to make next. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Fans Had Every Reason To Hate This ALDS Replay Call
The ALDS swung through another jarring replay sequence in Game 3, when Anthony Volpes two-run homer was taken off the board and turned into a double after review. The call hinged on fan interference, with the replay official determining that a spectator reached over the wall and touched the ball before it could finish its path beyond the fence or into the glove of the defender.
For Rays fans, it was the kind of ruling that can linger long after the inning ends. The Yankees still got a run-scoring double out of it, but Tampa Bay kept its edge in the series, even as the replay decision left plenty of frustration behind and added another layer of tension to a postseason game already being dissected pitch by pitch. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Chisholm Just Put His Yankees Future In Focus
The Yankees season ended at the hands of the Rays in an ALDS sweep, and the focus in New York is already drifting toward what comes next. Among the players caught in that uncertainty is Jazz Chisholm Jr., whose status is part of a larger offseason picture for a club with several unresolved roster decisions.
Chisholm is a free agent after a down year, which could make him expendable as the Yankees sort through their infield plans. Still, he made clear he wants another shot in New York, saying he hopes to return for the 2027 season, a sentiment that only adds another layer to a winter in which the Yankees will have to decide which pieces still fit their future. [Read more 🡒]