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Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman often refers to the playoffs as the “theater of October.”

On the first day of the month Wednesday night, Game 2 of the National League wild-card series was only four batters old when the Dodgers had some dramatic adversity strike.

With two outs in the top of the first, Yoshinobu Yamamoto induced a routine fly ball down the right-field line. Outfielder Teoscar Hernández positioned himself under it. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the inning would have ended there.

This time, however, Hernández committed a horrifying mistake. The ball hit off the heel of his mitt. The Cincinnati Reds suddenly had runners at second and third base. And what should have been a clean opening frame instead turned into a two-run disaster, with Sal Stewart slapping a single through the infield in the next at-bat.

For the Dodgers, it was an immediate test.

Of their mental resolve after a self-inflicted miscue. Of their veteran composure in the face of an early deficit. Of the kind of resiliency that was so key in their World Series run last year, and will need to be again for them to repeat as champions.

In an eventual 8-4 comeback victory, they successfully, triumphantly and assuredly passed.

Behind 6 ⅔ clutch innings from Yamamoto, a go-ahead two-run rally in the fourth inning keyed by a Kiké Hernández double, and a back-breaking four-run explosion in the sixth after Yamamoto had escaped a bases-loaded jam, the Dodgers eliminated the Reds in this best-of-three opening round.

Despite another late tightrope act from the bullpen, which gave up two runs in the eighth before Roki Sasaki finished things off in the ninth, the team booked their place in the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Dodgers did not make it easy on themselves. They were dealt a full range of October theatrics. But they prevailed nonetheless with a hard-fought victory — the kind that could catapult them into the rest of this month.

Facing their early 2-0 deficit, the Dodgers never panicked.

Ben Rortvedt doubles during the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The turnaround started with Yamamoto, who finally ended the first inning by striking out Elly De La Cruz, then didn’t let another runner reach base for the next four innings.

The offense, meanwhile, chipped away at veteran Reds right-hander Zack Littell, stressing him with constant early traffic before eventually breaking through in the third, when Ben Rortvedt sliced a leadoff double down the left-field line and Mookie Betts scored him with an RBI single.

The Dodgers then went in front in the fourth, thanks to a big swing from a familiar postseason hero. After a leadoff single from Max Muncy, Kiké Hernández smacked an elevated fastball into the right-center field gap. Muncy scored all the way from first to tie the game. Hernández, whom the Dodgers have re-signed each of the past two offseasons thanks largely to his playoff reputation, had his latest moment of fall-time magic.

Hernández would come around to score in the next at-bat, when Miguel Rojas dumped a base hit inside the right-field line.

From there, the score remained 3-2 until the sixth inning — when the game climaxed in two memorable sequences.

First, Yamamoto had to wiggle out of red-alarm danger, facing a bases-loaded jam with no outs after the Reds led off with three-straight singles. At that point, the right-hander’s pitch count was climbing. Blake Treinen started to get loose in the bullpen. But manager Dave Roberts, as he promised entering the playoffs, kept his faith in his starter.

Yamamoto rewarded him for it.

After Austin Hays bounced a grounder to Betts that the shortstop threw home for a forceout, Yamamoto slammed the door with back-to-back strikeouts. Stewart fanned on one curveball. De La Cruz couldn’t check his swing on another. Yamamoto celebrated with a primal scream. A crowd of 50,465 erupted around him.

The cheers continued into the bottom half of the inning, as the Dodgers finally pulled away with an outburst from their offense. It started with a single from Kiké Hernández, marking his second-straight two-hit game to begin these playoffs. It was aided by a throwing error from Stewart at first base, allowing Rortvedt to reach safely and put runners on the corners. Shohei Ohtani then knocked in one insurance run on an RBI single. Betts added another with a one-hopper that got past third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes for an RBI double.

And fittingly, it was Teoscar Hernández who delivered the death blow, following an intentional walk to Freddie Freeman with a two-run, bases-loaded, redemption-rich double.

The Dodgers eventually stretched the lead to 8-2, when Betts drove in his third run of the game with his third double of the night in the bottom of the seventh — giving him four total hits in a contest for the third time in his career.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts speaks with pitcher Emmet Sheehan before removing him from the game in the eighth inning Wednesday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Then came the bullpen, which once again thrust itself into danger after Emmet Sheehan gave up two runs in the eighth on two singles and two walks; his command so shaky, Roberts decided to pull him in the middle of an at-bat against Will Benson after he nearly plunked the batter in an 0-and-2 count.

However, it was mostly smooth sailing from there. Alex Vesia took over, and retired the side by striking out two of three batters (even though there was another walk in-between).

The ninth inning, meanwhile, belonged to Sasaki, who retired the side in order with 100-mph fastballs and his trademark splitter, ending a night of theatrics by sending the Dodgers to the next round.

Victor Osimhen scored an early penalty as Galatasaray beat an error-prone Liverpool, who lost goalkeeper Alisson and striker Hugo Ekitike to injury, 1-0 in a raucous Champions League clash in Istanbul.

The masked Nigerian striker blasted the ball past a diving Alisson when he stepped up in the 16th minute of the match on Tuesday, after Baris Alper Yilmaz went down following a swipe in the face by Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool made three changes to the lineup that suffered a first-league defeat of the season by Crystal Palace at the weekend, with Mohamed Salah on the bench along with record signing Alexander Isak.

Both came on in the 62nd minute when Liverpool made a triple substitution, with Salah replacing starter Jeremie Frimpong on the right wing, after Alisson had gone off injured and was replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili in the 56th.

Ekitike, in the starting lineup on his return from a domestic suspension, went off injured in the 68th on a bruising night for the visitors who had their chances but looked alarmingly vulnerable in defence.

The win was a first in seven years at home in the Champions League for the Turkish side and a notable one against opponents unbeaten in all competitions until last weekend and now dealt two losses in a row.

Galatasaray could have been in front already in the second minute when Yilmaz caught the defence napping and went one on one with Alisson, who stood firm and shut out the danger.

Liverpool then missed a golden chance of their own in the 13th minute when Ekitike miscued the ball after getting into a scoring position and Cody Gakpo had a shot cleared off the line on the rebound.

From almost taking the lead, Liverpool found themselves behind seconds later when Osimhen stepped up and lifted the already volcanic crowd to the point of eruption.

The visitors had the chance to equalise in the 32nd minute, with another Ekitike shot blocked and Ibrahima Konate missing from close range, but continued to look vulnerable and gave away a free kick on the edge of the area on the stroke of half-time.

The second half brought a raft of substitutions but no change on the pitch and Liverpool still looking nervous in defence, with loose passing as Galatasaray worked constantly to keep up the pressure.

Alisson limped off after saving from Osimhen and Ekitike then pulled up after stretching for the ball.

Liverpool sniffed an equaliser in the 88th when referee Clement Turpin pointed to the spot but the decision was overturned by a VAR review deciding that Wilfried Singo had played the ball ahead of Ibrahima Konate.

Galatasaray fans displayed banners protesting the war in Gaza at both ends of the pitch, and there was a tribute to the late Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva before the kickoff.

Liverpool’s coach Arne Slot said he was “disappointed” with the result and claimed Szoboszlai “did nothing wrong” in conceding the penalty.

“[Yilmaz] felt a little flick in his face and he fell down. We are sometimes a bit outsmarted in situations like this,” he told Amazon Prime. “I cannot blame Dom in a situation like this.”

Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk said there was no need for his side to panic, but that they needed to cut out the errors.

“I hate losing, but there shouldn’t be panic and there is improvement needed,” he told Amazon Prime.

“There was a big step up tonight from the willingness and the hard work that we put in compared to the weekend.

“Now we have to convert chances and not make stupid mistakes at times. It is a process and we have to keep going.”

Madrid shrugged off any travel weariness in a 5-0 win at Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan, and Bayern cruised to a 5-1 win at Pafos in Cyprus.

Tottenham Hotspur needed an 89th-minute own goal to salvage a point at Bodo/Glimt as they battled back from two goals down to draw 2-2 on Tuesday in the first Champions League game ever played inside the Arctic Circle.

Atletico Madrid romped to a 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt with coach Diego Simeone watching from the stands following his suspension for an altercation with a Liverpool fan in the team’s previous Champions League game.

Jose Mourinho blew a kiss to Chelsea supporters on his return to Stamford Bridge with his Benfica team.

A Benfica player scored, but it was an own goal from Richard Rios that decided the result, a 1-0 win for Chelsea, who had Joao Pedro sent off late.

Marseille beat visiting Ajax 4-0, and Lautaro Martinez scored twice to lead Inter Milan to a 3-0 win at home over Slavia Prague.

Linfield have reached the second round of the BetMcLean Cup with a 2-0 win over Queen’s University at Windsor Park.

Chris McKee, who had an early effort ruled out, opened the scoring when he headed home Charlie Allen’s cross in the 18th minute.

Queen’s University, who have impressed since they earned promotion to the Championship, had a chance to equalise when Tommy Smyth’s header forced David Walsh into a save.

McKee struck the woodwork shortly before the interval but Matt Yates added a second for David Healy’s side in the 51st minute from Sam Taylor’s cross.

Holders Cliftonville take on Coagh United in one of 14 first round ties on Tuesday, 7 October, while Ards’ tie with Dungannon Swifts completes the last 32 on Wednesday, 8 October.

In a change for this year’s competition, the winners of the BetMcLean Cup will automatically go into the Irish Premiership’s European play-off final from next season.

India staged a brilliant comeback after a middle-order collapse to beat Sri Lanka by 59 runs in a rain-affected opening match of the Women’s World Cup in Guwahati.

The hosts lost four wickets for four runs in the space of 11 balls, including three in the 26th over for spinner Inoka Ranaweera, which saw them slip to 124-6.

But Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma produced a match-winning partnership of 103 for the seventh wicket as Sri Lanka were unable to maintain their initial discipline in the field, with the former dropped four times on her way to 57.

Sneh Rana added some late impetus with 28 from 15 balls and Sharma fell for 53 from the last ball of the innings as India recovered to post a competitive 269-8 from 47 overs, with three overs lost from rain delays.

That saw Sri Lanka’s target revised to 271 from the same amount of overs, and they made a promising start by reaching 82-1 but skipper Chamari Athapaththu’s dismissal for 43 at the end of the 15th over stalled their progress.

Athapaththu’s second-wicket stand of 52 with Harshitha Samarawickrama kept the visitors in the game, but they lacked India’s batting depth and could not recover from a slump to 140-6 and they were eventually bowled out for 211 in the 46th over.

Sharma added figures of 3-54 to her half-century as India entertained a lively crowd of 22,843 – a record for a Women’s World Cup group game – while fellow spinners Sneh Rana and Shree Charani took 2-32 and 2-37 respectively.

The tournament continues with defending champions Australia taking on New Zealand in Indore on Wednesday, while England start their campaign against South Africa on Friday.

Of course Donald was saying all the right things on the eve of Europe claiming a fifth away win, following 1987, 1995, 2004 and 2012.

“Their job is not done yet. I’m not going to be complacent. They will have plenty of fight. We’re trying to get to 14½ points first,” he said, trotting out the usual platitudes you’d expect from a captain who has planned meticulously for this moment since winning in Rome two years ago.

But even he let slip that he “didn’t really imagine this” as a scenario at the end of day two.

And what a scenario it is.

This is the largest lead a European team has held at this stage, eclipsing the 11-5 advantage they built at Oakland Hills in 2004, when they closed out a record 18½-9½ away triumph.

For the US to overturn this, they will need to win 10 of the 12 points on offer. The most secured by either team on the final day is 8½ – the US in 1979 and 1999, and Europe in 2006 and 2012.

Only four of the 22 Ryder Cups since Europe joined in 1979 has seen a team come from behind at the end of day two to win – 1993, 1995, 1999 and 2012.

It is also the largest lead by any away side as Europe look to buck the trend of huge home wins – although the run of big blow-out victories looks set to be extended to six.

The past five have been won by the home team by five points (Europe, 2014), six (US, 2016), seven (Europe, 2018), 10 (US, 2021), five (Europe 2023).

Eight of the past 10 Ryder Cups have been won by a margin of five or more points. The gap was never more than three points in each of the previous eight editions (1987 to 2002).

The average margin of victory between 1983 and 1999 was 1.3 points, since then it has been 5.5.

India take all the way by Sri Lanka in final Super Fours match before Sunday’s Asia Cup final against Pakistan.

Defending champions India survived Pathum Nissanka’s blistering hundred and some intense Super Over drama before beating Sri Lanka in a dead rubber to maintain their unbeaten run in the Asia Cup on Friday.

With India having already secured their place in Sunday’s final against Pakistan and Sri Lanka eliminated, the Super Fours clash was of merely academic interest, but it turned out to be the most exciting game of this year’s tournament.

Sri Lanka gave a good account of themselves and matched India’s 202-5 to force the Super Over after Nissanka (107) smashed the first individual hundred of this year’s tournament.

Sri Lanka, however, managed only two runs in the Super Over before losing both the wickets in five deliveries from Arshdeep Singh.

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav took three runs from the first delivery from Wanindu Hasaranga to seal their victory matter-of-factly.

Earlier, put into bat, 20-overs world champions India racked up the tournament’s first 200-plus total riding opener Abhishek Sharma’s third consecutive fifty in the tournament.

Abhishek, the world’s top-ranked T20 batter, maintained his red-hot form with a sizzling 61 off 31 balls.

Opening partner Shubman Gill fell for four,

and skipper Suryakumar’s (12) slump in form continued, but India did not really suffer as Abhishek raced to a 22-ball fifty.

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka removed Abhishek, but Tilak Varma, who made 49 not out, and Sanju Samson (39) maintained the pressure on the Sri Lankan bowlers.

In their chase, Sri Lanka lost Kusal Mendis for a duck in the first over, but cruised to 72-1 after the six powerplay overs.

India rested pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, while Hardik Pandya bowled just one over before leaving the field.

Nissanka needed 25 balls to bring up his fifty, and Kusal Perera (58) could not be denied his half-century either.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy broke the 127-run stand when he dismissed Perera.

Nissanka raced to a 52-ball hundred, but fell in the first ball of the last over, which ended with Sri Lanka also on 202-5, forcing the Super Over.

Bangladesh crumble as Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf take three wickets each in Super Fours match in Dubai.

Pakistan have set up a blockbuster Asia Cup 2025 final against archrivals India after defeating Bangladesh by 11 runs in a thrilling Super Fours match in Dubai.

Chasing 136 to win in a winners-take-all match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, Bangladesh’s batting collapsed dramatically in front of Pakistan’s pace bowling attack, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Once Pakistan took the field after posting a meagre total of 135-8 in 20 overs, Afridi put on an authoritative display of fast bowling by picking up two wickets in his first two overs and ended with match figures of 3-17 in four overs.

Fellow pacer Haris Rauf contributed with three wickets of his own, two of which helped wrap up Bangladesh’s innings, while part-time, left-armed slow bowler Saim Ayub bowled a tidy spell of 2-16 from four overs.

Bangladesh opener Saif Hasan (18) formed brief partnerships with Mahedi Hasan (11) and Nurul Hasan (16), but none of the batting stands lasted long enough to see the team through.

Some late resistance by lower middle order batter Shamim Hossain (30) briefly raised the hopes of Bangladeshi fans, but once Shamim became Afridi’s third victim in the 17th over, Pakistan became clear favourites to wrap up the win.

Rishad Hossain, who had an excellent outing with the ball and in the field, hit two fours and a six in his innings of 16 but kept losing batting partners as Bangladesh’s innings came to a close on 124-9 in 20 overs.

Earlier, when Pakistan were sent in to bat by Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Jaker Ali, the decision paid off almost instantly as the Pakistani openers struggled to score runs.

Taskin Ahmed’s disciplined opening spell led to the dismissal of Sahibzada Farhan on the fourth ball of Pakistan’s innings while one-down batter Ayub fell in the next over to Mahedi.

Fakhar Zaman (13) and captain Salman Agha (19) formed a brief and sluggish partnership but could not hit a single six.

Rishad, who took two catches before coming on to bowl, dismissed Zaman in the seventh over and then sent back Hussain Talat in the ninth. Agha fell to Mustafizur Rahman between the two Rishad wickets as Pakistan were reduced to 49-5.

A lower order flourish from Mohammad Haris (31 off 17), Muhammad Nawaz (25 off 15) and Afridi (19 off 13) took Pakistan to 135-8 on a tricky Dubai pitch.

Afridi was named player of the match for his all-round heroics.

Pakistan will be especially delighted to see their premier pace bowler return to wicket-taking form before the final against bitter rivals India on Sunday.

The South Asian neighbours have already met twice in the tournament, and India recorded thumping wins on both occasions.

Sunday’s match, also to be played in Dubai, will be the first India-Pakistan clash in the final of the Asia Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1984.

Tensions have run high, and political standoffs have spilled onto the cricket field in both of the previous two meetings between the teams this month.

Fans can expect another politically charged match, especially with the trophy on the line.

Pakistan will hope it will be a case of third time lucky while India will look to complete a 3-0 drubbing in the tournament.

Pakistan and Bangladesh headed into the penultimate match of the Super Four stage knowing the winner would advance to the final and Bangladesh had one foot in Sunday’s trophy match when they restricted Pakistan to 135-8.

Taskin Ahmed (3-28) and Mahedi Hasan (2-28) struck early to reduce Pakistan to 5-2 inside 10 balls and wickets continued to fall as the batting side teetered on 49-5 in the 11th over.

Wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris top-scored with 31 (23) to drag Pakistan into three figures, enjoying partnerships with Shaheen Shah Afridi (19) and Mohammad Nawaz (25), but Mahedi and Taskin dismissed the trio to prevent any late fireworks.

Bangladesh had their own struggles with the bat, losing three wicket in the powerplay and later slumping to 44-4.

Shamim Hossain’s 30 (25) briefly revived their hopes of a successful chase but his dismissal by Shaheen (3-17) in the 17th over was quickly followed by two wickets in three balls from Haris Rauf and despite some late boundaries from Rishad Hossain, Bangladesh fell short.

Bangladesh, who are yet to win the men’s Asia Cup, join Sri Lanka in being eliminated in the Super Fours, with the latter facing unbeaten India in the final group match on Friday.

It’s a nauseating, mind-boggling condition people literally lose sleep over, but help is at hand from a veteran of the skies who shares his best tips

Post-holiday blues are a nightmare, even more so if you suffer from jetlag after a long trip. Feeling like your body operates on a different time zone once you come back home is disorienting.

But there are ways to beat the nasty phenomenon, according to a travel expert who has seen and done it all. Even more remarkable is that these are simple tweaks that do not cost a thing.

Al Smith is a seasoned pilot, currently working as senior first officer for British Airways. He is no stranger to jetlag, having flown across time zones and seen sunrises from the comfort of his own cockpit.

He follows a strict sleep routine to ensure he is fresh as a daisy whenever he is manning a plane. In a recent edition of British Airways’ High Life magazine, he said: “After years on short haul, I had a rhythm – early starts or late finishes, never both.

“But long haul is a different game. These days, I spend at least one night a week wide awake under the stars – but that doesn’t mean I have to lose a night’s sleep.

“I plan ahead: sleep before departure, nap after landing and squeeze in a siesta when I can. The key?

“Prioritising rest and making time for it, no matter what time zone I’m in.”

Top 10 tips to beat jetlag

1. If the hotel curtains don’t close properly, grab a coat hanger with trouser clips and clip the curtains together. It’s a lifesaver for daytime sleeping.
2. Limit alcohol.
3. Don’t sleep for more than three hours on landing day. If it’s after 3pm, try to stay up and just go to bed early.
4. If you’re a tea lover like me and nothing else will do, invest in quality decaf tea. It’s perfect for enjoying at any time of day or night.
5. Strategic napping is essential – just don’t do it on a subway in Tokyo.
6. Turn your phone to dark mode and switch on ‘Sleep’ or ‘Do Not Disturb’ at bedtimes.
7. Don’t go shopping just to kill time on landing day – you will only buy things you don’t need. Early in my career, I woke up to find I’d cleared out the entire miniature toiletries section of Walgreens after landing in Seattle.
8. Don’t oversleep while recovering from jet lag – in my experience, it prolongs my adjustment time.
9. Get outside and do some light exercise. Sunlight is a natural reset for me and is essential when it comes to acclimatising.
10. If you’re trying to stay up, never sit on the bed! Trust me – before you know it, you’ll be on your back and spark out. You’ve been warned!

Among the most important things for people to get right is their sleep hygiene. According to Al, it helps the body adjust to a new time zone easier and more effectively.

He said of his own experience: “Every time we’ve moved house, my first priority has been: ‘How do I make my new bedroom feel like the best hotel room ever?’ I prefer total darkness when I sleep – I highly recommend plantation shutters with a blackout screen.

“Zero light is incredible and allows me to sleep both day and night. Temperature is also vital.

“I think I have a two-degree tolerance before I’m either too hot or too cold. Yes, it’s the UK – but it reached 40°C in the last few years.

“Air-conditioning is the way forward! And quality bedding is another must.”

One of the main symptoms of jetlag is insomnia and it’s something Al also had first-hand experience of. He told the magazine: “There have been occasions where oversleeping on what we call ‘landing day’ – a sacred day that should be free of tasks – has led to bouts of insomnia.

“It’s taken me years of flying to figure out that if I check the clock twice and it’s still within the same hour, it’s time to get up, have a warm drink (obviously not caffeinated) and watch a bit of TV. Otherwise, I spend the entire night tossing and turning.”

Abhishek’s innings helps India chase 172 with seven balls to spare in their Super Fours cricket match against Pakistan in Dubai.

A 105-run opening stand between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill helped defending champions India beat Pakistan by six wickets in their Asia Cup Super Four match, a second victory over their archrivals in the Twenty20 cricket tournament.

Put in to bat first in the match on Sunday, Pakistan set India a target of 172, which they reached with seven balls remaining.

There was no handshake between the teams’ players yet again, with the match played amid lingering tensions between the two nations in the wake of a military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May.

There was clear tension between both sets of players it threatened to bubble over in India’s innings as Pakistan’s fast bowler Haris Rauf appeared to exchage heated words with Sharma and Gill.

Put in to bat first, Pakistan had a 72-run partnership between Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub for the second wicket that laid the foundation for its innings after Fakhar Zaman (15) fell early.

Farhan, who was dropped in the first over by Sharma, completed his half-century in 34 balls, steering Pakistan to 91-1 after 10 overs.

But Pakistan could not hit a single boundary in the next six overs as Ayub (21), Hussain Talat (10) and Farhan (58 off 45) got out in quick succession.

Unbeaten knocks from captain Salman Ali Agha (17 off 13) and Faheem Ashraf (20 off 8) added 42 runs in the last three overs to help Pakistan reach a competitive 171-5.

Sharma announced his intentions by hitting Shaheen Shah Afridi for a six on the first ball, and hit four boundaries and four sixes to complete his half-century in 24 balls.

India seemed to be cruising to a quick victory until Gill (47 off 28) was bowled by Faheem Ashraf in the 10th over.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav fell to Haris Rauf (2-26) for a duck in the very next over, and Sharma (74 off 39) was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed soon after, temporarily throttling India’s chase.

But India, who beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the group stage, still got over the line, with Tilak Varma (30 off 19) hitting Afridi for a six and a four in the final two balls of the innings.

Pakistan will face Sri Lanka on Tuesday, with both sides looking for their first win in the Super Four, a day before India play Bangladesh, who beat Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Manchester United beat Chelsea in a wild match at Old Trafford, with both sides down to 10 men by half-time.

Manchester United breathed life into their stuttering Premier League season when goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro earned them a thrilling 2-1 home victory over Chelsea.

A frantic first half got off to the worst possible start for Chelsea on Saturday when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off in the fifth minute for a flying lunge at Bryan Mbeumo, upending the United forward as he was through on goal.

The hosts, with just one victory to their name previously this campaign, made their numerical advantage count, with Fernandes and Casemiro putting United 2-0 in front inside 37 minutes.

Casemiro’s needless dismissal just before halftime evened up the numbers and gave Chelsea a way back into the contest, but Trevoh Chalobah’s late header was all the visitors could muster as a nervy United held on for a vital three points.

The pressure has been mounting on United coach Ruben Amorim after defeat in the Manchester derby last weekend left the Portuguese with a win record of just eight from 31 league games since taking charge last November.

The visit of Chelsea offered Amorim the opportunity to start rectifying that meagre return, with the Blues winless at Old Trafford since 2013. Sanchez’s rash tackle significantly aided the beleaguered United manager’s cause.

Along with the added setback of Cole Palmer being withdrawn through injury, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was forced into an early reshuffle, making three substitutions in the first 21 minutes, the earliest a side has ever done that in a Premier League game.

It was not long before Fernandes added to Old Trafford’s euphoria in the driving Manchester rain, the skipper nudging home his 100th goal for United in all competitions.

Casemiro then seemingly put United in an unassailable position after determined work from Luke Shaw to keep alive the attack, the veteran Brazilian heading in his first goal of the season.

A second booking soon turned Casemiro from hero to villain as he became the first player to score and be sent off in the first half of a Premier League match since Emmanuel Adebayor for Spurs against Arsenal in November 2012.

Even when chasing the game, Chelsea offered very little attacking threat until Chalobah’s header 10 minutes from time. United looked ragged from there on in, but Altay Bayindir remained largely untroubled in the home goal as the hosts held on.

Amorim praised United’s aggression and urgency in a post-match interview, although he wishes his side could have been more clinical to put the game out of sight.

“I have nothing to say to the critics, and most of the time they are right. Today, we won and it is a good day for us,” he told Sky Sports.

“We can lose against Grimsby, [but] we can beat any team. I’m just thinking about the next one. It is really good to win. We need the urgency to win again, that is really important for us.”

Maresca, meanwhile, lamented Sanchez’s early red card.

“We need to start the game better. We cannot concede a red card at Old Trafford after three minutes,” he said.

Elsewhere in the Premier League on Saturday, Liverpool maintained a perfect start in their campaign after Ryan Gravenberch scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over Everton at Anfield.

In another bad day for West Ham coach Graham Potter, his team lost for the fourth time in five games, going down at home to Crystal Palace 2-1.

Wolves lost at home to Leeds 3-1, leaving Vitor Pereira’s team bottom of the table and still looking for their first points after five games.

Trailing 2-0 at Brighton, Tottenham came back to salvage a 2-2 draw.

And former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou got his first point as Nottingham Forest coach in a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

On a Wednesday wedged between its latest quarterly earnings release and a major customer event, Braze (BRZE 2.38%) had a fine day on the stock market. The company’s shares rose by more than 2%, on the back of a positive note from an analyst tracking the stock. What’s more, this was on a day when the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.10%) dipped underwater, closing 0.1% lower that trading session.

Bolstering the buy case

That analyst note came from Stifel‘s Parker Lane, who before the market open reiterated his buy recommendation and $40 per-share price target on Braze’s stock in a new update.

Image source: Getty Images.

According to reports, Lane justified this by pointing to Braze’s performance in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, the results of which were published earlier this month.

The customer relationship management specialist’s revenue surged 24% higher year over year to $180 million, while the non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) adjusted bottom line expanded by 85% to nearly $17 million. Both figures topped the consensus analyst estimates.

Lane wrote in his Braze update that despite the post-earnings share price rise, the company’s stock is still undervalued. That’s because, in his view, it’s merely at the beginning of a vast opportunity to sell its artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced customer engagement platform to eager clients.

A fine stock to own, say most pundits

The Stifel analyst’s view on Braze’s future is more or less in line with the typical analyst take. According to data compiled by MarketBeat.com, of the 21 pundits tracking the stock, 20 currently have buy recommendations (or the equivalent) on Braze. The one dissenter rates the company as a hold.

Eight-run cricket win keeps Bangladesh in the running for the next phase, while Afghanistan must beat Sri Lanka to make it.

Bangladesh have kept themselves in contention for the next round of cricket’s Asia Cup 2025 by defeating Afghanistan by eight runs in their Group B encounter in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

Afghanistan came close to securing their place in the Super Four stage and knocking out Bangladesh, but fell short in their chase of 155 on Tuesday.

The Bangladeshi pacers kept Afghanistan’s batters in check with regular wickets as Mustafizur Rahman (3-28 in four overs), Nasum Ahmed (2-11 in four overs) and Taskin Ahmed (2-34 in four overs) applied the brakes on Afghanistan’s innings.

Apart from Rahmanullah Gurbaz 35 (31) and Azmatullah Omarzai 30 (16), none of the Afghan batters could move into the 30s.

Captain Rashid Khan’s flurry at the end of the innings – 20 (11) – did look threatening for Bangladesh at one point, but once he was dismissed, Afghanistan’s chances were all but gone.

Despite a couple of late sixes from spinner Noor Ahmad, Afghanistan fell short and were dismissed for 145 in their 20 overs.

Earlier, Tanzid Hasan top-scored for Bangladesh with a half-century (52 off 31) to help set up a challenging target of 154-5 in 20 overs.

Rashid and Noor took two wickets apiece for Afghanistan.

Bangladesh have now played all three of their group games and will await the result of Afghanistan’s all-important match against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Sri Lanka are at top spot with four points, and Bangladesh move to second place with four points.

The Tigers will hope that Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan to open their path to the Super Fours.

Should Afghanistan win, the net run rate could come into play as a deciding factor.

Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and the Indian spinners star in the Group A fixture in Dubai.

Dubai, UAE – Pakistan’s long wait to beat India in a men’s cricket match continues after their Asia Cup 2025 fixture ended in a thumping seven-wicket win for the defending champions in Dubai.

Opener Abhishek Sharma took the match away from Pakistan with his belligerent innings of 31 runs off 13 balls, and captain Suryakumar Yadav followed suit with 47 runs off 37 balls as India won their second match of the tournament on Sunday.

It was the Sharma show from the first ball of India’s run chase as the young opener took apart Pakistan’s experienced pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi in his first over.

Sharma, the top-ranked men’s Twenty20 (T20) batter, hit the first ball for a four and followed it up with a six over the cover fielder.

He would go on to hit another six and three more fours before falling to part-time spinner Saim Ayub.

Ayub, whose main role in the team is as an opening batter, was the sole wicket-taker for Pakistan as he also dismissed Shubman Gill for 10 (7) and Tilak Varma for a run-a-ball 31.

Despite the loss of three wickets, India never looked to be struggling in the run chase, which was sealed with a six by Suryakumar in the 16th over.

Earlier, when Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and opted to bat first, it seemed like the right call as the Dubai pitch has slowed down in the second innings in the earlier matches.

However, Pakistan were dealt an early blow when Ayub was caught out at point off Hardik Pandya’s bowling on the first ball of the match.

One-down batter Mohammad Haris followed suit in the next over as India’s star bowler Jasprit Bumrah struck.

While Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman briefly revived Pakistan’s innings, India’s trio of spinners ensnared six wickets in 10 overs to leave Pakistan scrambling to finish their 20 overs.

It wasn’t until Afridi and leg-spin bowler Sufiyan Muqeem hit four fours and two sixes that Pakistan crossed the 100-run mark in their 19th over.

The late flourish helped Pakistan set a relatively respectable target of 128, but it was never going to be enough for a power-packed Indian batting lineup.

India walked away with two points and walked off without shaking hands with the Pakistan team, as is the norm after every cricket match between the archrivals.

Pakistan, meanwhile, were left to rue another missed opportunity.

Agha’s team play their next match against the UAE on Wednesday, while India face Oman on Friday.

Erling Haaland struck twice for Manchester City as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Manchester United in English football’s Premier League, giving Pep Guardiola’s side bragging rights in the latest edition of the derby.

Phil Foden also scored for City in his first start of the season on Sunday, heading in Jeremy Doku’s cross in the 18th minute. Doku squeezed brilliantly through United’s defence and had his first cross blocked, but dug out a second that Foden leapt to guide in.

Haaland scored his first of the afternoon in the 53rd minute, when Doku muscled past Lenny Yoro before sliding a pass to the big Norwegian, who chipped the ball over goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

The 25-year-old, who charged at United’s defence like a bulldozer all day, completed his double in the 68th when the visitors lost the ball. Haaland, lining up at the centre circle, easily outpaced Harry Maguire to Bernardo Silva’s ball forward for another one-on-one with Bayindir.

The match lacked the intrigue of derbies past, with both teams going into the game mid-table after sputtering starts.

City climbed to eighth with their second win from four, while United are at 14th with just one victory.

Haaland almost had a hat-trick, thanks to United’s shambles at the back. He had Bayindir beaten, but missed a sitter to hit the post. Guardiola was already celebrating, but then held his head in disbelief.

The victory capped quite a week for Haaland, who scored five goals on Tuesday when Norway pummelled Moldova 11-1 to maintain their perfect record in men’s World Cup qualifying.

He also scored his 50th goal in his 50th home Premier League game for City. In the competition’s history, only Alan Shearer required fewer home appearances, 47, to hit 50 goals.

He nearly set up Tijjani Reijnders for a fourth City goal late in the game, but Reijnders chipped the ball just wide.

City had six shots on target to United’s two, but Guardiola’s new goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma quickly proved his worth, diving to push away an early shot from Benjamin Sesko and then making a brilliant diving save from a second-half shot by Bryan Mbeumo.

Foden told Sky Sports that he was pleased to score after receiving some criticism this season.

“There’s been a lot of talk, everything I see at the moment is quite negative, but that is the world we live in when you play at the highest level,” he said.

“It’s about reading the comments and trying to react as best as I can and come back to my level.”

He also praised Haaland’s performance.

“A complete performance, especially the way he held up the ball. He did everything today: defending, attacking, running in behind, doing the dirty work,” he said.

Haaland, meanwhile, told Sky Sports that City “needed” that win after a difficult start to the season.

“You could feel it as well from the fans,” Haaland said. “We needed [the win], you could feel a bit extra today, and I am so relieved and so happy that we managed to do this all together.”

United captain Bruno Fernandes said his side should have done much better, but said there were positives from the game.

“The result is very bad and bad on us, but I think there are two ways of looking at this game as the goals could have been avoided. On the ball, we were positive, brave and playing the ball forward,” he said.

“City were smart to get the goals the way they did and have a very good team and very good players.”

Elsewhere in the Premier League on Sunday, Mohamed Salah’s stoppage-time penalty ensured Liverpool maintained their winning start to the season with a 1-0 victory at promoted side Burnley.

With British record signing Alexander Isak forced to wait for his Liverpool debut, having been left out the squad for the trip to Lancashire, the champions struggled to break down a dogged home side in the first half.

After a regroup at the break, the visitors upped the ante in the second half, with Dominik Szoboszlai finally forcing a fine save from Martin Dubravka in the Burnley goal.

Burnley were holding on for a well-earned point with ease, before the ball agonisingly struck substitute Hannibal Mejbri’s arm in the penalty area and Salah slotted the spot kick into the net in the 95th minute to break home hearts.

Being out of postseason contention didn’t make the Sparks’ season finale meaningless.

It was a chance to avoid finishing with a losing record for the first time since 2020. An opportunity to foil the Las Vegas Aces’ push for the No. 2 seed in the playoffs while derailing a 15-game winning streak. And, above all, a matter of pride.

But just as with their season-long goal of reaching the playoffs, the Sparks fell short of their goal, as A’ja Wilson and the Aces dominated in a 103-75 victory at Crypto.com Arena.

The talent gap was stark in the first half, with Las Vegas building a lead that swelled to 22 behind a three-point barrage led by Jewell Loyd and Chelsea Gray. One of the league’s best three-point shooting teams (34.6% per game entering Thursday), the Aces (30-14) hit 11 threes in the first half to take a 19-point lead by halftime.

The Aces finished with 22 three-pointers — the most ever in a WNBA regular-season game. The Aces already hold the outright record of 23 three-pointers, which they set in the playoffs in 2022.

The trio of Loyd, Gray and Wilson proved too much for a short-handed Sparks squad to handle.

Loyd and Gray reached double figures in scoring by halftime — Loyd with 21 and Gray with 13. Wilson, a front-runner for league MVP, delivered yet another dominant stat line: 23 points, 19 rebounds, four blocks and two steals.

Sparks forward Emma Cannon, left, knocks the ball out of the hands of Las Vegas guard Chelsea Gray during the first half Thursday.

(Harry How / Getty Images)

Former Aces Dearica Hamby and Kelsey Plum tried to will the Sparks (21-23) to one more victory, but it was all for naught. Plum had her hands full with the opposing backcourt, and Hamby drew the unenviable assignment of battling the league’s best in Wilson.

Hamby opened strong, scoring all seven Sparks’ points in the first six minutes as the team tried to feed her in the post. She finished with 15 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Plum also finished with 15 points in a physical game that featured several players arguing with referees over foul calls.

In the second quarter, Cameron Brink caught a left elbow to the nose from Aces forward NaLyssa Smith under the basket. Blood trickled from Brink’s face onto the hardwood as Brink shouted at the referees after no foul was called.

The training staff escorted her to the locker room with a towel pressed to her face, and she did not return.

Trailing 77-58 at the end of the third quarter, Sparks coach Lynne Roberts put in rookies Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alissa Pili and Sania Feagin.

Barker scored 15 points in 38 minutes. Pilli scored a career-high seven points in six minutes. Feagin finished with four points.

Years ago, when Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax were at the top of the Dodgers’ pitching rotation, Drysdale missed a game to attend to some personal business. Koufax pitched a no-hitter that day.

When told about the achievement, Drysdale had one question: “Did he win?”

That’s a fair question for the current Dodgers pitching staff as well. Because Monday, for the second time in three days, the Dodgers took a no-hitter into the ninth inning.

They lost the first one. And while they won the second, it wasn’t easy with the Colorado Rockies bringing the tying run to the plate three times before Tanner Scott got the last out to preserve a 3-1 win at Dodger Stadium.

The victory kept the Dodgers a game ahead of the San Diego Padres in the National League West with 18 games left in the regular season.

It was Tyler Glasnow who flirted with history Monday, pitching seven hitless innings before turning the game over to relievers Blake Treinen and Scott. On Saturday, a similar scenario unfolded when Yoshinobu Yamamoto came within an out of a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles before giving up a home run to Jackson Holliday.

He left at that point, only to see Treinen and Scott give up three more runs in a 4-3 Dodger loss.

So when Scott gave up a double to Ryan Ritter to start the ninth — ending the no-hitter and drawing boos from those who remained from the crowd of 48,433 — manager Dave Roberts said he hoped he wasn’t witnessing déjà vu all over again.

“I try to not think like that,” he said.

Given how the Dodgers bullpen has struggled recently, it was hard not to.

Scott, however, quickly settled down, retiring the next two batters on soft grounders before Hunter Goodman lined out to Max Muncy at third to end the game and give Glasnow (2-3) his first win since March.

It was a victory that was long overdue.

Glasnow pitched six no-hit innings his last time out only to wind up with the loss when the Dodgers (80-64) failed to score behind him. That’s become an all-too-common problem for Glasnow, who has the second-lowest ERA in the Dodgers rotation but has received the weakest support with an average of 3½ runs per start.

Mookie Betts hits a two-run single in the seventh inning during the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Rockies on Monday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers’ hitters didn’t even match that modest number Monday. But when Mookie Betts delivered a two-run single in the seventh, breaking a 1-1 tie, it left Glasnow in position for the win.

“It’s always good to score runs,” he said with a smile.

Smiles have been hard to come by after Glasnow’s starts. In only three of his 15 starts have the Dodgers trailed by more than a run when he has exited the game. Yet in five of those starts, the Dodgers didn’t even score a run behind him, which explains why he went more than 160 days between wins.

“It is what it is,” he shrugged. “But yeah, they put some at bats together, and we ended up winning.”

Glasnow, who was held out of his last scheduled start with a sore back, was pitching for the first time in 10 days and was strong from the start, striking out the side in the first — although he needed 18 pitches to do it. He fanned the side again in the sixth, but in between he gave up a second-inning run on Jordan Beck’s leadoff walk, a stolen base and two long outs, the second Kyle Farmer’s sacrifice fly to the left-field wall.

What he didn’t give up was a hit. Glasnow said he was aware he had a no-hitter as the game progressed, but he also knew he probably wouldn’t be allowed to finish it.

“My pitch count was pretty high,” said the right-hander, who finished with a season-high 105, striking out 11 and walking two. “I don’t know how many pitches I was going to be allowed to throw.”

Also working against him were his two stints on the injured list this season and his recent back issues.

“Obviously I want to stay in, no matter what my pitch count is,” he said. “[But] given my, like, track record, I kind of understand why. I respect the decision.”

For five innings, Colorado starter Chase Dollander, who came in 2-12 with a 6.77 ERA, nearly matched Glasnow. The Dodgers didn’t get their first baserunner until the third inning and didn’t have a hit until the fifth, when Michael Conforto led off with a single to left.

Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow delivers in the fifth inning Monday against the Rockies.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Dollander faced just three batters over the minimum before leaving with an apparent injury after walking Ben Rortvedt to start the sixth. Reliever Juan Mejia walked the first batter he faced and an out later Freddie Freeman bounced a high-hopper over Farmer and down the right-field line for a tying double.

An inning later the Dodgers scored two more off Angel Chivilli (1-5) to go in front. With two out and a runner on first, Shohei Ohtani doubled to right to bring Betts to the plate. After falling behind 0-2, he picked out a belt-high slider and drove it into the center to break the tie.

With the Dodgers safely in front and Glasnow out of the game, the drama turned to the no-hitter. There have been 22 combined no-hitters in major league history, with the last one by the Dodgers coming against the Padres in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2018.

That appeared in reach when Treinen breezed through the eighth. But Ritter, the Rockies’ No. 9 hitter, one-hopped the wall in left on Scott’s second pitch of the ninth. The ball appeared catchable off the bat, but Alex Call, inserted for defensive purposes, turned the wrong way, costing him any chance to make a play.

Scott retired the side on two ground outs and a liner to Muncy before celebrating with Rortvedt, who was called up from the minors Thursday and has come within four outs of catching two no-hitters in his first three starts.

“It’s not me, it’s these guys,” he said. “I’m doing my homework as much as I can, trying to be prepared. The pitchers are prepared. It’s just the fruit of that labor at that point.

“It’s not easy. They’re making it look easy.”

A MAJOR supermarket has slashed the cost of hundreds of grocery staples in a bid to help shoppers save money.

Morrisons has reduced the prices of 650 everyday items, with savings averaging 18%.

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Essentials such as chicken breast fillets, fresh vegetables, olive oil, laundry pods, and enchilada kits are all included in the price cuts.

These reductions take effect today, both in-store and online, and will remain in place for at least four to eight weeks.

The supermarket says the move is aimed at helping households manage rising costs, especially with Christmas just around the corner.

Family meal staples such as rice, pasta, and chicken have been discounted, alongside basics like toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, and mayonnaise.

Seasonal items such as soups and cold and flu tablets are also included in the reductions.

Alex Paver, pricing and customer director at Morrisons, said: “At Morrisons we believe great quality should be affordable for everyone, and we know that the cost of everyday products really matter to our customers right now.

“That’s why we’re cutting the prices of over 650 items, from fresh favourites to cupboard staples, so our customers can trust they’re getting real value every time they shop with us.

“These price cuts mean customers can spend less on the essentials and still enjoy the great quality Morrisons is known for.”

In addition to the price reductions, Morrisons has also launched a number of weekly deals.

These include discounts on popular items like wine, coffee, and tea.

What else is happening at Morrisons?

Morrisons slashed over 3,600 jobs and closed 17 stores as part of a major shake-up to its operations.

The supermarket’s workforce dropped from 104,819 to 101,144 in the year leading up to October 27, 2024.

Thousands of jobs were axed across Morrisons’ stores, head office, as well as its manufacturing and distribution operations.

The latest job losses come after the Morrisons shut 17 of its stores around the UK earlier this year, with the final store in Haxby, North Yorkshire, closing on May 14.

The 16 other stores were all axed in April.

As part of a cost-cutting overhaul, the grocer also shut more than 50 of its in-store cafés, 35 meat and fish counters, and 18 Market Kitchen food courts earlier this year.

It cited the need to cut costs amid rising financial pressure.

It is instead investing in tech, rolling out new “Tally” robots to help customers find items on the shelves and improve stock management.

However, the business has returned to profit for the first time since 2021, when the chain was bought by US private equity investor Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R).

Morrisons posted a pre-tax profit of £2.1billion for the year ending October 27 2024, reversing losses of £919million in 2023 and £1.3billion in 2022, according to new filings on Companies House.

Angus Bell scored a dramatic winning try six minutes after the final hooter as Australia overturned a 21-7 half-time deficit to beat Argentina 28-24 in the Rugby Championship.

Juan Cruz Mallia had put Argentina 24-21 up with a penalty in the 79th minute but, after the Wallabies turned down three opportunities to level with their own kick, Bell went over the line.

“Full credit to the team, we could have gone for goal there and taken the draw,” said Australia captain Harry Wilson, whose side recovered from 22-5 down to beat South Africa 38-22 last month.

“Everyone believed that we could finish the job. And if boys want to win a game, we may as well back them.

“[I’m] proud of the boys, we weren’t at our best, but to find a way to get a win against such a high-quality opposition is a real credit to them.”

The Pumas had travelled to Queensland on the back of a first home win against New Zealand in their previous game.

And, despite a Nic White try for Australia, they went 21-7 up with the help of Bautista Delguy and Mateo Carreras tries, along with three penalties from Santi Carreras.

Two tries from Joseph Suaalii hauled Australia level at 21-21 before the late drama earned the hosts victory.

“It was far from a good performance,” said Pumas skipper Julian Montoya.

“Congrats to Australia, they took their opportunities. But in the second half, we gave away a lot of penalties that we can control, like offside, and then we gave them position pretty easy.”