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WASHINGTON — A new round of layoffs at the Education Department is depleting an agency that was hit hard in the Trump administration’s previous mass firings, threatening new disruption to the nation’s students and schools in areas including special education, civil rights enforcement and after-school programs.

The Trump administration started laying off 466 Education Department staffers on Friday amid mass firings across the government meant to pressure Democratic lawmakers over the federal shutdown. The layoffs would cut the agency’s workforce by nearly a fifth and leave it reduced by more than half its size when President Trump took office Jan. 20.

The cuts play into Trump’s broader plan to shut down the Education Department and parcel its operations to other agencies. Over the summer, the department started handing off its adult education and workforce programs to the Department of Labor, and it previously said it was negotiating an agreement to pass its $1.6-trillion student loan portfolio to the Treasury Department.

Department officials have not released details on the layoffs and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. AFGE Local 252, a union that represents more than 2,700 department workers, said information from employees indicates cuts will decimate several offices within the agency.

All workers except a small number of top officials are being fired at the office that implements the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a federal law that ensures millions of students with disabilities get support from their schools, the union said. Unknown numbers are being fired at the Office for Civil Rights, which investigates complaints of discrimination at the nation’s schools and universities.

The layoffs would eliminate or heavily deplete teams that oversee the flow of grant funding to schools across the nation, the union said. They affect the office that oversees Title I funding for the country’s low-income schools, along with the team that manages 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the primary federal funding source for after-school and summer learning programs.

It will also hit an office that oversees TRIO, a set of programs that help low-income students pursue college, and another that oversees federal funding for historically Black colleges and universities.

In a statement, union President Rachel Gittleman said the new reductions, on top of previous layoffs, will “double down on the harm to K-12 students, students with disabilities, first generation college students, low-income students, teachers and local education boards.”

The Education Department had about 4,100 employees when Trump took office. After the new layoffs, it would be down to fewer than 2,000. Earlier layoffs in March had roughly halved the department, but some employees were hired back after officials decided they had cut too deep.

The new layoffs drew condemnation from various education organizations.

Although states design their own competitions to distribute federal funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, the small team of federal officials provided guidance and support “that is absolutely essential,” said Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance.

“Firing that team is shocking, devastating, utterly without any basis, and it threatens to cause lasting harm,” Grant said in a statement.

The government’s latest layoffs are being challenged in court by the American Federation of Government Employees and other national labor unions. Their suit, filed in San Francisco, said the government’s budgeting and personnel offices overstepped their authority by ordering agencies to carry out layoffs in response to the shutdown.

In a court filing, the Trump administration said the executive branch has wide discretion to reduce the federal workforce. It said the unions could not prove they were harmed by the layoffs because employees would not actually be separated for an additional 30 to 60 days after receiving notice.

Binkley writes for the Associated Press.

Detroit defensive back Brian Branch thought he had been blocked in the back illegally without the officials calling a penalty during the Lions’ 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.

So as soon as the game ended, Branch took matters into his own hands — or, rather, his own hand.

After the final play, Branch approached the player he later said was responsible for the illegal block, Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, and hit him hard on the left side of his face mask with an open hand.

Smith-Schuster fell to a knee but immediately popped up and went after Branch. The two players scuffled briefly, with Smith-Schuster losing his helmet and ending up back on the ground, as other players and coaches tried to intervene.

Talking to reporters after the game, Branch apologized and took responsibility for his actions while also attempting to explain what had set him off.

“I did a little childish thing,” the third-year player said. “But I’m tired of people doing stuff in between the play and refs don’t catch it. Like, they were trying to bully me out there and I don’t think — I shouldn’t have did it. It was childish.”

Asked to elaborate on what had happened during the game, Branch said: “I got blocked in the back illegally, and it was front of the ref. The ref didn’t do anything, and just stuff like that. And I could have got hurt off of that, but I still shouldn’t have done that.”

Branch said later in the interview that he should have taken out his frustrations within the rules of the game “between the whistles, not after the game, and I apologize for that.”

Detroit coach Dan Campbell, right, approaches Lions defensive back Brian Branch, left, in a crowd of players after a game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 12.

(Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

Branch was fined $23,186 earlier this season for face-masking and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties during a game against the Green Bay Packers. He could face another fine and possibly a suspension for his actions Sunday night, an NFL spokesperson told The Times. There is no timetable for a decision to be made on the matter.

The Chiefs offense and Lions defense were on the field for the final play. As soon as the final whistle blew, Branch appeared to walk right past Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had extended his hand for a postgame handshake, to confront Smith-Schuster.

“After the game, I was expecting to shake his hand and say, ‘Good game’ and move away, but he threw a punch,” Smith-Schuster told reporters in the locker room. “At the end of the day, it’s a team sport. We came out here, we did our job, we won, and that’s all that matters.”

Smith-Schuster was asked what might have led up to the incident.

“I mean, just me blocking him,” the ninth-year receiver said. “I mean, I’m just doing my job. I play between the whistles and after the game he just took advantage of what he did.”

Smith-Schuster reportedly received a bloody nose from the hit. There were no signs of blood by the time he gave his postgame interview, but Smith-Schuster confirmed that he had been bleeding.

Detroit coach Dan Campbell — who famously declared during his introductory press conference in 2021 that his team would bite off opponents’ kneecaps — told reporters that Branch’s actions were unacceptable.

“I love Brian Branch, but what he did is inexcusable and it’s not going to be accepted here,” Campbell said. “It’s not what we do. It’s not what we’re about. I apologized to Coach [Andy] Reid and the Chiefs, and Schuster. That’s not OK. That’s not what we do here. It’s not going to be OK. He knows it. Our team knows it. That’s not what we do.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and I can picture Vin Scully and Bob Uecker sitting on a cloud, watching this series.

—First, the bad news: In the NLCS, the Dodgers will be facing the team with the best record in baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers. And the Brewers went 6-0 against the Dodgers this season, outscoring them 31-16.

—The good news: None of that means anything in the postseason.

—This is the seventh time a team has swept an opponent in the regular season and met that same team in the postseason. A look:

2015 NLCS: Chicago swept the Mets in the season, 7-0. Mets swept the Cubs in the NLCS, 4-0.

2014 World Series: Kansas City swept San Francisco in the season, 3-0. Giants beat the Royals in the World Series, 4-3.

2009 ALDS: Yankees swept Minnesota in the season, 7-0. Yankees swept the Twins in the ALDS, 3-0.

2007 ALDS: Yankees swept Cleveland in the season, 6-0. Indians beat the Yankees in the ALDS, 3-1.

2006 World Series: Detroit swept St. Louis during the season, 3-0. Cardinals beat the Tigers in the World Series, 4-1.

2003 ALDS: Yankees swept Minnesota during the season, 7-0. Yankees beat the Twins in the ALDS, 3-1.

—Who will be on the NLCS roster? We should find out a few hours before game time today. With it being a seven-game series, I would expect fewer position players and more pitchers, but which relievers make the team?

—The Dodgers will start Blake Snell in Game 1 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 against the Brewers, who have not announced a Game 1 starter, but their ace, Freddy Peralta, will start Game 2.

—The Dodgers need another reliever to step up in this series, as it seems unlikely that Roki Sasaki can pitch three innings every game. Will they keep Justin Wrobleski on the roster? Which right-handers will they add? Ben Casparius?

—The biggest question on offense: Can Shohei Ohtani start hitting again? He went one for 18 in the NLDS, with nine strikeouts.

—The Brewers used a ton of lefties against Ohtani. “There were at-bats that didn’t go the way I thought they would,” Ohtani said after the Game 4 victory. “The opposing pitchers didn’t make many mistakes. They pitched wonderfully, in a way that’s worthy for the postseason. There were a lot of games like that for both teams.”

—Dave Roberts’ take: “Hoping that he can do a little self-reflecting on that series, and how aggressive he was outside of the strike zone, passive in the zone. The at-bat quality needs to get better.”

—Not only Ohtani, but the Dodgers overall are much more successful when they remain patient and work the count. It also allows them to get to the other team’s bullpen quicker. Wearing out the other team’s bullpen will be key the longer the series goes.

—The ALCS features teams that joined the league in 1977: Seattle and Toronto. The Mariners are the only current MLB team to never play in the World Series.

—Once again, the Dodgers’ opponent will have home-field advantage.

—I could go on and on with thoughts and reflections, but it doesn’t mean much. The postseason is all new, and anything can happen. Just hang on and enjoy the ride.

Prediction: Dodgers in 6.

Let’s take a look at how the teams compare and where they ranked among the 30 teams:

Batting

Runs per game
Dodgers, 5.09 (2nd)
Brewers, 4.98 (3rd)
MLB average, 4.45

Batting average
Brewers, .258 (2nd)
Dodgers, .253 (5th)
MLB average, .245

On-base %
Brewers, .332 (2nd)
Dodgers, .327 (5th)
MLB average, .315

Slugging %
Dodgers, .441 (2nd)
MLB average, .404
Brewers, .403 (12th)

Doubles
Brewers, 265 (9th)
MLB average, 258
Dodgers, 257 (13th)

Triples
Dodgers, 21 (T12th)
MLB average, 21
Brewers, 18 (T19th)

Home runs
Dodgers, 244 (2nd)
MLB average, 188
Brewers, 166 (22nd)

Walks
Dodgers, 580 (2nd)
Brewers, 564 (4th)
MLB average, 513

Strikeouts
MLB average, 1,355
Dodgers, 1,353 (16th)
Brewers, 1,266 (26th)

Stolen bases
Brewers, 164 (2nd)
MLB average, 115
Dodgers, 88 (T21st)

Sacrifice bunts
Brewers, 26 (6th)
MLB average, 19
Dodgers, 13 (T20th)

Batting average with two out and runners in scoring position
Dodgers, .271 (1st)
Brewers, .265 (3rd)
MLB average, .233

As you can see, the Dodgers have more power, but the Brewers are more pesky on offense, getting more singles and stealing more bases. They stole two bases in the NLDS, the Dodgers haven’t tried to steal a base in the postseason.

Pitching

ERA
Brewers, 3.58 (2nd)
Dodgers, 3.95 (16th)
MLB average, 4.15

Team ERA after All-Star break
Dodgers, 3.45 (2nd)
Brewers, 3.49 (3rd)
MLB average, 4.28

Rotation ERA
Brewers, 3.56 (3rd)
Dodgers, 3.69 (5th)
MLB average, 4.21

Bullpen ERA
MLB average, 4.08
Brewers, 3.63 (7th)
Dodgers, 4.27 (21st)

FIP (click here for explainer)
Brewers, 3.91 (6th)
Dodgers, 3.93 (7th)
MLB average, 4.16

Walks
Dodgers, 563 (5th)
Brewers, 534 (10th)
MLB average, 513

Strikeouts
Dodgers, 1,505 (1st)
Brewers, 1,432 (5th)
MLB average, 1,355

Saves
Dodgers, 46 (5th)
Brewers, 45 (T6th)
MLB average, 40

Blown saves
Dodgers, 27 (T7th)
MLB average, 24
Brewers, 21 (T21st)

Inherited runners who scored %
Dodgers, 26.1% (3rd)
Brewers, 31.7% (13th)
MLB average, 31.8%

Relief innings
Dodgers, 657.2 (1st)
MLB average, 595
Brewers, 634.2 (4th)

Relief wins
Dodgers, 44 (T1st)
Brewers, 37 (T6th)
MLB average, 33

Relief losses
Dodgers, 33 (T7th)
MLB average, 29
Brewers, 25 (T21st)

The players

When comparing the main players on the teams, keep in mind that players can move around depending on who is starting and managerial whim. For a full look at the Brewers statistically, click here.

DH
Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani. .282/.392/.622, 25 doubles, 55 homers, 102 RBIs
Brewers, Christian Yelich, .264/.343/.452, 21 doubles, 29 homers, 103 RBIs

Catcher
Dodgers, Will Smith, .296/.404/.497, 20 doubles, 17 homers, 61 RBIs
Dodgers, Ben Rortvedt, .224/.309/.327, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 4 RBIs
Brewers, William Contreras, .260/.355/.399, 28 doubles, 17 homers, 76 RBIs
Brewers, Danny Jansen, .254/.346/.433, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 17 RBIs

First base
Dodgers, Freddie Freeman, .295/.367/.502, 39 doubles, 24 homers, 90 RBIs
Brewers, Andrew Vaughn, .308/.375/.493, 14 doubles, 9 homers, 46 RBIs

Rhys Hoskins was the Brewers’ starting first baseman when the season begam, but he was injured and sidelined for a couple of months. When he came back, Vaughn had won the job.

Second base
Dodgers, Miguel Rojas, .262/.318/.397, 18 doubles, 7 homers, 27 RBIs
Dodgers, Tommy Edman, .225/.274/.382, 13 doubles, 13 homers, 49 RBIs
Brewers, Brice Turang, .288/.359/.435, 28 doubles, 18 homers, 81 RBIs

Third base
Dodgers, Max Muncy, .243/.376/.470, 10 doubles, 19 homers, 67 RBIs
Brewers, Caleb Durbin, .256/.334/.387, 25 doubles, 11 homers, 53 RBIs

Shortstop
Dodgers, Mookie Betts, .258/.326/.406, 23 doubles, 20 homers, 82 RBIs
Brewers, Joey Ortiz, .230/.276/.317, 18 doubles, 7 homers, 45 RBIs

Left field
Dodgers, Kiké Hernández, .203/.255/.366, 8 doubles, 10 homers, 35 RBIs
Brewers, Jackson Chourio, .270/.308/.463, 35 doubles, 21 homers, 78 RBIs

Center field
Dodgers, Andy Pages, .272/.313/.461, 27 doubles, 27 homers, 86 RBIs
Brewers, Blake Perkins, .226/.298/.348, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 19 RBIs

Right field
Dodgers, Teoscar Hernández, .247/.284/.454, 29 doubles, 25 homers, 89 RBIs
Brewers, Sal Frelick, .288/.351/.405, 20 doubles, 12 homers, 63 RBIs

Of the Brewers listed, Yelich, Turang and Frelick bat left-handed. Perkins is a switch-hitter.

Starting pitchers

Dodgers
*Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA, 61.1 IP, 51 hits, 26 walks, 72 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA, 173.2 IP, 113 hits, 59 walks, 201 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-1, 2.87 ERA, 47 IP, 40 hits, 9 walks, 62 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 4-3, 3.19 ERA, 90.1 IP, 56 hits, 43 walks, 106 K’s

Brewers
Freddy Peralta, 17-6, 2.70 ERA, 176.2 IP, 124 hits, 66 walks, 204 K’s
Quinn Priester, 13-3, 3.32 ERA, 157.1 IP, 145 hits, 50 walks, 132 K’s
Jacob Misiorowski, 5-3, 4.36 ERA, 66 IP, 51 hits, 31 walks, 87 K’s
*Jose Quintana, 11-7, 3.96 ERA, 131.2 IP, 120 hits, 50 walks, 89 K’s

The main relievers

Dodgers
*Alex Vesia, 4-2, 3.02 ERA, 5 saves, 59.2 IP, 37 hits, 22 walks, 80 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 6-3, 2.82 ERA, 73.1 IP, 49 hits, 22 walks, 89 K’s
Blake Treinen, 2-7. 5.40 ERA, 26.2 IP, 30 hits, 19 walks, 36 K’s
Roki Sasaki, 1-1, 4.46 ERA, 36.1 IP, 30 hits, 22 walks, 28 K’s

Brewers
Trevor Megill, 6-3, 2.49 ERA, 30 saves, 47 IP, 36 hits, 17 walks, 60 K’s
*Aaron Ashby, 5-2, 2.16 ERA, 3 saves, 66.2 IP, 54 hits, 24 walks, 76 K’s
Abner Uribe, 3-2, 1.67 ERA, 7 saves, 75.1 IP, 51 hits, 27 walks, 90 K’s
*Jared Koenig, 6-1, 2.86 ERA, 2 saves, 66 IP, 57 hits, 20 walks, 68 K’s
Nick Mears, 5-3, 3.49 ERA, 56.2 IP, 42 hits, 13 walks, 46 K’s

The Brewers used Megill and Ashby as openers in the NLDS against the Cubs, including using Megill, their closer, as the opener in the decisive Game 5. He pitched a perfect inning, then gave way to Misiorowski, who pitched four innings, giving up one run. So the Brewers are not afraid to think outside the box as far as their pitching staff is concerned.

*-left-handed

Poll results

Which team would you rather have the Dodgers face in the NLCS? After 10,236 votes, the results:

Cubs, 89.3%
Brewers, 10.7%

Poll time

What will be the outcome of the NLCS?

Click here to vote in our survey.

Up next

Monday: Dodgers (Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA) at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Tuesday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA) at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Thursday: Milwaukee at Dodgers, 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Friday: Milwaukee at Dodgers, 5:30 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday: Milwaukee at Dodgers, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Monday, Oct. 20: Dodgers at Milwaukee, 2 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Tuesday, Oct. 21: Dodgers at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-if necessary

In case you missed it

How Roki Sasaki’s transformation from injured starter to closer saved the Dodgers’ season

Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Brewers in the NLCS

Can Shohei Ohtani find it at the plate for NLCS? ‘At-bat quality needs to get better’

Shaikin: Are these the real Dodgers? Why a ‘whole other level’ could emerge in the NLCS

Hernández: Roki Sasaki’s playoff dominance shows why he’s the Dodgers’ future staff ace

And finally

Highlights from the 2024 Dodgers-Mets NLCS. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

PRINCESS Charlotte loves Netflix smash K-Pop Demon Hunters, a six-year-old fan claims.

Ivy Brown wrote asking if the ten-year-old had seen the animated musical, calling it the “best movie ever”.

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K-Pop Demon Hunters is currently Netflix’s most popular film ever and has been streamed a whopping 236 million times.

Within a week, a letter from Kensington Palace arrived at Ivy’s home in Wokingham, Berks.

It said: “You may be interested to know Golden from K-Pop Demon Hunters has been played during Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace.”

It also thanked Ivy for her “support for Princess Charlotte”.

She said: “I think that Charlotte loves K-Pop Demon Hunters, so I’m happy.”

Asked where she keeps her letter, she added: “I keep it safe, I keep it in the kitchen.

“I took it to show-and-tell at school.

“I told my friends that I had a letter from Princess Charlotte and they were like, ‘Really?’

“Then I showed it to them and they were like, ‘Wow!’”

Her mum Louise said: “It was lovely to get such a personal note.

“Ivy was ecstatic.”

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Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and I believe my heart stopped beating after the eighth again and started beating again just a few minutes ago.

—That was a great series between two great teams (gee, this guy likes to use the word great a lot). It felt like a World Series, but the Dodgers have a bit of work to do still.

—I was a little worried about Tyler Glasnow heading into the start, since he hadn’t had a long outing in over a week. I shouldn’t have been worried.

—Funny how baseball works. With a month to go in the season, no one was thinking “Roki Sasaki, bullpen savior,” but here he is, pitching three perfect innings and looking like he’s been a shutdown reliever his whole life.

—The Dodgers gave the Phillies a run when Emmet Sheehan forgot how to catch a ball, then the Phillies gave it back at the worst time for them.

—Am I wrong to feel bad for Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering a little? I’ll take the victory, don’t get me wrong, but your heart has to go out to him a little. Particularly since you know some people in Philadelphia will make his life miserable for a while.

—It was great to see Phillies manager Rob Thomson console Kerkering right at the end of the game. That’s what you want in a manager, putting aside his disappointment to make sure his player is OK.

—Hyeseong Kim missed home plate initially, then went back and touched it.

—The Dodgers really relied on just three relievers when they had a lead in the NLDS, Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Alex Vesia. They were helped by the day off between Games 1 and 2. There will be no extra days off in the NLCS, so it’s unlikely they can rely on only those three guys again. But who else will step up? Jack Dreyer and Anthony Banda seem like candidates.

—For you Dave Roberts haters, he didn’t bring them in while the Dodgers were trailing in Game 3, to save their arms. The Dodgers got five innings out of them in Game 4 and don’t win without them. So, Clayton Kershaw did indeed take one for the team, and because of that, it put them in position to close it out Thursday.

—Roberts has his flaws, as do all managers, but you need to tip your cap when he gets it right.

—Tanner Scott had an abscess incision procedure former and was removed from the NLDS roster in favor of Justin Wrobleski. This means Scott can’t be on the NLCS roster. An abscess incision is a surgical incision to drain pus, leaving the wound open to heal from the inside out. Best wishes to Scott.

—Andy Pages went 0 for 5, but got the biggest hit of the night.

—Shohei Ohtani looks lost at the plate.

—I’d rather have Freddie Freeman batting third and Teoscar Hernández hitting fourth.

—The Phillies got only four hits in Game 4 and hit only .212 in the series, scoring 15 runs. The Dodgers hit only .199 in the series, scoring 13 runs.

—The two runs in Game 4 were scored by Justin Dean and Hyeseong Kim. Neither one has come to the plate this postseason.

—Too many people are writing and saying that the NLCS will be a cakewalk compared to this. It won’t be. It will be a struggle, just like this series was. Milwaukee and Chicago are formidable teams. Don’t look past them.

—Game 1 of the NLCS will be Monday, at Dodger Stadium if the Cubs win their series, at Milwaukee if the Brewers win.

—But we will worry about that in the next newsletter on Monday, previewing Game 1. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend.

—And remember, this is supposed to be fun!

Poll time

Which team would you rather have the Dodgers face in the NLCS, the Cubs or the Brewers?

Click here to vote.

Dodgers postseason stats

Through six games:

Batting
Alex Call, 3 for 3, 1 walk

Ben Rortvedt, .429, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s

Mookie Betts, .385, 10 for 26, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBIs, 2 walks, 2 K’s

Miguel Rojas, .375, 3 for 8, 1 RBI

Kiké Hernández, .318, 7 for 22, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 3 walks, 4 K’s

Max Muncy, .313, 5 for 16, 1 double, 3 walks, 4 K’s

Teoscar Hernández, .308, 8 for 26, 1 double, 3 homers, 9 RBIs, 1 walk, 7 K’s

Freddie Freeman, .217, 5 for 23, 2 doubles, 3 walks, 5 K’s

Tommy Edman, .200, 4 for 20, 2 homers, 3 RBIs, 5 K’s

Will Smith, .154, 2 for 13, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 6 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, .148, 4 for 27, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 3 walks, 12 K’s

Andy Pages, .042, 1 for 24, 6 K’s

Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1, 1 K

Justin Dean, no plate appearances, 1 run scored

Hyeseong Kim, no plate apperances, 1 run scored

Team, .259, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 18 walks, 56 K’s, 5.17 runs per game

Pitching

Roki Sasaki, 0.00 ERA, 2 saves, 5.1 IP, 1 hit, 5 K’s

Tyler Glasnow, 0.00 ERA, 7.2 IP, 4 hits, 5 walks, 10 K’s

Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K

Anthony Banda, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 walk, 2 K’s

Blake Snell, 2-0, 1.38 ERA, 13 IP, 5 hits, 5 walks, 18 K’s

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1-1, 2.53 ERA, 10.2 IP, 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 K’s

Alex Vesia, 1-0, 6.00 ERA, 3 IP, 2 hit, 3 walks, 3 K’s

Blake Treinen, 7.73 ERA, 2.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 K’s

Emmet Sheehan, 10.81 ERA, 3.1 IP, 6 hits, 2 walks, 2 K’s

Clayton Kershaw, 18.00 ERA, 2 IP, 6 hits, 3 walks

Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks

Team, 5-1, 56 innings, 3.38 ERA, 2 saves, 42 hits, 27 walks, 63 K’s

Dodgers postseason career stats

Includes postseason games for other teams:

Batting
Alex Call, 3 for 3, 2 walks

Ben Rortvedt, .429, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s

Kiké Hernández, .282/.357/.512, 71 for 252, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 15 homers, 39 RBIs, 26 walks, 55 K’s

Tommy Edman, .273/.306/.432, 38 for 139, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 19 RBIs, 7 walks, 27 K’s

Freddie Freeman, .272/.369/.500, 69 for 254, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 36 RBIs, 35 walks, 56 K’s

Mookie Betts, .270/.351/.429, 86 for 319, 25 doubles, 1 triple, 8 homers, 38 RBIs, 42 walks, 56 K’s

Teoscar Hernández, .257/.339/.515, 26 for 101, 2 doubles, 8 homers, 25 RBIs, 12 walks, 27 K’s

Miguel Rojas, ..227/.277/.295, 10 for 44, 1 homer, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 4 K’s

Max Muncy, .224/.393/.438, 49 for 219, 8 doubles, 13 homers, 34 RBIs, 57 walks, 80 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, .205/.333/.386, 18 for 88, 1 double, 5 homers, 15 RBIs, 16 walks, 34 K’s

Will Smith, .197/.282/.359, 44 for 223, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 8 homers, 31 RBIs, 26 walks, 55 K’s

Andy Pages, .116/.156/.256, 5 for 43, 2 homers, 4 RBIs, 12 K’s

Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1, 1 K

Justin Dean, no plate appearances, 1 run scored

Hyeseong Kim, no plate apperances, 1 run scored

Pitching
Roki Sasaki, 0.00 ERA, 2 saves, 5.1 IP, 1 hit, 5 K’s

Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K

Anthony Banda, 1.00 ERA, 9 IP, 6 hits, 7 walks, 13 K’s

Alex Vesia, 1-0, 2.04 ERA, 1 save, 17.2 IP, 12 hits, 11 walks, 22 K’s

Blake Snell, 6-3, 2.92 ERA, 1 save, 61.2 IP, 43 hits, 28 walks, 79 K’s

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 3-1, 3.38 ERA, 29.1 IP, 22 hits, 9 walks, 26 K’s

Blake Treinen, 4-3, 4.24 ERA, 4 saves, 40.1 IP, 36 hits, 11 walks, 44 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 K’s

Clayton Kershaw, 13-13, 4.63 ERA, 1 save, 196.1 IP, 171 hits, 54 walks, 213 K’s

Tyler Glasnow, 2-6, 4.89 ERA, 53.1 IP, 47 hits, 30 walks, 71 K’s

Emmet Sheehan, 9.00 ERA, 7 IP, 10 hits, 4 walks, 6 K’s

Edgardo Henriquez, 9.00 ERA, 5 IP, 9 hits, 5 walks, 3 K’s

In case you missed it

Dodgers defeat Phillies in a wild, instant-classic walk-off to reach the NLCS

Tommy Edman and Andy Pages put struggles aside to be key part of decisive Dodgers’ inning

Plaschke: A wild finish propels the Dodgers into NLCS and past their toughest playoff test

And finally

Dodgers-Phillies Game 4 highlights. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Islamabad, Pakistan – A series of explosions and bursts of gunfire rattled Afghanistan’s capital late Thursday evening, according to local media. The cause of the blasts and the extent of casualties remain unclear.

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that an explosion had been heard in Kabul, saying the cause was under investigation.

“An explosion was heard in Kabul city,” he posted on social media platform X in Pashto. “But don’t worry, it’s all good and well. The accident is under investigation, and no injuries have been reported yet. So far there is no report of any harm done.”

The incident came amid worsening relations between Afghanistan and its western neighbour Pakistan, which has accused the Taliban government – in power since August 2021 – of providing safe havens to armed groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad blames for a surge in attacks on its security forces.

The explosions also coincided with the arrival of the Taliban administration’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in India for a six-day visit, the first such trip since the Taliban’s return to power.

Following the Kabul explosions, speculation swirled on social media that Pakistan was behind the attack, allegedly targeting senior TTP leaders, including its chief, Noor Wali Mehsud.

However, the Taliban have not levelled any accusations yet. Pakistani security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to talk to the media, neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the Kabul explosions. “We have seen the media reports and statements from Afghan officials about explosions in Kabul. However, we have no further details on this,” one official told Al Jazeera.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also did not respond to Al Jazeera’s queries.

While neither the Taliban nor the TTP has commented on Mehsud and whether he is safe, Mujahid’s comments suggest that no one was killed in the explosions.

Once seen as heavily backed by Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban have been trying to recalibrate their foreign policy, engaging regional powers such as India, their former adversary, in a bid to secure eventual diplomatic recognition.

Pakistan, meanwhile, has accused India of supporting armed groups operating on its soil, a charge New Delhi denies.

Fragile thaw between Kabul and Islamabad

After a bloody 2024, one of Pakistan’s deadliest years in nearly a decade, with more than 2,500 people killed in violence, both countries tried to reset their relationship.

Pakistan’s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul in April, with senior leadership on both sides holding a series of meetings, often mediated by China. That process led to upgraded diplomatic ties and a brief lull in violence over the summer.

Yet, according to the Pakistan Institute of Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, violence in the first three quarters of 2025 nearly matched the entire toll of 2024.

TTP remains the singular cause for the increasing attacks since 2021, according to US-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED).

“Our data show that the TTP engaged in at least 600 attacks against, or clashes with, security forces in the past year alone. Its activity in 2025 so far already exceeds that seen in all of 2024,” a recent report by the ACLED pointed out.

And in recent days, Pakistan has witnessed a further escalation in violence. A string of assaults has killed dozens of soldiers, mostly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan. The Pakistani military on Friday said it killed more than 30 fighters involved in a recent attack in the tribal district of Orakzai.

In September alone, at least 135 people were killed and 173 injured. After visiting wounded soldiers following raids that killed 19 personnel, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a stark warning to Afghanistan.

“Choose one of two paths. If they wish to establish relations with Pakistan with genuine goodwill, sincerity and honesty, we are ready for that. But if they choose to side with terrorists and support them, then we will have nothing to do with the Afghan interim government,” Sharif said on September 13.

On Thursday, Defence Minister Khwaja Asif also accused Afghanistan of enabling violence in Pakistan while speaking on the floor of the parliament

“Despite years of negotiations with the Afghan government and delegations coming and going to Kabul, the bloodshed in Pakistan has not stopped. Daily funerals of military personnel are being held. We are paying the price of 60 years of hospitality to 6 million Afghan refugees with our blood,” he said.

Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees since the 1980s, first after the Soviet invasion, then during the Taliban’s initial rule in the 1990s, and again after their 2021 takeover.

Since November 2023, Islamabad has been carrying out a mass expulsion campaign, forcing Afghans – many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades – to return home. Government figures say nearly a million have been sent back so far.

Deepening mistrust

The tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban in recent years have also escalated into military clashes.

The Pakistani military has previously conducted airstrikes inside Afghan territory, the most recent one in December 2024.

Analysts say that if the latest explosions were indeed linked to Pakistan, the implications could be serious.

Tameem Bahiss, a security analyst based in Kabul, said the Taliban have consistently denied harbouring TTP fighters, and any formal acknowledgement of strikes inside the capital could inflame tensions.

“We’ve seen before those previous Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan yielded no concrete results. Instead, they only deepened mistrust and made cooperation on countering the TTP more difficult. This latest incident will likely harden positions further, making dialogue and coordination even more complicated,” he told Al Jazeera.

The last major targeted strike in Kabul took place in 2022, when al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US drone attack.

Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud, an Islamabad-based security analyst, said that if Pakistan was involved in the attacks, they may have been intended as a warning following recent attacks on Pakistani soil.

Mehsud, who co-founded The Khorasan Diary, a security-focused news outlet, said the explosions could signal Pakistan’s intent to pursue high-value targets across the border.

“Pakistan could try and target individuals in Kabul, which is the political capital, as well as those in Kandahar, which is seen as the spiritual capital of Taliban, in case security situation in Pakistan remains dire and Afghan Taliban don’t rein in the TTP,” he cautioned.

Bahiss, however, warned that any cross-border strikes could backfire.

“If Pakistan continues to expand its strikes inside Afghanistan, more Afghans may begin to sympathise with the TTP. This sympathy could translate into new recruits, funding, and possibly even quiet support from some segments within the Afghan Taliban,” he said.

He added that if Pakistan indeed was targeting TTP leaders inside Afghanistan, that could provoke the group into escalating attacks inside Pakistan.

“If TTP leaders have indeed been targeted or killed inside Kabul, that would also serve as a warning to the group, showing that they are not safe even in the capital,” Bahiss said. “The TTP will likely adapt by tightening its security measures, relocating its leadership, and possibly retaliating through more aggressive attacks in Pakistan.” 

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and we shouldn’t be so surprised that the Phillies came back strong in Game 3.

—After all, the Phillies didn’t win 96 games by accident.

—If Kyle Schwarber‘s bat is awake, then it got a lot harder for the Dodgers to win.

—Now, someone needs to wake up Shohei Ohtani‘s bat. He is one for 14 with six strikeouts in the NLDS.

—Some fans want the Dodgers to start Ohtani on the mound tomorrow. I disagree. Tyler Glasnow is the right call, with Blake Snell starting Game 5 if necessary. Game 4 isn’t enough rest for Ohtani.

—Ohtani is swinging at pitches well out of the zone, which is what he does when he’s in a slump. Hopefully it is short-lived.

—Ohtani is now hitting .214 in 21 career postseason games.

—The Dodgers had a chance to put the Phillies in a big hole in the first inning. Mookie Betts tripled with one out, and you need to score that run in the postseason. But Teoscar Hernández struck out, Freddie Freeman was hit by a pitch and Will Smith struck out.

—Betts is hitting .409 this postseason.

—I know I picked Dodgers in five, but you don’t really want to go back to Philadelphia after being up 2-0.

—Someone please let Andy Pages know that it’s OK to get a hit. When you have Miguel Rojas batting for you, it’s not a good sign.

—I still like the TBS announcers, but play-by-play man Brian Anderson can’t tell if a fly ball is a home run or not.

—Dodgers fans were taught this by Vin Scully: Don’t watch the ball, watch the outfielder.

—It was tough to see Clayton Kershaw left out there to take a beating.

—I didn’t have Kershaw penciled in as the man who would fill the Brent Honeywell role this postseason.

—For those of you irate that Dave Roberts apparently punted the game away by leaving Kershaw out there, have we already forgotten last season? He did the same thing during the postseason then, including during the World Series.

—Seems to me Kershaw deserves better than that role, but we have no idea what conversations took place between Roberts and Kershaw before the series, or Game 3. Perhaps Kershaw volunteered to take one for the team. He is the type of guy who would do that.

—“He just didn’t have a great slider tonight,” Roberts. “Clayton pitches off his slider. He was working behind, too. The command wasn’t there tonight.”

—One reason Kershaw was left out there: The Phillies have a lot of left-handed hitters, and Tanner Scott wasn’t available for personal reasons. Alex Vesia pitched the last two games. Kershaw was the only left-hander available at that time.

—Kershaw has a career 4.63 postseason ERA in 196.1 innings.

—Yoshinobu Yamamoto didn’t have it in Game 3. Only two strikeouts, and didn’t fool many batters. That’s what happens sometimes.

—It really isn’t, but for some reason Game 4 feels like a must-win game, doesn’t it?

—Maybe Ben Rortvedt is the Dodgers’ good-luck charm and needs to start every game, with Will Smith coming in around the fifth inning.

—Judging by the response I got, I indeed am the only person who like the Limu emu (and Doug).

—Anthony Banda looked strong in his brief outing.

—To beat Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez today, the Dodgers need to do what they did to him in Game 1 (and something they didn’t do in Game 3): Work the count, drive up his pitch count and get him out of the game by end of the sixth inning.

—“Obviously there’s still a lot of pressure on us, but pressure is a privilege,” Betts said. “We’re going to do what we always do. Tomorrow is a new day.”

—Remember, this is supposed to be fun.

Dodgers postseason stats

Through five games:

Batting
Alex Call, 2 for 2
Ben Rortvedt, .429, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s
Miguel Rojas, .375, 3 for 8, 1 RBI
Mookie Betts, .409, 9 for 22, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 1 walk, 1 K
Teoscar Hernández, .333, 7 for 21, 1 double, 3 homers, 9 RBIs, 1 walk, 4 K’s
Kiké Hernández, .333, 6 for 18, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 2 walks, 3 K’s
Max Muncy, .286, 4 for 14, 1 double, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Will Smith, .250, 2 for 8, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 4 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .222, 4 for 18, 2 doubles, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Tommy Edman, .200, 3 for 15, 2 homers, 3 RBIs, 5 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, .174, 4 for 23, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 2 walk, 10 K’s
Andy Pages, .053, 1 for 19, 5 K’s
Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1, 1 K
Team, .278, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 7 homers, 14 walks, 44 K’s, 5.8 runs per game

Two position players on the NLDS roster, Justin Dean and Hyeseong Kim have not come to the plate yet.

Pitching
Roki Sasaki, 0.00 ERA, 2 saves, 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 3 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 hits, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K
Anthony Banda, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Blake Snell, 2-0, 1.38 ERA, 13 IP, 5 hits, 5 walks, 18 K’s
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1-1, 2.53 ERA, 10.2 IP, 10 hits, 3 walks, 11 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 K’s
Blake Treinen, 7.73 ERA, 2.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 K’s
Alex Vesia, 9.00 ERA, 2 IP, 2 hit, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 11.59 ERA, 2.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 walks, 1 K
Clayton Kershaw, 18.00 ERA, 2 IP, 6 hits, 3 walks
Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks
Team, 4-1, 4.00 ERA, 2 saves, 38 hits, 23 walks, 51 K’s

Up next

Thursday: Philadelphia (*Cristopher Sánchez, 13-5, 2.50 ERA) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 4-3, 3.19 ERA), 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday: Dodgers (TBD) at Philadelphia (TBD), 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

*-left-handed
x-if necessary

In case you missed it

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dodgers quickly lose control in NLDS Game 3 loss to Phillies

Plaschke: Dodgers blow surefire win in NLDS Game 3 vs. Phillies, and now they could blow the season

‘You get a new game every day.’ Clayton Kershaw tries to put Game 3 debacle behind him

Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts talk losing NLDS Game 3

Dodgers are crushed in NLDS Game 3 as bats disappear | Dodgers Debate

Shaikin: Dodgers hope a very-rested Tyler Glasnow can pitch them into the NLCS

And finally

A mental palate cleanser for us all: Vin Scully reads a grocery list. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Warner Bros. said Wednesday it will renew the contract for studio heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy after the two orchestrated a string of back-to-back hits at the box office.

The news is a notable reversal of fortune for the co-chairs and co-chief executives of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group.

Only six months ago, the pair was on thin ice after a series of underperforming films, including Bong Joon Ho’s sci-fi thriller “Mickey 17” and the Robert De Niro-led mob movie “The Alto Knights.”

But the studio’s prospects dramatically changed in April with the release of “A Minecraft Movie,” which hauled in nearly $958 million worldwide. Shortly after, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” became a lasting hit at the box office, followed by “Final Destination Bloodlines,” “F1 The Movie” (which Warner Bros. distributed), James Gunn’s “Superman,” horror flick “Weapons” and the final installment of “The Conjuring.”

The studio recently released the Paul Thomas Anderson film “One Battle After Another,” which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, that is generating awards buzz and has so far grossed $106 million in global ticket sales.

In a memo to staff Wednesday, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav credited Abdy and De Luca for the improved performance at the box office.

He touted the studio’s “balanced” slate with big blockbusters, films based on established intellectual property, horror movies and original works.

“Mike and Pam’s unwavering leadership and commitment to this business has been critical to our success this year,” he wrote. “We have a lot to be grateful for and much to celebrate including several of this year’s best reviewed movies, many of which have pierced the culture zeitgeist in profound ways while also delighting moviegoers around the world.”

Warner Bros. recently surpassed $4 billion at the global box office, the first time it has done so since 2019 and the first studio to reach this mark this year.

“We have the privilege to do this job because of the support and trust [Zaslav] has put in us, and in all of you,” De Luca and Abdy said in an internal note to employees. “We could not be more excited to be leading this team as we introduce an exciting slate of films in the coming years and continue making every film experience an event worthy of the Warner Bros. shield.”

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and the Dodgers were just trying to make Game 2 interesting for those watching at home.

—OK, the Dodgers won Game 2, but before we talk about that….

—Blake Treinen, thank you very much for what you did in 2024. The Dodgers might not have won the World Series without you. But I hope to never see you come into a game this season, unless it’s in a Brent Honeywell role.

—Bringing in Treinen was a big mistake. And this is not hindsight. Before the ninth inning, I was trading messages with friends saying they should either stick with Emmet Sheehan, or bring in Roki Sasaki. I’d have stayed with Sheehan, and if he gave up a hit, you go with Sasaki.

—Dave Roberts, on why he didn’t go with Sasaki: “I thought about it. He hasn’t gone two of three much, at all. Just figuring the run right there, Blake’s pitched some of the biggest outs, innings in the postseason for us. And felt really confident right there. And with Vesia behind him, if needed. So I didn’t want to just, kind of, preemptively put him in there. Again, I felt good with who we had with a couple of our highest-leverage relievers. Fortunately, he was ready when called upon. I liked him versus Trea and he got a big out for us.”

—Hey, at least Roberts brought in Alex Vesia and not Tanner Scott.

—Has anyone seen Scott lately?

—The Dodger bullpen is basically Sheehan, Vesia and Sasaki. If the starters don’t go into the sixth or seventh, trouble arises.

—The schedulers did the Dodgers a favor with an off day after Game 1. Let those three rest up and be ready for Game 2. Now a day off, so they can rest up again.

—And then Tommy Edman was seemingly possessed by Steve Sax on that final throw. My life flashed before my eyes. It was much too short.

—But what a scoop by Freeman at first. Great, great play.

—Of course, it was Vin Scully who always reminded us, “The Dodgers never do things the easy way.”

—What a play by Max Muncy to throw Nick Castellanos out at third in that pivotal ninth inning. And what a play by Mookie Betts to hustle over to third and make the tag while Castellanos was sliding into him.

—That play took some of the air out of the inning for the Phillies.

—That was the old “wheel play,” designed to get the runner at third. As the pitch is thrown, the third baseman and first baseman rush toward home plate, to be in position to field the bunted ball as quickly as possible. The shortstop rushes over to cover third, while the second baseman runs to cover first. The defense seeks to have defenders in position such that once the ball is bunted, it can be picked up quickly and thrown to the shortstop to retire the runner advancing from second base.

—Amazing that things taught 100 years ago in the game can still apply now, even with all the changes in baseball since then.

—“I’ve got to give that credit to Miggy Rojas,” Betts said. “We did it earlier in the year in Anaheim, and I remember asking him, ‘When’s a good time to do it?’ He said: In a do-or-die situation.”

—“When Doc came out and made the pitching change, we talked to him about it and he was all on board,” Muncy said. “I am going to credit Mook. It was his idea.”

—Phillies manager Rob Thomson: “Mookie did a great job of disguising the wheel play. “We teach our guys that if you see wheel, just pull it back and slash because you’ve got all kinds of room in the middle. But Mookie broke so late that it was tough for Stotty to pick it up.”

—Fun stat: The Dodgers didn’t have a 5-6 putout in the regular season, the only team in the majors without one.

—He gave up a run, but Emmet Sheehan looked like a totally different pitcher out there compared to his appearance against the Reds.

—Blake Snell pitched a brilliant game. One hit in six innings, four walks, nine strikeouts.

—I like the booking.com commercial features the New York family in Boston. Especially at the end, when the mom says “Those aren’t our kids.” and the little girl says “We’re not?” She says it so sadly.

—Also, I may be the only one who enjoys the Limu emu and Doug commercials.

—Just for the record, the Dodgers have outscored the Phillies 9-3 when my youngest daughter, Hannah, and her fiance Mason are watching, and they have been outscored 3-0 when they aren’t watching.

—Hannah says the Dodgers can send the World Series share directly to her.

—I predicted Dodgers in five, but let’s hope it doesn’t go to a Game 5, particularly with the next two games at Dodger Stadium.

—Yoshibobu Yamamoto pitches Game 3. Aaron Nola goes for the Phillies. Nola had a 6.01 ERA. Ranger Suárez, who most Phillies fans think should be starting Game 3, had a 3.20 ERA. It’s possible they start Nola, hope the Dodgers load their lineup with lefties, then bring in Suárez in the second inning. But we will see. The Dodgers did have the habit this season of making starters with high ERAs look like the second coming of Sandy Koufax.

—That play where Miguel Rojas ran to third and barely beat Trea Turner for the force was just bizarre. Even though it worked, it seemed like the wrong choice. Rojas had a similar play last postseason where he didn’t beat the runner.

—“I think it was the wrong decision,” Rojas said. “But after I went to third base, I felt like I needed to give it my 100% effort. I’m glad that I got there and [the inning] didn’t go farther than that.”

—Are the Dodgers capable of losing three in a row to the Phillies (or, better put, can the Phillies beat the Dodgers three in a row?) Sure. But it seems unlikely.

—But you can’t ask for much more as far as excitement in this series.

—”I’ll take off my Dodgers hat and just put on a fan hat,” Betts said. “I think that was a really, really dope baseball game. I think both of these games were really, really dope baseball games, fun to be a part of. Obviously, it’s a lot better when you’re on the winning side, but you can’t ask for better postseason baseball. It’s just fun. This is why we play.”

—Let’s hope the crowd Wednesday is as loud as the Philadelphia crowd was, and has no reason to be silent. And let’s hope those sitting behind home plate noticed that the Phillies fans behind home plate didn’t spent most of the game on their phone or contemplating their next drink order.

Dodgers postseason stats

Through four games:

Batting
Alex Call, 2 for 2
Miguel Rojas, .429, 3 for 7, 1 RBI
Ben Rortvedt, .429, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s
Teoscar Hernández, .412, 7 for 17, 1 double, 3 homers, 9 RBIs, 1 walk, 3 K’s
Mookie Betts, .389, 7 for 18, 3 doubles, 3 RBIs, 1 walk, 1 K
Kiké Hernández, .313, 5 for 16, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 3 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .267, 4 for 15, 2 doubles, 3 walks, 2 K’s
Will Smith, .250, 1 for 4, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, .222, 4 for 18, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 2 walk, 9 K’s
Max Muncy, .200, 2 for 10, 1 double, 3 walks, 4 K’s
Tommy Edman, .091, 1 for 11, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 5 K’s
Andy Pages, 1 for 17, .059, 4 K’s
Team, .289, 10 doubles, 6 homers, 26 RBIs, 12 walks, 36 K’s, 6.75 runs per game

Three position players on the NLDS roster, Justin Dean, Hyeseong Kim and Dalton Rushing, have yet to bat.

Pitching
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.2 IP 4 hits, 2 walks, 9 K’s
Roki Sasaki, 0.00 ERA, 2 saves, 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 3 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP. 2 hits, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 0.2 IP, 1 walk, 1 K
Blake Snell, 2-0, 1.38 ERA, 13 IP, 5 hits, 5 walk, 18 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 9 K’s
Alex Vesia, 9.00 ERA, 2 IP, 2 hit, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Emmet Sheehan, 11.59 ERA, 2.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 walks, 1 K
Blake Treinen, 13.53 ERA, 1.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 K’s
Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks
Team, 4-0, 3.25 ERA, 2 saves, 26 hits, 17 walks, 47 K’s

Three players on the NLCS roster, Anthony Banda, Clayton Kershaw and Tanner Scott, haven’t pitched in the postseason yet.

Up next

Wednesday: Philadelphia (Aaron Nola, 5-10, 6.01 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA), 6 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Thursday: Philadelphia (TBD) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 4-3, 3.19 ERA), 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday: Dodgers (TBD) at Philadelphia (TBD), 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

*-left-handed
x-if necessary

In case you missed it

Dave Roberts explains why the Dodgers didn’t use Roki Sasaki earlier in Game 2

Shaikin: Inside the Mookie Betts play call that won NLDS Game 2 for the Dodgers

Hernández: The Phillies are done, and the Dodgers’ path to the World Series looks clear

‘Pass the baton.’ Dodgers finally get to Jesús Luzardo in pressure-packed seventh inning

Dodgers take NLDS Game 2 and are on the verge of the NLCS | Dodgers Debate

Mookie Betts and Max Muncy talk wheel play in the 9th inning of NLDS Game 2

Shaikin: Clayton Kershaw isn’t first Hall of Fame-bound pitcher to finish career in Dodgers bullpen

And finally

Game 2 highlights. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

MILLIONS of pensioners will be hit with £300 tax bills from HMRC this winter.

From November, around nine million pensioners will begin to see up to £300 land in their bank accounts.

1

The cash boost comes as part of the Winter Fuel Payment, which is a benefit issued by the DWP to help elderly people with fuel costs over the colder months.

It comes after a previous £300 payment was axed for millions of pensioners last winter and only those on certain benefits qualified.

The move triggered a massive backlash for Labour as some 10million pensioners lost their winter fuel allowance in the benefit cut.

It saved the Treasury just £1.4billion but caused a massive public outcry.

The government later cracked under pressure and was forced to perform a half baked U-turn.

Most pensioners are now eligible for the support, which is worth between £100 and £300.

However, if your income is more than £35,000, HMRC will take the money back.

Your income can come from a range of factors including your private pension and state benefits.

If you fall into this earnings category, you can opt out of payments.

But the deadline to do so ended on September 15.

What happens now?

If you did not opt out, HMRC will change your tax code and you will receive a tax code notice letter.

Changing your tax code means that your Winter Fuel Payment will be deducted from your income and paid to HMRC in monthly instalments.

So for example, if you received a £100 Winter Fuel Payment but had an income of £35,000, you will pay back around £9 every month.

You will be charged from April 2026, which is the start of the new tax year.

Households can check if they are over the income thresholds by visiting www.tax.service.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-hmrc-will-take-back-your-winter-payment/start/country.

How to opt out of future charges

The deadline for opting out of the Winter Fuel Payment for 2025 to 2026 has passed. 

But you can opt out of getting the benefit for 2026 to 2027 from April 2026.

When it reopens, you will need to complete either an online form or phone the helpline on 0800 731 0160.

If you opt to complete the form online, you will need details such as your National Insurance number.

Who is not eligible for the payment?

You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born before September 22 1959 and live in England or Wales.

But a small group of individuals will not be eligible, including:

• live outside England and Wales
• were in hospital getting free treatment for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025 and the year before that
• need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
• were in prison for the whole of the week of 15 to 21 September 2025

Most people are paid the benefit automatically but if you think you are risk of missing out you can apply.

The love story between Noah and Nick in the Culpables Trilogy has flown all the way to London for a version of its own, and the second part has just wrapped up its filming – here’s what you need to know.

The countdown for the third and final instalment of Mercedes Ron’s Culpables Trilogy, Culpa Nuestra, has begun – but the UK fans are wondering when the London version will release its second and final film, Your Fault and Our Fault.

Just like the Spanish version, it follows the story of Nick and Noah, who fall in love with each other despite being step-siblings. And of course, all the drama. The British version starred Matthew Broome and Asha Banks as the lead characters, and both will reprise their roles.

As we await the second and third chapters of the story, we’ve listed some information to keep all Culpables on top of the news.

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What is My Fault: London about?

Continuing the dramatic yet romantic ending in My Fault: London, the second sequel shows Nick and Noah embarking on a life-changing adventure that threatens their relationship. Nick begins to work with his father, and Noah starts a new chapter as a university student at Oxford.

Nick and Noah are now separated and meeting new people, which will test their love for each other as they find themselves entangled with temptation, rivalries and betrayals. Fight for love, or risk losing everything.

For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror’s Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox.

When are is the My Fault sequel coming out?

The sequel to Prime Video’s breakout hit My Fault: London is on its way. Good news for fans – Your Fault: London finished filming in the summer of 2025, and is expected to be out worldwide sometime in 2026.

As per the last part of the story, Our Fault: London has just started filming, and given the production timeline, it’s reasonable to expect that it will also be released next year. But news have yet to be confirmed.

If you haven’t been keeping up with the Spanish version of the film, both movies are available to watch on Prime Video. Its final part, Culpa Nuestra, will be released on October 16, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. My Fault: London is also available to stream.

READ MORE: The Twits Netflix release date and cast for film based on Roald Dahl best-seller

Who will be in the My Fault sequels?

As reported by Amazon, Your Fault: London will have familiar faces and some newcomers. Meet Louisa Binder, Joel Nankervis, Scarlett Rayner, and Orlando Norman.

Louisa Binder will interpret the role of Sophia, a beautiful and ambitious young woman who will stir some drama in the relationship between Noah and Nick, as she starts working at Leiste Enterprises. On the other side, Noah will be busy with Michael (Joel Nankervis), an Oxford student who becomes friends with her, but secretly wants more.

Scarlett Rayner will play Briar, a seemingly kind and manipulative strategist who becomes friends with Noah at Oxford, but is hiding something. Then, Orlando Norman as Cruz, Ronnie’s right-hand man in the underground racing world.

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Oct. 7 (UPI) — Federal prosecutors have charged an alleged member of a Chicago-based gang of ordering a hit on a prominent border patrol leader, according to documents unsealed Monday.

The criminal complaint accuses Juan Espinoza Martinez of orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme, alleging that he offered $10,000 in Snapchat messages to other members of the Latin Kings street gang to kill the unnamed official.

The Homeland Security Department later named that official as U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, a formerly obscure regional agent who has risen to prominence amid President Donald Trump‘s aggressive efforts to deport undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles and Chicago.

Those efforts include Operation Midway Blitz, a crackdown in Chicago that has drawn protests and pushback from local officials. The charges against Martinez were filed as the Trump administration remains locked in legal battles with Democratic governors who object to his deployment of federal troops to cities.

The complaint is based on information provided to law enforcement by a confidential informant who described Martinez as a high-ranking member in the gang. After border patrol agents shot a woman on Saturday in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Chicago, Martinez ordered gang members to increase their presence in the area, the complaint states.

Screenshots included in the complaint show that Martinez offered $2,000 for information on Bovino or “10k if u take him down.”

“Placing a bounty on the head of a federal officer is an attack on the rule of law and on every American who depends on law enforcement to keep them safe,” Deputy Attorney General Robert Blanche said in a statement. “This case is exactly what we mean when we say Take Back America – taking back every neighborhood and street corner from violent thugs and criminal gangs and returning them to the law-abiding members of our communities.”

It’s not clear if Martinez has legal counsel and he has not made any public statements.

PHILADELPHIA — Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo had set down 17 batters in a row going into the seventh inning of Monday’s National League Division Series game. The Dodgers hadn’t had a hit or a baserunner since the first.

And it didn’t look like they’d get another.

“Luzardo,” said Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman, “was amazing.”

Yet it was Freeman who brought Luzardo’s masterful night to an end and pushed the Phillies’ season to the brink, keying a 4-3 Dodger win that sends the best-of-five series to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Wednesday with Philadelphia a loss away from spring training.

“It’s huge. It’s absolutely huge,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the two-game sweep on the road. “Guys are really stepping up.”

Especially in the seventh, when the Dodgers batted around, producing the kind of inning they rarely managed in the regular season, one that featured aggressive at-bats, smart baserunning and three two-out RBIs.

“All that coming together; just really good at-bats up and down the lineup,” Roberts said.

Teoscar Hernández got it started with a single to center. Freeman followed with a hit off the end of his bat into the right-field corner, a single he turned into a double when he refused to stop at first, surprising outfielder Nick Castellanos.

“I was trying to keep things going, put pressure on them,” Freeman said. “I just wanted to push the envelope in that situation since we hadn’t had anything going on since the first inning.”

Luzardo had given up one hit through six innings; now he’d given up two in the span of five pitches.

“He retired 17 in a row. He had 72 pitches. He’s pitching great,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.

But after Freeman’s hit he was done, with Thomson summoning reliever Orion Kerkering. The Dodgers, however, were just getting started, and an out later Hernández put them ahead to stay, breaking smartly from third on Kiké Hernández’s slow roller by the mound, then sliding to the back of the plate to beat shortstop Trea Turner’s wide throw home.

Pinch-hitter Max Muncy followed with a four-pitch walk to load the bases for Will Smith, whose two-out single on the first pitch he saw drove in two more runs.

“In that situation, it’s very easy to try to want to do too much,” Muncy said. “You have a chance to drive in a couple runs. It’s very easy to chase a pitch. But you’ve just got to be diligent with what you’re trying to do up there and just pass the baton to the next guy.”

Dodgers’ Will Smith hits a two-run single during the seventh inning of Game 2 of the NLDS on Monday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers’ rally had been built around a double that should have been a single, a run-scoring fielder’s choice that barely passed the mound, a walk and Smith’s one-hop single to left, the hardest-hit ball of the inning. When Shohei Ohtani grounded a single by diving second baseman Edmundo Sosa, the Dodgers led 4-0.

“Obviously some huge two-out hits by Will and then Shohei. Great play by Teo getting his foot in,” Freeman said. “A lot of good things happened in that seventh inning.”

The inning also silenced the sellout crowd of 45,653, which minutes earlier had been louder than a rock concert during a NASCAR race. When Matt Strahm, the third pitcher of the inning, finally got Mookie Betts for the third out, the fans booed the Phillies off the field.

The crowd came alive again in the ninth, when Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen once again melted down on the mound, gave up three hits and two runs without getting an out to let the Phillies back in the game. But Roki Sasaki then took them out again, retiring Turner on a groundball with the tying run on third, earning his second save in as many games.

When it was over the Phillies, who had the best home record in the majors this season, had lost consecutive games at home for the first time since June 1. And the Dodgers, unbeaten this postseason, were a win away from the NL Championship Series.

“Lots to unpack in that one,” Roberts said.

Freeman managed to put it all in perspective.

“We were just sitting at our lockers and Kiké said, ‘we just took two here’,” he said. “This is a hard place to play. Incredible fan base. It’s loud here.

“We obviously put ourselves in great position going into Wednesday.”

Indian nationals see decrease of 45 percent compared to same period last year as US clamps down on foreign students.

The number of student visas issued by the United States has dropped by about one-fifth compared to the same one-month period last year, with India seeing a dramatic decline amid restrictive policies pursued by United States President Donald Trump.

Data from the International Trade Commission found that the US issued about 313,138 student visas in August, when studies typically begin at US universities, a 19.1 percent drop compared to August 2024.

For Indian students, the largest source of foreign students studying in the US, the drop was 44.5 percent during that period. Visa issuances also dropped for students from China, albeit at a lower rate.

Several Muslim-majority countries also saw massive declines, with student visas for Iranians dropping by 86 percent. The figures do not represent overall numbers of foreign students attending US universities, many of whom remain on previously issued visas.

The drop comes as the Trump administration has pursued a restrictive approach to immigration, while using funding to exert growing political pressure on US universities.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revoked thousands of student visas, citing violations of US law, participation in protests, or in some cases, criticism of Israel. The targeting has been in parallel with pro-Israel groups that monitor and surveil university students involved in pro-Palestine activism.

In June, Rubio also ordered the temporary suspension of all student visa processing in order to enact greater oversight over student social media profiles.

Those vetting applications were told to look for “any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States”.

However, the administration’s messaging towards certain countries has not always been consistent.

After initially vowing to restrict a large portion of Chinese students seeking to study in the US, Trump told reporters in August that he planned to admit 600,000 Chinese students into the country to study.

The figure was double the number of Chinese students currently studying in the US.

“We’re going to allow, it’s very important, 600,000 students. It’s very important,” Trump said at the time.

NOTHING brings the country together like football.

But there are some people who have more than a little insight into the game and the hype surrounding it – the WAGs.

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Belinda Coleman was also once one of them, having a front row seat to all the money, the pleasures – and pitfalls – of life as a Premier League wife.

She was the spouse of the Welsh football coach Chris Coleman – but in 2011, their 19-year relationship came to a bitter end following cheating accusations.

The divorce ended in Chris, now 55, giving Belinda just two months to leave the two bedroom flat she shared with their four kids, Sonny, Christy, Faraday and Georgie – all whilst he planned his marriage to blonde TV presenter Charlotte Jackson.

Belinda previously lifted the lid on how their dream marriage turned into a nightmare – and how his flings led to their split after 19 years together.

Belinda then said. “He’s an adulterer and I just became bored of his indiscretions.

“His affairs were into double figures. And I’d even confronted three or four of the women. I never ranted at them. I just told them they weren’t the first and they wouldn’t be the last.

“And I told him if he wanted to be with them, he should just walk out and leave us alone to get on with our lives.”

Now, over a decade later, Belinda has revealed what life is like when your millionaire marriage ends, the money disappears, and you go from the A-list lifestyle to having the bailiffs at your door.

By 1991, when she met Chris, then a player with Crystal Palace, Belinda owned a flat of her own and was managing a hotel health club.

“I’d been invited to a match by a player who’d come to the health club for physiotherapy. The first time I spoke to Chris in the lounge after the match it was so natural. I had no idea this man would change my life forever,” Belinda told The Telegraph.

Just six months later the pair tied the knot – and according to Belinda, it felt like a fairy tale.

As Chris’ career began to climb, they went from a two-bedroom rental to purchasing a small house before Chris moved to Blackburn – ”and suddenly, there was so much money”, Belinda said.

There were luxurious holidays, shopping sprees galore and private school education for their four kids.

“I decorated our lovely home in the country, called the Old Stables, with all the top-of-the-range equipment I could find.”

But with so much money coming in, there was no planning for their financial future – something Belinda looks back at now and cringes at how ”financially irresponsible” the two were.

Meet the WAGS of the England footballers

England Wags range from childhood sweethearts to recently blossoming love stories.

Katie Goodland (Harry Kane’s wife)

The fitness instructor has been married to the England captain since 2019 and joined him in Germany with their four children after he joined Bayern Munich.

Laura Celia Valk (Jude Bellingham’s girlfriend)

The stunning Dutch model, 25, has more than half a million Instagram followers and is said to be absolutely smitten with the Real Madrid star.

Rebecca Cooke (Phil Foden’s girlfriend)

Foden’s childhood sweetheart and the mother of his two kids tends to keep out of the spotlight, but is a regular at England games.

Dani Dyer (Jarrod Bowen’s girlfriend)

England’s most famous Wag, former Love Island winner and daughter of Eastenders’ Danny Dyer.

Iris Law (Trent Alexander-Arnold’s girlfriend)

Dani Dyer isn’t the only actor’s daughter dating an England star. Iris’ dad is Hollywood legend Jude Law.

Megan Davison (Jordan Pickford’s wife)

Megan has been with Pickford since he was 14 years old. The couple married in 2022 and have one son.

Olivia Naylor (John Stones’ girlfriend)

The 33-year-old former beautician has stepped back from her role after giving birth to a baby son.

Read more about the Wags supporting England at Euro 2024 here

“I couldn’t be sensible about it because I couldn’t bear to think about it. There was a lot of guilt at having money when people I loved didn’t, so spending it as quickly as I could on myself and others seemed to make sense.”

Of course, there was also the pressure to look the part, which came with a hefty price tag – the scrutiny of Premier League wives and girlfriends was intense.

There were amazing times together, she explained – the fun of supporting their men at their games, the lavish getaways abroad, the luxurious parties and the fun of watching their children grow together.

But the lifestyle also came with lots of troubles to share, such as woman ”falling over” their husbands, which ”took a huge psychological and emotional toll” on Belinda.

As rumours of Chris’s infidelity became louder, with headlines everywhere, the trust between the couple crumbled.

While Belinda was trying her best to pretend everything was okay for the sake of her children, it was just a mask – and in reality, she was losing her mind.

It eventually led the mother-of-four to do things that she wasn’t proud of, including hiring a private detective and hiding a tracker in Chris’s car – something, she now thinks, created ”suffering”.

As for why the separation and then divorce meant swapping a millionaire pad for a two-bed flat, Belinda is frank.

“Despite once having millions, the money had run out. It was my fault too, of course, but suddenly I was facing financial ruin.”

Bailiffs knocking on door

But the worst was yet to come.

One day, Belinda, now 60, heard loud banging at the door – it was two men who turned out to be bailiffs.

Paralysed with fear, she didn’t dare to move, and when the two finally left, she collapsed.

Following their visit, Belinda’s car was repossessed, and then an eviction notice arrived.

Eventually managing to find a private rental she could just about afford, this was the first of 11 forced moves in ten years for Belinda and the children, Sonny, now 32, Christy 30, Faraday, 27, and Georgie, 25.

While she did eventually receive spousal and child maintenance, the money was nothing compared to her previous lavish lifestyle and Belinda felt as if she ”was depriving the children of the life they’d become accustomed to”.

On one occasion, she remembers, her card was declined at the supermarket checkout, despite calculating everything in the trolley to the penny.

Now raising four kids as a single mum, Belinda took whatever jobs she could fit around their schedule, working nights, weekends and 12-hour shifts.

“I packed boxes for a removal company, worked in a call centre and cleaned. One day in 2016, a year after our divorce was finalised, I drove through the wrought-iron gates of the Old Stables. I was there to clean the house we’d once owned.

Standing in the beautiful home, the memories of the happy times came flooding back and Belinda realised just how much her life had changed.

But she refused to feel sorry for herself. Instead, she appreciated being alive and having four wonderful kids, friends and family who loved her.

Then in 2019, during yet another forced house move, she was packing a book – and things in her life were about to change.

The sentence read: ”Sometimes the universe is just waiting for you to say yes.’’

For Belinda, it was a sign – a sign that if she truly wanted something different in her life, she needed to do something different.

This was the start of Belinda’s journey with manifestation, journaling, meditating, visualisation and expressing gratitude daily that turned her life around – as did winning a legal case.

On a whim one day, the mum-of-four wrote herself a cheque for the amount she believed was achievable from an ongoing legal dispute, placing it beside her bed and acknowledging it every day.

In the end, she ended up winning that case against the odds, and the money meant she could finally achieve the dream of owning her very own home.

”The house I bought was listed for exactly the amount I’d written on the cheque.”

Now a qualified motivational coach and NLP (neuro-linguistic processing therapy) practitioner, Belinda has written a book about her journey.

Wag to Warrior, Every Woman’s Roadmap to Overcoming Life’s Challenges and Rewriting Her Story is a book that Belinda hopes will help other women who are struggling, including other WAGs.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and that was an exciting Game 1.

—Two great teams, making it interesting every inning. That was a great game.

—The Dodgers should think about signing every player who has Hernández as a last name.

—Or, should I say, Super Kiké.

—Shohei Ohtani has one rough inning, but then seemed to say “Enough!” After J.T. Realmuto‘s triple, he retired the next 10 batters. And he could have given up only two runs, but Teoscar Hernández seemed particularly slow in right field and let Realmuto’s ball get past him, allowing Realmuto to take third, where he scored on a sacrifice fly.

—Then, in the fifth, Ohtani retired a batter, then hit Harrison Bader with a pitch and gave up a single to Bryson Stott, putting runners at first and second. Dave Roberts stayed in the dugout, which he might not have done in a regular-season game. Ohtani got Trea Turner to line to short and struck out Kyle Schwarber on a full-count pitch. It felt like a momentum shift.

—“I think it might have been a scene that decided the direction of the game,” Ohtani said.

—The only drawback: Ohtani struck out four times at the plate.

—“I use the word compartmentalize a lot, but this epitomizes compartmentalizing,” Roberts said of Ohtani. “To go out there and give us six innings, keep us in the ball game, I just don’t know any human that can manage that, those emotions. How do you not take [the hitting struggles] to the mound?”

—The Dodgers scored two runs in the next inning when Freddie Freeman walked, Tommy Edman singled and Kiké doubled.

—Then Teoscar hit his three-run shot in the seventh, and that was enough.

—“When you can hear a pin drop in the stadium, that’s the ultimate feeling in baseball,” Max Muncy said of the home run. “I felt like the people in the upper deck could hear us cheering in the dugout.”

—That Dodgers bullpen we were all worried about? With Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki out there, it looks a lot better. Glasnow won’t be available the next two games because he will start Game 4 if it is needed.

—Sasaki wasn’t quite as dominant as he was against the Reds, but he is facing a much better team.

—By the way, TBS announcers Brian Anderson, Jeff Francoeur and Lauren Shehadi are much better than the ESPN crew.

—But let’s not get carried away. The Phillies will not go down quietly. This will be a fight to the finish (Gee, how many cliches is the writer going to use?)

The NLDS roster

There were only two changes for the Dodgers on the NLDS roster. Clayton Kershaw and Anthony Banda were added, while Edgardo Henriquez and Justin Wrobleski were removed. Justin Dean remains on the roster and Michael Conforto remains off the roster.

Counting the postseason, Dean has appeared in 21 games with the Dodgers and has only two at-bats. He’s 0 for 2 with a stolen base and a strikeout.

In the history of baseball, there have been only three players to appear in at least 21 games and have two or fewer plate appearances. They are:

Gary Cooper, 1980 Atlanta Braves. Cooper went 0 for 2 with two stolen bases and three runs scored. He was used as a pinch-runner and for late-inning defense.

Allan Lewis, 1973 Oakland. Lewis appeared in 40 games (counting the postseason) and had no plate appearances. He was used as a pinch-runner and scored 16 runs while also stealing seven bases. He appeared in five postseason games and scored two runs.

Herb Washington, 1974 Oakland. Washington appeared in 92 games, all as a pinch-runner. As you can tell, having a pinch-runner on the team was an obsession of A’s owner Charlie Finley. Washington stole 29 bases, was caught 14 times, and scored 29 runs. In track, he still holds the record for the fastest 50-yard and 60-yard dash. That’s why Finley wanted to sign him, thinking he would be an unstoppable base stealer. He wasn’t, since there’s more to base stealing than just being fast. In his short career, Washington played in 105 games without batting, pitching or fielding.

Money talks?

Where the 12 postseason teams rank among team payrolls this season:

1. Dodgers, $350,300,236
3. NY Yankees, $300,187,616
4. Philadelphia, $290,286,320
5. Toronto, $255,380,936
9. San Diego, $216,835,142
10. Chicago Cubs, $211,947,613
12. Boston, $200,904,575
15. Seattle, $164,517,201
17. Detroit, $157,566,294
22. Milwaukee, $121,674,704
23. Cincinnati, $119,523,192
25. Cleveland, $100,365,031

Teams ranked in the top 15 for payroll that did not make the postseason:

2. New York Mets, $342,377,486
6. Houston (no relation), $232,884,232
7. Texas, $226,026,491
8. Atlanta, $218,842,260
11. Angels, $206,688,366
13. Arizona, $178,987,367
14. San Francisco, $178,312,152

Numbers provided by spotrac.com.

Poll time

We asked, “Who do you think will win the Dodgers-Phillies series?”

The results, after 8,632 votes:

Dodgers in five, 49.8%
Dodgers in four, 32.9%
Phillies in five, 8.2%
Phillies in four, 7%
Dodgers in three, 1.7%
Phillies in three, 0.6%

Up next

Monday: Dodgers (*Blake Snell, 5-4, 2.35 ERA) at Philadelphia (*Jesús Luzardo, 15-7, 3.92 ERA), 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

Wednesday: Philadelphia (TBD) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 12-8, 2.49 ERA), 6 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Thursday: Philadelphia (TBD) at Dodgers (TBD), 3 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

x-Saturday: Dodgers (TBD) at Philadelphia (TBD), 5 p.m., TBS, truTV, HBO Max, AM 570, KTMZ 1220, ESPN radio

*-left-handed
x-if necessary

In case you missed it

Shaikin: ‘I try to put it in the trash.’ How Teoscar Hernández’s mindset delivered October magic

Hernández: Dodgers save Shohei Ohtani, not the other way around, in monumental Game 1 NLDS win

NLDS Game 1: Dodgers steal home field advantage

Tyler Glasnow talks relief pitching in NLDS Game 1

Clayton Kershaw added to Dodgers’ NLDS roster as expected, Will Smith remains active

‘Better late than never.’ How Mookie Betts salvaged the worst season of his career

And finally

Game 1 highlights. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

PEDRO PORRO had a brilliant response to being hit by a vape during Tottenham’s win at Leeds.

Thomas Frank‘s side earned a hard-fought three points at Elland Road.

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Porro produced the assist for Mohammed Kudus‘ winner and he was also able to have a bit of fun in the second half.

As the full-back prepared to take a corner in front of the Leeds fans a vape was thrown at him.

The vape hit Porro and he responded by picking it up and pretending to smoke it.

And the Spaniard wasn’t done having his fun with the moment.

He wasted no time in uploading an Instagram post from the game, including an image of him holding up the vape for referee Tom Bramall.

He captioned the post: “Back on track with the boys… Didn’t feel like vaping today, fancied the three points instead.”

The cheeky jab went down well with fans, who flocked to his comments to praise him for his conduct on and off the pitch.

One commenter said: “Guys a comedian hahahaha unreal”

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And another fan added: “Brilliant Pedro!!! Great performance too.”

The incident amused the Spurs faithful, but another moment in the second half had them tearing their hair out.

Summer signing Xavi Simons attempted an audacious rabona through ball when the game was at 1-1, but could only dribble the tame effort to the waiting feet of Joe Rodon.

The Dutchman will thank Kudus and Porro for taking the eyes off him going into the international break.

Gaza’s civil defence agency has reported that Israel conducted dozens of air strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City – despite United States President Donald Trump’s demand to halt bombardments following Hamas’s partial acceptance of a ceasefire deal.

“It was a very violent night, during which the (Israeli army) carried out dozens of air strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City and other areas in the Strip, despite President Trump’s call to halt the bombing,” civil defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told AFP.

Basal, who works for a rescue force, said 20 homes were destroyed in the overnight attacks.

Gaza City’s al-Ahli Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, reported receiving casualties from a strike on a home in the city’s Tuffah neighbourhood, including four deaths and multiple people injured.

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, officials confirmed two children were killed and eight people were wounded when a drone struck a tent in a displacement camp.

The proposal for Gaza, unveiled by Trump this week with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s support, outlines a ceasefire, the release of captives within 72 hours, disarmament of Hamas, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

On Friday, Hamas expressed willingness to release captives held in Gaza under the Trump plan but requested negotiations on some specifics and participation in decisions regarding the Palestinian territory’s future.

European Union leaders are considering a “reparations plan” that would use frozen Russian state assets to provide Ukraine with a $164bn loan to help fund its reconstruction after the war with Russia ends.

Leaders expressed a mixture of support and caution for the plan on Wednesday as they met in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, days after drones were spotted in Denmark’s airspace, prompting airport closures. While the drones in Denmark were not formally identified as Russian, other European countries, including Poland, Romania and Estonia, have accused Russia of drone incursions into their airspace in September.

“I strongly support the idea,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also said he was “very much in favour” of the plan. Others said there could be legal complications, however.

Here is what we know about Europe’s “reparations plan”, how it may work and what the response from Russia is likely to be.

What is Europe’s ‘reparations plan’?

The reparations plan was first outlined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in mid-September, and backing for it has grown as United States financial support for Ukraine wanes.

During his 2024 presidential campaign, US President Donald Trump promised voters he would pull the US back from providing high levels of financial and military aid to Ukraine.

Since the beginning of his term in January, Trump has made it clear the US will take a back seat in terms of providing financial support and security guarantees to Ukraine, indicating Europe should fill the gap instead.

Europe’s plan would use Russian assets frozen in European banks as collateral for a 140-billion-euro ($164.4bn) loan to Ukraine. Repayments for the loan would be recouped via war reparations from Russia, but the loan would also be guaranteed either in the EU’s next long-term budget or by individual EU member states.

“We need a more structural solution for military support,” von der Leyen said on Tuesday. “This is why I have put forward the idea of a reparations loan that is based on the immobilised Russian assets.”

How much in frozen Russian assets does Europe hold?

About $300bn in Russian Central Bank assets have been frozen by the US and European countries since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Most of this – $246.9bn – is held in Europe, of which $217.5bn – the vast majority in cash – is held by Euroclear, a Belgium-based capital markets company.

On June 30, Euroclear reported the Russian sanctioned assets on its balance sheet generated $3.2bn in interest during the first half of 2025, a drop from the $4bn in interest earned over the same period last year.

What are the challenges to this plan?

Under international law, a sovereign country’s assets cannot simply be confiscated. Hence, loaning this money to Ukraine would be an infringement of Moscow’s sovereign claim over its central bank assets.

Since most of the assets are held in Belgium, the country has asked for the plan to be fleshed out in case it is required to return the assets to Russia.

“I explained to my colleagues yesterday that I want their signature saying, ‘If we take Putin’s money, we use it, we’re all going to be responsible if it goes wrong,’” Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever told reporters in Copenhagen on Thursday.

On Wednesday, von der Leyen said: “It’s absolutely clear that Belgium cannot be the one who is the only member state that is carrying the risk. The risk has to be put on broader shoulders.”

Are any European leaders hesitant about this plan?

Yes. Besides De Wever, other European leaders have expressed hesitation or have asked their fellow leaders to work out more details of the plan before they agree to it.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the proposal should be considered very carefully, given the legal and financial risks that could arise.

Others also signalled caution. “I think that’s a difficult legal question,” Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden told reporters. “You can’t just take over assets that belong to another state so easily.”

Frieden added: “There are now other proposals on the table, but these also raise a whole host of questions. I would like to have answers to these questions first. Among other things, how would such a loan be repaid? What would happen if Russia did not repay these reparations in a peace treaty?”

Is the plan likely to go ahead?

Experts said European leaders would likely have to find a way to make the plan viable as the prospects of further US aid for Ukraine dry up.

“It is going to happen because with the US walking away, Europe is left with $100bn-plus annual funding needs for Ukraine,” Timothy Ash, an associate fellow in the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House, told Al Jazeera.

Ash explained that the bigger challenge for Europe would be to not go ahead with the plan if it means leaving Ukraine underfunded generally and placing it at higher risk of losing the war with Russia. “Risks to Europe would then be catastrophic,” he said, including the prospect of tens of millions of Ukrainians migrating west into Europe.

If a Ukrainian loss in the war becomes more likely, European nations would be forced to ramp up defence spending to 5 percent of their gross domestic products (GDPs) much faster than expected.

In June, members of NATO pledged to increase their defence spending to 5 percent of their GDPs by 2035.

Such an acceleration “would mean higher budget deficits, higher borrowing costs, more debt, less growth and a weaker Europe and euro”, Ash said.

How has Russia responded?

Moscow has rebuked the EU plan, calling it a “theft” of Russian money.

“We are talking about plans for the illegal seizure of Russian property. In Russia, we call that simply theft,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

Peskov said anyone involved in seizing Russian assets “will be prosecuted in one way or another. They will all be called to account.”

He added: “The boomerang will very seriously hit those who are the main depositories, countries that are interested in investment attractiveness.”

Ash said Russia could take legal action against European countries if the plan goes ahead. However, “it would have to lift its own sovereign immunity to be able to launch any such legal action. And a legal action by Russia would take years – decades to conclude.”

Russia is protected by sovereign immunity, which is a legal principle shielding foreign governments from being sued in courts outside their own country. If Russia wants to legally pursue this, it would need to waive this immunity, which, in turn, would mean Russia could also be sued or tried in a foreign country.

Ash added that another course of action Russia could take would be to seize Western assets under its jurisdiction, but this also does not come without challenges. “Russia has 10 times more assets in the West than vice versa,” Ash said. “It’s just more vulnerable through this channel.”

How much in Western assets does Russia hold?

Moscow said the value of all foreign assets it holds is comparable to the frozen Russian reserves held in the West. Citing data from January 2022, Russia’s state-run RIA news agency reported there were about $288bn of assets in Russia that could potentially be seized by Moscow.

However, Russian Central Bank records from 2022 show there were $289bn in “derivative and other foreign investments” in Russia. By the end of 2023, these foreign assets had dropped in value to $215bn.

Ash explained: “Those assets are all foreign assets – not just Western. [They include] Chinese, Indian, Middle East assets. And most of those assets are private – not state.”

For Kiké Hernández, the regular season is little more than a six-month warm-up. Real baseball is played when the evening air turns crisp and the leaves begin to change.

And when summer turns to fall few players have stepped up bigger than Hernández, who had two hits, scored two runs and drove in another Wednesday, spurring a Dodger comeback that ended in an 8-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds and a sweep of their National League wild-card series.

That sends the team on to the best-of-five Division Series with the Phillies, which begins Saturday in Philadelphia.

“October Kiké is something pretty special,” Dodger manager Dave Roberts said. “And the track record speaks for itself. He’s one of the best throughout the history of the postseason.”

It’s a reputation he’s earned.

A .236 career hitter in the regular season, Hernández has hit .286 in 88 postseason games. He slashed .203/.255/.366 in an injury-marred regular season this year, but two games into the playoffs he’s hitting .500, leads the Dodgers with three runs scored and ranks second to Mookie Betts with four hits. He also made a splendid over-the-shoulder catch while racing to the warning track in the first inning Wednesday.

“Some guys are built for this moment. He’s definitely one of them,” said third baseman Max Muncy, standing in the middle of the Dodgers’ batting cage during the team’s postgame celebration, his blue T-shirt soaked in champagne as a teammate poured beer over his head.

Hernández, wearing goggles but not a shirt, made a brief appearance at the victory party but departed to celebrate with family before the champagne and beer began to puddle on the plastic sheeting that covered the floor.

His teammates were all too happy to speak about him in his absence.

“He’s a guy who is not shy from the from the moment,” infielder Miguel Rojas said. “I feel like the regular season for him is not enough.”

Rojas said he learned that first hand after rejoining the Dodgers in 2023. Although the team’s playoff run was brief, Hernández led the team with two RBIs and was second in hits and average.

“I saw it on TV before. But when I got here I saw that it was real,” he said. “He always wanted the moment and he showed it tonight with a big double to tie the game.”

That came with one out in the fourth, when his line drive to center field scored Muncy from first to tie the score, 2-2. Four pitches later he scored on Rojas’ single, putting the Dodgers ahead to stay.

But Hernández wasn’t finished. Two innings later he led off with a squibber up the third-base line that was going foul before it hit the bag for a single, starting a four-run rally that put the game away. The bottom third of the Dodger lineup — Hernández, Rojas and catcher Ben Rortvedt — combined to go six for 12 with five runs and two RBIs.

“Kiké is Kiké,” outfielder Teoscar Hernández said above the din of the celebration. “That’s the guy you get when October starts.”

Before that? Not so much. But for Hernández, the postseason has become redemption time.

“I know they brought me here for these types of moments,” he said before Wednesday’s game.

“The beautiful thing about the postseason is that once we get to the postseason, everything starts at zero. You can have a bad year and you flip the script and you start over in the postseason. You have a good postseason, help the team win, and nobody ever remembers what you did in the regular season.”

Hernández, 34, owes much of his fall heroics simply to the opportunity to play on the sport’s biggest stage. In a dozen big-league seasons, he’s made the playoffs 10 times, playing in 21 postseason series with the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox and winning two World Series rings.

“I’ve been blessed to be on the right team at the right time,” he said. “Being a good postseason player is kind of an individual thing, but not really. You’re on a team that doesn’t make the playoffs, you can’t be a postseason player.

“I just happen to be on a lot of really good teams, and I’ve been fortunate enough to get a lot of chances.”

With his performance Wednesday, he assured himself at least three more chances in the division series with the Phillies. And Rojas expects him to take full advantage.

“He always wants the moment and he wants to be out there,” he said. “I’m learning from him every single day. He’s the most prepared guy that I’ve ever played with.”

Especially in October.