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Dodgers Come Back, Win World Series

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TORONTO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – In 2025, the Los Angeles Dodgers came back to the World Series. They came back in Game 7, too. They came all the way back to become the first repeat winners of the World Series since the New York Yankees hit the trifecta in 1998-2000.

Will Smith hit a home run with two outs in the 11th to send the Dodgers to a 5-4 Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night. The Dodgers were down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series after a Game 5 loss on Wednesday.

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Smith’s second homer of the postseason came on a shot to left on a 2-0 slider from Shane Bieber (2-1).

The Dodgers overcame a 4-2 deficit, tying the game at 4 on Miguel Rojas’ first homer of the postseason on a Jeff Hoffman 3-2 slider with one out in the ninth.

“There was so many pressure points and how that game could have flipped,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And we just kept fighting, and guys stepped up big. So I could just go on and on about the big plays, the big performances. It’s one of the greatest games I’ve ever been a part of, and this whole series and what the Blue Jays did and they gave us everything they had and just such a first-class organization.”

In keeping with the rallying theme, Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-1), who pitched six innings to earn the win in Game 6 on Friday, came back Saturday to pitch the final 2 2/3 scoreless innings to win Game 7. He also pitched a complete game to win Game 2 and was named World Series MVP.

“It’s unheard of, and I think that there’s a mind component, there’s a delivery, which is a flawless delivery, and there’s just an unwavering will,” Roberts said. “I just haven’t seen it. I really haven’t. You know, all that combined. And there’s certain players that want moments and there’s certain players that want it for the right reasons, but Yoshi is a guy that I just completely implicitly trust and he’s made me a pretty dang good manager.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off the home 11th with a double against Yamamoto. Guerrero took third on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s sacrifice. Addison Barger walked before Alejandro Kirk grounded into a season-ending double play.

“Man, it’s hard. I had my first team meeting of the year after the game,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “There’s so many things that to unpack there, not just the series as a whole, seven games, two of them go to extras. I thought we played great baseball, both teams having chances there late. I feel for the guys. This is a special group of guys.”

Both teams had chances to win earlier. In the home ninth, Blake Snell allowed a one-out single and a walk before Yamamoto came in to load the bases with a hit batter before getting a force at home and a flyout to force extra innings.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the 10th against Seranthony Dominguez but failed to score.

Max Muncy also homered for the Dodgers and Bo Bichette hit a three-run homer for the Blue Jays.

Toronto’s Ernie Clement had three hits to set a postseason record of 30. He extended his postseason hit streak to 13 games, a franchise record.

“Historic,” Schneider said. “You don’t see that very often. We’re talking about really good pitchers, right-handers, left-handers. Ernie had a phenomenal year. I hope he wins a Gold Glove. He should. And he kind of became one of the faces of our team because of the way he plays.”

George Springer added three hits for Toronto.

Shohei Ohtani, L.A.’s Game 4 starter, allowed Springer’s leadoff single in the third. Springer took second on Nathan Lukes’ sacrifice and moved to third on a wild pitch to Guerrero, who was then walked intentionally. Bichette smashed a first-pitch slider to center for his first homer of the postseason and the Blue Jays jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Ohtani allowed three runs, five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings.

Smith doubled high off the wall in left-center against Toronto starter Max Scherzer to start the fourth and took third on Freddie Freeman’s single. Muncy walked with one out. Center fielder Daulton Varsho made a diving catch on Teoscar Hernandez’s sacrifice fly but Smith scored.

Scherzer allowed one run, four hits and one walk with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Toronto’s Chris Bassitt walked Mookie Betts to start the sixth. Muncy singled and was out at second on Hernandez’s bouncer to the mound. Tommy Edman hit a sacrifice fly to center.

Clement led off the home sixth with a single, stole second and scored on Andres Gimenez’s double to center.

Toronto’s Trey Yesavage allowed Muncy’s third homer of the postseason with one out in the eighth on a 1-1 splitter.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Halloween 🎃 Sports Notes | Nov 2

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The Reservoir near Boston College (Photo by Victoria Lyons)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

CHESTNUT HILL – Today’s column begins with a simple question. Why is the NBA and its players singled out for the practice of “Load Management” while many other sports employ the same treatment but remain unscathed of criticism?

I think load management started with Track and Field and Boxing, to allow the athletes plenty of time to recover from prior races or bouts. I don;t think any of us have any issue with that practice, although I do remember former San Antonio Spurs and USA Basketball Dream Team center David Robinson quizzing USA champion hurdler Edwin Moses on his sparse schedule on a Dream Team bus ride returning to the Ambassador Hotel from the Barcelona ‘92 Opening Ceremonies.

The Admiral shook his head, hearing Moses didn’t compete between the Olympics and Worlds while the Spurs might face the Lakers (Shaquille O’Neal), the Rockets (Hakeem Olajuwon), the Knicks (Patrick Ewing) and the Celtics (Robert Parish) within a week or two.

Taking that exchange aside, Load Management is utilized in a number of other sports besides track or boxing. In fact, it’s used in the toughest of sports – ice hockey – where your starters only play 1/3rd of a game, and share time with 3 or often 4 lines, Defense has 6 guys splitting the time. Goalkeepers need two guys to carry the load.

In baseball, starting pitchers only play every four or five days, and their catchers never play in a day game after a night game. All baseball players frequently get a day off. In the bullpen, relievers and closers rarely pitch two days in a row and the prized closers can only throw for three outs, lasting one half an inning.

In American football, the lineup of players (11) are divided into two groups, so 22 guys play instead of 11. There are offensive units and defensive units and also special teams are entirely different players to manage the load and help avoid potential injury. The teams play one game a week.

Of course, in the NBA, the great Michael Jordan swore he HAD to play, as he didn’t want to disappoint a fan who saved a ton of money and bought a ticket months before the scheduled game. MJ set very worthy barometer and played all-out nearly every single night of his career with that fan/ticket buyer in the back of his mind for motivation.

Other examples?

Thoroughbred Race Horses are load-managed with the best of ’em, so much that even the three weeks off between the Preakness and Belmont seems far too short for a Triple Crown contender.

I’m just not sure why basketball gets singled out?

Do you know why?

BC vs. ND: Your roving reporter had the pleasure to attend the Boston College vs. Notre Dame college football game on Saturday. BC’s campus was glowing, and Alumni Stadium – the place Doug Flutie built – was sold out.

It was an absolutely gorgeous New England day with a pure, postcard blue sky. When the game began, Notre Dame was a 29.5 point favorite over the hometown Eagles, but at the half, BC trailed 12-7 and was very much in the game. Then, when Boston College’s Luca Lombardo kicked a 25 yard field goal late in the third quarter, the 10-1 Notre Dame over BC fan ratio was silenced as the scoreboard read ND 12-10.

Boston College had every opportunity to take the lead in the fourth quarter but failed to convert on two 4th Down and 1 yard plays. ND countered with another touchdown to make it, 18-10.

ND broke it open when Jeremiyah Love ran 94 yards with 11:07 remaining in the game. BC could do no more. It was the strongest effort of the season by the Eagles but that effort did nothing for the “win column,” as only an opening week of the season victory over Fordham has been the winning effort.

It was an incredibly exciting event.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: It’s getting late in the 2025 College Football season and both Indiana and Vanderbilt are legit Top 10 and College Football Playoff Bowl bound, for sure. The next thing you know, St. John’s will be ranked No. 5 or No. 6 in College Basketball. … This season, the college football playoffs feature a 12-team format where the five highest ranked Conference Champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will qualify. The four highest-ranked teams overall receive a first-round bye and are seeded 1-4, while the teams seeded 5-12 play in the first round, with higher seeds hosting the games on campus. The quarterfinals and semifinals are played in the big time bowl games. Here’s the schedule so you can plan ahead.

  • First Round: December 19–20, 2025
  • Quarterfinals: December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026
  • Semifinals: January 8–9, 2026
  • National Championship: January 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida

TIDBITS & NUGGETS:Does everyone have their complete set of NBA team #Hashtags for the 2025-26 season? If not, here they are:

If we’re going to rank a few, how about a Top 5:

  1. #TakeNote for the Utah Jazz
  2. #RepTheDistrict for the Wash DC Wizards
  3. #FearTheDeer for the Milwaukee Bucks (longtime fave)
  4. #WeTheNorth for the Toronto Raptors (Another longtime fave)
  5. #LakeShow for the LA Lakers (Third longtime fave)

NBA CUP: We are all about to be overtaken by the NBA Cup and its artistic dominance of basketball courts at every NBA arena. This season, many of the courts have the same overall design and differ only in colors and the names of the team cities emblazoned at center court. Here in Boston, we long for a simple design with some parquet flooring as the main play. Not this year. Elsewhere, the red tones are just too much and do not reflect well. In other locales, such as Los Angeles, the Lakers’ gold (call it yellow) glows in the dark. Many fans like the gray motif, and Brooklyn does it well, along with Chicago, Golden State, Memphis, OKC, Orlando, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio.

COSM: The late David Stern, NBA Commissioner from 1984 to 2014, had a dream of broadcasting NBA games to make every viewer in the world experience the game as though they were sitting in a courtside seat. That dream is a step closer to reality and the league announced its latest tech deal to take that small step, or giant leap – depending on how you see it.

The NBA and Cosm, an immersive technology, media, and entertainment company, announced a new long-term partnership to produce and distribute live NBA games in shared reality at Cosm’s immersive entertainment venues through 2030 and beyond. During the 2025-26 NBA season, Cosm will produce and present key national games across the league’s broadcast platforms via ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video as well as select games and events during NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals.

In February 2023, the NBA became the first-ever professional sports league to partner with Cosm ahead of the opening of the first immersive entertainment venue in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Park in July 2024. Cosm has since opened its second venue in Dallas at The Colony’s Grandscape and is slated to open three additional venues in Atlanta, Detroit, and Cleveland in 2026 and 2027. Other future locations are yet to be announced..

Last year, Cosm reimagined the way NBA fans can experience games, leveraging its innovative camera and production technology to capture and distribute live games back to its 87-foot-diameter, 12K+ LED domes. Cosm venues blend state-of-the-art visuals with the energy of the crowd to create an arena-like atmosphere that provides fans with a view of the game from a range of unique angles, including behind the bench and under the rim. In particular, the Los Angeles venue in Inglewood will be a marquee destination for fans during NBA All-Star activities in February 2026.

“The response from fans at Cosm domes last year demonstrated what an incredible way it is to experience an NBA game,” said Teddy Kaplan, Vice President, Head of New Media Partnerships at the NBA. “We couldn’t be more excited to extend our partnership and look forward to working in lockstep with Cosm to engage our fans as they expand their footprint to different markets across the country in the coming years.”

“The NBA took the leap to be our first league partner, and we are honored to extend the foundational partnership that started it all,” said Jeb Terry, President and CEO at Cosm. “With our shared spirit of innovation, passion for the fan experience, and belief in the power of Shared Reality, we will continue to super-serve NBA fans for many years to come, and in many more locations.”

WNBA LABOR AGREEMENT – TIMEOUT: With the expiration date of the WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement upon them, the WNBA players association agreed to the extension with the league as previous talks had stalled in an attempt to strike a new deal. According to a news reports from ESPN and The Athletic, the WNBA and WNBPA reached a resolution on a 30-day extension after considering it for two days. The prior agreement expired on October 31.

Keep in mind, the W signed a new 11-year media deal with Versant in late September. The agreement potentially tips-off for the 2026 season and includes at least 50 WNBA games annually and portions of the WNBA Playoff and WNBA Finals games during select years. Versant, the parent company of cable networks and brands soon to be spun off from Comcast has been rapidly acquiring sports rights and diving deeper into women’s sports in particular. The latest agreement expands upon a previous broadcast package between the WNBA and Versant’s USA Network signed in 2024.

REDFORD TRIBUTE: Anyone sick of NFL football, yet? Probably not, but that’s why God invented the DVR (a.k.a. Tivo, Thank-you). Tune in or record, you’ll have a great time watching all the hits!

The Sting is a personal favorite, but The Way We Were is an amazing motion picture, often overlooked.

NOVEMBER 2 – TCM’S TRIBUTE TO ROBERT REDFORD

6:00 AM A Bridge Too Far (1977)

9:00 AM Barefoot in the Park (1967)

11:00 AM Downhill Racer (1969)

1:00 PM The Candidate (1972)

3:00 PM All the President’s Men (1976)

5:30 PM The Sting (1973)

8:00 PM Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

10:00 PM The Way We Were (1973)

12:15 AM A River Runs Through It (1992)

2:30 AM The Hot Rock (1972)

4:30 AM War Hunt (1962)

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: This will mark two weeks in a row with movie clips, as last week was a clip of The Sting. If you’ve seen the motion picture featured today and you can make it through this clip without tearing up, you are NOT human. Here’s to Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand – two of the all-time greatest.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly (every weekend) collection of Sports Notes and News written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city news stand on Saturday night around 10:00pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a compilation of interesting sports notes, quotes and quips in a column that always sold a few newspapers. Wire Service reports are utilized within the column.

Greatest Words in Sports: Game Seven!

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TORONTO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – As if there were not enough drama, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays will go at it again – TONIGHT – in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.

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The teams played an 18-inning Game 3 in Los Angeles, won 6-5 by the Dodgers on Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run. Then came the ending of Game 6 on Friday. With the Dodgers leading by two runs, one out and runners on second and third, Andres Gimenez lined out to left fielder Enrique Hernandez, who threw to second baseman Miguel Rojas to double off Addison Barger at second.

That completed the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory to set up a Game 7 in the World Series for the first time since 2019, when the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros.

It will be the seventh elimination or call it, in this case, winner-take-all, game of the 2025 postseason, matching 2012 for the most.

After the Friday contest, the term “all hands on deck” was thrown around frequently when referring to pitching possibilities for Game 7.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that he had not decided on a starter. He did say that Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles’ Game 3 starter who got the final three outs of Game 6 for his first career save, would be available.

“They are all possibilities,” he said.

That includes Game 4 starter Shohei Ohtani, who could either open or relieve.

“Just kind of figuring out what his temperature is on starting versus coming out of the ‘pen, and so we’re close to a decision,” Roberts said.

Toronto will go with Max Scherzer (1-0, 4.50 ERA postseason), who started Game 3.

Scherzer will be starting his second career World Series Game 7. The other was with the Nationals in 2019, when he threw five innings of two-run ball in a no-decision.

“No better guy to have on the mound to kind of navigate the emotions, the stuff,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Max has been getting ready for Game 7 when he knew he was pitching Game 3. So all the confidence in the world in him and everyone (Saturday).”

Scherzer allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings during the Game 3 marathon.

The Dodgers are trying to become the first repeat World Series champions since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees.

“I’m excited. It’s going to be fun,” said Los Angeles catcher Will Smith, who hit an RBI double in Game 6. “We work all year long to be in this situation to win a ballgame and win a World Series.”

Roberts added, “We’re going to leave it out there. I don’t think that the pressure, the moment’s going to be too big for us. We got to go out there and win one baseball game. We’ve done that all year.”

The Blue Jays will be trying to win their first World Series since they won back-to-back titles in 1992-93, their only previous appearances in the Fall Classic.

Toronto is headed to its second Game 7 of the 2025 postseason. The Blue Jays won Games 6 and 7 at home to take the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners.

Schneider believes his team is good at keeping things as normal as possible, and he expects the same on Saturday.

We’ve done that a lot this year,” Schneider said. “We’ve got voices in the clubhouse and people in the coaching staff that will keep it normal (Saturday). It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be three or four or five hours of mayhem and great baseball.

“But these guys are going to be ready for it. Hopefully they get to slow some things down but enjoy it. It’s Game 7 of the World Series at your home stadium. I mean, what the hell else do you want?”

–Field Level Media

One-Sided Holy War in Chestnut Hill

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A One-Sided Holy War Today in Chestnut Hill

No. 12 Notre Dame Faces Desperate Boston College

CHESTNUT HILL – (STAFF REPORT) – One used to look at a battle between the Jesuits of Boston College and the priests of Blessed Basil Moreau’s Congregation of Holy Cross as being an even fight. Not anymore.

A college football contest will take center stage today at Alumni Stadium, where No. 12 Notre Dame (5-2) invades Boston College (1-7) in a lopsided ACC-Independent clash kicking off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Fighting Irish, fresh off a bye week and riding a two-game win streak, enter as 28.5-point favorites desperate to keep their College Football Playoff dreams alive. Meanwhile, Bill O’Brien‘s Eagles limp in on a five-game skid, winless in ACC play (0-5), searching for any spark in a nightmare 2025 campaign. Their only victory came against their fellow Jesuits of Fordham on the first weekend of the season.

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Irish on the Hunt: Playoff Push Meets Perfect Storm

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman‘s squad has rebounded masterfully from an uneven start, blistering NC State 36-7 before gutting out a gritty 34-24 road win at USC – where RB Jeremiyah Love erupted for 228 yards and a score. The Irish offense hums at 462 yards per game (19th nationally), fueled by a 191.7 rushing average (32nd) and explosive 39.1 points per contest (10th). Sophomore QB CJ Carr has settled in as the triggerman, posting 1,758 yards, 14 TDs, and just 4 INTs (65.8% completion) – a bold preseason gamble by Freeman paying massive dividends.

Defensively, Notre Dame stuffs the run (100 yards allowed per game, 17th) and boasts a +8 turnover margin (9th), primed to feast on BC’s turnover-prone attack (-5 margin). Challenges loom with injuries sidelining LG Billy Schrauth (knee) and WR Jaden Greathouse (hamstring), but the depth chart – headlined by Love (758 rush yards, 9 TDs) and Jadarian Price (509 yards, 8 TDs) – should overwhelm.

Eagles’ Desperation: Can O’Brien Conjure a Miracle?

Boston College’s 371 yards per game (83rd) and 26.8 points (76th) pale against a defense hemorrhaging 34.4 points (126th) and 410 total yards (111th) nightly. QB Dylan Lonergan (1,394 yards, 9 TDs) leans on WR Lewis Bond (547 yards), but a woeful 102.1 rushing average (130th) screams vulnerability. RB Turbo Richard (431 yards, 5 TDs) offers hope, but injuries have decimated the secondary – leaving O’Brien’s squad ripe for exploitation.

Key Matchups

  • ND Run Game vs. BC Front Seven: Love and Price could eclipse 300 yards combined against a run defense yielding 163 yards per game.
  • Carr’s Air Raid vs. BC Secondary: With Bond as the lone threat, Irish LBs like Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (27 tackles) feast.
  • Turnover Battle: ND’s ballhawks (+8) vs. BC’s fumblers (-5) – expect multiple Irish picks.

Holy War History: Irish Domination

Notre Dame owns the series (leads ~10-4 overall, 9 straight wins), including a 44-0 demolition in 2022. BC’s last triumph? 1994. This isn’t a rivalry – it’s a rout in waiting.

Prediction: Irish Roll, 45-10

Expect Notre Dame’s rested legs and ground-and-pound to bury BC early, piling up 500+ yards en route to a 35-point blowout. Love notches 150+ yards and 2 TDs; Carr throws for 250+. The Eagles hang tough for a quarter, then fold – handing Freeman a statement win to vault back into playoff contention.

Blue Jays One Big Win Away

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LOS ANGELES – (Wire Service Report) – From Class-A to a class of his own, Trey Yesavage put the Toronto Blue Jays one victory away from a championship.

The rookie dominated with 12 strikeouts, Davis Schneider hit a home run on the opening pitch and the Toronto Blue Jays cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday.

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The result sends Toronto home with a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series.

Yesavage, who made his major league debut in September after pitching at four minor league levels this year, set a rookie record for strikeouts in a World Series game. He also became the first pitcher with at least 12 strikeouts and no walks in a Fall Classic contest.

“Yeah, it’s a crazy world. Crazy world,” Yesavage said. “Hollywood couldn’t have made it this good. So just being a part of this, I’m just very blessed.”

The 22-year-old, who has started two of the Blue Jays’ three victories in the series, allowed one run on three hits over seven innings.

“Historic stuff,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “When you talk about that stage and his numbers, getting ahead of a lot of hitters, tons of swing-and-miss. … I said it before the game, he’s a different pitcher when he has his stuff.”

Schneider’s homer was followed by one from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the third pitch of the game, leaving the Blue Jays in need of a victory either in Game 6 on Friday or Game 7 on Saturday to win their first title in 32 years. The remainder of the series will be contested in Toronto.

Enrique Hernandez hit a home run for the Dodgers, while veteran Blake Snell was charged with five runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings. Snell walked four and fanned seven.

Los Angeles star Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4, making him 0-for-7 over the past two games after he reached base a World Series-record nine times in Game 3.

“It doesn’t feel great,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of his team’s offense. “You clearly see those (Toronto) guys finding ways to get hits, move the baseball forward, and we’re not doing a good job of it. I thought Yesavage was good tonight mixing his fastball, slider and the split.”

The Dodgers shook up the lineup by moving Will Smith to the No. 2 spot and dropping Mookie Betts to No. 3. Alex Call also started in the outfield over a struggling Andy Pages, all to no avail. Los Angeles has scored four runs over the past 29 innings.

“We faced this last year,” the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman said about last year’s best-of-five National League Division Series. “We were down 2-1 to the Padres and won two games in a row, so we can do it again.”

Yesavage (3-1) ended up taking over, but only after the Toronto offense set the tone from the start.

Schneider hit Snell’s 97 mph fastball to open the game over the wall in left field, his first in seven postseason games. Guerrero waited two pitches before depositing a 96 mph fastball from Snell also to left, his eighth of the postseason and second of the World Series.

Yesavage opened the third inning by fanning Max Muncy, his fifth consecutive strikeout to set a World Series record by a rookie. Hernandez ended the run with a home run to left to cut the Dodgers’ deficit to 2-1.

Los Angeles right fielder Teoscar Hernandez misplayed a hit down the right field line by Daulton Varsho that turned into a triple to lead off the fourth, and Ernie Clement followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.

Snell (3-2) left the game in the seventh inning with two outs and two aboard. The Blue Jays cashed in both runners against Edgardo Henriquez on a run-scoring wild pitch and an RBI single from Bo Bichette for a 5-1 lead.

“Vlad is a really good hitter so you got to do stuff there, but the rest of the lineup, they’re ambushing,” said Snell, who lamented what he called bad luck. “If we get to a Game 7, I’ll see them again, so I can’t say much.”

Toronto’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa added an RBI single in the eighth.

Blue Jays relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Jeff Hoffman each pitched a scoreless inning to seal the win.

– Field Level Media

Bruins Bounce Back

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Bruins scored three goals in less than four minutes during the second period to erase an early two-goal deficit on the way to a 5-2 win over the visiting New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

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David Pastrnak, Michael Eyssimont and Elias Lindholm recorded a goal and an assist apiece while Fraser Minten and Morgan Geekie also scored for Boston, which has won two of its last three games.

Eyssimont scored the game-winning goal at 7:48 of the second.

Geekie has lit the lamp in five consecutive games.

Boston’s Charlie McAvoy added two assists and Joonas Korpisalo made 33 saves, stopped all 15 shots he faced in the third period.

Bo Horvat had a goal and an assist, Kyle Palmieri also scored and Ilya Sorokin turned aside 17 shots for Islanders, who took their first regulation loss in a six-game span (4-1-1).

New York had a 35-22 shots advantage. Boston went 2-for-4 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.

The Islanders buried their first shot just 1:08 into the game. After Boston defenseman Hampus Lindholm’s slap shot sailed high and wide, Jonathan Drouin started a rush the other way and dropped a pass to Horvat, who netted a wrister past Korpisalo’s blocker.

Palmieri converted on an extended delayed penalty to double the Islanders’ lead at 4:52, burying Mathew Barzal’s perfect cross-ice pass through the crease into an open side of the net.

The Bruins did not record a shot over the final 9:45 of the first, but turned the tables with a busy second.

Elias Lindholm got Boston on the board 3:57 into the middle frame, taking Pavel Zacha’s feed into the right circle for a one-time goal on the power play.

At 6:49, Pastrnak made it a one-goal game when he finished off Hampus Lindholm’s slap pass with a wrist shot from the right side.

Just 59 seconds later, Eyssimont flipped the score in the Bruins’ favor when his skate deflected McAvoy’s shot to the far post.

Korpisalo kept Boston ahead entering the second intermission, making back-to-back saves on a Horvat partial break with under 4:00 to play before backstopping a kill after Hampus Lindholm’s double-minor high-sticking penalty kill.

Following the Bruins’ second consecutive kill, Geekie made it 4-2 when he blasted a one-timer from the top of the left circle at 5:48 of the third. McAvoy set up the man-advantage tally.

After several key Korpisalo saves insured Boston’s lead, Eyssimont made a steal at the defensive blue line and sprung Minten for an empty-net tally with 3:23 left.

Boston defenseman Jonathan Aspirot played 14:16 in his NHL debut.

–Field Level Media

World Serious

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – It was not so much the heartbreak that the resilient Toronto Blue Jays overcame on Tuesday, it was the actual pain.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run home run, Shane Bieber pitched into the sixth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays got even in the World Series with a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4.

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Andres Gimenez, Bo Bichette and Addison Barger each had RBI singles in a four-run seventh inning as the Blue Jays moved past the agony of an 18-inning loss in Game 3 to guarantee a Game 6 at Toronto on Friday.

The Blue Jays powered through the physical demands after a 6-hour, 39-minute game one night earlier.

“What didn’t hurt?” said 29-year-old Toronto third baseman Ernie Clement, who had two hits and scored a run. “I barely got out of bed. … But yeah, nobody felt sorry for themselves today. We got to play a World Series game.”

Shohei Ohtani pitched six-plus innings for the Dodgers in his first career World Series start and was charged with four runs on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts. After reaching base nine times in Game 3, he went 0-for-3 at the plate in Game 4 with a walk and two strikeouts.

The Dodgers’ offense has managed three runs over the past 20 innings going back to the eighth inning of Game 3.

“Whether it’s during the regular season or the postseason, my goal is to be able to pitch six innings,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “The situation, this game, I wanted to go seven, and it was regrettable that I wasn’t able to finish that inning.”

Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.

Enrique Hernandez gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sacrifice fly that scored Max Muncy.

The Blue Jays moved in front 2-1 in the third inning on Guerrero’s two-run shot to left-center against Ohtani. The long ball was the seventh of the postseason but the first of the World Series for Guerrero, who entered the night without an RBI in the Fall Classic.

“I was just looking for a pitch to do damage, and I saw it right there up in the zone, and I could do damage,” Guerrero said through an interpreter about hitting a home run off an Ohtani sweeper.

When Bieber struck out Ohtani on a foul tip in the third inning, it ended Ohtani’s World Series-record streak of reaching base in 11 consecutive plate appearances. Ohtani had singled in the eighth inning of Game 2, reached base all nine times in Game 3 (including two doubles and two homers) and walked in the first inning of Game 4.

“You know, we’re facing quality arms this time of the year against really good teams, and we’re facing the best of the best, so I think it’s not that easy,” Ohtani said about the Dodgers’ offense. “But at the same time, we could do at least the bare minimum to be able to put up some runs.”

Bieber (2-0) gave up one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts.

“I would have loved to give the team a couple more innings, but ultimately, it’s the World Series and a win is all that matters,” Bieber said.

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Ohtani (2-1) departed from the mound in the seventh after the Blue Jays opened the inning with a single from Daulton Varsho and a double from Clement.

Dodgers left-hander Anthony Banda took over on the mound, and Gimenez greeted him with an RBI single to left, making it a 3-1 game. Ty France delivered a run-scoring groundout before Bichette and Barger added RBI hits for a 6-1 lead.

Los Angeles got back one run in the ninth on a run-scoring groundout by Tommy Edman.

Toronto played without leadoff man George Springer because of an injury to his right side that occurred in Game 3.

“I feel really good about this team every night,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “It’s hard to play 18 innings and come back and kind of flip the narrative against a very talented team and a very talented individual in Shohei Ohtani on the mound.”

– Field Level Media

“No Way, Not Even Dead”

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Hard-throwing left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman is dead set against re-signing with the New York Yankees.

Literally.

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“No way, not even dead,” Chapman said when asked if he’d consider joining the Yankees during an appearance on the “Swing Completo” podcast, as translated from Spanish.

“If I were told that I was being traded to New York, I’d pack my things and go home. I’ll retire right on the spot if that happens. I’m not crazy. Never again.”

Chapman, 37, fared well this season while pitching for the Yankees’ chief rival: the Boston Red Sox. He posted a 5-3 record with 32 saves while finishing with career bests in ERA (1.17) and WHIP (0.70).

The eight-time All-Star signed a one-year, $13.3 million contract for the 2026 season in August. The deal also includes a 2027 vesting option.

Chapman played in parts of seven seasons for New York from 2016-22.

He was a three-time All-Star with the club, however, his last season ended on a sour note after he lost the closer role to Clay Holmes and missed a team workout ahead of the American League Division Series — an act that may have contributed to him being left off the Yankees’ postseason roster.

“I dealt with a lot of disrespect (with the Yankees),” Chapman said. “I put up with a lot of things. I knew that they just wanted to find a way to get rid of me, but they didn’t know how. And I just dealt with it quietly, kept playing, and doing what I always do.”

Chapman said his issues stemmed from the “bosses,” not manager Aaron Boone or the players.

“I got along well with all the players,” he said. “Never had a problem with anybody, even the manager. We’re friends and we talk and everything. The bosses are the ones who make those decisions.”

Chapman is tied with Jeff Reardon for 12th place all-time with 367 career saves while pitching for seven teams since 2010. He won World Series championships with the Chicago Cubs (2016) and Texas Rangers (2023).

–Field Level Media

Maye Day for New England

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New England QB Drake Maye passed for three touchdowns as the Patriots extended their winning streak to five games by beating the Cleveland Browns 32-13 Sunday in Massachusetts.

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Maye completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts for 282 yards. He was intercepted once. Each of his three TD passes came in the third quarter.

The Patriots (6-2) received three field goals from Andy Borregales.

Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett recorded a franchise-record five sacks in the loss. Garrett, 29, passed Reggie White and set the NFL record for career sacks by a player under the age of 30 with his first sack in the game. Garrett has 10 sacks this season and 112 1/2 for his career.

Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel was 21 of 35 for 156 yards. He threw two touchdowns and was intercepted twice.

Cleveland running back Quinshon Judkins left the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury and did not return. He gained 19 yards on nine carries.

After the Patriots opened the scoring on a Borregales 36-yard field goal, the Browns (2-6) took a 7-3 lead when Gabriel tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Harold Fannin Jr. with 5:10 remaining in the first quarter.

Borregales made field goals from 32 yards and 42 yards in the second quarter to put New England up 9-7 at halftime.

The Patriots extended their lead to 16-7 on a 7-yard TD pass from Maye to tight end Hunter Henry, and a 1-yard touchdown pass from Maye to Stefon Diggs helped New England increase its advantage to 23-7 with 6:43 remaining in the third. The Diggs TD was set up by a Robert Spillane interception that he returned 33 yards to the Cleveland 6-yard line.

New England’s final TD came on a 39-yard pass from Maye to Kayshon Boutte that stretched the lead to 30-7 with 53 seconds remaining in the third.

After David Njoku caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Gabriel with 9:24 to play, New England capped the scoring on a safety when Gabriel was called for intentional grounding on a pass from the end zone with 4:06 left.

–Field Level Media

It’s On to LA

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LOS ANGELES  – (Wire Service Report) – After the long 32-year wait to return to Canada, the World Series shifts back to Los Angeles, where memories remain thick from its visit just one year ago. All even at one game each, the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers will duel to get the upper hand in the best-of-seven matchup when Game 3 arrives Monday night.

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In Game 1 at Los Angeles last year, the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam against the New York Yankees on the way to becoming the first player to hit a home run in each of the first four games of a World Series.

A different kind of history is set to unfold in the opening inning Monday. Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer is set to become the first pitcher to take the mound for four different teams in the World Series.

After already appearing in a World Series for the Detroit Tigers (2012), Washington Nationals (2019), and Texas Rangers (2023), Scherzer is chasing his third career title. He will enter off a strong 5 2/3-inning start in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series when he helped the Blue Jays past the Seattle Mariners.

The outing came after he went 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA over his last six starts in the regular season.

“This is what you play for, to be able to get to this spot, to get to this moment, to have a shot at it,” said Scherzer, who is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in four postseason appearances (three starts) against the Dodgers. “… Just so fortunate to have another crack at this. There’s so many great players that have never gotten to a World Series.”

Scherzer pitched for the Dodgers in 2021, when they fell in the National League Championship Series to the Atlanta Braves. He was scratched from a scheduled start in a decisive Game 6 of the NLCS saying his arm was “locked up.”

After the Blue Jays dominated Game 1 on Friday by scoring 11 runs, the Dodgers responded with Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete game in a 5-1 victory that evened the series.

Los Angeles is now 9-0 this postseason when a starter goes at least six innings.

“These guys aren’t going to go away. They’re very confident. It’s a very talented team,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the Blue Jays. “(Offensively), you got to continue to tack on, you got to get to the pen, and you got to beat those guys up and keep building on innings.”

Los Angeles right-hander Tyler Glasnow will follow Yamamoto’s command performance with a start in Game 3. After going 4-3 with a 3.19 ERA in 18 regular-season starts, Glasnow has been impressive in the postseason.

Glasnow gave up one run over 5 2/3 innings of a Dodgers win in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers and has a 0.68 ERA in three appearances (two starts) this postseason with 18 strikeouts over 13 1/3 innings.

In 11 career regular-season starts against the Blue Jays, Glasnow is 1-4 with a 5.82 ERA, last facing them at home Aug. 10 when he allowed two runs with eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision.

After returning from a broken hand in the NL Division Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers’ Will Smith had his best game of the postseason when he hit a home run and had three RBIs in the Game 2 victory.

“You got to embrace the emotions, but you also got to tame ‘em,” Smith said. “… You got to just focus on the task at hand. Basically, just not try to do too much at times. Kind of let the game come to you, not try to force anything, and just kind of focus on what you’re doing.”

–Field Level Media