Browsing: Face

Ohtani and the Blue Jays will be forever tied after what happened in December 2023. Some of the heartache and hostility has faded, but Ohtani has stuck to the Blue Jays. This organization nearly landed the biggest star in baseball history, only to come up painfully short to the Dodgers. During Ohtaniâ€s first trip back to Toronto in 2024, John Schneider was asked about what had just happened that winter between his team and Ohtani. He smiled, took a moment to think and let a detail sneak out.

“If anything, just tell him we want our Blue Jays hat back that he took with him after our meeting,†Schneider said.

Ohtani took more than a hat from that meeting. This is where the heartbreak lives. The Blue Jays didnâ€t just float an offer to Ohtani; they put on a full-court press, involving every corner of the organization as they went stride-for-stride financially with the Dodgers, who eventually signed Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal.

The drama had built leading into the 2023 Winter Meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, but they finally boiled over on Dec. 4. General manager Ross Atkins was supposed to meet with the media that day in a suite, but moments prior, that session pivoted to a Zoom call. Atkins sat on that call, wearing a black jacket and white shirt in front of a blank white wall, refusing to admit where he was or what he was doing. It was unforgettable theatre, but it was necessary.

Atkins, Schneider, president Mark Shapiro and chairman Edward Rogers were all at the Blue Jays†complex in Dunedin, Fla., courting Ohtani.

The complex was empty that day. This had to happen with complete secrecy. Younger players were told that there was a Rogers ownership meeting that day while some big leaguers, understanding what was happening, zipped their mouths shut and nodded along. Schneider and the Blue Jays†executives stood in a room overlooking the empty parking lot, watching for the black SUV to pull in.

“It was like the president was coming. Seriously,†Schneider said in 2024.

Ohtani walked every inch of the complex that day. At one point, he froze in front of a TV when he saw two Blue Jays playing catch. Sensing his worry that these players were on the complex grounds, the Blue Jays quickly explained to Ohtani that they were across town at TD Ballpark, the clubâ€s spring home. The Blue Jays†entire world belonged to Ohtani then.

One of the last stops on the tour was the Spring Training clubhouse. Inside were lockers set up for Ohtani with jerseys, workout gear and all of his favorite accessories, right down to the finest details. Surely, someone in the organization was tasked with finding out whether Ohtani likes pulp in his orange juice or how he takes his coffee. It was all right in front of Ohtani.

Then, an image those involved will never forget. Ohtani packed up the lockers and took the bags with him. No one had expected this. As he walked back to their SUV, they saw one more thing. It was Ohtaniâ€s dog, Decoy, running behind him wearing the Canadian dog jacket the Blue Jays had bought for him.

This is how close it was. For all of the drama — from the flight Ohtani was never on to the eventual Instagram post from Ohtani that broke a nationâ€s heart — itâ€s important to remember just how close this was, just how real this was. The Blue Jays — with their aggressive, admirable pursuit — nearly landed Shohei Ohtani.

What would that world have looked like? Even less than two years removed, itâ€s always felt like a fork in the road for the Blue Jays, the life they could have had running next to the life they live. Would Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still have signed a $500 million extension? Would they have spent even bigger around Ohtani?

Those roads run closer to one another than we ever could have dreamed.

The Blue Jays have been reborn. Their 2024 season, fresh off the cruel winter spent pursuing Ohtani, felt so lifeless. This organization is alive again, though. Thereâ€s no replacing Ohtani, the most uniquely gifted baseball player to ever walk this earth, but this is not the NBA. This is not Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman versus Guerrero, George Springer and Bo Bichette. This World Series is a 26-man roster versus a 26-man roster, and as we see every October, stars will emerge who we never saw coming.

The Dodgers are a powerhouse. Even with the Blue Jays winning the American League as its No. 1 seed, this will be advertised as David versus Goliath, the upstart feel-good bunch of Canadians against the almighty Dodgers, who never run out of money or talent. It will be advertised as the Blue Jays versus Shohei Ohtani.

“Never count us out. Weâ€re going to do everything in our power to try to not make baseball evil again,†Schneider said, laughing after the Game 7 ALCS win. “We know theyâ€re a great team. I know weâ€re a great team.â€

Ohtani got away once. For a time, it felt like that wound would always be there, whether those involved wanted to admit it or not. Baseball has given the Blue Jays another chance, though. For two years, this organization couldnâ€t escape the ties to Ohtani, couldnâ€t escape the label of always finishing second.

Once again, theyâ€ve found him. Once again, Ohtani is right in front of the Blue Jays.

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The fallout and scrutiny on England after the Ashes was so significant that it was never going to be a quick fix for Edwards, who was ushered in to replace Jon Lewis in the aftermath.

Even here in India and Sri Lanka, where they are unbeaten, there are still areas needed to improve considerably if they are to kick on past the semi-finals, most notably a fragile middle order which is relying heavily on Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight.

However, considering that much of the criticism they faced surrounded their attitude and perception to the public, there has been a notable difference in that regard.

Sciver-Brunt said before the tournament the team was “chalk and cheese” from the one which ended the Ashes in Melbourne.

They had been thumped inside three days in the one-off Test and worn down by a brutal, winless tour, consoled by their families and friends, while the jubilant Australians basked in the glory.

But here, England are relaxed and quietly confident. They are more engaging with the media, and when under pressure on the field have held their nerve rather than buckling.

Under Lewis their mantra was to “inspire and entertain”, which seemed to get lost in translation quite often as they became overly aggressive, but under Edwards things have shifted – in fact, they are even embracing being boring.

“It’s the way it can go in ODI cricket sometimes – you just have to stay in it, try and be boring, try and control the game as much as you can,” fast bowler Lauren Bell told BBC Sport.

“If you can bowl tight over, after tight over, after tight over, it’s a way of building pressure and then the wicket will hopefully come.

“I get told to be boring a lot when it comes to bowling, as in bowl the same ball – your best ball as much as possible.

“We’ve come a long way since we played Australia in the Ashes. Lottie’s [Charlotte Edwards] really big on just winning, and working out a way however it looks or however it might come – sometimes winning ugly is something that you need to learn how to do.”

The knockout stage is looming and that is where their new process and mindset will be tested most, but on Wednesday England have a chance to show they have put the Ashes behind them while in form and riding a wave of positivity – something they are rarely afforded.

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Cristiano Ronaldo (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images) Saudi Arabiaâ€s premier club Al-Nassr is set to arrive in India on Monday night for their AFC Champions League 2 away fixture against FC Goa, but star player Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to miss the trip. According to Saudi sports daily Al Riyadhiah, the 40-year-old will not be part of the travelling squad, despite repeated requests from FC Goaâ€s management. Al-Nassr will be playing their third game in the continental competition after a comfortable league win over Al-Fateh, with the match scheduled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on October 22. FC Goa, having defeated former AFC Cup winners Al Seeb to qualify for ACL 2, were drawn in Group D alongside Ronaldoâ€s Al-Nassr. The pairing has sparked excitement and speculation about the Portuguese superstar making the trip to India for a competitive match. Ronaldoâ€s contract with Al-Nassr reportedly allows him to select matches outside Saudi Arabia, giving him the flexibility to skip international travel. The forward, who is preparing for next yearâ€s World Cup, is also managing his workload to ensure he remains in peak condition for the tournament. Al-Nassr will land at Dabolim International Airport ahead of the game. The club has won both of its group-stage matches in the AFC Champions League 2 without Ronaldo and is well-positioned to progress to the next round. Following their clash against FC Goa, Al-Nassr will face rivals Al Ittihad in the Round of 16 of the Kingâ€s Cup on October 28.

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Oct 19, 2025, 10:18 PM ET

CHICAGO — First-year Anaheim Ducks coach Joel Quenneville returned to the United Center on Sunday night for the first time since he and two other former Chicago Blackhawks executives were banned from the NHL in October 2021 for their mishandling of a sexual assault allegation by a former player in 2010.

Quenneville, 67, has the Ducks off to a 2-2-1 start almost four years after he was forced to resign as coach of the Florida Panthers. He was banned from the NHL for nearly three years.

“I’m grateful to be back in the game,” Quenneville said before Chicago’s 2-1 win on Ryan Donato’s overtime goal. “I’m excited about being back in here in Chicago.”

It has been a long road for Quenneville, the second-winningest coach in NHL history. His 971 career victories entering Sunday trail only Scotty Bowman’s 1,244.

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An independent investigation commissioned by the Blackhawks led to Quenneville stepping down from the Panthers in October 2021. The investigation concluded the team mishandled allegations raised by 2008 first-round draft pick Kyle Beach against video coach Brad Aldrich during the team’s first Stanley Cup run.

Former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and assistant GM Al MacIsaac also resigned and were prohibited from working in the NHL.

They were reinstated by the league in July 2024. Bowman became the Edmonton Oilers’ general manager three weeks later. The Ducks signed Quenneville in May to replace Greg Cronin.

Quenneville has spent parts of 25 NHL seasons behind the benches of St. Louis, Colorado, Chicago and Florida. He guided the Blackhawks for more than 10 years and led them to championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

The Blackhawks fired Quenneville in November 2018 after a 6-6-3 start. He joined the Panthers for the 2019-20 season.

Quenneville returned to the United Center for the first time with Florida in January 2020 and received a video tribute from the Blackhawks and a roaring ovation from fans. He was behind the Panthers’ bench in the arena four times during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, but no fans were present.

Quenneville seemed a little uncertain about how he might be received by United Center fans this time.

“The memories we had were all very positive here,” he said. “I’m just happy to be back in that building and hear the crowd being excited, and the crowds look like they’ve been good so far this year.”

When asked if he expected acknowledgment from fans, Quenneville responded with his signature, “We’ll see.”

The reaction turned out to be muted and mixed.

Public address announcer Gene Honda called Quenneville’s name in a routine introduction as the visiting team coach about 10 minutes before the opening faceoff. A handful of fans cheered and about the same number booed, with only about half of the United Center’s 19,717 seats occupied.

The Ducks conducted background checks and spoke with Beach before hiring Quenneville, who said he has accepted responsibility for his role in failing to properly address the allegations and has engaged in educational activities to deepen his understanding of sexual assault scenarios.

“Right from the day that we joined the Ducks, it’s been a lot of positivity,” Quenneville said. “Just getting around people that are in the game, being around the organization, having a young team, kind of reminds me of the team when we were here.”

With Anaheim, Quenneville took over a team with the NHL’s third-longest active playoff drought. The Ducks finished sixth in the Pacific Division last season at 35-37-10 after being in the bottom two for the previous four years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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ROME — Forget about thin ice. For now, thereâ€s no ice.

With NHL players preparing to return to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade, construction on the main hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Local organizers confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a smaller arena — and that no new test event has been scheduled yet.

The issue raises the prospect that there might not be a game held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the womenâ€s preliminary round competition at the Olympics on Feb. 5 — one day before the opening ceremony.

“Itâ€s going to be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is very tight. But we knew that,†Milan-Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

The event that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the under-20 world championship from Dec. 8-14. That event has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being set up inside a giant convention centre on Milanâ€s outskirts and will host secondary matches during the games.

Usually, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before hosting medal events. And with a large hockey arena, it’s not just about the ice and making sure that the playing surface is ready and safe. It’s also about testing concession stands, bathrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern arena.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a private company, is slated to become Italyâ€s largest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, itâ€s being eyed as a possible future host of the ATP Finals tennis event.

Despite the delays and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the menâ€s gold medal game on Feb. 22 — the closing day of the games — are going for as much as 1,400 euros (more than $1,600). Thatâ€s more than for any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Only tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

The return of NHL players at the Olympics was announced last February, with the worldâ€s top hockey league allowing its players to participate in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

The menâ€s Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to run from Feb. 11-22. The womenâ€s tournament runs from Feb. 5-19.

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John Cena’s list of opponents extends across WWE legends and promising stars of the industry.

The Cenation Leader’s retirement tour features many feuds for the last time. The most recent addition to that list was AJ Styles at Crown Jewel. He appreciated Styles’ contributions to wrestling, which was evident when he handed over a heartfelt note to announcer Alicia Taylor highlighting the same.

The 17-time WWE World Champion has already faced Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, and more in his last year of wrestling.

New feuds are anticipated on the horizon. Internal discussions are being held for John Cena to face Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Title in November. On the other hand, many names on the WWE roster are looking to amp their resumes by facing the WWE veteran in his farewell tour.

Karrion Kross Pitches For John Cena to Face 40-Year-Old Former WWE Star

NXT and TNA’s Showdown last week led to crossover matches this week. Matt Cardona officially returned to WWE at the Performance Center to take on Josh Briggs.

Former WWE Star Karrion Kross immediately took to social media after the show to pitch for John Cena vs. Matt Cardona. Kross himself was let go by the company in August after his contract expired. His last match was at SummerSlam against Sami Zayn. Towards the end of his tenure, it seemed as if he was heading for a career-altering push, which was derailed by the contract expiration.

“Matt Cardona VS John Cena is something that should happen before itâ€s too late. Let him come home.”

Matt Cardona VS John Cena is something that should happen before itâ€s too late.

Let him come home.

— Kevin Robert Kesar (@realKILLERkross) October 15, 2025

Kross has been competing across independent promotions since his WWE release. He has not backed down from addressing various matters and stars relating to the company. Meanwhile, Matt Cardona’s feud with Josh Briggs seems to be the beginning of a lengthy comeback to WWE.

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Rangers’ hunt for a new head coach to replace Russell Martin is still ongoing, with more than two candidates on the shortlist after Steven Gerrard withdrew from the process.

But is the solution to their problems “staring them in the face”?

Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl appears to be one of the candidates on the list after he reportedly held talks with the the club’s hierarchy last week.

Yet Daily Record sports writer Scott McDermott and former Rangers striker Rory Loy both believe the 36-year-old, who has had spells as an assistant with RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and the German national team, is not the answer for Rangers.

Instead McDermott thinks current Hearts boss Derek McInnes would make a better replacement for the departed Russell Martin, who lasted just 17 games after being appointed in June.

“We know Rangers have spoken to Danny Rohl, they spoke to him before they appointed Russell Martin, so he’s obviously been on their radar for a while,” McDermott told the BBC’s Scottish Football Podcast.

“Is he the right guy for Rangers? Not for me, not for what Rangers need at the moment.

“He’s a very highly rated young coach. Sheffield Wednesday is the only managerial gig so far, but he has worked at a high level with Germany and Bayern Munich.

“In Rangers’ situation at the moment, the predicament they find themselves in both in the league but also just historically with lack of success and trophies in the past 10 to 15 years, they need a specific type of manager.

“With all due respect, I’m not sure a 36-year-old coach coming from the English Championship is exactly what they need.

“For me, the answer is staring Rangers in the face. The answer for Rangers is Derek McInnes at the moment.”

Loy says there are parallels that can be drawn between Martin and Rohl and feels Rangers fans would want to steer clear of a repeat of the last four months.

But the right person for the job remains unclear to him.

“There are some similarities in that Martin and Rohl have both managed in the English Championship,” Loy told the podcast.

“But Barry Bannan saying he’s the best coach he’s ever worked with, I just don’t think Rangers fans want to hear that again.

“It’s good for players to be saying that but that’s one thing the board said about Russell Martin before appointing him and those words haunted him.

“Rohl and Martins’ backgrounds are so similar so you don’t need to have experience and understand the club to know that that profile of manager isn’t going to work.

“You need a manager that’s going to come in, win trophies, have this aura, have this presence first and foremost away from being a coach.

“But who is that? Where do you get him? Can you afford him? And does he want the job?”

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Weston-super-Mare v Aldershot Town

Salford City v Lincoln City

Luton Town v Worthing or Forest Green Rovers

Gainsborough Trinity or Hartlepool United v Accrington Stanley

Colchester United v Milton Keynes Dons

Tranmere Rovers v Stockport County

Wigan Athletic v Hemel Hempstead Town

Newport County v Gillingham

Cheltenham Town v Bradford City

Barnsley v York City

Reading v Carlisle United

Bromley v Bristol Rovers

Peterborough United v Cardiff City

Oldham Athletic v Northampton Town

Crewe Alexandra v Doncaster Rovers

Tamworth v Leyton Orient

Stevenage v Chesterfield

Boreham Wood v Crawley Town

Farnham Town or Sutton United v AFC Telford United

Bolton Wanderers v Huddersfield Town

Chelmsford City v Braintree Town

Spennymoor Town v Barrow

Wycombe Wanderers v Plymouth Argyle

Halifax Town v Exeter City

Slough Town v Altrincham or Harborough Town

Wealdstone v Southend United

Rotherham United v Swindon Town

Grimsby Town v Ebbsfleet United

Buxton v Chatham Town

Burton Albion v Banbury United or St Albans City

Woking or Brackley Town v Notts County

Blackpool v Scunthorpe United

Cambridge United v Morecambe or Chester

AFC Wimbledon v Gateshead

Mansfield Town v Harrogate Town

Macclesfield v AFC Totton or Truro City

South Shields v Shrewsbury Town

Fleetwood Town v Barnet

Port Vale v Maldon & Tiptree

Eastleigh v Walsall

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John Cena’s WWE Farewell Tour was about pulling off the Never Seen 17th World Title win, a heel turn fans salivated over during his career peak, and most importantly, a love letter to his wrestling career.

He squared off with some of his iconic past rivals, like Randy Orton, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, and AJ Styles. One name that did not make the list was Rob Van Dam.

At ECW One Night Stand 2006, John Cena likely experienced, for the first time, a completely one-sided hostile reaction from the fans, with signs that read “If Cena wins, we riot” displayed in the crowd. That match against Van Dam in New York City was one of Cena’s career highlights, as he fell to RVD following too many shenanigans, much to the delight of the people.

Rob Van Dam Details The Conversation He Had With WWE Regarding A Match Against John Cena

Rob Van Dam had recently claimed that he was considered for John Cena’s WWE Farewell Tour in 2025 until his injury rendered it impossible.

Now, on WrestleBinge, Van Dam gave in to renowned journalist Bill Apter’s question about whether he was actually in talks with WWE’s higher-ups regarding a match as part of Cena’s Farewell Tour.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I did,” Van Dam said. “At first, I didn’t think [WWE] would be as interested as they apparently were, and so, I started to get a little excited about it. I don’t know if they actually talked to John [Cena] about it, you know? But one of the times, when I was talking to someone about it, they–I don’t remember if it was Paul [Levesque] or Paul [Heyman] in this conversation, but either way, they were like, ‘If John wants to do it, Boom! It’s a shoo-in; for sure. We just need to sell it to him,’ and I was like, ‘All right.’”

The ECW legend noted that WWE was interested in booking their match in Philadelphia, the home of Extreme Championship Wrestling. However, the double heel fracture he suffered in April changed everything.

And so, I don’t know if John was actually aware of it or not, but I was talking to the office about doing it, and was told, ‘If we’re in Philly, it’s a shoo-in.’ Easy. If we’re not doing a show in Philly, well, that doesn’t mean we can’t do it, but we’ll have to think about it; figure it out.’

I was feeling pretty good about the direction it was going, and then, I’m off my feet for most of the year with two broken heels,” RVD concluded.

John Cena’s last match against AJ Styles this past Saturday saw him and Styles pay tribute to many of their past rivals. The Phenomenal One is also in the twilight of his wrestling career, as he confirmed retirement in 2026.

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MILWAUKEE — Going into Game 5 of the NLDS on Saturday, the feeling at American Family Field was eerily similar to another October night a little more than a year ago. On that night, the Brewers†2024 wild-card series ended in a winner-take-all Game 3 against the Mets. And in some ways, thatâ€s where the story of Milwaukeeâ€s 2025 season began.

Last fall, the Brewers saw the Mets defeat them in crushing fashion, as Pete Alonsoâ€s ninth-inning, game-winning home run ended Milwaukeeâ€s season in front of its home crowd. Many Brewers players stayed and watched as New York celebrated advancing to the next round on their home field.

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Brewers manager Pat Murphy had to give his team a difficult speech that night. The takeaway of his message was that the difficult moment could benefit them going forward.

“Don’t know how,†Murphy remembered saying, “but somehow, that experience will help us.â€

[Get more Chicago news: Cubs team feed]

Fast-forward a year later, and on Saturday, the Brewers were once again on their home field playing a must-win game with a chance to advance on the line. But this time around, as Joey Ortiz fielded the final out off the bat of Carson Kelly and fired to first, sending 42,000 fans into a frenzy, it was clear something had changed.

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“You can’t really lose [a game] tougher than we did last year,†designated hitter Christian Yelich said afterward. “So going into tonight, you just play with a bunch of freedom. You know you’ve got belief and trust in your teammates that we’re going to be able to get the job done.â€

That belief ultimately turned into a 3-1 victory over the Cubs and a ticket to the NLCS vs. the Dodgers. As blue and gold steamers fell from the rafters after the final out, covering the field, the Brewers players mobbed one another in the middle of the diamond.

Emerging victorious from the winner-take-all NLDS Game 5 was going to require two things from the Brewers. First, their offense needed to give their pitchers a lead to work with. And second, considering how the previous four games of the series had gone — with 21 total runs scored in the first inning — getting the lead early was probably going to be key.

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In this one, it was catcher William Contreras who took the big first-inning swing, sending a 94.1-mph four-seamer from Cubs opener Drew Pomeranz into the Brewers†bullpen and putting Milwaukee ahead 1-0. But one run never felt like it would be enough to win this elimination game, and sure enough, Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki followed with a solo blast that tied the game in the top of the second inning.

The second big swing for Milwaukee came from first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who has played a key role for Milwaukee this year after being optioned and traded by the White Sox in June. The 27-year-old authored a stunning revival with the Brewers, becoming a force in Milwaukeeâ€s lineup. And just as he did across the second half of the season, the first baseman produced in a big moment, launching a 3-2 cutter to left field just beyond the reach of outfielder Ian Happ. Vaughnâ€s solo homer gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead and swung the momentum back to the Brewers.

“The journey has been kind of crazy,†Vaughn said after the game. “The opportunity to be with this group, itâ€s changed my life, honestly.â€

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Late in the one-run game, Milwaukee seemed to have Chicago on the ropes and was looking for a knockout blow. Second baseman Brice Turang hadnâ€t done much during this NLDS, with just two hits going into Game 5. But in the bottom of the seventh, Turang ambushed Cubs†reliever Andrew Kittredgeâ€s first-pitch slider and hit a no-doubt blast off the batterâ€s eye in center field, giving the Brewers some breathing room with a 3-1 lead.

Slugging isnâ€t a huge part of the Brewers†game, yet across five games, they outslugged the Cubs eight home runs to six. And when those home runs happened might have been even more impactful, as six of Milwaukeeâ€s homers, including all three in Game 5, came with two outs.

The other side of Milwaukeeâ€s recipe for success Saturday was their bullpen arms, whom the team entrusted to get all 27 outs. Kicking things off was All-Star closer Trevor Megill. After all the first-inning runs in this series, the Brewers showed some urgency by sending their high-leverage arm out to set the tone.

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When Megill walked off the mound after blowing a 99-mph fastball past Kyle Tucker and pumped his arms up and down to hype the crowd, it was exactly what Milwaukee needed.

Next came fireballer Jacob Misiorowski. The rookie right-handerâ€s night started off rocky, with the Suzuki homer to lead off the second, but the 23-year-old settled in after that. He tossed four huge innings while allowing just that one run, which turned out to be the Cubs†only score of the game.

“I don’t think I knew exactly how much I had,†Misiorowski said afterward. “I think I was giving everything I’ve got. And I think I left everything out there.â€

For the Cubs, the biggest moment of the game — and one theyâ€ll likely think about all winter — came in the sixth inning. The first two batters reached base, with Michael Busch hitting a single and Nico Hoerner getting hit by a pitch. With Chicagoâ€s 3-4-5 hitters due up, it felt like Milwaukee was on the precipice of letting the game slip away.

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But after falling behind in the count 3-1, southpaw Aaron Ashby came back to get Kyle Tucker swinging for the first out. Then right-hander Chad Patrick came into the game. He induced a lineout from Suzuki and then struck Ian Happ out looking, ending Chicagoâ€s biggest and best opportunity to score with a perfectly placed 90.5 mph cutter.

In total, the Brewers†bullpen was terrific in the series-clinching victory. Megill, Misiorowski, Ashby, Patrick and Abner Uribe combined to toss nine innings while allowing just one run and one walk and striking out eight batters.

“They pitched very well. I mean, they pitched super well,†Cubs manager Craig Counsell said postgame. “The only inning that we disrupted, maybe, the plan was the sixth. But the rest of the game, they did a heck of a job.â€

In addition to advancing the Brewers to the next round, the Game 5 victory over the Cubs allowed Milwaukee to exorcise some recent postseason demons. It was the Brewers†first playoff series win since the 2018 NLDS against the Colorado Rockies. And prior to Saturday, the Brewers had lost five straight postseason clinchers, including Games 3 and 4 of this NLDS.

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“I don’t worry about how many years it’s been,†Murphy said. “I know this: We’ve been in contention every year [I’ve] been here, and I’m just thankful for that. And starting in 2017, I guess, we’ve either been in the playoffs or a game away. That says something about the org. Says something about the front office and the ownership and the coaching staff.

“But most importantly, understanding the type of player that has to play here. And we got a bunch of them in there that’s pretty special.â€

Milwaukee will now face the L.A. Dodgers, starting with Game 1 on Monday at home, in a rematch of the 2018 NLCS. While Los Angeles is heavily favored in this championship series, the Brewers won all six regular-season meetings between the clubs in 2025. And with their five-round fight against the Cubs behind them, the Brewers can feel confident about their resilience and resolve going forward.

“It was an unbelievable atmosphere tonight,†Yelich said. “The two fan bases going back and forth, and Game 5 in the series. We had a feeling before it started — we play each other so close all season long, this series is probably going to go five, and it was going to be a lot of ups and downs.

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“And credit to our guys for sticking with it, being mentally tough and being able to finish the job here. Just a huge win for us.â€

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