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Good morning! Take a nap today.
While You Were Sleeping: Maybe we shouldn’t worry about the Dodgers
Entering this postseason, the knock on L.A. was simple: No matter how many fearsome bats dotted the lineup card, pitching would be a significant issue. The Dodgers would simply have to hit their way to a title.
Last night in Game 1 of the NLCS? They did plenty of hitting in a 9-0 victory over the Mets. But the pitching, which we so decried before, won out. The Dodgers have now thrown 33 straight scoreless innings in these playoffs, which ties an MLB postseason record. What?
Today, L.A. has the chance to take a commanding 2-0 lead (4 p.m. ET, Fox/FS1).
Moving on to all the football that happened earlier yesterday:
Everyone’s Unhappy: Week 6 was unfun for many
There was a chippiness to yesterday’s NFL slate. Angst spread among winners and losers alike, a bizarre and entertaining mix of misery for us viewers. Let’s start with the “winners”:
1. The 4-1 Lions were thrilled … until the end.
Detroit’s 47-9 win in Dallas was the best win of the week, but came with a massive caveat: Lions star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson left the field on a cart with a broken tibia. Brutal. Also brutal: Dallas’ entire 3-3 year thus far.
2. Philadelphia makes everything look miserable.
There is no team with worse vibes right now than the 3-2 Eagles, who have the talent to win a Super Bowl and the cohesion of a wet Band-Aid. Philly eked by the Deshaun Watson-led (cursed?) Browns, who are mired in a deep misery of their own. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni — at home in Philadelphia, mind you — walked over to the crowd in the game’s final minutes and appeared to talk trash to fans. He tried to walk it all back after the game, but I can already imagine the sports radio callers will be active today.
On to the losers:
3. Remember when the Saints were awesome?
Sigh. I do. A 2-0 start is now a 2-4 record after New Orleans got thumped at home, 51-27, by the Buccaneers. This was a chaotic game, as Saints rookie QB Spencer Rattler flashed promise, the defense picked off Baker Mayfield three times … and the Bucs still managed to win by 24 points.
4. The Raiders are bleak.
The result itself, a blowout loss against Pittsburgh, was bad enough. Add in the star wide receiver wanting a trade and the coaching staff scuffling to find the right quarterback and this 2-4 season might be over already in Las Vegas. Just look at this from star defensive end Maxx Crosby:
Oh man.
pic.twitter.com/OoSlrEFaa7— Q (@RaidersAQ) October 13, 2024
Crosby later said this was a “love push,” but it’s still indicative of the frustrations within the organization.
One team not miserable? The 4-2 Ravens, whose solid win over the 4-2 Commanders has us wondering if the NFL’s best offense resides in Baltimore.
See the rest of our Week 6 takeaways here.
News to Know
Liberty even series
The WNBA Finals are tied at 1-1 after New York’s impressive 80-66 win over the Lynx in Game 2 yesterday, a bittersweet result for the favored Liberty. If not for a “historic collapse” in Game 1, New York would be on the brink of a title Wednesday in Game 3; instead, this series will at least last through Friday. As Sabreena Merchant writes, if Breanna Stewart can play defense like she did yesterday, the Liberty are in great shape.
DiVincenzo, Brunson trade barbs
Former Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo, fresh off a trade to Minnesota, returned to Madison Square Garden last night with the Wolves and, following New York’s preseason win, had to be separated from Knicks assistant Rick Brunson after the two were yelling at each other. Brunson is the father of Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who went to Villanova with DiVincenzo and remains his close friend. See the full beef breakdown here. Spicy.
More news
Things You Need to See: Zzzzzzz
There may be nothing more heartwarming than a sleeping baby. Well, maybe one thing: a sleeping baby, dressed in a Winnipeg Jets costume, absolutely zonked during a 2-1 overtime win against the Wild. Just look:
This baby is CONKED OUT 😴 pic.twitter.com/UQezrZwb3Z
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 13, 2024
I yearn for sleep like that.
Watch, Listen and Play
📺 MLB: Guardians at Yankees
7:38 p.m. ET on TBS/truTV/Max
I opted for Game 1 of this series today, though the Dodgers and Mets play Game 2 of the NLCS earlier this afternoon, too. The pressure is squarely on the Yanks here. Anything short of a World Series ring is a failure, with the specter of losing Juan Soto to boot.
📺 NFL: Bills at Jets
8:15 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN
Plenty more opportunity for misery here. Either the Jets’ radical shift doesn’t change anything, or the Bills officially enter fraud territory. Fun!
Get tickets to games like these here.
🎧 “The Athletic Football Show” is your place to go for the smartest analysis about Week 6. So much to unpack. Listen here.
Pulse Picks
Sports betting is a ubiquitous part of the fandom experience at this point. But, as Jason Quick wrote today in a gripping feature, it can lead to ruin. Read the downfall of one man who simply couldn’t stop betting.
The Athletic 134 celebrates midseason with new CFB rankings. Catch up here.
Also, David Ubben has a look at the latest CFP Bubble Watch. Lot of movement this weekend.
Shoe doping? It’s very real. Liam Tharne describes why footwear has literally changed marathon times forever.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The Vanderbilt goal post story. Still great.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Our story from the Chicago Marathon, where Ruth Chepngetich crushed the women’s world record.
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(Top photo: Elsa / Getty Images)
