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In a must-win Game 6 on Friday night, manager Dave Roberts and the Dodgers turned to Yoshinobu Yamamoto to make his third career World Series start.

Just like his past two outings on baseball’s biggest stage—including a nine-inning gem in Game 2— Yamamoto dazzled in a Dodgers win.

In six strong innings, Yamamoto allowed just one run on five hits with six strikeouts. He handed the game over to the bullpen in the seventh and watched as relievers Roki Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow survived a Halloween-worthy fright in the ninth inning to close out Los Angeles’s 3–1 victory.

The Dodgers and their $350 million payroll are still alive. For the first time since the Nationals defeated the Astros in 2019, the World Series is heading to a Game 7.

There will be baseball in November. But before we head into Saturday, here are three takeaways from the Dodgers’ 3–1 win:

Mookie gets his moment

Heading into Game 6, Mookie Betts hadn’t done much of anything in the World Series.

Through five games, Betts—hitting at the heart of the Dodgers’ order—was batting 3-for-23 (.130) with five strikeouts in 26 plate appearances. His struggles coincided with Los Angeles’s team-wide slump when it scored a total of three runs in the Game 4 and Game 5 losses.

In Game 6, Betts finally came through. With two outs in the third inning and the bases juiced, Betts laced a ground ball into left field to score Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith for a 3–0 lead. It was all the runs that Yamamoto and company would need.

If Betts can continue to swing a hot bat in Game 7, Toronto might be in trouble.

Kevin Gausman was rolling … until he wasn’t

Gausman, who lost the Game 2 pitcher’s duel to Yamamoto, couldn’t have started off Game 6 much better. He struck out the side in the top of the first inning to get Rogers Centre rocking, becoming the 12th pitcher in World Series history to do so in the opening frame. In his first trip through the Dodgers’ batting order, Gausman allowed one hit and struck out seven batters.

It was the second time through Dave Roberts’s lineup that was the issue. Just like in Game 2, it was Smith getting to Gausman first with an RBI double in the third inning to start a three-run rally.

Gausman battled back to finish six strong innings with three earned runs allowed and eight strikeouts. The Blue Jays lost both games Gausman started in the World Series, but the 34-year-old logged two quality starts and 14 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Ninth inning nail-biter

Dodgers rookie starter-turned-closer Roki Sasaki got out of the eighth inning scot-free. But he ran into trouble in the ninth when Alejandro Kirk was hit by a pitch and Addison Barger smacked a ground-rule double to left-center field that got stuck in the bottom of the wall.

Had Barger’s hit not been ruled a ground-rule double, the Blue Jays likely would have scored a run, and Barger might have been standing on third base in a one-run game with no outs. Instead, Tyler Glasnow entered in relief and slammed the door.

Glasnow, the presumed Game 7 starter if the Dodgers kept the series alive, entered the game in relief and immediately got Ernie Clement to pop out to first base. The next batter Andrés Giménez looped a line drive to left field that was caught by Enrique Hernández, who fired a throw to second base to double up Barger.

We’ll see you tomorrow night.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo was left fuming after Brighton's controversial late equaliser cost the Hammers crucial two points in the Premier League on Sunday. Georginio Rutter restored parity late in the match after Jarrod Bowen had handed West Ham the lead in the 73rd minute. Rutter had accidentally handled the ball before finding the back of the net.

Rutter cancelled out Bowen's second half goal

West Ham had collected eight points from their last five Premier League matches, which included just one defeat at the hands of Liverpool. The three points on Sunday would have helped them climb up in the league and exit the relegation zone, as Nottingham Forest had earlier lost 3-0 to Everton. 

The Hammers were on track to claim all three points from their fixture against Brighton as Jarrod Bowen had handed them the lead in the 73rd minute after receiving a pass from Callum Wilson. However, a controversial last-gasp goal from Rutter helped the Seagulls snatch a point away from West Ham. 

In the build-up to Rutter's goal, Charalampos Kostoulas received a long ball in the West Ham box before attempting an audacious overhead-kick, which popped up off Rutter's thigh and on to his arm before he fired past Alphonse Areola in goal. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWest Ham boss left fuming

Hammers boss Nuno was furious after the match as he felt that Brighton's goal should not have stood, as he told Sky Sports post-match: "It was a handball, wasn't it, and a high foot. No need to speak with the referee. I think it was the main factor. It's clear. I saw it, everybody saw it. VAR saw it, everybody saw it. I think both situations should be checked. It's hard to take, man, it's really hard to take, especially after the hard work of the boys, the support of our fans that makes us feel like we were in London. Then comes one situation, so many people see it, it's hard to take." 

Explained: Why Rutter's goal stood against West Ham

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) had announced changes to the handball law in July 2021. That new law worked in favour of Brighton's Rutter, as accidental handball leading to a team-mate scoring a goal or having a goalscoring opportunity was no longer considered an offence.  

The lawmakers have stated clearly that not every contact between a player's hand or arm and the ball is an offence. Regarding the issue of a hand or arm making a player's body "unnaturally bigger", it was confirmed that referees should continue to use their judgment to determine the validity of the hand or arm's position relative to the player's movement in that specific situation. 

The Premier League Match Centre also confirmed why the goal stood: "The referee's call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that Rutter's arm was in a natural position and he did not deliberately handle the ball, and the contact with the arm was not immediately prior to him scoring."

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Getty Images SportWas Kostoulas' over-head kick a foul?

Nuno further argued that if not for the handball, at least Kostoulas' foul, while taking the overhead-kick, should have been deemed a foul, as he added: "If Dinos [Mavropanos] was stood on the ground, maybe. But there's contact on his head, isn't there?" 

At first, on Television, it seemed that Kostoulas's kick had caught Konstantinos Mavropanos on his head; however, the VAR check confirmed there was no proper connection and the referee felt that it was not dangerous enough for a foul to be awarded. 

West Ham next face an in-form Aston Villa side in a difficult Premier League fixture at home on December 14. 

The former captain was critical of George Bailey on the day the first Ashes squad was named

AAP05-Nov-2025Steve Waugh has accused Australia’s chief selector George Bailey of rarely having the appetite to make tough calls, adamant the transition of the Test team depends on it.One of the most reserved figures from Australia’s golden era, Waugh used a rare media appearance on Wednesday to question the handling of Australia’s ageing side.Bailey then insisted he and his panel were willing to make tough calls, and asked what they were meant to do while older players were still performing.Related

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Australia’s 15-man squad for the first Ashes Test includes just one player aged under 30, with the regeneration of the team a hot topic in recent years.David Warner is the only player to have retired in recent years, with fellow opener Usman Khawaja to turn 39 next month.Quicks Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood will also all be 35 or older by the end of the summer, while Nathan Lyon turns 38 this month.One of Australia’s greatest ever captains, Waugh was on hand at the SCG on Tuesday to receive the MCC Waterford Crystal Ashes Trophy.Waugh retired at age 38 in 2004 before the last big transition of the Test team, with Ian Healy and Mark Waugh having been dropped in previous years.Asked how he felt the current transition of the Test side looked, Waugh said selectors needed to intervene to manage the process.”George Bailey’s going to have to make some tough calls,” Waugh said. “I think in the past he’s shown he hasn’t really had the appetite for that at times, so he’s going to have to step up to the plate with the other selectors.”The bowlers are in their 30s and some of the batsmen are getting on as well. That’s natural for every team. You just want to make sure that three or four players don’t go out at the same time. That leaves a big hole in the team. So they’ve got to just make sure that it is a transition, but not all at once.”Asked if that meant tapping players on the shoulder to suggest they retire, Waugh said the matter should be taken out of players’ hands.Steve Waugh with the crystal Ashes trophy•Getty Images”I’d like to see the selectors pick the sides, not the players,” Waugh said. “There’s been a lot of players recently picking sides and saying who should be in the team. That’s the selectors’ job.”Waugh’s comments came after Khawaja last week suggested Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne join him in Australia’s top three, which would have forced a squeeze elsewhere.Bailey on Wednesday defended players supporting their state teammates when asked questions by media, insistent those views never influenced the panel.And he maintained he and his panel of Andrew McDonald and Tony Dodemaide had found other ways to blood young talent.”My question back, is there a tipping number once a player hits an age you move them on?” Bailey said. “Is that what it should be for all the guys in the team still performing? Should that be the most important criteria?”That’s not to say you’re not aware of the age profile of the team, but we see each and every Test as being important. You have Australia A tours, getting guys across to the sub-continent … getting guys in and around Test squads, utilising one-day cricket as an entry point.”Bailey also defended the selection of Khawaja and backed his experience, with the opener’s 232 in Sri Lanka in January one of just two scores above 50 in his past 26 Test innings.Australia are also yet to settle on the role of his opening partner since Warner’s retirement, with Steven Smith first going into the position.Youngsters Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas were both given chances last summer, with Labuschagne or Jake Weatherald likely to open in the first Ashes Test in Perth.

Former England great looks forward to return Down Under, with a vital role to play in Ashes challenge

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Oct-2025Andrew Flintoff played for England in just one Ashes tour, standing in as captain for the injured Michael Vaughan in 2006-07, as Australia regained the urn with a 5-0 drubbing. This winter, 19 years on, he returns in a different role, as head coach of the Lions, and with far more optimism.Arriving in Perth on Monday, Flintoff’s charges will be sparring partners with England as they look to regain the urn for the first time since 2015. They will provide vital opposition in the sole warm-up match at Lilac Hill, a three-day match ahead of the series opener at Optus Stadium on November 21, before embarking on their own tour which runs parallel to the first two Tests.The onus on supplementing the Test squad means the travelling party will feature six players – Rehan Ahmed, Jordan Cox, Matt Fisher, Josh Hull, Tom Hartley and Sonny Baker – with England caps. The Lions will have ringside seats to one of the most high-profile Ashes bouts in recent history – some could even find themselves tagged in for a few rounds.”I think it’s exciting all round,” Flintoff tells ESPNcricinfo at Loughborough, where the Lions have been training in an outdoor tent on pitches tailored to replicate those in Australia. “A couple of injuries and there might be opportunities.”Even for everyone, going to Australia for an Ashes year? Alright, you’re not at the same venues, but you’re going to be in and around Perth for the first Test. In Brisbane for the second. You’re going to experience the atmosphere being in Australia, all the hype around it.”I must admit, when I went and it didn’t go well, it was a bit of a shock. It was completely different to anything. But these lads are going to experience all these things, and they’re going to have the opportunity to practice with the England lads. Me included – I’m going to have a good day at the Ashes and watch England play. It’s all good.”The Lions’ fixtures, by design, will also offer those who miss out on Test selection time in the middle, should it be required. Four-day matches against a CA XI and Australia A begin a day after the start of the Perth and Brisbane Tests, with a fixture against a Prime Minister’s XI sandwiched in between.This is not the first time the Lions have shadowed England at the start of a major series. Next year, a red-ball series has been organised in South Africa ahead of next winter’s tour which features Tests, ODIs and T20Is. It is a continuation of more joined-up thinking throughout the national pathway, with the Lions now more of a bridge than ever before. It is something Rob Key was quick to reinforce when he took on men’s managing director duties at the start of the 2022 summer.Ed Barney has been the ECB’s performance director since 2023•England & GB Hockey”There’s a deep connection from top to bottom,” says Ed Barney, who followed Mo Bobat as men’s performance director in December 2023, a year before Flintoff became Lions head coach. “All credit to Keysy; he’s not a big process man, and I dont think he’d mind us talking to that too much. But one of the things he does believe in is alignment in terms of philosophy … playing philosophy.”There’s a natural level of alignment between Brendon McCullum, Fred and Michael Yardy (Under-19 coach), fundamentally. Some of the skills and attributes that we value and go after, and the understanding of international cricket. That’s unique in international elite sport.””We’re all in this together, aren’t we?” adds Flintoff. “We want the best for English cricket.”I look at the way England operate and I feel so fortunate to be involved in it, with Keysy, Baz, Ben [Stokes] and now Harry [Brook]. It’s a culture which I think is the right way to go about it. It’s all about expression, fun, backing each other, creating an environment, but underpinned from hard work.”Let’s be honest, I tried it every which way as a player. But it was no secret that the way it worked best was hard work, from a physical point of view, from a practice point of view, and also enjoying it. That should never be underestimated. I want these lads to enjoy playing cricket.”Flintoff and Barney have complementary experiences. The former was one of England’s most talismanic cricketers, the latter worked as performance director for England and Great Britain hockey, and was previously at the ECB from 2010 and 2013 as a talent indentification scientist.”Ed’s not from a cricket background, but he’s got an understanding of cricket,” says Flintoff. Barney interjects: “I’ve got a PhD in cricket, mate.””Have you?” comes the reply. “I’ve got an MBE”.Their combination has seen a re-imagining of what the Lions should – and could – be. While previously seen nominally as “England A” – the next-best set of players in the country – it is now a hybrid entity, dexterous enough to facilitate the differing needs of a variety of cricketers.Eddie Jack is one of the ‘high potential’ fast bowlers within the Lions set-up•Getty ImagesAt the start of the year, Shoaib Bashir toured Australia with the Lions to get a head start on what bowling off-spin over there requires. Stokes used an Abu Dhabi training camp in pre-season for some warm-weather rehabilitation as he returned from a second hamstring tear. In the summer, Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue played for the Lions to tune up for the India Test series, while Jofra Archer and Mark Wood were in regular attendance at various training sessions doubling as mentors. Bashir, having been overlooked by Somerset at the end of the season, attended a spin camp held at Loughborough overseen by legendary Sri Lankan batter Kumar Sangakkara.While the majority of the Ashes squad have been training in New Zealand alongside the ongoing white-ball series, Bashir, Ollie Pope and Matthew Potts have been in the UK with the Lions. Woakes, having retired from international cricket earlier this month, was on hand this week to do some coaching.At the other end of the spectrum, there are “high potential” picks and those fresh to the set-up. Six-foot-four quick Eddie Jack features, having come close to joining the full squad in the build-up to the Headingley Test against India before an injury crisis at Hampshire scuppered those plans. Somerset’s precocious 17-year-old batter Thomas Rew is an early graduate of the U19s. Glamorgan’s Asa Tribe, with five ODIs and 26 T20Is for Jersey, is getting his first exposure to the pathway.

It’s a culture which is all about expression, fun, backing each other, creating an environment, but underpinned from hard workFlintoff on the ethos that fuels England’s set-up across squads

Crossover with established talent and up-and-comers is encouraged, even on the fly. During one session in the Loughborough tent earlier this month, Kent and England U19 batter Ben Dawkins, who attends the university, was given a surprise hour-and-a-half-long net against Stokes and Wood as part of their Ashes preparations.The malleability of the set-up is held up as a strength, and Flintoff takes pride in the way it has boosted the careers of up-and-coming fast bowlers. Baker and Jack, for instance, were handed first-class debuts by the Lions before they had represented Hampshire in the format. Similarly, Mitchell Stanley’s bowling workload increased from 32 overs in 2024 to 331 in 2025 (all formats and miscellaneous matches). Stanley finished the season by taking 11 wickets for Lancashire against Kent, made up of his first two first-class five-wicket hauls. All three are part of the ECB’s pace project, established last year to mould the next tranche of quicks.”One of the nice things about this job is you give someone their first-class debut in Australia, he takes wickets and then there’s the pride when he makes his England debut,” says Flintoff of Baker.Matthew Fisher is one of the quicks who will be on stand-by for the Ashes•SLC”Eddie Jack, we gave him his debut (against India A) and he gets Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel and Nithish Kumar Reddy. This is a lad that had never played red-ball.”Mitch Stanley, I saw him bowl in the nets at Old Trafford when they signed him a few years ago. He was off a few paces and I thought, ‘wow, look at this’. Then he goes back to Lancashire and takes 11-for. It makes you think, ‘maybe we are doing something right here’.”Barney goes deeper on Stanley as a testament to the program: “That’s an exceptional win in terms of what Lancashire have been able to do and our ability to work collaboratively with them off the back of Australia (at the start of the year). Sitting down and mapping out a plan and seeing that play through.”As ever, collaboration with the counties is a must. A meeting with the respective directors of cricket in London three weeks ago was used as a debrief of how the summer panned out, sharing notes and future plans. After Australia, the Lions head to India for a spin camp that will also feature fast bowlers, before a white-ball series against Pakistan Shaheens in Abu Dhabi that coincides with several counties also being in the UAE for their pre-seasons.It is no secret that there has been a degree of conflict between the county game and the ECB’s high-performance aims, the current example being the mooted binning-off of the Kookaburra ball, originally introduced in the County Championship to promote fast bowling. Barney believes the Lions can facilitate a healthier relationship between the two.”County cricket is where it’s played,” says Flintoff. “But to play international cricket is different. We’re trying to fill that gap, whether it’s using the Kookaburra ball more. Playing on different surfaces. Spin camps where Kumar Sangakkara comes down. Going to Australia where the ball bounces a lot more, and giving them games for what they might face playing for England.”Barney adds: “The reality is, the domestic game has a choice to make, as to whether it wants to align itself with producing future international players, or whether it wants to be more orientated towards a product that is recognised and valued by the game or the membership.Related

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“Lions cricket can adapt and, to a certain extent, respond to that. I don’t think it’s a problem at all. What we want to have is some consistency of contact time, so we’ll talk to these guys about how this is not just an Australia tour, this is a six-month period where we want to work with you consistently.”At the turn of the year, the focus turns to limited-overs cricket with a view to 2027’s ODI World Cup, as England look to reinvigorate their ailing white-ball fortunes.Amid the cultivation of new talent, there will be an eye on three crucial player types – spinners, finishers and seam-bowling allrounders for all formats. The ECB have depth charts on all of them, with Yorkshire allrounder Matthew Revis put forward as an example of the kind of player they are looking to challenge and grow.”There are a multitude of skills and areas we are wanting to succession plan well for,” says Barney. “Whether that is power-hitting and finishing with the white ball and players who are able to thrive in that role for 2027. Who is Adil Rashid’s successor? Or Liam Dawson from a left-arm point of view?”There is a real orientation to who are our pace-bowling allrounders in the future, both in red-ball and white-ball cricket. Revis has got some real strength to his batting, where can we get his bowling to?””It’s not a new thing, is it, searching for an allrounder?” Flintoff says, knowingly. “Geez, we’ve had a few good ‘uns.”

Everton’s good form continued with an impressive 3-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium over Nottingham Forest.

The Toffees move into fifth in the Premier League, taking their record since the start of November to four wins, one draw and one loss.

It was a fast start for David Moyes’ side. Just two minutes into the clash with the East Midlands outfit, Forest centre-back Nikola Milenkovic headed a cross into the back of his own net, to give Everton the lead almost immediately.

Then, in the third minute of stoppage time before half-time, the Evertonians doubled their lead. It was a significant moment for Thierno Barry, who got off the mark in that famous Blue shirt after some impressive performances of late.

Iliman Ndiaye carried the ball to the edge of the Forest box before laying it into the path of Barry, who slotted home.

The perfect day for Moyes’ side was capped off in the 80th minute when another summer signing, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, drilled home a volley after the ball bounced to him from a corner. Everton ran out deserved winners to continue their excellent form.

It was a day to remember for the Toffees, with some standout performances.

Everton’s standout players vs. Forest

This will certainly be a day that Thierno Barry remembers. The Frenchman bagged his very first goal in an Everton shirt, showing the sort of quality in front of goal that earned him the big move to the Premier League from Villarreal in the summer.

What a tidy finish it was from the Toffees’ number 11, too. Ndiaye drove towards the penalty box, with Barry making a good diagonal run to find space.

The finish was composed, slotting it past Matz Sels.

Speaking of Ndiaye, the Senegalese attacker was in imperious form once again. So often the source of everything the Merseysiders do well in attack, he was a handful for the Forest defence and, of course, set Barry up.

One person who was impressed by Ndiaye’s efforts was Chris Beesley, Everton reporter for the Liverpool Echo. He gave the attacker a 7/10 rating, praising him for ‘always providing an outlet for his side’ throughout the night.

However, neither Barry nor Ndiaye were the stars of the show for Moyes’ side in a fantastic win.

Everton’s best player in their 3-0 win

What a performance it was from another of the Everton summer signings, Dewsbury-Hall.

The Englishman was at the heart of the Toffees’ midfield today, scoring his excellent goal late on, putting in the cross for the own goal, and offering plenty more on the ball.

The stats reflect just how well Dewsbury-Hall performed against the East Midlands outfit. He had 56 touches and 86% of his passes.

Off the ball, it was a masterclass from the former Leicester City star. He won an exceptional 8/13 ground duels and made five ball recoveries.

Touches

56

Pass accuracy

86%

Opposition half passes

16/20

Ground duels won

8/13

Ball recoveries

5

Tackles won

3/4

Goals

1

Dewsbury-Hall left thousands of Toffees fans impressed with his performance against Forest. Well, the same can be said for journalists, with Beesley giving him a 9/10 for his efforts, explaining he was ‘bright from the start’.

There is a case to be made that Dewsbury-Hall, described as the club’s “most important and best” player by journalist John Merro, is their best signing since Ndiaye.

The Senegalese attacker has been sensational since moving to Merseyside last summer, racking up 17 goals and assists in 54 games.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

As for the English midfielder, he has brought creativity and final third threat to Moyes’ side in just 15 games, with four goals and two assists so far.

However, the tenacity off the ball, on full show against Sean Dyche’s side, has been crucial this season too. It is certainly easy to see why Merro is of that opinion.

After paying just £28m for him this summer from Chelsea, it is looking like one of the biggest bargains in 2025. The all-action midfielder has shone so far, just like Ndiaye has on Merseyside.

£47m spent; CF "monster" replaces Beto: Everton's dream XI after January

Everton manager David Moyes will be looking to strengthen his team in the January transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 15, 2025

Saturday’s edition of was billed as a homecoming for Pat McAfee, the former West Virginia special teams star who grew up outside of the city. McAfee paid tribute to the city’s impressive sports history.

Of course, the modern Pittsburgh sports landscape features both one of the most electrifying athletes in the country—Cy Young winner Paul Skenes—and his otherwise disappointing franchise, the Pirates.

“We even have baseball history,” McAfee said. “Paul Skenes just won the Cy Young, he’s the best player in baseball. That’s sick.”

Cheers for Skenes quickly turned negative, and as McAfee began to address the Pirates struggles, saying, “And although the team may be absolute …” the Pirates fans in attendance came close to drowning him out with loud chants of “Sell the team!”

“Yeah, that’s what they’re saying,” McAfee continued after cutting himself off.

“What’s going on with the Pirates is they don’t spend any money and they don’t actually win, you see, so we have Paul Skenes go on a historic run at PNC Park, the most beautiful ballpark in of MLB,” McAfee continued, acknowledging the fan base’s complaints before kicking it to Kirk Herbstreit for a quick history lesson about great Pirates players and teams of yesteryear.

“Sell the team” chants have become commonplace in Pittsburgh, with Skenes addressing them—and putting the responsibility to win on his own shoulders and those of the team’s players—all the way back in early April. The Pirates would finish 71–91, the franchise’s seventh consecutive sub-.500 season. Pittsburgh last reached the playoffs in 2015, the last of three straight postseason bids for the franchise. The ‘13 trip to the NLDS broke a 20 year streak without playoff baseball.

As we’ve seen in recent days with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, fan outrage can make impact with a struggling sports franchise. Ousting an ownership group that doesn’t feel incentivized to invest in a winning ballclub is a much more difficult undertaking, even with pressure coming from the set.

The India batter went past the mark of 351 ODI sixes against South Africa in Ranchi

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Nov-2025Rise to the topRohit was not a prolific six-hitter at the beginning of his ODI career. He hit his first in his third innings – against Pakistan in Jaipur – but by the time he scored his maiden hundred in his 40th innings, in May 2010, he had only five sixes off 1023 balls faced.Three years later, against Australia in Bengaluru, Rohit let loose, smashing 16 sixes – a record for an ODI innings at the time – on his way to the first of three double-centuries. Until then, he had hit only 36 sixes in 102 ODI innings at a rate of 102.14 balls per six.