And then there were four. The Dodgers and the Yankees were preseason favorites to play for their respective pennants. The Mets and the Guardians were expected to reset in 2024 after finishing third in their divisions last year. 

None of that matters now, as they’re all four wins from playing in the World Series.

With two fascinating matchups set for the league championship series, FOX Sports MLB experts Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner preview and predict the upcoming round in this week’s roundtable.

1. Who is more likely to bust out in the LCS after a quiet division series: Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge?

Kavner: I think they both do, but I’ll go with Judge here. The last time he played against Cleveland, he homered four times in three games. He has an OPS over 1.600 against the Guardians this year. Granted, he’ll only be seeing the best of one of the top bullpens in baseball. But I think he can do some serious damage against that rotation and break out of his postseason funk. His last game of the Royals series was at least a little more encouraging.

Thosar: Judge. I think the Yankees as a team will be extremely confident entering the ALCS against the Guardians; New York has defeated Cleveland all three times they’ve faced off in the playoffs since Judge’s 2017 rookie season. In their most recent October meeting, which took place in the 2022 ALDS, the Yankees eliminated the Guardians with help from homers from Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. But more than that, Judge has a .947 OPS across 37 career games against Cleveland, and he looked much more like himself in the final two games against the Royals in the ALDS. He seems close to breaking out and having that signature postseason moment.

2. Who would the Yankees rather have faced, the Guardians or the Tigers?

Kavner: The Tigers. Detroit was running on good vibes and a no-name pitching staff (outside of Tarik Skubal) through an incredible late-season run, but the Guardians were the better team all year, have Jose Ramírez and will deploy the best bullpen in the sport. Steven Kwan and Lane Thomas are also getting hot at the right time, perhaps giving the Cleveland lineup just enough to make this interesting.

Thosar: The Tigers. Even with Tarik Skubal being the biggest threat to the Yankees, after the Tigers and Guardians went to a Game 5 and Detroit was forced to use him, that would’ve limited the number of outings from Skubal in a potential ALCS to just one start — unless the series reached a Game 7. The rest of Detroit’s rotation wasn’t scary enough to pose as a legitimate threat to guys like Judge, Juan Soto and postseason hero Giancarlo Stanton. The Yankees offense would’ve outslugged the Tigers’, and that goes a long way in a seven-game series. Cleveland will be more of a threat in that department with Jose Ramirez leading the way.

3. Whose pitching are you more confident in, the Dodgers‘ or the Mets‘?

Thosar: The Mets’. Beyond the fact that the Dodgers will have to deploy a bullpen game not once, but twice to get through the seven-game series … the Mets’ pitching staff is actually solid. Kodai Senga had one bad pitch to Kyle Schwarber in his postseason debut, and he’s expected to go a bit deeper into his start next time out. That opposing hitters haven’t seen him pitch in a year will be an advantage for him. But the Mets’ secret weapon continues to be Jose Quintana, who has allowed three earned runs over his past eight starts dating back to August 25, including two huge postseason outings against the Brewers and Phillies. The dominant stretch Quintana and the Mets have enjoyed is just not normal, and the rotation gives them a huge advantage right now.

Kavner: I’d take the Dodgers’ bullpen here, but overall, in a longer series like this in which it’ll be harder for them to ride their relievers day after day the way they’ll have to, I have to lean the Mets overall. Who would have thought back in the summertime that would be the case? Yoshinobu Yamamoto finally delivered a solid starting performance, but it’s hard to feel great about the state of the Dodgers’ rotation, especially when Yamamoto will likely only be able to start once this series since he won’t be going on short rest. The Dodgers’ pen worked wonders in a five-game series, with the pitching staff coming together to hold the Padres scoreless for the final 24 innings. But there might need to be multiple bullpen games for the Dodgers in this one, and that can wear a group out over a long series. The loss of Alex Vesia, who hurt his intercostal last series, is a significant one, and the Mets’ Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana have looked sensational in October.

4. How would you set the Dodgers’ starting rotation for this series?

Kavner: We know it’ll be Jack Flaherty for Game 1, and the Dodgers will need some length out of him. Then it gets interesting. I would use a bullpen game in Game 2 with Landon Knack pitching the bulk innings, whether starting or with an opener, so the relievers can then reset on the off day before potentially three straight days of games. That would leave Walker Buehler for Game 3 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Game 4. Flaherty could come back to start Game 5. There’s an off day before Game 6, so the Dodgers’ relievers could reset again for another all-hands-on-deck bullpen game in that one with Buehler ready for a Game 7.

Thosar: Jack Flaherty for Game 1, followed by Walker Buehler for Game 2, then Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Game 3, and then a bullpen game for Game 4, and run that order back for the remainder of the series. It will be interesting if the Dodgers will have to stick to giving Yamamoto the five days’ rest versus four, in which case they’d end up with two bullpen games and Yamamoto would only pitch Game 4 of the series. But this is the time to push him and take the risk of pitching their ace on four days’ rest to optimize his usage within a thin pitching staff. I would avoid that second bullpen game if possible.

4. What is the Mets’ blueprint to an upset?

Thosar: Their starters pitching as deep into games as possible and, of course, getting on base and continuing to set up big situations for Francisco Lindor. The Mets have the upper hand over the Dodgers with their starters (and that’s including the excellent results of David Peterson out of the bullpen) and they can avoid overusing their somewhat turbulent bullpen if Senga, Quintana, Sean Manaea, and Luis Severino do their thing for 5-7 innings. The Mets offense has, for the most part, been good at passing the baton, avoiding anxious at-bats, and trusting that the big hit will come eventually — even if it takes them nine innings to get a lead.

Kavner: I think the Dodgers’ offense might be enough to get through, but I wouldn’t even consider this an upset if the Mets win. Since June, they’ve been the best team in baseball. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have a decimated rotation, their starting shortstop out for the series and Freddie Freeman playing on one leg. That said, as much late-game magic as the Mets have provided during their run, they’ll need to flip the script a bit and get out to early leads. If their lineup, which has been one of the most productive this October, can get to Flaherty early, it not only puts them in the driver’s seat of the series by potentially stealing a game in Los Angeles, but also puts the Dodgers in a real predicament moving forward with their heavy reliance on the pen.

Bonus: Who will win each LCS?

ALCS — Yankees vs. Guardians
– Thosar: Yankees. I just said Cleveland would make this interesting, and I believe that, but the AL became the Yankees’ to lose when the Astros got bumped out early. They have the offensive edge and the rotation edge in this series, and even the incredible Emmanuel Clase demonstrated that he’s not infallible.
– Kavner: Yankees. Other than the fact that they’ve been down this road before, they have an extra weapon in Juan Soto this time around, which has led to one of their deepest lineups in years. I’m expecting Cleveland to serve as the elixir to Judge’s postseason underperformance, and Gerrit Cole to raise it up a notch because he’s not one to forget old grudges (yes, I’m referring to Josh Naylor implying he’s Cole’s daddy with one of the more memorable, and silly, home-run trots we’ve seen in recent Octobers). This is the easiest path the Yankees have had to the World Series in years, and I’d be surprised if they allowed themselves to get complacent when they’re this close to winning the pennant.

NLCS — Dodgers vs. Mets
– Kavner: Dodgers. This one feels like a toss-up. Both teams are riding strong vibes into the NLCS, and both teams beat what I would consider to be the top two clubs in the NL to get here. They’ll each have to avoid an emotional letdown afterward, and ultimately I think the Dodgers’ experience in these spots help. I think their offense carries them in a series that could go the distance.
– Thosar: Mets. Pitching rules October, and I’m not convinced the Dodgers have enough of it to sustain them in a long series. As evidenced by some of my previous answers, I think the Mets have the arms to get it done because, well, they already have. Their most important postseason games have featured guys like Quintana, Manaea, Peterson and even Tylor Megill stepping up and staving off the opponent long enough to keep their own offense in the game. That’s a major asset to have — even in the face of a talented Dodgers lineup.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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Kyle Larson took a commanding victory at the reconfigured Charlotte Roval, ahead of Christopher Bell and William Byron. Larson then took daughter Audrey for a ride around the track in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after she retrieved the checkered flag for him.

“It’s the first time in my playoff career I’ve not been close to the cut line so it was good to have a little bit of a stress-free week,” said Larson. “I think it’s the first time I’ve been here without crashing. Good weekend … Obviously, we’re here at Hendrick’s home and got so many people here from there. Gonna be fun to celebrate with them. Knowing that I don’t really use the sim much and I was in the sim this week, so huge thank you to the guys there. It really helped me get into a rhythm early on and help us kind of fine tune our car. Hats off to everybody there.”

Though Larson was cruising, drivers situated near the cut-off were put under incredible pressure — namely, Tyler Reddick, who had a roller coaster of a race. It started with a Stage 1 win for the 23XI Racing driver, only to then crash into the side of his boss Denny Hamlin at the start of the second stage, damaging both cars. The team was able to make repairs and he made a heroic drive through the field on fresh tires.

With a handful of laps remaining, Reddick closed the gap to Joey Logano and overtook him on the track — as well as in the points standings — for the final transfer spot.

Logano, a two-time NASCAR Cup champion, was one of two Penske drivers who were eliminated from the playoffs. Austin Cindric, who finished fourth, also fell from title contention. Daniel Suarez and Chase Briscoe were also eliminated. Logano missed advancement by just four points.

The complete top-ten: Larson, Bell, William, Cindric, Chase Elliott, AJ Allmendinger, Shane van Gisbergen, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney.

Race rundown

Van Gisbergen led from pole position early in the race, but as expected, those who didn’t need stage points chose to pit just before the stage end. This allowed Reddick to win the opening stage, which became crucial later on.

At the start of Stage 2, Reddick and the others who didn’t short-pit were now deep in the pack. It didn’t take long for trouble find him. As the field stacked up due to the spun car of Austin Dillon in Turn 7, Reddick came in too hot and slammed into the side of Hamlin. The resulting damage forced Reddick to make a green-flag pit stop, complaining on the radio that something didn’t feel right in rear. 

When Chase Briscoe’s flat tire caused a debris caution, both Reddick and Hamlin were among those who came to pit road. Reddick had an extended stop as the team to fix the toe link in the right rear. Unfortunately for Briscoe, he was unable to continue, ending Stewart-Haas Racing’s 2024 title run.

Alex Bowman went on to win Stage 2, and varied strategies put A.J. Allmendinger and Joey Logano out front for the final stage.

Daniel Suarez went to pit road under caution at Lap 57 for possible brake issues. The hood was raised on the No. 99 Trackhouse Chevrolet and brake fluid was poured in.

With 43 laps remaining, Larson moved into the race lead with a dive under Allmendinger at Turn 7 and never looked back. A wayward wheel for Austin Dillon brought out a late yellow, but it did little to change the outcome as Larson marched onward to his 29th career victory.

As the points reset for the Round of 8, Larson is atop the championship standings with a 33-point buffer on the cut-line. Christopher Bell is +13, Tyler Reddick +10, and William Byron +4. Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman start the round in the elimination zone.

Hallgrimsson was also heartened by his substitutes with Jack Taylor coming closest to scoring on his international debut after replacing Evan Ferguson.

Taylor’s impact followed Festy Ebosele coming off the bench to set up Robbie Brady’s winner in Helsinki.

“Both this game and last game the guys who came in [off the bench] proved a point that they want to play and be in the team,” said Hallgrimsson.

“Again some positives to take away, maybe a lot of positives to take away from this game, but you never want to lose 2-0.”

The Icelander added: “It’s a good team, good players with maybe too little belief to go into games like this. At this level you need to have your chest forward when you play games.

“You have to be on the front foot, and it seems we need moments to get that, to concede in the last two games to start playing as we know we can.

“There is belief in this team for sure, I have belief in these guys, and I hope that people have seen that this team can be really, really good on their day.”

Georges St-Pierre is coming back to your screens.

On Friday, Netflix released a trailer for its upcoming MMA drama series, The Cage, which features UFC legend St-Pierre as well as current stars Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane.

See the video below.

The show stars Melvin Boomer as “Taylor,” a talented French fighter aiming to make it big in the world of cagefighting, with dreams of eventually competing for the UFC. He faces hard times on his way to the top, including having to deal with a dangerous rival.

In addition to a glimpse of the world-famous octagon, Poland’s KSW and France’s Ares FC promotions are also featured in the preview clip.

St-Pierre is seen having an inspirational run-in with Taylor, Gane breaks up a pre-fight brawl, and Jones provides voice-over while also holding pads for the protagonist.

The Cage premieres on Nov. 8 and airs exclusively on Netflix.

AFTER three months of uncertainty, it is now absolutely as clear as mud.

Does Lee Carsley want to be England’s permanent manager or not?

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And why is he so reluctant to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to such a simple question?

Following a team selection which brought a welcome return to common sense — and an England victory which restored a certain amount of pride — came another chaotic round of post-match interviews in which Carsley contradicted himself several times.

And given that communication is such an important part of the England job, it does not help his cause when you feel as if you are disappearing down a rabbit hole every time you speak to Carsley.

He is a likeable man and a gifted coach — but he simply doesn’t sound like an England manager.

There simply isn’t enough authority or clarity about him.

At the age of 50, Carsley has never been the full-time manager of any senior football team and it shows.

That is irrespective of the tactical car crash of Thursday’s 2-1 home defeat by Greece.

After goals from Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice had comfortably defeated a limited Finland side, came another round of riddles and muddle.

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First, the Three Lions’ interim boss told ITV the England job “deserves a world-class manager who has won trophies” and admitted that he was “still on the path to that”.

This sounded like confirmation of stories Carsley does not want the job.

England player ratings vs Finland

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ENGLAND secured a commanding 3-1 win over Finland following their horror show at home to Greece

Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay assessed the Three Lions’ stars performances.

Dean Henderson – 6

Only his second cap after long-time No1 Jordan Pickford was dropped. Not a lot to do, but pretty assured when he was called into action, including a smart, first-half stop to repel a Benjamin Kallman strike – even if the Finn was later flagged offside. Could do little to prevent Finland’s goal.

Kyle Walker – 6

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After the calamity against Greece, it was no surprise to see Lee Carsley turn to his most experienced defender. Now just nine caps shy of a century, Walker was solid. Could have had an assist late on but his cushioned down header was poor.

John Stones – 6

England’s more conventional system meant the defence was far less exposed – though Carsley’s attacking approach did still see the Finns create chances. Stones made a good early block to deny Kallman after Angel Gomes gave the ball away.

Marc Guehi – 6

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Our best defender in the Euros group stages, Guehi was back in here with Levi Colwill dropping out. Pretty assured for a player who by his own admission has not started the season particularly well for his club.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7

We saw him in midfield at the Euros, and here the Liverpool right-back was shunted to left-back. Looked vulnerable defensively at times but who cares when he produces such quality on the ball – epitomised by his terrific free-kick to kill off this game.

Angel Gomes – 8

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The big success story of the Carsley era, however long it lasts, has been bringing Gomes into the fold. He created Jack Grealish’s opener with a beautiful, flicked-pass round the corner and was excellent in possession – barring one sloppy early pass.

Declan Rice – 7

Looked far more comfortable with Gomes playing in behind him, as opposed to the one-man defensive operation he was forced to put up against the Greeks. Looked proud as punch after stroking home England’s third from Watkins’ cross.

Cole Palmer – 5

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Played in a more familiar wide right position compared to his central-midfield experiment against Greece. Yet it reduced him to a peripheral figure, adding more questions than answers as to where best to deploy him, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.

Jude Bellingham – 6

The Real Madrid superstar played off Harry Kane and had the occasional, exciting link-up with Grealish, but this was not one of his more memorable games overall.

Jack Grealish – 8

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No doubt will be hoping Carsley does get the job full-time as his fellow Brummie seems to appreciate his talents. His composed finish was his second goal in three games under Carsley – doubling his overall haul from 39 caps.

Harry Kane – 6

Cap 101 for the captain but not one he will remember particularly fondly. He offered the presence the team lacked against Greece when they played with no striker, but did not get much of a sniff in front of goal.

Subs

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Noni Madueke (for Palmer, 69) – 7
This game was made for him to make an impact off the bench and he almost teed up Watkins after one fine run but the Finns cleared.

Ollie Watkins (for Kane, 69) – 7

Low cross for Rice’s third was right on the money.

Rico Lewis (for Gomes, 80) – 6

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Slotted in at centre midfield when coming on and looked busy.

Phil Foden (for Bellingham, 80) – 5

Embraced the post ruefully after Madueke opted to shoot instead of crossing to him for a tap-in seconds after Finland’s goal. Was marking Arttu Hoskonen when the Finn headed home a consolatio.

Conor Gallagher (for Rice, 89) – 6

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His first appearance under Carsley but too late to make an impact.

Lee Carsley – 7

His tactical gamble backfired against Greece but he held his hands up and went more conventional here. It paid off as England were relatively comfortable – although his teams have looked defensively vulnerable at times in all four of his games and this was no different.

But the three best players, Gomes, Grealish and Alexander-Arnold, were all given starring roles by Carsley when used sparingly or not at all by predecessor Gareth Southgate – and for that, the interim boss should take credit.

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Given that there are literally no English world-class trophy-winning managers, did this mean Carsley was preparing us for the imminent arrival of Thomas Tuchel?

Apparently that isn’t the case either.

When asked if this comment meant he was ruling himself out of the running, he said that was not the case.

Asked why he won’t give a straight answer, Carsley said he had talked himself out of jobs when he had been a caretaker boss at clubs and didn’t want to make the same mistake again.

So if he does want the job, why not say that?

Curiouser and curiouser.

The FA’s decision to appoint Carsley for all six Nations League fixtures —  over three separate international breaks — always felt like an unnecessary stretch.

This is a long period of uncertainty to go through before the really serious business of World Cup qualification begins next year.

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Surely the FA would be better off making their long-term decision before next month’s matches against Greece in Athens and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley? Still, there have been some genuine positives from Carsley’s reign — all three of yesterday’s goalscorers in Helsinki having benefited from his management.

The hugely-popular Grealish, who became a father for the first time last week, was a shock omission from Southgate’s Euros squad but has netted twice in three starts under Carsley.

Alexander-Arnold has started all four matches under the current regime — this one as a makeshift left-back — and he conjured a gorgeous curling free-kick for the killer second goal here.

Rice, meanwhile, has enjoyed playing in his preferred No 8 role rather than the holding job he usually performed under Southgate.

Except, of course, for Thursday’s debacle against the Greeks, when the Arsenal man was horribly exposed by a gung-ho team selection.

This was England’s first journey to Helsinki’s historic Olympic Stadium since 2000 — and that also came on the back of a Wembley shambles.

Kevin Keegan had just quit in the toilets of the old national stadium with Howard Wilkinson taking charge of a goalless World Cup qualifying draw here in the Finnish capital.

After Thursday’s fiasco, Carsley selected a much more conventional team with Harry Kane fit enough to start up front after an ankle injury.

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The interim manager’s decision to drop Jordan Pickford — something Southgate barely did — made sense too after an extremely jittery display against Greece, with Dean Henderson handed a first England start.

Angel Gomes, one of Carsley’s Under-21 European champions, was polished again on his second full international start. And after turning two defenders, the little Lille anchor man provided a gorgeous outside-of-the-boot assist for Grealish to slot home the early opener.

It was only the Manchester City man’s fourth goal from 39 caps but his second under Carsley.

England were sloppy before and after half-time, Finland centre-forward Fredrik Jensen firing over from close range either side of the interval.

Alexander-Arnold and Rice both forced saves from Lukas Hradecky but England were hardly tearing it up. Midway through the second half, Carsley freshened it up by sending on Ollie Watkins for Kane and Noni Madueke for the largely anonymous Cole Palmer.

After England won a free-kick on the left, just over 26 yards out, Alexander-Arnold sized it up and curled his effort deftly into the postage stamp, Hradecky doing well even to get a hand to the ball.

Soon, Ollie Watkins darted down the left and centred low to the near post where Rice tapped in. Arttu Hoskinen then headed home a consolation from a corner, denying Henderson his clean sheet.

That mattered little, though.

Carsley’s team had played with common sense and clarity.

As for the interim manager’s post-match comments, that is an entirely different story.

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Ducati has decided to halt development of its 2024 MotoGP bike as the title battle between Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia enters the final phase.

With four events to go in the championship and 10 points separating Martin and Bagnaia in the standings, Ducati has halted the development of the GP24 so that the pair can fight for the title with the machinery they already know.

Bagnaia took his eighth win of the year and fourth double at Motegi last Sunday, completing a perfect weekend. After arriving in Japan with a 21-point deficit, the Italian recovered 11 points in a single event, confirming that the battle between him and the Spaniard is more open than ever.

Whether it is because of the equality between the two, contract commitments or a simple question of fair play, Ducati has decided to halt the development of the Desmosedici GP24.

Motorsport.com understands that the last new development came at Silverstone, two months ago, and that was a fairing on the lower sides of the bike.

Despite the fact that Martin will leave the Borgo Panigale brand at the end of the season to join Aprilia in 2025, the Bolognese manufacturer’s executives have continued to insist that the Spaniard will have exactly the same tools he had before his departure, to fight for what would be his first MotoGP title.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Dorna

Bagnaia’s and Martin’s agreements with Ducati are identical, regardless of their pay, and this can be extrapolated to Enea Bastianini and Franco Morbidelli, the other two GP24 riders. That means that any improvement that one of them receives must be available to the other three.

Precisely for this reason, the most relevant elements that Ducati tested in the collective test held last month at Misano will no longer be incorporated on the GP24, but directly on the GP25.

“At Misano, I tested a new chassis, which neither I nor Jorge will be able to use this year. Basically, because it’s an evolution that Ducati should be able to offer by contract to all the riders who ride the GP24, but unfortunately, there are not enough parts,” Bagnaia told Motorsport.com.

“Our bike [his and Martin’s] will stay as it is until the end of the season. And it’s a pity because it’s an important step forward, which could probably help to make a difference. But Ducati was always clear about that, and the two bikes will be the same until the end. This chassis will be the starting point for next year’s Ducati.”

Ducati claims to give equal treatment to the two main title contenders, but that is obviously limited to this season. Martin’s move to Aprilia meant that he did not test the chassis in question at the Marco Simoncelli circuit.

In fact, neither he nor any member of Pramac, which will switch to Yamaha bikes next season, was able to enter the Ducati’s garage, something that was customary in testing.

Asked directly about the confidence he has in Ducati to keep its promise until the finale in Valencia, Martin said: “Ducati is backing me 100%. My bike is perfect and I’m convinced that it will stay that way until the world championship is over.”