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It’s a two-game Thursday in the league championship series as the 2023 MLB playoffs roll on.

Will the Houston Astros even the ALCS after a big Game 3 win in Arlington? Can the Arizona Diamondbacks find some home cooking against the Philadelphia Phillies after a rough start to the NLCS in Philadelphia?

ESPN MLB experts Alden Gonzalez, Buster Olney, Jeff Passan, Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield break down where both series stand going into Thursday’s games, and we have all the action covered with live updates and takeaways from Texas and Arizona as the games play out.

Key links: Full playoffs schedule and results

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Live updates | Matchups & lineups


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Thursday’s matchups

Philadelphia Phillies at Arizona Diamondbacks

Game 3: 5:07 p.m. ET (Ranger Suarez vs Brandon Pfaadt)

Phillies lead series 2-0

Are the Phillies as unstoppable as they’ve looked in the first two games?

Schoenfield: Given the importance of home runs this postseason (teams that out-homer their opponents are 17-3), I asked Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo if his team will have to find a way to out-homer the Phillies to have a chance in the series. His response: “Obviously with you making that statement, I will definitely agree with you. It’s like having a team full of 3-pointers against somebody that only shoots 2s.” Right now, the Phillies have all the 3-point shooters. Unless the Diamondbacks suddenly sign Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, this series looks over.

Rogers: The short answer is yes — but remember the Phillies have lost one of their two road games this postseason. Getting them away from Citizens Bank Park is Arizona’s best chance, but even that providing enough of a boost might be wishful thinking considering how the Phillies are playing right now. Let’s face it, the Diamondbacks will be more than happy with their season even if they lose in the NLCS. Bottom line, it’ll be a victory in itself for the D-backs if the series returns to Philadelphia.

Passan: Well, they are playing about as close to immaculate baseball as exists. Their offense wallops home runs. Their starters strike out hitters and limit walks. Their relievers throw gas and pump strikes. Their defense operates cleanly and efficiently. Seriously, it’s hard to find a flaw with the Phillies right now, and they’ve been playing that brand of baseball since the postseason began. But unstoppable? This is baseball. There is no such thing as unstoppable. Brandon Pfaadt could shut down Philadelphia in Game 3 or Ranger Suarez could implode, and suddenly the Phillies’ vibes would feel plenty different.

How much will getting out of Philadelphia, and home to Chase Field, help the D-backs?

Schoenfield: Well, I have a feeling there may be a lot of red at Chase Field — and I mean with a maroon tint. The “get-in” price before the Phillies won the first two games was $115 and that has now dropped to $15. Any transplant from the greater Philadelphia area can now pick up tickets on the cheap. According to TickPick, the “get-in” price for Philly was $467, so we may even see some Phillies fans taking a little three-day vacation to soak in some sun in the desert. Oh: And Bryce Harper is hot. Kyle Schwarber is hot. Nick Castellanos is hot. Trea Turner is hot. Game 3 starter Ranger Suarez is hot.

Rogers: Let’s put it this way, if Game 3 starter Brandon Pfaadt had to pitch in Philadelphia, it would likely go even worse than what we saw happen to Arizona pitchers in the first two games. He has a fighting chance at home — especially if he can get past the first inning, when the Phillies love to jump on the opposing starter. Without a true stat to prove it — other than their home record — there’s little doubt the Philly crowd is having an impact. Every fan base could learn something: There is such a thing as a 10th man in baseball.

Passan: That’s like asking how getting out of jail will help the man who yearns for freedom. For the past two games, the Diamondbacks have been playing in the loudest, most hostile, unrelenting, unforgiving stadium in baseball — a shop of horrors for visiting teams, particularly in the postseason. Chase isn’t Citizens Bank Park West, by any means, but at least every run the Phillies score won’t be followed with some ear-splitting cheering. It’s incumbent on Phoenix-area fans to give their team at least a sliver of the advantage Philadelphia fans do theirs.


Houston Astros at Texas Rangers

Game 4: 8:03 p.m. ET (Jose Urquidy vs. Andrew Heaney)

Rangers lead series 2-1

Now that the Astros have won a game in Arlington, how likely is this series to go the distance?

Gonzalez: I don’t know if it’ll go the distance, but it lines up with my overarching thought going into Game 3: that this series is far from over. Losing the first two home games in a best-of-seven series is usually a death sentence, especially in this stage. But these Astros exist in their own stratosphere. They’re in the ALCS for the seventh straight season. And for some inexplicable reason, they were far better on the road this season (51-30) than they were at home (39-42). They’re especially comfortable at Globe Life Field, where many of their hitters say they see pitches particularly well. One can easily see them taking at least two of three to send this back to Houston. And that’s where it’d get interesting.

Olney: I don’t think it’ll go that far. One team or the other will seize momentum in Game 4 — if the Astros win, they’ll run the table. If the Rangers win Game 4, I think they’ll finish it off here in Arlington. The pitching depth of both teams is going to be challenged, and in particular, so much is going to fall on the shoulders of Rangers lefty Andrew Heaney, who has made only one appearance this month. They need him to be the stopper who attempts to slow the Houston hitters after they beat up Max Scherzer and the relievers who followed in Game 3.

Passan: The Rangers still own home-field advantage. They still can finish off the ALCS at Globe Life Field. They still have a No. 8 hitter (Josh Jung) who can homer off the most unhittable postseason pitcher we’ve ever seen and a No. 9 hitter (Leody Taveras) who got on base six of his first seven times this series and stole a homer from Yordan Alvarez in Game 3. And they still have Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi scheduled to start Games 5 and 6, a back end of the bullpen that got rested up the past two days and a lineup that has been the best in the American League this postseason. Only fools count out the Astros, but the advantages remain with the Rangers, and the odds still say this series is more likely to end in five or six than seven.

How should the Rangers approach facing the red-hot Yordan Alvarez for the rest of this series?

Gonzalez: Clearly, there is no real answer here. If there was, I trust Bruce Bochy and all of the coaches and analysts around him to find it before we do. But it’s interesting to see that, while putting up incredibly gaudy numbers throughout these playoffs, Alvarez is also chasing at a 37% rate, nine percentage points higher than the major league average during the regular season and more than 10 percentage points higher than his own mark. It’s a relatively small sample size, of course. But there might be something to him trying to force action with other Astros hitters struggling behind him. So there you go — make him chase. But you best not miss.

Olney: Alvarez is the best hitter on earth, on the moon, in another galaxy, wherever he happens to be swinging a bat. After the damage he did in Game 3, you have to believe a sleepless Bruce Bochy is going to think about giving him the Barry Bonds treatment for the rest of this series, especially with Jose Abreu and Kyle Tucker aligned behind him. At this point, the question of whether you pitch to Alvarez or not is like choosing between risking a home run allowed for the possibility of an out. Your best chance of retiring seems to be installing three Leody Taverases at the fence and hoping for a robbery.

Passan: Thankfully, Buster, a cloning machine to triple Leody Taveras doesn’t exist, because the Astros would use it to nonuple Yordan Alvarez and just pummel opponents into oblivion. For now, one is plenty for Bruce Bochy to handle. And if anyone managing today knows something about intentionally walking left-handed sluggers, it’s Bochy, who saw opponents do it to Barry Bonds 43 times in 2007. Alvarez does have a history of falling into funks in alternating postseason series, but his efforts in Games 2 and 3 suggest that is ending here — and if a leverage situation comes up (and Jordan Montgomery isn’t on the mound fooling Alvarez with Death Balls), Bochy shouldn’t be afraid to call for the autowalk and take his chances with someone who isn’t one of the best hitters alive.

Game 4 lineups

Astros

Jose Altuve (R) 2B
Maricio Dubon (R) CF
Alex Bregman (R) 3B
Yordan Alvarez (L) DH
Jose Abreu (R) 1B
Kyle Tucker (L) RF
Chas McCormick (R) LF
Jeremy Pena (R) SS
Martin Maldonado (R) C

Rangers

Marcus Semien (R) 2B
Corey Seager (L) SS
Evan Carter (S) LF
Adolis Garcia (R) RF
Mitch Garver (R) DH
Jonah Heim (S) C
Nathaniel Lowe (L) 1B
Josh Jung (R) 3B
Leody Taveras (S) CF

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Scheifele plays, scores hours after losing father

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Scheifele plays, scores hours after losing father

DALLAS — Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele scored a goal in his club’s must-win Game 6 of the second-round playoff series at Dallas on Saturday night, hours after the unexpected death of his father.

But he also had the penalty that set up the Stars’ power-play goal in overtime for a 2-1 win that knocked the top-ranked Jets out of the playoffs.

Jets captain Adam Lowry went and got Scheifele out of the box when the game ended.

“We’re a family. Just to let him know that we’re there for him. It’s just an awful day for him,” Lowry said. “You want to give him the strength, you want to get that kill so bad. We just couldn’t do it.”

During the handshake line afterward, Scheifele hugged and talked to just about everyone, with Stars players clearly offering their support to him in a heartwarming moment.

Scheifele scored his fifth goal of the playoffs 5½ minutes into the second period to give the Jets a 1-0 lead. He scored on a short snap shot from just outside the crease after gathering the rebound of a shot by Kyle Connor.

“I just I know we have a great group here. I knew, going in, once we found out the news that he’s going to have a great support group and we’re going to be there for him through the highs and the lows and obviously today was a real low,” defenseman Neal Pionk said of Scheifele. “[We] did everything we could to give him some words of encouragement, [and] for him to play tonight, and play the way he did, is flat out one of the most courageous things we’ve ever seen.”

The game was tied at 1 when Sam Steel, who had already scored for Dallas, was on a break. Scheifele lunged forward desperately trying to make a play when he tripped up the forward at the blue line with 14.8 seconds in regulation. Scheifele and the Jets avoided a penalty shot on the play, but ended up losing on the power play when Thomas Harley scored 1:33 into overtime.

Jets coach Scott Arniel said the news of Brad Scheifele’s passing overnight was difficult for the entire team. The team was told before the optional morning skate.

“On behalf of the Winnipeg Jets family, our condolences to Mark and his family. It rocked us all this morning when we found out,” Arniel said before the game. “Mark will be playing tonight. As he said, that’d be the wishes of his dad. He would have wanted him to play.”

Scheifele was the last Jets player to leave the ice following pregame warmups, and during at least part of the singing of “O Canada,” he had his head bowed and his eyes closed. He took the opening faceoff against Roope Hintz.

“The thing about Mr. Scheifele is he’s part of our family. He’s part of the Jets family. He goes back to 2011 when Mark was first drafted here,” Arniel said. “We have a lot of players that came in around the time that are still here that he’s been a big part of their life, along with their family. So it’s certainly, obviously devastating for Mark, but also for a lot of guys on this team.”

Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said the organization was doing everything it can to support Scheifele. There was no immediate word on the cause of Brad Scheifele’s death.

The 32-year-old Mark Scheifele finished with 11 points (five goals, six assists) while playing in 11 of the Jets’ 13 games this postseason. He missed Games 6 and 7 of the first-round series against St. Louis with an undisclosed injury after taking a pair of big hits early in Game 5 of that series.

In Game 5 against the Stars on Thursday night, a 4-0 win by Winnipeg that extended the series, Scheifele was sucker-punched by Stars captain Jamie Benn during a late scrum. Benn got a game misconduct penalty and was fined by the NHL the maximum-allowed $5,000 but avoided a suspension.

Scheifele had 87 points (39 goals and 48 assists) in the 82 regular-season games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Stars win, oust Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets

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Stars win, oust Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets

DALLAS — Thomas Harley scored on a power play 1:33 into overtime and the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference final for the third season in a row, beating the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in Game 6 on Saturday night.

Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets hours after the unexpected death of his father, but also had a tripping penalty with 14.8 seconds left in regulation that set up Dallas to start overtime with a man advantage.

Sam Steel, who had scored earlier for Dallas, was on a break when Scheifele lunged forward desperately trying to make a play when he tripped up the forward at the blue line. The Stars called a timeout, but missed a shot and had another one blocked before the end of regulation.

The Stars move on to face the Edmonton Oilers in the West final for the second year in a row and will host Game 1. Connor McDavid and his club, which won in six games last year, wrapped up their second-round series with a 1-0 overtime win over Vegas on Wednesday night in Game 5.

Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger made 22 saves to wrap up his sixth playoff series win over the past three seasons. He made an incredible diving save with 8½ minutes left in regulation, leaning to the right before having to lunge back across his body toward the left post to knock down a shot by Mason Appleton.

Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 19 shots but couldn’t prevent a loss that assured a winless record for his club on the road this postseason. Meanwhile, his final goal allowed continued a magical season for Harley, Dallas’ breakout blueliner who also played for Team Canada this season in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

“Not surprising to the guys in here,” Oettinger said of Harley’s rise to prominence. “We’re very lucky.”

Steel notched his first goal of the playoffs midway through the second period. He shot a long rebound from the top of the right circle, sending the puck into the upper right corner of the net just above Hellebuyck’s glove.

“I’m just disappointed,” Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry said. “We couldn’t get that [penalty] kill for [the fans], and get it back to win in Winnipeg for Game 7. But you know, [I’m] really proud of this group, and the way they handled everything, and the way we fought back. … It just came up short.”

The Jets become the next in a long line of Presidents’ Trophy winners to bow out early. The award, which goes to the NHL’s top regular-season team, was won by the New York Rangers last season before they lost in the Eastern Conference final. Two years ago, the No. 1 seed Boston Bruins lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers.

“We lost to a great team,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “We lost to a team that was in our rearview mirror all year long.”

Scheifele’s effort was a focus for Dallas coach Pete DeBoer, who began his postgame media availability by saying what the Jets star forward did in playing Saturday was “courageous,” adding “I’m sure his dad would’ve been really proud of him and what he did.”

For the Stars, it’s off to the NHL’s final four, as the franchise continues to seek its second Stanley Cup title.

“I think we’ve got something special going on. We’re going to have to prove it again,” DeBoer said. “You know, we’ve been to this spot the last two years and haven’t taken the next step, so that’s the challenge.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Eichel, Knights seek ‘common ground’ on new deal

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Eichel, Knights seek 'common ground' on new deal

As the Vegas Golden Knights absorb being knocked out in the second round of the NHL playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers, they don’t have to wait long before planning for their future. Jack Eichel, who has one season left on his eight-year, $80 million contract, is eligible for an extension beginning July 1.

“He’s one of the top guys in the NHL,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “He’s got great character, great leadership. You see night in, night out what he does for our team, so that will be a really important piece of business for us. We certainly hope to keep Jack in our organization. Jack loves it here, so I would hope we could find common ground.”

Eichel, 28, comes off the best season of his 10-year career, the past four with the Golden Knights. He set career highs with 66 assists and 94 points to go with 28 goals as the center on the team’s top line. He also skated for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off, where his club finished second to Canada.

“Can’t say enough about my teammates and the people in this building and the people that make this organization what it is,” Eichel said. “I’m super proud to be part of this organization and the city and represent the Vegas Golden Knights. Contractually, I think things kind of take care of itself. I’ll just worry about trying to prepare for next season this offseason and go from there.”

Management, which is not known for sitting on its hands, will have other significant decisions to make as well on the team’s direction after the Golden Knights were eliminated in the second round for the second year in a row.

“I like our team,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I don’t have a problem with any player in that room. I think every one of them is a great teammate. They care about one another. Are there areas of our game we could complement better? Probably. We’ll evaluate that.

“All the guys that were up, their contracts, they were all good players for us. All good players. No disappointments at all. We’ll probably have to look at areas because we’re not the last team standing. Usually, you think, ‘Where can we upgrade? Where can I upgrade what I do?'”

McCrimmon offered a similar assessment.

“I feel our team was good enough to win,” McCrimmon said.

The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup two years ago and thought they had another contender this season after capturing the Pacific Division and securing the Western Conference’s second-best record. But Vegas had to rally from a 2-1 series deficit to beat Minnesota in the opening round, winning twice in overtime. Then the Golden Knights lost two overtime games in the 4-1 series loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

“I didn’t walk away from Edmonton saying, ‘We had no chance. They’re just better,'” Cassidy said. “I didn’t feel that way. I felt we needed to execute better in a few of the games and we could be the team moving on.”

Forward William Karlsson said losing to the Oilers made it “a wasted season.” McCrimmon wasn’t as blunt, instead labeling the loss as “a missed opportunity.”

Change will come, but at least given the tenor of the comments by Cassidy and McCrimmon, the Golden Knights will largely return their roster intact next season.

“I think we have a great organization,” goaltender Adin Hill said. “Best management I’ve been under. I think they’re going to do the things that they see fit for [the] roster, whether it’s keeping it the same or whether it’s changing up a few things. I don’t know. That’s their decision, above my paygrade, but it will be exciting to see. We know that we’re going to be contenders every year.”

Forward Reilly Smith made it clear he wants to return. An original Golden Knight, Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins after winning the Stanley Cup and then sent to the New York Rangers a year later. The Golden Knights reacquired the 34-year-old on March 6.

Smith made a smooth transition back into the lineup with three goals and eight assists in 21 games. Then he delivered the play of the postseason for the Golden Knights, scoring with 0.4 seconds left to beat the Oilers in Game 3, and finished with three goals and an assist in 11 playoff games.

“Probably the best hockey I’ve played in my career has been wearing this jersey,” Smith said. “It’s a fun group to be a part of and a fun place to call home. My family loves it here, so if there’s a way to make it work, it’d be great. At the end of the day, it’s a business. My contract negotiations, I probably know as little as [the media does] right now.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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