TORONTO — The fingers of Dodgers catcher Will Smith played upon the keys of the PitchCom device on his right knee like those of a virtuoso pianist playing Johan Sebastian Bach. In and out, up and down, fast and slow, as if weaving multiple melodies within one work, Smith called one of the most beautiful World Series games ever composed because of how well the master on the mound followed his lead. Dodgers righthander Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched the Brandenburg Concertos of the World Series oeuvre.

It was classical music on a ball field. Yamamoto threw 104 pitches at 19 different speeds with six different pitch types spaced apart as far as 24 mph. He didn’t just beat the hottest lineup of October; he also made the Toronto Blue Jays hitters appear overmatched in a 5–1 victory Saturday that evened the World Series at one throwback win apiece: an old-school contact-heavy win by Toronto in Game 1 and this magnum opus by Yamamoto in Game 2.

The World Series, now in its 121st iteration, has seen only eight other games pitched with this level of craftsmanship: a complete game win with no walks and as many as eight strikeouts. The only other Dodger to spin such a gem was Sandy Koufax in 1963 World Series Game 4. The other master composers were Madison Bumgarner in 2014, Cliff Lee in 2009, Phil Douglas in 1921 and dead ball era aces Rube Foster in 1915, Smoky Joe Wood in 1912, Eddie Plank in 1911 and Deacon Phillippe in 1903 in the first World Series game ever played.

Yamamoto has thrown back-to-back complete games (the first pitcher to do so since Curt Schilling 24 years ago) and this postseason is 3–1 with a 1.57 ERA with four walks contrasted against 26 strikeouts. He has been so good he now influences this series the way Bumgarner did in 2014, Orel Hershiser in 1988, Bob Gibson in 1967 and other aces of bygone eras whose next start loomed like the Sword of Damocles for the opponent. If there is a Game 6 back here, Yamamoto will get the ball. Toronto had better hope it is not an elimination game, which adds pressure to the next three games starting Monday in Los Angeles.

“He’s in a very good spot right now and he feels very good with everything that he is doing,” Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior said. “That [process] has evolved over the year. It’s in a really good spot right now and hopefully we’re going to need it one more … maybe one more time.”

The Blue Jays cooled off in a hurry because they could not possibly cover everything Yamamoto threw at them: six pitches, all with impeccable command, between 74 and 98 mph. They could not rule out any pitch at any time. Yamamoto used all six pitches to get his 27 outs: 10 of them via his curveball, six with splitters, five with four-seamers, four with cutters, one with a slider and, as if showing off, one with a sinker not until his 26th out.

His game began double-single, putting runners on the corners with no outs and Rogers Centre quaking with anticipation of another fast-break, Showtime Lakers kind of night. Not so fast. Yamamoto leaned on his curveball and splitter for 14 of his next 17 pitches to get two strikeouts sandwiched around a pop-up to leave the runners right where they stood.

 “You know, it’s funny,” said Galen Carr, Dodgers vice president of player personnel who made many a trip to Japan to scout Yamamoto before they signed him to the richest contract in pitcher-only history, $325 million over 12 years. “Because in Japan I think we would watch him and he’d get himself into a situation like that early on and then he’d just make pitches. He's a pitchmaker. His ability to mix and match, pitch to both sides of the plate, change speeds, planes and angles … it’s really unique.”

Said Prior, “And from then on, he was in pretty much control the whole time.  It’s really his emotional heartbeat, you know, however you want to say. It just doesn’t seem phased, given the situation, given the magnitude of these games, given what we were coming off of last night …”

Dodgers Game 1 starter Blake Snell did not have his A stuff, giving up a career-high five hits on his changeup, spraying his fastball and working too hard to finish off hitters. The Blue Jays (who did not bat in the ninth in their home win) fouled off 39 pitches, the most over eight innings in a World Series game since pitch tracking began in 2008. Yamamoto had no such trouble. He had more whiffs (17) than foul balls allowed (16) while writing a prescription for the Dodgers for the rest of the series.

Yamamoto threw just 28% fastballs (sinkers and four-seamers), the lowest percentage by the Dodgers all year. The previous low was 32.4%, which happened in NLCS Game 2—another complete game win by Yamamoto. You are likely to see below-average fastball use from Los Angeles’ next two starters, Tyler Glasnow (56%) and Shohei Ohtani (46%).

“My pitching style is to just keep attacking the zone,” Yamamoto said. “So, every pitch I throw, I focus on getting to the strike zone. So, there’s not much adjustment in the game.”

He threw an astounding 70% strikes (73 of 105), another marker of his exquisite craftsmanship.

“If anyone else has any questions,” Carr said, “about why we gave this guy a contract that we did before he was pitching in the big leagues, I think he’s probably answered those questions.”

This is the series that put “world” into “World Series.” With the series back in Canada for the first time in 32 years, Game 2 featured players in the starting lineup from Japan, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. The 5' 10" righthander from Japan proved on the biggest stage he is one of the best pitchers in the world.

“I think by the third [inning],” Prior said, “he just felt really good to where he had them caught in between. He could do what he wanted.”

It is an extraordinary admission by a pitching coach that his pitcher was so good he could choose pitches fairly at his whim. Only one other of the 175 starters who faced the Blue Jays this year rang up at least eight strikeouts with no walks against them: Zack Wheeler, who lasted only six innings in that start, not finishing his own start the way Yamamoto did. 

After each half inning, Prior would sit down with Yamamoto and his interpreter on the dugout bench to review the next three or four hitters coming up the next inning for Toronto. Yamamoto also would crack open his black journal notebook, in which he has scribbled his own scouting report and assorted pitching notes. Not once in those discussions did Prior—or manager Dave Roberts, for that matter—inquire of Yamamoto of his energy level or remaining stamina, which is in today’s bullpen-heavy game, when “third time around” is treated as frighteningly as the third rail of a subway line. No, it was plainly obvious that Yamamoto was plenty strong, even a whopping 202 1/3 innings into his year.

The pitching coach and manager had an easy call to keep running him back to the mound. The game belonged to Yamamoto and now to history. Meanwhile, the Sword of Damocles has been hung by its thin thread, for Yamamoto earned not only a place in World Series lore, but also until they may meet again inside the heads of Blue Jays hitters.

When Freddie Freeman takes the field on Friday night for Game 1 of the World Series, it will feel like he's playing in one of his homes away from home at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. While Freeman's job with the Dodgers in their quest to capture back-to-back championships will be front and center on his mind, playing baseball in Canada, in which he holds dual citizenship along with the United States, will be special for both he and his family.

"Yeah my dad is obviously going to head out there tomorrow as well," Freeman said Tuesday. "So it's going to be pretty special. And I'm not so sure the Canadian fans, Blue Jays fans, will be cheering for me this time around like it was in the World Baseball Classic the last couple of times. But it is special."

Freeman played for Canada in both the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics, changing his representation to Canada through his citizenship from his parents. Freeman's return to Toronto will also be an emotional one, given that he'll be returning to the city where his mother grew up. She died after being diagnosed with melanoma when he was just 10 years old.

"Both my parents are born and raised in Canada, especially in the providence of Ontario—my mom from the Toronto area. My dad from Windsor," Freeman continued. "So, it is special. Everytime I go there, you just have this feeling inside that you feel just a little bit closer to my mom. So I'm looking forward to it."

And even though Freeman will be playing against the Blue Jays, he's still excited about what the team has accomplished thus far, given his Canadian roots.

"I mean, that’s special,’" Freeman said. "When you have a whole country that you know is behind one team, that’s pretty amazing. And then, obviously, what they’ve done. They’ve invested in their team, into that stadium, the visiting clubhouse, they’ve put a lot into the Toronto Blue Jays.

"So to just see the city come together, and get to experience so much jubilation that they had going to the World Series for the first time in 30-plus years, you know it’s an exciting time. And being from Canada, it’s pretty cool."

Martin O’Neill signed off his second spell with Celtic in style with a 1-0 win over Dundee at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.

The experienced interim won seven of his eight matches in charge of the club after Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October, and Wilfried Nancy will take on the role from Thursday.

Daizen Maeda scored the only goal of the game for O’Neill’s side as he bravely competed to head into the back of the net after Hyun-jun Yang’s effort was saved, which led to him wearing a bandage for the remainder of the night.

Ranking Celtic's best performers against Dundee

The Japan international was, of course, one of the top performers on the night for the Hoops because it was his goal that ultimately sealed all three points to send Celtic level on points with Hearts at the top of the table.

He was not the top performer on the night for the Scottish giants, though, as a couple of other players were ahead of him in that respect, because the striker also missed a ‘big chance’ and lost five of his six duels, per Sofascore.

Reo Hatate was one of those two players. The Japanese whiz created two ‘big chances’, including Yang’s initial shot before the goal, and won four of his seven duels, per Sofascore, in what was a masterful showing in the middle of the park.

1

Colby Donovan

2

Reo Hatate

3

Daizen Maeda

4

Hyun-jun Yang

5

Kasper Schmeichel

As you can see in the table above, Yang and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who pulled off three saves and three run-outs to keep his clean sheet intact, were also among the top performers on the pitch.

However, we have ranked Colby Donovan as the best performer on the night for the Scottish giants, as he provided a reminder of his quality after a shaky game against Hibernian.

Why Colby Donovan is undroppable for Wilfried Nancy

On Sunday, the Scottish full-back lost two of his three ground duels, per Sofascore, and was subbed off at half-time after being booked for a late challenge on Jordan Obita.

After that disappointing showing at the weekend, Donovan may have known that he needed to respond with a big performance against Dundee to ensure that the new manager does not drop him for the game against Hearts on Sunday.

Now, the Scotland U21 international is surely the first completely undroppable player for Nancy at Parkhead, because he was the best performer in the last game before his first match in charge.

Donovan won three of his four ground duels and three of his three aerial duels, winning 87% of his total battles, per Sofascore, whilst Maeda, for example, lost five of his six duels and struggled on that side of the game after scoring his goal.

Sofascore rating

8.3

1st

Duels won

6

1st

Aerial duels won

3

1st

Aerial duel success rate

100%

1st

Tackles won

2

1st

Touches

91

4th

Successful crosses

3

1st

Key passes

2

2nd

As you can see in the table above, the academy graduate also added creativity in possession to go along with his outstanding defensive work, as only Reo Hatate (five) made more key passes on the night, whilst no one completed more crosses.

Donovan showed Nancy, who was unveiled before the game kicked off, that he is capable of delivering a quality performance at both ends of the pitch from the right-back position, which is why he should already be undroppable.

With Alistair Johnston still sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Scottish youngster should be the first name on the teamsheet ahead of the clash with Hearts on Sunday.

That is also influenced by Anthony Ralston’s disappointing form. Pundit Chris Sutton described his play as “really shaky” when he came off the bench against Hibernian, whilst he was also caught out twice by Mikel Gogorza in the Europa League clash with Midtjylland.

Given Ralston’s lack of form and Donovan’s impressive showing on Wednesday night, the 19-year-old defender will surely already be undroppable for Nancy in the short term.

Yves Bissouma is facing fresh disciplinary action from Tottenham after footage emerged of the midfielder inhaling laughing gas for the second time in just over a year, reigniting concerns over his conduct and future at the club. Spurs have launched a new investigation into the 29-year-old, who was previously suspended for the same offence and has yet to feature this season under Thomas Frank.

• Tottenham launch investigation after Bissouma's laughing gas incident

  Tottenham have launched an internal investigation after Bissouma was filmed inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon during the early hours of November 3, with the footage reportedly recorded at a party in London and reported by . The video, which he is said to have sent to a woman invited to join him, has raised immediate disciplinary concerns, given his previous suspension for the same behaviour. Spurs confirmed that the matter is being handled internally after the footage was published, intensifying scrutiny on a player who is already out of favour this season.

  The incident is particularly serious because possession of nitrous oxide for recreational use has been illegal in the UK since 2023, carrying potential criminal penalties. With Bissouma having already apologised for a similar offence last year and having served a club suspension as a result, this second episode has sparked renewed questions over his professionalism at a time when he has not played a single minute this campaign.

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  Bissouma's turbulent period at Tottenham

  This latest controversy adds to a turbulent period for Bissouma, whose Tottenham future has been uncertain since he was dropped from the squad for persistent lateness at the start of the season. Thomas Frank has left the Mali international out of both his Premier League plans and Spurs’ Champions League squad, noting at one point that there was still a way back but emphasising standards that must be met. The landscape has worsened for the midfielder following an ankle injury sustained on international duty, keeping him sidelined during a period when he needed to rebuild trust.

  Off the pitch, Bissouma has endured further turmoil with revelations in November that he had been the victim of a major fraud, losing £800,000 from a Coutts bank account. Although the club maintain an option to extend his contract beyond June, his position is fragile, with Spurs considering triggering the clause primarily to protect his transfer value ahead of a possible January sale. The latest footage contributes to a pattern of off-field issues that could accelerate an exit, especially with earlier interest from Turkish clubs failing to materialise in the summer.

• Bissouma suspended last year for the same offence

  Bissouma was previously suspended in August 2024 after posting clips of himself appearing to inhale laughing gas, prompting Ange Postecoglou to sanction him for what the manager described as a failure to uphold professional standards. The midfielder issued an apology at the time, acknowledging a “severe lack of judgment” and stressing the importance of his responsibilities as both a footballer and a role model. After serving his punishment, he worked his way back into the side, making 44 appearances last season and playing the full 90 minutes in Tottenham’s Europa League final win over Manchester United.

  Despite that recovery, his situation deteriorated sharply early in the current campaign, with Frank dropping him from matchday squads due to tardiness. The club’s decision to omit him from its Champions League squad reflected a further slide in standing, compounded by an ankle injury suffered while representing Mali in World Cup qualifying. With his contract approaching its final months and the club assessing long-term options, the recurrence of last year’s misconduct has become an additional complicating factor.

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  Tottenham launch internal investigation into Bissouma

  Tottenham’s internal investigation will dictate the scale of any new disciplinary action, with another suspension possible given the seriousness of the repeat offence. Bissouma must wait to recover from injury while also attempting to repair his standing with Frank if he is to regain consideration for first-team football. Whether Spurs choose to sell him in January, activate the one-year extension or give him a final chance will depend heavily on the outcome of the probe and the midfielder’s response in the weeks ahead.

Former Premier League striker Tomasz Radzinski has thrown up the name of a shock winger as a potential replacement for Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah. Salah’s public outburst last week, in which he accused the club of mishandling him and hinted at tension with manager Arne Slot, has intensified the speculation about his future. At 33, and with three consecutive games spent on the bench, the Egyptian superstar suddenly appears closer than ever to ending his decorated Anfield tenure.

Salah’s future in doubt as rift with Liverpool's deepens

Salah signed a two-year contract extension earlier this year, but recent events have thrown his long-term commitment into doubt. Despite his status as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever forwards, many have asked why he chose to air frustrations publicly at such a sensitive moment in the club’s season, while Jamie Carragher believes the timing was deliberate, to send a strategic message to the board. And with the Africa Cup of Nations call-up imminent, some believe he may have already played his final match for Liverpool.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRadzinski: 'Anything can happen'

Speaking in an interview with ComeOnabout Liverpool’s delicate situation, Radzinski insisted the Reds need not panic, even if their talisman departs.

"It's a very funny situation over at Liverpool, so it's hard to judge from the outside. We don't know what's going on at the training ground," he said. "I think they have enough players. I think they've done, in my eyes, fantastic deals in the summer. I just don't think the players who they brought are performing at the moment, but it probably has nothing to do with their personalities or whatever. It's just sometimes when you come from a different competition, different teams, not every team suits every player. This is how it is."

Then came his eyebrow-raising suggestion: Harry Wilson.

"Harry Wilson to Liverpool, why not? If he can perform this well for Fulham," he suggested. "Before Mohamed Salah became one of the greatest players in the Premier League, he had to move to a few other clubs as well. At Chelsea, he was not really rated and he had to go to Italy only to come back to the Premier League to be exceptionally fantastic. Anything can happen. The sky is the limit.

"It's all up to the individual himself and obviously the chemistry together with the manager at that moment and the way the team is playing. If you come to a team and you start playing a new formation and style, it's going to be strange for your head. So you're going to have to adapt to that as well. But, Wilson can do it."

Wilson expected to leave Fulham

Radzinski went further, suggesting Fulham may already have accepted losing their star winger in the summer, who has just over six months left in his current deal.

"If the contract has not been signed until now, it is unlikely it will be signed. The fans should be concerned because Harry Wilson is a really important player," he opined.

"This suggests the management was not up to scratch, I'm guessing. If you know you have such talent and someone who can perform this well for so many years, you don't wait until December to think about a contract extension. You do that last season in December. So, I'm almost sure that Harry Wilson is going to be leaving."

Praising Wilson’s technique and vision, he said: "You see the goal, the way you think about making that pass and then making that shot that he did with the outside of his foot. This is of the highest quality in the Premier League. This is something only the top 5% can think about and then execute as well. He's fantastic. He will be missed and unfortunately, he will be leaving. You know already now that he's not going to be wearing Fulham colours from next summer."

Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

While Wilson’s potential move is one storyline, the most seismic plot centres on Saudi Arabia’s growing confidence in landing Salah. Saudi Pro League chief executive Omar Mugharbel confirmed the league’s interest, calling Salah "welcome" and naming him among their primary targets. According to , Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad are already preparing substantial offers. One senior figure was quoted as saying: "We are absolutely convinced that Mo Salah will come to Saudi. No doubts about it. We don’t know if it will be January, in the next market, or next summer."

The next chapter in the saga will unravel on Saturday when Liverpool face Brighton in the Premier League. It will be Salah’s final match before joining Egypt for AFCON, and his place in the starting XI could speak volumes. If he starts, tensions may be easing. If he is benched for a fourth straight match, Saudi clubs will sense their moment.

Russell was among only two allrounders in IPL history to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets

Shubh Agarwal30-Nov-2025Andre Russell has retired from the IPL as a player, culminating one of the most influential careers in the league, especially for an overseas player. Making his debut in 2012, Russell featured in 140 IPL games – seven for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and 133 for Kolkata Knight Riders – scoring 2,651 runs at a strike rate of 174.17 and picking 123 wickets. Here are some of the statistical highlights from his IPL career.2 – Russell is among only two allrounders in IPL history to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets. Only Ravindra Jadeja (3260 runs and 170 wickets) has matched this feat.174.71 – Russell’s strike rate in the IPL is the highest for any batter with over 1500 runs. The next on the list is Nicholas Pooran, who has a strike rate of 168.97 for his 2293 runs in this league.Related

Andre Russell to join KKR as 'power coach'

204.81 – Russell’s strike rate in the 2019 IPL season. It is the only occasion of a batter amassing over 500 runs in an IPL season with a strike rate in excess of 200. Russell scored 510 runs in IPL 2019 at an average of 56.66 in what was his most productive year with the bat. Only two other batters have achieved the double of averaging above 50 at a strike rate of more than 200 in an IPL season – Brendon McCullum in 2008 and MS Dhoni in 2024.100 – Sixes Russell hit in the death overs (overs 17 to 20), making him one among only four batters with 100 or more sixes in that phase in the IPL.