The MLB playoffs frenzy turns up the heat Thursday with five (count 'em, five) elimination games. We've already said goodbye to the Twins, Blue Jays and Indians, and either the White Sox or A's will be kicked off the American League island. In the National League, the Reds, Cubs, Padres and Brewers need a win to stay alive and force a winner-take-all Game 3.

Here's your guide to every game, stats to know while you watch, a hot take sure to get your blood boiling and a look back at the best from Wednesday's action.

Key links: Preview | Predictions | Schedule, bracket | Playoff Baseball Classic

Watch: ESPN+ Squeeze Play. Whiparound coverage of Thursday's games

What's on tap

All times Eastern; all series best-of-three played entirely in higher seed's home park

Game 2: No. 7 Cincinnati Reds (Luis Castillo) at No. 2 Atlanta Braves (Ian Anderson), noon on ESPN

A trendy pick when they qualified for the postseason field, the Reds already face elimination -- and they face a rookie who, despite having just six big league starts, may well be up to the task. Anderson, who held the Yankees to one hit over six innings in his Aug. 26 debut, posted a 1.95 ERA, .172 opponents' batting average and 41 strikeouts (with 14 walks) in 32⅓ innings. After being shut out in a 13-inning loss in Game 1, Cincinnati needs to find a way to score. The Reds stranded eight runners over the last three innings Wednesday. The Reds have gone 24 consecutive seasons without winning a playoff series (last win: 1995 NLDS vs Dodgers), which is the longest active drought in MLB. If they lose Thursday, you can make it 25.

Game 2: No. 6 Miami Marlins (Sixto Sanchez) at No. 3 Chicago Cubs (Yu Darvish), 2 p.m. on ABC

The upstart Marlins look to keep their unexpected run going and push the franchise to 7-for-7 in playoff series. Miami turns to rookie right-hander Sanchez, who was fabulous in his first five starts (1.69 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) but struggled in his past two (11.57 ERA, 2.57 WHIP). The Cubs counter with Darvish, who is an NL Cy Young contender but has struggled in six postseason starts (5.81 ERA, eight HRs allowed). A key question is whether Marlins outfielder Starling Marte, whose left hand was hit by a pitch Wednesday, will be able to play.

Game 3: No. 7 Chicago White Sox (TBA) at No. 2 Oakland Athletics (TBA), 3 p.m. on ESPN

The A's have lost a record nine straight winner-take-all games, and they may not have the services of closer Liam Hendriks, who threw 49 pitches in Game 2 looking for a six-out save but needed help to finish things off. Neither manager committed to a Game 3 starter Wednesday; chances are it'll be all hands on deck for both teams, especially with the next round not beginning until Monday.

Game 2: No. 5 St. Louis Cardinals (Adam Wainwright) at No. 4 San Diego Padres (Zach Davies), 7 p.m. on ESPN

The Padres stirred up a lot of excitement this season, but they were dealt a rough hand with their two top starters -- Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet -- missing the wild-card series. Now San Diego needs a win to keep its season alive and faces seasoned playoff veteran Wainwright, who has a 2.81 ERA over 27 postseason appearances (14 starts).

Game 2: No. 8 Milwaukee Brewers (Brandon Woodruff) at No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw), 10 p.m. on ESPN

The banged-up Brewers hung tough in Game 1 but came up short. Now it's do or die for Milwaukee, which at least has its top starter on the mound in Woodruff. With Kershaw on the hill, the Dodgers certainly want to take care of business.

If you watch only one game today it should be ...

Every game Thursday is an elimination game, so you really can't go wrong. But the one that has our interest is the nightcap between the Dodgers and Brewers, primarily to see Clayton Kershaw. The last image we saw of Kershaw in the postseason was one of the lasting images of the 2019 playoffs, the Dodgers lefty -- pitching in relief of the decisive Game 5 of the NLDS against the Nationals -- giving up back-to-back home runs to Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto in the eighth inning, allowing Washington to tie a game it would win in 10. It was the latest unfulfilling moment for the Dodgers and their ace.

Fair or not, the career résumé of Kershaw, perhaps his generation's greatest pitcher, will have a hole in it until he and the Dodgers win a World Series. The 32-year-old had his best season since 2016 and should be fresher than he has been in past postseasons given the shortened 2020 campaign. The powerhouse Dodgers might be able to win it all even if Kershaw isn't on top of his game, but seeing L.A.'s ace play an integral role in earning his ring is a storyline to root for. -- Steve Richards

Updated odds for every series

Projections courtesy of ESPN's Bradford Doolittle.

White Sox-A's (tied 1-1): A's now 51.8% to advance.
Brewers-Dodgers (LAD 1-0): Dodgers 92.2% to advance.
Reds-Braves (ATL 1-0): Braves 84.2% to advance.
Marlins-Cubs (MIA 1-0): Marlins 62.2% to advance.
Padres-Cardinals (STL 1-0): Cardinals 60.7% to advance.

Current World Series odds:

NL: Dodgers 36.6%, Rays 15.2%, Yankees 9.7%, Braves 9.6%, White Sox 6.1%, Padres 6.1%, A's 5.1%, Astros 4.4%, Cardinals 2.9%, Cubs 2.3%, Marlins 0.8%, Reds 0.8%, Brewers 0.3%.

AL: Rays 11.8%, White Sox 9.5%, Yankees 7.2%, Astros 2.6%, A's 2.5%.

Hot take of the day

Watch for a confident Marlins team to push the envelope against Yu Darvish as they attempt to sweep the Cubs. Darvish can be deliberate to the plate, and if the Marlins get runners on, they will try to force the issue. Besides the benefit of taking an extra base, their hope is to knock Darvish off his rhythm, which has been solid from Day 1 this year.

With shadows wreaking havoc on hitters in the final couple of innings in Wednesday's Game 1, whoever is leading after seven may have a big advantage in Game 2. If Darvish is still pitching, it probably means the Marlins were unsuccessful in throwing him off his game. -- Jesse Rogers

Stat of the day

A big reason the Marlins have never lost a playoff series is that they almost always get off to a good start. The Fish improved their Game 1 record to 6-1 with Wednesday's win, the best in postseason history.

The Marlins scored all five of their runs Wednesday in the seventh inning. The last time they scored five or more runs in an inning of a playoff game also came against the Cubs at Wrigley Field -- Oct. 14, 2003, when they scored eight runs in the eighth inning that became infamous for the Steve Bartman incident.

For ESPN+ MLB postseason betting info, check out our picks and best bets

About last night ...

The heavy World Series favorite made their opening statement, and while the Dodgers' 4-2 win over the Brewers wasn't emphatic, it got the job done. Mookie Betts set the tone with a leadoff double in the first, and four Brent Suter walks later, L.A. had a 2-0 lead it wouldn't relinquish. ... The Yankees and Indians played a wild, back-and-forth game that ended more than six hours after its scheduled start time because of weather delays and general mayhem. When everything finally settled down, New York had a 10-9 win and a series sweep. ... The Twins extended the most agonizing streak in sports by losing their 18th consecutive playoff game, which knocked them out to boot. Houston's 3-1 victory puts the Astros, aka Public Enemy No. 1, into the division series against either the A's or White Sox, while Minnesota is left to lament a pair of games in which it had just seven hits and scored just two runs. ... The A's forced a deciding Game 3 by beating the White Sox 5-3 behind starter Chris Bassitt (one run over seven innings). ... The Rays moved on by jumping all over Toronto ace Hyun-Jin Ryu in an 8-2 rout of the Blue Jays. Tampa dispatched of Ryu in the second inning, when Mike Zunino hit a two-run homer and Hunter Renfroe delivered the KO with a grand slam. ... Freddie Freeman broke a scoreless tie with a walk-off single in the 13th inning as the Braves beat the Reds 1-0 and spoiled a great outing by Cincinnati's Trevor Bauer (7⅔ scoreless innings, 12 strikeouts, no walks). ... The Cardinals got to Padres starter Chris Paddack, who allowed six runs and didn't get out of the third inning, as St. Louis beat San Diego 7-4. The Cardinals are 10-1 all time in the postseason against the Padres.

MORE: Wild Card Wednesday takeaways

Social media post of the day

Stay mad, we'll stay winning. #ForTheH pic.twitter.com/YRgLjKLNVY

— Houston Astros (@astros) September 30, 2020

Best moment of the MLB playoffs to date

For about 4½ hours, the Braves and Reds found it impossible to push a run across the plate. But finally, in the bottom of the 13th, with one out and runners on first and third, Freddie Freeman showed why he's a favorite to be the NL MVP by lacing a line-drive single to center and setting off the first walk-off celebration of 2020 that included fans (a few, anyway):

Omgggg!!! So happy!!!! https://t.co/fWSBDIcb6c

— Chelsea Freeman (@chelseafree5) September 30, 2020

And the running MLB playoffs MVP is ...

The Yankees' Gio Urshela. An MVP has to deliver big plays at the plate and in the field. As if his game-turning grand slam wasn't enough, Urshela made the defensive play of the postseason. With Cleveland leading 9-8 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and runners on first and second, Urshela made a run-saving diving stop of a Carlos Santana smash. But Urshela didn't stop there, throwing a strike to second from the seat of his pants to start an inning-ending double play. While the Yankees' two-run rally in the top of the ninth grabs the headlines, Urshela's play is the type that gets lost in the shuffle but wins games -- and postseason series.

Edinburgh have suffered a blow ahead of the new season with Bill Mata ruled out for up to two months.

And head coach Richard Cockerill says he will not be able to bolster his squad, who begin with a Pro14 meeting at home to Ospreys on Saturday.

"Bill is pivotal to us so it's disappointing," said Cockerill.

"He will probably be six to eight weeks, meaning he will miss the first two rounds of the Pro14 with us then the international period with Fiji.

"We've got good cover with Nick Haining and Magnus Bradbury, but certainly for Edinburgh and Fiji that will be a blow."

Scottish Rugby faces losses of £30m if fans do not return to stadiums this season. And Cockerill - braced for an unprecedented strain on his squad from international fixtures - admitted the ongoing financial uncertainty is a "concern".

"We won't be adding to the squad, that's for sure," he said.

"There's going to be more Test matches than ever this season - that's a financial necessity. There won't be any complaints from me. It is an opportunity to build our depth with young guys coming through."

Edinburgh return to action four weeks four weeks after ending last season's Pro14 with defeat in their first semi-final, going down 22-19 at home to Ulster.

That was followed by the loss away to Bordeaux, but Cockerill insists there are plenty of positives to take into the new campaign.

"Actually we're doing some very good things," he added. "We're a good side and have developed our style out of sight in the last 12 months.

"This team has come on leaps and bounds in the last 12 months."

Hooker Adam McBurney has said Ulster need to turn the pain of September's two heavy defeats to their advantage in the new season.

They begin the 2020-21 Pro14 season at home to Benetton on Friday and McBurney is looking forward to a fresh start.

"It was bitterly disappointment to lose those big games," he said.

"However, it is important we don't forget that feeling. We can park it, but when it comes into the season and we are digging deep we need to remember that hurt and use it to push us forward.

"It can help us make sure we do all we can to not let it happen again. If you just forget about it you won't learn from it. So we park it, we move on, but whenever we need that hurt we should use it.

"We want to bring our own stamp to every game and we did that quite a lot throughout the season, but there was maybe a little bit of inexperience when we got to the final and quarter-final.

"After getting there and not getting the results we wanted, it is about not resting on that but instead kicking on. When we get everything right, we can win and beat anyone on any given day."

McBurney played in Ulster's first game back after lockdown, a 26-20 defeat by Connacht in Dublin in August, but did not feature again after that loss.

He spoke candidly about how his performance against Connacht was not good enough, but said he was enthused by his try-scoring appearance in Ulster A's victory over Leinster last week.

"I was bitterly disappointed to miss out on those big games but I had to reflect myself on my performance," he continued.

"If I am brutally honest, I probably did not put my hand up to where it needed to be to play in those big games.

"I have done a lot of hard work behind the scenes and I was pleased to get the chance to play against Leinster A, to get minutes and to put my hand back up again.

"I was very thankful for that, It was a great result and the boys that took the field did the jersey proud. It was good to get back out on to the pitch.

"There were definitely areas of my game around the park that I wasn't happy with. I hold myself accountable for those and have worked hard to put them right.

"Thankfully now it's a fresh season and that bitter disappointment is what will drive me forward going into the new season. Hopefully we kick on because I've learnt a lot from that."

Six hundred supporters will attend Friday night's opener at the Kingspan Stadium, but IRFU chief Philip Browne warned last week that the "very existence of professional rugby" in Ireland is under threat unless fans can return in large numbers.

He added that Ulster's season of turmoil two years ago left it less robust for the current financial challenges, something which the province's chief executive Jonny Petrie said was fair.

However, when asked about the potential impact on professional rugby of the Covid-19 pandemic, McBurney said it is not something the players are thinking about.

"To be honest there has not been much chat about that amongst the players," he added.

"We have one job, which is to perform on the pitch, so if we worry too much about outside factors then it would affect us performing on a Friday night or a Saturday.

"For us, we let other people worry about that we just focus on training hard and getting better."

In MLS, chaos is the order of the day in the best of times. Teams rise and fall. There are designated player busts and out-of-nowhere successes. But in this coronavirus-hit campaign, coming up with midseason awards is even more difficult amid so much pandemonium. It's true that some honors such as Coach of the Year are settled, but others such as Defender of the Year are a veritable shot in the dark.

With about six weeks to go in the regular season, here the teams and individuals best poised to take home some hardware.

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Best Team: Columbus Crew

Columbus has been steady and at times spectacular, although the chasing pack of the Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC and Orlando City isn't far behind. One of them could very well nick the Supporters' Shield -- tainted as it is, given the schedule -- off the Crew. That said, Caleb Porter's side has delivered with solid contributions offensively and defensively. Forward Gyasi Zardes has scored nine goals, while defender Jonathan Mensah has massively upped his game.

The key to their chances down the stretch will be the health of Darlington Nagbe. He's missed the past four games, and while the Crew have gone 2-1-1 during that stretch, they missed him in the defeat to TFC. If the Crew are to claim their second MLS Cup, they will need all of their players operating at their peak.

Most Disappointing Team: Atlanta United

This was a photo finish between the Five Stripes and the LA Galaxy, but Atlanta grabs the "honor" given that it was thought to be one of the league's powers heading into the regular season. The ACL injury suffered by Josef Martinez in its first game of the season on Feb. 29 was a huge blow, but high-priced acquisitions Gonzalo "Pity" Martinez and Ezequiel Barco have done little to pick up the slack.

"Pity" is now gone and Barco was rumored to be, although a move in this window seems unlikely. And even if Atlanta does manage to qualify for the generously expanded postseason, it's clear it is nothing close to the force it was even last season.

Yet there's still time for a different team to take this "honor," as the Galaxy have been all over the place and might yet edge out Atlanta. They were poor early on, continued that trend during MLS is Back and then enjoyed a brief revival, but are trending downward again. With just 15 points on the season, LA currently finds itself outside the playoff places. High-priced forward Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez has been injured for much of the season, but even when he's been on the field, the Galaxy have gone 0-5-2. Time is running out to pull things together.

MVP: Alejandro Pozuelo, Toronto FC

This is one of those awards with no shortage of candidates. Diego Rossi has 11 goals. Gyasi Zardes is top-of-the-table Columbus' top scorer. Then there's the Seattle trio of Raul Ruidiaz, Nicolas Lodeiro and Jordan Morris. Had Portland's Sebastian Blanco not gone down injured, he would be in this group as well. But Pozuelo's overall contribution of five goals and a league-leading eight assists gives him the nod, at least right now. His efforts might yet be enough to grab the Supporters' Shield for the Reds, too.

Golden Boot: Diego Rossi, LAFC

LAFC's defense might not be worth much of anything, and Carlos Vela has missed most of the season, but the Black and Gold are still a terror going forward thanks mostly to Rossi. The Uruguayan's 11 goals so far has given him some daylight with the competition, although Zardes and Ruidiaz are certainly capable of making a run. That said, Rossi's lead and LAFC's "attack first, ask questions later" approach should see him hold onto the Golden Boot.

Coach of the Year: Oscar Pareja, Orlando City

This one is a no-brainer. While general manager Luiz Muzzi laid some of the groundwork for a turnaround last season, Pareja's arrival has accelerated the improvement for an Orlando team that prior to this campaign had never qualified for the postseason. That streak seems a cinch to be broken, so much so that the Lions have set their collective sights on bigger prizes. Orlando's style has been easy on the eyes, too.

The likes of Porter and the forever underrated Brian Schmetzer should round out the top three, but barring a major loss of form by the Lions, Pareja should win the award for the second time in his career.

Defender of the Year: Jonathan Mensah, Columbus Crew

This award is another with plenty of deserving nominees. Mark McKenzie has been outstanding for the Union, as has Xavier Arreaga for Seattle after some early struggles. In the full-back division, New York City FC's Anton Tinnerholm, Toronto FC's Richie Laryea and Orlando City's Ruan have been excellent, but Columbus' defense has been airtight for much of the season -- at least before the Toronto match last weekend -- and much of that has been down to the efforts of Mensah.

The Ghanaian had been pretty average in previous seasons, but he's been marvelous in 2020 with his defending and tidiness on the ball.

Newcomer of the Year: Lucas Zelarayan, Columbus Crew

It must be said there aren't a ton of obvious candidates this season. Chicago's Robert Beric is finally getting goals, and Miami's Rodolfo Pizarro has put up some decent numbers with three goals and four assists. Zelarayan, though, has put up the best numbers of all, with five goals and four assists, while also giving the Crew a creative force that they lacked in previous seasons.

A lack of consistency has dogged Zelarayan throughout his career and there have been hints of that in Columbus, but so far, he's been worth every penny the Crew spent on him last December.

Goalkeeper of the Year: Andre Blake, Philadelphia Union

This award looks to be a three-player race among Blake, NYCFC's Sean Johnson and the New England Revolution's Matt Turner.

Blake has enjoyed the biggest of bounce-back years. In 2019, he looked a mess and nearly cost the Union their first playoff win in team history. In 2020, he's been much more consistent, and his save percentage of 81.1 is tops in the league. Johnson leads the league in goals prevented (which incorporates expected goals) with 8.80, while Turner is second at 7.09.

At this stage, Blake gets the nod given he's been the busiest of the three in terms of shots faced and dealing with crosses into the box, and he's been integral to the Union being second in the Eastern Conference standings.

Comeback Player of the Year: Bradley Wright-Phillips, LAFC

Deciding when to say goodbye to a productive and charismatic player is difficult, but it certainly looks as though the New York Red Bulls gave up too soon on Wright-Phillips. Granted, Wright-Phillips made 24 appearances (just nine starts) in 2019 due to a groin injury, but the Red Bulls' loss has been LAFC's gain, with the 35-year-old Englishman netting seven times and adding three assists.

Rookie of the Year: Henry Kessler, New England Revolution

This award will go down to the wire, with the Chicago Fire's Mauricio Pineda likely pushing the Revs center-back to the very end. A goal scorer like Orlando's Daryl Dike could alter the race, but he needs to get on the field more and of late has been coming off the bench. Of the two defender candidates, Pineda has been tidier on the ball and is the bigger threat on set pieces. Kessler has excelled a bit more defensively, though, winning a higher percentage of his duels both in the air and on the ground. Given defending is the primary job, Kessler just shades it, although both players look to have bright futures.

Across Europe's greatest leagues this weekend, there were 15 players aged 31 and over who scored a goal in Italy, Germany, France and England league action. That's 45 matches in which players of a certain age -- headed by the amazing Fabio Quagliarella, who'll be 38 in January -- pushed back the barriers of time, defying the assumption that age wearies and rusts.

The stat is remarkably different in Spain. In La Liga, there were 12 footballers in the same age range who hit the net in just 10 games -- 120% compared to exactly a third (33%, or 15 out of 45) everywhere else. It's a remarkable disparity, and I guess there's lots to celebrate and glorify.

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It means that in total, 27 guys, many of whom in the not-too-distant past would have been pensioned off, riddled with debilitating injuries, deemed too slow, too fat or simply mistrusted, enjoyed the absolute "jouissance" of football's most glorious moment: hitting the back of net.

The highlights outside Spain would certainly include Jamie Vardy, who'll be 34 in January, hitting a devastating hat trick in Leicester's 5-2 win at Manchester City, and another guy who was (once) a pain in the butt for Pep Guardiola -- 35-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo -- hitting two in the Italian capital to rescue a point for Juventus at Roma.

La Liga is different, though. Always. In everything.

Spain's two biggest daily football newspapers splashed their front pages, on Sunday and Monday, with pictures of virulent veterans winning the points for their teams. On Sunday, Marca and Diario AS, read by many millions of Spaniards every day, each led on Sergio Ramos, 34, scoring the winner for reigning champions Madrid at Betis during an utterly rumbustious 3-2 win. You may wish to note that although he is a central defender, that's Ramos' ninth goal in his past 17 club matches (11th in his past 19, if you count club and country), and he is now one of only two current La Liga players to score in 17 consecutive seasons.

By Monday, the lead story -- at any rate, the splash picture on the front of both those papers -- was Luis Suarez, who will turn 34 in January, scoring twice and making another during a scintillating 20-minute debut/cameo for his new club, Atletico Madrid.

Oldies, but goodies.

It stands out that while La Liga's oldest scorer, Jorge Molina, 38, got what Spain calls a "testimonial" goal in that 6-1 thrashing by Atleti, many of the veteran victors tucked away goals that proved crucial to their teams' fortunes.

Ivan Rakitic, 32 and in only his second appearance since returning to Sevilla after six seasons at Barcelona, sprinted 40 yards in the 95th minute, and in the blistering heat of Cadiz, to take the game away from the home side despite the score being 1-1 when the 90th minute ticked around. Oh, and this after the rigours of him playing almost an hour against Bayern in the UEFA Supercup in Hungary on Thursday night.

Jose Luis Morales, 33, having already "assisted" on Levante's go-ahead goal, prevented the Valencians from having to sweat out the last 13 minutes with a mere goal advantage at Osasuna by scoring a cracking wee goal to make it 3-1. To say nothing of Iago Aspas, 33, sprinting half the pitch and producing a finish any striker, in his 25-year-old prime, would have been busting with pride over, to ensure Celta took a point from Valladolid.

And even though Villarreal were pretty much cannon fodder at Camp Nou, it was Leo Messi, 33, whose penalty tucked Unai Emery's side away for the night at 3-0 after only 35 minutes.

None of this is to ignore the facts that 40-year-old Nino came on and did a very creditable job for Elche against Real Sociedad for just over an hour, nor that the granddaddy of the Primera Liga, Mr. Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez -- born a year before Spain's World Cup hosting duties in 1982 -- played beautifully against Real Madrid, having also racked up 10 goals in 39 appearances last season!

Often, cocktails are the thing that help you celebrate. This time, it's thanks to a cocktail of reasons that we're able to venerate these valuable veterans.

There's no question, at all, that vastly improved dietary advice, daily recuperation techniques, scientific advances in how to rehabilitate, knowledge of which fitness factors must never be ignored, quality of medical surgery, stretching exercises and warm-downs -- all of these things, and dozens of other factors -- have ensured we no longer lose delightful talents just as they hit 30. Instead, their playing days are extended, and the boost means that not only can they simply ooze experience and maturity for longer, but they are able to keep their physical frames in shape.

Two further things cannot be ignored. FIFA and IFAB have, gradually but drastically, engineered climate change as far as the protection of skilled players is concerned. Some, I know, argue that almost all payers are now "overprotected," but the hard fact is that the kind of agricultural challenges some of us lament losing also caused agony and early retirement for many gifted soccer players over the decades and that, now, it's far less likely to occur.

Moreover, the kudos almost always need to be directed to the "golden oldies" who thrilled us this weekend in La Liga (and across Europe too). To be this sharp and lithe, to prevent reaction times from dulling, to stay lean, to go through the outright hell of preseason drills -- all of that requires a tungsten-tough state of mind to go alongside the physical resilience and toughness Molina, Messi, Aspas, Suarez, Dimitris Siovas, Rakitic, Ramos, Costa & Co. showed on Saturday and Sunday.

Almost all players of any significant level have now adopted the idea that they need to be permanently fit. It really wasn't too long ago that footballers looked on summertime as a "reward" and in fairness, that's precisely what Eden Hazard did in summer 2019. Those weeks were, then, a time to overindulge in food and drink, to put on weight, to ignore running, stretching ... to live precisely the life they'd been denying themselves since the age of 16 or 17 in order to make it to the top.

Around Europe, certainly long after I began my career, hundreds of players seemed to fully embrace the fact that they'd carry several kilos too many on their bodies when the brutality of preseason training came around in late July. Not now, and not anymore.

This truly is the age of the perma-fit player, and part of the benefit is that footballers who are lasting longer and are more durable can expect to be elite even if they lose a little pace.

What's a little troubling, I think, is how much La Liga is increasingly reliant on these valuable vets. Spain is still a footballing nation where the "canteras" ("youth systems") are regarded as utterly vital, where youth coaching is a significant badge of honour rather than something the least useful person around a club does. It remains a nation with an overdeveloped record of winning youth tournaments.

But equally, it's crucial to accept that more and more relatively green, relatively young gems are being levered out of La Liga by clubs and leagues who either don't care too much about investing in youth development or, simply, have more cash than, say, a Villarreal (Samu Castillejo), Valencia (Ferran Torres), Betis (Fabian Ruiz) or Real Sociedad (Diego Llorente). I could even mention the scores of youth talents scooped up by the Bundesliga, Premier League and Italy before they've even hit the first team at Barcelona or Madrid. Of the 14 players who took to the pitch throughout Spain's U-21 European Championship win over Germany last summer, seven either have played abroad, still do or are about to.

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That list of names I've used comprises nothing but obvious examples; there are many more, and it's a growing trend.

Doesn't it seem obvious how something that had already grown from a trickle to a flow might increase exponentially as Spanish football suffers with the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis? I think so. Therefore, an extra heartfelt "thank you!" to the coaches who, this past weekend, fielded Bryan Gil (19, Sevilla) Joao Felix (20, Atleti), Kang-in Lee (20) and Yusuf Musah (17, both Valencia), Ander Barrenetxea (18) and Roberto Lopez (20, both Real Sociedad) and Emerson (21, Betis).

Not forgetting, of course the granddaddy of them all -- wait, that's not right, the grandson of them all? -- Mr. Ansu Fati, born in late October 2002, not yet 18 and already performing with the assurance, power, decision-making acuity and confidence of a highly talented player many years his senior.

Fati is an outright phenomenon in the making, and even if you ignore the thunderous goals against Villarreal, just look at how easy he's making it look to play alongside Messi. Outrageous.

All hail the golden oldies, yes, but please let the flow of goal-scoring, goal-preventing golden youth be never-ending ... at least here in Spain.

Ellyse Perry's future workload as a bowler has been discussed within the Australia set-up but head coach Matthew Mott said she is determined to return from her hamstring injury as a "genuine allrounder" although that may not happen in the WBBL.

Perry suffered a setback in her recovery from the injury that curtailed her T20 World Cup campaign when she tweaked the same hamstring during training ahead of the T20I series against New Zealand.

Perry and the Australia camp has since conceded that these matches would probably have been too soon for a comeback even without any hitches, but now it remains uncertain what role she'll be able to play for the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL which begins in a Sydney hub on October 25.

Longer-term, however, Mott "desperately" hopes Perry, who has an ODI batting average of 52.10 and would be a first pick as a top-order batter alone, can return as a frontline bowler and said that her absence was a reminder how it often requires two players to replace her in an XI.

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"It's something we talk about a lot," Mott said. "As allrounders get into the backend of their careers the bowling can drop off, but I can assure you Ellyse is determined to come back as a genuine allrounder, she's worked incredibly hard in that break. Realistically she was always going to struggle to be available for this series given how dramatic the injury was.

"In the short-term, we are talking about that [bowling] role in the Big Bash...but definitely in the long term we she wants to bowl fast. It'll take time, we always knew it would. Ellyse can hold her spot as a batter or bowler and for me that's the definition of a genuine allrounder and they don't come along too often. Desperately hope we can get her back as a genuine allrounder. When you take Ellyse Perry out of our team you realise just how great she is because you have to replace her with two players usually."

Shortly after captain Meg Lanning confirmed Perry was out of the New Zealand series a few days ago a video posted by Cricket Australia showed her going through her paces in the nets, seemingly not holding much back despite the recent twinge of her hamstring.

Perry has been known to push her body to the limited before. Last season in the WBBL she continued to field against the Melbourne Renegades after landing awkwardly and damaging her shoulder and in 2013 World Cup final against West Indies took 3 for 19 off 10 overs while barely able to walk due to an ankle injury. The biggest challenge for the management and medical staff could be Perry's own drive and expectations.

"We'll be smart with all that," Mott said about the risk of longer-term injury. "Her management plan will be very detailed. We've already spoken a lot about what it looks like."

In the immediate future there is set to be a chance for one of Australia's squad players to come into the side for the first ODI on Saturday with Delissa Kimmince having picked up right hamstring soreness during the final T20I. The other seam-bowling options in the squad include Belinda Vakarewa, who has previously played one ODI and impressed in the warm-up match, along with allrounders Annabel Sutherland (capped in T20Is but not ODIs) and Tahlia McGrath plus the uncapped Maitlan Brown.

A new pitch will be used for the one-day series and the same surface then played on for all three games which adds up to potentially 300 overs on the one strip, meaning spin is again likely to play a key role as the series develops.

"It does serve up different challenges, but they are really good challenges for us to overcome," Mott said. "If there's on area of our game that's held us back it's been on some slow wickets so it's another opportunity to prove our adaptability and find a way to get success.

"At least the first two games it will be a genuinely good batting wicket like it always is at AB Field...but you can't have it as good on the last day as it is on the first. Both teams are aware of that. The toss could play a part [later in the series], it could be an advantage to get a score. Our batters need to cash in when they can."

Australia's defeat in the last T20I was their first loss to New Zealand in 13 matches; their hold on the Rose Bowl one-day series goes back an extraordinary 20 years. A 3-0 whitewash would equal the record of 21 consecutive ODI wins held by the Australia men's team from 2003, under captain Ricky Ponting.

"The last match I thought the Kiwis come out and played extremely well," Mott said. "We had the rub of the green, we got to bat first on a tricky wicket that was wearing and was a very strong spin attack. It was a very big victory for them, and the first one in a while that they've beaten us. Hopefully that spurs us on for the one-day series. We've had a good run against them but never ever thought anything but them being a very good cricket team."

England captain Heather Knight and five other members of the national squad that beat West Indies 5-0 in September's T20I series will fly to Australia for the Women's Big Bash League on Saturday. Nat Sciver and Katherine Brunt have already been announced as overseas signings by the Melbourne Stars, while Knight revealed in the presentation after Wednesday's match that she has signed a deal to play in the competition, as have Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones and Sarah Glenn.

Beaumont (Melbourne Renegades), Jones (Perth Scorchers) and Knight (Hobart Hurricanes) all held contracts in last season's WBBL, but the teams they will play for this season remain unconfirmed. Glenn, Player of the Series against West Indies, will be playing in the competition for the first time, and is set to join the Perth Scorchers.

Meanwhile, it is understood that the ECB is open to allowing players to appear in India's Women's T20 Challenge, and will sign No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) assuming it is satisfied with the Covid-19 protocols in place.

ESPNcricinfo revealed on Wednesday that the BCCI is likely to stage the three-team tournament from November 4-9 - during the IPL playoffs week - with plans in place to involve overseas players despite the clash with the WBBL, which begins on October 25 in Sydney.

Although the BCCI is yet to make any formal announcements on the tournament's fixtures or quarantine requirements, it is understood that both the Indian and overseas players will arrive in the UAE by the third week of October. All the three squads would be put up at one hotel, which will be part of a biosecure bubble. Just like the eight IPL franchises, the women's contingent will undergo a mandatory six-day quarantine at the team hotel during which tests would be carried out on days one, three and five.

The selection process for squads the T20 Challenge has already begun, and English players are expected to be big draws. Sophie Ecclestone, the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler, and Danni Wyatt both appeared in the 2019 edition, and would be among the top overseas players involved if recruited, not least in the absence of Australian internationals due to the WBBL running parallel. Wyatt missed Wednesday's fifth T20I for personal reasons.

It is understood that at least one top-flight England player had been waiting for an official update on the T20 Challenge before committing to the WBBL, but with details on the Indian competition slow to come out and a mandatory two-week quarantine set upon arrival in Australia, time for stalling ran out. Other players who could find spots might include Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Sophia Dunkley, Anya Shrubsole and Kate Cross.

England players not involved in either competition will have two weeks off at the start of October after leaving the biosecure bubble in Derby, before reporting to Loughborough for a training camp for seven weeks of training before Christmas with no international cricket scheduled for the rest of the year.

"The girls will have a few weeks off, then go back to Loughborough," Knight said. "It's fair to acknowledge it's been quite tough, living in a bubble the whole time. It's been particularly hard for the girls not playing, so credit to them.

"I think they need [the time off]," said Lisa Keightley, England's head coach. "It's been quite draining here - tougher than you might think - so it's good to have a bit of a break, which they're all looking forward to.

"It'll be awesome for those players that are going to get a bit more cricket. It's been pretty lean so, I'm sure they're really looking forward to going out there and playing.

"We know [the WBBL] is a really good competition so the standard will be good. If you're performing in that you know you're travelling pretty well so it's very exciting for those girls going out."

England's next international series is likely to be in New Zealand in early 2021, with NZC describing the tour as "confirmed" in a press release this week after it had previously been mooted by ECB chief executive Tom Harrison.

Cricket Australia are also in talks with NZC regarding a possible women's tour, with some possibility that the sides could play a tri-series.

Additional reporting by Annesha Ghosh

CLEVELAND -- It took the New York Yankees nearly five hours on the field, carried them from Wednesday to Thursday and September into October to complete the sweep.

They stumbled into the 2020 postseason. They're standing tall now.

DJ LeMahieu's tiebreaking single in the ninth inning off closer Brad Hand sent the Yankees into the AL Division Series -- and a matchup with rival Tampa Bay -- after a wild 10-9 win over the Cleveland Indians early Thursday in the longest nine-inning game in major league history.

"I'm 47 years old. I've watched a lot of baseball. I've watched a lot of my dad's playoff games, been in some really big games, and I don't know how you top that one -- the back and forth, the amount of big plays," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Tonight just had that feeling that these guys weren't going to be denied.

"They weren't going to lose."

At 4 hours, 50 minutes -- even without two rain delays totaling another 76 minutes -- it was draining. It's no wonder after Aroldis Chapman got the final out well after 1 a.m. that the Yankees barely celebrated on the field. They observed COVID protocols and shared some fist bumps as they left.

"You don't have to pour champagne on each other to appreciate what an epic game that was and the fact that we're moving on," Boone said.

The Yankees will play the Rays in a best-of-five Division Series next week in San Diego. New York went 2-8 during a testy season series with top-seeded Tampa Bay, which won the AL East by seven games over the second-place Yankees.

"They've been the best team in our league all year, so we're excited to play the best team and hopefully can have our way with them," Boone said.

LeMahieu, the AL batting champion during the shortened, 60-game regular season, grounded his hit into center field to score Gio Urshela, who hit a go-ahead grand slam earlier and made a huge defensive play at third base.

"That was one of the best games I've played in my life," Urshela said.

Down 9-8, the Yankees tied it in the ninth on Gary Sanchez's sacrifice fly off Hand, who went 16 of 16 on save tries during the season but was stung by a walk.

The Yankees were staggering last week. But their heavy-hitting lineup got rolling over two nights in chilly, mostly empty Progressive Field. New York pounded Cleveland ace Shane Bieber in the opener and now the Yankees, who hit seven homers in the series, have found their swing as the calendar flips to the month that defines them.

"We probably caught people's attention," Boone said. "We haven't done anything yet. This was just a stepping stone."

Chapman got the last six outs for the win, aided by a spectacular play from Urshela to begin an inning-ending double play in the eighth that kept it a one-run game. The Indians got the potential tying run to first in the ninth on a strikeout passed ball with two outs before Chapman struck out pinch-hitter Austin Hedges.

For the Indians, a season of adversity ends with more heartache. They twice rallied to tie the Yankees and took the lead in the eighth on Cesar Hernandez's bloop RBI single off Chapman only to have the reliable Hand give it away.

Cleveland, which hasn't won the World Series since 1948, has lost eight straight postseason games and dropped 10 consecutive elimination games -- a major league record -- extending back to the 1997 Series.

"We had many different things and a lot of obstacles," said acting manager Sandy Alomar Jr., who filled in while Terry Francona dealt with health issues. "But this group stayed together -- by any means. We had an eight-game losing streak, they came back.

"Today's game reflected how much this team grinds and how much they fight."

Sanchez, benched in Game 1, had a two-run homer and Giancarlo Stanton connected on a solo shot for New York, which was down 4-0 in the first.

The Yankees were two different teams this season as they played much better at home in the Bronx than on the road, going 11-18.

They entered this expanded postseason as a No. 5 seed and not scaring anyone, but now they've got momentum.

"When we're right," Boone said before Game 2, "it doesn't matter where we are."

Down 8-6 and their postseason in jeopardy of a quick ending, the Indians tied it in the seventh on pinch-hitter Jordan Luplow's two-out, two-run double off right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga following a gutty move by Alomar.

With two on, Alomar sent Luplow to the plate instead of Josh Naylor, who became the first player in major league history to get five hits in his first five postseason plate appearances.

Luplow smoked a ball to center that went over Aaron Hicks' head and brought in two, sending Cleveland's bench into a frenzy.

A two-time All-Star, Sanchez was benched for the opener after hitting .147 over 60 games, and he batted ninth for the first time in his career in Game 2.

But he rewarded Boone's faith by connecting in the sixth inning off Indians rookie Triston McKenzie with a wind-aided shot to right to tie it 6-all.

"He's shown me a lot the last couple of days," Boone said of his embattled catcher.

The Indians head into an offseason of uncertainty.

All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor went 1 for 8 in the series and might have played his last game in Cleveland. The Indians have him under control for one more season, but he's turned down several contract offers and the club may have no choice but to trade him before he becomes a free agent.

RECORD STORE

Indians pitchers walked 12, tied for the most in any postseason game. The 19 combined walks by both teams also matched a postseason mark. ... The longest nine-inning game in the regular season lasted 4:45, the longest previous in the postseason took 4:37. ... Urshela is the third Yankees player to hit a go-ahead grand slam in the postseason, joining Gil McDougald (1951) and Tino Martinez (1998).

ANOTHER CHANCE

Depending on what happens with Francona, Alomar could be Cleveland's next manager. The former Indians All-Star catcher has been a managerial candidate elsewhere in the past, but never felt any of the opportunities were genuine.

"Some of the interviews were, to me, token interviews," he said. "If somebody's interested, they can call and we'll talk. But it's not like I'm pushing myself or promoting myself to be a manager."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Indians: C Roberto Perez left with a bruised right hand after being hit by a pitch in the seventh.

UP NEXT

Yankees: Some rest before the ALDS begins on Monday.

Indians: A potentially turbulent offseason of major decisions on Lindor, Francona's health and perhaps a name change.

Australian internationals win at MK 5km PB Special while Lewis Byng breaks another UK under-20 shot put record in Moulton

The Diamond League in Doha on Friday was the big event of the past few days and you can read our report here but there was plenty of other action in the UK and around the world.

NoblePro MK 5km PB Special, Milton Keynes, September 27

Ryan and Genevieve Gregson scored a family double as the Australian duo, who have been racing regularly on the European circuit lately, won over 5km on the roads in 13:50 and 15:49 respectively.

The men’s winner, who lost his Australian 1500m record to fellow Melbourne Track Club runner Stewy McSweyn the previous day, won by 20 seconds from Adam Clarke while his wife’s winning margin was around 150m from Eleanor Bolton.

Pick of the masters performances on a chilly and windy late-summer morning were M45 Mick Hill’s 15:19, M55 Andrew Leach’s 16:36, W40 Kirsty Longley’s 16:52 and W50 Caroline Hoyte’s 17:42.

Folkestone Half-Marathon, September 27

Anthony Johnson won this event in Kent in 68:25 with Carl Delaney 14 seconds behind as Georgina Wiley won the women’s 13.1-mile event in 84:17.

Harrow AC race night, London, September 24

Mukhtar Musa of Shaftesbury Barnet won the 1500m in a PB 3:53.53 to go third in the UK under-17 rankings for 2020.

Cheshire Half Marathon, Siddington, September 20

British masters marathon record-holder Andrew Davies finished narrowly ahead of former English National winner Charlie Hulson, 2:10 marathoner Jonathan Mellor and Olympic 10,000m runner Ross Millington over 13.1 miles.

Davies clocked 65:51 as the top four (pictured below) were separated by a couple of seconds, while W40 Elizabeth Renondeau won the women’s race by the much bigger margin of two minutes in 78:38.

SM 10km, Belp, Switzerland, September 27

Swiss steeplechase specialist Fabienne Schlumpf ran 32:23 to beat Chiara Scherrer over 10km by 20 seconds as Britain’s Steph Twell was third in 33:38 a few days before tackling the London Marathon.

Hercules Wimbledon meeting, Wimbledon, September 23

European under-18 3000m champion Thomas Keen improved his 3000m PB to 8:13.04.

England Throws Camps Series, Moulton, Northamptonshire September 26

Lewis Byng (below) added over half a metre to his week-old British under-20 shot put record as he launched the 6kg shot to a mighty 20.26m to surpass the 20m metre barrier for the first time.

In total there were five PBs from 31 athletes despite cold and windy conditions.

Lidingöloppet cross-country race, Sweden, September 26

Samiel Russom of Eritrea ran 45:38 for 15km to beat Samuel Tsegay as Charlotta Fougberg took the women’s category ahead of Meraf Bahta in elite-only fields.

Deinze, Belgium, September 27

Thomas van der Plaetsen, the former European and World University Games champion, scored 8027 points in the decathlon.

Vittorio Veneto, Italy, September 27

Veteran Valeria Straneo won the Italian 10,000m title in 32:55.25 aged 44.

Warsaw Marathon, September 26-27

Dominika Stalmach was the quickest woman with 2:41:57 while Pawel Kosek was the No.1 overall 2:23:14 at an event held in four waves.

Monthly magazine to be published by 21six as brand begins exciting new chapter

After a COVID-induced hiatus, AW relaunches just before the London Marathon, bringing out the first issue of what will now be a monthly magazine. As well as receiving a significantly bigger, newly branded and freshly designed magazine, members and subscribers will benefit from a digital version of AW, exclusive podcasts, e-newsletters, access to back issues and a members’ area on athleticsweekly.com, which will contain plenty of member-only content.

The ownership of AW has switched from The Great Run Company to 21six, which owns a number of companies with a great track record and pedigree in sports publications, having interests in titles and brands such as Wisden Cricket Monthly, The Blizzard, England Netball’s 5th Qtr and the rugby podcast The Good, the Bad and the Rugby.

21six group CEO Rick Ankers says: “We are delighted to bring AW into our stable. It is a brand with a great history, a brilliant team and, we firmly believe, a very bright future. I’d like to put on record our thanks to The Great Run Company for having managed AW for so long – they have been nurturing owners and we look forward to enjoying a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with them for a long time to come.”

Ankers continues: “We are passionate about sport and about communication, and we believe we will give AW members, fans and followers the very best in-depth coverage, focusing not only on the major championships, such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships, but also the best in schools and grassroots club athletics.”

To illustrate its breadth of ambition and widespread support from the athletics community, AW has set up an editorial board consisting of Tim Hutchings, Hannah England, Elliot Giles, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Dave Moorcroft, Steph Twell, Holly Bradshaw, Hannah Cockroft, Colin Jackson and Sally Gunnell.

Olympic and world 400m hurdles gold medallist Gunnell says: “I’m so glad AW is returning and delighted to be on the athlete editorial board as we look forward to working with the AW team in an exciting new era for the brand.

“My mum will be pleased, too. She has got a house full of issues going way back!”

The first issue of the revamped magazine will be with subscribers before the start of the London Marathon on October 4, while other member and subscriber benefits will be available from October 1. To buy a copy of the historic relaunch issue, go to athleticsweekly.com from October 1, and for further information about AW or 21six, email [email protected] and [email protected]