حسم التعادل السلبي نتيجة مباراة الاتحاد السكندري ونظيره المصري البورسعيدي، في إطار منافسات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية. 

وواجه الاتحاد السكندري فريق المصري البورسعيدي، في الساعة الخامسة من مساء اليوم، على ملعب “هيئة قناة السويس”. 

طالع.. اتحاد الكرة يٌعلن حكم مبارة الأهلي وإنبي في كأس الرابطة

ويقع فريق الاتحاد السكندري في المجموعة الثالثة في مجموعات كأس الرابطة رفقة الزمالك وكهرباء الإسماعيلية والمصري البورسعيدي وحرس الحدود وزد إف سي وسموحة. 

وبهذه النتيجة رفع فريق الاتحاد السكندري رصيده إلى نقطة وحيدة في المركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب المجموعة، بين رفع فريق المصري البورسعيدي رصيده إلى نقطة وحيدة في المركز الرابع. 

Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers hoped to seize control of the World Series in Game 4 but they weren't able to get it done at home, losing 6-2 to the Blue Jays. The series is now tied up at 2-2 and suddenly it looks like Los Angeles could be in trouble, partly because while Ohtani has done virtually everything he can thus far, some of his star teammates are not having the same kind of success.

The biggest name that hasn't stepped up enough in the World Series is Mookie Betts. The 2018 AL MVP is an eight-time All-Star but he hasn't been himself at the plate against the Blue Jays. He has just three hits in 19 at-bats and has yet to knock in a run.

Moments after Game 4, in which Betts went 1-for-4 with his only hit being a single in the eighth inning, Alex Rodriguez seemed to call out the Dodgers' star shortstop, saying his struggles could hurt Ohtani the rest of the series.

"When I look at that lineup, the one guy that you have to circle is the great, great Mookie Betts because if Mookie doesn’t get going that means that Shohei may not get one more at-bat for the rest of series and that’s something to watch," Rodriguez said.

David Ortiz then chimed in with what he thinks has gone wrong for the Dodgers and what the team's other stars need to do to pick up Ohtani.

"Shohei has a hard job to do because he has to pitch and he has to hit but he’s more critical because if he doesn’t hit [the Dodgers] don’t hit," Ortiz said. "It seems like every night when they get going it’s because of [Ohtani]. Now you have a lot of superstars on the ball club, you have a lot of professional hitters that until this point they haven’t been able to come through collectively."

Here's that complete conversation from Fox's postgame show.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hinted there could be some lineup changes for Game 5, saying in his postgame press conference: “I’m going to think long and hard, and it might look a little bit different tomorrow.”

The Dodgers need their other stars to pick it up, and fast. The Blue Jays were resilient in Game 4 and if they can win Game 5 they will head home with a 3-2 lead and will only need to win one game at Rogers Centre to claim their first World Series title since 1993.

Game 5 is a crucial game for both teams. We'll have to wait and see what changes the Dodgers make, if any, and if Betts can finally get going at the plate.

Thomas Frank’s start to life at Tottenham Hotspur has certainly been an impressive one, as seen by his side’s current Premier League standing in 2025/26.

The Lilywhites currently sit third in England’s top-flight, after losing just two of the first nine outings – even keeping four clean sheets during such a period.

His men have been just as impressive at the opposite end of the field, as seen by their tally of 17 goals in the first nine matches, with Mohammed Kudus having a huge bearing on such a record.

The Ghanaian has made an immediate impact after his £55m switch from West Ham United, subsequently registering one goal and four assists in the league to date.

However, despite his impressive start to life in North London, he may have a long way to go until he makes the list of the Lilywhites’ best additions within the last decade.

Spurs’ best additions over the last decade

Over the last few years, Spurs have made numerous high-profile additions to help the first-team squad mount a challenge for a Premier League title challenge.

Cristian Romero was brought into the club on loan in the summer of 2021, but would move to North London on a permanent basis 12 months later for a reported £42.5m.

Such a deal may have seemed to be an expensive one, but three years on, it could go down as one of the Lilywhites’ best over the last few years, given his impact in North London.

The Argentine has brought a needed steel to the club’s backline, racking up a total of 133 appearances across all competitions – even being named as part of the current leadership group.

However, Heung-min Son will no doubt take top spot for Spurs’ best addition in the last decade, with the South Korean exceeding all expectations during his spell in the Premier League.

The hierarchy paid £22m for his signature from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015, an absolute bargain given his total of 454 appearances in North London.

He would score on 173 occasions during his decade-long spell with the Lilywhites, with such a tally putting him fourth in the club’s all-time goalscoring charts.

From solo goals against Burnley and incredible long-range strikes against North London rivals Arsenal, he was capable of the spectacular and handing the fanbase moments to last a lifetime.

Son was even a part of the club’s Europa League-winning campaign in 2024/25, with such an achievement undoubtedly cementing his place as a Lilywhites icon.

The player who could be Frank’s answer to Son

After such success in Europe, Son decided to call time on his Spurs career, leaving in the recent transfer window to join MLS outfit LAFC in a deal worth a total of £20m.

The South Korean international left for a net loss of just £2m from the fee forked out for his signature – further highlighting the incredible business done by the Lilywhites hierarchy.

The decision meant that current boss Frank was unable to have the opportunity to work with the iconic forward, which has often left him without a settled left-winger.

Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson and Xavi Simons have all operated in such a position over the last few weeks – but none have managed to clinch the faith of the boss in the role.

However, that could change in the years ahead, with the club already having a superb young talent within their ranks in the form of teenager Hyeok-min Yang.

The 19-year-old joined the Lilywhites from Gangwon FC back in January, undoubtedly being brought into the club for the future years rather than the present.

It’s evident he already possesses bags of talent, with the youngster scoring 12 times in his 38 appearances for his homeland club, prior to his switch to England earlier this year.

However, in order to gain familiarity with the demands of English football, he’s been sent on various loans in the Championship – currently spending the 2025/26 campaign with Portsmouth.

Yang may only have featured in seven league outings to date, but he’s already made an immediate impact with Pompey, registering two goals and one assist in England’s second tier.

Hyeok-min Yang – Portsmouth stats (25/26)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	7
Goals & assists	3
Pass accuracy	79%
Touches in opposition box	4.7
Fouls won	1.8
Recoveries made	5.3
Shots on target	1.1
Chances created	1.4
Stats via FotMob

His impressive form on the South Coast has led to Korean analyst Jason Lee stating that the teenager is just “like Son Heung-min” – huge praise indeed given his compatriot’s achievements in North London.

Yang’s underlying stats at Fratton Park further indicate how impressive he’s been in 2025/26, with the winger ranking in the top 18% of players for goals per 90.

Other tallies such as 1.8 fouls won and 4.7 touches in the opposition per 90, showcase the danger he poses to the backlines in the Championship, even despite being just 19.

There’s no denying that he has a long road ahead of him before he makes an impact in North London, but there’s no disputing that he could be a real asset to the club in years to come.

Should he get anywhere near the levels produced by his compatriot in the Premier League, Yang will be a force to be reckoned with and potentially help catapult Frank’s men to yet more silverware in the near future.

Frank's next Toney: Paratici leading Spurs move for "one of the best STs"

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a January move to land a new talisman for Thomas Frank.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 28, 2025

Well, that was about as perfect a weekend as Mikel Arteta and Arsenal could have hoped for.

Granted, Manchester City picked up another win, but Liverpool lost their fourth game on the bounce, and their first at home to Manchester United in nine years.

On top of that, the Gunners did their job, beating Fulham 1-0 away from home to extend their lead over the Reds to four points and put themselves in the driving seat for the Premier League title.

1

Arsenal

12

19

2

Man City

11

16

3

Bournemouth

3

15

4

Liverpool

3

15

5

Chelsea

7

14

6

Spurs

7

14

7

Sunderland

3

14

Moreover, while it wasn’t a vintage performance from Arsenal, they were ultimately comfortable against the West Londoners, and it was another stellar showing from Bukayo Saka, and another starter who’s starting to become a Saka-type star.

Saka's performance vs Fulham

Even though Arsenal were not at their best against Fulham, they never looked in any real danger of losing the game.

In fact, what should terrify their title rivals is that, for the second time in as many games, Arteta’s side managed to prevent their opposition from taking a single shot on target.

The last time the Gunners were able to do that was back in the 03/04 season, when they went on to win the league undefeated and on 90 points.

With that said, while Viktor Gyokeres continued to struggle up top, and Leandro Trossard didn’t do an awful lot aside from scoring, it was another strong showing from Saka on the right.

The Hale End legend was lively from the first minute, and while he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, he was far and away the Gunners’ most dangerous forward.

For example, in his 99 minutes of action, he amassed an expected assists figure of 0.55, took two shots, took 86 touches, completed six of seven dribbles, created one big chance, recovered the ball nine times and even won 13 of 20 ground duels.

It was an excellent showing from the stand-in captain, and one that once again showed that, when fit, he is the biggest and most important star in Arteta’s side.

Minutes

99′

Expected Assists

0.55

Total Shots

2

Key Passes

7

Dribbles (Successful)

7 (6)

Big Chances Created

1

Touches

86

Fouls Won

5

Ball Recoveries

9

Ground Duels (Won)

20 (13)

However, there were a few other starters who stood out, including one who is starting to become something of a Saka-type player.

Arsenal's new Saka-type star

It almost goes without saying at this point that William Saliba, David Raya, Declan Rice and Gabriel Magaehelse were once again excellent for Arsenal on the weekend.

Chalkboard

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

However, when it comes to someone starting to become something of a Saka-type player, they do not fall into that category.

Riccardo Calafiori, on the other hand, could.

Now, this comparison is obviously not based on their starting positions or output, as while the Italian has a goal and an assist in him, he is never going to match the numbers of the Englishman – few players can.

Instead, it’s primarily based on the fact that, as one analyst puts it, he ends up “everywhere” on the pitch and adds “pure chaos” to a system many labelled boring at points last season.

For example, the former Bologna star may well start games at left-back, but he spends much of his time roaming around the pitch, picking up space here and there, dragging opponents out of their positions and freeing up areas for his teammates to operate in.

This is the key reason he could be seen as a Saka-type player in the making, as opposition defenders and midfielders are starting to realise that he cannot be left alone to roam, as he will punish them.

This was on full display on Saturday, as not only was he marginally offside for his wonderful strike in the first half, but he was also consistently all over the place, popping up at right-wing, in the middle of the park, and up top.

As one analyst put it in the summer, “his positional IQ, carrying and overall technical quality are literally game-breaking.”

Finally, while this maverick approach to games helps create space for his teammates, it also makes matches more entertaining for fans, with journalist James Benge going as far as calling the Italian “the most electrifying man in sports entertainment” on Saturday night.

Ultimately, they have their clear differences, but Calafiori’s mercurial ability to roam, pull opponents out of position and entertain the fans makes it rather easy to describe him as a Saka-type star.

Hale End's "Saka regen" left for £0, now he's outscoring Arsenal's starboy

Arsenal had a Bukayo Saka regen in Hale End that Edu allowed to leave.

Oct 20, 2025

Nottingham Forest’s Arnaud Kalimuendo has now entered fresh talks to join a new club in January, having failed to establish himself in the starting XI since arriving in the summer.

Kalimuendo arrived at the City Ground with a good reputation, having received high praise from scout Ben Mattinson courtesy of his performances for Rennes last season.

However, the 23-year-old has been unable to make an impact since getting his move to the Premier League, failing to score in nine outings across all competitions, albeit the majority of those came as a substitute.

Last month, it was revealed that Forest were already thinking about offloading the striker, with AS Roma being named as potential suitors, and now a new club have joined the race for his signature.

Stuttgart enter talks with Arnaud Kalimuendo's agent

According to a report from Sky Sports Germany (via Bulinews), Stuttgart are keen on signing Kalimuendo this winter, having expressed concrete interest in getting a deal done, and talks have already been held with the Frenchman’s agent.

The £60k-a-week striker’s move to the City Ground hasn’t worked out, having appeared for a total of just 66 minutes in the Premier League, meaning the door could be open for the German club to get a deal over the line in January.

It seems a little early to consider sanctioning a departure, considering Sean Dyche’s other strikers haven’t exactly been prolific in front of goal either, with Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi yet to score a goal between them in the Premier League this season.

Jesus was particularly poor in the 3-1 victory against Leeds United at the weekend, receiving a 5.8 SofaScore match rating, the lowest of any player on the pitch, before being replaced by Awoniyi just before the hour mark.

Goals from Ibrahim Sangare, Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson ultimately secured all three points for the Tricky Trees, who managed to turn the game on its head after Lukas Nmecha opened the scoring inside 15 minutes.

However, Dyche may be concerned about his options at striker, given that Chris Wood also wasn’t at his best prior to suffering a knee injury, having failed to score since the opening day victory against Brentford.

As such, with Jesus and Awoniyi struggling, it could be worth giving Kalimuendo a chance to prove himself, considering it is very difficult to make an impact as a substitute.

However, the former Rennes man clearly isn’t doing enough in training to impress Dyche, so it may be worth cashing-in if he doesn’t improve ahead of the January transfer window.

Nottingham Forest eyeing move for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa

Nottingham Forest now eyeing £87m "powerhouse" striker with eight goals in 25/26

Evangelos Marinakis clearly means business, with the Tricky Trees joining the race for a new centre-forward.

By
Dominic Lund

Oct 26, 2025

Manchester City’s winless run after the international break extended to two games, following a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

It was a night where Pep Guardiola made ten changes, with Nico Gonzalez the only player to keep his place in the side. However, it was not a decision that paid off.

It was a fairly equal first half, with City failing to exert any sort of dominance on the German side, which you might expect from them at the Etihad Stadium. They only managed five shots in that first 45 minutes.

Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring for the visitors in the 23rd minute, striding into the box unmarked and sweetly striking a left-footed volley into the bottom right corner.

It was a superb finish, but poor defending from Guardiola’s side to allow him that much space.

In the second half, the City manager turned to the bench, calling upon the likes of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki to get his side back into the game. Yet, a header from Patrick Schick in the 54th minute doubled Leverkusen’s lead and was enough to seal the win.

It was a poor performance from City, with some players failing to take their chances.

City's worst performers vs. Leverkusen

On a night where Guardiola rotated his side, it could have been the moment for some players to stake a claim for a more regular starting spot. Well, one of the players who struggled was defender Nathan Ake.

The Dutchman has become a squad player under the former Barcelona manager in recent times, and did not exactly cover himself in glory on Tuesday night.

There is a case to be made that he was at fault for Schick’s goal, allowing the Czech Republic striker to get in front of him in the penalty box and head home. It was poor defending from the experienced Ake.

Another player who underwhelmed was Omar Marmoush. The Egyptian attacker is Haaland’s understudy at the Etihad Stadium, so it will always be hard for him to get regular minutes as a number nine.

Against Leverkusen, he was completely isolated and struggled to get involved in the game, being replaced by the Norwegian in the 65th minute.

Marmoush managed just 18 touches of the ball, didn’t manage a shot and could only win two out of five duels.

As poor as Ake and Marmoush were, two City players were arguably worse.

Man City's 4/10 duo must never start together again

Marmoush and Ake were disappointing, but two players who really played poorly were Savinho and Oscar Bobb. They were City’s two wingers against Leverkusen, but City Chief, a page over on X, said they “offer nothing” when playing out on the flanks.

Indeed, it was a night to forget for both of the wide men.

They didn’t cause Leverkusen many major problems, having a combined 12 touches in their box, creating two chances between them and losing the ball 34 times altogether.

Touches in opposition box

10

2

Chances created

0

2

Passes into final third

1

0

Ground duels won

5/12

3/4

Number of times ball lost

25

9

One person who noticed how lacklustre the wingers performed was Manchester Evening News reporter Simon Bajkowski. He gave them both a 4/10 rating, explaining that Bobb ‘went missing’ after the opening minutes and Savinho had no ‘meaningful contributions’.

With Jeremy Doku and Cherki tending to be Guardiola’s first-choice wingers this term, it is hard to see how the pairing that started against the German side will get into the team together again.

Individually, the quality is there, but as a duo, they lack the potency and perhaps confidence to pose a real threat to a full-back. It was certainly a passive showing against Leverkusen, especially with City losing for most of the game.

It is hard to see how Guardiola doesn’t switch back to his first-choice wide pairing, after such a disappointing performance from Bobb and Savinho.

They would fit well with more direct wingers on the other flank, but as a duo, are perhaps too similar and not urgent enough in one-vs-ones to cause frequent problems.

Worse than Savinho: Man City star is in danger of becoming another Grealish

This Manchester City star is in danger of becoming the next Jack Grealish after another off-performance versus Bayer Leverkusen.

2 ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

With a 15 game slate on Independence Day, let’s hit the prop bet market. 

There’s plenty of games to choose from, but I’m eyeing three pitcher props that have caught my eye, namely the outs prop for Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta. Pivetta has been a victim of poor variance, but a matchup against the Marlins can cure all. 

Here’s three player props I’m eyeing on the Fourth of July. 

Best MLB Prop Bets for Thursday, July 4th Nick Pivetta Over 16.5 Outs (-130)Kenta Maeda Under 3.5 Strikeouts (+116)Charlie Morton Under 17.5 Outs (-138)

Nick Pivetta Over 16.5 Outs (-130)

Pivetta has been volatile this season, but his underlying metrics indicate he has been unfortunate when the ball has been put in play. He has a 4.52 ERA with a 3.92 xERA with a 75th percentile walk rate, per MLBStatcast.

The righty will face a limited Marlins lineup that is last in OPS this season, meaning he should have little issue rolling through this lackluster set of hitters. 

He has only gone over in this in five of 12 starts this season, but given the matchup, I believe this calls for an over bet as Pivetta should face little resistance. 

Kenta Maeda Under 3.5 Strikeouts (+116)

Maeda’s strikeout prowess has diminished this season. He ranks in the third percentile in terms of pitching run value and is striking out a career lowe 17% of batters while posting a 5.76 ERA. 

It won’t get any better for the veteran Tigers starter against a Twins team that strikes out at a bottom third rate and is second in OPS over the last 30 days. With power in the lineup, Minnesota can chase Maeda from this game rather quickly. 

I’m interested in the plus money price tag with some outlier downside risk for Maeda, who can be pulled quickly from this game. For what it’s worth, he has only pitched into the sixth inning four times in 13 starts (one he left after two pitches), and he has tossed four or more strikeouts in seven of them. 

However, given this matchup, I’ll jump on the plus money price tag. 

Charlie Morton Under 17.5 Outs (-138)

This is a fairly average outcome for Morton, who has gone under this mark in eight of 15 starts, but I believe it’s worthwhile to take the under given the Giants ability to work pitch counts and for Morton’s shaky control. 

San Francisco is a league average strikeout team, but the team doesn’t chase much, a top 10 team in chase percentage. 

Further, Morton is walking batters at a 10.1% clip, 24th percentile in the big leagues. If the Giants are able to take pitches around Morton’s breaking ball pitch, this can be a quicker than expected outing for the 40-year-old. 

As we usually see on Thursday's, the MLB slate is a bit shorter than other days as some teams travel in preparation for their weekend series.

With that being said, there are still 12 games for us to watch and bet on and as we always do on Rounding the Bases, I have a bet locked in for every single one of them. Let's dive into it.

Nationals vs. Mets Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Mets -145

It's a battle of lefties today when MacKenzie Gore (3.83 ERA) of the Nationals takes on David Peterson (3.58 ERA) of the Mets. If you want to bet on the team that has been much better against lefties this season, back the Mets. They rank fourth in the Majors in OPS against lefties this season at .785 while the Nationals come in at 28th (.626).

Guardians vs. Tigers Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Tigers -130

The Guardians offense may have the better offense, but with Spencer Howard (5.63 ERA) getting the start against Jack Flaherty (3.24 ERA), the Tigers have the clear advantage in the pitching department and that's enough for me to back them as home favorites in this AL Central matchup.

Rockies vs. Reds Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Rockies +165

Now is the time to back the Rockies as underdogs against the Reds. Austin Gomber has been solid for them this season, sporting an ERA of 4.47. Add that with the fact the Rockies' batting average sits at .244 over the last 30 days while the Reds set at .231 and we could be set up for an upset.

Pirates vs. Brewers Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Pirates -130

It's Paul Skenes day! He has a 5-0 record and a 2.12 ERA. Do you really want to bet against the Pirates when they have Skenes on the mound while the Brewers have Aaron Civale and his 5.18 ERA? I certainly don't. Give me Pittsburgh as road favorites.

Blue Jays vs. Giants Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Giants -125

Kevin Gausman sports a disappointing 4.64 ERA on the year and today he'll take on Jordan Hicks (3.47 ERA) of the Giants. That, paired with the Giants offense which has been better than the Jays all season long, makes them the obvious bet in today's series finale.

Dodgers vs. Phillies Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Phillies -155

The Phillies can complete the series sweep today and further extend their lead atop the National League. They're in a great spot to do exactly that with Aaron Nola (3.48 ERA) on the mound.

Cubs vs. Orioles Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Orioles -140

We're getting a solid price on the Orioles considering they're fourth in OPS in the Majors over the past 30 days while the Cubs are at 26th. They're the much better offense and even have a slight pitching advantage with Albert Suarez (2.48 ERA) taking on Justin Steele (2.95 ERA).

Yankees vs. Rays Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Rays +100

This series has been a matchup between two teams trending in opposite directions. The Rays offense is 11th in the Majors in OPS over the past 30 days while the Yankees rank 20th. Now is the time to buy low on Tampa Bay.

Athletics vs. Red Sox Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Athletics +180

I think there's some slight betting value on the A's as +180 underdogs today. Their offense has been solid of late, ranking 16th in OPS over the last 30 days and Luis Medina has given them a few decent performances as well, sporting an ERA of 4.37. Should the Red Sox be favored? Absolutely. Should they be -225 favorites? I don't think so.

Marlins vs. Astros Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Astros -185

I would stay far away from betting on the Marlins. They're betting just .221 over the last 30 days while ranking dead last in OPS at .611. It's the Astros or nothing for me in this AL West showdown.

Mariners vs. Angels Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Angels +140

Regression is coming for the Mariners sooner rather than later. They are batting just .201 as a team over the last 30 days. It's tough to continue winning games when you're dead last amongst all 30 teams in batting average.

Braves vs. Diamondbacks Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Diamondbacks +110

The Diamondbacks are third in the Majors in OPS over the past 30 days at .793 while the Braves come in at 17th at .715 over that same time frame. With Brandon Pfaadt (4.19 ERA) on the mound for Arizona today, I feel confident betting on the DBacks as home underdogs.

The Blue Jays are one game away from winning the 2025 World Series after beating the Dodgers in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Following a brutal loss in Game 3's marathon thriller, Toronto quickly rebounded with a win in Game 4 to even up the series at two games apiece. Heading into Game 5, each team knew that the result could heavily tip the scales in one side's favor—as Dodgers minority owner Magic Johnson so astutely put it before first pitch.

On Wednesday, the Blue Jays played spoiler for the second straight time during the Dodgers' homestand with rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage's historic start and Toronto's big-time bats helping to secure a pivotal 6-1 win, and now they stand on the precipice of their first World Series title since 1993. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are teetering on the brink of elimination, their first taste of do-or-die baseball since the 2024 NLDS.

If history is any indication, the odds are very much in Toronto's favor.

In a best-of-seven series tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has won the series 46 of 68 times (67.6%), according to MLB's Sarah Langs.

In series which have a 2-3-2 format (like this one), teams who take a 3-2 lead by winning Game 5 on the road before returning home for Game 6 and 7 have gone on to to win the series 20 of 27 times (74.1%).

The Last Time Winner of Game 5 Clinched the World Series

The last two World Series were decided in five games, so they don't apply in this situation. In the 2022 Fall Classic between the Astros and Phillies, with the series tied 2-2, the Astros took Game 5 in Philadelphia before going on to clinch the title two days later at home in Game 6's 4-1 win.

With Game 6 at Rogers Centre on Friday night, the Blue Jays own the clear advantage and will also get to hear their home fans cheering them on in the same building they won their repeat championship in '93. Facing a Dodgers team that doesn't seem to have any answers at the plate this series, the Blue Jays will have sole control of their destiny.

Bryce Harper just wrapped his seventh season with the Phillies and 14th MLB season overall, hitting .261/.357/.487 with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs. It was a strong season, but his 3.2 WAR was his lowest mark for a year in which he played at least 100 games since 2018.

It is reasonable to believe that Harper is on the downswing of his career, but even so, it was surprising to hear Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski appear to indicate that he no longer believes that Harper is an "elite" player.

"In Bryce's case, of course he's still a quality player. He's still an All-Star caliber player. He didn't have an elite season like he has had in the past," said Dombrowski last Thursday. "I guess we only find out if he becomes elite [again] or he continues to be good. You look around the league, you try to think Freddie Freeman. He's a really good player, he still is a good player. Is he elite like he was before? Probably not to the same extent so that's nothing negative. Freddie's still a tremendous player. That to me is Bryce."

Dombrowski's comments made waves within the world of Philly sports, even helping give rise to some rumors that Philadelphia could look to move the two-time National League MVP. Appearing on , he sought to clarify his Harper comments, while shooting down the bourgeoning trade rumors before they break contain.

"First of all, to me, Bryce Harper's one of the best players in the game of baseball. They asked me, 'What type of year do you think he had?' And I said, 'He had a very good year, I don't think he had an elite year.' And when I say that, when I think of Bryce Harper, it's a compliment, because the reality is there are eight, 10 players in the game of baseball every year, when they're not in the MVP consideration… it's not an elite year for them.

"So the reality is, he's a great player, he's a future Hall of Famer. … Now I've been reading that, . That couldn't be farther from the truth. We love him, we think he's a great player, he's a very important part of our team. I've seen him have better years.”

Dombrowski went on to riff about comments that Phillies legend Mike Schmidt made on the podcast about another of the team's 32-year-old stars, Kyle Schwarber, and the importance for players of that age to keep up a strong training regimen through the offseason. Dombrowski says he has no doubts that Harper will be one of the players who will age gracefully because of his talent and work ethic.

"I'll take my chances with Bryce more than most, because Bryce is an elite talent… I think it's a shame where this has gone. It wasn't meant to be a criticism."

Harper just crossed the midway point of the mammoth 13-year, $330 million deal he signed with Philadelphia, and is still owed nearly $153 million through 2031. Removing the human element from it, if the Phillies believe they'll get diminishing returns from Harper as he enters his mid-30s, it makes sense for them to consider a trade. It doesn't sound as if Dombrowski is near that point yet, however, despite how it may have sounded a week ago.