Today is Saturday, Oct. 18, the 291st day of 2025. There are 74 days left in the year.

During the Los Angeles Dodgers’ October rampage to the NL pennant, the defending World Series champions have actually been the dark eminence that many baseball people have long feared they would become. The Dodgers are 9-1 in the postseason, with near-flawless starting pitching and a deep, resilient lineup producing key hits and electrifying highlights. They swept the Milwaukee Brewers out of the NL Championship Series with a 5-1 victory featuring an iconic three-homer, 10-strikeout performance by Shohei Ohtani. Naysayers think the Dodgers' success is bad for baseball, but the players and coaches wearing the uniform simply don't care.

Clayton Kershaw gave up a home run while pitching his final regular-season home game for the Los Angeles Dodgers, receiving standing ovations from fans. This comes a day after he announced his retirement at the end of the season. Kershaw, 37, left the game with the Dodgers trailing 2-1, having given up two runs and four hits. Fans cheered as he walked off, waving and hugging teammates. Kershaw's career includes three Cy Young Awards and two World Series championships. His competitive spirit remains strong despite recent injuries. The Dodgers beat San Francisco 6-3 to clinch their 13th consecutive postseason berth.