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The GIST: And they’re off! Nearly eight straight hours of meaningful baseball later, the Wild Card (WC) round could be wrapped as soon as tonight, pending today’s best-of-three Game 2s. Reload on those cracker jacks and settle in for another big day ahead.

Texas Rangers pitching stymies Tampa Bay Rays: Lifted by seven shutout innings from ace Jordan Montgomery (and a playoff franchise record four Tampa Bay errors), the Rangers took the series lead with yesterday’s 4–0 road win. Now in danger of a second straight stunning WC ouster, the Rays will need to bring the sting to avoid elimination at 3:08 p.m. ET.

Minnesota Twins break 18-game playoff losing streak: Royce Lewis, remember the name. The shortstop homered not once, but twice in yesterday’s 3–1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, snapping a Twins’ playoff dub drought that dated back to 2004.

• Now Minny is just one win away from their first playoff series victory since 2002, with their ace Sonny Gray set to take the mound at 4:38 p.m. ET.

Arizona Diamondbacks homer thrice to top Milwaukee Brewers: Three different DBacks went yard in their 6–3 come-from-behind win, including rookie sensation, outfielder Corbin Carroll. Plus, Arizona didn’t even have their best pitcher out there — that would be Zac Gallen, who gets the ball with a chance to seal the upset at 7:08 p.m. ET.

Philadelphia Phillies silence the Miami Marlins’ bats: The Phils censored Miami’s offense in a 4–1 victory, helmed by starting pitcher Zack Wheeler’s eight strikeouts in nearly seven innings of work. With the Red October crowd a rockin’, Kim Ng’s squad will have to swim against the current at 8:08 p.m. ET if they want to extend this to Game 3.

⚖️ Three Spanish women’s national soccer team players, including superstar Alexia Putellas, testified as witnesses in Monday’s investigation into disgraced former federation president Luis Rubiales and his non-consensual kiss of their teammate, Jenni Hermoso.

🏀 The Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston was unanimously named the WNBA Rookie of the Year on Monday after her breakout season helped the Fever double their win total from last year. Just heating up.

👋 The Houston Rockets confirmed on Monday that Kevin Porter Jr. is no longer part of the team following his domestic violence arrest in September.

💰 Retired NFL legend Tom Brady is officially a minority owner of the Las Vegas Aces after the WNBA approved his bid on Monday. Hoop, there it is.

🤸 The U.S. men’s gymnastics team won world championship bronze yesterday, finally ending their eight-year podium drought. Now that’s A Cinderella Story.

🥇 The U.S. women’s gymnastics team, meanwhile, will compete for their seventh consecutive team title later today, with Simone Biles in action in all four events.

⚽ MLS: Chicago Fire FC vs. Inter Miami CF — Tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET — Apple TV+

• Both Eastern Conference squads can still make the playoffs, but they’ll need near-perfection to get there as the regular season wraps up. Plus, in bad news for Miami fans (and soccer fans in general), superstar Lionel Messi is still day-to-day with fatigue. Relatable.

⛳ LPGA: The Ascendant LPGA — Tomorrow through Sunday — Peacock

• Fresh off a Solheim Cup win, England’s Charley Hull will drive to defend her Texas title this weekend, while American Cheyenne Knight swings for a win in her home state. Yeehaw.

🏈 NFL: Chicago Bears vs. Washington Commanders — Tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. ET — FOX

• Will da Bears finally win for the first time in nearly a year or will quarterback Sam Howell and the 2-2 Commanders continue their better-than-expected start? One thing’s for sure, both teams will come out firing in this Thursday Night Football tilt.

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• But that's not the only prize in this giveaway — cash is also on the line, along with a ZOZOSUIT from our friends at ZOZOFIT. Ready to close your rings? Enter this contest to unlock a whole new digital world.

No, we will not calm down about Taylor Swift’s sporty spice era and its effect on the sports world. On that note, which women’s sports game would you most want to see Miss Americana attend? Manifest with us and cast your vote below.

On Monday, we asked for your initial prediction on the WNBA Finals. 52% of GISTers think the NY Liberty will take the crown, while 48% picked the Las Vegas Aces to defend their title. Is it Sunday yet?