SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Las Vegas Aces top reserve Jewell Loyd was listed as doubtful for Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals Wednesday night against the Golden State Valkyries, but Stephanie Talbot and Dana Evans might return to the lineup.
Talbot and Evans are questionable.
Talbot has not played the past two postseason games because of an injured left leg, and she was replaced in the starting lineup by Loyd. Loyd hurt her left leg in Sunday's 71-60 series-opening loss.
Starting all but one game this season, Talbot averaged 4.0 points and 2.6 rebounds, but in the postseason has upped that to 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds.
Loyd, long one of the league's top perimeter shooters, was the Aces' first player off the bench in the regular season and averaged 8.0 points.
Evans has not played since Sept. 22 because of a right knee injury. She played just 14 games this season, but was a key player off the bench last season averaging 8.4 points and 2.9 assists when the Aces won their third title in four years.
See AP’s full WNBA coverage here
Las Vegas Aces forward Stephanie Talbot (7) shoots over Indiana Fever forward Makayla Timpson (21) during the second half in Game 1 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)
Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) celebrates a 3-pointer made by Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Phoenix Mercury, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
ATLANTA (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 10 in seven innings, Kiké Hernández hit a two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in their NL Division Series.
Yamamoto dominated the much-anticipated matchup with Atlanta ace Chris Sale, who allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. Yamamoto, the MVP of the 2025 World Series, permitted only four hits with one walk while improving to 8-1 in his postseason career.
The Dodgers can win the best-of-five series and take another step in their attempt to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series titles by beating the Braves again Wednesday night in Game 4.
The Braves hoped giving Sale extra rest would be a winning formula in the pivotal third game. Instead, after stranding six runners in the first three innings, he gave up the two-run homer to Hernández and a solo shot to Freddie Freeman in the fourth.
Ozzie Albies opened the Atlanta ninth with a double off the right-center wall against Edwin Díaz and moved to third on Micheal Harris II's groundout. Díaz stranded the runner when Mauricio Dubón fouled out to right field and Mike Yastrzemski grounded out to shortstop Mookie Betts.
Dubón made a leaping catch over the left-field wall to rob Freeman of a home run in the third. Freeman wouldn't be denied an inning later. Hernández's homer to left drove in Andy Pages, who singled. One out later, Freeman pulled his 18th career postseason homer to right field for a 3-0 lead.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts moved designated hitter Shohei Ohtani down to No. 5 in the lineup because Ohtani was 3 for 15 in his career against Sale. Ohtani went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts against Sale when the Dodgers lost 1-0 on Aug. 26 in Atlanta.
Roberts correctly predicted Ohtani would have opportunities with runners on base hitting lower in the order.
With runners on first and second in the first, Sale struck out Ohtani to end the inning. With two runners on base in the third, Ohtani reached on catcher's interference by Drake Baldwin to load the bases before Miguel Rojas ended the inning with a flyball to right field. Ohtani walked to lead off the eighth against Brent Suter, Atlanta's fourth pitcher.
Baldwin's bases-loaded grounder to first base drove in Dubón, who singled, in the fifth for Atlanta's only run off Yamamoto.
Rojas left during an at-bat in the eighth. The second baseman appeared to injure his back on a swing and was replaced by Tommy Edman. The Dodgers announced the injury as lower back pain.
Tanner Scott added two strikeouts in a scoreless eighth for Los Angeles.
Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle is expected to face Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow in Game 4 on Wednesday night. Mahle said Tuesday an abdominal pull is now a “non-issue.” He felt the pull before allowing one run in seven innings of a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia in 10 innings during the NL Wild Card Series last week.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves left fielder Mauricio Dubón (14) climbs the wall to catch a fly out by Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman as the Dodgers bullpen look on during the third inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Enrique Hernández connects for a two-run home run during the fourth inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Enrique Hernández celebrates his two-run home run during the fourth inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to the Atlanta Braves during the third inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
