The baseball gods must really hate the Dodgers for some reason

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

I’m not sure who it was who did whatever the thing was that made the baseball gods upset with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but somebody really needs to apologize. Because what keeps happening to the Dodgers and their fans is just ridiculous.

The Dodgers are out of the playoffs in the NLDS after having a 100-plus win season. Again. And the way LA went out this time is probably the most embarrassing of them all.

The Diamondbacks decimated the Dodgers — a team LA was apparently 16 games and 222 runs better than in the regular season. It looked like the total opposite in the playoffs, though. The Dodgers looked like they never actually stood a chance against Arizona.

Not only did LA get swept, but it also never held a lead at any point in the series against Arizona. Clayton Kershaw — maybe the very best pitcher in baseball — got rocked early in Game 1 and the Diamondbacks just never looked back.

Now, here we are. LA is cooked.

For the fourth time in five seasons, the team has won at least 100 games and failed to make it to the World Series.

Everyone is searching for answers. What happened? Better yet, how could this happen? Again? Some want to blame the new playoff format, but everyone has to play under the same rules. Even if there was no bye week for the Dodgers, there’s no guarantee LA would be playing any better.

The Dodgers just crapped the bed. Plain and simple. It is what it is. There’s nothing we can do about it now.

And, look. Dodgers fans, it’s not all doom and gloom. Sure, your team keeps blowing 100-win seasons like cash in Vegas. But, remember, the Dodgers did actually win the World Series in 2020. I know it’s easy to forget with, uh, *gently gestures at the broom the Diamondbacks just used to brush LA under the rug*, but that did happen even if it was during a shortened season.

With that being said, though, somebody has to right the wrong this organization did to the baseball gods. Because this is ridiculous.

Good luck figuring all of that out.

Historic stakes for the Las Vegas Aces

Speaking of Las Vegas, the Aces are only one win away from what felt like the most unlikely outcome in the WNBA Finals: A sweep.

A’ja Wilson and the Aces completely dominated the Liberty in Game 2. Wilson dropped 26 points and 15 rebounds on New York to lead Vegas to a 104-76 win over New York.  She just doesn’t miss anymore. Plus, every starter for Vegas hit at least one 3-pointer by the end of the first quarter. The Aces became the first team in WNBA history to shoot 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from 3-point range in back-to-back Finals games, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.

The series isn’t over, of course. The Liberty still have two home games to play coming up in this best-of-5 series and it could easily win two straight over Vegas.

But the Aces are now one win away from becoming the WNBA’s first back-to-back champs since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002. That would officially give Vegas a claim as one of the best teams ever. It’d be one of only three teams in WNBA history to ever repeat. The other two are those Sparks and the Cynthia Cooper-Sheryl Swoopes Houston Comets, who racked up four straight from 1997 to 2000.

The Liberty will have their hands full trying to stave off elimination at Barclays. I cannot wait until Sunday.

I told you Bryce Harper was the coolest

Remember that “I took that personally” Michael Jordan meme that couldn’t stay off the internet for, like, two years running? Yeah, that was Bryce Harper against the Braves on Wednesday night.

Orlando Arcia was reportedly talking SMACK about Harper after a mistake in Game 2, according to Fox Sports analyst Jake Mintz. Harper got his get back, though.

The dude hit two huge homers for the Phillies in Game 3 against Atlanta. On both, he gave Arcia the coldest stare. Mary Clarke perfectly caught the vibe with this one for us.

“Well, it’s clear Harper took that jab personally. With Game 3 tied 1-1 in the bottom of the third, Harper took Bryce Elder deep for an absolute moonshot that gave the Phillies the lead. And on his way around second, it seemed as if Harper shot Arcia a look.

…

If it wasn’t obvious enough, Harper stared down Arcia AGAIN after his second home run of the night, this time a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth inning.”

This is Dillon Brooks-LeBron James all over again. Good luck the rest of the way, Arcia. You’re going to need it.

Quick hits: Do better, Sean Payton … A slap on the wrist for Kansas … and more

— Robert Zeglinski has 11 devastating stats showing you how bad the Broncos are. Seems like one of the worst coaching jobs ever, Sean Payton.

— Remember that corruption investigation from a few years back with NCAA basketball that involved Kansas? Yeah, basically nothing came from that for the Jayhawks. Andrew Joseph has more.

— The Diamondbacks had a ball celebrating their NLDS win. Charles Curtis has you with photos here.

— Listen to this dude hating on Bryce Harper’s homer. HARD. It’s kind of funny. Charles Curtis has more.

— Meghan Hall had an excellent interview with Meghan White, the founder of Moolah Kicks, about her shoes made for women by women. You need to read it.

— The Rhode Island Scumbag has your best NFL bets for Week 6. Go get paid, y’all.

That’s all for today. We’ll catch you tomorrow! Hope you have an awesome day. We out.

-Sykes