Mirror, mirror on the wall

The GIST: October baseball, where the leaves fall as the stakes rise. From defending champs on the brink to a back-and-forth showdown, let’s discuss the two Championship Series Game 3s on deck.

🍻💙 Milwaukee Brewers (up 2-0) have two-time reigning champ LA Dodgers on the ropes: Down but never out, the Brew Crew pulled off two comebacks to remain undefeated at home in the postseason and put themselves two wins away from their first World Series appearance since 1982. As for LA, the seemingly inevitable Dodgers are looking shockingly vulnerable.

• And those concerns include superstar Shohei Ohtani, who the Dodgers reportedly considered benching for tonight’s 8 p.m. ET Game 3 amid his playoff struggles and lingering injury woes.

• Manager Dave Roberts confirmed yesterday that Ohtani will remain in the lineup as the four-time MVP remained “adamant” he can help his squad overcome this two-game hole. Only time will tell as LA’s three-peat hopes hang in the balance.

🌴🛡️ Tampa Bay Rays even series with Cleveland Guardians: Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta had the Trop rocking, striking out six Guardians in last night’s 3–1 Game 2 win. Considering how gritty both teams are, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen as this scrappy series shifts to Cleveland tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET.

🔥 Ball don’t lie — 2026 is the year of Jazzy Davidson. This Invisalign® Game Changer is breaking records, collecting hardware, and showing the world that the secret to The Jazzy Effect is confidence.

Just peep the highlight reel:

• 🏆 Swept the biggest first-year honors in college hoops

• 📈 Led her team in every major stats category — we’re talking points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks (!!!)

• ⭐ Stole the spotlight in her postseason debut

And as she gets ready for her sophomore season, Jazzy’s focused on putting in the work. Thanks to Invisalign® treatment, this includes investing in her smile so she can head into tip-off feeling like that girl. In Jazzy’s words: look good, play good, feel good.

🗓️ It’s your last chance to get in on the sports networking event of the season.

This conference is the perfect place to gain some intel for your career's next steps, especially after listening to this year's keynote speakers:

• Chad Deweese, Principal, Deloitte Sports

• Sarah Hirshland, Chief Executive Officer, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee

• Seth Ladetsky, Global Head of Sports, Nielsen

• Mike Richter, President, Brightcore Energy

🏀 Sound like your jam? It all goes down Thursday, October 15th at Columbia’s New York campus, and The GIST subscribers save $100 on general admission with code THEGIST. Reserve your spot ASAP.

🚨 Did you know we have a special NFL newsletter? The GIST’s Weekly Blitz breaks down the top gridiron stories every single week. Here’s a sneak peek of tomorrow’s edition — opt in to receive your new favorite football read.

1. San Francisco 49ers (5-0) ❤️

The Niners are a lesson in resilience (they’re the league’s most injured team), exceeding expectations (Mr. Irrelevant is an MVP candidate), and millennial magic (their top-two receivers are 33). And that was all before they knocked off the reigning champs on the road.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) 💛

KC might be the most complete team in the NFL. Full stop. They didn’t hit the gridiron in Week 5, and head coach Andy Reid is 22-5 coming off a bye week. Do with that information what you will when you make those weekly picks. *winks*

3. Seattle Seahawks (3-2) 💚

The Seahawks defense is their bread and butter, meaning quarterback Sam Darnold doesn’t need to be a hero. He just needs to not throw an interception on the first play of tomorrow’s 8:15 p.m. ET Thursday Night Football showdown vs. the Denver Broncos.