MLB

The NY Mets improbable October run has been nothing short of amazin' ... but it wouldn't be happening without Francisco Lindor -- and Mets legend Dwight Gooden tells TMZ Sports the 4x All-Star deserves to have the Captain patch added to his uniform!

We caught up with Gooden -- who was at Citi Field to witness Lindor's go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning, punching the team's ticket to the NLCS -- and asked what was running through his mind when the team's star stepped up to the plate.

"You're just thinking, just make contact," Doc said. "Just don't hit it on the ground. The thing about it, a couple pitches before the home run, he was so late on the fastball you're just hoping just make good contact."

Patrick Mahomes' buddy and former Chiefs teammate Gehrig Dieter turned enemy last night -- at least for 9 innings while the Royals and Yankees battled in a pivotal MLB playoff game -- and despite the 3x NFL MVP talkin' trash, the guy named after the "Iron Horse" got the last laugh!

In case you missed it, 31-year-old Dieter -- who played alongside Mahomes in Kansas City for two seasons before retiring in 2022 -- was at Kauffman Stadium for game 3 of the ALDS ... where he was supporting his Bronx Bombers.

Of course, Pat is a minority owner of the Royals ... and Gehrig (named after Lou -- which he explains during the interview) was sitting in Mahomes' luxury suite.

The Boston Celtics aren't the only team with a "for sale" sign on it -- the owners of the Minnesota Twins just announced their plans to hand over the keys to their Major League Baseball franchise.

The organization released a statement Thursday morning ... saying after months of conversation within the Pohlad family -- the controlling owners -- they decided over the summer to begin the process of exploring a sale.

"We truly respect and cherish what the Twins mean to Minneapolis, St. Paul, the great state of Minnesota, and this entire region," the statement said. "Our goal is to be as informative as possible with the team, staff, and you, the fans.

The New York Mets Amazin' season rolled on last night ... as the team punched their ticket to the NLCS in front of their home crowd Wednesday night -- and the squad celebrated the massive moment well after the final out!

After Francisco Lindor hit a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning ... closer Edwin Díaz came in and got the save, sending the Mets players and fans into a frenzy! Outfielder Brandon Nimmo even got emotional after knocking the Phillies out of the playoffs.

After the on-field celebrations, the team moved into the clubhouse, where the celebratory beer and champagne were sitting on ice (unfortunately, no sign Grimace took part in the festivities).

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday ... and Tropicana Field -- home of the Tampa Bay Rays -- felt its wrath as the storm tore the stadium roof to shreds.

Folks in St. Petersburg -- who reportedly experienced gusts up to 101 MPH -- captured the destruction late Wednesday night when the Category 3 storm arrived ... and footage and pictures showed pieces of the stadium roof swaying in the wind.

The facility was actually set up to be used as a shelter for those affected by Milton ... as 10,000 beds were placed on the field. It was also prepped to assist first responders and debris removal crews.

The Tropicana, a famed Las Vegas Strip hotel and casino, ended its nearly 70-year run with a showstopping display ... courtesy of fireworks, drones and 2,000 pounds of explosives.

Check it out ... before the huge amount of explosives were detonated, the famed resort thanked Sin City for its many years, setting off colorful fireworks and putting on a drone presentation -- made up of 555 drones creating a casino chip design that featured the Tropicana logo.

As the light show came to a close, the Tropicana stood tall for a few moments -- before crumbling to the ground in less than 30 seconds ... bringing with it the hotel's iconic history of Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra performances, Folies Bergère shows, and more.

Fernando Tatis Jr. got Petco Park rockin' with an early home run Tuesday night -- but Tom DeLonge made sure the Padres party kept on going later in the evening ... when he led the crowd in a legendary rendition of a Blink-182 classic.

It all went down during Game 3 of San Diego's National League Division Series with the Dodgers ... when the Padres were trying to take a commanding 2-1 series lead over their hated rival.

Tatis Jr. did his part in the second inning, blasting a two-run homer to give the Pads a 6-1 lead.

Pete Rose was taken to the hospital by a friend just five days before his death, TMZ Sports has learned ... but after a battery of tests, doctors concluded he was healthy enough to go home.

We broke the story ... 83-year-old Rose was found dead at his Las Vegas home on September 30. Now, we're learning more about the circumstances surrounding his death.

On September 25, an associate of Pete's took him to the hospital 'cause she believed he was "acting different." Docs ran tests, but everything "appeared fine and did not show anything wrong with Pete."

9:35 AM PT -- According to Walker Buehler's reps, the incident actually took place back on Sept. 27 -- while he and a few of his teammates stayed home from the Dodgers' series with Colorado to prep for the postseason.

Buehler's reps say the pitcher and his wife, McKenzie, were attending the races at Santa Anita Park, when he was "unknowingly the victim of a snatch and grab robbery of his watch."

"The incident was reported to police and is currently under investigation," Buehler's reps said in a statement. "We are grateful Walker and McKenzie were not harmed and Walker is focused on the playoffs."

Sunday's playoff game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres got pretty heated -- and not just between the players -- 'cause L.A. fans got in on the action too, leading to the game being temporarily halted.

It all went down during the bottom of the seventh inning ... while L.A. was down to San Diego 4-1 in game two of the NLDS. Just before the start of the frame, Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar started jawing with fans after they threw a baseball back at him after he threw it into the stands.

Profar was understandably hot ... leading to his manager Mike Shildt and his teammates coming out to try and calm him down.

Matt Bush -- the first overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft -- was arrested in Texas on Friday night ... after cops say he caused an accident while intoxicated ... and then tried to flee the scene.

According to the Arlington Police Dept., authorities initially attempted to pull over Bush and his 2023 Lincoln Aviator at around 8:25 PM after they say he was "driving erratically."

However, police lost sight of him after they claim he sped away from them.

If it were up to David Ortiz, there would be no debate over Pete Rose's Hall of Fame candidacy ... as he tells TMZ Sports the Reds legend should have been inducted years ago.

Big Papi made his opinion loud and clear while out at LAX on Friday -- just four days after Rose died from heart disease -- saying straight up, "I thought he should have been a Hall of Famer a long time ago."

"Mistakes are mistakes," the former Red Sox star said. "But sometimes there's exceptions to the rules, you know what I'm saying? And, he's one-of-a-kind."

The mother of Fernando Tatis Jr.'s two-year-old daughter is dragging the MLB superstar to court in an effort to try to get him to dole out more child support ... but the San Diego Padres outfielder's attorney claims she's spewing lies in the process.

Jennifer Rodriguez claimed this week in court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, that back in September 2021 -- following a yearslong, non-exclusive relationship -- she became pregnant with Tatis Jr.'s child.

She said in the docs that, initially, she had hoped the two would work together to co-parent their kid ... but following a paternity test that confirmed Tatis Jr. was the father -- the baseball player and those close to him began treating the "impending birth like a business deal."

The NY Mets were two outs away from an early trip to Cancun, but thanks to the biggest home run of Pete Alonso's career, the Amazin's were the ones celebrating an NL Wildcard win ... and the champagne was flowing!

Let's backup. Going into the ninth inning down 2-0 (and with no offense to speak of for 8 prior innings), Alonso -- who will be a free agent when the season's over -- stepped to the plate with runners on first and third with one out.

Amid a putrid  5-for-38 slump, he launched one of the most clutch home runs in recent memory, sending the Mets team into a frenzy as the Brewers and their home fans sat in silence, stunned.

Forget cakes and candles ... Paul Skenes made Livvy Dunne's birthday special this week -- with a custom trading card!!

The MLB superstar hit up Topps for the sweet gift for his girlfriend -- who turned 22 on Tuesday -- and check it out ... the one-of-a-kind present turned out awesome.

The card, which the LSU star gymnast showed off on her Snapchat page, featured Livvy holding her dog, Roux, on the front ... while the back showcased some funny stats of the pup.

The San Diego Padres booked their ticket to the NLDS following a 5-4 win against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday ... and their star utility player Fernando Tatís Jr. was certainly in the moment -- letting his hips loose and enjoying the postgame clubhouse festivities!!!

Per tradition, the Padres players and coaches popped champagne and cracked open some cold ones to commemorate the victory -- and Tatís Jr. was in great spirits after sending the Braves packing.

The 25-year-old -- who went an impressive 4-for-6 at the plate with two RBIs and a homer in the two-game sweep -- decided to shake his backside for his teammates while enjoying a Budweiser.