Dodgers oust Phillies in stunning fashion to reach NLCS; Cam Skattebo, Jaxson Dart power Giants past Eagles

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

🤕 Five things to know Friday

• LeBron James will miss the start of the 2025-26 season with sciatica. For the first time in his 23-year career, James will miss the season opener as he battles sciatica on his right side. The Lakers' superstar is expected to miss the next 3-4 weeks, and he will be reevaluated after that. Luka Dončić will now have to pick up the slack created by James' absence, at least in the early going.
• The Dodgers are onto the NLCS, and the Cubs live to see another day. The Dodgers are going back to the NLCS after walking off the Phillies in Game 4 on a wild play (more on that later). In the other NL series, the Cubs throttled the Brewers, 6-0, to force Game 5 in Milwaukee on Saturday. Keep up with all the MLB postseason scores -- and the upcoming schedule -- with our handy bracket.
• Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo led the Giants past the Eagle for a stunning upset. I doubt anyone expected what happened in the NFL last night. Not only did the Giants beat the Eagles, but they laid the lumber on them with a 34-17 victory. Dart and Skattebo were brilliant, and they continue to shift the culture in New York as the Giants suddenly look like a team on the rise.
• The Aces can win their third WNBA title in four years. Thanks to A'ja Wilson's heroic game-winning shot in Game 3, which ranks in the top 10 of biggest WNBA Finals shots ever, the Aces are one win away from yet another championship. They can finish the job tonight in Game 4, but don't expect the Mercury to go down easy. If Phoenix is going to come back, expect Sami Whitcomb to play a major role.
• Long-time Loyola Chicago team chaplain Sister Jean has died at 106. Sister Jean served Loyola students for more than six decades, and she became a fixture at Ramblers sporting events. Most notably, Sister Jean rode to national fame when she was with the basketball team for its Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2018.

⚾ Do not miss this: Dodgers walk-off Phillies in NLDS

It's one thing to lose in the NLDS after entering the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. It's quite another to be eliminated in the most heartbreaking fashion imaginable, which is what happened to the Phillies in Game 4.

After Philadelphia fought into the 11th inning of a pitcher's duel, the Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the frame. Andy Pages hit a little nubber back to the mound, and instead of trying for the out a first base, Orion Kerkering threw the ball away at home plate.

Asked for his thoughts on the play after the game, Kerkering faced the harsh reality: "This really f---ing sucks right now."

Once the sting of this one starts to wear off, the Phillies will have to look ahead to an offseason full of unknowns. In particular, free agency could bring big changes to the Philly clubhouse. As R.J. Anderson writes, a few key players are set to hit the market, and the Phillies must decide whether they're willing to pony up in order to retain them.

• Anderson: "Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, catcher J.T. Realmuto, and left-hander Ranger Suárez are all set to be free agents and all could potentially depart. That trio just so happens to represent three of the Phillies' eight most productive players in 2025, as determined by Baseball Reference's estimated Wins Above Replacement metric."

Misery loves company, and the Phillies weren't alone in the City of Brotherly Love. The Eagles lost to the Giants, and the Flyers dropped their season-opener. That's just the second time all three teams have lost on the same day. At least the 76ers didn't lose.

🏀 LeBron James to miss first season-opener of career

Allow me to play the role of Captain Obvious and point out the LeBron James' injury is a big blow for the Lakers as they begin the 2025-26 season. For more insightful reaction and analysis, we turn to CBS Sports NBA expert Sam Quinn.

Could this James injury open the door to more playing time for Bronny James? Who will start in place of the four-time MVP? These are some of the questions Quinn wrestles with in his piece on the ripple effects of James' absence, but the most intriguing question is whether this boosts Luka Dončić's bid for the MVP.

• Quinn: "Luka Dončić is in the best shape of his life. He's ready to prove the Mavericks wrong for trading him. All of that was true before James went down, but what changes is his immediate statistical upside. The Lakers have as much ball-handling as any team in the NBA. Even if Dončić has the best season of his career, it may not show up statistically because he'll probably have the ball less playing next to James and [Austin] Reaves than he did in Dallas. If you were looking for a reason to doubt his MVP candidacy, that was it."

Even before this injury to James, there was some question about whether the Lakers added enough around Dončić to be true NBA title contenders. That question is only more pertinent now.

🏈 Giants revitalized by rookies Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo

Just as everyone predicted, the Giants faced the Eagles as 7.5-point underdogs and came away with a 34-17 win. As has been the case for the last few weeks, Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo led the way for New York on the field and in the vibes department.

Right from the jump, Dart and Skattebo were locked in as they tormented Vic Fangio's defense. Dart finished the night with 253 total yards and two touchdowns. Skattebo piled up 110 total yards and three scores. Those numbers are great, but they don't even tell the full story.

In last week's loss to the Saints, Dart committed three turnovers, and the Giants committed five as a team. Those tanked their chance to win on the road (duh), but New York committed zero turnovers on Thursday. Dart's ability to avoid those negative and disastrous plays only enhance what's in the box score.

The duo of Dart and Skattebo has a bright future, but they're already doing big things in the present. Jordan Dajani explains the multiple ways in which that big blue tandem made some history last night.

• Dajani: "Dart and Skattebo were the second rookie quarterback-running back duo to record 50 rushing yards and a touchdown apiece in a game since 1970, following in the footsteps of Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris, and the first Giants rookie duo to each register rushing touchdowns since Larry Heater and Leon Perry in 1980."

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest 📺 What we're watching this weekend

Friday

🏈 No. 24 USF at North Texas, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2 ⚾ ALDS -- Game 5: Tigers at Mariners, 8 p.m. on Fox 🏀 WNBA Finals -- Game 4: Aces at Mercury, 8 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday

🏈 No. 1 Ohio State at No. 17 Illinois, 12 p.m. on Fox 🏈 No. 8 Alabama at No. 14 Missouri, 12 p.m. on ABC 🏈 Pittsburgh at No. 25 Florida State, 12 p.m. on ESPN 🏈 No. 7 Indiana at No. 3 Oregon, 3:30 p.m. on CBS 🏈 No. 6 Oklahoma vs. Texas, 3:30 p.m. on ABC 🏈 Arkansas at No. 12 Tennessee, 4:15 p.m. on SEC Network ⚾ NLDS -- Game 5: Cubs at Brewers, 4:30 p.m. on TBS/truTV* 🏈 Florida at No. 5 Texas A&M, 7 p.m. on ESPN 🏒 Canadiens at Blackhawks, 7 p.m. on NHL Network 🏈 Kansas at No. 9 Texas Tech, 7:30 p.m. on Fox 🏈 No. 10 Georgia at Auburn, 7:30 p.m. on ABC 🏈 No. 15 Michigan at USC, 7:30 p.m. on NBC 🏈 No. 18 BYU at Arizona, 8 p.m. on ESPN2 🏈 No. 21 Arizona State at Utah, 10:15 p.m. on ESPN

Sunday

⚾ ALCS -- Game 1: Mariners/Tigers at Blue Jays, TBD on Fox 🏈 Broncos at Jets, 9:30 a.m. on NFL Network 🏈 Cardinals at Colts, 1 p.m. on Fox 🏈 Chargers at Dolphins, 1 p.m. on CBS 🏈 Patriots at Saints, 1 p.m. on CBS 🏈 Browns at Steelers, 1 p.m. on CBS 🏈 Cowboys at Panthers, 1 p.m. on Fox 🏈 Seahawks at Jaguars, 1 p.m. on Fox 🏈 Rams at Ravens, 1 p.m. on Fox 🏀 WNBA Finals -- Game 5: Mercury at Aces, 3 p.m. on ABC* 🏈 Titans at Raiders, 4:05 p.m. on Fox 🏈 Bengals at Packers, 4:25 p.m. on CBS 🏈 49ers at Buccaneers, 4:25 p.m. on CBS 🏒 Capitals at Rangers, 7 p.m. on NHL Network 🏈 Lions at Chiefs, 8:20 p.m on NBC

*if necessary