It's a stacked D.C. sports weekend!

📺 What's on the tube:

• 🏒 Capitals: Friday vs. Rangers, 7pm, Monumental; Sunday vs. Kraken, 5pm, Monumental.
• ⚽️ USWNT vs. Spain: Saturday, 2:30pm, TBS/HBO Max — The world's No. 1 and No. 2 women's soccer squads face off at Audi Field.
• ⚾️ Banana Bowl: Saturday, 7pm, Disney+/YouTube — The Savannah Bananas save their grandest event yet for D.C.
• ⚽️ D.C. United at Inter Miami: Saturday, 7:30pm, Apple TV.
• 🏈 Commanders vs. Giants: Sunday, 1pm, FOX — We're bracing for a Jayden Daniels return.

Situational awareness: We're off Monday for the holiday. We'll be back in your inboxes on Tuesday.

Today’s newsletter is 811 words — a 3-minute read.

A Vienna native is preparing for the biggest game of his career tomorrow at Nationals Park.

• That means lots of work on his dance moves.

The big picture: Pitcher Danny Hosley and his Savannah Bananas teammates are wrapping up their season in D.C. with the first Banana Bowl — a championship game the novelty baseball league is billing as its grandest spectacle yet.

• The Bananas will face the Texas Tailgaters, but tomorrow's festivities will also feature the league's four other teams, alongside surprise celebrity guests and musical acts.

Why it matters: Since its debut in 2020, Banana Ball has grown from a viral baseball attraction into a national phenomenon, with massive crowds and TV audiences.

By the numbers: The league drew 3.2 million fans across 180 games in 75 venues this season.

• The Bananas have nearly 12 million TikTok followers — more than five times the New York Yankees.
• 1.2 million viewers tuned in for a June game on ABC.

Behind the scenes: Hosley says preparing for this game feels like three hours a day of dance practice and rehearsals.

• The former Norfolk State pitcher wasn't initially confident in his dance moves, but he has since become a showman.
• "We're all baseball players, side-gig dancers," Hosley said.

Yes, but: The baseball is competitive, even if the entertainment is choreographed.

• An obvious comparison is basketball's Harlem Globetrotters, but the Bananas' opponents aren't the Washington Generals.
• Just ask Tailgaters catcher Taj Porter, whose team beat the Bananas 4-3 in front of 102,000 fans in College Station, Texas, in May.
• "I don't ever wanna lose," Porter said. "I don't care if I'm playing checkers or Banana Ball."

The stakes: The first Banana Bowl nearly lost its main attraction.

• Hosley helped save the Bananas' season with a clutch performance in the semifinals, which came down to a Showdown Tiebreaker.

How it works: Banana Ball has 11 unconventional rules. Among them:

• Rule 1: Games have a two-hour time limit.
• Rule 5: Batters can steal first base.
• Rule 8: If a fan catches a fly ball, it's an out.

If you go: Saturday's pregame festivities at Nats Park begin at 5:30pm, with the game starting at 7.

How to get tickets

🏛️ Arlington County is suing the Trump administration over the arch project, arguing it's skipping past necessary reviews on potential environmental impacts. The county board chair called it an "egregious and unlawful" project, while the Interior Department says it "continues to follow all laws and regulations." (WaPo)

🎶 What's more punk than the public library? Baltimore hardcore rockers Turnstile playing a free show at the Washington Monument to raise money for humanitarian relief in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon.

• Fresh off SNL, the band takes the stage Oct. 24 at 3pm. RSVP here. (Variety)

🐆 Five adorable cheetah cubs have arrived at the Smithsonian's conservation campus in Front Royal, Virginia, born Monday to first-time mom Zura. The Cheetah Cub Cam is back, so you can watch the little ones nurse, snuggle and grow from home. (Smithsonian National Zoo)

Jayden Daniels will be back on the field when the Commanders host the Giants on Sunday.

• His new accessory: a bulky black brace on his left arm.

Why it matters: The Commanders (1-3) desperately need Daniels back to help rescue their season. But first, he needs to survive it.

• Injuries have forced the dynamic QB to leave or miss five of his last nine games.

Catch up quick: Daniels dislocated his left elbow against the Cowboys on Sept. 20 — the same elbow he dislocated last fall.

• He missed the Commanders' past two games — a win vs. the Seahawks and a loss to the Colts.

What he's saying: To protect the elbow, Daniels said Wednesday, "I'm gonna embrace the brace."

• "It's my non-throwing arm, so as long as I got the right one intact, I'll be alright."
• It's kind of a part of me now." (The brace, that is.)

The bottom line: Though winning is pretty much always the top priority in the NFL, this week there's competition:

• 1a. Keep Daniels healthy.
• 1b. Beat the Giants.

🗓️ I'm bracing for a three-day weekend with a toddler.

This newsletter was edited by Alexa Mencia Orozco.