Baseball is special for many reasons, but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who includes pace of play among those positive differentiators, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.

The state of play: Nine-inning games are lasting a record three hours, nine minutes this season, the third straight year the record will be been broken despite MLB's concerted effort to reverse the trend.

The big picture: Improving pace of play has been one of Rob Manfred's primary goals since becoming commissioner in 2015. Efforts these past six years have included:

• Prohibiting batters from stepping out of the box.
• Implementing a between-innings timer.
• Limiting mound visits and warmup pitches.
• Instituting a three-batter minimum for relievers.
• Speeding up the process of manager's challenges.

Of note: In 2020, MLB also introduced seven-inning doubleheaders and an extra-inning "ghost runner" rule. Both shorten games, but neither improves the actual pace of play.

A possible solution: With games getting longer, not shorter, further experimentation is likely coming to MLB. One option that's showing promise in the minors? A pitch clock.

• The intrigue: Since implementing a 15-second pitch clock in June, Low-A West, a minor league four levels below MLB, has seen its average game decrease by 21 minutes.
• Even better: Runs and homers are up, while walks and strikeouts are down — perhaps because players stay in better rhythm when they're not constantly stepping off the rubber or adjusting batting gloves.

What they're saying: "At first, I'd say I was skeptical," Low-A manager and former big leaguer Rico Brogna told The Athletic (subscription). "But I have been shocked ... it has been a really, really good addition."

• "This is the most exciting development that I've seen ... as far as having a positive impact on the game of baseball," added MLB SVP of on-field operations and 19-year veteran Raúl Ibañez.

Tom Brady's Buccaneers have moved into the top spot of our weekly power rankings, Jeff writes.

• The 44-year-old Brady has already thrown nine TD, extending his lead over Drew Brees for most all-time (590 vs. 571).
• Brees still holds the record for yards, but Brady is just 499 behind, meaning he'll likely pass him next week ... in New England.

📆 Coming up: The Panthers look to stay perfect tonight in H-Town, Justin Fields makes his starting debut, the undefeated Bucs and Rams battle in L.A., and Aaron Rodgers is in primetime again.

• Tonight: Panthers (-8) at Texans
• Sunday's best games: Chargers at Chiefs (-6.5); Bucs (-1.5) at Rams; Seahawks (-1.5) at Vikings; Bears at Browns (-7)
• Sunday night: Packers at 49ers (-3.5)
• Monday night: Eagles at Cowboys (-4)

Go deeper: Every team's biggest surprise so far (ESPN)

The WNBA playoffs tip off tonight on ESPN2 as eight teams begin their quest for a championship, Jeff writes.

Round 1:

• No. 7 Wings at No. 6 Sky (8pm ET)
• No. 8 Liberty at No. 5 Mercury (10pm)

How it works: Tonight's winners advance to Round 2 (also single-elimination), where the No. 3 Lynx and No. 4 Storm await them. The No. 1 Sun and No. 2 Aces already earned spots in the semifinals (best-of-five), which begin Tuesday.

The field:

• No. 1 Sun: Connecticut's 56.9% rebounding percentage is the best in league history.
• No. 2 Aces: Last year's runner-up is one of two active founding franchises that hasn't won a title. Can you guess the other one?
• No. 3 Lynx: Since starting the season 0-4, no team has a better record than Minnesota's 22-6.
• No. 4 Storm: Breanna Stewart (foot) hasn't played since Sept. 7. Her status is still up in the air.
• No. 5 Mercury: Diana Taurasi (ankle) hasn't played since Sept. 6 and is questionable for tonight.
• No. 6 Sky: Led by the dime-dropping Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago had an assist percentage of 70.7% this year, the third-highest ever.
• No. 7 Wings: They're young, which means they're also inexperienced. Eight of their 12 players have spent two or fewer years in the league.
• No. 8 Liberty: If you guessed the Liberty above, you are correct. New York is also seeking its first title.

Go deeper: Is it time to dump single-elimination playoff games? (ESPN)

💉 Vaccine mandate: Athletes vying to compete for Team USA in Beijing must show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination by Dec. 1. Vaccines were encouraged in Tokyo this summer, but not required.

⚾️ Stat du jour: The first five players to reach 40 HR this season were all born in different countries: Shohei Ohtani (Japan), Salvador Pérez (Venezuela), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Canada), Marcus Semien (USA), Fernando Tatis Jr. (Dominican Republic). That's a first.

🆘 Sign of the apocalypse: "Khloe Kardashian will commentate first-ever 'Candy Crush Saga' esports tournament." That's a real headline.

⚽ League Cup: Club León beat the Seattle Sounders, 3-2, in Wednesday's League Cup Final in Las Vegas. As we reported Tuesday, the MLS/Liga MX competition will expand from eight to 47 clubs in 2023.

💵 Money roundup: NBA Top Shot maker Dapper Labs is valued at $7.6 billion after raising $250 million ... The Athletic has hired an investment bank as it seeks a buyer in the $750 million range.

The 43rd Ryder Cup takes place this weekend at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wisconsin. Team USA leads the all-time series, 26-14, but Team Europe has won 10 of the past 16 editions.

Team USA:

• Back: Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English, Tony Finau, Dustin Johnson, Scottie Scheffler, Daniel Berger, Brooks Koepka
• Front: Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Captain Steve Stricker, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele

Team Europe:

• Back: Bernd Wiesberger (Austria), Matthew Fitzpatrick (England), Tommy Fleetwood (England), Paul Casey (England), Viktor Hovland (Norway), Tyrrell Hatton (England), Shane Lowry (Ireland), Ian Poulter (England)
• Front: Jon Rahm (Spain), Lee Westwood (England), Captain Pádraig Harrington (Ireland), Sergio García (Spain), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)

Go deeper: At the Ryder Cup, the fans are part of the show (NYT)

The 4th Laver Cup takes place this weekend at TD Garden in Boston. Team Europe is vying for its fourth straight title.

Team World: John Isner (USA), Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada), Denis Shapovalov (Canada), Captain John McEnroe (USA), Diego Schwartzman (Argentina), Nick Kyrgios (Australia), Reilly Opelka (USA)

Team Europe: Casper Ruud (Norway), Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece), Daniil Medvedev (Russia), Vice Captain Thomas Enqvist (Sweden), Alexander Zverev (Germany), Matteo Berrettini (Italy), Andrey Rublev (Russia)

Go deeper: Laver Cup arrives in Boston sans Big 3 (Forbes)

BOSTON — There have been 10 instances this season in which a player homered in the first and second innings. Kyle Schwarber is responsible for three of them — the latest coming Wednesday night at home.

TORONTO — I somehow missed this photo from over the weekend, with the CN Tower looming over Rogers Center. Epic shot, had to share.

TOLUCA, Mexico — Toluca fans armed with flares welcomed the team bus ahead of their recent match against Club América. Toluca won, 3-1, in a battle of Liga MX juggernauts.

POLIGNANO A MARE, Italy — Hey, it's me, back with more Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series content. This sport rules.

153 years ago today, 17-year-old Young Tom Morris beat his dad, Old Tom, to become the youngest man ever to win the Open Championship.

• The teen repeated as champion in 1869 and 1870, carding golf's first recorded hole-in-one along the way.
• Morris didn't get a shot at the four-peat in 1871 because the Open wasn't held that year. Why? Because of a belt.

Allow us to explain ... From 1860 to 1870, the prize for winning the Open was the Challenge Belt, meant to be left with the club each year for safe keeping.

• But rules stipulated that if any golfer won three straight years, the belt became their property. So Morris' streak left the Open trophy-less.
• Rather than play for pride — or a different prize — the 1871 event was simply canceled ... over a belt. Amazing.

The big picture: Up to that point, every Open had been held at Scotland's Prestwick Golf Club. In 1872, Prestwick enlisted two nearby clubs to rotate hosting duties and share the cost of a new prize: a silver claret jug.

• Morris won his fourth straight Open that year, becoming the first name engraved on golf's oldest trophy.

Go deeper: Golf's original championship (The Open)

Jacoby Brissett will start Sunday, making him the Dolphins' 23rd starting QB since Dan Marino retired in March of 2000.

• Question: Who are the only three franchises with more starting QBs over that span?
• Hint: They're all currently 1-1.

Answer at the bottom.

After weeks spent trying to flee their country, the Afghanistan girls soccer team has arrived in Portugal, where they've been granted asylum, AP reports.

The big picture: The rescue mission to evacuate the group — 80 people, including 26 youth team members plus adults and other children — was an international effort known as "Operation Soccer Balls."

• "They can dream now," said Wida Zemarai, a goalie and coach for the team who moved to Sweden after the Taliban took power in 1996.
• Speaking with AP through an interpreter, the girls said they want to continue playing soccer — and hope to meet Cristiano Ronaldo.

In related news ... Seven female taekwondo athletes who fled Afghanistan have resettled in Melbourne, Australia.