Musgrove pitches hometown Padres past Mets 6-0 and into NLDS
NEW YORK (AP) — Joe Musgrove brushed off chants of “Cheater!” after a bizarre spot check by umpires on the mound, pitching his hometown San Diego Padres into the next round of the playoffs with seven innings of one-hit ball in a 6-0 victory over the New York Mets. Trent Grisham hit an RBI single and made a terrific catch in center field that helped the Padres take the best-of-three National League wild-card series two games to one. Austin Nola and Juan Soto each had a two-run single. San Diego advanced to face the top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Tuesday.
Tucker's leg lifts Ravens to 19-17 victory over Bengals
BALTIMORE (AP) — Justin Tucker kicked a 43-yard field goal on the final play to lift the Baltimore Ravens over the Cincinnati Bengals 19-17 and into sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Tucker also made a 58-yard kick in the third quarter. The Ravens fell behind 17-16 on Joe Burrow’s 1-yard sneak with 1:58 remaining, but they could feel confident because they only needed a field goal. Tucker’s game-winner extended his streak to 61 straight successful field goals in the fourth quarter and overtime. Baltimore squandered a 10-point lead but recovered as Cincinnati fell to 2-3. The Ravens are 3-2.
Umps check Padres pitcher Musgrove's ears for sticky stuff
NEW YORK (AP) — Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove had his ears searched by an umpire for illegal sticky substances at the behest of Mets manager Buck Showalter in the sixth inning of San Diego’s 6-0 win in the decisive Game 3 of their NL wild-card series. Musgrove was working on a one-hitter with a 4-0 lead, and the spin rate was up on all six of his pitches. After Showalter came out on the field, crew chief Alfonso Marquez went to the mound, felt both of Musgrove’s ears and searched his cap and glove. Fans yelled “Cheater!” at Musgrove, whose 2017 Houston Astros were found by MLB to have stolen signs.
Jarrett's roughing the passer call perplexes Falcons, fans
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Grady Jarrett was flagged for roughing the passer after what many observed to be a typical sack of Tom Brady late in the fourth quarter of the Atlanta Falcons' 21-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 6-foot, 305-pound Jarrett wrapped up Brady from behind on third down and spun him to the ground. The tackle was similar in style to the one that injured Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, but not nearly as violent. Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe declared on Twitter “that was not roughing the passer,” reflecting reactions from many in the sport.
Giants spoil Packers international debut with 27-22 win
LONDON (AP) — Saquon Barkley took a direct snap and ran for a 2-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to cap the New York Giants’ 27-22 comeback victory over the Packers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, spoiling Green Bay’s international debut. Aaron Rodgers drove the Packers to the 6-yard line but his pass on fourth-and-goal was swatted down at the line of scrimmage by safety Xavier McKinney with just over a minute left. After Giants punter Jamie Gillan ran out of the end zone for a safety, the Packers got the ball back and set up a desperation pass, but Rodgers was sacked by Oshane Ximines at the Green Bay 29, fumbling as the clock ran out.
Eagles stay undefeated, hang on to beat Cardinals 20-17
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Jalen Hurts ran for two touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles remained the NFL’s only unbeaten team, beating Arizona 20-17 on Sunday after Matt Ammendola’s late field-goal attempt for the Cardinals sailed wide right. The Eagles improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2004, when they won their first seven games and finished 13-3. The Cardinals never led, but looked as if they would push the game into overtime until Ammendola missed the 43-yarder. He was elevated to the active roster because of an injury to the team’s starting kicker Matt Prater.
AP Top 25: UGA back at No. 1, Alabama slips to 3 behind OSU
Georgia has taken back the top spot in The Associated Press college football poll from Alabama. The Crimson Tide slid to No. 3. The Bulldogs received 32 first-place votes and 1,535 points in the Top 25 to easily reclaim No. 1 on Sunday after being just two points behind Alabama for the No. 2 spot last week. Georgia thumped Auburn 42-10 on Saturday. The Tide escaped an upset bid at home by Texas A&M with Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Bryce Young sidelined by injury. Ohio State moved up a spot to No. 2, receiving 20 first-place votes.
Tom Kim wins in Vegas as Cantlay falls apart on final hole
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tom Kim has won the Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas. That makes him the first player since Tiger Woods in 1996 with two PGA Tour victories before turning 21. But he got plenty of help from Patrick Cantlay. They were tied for the lead on the 18th hole when Cantlay went into a desert bush, into the pond and made triple bogey. Kim shot 67 and completed a bogey-free week at the TPC Summerlin. He moves to No. 15 in the world and becomes the highest-ranked Asian-born player in golf. Kim also won the Wyndham Championship in August.
Lightning suspend defenseman Ian Cole pending investigation
The Tampa Bay Lightning are suspending defenseman Ian Cole pending an investigation into allegations made on social media that he sexually abused a woman when she was a minor. The team said it was fully cooperating with the NHL on an investigation and that it takes the allegations very seriously. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press earlier Sunday the league had launched an investigation. Daly added the league had no prior knowledge of the allegations until they were posted on social media.
Bell wins Charlotte as champion Larson bumped from playoffs
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Christopher Bell saved his title chances with an overtime win Sunday on the road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a stunning finish that knocked reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson from the playoffs. Bell entered the race 11th in the standings with four drivers set to be eliminated as NASCAR’s playoff field was trimmed to eight. He took the lead in overtime and drove away as all the drama was further in the field for the final transfer spot into the round of eight. Chase Briscoe bulldozed his way to a ninth-place finish to knock Larson out of the playoffs by two points. Also eliminated were Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez and Larson's teammate, Alex Bowman.