Cole, Yankees save season, beat Guards to force ALDS Game 5
CLEVELAND (AP) — Gerrit Cole gave New York what it needed, seven solid innings and Harrison Bader hit a two-run homer as the Yankees saved their season and forced a decisive fifth game in the AL Division Series with a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians. New York’s $324 million man, Cole allowed two runs and struck out eight in beating the Guardians for the second time in six days. Bader homered for the third time in the best-of-five series, connecting in the second inning off Cal Quantrill. After blowing Game 3, the Yankees’ bullpen followed Cole with two scoreless innings. In Game 5 on Monday night, New York will start Game 2 loser Jameson Taillon at Yankee Stadium against Aaron Civale. The winner meets Houston in the ALCS.
Eagles improve to 6-0, Hurts key in 26-17 win over Cowboys
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns, C.J. Gardner-Johnson had two of Philadelphia’s three interceptions of Cooper Rush, and the Eagles stayed undefeated with a 26-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles held on after their 20-0 lead shrank to 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, improving to 6-0 for the first time since 2004 — when they won their first seven games and went to the Super Bowl. Philly put the game away with an efficient drive that took up more than half the fourth quarter. The Eagles converted three third downs and Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for a 7-yard touchdown.
Bills rally to beat Chiefs 24-20 in playoff rematch
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Josh Allen threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead toss to Dawson Knox with 1:04 left in the game, and the Buffalo Bills beat the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20 on Sunday to exact a small measure of revenge for their epic overtime loss in last year’s playoffs. Stefon Diggs had 10 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown, and Gabe Davis also had a TD catch after torching Kansas City for four of them in January, as the Bills finally walked out of Arrowhead Stadium a winner. Patrick Mahomes threw for 338 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, including one in the final minute as the Chiefs tried to rally for the win.
AP Top 25 Reality Check: Fallout from rare Alabama loss
Alabama loses so infrequently it seems to shift the shape of the season when it happens. The Crimson Tide took an L on Saturday at Tennessee that pushed the Volunteers to No. 3 in the AP Top 25. The Vols received 15 first-place votes, the most they have gotten since 1999. After falling on a field goal as time expired, the Crimson Tide slipped three spots to No. 6. Alabama is the highest ranked team that has lost. Reality Check cautions against making any grand proclamations about the Alabama dynasty’s long-term health and is fine with the Tide’s short fall.
Giants rally from 10 down, top Ravens 24-20 on Barkley's run
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Julian Love’s interception and 27-yard return set up Saquon Barkley’s 1-yard touchdown dive with 1:43 to play, and the New York Giants rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Baltimore Ravens 24-20. New York’s defense, led by Baltimore’s former coordinator Wink Martindale, forced two turnovers by Lamar Jackson late in the fourth quarter. After Barkley’s go-ahead score, rookie Keyvon Thibodeaux sacked Jackson and forced a fumble. The Ravens fell to 3-3 with their third late meltdown this season and handed the Giants another surprising victory. New York is 5-1 under new coach Brian Daboll, exceeding its win total from last year.
Patriots bury Browns, Belichick ties Halas with 324th win
CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie backup Bailey Zappe threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns in his third NFL game, Bill Belichick tied George Halas for second on the all-time list with his 324th victory, and the New England Patriots buried the Cleveland Browns 38-15. Zappe started his second game in place of the injured Mac Jones. He threw second-half TD passes to Tyquan Thornton and Hunter Henry. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for two touchdowns for New England. Belichick has a chance to pass Halas next Monday night at home against Chicago the franchise with which Halas won all his games.
Jets continue surge with convincing 27-10 win at Green Bay
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Breece Hall had a 34-yard touchdown run as part of his 116-yard day and the surprising New York Jets sacked Aaron Rodgers four times in a 27-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Jets are 4-2 and off to their best six-game start since 2015 when they also were 4-2. Green Bay is 3-3 and has lost consecutive regular-season games within the same season for the first time since coach Matt LaFleur’s arrival in 2019. The Jets broke a 3-all tie by scoring two touchdowns in a span of less than 2 1/2 minutes in the third quarter.
NLCS-bound Padres find their identity, eliminate Dodgers
SAN DIEGO (AP) — As a rare October rainstorm drenched Petco Park in the eighth inning, nobody at the packed downtown home of the San Diego Padres flinched. Fans put on their hoodies, pulled on ponchos and covered their heads with whatever they could to try to stay dry, including yellow rally towels and pizza boxes. They’d suffered through too many seasons of watching mostly dreadful baseball and weren’t going to miss the chance to chant “Beat LA!” with gusto and boo Cody Bellinger one final time as the Padres stood on the cusp of eliminating their reviled rivals, the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers.
MLB Playoffs: Guardians-Yankees ALDS Game 5; Astros await
For the second night in a row, the only playoff game on the schedule features the New York Yankees facing the Cleveland Guardians. This time, it’s Game 5 at Yankee Stadium to decide their AL Division Series after New York staved off elimination Sunday, tying the series 2-all with a 4-2 victory in Cleveland behind $324 million ace Gerrit Cole. Aaron Civale starts for the young Guardians against Jameson Taillon. The winner heads to Houston for Game 1 of the best-of-seven AL Championship Series on Wednesday night against Justin Verlander and the rested Astros. Cleveland teams are 1-7 in winner-take-all games — losing their last seven.
Neymar arrives in court for trial over Barcelona transfer
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Neymar has arrived in court to face a trial for alleged irregularities involving his transfer to Barcelona in 2013. The start of the trial in Barcelona comes a few hours after Neymar scored the winning goal in Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 victory over Marseille in the French league. Neymar’s parents, former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell and representatives for both the Spanish club and Brazilian team Santos are also set to appear in court after a complaint brought by Brazilian investment group DIS regarding the amount of the player’s transfer. All defendants have denied wrongdoing.