Verlander Ks 11 to lead Astros over Yankees 4-2 in ALCS
HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander struck out 11 in six strong innings and Yuli Gurriel, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Peña all homered to power the Houston Astros to a 4-2 win over the New York Yankees in their AL Championship Series opener. The Astros are in their sixth consecutive ALCS, looking to reach the World Series for the fourth time in that span, against a New York team in the LCS for the first time since being eliminated by Houston in 2019. The game was tied 1-all in the sixth when Gurriel connected off reliever Clarke Schmidt for a solo shot that put Houston on top. Two batters later, McCormick sent a sinker from Schmidt into right field to make it 3-1.
Drury, Padres rally to beat Nola, Phillies 8-5, tie NLCS 1-1
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Brandon Drury hit a go-ahead, two-run single during a five-run rally in the fifth inning and the San Diego Padres stunned Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5 to tie their all-wild card NL Championship Series at one game apiece. The outburst started with Padres catcher Austin Nola hitting an RBI single off his younger brother that brought the sellout, towel-twirling crowd of 44,607 at Petco Park to life. Three innings earlier, the Phillies took a 4-0 lead with a rally that included bloop hits, a sun-aided double on a gorgeous, 92-degree afternoon and some shoddy Padres defense.
Zion scores 25 points in return, Pelicans rout Nets 130-108
NEW YORK (AP) — Zion Williamson returned from a one-year absence with 25 points and nine rebounds, powering the New Orleans Pelicans to a season-opening 130-108 rout of the Brooklyn Nets. The No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft looked fully recovered and explosive after being sidelined with a broken right foot, and his addition to a roster that made the playoffs without him could make the Pelicans a rising team in the Western Conference. Ben Simmons also returned to action after a missed season but had the misfortune of having to cover Williamson for much of the brief time he was in the game. He fouled out with four points, five rebounds and five assists.
Suns rally from 22 points down to beat Mavericks 107-105
PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 28 points, Damion Lee made a go-ahead baseline jumper with 9.7 seconds left and the Phoenix Suns rallied from 22 points down in the third quarter to beat the Dallas Mavericks 107-105 on Wednesday in the season opener for both teams. Lee hit the contested 10-foot jumper for the win, capping a big fourth quarter that included a pair of 3-pointers. Dallas star Luka Doncic missed a long 3-pointer at the buzzer. Doncic had 35 points.
Tua Tagovailoa glad to be back after clearing protocols
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said he is glad to be back after a long process to clear concussion protocols. Tagovailoa is expected to start against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night after missing the past two games. Tagovailoa last played in a Sept. 29 loss at Cincinnati, when his head slammed to the turf and he suffered a concussion. He missed the next two games and the Dolphins fell to 3-3 after winning their first three. Tagovailoa said he remembers everything from that night up to the point he got tackled. He doesn’t remember being stretchered off the field.
MLB Playoffs: Astros seek 2-0 lead vs Yanks; NLCS tied, off
Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros got the jump on the New York Yankees. Now they’ll try to take a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series when All-Star lefty Framber Valdez pitches against Yankees right-hander Luis Severino on Thursday night in Houston. It’s a day off in the NLCS, with the Padres and Phillies tied 1-all as their best-of-seven series shifts from San Diego to Philadelphia for three games beginning Friday night. Verlander recovered from a rocky start and struck out 11 over six strong innings to lead the Astros to a 4-2 victory in the ALCS opener. Yuli Gurriel launched a tiebreaking homer in the sixth. Chas McCormick and rookie Jeremy Peña also went deep for Houston.
As MLB playoffs expand, regular-season success matters less
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball views expanded playoffs as the more the merrier. Not for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals. The National League’s four winningest teams failed to reach the League Championship Series, six months of accomplishment undone in just a few days. Philadelphia is vying to become the first third-place team to reach the World Series. Years of expansion have turned the Fall Classic into a monthlong tournament and the season into a prologue. Some players have complained about the expanded postseason format, saying it doesn't benefit the top teams.
Brittney Griner spends 32nd birthday in Russian prison
Brittney Griner spent her 32nd birthday in a Russian prison, awaiting an appeal to her nine-year sentence for drug possession that’s set for next week. The WNBA star has been especially down lately, according to her lawyers. They were with her for part of her birthday on Tuesday. Attorney Maria Blagovolina says they passed along well wishes from family and friends. The WNBA star's appeal hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25. While it’s unlikely the appeal will overturn her conviction, her lawyers hope it could lessen the sentence.
Pro Picks takes Cardinals to snap 8-game home losing skid
A pair of underachieving 2-4 teams face off on Thursday night when the Arizona Cardinals host the New Orleans Saints. Maybe, the winner can turn its season around. Kyler Murray and the Cardinals get DeAndre Hopkins back for the first time since a knee injury sidelined him for the final three games of last season and a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs delayed his return. Arizona is 3-9 in its past 12 games since a 10-2 start in 2021. Hopkins’ injuries and absence from the lineup coincided with that slide. The Cardinals are only a 1 1/2-point favorite, per FanDuel Sportsbook, at home, where they have lost eight straight games. Arizona’s most recent home win was against Houston last Oct. 24.
The perfect, unbeaten '72 Dolphins knew how losses felt
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The only 17-0 team in NFL history was the 1972 Miami Dolphins. The perfect season. Except that team actually knew what it was like to lose games. The Dolphins lost three games in the preseason. They fell to Detroit and Green Bay in the first two exhibitions. They then lost to Washington in the fifth of their six preseason games. They wound up facing Washington again and winning in the Super Bowl.