MLB
Aaron Judge drove in four runs in his first two at-bats, Juan Soto hit his 40th homer of the season and 200th of his career, and the New York Yankees moved to the cusp of clinching a playoff berth with an 11-2 win over the Seattle Mariners. The Yankees can clinch at worst a wild-card spot in the American League with a victory over Seattle today. The win in the opener of New York’s six-game road trip pushed the Yankees lead in the AL East to four games over Baltimore — their largest lead since holding a 4 1/2-game lead when play started on June 7.
Pete Alonso homered and drove in five runs, Luisangel Acuña added his first major league longball to cap a huge night at the plate, and the New York Mets routed the Washington Nationals 10-1 to boost their chances in a close National League playoff race. Tylor Megill provided another terrific outing in place of injured starter Paul Blackburn, and Francisco Alvarez also went deep as the Mets improved to 10-2 against Washington this year. New York is tied with Arizona for the second of three NL wild cards, two games ahead of rival Atlanta for the league's last postseason berth with 11 to play.
Bryce Harper hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth inning to back up the strong pitching of Zack Wheeler as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 in a matchup of division leaders. Nick Castellanos added a solo shot to help the Phillies move closer to wrapping up the NL East title while delaying the Brewers’ NL Central championship celebration. The Phillies lowered their magic number for clinching the NL East to four. The Brewers’ magic number dropped to one with the Chicago Cubs 4-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics.
Shane Baz allowed two runs and two hits over seven innings, Jose Siri hit a home run and drove in four, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 8-3. Baz (3-3) struck out six and walked one, and set a team mark with his fifth consecutive start of giving up three hits or fewer over five-plus innings. Siri hit one of Tampa Bay’s three homers during a four-run fifth inning and extended the Rays lead to 8-3 with his three-run bloop double to left in the eighth. Triston Casas and Romy Gonzalez homered for Boston while Nick Pivetta (5-11) took the loss.
Blake Snell struck out 12 over six innings and allowed just one hit to carry the San Francisco Giants past the faltering Baltimore Orioles 10-0. The Orioles have lost seven of nine to fall four games behind the first-place Yankees in the AL East. Baltimore held a half-game lead on Sept. 5 before its current tailspin, during which it has been outscored 46-18. On Tuesday night, the Giants got the only run they needed when Mike Yastrzemski drove the second pitch from Orioles starter Albert Suárez over the right-field wall.
Shea Langeliers homered twice, including a towering solo drive that cleared the Wrigley Field bleachers in left, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3. Langeliers’ third multihomer game of the season and No. 5 for his career upped his season total to 28, extending his career best. Lawrence Butler also went deep for Oakland, which stopped a three-game losing streak. The skid included back-to-back losses to the MLB-worst White Sox. Ian Happ hit two solo homers for the Cubs, who fell six games behind the New York Mets for the final NL wild card with 11 games left.
Grae Kessinger replaced the ejected Jose Altuve and scored on Kyle Tucker’s single in the 10th inning to give the AL West-leading Houston Astros a wild 4-3 win against the San Diego Padres. Astros reliever Héctor Neris loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning before getting Manny Machado to ground into a force play. Machado had hit a tying 2-run home run in the sixth. Neris earned his 18th save. Kessinger started the 10th as the automatic runner in place of Altuve, who was ejected along with manager Joe Espada after a crazy scene following the top of the ninth.
Willi Castro hit a two-run homer, Matt Wallner had two RBIs and the Minnesota Twins bounced back from a crushing loss in the series opener to beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 and stay locked into the final AL wild card. Castro connected in the eighth inning, and both of Wallner’s RBI singles came off Gavin Williams, who has just one win in his last seven starts. The Twins entered with a 1 1/2-game lead over Detroit for the last playoff berth. Lane Thomas homered for the AL Central-leading Guardians, who are closing in on the postseason. They can still clinch on Wednesday.
The Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. became the first shortstop in major league history with multiple seasons of at least 30 homers and 30 steals when the All-Star swiped second base in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers. Witt has 31 homers this season, including a grand slam in the series-opener Monday night, to go with 30 steals. The 24-year-old superstar had 49 steals last season, when he hit the homer he needed to reach 30 with three games left in the season. The son of longtime big league pitcher Bobby Witt also became the first player with multiple 30-30 seasons in his first three years in the big leagues.
Wyatt Langford homered and doubled twice, struggling Jonah Heim delivered a two-run single to break a sixth-inning tie and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 13-8 on Tuesday night. Leody Taveras also had a homer among his three hits for the Rangers. Heim was 1 for 34 in September before he lined a single to right field off Tommy Nance (0-2) to score Adolis García and Nathaniel Lowe, giving Texas a 9-7 lead. Heim went to the plate hitting .212 with 53 RBIs after being voted an All-Star starter last season with a career-best 95 RBIs. He added a double in the eighth ahead of Taveras’ homer during a three-run inning.
Rookie Eric Wagaman homered for the second straight game, Griffin Canning threw six innings of three-hit ball, and the Los Angeles Angels dealt the Chicago White Sox their 116th loss with a 5-0 victory. The White Sox were trying to equal a season-high, four-game winning streak. Instead, they moved one step closer to the majors’ post-1900 record of 120 losses by the 1962 expansion New York Mets. Chicago is 36-116 with 10 games left. The Angels stopped a six-game slide. They scored in the third through seventh innings and had 10 hits for the first time in five games.
Jesús Sánchez doubled twice and drove in three runs, and the Miami Marlins beat Shohei Ohtani and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers 11-9 on Tuesday night. Ohtani struck out three times but hit his 48th home run as he tries to become the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. He did not steal a base for the fifth straight game and remains at 48. Sánchez went 5 for 5, while Otto Lopez and Jake Burger homered for the Marlins.
Michael Harris II and Matt Olson homered for Atlanta, but the Braves blew a four-run lead in a costly 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Pierce Johnson and Jesse Chavez struggled as Atlanta dropped its third consecutive game. The Braves fell two games back of the New York Mets for the third NL wild card. Harris hit a leadoff drive in the first against Brandon Williamson. Marcell Ozuna reached on a one-out single before Olson made it 3-0 with his 26th homer. Jorge Soler’s 19th homer made it 5-1 in the fourth. But that was it for Atlanta, which left 14 runners on base.
Lance Lynn threw six strong innings in his 100th appearance at Busch Stadium, Jordan Walker homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1. Lynn (7-4) allowed one run on four hits and struck out five. Lynn is 9-0 over his last 21 starts at Busch, where he pitched for the Cardinals from 2011-17 before rejoining St. Louis this season. His last loss in the Cardinals’ ballpark came on July 4, 2017, against Miami. The Pirates' Bryan De La Cruz hit his 20th homer of the season, taking Lynn deep in the second inning.
Hunter Goodman and Ezequiel Tovar hit home runs, Ryan Feltner pitched into the seventh inning for his first victory at Coors Field in two years, and the Colorado Rockies beat Arizona 8-2, dealing a setback to the Diamondbacks’ playoff hopes. Tovar, who also homered in Monday’s 3-2 win over Arizona, finished with three hits and drove in two runs. Jacob Stallings and Jordan Beck hit run-scoring doubles and Brenton Doyle added a sacrifice fly for the Rockies. Christian Walker homered and Pavin Smith had two doubles and scored a run for Arizona. Feltner (3-10) allowed one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
The Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. became the first shortstop in major league history with multiple seasons of at least 30 homers and 30 steals when the All-Star swiped second base in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers. Witt has 31 homers this season, including a grand slam in the series-opener Monday night, to go with 30 steals. The 24-year-old superstar had 49 steals last season, when he hit the homer he needed to reach 30 with three games left in the season. The son of longtime big league pitcher Bobby Witt also became the first player with multiple 30-30 seasons in his first three years in the big leagues.
WNBA
Breanna Stewart had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the New York Liberty coasted to an 87-71 victory over the Washington Mystics last night to clinch the best record in the WNBA. The Liberty will be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and open at home on Sunday against the eighth seed. That could be the Mystics, who are tied with Chicago, one game behind Atlanta heading into Thursday’s finales. Leonie Fiebich scored 13 points and fellow reserve Nyara Sabally had 12 for the Liberty (32-7). Starters Jonquel Jones and Betnijah Lane-Hamilton both added 11.
Napheesa Collier scored 25 points and passed to Bridget Carleton for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Connecticut Sun 78-76 last night to secure the No. 2 seed in the WNBA playoffs. Minnesota (30-9) will host No. 7-seeded Phoenix on Sunday when the best-of-three playoffs open. Connecticut (27-12) is currently third with one game remaining in the regular season and would be home against Indiana on Sunday. The Sun are home against Chicago on Thursday.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Police reports say a man charged with stalking UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers was found with an engagement ring and lingerie when he was arrested near a Connecticut airport. Authorities say Robert Cole Parmalee posted statements on TikTok saying he loved Bueckers and wanted to marry her. Police also say some of Parmalee's social media posts and emails to UConn officials included threatening comments. He was detained on $100,000 bail after being arraigned Monday at a courthouse in Rockville, Connecticut, on charges of stalking, harassment and breach of peace. His lawyer did not immediately return a message.
WNBA
Jordin Canada scored 18 points, Tina Charles finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds to tie the WNBA record with the 193rd double-double of her career and the Atlanta Dream beat the Chicago Sky 86-70 to move into the eighth playoff spot with one game left. Charles matched Sylvia Fowles for the league double-double record. Charles also passed 4,000 rebounds for her career and is two shy of matching Fowles’ league record of 4,016. Charles is the only WNBA player with 7,000 points and 4,000 rebounds in her career. Rachel Banham made six 3-pointers to lead Chicago with 22 points.
A’ja Wilson scored 21 points and set the WNBA record for most rebounds in a season as the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Seattle Storm 85-72. Wilson extended her league record for points in a season, and now has 1,021. Her seven rebounds moved her past Chicago rookie Angel Reese for the most in a season with 451. Reese’s season is complete after a wrist injury earlier this month. Kelsey Plum also had 21 points for Las Vegas. Nneka Ogwumike scored 19 points, Skylar Diggins-Smith had 17 and Gabby Williams scored 14 for Seattle.
Brittney Griner scored 14 points before being ejected after a scuffle, Natasha Cloud had 13 points and 12 assists, and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Los Angeles Sparks 85-81 last night. Griner and Sparks standout rookie Rickea Jackson were thrown out after exchanging shoves while in rebounding position following a Mercury free throw in the closing seconds of the first half. The Mercury, who found out before the game they would play second-seeded Minnesota when the playoffs open on Sunday, trailed by eight at halftime but took control in the third quarter.
NFL
The Miami Dolphins have placed Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve after the quarterback was diagnosed with his third concussion in two years. Tagovailoa will be sidelined for at least four games. He will be eligible to return in Week 8 when the Dolphins host Arizona, but has to complete a series of tests and assessments required by the NFL’s concussion protocol before he can return to the field. Coach Mike McDaniel has cautioned against speculation on the quarterback’s future, stressing that he’s more focused on Tagovailoa getting healthy than what this latest concussion means for the team or for his career.
SOCCER
The revamped Champions League made its debut with some familiar clubs claiming victories on opening night. Kylian Mbappé scored for Real Madrid but the 15-time champion needed late goals from Antonio Rudiger and Endrick to beat Stuttgart 3-1. Six-time champion Liverpool came back from a goal down for a 3-1 win at seven-time champion AC Milan. Harry Kane scored four in Bayern Munich’s 9-2 rout of Dinamo Zagreb. Two-time champion Juventus dispatched PSV Eindhoven 3-1. During the new league phase all 36 teams are ranked from top to bottom in a single standings that finishes in January. Aston Villa and Sporting Lisbon also won.
Harry Kane has scored four goals as he broke a record set by Wayne Rooney for the most goals by an English player in the Champions League. It was one of several records broken as Bayern Munich routed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2. Kane scored his 30th goal from the penalty spot in the 19th minute to give Bayern the lead and draw level with Rooney and his 31st on a rebound in the 57th. He scored two more penalties after that.
COLLEGE SPORTS
Atlantic Coast Conference leaders are discussing new ways of divvying up media rights revenue that could potentially resolve legal disputes with Florida State and Clemson. That's according to two people familiar with the league’s internal talks who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there is no fully formed proposal and a resolution is far from imminent. The discussions internally and with Florida State are an extension of a court-ordered mediation session last month between the conference and the school. FSU’s board of trustees sued the ACC in December, looking for an affordable potential way out of the conference.
Tennessee has announced a price hike for football tickets starting in 2025 with most of the increase going specifically to help pay players. The increase announced Tuesday morning in an email to season-ticket holders notes a new 10% talent fee to help pay the proposed revenue share for athletes. Athletic director Danny White explains in a video the price hike at Neyland Stadium will help Tennessee continue attracting and keeping the best athletes. Tennessee has been working to be at the front of the changing landscape supporting athletes since the NCAA changed its rules in 2021 allowing athletes to cash in on their success.
BOXING
Daniel Dubois didn’t have to dethrone anyone to become a world heavyweight champion. So he has something to prove when he makes his first title defense before one of the biggest crowds in British boxing history. If he successfully defends his IBF belt on Saturday by beating fellow Briton Anthony Joshua in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, Dubois might just transform himself into boxing’s next big thing. Dubois tells the AP, “I’m getting used to the idea that I’m the world champion but I think I need to legitimize it by beating AJ.” The 27-year-old Dubois was awarded the belt in late June after then-undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine relinquished it.
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