NFL
Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes in the first half and the Buffalo Bills scored on each of their first five drives in a 47-10 win over a misfiring Trevor Lawrence and the unraveling Jacksonville Jaguars. Allen went 22 of 28 for 247 yards in the first 30 minutes alone, with completions to nine receivers. He only attempted two passes after halftime. And he spread the wealth, completing touchdown passes to Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir and Ty Johnson. James Cook opened the scoring with a 6-yard run. Buffalo’s defense limited the Jaguars to 70 yards, five first downs and a field goal in five first-half possessions.
Rookie Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score in a remarkably efficient performance, and the Washington Commanders stunned Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 38-33. Daniels finished 21 of 23 for 254 yards, with the No. 2 overall draft pick setting an NFL rookie record for completion percentage at 91.3%. The Commanders scored on every possession except for kneel-downs at the end of each half and have not punted or turned the ball over in their last two games. Neither Washington nor Cincinnati punted or turned it over, the first time that’s happened in the Super Bowl era. The Bengals fell to 0-3.
San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey has traveled to Germany to consult with a specialist about his Achilles tendinitis. Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey made the trip in hopes of resolving an issue that has bothered him since early in training camp and has forced him onto injured reserve to start the season. McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis before the season opener Sept. 9 against the Jets. He was unable to play in the opener and was placed on injured reserve the following week.
MLB
The Philadelphia Phillies have won the National League East for the first time since 2011, clinching the division title with a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto went deep. Phillies fans went wild. And pitcher Aaron Nola provided a taste of just how great it would feel for the franchise if Philly went all the way this time. The Phillies won their 12th division crown and have their sights set on the No. 1 seed in the National League playoffs. Seeking their third World Series championship following titles in 1980 and 2008, the Phillies overtook Atlanta for the division lead on May 3 and haven’t trailed since.
Tanner Houck pitched five shutout innings, Wilyer Abreu reached base three times and the Boston Red Sox extended their winning streak to three games with a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Red Sox opened their final road trip — a three-game set in Toronto — by improving to 4-0 in Canada this season. Abreu walked and scored on Vaughn Grissom’s sacrifice fly in the second, hit an RBI double in the third, and singled in the fifth. Houck (9-10) carried a perfect game into the fifth inning before walking Addison Barger with two outs. Spencer Horwitz had an RBI single in the ninth inning for Toronto.
Bryce Miller threw seven shutout innings and Julio Rodríguez had three hits and two RBIs to help the Seattle Mariners to a 6-1 win over Houston that prevented the Astros from clinching the AL West title. The Astros entered needing only a victory over second-place Seattle to secure their fourth straight division crown. Instead, they struggled against Miller, managing just two singles while playing without injured slugger Yordan Alvarez. Seattle has won four of five to move within 1 1/2 games of the final American League wild-card spot in a crowded race. The Mariners are four games behind the Astros in the division standings with five to play. Houston will have another chance to wrap up the AL West when the teams meet again Tuesday night.
Matt Chapman hit an inside-the-park homer, Casey Schmitt and Michael Conforto both added solo shots and the San Francisco Giants continued to be a problem for teams with postseason aspirations, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-3. The Diamondbacks lost more ground in the National League playoff race as they try to claim one of three wild cards. They’re in sole possession of the final wild card, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves. San Francisco is out of the playoff race, but has played extremely well over the past week against teams that are still in contention, winning six of seven.
All summer long, one massive series kept looming on the schedule. Three games between the Mets and Braves in Atlanta during the final week of the season. With the NL East rivals locked in a heated wild-card race, surely it would come down to their head-to-head matchup. And here we are. If the banged-up Braves are going to earn a seventh straight playoff berth, they’ll need a big performance at home. If the surprising Mets are going to finish this postseason push, they can do it by toppling a familiar nemesis. On the line at Truist Park beginning Tuesday night — nothing less than a chance to play in October.
Many longtime Oakland Athletics employees are still working in their 70s, 80s and even 90s because they love being part of the games and cherish the community aspect of coming to work at a place with such history. But some are planning to retire, having given their hearts and souls to this place and uncertain of what's next as the A's relocate to Sacramento for the next three years ahead of a planned move to Las Vegas in 2028.
Meantime, both New York teams were off last night. The Mets kick off an end-of-the-season road trip with the first of three against the Braves in Atlanta starting at 7:20 tonight, while the Yankees wrap up the regular season with a homestand, playing the first of three against the Orioles at 7:05 tonight.
COLLEGE SPORTS
Armorion Smith pressed his palms together over the bridge of his nose and leaned against the kitchen sink in a home he shares with five younger siblings. The Michigan State defensive back has a lot on his plate, more than most college students and certainly more than most student-athletes. His mother died in August and without a father in the family’s life, he became head of the household while studying criminal justice and playing college football. The 21-year-old Smith became the legal guardian for four siblings on Sept. 11. The Spartans plays on Saturday at home against Ohio State.
The Pac-12 is adding Utah State as its seventh member and is in discussions with basketball powerhouse Gonzaga to also join the rebuilding conference in 2026, multiple people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. Utah State and UNLV were the main targets for the Pac-12 after a group of American Athletic Conference schools decided to stay put. But the Mountain West was working to keep its remaining schools together and UNLV’s decision remained uncertain. The Mountain West did receive a commitment from Air Force to remain in the league after it drew interest from the AAC.
Former Southern California football star Reggie Bush says he is suing the NCAA, the Pac-12 and his school in a bid to recoup money made on his name, image and likeness during his career with the Trojans two decades ago. Bush was one of the most exciting players in recent college football history during his three years at USC from 2003-05 while winning two national titles and the Heisman. He went on to an 11-year NFL career. Bush is still pursuing the separate defamation lawsuit he filed against the NCAA last year over the governing body’s 2021 characterization of the circumstances that led to Bush’s troubles.
NHL
The Philadelphia Flyers and coach John Tortorella welcomed the father of the late John Gaudreau- who played left wing for the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets for 11 seasons and his brother Matthew, who played in the Islanders farm system, who were struck and killed by a drunk driver while biking in New Jersey on August 29th- as an invited guest to training camp. The Flyers tapped their sticks in appreciation of Guy Gaudreau when he hit the ice to help with drills during practice. The Flyers shook Gaudreau’s hand in appreciation and thanked him for helping out. Tortorella said he had never met Gaudreau, a former hockey player and coach who raised his family nearby, until Monday’s practice in New Jersey. Tortorella said Gaudreau had an open invitation to return and help the Flyers at any point.
Buffalo 6 Columbus 1
Montreal 5 Philadelphia 0
Calgary 6 Edmonton 1
Calgary 6 Edmonton 3
Dallas 3 Colorado 2
OT Utah 3 Los Angeles 2
© 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
