MLB
Pete Alonso was having a rather disappointing evening in what could have been his final game for the New York Mets. Then everything changed with one swing of the bat. The slugger Pete Alonso broke out of a prolonged slump by smashing a three-run homer off closer Devin Williams in the ninth inning to put the Mets ahead for good in a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in the decisive third game of their National League Wild Card Series. New York advances to a Division Series against the Phillies. Game one in the best-of-five matchup is 4:08 Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Yankees take on the Kansas City Royals in New York Saturday night at 6:38.
The Milwaukee Brewers couldn’t have set things up any better for themselves as they headed into the ninth inning of the deciding game in their Wild Card Series. They owned a 2-0 lead over the New York Mets. They had retired 12 consecutive Mets batters. And they had two-time NL reliever of the year Devin Williams coming out of the bullpen. Then everything fell apart in stunningly swift fashion. Williams gave up four runs in the ninth inning of a 4-2 loss that ended the Brewers’ season. He had allowed just three runs all year before Thursday.
Terry Francona has been hired to manage the Cincinnati Reds, returning to the major leagues a year after he stepped down in Cleveland because of health reasons. A person familiar with the situation confirmed the move on condition of anonymity because the Reds had not announced the decision. Francona is replacing David Bell, who was fired by Cincinnati in the final days of his sixth season. Bell had a 409-456 record with the Reds. Francona, who turns 66 in April, played for Cincinnati in 1987. He hit .227 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 102 games.
Patrick Mahomes and Bobby Witt Jr. grew up as the sons of big league ballplayers. Both were excellent baseball players in their own right. Mahomes eventually stepped away from the game and embraced football, becoming the quarterback of the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Along the way, he became a part owner of the Royals, which Witt has helped turn from a 106-loss laughingstock into a team chasing a World Series title. He drove in both go-ahead runs in wins over the Orioles in the wild-card round, and he will lead the Royals against the Yankees in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday night in New York.
The AL Central was overlooked to the point of mockery before opening day. Now, what was widely considered the weakest division in baseball is exacting a measure of revenge. Not only did the Central secure two wild cards in the Royals and Tigers, both won their series this week to reach the divisional round. Kansas City will face the AL East champion Yankees on Saturday night, while the Tigers will play AL Central champ Cleveland in a showdown of division rivals. Regardless of what happens in the best-of-five series, at least one team from the Central — and maybe two — will be playing for a spot in the World Series.
NFL
Kirk Cousins threw for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns, the last of them a 45-yard scoring pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime that gave the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a wild fourth quarter that featured a blocked field goal, a fumble and an interception, Cousins and the Falcons got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:14 remaining in regulation and no timeouts, trailing 30-27. Cousins completed five passes to push Atlanta to the Buccaneers 29, then hustled to the line to spike the ball with a single second on the clock. Younghoe Koo knocked it through from 52 yards to force overtime. The Falcons won the coin toss in overtime and scored.
WNBA
Caitlin Clark has been named WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote. A national panel of sportswriters and sportscasters gave the Indiana Fever guard 66 of 67 votes. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese received the other vote. Clark, the No. 1 overall pick from Iowa, averaged 19.2 points and a league-best 8.4 assists per game while helping the WNBA set attendance records and garner mainstream attention. She struggled a bit early in the season, but found her groove and was an All-Star starter. She led the Fever to the playoffs and a 20-20 record after a 1-8 start.
Minnesota at Connecticut 7:30 p.m.
New York at Las Vegas 9:30 p.m.
NHL
The 2024-2025 NHL season gets under way tonight, with the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres facing off in Prague at 1 this afternoon.
GOLF
Masters chairman Fred Ridley says Augusta National sustained a lot of damage from Hurricane Helene, just like the rest of the area. Ridley is in Japan for the Asia-Pacific Amateur. He says he's confident the Masters will go on as scheduled the second full week in April. He says the focus now is on employees and neighbors. Augusta National and a community charity organization have donated $5 million toward recovery and relief, along with separate donations. Ridley did not discuss the extent of the damage at the home of the Masters. But he expects to recover sooner rather than later.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
The arrival of Deion Sanders has turned Colorado football into a national program, a place where NFL prospects mingle with celebrities and everyone feels the love. Sanders has improved almost every number at Boulder, from enrollment figures at the school to the program's economic impact in town. CU has already matched its four wins from last year and things are trending up. Will Sanders stick around long enough to turn CU into more than a brand, but also a legitimate contender?
NBA
The Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets kick off the 2024-2025 preseason at noon today in Colorado.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis will play at some point during the Los Angeles Lakers’ first two preseason games this weekend. James and Davis could play in one or both games, new head coach JJ Redick said Thursday before the Lakers headed to the Coachella Valley. Los Angeles will face Minnesota on Friday and Phoenix on Sunday in Palm Desert, California. The decision means James could be on the court this weekend with Bronny James, his oldest son and the Lakers’ second-round draft pick. No father and son have ever played in the NBA at the same time, let alone on the same team.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were determined enough to take the last two steps to an NBA title and concerned enough about how tough that could be that they were willing to part with one of their best and most beloved players to try to do it. Have traded ing Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks was the latest bold move by president of basketball operations Tim Connelly. The Wolves believe the acquisition of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo will add valuable depth that will be harder to find under the conditions of the new collective bargaining agreement.
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