The Los Angeles Dodgers are National League champions for the 25th time after winning the last three games of their NLCS against Atlanta. The Dodgers erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 before completing a 4-3 win over the Braves in Game 7.
Cody Bellinger gave L.A. the lead with a solo homer off Chris Martin in the seventh, one inning after Kiké Hernández tied it with a solo blast. Will Smith furnished a two-run single for the Dodgers, who will take on the Rays in the World Series beginning Tuesday. The Braves were held to three hits, none after Austin Riley's RBI single with nobody out in the fourth inning. Atlanta had runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth before a pair of base-running blunders led to a 5-2-5-6 double play. The Braves put just one player on base the rest of the night and were robbed of a home run when right fielder Mookie Betts reached above the wall to take one away from Freddie Freeman. Winning pitcher Julio Urias retired all nine hitters he faced to get to 2-0 in the series. Although the Dodgers are in the World Series for the third time in four years, they are seeking their first championship since 1988. L.A. shortstop Corey Seager was designated the NLCS MVP, with five homers and 11 RBIs across the series.
In other MLB news, Miami Marlins executive Michael Hill is leaving the franchise after 19 seasons. Hill was president of baseball operations for the past six years and provided continuity after a 2017 change in ownership. He joined the Marlins' front office in 2002, one year before the team won the World Series.
NFL
The most anticipated matchup of the Week 6 NFL schedule became a blowout before halftime. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spotted the Green Bay Packers a 10-0 lead before storming toward a 38-10 victory. The Bucs took the lead with help from Aaron Rodgers, whose first two interceptions of the season led to two touchdowns for Tampa Bay. Cornerback Jamel Dean broke on Rodgers' sideline throw intended for Davante Adams and returned the pick 32 yards to get the Bucs rolling. Safety Mike Edwards returned a second interception to the Green Bay 2 to set up Ronald Jones' rushing TD on the next play, giving the Buccaneers a 14-10 lead. Neither quarterback threw for more than 170 yards in a clash of the very best at their position. Tom Brady threw for 166 yards and two TDs without an interception before giving way to Blaine Gabbert. The Buccaneers improved to 4-2 and dropped the Packers to 4-1.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
Brandon McManus drilled six field goals and linebacker Malik Reed came up with a big sack late to help the Broncos hold on for an 18-12 win over the Patriots. Drew Lock finished 10 of 24 for 189 yards in his first start since injuring his shoulder in Denver's Week 2 loss to Pittsburgh. The Broncos' defense came up with two interceptions and a fumble recovery after entering the game with just two takeaways. Both teams are 2-3 after finally playing a game that was twice postponed due to positive coronavirus tests.
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for three touchdowns and the Dolphins posted their first shutout in six years by downing the Jets, 24-0. The Dolphins didn't allow a third-down conversion until the fourth quarter and reached .500 for the first time under second-year coach Brian Flores. The game was so lopsided that Miami rookie Tua Tagovailoa made his NFL debut in mop-up duty with 2:27 left. The Jets are 0-6 for the first time in 24 years.
The Giants have their first victory under coach Joe Judge after Tae Crowder scooped up a fumble and ran 43 yards for a touchdown with 3:28 left in a 20-19 win over Washington. Kyle Allen hit Cam Simms for a 22-yard TD in the final minute, but Allen threw an incompletion on the conversion attempt after Washington coach Ron Rivera elected to go for the win. Daniel Jones threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Darius Slayton and Graham Gano kicked two field goals as the 1-5 Giants dropped Washington to 1-5.
If the Steelers were trying to make a statement on Sunday, it was loud and clear as they crushed the Browns by a 38-7 margin. James Conner ran for 101 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' 17th consecutive victory over the Browns at Heinz Field. Ben Roethlisberger added 162 yards passing and a touchdown, and Chase Claypool ran for a score while grabbing four passes for 74 yards. The Steelers sacked aching Baker Mayfield four times, picked him off twice and chased him late in the third quarter with the game out of reach. The NFL's top rushing offense managed 75 yards on the ground, 113 below its season average. The 5-0 Steelers still lead the AFC North by a half-game over Baltimore. The Browns are third in the division at 4-2 after ending a four-game winning streak.
Lamar Jackson threw for a touchdown and ran for a score while the Ravens were building a 24-6 lead in a 30-28 victory at Philadelphia. Jackson ran for a 37-yard TD and had 108 yards on the ground to go with his 186 yards passing. Carson Wentz tossed two TD passes, but he was sacked six times and was stopped on a two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game with 1:55 to play.
The Titans are 5-0 after Derrick Henry took a direct snap and ran 5 yards for a touchdown 3:30 into overtime to end a 42-36 comeback win over the Texans. Deshaun Watson's fourth TD pass put Houston up 36-29 with 1:50 left in regulation, but a failed 2-point conversion attempt gave Tennessee a chance to force overtime. Ryan Tannehill marched the Titans 76 yards on the ensuing series and found A.J. Brown on a 6-yard TD pass with 4 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Houston is 1-5.
Jimmy Garoppolo threw three TD passes while the 49ers were building a 21-6 lead in the first half of a 24-16 victory against the Rams. Garoppolo was unable to keep up his fast start to the game but still finished 23 for 33 for 268 yards a week after being pulled from a game. Jason Verrett's first interception in more than four years ended the Rams' final threat to tie the game. Los Angeles is 4-2 and the 49ers are 3-3.
Chicago's defense forced three turnovers and sacked Teddy Bridgewater four times in a 23-16 verdict over the Panthers. Nick Foles threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the 5-1 Bears improved to 3-0 on the road for the first time since their 2006 NFC championship season. Carolina had a failed fourth down play and an interception on its last two series to fall to 3-3.
The Colts trailed 21-0 until Philip Rivers tossed three touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter of a 31-27 triumph against Cincinnati. Rivers wound up 29 of 44 with 371 yards as Indianapolis tied the biggest regular-season comeback in franchise history. Giovanni Bernard, Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon had short scoring runs before the 1-4-1 Bengals, who blew a lead of at least 21 points for the fifth time ever.
Julio Jones returned from injury to catch two of Matt Ryan's four touchdown passes in the Falcons' 40-23 thrashing of the Vikings. Ryan completed 30 of 40 passes for 371 yards as Atlanta won its first game under interim coach Raheem Morris. Kirk Cousins threw three interceptions in the first half for the first time in his career, leading to 17 Falcons points. Each team is 1-5.
The Lions rolled to a 34-16 win against the Jaguars as rookie D'Andre Swift ran for a season-high 116 yards and two touchdowns. Matthew Stafford got an elusive TD pass against the only team he hadn't thrown one against in 12 NFL seasons. Kenny Golladay finished with four receptions for 105 yards, marking the first time since 2013 that the Lions had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the same game. Both teams are 2-3.
NASCAR
Joey Logano has earned a spot in NASCAR's championship race at Phoenix by winning at Kansas Speedway. Logano used every bit of the track to hold off Kevin Harvick over a long, finishing green-flag run. The 2018 series champion had hung around the front of the pack all afternoon, but he had only led one other time before taking the lead from Harvick with 44 laps to go. It was the first win for Logano since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Alex Bowman finished third, Brad Keselowski was fourth and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five.
PGA
It's taken 10 seasons and 233 tournaments for Jason Kokrak to finally earn his first PGA victory. Kokrak matched the best round of the CJ Cup in Las Vegas with an 8-under 64. That was enough to overcome a three-shot deficit at the start of the round and win a duel on the back nine with Xander Schauffele. Kokrak began to pull away with four straight birdies on the front nine. He began the back nine with birdie putts from 20 feet and 18 feet to stretch his lead to two shots.
Also, Phil Mickelson is the third player and second this year to win his first two starts on the PGA Tour Champions. Lefty slammed the door on second-round leader Mike Weir with a back-nine surge in the Dominion Energy Charity Classic. Mickelson closed with a 7-under 65 to finish at 17-under, three strokes better than Weir. Mickelson was a stroke off the tournament record set last year by Miguel Angel Jimenez.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Clemson is spending a seventh consecutive week atop The Associated Press college football poll. The Tigers extended their team-record run as No. 1 by crushing Georgia Tech, 73-7 in Atlanta. It was the most lopsided ACC game ever, the most points scored by Clemson in a road game and the most ever allowed by the Yellow Jackets since the modern era. Clemson picked up 54 first-place votes, while second-ranked Alabama claimed the remaining eight. Notre Dame is third, followed by Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Penn State, Cincinnati and Florida. The Bulldogs fell one notch with Saturday's 41-24 loss at Alabama, and North Carolina dropped from fifth to 14th with a 31-28 setback at Florida State.
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