Washington has a World Series championship for the first time since the 1924 Senators beat the New York Giants. Anthony Rendon and Howie Kendrick belted huge home runs in the seventh inning as the Nationals rallied to take Game 7, 6-2 over the Astros in Houston. Winning pitcher Patrick Corbin gave the Nats three solid innings of shutout relief to close out a series in which the road team won every game.
Astros starter Zack Greinke cruised through the first 6 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk until the dam burst. Rendon belted a solo homer got the Nationals within 2-1 before Howie Kendrick slammed a two-run blast off reliever Will Harris two batters later. It was yet another big postseason hit for Kendrick, who was the MVP of the NL Championship Series after slamming a tiebreaking grand slam in extra innings to give the Nats the fifth and deciding game of the division series against the Dodgers. Juan Soto doubled Washington’s lead with an RBI single in the eighth, one inning before Adam Eaton’s two-run single put the Nats in complete control.
Houston managed just two of their nine hits after Washington starter Max Scherzer left the game. Scherzer needed 103 pitches to complete his five innings of work, yielding seven hits and four walks but just two runs. The three-time Cy Young Award winner made a quick recovery after being scratched from Game 5 due to a nerve irritation near his neck.
It’s the first World Series crown for the Nationals in franchise history, including their time as the Montreal Expos from 1969 through 2004. The Nats had never won a playoff series before this year. Their playoff run occurred despite a 19-31 start to the campaign.
Stephen Strasburg was named the MVP of the series after going 2-0 with a 2.51 ERA. Strasburg was outstanding in helping the Nationals win Game 6 and extending the Fall Classic to the limit.
In other MLB news, former All-Star slugger Josh Hamilton has been charged with injury to a child after his 14-year-old daughter told his ex-wife that he'd struck her. Hamilton turned himself Wednesday to the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas, and was released on $35,000 bond. According to a police affidavit, Hamilton's daughter told Keller police that he went on a rampage Sept. 30th. She says she made a comment to Hamilton that upset him, so he threw a full bottle overhand at her, hitting her in the chest, then began cursing and shouting at her. She says he finally threw her over his shoulder, carried her to her room, dumped her on her bed, pressed her head against the mattress and hit her legs. Hamilton played for the Rangers, Reds and Angels.
The Pirates have claimed reliever Sam Howard off waivers from Colorado. The 26-year-old left-hander is 2-0 with a 5.87 ERA in 24 career appearances since making his major league debut in 2018. He spent the majority of 2019 with Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, going 4-1 with a 3.91 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 42 games.
Former major leaguer and longtime broadcaster Ron Fairly has died at age 81, according to the Mariners. The two-time All-Star batted .266 with 215 home runs and 1,044 RBIs during a 21-season playing career that included three World Series titles with the Dodgers. He later worked as a color analyst for the Angels, Giants and Mariners from 1979 until retiring full-time broadcast duties in 2006.
NBA
Kemba Walker had 21 of his 32 points in the second half to fuel the Celtics’ rally in a 116-105 triumph over the Bucks. Jayson Tatum added 25 points and Gordon Hayward chipped in 21 points and 10 rebounds. Marcus Smart finished with 19 points and six assists for Boston, which closed the third quarter on a 26-7 run to take an 80-76 lead.
Domantas Sabonis scored 29 points and the Pacers won for the first time in five games by downing the Nets, 118-108. Jeremy Lamb added 25 for Indiana, which also received 21 points and 13 assists from Malcolm Brogdon.
Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 14 rebounds as the Magic dumped the Knicks, 95-83. Aaron Gordon scored 10 of his 15 points final 5:35 to help Orlando snap a two-game losing streak.
Joel Embiid scored 19 points before he was ejected midway through the third quarter of the Sixers’ 117-95 rout of the Wolves. Philly was leading 77-55 when he got into a brawl with Minnesota big man Karl-Anthony Towns, sending both to the showers following a video review of the incident. The 76ers are 4-0 after sending the Timberwolves to their first loss in four games.
The Golden State Warriors’ slow start to the NBA season just got a lot worse. Stephen Curry broke his left wrist on a hard fall during the third quarter of the Warriors’ third loss in four games, a 121-110 setback against the Suns. The two-time MVP drove to his left with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Aron Baynes guarding nearby. Curry leapt with the ball then came down head first landing awkwardly on his hands to brace himself from the court, with Baynes crashing onto Curry's left hand. The Warriors allowed Kevin Durant to sign with the Nets during the offseason and could spend the entire campaign without Klay Thompson because of a torn ACL. The Suns were able to coast after leading 43-14 after one period. Devin Booker was high man for Phoenix with 31 points, while Baynes finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
James Harden capped his 59-point explosion by nailing one of two free throws with 2.4 seconds to play to give the Rockets a 159-158 victory over the Wizards. Bradley Beal scored 46 points for Washington, including three free throws that knotted the score with 8.1 seconds left.
Pascal Siakam poured in 30 points, including 19 in the third quarter to lead the Raptors to their fourth win in five games, 125-113 against the Pistons. Kyle Lowry scored 20 points, while Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell each had 19 for Toronto.
Mike Conley snapped an early season slump with 29 points in sending the Jazz past the Clippers, 110-96. Conley had 18 points in the third quarter as Utah scored 40 in the period to take a 90-71 lead.
Damian Lillard had 23 points and 13 assists to help the Trail Blazers hold off the Thunder, 102-99. Lillard made 4 of 15 shots the first three quarters before draining three 3-pointers in an 86-second flurry to turn a three-point deficit into a five-point lead.
The Cavaliers are 2-2 after Kevin Love delivered 17 points and 20 rebounds in a 117-111 victory against the Bulls. Tristan Thompson finished with 23 points and Collin Sexton scored 10 of his 18 over the final eight minutes.
The Hornets rallied from 14 down to beat the winless Kings, 118-111 behind P.J. Washington’s 23 points. Terry Rozier was among seven Charlotte players to score in double figures, furnishing 22 points, six assists and five rebounds in the Hornets’ first victory since their season opener.
In NBA news, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Heat with a sprained right ankle. Young underwent treatment at the team's training complex after being hurt in a 112-97 loss at Miami. He will be re-evaluated at the beginning of next week to determine if he'll miss any additional games.
NHL
The Tampa Bay Lightning have avoided their first three-game, regular-season losing streak in 19 months by winning a wild one against the Devils in Newark. Ondrej Palat scored twice and Tyler Johnson provided the game-winner 1:16 into the overtime to decide the Lightning’s 7-6 victory over the Devils. Palat broke a 5-5 tie with 3:57 remaining in regulation, but New Jersey stole a point when Kyle Palmieri tallied in the waning seconds of the third period to complete a hat trick. Jesper Bratt scored twice against Curtis McElhinney, who turned back 36 shots for the Bolts.
St. Louis won for the fourth time in five games as Jordan Binnington made 35 saves and Alex Pietrangelo snapped a tie in the third period as the Blues nipped the Wild, 2-1. Sammy Blais also scored as the defending Stanley Cup champs won their first game since star forward Vladimir Tarasenko had reconstructive surgery on his left shoulder.
Carey Price stopped 33 shots and the Canadiens scored on their first shift in each of the first two periods before completing a 4-1 victory at Arizona. Shea Weber contributed a goal and an assist as Montreal improved to 12-1 all-time versus the Coyotes.
Jonathan Huberdeau scored with 90 seconds left in regulation before adding the overtime goal in the Panthers’ 4-3 comeback win at Colorado. Colton Sceviour and Aleksander Barkov also scored for the Panthers, who trailed by a pair before completing a 2-1-1 road trip.
Leon Draisaitl had two goals and an assist in the Oilers’ 4-1 win at Columbus. James Neal and Jujhar Khaira also scored in Edmonton’s first victory in three games.
Brock Boeser’s third career hat trick carried the Canucks past the Kings, 5-3. Elias Pettersson had a goal and three assists for Vancouver, which is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games.
In NHL news, hockey Hall of Famer and longtime NHL executive Jim Gregory has died at the age of 83. A league official says Gregory died Wednesday at his home in Toronto. The cause of death was not disclosed. Gregory spent a decade as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs from the late 1960s until the late 1970s and was one of the first to bring European players over to the NHL. He spent almost 40 years with the NHL as director of central scouting, executive director of hockey operations and senior vice president of hockey operations and supervision. Gregory served as chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee from 1998-2014 and was a fixture at the NHL draft and other league events.
NFL
The Kansas City Chiefs remain hopeful that injured quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be available when they play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. Mahomes dislocated his right kneecap two weeks ago in Denver. He practiced on a limited basis last week before he was declared out on Friday. The Chiefs started Matt Moore in his place against Green Bay and lost 31-24 to the Packers on Sunday night.
Veteran cornerback Josh Robinson has abruptly retired, leaving the Jaguars in the middle of his eighth NFL season. Robinson had played in every game this season, all on special teams.
The Jaguars have added rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew to the injury report with right shoulder soreness, although the team listed him as a full participant in Wednesday’s practice and said he took 100% of his normal repetitions.
Misdemeanor charges have been dropped against Steelers backup linebacker Anthony Chickillo, who had been accused of injuring his girlfriend during a fight in their western Pennsylvania hotel room this month.
The Lions have signed cornerback Michael Jackson. Detroit needs depth at the position while Darius Slay is slowed by an injury.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has returned to practice on a limited basis following a sprained right ankle, but tight end Miller Forristall could be out for the next six weeks. Tagovailoa has missed one game since injuring the ankle in the Crimson Tide’s 35-14 win over Tennessee on Oct. 19. He has completed 74.7% of his passes for 2,166 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions this season. Coach Nick Saban says Forristall got hit in the throat in the Arkansas game and had surgery to repair an injury to his voice box. Second-ranked Alabama is off this week before playing No. 1 LSU on Nov. 9.
Former Miami Hurricanes athletic director Sam Jankovich has died in his native Butte, Montana, at 85. The Hurricanes won their first three national championships in football while Jankovich served as AD from 1983-90. He hired coaches Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson, who both won national titles. Jankovich also revived the men's basketball program at Miami in 1985, 14 years after the school had dropped the sport.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The Associated Press preseason women’s college basketball poll is out, and Oregon finds itself No. 1 for the first time in school history. With Kelly Graves preparing to coach sophomore sensation Sabrina Ionescu for another season, the Ducks claimed 25 of 28 first-place votes to head a top five that features defending-champion Baylor at No. 2. Stanford, Maryland and UConn round out the top five.
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