MLB
David Price has followed his finest postseason start with another strong performance as the Boston Red Sox took a two-games-to-none lead in the World Series.
Price allowed two runs and three hits while striking out five over six innings of the Red Sox's 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Fenway Park. The three hits came while the Dodgers were scoring twice in the fourth inning to take a brief 2-1 lead.
Price previously pitched in Boston's AL pennant clinching, striking out nine over six scoreless innings.
J.D. Martinez broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth with a two-run single, one batter after Steve Pearce walked with the bases loaded.
Mookie Betts was 3-for-4 with a run scored for the Bosox, who have won 14 of their last 16 World Series games.
Dodgers’ starter and loser Hyun-Jin Ryu was pulled with two out in the fifth, charged with four runs and six hits. Ryu actually left the game with a 2-1 lead and the bases filled.
The series resumes with Game 3 Friday at 8:09 p.m. in Los Angeles. Nathan Eovaldi was expected to start for Boston, but manager Alex Cora will likely go with Rick Porcello after using Eovaldi in relief Wednesday.
Walker Buehler is slated to start for the Dodgers.
Clemente Award:
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina has won the Roberto Clemente Award given to the player who best represents the former Pittsburgh outfielder's humanitarian efforts.
Molina has worked tirelessly to help Puerto Rico recover from the effects of Hurricane Maria last year.
Rays get Cuban prospect:
The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a $2.61 million signing bonus with 16-year-old Cuban pitching prospect Sandy Gaston, pending a physical.
The hard-throwing right-hander is considered one of the top international free agent prospects and had attracted interest from several major league teams, including the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles.
NBA
The Toronto Raptors have matched the best start in franchise history by downing the Minnesota Timberwolves, 112-105.
Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 35 points and Kyle Lowry had a double-double as the Raptors beat the Wolves, 112-105 to improve to 5-0. Toronto saw a 17-point, fourth-quarter lead shrink to five before Leonard drained a jumper with about a minute left. He added a pair of free throws to ice the victory.
Lowry finished with 13 points and 10 assists.
Jonas Valanciunas scored 16 points and Serge Ibaka had 15 for the Raptors, who also opened 5-0 three years ago.
Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action:
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double and the Bucks improved to 4-0 for the first time in 17 years by hammering the 76ers, 123-108. Antetokounmpo delivered 32 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, while Khris Middleton finished with 25 points and Brook Lopez added 21.
The Rockets are off to a 1-3 start after Donovan Mitchell scored 38 points to lead the Jazz to a 100-89 victory at Houston. James Harden scored 29 points before leaving the game midway through the fourth quarter with an apparent injury.
Victor Oladipo dropped in 21 points and the Pacers hit nine of their first 11 3-point attempts in a 116-96 laugher over the Spurs in San Antonio. Indiana led by as many as 29 and had seven players score in double figures, with Tyreke Evans providing 19 points and Domantas Sabonis adding 16.
The Heat clobbered the Knicks, 110-87 as Hassan Whiteside scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Miami. Josh Richardson added 21 points for the Heat, who outscored New York, 76-38 over the second and third quarters.
The Bulls picked up their first win of the season by beating the Hornets, 112-110 on Zach LaVine's two free throws with 0.5 seconds to play. LaVine reached the 30-point mark for the fourth straight game, finishing with 32 while Cameron Payne added a career-high 21 on 7 of 11 from beyond the arc.
The Cavaliers are still seeking their first win after being outscored 38-17 in the third quarter of the Nets' 102-86 victory at Cleveland. D'Angelo Russell led six Nets in double figures with 18 points and Joe Harris added 16.
The Hawks stormed back from a 26-point deficit as Kent Bazemore scored 32 points, including a thunderous dunk with just over a minute left in a 111-104 triumph over the Mavericks. Atlanta's Trae Young scored 17 points and Luca Doncic had 21 points for Dallas in a matchup of rookies who were traded for each other on draft night.
Washington forward Markieff Morris has been fined $15,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct late in the Wizards' overtime victory at Portland on Monday night. Morris was on the bench when he twice pulled at guard Seth Curry's shorts during live play at the end of the fourth quarter in the Wizards' 125-124 victory. And Lakers coach Luke Walton has been fined $15,000 for public criticism of the officiating. The fine stems from comments Walton made following the Lakers' 143-142 overtime loss to the Spurs on Monday.
In Thursday’s NBA Action:
The Boston Celtics take on Oklahoma City at 8 p.m.
NHL
Winnipeg Jets are hitting the road after suffering their only regulation loss on their six-game homestand.
Nazem Kadri scored his first goal of the season and Frederik Andersen turned back 38 shots as the Maple Leafs doubled up the Jets, 4-2. Kasperi Kapanen and Tyler Ennis also scored while Toronto was building a 3-0 lead, but Winnipeg pulled within a goal before John Tavares notched his seventh goal in 10 games this season.
The Leafs stopped a two-game skid and improved to 7-3-0.
Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele (SHY'-flee) scored and Connor Hellebuyck made 35 saves for the Jets, who ended up 4-1-1 on their homestand.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
The Lightning earned a 1-0 win at Colorado behind Nikita Kucherov's power-play goal with 13:36 to play. Andrei Vasilevskiy handled 23 shots in his 13th career shutout.
The Panthers erased a 2-0 deficit in the third period and beat the Islanders' 3-2 on Mike Hoffman's power-play goal 36 seconds into overtime. Frank Vatrano and Evgenii Dadonov scored about eight minutes apart to knot the score after Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle tallied for New York.
Thursday on the Ice:
The Flyers take on the Bruins at 7 p.m.
The Buffalo Sabres go against Montreal at 7 p.m.
The New Jersey Devils Host Nashville at 7 p.m.
The New York Rangers face off against the Blackhawks at 8:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh takes on the Flames at 9 p.m.
NHL punishes Borowiecki:
Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki has been suspended for one game without pay by the NHL for elbowing Boston defenseman Urho Vaakanainen on Tuesday night.
The penalty will cost Borowiecki $6,452.
NFL
The New York Giants are officially in housecleaning mode following Monday's 23-20 loss to Atlanta left them 1-6.
The Giants have dealt defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison to the Lions, one day after New York shipped defensive back Eli Apple to the Saints. The deal is pending a physical.
A person with knowledge of the deal says the Giants will receive a fifth-round pick in 2019.
Harrison was an All-Pro selection two years ago.
In other NFL news:
Jets’ running back Bilal Powell needs surgery to repair a bulging disk in his neck, an injury that coach Todd Bowles says is potentially career-ending. Powell was placed on injured reserve after hurting his neck during a 2-yard run late in the second quarter of Sunday's loss to Minnesota.
Receiver Albert Wilson has been placed on injured reserve by Miami because of a hip injury suffered in Sunday's loss to Detroit. Wilson leads the Dolphins with 391 yards receiving on 26 receptions, including touchdowns of 75, 74 and 43 yards.
The Falcons have signed offensive linemen Rees Odhiambo and Austin Pasztor to add depth at the position. Atlanta just placed right guard Brandon Fusco on
The Vikings say they will gradually work in defensive end Everson Griffen this week in his return from mental health treatment. Griffen rejoined his teammates for practice Wednesday, his first time on the field in almost six weeks.
The Broncos have waived backup quarterback Chad Kelly a day after he was arrested on suspicion of criminal trespass. A couple reported he came into their suburban home uninvited and sat down on their couch "mumbling incoherently."
Eagles’ defensive end Derek Barnett had shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the season. Barnett had 19 tackles and 2½ sacks this season.
Former NFL, CFL and college coach Rod Rust has died at his New Jersey home at age 90, according to family friend Bobby April. Rust coached Hall of Fame defensive lineman "Mean" Joe Greene at North Texas and later served as defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots' 1985 Super Bowl team. He spent more than four decades as a football coach, mostly as a defensive coordinator in the NFL with Kansas City, New England, Pittsburgh, the New York Giants and Atlanta.
Thursday’s NFL Matchups
Miami Takes on Houston at 8:20 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa will be withheld from competition pending a review of his eligibility.
De Sousa's name surfaced as part of the FBI's investigation into corruption in college basketball. During the trial of former Adidas executive James Gatto, ex-AAU coach T.J. Gassnola testified that he facilitated payments to De Sousa's guardian in an attempt to steer him toward Kansas. Gassnola denied that the Jayhawks' coaching staff knew about the payments.
Gatto, business manager Christian Dawkins and amateur league director Merl Code were found guilty of fraud charges. The government had accused the three of participating in a scheme to funnel tens of thousands of dollars in secret payments to the families so the prospects would commit to Adidas-sponsored schools.
Prosecutors said the defendants committed fraud by concealing the payments that violated NCAA rules. Defense lawyers argued there was no evidence colleges suffered any harm.
GYMNASTICS
An assistant women's gymnastics coach at Michigan has resigned, days after police said they found him engaged in sexual activity with a student in a car.
Scott Vetere is one of the most-decorated gymnasts in Michigan history. He and the 18-year-old woman were cited for indecent conduct in public for the alleged incident on Oct. 8 in Ann Arbor.
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