MLB:
The Boston Red Sox are American League East champions and will open their postseason schedule Oct. 6 seeking a second World Series crown in four years. The team's first opponent has not been determined yet. The Red Sox lost 5-3 in New York on a Mark Teixeira walk-off grand slam but clinched the division when Toronto lost 3-2 to Baltimore.
With five days left in the 162-game regular baseball season, here's the situation in the American League wild card. The Orioles rallied with two in the ninth to beat Toronto 3-2 to move one game back of the Jays as Toronto and Baltimore hold the first two wild card spots with Detroit one game back.
Here's the NL wild card situation. With San Francisco losing 2-0 at home to Colorado last night, the New York Mets have a game and a half-game lead over San Francisco as those two hold the two wild cards. St. Louis fell one game out of the final wild card when the Cards lost 2-1 at home to last-place Cincinnati.
Somber Miami Marlins players and personnel escorted a hearse carrying the body of star pitcher Jose Fernandez from the team's ballpark in a farewell for their beloved teammate killed in a boating accident early Sunday. A private funeral Mass is set today for the Fernandez family, Marlins players and personnel.
New York Mets prospect Tim Tebow homered on the first pitch he saw Wednesday in his instructional league debut against the St. Louis Cardinals club. Tebow hit a high fastball in the bottom of the first inning over the left field fence off Cardinals prospect John Kilichowski, a left-hander who pitched for Vanderbilt University and two minor league affiliates for the Cardinals this year. Tebow finished 1 for 6 at the plate. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner also grounded into a double play, grounded out to short and flew out to center and left field. He hit a slow roller to third base in his fifth at-bat in the fifth inning, nearly beating out the throw. The Mets face the Miami Marlins instructional team on Thursday.
Elsewhere in baseball, Seattle topped Houston 12-4, Detroit doubled up Cleveland 3-2 in 5 innnings, Kansas City bested Minnesota 5-2, the White Sox edged Tampa Bay 1-0, and the Angels won against Oakland 8-6. In the National League, the Mets beat Miami 5-2, Atlanta topped Philadelphia 12-2, San Diego edged the Dodgers 6-5, Colorado blanked San Francisco 2-0, Pittsburgh doubled up the Cubs 8-4, and it was Arizona over Washington in 6 innings 3-0. In interleague play, Texas won against Milwaukee 8-5.
In other baseball:
— Jordan Zimmermann is set to pitch Friday night for the playoff-chasing Detroit Tigers in what would be his first start in nearly three weeks. Zimmermann has been trying to regain his effectiveness after missing significant time with neck issues. He allowed six runs in one inning Sept. 10 in his most recent start.
— The Chicago Cubs have given president of baseball operations Theo Epstein a five-year contract extension. The deal is a reward for an overhaul that has the long-suffering franchise eyeing its first championship since 1908.
— Pete Rose is not giving up on getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In a letter to the Hall's president, Rose's attorney Raymond Genco makes the case that the career hits leader's ban from baseball for gambling in 1989 was not intended to make him ineligible for the Hall of Fame.
NCAA:
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer called NCAA President Mark Emmert yesterday to advocate for the Albany Times Union Center to become the site for the 2017 NCAA Men’s basketball tournament after the games were pulled from North Carolina due to the state’s anti-LGBT legislation.
Coach Tom Herman's only loss since taking over at Houston came to UConn last season. As the sixth-ranked Cougars prepare to meet the 2-2 Huskies again tonight, Herman says his team is determined not to let UConn ruin another perfect season.
NFL:
The Patriots welcome back Tom Brady from his "Deflategate" suspension in less than a week. In the meantime, they have just a few days left to get Jimmy Garoppolo's shoulder, Jacoby Brissett's thumb, or emergency quarterback Julian Edelman ready to play against the Buffalo Bills Sunday.
The Buffalo Bills have signed offensive tackle Michael Ola off of the New York Giants practice squad. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 312 pounds, Ola has 19 starts in 23 career NFL games split between Chicago, Detroit and San Diego over the past two seasons. He was cut by the Lions before the start of this season and signed by the Giants last week. Ola was signed by Buffalo on Wednesday, a day after the team opened a roster spot by releasing kicker Jordan Gay. Buffalo lacks depth at tackle. Starter Cordy Glenn has missed the past two games with an injury to his left ankle. Seantrel Henderson is serving a four-game NFL suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The Bills (1-2) play at New England (3-0) on Sunday.
Add another reporter to the NFL beat: Rex Ryan. Introducing himself as "Walt Patulski from The Buffalo News," the Bills coach popped in during a conference call New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman was holding with reporters in the team's media room. Ryan asked Edelman directly if he was playing quarterback against the Bills on Sunday, given the Patriots' uncertainty at the position with Tom Brady suspended and his two backups managing injuries. Edelman responded by saying he'll do whatever coach Bill Belichick asks of him, even if it means passing out glasses of water on the sideline. Edelman closed by saying, "You should ask coach that one." Ryan responded by saying, "All right, Julian, I will, buddy," as the room broke out in laughter. It's unclear whether Edelman was aware it was Ryan. Who starts for New England is in question. Brady is serving the fourth and final game of his "Deflategate" suspension. Backup Jimmy Garoppolo has a sprained shoulder and third-stringer Jacoby Brissett hurt his thumb against Houston. Edelman played quarterback at Kent State. Ryan acknowledged he believes he knows who will start, but wouldn't share who. Patulski is a former defensive end, whom the Bills selected with the No. 1 pick in the 1972 draft.
The NFL received a high grade for its racial hiring practices and a C+ for its gender hiring efforts in 2016. The annual report by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport gave the league its seventh consecutive A on racial hiring practices and a combined grade of B for hiring minorities and women. The second straight C+ indicates the NFL still has a long way to go in improving hiring opportunities for women. But it is a dramatic improvement from two years ago, when the numbers were abysmal.
A second petition has been filed asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the $1 billion settlement of NFL concussion lawsuits because of how it treats current brain injuries versus future ones. The former players who filed the petition complain that chronic traumatic encephalopathy diagnosed before the April 2015 cutoff can bring $4 million while future CTE diagnoses aren't compensated. They say that violates Supreme Court rulings that insist each subgroup in a class action settlement be treated fairly.
NHL:
In NHL preseason play, Philadelphia blanked New Jersey 2-0, Detroit won against Boston 5-1, Pittsburgh shut out Chicago 2-0, Colorado doubled up Dallas 4-2, Vancouver beat Edmonton 5-3, and it was the Kings over Anaheim 6-1.
WNBA:
In the WNBA, Minnesota won against Phoenix 113-95 and it was the Sparks over Chicago 95-75.
Olympics:
An expert panel is warning of the cost of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, saying it could top $30 billion; calls for cost cutting.
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