MLB:
In the baseball playoffs, the Toronto Blue Jays are the first team to reach the American League Championship Series following their three-game sweep of the Rangers. The Blue Jays completed their three-game sweep of the American League Division Series by beating Texas, 7-6, on second baseman Rougned Odor's throwing error in the bottom of the 10th. Edwin Encarnacion and Russell Martin homered for the Blue Jays, who will take on either Cleveland or Boston in the ALCS. The Indians and Red Sox were rained out for Game 3 in their American League Division Series in Boston after Cleveland took a 2-0 lead.
The Washington Nationals have evened their National League Division Series at a game apiece by turning a two-run deficit into a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jose Lobaton put the Nats ahead with a three-run homer in the fourth before Daniel Murphy added a pair of RBI singles. The Dodgers host Game 3 later today before the Chicago Cubs try to complete a three-game sweep of the Giants in San Francisco.
The Cleveland Indians still own a two-games-to-none lead over the Red Sox in the American League Division Series after Game 3 was rained out Sunday in Boston. Both managers are leaving their rotations intact, with Cleveland's Josh Tomlin starting the makeup game Monday against Clay Buchholz of the Bosox. The Indians opened the series with 5-4 and 6-0 victories in Cleveland.
NBA:
In the NBA preseason, Houston won against New Orleans 123-117, and it was the Lakers over Denver 124-115.
NHL:
In the NHL preseason, Washington blanked the Islanders 4-0 and it was Anaheim over San Jose 3-2.
Florida Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau will miss up to four months with a lower body injury suffered in the team's final preseason game. Huberdeau established career highs last season with 20 goals, 59 points and a +17. He was expected to be a part of Florida's top line, alongside Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov.
NFL:
In the NFL, Pittsburgh topped the Jets 31-13, Green Bay won against the Giants 23-16, Buffalo blasted Los Angeles 30-19, New England bested Cleveland 33-13, Oakland trumped San Diego 34-31, Dallas bested Cincinnati 28-14, Minnesota beat Houston 31-13, Washington won against Philadelphia 24-23, Indianapolis defeated Chicago 29-23, Tennessee topped Miami 30-17 and it was Atlanta over Denver 23-16.
The Minnesota Vikings are the last unbeaten team in the NFL following losses by Denver and Philadelphia. Sam Bradford threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns as the Vikes trounced Houston 31-13 to improve to 5-0. The Broncos hadn't lost since last Dec. 20 before Matt Ryan threw for 267 yards and a touchdown to lead the Falcons' 23-16 triumph in Denver. Matthew Stafford threw for three touchdowns and Matt Prater hit a 29-yard field goal with 1:28 left to lift Detroit past the Eagles, 24-23.
Tom Brady's return from his four-game "Deflategate" suspension was successful, with the New England Patriots and Brady beating Cleveland 33-13 yesterday. Brady played relatively rust-free ball, passing for 406 yards and three touchdowns to Martellus Bennett. Patriots rookie cornerback Cyrus Jones was ejected in the third-quarter of yesterday's game against the Browns after Jones threw a punch at Cleveland receiver Andrew Hawkins. A second-round draft pick out of Alabama, Jones was angry after Hawkins blocked him while a pass to Terrelle Pryor was completed on the other side of the field.
Broncos coach Gary Kubiak experienced flu-like symptoms and was taken from the stadium to a hospital by ambulance following Denver's loss to the Falcons. A team spokesman said Kubiak was transported as a precaution about 45 minutes after the game. Kubiak had a health scare in 2013 when he was coach of the Houston Texans, collapsing at halftime at a game against the Colts. He was diagnosed with a mini-stroke but was back on the sideline 10 days later.
On Monday Night Football, Tampa Bay takes on Carolina at 8:30 p.m.
WNBA:
In the WNBA, the Sparks topped Minnesota 78-76.
NCAA:
Albany will not host the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in March after all. The NCAA announced today that the games will be held in South Carolina after it moved them from North Carolina to protest the state’s controversial “bathroom bill.” Albany’s downtown arena is undergoing a major renovation in hopes of luring back events like the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2003.
Sacred Heart scored a pair of goals in the second period to get their first victory of the college men's hockey season in a 2-1 win over Merrimack Sunday evening. Nick Lotito and Evan Jasper got the scores while Brett Magnus recorded 20 saves in the win.
NASCAR:
Jimmie Johnson has advanced to the round of eight for the first time since NASCAR created the Sprint Cup elimination format two years ago. The six-time Sprint Cup champion did it by winning the rain-delayed event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, leading a race-high 155 laps before finishing just ahead of Matt Kenseth. Johnson broke a career-worst, 24-race losing streak and claimed his third win of the season.
Horse Racing:
Whiskey Seven rallied yesterday to win the $65,000 allowance feature for New York bred horses at Belmont Park. The race was originally scheduled as a turf face with 8 horses but scratched down to four runners with a shift to the main track in the soggy conditions.
Hunting:
The week-long early muzzleloader season for hunters in upstate New York's Northern Zone is set to begin. New York Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos says more deer are taken by hunters during opening weekend than any other two-day period in that region. The season begins on Saturday.
Seggos says that despite last year's mild winter, hunters should expect to see more deer this fall. DEC has changed the rules for early muzzleloader season to reduce antlerless harvest in two wildlife management units. Hunters in wildlife units 6F and 6J, located in Franklin, St. Lawrence, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, and Oneida counties, are prohibited from taking antlerless deer.
Women’s Soccer League:
Sabrina D'Angelo made three saves in the penalty shootout and the Western New York Flash won the National Women's Soccer League championship 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw with the Washington Spirit on Sunday.
Crystal Dunn gave the Spirit the lead in the 92nd minute, but Golden Boot winner Lynn Williams scored for the Flash in extra time of the overtime period to send the match to penalties. Dunn first scored in the 10th minute, before Samantha Mewis evened it with a goal for the Flash in the 14th. Both players are also part of the U.S national team and are on the roster for a pair of friendlies later this month against Switzerland.
D'Angelo, who was on the Canadian national team that won the bronze medal at this summer's Olympic Games, pumped her fists and screamed after stopping Diana Matheson's attempt for the win at Houston's BBVA Compass Stadium.
LPGA:
South Korea's Ha Na Jang held off Shanshan Feng of China to win the LPGA's Taiwan Championship by one shot. Jang led Feng by eight after six holes but saw the lead dissipate. Feng finished with a 66 while Jang had a 71.
PGA:
Jay Haas has become the second-oldest winner in PGA Tour Champions history by capturing the event at Newport Beach. Haas birdied the first hole of a playoff with Bart Bryant after blowing a five-shot lead in the final round. At 62 years, 10 months, 7 days, Haas trails only Mike Fetchick at 63 years to the day he won the 1985 Hilton Head Seniors Invitational. Haas followed bogey-free rounds of 64 and 63 with a 70 for 16-under total. Bryant forced a playoff with a 7-under 64.
Boxing:
Former junior welterweight boxer Aaron Pryor has died at the age of 60. His family issued a statement saying he had been dealing with heart disease. Pryor is best known for two bouts with Alexis Arguello. Pryor had problems away from the ring as his career unraveled because of an addiction to cocaine.
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