MLB:
The Chicago Cubs are now four victories away from their first World Series berth since 1945 - reaching the National League Championship Series second consecutive year by scoring four times in the ninth to beat the Giants, 6-5 in San Francisco. Ben Zobrist lined an RBI double and pinch-hitter Wilsson Contreras tied it with a two-run single before Javier Baez singled home the eventual winning run. The rally came after Matt Moore held Chicago to two hits while striking out 10 over eight innings.
Chase Utley laced an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals, tying the National League Division Series at two games apiece. The Dodgers blew a 5-2 lead in the seventh before Utley's hit forced a fifth and deciding game Thursday in Washington. Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run homer and Joc Pederson had two RBIs to help the Dodgers overcome Daniel Murphy's four ribbies.
The Blue Jays say Marco Estrada will start Game 1 of the American League Championship Series Friday in Cleveland. Estrada came within two outs of a complete-game victory in Toronto's 10-1 rout of Texas in the opener of the ALDS, holding the Rangers to a run and four hits. He is 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA in eight career postseason games, including four starts.
With the Red Sox season now over, the team's president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski says manager John Farrell will be back as manager next season. Dombrowski says Farrell works well with players and they respect his leadership. The team has not made a decision on its option on Farrell for the 2018 season.
Red Sox players cleaned out their lockers yesterday in the clubhouse at Fenway. Retiring Red Sox slugger David Ortiz did not make an appearance during the hour that the room was open to reporters but pitcher David Price says Ortiz made his presence felt after Monday night's game, telling teammates they should be proud of what they accomplished this year.
The Atlanta Braves liked what they saw while Brian Snitker served as interim manager this season, enough to give him the job on a permanent basis. Snitker took over the club in mid-May and guided the Braves to a 59-65 record following a 9-28 start under Fredi Gonzalez. The Braves closed the season by winning 12 of their last 14 and 20 of 30. The promotion includes a contract for next year and a club option for 2018.
In other major league news:
— Veteran Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia has undergone surgery on his troublesome right knee, a procedure his medical team described it as "a routine cleanup." The 36-year-old left-hander pitched with a brace on the knee this year and went 9-12 with a 3.91 ERA, his lowest earned run average since 2012.
— Royals pitcher Chris Young is expected to be ready for spring training in February after undergoing surgery to his abdominal area, pelvis and groin Tuesday. The 37-year-old Young received a two-year, $10 million contract after playing an instrumental role in the Royals' World Series championship last year, but he was just 3-9 with a 6.19 ERA this year.
— Angels outfielder Kole Calhoun will undergo surgery on a bilateral core muscle injury next Tuesday and is expected to need six weeks of recovery time. The 2015 Gold Glove winner hit .271 with 18 homers and 75 RBIs this season, his third in the majors.
NBA:
In NBA preseason play, Miami topped Brooklyn 121-100, Memphis bested Philadelphia 121-91, Dallas beat Oklahoma City 114-109, and it was Portland over the Lakers in overtime 109-106.
The Knicks' Derrick Rose and one of his friends have laid out conflicting accounts of the night that Rose and two friends allegedly raped Rose's ex-girlfriend in California. Randall Hampton testified that Rose has a poor memory and was mistaken when he described the sex that happened that night. The woman says she had been drinking the night of the attack.
The Jets have claimed receiver Jeremy Butler off waivers from Tampa Bay and have released Jeremy Ross. He had 31 catches for 363 yards last season for the Baltimore Ravens but had been one of their final cuts ahead of the season this year before he was signed by the Buccaneers.
WNBA:
In the WNBA, Minnesota won against the Sparks 79-60.
NFL:
The San Francisco 49ers are going back to Colin Kaepernick as their starting quarterback, beginning with Sunday's game against Buffalo. Coach Chip Kelly made the decision to bench Blaine Gabbert and give back the job Kaepernick lost midway through last season. Gabbert is last in the NFL in yards per pass attempt and owns the second-worst passer rating, a combination that has contributed to the Niners' 1-4 start.
Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward will miss Sunday's game at Miami because of a left hamstring injury suffered in the first half of last Sunday's 31-13 win over the Jets. Head coach Mike Tomlin declined to specify the nature of the injury, though the chances of Heyward returning for an Oct. 23 showdown with the Patriots seem bleak. Heyward had played in 85 straight games since being selected 31st overall by the Steelers in the 2011 NFL draft.
No foul play is suspected in the death of former New York Giants player Lorenzo Freeman. Freeman was found dead in his home in Pennsylvania. He was 52 years old and had been working as an assistant high school football coach. An autopsy is being done today.
— The unbeaten Minnesota Vikings have filled a void with the signing of offensive tackle Jake Long after losing Matt Kalil and Andre Smith to injuries. The four-time Pro Bowl selection begin his NFL career with Miami in 2008 and played his first four seasons under former Dolphins coach Tony Sparano, the Vikings' offensive line coach.
— Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson has been suspended for 10 games by the NFL for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. It's the second league-imposed suspension for Johnson, whose current contract included a clause that voided guaranteed money if he was suspended again. Last January, he signed a 5-year, $56 million dollar contract that contained a $10 million signing bonus and $35.5 million guaranteed.
— The New York Giants have shuffled their defensive depth chart by signing cornerback Coty Sensabaugh and linebacker Deontae Skinner while cutting defensive tackle Montori Hughes and rookie cornerback Michael Hunter. The Giants have had trouble against the pass this season, in large part due to an ineffective defensive line that ranks dead last in the NFL with four sacks.
NHL:
Look for the Boston Bruins' lineup to be a young one as they open up a new NHL season this week. The lineup could feature at least three rookies, with Brandon Carlo, Rob O'Gara and Danton Heinen all making the opening night roster. The Bruins will open on the road tomorrow night at the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers have both made waiver moves as the NHL's regular season opens tonight. The Devils claimed forward Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau after he had been waived by the Islanders. The Rangers put forward Nathan Gerbe on waivers with the intention of ending his contract.
Veteran forward Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau was claimed by the New Jersey Devils in one of five waiver-related moves NHL teams made on Tuesday, a day before the season opens. The two-time 20-goal scorer was claimed after being waived by the New York Islanders. New Jersey freed up roster space by placing defenseman Seth Helgeson on waivers.
The NHL is adding a staff of spotters to better help identify players who may have sustained a concussion and have them removed from games for evaluation. In an enhancement of its concussion protocol, the league announced the spotters will monitor all game broadcasts from the NHL's headquarters in New York. The spotters are certified athletic trainers who have hockey experience and educated in identifying signs of potential concussions. They will have the authority to contact teams directly to have players removed during a game. The players will not be allowed to return until being cleared by the team's medical staff. The NHL will also have concussion spotters attending each game. Previously, there had been team-affiliated concussion spotters in each arena and they could recommend to medical staffs but not require players be removed from a game. The new rules were announced Tuesday, a day before the NHL opens the regular season. The policy first went into effect during the World Cup of Hockey tournament last month.
NCAA:
Officials at Yale are apologizing for some of the images used on the cover of the program for last weekend's football game against Dartmouth. The New Haven Register reports the program marked the 100th game between the schools and included earlier programs over the years -- with one from 1944 showing a Yale player setting fire to an American Indian's clothing.
Women's basketball coaches in the Big East tied over who they expect to win the conference crown this season, picking Creighton and DePaul to top the standings. Providence is expected to finish far back in the standings. DePaul's Jessica January is the preseason pick to be conference player of the year.
Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw will receive the John R. Wooden Award's Legends of Coaching honor. The annual award is given to college basketball coaches who exemplify the late UCLA legend's standard of coaching success and personal integrity. McGraw will receive the award on April 7 at the College Basketball Awards in Los Angeles.
Stanford football coach David Shaw says running back Christian McCaffrey's status for Saturday's game against Notre Dame may not be clear until Saturday morning. Nagging injuries have led to McCaffrey's limited production over the last two games. He rushed for 436 yards over his first three games before gaining just 84 on the ground in losses to Washington and Washington State.
Minor Leagues:
Tim Tebow comforted a fan who was having a seizure after the former NFL quarterback played his first baseball game in the Arizona Fall League. The Phoenix Fire Department said a man in his 40s was having a seizure Tuesday at Camelback Ranch, the spring training home to two major league teams. Tebow, recently signed by the New York Mets to a minor league contract, went 0 for 3 and also ran into an outfield wall chasing a flyball for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Azcentral reported Tebow was signing autographs after the game when a man fell ill in the stands. Pictures showed Tebow put his hand on the fan's leg, and azcentral said the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner at Florida prayed and talked to the man about Georgia football. The Phoenix Fire Department said the man was transported to an emergency room. No more details were provided on his condition.
Golf:
An already outstanding year of golf by Dustin Johnson has been topped off with him winning the major postseason awards. The PGA Tour has announced that he has captured the Jack Nicklaus Award for being player of the year as well as the Arnold Palmer Award for leading the money list and the Byron Nelson Award for having the lowest adjusted scoring average.
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