MLB-NLCS
Enrique Hernandez homered three times and drove in seven runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers romped past the Chicago Cubs 11-1 on Thursday night behind Clayton Kershaw to reach the World Series for the first time in almost three decades.
Kershaw breezed through six crisp innings and Cody Bellinger had three hits as Los Angeles ended Chicago's title defense with a dominant performance in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series.
Hernandez connected on the first two pitches he saw, belting a solo drive in the second against Jose Quintana and a grand slam in the third against Hector Rondon. Hernandez added a two-run shot in the ninth against Mike Montgomery.
It's the first pennant for one of baseball's most storied franchises since Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda managed Los Angeles to its last championship in 1988. The Dodgers will host the Yankees or Astros in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday night.
The Yankees will take on the Astros in Game 6 tonight from Houston. With a victory, the Yanks can advance to the World Series. The game begins at 8:08 PM.
MLB-ALCS-UNWANTED BREAKS
Joe Girardi says the New York Yankees would have preferred not having a day off Thursday after winning three straight home games to take a 3-2 lead in the AL Championship Series.
Houston manager A.J. Hinch certainly has no sympathy because his team knows that feeling. The Astros won the first two ALCS games at home last week before an off day stopped their momentum.
"I think the script, how it played between Game 2 and 3, should play perfectly between Game 5 and 6," Hinch said. "We got our day off when we were rolling pretty good ... and they stood up and came back. So maybe we'll return the favor to them."
Game 6 is Friday night. Neither team held a formal workout Thursday at Minute Maid Park after games the previous three days at Yankee Stadium.
MLB-TIGERS-GARDENHIRE
A person with knowledge of the discussions says the Detroit Tigers are in talks to hire Ron Gardenhire as manager.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because no announcement had been made. Gardenhire was the bench coach this season for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He managed the Minnesota Twins from 2002-14.
The Tigers are replacing Brad Ausmus after four seasons at the helm. Detroit finished tied for the worst record in the majors this year at 64-98 and faces what figures to be a tough rebuilding process.
Gardenhire is plenty familiar to Tigers fans after his long run managing an AL Central rival. The Twins won the division six times in his first nine seasons in charge, and he was voted AL Manager of the Year in 2010.
NFL-CHIEFS-RAIDERS
Derek Carr threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree on the final play after the game was extended by two straight defensive holding calls and the Oakland Raiders snapped a four-game losing streak with a 31-30 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.
With their season on the line following the recent slump, Carr led an 85-yard touchdown drive in the final 2:25 to give the Raiders the thrilling comeback win in a game they trailed by nine points heading into the fourth quarter.
Carr finished 29 for 52 for 417 yards and three touchdowns, with Amari Cooper catching 11 passes for 210 yards and two of the scores. Alex Smith threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns but it wasn't enough for the Chiefs, who fall to 5-2. They lost consecutive games for the first time since Oct. 11-18, 2015, and had their 12-game winning streak in the AFC West snapped in a thrilling finish.
In other NFL news:
— The Washington Redskins have placed rookie defensive lineman Jonathan Allen on injured reserve after undergoing foot surgery. The Redskins now have Allen and kicker Dustin Hopkins on IR and by NFL rules can bring up to two players back before the season is over.
— The Panthers could be without two key players when they visit the Chicago Bears. Three-time All-Pro middle linebacker Luke Kuechly missed his third straight day of practice Thursday with a concussion while wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin missed a second consecutive day of practice with inflammation in his left knee.
— Teddy Bridgewater says he "definitely" believes he'll play for the Minnesota Vikings this season. He was cleared to rejoin the team Wednesday on the field where he dislocated his left knee and tore multiple ligaments in a non-contact drill less than two weeks before the 2016 season began.
— The Atlanta Falcons have signed defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin, a former starter with Cleveland and Seattle. The Falcons waived defensive lineman Taniela Tupou, nine days after he was signed to the active roster. The 31-year-old Rubin was cut by Denver on Tuesday.
— Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette says his ankle feels good and he "most definitely" will be healthy enough to play Sunday at Indianapolis. Fournette missed a second consecutive practice Thursday because of a sprained right ankle.
— New York Jets running back Bilal Powell is expected to play at Miami on Sunday after practicing fully for the first time since straining a calf muscle nearly two weeks ago. Powell is the Jets' leading rusher with 240 yards and two touchdowns. He also has 13 catches for 72 yards out of the backfield.
— The Buffalo Bills have designated linebacker Tyrell Adams as being waived/injured a day after he was claimed off of waivers. Adams had been claimed by Buffalo after the second-year player was released by the Oakland Raiders. The Bills did not disclose the nature of Adams' injury.
Sunday’s Schedule:
Tampa Bay at Buffalo Bills Sunday 1:00 PM
NY Jets at Miami Dolphins Sunday 1:00 PM
Seattle Seahawks at NY Giants Sunday 4:25 PM
Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots Sunday 8:30 PM
COLLEGE FOOTBALL T-25
Riley Ferguson threw for 471 yards and had a 21-yard TD pass with 1:28 left, Patrick Taylor rushed for a career-high four touchdowns and No. 25 Memphis overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Houston 42-38 on Thursday night.
Ferguson was 33 of 53 and found Sean Dykes to cap an 8-play, 80-yard drive that took 1:49 to give Memphis (6-1, 3-1 American) its only lead. Anthony Miller caught 10 passes for 178 yards, and Tony Pollard had nine catches for 91 yards.
Memphis finished with 501 yards.
Houston (4-3, 2-2) was driving when Kyle Postma fumbled at the Memphis 49, with T.J. Carter recovering with a minute remaining. After Memphis punted, Postma's pass was intercepted by Carter with 24 seconds remaining to end the game.
NHL-SCHEDULE- PREDATORS-FLYERS
Pekka Rinne stopped 28 shots, Colton Sissons scored in the third period and the Nashville Predators beat the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 on Thursday night.
Sissons got his second goal of the season early in the third, giving the Western Conference champions their fourth win in five games. Rinne was strong in his 44th career shutout and first of the season.
The Flyers had combined for 13 goals in their first two home games and scored 26 overall in their first six games.
Philadelphia pulled goalie Michal Neuvirth on a power play and couldn't score in the final minute with a 6-on-4 advantage.
The Flyers had outscored the opposition 12-4 in the second period, and their revitalized offense a year after missing the playoffs gives hope that better days are ahead.
But they couldn't solve Rinne.
Other NHL Finals:
— Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Calgary Flames 2-1. Skinner opened the scoring in the second and set up Justin Williams' goal 1:09 into the third
— Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn scored 52 seconds apart in the second period and the St. Louis Blues overcame three crazy plays down the stretch to beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3. Paul Stastny added a goal and an assist to give him 601 career points.
— Mikhail Sergachev scored his first two NHL goals and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 43 saves for his fifth career shutout in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. Nikita Kucherov assisted on both goals to push his NHL-leading points total to 14. His goals streak was stopped at seven games. The Lightning took advantage of the few openings offered by Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 19 shots for the Blue Jackets.
— John Tavares scored in the shootout to lift the New York Islanders over the Rangers 4-3 on Thursday night for their eighth win in the last nine games against their struggling crosstown rivals. Anders Lee, Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal scored in regulation, and Jaroslav Halak stopped 38 shots to help the Islanders recover after blowing a two-goal lead in the third to finish 2-2-0 on a four-game trip.
— Patrice Bergeron had a goal and three assists in his season debut, moving up to seventh on Boston's career scoring list as the Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-3 on Thursday night. Anders Bjork scored twice for Boston, Brad Marchand had a goal and two assists and David Pastrnak added a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who scored five straight goals after falling behind 1-0 early in the first period.
— John Moore scored 1:20 into overtime and the New Jersey Devils used three unanswered goals to beat the Ottawa Senators 5-4 in overtime Thursday night. This year's No. 1 draft pick Nico Hischier scored twice for New Jersey. The Swiss center's opening goal was the first of his NHL career.
— Mark Letestu scored on a power play with 15.8 seconds left in overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Edmonton's Cam Talbot made 30 straight saves after giving up a fluke goal to Kane on Chicago's first shot. The Oilers snapped a four-game losing streak.
— Tyler Seguin scored a pair of third-period goals and the Dallas Stars held off Arizona 5-4, sending the winless Coyotes to their seventh straight defeat to begin the season. Seguin put in the rebound of Jamie Benn's shot at 8:20 of the third, less than 90 seconds after the Coyotes had pulled even. He added his fifth of the season with 2:54 left to make it 5-3.
News from around the NHL:
— Boston goalie Tuukka Rask is sidelined because of a concussion, forcing the Bruins to call up goalie Zane McIntyre from Providence of the American Hockey League. General Manager Don Sweeney said Thursday that Rask sustained the concussion during practice Wednesday. Anton Khudobin got the start Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
NBA SCHEDULE- BULLS-RAPTORS
Jonas Valanciunas had 23 points and 15 rebounds, C.J. Miles scored 22 points in his Toronto debut and the Raptors beat the short-handed Chicago Bulls 117-101 on Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.
Norman Powell added 15 points, Delon Wright had 13, and Kyle Lowry 12.
The Raptors, who intend to shoot more 3-pointers and move the ball more this season, were 13 of 29 from long range and had 26 assists on 39 baskets. Lowry had nine assists, and DeMar DeRozan and Wright each had five.
Miles was 6 for 9 from 3-point range and had five rebounds.
Playmaking proved an effective avenue for DeRozan on a night when he made just two of nine field goals and did not attempt a 3-pointer. DeRozan finished with 11 points, going 7 for 8 at the free throw line, and had six rebounds.
Other NBA finals:
— Russell Westbrook had a triple-double and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New York Knicks 105-84 on Thursday night in their first regular-season game with All-Star additions Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Westbrook, the NBA MVP last season when he averaged a triple-double, had with 21 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Paul George, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Indiana Pacers, led the Thunder with 28 points. Anthony, who was traded from the Knicks to the Thunder right before training camp began, had 22 points against his former team.
— Blake Griffin scored 29 points, DeAndre Jordan added 14 points and 24 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers spoiled Lonzo Ball's quiet NBA debut with a 108-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Ball had three points, four assists and nine rebounds in 29 minutes during the first game for the No. 2 overall pick from UCLA.
NBA news:
— The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard Wade Baldwin to a two-way contract. Baldwin was the 17th overall pick in the 2016 draft by Memphis. The former Vanderbilt player averaged 3.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 28.2 minutes in 33 games with the Grizzlies, including one start.
— Draymond Green has no structural damage in his injured left knee but is still doubtful to play in the Golden State Warriors' next game. The Warriors released the results of the MRI on Thursday. Golden State plays Friday night at New Orleans. Green got hurt in the closing seconds of the third quarter of Tuesday's season-opening 122-121 home loss to Houston.
— Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin is expected to miss the rest of the season because of a ruptured patella tendon of the right knee. Lin was hurt midway through the fourth quarter of the Nets' 140-131 loss at Indiana on Wednesday in their opener.
— Gordon Hayward of the Boston Celtics is recovering from surgery which his agent says "went really well." An awkward landing in Cleveland on Tuesday night left Hayward with a broken left tibia and dislocated ankle.
— The brother of Dallas Mavericks guard Devin Harris was fatally injured in an early morning crash on a Dallas expressway. Dallas police say 38-year-old Bruce Harris died Thursday afternoon of injuries from the 1:40 a.m. Thursday crash on U.S. 75 just north of Loop 12 in North Dallas. A police spokeswoman says Harris and another man were in a disabled vehicle when it was slammed from behind and set on fire by a car with two 23-year-old men.
Springfield, MA - The Springfield Thunderbirds today announced that they will be honoring one of the most influential players in the history of professional hockey, Willie O’Ree, at "Hockey is For Everyone" Night presented by MGM Springfield on Friday, November 3rd at the MassMutual Center. Known as the “Jackie Robinson of hockey,” O'Ree spent 21 seasons in professional hockey, becoming the first black player in both the American Hockey League and National Hockey League.
THUNDERBIRDS TO HONOR HOCKEY LEGEND WILLIE O'REE AT "HOCKEY IS FOR EVERYONE" NIGHT
On October 12, 1957, O'Ree made his first appearance in the AHL with the Springfield Indians, a truly seminal, yet oftentimes overlooked, event in the history of professional sports. Just three months later, on January 18, 1958, O'Ree took the ice for the Boston Bruins, accomplishing the same historic feat on the game's highest stage.
The Thunderbirds are proud to honor O'Ree in this, the 60th anniversary of his Springfield AHL debut. O'Ree will be inducted into the Springfield Hockey Hall of Fame prior to the Thunderbirds game versus the Hartford Wolf Pack. He will be presented with a plaque to commemorate his induction and to take his rightful place amongst the greats of Springfield hockey history. The night will also serve as a celebration of hockey's diversity - namely that hockey is for everyone. O'Ree will be available for a meet-and-greet with Thunderbirds fans from 6:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.
America East Conference
After posting one of the most successful seasons in #AEHoops history, Vermont is the unanimous favorite in the 2017-18 America East Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll announced Thursday morning. Preseason poll voting was conducted by the conference’s nine head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Vermont returns four starters from a team that won a program-record 29 games last year, including all 19 against conference opponents, and its sixth America East title. The Catamounts, who will be led by reigning America East Player of the Year, Trae Bell-Haynes, and Rookie of the Year, Anthony Lamb, earned all eight possible first-place votes and the maximum 64 points.
BOSTON – Following a historic 2016-17 season, the New Hampshire Wildcats are the unanimous favorite in the 2017-18 America East Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll, the conference announced Thursday. Preseason poll voting was conducted by the conference’s nine head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
New Hampshire returns four starters, including 2016-17 America East Player of the Year, Carlie Pogue, and three all-league student-athletes in Kat Fogarty, Brittni Lai and Olivia Healy. After winning their first outright regular season title in program history and a program record 25 wins, the Wildcats earned all eight potential first-place votes and the maximum 64 points.
ARENA FOOTBALL
It looks like arena football is close to coming back to the Capital Region, according to WNYT-TV. The Arena Football League and the Albany Firebirds were extremely popular in the Capital Region from 1990-2000 and a group of investors are right now finalizing plans to bring an expansion team in Arena Football League 1 to the Times Union Center in 2018.
The group of investors includes local businessman Dan Nolan and the publisher of the Times Union, George Hearst. Other potential investors include the Philadelphia Soul, the Arena League team owned by Dick Vermeil and Ron Jaworski, plus Joshua Harris who owns the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils could also be in the mix.
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