MLB
Brock Holt made major league playoff history while helping the Boston Red Sox blow out the Yankees to take a 2-1 lead in the American League Division Series.
The Red Sox infielder became the first player to hit for a cycle in a postseason game, going 4-for-6 with five RBIs and three runs scored in a 16-1 laugher in the Bronx. Holt completed the feat by belting a two-run homer in the ninth off catcher Austin Romine, who was asked to get the last three outs.
Holt also hit a two-run triple and Andrew Benintendi laced a three-run double while the Red Sox scored seven times in the fourth to chase loser Luis Severino and take a 10-0 lead.
Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez added two RBIs apiece as the Bosox handed the Yanks their worst postseason loss ever.
Nathan Eovaldi was the recipient of Boston's 18-hit attack, holding his former team to a run and five hits over seven innings.
Severino was torched for six runs and seven hits over three-plus innings.
The Red Sox will try to wrap up the series Tuesday at 8:07 p.m. in New York. Rick Porcello is scheduled to start for Boston against CC Sabathia.
The Houston Astros will be well rested when they begin the American League Championship Series.
The Astros completed a three-game sweep of the division series by scoring 10 times over the last three innings of an 11-3 thrashing of the Indians in Cleveland.
Houston trailed 2-1 in the seventh until Jose Altuve hit into an RBI forceout and scored on a two-run double by Marwin Gonzalez. Carlos Correa blasted a three-run homer during a six-run eighth that put the game and the series out of reach.
George Springer homered twice and Gonzalez had three RBIs for the Astros, who outscored Cleveland 21-6 in the series.
The Indians hit just .144 in the series to suffer their first sweep since the 1954 World Series against the Giants. Cleveland has dropped its last six postseason games.
Houston now awaits the winner of the Red Sox-Yankees series.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers have knocked out the Atlanta Braves in a four-game National League Division Series.
Manny Machado crushed a three-run homer and had four RBIs as the Dodgers downed the Braves, 6-2 in Atlanta.
Kurt Suzuki singled home a pair of runs in the fourth to put the Braves ahead, 2-1. The lead stood until pinch-hitter David Freese delivered a two-out, two-run single in the sixth.
Machado smacked his second homer of the NLDS in the seventh inning. It was the Dodgers' eighth home run of the series after they led the league with 235 during the regular season.
Ryan Madson worked out of a bases-loaded situation in the fifth to pick up the win. Johnny Venters took the loss.
Los Angeles relievers combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings to close out the series. The bullpen was reached for just one run over 10 2/3s against the Braves.
Atlanta has dropped nine straight playoff appearances since beating the Astros in the 2001 NLDS.
The Dodgers will take on the Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series Friday.
Four Marlins Coaches Are Gone:
The Miami Marlins are parting with pitching Coach Juan Nieves and three other coaches after their 98-loss season.
Also not returning in 2019 will be first base coach Perry Hill, assistant hitting Coach Frank Menechino and strength and conditioning coach Ty Hill. All were on the staff of manager Don Mattingly, who will be back for a fourth season.
The Marlins finished last in the majors in runs and OPS, and last in the National League in ERA and pitching strikeouts.
NFL
Drew Brees broke another NFL record while leading the New Orleans Saints to a 43-19 rout of the Washington Redskins.
The 39-year-old Brees eclipsed Peyton Manning's previous career record of 71,940 yards with a 62-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tre'Quan Smith. He also threw for two other scores, leaving him with 499 TD passes for his career.
Brees threw just three incomplete passes in the Saints' fourth straight win, going 26 of 29 for 363 yards.
Smith caught two touchdown passes from the 18-year pro. They connected for a 35-yard score early in the third quarter.
The Redskins entered as the No. 1 team in passing yards allowed before allowing Brees to shred their secondary.
Alex Smith was 23 of 39 for 275 yards, no touchdowns and a costly interception that led to a third-quarter TD.
AP Source: Ajayi done for season:
The defending Super Bowl champs have lost their No. 1 running back for the season.
The Philadelphia Eagles have placed running back Jay Ajayi on injured reserve with a knee injury suffered in Sunday's 23-21 loss to Minnesota. A person familiar with the situation says Ajayi tore an ACL and will miss the rest of the season.
Ajayi has a team-high 184 yards rushing on 45 carries in four games this year, including three starts. He also had 184 yards in three postseason games to help the Eagles win their first NFL championship since 1960.
In other NFL injury news:
Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins could miss some games with a sprained knee. Coach Hue Jackson said Monday that an MRI taken on Higgins revealed he sprained his medial collateral ligament while blocking during Sunday's overtime win against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Jaguars are placing tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and running back Corey Grant on injured reserve. Coach Doug Marrone says Seferian-Jenkins will have core muscle surgery but could return later in the season. Grant will miss the rest of the year with a foot injury.
The Bears have placed backup linebacker Sam Acho on injured reserve because of a torn pectoral muscle and signed offensive lineman Bryan Witzmann.
NHL
Patrice Bergeron scored early and often as the Boston Bruins won their second straight since a blowout loss to Washington in their season opener.
Bergeron began his fourth career hat trick by scoring 30 seconds into the Bruins' 6-3 win over Ottawa. Bergeron also had an assist as his line finished with 11 points. David Pastrnak finished with two goals and two assists, while Brad Marchand set up three scores.
Charlie McAvoy also had three assists for the Bruins, who have outscored their opponents 10-3 since last Wednesday's 7-0 loss to the Capitals.
Tuukka Rask stopped 28 shots to earn his first win of the season.
In other Monday NHL action:
The Sabres own a winning record for the first time in more than five years after Jack Eichel accounted for two goals in a 4-2 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights. Marco Scandella and Jason Pominville had the other goals and Carter Hutton made 35 saves in the Sabres' second win in three games. The Knights are 1-2 on the season-opening, five-game road trip.
Robin Lehner registered a shutout in his New York Islanders debut by stopping 35 shots in a 4-0 win against San Jose. The game was scoreless until Anders Lee scored a power-play goal late in the second period. Casey Cizikas capped the Islanders' three-goal third period with a short-handed, empty-netter after setting up Scott Mayfield.
The Ducks were 3-2 winners over the Red Wings after rookie Troy Terry scored the lone shootout goal. John Gibson turned back 19 shots and Jakob Silfverberg scored the tying goal with 11:31 left in regulation. Hampus Lindholm also scored for the 3-0 Ducks.
NBA
The San Antonio Spurs have taken a major hit to their starting lineup.
The club has announced that point guard Dejounte Murray has a torn ACL in his right knee. Murray assumed a starter's role last season over longtime Spurs guard Tony Parker.
Murray got hurt on a drive into the lane against Houston's James Harden in the Spurs-Rockets preseason game Sunday.
Three players fined for shoving match:
Three players have been fined by the NBA for an on-court shoving match during the Celtics' preseason game against the Cavaliers on Saturday.
NBA discipline boss Kiki VanDeWeghe fined Celtics guard Marcus Smart $25,000 for escalating the altercation and Cavs guard J.R. Smith $15,000 for shoving. Boston forward Aron Baynes was assessed $15,000 for initiating it.
Smith and Baynes got tangled up while boxing out under the Boston basket. Smith gave Baynes a two-handed push, and Smart ran in from near mid-court to retaliate with a shove of his own.
Suns fire GM McDonough:
The Phoenix Suns have fired general manager Ryan McDonough barely a week before the season begins.
James Jones and Trevor Bukstein will share the GM duties on an interim basis for the Suns. Jones is the team's vice president of basketball operations. Bukstein was assistant GM under McDonough, who had been in Phoenix since 2013 and was under contract through 2020.
The Suns took Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft and gave Devin Booker a $158 million extension during the offseason. Phoenix has had four straight losing seasons and no playoff berths since 2010.
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