October 8, 2026 4:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tom Wilson had a goal and two assists, and the Washington Capitals held on for a win in Alex Ovechkin’s final home opener, 5-3 over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Anthony Beauvillier, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Alex Tuch and Ryan Leonard also scored for the Capitals, who introduced their roster one by one before the game, saving Ovechkin for last. The Russian star’s two kids handled that announcement, and the crowd gave a standing ovation. Ovechkin announced earlier in the week that this season would be his last in the NHL. Bryan Rust, Tommy Novak and Nick Robertson scored for the Penguins.
October 8, 2026 4:22 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers advanced to the National League Championship Series for the second straight season with a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres to win their best-of-five Division Series 3-1. Garrett Mitchell tripled and scored the tiebreaking run on Jackson Chourio’s single in the fifth inning. Mitchell drove in Sal Frelick with Milwaukee’s first run, and Frelick added a sacrifice fly in the sixth as the Brewers snapped their 12-game postseason road losing streak since 2018. After fending off the surging Padres in four tight games, the 103-win Brewers will get an NLCS rematch with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Andy Pages drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the seventh inning to give Los Angeles the lead, and the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 to clinch their NL Division Series. The Dodgers won back-to-back games in Atlanta to take the best-of-five matchup 3-1 and advance to the National League Championship Series as they seek to become the first NL team to win three straight World Series.
October 8, 2026 4:24 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Volpe was denied a tying home run for the New York Yankees in Game 3 of their AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays when a replay review determined a fan interfered with his drive to deep left field. The Yankees wound up losing 4-3 by the very run that was taken off the board and had their season end in a three-game sweep. Players and managers on both sides mostly agreed the right decision was made. The play came nearly 30 years to the day after young Yankees fan Jeffrey Maier reached over the right-field wall at Yankee Stadium to turn Derek Jeter’s flyball into a home run during the 1996 American League Championship Series against Baltimore. Jo Adell and José Ramírez powered Cleveland with a pair of two-out triples, and the Guardians avoided an AL Division Series sweep by cooling off the Chicago White Sox with a 9-3 victory in Game 3. Adell’s three-run triple gave Cleveland a 4-1 lead in the third inning. Ramírez’s three-bagger drove in Travis Bazzana and Patrick Bailey for a 7-3 advantage in the eighth. The Guardians hit two triples in a postseason game for the first time in franchise history. Game 4 is Thursday in Chicago, with the White Sox leading 2-1 in the best-of-five matchup. Once again, they’ll try to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series.
October 8, 2026 4:19 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn’t fazed by on-field frustrations caught on camera during a loss to the Cleveland Browns. Rodgers, defensive tackle Cam Heyward and edge rusher T.J. Watt were among the players who were demonstrably upset at times Thursday night. Rodgers, who had a testy exchange with coach Mike McCarthy, called the team’s emotion a sign of its passion for winning. McCarthy agreed but added his team could be more disciplined in controlling emotions in the future. The Steelers’ 2-2 start has been uneven, but McCarthy has emphasized growth and trust within the team.
October 7, 2026 1:22 pm
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired defenseman Spencer Stastney from Edmonton in exchange for forward Filip Hallander. The deal gives the Penguins depth on the blue line. The 26-year-old Hallander was off to a promising start this season with the Penguins, scoring a goal and two assists in two games. The former second-round draft pick has struggled to gain a foothold in the NHL during his time in Pittsburgh, appearing in just 18 games across four seasons. The Penguins will be Stastney’s third team in less than a year.
October 7, 2026 4:21 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres avoided playoff elimination with a 4-3 victory over the Brewers in Game 3 of their NL Division Series. Jake Cronenworth hit a tiebreaking homer, and Game 2 starter Michael King pitched the final two innings on one day of rest. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado drove in runs for the Padres, who trimmed Milwaukee’s series lead to 2-1 with a tense, back-and-forth victory over the MLB-best Brewers. San Diego’s bullpen didn’t have star closer Mason Miller, who went on the paternity list about 45 minutes before the first pitch, so King stepped up and coolly shut down the Brewers to seal it.
October 7, 2026 4:22 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 10 in seven brilliant innings, Kiké Hernández hit a two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 to take a 2-1 lead in their NL Division Series. Yamamoto dominated the much-anticipated matchup with Atlanta ace Chris Sale, who allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. Yamamoto, the MVP of the 2025 World Series, permitted only four hits with one walk while improving to 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 postseason outings, including 10 starts. Freddie Freeman also homered against his former team for the Dodgers, who can win the best-of-five series Wednesday night in Atlanta.
October 7, 2026 4:20 am
CLEVELAND (AP) — Sam McDowell, a six-time All-Star and former major league pitcher, has died. He was 84. Known for leading the American League in strikeouts four times, McDowell played 15 seasons, including 11 with Cleveland. He was a key figure in baseball, with a 141-134 record and 2,453 strikeouts. His life inspired the Sam Malone character on the sitcom “Cheers.” After battling addiction, McDowell became a counselor for athletes. He quit drinking in 1980 and earned a degree in sports psychology. He was recognized with the B.A.T Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 for his contributions to recovery support.
October 6, 2026 4:18 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Alex Iafallo scored a goal and an assist, leading the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Clay Stevenson makes 29 saves for the Jets. Declan Carlile tied the game for Pittsburgh in the third period, but Cole Perfetti quickly responded with the winning goal. Adam Lowry also scored for the Jets, who have now won two straight games. Benjamin Kindel scored for the Penguins, and Sergei Murashov made 30 saves. The Jets outhit the Penguins 23 to 11. The Jets host the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, while the Penguins visit the Washington Capitals.
October 6, 2026 4:19 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed defensive tackle Derrick Harmon on injured reserve after he injured his foot in a game against Cleveland. This move means Harmon will miss at least four weeks. His absence is a significant blow to a defense already struggling with big plays in the run game. Harmon, a first-round pick in 2025, had been showing promise this season. Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham says replacing Harmon will be a challenge. The also team signed veteran Sean Murphy-Bunting from Tampa Bay’s practice squad to bolster their secondary less than a week after trading Joey Porter Jr. to Dallas.
