October 2, 2026 4:19 am
CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson passed for 268 yards and moved the Browns into position for Andre Szmyt’s career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining that gave Cleveland a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Watson completed 24 of 33 passes with a touchdown and an interception. He was 4 of 5 for 46 yards as he led a go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter for the third straight week. The Browns are 3-1 for the first time since 2021. They led 21-7 before Aaron Rodgers rallied the Steelers to tie the game at 24-all.
October 2, 2026 4:22 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Harris II hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Chris Sale came out of the bullpen to get the final four outs and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 in the decisive Game 3 of their National League Wild Card Series. Surprise starter Ray Kerr threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings for Atlanta, and Ozzie Albies launched a two-run homer in the fourth. Matt Olson added a solo shot in the seventh as the Braves advanced to a best-of-five Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves took a postseason series for the first time since winning the 2021 World Series and earned their first playoff series win against the NL East rival Phillies. Aaron Nola allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings for Philadelphia.
October 1, 2026 4:20 am
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys have acquired disgruntled cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers, a move to try help an injury-plagued secondary and boost a defense that remains among the NFL’s worst. Pittsburgh will receive two draft picks from Dallas, a sixth-rounder in 2027 and a second-rounder in 2028. The Cowboys announced the trade Thursday. Porter was inactive for all three games this season for the Steelers. The fourth-year pro has been dealing with a back issue and had also been in the middle of a stalemate with the Steelers over a new contract. The 26-year-old Porter, a second-round pick out of Penn State in the 2023 draft, was seeking an extension as he entered the final year of his four-year rookie deal.
October 1, 2026 4:23 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Evgenia Malkin, Hendrix Lapierre and Filip Hallander scored in the second period and Arturs Silovs stopped 19 shots to help the Pittsburgh Penguins steamroll the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0. Silovs posted his third career shutout in his 57th start. Nick Robertson scored two goals and Ville Koivunen and Egor Chinakhov also scored for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby added an assist. The 40-year-old Malkin ripped a one-timer from the slot early in the second period for the 3-0 lead that also gave him 100 career points against the Flyers.
October 1, 2026 7:45 am
Padres Sweep Cubs
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Pinch-hitter Gavin Sheets blasted a two-run homer, five Padres pitchers combined on a five-hitter, and San Diego swept the Chicago Cubs out of the NL Wild Card Series with a 4-1 victory in Game 2. Xander Bogaerts drove in the first run for the surging Padres, who followed up their 8-0 victory in Tuesday’s opener with another dominant mound performance. The Cubs led the majors in runs and and the NL in homers this year, but they managed just eight hits over 18 innings against San Diego’s inspired staff. The Padres advanced to face the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers in an NL division series.
Yankees Eliminate Red Sox
NEW YORK (AP) — Max Fried dominated Boston in the playoffs for the second straight year, Cody Bellinger and Luis García Jr. homered, and the New York Yankees romped over the Red Sox 9-2 for a two-game AL Wild Card Series sweep. Clinging to a 2-1 lead after Willson Contreras homered to end Boston’s 26-inning postseason scoreless streak, the Yankees broke the game open with a six-run sixth after Spencer Jones reached on a wild pitch while striking out leading off — with the help of a video review. New York will face AL East champion Tampa Bay in an AL Division Series starting Saturday.
White Sox Pounce Early, Oust Astros
HOUSTON (AP) — From 100 losses to their first playoff series win in two decades, these scrappy Chicago White Sox just keep outdoing themselves. The White Sox used a big first inning and a three-run homer from Chase Meidroth to propel them to a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday to sweep their AL Wild Card Series. It’s the first time Chicago has won a playoff series since beating Houston in the World Series in 2005. Under the direction of Venable, the second-year skipper, and with a lettef of support from Pope Leo XIV, the White Sox advanced to face AL Central champion Cleveland in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Cleveland.
Bohm 10th Inning Homer Forces Game 3
ATLANTA (AP) — Alec Bohm put Philadelphia ahead with a two-out homer in the 10th inning, and the Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 on Wednesday to force a decisive third game in their NL Wild Card Series. The Phillies rallied with back-to-back homers from Kyle Schwarber and Harper in the eighth after trailing 3-1 in the seventh. Harper’s homer made up for a crucial fielding mistake an inning earlier. Andrew Painter (1-0), a starter in the regular season, saved the Phillies’ beleaguered bullpen with three scoreless innings to close things out. Painter stranded two runners in the 10th when he struck out Dominic Smith with a successful ABS challenge.
September 30, 2026 4:26 am
Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey says he broke his wrist on the first defensive series of Sunday’s win over the Bengals at Acrisure Stadium. Ramsey, however, has not bee ruled out for Thursday night’s game in Cleveland. According to the injury report, he was a limited participant in Tuesday’s walk-thru practice. He has a cast covering his right hand. Coach Mike McCarthy predicted earlier in the week that Ramsey would try everything possible to play.
September 30, 2026 4:20 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby continues to show no signs of slowing down as he enters his 22nd NHL season. The longtime Pittsburgh Penguins captain is still grinding through intense practices while preparing for the season opener against Philadelphia. Crosby remains passionate about the game. Despite being in the final year of his contract, Crosby is in no hurry to sign a new deal, focusing instead on listening to his body and maintaining his performance level. With 1,761 career points, Crosby is close to moving up the all-time scoring list but insists that personal milestones are not his motivation.
September 30, 2026 9:20 am
Padres Rout Cubs
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. hit the first leadoff homer in Padres playoff history on the Cubs’ first pitch, Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and San Diego rolled to an 8-0 victory over Chicago in their NL Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday night. Manny Machado also homered in the first inning and added an RBI double in the third during an emphatic opening statement by the 91-win Padres. Xander Bogaerts also homered off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, and Jackson Merrill added a two-run single later. San Diego provided more than enough support for King, who struck out eight over seven stellar innings while thoroughly throttling the majors’ highest-scoring team.
White Sox Take Opener Against Astros
HOUSTON (AP) — Colson Montgomery hit a solo homer and Sam Antonacci drove in two runs to lead the Chicago White Sox over the Houston Astros 6-3 in Game 1 of an AL Wild Card Series. The White Sox, in the postseason for the first time since 2021, made a remarkable turnaround this year to become the only team in major league history to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons with a playoff berth. They had lost 100 games three straight seasons, including 121 defeats in 2024, setting the record for most losses since 1899.
Riley’s 3-Run Homer Rallies Braves Past Phillies
ATLANTA (AP) — Austin Riley hit a three-run homer off All-Star closer Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning and the Atlanta Braves rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 on Tuesday in the opener of a best-of-three National League Wild Card Series. Duran, who allowed just two homers in 61 regular-season games, gave up a single to Michael Harris II before hitting Ozzie Albies with a pitch. Riley drove the go-ahead blast over the wall in right-center field. Harris had three hits. Braves ace Chris Sale dueled for much of the game against left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who was sharp after missing the last couple weeks of the regular season with left shoulder inflammation.
Yankees Shut Out Red Sox
NEW YORK (AP) — Cam Schlittler pitched another playoff gem against the Boston Red Sox, and Ben Rice also burned their hometown team with a late grand slam and six RBIs as the New York Yankees opened this Wild Card Series rematch with a 9-0 victory. With the Yankees minus star slugger Aaron Judge because of a calf injury, Rice homered twice, doubled and finished with four hits to power the offense. No. 9 batter Austin Wells drove in two runs for New York, and 21-year-old rookie George Lombard Jr. had three hits in his postseason debut. Rice and Schlittler were both raised among Red Sox fans in Massachusetts and went to college in New England before getting plucked by the Yankees out of Boston’s backyard in baseball’s amateur draft.
September 29, 2026 4:17 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Case Keenum passed for two touchdowns in his first start in almost three years, and the Chicago Bears shut down Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles for a 27-7 victory. Stepping in for the injured Caleb Williams, Keenum was 24 for 34 for 247 yards. He also scored his first rushing touchdown since 2019 on a 1-yard plunge with 7:19 left, capping a 13-play drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock. It was Keenum’s first action since he started for Houston in a 36-22 loss to Cleveland on Dec. 24, 2023. Philadelphia turned the ball over three times.
September 29, 2026 4:18 am
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns defense is earning praise for its performance against the Carolina Panthers. Coach Todd Monken gave defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg a game ball after the Browns pressured Carolina quarterback Bryce Young on 26 of his 50 drop-backs during Sunday’s 21-18 victory. This pressure limited the Panthers to one touchdown and four field goals. Nine Browns players had multiple pressures, with Jared Verse leading the way. The Browns are now 2-1 for the first time since 2023. They’re preparing for a Thursday night showdown against AFC North rival Pittsburgh, which is also 2-1.
