October 14, 2022 3:51 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Christian Holmes recovered a muffed punt by Velus Jones deep in Chicago territory to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Brian Robinson midway through the fourth quarter, and the Washington Commanders stopped a four-game losing streak, hanging on to beat the Chicago Bears 12-7. áThe Commanders did just enough to come away with their first win since beating Jacksonville in the opener and handed the Bears (2-4) their third straight loss. Washington caught a huge break when it punted on fourth down at its 36. Jones had trouble tracking the ball, then let it hit off his arms. Holmes recovered it in a big pile at the 6, and Robinson scored two plays later.
October 14, 2022 3:57 am
HOUSTON (AP) – Yordan Alvarez and his mighty bat did it yet again, launching a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning off Seattle ace Luis Castillo that lifted the Houston Astros over the Mariners 4-2 for a 2-0 lead in the AL Division Series. Alvarez was the Game 1 hero with his gut-punch, three-run shot off reigning AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray with two outs in the ninth inning that gave the Astros an 8-7 win. This time, Alvarez sent a drive into the short porch in left field to put the Astros on top 3-2. Game 3 in the best-of-five matchup will be Saturday in Seattle.
October 13, 2022 3:51 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Kyle Wright threw six brilliant innings to outduel Zack Wheeler, and the Atlanta Braves evened their NL Division Series at one game apiece with a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. After rain delayed the first pitch by nearly three hours, Wright surrendered just two hits. He claimed the win when the Braves got to Wheeler for three runs in their half of the sixth. This was a game the reigning World Series champions had to have after losing the best-of-five series opener, 7-6. They had the right guy on the mound. Wright led the majors with 21 wins during the regular season.
October 13, 2022 3:48 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Manny Machado homered early and added an RBI double off Clayton Kershaw, and Jurickson Profar singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning as the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 to even their NL Division Series at a game apiece. Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Trea Turner went deep for the Dodgers, but LA couldn’t come up with its usual clutch hitting despite numerous chances. The best-of-five series shifts to San Diego for Game 3 on Friday. A goose landed in shallow right field in the eighth inning, causing a brief delay while the grounds crew chased it down.
October 13, 2022 3:53 am
Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams has been charged with misdemeanor assault for shoving a photographer to the ground as he left the field following a loss at Kansas City. Kansas City, Missouri, police said Adams pushed Ryan Zebley to the ground while running off the field following the Raiders’ 30-29 loss to the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night. Police called it an “intentional, overt act” that caused whiplash, a headache and a possible minor concussion. Adams apologized in his postgame comments to the media and later on Twitter.
October 12, 2022 4:00 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says he’s not going to make changes for the sake of change with his team riding a four-game losing streak. The Steelers suffered their worst loss since 1989 in a 38-3 mauling at the hands of Buffalo that dropped them to 1-4. Tomlin said he still has confidence in offensive coordinator Matt Canada even with Pittsburgh 30th in the league in scoring and 29th in yards rushing. Tomlin said his team needs to get back to work and that it won’t climb out of the hole it has dug in one week. The Steelers welcome Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday afternoon.
October 12, 2022 3:49 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Trea Turner homered and doubled as the Los Angeles Dodgers started fast and held off the San Diego Padres 5-3 in their NL Division Series opener. The Dodgers raced to an early 5-0 lead and appeared to be on their way to another blowout of the Padres. Los Angeles dominated in the regular season, owning a 14-5 advantage and outscoring San Diego 109-47. The 111-win Dodgers claimed the NL West and the Padres finished second, 22 games back. With Sandy Koufax watching from the owners’ box, 17-game winner Julio Urías retired the first eight batters. Chris Martin pitched a scoreless ninth for Los Angeles. Struggling closer Craig Kimbrel was left off the Dodgers’ roster for this best-of-five matchup. Game 2 is Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
October 12, 2022 3:54 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Nick Castellanos drove in three runs and made a potentially game-saving catch in the ninth inning, lifting the Philadelphia Phillies over the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves 7-6 in the opener of their NL Division Series. The Phillies have won three straight games to begin these playoffs, hardly looking like a team making its first postseason appearance since 2011. They followed up their wild-card sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a victory over the team that finished 14 games ahead of them in the NL East. It wasn’t easy. Matt Olson hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Zach Eflin to bring the Braves within a run.
October 12, 2022 3:52 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Gerrit Cole cruised for most of the night, Harrison Bader and Anthony Rizzo homered and the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 in their AL Division Series opener. Not even another Josh Donaldson baserunning blunder could slow the Yankees, who have won six straight postseason games against Cleveland dating to a comeback from a two games to none deficit in the 2017 Division Series
October 12, 2022 3:48 am
HOUSTON (AP) – Yordan Alvarez smashed a game-ending, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Robbie Ray, wrecking Seattle’s strategy of using a Cy Young Award winner in a rare relief role and vaulting the Houston Astros over the Mariners 8-7 in their playoff opener. Trailing all game after a poor start by Justin Verlander, the AL West champion Astros overtook rookie star Julio Rodríguez and the wild-card Mariners at the end to begin their best-of-five Division Series. Houston was down 7-5 when rookie pinch-hitter David Hensley was hit by a pitch from Seattle closer Paul Sewald and Jeremy Peña singled with two outs. Mariners manager Scott Servais then made the bold move to bring in Ray. Alvarez homered on Ray’s second pitch.
