October 18, 2020 7:31 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) — By now, every baseball fan has heard of remarkable rookie Randy Arozarena. They’re fast becoming familiar with his World Series-bound Tampa Bay teammates, too. They kept doing that in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday night. Arozarena homered again, 36-year-old Charlie Morton was brilliant against his former team and the Rays silenced the Houston Astros 4-2 to reach the World Series for just the second time. The Rays will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Atlanta Braves in the World Series in Arlington, Texas, starting Tuesday night. Game 7 of the NLCS is Sunday night. Right fielder Manuel Margot squeezed Aledmys Diaz’s flyball in his glove for the final out and fireworks burst overhead as the Rays began to celebrate the AL pennant in an NL ballpark, a byproduct of the pandemic-shortened season. That would start with Arozarena, who set a rookie record with his seventh home run — a two-run shot in the first — and was chosen ALCS MVP.
October 17, 2020 3:55 am
CLEVELAND (AP) – Myles Garrett has moved past his incident with Pittsburgh backup quarterback Mason Rudolph. He hopes the Steelers have moved on as well. On Sunday, Cleveland’s defensive star will face the Steelers for the first time since last season, when he tore off Rudolph’s helmet and bashed him in the head with it during a game. Garrett was suspended for the remainder of the season. Garrett said he hasn’t thought about approaching Rudolph before kickoff. He’s more focused on trying to pressure Ben Roethlisberger. The Browns are off to their best start since 1994. The Steelers are unbeaten and haven’t lost at home to Cleveland since 2003.
October 17, 2020 4:00 am
(AP) – The Houston Astros have forced a Game 7 in the American League Championship Series, three days after falling behind three-games-to-none. The Astros put together a four-run fifth and coasted to a 7-4 win over Tampa Bay. Houston trailed 1-0 until George Springer poked a two-run single and scored on Jose Altuve’s double. Carlos Correa finished with three hits, including an RBI single to complete the fifth-inning rally. Kyle Tucker padded Houston’s lead with a leadoff homer in the sixth and added a sacrifice fly. Manuel Margot drove in three with a pair of homers for the Rays after the Astros went ahead, 7-1. Astros starter Framber Valdez was outstanding over six innings, limiting the Rays to a run and two hits while striking out nine. Valdez blanked Tampa Bay after Willy Adames hit an RBI double in the second. Blake Snell took the loss, yielding two runs and three hits in four-plus innings. The Astros are the second team to force a Game 7 in a best-of-7 series after dropping the first three contests.
October 15, 2020 3:50 am
ARLINGTON, TX (AP) – Los Angeles stormed to a 15-3 victory over Atlanta that cut its series deficit to 2-1 after posted the highest-scoring inning in postseason history with an 11-run first in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves. The Braves last year allowed 10 runs in the first inning in the deciding Game 5 of the NL Division Series against St. Louis. The slam by Muncy was the third homer in the inning, matching another LCS record. Joc Pederson and Edwin Rios homered earlier on consecutive pitches against Kyle Wright, the Braves starter who was done after nine of 15 batters. Clayton Kershaw could start Game 4 of the NL Championship Series for the Dodgers if the left-hander’s back continues to improve. Kershaw was scratched from his Game 2 start because of back spasms, and manager Dave Roberts decided to stick with left-hander Julio Urias for Game 3 against Atlanta on Wednesday night. The Braves will start rookie right-hander Bryse Wilson, who has just seven professional starts and none in the postseason. He hasn’t pitched since the regular season finale Sept. 27.
October 16, 2020 3:46 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Houston Astros have forced a Game 6 in the American League Championship Series. Carlos Correa launched a walk-off home run to center field off Nick Anderson in the bottom of the ninth to end the Astros’ 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Houston wasted leads of 1-0 and 3-1 before Correa’s sixth home run of the postseason. Houston’s offense began in the same manner it finished. George Springer opened the scoring by homering on the first pitch by John Curtiss in the bottom of the fifth. Michael Brantley added a two-run single that gave the Astros a 3-1 lead, but the Rays eventually tied it on solo blasts by Randy Arozarena and Ji-Man Choi. Seven Houston hurlers combined on a seven-hitter. Ryan Pressly worked 1 1/3 innings to get the win. Brandon Lowe ( also homered for the Rays, who will make another attempt on Friday to win their first pennant in 12 years.
The Atlanta Braves , meanwhile, are one win from ending a two-decade World Series drought after a 10-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series. The Braves have a 3-1 series lead. A win Friday sends them to their first World Series since 1999. Marcell Ozuna had four hits, including two solo homers and an RBI double in their decisive six-run sixth inning. Braves starter Bryse Wilson was terrific over six innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five in his postseason debut. Wilson’s only mistake was a third-inning, solo homer by Edwin Rios. Three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw took the loss when he didn’t make it out of the sixth.
October 16, 2020 3:43 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The longtime rivalry between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers will feature something new this time around: actual stakes. The unbeaten Steelers are off to their best start in 41 years while the Browns have won four straight games heading into their showdown at Heinz Field. The matchup is the first against Pittsburgh for Browns defensive end Myles Garrett since he infamously ripped off the helmet of Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and slugged him with it last year. Both teams say they’re focused on the game and not any potential melodrama involving Garrett. Cleveland hasn’t beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh since 2003.
October 16, 2020 3:49 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Atlanta Falcons say they have shut their facility following one new positive test for COVID-19. Defensive tackle Marlon Davidson was placed on the COVID-19/reserve list this week. The addition of a second unidentified person caused the Falcons to act out of caution. A team spokesman said the second person was not a player. The spokesman added that, barring any changes, the Falcons are expected to be back at their facility on Friday.
October 15, 2020 3:55 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Randy Arozarena is having an undeniably incredible postseason, but he can’t always carry the Tampa Bay Rays’ offense all by himself. When nobody stepped up to help Tampa Bay’s surprising slugger until the ninth inning of Game 4 of the AL Championship Series, the Rays were forced to extend their stay in San Diego by at least a day. Arozarena hit a two-run shot in the fourth inning for his fifth homer of the postseason, but the Rays didn’t score again until Willy Adames’ two-out double in the ninth. Adames was stranded on third to end Tampa Bay’s 4-3 loss.
October 15, 2020 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool expects defenses to play him differently following his four-touchdown performance in a win over the Eagles. Claypool says he’s fine with the extra attention if that means it helps his teammates get open. Claypool became just the third rookie in league history to catch three touchdown passes and run for another when he helped the Steelers improve to 4-0 by outlasting Philadelphia 38-29. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says the challenge for Claypool will be to find new ways to be productive now that he can no longer sneak up on opponents.
October 14, 2020 3:52 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The Tennessee Titans have won a battle of unbeatens. The Titans showed no rust after a two-week layoff caused by two dozen positive COVID-19 tests within the organization, cruising to a 42-16 win over the Bills. Derrick Henry ran for a pair of touchdowns and had a scoring grab for the 4-0 Titans. Ryan Tannehill rushed 10 yards for a touchdown and completed 21 of his 28 passes for 195 yards and three TDs. Tannehill wasn’t intercepted or sacked. Henry finished with 57 yards on the ground in addition to his three touchdowns. Josh Allen threw for 263 yards and two scores but was picked off twice as the Bills fell to 4-1.
