October 14, 2020 3:49 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The Tampa Bay Rays are one victory away from their first World Series appearance in 12 years after grabbing a three-games-to-none lead in the AL Championship Series. The Rays posted a 5-2 victory over the Astros by erupting for five runs in the sixth inning with help from another error by second baseman Jose Altuve. Joey Wendle put Tampa Bay on top with a two-run single and pinch-hitter Hunter Renfroe came through with a two-run double to close out the rally. Ryan Yarbrough picked up the victory, leaving the game after Michael Brantley led off the bottom of the sixth with a home run. Altuve also homered in the first for the Astros, but his third miscue in two games helped Tampa Bay take command of the series. Diego Castillo issued one-out walks to Abraham Toro and George Springer before fanning Altuve. Brantley’s fly ball to center allowed Castillo to pick up the save. Losing pitcher Jose Urquidy left the game during the Rays’ rally, charged with one earned run and four hits over five-plus innings.
October 14, 2020 3:45 am
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – The Atlanta Braves have taken a two-games-to-none lead in the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Freddie Freeman homered and had three RBIs as the Braves built a seven-run lead before holding off the Dodgers, 8-7. The Braves went ahead on Freeman’s two-run homer in the fourth, one inning before a four-run rally put them in control. Dodgers emergency starter and loser Tony Gonsolin was sailing until Ronald Acuna Jr. led off the fourth with a walk and scored on Freeman’s second homer of the postseason. Gonsolin was charged with five runs on three hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings. Clayton Kershaw was supposed to start for L.A., but he was scratched due to back spasms. Manager Dave Roberts hopes to use his ace in Game 4. Things got worse for the Dodgers in the fifth as Cristian Pache laced an RBI double and scored on Freeman’s single. Travis d’Arnaud followed with a bases-loaded walk against Pedro Baez, who also surrendered a sacrifice fly by Ozzie Albies. Cody Bellinger made a great catch to prevent Albies’ ball from clearing the bases. Albies later belted a ninth-inning home run to make it 8-3. The round-tripper proved to be the winning margin after the Braves’ bullpen surrendered four runs in the ninth. The Dodgers trailed 7-0 until Corey Seager blasted a three-run homer in the seventh. Seager also doubled home a ninth-inning run before Max Muncy’s two-run blast off Josh Tomlin got Los Angeles within 8-6. Braves closer Mark Melancon entered to pick up the last out, but he surrendered an RBI triple by Cody Bellinger before retiring A.J. Pollock to end the game. Game 3 is Wednesday.
October 13, 2020 3:52 am
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – It was another heart-breaking loss for rookie quarterback Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. Will Lutz nailed a 36-yard field goal with 5:08 left in overtime before New Orleans stopped Chargers receiver Mike Williams just short on fourth down to preserve a 30-27 victory. The Chargers blew a 17-point lead for the second straight game and dropped to 1-4. Herbert’s fourth touchdown pass of the game was a 64-yarder to Michael Williams that gave Los Angeles a 27-20 lead in the fourth quarter. But the 3-2 Saints tied it on Taysom Hill’s 9-yard run with 52 seconds left in regulation. Chargers kicker Michael Badgley missed an extra point and had a chance to end it with a field goal, but his 50-yard kick clanged off the right upright as the fourth quarter expired. Saints QB Drew Brees (breez) rushed for a 1-yard touchdown and hit tight end Jared Cook for a 41-yard score.
October 13, 2020 3:49 am
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – A pair of ninth-inning homers have allowed the Atlanta Braves to take Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Austin Riley led off the ninth with a homer off Blake Treinen to spark a four-run ninth in the Braves’ 5-1 win over the Dodgers. Ronald Acuna Jr. followed with a double and scored on Marcell Ozuna’s single to right before Ozzie Albies unloaded a two-run blast to cap the rally. Freddie Freeman belted a solo shot in the first inning, and the lead held up until Kike Hernandez went deep off Braves starter Max Fried. Fried was sharp over six innings, striking out nine and allowing four hits. Dodgers starter Walker Buehler looked good as well, yielding three hits while fanning nine over five frames. Atlanta finished the game without left fielder Adam Duvall, who hurt his left oblique in his first at-bat during the second inning. It’s the first postseason loss for the Dodgers. It’s also the first game to be played in front of fans this season. A crowd of about 11,500 were allowed to sit in the stands in socially-distant groups of four. Game 2 is Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
October 13, 2020 3:51 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – A Gold Glove winner made a critical error that helped the Tampa Bay Rays take a two-games-to-none lead in the American League Championship Series. Manuel Margot launched a three-run homer and Mike Zunino added a solo shot as the Rays downed the Houston Astros, 4-2. Margot’s first-inning blast came two pitches after second baseman Jose Altuve threw away a potential inning-ending grounder. Altuve also had a throwing error in the third inning without creating any damage. The 2016 Gold Glove winner didn’t have an error this entire season until Monday. Zunino also went deep off starter and loser Lance McCullers, who gave up just four hits while striking out 11 over seven innings. Charlie Morton tossed five shutout innings to get the win as Houston continued to turn hard contact into loud outs. Nick Anderson loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth before getting out of the jam with just one run scoring. Anderson also filled the bags with two out but got Alex Bregman to line out to Kevin Kiermaier near the warning track. Game 3 is Tuesday in San Diego, where the Astros will serve as the home team for the next three contests.
October 13, 2020 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are 4-0 for the first time in 41 years after slipping past Philadelphia 38-29. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin says his team is far from perfect but added it has been good enough to avoid the kind of early-season issues that have plagued them in recent years. The defense struggled at times against the undermanned Eagles but still had five sacks and intercepted two passes. After facing four teams with a combined record of 3-15-1, the road gets tougher for Pittsburgh starting next week against rival Cleveland. The Browns are off to a solid 4-1 start.
October 12, 2020 4:58 pm
CINCINNATI (AP) – He was the smallest cog in what was known as baseball’s Big Red Machine – but Joe Morgan is being remembered as one of the giants of the game. The Hall of Fame second baseman for the Cincinnati Reds has died. He was 77. Morgan helped lead the Reds to two straight World Series titles. His single in Game 7 of the 1975 series beat Boston and the following year, he capped a Most Valuable Player season with a sweep of the Yankees. After his playing career, Morgan went into broadcasting, doing games for the Reds, Giants and A’s – as well as for NBC, ABC, CBS and ESPN.
October 12, 2020 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool scored four touchdowns, including the clincher with 2:59 remaining, and the Pittsburgh Steelers remained unbeaten with a 38-29 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Claypool, a second-round pick from Notre Dame, finished with seven receptions for 110 yards and three scores. He also added a 2-yard rushing touchdown on the ground as the Steelers improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1979. Carson Wentz threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles and Miles Sanders ran for two scores in his return to his hometown but Philadelphia’s defense sagged late.
October 12, 2020 2:14 am
Following the postponement of Monday’s Denver/New England game, the NFL announced the numerous schedule changes, including the Chiefs/Bills game due to be broadcast on WJPA-AM on Thursday. The following changes were made Sunday by the league:
Denver at New England from Monday, Oct. 12 to Sunday, Oct. 18
Kansas City at Buffalo from Thursday, Oct. 15 to Monday, Oct. 19
NY Jets at Miami from Sunday, Nov. 15 to Sunday, Oct. 18
NJ Jets at LA Chargers from Sunday, Oct. 18 to Sunday, Nov. 22
Jacksonville at LA Chargers from Sunday, Nov. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 25
LA Chargers at Denver from Sunday, Nov. 22 to Sunday, Nov. 1
LA Chargers at Miami from Sunday, Oct. 25 to Sunday, Nov. 15
Miami at Denver from Sunday, Oct. 11 to Sunday, Nov. 22
October 12, 2020 3:57 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The Tampa Bay Rays have taken Game 1 of the American League Championship Series by shutting down a ballclub that scored 33 runs in a four-game division series. Winning pitcher Blake Snell combined with four relievers on a nine-hitter as the Rays downed the Astros, 2-1. Snell allowed six hits over five innings, blanking Houston after Jose Altuve homered two batters into the game. Diego Castillo picked up a five-out save, one game after working two scoreless frames to close out Tampa Bay’s ALDS win over the Yankees. He entered with the bases loaded in the eighth before getting Yuli Gurriel to ground into a double play. It took the Rays one turn around the batting order before getting the offense going, beginning with Randy Arozarena’s solo blast in the fourth. Mike Zunino singled home the tiebreaking run an inning later off Astros starter and loser Framber Valdez, who struck out eight over six innings. Game 2 is Monday.
