October 16, 2021 4:02 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Atlantic Coast Conference can potentially take a step toward clarity in the Coastal Division when Pittsburgh visits Virginia Tech this weekend. They are the only teams on that side of the league still unbeaten in ACC play. The winner Saturday gets a clear upper hand in the race for the division title. The Panthers are coming off a bye and lead the nation in scoring (52.4 ppg), are third in total offense (554.4 ypg) and fourth in passing offense (389 ypg). The Hokies are coming off a 32-29 loss to No. 14 Notre Dame and begin a stretch of seven consecutive weeks facing league opponents.
October 17, 2021 4:03 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers will try to prove their offensive breakout against Denver wasn’t a fluke when they host Seattle. The Steelers put together their most complete game of the season in beating the Broncos. They’ll get a chance to build on it against a Seahawks defense that ranks as the worst in the NFL. Seattle will play without star quarterback Russell Wilson, who is out several weeks after undergoing finger surgery. Geno Smith will make his first start since 2017 while filling in for Wilson. Both teams come in with a 2-3 record.
October 16, 2021 4:04 am
HOUSTON (AP) – Jose Altuve did a nice job atoning for a run-scoring error as the Houston Astros took Game 1 of the AL Championship Game against the Boston Red Sox. Altuve crushed a game-tying, two-run homer in the sixth inning before Carlos Correa’s blast put the Astros ahead to stay in a 5-4 win over the Red Sox. Altuve also lifted a sacrifice fly that gave Houston a 5-3 edge heading into the ninth. The insurance run came in handing after Kike Hernandez smacked his second home run of the night and fourth hit. Altuve’s miscue contributed to a three-run third that put the Red Sox ahead. He also became the fourth player in major league history with 20 career postseason home runs. Neither starting pitcher got out of the third inning. Boston’s Chris Sale was lifted with two out in the third. Framber Valdez was chased in the third. Ryne Stanek retired one batter in the seventh to pick up the win. Ryan Pressly notched the save and Hansel Robles took the loss. Game 2 is Saturday in Houston. Astros ace Lance McCullers Jr. has been left off the team’s ALCS roster. The right-hander left Game 4 of Houston’s win at Chicago this week after four innings because of forearm tightness.
October 15, 2021 3:44 am
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) – Carter Verhaeghe scored his second goal of the night 1:37 into overtime, and the Florida Panthers rallied from two goals down late in the third period to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 on Thursday night. Aaron Ekblad scored the two late goals to get Florida into overtime, and Verhaeghe finished it off moments after Sergei Bobrovsky stoned Evan Rodrigues on a breakaway. Bobrovsky made 43 saves for Florida. Jeff Carter got the 400th goal of his career for Pittsburgh. Jake Guentzel scored from behind the net for Pittsburgh, which also got goals from Danton Heinen and Rodrigues along with 34 saves from Casey DeSmith.
October 15, 2021 3:48 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The Los Angeles Dodgers have finally defeated the San Francisco Giants in a winner-take-all series. The Dodgers are in the NLCS after rallying in the ninth inning to beat the Giants, 2-1. The Dodgers can finally celebrate a postseason series win over their bitter rivals after the Giants captured best-of-3 series in 1951 and 1962 to decide the National League pennant.
Cody Bellinger broke a 1-1 deadlock with an RBI single that scored Justin Turner, who started the rally by getting hit by a pitch with one out. Neither team scored until Corey Seager singled home a run in the sixth inning. Darin Ruf quickly responded with a solo blast in the bottom half. Ruf’s blast came off Julio Urias, who gave up just two other hits over four innings of relief. Kenley Jansen got the win with help from Max Scherzer’s save. Giants starter Logan Webb struck out seven and allowed a run and four hits over seven innings. The Dodgers head to Atlanta for Game 1 on Saturday.
October 15, 2021 3:49 am
UNDATED (AP) – The St. Louis Cardinals have fired manager Mike Shildt, one week after the team lost to the Dodgers in the NL wild-card game. Cardinals president John Mozeliak said the firing was “something that popped up recently,” but he refused to expand on what he called “philosophical differences” between Shildt, the coaching staff and the front office. The Redbirds went on a team-record, 17-game winning streak last month and made the postseason with 90 victories. They were 252-199 after Shildt took over for manager Mike Matheny during the 2018, winning the NL Central in 2019 and reaching the playoffs the last three seasons.
October 15, 2021 3:51 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading to their bye week with a 5-1 record after holding off the Philadelphia Eagles. Tom Brady and Leonard Fournette each accounted for two touchdowns as the Buccaneers topped the Eagles, 28-22. Brady tossed TD passes on Tampa Bay’s first two drives while going 11 for 12 for 121 yards. He finished 34 of 42 for 297 yards and an interception. Tampa increased its lead to 28-7 when Fournette walked in from the 1 in the third quarter. It was his second scoring run of the game. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts ran for two touchdowns but had trouble passing the ball, completing just 12 of 26 for 155 yards. Philadelphia is 2-4.
October 14, 2021 3:45 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for life without wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. The popular Smith-Schuster is out for the season after injuring his right shoulder in a win over Denver last weekend. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says no single player can replace Smith-Schuster, adding it will take a group effort. Smith-Schuster developed a reputation as one of the league’s tougher wide receivers and was often Roethlisberger’s most trusted target on third downs. James Washington figures to see an uptick in playing time in Smith-Schuster’s absence. The Steelers host Seattle in Week 6.
October 14, 2021 3:48 am
Cornerback Tre Flowers has been released by the Seattle Seahawks as they struggle to find the right combination at the position. Flowers started the first three games but was benched in favor of Sidney Jones after Minnesota dissected Seattle’s secondary in Week 3. Coach Pete Carroll raved about Flowers’ performance in earning the starting job during training camp but didn’t have many answers on why his standing changed so quickly. The entire cornerback situation remains unsettled five weeks into the regular season.
October 14, 2021 3:50 am
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Ray Fosse, the strong-armed catcher whose career was upended when he was bowled over by Pete Rose at the 1970 All-Star Game, has died. He was 74. Carol Fosse, his wife of 51 years, said in a statement online that Fosse died Wednesday after a 16-year bout with cancer. Fosse was a budding talent for Cleveland when he made his first All-Star team as a 23-year-old in 1970, the same year he hit .307 with a career-high 18 homers and won the first of two Gold Gloves. Rose barreled over him to score the winning run in the 12th inning of the exhibition at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. Fosse fractured and separated his left shoulder, and he told The Associated Press in 2015 his body still ached 45 years later.
