October 4, 2020 7:21 am
The NFL postponed this week’s game between New England and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs after “positive COVID-19 tests on both teams.” Patriots starting quarterback Cam Newton and Chiefs practice squad quarterback Jordan Ta’amu were both added to the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list released on Saturday afternoon. The NFL said Saturday that the game, originally scheduled for 4:25 p.m. EDT on Sunday, will be played Monday or Tuesday, a move that would be possible only if there is no wider spread of the disease on the rosters. Newton has started all three games for New England. Ta’amu has not appeared in a game but would have spent time in meetings with Super Bowl MVP Pat Mahomes and the team’s other QBs. It is the second game this weekend that has been affected by COVID-19. After an outbreak on the Titans, the matchup between Pittsburgh and Tennessee was postponed — originally for a day or two, and then until Oct. 25 as the positive tests accumulated.
October 4, 2020 7:22 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — Those hanging around the heavily restricted stakes barn at Pimlico Race Course this week joked around that Authentic would stare down filly Swiss Skydiver whenever she walked past. Swiss Skydiver added one final memorable moment to cap off a topsy-turvy Triple Crown season, beating favored Authentic by a neck after a stretch duel in the Preakness Stakes run without fans Saturday. She became the sixth filly and first since Rachel Alexandra in 2009 to win the Preakness, which this year served as the third leg of the Triple Crown for the first time.
October 3, 2020 3:38 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The NFL has rescheduled the Pittsburgh-Tennessee game postponed from Sunday to Oct. 25 in Week 7, and the Steelers will play Baltimore on Nov. 1 as a result of the Titans’ COVID-19 outbreak. The league announced the scheduling changes Friday, hours after the Titans’ outbreak expanded by two more players to a total of 14 within the past week. Officials from the NFL and its players union were in Nashville reviewing how the Titans have handled the outbreak. The Vikings, who played the Titans last week, again had no positive results and are on target to play Houston on Sunday.
October 3, 2020 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers say they’re not going to let their unexpected week off derail their focus. Pittsburgh’s scheduled game against Tennessee was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak among the Titans. The delay means the Steelers will have to end the regular season with 13 straight games, a prospect head coach Mike Tomlin says doesn’t bother him one bit. Pittsburgh is off to its best start in a decade behind the steady play of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The 38-year-old Roethlisberger has thrown seven touchdowns against one interception through three games. Pittsburgh hosts Philadelphia in Week 5.
October 3, 2020 3:50 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Miami Marlins don’t make a lot of trips to the postseason, but they are winners once they get there.
The Marlins won their first playoff series in 17 years by completing a two-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs, 2-0 in the NL Wild Card Series. That leaves Miami 7-for-7 all time in postseason series, having won the Fall Classic in 1997 and 2003. The game was scoreless until Garrett Cooper homered off Yu Darvish in a two-run seventh. Magneuris Sierra added an RBI single to chase Darvish, who allowed just five hits over 6 2/3 innings. Brad Boxberger threw 1 1/3 innings to get the win in relief of hard-throwing rookie Sixto Sanchez, who limited the Cubs to four hits over five innings. Chicago collected nine hits and scored just one run in the series. Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo combined to go 0 for 12 Friday and finished the series 1 for 24. The outcome puts the Marlins in the NL Division Series against the Braves in Houston. Meanwhile, the Padres are in the NL Division Series following a 4-0 shutout of the Cardinals. San Diego went the bullpen route to close out the Wild Card Series as nine pitchers combined on a four-hitter in the Padres’ second straight win. Eric Hosmer broke a scoreless tie in the fifth with an RBI double off losing pitcher Jack Flaherty, who allowed six hits while striking out eight over six innings. Jake Cronenworth added an eighth-inning solo homer for the Padres, who will take on the Dodgers in the next round.
October 3, 2020 3:49 am
Past and current baseball players and others beyond the sports world are remembering and praising Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, the dominant St. Louis Cardinals ace who died Friday in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of 84. Gibson was a two-time World Series MVP and twice won the National League Cy Young Award.
October 2, 2020 3:51 am
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Well, somebody had to avoid a loss. The Denver Broncos have their first victory following a 37-28 decision over the winless New York Jets at the Meadowlands. Brandon McManus put Denver ahead to stay by drilling a 53-yard field goal with 3:08 remaining following a facemask call that prolonged the drive. Melvin Gordon put the game out of reach with a 43-yard TD burst on Denver’s next offensive series. Gordon ran for 107 yards and two scores. Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien had some good moments his first NFL start, completing 19 of 31 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He hit rookie Jerry Jeudy for a 48-yard TD and a seven-yarder to Tim Patrick. His two major hiccups were a pair of fourth-quarter picks that led two nine points for the Jets, including an interception return. Jets QB Sam Darnold ran had a team-high 84 yards on six carries, including a 46-yard TD run to open the scoring. It was the longest touchdown run of the season by an NFL quarterback, but it couldn’t stop New York from dropping to 0-4.
October 2, 2020 3:52 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics have ended long postseason droughts, thanks in part to the watered-down, best-of-3 Wild Card Series. The Braves picked up their first postseason series victory since 2001, and the A’s picked up a series win for the first time in 14 years. Rookie Ian Anderson was sharp in his postseason debut before the Braves completed their second straight shutout of the Reds, 5-0. Anderson struck out nine while holding Cincinnati to two hits over six innings. Ronald Acuna Jr. had three hits for the NL East champions, including a run-scoring double in the fifth. The Braves eventually broke it open in the eighth with two-run homers by Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall. Reds starting pitchers allowed just one run over 13 innings in the two-game sweep by the Braves, but Cincinnati failed to score in 22 innings. The A’s were staring at a 3-0 deficit and another opening-round elimination before scoring four times in the fourth inning of a 6-4 victory against the Chicago White Sox in Game 3. Mark Canha and Matt Olson walked with the bases loaded to put the Athletics ahead after Sean Murphy smacked a two-run homer earlier in the fourth. Chad Pinder snapped a 4-4 deadlock with a two-run single in the fifth. Oakland will take on AL West rival Houston in the Division Series.
October 2, 2020 3:54 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Clayton Kershaw struck out 13 while delivering eight innings of three-hit ball, Mookie Betts hit a two-out, two-run double in the fifth, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 to sweep their NL wild-card series. The eight-time West champion Dodgers advanced to the NL Division Series in Arlington, Texas, and will play either the St. Louis Cardinals or San Diego Padres, who meet in a deciding Game 3 on Friday. Kershaw’s strikeouts were a playoff career high and the most by a Dodgers pitcher in the postseason since his mentor Sandy Koufax had 15 in Game 1 of the 1963 World Series against the Yankees.
October 2, 2020 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – No. 24 Pittsburgh will try to get off to its first 4-0 start since 2000 when the Panthers host North Carolina State. Pitt’s defense has fueled the team’s early surge. The Panthers rank in the top 10 in the country in nearly every major statistical defensive category, including sacks, yards allowed and points allowed. The Wolfpack are 1-1 following a blowout loss on the road against undermanned Virginia Tech. N.C. State is unsettled at quarterback. Devin Leary and Bailey Hockman both played against the Hokies. Coach Dave Doeren says the player who is the most prepared will be the one that starts.
