MLB PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE
Giants outlast Nats in 18…Dodgers hosting Cards
WASHINGTON (AP) β The San Francisco Giants have stretched their postseason winning streak to nine games. It took 18 innings, nearly 6 Β½ hours and one huge homer.
Brandon Belt launched a tiebreaking, solo shot in the 18th inning before Hunter Strickland recorded the last three outs in the Giants’ 2-1 win over the Nationals in Washington. The Giants have a 2-0 lead in the National League Division Series following a game that lasted a playoff-record 6:23 and tied for the most innings ever in a postseason contest.
The marathon was almost avoided by both teams. Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann gave up just three hits over 8 2/3 innings. He retired 20 straight batters and enjoyed a 1-0 lead before issuing a two-out walk to Joe Panik in the ninth, prompting manager Matt Williams to lift Zimmermann. Drew Storen came on and quickly gave up a single to Buster Posey before Pablo Sandoval laced a game-tying double. Posey almost scored on Sandoval’s hit, but he was tagged out by catcher Wilson Ramos (ROH’-mohs) to end the inning and create a marathon.
The Giants’ bullpen was outstanding, allowing just two hits in 10 2/3 innings. The bulk of that work was performed by winning pitcher Yusmeiro Petit (yus-MEHR’-oh peh-TEE’), who limited the Nationals to one hit while striking out seven in six innings.
Tanner Roark served up Belt’s tiebreaking homer and took the loss, allowing just that one hit in two innings.
The Giants will look to sweep the Nats Monday in San Francisco.
LOS ANGELES (AP) β The Dodgers have knotted their NL Division Series at a game apiece despite blowing a two-run lead.
Matt Kemp belted a tiebreaking homer in the bottom of the eighth to lift the Dodgers past St. Louis 3-2. Kemp’s blast came a half-inning after Matt Carpenter knotted the score with a two-run shot.
The Dodgers went up 2-0 in the third on Dee Gordon’s run-scoring grounder and a run-scoring single by Adrian Gonzalez. Zack Greinke protected that lead by holding the Cardinals to two hits and two walks while striking out seven in seven shutout innings. But Greinke had to settle for a no-decision after J.P. Howell surrendered Carpenter’s round-tripper.
Carpenter already has two home runs and six RBIs in the series for the Cardinals, who host Game 3 on Monday.
T25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL-SCHEDULE
Ole Miss rallies past ‘Bama…TCU beats Oklahoma…Aggies can’t keep Bulldogs on a leash
UNDATED (AP) β It’s been a very tough week for the nation’s top-10 college football teams. Second-ranked Oregon’s loss to Arizona on Thursday has been followed by stunners in Oxford, Mississippi, Fort Worth, Texas, and Starkville, Mississippi.
Bo Wallace threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter as 11th-ranked Mississippi rallied for a 23-17 triumph over No. 3 Alabama. The Rebels trailed 17-10 midway through the fourth quarter until Wallace hit Vince Sanders for a 34-yard touchdown with 5:29 remaining. Wallace’s 10-yard touchdown throw to Jaylen Walton put Mississippi ahead with 2:54 left.
Ole Miss ended a 10-game losing streak against the Tide and improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1962.
Paul Dawson returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown and No. 25 TCU made a huge fourth-and-1 stop with just over 3 minutes left in a 37-33 victory over No. 4 Oklahoma. Horned Frogs quarterback Trevone Boykin was 20-of-38 passing for 318 yards with two touchdowns, and added 77 yards on 22 carries.
TCU improved to 4-0 for the fifth time in the last seven seasons under coach Gary Patterson.
Trevor Knight passed for 309 yards but was just 14 of 35 with two interceptions in losing for the first time in 10 starts as the Sooners’ quarterback.
Dak Prescott outplayed the more-heralded Kenny Hill as the 12th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs overpowered the No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies 48-31. Prescott threw for two touchdowns and ran for three more as Mississippi State improved to 5-0 overall, 2-0 in the SEC. The junior finished 19 for 25 for 264 yards and ran for 77 yards.
Hill threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns, but was picked off three times by linebacker Richie Brown, who matched a school record.
There also was an upset at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, as Andy Phillips drilled a 29-yard field goal with 34 seconds left to give Utah a 30-28 win over eighth-ranked UCLA. The Bruins trailed 24-14 entering the fourth quarter before Brett Hundley threw a 93-yard scoring pass to Devin Fuller and a 40-yard TD toss to Eldridge Massington. Phillips won it with his fourth field goal of the night.
Devontae Booker ran for 156 yards and a touchdown to help the Utes hand UCLA its first loss in five games.
In other Top-25 action:
β Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo hit a career-high five field goals and top-ranked Florida State improved to 5-0 with a 43-3 laugher against Wake Forest. Seminoles quarterback Jameis (JAY’-mihs) Winston threw for 297 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while the Seminoles’ defense held John Wolford to 58 yards passing and an interception.
β Nick Marshall accounted for 326 total yards and four touchdowns in Auburn’s 41-7 romp over No. 15 LSU. Marshall passed for 207 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for 119 yards and two scores to help the fifth-ranked Tigers get to 5-0.
β Shock Linwood ran for 148 yards and the clinching touchdown in seventh-ranked Baylor’s 28-7 victory at Texas. The Bears won despite an off-day by Bryce Petty, who completed just seven of his 22 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
β Everett Golson threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Ben Koyack in the corner of the end zone with 61 seconds left as ninth-ranked Notre Dame topped No. 14 Stanford 17-14. Golson also threw a 17-yard TD pass and Notre Dame amassed 370 yards of total offense against the nation’s top defense.
β Tenth-ranked Michigan St. blew most of a 27-3 lead in the fourth quarter before Trae Waynes intercepted Tommy Armstrong’s pass with 30 seconds remaining to secure a 27-22 victory against Nebraska. Connor Cook threw for 234 yards and a touchdown, and Jeremy Langford carried 29 times for 11 yards and a score.
β Thirteenth-ranked Georgia ripped Vanderbilt 44-17 as Hutson Mason threw two touchdown passes to Chris Conley and Todd Gurley ran for 163 yards with two scores. Gurley also heaved a 50-yard pass to tight end Jeb Blazevich, the Bulldogs’ longest completion of the season.
β Arizona State scored three touchdowns in the final 3:53 to pull off a 38-34 stunner over 16th-rated Southern California in Los Angeles. Mike Bercovici capped his 510-yard, five-touchdown passing performance with a 46-yard scoring strike to Jaelen Strong as time expired.
β Northwestern topped No. 17 Wisconsin 20-14 as Godwin Igwebuike (ihg-weh-BWEE’-kay) had three interceptions and Justin Jackson rushed for 162 yards. Trevor Siemian threw for a touchdown and also had a key block on Miles Shuler’s 16-yard TD run to help the Wildcats improve to 2-0 in the Big Ten.
β Ohio State ruined Maryland’s first home game as a Big Ten team. J.T. Barrett threw for four touchdowns and ran for another to lead the 20th-ranked Buckeyes to a 52-24 rout of the Terrapins. The Buckeyes rolled up over 500 yards of offense, with Barrett throwing for 267 yards and Ezekiel Elliot running for 139.
β No. 21 Oklahoma State outscored Iowa State 37-20 as Desmond Roland ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns and Tyreek Hill returned a kickoff 97 yards for another score. Brandon Sheperd caught a career-high eight passes for 91 yards and Jhajuan (jah-WAHN’) Seales added four catches for 75 yards and a score for the 4-1 Cowboys.
β Shane Carden threw for 410 yards and four touchdowns as No. 22 East Carolina whipped SMU 45-24. Justin Hardy had three first-half touchdown catches in the Pirates’ first game as a ranked team since 2008.
β Jake Waters was a double-threat in Kansas State’s 45-13 pounding of Texas Tech, throwing for 290 yards and four touchdowns and running for 105 yards and another score for the 23rd-ranked Wildcats. Tyler Lockett had 12 catches for 125 yards and two scores.
JAGUARS MOVES
Jaguars activate suspended receiver Sanders
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) β The Jacksonville Jaguars have activated receiver Ace Sanders and waived tight end Mickey Shuler.
The move had been expected and means Sanders will play Sunday against Pittsburgh. The fourth-year pro from South Carolina was suspended the first four games for games for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
Sanders caught 51 passes for 484 yards and a touchdown last season, becoming one of 42 rookies over the last 20 years to catch at least 50 passes.
The 0-4 Jaguars need him to play against the Steelers because veteran Cecil Shorts III and rookie Marqise Lee are sidelined with nagging hamstring injuries.
NHL-MOVES
Isles-Hawks shape rosters
CHICAGO (AP) β The New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks have engineered a multi-player deal with the NHL season about to begin. The Islanders get defenseman Nick Leddy and goaltender Kent Simpson for defensemen T.J. Brennan and Ville Pokka and the rights to restricted free-agent goaltender Anders Nilsson. Leddy had seven goals and 24 assists in 82 games for Chicago last season.
The Islanders also acquired defenseman Johnny Boychuk from the Bruins for 2015 and 2016 second-round draft picks and a conditional third-round pick.
And the Blackhawks signed Daniel Carcillo to a one-year deal.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL-WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Americans get past Aussies
ISTANBUL (AP) β Tina Charles scored 18 points and Maya Moore added 16 to help the U.S. beat Australia 82-70 in the semifinals of the women’s world championship.
The U.S. will face Spain in the gold-medal game Sunday.
F1-JAPANESE GP
Hamilton wins Japanese GP marred by Bianchi crash
SUZUKA, Japan (AP) β Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won a rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, claiming his third straight Formula One victory in a race marred by a serious crash.
With Hamilton leading teammate Nico Rosberg, a red flag ended the race on the 44th of 53 laps due to a crash involving Marussia driver Jules Bianchi. With heavy rain falling and visibility poor, race officials elected not to re-start and Hamilton was declared the winner. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel finished third.
LPGA
Mirim Lee wins 2nd LPGA title
BEIJING (AP) β South Korea’s Mirim Lee won the second title of her rookie LPGA Tour season, shooting a 5-under 69 in the final round on Sunday to capture the Reignwood Classic by two strokes.
Top-ranked Stacy Lewis and Caroline Hedwall, the co-overnight leaders, both fell short on a windy final day at Pine Valley Golf Club.
Starting the day tied for third, Lee birdied three holes on the front nine and added two more on No. 16 and 18 to offset one bogey. She finished at 15-under 277.
Lee’s first LPGA victory came just two months ago at the Meijer LPGA Classic, where she beat her third-ranked countrywoman Inbee Park in a playoff.
TENNIS-CHINA OPEN
Djokovic, Sharapova win
BEIJING (AP) β Top-ranked Novak Djokovic won his fifth China Open title in dominating fashion Sunday, routing third-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-2.
Djokovic was one point away from handing Berdych a “double bagel” β a 6-0, 6-0 defeat β but the Czech player fought off match point, then broke Djokovic to win his first game and raise both arms in celebration.
The Serb improved his sparkling record at the China Open to 24-0.
On the women’s side, Maria Sharapova outlasted Petra Kvitova 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in a hard-hitting, back-and-forth duel to win her fourth title of the year and return to No. 2 in the rankings.
Sharapova overcame 10 double-faults and a number of untimely errors to defeat Kvitova in a rematch of the 2011 Wimbledon final, won by the Czech left-hander.Top-ranked Novak Djokovic won his fifth China Open title in dominating fashion Sunday, routing third-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-2.
