MLB-PLAYOFFS
How sweep it is!
UNDATED (AP) β It will be the Kansas City Royals taking on the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series beginning Friday in Charm City. The Orioles will host the Royals in the first two games of the ALCS following Baltimore’s sweep of the Tigers in Detroit. The Royals continue to be destiny’s darling after a three-game sweep of the top-seeded Angels.
The Royals took control early Sunday night and rolled to an 8-3 rout of the Angels. The Royals went ahead to stay on Alex Gordon’s three-run double with two out in the bottom of the first, a half-inning after Mike Trout homered. Gordon’s hit chased Angels starter C.J. Wilson, who entered the game 1-5 with a 4.82 ERA over 52 1/3 innings in 10 postseason appearances.
The Royals continued their assault against the Angels’ bullpen. Eric Hosmer made it 5-1 with a two-run homer in the third, one inning before Mike Moustakas added a solo shot. Hosmer and Moustakas provided the extra-inning homers in the first two games of the series. Nori Aoki (NOHR’-ee ah-OH’-kee) added an RBI single that made it 8-2 in the sixth. Lorenzo Cain went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a run scored.
Winning pitcher James Shields allowed two runs and six hits with six strikeouts in six innings before the Royals’ bullpen made the big lead hold up.
Earlier, the Orioles advanced by downing the Tigers 2-1 in Detroit. Nelson Cruz snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the sixth off loser David Price, who allowed just five hits in eight innings.
Orioles starter Bud Norris outdueled Price, limiting the Tigers to two hits while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings. Andrew Miller retired all five batters he faced to set up Zach Britton for the save opportunity.
Britton got off to a shaky start by allowing back-to-back doubles by Victor Martinez to open the bottom of the ninth, but he struck out Bryan Holliday and issued an intentional walk before getting Hernan Perez to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the series.
The National League Division Series resume today. San Francisco hosts Washington as the Giants try to complete a three-game sweep of the top-seeded Nationals. The St. Louis Cardinals host the Los Angeles Dodgers with that series tied 1-1.
NFL-SCHEDULE
Manning reaches 500-TD milestone as Broncos whip Cardinals
UNDATED (AP) β The Denver Broncos’ passing combo of Peyton Manning and Demaryius (deh-MAR’-ee-uhs) Thomas were a lethal combination for the previously-unbeaten Arizona Cardinals.
Manning joined Brett Favre (fahrv) as the only quarterbacks to throw for 500 career touchdowns and finished with 479 yards and four TDs as the 3-1 Broncos clobbered the Cardinals 41-20. Thomas had a team-record 226 receiving yards on eight receptions, including an 86-yard scoring grab near halftime. Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas each had two scoring receptions in the rout.
Denver also silenced Arizona’s passing attack. Drew Stanton was just 11 of 26 for 118 yards, and Logan Thomas completed just one of his eight passes. However, Thomas’ lone completion went to Andre Ellington for an 81-yards touchdown.
The Cardinals fall to 3-1.
Arizona’s loss made Cincinnati the NFL’s only unbeaten team, but that distinction ended when the Bengals absorbed a 43-17 pounding by the New England Patriots. Tom Brady was 23 of 35 for 292 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions after being pulled in Monday’s 41-14 loss to Kansas City. Kyle Arrington returned a fumble nine yards for a touchdown, and Stevan Ridley ran for 113 yards and a touchdown for the 3-2 Pats.
The 3-1 Bengals lost three fumbles and allowed the Patriots to rack up 505 total yards.
There were several nice comeback wins in Week 5:
β Cleveland stormed back from a 28-3 deficit and beat the Titans 29-28 on Brian Hoyer’s touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin with 69 seconds left. The Titans were up by 13 until Hoyer threw a pair of scoring strikes to Benjamin in the final 6:49. Ben Tate had 123 rushing yards for the 2-2 Browns, who began their rally after Charlie Whitehurst heaved a 75-yard TD pass to Justin Hunter with 2:44 left in the first half.
β Carolina trailed 21-7 before Cam Newton tossed two scoring passes to Greg Olson and Chris Ogbonnaya had a scoring touchdown run in the Panthers’ 31-24 triumph at Chicago. Newton’s six-yard pass to Olson with 2:18 left gave the Panthers their first lead since Philly Brown’s 79-yard punt return for a touchdown four minutes into the game. The Panthers stifled the Bears’ offense after Jay Cutler threw his third touchdown pass early in the second quarter.
β Dan Carpenter drilled his third field goal of the afternoon with four seconds left to cap Buffalo’s comeback from a 14-0 deficit in a 17-14 triumph at Detroit. Kyle Orton completed 30 of his 43 passes for one touchdown and one interception in his first start since replacing EJ Manuel as the Bills’ quarterback. The Bills allowed just 263 total yards and blanked the Lions after Rashean Mathis returned an interception 41 yards for a TD early in the second quarter.
β A pair of rookies helped the New York Giants score the last 20 points in a 30-20 triumph in Atlanta. The Giants trailed 20-10 until Andre Williams ran for a three-yard score and Odell Beckham Jr. made his first NFL touchdown reception with 10 minutes remaining. Williams ran for 65 yards and Beckham had four catches for 44 yards the second off of his NFL debut for the 3-2 Giants.
β New Orleans trailed by 11 in the fourth quarter before beating Tampa Bay 37-31 on Khiry Robinson’s 18-yard scoring run in overtime. Drew Brees (breez) was intercepted three times, but he also completed 35 of his 57 attempts for 371 yards and three TDs. Pierre Thomas caught eight passes for 77 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 35 yards and a score for the 2-3 Saints.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
β Colin Kaepernick (KAP’-ur-nik) threw for 201 yards and a touchdown, Frank Gore ran for 107 yards and the 49ers turned a fake punt into a key field goal to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 22-17. The fake punt allowed Phil Dawson to kick a go-ahead, 27-yard field goal with 8:42 remaining. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns, but Perrish Cox intercepted his overthrown pass to end any chance Kansas City had to rally.
β Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes to Antonio Gates and rookie running back Branden Oliver scored his first two TDs as San Diego embarrassed the bumbling New York Jets 31-0 to improve to 4-1. Rivers was 20 of 28 for 288 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in the Chargers’ fourth straight win. The 1-4 Jets dropped their fourth straight and finally benched quarterback Geno Smith in favor of the equally ineffective Michael Vick to start the second half.
β Philadelphia is 4-1 after Nick Foles threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles’ 34-28 win against St. Louis. Nick Maragos put the Eagles ahead by returning a blocked punt 10 yards for a TD just 23 seconds into the game. Cedric Thornton recovered a fumble in the end zone while the Eagles were building a 34-7 lead.
β Andrew Luck threw for a touchdown and ran for another as the Colts downed Baltimore 20-13 at Indianapolis. Luck was 32 of 49 for 312 yards with two interceptions. But his 6-yard TD pass to Dwayne Allen early in the third quarter finally gave the Colts some breathing room and his nifty 13-yard TD run early in the fourth made it 20-6. The Colts have won three straight since an 0-2 start. The Ravens ended a three-game winning streak.
β Dan Bailey atoned for a missed field goal at the end of regulation by nailing a 49-yard kick in overtime to complete the Dallas Cowboys’ 20-17 win over Houston. Bailey’s kick was set up when Tony Romo threw off his back foot with pressure coming and Dez Bryant made a spectacular leaping catch for 37 yards. The 4-1 Cowboys blew a 10-point lead in the second half before posting their fourth straight victory, their longest winning streak in four years. Arian Foster had 157 rushing yards for the 3-2 Texans.
β Pittsburgh’s defense gave up just three field goals and 243 yards in a 17-9 triumph in Jacksonville. Brice McCain returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown as the Steelers upped their record to 3-2 and dropped the Jags to 0-5. Le’Veon Bell had 82 yards on 15 carries, and Ben Roethlisberger (RAWTH’-lihs-bur-gur) threw for 273 yards and no interceptions.
NFL-STARR
Family updates health of former quarterback and coach
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) β The wife of Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr says in a statement that he is recovering from two strokes and a mild heart attack and is making progress in rehabilitation. Cherry Starr provided an update on her husband’s condition through a statement released on the Green Bay Packers website.
She says Starr’s doctors confirmed that the 80-year-old suffered two strokes in early September, as well as a mild heart attack.
Cherry Starr says her husband’s progress has been slowed by seizures, which are now under control through medication.
Starr led the Packers to five NFL titles and two Super Bowl championships. He was Green Bay’s head coach from 1975 to 1983.
NFL-DOLPHINS
Shelby of Miami free on bond
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) β Authorities say Miami Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby is free on bond after being arrested on misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and trespassing at a Fort Lauderdale nightclub. Police spokeswoman DeAnna Greenlaw says the 25-year-old player was arrested around 2 a.m. Saturday at Off the Hookah, after refusing an order to leave the establishment by security and police officers.
An undrafted pickup for the Dolphins in 2012, Shelby has appeared in all four Miami’s games this season, recording six tackles, two sacks and recovering a fumble.
NASCAR-KANSAS
Logano wins while other contenders struggle
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) β Joey Logano has grabbed the first berth into the next round of NASCAR’s championship chase with a victory Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
Logano’s win advanced him into the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, which begins after stops at Charlotte and Talladega. Four drivers will be cut from the 12-driver field after Talladega.
It was Logano’s career-best fifth win of the season and ties with him Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski for most in the Sprint Cup Series this year.
Kyle Larson was second, followed by Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards.
It was a tough day for a couple of Sprint Cup contenders. Jimmie Johnson finished 40th after he was hit by Greg Biffle just 85 laps into the race. Brad Keselowski (kehs-LOWS’-kee) had tire trouble that led him to slam into the wall and finish 36th. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was leading when a flat tire caused him to hit the wall. He finished 39th after leading 45 laps into the race.
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 Sunday. The win is his third straight on the Formula One circuit and bolsters his lead in the overall drivers’ standings. Teammate Nico (NEE’-koh) Rosberg finished second with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel winding up third.
The race was marred by a serious crash. With Hamilton leading Rosberg, a red flag ended the race on the 44th of 53 laps due to a crash involving driver Jules Bianchi. With heavy rain falling and visibility poor, race officials elected not to re-start and Hamilton was declared the winner.
Bianchi is in intensive care with a severe head injury.
T25-AP POLL
FSU remains No. 1
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) β Mississippi and Mississippi State are tied for third in the new Associated Press college football poll. The top team remains Florida State, with Auburn No. 2. Baylor completes the top-5.
The Florida State Seminoles received 35 first-place votes while Auburn got 23 and Mississippi State two.
NHL-CANADIENS
Habs trade goalie
MONTREAL (AP) β The Montreal Canadiens have traded goaltender Peter Budaj (BOO’-dy) to the Winnipeg Jets for forward Eric Tangradi. By dealing Budaj, the Canadiens opted to keep Dustin Tokarski as Carey Price’s backup after the 25-year-old played well in last year’s Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers.
LPGA
South Korean wins in China
BEIJING (AP) β South Korea’s Mirim Lee has won the second title of her rookie LPGA Tour season, shooting a 5-under 69 in the final round to capture the Reignwood Classic in China by two strokes.
Top-ranked Stacy Lewis and Caroline Hedwall, the co-overnight leaders, both fell short on a windy final day of play, with Hedwall finishing second at 13-under.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL-WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Americans get past Spain
ISTANBUL (AP) β Maya Moore scored 18 points and the U.S. beat Spain 77-64 to win its second straight gold medal at the women’s world championship. Lindsay Whalen added 12 points for the United States, which hasn’t lost in a gold medal game in the world championship since 1983.
The Americans turned the game quickly into a laugher, jumping out to a 13-point lead in the game’s first 4Β½ minutes. Spain could only get within seven the rest of the way.
PHELPS-DUI
Swimmer enters rehab
UNDATED (AP) β Olympic champion Michael Phelps is putting his swimming career on hold after his second DUI arrest. The 29-year old was arrested early Tuesday and charged with drunken driving. Police said he failed a series of field sobriety tests and had a blood-alcohol content of 0.14 percent, well above the legal limit of 0.08.
In an announcement on this Twitter account, Phelps says he is beginning a six-week program.
According to his representatives, Phelps entered an in-patient program that will keep him from competing at least through mid-November.
