NFL-SCHEDULE
Ravens rally to avoid 0-4 start
PITTSBURGH (AP) βThe Baltimore Ravens, down by 13 points in the second half and facing the prospect of an 0-4 start, rallied with a 23-20 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Justin Tucker forced overtime with a 42-yard field goal with 3 seconds left in regulation and won it with a 52-yarder with 5:08 left in OT.
That came after Pittsburgh’s Josh Scobee (SKOH’-bee) missed a pair of kicks in regulation that would have given the Steelers some cushion. In overtime, the Steelers failed to convert a pair of fourth downs in Baltimore territory rather than risk Scobee trying another field goal.
Justin Forsett (fohr-SEHT’) ran for 150 yards for the Ravens. Joe Flacco completed 20 of 33 for 189 yards and threw a touchdown pass and did just enough late to help the Ravens end the worst start in franchise history.
Michael Vick threw for 124 yards and a score while starting in place of injured Ben Roethlisberger (RAWTH’-lihs-bur-gur), but the 2-2 Steelers (2-2) bumbled late and Baltimore took advantage to get in the win column.
In their last 31 regular-season meetings, the Ravens lead the Steelers 16-15 with 21 of those games decided by seven points or less. Five of those games have gone into overtime.
NFL-INJURIES
Bills rule two out
UNDATED (AP) β Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan has ruled out running back LeSean McCoy and receiver Sammy Watkins from playing against the New York Giants on Sunday. McCoy is sitting out to rest a left hamstring injury while Watkins is sidelined after hurting his right calf in a win at Miami on Sunday.
Elsewhere:
β The winless Bears hope to get quarterback Jay Cutler back for Sunday’s game against Oakland and if he’s not ready, are preparing to go with Jimmy Clausen again. Cutler practiced on a limited basis for the second consecutive day after sitting out last week’s loss to Seattle because of a pulled hamstring.
β The Jets are hoping to have receiver Eric Decker back in the lineup in London on Sunday. He took part in team drills for the first time since spraining his left knee two weeks ago.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Yankees, Rangers back in postseason…Dodgers tied with Mets for home field edge
UNDATED (AP) β After a two-year absence, the New York Yankees are back in baseball’s postseason.
Carlos Beltran and rookies Greg Bird and Rob Refsnyder all homered for the Yankees in the franchise’s 10,000th regular-season win, a 4-1 triumph over arch-rival Boston. CC Sabathia (suh-BATH’-ee-uh) won for the second time since the All-Star break. He’s 6-10.
The Yankees open the playoffs with a winner-take-all game on Tuesday, most likely against Houston or the Los Angeles Angels. The Yanks have made the playoffs in five of manager Joe Girardi’s eight seasons at the helm.
In other finals:
β The Texas Rangers are also assured of being in the postseason for the first time since 2012. The Rangers, who have a two-and-a-half-game lead over Houston in the AL West race, clinched at least a wildcard berth with a 5-3 win over the LA Angels, who fell a game behind in the race for the final AL wild card. The Rangers win the AL Central with one more win or a Houston loss.
β Austin Jackson’s three-run homer run sparked the Cubs to a 5-3 win over Cincinnati. The win allowed the Cubs to keep alive their slim hopes of hosting the NL wildcard game next week. Chicago is two games back of Pittsburgh for the top wildcard spot in the NL with three games to go. The Reds have lost 12 straight, their longest losing streak since 1993.
β Minnesota doubled up Cleveland 4-2 to move a bit closer to an AL wildcard spot. The Twins scored a run in the eighth to tie it and then two unearned runs in the ninth to pull within one game of idle Houston for the second wildcard berth with three games left.
β Brett Anderson pitched two-hit ball into the eighth as the NL West champ Dodgers edge San Francisco 3-2. Anderson retired 14 straight at one point in his final regular-season start. Andre Ethier (EE’-thee-ur) drove in a pair for the Dodgers, who are fighting the Mets for home field advantage in the playoffs. The Dodgers and Mets are tied at 89-70 and each has three games left. If they finish even, the Mets hold the tiebreaker because they beat the Dodgers in the season series.
β Jerad Eickhoff allowed four hits and struck out 10 in seven innings to lead Philadelphia to a 3-0 win over the Mets. Darin Ruf hit a two-run homer to help the Phillies complete a three-game sweep of the NL East champs. An announced crowd of 13,238 was the smallest in the 12-year history of Citizens Bank Park.
β Manny Machado homered twice to help Baltimore top Toronto 6-4. A day after clinching the AL East title, the Blue Jays rested their starters. David Price was scratched from his scheduled start, while Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion (en-kar-nah-see-OHN’) also got the day off.
β AL Central champ Kansas City topped the Chicago White Sox 6-4. Jonny Gomes drove in three runs. The Royals are tied with Toronto for the AL’s best record, and the Blue Jays own the tiebreaker.
β San Diego trimmed Milwaukee 3-1. Ian Kennedy struck out 11 in what was likely his final start with San Diego and Yangervis Solarte hit a two-run homer for the Padres.
β Tampa Bay rapped out 16 hits in beating Miami 4-1. Jake Odorizzi allowed one run over seven innings as the Rays finished a three-game sweep.
β Washington blanked Atlanta 3-0. Stephen Strasburg won his 11th game. He combined with two relievers on a seven-hitter. In his final four starts of the season, Strasburg finished 3-0 with an 0.62 ERA. He had 44 strikeouts in 29 innings.
β Arizona rallied with four in the seventh to beat Colorado 8-6. Welington Castillo had a two-run double in the seventh and drove in three.
MLB-NEWS
Veteran pitcher calling it quits…New GM in Atlanta
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) β Relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt of the Giants says he’s retiring at the end of the season. The 36-year-old has been in the game 14-years and is completing a three-year contract. He was the winner of the seventh game of the 2014 World Series over Kansas City.
In other baseball news:
β The Atlanta Braves promoted John Coppolella to general manager following three seasons as assistant GM. Coppolella agreed to a four-year contract through the 2019 season, which will include the first three seasons at Atlanta’s new SunTrust Park.
NBA-WARRIORS-KERR
Warriors’ Kerr takes a leave
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) β Golden State coach Steve Kerr is taking a leave of absence as he recovers from back surgery and will be replaced on an interim basis by Luke Walton. The team says Kerr will need time off for rehabilitation and recovery. Kerr underwent back surgery to repair a ruptured disc in late July and had follow-up surgery in September.
The Warriors said they don’t know yet how long Kerr will be out.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-ARIZONA BOWL
Bowl number rises
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) β A new bowl game is coming to Arizona Stadium this December. The Arizona Bowl will feature teams from Conference USA, the Sun Belt or Mountain West Conference on Dec. 29 at Arizona’s home stadium. It will be the first bowl game in Tucson since 1999.
The addition of the Arizona Bowl brings the total to a record 41 bowl games this season, meaning nearly two-thirds of FBS teams will play in bowl games.
SPORTS-JURISPRUDENCE
Hall of Famer Sapp takes plea deal
LAS VEGAS (AP) β Hall of Famer Warren Sapp took a plea deal that spares him jail time in a Las Vegas criminal case involving a scuffle with his former girlfriend that began after margaritas at a casino hotel swimming pool.
A court official says the 42-year-old former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders defensive tackle pleaded no contest in Las Vegas Justice Court to one misdemeanor domestic violence charge.
A judge fined Sapp $345 and ordered him to pay $2,555 in restitution, log 48 hours of community service and six months of counseling, and stay out of trouble for six months.
ALI-HONORS
“Thrilla in Manila” 40-year anniversary
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) β Muhammad Ali won another round of love and appreciation for his achievements as a fighter in and out of the ring.
The latest celebration of the three-time world heavyweight champion and self-proclaimed “Greatest Of All Time” featured former champions and Larry Holmes and George Foreman. Those two notable erstwhile opponents who gladly came to honor Ali on Thursday night in his Kentucky hometown.
Friends, associates and dignitaries were also on hand for the ceremony on the 40th anniversary of Ali’s third fight with Joe Frazier in the Philippines, an epic 14-round battle known as the “Thrilla in Manila.”
