ST. LOUIS (AP) β Kolten Wong smacked a tiebreaking, two-run homer and the St. Louis Cardinals took a two-games-to-one lead in the National League Division Series by topping the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wong went deep off Scott Elbert in the seventh, one inning after Hanley Ramirez tied the game for the Dodgers with an RBI double. Matt Carpenter homered for the third straight game and winning pitcher John Lackey allowed a run and five hits in six innings.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) β Doug Fister tossed seven shutout innings and the Washington Nationals took advantage of Madison Bumgarner’s throwing error to beat the Giants 4-1 in San Francisco and avoid a three-game sweep in the National League Division Series. The game was scoreless in the seventh until Bumgarner threw away Wilson Ramos’ bunt attempt, allowing two runs to score. Fister allowed just four hits and improved to 4-2 with a 2.60 ERA lifetime in the postseason.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) β The Seattle Seahawks picked up their ninth straight victory on Monday Night Football by grabbing an early 17-0 lead before holding off Washington 27-17. Russell Wilson rushed for a career-high 122 yards, including a nine-yard TD that put Seattle ahead 17-0 in the first half. He also completed 18 of 24 passes for 201 yards and two more scores for the 3-1 Seahawks.
NEW YORK (AP) β The NFL has begun testing for human growth hormone for the first time, three years after the league and players’ union tentatively agreed to do so. A total of 950 tests will be performed during the regular season, postseason and preseason, with another 385 tests to be completed in the offseason. Five players on eight teams will be chosen randomly for testing each week of the season as part of the normal testing procedures under the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy.
UNDATED (AP) β USA Swimming has suspended Michael Phelps for six months, forcing him to withdraw from next year’s world championships. He is also losing his funding from the sport’s national governing body as a result of the Olympic champion’s second DUI arrest. The sanctions won’t keep Phelps from training with his North Baltimore club, but he won’t be allowed to participate in USA Swimming-sanctioned meets through March 6, 2015.
