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MLB PLAYOFFS-NLDS
Nats oust Dodgers, Cards dump Braves to reach NLCS
UNDATED (AP) _ The Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals will play for the National League pennant, beginning Friday in St. Louis. The Nationals advanced with an impressive comeback win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles after the Cardinals crushed the Braves in Atlanta. In both cases, the winners advanced on the road in Game 5 after trailing the NL Division Series two games to one.
Former Dodger Howie Kendrick launched a grand slam off reliever Joe Kelly with nobody out in the 10th inning to send the Nats to a 7-3 triumph at Los Angeles. Kendrick’s blast knocks out the team that posted the National League’s best record during the regular season and puts the Nats in the NLCS for the first time.
Max Muncy (MUHN’-see) and Kike (KEE’-kay) Hernandez homered off Stephen Strasburg to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead through two innings before the Nationals rallied. Anthony Rendon (rehn-DOHN’) and Juan Soto tied it with back-to-back solo blasts off Clayton Kershaw in the eighth, two innings after Soto’s RBI single ended Walker Buehler’s (BYOO’-lurz) shutout bid.
Daniel Hudson picked up the victory by tossing a scoreless ninth. Sean Doolittle closed it out by retiring the Dodgers in order in the 10th.
Buehler had to settle for a no-decision after limiting the Nationals to a run and six hits while striking out seven over 6 2/3 innings.
In Atlanta, the Cardinals sent 14 batters to the plate while erupting for 10 runs on five hits, four walks and a huge error in the first inning of a 13-1 rout of the Braves. The Braves had a chance to get out of the frame trailing just 1-0, but first baseman Freddie Freeman botched a potential inning-ending double play grounder.
Tommy Edman, Dexter Fowler and Kolten Wong provided two-run doubles following the error, allowing the Cardinals to turn the deciding game into a laugher. Pitcher Jack Flaherty walked with the bases loaded and Fowler reached base twice during the rally.
The 10 runs is a major league record for a postseason game.
Braves starting and losing pitcher Mike Foltynewicz (fohl-tih-NEH’-vihch) retired just one batter while surrendering seven runs - six earned - on three hits and three walks. Max Fried (freed) allowed three runs in the first and was lifted to start the third inning with Atlanta trailing 11-0.
Flaherty breezed through six innings to get the win, limiting the Braves to one run and four hits while striking out eight. Flaherty had a shutout until Josh Donaldson homered in the fourth.
The outcome puts St. Louis in the NLCS for the first time since 2014, when they fell to the Giants.
MLB-YANKEES-SABATHIA
Sabathia could be on Yanks' ALCS roster
NEW YORK (AP) _ CC Sabathia (suh-BATH'-ee-uh) could be on the New York Yankees' roster for the AL Championship Series after missing the previous round with an achy left shoulder.
Sabathia threw a bullpen session Wednesday and impressed manager Aaron Boone, who said the 39-year-old left-hander is feeling "considerably better." Boone says Sabathia is an option for the ALCS, but the Yankees haven't decided on their roster.
Relief pitchers Aroldis Chapman and Zack Britton are expected to be 100% for the ALCS.
Boone also says outfielder Aaron Hicks has recovered from a right elbow flexor strain. Hicks is healthy enough to play, but Boone says there is "trepidation" about activating him because he hasn't played in a game since Aug. 3.
Also around the majors:
_ Braves catcher Brian McCann is retiring after 15 major league seasons, making the announcement after Atlanta lost in the NLDS. McCann’s career began and ended with the Braves, his hometown team. He hit .249 with 12 homers and 45 RBIs while sharing playing time with Tyler Flowers. McCann batted .262 with 282 home runs in a career that included stops with the New York Yankees and Houston Astros.
NFL-NEWS
Burfict's appeal denied
UNDATED (AP) _ Vontaze Burfict's appeal to overturn his suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit has been denied, keeping the Oakland Raiders linebacker off the field the rest of the season.
Appeals officer Derrick Brooks has ruled that he would not reduce the longest suspension ever handed down for an on-field infraction. Brooks is appointed jointly by the NFL and the NFLPA and heard Burfict's appeal of the ban for the final 12 games of the regular season and the playoffs.
Burfict was punished for his hit on Indianapolis tight end Jack Doyle on Sept. 29. It was the third time Burfict has been suspended for a dangerous hit on the field.
In other NFL news:
_ Rams running back Todd Gurley missed practice Wednesday with a bruised left thigh. The team doesn’t know whether their star ground-gainer will play Sunday against the 49ers. Coach Sean McVay says Gurley's injury "caught us all off-guard" when Los Angeles went back to work following a bye week.
_ The heavily underdog Giants are going to be without their top two running backs and their two leading receivers against the Patriots Thursday night. Saquon (SAY'-kwahn) Barkley will miss a third straight week with a high ankle sprain and Wayne Gallman will be out with a concussion. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard and tight end Evan Engram have also been ruled out.
_ Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn says center Mike Pouncey will have season-ending neck surgery after being injured during the first half of last Sunday's 20-13 loss to the Broncos. Dan Feeney will move to center and Forrest Lamp will take over at left guard with the nine-year veteran now done for the year.
_ The Chiefs could get star wide receiver Tyreek Hill back for Sunday's game against Houston, but the rest of the team’s injury news is bleaker. The Chiefs placed defensive tackle Xavier Williams on injured reserve after he suffered a high ankle sprain in last weekend's loss to the Colts. Left tackle Eric Fisher remains out after core muscle surgery. Defensive tackle Chris Jones, wide receiver Sammy Watkins and offensive lineman Andrew Wylie all missed practice Wednesday after being hurt against the Colts.
_ Dolphins head coach Brian Flores says Josh Rosen will be his starting quarterback the remainder of the season. Rosen supplanted veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 3 and will start for the third game in a row Sunday against the Washington Redskins. Flores says Rosen has improved on a week-to-week basis, adding that he thinks Rosen “needs to get in there and develop and get reps and just improve.”
_ Jets tight end Chris Herndon's return from suspension will be delayed by a hamstring injury that will sideline him for an undetermined amount of time. Herndon was eligible to return to the team this week after being suspended the first four games by the NFL for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.
_ San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman says he'll apologize to Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield for accusing him of not shaking his hand before Monday night's game. Sherman initially said he felt Mayfield disrespected him before the pregame coin toss by ignoring him. But after videos showed that Mayfield did shake hands with Sherman, the outspoken Pro Bowler changed his tune.
_ Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey practiced for the first time in three weeks Wednesday, rejoining teammates two days after seeing a back specialist. Ramsey participated in a limited capacity, taking part in individual drills before spending the rest of the session working with team trainers on the side. It remains to be seen whether Ramsey plays Sunday against New Orleans and the NFL's leading receiver, Michael Thomas.
NBA-NETS-IRVING
Irving, playing with face fracture, leaves Nets-Lakers early
SHANGHAI (AP) — Brooklyn guard Kyrie Irving left the team's preseason game in China against the Los Angeles Lakers about one minute after tip-off after taking a hit to the face.
Irving was attempting to play through a facial fracture, an injury that occurred in a pickup game last month. He was wearing a clear mask in an effort to protect his face, but appeared to bump into Lakers guard Rajon Rondo while playing defense just 1:06 into the contest.
Irving's face made contact with Rondo's upper arm. The Nets guard immediately winced in pain, took the mask off and motioned to the bench that he needed a substitute.
It was not immediately clear if Irving would return to the game.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Sabres top Habs in OT
UNDATED (AP) _ The NHL’s worst team last season is off to a 3-0-1 start this month.
The Buffalo Sabres blew a two-goal lead in the third period before Marcus Johansson scored 90 seconds into overtime to give them a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. The game-winner was set up by Jack Eichel (EYE’-kul), who had two goals and two assists.
Jeff Skinner and Victor Olofsson also scored for the Sabres, and Carter Hutton made 23 saves.
Joel Armia (ahr-MEE’-uh) scored twice and had an assist for the Canadiens, who are 1-0-2 following their third straight overtime game.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
_ Carter Hart turned back 25 shots in his first career shutout as the Flyers won their home opener, 4-0 over the winless Devils. Travis Konecny (kah-NEHK’-nee) had a goal and an assist after scoring twice in Philadelphia’s season-opening win over the Blackhawks in Prague last week. Ivan Provorov (PROH’-vah-rahv) also had a goal and assist for the Flyers, who received their other scoring from Kevin Hayes and Sean Couturier (koo-TUR’-ee-ay).
_ J.T. Miller and Brandon Sutter combined for three goals and seven points as the Canucks blew out the Kings, 8-2. Sutter scored twice and Miller had a goal and three assists in the rout. Jakob Markstrom turned back 37 shots for Vancouver.
NHL-PENGUINS-INJURIES
Penguins place Galchenyuk on IR
PITTSBURGH (AP) _ The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward Alex Galchenyuk (gal-CHEHN'-yuhk) on injured reserve after he aggravated an undisclosed injury that limited him during the preseason.
Galchenyuk joins center Evgeni Malkin and forward Bryan Rust and Nick Bjugstad (BYOOG'-stad) on IR for the Penguins, who are off to a 1-2-0 start. Galchenyuk has two assists in his first three games for the Pens since being acquired in an offseason trade with Arizona.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-CALHOUN-LAWSUIT
Calhoun accused of sex discrimination
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun has been accused of sexual discrimination by a former associate athletic director at the University of Saint Joseph, the Division III school where Calhoun now works.
Jaclyn Piscitelli alleges she was fired from the small Catholic school in Connecticut after complaining about the conduct of men in the athletic department including the 77-year-old former UConn coach. He was hired to form and coach the school's men's basketball team.
She alleges, among other things, that the former UConn coach once called her "hot" and on another occasion forced her to clean up coffee grounds he spilled, telling her it was something his wife would do for him.
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