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Tag: Athlete injuries

  • LaMelo Ball sprains left ankle in Hornets loss to Wizards

    LaMelo Ball sprains left ankle in Hornets loss to Wizards

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of a preseason 116-107 loss to the Washington Wizards on Monday night when his foot was stepped on while he was driving to the basket.

    Ball was driving the left side of the lane when Washington’s Anthony Gill inadvertently stepped on Ball’s foot, causing the third-year pro’s ankle to twist awkwardly.

    Ball remained on the floor for several minutes before getting to his feet and gingerly walking to the free throw line. He shot two free throws, then immediately checked out of the game and headed straight to the locker room.

    He is expected to undergo more tests on Tuesday.

    “Fingers crossed that it is not something serious,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said.

    Clifford said Ball and center Mason Plumlee, who sprained his left foot in the game and also left early, won’t play in Wednesday night’s preseason game at Philadelphia.

    Ball is considered the centerpiece of the Hornets’ offense, averaging 20.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game last season.

    Ball had nine points and six rebounds before leaving the game.

    Kristaps Porzingis had 20 points to lead the Wizards, who received some good news before the game that Bradley Beal cleared the league’s health and safety protocol, but was out with a non-COVID illness.

    Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 24 points on 8 of 13 shooting, including making all but one of his four 3-pointers.

    76ERS 113, CAVALIERS 97

    Tyrese Maxey continued his sharp preseason play scoring 19 points to lead Philadelphia to a win in Cleveland.

    Maxey, who surpassed 20 points in the Sixers first two games, was 6 of 14, including 3 of 5 from outside the arc. Tobias Harris had 12 points and seven rebounds. James Harden finished with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. Harden, like Harris and Maxey, played 24 minutes as Philadelphia remained undefeated in three preseason games.

    Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Darius Garland added 17 points and seven assists in 31 minutes. Caris LeVert finished with 13 points, while Donovan Mitchell had 11 points and five rebounds in the latest look at Cleveland’s Garland-Mitchell backcourt.

    While the game featured two teams with strong hopes for a postseason run in the Eastern Conference, neither was at full strength. Center Joel Embiid sat out the game for the Sixers, as did Montrezl Harrell, suffering from an intercostal strain.

    Meanwhile, Evan Mobley continued to be out of action for the Cavaliers after suffering an ankle injury, and Kevin Love didn’t play because of a sore knee.

    HEAT 118, ROCKETS 110

    Max Strus scored 24 points as Miami rested a lot of its key players in a home win over Houston.

    Jamal Cain, Nikola Jovic and Dru Smith all scored 15 points.

    Duncan Robinson had 14 points for the Heat as Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were among those taking the night off.

    Jalen Green led the Rockets with 25 points and five assists, while Kevin Porter Jr. had 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Tari Eason finished with 17 points and Kenyon Martin Jr. had 13.

    NUGGETS 107, SUNS 105

    Ish Smith scored 17 points, including the go-ahead 20-foot jumper with 8.9 seconds left as Denver beat visiting Phoenix.

    Smith had tied the game at 105 converting an 18-footer with 39 seconds remining. Duane Washington Jr. of Phoenix had a chance for the win, but his 3-point attempt in the closing seconds was off the mark.

    Bones Hyland had 16 points for Denver before leaving in the third quarter with a lower leg sprain. Bruce Brown finished with 12 points.

    Devin Booker led the Suns with 20 points, and Deandre Ayton finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, converting 9 of 12 shots.

    Mikal Bridges had 14 for Phoenix.

    ———

    More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Dominant Dodgers, hot Padres bring SoCal rivalry to NLDS

    Dominant Dodgers, hot Padres bring SoCal rivalry to NLDS

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    LOS ANGELES — The San Diego Padres knocked off the 101-win New York Mets in the National League wild-card series.

    Awaiting them in the NL Division Series is an even bigger challenge: the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers.

    “They’re hot and we’ve been hot for seven months,” a smiling — or was it smirking? — Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman said Monday.

    Call it a postseason Freeway Series.

    “It’s going to be a very intense series,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

    Unlike the regular season.

    The Southern California rivals were separated by a whopping 22 games in the NL West, with the Dodgers controlling first place for much of the time and the Padres finishing second.

    “They handed it to us pretty good this year, so we realize what we’re up against,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “It feels a little bit better now that we’re not looking at the standings.”

    That’s not the only way in which the Dodgers dominated the Padres. Los Angeles went 15-4 against them, never lost a series and outscored them 109-47.

    As a result, the Dodgers are solid favorites coming into the best-of-five NLDS that begins Tuesday night in Los Angeles. In Game 1, right-hander Mike Clevinger takes the mound for the Padres against left-hander Julio Urías, a 17-game winner for the Dodgers.

    Right-hander Yu Darvish, a 16-game winner, starts for the Padres in Game 2 on Wednesday against left-hander Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ three-time Cy Young Award winner.

    The Dodgers are well-rested, having been been off since closing out the regular season a week ago. While the Padres flew cross-country to outscore the Mets 16-8 in winning the wild-card series in three games, the Dodgers played simulated games in their empty stadium.

    They gathered at a high-end steakhouse on Sunday night for a team dinner with the decisive Padres-Mets game on in the background. Watching Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove getting his ears checked for illegal substances by the umpire, “it got a little louder in the room,” Freeman said.

    BOLSTERING THE RANKS

    San Diego got better at the trade deadline by adding closer Josh Hader and two-time All-Star Juan Soto, who was a teammate of current Dodger Trea Turner on the Washington Nationals.

    Hader closed out Game 3 against the Mets and Soto went 2 for 4 with two RBIs in the clincher.

    The Dodgers signed Freeman in March, adding offensive punch to an already potent lineup. Freeman hit .325 and finished .001 points behind the Mets’ Jeff McNeil for the NL batting title.

    ALMOST LIKE HOME

    The last time the Padres were in the playoffs in a full season in front of fans in 2006, Roberts was their leadoff hitter and left fielder. He’ll be able to sleep in his own bed during the NLDS since he lives in the San Diego area.

    BUEHLER’S NIGHT OUT

    Walker Buehler will be on the mound for Game 2 on Wednesday — to toss out the ceremonial first pitch. The two-time All-Star who helped the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series had his second career Tommy John surgery in August. He’s not expected back until the 2024 season. Buehler was 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts this season before having surgery.

    ———

    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Questionable roughing the passer calls raise more questions

    Questionable roughing the passer calls raise more questions

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Can’t touch this.

    Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett found out the hard way when he sacked Tom Brady and got flagged for roughing the passer in the fourth quarter of Atlanta’s 21-15 loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday.

    The questionable penalty that benefited Brady and the Buccaneers raised more concerns about interpretations of the rule. It was the second straight week referee Jerome Boger made the critical call late in the game on a play that didn’t seem to warrant a flag.

    Last week, it helped the Buffalo Bills on a drive that ended with Tyler Bass kicking a 21-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20.

    This time, it allowed the Buccaneers to extend the final drive and eventually run out the clock.

    Protecting quarterbacks has always been a point of emphasis for the NFL. That was magnified after Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was taken off the field on a stretcher following a violent hit in a game against Cincinnati on Sept. 29. Tagovailoa sustained a concussion when 6-foot-3, 340-pound Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou threw him backward, slamming his head into the turf.

    Tupou wasn’t penalized for sacking Tagovailoa. Neither Josh Allen nor Brady were injured on the hits Boger called roughing.

    “What I had was the defender grabbed the quarterback while he was still in the pocket, and unnecessarily throwing him to the ground,” Boger told a pool reporter after the game. “That is what I was making my decision based upon.”

    Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles, of course, understood the decision.

    “I saw that one being called. I saw it against Tua when he got hit, and in the London game this morning,” Bowles said. “I think they are starting to crack down on some of the things, slinging backs. I don’t know. Right now, the way they are calling (it), I think a lot of people would’ve gotten that call.”

    In the NFL rulebook, it states: “Any physical acts against a player who is in a passing posture (i.e. before, during, or after a pass) which, in the referee’s judgment, are unwarranted by the circumstances of the play will be called as fouls.”

    The rulebook also notes: “When in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the referee should always call roughing the passer.”

    Many analysts, including former quarterbacks, disagreed with Boger’s call.

    “The league office has to get that fixed,” Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy said on NBC’s “Football Night in America” pregame show. “If you cannot tackle the quarterback, it’s going to be impossible to play defense.”

    Robert Griffin III tweeted: “The Falcons got ROBBED. Hitting the QB hard does not equal Roughing the Passer even if it’s Tom Brady.”

    Despite the perception that the 45-year-old Brady gets special treatment, the seven-time Super Bowl champion ranks 41st with .14 roughing calls per game since 2009. This was the first time Brady was the beneficiary of a roughing penalty this season. He only got one last year.

    Jarrett was visibly upset about the penalty and refused to talk to reporters after the game. Falcons coach Arthur Smith wouldn’t criticize the officials.

    “Obviously from my vantage point, it looked like it was a bad call,” Falcons cornerback Casey Hayward Jr. said. “But that’s why you put the refs out there to make these calls. They pay these guys to make those calls. It looked bad (from) my standpoint – but like I said – I was on the back end. They put these guys there to make those calls.”

    Nobody wants to see any player endure a hit like the one that sent Tagovailoa to the hospital. But there’s a difference between protecting quarterbacks and punishing defenders for playing football.

    Finding a balance is the NFL’s dilemma.

    ———

    Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi

    ———

    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Tucker’s leg lifts Ravens to 19-17 victory over Bengals

    Tucker’s leg lifts Ravens to 19-17 victory over Bengals

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    BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens essentially have two versions of the victory formation.

    One is when the quarterback takes a knee to run out the clock. The other is when Justin Tucker comes on the field to attempt a game-winning kick.

    “We’ve got the GOAT at kicker,” Lamar Jackson said, using the acronym for “Greatest of All-Time.”

    Tucker kicked a 43-yard field goal on the final play to lift the Ravens over the Cincinnati Bengals 19-17 on Sunday night and into sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

    Tucker also made a 58-yard kick in the third quarter, and even when the Ravens (3-2) fell behind 17-16 on Joe Burrow’s 1-yard sneak with 1:58 remaining, they could feel confident because they only needed a field goal. Tucker’s game-winner extended his streak to 61 straight successful field goals in the fourth quarter and overtime.

    He is 17 for 17 in his career on attempts in the final minute of regulation.

    “What matters in those 1.3 seconds between snap, hold and the kick, are the things that are going to help the kick go through the uprights,” Tucker said. “My feelings, my emotions — for 1.3 seconds, they don’t really matter, whether I’m feeling very confident or nervous or even outright afraid. That’s partly why I always make it a point to say a brief prayer as I’m lining up to kick — not to ask for results, but to ask for peace and to show gratitude just for sort of being able to be in that moment.”

    Jackson shook off a rough night passing, leading the Ravens with his arm and his legs on the winning drive. Baltimore blew leads of 21 and 17 points in its previous two home games when it lost to Miami and Buffalo. The Ravens squandered a 10-point lead in this one but recovered.

    It was a remarkable turnaround for the Baltimore defense, which allowed 41 points in each of two losses last year to the AFC champion Bengals. This time the Ravens kept Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase mostly under control and pulled off an impressive stand in the third quarter after Cincinnati (2-3) had first-and-goal from the 2.

    The Bengals trailed 13-10 when they wasted that opportunity. The key play was a 12-yard loss when Cincinnati tried a reverse pass on second down. A third-down completion put the Bengals back at the 2, but then a shovel pass on fourth down went incomplete.

    “They played it well,” Burrow said.

    The Ravens then drove all the way to the other end of the field for a short field goal that made it 16-10. Tucker’s earlier kick from 58 had broken a 10-all tie. After that one, he stood near midfield and posed in celebration with his arms outstretched.

    “I’ve celebrated in many a humorous way over the years,” he said. “Also, you’ve got to save a little bit for the end of the game too. So I don’t want to peak too early.”

    Baltimore took a 10-0 lead on Jackson’s 11-yard scoring pass to Mark Andrews in the second quarter, but the star quarterback was intercepted in Cincinnati territory on his next drive.

    The Bengals scored on a 19-yard pass from Burrow to Hayden Hurst, and the game was tied by halftime.

    Jackson finished 19 of 32 for 174 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and he rushed 12 times for 58 yards. Burrow also had a TD and a pick and was 24 of 35 for 217 yards.

    Baltimore improved to 19-2 in prime time games at home under coach John Harbaugh.

    YET AGAIN

    All three of Cincinnati’s defeats this season have been on field goals on the final play.

    “We’ve lost three games on the last play of the game,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “I told the guys, ‘We’ve got to keep taking our shots, and the season will even itself out’”

    This was also the 10th consecutive loss for the Bengals in a Sunday night game.

    FACING FOURTH

    A week after his decision to go for it on fourth down at the Buffalo 2-yard line in a tie game backfired, Harbaugh had a few more tough calls to make.

    In the third quarter, the Ravens went for it on fourth-and-3 from the Cincinnati 41, but Jackson overthrew a wide open Tylan Wallace, who likely would have scored. After Burrow threw an interception, Baltimore had fourth-and-4 from the 40. That time, Harbaugh had Tucker try his kick from 58.

    The Ravens faced fourth-and-1 from the 3 in the fourth, but instead of going for it, Baltimore kicked a short field goal that made it 16-10. That meant the Bengals had a chance to take the lead with a touchdown — which they did — but because the Ravens kicked a field goal there, three points was enough on their final drive.

    INJURIES

    Cincinnati WR Tee Higgins went without a catch and exited with a left ankle injury. … Ravens S Marcus Williams left with a dislocated wrist, and Harbaugh expects him to miss a significant amount of time. … Baltimore T Ronnie Stanley (ankle) played for the first time since last season’s opener.

    UP NEXT

    Bengals: Visit the New Orleans Saints next Sunday.

    Ravens: Visit the New York Giants next Sunday.

    ———

    Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister

    ———

    More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Cousins, Vikings snap to life with late TD, beat Bears 29-22

    Cousins, Vikings snap to life with late TD, beat Bears 29-22

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    MINNEAPOLIS — Kirk Cousins scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 2:26 remaining on Minnesota’s fifth third-down conversion of its go-ahead drive, and the Vikings snapped out of their mid-game slump just in time to beat the Chicago Bears 29-22 on Sunday.

    Cameron Dantzler sealed the victory that put the Vikings (4-1) alone in first place in the NFC North by ripping the ball away from former teammate Ihmir Smith-Marsette near the one-minute mark after a pass from Justin Fields to the Minnesota 39.

    Fields went 15 for 21 for a season-high 208 yards and his first touchdown pass in 15 quarters and rushed eight times for 47 yards, but the Bears (2-3) didn’t have enough defense to pull it out.

    Justin Jefferson finished with a career-high 12 catches for 154 yards and caught a 2-point conversion pass from Cousins to push the lead to seven, and Dalvin Cook rushed for 94 yards and two scores.

    Cousins set a franchise record with 17 consecutive completions to start the game, and coach Kevin O’Connell put on a play-calling clinic as the Vikings reached the end zone on their first three possessions for a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter. Three times last week against New Orleans, they had to settle for field goals after crossing the 20.

    After a punt, two missed field goals and an interception threatened to ruin Minnesota’s stellar start, the Vikings had one more commanding drive.

    David Montgomery scored Chicago’s’ first touchdown on a 9-yard run. Fields hit Velus Jones Jr. from 9 yards out on the first possession of the third quarter get the Bears back into it.

    Early in the fourth, Kindle Vildor picked off Cousins as he rolled right on first down and tried to connect with Adam Thielen at the 30, and the return gave the Bears the ball near midfield. Two plays later, Fields got loose for what would’ve been a 52-yard touchdown run, but Smith-Marsette was called for an illegal block above the waist to wipe that out.

    Cairo Santos instead made his third field goal of the game to give the Bears for a 22-21 lead with 9:31 to go. The Vikings responded with a 17-play, 80-yard march that drained an even 7 minutes off the clock. That drive included a 5-yard run with less than three minutes left by the pocket-preferring Cousins on third-and-5 from the Chicago 20.

    PREGAME

    With division rival Green Bay playing early in London, much of the broadcast was shown on the videoboards as fans filed in and sunlight streamed through the west-facing windows.

    When the Giants took the lead for good in the 29-22 victory over the Packers, the Vikings’ game operations crew sounded the celebratory Gjallarhorn. The crowd roared as Green Bay fell to 3-2 and put Minnesota ahead in the division standings.

    STILL SPECIAL?

    The Vikings under new special teams coordinator Matt Daniels had been stellar in nearly every facet of the kicking game over the first four games, but there were some hiccups Sunday.

    Greg Joseph, who was the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after going 5 for 5 on field goals to beat the Saints, had a 53-yard try go wide right at the halftime gun and a 51-yard attempt blocked by Dominique Robinson on Minnesota’s only possession of the third quarter.

    Jalen Reagor, who had his first Vikings touchdown on a jet-motion shovel pass from Cousins, fumbled a punt return that he recovered around midfield in the second quarter.

    INJURY REPORT

    Chicago: CB Jaylon Johnson (quadriceps) sat out for the second straight game. … LB Matthew Adams (calf) was hurt in the third quarter.

    Minnesota: Rookie RB Ty Chandler left the game with a hand injury on special teams. … Rookie CB Akayleb Evans was being evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter.

    UP NEXT

    Chicago: Hosts Washington on Thursday night.

    Minnesota: At Miami next Sunday.

    ———

    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • AP Top 25: UGA back at No. 1, Alabama slips to 3 behind OSU

    AP Top 25: UGA back at No. 1, Alabama slips to 3 behind OSU

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    Georgia took back the No. 1 spot in The Associated Press college football poll from Alabama on Sunday after being bumped out last week by the Crimson Tide, who slid to No. 3.

    The Bulldogs received 32 first-place votes and 1,535 points in the Top 25, presented by Regions Bank, to easily reclaim No. 1. They were just two points behind Alabama at No. 2 last week.

    Georgia thumped Auburn 42-10 on Saturday. The Tide, whose Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young was sidelined by injury, escaped an upset bid at home by Texas A&M.

    Ohio State moved up a spot to No. 2, receiving 20 first-place votes and 1,507 points.

    No. 3 is a season-low for Alabama, which was preseason No. 1 but fell to No. 2 after Week 2. The Tide received 11 first-place votes.

    There were two notable season debuts in the Top 25: No. 24 Illinois is ranked for the first time since 2011 and James Madison is in the AP Top 25 for the first time in its program history. The Dukes are playing their first season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference in Division I college football’s highest level.

    Clemson overtook Michigan and moved up to No. 4 and the Wolverines fell one spot to No. 5.

    Tennessee moved up to No. 6, which is the best ranking for the currently undefeated Volunteers since No. 5 early in the 2005 season. Tennessee stumbled to a 5-6 and unranked finish that year.

    Southern California fell one spot to No. 7, and Oklahoma State, Mississippi and Penn State held their places to round out the top 10.

    POLL POINTS

    The shuffle that Georgia’s made from No. 1 to 2 and back No. 1 over three polls hadn’t happened in more than a decade.

    Florida went back and forth between Nos. 1 and 2 in 2009, flip-flopping with Alabama as both teams won in late October.

    The Tide is the first team to drop from No. 1 to No. 3 off a victory in 25 years, when Nebraska beat Missouri in overtime on the famous “Flea Kicker.” Michigan jumped from No. 4 to No. 1 on Nov. 10, 1997, after it won 34-8 at No. 2 Penn State.

    IN

    The week after Kansas handed the ignominious title of Power Five conference team with the longest streak of being unranked to Illinois, the Illini are now off the schneid in their second year under coach Bret Bielema.

    Illinois improved to 5-1 by beating Iowa and landed in the poll for the first time since Oct. 16, 2011 — 178 polls.

    Next up on the list of longest ranking droughts for Power Five schools are: Rutgers (2012), Oregon State (preseason 2013) and Vanderbilt (final 2013).

    — James Madison has been a powerhouse in the the Football Championship Subdivision for years, winning a national title in 2016 and losing to North Dakota State in the NCAA championship game in 2017 and ’19. The Dukes have had no issue moving up so far, going 5-0 and averaging 44 points per game.

    — No. 22 Texas is ranked again after blowing out rival Oklahoma and tied with Kentucky in the Top 25.

    OUT

    — BYU is unranked for the first time this season after losing to Notre Dame.

    — Washington dropped out of the rankings after a second straight loss.

    — LSU’s return to the Top 25 was brief after getting thumped at home by Tennessee.

    CONFERENCE CALL

    The Sun Belt went from its inception in 2001 to 2015 without having a ranked team. The conference has now had at least one team ranked for at least one week each of the last five seasons and six of the last seven.

    James Madison is the second Sun Belt team to reach the Top 25 this season, along with Appalachian State.

    SEC — 6 (Nos. 1, 3, 6, 9, 16, 22).

    Big 12 — 5 (8, 13, 17, 19, 22).

    ACC — 4 (Nos. 4, 14, 15, 18).

    Big Ten — 4 (Nos. 2, 5, 10, 24).

    Pac-12 — 4 (Nos. 7, 11, 12, 20).

    American — 1 (No. 21).

    Sun Belt — 1 (No. 25).

    RANKED vs. RANKED

    A season-high six games matching ranked teams:

    No. 10 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan.

    No. 3 Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee.

    No. 8 Oklahoma State at No. 13 TCU.

    No. 15 North Carolina State at No. 18 Syracuse.

    No. 16 Mississippi State at No. 22 Kentucky.

    No. 7 USC at No. 20 Utah.

    ———

    Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com

    ———

    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF

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  • NFL’s concussion protocol modified after Tagovailoa review

    NFL’s concussion protocol modified after Tagovailoa review

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to modify the league’s concussion protocol following a joint investigation into the league’s procedures after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury against the Buffalo Bills last month.

    The league and players’ union said in a joint statement Saturday that the Dolphins followed the league’s protocol after the injury, but the outcome of the Tagovailoa case “was not what was intended when the Protocol was drafted.” As a result, language addressing abnormality of balance/stability was added to the league’s protocol list of symptoms that would keep a player from returning to action.

    In the first half of the Sept. 25 game against Buffalo, Tagovailoa took a hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano, which caused him to slam to the ground. He appeared disoriented afterward and stumbled as he tried to get to his feet.

    Tagovailoa was immediately taken to the locker room and taken through the NFL’s concussion protocol, after which he was cleared of any head injury. He started the third quarter, drawing criticism from viewers about why he was allowed to return to the game.

    The NFL and NFLPA said they reviewed video and jointly interviewed members of the Dolphins’ medical staff, the head athletic trainer, the Booth ATC Spotter, the Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant and Tagovailoa.

    They found that Tagovailoa did not show any signs or symptoms of a concussion during his locker room exam, during the rest of the game, or throughout the following week. But immediately after he took the hit from Milano, gross motor instability was present.

    After the game, Tagovailoa and Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said the quarterback had suffered a back injury earlier in the game on a quarterback sneak.

    The review said Tagovailoa told the medical staff that he aggravated his back injury on the play in question and that his back injury caused him to stumble. It also said the medical staff determined that the gross motor instability was not due to a concussion.

    In their statement Saturday, the NFL and players’ union said there was not examination of the QB’s back during the concussion examination, but that they “instead relied on the earlier examination conducted by other members of the medical staff.” The conclusion then was that the back injury was the cause of Tagovailoa’s instability.

    As a result of the joint investigation, the league and union agreed to change the league’s concussion protocol to include the term “ataxia.” In the statement, they defined ataxia as “abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue.”

    Ataxia replaced the term “gross motor instability” and has been added to the list of symptoms that would prohibit a player from returning to the game. The others are confusion, amnesia and loss of consciousness.

    “The Protocol exists to establish a high standard of concussion care for each player,” the league and union’s statement said, “whereby every medical professional engages in a meaningful and rigorous examination of the player-patent. To that end, the parties remain committed to continuing to evaluate our Protocol to ensure it reflects the intended conservative approach to evaluating player-patients for potential head injuries.”

    On Oct. 1, the union fired the Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant who handled Tagovailoa’s situation during the game.

    Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president overseeing health and safety, said in a virtual news conference Saturday that he believes this is the first time a UNC has been fired, and that the NFL did not support the decision to fire him.

    Less than a week after the injury, Tagovailoa started against the Cincinnati Bengals in a Thursday night game. He suffered a concussion in the first half after taking a hard sack, and displayed the fencing response after the scary hit. He was stretchered off the field and immediately taken to the hospital. He remains in the concussion protocol and will miss Sunday’s game against the Jets.

    Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s Chief Medical Officer, said that under the league’s amended protocol, Tagovailoa would have been diagnosed with a concussion on Sept. 25 under the ataxia term, thus making him ineligible to come back into that game.

    Sills said there’s no exact timetable for return for a player diagnosed with a concussion, but it would be “extremely unlikely” for a player diagnosed with ataxia to be able to play on Thursday night. The median time out with a concussion is nine days, he added.

    Sills also alluded to how difficult it is to definitively diagnose concussions. He mentioned that blood and saliva tests could help make concussion examinations more accurate.

    Commissioner Roger Goodell said at a fan forum in London Saturday that the NFL will make a “change or two” to its concussion protocol.

    McDaniel, asked repeatedly in the days following the incident about the decision to allow Tagovailoa to return, emphasized his confidence in the team’s handling of the situation.

    “This is a player-friendly organization that I make it very clear from the onset,” McDaniel said last week, “that my job as a coach is here for the players. I take that very serious, and no one else in the building strays from that.”

    ———

    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Duggan leads No. 17 TCU past Kansas 38-31; Daniels injured

    Duggan leads No. 17 TCU past Kansas 38-31; Daniels injured

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    LAWRENCE, Kan. — Max Duggan passed for three touchdowns in the second half, including the game-winning 24-yarder to Quinten Johnston with 1:36 left, and No. 17 TCU beat 19th-ranked Kansas 38-31 on Saturday.

    The Horned Frogs (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) are out to their best start since 2017 after winning the matchup of surprise unbeatens.

    “When we got through fall camp we knew we had some talented players,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said. “We felt if we could figure things out we’re going to have a pretty good team that can string some wins together.

    “But we’ve got a lot of stuff we have to clean up on defense, and we’ve got a lot of stuff to clean up on offense. We left a lot of plays out there.”

    Duggan finished 23 of 33 for 308 yards.

    “It was huge to (win) a game like that on the road against a ranked opponent,” Duggan said. “We struggled in parts. Getting a win like that builds our confidence.”

    Duggan outdueled Kansas backup quarterback Jason Bean in a wild second half. Jalon Daniels, who led the Jayhawks to five straight wins for their best start since 2009, suffered an injury to his right (throwing) shoulder late in the first half.

    Bean, who started the first 10 games last season, was 16 of 24 for 262 yards and he became the first Kansas quarterback to throw for four touchdowns in a half since Todd Reesing in 2008.

    “I don’t think it did much,” Dykes said of the switch to Bean. “They did what they did. Jason came in and played really well. I felt like we had guys contained and we got outrun. Any time your backup quarterback can come in and plays at the level he played at, you’ve got a good team.”

    Kansas coach Lance Leipold was proud of the resiliency of his club.

    “I’m proud of the way we battled, being down, losing Jalon,” he said. “I think we left opportunities out there. I’d like to commend (Bean), the way he’s handled it to be ready. If he is asked to be the starter next week, I’m very confident he’ll have a very good week of preparation and take advantage of his opportunity to be a starter.”

    Leipold said he would know more about Daniels’ status after further testing on his shoulder Monday. The coach didn’t rule out Daniels for the next game.

    Johnston’s 206 yards on 14 catches were the most by a TCU receiver since 2016.

    “We had a plan from the end of the last game until now and that was to play fast,” Johnston said. “As receivers, we’ve got to get the ball and get as many yards up the field. I wouldn’t say that was the best of our ability, but we did enough to win.

    “It’s all a mindset. If you love football, you’re going to go get it every single day.”

    After combining for just 13 points in the first half, the teams combined for 42 in the third quarter alone.

    What was expected to be an offensive shootout was anything but early. The Horned Frogs settled for a field goal, turned over the ball on downs and punted on their first three possession while the Jayhawks punted twice and failed to convert a fourth-and-5 on their third series.

    “I think both teams made adjustments,” Duggan said. “That’s a good football team over there. It was kind of struggling on offense in the first half, but our defense bailed us out. It was an all-round team effort.”

    The Jayhawks (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) appeared headed for the go-ahead touchdown in the middle of the second quarter when Daniels fumbled near the goal line.

    The Horned Frogs went 99 yards in six plays, with Kendre Miller’s 1-yard run making it 10-0.

    Kansas got its first points on Jacob Borcila’s 40-yard field goal one play after Daniels injured his shoulder.

    Bean threw touchdown passes of 12 yards to Tanaka Scott and 8 yards Luke Grimm to put the Jayhawks up 17-10. Duggan found Derius Davis on a 51-yard touchdown pass to tie it, and after Jamoi Hodge picked off Bean at the Kansas 26, TCU regained the lead on a 3-yard run by Duggan.

    Bean’s 38-yard TD pass to Quintin Skinner tied it, but Duggan’s 25-yarder to Taye Barber put the Horned Frogs up again. Bean then hit Skinner with a 29-yard TD pass to tie it 31-all with 4:21 left in the game.

    THE TAKEAWAY

    TCU: Duggan is playing some of the best football of his career. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry and nearly 10 yards per pass attempt. He’s got a great grasp of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s offense.

    Kansas: The 5-0 start was not a fluke. Even with Daniels injured near the end of the first half, the Jayhawks were able to move the ball on the ground and through the air.

    POLL IMPLICATIONS

    TCU is in for a promotion. It could be a close call whether the Jayhawks stay in the Top 25 after entering the rankings for the first time since 2009 last week.

    UP NEXT

    Kansas: Visits Oklahoma on Saturday.

    TCU: Hosts No. 7 Oklahoma State on Saturday.

    ———

    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25.

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  • Goodell: NFL to make ‘change or two’ to concussion protocol

    Goodell: NFL to make ‘change or two’ to concussion protocol

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    LONDON — The NFL is prepared “to make a change or two” to its concussion protocol, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at a fan forum in London on Saturday as the league faces questions about how the Miami Dolphins handled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s recent injuries.

    Responding to a fan’s question about concussions and “recent incidents,” Goodell outlined the league’s “intensive focus” on the issue over the past 15 years and said its medical protocols have served as templates for other sports.

    “Our job really is to continue to modify those as medical experts or other experiences tell you this is something you can do differently,’” he said.

    The commissioner took questions only from fans in London ahead of Sunday’s game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He wasn’t made available to the media Saturday. The league did not elaborate on what the potential protocol changes are or when they could come into effect.

    Earlier this week, the NFL Players Association fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who evaluated Tagovailoa after he stumbled off the field against Buffalo on Sept. 25 following a hit. The quarterback was evaluated for a concussion, but he quickly returned to the game and the Dolphins said a back injury had caused his wobbly gait.

    The quarterback subsequently suffered a concussion four days later at Cincinnati and is out indefinitely.

    Goodell, without citing Tagovailoa by name, said there’s “more chatter now” about concussions.

    “We understand some of that chatter, but the reality is the protocols are really important. We follow that strictly. We see no indication that that didn’t happen in this case. There’s an ongoing investigation, ” he said. “We’re really focused on doing that. But we’re also prepared to make a change or two in the protocols because we think we can actually add another element that would make it even safer.”

    On Friday, the NFL Players Association urged the league to implement changes in time to protect players in this weekend’s games. In its own statement, the NFL said it was working on updates to the protocol but did not commit to implementing them before Sunday’s games.

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate’ was also injured last Sunday when he collided with a teammate near the end of the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs and was initially allowed to re-enter the game. He then sat out the second half with a concussion.

    NFL players “are getting the most extraordinary care and better than they ever have in the history of the NFL, but they deserve that, and that’s our obligation, and that’s what we need to do,” Goodell said.

    ———

    More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • NASCAR teams call revenue model ‘broken,’ warn of layoffs

    NASCAR teams call revenue model ‘broken,’ warn of layoffs

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The most powerful teams in NASCAR warned Friday that the venerable stock car racing series has a “broken” economic model that is unfair and has little to no chance of long-term stability, a stunning announcement that added to a growing list of woes.

    The Cup Series is heading into the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course playoff elimination race Sunday with three full-time drivers sidelined with injuries suffered in NASCAR’s new car and no clear answer as to how to fix the safety concerns.

    With just five races left in the championship chase, it got much worse as teams went public with their year-long fight with NASCAR over equitable revenue distribution.

    “The economic model is really broken for the teams,” said Curtis Polk, who as Michael Jordan’s longtime business manager now holds an ownership stake in both the Charlotte Hornets and the two-car 23XI Racing team Jordan and Denny Hamlin field in NASCAR.

    “We’ve gotten to the point where teams realize the sustainability in the sport is not very long term,” Polk said. “This is not a fair system.”

    The Race Team Alliance was formed in 2014 to give teams a unified voice in negotiations with the sanctioning body. A four-member subcommittee outlined their concerns at a Charlotte hotel, with Polk joined by Jeff Gordon, the four-time NASCAR champion and vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, RFK Racing President Steve Newmark, and Dave Alpern, the president of Joe Gibbs Racing.

    Hendrick and Gibbs have won six of last seven Cup Series championships dating to 2015, but Gordon said the four-car Hendrick lineup, the most powerful in the industry, has not had a profitable season in years. It will again lose money this season despite NASCAR’s cost-cutting Next Gen car.

    “I have a lot of fears that sustainability is going to be a real challenge,” Gordon said.

    NASCAR issued a statement acknowledging “the challenges currently facing race teams.

    “A key focus moving forward is an extension to the charter agreement, one that will further increase revenue and help lower team expenses,” NASCAR said. “Collectively, the goal is a strong, healthy sport, and we will accomplish that together.”

    Led by Polk, whose role with the Hornets brings familiarity with the NBA’s franchise model, the RTA in June presented NASCAR with a seven-point plan on a new revenue sharing model. The proposal “sat there for months and we told NASCAR we’d like a counteroffer,” Polk said.

    He did not disclose the seven points other than noting that team sustainability and longevity were priorities. The committee said they are open to all ideas, including a spending cap like that in Formula One.

    “We are amenable to whatever gets us to a conceptual new structure,” Newmark said.

    NASCAR’s counteroffer offered “a minimal increase in revenue and emphasis on cost-cutting,” Polk said.

    The team alliance was unanimous in that the only place left to cut costs is layoffs.

    “We’ve already had substantial cuts. We are doing more with less than we ever have in 30 years,” Alpern said.

    The battle over costs has simmered for years. In 2016, NASCAR adopted a charter system for 36 cars that is as close to a franchise model as possible in a sport that was founded by and independently owned by the France family. The charters at least gave the teams something of value to hold — or sell — and protect their investment in the sport.

    The team business model is still heavily dependant on sponsorship, which the teams must individually secure. Newmark said sponsorship covers between 60% to 80% of the budgets for all 16 chartered organizations.

    Because sponsorship is so vital, teams are desperate for financial relief elsewhere and have asked NASCAR for “distribution from the league to cover our baseline costs,” Newmark said.

    The current charter agreement expires at the end of the 2024 season, the same time that NASCAR’s current television deals expire.

    Although TV money is split between NASCAR, teams and the tracks, the committee found that the value of the teams is just 7% while the tracks and NASCAR have 93% of the value. Polk noted that in Formula One, all revenue is split 50-50 between the teams and series ownership.

    Mars Inc., which first entered NASCAR in 1990, late last year decided this season would be its last and JGR spent the last nine months trying to find a new sponsor to keep Kyle Busch, the only winner of multiple championships at the Cup level. Busch has since signed with Richard Childress Racing and will leave JGR after 15 seasons as Toyota’s winningest NASCAR driver.

    “We have become full-time fundraisers,” Alpern said. “Instead of working on our business, we’re raising money just to exist.”

    Polk said the teams will honor the charter agreements through 2024. But in negotiating a new charter agreement, the teams are demanding more.

    “NASCAR is a money-printing machine,” Polk said. “But the teams and the drivers are the ones putting on the show.”

    NASCAR is now under fire from nearly every angle as drivers remain angry over some recent penalties and the stiffness of the new Next Gen car blamed for causing unprecedented injuries. What should have been routine crashes into the wall have sidelined both Alex Bowman and Kurt Busch with concussions, and Cody Shane Ware opted out of Sunday’s race because of a broken foot.

    NASCAR has tested potential adjustments for the car and will present the findings to drivers Saturday morning ahead of practice at Charlotte.

    ———

    More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Rockies beat Dodgers 5-2 after Urias departs in last start

    Rockies beat Dodgers 5-2 after Urias departs in last start

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    LOS ANGELES — Julio Urias made his final tune-up for the postseason and case for the Cy Young Award a solid one, though the Colorado Rockies went ahead after he left and beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 on Tuesday night.

    Urias pitched five innings and allowed two runs — both on solo homers. He will finish the season as the National League’s ERA leader at 2.16 with a 17-7 record.

    “It’s incredible,” Urias said through an interpreter about winning the title. “Last year to win 20 games and this year to focus and win that ERA title, it’s something really special.”

    Randal Grichuk hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, his 19th, off Andrew Heaney (4-4) in the seventh inning.

    Clayton Kershaw pitches the final regular season game Wednesday. The Dodgers have a bye and will be off until the NLDS begins Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers will play the winner of the New York Mets-San Diego Padres wild-card round.

    A decision on whether Kershaw or Urias is starting Game 1 or 2 has not been made yet, according to manager Dave Roberts.

    The Dodgers were held to just five hits and have lost three straight to the Rockies. The Dodgers clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs a while ago.

    “I’m not worried,” Roberts said of the recent offensive struggles. “I don’t think it’s worrisome. I think there’s a part of some human nature where there’s a little edge that’s not there given the circumstances. Our guys, the ones that aren’t feeling well, there’s guys in the cage right now trying to work on some things. It’s not for lack of effort. We’ll be ready. We’ll be ready when it counts.”

    The Rockies, who have 93 losses, earned at least a split in the six-game series.

    Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless ninth and earned his 34th save.

    “It’s bittersweet for a lot of teams who aren’t in the playoffs,” manager Bud Black said. “We had higher hopes this year for sure. It’s a little tougher for those teams that had expectations. I’ve been at this a long time. We have some young guys just starting. (Wednesday) will be emotional in a couple different ways. You learn to quickly turn to next year, turn to the offseason and start looking forward with a season of hope.”

    Brendan Rodgers homered for the Rockies, hitting his 13th of the season to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. Sean Bouchard also homered off Urias, a solo shot in the third inning to make it 2-0. Bouchard has six hits over the last three games.

    Joey Gallo hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the fifth to tie the game at 2. It was his 19th homer of the season.

    Urias threw 83 pitches, including 22 to get out of the first, and held the Rockies to four hits.

    Urias wouldn’t campaign for himself for the Cy Young Award, preferring to keep the focus on the team.

    “Like I’ve said before, that’s out of my control,” Urias said. “My job is to go out there and do what I can to perform and to put the numbers that I put up. Whatever commentary is left over, that’s for everyone to pick and choose what they want to talk about. For me, it’s doing my job. I feel I’ve been doing my job every fifth day.

    “The focus is now on the postseason and doing my job for the postseason and trying to get another championship for the city of L.A. and finish it off, especially with all the criticism that goes along with that 2020 season. We want to finish off strong.”

    Ryan Feltner (4-9) earned the win after he pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits in his final start of the season. He struck out four and walked two.

    OH, DRONE

    The game was delayed for about 10 minutes because of a drone flying over the stadium. Players went to their respective dugouts when umpires cleared the field and play resumed without further delay. There was a delay during a game at Dodger Stadium in 2020 as well because of a drone.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Rockies: RHP Chad Kuhl (right triceps strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list and RHP Noah Davis was recalled from the taxi squad.

    Dodgers: OF Chris Taylor (neck) will start doing baseball activities on Wednesday. Dave Roberts said this weekend will be “pivotal” for him to see if he can be ready for the NLDS.

    UP NEXT

    Rockies: LHP Austin Gomber (5-7, 5.62) will try to make his case to be back in the Rockies rotation again in 2023 after being demoted to the bullpen this season. In 10 2/3 innings in September, he allowed seven earned runs and struck out seven.

    Dodgers: LHP Kershaw (11-3, 2.30 ERA) will make an abbreviated start in the regular season finale. Kershaw has won his last four starts and allowed just six earned runs over six starts in September.

    ———

    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Braves miss chance to clinch NL East, lose 4-0 to Marlins

    Braves miss chance to clinch NL East, lose 4-0 to Marlins

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    MIAMI — Jesús Luzardo struck out 12 in six innings, Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run homer and the Miami Marlins prevented Atlanta from clinching its fifth straight NL East title by beating the Braves 4-0 on Monday night.

    After sweeping the rival Mets at home over the weekend, Atlanta arrived in Miami needing one win or a New York loss to wrap up the division crown and a first-round playoff bye.

    The Braves were unable to solve Luzardo or slow De La Cruz — and the Mets were rained out at home against Washington. New York is 1 1/2 games behind Atlanta heading into Tuesday’s doubleheader versus the last-place Nationals, while the Braves will play the second of three games at fourth-place Miami.

    “You just can’t go out and win a baseball game. There are a lot of moving parts in it,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “These are dangerous teams, there are guys out there with talent. It’s hard to win a game. We’ll go get a good night’s sleep, come back and do it again.”

    Dansby Swanson had two of Atlanta’s four hits, all off Luzardo (4-7). Braves sluggers Austin Riley and Matt Olson struck out three times each against the left-hander, who walked one in his first win since Aug. 7.

    “It’s extremely satisfying,” Luzardo said. “Just wanted to go out there and do the same thing I’ve been doing: give us a chance to win, go long into a game. The result was great and definitely wanted to keep the train going.”

    It was the fifth time the Braves were shut out this season, and the first time Miami blanked them since Sept. 8, 2020.

    “Tough last three days, then night travel, we just couldn’t score runs,” Riley said. “There’s no panic. Come back (Tuesday) and lock this thing down.”

    De La Cruz also doubled and singled, finishing a triple shy of the cycle for the third time in his last nine starts. Jesús Sánchez doubled twice and singled as Miami snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Braves.

    “Hopefully next time I have that opportunity needing a triple, I’ll try to hit one out and perhaps the outfielder will dive, miss it and the ball will bounce around,” De La Cruz said.

    Atlanta starter Bryce Elder, who threw a shutout against Washington in his previous outing, was lifted after giving up four runs in five innings. Elder (2-4) allowed six hits, walked one and struck out five.

    “Would have liked to keep it closer than four,” he said.

    Swanson doubled leading off the sixth before Luzardo fanned Michael Harris II, Riley and Olson. It was Atlanta’s final hit, as relievers Jeff Brigham, Bryan Hoeing and Richard Bleier each tossed a perfect inning for Miami.

    Run-scoring doubles from De La Cruz and Sánchez in the first gave the Marlins a 2-0 lead.

    De La Cruz’s two-run shot in the third made it 4-0. The second-year outfielder drove Elder’s sinker over the wall in center for his 13th homer this season. He raised his batting average to .390 with five homers and 22 RBIs since being recalled from Triple-A on Sept. 7.

    “That’s who I am, the player they brought in last year,” De La Cruz said. “And that’s how I will continue to be the rest of my career.”

    CLOSING STATEMENTS

    Luzardo’s dominant final start of the season followed similar performances by teammates Sandy Alcantara and Pablo López against Milwaukee last weekend. Alcantara, a top NL Cy Young Award contender, threw his major league-leading sixth complete game in a 1-0 loss, while López tossed seven scoreless innings and got a no-decision.

    “Our guys have kept us there and given us chances,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “If you look at the whole season, it’s been a pretty strong suit. For the most part, they’ve been pretty solid.”

    DIFFERENT SITUATION

    When Elder made his previous start in Miami on Aug. 14, he was a one-day call-up from Triple-A to take the 27th roster spot for the doubleheader. Now, he could figure in Atlanta’s postseason plans after his third outing since being recalled a fifth time Sept. 19.

    “He’s definitely going to be in the conversation,” Snitker said. “He’s pitched his way into it.”

    FAMILIAR HONOR

    Harris accomplished in September what he had previously done in June and August. The 21-year-old center fielder earned his third NL rookie of the month award. Harris hit .324 and finished with six homers and 19 RBIs in September.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Braves: 2B Ozzie Albies (right pinkie fracture) traveled with the club to Miami, where he will continue his rehab.

    Marlins: SS Miguel Rojas will undergo surgery to repair cartilage damage in his right wrist Wednesday.

    UP NEXT

    Braves RHP Jake Odorizzi (5-6, 4.53 ERA) will start the middle game of the series Tuesday, while the Marlins go with LHP Braxton Garrett (3-6, 3.56).

    ———

    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • AP source: Javonte Williams out for year with torn ACL

    AP source: Javonte Williams out for year with torn ACL

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    ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos standout running back Javonte Williams is out for the year after tearing his right ACL in Denver’s 32-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, a person with knowledge of the medical results told The Associated Press.

    The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday ahead of coach Nathaniel Hackett’s weekly news conference, where he was expected to provide an update on Williams’ injury.

    Williams got hurt on the first play of the third quarter Sunday when he took the handoff from Russell Wilson and was tackled behind the line of scrimmage. He didn’t put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the field after staying down for an extended time.

    Williams went for an MRI on Monday after returning to Denver.

    He earned the starting job this season after sharing backfield duties with Melvin Gordon his rookie year in 2021.

    Williams had 202 yards on 47 rushes and 76 yards on 16 carries this season.

    Last year, Williams rushed for 903 yards and four TDs and caught 43 passes for 316 yards and three TDs, making him one of the top running backs in the league coming into his second NFL season.

    Williams’ backups faired poorly Sunday when the Broncos (2-2) lost for the fifth consecutive time to the Raiders. Gordon had a fumble on his first carry that was returned for a long touchdown and Mike Boone had two critical drops and failed to pick up the blitz on a sack.

    The Broncos’ ability to explore the trade market for a running back is hampered by a lack of 2023 draft picks following the trade for Wilson this spring.

    The Broncos’ best bet with their next game coming up Thursday night at home against Indianapolis (1-2-1) would be to promote Devine Ozigbo from their practice squad.

    ———

    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Terry Bradshaw says he’s been treated for 2 kinds of cancer

    Terry Bradshaw says he’s been treated for 2 kinds of cancer

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    Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw said Sunday he has been treated for two forms of cancer in the past year.

    Bradshaw said on “Fox NFL Sunday” that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer late last year and was treated at Yale University Medical Center, including surgery.

    “As of today, I am bladder cancer free,” Bradshaw said.

    The 74-year-old then said he found a tumor in his neck earlier this year and it turned out to be a Merkel cell tumor, a rare form of malignant skin cancer. He was treated at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

    “Folks, I may not look my old self, but I feel like my old self,” Bradshaw said. “I’m cancer free, I’m feeling great.”

    Bradshaw played his entire career (1970-83) with the Pittsburgh Steelers and won four Super Bowls.

    ———

    More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Aaron Judge stays at 61 homers as Orioles beat Yankees 2-1

    Aaron Judge stays at 61 homers as Orioles beat Yankees 2-1

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    NEW YORK — Back in the Bronx, Aaron Judge had another sellout crowd fill Yankee Stadium hoping to see No. 62. The wait will extend into a rain-threatened weekend.

    Judge went 1 for 2 with a pair of walks as the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 2-1 on Friday night.

    “It was a pretty electric atmosphere,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I actually found myself kind of nervous for his first at-bat, maybe just being all focused on it.”

    One game after tying the American League home run record of 61 that Yankees star Roger Maris set in 1961, Judge struck out in the first inning, singled in the third and walked in the sixth against Jordan Lyles (12-11), then was intentionally walked in the eighth by rookie Félix Bautista.

    “It was an amazing atmosphere. Probably not an empty seat out there,” Lyles said. “Everyone’s standing up. Everyone’s getting ready for something possible, something great.”

    Fans among the 47,583 on a chilly autumn night buzzed for each for the 21 pitches to Judge. His next chance comes Saturday, the 61st anniversary of Maris’ No. 61.

    “After every swing he took, you could hear audible gasps from the whole entire crowd,” Orioles rookie catcher Adley Rutschman said. “Every time he swung and just a big buildup, so that was pretty cool.”

    Judge has six games left: two this weekend against the Orioles, then four at Texas that end the regular season.

    Judge also is bidding for the first Triple Crown since Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Judge leads the AL with 130 RBIs and trails Minnesota’s Luis Arraez in the batting race by .3147 to .3141.

    The night was filled with bad news for the Yankees, already assured the AL East title and getting ready for their Division Series opener on Oct. 11.

    Reliever Zack Britton, just back last week from Tommy John surgery, threw a tiebreaking wild pitch in the sixth inning and immediately left with left arm fatigue.

    All-Star closer Clay Holmes had a cortisone injection Thursday and likely won’t pitch in a game until the playoffs.

    “There’s no use crying about what you do or don’t have,” Boone said. “You got to make the most of what you do. And the reality is we still have a lot of really talented guys down there.”

    Giancarlo Stanton went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and is 1 for 21 with 13 strikeouts in his last five games. He is hitting .140 in 100 at-bats since returning Aug. 25 from a month out with left Achilles tendinitis.

    “I’m hoping it’s still just a timing thing that he’s working through,” Boone said. “He’s struggling to find it right now.”

    Baltimore (81-76) was eliminated from playoff contention about two hours after the final out when Seattle beat Oakland. The Orioles assured they will stop a streak of five consecutive losing seasons.

    Ryan Mountcastle singled in a run in the first for his 84th RBI. Oswaldo Cabrera tied the score in the fifth with his fifth home run since his debut on Aug. 17.

    After going 52-110, the Orioles could become the first team since at least 1900 with a winning record one year after losing 110 or more.

    “It just means that we exceeded expectations and that our guys fought all year long,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “There’s a lot of appreciation for what these guys have done this year around the league and it’s well deserved.”

    MOUND MATTERS

    Lyles matched his career high for wins in 2019, allowing four hits in seven-plus innings. He tied his season high with nine strikeouts and walked one.

    Domingo Germán (2-4) walked his first two batters in the sixth and retired Mountcastle on a groundout, Britton walked Gunnar Henderson and then threw a pitch to pinch-hitter Jesús Aguilar that went to the backstop, and he failed to cover the plate. Rookie DL Hall pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his first save since 2019 at Class A.

    HE”S BACK

    DJ LeMahieu played seven innings at third base and went 0 for 3 in his first game for the Yankees since a stint on the IL caused by an inflamed right second tie. He was in a 2-for-38 slide through Sept. 4 before going on the IL.

    SPEEDING

    Cedric Mullins stole two bases and tied teammate Jorge Mateo for the AL lead with 34.

    WEB GEMS

    Gold Glove CF Harrison Bader sprinted to make a diving backhand catch against Mullins on the left-center warning track in front of the 399-foot sign for the final out of the fifth inning.

    HECTOR LÓPEZ REMEMBERED

    Hector López, a member of the Yankees’ 1961 and ’62 World Series champions, has died at age 93, MLB.com reported, citing his son, Darrol. The Yankees held a moment of silence before the game. López hit .269 with 136 homers and 591 RBIs over 12 seasons for the Kansas City Athletics (1955-59) and Yankees (1959-66). He became the first Black manager at Triple-A in 1969 with the Buffalo Bisons, the Washington Senators’ top farm team.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Yankees: INF-OF Matt Carpenter, sidelined since breaking his left toot on Aug. 8, took batting practice and could be activated for next week’s series at Texas, though the Yankees are leaning toward having him report to a camp at Somerset, New Jersey, where he could get more at-bats ahead of the Division Series … LHP Wandy Peralta, sidelined since Sept. 18 with back tightness, threw a bullpen and will throw another Sunday before the Yankees decide whether to activate him. … RHP Frankie Montas, out since Sept. 16 with right shoulder inflammation, likely will start throwing Saturday … OF Andrew Benintendi (broken wrist) is scheduled to take swings Saturday but not against pitchers. … RHP Michael King said Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek determined his UCL was intact. King broke his right elbow while pitching against Baltimore on July 22 and anticipates being cleared for a normal offseason.

    UP NEXT

    LHP Nestor Cortes (11-4, 2.56) is scheduled to start against Baltimore’s RHP Austin Voth (5-3, 4.19) on Saturday, with rain in the forecast.

    ———

    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Dolphins’ Tagovailoa has concussion, no timetable for return

    Dolphins’ Tagovailoa has concussion, no timetable for return

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Friday there is no timetable for the return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered a concussion when he hit his head against the turf a day earlier against the Cincinnati Bengals.

    McDaniel also defended the team’s handling of Tagovailoa’s injury last Sunday in a win over the Buffalo Bills, when the QB took a hit from linebacker Matt Milano late in the first half and appeared to hit his head on the turf. Tagovailoa stumbled when he got up and was taken to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion, then returned to the game at the start of the third quarter.

    McDaniel reiterated Friday that Tagovailoa was cleared by several layers of medical professionals during last Sunday’s game and said the QB did not have a head injury.

    “My job as a coach is here for the players. I take that very serious,” the first-year coach said. “And no one else in the building strays from that.”

    Many observers questioned why Tagovailoa was allowed to return to the field against the Bills. He was not in the concussion protocol leading up to Thursday’s game.

    “There was no medical indication from all resources that there was anything regarding the head,” McDaniel said Friday. “If there would have been, of course, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I prematurely put someone out there.”

    Tagovailoa had an MRI on Friday in addition to the X-rays and CT scans that were taken the night before at a hospital in Cincinnati. He had a headache Thursday night and Friday morning, McDaniel said.

    “I’m not even really thinking about timetables or anything regarding him as a player right now,” McDaniel said. “It’s all about Tua the person.”

    Tagovailoa was sacked by Bengals defensive tackle Josh Topou late in the first half of Thursday night’s loss to the Bengals. On the play, he spun awkwardly and was thrown to the turf. While on the ground, Tagovailoa appeared to display the fencing response, with his fingers frozen in front of his face.

    He remained down for more than seven minutes before being loaded onto a backboard and stretchered off the field.

    The Dolphins later said he was conscious and had movement in all of his extremities. He was discharged from the hospital Thursday night and flew back to Miami with the team.

    McDaniel said Tagovailoa was interacting with teammates on the flight home. He sat next to McDaniel and talked to him about the game.

    “His personality was normal Tua,” McDaniel said.

    Before the injury, Tagovailoa was having a breakout season, highlighted by throwing a career-high six touchdown passes in a Week 2 win over Baltimore.

    Now the former Alabama star faces another obstacle in what has been an up-and-down career.

    The Dolphins, amid a rebuild in 2020, drafted Tagovailoa No. 1 overall to be a franchise-altering player following a college career that included a 2018 national championship.

    But when that didn’t happen as quickly as Miami anticipated, questions arose about whether to stick with the young quarterback or go in another direction.

    Tagovailoa seemed to be answering those questions through the first three weeks of the season, efficiently utilizing the weapons that Miami surrounded him with during the offseason, including star receiver Tyreek Hill, to lead the Dolphins to a 3-0 record heading into Thursday’s game.

    Including his 110 passing yards before leaving Thursday’s game, Tagovailoa is second in the league in passing yards (1,035) and he has thrown 10 touchdowns with three interceptions.

    Tagovailoa has dealt with several injuries, including a dislocated right hip in 2019 at Alabama.

    ———

    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • NASCAR drivers fuming over concussions suffered in new car

    NASCAR drivers fuming over concussions suffered in new car

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    NASCAR drivers are angry and concerned about their safety in the new Next Gen cars as the playoffs roar into one of the most chaotic and dangerous tracks on the circuit.

    Alex Bowman will miss Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway with a concussion diagnosed four days after he crashed. Bowman hit the wall early at Texas Motor Speedway but finished Sunday’s race despite radioing his Hendrick Motorsports crew: “I can’t drive the rest of the day.”

    “I don’t understand how (the car) is still rolling. That’s the hardest I’ve crashed anything in my entire life,” Bowman added.

    Now he is on the sidelines alongside Kurt Busch, who will miss his 11th consecutive race because of his own concussion. He crashed in July during a qualifying run when he spun and backed his car into the wall. Busch said his vision and balance are not at 100% but he hopes to race again this season.

    Complaints about the Next Gen — introduced this season as a cost-saver and a way to bring some parity to the grid — have reached a critical level following four difficult playoff races and three injured drivers. Cody Shane Ware will race Sunday despite a fractured foot suffered in a hard crash.

    Drivers amplified their complaints as soon as they learned of Bowman’s concussion. They have been concerned since an exaggerated tale emerged of an ominous NASCAR crash test of the Next Gen at Talladega in 2021. The rumor was that the crash-test dummy had suffered forces in the collision that would have killed a human.

    “Completely unacceptable that those in charge have let things get to this point,” Kevin Harvick wrote on Twitter. He said he recalled Denny Hamlin insisting “that the car was too stiff. Data didn’t agree. TIME TO LISTEN TO THE DRIVERS CRASHING THEM!”

    Hamlin, who was heard moaning on his radio after a hard crash last month, also directed his anger at NASCAR.

    “Pretty disappointing that our sanctioning body refuses to acknowledge or accept any responsibility for drivers getting hurt,” Hamlin wrote. “It’s the same THEY said. WE knew better. It’s wrong these drivers continue to get taken advantage of by the system.”

    The Next Gen was an industry-wide collaboration to develop a spec car that would both lower costs and equalize the competition. But part of the cost-cutting came in designing a durable car that can withstand crashes without being destroyed, a step to reduce the fleet sizes needed to compete for a full season.

    So the Next Gen is very stiff and the parts and pieces that used to fly off a car during a crash are holding tight, resulting in drivers absorbing more energy from collisions.

    NASCAR has been attempting to address issues with the Next Gen as they arise. There has been a rash of problems with the car through the first four playoff races — in the Bristol elimination race, 12 of the 16 playoff drivers had some sort of issue — ranging from unexplained fires to tire and parts failures and now the unyielding nature of the car actually affecting drivers.

    After fires during the playoff opener ar Darlington, senior vice president of competition Scott Miller said it was “unacceptable” and NASCAR quickly mandated design changes. The series is also considering monitoring pressure levels to determine if drivers are blowing tires because their teams are too aggressive with the settings.

    Andy Petree, vice president of competition at Richard Childress Racing, said NASCAR has been receptive to feedback.

    “I think NASCAR is doing a good job of taking input, listening to what we are saying as an industry. I don’t know about the drivers, they may not be getting the response that they feel like they need on these things,” Petree said. “But NASCAR is working on the car. I’ve seen some future design changes that address some of the things the drivers say about the impacts.”

    Harvick said Petree’s comment was “very telling as to who has all the say in these processes. NASCAR and the teams.” He also urged NASCAR to pick up its pace in investigating the issues.

    Talladega is one of the most chaotic tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of the tight pack racing and high speeds. The pole-winning speed in April was 180.93 mph and speeds top 200 miles per hour (321.9 kilometres per hour) when cars are in the draft.

    The spring race was tame by Talladega standards with only four cautions for accidents and the race ended under green with no overtime needed. But Sunday is the middle race of the second round of the playoffs and the stakes are much higher. Additionally, the first four playoff races have been won by drivers not racing for the championship.

    BLANEY CREW SUSPENSION

    Team Penske dropped its appeal against the four-race suspension for three of Ryan Blaney’s crew members, who were suspended because a left wheel rolled off Blaney’s Ford at Bristol.

    The trio of crew chief Jonathan Hassler, jackman Graham Stoddard and rear tire changer Zachary Price all worked last week at Texas as Penske appealed. Team Penske dropped the appeal this week and Blaney goes to Talladega on Sunday ranked fourth in the standings.

    The field of 12 will be trimmed to eight after next week’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Blaney will be without his regular crew members at Talladega, Charlotte, Las Vegas and Homestead. By dropping the appeal now, Team Penske hopes Blaney advances into the next round and gets Hassler back for the final two races of the season still eligible for the championship.

    Miles Stanley, a longtime Penske engineer, will be interim crew chief for Blaney. He will also get crew members from The Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford to help pit Blaney’s car.

    CHILDERS 600th

    Rodney Childers began racing to become a famous driver. When it didn’t pan out behind the wheel, Childers moved to the technical side of the sport and began a climb into a crew chief role.

    He goes to Talladega on Sunday set to crew chief his 600th race. Childers has been paired with Kevin Harvick since 2014 at Stewart-Haas Racing in the longest active pairing in the Cup Series garage. Childers has run Harvick’s team for 313 races, eighth on the all-time pairings list.

    “I think everybody knows that my career definitely changed when Kevin wanted me to do this, and to be able to do it for a long time and win a lot of races has been pretty special,” Childers said.

    Childers guided Harvick to his only Cup championship in 2014, their first season together at SHR.

    ———

    More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Saints QB Winston ‘doubtful’ vs. Vikings; Dalton ready

    Saints QB Winston ‘doubtful’ vs. Vikings; Dalton ready

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    LONDON — Saints quarterback Jameis Winston is “doubtful” to play New Orleans’ game against the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium because of a back injury, coach Dennis Allen said Friday.

    Backup Andy Dalton took first-team snaps again with Winston missing a third consecutive practice.

    “I think it’s doubtful that Jameis plays in the game,” Allen said. “Our plan right now is to have Andy ready to go. We’ll see how things go overnight, but Andy will be ready to go if that’s the direction that we go.”

    Winston has been playing through a back injury but was held out of practice all week ahead of the NFL’s first international game of the season. The eighth-year quarterback also is nursing an ankle injury.

    “I don’t think his body responded didn’t quite the way we anticipated over the first couple of days,” Allen said.

    Earlier in the week, Winston said he was preparing to play against the Vikings.

    Allen also confirmed that wide receiver Michael Thomas will miss Sunday’s game because of a foot injury. He leads the team with three touchdown receptions.

    Winston has thrown for 858 yards with four TD passes and five interceptions in three games. He has completed 63.5% of his passes.

    Dalton stepped in to start nine games for the Cowboys in 2020 after Dallas starter Dak Prescott’s season-ending ankle injury in Week 5. That season, Dalton completed 64.9% of his passes, throwing for 2,170 yards with 14 TDs and eight interceptions.

    The Saints are Dalton’s fourth team in as many years after he spent his first nine seasons as a starter for the Cincinnati Bengals.

    Last year, Dalton appeared in eight games and made six starts for Chicago, completing 63.1% of his passes for 1,515 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions.

    ———

    More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa stretchered off with head injury

    Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa stretchered off with head injury

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    CINCINNATI — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained neck and head injuries after being slammed to the ground Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals and was stretchered from the field.

    The Dolphins said Tagovailoa was conscious, had movement in all his extremities and was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further evaluation. The Dolphins said after their 27-15 loss to the Bengals that Tagovailoa was expected to be released from the hospital and fly home with the team.

    Tagovailoa was chased down and sacked by 6-foot-3, 340-pound Josh Tupou with about six minutes left in the first half. He was spun around and thrown to the turf. While on the ground, his hands froze in front of his face. He remained down for more than seven minutes before being loaded on a backboard, stabilized and strapped to a stretcher after his facemask was removed.

    Dolphins players gathered around as Tagovailoa was rolled off the field and the crowd chanted “Tua! Tua!”

    Reaction came swiftly from around the NFL. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Broncos QB Russell Wilson promptly tweeted with concern for Tagovailoa’s well-being.

    “Praying for you Tua,” Wilson wrote.

    The 24-year-old Tagovailoa was suffering from a sore back and was listed as questionable for most of the week ahead of the game.

    Tagovailoa briefly left Sunday’s 21-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills after appearing to be disoriented by what the team originally said was a head injury after taking a hard hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano late in the first half. He missed just three snaps and returned after halftime, a decision that prompted a joint review by the NFL and National Football League Players Association of what went into the decision to allow him to return to the game.

    The team and Tagovailoa said after the game the quarterback had a back injury that caused his awkward stumble and fall after he was slammed into the turf in the second quarter. The team said Monday that Tagovailoa was not in concussion protocol.

    He said he “hyper-extended” his back after getting his legs caught under someone on a quarterback sneak.

    After Tagovailoa’s injury Thursday, the NFLPA tweeted: “Player health and safety is at the core of the union’s mission. Our concern tonight is for Tua and we hope for a full and speedy recovery. Our investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing.”

    Some criticized the decision to play Tagovailoa so soon after his injuries in Sunday’s game.

    Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe tweeted: “That’s a serious injury . Tua shouldn’t have been out there with Sunday Thursday turn around. Sometimes players need protecting from themselves. Dolphins failed Tua.”

    Before leaving Thursday’s game, Tagovailoa was 8 for 14 for 100 yards and an interception. He was replaced in the game by Teddy Bridgewater, who threw a touchdown pass to Chase Edmonds with 15 seconds left in the half.

    The play of Tagovailoa, who won a national championship at Alabama, has been key for the 3-0 Dolphins. He came into the game second in the NFL with 925 passing yards.

    ———

    More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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  • Escobar rallies Mets past Marlins in 10, back into 1st alone

    Escobar rallies Mets past Marlins in 10, back into 1st alone

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    NEW YORK — With the Mets needing a comeback in the pressure of a tight pennant race, Eduardo Escobar was a one-man show.

    Escobar homered and drove in five late runs — including the game-winning single in the 10th inning — to rally New York past the Miami Marlins 5-4 on Wednesday night and back into sole possession of first place in the NL East.

    By overcoming a four-run deficit, the Mets moved a game ahead of the Braves heading into a three-game showdown between the teams in Atlanta this weekend. The defending World Series champions lost 3-2 in 10 innings at last-place Washington, one night after pulling even with the Mets.

    “It’s going to be huge. Obviously, this is pretty much deciding the division,” winning pitcher Drew Smith said. “I’m sure it’s going to be as close to a playoff atmosphere as you can get without being in the playoffs.”

    Of course, Hurricane Ian could affect the schedule in Atlanta, where the teams are set to square off Friday night following a mutual off day. Both clubs have six games remaining in the only division race not decided.

    One win at Truist Park would give the Mets the season-series tiebreaker over Atlanta.

    After this weekend, New York finishes the regular season with three home games against Washington, while the Braves play at Miami.

    On this night, the Mets fell behind 4-0 but Escobar hit a two-run homer in the seventh and tied it on a two-run single with two outs in the eighth.

    “He’s a catalyst,” Smith said.

    Both those big hits came right-handed. The switch-hitter was batting from the left side when his RBI single off Dylan Floro (1-3) in the 10th scored automatic runner Francisco Lindor from second base — after an intentional walk to Jeff McNeil brought Escobar to the plate with two on and one out.

    “A little bit of the force, a little bit of the matchup, and you trust Flo what he’s going to do,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly explained. “Pretty much Escobar all night.”

    It was the first time a Mets player had at least five RBIs and knocked in all their runs in a walk-off win. After a slow start to his first season in New York, Escobar is batting .330 with eight homers and 24 RBIs in September.

    “The answer’s probably nothing other than he just never gave in,” manager Buck Showalter said. “He never gives in. Was the same guy every day.”

    Smith (3-3) struck out two in a perfect inning for the win.

    Jesús Luzardo mowed down the Mets for six innings, striking out Pete Alonso three times and taking a two-hit shutout into the seventh.

    But then McNeil led off with a single and Escobar chased the left-hander with a drive to left field that gave him his fifth career 20-homer season.

    Marlins reliever Tanner Scott, pitching for the first time since Sept. 16, walked three batters in the eighth to load the bases and Escobar grounded a two-run single off Richard Bleier through an open right side with two outs to tie it 4-all.

    Alonso raised both arms after sliding headfirst across home plate, and a fired-up Escobar pumped his fist and pounded his chest in excitement as he shouted toward the Mets’ dugout.

    Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run homer off starter Taijuan Walker and finished a triple short of the cycle for the fourth-place Marlins. JJ Bleday had a sacrifice fly, and Brian Anderson added an RBI double.

    STORM WATCH

    Showalter sounded a little annoyed that no schedule adjustments had been made yet to the series in Atlanta to help the teams get all three games in this weekend or avoid a potential makeup doubleheader.

    “All that’s up to Atlanta. We don’t have much input at all. I mean, can’t you tell?” Showalter said. “It’s not our home game.”

    Showalter said the Mets were planning to bring a taxi squad to Atlanta as insurance — in case rough weather makes it difficult to get reinforcements there for an injured player, for example.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Marlins: SS Miguel Rojas sat out after leaving Tuesday night’s game in the seventh inning when tendinitis flared up in his right wrist and affected his throwing hand and forearm. … LHP Steven Okert (tender biceps) threw a bullpen.

    Mets: There’s still no timetable for the return of All-Star RF Starling Marte, sidelined since Sept. 7 with a partially broken middle finger on his right (throwing) hand. He received an injection and remains in a splint but is still feeling some discomfort. “I know it’s frustrating for him,” Showalter said. “He just needs to get to a point where he can grip a ball and grip a bat. Not there yet.” … RHP Mychal Givens had two strikeouts in a scoreless inning during a rehab outing for Triple-A Syracuse.

    UP NEXT

    Marlins: Another chance to play spoiler when they open a four-game series Thursday night at Milwaukee, which is chasing an NL wild card. LHP Braxton Garrett (3-6, 3.52 ERA) faces Brewers LHP Eric Lauer (10-7, 3.96).

    Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (5-3, 2.93 ERA) is scheduled to pitch the series opener in Atlanta against LHP Max Fried (13-7, 2.50), who is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts vs. the Mets this season. New York is 9-7 versus the Braves, including 3-4 in Atlanta.

    ———

    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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