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  • Zibanejad, Panarin lead Rangers to 6-4 win over Ducks

    Zibanejad, Panarin lead Rangers to 6-4 win over Ducks

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    NEW YORK — Mika Zibanejad had two goals and two assists, Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists, and the New York Rangers beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-4 Monday night.

    Vincent Trochek had a goal and an assist, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière also scored, and Adam Fox had three assists to help the Rangers win for the third time in four games this season. Igor Shesterkin had 18 saves to improve to 3-0-0.

    “It’s nice to contribute,” Zibanejad said. “We are working for each other. That’s a big key for us.”

    Frank Vatrano, Trevor Zegras, Max Comtois and Derek Grant scored for the Ducks. Troy Terry and Pavol Regenda each had two assists. John Gibson gave up five goals on 34 shots through two periods before Anthony Stolarz came on to start the third and stopped eight of the nine shots he faced.

    Kakko’s second goal of the season snapped a 2-2 tie at 9:54 of the second. Lafrenière extended the Rangers’ lead to 4-2 at with 2:21 remaining in the middle period with his first before Panarin fired the puck past to make it 5-2 with 34 seconds to go with his second goal of the season.

    Panarin’s four-point game was his second already this season. He also had a goal and three assists against Minnesota last week. His 10 points set a Rangers franchise mark for most points through the first four games of a season.

    “It’s a good start to the season,” said Panarin, who led the Rangers last season with 96 points. ”We definitely had a good power-play tonight.”

    After Comtois pulled the Ducks within two 5 1/2 minutes into the third, Zibanejad scored his second of the game and fourth of the season a little more than 6 minutes later on the power play again to make it 6-3.

    “Tight games, 5-on-5 you have to take advantage of your power plays. When you get it, you have to take advantage of it,” Zibanejad said.

    Grant capped the scoring with just under 4 minutes remaining.

    The Rangers continued their mastery over the Ducks, improving to 6-0-1 in seven matchups back to the 2018-19 season. Since 2014-15, the Rangers are 12-2-1 against Anaheim.

    “I thought we were in the game but one power-play goal in the first was a gift,″ Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. ”In the second period, we gave them two absolute gifts. So we gave them three easy ones and lose by two.”

    Trocheck and Zibanejad had power-play goals in the first to give the Rangers the early lead. Trocheck, who signed a seven-year deal with the Rangers in the offseason, scored his second goal at 7:34. He has points in three out of four games. Zibanejad made it 2-0 at 13:10, whipping a high shot past Gibson for his third goal of the campaign.

    Rangers coach Gerard Gallant was pleased with the power-play prowess exhibited by his team.

    “The way they snap the puck, they just have so much skill and power,” he said. ”Tonight they were finishing their plays and making it happen.”

    Gallant did caution that he also expects to his team to defend better.

    “I want to win games every night, but I don’t want four goals going in our net every night,” he said. “Our guys know that, too.”

    Vatrano, who finished last season with the Rangers after being acquired at the trade deadline, got the Ducks on the scoreboard with 4 1/2 minutes left in the first and Zegras tied it at 1:34 of the second as he rifled a shot past Shesterkin.

    Anaheim, coming off a 7-1 loss at the New York Islanders on Saturday night, lost its second straight after winning its home opener over Seattle last Wednesday.

    SEASON DEBUT

    Forward Sammy Blais made his season debut for the Rangers after missing the first three games with an upper-body injury. Blais played just 14 games last season before suffering a major knee injury. He was acquired from St. Louis in a trade for Pavel Buchnevich in July 2021.

    STROME RETURNS

    The contest also marked the New York return for popular forward Ryan Strome, who played four seasons for the Rangers before signing with Anaheim as a free agent. The 29-year-old Strome, also with the Islanders for four years, said he loved playing in Manhattan, especially contributing a career-best 21 goals last season and helping the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference finals. “The city was pretty bananas,’’ he said of the post-season hysteria. “It was awesome.”

    PANARIN’S POINTS

    Panarin leads the Rangers with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) and has scored in all four games. Panarin’s eight assists tied Rod Gilbert (1976-77) for the most through the first four games and are the most for a Rangers player since Jaromir Jagr had six in 2006-07.

    UP NEXT

    Ducks: At New Jersey on Tuesday night in the third of five-game trip.

    Rangers: Host San Jose on Thursday in the second game of a four-game homestand.

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  • NFL says Deshaun Watson status unchanged despite new lawsuit

    NFL says Deshaun Watson status unchanged despite new lawsuit

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    BEREA, Ohio — Suspended Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s status with the NFL has not been affected by a new civil lawsuit filed by another woman accusing him of sexual misconduct two years ago, the league said Friday.

    Watson is serving an 11-game suspension for alleged sexual misconduct while he played for the Houston Texans. Two dozen women previously alleged he was sexually inappropriate during massage therapy sessions.

    On Thursday, another woman filed a lawsuit in Texas that alleges Watson pressured her into performing a sex act after a massage in 2020. Watson has settled 23 of 24 previous lawsuits filed against him.

    NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the latest lawsuit does not impact Watson’s standing. The three-time Pro Bowler returned to the Browns’ training facility this week for the first time since his suspension began on Aug. 30.

    “We will monitor developments in the newly-filed litigation; and any conduct that warrants further investigation or possible additional sanctions would be addressed within the Personal Conduct Policy,” McCarthy said in an email.

    Watson is only permitted to attend meetings with the Browns and work out as he moves toward a possible return. He is not allowed to practice until Nov. 14, and as long as he fulfills conditions of his settlement with the league, he can return fully on Nov. 28 and would be eligible to play on Dec. 4 when the Browns visit the Texans.

    Watson agreed to the 11-game ban, a $5 million fine and to undergo treatment and counseling by an independent group.

    The Browns traded for Watson in March and signed him to a five-year, $240 million contract.

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

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  • Alvarez homers again, Astros top Mariners 4-2, lead ALDS 2-0

    Alvarez homers again, Astros top Mariners 4-2, lead ALDS 2-0

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    HOUSTON — Yordan Alvarez and his mighty bat did it yet again, launching a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning off Seattle ace Luis Castillo that lifted the Houston Astros over the Mariners 4-2 on Thursday for a 2-0 lead in the AL Division Series.

    Alvarez was the Game 1 hero with his gut-punch, three-run shot off reigning AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray with two outs in the ninth inning that gave the Astros an 8-7 win in a game where they’d trailed by four.

    Castillo, acquired from the Reds near the trade deadline and coming off 7 1/3 innings of shutout ball against Toronto in the wild-card round, gave up an early home run to Kyle Tucker but little else as he took a 2-1 lead into the sixth.

    But with two outs, Jeremy Peña singled on a blooper that fell in between second baseman Adam Frazier and center fielder Julio Rodríguez. Castillo bent down and slapped his legs in disappointment as he watched the ball drop in shallow center.

    That brought up Alvarez, who hit a 98 mph pitch tailing away to the opposite field, into the short porch in left to put the Astros on top 3-2.

    Alvarez, who had 37 homers in the regular season, trotted around the bases as cameras panned to his Cuban parents, who are watching their first postseason series after arriving in Houston in August. The lefty pointed to them as he reached the plate before reenacting the powerful swing that has the Astros one win away from their sixth straight AL Championship Series.

    There were two outs and a runner on first in the eighth when Seattle had surely seen enough of Alvarez leaving the yard. The Mariners intentionally walked him and Alex Bregman made them pay, adding some insurance when he singled to make it 4-2.

    Houston starter Framber Valdez had a solid start, allowing four hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings. He had a different look than he did in his last postseason appearance after he and fellow pitcher Luis Garcia both got hair extensions this season.

    Hector Neris got the win after getting the last out of the sixth inning to escape a bases-loaded jam. Bryan Abreu got the first two outs of the seventh before Rafael Montero came in and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

    Ryan Pressly walked the leadoff batter in the ninth before J.P. Crawford lined into a double play. Rodríguez doubled after that, but Pressly struck out Ty France for the save. The Astros won despite issuing seven walks overall.

    The Mariners will head back to Seattle for Game 3 Saturday in a huge hole in the best-of-five series as they host their first playoff game in 21 years.

    Alvarez has carried the Astros early in this division series, shouldering such a load that Houston catcher Martín Maldonado asked Alvarez after Game 1 if his back was sore because “you carry us as a team.” The 25-year-old bounced back this postseason after a tough time in last year’s World Series where he batted just .100 with no homers and six strikeouts.

    The slugger who’s been criticized for poor defense in the past has been making big plays in left field, too.

    Alvarez grabbed a sharp liner hit by Eugenio Suarez to end the seventh. In Game 1, he fielded a single by Suarez in the fourth and threw a perfect strike to Maldonado, who tagged out France at the plate.

    Castillo yielded five hits and three runs with seven strikeouts in seven innings.

    There was one out in the second inning when Tucker hit a slider from Castillo into the seats in right field to put Houston up 1-0.

    Crawford doubled with two outs in the third. But second baseman Jose Altuve made a leaping throw after fielding a sharp grounder hit by Rodríguez that just beat him to first base to end the inning.

    Suarez walked with one out in the fourth and Mitch Haniger doubled. Carlos Santana then hit a one-hopper that Valdez fielded cleanly toward the third base side, but his throw home was offline for an error that allowed Suarez to tie it at 1-all.

    Santana was out on the play after getting caught in a rundown. Haniger scored when Dylan Moore singled to put the Mariners up 2-1.

    Valdez walked Haniger on a full count with two outs in the sixth, Santana doubled and Moore drew a walk to load the bases and chase Valdez. Neris took over and retired Cal Raleigh on a groundout to escape the jam.

    UP NEXT

    Houston’s Lance McCullers Jr., who started just eight games this season after missing the first four months of the year with a forearm strain, will oppose rookie George Kirby in Game 3 in Seattle Saturday. Kirby pitched in relief in Game 2 of the wild-card round and became the first rookie in MLB history to record a postseason season in his first career relief appearance.

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

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  • Panthers fire Matt Rhule after 1-4 start; Wilks takes over

    Panthers fire Matt Rhule after 1-4 start; Wilks takes over

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers fired coach Matt Rhule on Monday, ending the former Baylor coach’s tenure five games into his third losing season.

    Rhule, the first NFL coach to be fired this season, went 11-27 with Carolina. The Panthers fell to 1-4 with Sunday’s 37-15 home loss to San Francisco as 49ers fans made Bank of America Stadium their East Coast home.

    Defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach Steve Wilks will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season. The 53-year-old Wilks spent one year as Arizona’s head coach in 2018, going 3-13.

    Rhule did not immediately respond to voice and text messages on Monday.

    The 47-year-old Rhule was lured away from Baylor with a seven-year, guaranteed $62 million contract by David Tepper, the second-wealthiest owner in the NFL.

    Tepper was initially patient with Rhule following Sunday’s loss, but grew increasingly agitated and changed his mind on Monday.

    Rhule said after the game he didn’t want to discuss his job security because he didn’t want make it about himself.

    Rhule’s teams went 5-11 in 2020 and 5-12 last year.

    The Panthers hoped Rhule could turn things around in his third year as he did at Baylor and at Temple before that. The team had constant turnover at quarterback under Rhule, with Teddy Bridgewater as the starter in 2020 and Sam Darnold and Cam Newton getting starts last year.

    The Panthers traded for Baker Mayfield this offseason. But the 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick has been awful, ranking last in the NFL in ESPN’s total quarterback rating. Mayfield has completed 54.9% of his passes and is averaging fewer than 200 yards passing per game with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

    The poor play at the game’s most important position put unsustainable pressure on Carolina’s defense. Under Rhule, the Panthers were 1-27 when allowing an opponent to score 17 or more points.

    Mayfield injured his ankle in the loss to San Francisco and was in a walking boot after the game. It’s unclear if he will miss any time.

    Mayfield was one of several players who spoke out in support of Rhule.

    “We’re fine in the locker room when it comes to that,” Mayfield said. “There are a lot of plays that we just have to flat-out make — and he can’t do that. He can’t go make plays for us. He can’t do the execution for us.”

    This marks the second time in four years Tepper has fired a coach during the season. He let go of Ron Rivera, the winningest coach in franchise history, with four games left in 2019 with the Panthers at 5-7.

    The Panthers have not been to the playoffs since 2017 — the year before Tepper took over — and have not won a playoff game since winning the NFC championship in 2015 to reach the franchise’s second Super Bowl.

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

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  • Adebayo, Cain lead Heat over Durant, Simmons and Nets

    Adebayo, Cain lead Heat over Durant, Simmons and Nets

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    NEW YORK — Bam Adebayo scored 17 points and undrafted rookie Jamal Cain added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Miami Heat defeated the Brooklyn Nets 109-80 on Thursday night.

    Kevin Durant led Brooklyn with 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting in 26 minutes. Ben Simmons had four points and 10 rebounds for the Nets.

    Miami star Jimmy Butler played for the first time in the preseason, scoring two points in the first half and then sitting in the second half. Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo didn’t play for the Heat.

    The Nets were minus Joe Harris, who was resting an ankle that left him out most of last season, and Kyrie Irving, who had the night off after the birth of his child. Seven Heat players scored in double figures.

    Kyle Lowry had 15 points and Dru Smith, Duncan Robinson and Jamaree Bouyea each added 12 for Miami. Cain signed with the Heat in July after playing for Marquette and Oakland University.

    Cam Thomas scored 13 points and Markieff Morris 10 for the Nets.

    Through the first half, the teams tried various combinations, mixing the starters with some key bench players. Both sides seemed to stretch their stars for some extra minutes in the shortened NBA preseason.

    Durant played 19 minutes in the first half and scored 18 points, making six of seven shots. Simmons and backcourt mate Royce O’Neale each played 18 minutes.

    MAGIC 102, SPURS 99

    Paolo Banchero, the overall No. 1 pick in the June draft, had nine points and five rebounds as Orlando beat San Antonio.

    Wendell Carter Jr. had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic. He shot 8 of 13 as most of the Orlando starters played between 20 and 23 minutes. Franz Wagner had 12 points and Moritz Wagner scored 10.

    Doug McDermott led the Spurs with 14 points, and Keita Bates-Diop added 12.. Devin Vassell and Tre Jones scored 11 points each.

    THUNDER 131, ADELAIDE 36ERs 98

    Tre Mann scored 26 points, including hitting 8 of 10 on 3s, as Oklahoma City beat a team from the Australian National Basketball League.

    Lindy Waters III scored 23 points and Eugene Omoruyi added 19 points for the Thunder.

    Craig Randall II, who had 35 points in the 36ers’ 134-124 win over the Phoenix Suns earlier in the week, led Adelaide with 27 points. Robert Franks scored 20 points and Antonius Cleveland had 19 points.

    Adelaide used torrid 3-point shooting, hitting 56% from beyond the arc, to defeat the Suns in the opening game of their preseason tour. But the accuracy was not the same against Oklahoma City as the 36ers went 11 of 36 from distance.

    HAWKS 123, BUCKS 113

    Dejounte Murray scored 25 points in his Atlanta debut and the Hawks beat Milwaukee in the NBA’s first game in the United Arab Emirates and the Arabian Gulf.

    The teams will play another preseason game on Saturday at Etihad Arena.

    Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 19 points. Jevon Carter added 17.

    Murray also had nine assists, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. He was acquired from San Antonio for three first-round picks in the Hawks’ biggest offseason move.

    Hawks star Trae Young had 22 points. Young and Murray combined to make 13 of 16 free throws, all in the first half.

    The game featured the NBA’s three Holiday brothers. Aaron Holiday had 16 points and Justin Holiday added nine for the Hawks. Jrue Holiday had 12 for the Bucks.

    De’Andre Hunter had 17 points for Atlanta.

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

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  • AP source: Mets calling up top prospect Álvarez vs Braves

    AP source: Mets calling up top prospect Álvarez vs Braves

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    NEW YORK — The first-place New York Mets are calling up top prospect Francisco Álvarez for their pivotal weekend series against the Atlanta Braves, according to a person familiar with the decision.

    The person confirmed the move to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday night because the Mets had not yet announced the transaction.

    The 20-year-old Álvarez is rated the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball by MLB.com, which reported his promotion earlier. He batted .260 with 27 home runs, 78 RBIs and an .885 OPS combined at Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse this season.

    New York leads the NL East by one game over the defending World Series champion Braves heading into their three-game series in Atlanta that begins Friday night. Both teams are headed to the playoffs and have six games remaining in the regular season.

    The division winner earns a first-round bye, while the second-place finisher will be the top NL wild card and host a best-of-three postseason series starting Oct. 7.

    Álvarez, a catcher and right-handed hitter, figures to be used as the Mets’ designated hitter against left-handed pitching — including Friday’s scheduled Braves starter, Max Fried.

    New York has received little production from right-handed hitters Darin Ruf and rookie Mark Vientos at DH since sending J.D. Davis to San Francisco at the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

    Left-handed hitter Daniel Vogelbach is New York’s regular DH against right-handers.

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

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