MLB:
The Toronto Blue Jays are going to Texas to play in the American League Division Series. The Baltimore Orioles are going home. Edwin Encarnacion cracked a no-doubter three-run homer in the 11th inning to give Toronto a 5-2 walk-off victory over Baltimore that clinched the AL wild card and earned the Blue Jays a ticket to the American League's final four. The Blue Jays advance to an American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers starting Thursday.
The National League wild card game is Wednesday night in New York. The New York Mets send out 14-9 Noah Syndergaard against the San Francisco Giants, who are countering with 15-game winner Madison Bumgarner.
Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes may play in October, after all. Gomes, who broke his right hand during a minor league injury rehabilitation appearance late in the season, has progressed to the point that Cleveland may include him in its postseason roster when the Indians open the AL Division Series on Thursday against Boston.
The starting pitching rotation for Boston's opening American League Division Series against Cleveland could feature a foursome that has yet to register a postseason victory as a starter. Manager John Farrell previously said that Rick Porcello and David Price would start Games 1 and 2. Clay Buchholz and Eduardo Rodriguez are expected to pitch Games 3 and 4. But Farrell wouldn't confirm that rotation and has until Thursday morning to do so.
Tim Tebow is moving his tryout for a professional baseball career to the Arizona Fall League. That's where the former NFL quarterback is being sent by the Mets to play against some of the game's premier prospects. Tebow's instructional league stint in Port St. Lucie, Fla has been cut short due to the approach of Hurricane Matthew. The state of Florida is already under a state of emergency. The 29-year old Tebow reports Sunday to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner embarked on a professional baseball career last month when he signed a minor league contract with the Mets.
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred supports changing the rule that expands active rosters from 25 to 40 each Sept. 1. Managers have expressed concern that the rule changes late in the season, allowing multiple pitching changes for right-lefty matchups. Saying he doesn't think using "18 pitchers a game is a good thing," Manfred says the issue is part of negotiations for a labor contract to replace the deal that expires Dec. 2.
NBA:
In NBA preseason play, Philadelphia topped Boston 92-89, Houston won against the Knicks 130-103, the Lakers defeated Sacramento 103-84, Golden State bested the Clippers 120-75, Indiana beat New Orleans 113-96, and it was Miami over Washington 106-95.
The 76ers say No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons has had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot. There is no timetable yet for his return. Simmons fractured the fifth metatarsal bone during the 76ers' final training camp scrimmage last week. The injury is the latest blow for a franchise that has had several injuries to lottery players, plus losing streaks of 26 and 28 games over the last three seasons. Simmons, the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Australian forward out of LSU, was scheduled to start for the Sixers in their preseason opener Tuesday against Boston.
NHL:
In NHL preseason play, Buffalo blanked Carolina 2-0, the Islanders edged the Rangers 3-2, Montreal slid past Boston 4-3, Columbus won against Nashville 3-2, Dallas topped Florida in triple overtime 2-1, Chicago bested Detroit 6-1, Colorado shut out Minnesota 2-0, Edmonton edged Anaheim 2-1, and Ottawa slid past Toronto 3-2.
The Arizona Coyotes have come to terms on a two-year contract worth an average of $2.225 million with center Tobias Rieder. The 23-year-old played in all 82 games last season, finishing with 14 goals and 23 assists. He has 27 goals and 31 assists in 154 career NHL games.
Tennis:
Maria Sharapova has had her two-year suspension for using a banned substance reduced to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sports. That means the Russian tennis star can come back in April and return to Grand Slam play at the 2017 French Open.
PGA:
Golfing greats from around the world gathered to pay tribute to Arnold Palmer at a memorial service in his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Palmer passed away on Sept. 25 at the age of 87 and last Thursday a private funeral was held.
NFL:
The New England Patriots' offensive and defensive coordinators are ready to get key players back as Tom Brady and Rob Ninkovich return from suspensions for Sunday's game at Cleveland. Both rejoined the team Monday after serving four-game suspensions — Brady for "Deflategate" and Ninkovich for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Left guard Luke Joeckel (JOH'-kihl) of Jacksonville could miss the rest of the season after suffering a left knee injury in Sunday's game against the Colts. The second pick in the 2013 draft is set for surgery this week and will be placed on the disabled list. The injury could mean Joeckel, the second overall draft pick in 2013, has played his final game in Jacksonville. The Jaguars declined to pick up a fifth-year option in his rookie contract and replaced him at left tackle with free agent Kelvin Beachum.
In other NFL news:
— The Atlanta Falcons have addressed a sudden depth problem at linebacker by signing free agent A.J. Hawk, who spent his first nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers. The Falcons placed linebacker Sean Weatherspoon on injured reserve. Weatherspoon ruptured his right Achilles tendon in a 48-33 win Sunday over Carolina.
— The Arizona Cardinals will be without top running back Chris Johnson and safety Tyvon Branch for at least eight weeks after both players have been placed on injured reserve. Johnson and Branch are dealing with groin injuries suffered during Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. NFL rules allow for one player to be eligible to return to the active roster eight weeks after his injured reserve designation, so one of the two could return in early December.
— Cornerback Antonio Cromartie and linebacker Sio Moore have been released by the Colts. Indianapolis signed Cromartie on Aug. 22 and he emerged as the starter in a secondary decimated by injuries. But the Colts are expected to have their top three cornerbacks healthy for Sunday's game against Chicago.
— Running back Justin Forsett has been released by the Baltimore Ravens, who complied with his request to play elsewhere. Forsett was on the inactive list last Sunday and was expected to drop down the depth chart after the return of injured rookie Kenneth Dixon. Forsett ran for 1,266 yards in 2014 but broke his arm last season and his production suffered.
Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is expected in court for a status conference in his upcoming double murder trial. Hernandez is due in Suffolk Superior Court Wednesday. He has pleaded not guilty in the 2012 killings of two men he encountered in a Boston nightclub.
WNBA:
In the WNBA, the Sparks bested Chicago 95-75.
Renee Brown has been at the WNBA since its inception. Twenty years after joining the league, the WNBA's chief of basketball operations and player relations has announced she is stepping down this month. Brown is one of a handful of people still involved in the league since its beginning.
Hurricane Weather:
Teams across the southeastern portion of the U.S. are keeping a close eye on Hurricane Matthew, which forecasters say could have a major impact on no fewer than four states this week. The Atlantic Coast Conference could have at least five Saturday football games affected if the storm strikes as forecasters believe it could.
Also, the second game of the National League Division series between the Dodgers and Nationals is scheduled for Saturday in the nation's capital. The long-range forecast is for an 80 percent chance of rain Saturday in Washington.
Bills Training Camp:
The Buffalo Bills have signed a five-year agreement to continue holding training camp at St. John Fisher College in suburban Rochester. The extension was announced on Tuesday after the Bills contract expired following the end of training camp in August. The Bills have been holding camp at St. John Fisher since 2000, after previously being based at Fredonia State University, about 45 minutes south of Buffalo. The team made the switch in a bid to expand its market and draw fans from a more populated region. Rochester is centrally located, about an hour's drive east of Buffalo and west of Syracuse.
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