MLB:
Max Scherzer moved into exclusive company by earning more postseason hardware, while two of his former teammates battled it out for a similar honor.
Scherzer has become the sixth pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues, taking the National League prize by a wide margin. He picked up 25 of 30 first-place votes after leading the majors with 284 strikeouts and pacing the National League with 20 victories. Scherzer outdistanced Cubs hurlers Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks in the balloting by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Scherzer took the American League Cy Young Award in 2013 after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He joins Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens and Roy Halladay among pitchers with Cy Young plaques from each league.
Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello has captured the AL Cy Young Award in a close vote with Justin Verlander of the Tigers. Verlander received 14 first-place votes compared to eight for Porcello. But the Boston hurler also claimed 18 second-place nods, while his former Detroit teammate picked up just two and was left off two ballots. Porcello led the majors with 22 wins this year and compiled a 3.15 ERA in 33 starts. Cleveland's Corey Kluber was third in the balloting. Porcello, Verlander and Scherzer were part of Detroit's starting rotation from 2010-14.
Free agent pitcher Charlie Morton has agreed to a two-year, $14 million deal with Houston. The right-hander made just four starts last season for the Phillies before a torn left hamstring ended his year. The 33-year-old has spent his entire nine-year career in the National League with the Braves, Pirates and Phillies.
NBA:
In the NBA, the Knicks beat Detroit 105-102, Boston topped Dallas 90-83, Oklahoma City bested Houston 105-103, Golden State defeated Toronto 127-121, Denver won against Phoenix 120-104, San Antonio beat Sacramento 110-105, Memphis trumped the Clippers 111-107, Orlando topped New Orleans 89-82, Indiana beat Cleveland 103-93, Philadelphia defeated Washington 109-102, and it was Atlanta over Milwaukee 107-100.
NHL:
In the NHL, Washington hammered Pittsburgh 7-1 and it was Calgary over Arizona 2-1.
Three of the NHL's top-scoring forwards are now sidelined by injury. The Tampa Bay Lightning say Steven Stamkos has a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee and will be sidelined indefinitely. The New Jersey Devils will be without Taylor Hall for up to a month following surgery to repair the torn meniscus in his left knee, and the Flames will know how long they'll be without Johnny Gaudreau once he undergoes surgery for a fractured finger suffered in Tuesday's win over Minnesota.
NCAA:
In top 25 college basketball, No. 6 Indiana beat UMass Lowell 100-78, No. 21 Rhode Island won against Brown 79-72, No. 17 Saint Mary’s topped Prairie View A&M 110-72, and it was No. 25 California over UC Irvine in overtime 75-65.
The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that the University of Notre Dame's police department doesn't have to release crime reports about student athletes to ESPN. The court said in a unanimous ruling that the private university's police department isn't a public agency that falls under the state open records law because it isn't part of any level of government. ESPN sued Notre Dame in January 2015, and a lower court had ruled the university was subject to the law applied because the department has legal authority to make arrests and has jurisdiction beyond the university's campus.
Mike Rowley scored 16 points and grabbed five boards and David Nichols added 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting to lead Albany past NCAA Division III-member SUNY Oneonta 97-56 Wednesday night.
Payton Henson scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Trae Bell-Haynes had nine points and 10 assists as Vermont held off Marist 76-72 on Wednesday night.
J.C. Show's eighth 3-pointer of the game with 22 seconds remaining lifted Binghamton to a 72-70 victory over Central Connecticut on Wednesday night.
Sean O'Brien scored 18 points and Colgate held on to beat Cornell 67-63 on Wednesday night.
Medal of Freedom:
Recently retired Dodgers broadcast legend Vin Scully will be among 21 people President Barack Obama is honoring with the Presidential Medal of Freedom Tuesday. Among others from the sports world who will receive the nation's highest civilian honor will be basketball Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan.
NFL:
Tonight on Thursday Night Football, New Orleans faces Carolina at 8:25 p.m.
In other NFL news:
— Cleveland quarterback Robert Griffin III has been cleared for non-contact drills and could play again this season. He's been out since breaking a bone in his left shoulder while making his debut with the Browns in the season opener. It's not clear when Griffin will be back on the field for the 0-10 Browns.
— Kai Forbath is the new kicker for the Minnesota Vikings. Forbath kicked for New Orleans in 10 games last season after hitting 87 percent of his field goal tries over three-plus seasons with the Redskins. Blair Walsh had the kicking duties until he was cut earlier this week after missing four PAT's, including one against the Redskins last weekend.
— Houston Texans players are being advised by the team not to leave the hotel and not to order room service during their trip to Mexico City for Monday night's game against the Oakland Raiders. That's according to a memo distributed by the team and acquired by The Associated Press. Team members were told to leave expensive jewelry at home and not to bring large sums of money and not to use ATMs.
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