1830年：比利时获得独立，此前自1815年起一直是荷兰的一部分。 1864年：第一份黑人日报《新奥尔良论坛报》（New Orleans Tribune）由路易·C·鲁达内斯博士（Dr. Louis C. Roudanez）创办。该报以英文和法文出版，起初为每周三刊，但很快成为一份具有影响力的日报。 1636年：北美第一部法律汇编由普利茅斯殖民地总法院（General Court of the Plymouth Colony）制定。它保证了殖民地的清教徒公…
涉及州级禁止突击风格步枪的案件，可能会给托马斯一个机会，让他能够阐明他在其最具影响力的裁决之一——2022年的一起名为“纽约州步枪和手枪协会诉布鲁恩案”（New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen）中提出的一项测试标准。 根据这项测试，枪支管制措施必须“与这个国家枪支监管的历史传统相一致”——而不仅仅是推进一项重要的政府利益——才能符合第二修正案关于持有和携带武器的权利。一些法官表示，这种措辞未能提…
10月3日在克利夫兰举行的美国联盟分区系列赛第一场比赛中，芝加哥白袜队投手 Anthony Kay 在第四局对阵守护者队时向本垒投球。DAVID RICHARD / IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS Brian Dulik FIELD LEVEL MEDIA 克利夫兰 —— 周六下午，在美国联盟分区系列赛的第一场比赛中，村上宗隆（Munetaka Murakami）击出了一记两分本垒打，对方全明星投手 Parker Messick 及另外五…
10月3日，在北京举行的中国公开赛中，阿莱娜·查拉耶娃在64强赛中击败埃琳娜·莱巴金后庆祝。MAXIM SHEMETOV / 路透社 FIELD LEVEL MEDIA 三个周末前，埃琳娜·莱巴金还举起美国公开赛的冠军奖杯，并登顶世界第一。 体育运动有时能让人保持谦逊。在中国公开赛的首场比赛中，莱巴金成为了历史上仅有的第二位在世界排名第一时就输掉首场比赛的球员。
[TRANSACTIONS] Saturday's Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball
亚特兰大勇士队 - 中外野手 Lane Thomas 从 10 天伤病名单中移除 左肋间肌拉伤。 洛杉矶道奇队 – 指定击球手 Josue De Paula 从小联盟升至大联盟。游击手 Hyeseong Kim 从小联盟升至大联盟。68 纽约洋基队 – 投手 Ryan Weathers 从 15 天伤病名单中移除 左前臂屈肌拉伤。
近期出版的名为《六十年代的复仇》（Revenge for the Sixties）的阿利托传记作者彼得·卡内洛斯（Peter Canellos）表示，阿利托在法院保守派的讨论中拥有很大影响力。 “目前最高法院的许多行动是保守派与保守派之间的较量，”卡内洛斯说。“这完全是保守派内部的讨论。” 卡内洛斯表示，阿利托的影响力在“多布斯诉杰克逊妇女健康组织案”（Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization）中得到了凸显，…
“把它拍下来，这样楚里奥就能接住了。所以，谢谢你，尤克，”墨菲说道。 酿酒人队左外野手杰克逊·楚里奥在10月3日于密尔沃基举行的国家联盟分赛区系列赛 Game 1 第九局中，接住了圣迭戈教士队泰·弗朗斯的飞球。MARK HOFFMAN / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL Jim Hoehn FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
[NATION&WORLD EXTRA] SAILORS ADJUST TO WAR WITH IRAN
Aboard aircraft carrier, 5,000 personnel each have own mission
Sailors load munitions onto a fighter jet on the flight deck of the USS George Washington. PHOTOS BY ED OU/REUTERS
Brody Samaha, a “shooter,” walks on the USS George Washington’s flight deck as the aircraft carrier sails in the Arabian Sea.
Ed Ou
REUTERS
ABOARD USS GEORGE WASHINGTON – An emergency alert blares from a loudspeaker, and Damon Dennard and other sailors on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington are scrambling. Dennard, 23, is readying bombs for loading onto aircraft as his crewmates race to their positions.
“It has been eventful,” says Dennard, an aviation ordnanceman airman apprentice. Once the alert ends, he takes a breath, sits on one of the bombs and jokes that he probably expected an easier deployment.
"It's crazy, but at the end of the day, it's work. That's all."
Dennard was one of dozens of sailors Reuters spoke with in September on a rare visit to a U.S. warship that is central to the Iran war. The visit began at a particularly tense moment, just three days after the U.S. military blew up five Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for Iran targeting a U.S. Navy warship.
The George Washington's mission near the Strait of Hormuz – which has no defined end-date – came as a surprise to the crew, who were deployed from Japan at the end of August to relieve another carrier.
The aircraft carrier is effectively a floating city of around 5,000 personnel, each with their own mission, from Majesta Ochoa, who operates a cash register, to Lt. Cmdr. Brody Samaha, a "shooter" who helps oversee the launch of aircraft from the carrier's catapults.
But there is a sense of synchronization as the sailors go about their jobs, crew say.
"It's a dance, with lots of people checking each other," Samaha says, before adding that the flight deck is also a "very dangerous place to be. It's very unforgiving."
Breana Royston, a night aircraft handling officer, or "NACHO," coordinates aircraft positioning aboard the USS George Washington on Sept. 13.
Breana Royston, a night aircraft handling officer, or "NACHO," has a unique perspective over the dangerous maneuvering on the flight deck.
Her job is to supervise aircraft movement, including bringing fighter jets up to the flight deck and back down to the hangar bay via massive elevators. To do that, she uses what's known in Navy parlance as a "ouija board" – a real-time model of the deck, with miniature aircraft all lined up in their current positions. It looks a little like a strategy board game.
“We’ve been on our toes the last week, maneuvering and everything – with everything that’s going on,” Royston says, adding it’s been “kind of crazy, really busy.”
"It's nerve-wracking, but it's fun."
The Iranian government has repeatedly condemned U.S. military actions in the Strait of Hormuz. On Sept. 25, the Iranian foreign minister said the insecurity prevailing in the strait was the “direct result of the aggressive actions of the United States and the Israeli regime.”
The war began in February with joint strikes on Iranian targets by the United States and Israel. President Donald
[Thomas, Alito set to weigh new cases] Experts: Eldest justices at height of their power
Jan Wolfe
REUTERS
WASHINGTON – The new U.S. Supreme Court term that begins on Oct. 5 presents opportunities for its two eldest and most conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, to help push U.S. law further rightward on contentious issues such as gun rights, religion in public schools and voting restrictions.
Thomas, 78, has served on the top U.S. judicial body since 1991, making him the second-longest-serving justice in American history. Alito, 76, has served since 2006.
Earlier in their tenures, they often found themselves in dissent in major decisions, but the court, with a 6-3 conservative majority since 2020, has shifted dramatically to the right. Thomas and Alito now are perhaps at the height of their influence and have been lavished with praise by Republican President Donald Trump.
If either were to retire, that would clear the way for Trump to nominate a younger conservative replacement who could serve for decades in the lifetime position. But, at least for now, according to legal experts, they appear more interested in wielding that power than stepping aside.
“They have been waiting for a long time to be in the position,” political science professor Kevin McMahon of Trinity College in Connecticut said of Thomas and Alito. “So why leave?”
During the court's term that ended in June, Thomas and Alito helped deliver long-sought victories to the conservative legal movement. These included a ruling expanding presidential control over regulatory agencies, and a decision further limiting the scope of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 law intended to eliminate racial discrimination in voting.
Thomas and Alito have been Trump's most reliable votes in cases involving his extraordinary exertion of presidential powers. More such cases are coming during the new nine-month term, including two involving
See JUSTICES, Page 4NN
Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, left, and Clarence Thomas now are perhaps at the height of their influence, legal experts say.
KYIV – Ukraine will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries in response to a new policy of air strikes by Moscow designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other cities, but will not target civilians, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine's intelligence services have obtained documents showing that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had issued a “new doctrine” of military attacks on a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of this winter, Zelenskyy said.
“We saw documents and we know that they allow them to attack infrastructure, logistics, and especially to attack in the cities, in the villages, everywhere, roads, schools, hospitals,” Zelenskyy told Reuters in an interview. “To pressure people to leave the capital, leave different cities: this is the goal of the operation.”
Driving the shift in policy, Zelenskyy said, was Putin's desire to appear strong at a time when his military was losing ground in a key frontline region and sustaining higher levels of casualties.
The Kremlin was not available to comment on Oct. 3. But in a statement urging foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would continue to systematically hit targets in what it said were retaliatory strikes for Ukrainian attacks on Russia in recent months.
Zelenskyy said a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, code-named "Vivaldi," had recaptured around 54 square miles of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and was still ongoing. Russia has said it must control Donbas in its entirety as a condition for any peace deal.
In recent weeks, President Donald Trump's administration has sought to revive talks to end the four-year-long conflict – Europe's bloodiest since World War II.
The U.S. leader in September urged Ukraine to refrain from hitting Russian oil installations, saying that was sending global diesel prices surging.
But Zelenskyy, speaking as air raid sirens blared outside the gilded halls of
At least half of the country will end up dry and quiet today, but the Southeast will have quite a bit of wet weather to end the weekend. Rain and thunderstorms will overspread the region, bringing the risk of flash flooding. It will also be humid in the Southeast. In the Southwest, it will be hot and warm in the interior Northwest.
NATIONAL (for the 48 contiguous states) | High: | 107 at Oceanside, CA | Low: | 25 at Stanley, ID | Precip: | 6.52" at Athens, TX | NATIONAL CITIES SUNDAY
INTERNATIONAL (excludes Antarctica) | High: | 109 at Yenbo, Saudi Arabia | Low: | 0 at Mould Bay, Canada | Precip: | 6.52" at Athens, USA | On Oct. 4, 1954, the temperature soared to a record 95 in Norfolk, Va. In Philadelphia, Pa., the day's minimum of 74 degrees was the highest ever for October.
Trump shares senator's phone number in feud over time switch
Bo Erickson
President Donald Trump on Oct. 3 published three Truth Social posts focused on daylight saving time. AARON SCHWARTZ/GETTY IMAGES
REUTERS
DAYTON, OH – President Donald Trump shared online the supposed phone number of a Republican U.S. senator on Oct. 3 in an escalating dispute over making daylight saving time permanent.
In a social media post, the president urged people to call a phone number he said belonged to Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who opposes the
Cotton
Trump-backed Sunshine Protection Act. The act would end the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks by one hour.
Trump says most Americans want more afternoon sunlight, but Cotton has argued the
change would plunge early risers into darkness in winter.
“Everybody in Arkansas, Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Cotton did not directly respond to Trump's statement, but posted on X: "No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter.
“Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.”
When Reuters called the number Trump gave for Cotton, it went directly to a voicemail box that did not identify itself as belonging to the senator.
Supporters of permanent daylight saving time say adjusting clocks disrupts sleep and increases road accidents, while critics argue later winter sunrises would leave children traveling to school and commuters heading to work in the dark.
Trump on Oct. 3 published three Truth Social posts – one in the morning and two in the afternoon – focused on daylight saving time. In a subsequent five-minute session with journalists at the White House, he spent more than half the time talking about the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks by one hour.
Most states have observed the time switch since the 1960s. Clocks this year are slated to switch back to standard time on Nov. 1.
"It discombobulates everybody," Trump said, complaining to reporters that losing afternoon daylight caused lateness for meetings and dinner and made it difficult to play more than 14 holes of golf. He also suggested that more daylight would reduce crime.
“You know who wants it? The farmers want it. You know who wants it? Sports want it,” Trump told reporters before heading to a rally in Ohio.
“Professional sports and amateurs that would like to play tennis at night, would like to play golf a little bit without having to run home after 14 holes.”
Trump, an avid golfer, earlier shared an Oct.1 letter from PGA Tour CEO Brian
Rolapp, writing: “The PGA TOUR, as an example, needs more Daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments.”
After Cotton published his statement, the president responded with a post that framed the matter in political terms.
"Give the Republican Party a Senatorial WIN, for a change! TAKE THE WIN TOM, JUST TAKE THE WIN! YOU NEED IT, AND SO DOES OUR BELOVED REPUBLICAN PARTY!" Trump wrote.
Cotton is running for reelection but his race is not considered competitive, as Trump received more than 64% of the Arkansas vote in the 2024 presidential election.
The House passed the bill in July, but Cotton is not alone in the Senate. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, this past week called the bill “dead as disco” and said he did not think that Senate Majority Leader John Thune would bring the measure for a vote.
The offices of Cotton and Thune did not respond to requests for comment.
1830: Belgium gained its independence, after having been a part of the Netherlands since 1815.
1864: New Orleans Tribune, the first Black daily newspaper, was founded by Dr. Louis C. Roudanez. The newspaper, published in English and French, started as a tri-weekly but soon became an influential daily.
1636: The first legal code in North America was composed by the General Court of the Plymouth Colony. It guaranteed the colony's Pilgrim citizens a trial by jury and stipulated that all laws were to be made with the consent of the freemen of the colony.
1901: The first motorized vacuum cleaner, called the “Puffing Billy,” was patented by British engineer Hubert Cecil Booth. The machine, pulled by a horse, was too big to enter buildings – instead, only its tubes were inserted through the windows.
1926: The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the radio program "Housekeeper's Chats" featuring "Aunt Sammy," sister of Uncle Sam.
1927: Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began working on Mount Rushmore, an iconic American landmark featuring the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln carved into a South Dakota mountainside. The project was completed in October 1941.
1931: American aviator Clyde “Upside-Down” Pangborn became the first person to fly nonstop across the Pacific Ocean, departing from Misawa, Japan, and landing in Wenatchee, Washington.
1954: The first temperature-controlled railway car, developed by the New York Central Railroad, was tested between New York City and Chicago.
1957: The Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 blasted into space, the first man-made object ever to leave the Earth's atmosphere. The satellite's launch marked the beginning of the Space Age – and a race between the United States and the USSR to be the first to reach the moon.
MS NOW专栏作家保罗·沃尔德曼（Paul Waldman）讨论“2026年竞选及本周政治新闻”。Newsmax电台主持人托德·斯塔恩斯（Todd Starnes）讨论其著作《黄金时代：特朗普如何拯救美国》（The Golden Age: How Trump Saved America）。
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[SUNDAY TALK SHOWS] Washington Journal (C-SPAN)
MS NOW columnist Paul Waldman discusses “campaign 2026 and political news of the week.” Newsmax radio host Todd Starnes discusses his book “The Golden Age: How Trump Saved America.”
An interview with Lina Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission. ABC's Martha Raddatz speaks to veterans in Virginia Beach, Virginia, "where a key race could determine control of the House." A political roundtable with Republican former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Michelle Cottle, national political writer and domestic correspondent for the New York Times Opinion Section; former RNC Communications Director Doug Heye; and former DNC Chair Donna Brazile.
Interviews with U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche; Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito; and Daniel Grand, plaintiff in a Supreme Court religious freedom case. A discussion with Tom Dupree, former principal deputy assistant U.S. attorney general, and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley. A political roundtable with former George W. Bush White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and Fox News senior political analyst Juan Williams.
The court's docket also includes Nov. 3 arguments in a challenge to a Colorado law requiring preschools receiving taxpayer money to enroll children of same-sex couples, the latest clash between religious rights and LGBTQ+ protections to reach the justices.
The justices also may take up a case examining whether a Texas law that requires public elementary and high schools to display the biblical Ten Commandments in classrooms comports with the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on the government establishing or endorsing any particular religion or promoting religion over nonreligion.
On Dec. 2, the court will hear arguments over whether states can ban AR-15s and other semiautomatic rifles, an opportunity for the conservative justices to further expand gun rights. Thomas and Alito have been instrumental in major guns rulings since 2008.
On Dec. 8, the court will consider whether Arizona can mandate that people registering to vote provide proof of citizenship, a GOP-backed measure critics have called an effort to make it harder for groups who tend to support Democratic candidates to register.
Legal experts said these cases give Thomas and Alito chances to build on some of their most influential earlier rulings and target more Supreme Court precedents they consider misguided.
“They have more they want to accomplish, and I expect them to keep pushing on a host of issues,” McMahon said, adding that they even may envision themselves serving as a check on a potential future Democratic president beginning in 2029.
"They're still in their 70s," McMahon said. "And for a Supreme Court justice, it's not unprecedented that you stay on the bench well into your 80s."
Thomas and Alito backed every major Trump administration policy that came before the court last term, unlike the three conservative justices Trump appointed during his first term – Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Those three all have compiled very conservative records as justices but in a few major cases sided against Trump.
Trump told Time magazine this past week he regretted nominating all three, calling them disloyal.
Thomas and Alito, on the other hand, are “legends, both,” Trump said in September.
“Alito and Thomas are the two who have figured out how to never get into Trump’s doghouse,” said University of Minnesota political science professor Timothy Johnson.
Alito rejected the notion that he is a rubber stamp for Trump and his administration, telling the Wall Street Journal in August: “I vote in every case the way I think the case should be decided. If that means a high correlation with what Trump wants, fine. If it means zero correlation with what Trump wants, fine as well.”
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State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash (CNN)
Interviews with Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, and Thomas Giuffra, the attorney representing a woman who has filed a civil lawsuit alleging several men raped her at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024. A political roundtable with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-New York; Jamal Simmons, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris; Scott Jennings, former special assistant for political affairs to President George W. Bush; and former DNC Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa.
Interviews with Democratic former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana. NBC News chief data analyst Steve Kornacki discusses a NBC News/Telemundo poll of Latino voters. A political roundtable with Ashley Etienne, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris; Republican strategist Matt Gorman; Politico senior political columnist Jonathan Martin; and Noticias Telemundo anchor Julio Vaqueiro.
Interviews with Energy Secretary Chris Wright; Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona; Brett McGurk, former National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East; and Zack Lahn, Republican nominee for Iowa governor. CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford discusses the start of the new Supreme Court term. Anthony Salvanto, executive director of Elections and Surveys at CBS News, discusses new polling.
Reuters
1958: The first trans-Atlantic passenger jet service was established by British Overseas Airways Corporation, flying from Heathrow Airport in London to Idlewild (now John F. Kennedy International Airport) in New York.
1959: USSR probe Luna 3 took the first photographs of the far side of the moon, leading to new discoveries about lunar geology.
1965: Pope Paul VI arrived in New York City on a mission to address the United Nations, becoming the first pope to visit the United States.
1976: Barbara Walters became the first female coanchor of the evening news, starting a three-year tenure on "ABC Evening News."
1992: An Israeli El Al airline Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed into an apartment building in the outskirts of Amsterdam, killing 43 people and injuring 26.
2006: WikiLeaks, an international nonprofit organization that published secret information, news leaks and highly classified material – including U.S. military field reports from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – from anonymous sources, was launched in Iceland by Australian computer hacker-turned-activist Julian Assange.
比尔·贾尔斯（Bill Giles），92岁，费城费城人队（Philadelphia Phillies）的资深高管，于9月25日逝世。他被认为构思了“费城人吉祥物”（Phillie Phanatic），并主导了退伍军人体育场（Veterans Stadium）和公民银行球场（Citizens Bank Park）的建设。贾尔斯从1969年起成为费城人队前台的关键人物，从业务运营主管升至执行副总裁，并在1981年组织了一个购买该球队的团体，在此之后他担任总裁直至1997年，随后担任董事长。贾尔斯在2001年被任命为国家联盟名誉主席，并曾在主导引入跨联盟比赛和外卡赛的MLB委员会中任职。
丹尼斯·哈斯金斯（Dennis Haskins），75岁，以在青少年情景喜剧《拯救由铃》（Saved by the Bell）中饰演可爱的校长理查德·贝尔丁（Richard Belding）而闻名的演员，于9月27日逝世。哈斯金斯成为了一个极具辨识度的电视形象，饰演海滨高中那位心肠好但经常被扎克·莫里斯（Zack Morris，马克-保罗·戈塞拉饰演）及其朋友们的计划搞得啼笑皆非的校长。哈斯金斯在《拯救由铃》播出的四个季度（从1989年到1993年）中担任主演，随后在《拯救由铃：新班级》（Saved by the Bell: The New Class）中再次饰演该角色，该剧从1993年到2000年共播出了七季。除了《拯救由铃》，哈斯金斯还积累了长长的电视作品名单，包括出演《哈扎德郡》（The Dukes of Hazzard）、《西翼》（The West Wing）、《如何遇见我的母亲》（How I Met Your Mother）、《第七天堂》（7th Heaven）、《广告狂人》（Mad Men）和《克利夫兰的热情》（Hot in Cleveland）。
安吉拉·斯特里布林（Angela Stribling），58岁，前BET节目主持人及电台主持人，在与脑癌抗争后于9月26日逝世。斯特里布林的丈夫肯·华盛顿（Ken Washington）在她账号的一个Instagram帖子中，以及在发给她长期合作的华盛顿特区电台WHUR 96.3 FM的一份声明中分享了这一消息。2020年，她出演了《波托马克真实主妇》（The Real Housewives of Potomac）第五季。在职业生涯早期，这位爵士歌手在1990年代主持了BET的娱乐新闻节目《屏幕场景》（Screen Scene），并通过主持《爵士中心》（Jazz Central）和其他节目开创了该网络对爵士乐的报道。
USA TODAY Network 和路透社
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RECENT DEATHS
Frank Busch, 75, a legendary swimming coach, died Sept. 27. Busch spent the bulk of his career with USA Swimming and the University of Arizona. Busch was Arizona's head swimming coach from 1989 to 2011 and led both the Wildcat men's and women's teams to a national championship in 2008. His swimmers won 49 NCAA individual titles and 31 NCAA relay titles. He earned NCAA Coach of the Year honors six times and was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year 11 times. Busch also served on the Team USA coaching staff for the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games. In 2011, he became national team director for USA Swimming right before the 2012 London Olympics, where he helped coach American swimming icons Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky.
Bill Giles, 92, a longtime Philadelphia Phillies executive, died Sept. 25. He is credited with conceptualizing the Phillie Phanatic and spearheading the construction of both Veterans Stadium and Citizens Bank Park. Giles was a key figure in the Phillies' front office beginning in 1969, rising from business operations head to executive vice president and, in 1981, organizing a group that purchased the franchise, under which he served as president until 1997 and then chairman. Giles was named honorary National League president in 2001 and served on MLB committees that spear-headed the introduction of interleague play and the wild card.
Dennis Haskins, 75, the actor best known for playing lovable principal Richard Belding on the teen sitcom "Saved by the Bell," died Sept. 27. Haskins became an instantly recognizable TV presence as Bayside High's well-meaning principal who was frequently comically exasperated by the schemes of Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and his friends. Haskins starred on "Saved by the Bell" through the show's four-season run, from 1989 to 1993, and later reprised the role for "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," which ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000. Along with " Saved by the Bell," Haskins amassed a long list of TV credits, including appearances on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “The West Wing,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “7th Heaven,” “Mad Men” and “Hot in Cleveland.”
Gordon Johncock, 90, a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, died Sept. 28 in his South Branch, Michigan, home. Johncock won the Indy 500 in 1973 and 1982. He was not one to be in the light often. After his second retirement from racing, he owned Quigley Lumber, a Michigan business where he cut and sold timber. Johncock was inducted into the IMS Museum Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2002. He won 25 races, 20 poles and the 1976 IndyCar (then USAC) championship.
Esther Rantzen, 86, a British television presenter on the show “That’s Life!,” died Sept. 30. Diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in her early 80s, Rantzen returned to the media spotlight in 2023 to lend her support to the assisted dying movement. With Rantzen at the helm, “That’s Life!” was credited with helping to make car seat belts compulsory for children, bringing in safer surfaces to replace concrete in playgrounds, and encouraging more people to sign up for organ donation. Rantzen's show shone a spotlight on issues like stillbirth, addiction and mental health, at a time when they were not frequently discussed. In 1986, she founded Chil-dline, a free, confidential helpline for children and young people in distress.
Angela Stribling, 58, a former host of BET shows and radio personality, died Sept. 26 after a battle with brain cancer. Stribling's husband, Ken Washington, shared the news in an Instagram post on her account and in a statement to her longtime Washington, DC, radio station, WHUR 96.3 FM. In 2020, she appeared on Season 5 of "The Real Housewives of Potomac." Earlier in her career, the jazz singer hosted BET's entertainment news show "Screen Scene" in the 1990s and pioneered the network's jazz coverage by hosting "Jazz Central" and other programs.
[NEWS IN BRIEF] U.S. Coast Guard searches for missing medical plane carrying 6
A medical transfer aircraft carrying six people was reported missing on a flight from Bermuda to Boston, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Oct. 3.
The Federal Aviation Administration told the Coast Guard early on Oct. 3 that it had lost contact with the plane, a Gulfstream jet, a Coast Guard spokesperson said by email.
Four Canadians are on the plane, Canadian Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon said on X.
The aircraft, registered to Latitude Air Ambulance, departed Bermuda at 12:41 a.m. local time, according to data from flight tracking website FlightAware. The plane was flying at 24,000 feet for much of the flight before descending 13,000 feet in about two minutes shortly before flight controllers lost contact, data showed.
Latitude is based in Ontario, Canada, and provides medical evacuation services. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Coast Guard said it dispatched air and surface crews to search for the plane near Nantucket, an island community south of mainland Massachusetts.
巴黎警察局长帕特里斯·福尔（Patrice Faure）在 10 月 6 日计划重启抗议活动前于 X 上发表的一封公开信中表示，发起这场运动的人已不再能控制它，并呼吁学生放弃封锁学校和动乱，转而采取和平的抗议形式。
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Paris police chief says student protests now 'out of control'
PARIS – The student protest movement that has spread across France is now “out of control,” the Paris police chief said Oct. 3, urging demonstrators to return to peaceful action and warning that authorities would respond firmly to violence and vandalism.
Riot police clashed with high school students across France on Oct. 2 and unions called for teachers to strike as President Emmanuel Macron's government battled to contain increasingly violent protests over classroom conditions and funding.
Since Sept. 28, around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested nationwide and dozens injured.
Paris police chief Patrice Faure, in an open letter published on X ahead of planned renewed protests from Oct. 6, said those who had launched the movement no longer controlled it and called on students to abandon school blockades and unrest in favor of peaceful forms of protest.
Latvian PM's party strongly ahead in election, exit poll shows
RIGA, Latvia – Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' centrist, pro-Ukraine United List party was seen winning a parliamentary election on Oct. 3 by an unexpectedly wide margin, exit polls showed, with many voters on edge amid warnings of potential Russian aggression.
An exit poll by Latvian public broadcaster LSM showed United List winning 35.6% of votes, followed by the populist, MAGA-style Latvia First at 11.3%. Latvia First had courted the country's substantial ethnic Russian minority in the run-up to the vote.
Baltic countries have warned for months that Russia is mounting sabotage, cyber and other hybrid attacks across Europe to erode support for Ukraine and sow fear.
Russia says such accusations are baseless.
Reacting to the exit poll reading, Kulbergs said he hoped to remain prime minister, but said he would not want to govern with Latvia First. If exit polls were confirmed by official results, he would still need coalition allies to form a government.
the presidential offices, said he had received no indications from Russia that Putin was interested in peace talks, or discussing a ceasefire on energy infrastructure.
Over the past week, the Ukrainian capital has come under persistent attack by Russian drones and missiles targeting energy and telecoms assets, roads and rail infrastructure. For the first time, Russia has targeted the bridges across the Dnipro River connecting east and west Kyiv.
A firefighter works at the site of houses hit by a Russian air strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 2. SOFIIA GATILOVA/REUTERS
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would react to the change in tactics by Moscow, but would not target civilian infrastructure indiscriminately.
"We have to respond in any way [we can]. With their attacks on our energy, we have to respond on their energy. First of all, oil refiners etc: what gives money to them for this war," Zelenskyy said in English. "But we will not respond, of course, just like them, on any civilian objects."
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Ethiopian government forces retake airport in Tigray's capital
Ethiopia's federal military has recaptured the main airport in the capital of the northern Tigray region, three sources said on Oct. 3, dealing a major setback to an opposition alliance in its stronghold.
Clashes pitting a rebel alliance led by Tigray's ruling party against the government and its allied forces broke out in northern Ethiopia in late September, in the most serious escalation of violence since a 2020-2022 civil war. The fighting has stoked fears that it could escalate into a wider regional conflict.
Troops from the Ethiopian National Defense Force had regained control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Tigray's capital, Mekelle, one source with knowledge of events in the city and a humanitarian source told Reuters.
A third source, a Mekelle resident who asked not to be named for security reasons, confirmed the taking of the airport by government forces and added they could hear gunfire outside the city center.
近期出版的名为《六十年代的复仇》（Revenge for the Sixties）的阿利托传记作者彼得·卡内洛斯（Peter Canellos）表示，阿利托在法院保守派的讨论中拥有很大影响力。
“目前最高法院的许多行动是保守派与保守派之间的较量，”卡内洛斯说。“这完全是保守派内部的讨论。”
卡内洛斯表示，阿利托的影响力在“多布斯诉杰克逊妇女健康组织案”（Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization）中得到了凸显，这或许是他撰写的最重要的裁决。该裁决推翻了 1973 年“罗诉韦德案”（Roe v. Wade）的先例，而后者承认了女性拥有宪法赋予的堕胎权。
将于 11 月审理的名为“圣玛丽天主教教区诉罗伊案”（St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy）的宗教自由案件，给了阿利托和其他保守派大法官一个质疑 1990 年先例（即“就业部诉史密斯案”，Employment Division v. Smith）的机会。
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Abortion rights
Alito has a lot of influence in conversations among the court's conservatives, said Peter Canellos, author of a recent Alito biography titled “Revenge for the Sixties.”
"A lot of the action on the Supreme Court right now is conservative on conservative," Canellos said. "It's entirely a discussion among conservatives."
Canellos said Alito's influence was highlighted by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, perhaps the most important ruling he has authored. It overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent that had recognized a woman's constitutional right to have an abortion.
Chief Justice John Roberts, a stalwart conservative, dissented from the portion of Alito's ruling that reversed Roe.
"I think over the years Alito has thought of himself as an instrumental justice," Canellos said. "You can see in many cases, Dobbs included, that his key ability is to bring the three Trump appointees to his side, rather than Chief Justice Roberts' side, when the two of them disagree."
Alito has long criticized a 1990 Supreme Court precedent that limits the ability of people to seek religious exemptions from generally applicable laws. Religious rights advocates have said that ruling infringes on First Amendment protections for free exercise of religion. The 1990 ruling specifically held that the First Amendment does not protect people who participate in illegal acts – in that case, the use of an illegal hallucinogenic drug – as part of a religious ceremony.
The religious freedom case being argued in November, called St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, gives Alito and the other conservative justices a chance to cast doubt on the 1990 precedent, known as Employment Division v. Smith.
The case involving state-level bans on assault-style rifles may give Thomas a chance to clarify a test he laid out in one of his most impactful rulings, a 2022 case called New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
Under this test, gun control measures must be “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation” – not simply advance an important government interest – in order to comply with the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Some judges have said this wording does not provide clear guidance, producing inconsistent results.
“He has clearly expressed frustration that his colleagues have dodged reviews of assault-weapon prohibitions, making these consolidated challenges from Connecticut and Illinois a long-sought vehicle to establish a nationwide constitutional rule that includes these specific guns,” Johnson said of Thomas.
Thomas has not addressed retirement rumors, but in the past has hinted at a lengthy tenure.
McMahon said Thomas may want to become the longest-serving justice, a milestone he would reach in May 2028.
"If you're that close, and you have the setup that he has, why not continue?" McMahon asked.
Trump has said many times the conflict would soon be over, but as it persisted for longer than initially expected, the Navy turned to the George Washington to relieve another carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln.
In August, in response to reports of deteriorating conditions, low morale and suicide attempts on the Lincoln, at sea since November 2025, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the accounts “misrepresented” the reality, praising sailors who endure austere conditions.
Still, extended deployments can pose enormous strain on crews' mental health, particularly in wartime, and are a challenge for any navy. Sailors must maintain a state of alert and readiness, heightened in the case of the George Washington due to the threat of drone and missile attack from Iran.
“Morale is really important to us,” said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Heames, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 5. Heames talked about ensuring the ability of the crew to contact home and receive mail.
"Some of those things affect how sailors hold up out in this kind of environment," Heames said. "They are huge focus areas for me."
Reuters spoke with Seaman Deandre Cook as he checked in with his wife back home on a video call. She was holding one of their young daughters on her hip. It was hard being away from his family, Cook said, but added: "The distance makes the relationship stronger."
Reuters was given access to the USS George Washington under the condition that no operational details would be disclosed, including the exact location of the aircraft carrier.
As jets thundered off the carrier's deck above them, hundreds of members of the George Washington's crew gathered for a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks – an event many of them were too young to remember.
Al-Qaida's attacks on New York and Washington propelled the United States into two decades of war that sent troops to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. Many supporters of Trump had hoped Middle East wars were a thing of the past.
After a sailor sang the national anthem, the chaplain on board, Ben Garrett, delivered a prayer as the assembled crew bowed their heads.
“Help us honor those who have gone before us,” Garrett said.
Garrett later told Reuters that many of the crew members are still learning the basics of growing up, including skills like patience, managing relationships and career expectations.
"A huge percentage of this ship are between the ages of 19 and 24 years old," said Garrett, a Roman Catholic priest. "So they're trying to figure out being an adult while they're out here."
Sometimes sailors enlist to get away from a small town or a situation back home, Garrett added.
“But then they come here and they realize that some of the things they might have been trying to get away from, they brought it with them,” Garrett said.
Lt. Cmdr. Brian Lasley said there were more people on the George Washington than back in his hometown of Fredericktown, Missouri, whose population was 4,429 in the 2020 census.
Camren Pollard, 24, an interior communications electrician third class, said he joined the Navy on a spur-of-the-moment decision after seeing older coworkers unhappy in his previous job. “I wanted to change things in my life,” he said.
"My mom freaked out more than anything. My little brother thought it was kind of cool." For Pollard, however, "I don't think about it a whole lot. It's work for me."
U.S. Navy sailors aboard an MV-22 Osprey travel to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington in the Arabian Sea on Sept. 11.
Deandre Cook of Brownsboro, Texas, speaks with his wife and daughters by video call. "The distance makes the relationship stronger," Cook said.
Camren Pollard, 24, an interior communications electrician third class, sits watch during night operations on Sept. 13.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Guardians on Oct. 3 in Cleveland. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen reacts in the first inning against the New York Yankees on Oct. 3 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves on Oct. 3 in Los Angeles. The Brewers' William Contreras hits a solo home run during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres on Oct. 3 in Milwaukee. PHOTOS BY IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS CONNECT
White Sox 3, Guardians 0: Munetaka Murakami belted a two-run homer off All-Star Parker Messick and five pitchers combined on a three-hitter as Chicago beat Cleveland in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday afternoon.
Rays 1, Yankees 0: Drew Rasmussen did not allow a hit through $7 \frac{1}{3}$ scoreless innings and Jonathan Aranda belted a solo homer, lifting Tampa Bay to a victory over New York in Game 1 of the ALDS in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Dodgers 5, Braves 3: Tarik Skubal dominated over six innings, three home runs powered the offense and Los Angeles opened the NLDS with a victory over visiting Atlanta. Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep for the Dodgers. Brewers 3, Padres 2: William Contreras homered with two outs in the seventh inning for the go-ahead run to lift Milwaukee to a comeback victory over San Diego in a battle of the bullpens in the opener of their NLDS.
The NFL trade deadline is still six weeks away, set to expire at 4 p.m. ET Nov. 10.
But Monday's trade of quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings to New York Giants and Wednesday's deal that sent Joey Porter Jr. from the Steelers to the Cowboys were the latest reminders that we're in an era when general managers, coaches and personnel executives tend to be more enterprising about executing deals – whether to improve their rosters in the short or long term – and are more willing to part with precious capital in order to pry a targeted player loose.
Last year, the New York Jets unloaded two of their rare star players, CB Sauce Gardner and DL Quinnen Williams at the deadline and recouped three first-round picks and a second-rounder. In 2022, there were a record 10 deals on deadline day alone.
In recent years, premier players like WR Davante Adams and RB Christian
Titans running back Tony Pollard caries against the Giants on Sept. 27.
YANNICK PETERHANS/NORTHJERSEY.COM
McCaffrey have been moved weeks ahead of the deadline. And, heck, it's only been four months since the Los Angeles Rams acquired Myles Garrett,
上图为四分卫 CJ Carr，他在周六下午北卡罗来纳州查佩尔希尔的雨天比赛中，通过传球获得四个达阵，并通过跑球获得另一个达阵，帮助排名第三的圣母大学以 37-26 击败北卡罗来纳大学。TOP 25 综述，3NS BOB DONNAN / IMAGN IMAGES
NFL
笔记本
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Carr propels Irish to win
Quarterback CJ Carr, above, threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as No. 3 Notre Dame beat North Carolina 37-26 in rainy conditions Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C. TOP 25 ROUNDUP, 3NS BOB DONNAN/IMAGN IMAGES
Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent (17) passes against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20 in Chicago. MATT MARTON/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent is expected to start Sunday's game against the visiting New York Jets, multiple outlets reported on Saturday.
Bagent took the majority of the first-team reps at practice this week. He gets the nod over Case Keenum, who passed for 247 yards and accounted for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in Monday night's 27-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles after Bagent spent much of the previous week in concussion protocol.
Bagent was injured late in the fourth quarter of Chicago's 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20. He came on in relief of Caleb Williams, who sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain in that game.
Williams has been ruled out for the Bears (2-1) on Sunday against the Jets (1-2).
Bagent earned the No. 2 role in training camp but said earlier this week he was not pushing to unseat Keenum, who was given a game ball Monday night.
"There's a couple ways to think about it. Obviously, I would like everything that the football world can offer me. But then there's also the part that I am from Shepherd University, so I have absolutely zero ego in this and nobody is a bigger cheerleader and a fan of Case Keenum than I am," Bagent said. "I think he is the epitome of what I believe a quarterback is and is supposed to be. So it was fun to watch him play."
Asked on Friday, Bears head coach Ben Johnson did not reveal his QB1 plans. “We’ll find out on Sunday,” he said. “I know both of them are well prepared to play and win a game for us.”
Bagent, 26, last started an NFL game during the 2023 season. He went 2-2 in place of former Bears quarterback Justin Fields. In 13 career games, Bagent has completed 65.8% of his passes for 971 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions.
据《费城询问者报》报道，费城老鹰队外接手 DeVonta Smith 预计将因腿后腱受伤缺席多场比赛。
27岁的 Smith 此前在训练营期间曾因该伤势缺席，但他能够参加赛季前三场比赛，接球 19 次，获得 235 码和 1 个达阵。然而，由于再次受到该伤势困扰，他没有参加本周的训练，老鹰队将其列为周日主场对阵洛杉矶公羊队第四周比赛的缺阵名单。
《询问者报》报道称，Smith 可能因伤缺席 2 到 3 场比赛。
由于 Marquise Brown 已因脚踝受伤而无法上场，Dontayvion Wicks 预计将在对阵公羊队的比赛中担任球队的头号接球手。
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Report: Eagles WR Smith to miss multiple games
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is expected to miss multiple games with a hamstring injury, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The 27-year-old Smith missed time in training camp due to the injury, but he was able to suit up for the first three games of the season, reeling in 19 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown. He did not participate in practice this week, however, as he dealt with the injury once again, and the Eagles listed him as out for their Week 4 home contest Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Inquirer reported that Smith could miss two to three games with the injury.
With Marquise Brown already sidelined by an ankle injury, Dontayvion Wicks is expected to serve as the team's top receiver against the Rams.
The Indianapolis Colts ruled out Keenan Allen for Sunday's game in London against the Washington Commanders and elevated fellow wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine from the practice squad.
Allen, 34, was downgraded from questionable as he nurses a groin injury.
He has 13 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown this season for the Colts (1-2) after signing a one-year contract on Aug. 18.
A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Allen has 1,068 career receptions for 12,151 receiving yards and 71 touchdowns in 174 games with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2013-23, 2025), Chicago Bears (2024) and Colts.
Westbrook-Ikhine, 29, also was elevated from the practice squad to play in last Sunday's 19-17 victory over the Houston Texans.
The Carolina Panthers placed wide receiver Xavier Legette on injured reserve due to a knee injury.
He is set to miss at least the next four weeks.
In Week 2, the 25-year-old reeled in a 55-yard reception against the Atlanta Falcons but sustained a knee injury on the play. He sat out of the team's Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Legette was a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Across his first two seasons, he recorded 924 yards and seven touchdowns in 33 games (25 starts).
The Panthers' receiving group could look thin on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Leading receiver Jalen Coker (quadriceps) is listed as questionable.
On Saturday, the team also promoted wide receiver Ja'seem Reed from the practice squad. Reed went undrafted in 2025 out of San Diego and is in line to potentially make his NFL debut.
Seahawks place RB Price (chest) on injured reserve
The Seattle Seahawks placed rookie running back Jadarian Price on injured reserve with a chest injury.
Price had already been ruled out for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Chargers; now, he will miss at least the next four games.
Price, a first-round selection by the Seahawks out of Notre Dame in this year's draft, suffered the injury in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said this week that Price aggravated the injury during practice Wednesday.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers elevated Easton Stick off the practice squad to be their backup quarterback for Sunday's home game against the Green Bay Packers.
Stick will serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie from Kansas making his first career start. Regular starter Baker Mayfield is sidelined with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
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arguably the league's most dominant player when he's healthy, from the Cleveland Browns.
As the calendar flips to October, more moves are coming – bank on that. What we don't know yet is what additional injuries will arise that might necessitate the next deal.
It's also currently unclear which GMs will shift into sell mode given the wide array of outcomes that could materialize over the next six weeks – when, perhaps, the Las Vegas Raiders might tail off and then consider trading QB Kirk Cousins or WR Tre Tucker, for example.
Furthermore, this could be a year when normally aggressive teams might think twice and/or teams willing to move players might have to lower their asking price or defer the compensation. Why? Because there's likely to be a pervasive reluctance to surrender high-end draft assets ahead of what's expected to be a bumper crop of incoming college players in 2027.
Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens, left, catches the ball against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) and safety Jaylinn Hawkins on Sept. 27 in Rio De Janeiro. KIRBY LEE/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
Here are some top targets who should be on teams' acquisitional radars in the coming weeks:
\- Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens: This is probably going to be a difficult year to find a legitimate impact player in midstream. But, if the Cowboys' season goes seriously south in the immediate future, Pickens is that kind of talent.
He had 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine TDs last season, Jerry Jones wasn't willing to lock him into a long-term deal.
\- Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: It's not working right now for the Cards and the fourth overall pick of the 2024 draft. Harrison is currently no better than the fifth option on this offense, collecting just four catches (on nine targets) through three weeks.
And the three-year, \$75 million extension recently signed by Michael Wilson was a clear signal the organization considers him their WR1 – the numbers already suggesting as much in 2025.
Certainly several teams would likely find MHJ's talent tantalizing given how highly regarded he was going into the '24 draft, not to mention his Hall of Fame bloodlines.
\- Arizona Cardinals OLB Josh Sweat: He can set an edge effectively and hunt passers, whether deployed in three- or four-man fronts. Sweat made a case to the MVP of Super Bowl 60 for the Eagles after collecting $2 \frac{1}{2}$ sacks of Patrick Mahomes in Philly's blowout of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 6-5, 265-pounder is now in the second season of a four-year, \$76.4 million deal with the struggling Cardinals but has no guaranteed money beyond this season. He could be the final piece for a team looking to put a cherry on top of a championship-caliber defense.
\- Los Angeles Chargers OLB Khalil Mack: Even at 35, the nine-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year remains a force in this league – and one who's in the year-to-year portion of his career, unsigned for 2027. And given his age, he might not cost as much to obtain as a player like Sweat – particularly for a team that might merely be all in for the short run only.
Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt:
No way you say? Yes, admittedly, exporting a superstar at the trade deadline
– and effectively waving the white flag on a season – would be far from a typical Steelers move.
But look more closely. Watt will turn 32 on Oct. 11. Pittsburgh has already extended Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, both much younger pass rushers than Watt. And, if the Steelers fall off the playoff pace they need to have an eye on 2027 and the likelihood that it could be rebuild territory.
\- Tennessee Titans RB Tony Pollard: Now in the walk year of his contract – and a time when the Titans clearly aren't going anywhere – he's working on a fifth straight season with more than 1,000 yards rushing and has averaged 42 receptions over the previous four years. A pretty good dual threat weapon and one only owed the prorated amount of his \$6.7 million base salary this season.
\- Indianapolis Colts DT DeForest Buckner: The 32-year-old remains one of the league's premier interior disruptors. He's also headed for free agency in 2027 and plays for a team light on draft assets next year in the wake of the 2025 trade for Gardner. And if the Colts go down the tubes and are compelled to clean house early?
\- Cleveland Browns WR Jerry Jeudy: He signed a three-year, \$52.5 million extension two years ago and responded with his first Pro Bowl season in 2024.
But Jeudy's production essentially fell by $50\%$ in 2025 (50 catches, 602 yards, 2 TDs) amid the team's unsettled QB situation, and he's only caught two of five targets so far this year – when the Browns also chose wideouts in the first (KC Concepcion Jr.) and second (Denzel Boston) rounds of the draft.
\- Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin: The veteran receiver, whose contract comes with an unusual team option for 2027, could be optimal for a team seeking depth or a WR2 down the stretch – think the San Francisco 49ers, for example, where a reunion with Mike Evans might also make sense given the injury issues that team is currently facing.
And in light of the present circumstances for the winless Bucs, who have a young group of receivers on the way up anyway? Just sayin'.
\- Tampa Bay Buccaneers DL Vita Vea: Another player, one who's 31 and got a Band-Aid addendum to his contract as opposed to a meaningful extension after a summer standoff, who could make a much bigger impact for another team than he probably will for the winless Bucs this year.
\- Arizona Cardinals QB Gardner Minshew II, Atlanta Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa: Kinda the same guys in some respects – experienced starters with Pro Bowl bona fides but currently in backup roles and on one-year pacts for teams that will very likely be targeting a new quarterback in next year's draft.
Either could be an ideal alternative for a team that might suddenly find itself in a quarterback crisis, though one that only requires a steady hand to steady the ship for a month or so.
And if McCarthy, a former first-round pick with upside, only cost a fifth-rounder, the price would theoretically be more than right for Minshew or Tagovailoa.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton passes against Vanderbilt on Oct. 3 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. DALE ZANINE/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
CJ Carr threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as No. 3 Notre Dame beat North Carolina 37-26 in rainy conditions Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Jordan Faison caught two touchdown passes as part of an eight-catch, 132-yard receiving effort for the Fighting Irish (5-0).
Carr completed 21 of 29 passes for 234 yards. Jonaz Walton rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries.
Billy Edwards Jr. threw for three touchdowns, two interceptions and 208 yards for the Tar Heels (2-2), who were held to 285 yards of total offense. Jordan Shipp had 109 receiving yards on seven catches.
Carr's 3-yard scoring run on fourth down to end a 17-play drive which took 9:10 off the clock and stretched Notre Dame's lead to 27-20 in the third quarter, but a two-point conversion run failed. The Irish converted on a trio of fourth downs on the march.
Gunner Stockton completed 25 of 32 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) to a victory over the Commodores (3-2, 0-2).
Stockton connected with 10 receivers, including Dwight Phillips Jr., who had five catches for 75 yards and a score for Georgia, which has won all its games by at least 24 points.
Vanderbilt was without freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, who was scratched before the game with an undisclosed injury. Curtis, one of the top QB recruits in the 2026 high school class, flipped his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt in December.
In his place, Blaze Berlowitz completed 12 of 23 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown. Junior Sherrill posted seven receptions for 107 yards and a score for the Commodores, who dropped their second straight.
Leading by seven at halftime, Georgia had its first possession of the second half aided by a fortuitous bounce on a 43-yard Lawson Luckie catch off a deflection. Stockton hit Elyiss Williams for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 8:21 remaining in the third to make it 28-14.
Damon Wilson II 以 2 1 / 2 次擒杀领跑飓风队的冲传。Ahmad Mo- ten 在第三节还剩 1:41 时迫使 Reynolds 掉球，该球由 Herbert Scroggins 捡回，随后 Jake Weinberg 踢进一个 24 码射门，使飓风队在第四节初领先 27-6。
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No. 4 Miami 41, Clemson 13
Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for two touchdowns and Darian Mensah passed for a touchdown and ran for another to lead the Hurricanes (5-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to a win over the host Tigers (3-2, 2-1).
Miami moved into sole possession of first place in the conference while beating Clemson on its home field for the first time since 2010.
It was Miami's second-largest margin of victory against Clemson and largest since a 39-7 win in 1953.
Miami's defense recorded six sacks, including five in the first half, against Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds. Reynolds completed 29 of 44 passes for 295 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, which resulted in a 39-yard pick-six by Miami's JJ Dunnigan to close the scoring.
Damon Wilson II led the Hurricanes' pass rush with 2 1/2 sacks. Ahmad Mo- ten forced a Reynolds fumble with 1:41 left in the third, which was recovered by Herbert Scroggins and led to a Jake Weinberg 24-yard field goal to put the Hurricanes ahead 27-6 early in the fourth.
拉特格斯队的AJ·苏拉塞（AJ Surace）在半场结束前接替四分卫迪伦·洛纳根（Dylan Lonergan），后者在一次四分卫潜入尝试中显然受伤了。苏拉塞是绯红骑士队更有效的传球手，传球128码，并给本·布莱克三世（Ben Black III）传了一次53码的达阵。
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No. 5 Indiana 47, Rutgers 15
Josh Hoover was 20-for-27 passing for 251 yards and four touchdowns, Turbo Richard racked up a career-high 204 yards and a score on the ground and the Hoosiers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) thrashed the host Scarlet Knights (1-4, 0-2) in Piscataway, N.J.
Indiana extended the nation's longest winning streak to 21 games. The Hoosiers rolled up 593 total yards and 329 rushing yards compared to Rutgers' 254 and 59, respectively.
Lee Beebe Jr. had a big second half to finish with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown, Charlie Becker made eight catches for 107 yards and two TDs, and fellow wideout Nick Marsh added seven receptions for 120 and one score. Indiana became the first Big Ten team with two 100-yard rushers and two 100-yard receivers in one game since 1995.
Rutgers' AJ Surace relieved Dylan Lonergan at quarterback before halftime, with Lonergan apparently injured on a
QB sneak attempt. Surace was the more effective passer for the Scarlet Knights, with 128 yards and a 53-yard touchdown to Ben Black III.
Jeremiah Smith set two more school records and strengthened his Heisman Trophy candidacy when the Buckeyes (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) earned a victory over the Hawkeyes (4-1, 1-1) in Iowa City.
Smith, a junior, made his 36th career touchdown catch in the third quarter to surpass Chris Olave's school record and give Ohio State a 24-6 lead.
On Ohio State's next drive, Smith's 10th catch of the game was his 206th for the Buckeyes to move one ahead of former record-holder Emeka Egbuka.
Smith finished with 11 catches for 206 yards and struck the Heisman pose in the end zone after his second score against overmatched Iowa. In the past two games, Smith has compiled 23 catches for 423 yards and six scores.
密西西比州立队四分卫卡马里奥·泰勒（Kamario Taylor）19 of 34 次传球命中，传球258码并贡献三个达阵，但同时也出现了两次被截球，这与他本赛季前四场比赛的总和持平。斗牛犬队在面对深红潮队的比赛中已遭遇17连败。
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No. 7 Alabama 56, No. 16 Mississippi State 23
Keelon Russell totaled four touchdowns and Alabama's defense forced four turnovers which allowed the Crimson Tide (5-0, 2-0 SEC) to roll past the Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1) in Starkville, Miss.
Russell threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns and ran for one more. Rico Scott had 56 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Lotzeir Brooks added 96 receiving yards and Trae'shawn Brown produced 66 rushing yards and two TDs for Alabama, which is 5-0 for the first time in Kalen DeBoer's three seasons.
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor completed 19 of 34 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns but also threw two interceptions, matching his total in the first four games of the season combined for the Bulldogs, who have lost 17 straight games against the Crimson Tide.
Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, Jamal Roberts ran for 211 yards and three scores, and the Tigers' defense shut down star running back Jadan Baugh in a victory over the Gators (4-1, 2-1 SEC) in Columbia, Mo.
Roberts broke two long second-half runs, one for 77 yards and later an 80-yard touchdown for Missouri, which scored 35 straight points after the score was tied 10-10 late in the first half.
Missouri (4-1, 1-1) scored on six straight possessions spanning the end of the second quarter to the fourth.
Missouri had lost nine straight games against ranked opponents. Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz improved to 2-10 against teams ranked in the Top 10 of the Associated Press poll, winning for the first time since beating Ohio State in the 2023 Cotton Bowl.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier rushed for two touchdowns and Faletau Satuala recorded a key interception as the Cougars (4-0, 2-0 Big 12) posted a victory over the Horned Frogs (2-3, 0-2) in Fort Worth, Texas.
Bachmeier rushed for 66 yards on 15 carries and completed 11 of 24 passes for 62 yards for BYU, which has started 4-0 in three consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
Jaden Craig was 18-of-25 passing for 187 yards, one touchdown and one interception for TCU. Kari Ashley had six receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown and Jeremy Payne had 100 yards from scrimmage (77 rushing, 23 receiving).
TCU had a 259-216 edge in total offense during a contest played mostly in rainy conditions.
在比赛还剩 7:10 时，Curry 从边缘冲出，伸手拦截了 Colorado 四分卫 Isaac Wilson 在端区的传球，使比分变为 22-7 领先。
Will Hammond 传球获得 134 码和一个达阵。J'Koby Williams 冲球 88 码，Quinten Joyner 冲球得分。Terrance Carter Jr. 完成了一次达阵接球。Texas Tech 在失误控制上以 4-0 领先。
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No. 10 Texas Tech 29, Colorado 7
John Curry intercepted a pass in the end zone for a touchdown, Brice Pollock had two interceptions and Malik Esquerra added another pick as the Red Raiders (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) rallied for avictory over the Buffaloes (2-3, 0-2) in Boulder, Colo.
All three third-quarter Colorado drives ended in interceptions as Texas Tech overcame a 7-3 halftime deficit.
As Curry rushed off the edge with 7:10 remaining in the game, he reached up and intercepted Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson's pass in the end zone for a 22-7 lead.
Will Hammond threw for 134 yards and a touchdown. J'Koby Williams rushed for 88 yards and Quinten Joyner ran in a score. Terrance Carter Jr. had a touchdown reception. Texas Tech held a 4-0 advantage in turnovers.
Sam Leavitt passed for three touchdowns in limited action, Corey Barber Jr. caught two of the scoring passes, Harlem Berry and Stacy Gage each rushed for more than 100 yards and the Tigers (4-1) routed the Cowboys (2-4) in Baton Rouge, La.
Leavitt, who is the second-leading rusher for LSU but has been hampered by a hamstring injury, did not run the ball and played just the first half before being relieved by Landen Clark with LSU leading 35-0. Leavitt passed for 176 yards and an interception.
Barber, a freshman who had just one reception for 15 yards before Saturday, finished with seven catches for 83 yards and his first touchdowns. Berry had the first 100-yard rushing game of his two-year career, finishing with 125 yards and a score on 15 carries, and Gage rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.
LSU outgained FCS McNeese 731-196 and finished with a 37-6 advantage in first downs.
DeSean Bishop rushed for a career-high 220 yards and three second-half touchdowns to rally the Volunteers (4-1, 1-1 SEC) past the Tigers (3-2, 1-2) for a
The former walk-on from Knoxville carried 34 times while becoming the first running back for Tennessee to go for 200 yards and three scores since Eric Gray in 2019.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel benched freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon late in the first half after he went 3-for-8 for no yards and one interception. Backup George MacIntyre completed 8 of 10 for 86 yards in the first meeting between the Tigers and Vols in six seasons.
Auburn's Byrum Brown was 22-for-33 for 159 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He rushed for 107 yards on 19 attempts and scored the first touchdown for the Tigers, who built a 7-3 halftime lead.
在其中一次第四档转换中，华盛顿大学四分卫 De-mond Williams Jr. 摆脱压力并在移动中传球给 Chris Lawson，推进了 43 码。
然而，南加州大学的防线加强了防守，包括在南加州大学 12 码线上的第三档 4 码进攻中，Kameryn Crawford 击败了阻挡者，从盲区将 Williams 击倒。这次擒杀迫使华盛顿队再次面临第四档局面。
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No. 18 USC 25, Washington 21
The Trojans (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) scored a pair of third-quarter touchdowns less than two minutes apart, then held firm on the Huskies' final drive to survive with a win in Los Angeles.
USC surrendered a pair of fourth-down conversions that allowed Washington (3-2, 0-2) to advance into the red zone with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
On one of its fourth-down conversions, Washington quarterback De-mond Williams Jr. evaded pressure and hit Chris Lawson while on the move for a 43-yard gain.
USC's defense buckled down, however, including on third-and-4 from the USC 12-yard line when Kameryn Crawford beat his blocker to bring down Williams from the blind side. The sack forced Washington into another fourth-down scenario.
The Mustangs (4-1, 2-1 ACC) carried a three-point lead into halftime and nearly pitched a second-half shutout in a win over the visiting Eagles (2-3, 0-2) on a rainy afternoon in Dallas.
Kevin Jennings threw touchdowns to Randy Pittman Jr. and Derrick McFall after intermission, finishing 20-for-30 passing for 160 yards.
SMU was outgained 322-218 in total, managing only 160 yards through the air after averaging 393 through their first four games.
SMU sacked Boston College quarterback Mason McKenzie five times and held the Eagles scoreless over seven straight possessions from the first quarter until a touchdown with 2:07 left in regulation. That streak included a fumble and two turnovers on downs.
Conner Weigman scored three times on the ground in the second half as the host Cougars (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) shrugged off a ragged first 40 minutes and roared from behind to beat the Knights (3-2, 1-1).
Weigman's third rushing touchdown, a 1-yard plunge with 10:15 to play, gave Houston its first lead. On the ensuing drive, Weigman – who finished with 239 passing yards – connected with Trent Walker for a 43-yard catch-and-run to set the table for Jonathan Dimas' 40-yard field goal with 4:14 to play.
Dimas added a career-high 46-yarder with 1:56 left that capped the Cougars' 27 unanswered points and cemented the win.
Keyone Jenkins passed for 253 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score to lead UCF's attack.
这是明尼苏达大学自 2014 年以来首次击败密歇根大学，夺得了授予这场宿敌对决获胜者的“小棕色水壶”（Little Brown Jug）。金地鼠队自 1977 年以来首次在主场赢得该水壶，导致学生在比赛结束时冲入球场。
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Minnesota 20, No. 24 Michigan 14
Darius Taylor scored one touchdown on the ground and another through the air, and the Golden Gophers (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) rallied for a win over the Wolverines (3-2, 0-2) in Minneapolis.
Drake Lindsey completed 17 of 25 passes for 136 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for Minnesota.
Noah Jennings had a team-high seven catches for 70 yards.
Jordan Marshall rushed for the lone offensive touchdown for Michigan. Bryce Underwood completed 10 of 21 passes for 101 yards and two interceptions.
Minnesota beat Michigan for the first time since 2014 to capture the Little Brown Jug that is awarded to the winner of the rivalry matchup. The Golden Gophers won the jug on their home field for the first time since 1977, prompting students to storm the field after time expired.
Chicago White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay delivers to the plate during the fourth inning against the Guardians in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 3 in Cleveland. DAVID RICHARD/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
Brian Dulik
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
CLEVELAND – Munetaka Murakami belted a two-run homer off All-Star Parker Messick and five pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday afternoon.
Murakami, a 26-year-old rookie from Japan, hammered a 440-foot shot to right field off Messick in the fourth inning. His first postseason homer – and 36th overall this year – plated Miguel Vargas to put the White Sox up 2-0.
“I was ready, this was the moment I was preparing for the entire season,” said Murakami, who yelled toward the visiting dugout as his homer cleared the fence, said through an interpreter. “I can’t explain what I said in words (to the team), but it was a little bit dirty.”
Chicago extended its lead to 3-0 in the seventh when Colson Montgomery doubled just inside third base against Erik Sabrowski, bringing home Kyle Teel. The White Sox have won three consecutive games to begin their postseason.
Bryan Hudson retired the only batter he faced in the third inning for the victory, and closer Grant Taylor tossed the final four innings for the save. Taylor struck out six and allowed a pair of hits.
Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Monday afternoon in Cleveland. The White Sox have won eight of the 14 contests between the teams this season, splitting eight games at Progressive Field, the home of the AL Central champion Guardians.
a-walked for Fry in 4th. b-flied out for Pham in 9th. c-singled for Hedges in 7th. d-singled for Grichuk in 6th.
"The first game in the series is very important. Now, we'll get the one day (of) rest and focus on winning again," Murakami said.
“I can’t speak English too much, so the one thing I know is ‘Let’s go,’ and that’s it,” he added.
Messick, a rookie making his post-season debut, struck out six over 4½ innings and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks. The left-hander threw 87 pitches before being replaced by
Daniel Espino.
Cleveland was held hitless until the fourth, when Travis Bazzana doubled with two outs against Anthony Kay. The Guardians would load the bases with two out for the second straight inning, but Brayan Rocchio lined out to right.
"Of course, you're frustrated when you get shut out," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.
"We just couldn't get it going early in the inning to get some action going. But we didn't get down."
White Sox rookie Hagen Smith worked as an opener for the second time this week, tossing 2 $^{1/2}$ scoreless innings. The left-hander did not give up a hit, struck out four and walked three.
Smith retired the first eight Cleveland batters before walking Rocchio, Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez in the third, prompting White Sox manager
Will Venable to lift him for Hudson. The 6-foot-8 left-hander retired lefty-swinging Chase DeLauter on a fly to left to end the inning.
Jordan Hicks followed Hudson and recorded two outs before Kay entered.
The Guardians' Jo Adell struck out four times in four plate appearances in the first playoff game of his seven-year career. He was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline.
"I was definitely in a blender today, getting different looks every time up from a different pitcher," Adell said. "We've got to adjust because we were trying to find it all day. Postseason is a pitcher's duel and we've got to bounce back."
Chicago catcher Teel was unsuccessful on his first ABS challenge after going 5-for-5 in the wild-card round.
The Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda reacts after hitting a home run against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 3 in St. Petersburg, Florida. PABLO ROBLES/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Drew Rasmussen did not allow a hit through 7 $^{3/4}$ scoreless innings and Jonathan Aranda belted a solo homer, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday in Game 1 of the American League Division Series in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“In all honesty, my heartbeat was about a thousand beats per minute, so I just let (catcher) Liam (Hicks) call the game and just try to execute the pitches he called,” Rasmussen said on the TNT Sports broadcast.
Austin Wells broke up Rasmussen's no-hit bid in the eighth with a blast down the right field line. However, he was thrown out in his attempt to stretch a double into a triple to end the inning.
“Obviously not a good decision there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Not sure if he saw something on his way between first and second that caused him to go there, but obviously a mistake there.”
Wells said after he passed second base, he saw third base coach Luis Rojas with his hands up for him to stop there, but he already was committed to run to third.
“(They) made two good throws and it got me,” Wells said. “Thought it kicked off more than it did, (right fielder Victor Mesa Jr.) made a good play on the ball. Two outs there, trying to make something happen, be aggressive with not much going on in the game. Obviously, love to safe there or standing on second base.”
That was the lone hit allowed by Rasmussen (1-0), who struck out 10 batters in eight innings.
Right-hander Bryan Baker struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure his first career postseason save.
Aranda belted a solo homer in the third inning as one of the five hits for the Rays, who secured a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 2 is Monday in St. Petersburg.
Aranda deposited a 2-2 changeup from right-hander Gerrit Cole (0-1) over the wall in right-center field to account for the scoring in the third inning.
The Yankees' bats went silent after outscoring the rival Boston Red Sox by an 18-2 margin and out-hitting them 26-7 during a two-game sweep in the wild-card round.
Captain Aaron Judge was left off New York's roster for the ALDS. Judge, 34, has not played since Sept. 16 due to a strained right calf. The three-time AL MVP landed on the injured list three days later and missed the Yankees' wildcard sweep earlier this week.
Rasmussen also dominated the Yankees in three of four meetings during the regular season, including a one-run, one-hit, 11-strikeout performance over 6% innings of a 6-1 romp on Sept. 22. The Rays clinched the AL East title with that victory.
"At that point, we had the opportunity to win the division. Obviously, this one is a postseason game. Both meaningful, both impactful," Rasmussen told reporters about his last two outings against New York.
Rasmussen allowed only a pair of walks, one each in the second and third innings, and retired the final 16 batters he faced on Saturday.
"It seemed like he went and doubled down tonight," Rays manager Kevin Cash said, noting Rasmussen's previous start against the Yankees. "Made it easy to sit back and just take some decisions out of our hands."
Rasmussen also showed his defensive chops by getting off the mound to field a bunt and throw out Ryan McMahon to begin the sixth inning. He finished that inning unscathed, marking the deepest no-hit bid in franchise history and the deepest into a postseason game the Yankees have ever been no-hit.
Cole permitted one run on five hits in five innings.
“Biggest issue is Rasmussen shutting us down,” Boone said. “Obviously, we had a handful of guys hit some balls on the screws - Austin (Wells) being one of them a couple times there – we just didn’t generate enough, obviously.”
Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on Oct. 3 in Los Angeles. KIYOSHI MIO/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
LOS ANGELES – Tarik Skubal dominated over six innings, three home runs powered the offense and the Los Angeles Dodgers opened the National League Division Series with a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep as the Dodgers started their quest to become the first National League club to win three consecutive championships and the first major league team to do it since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.
Skubal (1-0) gave up one run on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in his first postseason start for Los Angeles after arriving in a trade-deadline deal from the Detroit Tigers.
Sean Murphy and Ozzie Albies hit home runs for the Braves, who entered off a wild-card round victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and are trying to advance past the NLDS for the first time since winning the World Series in 2021.
Left-hander Dylan Dodd opened the game with three scoreless innings for Atlanta before giving way to Victor Mederos (0-1), who gave up Hernandez's home run and recorded just one out in the fourth inning.
On a blisteringly hot day, with the temperature at 100 degrees to open the game, Skubal allowed only one hit through his first five scoreless innings on the mound.
Hernandez backed Skubal with a two-run home run in the fourth inning for a 2-0 advantage.
"I really don't care if I strike out in big situations. I always want to be the guy to be in those moments," Hernandez said. "I worked really hard for it, and I think the bigger the moment, the more focused I get. Just trying to put together a good at-bat for the team. Obviously if I get a good pitch to hit, I just try to put a good swing on it."
The Braves finally got to Skubal in the sixth when Murphy hit a home run to center to bring Atlanta to within a run.
The Dodgers increased their advantage in the bottom of the sixth against AJ Smith-Shawver when Tucker slugged a two-run home run and Muncy followed two batters later with a solo shot down the line in right field for a 5-1 advantage.
Tucker's contribution on offense came after a disappointing regular season when his .715 OPS was lower than all but one Dodgers player who played in at least 90 games. Tucker is in the first season of a four-year, \$240 million contract.
Albies got the Braves within two runs in the ninth with a two-run home run off Tanner Scott.
Evan Phillips entered the game with two outs and walked Mauricio Dubon to bring the tying run to the plate. But he earned the save by retiring Austin Riley on a groundout to short.
"I thought we put up some competitive at-bats. Really nice swing from Murphy right there and then and then not giving up," Riley said.
L.A. Dodgers 5, Atlanta 3
"With Ozzie, the two-run homer, that was encouraging. Just ran out of time today." |
and swat it down so Chourio could catch it. So thanks, Ueck," Murphy said.
Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio fields a fly ball from the San Diego Padres' Ty France during the ninth inning of Game 1 of their National League Division Series on Oct. 3 in Milwaukee. MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Jim Hoehn
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
MILWAUKEE – William Contreras homered with two outs in the seventh inning for the go-ahead run to lift the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-2 comeback victory over the San Diego Padres in a battle of the bullpens on Saturday night in the opener of their National League Division Series.
Reliever Adrian Morejon (0-1) opened the seventh and retired the first two hitters before Contreras sent a 3-2 pitch 406 feet to center.
Jackson Chourio had a game-tying two-run homer in the third off Padres starter Robbie Ray to account for Milwaukee's other runs. The Brewers were last in the NL with 154 homers and next-to-last in the majors, only ahead of Toronto's 152.
"I feel like we earned it. I really do," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "I take nothing away from our guys. We earned it. We weren't perfect. But we swung the bat pretty darn good."
Milwaukee earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason after winning a franchise-record 103 games, while San Diego won 17 of its final 20 regular-season games before sweeping the Chicago Cubs this week in their wild-card series.
Game 2 is set for Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee.
Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, who led the majors with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts, needed 88 pitches to get through four innings, allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts.
"To limit him to only four innings tonight was a job well done by our offense," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "Our offense has been swinging the bats really good, taking great atbats. They continued that again tonight."
Left-hander Ray allowed two runs on four hits in 2 $^{2/3}$ innings.
Chourio brought the Brewers even at 2-all with his fifth career postseason homer, the most in franchise history. Garrett Mitchell opened with a brokenbat single to short and advanced to second base on a groundout. Chourio then lined the first pitch 420 feet to left-center with an exit velocity of 113.3 mph.
The Padres loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but left-hander DL Hall (1-0) entered and got Jackson Merrill to fly out to left.
Down 3-2, San Diego had runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth, but closer Trevor Megill came on and fanned Fernando Tatis Jr. Megill, who had a team-high 30 saves in 33 opportunities, finished with a scoreless ninth for the save. That included a lucky break when a Ty France flyball which may have left the yard for what would have been a go-ahead two-run home run hit the roof and was caught in left field by Chourio for an out which was upheld after review.
"I think the only thing that you could probably figure on the ball that everybody's going to be talking about is that (Brewers broadcasting legend Bob Uecker) decided to put his hand on it
After forcing Misiorowski to throw 25 pitches in a scoreless first inning, the Padres scored two runs in a 33-pitch second inning
Xander Bogaerts reached on a one-out infield single and Ethan Salas singled. Luis Campusano followed with an RBI single to right. Salas then scored from third, sliding home ahead of the throw on Jake Cronenworth's fielder's choice bouncer to first.
“Anytime you score first in a playoff game you feel really good about it, especially the type of pitching staff we have,” Stammen said. “We just got beat by a couple home runs tonight.”
Shayne Gostisbehere scored a power-play goal in overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to their first victory of the season with a 3-2 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Gostisbehere's decisive goal was a one-timer from the top of the left circle at 2:51 of the extra session. The former Flyers defenseman benefited from a terrific screen from Andrei Svechnikov, who knocked down Philadelphia's Nick Seeler before impeding Joseph Woll's vision in front of the net.
Pyotr Kochetkov made 16 saves to earn the win for Carolina, which had lost its first two contests of the young campaign. The defending champions' first two goals Saturday came courtesy of Sebastian Aho, including one 10 seconds into the contest.
Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov scored for Philadelphia, which was swept by Carolina in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. Woll turned aside 37 shots for the hosts, who remain winless in three games this season.
西德尼·库斯比（Sidney Crosby）贡献了一次助攻，这是他职业生涯的第 1,109 次助攻，使他与乔·索顿（Joe Thornton）并列 NHL 历史助攻榜第七位。
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Penguins 6, Canadiens 5 (OT)
Tommy Novak scored two goals, including the game-winner at 1:33 of overtime, and also had an assist to give Pittsburgh a wild victory over visiting Montreal.
Evgeni Malkin, who finished with a goal and two assists, crossed a pass past Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson to Novak at the bottom of the right circle on a 2-on-1 break and Novak roofed a wrist shot over goaltender Jakub Dobes for the game-winner.
Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang each had two assists and Ben Kindel, Declan Carlile and Samuel Girard also scored goals for Pittsburgh, which won despite blowing a 5-1 lead. Arturs Silovs made 20 saves.
Sidney Crosby had an assist, the 1,109th of his career, moving him into a tie with Joe Thornton for seventh most in NHL history.
Igor Chernyshov scored twice, including the overtime winner, as San Jose edged visiting Los Angeles.
Chernyshov, who also had an assist in regulation, one-timed a Macklin Celebrini feed under Anton Forsberg's arm for the game-winner with 1:42 remaining in the extra frame.
Tyler Toffoli, Kiefer Sherwood and Nolan Allan also scored while Yaroslav Askarov made 31 saves as the Sharks picked up their second overtime win in as many games to open the season.
Celebrini finished with a pair of assists in the win.
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov makes a save against the Flyers on Oct. 3 in Philadelphia.
After missing most of last season with a blood clot, Jiri Kulich scored the game-winning goal with 6:40 remaining to propel Buffalo to a victory in its home opener over Chicago.
Tage Thompson tallied a goal and an assist, and Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the Sabres, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 12 saves in the victory.
Ryan Donato, Tyler Bertuzzi and Oliver Moore scored for the Blackhawks.
Anton Frondell and Alex Vlasic finished with two assists apiece, while Spencer Knight stopped 24 of the 28 shots he faced as Chicago opened its season with three straight losses.
Stephen Halliday scored the tie-breaking goal midway through the third period and visiting Ottawa won its season opener, defeating Toronto.
Newly appointed captain Thomas Chabot had a goal and assist and Michael Amadio also scored for Ottawa. Claude Giroux added two assists and Linus Ullmark stopped 27 shots.
Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko scored for the Maple Leafs, who have lost two of their first three games, all at home.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for the Maple Leafs.
First-period goals by Steven Stamkos and Nils Hoglander held up to the final buzzer as host Nashville claimed a victory over Dallas for its first win of the season.
Goaltender Juuse Saros made 29 saves – 12 in the third period – for the Predators, who rebounded after opening the campaign with a home loss to
Miro Heiskanen scored for the Stars, who have dropped two consecutive games to begin the season.
Goalie Casey DeSmith stopped 24 shots and was denied the 100th victory of his career.
Leon Draisaitl scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:27 remaining to give Edmonton a victory against visiting Seattle.
Connor McDavid added an empty net goal with 1:05 left to clinch the victory.
Owen Michaels also scored for the Oilers and goaltender Devon Levi made 19 saves as the Oilers won their second in a row after a season-opening 6-5 overtime loss to visiting Vancouver.
Bobby McMann tallied for the Kraken and Philipp Grubauer stopped 22 of 24 shots.
Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 20 shots in his 600th career game, and Tampa Bay won for the first time this season by topping visiting Washington.
Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist, and Charle-Edouard D'Astous and Conor Geekie also found the net as Tampa Bay evened its record through two matches. Brandon Hagel had two assists.
Justin Sourdif scored for the Capitals, who lost the second part of their weekend back-to-back set.
Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 27 saves for Washington, and teammate Dylan Strome skated in his 600th game.
克莱顿·凯勒（Clayton Keller）和洛根·库利（Logan Cooley）各贡献两个助攻，塞巴斯蒂安·科萨（Sebastian Cossa）在 NHL 首场先发比赛中化解了 17 次射门。
犹他队在赛季前两场比赛中以 10-1 领先对手得分。
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Mammoth 4, Blue Jackets 1
Nick Schmaltz scored twice to lead visiting Utah to a win over Columbus.
Dylan Guenther had a goal and two assists and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev a goal and an assist for the Mammoth, who scored three times on the power play.
Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley had two assists each and Sebastian Cossa, in his first NHL start, made 17 saves.
Utah has outscored opponents 10-1 in its first two games of the season.
Kirill Kaprizov scored a pair of goals, and Minnesota pulled away for a win over Boston in Saint Paul, Minn.
Quinn Hughes tallied a goal and an assist for Minnesota, which won its second game in a row to start the season. Wild captain Jared Spurgeon also scored a goal.
Tanner Jeannot scored the lone goal for Boston, which was playing on short rest after defeating the Winnipeg Jets
Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stopped 26 of 27 shots to earn the victory.
Defenseman Elias Pettersson scored the game-winning goal as Vancouver rallied with four unanswered goals in the third period to beat visiting Calgary.
Liam Ohgren had a goal and an assist, while Drew O'Connor and Aatu Raty also scored for the Canucks.
Tom Willander and Linus Karlsson each had two assists while Leevi Merilainen stopped 23 of 24 shots.
Matt Coronato scored and Devin Cooley stopped 22 shots for the Flames, who have lost back-to-back games to begin the season.
The Canucks got off to another slow start and were outshot 11-5 in the first period. They have been outshot 38-12 and have scored just one goal in the opening period of their first three games this season.
Martin Necas had two goals and added an assist, Nathan MacKinnon had three assists, and Colorado beat St. Louis in Denver.
Nicolas Roy, Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson had a goal and an assist each and Cale Makar also scored for Colorado, which is off to a fast start this season.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves and Parker Kelly had two assists for the Avalanche, who have scored 14 goals in sweeping their season-opening two-game homestand.
Dalibor Dvorsky scored for the second straight night for St. Louis, which was playing the second of a back-to-back after winning 4-0 at Dallas on Friday night. Jordan Binnington turned away 30 shots and had two costly turnovers that led to goals.
Simon Holmstrom, Brayden Schenn and Bo Horvat scored within a nine-minute span in the second period Saturday night and goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped all 37 shots he faced for New York, which won its home opener by routing New Jersey.
Victor Eklund, Ondrej Palat and Casey Cizikas scored in the third for the Islanders, who bounced back from a 2-1 season-opening loss at Toronto. Reigning Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer had two assists.
The shutout for Sorokin was the franchise-record 30th of his career.
Nico Daws made 26 saves for the Devils, who have also split their first two games.
Shots on Goal-Seattle 5-11-4-20. Edmonton 10-4-11-25.
Power-play opportunities-Seattle 1 of 2; Edmonton 0 of 3.
Goalies-Seattle, Grubauer 0-1-0 (24 shots-22 saves). Edmonton, Levi 2-0-0 (20-19).
A. 10-270 (18-247).
Ottawa 1 1 1 – 3
Toronto 0 2 0 – 2
First Period–1, Ottawa, Chabot 1 (Giroux, Pinto), 18:51. Penalties–None.
Second Period–1, Toronto, Matthews 1 (Rielly, Nylander), 0:33. 1, Toronto, Marchenko 1 (Raddysh, Tavares), 7:06. 1, Ottawa, Amadio 1 (Stuetzle, Chabot), 12:40. Penalties–Giroux, OTT (Slashing), 6:40. Cowan, TOR (High-sticking), 10:01. Marchenko, TOR (Slashing), 14:44. Stuetzle, OTT (Tripping), 17:48. Pinto, OTT (Roughing), 20:00. Cowan, TOR (Roughing), 20:00.
Third Period–1, Ottawa, Halliday 1 (Zetterlund, Giroux), 9:46. Penalties–Kleven, OTT (Roughing), 2:52. Marchenko, TOR (High-sticking), 7:46. Roslovic, TOR (Tripping), 9:52. Eklund, OTT (Interference), 14:20.
Shots on Goal–Ottawa 9-4-16–29. Toronto 10-14-5–29.
Power-play opportunities–Ottawa 0 of 4; Toronto 1 of 4.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin poses for photos after winning the pole award during qualifying for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 3. CHRIS GRAYTHEN/GETTY IMAGES
LAS VEGAS – Defending race winner Denny Hamlin capped a dominant Toyota performance in Saturday's Busch Light Pole Qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway claiming his fifth pole position of the season and leading a Toyota top-five sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series starting grid for Sunday's South Point 400 (5:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Hamlin's No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota turned a fast lap of 186.787 mph around the 1.5-mile Las Vegas high banks – edging his JGR teammate, Ty Gibbs in the No. 54 Toyota by a slight. 017-second. JGR's Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe and 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick rounded out that top-five.
It marks only the second time Toyota has swept the top-five qualifying positions. The first time came at Indianapolis last season. It marks the JGR team's first ever top-four sweep. It's Hamlin's 53rd career pole position and is his 19th top-10 start through the opening 30 races.
"It is important and the races we've really succeeded well here, we've started up front," the 45-year-old Virginian Hamlin said, conceding he was more nervous going into this session because of the extreme heat. After weeks of poor weather and canceled qualifying sessions, Saturday's edition took place under sunny Nevada skies and temperatures in the mid-90s.
“Today was executed by the team perfectly with how we approached the week and the adjustments we made to the car for temperatures seemed to be really good changes. I couldn't have asked for today to go a whole lot better than it did."
Championship-eligible drivers filled the first 14 positions on the speed chart. Reigning series champion and current championship leader, Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson was sixth fastest in the No. 5 Chevrolet, with Team Penske Ford driver Austin Cindric, Hendrick's William Byron, 23XI Racing's Bubba
Wallace and Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar rounding out the top 10.
Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney (20th) and Joey Logano (23rd) were the only outliers. They come into the race ranked fourth and fifth in championship, but will have to make their way forward. Logano's four Las Vegas wins ties him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson for most all-time.
Hamlin is a three-time Las Vegas winner and has hoisted a trophy in Victory Lane the last two races at the track. A third straight win this weekend would match an all-time mark also held by Johnson. He's won five times in 2023, but not since earning a three-race string of trophies at Nashville, Michigan and Pocono, Pa. from May 31-June 14.
Hamlin trails Larson by only 26 points after four races of the 10-race Chase schedule. Bell is third, 50 points back and Logano is fourth, 67 points off the pace.
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts 车手科里·戴（Corey Day）在拉斯维加斯赛道场举行的 Focused Health 302 比赛中获得胜利后庆祝。GARY A. VASQUEZ / IMAGN IMAGES
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Verstappen claims 1st pole position of season
Rohith Nair
REUTERS
SEPANG, Malaysia – Red Bull's Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the season at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Saturday, proving he remains the master of Sepang's challenging circuit nine years after his last victory there.
Verstappen clocked 1 minute 35.130 seconds to edge out Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, who snatched second place in the dying moments of qualifying despite struggling with tyre degradation in the brutal Malaysian heat.
Verstappen's team mate Isack Hadjar was third fastest but will start eighth due to a five-place grid penalty, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli moved up to third for Mercedes alongside Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen was the last driver to win a Grand Prix in Malaysia in 2017, in what was his second career victory, before the race was taken off the calendar after the government said it could not justify the costs.
Nine years and four championships later, the Dutchman became the first driver this season to put a car without a Mercedes engine on pole.
"It's fantastic, we've been trying for many Grands Prix to get more, sometimes a bit closer to the others," said Verstappen as he eyes his first win of the season.
“But to finally get it from where we started the season, pretty incredible.”
Hamilton, who also has one victory in Sepang, struggled with tire degradation in practice sessions but the veteran Briton said they had now found the right setup.
“It’s so hot here, I keep saying it. But that’s made it a massive challenge for the tires, for the car, for the mechanics in the garage,” Hamilton said.
"We made so many changes through all these practice sessions because the cars are sliding, these tires are overheating. It was really, really hard to find a good balance.
"We made one last change going into qualifying and I think we hit the sweet spot."
Hadjar sounded frustrated on the team radio despite finishing third fastest and later said he expected to go second quickest to limit the grid penalty as much as possible.
"It's a bit unfortunate we take the penalty on a track that fast," Hadjar said. "But you know, from P8, I'm confident we can go through the field."
Mercedes endured a disappointing qualifying session despite bringing an upgrade package to Malaysia. Antonelli had his first Q2 lap deleted for exceeding track limits, prompting a surprised radio exchange.
“Wait, what? Are we sure about the track limits,” he asked before recovering to go second-fastest in the session on fresh soft tires.
However, he could barely squeeze anything more out of the car in Q3, while teammate George Russell – second in the championship - could only manage eighth.
Max Verstappen celebrates after qualifying on the pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Oct. 3 in Sepang, Malaysia. ANNICE LYN/REUTERS
NASCAR O'REILLY AUTO PARTS SERIES
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts driver Corey Day celebrates his victory in the Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. GARY A. VASQUEZ/IMAGN IMAGES
拉斯维加斯 —— 在本赛季最惊心动魄的收官之战之一中，20 岁的 Hendrick Motorsports 新秀车手 Corey Day 在周六于拉斯维加斯赛车场举行的 Focused Health 302 比赛中，与 23 岁的 JR Motorsports 赛车手 Carson Kvapil 在最后几圈展开激烈交锋并最终胜出，夺得他职业生涯第三场 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series 胜利。
卫冕冠军、来自 Richard Childress Racing 的 Jesse Love 在前方的对决之后紧随其后，获得第三名；随后是 JGR 的队友 William Sawalich（前十名中四位没有 Chase 资格的车手之一）和 Taylor Gray。
Haas Factory Team 的 Sam Mayer —— 另一位拥有 Chase 资格的车手 —— 在完成一次令人印象深刻的追击后获得第六名。他赢得了第二阶段比赛并领先 40 圈（仅次于 ），但在第二阶段休息期间因进站处罚而不得不从车阵末尾开始追赶。
没有 Chase 资格的车手 Jeremy Clements、William Sawalich 和 Anthony Alfredo 分别获得第七、第八和 10 名，而拥有 Chase 资格的 Austin Hill 获得第九名。
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series 将于下周六在夏洛特赛车场（Charlotte Motor Speedway）回归赛场。
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Day outduels Kvapil in final laps for Vegas win
Holly Cain
NASCAR WIRE SERVICE
LAS VEGAS – In one of the most thrilling finishes of the season, 20-year-old Hendrick Motorsports rookie driver Corey Day prevailed in a final laps back-and-forth battle with 23-year-old JR Motorsports' racer Carson Kvapil to claim his third career NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series victory in Saturday's Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Day and Kvapil exchanged the lead four times in the last 12 laps before Day made a daring pass – after brushing the wall multiple times – with two laps remaining to solidify a trophy hoist ultimately decided by a slight .287-seconds.
“Oh man, I just was so tight there and so scared I was going to go down and plow on the bottom let him get by me.” said a grinning Day, who started his No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from pole position, won the opening stage and led a career high 136 of the 201 laps.
"Just a great car. We struggled over the summer, to tell you the truth. Won Talladega (in April) and then Dover pretty close and then just went dry. This feels really good. A dominant day for us for sure, great car."
"I knew we'd be a title contender from the start of the year," added Day, whose win puts him fifth in the 12-driver championship rankings with five races remaining on the season.
"Just had a dry summer there but we're getting things rolling back in the right direction. We'll just keep working.
Kvapil, who like Day also earned his first career series wins this season (at Indianapolis and Iowa) – was understandably disappointed to lose out on Saturday's victory, but also encouraged with the showing. It moved him into second place in the championship standings, now 19 points behind Haas Factory Team's Sheldon Creed, who finished 13th.
"I feel like our stuff was really good around the bottom," Kvapil said. "Had a really good car today. Props to those guys for making us a top-three car."
Reigning series champion, Richard Childress Racing's Jesse Love finished just behind the duel up front, in third place, followed by JGR teammates 's William Sawalich – one of four drivers among the top-10 not Chase eligible – and Taylor Gray.
Haas Factory Team's Sam Mayer – another Chase-eligible driver – finished sixth having turned in an impressive comeback. He won Stage 2 and led 40 laps (second to Day) but had to rally from the rear of the field after a pit stop penalty during the Stage 2 break.
Non-Chase eligible drivers Jeremy Clements, William Sawalich, and Anthony Alfredo finished seventh, eighth and 10th respectively with Chase driver Austin Hill taking ninth place.
The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series returns to action next Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Round 2 co-leader Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand took command of the Lotte Championship in Honolulu, shooting 5-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead into Sunday's final round.
South Korea's Ina Yoon (69) and Germany's Polly Mack (70) are tied for second place at 14 under.
Thitikul separated from the pack in the back nine at Hoakalei Country Club. After she was even par over the front nine with one birdie and one bogey – her first of the tournament at the par-4 seventh hole – she began the back nine with birdies on the first three holes followed by four straight pars and then closed out strong with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18.
Thitikul, the No. 2 player in the Rolex world rankings, is seeking her fourth win of the season. She was a steady presence throughout the round, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens in regulation.
"To be consistent playing week to week to week, you need to have consistent greens in regulation as well," Thitikul said after her round. "You can't miss a green and shoot like 5-under-par every day. It could happen, but it's not going to happen often. So to have a game that your ball is always on the green is how you can play golf simple."
Perhaps in line with that, Mack, who was tied with Thitikul after Friday's second round, hit just 11 of 18 greens in regulation and had a more up-and-down round with four birdies and two bogeys.
Mack doesn't mind being off the lead, though, as she seeks her first career LPGA win.
“I like to be in a chase actually. I like to chase rather than being in the lead, so this is a good position for me,” Mack said. “I’m just looking forward to a great Sunday, good momentum. I know I have it in me to just put on a good show out there.”
Sweden's Maja Stark (67) and Italy's Carolina Melgrati (70) are tied for fourth at 13 under. A trio of Americans posted the lowest rounds of the day to surge into the top 10. Lilia Vu (66) is tied for sixth with Miyu Yamashita (69) of Japan and China's Michelle Zhang (70) at 12 under, while Hailee Cooper (64) and Yana Wilson (66) are among seven competitors tied for ninth at 11 under.
“因此，我从其他 Champions Tour 球员那里得到的支持是惊人的，”布洛克说。“我在六、七场赛事中建立的关系简直太疯狂了，我非常感激那些家伙。这些人已经过着巡回赛生活——PGA Tour 生活和 Champions Tour 生活，你知道，20-30 年了，而我才刚来到这里——他们知道我的情况。我是以俱乐部职业球员的身份来到这里的，这是我人生中的第七场赛事，而他们真的支持我，这真的很酷。相信我，这帮了大忙。”
在五周前的 Ally Challenge 赛中，这是布洛克的第五次 Champions 出赛，他在 36 个洞后同样持有领先地位。但在最后一轮中，他被阿尔克反超，最终并列第三。
Michael Block needed only 30 shots on the back nine and posted a bogey-free 7-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic in Allentown, Pa.
Block, a 50-year-old PGA Tour Champions rookie, stands at 11 under through 36 holes. That puts him one ahead of New Zealand's Steven Alker and two ahead of first-round co-leader Richard Green of Australia.
Block, who continues to serve as the head golf professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Calif., gained a following with a tie for 15th place at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Block, who shot a 4-under par 66 on Friday, opened with back-to-back birdies on Saturday. He parred the last seven holes on the front nine, then birdied five of the first seven holes coming in.
He is highly appreciative of the welcome he has received on the tour.
“So the support I have from the fellow Champions Tour players is amazing,” Block said. “The relationships I’ve gotten in six events/seven, is crazy, and I really appreciate those guys. These guys have been living the Tour life, the PGA Tour life and Champions Tour life for, you know, 20-30 years, and I’m just out here – and they know my scenario. I’m out here as a club pro, and being out here for my seventh event in my life, and they really support me, which is really cool. Trust me, it helps a lot.”
In Block's fifth Champions start at The Ally Challenge five weeks ago, he also held the lead after 36 holes. But he was passed by Alker during the final round and ended up tied for third.
What did Block learn from that experience?
"Yeah, from Ally, just keep being you," he said. "Like, don't try to be the quiet Michael. Quiet Michael doesn't work. Michael having fun works. Michael being quiet, Michael trying to be somebody he's not doesn't work. That's what I'm going to do tomorrow."
In contrast to Block, who's happy just to be on the verge of qualifying for the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs, Alker has won three times in 2026, owns 13 PGA Tour Champions titles and ranks No. 3 on the Schwab Cup money list.
The 55-year-old has posted matching 65s and, like Block, played bogey-free golf on Saturday. He shot 31 on the inward half and played the par-3's in 2-under.
Alena Charaeva celebrates winning her Round of 64 match against Elena Rybakina at the China Open on Oct. 3 in Beijing. MAXIM SHEMETOV/REUTERS
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Three weekends ago, Elena Rybakina was lifting the U.S. Open trophy and claiming the World No. 1 ranking.
Sports can be a humbling experience. In her first match at the China Open in Beijing, Rybakina became just the second player to lose in her first match as the world's top-ranked player.
Moreover, the Kazakhstani fell to Ali-na Charaeva, a 24-year-old Armenian who was playing in only her 17th WTA main-draw match.
Charaeva prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, displaying a dominant service game in the deciding set.
Per OptaAce, Charaeva became the lowest-ranked player (No. 118) to record a comeback win against a World No. 1 since WTA rankings were first published in 1975.
"It's kind of a dream come true," Charaeva said in her post-match interview. "I was just trying to stay really hard mentally and keep believing that at some point I could turn it around again to my side. And I guess I just never stopped believing."
Charaeva won 20 of 26 service points in the third set and did not face a break point. She broke Rybakina in the sixth game to lead 4-2, and only lost one point in her final two service games.
Rybakina joined Japan's Naomi Osaka (2019) as the only two players to drop their first matches as World No. 1.
“Obviously it was a very tough day out there,” Rybakina said after the match. “There was a lot going on after the U.S. Open victory. I didn’t get a lot of chances to sleep and recover. Congratulations to Alina. She played a very good match, and I felt my foot a little bit at the end of the match. So it’s time to rest a little bit and see what is next in the upcoming weeks.”
The other major upset was 16-year-old Xinran Sun getting past No. 27 Cristina Busca 6-4, 7-5. The Chinese teenager, who was ranked No. 1 on the ITF Junior Circuit, will face Coco Gauff in
the third round.
In other upsets of seeded players, Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan edged Canadian No. 23 Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; China's Qinwen Zheng advanced past Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-7 (4), 6-4, 3-0, ret.; and Great Britain's Sonia Kartal upset No. 31 Xinyu Wang of China, 6-3, 6-2.
Seeded players to advance to the third round were No. 6 Elina Svitolina of
Ukraine, No. 8 Iga Swiatek of Poland, No. 9 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, No. 10 Iva Jovic, No. 24 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and No. 25 Maria Sakkari of Greece.
Top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz fought off four set points in the opener
Saturday before rolling past Italy's Matteo Arnaldi to reach the quarterfinals in Tokyo.
Alcaraz completed the 7-6 (6), 6-1 victory in one hour and 46 minutes. He trailed 6-2 in the tiebreaker before winning six straight points, then carried the momentum into the second set by winning the first five games.
Alcaraz's quarterfinal opponent will be Canadian Denis Shapovalov, a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 winner against Chile's Alejandro Tabilo. Czech Jiri Lehecka also advanced in three sets against Frenchman Ugo Humbert and will take on Paraguayan qualifier Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, who saved all three break points in a 7-6 (6), 6-1 win over Italian Matteo Berrettini.
The other quarterfinal matchups are France's Kyrian Jacquet vs. Spain's Jaume Munar, and No. 8 Valentin Vacherot of Monaco vs. France's Arthur Fils.
No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany moved into the quarterfinals in Beijing with a 6-0, 6-3 victory in 55 minutes against Chinese hopeful Juncheng Shang.
Zverev struck nine aces, never faced a break point and converted four of his five break chances to set up a showdown with sixth-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic. Djokovic is a six-time champion with a perfect 31-0 record in this tournament.
Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win over eighth-seeded Czech Jakub Mensik. Up next is No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who had 10 aces in a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.
No. 5 Alex de Minaur of Australia and Russia's Andrey Rublev will meet in the quarterfinals after posting three-set triumphs. Rublev outlasted compatriot Roman Safiullin 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, and de Minaur rallied past Frenchman Quentin Halys 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 in two hours and 47 minutes.
NBA training camps are in full swing, and the preseason has begun.
The Miami Heat were set to face the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 3. Both teams have been revamped, with Miami pulling off the blockbuster to land star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Toronto reunited with Kawhi Leonard.
Those are just two of the teams to have undergone massive changes, and they're not even the ones that had the most seismic offseason; the Philadelphia 76ers went all-in on their championship window and added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
While it's safe to expect veterans to play limited minutes during preseason games, here are five storylines to watch as we inch closer to the 2026-27 NBA regular season:
The vibes are seemingly high in Miami, but how will the Heat offense actually look?
New addition Klay Thompson took the team out on a boat to cruise around Biscayne Bay. Earlier in the month, captain Bam Adebayo and point guard Davion Mitchell organized a players-only week of training they started calling "pain camp," for all the cardio work they did. Players have said all the right things.
By all accounts, the vibes around the new-look Heat are high. But what will their play look like, in practice? One thing that struck me from the early footage coming from their camp at Florida Atlantic was the pace. Miami led the league last season in that stat, generating 104.22 possessions per 48 minutes. And now with Antetokounmpo, that emphasis on fastbreak offense should only intensify; Antetokounmpo ranked second in the NBA with 5.5 fast break points per game. Antetokounmpo sucks in the defense when he attacks in transition, and his vision allows him to find open shooters.
I expect the Heat to continue to play fast, and I expect Antetokounmpo to put up huge assist numbers, if he stays healthy. The big question here is whether Miami's shooting holds up and whether it can sustain this style for an entire season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo poses for a photo during Miami Heat Media Day at Kaseya Center on Sept. 28.
It's Luka's team now. Can he lead the Lakers to the top of the West?
The Los Angeles offense, at times last season, looked rather disjointed, particularly when both Luka Dončić and LeBron James were on the floor at the same time.
Both are players who thrive when the ball is in their hands, and both are among the game's best passers. The issue, then, became: what was one supposed do when the other had the ball? Most often, the player without the ball was relegated to standing off to the side, away from the action.
But now with James moving onto the 76ers, the bulk of Los Angeles' play-making will fall to him. Last season, Dončić led the NBA in usage rate (36.8%), or the number of possessions that end with that player taking a shot or committing a turnover. Dončić also ranked sixth in assist percentage (38.7%), or the rate of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor
\- among all players with at least 50 games.
Being as ball-dominant as Dončić is (and being as talented as he is when he initiates actions), I suspect both those figures will be even higher this season. I also suspect that, if healthy, Dončić will play his way into the Most Valuable Player conversation even more so than he has in recent seasons.
Shooting guard Austin Reaves is the other play-maker for the Lakers, and one who should excel even further when Dončić takes a blow on the bench. But when both are on the floor, expect Dončić to be the one to orchestrate everything.
Young Spurs seem loose and confident. Can San Antonio learn from last year's disappointment?
San Antonio's stars may be young, but they appear to have embraced trolling, to a certain degree. In an interview with GQ, Stephon Castle downplayed the energy at Madison Square Garden during the Finals, calling the first game "underwhelming." For the most part, I think this is a good thing. I would want my players to be confident and bold.
But talk is just talk, and the real test here is whether the Spurs can become the first team since the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors to win a title the season after losing the NBA Finals.
It will come down to the continued development of Victor Wembanyama, Castle, Dylan Harper and how veteran De'Aaron Fox bounces back from an uneven Finals. But more than anything, the Spurs need to learn from their loss against the Knicks, when they couldn't close out games because they stopped attacking the paint, became too passive and fell in love with a 3-point shot that wasn't dropping.
I'm not worried about alphas or top dogs in Philadelphia. But Nick Nurse has some work to do.
During 76ers media day, when asked who the “alpha” would be on the roster, newly acquired All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown wasn’t having any of it. “Next question,” he said, with sober indifference.
I understand why the question was asked, but I think framing this team in that way is flawed. This isn't LeBron James willing the 2017-18 Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. This isn't Brown taking on the biggest role of his career last season while Jayson Tatum was out, recovering from an Achilles tendon tear. It's not Tyrese Maxey carrying the Sixers two seasons ago as Philadelphia contended with debilitating injuries.
The reality is this team doesn't need to worry about alphas or No. 1s, and if that's where the discourse ever goes to, coach Nick Nurse will have failed. Top to bottom, this Sixers team is as talented as it has been in decades. This is Philadelphia's best shot to win a title in the Joel Embiid-Maxey window.
The task at hand is to get the new faces (and old, too) to buy into a team mentality that foregoes individual accolades in favor of collective success. In practical matters, James, Brown, Maxey and Embiid may see their scoring averages dip a touch. I think that would be a good sign that things are working. As long as this team stays healthy, and as long as they share the ball, a championship should be within reach.
I think two teams are lurking. Both could be Finals-worthy
It seems like no one is talking about the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton is back and healthy, and if not for his Achilles tendon that snapped in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, we might be talking about them in a very different way. The roster has changed somewhat. And while I think Indiana will continue to miss Myles Turner's perimeter shooting, I actually think Ivica Zubac is an excellent fit with Haliburton's passing ability. But there's still a lot to work out, so the preseason will be telling to see how the Pacers gel with Zubac providing rim protection, defensive rebounding and rim running.
Out West, I think it's the Minnesota Timberwolves who are flying a bit under the radar, overshadowed by the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. But with LaMelo Ball in place, Anthony Edwards finally has another player who can both create his own shot and initiate actions. This should take a huge burden off of Edwards, and it should make Minnesota more consistent against better defenses in the playoffs.
Dream ‘locked in’ against the upset-minded Liberty
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Nobody's head would have spun during the season if you predicted the Atlanta Dream would be three wins away from competing for a championship.
Their opponent in the WNBA semifinals, however, is a bit of a stunner.
The fourth-seeded Dream will host the No. 8 New York Liberty on Sunday afternoon in Game1 of a best-of-five series.
After matching last season's franchise record with 30 regular-season wins, Atlanta breezed past the Washington Mystics by a combined 33 points in two first-round wins.
In search of the franchise's first finals appearance since 2013, second-year head coach Karl Smesko has seen the puzzle pieces fall into place in another exceptional season.
“We knew we were a good team last year, but I was learning the (WNBA), they were learning the system and there were some stress points where maybe there wasn't complete clarity in what we wanted to do,” Smesko said. “A year later, I think everybody just feels a lot more comfortable.”
In Atlanta's first postseason series victory since 2016, Allisha Gray averaged 22.0 points and Rhyne Howard chipped in 20.5.
In the semifinals for the first time in her 10-year career, Gray is anything but satisfied.
"The biggest thing is staying locked in," Gray said. "We know the job's not done. Of course we were happy with the series victory, but now we've put it behind us and can focus on New York."
It will be a confident New York team heading south to face Gray and company. The Liberty became the first No. 8 seed in league history to eliminate a No. 1, doing so in a two-game sweep of the Minnesota Lynx by a combined 32
Guard Allisha Gray averaged 22 points in the Atlanta Dream's first playoff series victory since 2016. RAFAEL SUANES/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
points.
Under rookie head coach Chris DeMarco, New York was 13-12 on July 18 before winning 13 of its next 17. While the first-round upset of Minnesota may have caught some by surprise, DeMarco wasn't the least bit shocked.
“I feel like we’ve been trending in the right direction for a while now and it doesn’t always show up in wins and losses,” DeMarco said.
“But we were ready to play and we knew we had to be at our best at the end of September and October and I think we are right now.”
Breanna Stewart averaged 27.5 points across the two wins over Minnesota, while Sabrina Ionescu added 15.5 points and 6.5 assists per contest.
New York dropped two of three against Atlanta in the regular season, including consecutive losses to end the campaign on Sept. 21 and 23.
WNBA PLAYOFFS
ACES AT VALKYRIES (GAME 1: 4 P.M. ET OCT. 4, NBC/PEACOCK)
The WNBA's irresistible force and one of its immovable objects are plotted for a collision course when the league semifinals between the Las Vegas Aces and Golden State Valkyries tip off in Game 1 in San Francisco on Sunday afternoon.
The third-seeded Aces and second-seeded Valkyries both had to go the distance for best-of-3, first-round wins, each winning at home in the deciding Game 3 to come away with a narrow triumph that has vaulted it into the league's final four.
Golden State, by virtue of having finished one game ahead of Las Vegas in the regular-season standings, will have the home-court advantage in this best-of-5.
The Aces, who have won three of the last four WNBA titles, swept the Valkyries 3-0 in the season series, beginning with a 91-81 win at Golden State in May. They then followed up with 84-79 and 92-73 home wins in June.
The last of those triumphs was 104 days ago.
Something that hasn't changed over those $3 \frac{1}{2}$ months has been the dominance of Aces standout A'ja Wilson, who averaged 25.0 points and 12.7 rebounds against Golden State this season. The four-time Most Valuable Player had even better numbers - 32.0 points and 11.7 rebounds - when Vegas eliminated the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever in the first round.
Wilson sounded serious about winning another championship when she spoke in an on-court interview following Thursday's clinching 94-83 win over the Fever.
“Regular season’s cute. I know, that’s so cute, oh my God, everyone can come see us,” she stated. “But this is the moment that we live for.”
The Valkyries have held their own in the paint this season thanks to defensive standout Kiah Stokes. The three-time champion with the Aces averaged 1.7 blocks and 5.8 rebounds in her first season with Golden State this year.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson averaged 25 points and 12.7 rebounds against Golden State this season.
LUCAS PELTIER/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
“Kiah Stokes is our anchor. She is always there,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase gushed to reporters during the series against seventh-seeded Dallas. “She loves to just not let anyone score.”
Wilson wasn't the lone player in the season series against the Valkyries to score 20 or more points in all three games. That distinction belonged to her teammate, Jackie Young, who poured in 23, 27 and 21 points in the wins.
Gabby Williams, the hero of Golden State's 77-73 Game 3 win over Dallas on Friday, was the Valkyries' top scorer against the Aces this season, averaging 19.0 points per game.
ARIZONA CARDINALS - LB Cameron Robertson Activated from the Practice Squad.
BALTIMORE RAVENS - G Kyle Hergel Activated from the Practice Squad. C Ethan Pocic Placed on IR Knee. G Joyaughn Gwyn Placed on IR Ankle.
BUFFALO BILLS – CB Kani Walker Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Te'Cory Couch Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Joe Andreessen re-signed Two-year extension (through 2028).
CAROLINA PANTHERS – CB Robert Rochell Activated from the Practice Squad. WR Ja'seem Reed Activated from the Practice Squad. WR Xavier Legette Placed on IR knee.
CHICAGO BEARS – CB Nick McCloud Activated from the Practice Squad. DE Marcus Davenport Activated from the Practice Squad. T Braxton Jones Placed on IR knee.
CINCINNATI BENGALS - S Russ Yeast Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Bralyn Lux Activated from the Practice Squad.
DALLAS COWBOYS – S Juanyeh Thomas Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Reddy Steward Activated from the Practice Squad.
DENVER BRONCOS – WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey practice squad addition. RB Adam Prentice Activated from the Practice Squad.
DETROIT LIONS – S Jalen Mills Activated from the Practice Squad.
GREEN BAY PACKERS – DT Warren Brinson
Placed on IR calf, groin.
HOUSTON TEXANS – LB Kenneth Murray Jr. Activated from the Practice Squad.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - WR NICK
Westbrook-Ikhine Activated from the
Practice Squad.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – CB Jabbar Muhammad Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Jalen McLeod Activated from the Practice Squad.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – LB Cole Christiansen Activated from the Practice Squad.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS – LB Caleb Murphy Activated from the Practice Squad. TE Patrick Herbert Activated from the Practice Squad.
LOS ANGELES RAMS – LB Darryl Peterson III Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Cam Lampkin Activated from the Practice Squad.
MIAMI DOLPHINS – DE Rodney McGraw Activated from the Practice Squad. DT Mazi Smith Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Carlos Washington Jr. Activated from the Practice Squad.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS – P Johnny Hekker
Activated from the Practice Squad.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS – CB Kindle Vildor Activated from the Practice Squad. S Mike Brown Activated from the Practice Squad.
NEW YORK GIANTS – QB Jake Haener Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Trace Ford Activated from the Practice Squad.
NEW YORK JETS – LB Jaden Keller
Activated from the Practice Squad. WR
Sterling Shepard Activated from the
Practice Squad.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES – TE Josiah Deguara Activated from the Practice Squad. TE Zach Ertz Activated from the Practice Squad.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS – WR Malik Turner
Activated from the Practice Squad. DE
Matthew Judon Activated from the
Practice Squad. DT Sebastian Valdez
Activated from the Practice Squad. DE
Viliami Fehoko Jr. cut.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS - S Maxen Hook Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Trevon Diggs Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Velus Jones Jr. Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Jadarian Price Placed on IR chest.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS – QB Easton Stick Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Caden Fordham Activated from the Practice Squad.
TENNESSEE TITANS - G Drew Moss Activated from the Practice Squad.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS – LB Ale Kaho Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Craig Reynolds Activated from the Practice Squad.
Sullivan scores historic goal as U.S. routs Mexico
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player to score for the senior United States men's national team, scoring in the 62nd minute of a 3-0 friendly win over 10-man Mexico in Glendale, Ariz., on Saturday night.
The 17-year-old Sullivan scored 34 minutes after the 18-year-old Julian Hall scored his third goal in as many appearances for the USMNT, which defeated its border rival for the first time in three tries under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Both goals came from blunders by Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel, who started all five matches for El Tri at this summer's World Cup.
Malik Tillman added a third goal in the 84th minute, 17 minutes after Mexico's Mateo Chavez was sent off for making contact in the head and neck area of Sebastian Berhalter.
The 20-year-old Diego Kochen made one save to keep a clean sheet in his first start with the senior-level U.S. squad.
The U.S. improved to 3-0-0 during this four-match September/October international window, while Mexico is now 0-1-2 in its first three games under manager Rafa Marquez.
Hall's third senior international goal came in the 28th minute, and he might never score an easier one.
Fullback Alex Freeman got forward to begin the attack before finding Gio Reyna sprinting into the right side of the penalty area.
Reyna received Freeman's pass and drove a low cross to the near post. Rangel bobbled the ball in the direction of the lurking Hall, who hit a first-time volley into an empty net from close range.
Rangel's night got worse after half-time when he tried to play a pass to center back Diego Campillo and was intercepted by Sullivan.
There was a lot left to do, and Sullivan did so superbly, lofting a 35-yard finish over Rangel and into the net.
Mexico's best chances came in between those tallies.
In the 44th minute. U.S. fullback Antonee Robinson originally won the ball off Roberto Alvarado, but Luis Romo reached the ensuing loose ball and struck a hard, low cross from the right.
[TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY] Today is Oct. 4. On this date in:
1895: The inaugural U.S. Open golf championship concluded at Newport Golf Club, where England's Horace Rawlins won by two strokes to claim the first U.S. Open title.
1925: Detroit's Harry Heilmann collected six hits in a doubleheader and edged teammate Ty Cobb for the American League batting title, .393 to .389, while Cobb finished his 20th consecutive season batting above .300.
1948: The Cleveland Indians defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-3 in a one-game playoff at Fenway Park to capture the American League pennant behind Gene Bearden and player-manager Lou Boudreau.
1955: The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 2-0 in Game 7 to win the first World Series championship in franchise history. Johnny Podres threw a shutout and became the first World Series MVP.
1969: The New York Mets played the first postseason game in franchise history, defeating the Atlanta Braves 9-5 in the first National League Championship Series game.
1991: The Edmonton Oilers traded captain Mark Messier to the New York Rangers for Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk. Messier later captained the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years in 1994.
1995: Jim Leyritz hit a two-run homer in the 15th inning to give the New York Yankees a 7-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Game 2 of the AL Division Series. The 5-hour, 13-minute game became the longest postseason game in major league history at the time.
1997: WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis stopped Andrew Golota in the first round in Atlantic City.
1999: Al Leiter threw a two-hit shutout as the New York Mets defeated the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 in a one-game playoff for the National League wild card.
2001: Barry Bonds hit his 70th home run of the season, tying Mark McGwire's major league single-season record as the San Francisco Giants played the Houston Astros.
2001: San Diego Padres outfielder Rickey Henderson homered to pass Ty Cobb and become Major League Baseball's career leader in runs scored.
2011: Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Paul Goldschmidt hit a grand slam and
Diamondbacks infielder Paul
Goldschmidt hits a grand slam against the Brewers during Game 3 of the 2011 NLDS at Chase Field in Phoenix on Oct. 4, 2011.
MARK J. REBILAS/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
drove in five runs in an 8-1 victory over Milwaukee in Game 3 of the NL Division Series.
2014: Brandon Belt homered in the 18th inning as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Washington Nationals 2-1 in Game 2 of the NL Division Series. The 6-hour, 23-minute contest became the longest postseason game by time in major league history at the time.
2020: Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes in Tampa Bay's 38-31 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, becoming the oldest quarterback to throw five touchdown passes in a game and continuing his record-setting NFL career.
2020: The Seattle Storm defeated the Las Vegas Aces 104-91 in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, setting a Finals record with 33 assists and moving within one win of the franchise's fourth championship.
2022: New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run of the season, surpassing Roger Maris to set the American League single-season record.
This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
[NATION&WORLD EXTRA] SAILORS ADJUST TO WAR WITH IRAN
[NATION&WORLD EXTRA] SAILORS ADJUST TO WAR WITH IRAN
Aboard aircraft carrier, 5,000 personnel each have own mission
Sailors load munitions onto a fighter jet on the flight deck of the USS George Washington. PHOTOS BY ED OU/REUTERS
Brody Samaha, a “shooter,” walks on the USS George Washington’s flight deck as the aircraft carrier sails in the Arabian Sea.
Ed Ou
REUTERS
ABOARD USS GEORGE WASHINGTON – An emergency alert blares from a loudspeaker, and Damon Dennard and other sailors on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington are scrambling. Dennard, 23, is readying bombs for loading onto aircraft as his crewmates race to their positions.
“It has been eventful,” says Dennard, an aviation ordnanceman airman apprentice. Once the alert ends, he takes a breath, sits on one of the bombs and jokes that he probably expected an easier deployment.
"It's crazy, but at the end of the day, it's work. That's all."
Dennard was one of dozens of sailors Reuters spoke with in September on a rare visit to a U.S. warship that is central to the Iran war. The visit began at a particularly tense moment, just three days after the U.S. military blew up five Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for Iran targeting a U.S. Navy warship.
The George Washington's mission near the Strait of Hormuz – which has no defined end-date – came as a surprise to the crew, who were deployed from Japan at the end of August to relieve another carrier.
The aircraft carrier is effectively a floating city of around 5,000 personnel, each with their own mission, from Majesta Ochoa, who operates a cash register, to Lt. Cmdr. Brody Samaha, a "shooter" who helps oversee the launch of aircraft from the carrier's catapults.
But there is a sense of synchronization as the sailors go about their jobs, crew say.
"It's a dance, with lots of people checking each other," Samaha says, before adding that the flight deck is also a "very dangerous place to be. It's very unforgiving."
Breana Royston, a night aircraft handling officer, or "NACHO," coordinates aircraft positioning aboard the USS George Washington on Sept. 13.
Breana Royston, a night aircraft handling officer, or "NACHO," has a unique perspective over the dangerous maneuvering on the flight deck.
Her job is to supervise aircraft movement, including bringing fighter jets up to the flight deck and back down to the hangar bay via massive elevators. To do that, she uses what's known in Navy parlance as a "ouija board" – a real-time model of the deck, with miniature aircraft all lined up in their current positions. It looks a little like a strategy board game.
“We’ve been on our toes the last week, maneuvering and everything – with everything that’s going on,” Royston says, adding it’s been “kind of crazy, really busy.”
"It's nerve-wracking, but it's fun."
The Iranian government has repeatedly condemned U.S. military actions in the Strait of Hormuz. On Sept. 25, the Iranian foreign minister said the insecurity prevailing in the strait was the “direct result of the aggressive actions of the United States and the Israeli regime.”
The war began in February with joint strikes on Iranian targets by the United States and Israel. President Donald
See SAILORS, Page 5NN
SUPREME COURT
[Thomas, Alito set to weigh new cases] Experts: Eldest justices at height of their power
[Thomas, Alito set to weigh new cases] Experts: Eldest justices at height of their power
Jan Wolfe
REUTERS
WASHINGTON – The new U.S. Supreme Court term that begins on Oct. 5 presents opportunities for its two eldest and most conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, to help push U.S. law further rightward on contentious issues such as gun rights, religion in public schools and voting restrictions.
Thomas, 78, has served on the top U.S. judicial body since 1991, making him the second-longest-serving justice in American history. Alito, 76, has served since 2006.
Earlier in their tenures, they often found themselves in dissent in major decisions, but the court, with a 6-3 conservative majority since 2020, has shifted dramatically to the right. Thomas and Alito now are perhaps at the height of their influence and have been lavished with praise by Republican President Donald Trump.
If either were to retire, that would clear the way for Trump to nominate a younger conservative replacement who could serve for decades in the lifetime position. But, at least for now, according to legal experts, they appear more interested in wielding that power than stepping aside.
“They have been waiting for a long time to be in the position,” political science professor Kevin McMahon of Trinity College in Connecticut said of Thomas and Alito. “So why leave?”
During the court's term that ended in June, Thomas and Alito helped deliver long-sought victories to the conservative legal movement. These included a ruling expanding presidential control over regulatory agencies, and a decision further limiting the scope of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 law intended to eliminate racial discrimination in voting.
Thomas and Alito have been Trump's most reliable votes in cases involving his extraordinary exertion of presidential powers. More such cases are coming during the new nine-month term, including two involving
See JUSTICES, Page 4NN
Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, left, and Clarence Thomas now are perhaps at the height of their influence, legal experts say.
KYIV – Ukraine will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries in response to a new policy of air strikes by Moscow designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other cities, but will not target civilians, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine's intelligence services have obtained documents showing that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had issued a “new doctrine” of military attacks on a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of this winter, Zelenskyy said.
“We saw documents and we know that they allow them to attack infrastructure, logistics, and especially to attack in the cities, in the villages, everywhere, roads, schools, hospitals,” Zelenskyy told Reuters in an interview. “To pressure people to leave the capital, leave different cities: this is the goal of the operation.”
Driving the shift in policy, Zelenskyy said, was Putin's desire to appear strong at a time when his military was losing ground in a key frontline region and sustaining higher levels of casualties.
The Kremlin was not available to comment on Oct. 3. But in a statement urging foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would continue to systematically hit targets in what it said were retaliatory strikes for Ukrainian attacks on Russia in recent months.
Zelenskyy said a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, code-named "Vivaldi," had recaptured around 54 square miles of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and was still ongoing. Russia has said it must control Donbas in its entirety as a condition for any peace deal.
In recent weeks, President Donald Trump's administration has sought to revive talks to end the four-year-long conflict – Europe's bloodiest since World War II.
The U.S. leader in September urged Ukraine to refrain from hitting Russian oil installations, saying that was sending global diesel prices surging.
But Zelenskyy, speaking as air raid sirens blared outside the gilded halls of
At least half of the country will end up dry and quiet today, but the Southeast will have quite a bit of wet weather to end the weekend. Rain and thunderstorms will overspread the region, bringing the risk of flash flooding. It will also be humid in the Southeast. In the Southwest, it will be hot and warm in the interior Northwest.
NATIONAL (for the 48 contiguous states) | High: | 107 at Oceanside, CA | Low: | 25 at Stanley, ID | Precip: | 6.52" at Athens, TX | NATIONAL CITIES SUNDAY
INTERNATIONAL (excludes Antarctica) | High: | 109 at Yenbo, Saudi Arabia | Low: | 0 at Mould Bay, Canada | Precip: | 6.52" at Athens, USA | On Oct. 4, 1954, the temperature soared to a record 95 in Norfolk, Va. In Philadelphia, Pa., the day's minimum of 74 degrees was the highest ever for October.
Trump shares senator's phone number in feud over time switch
Bo Erickson
President Donald Trump on Oct. 3 published three Truth Social posts focused on daylight saving time. AARON SCHWARTZ/GETTY IMAGES
REUTERS
DAYTON, OH – President Donald Trump shared online the supposed phone number of a Republican U.S. senator on Oct. 3 in an escalating dispute over making daylight saving time permanent.
In a social media post, the president urged people to call a phone number he said belonged to Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who opposes the
Cotton
Trump-backed Sunshine Protection Act. The act would end the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks by one hour.
Trump says most Americans want more afternoon sunlight, but Cotton has argued the
change would plunge early risers into darkness in winter.
“Everybody in Arkansas, Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Cotton did not directly respond to Trump's statement, but posted on X: "No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter.
“Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.”
When Reuters called the number Trump gave for Cotton, it went directly to a voicemail box that did not identify itself as belonging to the senator.
Supporters of permanent daylight saving time say adjusting clocks disrupts sleep and increases road accidents, while critics argue later winter sunrises would leave children traveling to school and commuters heading to work in the dark.
Trump on Oct. 3 published three Truth Social posts – one in the morning and two in the afternoon – focused on daylight saving time. In a subsequent five-minute session with journalists at the White House, he spent more than half the time talking about the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks by one hour.
Most states have observed the time switch since the 1960s. Clocks this year are slated to switch back to standard time on Nov. 1.
"It discombobulates everybody," Trump said, complaining to reporters that losing afternoon daylight caused lateness for meetings and dinner and made it difficult to play more than 14 holes of golf. He also suggested that more daylight would reduce crime.
“You know who wants it? The farmers want it. You know who wants it? Sports want it,” Trump told reporters before heading to a rally in Ohio.
“Professional sports and amateurs that would like to play tennis at night, would like to play golf a little bit without having to run home after 14 holes.”
Trump, an avid golfer, earlier shared an Oct.1 letter from PGA Tour CEO Brian
Rolapp, writing: “The PGA TOUR, as an example, needs more Daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments.”
After Cotton published his statement, the president responded with a post that framed the matter in political terms.
"Give the Republican Party a Senatorial WIN, for a change! TAKE THE WIN TOM, JUST TAKE THE WIN! YOU NEED IT, AND SO DOES OUR BELOVED REPUBLICAN PARTY!" Trump wrote.
Cotton is running for reelection but his race is not considered competitive, as Trump received more than 64% of the Arkansas vote in the 2024 presidential election.
The House passed the bill in July, but Cotton is not alone in the Senate. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, this past week called the bill “dead as disco” and said he did not think that Senate Majority Leader John Thune would bring the measure for a vote.
The offices of Cotton and Thune did not respond to requests for comment.
1830: Belgium gained its independence, after having been a part of the Netherlands since 1815.
1864: New Orleans Tribune, the first Black daily newspaper, was founded by Dr. Louis C. Roudanez. The newspaper, published in English and French, started as a tri-weekly but soon became an influential daily.
1636: The first legal code in North America was composed by the General Court of the Plymouth Colony. It guaranteed the colony's Pilgrim citizens a trial by jury and stipulated that all laws were to be made with the consent of the freemen of the colony.
1901: The first motorized vacuum cleaner, called the “Puffing Billy,” was patented by British engineer Hubert Cecil Booth. The machine, pulled by a horse, was too big to enter buildings – instead, only its tubes were inserted through the windows.
1926: The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the radio program "Housekeeper's Chats" featuring "Aunt Sammy," sister of Uncle Sam.
1927: Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began working on Mount Rushmore, an iconic American landmark featuring the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln carved into a South Dakota mountainside. The project was completed in October 1941.
1931: American aviator Clyde “Upside-Down” Pangborn became the first person to fly nonstop across the Pacific Ocean, departing from Misawa, Japan, and landing in Wenatchee, Washington.
1954: The first temperature-controlled railway car, developed by the New York Central Railroad, was tested between New York City and Chicago.
1957: The Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 blasted into space, the first man-made object ever to leave the Earth's atmosphere. The satellite's launch marked the beginning of the Space Age – and a race between the United States and the USSR to be the first to reach the moon.
MS NOW columnist Paul Waldman discusses “campaign 2026 and political news of the week.” Newsmax radio host Todd Starnes discusses his book “The Golden Age: How Trump Saved America.”
An interview with Lina Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission. ABC's Martha Raddatz speaks to veterans in Virginia Beach, Virginia, "where a key race could determine control of the House." A political roundtable with Republican former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Michelle Cottle, national political writer and domestic correspondent for the New York Times Opinion Section; former RNC Communications Director Doug Heye; and former DNC Chair Donna Brazile.
Interviews with U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche; Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito; and Daniel Grand, plaintiff in a Supreme Court religious freedom case. A discussion with Tom Dupree, former principal deputy assistant U.S. attorney general, and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley. A political roundtable with former George W. Bush White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and Fox News senior political analyst Juan Williams.
The court's docket also includes Nov. 3 arguments in a challenge to a Colorado law requiring preschools receiving taxpayer money to enroll children of same-sex couples, the latest clash between religious rights and LGBTQ+ protections to reach the justices.
The justices also may take up a case examining whether a Texas law that requires public elementary and high schools to display the biblical Ten Commandments in classrooms comports with the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on the government establishing or endorsing any particular religion or promoting religion over nonreligion.
On Dec. 2, the court will hear arguments over whether states can ban AR-15s and other semiautomatic rifles, an opportunity for the conservative justices to further expand gun rights. Thomas and Alito have been instrumental in major guns rulings since 2008.
On Dec. 8, the court will consider whether Arizona can mandate that people registering to vote provide proof of citizenship, a GOP-backed measure critics have called an effort to make it harder for groups who tend to support Democratic candidates to register.
Legal experts said these cases give Thomas and Alito chances to build on some of their most influential earlier rulings and target more Supreme Court precedents they consider misguided.
“They have more they want to accomplish, and I expect them to keep pushing on a host of issues,” McMahon said, adding that they even may envision themselves serving as a check on a potential future Democratic president beginning in 2029.
"They're still in their 70s," McMahon said. "And for a Supreme Court justice, it's not unprecedented that you stay on the bench well into your 80s."
Thomas and Alito backed every major Trump administration policy that came before the court last term, unlike the three conservative justices Trump appointed during his first term – Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Those three all have compiled very conservative records as justices but in a few major cases sided against Trump.
Trump told Time magazine this past week he regretted nominating all three, calling them disloyal.
Thomas and Alito, on the other hand, are “legends, both,” Trump said in September.
“Alito and Thomas are the two who have figured out how to never get into Trump’s doghouse,” said University of Minnesota political science professor Timothy Johnson.
Alito rejected the notion that he is a rubber stamp for Trump and his administration, telling the Wall Street Journal in August: “I vote in every case the way I think the case should be decided. If that means a high correlation with what Trump wants, fine. If it means zero correlation with what Trump wants, fine as well.”
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State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash (CNN)
Interviews with Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, and Thomas Giuffra, the attorney representing a woman who has filed a civil lawsuit alleging several men raped her at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024. A political roundtable with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-New York; Jamal Simmons, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris; Scott Jennings, former special assistant for political affairs to President George W. Bush; and former DNC Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa.
Interviews with Democratic former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana. NBC News chief data analyst Steve Kornacki discusses a NBC News/Telemundo poll of Latino voters. A political roundtable with Ashley Etienne, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris; Republican strategist Matt Gorman; Politico senior political columnist Jonathan Martin; and Noticias Telemundo anchor Julio Vaqueiro.
Interviews with Energy Secretary Chris Wright; Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona; Brett McGurk, former National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East; and Zack Lahn, Republican nominee for Iowa governor. CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford discusses the start of the new Supreme Court term. Anthony Salvanto, executive director of Elections and Surveys at CBS News, discusses new polling.
Reuters
1958: The first trans-Atlantic passenger jet service was established by British Overseas Airways Corporation, flying from Heathrow Airport in London to Idlewild (now John F. Kennedy International Airport) in New York.
1959: USSR probe Luna 3 took the first photographs of the far side of the moon, leading to new discoveries about lunar geology.
1965: Pope Paul VI arrived in New York City on a mission to address the United Nations, becoming the first pope to visit the United States.
1976: Barbara Walters became the first female coanchor of the evening news, starting a three-year tenure on "ABC Evening News."
1992: An Israeli El Al airline Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed into an apartment building in the outskirts of Amsterdam, killing 43 people and injuring 26.
2006: WikiLeaks, an international nonprofit organization that published secret information, news leaks and highly classified material – including U.S. military field reports from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – from anonymous sources, was launched in Iceland by Australian computer hacker-turned-activist Julian Assange.
Frank Busch, 75, a legendary swimming coach, died Sept. 27. Busch spent the bulk of his career with USA Swimming and the University of Arizona. Busch was Arizona's head swimming coach from 1989 to 2011 and led both the Wildcat men's and women's teams to a national championship in 2008. His swimmers won 49 NCAA individual titles and 31 NCAA relay titles. He earned NCAA Coach of the Year honors six times and was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year 11 times. Busch also served on the Team USA coaching staff for the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games. In 2011, he became national team director for USA Swimming right before the 2012 London Olympics, where he helped coach American swimming icons Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky.
Bill Giles, 92, a longtime Philadelphia Phillies executive, died Sept. 25. He is credited with conceptualizing the Phillie Phanatic and spearheading the construction of both Veterans Stadium and Citizens Bank Park. Giles was a key figure in the Phillies' front office beginning in 1969, rising from business operations head to executive vice president and, in 1981, organizing a group that purchased the franchise, under which he served as president until 1997 and then chairman. Giles was named honorary National League president in 2001 and served on MLB committees that spear-headed the introduction of interleague play and the wild card.
Dennis Haskins, 75, the actor best known for playing lovable principal Richard Belding on the teen sitcom "Saved by the Bell," died Sept. 27. Haskins became an instantly recognizable TV presence as Bayside High's well-meaning principal who was frequently comically exasperated by the schemes of Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and his friends. Haskins starred on "Saved by the Bell" through the show's four-season run, from 1989 to 1993, and later reprised the role for "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," which ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000. Along with " Saved by the Bell," Haskins amassed a long list of TV credits, including appearances on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “The West Wing,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “7th Heaven,” “Mad Men” and “Hot in Cleveland.”
Gordon Johncock, 90, a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, died Sept. 28 in his South Branch, Michigan, home. Johncock won the Indy 500 in 1973 and 1982. He was not one to be in the light often. After his second retirement from racing, he owned Quigley Lumber, a Michigan business where he cut and sold timber. Johncock was inducted into the IMS Museum Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2002. He won 25 races, 20 poles and the 1976 IndyCar (then USAC) championship.
Esther Rantzen, 86, a British television presenter on the show “That’s Life!,” died Sept. 30. Diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in her early 80s, Rantzen returned to the media spotlight in 2023 to lend her support to the assisted dying movement. With Rantzen at the helm, “That’s Life!” was credited with helping to make car seat belts compulsory for children, bringing in safer surfaces to replace concrete in playgrounds, and encouraging more people to sign up for organ donation. Rantzen's show shone a spotlight on issues like stillbirth, addiction and mental health, at a time when they were not frequently discussed. In 1986, she founded Chil-dline, a free, confidential helpline for children and young people in distress.
Angela Stribling, 58, a former host of BET shows and radio personality, died Sept. 26 after a battle with brain cancer. Stribling's husband, Ken Washington, shared the news in an Instagram post on her account and in a statement to her longtime Washington, DC, radio station, WHUR 96.3 FM. In 2020, she appeared on Season 5 of "The Real Housewives of Potomac." Earlier in her career, the jazz singer hosted BET's entertainment news show "Screen Scene" in the 1990s and pioneered the network's jazz coverage by hosting "Jazz Central" and other programs.
USA TODAY Network and Reuters
[NEWS IN BRIEF] U.S. Coast Guard searches for missing medical plane carrying 6
[NEWS IN BRIEF] U.S. Coast Guard searches for missing medical plane carrying 6
A medical transfer aircraft carrying six people was reported missing on a flight from Bermuda to Boston, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Oct. 3.
The Federal Aviation Administration told the Coast Guard early on Oct. 3 that it had lost contact with the plane, a Gulfstream jet, a Coast Guard spokesperson said by email.
Four Canadians are on the plane, Canadian Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon said on X.
The aircraft, registered to Latitude Air Ambulance, departed Bermuda at 12:41 a.m. local time, according to data from flight tracking website FlightAware. The plane was flying at 24,000 feet for much of the flight before descending 13,000 feet in about two minutes shortly before flight controllers lost contact, data showed.
Latitude is based in Ontario, Canada, and provides medical evacuation services. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Coast Guard said it dispatched air and surface crews to search for the plane near Nantucket, an island community south of mainland Massachusetts.
Paris police chief says student protests now 'out of control'
Paris police chief says student protests now 'out of control'
PARIS – The student protest movement that has spread across France is now “out of control,” the Paris police chief said Oct. 3, urging demonstrators to return to peaceful action and warning that authorities would respond firmly to violence and vandalism.
Riot police clashed with high school students across France on Oct. 2 and unions called for teachers to strike as President Emmanuel Macron's government battled to contain increasingly violent protests over classroom conditions and funding.
Since Sept. 28, around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested nationwide and dozens injured.
Paris police chief Patrice Faure, in an open letter published on X ahead of planned renewed protests from Oct. 6, said those who had launched the movement no longer controlled it and called on students to abandon school blockades and unrest in favor of peaceful forms of protest.
Latvian PM's party strongly ahead in election, exit poll shows
Latvian PM's party strongly ahead in election, exit poll shows
RIGA, Latvia – Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' centrist, pro-Ukraine United List party was seen winning a parliamentary election on Oct. 3 by an unexpectedly wide margin, exit polls showed, with many voters on edge amid warnings of potential Russian aggression.
An exit poll by Latvian public broadcaster LSM showed United List winning 35.6% of votes, followed by the populist, MAGA-style Latvia First at 11.3%. Latvia First had courted the country's substantial ethnic Russian minority in the run-up to the vote.
Baltic countries have warned for months that Russia is mounting sabotage, cyber and other hybrid attacks across Europe to erode support for Ukraine and sow fear.
Russia says such accusations are baseless.
Reacting to the exit poll reading, Kulbergs said he hoped to remain prime minister, but said he would not want to govern with Latvia First. If exit polls were confirmed by official results, he would still need coalition allies to form a government.
the presidential offices, said he had received no indications from Russia that Putin was interested in peace talks, or discussing a ceasefire on energy infrastructure.
Over the past week, the Ukrainian capital has come under persistent attack by Russian drones and missiles targeting energy and telecoms assets, roads and rail infrastructure. For the first time, Russia has targeted the bridges across the Dnipro River connecting east and west Kyiv.
A firefighter works at the site of houses hit by a Russian air strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 2. SOFIIA GATILOVA/REUTERS
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would react to the change in tactics by Moscow, but would not target civilian infrastructure indiscriminately.
"We have to respond in any way [we can]. With their attacks on our energy, we have to respond on their energy. First of all, oil refiners etc: what gives money to them for this war," Zelenskyy said in English. "But we will not respond, of course, just like them, on any civilian objects."
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Ethiopian government forces retake airport in Tigray's capital
Ethiopia's federal military has recaptured the main airport in the capital of the northern Tigray region, three sources said on Oct. 3, dealing a major setback to an opposition alliance in its stronghold.
Clashes pitting a rebel alliance led by Tigray's ruling party against the government and its allied forces broke out in northern Ethiopia in late September, in the most serious escalation of violence since a 2020-2022 civil war. The fighting has stoked fears that it could escalate into a wider regional conflict.
Troops from the Ethiopian National Defense Force had regained control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Tigray's capital, Mekelle, one source with knowledge of events in the city and a humanitarian source told Reuters.
A third source, a Mekelle resident who asked not to be named for security reasons, confirmed the taking of the airport by government forces and added they could hear gunfire outside the city center.
Alito has a lot of influence in conversations among the court's conservatives, said Peter Canellos, author of a recent Alito biography titled “Revenge for the Sixties.”
"A lot of the action on the Supreme Court right now is conservative on conservative," Canellos said. "It's entirely a discussion among conservatives."
Canellos said Alito's influence was highlighted by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, perhaps the most important ruling he has authored. It overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent that had recognized a woman's constitutional right to have an abortion.
Chief Justice John Roberts, a stalwart conservative, dissented from the portion of Alito's ruling that reversed Roe.
"I think over the years Alito has thought of himself as an instrumental justice," Canellos said. "You can see in many cases, Dobbs included, that his key ability is to bring the three Trump appointees to his side, rather than Chief Justice Roberts' side, when the two of them disagree."
Alito has long criticized a 1990 Supreme Court precedent that limits the ability of people to seek religious exemptions from generally applicable laws. Religious rights advocates have said that ruling infringes on First Amendment protections for free exercise of religion. The 1990 ruling specifically held that the First Amendment does not protect people who participate in illegal acts – in that case, the use of an illegal hallucinogenic drug – as part of a religious ceremony.
The religious freedom case being argued in November, called St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, gives Alito and the other conservative justices a chance to cast doubt on the 1990 precedent, known as Employment Division v. Smith.
The case involving state-level bans on assault-style rifles may give Thomas a chance to clarify a test he laid out in one of his most impactful rulings, a 2022 case called New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
Under this test, gun control measures must be “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation” – not simply advance an important government interest – in order to comply with the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Some judges have said this wording does not provide clear guidance, producing inconsistent results.
“He has clearly expressed frustration that his colleagues have dodged reviews of assault-weapon prohibitions, making these consolidated challenges from Connecticut and Illinois a long-sought vehicle to establish a nationwide constitutional rule that includes these specific guns,” Johnson said of Thomas.
Thomas has not addressed retirement rumors, but in the past has hinted at a lengthy tenure.
McMahon said Thomas may want to become the longest-serving justice, a milestone he would reach in May 2028.
"If you're that close, and you have the setup that he has, why not continue?" McMahon asked.
Trump has said many times the conflict would soon be over, but as it persisted for longer than initially expected, the Navy turned to the George Washington to relieve another carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln.
In August, in response to reports of deteriorating conditions, low morale and suicide attempts on the Lincoln, at sea since November 2025, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the accounts “misrepresented” the reality, praising sailors who endure austere conditions.
Still, extended deployments can pose enormous strain on crews' mental health, particularly in wartime, and are a challenge for any navy. Sailors must maintain a state of alert and readiness, heightened in the case of the George Washington due to the threat of drone and missile attack from Iran.
“Morale is really important to us,” said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Heames, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 5. Heames talked about ensuring the ability of the crew to contact home and receive mail.
"Some of those things affect how sailors hold up out in this kind of environment," Heames said. "They are huge focus areas for me."
Reuters spoke with Seaman Deandre Cook as he checked in with his wife back home on a video call. She was holding one of their young daughters on her hip. It was hard being away from his family, Cook said, but added: "The distance makes the relationship stronger."
Reuters was given access to the USS George Washington under the condition that no operational details would be disclosed, including the exact location of the aircraft carrier.
As jets thundered off the carrier's deck above them, hundreds of members of the George Washington's crew gathered for a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks – an event many of them were too young to remember.
Al-Qaida's attacks on New York and Washington propelled the United States into two decades of war that sent troops to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. Many supporters of Trump had hoped Middle East wars were a thing of the past.
After a sailor sang the national anthem, the chaplain on board, Ben Garrett, delivered a prayer as the assembled crew bowed their heads.
“Help us honor those who have gone before us,” Garrett said.
Garrett later told Reuters that many of the crew members are still learning the basics of growing up, including skills like patience, managing relationships and career expectations.
"A huge percentage of this ship are between the ages of 19 and 24 years old," said Garrett, a Roman Catholic priest. "So they're trying to figure out being an adult while they're out here."
Sometimes sailors enlist to get away from a small town or a situation back home, Garrett added.
“But then they come here and they realize that some of the things they might have been trying to get away from, they brought it with them,” Garrett said.
Lt. Cmdr. Brian Lasley said there were more people on the George Washington than back in his hometown of Fredericktown, Missouri, whose population was 4,429 in the 2020 census.
Camren Pollard, 24, an interior communications electrician third class, said he joined the Navy on a spur-of-the-moment decision after seeing older coworkers unhappy in his previous job. “I wanted to change things in my life,” he said.
"My mom freaked out more than anything. My little brother thought it was kind of cool." For Pollard, however, "I don't think about it a whole lot. It's work for me."
U.S. Navy sailors aboard an MV-22 Osprey travel to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington in the Arabian Sea on Sept. 11.
Deandre Cook of Brownsboro, Texas, speaks with his wife and daughters by video call. "The distance makes the relationship stronger," Cook said.
Camren Pollard, 24, an interior communications electrician third class, sits watch during night operations on Sept. 13.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Guardians on Oct. 3 in Cleveland. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen reacts in the first inning against the New York Yankees on Oct. 3 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves on Oct. 3 in Los Angeles. The Brewers' William Contreras hits a solo home run during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres on Oct. 3 in Milwaukee. PHOTOS BY IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS CONNECT
White Sox 3, Guardians 0: Munetaka Murakami belted a two-run homer off All-Star Parker Messick and five pitchers combined on a three-hitter as Chicago beat Cleveland in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday afternoon.
Rays 1, Yankees 0: Drew Rasmussen did not allow a hit through $7 \frac{1}{3}$ scoreless innings and Jonathan Aranda belted a solo homer, lifting Tampa Bay to a victory over New York in Game 1 of the ALDS in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Dodgers 5, Braves 3: Tarik Skubal dominated over six innings, three home runs powered the offense and Los Angeles opened the NLDS with a victory over visiting Atlanta. Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep for the Dodgers. Brewers 3, Padres 2: William Contreras homered with two outs in the seventh inning for the go-ahead run to lift Milwaukee to a comeback victory over San Diego in a battle of the bullpens in the opener of their NLDS.
The NFL trade deadline is still six weeks away, set to expire at 4 p.m. ET Nov. 10.
But Monday's trade of quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings to New York Giants and Wednesday's deal that sent Joey Porter Jr. from the Steelers to the Cowboys were the latest reminders that we're in an era when general managers, coaches and personnel executives tend to be more enterprising about executing deals – whether to improve their rosters in the short or long term – and are more willing to part with precious capital in order to pry a targeted player loose.
Last year, the New York Jets unloaded two of their rare star players, CB Sauce Gardner and DL Quinnen Williams at the deadline and recouped three first-round picks and a second-rounder. In 2022, there were a record 10 deals on deadline day alone.
In recent years, premier players like WR Davante Adams and RB Christian
Titans running back Tony Pollard caries against the Giants on Sept. 27.
YANNICK PETERHANS/NORTHJERSEY.COM
McCaffrey have been moved weeks ahead of the deadline. And, heck, it's only been four months since the Los Angeles Rams acquired Myles Garrett,
Quarterback CJ Carr, above, threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as No. 3 Notre Dame beat North Carolina 37-26 in rainy conditions Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C. TOP 25 ROUNDUP, 3NS BOB DONNAN/IMAGN IMAGES
Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent (17) passes against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20 in Chicago. MATT MARTON/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent is expected to start Sunday's game against the visiting New York Jets, multiple outlets reported on Saturday.
Bagent took the majority of the first-team reps at practice this week. He gets the nod over Case Keenum, who passed for 247 yards and accounted for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in Monday night's 27-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles after Bagent spent much of the previous week in concussion protocol.
Bagent was injured late in the fourth quarter of Chicago's 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20. He came on in relief of Caleb Williams, who sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain in that game.
Williams has been ruled out for the Bears (2-1) on Sunday against the Jets (1-2).
Bagent earned the No. 2 role in training camp but said earlier this week he was not pushing to unseat Keenum, who was given a game ball Monday night.
"There's a couple ways to think about it. Obviously, I would like everything that the football world can offer me. But then there's also the part that I am from Shepherd University, so I have absolutely zero ego in this and nobody is a bigger cheerleader and a fan of Case Keenum than I am," Bagent said. "I think he is the epitome of what I believe a quarterback is and is supposed to be. So it was fun to watch him play."
Asked on Friday, Bears head coach Ben Johnson did not reveal his QB1 plans. “We’ll find out on Sunday,” he said. “I know both of them are well prepared to play and win a game for us.”
Bagent, 26, last started an NFL game during the 2023 season. He went 2-2 in place of former Bears quarterback Justin Fields. In 13 career games, Bagent has completed 65.8% of his passes for 971 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is expected to miss multiple games with a hamstring injury, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The 27-year-old Smith missed time in training camp due to the injury, but he was able to suit up for the first three games of the season, reeling in 19 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown. He did not participate in practice this week, however, as he dealt with the injury once again, and the Eagles listed him as out for their Week 4 home contest Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Inquirer reported that Smith could miss two to three games with the injury.
With Marquise Brown already sidelined by an ankle injury, Dontayvion Wicks is expected to serve as the team's top receiver against the Rams.
Report: Packers star Parsons likely out until November
The Indianapolis Colts ruled out Keenan Allen for Sunday's game in London against the Washington Commanders and elevated fellow wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine from the practice squad.
Allen, 34, was downgraded from questionable as he nurses a groin injury.
He has 13 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown this season for the Colts (1-2) after signing a one-year contract on Aug. 18.
A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Allen has 1,068 career receptions for 12,151 receiving yards and 71 touchdowns in 174 games with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2013-23, 2025), Chicago Bears (2024) and Colts.
Westbrook-Ikhine, 29, also was elevated from the practice squad to play in last Sunday's 19-17 victory over the Houston Texans.
The Carolina Panthers placed wide receiver Xavier Legette on injured reserve due to a knee injury.
He is set to miss at least the next four weeks.
In Week 2, the 25-year-old reeled in a 55-yard reception against the Atlanta Falcons but sustained a knee injury on the play. He sat out of the team's Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Legette was a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Across his first two seasons, he recorded 924 yards and seven touchdowns in 33 games (25 starts).
The Panthers' receiving group could look thin on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Leading receiver Jalen Coker (quadriceps) is listed as questionable.
On Saturday, the team also promoted wide receiver Ja'seem Reed from the practice squad. Reed went undrafted in 2025 out of San Diego and is in line to potentially make his NFL debut.
Seahawks place RB Price (chest) on injured reserve
Seahawks place RB Price (chest) on injured reserve
The Seattle Seahawks placed rookie running back Jadarian Price on injured reserve with a chest injury.
Price had already been ruled out for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Chargers; now, he will miss at least the next four games.
Price, a first-round selection by the Seahawks out of Notre Dame in this year's draft, suffered the injury in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said this week that Price aggravated the injury during practice Wednesday.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers elevated Easton Stick off the practice squad to be their backup quarterback for Sunday's home game against the Green Bay Packers.
Stick will serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie from Kansas making his first career start. Regular starter Baker Mayfield is sidelined with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
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arguably the league's most dominant player when he's healthy, from the Cleveland Browns.
As the calendar flips to October, more moves are coming – bank on that. What we don't know yet is what additional injuries will arise that might necessitate the next deal.
It's also currently unclear which GMs will shift into sell mode given the wide array of outcomes that could materialize over the next six weeks – when, perhaps, the Las Vegas Raiders might tail off and then consider trading QB Kirk Cousins or WR Tre Tucker, for example.
Furthermore, this could be a year when normally aggressive teams might think twice and/or teams willing to move players might have to lower their asking price or defer the compensation. Why? Because there's likely to be a pervasive reluctance to surrender high-end draft assets ahead of what's expected to be a bumper crop of incoming college players in 2027.
Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens, left, catches the ball against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) and safety Jaylinn Hawkins on Sept. 27 in Rio De Janeiro. KIRBY LEE/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
Here are some top targets who should be on teams' acquisitional radars in the coming weeks:
\- Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens: This is probably going to be a difficult year to find a legitimate impact player in midstream. But, if the Cowboys' season goes seriously south in the immediate future, Pickens is that kind of talent.
He had 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine TDs last season, Jerry Jones wasn't willing to lock him into a long-term deal.
\- Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: It's not working right now for the Cards and the fourth overall pick of the 2024 draft. Harrison is currently no better than the fifth option on this offense, collecting just four catches (on nine targets) through three weeks.
And the three-year, \$75 million extension recently signed by Michael Wilson was a clear signal the organization considers him their WR1 – the numbers already suggesting as much in 2025.
Certainly several teams would likely find MHJ's talent tantalizing given how highly regarded he was going into the '24 draft, not to mention his Hall of Fame bloodlines.
\- Arizona Cardinals OLB Josh Sweat: He can set an edge effectively and hunt passers, whether deployed in three- or four-man fronts. Sweat made a case to the MVP of Super Bowl 60 for the Eagles after collecting $2 \frac{1}{2}$ sacks of Patrick Mahomes in Philly's blowout of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 6-5, 265-pounder is now in the second season of a four-year, \$76.4 million deal with the struggling Cardinals but has no guaranteed money beyond this season. He could be the final piece for a team looking to put a cherry on top of a championship-caliber defense.
\- Los Angeles Chargers OLB Khalil Mack: Even at 35, the nine-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year remains a force in this league – and one who's in the year-to-year portion of his career, unsigned for 2027. And given his age, he might not cost as much to obtain as a player like Sweat – particularly for a team that might merely be all in for the short run only.
Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt:
No way you say? Yes, admittedly, exporting a superstar at the trade deadline
– and effectively waving the white flag on a season – would be far from a typical Steelers move.
But look more closely. Watt will turn 32 on Oct. 11. Pittsburgh has already extended Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, both much younger pass rushers than Watt. And, if the Steelers fall off the playoff pace they need to have an eye on 2027 and the likelihood that it could be rebuild territory.
\- Tennessee Titans RB Tony Pollard: Now in the walk year of his contract – and a time when the Titans clearly aren't going anywhere – he's working on a fifth straight season with more than 1,000 yards rushing and has averaged 42 receptions over the previous four years. A pretty good dual threat weapon and one only owed the prorated amount of his \$6.7 million base salary this season.
\- Indianapolis Colts DT DeForest Buckner: The 32-year-old remains one of the league's premier interior disruptors. He's also headed for free agency in 2027 and plays for a team light on draft assets next year in the wake of the 2025 trade for Gardner. And if the Colts go down the tubes and are compelled to clean house early?
\- Cleveland Browns WR Jerry Jeudy: He signed a three-year, \$52.5 million extension two years ago and responded with his first Pro Bowl season in 2024.
But Jeudy's production essentially fell by $50\%$ in 2025 (50 catches, 602 yards, 2 TDs) amid the team's unsettled QB situation, and he's only caught two of five targets so far this year – when the Browns also chose wideouts in the first (KC Concepcion Jr.) and second (Denzel Boston) rounds of the draft.
\- Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin: The veteran receiver, whose contract comes with an unusual team option for 2027, could be optimal for a team seeking depth or a WR2 down the stretch – think the San Francisco 49ers, for example, where a reunion with Mike Evans might also make sense given the injury issues that team is currently facing.
And in light of the present circumstances for the winless Bucs, who have a young group of receivers on the way up anyway? Just sayin'.
\- Tampa Bay Buccaneers DL Vita Vea: Another player, one who's 31 and got a Band-Aid addendum to his contract as opposed to a meaningful extension after a summer standoff, who could make a much bigger impact for another team than he probably will for the winless Bucs this year.
\- Arizona Cardinals QB Gardner Minshew II, Atlanta Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa: Kinda the same guys in some respects – experienced starters with Pro Bowl bona fides but currently in backup roles and on one-year pacts for teams that will very likely be targeting a new quarterback in next year's draft.
Either could be an ideal alternative for a team that might suddenly find itself in a quarterback crisis, though one that only requires a steady hand to steady the ship for a month or so.
And if McCarthy, a former first-round pick with upside, only cost a fifth-rounder, the price would theoretically be more than right for Minshew or Tagovailoa.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton passes against Vanderbilt on Oct. 3 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. DALE ZANINE/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
CJ Carr threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as No. 3 Notre Dame beat North Carolina 37-26 in rainy conditions Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Jordan Faison caught two touchdown passes as part of an eight-catch, 132-yard receiving effort for the Fighting Irish (5-0).
Carr completed 21 of 29 passes for 234 yards. Jonaz Walton rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries.
Billy Edwards Jr. threw for three touchdowns, two interceptions and 208 yards for the Tar Heels (2-2), who were held to 285 yards of total offense. Jordan Shipp had 109 receiving yards on seven catches.
Carr's 3-yard scoring run on fourth down to end a 17-play drive which took 9:10 off the clock and stretched Notre Dame's lead to 27-20 in the third quarter, but a two-point conversion run failed. The Irish converted on a trio of fourth downs on the march.
Gunner Stockton completed 25 of 32 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) to a victory over the Commodores (3-2, 0-2).
Stockton connected with 10 receivers, including Dwight Phillips Jr., who had five catches for 75 yards and a score for Georgia, which has won all its games by at least 24 points.
Vanderbilt was without freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, who was scratched before the game with an undisclosed injury. Curtis, one of the top QB recruits in the 2026 high school class, flipped his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt in December.
In his place, Blaze Berlowitz completed 12 of 23 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown. Junior Sherrill posted seven receptions for 107 yards and a score for the Commodores, who dropped their second straight.
Leading by seven at halftime, Georgia had its first possession of the second half aided by a fortuitous bounce on a 43-yard Lawson Luckie catch off a deflection. Stockton hit Elyiss Williams for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 8:21 remaining in the third to make it 28-14.
Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for two touchdowns and Darian Mensah passed for a touchdown and ran for another to lead the Hurricanes (5-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to a win over the host Tigers (3-2, 2-1).
Miami moved into sole possession of first place in the conference while beating Clemson on its home field for the first time since 2010.
It was Miami's second-largest margin of victory against Clemson and largest since a 39-7 win in 1953.
Miami's defense recorded six sacks, including five in the first half, against Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds. Reynolds completed 29 of 44 passes for 295 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, which resulted in a 39-yard pick-six by Miami's JJ Dunnigan to close the scoring.
Damon Wilson II led the Hurricanes' pass rush with 2 1/2 sacks. Ahmad Mo- ten forced a Reynolds fumble with 1:41 left in the third, which was recovered by Herbert Scroggins and led to a Jake Weinberg 24-yard field goal to put the Hurricanes ahead 27-6 early in the fourth.
Josh Hoover was 20-for-27 passing for 251 yards and four touchdowns, Turbo Richard racked up a career-high 204 yards and a score on the ground and the Hoosiers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) thrashed the host Scarlet Knights (1-4, 0-2) in Piscataway, N.J.
Indiana extended the nation's longest winning streak to 21 games. The Hoosiers rolled up 593 total yards and 329 rushing yards compared to Rutgers' 254 and 59, respectively.
Lee Beebe Jr. had a big second half to finish with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown, Charlie Becker made eight catches for 107 yards and two TDs, and fellow wideout Nick Marsh added seven receptions for 120 and one score. Indiana became the first Big Ten team with two 100-yard rushers and two 100-yard receivers in one game since 1995.
Rutgers' AJ Surace relieved Dylan Lonergan at quarterback before halftime, with Lonergan apparently injured on a
QB sneak attempt. Surace was the more effective passer for the Scarlet Knights, with 128 yards and a 53-yard touchdown to Ben Black III.
Jeremiah Smith set two more school records and strengthened his Heisman Trophy candidacy when the Buckeyes (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) earned a victory over the Hawkeyes (4-1, 1-1) in Iowa City.
Smith, a junior, made his 36th career touchdown catch in the third quarter to surpass Chris Olave's school record and give Ohio State a 24-6 lead.
On Ohio State's next drive, Smith's 10th catch of the game was his 206th for the Buckeyes to move one ahead of former record-holder Emeka Egbuka.
Smith finished with 11 catches for 206 yards and struck the Heisman pose in the end zone after his second score against overmatched Iowa. In the past two games, Smith has compiled 23 catches for 423 yards and six scores.
Keelon Russell totaled four touchdowns and Alabama's defense forced four turnovers which allowed the Crimson Tide (5-0, 2-0 SEC) to roll past the Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1) in Starkville, Miss.
Russell threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns and ran for one more. Rico Scott had 56 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Lotzeir Brooks added 96 receiving yards and Trae'shawn Brown produced 66 rushing yards and two TDs for Alabama, which is 5-0 for the first time in Kalen DeBoer's three seasons.
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor completed 19 of 34 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns but also threw two interceptions, matching his total in the first four games of the season combined for the Bulldogs, who have lost 17 straight games against the Crimson Tide.
Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, Jamal Roberts ran for 211 yards and three scores, and the Tigers' defense shut down star running back Jadan Baugh in a victory over the Gators (4-1, 2-1 SEC) in Columbia, Mo.
Roberts broke two long second-half runs, one for 77 yards and later an 80-yard touchdown for Missouri, which scored 35 straight points after the score was tied 10-10 late in the first half.
Missouri (4-1, 1-1) scored on six straight possessions spanning the end of the second quarter to the fourth.
Missouri had lost nine straight games against ranked opponents. Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz improved to 2-10 against teams ranked in the Top 10 of the Associated Press poll, winning for the first time since beating Ohio State in the 2023 Cotton Bowl.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier rushed for two touchdowns and Faletau Satuala recorded a key interception as the Cougars (4-0, 2-0 Big 12) posted a victory over the Horned Frogs (2-3, 0-2) in Fort Worth, Texas.
Bachmeier rushed for 66 yards on 15 carries and completed 11 of 24 passes for 62 yards for BYU, which has started 4-0 in three consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
Jaden Craig was 18-of-25 passing for 187 yards, one touchdown and one interception for TCU. Kari Ashley had six receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown and Jeremy Payne had 100 yards from scrimmage (77 rushing, 23 receiving).
TCU had a 259-216 edge in total offense during a contest played mostly in rainy conditions.
John Curry intercepted a pass in the end zone for a touchdown, Brice Pollock had two interceptions and Malik Esquerra added another pick as the Red Raiders (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) rallied for avictory over the Buffaloes (2-3, 0-2) in Boulder, Colo.
All three third-quarter Colorado drives ended in interceptions as Texas Tech overcame a 7-3 halftime deficit.
As Curry rushed off the edge with 7:10 remaining in the game, he reached up and intercepted Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson's pass in the end zone for a 22-7 lead.
Will Hammond threw for 134 yards and a touchdown. J'Koby Williams rushed for 88 yards and Quinten Joyner ran in a score. Terrance Carter Jr. had a touchdown reception. Texas Tech held a 4-0 advantage in turnovers.
Sam Leavitt passed for three touchdowns in limited action, Corey Barber Jr. caught two of the scoring passes, Harlem Berry and Stacy Gage each rushed for more than 100 yards and the Tigers (4-1) routed the Cowboys (2-4) in Baton Rouge, La.
Leavitt, who is the second-leading rusher for LSU but has been hampered by a hamstring injury, did not run the ball and played just the first half before being relieved by Landen Clark with LSU leading 35-0. Leavitt passed for 176 yards and an interception.
Barber, a freshman who had just one reception for 15 yards before Saturday, finished with seven catches for 83 yards and his first touchdowns. Berry had the first 100-yard rushing game of his two-year career, finishing with 125 yards and a score on 15 carries, and Gage rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.
LSU outgained FCS McNeese 731-196 and finished with a 37-6 advantage in first downs.
DeSean Bishop rushed for a career-high 220 yards and three second-half touchdowns to rally the Volunteers (4-1, 1-1 SEC) past the Tigers (3-2, 1-2) for a
The former walk-on from Knoxville carried 34 times while becoming the first running back for Tennessee to go for 200 yards and three scores since Eric Gray in 2019.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel benched freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon late in the first half after he went 3-for-8 for no yards and one interception. Backup George MacIntyre completed 8 of 10 for 86 yards in the first meeting between the Tigers and Vols in six seasons.
Auburn's Byrum Brown was 22-for-33 for 159 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He rushed for 107 yards on 19 attempts and scored the first touchdown for the Tigers, who built a 7-3 halftime lead.
The Trojans (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) scored a pair of third-quarter touchdowns less than two minutes apart, then held firm on the Huskies' final drive to survive with a win in Los Angeles.
USC surrendered a pair of fourth-down conversions that allowed Washington (3-2, 0-2) to advance into the red zone with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
On one of its fourth-down conversions, Washington quarterback De-mond Williams Jr. evaded pressure and hit Chris Lawson while on the move for a 43-yard gain.
USC's defense buckled down, however, including on third-and-4 from the USC 12-yard line when Kameryn Crawford beat his blocker to bring down Williams from the blind side. The sack forced Washington into another fourth-down scenario.
The Mustangs (4-1, 2-1 ACC) carried a three-point lead into halftime and nearly pitched a second-half shutout in a win over the visiting Eagles (2-3, 0-2) on a rainy afternoon in Dallas.
Kevin Jennings threw touchdowns to Randy Pittman Jr. and Derrick McFall after intermission, finishing 20-for-30 passing for 160 yards.
SMU was outgained 322-218 in total, managing only 160 yards through the air after averaging 393 through their first four games.
SMU sacked Boston College quarterback Mason McKenzie five times and held the Eagles scoreless over seven straight possessions from the first quarter until a touchdown with 2:07 left in regulation. That streak included a fumble and two turnovers on downs.
Conner Weigman scored three times on the ground in the second half as the host Cougars (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) shrugged off a ragged first 40 minutes and roared from behind to beat the Knights (3-2, 1-1).
Weigman's third rushing touchdown, a 1-yard plunge with 10:15 to play, gave Houston its first lead. On the ensuing drive, Weigman – who finished with 239 passing yards – connected with Trent Walker for a 43-yard catch-and-run to set the table for Jonathan Dimas' 40-yard field goal with 4:14 to play.
Dimas added a career-high 46-yarder with 1:56 left that capped the Cougars' 27 unanswered points and cemented the win.
Keyone Jenkins passed for 253 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score to lead UCF's attack.
Darius Taylor scored one touchdown on the ground and another through the air, and the Golden Gophers (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) rallied for a win over the Wolverines (3-2, 0-2) in Minneapolis.
Drake Lindsey completed 17 of 25 passes for 136 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for Minnesota.
Noah Jennings had a team-high seven catches for 70 yards.
Jordan Marshall rushed for the lone offensive touchdown for Michigan. Bryce Underwood completed 10 of 21 passes for 101 yards and two interceptions.
Minnesota beat Michigan for the first time since 2014 to capture the Little Brown Jug that is awarded to the winner of the rivalry matchup. The Golden Gophers won the jug on their home field for the first time since 1977, prompting students to storm the field after time expired.
Chicago White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay delivers to the plate during the fourth inning against the Guardians in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 3 in Cleveland. DAVID RICHARD/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
Brian Dulik
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
CLEVELAND – Munetaka Murakami belted a two-run homer off All-Star Parker Messick and five pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday afternoon.
Murakami, a 26-year-old rookie from Japan, hammered a 440-foot shot to right field off Messick in the fourth inning. His first postseason homer – and 36th overall this year – plated Miguel Vargas to put the White Sox up 2-0.
“I was ready, this was the moment I was preparing for the entire season,” said Murakami, who yelled toward the visiting dugout as his homer cleared the fence, said through an interpreter. “I can’t explain what I said in words (to the team), but it was a little bit dirty.”
Chicago extended its lead to 3-0 in the seventh when Colson Montgomery doubled just inside third base against Erik Sabrowski, bringing home Kyle Teel. The White Sox have won three consecutive games to begin their postseason.
Bryan Hudson retired the only batter he faced in the third inning for the victory, and closer Grant Taylor tossed the final four innings for the save. Taylor struck out six and allowed a pair of hits.
Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Monday afternoon in Cleveland. The White Sox have won eight of the 14 contests between the teams this season, splitting eight games at Progressive Field, the home of the AL Central champion Guardians.
a-walked for Fry in 4th. b-flied out for Pham in 9th. c-singled for Hedges in 7th. d-singled for Grichuk in 6th.
"The first game in the series is very important. Now, we'll get the one day (of) rest and focus on winning again," Murakami said.
“I can’t speak English too much, so the one thing I know is ‘Let’s go,’ and that’s it,” he added.
Messick, a rookie making his post-season debut, struck out six over 4½ innings and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks. The left-hander threw 87 pitches before being replaced by
Daniel Espino.
Cleveland was held hitless until the fourth, when Travis Bazzana doubled with two outs against Anthony Kay. The Guardians would load the bases with two out for the second straight inning, but Brayan Rocchio lined out to right.
"Of course, you're frustrated when you get shut out," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.
"We just couldn't get it going early in the inning to get some action going. But we didn't get down."
White Sox rookie Hagen Smith worked as an opener for the second time this week, tossing 2 $^{1/2}$ scoreless innings. The left-hander did not give up a hit, struck out four and walked three.
Smith retired the first eight Cleveland batters before walking Rocchio, Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez in the third, prompting White Sox manager
Will Venable to lift him for Hudson. The 6-foot-8 left-hander retired lefty-swinging Chase DeLauter on a fly to left to end the inning.
Jordan Hicks followed Hudson and recorded two outs before Kay entered.
The Guardians' Jo Adell struck out four times in four plate appearances in the first playoff game of his seven-year career. He was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline.
"I was definitely in a blender today, getting different looks every time up from a different pitcher," Adell said. "We've got to adjust because we were trying to find it all day. Postseason is a pitcher's duel and we've got to bounce back."
Chicago catcher Teel was unsuccessful on his first ABS challenge after going 5-for-5 in the wild-card round.
The Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda reacts after hitting a home run against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 3 in St. Petersburg, Florida. PABLO ROBLES/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Drew Rasmussen did not allow a hit through 7 $^{3/4}$ scoreless innings and Jonathan Aranda belted a solo homer, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday in Game 1 of the American League Division Series in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“In all honesty, my heartbeat was about a thousand beats per minute, so I just let (catcher) Liam (Hicks) call the game and just try to execute the pitches he called,” Rasmussen said on the TNT Sports broadcast.
Austin Wells broke up Rasmussen's no-hit bid in the eighth with a blast down the right field line. However, he was thrown out in his attempt to stretch a double into a triple to end the inning.
“Obviously not a good decision there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Not sure if he saw something on his way between first and second that caused him to go there, but obviously a mistake there.”
Wells said after he passed second base, he saw third base coach Luis Rojas with his hands up for him to stop there, but he already was committed to run to third.
“(They) made two good throws and it got me,” Wells said. “Thought it kicked off more than it did, (right fielder Victor Mesa Jr.) made a good play on the ball. Two outs there, trying to make something happen, be aggressive with not much going on in the game. Obviously, love to safe there or standing on second base.”
That was the lone hit allowed by Rasmussen (1-0), who struck out 10 batters in eight innings.
Right-hander Bryan Baker struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure his first career postseason save.
Aranda belted a solo homer in the third inning as one of the five hits for the Rays, who secured a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 2 is Monday in St. Petersburg.
Aranda deposited a 2-2 changeup from right-hander Gerrit Cole (0-1) over the wall in right-center field to account for the scoring in the third inning.
The Yankees' bats went silent after outscoring the rival Boston Red Sox by an 18-2 margin and out-hitting them 26-7 during a two-game sweep in the wild-card round.
Captain Aaron Judge was left off New York's roster for the ALDS. Judge, 34, has not played since Sept. 16 due to a strained right calf. The three-time AL MVP landed on the injured list three days later and missed the Yankees' wildcard sweep earlier this week.
Rasmussen also dominated the Yankees in three of four meetings during the regular season, including a one-run, one-hit, 11-strikeout performance over 6% innings of a 6-1 romp on Sept. 22. The Rays clinched the AL East title with that victory.
"At that point, we had the opportunity to win the division. Obviously, this one is a postseason game. Both meaningful, both impactful," Rasmussen told reporters about his last two outings against New York.
Rasmussen allowed only a pair of walks, one each in the second and third innings, and retired the final 16 batters he faced on Saturday.
"It seemed like he went and doubled down tonight," Rays manager Kevin Cash said, noting Rasmussen's previous start against the Yankees. "Made it easy to sit back and just take some decisions out of our hands."
Rasmussen also showed his defensive chops by getting off the mound to field a bunt and throw out Ryan McMahon to begin the sixth inning. He finished that inning unscathed, marking the deepest no-hit bid in franchise history and the deepest into a postseason game the Yankees have ever been no-hit.
Cole permitted one run on five hits in five innings.
“Biggest issue is Rasmussen shutting us down,” Boone said. “Obviously, we had a handful of guys hit some balls on the screws - Austin (Wells) being one of them a couple times there – we just didn’t generate enough, obviously.”
Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on Oct. 3 in Los Angeles. KIYOSHI MIO/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
LOS ANGELES – Tarik Skubal dominated over six innings, three home runs powered the offense and the Los Angeles Dodgers opened the National League Division Series with a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep as the Dodgers started their quest to become the first National League club to win three consecutive championships and the first major league team to do it since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.
Skubal (1-0) gave up one run on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in his first postseason start for Los Angeles after arriving in a trade-deadline deal from the Detroit Tigers.
Sean Murphy and Ozzie Albies hit home runs for the Braves, who entered off a wild-card round victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and are trying to advance past the NLDS for the first time since winning the World Series in 2021.
Left-hander Dylan Dodd opened the game with three scoreless innings for Atlanta before giving way to Victor Mederos (0-1), who gave up Hernandez's home run and recorded just one out in the fourth inning.
On a blisteringly hot day, with the temperature at 100 degrees to open the game, Skubal allowed only one hit through his first five scoreless innings on the mound.
Hernandez backed Skubal with a two-run home run in the fourth inning for a 2-0 advantage.
"I really don't care if I strike out in big situations. I always want to be the guy to be in those moments," Hernandez said. "I worked really hard for it, and I think the bigger the moment, the more focused I get. Just trying to put together a good at-bat for the team. Obviously if I get a good pitch to hit, I just try to put a good swing on it."
The Braves finally got to Skubal in the sixth when Murphy hit a home run to center to bring Atlanta to within a run.
The Dodgers increased their advantage in the bottom of the sixth against AJ Smith-Shawver when Tucker slugged a two-run home run and Muncy followed two batters later with a solo shot down the line in right field for a 5-1 advantage.
Tucker's contribution on offense came after a disappointing regular season when his .715 OPS was lower than all but one Dodgers player who played in at least 90 games. Tucker is in the first season of a four-year, \$240 million contract.
Albies got the Braves within two runs in the ninth with a two-run home run off Tanner Scott.
Evan Phillips entered the game with two outs and walked Mauricio Dubon to bring the tying run to the plate. But he earned the save by retiring Austin Riley on a groundout to short.
"I thought we put up some competitive at-bats. Really nice swing from Murphy right there and then and then not giving up," Riley said.
L.A. Dodgers 5, Atlanta 3
"With Ozzie, the two-run homer, that was encouraging. Just ran out of time today." |
and swat it down so Chourio could catch it. So thanks, Ueck," Murphy said.
Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio fields a fly ball from the San Diego Padres' Ty France during the ninth inning of Game 1 of their National League Division Series on Oct. 3 in Milwaukee. MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Jim Hoehn
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
MILWAUKEE – William Contreras homered with two outs in the seventh inning for the go-ahead run to lift the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-2 comeback victory over the San Diego Padres in a battle of the bullpens on Saturday night in the opener of their National League Division Series.
Reliever Adrian Morejon (0-1) opened the seventh and retired the first two hitters before Contreras sent a 3-2 pitch 406 feet to center.
Jackson Chourio had a game-tying two-run homer in the third off Padres starter Robbie Ray to account for Milwaukee's other runs. The Brewers were last in the NL with 154 homers and next-to-last in the majors, only ahead of Toronto's 152.
"I feel like we earned it. I really do," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "I take nothing away from our guys. We earned it. We weren't perfect. But we swung the bat pretty darn good."
Milwaukee earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason after winning a franchise-record 103 games, while San Diego won 17 of its final 20 regular-season games before sweeping the Chicago Cubs this week in their wild-card series.
Game 2 is set for Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee.
Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, who led the majors with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts, needed 88 pitches to get through four innings, allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts.
"To limit him to only four innings tonight was a job well done by our offense," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "Our offense has been swinging the bats really good, taking great atbats. They continued that again tonight."
Left-hander Ray allowed two runs on four hits in 2 $^{2/3}$ innings.
Chourio brought the Brewers even at 2-all with his fifth career postseason homer, the most in franchise history. Garrett Mitchell opened with a brokenbat single to short and advanced to second base on a groundout. Chourio then lined the first pitch 420 feet to left-center with an exit velocity of 113.3 mph.
The Padres loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but left-hander DL Hall (1-0) entered and got Jackson Merrill to fly out to left.
Down 3-2, San Diego had runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth, but closer Trevor Megill came on and fanned Fernando Tatis Jr. Megill, who had a team-high 30 saves in 33 opportunities, finished with a scoreless ninth for the save. That included a lucky break when a Ty France flyball which may have left the yard for what would have been a go-ahead two-run home run hit the roof and was caught in left field by Chourio for an out which was upheld after review.
"I think the only thing that you could probably figure on the ball that everybody's going to be talking about is that (Brewers broadcasting legend Bob Uecker) decided to put his hand on it
After forcing Misiorowski to throw 25 pitches in a scoreless first inning, the Padres scored two runs in a 33-pitch second inning
Xander Bogaerts reached on a one-out infield single and Ethan Salas singled. Luis Campusano followed with an RBI single to right. Salas then scored from third, sliding home ahead of the throw on Jake Cronenworth's fielder's choice bouncer to first.
“Anytime you score first in a playoff game you feel really good about it, especially the type of pitching staff we have,” Stammen said. “We just got beat by a couple home runs tonight.”
Shayne Gostisbehere scored a power-play goal in overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to their first victory of the season with a 3-2 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Gostisbehere's decisive goal was a one-timer from the top of the left circle at 2:51 of the extra session. The former Flyers defenseman benefited from a terrific screen from Andrei Svechnikov, who knocked down Philadelphia's Nick Seeler before impeding Joseph Woll's vision in front of the net.
Pyotr Kochetkov made 16 saves to earn the win for Carolina, which had lost its first two contests of the young campaign. The defending champions' first two goals Saturday came courtesy of Sebastian Aho, including one 10 seconds into the contest.
Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov scored for Philadelphia, which was swept by Carolina in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. Woll turned aside 37 shots for the hosts, who remain winless in three games this season.
Tommy Novak scored two goals, including the game-winner at 1:33 of overtime, and also had an assist to give Pittsburgh a wild victory over visiting Montreal.
Evgeni Malkin, who finished with a goal and two assists, crossed a pass past Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson to Novak at the bottom of the right circle on a 2-on-1 break and Novak roofed a wrist shot over goaltender Jakub Dobes for the game-winner.
Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang each had two assists and Ben Kindel, Declan Carlile and Samuel Girard also scored goals for Pittsburgh, which won despite blowing a 5-1 lead. Arturs Silovs made 20 saves.
Sidney Crosby had an assist, the 1,109th of his career, moving him into a tie with Joe Thornton for seventh most in NHL history.
Igor Chernyshov scored twice, including the overtime winner, as San Jose edged visiting Los Angeles.
Chernyshov, who also had an assist in regulation, one-timed a Macklin Celebrini feed under Anton Forsberg's arm for the game-winner with 1:42 remaining in the extra frame.
Tyler Toffoli, Kiefer Sherwood and Nolan Allan also scored while Yaroslav Askarov made 31 saves as the Sharks picked up their second overtime win in as many games to open the season.
Celebrini finished with a pair of assists in the win.
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov makes a save against the Flyers on Oct. 3 in Philadelphia.
After missing most of last season with a blood clot, Jiri Kulich scored the game-winning goal with 6:40 remaining to propel Buffalo to a victory in its home opener over Chicago.
Tage Thompson tallied a goal and an assist, and Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the Sabres, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 12 saves in the victory.
Ryan Donato, Tyler Bertuzzi and Oliver Moore scored for the Blackhawks.
Anton Frondell and Alex Vlasic finished with two assists apiece, while Spencer Knight stopped 24 of the 28 shots he faced as Chicago opened its season with three straight losses.
Stephen Halliday scored the tie-breaking goal midway through the third period and visiting Ottawa won its season opener, defeating Toronto.
Newly appointed captain Thomas Chabot had a goal and assist and Michael Amadio also scored for Ottawa. Claude Giroux added two assists and Linus Ullmark stopped 27 shots.
Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko scored for the Maple Leafs, who have lost two of their first three games, all at home.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for the Maple Leafs.
First-period goals by Steven Stamkos and Nils Hoglander held up to the final buzzer as host Nashville claimed a victory over Dallas for its first win of the season.
Goaltender Juuse Saros made 29 saves – 12 in the third period – for the Predators, who rebounded after opening the campaign with a home loss to
Miro Heiskanen scored for the Stars, who have dropped two consecutive games to begin the season.
Goalie Casey DeSmith stopped 24 shots and was denied the 100th victory of his career.
Leon Draisaitl scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:27 remaining to give Edmonton a victory against visiting Seattle.
Connor McDavid added an empty net goal with 1:05 left to clinch the victory.
Owen Michaels also scored for the Oilers and goaltender Devon Levi made 19 saves as the Oilers won their second in a row after a season-opening 6-5 overtime loss to visiting Vancouver.
Bobby McMann tallied for the Kraken and Philipp Grubauer stopped 22 of 24 shots.
Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 20 shots in his 600th career game, and Tampa Bay won for the first time this season by topping visiting Washington.
Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist, and Charle-Edouard D'Astous and Conor Geekie also found the net as Tampa Bay evened its record through two matches. Brandon Hagel had two assists.
Justin Sourdif scored for the Capitals, who lost the second part of their weekend back-to-back set.
Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 27 saves for Washington, and teammate Dylan Strome skated in his 600th game.
Nick Schmaltz scored twice to lead visiting Utah to a win over Columbus.
Dylan Guenther had a goal and two assists and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev a goal and an assist for the Mammoth, who scored three times on the power play.
Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley had two assists each and Sebastian Cossa, in his first NHL start, made 17 saves.
Utah has outscored opponents 10-1 in its first two games of the season.
Kirill Kaprizov scored a pair of goals, and Minnesota pulled away for a win over Boston in Saint Paul, Minn.
Quinn Hughes tallied a goal and an assist for Minnesota, which won its second game in a row to start the season. Wild captain Jared Spurgeon also scored a goal.
Tanner Jeannot scored the lone goal for Boston, which was playing on short rest after defeating the Winnipeg Jets
Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stopped 26 of 27 shots to earn the victory.
Defenseman Elias Pettersson scored the game-winning goal as Vancouver rallied with four unanswered goals in the third period to beat visiting Calgary.
Liam Ohgren had a goal and an assist, while Drew O'Connor and Aatu Raty also scored for the Canucks.
Tom Willander and Linus Karlsson each had two assists while Leevi Merilainen stopped 23 of 24 shots.
Matt Coronato scored and Devin Cooley stopped 22 shots for the Flames, who have lost back-to-back games to begin the season.
The Canucks got off to another slow start and were outshot 11-5 in the first period. They have been outshot 38-12 and have scored just one goal in the opening period of their first three games this season.
Martin Necas had two goals and added an assist, Nathan MacKinnon had three assists, and Colorado beat St. Louis in Denver.
Nicolas Roy, Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson had a goal and an assist each and Cale Makar also scored for Colorado, which is off to a fast start this season.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves and Parker Kelly had two assists for the Avalanche, who have scored 14 goals in sweeping their season-opening two-game homestand.
Dalibor Dvorsky scored for the second straight night for St. Louis, which was playing the second of a back-to-back after winning 4-0 at Dallas on Friday night. Jordan Binnington turned away 30 shots and had two costly turnovers that led to goals.
Simon Holmstrom, Brayden Schenn and Bo Horvat scored within a nine-minute span in the second period Saturday night and goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped all 37 shots he faced for New York, which won its home opener by routing New Jersey.
Victor Eklund, Ondrej Palat and Casey Cizikas scored in the third for the Islanders, who bounced back from a 2-1 season-opening loss at Toronto. Reigning Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer had two assists.
The shutout for Sorokin was the franchise-record 30th of his career.
Nico Daws made 26 saves for the Devils, who have also split their first two games.
Shots on Goal-Seattle 5-11-4-20. Edmonton 10-4-11-25.
Power-play opportunities-Seattle 1 of 2; Edmonton 0 of 3.
Goalies-Seattle, Grubauer 0-1-0 (24 shots-22 saves). Edmonton, Levi 2-0-0 (20-19).
A. 10-270 (18-247).
Ottawa 1 1 1 – 3
Toronto 0 2 0 – 2
First Period–1, Ottawa, Chabot 1 (Giroux, Pinto), 18:51. Penalties–None.
Second Period–1, Toronto, Matthews 1 (Rielly, Nylander), 0:33. 1, Toronto, Marchenko 1 (Raddysh, Tavares), 7:06. 1, Ottawa, Amadio 1 (Stuetzle, Chabot), 12:40. Penalties–Giroux, OTT (Slashing), 6:40. Cowan, TOR (High-sticking), 10:01. Marchenko, TOR (Slashing), 14:44. Stuetzle, OTT (Tripping), 17:48. Pinto, OTT (Roughing), 20:00. Cowan, TOR (Roughing), 20:00.
Third Period–1, Ottawa, Halliday 1 (Zetterlund, Giroux), 9:46. Penalties–Kleven, OTT (Roughing), 2:52. Marchenko, TOR (High-sticking), 7:46. Roslovic, TOR (Tripping), 9:52. Eklund, OTT (Interference), 14:20.
Shots on Goal–Ottawa 9-4-16–29. Toronto 10-14-5–29.
Power-play opportunities–Ottawa 0 of 4; Toronto 1 of 4.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin poses for photos after winning the pole award during qualifying for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 3. CHRIS GRAYTHEN/GETTY IMAGES
LAS VEGAS – Defending race winner Denny Hamlin capped a dominant Toyota performance in Saturday's Busch Light Pole Qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway claiming his fifth pole position of the season and leading a Toyota top-five sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series starting grid for Sunday's South Point 400 (5:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Hamlin's No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota turned a fast lap of 186.787 mph around the 1.5-mile Las Vegas high banks – edging his JGR teammate, Ty Gibbs in the No. 54 Toyota by a slight. 017-second. JGR's Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe and 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick rounded out that top-five.
It marks only the second time Toyota has swept the top-five qualifying positions. The first time came at Indianapolis last season. It marks the JGR team's first ever top-four sweep. It's Hamlin's 53rd career pole position and is his 19th top-10 start through the opening 30 races.
"It is important and the races we've really succeeded well here, we've started up front," the 45-year-old Virginian Hamlin said, conceding he was more nervous going into this session because of the extreme heat. After weeks of poor weather and canceled qualifying sessions, Saturday's edition took place under sunny Nevada skies and temperatures in the mid-90s.
“Today was executed by the team perfectly with how we approached the week and the adjustments we made to the car for temperatures seemed to be really good changes. I couldn't have asked for today to go a whole lot better than it did."
Championship-eligible drivers filled the first 14 positions on the speed chart. Reigning series champion and current championship leader, Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson was sixth fastest in the No. 5 Chevrolet, with Team Penske Ford driver Austin Cindric, Hendrick's William Byron, 23XI Racing's Bubba
Wallace and Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar rounding out the top 10.
Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney (20th) and Joey Logano (23rd) were the only outliers. They come into the race ranked fourth and fifth in championship, but will have to make their way forward. Logano's four Las Vegas wins ties him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson for most all-time.
Hamlin is a three-time Las Vegas winner and has hoisted a trophy in Victory Lane the last two races at the track. A third straight win this weekend would match an all-time mark also held by Johnson. He's won five times in 2023, but not since earning a three-race string of trophies at Nashville, Michigan and Pocono, Pa. from May 31-June 14.
Hamlin trails Larson by only 26 points after four races of the 10-race Chase schedule. Bell is third, 50 points back and Logano is fourth, 67 points off the pace.
SEPANG, Malaysia – Red Bull's Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the season at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Saturday, proving he remains the master of Sepang's challenging circuit nine years after his last victory there.
Verstappen clocked 1 minute 35.130 seconds to edge out Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, who snatched second place in the dying moments of qualifying despite struggling with tyre degradation in the brutal Malaysian heat.
Verstappen's team mate Isack Hadjar was third fastest but will start eighth due to a five-place grid penalty, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli moved up to third for Mercedes alongside Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen was the last driver to win a Grand Prix in Malaysia in 2017, in what was his second career victory, before the race was taken off the calendar after the government said it could not justify the costs.
Nine years and four championships later, the Dutchman became the first driver this season to put a car without a Mercedes engine on pole.
"It's fantastic, we've been trying for many Grands Prix to get more, sometimes a bit closer to the others," said Verstappen as he eyes his first win of the season.
“But to finally get it from where we started the season, pretty incredible.”
Hamilton, who also has one victory in Sepang, struggled with tire degradation in practice sessions but the veteran Briton said they had now found the right setup.
“It’s so hot here, I keep saying it. But that’s made it a massive challenge for the tires, for the car, for the mechanics in the garage,” Hamilton said.
"We made so many changes through all these practice sessions because the cars are sliding, these tires are overheating. It was really, really hard to find a good balance.
"We made one last change going into qualifying and I think we hit the sweet spot."
Hadjar sounded frustrated on the team radio despite finishing third fastest and later said he expected to go second quickest to limit the grid penalty as much as possible.
"It's a bit unfortunate we take the penalty on a track that fast," Hadjar said. "But you know, from P8, I'm confident we can go through the field."
Mercedes endured a disappointing qualifying session despite bringing an upgrade package to Malaysia. Antonelli had his first Q2 lap deleted for exceeding track limits, prompting a surprised radio exchange.
“Wait, what? Are we sure about the track limits,” he asked before recovering to go second-fastest in the session on fresh soft tires.
However, he could barely squeeze anything more out of the car in Q3, while teammate George Russell – second in the championship - could only manage eighth.
Max Verstappen celebrates after qualifying on the pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Oct. 3 in Sepang, Malaysia. ANNICE LYN/REUTERS
NASCAR O'REILLY AUTO PARTS SERIES
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts driver Corey Day celebrates his victory in the Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. GARY A. VASQUEZ/IMAGN IMAGES
LAS VEGAS – In one of the most thrilling finishes of the season, 20-year-old Hendrick Motorsports rookie driver Corey Day prevailed in a final laps back-and-forth battle with 23-year-old JR Motorsports' racer Carson Kvapil to claim his third career NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series victory in Saturday's Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Day and Kvapil exchanged the lead four times in the last 12 laps before Day made a daring pass – after brushing the wall multiple times – with two laps remaining to solidify a trophy hoist ultimately decided by a slight .287-seconds.
“Oh man, I just was so tight there and so scared I was going to go down and plow on the bottom let him get by me.” said a grinning Day, who started his No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from pole position, won the opening stage and led a career high 136 of the 201 laps.
"Just a great car. We struggled over the summer, to tell you the truth. Won Talladega (in April) and then Dover pretty close and then just went dry. This feels really good. A dominant day for us for sure, great car."
"I knew we'd be a title contender from the start of the year," added Day, whose win puts him fifth in the 12-driver championship rankings with five races remaining on the season.
"Just had a dry summer there but we're getting things rolling back in the right direction. We'll just keep working.
Kvapil, who like Day also earned his first career series wins this season (at Indianapolis and Iowa) – was understandably disappointed to lose out on Saturday's victory, but also encouraged with the showing. It moved him into second place in the championship standings, now 19 points behind Haas Factory Team's Sheldon Creed, who finished 13th.
"I feel like our stuff was really good around the bottom," Kvapil said. "Had a really good car today. Props to those guys for making us a top-three car."
Reigning series champion, Richard Childress Racing's Jesse Love finished just behind the duel up front, in third place, followed by JGR teammates 's William Sawalich – one of four drivers among the top-10 not Chase eligible – and Taylor Gray.
Haas Factory Team's Sam Mayer – another Chase-eligible driver – finished sixth having turned in an impressive comeback. He won Stage 2 and led 40 laps (second to Day) but had to rally from the rear of the field after a pit stop penalty during the Stage 2 break.
Non-Chase eligible drivers Jeremy Clements, William Sawalich, and Anthony Alfredo finished seventh, eighth and 10th respectively with Chase driver Austin Hill taking ninth place.
The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series returns to action next Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Round 2 co-leader Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand took command of the Lotte Championship in Honolulu, shooting 5-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead into Sunday's final round.
South Korea's Ina Yoon (69) and Germany's Polly Mack (70) are tied for second place at 14 under.
Thitikul separated from the pack in the back nine at Hoakalei Country Club. After she was even par over the front nine with one birdie and one bogey – her first of the tournament at the par-4 seventh hole – she began the back nine with birdies on the first three holes followed by four straight pars and then closed out strong with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18.
Thitikul, the No. 2 player in the Rolex world rankings, is seeking her fourth win of the season. She was a steady presence throughout the round, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens in regulation.
"To be consistent playing week to week to week, you need to have consistent greens in regulation as well," Thitikul said after her round. "You can't miss a green and shoot like 5-under-par every day. It could happen, but it's not going to happen often. So to have a game that your ball is always on the green is how you can play golf simple."
Perhaps in line with that, Mack, who was tied with Thitikul after Friday's second round, hit just 11 of 18 greens in regulation and had a more up-and-down round with four birdies and two bogeys.
Mack doesn't mind being off the lead, though, as she seeks her first career LPGA win.
“I like to be in a chase actually. I like to chase rather than being in the lead, so this is a good position for me,” Mack said. “I’m just looking forward to a great Sunday, good momentum. I know I have it in me to just put on a good show out there.”
Sweden's Maja Stark (67) and Italy's Carolina Melgrati (70) are tied for fourth at 13 under. A trio of Americans posted the lowest rounds of the day to surge into the top 10. Lilia Vu (66) is tied for sixth with Miyu Yamashita (69) of Japan and China's Michelle Zhang (70) at 12 under, while Hailee Cooper (64) and Yana Wilson (66) are among seven competitors tied for ninth at 11 under.
Michael Block needed only 30 shots on the back nine and posted a bogey-free 7-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic in Allentown, Pa.
Block, a 50-year-old PGA Tour Champions rookie, stands at 11 under through 36 holes. That puts him one ahead of New Zealand's Steven Alker and two ahead of first-round co-leader Richard Green of Australia.
Block, who continues to serve as the head golf professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Calif., gained a following with a tie for 15th place at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Block, who shot a 4-under par 66 on Friday, opened with back-to-back birdies on Saturday. He parred the last seven holes on the front nine, then birdied five of the first seven holes coming in.
He is highly appreciative of the welcome he has received on the tour.
“So the support I have from the fellow Champions Tour players is amazing,” Block said. “The relationships I’ve gotten in six events/seven, is crazy, and I really appreciate those guys. These guys have been living the Tour life, the PGA Tour life and Champions Tour life for, you know, 20-30 years, and I’m just out here – and they know my scenario. I’m out here as a club pro, and being out here for my seventh event in my life, and they really support me, which is really cool. Trust me, it helps a lot.”
In Block's fifth Champions start at The Ally Challenge five weeks ago, he also held the lead after 36 holes. But he was passed by Alker during the final round and ended up tied for third.
What did Block learn from that experience?
"Yeah, from Ally, just keep being you," he said. "Like, don't try to be the quiet Michael. Quiet Michael doesn't work. Michael having fun works. Michael being quiet, Michael trying to be somebody he's not doesn't work. That's what I'm going to do tomorrow."
In contrast to Block, who's happy just to be on the verge of qualifying for the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs, Alker has won three times in 2026, owns 13 PGA Tour Champions titles and ranks No. 3 on the Schwab Cup money list.
The 55-year-old has posted matching 65s and, like Block, played bogey-free golf on Saturday. He shot 31 on the inward half and played the par-3's in 2-under.
Alena Charaeva celebrates winning her Round of 64 match against Elena Rybakina at the China Open on Oct. 3 in Beijing. MAXIM SHEMETOV/REUTERS
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Three weekends ago, Elena Rybakina was lifting the U.S. Open trophy and claiming the World No. 1 ranking.
Sports can be a humbling experience. In her first match at the China Open in Beijing, Rybakina became just the second player to lose in her first match as the world's top-ranked player.
Moreover, the Kazakhstani fell to Ali-na Charaeva, a 24-year-old Armenian who was playing in only her 17th WTA main-draw match.
Charaeva prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, displaying a dominant service game in the deciding set.
Per OptaAce, Charaeva became the lowest-ranked player (No. 118) to record a comeback win against a World No. 1 since WTA rankings were first published in 1975.
"It's kind of a dream come true," Charaeva said in her post-match interview. "I was just trying to stay really hard mentally and keep believing that at some point I could turn it around again to my side. And I guess I just never stopped believing."
Charaeva won 20 of 26 service points in the third set and did not face a break point. She broke Rybakina in the sixth game to lead 4-2, and only lost one point in her final two service games.
Rybakina joined Japan's Naomi Osaka (2019) as the only two players to drop their first matches as World No. 1.
“Obviously it was a very tough day out there,” Rybakina said after the match. “There was a lot going on after the U.S. Open victory. I didn’t get a lot of chances to sleep and recover. Congratulations to Alina. She played a very good match, and I felt my foot a little bit at the end of the match. So it’s time to rest a little bit and see what is next in the upcoming weeks.”
The other major upset was 16-year-old Xinran Sun getting past No. 27 Cristina Busca 6-4, 7-5. The Chinese teenager, who was ranked No. 1 on the ITF Junior Circuit, will face Coco Gauff in
the third round.
In other upsets of seeded players, Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan edged Canadian No. 23 Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; China's Qinwen Zheng advanced past Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-7 (4), 6-4, 3-0, ret.; and Great Britain's Sonia Kartal upset No. 31 Xinyu Wang of China, 6-3, 6-2.
Seeded players to advance to the third round were No. 6 Elina Svitolina of
Ukraine, No. 8 Iga Swiatek of Poland, No. 9 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, No. 10 Iva Jovic, No. 24 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and No. 25 Maria Sakkari of Greece.
Top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz fought off four set points in the opener
Saturday before rolling past Italy's Matteo Arnaldi to reach the quarterfinals in Tokyo.
Alcaraz completed the 7-6 (6), 6-1 victory in one hour and 46 minutes. He trailed 6-2 in the tiebreaker before winning six straight points, then carried the momentum into the second set by winning the first five games.
Alcaraz's quarterfinal opponent will be Canadian Denis Shapovalov, a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 winner against Chile's Alejandro Tabilo. Czech Jiri Lehecka also advanced in three sets against Frenchman Ugo Humbert and will take on Paraguayan qualifier Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, who saved all three break points in a 7-6 (6), 6-1 win over Italian Matteo Berrettini.
The other quarterfinal matchups are France's Kyrian Jacquet vs. Spain's Jaume Munar, and No. 8 Valentin Vacherot of Monaco vs. France's Arthur Fils.
No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany moved into the quarterfinals in Beijing with a 6-0, 6-3 victory in 55 minutes against Chinese hopeful Juncheng Shang.
Zverev struck nine aces, never faced a break point and converted four of his five break chances to set up a showdown with sixth-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic. Djokovic is a six-time champion with a perfect 31-0 record in this tournament.
Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win over eighth-seeded Czech Jakub Mensik. Up next is No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who had 10 aces in a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.
No. 5 Alex de Minaur of Australia and Russia's Andrey Rublev will meet in the quarterfinals after posting three-set triumphs. Rublev outlasted compatriot Roman Safiullin 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, and de Minaur rallied past Frenchman Quentin Halys 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 in two hours and 47 minutes.
NBA training camps are in full swing, and the preseason has begun.
The Miami Heat were set to face the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 3. Both teams have been revamped, with Miami pulling off the blockbuster to land star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Toronto reunited with Kawhi Leonard.
Those are just two of the teams to have undergone massive changes, and they're not even the ones that had the most seismic offseason; the Philadelphia 76ers went all-in on their championship window and added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
While it's safe to expect veterans to play limited minutes during preseason games, here are five storylines to watch as we inch closer to the 2026-27 NBA regular season:
The vibes are seemingly high in Miami, but how will the Heat offense actually look?
The vibes are seemingly high in Miami, but how will the Heat offense actually look?
New addition Klay Thompson took the team out on a boat to cruise around Biscayne Bay. Earlier in the month, captain Bam Adebayo and point guard Davion Mitchell organized a players-only week of training they started calling "pain camp," for all the cardio work they did. Players have said all the right things.
By all accounts, the vibes around the new-look Heat are high. But what will their play look like, in practice? One thing that struck me from the early footage coming from their camp at Florida Atlantic was the pace. Miami led the league last season in that stat, generating 104.22 possessions per 48 minutes. And now with Antetokounmpo, that emphasis on fastbreak offense should only intensify; Antetokounmpo ranked second in the NBA with 5.5 fast break points per game. Antetokounmpo sucks in the defense when he attacks in transition, and his vision allows him to find open shooters.
I expect the Heat to continue to play fast, and I expect Antetokounmpo to put up huge assist numbers, if he stays healthy. The big question here is whether Miami's shooting holds up and whether it can sustain this style for an entire season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo poses for a photo during Miami Heat Media Day at Kaseya Center on Sept. 28.
MEGAN BRIGGS/GETTY IMAGES
It's Luka's team now. Can he lead the Lakers to the top of the West?
It's Luka's team now. Can he lead the Lakers to the top of the West?
The Los Angeles offense, at times last season, looked rather disjointed, particularly when both Luka Dončić and LeBron James were on the floor at the same time.
Both are players who thrive when the ball is in their hands, and both are among the game's best passers. The issue, then, became: what was one supposed do when the other had the ball? Most often, the player without the ball was relegated to standing off to the side, away from the action.
But now with James moving onto the 76ers, the bulk of Los Angeles' play-making will fall to him. Last season, Dončić led the NBA in usage rate (36.8%), or the number of possessions that end with that player taking a shot or committing a turnover. Dončić also ranked sixth in assist percentage (38.7%), or the rate of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor
\- among all players with at least 50 games.
Being as ball-dominant as Dončić is (and being as talented as he is when he initiates actions), I suspect both those figures will be even higher this season. I also suspect that, if healthy, Dončić will play his way into the Most Valuable Player conversation even more so than he has in recent seasons.
Shooting guard Austin Reaves is the other play-maker for the Lakers, and one who should excel even further when Dončić takes a blow on the bench. But when both are on the floor, expect Dončić to be the one to orchestrate everything.
Young Spurs seem loose and confident. Can San Antonio learn from last year's disappointment?
Young Spurs seem loose and confident. Can San Antonio learn from last year's disappointment?
San Antonio's stars may be young, but they appear to have embraced trolling, to a certain degree. In an interview with GQ, Stephon Castle downplayed the energy at Madison Square Garden during the Finals, calling the first game "underwhelming." For the most part, I think this is a good thing. I would want my players to be confident and bold.
But talk is just talk, and the real test here is whether the Spurs can become the first team since the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors to win a title the season after losing the NBA Finals.
It will come down to the continued development of Victor Wembanyama, Castle, Dylan Harper and how veteran De'Aaron Fox bounces back from an uneven Finals. But more than anything, the Spurs need to learn from their loss against the Knicks, when they couldn't close out games because they stopped attacking the paint, became too passive and fell in love with a 3-point shot that wasn't dropping.
I'm not worried about alphas or top dogs in Philadelphia. But Nick Nurse has some work to do.
I'm not worried about alphas or top dogs in Philadelphia. But Nick Nurse has some work to do.
During 76ers media day, when asked who the “alpha” would be on the roster, newly acquired All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown wasn’t having any of it. “Next question,” he said, with sober indifference.
I understand why the question was asked, but I think framing this team in that way is flawed. This isn't LeBron James willing the 2017-18 Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. This isn't Brown taking on the biggest role of his career last season while Jayson Tatum was out, recovering from an Achilles tendon tear. It's not Tyrese Maxey carrying the Sixers two seasons ago as Philadelphia contended with debilitating injuries.
The reality is this team doesn't need to worry about alphas or No. 1s, and if that's where the discourse ever goes to, coach Nick Nurse will have failed. Top to bottom, this Sixers team is as talented as it has been in decades. This is Philadelphia's best shot to win a title in the Joel Embiid-Maxey window.
The task at hand is to get the new faces (and old, too) to buy into a team mentality that foregoes individual accolades in favor of collective success. In practical matters, James, Brown, Maxey and Embiid may see their scoring averages dip a touch. I think that would be a good sign that things are working. As long as this team stays healthy, and as long as they share the ball, a championship should be within reach.
I think two teams are lurking. Both could be Finals-worthy
I think two teams are lurking. Both could be Finals-worthy
It seems like no one is talking about the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton is back and healthy, and if not for his Achilles tendon that snapped in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, we might be talking about them in a very different way. The roster has changed somewhat. And while I think Indiana will continue to miss Myles Turner's perimeter shooting, I actually think Ivica Zubac is an excellent fit with Haliburton's passing ability. But there's still a lot to work out, so the preseason will be telling to see how the Pacers gel with Zubac providing rim protection, defensive rebounding and rim running.
Out West, I think it's the Minnesota Timberwolves who are flying a bit under the radar, overshadowed by the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. But with LaMelo Ball in place, Anthony Edwards finally has another player who can both create his own shot and initiate actions. This should take a huge burden off of Edwards, and it should make Minnesota more consistent against better defenses in the playoffs.
WNBA PLAYOFFS
LIBERTY AT DREAM (GAME 1: 2 P.M. ET OCT. 4, ABC)
Dream ‘locked in’ against the upset-minded Liberty
Dream ‘locked in’ against the upset-minded Liberty
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Nobody's head would have spun during the season if you predicted the Atlanta Dream would be three wins away from competing for a championship.
Their opponent in the WNBA semifinals, however, is a bit of a stunner.
The fourth-seeded Dream will host the No. 8 New York Liberty on Sunday afternoon in Game1 of a best-of-five series.
After matching last season's franchise record with 30 regular-season wins, Atlanta breezed past the Washington Mystics by a combined 33 points in two first-round wins.
In search of the franchise's first finals appearance since 2013, second-year head coach Karl Smesko has seen the puzzle pieces fall into place in another exceptional season.
“We knew we were a good team last year, but I was learning the (WNBA), they were learning the system and there were some stress points where maybe there wasn't complete clarity in what we wanted to do,” Smesko said. “A year later, I think everybody just feels a lot more comfortable.”
In Atlanta's first postseason series victory since 2016, Allisha Gray averaged 22.0 points and Rhyne Howard chipped in 20.5.
In the semifinals for the first time in her 10-year career, Gray is anything but satisfied.
"The biggest thing is staying locked in," Gray said. "We know the job's not done. Of course we were happy with the series victory, but now we've put it behind us and can focus on New York."
It will be a confident New York team heading south to face Gray and company. The Liberty became the first No. 8 seed in league history to eliminate a No. 1, doing so in a two-game sweep of the Minnesota Lynx by a combined 32
Guard Allisha Gray averaged 22 points in the Atlanta Dream's first playoff series victory since 2016. RAFAEL SUANES/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
points.
Under rookie head coach Chris DeMarco, New York was 13-12 on July 18 before winning 13 of its next 17. While the first-round upset of Minnesota may have caught some by surprise, DeMarco wasn't the least bit shocked.
“I feel like we’ve been trending in the right direction for a while now and it doesn’t always show up in wins and losses,” DeMarco said.
“But we were ready to play and we knew we had to be at our best at the end of September and October and I think we are right now.”
Breanna Stewart averaged 27.5 points across the two wins over Minnesota, while Sabrina Ionescu added 15.5 points and 6.5 assists per contest.
New York dropped two of three against Atlanta in the regular season, including consecutive losses to end the campaign on Sept. 21 and 23.
WNBA PLAYOFFS
ACES AT VALKYRIES (GAME 1: 4 P.M. ET OCT. 4, NBC/PEACOCK)
The WNBA's irresistible force and one of its immovable objects are plotted for a collision course when the league semifinals between the Las Vegas Aces and Golden State Valkyries tip off in Game 1 in San Francisco on Sunday afternoon.
The third-seeded Aces and second-seeded Valkyries both had to go the distance for best-of-3, first-round wins, each winning at home in the deciding Game 3 to come away with a narrow triumph that has vaulted it into the league's final four.
Golden State, by virtue of having finished one game ahead of Las Vegas in the regular-season standings, will have the home-court advantage in this best-of-5.
The Aces, who have won three of the last four WNBA titles, swept the Valkyries 3-0 in the season series, beginning with a 91-81 win at Golden State in May. They then followed up with 84-79 and 92-73 home wins in June.
The last of those triumphs was 104 days ago.
Something that hasn't changed over those $3 \frac{1}{2}$ months has been the dominance of Aces standout A'ja Wilson, who averaged 25.0 points and 12.7 rebounds against Golden State this season. The four-time Most Valuable Player had even better numbers - 32.0 points and 11.7 rebounds - when Vegas eliminated the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever in the first round.
Wilson sounded serious about winning another championship when she spoke in an on-court interview following Thursday's clinching 94-83 win over the Fever.
“Regular season’s cute. I know, that’s so cute, oh my God, everyone can come see us,” she stated. “But this is the moment that we live for.”
The Valkyries have held their own in the paint this season thanks to defensive standout Kiah Stokes. The three-time champion with the Aces averaged 1.7 blocks and 5.8 rebounds in her first season with Golden State this year.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson averaged 25 points and 12.7 rebounds against Golden State this season.
LUCAS PELTIER/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
“Kiah Stokes is our anchor. She is always there,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase gushed to reporters during the series against seventh-seeded Dallas. “She loves to just not let anyone score.”
Wilson wasn't the lone player in the season series against the Valkyries to score 20 or more points in all three games. That distinction belonged to her teammate, Jackie Young, who poured in 23, 27 and 21 points in the wins.
Gabby Williams, the hero of Golden State's 77-73 Game 3 win over Dallas on Friday, was the Valkyries' top scorer against the Aces this season, averaging 19.0 points per game.
ARIZONA CARDINALS - LB Cameron Robertson Activated from the Practice Squad.
BALTIMORE RAVENS - G Kyle Hergel Activated from the Practice Squad. C Ethan Pocic Placed on IR Knee. G Joyaughn Gwyn Placed on IR Ankle.
BUFFALO BILLS – CB Kani Walker Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Te'Cory Couch Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Joe Andreessen re-signed Two-year extension (through 2028).
CAROLINA PANTHERS – CB Robert Rochell Activated from the Practice Squad. WR Ja'seem Reed Activated from the Practice Squad. WR Xavier Legette Placed on IR knee.
CHICAGO BEARS – CB Nick McCloud Activated from the Practice Squad. DE Marcus Davenport Activated from the Practice Squad. T Braxton Jones Placed on IR knee.
CINCINNATI BENGALS - S Russ Yeast Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Bralyn Lux Activated from the Practice Squad.
DALLAS COWBOYS – S Juanyeh Thomas Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Reddy Steward Activated from the Practice Squad.
DENVER BRONCOS – WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey practice squad addition. RB Adam Prentice Activated from the Practice Squad.
DETROIT LIONS – S Jalen Mills Activated from the Practice Squad.
GREEN BAY PACKERS – DT Warren Brinson
Placed on IR calf, groin.
HOUSTON TEXANS – LB Kenneth Murray Jr. Activated from the Practice Squad.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - WR NICK
Westbrook-Ikhine Activated from the
Practice Squad.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – CB Jabbar Muhammad Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Jalen McLeod Activated from the Practice Squad.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – LB Cole Christiansen Activated from the Practice Squad.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS – LB Caleb Murphy Activated from the Practice Squad. TE Patrick Herbert Activated from the Practice Squad.
LOS ANGELES RAMS – LB Darryl Peterson III Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Cam Lampkin Activated from the Practice Squad.
MIAMI DOLPHINS – DE Rodney McGraw Activated from the Practice Squad. DT Mazi Smith Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Carlos Washington Jr. Activated from the Practice Squad.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS – P Johnny Hekker
Activated from the Practice Squad.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS – CB Kindle Vildor Activated from the Practice Squad. S Mike Brown Activated from the Practice Squad.
NEW YORK GIANTS – QB Jake Haener Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Trace Ford Activated from the Practice Squad.
NEW YORK JETS – LB Jaden Keller
Activated from the Practice Squad. WR
Sterling Shepard Activated from the
Practice Squad.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES – TE Josiah Deguara Activated from the Practice Squad. TE Zach Ertz Activated from the Practice Squad.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS – WR Malik Turner
Activated from the Practice Squad. DE
Matthew Judon Activated from the
Practice Squad. DT Sebastian Valdez
Activated from the Practice Squad. DE
Viliami Fehoko Jr. cut.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS - S Maxen Hook Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Trevon Diggs Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Velus Jones Jr. Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Jadarian Price Placed on IR chest.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS – QB Easton Stick Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Caden Fordham Activated from the Practice Squad.
TENNESSEE TITANS - G Drew Moss Activated from the Practice Squad.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS – LB Ale Kaho Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Craig Reynolds Activated from the Practice Squad.
Sullivan scores historic goal as U.S. routs Mexico
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player to score for the senior United States men's national team, scoring in the 62nd minute of a 3-0 friendly win over 10-man Mexico in Glendale, Ariz., on Saturday night.
The 17-year-old Sullivan scored 34 minutes after the 18-year-old Julian Hall scored his third goal in as many appearances for the USMNT, which defeated its border rival for the first time in three tries under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Both goals came from blunders by Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel, who started all five matches for El Tri at this summer's World Cup.
Malik Tillman added a third goal in the 84th minute, 17 minutes after Mexico's Mateo Chavez was sent off for making contact in the head and neck area of Sebastian Berhalter.
The 20-year-old Diego Kochen made one save to keep a clean sheet in his first start with the senior-level U.S. squad.
The U.S. improved to 3-0-0 during this four-match September/October international window, while Mexico is now 0-1-2 in its first three games under manager Rafa Marquez.
Hall's third senior international goal came in the 28th minute, and he might never score an easier one.
Fullback Alex Freeman got forward to begin the attack before finding Gio Reyna sprinting into the right side of the penalty area.
Reyna received Freeman's pass and drove a low cross to the near post. Rangel bobbled the ball in the direction of the lurking Hall, who hit a first-time volley into an empty net from close range.
Rangel's night got worse after half-time when he tried to play a pass to center back Diego Campillo and was intercepted by Sullivan.
There was a lot left to do, and Sullivan did so superbly, lofting a 35-yard finish over Rangel and into the net.
Mexico's best chances came in between those tallies.
In the 44th minute. U.S. fullback Antonee Robinson originally won the ball off Roberto Alvarado, but Luis Romo reached the ensuing loose ball and struck a hard, low cross from the right.
[TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY] Today is Oct. 4. On this date in:
[TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY] Today is Oct. 4. On this date in:
1895: The inaugural U.S. Open golf championship concluded at Newport Golf Club, where England's Horace Rawlins won by two strokes to claim the first U.S. Open title.
1925: Detroit's Harry Heilmann collected six hits in a doubleheader and edged teammate Ty Cobb for the American League batting title, .393 to .389, while Cobb finished his 20th consecutive season batting above .300.
1948: The Cleveland Indians defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-3 in a one-game playoff at Fenway Park to capture the American League pennant behind Gene Bearden and player-manager Lou Boudreau.
1955: The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 2-0 in Game 7 to win the first World Series championship in franchise history. Johnny Podres threw a shutout and became the first World Series MVP.
1969: The New York Mets played the first postseason game in franchise history, defeating the Atlanta Braves 9-5 in the first National League Championship Series game.
1991: The Edmonton Oilers traded captain Mark Messier to the New York Rangers for Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk. Messier later captained the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years in 1994.
1995: Jim Leyritz hit a two-run homer in the 15th inning to give the New York Yankees a 7-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Game 2 of the AL Division Series. The 5-hour, 13-minute game became the longest postseason game in major league history at the time.
1997: WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis stopped Andrew Golota in the first round in Atlantic City.
1999: Al Leiter threw a two-hit shutout as the New York Mets defeated the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 in a one-game playoff for the National League wild card.
2001: Barry Bonds hit his 70th home run of the season, tying Mark McGwire's major league single-season record as the San Francisco Giants played the Houston Astros.
2001: San Diego Padres outfielder Rickey Henderson homered to pass Ty Cobb and become Major League Baseball's career leader in runs scored.
2011: Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Paul Goldschmidt hit a grand slam and
Diamondbacks infielder Paul
Goldschmidt hits a grand slam against the Brewers during Game 3 of the 2011 NLDS at Chase Field in Phoenix on Oct. 4, 2011.
MARK J. REBILAS/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
drove in five runs in an 8-1 victory over Milwaukee in Game 3 of the NL Division Series.
2014: Brandon Belt homered in the 18th inning as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Washington Nationals 2-1 in Game 2 of the NL Division Series. The 6-hour, 23-minute contest became the longest postseason game by time in major league history at the time.
2020: Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes in Tampa Bay's 38-31 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, becoming the oldest quarterback to throw five touchdown passes in a game and continuing his record-setting NFL career.
2020: The Seattle Storm defeated the Las Vegas Aces 104-91 in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, setting a Finals record with 33 assists and moving within one win of the franchise's fourth championship.
2022: New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run of the season, surpassing Roger Maris to set the American League single-season record.
This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
📄 查阅本期完整未切分外文原文 (Full Issue Raw Text)
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[NATION&WORLD EXTRA] SAILORS ADJUST TO WAR WITH IRAN
Aboard aircraft carrier, 5,000 personnel each have own mission
Sailors load munitions onto a fighter jet on the flight deck of the USS George Washington. PHOTOS BY ED OU/REUTERS
Brody Samaha, a “shooter,” walks on the USS George Washington’s flight deck as the aircraft carrier sails in the Arabian Sea.
Ed Ou
REUTERS
ABOARD USS GEORGE WASHINGTON – An emergency alert blares from a loudspeaker, and Damon Dennard and other sailors on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington are scrambling. Dennard, 23, is readying bombs for loading onto aircraft as his crewmates race to their positions.
“It has been eventful,” says Dennard, an aviation ordnanceman airman apprentice. Once the alert ends, he takes a breath, sits on one of the bombs and jokes that he probably expected an easier deployment.
"It's crazy, but at the end of the day, it's work. That's all."
Dennard was one of dozens of sailors Reuters spoke with in September on a rare visit to a U.S. warship that is central to the Iran war. The visit began at a particularly tense moment, just three days after the U.S. military blew up five Iranian oil tankers in retaliation for Iran targeting a U.S. Navy warship.
The George Washington's mission near the Strait of Hormuz – which has no defined end-date – came as a surprise to the crew, who were deployed from Japan at the end of August to relieve another carrier.
The aircraft carrier is effectively a floating city of around 5,000 personnel, each with their own mission, from Majesta Ochoa, who operates a cash register, to Lt. Cmdr. Brody Samaha, a "shooter" who helps oversee the launch of aircraft from the carrier's catapults.
But there is a sense of synchronization as the sailors go about their jobs, crew say.
"It's a dance, with lots of people checking each other," Samaha says, before adding that the flight deck is also a "very dangerous place to be. It's very unforgiving."
Breana Royston, a night aircraft handling officer, or "NACHO," coordinates aircraft positioning aboard the USS George Washington on Sept. 13.
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Board strategy
Breana Royston, a night aircraft handling officer, or "NACHO," has a unique perspective over the dangerous maneuvering on the flight deck.
Her job is to supervise aircraft movement, including bringing fighter jets up to the flight deck and back down to the hangar bay via massive elevators. To do that, she uses what's known in Navy parlance as a "ouija board" – a real-time model of the deck, with miniature aircraft all lined up in their current positions. It looks a little like a strategy board game.
“We’ve been on our toes the last week, maneuvering and everything – with everything that’s going on,” Royston says, adding it’s been “kind of crazy, really busy.”
"It's nerve-wracking, but it's fun."
The Iranian government has repeatedly condemned U.S. military actions in the Strait of Hormuz. On Sept. 25, the Iranian foreign minister said the insecurity prevailing in the strait was the “direct result of the aggressive actions of the United States and the Israeli regime.”
The war began in February with joint strikes on Iranian targets by the United States and Israel. President Donald
See SAILORS, Page 5NN
SUPREME COURT
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[Thomas, Alito set to weigh new cases] Experts: Eldest justices at height of their power
Jan Wolfe
REUTERS
WASHINGTON – The new U.S. Supreme Court term that begins on Oct. 5 presents opportunities for its two eldest and most conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, to help push U.S. law further rightward on contentious issues such as gun rights, religion in public schools and voting restrictions.
Thomas, 78, has served on the top U.S. judicial body since 1991, making him the second-longest-serving justice in American history. Alito, 76, has served since 2006.
Earlier in their tenures, they often found themselves in dissent in major decisions, but the court, with a 6-3 conservative majority since 2020, has shifted dramatically to the right. Thomas and Alito now are perhaps at the height of their influence and have been lavished with praise by Republican President Donald Trump.
If either were to retire, that would clear the way for Trump to nominate a younger conservative replacement who could serve for decades in the lifetime position. But, at least for now, according to legal experts, they appear more interested in wielding that power than stepping aside.
“They have been waiting for a long time to be in the position,” political science professor Kevin McMahon of Trinity College in Connecticut said of Thomas and Alito. “So why leave?”
During the court's term that ended in June, Thomas and Alito helped deliver long-sought victories to the conservative legal movement. These included a ruling expanding presidential control over regulatory agencies, and a decision further limiting the scope of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 law intended to eliminate racial discrimination in voting.
Thomas and Alito have been Trump's most reliable votes in cases involving his extraordinary exertion of presidential powers. More such cases are coming during the new nine-month term, including two involving
See JUSTICES, Page 4NN
Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito, left, and Clarence Thomas now are perhaps at the height of their influence, legal experts say.
CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL VIA REUTERS FILE
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Zelenskyy: Ukraine will step up refinery strikes
Says move is response to Moscow's ‘new doctrine’
Daniel Flynn and Olena Harmash
REUTERS
KYIV – Ukraine will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries in response to a new policy of air strikes by Moscow designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other cities, but will not target civilians, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine's intelligence services have obtained documents showing that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had issued a “new doctrine” of military attacks on a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of this winter, Zelenskyy said.
“We saw documents and we know that they allow them to attack infrastructure, logistics, and especially to attack in the cities, in the villages, everywhere, roads, schools, hospitals,” Zelenskyy told Reuters in an interview. “To pressure people to leave the capital, leave different cities: this is the goal of the operation.”
Driving the shift in policy, Zelenskyy said, was Putin's desire to appear strong at a time when his military was losing ground in a key frontline region and sustaining higher levels of casualties.
The Kremlin was not available to comment on Oct. 3. But in a statement urging foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow would continue to systematically hit targets in what it said were retaliatory strikes for Ukrainian attacks on Russia in recent months.
Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians.
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Counteroffensive in Donbas
Zelenskyy said a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, code-named "Vivaldi," had recaptured around 54 square miles of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region and was still ongoing. Russia has said it must control Donbas in its entirety as a condition for any peace deal.
In recent weeks, President Donald Trump's administration has sought to revive talks to end the four-year-long conflict – Europe's bloodiest since World War II.
The U.S. leader in September urged Ukraine to refrain from hitting Russian oil installations, saying that was sending global diesel prices surging.
But Zelenskyy, speaking as air raid sirens blared outside the gilded halls of
See ZELENSKYY, Page 4NN
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📦 已折叠版面非核心信息：气象、潮汐与天文时刻表（《We make life simpler, safer, and better. Visit AccuWeather.com or get the app.》— 点击展开）
We make life simpler, safer, and better. Visit AccuWeather.com or get the app.
At least half of the country will end up dry and quiet today, but the Southeast will have quite a bit of wet weather to end the weekend. Rain and thunderstorms will overspread the region, bringing the risk of flash flooding. It will also be humid in the Southeast. In the Southwest, it will be hot and warm in the interior Northwest.
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SATURDAY EXTREMES
NATIONAL (for the 48 contiguous states) | High: | 107 at Oceanside, CA | Low: | 25 at Stanley, ID | Precip: | 6.52" at Athens, TX | NATIONAL CITIES SUNDAY
INTERNATIONAL (excludes Antarctica) | High: | 109 at Yenbo, Saudi Arabia | Low: | 0 at Mould Bay, Canada | Precip: | 6.52" at Athens, USA | On Oct. 4, 1954, the temperature soared to a record 95 in Norfolk, Va. In Philadelphia, Pa., the day's minimum of 74 degrees was the highest ever for October.
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TODAY IN HISTORY
Q: What is the record high temperature for the U.S. in October?
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WEATHER TRIVIA™ | High/low/W | Air Quality | Aberdeen, SD | 69/42/s | 40 | Abilene, TX | 79/61/sh | 20 | Accomac, VA | 71/62/r | 25 | Adrian, MI | 71/44/s | 25 | Akron, OH | 69/50/s | 75 | Alamogordo, NM | 79/56/s | 29 | Alexandria, VA | 66/58/r | 33 | Alliance, OH | 70/48/s | 75 | Amarillo, TX | 76/52/s | 25 | Ames, IA | 70/41/s | 25 | Anderson, SC | 70/66/r | 35 | Appleton, WI | 66/41/s | 25 | Asheville, NC | 71/62/r | 35 | Ashland, OH | 69/45/s | 75 | Athens, GA | 71/66/r | 21 | Augusta, GA | 78/69/r | 18 | Austin, TX | 84/70/t | 25 | Bartlesville, OK | 81/49/s | 50 | Battle Creek, MI | 68/42/s | 25 | Bedford, IN | 75/49/s | 35 | Binghamton, NY | 58/50/c | 25 | Bluffton, SC | 80/71/t | 16 | Bremerton, WA | 75/48/pc | 39 | Brockton, MA | 65/53/c | 35 | Brownwood, TX | 78/63/sh | 20 | Burlington, IA | 72/44/s | 45 | Burlington, NC | 69/61/t | 35 | Burlington, VT | 66/53/pc | 40 | Cambridge, OH | 72/47/s | 31 | Camdenton, MO | 81/49/s | 33 | Canandaigua, NY | 66/49/s | 25 | Canton, OH | 70/49/s | 75 | Carlsbad, NM | 78/59/pc | 40 | Chambersburg, PA | 62/53/sh | 33 | Cherry Hill, NJ | 64/56/r | 45 | Cincinnati, OH | 75/51/s | 55 | Clarksville, TN | 81/53/pc | 42 | Coldwater, MI | 70/43/s | 25 | Columbus, OH | 72/49/s | 56 | Corning, NY | 62/50/c | 29 | Corpus Christi, TX | 84/73/t | 25 | Daytona Beach, FL | 88/75/t | 25 | Deming, NM | 79/56/s | 34 | DeRidder, LA | 83/68/t | 32 | Des Moines, IA | 69/46/s | 25 | Detroit, MI | 70/46/s | 25 | Devils Lake, ND | 62/43/s | 44 | Dover, NH | 63/50/pc | 25 | El Paso, TX | 80/60/s | 25 | Elmira, NY | 62/49/c | 24 | Erie, PA | 68/54/s | 37 | Eugene, OR | 82/49/s | 25 | A: 116(F). Sentinel, Ariz.; Oct. 5, 1917 | High/low/W | Air Quality | Evansville, IN | 79/52/s | 25 | Fall River, MA | 67/55/sh | 35 | Farmington, NM | 79/51/s | 64 | Fayetteville, NC | 74/66/t | 35 | Fond du Lac, WI | 64/40/pc | 25 | Fort Myers, FL | 91/76/t | 25 | Fort Smith, AR | 87/60/s | 30 | Framingham, MA | 66/51/c | 35 | Freeport, IL | 69/42/s | 25 | Fremont, OH | 72/48/s | 37 | Fort Collins, CO | 84/50/s | 25 | Gadsden, AL | 78/66/t | 17 | Gainesville, FL | 88/74/t | 25 | Galesburg, IL | 71/42/s | 25 | Gastonia, NC | 69/63/t | 35 | Glen Rose, TX | 79/64/pc | 21 | Gonzales, LA | 81/73/r | 33 | Great Falls, MT | 77/54/s | 39 | Green Bay, WI | 66/38/pc | 25 | Greenville, SC | 70/64/r | 35 | Hackensack, NJ | 63/56/r | 35 | Hagerstown, MD | 64/53/sh | 33 | Hattiesburg, MS | 79/71/r | 20 | Henderson, KY | 78/52/s | 25 | Hendersonville, NC | 71/63/r | 35 | Herkimer, NY | 64/51/pc | 20 | Hillsdale, MI | 70/43/s | 25 | Holland, MI | 65/44/pc | 25 | Hornell, NY | 64/48/pc | 28 | Houma, LA | 81/73/t | 33 | Howell, MI | 69/43/pc | 25 | Hutchinson, KS | 76/47/s | 35 | Hyannis, MA | 64/58/c | 35 | Indianapolis, IN | 76/51/s | 75 | Iowa City, IA | 70/44/s | 31 | Ithaca, NY | 62/50/pc | 25 | Jackson, MS | 81/70/t | 37 | Jackson, TN | 81/52/c | 30 | Jacksonville, FL | 85/72/t | 25 | Jacksonville, NC | 80/67/t | 35 | Kent, OH | 69/49/s | 75 | Kewanee, IL | 71/42/s | 25 | Keyser, WV | 68/50/r | 33 | Kinston, NC | 77/65/t | 35 | Knoxville, TN | 77/61/r | 42 | Lafayette, IN | 76/47/s | 43 | Lafayette, LA | 82/72/t | 31 | Lakeland, FL | 91/75/t | 25 | Lansing, MI | 68/42/s | 25 | Las Cruces, NM | 78/56/s | 44 | Lebanon, PA | 60/54/sh | 31 | Leesburg, FL | 90/75/t | 25 | High/low/W | AFP Quality | ● Levittown, PA | 63/55/r | 45 | Lincoln, IL | 77/45/s | 25 | Louisville, KY | 78/54/s | 25 | Lubbock, TX | 78/56/pc | 25 | Manitowoc, WI | 64/44/s | 25 | Mansfield, OH | 70/46/s | 39 | ● Marshall, NC | 72/61/r | 35 | Marshfield, WI | 63/36/pc | 25 | Massillon, OH | 70/48/s | 75 | McLean, VA | 64/57/r | 33 | ● Melbourne, FL | 89/77/t | 25 | Memphis, TN | 82/61/c | 44 | Middletown, NY | 60/51/c | 19 | Milford, MA | 66/52/c | 35 | Milwaukee, WI | 66/44/pc | 25 | Monroe, MI | 71/45/s | 25 | Monroe, LA | 84/67/t | 44 | ● Montgomery, AL | 78/70/r | 17 | Muncie, IN | 74/46/s | 35 | Murfreesboro, TN | 78/53/t | 44 | ● Naples, FL | 91/76/t | 25 | Nashville, TN | 81/56/pc | 44 | ● Neptune, NJ | 65/60/r | 40 | New Bedford, MA | 65/56/sh | 35 | ● New Bern, NC | 79/67/t | 35 | New Philadelphia, OH | 72/48/s | 75 | Newark, OH | 70/45/s | 56 | Newton, NJ | 61/51/c | 45 | ● New York, NY | 63/57/r | 35 | Norwich, CT | 65/53/sh | 39 | ● Ocala, FL | 89/74/t | 25 | Oklahoma City, OK | 82/55/pc | 50 | ● Opelousas, LA | 81/70/t | 31 | Oshkosh, WI | 65/43/s | 25 | ● Palm Beach, FL | 90/82/t | 25 | Palm Springs, CA | 102/78/s | 67 | ● Panama City, FL | 80/74/r | 25 | Pekin, IL | 75/46/s | 25 | ● Pensacola, FL | 79/72/r | 25 | Peoria, IL | 73/46/s | 25 | ● Petersburg, VA | 69/60/sh | 22 | Phoenix, AZ | 99/79/s | 42 | Port Huron, MI | 69/42/pc | 35 | Portsmouth, NH | 64/53/c | 25 | Poughkeepsie, NY | 65/51/c | 19 | Providence, RI | 65/56/c | 39 | Pueblo, CO | 77/46/s | 25 | Quincy, MA | 65/54/c | 35 | Redding, CA | 98/61/pc | 64 | Reno, NV | 90/56/pc | 25 | Ravenna, OH | 70/48/s | 75 | Richmond, IN | 73/45/s | 56 | - Denotes possible travel delays | High/low/W | Air Quality | Rochester, NY | 67/50/pc | 24 | Rockford, IL | 69/41/s | 25 | Ruidoso, NM | 66/45/pc | 35 | Salem, OR | 82/51/s | 50 | Salina, KS | 74/48/s | 40 | Salinas, CA | 89/60/s | 60 | ● Salisbury, MD | 70/62/r | 28 | San Angelo, TX | 79/62/sh | 23 | ● Sarasota, FL | 91/77/t | 25 | ● Savannah, GA | 83/71/t | 15 | Sheboygan, WI | 64/44/s | 25 | ● Shelby, NC | 68/63/t | 35 | Sherman, TX | 78/61/pc | 20 | Shreveport, LA | 84/66/sh | 50 | Silver City, NM | 74/52/pc | 32 | Sioux Falls, SD | 69/43/pc | 72 | Somerset, PA | 67/49/c | 40 | ● Somerville, NJ | 63/53/r | 45 | South Bend, IN | 69/46/s | 75 | ● Spartanburg, SC | 68/63/r | 35 | Springfield, IL | 77/44/s | 25 | Springfield, MO | 81/50/s | 39 | ● St. Augustine, FL | 86/73/t | 25 | St. Cloud, MN | 66/38/pc | 25 | St. George, UT | 96/65/s | 25 | Staunton, VA | 67/51/r | 25 | Stevens Point, WI | 64/37/pc | 25 | Stockton, CA | 98/63/pc | 93 | Stroudsburg, PA | 61/51/c | 45 | ● Stuart, FL | 89/76/t | 25 | Sturgis, MI | 70/45/s | 25 | ● Tallahassee, FL | 81/72/r | 25 | ● Thibodaux, LA | 81/73/t | 33 | Topeka, KS | 74/45/s | 35 | ● Tuscaloosa, AL | 80/69/t | 34 | Utica, NY | 64/50/pc | 20 | Ventura, CA | 88/67/s | 50 | Victorville, CA | 95/58/s | 54 | ● Vineland, NJ | 65/56/r | 40 | Visalia, CA | 102/63/s | 108 | Washington, DC | 66/60/r | 33 | Watertown, SD | 65/43/pc | 44 | Wausau, WI | 64/37/pc | 25 | Waynesboro, PA | 62/54/sh | 33 | White Plains, NY | 62/54/r | 50 | Wichita Falls, TX | 83/58/c | 50 | ● Wilmington, DE | 65/57/r | 28 | ● Wilmington, NC | 82/68/t | 35 | Wisconsin Rapids, WI | 64/37/s | 25 | Wooster, OH | 69/47/s | 75 | Worcester, MA | 61/52/c | 35 | York, PA | 62/54/r | 31 | Air Quality Index: 0-50, Good; 51-100, Moderate; 101-150, Unhealthy for sensitive groups; 151-200, Unhealthy; 201-300, Very unhealthy; 301-500, Hazardous
Trump shares senator's phone number in feud over time switch
Bo Erickson
President Donald Trump on Oct. 3 published three Truth Social posts focused on daylight saving time. AARON SCHWARTZ/GETTY IMAGES
REUTERS
DAYTON, OH – President Donald Trump shared online the supposed phone number of a Republican U.S. senator on Oct. 3 in an escalating dispute over making daylight saving time permanent.
In a social media post, the president urged people to call a phone number he said belonged to Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who opposes the
Cotton
Trump-backed Sunshine Protection Act. The act would end the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks by one hour.
Trump says most Americans want more afternoon sunlight, but Cotton has argued the
change would plunge early risers into darkness in winter.
“Everybody in Arkansas, Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Cotton did not directly respond to Trump's statement, but posted on X: "No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter.
“Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.”
When Reuters called the number Trump gave for Cotton, it went directly to a voicemail box that did not identify itself as belonging to the senator.
Supporters of permanent daylight saving time say adjusting clocks disrupts sleep and increases road accidents, while critics argue later winter sunrises would leave children traveling to school and commuters heading to work in the dark.
Trump on Oct. 3 published three Truth Social posts – one in the morning and two in the afternoon – focused on daylight saving time. In a subsequent five-minute session with journalists at the White House, he spent more than half the time talking about the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks by one hour.
Most states have observed the time switch since the 1960s. Clocks this year are slated to switch back to standard time on Nov. 1.
"It discombobulates everybody," Trump said, complaining to reporters that losing afternoon daylight caused lateness for meetings and dinner and made it difficult to play more than 14 holes of golf. He also suggested that more daylight would reduce crime.
“You know who wants it? The farmers want it. You know who wants it? Sports want it,” Trump told reporters before heading to a rally in Ohio.
“Professional sports and amateurs that would like to play tennis at night, would like to play golf a little bit without having to run home after 14 holes.”
Trump, an avid golfer, earlier shared an Oct.1 letter from PGA Tour CEO Brian
Rolapp, writing: “The PGA TOUR, as an example, needs more Daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments.”
After Cotton published his statement, the president responded with a post that framed the matter in political terms.
"Give the Republican Party a Senatorial WIN, for a change! TAKE THE WIN TOM, JUST TAKE THE WIN! YOU NEED IT, AND SO DOES OUR BELOVED REPUBLICAN PARTY!" Trump wrote.
Cotton is running for reelection but his race is not considered competitive, as Trump received more than 64% of the Arkansas vote in the 2024 presidential election.
The House passed the bill in July, but Cotton is not alone in the Senate. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, this past week called the bill “dead as disco” and said he did not think that Senate Majority Leader John Thune would bring the measure for a vote.
The offices of Cotton and Thune did not respond to requests for comment.
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Today is Oct. 4. On this date in:
TODAY IN HISTORY
1830: Belgium gained its independence, after having been a part of the Netherlands since 1815.
1864: New Orleans Tribune, the first Black daily newspaper, was founded by Dr. Louis C. Roudanez. The newspaper, published in English and French, started as a tri-weekly but soon became an influential daily.
1636: The first legal code in North America was composed by the General Court of the Plymouth Colony. It guaranteed the colony's Pilgrim citizens a trial by jury and stipulated that all laws were to be made with the consent of the freemen of the colony.
1901: The first motorized vacuum cleaner, called the “Puffing Billy,” was patented by British engineer Hubert Cecil Booth. The machine, pulled by a horse, was too big to enter buildings – instead, only its tubes were inserted through the windows.
1926: The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the radio program "Housekeeper's Chats" featuring "Aunt Sammy," sister of Uncle Sam.
1927: Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began working on Mount Rushmore, an iconic American landmark featuring the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln carved into a South Dakota mountainside. The project was completed in October 1941.
1931: American aviator Clyde “Upside-Down” Pangborn became the first person to fly nonstop across the Pacific Ocean, departing from Misawa, Japan, and landing in Wenatchee, Washington.
1954: The first temperature-controlled railway car, developed by the New York Central Railroad, was tested between New York City and Chicago.
1957: The Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 blasted into space, the first man-made object ever to leave the Earth's atmosphere. The satellite's launch marked the beginning of the Space Age – and a race between the United States and the USSR to be the first to reach the moon.
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[SUNDAY TALK SHOWS] Washington Journal (C-SPAN)
MS NOW columnist Paul Waldman discusses “campaign 2026 and political news of the week.” Newsmax radio host Todd Starnes discusses his book “The Golden Age: How Trump Saved America.”
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This Week with George Stephanopoulos (ABC)
An interview with Lina Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission. ABC's Martha Raddatz speaks to veterans in Virginia Beach, Virginia, "where a key race could determine control of the House." A political roundtable with Republican former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Michelle Cottle, national political writer and domestic correspondent for the New York Times Opinion Section; former RNC Communications Director Doug Heye; and former DNC Chair Donna Brazile.
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Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream (FOX)
Interviews with U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche; Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito; and Daniel Grand, plaintiff in a Supreme Court religious freedom case. A discussion with Tom Dupree, former principal deputy assistant U.S. attorney general, and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley. A political roundtable with former George W. Bush White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and Fox News senior political analyst Juan Williams.
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🔗 [系统已自动跨页缝合转版续文：《Justices》]
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Trump's hard-line immigration policies.
The court's docket also includes Nov. 3 arguments in a challenge to a Colorado law requiring preschools receiving taxpayer money to enroll children of same-sex couples, the latest clash between religious rights and LGBTQ+ protections to reach the justices.
The justices also may take up a case examining whether a Texas law that requires public elementary and high schools to display the biblical Ten Commandments in classrooms comports with the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on the government establishing or endorsing any particular religion or promoting religion over nonreligion.
On Dec. 2, the court will hear arguments over whether states can ban AR-15s and other semiautomatic rifles, an opportunity for the conservative justices to further expand gun rights. Thomas and Alito have been instrumental in major guns rulings since 2008.
On Dec. 8, the court will consider whether Arizona can mandate that people registering to vote provide proof of citizenship, a GOP-backed measure critics have called an effort to make it harder for groups who tend to support Democratic candidates to register.
Legal experts said these cases give Thomas and Alito chances to build on some of their most influential earlier rulings and target more Supreme Court precedents they consider misguided.
“They have more they want to accomplish, and I expect them to keep pushing on a host of issues,” McMahon said, adding that they even may envision themselves serving as a check on a potential future Democratic president beginning in 2029.
"They're still in their 70s," McMahon said. "And for a Supreme Court justice, it's not unprecedented that you stay on the bench well into your 80s."
Thomas and Alito backed every major Trump administration policy that came before the court last term, unlike the three conservative justices Trump appointed during his first term – Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Those three all have compiled very conservative records as justices but in a few major cases sided against Trump.
Trump told Time magazine this past week he regretted nominating all three, calling them disloyal.
Thomas and Alito, on the other hand, are “legends, both,” Trump said in September.
“Alito and Thomas are the two who have figured out how to never get into Trump’s doghouse,” said University of Minnesota political science professor Timothy Johnson.
Alito rejected the notion that he is a rubber stamp for Trump and his administration, telling the Wall Street Journal in August: “I vote in every case the way I think the case should be decided. If that means a high correlation with what Trump wants, fine. If it means zero correlation with what Trump wants, fine as well.”
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State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash (CNN)
Interviews with Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, and Thomas Giuffra, the attorney representing a woman who has filed a civil lawsuit alleging several men raped her at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024. A political roundtable with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-New York; Jamal Simmons, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris; Scott Jennings, former special assistant for political affairs to President George W. Bush; and former DNC Communications Director Xochitl Hinojosa.
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Meet the Press with Kristen Welker (NBC)
Interviews with Democratic former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana. NBC News chief data analyst Steve Kornacki discusses a NBC News/Telemundo poll of Latino voters. A political roundtable with Ashley Etienne, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris; Republican strategist Matt Gorman; Politico senior political columnist Jonathan Martin; and Noticias Telemundo anchor Julio Vaqueiro.
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Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan (CBS)
Interviews with Energy Secretary Chris Wright; Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona; Brett McGurk, former National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East; and Zack Lahn, Republican nominee for Iowa governor. CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford discusses the start of the new Supreme Court term. Anthony Salvanto, executive director of Elections and Surveys at CBS News, discusses new polling.
Reuters
1958: The first trans-Atlantic passenger jet service was established by British Overseas Airways Corporation, flying from Heathrow Airport in London to Idlewild (now John F. Kennedy International Airport) in New York.
1959: USSR probe Luna 3 took the first photographs of the far side of the moon, leading to new discoveries about lunar geology.
1965: Pope Paul VI arrived in New York City on a mission to address the United Nations, becoming the first pope to visit the United States.
1976: Barbara Walters became the first female coanchor of the evening news, starting a three-year tenure on "ABC Evening News."
1992: An Israeli El Al airline Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed into an apartment building in the outskirts of Amsterdam, killing 43 people and injuring 26.
2006: WikiLeaks, an international nonprofit organization that published secret information, news leaks and highly classified material – including U.S. military field reports from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – from anonymous sources, was launched in Iceland by Australian computer hacker-turned-activist Julian Assange.
USA TODAY Network
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RECENT DEATHS
Frank Busch, 75, a legendary swimming coach, died Sept. 27. Busch spent the bulk of his career with USA Swimming and the University of Arizona. Busch was Arizona's head swimming coach from 1989 to 2011 and led both the Wildcat men's and women's teams to a national championship in 2008. His swimmers won 49 NCAA individual titles and 31 NCAA relay titles. He earned NCAA Coach of the Year honors six times and was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year 11 times. Busch also served on the Team USA coaching staff for the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games. In 2011, he became national team director for USA Swimming right before the 2012 London Olympics, where he helped coach American swimming icons Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky.
Bill Giles, 92, a longtime Philadelphia Phillies executive, died Sept. 25. He is credited with conceptualizing the Phillie Phanatic and spearheading the construction of both Veterans Stadium and Citizens Bank Park. Giles was a key figure in the Phillies' front office beginning in 1969, rising from business operations head to executive vice president and, in 1981, organizing a group that purchased the franchise, under which he served as president until 1997 and then chairman. Giles was named honorary National League president in 2001 and served on MLB committees that spear-headed the introduction of interleague play and the wild card.
Dennis Haskins, 75, the actor best known for playing lovable principal Richard Belding on the teen sitcom "Saved by the Bell," died Sept. 27. Haskins became an instantly recognizable TV presence as Bayside High's well-meaning principal who was frequently comically exasperated by the schemes of Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and his friends. Haskins starred on "Saved by the Bell" through the show's four-season run, from 1989 to 1993, and later reprised the role for "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," which ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000. Along with " Saved by the Bell," Haskins amassed a long list of TV credits, including appearances on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “The West Wing,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “7th Heaven,” “Mad Men” and “Hot in Cleveland.”
Gordon Johncock, 90, a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion, died Sept. 28 in his South Branch, Michigan, home. Johncock won the Indy 500 in 1973 and 1982. He was not one to be in the light often. After his second retirement from racing, he owned Quigley Lumber, a Michigan business where he cut and sold timber. Johncock was inducted into the IMS Museum Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2002. He won 25 races, 20 poles and the 1976 IndyCar (then USAC) championship.
Esther Rantzen, 86, a British television presenter on the show “That’s Life!,” died Sept. 30. Diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in her early 80s, Rantzen returned to the media spotlight in 2023 to lend her support to the assisted dying movement. With Rantzen at the helm, “That’s Life!” was credited with helping to make car seat belts compulsory for children, bringing in safer surfaces to replace concrete in playgrounds, and encouraging more people to sign up for organ donation. Rantzen's show shone a spotlight on issues like stillbirth, addiction and mental health, at a time when they were not frequently discussed. In 1986, she founded Chil-dline, a free, confidential helpline for children and young people in distress.
Angela Stribling, 58, a former host of BET shows and radio personality, died Sept. 26 after a battle with brain cancer. Stribling's husband, Ken Washington, shared the news in an Instagram post on her account and in a statement to her longtime Washington, DC, radio station, WHUR 96.3 FM. In 2020, she appeared on Season 5 of "The Real Housewives of Potomac." Earlier in her career, the jazz singer hosted BET's entertainment news show "Screen Scene" in the 1990s and pioneered the network's jazz coverage by hosting "Jazz Central" and other programs.
USA TODAY Network and Reuters
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[NEWS IN BRIEF] U.S. Coast Guard searches for missing medical plane carrying 6
A medical transfer aircraft carrying six people was reported missing on a flight from Bermuda to Boston, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Oct. 3.
The Federal Aviation Administration told the Coast Guard early on Oct. 3 that it had lost contact with the plane, a Gulfstream jet, a Coast Guard spokesperson said by email.
Four Canadians are on the plane, Canadian Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon said on X.
The aircraft, registered to Latitude Air Ambulance, departed Bermuda at 12:41 a.m. local time, according to data from flight tracking website FlightAware. The plane was flying at 24,000 feet for much of the flight before descending 13,000 feet in about two minutes shortly before flight controllers lost contact, data showed.
Latitude is based in Ontario, Canada, and provides medical evacuation services. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Coast Guard said it dispatched air and surface crews to search for the plane near Nantucket, an island community south of mainland Massachusetts.
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Paris police chief says student protests now 'out of control'
PARIS – The student protest movement that has spread across France is now “out of control,” the Paris police chief said Oct. 3, urging demonstrators to return to peaceful action and warning that authorities would respond firmly to violence and vandalism.
Riot police clashed with high school students across France on Oct. 2 and unions called for teachers to strike as President Emmanuel Macron's government battled to contain increasingly violent protests over classroom conditions and funding.
Since Sept. 28, around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested nationwide and dozens injured.
Paris police chief Patrice Faure, in an open letter published on X ahead of planned renewed protests from Oct. 6, said those who had launched the movement no longer controlled it and called on students to abandon school blockades and unrest in favor of peaceful forms of protest.
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Latvian PM's party strongly ahead in election, exit poll shows
RIGA, Latvia – Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' centrist, pro-Ukraine United List party was seen winning a parliamentary election on Oct. 3 by an unexpectedly wide margin, exit polls showed, with many voters on edge amid warnings of potential Russian aggression.
An exit poll by Latvian public broadcaster LSM showed United List winning 35.6% of votes, followed by the populist, MAGA-style Latvia First at 11.3%. Latvia First had courted the country's substantial ethnic Russian minority in the run-up to the vote.
Baltic countries have warned for months that Russia is mounting sabotage, cyber and other hybrid attacks across Europe to erode support for Ukraine and sow fear.
Russia says such accusations are baseless.
Reacting to the exit poll reading, Kulbergs said he hoped to remain prime minister, but said he would not want to govern with Latvia First. If exit polls were confirmed by official results, he would still need coalition allies to form a government.
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🔗 [系统已自动跨页缝合转版续文：《Zelenskyy》]
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the presidential offices, said he had received no indications from Russia that Putin was interested in peace talks, or discussing a ceasefire on energy infrastructure.
Over the past week, the Ukrainian capital has come under persistent attack by Russian drones and missiles targeting energy and telecoms assets, roads and rail infrastructure. For the first time, Russia has targeted the bridges across the Dnipro River connecting east and west Kyiv.
A firefighter works at the site of houses hit by a Russian air strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 2. SOFIIA GATILOVA/REUTERS
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would react to the change in tactics by Moscow, but would not target civilian infrastructure indiscriminately.
"We have to respond in any way [we can]. With their attacks on our energy, we have to respond on their energy. First of all, oil refiners etc: what gives money to them for this war," Zelenskyy said in English. "But we will not respond, of course, just like them, on any civilian objects."
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Ethiopian government forces retake airport in Tigray's capital
Ethiopia's federal military has recaptured the main airport in the capital of the northern Tigray region, three sources said on Oct. 3, dealing a major setback to an opposition alliance in its stronghold.
Clashes pitting a rebel alliance led by Tigray's ruling party against the government and its allied forces broke out in northern Ethiopia in late September, in the most serious escalation of violence since a 2020-2022 civil war. The fighting has stoked fears that it could escalate into a wider regional conflict.
Troops from the Ethiopian National Defense Force had regained control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Tigray's capital, Mekelle, one source with knowledge of events in the city and a humanitarian source told Reuters.
A third source, a Mekelle resident who asked not to be named for security reasons, confirmed the taking of the airport by government forces and added they could hear gunfire outside the city center.
Reuters
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'A valuable contribution'
Speculation among court watchers about a possible vacancy has ramped up as the two men draw closer to the average age of retirement for Supreme Court justices since 2000 – about 80 years old – and with the Nov. 3 U.S. congressional elections looming.
If Democrats take control of the Senate, they could try to block Trump's nominee to fill any vacancy created by the retirement or death of a sitting justice.
Alito tamped down retirement speculation for now, telling the Wall Street Journal: “Obviously, I’m here for another term.”
The term runs through the end of June.
In a CBS News interview excerpt released on Oct. 2, Alito said he thought about retiring this year, calling retirement something someone his age must think about every year.
“But I thought that I could still make a valuable contribution, which is why I became a justice and a judge in the first place,” Alito said.
“It’s too hard to predict, for anybody, particularly when you reach a certain age, what your situation will be a year from now, two years from now, and so forth,” Alito said. “And it’s too hard to predict what the political situation will be, and what any president might do with respect to a replacement.”
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Abortion rights
Alito has a lot of influence in conversations among the court's conservatives, said Peter Canellos, author of a recent Alito biography titled “Revenge for the Sixties.”
"A lot of the action on the Supreme Court right now is conservative on conservative," Canellos said. "It's entirely a discussion among conservatives."
Canellos said Alito's influence was highlighted by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, perhaps the most important ruling he has authored. It overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent that had recognized a woman's constitutional right to have an abortion.
Chief Justice John Roberts, a stalwart conservative, dissented from the portion of Alito's ruling that reversed Roe.
"I think over the years Alito has thought of himself as an instrumental justice," Canellos said. "You can see in many cases, Dobbs included, that his key ability is to bring the three Trump appointees to his side, rather than Chief Justice Roberts' side, when the two of them disagree."
Alito has long criticized a 1990 Supreme Court precedent that limits the ability of people to seek religious exemptions from generally applicable laws. Religious rights advocates have said that ruling infringes on First Amendment protections for free exercise of religion. The 1990 ruling specifically held that the First Amendment does not protect people who participate in illegal acts – in that case, the use of an illegal hallucinogenic drug – as part of a religious ceremony.
The religious freedom case being argued in November, called St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, gives Alito and the other conservative justices a chance to cast doubt on the 1990 precedent, known as Employment Division v. Smith.
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'Why not continue?'
The case involving state-level bans on assault-style rifles may give Thomas a chance to clarify a test he laid out in one of his most impactful rulings, a 2022 case called New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
Under this test, gun control measures must be “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation” – not simply advance an important government interest – in order to comply with the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Some judges have said this wording does not provide clear guidance, producing inconsistent results.
“He has clearly expressed frustration that his colleagues have dodged reviews of assault-weapon prohibitions, making these consolidated challenges from Connecticut and Illinois a long-sought vehicle to establish a nationwide constitutional rule that includes these specific guns,” Johnson said of Thomas.
Thomas has not addressed retirement rumors, but in the past has hinted at a lengthy tenure.
McMahon said Thomas may want to become the longest-serving justice, a milestone he would reach in May 2028.
"If you're that close, and you have the setup that he has, why not continue?" McMahon asked.
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'Not fair just to normalize'
After the Trump administration invited Putin to attend a G20 summit in Miami in December and discussed business deals with Russian envoys, Zelenskyy urged Washington not to normalize relations with Russia before ensuring a return to peace.
Zelenskyy said he would be happy to meet Putin for peace talks at the G20, but he warned the United States not to believe in “illusions” that Russia would simply end hostilities if it gained control of Donbas.
"It's not fair just to normalize," Zelenskyy said. Any resumption of economic and diplomatic ties with the West had to be in return for Russia ending hostilities, he said: "Because peace is more important than any kind of economy."
While the United States has proposed a resumption of trilateral talks in the coming weeks in the United Arab Emirates, Zelenskyy noted that an exact date and location for the technical-level conversations had still not been set.
Ukrainian officials warn that Russia has stockpiled hundreds of ballistic missiles ahead of an expected winter onslaught against electricity and water infrastructure. Last winter, the worst of the war, Russian strikes left swaths of the country without electricity and heating for days at a time.
Since the summer, Moscow has also begun launching dozens of fast and relatively cheap jet-powered Shahed drones a day at Ukraine, whose air defense teams have struggled to cope because their interceptor drones were too slow to catch them.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had been forced to rely heavily on its fighter aircraft – F-16s and MiGs – to down around 60% of the Russian jet-powered drones, but supplies of 20mm ammunition for the planes were running low.
Kyiv was urgently working on other solutions – including boosting its electronic jamming capabilities, he said. In the second half of October, it would receive the first shipment of small, cheap air defense missiles capable of hitting the new Shaheds.
In late September, Zelenskyy said
Ukraine was developing five models of new interceptor drones capable of downing the jet Shaheds. Fresh from a meeting with his defense chiefs, he said tests on two of those models showed a modest success rate of around 30%.
Zelenskyy said a recent spate of Russian drone incursions and hybrid attacks in Europe were an effort to intimidate European populations and to undermine support for Ukraine.
Some European leaders were starting to understand this, he said, and toughen their position.
Russia says such accusations are baseless and the result of anti-Russian hysteria.
After talks with European officials in Brussels this past week, Ukraine had unlocked funding to order the drones that it needs to keep fighting at the start of 2027, Zelenskyy said.
Ukrainian officials had worked on plans with European partners to plug a \$27 billion hole in Kyiv's defense budget this year.
The plans involve a combination of the reallocation of Ukraine's own budget resources, bilateral assistance and using “money credits” from next year's portion of a \$101 billion EU loan, Zelenskyy said. “We will close this [gap]. I think this is absolutely a big success for our country,” he said.
Sailors aboard the USS George Washington use their phones on Sept. 13. The carrier is effectively a floating city of around 5,000 personnel. PHOTOS BY ED OU/REUTERS
A U.S. Navy sailor serves as a lookout aboard the USS George Washington on Sept. 13. The George Washington's mission has no defined end-date.
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🔗 [系统已自动跨页缝合转版续文：《Sailors》]
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Trump has said many times the conflict would soon be over, but as it persisted for longer than initially expected, the Navy turned to the George Washington to relieve another carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln.
In August, in response to reports of deteriorating conditions, low morale and suicide attempts on the Lincoln, at sea since November 2025, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the accounts “misrepresented” the reality, praising sailors who endure austere conditions.
Still, extended deployments can pose enormous strain on crews' mental health, particularly in wartime, and are a challenge for any navy. Sailors must maintain a state of alert and readiness, heightened in the case of the George Washington due to the threat of drone and missile attack from Iran.
“Morale is really important to us,” said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Heames, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 5. Heames talked about ensuring the ability of the crew to contact home and receive mail.
"Some of those things affect how sailors hold up out in this kind of environment," Heames said. "They are huge focus areas for me."
Reuters spoke with Seaman Deandre Cook as he checked in with his wife back home on a video call. She was holding one of their young daughters on her hip. It was hard being away from his family, Cook said, but added: "The distance makes the relationship stronger."
Reuters was given access to the USS George Washington under the condition that no operational details would be disclosed, including the exact location of the aircraft carrier.
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Growing up
As jets thundered off the carrier's deck above them, hundreds of members of the George Washington's crew gathered for a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks – an event many of them were too young to remember.
Al-Qaida's attacks on New York and Washington propelled the United States into two decades of war that sent troops to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. Many supporters of Trump had hoped Middle East wars were a thing of the past.
After a sailor sang the national anthem, the chaplain on board, Ben Garrett, delivered a prayer as the assembled crew bowed their heads.
“Help us honor those who have gone before us,” Garrett said.
Garrett later told Reuters that many of the crew members are still learning the basics of growing up, including skills like patience, managing relationships and career expectations.
"A huge percentage of this ship are between the ages of 19 and 24 years old," said Garrett, a Roman Catholic priest. "So they're trying to figure out being an adult while they're out here."
Sometimes sailors enlist to get away from a small town or a situation back home, Garrett added.
“But then they come here and they realize that some of the things they might have been trying to get away from, they brought it with them,” Garrett said.
Lt. Cmdr. Brian Lasley said there were more people on the George Washington than back in his hometown of Fredericktown, Missouri, whose population was 4,429 in the 2020 census.
Camren Pollard, 24, an interior communications electrician third class, said he joined the Navy on a spur-of-the-moment decision after seeing older coworkers unhappy in his previous job. “I wanted to change things in my life,” he said.
"My mom freaked out more than anything. My little brother thought it was kind of cool." For Pollard, however, "I don't think about it a whole lot. It's work for me."
U.S. Navy sailors aboard an MV-22 Osprey travel to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington in the Arabian Sea on Sept. 11.
Deandre Cook of Brownsboro, Texas, speaks with his wife and daughters by video call. "The distance makes the relationship stronger," Cook said.
Camren Pollard, 24, an interior communications electrician third class, sits watch during night operations on Sept. 13.
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SPORTS EXTRA
MLB PLAYOFFS
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Guardians on Oct. 3 in Cleveland. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen reacts in the first inning against the New York Yankees on Oct. 3 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws during the third inning against the Atlanta Braves on Oct. 3 in Los Angeles. The Brewers' William Contreras hits a solo home run during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres on Oct. 3 in Milwaukee. PHOTOS BY IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS CONNECT
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SHOW OF FORCE
HOME RUNS, POWER PITCHING DOMINATE IN DIVISION SERIES OPENERS
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American League Division Series
White Sox 3, Guardians 0: Munetaka Murakami belted a two-run homer off All-Star Parker Messick and five pitchers combined on a three-hitter as Chicago beat Cleveland in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday afternoon.
Rays 1, Yankees 0: Drew Rasmussen did not allow a hit through $7 \frac{1}{3}$ scoreless innings and Jonathan Aranda belted a solo homer, lifting Tampa Bay to a victory over New York in Game 1 of the ALDS in St. Petersburg, Fla.
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National League Division Series
Dodgers 5, Braves 3: Tarik Skubal dominated over six innings, three home runs powered the offense and Los Angeles opened the NLDS with a victory over visiting Atlanta. Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep for the Dodgers. Brewers 3, Padres 2: William Contreras homered with two outs in the seventh inning for the go-ahead run to lift Milwaukee to a comeback victory over San Diego in a battle of the bullpens in the opener of their NLDS.
COVERAGE, 4-5NS
NFL ANALYSIS
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Players who could end up trade targets
Nate Davis USA TODAY
The NFL trade deadline is still six weeks away, set to expire at 4 p.m. ET Nov. 10.
But Monday's trade of quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings to New York Giants and Wednesday's deal that sent Joey Porter Jr. from the Steelers to the Cowboys were the latest reminders that we're in an era when general managers, coaches and personnel executives tend to be more enterprising about executing deals – whether to improve their rosters in the short or long term – and are more willing to part with precious capital in order to pry a targeted player loose.
Last year, the New York Jets unloaded two of their rare star players, CB Sauce Gardner and DL Quinnen Williams at the deadline and recouped three first-round picks and a second-rounder. In 2022, there were a record 10 deals on deadline day alone.
In recent years, premier players like WR Davante Adams and RB Christian
Titans running back Tony Pollard caries against the Giants on Sept. 27.
YANNICK PETERHANS/NORTHJERSEY.COM
McCaffrey have been moved weeks ahead of the deadline. And, heck, it's only been four months since the Los Angeles Rams acquired Myles Garrett,
See TARGETS, Page 2NS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
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Carr propels Irish to win
Quarterback CJ Carr, above, threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as No. 3 Notre Dame beat North Carolina 37-26 in rainy conditions Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C. TOP 25 ROUNDUP, 3NS BOB DONNAN/IMAGN IMAGES
NFL
NOTEBOOK
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Reports: Bagent to start at QB for Bears
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Panthers place WR Legette on IR
Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent (17) passes against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20 in Chicago. MATT MARTON/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent is expected to start Sunday's game against the visiting New York Jets, multiple outlets reported on Saturday.
Bagent took the majority of the first-team reps at practice this week. He gets the nod over Case Keenum, who passed for 247 yards and accounted for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in Monday night's 27-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles after Bagent spent much of the previous week in concussion protocol.
Bagent was injured late in the fourth quarter of Chicago's 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20. He came on in relief of Caleb Williams, who sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain in that game.
Williams has been ruled out for the Bears (2-1) on Sunday against the Jets (1-2).
Bagent earned the No. 2 role in training camp but said earlier this week he was not pushing to unseat Keenum, who was given a game ball Monday night.
"There's a couple ways to think about it. Obviously, I would like everything that the football world can offer me. But then there's also the part that I am from Shepherd University, so I have absolutely zero ego in this and nobody is a bigger cheerleader and a fan of Case Keenum than I am," Bagent said. "I think he is the epitome of what I believe a quarterback is and is supposed to be. So it was fun to watch him play."
Asked on Friday, Bears head coach Ben Johnson did not reveal his QB1 plans. “We’ll find out on Sunday,” he said. “I know both of them are well prepared to play and win a game for us.”
Bagent, 26, last started an NFL game during the 2023 season. He went 2-2 in place of former Bears quarterback Justin Fields. In 13 career games, Bagent has completed 65.8% of his passes for 971 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions.
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Report: Eagles WR Smith to miss multiple games
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is expected to miss multiple games with a hamstring injury, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The 27-year-old Smith missed time in training camp due to the injury, but he was able to suit up for the first three games of the season, reeling in 19 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown. He did not participate in practice this week, however, as he dealt with the injury once again, and the Eagles listed him as out for their Week 4 home contest Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Inquirer reported that Smith could miss two to three games with the injury.
With Marquise Brown already sidelined by an ankle injury, Dontayvion Wicks is expected to serve as the team's top receiver against the Rams.
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Report: Packers star Parsons likely out until November
Green Bay Packers star edge rusher Micah Parsons is continuing his recovery from a torn ACL and is not likely to see game action until November.
That's according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, who said Parsons has not had any setbacks.
But the three-time All-Pro, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL on Dec.
14 in a game against the Denver Broncos, is less than 10 months into the recovery from the knee injury and subsequent surgery.
Parsons, 27, is on the physically unable to perform list.
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Colts downgrade WR Allen to out vs. Commanders
The Indianapolis Colts ruled out Keenan Allen for Sunday's game in London against the Washington Commanders and elevated fellow wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine from the practice squad.
Allen, 34, was downgraded from questionable as he nurses a groin injury.
He has 13 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown this season for the Colts (1-2) after signing a one-year contract on Aug. 18.
A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Allen has 1,068 career receptions for 12,151 receiving yards and 71 touchdowns in 174 games with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2013-23, 2025), Chicago Bears (2024) and Colts.
Westbrook-Ikhine, 29, also was elevated from the practice squad to play in last Sunday's 19-17 victory over the Houston Texans.
The Carolina Panthers placed wide receiver Xavier Legette on injured reserve due to a knee injury.
He is set to miss at least the next four weeks.
In Week 2, the 25-year-old reeled in a 55-yard reception against the Atlanta Falcons but sustained a knee injury on the play. He sat out of the team's Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Legette was a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Across his first two seasons, he recorded 924 yards and seven touchdowns in 33 games (25 starts).
The Panthers' receiving group could look thin on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Leading receiver Jalen Coker (quadriceps) is listed as questionable.
On Saturday, the team also promoted wide receiver Ja'seem Reed from the practice squad. Reed went undrafted in 2025 out of San Diego and is in line to potentially make his NFL debut.
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Seahawks place RB Price (chest) on injured reserve
The Seattle Seahawks placed rookie running back Jadarian Price on injured reserve with a chest injury.
Price had already been ruled out for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Chargers; now, he will miss at least the next four games.
Price, a first-round selection by the Seahawks out of Notre Dame in this year's draft, suffered the injury in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said this week that Price aggravated the injury during practice Wednesday.
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Bucs elevate Stick to be backup QB vs. Packers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers elevated Easton Stick off the practice squad to be their backup quarterback for Sunday's home game against the Green Bay Packers.
Stick will serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie from Kansas making his first career start. Regular starter Baker Mayfield is sidelined with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.
Continued from Page 1NS
arguably the league's most dominant player when he's healthy, from the Cleveland Browns.
As the calendar flips to October, more moves are coming – bank on that. What we don't know yet is what additional injuries will arise that might necessitate the next deal.
It's also currently unclear which GMs will shift into sell mode given the wide array of outcomes that could materialize over the next six weeks – when, perhaps, the Las Vegas Raiders might tail off and then consider trading QB Kirk Cousins or WR Tre Tucker, for example.
Furthermore, this could be a year when normally aggressive teams might think twice and/or teams willing to move players might have to lower their asking price or defer the compensation. Why? Because there's likely to be a pervasive reluctance to surrender high-end draft assets ahead of what's expected to be a bumper crop of incoming college players in 2027.
Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens, left, catches the ball against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) and safety Jaylinn Hawkins on Sept. 27 in Rio De Janeiro. KIRBY LEE/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
Here are some top targets who should be on teams' acquisitional radars in the coming weeks:
\- Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens: This is probably going to be a difficult year to find a legitimate impact player in midstream. But, if the Cowboys' season goes seriously south in the immediate future, Pickens is that kind of talent.
He had 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine TDs last season, Jerry Jones wasn't willing to lock him into a long-term deal.
\- Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: It's not working right now for the Cards and the fourth overall pick of the 2024 draft. Harrison is currently no better than the fifth option on this offense, collecting just four catches (on nine targets) through three weeks.
And the three-year, \$75 million extension recently signed by Michael Wilson was a clear signal the organization considers him their WR1 – the numbers already suggesting as much in 2025.
Certainly several teams would likely find MHJ's talent tantalizing given how highly regarded he was going into the '24 draft, not to mention his Hall of Fame bloodlines.
\- Arizona Cardinals OLB Josh Sweat: He can set an edge effectively and hunt passers, whether deployed in three- or four-man fronts. Sweat made a case to the MVP of Super Bowl 60 for the Eagles after collecting $2 \frac{1}{2}$ sacks of Patrick Mahomes in Philly's blowout of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 6-5, 265-pounder is now in the second season of a four-year, \$76.4 million deal with the struggling Cardinals but has no guaranteed money beyond this season. He could be the final piece for a team looking to put a cherry on top of a championship-caliber defense.
\- Los Angeles Chargers OLB Khalil Mack: Even at 35, the nine-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year remains a force in this league – and one who's in the year-to-year portion of his career, unsigned for 2027. And given his age, he might not cost as much to obtain as a player like Sweat – particularly for a team that might merely be all in for the short run only.
Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt:
No way you say? Yes, admittedly, exporting a superstar at the trade deadline
– and effectively waving the white flag on a season – would be far from a typical Steelers move.
But look more closely. Watt will turn 32 on Oct. 11. Pittsburgh has already extended Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, both much younger pass rushers than Watt. And, if the Steelers fall off the playoff pace they need to have an eye on 2027 and the likelihood that it could be rebuild territory.
\- Tennessee Titans RB Tony Pollard: Now in the walk year of his contract – and a time when the Titans clearly aren't going anywhere – he's working on a fifth straight season with more than 1,000 yards rushing and has averaged 42 receptions over the previous four years. A pretty good dual threat weapon and one only owed the prorated amount of his \$6.7 million base salary this season.
\- Indianapolis Colts DT DeForest Buckner: The 32-year-old remains one of the league's premier interior disruptors. He's also headed for free agency in 2027 and plays for a team light on draft assets next year in the wake of the 2025 trade for Gardner. And if the Colts go down the tubes and are compelled to clean house early?
\- Cleveland Browns WR Jerry Jeudy: He signed a three-year, \$52.5 million extension two years ago and responded with his first Pro Bowl season in 2024.
But Jeudy's production essentially fell by $50\%$ in 2025 (50 catches, 602 yards, 2 TDs) amid the team's unsettled QB situation, and he's only caught two of five targets so far this year – when the Browns also chose wideouts in the first (KC Concepcion Jr.) and second (Denzel Boston) rounds of the draft.
\- Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin: The veteran receiver, whose contract comes with an unusual team option for 2027, could be optimal for a team seeking depth or a WR2 down the stretch – think the San Francisco 49ers, for example, where a reunion with Mike Evans might also make sense given the injury issues that team is currently facing.
And in light of the present circumstances for the winless Bucs, who have a young group of receivers on the way up anyway? Just sayin'.
\- Tampa Bay Buccaneers DL Vita Vea: Another player, one who's 31 and got a Band-Aid addendum to his contract as opposed to a meaningful extension after a summer standoff, who could make a much bigger impact for another team than he probably will for the winless Bucs this year.
\- Arizona Cardinals QB Gardner Minshew II, Atlanta Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa: Kinda the same guys in some respects – experienced starters with Pro Bowl bona fides but currently in backup roles and on one-year pacts for teams that will very likely be targeting a new quarterback in next year's draft.
Either could be an ideal alternative for a team that might suddenly find itself in a quarterback crisis, though one that only requires a steady hand to steady the ship for a month or so.
And if McCarthy, a former first-round pick with upside, only cost a fifth-rounder, the price would theoretically be more than right for Minshew or Tagovailoa.
TOP 25 ROUNDUP
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Carr's 5-TD day leads No. 3 Irish over Heels
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
victory in Knoxville, Tenn.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton passes against Vanderbilt on Oct. 3 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. DALE ZANINE/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
CJ Carr threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as No. 3 Notre Dame beat North Carolina 37-26 in rainy conditions Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Jordan Faison caught two touchdown passes as part of an eight-catch, 132-yard receiving effort for the Fighting Irish (5-0).
Carr completed 21 of 29 passes for 234 yards. Jonaz Walton rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries.
Billy Edwards Jr. threw for three touchdowns, two interceptions and 208 yards for the Tar Heels (2-2), who were held to 285 yards of total offense. Jordan Shipp had 109 receiving yards on seven catches.
Carr's 3-yard scoring run on fourth down to end a 17-play drive which took 9:10 off the clock and stretched Notre Dame's lead to 27-20 in the third quarter, but a two-point conversion run failed. The Irish converted on a trio of fourth downs on the march.
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No. 2 Georgia 38, Vanderbilt 14
Gunner Stockton completed 25 of 32 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) to a victory over the Commodores (3-2, 0-2).
Stockton connected with 10 receivers, including Dwight Phillips Jr., who had five catches for 75 yards and a score for Georgia, which has won all its games by at least 24 points.
Vanderbilt was without freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, who was scratched before the game with an undisclosed injury. Curtis, one of the top QB recruits in the 2026 high school class, flipped his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt in December.
In his place, Blaze Berlowitz completed 12 of 23 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown. Junior Sherrill posted seven receptions for 107 yards and a score for the Commodores, who dropped their second straight.
Leading by seven at halftime, Georgia had its first possession of the second half aided by a fortuitous bounce on a 43-yard Lawson Luckie catch off a deflection. Stockton hit Elyiss Williams for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 8:21 remaining in the third to make it 28-14.
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No. 4 Miami 41, Clemson 13
Mark Fletcher Jr. ran for two touchdowns and Darian Mensah passed for a touchdown and ran for another to lead the Hurricanes (5-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to a win over the host Tigers (3-2, 2-1).
Miami moved into sole possession of first place in the conference while beating Clemson on its home field for the first time since 2010.
It was Miami's second-largest margin of victory against Clemson and largest since a 39-7 win in 1953.
Miami's defense recorded six sacks, including five in the first half, against Clemson quarterback Tait Reynolds. Reynolds completed 29 of 44 passes for 295 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, which resulted in a 39-yard pick-six by Miami's JJ Dunnigan to close the scoring.
Damon Wilson II led the Hurricanes' pass rush with 2 1/2 sacks. Ahmad Mo- ten forced a Reynolds fumble with 1:41 left in the third, which was recovered by Herbert Scroggins and led to a Jake Weinberg 24-yard field goal to put the Hurricanes ahead 27-6 early in the fourth.
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No. 5 Indiana 47, Rutgers 15
Josh Hoover was 20-for-27 passing for 251 yards and four touchdowns, Turbo Richard racked up a career-high 204 yards and a score on the ground and the Hoosiers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) thrashed the host Scarlet Knights (1-4, 0-2) in Piscataway, N.J.
Indiana extended the nation's longest winning streak to 21 games. The Hoosiers rolled up 593 total yards and 329 rushing yards compared to Rutgers' 254 and 59, respectively.
Lee Beebe Jr. had a big second half to finish with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown, Charlie Becker made eight catches for 107 yards and two TDs, and fellow wideout Nick Marsh added seven receptions for 120 and one score. Indiana became the first Big Ten team with two 100-yard rushers and two 100-yard receivers in one game since 1995.
Rutgers' AJ Surace relieved Dylan Lonergan at quarterback before halftime, with Lonergan apparently injured on a
QB sneak attempt. Surace was the more effective passer for the Scarlet Knights, with 128 yards and a 53-yard touchdown to Ben Black III.
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No. 6 Ohio State 31, No. 14 Iowa 14
Jeremiah Smith set two more school records and strengthened his Heisman Trophy candidacy when the Buckeyes (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) earned a victory over the Hawkeyes (4-1, 1-1) in Iowa City.
Smith, a junior, made his 36th career touchdown catch in the third quarter to surpass Chris Olave's school record and give Ohio State a 24-6 lead.
On Ohio State's next drive, Smith's 10th catch of the game was his 206th for the Buckeyes to move one ahead of former record-holder Emeka Egbuka.
Smith finished with 11 catches for 206 yards and struck the Heisman pose in the end zone after his second score against overmatched Iowa. In the past two games, Smith has compiled 23 catches for 423 yards and six scores.
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No. 7 Alabama 56, No. 16 Mississippi State 23
Keelon Russell totaled four touchdowns and Alabama's defense forced four turnovers which allowed the Crimson Tide (5-0, 2-0 SEC) to roll past the Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1) in Starkville, Miss.
Russell threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns and ran for one more. Rico Scott had 56 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Lotzeir Brooks added 96 receiving yards and Trae'shawn Brown produced 66 rushing yards and two TDs for Alabama, which is 5-0 for the first time in Kalen DeBoer's three seasons.
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor completed 19 of 34 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns but also threw two interceptions, matching his total in the first four games of the season combined for the Bulldogs, who have lost 17 straight games against the Crimson Tide.
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No. 25 Missouri 45, No. 8 Florida
Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, Jamal Roberts ran for 211 yards and three scores, and the Tigers' defense shut down star running back Jadan Baugh in a victory over the Gators (4-1, 2-1 SEC) in Columbia, Mo.
Roberts broke two long second-half runs, one for 77 yards and later an 80-yard touchdown for Missouri, which scored 35 straight points after the score was tied 10-10 late in the first half.
Missouri (4-1, 1-1) scored on six straight possessions spanning the end of the second quarter to the fourth.
Missouri had lost nine straight games against ranked opponents. Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz improved to 2-10 against teams ranked in the Top 10 of the Associated Press poll, winning for the first time since beating Ohio State in the 2023 Cotton Bowl.
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No. 9 BYU 17, TCU 10
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier rushed for two touchdowns and Faletau Satuala recorded a key interception as the Cougars (4-0, 2-0 Big 12) posted a victory over the Horned Frogs (2-3, 0-2) in Fort Worth, Texas.
Bachmeier rushed for 66 yards on 15 carries and completed 11 of 24 passes for 62 yards for BYU, which has started 4-0 in three consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.
Jaden Craig was 18-of-25 passing for 187 yards, one touchdown and one interception for TCU. Kari Ashley had six receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown and Jeremy Payne had 100 yards from scrimmage (77 rushing, 23 receiving).
TCU had a 259-216 edge in total offense during a contest played mostly in rainy conditions.
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No. 10 Texas Tech 29, Colorado 7
John Curry intercepted a pass in the end zone for a touchdown, Brice Pollock had two interceptions and Malik Esquerra added another pick as the Red Raiders (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) rallied for avictory over the Buffaloes (2-3, 0-2) in Boulder, Colo.
All three third-quarter Colorado drives ended in interceptions as Texas Tech overcame a 7-3 halftime deficit.
As Curry rushed off the edge with 7:10 remaining in the game, he reached up and intercepted Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson's pass in the end zone for a 22-7 lead.
Will Hammond threw for 134 yards and a touchdown. J'Koby Williams rushed for 88 yards and Quinten Joyner ran in a score. Terrance Carter Jr. had a touchdown reception. Texas Tech held a 4-0 advantage in turnovers.
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No. 11 LSU 63, McNeese 14
Sam Leavitt passed for three touchdowns in limited action, Corey Barber Jr. caught two of the scoring passes, Harlem Berry and Stacy Gage each rushed for more than 100 yards and the Tigers (4-1) routed the Cowboys (2-4) in Baton Rouge, La.
Leavitt, who is the second-leading rusher for LSU but has been hampered by a hamstring injury, did not run the ball and played just the first half before being relieved by Landen Clark with LSU leading 35-0. Leavitt passed for 176 yards and an interception.
Barber, a freshman who had just one reception for 15 yards before Saturday, finished with seven catches for 83 yards and his first touchdowns. Berry had the first 100-yard rushing game of his two-year career, finishing with 125 yards and a score on 15 carries, and Gage rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.
LSU outgained FCS McNeese 731-196 and finished with a 37-6 advantage in first downs.
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No. 17 Tennessee 24, Auburn 14
DeSean Bishop rushed for a career-high 220 yards and three second-half touchdowns to rally the Volunteers (4-1, 1-1 SEC) past the Tigers (3-2, 1-2) for a
The former walk-on from Knoxville carried 34 times while becoming the first running back for Tennessee to go for 200 yards and three scores since Eric Gray in 2019.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel benched freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon late in the first half after he went 3-for-8 for no yards and one interception. Backup George MacIntyre completed 8 of 10 for 86 yards in the first meeting between the Tigers and Vols in six seasons.
Auburn's Byrum Brown was 22-for-33 for 159 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He rushed for 107 yards on 19 attempts and scored the first touchdown for the Tigers, who built a 7-3 halftime lead.
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No. 18 USC 25, Washington 21
The Trojans (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) scored a pair of third-quarter touchdowns less than two minutes apart, then held firm on the Huskies' final drive to survive with a win in Los Angeles.
USC surrendered a pair of fourth-down conversions that allowed Washington (3-2, 0-2) to advance into the red zone with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
On one of its fourth-down conversions, Washington quarterback De-mond Williams Jr. evaded pressure and hit Chris Lawson while on the move for a 43-yard gain.
USC's defense buckled down, however, including on third-and-4 from the USC 12-yard line when Kameryn Crawford beat his blocker to bring down Williams from the blind side. The sack forced Washington into another fourth-down scenario.
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No. 19 SMU 25, Boston College 16
The Mustangs (4-1, 2-1 ACC) carried a three-point lead into halftime and nearly pitched a second-half shutout in a win over the visiting Eagles (2-3, 0-2) on a rainy afternoon in Dallas.
Kevin Jennings threw touchdowns to Randy Pittman Jr. and Derrick McFall after intermission, finishing 20-for-30 passing for 160 yards.
SMU was outgained 322-218 in total, managing only 160 yards through the air after averaging 393 through their first four games.
SMU sacked Boston College quarterback Mason McKenzie five times and held the Eagles scoreless over seven straight possessions from the first quarter until a touchdown with 2:07 left in regulation. That streak included a fumble and two turnovers on downs.
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No. 20 Houston 27, UCF 17
Conner Weigman scored three times on the ground in the second half as the host Cougars (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) shrugged off a ragged first 40 minutes and roared from behind to beat the Knights (3-2, 1-1).
Weigman's third rushing touchdown, a 1-yard plunge with 10:15 to play, gave Houston its first lead. On the ensuing drive, Weigman – who finished with 239 passing yards – connected with Trent Walker for a 43-yard catch-and-run to set the table for Jonathan Dimas' 40-yard field goal with 4:14 to play.
Dimas added a career-high 46-yarder with 1:56 left that capped the Cougars' 27 unanswered points and cemented the win.
Keyone Jenkins passed for 253 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score to lead UCF's attack.
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Minnesota 20, No. 24 Michigan 14
Darius Taylor scored one touchdown on the ground and another through the air, and the Golden Gophers (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) rallied for a win over the Wolverines (3-2, 0-2) in Minneapolis.
Drake Lindsey completed 17 of 25 passes for 136 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for Minnesota.
Noah Jennings had a team-high seven catches for 70 yards.
Jordan Marshall rushed for the lone offensive touchdown for Michigan. Bryce Underwood completed 10 of 21 passes for 101 yards and two interceptions.
Minnesota beat Michigan for the first time since 2014 to capture the Little Brown Jug that is awarded to the winner of the rivalry matchup. The Golden Gophers won the jug on their home field for the first time since 1977, prompting students to storm the field after time expired.
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MLB: AL DIVISION SERIES
WHITE SOX 3, GUARDIANS 0 (CHICAGO LEADS SERIES 1-0)
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Murakami HR, pitching lift Chicago
Chicago White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay delivers to the plate during the fourth inning against the Guardians in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 3 in Cleveland. DAVID RICHARD/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
Brian Dulik
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
CLEVELAND – Munetaka Murakami belted a two-run homer off All-Star Parker Messick and five pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday afternoon.
Murakami, a 26-year-old rookie from Japan, hammered a 440-foot shot to right field off Messick in the fourth inning. His first postseason homer – and 36th overall this year – plated Miguel Vargas to put the White Sox up 2-0.
“I was ready, this was the moment I was preparing for the entire season,” said Murakami, who yelled toward the visiting dugout as his homer cleared the fence, said through an interpreter. “I can’t explain what I said in words (to the team), but it was a little bit dirty.”
Chicago extended its lead to 3-0 in the seventh when Colson Montgomery doubled just inside third base against Erik Sabrowski, bringing home Kyle Teel. The White Sox have won three consecutive games to begin their postseason.
Bryan Hudson retired the only batter he faced in the third inning for the victory, and closer Grant Taylor tossed the final four innings for the save. Taylor struck out six and allowed a pair of hits.
Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Monday afternoon in Cleveland. The White Sox have won eight of the 14 contests between the teams this season, splitting eight games at Progressive Field, the home of the AL Central champion Guardians.
a-walked for Fry in 4th. b-flied out for Pham in 9th. c-singled for Hedges in 7th. d-singled for Grichuk in 6th.
"The first game in the series is very important. Now, we'll get the one day (of) rest and focus on winning again," Murakami said.
“I can’t speak English too much, so the one thing I know is ‘Let’s go,’ and that’s it,” he added.
Messick, a rookie making his post-season debut, struck out six over 4½ innings and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks. The left-hander threw 87 pitches before being replaced by
Daniel Espino.
Cleveland was held hitless until the fourth, when Travis Bazzana doubled with two outs against Anthony Kay. The Guardians would load the bases with two out for the second straight inning, but Brayan Rocchio lined out to right.
"Of course, you're frustrated when you get shut out," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.
"We just couldn't get it going early in the inning to get some action going. But we didn't get down."
White Sox rookie Hagen Smith worked as an opener for the second time this week, tossing 2 $^{1/2}$ scoreless innings. The left-hander did not give up a hit, struck out four and walked three.
Smith retired the first eight Cleveland batters before walking Rocchio, Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez in the third, prompting White Sox manager
Will Venable to lift him for Hudson. The 6-foot-8 left-hander retired lefty-swinging Chase DeLauter on a fly to left to end the inning.
Jordan Hicks followed Hudson and recorded two outs before Kay entered.
The Guardians' Jo Adell struck out four times in four plate appearances in the first playoff game of his seven-year career. He was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline.
"I was definitely in a blender today, getting different looks every time up from a different pitcher," Adell said. "We've got to adjust because we were trying to find it all day. Postseason is a pitcher's duel and we've got to bounce back."
Chicago catcher Teel was unsuccessful on his first ABS challenge after going 5-for-5 in the wild-card round.
The Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda reacts after hitting a home run against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 3 in St. Petersburg, Florida. PABLO ROBLES/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Drew Rasmussen did not allow a hit through 7 $^{3/4}$ scoreless innings and Jonathan Aranda belted a solo homer, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays to a 1-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday in Game 1 of the American League Division Series in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“In all honesty, my heartbeat was about a thousand beats per minute, so I just let (catcher) Liam (Hicks) call the game and just try to execute the pitches he called,” Rasmussen said on the TNT Sports broadcast.
Austin Wells broke up Rasmussen's no-hit bid in the eighth with a blast down the right field line. However, he was thrown out in his attempt to stretch a double into a triple to end the inning.
“Obviously not a good decision there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Not sure if he saw something on his way between first and second that caused him to go there, but obviously a mistake there.”
Wells said after he passed second base, he saw third base coach Luis Rojas with his hands up for him to stop there, but he already was committed to run to third.
“(They) made two good throws and it got me,” Wells said. “Thought it kicked off more than it did, (right fielder Victor Mesa Jr.) made a good play on the ball. Two outs there, trying to make something happen, be aggressive with not much going on in the game. Obviously, love to safe there or standing on second base.”
That was the lone hit allowed by Rasmussen (1-0), who struck out 10 batters in eight innings.
Right-hander Bryan Baker struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure his first career postseason save.
Aranda belted a solo homer in the third inning as one of the five hits for the Rays, who secured a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 2 is Monday in St. Petersburg.
Aranda deposited a 2-2 changeup from right-hander Gerrit Cole (0-1) over the wall in right-center field to account for the scoring in the third inning.
The Yankees' bats went silent after outscoring the rival Boston Red Sox by an 18-2 margin and out-hitting them 26-7 during a two-game sweep in the wild-card round.
Captain Aaron Judge was left off New York's roster for the ALDS. Judge, 34, has not played since Sept. 16 due to a strained right calf. The three-time AL MVP landed on the injured list three days later and missed the Yankees' wildcard sweep earlier this week.
Rasmussen also dominated the Yankees in three of four meetings during the regular season, including a one-run, one-hit, 11-strikeout performance over 6% innings of a 6-1 romp on Sept. 22. The Rays clinched the AL East title with that victory.
"At that point, we had the opportunity to win the division. Obviously, this one is a postseason game. Both meaningful, both impactful," Rasmussen told reporters about his last two outings against New York.
Rasmussen allowed only a pair of walks, one each in the second and third innings, and retired the final 16 batters he faced on Saturday.
"It seemed like he went and doubled down tonight," Rays manager Kevin Cash said, noting Rasmussen's previous start against the Yankees. "Made it easy to sit back and just take some decisions out of our hands."
Rasmussen also showed his defensive chops by getting off the mound to field a bunt and throw out Ryan McMahon to begin the sixth inning. He finished that inning unscathed, marking the deepest no-hit bid in franchise history and the deepest into a postseason game the Yankees have ever been no-hit.
Cole permitted one run on five hits in five innings.
“Biggest issue is Rasmussen shutting us down,” Boone said. “Obviously, we had a handful of guys hit some balls on the screws - Austin (Wells) being one of them a couple times there – we just didn’t generate enough, obviously.”
SB: Chisholm Jr. (1). Runners left in scoring position: N.Y. Yankees 1 (Grisham), Tampa Bay 4 (Simpson 3, Walls). | N.Y. Yankees | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | NP | ERA | Cole L, 0-1 | 5.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 82 | 1.80 | Weathers | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0.00 | Blackburn | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0.00 | Headrick | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0.00 | Tampa Bay | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | NP | ERA | Rasmussen W, 1-0 | 8.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 101 | 0.00 | Baker S, 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0.00 | Inherited runners: Headrick 1-1. Umpires: HP-Livensparger, 1B-Rehak, 2B-Bellino, 3B-May, LF-Reyburn, RF-Wills. T: 2:30. A: 40,542 (25,025).
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MLB: NL DIVISION SERIES
DODGERS 5, BRAVES 3 (LOS ANGELES LEADS SERIES 1-0)
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Skubal pitches Dodgers past Braves
Doug Padilla
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on Oct. 3 in Los Angeles. KIYOSHI MIO/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
LOS ANGELES – Tarik Skubal dominated over six innings, three home runs powered the offense and the Los Angeles Dodgers opened the National League Division Series with a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy all went deep as the Dodgers started their quest to become the first National League club to win three consecutive championships and the first major league team to do it since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.
Skubal (1-0) gave up one run on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in his first postseason start for Los Angeles after arriving in a trade-deadline deal from the Detroit Tigers.
Sean Murphy and Ozzie Albies hit home runs for the Braves, who entered off a wild-card round victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and are trying to advance past the NLDS for the first time since winning the World Series in 2021.
Left-hander Dylan Dodd opened the game with three scoreless innings for Atlanta before giving way to Victor Mederos (0-1), who gave up Hernandez's home run and recorded just one out in the fourth inning.
On a blisteringly hot day, with the temperature at 100 degrees to open the game, Skubal allowed only one hit through his first five scoreless innings on the mound.
Hernandez backed Skubal with a two-run home run in the fourth inning for a 2-0 advantage.
"I really don't care if I strike out in big situations. I always want to be the guy to be in those moments," Hernandez said. "I worked really hard for it, and I think the bigger the moment, the more focused I get. Just trying to put together a good at-bat for the team. Obviously if I get a good pitch to hit, I just try to put a good swing on it."
The Braves finally got to Skubal in the sixth when Murphy hit a home run to center to bring Atlanta to within a run.
The Dodgers increased their advantage in the bottom of the sixth against AJ Smith-Shawver when Tucker slugged a two-run home run and Muncy followed two batters later with a solo shot down the line in right field for a 5-1 advantage.
Tucker's contribution on offense came after a disappointing regular season when his .715 OPS was lower than all but one Dodgers player who played in at least 90 games. Tucker is in the first season of a four-year, \$240 million contract.
Albies got the Braves within two runs in the ninth with a two-run home run off Tanner Scott.
Evan Phillips entered the game with two outs and walked Mauricio Dubon to bring the tying run to the plate. But he earned the save by retiring Austin Riley on a groundout to short.
"I thought we put up some competitive at-bats. Really nice swing from Murphy right there and then and then not giving up," Riley said.
L.A. Dodgers 5, Atlanta 3
"With Ozzie, the two-run homer, that was encouraging. Just ran out of time today." |
and swat it down so Chourio could catch it. So thanks, Ueck," Murphy said.
Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio fields a fly ball from the San Diego Padres' Ty France during the ninth inning of Game 1 of their National League Division Series on Oct. 3 in Milwaukee. MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Jim Hoehn
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
MILWAUKEE – William Contreras homered with two outs in the seventh inning for the go-ahead run to lift the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-2 comeback victory over the San Diego Padres in a battle of the bullpens on Saturday night in the opener of their National League Division Series.
Reliever Adrian Morejon (0-1) opened the seventh and retired the first two hitters before Contreras sent a 3-2 pitch 406 feet to center.
Jackson Chourio had a game-tying two-run homer in the third off Padres starter Robbie Ray to account for Milwaukee's other runs. The Brewers were last in the NL with 154 homers and next-to-last in the majors, only ahead of Toronto's 152.
"I feel like we earned it. I really do," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "I take nothing away from our guys. We earned it. We weren't perfect. But we swung the bat pretty darn good."
Milwaukee earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason after winning a franchise-record 103 games, while San Diego won 17 of its final 20 regular-season games before sweeping the Chicago Cubs this week in their wild-card series.
Game 2 is set for Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee.
Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, who led the majors with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts, needed 88 pitches to get through four innings, allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts.
"To limit him to only four innings tonight was a job well done by our offense," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "Our offense has been swinging the bats really good, taking great atbats. They continued that again tonight."
Left-hander Ray allowed two runs on four hits in 2 $^{2/3}$ innings.
Chourio brought the Brewers even at 2-all with his fifth career postseason homer, the most in franchise history. Garrett Mitchell opened with a brokenbat single to short and advanced to second base on a groundout. Chourio then lined the first pitch 420 feet to left-center with an exit velocity of 113.3 mph.
The Padres loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but left-hander DL Hall (1-0) entered and got Jackson Merrill to fly out to left.
Down 3-2, San Diego had runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth, but closer Trevor Megill came on and fanned Fernando Tatis Jr. Megill, who had a team-high 30 saves in 33 opportunities, finished with a scoreless ninth for the save. That included a lucky break when a Ty France flyball which may have left the yard for what would have been a go-ahead two-run home run hit the roof and was caught in left field by Chourio for an out which was upheld after review.
"I think the only thing that you could probably figure on the ball that everybody's going to be talking about is that (Brewers broadcasting legend Bob Uecker) decided to put his hand on it
After forcing Misiorowski to throw 25 pitches in a scoreless first inning, the Padres scored two runs in a 33-pitch second inning
Xander Bogaerts reached on a one-out infield single and Ethan Salas singled. Luis Campusano followed with an RBI single to right. Salas then scored from third, sliding home ahead of the throw on Jake Cronenworth's fielder's choice bouncer to first.
“Anytime you score first in a playoff game you feel really good about it, especially the type of pitching staff we have,” Stammen said. “We just got beat by a couple home runs tonight.”
Shayne Gostisbehere scored a power-play goal in overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to their first victory of the season with a 3-2 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Gostisbehere's decisive goal was a one-timer from the top of the left circle at 2:51 of the extra session. The former Flyers defenseman benefited from a terrific screen from Andrei Svechnikov, who knocked down Philadelphia's Nick Seeler before impeding Joseph Woll's vision in front of the net.
Pyotr Kochetkov made 16 saves to earn the win for Carolina, which had lost its first two contests of the young campaign. The defending champions' first two goals Saturday came courtesy of Sebastian Aho, including one 10 seconds into the contest.
Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov scored for Philadelphia, which was swept by Carolina in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. Woll turned aside 37 shots for the hosts, who remain winless in three games this season.
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Penguins 6, Canadiens 5 (OT)
Tommy Novak scored two goals, including the game-winner at 1:33 of overtime, and also had an assist to give Pittsburgh a wild victory over visiting Montreal.
Evgeni Malkin, who finished with a goal and two assists, crossed a pass past Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson to Novak at the bottom of the right circle on a 2-on-1 break and Novak roofed a wrist shot over goaltender Jakub Dobes for the game-winner.
Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang each had two assists and Ben Kindel, Declan Carlile and Samuel Girard also scored goals for Pittsburgh, which won despite blowing a 5-1 lead. Arturs Silovs made 20 saves.
Sidney Crosby had an assist, the 1,109th of his career, moving him into a tie with Joe Thornton for seventh most in NHL history.
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Sharks 5, Kings 4 (OT)
Igor Chernyshov scored twice, including the overtime winner, as San Jose edged visiting Los Angeles.
Chernyshov, who also had an assist in regulation, one-timed a Macklin Celebrini feed under Anton Forsberg's arm for the game-winner with 1:42 remaining in the extra frame.
Tyler Toffoli, Kiefer Sherwood and Nolan Allan also scored while Yaroslav Askarov made 31 saves as the Sharks picked up their second overtime win in as many games to open the season.
Celebrini finished with a pair of assists in the win.
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov makes a save against the Flyers on Oct. 3 in Philadelphia.
ERIC HARTLINE/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
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Sabres 4, Blackhawks 3
After missing most of last season with a blood clot, Jiri Kulich scored the game-winning goal with 6:40 remaining to propel Buffalo to a victory in its home opener over Chicago.
Tage Thompson tallied a goal and an assist, and Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the Sabres, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 12 saves in the victory.
Ryan Donato, Tyler Bertuzzi and Oliver Moore scored for the Blackhawks.
Anton Frondell and Alex Vlasic finished with two assists apiece, while Spencer Knight stopped 24 of the 28 shots he faced as Chicago opened its season with three straight losses.
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Senators 3, Maple Leafs 2
Stephen Halliday scored the tie-breaking goal midway through the third period and visiting Ottawa won its season opener, defeating Toronto.
Newly appointed captain Thomas Chabot had a goal and assist and Michael Amadio also scored for Ottawa. Claude Giroux added two assists and Linus Ullmark stopped 27 shots.
Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko scored for the Maple Leafs, who have lost two of their first three games, all at home.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for the Maple Leafs.
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Predators 2, Stars 1
First-period goals by Steven Stamkos and Nils Hoglander held up to the final buzzer as host Nashville claimed a victory over Dallas for its first win of the season.
Goaltender Juuse Saros made 29 saves – 12 in the third period – for the Predators, who rebounded after opening the campaign with a home loss to
Miro Heiskanen scored for the Stars, who have dropped two consecutive games to begin the season.
Goalie Casey DeSmith stopped 24 shots and was denied the 100th victory of his career.
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Oilers 3, Kraken 1
Leon Draisaitl scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:27 remaining to give Edmonton a victory against visiting Seattle.
Connor McDavid added an empty net goal with 1:05 left to clinch the victory.
Owen Michaels also scored for the Oilers and goaltender Devon Levi made 19 saves as the Oilers won their second in a row after a season-opening 6-5 overtime loss to visiting Vancouver.
Bobby McMann tallied for the Kraken and Philipp Grubauer stopped 22 of 24 shots.
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Lightning 3, Capitals 1
Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 20 shots in his 600th career game, and Tampa Bay won for the first time this season by topping visiting Washington.
Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist, and Charle-Edouard D'Astous and Conor Geekie also found the net as Tampa Bay evened its record through two matches. Brandon Hagel had two assists.
Justin Sourdif scored for the Capitals, who lost the second part of their weekend back-to-back set.
Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 27 saves for Washington, and teammate Dylan Strome skated in his 600th game.
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Mammoth 4, Blue Jackets 1
Nick Schmaltz scored twice to lead visiting Utah to a win over Columbus.
Dylan Guenther had a goal and two assists and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev a goal and an assist for the Mammoth, who scored three times on the power play.
Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley had two assists each and Sebastian Cossa, in his first NHL start, made 17 saves.
Utah has outscored opponents 10-1 in its first two games of the season.
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Wild 4, Bruins 1
Kirill Kaprizov scored a pair of goals, and Minnesota pulled away for a win over Boston in Saint Paul, Minn.
Quinn Hughes tallied a goal and an assist for Minnesota, which won its second game in a row to start the season. Wild captain Jared Spurgeon also scored a goal.
Tanner Jeannot scored the lone goal for Boston, which was playing on short rest after defeating the Winnipeg Jets
Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stopped 26 of 27 shots to earn the victory.
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Canucks 4, Flames 1
Defenseman Elias Pettersson scored the game-winning goal as Vancouver rallied with four unanswered goals in the third period to beat visiting Calgary.
Liam Ohgren had a goal and an assist, while Drew O'Connor and Aatu Raty also scored for the Canucks.
Tom Willander and Linus Karlsson each had two assists while Leevi Merilainen stopped 23 of 24 shots.
Matt Coronato scored and Devin Cooley stopped 22 shots for the Flames, who have lost back-to-back games to begin the season.
The Canucks got off to another slow start and were outshot 11-5 in the first period. They have been outshot 38-12 and have scored just one goal in the opening period of their first three games this season.
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Avalanche 6, Blues 1
Martin Necas had two goals and added an assist, Nathan MacKinnon had three assists, and Colorado beat St. Louis in Denver.
Nicolas Roy, Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson had a goal and an assist each and Cale Makar also scored for Colorado, which is off to a fast start this season.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves and Parker Kelly had two assists for the Avalanche, who have scored 14 goals in sweeping their season-opening two-game homestand.
Dalibor Dvorsky scored for the second straight night for St. Louis, which was playing the second of a back-to-back after winning 4-0 at Dallas on Friday night. Jordan Binnington turned away 30 shots and had two costly turnovers that led to goals.
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Islanders 6, Devils 0
Simon Holmstrom, Brayden Schenn and Bo Horvat scored within a nine-minute span in the second period Saturday night and goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped all 37 shots he faced for New York, which won its home opener by routing New Jersey.
Victor Eklund, Ondrej Palat and Casey Cizikas scored in the third for the Islanders, who bounced back from a 2-1 season-opening loss at Toronto. Reigning Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer had two assists.
The shutout for Sorokin was the franchise-record 30th of his career.
Nico Daws made 26 saves for the Devils, who have also split their first two games.
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SUMMARIES
Carolina 1 0 1 1 - 3
Philadelphia 1 1 0 0 - 2
First Period-1, Carolina, Aho 2 (Carrier, Svechnikov), 0:10.1, Philadelphia, Tippett 1 (Zegras), 8:03. Penalties-Kotkaniemi, CAR (Holding), 12:21. Konecny, PHI (Hooking), 13:31. Aho, CAR (Slashing), 18:54.
Shots on Goal-Seattle 5-11-4-20. Edmonton 10-4-11-25.
Power-play opportunities-Seattle 1 of 2; Edmonton 0 of 3.
Goalies-Seattle, Grubauer 0-1-0 (24 shots-22 saves). Edmonton, Levi 2-0-0 (20-19).
A. 10-270 (18-247).
Ottawa 1 1 1 – 3
Toronto 0 2 0 – 2
First Period–1, Ottawa, Chabot 1 (Giroux, Pinto), 18:51. Penalties–None.
Second Period–1, Toronto, Matthews 1 (Rielly, Nylander), 0:33. 1, Toronto, Marchenko 1 (Raddysh, Tavares), 7:06. 1, Ottawa, Amadio 1 (Stuetzle, Chabot), 12:40. Penalties–Giroux, OTT (Slashing), 6:40. Cowan, TOR (High-sticking), 10:01. Marchenko, TOR (Slashing), 14:44. Stuetzle, OTT (Tripping), 17:48. Pinto, OTT (Roughing), 20:00. Cowan, TOR (Roughing), 20:00.
Third Period–1, Ottawa, Halliday 1 (Zetterlund, Giroux), 9:46. Penalties–Kleven, OTT (Roughing), 2:52. Marchenko, TOR (High-sticking), 7:46. Roslovic, TOR (Tripping), 9:52. Eklund, OTT (Interference), 14:20.
Shots on Goal–Ottawa 9-4-16–29. Toronto 10-14-5–29.
Power-play opportunities–Ottawa 0 of 4; Toronto 1 of 4.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin poses for photos after winning the pole award during qualifying for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 3. CHRIS GRAYTHEN/GETTY IMAGES
LAS VEGAS – Defending race winner Denny Hamlin capped a dominant Toyota performance in Saturday's Busch Light Pole Qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway claiming his fifth pole position of the season and leading a Toyota top-five sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series starting grid for Sunday's South Point 400 (5:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Hamlin's No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota turned a fast lap of 186.787 mph around the 1.5-mile Las Vegas high banks – edging his JGR teammate, Ty Gibbs in the No. 54 Toyota by a slight. 017-second. JGR's Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe and 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick rounded out that top-five.
It marks only the second time Toyota has swept the top-five qualifying positions. The first time came at Indianapolis last season. It marks the JGR team's first ever top-four sweep. It's Hamlin's 53rd career pole position and is his 19th top-10 start through the opening 30 races.
"It is important and the races we've really succeeded well here, we've started up front," the 45-year-old Virginian Hamlin said, conceding he was more nervous going into this session because of the extreme heat. After weeks of poor weather and canceled qualifying sessions, Saturday's edition took place under sunny Nevada skies and temperatures in the mid-90s.
“Today was executed by the team perfectly with how we approached the week and the adjustments we made to the car for temperatures seemed to be really good changes. I couldn't have asked for today to go a whole lot better than it did."
Championship-eligible drivers filled the first 14 positions on the speed chart. Reigning series champion and current championship leader, Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson was sixth fastest in the No. 5 Chevrolet, with Team Penske Ford driver Austin Cindric, Hendrick's William Byron, 23XI Racing's Bubba
Wallace and Spire Motorsports' Carson Hocevar rounding out the top 10.
Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney (20th) and Joey Logano (23rd) were the only outliers. They come into the race ranked fourth and fifth in championship, but will have to make their way forward. Logano's four Las Vegas wins ties him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson for most all-time.
Hamlin is a three-time Las Vegas winner and has hoisted a trophy in Victory Lane the last two races at the track. A third straight win this weekend would match an all-time mark also held by Johnson. He's won five times in 2023, but not since earning a three-race string of trophies at Nashville, Michigan and Pocono, Pa. from May 31-June 14.
Hamlin trails Larson by only 26 points after four races of the 10-race Chase schedule. Bell is third, 50 points back and Logano is fourth, 67 points off the pace.
FORMULA 1 BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
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Verstappen claims 1st pole position of season
Rohith Nair
REUTERS
SEPANG, Malaysia – Red Bull's Max Verstappen claimed his first pole position of the season at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Saturday, proving he remains the master of Sepang's challenging circuit nine years after his last victory there.
Verstappen clocked 1 minute 35.130 seconds to edge out Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, who snatched second place in the dying moments of qualifying despite struggling with tyre degradation in the brutal Malaysian heat.
Verstappen's team mate Isack Hadjar was third fastest but will start eighth due to a five-place grid penalty, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli moved up to third for Mercedes alongside Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen was the last driver to win a Grand Prix in Malaysia in 2017, in what was his second career victory, before the race was taken off the calendar after the government said it could not justify the costs.
Nine years and four championships later, the Dutchman became the first driver this season to put a car without a Mercedes engine on pole.
"It's fantastic, we've been trying for many Grands Prix to get more, sometimes a bit closer to the others," said Verstappen as he eyes his first win of the season.
“But to finally get it from where we started the season, pretty incredible.”
Hamilton, who also has one victory in Sepang, struggled with tire degradation in practice sessions but the veteran Briton said they had now found the right setup.
“It’s so hot here, I keep saying it. But that’s made it a massive challenge for the tires, for the car, for the mechanics in the garage,” Hamilton said.
"We made so many changes through all these practice sessions because the cars are sliding, these tires are overheating. It was really, really hard to find a good balance.
"We made one last change going into qualifying and I think we hit the sweet spot."
Hadjar sounded frustrated on the team radio despite finishing third fastest and later said he expected to go second quickest to limit the grid penalty as much as possible.
"It's a bit unfortunate we take the penalty on a track that fast," Hadjar said. "But you know, from P8, I'm confident we can go through the field."
Mercedes endured a disappointing qualifying session despite bringing an upgrade package to Malaysia. Antonelli had his first Q2 lap deleted for exceeding track limits, prompting a surprised radio exchange.
“Wait, what? Are we sure about the track limits,” he asked before recovering to go second-fastest in the session on fresh soft tires.
However, he could barely squeeze anything more out of the car in Q3, while teammate George Russell – second in the championship - could only manage eighth.
Max Verstappen celebrates after qualifying on the pole for the Bahrain Grand Prix on Oct. 3 in Sepang, Malaysia. ANNICE LYN/REUTERS
NASCAR O'REILLY AUTO PARTS SERIES
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts driver Corey Day celebrates his victory in the Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. GARY A. VASQUEZ/IMAGN IMAGES
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Day outduels Kvapil in final laps for Vegas win
Holly Cain
NASCAR WIRE SERVICE
LAS VEGAS – In one of the most thrilling finishes of the season, 20-year-old Hendrick Motorsports rookie driver Corey Day prevailed in a final laps back-and-forth battle with 23-year-old JR Motorsports' racer Carson Kvapil to claim his third career NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series victory in Saturday's Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Day and Kvapil exchanged the lead four times in the last 12 laps before Day made a daring pass – after brushing the wall multiple times – with two laps remaining to solidify a trophy hoist ultimately decided by a slight .287-seconds.
“Oh man, I just was so tight there and so scared I was going to go down and plow on the bottom let him get by me.” said a grinning Day, who started his No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from pole position, won the opening stage and led a career high 136 of the 201 laps.
"Just a great car. We struggled over the summer, to tell you the truth. Won Talladega (in April) and then Dover pretty close and then just went dry. This feels really good. A dominant day for us for sure, great car."
"I knew we'd be a title contender from the start of the year," added Day, whose win puts him fifth in the 12-driver championship rankings with five races remaining on the season.
"Just had a dry summer there but we're getting things rolling back in the right direction. We'll just keep working.
Kvapil, who like Day also earned his first career series wins this season (at Indianapolis and Iowa) – was understandably disappointed to lose out on Saturday's victory, but also encouraged with the showing. It moved him into second place in the championship standings, now 19 points behind Haas Factory Team's Sheldon Creed, who finished 13th.
"I feel like our stuff was really good around the bottom," Kvapil said. "Had a really good car today. Props to those guys for making us a top-three car."
Reigning series champion, Richard Childress Racing's Jesse Love finished just behind the duel up front, in third place, followed by JGR teammates 's William Sawalich – one of four drivers among the top-10 not Chase eligible – and Taylor Gray.
Haas Factory Team's Sam Mayer – another Chase-eligible driver – finished sixth having turned in an impressive comeback. He won Stage 2 and led 40 laps (second to Day) but had to rally from the rear of the field after a pit stop penalty during the Stage 2 break.
Non-Chase eligible drivers Jeremy Clements, William Sawalich, and Anthony Alfredo finished seventh, eighth and 10th respectively with Chase driver Austin Hill taking ninth place.
The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series returns to action next Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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GOLF
ROUNDUP
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LPGA Tour
Round 2 co-leader Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand took command of the Lotte Championship in Honolulu, shooting 5-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead into Sunday's final round.
South Korea's Ina Yoon (69) and Germany's Polly Mack (70) are tied for second place at 14 under.
Thitikul separated from the pack in the back nine at Hoakalei Country Club. After she was even par over the front nine with one birdie and one bogey – her first of the tournament at the par-4 seventh hole – she began the back nine with birdies on the first three holes followed by four straight pars and then closed out strong with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18.
Thitikul, the No. 2 player in the Rolex world rankings, is seeking her fourth win of the season. She was a steady presence throughout the round, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens in regulation.
"To be consistent playing week to week to week, you need to have consistent greens in regulation as well," Thitikul said after her round. "You can't miss a green and shoot like 5-under-par every day. It could happen, but it's not going to happen often. So to have a game that your ball is always on the green is how you can play golf simple."
Perhaps in line with that, Mack, who was tied with Thitikul after Friday's second round, hit just 11 of 18 greens in regulation and had a more up-and-down round with four birdies and two bogeys.
Mack doesn't mind being off the lead, though, as she seeks her first career LPGA win.
“I like to be in a chase actually. I like to chase rather than being in the lead, so this is a good position for me,” Mack said. “I’m just looking forward to a great Sunday, good momentum. I know I have it in me to just put on a good show out there.”
Sweden's Maja Stark (67) and Italy's Carolina Melgrati (70) are tied for fourth at 13 under. A trio of Americans posted the lowest rounds of the day to surge into the top 10. Lilia Vu (66) is tied for sixth with Miyu Yamashita (69) of Japan and China's Michelle Zhang (70) at 12 under, while Hailee Cooper (64) and Yana Wilson (66) are among seven competitors tied for ninth at 11 under.
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PGA Tour Champions
Michael Block needed only 30 shots on the back nine and posted a bogey-free 7-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic in Allentown, Pa.
Block, a 50-year-old PGA Tour Champions rookie, stands at 11 under through 36 holes. That puts him one ahead of New Zealand's Steven Alker and two ahead of first-round co-leader Richard Green of Australia.
Block, who continues to serve as the head golf professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Calif., gained a following with a tie for 15th place at the 2023 PGA Championship.
Block, who shot a 4-under par 66 on Friday, opened with back-to-back birdies on Saturday. He parred the last seven holes on the front nine, then birdied five of the first seven holes coming in.
He is highly appreciative of the welcome he has received on the tour.
“So the support I have from the fellow Champions Tour players is amazing,” Block said. “The relationships I’ve gotten in six events/seven, is crazy, and I really appreciate those guys. These guys have been living the Tour life, the PGA Tour life and Champions Tour life for, you know, 20-30 years, and I’m just out here – and they know my scenario. I’m out here as a club pro, and being out here for my seventh event in my life, and they really support me, which is really cool. Trust me, it helps a lot.”
In Block's fifth Champions start at The Ally Challenge five weeks ago, he also held the lead after 36 holes. But he was passed by Alker during the final round and ended up tied for third.
What did Block learn from that experience?
"Yeah, from Ally, just keep being you," he said. "Like, don't try to be the quiet Michael. Quiet Michael doesn't work. Michael having fun works. Michael being quiet, Michael trying to be somebody he's not doesn't work. That's what I'm going to do tomorrow."
In contrast to Block, who's happy just to be on the verge of qualifying for the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs, Alker has won three times in 2026, owns 13 PGA Tour Champions titles and ranks No. 3 on the Schwab Cup money list.
The 55-year-old has posted matching 65s and, like Block, played bogey-free golf on Saturday. He shot 31 on the inward half and played the par-3's in 2-under.
TENNIS
ROUNDUP
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Rybakina suffers stunning upset in Beijing
Alena Charaeva celebrates winning her Round of 64 match against Elena Rybakina at the China Open on Oct. 3 in Beijing. MAXIM SHEMETOV/REUTERS
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Three weekends ago, Elena Rybakina was lifting the U.S. Open trophy and claiming the World No. 1 ranking.
Sports can be a humbling experience. In her first match at the China Open in Beijing, Rybakina became just the second player to lose in her first match as the world's top-ranked player.
Moreover, the Kazakhstani fell to Ali-na Charaeva, a 24-year-old Armenian who was playing in only her 17th WTA main-draw match.
Charaeva prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, displaying a dominant service game in the deciding set.
Per OptaAce, Charaeva became the lowest-ranked player (No. 118) to record a comeback win against a World No. 1 since WTA rankings were first published in 1975.
"It's kind of a dream come true," Charaeva said in her post-match interview. "I was just trying to stay really hard mentally and keep believing that at some point I could turn it around again to my side. And I guess I just never stopped believing."
Charaeva won 20 of 26 service points in the third set and did not face a break point. She broke Rybakina in the sixth game to lead 4-2, and only lost one point in her final two service games.
Rybakina joined Japan's Naomi Osaka (2019) as the only two players to drop their first matches as World No. 1.
“Obviously it was a very tough day out there,” Rybakina said after the match. “There was a lot going on after the U.S. Open victory. I didn’t get a lot of chances to sleep and recover. Congratulations to Alina. She played a very good match, and I felt my foot a little bit at the end of the match. So it’s time to rest a little bit and see what is next in the upcoming weeks.”
The other major upset was 16-year-old Xinran Sun getting past No. 27 Cristina Busca 6-4, 7-5. The Chinese teenager, who was ranked No. 1 on the ITF Junior Circuit, will face Coco Gauff in
the third round.
In other upsets of seeded players, Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan edged Canadian No. 23 Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; China's Qinwen Zheng advanced past Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-7 (4), 6-4, 3-0, ret.; and Great Britain's Sonia Kartal upset No. 31 Xinyu Wang of China, 6-3, 6-2.
Seeded players to advance to the third round were No. 6 Elina Svitolina of
Ukraine, No. 8 Iga Swiatek of Poland, No. 9 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, No. 10 Iva Jovic, No. 24 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and No. 25 Maria Sakkari of Greece.
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[MEN] Japan Open Tennis Championship
Top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz fought off four set points in the opener
Saturday before rolling past Italy's Matteo Arnaldi to reach the quarterfinals in Tokyo.
Alcaraz completed the 7-6 (6), 6-1 victory in one hour and 46 minutes. He trailed 6-2 in the tiebreaker before winning six straight points, then carried the momentum into the second set by winning the first five games.
Alcaraz's quarterfinal opponent will be Canadian Denis Shapovalov, a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 winner against Chile's Alejandro Tabilo. Czech Jiri Lehecka also advanced in three sets against Frenchman Ugo Humbert and will take on Paraguayan qualifier Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, who saved all three break points in a 7-6 (6), 6-1 win over Italian Matteo Berrettini.
The other quarterfinal matchups are France's Kyrian Jacquet vs. Spain's Jaume Munar, and No. 8 Valentin Vacherot of Monaco vs. France's Arthur Fils.
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China Open
No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany moved into the quarterfinals in Beijing with a 6-0, 6-3 victory in 55 minutes against Chinese hopeful Juncheng Shang.
Zverev struck nine aces, never faced a break point and converted four of his five break chances to set up a showdown with sixth-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic. Djokovic is a six-time champion with a perfect 31-0 record in this tournament.
Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win over eighth-seeded Czech Jakub Mensik. Up next is No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who had 10 aces in a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.
No. 5 Alex de Minaur of Australia and Russia's Andrey Rublev will meet in the quarterfinals after posting three-set triumphs. Rublev outlasted compatriot Roman Safiullin 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, and de Minaur rallied past Frenchman Quentin Halys 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 in two hours and 47 minutes.
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Top storylines to watch in NBA preseason
Lorenzo Reyes
USA TODAY
NBA training camps are in full swing, and the preseason has begun.
The Miami Heat were set to face the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 3. Both teams have been revamped, with Miami pulling off the blockbuster to land star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Toronto reunited with Kawhi Leonard.
Those are just two of the teams to have undergone massive changes, and they're not even the ones that had the most seismic offseason; the Philadelphia 76ers went all-in on their championship window and added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
While it's safe to expect veterans to play limited minutes during preseason games, here are five storylines to watch as we inch closer to the 2026-27 NBA regular season:
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The vibes are seemingly high in Miami, but how will the Heat offense actually look?
New addition Klay Thompson took the team out on a boat to cruise around Biscayne Bay. Earlier in the month, captain Bam Adebayo and point guard Davion Mitchell organized a players-only week of training they started calling "pain camp," for all the cardio work they did. Players have said all the right things.
By all accounts, the vibes around the new-look Heat are high. But what will their play look like, in practice? One thing that struck me from the early footage coming from their camp at Florida Atlantic was the pace. Miami led the league last season in that stat, generating 104.22 possessions per 48 minutes. And now with Antetokounmpo, that emphasis on fastbreak offense should only intensify; Antetokounmpo ranked second in the NBA with 5.5 fast break points per game. Antetokounmpo sucks in the defense when he attacks in transition, and his vision allows him to find open shooters.
I expect the Heat to continue to play fast, and I expect Antetokounmpo to put up huge assist numbers, if he stays healthy. The big question here is whether Miami's shooting holds up and whether it can sustain this style for an entire season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo poses for a photo during Miami Heat Media Day at Kaseya Center on Sept. 28.
MEGAN BRIGGS/GETTY IMAGES
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It's Luka's team now. Can he lead the Lakers to the top of the West?
The Los Angeles offense, at times last season, looked rather disjointed, particularly when both Luka Dončić and LeBron James were on the floor at the same time.
Both are players who thrive when the ball is in their hands, and both are among the game's best passers. The issue, then, became: what was one supposed do when the other had the ball? Most often, the player without the ball was relegated to standing off to the side, away from the action.
But now with James moving onto the 76ers, the bulk of Los Angeles' play-making will fall to him. Last season, Dončić led the NBA in usage rate (36.8%), or the number of possessions that end with that player taking a shot or committing a turnover. Dončić also ranked sixth in assist percentage (38.7%), or the rate of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor
\- among all players with at least 50 games.
Being as ball-dominant as Dončić is (and being as talented as he is when he initiates actions), I suspect both those figures will be even higher this season. I also suspect that, if healthy, Dončić will play his way into the Most Valuable Player conversation even more so than he has in recent seasons.
Shooting guard Austin Reaves is the other play-maker for the Lakers, and one who should excel even further when Dončić takes a blow on the bench. But when both are on the floor, expect Dončić to be the one to orchestrate everything.
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Young Spurs seem loose and confident. Can San Antonio learn from last year's disappointment?
San Antonio's stars may be young, but they appear to have embraced trolling, to a certain degree. In an interview with GQ, Stephon Castle downplayed the energy at Madison Square Garden during the Finals, calling the first game "underwhelming." For the most part, I think this is a good thing. I would want my players to be confident and bold.
But talk is just talk, and the real test here is whether the Spurs can become the first team since the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors to win a title the season after losing the NBA Finals.
It will come down to the continued development of Victor Wembanyama, Castle, Dylan Harper and how veteran De'Aaron Fox bounces back from an uneven Finals. But more than anything, the Spurs need to learn from their loss against the Knicks, when they couldn't close out games because they stopped attacking the paint, became too passive and fell in love with a 3-point shot that wasn't dropping.
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I'm not worried about alphas or top dogs in Philadelphia. But Nick Nurse has some work to do.
During 76ers media day, when asked who the “alpha” would be on the roster, newly acquired All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown wasn’t having any of it. “Next question,” he said, with sober indifference.
I understand why the question was asked, but I think framing this team in that way is flawed. This isn't LeBron James willing the 2017-18 Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. This isn't Brown taking on the biggest role of his career last season while Jayson Tatum was out, recovering from an Achilles tendon tear. It's not Tyrese Maxey carrying the Sixers two seasons ago as Philadelphia contended with debilitating injuries.
The reality is this team doesn't need to worry about alphas or No. 1s, and if that's where the discourse ever goes to, coach Nick Nurse will have failed. Top to bottom, this Sixers team is as talented as it has been in decades. This is Philadelphia's best shot to win a title in the Joel Embiid-Maxey window.
The task at hand is to get the new faces (and old, too) to buy into a team mentality that foregoes individual accolades in favor of collective success. In practical matters, James, Brown, Maxey and Embiid may see their scoring averages dip a touch. I think that would be a good sign that things are working. As long as this team stays healthy, and as long as they share the ball, a championship should be within reach.
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I think two teams are lurking. Both could be Finals-worthy
It seems like no one is talking about the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton is back and healthy, and if not for his Achilles tendon that snapped in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, we might be talking about them in a very different way. The roster has changed somewhat. And while I think Indiana will continue to miss Myles Turner's perimeter shooting, I actually think Ivica Zubac is an excellent fit with Haliburton's passing ability. But there's still a lot to work out, so the preseason will be telling to see how the Pacers gel with Zubac providing rim protection, defensive rebounding and rim running.
Out West, I think it's the Minnesota Timberwolves who are flying a bit under the radar, overshadowed by the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. But with LaMelo Ball in place, Anthony Edwards finally has another player who can both create his own shot and initiate actions. This should take a huge burden off of Edwards, and it should make Minnesota more consistent against better defenses in the playoffs.
WNBA PLAYOFFS
LIBERTY AT DREAM (GAME 1: 2 P.M. ET OCT. 4, ABC)
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Dream ‘locked in’ against the upset-minded Liberty
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Nobody's head would have spun during the season if you predicted the Atlanta Dream would be three wins away from competing for a championship.
Their opponent in the WNBA semifinals, however, is a bit of a stunner.
The fourth-seeded Dream will host the No. 8 New York Liberty on Sunday afternoon in Game1 of a best-of-five series.
After matching last season's franchise record with 30 regular-season wins, Atlanta breezed past the Washington Mystics by a combined 33 points in two first-round wins.
In search of the franchise's first finals appearance since 2013, second-year head coach Karl Smesko has seen the puzzle pieces fall into place in another exceptional season.
“We knew we were a good team last year, but I was learning the (WNBA), they were learning the system and there were some stress points where maybe there wasn't complete clarity in what we wanted to do,” Smesko said. “A year later, I think everybody just feels a lot more comfortable.”
In Atlanta's first postseason series victory since 2016, Allisha Gray averaged 22.0 points and Rhyne Howard chipped in 20.5.
In the semifinals for the first time in her 10-year career, Gray is anything but satisfied.
"The biggest thing is staying locked in," Gray said. "We know the job's not done. Of course we were happy with the series victory, but now we've put it behind us and can focus on New York."
It will be a confident New York team heading south to face Gray and company. The Liberty became the first No. 8 seed in league history to eliminate a No. 1, doing so in a two-game sweep of the Minnesota Lynx by a combined 32
Guard Allisha Gray averaged 22 points in the Atlanta Dream's first playoff series victory since 2016. RAFAEL SUANES/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
points.
Under rookie head coach Chris DeMarco, New York was 13-12 on July 18 before winning 13 of its next 17. While the first-round upset of Minnesota may have caught some by surprise, DeMarco wasn't the least bit shocked.
“I feel like we’ve been trending in the right direction for a while now and it doesn’t always show up in wins and losses,” DeMarco said.
“But we were ready to play and we knew we had to be at our best at the end of September and October and I think we are right now.”
Breanna Stewart averaged 27.5 points across the two wins over Minnesota, while Sabrina Ionescu added 15.5 points and 6.5 assists per contest.
New York dropped two of three against Atlanta in the regular season, including consecutive losses to end the campaign on Sept. 21 and 23.
WNBA PLAYOFFS
ACES AT VALKYRIES (GAME 1: 4 P.M. ET OCT. 4, NBC/PEACOCK)
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Valkyries look to break through vs. Wilson, Aces
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
The WNBA's irresistible force and one of its immovable objects are plotted for a collision course when the league semifinals between the Las Vegas Aces and Golden State Valkyries tip off in Game 1 in San Francisco on Sunday afternoon.
The third-seeded Aces and second-seeded Valkyries both had to go the distance for best-of-3, first-round wins, each winning at home in the deciding Game 3 to come away with a narrow triumph that has vaulted it into the league's final four.
Golden State, by virtue of having finished one game ahead of Las Vegas in the regular-season standings, will have the home-court advantage in this best-of-5.
The Aces, who have won three of the last four WNBA titles, swept the Valkyries 3-0 in the season series, beginning with a 91-81 win at Golden State in May. They then followed up with 84-79 and 92-73 home wins in June.
The last of those triumphs was 104 days ago.
Something that hasn't changed over those $3 \frac{1}{2}$ months has been the dominance of Aces standout A'ja Wilson, who averaged 25.0 points and 12.7 rebounds against Golden State this season. The four-time Most Valuable Player had even better numbers - 32.0 points and 11.7 rebounds - when Vegas eliminated the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever in the first round.
Wilson sounded serious about winning another championship when she spoke in an on-court interview following Thursday's clinching 94-83 win over the Fever.
“Regular season’s cute. I know, that’s so cute, oh my God, everyone can come see us,” she stated. “But this is the moment that we live for.”
The Valkyries have held their own in the paint this season thanks to defensive standout Kiah Stokes. The three-time champion with the Aces averaged 1.7 blocks and 5.8 rebounds in her first season with Golden State this year.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson averaged 25 points and 12.7 rebounds against Golden State this season.
LUCAS PELTIER/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
“Kiah Stokes is our anchor. She is always there,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase gushed to reporters during the series against seventh-seeded Dallas. “She loves to just not let anyone score.”
Wilson wasn't the lone player in the season series against the Valkyries to score 20 or more points in all three games. That distinction belonged to her teammate, Jackie Young, who poured in 23, 27 and 21 points in the wins.
Gabby Williams, the hero of Golden State's 77-73 Game 3 win over Dallas on Friday, was the Valkyries' top scorer against the Aces this season, averaging 19.0 points per game.
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[SCOREBOARD] BETTING LINE
NFL |
Sunday | FAVORITE | LINE | O/U | UNDERDOG | Indianapolis | 3.5 | 47 | WASHINGTON | BUFFALO | 6.5 | 48.5 | New England | CINCINNATI | 2.5 | 51 | Jacksonville | Green Bay | 4 | 39.5 | TAMPA BAY | BALTIMORE | 11.5 | 43.5 | Tennessee | LA Rams | 3 | 44.5 | PHILADELPHIA | Arizona | 1 | 44.5 | NY GIANTS | CHICAGO | 3.5 | 43 | NY Jets | HOUSTON | 2.5 | 48 | Dallas | MINNESOTA | 11.5 | 38.5 | Miami | S.F. | 2.5 | 46.5 | Denver | Kansas City | 4.5 | 47.5 | LAS VEGAS | SEATTLE | 7 | 42.5 | LA Chargers | Detroit | 3.5 | 50.5 | CAROLINA |
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Monday | FAVORITE | LINE | O/U | UNDERDOG | NEW ORLEANS | 2.5 | 48.5 | Atlanta |
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[All times Eastern | MLB | Playoffs] Thursday's Score
Atlanta 6, Philadelphia 2, Atlanta wins series 2-1
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Saturday's Scores
Chi. White Sox 3, Cleveland 0, Chicago leads series 1-0
L.A. Dodgers 5, Atlanta 3, L.A. Dodgers lead series 1-0
Tampa Bay 1, N.Y. Yankees 0, Tampa Bay leads series 1-0
Milwaukee 3, San Diego 2, Milwaukee leads series 1-0
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Sunday's Games
San Diego (TBD) at Milwaukee (Henderson 11-3), 4 p.m.
[GOLF] Bank of Utah Championship Friday Ivins, Utah
Austin Smotherman..63-62-65-190 (-23)
Doug Ghim..65-62-64-191 (-22)
Trace Crowe..66-65-64-195 (-18)
Benjamin James..65-66-64-195 (-18)
Kevin Streelman..63-64-68-195 (-18)
Steven Fisk..63-66-67-196 (-17)
Stephan Jaeger..63-65-68-196 (-17)
Johnny Keefer..67-67-62-196 (-17)
A.J. Ewart..65-67-65-197 (-16)
David Ford..65-67-65-197 (-16)
Chris Kirk..68-63-66-197 (-16)
Neal Shipley..67-63-67-197 (-16)
Rico Hoey..64-69-65-198 (-15)
Gordon Sargent..67-65-66-198 (-15)
Kris Ventura..67-66-65-198 (-15)
Kihei Akina..67-67-65-199 (-14)
Ben Kohles..66-67-66-199 (-14)
David Lipsky..63-68-68-199 (-14)
Kevin Roy..63-63-73-199 (-14)
John VanDerLaan..64-67-68-199 (-14)
Zachary Bauchou..62-69-69-200 (-13)
Max Homa..65-68-67-200 (-13)
Seamus Power..70-66-64-200 (-13)
Jackson Suber..66-65-69-200 (-13)
S.Yellamaraju..63-69-68-200 (-13)
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[TRANSACTIONS] Saturday's Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball
ATLANTA BRAVES - CF Lane Thomas Removed From 10-Day IL Strained left intercostal muscle.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS – DH Josue De Paula Called Up from Minors. SS
Hyeseong Kim Called Up from Minors. 68
NEW YORK YANKEES – P Ryan Weathers
Removed From 15-Day IL Left forearm,
flexor strain.
SAN DIEGO PADRES – P Walker Buehler Placed on Paternity Leave List.
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[National Football League] FOOTBALL
ARIZONA CARDINALS - LB Cameron Robertson Activated from the Practice Squad.
BALTIMORE RAVENS - G Kyle Hergel Activated from the Practice Squad. C Ethan Pocic Placed on IR Knee. G Joyaughn Gwyn Placed on IR Ankle.
BUFFALO BILLS – CB Kani Walker Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Te'Cory Couch Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Joe Andreessen re-signed Two-year extension (through 2028).
CAROLINA PANTHERS – CB Robert Rochell Activated from the Practice Squad. WR Ja'seem Reed Activated from the Practice Squad. WR Xavier Legette Placed on IR knee.
CHICAGO BEARS – CB Nick McCloud Activated from the Practice Squad. DE Marcus Davenport Activated from the Practice Squad. T Braxton Jones Placed on IR knee.
CINCINNATI BENGALS - S Russ Yeast Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Bralyn Lux Activated from the Practice Squad.
DALLAS COWBOYS – S Juanyeh Thomas Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Reddy Steward Activated from the Practice Squad.
DENVER BRONCOS – WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey practice squad addition. RB Adam Prentice Activated from the Practice Squad.
DETROIT LIONS – S Jalen Mills Activated from the Practice Squad.
GREEN BAY PACKERS – DT Warren Brinson
Placed on IR calf, groin.
HOUSTON TEXANS – LB Kenneth Murray Jr. Activated from the Practice Squad.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - WR NICK
Westbrook-Ikhine Activated from the
Practice Squad.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – CB Jabbar Muhammad Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Jalen McLeod Activated from the Practice Squad.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – LB Cole Christiansen Activated from the Practice Squad.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS – LB Caleb Murphy Activated from the Practice Squad. TE Patrick Herbert Activated from the Practice Squad.
LOS ANGELES RAMS – LB Darryl Peterson III Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Cam Lampkin Activated from the Practice Squad.
MIAMI DOLPHINS – DE Rodney McGraw Activated from the Practice Squad. DT Mazi Smith Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Carlos Washington Jr. Activated from the Practice Squad.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS – P Johnny Hekker
Activated from the Practice Squad.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS – CB Kindle Vildor Activated from the Practice Squad. S Mike Brown Activated from the Practice Squad.
NEW YORK GIANTS – QB Jake Haener Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Trace Ford Activated from the Practice Squad.
NEW YORK JETS – LB Jaden Keller
Activated from the Practice Squad. WR
Sterling Shepard Activated from the
Practice Squad.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES – TE Josiah Deguara Activated from the Practice Squad. TE Zach Ertz Activated from the Practice Squad.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS – WR Malik Turner
Activated from the Practice Squad. DE
Matthew Judon Activated from the
Practice Squad. DT Sebastian Valdez
Activated from the Practice Squad. DE
Viliami Fehoko Jr. cut.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS - S Maxen Hook Activated from the Practice Squad. CB Trevon Diggs Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Velus Jones Jr. Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Jadarian Price Placed on IR chest.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS – QB Easton Stick Activated from the Practice Squad. LB Caden Fordham Activated from the Practice Squad.
TENNESSEE TITANS - G Drew Moss Activated from the Practice Squad.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS – LB Ale Kaho Activated from the Practice Squad. RB Craig Reynolds Activated from the Practice Squad.
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BASKETBALL
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES – SG Jordan Hawkins Waived.
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SOCCER U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM 3, MEXICO 0
The United States' Cavan Sullivan celebrates scoring a goal against Mexico on Oct. 3 in Glendale, Arizona. CHRIS CODUTO/GETTY IMAGES
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Sullivan scores historic goal as U.S. routs Mexico
FIELD LEVEL MEDIA
Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player to score for the senior United States men's national team, scoring in the 62nd minute of a 3-0 friendly win over 10-man Mexico in Glendale, Ariz., on Saturday night.
The 17-year-old Sullivan scored 34 minutes after the 18-year-old Julian Hall scored his third goal in as many appearances for the USMNT, which defeated its border rival for the first time in three tries under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Both goals came from blunders by Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel, who started all five matches for El Tri at this summer's World Cup.
Malik Tillman added a third goal in the 84th minute, 17 minutes after Mexico's Mateo Chavez was sent off for making contact in the head and neck area of Sebastian Berhalter.
The 20-year-old Diego Kochen made one save to keep a clean sheet in his first start with the senior-level U.S. squad.
The U.S. improved to 3-0-0 during this four-match September/October international window, while Mexico is now 0-1-2 in its first three games under manager Rafa Marquez.
Hall's third senior international goal came in the 28th minute, and he might never score an easier one.
Fullback Alex Freeman got forward to begin the attack before finding Gio Reyna sprinting into the right side of the penalty area.
Reyna received Freeman's pass and drove a low cross to the near post. Rangel bobbled the ball in the direction of the lurking Hall, who hit a first-time volley into an empty net from close range.
Rangel's night got worse after half-time when he tried to play a pass to center back Diego Campillo and was intercepted by Sullivan.
There was a lot left to do, and Sullivan did so superbly, lofting a 35-yard finish over Rangel and into the net.
Mexico's best chances came in between those tallies.
In the 44th minute. U.S. fullback Antonee Robinson originally won the ball off Roberto Alvarado, but Luis Romo reached the ensuing loose ball and struck a hard, low cross from the right.
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[TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY] Today is Oct. 4. On this date in:
1895: The inaugural U.S. Open golf championship concluded at Newport Golf Club, where England's Horace Rawlins won by two strokes to claim the first U.S. Open title.
1925: Detroit's Harry Heilmann collected six hits in a doubleheader and edged teammate Ty Cobb for the American League batting title, .393 to .389, while Cobb finished his 20th consecutive season batting above .300.
1948: The Cleveland Indians defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-3 in a one-game playoff at Fenway Park to capture the American League pennant behind Gene Bearden and player-manager Lou Boudreau.
1955: The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 2-0 in Game 7 to win the first World Series championship in franchise history. Johnny Podres threw a shutout and became the first World Series MVP.
1969: The New York Mets played the first postseason game in franchise history, defeating the Atlanta Braves 9-5 in the first National League Championship Series game.
1991: The Edmonton Oilers traded captain Mark Messier to the New York Rangers for Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk. Messier later captained the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years in 1994.
1995: Jim Leyritz hit a two-run homer in the 15th inning to give the New York Yankees a 7-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Game 2 of the AL Division Series. The 5-hour, 13-minute game became the longest postseason game in major league history at the time.
1997: WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis stopped Andrew Golota in the first round in Atlantic City.
1999: Al Leiter threw a two-hit shutout as the New York Mets defeated the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 in a one-game playoff for the National League wild card.
2001: Barry Bonds hit his 70th home run of the season, tying Mark McGwire's major league single-season record as the San Francisco Giants played the Houston Astros.
2001: San Diego Padres outfielder Rickey Henderson homered to pass Ty Cobb and become Major League Baseball's career leader in runs scored.
2011: Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Paul Goldschmidt hit a grand slam and
Diamondbacks infielder Paul
Goldschmidt hits a grand slam against the Brewers during Game 3 of the 2011 NLDS at Chase Field in Phoenix on Oct. 4, 2011.
MARK J. REBILAS/IMAGN IMAGES VIA REUTERS
drove in five runs in an 8-1 victory over Milwaukee in Game 3 of the NL Division Series.
2014: Brandon Belt homered in the 18th inning as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Washington Nationals 2-1 in Game 2 of the NL Division Series. The 6-hour, 23-minute contest became the longest postseason game by time in major league history at the time.
2020: Tom Brady threw five touchdown passes in Tampa Bay's 38-31 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, becoming the oldest quarterback to throw five touchdown passes in a game and continuing his record-setting NFL career.
2020: The Seattle Storm defeated the Las Vegas Aces 104-91 in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, setting a Finals record with 33 assists and moving within one win of the franchise's fourth championship.
2022: New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run of the season, surpassing Roger Maris to set the American League single-season record.
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— USA TODAY Network
This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
