Sports

By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer The Houston Astros are off to the World Series for the fourth time in six seasons. It’s a remarkable show of staying power for the franchise, particularly in a baseball era that includes a 12-team playoff gauntlet. Yet the dichotomy of this generation of Astros will probably never go

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer The annual rivalry game between No. 1 Georgia and SEC rival Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, is under contract only through 2023. Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s recruiting concerns at the neutral site are a factor in discussions about the future of the series. Officials from Georgia and Florida released a

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer Unai Emery has left his position as Villarreal coach to take charge of English club Aston Villa. It will be Emery’s second spell in the Premier League, having coached Arsenal in 2018-19. Emery replaced Steven Gerrard, who was fired last week after a year in charge. Villa says Emery

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer New York Jets rookie running back Breece Hall and versatile offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker will both miss the rest of the season with injuries. Coach Robert Saleh confirmed Monday that Hall has a torn ACL in his left knee, which is what the team initially feared. An

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are the first pair of U.S. women both in the top four spots of the WTA rankings since sisters Serena and Venus Williams were up there a dozen years ago.Pegula rose two places to a career-best No. 3 after winning the biggest title of

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer RIDGELAND, S.C. (AP) — Rory McIlroy is back at No. 1 in the world for the first time since the summer of 2020. It just felt like a lot longer. He thinks back to missing the cut a week before the Masters when it seems as though nothing was

By DANIELLA MATAR AP Sports Writer Sampdoria has recorded its first win of the season by 1-0 victory over fellow Serie A struggler Cremonese. A late Omar Colley goal was enough to give Sampdoria the result that moved it off bottom spot. Cremonese had an early penalty saved. Samp remained in the relegation zone and

By JIM VERTUNO AP Sports Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has apologized for not staying on the field to sing “The Eyes of Texas” after the Longhorns’ loss to Oklahoma State and promised it would never happen again. Controversy surrounding the postgame tradition erupted when some players objected in 2020 to

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts are benching starting quarterback Matt Ryan and will start Sam Ehlinger in Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders. Coach Frank Reich says Ryan has a separated throwing shoulder though the injury was not the reason he was demoted. Ehlinger started his rookie season

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Browns starting linebacker Jacob Phillips will likely miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a pectoral injury during Sunday’s 23-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Also, tight end David Njoku could miss significant time with an ankle injury. The loss of Phillips is another

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf suffered an injury to his patellar tendon but does not need surgery at this time, according to coach Pete Carroll. Speaking on his weekly radio show on KIRO-AM, Carroll said the team got a “great report” about Metcalf after he left Sunday’s win over the

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies are riding Bryce Harper as they try to win their first World Series since 2008. Harper was the National League Championship Series MVP. He won Game 5 against San Diego with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. Harper is set to lead

MONACO (AP) — Ten years after the London Olympics, 400-meter hurdles champion Natalya Antyukh has been disqualified for doping. The Russian’s case means Lashinda Demus of the United States is set to be upgraded to the gold medal. Antyukh was already serving a four-year ban in a previous case judged by the Court or Arbitration

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer Oscar Tschiebwe was the consensus men’s college basketball player of the year last season, an accomplishment usually followed by a jump to the NBA. Kentucky’s big man decided to take a different route. He’s coming back — and he may be even better this season. “He’s a better passer.

BREST, France (AP) — French club Brest has asked the discipline commission of the French league to investigate allegations by one of its players that he was targeted by racist insults during a league game. Algerian forward Islam Slimani said he was called a derogatory term by Clermont captain Johan Gastien during Brest’s 3-1 win

By RAQUEL REDONDO and ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press MADRID (AP) — A Spanish man trekking from Madrid to Doha for the 2022 FIFA World Cup has not been heard from since the day after he crossed into Iran three weeks ago, his family said Monday, stirring fears about his fate in a country convulsed by

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer The Portland Thorns will play the Kansas City Current for the National Women’s Soccer League championship next weekend in Washington, closing out a turbulent and emotionally taxing 10th season. Crystal Dunn came off the bench and scored in stoppage time to give the Thorns a 2-1 victory over