Sports

By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa and the Chicago White Sox had their sights set on advancing in the playoffs after running away with the AL Central. Their season came to an emphatic end with a 10-1 loss to AL West champion Houston in Game

By JOHN DUERDEN Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An Australian own-goal kept Japan in the race for an automatic spot in next year’s World Cup. Australia defender Aziz Behich put the ball into his own net in the 85th minute to give Japan a 2-1 victory and six points from four matches in

By IAN HARRISON Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Raptors guard Fred VanVleet doesn’t worry about players who aren’t teammates anymore, or what can’t be done without them. He just wants to win. Finally back home in Canada after two frustrating seasons disrupted by the pandemic, the Raptors are a far cry from the star-studded team

By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer, scored four times and stole a base, and the Houston Astros eliminated the Chicago White Sox with a 10-1 victory in Game 4 of their AL Division Series. Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman each hit a two-run double as the

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics say center Al Horford has tested positive for COVID-19. Horford is currently in isolation and didn’t travel with the team for its two-game exhibition road trip to Florida, which includes games in Orlando and Miami. He is the second Celtics player to test positive this month, joining Jaylen Brown,

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have removed Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden from the team’s Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium. Gruden, who resigned as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following the discovery of emails he sent containing racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments, led the Bucs from 2002 through 2008.

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer Trying to figure out the Pac-12 Conference’s top offensive player remains a difficult proposition even this far into the season. Colorado running back Jarek Broussard was last year’s Offensive Player of the Year but he has yet to post a 100-yard game as the Buffaloes have struggled. But much

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Upsets dominated the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open, with three top-five seeds getting dismissed in straight sets. No. 2 Iga Swiatek, the highest remaining women’s seed, lost to No. 24 Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-3. Top-seeded Karolina Pliskova was upset a day earlier, when she lost to Beatriz Haddad

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is facing a changing landscape in men’s basketball amid coaching retirements, roster upheaval and a bumpy showing in last year’s NCAA Tournament. The league has already seen the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams at North Carolina. Duke Hall

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi State women’s basketball coach Nikki McCray-Penson says she is stepping down as Bulldogs coach immediately after one season to focus on her health. The Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer said in a release she has been faced again with health concerns she had hoped were behind her. To devote time

By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer SAO PAULO (AP) — Neymar’s Brazil teammates are still hoping the 29-year-old striker will remain with the national team after next year’s World Cup, despite saying the tournament in Qatar could be his last. Neymar said in an interview aired this week that he doesn’t know whether he will

By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer Dontay Demus and Ronnie Bell, two of the top receivers in the Big Ten, are out for the season after getting injured on special teams. Bell was hurt in Michigan’s season opener returning a punt, and Maryland lost Demus while he was running back a kickoff in a game

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves catcher Stephen Vogt underwent sports hernia surgery last week and is done for the season. The Braves say Vogt had surgery on Oct. 6 in Atlanta — two days before he was designated for assignment. The 36-year-old Vogt is expected to be recovered in time for spring training next year.

By FRED GOODALL AP Sports Wroter ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — With three consecutive playoff appearances, back-to-back AL East titles and a trip to the World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays have a lot to feel good about, even if the best regular season in franchise history was followed by a loss to Boston in

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have placed three-time Pro Bowl punter Brett Kern on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The Titans (3-2) already had an outbreak in August that started with coach Mike Vrabel testing positive after a preseason game in Tampa Bay. Kern has missed the last two games with an injured right groin

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore Ravens practice squad tackle Adrian Ealy has been suspended six games for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. The league announced the suspension Tuesday. He is eligible to return after the team’s Week 11 game at Chicago. Ealy signed with the Ravens as an undrafted rookie in May.

By SIMMI BUTTAR AP Pro Football Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals and the Buffalo Bills are tied for the top spot in the latest AP Pro32 poll. Both teams received six of the 12 first-place votes for 375 points. The defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers remained at No. 3 after routing the

By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer A person familiar with the situation says Detroit Lions standout center Frank Ragnow has a season-ending toe injury that requires surgery. The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the team had not provided an update on Ragnow’s condition. Ragnow was hurt earlier this month at Chicago after

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Colorado Avalanche star Nathan McKinnon will miss the season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night after testing positive for a breakthrough infection of COVID-19. Colorado general manager Joe Sakic said Tuesday that MacKinnon’s positive test surfaced Monday and that the center is “asymptomatic and

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP Associated Press IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Tory Taylor is selling a T-shirt for charity. It reads Punting Is Winning. It’s a good motto for the No. 2 Hawkeyes. They’ve taken advantage of the field position Taylor has provided them all season and turned it into a 6-0 record. Taylor has