Weekend Sports in Brief

MLB

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta won with a walk-off hit for the second night in a row when Eddie Rosario lined a two-out single off shortstop Corey Seager’s glove, giving the Braves a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night and a 2-0 NL Championship Series lead.

Atlanta twice rallied from two-run deficits before Rosario came up with his fourth hit of the game, a 105 mph scorcher up the middle on the first pitch after closer Kenley Jansen reliever. Seager tried for a backhand snag, and the ball went under his glove into the outfield.

Dansby Swanson raced around from second with the winning run, dropping his helmet as he crossed the plate, a virtual repeat of Game 1 when Austin Riley came through with a winning hit in the ninth for a 3-2 victory.

The series resumes on Los Angeles, where Game 3 is set for Tuesday night.

HOUSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox became the first team to slug two grand slams in a postseason game, with J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers connecting in the first two innings of Saturday’s 9-5 win over the Houston Astros that tied their AL Championship Series at one game apiece.

Martinez made it 4-0 with his opposite-field shot off rookie Luis García with two outs in the first. It was the first career playoff slam for the four-time All-Star, who began his career with the Astros.

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball says its owners have agreed to begin providing housing to certain minor league players beginning in the 2022 season.

“We are in the process of finalizing the details of that policy and expect it to be announced and in place for the 2022 season,” MLB said in a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday.

ESPN, citing anonymous sources, first reported Sunday on the owners’ decision, saying the league would require teams to provide housing either via stipends to fully cover housing or by arranging the lodging themselves.

The league did not specify which players would be covered by the new policy.

NFL

LONDON (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars ended their 20-game losing streak when Matthew Wright kicked a 53-yard field goal as time expired in a 23-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in London.

Trevor Lawrence connected on a short slant pass to Laviska Shenault Jr. and the Jags (1-5) called timeout with 1 second remaining after the Dolphins (1-5) gambled on a fourth-and-1 from their 46 and came up short.

Lawrence threw for 319 yards and a touchdown as he and coach Urban Meyer finally earned their first NFL victories — even if it required a trip to Europe to get it done in a “home” game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

LSU and coach Ed Orgeron have agreed to part ways after this season, 21 months after he led the Tigers to a national championship with what is considered one of the greatest teams in college football history.

Sports Illustrated was first to report that Orgeron would not return to LSU in 2022.

While the timing of the announcement — the day after the Tigers (4-3) upset Florida — came as a surprise, the end for Coach O at LSU seemed to be approaching after a blowout loss to Kentucky last week.

Orgeron is 49-17 with the Tigers, including 15-0 in 2019 when Joe Burrow won a Heisman Trophy and LSU its third national championship since 2003.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville plans to retire the No. 8 jersey of former Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson, the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner.

Jackson’s number will be retired during a ceremony at Louisville’s Nov. 13 home game against Syracuse. Jackson joins Johnny Unitas as the school’s only football players to have their numbers retired. Unitas’ No. 16 was retired in 2003.

Athletic director Vince Tyra cited Jackson’s Heisman and his 2019 NFL MVP award with the Baltimore Ravens as examples of the dynamic QB’s talent and success.

NBA

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Ben Simmons practiced with the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time this season on Sunday, though no decision was made on his status for the season opener.

“He was just one of the players,” coach Doc Rivers said.

Simmons was a holdout for training camp and the early part of the preseason in the wake of his offseason trade demand. The three-time All-Star guard made a surprise return to the team on Monday. Once he cleared the NBA health and safety protocols, Simmons was eligible to practice.

The Sixers open the season Wednesday at New Orleans and play their home opener Friday against Brooklyn.

GOLF

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Rory McIlroy capped off a big weekend in Las Vegas on Sunday by surging past Rickie Fowler and holding off Collin Morikawa to win the CJ Cup at Summit for his 20th PGA Tour title.

McIlroy seized control with a 35-foot eagle putt from just off the green on the par-5 14th and then playing mistake-free down the stretch for a 6-under 66 and a one-victory. He finished at 25-under 263.

McIlroy is the 39th player to win at least 20 times on the PGA Tour, and it’s his fifth straight PGA Tour season with at least one win.

Fowler, who started the final round with a two-shot lead as he tried to end nearly three years without a victory, faded with a pair of three-putts and shot 71 to tie for third.

CARY, N.C. (AP) — Lee Janzen made a 20-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff with Miguel Angel Jimenez to win the PGA Tour Champions’ SAS Championship.

The 57-year-old Janzen also birdied the par-4 18th in regulation, holing a putt from the fringe, in a closing 5-under 67 in the regular-season finale.

Jimenez finished with a 69 to match Janzen at 12-under 204 at Prestonwood Country Club. Jim Furyk (67) and Alex Cejka (70) were a stroke back.

NEW YORK (AP) — Casey Martin, the Oregon golf coach who successfully sued the PGA Tour for the right to use a cart because of a rare circulatory disease, had his right leg amputated in what he told Golf Digest was always going to be “my destiny.”

The magazine, which has been in touch with Martin over the last few weeks, reported on its website that he had surgery Friday and was recovering at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His brother said doctors feel it went well enough that Martin has a good shot at an effective prosthesis.

WNBA

CHICAGO (AP) — Allie Quigley scored 26 points and Candace Parker added 16 points, 13 rebounds and five assists to help Chicago win its first WNBA championship with a 80-74 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.

Courtney Vandersloot added 10 points and 15 assists for the Sky, who won the series 3-1, rallying from a 72-65 deficit with 4:42 left.

It was a full-circle moment for Parker, who triumphantly returned home to Chicago this season after spending 13 years with Los Angeles.

AUTO RACING

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Kyle Larson claimed the first of four championship-contending spots in NASCAR’s season finale with a dominating victory at Texas on Sunday to start the round of eight in the playoffs.

Larson led 256 of 334 laps at the 1 1/2-mile track and got his eighth win this season, staying in front through seven restarts in the final stage. Three of those restarts came after incidents involving other playoff contenders in the closing laps.

This was the first chance for anyone to guarantee a shot at racing for the Cup title in Phoenix on Nov. 7.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — All four spots in the championship round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series are still up for grabs after non-playoff qualifier John Hunter Nemechek overcame a late penalty Saturday to win at Texas Motor Speedway.

Nemechek won the first of three races in the round of eight, leaving the eight playoff drivers with two more races in the semifinals, at Kansas and Martinsville, to qualify for the championship finale in Phoenix.

Daniel Hemric led seven of the eight playoff qualifiers across the finish line next, taking second in the 117th race of his career without a victory. It was Hemric’s 10th runner-up finish in Xfinity.

Noah Gragson was third, followed by Justin Allgaier and Austin Cindric.

SOCCER

GENEVA (AP) — The International Olympic Committee said on Saturday it has “concerns” about FIFA’s push for soccer World Cups every two years.

Though IOC President Thomas Bach said last month “we will not interfere in this discussion,” his organization stepped in on Saturday after meeting in Athens to detail objections it shared with soccer stakeholders.

Clashes in the schedule with other sports, the men’s World Cup overshadowing women’s editions of the tournament, and “a further massive strain” on athlete welfare were all cited in an IOC statement after an executive board meeting.

OBITUARY

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul Salata, who created the Mr. Irrelevant Award that honors the last selection of the NFL draft after playing football at Southern California and in the NFL and Canadian Football League, died Saturday. He was 94.

He died of natural causes at home in Newport Beach, California, a day before his 95th birthday, nephew Nick Salata told The Associated Press.

Although the NFL draft dates to 1936, Salata created the Mr. Irrelevant Award in 1976. The player and his family were invited to spend a week in Orange County enjoying activities including a trip to Disneyland and a golf tournament. The honoree received the Lowsman Trophy depicting a player fumbling a football. Kelvin Kirk of Dayton University was the first to be given the title as the 487th pick that year.

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