Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn’t think slugger Shohei Ohtani heard Toronto fans’ taunts
TORONTO (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn’t think Shohei Ohtani heard fans in Toronto taunting him during Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night, and he doesn’t think the Japanese two-way sensation is bothered much by boos anyway. Upset that Ohtani spurned the Blue Jays to sign a $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023, fans in Toronto chanted “We don’t need you!” when he came to the plate in the ninth inning with his team trailing by seven runs. Fans also booed Ohtani during pregame introductions. Ohtani appeared to smile at those jeers, but Roberts doesn’t think he caught the late barbs.
Germie Bernard’s 2 late TDs help ‘unbreakable’ No. 4 Alabama rally past South Carolina 29-22
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Germie Bernard scored two touchdowns in the final 2 1/2 minutes, and No. 4 Alabama rallied to beat South Carolina 29-22 for its seventh straight win. Ty Simpson threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns and DeShawn Jones returned an interception 18 yards for a score for the Crimson Tide (7-1, 5-0 Southeastern Conference). LaNorris Sellers threw for 222 yards and a touchdown and ran for 67 yards and another score for South Carolina (3-5, 1-5), but had a costly fumble late which led to the winning score.
AP Top 25 poll preview: Alabama edges South Carolina, Longhorns escape in OT, LSU could fall
Week 9 of college football has mainly seen the expected outcomes. Georgia Tech, Alabama, Vanderbilt and Indiana secured victories, contrasting with Week 8, when four top 10 teams lost. Texas delivered its second-straight overtime win, and Memphis and Navy are making strong cases for the AP Top 25 after recent wins.
Reed produces 4 TDs and No. 3 Texas A&M races away from No. 20 LSU, 49-25
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Marcel Reed passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more scores, and No. 3 Texas A&M’s second-half dominance turned a slim halftime deficit into a 49-25 victory over 20th-ranked LSU. KC Conception caught one of Reed’s TD tosses and returned a third-quarter punt 79 yards for another score for the unbeaten Aggies, who snapped a six-game skid in LSU’s Tiger Stadium, winning there for the first time since 1994. At 8-0, A&M is now off to its best start since the 1992 Aggies went 12-0 in the regular season before losing to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Reed passed for 202 yards and rushed for 108, highlighted by his 41-yard TD scramble. LSU has lost two straight.
Rob Manfred increasingly confident major leaguers will play in 2028 LA Olympics
TORONTO (AP) — Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is increasingly confident big league players will participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. MLB did not allow players on 40-man rosters at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. MLB has discussed creating an extended All-Star break to allow participation in the 2028 Games. An agreement with the players’ association is necessary, and sponsor deals could be impacted. Manfred says logistical issues still need to be worked on. Participation in 2028 is likely to be a one-off, as the 2032 Olympics are scheduled for Brisbane, Australia.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ‘deeply disturbed’ by gambling arrests of Billups and Rozier
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has expressed shock over the arrests of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier on gambling-related charges. Speaking on Friday night during Amazon Prime Video’s first broadcast, Silver said he was deeply disturbed by the indictments. The arrests, which happened on Thursday, involve nearly three dozen people, including Billups and Rozier. Rozier is accused of conspiring to help associates win bets based on his performance. Billups faces charges related to rigged poker games. Silver apologized to fans, noting the situation has overshadowed the league’s opening week.
Ravens rule out Lamar Jackson (hamstring) for Sunday; 2-time MVP will miss a 3rd straight game
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Lamar Jackson will miss a third consecutive game with a hamstring injury when the Baltimore Ravens host the Chicago Bears. The Ravens ruled Jackson out Saturday, while also saying he was not in fact a full participant in practice the previous day. Jackson was initially listed as a full participant Friday — and questionable for Sunday’s game. But now the team has downgraded him to out — and said he was actually limited Friday. The Ravens lost to Houston and the Los Angeles Rams without Jackson, and even an open date last weekend wasn’t enough for them to get the two-time MVP back.
Alex Ovechkin plays his 1,500th game for the Capitals, but goal No. 900 will have to wait
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin had a chance to pull off a double milestone by reaching 900 goals in his 1,500th game. The Ottawa Senators were having none of it. The Capitals and their fans had a chance to celebrate the latter accomplishment, but goal No. 900 will have to wait. Washington was drubbed 7-1 by the Senators on Saturday night. A goal against Columbus on Friday night brought Ovechkin to 899, but he had only one shot Saturday. As a team, the Capitals were outshot 34-13.
NASCAR hoping must-win scenarios at Martinsville will avoid manipulation repeat
Half of the remaining field in the Cup Series playoffs is facing essentially a must-win situation at Martinsville Speedway, where NASCAR weathered a race manipulation scandal in last year’s third-round finale. NASCAR executives are attuned to preventing a repeat at the Virginia short track, warning drivers and teams during the 2025 playoffs about championship shenanigans and marshaling a beefed-up staff of officials to monitor radio communications for foul play in Sunday’s 500-lap race. But the points breakdown entering Martinsville makes it unlikely that last season’s embarrassing episode, which triggered major offseason rule changes, will recur at the 0.526-mile oval.