TORONTO (AP) — Cal Raleigh homered, Jorge Polanco drove in the go-ahead run with a sixth-inning single and the Seattle Mariners beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 as they returned to the AL Championship Series for the first time in 24 years. George Springer homered on the first pitch from Bryce Miller, who then escaped a two-on jam in a 27-pitch first inning. Anthony Santander singled in the second for Toronto’s only other hit, and Seattle pitchers retired 23 of the Blue Jays’ final 24 batters as Miller, Gabe Speier, Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz combined to throw just 100 pitches.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns and led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 30-17 victory over the ailing Detroit Lions. Sunday night's game ended with a fistfight among players. Mahomes tried to give Brian Branch a high-five after the final whistle, and the Lions safety walked right by him. Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took umbrage and had words with Branch, who delivered a punch to set off the brief melee. Marquise Brown had two touchdown receptions and Xavier Worthy had another for the Chiefs, who evened their record at 3-3. The Lions fell to 4-2.
All the talk about the decline of the Kansas City Chiefs was premature. With Patrick Mahomes doing his magic and a stout defense, the Chiefs can beat anybody. A convincing 30-17 victory over the Detroit Lions in front of a national audience on Sunday night lifted the Chiefs to 3-3. They’ve got a long way to go but they’re a much better team than the one that started 0-2. Critics were wondering if it was the end of Kansas City’s dynasty. But the Chiefs just need to get healthy and work out some kinks.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Detroit Lions had a tough night against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. And it didn't get much better after the final whistle in the 30-17 defeat. Brian Branch's punch to JuJu Smith-Schuster sparked a brief fight among players, and it could very well earn the Detroit safety a hefty fine and a suspension. The fracas came after the Chiefs had shut down the NFL's highest-scoring offense and moved the ball with ease against the Detroit defense in a game that snapped the Lions' four-game winning streak.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — James Franklin is out at Penn State. The school fired the longtime football coach Sunday, less than 24 hours after a 22-21 home loss to Northwestern. Terry Smith will serve as the interim head coach for the rest of the season. The Nittany Lions began the year with hopes of winning a national title. Those hopes evaporated by early October amid a string of losses. Penn State, which reached the CFP semifinal 10 months ago, lost at home to Oregon in overtime in late September. A road loss at UCLA followed.
Indiana has climbed to No. 3 in The Associated Press college football poll, marking its highest ranking ever. This comes after a 10-point win at Oregon. Ohio State and Miami remain the top two teams. Texas A&M and Mississippi have swapped places. Oklahoma dropped to No. 14 following a loss to Texas. The No. 21 Longhorns are back in the Top 25 after a one-week absence. Five teams dropped out of the ratings in the biggest turnover since seven fell out in an October poll in 2022.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Four-time All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner will need season-ending surgery after he was sidelined by a severe ankle injury during San Francisco's loss to Tampa Bay. Warner's right ankle dislocated and broke when players fell into him. Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the injury after the 30-19 defeat. The entire 49ers sideline came onto the field to support Warner before he left with an air cast. Despite numerous injuries, including missing key players like quarterback Brock Purdy, the 49ers are 4-2 and tied for first in the NFC West. Warner has been a consistent All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection.
UNLV has quietly started 6-0 under new coach Dan Mullen and a win this week at Boise State would put the Rebels in the spotlight. Even if the Rebels finish the regular season undefeated and win the Mountain West title, it probably still won't be enough to get them into the College Football Playoff as the Group of Five representative. American Conference teams South Florida, Memphis and Tulane are most often mentioned as front-runners. The Rebels have played one of the weakest schedules in the country.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Denny Hamlin became the first driver to lock up a spot in NASCAR’s championship-deciding finale, winning Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for his career-goal 60th Cup Series triumph. Hamlin, considered the best driver in NASCAR history to never win a Cup title, is back in the winner-take-all title race for the first time since 2021. The winningest driver in Joe Gibbs Racing history is tied for 10th on NASCAR’s career victories list with Kevin Harvick. Hamlin was emotional two weeks ago when he failed to win at Kansas Speedway in a victory he hoped to dedicate to his ailing father. He made good on it at Las Vegas. Kyle Larson was second.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Former NFL quarterback and sports analyst Mark Sanchez has been released from custody, about a week after police said he was stabbed during a fight with a truck driver in Indiana. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed Sanchez’s release on Sunday. He faces a felony battery charge and several misdemeanor charges for what prosecutors have said was a fight over parking. Police say Sanchez was hospitalized with stab wounds to his upper right torso. Sanchez was in Indianapolis for Fox’s coverage of a game between the Colts and the Las Vegas Raiders. A defense attorney for Sanchez didn’t immediately respond to a telephone message seeking comment.
Finals
AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Seattle 3 Toronto 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Denver 13 N-Y Jets 11
Final Carolina 30 Dallas 27
Final Indianapolis 31 Arizona 27
Final L.A. Chargers 29 Miami 27
Final L.A. Rams 17 Baltimore 3
Final New England 25 New Orleans 19
Final Pittsburgh 23 Cleveland 9
Final Seattle 20 Jacksonville 12
Final Las Vegas 20 Tennessee 10
Final Green Bay 27 Cincinnati 18
Final Tampa Bay 30 San Francisco 19
Final Kansas City 30 Detroit 17