TORONTO (AP) — Will Smith homered in the 11th inning after Miguel Rojas connected for a tying drive in the ninth, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive World Series titles. Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and the first from the National League since the 1975 and ’76 Cincinnati Reds. Smith hit a 2-0 slider off Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night.
TORONTO (AP) — Late homers by Miguel Rojas and Will Smith rallied the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 innings in one of the wildest Game 7s in World Series history. Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become baseball’s first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees won three titles in a row. Here are the top moments from the epic Game 7.
TORONTO (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto was named World Series MVP for the Los Angeles Dodgers with one of the greatest pitching performances in Fall Classic history, including an epic relief appearance in Game 7 on Saturday night. Yamamoto pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings in the clincher a day after throwing 96 pitches in a Game 6 win. He also threw a four-hitter in Game 2 that was the first complete game in the World Series since 2015. The 27-year-old Japanese ace pitched out of a jam in the ninth inning, leaving the bases loaded and the score tied at 4. After cruising through the 10th, he worked around Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s leadoff double to preserve a 5-4 lead and lock up LA’s second consecutive championship.
TORONTO (AP) — Clayton Kershaw ended his illustrious 18-year career unaware initially that he'd just won the World Series again. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 innings in Game 7 on Saturday night to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive championships. But that was news at first to Kershaw. The three-time Cy Young Award winner was warming up in the bullpen when Alejandro Kirk grounded into a game-ending double play. Kershaw says he lost track of the outs and initially thought the tying run scored on the play.
Three top-10 teams in The Associated Press college football poll lost. No. 9 Vanderbilt fell short in a 34-31 loss to No. 20 Texas, while No. 10 Miami lost 26-20 in overtime at SMU. These defeats have dealt significant blows to their College Football Playoff hopes. No. 1 Ohio State is expected to maintain the top spot after a 38-14 win over Penn State. Meanwhile, No. 5 Georgia faced a tough test against Florida. Texas extended its win streak to four games, and North Texas is poised for its first ranking since 1959 after beating Navy.
VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Kevin Willard takes on the challenge of leading Villanova's basketball team after Kyle Neptune's departure. Willard, who previously coached Maryland, faces high expectations to restore Villanova's former glory. On Monday, he debuts against No. 8 BYU. Villanova has struggled since Jay Wright's retirement, missing the NCAA Tournament under Neptune. Willard acknowledges the difficulties of following a legendary coach but is determined to rebuild the program. He emphasizes the need to adapt to changes in college sports, like NIL payments and the transfer portal. Willard aims to bring Villanova back to national prominence.
TORONTO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani was pulled off the mound in Game 7 of the World Series after allowing Bo Bichette’s three-run homer in the third inning. Pitching on three days of rest, Ohtani was up to 100.9 mph with his fastball but appeared to run out of steam in the third. After hustling to field Nathan Lukes’ sacrifice bunt, Ohtani threw a wild pitch to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts intentionally walked Guerrero after that, and Ohtani’s next pitch, his 51st, was a hanging slider that Bichette hit 442 feet. It was Bichette’s first homer since Sept. 2, a few days before suffering the left knee injury still hampering him in this Series.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Duke Scott ran for a career-best 196 yards in place of injured Atlantic Coast Conference rushing leader Hollywood Smothers to help N.C. State stun No. 8 Georgia Tech 48-36 on Saturday night. That ended the Yellow Jackets’ unbeaten run after their first 8-0 start since 1966. Scott had a late 30-yard TD run that effectively sealed the win. CJ Bailey threw for 340 yards and accounted for three TDs for the Wolfpack. Haynes King threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more for Georgia Tech. This was N.C. State's first win against a top-10 team since September 2021.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas quarterback Arch Manning returned from a concussion to lead the No. 20 Longhorns to a 34-31 victory over No. 9 Vanderbilt. Manning passed for 328 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard pass to Ryan Wingo on the first play. Texas led 34-10 in the fourth quarter before Vanderbilt rallied behind quarterback Diego Pavia. The comeback ended when Vanderbilt’s onside kick rolled out of bounds in the final seconds. Texas extended its winning streak to four games and remains among the SEC leaders.
Wolverhampton Wanderers has fired manager Vitor Pereira after a winless start to the season left the team in last place in the Premier League. Pereira joined Wolves in December when the team was in next-to-last place in the league, secured its survival in the lucrative top flight by April and was handed a new three-year contract in September. However Wolves has entered November with just two points after 10 games in the Premier League by losing eight times and drawing twice. Pereira’s final game in charge was a 3-0 loss at Fulham on Saturday. Wolves says “results and performances this term have fallen below acceptable standards, and as a result a change in leadership was deemed necessary.”
Finals
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
Final L.A. Dodgers 5 Toronto 4
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Boston 2 Carolina 1
Final Winnipeg 5 Pittsburgh 2
Final Nashville 4 Calgary 2
Final OT San Jose 3 Colorado 2
Final SO Florida 4 Dallas 3
Final Columbus 3 St. Louis 2
Final Minnesota 5 Vancouver 2
Final OT Montreal 4 Ottawa 3
Final SO Buffalo 4 Washington 3
Final Toronto 5 Philadelphia 2
Final New Jersey 4 Los Angeles 1
Final OT Edmonton 3 Chicago 2
Final OT N-Y Rangers 3 Seattle 2
TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final(18) Oklahoma 33 (14) Tennessee 27
Final (20) Texas 34 (9) Vanderbilt 31
Final (24) Utah 45 (17) Cincinnati 14
Final (1) Ohio St. 38 Penn St. 14
Final West Virginia 45 (22) Houston 35
Final SMU 26 (10) Miami 20
Final (16) Louisville 28 Virginia Tech 16
Final (13) Texas Tech 43 Kansas St.20
Final(12) Notre Dame 25 Boston College 10
Final (2) Indiana 55 Maryland 10
Final (5) Georgia 24 Florida 20
Final (15) Virginia 31 California 21
Final (7) Mississippi 30 South Carolina 14
Final (21) Michigan 21 Purdue 16
Final NC State 48 (8) Georgia Tech 36
Final (23) Southern Cal 21 Nebraska 17