LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of their NL Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night. Ohtani's first homer was a leadoff shot in the first inning. His second, a two-run drive in the sixth, extended the lead to 8-0. Ohtani hit a career-high 55 homers during the regular season, breaking his own franchise record. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has said the two-way superstar would probably start on the mound if the series goes to a decisive third game. Ohtani has yet to pitch in the postseason.
NEW YORK (AP) — Garrett Crochet led the Boston Red Sox to a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees in their AL Wild Card Series opener. He threw 117 pitches, the most in a postseason game in six years, striking out 11 batters and walking none over 7 2/3 innings. Crochet retired 17 consecutive batters after Anthony Volpe's homer in the second. Acquired from the Chicago White Sox in December, Crochet has become Boston's ace, earning a $170 million contract starting next year. He went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA this season, leading the major leagues with 255 strikeouts and topping the AL with 205 1/3 innings.
Roger Federer leads the list of nominees for the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s class of 2026. The ballot was announced Wednesday. Federer was the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles and ushered in an era of unprecedented greatness with younger rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Federer won 103 tour-level trophies and 1,251 matches in singles, totals surpassed among men only by Jimmy Connors in the Open era. Federer is joined in the player category on the ballot by Svetlana Kuznetsova and Juan Martin del Potro. There are two nominees in the contributor category: Mary Carillo and Marshall Happer.
MIAMI (AP) — Tickets for next year's FIFA World Cup officially go on sale Wednesday. Buyers were selected from 4.5 million applicants in a lottery last month. FIFA says winners will be informed by email. The U.S., Canada, and Mexico automatically qualify as hosts, but the full schedule and locations won't be finalized until December. Despite uncertainties, fans are eager to secure tickets. FIFA President Gianni Infantino calls it a strong statement of global passion for soccer. The U.S. State Department advises travelers needing visas to apply now. Additional ticket phases and promotions are planned in the coming months.
A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces are looking to accomplish something only done once before by winning a third WNBA championship in four seasons. Standing in the way are the Phoenix Mercury, who are making their first championship appearance since 2021. The WNBA Finals will begin Friday in Las Vegas between the second-seed Aces and No. 4 seed Mercury. This year for the first time the two teams will play in a best-of-seven format as the league expanded its championship round from a five-game series.
College football heats up as October kicks off with conference races and the chase for playoff spots ramping up. Only two Top 25 matchups are on the schedule: Miami at Florida State and Vanderbilt at Alabama. Miami aims for its first win in Tallahassee since 2019 while Vanderbilt seeks a historic 6-0 start. In the Big 12, Houston faces Texas Tech and Iowa State visits Cincinnati. Heisman watch sees Oregon's Dante Moore leading after a strong performance against Penn State. Meanwhile, Wisconsin's coach Luke Fickell feels the pressure heading into its game at No. 20 Michigan.
Napheesa Collier delivered a blistering assessment of the WNBA and its commissioner as she sat in front of the media with a prepared statement and disclosed private conversations she said she had with Cathy Engelbert that portrayed her as a leader who lacks accountability. The Minnesota Lynx star spoke Tuesday for more than four minutes on topics ranging from Caitlin Clark — and her value to the league — to inconsistent officiating, which she feels Engelbert and the WNBA haven’t addressed. Engelbert responded to Collier in a statement not long after the media session, saying she was disheartened by it.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Detroit pitcher Tarik Skubal delivered a standout performance in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against Cleveland. Skubal tied a franchise postseason record with 14 strikeouts, leading the Tigers to a 2-1 win Tuesday. Despite a challenging September, Skubal's determination helped Detroit gain early momentum in the best-of-three series. He allowed just one run on three hits over 7 2/3 innings. Skubal's fastball averaged 99.1 mph, and he effectively used his slider. His performance was crucial for Detroit, which had struggled against Cleveland in recent matchups.
CHICAGO (AP) — Seiya Suzuki watched the playoffs on TV after each of his first three years in the majors. He gets to play this time around, and he is determined to make the most of the opportunity. Suzuki hit a crucial home run to help the Chicago Cubs to a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of their NL Wild Card Series. The usually reserved Suzuki pumped his right arm and yelled in celebration as he made his way to first base after his big swing. Chicago had just one hit before the Japanese slugger opened the fifth with a 424-foot shot into the bleachers in left-center on a 94.5 mph fastball from Nick Pivetta.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Aces have a chance to make history in the WNBA Finals. They could become champions for the third time in four years, a feat only surpassed by the Houston Comets. The Aces, who won titles in 2022 and 2023, will host the Phoenix Mercury on Friday in the best-of-seven Finals. The Aces have beaten the Mercury three times this season. A'ja Wilson, a four-time MVP, has been crucial in leading the team.
Finals
AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Detroit 2 Cleveland 1
Final Boston 3 N.Y. Yankees 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Chicago Cubs 3 San Diego 1
Final L.A. Dodgers 10 Cincinnati 5